An Ethical Blogosphere: A Look at the Responsibilities of Citizen-Journalists

Criticism is an important part of education. Intelligent discourse is a foundation for lifelong learning. The exchange of ideas in order to attain wisdom is at the heart of the learning community. In modern days, however, punditry has replaced entertainment for intelligent discourse. It is this substitution of ranting for wisdom that stands to erode scholarly learning.

The Ozarks community can see this happening locally with the introduction of the blog, 417 Pundit. A governmental body must be held accountable for its policies and impact on the community. The same is true for private industry. Journalists and citizen-journalists are not above such accountability.

A blog devoted wholly to holding Ozarks bloggers accountable for their opinions, editorials and reporting is a fantastic idea. While the blogging community is an independent form of media, the ethical values for any public speaker must still be maintained. It is that sense of blogging independence that begs for some accountability and responsibility.

It is unfortunate that the self-proclaimed scholarly 417 Pundit, is at present nothing more than just another outlet of mediocrity, using pretension to replace intelligent discourse. I find that disturbing and an absolute waste of a perfectly wonderful idea. That is not to say that the web site is a waste of time. I would argue that it is absolutely necessary. However, the purpose of the blog and the execution of the blog are out of alignment. That is where the problem occurs.


ALIGNMENT OF PURPOSE AND EXECUTION
One of the most important processes that any business or blog must endure is that of understanding the purpose of the endeavor. A business must decide what service to provide and the clientele to be served. Whether it is called the “mission statement” or simply the “purpose” this determination defines the foundation upon which all else is built. When this purpose does not fit with the execution, then the foundation crumbles. In the case of a blog, the owner must decide the purpose of the blog, and the level of seriousness.

This alignment of purpose and execution is flawed with 417 Pundit, which jeopardizes the credibility of the site and the writer. Consider the incomplete sentence in 417 Pundit’s sub-heading “Commentary without pity. Politics, blogs, ethics, culture. We expose stupidity.” There is an incomplete sentence in the subtitle. “Politics, blogs, ethics, culture” has no subject or predicate. It is merely a string of items separate by commas.
If the person is an expert, which the words “Scholar” and “Pundits” imply, then the author’s credibility is diminished.

When discussing purpose, the blog writer proclaims himself as a scholar in the field of education. The word scholar is a powerful word bringing a particular connotation of respect, wisdom and intelligence. We would assume a scholar would approach every subject with tact, understanding and in depth analysis. The same is true for the word pundit, as it implies the person is an expert in his field.

The language used on 417 Pundit shows more anger than in-depth analysis. Compare local blogger Dr. Andy Cline, owner of Rhetorica with 417 Pundit. Dr. Cline’s purpose is clearly stated: “The Rhetorica Network offers analysis and commentary about the rhetoric, propaganda, and spin of journalism and politics, including analysis of presidential speeches and election campaigns.” With this we have a clear understanding of Dr. Cline’s purpose. This is indeed a scholarly media outline, demonstrated through his critical analysis, use of language, and seriousness with which he approaches the subjects. It takes little time to know that Dr. Cline has passion, insight, formal education and experience regarding his blog subject. His readership is also understood.

417 Pundit, on the other hand, is not a scholarly journal in any sense. The analysis is superficial and at times reverting to personal attacks. The language represents a more lay person vocabulary and not that of an academic or scholar.

Clearly the audience is not considered. Any true educator uses his or her thoughts to help bring insight, clarity and understanding to the subject. Good educators choose to educate his or her audience, rather than degrading them for comic relief or self-gratification.


ANONYMITY AND CREDIBILITY
For one reason or another some bloggers choose a certain level of anonymity. Indeed, some employees have used a personal blog as a way to criticize that person’s employer or agency policies, resulting in the termination of that employee. Some students attending high school or college may be vocal about an instructor’s decisions or the school’s policies. Students, being in an inherently subordinate position, must protect themselves from retribution from unscrupulous educators. Higher Education Instructors have academic freedom in the classroom. Both security and educator retribution are the reasons that Fat Jack chooses partial anonymity. My spouse has a job where she is periodically threatened by clients. Choosing to blog about family, including the occasional picture, warrants partial anonymity by Fat Jack. However, in order to preserve credibility, Jack is known to the local bloggers.

Anonymity for no obvious reason brings into question the blog author’s credibility. Why would an author choose anonymity? Issues of security are not at risk with 417 Pundit, considering the focused purpose. There is no criticism of an agency or employers; the criticism is narrowed to blogs in the Ozarks area. One reason for anonymity is to protect the author from criticism. Another reason for anonymity is to hide the blog author’s real intentions.

According to George Grice and John Skinner, authors of “Mastering Public Speaking,” manipulating people by hiding ones true intentions is unethical behavior. That does not mean that the 417 Pundit blog author is acting unethical. The curious anonymity of the author calls the authors intentions into question.


THE EDUCATOR
As I argued earlier, any good, ethical educator will value life long learning above other issues. Scholars, pundits, experts in their field, will use their knowledge to educator others in a responsible, productive environment. Psuedo-scholars and those seekinig attention will use tactics, gimmick and personal attacks to gain popularity. Those unfortunate traits are not the characteristics sought by scholars, academics or ethical educators.


MY SUGGESTIONS
Holding bloggers accountable for their writing – their posts – is a good and proper safeguard. Otherwise, bloggers could rant on and one, mischaracterizing others and acting unethically. To be true, this is already occurring the blogosphere. I’m sure that Dr. Cline could speak more eloquently about this issue than I. Therefore, I make the following suggestions to the author of 417 Pundit.

1. Align the purpose and execution of the blog.
2. If the use of proper grammar and logic are your goals, then be sure to use that grammar and logic in your own posts.
3. I suggest you point out the grammar errors, and then post your revision of how the sentence or paragraph could be written better.
4. Understand your audience. Decide who you want to read your blog. Think about the purpose for reading the blog.
5. Use 417 Pundit as a way to educate bloggers on appropriate use of the English language, including grammar and syntax.
6. Use 417 Pundit toward intelligent discourse, using logic, reason and facts to help bloggers hone their skills and craft. Help create a more ethical and intelligent blogosphere.
7. Take your blogging responsibility seriously.

I welcome 417 Pundit to our blogosphere and I challenge the author to consider my argument by revamping the site. I offer my blog, Fat Jacks Erratic Rants, to be the next to undergo 417 Pundit’s scrutiny.

I argue, if you make the changes I have suggested you will develop a following. You will also be able to carve out your own special niche and contribute to a better citizen-journalist community. I’m certain you will find grammar mistakes on my blog. I am a life-long learner and look forward to discovering my faux pas.

Turn About Is Fair Play

(Cousin Austin at Rock Fest 2006)

Young cousin Austin doesn’t realize it, but he is being charged a fee, a very painful fee, for future services to be rendered. A teen focused on concerts and musical artists, he begs to go to see metal bands. And who takes him, but Big Jack. After all, who wants to go to see Rob Zombie with their Mom? I am glad to oblige, as I know this will eventually come home to roost and how sweet that shall be.

I take him here and there to see this artist and that. Little does he know that some day my daughter will be a teen and she will want to go see some boy band singing their American Idol drivel, melting her heart and leaving her a puddle of emotion on the floor.

I shan’t be taking her. Oh no dear readers. Who wants to go see X Boy Band with their Dad? Not a 13- or 15-year-old girl, I can assure you of that. No, she will need someone older than she, but not too old, to take her. Someone who has been to concerts. Someone who is responsible enough to take her and not let her drink or throw her top on stage. But someone cool enough to be seen with. Someone like an older teen cousin maybe just out of college.

It won’t be me asking him. It will be her calling up and asking if he will take her to her favorite band ever: Billy-Boy Pretty Eyes and the Five Boy Toys. Who can no to those sweet doe eyes, begging to see her the best band ever? Of course she will want to take her girlfriends.

Best of all, I will be spared the pain of sitting through a gaggle of girls crying, screaming, hair tossing at the mere presence of Billy Boy. She will, undoubtedly, want to be close to stage where she can see the sweat gleaming off Billy Boys hairless chest. Maybe he will reach out and touch her hand? I’m sure he will think to remember the ear plugs this time.

He may debate, saying that he doesn’t like the bands, referring back when I took him to concerts and noting that I did enjoy them. He will discover, as you dear readers already know, that it isn’t about liking the band. It’s about loving the kid and giving them something that is important to them. It’s about carving out an experience, a sharing of something wonderful – a memory of doing something together.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Mr. Zombie Puts On A Fine Concert

(Rob Zombie letting it all bleed out)

Ju-das Priest!

I never went to concerts in high school and college. I don’t really know why; it’s just not something that I did. Now I did go to a Skid Row-Pantera concert once at Swiss Villa in Branson, but it’s not a concert that I planned on. My friend, Jason, had a ticket and asked me to go. He also drug me to a Sawyer Brown concert once too, but again it not a planned event -- extra ticket and all.

In college, I never had time or money enough to go to concerts and I never went out of my way to find out when bands were coming to town. Eleven years later, my cousin, Austin, comes along and wants to go to concerts. Too young to go by himself and too old to go with his Mom, he needs an outlet. By this time, he and I starting to become close. We both love horror and sci-fi, metal and all things. It’s a 15-year-old that makes plans for us to go to concerts.

First I took him to see GWAR, an old monster metal band who uses latex appliances to dress up like monsters and creatures and such. They spend their time shooting fake blood and urine into the audience. If you don’t get it, just keep in mind that he did and we had a great time.

When we found out that Rob Zombie, his favorite metal artist of all time, was coming to Springfield’s Rock Fest then we had to get tickets. Now I spend a lot of my weekends working on homework. I have a test every Monday. Wouldn’t you know it, but I have two tests tomorrow. I spent Friday (I don’t have class on Fridays) making study guides for my tests and freed me up to spend time with him on Saturday.

My childhood friend, Jason, works in Branson. He works at Shepard of the Hills at night with Austin. He decided to come with us. I really haven’t seen Jason in a long time. We reminisced about old times and old friends. I’ve known him since I was really young. Our parents were best friends and we went to church together and as teens we had plenty of illegal and immoral experiences. It was nice to get together with him and corrupt a new generation.

As for the venue itself, once you entered you could not leave unless you wanted to pay another $40. You could not bring in chairs, blankets or coolers. So we didn’t show up until later when Shinedown got on stage. We didn’t really want to stand up for 8 hours. We watched Shinedown, Anthrax and Rob Zombie.

(Austin's favorite guitarist, John 5)

As someone who previous worked with persons with disabilities, I was glad to see the number of people with disabilities at the concert. I love to see friends and family include folks with disabilities in all aspects of life.

We stood near the middle-rear of the concert. The medic station was in clear view and we saw several folks being hauled out, mostly from drinking (or toking) too much. A typical concert, there was a fair amount of hooch, smoke, ganga, weed, pot, dope, grass, weasel, or creeper floating in the air. But that’s typical of any concert. My wife noticed it at the Air Supply concert she went to when she was a kid.

We were a bit apprehensive about going toward the stage. The moshing was nuts at GWAR and that was a tiny venue downtown. I started feeling bad for Austin. It was Rob Zombie after all. During Anthrax, I headed into the crowd near the stage, scoped it out, then went back and told him I would take him down there. It was folks. Even though this was outside, it was really loud. We watched Anthrax and people loved it, but it didn’t get stupid. After Anthrax came Rob Zombie. When Anthrax stopped, Austin started making his way closer to the stage, slippery little devil. I squeezed through the crowd to keep up. Once we got as close to the stage as we could, people started to crowd in. We couldn’t hard move our arms. We figured once Mr. Zombie started that it would get nuts what with all the moshing and pushing and craziness. So we were going to say for the first song. I was given strict instructions, take a least one pic of Mr. Zombie so he could show his friends how close he was to the stage. We never left our spot; we stayed for the entire show, and I took 113 shots. Of which I took 31 keepers.

I don’t know about you, but I would not take my 4- or 6-year-old to RockFest. I don’t know that I would take my 8- to 10-year-old, but I sure as Hell wouldn’t take a kindergartener. We did see a number of children and kids. Considering all the girls dressed like hookers (or Spice Girls, as Austin put it), the amount of beer and liquor being served and the pot in the air, I don’t know that I would bring my real little one. Surprisingly, there weren’t many fights at all. Just a couple. There were plenty of police and security on hand. It was billed as an all-ages venue, but better judgment should prevail, leaving the babies at home. Actually there was one pregnant lady and one nursing there, come to think of it.

I guess Austin and I (and now Jason) have found something that we like to do together. It’s nice to have something to share, as most of my friends don’t like metal and wouldn’t go to a concert like that.

Here’s the Rob Zombie play list, which Austin and Jason believe is in correct order:

1. Halloween Theme
2. Sawdust in the blood
3. American Witch
4. Demon Speeding
5. Living Dead Girl
6. Demonoid Phenomenon
7. More Human than Human
8. Never Gonna Stop
9. House of 1000 Corpses
10. Let it all Bleed Out
11. Foxy Foxy
12. SuperBeast
13. Dragula
14. Thunder Kiss 65
15. Devils Rejects
16. Lords of Salem

Nanny's Asian Salad

I’ve had many requests for Nanny’s Asian Salad. It’s my Mom’s recipe. It’s a wonderful summer time salad and is very popular, which is why I take it to most parties. I’m finally breaking down and giving you the recipe. So don’t ask for it anymore. It is an easy recipe, but you don’t want to put the dressing on until you are ready to serve.

Ingredients:
1 bag of cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots mostly.)
2 packages of beef raman noodles (uncooked)
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup cashews
1 cup oil
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar

Open the ramen noodles and place the seasoning packets aside. Now crush up the uncooked ramen noodles and add them to a large bowl. Add the cole slaw mix, green onions and the nuts. That’s right, you don’t cook the ramen noodles.

For the dressing: Mix the oil, vinegar, sugar and the seasoning from the two ramen noodle packages. HINT: I warm up the vinegar and add the sugar to it. This makes the sugar melt. When ready to serve, just add the dressing to the salad and toss. It makes a pretty large amount and typically it is enough for a good sized party.

… You Might Be a Redneck

If you fight an Independence Day fire without a shirt or shoes, you might be a redneck.

In fact you may very well find yourself in a group of drunk hillbillies who, after setting an drought-ridden field a blaze, run through the field with a hose and a garden watering can to fight a fire, never taking heed that they are nearly naked and shoeless. But for my friends, that just adds to the excitement.

Now my friends have more sense than to shoot off fireworks in the middle of an brittle, overgrown field. Well, I guess I should say that it was our party hosts family that beat us to the fireworks idea. Inevitably, us’in dunderheads probably would have done the same we’ve would have waited we had consumed plenty of alcohol. But as it was, my friends were gathered in the pool and Shelby’s family were in the backfield igniting bottle rockets and the grass.

The burn site was probably 30 feet in diameter. I was in the pool with Sophie when the buddies took off toward the smoke. I however clothed my body before heading to the scene. I was stopped by one of the ladies who handed me a garden watering can. Off I trotted, armed with a 2-gallon watering can and a camera, to fight a 30-foot diameter burn.

We burned nothing down and controlled the burn within minutes. We’ve decided that Shelby’s Aurora home is the new party palace. He has a pool, which the kids love, and he owns the movie Princess Movie Theatre in downtown Aurora. Seems whenever we go there, something eventful or embarrassing happens. Either way, it’s always a good time for us’in Rednecks.

ROCKFEST 2006

Rob Zombie is coming to Springfield next weekend and Fat Jack will be there feasting on the blood of small rodents and basking in the glory of metal. Working to corrupt our next generation of adults, I am taking my 15-year-old cousin. Actually, he is the reason I am going. Mr. Zombie is his all time favorite rocker, big-big. He gets to go if I go. So what’s a Jack to do, but take the boy and have a bloody good time – and we will. He and I get along very well, as we both love movies and comics and good geeky stuff. Besides it’s a nice retreat from my daily grind. It’s a good college student thing to do, don’t you think?

It’s at the Jordan Valley Field. Now you may be incluined to think that is somewhere near the Jordan Valley Park. It is not. It’s down toward the industrial part of downtown at Campbell and Mill Streets (423 N. Campbell). I drove by a few weeks ago and thought to myself, “this can’t be the place.” But I in hopes that the mowed it at least.

Rockfest 2006
Featuring Rob Zombie and
Anthrax, Shinedown, Trapt, Evans Blue and Halestrom.

This Saturday
Jordan Vally Field
423 N. Campbell

Tickets are on sale at Kaleidoscope, Stick it in your Ear, and Vintage Stock. If you spot me, and I am not that hard to see, come and say boo. I will probably be sporting a cap or bandana as I am not keen on burning my lovely head.

Rock on dear readers. Rock on.

Vote On Your Favorite Movie Quote Every Week

Bryan, Larry and I have continued to update and upgrade our movie blog, INCONCEIVABLE. Not only do you get interesting reviews and previews of interesting movies, including blockbusters, mainstream flicks, documentaries, independent and foreign films. Now available for the first time, we offer you to ability to vote on your favorite quote every single week!

So be sure to check out our site often and vote your silly little movie-loving head plumb off. This week you are voting on your favorite quote from “Aliens” a high-quality, classic science fiction flick from my teenage days. After you vote you will see the results of the survey so far. How cool is that?

Back Home -- Safe and Sound

Our kitty finally came home last night, five days after his disappearance. A few ticks, a dirty coat and an empty stomach appear to be the worst of it. He appeared to also be starving for attention as well, which was fine with us. All is well again in the House of Jack.

Screwing the Pooch

I’ve been getting the screw for years – years I tell you. I had no idea how expensive State Farm insurance was. When my Mom retired, my parents had to look at their finances. As part of that scaling down, they changed their insurance from State Farm.

I didn’t realize how much they were saving, but as the House of Jack has decided to live in the poor house (while I am in school) we, too, are looking at every aspect of our household expenses.

(Now I realize that I just bought a bicycle. But that means I am not driving everyday and I am saving money from gas. I am also saving money as the bicycle cost me the same amount as 8 months at a local gym.)

We went shopping for insurance: house, automobile and motorcycle. My wife and I, most the wife, researched all kinds of different insurance companies. We looked at the major companies, the independent companies and online insurance.

Amazingly, Triple A had the best prices on home and auto. I am amazed, because I didn’t know that AAA offered homeowners insurance. We saved several hundred, yes hundred, dollars on our home insurance. Triple A was cheaper than the two online insurance companies and that really surprised me. Progressive had the best rates on motorcycles.

Now here is the kicker. When I called and asked to speak to my State Farm insurance agent, he didn’t have time to talk with me. That’s right. Someone in the office helped me cancel all my insurance with them (they carried everything). Interesting enough, no one ever asked me why were canceling or offered to take a look at our policy to see if they could make it cheaper. The agent has never called me back and I requested he do so.

My guess is State Farm knows exactly why I am leaving: their rates were too high. I am saving hundreds of dollars a year by switching all of my insurance. The best part is that my home and auto are being carried by AAA which has a long standing local office with a real person.

We Lost Our Kitty

It’s a tragic day in the house of Jack, as our kitty got out last night. He slipped out the front door as we were putting the next day’s mail in the box. He does this from time to time, but he only sits in the bushes against the house. After about 15 minutes he comes to the door and cries to be let in.

Not so last night. He disappeared in about 10 minutes and hasn’t been seen since. Our family is very upset. My wife and 6-year-old daughter are absolutely devastated. My little one is having a real hard time understanding what is going on and why he will not come home.

BUDDY is neutered and also declawed in the front. He isn’t supposed to be an outside kitty, but he does slip by every little bit. As I write this, my wife is sitting on the front porch, flashlight in hand, sobbing and calling his name. So if you see him out and about, or at the humane society, or some other shelter, please contact me immediately. I have pictures to prove his is ours.

Arent' We Special-ized

My friends, Paul and Linda, let me borrow their bicycle to see if I could stand to ride my big butt across town to school every day. I have found that I am really enjoying it. My backside and quads are not so happy. They are both crying foul, nearly a week later.

I think they are missing their baby.

As I’ve been riding, I’ve decided that this may very well become a serious mode of transportation for me outside of school: trips to Food for Less to get milk and bread, or maybe ride to a video store in the unlikely case that I change my mind and want a movie that I don’t already have from Netflix. (May we all pay homage to Netflix.)

As I can’t seem to convince the Inger-lepps household to let offer the bicycle on permanent loan status, I broke down and forked over the bread for my own peddles.

So here it is – the bicycle of choice. It’s an 18-inch (large) Specialized Expedition. Notice the large? Big Boy does everything large, my friends.





A&B Cycle took pity on this big boned feller and offered me a great deal. I am using my student loans to pay for it, but seeing how it is my primary mode of transport to and from school that seemed an appropriate use of the funds.

The picture here is from A&B’s website. Of course I totally geeked mine out, adding a back rack, a handlebar basket, a mirror, and a kickstand. That is a babe magnet, assuming the girls in question like their men fat, sweaty and nerdy.

I have to say, I had no idea how expensive bicycles were. Not that I am complaining. I rode it for the first time this morning and the ride was great, and I am okay with paying money for high quality. But I was surprised.

Learnin' & Drinkin' and All That Jazz

I wasn’t going to the Springfield Bloggers’ Meeting last night because I had homework to do, but as the time drew near, I couldn’t resist. I left the house intending to stay an hour and I only missed that mark by 20 minutes.

I must say I really enjoyed the banter with the news hounds talking it up about the media, news coverage and citizen journalists. By the way, if you want me to do impersonations, especially those involving singing, then you must get me drunk first. Very, very drunk.

When I got home I told my wife about the discussion and that I stayed a bit long but the conversation was worth it. To which she learned me a thing or two. Our blogger’s meeting, on the university level anyway, is called a learning community and it is highly sought after.

Hot damn and hot damn again. I can count my monthly bloggers’ meetings, as homework … in a bar no less. Can’t beat that with a stick. Just had a thought: I don’t have to worry about being distracted by thongs during my learning community class time. That is unless the Stoner comes sporting some string up his backside. He is a fan of nude bicycling.

Big Man Biking

Picture, if you will, Ms. Gulch from the Wizard of Oz. You know who she is – the old woman in the beginning who tries to take Toto to the sheriff to be destroyed. Remember her bicycle with the baskets on the front and back? Atop this bicycle place Peter from the TV show “Family Guy.”

Now you have a pretty good idea what I look like bicycling to school everyday. My friend, Paul, loaned me one of his bicycles for a month. Just to try it out. He’s been pushing me to get a bicycle and ride to MSU everyday, rather than driving. Good for the environment, good for your health, blah, blah, blah.

I got the bicycle on Friday night and got up early Saturday morning for a ride. It’s really not so bad. I am amazed that I can make it from near the Battlefield Mall to MSU in about 15-20 minutes. It nearly takes my wife that long to travel that same distance in the van (during rush hour.)

So we will see how it goes. I rope 6 miles on Saturday. Then rode to church on Sunday, which is on South Street near the Square. I got about 8 miles. Then I put on 8 or more miles today because I had to ride downtown.

I am Springfield’s version of Fat Man Walking, He’s the big feller who decided to travel across the United States on foot to loose weight. I’m not anywhere near that ambitious, but I’m going to give this bicycle riding the old college try. My wife took a pretty picture of me riding to school my first day, but you can forget about it showing up on this blog.

Diversity and Understanding Keys to Real Education

Diversity is alive and thriving in Springfield, while I must admit that it is strictly confined to the university campus, it nonetheless is, in my limited experience, a fundamental in the majority of my classes.

Granny would be so proud.

Now I must say that I am in my first semester and am only taking three classes. As far as statistical research is concerned, three does not make a sampling. But I have been impressed to see how diversity has been defined and discussed in my classes, and it’s the first week.

Religious, cultural, disability, ethnicity, and sex have all been discussed as a broad definition of diversity. Many times we fall into the race trap, restricting diversity to ethnicity. As I have discussed before, the largest minority population in the United States are persons with disabilities, according to the 2000 Census.

So far my Introduction to Teaching and my Geography class have discussed diversity, using the broad term. I would have never cared about that while getting my bachelor’s degree. But I am finding that being a non-traditional student has given me insight into my learning. I am interesting in details and I am not concerned only with the information that will be on the test. Rather, I am interested in learning – test material or no. I find my interest in learning, rather than test taking, a freeing experience.

Spider-Man Unmasked at Press Conference

In the fight between good and evil, many innocent lives are lost. Thus is passed the Super Hero Registration Act, where those with super powers must unmask themselves and register with the government. Some superheros agree and some do not, leading to a Marvelous Civil War.

From AFP Worldwide News Agency:

NEW YORK (AFP) -- For a comic book hero, it's the ultimate taboo.

In the latest edition of the Marvel comic "Civil War" on sale, Spiderman does the unthinkable and removes his Spidey mask to publicly reveal his hidden identity.

"I'm proud of who I am, and I'm here right now to prove it," the legendary webslinger tells a press conference called in New York's Times Square, before pulling off his mask and standing before the massed ranks of reporters as newspaper photographer Peter Parker.

"Any questions?" Parker asks in the final panel of the issue, amid a barrage of camera flashes.
In a statement, Marvel trumpeted the revelation as "arguably the most shocking event in comic book history."

The seven-issue "Civil War" series, launched in May, sees Marvel's writers taking on the topical issue of civil liberties.

Following a showdown between a group of superheroes and supervillains in which hundreds of innocent civilians are killed, the government passes the Super-Hero Registration Act, requiring all superheroes to reveal their identities and register as "living weapons of mass destruction."

Marvel's roster of invincible crime fighters is split into two bitterly opposed factions, with one camp -- championed by the likes of Spiderman -- in favour of the new law and the other, including Captain America and his ilk, refusing to relinquish anonymity.

"It's about which side you are on and why you think you are right," said Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada.

Education is Wasted on the Young, Yo!

Yo, yo, G-dog, check this out.

I was sitt’un in COM 115 yo, and I was like zonin’ in on the money man, yakin’ at me, right? And this hoser in front of me pulls out his squaker, yo, and he was like, flipping and texting his, like, peeps. And I was buggin yo, cause I just knew he was gonna get like wacked by the teach.

No such, though. Can you picture? G-money was textin and the boss was teachin’ and nuttin, man, nuthin. I was like, “Bitchin’” yo. Tomorrow I’m bringing the PS2 and gaming, like, the whole hour and a piece. Oh yeah, man. That is, like, one bass ass dude -- let me text and game. College is like bad ass, yo.

Old Fat Jack Ain't What He Used To Be

I have changed, that is for sure. I may not have been thin in college, but I have gained a pound or so since my college days, 1991-1995. I am not the only one. College life has evolved over the last 11 years, or devolved depending on your outlook.

There are internet hot spots all over the Missouri State campus, something that wasn’t even a concept back in the old days. Blogging Spirits be blessed, as I am blogging this between classes.

There are shuttles to take one hither and thither, something that we didn’t even need at Drury College. (now known as a university.) Blackboard is a some kind of online classroom device to which the instructor posts his or her notes, power point presentations, classroom assignments and grades and God only knows what all. Apparently it is a requirement in most of my classes, but I don’t really know how to use it. I love gadgets, so I don’t mind. It doesn’t get me out of class.

I swear to the heavens, I have never seen so many pairs of flip-flops in my life. For that matter, I’ve never seen so many visible thongs outside of a club. I have to sit in the front row, cause I can’t concentrate with all those thin, little, sometimes jeweled slinkies peeking out to have a look-see.

There’s lots of positives to going back to school.

I’ve also been reminded in every class to shut off the cell phones. Some classes even drop you a letter grade if they go off. Unbelievable! We actually have to be lectured not to use our cell phones in class. Who does that?

For the love of all that is holy and good, we had a 5 minute lecture on paying attention in class.

A lecture.
On paying attention.
In a major-specific class.
Introduction to Teaching.

Judas Priest! Do people really have to be told to “act like you care” in the first class of their major? During my bachelors I was very excited in my English classes and paid as much attention as a hung-over fat guy in a non-air conditioned class, after just eating lunch, could do. I was still excited about what I was learning in my major.

In this Intro To Teaching class, participation is defined in the syllabus as paying attention and verbally participating. She actually told us that we have to at least “act like we care.”

I guess college just ain’t what it used to be.

INCONCEIVABLE Movie Quotes

INCONCEIVABLE, our movie blog, has finally finished our first movie quotes listing. And it is ready for you. As you know, AFI released it’s list of greatest movie quotes of all time. However, AFI’s list was seriously lacking. So Bryan, Larry and I compiled our own list of all time great quotes.

The list is presented alphabetically, in part because we are going to rely on you, dear reader, to help us categorize the list. For now, all we ask is that you send us any missing quotes from any movie that you feel need to be listed. Later, we will post sureys for you to select your top movie quotes. Eventually, we will have a comprehensive, categorized list.

INCONCEIVABLE is much more than a movie quotes list. Check us out for previews of upcoming movies (including main stream titles, little known flicks, documentaries, and foreign titles.) We also offer reviews and other information. If you are a movie buff, then check it out.

666 Proved to be an Interesting Day

If I had been thinking, I would have made my last day at work on June 6, 2006. Alas, I wasn’t thinking, so my last day at work is the day after Armageddon. Let down. I’m not quite sure how to feel about going to school full time and not working, after all I’ve been slaving away in the business of the world since graduating Drury 11 years ago.

At least I will do it with a new coal fired plant to fuel my energy needs. I voted against it, but did so with much hesitation as I found this to be a difficult issue even though I had lots of help from others.

Interestingly enough the allegations made in case of the Springfield student with disabilities who was forced to crawl up stairs were rejected according to today’s News-Leader. Of course the family is outraged about the findings.

Now I am a long time supporter of persons with disabilities. I know first hand that school districts try to weasel out of accommodating students properly. However, It makes one wonder, what happened here? If I remember correctly, the teacher responsible admitted to the crawling. So what is the real story? All I can say is, there must be a lot going on that we do not know … probably never will.

The High Cost of Low Price

Springfield’s proposed coal-fired powerplant, Southwest 2, has been a hard issue for me to deal with … that is until tonight. I have read what my blog buddies have said, the News-Leader’s op/ed, and letters to the editors as well as the literature being passed around by both sides. I just could not make up my mind.

After a good movie at The Moxie and a dinner with friends and wife afterwards at Adobe, we talked about Southwest 2. My friend Paul asked me simply:

Paul: “If we build this powerplant are you willing to live next to it?”
Jack: “No.”
Paul: “If we built a nuclear plant, would you live next the plant or it’s waste dumping ground.”
Jack: “No.”
Paul: “Then how can you vote for it?”

He was right. Setting aside the politics and economics, it boiled down to one issue for me: Am I willing to live with the High Price of Low Cost? I don’t want to live next to a coal plant and subject my family to the numerous medical issues related to coal. If we built a nuclear plant, as suggested by Ron at Chatter, I would not want to live next to the nuclear dumping ground along with the three-eyed fish. If I am not willing to do that, then I should not be willing to give that fate to others. Speaking only for myself, that would be an immoral and unethical decision.

So I am voting against the power plant on Tuesday, June 6, and I am refusing to take part in the High Cost of Low Price.

Interested in what others have to say:

Chatter by Ron Davis
Rhetorica
Holy Grail Press

You Gotta Fight for Your Right to … Be a Pedophile?

Reuters reports today that pedophiles in Amsterdam are working to launch their own political party. Main agenda: lower the age of consent and ease child pornography restrictions.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals, sparking widespread outrage.

The Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD) party said on its Web site it would be officially registered Wednesday, proclaiming: "We are going to shake The Hague awake!"
The party said it wanted to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether.

"A ban just makes children curious," Ad van den Berg, one of the party's founders, told the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) newspaper.

"We want to make pedophilia the subject of discussion," he said, adding the subject had been a taboo since the 1996 Marc Dutroux child abuse scandal in neighboring Belgium.

(Click here to read the entire article.)

Your Mom, busted in and said, “what’s that noise?” The pedophiles are raping your little boys.

Literature Review: "A Song of Ice and Fire"

by George R.R. Martin

Fat Jack’s Review: 5 stars out of 5
Amazon.com Customer Reviews: 1331
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Characters die -- main characters -- people you care about and are invested in. A device rarely seen in today’s world of sequels, spin-offs, focus group driven plots and marketing ploys main characters are not supposed to die. George R.R. Martin, however, does not follow many conventional pitfalls of contemporary authors. Unconcerned with perception, notoriety or the small-minded short attention spans of the illiterate masses, Martin has created a work of art that is about the story and the characters rather than action-adventure.

This work has been pigeonholed as fantasy, but read on before you decide to pass. Like romance, fantasy is a genre that the literati and academics tend to pass automatically as pulp nonsense for the sheep. The exceptions possibly being “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” but even they receive a nose tip from the universities.

“A Song of Ice and Fire” is not about dragons or magic or fantasy. Good thing as the unliterary trio do not appear in any significant way. Fantasy is an inaccurate description of Martin’s book series. Political medieval fantasy is probably a better description. It is a work of fiction taking place in a world of his own making, but it mimics our medieval culture and political intrigue.

This series is about power: the obsession to obtain power and the wars brought on in order to keep power. Cultures and religions make alliances and break treatise in order to gain favor with one king or another. The death of kings and the uprising of the people serve to constantly throw everything catawampus. The story is not about action; it is about people and power. The story is driven by the characters not by an artificial need to make an exciting story.

This book was given to me by a friend, Gabe, who lectured me for two years to read this book series. I have since introduced it to five friends from college, four of which have started it and report back nothing but high praise.

Contemporary issues such as separation of church and state, religious superiority, war as a device to gain or maintain power, the genocide of entire cultures, security of the homeland and political warfare and the ramifications of those acts are central to this series. But do not confuse this as a commentary on any one figure in our current or past history. The first book of the series was published in 1997 and it is about power, not anyone person.

Of particular interest is Martin’s development of women. Medieval history had a tight reign on the roles of men and women. Martin, however, develops a few females who break out of the conventional roles established for them. These women become stronger as the series progresses. This is not a fast paced story, so the reader must be patient. Good literature is worth reading and waiting for.

This is an on-going series, the first four books of which have been published. Martin has stated that he sees the series ending with book 7.


YOU WILL LOVE THIS IF YOU:
Like unconventional writers and story lines
Can live with your Heroes and Main Characters getting killed
Love medieval history
Enjoy grey characters, who are not wholly good or evil
Enjoy different truths from different characters
Love conflict, and multi-level plots
Find symbolism and clues fun
Powerful women, some with unconventional roles
Enjoy mysteries.
Using your mind when you read


YOU MAY NOT ENJOY THIS SERIES IF YOU:
Are easily offended by sex appropriate to the character and society
Are easily offended by harsh language used by real soldiers and royalty
Are confused by multiple characters
Are confused by multiple points of view
Want good and evil characters easily identifiable
Wholly good and wholly evil characters
Can’t read long stories.


CURRENTLY PUBLISHED
“A Game of Thrones” (book 1)
“A Clash of Kings” (book 2)
“A Storm of Swords” (book 3)
“A Feast for Crows” (book 4)

Muddin' in the Mini-Van

I drove from Springfield to Granby (not far from Neosho) to help a friend poor concrete in his barn and I cam back covered, not in concrete as one might think, but in mud.

I picked up two other friends and we headed to the farm in Granby for a 2 hour job. We poured the pad in nothing flat and did a good job to boot. So we had the rest of the day to do whatever. The truck still had concrete in it and they don’t take that back to the plant. So we had to find a place to put it.

Monty, the owner, told him to dump it on the gravel driveway. Fine and dandy except I was parked by the house next to his pick-up -- the wrong side of the concrete. He assured me there was another route to the street. Indeed there was, but considering this: his saw three inches of rain the night before. So after our work everyone showered so we could come back to Springfield, meet up with our families, eat dinner and go to see “X-Men: The Last Stand.” (Read my movie review at INCONCEIVABLE.)

When it was time to go, he jumped in the pick-up to show me the way out. Of course the two fat guys sat in the front of the mini-van. An interesting tidbit of information: the motor of the Honda minivan is in the front of the front-wheel drive vehicle.

Monty’s truck drove over the nice, grassy patch of yard without incident. We got 25 yards in and then sunk like a rock right up to the doors. We pushed, we pulled and we dug out the wheels. We even moved the van about 6 feet, until it sank to the frame. You can’t do much when your transmission is sitting on the ground.

Luckily, when my wife and I changed our automobile and home insurance to AAA just a month ago. So I pulled out my new AAA card and within 1.5 hours I had a tow truck at the house. Amazingly enough, if the ground is so soft that a mini-van will sink to the frame, then a tow truck won’t have any better luck. Eventually, he pulled out 150 feet of cable, went around a tree and hooked on to my rear end. With me at the wheel driving ever so slower backwards, he pulled us out to safety, back behind the concrete again.

I’m not going to tell you how we figured that out, but we did. I was able to finally get out, however, our time had eroded away and we were forced into a drive-by at Mexican Villa, scarf food at my house in order to meet the families at Springfield 8. Tell you what. The old mini-van doesn’t run too well down the highway caked in mud. We slung it all the way home.

And so it goes with my friends and I. Something always seems to happen with us. At least this time we were armed with AAA.

'Only A Sith Thinks In Absolutes'

Michael Soetaert over at The Holy Grail Press, has written a very interesting essay “It Could Never Happen Here.” In a 1984, big brother kind of way, he writes about the failings of complacency and the erosion of freedoms in the name of national security.

Fat Jack is a Demublican: liberal on social issues and civil rights, but conservative on some some things like, oh I don't know maybe "from my cold dead hands" will you take my gun. Yeah.

The Rebel Alliance must remember: "Only a Sith thinks in absolutes."

What-A-Crock of a Competition

Fat Jack’s is giddy with anticipation just thinking of the upcoming crock pot competition sponsored by What-A-Crock. I’m plan to jack the place up with my super secret liquor laden chili recipe titled: Judas Priest! (Otherwise known as Mexican Sweat, as its so hot it’ll make a Mexican sweat.) It’s hot and drunk and gives you the big old poopers all in one fatal swoop. Course, it is summer time and chili isn’t too summery. But Jack sweats like a dancing mule whether it's rain, sun or snow. I'm just hoping I can get my recipe, which is mostly in my head, on paper by the May 31 deadline.

We Got Robbed!

That’s right. Bloggers unite. Smug old rag-man Tony Messenger put the screw to us last night at the Springfield blogger’s meeting. According to his blog:

Tony Messenger, new Editorial Page Editor of the News-Leader, is getting to know the community and needs your help. Get Mugged when you join Tony for a cup of coffee. Talk to Tony about issues in the community that are important to you. Tony will then write about your conversation on this blog. If you live in the News-Leader readership area and want to get mugged by Tony, e-mail him and set up a time for him to meet you and a couple of your friends for coffee. He'll even bring the cups. In your e-mail, include "Get Mugged" in the subject line.

Uh, huh. I see how it is. Well all I have to say to that punk Messenger is:

I didn’t get Mugged
I got Robbed.
I’ll fix your red wagon,
Cause I have a blog.

Where is the Teacher's Code of Ethics?

Every profession with licensure requirements has a standardized state or national Code of Ethics (CoE) set up by the licensure or accreditation board – doctors, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, realtors, engineers, and counselors. They are all bound by a strict, written Code of Ethics that defines the professional conduct, standards and ethical principles by which every licensed person must adhere.

Not following those strict guidelines usually means sanctions or loss of licensure. Not so with educators. That’s right. Teachers, while they must be certified with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and are also automatically mandated reporters, they are not governed by any statewide or nationwide Code of Ethics.

Having been a man dated reporter for the last eight years, because I worked with persons who have developmental disabilities, I was bound to report any suspected buse and neglect, even if I was not sure that the claims were substantial. It is clear, in this profession, that not reporting is a crime, period. That is the law and the standard.

Too many mandated reporters take it upon themselves to make a determination of fact, a substantiation of the abuse or neglect claims, before deciding to report. The whole purpose of the mandated reporter law is to take that responsibility out of the hands of the person reporting. The reporter is just that, a reporter. The Department of Social Services is charged with substantiating the abuse or neglect claims.

However, the training is different for teachers. They have no standardized Code of Ethics on which to draw in order to determine what course of action to take in any particular instance. The only procedures that a teacher has to follow, is the policy of the school district. If the disctrict policy states that a teacher report to the principal, and follow his or her directives, then a teacher has no way of determining if that decision is right or wrong.

If a Social Worker, on the other hand, witnesses potential abuse or is told by the alleged victim about abuse, then the Social Worker is mandated to report. Now, agency policy may require the Social Worker to report to the supervisor first. However, and this is big, if the supervisor tells the Social Worker not to report the abuse, then the Social Worker is still bound by law and National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics to report anyway. It doesn’t really matter what the supervisor says.

Abuse and neglect run rampant in Greene County and the Ozarks. It is more prevalent here than anywhere else in the state. Missouri has a vague mandated reporter law, which makes this issue ever more confusing for educators.

Teaching is one of the oldest professions. We must protect our teachers from overly vague and confusing laws and standards that conflict with policy. It is a gross oversight on the part of the DESE not to have a standardized, written Code of Ethics for teachers and school districts. Until we have that, our county and state will be plagued with the covering up of abuse and neglect of our school children. Teachers need more support and help understanding their role regarding behavior, conduct and what it means to be a mandated reporter and what “reasonable cause to suspect” really means.

The News-Leader recently posted the basics of the mandated reporter law:

"When any ... (mandatory reporter, such as doctors, nurses, teachers and principals) ... has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect ... that person shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the division ... the term "abuse" is not limited to abuse inflicted by a person responsible for the child's care, custody and control ... but shall also include abuse inflicted by any other person. ...

Whenever such person is required to report ... in an official capacity as a staff member of a medical institution, school facility or other agency, ... the person in charge or a designated agent shall be notified immediately. The person in charge or a designated agent shall then become responsible for immediately making or causing such report to be made to the division. Nothing in this section, however, is meant to preclude any person from reporting abuse or neglect."

Johnny Come Lately, 8 Days to be Exact

Eight days after submitting my Letter to the Editor regarding the proposed boycott of Mexican restaurants (and essentially all immigrants) the News-Leader printed my letter rebuffing the ignorant idea. So I was very interested when I found out Tony Messenger was coming to the Springfield blogger’s meeting.

When Ron Davis got done talking with Tony, I introduced myself. I was a bit miffed that it took so long for a daily to run a positive immigration letter, as the whole last two weeks were filled with nasty immigrant-hating diatribes. Too few on the other side were speaking up.

We spoke for a time about the processing of Letters to the Editor and his thoughts on how to fix that process. A good thing, because I would probably ever write in again as eight days late makes a letter referencing Cinco de Mayo not so timely.

I think the News-Leader’s Editorial page will be better off with Tony at the helm.

(Note: My letter was over the 200 word limit, so I had to revise it. As promised, here is my submission which ran in the Sunday, May 14 edition of the News-Leader:)

The boycott of all Mexican restaurants, suggested by Jim Reeves, in last week’s News-Leader, is a bi-product of what ails our culture. Fear leads to hatred and discrimination, leading to open disdain for all Hispanics. The hatred boils down to this: “I don’t want them, to get ahead of us,” something I’ve heard all my life growing up here.

The facts that illegal immigrants consist of persons from many nationalities, and not all Mexicans are illegal, are simply a minor nuisance to those who hate. It’s hard to discriminate against a group of people if you don’t demonize the entire culture.

There has been a surprisingly small public rebuttal to this open bigotry. So on Cindo de Mayo, I had lunch and dinner at Mexican restaurants as a private protest. Reeves’ suggested Cinco de Screw-O was seen for what it is: fear-driven, hate-filled bigotry.

A silent protest against discrimination never works. If Hispanics, Asians and other minority populations are ever going to feel safe in Springfield, then the educated, the open-minded and the Christian must take their place in public life and decry this hatred of people.

Fight The Culture

Russell, a self-proclaimed worker ant for the government machine has started his first blog. Check him out over at Fight The Culture. Russell is a friend of mine and should be great for the Springfield blogging scene.

Bearing False Witness Door-to-Door

M. Goodman over at Ozarks Angel has a great post on the ruse of the “banned prayer in schools” nonsense. You should have a look-see.

CINCO de SCREW-O: Immigration Part 2

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: As promised, I submitted a Letter to the Editor/Ozarks Voices supporting immigrants in the Ozarks. Following is the piece I submitted yesterday (Saturday, May 6, 2006). As of Sunday, May 7, 2006, 4:02 pm, the News-Leader has not printed the letter or contacted me about it (they will verify Ozarks Voices before printing). As a former newspaper man I know there are lots of reasons that can happen: too many submissions, not timely enough, unclear, too long, or not verifiable (mine was verfiable). So we will see what happens. But here it is, anyway. Interestingly enough, they did have two pieces about the importance of hearing from us and one piece about their editorial board. Following is my submission and I encourage all of you to do the same.)

'CINDO de SCREW-O, ABOUT FEAR, DISCRIMINATION

The boycott of all Mexican restaurants, suggested by Jim Reeves, Kissee Mills in the May 4 edition of the News-Leader, is a bi-product of what ails our culture. Fear leads to hatred and discrimination and that fear is running rampant through the Ozarks with the open disdain for persons of Mexican descent.

Critical thinking skills allow us to see that illegal immigrants consist of persons from many nationalities. Not all persons from Mexico are illegal, although it makes it hard to discriminate against a group of people if you don’t demonize the entire culture.

Unfortunately, this hatred is not limited to Hispanics. Growing up in the Ozarks I have heard this sentiment all my life: “I don’t want them to get ahead of us.” That phrase is mired in fear, and yet it is a prevalent belief in the Ozarks.

There has been a surprisingly small public rebuttal to this open bigotry. So on Cindo de Mayo, I had lunch and dinner at Mexican restaurants as a private protest to the public discrimination against Hispanic persons. Reeves’ suggested Cinco de Screw-O was seen for what it is: nothing more than fear-driven, hate-filled bigotry. I stood in very long lines just to get a seat at both Mexican restaurants. Springfieldians were out in droves, eating Mexican food and supporting the Mexican culture.

A silent protest against bigotry never works. If Mexicans, Asians and other minority populations are ever going to feel safe in Springfield, then the educated, the open-minded and Christians must take their place in public life and decry this hatred of people.

Chris Wilson

Storming Free Comic Book Day

The Empire struck back today, storming Vintage Stock (formerly Cavemen) during Free Comic Book Day. My 5-year-old, Sophie, and I stopped by to pick up a few of the free titles. When we got home, she dressed in her Star Wars T-shirt, grabbed her light sabre and begged me to drive back so she could have a picture with the Storm Troopers.

What is cooler than a chick that loves sci-fi?

Stan Lee Seeks New Superhero

From Associated Press:

PASADENA, Calif. - The creator of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk is on the hunt for a new superhero, and he plans to find it on reality TV.

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee said Friday that his new reality show "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" breaks new ground.

"I've never lived in a world of reality," quipped the 83-year-old writer.

Eleven wannabe superheros — whittled down from 200 — are set to compete in the show, which is scheduled to premiere July 26 on the Sci-Fi channel. The winning superhero will be the star of a new comic book created by Lee.

The reported catch-phrase for those who don't make the cut? "Turn in your spandex!"

CINCO de SCREW-O: Immigration Part 1

This past week I have been watching the Opinion page of the Springfield News-Leaders. Letter after Letter-to-the-Editor ignorant people have been writing in demonstrating their open ignorance and bigotry toward Mexicans. I’ve had my fill of it. The issue, disguised as illegal immigration, is nothing more than an excuse to hate a group of people. The sentiment can be summed up in this real quote that I’ve heard all my life growing up as an Ozarkian:

“I don’t want them to get ahead of us.”

How about that? That statement is fear driven and fear, always, leads to hatred and discrimination. Always. For some reason, there has been little to dispute this. It’s a wonder that the Hispanics in Springfield and the surrounding area are not terrified. All they see in our paper is bigotry.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, and as a silent protest to the open hatred, I ate at Cierlito Lindo for lunch and then a group of my friends went to Qdoba for dinner. I don’t remember seeing any Hispanics working at Qdoba, but that’s not really the point.

Both restaurants were filled to the brim with people. I waited in line to be seated for lunch and we all waited in an extensive line for dinner. The line was still there when we left Qdoba. Not everyone in Springfield is boycotting Mexican restaurants as was suggested by the podunk in Stone County.

Yet we are somehow complacent on this issue. Where is our voice of dissidence? I know several conservatives, and liberals (myself being a Demublican) who do not agree with the hatred. But where are we? Where am I?

I am writing a Letter to the Editor today, cause Fat Jack is flat pissed off. I don’t know what the Hell I’m going to say, but I know that we cannot sit back and let these idiots speak for all of us. We do not all agree with the “I don’t want them to get ahead of us,” mentality.

Of the blogs I peruse I have few personal essays on immigration. As good people we should be called to gather and fight for those who are being persecuted and discriminated against. I don’t have all the answers on immigration. But I do know that fear leads to discrimination. Discrimination spreads like a cancer. If we don’t say something, then who will.

Speaking for myself, I believe that my religion demands that I speak up against fear and hatred. Jesus was kinda funny about that.

So I wonder, what will you do? Bloggers enjoy First Amendment Rights. Why else do have blogs except to write and think and speak and fight and protect? When I finish my Letter To The Editor, I will post it for you.

Round and Roundtree

M. Goodman over at Ozarks Angel and I have had some heated discussions on the issue of responsibilities of Mandated Reporters juxtaposed against the fear of reporting what may turn out to be a false allegation.

Free Comic Book Day

Saturday is Free Comic Book Day across the nation, thanks to Gemstone Publishing, Inc. for the tidbit.

With Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) less than twenty-four hours away, publishers, retailers and customers all across the nation ready to greet new customers and readers with a plethora of great books. The event, celebrating it fifth anniversary, aims to bring new readers into the world of comics and had grown into one of the largest promotional tool of the industry.

FCBD has expanded to include not only Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse, but also Gemstone Publishing, Archie Comics, IDW Publishing, TokyoPop, Aspen Studios, Narwain SRL and many more. In addition, companies like WizKids and Diamond Select Toys will be offering exclusives figures (a Wolverine HeroClix and a Stargate SG-1 Jack O'Neil figure, respectively). In addition, TwoMorrows Publishing will be offering free copies of their publications to any fans who visit their website.

For a complete listing of all the FCBD books, shops participating, creator signings and some frequently asked questions, be sure to check out the website (http://www.freecomicbookday.com) and locate a participating comic shop by entering your zip code into the home page.

Understanding the Taxpayers Bill Of Rights

News is starting to flash about the proposed Constitutional Amendment – House Joint Resolution 48 (HJR-48) proposed in the state legislature this year by Rep. Carl Bearden. It has stalled in the legislature for now. The group in Missouri pushing the nationwide movement is going by the name Missourians In Charge. However, they are not, for the most part, really Missourians. The group is from Illinois and they are really known as Americans for Limited Government, according to the May 2 Editorial in the Springfield News-Leader. They simply set up shop in Missouri and found locals to help them.

We have several names for the same Amendments all trying to do the same thing. I will do my best to sort this all out and help you understand, in a very simplified manner, what this initiative is and how it will affect our state, based in part on how it has affected Colorado.


THE NAME
This initiative started in Colorado 14 years ago and is known nationally as the Taxpayers Bill Of Rights, TABOR, (pronounced Tay-Ber). In order to further complicate matters, the interest groups have changed the name. It is known as TABOR across the nation, and that is the term I will use. However, if Missourians In Charge is successful, then the issue on the ballot will probably be called Amendment 14.

Real Name: TABOR (Tax Payers Bill Of Rights)
Known Alias: Missouri House Joint Resolution 48 (HJR 48)
Known Alias: People In Charge Amendment
Known Alias: Amendment 14


WHAT IS TABOR?
TABOR is a Constitutional Amendment. That means that we have to change our Missouri Constitution in order to put TABOR into effect. A Constitutional Amendment is permanent, and can only be amended or changed with a vote of the people, which is very costly.

TABOR is a restrictive tax and spending lid. There are different kinds of tax and spending lids and TABOR is the most restrictive of its kind. One other such lid is already active in Missouri and is known as the Handcock Amendment. TABOR uses a formula based on the state’s previous year’s spending and also includes of inflation and population known as the Consumer Price Index.


HOW DOES TABOR WORK?
TABOR is based on the state’s previous year’s spending amount, then the tax and spending lids are put in place from that point. In years of budget crisis or a nationwide economic downturn, such as happened in the past couple of years, the state has to buckle down and cut the budget.

With TABOR, those new budget cuts become permanent from that point on. There is never a return to a budget when the economic times are good, unless the people get enough signatures to get a referendum on the ballot to overturn TABOR or suspend it, which is what happened in Colorado in 2005.

If the state has multiple years of bad economic times, requiring more budget cuts, then those new budget cuts become the new spending lid for the state. This is known as ratcheting. Even if the ratcheting effect is tweaked, the basic formula is still in place.


HOW WILL IT AFFECT MISSOURI?
The Missouri Budget Project analyzed the impact of TABOR on Missouri and those findings are as follows:

If Missouri had passed TABOR in 2005, then Gov. Matt Blunt’s Budget Recommendations for FY 2007 would be “$156 million too heavy.” That means that the budget that our fiscally conservative Governor feels would be the right budget for Missouri would have to be cut by $156 million.

Gov. Blunt’s increases to public education would have been dumped. The new funding formula for public education, expected to increase this year by $130 million, would be at risk. Most likely, the Governor’s proposed 2 percent increase for higher education (colleges and universities) would have to be cut.

The Missouri Budget Project also looked at the long term affects of TABOR. The MBP projected that if TABOR had passed in 1992, when Colorado enacted it, Missouri would be “required to cut $792 million more in the current fiscal year (FY 2006).”

This has long-standing and far-reaching ramifications affecting the budgets of city, county and state services. It would affect public education, fire and police departments, higher education, social services, conservation, transportation, and other state government services vital to the business and economical viability of the state.

According to the MBP, the burden of the budget cuts to basic services would fall to the local communities, creating higher property taxes, as well as increased fees for licenses, permits, tolls and even education. These cuts would affect the maintenance of buildings and roads, affecting our local business economy.


WHAT HAPPENED IN COLORADO?
In 1992, the voters in Colorado passed TABOR. The Missouri Budget Project and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have cited some statistics on the effects of TABOR:

• In 2001, nine years after Colorado enacted TABOR, the K-12 funding per pupil dropped to $809 below the national average.
• The average student-teacher ratio rose, ranking Colorado 41st in the nation.
• Colorado teacher pay fell to seven percent below the national average.
• The rate of high school graduates fell from 76 percent in 1990 to 70 percent in 2004.
• Higher education funding per resident student dropped 31 percent.
• From 2002-2005, universities increased tuition by 21 percent to make up for budget cuts.
• From 1992-2004, the number of uninsured children went from 16 percent to 32 percent.
• Colorado ranks 50th in the nation for on-time immunizations.
• Mental health services were eliminated in youth corrections.
• The case loads of probation officers rose from 130 to 238 cases per officer.

After years of watching the state budget shrink and critical services erode, a bi-partisan, coalition consisting of business leaders, educators, individuals and others developed a grassroots effort to repeal TABOR. With the help of the current Republican Governor, Bill Owens, other political leaders from both parties, and several Chambers of Commerce, Referenda C went to a vote of the people. On November 1, 2005, the people of Colorado passed a five-year suspension of TABOR.


WHAT DO SOME COLORADO LEADERS SAY?
The Missouri Budget Project collected some quotes from reputable community members in Colorado regarding TABOR and it’s effects.

Republican Brad Young, former Colorado state representative
“The (TABOR) formula … has an insidious effect where it shrinks government every year, year after year, after year; it’s never small enough…. …That is not the best way to form public policy.”

Michael Carrigan, Unviersity of Colorado Regent
“When TABOR was enacted, roughly 25 percent of the state budget went to funding higher education; it is now under 10 percent…. Without TABOR reform there is only one result – the end of state funding for higher education by the end of the decade.

Neil Westergaard, Editor of the Denver Business Journal
“Face it, business leaders have done a sober, businesslike assessment of where Douglas Bruce’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) has left Colorado – and they don’t like what they see. They’ve figured out that no business would survive if it were run like the TABOR faithful say Colorado should be run – with withering tax support for college and universities, under funded public schools and a future of crumbling roads and bridges.”

Rocky Scott, President, Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation
“The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, with some positive attributes, is about tightly controlling, actually strangling, Colorado’s income statement, it’s income and expenses. Spending on prisons, medical care for the elderly, and K-12 education increases faster than inflation, forcing all other public needs to suffer. But while the unrealistically simplistic TABOR strategy is being executed, by constitutional edict, the decay of Colorado’s balance sheet, its net worth, representing the publicly owned capital stock that provides the foundation for economic activity, is unprecedented. It will, if unchecked, eventually lead to economic decay.

MY VIEW:
Missouri already has a working tax and spending lid called the Handcock Amendment. It limits the amount of revenue that the state can take in. It works, as Missouri’s citizens received a check back a few years ago. Handcock gave money back to the tax ayers when the state took in too much revenue. There really isn’t any reason to enact another one.

The evidence on the destructive nature of TABOR on city, county, and state services is overwhelming. Report after report have shown that services such as roads and bridge maintenance, police and fire departments, public schools, colleges and universities, services to persons with disabilities, services to the elderly, services to the poor, corrections services, and troubled youth services have experienced crippling cuts in budgets, including heavy lay-offs and services not being rendered.

Last year, our legislators passed large cuts to Medicaid. Legislator after legislator stated that no one would really be hurt. In fact Rep. Jim Viebrock from Republic wrote in an email to constituents that the opposition was really a liberal media lie and no one who really needed services would see any cuts. This year, we have several bills on the table to reinstate some of those services. People really were hurt and our legislators are realizing that now. Those cuts to Medicaid were mild, nearly non-existent, compared to the far-reaching effects of TABOR.

The real push for TABOR is that it wipes away the responsibility on our legislature. If we enact TABOR, then the legislature can throw up their hands and say they can’t do anything about it. We elect our legislators to look at our budget, based on the state’s economic status and make decision on what programs should be funded. What are legislators for if not to look out for our state’s best interests? If we enact TABOR, then those responsibilities are shifted to a static funding formula. No longer will people decide what happens in our. An arbitrary formula will do that for us.

This TABOR initiative was introduced in the legislature this year. But nothing has come of it. Legislators do not want to be responsible for that. So they stalled it so this out-of-state group could come in and try to convince the taxpayers to vote for it. Unfortunately, there information being given by the pro-TABOR lobby paints a very limited and confusing picture of TABOR.

TABOR is a Constitutional Amendment. It is a very difficult thing to repeal, as it takes a vote of the people, and again makes changes to the Missouri Constitution. Why do we TABOR when we have Handcock and elected officials to make decisions for us? We should insist that people, not formulas, make our decisions for our state. When those legislators make mistakes, then we can vote for someone else in the next election. When the TABOR funding formula makes a mistake, then we have to change our Constitution.

If the Republican Governor in 2005, legislators from both parties, many Chambers of Commerce and other business leaders all join the effort to repeal TABOR in Colorado, then Missourians should be skeptical.

If our fiscally conservative Governor Blunt’s recommended budget for FY 2007 is $156 million (had TABOR been enacted last year) then this clearly shows that TABOR is not a conservative or liberal idea. It is an extremist, anti-government movement.

Be it TABOR or Amendment 14 or People in Charge Amendment, Colorado has seen its critical services strangled. But the extremists are working hard in several other states, including Missouri, to get this passed nationwide. TABOR is bad for any state, including Missouri.


RESOURCES ON TABOR:
General Info
Missouri House of Representative: HJR 48
Stateline.org
Economic Policy Institute


Anti-TABOR
Missouri Budget Project
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Center for American Progress
News-Leader Opinion on TABOR
OMB Watch


Pro-TABOR
Missourians in Charge
The Heritage Foundation
The CATO Institute

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What Would Jesus View?

From “The Da Vinci Code” to “Harry Potter” to “The Last Temptation of Christ,” the church, that is Christians, have taken a more active role in the protest and boycott of companies, books, movies, thoughts and dialogue. This increasing disdain for the critique of art and the debate of church doctrine has taken on a retro feel reminiscent of the Middle Ages.

In the 1980’s the secret, evil satanic beliefs of the company, Proctor and Gamble, was uncovered and quickly circulated through Christian circles. P&G was the official corporate sponsor of Beelzebub. I can only assume that the sponsorship came from The Adversary’s devastating need for cleanliness. All that weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, not to mention the heat, has got to be Hell on the cleaning crew. For their devotion, P&G was given the okay to quietly display the head of a ram, Mephistopheles’ trademarked icon, on all products.

So it was off to the kitchen for me and my Free Will Baptist family to pour out all cleaning supplies by P&G, including any products by any of the evil empire’s subsidiaries. Had they not removed the miniscule icon (whatever it was, ram’s head or otherwise) I’m sure a ban on any television station that carried P&G commercials would have been soon to follow.

With great remorse and embarrassment, I must admit something to you, good reader. We did not, as good Christian followers would have done, rid ourselves of the corporate incarnation of Apollyon the Destroyer. More out of pragmatism rather than defiance, we just didn’t want to waste the money on something that seemed somewhat innocuous. We just moved all the products into a box and put them next to our Baptist Beer Fridge, concealed in the garage.

For those of you who do not know, a Baptist Beer Fridge is an institution in many Baptist homes, sitting covertly in a garage or other room not frequented by guests (especially the pastor or decons) and filled with delightful indulgences not approved by church doctrine: beer, wine, wine vinegar, cooking sherry and the like – anything, basically, that you don’t want The Preacher Man to know that you have in your possession.

Proctor and Gamble were not the only ones finding themselves at the business end of a mis-read Bible. The same proved true for our rock and metal bands in the 1980’s, whose soul-goal was to demonize the hearts of young children turning them from God and transforming the tender children into full-blooded, rat-eating, card-carrying, P&G shopping Satanists. This movement was lead by the sinister band, Knights In Satan’s Service, known to the mother-my-dog teenagers as KISS. After all, how could any good boy wear make up, platform boots, and sport a cod-piece? Our first clue as to KISS’s tether to Belial was that lusty, dirty, reptilesque tongue of band leader and sin generator Gene Simmons. There was something inherently evil about that tongue. God would never give a good Christian boy a tongue of such enormity, because it’s only purpose is to defile the female body during hours-long lustful interludes. As if further proof was needed, church ban was solidified upon realizing KISS’ obvious dedication to The Devil with their album titled “Destroyer.”

Fortunately for me, the church had a team of holy cleaner, Mindful Maids, who routinely scrubbed our pre-teen brains squeaky clean, ready for sanctifying, scriptural re-education. I, too, fell prey to the anti-propaganda toward the Knights In Satan’s Service and refused to listen to the band because I was afraid I would go to Hell, and I was not particularly interested in that road. There was not much about Hell that appealed to me then. I guess that’s still pretty true. Not a fan of Hell, thank you very much. My “List of Evil People and Things,” compiled by the Baptists, grew as my musical tastes broadened. Bon Jovi was also off the list because of the song, “Living in Sin.” I needn’t mention “Two Live Crew” what with all their swearing and overly descriptive sexual dialogue. And God save you from damnation if you view the sinful Hollywood mis-telling of Christ Jesus in the destructive film, “The Last Temptation of Christ.” That is just one more way that The Deceiver hornswoggle’s society, disrupting believers and confusing the weak. Christian singer “Carmen,” on the other hand, was church-approved and parents were encouraged to listen along with their children – a teen’s dream.

Long tongues and evil empires were not our only taboo abominations. No indeed. There was something ever more sinister, cunning and destructive laying wait in our teenage paths. We were lucky, however, to have a loving church wrapping us in a warm safety blanket of Christian armor. We were to need that armor, as a war was almost upon us and the government-run public educa-sin-al system had committed two unspeakable horrors against God and community:

1. Banned prayer and all forms of Christian expression on or near school property;
2. Groomed teenagers for pre-marital sex through the Godless, heathen, satanic act of dancing.

In seventh grade we had a junior high dance. I was a rather awkward boy around girls. I may not have understood them, but I sure did think they were dandy. Any other thoughts stronger than “dandy” or “keen,” would have been inappropriate, automatically triggering my guilty soul on a Hell-bound train ride to Flame Town. I didn’t really want that. Dances were forbidden. This included dances of all kinds and types. We suggested, foolishly, to host an alternative church dance for like-believers. Dancing was dancing and sin was sin – there’s just no other way around it. Done and done.

I like oats and mine were growing ever so much in seventh grade. In fact, I enjoyed the feeling of my oats and so I challenged Brother Bud to a debate – a debate of dance:

“Brother Bud, what is wrong with dancing?” I curiously asked.
“Oh. We don’t dance,” he replied.
“But why?”
“Because it is wrong and sinful,” he said. It will lead you down dangerous paths.”
“What paths,” I asked. I really didn’t know what paths he was referring to. Brother Bud launched into a lengthy explanation of how dancing causes us to have feelings that will lead to sex. But that did not satisfy me. I simply explained that I was not wanting to have sex; I just wanted to dance. But it was no good. If I was going to dance, then I was going to have sex. Interestingly enough, I never remember him referring to it as “pore-marrital sex.” It was always just “sex.”

“But, I don’t understand how dancing will make me have sex,” I affirmed. “I won’t.”
“It will lead you in that direction.”
“How? I don’t understand how. It’s not like I’m going to rush out the dance and have sex in the parking lot.”
“It will lead you in that direction.”
“How? I don’t understand, how.”
Brother Bud paused, took a deep breath and stared into my eyes. Then he finally and reluctantly released the true message:
“Because of the sinful gyration of the woman’s bosom.”

I didn’t have much to say to that. I was thirteen and never heard my elderly pastor label any woman’s body part, let alone describe her circulating chest region. I was instantly reduced to my Beavis and Butthead, hearing them snicker: “Bosom, huh, huh, he said bosom.”

But there it was, all layed out on the table. The temptress, the cause of our original sin would catch me in her snare, gyrating her tantalizing bosom in my face until I was reduced to a quivering mass of sexual frustration, ready to sow my seed into her fertile soil, and dooming my soul to the eternal Abyss. Amen.

I had no choice but to speak to my parents about the whole affair, and we decided that we disagreed with Brother Bud, so we chucked out that nonsensical anti-dancing business into a pile next to the beer fridge.

I went to the dance by myself. My best friend was also our pastor’s grandson; he did not go to the dance. So I danced with his girlfriend all night, who also went to church with us. She saw me at the dance and was sweet to ask me. I had to tell her that I didn’t know how. All that time fighting for the right to dance and I had no date and no clue how to dance. So she taught me – fast and slow dances. I had never rubbed up so close to a real girl before and it felt good. Great, actually. I finally felt like a real teenager, dancing and doing what other kids do. It felt nice to feel normal. Amazingly neither she nor I dashed out to the outside, overrun with hard-ons and moist spots, to have dirty, hole-poking, nasty-wet sex next to the school dumpster. We just had a really good time, and I told her so. Either her gyrating tits were out of kilter or the church doctrine was somehow misguided. Thus ushered in my first real challenge to the church establishment and my understanding that discourse and debate is more important than blind dedication to tradition and teaching. Sometimes they are wrong. Just because we are Christians does not mean that we always stand on the side of right. Christians, just like everyone else, can be misguided, fooled, hornswoggled, bamboozled, fleeced, conned and diddled, despite our continuing prayer to the contrary.

“Harry Potter is evil.” Have you heard? Potter promotes witch craft and Satanism and is unofficially banned in the Springfield classroom. You take your career into your own hands by reading “Harry Potter” to your elementary students. “The Lord of the Rings,” and of course “The Chronicles of Narnia” are all church-approved as the authors are known and self-proclaimed Christian followers. In Rings, Narnia and “The Wizard of Oz,” the witches and wizards are evil (with the exception of Gandalf who really never recites any incantations.) With Potter, however, we do not know Rawlings’ religious stance and the main characters routinely recite spells.

I have some Christian family members that were astounded to discover that I had read and loved the Potter series. Astounded, she stated that she thought I was a Christian and did I not know those were the creation of The King of Babylon? The only problem I see is when, in our struggle to worship God, we become so fearful of creative play, imagination and the important role that fantasy plays in the healthy development of a child’s mind, that we are systematically stripping away all things that may, even in the most indirect way, not immediately conform to a narrow religious preconception.

Now Hollywood is resurrecting an anti-Christian hypothesis with “The Da Vinci Code.” This book picks up a millennium-long conspiracy theory believing that Christ did not die, but married Mary Magdeline and fathered children, thus creating a holy, earthly blood line. Christians world-wide are up in arms calling for boycotts and selling books and DVDs on the debunking of “The Da Vinci Code.” I’m sure Jesus will be proud to use those dollars to forge gold-plated water fixtures in the motor homes of Pat Robertson and the Van Impe Ministries.

“The Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter are fiction – fantasy -- and neither have anything to do with reality. Children understand fantasy; they understand creativity, imagination and pretend play. Children know that a pretend friend is only make believe. Make Believe. I haven’t read “The Da Vinci Code,” yet, but I do have plans. I have read the entire “Harry Potter” series and I see the struggle of good over evil and the fact of doing right because it is right. I see Christian values in literature and I will teach my daughter that we are Christians who question the national church consciousness and, from time to time, dispute what the Christian mainstream regurgitate from the extremist, fundamentalist pulpit.

In the eyes of some, I became Satan’s cabana boy the night I went to the dance with that girl and her … tantalizing red apples. In my mind, I discovered that education and intelligence, over blind obedience, was a greater path to righteousness and the only prevention of fear – fear – being that which always leads to discrimination.

I have also realized that to demonize all churches, all Baptist churches, all southern churches or whatever, is born of the same fear, which as I stated earlier, always leads to discrimination. Incidentally, my church does not jump on national boycott bandwagons. We choose, instead, to use the Bible as a foundation along with dialogue and debate to help forge right and wrong. That’s right, my friends, just because a church does not boycott “Harry Potter” and “The Da Vinci Code” does not mean we have air-conditioned Hell. We still believe in right and wrong. We just don’t see everything in an easy evil, pure and simple, black and white, dancing-is-bad, gyrating-bazoombas-will-seduce-you kind of fear-based mentality. It’s that love thing, I guess. That whole: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins,” from 1 Peter 4. We simply approach things differently.

Seems to me What Jesus Would View might be love above all things. But I don’t claim to know that mind of God.


Suggested Reading:
"10 Things I Learned Wrong from a Conservative Church," by John Killinger.