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Friday, April 25, 2003
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Shocking Concurrence
I actually can agree with a Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial
State Rep. Steve Buehrer, a Republican from Toledo, managed to tuck this disturbing, anti-consumer measure into the recently passed House budget bill - a measure that was approved without a hearing:
Buehrer wants to require Web sites maintained by the state to withhold information that is already provided by the Web sites of two or more private companies.
This is a texbook example of a legislator who has forgotten he works for the public, not for those who mine public information and attempt to profit from it.
...
Most state-run Web sites merely reference services offered by the state or provide helpful hints or tourism tips on everything from campsites and festivals to sales tax rates in neighboring states. But that's apparently too much information for Buehrer.
...
The Senate, which has taken up the House budget proposal, should promptly strip this offensive measure from the bill. And Ohioans who resent Buehrer's clumsy attempt to benefit private companies that peddle public information should contact him at: district74@ohr.state.oh.us.
This is just dumb. People go to a state web site for public information. The Internet has been a boon to making public domain information more easily available and found. I will say, though, that I wish the PD would have at least listed the bill number or when it was actually passed. It will be a real pain trying to find the proposed law to peruse it.
UPDATE: Boy, did finding this out piss off the wife.
The budget deadline is in 68 days.
It is currently in the Senate Finance committee so sending e-mails to the
representative is a really stupid idea. What's he going to do, go over to the
Senate deliberations and say, "oops screwed up. Could you all kindly take this
portion out of the bill?" It would be better to encourage people to contact the
senators who are currently debating the bill.
This is the finance committee:
Bill Harris
(Chair)
19 -R
Ashland 466-8086
Eric Fingerhut
(RM)
25 -D
Cleveland 466-4583
John Carey Jr.
(V-Chair)
94 -R
Wellston 466-1366
Fx: (614)644-9494
Mark Mallory
09 -D
Cincinnati 466-5980
Ron Amstutz
22 -R
Wooster 466-7505
SD22@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Ray Miller
15 -D
Columbus 466-5131
Louis Blessing
08 -R
Cincinnati 466-8068
C.J. Prentiss
21 -D
Cleveland 466-4857
James Carnes
20 -R
St. Clairsville 466-8076
Randy Gardner
02 -R
Bowling Green 466-8060
David Goodman
03 -R
Columbus 466-8064
Fx: (614)644-9494
Jay Hottinger
31 -R
Newark 466-5838
Jeff Jacobson
06 -R
Brookville 466-4538
She followed that up half an hour later
Not only did Beuhrers add this web stuff in the budget bill, but he proposed it
as separate legislation: HB145. It has been languishing since it was assigned
to the House State Government committee on 3-27. I guess he figured adding it
to the budget bill would be the only way it could pass quickly. The budget
bill is the only thing on the agenda for this week.
The thing that I find really irritating is that what he's basically doing is
preventing the copyright holder, the government, from publishing its own
works. That is just so offensive on so many levels.
And I just double checked--this stuff was not in the bill reported out of
committee. Grrrr.
The legislative analysis of the full bill is here.
The particular act in question is called the "Electronic Government Services Act." It is the last item in a very long analysis (not surprising since this is a budget bill). It would be codified as Ohio Revised Code (ORC or RC) 1306.20, 1306.25, 1306.26, 1306.27, 1306.28, and 1306.29. The gall of Ohio Rep Buehrer is amazing considering he added this at the last minute and included this statement:
Findings and intent of the General Assembly
The bill states that the General Assembly finds and declares that (1) the growth of private enterprise is essential to the health, welfare, and prosperity of Ohio and (2) government competes with the private sector when it provides goods and services to the public (R.C. 1306.26(A)). The bill further states that it is the General Assembly's intent and the purpose of the bill to (1) protect economic opportunities for private industry against unfair competition by government agencies and (2) enhance the efficient provision of public goods and services (R.C. 1306.26(B)).
The actual text of the bill can be found here (or in PDF), but they are the full text so they are very large files.
No Deep Thoughts on Santorum
Everyone is commenting on Santorum's desire to police our bedrooms (here is the partial transcript). Not surprisingly, the most comments have been coming from Andrew Sullivan ( here, here, here and here), though plenty of others have commented, and I know I'm leaving a bunch out.
I found the comments offensive, dumb, and bizarre. Of course, I dislike Santorum intensely. I always have. I actually met him before he even became a member of the US House of Representatives. It was while I was at Pitt and it was probably 1989. A friend convinced me to go to a Young Republicans (or were they College Republicans?) meeting that Santorum was going to speak. The one and only time I attended a partisan political meeting -- a dozen or so freaky looking guys and not one girl, screw that (all the girls who cared about partisan politics were in the College Dems). He was running against some long-time incumbent Democrat Representative -- he ended up upsetting the incumbent based primarily on the House Bank check bouncing/overdrawn accounts mini-scandal, in which this Rep, whose name I can't recall, was one of the biggest offenders.
A few things stayed with me from that talk. The sense of naked ambition for political power was first and foremost -- and the biggest turnoff. You could see it in his eyes, that he wasn't looking to be just a member of the House. It was a stepping stone. He admitted, then, that he didn't expect to win. He just wanted to start getting his name on the ballot so people would recognize it, and eventually would come around to him. He wouldn't spell out his position on social issues -- especially abortion. Someone specifically asked him about abortion and he danced around it, talking instead about reasonable controls and that he wasn't looking to make this a big issue. I suppose it made sense to duck the issue. We were college students. Most of us were probably closer to the center/libertarian on social issues than we were on fiscal and foreign policy, and you don't want to turn off people who might actually volunteer to assist the campaign.
I think Santorum believes the crap he is spewing. More importantly, for him, he is working to solidify his Christian Conservative base and get his name out there on a national level for the future. He is taking a calculated political gamble. He has been a loyal party member, and expected many other Republicans and those to the right pundits, columnists, and opinionmakers who disagree with his social/civil liberties views are giving him a bit of a pass (or the old "yes, but...") or lighter condemnations because he is with them on fiscal and foreign policy views. This is part of a plan to get himself elevated to national debate and name recognition. He is trying to get beyond being the Junior Senator from Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
There Might Be A Problem
Gee, you think.
A man who had taken in foreign-exchange high school students for many years was charged yesterday with having sexual contact with a teenage boy who had lived with him since August.
Police charged Frank Swiderski, 69, with eight counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor. He was arraigned in Willoughby Municipal Court and in Lake County Jail yesterday under $50,000 bond.
The teen, now 18, was a minor when he began living with Swiderski, said Eastlake Detective Christopher Bowersock. When police searched Swiderski's home, they found photos of nude teenage boys dating to 1970 that police say Swiderski took. Police also found evidence that he downloaded photos of nude boys from the Internet.
Bowersock said the school district notified police after the teenager asked a teacher at North High School if his interactions with Swiderski were appropriate. He was removed from Swiderski's home last week.
After getting over the sense of nausea, I have to ask why a 69 year old, single male is even being allowed to host a foreign exchange student? This isn't a pedophile question. This is about asking what kind of exchange program this is. Part of the point of a student exchange is to allow the visiting student to experience the host country's culture and see at least a little bit of the country and its sites. How much can be expected to be seen and enjoyed with a guy about to hit 70?
Police are asking questions about other foreign-exchange students. Bowersock said more charges may follow.
Superintendent Keith Miller said the program that placed the teen with Swiderski was not run or coordinated through the Willoughby-Eastlake school district. He said he knew Swiderski, who has worked several years under contract as a news stringer for The Plain Dealer, through his work. The newspaper is severing that contract.
Gee, really?
"I am shocked," Miller said.
EF Foundation for foreign study of Cambridge, Mass., placed the teenager with Swiderski. A woman at the group's national office, who would not identify herself, declined to comment about the charges against Swiderski or the teen's placement with him.
Big surprise that the EF Foundation for foreign study isn't going to comment. My fellow members of the bar are probably lining up to file the lawsuit (they're going to need to sell a lot of t-shirts) and represent this and the past students.
It will be interesting to see what the police turn up on this, when you consider that according to the InfoSearch on Frank Swiderski, he doesn't live that far from the Eastlake High School.
He also lives less than a mile from where I live, but I'm not too concerned (in his case) for Angie, given his predilection is for teenage boys.
Poetry in Motion
A friend of mine e-mailed me the following:
Anybody want to hear some anti-war poems with me? This is the kind of shit I get all day because I'm still on Pitt's English Department email list:
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 8:52 AM
Subject: POEMS AGAINST WAR - please help publicize
Friends:
Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. three wonderful Pittsburgh poets will read poems against war at The Quiet Storm, 5430 Penn Ave. Pgh.
The reading is free and will last one hour.
The poets are Ed Ochester
Judith Vollmer &
Patricia Dobler
This reading is part of a global day of poems against war initiated by Sam Hamill and Poets Against War. Please use your websites or email list to help publicize it. Questions can be directed to Deborah Bogen at this email address.
. THANK YOU.
Deb
Never let the end of the war stop a good circle jerk. This is an article about the Poets Against the War. This is their homepage, where you realize they are actively trying to match traditional stereotypes of poets to be pretentious, self-important, narcissistic twits. This is part of the opening statement on their site, emphasis added:
The 11,000 poets whose work is published on this site were part of the largest outcry of poets in history against the war. After the fall of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, and as the fighting winds down, it is important for us to celebrate this eloquent demand for peace, and to pledge ourselves to continue this work for peace. We'd like to invite you to join us in a special event on the first of May -- a celebration of the voices of the many poets worldwide who contributed this spring to the poetsagainstthewar.org web site.
Please join us and poets around the world in organizing another reading of poetry against the war on May 1st.
I'll alert the Guinness World Records people. Yes, by all means the poets have reason to celebrate "their demand." Personally, I'd rather celebrate the freed people of Iraq, the end of a brutal dictatorship, or the chance for the humanitarian aid that has instead been poured into gilded palaces to actually reach and help the people for which it was intended. Not Poets Against the War, though. They want to celebrate group poetry readings that occurred on the same day.
I did look at the list of poets planning on reading at the Pittsburgh gathering. Ed Ochester, is the big hitter of the group. Here's a sample of his work, called " Pocahontas":
Disney didn’t tell you
that when she first
slept with Captain Smith
she was 12 years old and
at that time
organized nude dancing
by her young friends
for the delectation of the colonists.
If this disturbs you deeply
you’re probably beyond help.
You should go to Orlando
and stand in line for three hours in the rain.
Take a snapshot of Goofy.
Oh, two other things: in colonial
Virginia the age of sexual consent
was 10. And, if you eat
of the fruit of Disney
you will die.
Shocking. A Disney movie for kids didn't go into the gritty, hardcore history, with lots of emphasis on sex. We can all thank Ed for displaying what part of the story of Pocahontas he wants to study carefully. Yes I know he's really railing against the the sanitizing of history by a huge, evil corporation for purposes of providing mindless entertainment for the drone-like masses who don't really want to know the dark truths.
Judith Vollmer is coming in from Greensburg, PA where she teaches at one of Pitt's satellite schools.
Patricia Dobler directs the Women's Creative Writing Center at Carlow College in Pittsburgh.
Then there is the organizer, Deborah Bogen. I couldn't find much on her. Just reference to her in this article about one of the PATW gatherings, that described her as an, "activist and a poet." She has gotten published by being the Winner of the 2003 Poetry Chapbook Competition, Sponsored by ByLine magazine.
Of course she posted notice of a January Poet Protest . The Pittsburgh Organizing Group. On the front page of their site is the following message
Stopping the War on Iraq. With no end in sight to the unjust killing being done in our name we must increase our efforts to expose and disrupt the war machine locally.
And if you're in Pittsburgh on Saturday looking for something to do:
No To War! Day of Resistance- Saturday April 26th- Noon: Strip District- "Carnival of Greed" March to Point State Park to join the Thomas Merton Center mass rally-march.
Fun, fun, fun. In the upper right is a box mentioning that the Pittsburgh Chapter of Indymedia is now nationally affiliated -- ending by stating, "Bypass the Corporate media and post your own stories." (Truthfulness and a basis in reality, optional.) Ultimately, the diversity of views and openmindedness can be found by visiting their " Community Library" to see what is available. Of the 17 books listed, 9 are written by Noam Chomsky.
Sorry I won't be in Pittsburgh that weekend.
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
100 Years of the Greatest Franchise in Sports
Today is the 100th anniversery of the first game played by the now New York Yankees (after they had moved from Baltimore). They lost that day, on the road.
Teddy Roosevelt, touring Yosemite Park on April 22, 1903, the first head of state to take that trip, missed a wonderful chance to make history a lot closer to home. The baseball season was opening in Washington, a mile from the White House, and the visiting team was New York's not-yet Yankees.
And because this would be the first game they ever played, because team names were no big deal back then, and Bronx Bombers was out of the question because they weren't located in that borough, the Times' Opening Day story identified the new club as "The New York baseball team of the American League."
New York lost the game, 3-1, it was reported, "through inability to bat safely at opportune times."
The next day, New York rebounded, winning 7-3, but shortstop Herman Long, who committed three "bungles," was described as being "long on errors and short on accepted chances." And people think the tabloids are tough.
Organized baseball had been in operation since 1876, with 8 to 12 teams representing the dominant National League. Other leagues had a few at-bats - Altoona was a major-league address for 20 games in 1884 - but none of them were successful until the American League started up, with deep pockets, in 1901. The AL batting averages in '02 were 16 points higher, but it had to help that the league didn't count foul balls as strikes. The junior circuit raided and signed name players, out-drew the older league in several cities, and they weren't going away. People called it a war, and the newcomers were winning.
Today, Altoona has a AA Eastern League, Pittsburgh Pirate minor league affiliate, the Altoona Curve. The Yankees have won 26 World Series, and are off to their best start in their history (without Jeter and Rivera).
Selective Billboard Ban Booted
A District Court's decision that Cleveland's ban on billboards that advertise alcohol except in a few limited areas was unconstitutional was upheld in a Per Curiam decision by the 6th Circuit Court of appeals. The Court of Appeals, in its opinion, said it agreed with the reasoning in the District Court case -- Eller Media Co. v. City of Cleveland, 161 F. Supp.2d 796 (N.D. Ohio 2001). Unfortunately, the District Court decision is not online. It is only available through PACER.
What makes this case noteworthy, is that similar bans have been upheld by federal courts in Baltimore, MD and Oakland, CA. Obviously this creates conflict between the lower courts, but it is unclear whether Cleveland will appeal to the US Supreme Court to resolve the problem.
Only One Way
Not a real post, but blogger doesn't seem to want to let me publish the edited posts, but if I make a new post it goes through.
Monday, April 21, 2003
Defending Drinking at a Game
Between MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL, there are about 10,616 regular season sporting events in the US and Canada during the year, with easily tens of millions of attendees. This does not include minor league baseball and hockey, the NBDL, arena football, college football, basketball and hockey, and (maybe) the WNBA. Blind drunk, being the only way I can imagine attending the last. I guess the shocking thing following the fan incident at the Cell last week, if you read the generic neo-prohibitionist sports columns
But the best way to deal with drunks is never going to happen. In an ideal world, Bud Selig could snap his fingers and say, "No more beer sales in any of our ballparks." And you'd be amazed by how much better crowds would behave.
( that always pop up around the country when when a fan does something really stupid), is that it doesn't happen more often. (The other common theme to all the stories is the reference to Coors Field, the Milwaukee Brewers and Miller Park. Ooooh. Clever.)
Some writers throw in the drunk reference, but instead ascribe it to the times in which we live -- reality TV, interactive sports, people are stupid -- after all, boorish behavior from fans (and players in response) has been going on since the games started.
Locally, one of the Cleveland sports columnist decides that it is also the drunk in the stands ruining the "family" atmosphere, and while conceding that you can't ban beer sales, the cut off time needs to be earlier.
Beer does more to dumb down society than Jerry Springer, reality television and Anna Nicole Smith combined. The marriage between sports and beer does not produce many Mensa offspring, as evidenced again in Chicago this past week.
...
But a shorter window for beer sales should accompany it. Or a strict per-customer limit.
You cannot smoke in most sports arenas, but you can drink all you want. As many people will tell you, especially people who take their kids to professional sporting events, second-can beer is a bigger hazard to their health than second-hand smoke.
If baseball is really serious about curbing the problem of fools rushing the field - three ninnies did clothed versions of the Nike streaker commercial Tuesday night before the fourth tried to tackle umpire Laz Diaz - it can't leave the concession stands out of the equation.
Most people drink responsibly. Only a few run onto the field. But there are quite a few more who ruin other people's good times without ever reaching the fields.
What are the chances baseball would compromise its beer sales? Gee . . . hmmm . . . why don't we talk it over in between innings at a game sometime. Maybe the next time the Milwaukee Brewers go to Coors Field? Does that work for you?
You read these guys and you come to think going to a baseball game has become the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic. Pay attention morons. Every ballpark and stadium has tailgating and bars around it. Should all of that be banned? You really think these people who get so liquored up that they commit assault and run the field, did all their drinking on just beer bought inside the park? At a cost of at least $5 a pop? Did you see the moron who ran at Laz Diaz? I doubt he could afford more than 4 -- and only because it was half-price night. They were drinking hard before hand, they probably brought a flask (or the whole damn bottle) -- maybe you should cut off the sale of Coke to prevent mixed drinks -- and maybe smuggled in a couple beers. (I have some experience with this -- John, Shawn, Pat and Lee can stop rolling your eyes.)
I'm all for a reasonable solution, mostly involving better security and some self control. Ballparks usually cut off sales around the 6th or 7th inning. If you cut off the sales around the 4th or 5th inning, all you'll do is convince people to load up on the number of purchases closer to the cut-off. All the sportswriters want is treat the games like an Amish picnic. These sportswriters must still be pissed that they only get free food in the pressbox, not drinks.
Addition: This columnist in Pittsburgh didn't have the energy to do a full column. He only threw in the two generic comments in a "..." column. Can we please get some more creativity from sports columnists
Go Away Kid, Ya Bother Me
You've got to love the image of the Cincinnati police these days. They're trying to be the latest punchline for the image of rascist, corrupt and lazy cops. Seeking to take the crown from LA, who took it from Philly, who got it from NYC, after Chicago surrendered it (and somewhere in the mix, Boston is always lurking). How about an off-duty cop working a bar in uniform, who wouldn't tear himself away from his wings to investigate a nearby shooting? Instead he arrests a student for badgering him to investigate.
Now he is at the University of Cincinnati and retains that respect, he said, even though a police officer arrested him Tuesday after he insisted that the officer investigate a sidewalk shooting.
[Andrew] November's case is set for trial this month in Hamilton County Municipal Court. The 19-year-old is charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Officer Michael Baxter, 36, who arrested him, has been relieved of his police powers as the department investigates.
November said he went to a 30-cent "wing night" Tuesday at a restaurant about a quarter-mile from his dorm. Someone ran inside saying that a man had just been shot and was lying on the sidewalk.
November ran out to look, then came in and told Baxter, who was working off duty in uniform, according to published reports.
November went out one more time before urging Baxter to investigate. But the police officer just kept eating. November asked for his badge number and the officer said, "It will be on your arrest report," and took him into custody.
The gunshot victim, Varion Mines, 23, of Cincinnati, died. No arrests had been made as of last night in his death.
Poor Cinci. The Bengals and Reds suck. Now this. When people living up in Cleveland start shaking their head and feel pity for you...
Editorials as Observation
What the hell is the point of this Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial on the frosty relationship between Pres. Bush and Canadian PM Jean Chretien?
The two leaders have taken an obvious personal dislike to each other. Chretien, crusty and left-leaning, has taken no pains to hide his contempt for the president, nor to encourage his Liberal Party members to temper their assessments of Bush's intellect or of Americans' natal legitimacy. And Bush sees no particular reason to reach out to an antagonist whose term ends in 10 months.
Practically, there is no need for either man to bend. The trade relationship that cements the two countries - $1.2 billion a day flows between them - is so broad and intricately woven as to be on cruise control. Each nation needs the other's markets and resources far too much to allow a personality clash among leaders to interfere seriously in the vital relationship. Besides, such a long-standing international friendship is not easily undermined.
The editorial even admits it doesn't matter. It doesn't give any reason why this is important. Is it a "filler" editorial? It just seems to be saying, "hey, you know, we just noticed that the leaders of US and Canada don't seem to like each other. Oh, well, just wanted to pass that along." Thanks for the update.
Back Again
We took a road trip 160 miles south to Zanesville, Ohio this weekend to see the wife's side of the family. Had a good time. The kid just soaked up the love and adoration from the grandparents. Her fifth tooth popped through over the weekend.
Learned a disturbing truth over the weekend. With the grandparents taking almost [ with perfect timing, Angie just cried out from the bedroom. At this point I'm typing with one hand.] all oversight of Angie, I had one of the first chances since she was born to sit and read uninterrupted. I couldn't do it. Every ten minutes or so I would pause to listen for her, out of habit. I used to be able to read a book for a couple hours, totally losing myself in it. Now my focus is way down. This is not one of those things they ever bother to tell you about in the baby books.
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