I grew up in Ohio and have lived in California for the past 20 years or so. Suffice to say there is a pretty big difference between the cultures; each is distinct. Here are a few news stories that demonstrate that difference…
Xenia, Ohio via the Dayton Daily News:
While others were celebrating Independence Day, a Mississippi Drive man was being treated on Friday, July 4, at Miami Valley Hospital after being run down by his car in his driveway, according to police.
Now that is a trick, to run over one’s self. I’ll guess that alcohol was involved in the incident. I used to live in the Mississippi Drive area as a youngster and I can see this happening easily there in the Arrowhead Development…
Attribution: Columbus Dispatch
Mount Vernon, Ohio via the Columbus Dispatch
“There is a significant amount of evidence that Mr. Freshwater’s teachings regarding subjects related to evolution were not consistent with the curriculum of the Mount Vernon City Schools and state standards,†the consultants reported.
The report confirms that Freshwater burned crosses onto students’ arms, using an electrostatic device, in December. Freshwater told investigators the marks were Xs, not crosses. But all of the students interviewed in the investigation reported being branded with crosses. The investigation report includes a photo of one student’s arm with a long vertical line and a short horizontal line running through it.
The family of one student who was burned filed a federal lawsuit last week against Freshwater and the district, saying the student’s civil rights were violated. Today, the family’s attorney, Jessica Philemond, said it was unfortunate that the school district didn’t do anything sooner to stop Freshwater.
Freshwater’s friend, Dave Daubenmire, defended him “With the exception of the cross-burning episode … I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district,’’ he said.
Mount Vernon is another little town in Ohio where I spent very early years. OK, while it’s clear to me that Knox County is god fearing, I didn’t know that tattooing religions icons was part of the local value system and regardless of where you stand on the bible issue or intelligent design, the line really ought to be drawn when teachers burn crosses on their student’s skin…
Not all wackiness is confined to the great state of Ohio though. In the place I now call “home” – the San Francisco Bay Area – there is a different kind of wacky that requires some degree of head shaking. Take this gem for instance…
San Francisco, CA via NBC 11 News
The hearing room on the second floor was packed with people who are passionate about animals at the San Francisco Zoo.
“Children in America think chimpanzees are not in danger. Why is that? They see them on tv. We can show them chimps are endangered. People will open their wallets and provide more money they’ve ever gotten.”
The majority of the people at the meeting would like the zoo to be turned into an animal sanctuary. Supervisor Chris Daly is sponsoring the legislation.
Being frequent visitors to the SF Zoo I can say with some degree of familiarity it’s a reasonable zoo as zoos go. It entertains children, does a reasonable job of education, and the animals don’t seem to be in any more distress than animals in any other zoo I’ve ever visited. Come on people, pull your heads out of your butts on this one…
Via the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco voters will be asked to decide whether to name a city sewage plant in honor of President Bush, after a satiric measure qualified for the November ballot today. Backers of the measure, who for several months circulated a petition to place the measure on the ballot, turned in more than 12,000 signatures on July 7, said organizer Brian McConnell.
…
The measure, if passed by a majority of voters, would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. McConnell said the intent is to remember the Bush administration and what the group sees as the president’s mistakes, including the war in Iraq.
While I’ve got a sense of humor, particularly about President Bush, this is a stupid idea. Why let the memory of this guy linger any more than it already will? And, given how well things have worked around Bush, do you really want to doom your sewage plant by christening it with his name? Puh-leeze!
Perhaps this entry is entertaining to only me, if that’s the case, that’s ok. But it never fails to amaze me how different these places are and how asinine each can be in their own special ways.
