Karma 101

Since I'm the newest recruit on the Karma Police, it seemed to me that my first post should be a handy little brush up course on the whole idea of "karma." And that comes courtesy of howstuffworks.com.

That's right... the handy site is now your one stop shop for total enlightenment. Ever wonder how toilets flush? Click here. How about your iPod? Turns out it isn't actually magical Steve Jobs elf clones after all. And if you happen to have questions about spiritual balance, they can drop some science knowledge about that too.

Sticks and Stones

I started this blog to write about karma and poetic justice--but not in a mean-spirited, offensive way. I see news stories--almost on a daily basis--about odd occurrences that make me tilt my head and think, Huh, what an odd world we live in...I should make a note of that.

But if the tone of my blog was upsetting folks, I'd seriously reconsider my blogging mission statement, which is: Have a good time all the time, Marty.

Sharon Stone doesn't get that. She's pissing off a billion Chinese by waving karmic justice in the form of an earthquake in their collective faces.

I promise not to take myself as seriously as the blonde from Action Jackson. I'll also know when to shut the hell up.

Is A Quarter Century Long Enough?

Lou Pearlman, the Jabba-like man who cobbled together 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys out of plastic parts, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for swindling investors and banks for $300 million.

His sentence was light, just like the music he pimped.

Maybe $17,000 Wasn't Enough

Cathleen Crowell Webb sent an innocent man to jail for eight years on a bogus rape charge and died of cancer 30 years later.

I watched the circus that was the trial, and again six years later when the media escalated things to the proverbial big top as Webb recanted and owned up to the lie. But what I don't understand upon researching this story is why it took the governor another seven years to officially pardon the guy. After all, Gary Dotson was the first person in the world to be exonerated by DNA evidence.

Another pressing issue: Webb wrote a book about the rape charge and gave 17 grand of the profits to her victim, but how much money did the book actually make? You ask me, that guy deserved every penny of the grosses.

Arrest This Man, He Talks In Maths

I'm not sure I believe in God, but I do believe in Karma.

It's not in my genetic make-up to talk religion--but that's not what this blog will be about. I created it for two reasons.

1. I love odd stories where perfect/ironic/poetic closure comes to effed-up situations, because it affirms my belief in the addage "What goes around comes around."
2. I wanted a place to store links or stories (à la Warren Ellis' repository for his research), where folks can contribute found news stories or write about their own experiences with the big K, be they humorous or chilling or just wishful thinking.*
   

Since I'm incapable of being overly serious, I intend to skew posts more towards the funny or ridiculous. And I'm sure not trying to get on karma's shit list. (We've all seen what happens to Earl when he screws up.)

So there you have it. Rider's new blog about all things karma-coated with a cookie center.

"I've given all I can
It's not enough
I've given all I can
But we're still on the payroll"

- Radiohead, 1997

* That means I'd like to add readers to this blog's author's list. Shoot me an email. I've got a short list in my head of regular readers of Rider's Block whom I think would have fun with this blog.