Rou

Earlier this week, some dumb rich bitch got out of jail. Not news.

However, I admit that I did see a tiny glimmer of hope out there. MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski refused to cover the story. They gave it to her 3 times and she responded by attempting to burn it, ripping it up and shredding it. Now, it's possible this was staged.

Even if it was, it's a good thing. Not just because they showed a disdain for Paris's plight, but because they actually took a step forward and said that it was not newsworthy.

That good. But it's not enough. It's easy to brush aside the Paris Hilton and Britney Spears type of story. News has to go further. I'd say a little less than half of the stories covered on 24 hour news channels are really newsworthy. Local news is closer to a quarter.

Imagine a world where the news covered just news. Informed you of the world around you on a local and national scale. Maybe ever, dare I say, global level? Because there is certainly enough real news out there. I know rich white girls equal ratings. But that really doesn't mean the need to discussed ad nauseum.

This is a good first step I suppose. But it's just that. And if it's not followed up with the second step, it doesn't mean a thing.

Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical -- and it is not the only option before us.

Bush said that in a speech concerning his planned veto of the new stem cell research bill.

I find it interesting. Destroying life is unethical, even to save life. Interesting position. If that is his stance, how does he mesh that with the Iraq war? Even to save lives (ours or Iraqi) it would be unethical to attack because it would destroy life (Iraqi soldiers, citizens and American soldiers). Sounds like a Gandhi-style position of non-violence to me.

I suppose they didn't consider the ramification of such a broad ethical claim?

I tell you, we've got some winners in Congress. We really do. Take Rep. Bachus from Alabama's 6th district. He's smart. And wily.

Sadly, it's more like Wile E Coyote.

So, they had hearings this month on internet gambling. And of course, the dangers of children having access to such an immoral and wretched past time.

At this point, they're interviewing a guy named Radley Balko. And Bachus brings out his 'trump card'. The exchange is baffling. You can click the link in the title for the full transcript, but I'll give you the gist here.

Bachus talks about an internet gambling site and notes that they have profiles of popular players. He notes the bio of Ross Boatman. The bio indicates that Ross first learned to play cards at the age of 10 by watching his brother and friends play. They didn't let him play because he didn't have money. But he watched.

Bachus looks up from reading the bio out loud and says "I guess the verification system didn't work."

Wow. Big throw down there. Really showed those internet gambling people, didn't he? Proof that the system is flawed.

Tiny problem... Ross was born in 1965. Which means when he was 12 (1977), the internet didn't really exist. And gambling sites certainly didn't.

Seriously, that was his big finish? That a 42 year old learned to play cards when he was 12? With real cards? That's how he's going to shut the door on INTERNET GAMBLING?!?!?!

So, the guy being interviewed point that little fact out. Bachus just wondered why the bio is still on the site.

Still?? It's not like it's been up since 1977. It's a BIO. Of a player. It's going to include how that guy freaking learned to play.

Freaking hell. Stupid fucking politicians. If you don't know shit about it, you shouldn't be allowed to write up regulations for it.

Go directly to hell.

Do not pass go.

Do not collect fucking $200.

Just fucking go to hell.

Mr Wayne Albert Bleyle admitted to molesting children. Specifically, he admitted to eight counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child and four counts of exhibiting a minor in pornography.

Prosecutor Laura Gunn told a judge then that Bleyle targeted children who were "the most brain-damaged, most comatose, most nonverbal — children who could never say anything about it."

What the fuck. Seriously.

Or even better, this fucking part:

Bleyle confessed to federal agents that he molested "countless" disabled patients, the prosecutor told the court last year.

"One of the agents who interviewed him said, 'How many kids are we talking about?'" Gunn said. "The defendant, who was in New York at the time looking out at the snow, looked out at the snow and said, 'How many snowflakes are there out there?'"

He's getting 45 years in jail. That's a good start. But short of my recommended sentence of "one hour alone in a room with each of the fathers." Failing that, I recommend some ancient medieval execution. Not the nice guillotine type of thing either. Something that takes a bit of time. And hurts like a mother fucker.

I don't even know where to begin with this son of a bitch.

Sometimes... we're just too civilized to do what we need to do.

I watch the Sopranos. I missed most of the first couple seasons, but I've caught the last 3 and some of the one before that.

Good show, very quality. One of the few TV shows that I actually followed.

This was the last season. Last episode was last night. This is not news. We've all known it since last season started. This was it. The writers knew it. The audience knew it. The actors knew it. If you're trying to avoid spoilers about it, stop reading now.

Still with me?

Good. Lets move on.

All was good. This season slowly built up the tension leading toward the end. Lots of things became very tough for Tony. Money problems. Legal hurdles. Fights with the NY mob. Lots of his people got whacked. The works.

So, he finally sets some things right. Goes to sit down with his family in a local restaurant. He gets there first. Then the door opens and his wife shows. Then the door opens and it's his son. Then it cuts to his daughter parking. Badly. Finally get settled into a spot. Goes running into the restaraunt. You hear the door open, Tony looks up.

Than nothing. Black screen.

Roll the credits.

Fuck you HBO. It was an entirely unsatisfactory ending to a great show. Was it just 'life goes on'? Did Tony get killed? Was it just the daughter coming into the shop? Or did the FBI finally decide to arrest Tony?

Who knows. It's all bullshit. Fuck you producers, writers and actors for taking such a crappy end to the show. You've made mistakes with the show before, but this was the worst. If you didn't expect the entire world to hate it, you're on fucking drugs.