Charlie's Books

Charlie's Books
Buon Giorno, Amici!

Our motto ...

Leave the (political) party. Take the cannoli.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." Nelson Mandela

Right now 6 Stella crime novels are available on Kindle for just $.99 ... Eddie's World has been reprinted and is also available from Stark House Press (Gat Books).

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Items: Roger Clemens ... Casey Anthony ... the Debt Ceiling ...

Amici:

Item #1: Roger Clemens ... most of yous know I’m a purest when it comes to sports (in general) and have no use for anybody who engaged in taking steroids to either prolong or enhance their careers (in whatever sport). But come on already. Seriously, our friggin’ Congress has nothing better to do? They are going to put this arrogant asshole on trial at our expense for what exactly? The Congress can’t be lied to? Tell it to Goldman Sachs, the Presidents (past and future) and anybody else who finds themselves looking for something they can’t get by telling the truth. One can only wonder how much this fiasco will cost us and what benefit it will reap. Clemens has already gone down as dirt in the minds of most baseball fans. Hopefully he’ll never get inside the hall of fame, but he probably will ... but really, this is important enough to waste our money and time on?

Item #2: Casey Anthony ... I guess Doc felt the same as most about Casey Anthony’s acquittal on all charges, but it does seem to make sense that she shouldn’t have been charged with 1st degree murder and/or murder at all. Do I think she killed her kid? Yep, there’s no doubt in my mind (based on the circumstantial evidence), but I’m not content to whack somebody on such evidence (especially when it comes down to how she acted--guilty as sin, no doubt--but {and it’s a big but}, there’s no direct evidence linking her to her daughter’s actual death (be it murder or the nonsensical drowning her attorneys floated). Regarding negligent homicide or manslaughter, that I’d have to consider with much more focus than what CNN or whackjob Nancy Grace presented.

How she avoided the child endangerment/child abuse charge(s) is the real mystery to me. That’s where the tattoo and the partying while the kid was missing, complicated by all the lies about the same seem to, at the very least, suggest she wasn’t concerned about the welfare of her daughter. The circumstantial evidence on those charges was more than enough for me--la vita bella? Really?

Then again, as pointed out by attorney/author J.D. Rhoades in response to a comment on his site, the state laws and the charge by the judge may have had more to do with her getting off the hook than the evidence permitted. Me, I would’ve found her guilty of something more substantial than lying to the police, but I wasn’t on the jury.

In any event, that was one tragic affair made all the more tragic by the sensationalism of the media hype. The sad truth is there are far too many similar cases that go under the radar in communities much less affluent or in situations must less ratings worthy for the media to exploit; cases where kids die from neglect where nobody is watching (or caring).

So it goes ...

Item #3: Debt Ceiling/Republicans ... what an obstinate bunch, eh? They smell blood in the water on bringing down the economy/protecting their rich buddies (not that the Dems don’t bend over for the same people), and they know that their incredibly weak presidential field can’t beat the INCOMPETENT ONE in 2012, so they’re going to take their ball out of the game so everybody (but the rich) lose yet again ($700 billion wasn’t enough). How either of these two parties continue to get the support of the American public is beyond believable anymore, but this incredibly naive move by the GOP to hold the country hostage will no doubt kick them in the ass (much the same way the Iraq war ultimately did) when the smoke finally clears and we’re in the depths of depression. The upside to all this, as third parties and anarchists loom in the background, is ... things usually have to hit rock bottom before revolutionary changes occur.

On that note, both sides feel free to run to your respective (at least rhetorically) polar positions and let the country continue to slide down the tubes ... let anarchy ring.

Substitute Anarchy for Milk ... it’s what’s for dinner ... or coming soon to a theatre near you ...

—Knucks