Happy weekend, everyone. I trust that your weekend will be a restful one. I have finished all my honey-dos early and plan to spend these two days getting acquainted with Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. Frankly, it’s too hot to do anything else. Speaking of books, next week’s Weekend Parting Shot will be a tad different. I have been spending my spare time contacting various people in and around the conservo-sphere and asking them to provide me with a list of books everyone should read. I still have a few pending requests but stay tuned. In the meantime…
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, we now direct your attention to the center ring!
One thing you can say about this session of Congress: it has not been boring. This week, the circus featured performances not just by elephants but donkeys. There were already plenty of clowns. All that was missing was a high-wire act and a trapeze artist.
First, we have Democrat Greg Casar of Texas. American Wire notes that Rep. Casar is concerned that there is no federal mandate that workers get water breaks while on the job. Sounds legit on spec. The first thing he should have done was contact the various labor boards across the nation to see what state laws are on the books, since he and around 100 senators and representatives want the White House and OSHA to create federal workplace heat protections. He’s a congressman; he certainly has the resources to do just that. Instead, at 10:30 Tuesday morning, Mr. Casar planted himself on the Capitol steps and embarked on what was originally going to be a nine-hour “thirst strike.” He also went without eating.
Yesterday was incredible. I was honored to be joined at my thirst strike by workers in Texas and across the nation—and by lots of colleagues pushing for federal heat safety protections.
9 hours without water or food, but I’m more energized than ever to get this done. pic.twitter.com/92XIU0pYEA
— Greg Casar (@GregCasar) July 26, 2023
Note the strained and anguished look on his face and the people on hand to monitor his vital signs. Oh, the humanity. And also take note of the coverage. At the end of his ordeal, he made a point of enjoying some good old-fashioned H2O.
Rep. @GregCasar ends his thirst strike after over 8 hours without food or water on the House steps pic.twitter.com/f2gUU4g41j
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) July 25, 2023
While this effort (which was characterized as “skipping lunch” by some) was lauded by the Left, a few folks on Twitter took issue with the stunt and also took it out for a ride. Here are just a few responses.
Courtesy of American Wire:
This guy basically skipped lunch and they had to check his vitals and blot him with a towel. pic.twitter.com/t31sG9ArSk
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) July 28, 2023
Bro skipped one meal and is breaking out the heart rate monitor https://t.co/ofIydNzW24 pic.twitter.com/onD4zJkg71
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 27, 2023
OMG. EIGHT FULL HOURS?!?!!!!!!!
HOW STUNNING AND BRAVE.
— GayPatriot (@GayPatriot) July 26, 2023
8 Hours!?!?! My God, How did he survive!?!?!?
— Famous Economist Milton Keynes (@FamousMilton) July 27, 2023
skipped lunch, get this man a medal
— Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) July 26, 2023
This guy basically skipped lunch and they had to check his vitals and blot him with a towel. pic.twitter.com/t31sG9ArSk
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) July 28, 2023
That’s Presidential Medal of Freedom status by Casar’s standards
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) July 28, 2023
God forbid he ever has to fast for a medical procedure 😂
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) July 28, 2023
Exclusively for our VIPs: Just How Much Did Christopher Wray Lie to Congress?
Lest you think that the Democrats were the only ones participating in this week’s clown-car, pie-in-the-face, seltzer-down-the-pants act, allow me to dissuade you of that notion. American Wire also reported that South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace attended a prayer breakfast on Wednesday in D.C. Keep in mind that the operative word in prayer breakfast is PRAYER. But Mace wanted everyone to know what lengths she went to in order to be on time.
Nancy Mace at Tim Scott's prayer breakfast:
"I woke up this morning at 7, Patrick my fiancé tried to pull me by my waist in bed and I was like 'no baby we don't have time for that this morning' I gotta get to the prayer breakfast… He can wait. I'll see him later tonight." pic.twitter.com/LzAJ5M84P1
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 27, 2023
Um. Okay. So she wanted to make sure the attendees knew she skipped her morning booty call. Not the venue, madam, not the venue. She later said she goes to church because she’s a sinner, not a saint. Fair enough. I think we can all say that. But your sex life is between you, your partner, and God. And whatever spiritual leader you turn to if you have moral dilemmas. It isn’t — and I can’t stress this enough — between you and the attendees at a prayer breakfast, for crying out loud. Here’s a pro tip: you probably shouldn’t drop that story into any future speeches at other venues, either. You’re welcome.
With that in mind, who’s ready for a drink?
Wine Recommendation: Because next week in Congress could be more ridiculous than this one.
Someone remarked that last week’s selection was “grocery store wine.” In Utah, anything stronger than 5% ABV is only sold in state-run liquor stores. That includes the higher octane beers. So depending on the store and the locale, it is possible to find some good wines at a grocery store. You just have to do a little research.
A word on pricing: since all wine in Utah is sold in state stores, the pricing here can be a little wonky. I have seen some “okay” wines marked up pretty high. And then I’ve seen some of the better wines with drastic markdowns. So prices will vary depending on where you live. I’ve thought about reviewing some Far Ninete wines, having tried a few at a tasting. But those run in the neighborhood of $200 a bottle. Since wine is a luxury, I try to find nice wines for under $20. And I can’t afford $200 a bottle, either. That having been said, I will reiterate Lincoln’s Rule of Wine: Find something you like and enjoy it. That will be the best wine for you.
Regular PJ Media readers know that these days, nothing good happens in or comes out of Oregon. Except for this wine: the 2021 Acrobat Pinot Noir.
The winery says that its wines are all about “balance,” hence the name. And this Pinot Noir actually was nicely balanced. It’s got a nice, lighter red color, and I picked up a little smoke in the bouquet, but not in the taste. But not all wines need a smoky taste. I enjoy that flavor, but this wine was a nice break from that. There was also a little sweetness in the bouquet, though this wine tends to the drier side, particularly in the finish. It is a lighter wine and lower on the tannins. One of the good things about Acrobat is that there are hints of red fruit and spices, but they don’t override each other. Everything comes together to make a nice, smooth, and extremely drinkable wine. What’s more, it’s versatile. It works equally well with beef or poultry. I wouldn’t match it up with anything particularly strong or spicy but would try to find a seasoning that will accent the wine without being too heavy, so the wine can still do its thing. You can enjoy it over appetizers, with dinner, or as a stand-alone bottle. You may have to watch the prices, but it usually goes for under $20.
That’s it for me. Have a good weekend, stay out of the heat, and I’ll see you on Monday.
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