July 2009

Happy Independence Day!

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Ben Franklin is my favorite founding father, a champion of FREE speech and beer guts.

This is probably my favorite holiday, because it has to with being an American. That and you are not expected to do anything on this day, except drink beer and eat hot dogs, and maybe burn your hands on a firecracker. All other holidays expect something out of you, like going to church, giving gifts, or pretending you like your relatives.

PBR Silos, here I come!

Is John Morrell’s closing in SF?

plugging-your-nose-by-a-dead-skunk-adria-nieve-grant-funston-august-14-2008

Bye-Bye stinky.

Consolidation has been going on for awhile and in a recent Gargoyle Leader article, Sioux City is gearing up for a bigger plant.

But the biggest piece of news that has been circulating in news circles is that Smithfield foods who owns JM’s has filed Federal consolidation paperwork (but the document does not include location). – Sorry still trying to find a link

I have said for awhile that it doesn’t make a difference to me, but there is a lot of powerful people in SF that would benefit greatly from the closure, and with the Stockyards for sale, that is a prime piece of property.

So what are Sioux Falls city and business leaders doing about it? Probably helping JM’s pack – but they will never tell you that.

I suspect once they drop the bulldozer blade to tear down JM’s they will probably keep going east until they hit the insterstate, considering that neighborhood will be emptied overnight.

Bravo! Democracy at work.

Though I’m not a big fan of Darrin Smith, I will say he is a very shrewd politico, and he would not be challenging the smoking petition unless he knew he had a good fight;

A coalition of health advocates on Thursday claimed that almost 10,000 signatures collected by opponents of a statewide smoking ban are invalid.

They filed a formal protest with the secretary of state’s office, asking the office to invalidate 9,891 signatures.

If those signatures are found to be bad, opponents of the smoking ban would not have enough to qualify for the ballot in 2010. That could pave the way for South Dakota to become the latest state in the nation to ban smoking in most bars and restaurants.

I’m glad they did this, not only will it prove our state’s method of certifying petitions is flawed it will also prove that getting signatures from drunk smokers isn’t probably the best way to get valid signatures. One thing I have learned from gathering signatures is you must watch signers closely, not all of them fill it out completely. I can’t imagine what that would be like getting intoxicated people to sign. Though I disagree with the smoking supporters, I will give them a word of advice, they should not have gathered signatures in a bar.

A whopping 325 people showed up to Dr.(?) Unruh’s Bullshit Fest

I had to laugh, but was not surprised that event that was supposed to draw 10,000 people brought in 325. I hope Allen wokeup this morning and said to himself, “Maybe I am wrong, maybe Americans really do want socialized medicine.” – Yeah Right!

A head count showed 325 people in the grandstand for the midafternoon speeches, though organizer Dr. Allen Unruh later estimated 500 to 700 people attended at least some of the four-hour rally. Either way, the turnout was a fraction of the 4,000 at Covell Lake on April 15 to re-enact the Boston Tea Party in protest of government spending.

I see Abe Lincoln showed up . . . or was that Ironic Johnny?