Daily Archives: February 18, 2024

The “try me” virus…

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Clay Shirky is right on the button when he compares Second Life to Pointcast.  About ten years ago I hopped on the Pointcast bandwagon and by the time I hopped off I was spoiled for syndication in general.  I suspect that my experience last year with Second Life won’t turn me off entirely to the virtual gathering potential of the model, but it’s as likely that it will NOT be a proprietary approach that sucks me into repeated usage.  Second Life reminds Shirky of the MUDs of decades past.  It reminds me of AOL and Prodigy, a place where net users can be captured and farmed.

The difference between WoW and Second Life seems to be that WoW is just a great way to massage your OCD, whereas Second Life is more subtly rationalized and far less addictive.

Vote for god’s sake… just vote

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Next week we have a primary election. Three people are running for the State Supreme Court seat that will be filled in the April general election. Only two will appear on that ballot. Unfortunately two out of the three people who are running are lamers of the highest order. This guarantees that in April there will be at least one skunk-weasel on the ballot. If you can get here to cast a vote, you should cast it for Linda Clifford. If enough people do, then there will only be one skunk-weasel on the ballot in April. Linda versus the Skunk-weasels.

‘stroyed

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There are over 150,000 minor planets orbiting the sun. Fortunately only a few of them are likely to collide with the earth and wipe out all life here anytime soon.

There’s always a local angel, umm… ANGLE

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Last week we were all happy about Drew Gilpin Faust‘s appointment as President of Harvard. A child of privilege, for sure, I thought, but at least they’ve picked a woman. Turns out she’s an old school-mate of Betsy’s. Reading that list of Concord Academy students, you might almost think there were a lot of fortunate young ladies there… names like Olmsted, Wherry, Ewing, Bingham, Bradford, Packard… goodness gracious.

One to life

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Fay Honey Knopp wrote the book on abolishing prisons in 1976. The book, Instead of Prisons, begins,

It’s time to stop talking about reforming prisons and to start working for their complete abolition. That means basically three things:

First, admitting that prisons can’t be reformed, since the very nature of prisons requires brutality and contempt for the people imprisoned.

Second, recognizing that prisons are used mainly to punish poor and working class people, and forcing the courts to give equal justice to all citizens.

Third, replacing prisons with a variety of alternative programs. We must protect the public from the few really dangerous people who now go to prison. But more important, we must enable all convicted persons to escape the poverty which is the root cause of the crimes the average person fears most: crimes such as robbery, burglary, mugging or rape.

—Prison Research Project, The Price of Punishment, p. 57

Have things gotten any better inside since the Attica riots, since the Soledad brothers went on trial, since George Jackson died?

Little steps

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If you believe that each of us is “created equal,” then you’ll agree that all people deserve equal treatment. Has our American criminal justice system become so warped in practice that it can not provide equal treatment under the law? What kind of reform is required if we really want to live up to our ideals?

Today more people are being admitted to prison than are being released. Tremendous inequities in incarceration rates are found between blacks and whites. Last year there were over 23,000 people in State and Federal prisons in Wisconsin. How did they get there? What are their future prospects? What kind of support can we offer?

During 2024 and 2024, [a group I belong to] will support efforts to share prisoner support and visitation experiences through workshops and seminars, and efforts to research and report on the scope of the problems surrounding our prisons, to draft and share public policy alternatives,. We envision workshops and sessions with experts from Friends Prisoner Visitation and Support as well as shared experiences from [people] who have been active in prison visitation efforts.

… [My group's] effort will be structured… to help develop a shared understanding of the entire correctional system, including the intake processes from arrest, arraignment, prosecution and sentencing, through incarceration, probation, parole and release.

If you can help organize this research and education effort, if you have an interest in identifying public policy alternatives that will relieve the pressure on our correctional system while improving the lot of prisoners, please contact Frank Paynter via email: fpaynter [at] gmail [dot] com.