The NRA Jumps the Shark

Owning an assault rifle did not make Nancy Lanza safer in her home.

Having armed citizens in the crowd did not stop Jared Loughner's killing spree.

Yet, the NRA keeps peddling the same snake oil that an armed society is a safer society, this time washed down with a chaser of unfunded mandate for our cash-strapped schools.

Too many children are already killed accidentally by guns in their homes (or in their parents' cars). Having more children in close proximity to guns at school on a daily basis will inevitably result in more tragedies.

All the NRA cares about is boosting gun sales.  It's only a matter of time before they advocate arming schoolchildren.

Am I the only one who thinks that Wayne LaPierre could have modeled for the creatures in They Live?

'Tis the Season

I've had this song stuck in my head since Friday, so I thought I would share it. It seems especially appropriate today, as Madison is seeing the season's first light dusting of snow (we had some flurries last month, but nothing that accumulated).

At first, I assumed the video creator was not from around here, since "ShopKo" (a discount store chain headquartered in Green Bay and found in the Upper Midwest) is misspelled, as is "Negaunee" (a city in the Upper Peninsula), but since they also misspelled "cheer" and "Santa Claus" I can't really make any geographic assumptions. I traded in my own rusty Chevrolet last year for a newer used Ford, and it's been many years since I've driven a car as beat-up as the one described in the song, but this always brings back memories of skidding on the snow back when I was a much less experienced and responsible driver.

Bye Bye, Bielema

I was almost giddy when I heard that Bret Bielema took the Arkansas job.  If he lost a third Rose Bowl in a row, you know the boosters would have pressured Barry Alvarez to fire him, and the cash-strapped UW would have had to spend millions to buy out his contract, like 14 other schools that have collectively spent $31 million this year to fire their football coaches.

Instead, Arkansas will pay $1 million to Wisconsin.  Well played, Barry.  Well played.  If you manage to coach the team to a victory over Stanford, no one will feel that you're ridiculously overpaid.

RIP, Larry Hagman

Actor Larry Hagman has passed away at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife of 59 years, as well as their two children and five grandchildren.

As a child, I loved watching syndicated reruns of I Dream of Jeannie.  As a teenager, my whole family watched Dallas on Friday nights.  I don't really remember Larry Hagman playing any other roles than Major Tony Nelson and J.R. Ewing, although I know he got some other work over the years.  He recently returned to the role of J.R. for TNT's reprisal of Dallas.  It won't be the same without him.

Giving thanks

I am thankful that we are able to see our parents on this holiday weekend. The prognosis is cautiously optimistic that we will be able to spend Thanksgiving 2013 with them as well.

I am thankful that my neighborhood retail establishments have mostly survived the Great Recession. I'll be doing some local shopping today (and avoiding the mall like the plague).

I am thankful that my own health is relatively good, and that my husband's employment allows me to consider various career options without worrying about losing our house, cars or health insurance.

I am thankful that I have electricity and heat and a habitable house, unlike those displaced by Sandy.

I am thankful that, as serious as the fiscal and political challenges our country faces are, we do not have the severe economic problems of Greece or Spain, or the severe political problems of Egypt (where people are once again protesting a dictatorial government).

I am thankful that most of our troops will be coming home from Afghanistan, hopefully by Thanksgiving 2013 (and most of them have come home from Iraq).

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Good Riddance, October

Last month brought unexpected downsizing at my workplace and news of a parent's serious illness.  I haven't been checking blogs (or blogging) much lately, and that will probably continue for a while as I concentrate on my family's well-being.  If the Mayan Apocalypse-mongers are right, none of this will matter, but I suspect I should work towards a better 2013 instead.

Even the Real Refs Hate the Packers

In other news, the Packers defense still sucks, and Graham Harrell still isn't ready for prime time.  We would have been better off putting an eye patch on Rodgers and keeping him in the game.