I just got back from lunch at The Odeon with James, Scott, and Andy — too much wine so this won’t be eloquent. Andy asked me why I started doing a blog apart from my current, more “public” web presence, and I think it’s because of what David Drake referred to as “free floating rage”. I started with shoulderchip rather than this page, because I had some things to say about the way the world is being run today.

A little bit of shoulderchip is about the Middle East, but a lot of it is about the theocracy that America has become. The current administration didn’t even win a majority, and they’re acting as if they got 90% of the vote. They don’t care what people think. All they have to say is that this is a war to protect our civilization, and the sheep that pass for the media and the public say, “OK”.

As Choire says — what should we be doing? I don’t post to shoulderchip that often these days, because I’m feeling pretty apathetic about changing anything. I was never a great activist, but I feel really impotent these days.

So what’s the answer?

Men’s Cookie exchanges — a trend?

Wow – at the rate the world is moving, the USA will have more in common with autocracies/theocracies in the Middle East than the rest of the West:

Police back softer line on drug users

Police chiefs say they would have a better chance of winning the war on drugs if addicts were given treatment instead of punishment.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) also believes it would be better to adopt a more relaxed stance towards people caught with small amounts of cannabis.

ACPO unveiled its proposals in a report, carried out by its influential drugs committee, saying in some circumstances, treatment should be considered instead of prosecution.

Lottery officials settle Big Game dispute

New Jersey lottery officials said Monday that the person due one-third of the $331 million prize will be revealed Tuesday — and it won’t be anyone from an office pool that claimed to have the winning ticket. They ended up with $2 after a dispute that involved two lawyers and a lottery review.
…
Marquez’s lawyer, Donald DiGoia, said the co-workers suspected Marquez had the winning ticket because he called in sick for three days with the flu after the April 16 drawing.

But this is the best part:

“It’s a bittersweet day, to say the least,” said Anthony H. Guerino, an attorney who represented 10 workers. “They’ve always been a spiritual group. I could see them deflate.”