Jester's Musings and Missives

To Spite their Faith...

Catholic Charities is building a just and compassionate society rooted in the dignity of all people. - Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston

Apparently, the Archdiocese of Boston doesn’t really mean “all” people.  Perhaps they should modify their tagline to read “all people who meet our bigoted standards.”

Death to the Death Penalty

Voters in oh-so-blue Massachusetts may be schizophrenic when it comes to electing governors, but at least the elected officials in our State House manage to keep Romney’s red state initiatives out of our law books.   

Restaurant Review: EVOO

On the 14th, Greg and I celebrated our fifth anniversary by exploring a new restaurant, EVOO, in Somerville.  It came highly recommended, so we were excited to check it out.  We had an incredible meal!  I cannot express just how much we loved this place.  Here’s the scoop…

Mitt-igating Circumstances

The “Will He Or Won’t He” guessing game continues…

Governor Mitt Romney is putting off the much-awaited announcement on his political future until late November, giving him time to focus on his healthcare bill and other aspects of his legislative agenda, a top GOP adviser said yesterday. [Boston Globe]

 

Me thinks Romney doth protest too much… Plus, he’s holding his own party hostage by not declaring his Presidential goals now.  Poor Kerry Healy and other potential GOP candidates for MA Governor can’t get out of the starting gate if Mitt’s blocking their path. 

Take My Governor, Please!

I’m a broken record on this issue, but I just don’t understand Romney’s strategy.  Why does he think it’s beneficial to continually mock his constituents?  How does denigrating Massachusettians help his political aspirations? 

In mid-September, Mitt quipped that he’s a “red speck in a blue state.” [Boston.com] I acknowledge his self-proclaimed “speck” status, but I base my assessment on his ineffective leadership.  I certainly don’t think he has done anything that warrants his “I fight the good fight” boasts to his party.  Perhaps he resorts to uncomfortable humor, because his feeble record doesn’t boost his red state credibility. 

A Little Red State Flair in MA

<shaking head in disbelief>

How UN-Christian!  And in my own backyard of Medford…

Check out this picture of a sign at the New England Baptist Church in Medford. => God's Anger with Sin [Universal Hub]

We're #1!!

Boston finally won something.  Beantown ranked #1 in a recent national study.  But wait - don’t get too excited.  It’s not exactly an auspicious award.  Boston is officially “the most expensive metropolitan area in the country” to live.  That’s right.  We beat out DC, NYC, and San Francisco. 

Propelled largely by high housing costs, Boston is now the most expensive metropolitan area in the country, outpacing Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and even New York City, according to a report that will be released today.

The report found that last year, a family of four living in the Boston area needed $64,656 to cover its basic needs. This was $6,000 more than in New York City, and about $7,000 more than in San Francisco. Living expenses, which include healthcare, child care, and other basic needs, were $44,000 or less in Austin, Texas; Chicago; Miami; and Raleigh, N.C. [Boston Globe]

Tom is the Kat's Meow

Hear ye!  Hear ye!

A famously talented middle-aged actor and the ingénue he recently recruited to join his chosen cult are tying the knot. 

Actor Tom Cruise said he and girlfriend Katie Holmes are engaged, after he popped the question early Friday morning atop the Eiffel Tower. [AP]

Apparently, these toothy celebrities can’t resist each other and the publicity that follows them where e’er they go.  Holmes looks star struck and Cruise seems obsessed with their newfound love.  It’s totally creepy.   

Running in Circles

The Mitt-ster’s standing neck deep in political poo. He’s definitely attracting a lot of attention, but it’s not the kind of attention he wants for his maybe-governor-or-maybe-President campaign.  He seems to have difficulty determining where he stands on key issues.  Depending on whether he’s delivering an in- or an out-of-State speech, his topics and tone change.

Last week, he beat out fierce competition to be crowned Republican Weasel of the Week [DavidCorn.com]

This week, the State’s Democratic Party used Romney’s wobbly stand on abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research as a fundraising tool:

Romney's Running on Empty

Face it.  Mitt Romney is running for President.  Why else would he be taking so many road trips to red States?  Why else would he be slinking further and further to the right on key Massachusetts issues?

Romney was elected because (a) voters viewed him as a moderate Republican and (b) his challenger, Shannon O’Brien, lost a televised debate on style points.  As we all know, assertive women are bitchy anyway.  Why would we want to elect a powerful and talented woman if she sounds “shrill” in a debate on TV?  <sigh>  I digress…