The Statewide Smoking Ban....

..........And other silly demands.

Been a few days again since I have updated my little screed, but rest assured that that I was eagerly awaiting anything remotely interesting to talk about.

Lo and behold, I came across this excellent break-down of what is so absolutely WRONG about the Statewide Smoking Ban that the "wussy" class has been trying to stuff down our throats lately. Give it a read, this guy breaks it down better than I ever could.

On that subject though, I think that as long as we are talking about the dangerous and stupid behavior of our fellow citizens and just how we can protect ourselves from them, I decided to point out a few of the things that I would like to push for if we decided to go in this direction.

For the sake of this argument, I am going to assume that the "dangers of second-hand smoke" are the reasons that we are having this argument. The fact that science has proven this argument to be bogus over and over again is not going to to enter into this conversation.

I am going to GRANT that second-hand smoke is dangerous for the sake of this argument. It ISN'T, but that is a discussion for another time.

(btw, those of you who just send me e-mails instead of posting: Screw You! You are dead to me).

Let us examine, shall we, OTHER ways in which my fellow citizens put our lives in danger every day. REAL ways, not just fictional ones that have been floated by do-gooders and politicians hoping to grab their votes.

1. Speeders

This one puts us all in danger in verifiable ways. It is pretty easy to count dead people on the highway and you don't have to fudge the stats at all like Smoke Free Wisconsin loves to do.

The speed limits are there for a reason, and it is a safety issue. I would really love to ( and may someday soon) take a look at the traffic records of the SFW folks and see just how many of them show a callous disregard for their fellow human beings while they are behind the wheel.

I propose the following :

You get one free pass. Anyone getting a speeding ticket gets a significant fine. 500-1000 dollars should do it.

Anyone getting 2 speeding tickets loses their license for a significant amount of time. 5-7 years seems reasonable.

3 tickets?

You are out of the game for good. You have proven yourself an unrepentant danger to the rest of us, therefore you have surrendered your right to drive with the rest of us.

2.Cell Phones While Driving

Does any serious person believe this should not be banned? I am not talking about the everything but the "hands free" option either. It is the conversation that is a distraction, not holding the phone. Considering the fact that the people who are always yapping on the cell phone happen to be younger, less experienced drivers this seems like a no-brainer.

I propose the following:

An out and out ban on cell phones and/or cell conversations while driving and severe penalties and long term loss of driving rights if this ban is violated.

3. Drunk Drivers

If the standard is to be whether or not a person's behavior is a danger to the rest of us, then this one is REALLY a no-brainer.

I propose the following:

ONE and your DONE. No driving EVER, and prison time if you are caught driving after.

You have shown the same reckless disregard for others as a person who kills an innocent in a drive-by. You may not MEAN to do it, but it is your actions that cause it.

We just cannot take a chance on you.

Now, if the standard truly is SAFETY and the well being of others in public spaces, how could anyone who is in FAVOR of the smoking ban argue with the above?

Remember, I am just using the standard of measure that folks like Smoke Free Wisconsin use. Public Safety, Public Health.

The fact of the matter is though, that people like SFW are not interested in public safety or health. They are interested in their own comfort, therefore they have invented a non-existent "right" to go where they want and have everyone in the room kow-tow down to their preferences.

I can think of all sorts of things that I would like to see banned for my own comfort:

Democrats, Green Day, People who watch American Idol, Close Talkers, Katie Couric.......

McCain's Walk-In/Public Enemies

Why don't I update my blog more often, you ask?

Because I have a little bit of a life nowadays, and blogging is not my full-time profession.

I update when I have something to say, and today I have something to say. I would rather wait until something raises my interest than pretend that I am even REMOTELY interested in most of the useless info that passes for news nowadays.

Anyhoo, I see that the President of Iran has now jumped on board with the so-called "9-11 Truth" movement.

I know that I am supposed to be aggravated by this, but quite frankly I am delighted.

THIS is the guy that Barack Obama claims that he will "schedule a meeting with immediately".

I cannot wait for McCain's people to sit down and put Barack Hussein Obama's statements back to back with this fruitcake's ramblings.

It will make a winning television commercial for sure.

In other news........

They have begun filming the Johnny Depp/Christian Bale movie "Public Enemies" here in the Great Metropolis of Oshkosh, Wi. This is taking place just a couple blocks from my house.

I am sure that this going to be really good for the town. Kids are excited about it, people are lining the streets to watch the filming and all that. If the movie does ANY kind of business this is going to be a great memory for many people in the "I was there when they filmed that" type of story.

For me? This just means that it was a pain in the cat-flap to get to the library on Monday night, and that I have to wait 'til this is over to check if The Exclusive Company can get the "Dusk 'Til Dawn" soundtrack (They are open, I just don't want to run the gauntlet of movie fans to get there).

If you have nothing better to do, go check it out. Might be fun.

I have a feeling that my daughter wants to go but is showing just the right amount of contempt for the whole thing to please me.

May have to bite the bullet on this one......

Just when I thought I was going to bed.....

Damn, I should have known better than to even pay attention to local politics.

I knew that the weeping and gnashing of teeth was still going on about the Supreme Court election last week, but I was not aware of just how bad it still was.

A little background here:

I have resisted sending this blog around and linking to the various media because I am not entirely sure what it is. I have an interest in politics, and a healthy amount of contempt for most folks involved in it.

It is a hellish situation. It is kind of like being really interested in music but the only band left is Green Day.........*shudder*....

I was the Managing Editor of a political magazine for a few years, but I sometimes think that maybe I should just keep this personal. Simply a tool of my own gratification.

A "Legend In My Own Mind" if you will.

After all, there are plenty of folks out there doing "serious" analysis of the news (and getting it wrong btw), why should I jump back into that stinky pool?

Then I came across this article.

It is a guy named Dave Zweifel who is apparently editor EMERITUS of The Capitol Times.

Now I sure that this guy is a big deal. I personally have never really heard of him, but I am enormously self-centered so that doesn't mean much.

Regardless, This is apparently what passes for serious news analysis in Madison nowadays(emphasis mine):

"When given a choice between a liberal judge and a traditionalist judge, people chose a traditionalist judge," pontificated Jim Pugh to the Associated Press, whatever in the world a "traditionalist judge" is.
From what I can tell, he or she is a judge who is bought lock, stock and barrel by the big business community, which can afford millions of dollars to buy smear advertising to negate what could otherwise be an intelligent debate between candidates."

Of course, in his world this only counts if that "intelligent debate" leads to his candidate being elected.

Yep. It's that simple.

Business BAD. Liberal Good. UGH.

Anyway, here is MY serious analysis of the situation regarding WMC's involvement in recent elections.

The long list of whiners that have permeated the blogosphere with thier drivel actually go quite a long way towards proving that WMC is a necessity.

Far from being a "secret cabal" that is bent upon the rape and pillage of the Wisconsin economy, WMC is a group of businesses that has formed in one of the most business unfriendly states in the union for no other reason than thier very own SURVIVAL.

Dave Zweifel was kind enough to provide a list in his article of all the businesses and CEO's who are a part of WMC.

This provides a most excellent chance for comparison doesn't it?

Let us compare a few of the politicians, media trogs, and academics that have been whining loudest to the supposed "agents of evil" that Zweifel is hoping you will call and harrass.

Boldt Construction provides jobs, and pays taxes. In doing so they make a tremendous contribution to the local community.

Dave Zweifel provides.......his own thoughts about how evil Boldt Construction is.

John Deere Horicon Works provides hundreds of high-paying jobs, and is an innovative leader in the farm equipment industry, as well as having a long history of doing charity work (such as donating thier not very old computers to various charitable organizations).

Ed Garvey provides......well......entertainment?

Ok, Ed DOES give something.

Marshall & Isley supports each community where they are located in multiple ways through The M&I Foundation.

And Bill Christofferson provides advice to Democrats, and the occasionl hit-piece on someone else when a friend or client needs it.

But nothing for you baby.

Who is it among these that actually provides something tangible for the community?

Has Dave Zweifel ever under-written a parade or blood drive with his own money?

Has Ed Garvey? Or Bill "xoff" Christofferson?

In Dave Zweifel's world, folks that disagree with him would not be able to fight back. Likewise Garvey, Xoff, Doyle, and the whole rest of that lot.

WMC has committed a Cardinal Sin in the liberal world :

They fought, and they won.

I encourage you to use that list that Zweifel has so conveniently provided.

Send a letter to these companies and thank them.

Thank them for helping to rein in an out of control Supreme Court that was quickly becoming the laughing-stock of the nation.

Thank them for the jobs, and the taxes that they pay, and the charity that they do in your community.

Thank them for teaching Dave Zweifel that in America, citizens have the right to assemble together politically, spiritually, philosophically, and yes FINANCIALLY for thier common interest.

Finally, send Dave Zweifel a big 'ol Thank You for providing that list. I will keep it and make sure throw as much business as I can to the companies on that list.

Oh, and send him a cake or something. He seems kinda down.

Capitol Snoozefest

Pretty interesting watching General Petraeus appear before the Senate today.

Well, interesting is a subjective term...

It was interesting just how LITTLE actually happened.

Barack Hussein Obama spent the entire time trying to convince everyone that he is serious about the war and not looking for immediate withdrawal.

Hillary Clinton spent the entire time trying to convince everyone that despite the fact that she does not believe Petraeus is telling the truth, she does not believe he is a liar. Oh, and she also has no plan to withdraw immediately.

I guess just so he could keep up with the transparent flip-flop competition, John McCain spent a good amount of time asking pointed questions that he already knew the answers to, and leveling criticism of the way everything has been handled. He DID mention that he did not think it was the General's fault, but since Petraeus has been in charge over there for a year, it certainly begs the question of exactly who it was McCain was dissing.

In fact, this whole thing was so boring that the NY Times has an entire article devoted just to the "performances" of the 3 Presidential contenders.

Ugh. This is what we get for candidates?

Wonder what Perot is doing nowadays?

I mean other than shipping his own company's jobs overseas?

By The Pricking Of My Thumbs......

...............Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Ahh yes. It appears that "Operation Melt Down" is in full swing this morning on the Left end of the spectrum.

A bit of a dust up at a Hillary Clinton Event yesterday. Audio here.

Ted Turner unleashed yet another classic with his predictions of Cannibalism and his "observations" (hallucinations?) on the many virtues of Al Qaeda.

( I have to agree with Dennis Miller on this one. Turner is the last one who should have to worry about cannibalism, it is obvious that something inside of him has spoiled. Even dogs will be giving that stuff a pass).

Air America radio host Randi Rhodes has been suspended for talking smack about Hillary Clinton. It is damn funny btw, but beware that the language gets a little rough.

This is just a small sampling of the chaos currently a-bubbling on the left.

*sniff*..................*sniff*..........I think I smell Chicago 1968.............and it smells like roses.

I have to admit that I feel just a TAD bit evil taking pleasure in all of this, but I will get over it.

I am reminded of a character called "Mr. Dark" in Ray Bradbury's brilliant novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

In the movie version of the novel, Mr. Dark explains the nature of his people:

"Your torments call us like dogs in the night. And we do feed, and feed well. To stuff ourselves on other people's torments. And butter our plain bread with delicious pain... Funerals, marriages, lost loves, lonely beds " that is our diet. We suck that misery and find it sweet. We can smell the young ulcerating to be men a thousand miles off. And hear a middle-aged fool like yourself groaning with midnight despairs from halfway round the world. "

Not ENTIRELY applicable of course, but close enough.

"We suck that misery and find it sweet...."

Mr. Dark would have loved the Democrat Party.

Mmmmmm......tasty stuff.

National VS. Local News

For those of you who still remember Soapbox Magazine, you might recall that my particular duty was a focus National politics vs. Local.

It was just after 9-11, The Iraq War was heating up, and Enron and Global Crossing had sent both Republicans and Democrats running to thier lawyers.

Ahhh.....Good Times.

Unlike now.

There are alot of things going on in the national arena, but they have been covered so much with the same talking points by ALL forms of media that I feel like I have a head full of wet cement every time I think about it.

I will just say this:

Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama are both very weak candidates at best.

Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama are both crazy joke candidates at worst.

Between the Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the Imaginary Sniper Incident, neither one of them can really be taken seriously anymore, if they ever could be taken seriously to begin with.

I predict here and now that John McCain will have the easiest skip into the White House since the Reagan Revolution.

I can't help but feel that we are really only getting a slightly saner version of the two Democrat candidates even with McCain, but this remains to be seen I guess.

I really gotta wonder how sane you really CAN be if you have spent more than a few minutes talking to Russ Feingold, as McCain has.

That's bound to shake up the 'ol mental architecture a bit..

Ugh.

It is FUNNY when the Left Loses...Really!

I was talking with a few friends last night about April Fool's Day gags and an interesting point came up in the discussion.

It is really funny to put one over on someone. They get slightly embarrassed, maybe a little miffed and we all share a good yuck over the whole thing.

What is HILARIOUS however, is when you are fully aware that given a little extra push, you are dealing with the type of person whose head may just explode from a bit of good-natured ribbing. It is funny because it is so easy with these people.

I can't help be reminded of this as I cruise the blogs this afternoon checking the left's reaction to yesterday's elections.

There are Left-Wing heads exploding all over this morning.

"Gableman's a jerk...blah..blah.."

"WMC....blah..blah...."

Madison is awash in metrosexual (and other "exual")angst today, and angels are singing :)

Without a doubt, a standout in this regard can be found at a peculiar swamp of self-delusion I found called "The Hippie Perspective".

This character is a near-perfect illustration of why Ann Coulter is so happy making her living the way she does. It is just so EASY.

There seems to be a pattern among liberals when it comes to losing.

They ALWAYS lose because the other guy didn't play fair in some way, and they will be the first ones to cry about it.

John Kerry lost because of the Swift-Boats ( Not because he was....well come on! Just look at him!)

Al Gore lost because of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas (Not because he was Al Gore).

You could go on and on.

Today's target is of course Wisconsin Manufacturer's and Commerce.

According to the "brainchild" behind THP, Michael Gableman's ascension has little or nothing to do with the just plain WIERD (and Counter-Constitutional) philosophy of Louis Butler and the various special interest groups that own him, and more to do with the "vile filth" that came out of the WMC.

You see, this is how it breaks down:

YOU, Dear Reader, are as dumb as a sack of hammers.

The WMC, is a mysterious shadow group run by Republicans in black suits and red power ties who are aware that you are as dumb as a sack of hammers, and are only too eager to take advantage of this fact.

It is not your fault, not everyone can be as on top of it all as the guy who runs "The Hippie Perspective".

He will protect you.

He and his ilk act as a veritable watchtower of piety. Valiantly protecting the innocently stupid from folks who harm them with (gasp)"wrong thoughts".

Despite thier best efforts however, occasionally a thought gets through and infects the general population.

The result? Calamity!

You were in the powerful grip of stronger stuff: A television ad.

Or maybe....

Just MAYBE you looked at both candidates, realized that they were both running sleazy ads by special interest groups and chose the candidate that closer to your political philosophy?

Is such a thing possible?

Not in his world, of course. YOU have dropped the ball my dreary little masonry block, and now you will be punished.

Predictably, the pure-hearted hero at THP has jumped on the same bandwagon as Phanny from my earlier post.

THE DECISION MUST NOW BE TAKEN OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS. JUDGES MUST BE APPOINTED. THE HAMMERS MUST BE TAKEN OUT OF THE EQUATION.

Fear not though, gentle reader. They will come to thier senses as soon as there is a Republican Governor.

Aids and Armageddon/Reverend Wright & Co.

Years ago, a friend of mine was kind enough to turn me on to an album called "Triage" by the brilliant musician/songwriter David Baerwald.

It is a theme album built around various conspiracy theories that Mr. Baerwald no doubt still espouses.

"America....Bad Guy...Ugh".

It really is as close as one can get to looking inside of the crippled minds that are likely to latch onto fads such as the 911 "truth" movement, or the belief that the government created Aids in order to.....well I guess that whatever group they were trying to kill depends on which one is telling the story.

Now, by the time I first heard this music I was old enough to know better. I had matured beyond the strident belief that the CIA was cataloguing my every urination, but I enjoyed the music nonetheless.

Listening the last month or so to all the kerfuffle over the Reverend Jeremiah Wright really got me thinking about this cd. It also got me thinking about how miserable I was back in the day when I was likely to take such idiotic claims seriously.

How could one live with this belief and be happy? Wouldn't you want to get the hell out of this country if you thought that was true? Wouldn't you want to fight back?

Something?

Something other than annoying your relatives over Thanksgiving dinner?

The Reverend Wright (for those who are not aware) has stated forcefully from his pulpit in the not-too-distant past that AIDS was created by the U.S. Government in order to eradicate the black population.

As for 911, he has fluctuated back and forth between "chickens coming home to roost" and "inside job". I guess he is on the fence as far as how evil we are on that one.

The world of conspiracy theories is a dark, scary place, and I have to wonder sometimes how one can actually live there.

To my mind, it seems beyond the pale that a person who actually believes that his government is waging biological warfare on it's own citizen's would not be catching the first train to Toronto.

So how seriously do we really take these folks?

Just spitballin'.

And Another Thing! (Elections Cont...)

In the far-reaching reportage (See? I know words TOO Phanny!) of yesterday's nail-biting (and eventually GLORIOUS) Supreme Court elections the refrain of "and the only African-American Member of The Supreme Court..." has been deafening with regard to "Loophole" Louis Butler.

Let me tell ya. Until this morning, I had no idea that this guy was even black. I am sure that it was reported, and now that I look back in the archives of some of the less intelligent blogs and reporters out there (they are legion btw) I see that the race card was indeed played. Some fool was even exhorting us not too let the sacrifices of Wisconsin boys during the civil war be in vain by dumping the Loopster.

I ain't kiddin' ya, I threw up in my mouth a little on that one.

I am sure that I have seen Louis Butler's face on a commercial somewhere, but I guess when you are a T.V. baby like me you kind of have a happy place that you go in your mind when ANY commercial is on.

I knew he was a defense attorney, and that judging by his decisions lately that my 13 year-old daughter probably has a better grasp on the Constitution.

But I swear on the deity of your choice that I did not know that he was black.

Come to think of it, I guess it kinda makes me wonder about the viability of political advertising on television. They should just give me the cash.

No reason. They just should.

Thoughts on Yesterday's Elections

Strangely enough, I think it was the less than stellar behavior of various organizations and/or persons during this election that finally prompted me to lay finger to keyboard once again after all this time.

I am not talking candidates or special interest groups. They did what they usually do: Act in thier own best interests. Surprise!!

My interest lies more in the subtle ways that those who will stop at nothing to get thier candidate elected attempt to shift the issue to either some ONE or some THING else.

Take this young lad for instance:
http://badgerherald.com/oped/2008/04/01/seat_on_high_court_s.php

Robert Phansalker, a first year law student.

Not a bad little screed. Works a bit too hard to convince us that he knows what words are, but all in all not bad.

But here is the money quote....AND the problem.

"Running to appease the majority is not the function of the judiciary — that’s the Legislature’s job. And turning the judiciary into the Legislature all but guarantees that the majority will not be regulated or moderated, but hegemonic and disrespectful to the sensitive issues that affect minorities in a society as diverse as ours."

It occurs to me as I read that paragraph that ONLY a college student could have so little understanding of what is happening in reality, as opposed to the theoretical world that he currently resides in.

Mr. Phansalker is apparently unaware The Wisconsin Supreme Court's recent record. If he was he would understand that it is the Supreme's themselves who believe that they ARE the legislature, and that they have legislative powers and/or the ability to ORDER the legislature to pass the laws that they desire.

I am sure that Mr. Phansalker and many others would be happier with a system where he and the many exalted that he is surrounded with at the "Uni" were able to pick the Supreme's and leave the rest of us riff-raff out of the picture. Too bad for him (That damn voting thing!)

I will forgive him this failing. He is young and will have to live out here with the rest of us at some point, and I am sure that when his business is sued, taxed, or policed out of viability etc. he will change his tune.

Unless he becomes a college professor or something.

In that case I am afraid his soul is lost.........

First Post! Yay!!!

Well, well.

After 3-4 years out of the politics game I am finally back to share my incredible insights with the cool half-dozen folks who might even care :)

Who am I?

Nobody really, just a faceless soul who once ran a political magazine in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin.

Why should you care?

Because I am that good!

Stay tuned!