The Ohio State Facist story

I haven't commented on this yet. If you really want the details, there are plenty of people spreading it around.

In short, graduating students planning a protest at a speech given by Dubya at Ohio State University were told that people caught doing so would be arrested, expelled from the speech venue and not be allowed to collect their diplomas, and that staff, police officers and Secret Service agents were going to be looking out for them. The above link is a first person account of the event.

What do I think? What I really think about it is probably unprintable in several languages, and what I believe should be done to the people responsible will violate whole chunks of the International Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention, be anatomically improbable without major mutilating surgery, not to mention being so personally loathsome that describing it will brand me as a potential serial killer. However, given Godwin's Law and all that, I'm not going to mention the "N"-word.

(As a side note, it's quite gratifying to see people finally taking an active step in contacting their representatives. Not that my pleas for them to do so are new. I've been saying this since December. Also, not to say I told you so, but, hey! As wake up calls go, this isn't much, but as long as people are waking up.)

But, y'know, just so you know where I stand, the word "motherfuckers" is prominent in my thoughts at the moment as a suitable euphemism.

Addendum: It has been suggested that this is an urban legend, or will turn out to be. It may well be, despite a mention at CNN.com. Whether or not the personal account given above is true or not, however, is a separate issue. Assuming that the Associated Press has verified its account before publishing, the fact of the announcement, alone, is bad enough, and I stand by my ire.

Please anesthesize my penis

'Longer-lasting' condom launched

A new range of condoms designed to help lovemaking last longer is being launched in the UK.

The Performa condom, from Durex, contains an anaesthetic which delays a man's orgasm by "minutes", the company says.

The condom is coated with benzocaine, and in tests 89% of couples said they liked the brand because it prolonged sex.

The company is also launching two other brands of condom - Close Fit, which comes in three different sizes - and Sensation, which has a dotted texture to enhance sensation, particularly for women.

Now they can't blame us for falling asleep after. Well, part of us, anyway.

Personally, I'll stick to doing square roots in my head...

Now, I don't want to go off on a rant here, but...

I understand the concern that people have about the OSU incident and the need to verify its authenticity, particularly the allegations that people were escorted out of the ceremonies. However, on the assumption that the Associated Press article previously referenced is correct, an announcement was indeed made warning students that anyone "demonstrating or heckling" would be subject to arrest and expulsion.

Now, I've heard arguments that this alone isn't enough to be angry about. That of course people are going to be removed if they're disruptive, that there is no evidence linking the Bush administration with the announcement, that at best it's a state matter and calling your local congressperson in South Dakota won't make any difference. All valid points, but they skirt the real issue. This isn't just about OSU.

Even if Bush did not sanction the announcement, even if it was overzealousness on the part of a single OSU official, it is unconscionable that such a threat be uttered to the graduating student body. There has been no evidence of any violent protest. There was no prior evidence of any violent protest in the offing. At worst, the notice was given that some students were going to turn their backs on the President. That is all. The threat was uncalled for, to say the least.

This isn't just about OSU. This latest incident is just one of a series of incidents that are symptoms of a malaise that has stricken the USA. It is a malignancy that has been actively encouraged by the Bush administration, and a sickness that is eating away at the roots of civil liberties. The paranoia since 9/11 has given birth to the USA-Patriot Act, the establishment of military tribunals, increased surveillance by the FBI in mosques, groping body searches at airports, and the military detention of US citizens indefinitely (not to mention non-citizens). And these are just what I can name off the top of my head.

Calling your congressperson or senator may not directly impact OSU, but if you will, ask them to draw attention to it in their next speech, and to all the little bits and pieces that have been eroding civil rights since 9/11. There is a bigger picture here to consider, the climate of fear that has been created by the bombings and encouraged by Bush and company. You may ask, of course, sure - they can affect Congress. They might, if they have the guts to stand up and call for a stop to the madness without being branded as traitors, even manage to introduce a bill to repeal the USA-Patriot Act. But what effect will they have on other groups?

Plenty. As congresspeople and senators, as representatives of the people, their voice counts, and are listened to, much more than your average person. They are people of influence, and that influence extends beyond their legislative function, let's not kid ourselves about this. If enough of your voices get to them, and enough of their voices get to the press, then it will, at the very least, start people thinking - maybe not at first, but sooner or later if they keep it up. And rational thought is the ultimate enemy of unthinking fear.

(As a sudden thought: what has Bush actually done, as an executive, since 9/11 aside from war-related stuff? Shouldn't there be debates on the budget, Medicare, finance reform, gun control? Where have all these issues gone? Not being sarcastic here - has he actually done anything else?)

Anyway, so don't just focus on OSU when you call your representative. Tell them this is only the latest in a long line of disturbing trends. Civil liberties are being cut away like slices of salami. Give up a little? What's the harm? So it's a little more inconvenient, we're at war. Well, since we've given up this much, what's a little more? And on, and on, and where does it stop? Where do you draw the line?

Of course, this is just my opinion. I may be wrong.