Mar

30

Mad Money’s Jim Cramer Coming to Ohio State

Posted on March 30, 2009 at 9:28 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 2 Comments 


The Columbus Dispatch reports through it’s “E” Team Blog about education, that Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money will be visiting OSU’s Fisher College of Business.

CNBC’s Mad Money w/Jim Cramer show is coming to Ohio State University for a taping on April 22 thanks the enthusiastic efforts of several business students.

Mad Money will air from the Ohio State campus as part of its “Back to School Tour,” which is stopping on 13 college campuses across the country.

The Columbus Dispatch

Based on Cramer’s recent opinions on the the economy, I think it’s a good idea he’s going back to school.

Cramer and Jon Stewart of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show have been involved in a full-blown media feud the past several weeks that has had each taking shots at the other.

The Columbus Dispatch

Not so much. It has mostly had Stewart making Cramer look like he has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Here’s the evidence.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c
Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c
Jim Cramer Pt. 2
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c
Jim Cramer Pt. 3
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor
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Mar

27

Former Freshwater Student May be Facing Pressure to Lie

Posted on March 27, 2009 at 8:09 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


In the hearing of John Freshwater a former student of his may have lied. Freshwater is the Mt. Vernon science teacher who was fired for teaching creationism and burning crosses into the arms of students. Today, Ben Nielson said in testimony that Freshwater did not teach creationism or burn crosses into students arms. The problem is that is not what he told investigators. Freshwater’s attorney called the owner and lead investigator of the company hired by the school board.

R. Kelly Hamilton, Freshwater’s attorney, said Nielson’s testimony on Thursday is believable because he was under oath and had submitted an accompanying affidavit.

Hamilton called the report inaccurate and called Julia Herlevi, co-owner of HR On Call, as a witness.

During cross-examination, however, school district attorney David Millstone pointed out contradictions in Nielson’s stories.

Herlevi’s investigative notes state that Nielson said Freshwater taught intelligent design and religion. The notes also state that Freshwater “ran (a) machine up and down inside of (Nielson’s) arm in the shape of a cross.”

Asked if it was an X or a cross, Nielson told Herlevi “It was a cross,” according to her notes.

The Columbus Dispatch

Moreover, there is proof that it is a cross.

First, why would a teacher burn anything into a students arm with a device that clearly states that it is not to be used on humans. Second, there have been numerous instances where credible witnesses have said concerns have been raised over Freshwater’s teaching of creationism and intelligent design. Third, Freshwater may have the dumbest lawyer on the planet. He keeps calling witnesses who bolster the school boards case. Or maybe he’s smarter than that. Maybe he knows he has a jury and a community that will ignore the law and follow their religious dogma’s. Regardless, it is possible that today Hamilton suborned perjury and placed the life of a young man in danger. As the lawyer pointed out, he was under oath.

Why did Nielson change his story? Was there pressure from the community? Are residents of Mt. Vernon willing to ignore a clear violation of the separation between church and state? It appears many are. For those who aren’t Christians, is this a dangerous place to live? This just gets uglier and uglier. Former students appear to be pressured to lie, former and current school district employees are forced to testify in court, and thousands of taxpayer dollars are wasted. There is one man who could put an end to all of this. John Freshwater. I hope his version of God gives him the strength to do so.

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Mar

27

Man Threatens Columbus Blue Jackets

Posted on March 27, 2009 at 7:00 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


I would think the last group of people you would want to threaten would be a hockey team. These are guys who knock people around for a living. Plus, there’s 28 of them and they carry really big sticks. But this man, wanted to take them on.













Peter Stenzel, 52, phoned in three threats to the Blue Jackets during their 5 to 0 win over the Calgary Flames last night. Police traced him down through caller ID and when they found him he was wearing a Calgary Flames jersey. He is charged with inducing panic.

Columbus police Sgt. Rich Weiner said. “When they got to his residence, he was upset. He’s a passionate hockey fan.”

The Columbus Dispatch

I suspect alcohol was involved.

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Mar

27

Dann to Face Contempt of Court Charges

Posted on March 27, 2009 at 6:07 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under State | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Disgraced former attorney general Marc Dann is being investigated for criminal contempt of court. It stems from his 2007 seizure of Tic Tac Fruit games. The company was suing the state and the judge had put a restraining order on their removal. As a law was being passed that made the lawsuit moot, Dann seized the machines. The judge who issued the restraining order believes that could deserve a contempt of court finding.

“If (the allegations are) proven to be true, agents of the attorney general’s office acted with the direct intent to circumvent the orders of this court,” said Judge Michael J. Holbrook of Franklin County Common Pleas Court, in a 10-page ruling yesterday…

… Holbrook said he must determine if Dann committed a “purposeful, willing or intentional violation of a trial court’s order.” Whether Dann’s actions were ethical is a matter for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, the judge said.

He scheduled a hearing for April 16 so the parties involved can decide how to proceed.

The Columbus Dispatch

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Mar

26

Another Mt. Vernon Teacher Promotes Religion

Posted on March 26, 2009 at 7:32 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Mike over at DaytonOS is to advance “citizen journalism” which means encouraging and facilitating citizens to play an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.'>DaytonOS has an excellent article about the Freshwater case and a report that 12% of science teachers admit to teaching creationism or intelligent design as valid science. Moreover, 16% believe that human beings were created in the last 10,000 years. I too believe there are more science teachers doing this than Mr. Freshwater. Evidently, he is not the only teacher in the Mt. Vernon school district whose doing this. This is from yesterday afternoon’s session.

[ Lori Miller] A veteran Mount Vernon middle-school teacher said if anyone should be singled out for promoting religion in public schools, it should be her…

“I still have a Bible on my desk and my administrators know that, and I have not been asked to remove them,” said Miller, a seventh-grade math teacher, who taught middle-school science until three years ago…

…Miller also testified she played religious background music and openly prayed for students in class until last spring…

…”I would praise the Lord all the time in my classroom,” Miller said. “I had kids come up all the time asking if I would pray for them. I honestly did not think that was wrong.”

The Columbus Dispatch

But it is wrong. And in testimony today retired curriculum administrator Lynda Weston said why.

Weston said Freshwater’s charisma and popularity also made him a danger to students.

“If you have a great deal of influence with students, and if what you’re teaching them is not recognized science, they are going to believe you.”

The Columbus Dispatch

I’m not sure how Freshwater’s attorney, R. Kelly Hamilton, thinks this helps his case. I believe there’s a saying, two wrongs don’t make a right.

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Mar

25

Witness Called by the Defense Hurts Freshwater’s Case

Posted on March 25, 2009 at 10:05 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


I’ve been following the John Freshwater case for a while now. Freshwater is the former Mt. Vernon teacher who taught creationism in class and burned crosses into students arms. For some reason, not much has happened for a while. But testimony resumed today. For background on the case you can read my posts here and here.

When the defense called former Mt. Vernon superintendent Jeff Maley to the stand, I think they were hoping for comments like this.

Maley, whose 25-year-old son was a student in Freshwater’s science class, defended the teacher as gifted at “conveying information to children.”

The Columbus Dispatch

But they also got this from Mr. Maley.

If teachers are asked about evolution in science class, they should “stick with the science,”…

… he’d expect a teacher to give a thoughtful but limited response and advise the student to instead to seek out parents for details.

“I really believe that the religious beliefs of children should be impacted by their families,” said Maley, who retired in 2007 after nearly a decade with the district.

The Columbus Dispatch

Others have testified that Freshwater burned crosses into at least two students arms using an electrical device. Mr. Maley, who retired before this came to light, was shown a picture of the burns.

“I’d be very concerned,” said Maley. “I’d probably immediately investigate.”

He said he would interview parents, students, take photographs and call Children Services, as required by law for cases of suspected abuse.

The Columbus Dispatch

I’m sure the lawyer for the school board had a big smile on his face. There was little for him to do.

David Millstone, the school district’s attorney, said he had no reason to cross-examine Maley.

“He testified that he believed Freshwater taught creationism and intelligent design.”

The Columbus Dispatch

Too bad Mr. Maley was not aware of these actions by Mr. Freshwater. It sounds like he would have taken the proper steps to ensure the protection of the students.

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Mar

24

ADAMH Board to Make More Cuts

Posted on March 24, 2009 at 9:22 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


Those of us in the addiction and mental health fields are starting to feel like Kevin Bacon’s character Chip in Animal House… Thank you, sir! May I have another? Tonight the ADAMH board is poised to cut more money from the agencies they fund.

The board already made more than $3 million in cuts and now is voting on proposals to cut about 5 percent - a total of about $1.68 million - from 26 agencies it funds. Also up for a vote is a proposal to slash $88,300 from the administrative budget.

The Columbus Dispatch

These are some of central Ohio’s most vulnerable residents. While most of the cuts appear aimed at the mental health clinics, it will effect the addiction treatment centers as well. A large percentage of clients who have substance dependence disorders have a mental health diagnosis as well. If both are not treated, outcomes will be poor.

In the end these cuts will cost taxpayers more. Many of these people will end up in emergency rooms, homeless shelters, court rooms, prisons, and morgues. In addition, it will increase the heartache, worry, and stress of the families who love them.

There seems to be a new realization that we should not lock up non-violent drug offenders, but instead give them treatment which is cheaper. I agree. But you have to fund the agencies so they are available to provide treatment. Most agencies have long waiting lists to receive services and some have stopped taking referrals at all.

A measure of a society is how well it helps its most needy citizens. So far in Franklin County, we are falling short.

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Mar

20

Horse Racing is Boring (Part 2)

Posted on March 20, 2009 at 8:21 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under State | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


You have to give race track owners some credit. They are a persistent bunch. Despite the fact that Ohio citizens have denied video slot machines at race tracks on two different occasions with their votes, race track owners are back again with a new proposal.

Unlike video-slot and gambling proposals rejected by Ohioans in the past several years, the commission wants to have a state agency — the commission itself, the Ohio Lottery Commission or a new entity — and not a private company manage and regulate gambling operations. An estimated 150 additional state employees would be needed.

The Columbus Dispatch

Basically, the proposal says that the state gets half of the profits with the other half going to the race track owners. They want 14,000 slot machines for 7 race tracks. If my math’s correct, that’s 2,000 machines per track. That’s not a horse track, that’s a casino.

I found my old posts cached on Google Reader from my previous incarnation of The Madrigal Maniac that I thought were lost. Here is a portion of what I said about the last proposal. I still think it still holds true today.

Horse Racing is Boring
from MadrigalManiac.com by Madrigal Maniac, September 18, 2007

Horse racing in Ohio is dying because … here’s a shocker … IT’S BORING!

It may have been a lot of fun at one time. But that was before all of the new entertainment choices we have today. I went to a race track once and thought well that was kind of fun. So fun I haven’t been back in 20 years.

But once again there is an effort to have Ohioans bail out horse track owners who made a bad investment or can’t market their product effectively. This after Ohioans rejected similar proposals at the ballot box.

One state legislator who seems to get it is State Rep. Tyrone K. Yates, a Democrat from Cincinnati.

“This is not the kind of gambling that Ohio ought to pursue. The emphasis here is on using gambling as a revenue source that continues to strip money from low-income and working-class families on such a broad scale. It serves a narrow private interest but not the public good.”

The Columbus Dispatch

Let’s hope the rest of the legislature gets it as well. Ohioans have made it clear at the ballot box on several occasions. They have adamantly said that they do not want video slot machines at race tracks.

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Mar

19

North High Businesses are Struggling

Posted on March 19, 2009 at 9:06 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


Occasionally I enjoy taking a drive up High Street. I usually start in German Village, which leads to downtown, then the Arena District and The Short North, followed by Ohio State. However, once you get to north campus things change. It becomes orange barrel city. The first time I saw it I said to myself, these businesses are going to be hurting.

During the halcyon days of the pre-construction era, back in June of 2008, the city announced a hopeful revitalization project along the 0.8-mile stretch from Arcadia south to Lane Avenue. As the months have dragged on, however, residents have become increasingly demoralized, business owners increasingly paranoid and drivers increasingly vengeful.

The Other Paper

I don’t blame them. While small business owners are suffering the city seems to be making excuses. Mary Webster, assistant director the city’s Public Service Department said the following.

“You never know what you’re going to find until you get under there,” said Webster of the unexpected problems that, until Friday, threatened to push the hellish affair well into 2010.

“We tried to explain to people what they were in for—we knew it was going to present a hardship,” Webster said.

“And who’s to say whether a loss of business is solely result of construction work?” Webster asked. “What if it was a trendy business and the trend fades? In world of bars and restaurants, sometimes, for reasons no one understands, the spots become less popular.”

The Other Paper

First, were the hardships adequately explained? Were they told there might be delays? Second, some of these businesses have been around for years. I’ve been there. To suggest that their difficulties might be due to trends and not the fault of the dust, orange barrels, and machinery is insulting.

The delays will evidently make Complete General Construction more money.

The construction company, Complete General, has agreed to devote more manpower—in exchange for more dollars, of course—to get the project wrapped up by the original estimated completion time.

The Other Paper

No. You devote more manpower to the project to complete it on time because that’s what you agreed to do.

As of Friday, the city is moving a little quicker to put an end to the madness.

“The businesses have suffered considerably,” said Mary Webster, assistant director the city’s Public Service Department. “We are escalating the work.”

The Other Paper

Maybe the city should have thought of that sooner.

I’m just a citizen who occasionally likes to take a drive up High Street. Maybe our city leaders should as well.

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Mar

17

Kilroy Upset that Chase Bank Jobs are Being Sent to India

Posted on March 17, 2009 at 9:11 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, National, State | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


After the U.S. gave J.P. Morgan Chase a $25 billion dollar bailout, they report a plan to spend $400 million to outsource jobs to India. This has left Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy of the 15th district very unhappy.

Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy is “outraged” by reports that JPMorgan Chase Bank plans to shift thousands of U.S. jobs overseas — and concerned that some of those losses could occur in central Ohio.

The Columbus Dispatch

This morning she sent a letter to the company.

We would like to remind you that the taxpayers of the United States of America contributed $25 billion to your company to help stabilize our economy-not send jobs overseas…

The Columbus Dispatch

Chase denies that any Central Ohio Jobs will be affected.

Chase spokesman Jeff Lyttle declined to comment on Kilroy’s letter, but said, “There have been no layoffs, and there is no job action going on in central Ohio.”

The Columbus Dispatch

First. Considering Enron, National City, the tobacco industry, Bernie Madoff, and Allen Stanford, plus many others; I’m just not a big believer right now of those in the business or financial community. I think if Mr. Lyttle were honest he would have said, “…there is no job action currently going on in central Ohio.” Second Mr Lyttle. What are you doing sending any jobs to India? Did they give you $25 billion?

I think Chase employees whose jobs are displaced should start a t-shirt company. Their first t-shirt could read. “My country gave $ 25 billion to the company I used to work for and all I got was this unemployment check and a damn t-shirt.”

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