Writing, Shows, Politics & Some Amusements

I made it out yesterday - to Staples and Payless - but not until around noon. It was bitter cold, and missing a bus did not help my mood. I need to go out again to Payless. Having slept in this morning, I hope to get this done before noon. I have a research job to work on. 

What I got from Staples was ink. The price was outrageous. It is a good thing I do little printing. This is why I do not like ink-jet printers - the ink is ridiculously high.   

Why I went to Payless was to get something to bake. I decided that the oven might warm up the apartment, and so I needed something to bake. I settled on brownies. 

I missed the bus there, too. This did not help my temper.

The oven did help.

I managed to finish two chapters for "Chasing Ashes".

Also, finished the BBC show "The Fall" and the movie "Eye In The Sky". Thank you Tubi. About the former, it is something new for me to hear Gillian Anderson with an English accent. I think it does something for her acting - I compared her to Penélope Cruz, how her acting is smoother in Spanish films. About the latter, it feels seven more poignant now, and I miss Alan Rickman - his last lines are delivered so well, so important to the story. About both, it cuts how much time has passed since both were released.

Now for points about Indiana politics:

Lasting Statehouse fallout from Indiana redistricting debate? 

Republican Sen. Linda Rogers of Granger was among the 10 senators who had kept quiet about their redistricting stance until Thursday’s vote, when she pushed the red “no” button on her desk.

When asked whether there would be lingering hard feelings over the maps decision, Rogers said: “I hope not, I don’t think so.”

“Some of my very closest friends here and I voted differently,” she said, “and we are still very close friends.”

We will see. If not, then Indiana has changed into another MAGA haven.

 Strong schools build strong communities: Indiana’s funding system should reflect that

As Indiana invests a growing share of state dollars into private voucher schools and as local revenue declines, the consequences are starting to show. Fewer Indiana students are going to college, and those who do are increasingly leaving the state. Many do not return. High-wage employers look for states with a highly educated workforce, and Indiana’s average salary continues to fall behind the national average.

Public education is an investment that has paid off for generations. It brings communities together at a time when unity is needed. Indiana should recognize the importance of strong public schools and treat them like the priority they need to be.

As both an educator and a parent with daughters in our public schools, I see every day how much strong and well-supported schools matter. I want every student in Indiana to have the same opportunities to grow and succeed.

 And as a citizen, I agree. It may be one of the two political subjects that get me really exercised. 

 Hoosier farmers react to Trump administration aid amid tariffs

Trade wars have complicated the finances of Hoosier farmers. The American Soybean Association reported farmers will lose about $109 per acre this year. Indiana soybean growers also took a hit when the U.S. raised tariffs on China, the largest soybean buyer in the world. China stopped buying American soybeans in January.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has considered raising tariffs on fertilizer and farming equipment.

Hardin said he appreciates the administration reacting to the economic plight of farmers, but a trade war is only one part of the problem.

"I think it just is going to take more thoughtful discussions about what we can do to make sure we see input prices come down and opportunities for Indiana farmers to sell their products at better prices," Hardin said.

American farmers are facing another tough year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts production costs will continue to rise while crop cash receipts will decrease.

Randy Kron, president of the Indiana Farm Bureau, said the group is encouraged by the aid package as bankruptcies rise and profits are scarce.

"We're hopeful this will help stabilize the farm economy, sustain rural communities, and maintain affordable food prices," Kron said.

 And when will they understand they helped create this problem by voting for Trump?

Attorney general sues pornographic websites causes a bit of cognitive dissonance for me: I find Todd Rokita useless as AG, a politician not interested in his job but only in using his job to get ahead. The First Amendment has long been an interest of mine; age verification rules get some opposition as undermining the First Amendment. But I do approve of these age verification statutes, as I approve of social media bans for minors. I will happily debate this point in the comments, if anyone feels the need to comment. So, it seems Rokita's ambition has met doing his job.

However, I wonder about his case - as much as I doubt the use of walls, someone always finds a ladder longer than the wall is high. 

 “Rather than implement any form of reasonable age verification for its websites, Defendants represented to Indiana consumers, including Hoosier parents, that they had ‘completely disable[d] access to our website[s] in Indiana.’ However, Defendants have publicly admitted they know that Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), proxies, and location spoofing software may be used to continue to access Defendants’ websites in Indiana,” the lawsuit said.

In addition to Indiana’s age-verification law, Rokita’s lawsuit also alleges the defendants violated the state’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act in several ways:

1) by making false and misleading statements regarding the accessibility of the pornographic websites by Indiana residents and 2) by misleading consumers about their alleged hosting of child sexual abuse material and nonconsensual material.

The attorney general’s office is seeking an injunction, civil penalties and costs.

“Despite these known harms to minors, the Defendants’ websites are pumping enormous amounts of pornographic content onto the internet, where minors can and do freely access it,” the lawsuit said.

 The best way to avoid minors freely access the materials is for parents to limit internet access for their minor children.

 Coming down from the state to the local, Muncie will see a new subdivision: Plans for west-side Muncie subdivision win final approval. I notice one thing, it is beyond the bus routes. There is also a question in my mind, why is this being built on the westside, an already built-up area.

Now for the amusement: My Name Is Gregor Samsa, and This Time I Woke Up as a Grad Student at Cal State San Bernardino.

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