In re trespassing and soliciting laws in the state of Ohio:
An angry business owner just called, asking for my boss, who is not in today. The business owner was disgruntled with the return of our petitioners to the venue of his business and the "harassment" of his customers. Business owners have the upper hand over free political speech in the state of Ohio, in spite of it being ruled again and again as the most protected form of free speech. Due to the increasingly insular nature of society and the development of laws granting property rights unto businesses, it has become increasingly difficult in an already strenuous political environment for citizen-led initiatives, not unlike the one for which I (formerly) work(ed) to get ballot recognition. I believe that businesses, being a non-corporeal entity, are not entitled to the same rights as people and accordingly are not entitled to use these rights as businesses to disparage the rights of individuals.
Political speech is being stifled in our country and I would argue that it comes as a direct result of the greater corporatization of the society. Businesses are allowed to strong-arm individuals in the name of the free market, the free (but not necessarily fair) exchange of good amongst the modes of production and consumption. Discourse is being discouraged in the name of profit and the result is two-fold: as mentioned earlier, there is a greater insularity of individuals in today's society (to wit, it is ironic for someone who posts on an internet weblog to say that) and with greater drive to satisfy the material desires, there is less emphasis placed on intelligent discussion and general apathy grows from that.
Just my thoughts.
-rl
July 20, 2006
Fate.
I've sealed my fate, so let fall the axe swiftly; make this death a merciful and painless one. Should the fates so cruelly turn? Truly they must, for biting the hands which feed your mouth can only reveal some flickering inner doubt.
July 8, 2006
I just do the paperwork
Pho's got a pretty harsh entry on Ohio Learn and Earn.
I understand the concerns that he raises and they are valid concerns.
We'll leave it at that as I try to sort through how I would address those concerns.
I don't think that this should be viewed as a panacea to the issue of rising tuition costs and do not believe that the campaign has passed itself off as such. However, mildly deceptive advertising does tend to throw the main issue (first two words of the title) out the window.
My general feeling towards the whole matter is that a) gambling should be legalized because b) other states around Ohio are taking in Ohioans and their money. Sure, gambling does convey that you can get something for effectively nothing. So does the lottery. TINSTAAFL, right?
The ODP and party machinery need to step away from Ohio Learn and Earn... it's political poison. Let Ohio Learn and Earn run its course and die. Just stay away. Although, there is a significant question as to whether or not it will get on the ballot in the 1st place. But that's my secret.
That's that for now.
-rl
I understand the concerns that he raises and they are valid concerns.
We'll leave it at that as I try to sort through how I would address those concerns.
I don't think that this should be viewed as a panacea to the issue of rising tuition costs and do not believe that the campaign has passed itself off as such. However, mildly deceptive advertising does tend to throw the main issue (first two words of the title) out the window.
My general feeling towards the whole matter is that a) gambling should be legalized because b) other states around Ohio are taking in Ohioans and their money. Sure, gambling does convey that you can get something for effectively nothing. So does the lottery. TINSTAAFL, right?
The ODP and party machinery need to step away from Ohio Learn and Earn... it's political poison. Let Ohio Learn and Earn run its course and die. Just stay away. Although, there is a significant question as to whether or not it will get on the ballot in the 1st place. But that's my secret.
That's that for now.
-rl
July 2, 2006
On South Carolina
Warning: Non-politics content
For those of you who didn't know, I went down to South Carolina to visit Holly this past week. I drove through Appalachia and along the western fringes of North Carolina and South Carolina. It was an amazing time... and it feels to be good to be as happy as I am for the first time in many moons.
I met some very interesting and very intelligent people: Surge, Shelly, Amber, Jon, Heather, Dave, Phil, and Becca... Dr. Dunn I "re-"met... didn't really remember me. To be honest, I'm pretty intimidated by him just because I know Holly holds him in such high esteem. He's a nice guy, though. Just scary when he's your girlfriend's "dad".
She's coming up in two weeks or so, hopefully I'll be working less. I've been so busy with work lately, thus updating the blog has fallen on the list of priorities. Worry you not, Fountie lives on.
Week before, dad and I visited New York for Lisa's graduation. That was fun.
Drive back from SC was hell in Virginia on I-77 northbound.
Visited a mining town in WVa... not many pictures because I never actually got out of the car, I just drove around the main street. It was depressing because the town seemed to be on the tipping point of destitution or just getting by. Oddly enough, I kinda wanted to live there just so that I could possibly work to get a flow of capital inward and create new places of employment apart from coal, chemicals, and church. (In this small town there were at least 6 churches - one The Church of Christ, one [apparently regular] Church of Christ, two competing Baptist churches across the street from each other, a non-denominational hall of worship, and a Methodist church, plus a plethora of small steeples that I could see dotting the "skyline".) The town lies between a river and I-77 just 20 miles or so outside of Charleston.
Depressing a bit.
Oh well.
Holly in two weeks!
-rl
June 6, 2006
6.6.06
The end is nigh! God's wrath awaits ye!
As the apocalypse settles down for a day and the Earth is pummelled by Christian soldiers with their repetitive circumlocutory exhortions of the end days, I'll be working to expand the disbelief in extreme Christian faith. Why? It's simple... there are zealots out there, an insignificant minority, who are trying to impose this belief of impending doom upon the public.
Where's my proof? Well, just take a look at the front pages of Yahoo!, CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews from the past two days and today. All have articles about 06.06.06... erm... 666... and interviews with extremist apocalypticos trying their best to save humanity. And, by the way, you're fucked if you're not a believer.
The CNN article worries me, as it refers to Professor Felix Just's (University of San Francisco) website... but doesn't mention the address. However, it dives into the rapture index of raptureready.com... and names the website (heck, that's why I know it and have typed it in). The article also gives more print area to the apocalypticos... damn CNN and the left-wing media!
The media have been hijacked, once again, by extremists. Sex, drugs, and alcohol sell.
I'm not ready to get over it, either.
As the apocalypse settles down for a day and the Earth is pummelled by Christian soldiers with their repetitive circumlocutory exhortions of the end days, I'll be working to expand the disbelief in extreme Christian faith. Why? It's simple... there are zealots out there, an insignificant minority, who are trying to impose this belief of impending doom upon the public.
Where's my proof? Well, just take a look at the front pages of Yahoo!, CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews from the past two days and today. All have articles about 06.06.06... erm... 666... and interviews with extremist apocalypticos trying their best to save humanity. And, by the way, you're fucked if you're not a believer.
The CNN article worries me, as it refers to Professor Felix Just's (University of San Francisco) website... but doesn't mention the address. However, it dives into the rapture index of raptureready.com... and names the website (heck, that's why I know it and have typed it in). The article also gives more print area to the apocalypticos... damn CNN and the left-wing media!
The media have been hijacked, once again, by extremists. Sex, drugs, and alcohol sell.
I'm not ready to get over it, either.
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