Random Blahs

The Bush administration came out swinging against critics of the domestic spying issue, with the President, Karl Rove, and the Attorney General speaking publicly on the issue. Bad idea, gentlemen. Don't give the opposition more ammunition to use against you in the press and the impending congressional hearings. If you're silent and take the high road, you might have a chance. Btw, please grasp the idea that Karl Rove is a symbol, good or bad, for everything that's gone wrong since G.W.'s election so many years ago.

Speaking of symbols, Washington Post reporters, among others, were denied access by the current administration to old photos of President Bush meeting with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff because they were "not pertinent" to the scandal investigation. Watch this story gather steam and energy faster than shit through a goose. Yes, it is possible for a picture like that to put a Democrat in the White House in 2008. It only took 18 minutes of silence to make a president resign from office.

Carson City officials discovered a horrific episode of child abuse recently. Commenters on the Nevada Appeal web site were understandably outraged, and some suggested extreme measures for future abusers, including sterilization of repeat offenders. There's a chance in a million that those comments will be taken seriously, but what's scary is Nazis used sterilization techniques on Jews and other non-Aryan minorities during the Holocaust in the 1940s. Do we really want to discuss something that puts us in the same breath as them, even remotely?

And yes, I do have an idea (surprise!). Instead of the numerous reactive ideas proposed, including stiffer prison sentences and permanent separation of the children from the abusive parents (which in some cases should absolutely happen), how about we as a country and society develop proactive family-friendly social programs that include free parenting and nutrition classes, and a child welfare program that's isn't buried in red tape? Of course, there's no profit in that, other than our next generation of leaders, workers, taxpayers, and, oh yeah, inmates.

This morning's Chronicle had an article about the importance of team chemistry, something the employees of the San Francisco Giants feel is absolutely essential to their success in the NL West in 2006. On the exact same page in the Sports section, there was another article on how Barry Bonds was complaining about being forced to bat second for the American team at the World Baseball Classic. He resigned from the team some time later for "health" reasons.

There's a reason why Dusty Baker's not managing on the west side of the Bay, but I can't decide if it's because Dusty is smarter than the Giants management or because ol' B.B. forced him out (wanna put money on it?). IMO, there's a sorrier bunch of fans than the Cubbie Bleacher Bums and they're called Barry Bonds' Apologists. When Barry pulls the team down yet again with his usual "me first" antics, it will be the Giants fans that suffer the most. When he breaks Babe Ruth's home run record, will anybody really care in a positive way?

Cruised through some blogs and haven't found a single non-American blog in support of the current administration. When President Bush is mentioned, it's always negative. Mull on that for a moment, please.

United States Supreme Court justice-nominee Samuel Alito will be confirmed by the Senate. Get used to the idea. Also get used to the idea this is the first time in American history that five Roman Catholics have sat on the bench at the same time. Roe v. Wade supporters: start to feel nervous.

Speaking of which, the famous or infamous RvW decision was not so much a decision supporting the right to abortion. It was more about the right to have a say over your body and your overall right to privacy. If you believe in those issues, especially with the administration's recent actions and beliefs on domestic spying, you should really be nervous now.

A Florida man was released from jail after DNA tests confirmed he was innocent. The man spent 24 years in jail for his crime and he's only 45 years old. Some folks are proposing there be time limits placed on the DNA testing of criminal evidence. How would those people feel if they had a loved one behind bars or on Death Row for crimes they did not commit? A majority of Death Row inmates are non-whites. Would folks make the same suggestions if every single inmate was white? Time limits on DNA testing is stupid, cruel, and inhumane.

In fact, when are people going to learn that anything that hinders our evolution as a society is stupid, cruel, and inhumane? Here's a short list: torture, child abuse, hate crimes, death penalty.

Here's the test: if it's an action or law that we'll be ashamed of in about 100 to 150 years, let's not do it today. After all, we freed the slaves, gave women the vote, and released children from dangerous working conditions in that time period. What are we not grasping here, people?

(And this was going to be a nice quiet entry, too...)

Distance: 3.24 miles
Time: 20:00 minutes
146 calories burned