Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Fear Continues To Masquerade As Justice (washingtonpost.com)

Quote: The jurors would have been more convincing had they just come out and said they were seeking revenge on behalf of all who wanted it, people such as Marion Lewis, father of Lori Lewis Rivera, who was killed Oct. 3, 2002.

"I think I'd like 10 minutes alone with [Muhammad]," he said. "They wouldn't have to worry about an execution."

But we all know that it would be wrong to let him do that. Why, then, is it right for the state to do it not just on his behalf, but for the "public good"?


Fair enough, up to the last of those paragraphs...had Marion Lewis had the chance to kill Muhammad immediately following the shooting of his daughter, he might have stood a good chance of walking away a free man...wrongness is a variable thing.

I can't really buy the "for the public good" argument, either, unless it's "for the good of the public's sense of fairness". What is right and what is fair are often at odds, and many people feel that it's fair for Muhammad to die, even if it's not "right", in the sense that killing people is wrong.

I know that I would feel similar to Marion Lewis, were I in his shoes, and in a sense, because of the fact that the media carries events like this to everyone at the same time, I *was* in his shoes. I imagined how it would feel to have one of my children taken from me that way, and I got very angry...not a good argument for the death penalty, but an indication of how deeply the killings affected everyone, including myself.

The death penalty may be vile, but one could argue it is far less so than the crimes of those who receive it. I don't know if it's right for Muhammad to die, but it seems fair to me.

L.A. Wants to End 'Master' and 'Slave' Equipment

Okay...there are some situations where using the words "master" or "slave" might reasonably be construed as being offensive, racist, etc. Hard disk drives are not one of them.

As a matter of fact, in addition to posting this link, I'm going to rant a bit.

I am sick and tired of people looking for things to be offended about. I can understand being upset by something that another person says to intentionally make you upset or put you down, but things are getting out of hand. If what I read from day-to-day is honestly true, and the people I read about are honestly getting this upset, I don't know how they manage to make it through life at all.

I'm tired of pretty much every argument, discussion, or issue that has race as its foundation...yes, I'm aware of history and I understand that there are a lot of hard-fought rights that I am able to enjoy.

As far as racial issues go, the only time I'm faced with them seems to be when I see inspirational messages about things like "How to survive in a hostile environment" that seem to say that I'm supposed to assume that everyone thinks I can't do my damn job because I'm not "joe white-guy". I seldom have to think about race, except when some stupid form asks me to provide mine...I typically have fun checking every applicable checkbox:


  • white: check

  • black: check

  • native american or pacific islander: check


I like people in general...some people are obviously assholes and *those* people, I don't like. None of that has anything to do with race.

I also like computers...been messing around with them for years. Been familiar with the terms "master" and "slave" as they relate to disk drives for years, too, and somehow *gasp* I NEVER got offended by them, or, for athat matter "male" and "female" connectors (male connectors have pins, female connectors have sockets...simple, right?).

Anyway, I heard this on the radio this morning, and saw the article online today, and I just want to put in *my* two cents. This looks like a good place to do it, eh?

MPAA and RIAA permanently exempt from being monopolies?

So, they're trying to get the statement above enacted as a federal law...I think that idea deserves a healthy dose of "NO F*ING WAY!". Read up, and follow the links...

Friday, November 21, 2003

wnbc.com - News - $3M Verdict In Penile Surgery Case Sparks Court Flap

Pending further reading that sways my opinion, I'm with the judge on this one...I think $3,000,000.00 (or $2,999,999.99) is an appropriate award in this case.

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Forbes.com: Hot Wheel

Okay...this thing is just frigging COOL looking. I want mine in black...

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

The Ladder Theory

Beyond "When Harry Met Sally". "Men and women can't be friends" greatly expanded on, explained in rigorous detail, and stuff. Don't bother reading it if you can't take unusual points-of-view.

Monday, November 17, 2003

New Zealand News - World - Case for war made up, say top names

I'm not against the war in Iraq (I want Saddam gone...we put him there, we should get him out), but I'm also not for being fed a load of crap. Sounds like I've been possibly getting great heaping spoonfulls.

Arrested for drinking...in a bar?

Granted, this article may not be mainstream press, but it seems important enough to point out to the approximately zero-to-one people that read my blog...

Friday, November 14, 2003

DNC: The DNC on Judicial appointments

Okay...so, I've been hearing a lot about this filibuster. My question is this: Why not just say "no"? Are the justices guaranteed to be appointed if the motion is heard? Why be quiet about it...say what you want, right? Isn't that what's supposed to happen? I'm really, really confused about this mess.

[Added] Okay...I found a fairly concise description of the process here. It seems that a majority can confirm the appointment *unless* a senator filibusters it, in which case, a 3/5 supermajority is required for the confirmation.

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

The Memory Hole >Reasons Not to Invade Iraq, by George Bush Sr.

Hmm...the case of the mysteriously dissappearing article. It's one thing if the article is missing, but pulling the reference to it from the table of contents is just, well, wrong. I think that we should have gone to war in Iraq (for completely different reasons than we say we did), but this just seems WAY too fishy to me. Censorship in action? Time for me to fire off a few e-mails to Time Magazine...