National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2006, we had over 79,000 participants. Nearly 13,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: Sign-ups begin October 1, 2007. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

This year there's over 90,000 people signed up! Join in today and get writing!

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Well it's just not going to happen, freedom-lovers, is it?

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I like the American Legion. I suppose that's why I'm a member. And when they do things like this, it just makes me glad I'm a member (even if not a member of that post, nor even any California post).

You see, there's something called "tradition." This country was, whether you like it or not, founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. And these beliefs include a sense a right and wrong. Now I realize that there are a lot of people (especially in California) that simply do not believe in right and wrong. There are a lot of people that believe there is no absolute truth. Well, they're wrong.

In fact, it was George Washington that said a nation cannot survive without morals and religious principles. If you completely remove all things that are associated with Christianity from the country, you will end up with a lawless land full of evil and destruction. Literally, survival of the fittest will rule -- and I will be able to kill anyone that I want because it wouldn't be wrong.

There's nothing wrong with reciting "In the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost." Did you get that? It doesn't say anything about the person being buried, JUST in the eyes of a Christian citizen. There's NOTHING there that any sane person could possibly consider government endorsement of any religion.

So American Legion, keep up the good work -- the only way today to retain values, morals, and traditions is going to be to ignore the government no matter the cost.

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This is, reportedly, Fox News setting up a camera shoot covering a Republican conference:

Just can't let those darn Ron Paul supporters be seen. He's got dangerous ideas, so the mainstream media, even Fox News, apparently, simply cannot let people know about him.

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Lying about the 44 blocks

When Tom Burnett Sr. came out against the Flight 93 Memorial, the press asked architect Paul Murdoch if there were really going to be 44 inscribed translucent blocks emplaced along the flight path (equaling the number of passengers, crew, AND terrorists). Murdoch acknowledged 43 of the blocks, but denied knowing about a 44th:

[T]here are 40 inscribed marble panels listing the names of the passengers and crew at the gateway to the Sacred Ground, where their remains still rest.

There is then an opening in the wall, Mr. Murdoch said, and three additional panels, which would include the date, Sept. 11, 2001.

"Where the other one is being fabricated, I don't know," he said.

Man and child stand in front of the 44th block, which forms the railing at the end of the Entry Portal Walkway. The glass block will be inscribed: "A field of honor forever." This Walkway provides visitors with their first view of the inside of the giant crescent. (From the Entry Portal page of the original design PDFs. Click pic for wider view.)

The flight path

The Entry Portal Walkway is built along the flight path. It signifies, in Paul Murdoch's own description, the terrorists breaking the circle and turning it into a giant crescent. The flight path then continues down to the crash site, which sits in the middle of the mouth of the giant crescent (in roughly the position of the star on an Islamic crescent and star flag).

Just before the impact point is the Memorial Wall, also built along the flight path. This two part wall is where the other 43 blocks will be placed (the ones described by Paul Murdoch above):

The forty translucent blocks that run horizontally through the left hand section of wall (closest to the impact crater) will be inscribed with the names of the forty murdered heroes. The three on the right will be inscribed with the 9/11 date. (From the Sacred Ground Plaza page of the original design PDF's. Click pic for larger image. The alternating white and gray depicts the zig zag layout of the translucent blocks.)

Challenged by the father of one of our murdered heroes, Murdoch told a desperate lie, feigning ignorance of one of the most prominent features of his own design: the huge glass block that dedicates the entire site. This should have been the end of his hijack attempt, but Murdoch's deception was abetted by both the Memorial Project and the press.

The abettors

"That has been disproved so many times," said Bill Hayworth, the Memorial Project's PR flack, when asked about the 44 blocks. Would it have been too much for reporters to ask for this proof?

In fact Murdoch is the first one to ever even deny that there are 44 glass blocks on the flight path. The only earlier Memorial Project statement about the 44 blocks was from Project Manager Jeff Reinbold, who told Alec Rawls in an April 2006 conference call that the giant glass block can't be counted with the small glass blocks because it is bigger: "If we are going to count the big glass block with the small glass blocks," he said, "then we have to count the windows in the visitor center too." (Crescent of Betrayal, download 3, p. 146.)

"The windows in the visitor center are not on the flight path," Rawls replied. He never said they were all the same size, and he never said there are no other panes of glass in the Memorial. Reinbold's silly dodges do not contradict Rawls' 44 glass blocks claim in any way.

The press was also in on the deception. Kecia Bal, the reporter who quoted Hayworth's dismissal of the 44 blocks claim had already verified the block count for herself. Mr. Rawls had earlier sent her close ups of all 44. She responded with a request for copies of the original design PDFs, so she could check the veracity of these close-ups for herself.

When Bal quoted Hayworth, she knew he was wrong, and allowed him to mislead the public by suppressing her own fact checking of the 44 blocks. People can think that the 44 blocks are innocuous if they want, but lying about the block count certainly is not innocuous. Similarly for many the other lies that are being told in defense of the crescent design.

Memorial Project members insist that it is just coincidence that a person facing directly into the giant crescent will be facing almost exactly at Mecca, but that isn't what they are telling the public. They are telling the newspapers that the Mecca-orientation claim is false, while acknowledging amongst themselves that the Mecca orientation is real.

Again and again Murdoch, the Memorial Project and the press are lying in concert to cover up the facts of the design. Some people will be unsure what to make of the many suspicious features of the crescent design but no one should doubt the need to expose and condemn those who lie about the facts.

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Mayor Pat McCrory

Office of the Mayor
600 E. Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Re: Urgent Matters of Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery.

October 30, 2007

Dear Mayor Pat McCrory:

We agree with your statements on crime and not tolerating it. We hope the same does apply towards Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery. We have express our concerns about the welfare of Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery for several years now.

Since tomorrow night is Halloween hope you will have the police department keep a special eye on both cemeteries. For the past several years the cemeteries have had various occurrences of vandalism that has occurred. We do not need any more vandalism in Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery. It sickness us find these headstones broken on purpose. This type of criminal activity is horrible an outrage to the families and citizens of Charlotte.

The vandalism has consisted of statues on burial plots broken, some beheaded, various headstones broken, and some bashed into pieces. Even monuments have had pieces chipped, which have lead to further cracking. Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery has been the victim of vandalism for too long.

We are concerned regarding the lack of responsibility we have encountered in the past. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department hasn'tÂ’t followed up on reports filed. A police officer only has contacted us once and left a message. We have tried to contact him back, several times and have not heard from him. There havenÂ’t been any arrests in regards to the vandalism. The aloof behavior is why people do not take the time to become more involved. This has not been an uncommon behavior by police or city officials.

The Homeless has become bigger problem in Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery.

We came across several locations where the homeless are staying. Several homeless individuals are using Mausoleum, as shelter. Saw several homeless individuals near the Norfolk track line. On the east side of Elmwood by the old office, two individuals are camping there. There is a large amount of garbage all around the buildings too.

Our cemeteries have been allowed to become a haven for the homeless, assaults at times and gang activity. City officials have not taken a more productive stand help protect and maintain Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery. We trust that this will change, so Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery will become a safe haven.

Vandalism is bad enough in Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery, yet we have to worry about damages done by lawn mowers too. The Lawn Company uses mowers that are too big and set very low for the terrain of the cemetery. This causes scraping, chipping, breaking, and toppling of the headstones and damage occurs. Many of these headstones are works of art the quality, and
workmanship, cannot be replaced. We (the families) cannot stress that enough! Many of the older headstones come from artisans who hand carved these stones; they cannot be replaced with inferior copies. Once they are gone, they are gone, and shame on those who allowed this!

It is nice to see areas that had new trash bins, but it seems that trash bins are not dumped enough. This why a rodent problem has started in the cemeteries and it seems the rats come from the sewers. I know that cities do have these types of problems. However, this particular problem has been brought up in the past to various city officials.

When our city is not providing safety or maintaining up keep, for Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery. Then city is in violation of North Carolina State Laws. The city is fully responsible for Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery. Therefore, when we inform you of things that are going on, in the cemetery; we expect these things to be corrected quickly.

We still have numerous dogs running loose through Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery. Simple, the fourth Ward Neighborhood needs a Dog Park. Many people are not cleaning up after their dogs business. Our headstones are in honor of our love ones not have dog crap on them. Signs are posted in both cemeteries that state the rules and city ordinances. Again, these ordinances are not followed or enforced.

We have spoken with city officials numerous times and nothing has been done stop this. Animal Control told city officials that dogs should not be allowed in the cemetery. Several cemeteries in North Carolina do not allow dogs. By the lack of officials, taking the time to rectify this, it becomes abundantly clear, that City Officials do not have respect for the citizens, who they are elected to serve.

The following links show various pictures regarding these matters.

http://www.alexandersociety.com/VandalismAtElmwoodCemetery.html

http://www.alexandersociety.com/HallofShame.html

We have spoken with you and address city council numerous times on the issues, still nothing has changed. Even have reported various criminal activity to authorities and seen no follow up or arrest made. For some reason, the police officers that we saw and spoken with have not enact on any of these past issues.

Various people have shared the same type of frustration too. We are tired of seeing inconsistency, to help stop these issues; one needs diligent people to follow through.

Mr. McCrory, there has been a strong need for a proactive resolution to these problems. Several times over the years, we have offered our support and even shared various resources that would help resolve these problems. As Mayor, the buck stops with you and we have not seen consistent, decisive action from you. Citizens need to see a positive change and direction.

We have spoken with various community leaders and families, one thing that resounds as a theme, is the lack of responsibility that elected officials have shown. Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery, is all that is left that truly shows the history of Charlotte.

Both cemeteries are intertwined not only with each other, but they directly parallel the City of CharlotteÂ’s vibrant history and growth. A casual visit to these cemeteries quickly reveals its interments of historical significance just by reading the surnames on existent tombstones. We can only pray that our city and county leaders can remember how they would feel, if was their loved ones and it was their headstones being vandalized.

Elmwood is the final resting place for the relatives of two American Presidents, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk. Also buried in this part are Relatives of American Pioneer icons such as: Boone, Crockett, Houston, and Davis. Also interred are local pioneers and their descendants such as: the Polk's, Spratts, AlexanderÂ’s, Clontzs, Steele's, Whites, Springs, Blacks, Hoods
/ Presley, Orrs.

Pinewood is much older. Not many people know the rich and wondrous history of this section of the Cemetery. Leaders who were the foundations of African-American communities are in Pinewood as well. It is a wealth of history for an entire culture, one that has lost much of its relevant history to the injustices of the past. It should be preserved and protected, as it is it is being destroyed by lawnmowers, vandals, and ignorance.

Mr. McCrory, we like to try again meeting with you personally about these issues. This time like to suggest have your office arrange this, so there is no misunderstandings and lack of communication.

We want a positive plan and direction put in place solve these issues. If we pull all our resources together just think what could be accomplish. We are willing, are you?

The ball is in your court and we hope that another body is not found!

Sincerely,

Mark A. Palmer
Historic Preservation of Elmwood and Pinewood Cemetery
www.alexandersociety.com

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Here it comes...

Once again it's almost time for National Novel Writing Month! This will be my fourth year trying this strange event. If you have ever wanted to try and write a novel, this is the way to get going! It doesn't matter if you're not ready. It REALLY doesn't matter if you don't have the time (I know I sure don't). What matters is that you want to write a novel and this way WILL help you get going. Come on, you blossoming writers, join up!

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1 Wow...that time again?? I remember last yr- I copied your novel blog onto my computer. I still have that. LOL

Posted by: Raven at October 30, 2007 09:39 PM (ohnld)

2 Heh. I'm way behind. I have two days to go and I don't know what I'm going to write about. I went to set up the novel blog again, and I couldn't even come up with a name...

Posted by: Ogre at October 30, 2007 09:46 PM (2WD8n)

3 Hi! Just wanted to let you know the Valour-IT fundraiser has started again this year and we'd be excited to have you on the Marine Corps team once again! (can't find an email addy for you on your blog) You can learn more at my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions! All the best, ~Holly Aho

Posted by: Holly at October 30, 2007 09:57 PM (KMpke)

4 Thanks for reminding me, I'll get that set up!

Posted by: Ogre at October 31, 2007 11:47 AM (oifEm)

5 MARINES. Boot camp! Write a fictional account of Paris Island. Life during boot camp! The trials and tribulations of a Marine Recruit. LOL!!

Posted by: Raven at October 31, 2007 01:00 PM (9vjyS)

6 Fictional? I'm not sure I could make stuff up about that...

Posted by: Ogre at October 31, 2007 01:05 PM (oifEm)

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In case you hadn't heard, The Golden Compass is a movie that will be released in November. It's a "kids" movie. It's purpose is to actively tear down children and religion. It is designed to drag your children away from any semblance of religion and dash any hope they have in their life. It used to be that movies lifted people up. This one is designed to bring you down.

Oh sure, they claim that's not true, but again, the story is about a girl on a quest to kill God. And the author open says that he hates God.

So atheists, celebrate and rejoice. Go and see this movie that was written by some who writes about killing God. But be warned, it is designed to destroy hope in your children. It's designed to make kids think that life is worthless. So of course, the critics love it. How sad.

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Did you know that, according to the LA Times, that criminals scared of breaking the law is bad? Apparently, again, according to the LA Times, criminals should not be scared to break the law. I guess the Times would prefer that criminals and law enforcement just be peaceful. Perhaps in their world, crimes would go like this:

Criminal: Hi, I'm here to rape, rob, and murder you.
Victim: Oh great. I just need to finish up mailing this letter, then I'll be right with you.
Criminal: That's fine, I can wait a couple minutes.
Victim: Okay, I'm done, you can go right ahead with your crime.
Criminal: Thanks for cooperating.

* Criminal the proceeds to rape, rob, and murder the victim. As the criminal finishes, the police show up *

Policeman: Hey, you there, are you committing a crime?
Criminal: (zipping up pants) Who, me? No, not at all. I just found this person here.
Policeman: Really? Are you sure? It sort of looks like you just killed that person. After all, you've got blood all over you, and that's her purse in your hand.
Criminal: Okay, you got me. I'm sorry. I'm the one who did this. I killed her.
Policeman: That's better. I'm glad that you admitted it. Now how do you feel about your crime?
Criminal: I feel really bad, sortof. I just don't know.
Policeman: Well let's sit down and talk about it, m'kay?

Hey LA Times, perhaps you're not aware of it, but there's bad people in the world. There's people who break the law. And there's people, who if they're not stopped, will continue to break the law and do violent and bad things to other people. I'm sorry that the LA Times cannot understand something so simple.

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“They are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare, but only to lay taxes for that purpose. To consider the latter phrase not as describing the purpose of the first, but as giving a distinct and independent power to do any act they please which may be good for the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless.” —Thomas Jefferson

Once again, R.I.P. America.

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The folks at Jessica's Law Now NC sent along this little tidbit that I thought I'd spread around:

This person works in the General Assembly and cannot reveal his name, but he is a big supporter of Jessica's law. Here are this comments: This is important. The thing will never get to the floor or out of committee unless you can get Rand and Basnight on your side. Make it worth their while. Pressure the heck out of them. (This comment is all OFF THE RECORD).

This is how things REALLY WORK in the Senate. It's not above board, like in the House. That's why this bill keeps passing the house but never gets thru the Senate.

Comment:
You might want to mention that Senator Berger is the Senate Republican Leader, Senator Brown and Senator Tillman are also supporters. This bill has very little chance of being heard unless you can convince Senator Rand to hear it.

Basnight is king of the Senate. What he says goes, period. It is nearly impossible to overrule him. Indeed, he has more power than the governor, because the governor is term-limited, while he has been there TWENTY-FOUR YEARS. Indeed, if you want something in the state of North Carolina, talk to the king. If he's on your side, no one can stop you. Of course, if he's not on your side, there's no chance that your issue will ever see the light of day.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:05 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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1 Very Good article: The New McCarthyism - Human Rights Watch Addresses Difficult Problem http://tinyurl.com/2dgn8b

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 03:17 PM (BcHsU)

2 Interesting article. And certainly, I'm conscious of unintended consequences of laws. But I'd question the article's claim that sex offenders don't have a high recidivism rate. I'd like to see concrete data on that one before I believe it. I also don't have much compassion for a law that requires someone who rapes children to have to live "far from their family."

Posted by: Ogre at October 30, 2007 03:23 PM (oifEm)

3 Laws need to be passed on EMPIRICAL DATA and not emotion created by media hype and polititians need for votes. White Papers, Studies, Official Government Reports, Empirical Information Public Perceptions About Sex Offenders and Community Protection Policies 2007 Jill S. Levenson, Yolanda N. Brannon, Timothy Fortney, Juanita Baker 25 Pages; 536 KB The hypothesis that community members hold inaccurate beliefs about sex offenders was supported. Respondents estimated sex offense recidivism rates to be around 75%. In contrast, the best available evidence suggests that sex offense recidivism rates range from 5 to 14% over 3- to 6-year follow-up periods (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003; Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2004, 2005) and 24% over 15-year follow-up periods (Harris & Hanson, 2004). Although official recidivism data underestimate true reoffense rates (Hanson&Bussiere, 199 , ample evidence suggests that the majority of convicted sex offenders do not go on to commit new sex crimes. It might have been interesting to ask respondents about their sources information, but we speculate that the media furnishes a substantial amount of this type of data to most people (Lotke, 1997; Proctor et al., 2002; Sample & Kadleck, 2006). Respondents were accurate in their assessment that many victims know their abusers, but overestimated the number of sexual assaults committed by strangers. Apparently the myth that many rapes occur in dark alleys remains prevalent, despite evidence to the contrary (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2002, 2004). Also, there continues to be a perception that sex crime rates are on the rise, probably due to the attention that these crimes receive in the media. In fact, rape arrest rates have decreased steadily since 1991 (Maguire & Pastore, 2003), and child sexual abuse rates have also declined (Finkelhor & Jones, 2004; Jones & Finkelhor, 2003). In sum, these data have important implications for public policy. Our hypothesis that the public is poorly informed about sex offenders was supported. Specifically, myths of extraordinarily high recidivism rates and stranger danger prevail, and the public appears to view all sex offenders as posing a similar threat to communities. These widespread beliefs perpetuate the development of increasingly restrictive policies as politicians endeavor to serve their constituents. In actuality, sex offenders represent a diversity of offense patterns and a wide range of risk for reoffense (Doren, 1998; Hanson & Bussiere, 1998; Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2004; Harris & Hanson, 2004; Prentky et al., 1997). As a result, one-size-fits-all policies are not likely to be cost efficient, nor are they likely to afford maximum protection to the public. www.asap-spssi.org/pdf/0701Levenson.pdf

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 03:23 PM (BcHsU)

4 Excellent information, thank you. One part I'd also like, because I didn't think that recidivism rates were that high -- is how often that a person who commits a sex abuse crime has committed one in the past. In other words, I realize that many who commit the crimes don't commit more, but if the vast majority of those who DO commit this type of crime have done it in the past, I see an inherent risk in allowing people like this to go free. And believe me, I take it quite seriously taking away someone's liberty. And I also do realize that many things that are considered "sex crimes" should not be crimes at all, much less "sex" crimes.

Posted by: Ogre at October 30, 2007 03:29 PM (oifEm)

5 White Papers, Studies, Official Government Reports, Empirical Information Statement on Sex Offender Residency Restrictions in Iowa February 14, 2006 Iowa County Attorneys Association 5 Pages; 108KB The Iowa County Attorneys Association believes that the 2,000 foot residency restriction for persons who have been convicted of sex offenses involving minors does not provide the protection that was originally intended and that the cost of enforcing the requirements and the unintended effects on families of offenders warrant replacing the restriction with more effective protective measures. www.iowa-icaa.com/ICAA%20STATEMENTS/Sex%20Offender%20Residency%20Statement%20Feb%2014%2006%20for%20website.pdf Twenty Findings of Research on Residential Restrictions for Sex Offenders and the Iowa Experience with Similar Policies 2006 Compilation of experts 1. Housing restrictions appear to be based largely on three myths that are repeatedly propagated by the media: 1) all sex offenders reoffend; 2) treatment does not work; and 3) the concept of 'stranger danger.' Research does not support these myths, but there is research to suggest that such policies may ultimately be counterproductive. Sex offender residence restrictions. A Report to the Florida Legislature, October 2005, Jill S. Levinson, Ph.D. 4. There is no demonstrated protective effect of the residency requirement that justifies the huge draining of scarce law enforcement resources in the effort to enforce the restriction. Iowa County Attorneys Association 10. The sex offender residency restriction was a very well intentioned effort to keep the children of our communities safe from sex offenders. It has, however, had unintended consequences that effectively decrease community safety. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault 19. A significant number of offenders have married or have been reunited with their victims; and, in those cases, the residency restriction is imposed on the victims as well as the offenders. Iowa County Attorneys Association www.dc.state.ks.us/publications/sex-offender-housing-restrictions

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 03:31 PM (BcHsU)

6 Indeed, the perception that all sex offenders re-offend is out there. I have also heard reported (as you can see by my comments) that treatment doesn't work (short of castration or the like). I've never bought into the concept that strangers are the worst offenders. I've always thought the concept of telling kids to beware of strangers just creates a horrible world and society. These are great links and reports, thank you for sending them along. I know some of the people from Jessica's Law stop by and read here now and then, I'd love to hear their reactions to some of these.

Posted by: Ogre at October 30, 2007 03:35 PM (oifEm)

7 Banishment or Facilitated Reentry: A Human Rights Perspective November 17, 2005 Corinne A. Carey, Esq., Human Rights Watch, ATSA Conference 31 Pages; 181KB The consequences of violating privacy rights: • Employment; • Housing; • Family integrity; • Human dignity. What are we doing wrong? Registration and community notification laws sweep far too broadly. • Result: Far too many people are subject to stigma and restrictions; resources and attention are unfocused. By labeling a person a 'sex offender,' the state justifies denying that person fundamental human rights. • Result: 'Sex offenders; are alienated, have little investment in the responsibilities that accompany human rights; there is a strong disincentive to register as a 'sex offender.' Registration and community notification laws sweep far too broadly. • Result: Far too many people are subject to stigma and restrictions; resources and attention are unfocused. By labeling a person a 'sex offender,' the state justifies denying that person fundamental human rights. • Result: 'Sex offenders' are alienated, have little investment in the responsibilities that accompany human rights; there is a strong disincentive to register as a 'sex offender.' www.soclear.org/MultiMedia/Documents/CorrineCarey-SLC_ATSA-1.pdf www.soclear.org/MultiMedia/Documents/CorrineCarey-SLC_ATSA-1.ppt (PowerPoint 30 slides)

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 03:41 PM (BcHsU)

8 I agree with those conclusions -- but if an adult sexually attacks a child under age 10, they SHOULD be stigmatized. They should be denied fundamental human rights. Hell, they should almost be put to death, in my opinion. Again, I think the definition of a "sex offender" is way too broad currently.

Posted by: Ogre at October 30, 2007 03:45 PM (oifEm)

9 I'm searching for more on treatment. lol Great question. States Aim To Stop Sex Offenders: Will New laws Keep Children Safe? Fall/Winter 2006 Lori Robertson - The Children's Beat 4 Pages; 907KB Nancy Sabin is the Executive Director of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, an organization founded by the parents of Minnesota boy who was kidnapped when he was 11 years old and has never been found. 'Jacob's Law.' a 1997 federal act mandating greater registration requirements for sex offenders, is among the foundation's legislative accomplishments. But Sabin criticizes the narrow focus of the recent spat of laws. 'If your charged and convicted, that represents 10% of the (sex) crimes,' She say's explaining that the largest groups of offenders are those who are unknown (graph below) or uncharged. So, the question she has: Why are all the resources targeting this tiny group? When you factor in the small percentage of that group that will reoffend, the focus becomes even narrower, she say's. Sabin would like to see more dollars spent on education and awareness programs, treatment and transition into society. 'What I'm saying, is we're not turning the water off at the faucet,' Sabin says. 'How quickly are we going to reduce the problem?'

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 03:51 PM (BcHsU)

10 "Are Sex Offenders Treatable? A Research Overview Linda S. Grossman, Ph.D. Brian Martis, M.D. Christopher G. Fichtner, M.D. Few issues in the mental health field are capable of stirring more controversy than the psychiatric treatment of sex offenders. Recent legislation in a growing number of states providing for civil commitment and preventive detention of sexually violent persons (1,2) has fueled long-standing debates on the diagnosis of paraphilias, the nature of mental illness, and the treatability of sex offenders (3). Objective: This file is way too big for here. but if you go to http://sosen.us/ join their National and look at their file section under "Reports and Studies," you will find much valuable research and emperical data

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 04:01 PM (BcHsU)

11 This is very interesting The Influence of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws in the United States October, 2005 Arkansas Crime Information Center: Jeffery T. Walker, PhD, Sean Maddan, Bob E. Vásquez, Amy C. VanHouten, Gwen Ervin-McLarty 19 Pages; 53.5KB The key finding of this research is that the passage of sex offender registration and notification laws have had no systematic influence on the number of rapes committed in these states as a whole. Most of the states in our sample (five of ten) showed no significant differences (increase or decrease) in the average number of rapes committed before and after the sex offender laws... These findings beg the question of what is occurring concerning the relationship between sex offender registration and notification and subsequent sex offending. It is possible, as Sample’s (2001) research indicated, that this was knee jerk legislation based simply on keeping the constituency happy. If that is true, sex offender registration and notification laws are failed legislation... he rationale behind sex offender laws would assume that a majority of the offenses committed within the confines of any year would actually be sex offenders who are re-offending. A potential alternative assumption is that in those states with increases (roughly half of the states examined here), it would be expected that these offenders would be first time offenders or offenders who have never been caught before. This is supported by Walker and McLarty (2000) who found that 73% of sex offenders in their study committed a sex offense as their first offense. If this is the case, it would be expected that sex offender registration and notification is not able to control this population because a substantial number of them are committing sex offenses as their first offense. Hence, there is no name on the register and no way to inform the community... www.acic.org/statistics/Research/SO_Report_Final.pdf

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 04:06 PM (BcHsU)

12 Societal Myths about Sex Offending and Consequences for Prevention of Offending Behavior Against Children and Women James Krivacska, assisted by James Free, Richard Gibb and Drew Kinnear Ultimately, society's interests are not served by preservation of myths about sex offending behavior. Especially in these times, when it appears that incidence of sex offending behavior is increasing despite the heightened punishments that are being put into place, society needs to understand how sex offending behavior develops and what it can do to prevent offending behavior. Community/Internet notification represents after-the-fact prevention. As noted in the outset of this article, society needs to begin addressing prevention before the fact, since most offenses are committed by first time offenders. In fact, between 10% to 20% of male community samples (e.g., university students, hospital staff, etc.) admit to sexual offending (Hanson & Scott, 1995; Lisak & Roth, 1988; Templeman & Stinnett, 1991). As part of the recovery effort and treatment program at ADTC, and as part of a personal commitment to "No More Victims," many inmates at ADTC have spent considerable time and energy exploring the nature of the offending behavior in which they engage. The ultimate challenge to a society which wants to protect its citizens, young and old alike, from sex offending behavior is to look realistically at the problem and to recognize that a potential sex offender may be living in their community, working in their business, residing even in their homes. They most also recognize that dynamics are currently in place in contemporary society to foster the growth of the next generation of sexual offenders among their own children. Society's ability to effectively and proactively prevent sexual offending behavior in the future may be directly related to its willingness to abandon the pursuit of interventions based on the myths which hithertofore have remained impervious to rational challenge and revision. www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume11/j11_1_2.htm

Posted by: Linda at October 30, 2007 04:10 PM (BcHsU)

13 Thanks for all this information and links. I've got some reading to do!

Posted by: Ogre at October 31, 2007 11:53 AM (oifEm)

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Ah, the Carolina Renaissance Festival continues to roll on!

I haven't blogged much this year about the wonderful Renaissance Festival. It's not because it hasn't been great, but actually because there's just so much going on right now. One reason I get the season tickets is so I can just run by on some afternoons and spend just a few hours there and not feel bad about paying for a full price ticket. This is what I've been doing a lot of days, especially on Sundays.

I'm rather disappointed that Blackenshear isn't doing a show this year. I talked to Mister Blackenshear himself (he's there, playing instruments), and he's disappointed, too. If you're disappointed too, you can go here and send an email to the Entertainment director. I did.

But the other acts that are there are wonderful. I hope to spend all day this Saturday there with camera so I can post lots of fun stuff. Thom Selectomy is back after a 3-year hiatus. And of course, my all-time favorite, Dextre Tripp is there. And one that is growing on me is Manolete and his fire show -- completely new (and scary if you're the one on stage as I was) this year!

And again, the biggest attraction to me isn't even all the shows -- it's the atmosphere. All week long I see what's happening. I watch the news. I keep track of politics and the evil that is inherent in the entire government system today. And when you get to the fair, everything disappears. There's no politics. There's no judgment. There's just fun and relaxation. This is a place where the people who "work" there seem to be honestly having fun. They're not there because they need to earn money, they're not there because they were told by the government to be there -- they're just doing something they really like and happen to be good enough to earn some money for it. The entire atmosphere is wonderful. I have yet to meet someone at the fair that wasn't just a seemingly good and nice person (even if some of them are escaped hippies).

So if you get a chance, and if you want to relax, come on by the fair. I'd get you in free if I could, but I just have tickets for me, they don't give me spares. Come on out and relax some, won't you?

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We give up. Sorry, but the jihadists have won. It doesn't matter if you, personally, have not surrendered, the United States already has. If you, personally, have not surrendered, welcome to my world -- the world of Don Quixote.

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Wow. In the midst of the election season, the Democrats are trying to outbid one another. Each one says that they can spend more money than the others. And of course, that's money that you earn that they're bidding to spend. And Edwards even admits that he's going to raise taxes -- a LOT.

He wants to force 3-year old children into schools. It's not enough that the government brainwashes children from age 5-18, now he wants to start at age 3. Why? Because the school system NEEDS to take your children from you earlier so they can program them before you do. Seriously. Government schools are evil and they will destroy your children. And adding a couple years at your expense is what Edwards will do as president.

He wants to put banks out of business because he wants to create a new federal bank savings program -- just for "poor" people -- that will give them free cash. Again, he will have to take that money from people who actually work to earn it so he can give it to "the poor." He's calling it "matching savings accounts." I think I want to be poor so I can get a 100% return on my money. In fact, just in case he becomes president, I think I'll start working now on creating two or three new identities (I think I'll be from Mexico) so I can launder money through federal accounts with 100% interest.

He wants a $9.50 minimum wage. Well that makes sense because he needs "poor" people to support with his other various programs and the quickest way to create more poor people is to make the economic market so screwed up that more people will have to be fired -- or work under the table. The more government screws with the capitalist system, the more people will work to find ways around it. Then again, that might be a good thing because then we could all be "poor" and get a 100% return on our savings accounts.

He wants to give away a million houses to "the poor." Don't you want to be poor now? Not only do you get a 100% return on savings investments, you also get a free house! And like other crappy Section 8 programs, if you don't take care of your house and you destroy it, running it into the ground, the government will just give you another one to destroy.

But wait, there's more!

Yes, not to be outdone with his spending, Edwards also wants to disrupt the entire economic system of higher education by giving away college educations for free, too! It's called "College for Everyone." Awwwww. Isn't that special? Yes, Edwards is going to take enough money from working people to force children into school from age 3 to 23 now. Twenty years of your life will be spent in government education buildings. Government will decide what and when you shall learn for twenty years. You WILL go to the government education camps buildings.

Oh, and you'll have socialized medicine "instantly" according to Edwards. Let's vote for this guy and just be done with this experiment we called "Democracy." It will be better if we end it quickly.

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I was send a link to a video about school choice and education issues in Ghana. I haven't had time to view the whole thing yet, but it looks at least reasonable. I did notice, early in the segment, statements about the MASSIVE problems with government-provided education -- that the government system absolutely and completely fails to educate, well, anyone. Does that sound like a system you know?

If you want a list of TV stations that plan on broadcasting the show, that's here. Or, if you like, you can just check out the previews for the segment.

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Hey, guess what? Lazy government employees are complaining they're not getting more free stuff than people who work and produce things. I'm shocked, I tell you. This time it's government academic employees who are whining about insurance. Are you ready for what they think they "deserve" for "working" for government?

civil servants hired in North Carolina after Oct. 1 will have to work 20 years before qualifying for 100 percent state-paid medical coverage. The length of time was previously a wait period of only five years.

Oh, and how many of you get health coverage FOR LIFE like government employees do? You didn't know that? Yes, government employees in North Carolina get free health care for their entire life, even once they stop working for the state, once they've met the requirements.

Government "has to compete" claim those who support free crap for unproductive government employees. My answer to that is that government SHOULD NOT compete. If there's something that government is doing that private industry will do, government shouldn't be doing it. Government should NEVER compete, because they always win (because they have unlimited cash).

Here's a novel idea: how about letting people be free? How about getting the government out of ALL insurance company and health regulations? How about letting people buy whatever insurance THEY WANT instead of forcing them to buy crap they don't need? And don't blame the costs on the insurance companies -- the costs are high because government FORCES people to buy crap they don't want.

For example, I'd like to buy catostropic coverage. This would insure me only in case of serious injury. I don't want doctor visits covered. I don't want insurance against AIDS. I don't want a chiropractor visit covered. I don't want insurance for alternative medicine. I don't want to buy insurance for mental heath coverage and alcohol rehab inpatient services. But know what? I am FORCED by government to buy all that stuff. I simply don't have the option NOT to pay piles of money for all these things I don't want -- because government requires it.

Government should do less, not more -- and we would be a more free, and a more healthy country.

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Planning on attending a sporting event this fall? Why not make it a political event? The NC Young Republicans Club is against sponsoring a Tailgate Contest -- you could win $500 for supporting a Republican candidate this year.

Posted by: Ogre at 04:01 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 You mean "again" of course and not "against"

Posted by: joated at October 28, 2007 12:15 AM (AiJXe)

2 WHoa. Now that's a neat typo! You are correct, of course.

Posted by: Ogre at October 28, 2007 07:27 PM (2WD8n)

3 Passed this on to my political operatives at Western Carolina and UNC-Wilmington.

Posted by: Wuptdo at October 29, 2007 03:47 PM (axYNA)

4 You have "operatives?" Neat.

Posted by: Ogre at October 29, 2007 03:55 PM (oifEm)

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I honestly cannot believe this story. It claims that a judge actually ruled that social services employees actually have to obey the law. Well, he didn't actually rule that, instead he allowed a lawsuit to go forward that is against social services. I expect the lawsuit to fail.

In this case, social services did what social services does -- they used force of government to break various laws because "It's For The Children." They used an anonymous tip to clearly and openly violate Constitutionally protected rights. They used threats of unstoppable, unquestionable government force to bully people into doing what they wanted to. They threatened violence against people who had committed no crime -- backed up by FOUR men with guns.

Basically, social services showed up at someone's house. The people had committed no crime. NO ONE had any evidence or suspicion that anyone had committed a crime. Even after openly breaking the law, the government STILL found no evidence that any sort of crime had ever been committed by the people. But none of that matters. Social Services wanted in that house, and they were going in, or they were going to kill someone (literally).

They brought a pile of armed government thugs with them (sheriffs). They continued to threaten violence against the homeowners unless the homeowners let them in to search their premises for, well, any damn thing they wanted -- they are social services, and they have guns. These government goons said that they were going to inspect the house -- and if the people refused, these thugs were going to arrest them, use violence against them AND take their children away from them by force.

Now if I were to do that to someone, I'd go to jail for a VERY long time. But these were government goons, so they're literally allowed to do anything they want because no one can stop them.

So far, the lawsuit has been allowed to proceed -- only after the government actually filed a motion claiming that since they're government, they're literally above the law! Yes, government actually filed a motion in court that says they don't have to obey the law because they're government employees. That's the position of social services departments around the world. But the lawsuit has not been won yet, it's just proceeding. I honestly hope these people do win the lawsuit to show at least a few government employees that they do have to obey the law.

In the meantime, I strongly suggest that if you have children that you have a plan to escape. I suggest a small pile of cash, a bag with clothes and supplies, and a plan of a place to head OUT OF STATE in case social services ever shows up at your doorstep. This is, in my opinion, the most evil of the government services: social services. They are not bound by any laws and they will take your children and THEN let you try and prove your innocence. Your current best defense is to flee, hide the children, and then fight them.

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It's amazing how far away from freedom this country has really moved. How about a study that measures the "cost" to government for public school drop outs? Yes, this group claims that it costs the state of North Carolina $169 million a year due to students that drop out of high school -- because of medicaid costs, less tax income, and prison costs.

How stupid is this? Presumably, based on this report, if the government would just issue kids high school diplomas when they turned 18 (we could just mail them), then the government would "save" $169 million each year. Since it's such a big savings, perhaps we should just include a check for a couple million in each diploma government mails to them.

What crap.

How about we stop paying for Medicare for people? Yes, it IS possible for people to get healthcare without government buying it -- it's happened for hundreds of years. Yes, it's possible for people to earn a living without a (useless) government diploma that says they've learned, well, nothing. It's been going on for thousands of years.

How about a study on how much money the state would "save" if they stopped spending money on a failed education system that simply does not educate anyone? How about a study on how much the government would save if people learned by themselves and at home, where they will learn a great deal MORE than they could ever learn in a government institution? My guess is we'd have a MUCH more educated society AND save tens of billions of dollars a year.

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I think I need to put this on my Christmas list:

If you don't get it, don't worry, you're just not geeky enough.

(H/T to VW Bug).

Posted by: Ogre at 06:01 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 I laughed so hard when I saw this shirt...

Posted by: vw bug at October 26, 2007 08:10 PM (FPOeI)

2 I think I actually need 2 or 3...

Posted by: Ogre at October 26, 2007 09:36 PM (2WD8n)

3 LOL!

Posted by: William Teach at October 27, 2007 12:42 AM (NaHh8)

4 Ah, someone gets it! Geek.

Posted by: Ogre at October 27, 2007 12:29 PM (2WD8n)

5 Now if I would only stop breaking the PD, like Captain Picard was accused of always doing in "The Drumhead." Massive geek attack that I actually remember the name of that episode, eh? Was my favorite one.

Posted by: William Teach at October 27, 2007 02:04 PM (iS/pK)

6 Since when does anyone follow the Prime Directive.

Posted by: Mindflame at October 28, 2007 02:34 PM (/CArA)

7 We have to! Or else... Yup, Teach, you are indeed a geek.

Posted by: Ogre at October 28, 2007 07:25 PM (2WD8n)

8

Posted by: Diesel at February 27, 2009 11:58 AM (b/xwd)

9

Posted by: Aron at March 22, 2009 11:15 PM (b/xwd)

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