|
Archives: March 21 - 31, 2008 |
|
Friday, March 21, 2008
I’m Sprung: Today is the first full day of Spring, with average daily high temperatures in my region in the lower 50s and average daily lows in the lower 30s. The birds are singing this morning, and everything is as it should be!
Drug Testing of Student Athletes: An Illinois High School Association (IHSA) plan to mandate the random drug testing of high school athletes beginning next school year is one step closer to reality. In a vote last weekend, the IHSA’s board of directors firmed up penalty provisions and selected The National Center For Drug Free Sport, Inc., to administer the program, according to an article in the Daily Herald of suburban Chicago.
Note: For my personal opinion regarding the drug testing of athletes, see journal entry for March 15, 2008.
Plan To Outlaw Aluminum Bats Strikes Out, So Far: Pending legislation in the Illinois House of Representatives would criminalize the use of aluminum bats in recreational baseball or softball games where any participant is under the age of 13. Initial legislative reaction to the plan has been . . . something less than favorable, according to the Springfield State Journal-Register newspaper.
Attorneys Honor Effingham County Board: The Effingham County Bar Association presented its Distinguished Service Award for 2007 Thursday to the Effingham County Board . . . for its work in replacing the county’s historic but outdated courthouse building with the new Effingham County Government Center. The Distinguished Service Award salutes “outstanding service or accomplishment within - or closely related to - the county’s legal system.”
“When You Pray, Move Your Feet” - Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the historical Selma to Montgomery March led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. More than 3,000 marchers began their journey to the Alabama Capitol on March 21, 1965. They walked 12 miles a day for 5 days - demanding voting rights and protesting various acts of (state) government-supported violence against African Americans and their supporters.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Who’s Calling, Please? A growing plague of scam artists are identifying themselves with false “caller ID” numbers and fake email and IP addresses. The practice is known as “spoofing.” In response, two state lawmakers in Florida are now trying to criminalize the deceitful or fraudulent use of spoofing software, according to an article in the Miami Herald newspaper. [Note: Cursory research failed to indicate the presence of similar legislation or statutory provisions in Illinois, at present].
Egads, What Have I Done? Which “pop culture references” most inspire U.S. attorneys? The American Bar Association asked this question recently of our nation’s barristers, and I am embarrassed to admit that “yours truly” quoted . . . uh . . . Rush Limbaugh: “I can’t stand [Limbaugh], but frequently make use of his oft-repeated phrase ‘Words Mean Things’ when I address a jury. The phrase helps to emphasize to jurors that they are not to let the government slide on anything and must carefully examine the language of the law at issue, and that the government must meet its burden on each and every element of a charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt.”
An Early Day . . . Or Maybe A Late Night: Officially, my day began very early this morning at Indianapolis International Airport, where I picked up one Robert Ealy, whose flight from Phoenix arrived at just prior to 1:00 a.m. Robert’s “Spring Break” mission trip to a Mexican orphanage (see March 16) concluded on a delicate note . . . with said college student recovering from an encounter with “Montezuma’s revenge.”
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
No Resurrection For Most: Look for the Illinois State Bar Association - of which I am a member - to finally take a formal position this summer on death penalty abolishment.
“Faith Healing” Law Put To Test: An Oregon law that bans alleged faith healing efforts at the expense of a child’s life may soon get its first legal test, according to a news report this weekend in The Oregonian. Reading the article reminded me of a mid-1980s situation in South Central Illinois, in which a creepy local minister prayed over a young girl’s dead body for hours claiming, falsely, that he would bring her back to life - after medical efforts had been abandoned.
Better Warn The Easter Bunny? A government minister in Malaysia is proposing an “anti-hopping” law, but the situation may not be as bleak as it appears. The official wants to stop politicians from running on the ticket of one political party, then switching over to another party shortly after being elected, according to a Malaysian newspaper.
Monday, March 24, 2008
“Renewal” Theme For Easter Sunrise Service: Alongside many others, I attended yesterday’s community Easter Sunrise Service at The Cross, sponsored by the Effingham Ministerial Association. As I occasionally do with local events, I produced a radio news report on the service for my good friends at radio stations WXEF-FM (97.9) and WKJT-FM.
Factually Undocumented Immigration Positions: Many self-professed conservatives are spewing inflammatory and anti-Biblical views on immigration. Please consider Leviticus 19:34, for example: “The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself. . . .” With this verse in mind, I believe that an opinion writer in Annapolis, Maryland, got the story right on Sunday when he took the unpopular position, generally speaking, that undocumented workers are NOT a real threat to the USA - security wise . . . or even economically:
“As chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan testified before Congress that in the state of Illinois alone, undocumented ‘workers pay $547 million in taxes yearly, compared to $238 million in services used’ - a net ‘profit’ for Illinois of $309 million.”
For additional recent information on the economic benefits of legal and / or undocumented immigration, please see “The Economic Impact Of Immigration” by Angela M. Kelley of the Immigration Policy Center.
Another Warning For WiFi Users - Including iPhoners: Under the Wireless Service Theft Prevention Law of Illinois, it is a criminal offense to intentionally access someone else’s WiFi service without permission. Don’t believe it? Check out the following news story published a couple of years ago in Northern Illinois:
By Chris Green ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR March 23, 2006
ROCKFORD - Just as pirating your neighbor's cable service to watch premium movie channels is against the law, so too is surfing the Web using someone else's wireless Internet access. David M. Kauchak, 32, a former Machesney Park resident, is the first person in Winnebago County to be charged with remotely accessing another computer system without the owner's approval. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charge and was fined $250 and sentenced to one year of court supervision.
"We just want to get the word out that it is a crime. We are prosecuting it, and people need to take precautions," Assistant State's Attorney Tom Wartowski said. Kauchak was arrested in January in Loves Park when local authorities learned he was accessing the Internet through a nonprofit agency's computer. Wartowski said a Loves Park police officer was on patrol in the wee hours of the morning when he saw Kauchak sitting in a car with a computer. "He slowed down, took a look and saw he had a laptop in his lap. He talked to him and put it all together," Wartowski said.
The “Recording Industry” Versus Your Child? A friend of mine who is a prosecutor has provided me with an interesting DVD that he received recently from our friends at the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA is sending prosecutors “how to” material - urging them to file criminal actions against young people for “file sharing” on the Internet. My friend wouldn’t take the bait and indicated his refusal to do the RIAA’s dirty work. In the interest of equal time, however, defense attorney Jon Katz offered some useful links on his website this weekend . . . on “how to” defend against charges of copyright infringement.
Deserving Of Government Attention: Looks like former area troublemaker Fred Schuppert - a convicted felon and former federal inmate - has gotten himself into yet another jam with the federal government. Schuppert is a defendant in an ongoing federal tax matter in the Central District of California. As far as I can tell, people like Schuppert serve no useful purpose.
Good Press: Finally, an old friend of mine received some nice ink in the State Journal-Register newspaper this morning. Bruce Bagg and I worked together for several years at the Illinois Information Service radio network in Springfield. Technically I was his “boss,” but I learned a lot from working with him.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008:
Off The Air: Sorry, this website was unavailable for an extended period of time recently due to changes made by our local internet service provider, Hofnet Communications, Inc.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008:
They Put Children Last: Several states - including California, Louisiana, and even Arkansas - prohibit smoking in automobiles when children are present. It’s a common sense approach toward shielding children from the dangers of enclosed second hand smoke, and the idea is catching on . . . in places such as the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, for example, where one such law takes effect next week. Here in Illinois, however, this simple and healthy concept has failed to win support. Thanks, in part, to our area state legislators who voted “no’ last year on House Bill 1769.
Even the Illinois Association of Tobacco and Candy Distributers said it had no objection to the plan. Legislative liaison Harry “Bud” Kelly said his group opposes restrictions on where adults can choose to smoke, but pointed out that children in cars don’t have a choice. And it’s about the children. It’s about the children. It’s about the children. It’s about the children. It’s about the children.
The Little Guy Wins One Over Wal-Mart: A low-level designer of parody products is smiling today - after successfully rebutting a trademark infringement claim brought against him by the Wal-Mart Corporation. In an 87-page decision, a federal court judge determined that the man’s t-shirts and beer mugs qualified as “protected noncommercial speech” because his goal was to criticize Wal-Mart rather than make a profit.
Foul Odors: It’s not a novel concept, but a Massachusetts state lawmaker wants to make it illegal for motorists to drive after drinking any amount of alcohol. Which could lead to a statewide “bad breath” problem - should people start forgoing mouthwash . . . to avoid a possible .02 breath-alcohol concentration (BAC) reading.
Thursday, March 27, 2008:
OK, I’ll do it: Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn is urging all Illinoisans to participate in “Earth Hour” this weekend. So, turn off your lights Saturday from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m! The city of Chicago will participate in the event in a rather dramatic way, reports the Chicago Tribune. For more information on “Earth Hour,” click here.
Common Sense Legislation: Computer repair technicians would be required by law to report the presence of any child pornography they find on PCs, under a bill now working its way through the Illinois General Assembly. Most repair businesses already report such findings voluntarily, according to a story in this morning’s State Journal-Register newspaper. This commendable action already has led to a number of convictions statewide, including some right here in Effingham County.
Just Yesterday: Chicago broadcasting legend Wally Phillips died this morning following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. It doesn’t seem like long ago that I could hear “Wally’s” morning conservations resonating from the radio in the aromatic kitchen area of my grandmother’s trailer. She listened faithfully. Phillips dominated Chicago radio on WGN-AM (720) for a 20-year period. His life’s lesson to listeners: Give something back.
Friday, March 28, 2008:
Sorry Officer, I Think I’ve Had Too Much . . . A New York Times article this week confirms it. The “Runner’s High” that you’ve been experiencing is for real, according to German research. On A Related Note: The movie “Run Fatboy Run” opens today in select theatres.
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Have you ever been tempted to warn an ungrateful relative that he or she has been cut out of your will? ”Don't do it!” advises one experienced estate planner . . . because the warning could end up making your life somewhat miserable.
Saturday, March 29, 2008:
Wearing Of Thongs No Longer Mandatory: A person’s mistakes and / or oversights are most visible in certain professions. For example: A published federal court opinion - authored by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor - begged for correction this week after someone discovered an erroneous description of Florida state law . . . which purportedly “required all patrons of state parks to wear a thong and (if female) a bikini top.” O’Connor later inserted the phrase “at a minimum” into the attention-grabbing sentence . . . in the court’s revised opinion.
On A Related Note: Not too long ago, an area judge’s slip-of-the-tongue raised some eyebrows. In open court, the judge inadvertently referred to a certain law enforcement witness as being “Officer Dildo” - (not his real name, of course, but phonetically very close). The mistake would have gone relatively unnoticed, but for the presence of a court reporter and the subsequent production of a court transcript. Our local court reporters are highly trained professionals. They are sometimes embarrassingly accurate.
Sunday, March 30, 2008:
Who Ya Gonna Call? - The Johnson County, Iowa, Board of Supervisors is taking no chances. Supervisors have preliminarily hired a paranormal investigative team to check out a 153-year old historical building for a night . . . just to put to rest “any speculation” about . . . well, you know . . . any “problems” on the property. One night only? Might I suggest a simple cost-saving call to one Luther Heggs?
Your Tax Dollars At Work: You probably missed this next item - as I shamefully did, at least initially - but the Illinois State Senate continues to be at your service in these difficult days. As Senate Resolution 582 makes clear, it now is the consensus of the Senate that “Pluto was unfairly downgraded to ‘dwarf’ planet status” recently and that March 18th was supposed to be recognized as “Pluto Day” in the State of Illinois. Carry on, please.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Another Huge Night: Tonight is the 5th annual AHA Student Film Festival in our area. The Rosebud Theatre will host this year’s extravaganza - with preshow activities beginning at 5:45 p.m. Annually, the presentation is simply outstanding, and this year’s program will be no exception!
Recently, the Effingham Daily News ran a front page news story on the extraordinary philosophies of AHA co-founder Craig Lindvahl, who is one very inspirational person in our area. My favorite Lindvahl quote in the article is this one: “If you view the world as a place of wonder, full of opportunity, full of amazing people, you’re limited only by the number of hours in each day.”
If I were on the radio today, there’s a song (and video) that I would dedicate to everyone involved in tonight’s Student Film Festival production. Appropriately enough, it’s titled “Dream Big.” [One of my favorite parts of the video is the appearance of the little guy in the superhero costume. Once upon a time, I used to attempt something very similar to his “on screen” efforts. On my good days, I still do - figuratively speaking].
The Heart Of The Matter: Legislation that would mandate the annual electrocardiogram (EKG) testing of all student athletes in Illinois is receiving mixed signals in the Illinois House of Representatives. The proposal has been watered down . . . more than once, and its future is uncertain - even at “final passage stage” now in the House. But, according to a recent article in the Aurora Beacon News, while the testing wouldn’t detect all heart problems, for some young people it could be a life saver.
Shocker: Sometimes the most surprising fact in a news article is buried at the end. This is the case with a story that I perused through this weekend in the Decatur Herald & Review . . . on the subject of teen drinking. Here’s the fact: One quarter of high school seniors in Illinois admit that they driven a car while under the influence of alcohol.
|
|
48 |