the unequivocal notion

We have things in common

Our enjoyment of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.

Clayton Cramer:

Idaho Shakespeare Festival

We went to see the Idaho Shakespeare Festival's All's Well That Ends Well Sunday evening. Compared to previous seasons, when the heat was unpleasant, this was a very nice change. We took the opportunity to eat a picnic in the little park that adjoins the open air theater; we had never noticed this before.

I'll note that last Sunday's showing of All's Well That Ends Well was "family night".

While we do indeed make it a habit to frequent the Idaho Shakespeare Festival over the course of the summer, we tend to enjoy the "Wine & Orgy Night"*. This is when they lay out massive sheets of Saran Wrap inside the amphitheater grounds and everyone lathers up in baby oil, the misters pump out red wine and people swap partners and bodily fluids while the play commences in the background. Of course, during this showing the cast is in the nude.

*You must know the secret code to get into this showing.

Political leanings and driving habits

I'm not 100% sure about this; but I think that you can extrapolate some correlation between people's political leanings and their driving habits.

Example One: People who are unable to decipher basic traffic signs such as STOP or YIELD signs might be of the Conservative school of thought. Because of the overwhelming difficulty of navigating intersections that have stop lights (RED, YELLOW, GREEN) I didn't include them in my data set.

Example Two: People who lack the ability to match the little white thingy on their speedometer to the big black and white signs on the side of the road; e.g. driving past multiple black and white signs that read: 55 MPH but only attaining a level of 45 MPH -- perhaps this is also another indication of Conservative tendencies.

As I said above; I'm not 100% about this. It is just an educated observation after spending many years on Canyon County roads.

It does make a difference

Earlier this week Idaho Senator Larry Craig announced he intends on pushing an amendment to Sen. Jim Webb's new GI Bill that would essentially keep benefits how they are -- which is way behind the times.

Well, today Senate candidate Larry LaRocco stated that he supports Webb's bill:

LaRocco Backs New GI Bill

Boise, Idaho – Post 9-11 veterans deserve our nation’s thanks and we can say thank you by passing a new G.I. Bill, says U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco.

LaRocco, a Vietnam-era veteran and former U.S. Representative, backs Sen. Jim Webb’s bill that awaits a vote of the full Senate. A version of bill passed the House 256-166 Thursday.

"Our veterans need educational support to compete in our global economy after they have proudly served their country,” LaRocco said. “The new G.I. Bill is America’s way to honor our brave warriors.”

The bill offers educational benefits equal to the highest tuition of a public college or university in a veteran’s state, along with a housing stipend. It also promotes on-job training, correspondence courses, flight training, tutorial assistance, and licensure and certification tests.

“This helps pay our debt to men and women who have risked life and limb to defend our country,” LaRocco said. “It gives the same level of support that veterans received after WWII.”

LaRocco served as a U.S. Army captain in military intelligence from 1969 to 1972. He knows what it means to serve his country, and he will take that knowledge to the U.S. Senate. A “Veterans for LaRocco” is working for LaRocco. He has also been endorsed by VetPAC, a group that backs candidates who share values for which veterans have served, fought, and died.

LaRocco also has the endorsement of Four Star General Wesley Clark who was NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Clark said, “Larry is a seasoned leader who will bring the change we need to the U.S. Senate. He served with distinction not only in our military, but also in Congress, and he can win this race.”

I know that I've been relatively silent regarding the Senate and House races, but this shows a distinct difference between Republicans and Democrats and needs to be highlighted. If Larry LaRocco were in the Senate right now America's veterans would have another vote in their favor; but as it stands, Republican Larry Craig is in D.C. doing all he can to make veteran's lives more miserable. Larry Craig as head the former head of the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affair's has routinely failed America's finest.

It sounds weird to address it so frankly, but that is the fact of the matter.

Difference #1139

Rarely in recent memory have Presidential candidates visited Idaho -- and when they have...

• Republican candidates have had private exclusive fundraisers.

• Democrats have met with the people.

Said it once, said it maybe a thousand times now, there is a party of "me" and a party of "we". Most Democrats understand that shaking the hand of the person who yearns to lead the free world shouldn't cost you a thousand dollars a plate.

-ed. note: to be clear, we're talkin' recent, so we're talkin' Dean (when I started paying attention to national politics... yep, I'm a youngin'). And add to that list, Obama. Can't say the same thing for any Republican candidates that I know of. I'll refrain from commenting exactly how I feel about Kerry and Hillary.

I'm also assuming that Obama's visit will be for the masses not a quick private fundraiser, w/ $500 photo-ops, we shall find out later today. I'm also willing to admit I was hasty with the post, just a tad bit excited.

Difference #11297

• Democrats question their elected leaders and demand accountability.

Weird ain't it?

Difference #7652

Because, although it may not seem like it all the time; there are differences between Democrats and Republicans.

House approves speedy Jefferson probe

WASHINGTON - The House ordered a speedy internal investigation that could oust indicted Rep. William J. Jefferson from Congress before his bribery trial.

Mindful of anti-corruption sentiment among voters last November, the House passed two resolutions Tuesday that require the ethics committee to investigate charges more quickly than in the past.

[...]

The nine-term congressman had few allies among leaders of his own party.

The charges against Jefferson, "if proven true, should lead to the expulsion of the member in question," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who earlier ousted Jefferson from the Ways and Means Committee, issued a similar statement Monday.

Good, get him out of there, he apparently longs to be a Republican. Compare and contrast how the Democrats are handling the Jefferson case with that of Duke Cunningham or any others on the long list of corrupt Republicans.

One party believes in justice and the other thinks that the laws don't apply to them. Kind of goes back to that whole idolatry thingy that Conservatives seem to have deep rooted issues with.