Steve King (not the author, but the idiot Republican congresscritter from Iowa) says that same-sex marriage is all part of a socialist plot to take over America, and that Socialists have “to plow through marriage in order to get to their goal” of undermining the “foundations of individual rights and liberties. Not only is it a radical social idea, it is a purely socialist concept in the final analysis….” Hmm, OK. So, let me get this straight: the idea that gay folks should be extended the same individual rights and liberties that non-gay folks have is actually a plot to undermine said rights and liberties. Makes perfect sense to me. Fear not, brave Rep. King and all you other fighters of socialism: the Socialists’ plan appears to be severely flawed. In King’s own state of Iowa (bastion of gay marriage and socialist-terrorist capital of the corn belt), 92% of Iowans say they’ve been totally unaffected by the legalization of gay marriage. Presumably the other 8% are gay and got married, or they’re parents/friends/relatives of those who are (and did). Hah! Take that, Socialists! You’ll have to find some other way to take over the country. The whole gay marriage thing just aint workin’.

For the first time ever, a vaccine is showing some signs of protecting against AIDS. It’s experimental and only worked for 1/3 of the people in the trial (not sure how they tested it; maybe they injected everybody with Baxter Pharmaceutical – one of the liability-protected manufacturers of the coveted H1N1 vaccine – hemophilia drugs), so I think the NYS Dept of Health should make it mandatory for all health care workers. Hell, make it required for everybody. Just shut up and take your medicine already!

Our Governor was in town yesterday for the annual meeting of the NYS Associated Press Association (talk about the Department of Redundancy). Among his remarks, he spoke about his rock-bottom poll numbers and increasingly unlikely ability to get elected to a second term:

“I did not sign up for this,” Paterson said to a roomful of journalists…. I wanted to be lieutenant governor. I had this grand plan that Hillary Clinton was going to become president and maybe the governor would appoint me to the Senate.”

Well, I guess I can relate to that. I mean, who figured Mr. Squeaky-Clean Eliot Spitzer would turn out to be such a dummy? And Blinky did inherit a pretty big fiscal mess (and having possibly the nation’s worst legislative body to work with to try and fix things doesn’t help much, either). So, just do us all a favor and go quietly into retirement or ambassadorship or whatever Obama promised you. The thought of either Governor Lazio or Governor Guliani is just too much to bear.

Everybody’s favorite ex-congresscritter, convicted felon, and high-end toupée spokesmodel, Jim Trafficant, isn’t saying he’ll run for office now that he’s out of the slammer, but he is giving us an idea of what his legislative agenda would be if he did hold office again.

“I want to get the IRS,” Traficant said. “Kick them in the crotch real good.”

A difficult platform to disagree with, though I would dispute the notion that there’s a “real good” way to get kicked in the crotch.

Yesterday, jury deliberations began in the murder trial of a man accused of strangling his 11-yr old stepsister with “depraved indifference.” The judge basically told the prosecutor that he fucked up big time with the charge, all but ensuring any guilty verdict will be thrown out on appeal. Both sides refused the offer to have the jury consider a lesser charge, so the judge instructed that, if they believe this guy deliberately murdered the kid, they would have to find him not guilty on the actual crime he was charged with. I haven’t followed things too closely, but it seems to me there’s been a fair amount of doubt introduced, and with the DA apparently charging him with the wrong thing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets off.

Having never been pregnant (a fact for which I am extremely grateful), I’m the first to admit I’m no expert, but, damn, at 19.2 pounds, that’s one whopper of a baby. And mom is 41 years old to boot.

Oh well, my battery is down to 11%, so I reckon I’d better get a move on and get ready for another day of work. I’m not really up for it this morning, but I guess it beats giving birth to a 19 pound baby.