Some Good News!

Often there's not much to write about that's not negative.  But today some good news:

Russia has given Snowdon a one-year temporary visa.  I don't think if I were Snowden I'd want to live in Russia as opposed to a country in South America, but in one respect Russia is more capable of protecting Snowdon from the United States.  Anyway, good for him and thanks for letting us know how every one of my emails, telephone calls, and blog posts are being viewed by NSA.  Not that I didn't know that already but it's good to have confirmation.

And if anyone doesn't believe that Snowdon did some good the Obama administration released some (but not all) records of what the NSA has been collecting and the records that authorized it, also not all. The public is now aware of how much its privacy has been impacted, not that many of them care.  But I do and I'm grateful to Snowdon.

Uruguay legalized marijuana yesterday to the extent that its citizens can grow up to six plants each or get it from a pharmacy.  At least some countries have their heads ( or legislators) screwed on properly.  I've never smoked the stuff, mainly because I preferred cigarettes (no longer) and alcohol (still), but it is a benign drug compared to both tobacco and alcohol, both of which are legal in most of the world.  Found out when Miguel was dying and we needed marijuana for medical purposes that my oldest friend from high school (very very politically conservative) smokes it every day.  Who knew?  But then I always had a bit of the Polyanna in me.

And a late addendum:  Berlusconi lost his appeal against his tax fraud conviction.  Anyway, that's the good news.  He still has to appeal his "sex with minor" conviction.  Bad news in this case is he won't be going to jail.  A year of house arrest in one of his mansions.  Italy lets anyone over 70 serve their sentences under house arrest.  Humane, yes, but not when someone like Berlusconi is involved.  He'll make as much mischief as he can during that year.  Hope as one columnist wrote, his light is finally fading.  What bothers me most is that it makes Italians, who vote for him repeatedly, appear to be buffoons.  The economy has lost 15% in the last few years and car manufacturing is down 40%, yet still some vote for him.  Ah, Italy--such good food, such bad judgment.

Since I'm always denigrating bad decisions, I've decided to celebrate the good ones when they happen.

Good for Uruguay and Snowdon and the judiciary in Italy.