Roger Clemens, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now since it seems to be almost as big a story as whether or not Michele Obama wore slacks or went on vacation, has been indicted for lying to Congress about steroid use. Really? Think back over the past ten years or so, about all the people who have testified before Congress and lied about things like 9/11, the invasion of Iraq, torture, illegal wiretapping…. People like Rumsfeld, Alberto VO5 Gonzales, Condi Rice, John Yoo, and Dick Cheney & his little buddy George (though, I suppose that since they refused to testify under oath or on the record, they’re off the hook), just to name a few. Now tell me how come Roger Clemens (who, frankly, I couldn’t care less about either way) is at the head of the line for “justice.”

You know, if baseball wants to not let him in the Hall of Fame or remove him from the record books, or whatever, well fine. That’s up to them. But for the DOJ to use its resources to prosecute him while turning a blind eye to all these other criminals who’ve done far worse damage to this country and are culpable in the deaths thousands of Americans, and hundreds of thousands of lesser humans, well, something just aint right. But then, you already knew that.

Yesterday, I brought you the news of Urban Outfitters opening a new store here. But today, it’s even bigger news: apple picking season. Yes, because of the warm weather and rain, the apple harvest is not only bigger, better, and sweeter than ever, it’s also very early this year. Normally, apple picking season doesn’t commence until sometime in September, but this year it starts tomorrow. Even better, after getting a special dispensation from the State last year, the new Beak and Skiff distillery is now open. And that means not only apple wine and hard cider, but apple vodka as well. I’ve never been much for vodka, but, were I not currently on the wagon (oh, how it pains me to say that), I think I might give it a try.

Good news for capitalists: jobless claims have risen to their highest rates since last November.

New applications for unemployment insurance reached the half-million mark last week for the first time since November, a sign that employers are cutting jobs again as the recovery slows.

The Labor Department says initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 12,000 last week to 500,000, the fourth increase in the past five weeks. Wall Street economists forecast that claims would drop.

I other words, when it comes to jobs, it’s a buyer’s market out there. At this rate, India will be outsourcing its help desk jobs to us, and Mexico will be talking about putting up a 3,000 mile “fence” to thwart the throngs of gringos trying to sneak across the border.

So I reckon I’d better get my act together and show up for work all bright and shiny. Sucks to have to be grateful for your job.