Can I go to sleep now?

As a Pennsylvania voter I feel as if I've done my part as PBS, Reuters and even Faux News are calling the Keystone State for Obama. A good sign. I've been predicting for two years that whoever wins two out of Pa, Florida and Ohio wins; full stop. Good start to have one (hopefully) in the bag.

Once again...

...I'm not so proud to be a Pennsylvanian (although not all of the folks on the video are shameful).

(Not so) proud to be Pennsylvanian

The New York Times reported yesterday that an email being sent to Jewish voters in Pennsylvania from the Republican Party's "Victory 2008" Committee and signed by prominent supporters of The Aged One likens voting for Obama to the rise of Hitler. Clearly the Republican GPS is set to send them rather permanently down the low road.

Stop making sense....

...apparently the First Amendment does provide a Pennsylvania high school kid with the right to wear a T shirt promoting gun violence; thank heavens. Expect Donald Miller III and his exemplary parents to be back with a suit based on the Second Amendment!

Proud to be Pennsylvanian*

The state I grew up in, and in which I lived the majority of my life, Pennsylvania is home to nearly 20% of juveniles serving life without paroles. Now that's something to be proud of.

*Note to ordinary Americans: this is what is known as "irony". Look it up.

A message for Shelley Maggitti

I understand your pain. I am a 1973 graduate of Unionville High School and it's lonely out there, isn't it? I did the dishonourable thing and ran away.

I'd recommend you put the signs up anyway and let the sons of bitches sue you (but that's just me).

The news from the Keystone State

The head of Pennsylvania's Federation of College Republicans, one Adam LaDuca, has been forced to resign after he made "insensitive" comments about Barack Obama on his Facebook page. The recalcitrant Mr. LaDuca had written that the junior Senator from Illinois had "a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami (and probably would.)" In his defense the young man said that he is not a racist and that "it was just a dumb move on my part to make a statement like that public". (Emphasis mine.)

The 21 year old Kutztown State student, undoubtedly majoring in media studies is expected to graduate from the University sometime in 2025 and immediately move to Alaska and run for governor.

Do I smell an Oscar?

Apparently my former junior Senator, the ever entertaining and highly un-intelligent "Little" Ricky "Man-on-Dog" Santorum has made a film. Clearly this will be a bundle of laughs; none of them where he thinks they are. Unfortunately I'm unwilling to shuffle any funds his way so I reckon I'll never get the chance to piss myself laughing!

Meanwhile at the other end of the Keystone State...

...one Daryl Metcalfe (R - Butler County) scuttled a vote in the State House on a resolution honouring the "60th annual convention...of the U.S. chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community" by stating, and I quote, that "[t]he Muslims do not recognize Jesus Christ as God and I will be voting negative". One wonders which word or words in the First Amendment he doesn't understand. It is not as if it includes any real tough ones.

The people of Cranberry Township must be awfully proud!

I hope they didn't spend too much on this

A study from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center shows that head injuries for motorcyclists have soared since the Keystone State eliminated the helmet requirement. Well what a surprise. I'm sure no one saw this coming.

Maybe they should amend the law so that motorcyclists not wearing helmets lose their "rights" to sue for injuries sustained given their reckless disregard for their own safety. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that though as there is no constituency to pander to by doing that.

Welcome to Sex Chester

It seems as if, for now at least, the battle over a lingerie shop in West Chester PA is over but I'm sure that the forces of darkness reason will be back and this time they'll be angry.

Meanwhile back at the ranch

Whilst the war in Iraq continues (with moderate recent success) and the war in Afghanistan continues (with increasing failure); whilst the price of energy soars and America's (and western Europe's) conspicuous consumption drives global climate change perhaps beyond the tipping point; whilst poverty in America and the world spirals upwards and more and more go hungry my senior Senator, Arlen "Single Bullet" Specter remains convinced that the US Senate should be spending more of its valuable(?) time investigating what the Americans call football. [Sigh]

Twisted knickers in West Chester

West Chester PA isn't exactly my home town but I did live in RD4 West Chester for seventeen years. How things (haven't) changed. Apparently a woman has opened a shop on Church Street that sells (Shock! Horror!) lingerie and sex toys. The usual assemblage of ring wing Christian nuts is horrified!

You have to remember that West Chester (previously Turk's Head) is a town where you can "come in High and go out Gay", or the reverse if you prefer.

My Congressman does good!

The McGovern-Sestak(my congressman)-Bishop amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill passed in the House. The amendment requires the "public release of names, rank, country of origin, courses and dates of attendance of WHINSEC’s graduates and instructors to the public". WHINSEC is the school run by the US military to train Latin American military officers formerly known as the School of the America's. WHINSEC/SOA graduates have been tied to some of the worst crimes of the worst regimes across Central and South America.

"Single Bullet" Specter loses the plot (again)

I have had Arlen Specter as one of my Senators for a very long time and we have had a difficult relationship. At times he seems almost like a normal human being in possession of a spinal column only to disappoint; time and time again.

Now he has decided that there is a problem in American so severe that it requires that an independent Federal investigation is required. "What is this problem?" you ask. Is it high gas prices? The firing of US Attorneys for political reasons? The politically motivated prosecution of a southern Democrat to prevent him regaining the governor's mansion in his state? The suppression of science for political gain and the profit of huge multi-national businesses?

None of these?

What then? I don't know how I overlooked the scandal that is how the New England Patriots used video cameras to cheat at American football!

Be afraid!

Some really big beetles have been captured trying to sneak into Pennsylvania illegally!

[Sigh of relief]

My home state of Pennsylvania appears to have avoided the ignominy of becoming one of those inclusive American states that have amended their constitutions to ban any form of gay marriage, at least for now.

In which I offer an exremely mild restriction on gun ownership that even the NRA will love!

This story from Altoona PA in which a drunken man, armed with a gun, managed to shoot himself whilst trying to shoot bees (really - he was) set me to thinking. Would it be too much to ask that it should be possible to remove from an individual the "right" to carry weapons, possess weapons or live in a household containing weapons after they are found to be in possession of weapons (or at least found to have used weapons) whilst under the influence of alcohol* or illegal drugs? Surely no one could object to that could they?

*The drink driving standard could be used for those old enough to drink whilst zero tolerance should be imposed for illegal drugs and alcohol for the underage.

In which I eat humble pie

OK. So I was wrong about Pennsylvania. What the hell do I know about the state? I only spent the vast majority of my (American) life there!

My PA prediction

Hillary wins but by a lesser margin than polls indicate; probably 3 - 4%. She only gains a handful of delegates. She refuses to quit.