Ian & Sylvia -- Darcy Farrow

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Restitution

I've long and often wondered why restitution doesn't figure more heavily in our criminal justice system.

I suppose that one reason is that it simply can't -- some crimes can't be restituted for. Here's a case in point.

To summarize, a woman name of Catherine McKay got loaded, ran a stop sign and caused the death of a family of four. How does one ever make restitution for such a crime? -- one can't.

And yet, and yet, I still can't see what a ten-year prison sentence accomplishes, aside from presenting the taxpayer with a huge bill for food and shelter for the convict.

Even though I can't propose a better way, the thought won't leave me that there has to be one.

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Solar Impulse Completes Historic Round-The-World Flight

Here's the story.

It was an amazing project, and sincere congratulations are in order to everyone involved.

That said, I have great difficulty in seeing this as the future of aviation.

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LCBO Launches Online Sales Of Beer, Wine, Cider, Spirits

Here's the story.

Who can now deny that every day, in every way, life in Ontario just keeps getting better and better, if you have money to burn.

Canada Post's delivery fee per $50.00 minimum order will be $12.00 plus tax. 'Looks reasonable to me; what's not to like?

At the rate that things keep improving in Ontario, there'll soon be no problems left to solve.

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Eric Burdon And The Animals -- Tobacco Road

One of my all-time favourite songs:

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Teresa Brewer -- Old Man Mose

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Tom Waits -- Goodnight Irene

Absolutely the finest rendition of "Goodnight Irene" in existence, in this or any other universe.

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Eric Burdon And The Animals -- When I Was Young

I certainly don't mean to imply anything autobiographical by way of this post; I just love Eric Burdon's work.

If I had tears in me, it would move me to shed them.


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On Coming To Grips With Futility

In Taki's Magazine today there's an essay by Theodore Dalrymple titled "Mankind Is Stuffed".

That's hardly the most propitious essay title I've ever encountered, but the piece turns out to be oddly heartening.

To briefly summarize Mr. Dalrymple's theme, the idea is that most of what you and I and everyone else on God's Earth desires and does is pointless and futile, so get over it and get on with it; it's what we have.

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