It really is.

A great mystery, that is.

At tonight's city council meeting, Gayle Eveatt took council to task over an apparent requirement that everyone who purchases booze in The Smile Hi City must produce ID.

But it ain't that way ... or it isn't supposed to be that way. It seems there is confusion, disparity, between what was intended - or what's in the ordinance - and what is in the signage requirement.

Unfortunately, for now, that's the way it is.

Eveatt quite rightly noted that state law does not require the production of ID. State law simply requires that booze not be sold to anyone under 21. Common sense would seem to indicate that the easiest way to achieve that goal is for booze outlets to ask for ID if their sales people are not sure of the customer's age.

Yep. Common sense. It isn't something you can learn in school, Eveatt said. Well ... the thing is, while Eveatt may be possessed of the requisite common sense, the last sting operations here in the lower Arkansas Valley would indicate that a goodly number of liquor outlet operators are remarkably lacking in that regard. That's why so many of them got bagged.

Then Jerre Church addressed council on the 'issue', wanting to know why no one knew about any of this.

Mr. Church's question is a very good one. Is city council operating as a secret cabal, passing ordinances behind closed doors, in the proverbial smoke-filled room?

A casual examination of past issues of the Tribune-Democrat shows that several articles were published about this 'issue'. Yep. It was discussed at the regular-open-to-the-public meetings, and it was covered repeatedly in the paper.

Perhaps if more people attended council meetings, or read something other than the obituaries and comics in the T-D, Mr. Church's question would find an answer.

Meanwhile, Gossman-Steeves advises that she will provide autographed copies of all of the articles she wrote covering this 'issue'. You'll have to provide your own frames.

And just what drove the ordinance enactment in the first place?

Well, it was liquor store owners who apparently lack common sense (witness the sting busts) to make sure they do not sell to underaged buyers. Too stupid, or too lazy, or too lacking in common sense to handle the matter themselves, it was actually brought to council by at least one owner of an existing outlet. Why? Do city's liquor store outlet owners really need council to wipe their butts and serve as their fall guys for what is clearly a business owner responsibility? Obamamania is alive and well in The Smile Hi City.

Further meanwhile, Mr. Bradbury continues on in his role as political activist over the 'issue' of uncontrolled intersections. In his statement to council this evening, Mr. Bradbury observed that if this council was unresponsive to the 'issue', he would take the necessary measures to ensure that the next council was more compliant.

Perhaps Mr. Bradbury is considering a run at the mayoral seat?

Stay tuned ... the real reportage will appear in tomorrow's T-D. Reserve your copy now.

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Amber Alert for Hillary Clinton

Bill Jacobson has a pretty good off-the-cuff analysis of how Hillary is being "... bled by leeches ..." of her political capital and persona.

He has some excellent points.

Hillary, though at one time a formidable politician, has consistently demonstrated that while she might be really good at the political in-fighting, the hacking and back-stabbing, she really doesn't have what it takes to be a diplomat on the international stage. Nor is she "presidential".

We've hit on this in a few posts:

Hillary steps on her whang ... again

and a kind of precursor to that one:

Hillary steps on her tool ... again

and

The moral incoherence of the Obama administration

Mean, vengeful, spiteful, vituperative ... all of those and more fit The Hill.

But she has been skewered by The One. Belled by The Cat. Her fangs have been pulled. She is not part of The One's "team". Boy howdy, did Obama give Hillary a political comeuppance, that we are now only beginning to see.

Loser. That's our Hill.

God was missing for six days (like Mark Sanford?). Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired, “Where have you been?”

God smiled deeply and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, “Look, Michael. Look what I’ve made.”

Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, “What is it?”

”It’s a planet,” replied God, “and I’ve put life on it.. I’m going to call it Earth and it’s going to be a place to test Balance.”

“Balance?” inquired Michael, “I’m still confused.”

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth. “For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe is going to be poor. Over here I’ve placed a continent of white people, and over there is a continent of black people. Balance in all things.”

God continued pointing to different countries. “This one will be extremely hot, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice.”

The Archangel , impressed by God’s work, then pointed to a land area and said, “What’s that one?”

“That’s Washington State , the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful mountains, rivers and streams, lakes, forests, hills, and plains. The people from Washington State are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent, and humorous, and they are going to travel the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, high achieving, carriers of peace, and producers of aircraft and software.”

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then asked, “But what about balance, God? You said there would be balance.”

A good commentary on the continuing saga of Mark "King David" Sanford and "The Argentine Firecracker":

Hypocrisy all around

Some excerpts:

Like many South Carolina aristocrats, he's an Episcopalian. However, like most Southern Republicans, Sanford talked like a biblical fundamentalist, piously condemning others' sexual sins and boasting about his own righteousness.

He does sound like a Fundie. A really sanctimonious, self-righteous bunghole of a Fundie, full of himself, hoping to con us into 'forgiveness' as he sucks along trying to keep his job. If I hear one more biblical allegory or metaphor from Sanford, I think I'll barf again into the potted plants.

GOP hypocrisy regarding the "culture war" that Newt Gingrich declared against Democrats a couple or three marriages ago is getting to be a very old story. It's hard keeping track of the virtual parade of naughty congressmen, philandering mayors and governors, polymorphously perverse right-wing preachers and senators variously soliciting undercover cops, patronizing prostitutes and sleeping with the help.

and

Some Republicans complain of a double standard. Nonsense. They're the ones who opened Pandora's Box. Washington Monthly's Steve Benen put it best: "If you help run Mothers Against Drunk Driving and you're caught drunk driving, it's going to be a bigger deal than the typical DUI."

He got that right.

At last! Someone in the public eye has grown a pair and speaks the truth about Jacko:

New York congressman blasts Jackson as pervert and low-life

The only thing I can see wrong with what Pete King says is that he has it toned down too much.

I lost my virtual cookies when the idiots started talking about Jacko being a 'role model' for youth.

Pardon me while I go barf in the potted plants.

We did some hiking in Cheyenne Mountain State Park this weekend. Here is some of the imagery:

Cheyenne Mountain State Park