I’m a fan of good stout beer and love coffee, so when I saw a coffee stout in the cooler at Sids, I had to try it. I don’t drink much beer anymore, but do enjoy heavier-creamy stouts. This beer is absolutely delicious. It tastes more like an ice cold Toddy and cream than a beer. As you can see, beer advocate gave it a A+

Peche Mortel (Mortal Sin) is from Quebec, Canada.

I would of gave the man a ten spot out of pity. I wonder if your wrist turns green when you eat it?

Rapid City Gun Love On Google Maps

Do you think this guy is about to (a) start a revolution, (b) take back the streets, or (c) dine and shop with the Presidents at Mount Rushmore National Memorial?

Hossenpheffer clears up the debate about Fairey’s HOPE print and Garcia’s photo that DooHickey is up in arms about. Garcia responds to her email:

Please tell me Mr Garcia, if you are upset about pop artist Sheperd Fairey’s Hope poster that was created using a photo you took. It is wonderful that a pop art piece is being included in the National Portrait Gallery.

 

My friends and I are in a heated debate over this. Some say Fairey  ‘stole’ your work, some say he was inspired by it. It is cold in South Dakota and we are cooped up and forced to debate such issues. What are your feelings?

 

You are a great talent.

With hope,

——-

GARCIA’s RESPONSE:

Ms. ——-,

 

It must be very cold out there and you all need to do something with more activity, LOL. At this point I can’t comment on the issues of the situation. I’ve attached a link to my website & a blog for your review.

 

Stay warm and I hope this finds you in good health & spirits,

 

Best,

 

Mannie

 

www.manniegarcia.com

 

http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/sceneonroad/2009/01/a_last_word_hopeful

ly_and_upda_1.html

An email from Bread for the world;

The food tax refund system does not meet the need. The Governor’s proposal to drop it does makes sense, in large part because a better alternative is so available.

The refund program returns to taxpayers only about 3.8 percent of the total food tax, and you know there is more need than that.

(You can find more info about the refund program at http://www.endthefoodtax.org/.  Some items on that website have not been updated lately, but some have.)

Grocery prices are rising, and times are tough. The state legislature could help. Rather than a refund system that leaves out most low income families in the state, South Dakota could end this unfair tax, as most other states have done.

Legislators are putting in bills this week. We hope and assume there will be a bill to end the food tax. It is needed now more than ever. 

When you visit with state legislators (via phone, email, letter, or in person), you can advise them that South Dakota should stop taxing groceries altogether.

A good option is available: The whole food tax could be ended once and for all by adding ½% to non-food sales. This tax shift would cost the state nothing, AND the cities and tribes could be fully reimbursed. Thus, NO public money would be lost. 

What about families? This tax shift would help middle- and low-income families. It would move the sales tax burden slightly up the income scale. 

“No other tax so directly takes food off people’s tables.” -Matt Gassen, director of Community Food Banks of SD

If they could save the tax on $100 food, a family could buy 2 gallons of milk. Think of the impact in a family with teenagers!

Check them out.

http://www.davinaandthevagabonds.com/index.html

Music samples here;

http://www.myspace.com/davinaandthevagabonds

They remind me of one of my favorite bands, The Squirrel Nut Zippers.

More info here:

http://www.chesterfieldlive.com/

“

It’s OKAY to have gay sex – as long as you are not gay. Just ask my buddy Larry Craig.”

Once you go Back, you never go Back.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) — A megachurch paid a 20-year-old man to keep silent about a sexual relationship he had with disgraced evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, a senior church pastor said.

But Christianity is the only true religion, just ask Lora Hubbel. The only mayoral candidate in SF to run on a Pro-Life agenda. Because when it comes to building roads and parks, abortion is always a factor.

Literally A Grave Digger

A monster truck show promoter, who days earlier touted his event’s safety record, died after being crushed by one of the trucks during a show in Madison, Wisconsin, Saturday night.

George Eisenhart’s death was the second fatality at a monster truck event in just over a week.

“Saturday’s incident, which is an uncommon occurrence, … was a freak accident,” Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said Sunday.

“Review of the incident shows that George [Eisenhart] accidentally stepped in front of a moving vehicle in a fashion that did not provide the vehicle’s driver adequate time to react,” said a statement from the Monster Truck Racing Association. “All of us at the MTRA send our deepest condolences to the Eisenhart family and all the parties involved. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend.”

Eisenhart, 41, died eight days after a 6-year-old boy was killed by flying debris at a monster truck show in Tacoma, Washington. The shows were staged by different promoters.

Ironically, Eisenhart talked about the safety of his shows, put on by Monster Truck Nationals, in an interview with a Madison television station before the weekend event.

“This is our 16th year,” Eisenhart told CNN affiliate WKOW. “I wish I had a big piece of wood to knock on right now, but we have not had an incident besides a gal slipping in the aisleway at another location.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/26/monster.truck.death/

How long until the nanny staters go after these so called “Monster” Trucks?

‘The Wrestler’

I saw this movie last night, and I was a little surprised. It turns out that it is really about an old stripper that can’t get men to pay to see her naked, and gets harrassed by some guy that used to wrestle that has AIDS or something like that. Sure, there were plenty of scenes where fat bloody gay men roll around on the floor for the entertainment of the NASCAR crowd, but mostly that was filler between the scenes where you get to see Marisa Tomei’s funbags. Would I recommend this movie to someone I like? That’s a trick question, I don’t like people…. but I would say rent it when it comes out on DVD.

UPDATE: We have requested a briefing with the city on Friday. We will see what happens.

Munson and his minions are continuing to play games while using your tax money to fly in consultants from Minneapolis to tell you we are ‘causing problems.’

A ballot initiative to lower the sales tax in Sioux Falls could cost the city higher interest rates when it borrows money later this year, a financial consultant told city councilors Monday.

Once they figured out they couldn’t scare us with mumbo-jumbo lawyer talk (ironically a lawyer that are tax money paid for) they had to go to plan B and fly-in the financial consultant for the bonds and call out another boogy-man. Yeah, apparently it was too far for the consultant to drive, so she FLEW to Sioux Falls – Don’t get me started about that.

City councilors asked Cameron what would happen if the initiative were called off, and Cameron said she would recommend a competitive sale.

Funny, no one from the bonding office contacted us before Monday’s ‘surprise’. (watch the info meeting – Jan 26, 2009) They know nothing about our intentions or our progress. I think this was cooked up by Munson to get us to pull the plug. I find it extremely hard to believe that cutting $5 million from a $416 million budget would affect rates. Obviously $411 million is plenty to cover debt service on a $38 bond interest payments. I’m no accountant, but I am no dummy either. As one commenter in the Argus said;

How many times has Sioux Falls defaulted on an interest payment in the past 50 years? How many cities in the US have had their bond interest rates raised on them when they have given the taxpayers relief by reducing taxes? Another phantom boogy man from those who want to screw the taxpayer and aggrandize government.

But now we are up against the wall? Though you and I know this is total bologna, the propaganda machine over at City Hall has turned it up a notch. So what are our options? Well the way I look at it, even if we pull the plug, what prevents the bonding company from still seeking secondary rates? Well nothing. They can blame us either way because of the uncertainity.

I also find it ironic that this was ‘sprung’ on the council at the last minute, right when the city financial advisor, Rowenhorst was supposed to give his budget address, that he conveniently had to postpone to Wednesday. This ‘stinks’ all around. Not just for the initiative and the bond rates, but that our City government can’t give it’s citizens an economy update at a public meeting. Apparently the over 20 employees and multiple consultants the finance department has working for them didn’t have enough ‘time’ to get a report together . . . Yeah . . .  right.

Ehrisman noted that the group has been collecting signatures since October, long before the council voted to authorize the bonds earlier this month.”This should have been brought up during the vote or before the vote,” he said.

That’s just it, why is the council voting on something they don’t have all the information on? Well, because they do it all the time. Half of them chose to raise our taxes without paying attention to the recession trend, than another majority decided to take out a bond, without knowing what rate they will be paying. I would have to say that is pretty incompetent.

So what’s the solution? Give in to City Hall? We’ll see.