Jeff's Stuff

Having just spent a long weekend in our nation's capital, I saw a sign that reminded me of just how stupid our elected officials can be.

Actually, I'm not certain whether the stupidity lies with the elected officials, or with the voters who put them in office. What am I ranting about? Signs that read, "no photography". All around New York City, for example, you see these signs. You see them on bridges and tunnels. They are popping up in more and more places. What's the purpose? To fight terrorism of course!

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As a lifelong resident of New Jersey, I am no stranger to shopping malls. Still, while walking through the mall the other day it occurred to me that there is one change that has taken place over the years that really irritates me. That of course is the smell.

While I give the mall operators credit for improving the air quality, as shopping malls were some of the first places where smoking was prohibited, there is a new phenomenon that, frankly, baffles me. It is the practice of scenting the air in retail stores.

I'm sure that the marketing folks that came up with this nonsense figure that it helps associate the smell with the store and thus strengthens the brand image. What these people fail to realize is the fact that many of us find this smells overwhelming.

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We all know, or at least we should know, that our legal system isn't always fair. Our legal system also doesn't always make sense. Logic and the law are not the best of friends. Still, there are a couple of examples that baffle me. These are things that really confuse me, really piss me off, or both. Occasionally, I will post some of these here. This is just the first one.

If I were to have sex with a woman and she were to become pregnant unintentionally, the decision to have an abortion is hers, and hers alone. This seems pretty basic. It's her body. I wouldn't expect the courts to give me the right to have any sort of control over another person's body.

If she chooses to have an abortion, I have no standing to stop her. While I am pro-choice, I find it interesting that I contributed half the genetic material for a child, yet I have no say whether it lives or dies. The mother is in 100% control. Her body, her choice.

Up until this point, I believe that I understand the law fully. I also think, I agree with it. But then the trouble begins. Let's assume that the woman decides to carry the child to term. She has a baby. This is a child that I did not want. Yet somehow, the law says that I have to support this child. Even though, I had no choice in the matter beyond conception.

The mother had the option of an abortion. I did not. Likewise, I couldn't stop an abortion if I disagreed and wanted her to keep the child. So the mother has total control. Why then, must I support the child?

A woman could tell a man that she is "on the pill" or is using some other form of birth control. She could be lying. She could be intentionally deceiving the man in the hopes of becoming pregnant. Yet even though she has committed fraud, the father still has to support the child.

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