In this menagerie I discuss mold, Michael Jackson’s face, Steve Harrison’s plan to run for Congress in ‘06, a phone booth, and my 30 seconds of fame in a book.

While the health department is condemning the capitol cafeteria they should take a look at the minority counsel’s office. It’s an overgrown closet that for the last two years has stunk. Literally.

I tried everything I could to make it smell better. An air purifier, Febreeze, every kind of air freshener, you name it and I sprayed it. There were more chemicals applied to that room than there has been Michael Jackson’s face.

Then our minority attorney kept getting sick. Really sick. He would have a low-grade cold for most of the two sessions and would get really sick at least once every year. He thought it was germs from shaking hands and would go through bottles of hand sanitizer.

Well we finally figured out what it was when the ceiling in his office collapsed. I was away in New Orleans at the time, but an eyewitness says the room was covered in bits of the ceiling and lots of fluffy green stuff: mold.

Apparently a pipe in the ceiling had been leaking for a long time and causing the mold. The leak finally turned into a stream of water and weighed the ceiling down enough to cause it to all come a-tumblin’ down.

That’s pretty dangerous working conditions if you ask me.

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Did you hear that Steve Harrison is running for Congress in 2006? According to his website, harrison06.com, he opposes the war in Iraq, he supports medical insurance for everyone in the United States, and believes in increasing the minimum wage.

He even has the support of General Wesley Clark who wrote, “Stephen’s integrity and experience are much needed in government today. In voting for Stephen Harrison, New Yorkers will return honesty and accountability to our political system and reduce the influence of special interest groups.”

Lest you think our homegrown conservative hero has gone crazy, this Steve Harrison is not the retiring Republican Senator from Kanawha County, but a flaming liberal in New York (as Clark indicated).

What are the chances that there are two politicians out there with the name Stephen Harrison? Let’s just hope the New York Steve doesn’t move to Charleston or we are going to be really confused!

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Last week there was a bit of post election humor on the House floor. After Democrat Majority Leader Rick Staton announced at the conclusion of a floor session that the Democratic Caucus would be held in the chambers, a delegate yelled out that the Republican caucus would be held in a phone booth.

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I’ve been quoted for the first time in a book – a Starbucks book, of all things. Released November 1st, The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary by Joseph Michelli is an interesting read on page 101 at least.

Michelli’s assistant found a comment I made online about Starbucks and asked if they could include it in the book. Of course I said yes and got a pre-release copy and a $25 Starbucks gift certificate for my troubles.

What did I write on page 101? Don’t be such a tightwad and buy the book already!