OK, so I live in DC. Which means that I get to see political ads from Maryland and Virginia. There's a candidate in the Virginia governor's race who apparently doesn't believe that the death penalty is justice. His opponent is using this as the basis for an attack ad, using grieving relatives of crime victims to tug at our heartstrings and make us cry out for justice. (It's such an obvious tactic, it's kind of insulting, actually) What they don't seem to understand is that this makes me want the other guy to win. Because I don't believe the death penalty is justice, or moral. It's vengeance, which makes people feel better, but it doesn't make us safer, it doesn't make us more civilized people, it doesn't bring the dead back, it doesn't act as a deterrent and it basically doesn't do anything to actually further the cause of justice, it merely makes the system appear tough. The problem is that the death penalty is almost never given to people who confess, as they make deals and get life in prison. It's those who plead not guilt and who are convicted that are sentenced to death. And it costs us all lots of money in appeals. And it costs us all in goodness too. When I was a child, I saw some tv movie about someone who was falsely convicted of a murder he didn't commit. I don't remember much about it, other than that he was black and some of it was racially motivated, and that it left me with the thought that if it's possible to mistakenly convict someone, that means that it's possible to wrongfully execute someone, which basically makes the state a murderer.
On top of that, it makes the argument that some lives are worth more than others. And they're not. All lives should be equal before the law. I know that sometimes it's not that simple, that sometimes we have to decide between two lives, and we make choices, based on any number of things. But in principle, if we believe that life is sacred, that means all life is sacred. Christians who advocate the death penalty seem to forget a few things: Jesus was a victim of capital punishment, we are called not to judge others, and we can all be forgiven. The death penalty is a statement that we believe people to be beyond redemption. Which, for a Christian would seem to defeat the central tenet of the faith, since Christ's death is supposed to redeem us all, so we can't be beyond redemption, and if we are beyond redemption, then his death on the cross was just another one of billions of historical examples of needless violent deaths. For those of us who aren't Christians, the death penalty should be similarly morally and ethically abhorrent. One of the fundamental philosophies of the American experience is that we all can have a second chance, and raise ourselves up. Beyond that, if we are using capital punishment to punish those who take the lives of innocents, but yet we cannot guarantee that those we execute are guilty, we are hypocrites of the worst order. It's brutal punishment, and it's not befitting a land that claims to be a land that celebrates justice. We criticize those nations that exact other forms of corporal punishment, but yet we do it too. Our president claims that he wants us to have a culture of life, but yet he was governor of the state that executed the most people of any state in the union. That's a culture of revenge, not life.
Every Sunday at my church we say that we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and that we are called to express our faith through acts of justice and compassion. The death penalty is neither just nor compassionate.

~ I'm not telling you this one.  When I use lyrics from new/obscure songs, I'll educate you.  Songs like this, that are older than most of my readers, you have to guess.  At the end of the year, the person w/ the most right guesses will get... something.

I took my entire CD collection to work today, as I was getting sick of listening to the same cds over and over, no matter how good they are.  Listened to the "Once More With Feeling" CD, and had very inappropriate workday thoughts about Giles and Spike.  Then I listened to Newsies and had inappropriate thoughts about Christian Bale.*edit: They were also inappropriate thoughts to be having before 9 AM. 

Ok, this in random, but who invented the butterfly stroke? It's like the least efficient swimming storke in the world.  What is it good for aside from racing?  Nothing, as far as I can tell.  It's energy intensive and doesn't get you nearly as far as you should go for that much energy.  (Which is a good way to define inefficient).  (I'm watching the Olympics, if you couldn't guess)  The backstroke, now that's a quality stroke (plus now it's the men, and althetic boys w/o shirts.  mmmm And they don't wear those tiny speedos anymore, which I'm a fan of.)

Anyway, work is boring and dull, but goes by quickly.  I ennabled the sound card on the computer last week and moved the CPU so that I can put CDs in it more easily and so that the headphones reach from the computer to my head.  Typing in numbers and updating account info isn't very concentration intense, but when you listen to good music, it's suprising how much you get done and how quickly the day passes.  And using the comp. means I'm not eating batteries up like crazy.  So that's that.

After work, I went to the gym.  It was time for my monthly weight/measurement check.  I haven't lost any weight, but I have supposedly lost inches (which I believe, I can see/feel it).  But, my bust has apparently grown in the two months I've been going to Curves.  I don't need that to grow.  It's probably got to do w/ building pec muscles and maybe not sagging enough and slight differences in placement of the tape and body parts (different bras and whatnot) but still.  Of course, I haven't been eating well, and I've missed a bunch of workouts lately b/c of the apt. hunting.  So, whatever.

Then, after dinner, Dad and I went shopping.  I got a bed in a bag set, sheets (soooo soft, I want clothes made out of them) lamps, towels, and a mattress pad.  With the excception of the mattress pad, everything is of course, in shades of blue.  The towels and one set of sheets are being washed as we speak, and then will be packed away to go onto the new bed. 

Speaking of beds, the boy's living arrangements in Italy apparently don't allow overnight guests.  Which I kinda get, but that's annoying, a) b/c they're adults and b) b/c now I can't crash at his place if/when I go visit.  Oh well.  We'l figure something out....

I think that's it for now.  Just watching the Olympics and hanging out.

Mild revision on the butterfly.  I hate swimming it, and think it's useless, but I think that the fact that the camera moves while the swimmers move makes it look even less efficient than it is, b/c you don't see how much progress each stroke makes.  And it's partly based on the way dolphins swim, and they're mammals and aqautic, so copying them should make sense...  Whatever.

</rant> One last rant.  From a Budweiser commercial.  Why in the name of all that is logical and holy would you drink Budweiser (American Budweiser) while in Europe?  Why pay for what is imported beer over there, where they actually make good beer to drink lousy American beer, and advertise to everyone that you are a stupid American w/ no taste?  Half the point of Europe is the good alchohol that is cheaper than soda.  The other half is the cool art/architecture/history and whatnot.  And parts are the awesome chocolate and the good public transit.  Ok. </rant>

Ok, so I'm going to write about a particular pet peeve of mine.  People who don't know how to behave in the theater.  This is particularly bad in movie theaters, though sometimes the behavior carries over into live theater.  You DO NOT TALK during a movie.  Ok, you may talk, but only if you have an emergency, a particlarly witty observation, or a valid question, and it must be spoken QUIETLY, DIRECTLY into the ear of your filmgoing companion.  Understood?  I say this because I have friends who do not understand this, and many other people in the theater do not understand.  The ONLY time that this rule does not apply is when the only people in the theater are you and your party, and they do not mind.   If I can hear you when your mouth is not facing my ear, you are TOO LOUD.  This pet peeve has nothing really to do with my lack of desire to talk to you, so much as my attempt to obey the golden rule.  You know how annoying it is when the guy two rows back won't shut up, or the old lady in front of you keeps asking the lady in the seat next to her "who's that?" and "what'd he say?" Well, you're just as annoying to everyone else in the theater when you talk.  So don't do it.  I don't care if there's no dialouge at the moment- perhaps it's a dramatic silence, or maybe it's an engaging action sequence (we're hoping the movie isn't terrible here). Don't ask me what's going to happen, even if I've seen the movie, b/c I obviously either don't know, or found out by watching it the first time, and so will you.  If you're still confused afterwards, then I'll be happy to explain (assuming I understood).  If you really missed what someone said, I'll whisper in your ear.  If something really funny pops into your head, by all means, whisper it in my ear.  If you're annoyed b/c the film isn't exactly like the book, we can kvetch about it later.  If you think you know what's gonna happen, or what's in the box, or whatever, that's great, we're glad you're playing along at home.  But if the movie's good, chances are your wrong.  Chances are also that the filmmaker wanted you to think what you think and got everyone else in the audience to get it too, so you don't need to help us along.  Are we all following the message here?

Some of this doesn't apply to watching movies at home, b/c there aren't other people in the audience and b/c you can rewind. 

Along with my golden rule theme- don't stand in doorways or the middle of hallways chatting.  Move out of the way, b/c you don't want to be that group of people who are so rude that you block passage for everyone else in the building.  Trust me, you don't.