Dancing and Ranting

I'm rapidly falling asleep, so I better make this snappy.

This morning, as I was leaving from work and driving by my new house, I stopped to admire the technique of the brick layers. The had scaffolding up and they were working on the right side of the garage, near the roof. They had several people working there, but one of the guys was literally throwing bricks to another guy working near the roof. I wouldn't want bricks flying toward me, but I suppose you get used to it. Everything was looking very nice.

I ate outside for lunch again and it was pleasantly windy, but not quite as idyllic as yesterday. Most people were even busier today, so I was only joined by one co-worker.

I left on the early side (for me), 5:30pm. I needed to rush home and eat Chinese food before going to a "Belly Dancing Hafla" in downtown Hillsborough. One of my friends, AMF, has gotten into belly dancing in the last year or two and her class has what are effectively recitals once in a while. This was the second one that I've attended. It's been pretty interesting. The music is great and the costumes are very elaborate. AMF did a great job, performing a veil dance and a lively gypsy dance. It just amazes me that these women can perform in very revealing costumes (AMF's was comparatively conservative), remember their choreography and not trip, all while doing abdominal contortions. One nine year old, the daughter of the instructor, did a brief performance with a sword balanced on her head the whole time. That had to take a lot of practice.

So, Martha Stewart was convicted today. As I've been ranting to whomever would listen, I think the fact that she will almost certainly be facing prison time is just wrong. She, like many people who have committed financial crimes, is absolutely no danger to society. Wouldn't it make more sense to make such a person do a large amount of community service? So many violent criminals get nothing more than a slap on the wrist and yet they are going to lock Martha Stewart up. It's ridiculous. Yes, she may have lied to federal investigators. Our president lied to the American people. How many Iraqi civilians and American soldiers have been killed due to Martha's dishonesty?