the otherwhirled

….and there are more important things. At least in my mind.

{Chip East / Reuters}

The Economy. Here’s a thing: I don’t know what to say about the financial markets that hasn’t already been said. In fact, there have been a lot of words tossed around about the financial markets recently, but I personally believe they can be summed up in one word, especially since I just tossed $2,000 into a Roth IRA a few weeks ago: “Shit”.

Yep, that just about does it.

Speaking of “shit”, you probably didn’t hear it here first, but I do believe I said something to that effect a while back. Market depressions are depressing….especially when you have kids.

The Campaign. Here’s a slightly more important thing, at least in the context of the next four years or so: I guess a couple of guys got together last night to play whiffle-ball or some such. “That one” won. I had to catch the re-run. I like how McCain tries to be funny and witty and basically succeeds only in being condescending and gaseous. Brilliant strategy. What’s even more troubling is that a large number of Americans a) think he did well, b) like his “style”, and c) want to see more of the same.

So, I guess that means half-hearted mediocrity is the new black. Brilliant.

For the record, I thought Obama could have done a lot better, but I’m pleased that the punditocracy has largely concluded that he won the debate in what is McCain’s strongest format. That should tell you something, Senator McCain. You’re no McClane, and even “he” is a washed-up has-been anyway.

A Duplicitous Skank

Abortion. Here’s a much more important thing, at least in terms of individual rights: The idiot wingnuts in my state are once again attempting to shove anti-abortion law down our collective throats. This time they’ve got a law drafted that appears to have exceptions, but the exceptions are so ambiguous that reasonable people would hope to find some way out of the state instead. So, what that means to me is that a bunch of morons who would willfully create a coathanger climate are trying to convince my wife and myself that they have the better perspective on what our daughter should do with her body if she happens to make a wrong decision or gets raped. Oddly (or not), we’re not finding their arguments convincing. I’m about two shakes from turning myself into one of those crazy-ass protestors, waving coathangers and screaming obscenities at their voter rallies. But if I did that, I’d have to become so much like them that I’d never be able to forgive myself. Gah.

Digby has a brief write-up on the bogus exceptions to the proposed law, and Feministe has a much more in-depth look into it.

That picture is of the primary gas-bag, prior abortion recipient, abstinence-only spouting, makeup-caked skank named Leslee Unruh who runs the Abstinence Clearinghouse here in Sioux Falls. You’ll have to google her and the clearinghouse. I refuse to provide linkage to such willful ignorance and social duplicity. On behalf of freethinkers across our state, I’m very sorry she gets even a piece of the limelight, and I’m even sorrier that she’s by no means alone out here.

That’s all I’ve got today. Carry on.