Freedom of 'Choice' yet in NYC, no freedom to Choose

~ NYC Mayor Bloomberg: "It says in my book of faith.. Thou Shalt not drink more than 16oz sodas"

There's been a lot of goings-on in the news this weekend so we were told-- we're just not big TV watchers here at A&G..

We heard there was this big auto race somewhere in Florida.. a lot of cars going round n' round' on a oval track while wasting thousands of gallons of fuel to accomplish this feat.  All vehicles adorned chock full with ad logos from bumper to bumper and then to break up the race continuity, more advertisements..

We admit we wanted Danica Patrick to win..

We also find it funny how they all talk post-race..  "So tell us how the car ran today?" --  "Well the #00 Chuck-E-Cheese Pizzeria, Mr Pibb, Dole Bananas, Quaker State oil, Little Debbie snack cakes car ran pretty well..."

So there was that...

And some movie awards show.. Oscars?  Something like that.. Hard to remember them all since only 24hours prior there was another awards show called the Spirits awards on Saturday night which honored all the same people as Sunday night..

Then there's a constant barrage of awards presentations from the Golden Globes to the present dredge.  There's the BAFTAs (British version of Oscars) and NY Film Critics and LA film Critics and this 'Award' and that..

So much pomp and pretension over a bunch of shit movies most people won't bother to see once all this hype is over.. Anyone rented or purposely watched "The Artist" in the last month?  Didn't think so..

But thank goodness all this hullabaloo doesn't cause these performers and directors to develop swelled heads to match the swelled fake breasts of the actresses.  May Hollywood always continue to be a beacon of humility, decency and the highest morals..

Oh, they're not?  Sorry, yes we Did literally just get back from Mars...

~ Red carpet interviewer: "Tell me about your look tonite".. Actress: "Well I want to thank Vera Wang for the dress, Estee Lauder for the cosmetics and special thanks for letting me wear all these diamonds to blah-blah..."

So there was that too...

But of all the news-printable events the one that we found most galling and cringe-worthy happened in that rot of a city we all know and some love called New York...

Seems the mayor, billionaire Michael Bloomberg doesn't seem to like the fact all those minions who live and breathe and work and pay taxes in his dominion actually have some freedom of choice in their mostly skulldrudgery lives.

Bloomberg's ban prohibits 2-liter soda with your pizza and some nightclub mixers -- "Nanny Bloomberg unleashes his ban on large sodas on March 12 — and there are some nasty surprises lurking for hardworking families.

Say goodbye to that 2-liter bottle of Coke with your pizza delivery, pitchers of soft drinks at your kid’s birthday party and some bottle-service mixers at your favorite nightclub.  They’d violate Mayor Bloomberg’s new rules, which prohibit eateries from serving or selling sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces.

Bloomberg’s soda smackdown follows his attacks on salt, sugar, trans fat, smoking and even baby formula." (NY Post)

~ Michael Jordan seems to think 2-liters are OK and I want to "Be Like Mike" so.. what to do... what to do..

Seems "choice" is passionately and violently protected when its something like the right to abort a baby um.. fetus..  but sodas... ehh.. not so much...

Each business that didn't comply would get a $200 fine per infraction.

And amazingly like the sheep that Americans are, businesses are responding furiously..  um.. well, furiously complying that is-- taking away the pitchers and ordering smaller sized glasses for customers..   Just don't expect the cost to buy a soda with your meal or popcorn to lessen..  that would just be Too un-American.

"Typically, a pizzeria charges $3 for a 2-liter bottle of Coke. But under the ban, customers would have to buy six 12-ounce cans at a total cost of $7.50 to get an equivalent amount of soda."

Personally, we'd rather drink toilet water than ever give any business $2.75 to $3 for a 2-liter bottle of soda especially when the brand name drinks are around $1.50 at the local supermarket.

But people-- who knows... they just don't think or care about Anything... only the immediate gratification of the moment which is why people happily buy popcorn at the movies or watered-down beer at a sporting event while paying 3-4x what they should..

Oh sure, the Mayor will say its a health issue.. combating obesity and the like..   Um.. sure..  and where's the accompanying ban on fried, greasy foods that clog the arteries?  And where's the restriction on how many cakes, pies and/or containers of ice creme one can purchase in a week?  Or restrict cigarette purchases to packs only-- no cartons...

Who knows.. Maybe the bastard can evoke a law making 30min of daily exercise mandatory or you will face fines, jail and loss of taxicab privileges...

We don't live in NYC thank God but if we did, here's how we'd fight it...

Even if it meant a drive into New Jersey, Connecticut or New York state, we would find a supermarket, and stock up with as many 2-liter bottles as we wanted.. enough for a month.. maybe a 3 month supply..   Probably pay less than we would have in the city anyways where everything is ultra-expensive and sales tax ends up being over 9%

And every time we opened up a 2-liter bottle and had a big ole' drink, we'd be symbolically middle-fingering that bastard mayor.

And we'd cut back how often we went out to eat so we could try to purposely hurt the restaurant business as best we could for complying so sheepishly...  And if we did eat out, it would be To Go.

The more we as people tolerate, the more our leaders will take from us..

~ Oh what a terrible man-- he's drinking an X-Treme Gulp..  hisss.. boo!

They take away our money i.e. higher taxes for fewer services and social benefits because we really believe we're represented by our leaders...   They take away our Constitutional freedoms like Patriot Act under the guise of protecting us and the elites hungrily want to take away our right to bear arms..

And every chance they get, they take away our rights to the most basic of personal freedoms... like soda quantity in a container..

But don't worry-- as we said before, abortions still protected.

Wheww~

This is how 'Ants' think -- If denied the ability to get something from 'A', they will go to 'B'.. if that's blocked, they will go to 'C' and 'D' and all the way to 'ZZ' if need be... Nothing.. No one stops them

And this is how the 'Grasshopper' thinks -- If denied the ability to get something from 'A' they will go to 'B' and if that's blocked, then...  then...  'Oh, its no big deal.. Not going to bother-- sure they had a good reason'

And don't smugly think we are a nation of 'Ants' because if so the law would be halted before going into effect and Mayor Bloomberg would be hung (in effigy) for daring to pass a law so draconian..

~ 'Any last words?'   --  'Yes.. I did it for my people..and the health insurance industry'