Monocle Man on Drunken Astronauts, Blacks on the run, Umoja Village, and More

WARNING: First off, anyone wearing a monocle today should be viewed with suspicion. This gentleman, who wishes to remain anonymous as is a blogger's wont, is not the kind of guy you'd invite to a party. If his 1,000 yard stare doesn't quickly put your shindig into an irreversible slide toward downersville, his jaded, dyspeptic personality soon will. So, dear reader, read his words with caution and a mojito, MVB's drink of choice, in hand.

• Thank God political correctness won't be touching the astronaut corp. NASA won't condemn the use of alcohol before space flight. These are America's bravest men and women and if a few feel like getting plastered before boarding a rocket that's been known to explode, who can blame them? Hell, I'm surprised they're not shooting up and dropping tabs of acid before each launch. That shuttle rocket is one scary beast.
• The Miami Herald reports that middle-class blacks are fleeing Miami-Dade county. This ''brain drain" of middle-class blacks are reportedly leaving "because they're anxious over job prospects, poor schools and a lack of affordable housing." This study was directed only at middle-class black Americans. A recent census report also shows 1-in-4 African Americans are skipping town. I suspect if they had looked at white middle-class Americans it would reveal pretty much the same thing. Miami-Dade is getting too expensive for the middle-class, no matter what color you're looking at.
• If the Umoja Village activists can persuade the city of Miami to give them land to develop low income housing, I predict they will do a better job of it than the city and the county combined. Carrfour Supportive Housing, winner of our February 14th MVB Big Idea Award has agreed to partner with Umoja Village but everyone's least loved lobbyist Ron Book, chairman of the county's homeless trust (is this not a conflict of interest?) has thrown a monkey wrench into the proceedings because he is against "giving any deal to any one source to the exclusion of all others without even hearing ideas from others.'' Gee, isn't that the approach he usually takes behind the scenes?

UpDate (8/1): Book wins, Umoja Village and Carrfour Supportive Housing loses as city of Miami commissioners vote not to give the land to the homeless activists. Instead the city will put it out to bid.