This one should depress all you titty-bar aficionados:

Bill to license strippers yet to climb pole

A bill that would license exotic dancers has been bumping and grinding its way ever so slowly through the legislative hopper in Albany - but the "sin-tax" in the measure may leave legislators poles apart.

The bill, sponsored by Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, would require strippers to register with the state and get special permits to perform in clubs. And real names - not Candy, Lolita or Miss Lollipop - would be required.

Dancers who can't whip out a permit - it's unclear if they would have to carry them, somewhere, at all times - would face fines of up to $20 for a first-time violation and $50 for further violations. Clubs that employ them would face even stiffer fines.

The bill's purpose, Ortiz said, is to monitor "places where commercial sexual exploitation occurs" and to make sure the dancers are of legal age, legally documented and not victims of sex trafficking. (source)

Why, it's about as sensible as the TBS network premiere of "Showgirls," featuring digital brassieres for everybody!

The undergirding logic to this sort of regulation is obviously a new revenue stream, as something tells me it's not a step toward legalizing prostitution. The 'real names' thing is pure foolishness. Who wants to see someone called Velma Hoggensnipe take her clothes off?

I think the Storm Trooper to the right just found out about it.