Ethics Has Been Redefined, Apparently

I've been sitting on this story for a week or so, trying to figure out what to do with it. Gleaned from WorldNetDaily.com, it's about Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University, who is the winner of the 2003 World Technology Award for Ethics.

About Peter Singer, he is:

A controversial professor who advocates killing the disabled up to 28 days after birth . . . .[and]

. . . is known for launching the modern animal rights movement with his 1975 book "Animal Liberation," which argues against "speciesism."

He also says:

. . . animals should be accorded the same value as humans and should not be discriminated against because they belong to a non-human species.

The preceding paragraph is a ripe target for extended comment. "Accorded the same value as humans" is a bewildering statement. What on earth does it mean? Same value in the job market? Pay the same airline fare?

The second part is even more bizarre. Singer says that animals should not be discriminated against. Does this mean equal pay, equal housing, equal opportunity to be admitted to the University of Michigan Law School? What, pray tell, is "animal discrimination" and how do we prevent it?

I could continue on about the ridiculousness of Singer's Animal Liberation philosophy, but that's not why I write this post. The point I want to emphasize is that there seems to be a dramatic redefining of the word 'ethics.'

So update your glossary. The revised definition is:

Ethics - the set of moral values which A) advocates killing disabled babies within 28 days after birth and B) is recognized by the World Technology Network.

I hope a timely revision is incorporated into the curricula for educating all future professors of bioethics. Click the link for the complete report.

 The Great Lobster Caper

Thanks to Wince and Nod for pointing me to this Vin Suprynowicz column from the Las Vegas Review Journal. The story delineates how a 59-year-old rancher, Bob Eddy, got fed up with the federal and state regulations imposed upon cattle ranching and decided to farm Australian freshwater lobster. Finding he could sell the lobsters for $14 a pound, the Desert Lobster Farm was born,

. . . marked with those prominent 'Lobster Crossing' signs along U.S. 95 -- where the Eddys now raise half a million blue and red Australian freshwater lobsters, in tubs full of 80-degree water pumped from nearby hot springs.

Eddy sells his entire crop -- fresh and ready to boil -- to travelers driving by on the road from Las Vegas to Reno (4,700 cars a day) ... though he has plans to eventually open a lobster restaurant in Mina, a town of about 100 that's been moribund since the mine shut down. "With the beef," he says, "you might get $1 a pound versus $14 for the lobster. That's the economics. ... I got rid of the cows."

Everything was fine until, you guessed it, the regulators came in.

The Nevada Division of Wildlife boys roared in Thursday -- 10 armed game wardens, two of the plainclothes guys in black shoes and black sunglasses from the "Nevada Division of Investigation," assigned to take care of any troublesome neighbors, and two state biologists assigned to seize and destroy all of Bob Eddy's crawfish.

Yes, Bob Eddy had violated his lobster farming permit requirements and they shut him down. It appears he won't be compensated for his loss. Click on the link for the rest of the story, a fine example of how the government not only inhibits, but also prevents, free enterprise.

 Evangelism Through Chewing

I don't recall how I came to this story from Ship of Fools magazine and it may be a hoax. Nonetheless, I'm passing it along for amusement value.

"And ye shall find the mint, wrapped in a Bible text, and lying in a Testamints Easter Edition Collector's Tin (four for $19.95)..."

Yes, Testamints are here. Each sweet (spearmint, peppermint and wintergreen) is individually wrapped in one of 40 different verses from the Old and New Testaments. Their mission: "to be the best at providing daily encouragement to all people and enabling Christians to share their faith with others..."

So the next time you're on a train, or killing time in a bus queue, think: Testamint. Pass them round and "do the work of an evangelist." You'll be helping to share the Good Chews.

Click on the link for a picture of the package.

 Speed Trap Locations

Kelly Lecker wrote this story for The Toledo Blade discussing the Speed Trap Exchange website. Whether on regularly traveled routes or unfamiliar streets and highways, a person can now refer to the site and become knowledgeable about the locations where speed traps frequently are.

It's been around about four years and is run by the National Motorist Association, a group formed in Waunakee, Wisc. to fight for drivers' rights.

"Not only do we allow people to list speed traps, we also allow people to make comments on those listings," said association spokesman Eric Skrum. "The reason we did that is to open the debate over speed traps to everybody."

Mr. Skrum said most of the complaints about speed traps seem to come from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and California.

Anyone can contribute a speed trap listing, and many people do. There are just two rules: no naming specific officers, and no profanity.

This posting is for all those drivers that want to be forewarned. The website also gives information on the different state laws and how to fight speeding tickets.

 Teacher Has Sex in Classroom, Gets Elected to NEA Board

No, that's not the reason he was elected. The story, reported in The Rutland Herald by David Mace, is about a teacher, Wayne Nadeau, at Lamoille Union High School in Hyde Park, Vermont, who was discovered having sex with a colleague in his classroom.

According to the Jan. 29 agreement between Nadeau and the Vermont Department of Education, Nadeau admitted that during the 2001-02 school year he had consensual sex with a female paraprofessional in his classroom.

As written, the intimate tutelage does not appear to be an isolated incident. And it seems he had sex with a subordinate.

"Although the door to Mr. Nadeau's classroom was closed, the aforementioned sexual activity occurred at times when students were, and might have been, present in the building," the agreement said.

His license was suspended for 20 working days between Feb. 10 and March 18, and the suspension was reported to national authorities.

The Vermont Department of Education was apparently satisfied with the agreed resolution to the case. That was last winter.

However, in July, Mr. Nadeau attended the National Convention of the National Education Association and was elected to the executive board of the 2.7-million member union and it appears that the people who elected him were not aware of his steamy sexual soiree and subsequent suspension.

There's been some complaining, but it looks like the issue will die. It follows logically that the liberal NEA would not be concerned with a man having sex with a subordinate female in the workplace. After all, they endorsed Bill Clinton, who set the standard for this type of behavior.

 Ghosts

Within the last two days Interested-Participant has been experiencing some problems. Some ghost-like problems. You know the kind. They show up, cause difficulty, then disappear.

I lost my comments for about a day and had no idea where they went. After receiving no response from the system administrator, I was ready to re-email them, when, all of a sudden, my comments are back.

For about 2 or 3 days, readers were complaining of the site loading time being way too long. I fiddled with the code and it seemed to correct the problem, but I'm not convinced that I actually fixed it. In any event, the problem seems to be no more. There's been some discussion concerning Blogger being the cause of the problems but I've no reason to think that.

Presumably, Interested-Participant is back at 100%. Thanks for your patience.

 The British Invented Lasagna?

Yes, it's a true assertion in a story from Sue Leeman reporting for the Associated Press. British researchers:

. . . claim to have found a British recipe for lasagna dating from the 14th century - long before Italian chefs came up with the delicious concoction of layers of pasta topped with cheese.

I happened to mention the story to Antonio, who came from the old country, over at the local pizza place and his comment was:

"Ba fungu! You getta outa here! Dass a bullshit, a much a bullshit!"

You can steal the recipe from the article if you understand a little of the English language in medieval times.

 National Foreplay Day

The British are often considered to be stuffy and overly obsessed with formality, but that perception may not be entirely accurate. This Ananova story indicates that a certain amount of permissiveness is part of the British culture. The first annual National Foreplay Day has been announced and scheduled. Mark your calendars.

It takes place on July 30 - the day before National Orgasm Day, which was set up two years ago to help women enjoy better sex.

There are so many things to say about this. First, are there going to be activities scheduled? Will there be any type competitions with award ceremonies? I can think of at least one contest where the person crossing the finish line last would be the winner. Will there be a parade with floats and marching bands?

And there is mention, but no information about National Orgasm Day. Inquiring minds need to know. The premise is great. "Help women enjoy better sex" should be the motto for a public service organization. I'd probably join.

One other thing is that no information is provided as to where the celebrations are to be held. This must be an oversight and it must be corrected. Many people are civic minded and they want to be involved. Somebody needs to announce the location of the festivities.

The Gweilo Diaries pointed me to this story.

 Having Problems Accessing Interested-Participant?

I received an email from a friend stating that he has had difficulty getting to this site. He stated that "it's not there." Has anyone else had any problems whatsoever? If so, please email me.

 New Weblog Showcase

My votes for the New Weblog Showcase are as follows:

American Digest

Wince and Nod

.:/One Little Victory\:.

In Sheeps Clothing

Howard Lovy's Nanobot

Sarcastic Southerner

 Inmate Wants Sex Change & Transfer to Women's Prison

Any thinking adult will have a furrowed forehead after reading this story reported on the CNN.com website.

Mark Brooks, 34, was convicted of a murder committed 14 years ago and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Three years ago, he sued the State of New York to get treatment for his Gender Identity Disorder. He calls himself Jessica and claims to be "a girl inside."

The treatment would entail the state paying $500,000 for a sex change operation and associated therapy, plus transfer to a women's prison. The case is currently being litigated.

OK, I'll give my take and somebody please tell me where my thinking is awry. First, this guy is 34 years old and committed the murder 14 years ago. That means he walked into a maximum security prison at the tender age of 20, maybe 21. He arrives with a life sentence hanging over his head. The prison he goes to is already at capacity with other murderers serving life sentences.

Now, follow my logic. He claims, after approximately 10 years in prison (he filed suit 3 years ago), that he is "a girl inside" and somewhere along the way he has pumped enough smoke at the prison psychologists to convince them that he has a medical disorder.

I don't think so, for two reasons. First, prison psychologists are constantly trying to attach medical reasoning and terminology to aberrant or bizarre behavior by the convicts when the basis should be low intellect or abject ignorance. The result is the proliferation of new syndromes and disorders. There are no provisions (nor psychologist bold enough) to write down a diagnosis of "behavior due to patient being a dumb/ignorant criminal."

As an aside, if I sat on my ass on a hard surface for a long time, my butt would get sore. If I did this for a number of years and complained to a doctor often enough, he would classify it as a chronic condition. If he was pressed for a diagnosis (from an insurance company maybe?) for the chronic condition, he'd probably name it something like "nonspecific muscle discomfort." Now, all you need is one more person with a sore ass nonspecific muscle discomfort and you've got yourself a syndrome or disorder.

Getting back to our convicted murderer, Mark Brooks, who is "a girl inside." It's apparent that he spent the better part of 10 years complaining about his particular "discomfort" and was rewarded by somebody deciding to call it a disorder. Based upon the determination that an actual medical condition exists (disorder), by law the state is obligated to provide treatment. And that's where the case is now, with large checks being cashed by teams of lawyers trying to agree on how the state can comply with the law to treat this bogus disorder.

I strongly maintain that this "disorder" is not a medical condition requiring treatment. When sweet young and tender 21-year-old Mark Brooks walked into that prison, his gender identity was immediately established by the resident population of murderers, rapists, and kidnappers. He became the most feminine girl-next-door on the cell block. And for 10 years, he was a beauty queen and someone's girlfriend. His "disorder" is the natural result of life in prison for a young guy. No treatment necessary. Life in prison changes people dramatically and justifiably so. It shouldn't be easy or fun. Mark Brooks is an ignorant/dumb criminal serving life. He shouldn't get special treatment because the prison environment makes him say and do stupid things.

Of course, I could be wrong in my thinking. Let me know.

 Kucinich Campaign Promise

Jay Nordlinger wrote this for the National Review.

My boy Dennis Kucinich - go, Dennis! - made what might be the remark of the campaign. Discussing possible Supreme Court picks in a Kucinich presidency, he said he "absolutely would appoint a homosexual judge," including "any lesbian, bisexual, or transgender person - just as long as they'd be willing to uphold Roe v. Wade." That is simply the perfect Democratic statement, blowing away all others. Even the ungrammatical "they," instead of "he," is sublime.

You've got to admit, there are absolutely no surprises in Commissar Kucinich's liberal saddlebag. Rumor has it he's considering promoting congressional investigations into UFOs and crop circles if they can come up with enough cash.

[Thanks to Silent Running.]

 Suggested Tax Increases

Alan Bromley provides advice to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomfield on how to generate revenue with suggestions for brand new taxes. The tongue-in-cheek piece appears in the WSJ Opinion Journal and recommends taxes be imposed on walking, talking, thinking, and reading. But the wit of the article doesn't negate the grim truth that politicians are constantly searching for new ways to pick people's pockets. Of interest to me is this sentence:

Rumor has it he's [Mayor Bloomfield] caught the scent of a new tax wafting its way up from New Zealand, they tax flatulent sheep, supposedly a contributor to "global warming."

The sad reality is that there are many US politicians drooling for the opportunity to implement a similar tax.

[Thanks to VodkaPundit.]

 Rating Charitable Organizations

Alison Overholt reports in Fast Company Magazine an overview of a two-year-old company that analyzes and reports on the performance of 2500 charitable organizations.

The company, Charity Navigator, is headed by Executive Director Trent Stamp who is of the opinion that "financial inefficiency and mismanagement are more prevalent among nonprofits than anyone knows," and he wants to let the whole world in on the secret.

Says Mr. Stamp: "We're trying to answer the critical question: Which charities are the most responsible and efficient -- and which aren't?"

Using public tax records, the company "ranks nonprofits on the efficacy of their getting and spending, measuring them against seven benchmarks and assigning each one a rating on a scale of zero to four stars." And it's needed since "charities haven't been giving the public a clear understanding of their financial well-being, and without some independent evaluation, a public that is weary of accounting scandals and management cover-ups just might give up on their charitable giving."

Although good for contributors, the rating system does not make some organizations very happy. Examples are:

[T]he Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, which last year landed in the zero-star category. "They spend more on fund-raising than they do battling MS," chides Mr. Stamp.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was evaluated and received an unflattering two-star rating. When compared with other animal-rights groups, Mr. Stamp reports, a smaller percentage of PETA's dollars goes to protecting animals.

As a consequence, there is criticism, but Mr. Stamp doesn't shy away. If scrutiny breeds greater efficiency -- even if it drives some charities out of business -- well, that's fine with him.

Bravo! And I think it's about time that some reasonable oversight of the charity industry takes place. It's kind of a pet peeve with me in that I'm fairly sure that a TV commercial I continue to see showing a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Central America is the same commercial I saw 25 years ago. You'd imagine that they would have used a fresher commercial or the neighborhood would have improved through twenty-five years of contributions. Anyway, I've always thought that a number of these charities are scams and the ratings by Charity Navigator confirm as much.

[Thanks to Instapundit.]

 Farmers Protest Flatulence Tax

This is a follow-up on a previous post (see Livestock Flatulence Tax) concerning the country of New Zealand imposing a tax on farmers who own animals that pass gas. The law was passed to comply with the provisions of the Kyoto Treaty with regards to greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Ray Lilley in a report for the Associated Press, New Zealand farmers are protesting the tax by mailing packages of sheep and cow manure to lawmakers. The New Zealand postal service said:

. . . about 20 reeking packages and envelopes had been sent to the nation's Parliament and that the protest - dubbed the "Raise a Stink" campaign - was endangering the health of postal workers.

New Zealand Post spokesman Ian Long said sending manure by the mail was a crime.

Even so, according to Adam Fricker, a newspaper editor, the farmers felt that "radical action" was needed.

"Farmers feel marginalized. They don't have the voice in Parliament they once had ... to really get traction on an issue when a ridiculous tax like this is being foisted on them," he said.

It's not clear whether the "Raise A Stink" campaign will ultimately produce results. Time will tell.

One thing that seems sure is the government's resolve to fleece the agricultural industry in order to fund research that produces results that justify the imposition of the flatulence tax. In other words, somebody dreamed there's a problem so let's impose a tax to study and verify there is a problem that's been dreamed. Perfect liberal wacko logic.

In support of the tax:

Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton said climate change from greenhouse gases "is the world's biggest environmental problem. We have to do something about it."

I disagree. The world's biggest environmental problem is having people like the Agriculture Minister walking around with the authority to raise taxes. And it's a sliding slope. It won't be long before another problem "materializes" and a tax will be imposed on human flatulence to fund the research necessary to prove the problem exists. And let us not forget the pet population. People and pets, add it up and we're talking a lot of gas. Somebody has to pay! Then there's the zoos and, hey, wild animals. Somebody must pick up the tab!

Whew!

One other thing that I've a problem with is the statement that sending manure in the mail is a crime. If that is true, the lawmakers have too much time for minutiae. It could, however, explain why they've got the time to figure new and creative ways to screw the public. If there are laws prohibiting the mailing of manure, they aren't enforced at all. All anybody has to do is open their mailbox two weeks before an election and guess what's there.

OK, it may not exactly be manure, but there's a bunch of it and the term normally applied is a synonym.

 Nuke North Korea Scenario

John Hawkins over at Right Wing News analyzes the quite real possibility that the North Korean belligerence may produce results that they will find unwanted.

-- Here's an interesting theoretical question that we may have to actually consider in the next few months. Let's say that for whatever reason, we believe there's a better than high probability that North Korea is on the verge of launching a nuclear strike and starting up another Korean war. The North Koreans are certainly capable of blowing Seoul to pieces with all the artillery they already have in place and although we're not sure of exactly what their nuclear capabilities are, it's possible that they may be capable of launching a nuke that can hit Japan or POSSIBLY even the Western United States. If we believed that there was a high chance of war and we believed the only way to keep them from destroying Seoul & launching nukes would be to preemptively nuke them first, would you support it or would you risk the consequences of not acting? That may sound like a fantastic scenario, but it's not as farfetched as you think. Personally, if I thought there war was likely and I thought nuking them first would make it highly unlikely that they would be unable to respond with nukes, I wouldn't hesitate to hit 'em and I guarantee you that there are more than a few people in the Bush administration who think the same way. It's the old, "Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6" philosophy taken to a national level. So when the North Koreans go shooting off at the mouth about their nuclear capacity & making threats, they should understand how fatal it could be if the Bush administration starts to take them seriously.

Based upon recent history and current events, it's not clear that the North Korean strategic thinkers have considered this scenario. Hopefully, they'll wise up, but it's probably not likely.

 Kucinich Backs Homosexual Marriage

In his 1996 campaign for Congress, Representative Dennis Kucinich was against any change in the law which would allow homosexual marriage. But times have changed.

Reporting for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Tom Diemer and Sabrina Eaton relate the story of the congressman's appearance yesterday at a forum sponsored by the pro gay-rights group, Human Rights Campaign. Flipping and flopping all the way to the podium,

[Rep. Kucinich] said "there should be a federal law that would allow gay couples to be married," rather than leaving the matter to the states.

Maybe I'm looking at this wrong, but it seems to me that he wants to take jurisdiction over marriage from the states and make it a federal function. If that's true, it sure doesn't sound constitutional. Nonetheless, Kucinich sure has lit some sparklers with his revised position. Some consider him to have 'evolved' politically:

Patrick Shepherd, president of Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, said it was not unusual for a politician's views to evolve over a period as long as six years. "From a congressional-record point of view, Dennis Kucinich has been a superstar on our issues," said the spokesman for the gay political group.

I don't know about other interpretations, but "evolved politically" seems to mean "will sell grandmother for right price."

The article also delineates some of the recent contributors to the Kucinich for President Campaign. They include:

Singer Bonnie Raitt, movie star Edward Norton, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream founder Ben Cohen and controversial television host Jerry Springer - now a U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio - all gave Kucinich the $2,000 maximum donation allowed by law, according to a report Kucinich filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

Folk singer Peter Yarrow and film stars Ben Affleck, Jeff Bridges and James Cromwell each gave $1,000.

Larry Hagman, television star of "Dallas" and "I Dream of Jeannie," gave him $500. "Dharma and Greg" star Mimi Kennedy gave him $450, and actor Eric Roberts, $375.

These celebrity okey-dokeys are in addition to those listed in a previous posting, More Endorsements for Kucinich.

In summary, Kucinich flip-flopped on same sex marriage and the liberal celebrity weasels are coming out of their holes to support him. Pretty much predictable, don't you think?

 The Angry, Angry Left

Many Democrats are really, really mad, being unable to forget the 2000 Election. They feel they were cheated and there was no election, rather a selection. President Bush is their devil and they hate the devil. James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal analyzes this anger problem. One section in his article is spooky.

"Here's an e-mail we received today from an Angry Leftist, who mass-mailed it to more than 40 addresses:

While I abhor violence in any form, what I think needs to happen within this country is for riots to occur against this regime. Similar to the riots that took place back in the 1960s. Also, when the RNC invades NYC next year for their convention, what needs to happen is riots similar to the one at the 1968 DNC convention in Chicago. There literally needs to be an explosion by the American people to wake the rest of the citizenry up."

Let us all hope this represents just one person's thoughts and that there are not any others.

[Hat tip to Between the Coasts.]

 Internet Censorship Proposed to UN

I got this story from The Country Store which discusses a Miami Herald report on the latest crap Iran and Cuba are trying to pull off. They are proposing new U.N.-backed rules on the worldwide use (censorship) of the Internet, as well as growing state controls of TV and radio stations.

More Americans need to become informed about the dangerous stuff that goes on at the UN. Unfortunately, there are way too many people that think the UN is the end-all, be-all. Click the link and read the whole story. Then, tell your friends.

 Democrat Lab Experiments

The fact that there are currently almost a dozen declared, or soon to be declared, Democratic Party presidential candidates is an indication that the party has multiple fractures. There is no spearhead to promote an agreed upon platform. And the Democratic king makers know it. To turn the trend, the Democrats are searching for any possible solution.

According to an article in The New York Observer, they are willing to try just about anything.

"There�s no question that at this point in the Presidential campaign, people are looking for a perfect candidate, and everyone who�s out there seems like a midget," said Dan Carol, a former opposition researcher for the Democratic National Committee who recently abandoned an effort to draft actor John Cusack to run for President. "I think there are a lot of different lab experiments going on right now."

So who are the subjects of the "lab experiments?"

There's broadcaster Tom Brokaw who has stated he's not interested, but is being pressured to change his mind.

Retired General Wesley Clark is being pushed by a couple of websites to get in the fray. He has stated that he, hem-haw, I know the country needs, hem-haw, there's got to be something to this, hem-haw, but we need to consider, hem-haw, the American people deserve better, hem-haw, change needs to be made, hem-haw, hem-haw, . . . . Frankly, I haven't been able to understand anything he tries to say.

An effort to draft actor John Cusack has sputtered but doesn't appear to be a failed experiment yet. John Cusack wasn't even on my radar screen.

Al Gore is still being mentioned and being promoted as a write-in candidate via an Internet campaign by Aldo Vidali, a film director.

"And one other prospective addition to the field doesn�t have a draft movement at all, but is being closely watched by Democrats nonetheless: Senator Joseph Biden, who ran in 1988, is said by associates to be considering a late entry into the current contest." Personally, I'd like to have Senator Biden in the race. It would make things more soap opera-ish.

Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa has also been mentioned, but it's not in the article.

I know this shopping list in likely incomplete since there's six months of experimentation time remaining before the primaries begin.

 Young, Idealistic, Hungry and in Jail

According to a story in the New York Daily News, three young (17 to 24-years-old) Jewish inmates at Rikers Island Jail have been denied their request to be served vegetarian meals while incarcerated. They consider themselves to be vegans, who:

". . . avoid all animal-based foods, including seafood and dairy items. The inmates have said they believe non-vegan diets conflict with Jewish mandates to preserve the welfare of animals."

A US District Court Judge made the ruling, stating that "the jail had not caused the inmates 'irreparable harm'" and pointing out that "they had let months pass before suing the city."

As is typical, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) threw their two cents into the fray, stating:

�They should be providing these vegan meals for these people,� said the lawyer, Jeff Kerr of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. �Freedom of religion doesn�t mean you should have to worship at the altar of dead animals.�

Two of the inmates have been in jail since November 2002 and one since June 2002, serving sentences for rioting, criminal mischief and resisting arrest stemming from animal-welfare protests.

Let's analyze this story. First of all, if I eat a burger, I don't think it's accurate to state that I'm "worshipping at the altar of dead animals." This PETA crowd take themselves much too seriously.

Secondly, this story is about three young (17 to 24) idealistic promoters of a radical social/cultural agenda who have committed criminal acts and are in jail as punishment. So, as these young folks are taking their first baby steps into responsible adulthood, they have jumped on the bandwagon of a extreme fringe group which has given them a felony record and time in a cell to cool their heels.

Lastly, this story is about the PETA opportunists who, once again, are haranguing about what people should eat.

So the young idiots are serving their time and PETA continues to sound stupid. Everything's just fine.

 Should 16-Year-Olds Vote?

The answer to that question is currently being pursued by the British and it appears that it will be determined by public opinion. Alfred Lee filed a report in The Straits Times which describes the process.

The Electoral Commission, set up by Parliament in November 2000 to find ways to encourage more people to take part in democratic processes, yesterday launched a three-month consultation process to see if the public wants the voting age reduced from 18 to 16.

Public opinion will also be sought on whether the minimum age for candidates for Members of Parliament should be reduced from the current 21.

The commission will make its proposals for modernising the electoral system based on the results of the consultation, during which opinions will be sought from all corners including youth bodies and political parties.

If public opinion warrants, in the near future it is possible that 16-year-olds will be voting for 18-year-olds to be Members of Parliament. And, it is theoretically possible for the government to be headed by an 18-year-old Prime Minister.

This notion of lowering the age for voting was prompted by low turnout in recent elections and is seen as a way to increase citizen involvement in the political process.

My comment concerning this story is "What the hell are these people thinking? Hasn't anyone picked up a copy of Lord of the Flies and seen what happens when kids are in charge? Granted, it was fiction, but I speculate not far from reality. 16 and 18-year-olds are at best very young adults taking baby steps into maturity and making mistakes due to lack of knowledge and experience. At worst, they are irresponsible teenagers who act like irresponsible teenagers.

Thank God the framers of the Constitution of the United States made it a requirement that anyone elected to Congress had to be a minimum of 25 years of age, 30 for a Senator, and 35 for the President. They recognized the absolute necessity of having some maturity in the country's leadership. The boneheads in Briton need to acquire some common sense.

 Man Cuts Off Penis Then Eats It

I realize that sensationalism may be offensive and I apologize in advance for this bizarre story. It has value, in that it shows that drugs are harmful. Reported on the web at www.news.com.au, an Australian site, the story is:

A MALAYSIAN man sliced off his own penis, then fried and ate it after taking hallucinatory pills that caused him to hear voices urging him to mutilate himself, police said today.

The 34-year-old man claimed he only realized what he had done when he saw blood oozing from his crotch, said a police spokesman in the town of Sitiawan, 300km north of Kuala Lumpur.

The man had taken hallucinatory pills before sleeping on Friday and awoke hearing voices telling him to chop off his penis and devour it, the spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

He was hospitalised in stable condition, the national news agency Bernama reported.

The man had recently been released from a drug rehabilitation centre, Bernama said.

Kinda gross, huh?

 Myopic Before Starting School

Adding to the information provided in a previous posting, Myopia in East Asia, the following story delineates the results of a recent survey in Singapore.

According to Crystal Chan, reporting in The Straits Times:

One in five second year pre-schoolers had poor vision, meaning they can only see clearly at 6m what the rest could make out at 12m.

And of the 5,000 children who turned up at eye clinics for further checks, about half were mildly myopic or shortsighted.

A total of 42,000 children were tested last year and results confirmed the suspicion that myopia affected children even before they started school. Understandably, Singapore has the world's highest rate of myopia.

A 2000 study found 34 per cent of young children in Singapore were short-sighted. Rates in other nations were much lower: 19 per cent in Taiwan and 12 per cent in Hong Kong. In America, the figure was just 7.5 per cent.

The blame for the high myopia rate is eyestrain caused by reading, watching television, and computer work. On average, children start reading and using computers when they are two years old. This seems to be awfully young to be pushing children into reading

Parents, take note. Avoid eyestrain in your children.

 French Government Bans "Email"

While the United States, in particular, and the rest of the world, generally, are inspired towards multiculturalism, the French seem to be going in the opposite direction. According to a correspondent in Paris reporting for the Australian website news.com.au, the French want to minimize the use of English words in the technological field by banning the term "email" and mandating that "courriel" (meaning - electronic mail) be used instead.

The move, made law by its publication in the official government gazette on June 20, will put the French administration out of step with the majority of the French public, who still prefer to use "email" to communicate between computer accounts. Agence France-Presse

This action doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The government can make frivolous laws day in and day out, but if the citizenry is of a different opinion, the laws will be ignored. It only creates enforcement problems for the political leadership and makes them look foolish. Of course, it's the French and they have a demonstrated history of doing some foolish things.

 PETA Proposes Non-Violent Sausages at Ballpark

Probably everyone has heard of the attack by Pittsburgh Pirate Randall Simon on the "Italian Sausage" at Milwaukee's Miller Park. Not everyone is aware that the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has thrown their two cents in to the fray and sent a letter to Milwaukee Brewers' management implying that the violence at sports contests are the fault of people eating animals. Their solution is to have vegetarian "soysage" included in the Sausages Races at the ballpark to set a non-violent example.

The following quote encapsulates their philosophy quite well:

"Violence is violence, whether it�s toward �sausages� or living animals," says PETA�s Sports Campaign coordinator, Dan Shannon. "Putting a veggie dog in the Sausage Race would help stop the violence and make animals �safe� in the baseball world."

I'm not sure what the hell "make animals safe in the baseball world" even means. But these folks are relentless and they pull these types of comments out of the woodwork whenever they see any kind of opening related to their desire for everybody to eat plants, not animals. Digressing, I don't see them attempting to get animals to stop eating other animals.

Many thanks to the Silent Running weblog for pointing me to the PETA letter to Brewers management. It provides a fine example of the philosophical lunacy that these people have time to practice.

It is apparently beyond my capability to comprehend why the PETA crowd is so interested in dictating what other folks eat. I've neighbors all around me that will never feel encumbered by me relative to their diets or dinner plans. I believe that's their business and none of mine. Wouldn't it be nice if the PETA commissars felt the same?

 Kennedy Dainties For Sale

I asked my wife if she would mind having her underwear auctioned off after she died provided it was done "tastefully." She responded with an emphatic, "Yes!! I would mind!" and then said, "What do you mean by 'tastefully?'"

I don't have a clue but apparently Paula Hantman, an auctioneer in Potomac, Maryland, does because she is tastefully selling the intimate undergarments of John and Jackie Kennedy. Included are John Kennedy's boxer shorts and pajamas along with Jackie's lingerie and pantyhose.

Given the character of Jacqueline Kennedy, I cannot envision that she would think there was anything tasteful about selling her or her husband's dainties. John Kennedy, being a guy, probably wouldn't have cared one way or the other.

The Washington Times has the whole story.

 Sheriff Sues County Commission

The story goes like this. The Sheriff of Geauga County in NE Ohio did not like the amount of money budgeted for his department so he decided to file a motion in court against the county commissioners to get more money. The motion requested additional money and that each of the three commissioners be fined $500 and that imprisonment be considered if they fail to comply. In their defense, the commissioners state that the county does not have the money.

The conflict now stands as a battle between lawyers, tied up in court. And it's not necessarily amiable as demonstrated by these statements from Jeffrey Miller, a lawyer representing the sheriff:

"Something has to get through to commissioners(sic) . . . ."

"It's not as though we're gunning down the commissioners. We're just attempting to coerce them to follow the court's orders."

Two things need to be noted concerning this story. First, if the county commission determines the budget and the sheriff's department can sue them for more money, what prevents the roads department or the school system from doing the same. It seems the county commission has the responsibility but no authority. And I have no idea why a trial judge would get involved in a local political pissing contest.

Secondly, the Sheriff's Department and the County Commissioners lawyers have cost the county $947,000 thus far. So, with all this silliness, the lawyers have drained more than 5% of the $18.3 million available in the entire county budget. And, it's not over.

Inevitably, the conflict will be resolved, but there will not likely be any winners (except for the lawyers). If for no other reason, the whole episode will leave the local leaders angry. And again, the people that most suffer will be the taxpayers.

The News-Herald has the whole story.

 Nader Will Run In 2004

Julian Coman reports on the 2004 political plans of Ralph Nader in the UK Telegraph:

Unimpressed by muted Democratic opposition to the war in Iraq, and unhappy with the party's timid campaigning tactics, the 69-year-old veteran activist is now contemplating a repeat performance. Privately, he has told the American Green Party that he is prepared to run again on a "strong liberal message."

This is considered bad news for the Democrats, but it was not unexpected. Mr. Nader's candidacy in 2000 has been blamed by some to be a primary cause of Al Gore's defeat by George Bush. In closing, the Telegraph states:

When Mr. Nader does announce his candidacy, he is sure to face a barrage of criticism from Democratic supporters at the hustings. Mr. Nader himself has no regrets.

"This country just does not belong to two parties with everyone else having to shut up and get in line," he said.

I think it is good that Mr. Nader enters the race for the presidency and I'd like to see more loonies participate. It results in additional fragmentation of loyalty and support among the smorgasbord of liberal candidates in the Green and Democratic parties. Also, having Nader running is good for entertainment value.

He and his minions would have the US shut down all business, get rid of all modern inventions, live in the forest eating organic plants while living in harmony with nature as he oversees a bankrupt socialist government. No corporations, no SUVs, no commercial meat business, no electricity unless it's solar or wind powered, more programs for the poor, dismantling of the national defense, banning all guns, legalizing all drugs. Yes! Nirvana the Nader way.

Jeez! Anyone with even a pissant's sense of humor has got to laugh at this lunacy.

[Hat tip to WorldNetDaily.]

 Hey! You Stink!

Be advised that if you encounter people who do carry an offensive odor, do not just tell them they stink. According to the Beaver County Times which reports:

The first thing to assess, if you are able, is the source of the odor. This can impact the action you take. If it's a negative odor, it may be that the employee doesn't do his laundry, bathe frequently enough, or use the proper toiletries. Foul smells can also signal a physical problem. If that's the case, the Americans with Disabilities Act may govern these matters.

So, stinking may be a disability. Well, that's something I hadn't considered. I could understand the stench receivers suffering some disability, but the stench emitters always seem to think everything smells okay.

It's only in the public interest that I chose to disseminate this information so that maybe someone can avoid a discrimination lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Read the rest of the story which contains additional guidance.

 Advertising on Police Cars?

It's being reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer that some local police departments are considering putting advertising on police cruisers in return for new police cruisers.

Ads on police cars? It doesn't sound like it would foster objectivity on the part of the people carrying loaded weapons. Read the whole story.

[Update: After further review of this subject, I am prompted to additional comment. The responsible private company, Government Acquisitions, Inc., states it has contracts with over 400 towns to place ads on all types of emergency vehicles, including ambulances and fire department. So the program is intended to encompass vehicles other than police cars.

Additionally, their website states the program would prohibit ads for alcohol, firearms, gambling, and tobacco, or any other inappropriate themes. Not discussed is the meaning of "appropriate themes," but it appears that the appropriateness would be based on community standards. Therefore, the acceptability of political advertising would be determined by community consensus. Presumably, a police car could very well patrol the neighborhood with "Nader for President" or "Keep Abortion Legal" emblazoned on its side. After all, some communities have legalized marijuana so "Legalize Marijuana" advertising on ambulances would be appropriate in some locales.

Lastly, a picture of types of "appropriate" advertisements on vehicles is displayed on the web site and it sure looks to me like the resultant image is closer to NASCAR as opposed to police car.]

 Looking for the Prettier Sow

Penn State's Population Research Institute has published a story which indicates that people are all too willing to move to another state based entirely on the eligibility rules for welfare.

Gordon De Jong, a professor of sociology and demography, stated:

"There wasn't a whole lot of change in the welfare-benefit levels, but there were a lot of changes in eligibility rules and what people must do, in terms of behavioral requirements and responsibilities, to qualify or to continue to receive benefits . . ."[and]

"We found that these latter two dimensions, eligibility rules and behavioral responsibilities and requirements, make a difference -- that people are willing to move from states that are highly stringent or became more stringent to states that are lenient or became more lenient . . . ."

This should not be a great surprise to anyone. People will show up to get something for nothing. And, this movement affects different states differently. Some states have stringent requirements and people have a motivation to go to less stringent states. The researchers found that:

". . . California, Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Vermont and Washington as the states with welfare policies most attractive to outsiders. Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas were the states where welfare recipients were most likely to leave.

It's well known that sometimes one has to move for the sake of a better job. I guess sometimes a move is made for better welfare. OK, let's see. What state has a prettier sow?

Unfortunately, the states with a prettier sow also have citizens with emptier wallets. Read the whole story.

 Sometimes The Write Word

I came to this interesting and funny site called Bored on the Bus put together by an Aussie. He happens to collect curious and humorous passages from signs such as:

In a London department store: BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS.

In an office: AFTER TEA BREAK, STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.

It's worth a look.

 Smoking Banned in Toledo

Joining other liberal venues, like NYC, the Toledo City Council voted to ban smoking in all bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, and bingo halls according to this story in the Toledo Blade. The overall goal of the anti-smoking do-gooders is to ban smoking in all municipalities in Ohio with the next targeted being Defiance, Wauseon, Cleveland and Dayton.

The article notes several aspects of the new law which are worthy of comment.

"The ordinance will be enforced by the city's division of environmental services in response to complaints."

This sounds to me like a new organization will have law enforcement authority and responsibility. This has to create a conflict with the existing police and sheriff departments.

"A person caught smoking illegally could be slapped with a $100 fine."

In my opinion, that seems awful steep for lighting a cigarette in the wrong place. I'm sure Andy Taylor would just tell the person to put it out or take it outside.

"A bar or restaurant that permits illegal smoking would have to undergo anti-tobacco education after the first three violations, and would face a minor misdemeanor and a referral to the Ohio Department of Liquor Control after that."

Does anybody have a clue as to what "anti-tobacco education" is? Does "referral to the Ohio Department of Liquor Control" mean that they are going to have to take action on smoking violations? Is smoking in the purview of liquor control now? Does the OH Dept. of Liquor Control now work for the city of Toledo and just doesn't know it?

One last thing to note is that this type of frivolous and intrusive lawmaking is costing the taxpayers real dollars. There's monitoring, law enforcement, responding to complaints, anti-tobacco education, and record keeping which will require people, space to work, equipment and some legal representation. All this stuff costs money. Their money.

And, they are adding to an existing government bureaucracy, the epitome of mismanagement. In other words, they're just providing another avenue for government to piss away their hard earned tax dollars. It just don't make a lot of sense to me.

Hey, smoke 'em if you got 'em.

 Man Awakes From 19-Year Coma

This good news story from the AP has been reported by just about everybody and I'm only including it because I've a comment. The report states the following:

Thrown into a stupor after an auto accident in 1984, he recently spoke his first words in 19 years: "Mom. Pepsi. Milk."

Now, would it be reasonable to assume that the execs at PepsiCo and the milk industry are right now tearing their hair out trying to come up with some way to tastefully take advantage of the obvious advertising opportunity? I think so.

 Bloggers Gain Libel Protection

This article from Wired Magazine explains the ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that do-it-yourself online publishers, such as bloggers, cannot be held responsible for libel on information that they republish. Anyone who cuts, pastes, and forwards information on the web is affected by this decision. Read the whole thing.

[Thanks for the tip to Vodka Pundit.]

 Man Bites Dog

Everybody I'm sure has heard of other cultures' incomprehensible eating customs. Many times the response is absolute horror. The custom of eating monkeys and rats in Africa is beyond understandability. The Asians prefer cats and dogs which is deplorable to Americans who consider them pets. To help increase understanding of foreign eating customs, I feel obligated to link to this story of dog eating in Korea by fellow blogger Robert Koehler, an expatriate working there as a teacher.

Here's an appetizer from Robert's blog, The Marmot's Hole.

The practice of eating dog meat became a controversial topic circa 1988, when Korea began to come under fire from foreign-based animal rights activists in the period leading up to the Summer Olympic Games held in Seoul that year. Sensitive to the criticism from abroad, the Korean government banned the consumption of dog meat right before the start of the Games. Not that this stopped the diehard from enjoying the fruits of the pooch - dog meat restaurants simply invented new names for the dishes (many of those names are still in use, causing some confusion for the uninitiated), and continued doing a brisk trade.

The period leading up to the 2002 World Cup witnessed a new round of criticism from animal rights activists, this time lead by shitty actress-turned-dog hugger Brigitte Bardot, who attempted to organize an international boycott of Korea over the dog meat issue.

Click the link and read the whole article. It's entertaining and informative.

 Today's Crime and Punishment Story

This was stolen from Common Sense & Wonder and I send my thanks.

An American, a Dutchman and a Frenchman are all in Saudi Arabia, sharing a smuggled crate of booze when, all of a sudden, Saudi police rush in and arrest them. The mere possession of alcohol is a severe offense in Saudi Arabia, so for the terrible crime of actually being caught consuming the booze, they are all sentenced to death!

However, after many months and with the help of very good lawyers, they are able to successfully appeal their sentences down to life imprisonment. By a stroke of luck, it was a Saudi national holiday the day their trial finished, and the extremely benevolent Sheikh decided they could be released after receiving just 20 lashes each of the whip.

As they were preparing for their punishment, the Sheik announced: "It's my first wife's birthday today, and she has asked me to allow each of you one wish before your whipping."

The Dutchman was first in line, he thought for a while and then said: "Please tie a pillow to my back."

This was done, but the pillow only lasted 10 lashes before the whip went through. When the punishment was done he had to be carried away bleeding and crying with pain. The Frenchman was next up.

After watching the Dutchman in horror he said smugly: "Please fix two pillows to my back." But even two pillows could only take 15 lashes before the whip went through again and the Frenchman was soon led away whimpering loudly (as they do).

The American was the last one up, but before he could say anything, the Sheikh turned to him and said: "You are from a most beautiful part of the world and your culture is one of the finest in the world. For this, you may have two wishes!"

"Thank you, your Most Royal and Merciful highness", the American replied. "In recognition of your kindness, my first wish is that you give me not 20, but 100 lashes."

"Not only are you an honorable, handsome and powerful man, you are also very brave". The Sheikh said with an admiring look on his face. "If 100 lashes is what you desire, then so be it. "And your second wish, what is it to be?" the Sheikh asked.

The American replied: "Tie the French Bastard to my back."

Last I checked, relations between the US and France have not noticeably improved. Therefore, this joke may be around for a while.

 UN Smoking Police

Consistent with the ongoing trend to demonstrate the dominant influence exercised by radical special interests on the United Nations, a treaty called The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control has been formulated and presented to member nations for ratification. If it's like other documents produced by the UN, it should be called The Latest Plan to Fleece United States Businesses and Taxpayers.

Editorializing aside, apparently this document provides justification for sending nasty grams to people they feel smoke too much, which is what they did to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Mark Steyn reports in the UK Telegraph that:

". . . Hun Sen was "told by the United Nations he was the biggest smoker among world leaders." [and]

"The UN has asked the prime minister to stop smoking."

Excuse me, but I have to ask. What the hell is going on? Somehow the UN seems to not bother with pesky problems like genocide and terrorism to concentrate on Being-Bathroom-Monitor-at-the-High-School. This makes no sense.

Digressing, I want to pass along a couple of Mark Steyn's paragraphs that I thought were interesting regarding the UN's anti-smoking efforts.

Are the UN's smoke detectors their version of arresting Al Capone for tax evasion? Were they ready to nail Saddam for some tell-tale ash on his tie when it turned out to be merely anthrax? Were they set to move in on Mullah Omar after they got him on tape telling his child-bride, "Ooh, I could murder a pack of fags, luv," only to discover it was just another Gay Execution Day at the Kandahar soccer pitch?

Hard to say. But, as a general rule, whenever a great international crisis runs up against an anti-smoking policy, bet on the latter. That's been true ever since Hillary Clinton made Yitzhak Rabin go outside to smoke when he was at the White House for negotiations over the Oslo peace accords. (Mrs. Clinton's husband remained in compliance with her smoking policy by keeping his cigar famously unlit.)

All this and there are still many folks in the US political arena that think we should give up our sovereignty to the increasingly irrelevant UN.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

[Thanks to Common Sense & Wonder.]

 More Endorsements for Kucinich

An AP story reports on new support for Rep. Kucinich from some odd sources. In addition to left coast liberals such as Ed Asner, Elliott Gould (formerly "Mr. Streisand"), Hector Elizondo and Peter Coyote, the story states that:

The latest come from Doris "Granny D" Haddock, a 93-year-old New Hampshire woman who walked coast-to-coast two years ago to support a rewrite of campaign finance laws, and Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and leader of the M.K. Gandhi Institute of Nonviolence. [I'm not sure what political influence these two might have.]

Ice cream makers Ben & Jerry have also joined the Kucinich radical party mix as have outspoken author Studs Terkel and musician Willie Nelson.

With over a year to go before the election, it will be interesting to watch what other leftists decide to display their foolishness.

 New Jersey Bears

No they're not a sports franchise, they're wild animals and considered nuisances and dangerous to property owners in NW New Jersey. They raid trash cans, try to enter houses, and kill pets and livestock.

USA TODAY reports that, in response to citizen complaints, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council has approved the issuance of hunting permits for the first time in 33 years. Numbering 10,000, the permits will be valid during a special bear hunting season from December 8 through 13 this year.

Support for the hunt is strong but critics "suggest that more could be done to teach residents how to live with the animals . . . ."

There seems to be an underlying assumption that the bears are not the problem. People are the problem because they've been inadequately taught to live in harmony with large, hungry, omnivorous wild animals.

There also seems to be an assumption that people would want to live in harmony with the beasts. Well, excuse me. I don't and I don't want to be taught how. Personally, I think that people who want to spend their time with bears should learn to shit sleep in the woods.

 Kucinich Opposing Nuclear Plant Restart

Science Writer John Mangels writes in this Cleveland Plain Dealer story about Representative Kucinich's latest efforts to prevent restart of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant.

The congressman contends in a letter to NRC Executive Director William Travers that the plant should not be allowed to restart until a criminal investigation is completed regarding whether the utility intentionally misled the agency. The NRC has yet to respond to Kucinich's latest letter.

I refer to it as his latest letter because the congressman has spearheaded an effort to have Davis-Besse completely closed down. It's not difficult to understand why Kucinich is a darling of the radical environmental crowd, placing right behind Ralph Nader as the favorite in a recent Green Party poll of its members.

As I see it, Kucinich has little chance of being the Democratic Party nominee for president in 2004, but don't be surprised if he appears on the ballot as the Green Party nominee if Mr. Nader decides not to run.

 Representative Proposes Economic Instruction in High School

It has been reported many times by employers that new hires often don't possess basic skills in handling and understanding financial transactions. To counter this weakness, Representative Joyce Beatty has proposed that Ohio high schools be required to teach students a minimum of ten hours instruction in personal economics, including financial planning, financial decision-making, and consumer credit.

This proposal should be incorporated into law. Personal economics are essential skills for individuals to function in society. Read The Columbus Post for the complete story.

 NIH Scientist Paid For Doing Nothing

This story in The Detroit News, reported by Tania Branigan, tells of a National Institutes of Health Scientist who has been paid about $100,000 annually for seven years for doing nothing. It should make any taxpaying citizen angry.

His is a classic example of how grossly mismanaged most government bureaucracies are. Read the article and realize that it represents only a snapshot of the big problem. The words "government," "bureaucracy," and "mismanagement" should always be placed in the same sentence in any written and oral communication.

 AmeriCorps Being Reduced

Stories abound in newspapers around the country about the anticipated cuts in the AmeriCorps Program budget. Among them, Jim Carney wrote this story for the Akron Beacon Journal which details how the budget cuts will affect the program locally. As with cuts associated with any government program, the report provides a number of sad anecdotes of what's going to happen. Examples are:

A) 5,850 fewer students will be tutored.

B) 5,025 fewer Ohio children and adults will receive immunization and health screenings.

C) 191 fewer housing units will be built, remodeled or repaired.

And, inexplicable to anyone that uses a dictionary to define words,

D) 4,950 fewer community volunteers will be recruited by AmeriCorps volunteers.

So, you tell me. What's stopping them? Why can't an AmeriCorps volunteer continue to recruit community volunteers? I really am hard pressed to be able to think of anything that prohibits a person from doing volunteer work.

Ah, but there's a caveat. It seems that AmeriCorps "volunteers" are not volunteers at all. They are paid employees of the government. They receive $9,500 yearly stipend (which is pay), a $4,725 educational award (which is pay also) and health coverage (which is a job benefit). I'm not familiar with how the funds are classified when disbursed but I have the feeling that not much is deducted for taxes, social security, workman's compensation, etc.

Basic arithmetic produces a total of $14,225 per person yearly, not including benefits. This does not, in my opinion, meet the definition of volunteer work. Consequently, the "605 full-time AmeriCorps members" of the Ohio Community Service Council would therefore cost the taxpayers over $8.5 million for the 2002-2003 fiscal year.

For the sake of comparison, a person flipping burgers or working retail full-time for $7 per hour would make approximately $14,000 in a year. Chances are that person wouldn't have health insurance and would be subject to every bit of withholding the government allows.

Sure seems to me that being an AmeriCorps "volunteer" can be somewhat more lucrative than being a regular worker with a regular job.

Now, I don't have anything against AmeriCorps per se, but I do favor spending cuts whenever possible. And, although I haven't analyzed the performance of the program, I would surmise that considerable benefit has been derived. I assume that any area that has millions of dollars allocated to it would show progress.

But I do have a problem with it being called a "volunteer" program. It is just a government jobs program instituted by the Democratic Clinton administration and consistent with the philosophy of President Johnson's Great Society.

Lastly, I've a big problem with the redefining of the word "volunteer." It demeans the entire concept of volunteerism - to give of oneself without reward. I think it insults all those that do real volunteer work.

 The True Birthplace of Aviation

According to James Hannah reporting in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, the rivalry between North Carolina and Ohio continues even though the US Congress passed a resolution last month naming Dayton the birthplace of aviation. Both states, however, will be well represented at celebrations planned this year commemorating the 1903 first flight by the Wright Brothers.

The states have sparred for decades with Ohio claiming that the brothers invented, developed and tested their airplanes in Dayton and North Carolina claiming that they have wind which lifted the first airplane.

It seems to me that Ohio has a stronger case. Many places have wind which didn't really have anything to do with the technology produced by the Wright Bros.

 Mustang Ranch (1955-2003) - Rest in Peace

I just checked eBay and only dregs remain to be sold. Matchbooks, decks of cards, shot glasses, and a few other memorabilia can still be bid on, but not much longer. It looks like everything is now history for the first brothel to be operated legally in the State of Nevada.

The Bureau of Land Management is the current owner of the property, having taken possession from the Internal Revenue Service. Once the land is cleared, the 340 acres will probably become a campground, but that's not definite.

The Mustang Ranch became world famous and will be historic. What probably won't be remembered is that the IRS was the reason for its demise. The IRS got Al Capone and the Mustang Ranch.

An overview of the last of the ranch can be found at CNN.com.

 OK, Chubby, Put Down the Doughnut!

Diane Suchetka reports in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about a new invention designed to help people stay on a diet. Developed by computer-science students at North Carolina State University, it consists of special software contained in a hand-held computer named Diet Download. And, it has won the students international acclaim by taking third place in the Computer Society International Design Competition.

Once the Diet Download matures from prototype to product, I'm sure there will be an eager market. I'm somewhat skeptical as to whether it will be effective. Most people I've known with weight problems lacked willpower and I don't think a computer reminder will help in that regard.

 It's The Government's Fault

Here's something to add to the list of craziness occurring in Ontario. Along with legalizing marijuana and marrying homosexuals, you can now steal money, blow it all in the casino, blame the government, and pretty much get away with it according to Jake Rupert in a report for the CanWest News Service.

The report states:

Ontario Court Justice Paul Belanger said governments that make money from gambling must accept some responsibility for the "monsters" they've created.

"One of the consequences of this is there will be people who become hopelessly addicted to gambling," Judge Belanger said. "It is a recognized disease."

Because of this logic, Ottawa-area resident Boyd Dulmage was sentenced to probation, community service and restitution after being convicted of stealing $91,300. The judge said "he couldn't jail a man who started committing crimes to support an addiction to something the government is selling."

This is typical of what is happening in courthouses throughout the US and Canada - activist judges forgetting about the law and making decisions based on their own radical agendas.

 DUI Conviction Rates in Ohio

The Washington Court House Record-Herald newspaper analyzed drunken driving data from 2002 collected by the Ohio Supreme Court and found that only "62.5% of those charged with operating a motor while intoxicated ended up being convicted of that charge."

The results identify individual municipalities with high and low conviction rates. Courts in Willoughby and Ironton had the highest percentage of drunken drivers convicted at 97%. The lowest conviction rates were in Chillicothe at 25%, Youngstown at 30%, and Mentor at 31%.

I'm not sure what value this information provides other than that some judges are tougher than others. But everybody should probably already know that. It is curious to me that fully more than a third of all people charged with drunk driving walk away from court without being convicted.

[Update 7/9/03 - This article has produced some finger-pointing and blame avoidance. Most seem to agree that there is no consistency in the collection, processing, and reporting of judicial data and records. Sounds like a management problem within a government bureaucracy. Geez! Who could have guessed? The News-Herald reports the story.]

 Llamas and Coyotes

According to a report in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio has a large number of coyotes that are troublesome to livestock farmers, particularly sheepherders. To guard their herds, the farmers are using llamas which have a natural herding instinct and are much larger than coyotes.

This came as news to me so I thought I'd pass it along.

 Killing Deer in Ohio

Martin Stolz, reporting for The Cleveland Plain Dealer, describes the problems concerning an overpopulation of deer in Ohio and "a proposal to trap and kill them by firing steel bolts into their skulls."

There are about 525,000 deer roaming Ohio and every year approximately 200,000 are killed by hunters, but that reduction is insufficient according to citizen complaints. In the Solon City Council,

"They griped about the destruction deer cause to landscaped yards and about collisions with cars, which kill an average of 109 deer in the city each year . . . ."

Not everyone is in favor of killing the deer to manage the population.

At a public hearing last week, speakers against the proposal outnumbered the supporters and criticized the use of traps and bolt guns as cruel. A few opposed killing deer at all. Several offered ideas for nonlethal solutions, such as birth control, fencing, special reflectors to deter deer from crossing roads, deer repellents and garden plants unpalatable to deer.

The use of bolt guns may seem cruel, however, the method is commonly used to kill farm animals,

"but aiming the bolt into the correct part of a deer's brain is tricky. Frequent reports of botched killings of wild animals with captive bolt guns(sic) led the veterinary school at the University of Florida at Gainesville to produce educational programs for law enforcement officers, said Professor J. K. Shearer.

Veterinarians say the only way to guarantee quick death with a bolt gun is to bleed the deer by severing its jugular vein and carotid artery. The sight can be gruesome, Shearer said."

Don't expect this issue to be resolved to everyone's satisfaction soon, if ever. To my knowledge, no organized efforts by 'animal rights' groups have surfaced yet and I anticipate they may want to become involved.

 Ranking The Candidates for President

I found an interesting website, SelectSmart.com, that uses a short series of questions to determine how each presidential candidate's values compare to those of a particular individual. Curiously, I discovered that I had more in common with any Socialist Party candidate (6%) than Carol Moseley-Braun (5%) and Retired General Wesley Clark (minus 4%).

Take the test. It's amusing and, BTW, don't ask me how I can have a minus percentage of commonality with Gen. Clark. It's beyond me.

[Hat tip to Silent Running]

 Mayor Bloomberg Goes After Lawbreakers

I found a few items that I thought were interesting and worthy of comment. Maybe my readers will agree. Although these events happened in New York and reported in the NY Daily News, I think similar things could have and have occurred elsewhere.

A woman was fined $25 for gabbing with her neighbor, cited for "unreasonable noise." Apparently she and her friend opened their apartment doors and were talking when a housing cop approached and told them to quit babbling and close their doors. They didn't comply so the cop issued a ticket.

A comment to be made here is that if a cop tells you to shut up, it's in your best interest to do so. Secondly, the concept of "unreasonable noise" should have a place in the law. Many times I've endured incessant babbling and wished there was a way to stop it. Sometimes the noise is unreasonable when the person opens his mouth. One name that immediately comes to my mind is Dennis Kucinich.

Two barbers stepped outside their business to have a cigarette break and were ticketed for loitering. They were dumbfounded. Because it's illegal to smoke in public places in New York City, they asked reasonably, "What are we supposed to do? Go home to have a cigarette?"

The cop didn't care what they had to say. He just handed out the pink summons slip and said. "Blame it on [Mayor] Bloomberg."

Looks to me like grabbing a smoke break in today's NYC is a problem. People are going to have to go home or find a secret place to puff away to avoid being ticketed.

This episode prompts several comments. One is that the trend in the US is to totally outlaw smoking tobacco in public. California, Florida and New York ban smoking and, in Ohio there's a push to have a smoking ban put on the ballot in the next general election. I really don't have a problem with the majority determining the laws, but I do have some concern that tobacco smokers are being targeted as outlaws.

And, I have a big problem with the fact that, as we are prosecuting tobacco smokers for using a legal product, efforts at the same time are in progress to allow the smoking of marijuana in the same places that we are outlawing the smoking of tobacco. It doesn't make much sense to me.

This next item is totally outrageous.

A man was ticketed for "unauthorized use of a milk crate." He was sitting on it without authorization.

Apparently there is a label on the milk crate bearing the imprint of Sunnydale Farms and a warning which states:

"Use by anyone but registered owner is liable to prosecution, article 17A, General Business Law."

Because of this, the cop issued the ticket and indicated Mayor Bloomberg is to blame. The cop also said that he had to make his daily quota for tickets.

All three of the cases described in this posting appear to have rather weak justifications from a law enforcement standpoint and I couldn't quite grasp why these types of things were happening to law-abiding citizens. That is until I read the following:

The summons from hell came days after the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association charged that beat cops are under pressure to write tickets and meet illegal quotas to help pump money into city coffers. City officials strongly deny those charges.

Well, that explains everything and shows what a stinking worm Mayor Bloomberg is.

 Ohio's Odd Fireworks Laws

As a resident of the Buckeye State, I can go out locally and purchase just about any loud and brilliant fireworks I want to light up the Fourth of July sky. That is, the sky over any place but the State of Ohio. That's right, you can buy the really great fireworks in Ohio, but you must then leave the state.

Matt Pera explains the odd Ohio laws in the 7/3/03 edition of The Courier of Findlay, Ohio. And, it's true that if I buy those loud and brilliant fireworks, the law requires that I get out of the state within 48 hours. If I don't comply, I'm guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $1,000 and/or six months in jail.

 Change Your Saturday Night Plans

This posting is for all my Canadian friends in Toronto and Windsor. The laws of Ontario were recently changed and it may affect your leisure time planning. Bill 97 2003 has been passed by the Legislative Assembly and conviction could result in:

". . . a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or to both."

So you'll just have to check what's on cable.

 Smoking Weed Makes a Person Crazy

Ananova.com is reporting statements made by Professor Robin Murray of the Institute of Psychiatry in London in which he cites several studies of long term cannabis use that found an increased risk of mental illness.

Speaking at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' annual conference in Edinburgh, he said: "In the last 18 months a number of studies have confirmed that cannabis consumption acts to increase later risk of schizophrenia. This research must not be ignored."

Professor Murray delineated studies conducted in Sweden, Holland and New Zealand as the basis for his contention, adding that "these findings had been largely ignored."

Throughout the years, I've had personal contact with some folks that were heavy dope smokers and I always thought they were just extra dumb or extra stupid. Maybe they were just crazy. Or maybe they were dumb or stupid long enough to become crazy. Either way, I would never want or put any long term dope smoker in a position of responsibility.

 Al Gore To Start Liberal TV Network

According to Dominic Timms, reporting in the UK Guardian, former US vice president Al Gore will launch a liberal cable TV News network. Mr. Gore wants to be able to counter the conservative voices that he thinks dominate the media. Specifically, he stated last year to the New York Observer that:

"The media is kind of weird these days on politics and there are some major institutional voices that are, truthfully speaking, part and parcel of the Republican party . . . ."[and]

"Fox News Network, The Washington Times, Rush Limbaugh - there's a bunch of them, and some of them are financed by wealthy ultra-conservative billionaires who make political deals with Republican administrations and the rest of the media."

I wonder if some of these Democrats actually believe what they spew.

 Taxes! Taxes! Taxes!

If there's one subject I'd rather not continue to address in this blog, it is the blatant money grab enlightened economic policies mandated by the spineless weasels politicians in Columbus. Unfortunately, somebody has to document the specifics of the recent confiscation increase in taxes in the state of Ohio.

In addition to the increase in the state sales tax and expansion of the types of businesses subject to the sales tax (discussed in previous posts), the public needs to be aware of some of the other pocket picking going on. Hold on to your wallets.

Reporting for the Toledo Blade, Jim Provance outlines some of the other areas where the lawmakers decided to screw the public enhance revenue generation.

The state tax on gasoline will climb from 22 cents, where it's been since 1993, to 24 cents, the first of three 2-cent increases that will take the tax to 28 cents per gallon on July, 2005. That's on top of the federal tax of $18.4 cents.

. . . the fee to renew a driver's license every four years will also cost $12 more, at $23.75.

. . . renewing vehicle registration will cost $11 more . . . .

Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Cunningham stated that, with the prices of gasoline fluctuating almost daily, many motorists may never notice the 2-cent increase.

Now, let's analyze his statement. Is he only commenting or is he proposing that the best time to sneak in a tax increase and have it go unnoticed is when a market is energetic? A mere observation or a shifty political ploy? You make the call.

And here are some other ways we citizens will be filched.

Aviation licenses will be a $100 flat fee instead of the previous $3 per seat. This is not good news for someone with a two-seat or four-seat airplane.

The fee to renew a barber's license will increase from $75 to $100.

The fee to renew a barber school license will increase from $500 to $1,000.

The cost of a boxing promoter's license will increase from $50 to $100.

The cost of hunting and fishing licenses will increase from $14 to $18. Additionally, no longer will senior citizens be receiving free licenses. They will now have to pay half-price.

Hunters will see the cost of a deer and turkey permit rise from $20 to $24.

The cost of liquor permits will rise in one of two ways: all permits currently under $300 will be doubled; all those over $300 will be increased by 25 percent.

I have one last thing concerning the increase in the state sales tax. A story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer states that the one-cent "increase is set to end in July 2005." If I had to wager which would occur first between the end of the increased sales tax or Lyndon LaRouche becoming President of the United States, it would be a tossup, but I'd have to go with President LaRouche. I've no confidence that the lawmakers will roll back the sales tax.

All I've got to say is, "Fasten your seat belts, It's going to be a bumpy ride."

 Updated Presentation

Still scratching the surface of the blogosphere, I'm learning something everyday. I've cleaned the appearance somewhat and added a blogroll listing those sites I regularly visit. I hope that my linking of those sites isn't a violation of protocol since I haven't actually communicated with most of the responsible bloggers. Next, I'm going to try to figure out how to make some sense out of the archives.

I hope my small readership exhibits some patience while I climb a steep learning curve.

 Kucinich Gets Endorsements

I just heard on the news broadcast from WTAM Radio out of Cleveland that Dennis Kucinich has received two "thumbs up" endorsements from Ben and Willie. Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream fame and Willie Nelson, country music entertainer and notable adversary of the IRS, want Congressman Kucinich as their President.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

"A Kucinich administration will put the interests of America's family farmers, consumers and environment above the greed of industrial agribusiness," Nelson said. "I will be doing all I can to raise his profile with voters."

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

 Buddy Hackett - Rest in Peace

At 78, Buddy Hackett died at his home in California. I've always liked the guy. He was an average Joe with a great sense of humor. The newspaper column announcing his death had a piece of trivia about Buddy that I didn't know. From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the story goes:

Hackett was invited to join the Three Stooges when "Curly" Howard, the bald-headed member of the comedy team, suffered a stroke in 1946. But Hackett declined, believing he could develop his own comedy style.

He did develop his own style and now it can only be seen on the screen. So long, pal.

 Who's Next in Line, In Case You Wondered

The order of presidential succession.

1. Vice President - Dick Cheney

2. Speaker of the House - Dennis Hastert

3. Senate President Pro Tempore - Ted Stevens

4. Secretary of State - Colin Powell

5. Secretary of the Treasury - John Snow

6. Secretary of Defense - Donald Rumsfeld

7. Attorney General - John Ashcroft

8. Secretary of the Interior - Gale Norton

9. Secretary of Agriculture - Ann Veneman

10. Secretary of Commerce - Donald Evans

11. Secretary of Labor - Elaine Chao

12. Secretary of Health and Human Services - Tommy Thompson

13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Mel Martinez

14. Secretary of Transportation - Norman Mineta

15. Secretary of Energy - Spencer Abraham

16. Secretary of Education - Rod Paige

17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Anthony Principi

18. Secretary of Homeland Security - Tom Ridge

Ridge would move from 18th to eighth under legislation moving through Congress. Also, the Constitution requires that the president be a natural-born citizen, so Chao, born in Taiwan, and Martinez, who came to the United States from Cuba, would not be eligible.

 Decreased Gun Controls in Colorado

This story out of the Denver Post explains the results of dramatic changes in gun control laws in Colorado. Businessmen have become apprehensive and some citizens have expressed fear because of two new laws which became effective on May 17.

One makes it easier to qualify for a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Previously, Denver issued such permits, but only under special circumstances.

The other law nullified Denver's ordinances that forbid the open carrying of weapons. So, citizens can carry a gun in the open, in their hand or tucked in at the waist, for instance, except in public and private buildings where signs prohibit it.

The net effect of the laws is that just about anybody can carry a weapon and it can be concealed or it can be sported in a holster for all to see.

Business owners say they know it's now easier to get a gun and take it more places, but they say the state has offered no guidance about how to keep guns off their property.

The laws do provide the option for businesses to post "No Guns" signs but there is no confidence that they make a difference. Some owners feel they would scare customers away.

There are many unanswered questions concerning the long term consequences of the new laws and most people are anticipating that some answers will come only after the first gun-related incident. Read the whole article.

 New State Laws

Robert Tanner provides an overview of new state laws becoming effective July 1st. The specific changes to the state laws, when viewed in total, show the various political trends presently occurring in the US. It's worth a look.

[Update: I have to mention at least one of the changes. In the state of Tennessee, it is now legal to run a red light on a motorcycle.]