Everything I said in my last post is true — except who is to blame. The publishing of faulty statistics is likely not the Journal Star’s fault, but the State of Illinois’ Department of Public Health (IDPH) itself. If so, my apologies to the newspaper of record.

I just ran across the State of Illinois’ Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Childhood Lead Poisoning, published in July 2004. It’s very possible that this is the document from which the Journal Star got their information. In it, on page 12, the IDPH claims “Illinois Ranks No. 1 Nationally in Blood Lead Levels.” However, they base that statement on the CDC report I analyzed at length in my last post. The conclusion is still faulty, regardless of who came to it.

Ever wondered what it would take to get Osama bin Laden to stop attacking the U.S.? A new book published today called Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden has the answers. It’s a compendium of all of his messages — in his own words (translated, of course) — from 1994-2004.

According to the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald:

Osama bin Laden wants the United States to convert to Islam, ditch its constitution, abolish banks, jail homosexuals, bar women from appearing in the press and sign the Kyoto climate change treaty.

. . . Bin Laden’s terms for America’s surrender appeared after the September 2001 suicide attacks. Alcoholic drink and gambling would be barred and there would be an end to women’s photos in newspapers or advertising. Any woman serving “passengers, visitors and strangers” would also be out of a job. The West must “stop your oppression, lies, immorality and debauchery that has spread among you” and has become the “worst civilisation witnessed in the history of mankind”.

. . . In the book the terrorist responsible for killing 3000 civilians in September 2001 says that killing the innocent is wrong.

There’s something here for everyone. Liberals can make jokes about how Bin Laden sounds like conservatives with his fascist social policy. And conservatives can joke about how he sounds like left-wing environmentalists because he wants the U.S. to sign the Kyoto accord.

But once we get beyond the levity, it would be good for us to remember that when it comes to a terrorist like this guy, we’re really all on the same team regardless of our political persuasion. Even though we disagree on social and economic policy, we do so with words and reasoned argument. He seeks to persuade with mass murder and fear. And there’s nothing funny about that.

Under the “Police, Fire, and Courts” section of the Journal Star today is this little blurb:

PEORIA – A 64-year-old East Peoria man was hospitalized Tuesday night after he jumped from the Cedar Street Bridge. Peoria firefighters on their rescue boat plucked the man from the water near the East Peoria shoreline. He was taken to Methodist Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. Peoria and East Peoria rescue personnel were called to the bridge after the man was seen parking his truck in the westbound lanes, turning on his hazard lights and jumping over the side about 1:45 p.m. Police spotted the man floating near the bridge, which carries Illinois Routes 116, 8 and 29 over the Illinois River.

Does anyone not know who this is? It happened in the early afternoon yesterday, was reported on radio and television news, and even mentioned by Mayor Jim Ardis at the beginning of the City Council meeting.

In case you’ve been living in the same cave as the Journal Star, the 64-year-old man was Andre Bohannon, former city council member and former assistant city manager.

The good news is that he survived and is recovering in the hospital. Let’s keep him in our thoughts and prayers as he deals with whatever issues led to his actions.

Most of the meeting last night focused on the budget. Each department head has been giving a budget presentation to the council, then taking questions from council members. Tonight, the head of the Economic Development Council presented, and all other department heads were in attendance in case the council had questions for any of them. All other business was dispensed with quickly.

The consent agenda passed with only one item pulled out by Sandberg for clarification.

The item I was most interested in — expansion of and traffic-flow changes to the Glen Hollow shopping center — was tabled. That passed unanimously, so obviously there was some sort of agreement to table it ahead of time, but I don’t know what the reason is.

I was pleased with the new towing ordinance. You may remember I was critical of the plan to charge people $25 whenever a police officer calls a tow truck for them. However, they have since changed the proposed ordinance and consulted with tow truck drivers on the issue, and everyone is happy now. Here’s the ordinance:

There is hereby imposed an additional administrative fee of $25.00 for each rotation tow for which a vehicle owner is required to obtain a release from the Peoria Police Department prior to reclaiming the vehicle or any personal belongings . The administrative fee shall be collected by the Peoria Police Department when the vehicle owner obtains its release . This fee shall not apply to unclaimed vehicles which are scrapped by the tow operator, tows paid for bythe City, or vehicle owners who are victims of theft or vehicular invasion of their vehicle.

“Rotation tow” just means that the city, not wanting to give preference to one tow company over another, will call tow companies in a rotation so they get equal business. That part is not new. The change is that the $25 fee will now only apply to cars that are abandoned or involved in illegal activity. It will not penalize the law-abiding citizen whose car breaks down or is stolen. Excellent compromise, and kudos to the council for taking the time to improve this ordinance.

• 81st in interstate highway access
• 116th in air cargo access
• 178th in water port access 

Here is the press release from the Kaiser Family Foundation:

Washington, D.C. — The number of sexual scenes on television has nearly doubled since 1998, according to Sex on TV 4, a biennial study released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And while the inclusion of references to “safer sex” issues — such as waiting to have sex, using protection, or possible consequences of unprotected sex — has also increased since 1998, that rate has leveled off in recent years. The study examined a representative sample of more than 1,000 hours of programming including all genres other than daily newscasts, sports events, and children’s shows. All sexual content was measured, including talk about sex and sexual behavior.

The study found that 70% of all shows include some sexual content, and that these shows average 5.0 sexual scenes per hour, compared to 56% and 3.2 scenes per hour respectively in 1998, and 64% and 4.4 scenes per hour in 2002. These increases combined represent nearly twice as many scenes of sexual content on TV since 1998 (going from 1,930 to 3,780 scenes in the program sample totaling a 96% increase between 1998 and 2005). But despite these overall increases in sexual content, the number of shows in which sexual intercourse is either depicted or strongly implied is down slightly in recent years (7% in 1998, 14% in 2002, and 11% in 2005).

Among shows with any sexual content, 14% include at least one scene with a reference to sexual risks or responsibilities — up from 9% in 1998, but approximately the same rate as in 2002 (15%). In shows with intercourse-related content, more than one in four (27%) includes a reference to sexual risks or responsibilities. This is nearly double the rate found in 1998 (14%), but approximately the same as in 2002 (26%).

“Given how high the stakes are, the messages TV sends teens about sex are important,” said Vicky Rideout, a Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President who oversaw the study. “Television has the power to bring issues of sexual risk and responsibility to life in a way that no sex ed class or public health brochure really can.”

“The increase in the number of TV shows with sexual content, combined with the increase in sexual scenes per show has led to a dramatic overall increase in sexual content on TV since 1998,” said Dale Kunkel, lead researcher on the study and University of Arizona professor. “During the same period, the percentage of these shows that include ‘safer sex’ messages has also increased significantly, but has leveled off in recent years.”

Additional findings:

Sexual Content on TV

• Among the top 20 most watched shows by teens, 70% include sexual content, and nearly half (45%) include sexual behavior.
• During prime time hours sex is even more common with nearly 8 in 10 (77%) shows including sexual content, averaging 5.9 sexual scenes per hour.
• Two-thirds (68%) of all shows include talk about sex and 35% of all shows include sexual behaviors.
• Reality shows are the only genre of programming in which less than two-thirds (28%) of shows include sexual content.
• The percentage of shows with sexual content by genre includes movies 92%, sitcoms 87%, drama series 87%, and soap operas 85%.

Safer Sex Messages

• Two-thirds of all references to sexual risks or responsibilities on TV are “minor or inconsequential,” compared to one-third that are “substantial” or “primary” elements of the scene. Since the first study was conducted in 1998 this ratio has remained consistent.
• One in nine (11%) network prime time shows with sex include a reference to risks or responsibilities. This rate in prime time has held relatively steady over the years — 11% in 1998 and 13% in 2002.
• Among the 20 most highly rated shows for teen viewers, 10% of those with sexual content include a reference to sexual risks or responsibilities at some point in the episode.
• “Over the past seven years, more and more Hollywood writers have incorporated health messages into their programming,” said Vicky Rideout. “But the potential is there to do much more.”

Sexual Intercourse

• The vast majority (89%) of characters on TV involved in sexual intercourse appear to be adults age 25 or older. One in ten (10%) appear to be teens or young adults, down from one in four (26%) in 1998 and one in six (17%) in 2002.
• About half of all scenes with intercourse (53%) involve characters who have an established relationship with one another. Fifteen percent of scenes present characters having sex when they have just met — up from 7% in 2002.

I think these disappointing and (although it’s politically incorrect to say) shameful statistics speak for themselves. All I have to say is, this is why there are groups like the Parents Television Council. I don’t really think it’s asking too much that broadcasters respect the so-called “family hour” and produce some quality programs the whole family can watch that don’t include 5.9 sexual scenes per hour.