Saturday

The TdF is underway.

I have no big plans for the day or the weekend. Biking later and then some domestic things. It's supposed to be in the 90's and humid. Welcome to Summer. I've had to turn on the air at my house.

In her column today, Ellen Goodman lashed out at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, an arch-conservative and the only African-American on the high court. Justice Thomas had a very controversial approval hearing when he was appointed in the early '90's. Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee that conducted the hearings leaked information to the press surrounding sexual harassment claims of a former assistant named Anita Hill. He was approved by a narrow margin, but remains a lightening rod for critics of the overall Conservative drift of the Court. It is doubtful if a Caucasian could have withstood the rancor that permeated the Thomas hearings.

Several recent decisions from the Court have been seized upon by the media as concrete evidence that the Bush appointments of Roberts and Alito have shifted the judiciary's bias to the Right. Since most of the mainstream media carry their own bias to the Left, this shift is decried as a further erosion of the rights of the Common Man (or Woman). While some of the decisions can raise blood pressure on their own merits, I think most of the fear on the Left is that there will be a reversal of Roe v. Wade.

There's also been a lot of outcry these days for the Libby commutation. Bill and Hillary even called into a talk show at WHO in Des Moines when they were in Iowa campaigning this week to add their outrage to the cacophony. This is the ultimate of the Pot calling the Kettle black.

For the first time in my immediate family's history, I feel a bit isolated from the girls. With 1 five hours away, and the other three now an ocean and several time zones away, it's a little lonely.

Here's an example of applying rules to the detriment of the what's right. Qualifying for tonight's Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona was rained out after 40 of 54 cars had completed their attempts. Rather than take another hour this morning to allow the other cars to finish the process, NASCAR applied the standard rule of setting the line-up by year-to-date driver/owner standings. This had the result of sending a handful of cars home that had actually qualified pretty high, including the guy who was on the provisional pole.

This action from the same organization that has recently made up rules on the fly to penalize teams who've been messn' with small body modifications on the new COT (Car of Tomorrow). The 24 was about 30th on time, but is starting first because of points. It ain't right. And I'm a 24 fan.

There was an accident yesterday morning on I-80 near IC with a Suburban carrying Pleasant Valley HS softball players on their way to games in DM. A tire blew out and sent the vehicle across the median and into on-coming traffic. Coach Amy was able to steer back into the grass median, but the van flipped in the process. All but one girl were properly seat-belted, but that girl was thrown from the vehicle. No major injuries. Lucky, lucky kids. (How long will it take for an attorney to look at responsibility for the kid who wasn't in her seat belt?)

All from here. Have a great weekend.

Be careful out there.