continuing our conversation on prostitution

A few weeks ago, we had a pretty good discussion here on the site about prostitution in Ypsilanti and what tools we in the community have at our disposal to fight it. Several folks recommended stiffer sentences for johns, and perhaps even adding the element of shame into the mix, by plastering the photos of those found guilty of solicitation and prostitution on billboards. Well, it looks as though the city of Warren might be one step ahead of us. According to the “Detroit News,” their Mayor, James Fotus, after riding along with his police officers, decided to start posting the photos of prostitutes and johns on the City’s website, running them on cable television, etc. [note: The “Detroit News” link isn’t working, so the link above will take you to what seems to be a pro-prostitution website, which is the only other online source I found for the article. It’s work-safe, but I just thought that I should mention it.]

I have a few thoughts on this. First, I’m wondering, if this is successful in Warren, will it push more of the sex trade toward Ypsilanti. And, second, regardless of whether it pushes more prostitution here, if it is successful in Warren, what would it take for us to implement similar practices here in Ypsi? And, third, even if we were to pass new laws, do we have the manpower within our police department to act on them?

And as long as we’re on the subject, did you happen to see this article on the legal forms of prostitution practiced by University of Michigan students? Here’s a clip from CNN:

…A recent study of 475 University of Michigan undergraduates ages 17 to 26 found that 27 percent of the men and 14 percent of the women who weren’t in a committed relationship had offered someone favors or gifts — help prepping for a test, laundry washing, tickets to a college football game — in exchange for sex. On the flip side, 5 percent of the men surveyed and 9 percent of the women said they’d attempted to trade sex for such freebies.

And although they weren’t hard up for resources, the students surveyed “recognized the value of this socioeconomic currency system,” says Daniel Kruger, research scientist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, who published his findings in the April issue of “Evolutionary Psychology.”

“It’s more about getting what you want than getting what you need,” he says. “Unless you think everyone needs a $200 Louis Vuitton bag.”…

I’m thinking that if we publicized the fact that you can have sex with U-M students for money, gifts and help with homework, a lot of our street prostitution here in Ypsi might die down… I figure, it’s worth a shot.

Posted in Observations | 13 Comments

move along… nothing to see here… just knuckleheads

The cops and the FBI are saying there’s no reason to believe that the men arrested a few days ago in Denver were serious when they independently confessed to being in on a plot to assassinate Barack Obama. This is despite the fact that, in addition to saying that they were in Denver to kill the Democratic nominee for President, they were found carrying two long-range rifles, a telescopic site, a bulletproof vest, walkie talkies, and wigs to conceal their identities. The authorities, I guess in order to drive home the point that they weren’t a real threat to Obama or anyone else, have taken to calling them “knuckelheads.” (Not to go off on too much of a tangent, but I’m wondering what folks would have called Lee Harvey Oswald had they picked him up a few days before the day that JFK was assassinated. I’m thinking, “zany,” maybe “madcap.”) It seems to me that most meth dealers – which is what the authorities have accused the men of being – probably don’t dress up in disguises and shoot people at long distances, but what do I know? I’m not an FBI man.

So, you can all rest easy. These knuckleheads are off the street for a while, freeing our law enforcement folks up to go back out in search of people who really are a threat to our way of life – the mothers trying to smuggle bottles of breast milk onto American aircraft, the elderly wearing anti-war t-shirts, and people dressed up like WMD-carrying zombies.

We are in safe hands tonight, my friends. There is nothing to worry about.

Posted in Other | 14 Comments

drew barrymore, wreking havock in ypsilanti tonight

Whatever you do, stay away from Summit Street!

Posted in Ypsilanti | 18 Comments

hillary clinton better put debra in her place tonight

I’m pissed at Hillary for all of these followers of hers who claim that they’ll be voting for McCain now that she’s not on the ticket. I know it’s got to be flattering to have supporters willing to destroy the country for you, but enough is enough. Unless she wants to go down in history as the woman who made a third Bush term possible, she’d better give one hell of a speech tonight, and put the fear of almighty God into them.

Oh, and this is Debra:

Debra is a delegate pledged to Clinton who says she’ll be voting for McCain. It’s probably also worth pointing out that Debra, incorrectly, thinks McCain is pro-choice.

Sorry, but I’m pissed. I’m pissed that Hillary let it come to this. I’m pissed that she took the low road during her campaign, giving McCain the ammunition he’s using now to to attack Obama and tear the party apart. And, I’m pissed at the 27% of her supporters who say they’ll vote for McCain.

It makes me insane that these people don’t see that McCain is using them and their anger to drive a wedge through the heart of the Democratic party. And it pisses me off that they don’t see that a vote for McCain is a vote against the right to choose, a vote for reckless preemptive war, a vote for right wing Supreme Court justices, a vote for tax cuts for the rich, and a vote against universal healthcare. I can understand how it is that they might still be pissed, but I don’t see how they could, if they really believed in Hillary’s platform, cast a vote for John McCain. It’s unconscionable… Clinton’s got to publicly call these people out tonight and tell them that they have to put the future of the country before their own feelings of perceived injustice.

Posted in Politics | 27 Comments

on becoming an architect

I just had dinner with Linette’s cousin from San Francisco. He’s probably about 20 years older than she is. He’s an interesting guy. He’s currently approaching retirement as an architect, and he’s working on a masters degree in Theology in his spare time. When Linette was a kid, he was a bartender. He told an interesting story tonight about why he made the career change.

Back when he was a bartender, he had a regular customer. The guy would always come in on Friday afternoons for a drink after work. He’d sit in the same seat, and have the same drink. He didn’t mention it, but I suppose they made the kind of small talk that people make with bartenders. Anyway, one afternoon, the man came in and told Nelson (that’s Linette’s cousin’s name) that he’d retired that day from his job as an architect. And, he said, he had a piece of advice for Nelson. “Life is better on this side of the bar,” he said. And, with that, he handed Nelson his T-square, and his slide rule, and suggested that he become an architect. And, Nelson did just that.

I don’t know if he’ll do it or not, but I’m encouraging him to find a worthy bartender and do the same thing for them. If I hear that he’s done it, I’ll interview him for the site.

Oh, and after the beauty of the story wore off a bit, I asked him if he ever confirmed that the man was in fact really an architect. When he said that he hadn’t, I suggested that it was possible that the fellow had a trunk full of props that he carried around town, handing out to bartenders, either just to see what would happen, or in hopes of scoring a free drink or two. He laughed for a few seconds, until it kind of hit him that he might have just spent the last 25 years of his life in pursuit of a career assigned to him by a passing grifter. (I’m picturing the fellow doling out props like the Wizard of Oz at the end of the film, when he gives each of Dorothy’s companions each their appropriate reward.) It was one of those things I wish I could have called back the moment it left my mouth.

Posted in Mark's Life | 7 Comments

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