The Jaffe Briefing - September 11, 2017
OUR TAKE ON THE NEWS IN NEW JERSEY
NEW BRUNSWICK - After watching the Rutgers football team lose on Saturday to an unknown school we assumed only conferred online degrees, let's take a moment to celebrate something positive: Money Magazine ranks the Rutgers Business School at 35th in the country, sharing the spot with Michigan State. Take that Villanova. Losers.
ATLANTIC CITY - So, some beauty contestant from some state won the Miss America pageant last night. But what was actually interesting was the social media backlash on Miss New Jersey, who offered a sensible, diplomatic response to the impossible question if Confederate statues should be removed. One person writes, "Bitch, read a damn book!" Another posts: "So we need to always remember our history of being slave owning racists? Yeah no... And that's an interesting Jersey accent." And a third: "She said move the confederate statues to MUSEUMS?? Shawty no. Get off the stage immediately." Wow. Who knew Miss America viewers were under 90 years of age?
NEWARK - As the corruption trial against Sen. Robert Menendez rolls into its second week, state Republicans are salivating over the possibilities. After all, if he is forced to resign while Gov. Chris Christie is in office, that means a Republican would be appointed to replace him - a rare Republican representing New Jersey in the U.S. Senate. NJ.com is exploring the possibilities, listing its opinion of seven top contenders under Christie: Here we go: Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, State Sen. Tom Kean, Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, Rep. Tom MacArthur, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, State Sen. Michael Doherty or (shudder) Christie.
PATERSON - The annual "Back to School Boo-Boo" goes to the Paterson schools, where a school bus driver and aide have been fired after just the first week of school. Why? For missing the little kindergarten girl sleeping on the bus, AP reports. The six-year-old student - let's call her "Little Susie" - was softly napping on the bus at 8:45 a.m. on Friday. The school called the mom, wondering why Little Susie didn't get off the bus with all the other little cherubs. It was quickly discovered the private bus company still had her, and then was able to properly transport her to school, unharmed. The bus driver and aide were swiftly blamed and justifiably canned.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
NEW MILFORD, Conn. - If you are a regular reader of SoFurry.com - a website dedicated to wacky people who don animal costumes, often for sexual gratification - then you're well aware of the profile of New Milford Councilman Scott Chamberlain, up for re-election. Well, he is resigning instead, after he has been tagged "a furry." While Chamberlain claims his involvement is only because of an affinity for Tony the Tiger and Mickey Mouse, his profile says he "tolerates" rape, reports the Danbury News Times, and is apparently interested in "science fiction adult literature" and wrote a "soap opera" for an adult site. "Literature is one thing, but this kind of stuff takes on a whole different level," the local Democratic chair told the Danbury News Times.
TAMPA - Hurricane season has brought devastation and death. It has also brought great cakes. Supermarkets and bakeries in Florida are taking advantage of the top-of-mind issue of the moment, baking "Go Away Irma" delicacies. Publix, a Florida-based supermarket chain, is getting plenty of social media interest, as it urges people to "Party Like Its Category 4." Where there is power, cakes are just $11.99. C'mon down!
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2001 that 19 Islamist terrorists hijacked four commercial jets, killing nearly 3,000 in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The victims included 749 New Jerseyans.
WORD OF THE DAY
Conversant - [kun-VER-sunt] - adjective
Definition: Having knowledge or experience
Example: Is there a gubernatorial candidate conversant in cutting spending while still getting re-elected?
WEATHER IN A WORD
Pretty