You Are Storm

Exotic and powerful, Storm descended from a line of African priestesses. Emotions can effect your powers, but you are generally serene. Powers: controlling weather, creating winds that lift you into flight, generating lightning

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Yay!!!!!

I get to go see theater this weekend.

Stupendously Ironic Quiz of the Day

You Are Death

You symbolize the end, which can be frightening. But you also symbolize the immortality of the soul. You represent transformation, rebirth of a new life. Sweeping away the past is part of this card, as painful as it may be. Your fortune: Don't worry, this card does not predict death itself. Instead it foreshadows the ending of an era of your life, one that is hard to let go of. But with the future great new things will come, and it's time to embrace them. Mourn for a while, but then face the future with humility and courage.

What Tarot Card Are You?

Developing. . .

Shots on Capitol Hill. . .

UPDATE
Apparently, not so much.

Wonkette has photos.

Tidbits from around the 'Net

Cloaking devices on the internet.

Okay, I take it back. Perry Mason moments apparently do occasionally happen in court.

Got unwanted pests? Reach for Raid.

Remember that weird guy on PBS who did the oil painting (happy trees? WTF?), and how he used to wash his brush out and then rapidly smack the bristles back and forth against the easel to dry it? I bet this guy doesn't use that method.

Some Florida police officers apparently have too much time on their hands.

Mosquito is a high-pitched sound "audible only to teenagers" sold by Britain's Compound Security. It is sold to shopkeepers to use as a teenager repellent -- the idea is to play it loudly in and around shops and "chase away those annoying teenagers!!!" The kids have reportedly converted the high-pitched noise and turned it into a ringtone, which, being inaudible to grownups, can then be used to receive texts and calls in class without alerting teachers. Excellent. See if you can hear it. Some commenters post that they hear nothing, or just static. How it's billed, teenagers are supposed to hear a high-pitched whine. I hear some weird giggling-type noises, and not being a teenager, I can't tell if that's part of the sound or something else bleeding in.

There's Still Time to Bid

Amazing Pork Chop Naked Smiling Lady

Key quote: "My kids seem to think it will be more popular then the grilled-cheese sandwich."

OMG that's totally romantic

from Iowa Voice:

Here's a nifty little fact about my Aunt and her husband that I didn't know (he passed away in 1986): She wore a wedding ring (of course). It looked like a regular store-bought ring, right? Only it wasn't. My Great Uncle made it himself in 1929 by taking a silver dollar (some accounts say it was a quarter or a nickel), drilling a hole in it, and then, using a spoon (!!), shaping it until he formed a wedding band for his bride-to-be.

Remember, this was the Great Depression, and he was a farmer. He didn't have a lot of money (in fact, it's a wonder he even HAD a silver dollar!). Years later, when they had saved and saved and finally retired, he wanted to replace it with a real ring. She wouldn't have it. The ring she had meant more than any other ring he could buy.

Personal Aside

Okay, first: I've officially turned in my resignation, effective sometime mid-June.

w00t!

No, I don't have another position yet, which has a lot to do with the fact I'm not licensed in Illinois yet. Once I get all my references back (yes, I'm talking to you, "Not the Moonbat") then I should be admitted via reciprocity within a week or two. However, my lease is up in July and it's time to go.

That said - I can make the commute back in just over three hours (you didn't hear that, Brent), so I will be coming back for shows, poker nights, and anything else that sounds fun, so don't you dare take me off any email lists.

Yep, I am a tad bit nuts. But I've got some time to use as a sabbatical, and the money put aside to make sure I can do things like pay rent and eat in the meantime, and a couple of places to crash until I can get an apartment, so, hey, why not?

In looking at my options on what to do next, I've done a little more research into the personality types. The idea is to figure out not only what I can do, but what I might actually like doing. A concept, no? The results have been . . . um . . . interesting.

One source summed it all up this way:

ENFP

outgoing, social, disorganized, easily talked into doing silly things, spontaneous, wild and crazy, acts without thinking, good at getting people to have fun, pleasure seeking, irresponsible, physically affectionate, risk taker, thrill seeker, likely to have or want a tattoo, adventurous, unprepared, attention seeking, hyperactive, irrational, loves crowds, rule breaker, prone to losing things, seductive, easily distracted, open, revealing, comfortable in unfamiliar situations, attracted to strange things, non punctual, likes to stand out, likes to try new things, fun seeker, unconventional, energetic, impulsive, empathetic, dangerous, loving, attachment prone, prone to fantasy

favored careers:
performer, actor, entertainer, songwriter, musician, filmmaker, comedian, radio broadcaster/dj, some job related to theater/drama, poet, music journalist, work in fashion industry, singer, movie producer, playwright, bartender, comic book author, work in television, dancer, artist, record store owner, model, freelance artist, teacher (art, drama, music), writer, painter, massage therapist, costume designer, choreographer, make up artist

disfavored careers:
data analyst, scientist, researcher, financial advisor, business analyst, govt employee, office manager, mathematician, investment banker, office worker, computer tech, it professional, network engineer, strategist

This might explain why I'm fairly regularly asked, generally with a dubious tone of voice, "Are you sure you're a lawyer?" Particularly after I do things like get a navel ring or appear in, erm, 'interesting' clothing in a production. (Sigh). I then tried another source, which basically says the same thing, only more nicely (and more coherently):

ENFP - The Visionary

ENFPs are initiators of change who are keenly perceptive of possibilities, and who energize and stimulate through their contagious enthusiasm. They prefer the start-up phase of a project or relationship, and are tireless in the pursuit of new-found interests. ENFPs are able to anticipate the needs of others and to offer them needed help and appreciation. They bring zest, joy, liveliness, and fun to all aspects of their lives. They are at their best in situations that are fluid and changing, and that allow them to express their creativity and use their charisma.

ENFPs enjoy drawing, writing, playacting, and dreaming. They are often chosen as leaders because of their persuasive enthusiasm and their energy for new and different ways of developing things.

ENFP to be too narrow a focus. They hate to be boxed into a career for life and therefore hesitate and resist making decisions. . . . . Often when a decision is made, ENFPs will still leave a number of options open or change their minds as they encounter new information.

ENFPs are more likely than other types to change from one career to another, demonstrating their versatility in doing so. It is not uncommon to hear stories of ENFPs who have established themselves in a career and who, when faced with the daily routine of maintaining it, leave it to start another.

For ENFPs nothing occurs which does not have some significance, and they have an uncanny sense of the motivations of others. This gives them a talent for seeing life as an exciting drama, pregnant with possibilities for both good and evil.

They live in readiness for emergencies; because they have this facility, they assume this is true for others. They can become bored rather quickly with both situations and people, and resist repeating experiences. They enjoy the process of creating something - an idea or a project - but are not as interested in the follow-through. They are typically enthusiastic, and this is contagious.

Yet this type is marked with a fierce independence, repudiating any kind of subordination, either in themselves or in others in relation to them.

While ENFPs resist the notion of others becoming dependent or having power over them . . . [they] constantly find themselves surrounded by others who look toward the ENFP for wisdom, inspiration, courage, leadership, and so on - an expectancy which, at times, weighs rather heavily on an ENFP.

ENFPs make excellent salespeople, advertising people, politicians, screen or play writers, and in general are attracted to the interpretative arts, particularly character acting.

ENFPs may find it difficult to work within the constraints of an institution, especially in following rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures. More frequently, institutional procedures and policies are targets to be challenged and bent by the will of an ENFP.

The ENFP is into everything, frisky, not unlike a puppy, sniffing around to see what's new. ENFP has to be in on everything, can't bear to be left out of anything.

Well, I guess if anyone is puzzled by the eclectic nature of this blog and the sporadic posting, this might explain things. And if anyone wonders why I've considered driving three hundred miles back for rehearsals just for the chance to do one more show . . . see above.

As far as helpfulness goes, I'm not so sure how to take this. Basically, it tells me I'm tempermentally unfit for anything that makes real money. Including most legal positions. Ooookay. I suppose litigation, negotiations, or maybe some non-profit crusading might slide in there somewhere, and I admit I would enjoy that kind of thing the most. God help me if I find myself chained to a desk doing tax returns (sorry, Joe), routine document reviews, or mundane research - probably why I always knew I'd never make it as a biglaw associate. If I had the grades for it, I'd try to teach. Hey, I could absolutely guarantee that I wouldn't be boring. Unfortunately, I was pretty much a "B" level in law school, except for courses that allowed creativity (Trial Ad) or papers rather than finals (Ethics). I just seemed to work better when I could put something into the context of an oral argument, or a persuasive paper . . . . which I suppose would again be a function of the personality stuff.

(Sigh)

On a side note, I love this "prayer" typifying ENFP's:

ENFP: God, help me to keep my mind on one th - Look, a bird! - ing at a time.

PSA - Tomorrow is Towel Day

Urgent News Flash from Chicago:

The L is dirty.

Go figure.

Giggle of the Day

Early days yet, of course, but it looks like our Local Newsmedia Correction of the Week Award may be going to BBC Radio Scotland, which to everyone's relief explained that the wartime bomb found in Liverpool harbour was "dropped by the Luftwaffe and not, as our earlier reports said, Lufthansa". Just as well, what with the World Cup coming up and all.

Wednesday Quiz

Check out the Verbal Intelligence Test.

Hypothetical

You've met someone who seems really cool, creative, and fun. This person is unemployed at the moment, but really looking hard - meeting with people, getting the word out. They have some unique ideas that seem promising. So you think about hiring them, and you start to check out their resume and references. In doing so, you find a few problems.

First off, their desired salary is way out of budget for the position. And while they have some good ideas, their figures seem inflated. If so, the profit to the company might not even cover their salary.

Secondly, they have been out of work for a very, very long time. In fact, they seem unable to get beyond the first or second interview with anyone. Your sources tell you that while some people are very attracted to this person's creativity and ingenuity, others have found them stubborn, overbearing, and difficult to work with.

Finally, you run a background check and find out that they are unable to get credit, they're constantly moving around and seem unable to establish a stable environment, and they've inexplicably changed their name three times in the past few years.

So, would you hire them?

Free Speech Dust-Up in Oregon - Updated

Apparently, the University of Oregon has at least three student newspapers. The Oregon Daily Emerald is the main paper, the Oregon Commentator is the conservative voice, and the Insurgent (no link that I could find that's more recent than 2001) is the liberal voice. Back when the whole Muhammed cartoon scandal occurred, the Commentator chose to print the cartoons. That garnered the ire of the Insurgent crowd, who decided to retaliate by collecting and printing offensive cartoons of Christian figures, in a "how do you like it" style. Predictably, various religious groups were outraged, and some students filed a grievance against the paper, which the Volokh Conspiracy posts here.

The President of the University issued this statement:

"I share your concern about the offensive nature of the content contained within the publication.

"I understand why it may seem as if the University should have prevented publication or should take some action against those responsible for the publication. The Student Insurgent is not owned, controlled or published by the University of Oregon and is funded with student fees. Therefore, the University cannot exercise editorial control over its content.

"The best response to offensive speech often is more speech. ... I am strongly opposed to speech that makes individuals feel that they or their beliefs are unwelcome or belittled, and I can assure you I will use all permissible means to respond to publications such as the recent Insurgent."

Incidentally, the Commentator's response:

Regardless of content, people and organizations should not be censored for speech that’s considered “offensive” or “hateful.” Indeed, we support the publication and round denunciation of ideas and opinions which are bigoted or inappropriate. The best way to counter the free expression of bad ideas is with the free expression of good ideas.

Eugene Volokh points out the caselaw:

The Court's First Amendment caselaw certainly precludes it: The University of Oregon is subsidizing the Insurgent under a program that "expends funds to encourage a diversity of views from private speakers" (and that doesn't involve a "competitive process according to which the grants are allocated" under an "inherently content-based 'excellence' threshold," see NEA v. Finley). (There is a requirement that, to get funding, a group must be generally certified as advancing the "cultural or physical" development of students; but as best I can tell the funding authorities rightly read this very broadly, and treat all groups that "engage in dynamic discussions of philosophical, religious, scientific, social, and political subjects" as qualifying.)

Such a program for funding a diversity of private groups' speech — as opposed to a program for expressing the university's own views — "may not discriminate based on the viewpoint" of the speakers, as the Court held in Rosenberger. The government might be able to define the program in content-based but viewpoint-neutral ways, such as prohibiting electioneering in favor or against particular candidates, prohibiting lobbying in favor or against particular legislation, or possibly even prohibiting profanity or depictions of nudity (since those too would likely be viewpoint-neutral, though content-based). But it surely couldn't exclude speech on the grounds that it conveys "discriminatory" viewpoints, in the sense of viewpoints that are offensive to various groups.

Looking at the Rosenberger case:

The University of Virginia had established a Student Activities Fund, paid for out of student fees and designed to support a ‘broad range of extracurricular student activities.’ To apply for funding, student groups had to first qualify as a Contracted Independent Organization. This status which was not available to religious organizations, defined as "an organization whose purpose is to practice a devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity." The groups also had to agree to include a disclaimer in all written materials, indicating that the group was independent of the university and the university was not responsible for it. Once CIO status was attained, the group could submit a funding request, which would be examined in light of university guidelines for acceptance or denial. Among other things, the guidelines excluded both political and religious activities from funding. It should be noted that the prohibition on "political activities" was defined so that it was limited to electioneering and lobbying - the Guidelines specifically stated that the "restrictions on funding political activities are not intended to preclude funding of any otherwise eligible student organization which . . . espouses particular positions or ideological viewpoints, including those that may be unpopular or are not generally accepted." By contrast, the prohibition against religious activity was viewpoint-based, precluding any activity that "primarily promotes or manifests a particular belie[f] in or about a deity or an ultimate reality."

A few months after qualifying as a CIO, a student group called “Wide Awake Productions” requested money to pay the $5,862 cost of printing its newspaper. The paper was established "[t]o publish a magazine of philosophical and religious expression," "[t]o facilitate discussion which fosters an atmosphere of sensitivity to and tolerance of Christian viewpoints," and "[t]o provide a unifying focus for Christians of multicultural backgrounds." The appropriations committee of the student council denied the request on the ground that printing the paper was a "religious activity" within the meaning of the guidelines.

WAP appealed the decision up through the university system, then filed suit. The two primary issues: did the denial of funds constitute discrimination against speech based on it’s content in violation of the ‘free speech clause’ of the First Amendment; and did the ‘separation of church and state’ Establishment Clause of First Amendment require that the University deny funding to the group. A refresher on the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Regarding the free speech issues, the university tried to argue that the guidelines were constitutional because they drew lines based on content, not viewpoint. In other words, since it banned funding religious activities by atheists and Christians alike, it really wasn’t discrimination. The Court found this unpersuasive:

The nature of our origins and destiny and their dependence upon the existence of a divine being have been subjects of philosophic inquiry throughout human history. We conclude, nonetheless, that here, as in Lamb's Chapel, viewpoint discrimination is the proper way to interpret the University's objections to Wide Awake. By the very terms of the SAF prohibition, the University does not exclude religion as a subject matter but selects for disfavored treatment those student journalistic efforts with religious editorial viewpoints. Religion may be a vast area of inquiry, but it also provides, as it did here, a specific premise, a perspective, a standpoint from which a variety of subjects may be discussed and considered. The prohibited perspective, not the general subject matter, resulted in the refusal to make third-party payments, for the subjects discussed were otherwise within the approved category of publications.

The university also tried to argue that while the denial of funding may have violated WAP’s first amendment speech rights, requiring the university to fund WAP would infringe on the university’s own speech rights as a government entity: the right to allocate it's own funds to promote it's own message. The Court disagreed, saying this case did not involve a message by the university itself, just a message by a third party funded by a university group dedicated to promoting a "diversity of views,” so the university’s speech rights weren’t impaired.

Side Note: the Establishment Clause arguments were much, much closer, and the primary reason the decision was split 5-4. If you're interested, go read the case.

. . . . . . . . .

Caselaw aside, there are some policy and logic issues here. I'll grant that, unlike the Muhammed cartoons, most of the Jesus cartoons were created simply to offend, rather than be humorous or make a broader political point. (They generally succeed in that, by the way, so be careful in clicking the links if that would bother you.)

And I'll grant that some speech may be censored under certain conditions: commercial speech is routinely censored both for accuracy and content, protests generally must occur in the proper time, place and manner, etc.

But if you're talking censorship of a newspaper for content because an idea could be considered offensive . . . I'm not sure why the Christian student groups that filed the complaint don't get that it's an entirely different proposition. They seem to get the concept well enough when it's applied to attempts to stifle pro-Christian speech a la Rosenberger. Yet they do so poorly when it's protecting speech they find abhorrent.

On the other hand, the Insurgent is hardly immune to this selective blindness. From the issue that published the cartoons:

Although the [Muhammed] cartoons have not been published in the US yet we have heard plenty of heated guff on talk radio and in letters to the editor. Many callers say the Muslims should "get over it", that we have freedom of speech here and that Muslims in general are violent and crazy . . . It's clear the US is a deeply racist country with little understanding of other customs or religions. . . . how could Jyllands-Posten NOT realize those cartoons would cause a lot of trouble. . . . When the situation is so lopsided, any small provocation can blow up into a big deal. . . . We present these cartoons as a test. Just how much do we honor our own freedom of speech and how well do we deal with opposition to the US religions?

Perhaps it's just the logic talking, but I don't know how one could simultaneously be on both sides of the issue at once.

Using the Jesus cartoons to illustrate hypocrisy by people who supported the Muhammed cartoon publication but would oppose it here is logical - a consistent free speech stance. But you can't simultaneously support the Muslim protesters who called for the suppression of the Muhammed cartoons, at least not without implying the suppression of your own magazine for the Jesus cartoons would also be proper - a very anti-free speech stance.

(Side Note: okay, well obviously you can. But it's not logical.)

Oh, and to answer the question "Just how much do we honor our own freedom of speech and how well do we deal with opposition to the US religions?" We file a grievance. Not this.

Habitual

Via Lifehacker, I came across this excellent series on "Habitual Mastery", focusing on methods for taking control of the subconscious processes that govern your habits. A summary:

Series - Habitual Mastery

Introduction - In the article below, we’ll start on our path to mastering our habits. First we need to really recognize what a habit actually is. From there we need to develop the ability to become aware of these habits and our ability to seek improvements in them.

Conditioning - Conditioning a habit is the primary mechanism for installing it. In this article I’ll detail some of the methods I’ve used to condition new habits to make them an effortless part of my life.

Leverage - What do you do when your habit requires more willpower than you have? In these cases, understanding the power of leverage can allow you to take a small amount of willpower to push through an incredibly difficult habit.

Replacement - Habits can’t be removed. They must be upgraded or replaced. In this article I’ll detail how we can work on replacing habits to prevent some of the unwanted side-effects caused by massive habit changes.

Experimentation - Now you will know how to change your habits more effectively and easily, you can really start pushing the boundaries for what is possible. In this article I’ll give steps for what I feel is the fundamental key from taking your habits from average to excellence.

Fostering Gender Relations

So, I got something along these lines forwarded to me: How to Shower Like a Woman and How to Shower Like a Man

It's the typical stuff about women needing sixteen different soaps and guys peeing in the shower, so I'd normally not pass it along. Except one thing, which had me snorting pop out my nose:

* If you see wife along the way, pull off towel, shake wiener at her making the 'woo-woo' sound.

Okay, guys, come clean: what is up with that?

Another Video

Tooo cool. via Kris.

The Latest Urban Trend?

Geek panhandlers.

A Public Service Announcement

Dear friend or coworker:

If the email you are about to send me has anything resembling this in it's subject line:

FW: SMILE!these are just too cute!!!!!!

and it involves baby animals, angels, making a wish, or happy sayings . . .

Please refrain. Seriously. I may have to hurt you.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled blog reading.

The Management

Theater Blogging - One Last Chance to See Molly Sweeney

I got this from Annette via ICCT:

Starlighters II Theatre is moving its current production of Molly Sweeney, by Brian Friel, to the Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving School in Vinton, Iowa, for two benefit performances on May 19 and 20, 2006. The benefit performances will be held on the IBSSS Campus in Old Main, where the original theatre stage is located. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Cameron Clothing Company, 103 West 4th Street, Vinton, or by calling them at (319) 472-2520. Tickets will also be available at the door of the theatre. All tickets are $13 and will include your admission to the show, refreshments during intermission and a tour of their museum. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. both nights. The proceeds will go to the school.

The productions are sponsored by the Lions Club, Vinton Unlimited and Act I Theatre in Vinton, as well as Leepfrog Technologies in Iowa City.

Starlighters II Theatre believes very strongly in the education that is being provided to the students at IBSSS and has decided to extend the run of their show to assist the school. When asked what sparked the idea of a benefit, Annette Rohlk, the Director of the production, stated, The idea of a benefit is twofold. First, to promote the school and all of the wonderful experiences offered to these students. You couldnt ask for more dedicated employees or teachers at this school. Second, to lend some financial support for their programs. The topic of the play, the underlining story It all seems to fit together so perfectly.

The two actresses, Dawn Griesi and Samantha Koehn, play the title role at different ages in the production. They have had to learn not only how to portray physical blindness, but also what it means to be blind. IBSSS has been very supportive and have educated the cast on how the lifestyles and movements are similar, both with the sighted and unsighted worlds. Everyone at the school is so nice. They agreed to talk with us and they told us stories about their lives. Ill never forget it, says Samantha Koehn, who plays the young Molly Sweeney.

To learn more about Molly Sweeney, the cast, Starlighters II Theatre, the Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving School or how to get involved, please visit www.starlighters.org or contact Valerie Taylor Hill, Starlighters Media Contact, at jvhill@southslope.net or by calling her at (319) 350-2139 or faxing her at (319) 462-5471.


"Brian Friel has been recognized as Ireland's greatest living playwright...his latest work, MOLLY SWEENEY...confirms that Mr. Friel still writes like a dream." --NY Times.

"Brian Friel's beautiful and dazzling MOLLY SWEENEY...is one of those marvelous onion plays...As you peel away each plump and juicy layer, another layer emerges underneath, and yet another...What a marvelous play this is! See it--wander in it and wonder at it." --NY Post.

"Dispassionate eloquence and psychological honesty...Brian Friel's writing has such vitality and warmth, such kindly accuracy of observation." --London Sunday Times.

SYNOPSIS:
Have you ever been in utter darkness, where you could not see in front of you? This is the life of Molly Sweeney, the title character of Starlighters II Theatre's spring production for the 2006 season.

Basing his work upon a true story, Tony Award-winning playwright, Brian Friel, has brought a new level of "dispassionate eloquence and psychological honesty" [London Sunday Times] to the stage with "Molly Sweeney."This marvelous piece of writing brings the lilt and beauty of Irish storytelling to the world of theatre.

THE STORY:
Molly Sweeney has been legally blind since she was 10 months old. Contrary to what you might think, she doesn't feel the anxiety or wonderment of whether or not the light will ever come back on. Molly is carefree, self-assisting, happy and content. Her husband, Frank, however wants "more" for his wife. He wants her to have full vision. He contacts Dr. Rice, who was once a world-renowned eye surgeon. Frank is confident that Rice can restore Molly's vision.

The story is told from the point of view of all three main characters; Molly, Frank and Dr. Rice.

The journey begins with a peek into Molly's childhood, where we learn how she has found the confidence to not only survive, but thrive in a "sighted" world. The struggle of making a choice happens when everyone in Molly's life begins to insist that surgery could offer her a world she couldn't possibly live without. Is she missing anything at all? What would full vision give Molly? Perhaps more importantly, what would it give Frank and Dr. Rice? Is having vision, or not having vision, actually about what you see, or is it a journey of understanding? Molly Sweeney is a play about hope and triumph over adversity.

Come learn more about the astonishing life of Molly Sweeney, the emotive conclusion, and perhaps a keen perception on your own life!

LOL

Make sure you are somewhere you can turn sound on before you play this.

Seriously, otherwise you'll miss the whole point.



Link is here.

Nitpicking

I understand the desire on the part of legislators to "humanize" bills by putting people's names on them, thus implying that passage of a particular bill would've prevented something terrible that happened to a particular person, or failure to pass the bill is somehow an endorsement of the original tragedy. It's also inspiring, as if you're doing something for the person.

So I read this feel-good article in the Daily Iowan:

A federal bill regarding consequences of sex offenders' actions may deter potential offenders from crimes such as those committed by Roger Bentley, who is seeking a new trial because of alleged juror misconduct.

. . .

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, incorporated Jetseta's Bill into other legislation in April 2005. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., proposed the original legislation in an attempt to reform state sex-offender registries.

"It looks as though the cases of Jetseta Gage and the many other children who have been murdered by repeat sex offenders have opened the eyes of those who had held up this important legislation," Grassley said in a press statement. "Passing this legislation will give sex offenders tougher penalties for the crimes they commit, and it will allow us to monitor them more closely."

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bill on May 4, and the measure is now in conference committee.

Included in the bill are increased penalties for offenders when their crime involves a child and mandatory minimums, such as automatically punishing defendants with a 30-year to life sentence if they have caused the deaths of minors.

Teresa Gage, Jetseta Gage's grandmother, said she hoped the bill would work to prevent more tragedies like her granddaughter's.

While the Gage family has gone on record endorsing the death penalty in the past, Teresa Gage said she only found execution fitting if "it was proven 100 percent that [the defendant] did the crime to the child."

She said she thought if a bill such as this had been passed prior to her granddaughter's death, Jetseta might still be alive.

"I just hope [this bill] works," she said.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jetseta's murder was a state crime, not a federal one. Thus, most if not all of the bill is completely irrelevant to Jetseta's case. There are some bits about intimidation of state witnesses being the basis of a federal prosecution, but even if Jetseta's entire case were a federal crime, I doubt if this would've made any difference. If the thought of life in prison or the death penalty isn't enough deterrent to preclude Bentley from committing rape and murder against the child, this probably won't do the trick either.

I dislike it when politicians use highly publicized tragedies in a manner inconsistent with the legislation, particularly if they've convinced the family that this would've saved the child. Just had to point that out.

Semi-Theater Blogging

So I had my second single sword class with these fun people. If you're interested in that kind of thing, I highly recommend Jason as a teacher. I've never been the most coordinated person on the planet, and I was never good at dance or sports, so this is very difficult for me.

(Okay, and I might also have to confess to that whole "type A" thing to the extent that I hate being the slow one in a class, I'm rather competitive that way. But I have no choice this time, everyone else has been doing this stuff for a while.)

Fortunately, they're also very patient people and all help out to try to explain things so that they'll translate into my brain. I did these rolling fives for a good twenty minutes and finally got my grip basically right. When we moved on, I was getting very annoyed at myself for not being able to remember the short bit of choreographed swordplay we were supposed to learn. Then it was pointed out that after that many repetitions (I was probably well into 45 minutes of it), my body knew what to do from memory. I just needed to stop thinking about it. And as soon as I tried that, it worked. It wasn't pretty, but I did it twice through without a mistake. Woot!

Monday Quiz

You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Actually, I don't think this is very accurate. I'll bow to popular opinion if all of you think I'm type A, but I think I'm too sanguine to be a real A-type-person.

Just Curious

State 29 has a post up on a possible new lead in the Jodi Huisentruit case.

From the KSTP article:

An Iowa man says the answer to this mystery is behind his cabin, 30 miles west of Mason City. Duane Arnold's property is on Eagle Lake in Hancock, Iowa. He said he noticed a grave shaped digging there just days after Huisentruit disappeared.

A few weeks ago, Arnold paid an engineering firm $2,000 to survey the land with ground penetrating radar. The crews' radar did spot something deep beneath the earth, and Arnold says it's a body. Engineers confirmed that there is something there, but can't say exactly what it is. . . .

Investigators from Mason City have searched that area before, but Arnold says they missed the spot. The Hancock County Sheriff has not decided yet whether to dig in the area.

Curiosity questions: if he knew they missed the spot, why didn't he tell them where it was? Why did he spend $2000 to have ground-penetrating radar? That's a little much to spend on "I think I saw something that might help, and even though I don't have solid evidence tying the two, I want to pass it on."

I'm sure there must be some details omitted that would make this all make sense. Otherwise, it just strikes me as odd.

UPDATE: It was nothing.

UPDATE

And where the hell did my Iowa Blogs links on the sidebar go? That sooo teaches me to mess with templates. I'll fix it ASAP.

UPDATE
Okay, so I go in and half my template is gone. Disappeared. I didn't even touch SNAD's template last night, I was messing with moving posts from an old blog over here, and putting the legal posts onto a separate blog. Arrrgh. With any luck, I'll have some of the Iowa links back up soon. I'll have to reconstruct the whole bottom half the template with bits from the new legal blog and the old blog.

And I didn't even touch the template. I swear.

No more posts for today, I've got to get to work and I'll be lucky to fix the template.

UPDATE UPDATE

Of course, I'm too compulsive to leave the template alone. So I restored some Iowa links from the old blog. The problem: I'd totally expanded them since then. I really don't want to take the time to cut and paste all that again. So here's the deal: if you want to know every single Iowa blog out there, try IowaBlogs.Net. If you're one of the links that was added more recently and find you've dropped off the radar, please email me so I can put you back on. I'll probably notice in a week or two, but I can't guarantee it, since I read blogs via an aggregator and not off the links.

Otherwise, I'll just go on from here.

K?

Theater Blogging

I'm farther behind than I thought in my theater blogging, as Tanman has pointed out. I was totally clueless about this:


"Brian Friel has been recognized as Ireland's greatest living playwright...his latest work, MOLLY SWEENEY...confirms that Mr. Friel still writes like a dream." --NY Times.

"Brian Friel's beautiful and dazzling MOLLY SWEENEY...is one of those marvelous onion plays...As you peel away each plump and juicy layer, another layer emerges underneath, and yet another...What a marvelous play this is! See it--wander in it and wonder at it." --NY Post.

"Dispassionate eloquence and psychological honesty...Brian Friel's writing has such vitality and warmth, such kindly accuracy of observation." --London Sunday Times.

SYNOPSIS:
Have you ever been in utter darkness, where you could not see in front of you? This is the life of Molly Sweeney, the title character of Starlighters II Theatre's spring production for the 2006 season.

Basing his work upon a true story, Tony Award-winning playwright, Brian Friel, has brought a new level of "dispassionate eloquence and psychological honesty" [London Sunday Times] to the stage with "Molly Sweeney."This marvelous piece of writing brings the lilt and beauty of Irish storytelling to the world of theatre.

THE STORY:
Molly Sweeney has been legally blind since she was 10 months old. Contrary to what you might think, she doesn't feel the anxiety or wonderment of whether or not the light will ever come back on. Molly is carefree, self-assisting, happy and content. Her husband, Frank, however wants "more" for his wife. He wants her to have full vision. He contacts Dr. Rice, who was once a world-renowned eye surgeon. Frank is confident that Rice can restore Molly's vision.

The story is told from the point of view of all three main characters; Molly, Frank and Dr. Rice.

The journey begins with a peek into Molly's childhood, where we learn how she has found the confidence to not only survive, but thrive in a "sighted" world. The struggle of making a choice happens when everyone in Molly's life begins to insist that surgery could offer her a world she couldn't possibly live without. Is she missing anything at all? What would full vision give Molly? Perhaps more importantly, what would it give Frank and Dr. Rice? Is having vision, or not having vision, actually about what you see, or is it a journey of understanding? Molly Sweeney is a play about hope and triumph over adversity.

Come learn more about the astonishing life of Molly Sweeney, the emotive conclusion, and perhaps a keen perception on your own life!

April 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 [Anamosa]
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm
Sundays at 2 pm

May 5, 6, 7 [Coggon]
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm
Sunday at 2 pm

Written by Brian Friel
Director: Annette Rohlk [North Liberty, Iowa]
Assistant Director: Bob Furino [Delhi, Iowa]

Dawn Griesi (Anamosa) - Molly Sweeney
Brian Tanner (North Liberty) - Frank Sweeney
Rick Sanborn (Stone City) - Mr. Rice
Samantha Koehn (Central City) - Young Molly Sweeney
Jim Greene (Cedar Rapids) - The Judge/Molly's Father


___________________________________________________

There's still one weekend left to see My Fair Lady:



Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Adapted From Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion
and Gabriel Pascal's motion picture

Directed By Jeff Shields

April 28, 29, May 6 at 8pm
April 30, May 7 at 2:30pm

Tickets on sale now through the Englert Box Office.

There was a less-than-enthusiastic review in the Daily Iowan: My Somewhat-Decent Lady. In skimming it, it appears the primary difficulty with the show is that it runs too long, and there may be a couple of sketchy performances. I've actually heard otherwise about Ron Prosser's performance, and I'm reserving my opinion until I see it for myself. Regardless, even the reviewer agrees that if you get past the run time, it seems there are a lot of nice bits, and I've heard from many sources that Amanda Murray's Eliza is awesome.

Keep in mind that the show runs Saturday and Sunday ONLY - no show tonight, for whatever reason.

___________________________________________________

Cabaret is over, but I still want to point out the incredible review they got:

Last dance before the deluge of the Nazis. Awesome job, everyone.

If you want a chance to be in the next Michael Stokes musical, audition for the Music Man next week:

The Music Man

by Meredith Wilson
Directed by Michael Stokes

July 28, 29, 30 and Aug 4, 5, 6
Fri/Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2:30

Englert Civic Theatre
Downtown Iowa City

The quintessential Iowa Musical, the only hit show written by and about
Iowans, The Music Man follows the adventures of a mythical Iowa town,
"River City," as its citizens are transformed by con-artist Harold Hill and his Boys Band.

Featuring the now-standard songs 76 Trombones, Til There Was You, Trouble, and My White Knight, this is the corridor musical event of the summer for the whole family!

Auditions
7 pm May 16 & 17,
(callbacks May 18)
Community of Christ Church
Bring a short song to sing, and be prepared to dance. Roles available for teens, adults, and 3 children ages 9-12

___________________________________________________

I think that's about it.

Right?

A PSA for Anyone Who Reads This Via an Aggregator

I'm going to be moving old posts tonight, so ignore anything you see popping up as new, unless it's really piquing your interest.

The Salary Gap

Got an email from a former blogger:

You know how the male conservative types like to go on about how the wage gap is false because you are comparing apples to oranges (women have only been in the work force for x many years, they tend to enter 'nurture' careers like nursing or teaching and those pay less, they leave to have babies, blah blah blah).

Fortune has a survey of MBA holders, broken down by sex, and how much they make after graduation, and how much they make 5 years after graduation. Apples to apples baby. Same degree and everything.

The link she gave is here, and she's precisely correct. The study breaks out the salary both on first jobs after graduation and five years later. Here are the numbers for 2006 expected salaries:

First job after graduation
All students . . . . . . . . . .88,087
Women . . . . . . . . . . . . .86,805
Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94,710

5 years after graduation
All students . . . . . . . . . .167,052
Women . . . . . . . . . . . . .156,290
Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191,541

The only loophole for argument I can see is that it states "expected" salaries, not actual, so one could posit that men simply expect higher salaries, and that may not be borne out by actual dollars paid, so the almost $8000 difference in starting salaries might be fictitious. However, the gap actually widens by the five year mark to over a $35,000 difference. Mommy-track influence? Possibly somewhat, as the last census shows the average age in which women give birth to their first child is 25.2 years. But given the figures are only five years out of school, most of those women who are mommy-tracking are just having their first kid, and most will return to work within four months, so the $35,000 difference is too steep to be simply explained away.

Apples to apples, and the wage gap remains.

More Things I've Learned on the Internet Lately

Without the amazing power of the 'net, I'd never have known the following:

Coffee made from beans that are found in the feces of a civet is considered gourmet. ("What do you do for a living?" "I finger through civet poop looking for beans.")

Some men will do anything to get you to come up to their room and lick their goods.

How to make flaming Jello shots.

Birds know grammar. ("No, g*dammit. How many times do I have to say it? "Does Polly want a cracker?" Can't you grasp the simple fact that a complete sentence requires an auxiliary verb?")

Where to get the template for a Motion to Wear Cowboy Hat in Court.

The meaning of life is Jewelry.

The Star Spangled Banner has been translated into binary code. The ramifications are still being discussed.

Without the 'net, I also wouldn't have these lovely images running around in my brain:

"I now pronounce you man and . . . . . . . incoming!!!!"

"Remember, remember the Fifth of November, Garbage can treason and plot. . . . "

Guerilla knitters.

Fred Flintstone taking a drag.

Wednesday Quizzy Thingy

The Machiavelli personality test has a range of 0-100
Your Machiavelli score is: 54
You are a low Mach, you reject Machiavelli's opinions.
Most people fall somewhere in the middle, but there's a significant minority at either extreme.

Machiavelli personality test
Are you a cutthroat or a pussycat? Find out, if you dare.

I Was Hoping For "Watch This. . . "

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"What we know is not much. What we don't know is enormous."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

Wow. I would have used a purse, myself. via Dave Barry's blog. I also saw another article referenced by him as "DUH". (Though I wonder if that's more of a "No Duh!")