When it comes to justice, our children learn that if you are a celebrity, or if you are just plain rich, the system is nicer to you than it is to the rest of the population. Today's evidence: Britney Spears avoids hit-and-run trial. Because the pop princess finally got around to paying for the other driver's damages she doesn't have to deal with the hit and run charge, but they are holding her accountable for driving without a valid license at the time.
Excuse me? Since she has since gotten a license, why don't they let her off on that too?
When I was young and stupid, I bumped a car in the parking lot of my job and didn't get out to look. I did a total of $130 worth of damage to the other car (26 years ago). The next day, the police were standing beside my car in the lot talking to the driver of the other car. I went out and apologized for what I had done. The driver said she only called the police in order to determine who to contact about the damages. I gave her my info, but the police wrote me up with a mandatory court appearance. The other driver offered to appear in my defense, saying how cooperative I was after the fact. Also, I presented the judge with my stellar school history and my previously clean driving record (at the ripe age on 19). I ended up with a lenient $150 fine and four points on my license. And, I DESERVED it.
What positive things does the pop princess have to offer in her defense? Is she a good mother? Does she have a clean and community oriented public persona? Has she complied with the law under other circumstances (hrm... What about oversleeping through drug test appoitments?) Does she have any positive redeeming social value?
*sigh* I don't know why I let this crap bother me, other than the fact that I don't like the message that it sends to our kids. Celebrity and wealth should not exempt you from justice. Neither should political office, but that's a whole BUNCH of other blog posts.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Freedom to fork over all electronic records to the NSA
With every passing week the Bush Administration turns our country into a more overt police state. A new Senate bill will retroactively protect e-mail providers, search engines, Internet service providers and instant-messaging services from lawsuits brought by citizens whose privacy was violated when such organizations turned over electronic records to the NSA.
Here is the REALLY laughable aspect of this bill:
First off, West Virginians: Ditch this moron! (Some Democrat, huh? I thought those guys were supportive of Civil Liberties and Due Process. My mistake!)
Secondly, the current administration does not give a rat's butt about the legal footing of its actions and has yet to be seriously challenged on the legality of any of its actions.
Give me a break!
Here is the REALLY laughable aspect of this bill:
"Private companies who received legal assurances from the highest levels of government should not be dragged through the courts for their help with national security," Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.V.), the Intelligence Committee chairman and the bill's primary Democratic sponsor, said in a statement. "The onus is on the administration, not the companies, to ensure that the request is on strong legal footing, and if it is not, it is the administration that should be held accountable."
First off, West Virginians: Ditch this moron! (Some Democrat, huh? I thought those guys were supportive of Civil Liberties and Due Process. My mistake!)
Secondly, the current administration does not give a rat's butt about the legal footing of its actions and has yet to be seriously challenged on the legality of any of its actions.
Give me a break!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
What's in your movie theater?
During our weekend trip, we considered going out to a movie on Friday, and then on Saturday, night. We were too exhausted both days to bother. The film we both wanted to see the most probably wasn't available any more any way. It seems that the movies I am interested in seeing get short run limited releases (which means almost never do they come to NH). We usually go see the 'blockbuster' movies when they come out. And they are usually in the theaters for at least a month. Smaller films only seem to stay in the theaters for a week or two. If they are there for longer, the formula which determines the length of their run completely eludes me.
The film that we wanted to see, "Eastern Promises" with Viggo Mortensen, started off as a limited release, and then quickly vaporized after hitting more theaters. The critics gave it a "B", which isn't bad for a small film.
On the other hand, I reviewed the offerings of our local theaters and I am perplexed by some of the things that have had staying power: "Across the Universe" (huh?), "The Game Plan" (puhleez), "The Heartbreak Kid" (sorry Mr Stiller, better luck next time), "Sydney White" (Amanda Bynes is cute, but ...), "Dragon Wars" (LOL!), "I Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (yes, still out in my area), "The Seeker" (???), and "Mr Woodcock".
It's kind of sad, in a way. There are a lot of small movies that are only released in LA and NY that I would see if they came to NH. I'd definitely opt for them over the crud I listed in the last paragraph. I'm waiting on Brad Pitt's Jesse James film to go for broader release. I like him, and I've always been interested in the Jesse James story. I wonder if it will even make it to NH. Babel didn't see an NH release until it made the Oscar nominations. Makes me feel like I might as well live in Canada's Northwest Territory instead of an hour outside of Boston.
I guess this is why DVD rentals were invented, huh?
The film that we wanted to see, "Eastern Promises" with Viggo Mortensen, started off as a limited release, and then quickly vaporized after hitting more theaters. The critics gave it a "B", which isn't bad for a small film.
On the other hand, I reviewed the offerings of our local theaters and I am perplexed by some of the things that have had staying power: "Across the Universe" (huh?), "The Game Plan" (puhleez), "The Heartbreak Kid" (sorry Mr Stiller, better luck next time), "Sydney White" (Amanda Bynes is cute, but ...), "Dragon Wars" (LOL!), "I Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (yes, still out in my area), "The Seeker" (???), and "Mr Woodcock".
It's kind of sad, in a way. There are a lot of small movies that are only released in LA and NY that I would see if they came to NH. I'd definitely opt for them over the crud I listed in the last paragraph. I'm waiting on Brad Pitt's Jesse James film to go for broader release. I like him, and I've always been interested in the Jesse James story. I wonder if it will even make it to NH. Babel didn't see an NH release until it made the Oscar nominations. Makes me feel like I might as well live in Canada's Northwest Territory instead of an hour outside of Boston.
I guess this is why DVD rentals were invented, huh?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Not a sports fan, but ...
I have to hand it to the Red Sox. When backed into a corner, they can remember how to play baseball. It's too bad that they had to paint themselves into that corner for the American League playoffs. However, they did make the series interesting by going from 1 and 3 to come back and win 3 games in a row, and two of them quite decisively.
I wish them luck in the World Series. However, I will not be disappointed to see the Rockies win. They really came from out of nowhere to shine this season.
Who knows? Maybe I'll even watch a game or two.
I wish them luck in the World Series. However, I will not be disappointed to see the Rockies win. They really came from out of nowhere to shine this season.
Who knows? Maybe I'll even watch a game or two.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A fantastic trip
Our trip to New York City did not go exactly as planned, but was still great fun. The drive down took us twice as long as we had thought it would because of major traffic snafus in CT and just north of Manhattan. We decided to drive the 'local route' through the Bronx and got to experience a side of NYC that we had not previously experienced: the STUPIDIST pedestrians on the planet. Really. People would step in front of moving cars, which had the right-of-way, and not even look at them. It was unbelievable. But, if must be the culturally accepted norm for the Bronx, because EVERYONE did it.
By the time we got into Manhattan we had no energy for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, we decided to treat ourselves to this fabulous sushi restaurant a few yards from our hotel near Times Square. I highly recommend Hikata on 48th Street. The fish was melt-in-your-mouth fresh.
On Saturday, we grabbed a quick breakfast at one of the multitudes of Starbucks in town, then headed up to the American Museum of Natural History. Let me just say that I could easily spend three days in that museum and not be bored. The mineral and gem exhibit is fabulous. I also really enjoyed the bird exhibit. We never even got around to the dinosaur exhibit, which the place is supposedly known for. We took in a planetarium show on "Cosmic Collisions". We passed up the new Butterfly Conservatory, which looked fabulous. And, we were a couple of weeks too early for their new exhibit on Water. Yup. Really want to go back.
On Saturday evening we went to Esca. This was the MOST FABULOUS, albeit expensive, dining experience of my life. We made reservations three weeks in advance, and had to accept the less-than-popular 5:30 time slot (which turned out to work great for us). In order to truly appreciate all that the restaurant had to offer, we went with their 'tasting menu' (at $75/person). We also order some wine, which was perfect. We experienced a seven course meal over the course of two plus hours. Our bill was just under $200, on top of which we left a well-earned yet generous 21% tip. My favorites from the meal (beside the wine) were the polenta dish, the seared scallops, and the apple cider sorbet that was part of my dessert. I NEVER order dessert. However, since our meal was spaced out in little courses over such a long period of time, I had room and it was well worth the wait.
Breakfast on Sunday turned out to be an attraction in and of itself. We decided to try this diner a few blocks from our hotel. Ellen's Stardust Diner advertised that it had 'singing waitstaff'. We didn't think much about that, figuring that it was a gimmick that probably didn't apply to breakfast. We were wrong. The waitstaff, like most waitstaff in Manhattan, are all aspiring performers. They get their practice and exposure by singing their way through their meal shifts. I think the longest we went without live song was about five minutes. And, while the staff were singing, they were refilling beverages and leading people to tables. To me, this spoke of their talent. Without missing a beat (literally) they were able to perform as performers and as courteous and professional waitstaff. I wish them all the best. It was unexpected fun (for me, my husband wanted to crawl under the table and have it all go away).
After breakfast, we took in the small but perfect Central Park Zoo. While I am sure the Bronx Zoo has more to see, it was charming to experience a zoological park in the midst of one of the world's most populous major metropolitan areas. The Rain Forest exhibit was the best. The birds were very active, and seemed to take great joy in diving just over the heads of the human visitors. In Central Park, you can truly forget that there is a teeming city of millions just a few hundred yards from the trees and wildlife you are enjoying.
I could never live in such a big city with so many people all the time. However, I truly enjoy NYC as a change-of-pace setting. I look forward to taking another trip. Next time, we'll visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and revisit the American Museum of Natural History. Maybe we'll take in a show.
By the time we got into Manhattan we had no energy for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, we decided to treat ourselves to this fabulous sushi restaurant a few yards from our hotel near Times Square. I highly recommend Hikata on 48th Street. The fish was melt-in-your-mouth fresh.
On Saturday, we grabbed a quick breakfast at one of the multitudes of Starbucks in town, then headed up to the American Museum of Natural History. Let me just say that I could easily spend three days in that museum and not be bored. The mineral and gem exhibit is fabulous. I also really enjoyed the bird exhibit. We never even got around to the dinosaur exhibit, which the place is supposedly known for. We took in a planetarium show on "Cosmic Collisions". We passed up the new Butterfly Conservatory, which looked fabulous. And, we were a couple of weeks too early for their new exhibit on Water. Yup. Really want to go back.
The Star of India
On Saturday evening we went to Esca. This was the MOST FABULOUS, albeit expensive, dining experience of my life. We made reservations three weeks in advance, and had to accept the less-than-popular 5:30 time slot (which turned out to work great for us). In order to truly appreciate all that the restaurant had to offer, we went with their 'tasting menu' (at $75/person). We also order some wine, which was perfect. We experienced a seven course meal over the course of two plus hours. Our bill was just under $200, on top of which we left a well-earned yet generous 21% tip. My favorites from the meal (beside the wine) were the polenta dish, the seared scallops, and the apple cider sorbet that was part of my dessert. I NEVER order dessert. However, since our meal was spaced out in little courses over such a long period of time, I had room and it was well worth the wait.
Breakfast on Sunday turned out to be an attraction in and of itself. We decided to try this diner a few blocks from our hotel. Ellen's Stardust Diner advertised that it had 'singing waitstaff'. We didn't think much about that, figuring that it was a gimmick that probably didn't apply to breakfast. We were wrong. The waitstaff, like most waitstaff in Manhattan, are all aspiring performers. They get their practice and exposure by singing their way through their meal shifts. I think the longest we went without live song was about five minutes. And, while the staff were singing, they were refilling beverages and leading people to tables. To me, this spoke of their talent. Without missing a beat (literally) they were able to perform as performers and as courteous and professional waitstaff. I wish them all the best. It was unexpected fun (for me, my husband wanted to crawl under the table and have it all go away).
After breakfast, we took in the small but perfect Central Park Zoo. While I am sure the Bronx Zoo has more to see, it was charming to experience a zoological park in the midst of one of the world's most populous major metropolitan areas. The Rain Forest exhibit was the best. The birds were very active, and seemed to take great joy in diving just over the heads of the human visitors. In Central Park, you can truly forget that there is a teeming city of millions just a few hundred yards from the trees and wildlife you are enjoying.
I could never live in such a big city with so many people all the time. However, I truly enjoy NYC as a change-of-pace setting. I look forward to taking another trip. Next time, we'll visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and revisit the American Museum of Natural History. Maybe we'll take in a show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
