Cranky Five Year Old, Still Not Ready For Prime Time?

This month more or less marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Dougloid Papers.

You can tell this by the ceremonial use of the photo of the little guy, no idea who he is, but it seems to fill the bill pretty well. Is he squawking because he's really angry, or because his diapers need changing? You can speculate all you like.

I haven't been scratching the itch as much lately-politics is hibernating here on the prairie but there indeed are stirrings in the ashes. A parade of Republican hopefuls all channeling the shade of St. Ronald Reagan is set to descend on the Tall Corn State.

Over on the Hill, they're up to their usual antics. Elected on a promise of good responsible government, they're wasting their time bloviating about gay marriage, the health care reform bill and making sure everyone's packing heat whether they want to or not.

Anything but getting down to the business of running a state that's overspent a little but not to the extent some places like Texas are. That paragon of Republican good government is in deep deficit, to the tune of 31 per cent of projected revenues.

People just love free lunches but don't like paying for them. So the challenge for Republicans who've climbed up on the back of that tiger is whether they take the kid's cookie jar away, whether they start charging what it's worth, or whether they shove the whole mess down the road into the future.

They're talking like they're going to take the kid's cookie jar away but in reality it's going to require more than an act of will-much more-to get anything of substance accomplished.

I think I know the answer, and that is in the willingness of the tea party to suspend disbelief, particularly when it comes to miracles.



The Figure On The Wall: A Play In One Act

The scene is an office park somewhere in south Florida. Many people have come to believe that a large water stain on a window is a representation of the Virgin Mary. A large crowd has gathered, bringing offerings and praying loudly for miracles to heal the sick.

A Cynic: Sorry to disappoint you all, but that's not the Virgin Mary.
The Crowd: Well, who is it then?
A Cynic: Well, it's nobody. It's a water stain that left deposits on the window glass.
The Crowd: How do you know this, you nattering nabob of negativity?
A Cynic: I'm the building maintenance supervisor. That window's been leaking for years.
The Crowd: Shut up. You're the last person we want to hear from.