Pennsylvania: why did you elect Eichelberger?

This is a little dated, but I feel like I need to comment on Pennsylvania State Sen. John Eichelberger (R) statements on a June 19 radio debate. Especially seeing as I haven't heard anything about it in mainstream news.

Eichelberger, in an interview with WHYY Radio about a month ago, talked about his upcoming constitutional marriage proposal and said that gay marriage was "dysfunctional" and would eventually lead to "polygamy, marrying younger people."

But the best part was when the senator decided to add this jewel to the conversation:

"They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation."

Now I'm not the biggest fan of any long-term relationship, but I've always been taught that two people who love each other have the right to have their relationship legally recognized. This, of course, gets into a sticky situation - religion VS politics.

I have also been raised to believe that marriage is a religious institution. And as much as I hate to admit it, marriage should be dictated by religion. Ergo, marriage shouldn't be a political issue whatsoever. As a supporter of the separation of church and state, marriage should be kept in the churches (or mosques, or temples) and the government (federal and state) should issue "civil unions" to peoples wanting their relationship recognized.

This results in a somewhat simple solution to the problem with the debate of gay marriage. If there is no longer a government supported religious institution, then anyone wishing to have a legal merger between two parties can have a civil union. This, in turn, leaves the religious organizations the right to include (or exclude) whomever they see fit for the "holy right" of marriage. And ultimately, people can choose they're own way to define their relationships (wife/husband or partners).

It's actually kind of funny to me. Religious organizations tout on that marriage is something dictated by God, but they are wanting it to be dictated by the government - which is about as far from God as I can imagine.

But most importantly, if we were to actually do what the Constitution exists for and SEPARATE church and state, we could keep idiots like Eichelberger from spreading unnecessary hate and ignorance that only blind-sight his constituents and piss everybody else off.

CLICK HERE to hear audio experts and see a video response from Eichelberger.

Don't use Internet for Hate

It's a pretty simple concept for the majority of technology users: don't use the Internet to hurt other people. Everybody gets angry, everybody needs to vent, and the Web gives us the ability to express our opinions in a relatively safe environment.

And everybody knows that there are certain things that we do not, under any circumstances, ever do - the most important being post personal information.

But it seems a New York social worker forgot the rules on Internet etiquette last week.

On July 3, CNN.com reported about Long Island mother Margery Tannenbaum, who allegedly posted a sexual personal ad on Craigslist.com about a 9-year-old girl.

The ad did not inform the reader that the girl was underage, but it did give her home number and e-mail address for interested men to contact the child. CNN reported that the advertisement read: "I need a little affection... I'm blond, I'm cute and I'll be waiting."

Margery Tannenbaum is a sick, demented social pariah who deserves whatever public backlash she will receive. We've already seen this behavior once before - with Lori Drew and the "MySpace Hoax" debacle that resulted in the suicide of a 13-year-old girl.

Like Drew, the situation with Tannenbaum is the same old song - her daughter and the 9-year-old victim got into a fight. To get revenge, Tannenbaum posted an ad under the personal's section of Craigslist. The victim's mother told CNN that "she received 22 calls in one day, in all around 40 calls from various men who saw the ad, including some seeking an escort service."

Drew had her misdemeanor conviction thrown out by an appellate court judge, but hopefully Tannenbaum won't get off so easily. It's time we start sending a message to "adults" who think that endangering minors is a respectable way to reap revenge.

Apparently, Tannenbaum has never heard of WhitePages.com and the "reverse lookup." Just because she only put a phone number doesn't mean that one of these men couldn't have looked up the victim's home address and showed up looking for sex.

When Tannenbaum's lawyer was questioned, he said, "I think this has been blown out of proportion to what the actual alleged act was."

Tannenbaum posted a sex ad with information leading interested suitors to a 9-year-old girl. What exactly has been blown out of proportion? How does the mind of any adult not process that posting a sex ad with personal information about someone else is not a reckless, irresponsible, immature and dangerous act?

It doesn't even matter that the girl was a minor. Posting that kind of information about anyone can lead to devastating consequences. It is an absolute breech of personal privacy and perpetrators should have any access to the Internet immediately suspended.

But then again, Tannenbaum probably doesn't think she did anything wrong, which is probably the biggest crime of all. Too bad a lack of common sense and social decency isn't punishable by law.

See the original article at: www.mtsusidelines.com (click the link, it'll take you right to the column)

Pride and Predjudice and Zombies oh my!

I've never been a fan of delivering a review for something I haven't completed, but then again, that's never stopped me.

Right now I'm reading a book called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!" The basic gist is Seth Grahame-Smith takes Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and tweaks it with zombies (and the occasional ninja).

As a forewarning, I have to say that this book is absolutely hilarious. But it is only funny because I love the original. For those who skipped "Pride and Prejudice" in their sophomore English class, go back and read it. It's better than watching a marathon of reality television.

The zombie-fied version of P&P is so well put together - mostly because Grahame-Smith only changes around some words of Austen's original text and adds in a few scenes or two. Essentially, the original story is the same. The events progress in the same way. Elizabeth and Darcy eventually overcome their complicated problems and express their love to each other - they just do it while defeating a hord of zombies!

It even has artwork! In the words of our beloved former President W. "The best thing about books is sometimes there are fantastic pictures!" The artwork is amazing, but sparse. It's only there for extra amusement, but well done nonetheless.

I'll update with another entry as soon as I am done reading it. As for now, go out and find yourself a copy of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and get ready to laugh yourself to death - then rise once again to walk among the land of the living.

Speaking out should be a choice

On Monday morning, 20-year-old Chris Brown pleaded guilty to the Feb. 8 felony assault against 21-year-old former girlfriend Rihanna.

It was announced that Brown would go to trial in March, shortly after Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify. The estimated punishment ranged from probation minimum to four years in jail maximum.

The final outcome on Monday resulted in 180 days of community service and five years of probation for Brown. The court also administered a “complete stay away” order in which Brown and Rihanna must remain 50-feet away from each other. The only exception is at industry events where both are present. The limit is then lowered to 10-feet.

It would be nice to say the media frenzy surrounding the R&B artists is over, but we know that it won’t be until everyone hears Rihanna’s version of the events. And with Brown’s plea agreement, her subpoenaed, public-record testimony was not needed.

Before the scheduled court appearance, celebrities, media and fans alike all clamored for Rihanna’s version of what transpired. Everyone wanted to know what exactly happened.

We then started to receive details via hospital photos and police reports, but still nothing from Rihanna. And despite the fact that we know the basic premise of what happened and have seen the results, people still want Rihanna to talk.

I would like to think that this strong moral outcry comes from a need to publicize the truth about abusive relationships – but really I think the majority of people just want to hear the juicy dirt. If we were really interested in teaching people about how to prevent abuse, we would – with or without Rihanna’s testimony.

In fact, here’s a little lesson on domestic abuse. The May 2000 “Intimate Partner Violence” report by the Bureau of Justice says 20 percent of dating couples between 16 and 24-years-old report some type of violence in their relationships.

This makes Rihanna’s unfortunate situation not uncommon. But instead of trying to reach out to those one-in-five victims, we’ve too busy trying to get Rihanna to spill the gossip about what happened to her. We forget that the important lesson in this situation is starting a dialogue, not rehashing the assaulted pop star’s wounds.

Crimes like assault, rape and abuse need to be talked about – but it’s a heck of a lot easier to talk about them when we aren’t the victims. These are crimes that people – especially teenagers – need to know about, know how to spot and know how to stop. But speaking out about a personal experience as a victim should be viewed as courageous – not as a requirement.

Maybe Rihanna will eventually talk about what happened to her – and hopefully inspire others to stand up and talk about their experiences. But she should also be allowed the opportunity to heal in her own way before she is comfortable enough to relay her experiences with others.

One less distraction for drivers

I've got terrible road rage. I blame my father. He has it too.

Over the years, I've tried to fight the urge to yell at drivers who can't hear me, chase drivers who cut me off and deliver a well-placed middle finger to drivers who piss me off. I'm usually good about not doing the last two, although I can't seem to curb my appetite to yell obscenities at people who obviously slept through driver's ed.

But thanks to the Tennessee General Assembly, there's one less thing drivers can now do to insight my road rage. Gov. Phil Bredesen signed the "texting while driving" bill into law early last month. It prohibits a person from writing or reading text messages while driving a vehicle.

Like any good legislation, there are people who are above the law. Exemptions include police officers and medical workers - when both are "in the actual discharge of their official duties."

The law does not apply to people who are in a vehicle when it is not moving. So if you wanted to text it up with a friend, make sure you do it at a stoplight. Entering a telephone number to call someone is also allowed. So texting is bad, but flipping through your contact list is a-OK.

Tennessee is not the first state to take a stance against cell phones on the road. Many other states actually prohibit the use of cell phones while driving all together. Some prohibit handhelds, but allow speakers and headsets. Comparatively, Tennessee is actually pretty chill on cell phones and driving.

While flipping through coverage on the texting and driving legislation, two sides became very clear. One thinks the legislation is unnecessary. Tennessee already has a "driving while distracted" law that allows officers to ticket someone who is obviously impaired - perhaps by a text message.

The second group applauds legislatures for protecting our roads - one less evil to distract people while operating a 5,000-pound death machine.

Honestly, I just think it's a sad day when we have to make common sense law. I've texted and driven - on empty roads with no one around or while sitting in traffic. Texting while driving is dangerous if you put yourself in a dangerous situation.

It has gotten to a point where people seem more preoccupied with doing everything but driving in their cars. I've seen everything from eating morning breakfast to putting on makeup. On one occasion I saw a woman driving with her knees so she could text.

Technology is amazing, but we are starting to use it more like an idiocracy rather than a society full of intelligent individuals. It takes very little effort to visualize the negative ramifications of texting while driving - just think about ramming your car into a tree at 70 mph.

But for those who still want to text and drive - fear not. The law does not take effect until July 1. So enjoy your last month of being able to text and drive without a $50 ticket.

ORIGINALLY POSTED: www.mtsusidelines.com on June 3, 2009.

Watchmen amazes; perfectly portrays graphic novel

“The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout ‘Save Us!’

“…and I’ll look down, and whisper, ‘No.’”

And so opens Watchmen, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The character Rorschach delivers the above lines about fifteen minutes into the movie and the theme resonates through the remaining two hours.

Seeing Watchmen on opening night was one of the most enjoyable movie-going experiences I’ve had in a while. Spectacular is only slightly befitting of a description.

The movie excels in all aspects.

Character development is the shining beacon of this movie. The story mainly concentrates on six characters: Jon Osterman (Dr. Manhattan); Dan Dreiberg (Night Owl); Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias); Laurie Jupiter (Silk Spectre); and Edward Blake (The Comedian).

Six characters and only about two hours are allotted to properly develop those six plus a plethora of supporting characters. And yet, the story moves seamlessly, providing expediential growth, changes and insights into all the characters – even The Comedian whose death sparks the movie.

Cinematography was beautiful. There were times that I looked at the screen and felt like I was reading the graphic novel. The scene when Dr. Manhattan is standing on Mars with the starlit sky background was one of the best shots in the entire film.

As with any superhero movie, fight scenes can be difficult. Too much and it becomes cheesy. Too little and it becomes stagnant. The greatest weapons used by the superheroes were their actual talent as fighters. In fact, the only real character with any supernatural power is actually Dr. Manhattan. Fight scenes were intricate but to the point. Sound effects were modest but still gave the air of traditional crime noir.

I won’t get into the deeper meanings of the story and characters, but it is worth noting that I left the theater dissecting and examining Moore and Gibbson’s creation equally as much as when I read the novel version. But as I said, I’m not going to discuss the metaphorical meanings in this review.

But the best thing about Watchmen is that it stays true to the original comic.

In fact, the only thing that unfortunately omitted is background information provided in depth about the particular universe that the world resides in.

The only particular plot-hole I found somewhat distracting is Richard Nixon runs holds the president’s office for five terms during the span of the movie. Term legislation was passed during the time of Franklin Roosevelt and limits a person to only two consecutive terms in office.

Overall, I would definitely splurge on the outrageous and overpriced fees of the local movie theater to see it again. But a word of warning, if you do not like the crime noir genre of superhero fantasy – do not see this movie.

It is not a requirement that you read the book, you will understand everything that is going on. But I highly recommend picking up a copy and reading it when you can. Like I said earlier, it help to fill in some of those slight plot-holes.

Before wrapping up, a few interesting things to note: when I said they stayed true to the book, I do mean that Dr. Manhattan does appear nude in a number of scenes. By the end of the movie, you are used to seeing the computer-animated penis graphed onto the glowing blue body.

Another thing, the credits are wonderful but there is no “special” scene at the end of the movie. If you are waiting through the credits to see an extra – don’t. It isn’t there.

As I give Watchmen a 10 out of 10, I leave you with these final words from Dr. Manhattan:

“But the world is so full of people, so crowded with these miracles that they become commonplace and we forget – I forget. We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from another’s vantage point, as if new, it may still take our breath away.”

Human teeth found in Walmart accessory

According to the Associated Press, a man shopping in a Falmouth, Mass. Walmart found teeth in a wallet.

The man was looking to purchase the pocket accessory but upon unzipping a compartment, he found the ten adult teeth. According to officials, the man turned over the teeth and wallet to store employees and then left the scene.

The AP writes: "Police investigating the incident told The Cape Cod Times that the teeth belong to an adult, but since there was no blood or gum tissue on the teeth, they would be unable to perform DNA tests."

Walmart spokespersons have said that the incident is "isolated" but will investigate.

I guess you really CAN buy anything at Walmart, whether you want to or not.

Lesbian banned from XBox Live

Apparently, an XBox Live user identified as "Teresa" is permanently banned from the gaming system because of her sexuality.

Teresa referred to herself as a lesbian on her profile page and apparently received such harassment and reviews from other users that Microsoft banned her account.

The XBox Live system is set up so players can review other players. Negative reviews are usually an indication of cheating - but not so much in Teresa's case.

According to Joystiq.com: "...Microsoft noted that users may not 'create a gamertag or use text in other profile fields that include comments that look, sound like, stand for, hint at, abbreviate or insinuate content of a potentially sexual nature. Profiles that do are asked to change the language and suspended until changes are made.'

"The company also stated that it does not allow Gamertags or profiles to identify any form of sexual orientation, though it is allowed in voice chat 'where context is more easily explained to all players involved.'

"Finally, Microsoft stated that harassment is "not condoned" and "taken very seriously.'"

Microsoft is asking for Teresa to step forward but for now, she has been permanently banned from the system.

My only question is would this happen if the person was heterosexual? By no means am I implying that Microsoft is discriminatory, more specifically I want to know if a "straight" person would have received the same "harassment."

But I think we all know the answer to that question.

CMA announces 2009 inductees

The Country Music Association announced their 2009 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees today.

Charlie McCoy is the 2009 inductee for Recording and Touring Artist. McCoy was introduced by friend and 2007 inductee Mel Tillis.

Roy Clark is the 2009 inductee for Career Achieving National Prominence from World War II to 1975. Clark was introduced by friend and 2003 inductee Carl Smith.

Barbara Mandell is the 2009 inductee for Career Achieving National Prominence from 1975 to the present. Mandell was introduced by sister Louise Mandrell.

Congratulations to this trio for their achievements and success in the country music industry.

For more information on the Country Music Hall of Fame, please visit their Web site at: http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/.

Don't Taser me babe!

The summation is two 18-year-old girls were fighting at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla. In an attempt to break up the fight, the resource officer (a police officer assigned to keep peace and order at the school) decided to Taser them.

Both girls were immediately taken to the hospital. Separate hospitals actually - just in case, I guess.

"Tasering them, that's serious. They could've done some serious damage to her, nerve damage or whatever. You don't just Tase somebody like that. That's a lot of voltage going through her body," said Janice Robinson, mother of one of the girls, to Local 10.

This is absolutely and utterly an unnecessary use of force. Fights are terrible but maybe if these girls had pulled out weapons, a taser gun might have been called for.

Whatever happened to the days of teachers pulling students apart while shouting "anyone standing here in ten minutes gets detention for a week!"

Honestly, I don't think it's such a bad idea to just let students brawl for a few minutes. It might be somewhat barbaric, but it could allow them to work off some steam before planting their butts in the confines of in-school suspension.

And let's not kid ourselves, as soon as these girls are back on their feet, they'll be back at each other's throats. This time though, it'll be out of the Taser's watchful range.

As for the officer, nothing was said about how he'll be handled. Maybe a lawsuit from the parents of the kids would send a message that says protection that a firm grip is better than an electric shock.

SIDENOTE: The event actually took place at 7:30 a.m. Can't kids today at least wait until after grown-ups have had their morning coffee?


ORIGINAL STORY:

Officer Shoots 2 Girls With Taser Gun At High School
BSO: Resource Officer Stops Students Fighting

POSTED: Monday, February 2, 2009

UPDATED: 5:00 am EST February 3, 2009

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- A school resource officer shocked two teenage girls with a Taser gun at a high school in order to stop a fight Monday morning, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

BSO said the two 18-year-old girls began fighting at about 7:30 a.m. at Blanche Ely High School. They were identified as Kayla Robinson and Latia Johnson.

Before the first school bell rang, a school resource officer came upon a group of girls locked in a brawl. He tried to break it up, but when the students refused to back off, another deputy fired his Taser gun, striking both Robinson and Johnson, Local 10's Roger Lohse reported.

Both girls were taken in for medical clearance. One went to North Broward Medical Center, and the other went to Imperial Point Medical Center.

The teenagers were OK, but Robinson's mother, Janice Robinson, said she is shocked the deputy did not find a safer way to break up the fight.

"Tasering them, that's serious. They could've done some serious damage to her, nerve damage or whatever. You don't just Tase somebody like that. That's a lot of voltage going through her body," Janice Robinson said.

Local 10 took Robinson's concerns to BSO, which provided a copy of the agency's policy on when deputies are allowed to draw their Tasers. Section 6.4 reads:

"When all other alternatives to restrain, secure and prevent injuries have failed and/or there may be a likely risk of injury to the deputy."

In this case, BSO said there were hundreds of other students gathered around as the school resource deputy physically tried to separate the girls. The second deputy thought the crowd was becoming unruly and felt the Taser was the safest way to restore order.

"You have a school resource deputy there. At any time, someone could have even reached for his weapon. So you want to gain control of the situation as soon as possible. You want to minimize any injuries, and you want to protect everyone that's involved -- our deputies, the students, everyone," said Veda Coleman-Wright of BSO.

Kayla Robinson, Johnson, 18-year-old Ashley French and two juveniles are charged with misdemeanor counts of simple battery and disrupting a school function.

The two juveniles were released to their parents. The other three were expected to post $1,000 bond to be released Monday evening.

It is unclear what sort of punishment the students will face from the school district.

Copyright 2009 by Post-Newsweek Stations.

Pole dancing distracts students

Anyone who says that they wouldn't get distracted by a pole-dancing tutorial during their lunch break is outright lying.

And this was exactly the result of a risque display during a health drive at a London school.

Apparently, the school hired 32-year-old Sam Reemer, owner of the pole-dancing company "The Art of Dance," to display modern fitness pole dancing as a part of the schools health drive. Unfortunately for the school, the 1000-something teens were more inclined to take videos and pictures with their cell phones than absorb the exercise lesson.

The Sun paraphrased Reemer as saying "pole dancing is appropriate for young teenagers at school as it is a mix of dance moves and gymnastics and is excellent for fitness."

Similar workout programs like "Flirty Girl Fitness" and "pole-aerobic" classes are becoming increasing popular in the USA. But is the price of good fitness coming at the sacrifice of a moral standard? Is there a morality price attached to good health?

All I really know is I wish we had pole dancers displaying techniques during lunchtime. It would have been an incentive for me not to sneak off campus everyday.

ORIGINAL STORY:

School holds pole dance class

By: Vince Soodin, The Sun

Gawping teenagers watched a busty brunette give a pole dance lesson during their school lunch break.

A packed crowd of around 1,000 teenage students – aged 14 to 19 – saw the saucy display as part of a health drive.

Students videoed the dances on their mobiles.

A row has now erupted at South Devon College in Paignton after the demonstration prompted a wave of complaints from teachers.

The demo – held in a public area of the school – was run by Sam Remmer of pole dancing company The Art of Dance.

The 32-year-old said she was invited as part of the school’s Be Healthy Week.

But returning to the college two days later for the second demonstration she was told to move inside the sports hall and away from the main public area as there had been “a number of complaints”.

She was told staff had complained that after the first performance pupils were more interested in watching their mobile phone footage than they were in their afternoon classes.

Mrs Remmer said: “I was told pupils were distracted from their afternoon lessons because they were swapping pictures and videos.”

Mrs Remmer also said she had agreed to carry out the demo for free – providing she could post videos of the event on the internet for advertising.

However when teachers saw the videos on YouTube they demanded Mrs Remmer took them down.

She said: “The college are trying to distance themselves from the display as much as possible. I was contacted by the vice principal who argued that I should not be making the event public.

"I consented to removing the videos that had students in them as they had not signed any consent forms, but I refused to remove the videos filmed in the sports hall as they did not feature any students or references to the college."

Mrs Remmer said unless people are educated in the differences between modern fitness pole dancing and lap dancing then “negative stereotypes will not go away”.

She said pole dancing is appropriate for young teenagers at school as it is a mix of dance moves and gymnastics and is excellent for fitness.

The college has refused to comment on the issue.

But vice principal Pat Denham did say there was a “pole fitness demonstration but no pole dancing” and the college had received no “official” complaints.

The college has contacted Mrs Remmer and demanded she remove all videos relating to the display from the internet.

Child killer could get sentenced to death - again

This is precisely what is wrong with the American judicial system. They don't understand the laws of nature. They think they can kill people - twice.

Joseph Duncan, a 46-year-old convicted sex offender sentenced to death for killing 9-year-old Dylan Groene, has been brought up on charges in the death of another boy.

Anthony Martinez, a 10-year-old Californian boy, was kidnapped in April of 1997. His body was found two weeks later, naked, bound and bludgeoned.

According to CNN, "Authorities reportedly discovered the boy's body by following vultures to a remote section of a nearby canyon. The body was partially buried under a pile of rocks and bound with duct tape."

If convicted, Duncan can be sentenced to death - again.

I understand the concept of multiple death sentences. Everyone wants a piece, everyone wants their justice. It just seems that after the first sentence is carried out, the second (or any subsequent death sentences after) is completely useless.

Wouldn't it just be easier to make him work for the rest of his miserable life? Then kill him?

We could tie him up on a string, hang him from a tree, and invite local youth groups and orphanages to come to the jail and beat him like a pinata.

Or we could just stick him in permanent confinement with a group of hardcore rapists.

Whatever it is, I know we could do something a little more creative than giving him a second death sentence.

On a side not to this story, the other thing I found interesting was the fact that Duncan supposedly committed his first sexual offence at the age of 12.

You think that would have been a signal to someone in young Duncan's life that something was horribly amiss. Which now brings to light the interesting question: is Duncan a victim of circumstance and negligence by people who should have been able to help OR is Duncan just a heartless SOB?

ORIGINAL STORY:

Child killer Duncan faces charges in another slaying

(CNN) -- A convicted sex offender who was sentenced to death for killing a 9-year-old Idaho boy is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on charges related to the killing of a 10-year-old California boy.

Joseph Edward Duncan III is expected to appear in court in Riverside County, California, to answer to charges in the 1997 abduction and murder of Anthony Martinez, said a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's office.

Investigators have charged Duncan with murder in Anthony's death.

Law-enforcement officials also are investigating whether Duncan, who committed his first sexual offense at the age of 12, can be tied to other crimes, according to CNN affiliate KTLA in Los Angeles, California.

Martinez was kidnapped on April 4, 1997 from an alley near his home in the city of Beaumont, the station reported; the boy's naked body was discovered a little over two weeks later.

Duncan has confessed to killing Martinez and crushing the boy's head with a rock, KTLA reported, citing court documents.

Authorities reportedly discovered the boy's body by following vultures to a remote section of a nearby canyon. The body was partially buried under a pile of rocks and bound with duct tape, according to KTLA.

Duncan, a high school dropout and drifter, was sentenced to death last August for the torture and murder of Dylan Groene, a 9-year-old Idaho boy.

He was convicted of kidnapping Dylan and his then 8-year-old sister before torturing them at a remote campsite and fatally bludgeoning members of their family.

In 2007, Duncan pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping counts in state court for the hammer-attack murders of three other Groene family members.

If convicted of murdering Martinez, Duncan can be sentenced to death again.

Start treating Obama like a politician

On Tuesday morning, the world came to a grinding halt as billions of people stopped to watch the inarguably historic inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. The world witnessed as he became the first black leader of the free world.

At this point, I'm sick of hearing about Obama. Yes - I realize that he is now the president and will make news for the next four years.

But it isn't his politics I'm sick of hearing and seeing - it's his image. I'm sick of Barack Obama the celebrity, and with the recent passing of the inauguration, the Hollywood glamour will hopefully dissipate.

I am happy that he is our president, but this is precisely what I expect - President Barack Obama - not Obama-rama Spectacular Blowout Bash Supreme.

Supporting a candidate is a necessary aspect of political life. Creating a "rock star" persona and marketing him as a god that excrements rainbows and unicorns only sets up his presidency for failure. It sets the standards bar impossibly high.

He will not make money grow on trees.

He will not smash poverty and successfully enact universal healthcare.

He will not save all failing industries in America or return homes lost due to faulty advice from greedy bankers.

And he will certainly not make all of his supporters happy.

If Obama manages to successfully end the Iraq conflict, set our economy on a track to recovery and still have a little time to nurture the areas of education, healthcare and international relations, I think his term will be quite successful.

The problem is that many hardcore Obama-rama supporters act no better than concert groupies - sporting fashion buttons, bumper stickers and gaudy t-shirts in lieu of actual awareness. For some reason, the new fad seems to be being politically "active" via star-worship.

Not all Obama supporters have this attitude, but there are definitely those who only have a copy of Shepard Fairey's portrait of Obama because they think it's cool.

The attitude of Obama's supporters, however, was significantly more bearable than hardcore John McCain supporters who thought it cute to show off Curious George plushies with Obama buttons and yell obscenities about Obama during McCain's concession speech.

But once again, the same rule applies. Not all McCain supporters were like this, but I'm sure that the majority of the ones that were only acted like idiots because it was the "popular" way to show support for McCain. This includes Facebookers with "NObama," monkey-themed profile pictures.

The atmosphere surrounding the election proves that the celebrity cloud wasn't limited to just Obama but engulfed McCain as well. His supporters were just as eager and willing to turn their presidential candidate into an entertaining commodity rather than promoting his political platforms. Both are guilty of parading around shows like Saturday Night Live with about as much dignity as a state fair sideshow.

About the only performer in the 2008 political drama that wasn't backstage-pass worthy was Joe Biden. But then again, look who his competition was - Sarah Palin. How do you compete with someone who would probably do just about anything for green-room access?

Despite the better efforts of starry-eyed fans and media outlets obsessed with image over issues, Obama did reasonably well Tuesday, covering his overall goals in the inauguration speech, although the speech itself was somewhat dismal as he meticulously outlined the stormy skies ahead.

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

In summary: we're screwed.

So in the wake of these crises, the American people need someone to look to. It should be our president, whose duty it is to lead us through our dark times. My fear is that people expect an entertaining celebrity and will be sorely disappointed with the result.

Barack is a pop idol, but President Obama is not a superstar - only a man with a mission to make our lives better.

And that should be enough for the American people.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
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© Copyright 2009 The Sidelines - Posted 01/22/09

Video games do not equal combat

I love video games.

I got my first console when I was in elementary school - a Super Nintendo. In middle school I received a Playstation for Christmas. And finally, after a long wait similar to Cartman and the Wii, I got my Playstation 2 as a junior in high school.

The world of interactive entertainment has definitely evolved from the heydays of killing brain cells in shady arcades. Video games help to develop hand-eye coordination, logic and puzzle-solving skills, and continue to turn entire generations into tech-savvy beings. And despite limited time to play, I still engage in video games as often as possible.

So I was very disturbed to hear a CNN report yesterday about a new military recruitment facility in a Philadelphia shopping mall.

According to the report, the $12 million facility "has 60 personal computers loaded with military video games, 19 Xbox 360 video game controllers and a series of interactive screens describing military bases and career options in great detail."

Jesse Hamilton, a recent veteran of Iraq, spoke out against the new recruitment effort and said, "[The Army Experience Center is] very deceiving and very far from realistic. You can't simulate the loss when you see people getting killed. It's not very likely you are going to get into a firefight. The only way to simulate the heat is holding a blow dryer to your face."

The fact that the military might be trying to make a vague connection between actual warfare and a video game like Call of Duty 4 is utterly insulting to all active and veteran soldiers. It's almost saying their job was and is no harder than pushing a few buttons.

Comparing warfare to simulated combat is like seeing "Schindler's List" and proclaiming you can sympathize with Holocaust survivors.

To clarify, this topic has nothing to do with the military overall. I'm not up for writing much about whether I support or disapprove of the war or my opinion on our outgoing and incoming presidents' foreign policies.

What I do find interesting, however, is the area of military recruitment. I constantly refer to the recruitment mall next to Hobby Lobby off of Old Fort Parkway as "piranha row."

I call it piranha row because recruiters will try to get as many bites at a potential recruit as possible - anything to boost the Army's ever dropping enlistment rate.

To be fair, I am an Army brat via my father, so my dislike of recruitment officers started at a very young age. By the age of 12, I was receiving US Army paraphernalia - bags, visors, Frisbees, sunglasses.

When I was 14, I joined my high school's JROTC program. This was mostly out of respect for my father, who was, at the time, the executive officer of the program.

When I was 15, a sophomore, the Army recruiter came to visit.

I, along with my fellow classmates, were told to come to school in dress uniform and give up our lunch periods to stand with the Army recruiter to talk with our fellow, non-JROTC peers.   We were supposed to sell the army life, despite the fact that we hadn't lived it. I just found it to be useful excuse not to be forced to find a seat in our already over-crowded cafeteria.

I ditched JROTC my sophomore year and refused to sign-up or respond to any postcards, letters or e-mails I had, and do still occasionally, receive.

But after reading another recruitment-themed story on Dec. 22, 2008 at Comcast.net, I'm actually starting to feel like recent recruiters are little more than Uncle Sam's punching bags.   The story talks about the multiple suicides that have plagued the Houston Recruiting Battalion over the past three years. All soldiers served combat tours before becoming recruiters.

One death in particular, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Henderson, is the main focus since his widow, Staff Sgt. Amanda Henderson, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) have pressed the state senate for an investigation into Patrick's suicide.

According to Amanda, her husband worked "13-hour days, six days a week, often encountering abuse from young people and their parents… When he [Patrick] and other recruiters would gripe about their pressure to meet their quotas, their supervisors would snarl that they ought to be grateful they were not in Iraq."

Barely a year after taking the recruiting position, 35-year-old Patrick hanged himself in his backyard shed with a dog chain.

Wretched isn't strong enough to describe Patrick's last year of life and tragic isn't nearly appropriate enough to describe his death.

Whatever causes these soldiers' distress, the added pressures of creating a magical illusion of play fighting through entertainment and promising real-life, video game glory at the potential cost of young Americans' lives is more than enough to cause any human being distress - especially when that person knows the truth.

At this point, I'm not sure what's worse: asking soldiers to out-right fabricate combat situations to boost enlistment numbers or being the person who has to lie to unsuspecting young men and women?

I just hope we don't start opening martial arts studios asking kids to train with Mortal Kombat and then turn around, expecting them to break cement blocks with their bare foreheads.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/15/09

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© Copyright 2009 The Sidelines