For Your Consideration

Privacy vs Anonymity

The recent uproar about privacy is overblown and misguided in my opinion.  The revelation of Government sponsored eavesdropping has brought the whole thing to a head and resulted in numerous heated arguments and lawsuits.  But many of the loudest complainers have missed the boat.  They are mistaking anonymity for privacy.

Privacy is a good thing.  It allows us to do all the necessary things we need to do daily without suffering undue embarrassment.  It is the main reason we have restroom stalls and those small partitions between urinals in men’s rooms, which if you have a “shy” bladder like I do, are a necessity.  Privacy allows us to function in a close society.  It is necessary and valuable and should be protected.

Whole bunches of people, on the other hand, are intentionally trying to confuse issue.  These groups would like to extend the right to privacy to include anonymity.  Anonymity is not about functioning within society.  Just the opposite in fact. It is much more about being able to operate under the radar and avoid any social responsibility, and that often results in big trouble.

In the movie, The Invisible Man (the book is significantly different), we are given a glimpse of the dark effects of anonymity.  Free of the possibility of being identified, the main character descends into immoral behavior, madness and murder.

The Internet and its widely accepted policy of using fictitious and anonymous user names have resulted in a world wide “Invisible Man Effect”.

Free of the disapproval of family, friends and society, many people create a dark persona who they allow to run wild, free of any self-restraint or restrictions imposed on them by society.

By now you are probably asking, “What’s the harm”?  Well if you are sending flowers to your Valentine anonymously or not behaving in a hurtful manner and obeying the laws and norms of your society, there is no harm.  But if you are behaving in an acceptable manner…why do we need to hide who we are?

In your gut, I am certain you know I am correct, but if you need proof anonymity can be horribly destructive, all you need to do is watch the news.  It is filled with stories of terrorists, pedophiles, murderers and thieves, all able to function only under the protection of anonymity.  If they don’t create some false identity to do their crimes, they will steal and assume someone else’s identity, and by all accounts the phenomenon is quickly on the rise. 

If you need further proof…you need to set your Tivo, DVR or VCR to record Dateline NBC this Friday.  You will be shocked to see how people, from all walks of life, use the anonymity offered by the Internet to sexually abuse children and how Perverted Justice, law enforcement and the media are stripping away that anonymity and exposing the Mr. Hyde behind the Dr. Jeckyll.  I don’t believe the writer, Robert Louis Stevenson choose the name Hyde (hide) by coincidence.

Like you, I enjoy and value living in a free society, but the idea of a society free of any restraint scares the hell out of me.  I think we can find some balance that preserves privacy without giving the Invisible Man and Mr. Hyde the keys to the kingdom.  Don’t you?

Crack Tax!?! You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Every once in a while I come across a news story that just leaves me speechless.  Check out this short news blurb on Tennessee’s “Crack Tax”.

The whole idea (AND THE FACT THAT DRUG DEALERS PAY UP!) is so crazy it borders on genius.

2 million dollars collected in the first year…WOW!

In case you wondering, the money is used to fight drugs.

$2,000,000 =  About   4,000 Glock-17 9mm pistols

                               or 80 fully equipped Ford P-71 Crown Vic Interceptors (w. delivery)

                               or 40,000 inmates housed for one day in the State of Idaho

This is a tax I could support.

Ancient Origins Of Blogs Revealed

What could be a nobler quest than the search for our origins?  Teams of researcher all over the world are excavating tons of earth to uncover some evidence of our past and truth.  I admire these modern day versions of Indiana Jones.  They brave severe terrains and weather conditions, volatile political unrest, disease and war.  All to uncover a single piece of ancient debris that will reveal some undeniable truth about our past.

I set my sights a little lower.  I settled for a quest I could conduct from my swivel chair.  My digging was done via a broadband cable connection to the Internet.  That way I can avoid the elements, and my chances of getting Malaria are greatly reduced.  I am also a notoriously picky eater, and honestly the menu in some countries includes items I would not eat unless I was on death’s doorstep from starvation.

Given my self-induced restrictions, it made sense to stick with something less stressful to my addiction to bacon cheeseburgers.  So I began my search and now after endless hours of searching, I have stumbled onto what I firmly believe is the true origins of the Blogger species…

The Church Sign.

Yep, the lowly church sign.  Generally constructed of translucent white plastic, backlit by fluorescent tubes, with brackets for applying lettering.  A means of communicating ideas and witty sayings to the folks motoring past at 35 miles per hour.  A way to plant the seed of an idea that will hopefully grow into something more, and what is a blog if not that?

Like blogs, some are boring and ignored, some are entertaining and some are controversial.  Good ones use some element of fun and humor to get their point across and my personal favorites are the ones that are unintentionally funny.  The very fact that they wish to be taken seriously only increases humor.  On one notable occasion I posted my own sign in my front yard.  The effect was tremendous.  I suggest you try it yourself at least once in your life.

For those of you inclined to see the humor in these signs, you need to take a moment to check out the Church Sign Generator.  I predict a number of refrigerators and office cubicles will shortly be littered with your personally customized Church Signs, and if it helps to spread your ideas and thoughts that’s a good and noble thing.

Judge Cashman Swayed By Vigilante Bloggers?

I see Judge Cashman has decided to increase the jail time for confessed child rapist Mark Hulett.  With the exception of wanting an even lengthier sentence, I couldn’t be more pleased.

I also see a number of news reports critical of Bill O’Reilly, news reporters and bloggers for swaying the system in a vigilante type of “mob rules” manner.

I would like to think my repeated bitching did have something to do with getting Hulett’s sentence increased.  But I think the reporters critical of bloggers efforts in this case are exaggerating.  I just used my freedom of speech to vent my rage.  The simple fact is that anyone with half a brain and any sense of justice would be and was outraged by Hulett’s crimes and Judge Cashman’s misguided attempt to change a system he has come to view as broken.  If Judge Cashman has done nothing else he has convinced me the system is broken.  The ability of Judges to hand down such atrociously light sentences is a bigger problem than lack of prison counseling for the likes of Hulett.

I normally believe it is right to allow the judicial system to run its course, and do not generally advocate vigilante justice.  However, if what I have done rises to that level, as some reporters say, I feel no guilt about it.

In fact, I am proud to have spoken out against Cashman’s decision.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Vigilantism is not rampant in our country and shouldn’t be.  Normal people are not spurred to vigilante tactics unless some horrible injustice has been done and the legal system is either unwilling or unable to deal with it.  Our culture has a highly defined sense of justice and fairness.  So much so, that we extend a wide variety of rights to persons accused of a crime.  We should retain that sense of justice, and demand it from our police, our elected officials and our courts.

I feel that’s exactly what has been done in this case.  If you want to call me some sort of vigilante, I will accept that and cherish the moniker as the highest compliment you could pay me.  The company you choose to keep reflects on you.  I’ll choose the company of those of you outraged by Hulett, his crimes, Judge Cashman and his original sentence, any day.

Does that make me a vigilante?  I’ll let you decide.  In the meanwhile I’ll keep the horse saddled up, the guns loaded and the computer on, just in case.

Ford Follows Chevy Cutbacks and The Chinese Are Coming

Yesterday’s formal announcement by the Ford Motor Company, that they intended to follow Chevrolet’s lead and close numerous plants, lay off thousands of workers and re-focus it’s vehicle line up was a major hit and more are coming.

I had hoped that Ford’s redesigned Mustang and the new Ford Fusion would help them avoid the drastic cuts and restructuring suffered by Chevrolet.

In part, I felt Chevrolet speed along their inevitable cuts, by ending production of rear wheel drive coupes and sedans, killing off the Camaro and Firebird models, and relying heavily bulbous designs dressed up with clunky plastic body side moldings.  In short, I thought Chevy’s design team spent too much time dropping LSD and staring up at the clouds for inspiration.

Seems Ford was unable to dodge the bullet as well.  Now more autoworkers will join the unemployment lines.  Those workers let go first are likely to be somewhat better off than the last to go.  By the time they lay off the final employees included in these cuts, the marketplace will be flooded with unemployed auto workers.

And things are gonna get worse.  Warming relations with China are resulting in Chinese autos soon to be imported to the U.S.  I checked out a couple of these Chinese cars on the web.  They are either as handsome or as ugly (depending on your tastes) as the vast majority of vehicles currently offered in the U.S.  They offer everything from small economy cars to larger luxury vehicles.  Most seem to be generously appointed with the latest electronic gadgets, and even with the import tariffs they should end up being fairly affordable.

It also looks like the Chinese have a secret weapon.  A weapon likely to make a big splash in high school and college campuses parking lots across our country.  The weapon; a “cute bomb”.  I personally dislike “cute” cars, but from the large number of them I see on the road, I can’t discount their sales appeal.

I am referring to the Chery QQ. I did a double take when I saw this car.  I recognized it.  I had a little trouble placing it at first, but thanks to my kids taste in TV, it didn’t take long to figure it out.  This car is a freaking Pokemon Pikachu look-alike.  Sure to out cute the Mini Cooper, VW Beatle and Dodge Neon.

Could things possible get any worse?  I really need to find an affordable 1970 Plymouth Fury GT, just to get the cartoonish face of the QQ out of my head.

Vermont’s Judge Cashman Painted Into A Corner

I certainly don’t envy Vermont’s Judge Cashman.  Thursday morning he will hear arguments both for and against re-sentencing confessed child rapist Mark Hulett.

For Judge Cashman it will not be a very pleasant day.  His decision to give Hulett what amounts to a ridiculously light sentence for his crimes will be under intense scrutiny.  The way I see it, Judge Cashman is in a “Lose-Lose” situation.

Either Judge Cashman will stand by his original sentence, which has outraged our nation or he will bow to the pressure and adjust Hulett’s sentence, in essence admitting he was wrong.  Either way, Judge Cashman will not escape unscathed.

Judge Cashman decided to make child rapist Mark Hulett his soapbox, from which he could make a stand for treatment over punishment.  Cashman made a very poor choice, one for which he will inevitably pay a high price.  I hear the grumbling of people who are trying to defend the Judge, pointing to the fact that the sentence is really longer than 60 days and that Hulett must attend treatment and comply with a number of restrictions…all true.  But the Judge also ensured that if Hulett complies with these conditions he would only spend 60 days in jail.

I agree, that in the long term, it is critical that Hulett receive treatment to attempt to repair and/or modify his behavior.  But the Judge’s decision does nothing to address the need for the victim and public to see justice be done and Hulett punished for his crimes.  It also potentially jeopardizes other children by allowing Hulett to be free while he is undergoing treatment.  Hulett poses a very real and proven threat to children and it beyond my comprehension that Judge Cashman would elect to experiment with Hulett as a subject, when the innocence and lives of other children are at stake.

Like it or not, Cashman has painted himself into this corner, not Bill O’Reilly, not conservatives, not republicans and not some holy roller religious organization as some who are defending Cashman would have you believe.  Hulett may be the criminal here but Judge Cashman is the one who has thrown himself in front of a speeding train of Cashman’s own making. 

Even the noblest of intentions cannot save him now.  It is shameful that Judge Cashman had the opportunity to stop and limit the damage done by Hulett. Instead Cashman’s decision will ensure he is also a victim of Hulett as Cashman will forever be linked in our minds with child rapist, Mark Hulett.

Lord of War, Bait and Switch

I watched Lord of War last night.  I enjoyed it…kind of enjoyed it anyway.  It was well acted by all involved.  Of course it is hard to go wrong with Nicholas Cage, but Eamonn Walker, who plays the despotic Liberian dictator Andre Baptiste Sr., really stole a lot of the limelight.

The cinematography was excellent, the topic timely and interesting.  But I still didn’t enjoy the movie nearly as much as I thought I would.  Why…Because I felt like I’d been duped.  It is a movie with a very prominent message about weapons and war.  But that isn’t how it was portrayed in the movie trailers and commercials.  The advertisements concentrated on the few comedic lines and moments in the film.  The very FEW comedic moments.

I’m not opposed to “message” movies.  I even watch and often enjoy movies, which contain messages I don’t agree with.  In fact, had Lord of War been advertised as such, I still would have purchased the DVD and watched it.  In fact, I would have enjoyed the whole thing a lot more if I hadn’t been subjected to the bait and switch commercials previewing the movie.

If you decide you want to make a movie with a strong message I think you should advertise it as such.  If you care enough about the message to spend millions of dollars making a movie about it, you should stand by your message.  Don’t bait and switch.  It sets you up for failure and sets the audience up for a big disappointment.

The ads had me believing I’d be entertained by Nicholas Cage in his best type of role, a dark comedy.  Instead, I felt the movie was simply dark.  So dark, there is almost no light at all.  I guess it is fitting considering the subject matter, but some dark things are best approached with humor.

Is the movie worth seeing?  Sure it is.  Just don’t expect a lighthearted humorous moral tale.  This is a heavy handed, dark movie about the bad side of human nature, of lies, of greed, of killing, of war and of our ability to mentally separate our actions from their consequences.  It sure as hell is funny.

Neither is the fact that human nature and greed prompted the distributors of this movie to portray it as something it wasn’t.  It’s too bad really; the movie is good enough to stand on its merits, without using a little sugar to force the medicine down your throat.

Those Fighting Child Molesters Owe Vermont's Judge Cashman a Big Thank You

If the entire controversy surrounding Vermont’s Judge Cashman and the outrageously light sentence he gave a confessed child molester does nothing else, it has sparked a vital debate about sex offenders.

Punishment and segregation versus rehabilitation and reintegration.

As a former law enforcement officer, former prison guard and father, I have formed very strong opinions on the subject.

Punishment satisfies the public’s need for justice and segregation protects children from those who would repeat their offenses.  The concept of rehabilitation means to somehow repair or modify the behavior of the offender.  Reintegration allows the offender to return back into normal society.

The fact is that a number of sex offenders will re-offend.  I attempted to study the statistics and became frustrated.  The recidivism rates for sex offenders vary widely depending on the study, the definition of sex offender and definition of what crimes qualify as recidivism.  Some studies actually included a time frame or limit on additional offenses.  I found numbers anywhere from about 10% to over 40% of sex offenders continuing their crimes after being released from custody.

I decided, that for me, the numbers don’t matter much.  I find there is no way to “balance” the “rights” of sex offenders and the rights of victims and public safety.  Admitting that, I will chose the rights of the innocent every time.

Those of you who decry the lengthy sentences, numerous living restrictions and required offender registration as draconian might as well save your breath.  I cannot believe you bitch about us wanting proven threats removed from or streets, from around our schools and playgrounds.  I’m bitching that our children cannot go to school, play in a playground or go to church for that matter, without being potential targets for some pedophile…and those are just the ones we KNOW about.

Women in particular should support the lengthy incarceration and forced registration of sex offenders.  They know what it is like to walk alone to a car in a parking lot, keys in hand, ready for fight or flight.  Why…because they know sex offenders prey on those they perceive as weak and unprotected.  Children have it worse as they are unable to fully perceive the threat they face.

Well it’s about damn time we stood up as a society and protected the innocent.  We need to pass Jessica’s Law nationwide.  We need to increase public awareness and segregate sex offenders from our society.  Judge Cashman in Vermont has not helped his cause and desire to see better treatment for sex offenders.  Instead he has increased public awareness and anger.  His actions will result in the removal of judges’ discretion in sentencing sex offenders.  Maybe it’s about time.  For that, I cannot thank Judge Cashman enough, though I think he should be immediately removed from the bench and be required to sit in on a couple sessions of support groups for VICTIMS of sex offenses.

I urge you to take a moment to visit the website of Perverted Justice.  A website of volunteers who pose as children in chat rooms and expose child molesters using cyberspace to target potential victims.  You will be highly disturbed by what is actually going on.  You should be.  The TV magazine Dateline will be continuing to cover Perverted Justice and their efforts on February 3^rd.  Please watch it.  Their website can be found at www.perverted-justice.com

Weather Causing Nagin's, Clinton's, Gore's and Robertson's Stupid Comments?

I blame the weather.  After weeks of abnormally crappy winter weather, people are beginning to go nuts.

What else would drive supposedly intelligent public figures to say such STUPID things?

Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans has been forced to apologize for saying “Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it’s destroyed and put stress on this country.

“Surely he doesn’t approve of us being in Iraq under false pretences.

“But surely he is upset at black America also. We’re not taking care of ourselves.”

He also said new Orleans must be a mostly African-American city again because “it’s the way God wants it to be”.

“This city will be chocolate at the end of the day,” he added.

Terrific…as if the devastation wreaked on New Orleans wasn’t enough, now the Mayor thinks he is Willy Wonka.  At least he can cite the stress of the disaster as an excuse.

Hillary Clinton has no such excuse.  At a Martin Luther King Day event she stated,  "When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run, it has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about," Clinton, D-N.Y., told the crowd at the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem. "It has been run in a way so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to make an argument, to be heard."

Funny, I heard of her remarks.  Too bad it makes her look bitter and ineffectual.  So much so that she must cite a horrible time in our history that is over a hundred years old, and reduces the strides made in civil rights by Dr. King.

And Al Gore needs to rehire his handlers and consultants from his bid for Presidential election.  He once appeared to be a solid, reasonable and impassioned candidate for the office.  Now his strident accusations and whining make him seem to be teetering on the edge of lunacy.  Bush lied, Bush is a criminal, Bush is violating your rights, and Bush is the root of all evil.  Evil I say!  EVIL!  Perhaps Mr. Gore, but when you make those types of accusations a little proof would help make your case.

Not that all the stupid stuff is limited to Democrats…Pat Robertson is the poster boy for dumbass comments lately.  Saying that Ariel Sharon’s recent stroke was the result of God punishing him for pulling out of the Gaza Strip.  Way to go Pat.  Stoke the coals and bring on your Holy War.  What a total Jackass!

These are the people we elect into power or who lead our political and religious groups?

Maybe it’s not them the weather has affected…maybe it’s us.

For me, spring and summer can’t come fast enough!

Stop That Or You'll Go Blind

Mother’s warnings are funny things.  I once disregarded them as mere superstition or the rantings of mothers trying to get their children to behave.  I say “once” because the older I get, the more validity I find in the odd sayings we have all heard…

Your face will stick that way

You’ll poke an eye out

Eat it and don't argue, it's good for you

It's always fun until somebody gets hurt

Now it seems modern medicine and pharmacology have now stepped up to the plate to confirm yet another one…

Stop that or you’ll go blind

I had always dismissed this one as a total load of crap.  Somehow I failed to see any connection between my penis and my eyesight.  I admit…I do wear glasses now, but I assumed that it was simply the normal process of aging.  It seems I could have been wrong all along.

Recently a number of erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are being linked to vision loss.  Specifically, NAION, or non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, which can cause a sudden loss of eyesight by blocking blood flow to the optic nerve.  Which proves another saying…”God gave men two heads and only enough blood to run one of them”.

Unfortunately I have yet to require these drugs, so I cannot blame my degrading eyesight on them.  So I must assume our mothers were right all along.  I never would have suspected such a link and my Optometrist certainly never mentioned it.  So I was going on blindly (if you’ll excuse the pun).  I guess there is little I can do about it now, the damage is done.  At least they have laser eye surgery.  Now if they could only do something about the hair on the palms of my hands.

All these revelations have me really worried now that I have kids.  You see, my mother also cursed me by wishing…”I hope you have children just like you”!