Not really, but I do agree with the Daily Kos that the Supreme Court’s decision to bar the death penalty for juveniles is a net good.

While I’m certain this case has raised the ire of Abbie Carmichael, I’d like to see the United States abolish the death penalty. Not on grounds of procedural imperfection or discrimination, but on moral grounds.

I’m sympathetic to those who argue in favor of capital punishment. I understand and appreciate its theoretical benefits. But at the end of the day I don’t know that whatever deterrent or cathartic effects it has are worth the harm it does to our culture. Life, all life, is precious. When there is a workable, practical alternative, the government–meaning we the people–should not be in the business of destroying life.

Every time the government executes a prisoner, it hardens us that much more to the act of abortion, or embryonic stem-cell research, or to the every-day moments where mercy is needed.

In general, courts shouldn’t make law. But this case, since it applies only to juveniles, is a smaller form of overreach. Hopefully popular opinion will one day swell so that legislatures, and not the judiciary, will make the death penalty a thing of the past.

You can go ahead and pretend you don’t love this, but I won’t.

Because I’m a jerk, I’ve neglected R. Scott Rogers’s excellent blog Rhubarb Preserve for the past month. He doesn’t post frequently, but what he does post is valuable. For instance, in his last post he criticizes me, fairly, for confusing pluralism with multiculturalism.

I haven’t posted anything on the goings on in Lebanon because I don’t know much about the situation–certainly no more than you get from reading the papers. Captain Ed, however, has a very thoughtful essay on the subject.

I never thought I would ever fall in love with Hitler’s secretary. Actually, she’s not really his secretary. Her real name is Alexandra Maria Lara, and she is currently starring in Downfall, the powerful German film depicting the last days of the Reich. (Review for the Daily Standard to follow.)

Lara is a 26-year-old Romanian actress whose other credits include a movie called Nackt (German for “naked”). In Downfall, she plays Traudl Junge, Hitler’s personal secretary who was one of the last to emerge from the bunker after the Führer’s suicide. Yes, I just gave away the ending.

In addition, Lara has her own website: www.alexandra-maria-lara.com. Anyone want to start a fan club?

“Ooo . . . you can see as well as we can that he’s been ejected from the car. . . . He’s cookin’.”

“In my home! Where my wife sleeps! Where my children play with their toys.” That was the outrage I felt while at the MCI Center watching Georgetown get spanked by Villanova, 67-56. Similar to their previous losses, the Hoyas failed to show up in the first half, managing to score only 2 points in the first 8 minutes of the game. The second half, in contrast, showed much improvement, with Georgetown cutting a 12-point deficit in half. But that would be as close as they got as stars Brandon Bowman, Ashanti Cook, and Jeff Green all found themselves in foul trouble. Meanwhile, Wildcats Allan Ray and Curtis Sumpter scored a combined 29 points. Villanova has never lost at MCI Center.

It becomes ever more apparent at these “home” games that Georgetown is in need of a real on-campus facility. A very large Villanova contingent made itself heard throughout the game, making you wonder where exactly the game was being played. During the singing of the National Anthem, a man in the Villanova section angrily shouted out, “1985!” And when it became a forgone conclusion that ‘Nova would win, their supporters taunted, “NIT! NIT!”

It was insult heaped upon injury on a depressing Sunday afternoon. And now there are two games left–at Connecticut and at home against Providence. Then the Big East Tournament. When the game finally ended, another fan yelled out, “You better be ready on Wednesday! [against UConn]” I hope they heard him.

P.S. Talk about speaking too soon–in the midst of a three-game losing streak, The Washington Post Magazine‘s cover story just happens to be about the new coach.

P.S.S. Special shout-outs to Galley readers Jeff and Pete, both of whom I saw at the game. And yes, guys, I know you really wish you went to Georgetown after getting a look at our robust cheerleaders.

Cintra Wilson is out to prove that Chris Rock is a girl.

* “These are wartime Oscars, and they looked it: cheap, tense and cobbled together from graphics rations donated by the E! Channel.”

* “Beyoncé, who looked like a chandelier made out of Audrey Hepburns.”

* “Wayne Brave proposed that all the little, non-famous, art-and technical-award people should get half-size, mini-Oscars. I felt this would aptly illustrate the eye-rolling derision and exasperated loathing the Academy felt for the people who won these awards this year. Oscar could not bring himself to let these dirty little crew people onstage, perhaps out of some Howard Hughes-like phobia that non-celebrity is contagious. Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson presented the Lesser Awards on various handicap ramps in the auditorium; a subtle semiotic way for the Academy and PricewaterhouseCooper to say, to makeup artists and sound editors, Crawl back to Culver City and fuck yourselves for sucking precious camera time away from Renée.”

* “The lowest point of the evening–which was actually the high point, because it was the only thing that sucked hard enough to be actually interesting–was Hispanic Korner, where all the Latinos were quarantined.”

* “Don Cheadle was clearly bummed out. Cheadle is a beautiful actor, but he didn’t have the personal charisma to out-sexy Jamie Foxx this year. Jamie was very moving, when he won, talking about his recently departed cruel grandmother. Oprah gave him the black power salute, then looked around to see if anyone else was doing it with her. Cheadle wasn’t.”

This isn’t vintage Cintra, but we’ll take what we can get. Like I said, it was the worst Oscars ever.