Hi, I’m Jeff Burkholder, a husband and father of two from Central Pennsylvania. Regrettably for all of us, there are quite a few other Jeff Burkholders (Jeffs Burkholder? Jeff’s Burkholder’sss?) out there — particularly in Central Pennsylvania, so I’ve long-since identified myself as “Zoidland” online.
Friends and family may also recognize Zoidland as my erstwhile comic strip, which occasionally delved into politics — when not dishing out gags about Altoids and scrapple. (In fact, I had all but created a spin-off of the strip called Speaker of the House, featuring one of my core characters, Jane, as she navigated being both a step-mom and a fledgling politician. Sadly, that never came to fruition.)
So, why am I reviving this site, just to talk US politics? Well, I am writing this in 2024, which has been somewhat earth-shattering in the political world. (There’s a joke out there about this year being the answer to a question on the AP American Government final exam for 2058.) And I strongly believe that an informed electorate is the absolute best way to be. However, I also recognize that so many news sites help to ratchet up the rhetoric, leaving folks with panic attacks about the slightest issue. I’m hoping to provide quick, summarized bullet points of major events from the past few days, just to help everyone know more without hyperventilating.
I promise that all of my notes will have links to major news sites with more details, so if you do find something of interest, you can be as informed as you want to be. What I will not do, though, is promise to be unbiased. It is — and always has been — impossible for humans to be unbiased. Everything we see, hear, say, or do is done through a filter of our past experiences. What I can promise is to be as fair as possible. Will I call out ethical issues on “both sides” of the aisle? If necessary, absolutely. Will I give flat-earthers time to discuss why they’re right? Heck, no. I welcome discourse in the comments, but I ask that you keep it as civil and fair as I’m endeavoring to do so myself.
Regardless, come on in. Take a deep breath. Have a seat. Don’t panic. And let’s discuss what’s going on today.