Virginia Tech Shootings & Campus Security

Soon after I heard about the shootings at Virginia Tech, April 16, 2007, I switched to FoxNews. I watched and listened as each person talked to speculated on what happened. I watched as some they talked to professed righteous indignation at the "lack of security" at the college campus, and demanding to know why they didn't lock the whole campus down immediately following the first of today's incident, especially since they (VT) had a shooting incident at the beginning of the semester, and why it took them two hours to report it to the students. You ever notice how indignant many of the named individual show anchors get when they think they know it all? (And, remember... They DON'T... at least as the news is happening.)

Well, let's think about this. The first shooting occurred in a dormitory/residence hall, and apparently, a man and woman were arguing. An assistant at the hall began to intervene, and the man shot the woman and the RA, dead. He then, left the building, maybe (at least one report said) shooting his way out and wounding a number of other students in the process. While this was going on, 911 was called, the police showed up, shut down the hall, and began assessing the situation. I've heard reports that the dorm was closed, students ordered into their rooms, the injured removed, and the investigation begun, At this point, to me, and to them, it looked like a "domestic incident". (If this had happened in a regular apartment complex, I don't think anything different would have been done.) Logically, this makes sense. They had information it was an escalated argument, the victims were there, reports that the gunman had left the building, etc. The college gathered security forces, including local sheriff and police, and began a sweep of the campus when the second incident was reported.

In the second, an apparent student walked into a classroom and shot the professor dead. All of the students hit the floor. No command was given by the gunman, but they did it, anyway. He then began shooting students. When he left and heard screaming, moaning, and others trying to get 911, he re-entered and shot some more. (This reported by a student wounded in the arm, who apparently "played dead" after being shot.) After killing almost 30 there and wounding a couple of dozen, he killed himself. The shooter had chained the exit doors of the building from the inside, so no one could get in or out easily. Many students, apparently jumped from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floor windows, some breaking their ankles in landing. (A student they interviewed on the phone reported that they'd rather have their ankle broken than ...) As soon as it was reported, the campus sent out emails to all students, telling them to stay in the dorm rooms, and locked down the whole campus.

HOWEVER, think about THIS: About 9000 students live on campus, with 14000 commuting from OFF campus. These numbers do not include the 10,000 employees of the university, most of whom were "in transit" between the end of the first and second incident. Even in today's day and age, not everyone has cell phones. Not everyone listens to the radio. Even those who do could be taking a shower, listening to CDs with it turned up, etc. They reported that vehicles with loud speakers were driving around campus reporting the campus was closed and to stay in the rooms they were in, and many didn't hear it because of this. HOW are they to let EVERYONE involved know what's going on, stay in their rooms away from windows, and to stay away from campus?

While dorms are locked down to allow only students and employees entrance, one student reported all they had to do when they lost or forgot their key was to wait until someone left, and slip in behind them before the door closed. Besides the dorms, the main buildings cannot be locked down, easily, because there are people (grad students, TAs, maintenance people, etc.) who need full access to them. And even then, the same method could be used to get in and out.
So what are they to do? Almost any security measure can and probably WOULD be considered an invasion of privacy, especially something involving fingerprints and/or corneal scans (the databases could be sold to the government, after all...) It's hard enough to get students to use their student ids for discounts, let alone security. The "slip-in" method has to be addressed. What about older campuses with older buildings? They can't hire armed guards for every room or building. All of this is physical security. Add to that the computers, networks, cell phones, electric and water supplies, etc. You think the cost of secondary education is high now...

HOWEVER, a modicum of security could be handled by the student (and faculty/staff) ID cards. They should contain all the information on a driver's license (except the DL # replaced with an ID number specific to the school), and a unique mag-strip code replaced every time the ID is replaced and/or every year, required for each entry into each building, including parking structures, could be enforceable:

• Security logs any time the student's id is used to enter or leave a building. At class-change, a turnstile or something like it would have to be employed and EVERY student MUST run their card through... Going in AND going out.
• Any student allowing another person to enter a building UNESCORTED (only to the building security desk - They'd take over from there...) without their own access card would be reprimanded the first time, limited to class and their own dorms for a time the second time, and expelled the third time. Satellite security/police offices/kiosks around campus will allow students (after checking to be sure they are who they say they are) to get a temporary ID, used only for that day or a certain number of hours (times can be programmed). These MUST be turned in. This will also be the way for visitors to campus to gain access to certain buildings, especially on Parents' Day or others (temporary/visitor passes).
• All doors are locked unless the card is used, then only unlocked for a short time or until it closes again. No building doors or unsecured first-floor windows are to be left open under ANY circumstances.
• Security cameras should dot the campus (not pointed at ANY dorm windows - if anyone uses them for that, they should be fired and prosecuted).
• Each building should have a flashing light/loud-speaker system installed (think high-school). Each student should have a campus email account (if they don't already). They should have quick access to a page on the campus website that tells them 1) the weather, 2) Amber Alerts, 3) Campus Security Notifications (most of the page), and maybe a few other police, security and "comfort" bits of information. Some of them (except the security notifications) would/should be links. The alarm/loudspeaker should be triggered by campus security (a building, region of, or full campus alert at a time), with a message telling the students a summary of the security problem, and telling them to access the security page. (The flashing lights allow deaf students to see there's a problem, and a klaxon and the announcement allows the blind to hear.)
• Each student's cell phone/PDA # MUST be registered on campus, and be allowed to receive free text-messages from campus security. I'm sure the cell phone providers could be worked with for users' protection. (Especially after VT.) If not, this could be REQUIRED BY LAW.
• The local Emergency Management System could be employed on campus and the surrounding area. Many cable companies employ them, and, I'm sure, many campuses use their own cable system. This could break into radio/TV programming to inform anyone watching/listening of security situations on campus or the local area. (Cable companies need to be sure to sync analog and digital for this to work properly.)
• Maybe signs like they put along the highways now - the ones that flash Amber Alerts and warn of closures? - at each entrance to campus, used in much the same way, but also flashing security situations.
• All security alert systems should be checked at least once-a-month. (Heck... The tornado alarms in our town are tested once-a-week at a specific time.)
• Guess we can't forget about events on-campus for the public... Temp passes would work, but access to other areas of the campus would need to be restricted.

And, I'm sure there are other security measures that can be taken. Some are already in effect on many campuses, but maybe this can give them some ideas. Remember, though... Each and every idea costs money, which the college/university will pass on to students.

Did Virginia Tech make a mistake by not emailing the general campus population about the first incident - that there had been a shooting in a dorm - and the gunman was "on the loose"? Probably, but again, how would they let EVERYONE know? Even with all of the above suggestions, there will still be those who don't get the information until it's too late. And, what happens when it's a student (or two or...) with access to all buildings?

There's no way to make campuses as secure as many parents would like without virtually keeping all students sequestered on-campus and in their dorms throughout a complete semester... Think they'd allow the same type of frat or sorority parties in a prison like this? (Is that a BAD thing?)

Do you have any more security ideas or comments on the above?

Bill Sanders

Real ID - 2008? (Getting my Driver's License, 2007)

I just received the Snopes weekly newsletter which contains:

In a mixture of truth and falsehood, e-mail of the moment asserts that by 2008, licensed U.S. motorists will have to undergo recredentialing and have Federal ID numbers inserted into their hands.

The link for the story and debunking of the untrue parts of it is http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/realid.asp.

According to Snopes, "as of April, 2007, the DHS lists ... requirements for a Real-ID compliant driver's license, and lists them.

From http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-1009.htm

Minimum Driver's License or Identification Card Data Element Requirements

To meet the requirements of section 202(b) of the Act, a State is required to include, at a minimum, the following information and features on each driver's license and identification card:

1. Full legal name;
2. Date of birth;
3. Gender;
4. Driver's license or identification card number;
5. A digital color photograph;
6. Address of principal residence;
7. Signature;
8. Physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for any fraudulent purpose;
9. A common MRT, with defined minimum data elements.

In addition, DHS has determined that States must also include issue date and expiration date on each driver's license or identification card.

What this means is you will need to be able to prove you are who you say you are, and all of the information above, using Primary Sources (Birth Certificates, Passports, etc.) You may also need to prove other things (address, etc.), so be sure to see the link above and/or your own state's BMV site for the documenation you will need.

--

I just got my driver's license renewed. I forgot that it expired on my BD (3/21), and, when I remembered (second week of April, 2007), I was "out and about", and thought I'd just stop in for a few minutes, and get it renewed. Nope.

I don't remember ANY publicity or notificiation (or reminders) that the above was happening NOW. Here's what happened.

I walked in, and within about five (5) minutes was seated with the lady verifying my information from my old license for my new license. She asked if everything was still correct, and then sat without asking questions for a few moments. She said that it was connecting "with downtown" (Lebanon or Indy?) and verifying my info... That if it hadn't responded within 20 minutes, she was to call "downtown". About 10 minutes later, she apparently got notification that she was to call, so she did. (The phone was at a desk out of my seated sight.)

About 10 minutes later, she returned, and asked if I had any other ID. I didn't (I had CCs, my voter's registration, and others, but nothing was good enough.) I asked why? She said that someone with my exact name (William D. Sanders) had had their license suspended in another state, and I had to prove that I was me. (Now, I need to say that my license had been updated at the same branch last year, after I'd tested with hand-controls. It had to be marked with that restriction - so I can ONLY use hand-controls, now.) I said, holding up my license with my picture on it, "And THIS isn't good enough?" Nope. I looked through my wallet, again, and found that even if I'd still had my draft registration card from 1973 in my wallet, it was obviously expired, so wouldn't have worked. I could only use a certified birth certificate, passport (which I've never had occassion to get), or something else.

Knowing that I had my BC at home, I started to leave as she said we could call Zanesville Ohio for it. I don't know if they could FAX a "certified copy" or not, but, if not, I knew it would take a few days to get here, and I wanted to get the license NOW, especially since it was expired, and now SOME people in the government knew it! So I drove the 1/2 mile home and started looking through all my genealogical data (which is one of the reasons I had gotten my BC, and I KNEW it was there, somewhere.)

After going through it all twice, I finally found it, and returned to the branch. Since I'd been there before, I got right back to where I was before, but had to wait for a couple of ladies to get theirs. The same girl came and took my BC and license, and went to the phone. It took about 15 minutes before I heard her say my name over the phone. My middle name is not spelled the way many are, and I said, "You're going to have to spell it"... She said, "I am spelling it," and spelled it and my last name over the phone. She then went to the copier, within my seated sight, and photocopied my BC. I said, "Heck, if I'd have known a photocopy would do, I'd have just printed the scanned version." (It wouldn't have worked... The Certification process adds ink and indents of the state seal in the special paper.)

I had to sign that I was who I said I was and that the paper I'd provided was me. (Guess they could get me for perjury, too, if it weren't.) I went to the cashier and paid $26 (for 6 years), and back to the camera. She took my picture, and waited a few minutes while the machine processed my license.

While we were waiting, I pointed out that they weren't called ME a liar, but THIS BRANCH ITSELF, since they provided me with the license I was renewing just last year. Also, I'd complained that I'd not heard or seen anything about the "proof" requirement (primary sources), and the girl's supervisor found a sheet of paper with the items needed on it. (I have since tossed it, I believe. If I find it, I will attach a link to it here. But remember, it may only be good for Indiana.)

To add insult to injury, while we were waiting, the branch closed, the door was locked, and everyone else filed to the back. When she handed me my license, I tried to leave, but the door was locked. She came and let me out, and I went home.

So, the "10 minutes" it would normally and used to have taken (in 04/2007 - thought this requirement was for something like 05/2007?) took about a half-hour at the branch, a drive home, a frantic search for a single envelope with my birth certificate in it, a return to the branch about an hour later, another half-hour or so, and another drive home. The reason? Besides the "Real ID", it was because some a-hole with MY NAME IN ANOTHER STATE got his license suspended.

I recommend you search your state's BMV for required documentation, so you only have to make one trip to get your new driver's license!

Bill

Imus, Words and Questions

Don Imus has been fired by MSNBC and CBS Radio. Are Sharpton and Jackson happy? I doubt it. Jackson has said, "Imus is on 1,040 hours a [year] and yet they have virtually no black show hosts. That is true for other networks as well, We must raise the ethical standard for all of them." (Hosts or networks, Jesse?)

Because of two words, neither of which is the "N-BOMB", and words that are used in black artists' songs (rap and otherwise), Imus has been labeled as racist and sexist. He's 67, so he may be ready to retire, but I have questions (and my, admittedly, PERCEIVED answers to some, to the public AND to the networks involved.)

Question: Does this mean that the majority of rap music out there is sexist and racist? Oh, HELL NO! See, because they are of the race being insulted, "it's ok". Why isn't there such a storm over every one of those songs that use the terms? Instead, they fly to #1 on the charts. Why is it that races and nationalities can call others in their own race/nationality by words and "insulting terms", but if a white man or other race does, it's bad? Doesn't the use of the terms just mean that people are trying to be current? ... Hip? ... That the race/nationality and their music/movies/tv shows are making "inroads" in the public's consciousness? (I'm not the only one to think this way... See http://mensnewsdaily.com/2007/04/12/don-imus-fired-now-lets-go-after-the-black-rappers/)

Question: Don Imus said a couple of other things that weren't "right", but the controversy was sparked over two words, one of which was initially said by the show's executive producer, Bernard McGuirk. And even more insults were heaped on the Rutgers team by former Imus sports announcer Sid Rosenberg, filling in for [regular] sportscaster Chris Carlin. Why weren't THEY fired?

(If you want to read a transcript of what was said, that section of the show can be found at http://mediamatters.org/items/200704040011. Find "Imus".)

Question: Why is it that other celebs who've said "bad things" (and a lot stronger and harsher than Imus' two words), are allowed to go to "rehab", then "all is forgiven"?

Question: With the proliferation of rap music, and the HUGE use of at least one of the terms Imus uttered in it, is it any wonder that people don't know what they CAN and CAN'T say without fearing the Sharptons, the Jacksons and many other publicity hounds of the world won't jump down their throats? (Why aren't they all over the news denouncing rap music for its racist, sexist and violent lyrics? Why don't they protest all the violence in music and video games? Why can Snoop Dogg say these things without backlash, but when ANY white guy does, there're demands of termination?)

Please don't misunderstand. I don't like the words, myself. I can't see ANY case where I, personally, would use the words. These terms and the promotion of violence are the main reasons I don't like a lot of rap music. (OK... Add to that the incescent BOOM BOOM BOOMs from many cars, driven by all races.) And rap-writers: Don't tell me that that's what you grew up with... That type of rap ain't THAT old!

Does anyone remember George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television"? Last time I saw him do it, the list had grown to about an 11-foot scroll. Guess if he hasn't, already, he's got to add a BUNCH of other terms, huh? Then again, if he says them, even reading from the list of words you can't say, he'll probably be attacked as racist, sexist, etc.

Should Imus have been fired? I don't know. (I never listened to him, so have no clue if Jackson's claim of "a pattern" is correct.) Should he have been punished? I'd say, "yes". Originally, he was to be suspended. (Was that with or without pay?) That would have been time he could have gone to rehab with Jesse. Instead, Sharpton and Jackson saw "a pattern" (in Imus, or America?), and demanded termination; Sponsors threatened to or did pull their support; And Imus was canned. Over two words used in numerous #1 songs.

If certain words aren't allowed to be used by mainstream America, why are they allowed by anyone, anywhere?

Bill Sanders

Politics (The Edwards)

This may be a little early, but let's get this one out there right now.

John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, especially Elizabeth, have been in the news recently, since her announcement that her cancer had returned and had been found in her bones, confined to a rib and hip. Remember, shortly after the last presidential election, she announced she had breast cancer, that she'd found a lump a few weeks earlier during the campaign.

While grateful for the support of family, friends and strangers from around the world, Elizabeth and John do not want "sympathy votes":

"Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake,” Edwards told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview airing Sunday night. “The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it. (source: MSNBC - AP Story)

I am also sure that I heard one of them state that just as you shouldn't vote for Hillary because she's a woman and you shouldn't vote for Barrack because he's black, then you shouldn't vote for John (Edwards) because his wife has cancer. This is about as clear as it gets.

Don't vote for someone just because of their race, gender, religion, illness, or ANYTHING, other than your belief in them and the way they will handle the issues important to YOU. Don't let anyone bully you, tease you, threaten you, or do ANYTHING that will sway your vote, if you don't want to. Don't NOT vote for someone because of an email (normally false or VERY slanted), or online video, or comedians, or anyone else has said they are not the right person. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. VOTE FOR WHOMEVER YOU BELIEVE IN.

A Little Civics Lesson

There's only ONE election during a presidential campaign when you MUST vote for a party, in general - If you're Republican, you can only vote for Republican candidates; If you're Democrat you can only vote for Democratic candidates. This is the PRIMARY election. The party is deciding, by democratic means, who the people in given areas want as a candidate for various offices.

In the GENERAL ELECTION (November), again, you should ALWAYS vote (regardless of the candidate's party or party-line) for the candidate YOU believe in. Here, you are deciding between two or more individual candidates (normally differing parties), who should run the office for the next few years (normally 2-4).

Then, whether you win or lose, whether you like what they're doing or not, you should SUPPORT the winners, because they were elected democratically, meaning the majority of the people believed in them.

Think of it like brothers, who are constantly bickering. They can say anything they want about each other, they can punch and fight each other, but if someone else says anything bad or punches one, the other will rush to his brother's defense. In America, it's more like we can complain, protest, bitch and moan about the way the government's being run, but if someone outside the US says or does anything to try to change that, we should rise to the defense of the government. After all, they are OUR duly-elected officials. Some we don't like we can change in two years, some in four. But again, it's MAJORITY RULE.

Summary

Again, don't vote for Hillary because she's a woman and "it's time" for a woman president. Don't vote for Barrack because he's black and "it's time" for a black president. Don't vote for John Edwards because his wife has cancer, and you're sympathetic. (Support Cancer Research if that's the case.)

ONLY VOTE FOR A PERSON BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THEY ARE THE RIGHT ONE AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE JOB.

Bill Sanders

Schizophrenic Road?

There's an argument going on in Indianapolis over renaming a portion of a "main-drag" thoroughfare, one of the oldest North/South roads in Indianapolis.

This road is one of the most schizophrenic roads. North of Indianapolis, it's 421. Somewhere still north of Indianapolis (around 116th Street), it becomes North Michigan Road (after all, it goes from at least SE Indianapolis all the way into Michigan). Staying on the same road, (don't turn off on 465 to follow the route for 421), it's North Michigan Road until you hit 38th Street, when it changes names, again, to Dr Martin Luther King Junior Street (sometimes referred to as Dr MLK Street). At 11th Street (continuing South), though there's an "transitional egress ramp" staight South (my term), Dr MLK Street abruptly jumps over to the East a few car-lengths, then continues South. (This can be very confusing, as 11th Street is one-way West.) Somewhere between 10th and West Michigan Street (yes, ANOTHER Michigan), the road changes name again to N. West Street. At Washington Street (a little schizo itself - in some places is US40!), it changes to S West Street. (Washington is the dividing line between N & S for postal service and street numbering.) The name S West Street remains until Bluff Road merges into it in the middle of St Joseph and Holy Cross Cemetery. where it remains Bluff Road heading South West out of Marion County, and later changes to Wicker Road when it turns West only, near where it crosses SR37. From the map, it appears Wicker Road dead-ends after a short while.

To add to the confusion, there are probably still people in Indianapolis who call some of that road Northwestern. (I don't remember where it started or ended.)

Meanwhile, 421 has followed 465W across the top of Indy, changing to 465S on the NE side of Indy. Somewhere in SE Indianapolis, around where US74 merges into 465, 421 seems to disappear.

So, it matters where you are on that road (again, going south - 421/N Michigan/Dr MLK/N West/S West/Bluff/Wicker) what your address is. And trying to describe how to get to your home from North or South of the city can be confusing, too (to the person trying to find the address for the first time... not to those who live there).

Michigan Road, as I said, has been called Michigan Road for some time, now. I also know that West Street has been called West Street since Indianapolis was formed (it's part of the "square mile" surrounding the middle of Indianapolis - other roads - North, East and South, get it?) I'm sure that, originally, 421/Michigan Road did not merge into West Street, but went SE through Indianapolis.

Isn't it schizophrenic enough without changing part of it's name AGAIN?

Portions of other "main drag" or state roads have been named for various people, too: Babyface, the Vietnam Veterans, etc.

I understand the arguments, except the minister who stated that (paraphrased), "Indianapolis is a great city... It needs great street names". HUH? Originally, cities built and named PARKS for people they wished to memorialize. Why did they ever start changing the names of sections of ANY road? I mean, I can understand a NEW street/road/highway being named for someone, but to rename existing roads?

When we rename existing roads, we give up on the history of the regions for which they are named, and force all those living and running businesses along those roads to change anything on which they had an address. (It doesn't happen for free, ya know?) Historians, genealogists and others trying to find a given address for any reason, now have to go through all the old names to find them. 911 has to be reprogrammed. All the services to the area have to deal with the name change, including police, fire department, ambulance, etc., and for some time, it's probable that 1) the wrong address will be given; 2) the wrong address will be gone to.

Indianapolis has become one of those cities who look for corporate sponsors for various building project. It's convention center has no name, other than Indiana or Indianapolis Convention Center. Why couldn't that whole huge building be named Dr. Martin Luther King Junior (short name: Dr MLK Jr) Convention Center of Indianapolis? They're going to be replacing the section where the current Hoosier Dome sits when Lucas Oil Stadium is finished... Now would be a GREAT time to change the name. (Or is Indy looking for a huge corporate sponsor to whom to lease the name?)

How 'bout the new bypasses proposed by Governor Daniels? One of them could be named for Dr King.

Don't change the street names where people live and work... Where there's a history... Again, with all the building going on in Indianapolis, there's plenty of new construction that can memorialize the man.

Bill Sanders

Politics and Elections 2008

The political ads are coming. They're already here on the internet. There are plenty of anti-[name-a-party or name-a-candidate] pages out there in internet-land, especially for the more popular candidates. Democrat or Republican, Independent or whatever, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE out there has some type of grudge against them, or simply doesn't like what they believe they or their party believe in (make sense?).

And, there are a lot of lies and half-truths going around in email about them, too. Heck, I was receiving emails in 2005 that said "Don't wait until 2008", lambasting BOTH parties for Social Security problems (which were all lies, btw).

What can you do?

1. Don't believe everything you read in email or on the internet.
   Just because a "friend of a friend" sent it to you, just because there's a famous name associated with it, just because it appears to come from an authority who's signature is on it, doesn't make it true. Read on to see why.
2. Be careful about news stories, even from trusted sources.
   Even they can be duped. Believe me it's happened in the past, and it continues to happen on a fairly regular basis. DO NOT believe tabloid "news" stories. While they purport to have sources, sometimes that source is simply the writer's imagination. And remember that every party or individual have been known to "mention" propaganda about themselves or their opponents. Sometimes it's people lower on the totem pole that passes it on, sometimes prompted by party/candidate or managers, who will normally then have plenty of "plausible deniability", meaning "You can't blame ME for that".
3. Remember that Politics is a realm of false promises.
   The idea of each party and individual in the race is to get elected and try to get their agenda run. They will make as many plausible promises as they can. Sometimes, they, themselves, actually believe that they can do what they promise. HOWEVER, remember that government has a lot of "checks-and-balances" (sometimes "red-tape"), which means that a LOT of people have to sign-off on those promises before they can be kept.
4. Don't perpetuate false emails.
   If you get an email that says something bad about someone else; that seems a little "funny"; that trivializes good deeds or glorifies bad; that may even be something you, yourself firmly believe, CHECK IT OUT. There are PLENTY of sites out there refuting these emails daily. I have a page of them and will tell you where it is, shortly. Use keywords from the emails in the search boxes, and see if they've already investigated it. See what they already have for each person, each subject, etc. The names (individual and party) in forwarded emails are subject to change at the whimsey of any sender who received it.
5. Don't CREATE false emails.
   Many people read pages and boards that go along with their own idealogy and beliefs. When someone at those sites or boards writes or "passes on" something they think is funny, true or not, sometimes just a simple joke, others will believe it as Gospel, cut-and-paste it into an email and send it off to friends, who send it off to their friends, who... (get the idea), most everyone adding their comments. Have you ever played the game (I forget the name) where you get 10-20 people together. One whispers something to someone, who (supposedly) repeats it to the next person, who repeats it to the next, who... and so on? The vast majority of the time, by the time it gets to the last person, the information has changed so much that it's almost unrecognizable. Emails are the same. While forwarding and cut-and-paste negate some of the changes, some people add their own comments, things they believe are related, cut-and-paste signatures that weren't on the original, etc., until the email you get is completely unrecognizable from the original. This happens regularly. Don't send an unsourced email. Don't send anything but the link, itself. That way, everyone can read it, and it doesn't go through the morphing that most of the negative emails go through.
6. Whether you start or wish to forward emails, INCLUDE SOURCES.
   If you do what I suggested you NOT do in #5, INCLUDE THE PAGE FROM WHICH YOU COPIED IT, and realize that somewhere in the forwarding process that source will probably disappear. Try to put it where it CANNOT be removed. If it's something you get that you wish to forward, try to find out if it's true or not. If not, include your source(s), and send it back to the person who sent it to you. If you believe in it, include comments of your own, but be sure you can differentiate between your comments and the original email, again realizing that somewhere down the road, they will probably either disappear or be merged into the original. About the only way you can be sure that anything you write does not get changed/forwarded is to write a webpage yourself and only send a link. Remember, though, that someone down the road will probably cut-and-paste what you wrote, either claiming themselves to be the author (I've seen things that started in USENET (think of the old-style computer bulletin boards) appear in articles, editorials and letters to the editor, verbatum, with the one that included it being the only "author".)

Email is a wonderful way to connect with new and old friends and family, but can also be used to sow and perpetuate dissent and anger. (See all the emails about blacks, Muslims, the Middle-East, Celebrities, etc.) The internet has a LOT of valid information out there, but there are a lot of ture-sounding jokes, half-truths and lies about almost very subject, especially politics.

Remember this every time you want to create or forward an email about politial issues and people.

Some of the sites to find out the TRUTH about emails can be found at my main site's Flim-Flam (Rumors/Urban Legends/Virus Hoax) Links (page section) and some of the articles and many-forwarded emails can be found in my Flim-Flams Subsection. Check them out.

BigDaddyBS (Bill Sanders)

Honors for Our Iraq War Heroes

I have found out that there are many heroes of this war who have not received medals. (See Iraq has heroes, so where are their medals? - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com)

Am I the only one who finds this callous and unfeeling? Why are we waiting? With the reporting plethora of embedded reporters, the daily reports on action, the many still- and video-cameras held by our own soldiers, you cannot use the argument that there is not enough proof.

To me, this is as bad as the way many treated the Vietnam vets when they came home. These guys and gals are putting their lives on the line. Many are wounded and want to go back to help their buddies. Many DO return. I'm not saying that everyone who goes to Iraq needs a medal (even if just going makes them a hero), but those like the one described in the article above should get the ones they deserve immediately.

So, what's keeping them? Well, I could show my Republican side and say that it's the Democrats in congress... After all, though a congressional majority voted for the war, the Dems have all decided that since it's so unpopular, they should be against it. (Votes, ya know?) And, like passing out condoms in school can make some people believe that that means we condone teen sex, giving medals to Iraq war heroes COULD make it seem that they condone the war. No... I don't believe that this is the case. (At least I HOPE not!) However, I can see where SOME may believe that.

It's been four (4) years since the war started (March 19, 2003). How long do some of the heroes and/or their families have to wait? Why aren't medal ceremonies (and the stories behind them) reported by any but the local media, if at all?

These men and women deserve recognition, though most will humbly say its the ones they saved that deserve it.

Let's make sure it's not because it's an unpopular war that they don't seem to be getting it. I call on the major news networks and other media to start pushing congress and whoever else is responsible to review the cases and get these people their medals, and to show the world we HONOR OUR HEROES.

Bill Sanders

Toy Recalls

They are doing a massive recall of "Easy Bake Ovens" (see http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/5597091.html for one) because there have been reports of children getting their hands caught and burned in them.

Easy Bake Ovens have been around for since 1963. I'm sure there have been prior reports of hands being caught and burns. I seem to remember burning my fingers on the damn light bulb and pans we pulled out. (This was YEARS ago... :-\) Same with the Creepy-Crawler makers and a few other items that get hot. So why now?

I'm sure it has to do with today's lawsuit-happy society. It's also possible the new model catches hands easier, but I believe the threat of litigation made them do the recall.

There seems to be a lot of things that we, as kids did, that our kids can't experience, now-a-days. Parents are (sometimes rightly) too careful with what they allow their kids to do - like play outside without adult supervision (rightly), like playing with many of the toys we used to play with because they have "choking hazards" in them, like eating the (hard) paste from school (I think it was made with flour, and they must have added a bit of sugar in it, because it tasted pretty good back then! LOL), etc. Some toys have gone "by the wayside" because of the dangers: Have you seen many Creepy-Crawler sets around? The forms got hot, if I recall ... I think they made a comeback a while back, but haven't seen any commercials for some time... What about all those games with "small choking hazard" parts - Hungry, Hungry Hippo; Monopoly (OK... Maybe for older kids, but baby bro like to play with the hotels, right?); Scrabble for Kids; hell, Pick-up-Sticks had pointy ends!

And how do some products remain on the market for so long, despite their obvious dangers? How 'bout "choking hazards" of GI Joes, Barbies, and the like? They come with accessories (rifles, pistols, boots, high-heels, purses, etc.) that are small enough to put in your mouth... Those little wooden people used in the larger Lego things have hats and arms that can come (or be chewed) off causing choking hazards...

We played with HUNDREDS of toys that could/should have killed or seriously injured us. We played (God forbid) OUTSIDE with friends and no adult supervision. We swang on swing sets simply set on the ground (the legs weren't buried in concrete to counterbalance the weight)... We slid down HOT METAL SLIDES at the park and almost every playground. We went fishing in the park lagoon with REAL fish-hooks (and let me tell you.. they hurt! when they stick into your finger!) We jumped off our porch about 5' to the ground, and did little more than get stingers in our ankles, and if we landed wrong and twisted it, we just stopped jumping off the porch for a few days... We played Combat (a great show!) with toy guns and air rifles (friends' ... my parents would never buy me one...), shoving plugs of dirt into the barrels so they air rifles would "smoke" more like the real things we saw on TV... We skated around on metal skates that attached to our shoes... This only worked if we had an OLD set of GOOD shoes... The skates never locked down well on tennies'...

We used to use ice cubes and butter on burns we got from the stove, touching a hot pan, touching the edge of the oven or the oven rack or pan being pulled out... Mom knew how to put a lid on the pan (or throw salt on it) to stop a fire in it... We knew how to close the oven door while broiling, if it caught fire... We knew how to turn OFF the damn things we turned ON that caught fire and how to put those fires out.

We skinned our knees, scraped our hands and elbows, got stuck by thorns of many types, sometimes friends broke a finger, arm or leg on swing sets, and no one sued anyone... We fell off numerous swings (banging our heads), or "Jungle-Jim" bars; fell (or jumped) out of trees (sometimes breaking or spraining something, sometimes tearing clothes), fell off our bikes in the street and (usually) didn't get hit by a car; got hit in the face with basketballs, footballs, "kick-soccer" balls (those red things at school?); sprained wrists, ankles, knees, elbows; got stung by bees in the yard; stepped on rusty nails, and somehow we survived it all. And I don't recall ONE of our neighbors or friends suing or being sued. (Heck... I had a friend hit himself in the head with a claw hammer we were using to build something... No one even THREATENED a lawsuit... It was HIS stupidity for doing it to himself... Even if it was OUR hammer he did it with...)

Why have we suddenly decided we can sue for our, or our children's', own stupidity? Because some lawyer, somewhere, decided that they could make BooCoo bucks by suing the people with BIG money for something, and other lawyers decided THEY wanted to make some money, too.

Easy Bake Ovens SHOULD NEVER be used without adult supervision. The light bulbs used to cook the product gets hot, and the pans get hot, just like in a real oven... Remember... it has to get hot enough to COOK the stuff! And parents - With ANY item that gets hot like this, or has the potential to burn kids, you should MAKE SURE they know how to unplug it... Anything that uses electricity has the potential to start a fire. They should know how to deal with it. So should you.

(Oh, and those little plastic plug covers that are supposed to keep your kids from sticking screwdrivers and other things into the light sockets? They are potential chocking hazards, too, ya know? :-) )

Veterans Against the Iraq War

There's a new commercial playing around Indiana, and I'm sure, elsewhere, where Senators and House members have professed support for the presidents planned escalation surge.

It goes, "One the one hand... " listing those who've come out AGAINST the build-up - "2/3 of the American people", the bi-partisan majority in congress, the Iraq Study Group, and "veterans like us...". THEN, they show a veteran (apparently) who's lost an arm in the war. He says "On the other hand, there's George Bush...", as if ONLY he is for escalation.

There are a few things I don't like about it:

1. Where do they get the 2/3 number?
   • Those who don't approve of the job the President is doing? Not all of them are against the war. They more disapprove based on other foreign or domestic policies.
   • Those who voted in the last election? Dems won, but not by a 2/3 margin, by any stretch of the imagination, and while the idea of a "new direction" for certain policies was the platform and that voted on, has ANYONE seen ANYTHING but bitching and complaining about the war, drafting of referendums about the war and escalation, or almost anything else the president promotes? I haven't. If they REALLY wanted to take all they talked about before the election in a new direction, they need to work on IT, too. Hmmm?
2. It makes it seem that ONLY the president is FOR the escalation, and EVERYONE else is against it, which is not true. Otherwise, they why do they need the commercial, right?
3. The last line said by the one-armed vet: "If you support escalation, you don't support the troops." WRONG! That is just so patently wrong, I can't believe they're even using it.

It ends with another vet exhorting you to call your congressman (by name - apparently only those FOR the escalation) and tell him/her you're against it.

Now, I understand that there are vets against the war. I understand that the media reports (MUCH) more on those who are against the war than those vets FOR the war and why. (Showing wounded vets who believe we shouldn't be there... Remember, they shoot for ratings, and vets against the war is controversial and news.

But I also understand that many who have been there, many who are injured, some grievously, WANT TO RETURN. They BELIEVE in what the president and others are trying to do. The BELIEVE in their fellow soldiers. They BELIEVE in the Iraqis general population. They BELIEVE in what we/they are there for. For example:

Pete Herrick, 39, who was paralyzed from the neck down after three weeks in Iraq, says many members of the media won't talk to him because of their liberal slant, which doesn't mesh with his views."When they find out I don't want to bash the president," says Herrick, who lives in Fort White, "the interview's over."A political and military junkie, Herrick thinks that years of sectarian religious violence would have continued in the region without U.S. intervention.

[Source: http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061113/NEWS/611130408/1004/RSS&source=RSS]

I believe it is unconscionable for the US Press (I could almost understand the rest of the world doing it, but...) being totally unwilling to talk to ANY and ALL vets, and get their views, even if they don't want to "bash the President", "bash the war", or talk to those who've actually thought about it, especially those who have been there. It would be even worse if they DID talk to them, getting their views about wanting to return, then only reported about their injuries, including FULL interviews with only others who are against the war.

What happened to reporters' objectivities? What happened to "fair and balanced" reporting, no matter what the reporter or their editors believe?

And, as far as that commercial goes, DO NOT EVER believe that "if you are FOR the escalation you are against the troops" crap in general. Being allowed to believe anything we want, no matter how right or wrong it is, is one of our freedoms. In other words, DO NOT EVER assume that those FOR the escalation ARE NOT for the troops.

You have the right to your opinion as much as the next guy. If you're against the war, you have the right to say so. Conversely, if you're for that war, you should also have the right to say so, too. BOTH cases should be reported by the media, especially an IMPARTIAL media.

Either way, DO NOT tell me I am "for" or "against" anything, based on my belief on the war.

COLTS WIN! WOO HOO!

The Indianapolis Colts have won Superbowl XLI (41). It should, but I know it won't silence the critics who say ANY of the following:

"Dome Teams" can't win the Superbowl, especially in the rain.

"Nice Guys" can't win, period.

"Peyton is a great quarterback, but he can't win the big one."

"The Colts' are too small to win against the larger, stronger teams."

With the Superbowl win, all of the above have been absolutely PROVEN FALSE.

And lest you believe "old people don't care" about this subject:

This is a picture of my 91yo grandmother, Alice Elizabeth Glover Sanders Gray celebrating the win. She's sharp as a tack, and never forgets the game. (She knows the schedule better than most of us do!) She dons her Peyton Manning #18 Jersey for every Colts game and castigates the referees for every call against her team (even when they make the right ones).

Now Indy just needs to get Lucas Oil Stadium done, and win the bid for the 2011 Superbowl!

GO COLTS!

More History Being Lost & One Solution

WTHR (Channel 13) Indianapolis ran a story tonight about how historic Shelby County (IN) records are being lost. (See the video, here. NOTE: I had to manipulate the link a little, because when I tried the full on, it gave me the "yellow bar" at the top of the browser, and immediately "turned it off", showing their home page. Even THIS link will give you the warning (but will stop, allowing you the CHANCE to allow popups. If you do not allow popups, it will tell you. Just temporarily allow them for this.)

The Shelbyville News carried the story, yesterday, apparently related to story on the building, "Shelby Manor" (aka the "County Home" - "For nearly 160 years, Shelby County's 'poor farm' or 'county asylum'") and its deteriorating condition. The roof has caved in in at least one spot, and water leaks from the roof to the ground floor in others.

County records are stored there, some in boxes, and many old ledger books, some dating to the 1800s, are simply stacked haphazardly, in various rooms, some covered with mold and mildew.

I'm absolutely positive that Shelby County is not the only local government (including various towns, cities, townships, etc.) or old business (funeral homes or cemeteries, included) with old records stored in extremely unstable environments. Simply keeping them in courthouses is no guarantee of protection. Look at all the historical records lost in New Orleans and in various other floods (think about all the records lost in the major flooding along the Mississippi a few years back) and fires. I already talked about one of the most recent in History, both Local and Family, lost (October 9, 2006 post).

Apparently, plans are being made to purchase a house near the courthouse annex, and move all the records there. However, there are boxes stacked floor-to-ceiling in offices in the basement of the annex. Sounds to me like nothing's organized, and it will take years to clean, restore, preserve, organize and store them correctly.

The problem is, government budgets for preservation and restoration of historic documents, buildings, etc. are continually being cut. The money is then used, sometimes for valid purposes, sometimes for "pork". Please note: I am not, in any way, saying that the latter is the problem in Shelbyville, I don't know. It's just that I've seen and heard about so many government agency budgets being cut, then heard about strange programs suddenly getting much more money than was originally budgetted.

"Ah... It's just old stuff... Who cares?" I expect to hear this from almost anyone under 20, but as you get older, you do start becoming interested in history. If you destroy it when you are young, you will NOT have it when you really want to look into it. And, even if YOU are not interested in it, there are millions of people who ARE. And there will be millions more people interested in the future. Those who make "fun" by going around, defacing and knocking down gravestones, are no better (and those who destroy records on purpose are no better than them.)

Besides, it's our state's (and with all combined, our country's) history. And, for the individuals, it's our FAMILY's history. It can be used to trace from where a family came, where they went, who married who, who divorced who, who was named in wills, who owned property, who went to jail for what, who died of what and when, names, dates, locations, jobs, etc. Demographics can be generated for each location for state historians and others, allowing for spotting of trends. (This type of statistic is how they figure out what item carries E-coli from an individual Taco-Bell... Everyone who got sick at SOMETHING that caused it...)

No... It's not the family stories every family has, but it's the proof that those stories are real.

What can be done? I guess it's time to share an idea I've had for the past few years, but not known of any way to implement it. Maybe some of these records can be saved for posterity.

A foundation or organization should be created (or a division of an existing one) that is fully-funded. If started by the government, no budget for it should ever be cut. Donations by organizations and individuals should be made possible. The idea is to make it self-sufficient. How? Read on.

Personally, I feel that these records MUST be digitized. While every library has a micro-fiche reader, many of these are very old, and I believe that optical devices should be used. (CDs, DVDs, even high-capacity hard-drives.)

There are book-cradle copiers/scanners, that will allow copying/scanning of the pages of the old books and ledgers without destroying the bindings. Recent loose documents should fit in a more normal scanner. A "mergable" text database, with the standard text being master field records and the written information (where the underlines show what needs entered) being detail record fields, needs to be created for each type of record. The images should then be linked to each detail record. These detail records may then be printed in reports using various appropriate sorts. All of this information can be stored on optical storage devices (CD/DVD/etc.) or removable hard-drives. Copies should be made, and sent to various libraries and historical museums, at least state-wide. As new records are created, they should be digitized in much the same way.

For even larger documents (plot maps, etc.), a large-format scanner should be employed. The scan could then be stored as a more "normal"-sized page, and/or "broken up" into smaller, more manageable pieces and stored. In these cases, the index numbers/letters on the maps, and the actual plot numbers (and associated names) could be put into a database. And plot books (when I sold insurance on a debit route, these were generated yearly, and banks, title offices, and county offices usually GAVE copies of them away... They're probably all sold, now...) should be digitized. (Old and current.)

Doing this could make all records (especially the text databases and low-resolution copies of the images) available on the internet. The individual optical records may also be sold by the libraries/museums, or even the governments or businesses themselves.

For privacy advocates, remember that all of these records that I'm talking about are "public record". Anyone could/should currently be able to go to the courthouse and look up the information there. Anything considered more sensitive (prosecution records - also stored at the Shelby Manor, and other such items) would be secured for the standard 70 or so years.

Something to think about: With online phone books, numerous public record search firms, etc., I don't know why the census records are so sensitive, except for showing family income, which could technically be blurred! Ancestry only shows indexes and images those from 1930 and before, though they have many states that allow marriage, birth and death records, to well-past 2000. And Social Security Death Indexes are pretty current.)

As for the books and actual records, once the data has been digitized? They should be donated to the state museum. A copy of (or master of) the digitized data should be, too. If they don't want them, a secure warehouse, centrally located to the state, should be built, climate controlled, fireproofed (no water sprinklers - halon or better), and guarded 24/7. This should be where all the archival data in the state should be organized and stored. Sensitive data should be locked in a special vault. With the digitized records as a "card index", the location of each item could be found. The building should be open daily, and historians, genealogists and even interested general public should be able to use the computer to view the records in which they are interested. If the books are in too bad shape for the public to handle, maybe a reference librarian or two should be on-duty, too. Since digital copies of the records have already been made, there should be no reason for anyone to actually have to read the books, unless the scans have had problems, and this should have been taken care of when they were scanned.

Maybe someone from government, or in a position of money or power. will actually read this blog post, and consider something like the above. Maybe someone from the History Channel's "Save Our History" will.

I hope so... We are losing our history at an alarming rate. It MUST be remembered that our history doesn't just mean buildings and monuments, though they are important, too. (Does everyone know that the Ambassador Hotel, where RFK (Bobby) was assassinated, was demolished?)

If you're interested in something like this, or have a better idea, let me know.

Bill Sanders

Another Annoying Commercial & Voting

Ok... I'm sick and tired of the two General Insurance commercials we see fairly regularly on our local stations. If you haven't seen it, the commercial starts with ... a commercial ... more specifically, the end of a commercial, giving the number in a fast cadence: "Call 1-800-general NOW!" In one commercial, the guy is laying under his car, working on it, grabs the handy cordless phone laying by his side and calls. In the other, a cute girl is watching TV, picks up the phone, flips her long hair out of the way, and puts the phone to her ear. In both, they say they'd like to speak to "the general". The commercial goes on to describe some of the services offered, then a funky-looking animated general, driving a car toward the camera is displayed, and the phone number with cadence is repeated. Ok. so far, huh? Well, the in come the spouses. They both act somewhat suspicious, throwing their arms out, looking mad/disgusted/something like that, and say "[Honey] WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?" (the male spouse says "Honey".) The person on the phone looks and smiles at the spouse, saying "The General!"

Why is this annoying? One - the cadence. I understand that it makes the number unforgettable. But even Gieko (sp?) has mixed up their commercials - the caveman, the gecko, and I think I've see even a different approach. I don't remember any other commercial for "the General". Safe Auto doesn't do an R Lee Ermey ("Mail Call") to DEMAND we call. Maybe the animated General logo is to soften the approach. But the other reason, REALLY gets on my nerves. Two - the spouses' attitudes when they ask who their significant other is calling. As I said, they act like "WHAT are you doing on the phone? Talking to your girl/boy-friend?" GEEZE! If I asked my wife (or she, me) that way, I doubt either of us would just smile and say "the General", and I don't know anyone else who would. Why is it that we would find this appealing? YES, all concerned are handsome/pretty young men and women, but those ATTITUDES...

On another note, before the election this past Tuesday, November 7, 2006, I wrote a piece I sent to a couple of papers (no response). It's about Politics - "Who's "best" for the position, the party, America? The dynamics of political ads, IMHO," and called Politics - Politicos and Parties. After I voted, I came home, and wrote a piece describing my experience (sent to the editors local newspaper - "The Lebanon (IN) Reporter") called Handicapped Voting at the National Guard Armory in Lebanon, Indiana. Check them out.

TTYL -BS

Political Ads and Criminals Among Us

Political Ads

Have you noticed? It seems like the vast majority of the negative political ads are by the parties' national commitees. Sure, there are local ads where the opposing individuals approve the slamming commercials. (Heck... Indianapolis' prosecutor race is at least 90% negative.) And some of the things said...

People wonder where our kids are getting this type of attitude? Yes, the scoudrels on the TV shows we all watch can be "nasty", but we can always point out to our kids that they are not real people. But the nastiness in those pervasive political ads, which gets even worse around election day, has to take SOME of the blame. These are REAL people saying these things about each other. GEEZE!

One of our news channels also interviewed a few kids about them. They were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. A few said they'd thought about being a Mayor, Governor, etc., but they didn't think they'd ever want to run, because of the negative ads.

And the ads are one thing, but if the press should EVER find out about ANYTHING that person did when they were growing up... WATCH OUT!

Criminals Among Us

In Indiana, this week, a 16-year-old waitress was killed by a co-worker, who'd recently been let out of a Kansas prison for killing a 5-year-old, after spending 20+ years as a model prisoner. He had family in Indiana, and the paperwork was OK'd allowing him to move in with them, transferring his parole from Kansas to Indiana.

The story is that his truck broke down, she stopped to help, he "got a feeling", and strangled her to death, then stabbed her with a hunting knife to "make sure she was dead". He left her body in a field. An amber alert was issued the next morning, and the search was on. After a day or so, the police arrested him, apparently after he confessed and led them to the body. Of course, everyone is asking how this could happen? How could a child-killer (he also stabbed the child's mother, but she lived) be released from a Kansas prison, move to Indiana without the police knowing, live in a neighborhood where no one knew, and be free enough to kill again.

Well, my understanding is that when someone serves the minimum time for their crime (notice that most sentences are "10-25 years"? "25-life"? etc.?), they are eligible for parole. They go before a parole board to plead their case for release. Victims families are allowed to speak and/or send letters to the board, pleading against release. The parole board decides, based on testimony and their actions as a prisoner, and maybe they are released. (Everyone knows that CHARLES MANSON has been before the parole board a number of times, right? If you don't know who he is, search for his name.) From my understanding, normally release on parole is contingent on probation, where if they are caught doing anything against the law (I assume something like speeding is ok).

It's been very recently that those convicted of sex-crimes had to report to a registry, which everyone can view online, and see where they are living. If you don't notice, apparently, there's a time-period for their reporting. In other words, it appears that after they have reported for a length of time, and stayed out of trouble, they don't have to report any more.

Now, they are saying that the same type of registry should be created (why not the same one, so it's easier?) for "child killers". (I'm sure this will be expanded to include other violent crimes.)
Personally, I'd like to know. I know that I wouldn't do anything to them but watch them like a hawk. (Same with the sex-crime people.)

But what of those who have served their time, served their probation and are now actually "rehabilitated". I've seen cases where the criminal becomes an advocate. (Anyone else watch "It Takes a Thief" show on Discovery?) And there are many more former criminals (some sexual, some violent) who have turned around and become advocates. Of course, I'm not dumb enough to suggest that ANYONE but the ex-con themselves would KNOW that they are rehabilitated. And, I'm sure that Discovery and Allstate (who now sponser ITAT) realize that they are taking a chance. However, I'm also sure that the guys on the show also know that this is one of the very few chances they have to "ply their wares" and get away with it, by helping homeowners with their security.

What about all those former drug addicts? We glorify the stars who have "cleaned up their acts", even when they have relapses. Do we track them forever, too? How 'bout all those former hookers? Do we keep track of them, too? How 'bout the kids who commit crimes as kids, then have their files sealed when they reach a certain age? Should ALL of them have their files sealed? Should they be monitered? Who will pay for the manpower to do this? We are having problems keeping up with all of those who are arrested and NEED to be put in prison. (That's where the "early release" and/or "minimum sentencing" came from.)

Truth is, we never know most of our neighbors well enough to know whether they've ever been in prison for anything. (In this case, "jail" and "prison" are the same.)

Remember when we, as kids, had the "run of the neighborhood"? Neighbors actually WATCHED OUT for everyone's kid. Hillary's right about her quote of the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." Now-days, it's "It takes a neighborhood", "town", "city", etc. And it seems it's NEVER anyone's fault but the parents.

Hell, I rode a bike or WALKED a mile to school each day, from second grade through 10th, when I got a car. Oh, and home for lunch and back to school, 2nd-6th). We played outside all over the neighborhood. Mom just yelled out the door for us when it was time to come in. There was no (or very little) worry about child molestors, no worry about kidnappers, killers, drug dealers, gangs, etc. in our neighborhood. I don't remember ANY stories (and I read the paper) of kids being killed or abused (and we were SPANKED when we were bad). I'm sure it happened, but not in our town.

Our generation was probably the last who will see that freedom as kids.

Ok... I rambled off the subject for a second... How did it happen? He did everything he was supposed to do to get out before he died. (I know that the parents of the kid he killed years ago, and the parents of the kid killed recently will object.) He went through all the legalities and was allowed to move to Indiana. The cops say they didn't know he was in the area. And what would they have done differently if they did? There are too few cops to handle the traffic, special events, patrolling, etc. AND to watch every ex-con who moves to town. The one thing it's unsure of is if anything was done about psychiatric treatment that was recommended.

What would I do if it was my kid? I'd want to kill the bastard. Thank God it wasn't. And I'm praying for the victims and the families (both the victims' and the killer's) involved.

Something has happened to our society to produce these criminals. Part has to do with the fact that very few families can live on one salary, so both parents have to work. Part has to do with not being allowed to punish our kids physically (well short of abuse) without the fear of being arrested. (Remember the wooden spoon? the yard stick? the brush? Hell, I even got whacked in Jr High by the vice-principle. I had the fear of God in me that my parents would find out. Too busy, too permissive, too... Is TV to blame? Personally, I don't think so, but the shows the parents watch WITH the kids, without explaining about "special effects" is may be... How 'bout the video games getting more and more violent? Yes, I'm sure that doesn't help. Personally, we played the more "lame" games, and the kids killed MONSTERS, not other people, at least until they were 16 or more, and KNEW it was a game... Is it the fact we don't go to church near as much? That could be, too.

So anyone have a solution short of putting them all to death? (DNA has proved that some of those convicted of crimes weren't involved, even years later.) Are we getting ready for an "Escape from New York" scenario, where we wall off complete cities, and send all the criminals there? What happens when THAT fills up?

I have no clue how to end this... I just needed to ramble... about dumb questions, about how we are no longer as safe (read free) as we used to be... about other observations.

So, that's it, for now.

History, both Local and Family, lost

The Williamsport, Warren County, Indiana library burned, almost to the ground, last night (Sunday, October 8, 2006). It was four (4) years old. The fire was started in a dumpster and spread to the roof, where it ... "spread like wildfire" ... burning books, displays, shelves and historical documents indiscriminately. (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/LOCAL/610090436 and http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=5514765, which just ran a story on the fire, much longer than what's shown, here.)

Being my family's "historian", and knowing that one part of the family came from Warren County, I'm sure that papers that would have been available, there, are no longer. And it was ARSON! (Why would anybody set a fire to a library? Just for "fun"? What kind of "fun" is this? You have devastated the library staff, patrons (daily, weekly, or even occassionally), children who visited for story-time and to check out books for themselves, townspeople, county officials, those who donated books and their family papers to the library, those who gladly paid (and even though who didn't) extra taxes and funds, for the building, and many others. Happy? (IDIOTS)

I hope this also points out to EVERYONE that there are assholes in our midsts that care nothing for education or local history. PLEASE be sure to keep an eye out (small towns through big cities) when travelling around your, or others', towns. If you see ANYTHING suspiscious, report it (call 911) IMMEDIATELY. This town just lost a new jewel. They plan on rebuilding, but there were many items lost that are irreplacable.

I also hope this points out to people, everywhere, that your historical records are just that close to being gone. With the advent of computers, money should be spent and time should be taken to at the very minimum scan every historical document (papers, pictures, books, etc.) you have into the computer. Then make copies and keep at least one "master copy" of them off-site. This includes every town/city with historical records in special rooms, stored in the basements (there HAVE been floods that have destroyed records), every courthouse and library (and whereever else they're stored), museum, etc. I have ideas about this, if anyone is interested.

This admonition also includes every family with old family documents, pictures, bibles with pages of listed family, etc. Think of all the people in New Orleans and elsewhere who have lost every picture, every document, everything, pertaining to their family. They have lost irreplacable items handed down from generation to generation. With off-site scans, they could be reproduced... Not the same as the "real thing", but better than nothing at all.

No matter how "safe" and "protected" you feel you are by sprinkler systems (water destroys records), Halon Systems, Security Systems, alarms of any type, watchmen, or whatever type of system you have, you are vulnerable to assholes. Just like those who send out computer viruses, trojan horses, adware, spyware, etc., that are only built to cause problems and destroy others' computers and records, they are out there. They could care less about "historical value", "business records", "personal records", etc. They exploit the smallest "hole" in the security. All they want to do is destroy.

Remember, that at one time, all of the federal census records were stored at Commerce Building in Washington. There was a fire:

[The 1890 Federal Census images and indexes on Ancestry.com] have been extracted from the remaining population schedules for the 1890 Federal Census, which was destroyed by a fire at the Commerce Department in Washington, DC on 10 January 1921. The surviving fragments consists of 1,233 pages or pieces, including enumerations for Alabama, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas. The records of only 6,160 of the 62,979,766 people enumerated survived the fire.

(Source: Ancestry.com, 1890 Census - http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=List&dbid=5445&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 - MY bolding - BS)

Even the Federal Government is vulnerable, and THEY should know better. Spend the money to scan all of our National records.

I've heard it said over and over that to know someone, you must learn their history. We learn from the past and mistakes made. If all the history is lost, how will we ever learn? Whether you are interested or not, others may be. (Many family historians are thought to be crazy by their families... They want every scrap of paper, copies of every picture, copies of various documents, etc. And many are "pack rats". It's necessary to PROVE someone was who they said they were, where they were, what they were, etc.) Although images (scans) are not the actual documents and, technically, can be "massaged" (think of all the fake pictures sent around in emails), they are better than nothing, and if the actual document is destroyed, they may be all we have.

Various organization are involved in a "Save Our History" campaign, tied in with the History Channel. Part of our "history" is the history of our families. When it's gone, it's gone.

Scan those records. Create databases. Back them up and save copies FAR AWAY and safe from damage, if something should happen to where the actual records are stored. ("In a fire safe" on the same site means nothing. Fires in these buildings can reach temperatures high enough, for long enough periods of time, to damage or destroy things in many of these safes.) It's worth it.

Bill Sanders

Sports, Politics, Etc.

Sports

We spent the day watching the Colts and NASCAR (two TVs going at the same time...) And I have a few observations:

Colts Win

The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, 14-13. Why is it that everyone is making such a big deal of "the winless Titans" almost beating "the undefeated Colts"? On any given day, any NFL team, from the ones with the worst records to the ones with the best can win. This means that one team has to lose. Duh! Why can't anyone remember, in one of the Indianapolis Colts' worst seasons, in the 80s, (I always remembered it as the ONLY game they won, but they may have won a couple of others... Thought it was the Dolphins they beat, and they were after another undefeated season...), must have been in early-mid November, they beat a team that was undefeated to that point. (At least that's the way I remember it!) It can happen... And, as was proved last year, they can't "sit back" and "rest on their laurals(sp?), assuming they can beat teams having a tough time, and they can't "let the starters rest" in the final games of a season. They need to keep the momentum going for the finals. (I'll stop there... Don't wanna jinx anything!)

NASCAR

Talladega, October 8, 2006 - Dale Earnhardt Jr is leading in the last few laps. Jimmy Johnson and Brian Vickers (teammates) are directly behind, with Johnson waiting for the last (white flag) lap to get a run and try to pass Jr. The white flag falls... Johnson drops back to get the run, Vickers still behind him... They take off, Johnson drops below Jr, is about half-way past, and Vickers follows. But he was moving faster than Johnson by just that tick, taps Johnson's back end as he gets behind, which turns Johnson up into Jr's door, and wrecks them both. Vickers goes on to win.

My wife almost screamed out "He did that on purpose!", though you could see by the replays that it didn't appear to be so. She kept saying "Jr better be the winner!", though it was obvious that that was not going to be the case. Even Jr said nothing looked "purposeful" in the replay. Johnson, on the other hand, without seeing the replay, pretty much put the blame on Vickers, saying, without actually saying it, that he'd done it on purpose. I guess this will be up to NASCAR to figure out, but, again, it didn't happen at the finish line, so there's no way that Earnhardt or Johnson will be scored the winner.

Oh... Another "friendly arguement" I have with my wife has to do with certain other drivers. (I don't root for ONE driver... I root for a few, usually Stewart, Jr, and Jeff Gordon - probably because no one else likes him (I always like the underdog!)) What's strange is the illogic of TRUE NASCAR fans! (Apparently, I'm not one, because I see logic in a lot of places others don't.) Here's the point: If Jeff Gordon says anything in interviews about ANY favored driver (especially Jr!), my wife says he's whining. Where, if Jr says exactly the same thing about ANY other driver, he's NOT whining. What's the difference? Jr has a Southern accent, and Gordon's speech is nasally (therefore "whiney" to some). Hell, I even understand the fanaticism of race drivers.

I used to watch Wild World of Sports and loved the "Stock Car Races". I knew some of the drivers' names, and watched them go. I loved Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt (Sr), and others. Was I "fanatical" about it? No, but I did enjoy it, and usually decided sometime at the beginning of the race who I would root for. SOME fans, obviously, love THEIR drivers. I wish I could get that deep into it, but to me, it was just "fun". Now, it's even more "fun" to watch the race. My wife is a die-hard Earnhardt fan. She works nights, so tends to fall asleep during races, but if Jr's in the lead (or near) WATCH OUT!

The thing today? See, when Jeff (Gordon) went out of the race in a wreck (not caused by what he was complaining about), he said the "bump drafting" (where one car goes nose-to-tail with the car in front, literally "bumping" him forward, or raising the rear tires slightly off the pavement, where the lead car loses traction - sometimes causing a wreck, depending on where it happens), especially by JR (OMG!), which NASCAR said it was going to watch carefully, was really bad. My wife immediately goes "WAH! WAH WAH! Such a baby"... I kept trying to point out that if Jr said the same thing, she wouldn't have said that... She said "Jr never would"... BS! I've seen it with my own eyes! Everyone, but Jr, drives dirty, and everyone but Jr (and a few of the older drivers) is a baby! See the "logic" in this? I don't! GEEZE! (We were both grinning about the "arguements" we were making, so, no... no worries about that, but she was pretty adamant! LOL)

Politics

Oh, gawd! They're at it again... If you didn't know it, this is an election year (and if you don't, you need to get off the internet and watch TV more! ;-)

It seemed to start fairly nicely... Local prosecutor wanna-be put an ad on TV asking for your vote. Nothing negative there. Then (I can't remember who started it) one of them pointed out the other's record, then one pointed out the other's record (or lack thereof), and it's off to the races.

I understand. The saying is "If you can't find something nice to say about someone, don't say anything." However, in Politics, it's "If you can't find dirt on someone (or make some up) you will lose." The "make some up" part is not strictly true. They find ANYTHING they can make negative comments about and put it on. No wonder people don't want to be politicians any more... Even if you make it, you are up for more and more and more scrutiny. There aren't a lot of people out there that want EVERYTHING in their past (from when they were about 12 or so on) detailed in public! Even if it built their values to be those others would respect.

BTW: Various political ads report the opponent voted AGAINST various legislation apparently desired by those who would vote for that person. Think about this: MANY, MANY times, desirable legislation is added to - usually items that favor one small area (as in "pork barrel" projects) - and the only way to keep the "pork" out is to vote against the desirable legislation. Who knows? It COULD even be a strategy of certain parties (individuals or the whole group) to add this "pork" in, knowing certain congressmen will vote against it, thereby giving them "fodder" for these political ads. By the same token, if the desirable legislation is voted FOR by the opponent, THEN they could say they voted FOR various pork barrel projects.

Politics is a nasty business. Actually, politics, itself, may not be nasty, but the tactics used in political ads DEFINITELY is.

Other Stuff

Bad Ads

Some of the ones previously discussed are still out there (or trotted out for occassional play). Thank GOD it's not as often as before. There are others... I can't think of them at the moment... Apparently, I just "put them out of my head" as soon as I see them. (Defeats the purpose, doesn't it!)

Infomercials

Looks like a new crop of infomercials have arrived at Discovery and History Channels. Some are new versions for many I've already researched at www.orangefrogproductions.com (Scams, Shams and More Flim-Flams button.) Some are new things. Soon as I get the following up and running CORRECTLY, I will have to get on to researching them.

Orange Frog Productions

Version 2 will be out soon. I have not made major changes to OFP since it went up in 2003. This revamping will (hopefully):

• I am dividing it into three logical sections - Main; Owner; and Scams, Shams and More Flim-Flams (scams = various types of scams, shams = Infomercials, Flim-Flams = Rumors = Trivia lists, Urban Legends, etc.; and it includes information on Spam.) There are probably other ways that I SHOULD have done it, but it works for me, for now.
• I am making it more "accessible" (the print is designed to enlarge - or shrink - if you wish) - The sidebar buttons will currently overlap the content area, but it will work.
• I am adding buttons to all external links, allowing users to open that link in the current or a new window)
• I am adding definitions (glossary entries and tool tips)
• The background is a bit lighter, so the contrast will make it easier to read
• I'm trying to be more careful, so it works in both IE and Firefox. I know there are other browsers out there, but they seem to follow the lead of those two. I've already found and fixed some things. Hopefully there are few others. Most have had to do with the styles used to format things.

While it's not completely done, I believe it's ready to debut as OFP's main site. I have also included a Sitemap for the new site, and a Sitemap from the old site that links to the new pages.

A little more work (want to use Google Sitemap to let Google know there are changes, and have to make sure the old links will go to new pages via .htaccess file), and I will republish the site.

Keep an eye on it. www.orangefrogproductions.com. The new version is currently at www.orangefrogproductions.com/ofp2/index.html, but will be moved "down", soon. Let me know what you think.

That should do it for now.

TTYL

BigDaddyBS (Bill S)

Odds & Ends II (Croc Hunter, Commercials, VR)

The Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) (Discovery's site, Australian Zoo (Home of the Crocodile Hunter))

NOTE: The Australian Zoo site, above, was still being slammed Tuesday night.

In case you've been under a rock, Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was killed, Monday, September 4, 2006, morning, when a stingray barb apparently pierced his chest and heart (freakish accident), and he pulled it out. They are assuming that the stingray's poison, not normally fatal, direct to his heart, did it. (He could have bled to death, but those there said he died within a minute, and a small hole in the heart would have taken longer, I believe.)

I know, some people may not give a shit, but those of us into TV, who at least occasionally watch the Animal Planet, who have seen Steve Irwin on the many talk-show appearances he's made, and who have actually seen his movie, are going to miss him.

I haven't watched his show that much, recently, but do know I liked him (strange as he seemed). While I don't condone it, I even understood what he was saying about "teaching his children" about crocs and wildlife, a couple of years ago, when he held his baby while doing a show with a croc at his zoo. (However, I DO believe the child was MUCH too young to understand what was being ... "taught".) I loved his passion, his knowledge, his daredevilism (idiocy, to me, at times), his mission and his loves. Terri, his wife, and kids have lost one of the good ones. He was as, if not more, passionate about his family as he was about his conservationism and animal protection.

He brought us closer (sometimes TOO close for comfort - ours AND his, or, I'm sure, at least Terri's) to the many wild animals (especially crocs and snakes) he loved. His enthusiasm for wildlife helped MAKE Discovery's Animal Planet, and spawned hundreds upon hundreds of "wanna be" imitators (more than any Mutual Of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom", or Disney's "True Life Adventures" wildlife movies), and made people aware of the plight of many animals.

He will be missed.

Commercials I HATE!

NEW! - OMG! I thought it was one of those PSAs (Public Service Announcements), and his kid was hurt. Nope! ATT - Phone call at 3-4AM waking man and woman up. He says "What?"... She says, "Who is it?"... He says, "Are you sure it's him?" (looking very worried)... " She says, "What is it?" ... He gets out of bed, goes to his computer, turns it on (DAMN that computer's FAST), and says "Johnson pulled a quad... He's out this week..." The screen shows a football player as the man says "No... You were right to call" and it goes to the ATT service being advertised. THIS IS BY FAR one of the nastiest "misdirection" commercials I've seen in quite some time. I HATE IT!

Oh, yeah! Subway's "Fat Wallet" campaign. What kinda crap is this? They spend years telling us how to LOSE weight by eating their stuff, now they want our wallets to get FAT? Besides THAT, the commercial is stoopid to the max. Apparently, Jared is too busy making personal appearances (or working at a REAL job) to do their commercials any more. I saw one before the fat wallet thing, but nothing since. FAT WALLET? Gosh... They're saying that SPENDING MONEY will make your wallet fat. Never EVER did that for me!

Oh, there are plenty more... Mercifully, they go right out of my head when the show starts back up, so aren't as memorable. Also, thankfully, they haven't been repeated into the ground, yet.

VR & Me

I have a "plan review" with VR coming up next week. For those that don't know what I'm talking about, see my 5/24, 7/23, 7/27 and 8/19 posts.

By their rules, they own the stuff installed on my van, and my scooter, now, until I find a job and hold it for 90 days... What this means is if they drop me, they have the right to "reposses" everything or demand payment for it... OR, it MIGHT be possible that I can be listed as a "homemaker", which, technically, I guess I am, since I don't work (SS Disability) and my wife does.

Now, remember... This has been going on for THREE FREAKIN' YEARS. If the van had been taken care of immediately, I MAY not have screwed up my knee, and might be able to walk more. I'd have also been able to keep looking for a job, and may have been able to get my business up and running without help.

Yes, I also tried to set up a business through them, but it seems that it HAS to be a money-maker, right away, or they aren't interested. (They also only supply money for certain items... If I could make money like that THAT fast, I wouldn't be on disability, now would I?) My other point is that gas was CHEAP (relative to today's costs) back when all this started. While it appears to be coming down, it ain't cheap now! The business I had come up with would require driving around the county, at least, spreading out to other counties as this one is done. I can think of something else that could/should be done, genealogically, and that could make some money, but to do it RIGHT would require a bunch of up-front money, and then some time to gather the info, arrange it so all could read it, and publish it so it could be sold. I believe either is something that would be right up the state historical and genealogical societies would be interested in. And the first would also interest the DNR. However, if I got any of them involved, I probably wouldn't be able to SELL the information. Hell, it could also be used as "learning" experiences by numerous Jr/Sr High School classes and clubs. (No more clues... It's still my idea!) Let's just say it involves high-res digital imaging (cameras and/or large-format/book scanners), databases/tables, research, programming for the database entry and retrieval, data entry, probable artwork, local and state history, and a buncha other work, especially organizational.

If any TRUE "venture capitalists", philanthropic organizations, or businessmen who can tell me what and how to do what I want, and/or those who may be interested in history or genealogy in Indiana, and possible ties to education, are out there, and want to know what my ideas are, contact me. (This will not be a blog or email "meeting"... It will be face-to-face, so I know it's for real, and you know I'm for real.)

Don't get me wrong, I REALLY DO appreciate VR'ss help in getting me SS Disability, my scooter and my van mods, I just would have appreciated it more in 2003!

We'll find out next week what's up, here.