A Woman in Her Element.

By now I think everyone has heard the story of Tanya Rider, a woman who had a horrible car crash after working a shift at the grocery store (actually Fred Meyer is more than that, but I digress), and ended up 20 feet down in a ravine, trapped inside her Honda Element which had rolled onto it’s side for 8 days while police first did nothing, and then relentlessly grilled her husband — the guy who insisted that somebody give a damn.

Up to speed? Good. I suppose it’s nice to know my truck could help me survive such an ordeal, but that’s little comfort.

A Sheriff’s deputy said “We don’t take every missing person report on adults. … If we did, we’d be doing nothing but going after missing person reports.” The Sheriff herself affirmed that “most” adults who go missing leave on their own, with the implication that adults have the right to go where they wish. And go missing if they wish.

Unfortunately, my right to leave and not come home is also my right to have a horrible accident like Mrs. Rider. My right to go missing is also my right to be kidnapped and have heaven alone knows what happen to me before the cops will even give my family the right time of day, when anybody who has watched more than about 2 episodes of any given crime drama knows that “time is of the essence” when it comes to rescuing missing people.

Bully for the Sheriff for ordering a review of the 911 tapes. Unfortunately, what really needs to be reviewed is the policy. Best wishes for Mrs. Rider during her recovery.

In closing: the weak dollar myth and the divorce myth; Countrywide’s CEO turns out to have been a rat leaving the sinking ship while cashing out $138 million in stock options; Fallout from Falluja — which remember was caused by Blackwater mercenaries; well, are you as smart as an 8th grader?; because a middle school student is schooling Mr. Bush on SCHIP; sexism online; and finally, pictures from Meiji and Taisho era Japan.