housing prices

As Shane points out, The Economist agrees with Terrence about housing prices. Someday I may be in a position to look for a house to buy and I certainly hope I don't have to face the ridiculous prices of today's market.

Comedic Intelligence Agency

Porter Goss, Chief Comedian of the CIA announced that they have "an excellent idea where [bin Laden] is", but are being held up in their attempts to capture him by the US's respect for sovereign nations. I'll stop laughing sometime tomorrow.

don't blame california

Numerous reporters, commentators, bloggers and other spectators have poked fun at California over the recent jury decision in the Michael Jackson trial. The popular notion is that California juries are soft on celebrities Michael Jackson or OJ Simpson. I would point out that in general most celebrities get off the hook and a great number of celebrities are in California. This is a common logical fallacy of mixing up correlation and causation. In fact, California does convict celebrities. Winona Ryder and numerous rap artists can attest to that. One reason the celebrity acquittal rate is so high is that good lawyers know when and how to plea bargain. Thus, many California celebrities never see a jury at all; such as Robert Downey Jr and Christian Slater.

Other states also let celebrities off as well. Florida has let R Kelly off multiple times. Mike Tyson is sometimes given as an example of a non-California celebrity who was convicted but Tyson beat the charges far more often than getting nailed by them. Tyson is also too stupid and stubborn to bargain and his crimes are brazen, obvious, and horrible (violent rape) which makes them very hard to dodge. Another example sometimes given is Martha Stewart who was sentenced to 5 months. But, I would have you remember that the jury actually did acquit her of the most serious charge; leaving her with a mere slap on the wrist for stealing $30,000. Martha also messed with the wrong people, the SEC. Big money. And she still mostly got away with it. Jackson and OJ's victims were no-names left only to be avenged by an incompetent DA. At most one could say that California celebrity criminals are smarter about which crimes they commit and who they chose to represent them in court.

The idea that California jurors are stupider or more gullible than their counterparts in other states is ridiculous. Weak-minded fools are found everywhere in all 50 states. And in every state they stand a good chance of being selected for jury duty. Don't criticize Californians just because the stupid acquittals here are higher profile.

i promise to find the real molester

Well, now that Michael Jackson's jury has cleared him of guilt perhaps they can explain their theory of what actually happened. In particular I'm sure they have interesting explanations for the following:

1. Why the boy's underwear turned up in bathroom of Jackson's daughter (matching the underwear the boy said was removed from his body by Jackson).
2. How the boy's fingerprints ended up on the pornographic magazine, Barely Legal, found in Michael Jackson's bedroom, along side Jackson's prints.

To say that Jackson is innocent (at least of lewd acts) is to say that there is some legitimate excuse for this. I'd just like to know what the jury think it is.

I also want to know why the jury believed that Jackson's testimony was truthful despite having been proved perjurous on the point that the boy had never been in his personal bedroom—in contrast to fingerprint evidence. And why the jury believed that the boy's testimony was inaccurate despite the findings of the police raid backing up much of the boy's story—such as the alcohol found in Jackson's bathroom and the boy's underwear.

I wish jury exit interviews were mandatory.

kat's new meme

Things I find incredibly sexy about the opposite sex. In no particular order.

1. black boots
2. intelligence
3. tall and slender
4. holds her own in a debate
5. likes to rock climb
6. nose or lip piercings
7. short hair
8. big eyes
9. small lips
10. small nose
    
11. fishnet
12. fearlessness
13. hair dyed weird colors
    
14. honesty
15. toned legs and arms
16. likes animals (bonus for owns a big dog)
17. smooth skin
18. adventurous
    
19. knee-high boots (possibly military style)
    
20. long straight hair in a pony tail
    
21. good at math and science
22. see-through sleeves
    
23. likes industrial (bonus for dances well)
    
24. a bare neck
25. wears my clothes around the house
    
26. politically aware
27. citrus perfumes
    
28. drives fast
29. wears black
    
30. enjoys the outdoors
31. patient learner
    
32. well travelled
33. shampoo that leaves nice smelling hair
34. strong vocabulary
35. handy with power tools
    
36. good grammar (yes, I'm weird)
37. can argue philosophy
    
38. combat boots
39. knows how to solve a Rubik's cube
    

More to come as I think of them.