The Diamond Mine today gives me credit for… well, something. I would say it\’s a good blog, but he thinks I am respectable, which means he might be a little crazy. But seriously, go check it out. Apparently, I have shown him how exciting it can be to be an average smartass anonymous political blogger. In upcoming weeks, I will show him how to be fat, pasty, and have your wife hate you for blogging too much.

And as long as I\’m saying good things about lefty blogs, go check out In Effect. Well written, well thought out. A daily read of mine.

Last week, a woman was found dead of a heroin overdose here in Madison. It seems to be a pretty routine (albeit tragic) story, but I ran across this interesting passage from the State Journal story:

Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said in court Monday that Prager is not only a defendant in the case but could be a material witness in what might become a \”Len Bias\” homicide case against the person who supplied the heroin that killed Schnitzler. People who supply illegal drugs that cause the death of a user can be charged with first- degree reckless homicide under the state\’s Len Bias law. That charge carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison.

Now let me state up front that I have no tolerance for drug dealers, but this does seem a little weird. I supply something (albeit something illegal) to someone, and it is a crime. If I\’m willing to take the risk of being a drug dealer, I should be able to look at the state law and figure out how much time I\’m going to get. However, with this law, if someone I sell it to goes overboard and kills themselves with it, I\’m then an accessory to murder? I had nothing to do with how the product was used – my criminal penalty at that point is completely out of my hands. How much jail time I get is incumbent on the actions of others whom I may never see again.

I don\’t believe we criminally penalize other products this way. In fact, the legislature is trying to make sure gun companies can\’t be sued for the actions of someone to whom they sell a gun, since what happens with the gun is completely up to the purchaser once they walk out of the store. If a friend gives me a baseball bat and I crack someone over the head with it, is he liable for what I did?

Obviously, an exception would occur if the drug dealer provided a drug laced with something that killed the person on the spot (and I\’m not implying that there is such a thing as \”responsible\” heroin use).

I don\’t feel strongly either way on this, and I\’m sure it was debated to death whenever the legislature enacted it. I have no problem with the law staying where it is, and I will likely be blown out of the water by a smart commenter and have to change my position (whatever it may be).

Just thought it was interesting.

The headline on the front page of the USA Today Life Section this morning breathlessly promised details of Madonna\’s \”shocking\” show last night in Los Angeles. The accompanying story lays out what was so \”shocking\”- a crucifix, some bad stuff about George W, and other run of the mill garbage that was lame in 1985 when she was doing it.

I was going to do a whole post about how lame and tired the whole Madonna act is, but I ran across this English concert review that says it a lot better than I can. It is just dripping with contempt for her ridiculous attempts to offend.

The world\’s most famous 47-year-old took to the stage, a mere 50 minutes late, determined to prove to all those willing to listen – and pay up to £200 a ticket – that she still had the ability to grab headlines.

She insulted George Bush, simulated sex and suspended herself from a giant mirrored crucifix, head adorned with a designer crown of thorns (provided by Cotter Church Supplies, LA) in an all-out attempt to get someone, anyone out there, riled…

And then it started to go a bit wonky. We know about the former Material Girl\’s newfound spirituality and devotion to Kabbalah, and Madonna seemed determined to Leave People With A Message.

Thus, words of cod wisdom such as: \”There\’s light even in the darkest places\” flashed up on screen – which was nice enough, even if it sat oddly with her previously stated message to \”turn the world into one big dance floor\”.

But Didactic Madonna wasn\’t finished-Up she went, suspended on a large crucifix, as images of child poverty flickered on the screens. The tour, incidentally, is estimated to gross $200 million. In the next segment she engaged in an energetic \”fight\” with a male dancer which involved a demonstration of her unnerving ability to bend her leg around the back of her head.

Next, a montage of world leaders was flashed up as Madge sang: \”I\’ve listened to your lies\”, images including Nixon, Pinochet, Hitler and Blair.

But Madonna had bigger fish to fry, in the shape of George Bush. She urged fans to perform a certain sexual act on the President…

The show ended – rather abruptly – with no encore and with the lights immediately going on, leaving us all looking at one another in a slightly embarrassed fashion, as though we\’d just been caught doing something we shouldn\’t have been.

At this point, the only way Madonna could be shocking would be if she displayed any talent.