Friday - June 08, 2007
Prediction: Paris Hilton will go back to jail
Here's my prediction for the day; Paris Hilton,
who without her family's wealth would be completely unknown, is going to go back
to jail.
I think she should serve her complete sentence in jail. Indeed, I think all sentences should be served completely. Now, I've heard that convicts are sometimes let out of jail for "good behavior." I can't say that I've ever heard that whining can be used to get out early. So, here's my opinion on these matters. Excessive whining, or any bad behavior for that matter, should result in an extended sentence, and perhaps additional punishments. Good behavior, on the other hand, should be used both to avoid jail in the first place, and, after a convict has been released from jail, to avoid a return to jail. "Good behavior" should never be used to avoid responsibility for bad (or more technically, illegal) behavior.
Now, we have to wonder why Sheriff Lee Baca would countermand Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer's sentence. Sheriff Baca's action warrants an investigation. Was his behavior simply bad, or was it illegal? Perhaps there is more to this story. We may never know. At any rate, I couldn't care less about Paris Hilton. What concerns me is the integrity of our legal system and the message to society. The news about Hilton's abrupt release from prison (to suffer at her multi-million dollar estate) certainly fosters the public perception of inequity in the legal system. Even worse, her apparent reward for whining may cause an increase in whining among those children and young adults who already have poor enough judgement to emulate Paris Hilton. The oversized sunglasses, drunkenness, immodesty, and little dog as an ornament? What narcissism! By the way, Paris Hilton is not the first one to make use of a squirrel-sized dog as an accessory. Ernst Deutsch did the same in the 1949 motion picture, The Third Man. Don't get me wrong. I am neither advocating that Hilton be punished for behaving in ways that I find distasteful nor am I advocating that Hilton be treated severely merely to avoid a public perception of inequity in the legal system. I believe that Paris Hilton---as law-breakers---should be treated severely and in accordance with the law.
I think she should serve her complete sentence in jail. Indeed, I think all sentences should be served completely. Now, I've heard that convicts are sometimes let out of jail for "good behavior." I can't say that I've ever heard that whining can be used to get out early. So, here's my opinion on these matters. Excessive whining, or any bad behavior for that matter, should result in an extended sentence, and perhaps additional punishments. Good behavior, on the other hand, should be used both to avoid jail in the first place, and, after a convict has been released from jail, to avoid a return to jail. "Good behavior" should never be used to avoid responsibility for bad (or more technically, illegal) behavior.
Now, we have to wonder why Sheriff Lee Baca would countermand Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer's sentence. Sheriff Baca's action warrants an investigation. Was his behavior simply bad, or was it illegal? Perhaps there is more to this story. We may never know. At any rate, I couldn't care less about Paris Hilton. What concerns me is the integrity of our legal system and the message to society. The news about Hilton's abrupt release from prison (to suffer at her multi-million dollar estate) certainly fosters the public perception of inequity in the legal system. Even worse, her apparent reward for whining may cause an increase in whining among those children and young adults who already have poor enough judgement to emulate Paris Hilton. The oversized sunglasses, drunkenness, immodesty, and little dog as an ornament? What narcissism! By the way, Paris Hilton is not the first one to make use of a squirrel-sized dog as an accessory. Ernst Deutsch did the same in the 1949 motion picture, The Third Man. Don't get me wrong. I am neither advocating that Hilton be punished for behaving in ways that I find distasteful nor am I advocating that Hilton be treated severely merely to avoid a public perception of inequity in the legal system. I believe that Paris Hilton---as law-breakers---should be treated severely and in accordance with the law.
Posted at 09:44 AM Read More
Friday - February 23, 2007
Peretz and Olmert must go, now.
Last summer I voiced my concern about the
incompetence of the current Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and his defense
minister Amir Peretz. Just in case, there wasn't already sufficient
justification for labeling Olmert and Peretz as incompetent chowder heads, click
here to see Peretz recently "observing" the IDF
conducting important training exercises. The irony is that his understanding
of the military maneuvers taking place would not be improved even if he removed
the lens caps before looking through the binoculars.
People of Israel, please throw those buffoons out of office, before it's too late.
People of Israel, please throw those buffoons out of office, before it's too late.
Posted at 09:09 AM Read More
Thursday - December 14, 2006
Foxnews: Severe Geomagnetic Storm Expected From Tuesday's Solar Flare
Fox News is reporting that a severe geomagnetic storm is expected from Tuesday's solar
flare. According to the report,
It may be time to don your lead-coated urban sombrero.
Sunspots are dark regions of the Sun where intense magnetic activity caps the upwelling of material from below. Sometimes a cap blows, and a visible flare results. The flares are loaded with X-rays and other radiation, all of which reaches Earth moments after the eruption and can be accompanied by a shower of protons. These storms can arrive in moments with little warning and can be deadly.
It may be time to don your lead-coated urban sombrero.
Posted at 04:21 AM Read More
Sunday - June 25, 2006
Beautiful Tribute to World War II Veterans
I'm glad I tuned into Fox News this morning,
because I caught a beautiful tribute to World War II veterans. We do owe them
so much! Thanks to Sam Biersock, MD ("Dr. Sam") and John Meinick for making
their tribute available online here.
Posted at 08:15 AM Read More
Saturday - December 24, 2005
Happy Holidays!
A kind of nice coincidence will occur tomorrow.
Christians will celebrate Christmas and after sundown Jews will begin the 8-day
celebration of Hanukkah. If I'm not mistaken Kwanzaa begins the day after on
December 26. It's also my understanding that Muslims will celebrate Eid
ul-Adha on January 10, 2006, Hindus will celebrate Makar Sankranti on January
14, 2006, and Buddhists recently celebrated Bodhi day (on December 8). Whatever
your religion, race, nationality, etc., I wish you peace and a very happy
holiday season.
Posted at 06:24 PM Read More
Saturday - December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas!
I wish all my Christian friends and readers of
this blog a very merry Christmas!
Posted at 07:34 AM Read More
Tuesday - December 07, 2004
Happy Hanukkah!
Photo taken by my lovely wife Kim a couple of years ago.
Posted at 08:00 PM Read More
Sunday - December 07, 2003
Questionable PETA Strategy
Brian Jepson has posted on his weblog
an interesting commentary on a recent PETA activity in Rhode Island. The posting
entitled "Great Surealism, Terrible Evangelism " discusses
a PETA billboard in Rhode Island depicting the Virgin Mary cradling a chicken
carcass in her arms. One could argue the artistic merits of the billboard, but
I also wonder how many people they've persuaded and how many people they've
needlessly alienated. On balance, did they advance their cause? I have not seen
the billboard, which may have already been taken down, but the description of it
reminds me of another controversial, and I think offensive, PETA campaign.
Posted at 09:17 AM Read More