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Arizona seems to have an exempt class of vehicles.

As does Indiana:
The "exemption" is from sales tax only, which is common in Indiana for business-to-business or commerical transactions. It has nothing to do with federal taxes, road taxes, toll fees, or anything else that has been guessed at in this thread.

You need to get form ST-105 to qualify. See IC 6-2.5-5 and IC 6-2.5-8-8 for more information on sales tax exemptions. (IC codes can be typed in and viewed here: http://www.in.gov/legislative/)
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Since this seems to be such a huge issue for most people I'll try and get out to the interstate and take photos.

In many mid sized US airports there is a "General Aviation" gate for private planes which is separate from the high-security area. I dont' know about Japan. He might have had problems with Customs rather than security.

By the way, throwing stars are illegal in many states, including mine: http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title35/ar47/ch5.html (Search for "star" in the text)

I don't know about Iowa because I don't live there. But at least the animal abuse section of the Indiana Code appears to apply only to vertebrates, which fireflies aren't. So feuer frei!

WTF are you talking about?

https://www.ireg.tax.virginia.gov/VTOL/Login.seam

also:

https://secure.in.gov/apps/dor/ifile/2009/

Indiana has a state, county and city tax. And we have an innkeepers tax which screws our visitors who stay at hotels/motels. Stay OUT of this grubby little town and you'll be better off.

http://www.in.gov/dor/index.htm
Marion County Innkeepers' Tax -- Effective Sept. 1, 2009, the Marion County Innkeepers' Tax, which includes the city of Indianapolis, will increase from 9 percent to 10 percent for the rental of accommodations provided for less than 30 days in Marion County.

7% sales and 1% or 2% 'beverage' tax. RV/boat/car/commercial vehicle tax which varies widely and vary if new or used.
Buried where I can't find it counties can add sales tax of some amount. Utility sales tax. Vehicle rental sales tax. Gasoline sales tax.
http://www.in.gov/dor/3504.htm

Then there's the random driving tax.
http://www.speedtrap.org/

Indiana has a state, county and city tax. And we have an innkeepers tax which screws our visitors who stay at hotels/motels. Stay OUT of this grubby little town and you'll be better off.

http://www.in.gov/dor/index.htm
Marion County Innkeepers' Tax -- Effective Sept. 1, 2009, the Marion County Innkeepers' Tax, which includes the city of Indianapolis, will increase from 9 percent to 10 percent for the rental of accommodations provided for less than 30 days in Marion County.

7% sales and 1% or 2% 'beverage' tax. RV/boat/car/commercial vehicle tax which varies widely and vary if new or used.
Buried where I can't find it counties can add sales tax of some amount. Utility sales tax. Vehicle rental sales tax. Gasoline sales tax.
http://www.in.gov/dor/3504.htm

Then there's the random driving tax.
http://www.speedtrap.org/

OK, could somebody translate this for me:

IC 34-57-2-1
Written agreement to arbitrate; enforceability; exemptions from chapter
          Sec. 1. (a) A written agreement to submit to arbitration is valid, and enforceable, an existing controversy or a controversy thereafter arising is valid and enforceable, except upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract. If the parties to such an agreement stipulate in writing, the agreement may be enforced by designated third persons, who shall in such instances have the same rights as a party under this chapter. This chapter also applies to arbitration agreement between employers and employees or between their respective representatives (unless otherwise provided in the agreement).
        (b) This chapter specifically exempts from its coverage all consumer leases, sales, and loan contracts, as these terms are defined in the Uniform Consumer Credit Code (IC 24-4.5).

Would a mobile contract (or any other form of subscribed service) be considered a consumer lease or sale?

Sources for information:
http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title34/ar57/ch2.html
http://www.debt-settlement-inc.com/StateCode/In-ConsumerCredit-Provisions.asp

How about an honest to God statewide initiative to provide 1:1 desktop computer access to all secondary students? Indiana's leading the way, boys. As a resident of Minnesota with a couple kids in junior high, I'm extremely jealous.

Indiana schools have been experimenting with a state-wide network with Linux clients since at least 2005. If you're serious about this, check out the website and consider contacting people who were involved for advice.

As it happens, I was browsing the laws for my state of residence (Indiana) last night, looking for something else entirely, and I came across this:

IC 24-4.8-2-2
          Sec. 2. A person who is not the owner or operator of the computer may not knowingly or intentionally:
                (1) transmit computer software to the computer; and
                (2) by means of the computer software transmitted under subdivision (1), do any of the following:
[...]
                        (D) Use intentionally deceptive means to prevent reasonable efforts by an owner or operator to block or disable the installation or execution of computer software.
                        (E) Knowingly or intentionally misrepresent that computer software will be uninstalled or disabled by an owner or operator's action.
[...]
                        (I) Prevent reasonable efforts by an owner or operator to block or disable the installation or execution of computer software by:
                                (i) presenting an owner or operator with an option to decline installation of computer software knowing that the computer software will be installed even if the owner or operator attempts to decline installation; or
                                (ii) falsely representing that computer software has been disabled.

(The bit about "transmit computer software to the computer" is defined to include providing a DVD or other physical media.)

I'm not sure what legal recourse it provides, but it seems like a start anyway.

There are technical, legal definitions of theft, which don't include the act of making digital copies.

In Indiana they do. The Indiana Code defines theft to include "transferring or reproducing: (A) recorded sounds; or (B) a live performance; without consent of the owner of the master recording or the live performance, with intent to distribute the reproductions for a profit." True, federal copyright law preempts state law except for sound recordings published prior to 1972, but there are a lot of works published prior to 1972.

If you read the above comment, I said the transportation thing was specific to my county.

As for the free ID, here is the link. http://www.in.gov/sos/photoid/howdoi.html

After looking into it, it's a county (transportation) thing. Not state mandated.

http://www.in.gov/sos/photoid/howdoi.html

Conversion and theft are legal constructs. They fall under the generic term of theft because that is just a classification. If you notice, I'm not talking about the punishment of the law itself, just the jurisdiction and the classification or construct that it falls under. More precisly, I'm attempting to point to how the book of laws itself is organized. If you look at the murder laws, you will find that manslaughter is listed under them and in some situations, it will be a misdemeanor. In my state, they use numbers instead of letters for the classes of misdemeanor with the distinction of minor for the lowest offenses like parking tickets and so on.

This is more apparent when you look at the index page for the Indiana Code that you drilled down to present your link. Lets take this slow because it will get confusing. The law would actually be something like IC title 35, article 43, chapter 4. But when you look at the titling for title 35, you see that it is Criminal Law and Procedure. Then ARTICLE 43 if "OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY". Finally, we go to chapter 4 which you linked to and it is called Theft, Conversion, and Receiving Stolen Property. They are all lumped together under theft which is how they are attempting to claim it is theft. Now, sometimes, it actually is theft where someone in a holding warehouse will steal a movie or a CD or Computer Program or something and then make copies of it.

Anyways, when laws are created, you have a section or a title that they fall under. All the laws pertaining to theft will fall within the same code tree. This is done because an officer or anyone needing to find a reference to a specific law can look under the construct and find the offenses. Theft will pertain to all the various forms of theft, murder will pertain to all the various forms of murder, Government structure or operational code will all be in the same place and so on. This narrows the search down but allows you or anyone who thinks there should be a law about that, to find the law without having to look throughout all the laws. Think of the construct as the dewy decimal system of law.

Don't get me wrong, you will sometimes find obscure references to some other law within an entirely different set of laws which can make it somewhat complicating. US code (federal law) is riddled this way and attempts to streamline them end up with bills that consist largely of nothing but "to amends 4601 subsection a paragraph 2 by striking the word "those"; and adding the word "the" in it's place", which probably a big reason why our government doesn't read what they are voting on.

And your right, we don't need to get into a flame over that. My point was that the **AAs were attempting to stretch that concept into something it wasn't which allows them to confuse the premise of law and make the claim when they shouldn't be. I think maybe I started getting away from that point.

Conversion and theft are legal constructs. They fall under the generic term of theft because that is just a classification. If you notice, I'm not talking about the punishment of the law itself, just the jurisdiction and the classification or construct that it falls under. More precisly, I'm attempting to point to how the book of laws itself is organized. If you look at the murder laws, you will find that manslaughter is listed under them and in some situations, it will be a misdemeanor. In my state, they use numbers instead of letters for the classes of misdemeanor with the distinction of minor for the lowest offenses like parking tickets and so on.

This is more apparent when you look at the index page for the Indiana Code that you drilled down to present your link. Lets take this slow because it will get confusing. The law would actually be something like IC title 35, article 43, chapter 4. But when you look at the titling for title 35, you see that it is Criminal Law and Procedure. Then ARTICLE 43 if "OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY". Finally, we go to chapter 4 which you linked to and it is called Theft, Conversion, and Receiving Stolen Property. They are all lumped together under theft which is how they are attempting to claim it is theft. Now, sometimes, it actually is theft where someone in a holding warehouse will steal a movie or a CD or Computer Program or something and then make copies of it.

Anyways, when laws are created, you have a section or a title that they fall under. All the laws pertaining to theft will fall within the same code tree. This is done because an officer or anyone needing to find a reference to a specific law can look under the construct and find the offenses. Theft will pertain to all the various forms of theft, murder will pertain to all the various forms of murder, Government structure or operational code will all be in the same place and so on. This narrows the search down but allows you or anyone who thinks there should be a law about that, to find the law without having to look throughout all the laws. Think of the construct as the dewy decimal system of law.

Don't get me wrong, you will sometimes find obscure references to some other law within an entirely different set of laws which can make it somewhat complicating. US code (federal law) is riddled this way and attempts to streamline them end up with bills that consist largely of nothing but "to amends 4601 subsection a paragraph 2 by striking the word "those"; and adding the word "the" in it's place", which probably a big reason why our government doesn't read what they are voting on.

And your right, we don't need to get into a flame over that. My point was that the **AAs were attempting to stretch that concept into something it wasn't which allows them to confuse the premise of law and make the claim when they shouldn't be. I think maybe I started getting away from that point.

Conversion and theft are legal constructs. They fall under the generic term of theft because that is just a classification. If you notice, I'm not talking about the punishment of the law itself, just the jurisdiction and the classification or construct that it falls under. More precisly, I'm attempting to point to how the book of laws itself is organized. If you look at the murder laws, you will find that manslaughter is listed under them and in some situations, it will be a misdemeanor. In my state, they use numbers instead of letters for the classes of misdemeanor with the distinction of minor for the lowest offenses like parking tickets and so on.

This is more apparent when you look at the index page for the Indiana Code that you drilled down to present your link. Lets take this slow because it will get confusing. The law would actually be something like IC title 35, article 43, chapter 4. But when you look at the titling for title 35, you see that it is Criminal Law and Procedure. Then ARTICLE 43 if "OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY". Finally, we go to chapter 4 which you linked to and it is called Theft, Conversion, and Receiving Stolen Property. They are all lumped together under theft which is how they are attempting to claim it is theft. Now, sometimes, it actually is theft where someone in a holding warehouse will steal a movie or a CD or Computer Program or something and then make copies of it.

Anyways, when laws are created, you have a section or a title that they fall under. All the laws pertaining to theft will fall within the same code tree. This is done because an officer or anyone needing to find a reference to a specific law can look under the construct and find the offenses. Theft will pertain to all the various forms of theft, murder will pertain to all the various forms of murder, Government structure or operational code will all be in the same place and so on. This narrows the search down but allows you or anyone who thinks there should be a law about that, to find the law without having to look throughout all the laws. Think of the construct as the dewy decimal system of law.

Don't get me wrong, you will sometimes find obscure references to some other law within an entirely different set of laws which can make it somewhat complicating. US code (federal law) is riddled this way and attempts to streamline them end up with bills that consist largely of nothing but "to amends 4601 subsection a paragraph 2 by striking the word "those"; and adding the word "the" in it's place", which probably a big reason why our government doesn't read what they are voting on.

And your right, we don't need to get into a flame over that. My point was that the **AAs were attempting to stretch that concept into something it wasn't which allows them to confuse the premise of law and make the claim when they shouldn't be. I think maybe I started getting away from that point.

Well, according to the Indiana Code conversion seems to be a different charge to theft. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title35/ar43/ch4.html
I specified non-commercial anyway, so if you have a link to a legal case where non-commercial copying is charges as theft I'd be interested, otherwise not. My real point was that calling it copying theft is trolling, particularly on /. for the following reasons.
1) It is quite easy to make a case in favour of copyright without calling it theft. In fact, I am in favour of copyright laws, although not in their current effectively unlimited time forms.
2) Everyone who has been reading /. for more than a couple of weeks has had ample opportunity to understand that.
3) The particular post I replied to made no point relevant to the topic, ie: even for theft you are still entitled to due process and still protected from excessive fines.
4) Therefore I conclude that the OP was a troll.

Most posts I have seen that claim copying=theft fit into the category of troll. There are good reasons to support copyright, it is quite possible to make a reasonable case for it. Calling it theft only distracts from the real issues and detracts from the discussion. It is necessary to challenge the idea though, since there is so much propaganda from their side.

Nobody is really reading these comments at this point, but I'll say it anyways.

I think we've found that freedom of religion leads to the following: The dominant religion that the country was founded on becomes the status quo and eventually it works its way into the government so that the idea of separation of church and state is only on the surface of the law.

Right now I live in a state (Indiana) where most everybody thinks its ok to put "In God We Trust" on a license plate and not charge anything for it like they do for the other specialized plates. It is instead considered an alternate plate to the official one, but its almost become the standard plate. And the kicker is, Christians don't see the irony in this. It was religious freedom that allows them to have all their denominations of Christianity, but by encouraging and praising the "In God We Trust Plates", they are oppressing other religions. What about Allah, Buddha and atheists? Will they soon have to have an affirmation of God on their car? The ACLU has started a court case against the state over it, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

And for those that think that "In God We Trust" isn't so bad, it was obvious what the people were thinking when they made the plate because every Indiana specialized plate has 2 letters over top of each other and then 4 numbers next to it. Usually the initial two letters make up an abbreviation for something like IU for Indiana University or EN for the environment plates. The initial two letters on the "God plates" where TG instead of GT. TG obviously meaning Trust God, which is no longer the phrase but a command telling you to do something. I rest my case.

Proof:

• Standard plates
• College plates
• Organization plates

Nobody is really reading these comments at this point, but I'll say it anyways.

I think we've found that freedom of religion leads to the following: The dominant religion that the country was founded on becomes the status quo and eventually it works its way into the government so that the idea of separation of church and state is only on the surface of the law.

Right now I live in a state (Indiana) where most everybody thinks its ok to put "In God We Trust" on a license plate and not charge anything for it like they do for the other specialized plates. It is instead considered an alternate plate to the official one, but its almost become the standard plate. And the kicker is, Christians don't see the irony in this. It was religious freedom that allows them to have all their denominations of Christianity, but by encouraging and praising the "In God We Trust Plates", they are oppressing other religions. What about Allah, Buddha and atheists? Will they soon have to have an affirmation of God on their car? The ACLU has started a court case against the state over it, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

And for those that think that "In God We Trust" isn't so bad, it was obvious what the people were thinking when they made the plate because every Indiana specialized plate has 2 letters over top of each other and then 4 numbers next to it. Usually the initial two letters make up an abbreviation for something like IU for Indiana University or EN for the environment plates. The initial two letters on the "God plates" where TG instead of GT. TG obviously meaning Trust God, which is no longer the phrase but a command telling you to do something. I rest my case.

Proof:

• Standard plates
• College plates
• Organization plates

Nobody is really reading these comments at this point, but I'll say it anyways.

I think we've found that freedom of religion leads to the following: The dominant religion that the country was founded on becomes the status quo and eventually it works its way into the government so that the idea of separation of church and state is only on the surface of the law.

Right now I live in a state (Indiana) where most everybody thinks its ok to put "In God We Trust" on a license plate and not charge anything for it like they do for the other specialized plates. It is instead considered an alternate plate to the official one, but its almost become the standard plate. And the kicker is, Christians don't see the irony in this. It was religious freedom that allows them to have all their denominations of Christianity, but by encouraging and praising the "In God We Trust Plates", they are oppressing other religions. What about Allah, Buddha and atheists? Will they soon have to have an affirmation of God on their car? The ACLU has started a court case against the state over it, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

And for those that think that "In God We Trust" isn't so bad, it was obvious what the people were thinking when they made the plate because every Indiana specialized plate has 2 letters over top of each other and then 4 numbers next to it. Usually the initial two letters make up an abbreviation for something like IU for Indiana University or EN for the environment plates. The initial two letters on the "God plates" where TG instead of GT. TG obviously meaning Trust God, which is no longer the phrase but a command telling you to do something. I rest my case.

Proof:

• Standard plates
• College plates
• Organization plates

This is totally wrong but I will cite sources to prove my point that the Indiana law DID go into effect already.

http://www.in.gov/sos/photoid/
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26725
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/28/uselections2008.usa?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/28/scotus.voter.id/

Okay, got some links that suggest passenger occupancy rate is ~1.13

• 1,
• 2,
• 3,
• and of course the search...

Fairly indicative of a misuse of vehicles. I'd doubt that they adjusted for tradesmen vehicles that only carry 2 people like the venerated ute and the like, but even with them being included, I'd hazard that the occupancy would not rise far past 2 people/vehicle.

As for being ugly, the main problem for the masses, isn't that it is ugly but that it is outside conventional expectation. I certainly don't think it is ugly, but my reaction was that it was impractical. Having thought a bit about my own use for vehicles, I'd say it is not truly impractical for me... but I can't help think that it would be. The vehicles that fit into the suv categories are almost always ugly, but fit into convention. Heck, most vehicles are effectively oblongs stacked together! That ain't pritty! The appeal is in the impression that they can be versitile as the boxes that inspired (heh) them. The second metric of beauty would be flowing lines, I reckon, which complements symetry.

Thanks for researching the links!

Here is what I just posted to our (Indiana's) do-nothing "Inspector General":

See the article on Slashdot.org (link below), and keep in mind that, all of a sudden, as of only a week or so ago, I noticed that the www.in.gov site's searches were ALSO powered by the AD SPONSORED search engine, "Cha Cha". I believe that this is a violation of IC 35-44-1-1 et seq., as well as, in the case of the IU board, as a State Funded university, its Personnel policies against Conflict of Interest (which also cite the Indiana Code section IC 35-44-1-3).

I have also alerted members of the local media of this glaring Conflict of Interest; so you might not want to simply "bury" this issue, as you have a history of doing with so many that are brought to your office's attention.

Kind Regards,

See these web links for more information:

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/05/013320 9

http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title35/ar44 /ch1.html

http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/policies/uwide/coi.ht m

And then I sent the same message to several local news outlets. Let's see what happens...

To report a conflict of interest involving an employee of the State of Indiana, click here.

Relevant documents:

• Indiana University Conflict of Interest Policy
• Indiana Code, "Bribery, Conflict of Interest, and Official Misconduct"

To report a conflict of interest involving an employee of the State of Indiana, click here.

Relevant documents:

• Indiana University Conflict of Interest Policy
• Indiana Code, "Bribery, Conflict of Interest, and Official Misconduct"

Then you should write to your state representative! Your Indiana General Assembly representatives and their contact information are listed here.

If they supported the exception, tell them how "furious" you are. If they opposed the exception, tell them you appreciate their position. And tell them you vote and have a long memory. Unfortunately, Indiana's regulators are in the executive branch under Governor Daniels. You could write to him but he has been willing to give away (practically) public assets to companies (toll road, state lottery, etc.).

It's surprising how responsive and effective legislators can be when they know the public is paying attention.

Then you should write to your state representative! Your Indiana General Assembly representatives and their contact information are listed here.

If they supported the exception, tell them how "furious" you are. If they opposed the exception, tell them you appreciate their position. And tell them you vote and have a long memory. Unfortunately, Indiana's regulators are in the executive branch under Governor Daniels. You could write to him but he has been willing to give away (practically) public assets to companies (toll road, state lottery, etc.).

It's surprising how responsive and effective legislators can be when they know the public is paying attention.

We should all send email feedback to people in Indiana... Governor http://www.capwiz.com/politicsol/mail/?id=141178&t ype=GV&state=IN Office of Tourism Development http://www.in.gov/tourism/contact/

Crimes, however, do have fixed definitions. For example, in the state of Indiana, rape is defined by IC 35-42-4-1. It says
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a person who knowingly or intentionally has sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex when:
(1) the other person is compelled by force or imminent threat of force;
(2) the other person is unaware that the sexual intercourse is occurring; or
(3) the other person is so mentally disabled or deficient that consent to sexual intercourse cannot be given;
commits rape

The law likely similarly defines rape in other states, as this tracks fairly closely with common law.

http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title4/ar1/c h11.html

I think that's exactly what the case said. The Court considered at least one of the girl's postings:
Hey you piece of greencastle shit.
What the fuck do you think of me [now] that you can['t] control me? Huh?
Ha ha ha guess what I'll wear my fucking piercings all day long and to
school and you can['t] do shit about it! Ha ha fucking ha! Stupid bastard!
Oh and kudos to whomever made this ([I'm] pretty sure I know who).
Get a background.
formatting left as in the opinion.

The Court found that somewhere in there is a protected expression of displeasure towards the actions of a government actor -- that is, she was mad he banned wearing of jewelry in decorative piercings and expressed her thoughts on the matter.

It's not Shakespeare, but freedom can't only apply to those who speak eloquently.

Same with Indiana. You can file online, pay what you owe online, and even have your refund direct deposited.

http://www.in.gov/biotownusa/ http://www.intakeweekly.com/articles/5/024302-8225 -160.html Reynolds, IN, population 600 is to have all of its energy supplied by biorenewable sources. I hope these folks are not too shocked as they discover that they will get worse fuel mileage with E85. Many of them appear to believe they will get better mileage and save money. Mitch seems to be pumping quite a bit of cash into Biotown. Maybe he could funnel some of this back into the local school system instead of cutting it's funds. I mean, I know the local district is being wasteful by having three elementary schools with just over 400 kids total...but he can pay for that right? Or, he could do the smart thing and pay to combine the three schools into one and get them back to focusing on education. With a poor local educational system, Biotown will fail.

I really don't know what you're talking about. Indiana is one of the most progressive places in the country! Why, just look at some of these pieces of progressive legislation that would make "blue" states like New York and California proud!

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1087 House Bill 1087, concerning the Squirrel hunting season

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1135House Bill 1135, requiring retailers who happen to sell booze display it in a separate room so the Godly don't have to look at it

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1159House Bill 1159, making sure that you can't vote if you are unlucky enough to lose your Driver's license on Election Day

And finally...
http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1096 House Bill 1096, making abortions a Class C felony

I really don't know what you're talking about. Indiana is one of the most progressive places in the country! Why, just look at some of these pieces of progressive legislation that would make "blue" states like New York and California proud!

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1087 House Bill 1087, concerning the Squirrel hunting season

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1135House Bill 1135, requiring retailers who happen to sell booze display it in a separate room so the Godly don't have to look at it

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1159House Bill 1159, making sure that you can't vote if you are unlucky enough to lose your Driver's license on Election Day

And finally...
http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1096 House Bill 1096, making abortions a Class C felony

I really don't know what you're talking about. Indiana is one of the most progressive places in the country! Why, just look at some of these pieces of progressive legislation that would make "blue" states like New York and California proud!

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1087 House Bill 1087, concerning the Squirrel hunting season

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1135House Bill 1135, requiring retailers who happen to sell booze display it in a separate room so the Godly don't have to look at it

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1159House Bill 1159, making sure that you can't vote if you are unlucky enough to lose your Driver's license on Election Day

And finally...
http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1096 House Bill 1096, making abortions a Class C felony

I really don't know what you're talking about. Indiana is one of the most progressive places in the country! Why, just look at some of these pieces of progressive legislation that would make "blue" states like New York and California proud!

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1087 House Bill 1087, concerning the Squirrel hunting season

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1135House Bill 1135, requiring retailers who happen to sell booze display it in a separate room so the Godly don't have to look at it

http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1159House Bill 1159, making sure that you can't vote if you are unlucky enough to lose your Driver's license on Election Day

And finally...
http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billi nfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB &docno=1096 House Bill 1096, making abortions a Class C felony

In case you're wondering who's in your neighborhood...

Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Alabama [state.al.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Alaska [state.ak.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Arizona [az.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Arkansas [megans-law.net]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of California [ca.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Colorado [state.co.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Connecticut [state.ct.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Delaware [state.de.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Florida [state.fl.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Georgia [ganet.org]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Hawaii [megans-law.net]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Idaho [state.id.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Illinois [state.il.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Indiana [in.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Iowa [iowasexoffender.com]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Kansas [accesskansas.org]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Kentucky [state.ky.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Louisiana [lsp.org]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Maine [megans-law.net]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Maryland [state.md.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Massachusetts [mass.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Michigan [state.mi.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Minnesota [state.mn.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Mississippi [state.ms.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Missouri [missouri.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Montana [state.mt.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Nebraska [state.ne.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of Nevada [nvsexoffenders.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of New Hampshire [nh.gov]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of New Jersey [njsp.org]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of New Mexico [state.nm.us]
Registered Sex Offenders In The State Of New York [sta

" ... and most of Canada not until the mid 1990s ..."

Not sure where you get your information, but Photo Drivers Licenses were the norm in Canada in the 1980's and in some provinces were mandatory issue in the 1970's.

Saskatchewan did not have a photo driver's license requirement until 2001.

Every other province did, with Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia (which represent 75% of the population of Canada) having that requirement for 30 years or more.

I'm not positive on when, exactly other provinces not cited above made photo drivers licenses mandatory, but certainly before the 90's; it was well known that SK was the only holdout at the beginning of that decade.

As of June 01 2003 all Canadian Provincial Photo Licenses were revoked and replaced by the current (mandatory) version, which is a Canadian National Photo Drivers ID; issued by each province, it follows a specific form and contains identical information encoded in both a barcode and a magnetic stripe.

It also has a number of other security features including holograms, fleurescent inks, magnetic ink fonts, both magnetic bar and optical barcode scannable, etc.

For an idea of what a US Peace Officer can obtain in a routine check or traffic stop on a Canadian Resident with or without a driver's license see http://www.in.gov/isp/idacs/documentation/midx6g02 .html (State of Indiana).

US residents in Canada will find that Canadian Police can access similar information (ie whatever a US officer can get) from Interpol/FBI quickly from the car or on patrol due to a formal information sharing agreement signed about 15 years ago and informally available for at least 10 years before that (they signed a formal agreement when the two governments figured out what they were doing was technically illegal prior to that point).

And for an example of an enterprising private firm that takes data off your driver's license when you shop or have a drink, see SWIPE http://www.we-swipe.us/plain.html#about/

I couldn't get the other links to work from the SWIPE site on this post (wrong referrer, perhaps?), but interesting info can be found at the SWIPE site, including an interactive map of each State and Province's current encryption methods and information on the SWIPE bar, that scans data from your drivers license when you order a refreshing beverage, ostensibly to "confirm" your drinking age.

If you don't care, you don't have to read the rest about the SK license and photo ID.

Although SK did not use a photo on the annual paper driver's license, Government Issue Provincial Photo ID was available for a fee ($10) from the provincial department regulating liquor laws as early as 1976 and was legal photo ID and proof of age in Canada; by the early 90's an optional Photo Drivers license was available as well as an non-drivers Photo ID card from a Motor License issuer.

This is similar to the "Identification Cards" for non-drivers issued in Minnesota (and other States) during the mid-to-late 80's and possibly earlier, which closely resemble the MN Photo Driver's License.

The current SK license is two parts; a 5-year photo ID and an annual paper license. It is not a valid drivers license without both parts present and current. This is similar to a Pilot's License, at least in Canada (the license is not valid without a current Medical Certificate accompanying it).

SK uses this system because the Driver's License is both an operator's permit and an annual insurance certificate, providing additional insurance beyond plate insurance for the holder involved in a motor vehicle accident in the US, Canada or Mexico (the insured does not have to be the driver; it covers the holder as passenger in a bus or as a pedestrian, for example).

First off, let me establish my credentials: I'm a part-time licensed Life, Health, and Accident Agent in the state of Indiana. You can check here to learn about the Ray Wall and Associates agency, ID 1954880 where I work as a 1099 independent contractor: https://secure.in.gov/apps/idoi/search/servlet/age ncyCriteria

I've seen lots of good feedback about experiences with various life, health insurance, and Errors & Omissions (E&O). Here are some observations:

Do not skip buying insurance unless you have a lot of personal or 100% reliable family reserves to back you. The statistics -- 50% of bankruptcies are due to medical bills and 50% of divorces due to financial issues -- are against you; you're better off sharing your risks across a large pool of folks.

Insurance is cheapest when purchased through a group affiliation, either a pass-through like PACE or professional society. You may be best served by getting your insurance through a professional society group affiliation, such as the IEEE http://www.ieeeinsurance.com/USA2.asp or ACM http://www.acm.org/membership/insurance/. For the cost of ~$120 USD per year, they let you buy life, health, and E&O at drastically reduced rates and automatic qualification. IEEE's health insurance is comparable to a Fortune 500 firms, both in benefits and cost per month. Only downside is you must be a member for a two years to get the IEEE health, by far the best deal!

Cover all the bases. I personally place health and disability first for Get health insurance with a High Deductible (2600 indiv / 5200 family) and Health Savings Account (HSA) unless you have expensive health conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or diabetes. Nutshell is the money you would pay first due to the deductible is yours to keep over the years in in the HSA, earning interest and/or dividends, if you don't spend it. It's like a mini 401K if you are reasonably healthy!

Buy a limited amount of whole life insurance to permanently cover you, then get the rest in term to be less expensive. Insurance never gets cheaper, so you'll want the whole life to make sure you always qualify and can be buried when you die at a ripe old age :). Whole life also accumalates a kitty that you could use in extremis for money or note as an asset for collateral.

I'm not an investment advisor, but I do suggest getting into an Individual Retirement Account now while time and compounding interest are on your side.

Hope this is helpful!

1. Common Dreams report: Nice. Common Dreams. An extremely "progressive" (in their own words) news source with rave reviews from Bill Moyers and (go figure) Ralph Nader, which Don Imus (of MSNBC) calls "a must read from the left". Hmmm....
2. optically scanned votes have a strange anomoly: From UsTogether.org, a web site dedicated to "peace, democracy, and well-being". The list of local resources display a myriad of internet sites dedicated to the Democratic and Green parties, and ONLY to those parties. Hardly an unbiased news source.
3. 88,000 more votes than there were voters: While I couldn't find a clear agenda on their site, the article referenced in the posting has already been updated with the fact that Palm Beach County had no such discrepancy. If you look at the page that the Washington Dispatch quotes, the actual numbers from Palm Beach County are quite different. In fact, there were 544,378 votes cast for President from 547,340 voters that turned out, showing 2,962 voters that never cast a vote for President, as opposed to the 88,000 votes over voter turnout that the article claims. Interesting...
4. discounted 50,000 voters: CmdrTaco claims this took place in LaPorte, Michigan ... when it actually took place in LaPorte, Indiana. This shows a complete lack of effort to verify this data. LaPorte was, in fact, a problem. They believe it was due to a power surge of some sort. They are still working on sorting through the mess there and are still counting ballots and working to certify the election there. At any rate, to state they "discounted 50,000 voters" is not only misleading, it's flat out wrong. In fact, the current data from LaPorte, INDIANA states that they had 43,278 voters voting (with 42,582 votes being cast for President) with just over 79,309 voters registered. That's a 55% turnout for that county, which is just about on par with the rest of the state. Whie I have yet to see viable precinct-by-precinct data for that county, it's clear that "discounting 50,000 voters" is not what happened at all. Incidentally, for all you Kerry fans out there, Kerry actually had more votes in this county.
5. gave Bush an extra 4,000 votes: Oh. My. $DIETY. The county in which this took place, still shows more votes for KERRY than for Bush. However, this is actually a problem if you look at the (still unofficial) data from Franklin County. The key here is that the document here referenced is UNOFFICIAL, and even CNN (left as they are) admits to that. The offical tally for Bush in that precinct is 365 votes. Perhaps the headline should read "Glitch gave Bush extra votes in Ohio According to an Unofficial Document That is Only Used by the Media".
6. counting backwards: Again, a valid probl

To see a more obviously gerrymandered district (which might just be because I'm more familiar with the state) look at Indiana's.

Every little "bubble" you see shooting off of a large district is a larger town that was stuck in the district in order to absorb the democratic votes from it. For instance, the northeast and southeast parts of Marion County (Indianapolis, mostly district 7) are included in the 5th district, which except for those areas, is almost all rural, or very high income (north of Indy).

Similary, the southeast side of Ft Wayne (very low income, heavily Democratic) is separated from the rest of the city.

The 4th district was drawn almost specifically to put Purdue and IU in the same district (very liberal tending towns, and most residents are younger and less likely to vote) and then lump them in with nothing but rural voters.

It's sad that part of the reason that Indiana sends so many Republicans to Congress is because the Republicans at home are the ones that drew the districts for them. (They packed as many democrats as they could into the 7th and 1st district, and spread the remaining ones around well enough to make them ineffective.

I think that congressional districts should follow cultural and economic boundaries as well as possible. That way, you have voters you have a vested interest in the same thing represented by one person. It makes no sense for a person in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the poorest city to be represented by the same person as that of the richest person in the richest neighborhood. (Southeast side of Indy and Carmel, respectively)

I most certainly like how slashdot provides links in its articles

For federal jury duty, the lists are made from voter rolls.

For states, jury lists come from voter rolls or driver license lists.

Check out what Florida says, or Indiana,

Most of us can't afford to tie up $40,000 cash just to avoid getting screwed by an insurance company.

As I said, my perspective is based on the Indiana rules... when you put your name on the list in Indiana, you won't appear on the distributed list until the next period. Indiana's lists go into effect on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year. Your name and number do not show up until then.

I wish the Federal list was as strict as Indiana's, but I do like that the Federal list is more current.

Indiana Do-Not-Call List FAQ

AC, posts like yours are why Slashdot still lets people use AC. Thanks for contributing.

I'm sure plenty of stoned envirotypes will start flailing around their faded tye dies and cracked beads. Sitting on their wicker chairs, they lean forward, with their elbows on their knees and hands leaning out, as if the way to act intelligent was through body language and not speech. They repeat "1.5 tons of water" in a zombie like hysteria.

Now I know that these are interesting animals, after all, the little red ones in the fish tank are interesting too, but, I will close the curtain on their madness for your own good.

Water is extraoridinarly heavy. Water weights

A cubic foot of water weighs about 62 pounds.

1.5 tons of water is about the same amount of water that you use taking a shower or a bath. I'll do my part for more efficient computing, and would skip showering one day per year to make up for my prolifigate use of water. But most environmentalists never shower, so I'll just assume they did it for me!

This technology is already in use (Yahoo! cache of Indy Star article) on the Hyperfix project in Indianapolis.
Hyperfix is a project in which they're completely replacing the highway segment in downtown Indianapolis in which Interstates 65 and 70 are multiplexed, in only 85 days. Crews are working 24/7.