Don't Shut Me Up

China Re-blocks Wikipedia

2006-11-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

China's Net nanny has blocked Wikipedia yet again, in both the Chinese AND English versions. It is absolutely criminal to block any civil rights. I believe that goes for any government, company, or anything else... I mean just don't do it! I'm a bit out of funk recently and this has just flipped the switch from sane to crazy. Be back soon. Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn

There is a point of no return

2006-11-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

I'm all for phallic symboles, but this is just wrong: Link

DMCA gives Stewart and Colbert the Boot

2006-10-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

Recently, all media on YouTube.com of Comedy central shows (basically all the good Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert clips) have been removed due to Comedy Central attorneys bitching about copyright infringement. This is a prime example of how Copyright laws can possibly infringe on peoples ability to express themselves. By participating in posting and voting on their favorite clips from the show people are helping the creators of these shows know what they enjoy and therefore make them strive to improve the show further.

Part of me might be upset if the clips may have taken away business or revenew, but the only thing it did was to broaden the scope of online fans. If I could pear into the minds of the Comedy Central execs that made this decision, their streem of conciousness would probably go something like this:

Hum. I wonder how we can make more money. Wow, my computer conection is really fast! Hey the computer. Youtube is so funny. Look at Steven Colbert's green screen chanllenge. Wait. If we banned youtube from posting these videos, people would have to come to our website to watch the clips. But youtube is so much easier. That's right, and if people get confused on our site, they may end up just buying merchandice by mistake. It's Brilliant!

... Maybe not like that exacly, but something along those lines.

What Would Jesus Blog?

2006-10-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

This was just an amusing reminder why you shouldn't actually drink the sacramental wine at communion:

A Boing Boing article uncovered a blog condeming the participation by reading or writing of blogs:
Click for a laugh!
I've tried to wrap my head around this, but I just can't seem to fathome such logic, if that's what you call it.

2006-10-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

According to one blogger, KiTA, the blogging site, Daily Kos has been blocked by her company. Now, Boing Boing in their article said that the article labled it as pornography.

I find anything dealing with how business controles the lives of their employees rather complicated. First of all, I beleive that work is work. That doesn't mean that I haven't slacked off or done things other than work while I was on company time, but if I was running a business, I wouldn't want to have people spending time on something that might reduce productivity.

What I'm trying to say is that, although I find blocking a blogging site to be reprehencible, I understand it. That doesn't mean I agree with it. And it dosn't mean that it applies to this case. If it is a question of imposing personal preference, that is truely criminal, but if it happens to be for keeping employees minds on work, than I don't have a difinitive opinion.

English Speakers Only, Please

2006-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

“A 32-year-old man speaking Tamil and some English about a sporting rivalry was questioned at Sea-Tac Airport and missed his flight Saturday because at least one person thought he was suspicious.” Link

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a national language. English, of course, was adopted, but each and every citizen is allowed the right and freedom of speaking in any tongue whenever and wherever they so choose.

Is this discrimination? Is this a threat on our freedom of multilingualism in airports? Such things are not for me to decide. I can say that the number of things one can do, say, or bring in and around an airport are getting ridiculously limited.

It was very big of the man to be so understanding of this small, but embarrassing oversight. Lets just hope that the next poor bastard that misses a flight because of this is not in a hurry.

Items of intrest:

Airline passenger basic rights

Airline security rules

Speak freely, you're being tapped

2006-10-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

My own home is the one place I can be an ignorant biggot asshole, tell dead baby jokes, or just shout out a few well placed anti-Semetic remarks in an attempt to further my own self loathing (I'm a practicing Jew). However, my freedom of speach is being imposed by my freedom of privacy being compromised.

Some have interpreted the constitution saying that freedom of privacy is implied and is not directly protected by the fourth amendment. I can't exactly remember who said this, but it was a long time ago, and the person stating it was so dumb to me I decided to wipe any and all memory of what he said so that useful information, lets say the ability to color code the contents of my underware drawer, could take its place. I did however remember, and fear, the state of mind the person was portraying.

That is the same state of mind that Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) is clearly suffering from. And if the House of Representatives could stop picking ticks off each other and flinging poo accross the floor, maybe they'd think to themselves, "wait one second, there's something sticky about this bill!"

2006-09-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how a complementary snack bar at the back of the Whitehouse press room can make Fox just want to please the Bush administration. Recently, the right wing network has been pushing Bush like a cheap gigolo desperate for work. With a series of stories that have done nothing but kiss Whitehouse ass or push blame where it obviously shouldn't be, most famous of all is the recent Clinton interview.

The great thing about it all is that Fox Network is practically doing Jon Stewart's and Steven Colbert's jobs for them. Here is a link to the latest Word on the Fox-Clinton scandal.

2006-09-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Today I was reading an article that talked about bible study classes in Texas school systems. This is the only form of freedom of expression that I have a problem with.

I know what you are thinking: "Well Mike, why if you are so for the free expression of ideas in public, regardless of 'social stigma' why should you be so against the teaching of religious beliefs in public schools?" First of all, religion and state affairs are supposed to be separate. Many of these programs are electives which is why they have not come under securitization by federal courts. But should it be fair to offer an elective for one religion and not another.

A similar problem has presented itself in California school districts. According to 'In the Pipeline' (1), a news blog dealing with recent Supreme Court cases, a public school has routinely had a Muslim month to teach and educate its students about Islamic religion. Prosecutors are asking the Supreme Court to take a double look at this double standard. This is a very valid point. I just want to see that we either find room for every major religion, or we don't let any in at all. I know there is no gray in that, but I just don't want to see anyone be excluded from something that shouldn't have been in schools in the first place.

I just want to know why aren't these kids getting their biblical education at Sunday school? It seems to me the only people who would go to these classes would be those who would have the want to pursue it outside of class. And even if someone from another religion wanted to participate, it’s not that hard to go to one of your Christian friends and ask to sit in a class with them. I'm Jewish and I used to go to my friends bible study classes all the time. Mainly because of the free food. Is that so wrong?

So in conclusion, if you have a hankerin' to get some good old fashion New Testament in before lunch period, do it on your own time.

Peace,

Mike

2006-09-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday, second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan suspended enforcement on a rule enforcing heftier fines for isolated incidences of profanity, specifically toward "NYPD Blue" and a number of other television shows (1).

I'll be honest. I don't write. I mainly don't write because I'm an atrocious speller. The only reason this is at all relevant is because I wanted to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

What I care about is when the words vulgarity and obscenity get tossed around too freely. If you ask me, words that determine whether or not something is considered an art form or social waste are the most dangerous words out there.

To find more on FCC court battles check out FCCFU.com

2006-09-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

There is something wrong with this country. Through the influence of major corporations, our freedom of speech, freedom of press is becoming more and more limited every year. With legislation such as the Mickey Mouse protection act of '96, public domain is fast becoming a memory. Won't you join me in the fight for the right to ridicule; to keep lampooning legal? It's up to us, ladies and gentlemen. It's up to us.