Doug Berger – Page 160

May 27, 2005April 18, 2020

Cell phones in Findlay High School causing trouble

Back on May 9th a group of Findlay High School students approached the school board to ask for a change in the cell phone policy at school.

It seems that FHS as a zero tolerance for cell phones on campus and if found they are confiscated and returned at the end of the day. If the same person is found with one again then a parent or guardian has to come to school to pick it up.

Cell phones are like a part of the body of most teens these days. They are always talking, texting, or now taking pictures to share. Schools do have a reason to control the use of the phones during school hours for the same reason you can’t have a boom box. The phones not only can disrupt class but they can also be used to cheat.

When I heard about the issue I sided with the current policy.

In my younger days calculators were just being made affordable for most students. At first they were banned from school. It was considered cheating if you used one. But then they found out that calculators can help marginal students in math since most of the trouble is doing basic math functions. The policy changed and calculators were allowed but if you had a fancy one that could save formulas you had to bring them to the teacher before a test and he/she would reset the machine to wipe out any attempts to cheat on the test.

The problem with cell phones is, that unlike calculators, they have NO educational value.

The students suggested changing the policy to allow them to bring them as long as they are off and kept in their lockers during the day.

Sounds reasonable.

Then I read a follow up story in today’s Courier.

It seems that some students still bring the phones to school and some even use them during the day, fully knowing that it is against the rules.

But that wasn’t the kicker.

It seems that the administration is searching the phones they confiscate and punishing any rule violations contained on them like bad language in text messages and pictures showing underage drinking.

The kids are pissed. They feel that their privacy is being violated.

I think the kids had a good argument – if it wasn’t in school. Students have no privacy in school. When I was there in the mid 80’s we had a couple of school wide locker searches. Each class had to open their lockers and a staff member would look through them and punish any violation they found. One time they even brought a drug sniffing dog.

Cell phones are not school property but you really can’t blame the administration for searching them especially because they aren’t allowed in the first place.

As a teacher is quoted in the Courier article:

“Doesn’t there have to be some respect for the rules?”

Originally posted on the blog “Hancock County Politics Unfiltered”

May 24, 2005April 18, 2020

Democrats: We like anal lube. Really.

Once again the Democrats bent over and became spokespeople for anal lube:

Senators Avert Showdown Over Filibusters

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

Under the terms, Democrats agreed to allow final confirmation votes for Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor, appeals court nominees they have long blocked. There is “no commitment to vote for or against” the filibuster against two other conservatives named to the appeals court, Henry Saad and William Myers.

The agreement said future judicial nominees should “only be filibustered under extraordinary circumstances,” with each senator � presumably the Democrats � holding the discretion to decide when those conditions had been met. Officials said the pact was intended to cover the Supreme Court as well as other levels of the judiciary.

http://tinyurl.com/bj26z

What this means is the Dems lose the fight over the most contentious nominees and gained a “maybe” the Republicans won’t drop the bomb on the filibuster in the future.

If I was the Democratic leader I would have dared them to do it and when they did make sure the Dems never voted on another piece of legislation for the rest of the term. Instead of Yay or Nay each one would be asked to vote “present”.

That way when the elections came around the Dems could say we stood up for our party and the Republicans are responsible for every thing passed that term.

Now once again the spines are no where to be found.

If find any please send them to the DNC, 430 S. Capitol St. SE Washington, DC 20003

May 20, 2005April 18, 2020

A Couple of Funnies

If you enjoy life then you like to laugh at the absurd. I got a couple for you today from the past week.

Item 1

Finish this line:

“Guess what? I’ve got a fever. And the only prescription is… “

If you shouted “More cowbell!” then you too remember the sketch on Saturday Night Live 5 years ago.

“More cowbell” is the punch line to a “Saturday Night Live” skit that originally aired five years ago this month (April). The guest host was Christopher Walken, and one of the skits spoofed VH1’s “Behind the Music” by imagining what happened when the 1970s band Blue Oyster Cult went into the studio to cut “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” its best-known song.

Walken plays producer Bruce Dickinson, a preening rock “legend” who turns hacks into hit-makers. Will Ferrell, who wrote the sketch, plays pseudo-Cult member Gene Frenkle, whose sole talent consists of beating on a cowbell with enough force to stun a bull elephant. Real-life BOC members are portrayed by SNL’s Jimmy Fallon, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz, and Chris Kattan, none of whom can keep a straight face as Ferrell maniacally pounds away while prancing around with his belly hanging out of his shirt.

It’s Walken, though, who steals the show by uttering the phrase that’s achieved cult-worship status. “I gotta have more cowbell!” he pleads when annoyed bandmates complain that enough is enough. In a bit of lunacy that would do “This Is Spinal Tap” proud, a crazed Walken exclaims, “Guess what? I’ve got a fever. And the only prescription is more cowbell.”

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/04/30/more_cowbell_yes_please_weve_got_a_fever/

I saw the sketch 5 years ago and several times since then and it cracks me up everytime.

Will Ferrell has been the best SNL cast member since Eddie Murphy in the 1980’s. I believe he is the only one to have a 2 volume DVD set in the “Best of SNL” collection.

Christopher Walken as host is always a hoot because he seems so mental in real life that seeing him do comedy is really funny. The other Walken bits I love is where he is a smarmy lech trying to seduce a woman and we see the sketch from the POV of the woman (a cameraman with a dress glove on). The other is when his character can see into the future of anyone he touches and the future has nothing to do with the person.

Item 2

Fun with the Queen

This week Queen Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh are on a state visit of Saskatchewan and Alberta (Canada), as part of the celebration marking the centennial of these provinces’ entry into Confederation.

They have the itinerary for May 18th posted on a website about the visit and while browsing it – one of the items cracked me up:

11:35

The Duke of Edinburgh arrives at the site and acknowledges War Memorial Fund Raising Committee and assembled veterans.

The Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by Mr. Jones, proceeds to the site of the sod-turning.

The Duke of Edinburgh turns the sod.

The Duke of Edinburgh unveils a plaque, commemorating the sod-turning on the occasion of the 2005 visit of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness.

En route, The Duke of Edinburgh views the adjacent World War I Memorial.

The Duke of Edinburgh views the sign depicting the future Saskatchewan War Memorial.

Brigadier-General Walker, Mr. Lyons, Mr. Harasen, and Mr. Jones say goodbye to His Royal Highness.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/visiteroyale2005/detail_mai_may18_e.cfm
—————-

The line about the Duke turning the sod was funny then the line refering to the plaque about the sod turning had me on the floor peeing my pants…..

May 15, 2005April 18, 2020

How did Bush win Ohio in 2004?

On May 15th, 2005, the Columbus Dispatch published a detailed analysis of the vote that day based on information from the Secretary of State’s office.

It shows that while Kerry won the major cities, except Cincinnati, Bush and the GOP crushed Kerry in the rural areas. They did it by a massive get-to-the-polls push in the 3 days before the election. The GOP targeted likely Bush voters using marketing data.

The other points found that led to the Bush victory in November: it was the first presidential election since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the country was at “war”, Bush had a unique relationship with religious conservatives, and state Issue 1 was on the Ohio ballot (banning Gay marriage).

I put together a couple of the articles and the graphs on a mini-site for those interested in reading more:

https://dougberger.net/ohio2004/index.html

May 2, 2005April 18, 2020

The Cucumber Incident: Revisited

Back in July, 2004, I posted some thoughts on the documentary called The Cucumber Incident.

The film told the story surrounding an incident that made national headlines in 1997. Three women had attacked, stripped, and forced a cucumber in the butt of a convicted child molester. They then drove the man back to his home town of McComb, Ohio and dumped him outside a pizza shop. The women were arrested and served time in jail as well as being labeled sex offenders.

The twist was the man was the husband of one of the women and the other two were the wife’s relatives. The guy had served time in prison for molesting his daughter and had been suspected of doing it again.

Someone posted my article in full on the Indymedia network of websites and comments flooded in to my article.

Most of the comments took me to task because I refused to applaud the women’s revenge. I was also taken to task for not being outraged at the husband’s acts and one person commented that it was no surprise as I was man. Several comments mentioned that if one was a victim of abuse then one would understand.

I reject all of those comments.

Revenge is not justice even if it is for a heinous act. The child was examined by the proper authorities and there was not enough evidence to arrest Randy, the husband.

The fact remains that Jewel chose to allow Randy back into house after he got out of prison. If she had kicked him to the curb then it is less likely another incident would have happened. Even after the alleged incident Jewel had the choice to leave him or kick him out of the house.

I do not look on child abuse of any kind lightly but it still doesn’t trump the fact that revenge is not justice.

My gender has nothing to do with my views on the woman’s acts. Revenge is not justice. I would feel the same way if it were 3 men attacking a female molester.

Although I have not been personally been abused, there was an incident in my family several years ago that still has a negative impact on me and the family.

Originally posted on the blog “Hancock County Politics Unfiltered”