Thursday, July 17, 2003


John Conyers, Howard Berman Considered Harmful


Upload a File, Go to Prison

John Conyers is not my representative in Congress, though he does claim to represent part of the Detroit area. Indeed, it’s clear from this bill that he doesn’t represent anyone in Michigan, just these lobbies. Howard Berman is already well known in tech circles for introducing this wacky crap.


:: Dave Walker 12:18 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Wednesday, June 25, 2003


Black Music Month, June 2003


via Todd Larason, amplified by Curt

African-American music continues to influence the American music scene today with styles such as rap and hip-hop. As we celebrate the many creative and inspiring African-American artists whose efforts have enhanced our Nation, we recognize their enduring legacy and look to a future of continued musical achievement.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2003 as Black Music Month. I encourage Americans of all backgrounds to learn more about the heritage of black musicians, and to celebrate the remarkable role they have played in our history and culture.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.

Look at that date again. I could say something catty here, but there’s really no need, is there?


:: Dave Walker 19:36 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Monday, June 02, 2003


Bread And Circuses


“You can walk the streets of the United States and you will never find a single person who’s in favor of more consolidated media, unless by chance you happened to bump into one of Rupert Murdoch’s children.” - Reed Hundt, former U.S. FCC Chairman, in Salon


:: Dave Walker 00:34 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Sunday, May 25, 2003


“Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”


Here is a page to bookmark—The Center for Public Integrity has assembled a database that tracks the ownership of media outlets, as well as industry-sponsored junkets taken by FCC officials between May 1995 and March 2003.

Curious about who owns your local media, telephone and cable company? This searchable database contains basic information on every radio and television station in America as well as every cable television system and telephone company. You may search by company, by call sign or by area. Searchers will find basic information on some of the most important telecommunication companies, including a brief corporate profile and basic financial information.


:: Dave Walker 15:17 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Thursday, May 15, 2003


While You Were Out…


The American Civil Liberties Union has posted a pretty eye-opening poster (153 kb PDF file) that works as a fairly succinct description of what the existing USA Patriot Act means to your privacy rights, and why you should be really worried about Patriot II.


:: Dave Walker 03:01 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Wednesday, April 23, 2003


G’head, keep voting for these jokers


(via Kent Williams)

I just love living in a theocracy, don’t you? (link). I’m getting “Handmaid’s Tale” flashbacks.


:: Dave Walker 13:12 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Friday, March 14, 2003


When you download MP3s, you’re financing TERROR!


I just keep waiting for the moment when someone nudges me in the ribs and says “just kidding,” but it never comes.

I think Tycho puts it best here:

John G. Malcolm, deputy assistant attorney general in the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice, did say there seems to be some connection between illegal copying and organized crime, in that many of the groups profiting from illegal copies are highly organized and can have international distribution networks. Organized crime often supports terrorism, he suggested.

“These groups will not hesitate to threaten or injure those who tend to interfere with their operations,” Malcolm said.

This is the first statement I have ever read where Manga speechlessness - “…” - is the only valid response.


:: Dave Walker 13:16 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Thursday, March 13, 2003


There’s a new “Get Your War On”


Devastating freedom smackdown. I can’t credibly talk about a government that parodies itself. Memo to the rest of the world — Americans aren’t really all this freaking stupid.


:: Dave Walker 16:07 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Tuesday, March 11, 2003


Reason #65535 why the DMCA sucks ass


Overzealous reactions to takedown notifications can and do severely damage real people and organizations. The “guilty until proven innocent” provisions mean that complaints that used to be handled via a single email between interested parties very quickly devolve into a real denial of service for people that aren’t even necessarily related to the “infringer.” In this case, an upstream provider actually deleted a customer’s SQL database, which had to be restored from backup. How crazy is that?


:: Dave Walker 10:37 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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Saturday, January 25, 2003


“There are exactly… 57… Communists in the House of Representatives”


Numbers are fun. You can make them say whatever you want them to say.


:: Dave Walker 11:26 (EST/EDT) [+] ::

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"How do you know she is a unicorn?" Molly demanded. "And why were you afraid to let her touch you? I saw you. You were afraid of her." "I doubt that I will feel like talking for very long," the cat replied without rancor. "I would not waste time in foolishness if I were you. As to your first question, no cat out of its first fur can ever be deceived by appearances. Unlike human beings, who enjoy them. As for your second question --" Here he faltered, and suddenly became very interested in washing; nor would he speak until he had licked himself fluffy and then licked himself smooth again. Even then he would not look at Molly, but examined his claws. "If she had touched me," he said very softly, "I would have been hers and not my own, not ever again." -- Peter S. Beagle, "The Last Unicorn"

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