Why we have courts...

...instead of media convictions. Google News still shows more than 2,000 articles on the supposed JonBenet Ramsey killer - a man the Colorado DA says they had "no concrete evidence beyond the rambling confessions" for bringing in. What a ridiculous waste of energy.

Are we winning?

When a foiled terror plot leads to substantial news coverage, a lot of talking heads fear-mongering, and even greater security restrictions on flights, are we letting the terrorists have their day?

The latest terror threat has led to the banning of liquids on planes, despite chemists continued assertions of the miniscule threat. And of course, it has racheted up the fear factor in boarding a plane.

Here's a question: if the War on Terror simply increases the population's fear of terror, then have we already lost? Is victory the bliss of ignorance of terror, the security of freedom from terror, or somewhere in between?

Not a nation, a Congress divided

Abortion, prescription drug imports, and gay marriage might create stark divisions in Congress, but the picture in the broader electorate is a little more muted.

A freefall of respect for college football

It's one thing to have a team like UW beat the snot out of San Diego State, but it's quite another thing to realize that most major division I-A programs essentially buy their weak schedule. Lame!

Things that make you shiver

Pedophiles love the internet, as it allows them to find like-minded people to help them rationalize their deviant behavior. Apparently this community of sins has also developed their own "secret" signs, including jewelry and web images. If you see these, it might be time to send the FBI a tip or at the very least, keep your kids away!

Once again, kill the messenger

The big news this week is that a federal judge struck down the NSA's domestic wiretapping program, calling for its immediate cessation. While the President responded with arguments about the need to combat terrorism, the Republican Party immediately set out to discredit the judge's opinion, rather than dispute the legal facts: "Republicans said the decision was the work of a liberal judge advancing a partisan agenda."

You have your appeal, use it. Losers are so much uglier when they throw a tantrum on the way down.

Maintaining life's little escapes

For those of you languishing in office jobs where supervision is a lot like preschool, here's a nifty way to find a few free moments in your day. Just surf to workFriendly and type in a web address and, voila, you can be reading about Lance Bass in People in no time, with the boss none the wiser. I especially like the "Boss Key," which changes your webpage to a document of inspirational statements on work with just a mouseover.