Roper v. Simmons / Lundgen v. Artner
Topic: Miscellaneous
First, I'm thrilled with the announcement today of the Supreme Court's narrow decision to ban the execution of minors. I don't understand why in any case minors are tried as adults--proponents say the severity of the crime somehow warrants it, but the more severe the crime, the graver the consequences, which means age is all the more significant. You can't vote or buy cigarettes or serve in the military but you can be executed? I don't think so, and neither does the rest of the civilized world. Some noteable exceptions are IRAN, CHINA, SAUDI ARABIA, and PAKISTAN. And probably N. Korea. Of course, the only states in the US that have done this are VIRGINIA, TEXAS, and OKLAHOMA, which I guess are the Pakistan Iran and Saudi Arabia of America. That's why they tried Lee Malvo, sniper child, in VA instead of MD. And Texas should have a fucking scimitar on its state flag. Listen to this bitch, quoted in today's AP article on the case:

"Dianne Clements, president of the Houston-based Justice for All victims' advocacy group, criticized the decision and said she hopes that when there is a Supreme Court vacancy a strong death penalty supporter is nominated.

'The Supreme Court has opened the door for more innocent people to suffer by 16- and 17-year-olds," she said. "I can't wait for the Supreme Court to have judges more concerned with American values, American statutes and American law than what the Europeans think.'"

In other news, Alan Artner, Chicago Tribune art "critic," is no longer a person I want to meet and start a fight with, as I mention in my Friendster profile. I in fact met him at my part time job at the Art Institute book store, and he was nice. I still don't care for his reviews--he doesn't seem to like art that requires thinking, and he seems to uncritically praises whatever big blockbuster they put up at the Art Institute.

Now I just wanna meet DOLPH LUNDGREN. He is far superior to such comparable actors/characters as Schwarzenegger, Van Damme (who lied about winning a bunch of kickboxing titles, and then declined offers to enter real tournaments when invited by offended real title-holders), Stallone, and even tubby old Steven Seagal (who has real street-creds, as in opening the first accredited Aikido Dojo run by a foreigner in Japan; recognition by high-ranking Buddhist priests). Dolph is clearly a step above. He got a masters at MIT in Chemical Engineering on a fulbright scholarship, after serving in the Swedish Marines and studying on scholarship in Sweden and Sydney, Australia. He also won several major full-contact Karate championships, and turned down a professional boxing contract. All before his movie career blossomed, seeing the creation of numerous films which proved inspirational to my grade-school self--The Punisher, Rocky IV, Universal Soldier--all the apex of that genre.






Kei and I even communicated with the man/legend through his website! See the September 2004 message board archives at his official site OFFICIAL SITE I can't wait till the big showdown with Alan Artner, who actually was fairly tall himself.