Going to Hell in a Hambasket, II.

Here's a joke I made up: So a paradox walks into a bar. "What is this," asks the bartender, "some kind of riddle?" * * * * * * * * * ** * * I don't know how the Supreme Court will rule on the death penalty cases it heard this week, but I'm guessing that a significant percent of Americans don't care whether Oklahoma or Texas or Utah pummels death row inmates with baseball bats or pumps their livers full of battery acid just to see what happens. * * * * * * * * * * If gay marriage is ruled the law of the land by the Supreme Court, every natural disaster from now till the year 3000 will be blamed on it by religious right wingers. Getting a head start, one Texas House Representative, Bill Flores, has already gotten a head start on that. He blamed the Baltimore protesting and rioting on gay marriage. * * * * * * * * * * On another gay-related note, a virulently anti-gay North Dakota state representative got outed by the recipient of a dick pic soliciting sex by said representative. So like Andy Rooney might ask, "Why is it that the most homophobic anti-gay guys are so often closeted themselves?" * * * * * * * * The NRA issued a statement this week decrying the lack of guns in Baltimore, Maryland. "Obviously, the lack of guns has been a factor in the terrible news coming from Baltimore. If only President Obama had not confiscated all the weapons in Baltimore. We will be doing everything we can in the next months to get more guns in to the hands of Baltimore's citizens. Guns for business owners, guns in the schools, guns for teachers, guns in parks, guns on buses, guns in the homes, guns for kids, guns, guns, guns." * * * * * * * * Here's another Andy Rooney question for you: "Why is it that when it's police killing citizens, it's a few bad apples; when it's juveniles throwing rocks, they are all painted the same?" * * * * * * * * * The Washington Press Corps had its big wing-ding last week and President Obama told some pretty good jokes: When asked if he had a bucket list, he responded that he had a list that rhymed with bucket. Funny stuff, Mr. President. * * * * * * * * * Finally, it turns out that three states with the worst economic performance, the largest budget deficits, the highest unemployment rates, are the three states where the Koch Brothers have pulled the most strings: Kansas, Wisconsin, and Louisiana. Go figure. * * * * * * * * * The picture is a new painting I just finished for a customer, btw.