I think Claire Gordon did a nice job of saying in 976 words what you said in about 300. Kudos to the both of you.

Here’s an article I found this morning. I’m in agreement with it, but I’ll let you judge for yourself. And this author presents her arguments far better than I do.

Prisons Commit Greater Crimes Than Inmates
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24133

That IS an interesting thought. Given our penchant for making money from incessant warfare, can unending incarceration be far behind?

I am working on a “niblet silencer” but am having trouble getting it to work. I’ll keep trying though. No offense to my corny friend but hopefully he’s not as obsessed as Capt. Ahab:

“Speak not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me. Look ye, Starbuck, all visible objects are but as pasteboard masks. Some inscrutable yet reasoning thing puts forth the molding of their features. The white whale tasks me; he heaps me. Yet he is but a mask. ‘Tis the thing behind the mask I chiefly hate; the malignant thing that has plagued mankind since time began; the thing that maws and mutilates our race, not killing us outright but letting us live on, with half a heart and half a lung.” –Melville

Mespo, don’t forget one important thing; all who work in any branch of law enforcement, which means police officers, detectives, corrections officers and prison personnel, prosecutors, criminal court judges and everyone else I didn’t think of make their LIVING from crime. The prison industry has practically become another giant corporation, which depends on more prisonERS to keep it running. Remember JT’s article “The Criminalization of America?” Why is this happening? Why are MORE people being locked up for such ludicrous “offenses?”

I think a very interesting “what if” question to ask anyone in law enforcement would be: “what would you do if ALL crime disappeared tomorrow?” Of course, an average citizen NOT working in law enforcement would be delighted if that wonderful fantasy came true, wouldn’t we. WE would be happy. But would THEY?

Personally, I think the changes to the restitution law(s) are being suggested for a little-known and more chilling reason; to make it EASIER for law enforcement to lock more people up. They’ll NEVER admit that, of course, but it’s hard to ignore what is actually taking place.

We’ve already seen a serious erosion of the Bill of Rights, especially in criminal matters, such as the turning of the Constitutional presumption of innocence on its head. Although it is SUPPOSED to be “innocent until proven guilty,” that is really no longer true, in the majority of cases. Defendants are usually expected to “prove their innocence,” which as any good defense attorney knows is virtually impossible, especially when one has to prove a negative. And if a defendant cannot afford to hire strong and effective legal counsel due to indigent status, that defendant’s chances of being convicted go up dramatically. Which is precisely what police, prosecutors, and pro-prosecution judges and lawmakers want to see. Just my view, of course, but a view based on some very disturbing developments.

The problem for me is that “Countdown” is rapidly becoming predictable and generic; a distressing development for a show that really has its own internal vibe and attitude. I still watch the show every night, but there are times when my interest fades, and I find myself hitting the fast forward button to get through a segment.

The challenge of doing a show like “Countdown” is that when it’s going well, the natural inclination is to fall into a routine. Every day is a scramble to put together guests and topics, and you find yourself falling back on the same familiar faces. And so it is with “Countdown,” which tends to draw its regular guests from a roster of about seven or eight regulars.

Dana Milbank, Jonathan Alter, Rachel Maddow, Eugene Robinson, Maria Milito during “American Idol” season…it’s a guest list any longtime “Countdown” viewer can rattle off pretty quickly. There’s nothing wrong with any of these folks, they all rightfully deserve camera time and attention.

But they’re also appearing on “Countdown” because they tend to reflect Olbermann’s opinions on politics and pop culture, and at some point, it tends to be all a bit intellectually incestuous. The typical conversation consists of Olbermann saying, “Point a, point b and then point c.” Then the guest agrees with all three points, and perhaps brings in point b2 as a way of expanding the conversation. It all has a “Groundhog’s Day” quality to it that I find maddening.

http://allyourtv.com/0708season/theproblemwithcountdown.html

p.s. mespo, surely there’s a razor/handle thingamajig YOU can reinvent

Did you ever notice how many words you can make out of ‘niblet’? I get Lib Net (and bile).

So, maybe he’s a fly fisherman who spends his days tying flies. Don’t bite. You’re the Whopper he wants to land…

Seriously now, do you believe this foolishness you spew of are you just a contrarian by temperament?

You just don’t get it Turley. Anybody with a degree can come up with a 20 minute speech that says that doing nothing is better than trying.

What America wants is someone to pay them for their damages. If even 1 out of 5 get something back from the jerks that cause them a loss, that is better than nothing.