Bad Friday!

I really don't like organized religion. It is not a particularly GOOD Friday, in my humble estimation. I feel that, more than almost any other single factor, Big Time Religion's been the ruin of our SECULAR nation. Yeah, right: The Whale swallowed Jonah; the Sun and everything else revolves around the Earth; God created our World in like, 4000 BC or so; and Eve was born of Adam's Rib!?! Demented but well-meaning people may believe these things, but humanity didn't travel to the Moon depending for their lives on that sort of "science." Still, "Christians" are more than welcome to worship that nice Jewish Boy, and I love this album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF2lwwxoQNU
I was so privileged to grow up agnostic, and not have all that rancid nonsense shoved down my throat. Bad enough, all the political dogma, the intolerant ideologies, the intellectual orthodoxies. But at least I didn't have anyone rapping my... knuckles and making me kneel down and say a bunch of Hail Marys, Mea Culpas, or whatnot. All so I could go right out, after confessing multiple Sins to my Dear "Father," and steal another twelve-pack! And yes, that's another thing - it's just so damn Morbid! So Jesus got nailed, OK OK already!

Yo, Luigi!

Hey YOU! That's right, I'm talkin' 'bout YOU, you dour, taciturn, recalcitrant don't-say-hello-to-your-OWN-friends when-you-see-them-on-the-street, Cheeseheaded, Meatheaded, Beer-swilling, apparently sanctimonious (but probably just massively insecure) Madisonian! You know who you are. Well, I've got New York City in MY veins, and Jewish NYC at THAT. So if you don't like my volubility, my versatility, my eccentricity, my plain-spokenness and lack of properly biting my toenatils over possible indiscretions from two years ago, feel free to unfriend me, ANYTIME. And don't forget to WORSHIP yer Goddamn Green Bay Packers... er Milwaukee Brewers. Thank Gawd it's MOFO Friday!!!

Talgo and the Flaming Bag of Sh*t

Barrett and Walker? Not QUITE the same, I'd argue. Yes, Barrett sucks in so many ways. But it wasn't Tom Barrett who ditched the passenger rail project between Madison and Milwaukee - that was Scott Walker, who ran a campaign aimed at specifically "derailing the train." Milwaukee's mayor supported that project, which would have provided hundreds (at least) of desperately needed Wisconsin jobs. Passenger rail also could have put a thorn in the side of the Big Oil, Big Automotive and major highway construction companies, all of whom maintain a nasty, polluting stranglehold on transportation policy. But no!
So now Talgo, the Spanish train manufacturer, just announced they are laying off more workers in Milwaukee's central city. I can't prove, but strongly doubt, Tom Barrett would have virtually ended collective bargaining for Wisconsin public ...employees, or implemented one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the nation. His constitutency simply wouldn't re-elect him if he did those things. There are differences, and in the interest of accuracy, those differences should be pointed out. Barrett may be, to steal a phrase, a Flaming Bag of Shit on many issues. He's still somewhat better than Scott Walker.

What's at Stake? Who did What?

Corrupt as he was and as much as he sucked in many ways, Jim Doyle helped bring in discounted Canadian pharmaceuticals for Wisconsin seniors. Scott Walker cut Badgercare by over $500 million. Jim Doyle added thousands of people to the Badgercare rolls, while Walker just kicked thousands of KIDS off Family Care. As bad as some legislative Dems can be, most voted AGANST the Anti-Collective Bargaining Law. Fourteen Democratic state senators even fled the state to try to block Walker's union-busting scheme. The only Repub who voted against it was the brave and principled Dale Schultz, who really ought to leave the GOP.
Corrupt as he was and as much as he sucked in many ways, Jim Doyle helped bring in discounted Canadian pharmaceuticals for Wisconsin seniors. Scott Walker cut Badgercare by over $500 million. Jim Doyle added thousands of people to the Badgercare rolls, while Walker just kicked thousands of KIDS off Family Care. As bad as some legislative Dems can be, most voted AGANST the Anti-Collective Bargaining Law. Fourteen Democratic state senators even fled the state to try to block Walker's union-busting scheme. The only Repub who voted against it was the brave and principled Dale Schultz, who really ought to leave the GOP.

I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm Free.

Sleep well tonight, my Fellow Americans. Our armed forces, inlcuding Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, are all vigilantly guarding us from an elaborately planned, imminent Iranian attack on Portland, Maine. Not only does Mahmoud Ahmedinejad hate us for our (former) Freedoms, he knows their Persian Gulf lobster just can't compare. So even though the situation seems to be getting rather oily and therefore quite slippery, we are well-defended. Ah, who am I kidding: Be afraid, be VERY afraid!!!

Erection Day

Friends who already voted today told me Jon Huntsman is on the Wisconsin Republican Primary ballot. Gonna vote for him, for several reasons: 1. Huntsman is the only Republican who campaigned smart enough to speak fluent Mandarin. 2. He has zero chance of being elected, so no worries. Yet hopefully my vote will damage Romney/Santorum in some miniscule way. 3. Huntsman was the only Repub contender who said anything about US politics I liked - that it was wrong for the top 6 US banks to control $9.4 trillion in assets. 4. Voting for Democrats who aren't running is worse than useless in this Repub primary. Also, I don't object to anyone voting for Ron Paul in today's election, either. Much as I detest Paul for his domestic agenda (except for mariguana legalization), he's never gonna be Nominee or President.

Hey You GUUUUUYS!

Hey Supremes! (As if they gave a rodent's behind about MY opinion!) It would be disastrous to repeal Obamacare in its entirety. There's much that's good about the Affordable Care Act. For example, the rule allowing youngsters to remain on their parent's health insurance till 26 years old, and the rule prohibiting Big Insurance from denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Come on, now Justice Kennedy, surely even a "swinger" like you can see that!

We can make a difference, maybe

Folks, definitely vote or don't vote as you see fit in the recall primary. But remember, Jim Doyle, as corrupt as he was, didn't sign legislation almost totally eliminating public workers' right to collectively bargain. Doyle did not cut public education in Wisconsin schools by more than $500 million. In fact, Doyle increased the ranks of children receiving BadgerCare, unlike Scott Walker who just kicked thousands of kids off the rolls. Doyle arranged with Canada to import discounted pharmaceuticals into Wisconsin, something that was of great benefit to our seniors. The Democrats are definitely flawed, but not completely inhuman. There are important, life or death policy differences, and to pretend otherwise is to ignore demonstrable political reality.