Harder...Faster!

Can't keep up.

The speed of politics these days, I can't get my bloggo on in time to work it out.

Firsto.
Wild Wild Western World.
America has WAAAAYYYYYY more guns than anyone else in the world. Nearly a THIRD of the firearms in the world are within our fair country's borders. Maybe this is what contributes to our aggressive posture in the world. We feel like every problem has a solution involving bullets.

But really, we nearly have one gun for each person in America? How is that POSSIBLY safe? Or even safer? 9 guns for ten people. I know 90% of the people are not armed so there are certainly some hardware fetishists out there who have never met a cold blue steel dick they couldn't love.

It's a sickness, and there's got to be some way to reduce that in a reasonable fashion. I don't buy the 2nd amendment argument either; I defy anyone to demonstrate that the founders wanted every man, woman and child to be armed. I don't buy the 'an armed society is a polite society' bullshit the libertarians like to spout either. You want to go out drinking with Mel Gibson when he's packing? Ted Nugent is polite? Shit, if his band was armed, he probably wouldn't last three songs into a set.

Ridiculous. More guns means more gun violence; they are GOING to be used. way I figure, the only thing that keeps the gun killings to be over the top right now is that the Imperial warmongering in the Middle East has used up most of the available ammunition.

Secondo.
Larry Craig.
Oddly enough, or maybe not; we are called 'bleeding hearts' are we not? But the left blogosphere has seemed to be more forthcoming with sympathy for this poor repressed schmuck than his own party.

While the Right has called for his ouster, and made him resign his committee appointments, and in general expressed disgust, on the left (admittedly, in between the snark and joking) has appeared some pity for the culture that this fool existed within, that demanded he put up a false front, unable to come to terms with his sexuality and in helpless self-loathing, pursue furtive anonymous sex while pushing puritanical, punitive mores for that very behavior. What a fucked up situation, caused almost wholly by the relentless moralizing of the so-called 'Values Party". Some of the commenters on some lefty blogs have pointed out that if the guy was a Democrat, at least, he would be able to admit his orientation, and seek help if he needed, or at least honest relationships.

But the real truth in the situation is exposed in the two reactions on the Right; the most ludicrous is the overcompensation by people like Tucker Carlson, who claimed on his show that while a teenager, he and a friend 'bashed the head' of someone who came on to him in a toilet, all the while proclaiming hysterically 'I'm not gay. Never have been!' over and over through the segment. As if being thought of as homosexual was the most abhorrent thing. If that was the case, Carlson, maybe you should lose the nerdy bow-tie attire.

But the most repellent reaction was the universal disgust for homosexuality in general shown by the comments on the hard core right wing sites like Free Republic. Almost all of the posts and comments go to great lengths to condemn Craig's behavior and express loathing for gay sex practices.

Of useful comparison is the Vitter scandal. Vitter was a repeat adulterer, patronizing prostitutes in multiple cities, each of which is a separate crime (although, to be fair, I believe it would be better were prostitution to be legal) . However, since Vitter's happened to be a hetero affair, he has not faced the outcry and has, in fact, retained his political appointments.

Homosexuality apparently really strikes at the base of the conservative ideology.

More Secondarama.
Found on dKos:

I was drinking coffee heavily so that I would stay awake and needed to relieve myself pretty badly. I pulled into a rest area, locked the car doors, left the kids sleeping in the car, and went into the restroom. When I entered I noticed it was unoccupied except for a pair of sneakers visible under the second stall.

As I unzipped at one of the urinals and began to relieve my burning bladder I heard a voice say "Hey, what's up?". I looked around and there was no one else in the restroom. After a moments hesitation, I answered "Not much".

A little time went by and he says, "What ya doing?".

I didn't feel very comfortable talking to someone in a stall but I didn't want to be rude and answered, "Uh...we are heading to San Antonio to visit friends."

"Want to come over?", he says.

At this point I am really uncomfortable and I finish up and scoot over to the sink to wash up. "No I don't think so.", I replied. Wow, was this something else. I had never even had someone next to me with a wide stance before and now I've got someone in the stall asking me over!

As I reached for the paper towels to dry my hands I hear, "Hey man, can I call you back? There's some asshole in the bathroom answering every thing I say."

'Wide Stance' Is going to be a new catchphrase, so Craig at least has that going for him.

EDITO: Glennzilla Greenwald has an excellent takedown of the Republican Party's hypocritical political posturing in the Vitter and Craig scandals. Short answer: LarryCraig must be punished and removed because it can be framed as a Homo Problem, and will not cost political points, while Vitter is an Adultery Problem, which is not so easy to frame, and WILL cost them politically. (Salon link; free entry after a short ad) http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/08/30/craig_vitter/index.html

Thirdio
Home Prices

Fall 3.2 percent in the 2nd quarter. Not good news. Feeling better now?