Jocular Jaunt Overs: Life Imitating Art and Vice Versa Edition

The awesomeness of Obama's State of the Nation address last night is really threefold. Not only did we get to see a positive, excited, fresh, can do attitude from the US president, we also got to bask in the warmth of VP Joe Biden's ear to ear smile (as a friend of mine said "I need a piece of currency with his face on it!"). However, though both of these things are undeniably awesome, the the sweetest cherry of them all was the GOP response from Louisiana Gov. Bobby "Castrate 'Em!" Jindal. We learned so much from Jindal last night. Mainly that Americans can do anything (sweet! take that laws!) and that Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock isn't really the exaggerated character we all thought him to be. So for those of you who have not had the pleasure of comparing Gov. Jindal to Kenneth the Page in the last 24 hours, here's your chance! Just jaunt on over to The Huffington Post and check out Jindal's white, spindly doppelganger in action.

But wait! I've got something else up my sleeve...I know you hunger for more hilarity so jaunt on over to Geekologie and enjoy some Obama sushi.

Joe Biden = Swoontastic

Before you get your vote on in 11 days, be sure to watch this piece highlighting the groundbreaking strides Joe Biden has made for victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse. This 6 minute video lets one woman tell her story and her voice echoes the millions of women in this country who are now safe because of The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) or who will find safety through it. 1 out of 4 women report being victims of interpersonal violence, this number is absurd and unconscionable. If elected, the Obama/Biden administration is one that will fight for the eradication of violence against women and girls guaranteed.

I Don't Want To Live In My Own Shit and Garbage So I Like to Pay My Taxes

I've stopped my head from spinning right off my shoulders for the first time in like two weeks just long enough to say...WTF? Since when is paying your taxes a bad thing?!

Taxes Pay For:
*Public Education (including after school programs, sports, extra curriculars)
*Police, Fire Department, Hospitals, Ambulances (any type of emergency response team)
*Garbage Removal Service
*Water Treatment
*Energy (aka keeping your power on)
*Road Repairs, Street Cleaning, Snow/Ice Removal
*Crime Prevention Programs
*Parks and Recreation Programs (including little leagues, public pools, ice skating rinks)
*Public Transportation (including buses, light rails, metros, subways)
*Social Programs (including Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault helplines, counseling, and safe housing)

and much much more!

Taxes are based on the idea of "ability to pay," we can't all just pay full price for what we use because no one person on their own could afford all the things that they use on a daily basis. Examples of this are things that are free or provided at a low cost like school, waste management, or turning on your television. Then there are things that not everyone uses, but everyone pays for with the idea that everyone uses something and helping to pay for these programs makes our communities cleaner, safer, more welcoming, and easy to live in. These are programs like little leagues, buses, jails, ambulances, food stamps, and park programs (like watching fireworks on the 4th of July).

I know it's popular to for some reason hate people who are on welfare (y'know because they clearly don't have enough problems). Certain citizens want to know why they have to pay for someone else's misfortune, and my answer to that is why do I have to pay for your damn ambulance when you fall off your ladder cleaning your gutters? I don't have gutters, and if I did, I wouldn't fall off of them like a clumsy effing idiot, so I don't want to pay for the ambulance that will come pick you up and safe your life because it's not my problem. Sounds heartless doesn't it? Yes, of course I'll pay for your ambulance, and your welfare, and your drug rehabilitation! I'll pay for you to get a free education just like I did. I will pay for you to get better, because someday I'll need you to pay for my pension. I owe you a nice public transit system because when I was little you paid for me to play softball for 6 years, and I got to ice skate in a public rink that was safe, beautiful and fun because you helped keep it that way.

Look, taxation and redistribution of the wealth is a main principal of democracy. Remember democracy? What we needed to fight a never ending war for in the Middle East? A principal that the GOP likes to wave around desperately while pointing fingers at the democrats like we're about to make it on the McCarthy blacklist.

Under and Obama/Biden administration, no one will be paying more taxes unless they are making over $200,000 - if you're making that much do you really think you can't afford to pay some extra taxes to make your community a better place for all to live in? Don't you want to be safe and happy? So does everyone else.

You Know Who I'm in Love With? (VP Debate edition)

Joe Biden. I know this may not come as a surprise to many readers given my ravenous response to his VP nomination...I do tend to gush. So here comes another Biden is perfection update! With all the press Palin is getting for making victims pay for rape kits, it's great to read that Biden is fighting hard for rape kit evidence to be matched against DNA databases of convicted felons and rapists. This is important because the US Department of Justice estimates that "there are at least 221,000 rape kits currently on the shelves in evidence lockers, untested and gathering dust" That means 221,000 rapists have gotten away even though evidence against them exists, it just hasn't been exaimined. Not so great.

Joe Biden = a hero for victims that writes and fights for legislation that requires and allocates money for DNA evidence from rape kits to get matched with databases to ensure the legal system is doing everything they can to effectively find and charge the rapist, thus adding to the safety and comfort of victims

Sarah Palin = a Scrooge McDuck like character cackling in the face of rape victims and demanding they pay for their own rape kits if they want them, causing trauma and re-victimization



Happy VP Debate Day! Make sure to watch with rapt attention at 9pm tonight!

Way to Go Joe!

The text message arrived at 3:41 am this morning confirming that Joe Biden is indeed Barack Obama's running mate for Vice President!

So if you'll notice the blog directly below this one, uh yeah, I totally called that. Cnn should probably hire me as senior political analyst now.

Also this weeks convention looks like it will be very pro-woman rights according to NOW president Kim Gandy. With Joe Biden championing ending violence against women, what I believe is the biggest issue affecting women and girls, I think this administration has a chance to create a huge positive step in the right direction for women's rights. We may have lost Hillary, but I don't think women have lost their voice.

Top 10 Reasons Why Joe Biden Would be the Most Awesomest Choice for Vice President

10) He was born in Scranton Pennsylvania, thus I assume he is a rabid fan of "The Office"

9) He saves our resources and air quality by commuting by train from Delaware to DC

8) We share the same birthday (that means once he moves down here we could totally have a joint party!)

7) He is a strong supporter of gun control, receiving a "F" rating from the NRA

6) His experience with foreign relations, coupled with his moderate stance on the Iraq War will help to win over the middle of the road democrats and republicans who view Obama as too liberal

5) Opposes jerky things like capital punishment, oiling drilling, and throwing illegal immigrants out by their coat tails

4) He has a working class background, and is outspoken as well as knowledgeable about the importance of agriculture and family farms - two qualities that make Ohioans swoon

3) He's excellent on civil rights, from combating discrimnation based on sexual orientation to working to end the wage bias against women, Biden has a long history of speaking out against injustice

2) He openly called "Bullshit!" on Bush, thus solidifying Biden's new title: Senator Badass

-And most importantly to me-

1) Senator Biden wrote the ground-breaking Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the 1990s that set the national agenda on criminalizing violence against women and holding batterers truly accountable.

Biden has changed the country and millions of lives for the better with this act. This along with a 100% score from NARAL, proves to every woman who is still skeptical about the ousting of Hillary that this will finally be an administration that values women. We wanted a feminist, and whether or not he identifies as such, we're getting one with Joe Biden.

I love you, Joe! Good Luck!