Like the short bus, only not.
Less content today, since it's Thursday and I must be going. I read the paper a lot, since I can, and lately I have noticed some things. There are a lot of easily offended people out there. Just read the letters section. Every single day, almost guaranteed, there is someone who took offense to something that I (and I hope most people) would consider trivial. For example, one letter complained about Nickelback asking for women's underwear to be thrown on stage (the letter-writer claimed it was appalling - little did she know the band was autographing the items and auctioning them for charity, with the non-sellers being donated to women's shelters). Another claimed that a Discovery Channel show was endorsing and promoting sexual experimentation (and she hated that the title of one show was "Orgasm"). And don't even get me started on all the stuff that came up after the Superbowl.

Seems one can't do anything these days without someone taking offense, and I don't mean just saying that someone doesn't like something. That's just stating one's opinion or tastes. I'm talking about writing in to the press that something they read violated their morals or shocked them beyond compare. Also, for some reason I can't help but laughing anytime anyone says "shame on you!" Maybe I'm twisted, but that just strikes me as a really funny phrase. Which is odd, since quite possibly we need more shame in our system. Say, the scarlet letter kind of thing. Ohio seems to be leaning in that direction now (from BoingBoing), but I feel things should go further. Bring back the stocks. Make every sexual predator and mugger spend a few days outside with their head and arms in a board getting made fun of by every passerby and their Grandma. Cruel and unusual punishment? Damn skippy. Would you be more likely to break the law if you knew you were going to be the subject of ridicule and torment from the general public? I don't think so. Shame is a very powerful force, much more so than the "imprisonment" in what is essentially a resort that is the current norm, and I think that if the legal system can actually start making ne'er-do-wells ashamed of what they do, we might start working towards a better system. Of coures, there is the possibility that one could go completely bat-nutty from being in the stocks and go break the law even worse sometimes. I'll have to think about that. Of course, I don't expect people to listen to me. This is the internet after all.

Quickly now, there isn't much time!
Really have to go now, so I'll just toss up some spots of interest.

I have fond memories of this book, and they resurfaced a while ago for no reason whatsoever. Does it mean something?

I also vaguely remember this show from much, much earlier days. When I think back now, I'm quite frightened. Investigate at your own risk.

Want tattoos but are scared of needles? Check it. I'd probably buy one just out of curiosity if they weren't so damn expensive...

So yeah. Fencing. Ciao.  ¶ 4:28 p.m.