Hand Holding Can Cause Babies

Before we start, the bossman wanted me to say a few quick things:
1) The swine flu thing will come when it goes live on blogcritics the next normal update later
2) His PETA and being careful about how much you try to take on will be the next one after that, or on wednesday, whichever happens first
3) he hates you
4) okay, I added the fourth one

Anyway, moving on


IN case you didn't already know, there is a nice court case in the news about a kid and his dad suing his school. See, the school suspended him (though allowed him to take the finals and graduate) for attending prom with his girlfriend. The school also bans rock music, dancing, and holding hands (After all, that can cause babies). So, this kid and his dad are suing the school. Before you get all riled up and pissy, note that the school is a private baptist institution. (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_7735/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=KrwI7xzm)

So, we have this kid, and he is suing his school, and this just gets really fun. Why is it fun? Well, it is fun because you have three different areas to look at. You have the fact that the school is acting on an act outside of their jurisdiction, the fact that it is private, and the fact that the dad paid a shit ton to go there. Let's play with this

So, well, for starters, the step-dad points out that the school has no right when it is outside of a school function and off of school grounds. This is a good argument, FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL, and one that SCOTUS has upheld many times. In this case, however, the school is private and thus free to do as they please within reason. The school informed Tyler of the risk, had a signed contract stating that he would follow the rules, and yet he still disobeyed. The school was well within their rights to punish him in this manner.

Well, I just covered the second point as well. Shit

Another interesting facet of this issue is the fact that the dad is paying tens of thousands of dollars to send his kid here, and yet he didn't read the contract. When you buy anything, a car, a house, a prostitute, and an education, always read the contract. Here, the dad didn't, and now he is pissed off. Frankly, I want the court to throw this out and have the dad pay ALL court costs, serves him right.

Because my second point got covered in the first, just a random fourth (3rd) point. IN all honesty, I believe that Heritage Christian is acting exactly as they should. The kid violated the rules and he is punished. While the school could have kicked him out, they did the proper and Christian thing (hehe) and let him graduate. Frankly, good job to the school.
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A Look at Two Levies:

Hey all, on Tuesday the 5th we will be having our spring elections. There are no important ballot or political races in the area, so I don't need to touch those. With that in mind, I am going to go ahead and explain why we need to vote and pass two of the levies. Click 'read more' if you want to know more.



School Levies
In Ohio, our schools are failing our students. Kids can not learn, many are crammed into tiny classrooms, and some are even taught in trailers. Gym roofs leak, there are no AP classes offered, and some school don't even have sports teams. This is sad, and this is also a giant scar on the face of our state. We need to help these schools out, so that they can help kids out.

Students are the future of our country. Unless we foster these people and help them grow, they will not get anywhere. We need to protect our future and ensure that it is a good future. Thus, we should help to fund these schools in any way possible.
Vote YES on all school levies


See these kids? If you don't vote for these levies you will be condemning them to jail and a lifetime of misery. You don't want that, now do you?



Metro Park Levy
In this day and age, our land is being revenged by several forces. We have expanding housing, which is taking out fields for crops. The farms, being forced to move, are then taking over new land in forests and the like. We also have oil drillers, lumber people, and all of them, all raping the land. Sure, we need these things, but we do not need to act like we do now. These companies are destroying America's beautiful landscape, and we need to protect it.

As our country keeps expanding, we will only keep infringing on our precious natural resources. While we need to do this, we also need to do it in moderation and HOPE that we can preserve the pristine natural environment for all future generations. The Metro Parks ensure that we have these tracts of land for eternity. We need to do this for ourselves, our kids, and our great-great-great-grandkids.
Vote YES on the Metro Park Levy


see this deer? If you don't vote for this levy, then you want it dead. If you already want it dead, I won't give you the antlers...
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Carnival of Ohio #163

Hey all, as per normal, whalertly is mentioned in this weeks Carnival of Ohio Politics. The feature this week is Music (talk to Lisa on that). The site is, as always, filled with many interesting blogs from around Ohio. You should go CHECK IT OUT. Read more ...

What do Naked Kids and School Have in Common?

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”.
That is the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Read it, reread it, then memorize it.

So, what happens if you are strip searched in school (you are 13, the admins are doing it) because THEY THINK you have drugs? Read more to find out...



Well, logically, the 4th amendment steps up, says fuck you to the admins, and protects you. Oh, and you get a lot of money from the lawsuit. That is the way it would be in the perfect world, but we all know that Americans don't give a rats ass about their rights, and so the cops won't help. No, in the real world, you are searched and then you go to court for over 6 years.

Yes, now a 19 year old is still struggling to get closure after she was searched by her school's admins when they thought she had drugs.

So, there are three issues here, all of which are highly important:
1) 4th Amendment Rights
2) Um, she was 13
3) What precedent does this set?

1) 4th Amendment Rights
Now, let's look at the amendment properly. People have the right to be secure in themselves, and know that the state is not going to search and seize them without probable cause and a warrant. So, a cop searches a car without consent (or seeing something obvious) he violated your rights. If a cop busts down your door and there is nobody screaming with in, they violated your rights. If you feel that the fruit is from the poisonous tree, then the cops can not use it.

2) Um, she was 13
This kinda handles itself. I mean, seriously, how is it justifiable to strip a 13 year old down, check her body, and do all sorts of crazy shit with that. I mean, when we have teachers and students having sex, how the fuck is this ever justified? Even worse, I am assuming that no parent was notified (after all, what parent would allow this?) so the girl didn't even consent to this. Obviously this is wrong, and they should toss this out.

3) What precedent does this set?
Allowing a strip search of teens really sets some bad precedent. What next, a strip search because there is a rumor (in middle school those are as common as syphilis (for the record, more common then you though))? Even worse, what about a full body cavity search? I mean, come on, let's just let the principle stick her finger up the ass of the 13 year old, I mean, she might have a balloon of crack up there. Allowing this will only serve to fuck over the kids more, and we need to stop.

In short, there should not even be an issue here. Clearly the 4th amendment is being violated, there is no reason to even ponder this issue. Come on SCOTUS, rule for the Constitution.
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Looks Like Warren, Michigan Has a Good Mayor

Imagine the following situation:
You are going 45 in a 40, on your way to an important meeting. All of a sudden, you see those dreaded blue and red lights in your mirror. Shit, you are going to be late. The cop pulls you over and tells you that you were speeding. You explain the situation, and then he lets you off with a warning. Most of us would be happy about this, and we would probably even brag. That is not how a mayor in Warren, Michigan responded to it however. (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_7735/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=HFAgurKX)


So, this mayor decided that he felt guilty not getting the ticket, and so he decided to call the cops and request one. He figured that it could be seen as favoritism, and thus he made the proper choice I know, most of us would think that this dude was batshit insane, but, frankly, it is good that he took the punishment that he deserved.

Most of us get mad when we are punished. We feel that we don't deserve it, that they were waiting just for us, and/or that the Government is out to get us. Personal responsibility is usually thrown out of the window, and that is what happens with tickets normally. In this case, however, the Mayor knew that he was responsible, and he made sure to suffer what he sowed. I really like the fact that a person was so concerned with right and wrong that he requested the proper punishment. This dude rocks

Even more impressive is that this comes from a politician. Far too often, our 'leader' decide that they are above the law. A simply look at Blago, Clinton, Bush, or Spitzer shows this trend. Finally there is a politician, though he is only a small town mayor, that is standing up and doing the proper, and moral thing. All the power to him. I believe that this mayor should run for Govenor.
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Meet the new license, same as the old license

I am horrified. Deeply horrified.

Design is important. Design says something about the institution. It gives you the flavor of what it represents.

So while many people may think of the driver's license as an ordinary, matter of fact document, it's design is really very important.

The driver's license connects the identity of the individual and ties it in to the identity of the state. My Ohio license is what makes me an "Ohioan" in no uncertain terms. If an Ohioan should display it outside of Ohio, the design of the document says something about Ohio.

But don't take my word for it, look at how Alberta chooses to design its license:

It's an awesome document, and these images don't give the colors justice. It says a lot about Alberta--its natural beauty, it's sophistication, it's progressiveness. Anyone from Alberta would be proud to have such a document. (The design details are fantastic. Fonts were chosen with care. The colors and design surrounding the photograph help make the photograph feel like an integral part of the document, as opposed to some terrible copy and paste job.)

Here's the Ontario license, a bit less sophisticated, but a classic design. Ontario uses the Trillium flower as a major part of its branding. It's not an amazing design, but it's still very attractive and high quality. No one from Ontario would be embarrassed to have this license. (Note: pictured are the old Alberta and Ontario licenses, I can't seem to find images of the new ones.)

So it was with much excitement that I read that our own Ohio BMV would be introducing a new license. Now, after 13 or so years, we can finally rid of ourselves of this mediocre, ugly document. We could have something new that we could be proud of, that said something positive and energizing about our state.

It's shit.

Absolute shit. Utter trash. I am horrified that someone was paid money to design it. It is despicable in its mediocrity. At least the old license had an excuse for being ugly--it was designed in the mid 1990s when people didn't know any better. Now it's 2009 and there are no excuses for this negligence. I struggle to understand how someone could look at themselves in the mirror after designing such drivel.

It's deplorable aesthetics say quite a lot about the leadership at the BMV and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

In fact, this document continues a design error from the last one of monumental proportions.

The last design of the Ohio license had a random audit number shown prominently above the main photograph. The audit number is essentially meaningless for anybody but a handful of BMV employees, but for reasons we simply do not understand, the number was the most obvious data field on the license based on where it was found.

This number caused huge issues during Ohio elections, which require, in some instances, that the voter write down their driver's license number. Naturally they chose the number which their eyes found and seemed to be the most obvious as the license number.

It's not like the BMV wasn't aware of this. It was the subject of quite a lot of articles.

And what did they do...? They made the exact same mistake, and made a meaningless auditing number the most promiment. I know the license is "their" document and not made for voting purposes (so making it easier to vote with is not their responsibility) but I feel like after being thoroughly embarrassed by their lame design, they would have made a new document with a much easier to find license number.

So they cluttered up the front of the license with crap like that auditing number which they could have easily put on the back, where there's enough space for a Russian novel. They cleverly place the only design detail of the document--a weak clip art image of the Ohio flag, right under the signature, ruining the clip art image and reducing the legibility of the signature (which appears quite small in the mock ups above. You know, you could do what Alberta did and move the description info (height, eye color, etc) to the back of the license. Would make for a lot more room for a bigger signature.)

It's just unspeakably bad.

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What A Nifty Idea To Save Ohio's Economy

It is time to increase the number of dirty lowdown whores in this state.

Seriously folks, it is the best way to help out the Ohio economy, and, frankly, it is the best way to help these women. Currently, only one state in this country has legalized prostitution (stupid Nevada, actually having something sweet about yourself), and maybe it is time for another. Ohio could legalize brothels, and then enforce a ban on all other people selling sex. This will decrease violence against the women, decrease pimps, and give these unfortunate women some health care. Oh, and on a plus side, we will be able to reap the profits from taxes.



Now, before we start actually talking about the benefits (the four I listed above), let's look at my overall plan. The state of Ohio would license certain locations (brothels) that would allow sex to be sold inside their building. They would also have a liquor license, pass certain qualifications, and be required to be willing to accept random checks to ensure that they are clean and following the law. Any non licensed location prostitution would still be illegal. There you go, nice easy plan.

Before I go further, Fuck you Citizens for Community Values

Decrease violence on women
To me, one of the main causes of violence against prostitutes is the fact that it would be really hard to report the assault. If these women were working in a brothel, not only would they have fellow scarlet women to help them out, but they would have the law on their side. These women would have a support system (i.e. their coworkers) and would be ensured that the cops were on their side. Overall, this is a good way to keep these women safe.

No More Pimps
To me, pimps are the worse thing that current prostitutes need to deal with. These guys kill prostitutes, lead them to drugs, and make them feel like shit. The easiest way to convert a girl into a whore (I say girl because most prostitutes start when young, in Nevada most start at 23) is by making her feel like trash. This is what Pimps do, and this is why they are so dangerous. By making brothels legal, the state would be essentially shutting the pimps down. This would be a good thing to let the women know that they are people too.

Health Care
The biggest problem for the current whores is the fact that they do not have health care. By creating brothels, the state can require that they provide health care, and it can be paid for by either taxes (collected from the fucking) or from added fees that their clients need to pay. By ensuring that the proper health is cared for, and that they have clean girls (and use condoms), these women should be much safer then they currently are.

Tax Money FTW
The state of Ohio is loosing money like we were bleeding and had a problem clotting. Yeah, I know, that is a bad comparison, but so what. Ohio needs to find a stable and good source of money, and prostitution might be the answer. Ohio could tax the money made by these women, the money made by the location, and the overall fees paid. Additionally, as they would have bars, Ohio could add more to the alcohol tax money that they make. To me, taxing prostitution would be a good thing, and really help Ohio out.
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Let Demjanjuk Stay!

As most of you know, there is a major issue regarding citizenship and deportation in Ohio. The country of Germany believes that Ohio resident John Demajanjuk is a former Nazi camp guard. Due to this, they are attempting to get him extradited from his comfy, warm home in Ohio (though it might not be so warm right now) and sent to a cold, grungy prison in Germany. Demajanjuk, of course, is fighting this plan.



This is not the first time that Demajanjuk got nailed for stuff like this. In the 90s, his US citizenship was revoked as Israel believed that he was the camp guard named 'Ivan the Terrible'. After being convicted by on court, he appealed the ruling. Upon appeal, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that he was not Ivan, and he was sent back home. His US citizenship was restored.

While that should have stopped Demajanjuk's troubles, more kept happening. Recently, Germany decided that he was a different guard, and are now seeking to get him back. In response, US courts again revoked his citizenship, and they have ordered him deported back to Germany to stand trail. This most recent incident is what Demajanjuk is fighting.

To me, this seems like a witch hunt, as he has already been confused with another guard. This dude is from Germany, that is about all he has that the Germans are using against him. The bloody supreme court of Israel found for this dude, so I am quite sure that he is not a prison guard. Guys, drop it and find an actual Nazi.

Anyways, I believe that enough is enough, and tha we should let Demajanjuk serve out the rest of his life in peace and rest. The guy is in his 80s, has thousands of things wrong with his body, and has reformed his life. He has found God, has a family, and worked for years on the line. Seriously, even if this guy was a holocaust guard, the time has past, let's let him get on with his life.

To me, I believe that all of these hunts for former Nazi's should end. Most of the people are dead, and those that are not have found a new life. Most of them have to live with what they did, and I am betting that most are repentant. Seriously, these people have families, are injured, and have helped to build this country after the war. Why should we seek to punish them, when they have to live with themselves every day?
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Why are we what we are?

Does anyone ever stop and think about all of this anymore? Where we live, what we do and why we do it?

Why do we destroy a mountain and the forest to make pipe to send water to homes and then make pipe to take water away from the homes? Why do we work the majority of our lives in hazardous conditions to build elaborate homes and monuments for the wealthy when people can't even house themselves?

Why is our food shipped 2500 miles before we can eat it? Do you know how to feed yourself without a supermarket? What happens when trucking and shipping is no longer profitable? Why do we continue this agricultural system when we know it destroys the soil and will leave us with less and less arable land?

How is making bombs sustainable?

If you believe in equity and equality, how can you vote to concentrate power and create inequality? How can you go to work to make money to support an economic system that creates inequity?

Should we put a price on everything? We bought and sold humans once and I guess we still do. Now its just you're choice if you want to be bought and sold you're whole life. Read more ...

The North Korean Missile, Should We Care?

As most of you know, North Korea attempted to launch a satellite into space the other day (http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/news/north.korea/). The United States, South Korea, and various other organizations claimed that it was a missile test; a test that would show that NK has the ability to reach the US with a nuke if need be. North Korea claims that the test worked, and that a satellite is in orbit playing patriotic songs. The United States, considering their argument, claimed that the test failed and it landed in the sea. Either way, everybody agrees that NK launched something, and that they were not supposed to.



When we look at this, we really need to consider three issues:
What was launched
Was this a threat
Why is North Korea not allowed to do this

What was Launched
Technically, North Korea is not supposed to engage in any ballistic activities. Arguably a satellite is not one, but as it launches on a rocket, we can count this as a missile. Thus, we know that this launch violates UN rules.

This seems to be more an issue of he-said she-said, and it doesn't seem like anybody is being logical. Had North Korea said that the satellite failed, then it would have always been an argument between them. However, NK decided to say that the satellite is working and orbiting, so it is easy to test. Is there a new object orbiting and emitting information (it should not be that hard to figure out)? If there is, then shut up USA. If not, then shut up NK. There, that was easy.


Was this a threat
If this was simply a missile test, and not a satellite on top, then this was a threat. If this was a satellite test, then this becomes even more interesting. Consider the following:
1) NK told everybody that it was going to happen
2) NK claims that it was a satellite
3) NK gave plans of the path, and everything along with that
Clearly, North Korea was working to make sure that the USA, EU, SK, and UN were all up to date and ready to go with this. I can not conceive of the Communist Party of that country giving out this information, unless they were trying to ensure that it would not be taken as a threat. Clearly, North Korea did their best to keep this civil, so I do not believe that it was a threat


Why is North Korea not Allowed to do this?
For some reason, South Korea, the United Nations, the European Union, Japan, and America all think that North Korea has no right to test missiles. You know what, I disagree with this logic. The international political arena is an anarchy, and nobody should be able to stop NK from doing what they want unless they are willing to fight about it. Sure, the two Koreas are still at war (the war is technically on a cease fire), but if NK wants to test a rocket, they have every right to.

In other words, I believe that North Korea attempted to do this properly, was not making a threat, launched a satellite, and has every right to do this.
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Sup All, Whalertly says hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

before I start, barga wanted me to update you on the whole semester thing going on. Here is a link to the NBC video that he was in. He interviewed for about 15 minutes and they used the worse 5 seconds, typical media... Barga looks so stupid, LOL
http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/osu_students_use_facebook_to_protest_semesters/14448/



Hey peeps, this is Whalertly, the 5th of 6 people that need to say hello to all of you. Because I want to be different, I am going to make a list; suck on it if you don't like it

Why whalertly
Well, I wanted to remain anonymous, and I talked to Barga and he told me that this would be a fine name. So, I took the name and ran with it.

Political Leanings
As you might have guessed, I am a bit right of the line. However, it really depends on the issue, because, like Barga, I decide it per issue, not per party. That said, I am generally distrustful of politicians and love to insult everybody equally

education
What be this? Yeah, I am a 7 year student at OSU who is from Sandusky, Ohio and my name is Tommy. I said I wanted to be anonymous, so I won't even give you this

Sports
I like the Blue Jackets, The Crew, The Clippers, and The Destroyers. I hate the Buckeyes, they suck monkey balls
Yeah, I just said it

Politically Correct
There is no such thing of this, just cowards and real men. See, a coward is somebody who will only say what will not get them in trouble. A real man just speaks the truth
deal with it

Parents
They need to take more care of their kids and handle their responsibilites. Your teen sends sex messages, odds are that it is YOUR BLOODY FAULT

The Constitution
Supreme Law of the Land. Plus, it will give you a paper cut if you violate it

Favorite Sites
That thing from ben keeler, the thing from C Beth, the other thing from C Beth, NRA.org, this site

Have I said too much and/or didn't do what you expected
Yes Read more ...

OSU's Academic Calendar: Maybe It's Time To Listen To The Students

In 2006, changes in the political leanings of Ohio brought about the creation of a new office in state government, the office of the Chancellor of Education. Reflecting George W. Bush’s unpopularity, most voters were irked with the GOP and voted them out of office. This caused Ohio to move almost all of its elected officials into the Democrat column. In doing so, Ohio elected Gov. Ted Strickland to office. Strickland had promised his chief opponent in the primaries a nice juicy position if he dropped out, and Strickland always keeps his promises; thus, the new office of Chancellor of Education was created.

Eric D. Fingerhut, the man appointed to this shiny new position by Gov. Strickland, quickly set about trying to update the university system of Ohio. Making several sweeping changes, he wanted to put all of the state universities on one schedule, and one common academic requirement. This, arguably, would ease transitions between schools. However, instead of requiring this, Fingerhut let the schools decide to adopt it or not on their own.

Recently, the University Senate of The Ohio State University (OSU) decided that it was time to change the school's calendar from quarters to semesters; they cited Fingerhut's plan as a main reason for this switch. OSU, which has been running on quarters since 1922, will be moving over to semesters in 2012, ending a 90-year experiment that seemed to be working fine. The Senate, which vote 19-91 (20 abstained or were not there) in favor of the switch, presented a largely false case for making a change, and they did so in a non-parliamentary procedure.

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at OSU staged several "meetings" in order to get students talking about the proposed change. While they claimed that many students showed up, there was no advance publicity for these events, and they were basically full of pro-switch people. Though this makes it appear as though the students support the change, they didn’t show up because nobody knew about it. Even I, a member of USG, had heard nothing of these meetings, and did not know that they had happened until after the fact. There was no publication of them in the newspapers, no emails, nothing. Thus, any input from these meetings is highly suspect.

Additionally, USG, which is supposed to represent the students at OSU, paid no attention to the comments made by the students on various websites, and even in the school's own newspaper. Only one USG senator, Tracee Huffman, decided to ask the students how they felt, and she voted the way they felt, against the proposal. Most students mentioned that they were against the change, and that they wanted it to be thought out. Others, myself included, wanted to see a full plan of action before a vote. USG ignored us all.

Furthermore, during the motion in the Senate to pass the change, several irregularities and outright lies occurred. The side presenting the motion claimed that Strickland would cut off funding. Wrong — Fingerhut made it clear that funding would not change, nor would the schools be affected by the Board of Regents. They then claimed that it would be easier on students transferring. Wrong — one of the main reasons people transfer to OSU is the quarter system, and there have been only a few problems in the history of the school with transfers. They then argued that it helps internships. Wrong — President Gee, who supports to change, stupidly said that OSU actually has more internships, and better ones, by percentage then any other school. Oh, and they magically had ballots printed out for when somebody called for a secret vote; that was definitely set up.

Though there was not one good reason to make the change presented, the University Senate made the change anyway.

Students all over OSU are unhappy with the change. They do not want a change. They think that OSU is running well as it is. Some, myself included, believe that the fact that no full plan was proposed is bad, and that it is only writing a blank check to the school. We all agree that the transition from quarters to semesters will harm all students, and that it needs a plan (there isn’t one yet). OSU students are not alone with this unhappiness, as the other quarter schools, which will be changing as well, have unhappy students.

The reason that we believe the change will be harmful is one simply based on reality; how can you change a system without affecting those using it? Switching from one system of credits to another, in the middle of a student’s education, cannot be done properly without harm. The only way to do this would be to phase it in, and double the number of classes for those years. This, of course, is not feasible. Additionally, there is no plan to look at, and thus use to limit the total harm. We want to see how OSU is planning on making a change, and what it will look like. Heck, they didn't even make a prospective calender before the vote. Most of us will be gone by the time this happens, but we are all concerned about how this will impact the future generations.

Furthermore, most of us, as future alumni, are concerned about the prestige of the university. OSU is characterized as one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and it is currently the largest main campus in America. Students transfer to OSU for many reasons, but one of those, according to the questionnaires, is the quarter system. Additionally, the faculty comes to OSU for similar reasons. As stated in a letter to the Columbus Dispatch, current educators are contemplating leaving the university, or they already have, due to this change. Clearly, both students and teachers come to OSU because of the quarter system. We want the best teachers and students to come to OSU, and we believe that a switch will prevent this from happening.

Not only are the students angry, but they are fighting back. At four of the schools currently planning to switch, there are student petitions going around. At several of the schools, including OSU, candidates for USG president and USG senate are running on platforms against the change. A Facebook group opposed to the change has sprung up. Over the weekend before exams, it gathered roughly 7% of the OSU student body, a huge feat. There are even plans for legal petitions, which would cause a statewide vote on the issue to stop it. The students are not taking this change sitting down, they are fighting for what they want.

While there are no current plans for organized protests, several students have talked about the idea of nonviolently protesting the change. They want to force the universities, and the politicians, to understand that they deserve to be listened to. Students want the right to be represented properly, to be consulted, and not to be lied to. Students want to be heard and respected, and they are willing to fight for what they deserve.

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COP #160, you are all wet...

Hey all, whalertly is mentioned in this weeks Carnival of Ohio Politics. The feature this week is Wetness (don't know why). The site is, as always, filled with many interesting blogs from around Ohio. You should go CHECK IT OUT. Read more ...

New Jersey and Genital Waxing, What a Fun Combo

There are tons of stupid laws in this county. Some are left over from older times (whistling on Sundays), and some just make no sense (like getting a fish drunk). A few of the more stupid are:
-In Ohio, it is illegal for five women to live in the same house, too bad for the sororities (in most states similar laws mention the word brothel as a direct cause for this, again, aimed at the sorority houses).
-In Alabama, It is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County after sundown on Wednesday.
- A person may not enter Wisconsin with a duck on their head
- In Tennessee, it is illegal to give or receive oral sex
Laws like these make one wonder what the hell happened to cause this law to be enacted, and who the hell caused it. But none of these top what New Jersey wants to do, or their argument for it...



Recently, New Jersey decided that genital waxing seems to be a problem. Various women have gotten infections in the state, and thus they are thinking of banning it. Somehow, the idea that two women got infected means that millions will be, and, as usual, the lawmakers are going out of their way, and wasting tax payer's money, to make another stupid law. These two women probably got infections due to either bad after care, or unsanitary conditions, both of which would have happened to waxing in other locations, not just this area. Clearly, the best course of action would be to work on better policing of current sanitary laws, not banning a popular, and money making procedure.

To me, this sort of thing happens far to often in the legal system in America. From states passing laws apologizing for slavery, to the federal government passing and act (non binding or legal) that says McCain is qualified as natural born, to New Jersey working on this law, far too many states and agencies do this. Meetings to pass laws like this, and various boards and cabinets that it needs to pass through, simply serves to waste the tax payers dollar. There is no way that this is good for America, nor is it a smart use of money. Politicians who work on projects like this deserve to be promptly voted out of office.

Aside from just waisting the tax money on this sort of research and work, what about the money that this sort of procedure brings in? Procedures that various locations offer clearly make a ton of money, and have a relatively little cost to do. This means that clinics are easily able to make a ton of money, and a high margin, on procedures like bikini waxing. Millions of women do it, as do thousands of men, and they spend billions a year on getting their hair painfully yanked out. Clearly, any smart politician knows that it is important to ensure that your people make money, as that keeps you in power. Additionally, they know that the only way to keep New Jersey in the black is to get more tax money. This sort of procedure brings in money, and they need to keep it.

Basically, I think that asinine laws should be removed, and any politician that votes for them should be ridden out of office on a rail.

On a side note, I really liked one quote from the piece. While arguing that it was already banned (which causes me to wonder why you are making a new law, instead of yelling at the cops to enforce it), Jeff Lamm, a spokesman, said this:
The genital area is not part of the abdomen or legs as some might assume...
Now, the face, neck, abdomen, legs and arms are permitted, but he wants to argue this one location is not allowed (odd that they banned only one location, without specifying it). Anyways, the thing is, the Human abdomen starts at the end of the torso and continues to the pelvic brim, that is, from the chest to the bottom of the pelvis. I am quite sure that the waxed region is above the pelvic brim.

So, the law currently states that anybody can get anywhere waxed, even though the spokesman doesn't agree. Clearly, this is another case of an idiotic politician not knowing what the hell they are saying.
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Update time, enjoy

So, I figured that it was time to update you guys on some posts I did in the past, and see how they have changed or altered our course. Some of these are just updates, others discuss how our posts were used, and some are just fun factoids.
Enjoy...



USG and their job: USG voted today to accept the semester switch. I am hoping that there is a legal way to stop it which will pop up soon (KADIM, where are you??). That said, my facebook group against it has grown by over 500 members since this morning. Keep in mind that it was at 10 for about 7 months and now is at 518 and growing. Join it

Change is Coming: As most of you have noticed, we now have 5 active posters, and one sitting there doing nothing. Additionally, I am working on migrating us to our own website, as I see more traffic and potentiality with that site.

Adsense: I have not updated the authors, too bad. Adsense has been doing well in this time, and made over $121 since the post. Thanks all.

Senators to Watch For: Currently, both Fisher and Bruner have declared a campaign. As has Mr. Portman. I know that 3/8 is not good, but there still are two years left

Ten Tech. Predictions: I made ten predictions that I believed would happen in 09. So far, I have been right on several:
Apple is loosing market share
Netbooks are taking off
Rockband/Guitar Hero released a join controller
More will come as the year goes on

My Tat: My tattoo has almost fully healed, and it is doing well. Pictures next time I find my camera

Whalertly sponsoring Weight Loss: Though Gwenn is at a plateau right now, she has been losing weight. I wish her the best of luck

A name for a sports post and Blue Jackets first post: Both of these got various attention and emails, which is good. I chose ABCs of Columbus Sports as the name, and had my first blue jackets post go live. Please check out the actual posts.



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Carnival of Ohio #158

Hey all, whalertly is mentioned in this weeks Carnival of Ohio Politics. The feature this week is SPRING (WOOOOOT. The site is, as always, filled with many interesting blogs from around Ohio. You should go CHECK IT OUT. Read more ...

A Bargarian View on DC Voting Rights (Taxation without Representation)

Congrats to Lisa for having her first segment on Fox TV for a monthly feature. While she needs to work on her teleprompter skills (her words, not mine), she did well. Well, except for the fact that she should be looking at the viewer, not the screen.
:)


Speaking of Lisa, her blog Liberal Common Sense has a complaint; apparently, she doesn't like how Whalertly writes/argues his points in the previous two posts on DC and voting that he did. With that in mind, I decided that I am going to go ahead and take a crack at it myself: Here goes nothing.



As a starter, I want to say that I agree with Whalertly's main argument. The Constitution is clear on this issue, and it clearly says that only states can have a say in Congress. To me, this should mean that they have a vocal voice in congress, but no non-state entirety has a vote, even if it doesn't count. Nor should they be part of any committees at all. The Founding Fathers intended this to be, as they clearly worded this in the Constitution. Our government doesn't follow the Constitution enough, maybe it is time that they started here.

There is no way that you can interpret the Constitution to say something that it clearly says it is against. There is room for interpretation in privacy, in freedom of speech, and in freedom of the practice of religion. All of these are not fully defined, and they are all set up to adapt. However, there is no logical wriggle room in the statement:
”hall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states “. Additionally, as you need to be a citizen of the state that elected you, there is no way to get around this. Arguably, if the State of Ohio were to decide who represents DC then you have an interesting loophole. keep in mind, this would probably not hold up in court.

So, we know that there is no real way to get representation CONSTITUTIONALLY to DC or any of our islands, but there is a bigger issue here: That of taxation without representation.

A common argument brought up by those arguing for sovereignty is the concept that there should be no income tax unless they have representation. In fact, this is a point that Lisa brought up a few times. This believe stems from the assumption that the Boston tea party was a main factor in the revolution. This is a faulty belief, as most of our issues stemmed from the fact that we believed that the king was our leader, no parliament. We can safely assume that tax with no rep. Was simply the straw that broke the camels back. There is no backing what-so-ever to this argument historically based.

Furthermore, this argument falls apart when it comes to practice. We tax anybody who buys anything, tourists, kids, adults, yet most don't have representation. Taxes are covered on products and services, yet the people who end up paying them (consumers) do not always have representation. Obviously, they believe that only one tax matters...

Several groups pay income taxes and have no vote. Kids with jobs, felons in certain states, and illegal immigrants all pay income tax. Hell, those with a green card that are permanent residents also pay income tax. We don't want these groups to vote, but they are being deprived of the same 'right'. Obviously when you use selective enforcement you have an issue.

Overall, I believe that DC should not have the vote Constitutionally. This also applies to all of our territories and islands. Furthermore, I do not believe that the argument about taxation holds any water, as it is selective and not really historically based, regardless of how people argue it. If we amend the Constitution then I will support them having the vote, but, until then, they should not have it.

for the smart readers out there, you might have noticed that I never actually posted my own opinion on this issue... :)
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Enfranchisement on the Hill: Part 2

So just like my post from Wednesday, this one comes from the same post over on Mr. Keelers Report... Well, Ben discusses that the city of Washington D.C. Is probably going to get some representation in the House on Congressional Hill. He points out the issues with this in the Constitution, and I am simply going to further his arguments. Enjoy...



Let me start off by saying the CITY of Washington D.C., again, CITY is probably getting a vote. CITY CITY CITY CITY CITY CITY CITY
Keep that term in mind for the rest of this post...

Anyways, for the last few years various entities that are not states have been gaining rights in the House of Representatives. Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Somalia have all had delegates in Congress on their behalf. While these people were never allowed to make a deciding vote, they were allowed in committees and to cast figurehead votes. This, to me, is absurd.

The Constitution is clear that only States are to have any form of voting in Congress... Hey look, here is a quote for you:
“The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.”
see, notice the bolded section? See, there should be no voting, even if it doesn't matter, by any member that is not from a state. Additionally, they should have no position on any, and I mean any, committee. To have the American territories in congress, except as watchers or speaker, is a blatant violation of the Constitution.

What else would you expect from these politicians?

Now, what is to stop the government from giving them votes in the Senate, or in the presidential elections? It is bad enough that they can vote in primaries (that is the right of the party to decide), but having any say anywhere else is wrong... Our government should not be working violate the Constitution, it should be trying to tape it back up after Bush violated it...

As an Ohio resident, I am concerned about the implications this has for my state. Instead of a proper say, we would have less of one then we should. I think that our state should have not voted on this bill as they did, and I am ashamed of Voiny and Brown for voting for it. Those two should be ashamed of themselves, they only harmed their state. Ohio deserves 18/435 reps, not 18/440 or so that they would plan on. Ohio is being screwed over by this, and we need to fix that

Anyways... By allowing this to happen, Congress is violating the rights of every citizen of the actual America. I truly believe that it infringes my 14th Amendment right to due process if they let this happen. I believe that all Americans should be pissed off by this sort of thing, as it violates our individual rights and will violate our most precious document.

Part of me thinks that if this passes, I might challenge the law, or maybe call up the ACLU to get them to help me take it to court

What do you guys think?
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Enfranchisement on the Hill: Part 1

Hello all, and welcome to the first real post on this site in the last week or so. Sure, Barga posts fun little stories and history, but they are all shit. RMB.reviews posts reviews, who the hell wants to read those? I know you are all here for me, so let's get started.

Oh, and Barga wanted me to let you all know, there is a poll on the side of the blog, respond to it...



This post is a direct post to one from Ben over at his political report. On THIS POST, Ben mentions, slightly, the fact that Minnesota still does not have a senator, well, a second one. I want to address this fact (go comment on his site, it is cute when he thinks that people care)
--On a side note, have your blog posts in their own pages, that way I can link directly to your post, not to the comments part... jackass--

Currently, Minn. Has 1/99 votes in the senate, instead of the 1/50 that they should constitutionally have. This, to me, is a travesty and something that we should address ASAP. The population of MINN is currently being deprived of due process (via the 14th) and thus are being harmed with such bullshit as the stimulus bill and other things that the left-wing congress is doing. Minn should attempt to filibuster all votes until they have the constitutional amount of say, or demand that congress doesn't convene until they get a new senator. After all, congress only needs to convene once a year

So, what should a citizen in Minn do? Well, logically they should start to protest this sort of system. They should sue congress to get them to stop meeting until they get a representative, or something along those lines. They should also sue the state government for allowing this sort of bullshit to happen and thus costing them their rights. Somehow, they need to get this solved, and get it done soon.

FYI, I might hate liberal commies, but I still want Franken to win... I mean, why not have a real clown in congress, instead of those only pretending to be



Now, as this blog likes to focus on Ohio, only because the glorious Barga seems to want some sort of following, I need to talk about how this is important to the state. So, how the hell does this effect Ohio? On the surface, it looks like it helps Ohio out. We get 2/99 votes, instead of 2/100, see how much better we are? We should work on some system to take out the senators (so the SS out there, I am joking about this part) so that Ohio gets all of the votes...

So how the Hell does it harm Ohio?

Well, it harms Ohio simply because of the precedent that it sets. If we allow Congress to meet without an attempt to ensure equal enfranchisement to all that deserve it, and are granted it via the constitution, then we have a problem. We should not let states not have their rights, and we need to do something about this. What if we had a problem getting Brown or Voiny to the Senate? Well, according to this reasoning, we should just forgo the vote. At this point, all states should be attempting to give Minn's one senator two votes, to keep this from happening...

Part 2 will be here on Friday, see you then Suckas
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Ohio's Suggestion Box

Do suggestion boxes at work actually work? How about the anonymous letters you turn in to your teacher? I don't think that any employees or students think that they do, but I am sure they are used for a reason. Nevada has decided to use this idea to help their citizens get in contact with their representatives.



The plan behind this website is that Nevadans will send in their complaints and suggestions and the law makers will look them over and respond to them. Basically, it is a giant suggestion box for the entire state, and it has the goal of ensuring that all good ideas and suggestions are vetted.

This is an interesting idea, as it makes sure that there is accountability in the system. More importantly, it ensures that all good ideas will be heard. How often do citizens write in great ideas to the newspapers and then they are never used? All the bloody time. This system takes all of the good ideas, vets them, and then gives them to congress to use as they need to. Great idea.

Let's think for a second on how it would work in Ohio. We would take suggestions for any issue in the state submitted to one website. We could probably break them into 5-7 categories, and have staffers for each category. Those staffers serve to take out the obvious Spam suggestions and then use them to remove copies. We count the popular ones and look at them first, then we look at the rest. The good ones get used, the rest are kept in a searchable database for future use. All suggestions will be looked at by a person prior to any decision rendered on them.

I believe that we could run this system through Brunner's office and use her to move the stuff to the appropriate groups. The State House could even create a committee to look and analyze these positions, and then they could move the good and viable ones further up the system. All suggestions, those from that plumber named Joe and those from people like myself would be looked at. Any good ones (i.e. any from myself) will be good enough for our government to look over. I only hope that they are modest enough to use other people's ideas.

I am all for this sort of system. Seriously, it is about time that the state representatives and the like start to pay attention to what the little person wants. We have people in congress who are just sitting around doing nothing, or saying they represent us when they are acting opposite of how we want, this sort of system will make sure that they are not able to avoid the big issues or argue that they didn't know how the citizens actually felt.

So, guys, what do you think? Would you write into this system? Do you think that it would work?
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