Piss on the U.S. Senate

An amendment calling for expanded background checks as part of the doomed gun bill failed today in the U. S. Senate.

Really?

Link.

"The amendment failed 54 to 46, falling short of the 60-vote threshold needed to break a filibuster of the measure, even as victims of the Sandy Hook shootings and other shooting watched from the Senate gallery and activists at a vigil outside the Capitol read the names of people slain since then, hoping to prompt action."

I hope the Senators listed on the right of the picture above who are up for re-election in 2014 have this vote shoved down their throats!  Unfortunately my two Senators are also part of this gang of thugs who don't care what 90 percent of the American public want.

Why even bring up any bill or amendment up for a vote in the Senate when a super majority is always needed to get anything done?  Fuck those 45 Senators on the right.  Fuck the Senate.  The National Rifle Association owns your government America...   

From My Cold Dead Hands!

How dare some politician or a government bureaucrat tell me I can't have a surface to air missle!  You know, for duck hunting... 

Of course I'm kidding.  I don't duck hunt.

I see on the news that the gun control legislation in the U.S. Senate has passed cloiture so now our illustrious politicians can do their job:  vote and debate a bill before the body.  It still chaps my ass that it takes 60 votes to get anything moving in the Senate, you know, just as the Constitution lays out.

So finally after a lot of back and forth since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14th of last year, something is going to be done about gun violence in our country!  If anything meaningful comes out of the tragedy it'll hairlip the Pope.  It looks like the best liberals can hope for is some kind of universal background checks on the purchase of firearms.  And that's about it, unfortunately.  I guess it's a brave start considering that only a paltry 90% of American agree with such legislation.  How brave our elected leaders in the Senate are!  I do, however, agree with some conservatives that there should be limits to background checks.  If you're put on a list for mental reasons, are you on that list for the rest of your life?  Is it really necessary to do a background check on your uncle Fred when selling him your shotgun?  These are issues that should and probably will be addressed and I'm okay with that.

So universal background checks are probably going to pass, at least in the Senate.  There's not telling what the House will do.  So what else do gun control advocates want?  A limit to the capacity of bullets that can be held in a firearm you say?  Unfortunately, it looks like that sort of legislation is DOA, at least, according the all the talking heads on FOX, FOX LITE (CNN), and MSNBC.  Why?  Why would a law abiding citizen, hunter, whatever, be opposed to how many bullets they can queeze off from their firearm within a given amount of time?  Is it possible that if the shooter in Connecticut or Colorado had to reload his magazine that maybe a few extra lives would have been saved?  Again, I believe this kind of restriction is supported by a majority in our country.  I guess it just hasn't hit that magical 90% approval rate yet.

A ban on assult type weapons?  Most assuredly DOA, if it even gets a vote.  In all honesty I don't really have a dog in this fight.  But I'm so tired of hearing redneck goobers bitch about the government wanting to take away their guns.  I think everyone is debating gun CONTROL not gun CONFISCATION.  My understanding is that a ban on assult type weapons would mean you couldn't buy them, not that you couldn't already own them.  Still I would like the Senate to at least vote on this issue.  You know, once again, just aking them to to their job:  debate and vote.

I have a couple more ideas that Congress should consider when talking about gun control:

 I like Chris Rock's thoughts on the price of bullets.  Tax the hell out of them.  If a bullet costs 500 dollars people may think twice about what they use them for or some nut job may be priced out of the market.  Of course nothing like this would ever happen, nor should it probably happen; however, maybe a modest tax on ammunition could help fund all these armed guards that the NRA wants to install into places of learning.

An Oklahoma legislator proposed that if Oklahoma teachers are required to carry firearms in public schools then the state should offer a voucher program so citizens could afford to send their children to private schools that are gun free.  I love it!  Liberals get to be a little snarky and conservatives finally get a school voucher program that they've been harping on since time immemorial in Oklahoma.

Finally just limiting who can own a firearm will not eliminate gun violence in this country.  Will it help?  I think so but there is a bigger problem to consider.  America is a violent culture in general.  How do we curb this?  I have no fucking clue.  Maybe the video game and entertainment industies could be more responsible.  But what more could be done legislatively besides a rating system, which is in place, to help parents make resonable choices for their children?  I literally have no clue but a discussion on all aspect of our culture should be had.  And liberals and conservatives should engage in this conversation instead of drawing a line in the sand and then burying their heads in the same sand, or up their asses.  It's a sad democracy when no one is heard over the yelling or through the echo chamber.

I don't like guns.  I don't want to be around them.  I know that being around a firearm increases my chances of being killed by one dramatically.  Recently I was eating at a restaurant where a d-bag in the table next to me was wearing a sidearm, and he wasn't wearing blue or brown with a little badge affixed to his chest.  I don't want to call out the restaurant but it rhymes with Old Chicago and their most popular dish rhymes with pizza.  I should have spoken to the manager about what I saw to get a clarification on their carry policy within their place of business.  I didn't.  I guess my punking out probably just adds to the overall problem...

I apologize for the winding unruliness of this posting but I would genuinely be curious what others think, even if it's something with which I don't necessarily agree.

My Evolving Marriage Position

What with all the never ending news coverage of The Supremes hearing arguments about Prop 8 in California and DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) this week, I've suddenly decided that I may agree with conservatives that marriage may not be appropriate for all parties. Specifically Catholics.

First and foremost we all know that God intended for the Bible to only apply to Protestants and people of the Jewish faith (well at least the first half). This has to be evident by some of the bat shit crazy rituals that Catholics perform.

Most disturbing is the Catholic preoccupation with zombies and vampires. Of course Jesus never really wanted his followers to munch on his body and drink his blood! And even if he did, Catholics, you're doing it wrong! How does one go from the body and blood of Christ to grape juice and rice cakes? If one is unable to follow the literal teachings of the good word, how is one expected to raise children in a truly Christian environment? And since marriage is for the sole purpose of procreation, Catholics should be banned from marrying. Strike one Catholics.

Secondly, I learned during the conclave recently in Rome to pick the new Pope that the "retiring" Pope wears Prada shoes! If you wear Prada, and you are a man, you are gay. Therefore all the followers of the Pope are homosexuals and that is inconsistent with marriage and thus Catholics should be barred from marrying. (I know it seems like a stretch but I'm just using typical conservative logic[TM]). Strike two Catholics.

Finally, and I'm relying a little on Bill Maher here, some Catholic traditions and rituals were pulled right out of someone's ass over the last couple of centuries. Priests can't marry? If you have a vagina you can't be a priest? In order to bribe your way in to heaven you must give confession from time to time? The invention of the holy ghost? Our souls came out of a volcano billions of years ago... oh wait, that's another lunacy altogether. The bible doesn't mention any of these rules! Obviously if Catholics feel that the original word laid down by God isn't good enough they are heretics and unfit to procreate and therefore should not be allowed to marry.

Alternatively where in the Constitution does it specify that anyone has the right to marry anyone? Are we using a different Constitution than the one God personally handed to Thomas Jefferson?

Obviously I'm just kidding around. I actually kind of dig Catholics and they are among my favorite mentally ill people in the world. I love conversing with them in airports with their bald heads and tambourines... oh wait, wrong again. The pomp and procedures and rituals of the church can be quite beautiful. And the head of the church wears Prada shoes! How fucking cool is that?

My point is that any idiot can come up with any reason to deny anyone the right to marry. The current argument in front of the Supreme Court that marriage is only for procreation may be the craziest of all.

Don't agree with gay marriage in America? Move to Rwanda, you'll fit right in there...

Poor Mittens!

Willard Romney, trying to become only the second retarded President in U.S. history, really knows how to put his foot in it! I know, that statement is actually insulting to the developmentally disabled. The Rainbow Tour made its way to England where Romney had some unkind words about London hosting the 2012 Olympics:

"'You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out,' Romney told NBC. 'There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials … that obviously is not something which is encouraging.'"

To which Prime Minister David Cameron (of the Conservative Party) responded:

"We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere."

Burn! Of course Romney back-pedaled on the issue when pressed further after an uproar in the London press, like he always does and always has his entire political career. What was meant as a visit to prove his chops at being nuanced at foreign policy has turned into another example of his buffoonery. The guy just can't catch a break. Too bad speaking is a required part of the job he's seeking, otherwise he might be a shoo-in.

I can't wait until the Presidential debates! Obama is going to mop the floor with this smarmy asshole. Though I think the election is going to be a nail biter. In a world where George W. Bush was elected twice (well once technically) anything is possible.

Link.

Something to Bitch About

The best thing about having a blog is having a place on the Internets to rant! I had a few things to bitch about so I thought I would combine them into one blog posting:

Willard Romney and all his day one promises. Off the top of my head he's said that he's going to repeal the Affordable Care Act, end regulations on businesses, get tough with China, initiate tax cuts, and approve the Keystone Pipeline. I'm sure there's more that he's promised but I don't have an Etch A Sketch in front of me to predict the future.

What's allegedly off limits with Willard Romney. I'm tired of hearing from politicians and their surrogates what's off limits, or should be off limits during the Presidential campaign (Obama does this too). Apparently with the Romney campaign his tax records, his religion, and his work at Bain Capital should be off limits to scrutiny and attack. Really? So I guess all we have to put under the microscope for Romney is his work on the Winter Olympics (by the way, the U.S. Winter Olympic clothing was made in Burma) and his four years as Governor of Massachusetts, where his biggest legislative accomplishment is very similar to President Obama's biggest accomplishment, health care reform. What bugs me the most is the issue of his religion and the lack of discussion about it. Mormons are batshit crazy, though in fairness, I think most religions are batshit crazy anyways.

Adult Swim live action shows. In general I love Adult Swim at night on the Cartoon Network but the live action shows have got to go! Childrens Hospital, NTSF: SD: SUV::, Eagle Heart, and the ultimately craptastic Eric and Andre Show. Someone must be watching these shows as they're still getting produced but I just can't stomach them.

Everyone being outraged by Chick-fil-A. The news of their homophobia and overall douchebaggery is nothing new! This shitty company has been on my banned list for a long, long time. Oh and while we're at it, yay for the Muppets!

The Boy Scouts of America. Same as with Chick-fil-A.

New Leaf Florist. I had some flowers delivered to my house this morning which is a nice thing but damn if New Leaf Florist isn't persistent in getting them delivered. They banged very loudly on my door twice and called me twice at 8:30AM in an attempt to get me to the door. Just leave the delivery on the porch for Christ's sake! I was a little grumpy since I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't get back to sleep until around 5AM...

The gun control debate. Why is it that when we have some kind of gun shooting tragedy in this country it's always too early to talk about gun control and putting limits on the purchasing of ammunition? It's exactly the right time to have this debate! I'm all for rednecks owning their precious guns but I think it's time to talk (again) about limiting what kind of guns said rednecks should be able to purchase. I'm not sure the founding fathers ever intended the Second Amendment to include weapons that could release 100 rounds from a magazine in 30 seconds. I guess I could be wrong, I'll leave such discussion to the experts, like the NRA.

Rachael Ray. She's always on my list of things to bitch about. She's the spawn of Satan and must be stopped.

Fuck Rep. Louie Gohmert

"Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Friday that the shootings that took place in an Aurora, Colo. movie theater hours earlier were a result of 'ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs' and questioned why nobody else in the theater had a gun to take down the shooter."

Wait, what??

Link.

How can the people of the 1st Congressional District of Texas stomach this asshole?

Let the politicization of mass murder begin!

It never ceases to amaze me what people will say on the heels of a tragedy of this kind. Indeed a friend of mine on Facespace said something similar: "Too bad there wasn't someone at that theatre with a concealed carry permit. How many lives could have been saved?" Or how many more people could have been injured or killed in a shootout in a confined space?

What I want to know is why anyone would need an AR-15 assault rifle to begin with and how said person could access a movie theatre so easily?

Tragic and disgusting.

EDIT:

Another nugget from an online "friend":

"Another rampant shooting in Colorado. Wasn't Columbine enough? Prayers and condolences to the families and victims of that fatal tragedy♥ This country has become so desensitized by video game and movie violence, that it doesn't realize that even a PH.D. student like James Holmes can be demoralized by it."

My response:

"Is this a joke? Video game and movie violence is to blame for this disgusting mass murder? The guy is a psychopath and I'm sure he had other problems besides playing Resident Evil or watching rated R movies. And why would being a PHD student raise your estimation of him? People should really think before they 'speak.'"

The Oklahoma Taliban Strikes Again

In this case the Oklahoma Senate (again!) by passing the "Personhood Act."

"Oklahoma lawmakers edged closer toward trying to outlaw abortion on Wednesday by approving 'personhood' legislation that gives individual rights to an embryo from the moment of conception.

The Republican-controlled state Senate voted 34-8 to pass the 'Personhood Act' which defines the word person under state law to include unborn children from the moment of conception.

The measure now goes to the state House where pro-life Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than a 2-1 margin."

Link.

I can understand this kind of law passing the Oklahoma Senate, it is full of a bunch of right-wing zealots after all! What I can't understand is why there isn't a provisions for rape or incest victims. Basically if you're the victim of either of these lovely scenarios you're fucked, literally and figuratively.

What's really going to happen shortly is that the Oklahoma House will also pass the measure, our idiot Governor will sign it into law, and it will get struck down by the courts. This seems to happen a lot with our state laws...

You gotta love a legislative body that is more concerned with abortion, an issue I thought was settled 39 years ago, than current real-world issues. Where are the jobs and economic development? How do we handle the budget shortfall again this year? What are we going to do about a capital building that's literally crumbling at the foundation?

Up next for the law makers of the great state of Oklahoma: raising the tobacco buying age to 21!! I've said it before, we need serious people to fix our serious state and local problems...

Life Begins at Ejaculation

"Democratic Oklahoma state Senator Constance Johnson has proposed a bill that would make it illegal for a man to ejaculate anywhere except into a woman’s sexual organs, giving an even more extreme twist to the current so-called 'personhood' laws cropping up across conservative states."

Senator Johnson is now officially my favorite Oklahoma lawmaker!

Link.

It's about time someone took a stand against these bumbling idiots in the Oklahoma legislature.

Where's the economic growth? Does anyone over on Lincoln Blvd. give a fuck? Conservatives (Republicans) control everything in Oklahoma, and I mean everything! Instead of trying to do something about jobs and the economy we're treated with anti-abortion laws, fetal free food laws, eliminating income taxes (in spite of the budget shortfalls every year!), allowing lawmakers to carry guns at the House and Senate, and allowing administrators to have fire arms at schools! I'm not shitty about any of these proposals.

Makes me want to puke.

More on Fetus Free Food

Things are heating up with the fetus food debate in Oklahoma. I found a letter to the editor in the Oklahoma Gazette that takes an awesome swipe at Senator Ralph Shortey's proposed bill in the Oklahoma legislature. Sadly this may not be the worst bill he's proposed this year, but more on that later...

Link.

"New legislation for consideration by the Oklahoma legislative body includes a bill by Sen. Ralph Shortey stating roughly that no person or entity shall sell food containing aborted fetuses as an ingredient.

I had no idea! Aborted fetuses are being served to Oklahomans and all you are going to do about it, Mr. Shortey, is write a bill? As a concerned citizen, I call on the offices of Gov. Mary Fallin and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb to immediately shut down all restaurants and grocery stores hawking food items containing aborted fetuses.

In addition, I expect the state of Oklahoma to launch a full-scale investigation into the matter, as well as a major public-service campaign to alert all Oklahoma citizens as to the specific names of each and every food item and their manufacturer so we know whether we are eating human fetuses in Oklahoma!

It seems to me, now that the Republicans have alerted us to this horror, calmly continuing to allow our people to eat abortions is a grave act of treason against our people.

Or maybe the people of this state should quit voting for and publicly supporting these people who continue to make an embarrassing mockery of us and are being fully allowed, by both parties, to promote a ridiculous caricature of who we are as Oklahomans."

The Gazette is the best paper in the state despite the fact that it's a weekly, free publication.

Fetus Free Food

Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey from District 44 has sponsored State Bill 1418 which states:

"Food; prohibiting the sale or manufacture of food or products which contain aborted human fetuses. Effective date."

Now I don't know about you, dear reader, but I usually do prefer that my food doesn't include aborted human fetuses. I know, call me crazy!

Where do we get these legislators and who the hell votes for them? Maybe even more disturbing is that Senator Shortey represents an area in the Oklahoma City metro! Though calling the south side metropolitan may be a stretch. And I thought all the crazies represented places like Pushmataha County.

We have serious problems in this state and we need serious people apparently to address those problems. The serious people are few and far between...

Sexual Orientation Protected in OKC!

"A measure proposed by Ward 2 Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid that extends employment discrimination protection in city offices to gay people passed Tuesday by a 7-2 vote."

Wow. This is great news for Oklahoma City, or at least for those employed by the city. I don't know if I'm more surprised that the vote was actually held or that the margin was so wide.

I think city leaders are finally starting to realize that in order to compete with bigger cities it's legislation like this that actually helps attract economic development. The state of Oklahoma may still be living in the Dark Ages; however, Oklahoma City itself seems to be making moves in the right direction.

So proud of my city and its council right now!

Link.

"In God We Trust"

"In a 396-9 vote, the House of Representatives reaffirmed 'In God We Trust' as the nation's motto on Wednesday. The resolution's Republican sponsor said it would clear up any confusion President Obama created by once referring mistakenly to 'E Pluribus Unum' — a Latin phrase meaning 'out of many, one' — as our motto. ('In God We Trust' replaced 'E Pluribus Unum' in 1956.) Obama mocked Congress for frittering away its day on such a symbolic gesture instead of focusing on creating jobs."

Link.

Does anyone else like "E Pluribus Unum" better? Why was it changed, along with The Pledge of Allegiance, back in the last century? This would be a great springboard into attacking religion again on my part but I think I'm going to take a pass today, anyone who reads this blog already knows my views: if you're a Christian get some help! There are some great psychotropic medications on the market these days...

In other news, the House of Representatives will be holding votes all week to reaffirm the following:

The bald eagle as the nation's symbol. Too bad we didn't go with the turkey, it seems more apropos these days, no?

The Star Spangled Banner as the nation's anthem. However, the House may try to tweak Francis Scott Key's famous poem by adding God somewhere in the patriotic song.

The American Flag. The House will declare that yes indeed the flag has 13 stripes representing the original 13 colonies and 50 stars representing all fifty states. The colors will also be reaffirmed as such: white signifying purity and hope, red standing for courage and sacrifice, and blue representing freedom, truth and justice. Why one of these colors doesn't represent the Christian God was an egregious oversight by our forefathers!

Taking a back seat to the legislation mentioned above will be jobs and the economy. God bless America...

Spelling?

Who says you can't find anything worthwhile on Facespace?

Are the Planets Aligning?

What I've learned lately...

Republicans (as least those who want to be President) believe in three things:

1) If you don't have health insurance, for whatever reason, you should just die instead of being a burden on the tax payer. Or you could do what Ron Paul laughingly suggested, ask for help from your neighbors or the churches!

2) State sponsored executions in this country are an applause line.

3) Being a homosexual member of the armed services is worthy of being booed. I understand that most of the people on stage at the GOP debate probably don't believe this but then again not one of them had the balls to stand up to the terrible behavior displayed by the conservative crowd.

4) Oklahomans were buying this shit at the Fair:


Patti Stanger needs to know when to shut her mouth.

“'The Millionaire Matchmaker'” told a gay male caller he could maintain an open relationship because 'there is no curbing gay men,' she said."

To be honest, in my opinion, I don't think her remarks were too far off the mark but it's probably not something you would want to say on a television show promoting your own show. Again, in my experiences, I haven't known many gay men who have been able to carry on a long term relationship without some form of cheating entering into the equation, my own personal experiences included. Having said that, the influences of gay social life in Oklahoma City probably contribute more heavily to this phenomenon than gay men being unable to commit. I mean probably the biggest form of social interaction for gay men here is in a dank gay bar replete with alcoholics and drug users. Not a good place to hang out with the hubby.

I still, and will always, hate the Washington Redskins. They can't even beat a banged up Cowboys team that has an offensive line with an average age of 12 along with third sting wide outs! I love how Tony Romo went from the goat to the hero in a matter of a couple of weeks. Yes, it's cool to be a Romosexual again. How 'bout them Cowboys?!

Finally I learned that I just can't ride scary carnival rides anymore. I left my sphincter on the ride pictured below:

Sally Kern Needs to Shut the Fuck Up!!

Lunatic Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern is at it again:

"You know if you just look at it in practical terms, which has destroyed and ended the life of more people? Terrorism attack here in America or HIV/AIDS? In the last twenty years, fifteen to twenty years, we’ve had maybe three terrorist attacks on our soil with a little over 5,000 people regrettably losing their lives. In the same time frame, there have been hundreds of thousands who have died because of having AIDS. So which one’s the biggest threat? And you know, every day our young people, adults too, but especially our young people, are bombarded at school, in movies, in music, on TV, in the mall, in magazines, they’re bombarded with ‘homosexuality is normal and natural.’ It’s something they have to deal with every day. Fortunately we don’t have to deal with a terrorist attack every day, and that’s what I mean."

Link.

Absolutely disgusting. Her hate speech not only besmirches those who live with or have died from HIV/AIDS but also those who have fallen due to terrorist attacks here and abroad. This on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. She should be ashamed. Yet the good folks of western Oklahoma City and Bethany continue to re-elect this nutbag. Thank Jeebus we have term limits in Oklahoma.

A friend on Facespace commented on this story saying that Kern was a pathetic embarrassment to Oklahoma. She was wrong. She's a pathetic embarrassment to humanity.

News Around the Country

Everyone's favorite bat shit crazy Teabagger, Representative Michele Bachmann announced her candidacy for the Presidency yesterday in Waterloo, Iowa. There's a great story by Matt Taibbi in the latest issue of Rolling Stone discussing Bachmann's rise to politics and why she should actually be taken seriously.

"Bachmann is a religious zealot whose brain is a raging electrical storm of divine visions and paranoid delusions. She believes that the Chinese are plotting to replace the dollar bill, that light bulbs are killing our dogs and cats, and that God personally chose her to become both an IRS attorney who would spend years hounding taxpayers and a raging anti-tax Tea Party crusader against big government. She kicked off her unofficial presidential campaign in New Hampshire, by mistakenly declaring it the birthplace of the American Revolution. 'It's your state that fired the shot that was heard around the world!' she gushed. 'You are the state of Lexington and Concord, you started the battle for liberty right here in your backyard.'"

A subscription to Rolling Stone is worth it just for Taibbi's articles.

Wisconsin takes its politics seriously:

"Liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley has accused conservative Justice David Prosser of trying to choke her during an argument in her state Capitol office on June 13, the day before the court handed down a decision upholding a new law that eliminates most public employees' collective bargaining rights. Prosser has denied the allegations."

Wow. What a bunch of asshattery! Either a Supreme Court Judge is trying to kill a colleague or someone is lying about it. I'm siding with Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, you know, because conservatives are kooky!

Coinciding with many Gay Pride events around the country, the New York State Legislature passed a same-sex marriage measure, becoming the sixth and largest state to do so. What makes this amazing, to me, is that the passage of the bill was a bipartisan effort in the Senate where Republican votes were needed to get the bill to Governor Cuomo. I'm sure Oklahoma will follow the Empire State's lead... in about 20 years.

Asteroid 2011 MD came within 7500 miles of impact with the Earth before being hurled out the planet's way. Holy shit! Though the asteroid was only the size of a bus, what I find disturbing is that it wasn't detected until last week. It really goes to show how fragile our little blue rock in space may be.

A friend of mine posted on Facespace that Democrats make the best lovers. Who ever heard of a good piece of elephant?

Finally, in an extremely rare event, water fell from the heavens this morning coating the mangled yards of many Oklahoma City residents. Scientists are calling this unusual phenomenon "rain," but are assuring a panic stricken public that all should be back to normal the rest of the week with clear skies and temperatures ranging between 101 and 105 degrees!

So what's everyone else reading about this morning?

Obama Beats Weiner!

Hmmmm. Saw this over at My New Life. Check it out, a really cool blog from Virginia.

Now the Oklahoma House is Hard at Work

From koco.com:

"OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma House has named 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' as the official gospel song of the state.

The House voted 89-0 Monday to approve the bill by Rep. Jabar Shumate of Tulsa designating the song. It now goes to Gov. Mary Fallin to be signed into law.
'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' was written in Indian Territory in 1862 by a Choctaw Freedman named Wallis Willis. The Red River reminded Willis of the Jordan River and the song was loosely based on the passage in the Bible that speaks of the Prophet Elijah being taken to heaven in a chariot.

The song was adopted by England Rugby Union fans during the last match of the 1988 season and recorded by the band UB40 for the team's performance at the World Cup."

I see the Oklahoma legislature is still hard at work this term. Anything going on with job creation or growth? Discuss.

The Oklahoma Senate is Still Hard at Work

Saw this the other day at koco.com:

"OKLAHOMA CITY -- Anyone convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in Oklahoma would have to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle for two years under a bill passed by the state Senate and sent to the House.

The Erin Elizabeth Swezey Act passed on a 45-0 vote Tuesday. It's named after a 20-year-old Edmond woman killed by a drunken driver. A second DUI conviction would require the ignition lock for five years and a third would lead to the device being installed for eight years.

The lock includes a device that detects alcohol and the driver must blow into it. If any alcohol is detected - it will not allow the vehicle to start.

Those convicted of DUI would also have the words 'interlock required' printed on the driver's license."

Hmm. I guess I really don't have anything against this kind of legislation although I think the "interlock required" flag on a driver's license is a little mean spirited. Basically if you want to drive for the first six months after getting a DUI you have to have one anyways.

So what does everyone think? Should the consequences of a DUI be more severe? Speaking from experience from my DUI two years ago next month, I spent a lovely night in the Oklahoma County jail, spent thousands on fees, fines, and probation costs, not to mention lawyer fees and I'm still on probation to boot.

I appreciate the Senate wanting to do more to curb people from driving intoxicated but I thought we were in a crunch to finish the legislative session. How much time and effort was spent on this "feel good" bill? When is the very conservative legislature going to tackle the budget shortfall, economic growth and job creation? Just wondering. Oh well, at least our children will be able to learn intellegent design in the next school year...

The Oklahoma Senate is Hard at Work

This story is a couple of days old but I just had to comment. From The Tulsa World:

"OKLAHOMA CITY — The southbound Interstate 44 bridge that crosses over the Red River into Texas will be named after former President George W. Bush under a bill approved in the Oklahoma Senate.

The Senate voted 40-5 on Tuesday for the bill by freshman Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City.

The bridge is located in Cotton County in southwest Oklahoma. The measure also directs the Department of Transportation to create signs to be placed on the highway.

The House will now consider the measure."

Are you fucking kidding me? Other names considered for the bridge:

The Dr. Paul Joseph Göbbels Memorial Bridge

The Bridge Over the River Red

The Mission Accomplished Bridge

How fitting that Oklahoma, home of some of the worst bridges and roads in the nation, is naming a bridge to Texas after one of the worst Presidents in American history. It sure would be nice if the legislature would tackle some of the big issues facing our state, like maybe jobs or the budget shortfall. Instead we're treated to bridge naming, allowing intelligent design classes in our schools, and ending collective bargaining for state employees. Stay classy Oklahoma!