Following the story of the first trial in the gruesome murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, one small quote from the defendant spurred some thoughts on a tangent:

"Walking up and down main street of Ridgebrook (Apartments), just drinking, smoking and drinking and smoking weed, that’s all I do every day," he said.

"I may go to Labor Ready occasionally so I can get a little more buzz money."

Labor Ready has two offices in Knoxville, both in parts of town where I wouldn’t want to stop for much of any reason.  That doesn’t matter though; what I wondered was, how many companies will continue to do business with Labor Ready, now knowing that at least one of the contract employees (how many more?) take the jobs for "buzz money" in between days filled with "drinking and smoking weed" because that’s what they "do every day?"  I wish I knew which businesses did business with Labor Ready, because I’d like to avoid them.

The Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday appears to clear the way for executions via lethal injection to continue, but I can’t help thinking, that’s too easy an end for someone who did something as horrible as this.  I know that’s wrong, and that the death penalty isn’t supposed to be revenge, but this crime represents the very worst of humanity.

There isn’t much question in my mind that this was a hate crime, but it doesn’t really matter — the crime itself warrants punishment far more harsh than any penalty for "hate."  How can we assign penalties to an emotion?

Thank goodness I got my sewing machine back yesterday, more than a week earlier than estimated.  Busy hands are a good thing.

Sunday’s post, entitled "Winds of Change," contained (among other things) a gripe about someone who started a blog with a name that might reasonably lead folks to believe we’re part of a parenting partnership.  This morning, Joel pointed out to me in the comments that "Winds of Change" is the name of another blog — albeit one that I had never seen.

Thus, I expend an apology to the authors there, Joe Katzman and Armed Liberal, for any infringement on their name.  It was unintentional.  It’s good reading, too — just for a taste of the style, here’s Armed Liberal’s snapshot of why he likes Barack Obama:

Look, part of my view of Obama is that he’s a post ’68-er; he grew up on the other side of the shockwave that split American politics, and as a consequence there’s a chance that he can find new frameworks to understand issues and create policies that aren’t entirely driven by the relatively stupid positions taken by my cohort back when we were smoking a lot of pot and working out our anger issues with out parents.

It’s probably healthy for any of us to give some thought to why we frame our issues and positions as we do, and whether that framework is appropriate for today, rather than the time at which we first developed an awareness of politics.

Yesterday, I aired my gripe about the advent of a new blog under the name "Citizen Netdad."  As of this morning, the blogspot has been removed.  Apparently, no ill will was intended, and the fellow is willing to come up with a new name.

Civility in cyberspace — what a novel concept!  I really appreciate the prompt response, and once I learn what his new site will be called, I’ll link to it. 

It was a shock to learn this morning that VolunteerVoters is no more, with Kleinheider falling to budget cuts at WKRN.  Reading through the many comments, it’s clear that this is a blow to the blogosphere across the state.

If anyone needed more evidence that the economy really has fallen through the outhouse floor, there it is.

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I also learned this morning that someone has started up a new local blog under the heading Citizen Netdad.  My husband has talked about doing so for better than a year, but I’ve always dissuaded him… he needs his own identity.  So for anyone who stumbles across it and wonders, no, Citizen Netdad is no relation to me — and certainly is not my hubby.  HWTFM has procured a domain name, but hasn’t put anything up yet.

In case you’re wondering, the missing link is intentional.  I’m still in a tiff over the blatant ripoff of a name so similar to my own.

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The Oak Ridge Schools’ draft budget for next year should be arriving sometime this week, so stay tuned in the coming days for some more useful posting on that subject.  Also, we have a German exchange student arriving on Wednesday, so that should liven up things at home for a few weeks.

Through these last cold, dark days of winter, I’ve nearly finished Beta’s quilt top (in preparation for her leaving for college next summer), have begun work on a prom dress for Gamma, and finished Delta’s Easter dress yesterday.  All the hearth and home stuff hasn’t left a lot of time for writing, but I’ve gone through several excellent books on my iPod.  Listening isn’t as much fun as reading, but it’s hard to read and sew/drive/cook at the same time.

This was very cool:

I’ve occasionally pondered the plight of adopted children, who may or may not wonder about their birth families.  Never — not once — had I ever thought about this possibility.

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On an unrelated note, I realize I haven’t done so well with my New Year’s resolution to write more often, and of greater substance.  However, with the beginning of the legislative session and the school budget process picking up steam, I expect to do better soon.