Rants and Petty Annoyances

Petty annoyance of the day:

People who walk down the street with cell phones screwed to their ears annoy me.

People who walk down the street with hands free phones, waving their arms, and talking at the top of their lungs (maybe the hands free thing brings that on) – well they just freak me right the fuck out. Used to be people walking down the street waving their arms and screeching at the top of their lungs were deeply disturbed individuals. Now, well, I guess they still are.

Dear people with hands free phones (or with regular cells), believe me I. DON’T. WANT. TO. KNOW. Really. Your stories are of no interest to me unless they involve good food and/or kinky sex. Perhaps a list of really good wines to try out would also be acceptable. Otherwise: BASTA!!

Rant of the day:

Charles Guité who, along with others involved in the sponsorship fraud, embezzled a couple of million* of the Canadian taxpayers hard earned dollars was sentenced yesterday. He got three and a half years.

Not that he’ll spend three and a half years in prison. No. Seven months will be about it because in 1996, the Canadian government, in its infinite wisdom, voted a law saying that after having done 1/6th of your sentence, you were free to go (Oh, and the time spent in prison while waiting for your sentence and trial and all that count). I can’t help but wonder if perhaps it was a way of saving themselves if and when their time came. The question begs an answer: Why 1/6th? Why not 1/10th? Why not simply say, OK, you're sentenced to 10 years, but hey, why don't you just go on home now and be a good person**. And why don't judges now give out sentences that take into account the fact that people are out after seven months of a three year sentence?

Of course, the light sentence is understandable. I mean c’mon people, it’s a victimless crime! No one was hurt. Never mind that millions of dollars we worked really hard to give the government are down the drain – actually each and every government could probably be tried for embezzlement for the money they waste. But hell, it’s not their money so what the fuck.

Guy Cloutier*** spent 10 years molesting at least two underage children. He got 42 months also, and the 1/6th rule applies. The only way to get out of the 1/6th rule is if you can prove the person is a threat to society (i.e. Karla Homolka who did her complete 12 years).

Ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case. If you know any criminals, send them to us. It's easy livin' here in the land of snow and slush.



* Yes, I know, our scandals are pathetically small. Canadians are too nice for Enron.

** Actually, they do this quite a lot. They're big into house arrest now. Cheaper I guess, saves taxpayers money. Gotta love the paradox.

*** Doesn't it just figure that the only English article I found on this was in Wikipedia. I love Wikipedia (for the record though, I didn't spend hours searching).