The Morning Briefing - October 13, 2015
TRENTON - No state senator is "going to run from" a vote on gun control, vows Senate President Stephen Sweeney, grabbing headlines in efforts to override the governor's veto of a gun control bill. Sweeney is even talking about dispatching State Police to drag the 40 lawmakers to Trenton, which would certainly make for a great photo opp. "We'll go get them," vows Sweeney, hyping the Oct. 22 vote. Following all this chest thumping, Minority Senate Leader Tom Kean, Jr. says he is working on some "common ground legislation" that includes mental health reforms that Christie proposed. Response from the governor? "Right now, (Sweeney) is too interested in running for governor and less interested in actually getting something done," said Christie, ironically from the campaign trail in New Hampshire.
NEW BRUNSWICK - Sort of irrelevant to conduct a poll on a two-term governor who can't run for re-election, but pollsters continue to ask New Jersey residents how Gov. Chris Christie is doing. Surprisingly, for a guy who rarely shows up for work, there are 35 percent of us who give him a favorable opinion. Rutgers-Eagleton also found that 55 percent are not pleased with his job performance. Ten percent of us had no opinion or - get this - claim they don't know the name "Chris Christie."
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Media following Gov. Chris Christie around New Hampshire can't help but notice the inconsistencies. First, he is vowing to blow up Russian planes if Vladimir Putin dares to disobey no-fly zones. "We have to... make sure Putin understands that putting the old band back together is not an option," Christie told Fox News. Then, just hours later, the governor was at a "Problem Solvers" conference, talking about the need for a peacemaker in the White House, who can bring everyone together in a kumbaya around the campfire, as a polarized Congress and crazy foreign dictators embrace, sway to the music and drink Christie Kool-Aid. "You have to understand that compromise is not capitulation," Christie said. Tylenol, anyone?
PLAINSBORO - Getting some mayors together to talk about local economic policies has become a hallmark of the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce, hosting the latest in its four-part "Meet the Mayors" forums. Today, the action takes place in Plainsboro, with Bert Baron of WCTC chatting up New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill, Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu, Cranbury Mayor Jay Taylor and North Brunswick Mayor Mac Womack. This program breaks down municipal borders and gets people thinking about how to solve issues from a regional perspective. (Sorry, no snark here; we just like the program.)
MARGATE - Thanks, but, uh, no. That is the message from the cash-trapped operators of "Lucy the Elephant," trying to raise money to restore the six-story wood-and-tin tourist attraction. PETA made headlines last week, offering a measly $2,000 if Lucy could be converted into a political message about the grim life of circus elephants. PETA wanted to shackle one of Lucy's feet and put a teardrop under one eye. But Lucy's caretakers were worried such a message would scare the bejeezus out of kids and, of course, said "no." But kudos to PETA, scoring more "free media" for its issues.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
AT THE NEWSSTAND - With pornography instantly available at any keystroke, Playboy magazine is finally getting with the times. Hugh Hefner, now 89, says he will stop publishing nude photos after March 2016, with the magazine becoming "PG-13" and targeting young, employed men who could actually read Playboy at work without being sent to HR. "Twelve-year-old me is very disappointed in current me. But it's the right thing to do," says Playboy's chief content officer. If you didn't think Playboy was woefully outdated, read this gem from Hefner, circa 1953, "If you're a man between the ages of 18 and 80, Playboy is meant for you. We enjoy mixing up cocktails and an hors d'oeuvre or two, putting a little mood music on the phonograph, and inviting in a female acquaintance for a quiet discussion on Picasso, Nietzsche, jazz, sex..."
HIGHGATE SPRINGS, Vt. - Acting like a lunatic in all those "National Lampoon Vacation" movies wasn't a stretch for Randy Quaid, arrested by Vermont State Police with his wife, Evi, on Saturday as they crossed the Canadian border into the U.S. The Quaids sought asylum in Montreal in 2010, saying they were targets of the same "Hollywood star-whackers" who they claim killed David Carradine and Heath Ledger. They denied it had anything to do with their 2010 trespassing and felony vandalism arrest, or with a longstanding dispute over allowing illegal aliens to squat in their unfinished California home. Quaid was arrested in Montreal last week for not complying with Canadian immigration rules. This is certainly a memorable "Vacation."
AT WORK - LinkedIn has 8,700 workers in 30 counties, all of whom will be excited about the new vacation policy: Endless vacation days, with 17 paid holidays. All sounds great, but it is a stroke of genius: Employees serious about their work will act responsibly; the remainder will be updating their resume on LinkedIn and eagerly looking for a new job.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1967 that marked the first game in the history of the American Basketball Association, with the Anaheim Amigos losing to the Oakland Oaks 134-129. The game was great, yet prompted this question: Who came up with these mascots?
WORD OF THE DAY
Uhtceare - noun (OOḤT-kuh-ROO) (the h hard as in Bach or Scottish loch)
Definition: Laying awake before dawn and worrying.
Example: We have no clue how to accurately use uhtceare in a sentence, as there is only one documented instance of it actually being used. But, hey, nothing to uhtceare about.