Remember Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Tomorrow, we celebrate his resurrection.
God bless you, and happy Easter.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
My brother rocks!
So, his name is Tony, in case you haven't been a regular reader, and he's my little brother.
Well, not exactly little, but you get my meaning.
He enjoys taking pictures, snowboarding, and taking pictures of himself snowboarding.
He recently posted this video in his Web site, Metaphysicalrockstar.com.
Keep your eye on the daring young man jumping things.
He also has an awesome girlfriend.
Kristin, you rock, too!
Well, not exactly little, but you get my meaning.
He enjoys taking pictures, snowboarding, and taking pictures of himself snowboarding.
He recently posted this video in his Web site, Metaphysicalrockstar.com.
Keep your eye on the daring young man jumping things.
He also has an awesome girlfriend.
Kristin, you rock, too!
Pray for Terri
The news of the week is Terri Schiavo.
I understand people's reluctance to let her starve to death, but would it be any easier if it were a matter of pulling the plug of a life support system?
Experts have said there is no hope of Schiavo recovering from a permanent vegetative state, and I tend to agree -- in my infinite medical wisdom -- that surviving for 15 years in such a state is miraculous in itself.
I can't imagine why people wouldn't think her husband would make such a decision that isn't in his wife's best interest, as well as his own. I trust him, and I respect his decision.
My other big beef is with protesters. Who are you, and since when do you have a say in other's lives?
Or deaths, for that matter?
Michael Schiavo has made perhaps the most difficult and heart-wrenching decision any husband could ever have to make, and everyone is condemning him. Like he doesn't have enough to stress about. Do you really think he wants his wife to suffer?
Something my mother told me when I was just a young boy:
Mind your own business.
My prayers are with Michael and Terri Schiavo.
I understand people's reluctance to let her starve to death, but would it be any easier if it were a matter of pulling the plug of a life support system?
Experts have said there is no hope of Schiavo recovering from a permanent vegetative state, and I tend to agree -- in my infinite medical wisdom -- that surviving for 15 years in such a state is miraculous in itself.
I can't imagine why people wouldn't think her husband would make such a decision that isn't in his wife's best interest, as well as his own. I trust him, and I respect his decision.
My other big beef is with protesters. Who are you, and since when do you have a say in other's lives?
Or deaths, for that matter?
Michael Schiavo has made perhaps the most difficult and heart-wrenching decision any husband could ever have to make, and everyone is condemning him. Like he doesn't have enough to stress about. Do you really think he wants his wife to suffer?
Something my mother told me when I was just a young boy:
Mind your own business.
My prayers are with Michael and Terri Schiavo.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Nothing really special, except for the green beer and green-ice hockey games.
I did learn today that more human men should behave like male marmosets, but that's about it.
I did learn today that more human men should behave like male marmosets, but that's about it.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Bush at his finest
Eric Greene, a political reporter for the Battle Creek Enquirer, is a sharp man.
Here's an example an example of his political prowess and humor:
The Big Bushowski speaks
Professor Greene also blogged about Pres. Bush's career as a stand-up comedian, and referred to this story:
Don't Stop Him Even If You've Heard This One
With a Wink and a Nudge, President Bush Is Turning Into a Stand-Up Kind of Guy
By Mark Leibovich
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 14, 2005
President Bush is telling another audience that the Social Security system is in great distress, and there will be ghastly consequences if our leaders don't act, and act now.
But first, a little joke:
About a guy trying to get to Livingston, Mont. "To get to Livingston, you've got to go down the highway," Bush says during a recent "town meeting" in Great Falls, Mont. "And you go through the cattle guard. And you turn left. And go through another cattle guard."
Bush chuckles, races through his setup, then hurtles into his punch line.
"And a fellow comes back and says, 'Hey, what color uniforms do those cattle guards have on?' "
Get it? Like, the doofus in the joke thought "cattle guards" were people (protecting the cows), as opposed to steel rails (placed at fence openings to stop cows from walking onto roads).
The crowd is silent. Bush's face freezes in a guess-you-had-to-be-there smile.
Laughter comes eventually, in deference to the president's game effort, if not his joke (showing that it's possible to hate the joke but love the jokester). There are smiling grimaces and shaking heads, looks of amused disbelief that ask:
Did the Leader of the Free World really just go off on such a goofball digression?
In fact he did, and has been doing so often during otherwise sober discussions on Social Security, energy policy and foreign affairs. Like many politicians, Bush has always used humor as an icebreaker or all-purpose tool of endearment. But he has recently been unleashing (or inflicting) his inner-laugh-riot to a point where he is resembling a Texas auctioneer pitching private accounts on the Borscht Belt.
Last Wednesday Bush began a speech in Columbus, Ohio, by mentioning the international body-building competition that was held there the previous weekend. "When the vice president heard I was coming, he asked me to pick up an application form for next year's competition," the president joked, and what better image to begin a speech on energy policy?
At a town meeting in Little Rock last month, Bush was joined onstage by Gloria Bennett, a part-time food inspector.
"I'm from De Queen, Arkansas," she told the president.
"That," Bush replied, nodding, "is right next to De King."
Silence gave way to groans, which became chuckles and, finally, applause. This is Little Rock's way of saying, "Stop it, Mr. President! You're killing us!" And then the discussion returned to thrift savings plans.
In a session with European print reporters last month, Bush seemed compelled to tell a German journalist named Klaus, mid-interview, that "my roommate in college, by the way, was named Dieter."
Klaus replied by asking the president whether he thinks the "transatlantic relationship" would require an "institutional overhaul."
One benefit of being the commander-in-chief is that people are usually inclined to laugh at your jokes -- especially, in Bush's case, when your events tend to be presidential amen sessions restricted to ticketed believers. He has proven a serviceable comedian on Washington's black-tie dinner circuit, and has even been criticized for overdoing it at times (as when he joked about America's failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq during a dinner last year).
But people close to Bush say his recent comic releases reflect a noticeably more relaxed presidential disposition. Since the Iraqi elections in January and his well-received State of the Union speech a few days later, Bush, according to aides, has been much more willing to toss out what-the-heck quips in public, reflecting the attitude of someone who has nothing to lose, or run for.
"He's been locker-room loose," says Bush's longtime adman Mark McKinnon, who says Bush is as at ease as he's ever seen him.
"There's no question he's a slightly different guy," adds Sen. Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvania Republican with close ties to the White House and who recently accompanied Bush to a town meeting in his home state. The president has always had a casual demeanor, Santorum says, and he has been buoyed by recent events. "Success does make you feel a lot more comfortable with who you are."
If not necessarily funny. But the president, in his own words, has been "feeling pretty spunky" as he barnstorms through town meetings to discuss Social Security. The conversations are marked by teasing banter with his audience. At North Dakota State University last month, a man told Bush he's from Velva, N.D., which, he added, "is very close to Karluhe, North Dakota."
To which Bush cracked: "That's good. I was just thinking the same thing myself."
In Alabama last week, Bush became giddy when noting that two of his Social Security panelists -- George Wood and his grandson, George Wood Moody -- shared his "GW" initials.
"George Walker Bush, George Wood, George Wood Moody," the president said, surveying the stage, nodding in revelation. "G.W., W. Thanks for coming." (W must stand for "wiseguy" in the president's case.)
Bush often appears with an "expert" who supports his Social Security plan -- some adviser, professor or smarty-pants whom the president likes to use as a foil to contrast with his own academic record. "I'm a C-student," Bush said proudly in Louisville last week. "He's the PhD. He's the adviser. I'm the president. What does that tell you?"
Bush has always liked to project a common-folk demeanor, but only occasionally mentioned his slacker past during his first term. Now his repertoire includes frequent references to how he paid little attention in class while in college.
When a panelist in Tampa used the word "multitasking," Bush, with a hint of sarcasm, commended her for using a "nice long word, 'multitasking.' Very good. Inject a little intellectual strength in the conversation."
Bush has used self-deprecating humor in tense environments, such as during his trip to Europe last month, a delicate diplomatic jaunt. On his arrival in Brussels, Bush spoke of Benjamin Franklin's visit to Europe two centuries ago. He quoted a writer who said Franklin's reputation "was more universal than Leibniz or Newton, Frederick or Voltaire, and his character more beloved and esteemed than any or all of them. The observer went on to say, 'There was scarcely a peasant or a citizen who did not consider him as a friend to humankind.'
"I have been hoping for a similar reception. But Secretary Rice told me I should be a realist."
The crowd ate this up and the transatlantic ice was cracked slightly, if not thawed.
And Bush demonstrates again that Andrew Card is not the highest ranking card in this White House. (Get it? That's a play on the chief of staff's last name?)
Stop it! Enough already!
Here's an example an example of his political prowess and humor:
The Big Bushowski speaks
Professor Greene also blogged about Pres. Bush's career as a stand-up comedian, and referred to this story:
Don't Stop Him Even If You've Heard This One
With a Wink and a Nudge, President Bush Is Turning Into a Stand-Up Kind of Guy
By Mark Leibovich
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 14, 2005
President Bush is telling another audience that the Social Security system is in great distress, and there will be ghastly consequences if our leaders don't act, and act now.
But first, a little joke:
About a guy trying to get to Livingston, Mont. "To get to Livingston, you've got to go down the highway," Bush says during a recent "town meeting" in Great Falls, Mont. "And you go through the cattle guard. And you turn left. And go through another cattle guard."
Bush chuckles, races through his setup, then hurtles into his punch line.
"And a fellow comes back and says, 'Hey, what color uniforms do those cattle guards have on?' "
Get it? Like, the doofus in the joke thought "cattle guards" were people (protecting the cows), as opposed to steel rails (placed at fence openings to stop cows from walking onto roads).
The crowd is silent. Bush's face freezes in a guess-you-had-to-be-there smile.
Laughter comes eventually, in deference to the president's game effort, if not his joke (showing that it's possible to hate the joke but love the jokester). There are smiling grimaces and shaking heads, looks of amused disbelief that ask:
Did the Leader of the Free World really just go off on such a goofball digression?
In fact he did, and has been doing so often during otherwise sober discussions on Social Security, energy policy and foreign affairs. Like many politicians, Bush has always used humor as an icebreaker or all-purpose tool of endearment. But he has recently been unleashing (or inflicting) his inner-laugh-riot to a point where he is resembling a Texas auctioneer pitching private accounts on the Borscht Belt.
Last Wednesday Bush began a speech in Columbus, Ohio, by mentioning the international body-building competition that was held there the previous weekend. "When the vice president heard I was coming, he asked me to pick up an application form for next year's competition," the president joked, and what better image to begin a speech on energy policy?
At a town meeting in Little Rock last month, Bush was joined onstage by Gloria Bennett, a part-time food inspector.
"I'm from De Queen, Arkansas," she told the president.
"That," Bush replied, nodding, "is right next to De King."
Silence gave way to groans, which became chuckles and, finally, applause. This is Little Rock's way of saying, "Stop it, Mr. President! You're killing us!" And then the discussion returned to thrift savings plans.
In a session with European print reporters last month, Bush seemed compelled to tell a German journalist named Klaus, mid-interview, that "my roommate in college, by the way, was named Dieter."
Klaus replied by asking the president whether he thinks the "transatlantic relationship" would require an "institutional overhaul."
One benefit of being the commander-in-chief is that people are usually inclined to laugh at your jokes -- especially, in Bush's case, when your events tend to be presidential amen sessions restricted to ticketed believers. He has proven a serviceable comedian on Washington's black-tie dinner circuit, and has even been criticized for overdoing it at times (as when he joked about America's failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq during a dinner last year).
But people close to Bush say his recent comic releases reflect a noticeably more relaxed presidential disposition. Since the Iraqi elections in January and his well-received State of the Union speech a few days later, Bush, according to aides, has been much more willing to toss out what-the-heck quips in public, reflecting the attitude of someone who has nothing to lose, or run for.
"He's been locker-room loose," says Bush's longtime adman Mark McKinnon, who says Bush is as at ease as he's ever seen him.
"There's no question he's a slightly different guy," adds Sen. Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvania Republican with close ties to the White House and who recently accompanied Bush to a town meeting in his home state. The president has always had a casual demeanor, Santorum says, and he has been buoyed by recent events. "Success does make you feel a lot more comfortable with who you are."
If not necessarily funny. But the president, in his own words, has been "feeling pretty spunky" as he barnstorms through town meetings to discuss Social Security. The conversations are marked by teasing banter with his audience. At North Dakota State University last month, a man told Bush he's from Velva, N.D., which, he added, "is very close to Karluhe, North Dakota."
To which Bush cracked: "That's good. I was just thinking the same thing myself."
In Alabama last week, Bush became giddy when noting that two of his Social Security panelists -- George Wood and his grandson, George Wood Moody -- shared his "GW" initials.
"George Walker Bush, George Wood, George Wood Moody," the president said, surveying the stage, nodding in revelation. "G.W., W. Thanks for coming." (W must stand for "wiseguy" in the president's case.)
Bush often appears with an "expert" who supports his Social Security plan -- some adviser, professor or smarty-pants whom the president likes to use as a foil to contrast with his own academic record. "I'm a C-student," Bush said proudly in Louisville last week. "He's the PhD. He's the adviser. I'm the president. What does that tell you?"
Bush has always liked to project a common-folk demeanor, but only occasionally mentioned his slacker past during his first term. Now his repertoire includes frequent references to how he paid little attention in class while in college.
When a panelist in Tampa used the word "multitasking," Bush, with a hint of sarcasm, commended her for using a "nice long word, 'multitasking.' Very good. Inject a little intellectual strength in the conversation."
Bush has used self-deprecating humor in tense environments, such as during his trip to Europe last month, a delicate diplomatic jaunt. On his arrival in Brussels, Bush spoke of Benjamin Franklin's visit to Europe two centuries ago. He quoted a writer who said Franklin's reputation "was more universal than Leibniz or Newton, Frederick or Voltaire, and his character more beloved and esteemed than any or all of them. The observer went on to say, 'There was scarcely a peasant or a citizen who did not consider him as a friend to humankind.'
"I have been hoping for a similar reception. But Secretary Rice told me I should be a realist."
The crowd ate this up and the transatlantic ice was cracked slightly, if not thawed.
And Bush demonstrates again that Andrew Card is not the highest ranking card in this White House. (Get it? That's a play on the chief of staff's last name?)
Stop it! Enough already!
Another great birthday
Happy birthday to my little brother, Tony.
He's not so little anymore, but he will always be my little bro'.
Today he's 28, and I hope he doesn't mind me saying so.
He's my hero, and I wish everyone in the world could meet him.
As is quickly becoming tradition here in The Script, here are some fast facts about today in history, according to MSN:
1516: Louis II, aged nine, succeeds as king of Bohemia and Hungary on the death of Ladislas II.
1802: West Point, site of the United States Military Academy, is founded by the Congress of the United States.
1850: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is published.
1966: United States astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott, aboard Gemini 8, achieve the first linkup of a crewed spacecraft with another object, an Agena rocket.
1968: United States soldiers massacre hundreds of men, women, and children at the village of My Lai, in South Vietnam.
1971: Simon and Garfunkel win the Grammy Award for Best Album for Bridge Over Troubled Water and the Grammy for Best Record for the title song.
Famous people born today include:
Rosa Bonheur, French painter (1822)
Pat Nixon, first lady and wife of Richard M. Nixon (1912)
Georg Simon Ohm, German physicist (1787)
James Madison, fourth president of the United States (1751)
Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian motion-picture director (1940)
Daniel Moynihan, United States senator (1927)
Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian (1926)
Erik Estrada, actor(1949)
He's not so little anymore, but he will always be my little bro'.
Today he's 28, and I hope he doesn't mind me saying so.
He's my hero, and I wish everyone in the world could meet him.
As is quickly becoming tradition here in The Script, here are some fast facts about today in history, according to MSN:
1516: Louis II, aged nine, succeeds as king of Bohemia and Hungary on the death of Ladislas II.
1802: West Point, site of the United States Military Academy, is founded by the Congress of the United States.
1850: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is published.
1966: United States astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott, aboard Gemini 8, achieve the first linkup of a crewed spacecraft with another object, an Agena rocket.
1968: United States soldiers massacre hundreds of men, women, and children at the village of My Lai, in South Vietnam.
1971: Simon and Garfunkel win the Grammy Award for Best Album for Bridge Over Troubled Water and the Grammy for Best Record for the title song.
Famous people born today include:
Rosa Bonheur, French painter (1822)
Pat Nixon, first lady and wife of Richard M. Nixon (1912)
Georg Simon Ohm, German physicist (1787)
James Madison, fourth president of the United States (1751)
Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian motion-picture director (1940)
Daniel Moynihan, United States senator (1927)
Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian (1926)
Erik Estrada, actor(1949)
Friday, March 11, 2005
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Happy birthday to me!
Today I turn 31. Not that my birthday is a big deal, but it gives me an excuse to take a break from all the political mumbo-jumbo and do something fun.
So, according to MSN's "This day in history":
1849: Abraham Lincoln applies for a patent. He is the first United States president to do so.
1862: The first paper money in the United States is issued.
1876: Alexander Graham Bell transmits the first message by voice over wire using his newly invented telephone: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.”
1880: The Salvation Army, previously based only in England, is established in the United States in New York City.
1971: Indira Gandhi's Congress Party wins a landslide victory in the Indian general election.
Who are some famous people who share my birthday, you ask?
Chuck Norris (1940)
Sharon Stone (1958)
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1964)
Osama bin Laden (1957)
I guess that last one doesn't really need to be there, but in the spirit of fair reporting...
There's my birthday blog entry.
If you feel inspired to do so, send me a "Happy Birthday" message by commenting below.
By the way, is 31 old?
So, according to MSN's "This day in history":
1849: Abraham Lincoln applies for a patent. He is the first United States president to do so.
1862: The first paper money in the United States is issued.
1876: Alexander Graham Bell transmits the first message by voice over wire using his newly invented telephone: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.”
1880: The Salvation Army, previously based only in England, is established in the United States in New York City.
1971: Indira Gandhi's Congress Party wins a landslide victory in the Indian general election.
Who are some famous people who share my birthday, you ask?
Chuck Norris (1940)
Sharon Stone (1958)
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1964)
Osama bin Laden (1957)
I guess that last one doesn't really need to be there, but in the spirit of fair reporting...
There's my birthday blog entry.
If you feel inspired to do so, send me a "Happy Birthday" message by commenting below.
By the way, is 31 old?
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Redemption
So my job isn't going so well. Big deal.
My wife just gave me my birthday present a day early.
She bought me a copy of The Replacements.
How cool is she?
My wife just gave me my birthday present a day early.
She bought me a copy of The Replacements.
How cool is she?
It's a dog-eat-dog world...
And I'm wearing milk bone underwear.
The past few weeks have been really rough for me. I know you probably don't care, but I have to vent it somewhere, and this seemed appropriate a few beers ago.
I have worked so hard to get where I am in my career, and now it appears I am not where I am supposed to be. Man, talk about a slap in the face.
What do you do when you feel out of place every day? I want to do what I am doing, but apparently, I'm not good at it. When someone tells you that, what are you supposed to do with the information?
I vowed to harness it and improve my situation, but it's only gotten worse.
Maybe I'm just in a rut.
As John Mellencamp said a long time ago:
"Oh, yeah. Life goes on. Long after the thrill of living is gone, they walk on."
The past few weeks have been really rough for me. I know you probably don't care, but I have to vent it somewhere, and this seemed appropriate a few beers ago.
I have worked so hard to get where I am in my career, and now it appears I am not where I am supposed to be. Man, talk about a slap in the face.
What do you do when you feel out of place every day? I want to do what I am doing, but apparently, I'm not good at it. When someone tells you that, what are you supposed to do with the information?
I vowed to harness it and improve my situation, but it's only gotten worse.
Maybe I'm just in a rut.
As John Mellencamp said a long time ago:
"Oh, yeah. Life goes on. Long after the thrill of living is gone, they walk on."
He said, she said...
So who's right? The GOP and their claim the Social Security system needs to be completely overhauled to include some measure of privatized? Or the Democrats and their claim the system just needs some tweaking?
Well, one of my favorite think-tanks has come up with some answers:
AARP Says Social Security Needs "Moderate" Changes
Liberal Group Attacks Our Article: Here's Why They Are Wrong
I still haven't decided what is the best answer, but as usual, it's probably something in the middle.
"The middle?" you ask.
That's what I said. Even the political spectrum has a middle.
Well, one of my favorite think-tanks has come up with some answers:
AARP Says Social Security Needs "Moderate" Changes
Liberal Group Attacks Our Article: Here's Why They Are Wrong
I still haven't decided what is the best answer, but as usual, it's probably something in the middle.
"The middle?" you ask.
That's what I said. Even the political spectrum has a middle.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
I don't really care...
But I had to blog about this.
Martha Stewart is a waste of good air, but the MSM seems infatuated with her.
So here's my less-than-mainstream contribution to the flow of crap about the amazing Martha.
Crime and Punishment, the Celebrity Version
By JONATHAN D. GLATER
New York Times
Published: March 6, 2005
As the conviction of Martha Stewart for lying to federal investigators worth the effort?
For her, "the last five months in Alderson, West Virginia has been life altering and life affirming," Ms. Stewart gushed in a statement on her Web site on Friday. She added, "Someday, I hope to have the chance to talk more about all that has happened, the extraordinary people I have met here and all that I have learned."
Prison, it seems, was a good thing. And that could present a problem for criminal law enforcement.
Punishing wrongdoing, the theory goes, has two primary goals: to penalize the wrongdoer and to deter potential wrongdoers. But in Ms. Stewart's case, it is not clear that either goal was achieved.
"It achieved everything the government wanted it not to achieve," said Nina Marino, a defense lawyer in Beverly Hills, Calif.
"From the government's perspective, the objective of incarceration is to punish someone, and I think that Martha Stewart has, ingeniously, instead of being punished turned it to her advantage."
Of course, Ms. Stewart is a most unusual ex-con; few have her public relations savvy or resources. "Stewart is very successful at spin," said Austin Sarat, a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College. "The prison episode right from the beginning has been successfully spun."
Then, too, the negative impact of Ms. Stewart's conviction was mitigated by the nature of the crime. She was never criminally charged with insider trading, but rather with lying to investigators looking into a stock sale in December 2001.
To many, that just does not seem terribly heinous.
"We use prison too much and often for the wrong things," Mr. Sarat said. "And like anything else we use too much, and for the wrong things, it loses its currency."
Some rap musicians have for years burnished their street credibility through weapons possession charges or worse.
But Ms. Stewart has used prison to soften her image - to make her, in the public eye, a more sympathetic person than the perfectionist entertainer and executive she was seen to be before her sentence.
Conceivably, her success could subtly undermine the deterrent effect of a prison sentence, but that is neither here nor there, said David Becker, a former general counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission who is now in private practice in Washington.
People go to prison and serve their time; once they have done so, they're through, Mr. Becker said.
"The criminal justice system is not about cleansing one's soul," he said.
So even if Ms. Stewart emerged from the Big House a hotter commodity than when she went in, justice could still have been served, Mr. Becker said. If nothing else, he suggested, Ms. Stewart has probably learned not to lie to federal investigators.
"I have to believe that confronted with the same circumstances she would act differently," he said.
In terms of real life-real news, I was in Lansing yesterday and Friday reffing the women's under-14 and under-19 state tournament.
There was some decent hockey, but allow me a moment to share a few observations.
There is a lot of stick work in women's hockey. Body checking is not allowed, and although there is a decent amount of contact, the girls have made up for the lack of checking with an amazingly high number of hooks, slashes, trips and cross-checks. It makes for busy referees.
The language is appalling, as well. In 30 years of hockey, I have never heard the foul language I heard this weekend come out of men. I can't figure that one out.
There's nothing more attractive than a 14-year-old girl turning to an opponent and spewing a string of vulgarities that would make any sailor blush.
Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Here's wishing you all a blessed Sunday.
Martha Stewart is a waste of good air, but the MSM seems infatuated with her.
So here's my less-than-mainstream contribution to the flow of crap about the amazing Martha.
Crime and Punishment, the Celebrity Version
By JONATHAN D. GLATER
New York Times
Published: March 6, 2005
As the conviction of Martha Stewart for lying to federal investigators worth the effort?
For her, "the last five months in Alderson, West Virginia has been life altering and life affirming," Ms. Stewart gushed in a statement on her Web site on Friday. She added, "Someday, I hope to have the chance to talk more about all that has happened, the extraordinary people I have met here and all that I have learned."
Prison, it seems, was a good thing. And that could present a problem for criminal law enforcement.
Punishing wrongdoing, the theory goes, has two primary goals: to penalize the wrongdoer and to deter potential wrongdoers. But in Ms. Stewart's case, it is not clear that either goal was achieved.
"It achieved everything the government wanted it not to achieve," said Nina Marino, a defense lawyer in Beverly Hills, Calif.
"From the government's perspective, the objective of incarceration is to punish someone, and I think that Martha Stewart has, ingeniously, instead of being punished turned it to her advantage."
Of course, Ms. Stewart is a most unusual ex-con; few have her public relations savvy or resources. "Stewart is very successful at spin," said Austin Sarat, a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College. "The prison episode right from the beginning has been successfully spun."
Then, too, the negative impact of Ms. Stewart's conviction was mitigated by the nature of the crime. She was never criminally charged with insider trading, but rather with lying to investigators looking into a stock sale in December 2001.
To many, that just does not seem terribly heinous.
"We use prison too much and often for the wrong things," Mr. Sarat said. "And like anything else we use too much, and for the wrong things, it loses its currency."
Some rap musicians have for years burnished their street credibility through weapons possession charges or worse.
But Ms. Stewart has used prison to soften her image - to make her, in the public eye, a more sympathetic person than the perfectionist entertainer and executive she was seen to be before her sentence.
Conceivably, her success could subtly undermine the deterrent effect of a prison sentence, but that is neither here nor there, said David Becker, a former general counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission who is now in private practice in Washington.
People go to prison and serve their time; once they have done so, they're through, Mr. Becker said.
"The criminal justice system is not about cleansing one's soul," he said.
So even if Ms. Stewart emerged from the Big House a hotter commodity than when she went in, justice could still have been served, Mr. Becker said. If nothing else, he suggested, Ms. Stewart has probably learned not to lie to federal investigators.
"I have to believe that confronted with the same circumstances she would act differently," he said.
In terms of real life-real news, I was in Lansing yesterday and Friday reffing the women's under-14 and under-19 state tournament.
There was some decent hockey, but allow me a moment to share a few observations.
There is a lot of stick work in women's hockey. Body checking is not allowed, and although there is a decent amount of contact, the girls have made up for the lack of checking with an amazingly high number of hooks, slashes, trips and cross-checks. It makes for busy referees.
The language is appalling, as well. In 30 years of hockey, I have never heard the foul language I heard this weekend come out of men. I can't figure that one out.
There's nothing more attractive than a 14-year-old girl turning to an opponent and spewing a string of vulgarities that would make any sailor blush.
Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Here's wishing you all a blessed Sunday.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Bringin' ya a little religion
My sister-in-law e-mailed this to me, and I want to share it with you.
How to tell if you need to pray at work:
When a co-worker comes in a little too happy, saying "Good morning" to everyone and you think, "Somebody needs to slap the shit out of her," you need to pray at work.
When someone comes in and announces, "Office meeting in 5 minutes," and you think, "What the hell do they want now," you need to pray at work.
When your computer is mysteriously turned off and you want to say, "Which one of you sons of bitches turned off my computer," you need to pray at work.
When you and a co-worker are discussing something, and a third person comes in and says, "At my last office...", and you want to throw a stapler at him, you need to pray at work.
When you hear a co-worker call your name and the first thing that crosses your mind is, "What the hell does this bitch want now?" and you try to hide underneath your desk, you need to pray at work.
When you are asked to stay late and help do someone else's work and the first thing that pops in your head is, "both of y'all can kiss my ass," you need to pray at work.
When you're in the elevator and it stops to pick up someone who stood for five minutes waiting for the darn thing only to go DOWN one floor, and you say "That lazy bastard," you need to pray at work.
When you take some vacation time and come back to find a mountain of paperwork sitting on your desk because no one else would do it and you think, "sorry ass m****r f*****s," you need to pray at work.
If you have ever thought about poisoning, choking, punching, slapping, or flattening someone's tires that you work with, you need to pray at work.
If you avoid saying more than hello or how are you doing to someone because you know it's going to lead to their life story, you need to pray at work.
Let us all bow our heads:
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:7
I know, it's a little preachy. But if a brother can't share his faith with his friends in blogging, who can he share it with?
How to tell if you need to pray at work:
When a co-worker comes in a little too happy, saying "Good morning" to everyone and you think, "Somebody needs to slap the shit out of her," you need to pray at work.
When someone comes in and announces, "Office meeting in 5 minutes," and you think, "What the hell do they want now," you need to pray at work.
When your computer is mysteriously turned off and you want to say, "Which one of you sons of bitches turned off my computer," you need to pray at work.
When you and a co-worker are discussing something, and a third person comes in and says, "At my last office...", and you want to throw a stapler at him, you need to pray at work.
When you hear a co-worker call your name and the first thing that crosses your mind is, "What the hell does this bitch want now?" and you try to hide underneath your desk, you need to pray at work.
When you are asked to stay late and help do someone else's work and the first thing that pops in your head is, "both of y'all can kiss my ass," you need to pray at work.
When you're in the elevator and it stops to pick up someone who stood for five minutes waiting for the darn thing only to go DOWN one floor, and you say "That lazy bastard," you need to pray at work.
When you take some vacation time and come back to find a mountain of paperwork sitting on your desk because no one else would do it and you think, "sorry ass m****r f*****s," you need to pray at work.
If you have ever thought about poisoning, choking, punching, slapping, or flattening someone's tires that you work with, you need to pray at work.
If you avoid saying more than hello or how are you doing to someone because you know it's going to lead to their life story, you need to pray at work.
Let us all bow our heads:
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:7
I know, it's a little preachy. But if a brother can't share his faith with his friends in blogging, who can he share it with?
Boob for sale
Did you know you can buy a used boob?
Don't believe me? Look here.
The crap people will do for money.
On the other hand, if the government sold all the old, useless boobs in D.C., perhaps it wouldn't need to overhaul the tax code.
Huh.
In other news, Steve Fossett can fly far.
Don't believe me? Look here.
The crap people will do for money.
On the other hand, if the government sold all the old, useless boobs in D.C., perhaps it wouldn't need to overhaul the tax code.
Huh.
In other news, Steve Fossett can fly far.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Moose Jaw sounds nice
Do you think Pres. Bush and Alan Greenspan talk to each other, or do they plan simultaneous press conferences so they have plausible excuses to be ignorant of what the other is saying?
Perhaps if Pres. Bush listened to any one of the millions of middle-class constituents who voted for him, he wouldn't be such an idiot.
It's not that I don't like W, but he can be so dim sometimes. Unfortunately, the leader of the free world doesn't have time for brain cramps.
In case you're wondering, Moose Jaw is in Canada, eh?
Perhaps if Pres. Bush listened to any one of the millions of middle-class constituents who voted for him, he wouldn't be such an idiot.
It's not that I don't like W, but he can be so dim sometimes. Unfortunately, the leader of the free world doesn't have time for brain cramps.
In case you're wondering, Moose Jaw is in Canada, eh?
Satisfy your NHL jones
A friend directed me to this site.
I'm hooked.
You can even play as the old Detroit Cougars, Toronto St. Patricks or Brooklyn Americans.
How retro.
I'm hooked.
You can even play as the old Detroit Cougars, Toronto St. Patricks or Brooklyn Americans.
How retro.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
What the AJC has to say
Under-35 set skeptical of Social Security
By RODNEY HO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/02/05
Social Security turns plenty of metro Atlantans under 35 into fatalists.
"My expectations are nil," said Nicole Jurovics, 32, a Grant Park concert booker.
"I never counted on it," said Marshall Chiles, a 34-year-old Roswell-based owner of a comedy club.
"Once they go through the baby boomers, we'll be left on our own," rued Ginger Lightburn, 28, an Atlanta-based account supervisor for a marketing firm.
In a Newsweek poll last month, 62 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 didn't think Social Security would be able to pay all the benefits they were entitled to under current law by the time they retire.
But this is a generation that grew up with a long bull market, greater homeownership and millions of middle-class Americans pouring money into mutual funds and 401(k)s.
As a result, nearly half of the 18- to 34-year-olds support President Bush's idea of creating private accounts out of a portion of their Social Security payments, according to that same Newsweek poll. That's higher than support from the baby boomers.
"I disagree with 75 percent of what Bush says, but I agree we need to revamp Social Security," said Eric Lowe, a 34-year-old Douglasville insurance adjuster who puts 15 percent of his salary into a 401(k). "If you look at the life expectancy of black men, a lot of us are not getting back what we're putting into Social Security."
But Bush's efforts to build support have not worked well. Polls show he has actually lost support since he launched his privatization campaign in January. And even some Republicans in Congress are skeptical.
To try to reverse the momentum, the president is planning to visit several states in the next couple of weeks, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana (though not Georgia.)
Bush also is calibrating his message to appeal to different age groups.
"I will continue to reassure those of you born before 1950 that your Social Security benefits will not change in any way: You will receive your checks, and that is a fact," he said in his most recent radio address.
For younger workers more supportive of his plan, the president said, "The current system has made promises that it cannot keep, and that is also a fact."
Clarissa Smith, a 32-year-old Jonesboro real estate loan originator, thinks the focus on Social Security is misplaced, that the current government debt is more of a problem.
"We're so much of a here-and-now generation," said Smith, who is salting away money in real estate as a way to build assets for retirement. "I think it's a smokescreen to divert us from bigger issues like the current debt. How are my children's children going to pay that?"
Steve Jasmin, a 21-year-old Emory senior with his own media production and event planning business, believes the government will find a way to keep Social Security alive by the time he hits 70.
"It'll be here in some incarnation," he said. "They'll bump up the retirement age, reduce the benefits. It'll survive."
Jasmin said the bigger problem is the escalating cost of Medicare. "If they can manage health care, then they can handle Social Security," he said.
While he supports privatization as an option, he said he's not sure a lot of people will be able to handle private accounts. "I don't think Mr. Blue Collar worker in North Dakota will be able to understand what this means," Jasmin said.
Aaron Fullen, a 30-year-old Atlanta software salesman, would be happy to phase out the 70-year program completely. "I'd love for the government to establish a fund to pay for those who haven't had a chance to create their own private accounts," said Fullen, an avowed anti-tax advocate. "For people like me, I can choose never to pay another dime into Social Security."
Realistically, Fullen knows that is unlikely to happen.
"Trying to get rid of a government program is like trying to turn an aircraft carrier," he said. "Social Security established a culture of dependence. And government is really skittish of giving people a choice."
By RODNEY HO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/02/05
Social Security turns plenty of metro Atlantans under 35 into fatalists.
"My expectations are nil," said Nicole Jurovics, 32, a Grant Park concert booker.
"I never counted on it," said Marshall Chiles, a 34-year-old Roswell-based owner of a comedy club.
"Once they go through the baby boomers, we'll be left on our own," rued Ginger Lightburn, 28, an Atlanta-based account supervisor for a marketing firm.
In a Newsweek poll last month, 62 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 didn't think Social Security would be able to pay all the benefits they were entitled to under current law by the time they retire.
But this is a generation that grew up with a long bull market, greater homeownership and millions of middle-class Americans pouring money into mutual funds and 401(k)s.
As a result, nearly half of the 18- to 34-year-olds support President Bush's idea of creating private accounts out of a portion of their Social Security payments, according to that same Newsweek poll. That's higher than support from the baby boomers.
"I disagree with 75 percent of what Bush says, but I agree we need to revamp Social Security," said Eric Lowe, a 34-year-old Douglasville insurance adjuster who puts 15 percent of his salary into a 401(k). "If you look at the life expectancy of black men, a lot of us are not getting back what we're putting into Social Security."
But Bush's efforts to build support have not worked well. Polls show he has actually lost support since he launched his privatization campaign in January. And even some Republicans in Congress are skeptical.
To try to reverse the momentum, the president is planning to visit several states in the next couple of weeks, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana (though not Georgia.)
Bush also is calibrating his message to appeal to different age groups.
"I will continue to reassure those of you born before 1950 that your Social Security benefits will not change in any way: You will receive your checks, and that is a fact," he said in his most recent radio address.
For younger workers more supportive of his plan, the president said, "The current system has made promises that it cannot keep, and that is also a fact."
Clarissa Smith, a 32-year-old Jonesboro real estate loan originator, thinks the focus on Social Security is misplaced, that the current government debt is more of a problem.
"We're so much of a here-and-now generation," said Smith, who is salting away money in real estate as a way to build assets for retirement. "I think it's a smokescreen to divert us from bigger issues like the current debt. How are my children's children going to pay that?"
Steve Jasmin, a 21-year-old Emory senior with his own media production and event planning business, believes the government will find a way to keep Social Security alive by the time he hits 70.
"It'll be here in some incarnation," he said. "They'll bump up the retirement age, reduce the benefits. It'll survive."
Jasmin said the bigger problem is the escalating cost of Medicare. "If they can manage health care, then they can handle Social Security," he said.
While he supports privatization as an option, he said he's not sure a lot of people will be able to handle private accounts. "I don't think Mr. Blue Collar worker in North Dakota will be able to understand what this means," Jasmin said.
Aaron Fullen, a 30-year-old Atlanta software salesman, would be happy to phase out the 70-year program completely. "I'd love for the government to establish a fund to pay for those who haven't had a chance to create their own private accounts," said Fullen, an avowed anti-tax advocate. "For people like me, I can choose never to pay another dime into Social Security."
Realistically, Fullen knows that is unlikely to happen.
"Trying to get rid of a government program is like trying to turn an aircraft carrier," he said. "Social Security established a culture of dependence. And government is really skittish of giving people a choice."
A mother's love...
Several days ago, I blogged about the Social Security tug-of-war on the Hill.
I got a comment from my mother, who makes a good point:
"I think people got in trouble when they started depending on the government to support them in retirement. I say you've got to cover your own butt, either with investments or savings."
My mother is a truly wise person, but I have a problem with her logic. If we are indeed to take care of our own financial security in retirement, then so be it. As it stands, I have been paying toward my own Social Security benefits since I began working. When I retire, I should get that money back at the same rate I "invested" in the federal government's retirement plan.
I certainly subscribe to the notion of self-sufficiency; not all of us are as successful at it as others, but there is a level of expectation our own government has instilled in Americans.
If I am not going to get a full return on my Social Security investment after I retire, then return every dime I've been taxed for that purpose and I will invest it myself.
If the federal government is unwilling to return my money to me so I can invest it, then I want 100 percent of the Social Security benefits toward which I have been paying taxes.
We all know Pres. Bush isn't going to mail a check to me anytime soon with an apology to me and millions of Americans my age because the federal government spends Social Security money elsewhere, hence the "Social Security crisis."
I got a comment from my mother, who makes a good point:
"I think people got in trouble when they started depending on the government to support them in retirement. I say you've got to cover your own butt, either with investments or savings."
My mother is a truly wise person, but I have a problem with her logic. If we are indeed to take care of our own financial security in retirement, then so be it. As it stands, I have been paying toward my own Social Security benefits since I began working. When I retire, I should get that money back at the same rate I "invested" in the federal government's retirement plan.
I certainly subscribe to the notion of self-sufficiency; not all of us are as successful at it as others, but there is a level of expectation our own government has instilled in Americans.
If I am not going to get a full return on my Social Security investment after I retire, then return every dime I've been taxed for that purpose and I will invest it myself.
If the federal government is unwilling to return my money to me so I can invest it, then I want 100 percent of the Social Security benefits toward which I have been paying taxes.
We all know Pres. Bush isn't going to mail a check to me anytime soon with an apology to me and millions of Americans my age because the federal government spends Social Security money elsewhere, hence the "Social Security crisis."
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