h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In case you haven't heard about it, the story is still on the BBC News international front page - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7290071.stm

I don't really care about whether the governor of NY State hired a prostitute, but honestly, 5,000 dollars per hour? I suppose it is intended to guarantee a high quality and a certain level of privacy (though that doesn't seem to have worked out for Mr. Spitzer). I saw it remarked somewhere that the only time I'd pay anyone 5,000 dollars an hour would be for life-saving surgery.

Of course, this same sort of thing happened to a Louisiana Republican Senator a few months ago, so it's been interesting to watch conservatives (who insisted that it was a family matter for the Senator back then) condemn the Governor. Once again, a Lewinsky-type "scandal" like this doesn't bother me at all. If he had used public money, that would be wrong (especially when he could have easily saved taxpayers money if he got a prostitute in Times Square - or wherever the NYC prostitutes hang out these days).

On another note, happy birthday to Douglas Adams. I recently reread the first of the Hitchhiker's Books, and I was again impressed by how intelligent and funny the man was. I had almost forgotten Wish you were here, Mr Adams

*also wishes Douglas Adams were still here and gracing us with his writing*

We all do, I think.

I now remember what I was thinking of which I forgot to put in the original journal entry, concerning the Spitzer issue. It's an exchange from The West Wing...

A Reverent in the White House asks President Bartlett, If our children can buy pornography on any street corner for five dollars, isn't that too high a price to pay for free speech?"
The President solemnly replies, "No."
The Reverend righteously asks, "Really?"
The President happily says, "On the other hand I do think that five dollars is too high a price to pay for pornography."

How sad the man must be to pay that amount of money to get someone to do what he wants.

Wish I had a spare $5,000 to toss about. (There's a really bad joke in that line, but I've restrained myself).

I may be a bit of a puritan but I've always thought that the only reason to employ that kind of specialist is to reassure yourself that you've got money. In this case, far too much of it...