Letter to the Editor

Published in this mornings Globe and Mail. For those unfamiliar with the story, Paul Coffin defrauded the government of $1.5 million, was found guilty and was sentenced to repay two thirds of the money, to be home by 9pm for two years and to go on a speaking tour lecturing about business ethics.

Does deterrence work?
Source: GAM - Globe & Mail
Sep 30 03:55
Page: A22
Section: Letter to the Editor
Byline: ADAM SCOTT, Ottawa

Anthony Westell is wrong about why deterrence rarely works (Why
We Shouldn't Put A Nail In This Coffin -- Sept. 29). It has
nothing to do with criminals' confidence that they will not
be caught.

Criminal masterminds make up a very small portion of Canada's
felons. Most crimes are committed either with no forethought
or by people with nothing to lose. Criminals acting under the
influence of alcohol, drugs, mental disorder or extreme emotions
are unlikely to be deterred by the thought of harsh
sentences.

Similarly, those who have been to jail often or whose life outside
of jail is not measurably worse than life on the inside are
less likely to care about the length of their sentence.

Wealthy, well-educated businessmen with nice homes and loving
families are quite capable of forethought and have a lot to
lose. To my mind, they seem the most likely group to be deterred
from crime by harsh sentences. Paul Coffin's case is one of
the few where I see value in using a jail sentence as a
deterrent.

Things that make me angry: The Learning Channel

When I say learning, you say… that’s right, decorating and human oddities. No matter what you’re trying to learn, you would be hard pressed to put together a worse curriculum than the schedule from The Learning Channel (TLC). Here are some listings from today’s lineup: A Makeover Story; Clean Sweep; Trading Spaces; While You Were Out; Martha; and Wild Child: The Story of Feral Children. Why not put the Dukes of Hazzard on there so I can learn how to make moonshine and slide across the hood of a car? Other recent educational fare includes: The Half Ton Man; What Not to Wear; and a show about a bunch of dudes who run a tattoo parlour. What I really want though is a single show where a huge fat guy raised by dogs gets the world’s biggest tattoo, a new wardrobe and some simple tricks for making his dining room more inviting. TLC? How about WTF?

Anger in the news: Sometimes you just gotta say it

"In the past two weeks, Dr. Ben Marble of Gulfport, Mississippi, lost his house, saw his wife give birth by flashlight and became an instant celebrity for telling Vice President Dick Cheney to go fuck himself."

WIRED has the full story, complete with a picture of Marble in his Mr. T T-shirt which couldn't look any cooler. Some times you just have to say what's on your mind.

Angry Letter: Mitsubishi

Dear Wayne Killen, Vice President, Marketing
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc:

I was just assaulted by your television advertisement for "Adrenaline Days," the one where a busload of people yell as loud as they can at the sight of an "Adrenaline Days" newspaper ad. Is an ad campaign based on a grating noise really the best you could do? Who wants to hear that? Who could resist changing the chanel? If I showed up in your living room and yelled at the top of my lungs during a football game you were trying to enjoy, would you buy my product? You couldn't have turned me off your product more if you'd shown a 30 second spot of Dame Edna pleasuring herself. I hope you liked the yelling more than I did, because it's a noise you'll be hearing again. It's the sound your sales numbers will make as they plummet towards their death.

Sincerely,

Angryman

Things that make me angry: stories about your cat

There are slightly more cats in North America than there are children under 18 years of age. And there are infinitely more owners' stories about their cats than there are audiences who give a damn. Since all cats do is sleep, eat, shit and attack things, there are only 15 possible permutations of cat story, and I guarantee I've heard them all a million freaking times. I hate to tell you this, but your cats, just like your children, are neither unique nor interesting. If your cat discovers a new element and has MrBootstonium added to the periodic table, by all means let me know. But until then, keep your damn stories to yourself

Anger in the News: Best Angry Man in Louisiana

There are a lot of angry people in Louisiana these days. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been perhaps the most outspoken public figure, but the best angry man so far is easily Aaron Broussard, President of Jefferson Parish. When you hear this guy talk, listen. So far he's been not only extremely direct and entirely correct, but also hilarious. Here's a quote from the Early Show: "Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area. And bureaucracy needs to stand trial before Congress today. … So, I'm asking Congress, please investigate this now. Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot."

If you're looking to help out Aaron, Ray and everyone else down there and you want to make sure the money gets used wisely, I recommend donating to the Mennonite Disaster Service. If you can't trust the Mennonites...

Angry Ressource: Dealing with Tech Vendors

PCWorld.com has posted a great article: 20 things they don't want you to know
The 20 great tips include everything from getting a real live person on the phone and cutting through some of the meaningless specs, to squeezing better performance from tech equipment you've already bought. It's a great little piece of writing that will help you not get bamboozled. The more you know, the better your chances.