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A wise man said:

The [Supreme] Court thus proclaims itself sole arbiter of our Nation's moral standards—and in the course of discharging that awesome responsibility purports to take guidance from the views of foreign courts and legislatures. Because I do not believe that the meaning of our Eighth Amendment, any more than the meaning of other provisions of our Constitution, should be determined by the subjective views of five Members of this Court and like-minded foreigners, I dissent.

Didn't we fight a war or something so that the laws of our country wouldn't be determined by foreigners? I thought, like, states got to decide who, what, when, why, and under what circumstances someone could be put to death. Guess not. I suppose that moral compass that is the UN gets to decide our laws now. Yea, ummm, us?

Let's just hope when the Islam-o-facists finally get a dirty bomb, they don't ask a 17 year to push the plunger.

Update

Orin Kerr has a good follow up to Roper v. Simmons over on Volokh.com. It is a little scary when you think that what he has outlined probably is the new model for getting new judgements from the SCOTUS. Sad and scary, really.

The loving wife™ and I were talking about this last night. She seems to think that is law isn't a problem. I hate to break it to her, but she is wrong. If the *Dr. Evil fingers* child *Dr. Evil fingers* is able to commit a crime so horrible they deserve to die, they know what they are doing. Besides, you're life is a pretty steep price to pay, but cheaper than spending 80+ years in a cell behind bars. Way cheaper.

More Update

Señor Lileks sums it up like this:

...you could be worried about the SCOTUS decision on the death penalty. It upended laws concerning the execution of juvies because five judges didn’t much like the law, and were alarmed to find it was out of step with the direction of the drift of the emanations of the penumbra of several judicial decisions in Europe. I’m not all that keen on the death penalty; I think it lets them off the hook. I want killers to die in jail, alone, forgotten, with their last meal consisting of steak-flavored mush and Sanka. But the reasonings don’t seem based in that pesky Constitution itself, and the very idea of using foreign law as some sort of guide for American law unnerves me as much as it angers me. I know: let’s use Iranian law to settle the constitutionality of divorce, right now. Someone bring a case.

and OpinionJournal has an article on this one that is worth your time.

Tonight I made a mistake: I checked some of the NJ-Blogs. The problem has to do with the time of the year and that people outside of goverment machine are actually paying attention to the nightmare that is our state goverment. The most recent example is the soon to be released state budget for '05-'06. Basically, we're fucked.

I think the guy at Enlighten-NewJersey covered it with a bit more panache with his headline, "NJ Budget Score: Tax Receivers 88 - Taxpayers 12".

This is just nuts. Why the fuck am I working so hard?! I get to keep less and less of what I earn each time someone's budget process gets going.

I know, maybe what the state isn't capable of keeping their paws off of, the federal goverment can make up for? Nope. Wrong. Fucked there too. NJ gets back 57¢ for every dollar we send to Washington. Way to go Corzine and Lautenberg! Way to work for me! I can't wait for Corzine to buy his way into Drumthwacket so he can really stick it us.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad even for one second I thought that maybe it might possibly get better, but I know it won't. I wonder what will happen when the folks around here finally come to and realize they've been played as suckers for basically their whole lives? *cough* Who is that John Galt? *cough*

Update

SmadaNek has a nifty follow up on the state budget.

Long ass weekend. Most the time was taken up with training — see the triathlon blog for an update of what went down in the world of exercise.

Once you get past the exercise, Loving Wife™, Jackie, Steve, and Jack and I went out on Saturday evening to catch "Constantine." The quick review was it did not suck. At least not too bad. I kind of liked it. Decent effects and it kept a good pace the whole time.

You know, with all the comics we grew up on making the shift to the big screen, we know there is going to be a boat load of shitty comic-based movies making an appearence. For example, remember (and I'm sorry if you actually do remember them) Daredevil — Affleck sucked and why the fuck did they make such a chump out of Bullseye and The Kingpin? Kingpin should have kicked way more ass. Elektra — I can see the Hollywood execs sitting around saying to themselves, "Let's take that crappy Affleck red-guy movie that sucked so hard our friends in the porn industry aren't even going to try and spoof the title for fear that any connection to our movie might hurt their sales and make a shitty over-produced spin-off! This time we'll hide the complete lack of the story and plot by attempting to dazzle the audience with a tall blonde! Can't fail, can it?" Yes, it can and did. The Punisher — no, I'm not talking about the Dolph Lundgren one which mostly sucked but had the beginning bits with him talking to himself in the sewers and that set such a solid Punisher-eque tone you kept hoping they'd come back to it — I'm talking the really shitty version that was just out. Oh yes, and any of the Batman movies not directed by Tim Burton. Hollywood seems to have the uncanny ability to pick a sure loser almost every time. That my friends takes fucking talent.

What's my point? I'm not sure. When I figure that out, you'll be the second one to know. Honest.

Orin Kerr linked to two articles in the NY Times that point out one of the problems with living large in Gotham. Money — and I do mean money — quote from one of the articles:

"People who really want prewar Park and Fifth are considering these $3 million or $4 million condo apartments starter apartments," Ms. Kleier said.

In technical terms, that's just fucked up. If you feel $3 million plus is reasonable for a starter home, you should seek professional help — and I'm not talking about your financial guy.

With the ongoing budget nightmare in NJ and with little hope of it ever getting better, what can/could/should we do to make it better? If only there was some way to tell if we, as taxpayers, are getting our money's worth out of a goverment program!

Wait, you say there is? What KKKarl Rove educed voodoo are you talking about? I mean, why would goverment not want to spend my hard earned dollars?

There is PART — Program Assessment Rating Tool. And here is the good PART, it works (Works better than that pun anyway):

The PART was developed to assess and improve program performance so that the Federal government can achieve better results. A PART review helps identify a program’s strengths and weaknesses to inform funding and management decisions aimed at making the program more effective. The PART therefore looks at all factors that affect and reflect program performance including program purpose and design; performance measurement, evaluations, and strategic planning; program management; and program results. Because the PART includes a consistent series of analytical questions, it allows programs to show improvements over time, and allows comparisons between similar programs.

What we need is something like PART, if not PART itself, to gauge the programs here in NJ and pimp-slap the non-performers out of existance. I'm very sure we're getting ripped off big time by the theives in Trenton.

You can find out more about PART at:

• OMG Performance And Management Assessments — PART forms
• Stuff axed after review of PART returns

I do wonder why more states don't have a PART-like program. It is one of the few things that our federal government is doing that makes sense... not like maintaining our Strategic Heluium Reserve until 2015.

"I drank what?"

Okay, so maybe Socrates didn't say exactly that, but I'm pretty sure it was something along those lines. For the rest of us, the lines may not be so clear. If it's liquid and somewhat beer-like... especially if it is somewhat beer like... chance are pretty good it is gullet bound. Well, my people, time to get some knowledge!

Share and enjoy.

This gallery at NID kick ass. I don't think I've seen an online interface that requires the use of the scroll wheel, but I likes it.

I've said it before, I's likes that web site, "The Superficial". After not checking the site in for a few days, the man comes on strong with some great shit.

I mean how sweet does that bitch work tha words? Don't even bother to answer 'cause if I really wanted your opinion, I'd give it to you.

And while I'll admit a certain weakness for Laura Flynn Boyle, me amoebas seem to think I should be staying of the crack rocks, but much like tha Playa Haters I know I'm right, and they are wrong. (Note to self, work more on humble nature) Regardless of your stance on her figure, you have got to be happy with the amazing laser-like way she summed up all the fucked up shit that goes on in Hollywood, "My job is to entertain - and not to explain."

I mean, I can't decide which is worse, the fact that someone finally admitted it or that no matter how many people hear the truth, they just won't process it. Net result, we'll be stuck with more whack-ass shit coming out of the freaks in the movie biddness. To make matters worse, some mouth breathers will pay hard earned petro-dollars for it and Hollywood will take that as a sign we want/need more of it.

Break the cycle people, break the cycle.

I've noticed a few things since I left work in digust yesterday afternoon:

• I'm more convinced than ever that my company is trying out a new slogan: "Deserve Failure!" Nothing else seems to fit the fucked up decisions they are making. Hell, by chance you'd expect to some shit right, but to consistantly fuck shit up takes real effort.
• Cliff's Razz Sorbet tastes better than the Rasberry Hammer Gel but I don't know how well the Cliff stuff works yet. Props to Ed for giving me a sample.
• I really don't like swimming with fins on. It kills my knees, screws up my stroke count, and just feels weird. I quote Mr. Horse, "No sir, I didn't like it."
• I almost hit a turkey that was flapping across the road on the way to work. Not something you see every day, at least in my area, and it kind of freaked me out.
• Fuck, oil is getting up there in price. $57 a barrel.

• The wonderful and talented group Jim McSleezy left in goverment is still doing a super job. The latest accomplishment: sparking racial discord after a pro-diversity speech. Great job, but I think with a little more effort, they could have started an actual riot. I blame the audience. Who can just walk out without talking trash to the person who's pissed you off? Fucking catholic school pussies. I mean, at least flip them the bird or something, don't just walk about like bitches.
• Speaking of birds, I have more. The buzzards in our area have been going to town on this deer carcass on 518. Those bitches have reduced the body to mostly bones and only the legs and head remain mostly fur-lined. It is kind of nifty looking to see the flayed body resting by the side of the road.
• To the cracker-ass crackers that decided the middle of the night was good time to be "rebels" and scream and yell at each other waking the whole neighborhood I have a few words of advice. When the police finally do show up to bust your ass (may the Gods bless whoever finally called the cops), don't start crying like a school girl. It ruins the bad-boy image you established with your drunken curse-filled tirade against... whatever it was you were complaing about. In the future STFU, some of us are trying to sleep.
• After that last bullet, I realize I'm just fucking sad. I sound like an old man. Here, let me try another, "GET OFF THE LAWN!!" /me shakes fist in rage   eh... maybe it will feel better next time.
• I don't want to drive to Wildwood on Saturday to pick up my bib for the OD Ten miler, just to drive there again on Sunday morning for the actual race. If had realized that I'd be spending the whole weekend driving back and forth to Wildwood, I wouldn't have signed up.

See, it has been a busy night. If more shit of interest happens, I'll let you know.

Writing about WDS — Wolfowitz Derangement Syndrome — Roger Simon makes some points about how Europe has its collective panties in a bunch over the selection of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. The real kicker of the post is, IMHO, near the end:

So it must be his well-known role in the instigation of the Iraq War, but according to the latest poll, 61.5% of post-war Iraqis now feel their country is headed in the right direction as opposed to 23.2 thinking negatively, a stunning differential of nearly 40% which dwarfs any similar polls I have ever seen about America and Europe. The only conclusion we can draw from this is perhaps we should have invaded Europe. It would have cheered them up.

Here is one vote for envading Europe just on general principal.

Just let me state for the record, the day I have the response patterns of plant: please, please, please stop watering me.

What our federal goverment — and hell yea I'm using a wide brush here 'cause just about all of our elected officals are fucking this one up — is trying to do to this poor woman is a disgrace. 15+ years ago she went from a real live human being to a lump of flesh with just enough core programming left to look away from bright light and handle any food tossed its way. Fucking earthworms are better off just because they can at least squirm toward a tasty morsel. Unfortunately she didn't have a statement like the one above to end the suffering for her and her friends and family. In cases like this the law pretty clearly states her spouse gets to decide and he went along with what he belived to be her wishes to just end it. Mom and dad had other ideas. I can understand that, but hey, after 15 plus years the courts reached the (IMHO) correct decision that the husband is the correct one to make that choice.

It was a horrible fight and only lasted about 14 years and 364 days longer than it should have but everyone seemed to be on the same page that it was time to stop the daily feeding. Then congress jumped in and is fucking it up. Big time.

This is not a federal issue. This is a Florida issue and right or wrong, they've decided. Congress, the Senate, and least of all the President of the United Stated should have zippo, zero, nada, zilch to add to the converstation. What they are doing is a crime. Find me one place in the constitution that say, "Federal officals get to overrule state rights on who they can or cannot keep alive." Some ass actually got on the teevee and said something along the lines of "even criminals on death row get a federal hearing." Ass. And dead wrong. She... she is too strong a word, it stopped being a woman when it couldn't even move towards food when it started starving to death... It deserves better.

I've also seen people claim about "oh, we need to save her life." News flash people, what that thing is doing isn't life. It simply dying as slow as possible. Let it go.

I can only hope the federal judge who gets to decide if this case should enter the federal system has enough guts and grasp of the law to do the right thing and say it is a Florida issue and the feds shouldn't get involved.

One final tip from your Uncle Dan: get a living will and make sure this doesn't happen to you.

Attention people, personal crusade time. A curious route to the crusade, but here is what happened. Karen sent a link to a nifty place to pick up bike ride routes, www.bikethisway.com. While there I saw an ad for PetFinder.com and was almost instantly obligated to see what pug-type dogs were available.

As you know I have a soft spot for dogs... and that is just all I have a soft spot for. All the other special interest groups can just service the pipe... and for some reason we have this wild idea that the Gab-ster needs something in a companion dog for those long days she spends sleeping. Then we think about for another 30 seconds and figure that bitch can just toughen up and deal.

Okay, so one of the dogs up for adoption is Jordan. Poor litte guy seems to be having a tough time of it. Getting better, but still a tough time. Since our puggy-princess is pretty much the ruler of our one dog house and we have no time for just about any project you'd like to name, getting Dog 2.0 is mostly a non-option. So, we did the next best thing: sent dead presidents to the Pug Planet folks to help cover some of the monthly costs of keep Jordan in kibble.

I think this makes me a sucker, but, well, tough titties. My point? I probably don't have one but I thought you bitches should know.

Update

For you peeps that found this entry through some strange combination of the words "Jordan" and "suck", you're probably looking for this site instead of the Pet Finder site. Share and enjoy.

Me thinks Google Ads are a good thing. As you know we're kicking in dead presidents for Jordan and as part of that we've been in contact with the nice person at the Pug Planet Rescue. I've also been using my GMail account for this stuff. Part of the GMail stick is that Google pushes up text ads that reflect the contents of the message you're reading. The dog messages kicked this back:

What's not to like? Click on the link for more pug revolution goodness.