Wine-Buyer Freedom Day

Have any plans for August 31st? Join me!

A provision in the current state House budget balancing bill would allow liquor stores within a certain distance from the Xcel Energy Center to open for business on the Sunday during the Republican National Convention. (Bars could also remain open until 4am the whole week).

If this provision passes, I hope you will join me in a most triumphant purchase of wine on the Lord's day. I might buy some tequila too, for good measure. Because, really, why the fuck can't we buy liquor on Sundays? Should we have imposed the smoking ban on every day except Monday?

Economics

So I'm wishing I'd paid more attention in my 1.5 semesters of macroeconomics--because that's where all the action is right now. It sure would be an interesting time to work at the Fed. For the nerds and/or procrastinators out there (which pretty much encompasses all of you), All Things Considered had a great segment this afternoon on the basics of the Bear Stearns collapse.

And on the microeconomics front, Marketplace had a good segment on Islamic bonds today also. In a nutshell, Islamic law forbids earning interest when one loans money. So a whole industry has developed to work around this most inconvenient of laws. The issue has been at the forefront for me recently because I'm doing taxes at a building almost entirely populated by people who are Somali (almost all Muslim) or Oromo (many of whom are Muslim). Because the IRS says I have to, I dutifully ask each person if he or she earns interest from any sources--which usually elicits a look of horror. This week a guy actually looked scared when I asked, and then got all defensive and said his bank started giving him interest unbidden so he of course called immediately to cancel the account. Um, don't worry buddy, I'm not going to report you to the Islamic courts. But anyway, the bottom line is I feel like an ass every time I ask.

Not quite right

Today antiwar groups held a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda to mark five years of war. For over an hour they read the names of each coalition troop killed in Iraq. As I sat in committee down the hall, I could hear the gong sound between each name. Leaving committee, I was struck by the accompanying visual display--a circle of combat boots and civilian shoes standing empty.

...And then I caught sight of a video feed from another committee on one of the TVs scattered around the capitol for lobbyists to follow floor action. What bill was the committee considering? Senate File 3165: Animal chiropractic care requirements established.