For too long, brothers and sisters, we have toiled under the oppressive lash of cursive writing. No more! The Indiana Department of Education is removing cursive as required subject matter for Indiana’s schools.

My view of this as a positive development is almost entirely due to the fact that my cursive writing is, and always has been, horrible. My otherwise spotless elementary report cards were marred by the handwriting grade. (Except in the case of my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Busick, who simply declined to mess up my report card by giving me a grade in that subject.) As soon as they let me, I went back to printing; and once I learned how to type, that’s all she wrote – so to speak.

Others might find cursive useful in some fashion, but for me, it’s about as useful as my appendix. In the distant past, it probably held some utility, but at present, it’s mostly a neutral curiosity that occasionally causes severe medical problems.

Good riddance.

I had a high school history teacher who, periodically, would draw three circles on the chalkboard representing the three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Depending on what era in history we were looking at, the respective circles would be bigger or smaller. Possibly there was a better visual representation to be had, but the basic notion was that, where one branch refused or declined to act, the other ones would expand into the vacuum.

Speaking of three rings, Congress has largely looked like a circus for the past generation or so. And that, as much as anything else I believe, is why we have seen the Presidency and the Supreme Court looming larger in our lives. This might also be why “limited government” is mostly a fantasy — at least if its proponents seek to achieve it through gridlock and inaction. The branches would have to affirmatively limit themselves and the other branches. Inaction simply leads to one of the other branches stepping into the breach.

Nick Hedrick, writing for the Lafayette Journal & Courier, has an article about a good cause spearheaded by some Lafayette residents. Mario Marathon 4 is underway.

Brian Brinegar, John Groth, Chris Deckard, Nate Jones, Bobby Arnold, Shanna Brinegar, Sundeep Rao, Ben Cotton, Jed Johnson, Emily Blue, and Stephanie Deckard are playing Mario games non-stop for a few days to raise money to benefit the Child’s Play Charity, “a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 60 hospitals worldwide.”

Good people, good cause, and good games. So, consider clicking over to watch the event and maybe make a donation or two. Even if they are a bunch of goddamn nerds.

I love the information age. An excerpt from an e-book Google makes available has some information on my great, grand uncle, Woodburn Masson (brother of my great-grandfather), an Indianapolis attorney in the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

Woodburn Masson in his youth early became dependent upon his own resources. He had ambition, courage and persistence, and worked his own way in one of the most exacting of professions, defraying the expenses of his technical education and ever placing a true value upon men and affairs. It is thus pleasing to note that today he is numbered
among the representative members of the Indianapolis bar and is one of the highly esteemed citizens of his native citv.

Woodburn Masson was born in Indianapolis, on the 9th of July, 1869, and is a son of James P. and Eliza T. (Ross) Masson, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Indiana.’ The father, who was a commercial traveler by vocation, died when his son, of this review, was an infant, and the widowed mother continued her residence in Indianapolis, where she reared her three sons and one dausrhter with all of self-abnegation and zealous devotion. She was summoned to the life eternal on the 15th of March, 1908, and her memory is revered
by all who came within the sphere of her gentle and gracious influence.

He whose name initiates this article continued his studies in the public schools of Indianapolis until he was fifteen years of age, when he found it incumbent upon him to assume practical responsibilities, as his mother had met with the loss of her savings and the returns from insurance policies held by her deceased husband, owing to the failure of the bank in which she deposited her funds. Under these conditions young Woodburn Masson devoted himself assiduously to learning stenography and typewriting, and to this line of work he devoted his attention nearly three years after becoming proficient in the same. He then began the study of law, in the office of the general attorney of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. in Indianapolis, and later he completed a course in the Cincinnati Law School in the class of 1895. In 1891 he was admitted to the bar of his native city and state, where he has since continued in the active work of his chosen profession and where he has so utilized his fine natural and technical powers as to gain a position of prominence and a worthy reputation in his chosen vocation, to which his devotion and loyalty have been of the most insistent order.

From 1891 until 1894 he was assistant to the general attorney of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, and since the expiration of that period he has devoted his attention to general practice in the State and Federal courts, in which he has won many decisive victories as a trial lawyer, while as a counselor he is known to be fortified with a broad and exact
knowledge of the law and to have marked facility in the application of such information.

The political views of Mr. Masson are indicated by the zealous service which he has rendered to the cause of the Democratic party, and as a citizen none could be more public-spirited or more zealous in the promotion of good government and needed reforms. In all measures and enterprises tending to make for good citizenship and civic and material progress, he lends a ready co-operation, and his interest in his native city is deep and abiding. He and his wife hold membership in the Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church.

In the year 1904, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Masson to Miss Nellie G. Wells, daughter of Dr. Merritt Wells, the oldest resident dentist of Indianapolis, and Mrs. Masson is popular in connection with the best social activities of her home city.

—Jacob Piatt Dunn, Greater Indianapolis, the Histories, the Industries, the Institutions at 781-782 (1910)

The Guardian had an article entitled World’s wealthiest people now richer than before the credit crunch. But wait; there is more good news. The USA is #1 in rich people! And, we have the highest proportion of wealthy women.

Despite the crushing tax burden I’ve read so much about, we have about 3.1 million high net worth individuals — people having more than $1 million in investable assets, not including their primary residence. Japan is second with about 1.8 million HNWIs. With the uptick in the economy, I am pleased to report, our wealthy are, thankfully, learning how to live again spending on wine, art, and luxury automobiles.

But, all is not well. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels, basking in the reflected glory of our wealthiest. We are in danger of losing our precious lead in rich people.

[I]t is Asian-Pacific countries where the ranks of the rich are swelling fastest. For the first time last year the region surpassed Europe in terms of [high net worth individuals].

I, for one, don’t know how we could enjoy frivolities such as food, jobs, and health care without our country having a secure lead in wealthy people. And so, with this pressing danger in mind, I have to thank Eric Cantor and Jon Kyl for refusing to negotiate on balancing the budget and preventing financial defaults by the U.S. government so long as the Democrats insist on jeopardizing our precious lead by even entertaining the idea of taxes on the wealthy. Those brave lawmakers understand what is truly important in our country and what makes us great.

A number of news outlets, including the Guardian, are reporting that a North Carolina man staged a one dollar bank robbery to get health care in jail.

What he did was hand the clerk a note that said: “This is a bank robbery, please only give me one dollar.” Then, as he later told the local NBC news station, he calmly sat in the corner of the bank having told the clerk: “I’ll be sitting right over there in the chair waiting for the police.”
. . .
He told the paper he had lost his job after 17 years as a Coca-Cola delivery man, and with it his health insurance. He was in increasing pain from slipped discs, arthritic joints, a gammy foot and a growth on his chest.

Since being in the jail he has attained his goal: he has been seen by nurses and an appointment with a doctor is booked.

It sounds true, and it probably is true. But, the story has the feel of one of those things that’s weird, but so easy to believe that maybe it’s a hoax. Anyway, health care for the poor is a huge problem. And the disparity between poor, law abiding citizens who have to go without and poor criminals who at least get some health care is appalling. For those with health challenges, there is actually an advantage to going to jail. They don’t necessarily get the best care, but they frequently get better care than when they’re free.

Jail doctors get to treat the mentally ill, diabetics, and all kinds of other health challenged individuals who go all but untreated on the outside, frequently getting to jail and requesting, for example, all sorts of prescriptions from the distant past which have not been filled with any regularity when the individual wasn’t in jail.

Jails end up having to foot the bill to provide this health care (and to defend against lawsuits when the inmates believe the health care was inadequate.) Unsurprisingly, there isn’t a huge appetite to fund inmate health care when honest, law abiding citizens are often forced to go without.

Update I caught this column from John Thorpe about the “robbery” which was pretty good. The upshot is that we are providing health care in the stupidest possible way.

Update 2 Just saw an article in the Evansville Courier Press by Jonathan Lintner about Vanderburgh County Jail’s shift to in-house medical care. Apparently, the Sheriff’s deputies and inmates used to make a lot more trips to the hospital – at greater expense and security risks.

Great article in the Journal & Courier today by Sophia Voravong on the subject of Tippecanoe County Legal Aid celebrating its 40th anniversary. I’m extremely biased, having been on the Legal Aid board for six years, having served as its President for two years, and having been involved with the golf outing fund raiser for seven years now.

Besides that, the article features Legal Aid director Ken Weller in front of the court house, a story told in John Gambs inimitable style, quotes from my buddy Gregg Theobald, and mention of Fred Hoffman who founded my law firm.

Legal Aid is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that provides legal services to those who cannot afford them in civil, non-fee generating cases. A lot of times this involves issues surrounding termination of parental rights. But, it can be divorces, land-lord tenant issues or a number of other matters. The premise is that the legal system works better when the scales of justice balance.

Our particular organization got its start 40 years ago because Fred Hoffman asked John Gambs to write a letter to Lilly for a foundation grant. It was initially denied but John pressed the matter, contacting Mr. Lilly – for whom John had once been a chauffeur – directly. In its early history, Judge Daniel, formerly director of Legal Aid, fought the City of Lafayette and the State Board of Accounts to keep funds coming. Ken Weller has been shouldering the primary burden as the director for a long time now. And, Gregg Theobald has been doing remarkable things with the golf outing fund raiser.

Speaking of which, if there is anyone out there in blog land who is interested, get in touch with me or Gregg. The golf outing this year is on July 21, 2011 at Coyote Crossing golf course. Entry fee is $100 per golfer. Lunch at noon. Shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. Hole sponsorships available for $150. Proceeds go to Legal Aid.

I saw two posts from conservative sources — though conservative in different ways — that struck me as related but contradictory. Both have to do with people having sex when they probably shouldn’t and how (or whether) to mitigate the consequences.

One was entitled “Rick Perry’s Catholic Problem” (h/t Tipsy). The other was by Abdul about Father’s Day and contraception.

Rick Perry is the governor of Texas who may well run for the Republican Presidential nomination. Gardisil is a vaccine that helps prevent the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes genital warts and cervical cancer. Perry got into trouble because of his connections to the pharmaceutical companies, an executive law mandating that 11 and 12 year old girls get the vaccine, and a sense from some conservative quarters that the vaccine encourages promiscuity.

Per Tom Bevan:

[I]n Texas, Gov. Perry chose to bypass the legislature and on Feb. 2, 2007, he issued an executive order making Texas the first state in the country requiring all sixth-grade girls to receive the three-shot vaccination series (which cost about $120 per shot). The move generated a fierce public debate. Conservatives slammed Perry for promoting what they saw as an intrusion by the state into private health decisions of parents and their children. Some also complained that the mandate would encourage promiscuity among teenagers.

Per Joshua Mercer in the “Catholic Problem” article linked above:

So why would Culture of Life Catholics and evangelicals have a problem with this?

Unlike other public health threats like meningitis, which spreads easily between people in close quarters, the only way a teenager will get HPV is from sexual intercourse. If they abstain, they are in no real danger in getting this virus which causes cervical cancer.

Obviously Merck wants to make a lot of money by making all of our daughters get the $120 shots. And I understand that sexually transmitted diseases have become a pandemic, one that we don’t talk enough about.

But if we force every daughter to get Gardasil, we have lost hope in the ability of our children to say no to hazardous premarital sex.

(emphasis in the original.)

So, rather than lose some moral authority and risk clouding an unambiguous command not to have sex, the solution is to apparently forego a vaccine that would prevent your daughter from getting cervical cancer. (Leaving aside, for a moment, issues related to non-consensual sex.)

Contrast this with Abdul’s message on father’s day:

[W]hile a lot of the punditocracy spent Sunday pontificating on the importance of fathers, I honestly think we would have fewer societal issues if fewer people became fathers in the first place.

Allow me to elaborate. This past week a 16-year old was arrested for shooting and robbing a man on the Monon Trail. In less than four weeks a lot of good-hearted people are going to team up with law enforcement and patrol downtown Indianapolis during the second Saturday of Indiana Black Expo because some people are going to let their children run loose. For the past several weeks we’ve had hearings on the possible state takeover of failing schools because, in part, some people have decided not to be good parents and let their children’s’ education go straight to hell.

When I look at those few examples, it makes me wonder why instead of defunding Planned Parenthood, Indiana lawmakers didn’t increase funding and hand out gift cards. Let’s face it, some people are not just ready to be parents. And instead of chastising them, we really should turn our efforts into convincing them not to procreate. It’s not fair to the children and certainly not fair to us who will have to bear the costs, financial and otherwise, of their bad choices.

As a secular humanist type, my choice on these perspectives is pretty easy. I give my daughter the vaccine and protect her against cancer. (The concerns about Perry’s exercise of executive power, ties to the pharmaceutical company, and questions about efficacy are noted – but not the point of my post here.)

I agree with Abdul that there are a lot of people who don’t have the resources, commitment, or temperament for parenting; and the rest of us would be better off if they just went ahead and didn’t procreate until they matured. (It’s an open question as to whether the people who are more irresponsible about parenting would be terribly reliable in using contraception even if promoted and freely available.) I have more global concerns about the number of humans that are sustainable on planet earth. The procreation values of a bronze age tribe trying to survive and out compete neighbors might not be the sort of thing we need on a planet closing in on 7 billion humans.

In any case, the distinction between Abdul’s post and the Catholic Vote post makes me think, once again, of that book from some years ago positing that Red State culture figures having families turns adolescents into adults and Blue State culture figures only adults should create families.

(Cross-posted from my Family Blog)

A lot gets said about how a Dad influences his children. And it’s true. But, less recognized is how kids make the Dad. It’s a feedback loop, I suppose. But, in my case, I know I would be a much less well developed individual without my wife and kids. It’s fun to joke about how things would be different without them. And, a day or two alone every once in awhile is pretty cool. But, really, without them, I’d be a disaster. If raging alcoholism didn’t take hold, at best, I’d probably be one dimensional, unmotivated, and largely friendless — or the friends I did have would probably be sketchy at best. I’ll hasten to add – that’s just me based on what I know about myself. There are plenty of wonderful individuals without kids and without spouses.

Today, the kids were just so excited to give me my presents, that when Harper woke up, the kids were at my bedside, telling me it was time to open presents. They had done an outstanding job writing their cards and decorating them. Obviously, they’d taken a lot of care in preparing them. Harper got me a pair of cargo shorts and an awesome Galaga t-shirt. Cole got me a pair of Guinness swim trunks and a Taj Mahal jigsaw puzzle. I’m sure they had a fair amount of help from Mom in picking them out, but my kids certainly know me. This was followed up by an excellent breakfast of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and toast.

Yesterday, the kids & I had a lot of fun taking a bike ride on a geocaching expedition. Of the four sites we went to, we located only one of the caches. At least two of the others should be findable, and if the sun comes out, maybe we’ll go back today to try to locate the caches. If not, we’ll probably work on the jigsaw puzzle. Then, later in the day, some friends are coming over, and we’ll grill out.

Good times.