The Law Won

Every Snowflake in an Avalanche Pleads Not Guilty

Who, Me? Uh, uh. Well, Maybe. Ok, I did it: We’ve all heard the old saw that nobody in prison is innocent. Sometimes it proves to be true. DNA analysis and student lawyers often research old cases to determine if “the lady doth protest too much” or if the criminal is guilty. We hear about the few that are overturned but rarely about the guilty.

Is justice delayed really justice denied?: We often hear of somebody who committed a crime but somehow escaped the long arm of the law for years or even decades then is captured. Sara Jane Olsen became caught up in the SLA – a radical group from the 1970s. But she apparently discovered the error of her ways, changed her name, and lived a model life for 24 years before being caught and sentenced. A man from Las Vegas was convicted for a crime and walked away and lived life on the lam as an ideal husband and father for decades before being found out. If the purpose of prison is to rehabilitate and somebody is becomes a model citizen outside the prison gates, who wins?

Peek-a-boo, I see you: An old joke tells about professional skier Picabo (pronounced “Peek-a-boo”) Street donating a hospital wing that was named in her honor – Peek-a-boo ICU. But real peekers have sneaked into the personal files of presidential candidates. Passportgate broke this morning when it was revealed that several workers had spied into passport files of Barack Obama as many as three times. Another, proving he was a fair if unbalanced peeping Tom also scanned the files of Senator McCain. Hillary Clinton’s files were compromised. It reminds me of the Richard Nixon line when he said he knew he would be under a microscope while serving but did not expect to be examined by a proctoscope.

Smoke ‘em or smash ‘em: Las Vegas is said to have some of the most bizarre drivers anywhere. One reason might be due to the fact that everybody drives by the rules back home. But today the pipe dream of a trucker became a pipe nightmare for commuters. Seems that a semi hauling pipes was minding its own business in I-15 when some hibilly ran into it causing the truck to depipe. Result? 14 vehicles involved in six crashes. That’s some piping!

Quick! Think of Las Vegas: What is first thing that comes to mind? Lights. All those lights. One can read a newspaper at midnight. But somebody blew a fuse, or more accurately a transformer, that thrust four major hotels into electric limbo. Elevators stopped, lights went out, and most importantly, slot machines stopped spinning. Well, maybe not the slots. But at 8:00 p.m. or so until 9:30 we were reminded that we really are a desert community dependent on electricity.

A little blogging music Maestro: Anything by the Electric Light Orchestra.

Dr. Forgot

Bet on It

Dry, Straight Up, or On the Rocks

Lights dim to in Vegas? Dam bad news: A study released recently by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla predicts that within eight years there is a 50-50 chance that water levels in Lake Mead will have receded to the point that it is impossible to generate hydroelectric power. If it proves true not only will the Valley of the Dollars and famous Strip be effected but few realize that the lion’s share of the power generated by Lake Mead turbines goes to Southern California.

The Colorado river which flows into Lake Mead currently operates at a deficit of one million acre-feet of water per year. That amount serves the needs of eight million people. Rather bet on a long shot? The same experts predict a 10 percent chance the lake will dry up within six years and a 50-50 chance the lake will disappear and the Colorado River will become a dry gulch in about a dozen years.

Take my poodle… please: Ever watched those silly dogs prancing around in circles leading their masters and mistresses by the leash? Each year mutts of every uppity description drag their doting owners to the Westminster Kennel Club annual dog show in New York. The canines tolerate their humans and indulge them in allowing for all sorts of grooming, stroking, coaxing, and making absolute asses of themselves (the people, not the dogs) as they prance around the track with their charges.

If you are not steely enough to bet on whether or not Lake Mead will dry up and Las Vegas will return to real desert landscaping in a few years, perhaps a canine wager is your cup of tea. If you happen to meander into the nearest casino sports book – the Wynn for one – you are now able to prognosticate on the odds can be found among those of basketball, hockey, and horse racing winners. Buss your beagle, pick your poodle, sidle up to your shepherd, or cheer for your chow. The televised dog contest was moved from USA to CNBC so as not to conflict with “WWE Monday Night Raw.” Must be quite a spillover between the two audiences.

My mortgage has fallen and it can’t get up: It is no news flash that the real estate market is down and foreclosures are up. Rates are down but repos are up. Feds want to help but aren’t sure how so mortgage holders have gotten step with the frigid weather and have decided to freeze foreclosures for now. Project Lifeline as it is called, will meet with seriously overdue mortgagees and try to work out a plan to help them keep their homes. Three cheers for the companies who have agreed to the plan. They may be a day late and their borrowers a dollar short, but it is a start.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Home is Where the Heart Is” by Elvis.

Dr. Forgot