Upstream. A Mohawk Valley Blogzine.

Friday, September 15, 2006

New York's Emerald Green Party & Other Random Thoughts.

If you think the race for governor of New York State is simply Do Re Mi vs. Faso, you are wrong. There are alternatives. One is Malachy McCourt, running on the Green Party ticket. McCourt is the older but lesser known brother of Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis. While Frank McCourt is one of the greatest writers I've ever read, his brother Malachy, who is also a writer, is not so good. Malachy is better known as an actor. He played the bartender in The Molly Maguires, had a role in Gods And Generals and had a number of other small roles in movies and television series. Even though Malachy is not a great writer, if you want to see how Hollywood chews up and spits out the vast majority of actors, then I recommend reading his books. If you don’t like Spitzer or Faso, then check out the Green Party.

The Porco trial was not the most important trial of the year in the Capital Region. More important is the trial, now in progress, of Yassin M. Aref, 36, the leader of a Central Avenue mosque, and Mohammed M. Hossain, 51, a pizza shop owner, who face the possibility of life in prison if convicted of aiding terrorists. But I wouldn’t look for the Times Union or WNYT to start a Aref & Hossain Trial Blog anytime soon.

The Leader-Herald of Gloversville is a small newspaper that, unlike The Recorder of Amsterdam, writes its own editorials. And it writes some good ones. A recent editorial on the IRS telling ministers what they can and can’t preach is a good example.

The Rensselaer County DA’s office must have worked overtime this week to help Patricia DeAngelis save face over the Christine Wilhelm case. The DA says she doesn’t want to re-try the case because she wants to save Wilhelm’s son the pain of testifying again. DeAngelis continues to say that her primary task is to protect the citizens of Rensselaer County. She sounds like our president (yes, I’m guilty. I voted for him twice) who continues to say his primary job is to protect the Homeland (fatherland, motherland), when the oath of office they both took obligates them to protect the Constitution.

While Trish DeAngelis has made her reputation by prosecuting sex offenders, both real and imaginary, DA Louise Sira of Fulton County has made her reputation by prosecuting people who abuse and neglect animals. While there is strong evidence that Jane Fletcher poisoned her dogs earlier this year; the evidence against her son is less compelling. According to Edward Fletcher, he shot the dogs after finding out that his mother poisoned them in order to put them out of their misery. Fletcher’s mother and sister corroborate his story, but Edward Fletcher was charged with the same 13 counts that his mother was charged with. The only charge against Edward that makes sense is “destroying evidence” which he did by burning the dogs’ bodies.

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