As I mentioned earlier (like earlier today, one post down, literally) I am looking for a ride to the Wisconsin Democratic Party State Convention. But now I am having doubts. First off, the price: $100 for the weekend. At least. I don’t even know if I need to get a second hotel night. Do I want to be spending that kind of money to be at a convention that in all honesty I will be bored as hell at. I mean, I know next to nobody. I am going to have to be on my absolute best behavior no matter what I do if I expect to ever get a job in politics. I mean, old people love me. They see youth in the party and they are all like “sweet! good to see someone so young bringing so much to the party!” But I honestly don’t know what to do in the way of networking.

I guess I could introduce myself to a ton of non-campaign Democratic Party people from various counties. Maybe mingle with the candidates at the convention. Make up some business cards saying “The egotistical high school kid who can setup your network and might piss you off during a very important juncture in your campaign when you have no time for it.” Bring some really nice clothing.

All of the important people in the party are going to be busy as fuck running this thing, so I don’t want to get in their way. I guess I could take the mic and show my interest by saying a very productive question that brings about moderate discussion. But that isn’t any fun. I am tired of having people come up to me all the time and pat me on the back for having such a great question. God damnit, that isn’t my goal in life right now.

Well, I guess I know how to setup their network, which is basically all I am going to be for the rest of my life in politics.

I guess I don’t care about the party people, I just need to nurse my reputation with a bunch of campaign staffers. Maybe NOT being there would be a good idea.

I need a night on this, assuming I ever get an email back about a ride.

Well my friends, I have been thinking a lot about political campaigns. Could it be that my friend Ryan Alexander just moved to DC to work for the Evan Bayh’s PAC (otherwise known as Evan Bayh’s “campaign for other people which is really just an excuse to spend money crossing America promoting Evan Bayh for President”)?

Or could it be that I did a web cast for Bayh last Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention.

Speaking of Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention, I am trying to get into it next week (the 9th and 10th.) Well, the problem isn’t finding the money for a hotel ($50-70 plus $15 admission once a year is reasonable for me I guess), or (as it was last year) getting into the thing after doing a ton of work underage (I’m the “High School Kid”, hopefully people stop thinking of me in that regard by the time I am 30.) The problem is getting me to La Crosse, Wisconsin, a 3 hour trek to the other side of the state, in the first place.

Now I’m SURE I’m not the only one who doesn’t have a car to go to this thing. Hell, even if I had a car I would have no problem carpooling (gas at these rates, fuck that,) but now it is just the slow process of getting a few names and asking. Last year it was in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and there was a hotel connected by a sky walk to the center it was at. This year, all the hotels are 5 minute drives away. No way in hell I’m walking to a hotel at 3AM from one side of La Crosse to the other. Get mugged by some crazy… La Crosse resident.

Not to mention, how the FUCK did La Crosse get this fucking convention? I mean, I know it is a bid process, but they put it on the other side of the State of Wisconsin from Milwaukee. A three hour drive when the last one was an hour and a half? Madison would have been great, basically the center of the populous part of the state. Or Oshkosh again, that was central for everybody. Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, etc etc. In a few years if I keep going to these I’m going to bitch up a storm when some crazy county up north submits a bid. And you can do that too, crazy democrats do it all the time.

So, gotta find a ride. Sent an email to the Milwaukee County Democrats to get a name or two. Hopefully this all works out.

Every PAC has to itemize all of their expenses for Federal Elections Commission tracking. Evan Bayh runs a PAC called All America PAC. Basically, if you are running for President the only way you can get your name out there is by forming a PAC (it is a bit more complex, but meh.)

Last year at the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s convention Eoban and I went up to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to webcast Bayh’s speech to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Was a fun day of torrential storms cutting out the required DSL. Anyways, after invoicing AAP for $296.96 (I told them $300 on the phone, figured I would give them a $3 break) the second they cut the check they marked it down. And, of course, it ended up on the internet.

So, search for “Catalano” on one of their 2005 deductions pages here. First political check, first FEC entry, hell yeah!

The Nation has a great article about how preventing cervical cancer with the new HPV vaccine, which requires administration during a girl’s teenage days, is just another example of conservatives grandstanding. The article has a very good thesis, how virginity linked to death is reasonable, as long as no vaccine is given that would somehow “promote” or “legitimise” premarital sex. From the article:

What is it with these right-wing Christians? Faced with a choice between sex and death, they choose death every time. No sex ed or contraception for teens, no sex for the unwed, no condoms for gays, no abortion for anyone–even for that poor 13-year-old pregnant girl in a group home in Florida. …

As they flex their political muscle, right-wing Christians increasingly reveal their condescending view of women as moral children who need to be kept in line sexually by fear. That’s why antichoicers will never answer the call of prochoicers to join them in reducing abortions by making birth control more widely available: They want it to be less available. Their real interest goes way beyond protecting fetuses–it’s in keeping sex tied to reproduction to keep women in their place.

Thanks be to Fark.com for the link.

Google says that in 2005 Madison, Wisconsin searched for chocolate ice cream by an amazing majority compared compared to searcbes for vanilla ice cream.

Who knows