Miscellanea

I've been, unfortunately, terribly busy, sick, and otherwise occupied.  When that occurs this one man show suffers.  As a result, you get what you see.  So here are a few brief thoughts as I try to catch up on everything I've been missing lately.

• Good pitching beats good hitting.  The White Sox today had all of the good hitting and the good pitching, and as a result came away with a 14-2 win.  Jose Contreras has been the Pale Hose' best pitcher the last 6 weeks; Matt Clement has not been that for the Red Sox.  Small consolation: there are four more games.
• Congratulations, Harriet Miers.  In the interest of consistency, and the fact that I think I was right earlier, SCOTUS appointments are about 1) who the president chooses and 2) that person's qualifications.  Not their politics.  Not how they'll rule on certain issues (cough ... ahem... abortion...cough).  Not about whether they're a conservative, a liberal or a moderate.  We elect the president to discern if the person chosen will follow the judicial philosophy that he said he would look for.  I would like them to be consistent in their application of constitutional principles, something Sandra Day O'Connor was not.  Some conservatives have their undies in a bunch over her conservative bona fides.  Harry Reid suggested her, for cryin' out loud.  But that shouldn't derail her, just like perceived conservatism of John Roberts shouldn't have - and didn't - derail him.  Her qualifications, on the other hand ...
• There's ample evidence that Ronnie Earle's Quixotic quest for the head of Tom Delay is political retribution.  The latest?  A new indictment - this one finally alleging a crime - obtained from a brand new grand jury less than 12 hours after it had been convened and after a prior grand jury, studying the charges for a much longer period of time, declined to indict on that charge.

I'll have more to say on many topics when the workload lightens.  When that will be I have no idea.  In the meantime visit the 'Friends of Giacomo', who will certainly enlighten and entertain you.