Odds n'ends n'@

The Burghospree is buzzing again, and not just because of the return of B94. The Mayor's Yukongate scandal apparently has legs online. Chad Hermann over at TWM has apparently coined a term “TailGate”; we will see if anyone in the MSM picks it up. Bob Mayo, for his part, has two interesting downloads at his blogsite. First, he (or WTAE) stepped around the problems the PG has with getting a copy of the Homeland Security grant (for the Yukons) from the city by getting a copy of the application form from an HS website (Bob cautions us that it is a large file: Cable Modems eat one megabyte files in 30 seconds, if that). The application truly mentions little about vehicles, except to say that the money can not be used for general purpose vehicles. I’m sure the actual grant spells out how the vehicles can be used. Which leads us to the second download, two to three minutes of the Mayor and Chief Harper being interviewed (outside in front of the Mayor’s Impala, in the heat). The Mayor’s performance was reminiscent of the promotion’s affair (“I knew nothing”), but Chief Harper was especially fun as he hypothesized a crisis such as a homicide and no vehicles available to the detectives. Should they wait (an by implication let suspects get away) or should they use a Homeland Security SUV? Of course, it is some distance between a homicide investigation and a Toby Keith concert, or even a trip to DC.

A reinvigorated Char has also talked about who knew what and when in TailGate, and about Nate Harper. For my money, Yaronne Zober’s role in this thing seems blown out of proportion. Over a year ago he witnessed a signing of a grant. He has since ridden in the SUV to DC and I think maybe somewhere else. But remember, the Mayor died in the interim. He may have forgotten some things while trying to deal with other pressing issues.

On another subject, I heard, very much second hand, that former Duquesne University President and ICA team member John Murray had seen the Mayor’s proposed budget, and noticed that the Mayor was “adding personnel here and there”. Dr Murray apparently didn’t approve and thought this boded ill for the future of the city. It would be interesting if the current ICA or Act 47 team rejected the Mayor’s budget, even while the US Attorney was slapping the wrist of the Police Chief. It was too bad that Dr Murray didn’t comment on Mark DeSantis’ proposed budget, or if he did I didn’t hear about it.

In other important news, RiffTrax had released a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” thingie. RiffTrax is the latest Mike Nelson venture, essentially Mystery Science Theatre 3000 without the robots.