Constitutional Myth #6: The Second Amendment Allows Citizens to Threaten Government - The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/06/constitutional-myth-6-the-second-amendment-allows-citizens-to-threaten-government/241298/
The "right to bear arms" is not a right to nullify any government measure a "sovereign citizen" finds irksome
Constitutional Myth #6: The Second Amendment Allows Citizens to Threaten Government - The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/06/constitutional-myth-6-the-second-amendment-allows-citizens-to-threaten-government/241298
The "right to bear arms" is not a right to nullify any government measure a "sovereign citizen" finds irksome
Groklaw - Day 23, From the Courtroom: Oracle v. Google Trial - Jury: No Patent Infringement ~pj Updated 2Xs
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20120523125023818
UPDATE: The jury verdict is in. They found no infringement of the patents!
Oracle Goes for Broke in Court Battle With Google | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/05/google-schmidt-page-damages/
But Judge Alsup wasn’t convinced. He told the court he had learned to code in Java for the trial — implying that he knew other languages as well — and he said that he had written some of the infringing code at least a hundred times since Oracle filed its suit in August 2010. “I can do it. You can do it. It’s so simple,” he said, adding that it takes less than five minutes. Then looked directly at Boies. “You’re one of the best lawyers in America — how can you make that argument?” he demanded.
Oracle Goes for Broke in Court Battle With Google | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/05/google-schmidt-page-damages
But Judge Alsup wasn’t convinced. He told the court he had learned to code in Java for the trial — implying that he knew other languages as well — and he said that he had written some of the infringing code at least a hundred times since Oracle filed its suit in August 2010. “I can do it. You can do it. It’s so simple,” he said, adding that it takes less than five minutes. Then looked directly at Boies. “You’re one of the best lawyers in America — how can you make that argument?” he demanded.
A federal judge learned to code - O'Reilly Radar
http://radar.oreilly.com/2012/05/judge-alsup-codes.html
The last couple of days, there's been a fair amount of blogosphere angst over Coding Horror's "Please Don't Learn to Code." Ironically, the best argument for learning to code appeared this morning, when it turned out that Judge William Alsup in the Google case could program, and learned Java in the course of the trial, and wasn't going for Oracle's claim that a short range-checking function was days of work. Alsup recognized immediately (and says he wrote the function hundreds of times during the course of the trial) that it's just a few minutes work for a competent programmer.
15-Year-Old Girl Faces Life in Prison for a Miscarriage? Why Conservatives Are Criminalizing Pregnant Women | Gender | AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/151508/15-year-old_girl_faces_life_in_prison_for_a_miscarriage_why_conservatives_are_criminalizing_pregnant_women
Gibbs is the first woman in Mississippi to be charged with murder relating to the loss of her unborn baby. But her case is by no means isolated. Across the US more and more prosecutions are being brought that seek to turn pregnant women into criminals.
How SOPA's 'circumvention' ban could put a target on Tor | Privacy Inc. - CNET News
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57346592-281/how-sopas-circumvention-ban-could-put-a-target-on-tor
A broad interpretation of SOPA's anti-circumvention language would sweep even more broadly than Tor. Software such as VPNs, used by security-conscious businesses, can also "bypass" a SOPA-established blockade. So could DNS software. And even the humble "/etc/hosts" file, part of every major operating system including OS X, Linux, and Windows, can be pressed into service as a SOPA-bypasser as well.
Lamar Smith is a cheap date - Boing Boing
http://boingboing.net/2011/12/18/lamar-smith-is-a-cheap-date.html
How much has it cost the entertainment industry to convince Rep Lamar Smith to introduce and ram through SOPA, which will cost the American economy billions, which will nuke the games, microprocessor, search, and other high tech companies in his Texas district? A mere $50K a year for 10 years. You know, it's one thing to be a sellout; but to sell out so cheaply -- man, have some self-respect. (via /.)
Head MPAA shill reduced to outright lies in bid to make the case for SOPA - Boing Boing
http://boingboing.net/2011/12/18/head-mpaa-shill-reduced-to-out.html
Case in point: Dodd recently told the Center for American Progress that "The entire film industry of Spain, Egypt and Sweden are gone."
No Copyright Intended - Waxy.org
http://waxy.org/2011/12/no_copyright_intended
Remix culture is the new Prohibition, with massive media companies as the lone voices calling for temperance. You can criminalize commonplace activities from law-abiding people, but eventually, something has to give.
The Copyright Industry – A Century Of Deceit | TorrentFreak
http://torrentfreak.com/the-copyright-industry-a-century-of-deceit-111127
It is far past due that the copyright industry is stripped of its nobility benefits, every part of its governmental weekly allowance, and gets kicked out of its comfy chair to get a damn job and learn to compete on a free and honest market.
Microsoft's Cold Feet Over SOPA Behind BSA's 'Rethinking' Its Views | Techdirt
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111123/11042416888/microsofts-cold-feet-over-sopa-behind-bsas-rethinking-its-views.shtml
One of the big surprises this week was that the normally "maximalist" organization, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) -- basically the RIAA of software -- did an abrupt and unexpected turnaround on SOPA. While it had been close to gushing in its initial support, it backed that down quite a bit, noting that the bill would likely have unintended consequences that needed to be dealt with. Behind that shift? Apparently Microsoft. Microsoft, who has been quite aggressive on copyright (and patent) enforcement lately, has always publicly supported these bills, in contrast to nearly all of the rest of the tech industry. However, even it appears to recognize that SOPA goes way too far, and apparently had a little discussion with the BSA about backing down.
Software Makers Shun SOPA Bill - Government - Policy & Regulation - Informationweek
http://informationweek.com/news/government/policy/232200069
A group that represents a number of major software developers, including Microsoft, Adobe, and CA, has withdrawn its support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill, which would require Internet companies and other players in the tech ecosystem to deny services to suspected software pirates and copyright violators.
US State Department not for internet freedom - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/11/20111116141248301243.html
San Francisco, California: The US State Department is once again undermining its own Internet Freedom Initiative - this time by giving the green light to a copyright bill that will adversely affect online free speech around the world.
Full disk encryption is too good, says US intelligence agency | ExtremeTech
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/105931-full-disk-encryption-is-too-good-says-us-intelligence-agency
It’s a tough situation: On the one hand, being able to crack full disk encryption is vital for the prosecution of white-collar criminals, child porn ringleaders, pharmaceutical spam barons, and the curtailment of terrorism — but on the other, it’s quite satisfying to know that, perhaps at long last, we have a way of escaping the ireful eye of Big Brother. Where do you stand on FDE?
European Parliament warns of global dangers of US domain revocation proposals | EDRI
http://www.edri.org/EU_parliament_SOPA
Responding to an intervention by EDRi (video, speech (PDF) at a hearing recently on attacks against computer systems, the European Parliament today adopted, by a large majority, a resolution on the upcoming EU/US summit stressing “the need to protect the integrity of the global internet and freedom of communication by refraining from unilateral measures to revoke IP addresses or domain names.”
Zoe Lofgren - Lofgren Opening Statement on SOPA
http://lofgren.house.gov/index.php?Itemid=125&id=661&option=com_content&task=view
Washington, D.C. – Today the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Since Rep. Zoe Lofgren was not permitted to deliver her opening statement at the hearing, it appears below in full.
And Now... Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Posts (i.e., Not Just SOPA) | Techdirt
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111116/13302516796/now-back-to-your-regularly-scheduled-posts-not-just-sopa.shtml
I recognize that all of the posts today have been about SOPA and the House Judiciary Committee hearings on SOPA. Some of you liked this. Some of you did not. We've never done anything like that before, focusing just on one issue for the entire day, but it is a big issue, one that I feel strongly about, one that I think impacts all of you... and one that there was a lot going on about.
Lying on the Internet could soon be a federal crime
http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/lying-on-the-internet-could-soon-be-a-federal-crime
The US Department of Justice wants to make it a federal crime to violate the “terms of service” of any website, reports Declan McCullagh at CNet. According to this interpretation, breaching the terms of service of websites — which can be done by simply using a fake name on Facebook, lying about your weight on a dating site, or using Google if you’re under the age of 18 — could make you a criminal.
Internet Community Shut Out of Stop Online Piracy Act Hearing - Again | Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/11/public-shut-out-stop-online-piracy-act-hearings-again
This morning, EFF’s staff and concerned netizens across the country tuned into the live webcast of the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261). At least we tried to. Unfortunately, we were confronted with an incredibly poor webcast stream for much of the hearing. We find it ironic and deeply concerning that Congress is unable to successfully stream video of an event this important to all Internet users, even as they are debating a dangerous plan to change the Internet in fundamental ways and deputize Internet intermediaries to act like content police.
Tumblr Takes Fight Against SOPA Up A Notch, ‘Censors’ User Dashboards | TechCrunch
http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/16/tumblr-takes-fight-against-sopa-up-a-notch-censors-user-dashboards
Head to Tumblr right now and log into your Dashboard. You’ll find that your stream of content has been replaced with censorship blocks — with a link at the top of the page prompting users to Stop The Law That Will Censor The Internet. Click the link, and you’ll be prompted to enter your phone number and street address. Tumblr will then call you to run through some talking points and tell you how to call your House Representative.
A Look At The Testimony Given At Today's SOPA Lovefest Congressional Hearings... With A Surprise From MasterCard | Techdirt
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111116/00035716786/look-testimony-given-todays-sopa-lovefest-congressional-hearings-with-surprise-mastercard.shtml
We already know that today's SOPA hearings for the House Judiciary Committee are totally stacked in favor of the bill. But with the hearings getting underway, we wanted to dive in and look at what's about to be said. Most of the testimony leaked out yesterday, allowing us to spend some time going through it -- it's all embedded below. However, here's a taste of what's going to be said... with some additional commentary (of course).
SOPA Gives Me Powers That I Don't Want | Techdirt
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111115/01142516772/sopa-gives-me-powers-that-i-dont-want.shtml
In reality though, most of the large tech companies that exist today were once very small and very fragile. If SOPA was in place, those companies would have never grown up, since the two guys in a garage would have required four lawyers to survive. Dropbox is a perfect example. Created by some college students, the company provides shared online storage space for a fee. Under SOPA, the company would have been cut off from its revenues as soon as a single accusation was made that it was hosting copyrighted material. As a small company this could have been crippling. Today though, I know that Dropbox is one of the most popular tools in the movie industry, since it allows easy sharing of new daily shots, music cues, draft movie posters and more. The innovative tech companies of the future will be extinguished before they have a chance to even get out the door.
Google Friends Facebook to Fight Piracy Act - Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-15/google-friends-facebook-to-fight-hollywood-on-u-s-online-piracy-measure.html
Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat who served three decades in the Senate, is looking for a win in his new role as head of the MPAA, which grew powerful in Washington under the 38-year leadership of Jack Valenti, a onetime aide to Lyndon Johnson. The group’s members include Walt Disney Co. (DIS), Viacom Inc. (VIA/B)’s Paramount Pictures, Sony Corp. (6758), News Corp. (NWSA), Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)’s NBC Universal and Time Warner Inc. (TWX)’s Warner Bros.
American Censorship Day is this Wednesday — And You Can Join In! | Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/11/american-censorship-day-wednesday-and-you-can-join
This Wednesday, November 16, the disastrous "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) heads to the House Judiciary committee. In case you need a refresher, SOPA could allow the U.S. government and private corporations to create a blacklist of censored websites, and cut many more off from their ad networks and payment providers. This bill is bad news, and its supporters are trying to push it through before ordinary citizens realize just how much damage it can cause.
Updated: Hollywood and Congress Target Mozilla - ReadWriteCloud
http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2011/11/hollywood-and-congress-target.php
The bill is, by nearly any sane measure, overreaching and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says that the bill targets Mozilla specifically for refusing to comply with Homeland Security's ICE unit.
The Shareable Food Movement Meets The Law - Collaborative Consumption Blog Posts
http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com/insider-blog/archives/the_shareable_food_movement_meets_the_law.php
The Health Department didn’t show up when I made dinner for my neighbors last night. Fortunately, our health and safety laws don’t usually dictate how we prepare food in our personal and private realms. But humans have a natural tendency, an urge to feed each other, and the shareable food movement is taking that to new levels - levels that bring up some legal curiosities.
Hollywood's New War on Software Freedom and Internet Innovation | Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/11/hollywood-new-war-on-software-freedom-and-internet-innovation
In this new bill, Hollywood has expanded its censorship ambitions. No longer content to just blacklist entries in the Domain Name System, this version targets software developers and distributors as well. It allows the Attorney General (doing Hollywood or trademark holders' bidding) to go after more or less anyone who provides or offers a product or service that could be used to get around DNS blacklisting orders. This language is clearly aimed at Mozilla, which took a principled stand in refusing to assist the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to censor the domain name system, but we are also concerned that it could affect the open source community, internet innovation, and software freedom more broadly:
Anti-Hacking Law Criminalizes Most Computer Users, Former Prosecutor Says | Threat Level | Wired.com
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/11/anti-hacking-law-too-broad
OpenDNS Tells Congress Not To Create The Great Firewall Of America | Techdirt
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111108/10101816680/opendns-tells-congress-not-to-create-great-firewall-america.shtml
When I went to Washington DC a few weeks ago with other entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, one of those whom I had the pleasure of meeting and walking the halls of Congress with was David Ulevitch, the CEO of OpenDNS, the world's largest DNS and internet security service. His service protects over 30 million people every day, and is currently used to protect people in approximately one-third of every public K-12 school. Hearing his story and his concerns about PROTECT IP and SOPA was really eye-opening. He's someone who clearly understands DNS and DNS/IP blocking better than probably anyone. And he told me that if SOPA were in place when he was first creating OpenDNS, he wouldn't have bothered. The liability would be just too great.
Finally, a Judge Stands up to Wall Street | Matt Taibbi | Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/finally-a-judge-stands-up-to-wall-street-20111110
Imagine a car thief who, when caught driving a stolen Lexus, tells the police he simply stepped into the wrong car and drove off by mistake. Now imagine he tells the same story when, two years later, he’s caught screaming over the GW bridge in a stolen Mercedes.
Let's Rewrite Securities Law for Facebook
http://gawker.com/5857730/lets-rewrite-securities-law-for-facebook
Busted! Two New Fed GPS Trackers Found on SUV | Threat Level | Wired.com
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/11/gps-tracker-times-two
The 25-year-old resident of San Jose, California, says he found the first one about three weeks ago on his Volvo SUV while visiting his mother in Modesto, about 80 miles northeast of San Jose. After contacting Wired and allowing a photographer to snap pictures of the device, it was swapped out and replaced with a second tracking device. A witness also reported seeing a strange man looking beneath the vehicle of the young man’s girlfriend while her car was parked at work, suggesting that a tracking device may have been retrieved from her car.
I wonder what kind of hubbub it would cause if someone put a tracker in the tracker and figured out where it went when it got retrieved?
"He has the right to speak," said the cop to the banker : occupywallstreet
http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet/comments/ly9vk/he_has_the_right_to_speak_said_the_cop_to_the
TL;DR - I handed out flyers. The bankers panicked and called their private security people, then more private security and finally the cops. That's when they found out that they didn't have a leg to stand on
End the Patent Wars
http://feeds.harvardbusiness.org/~r/harvardbusiness/~3/SXqaOrwL20g/end_the_patent_wars.html
Florida Lawmaker Wants to Repeal Dwarf-Tossing Ban [Florida]
http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/8wKGPtmyX1w/florida-lawmaker-wants-to-repeal-dwarf+tossing-ban
New Bill Would Allow Robo-Calls to Mobile Phones
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/new_bill_would_allow_robo-calls_to_mobile_phones.php
Will Wall Street require Python? | ITworld
http://www.itworld.com/government/105031/will-wall-street-require-python
Charles Stross was right. "with Release 33-9117, the SEC is considering substitution of Python or another programming language for legal English as a basis for some of its regulations."
Hey Sucker, We've Got Your China Trademark And Your're Goin' Down. - China Law Blog: a blog about Chinese law and the legal issues of doing business in China.
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2009/07/free_china_legal_advice_do_not_1.html
"if you are having product made in China with your name on it, you had better register your trademark in China, even if (especially if?) your China presence is through a third party. "
The Center for Michigan » Young Leaders tell Lansing what it takes to make them stay
http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/young-leaders-tell-lansing-what-it-takes-to-make-them-stay
'Sexting' Hysteria Falsely Brands Educator as Child Pornographer | Threat Level from Wired.com
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/04/sexting-hysteri.html
There should be an equal and opposite reaction to penalize "The System" when it gets it this wrong - try to compensate this man. "Even in this environment of prosecutorial excess, Oei's case stands out as likely the first to entangle an adult who came in possession of an image that even police admit wasn't pornographic, and who did so simply in the course of doing his job."
DNA Lounge: he State of California considers @dnalounge "a disorderly house injurious to the public welfare and morals"
http://www.dnalounge.com/backstage/log/2009/02.html#13
Homeland Security: Rethinking What Works : NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97669757
Palin vindicated?: ADN Editorial | adn.com
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/555236.html
Joe Biden says Barack Obama might pursue criminal charges against Bush administration if elected | World news | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/03/uselections2008.joebiden
Judge says UC can deny religious course credit
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/BAQT129NMG.DTL&tsp=1
"A federal judge says the University of California can deny course credit to applicants from Christian high schools whose textbooks declare the Bible infallible and reject evolution. ... Rejecting claims of religious discrimination and stifling of free expression, U.S. District Judge James Otero of Los Angeles said UC's review committees cited legitimate reasons for rejecting the texts - not because they contained religious viewpoints, but because they omitted important topics in science and history and failed to teach critical thinking."
H.R. 393: Universal National Service Act of 2007 (GovTrack.us)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-393
"To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service..." Repeatedly reintroduced apparently to prove a point.
Vintage Whiskey May Be Poured Out - News Story - WSMV Nashville
http://www.wsmv.com/news/14608054/detail.html
"Here's a sobering thought: Hundreds of bottles of Jack Daniel's whiskey, some of it almost 100 years old, may be unceremoniously poured down a drain because authorities suspect it was being sold by someone without a license."
Matthew Yglesias (November 05, 2007) - Should Illegal Immigrants Get Driver's Licenses? (Domestic Policy)
http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/11/should_illegal_immigrants_get.php
"The problem with saying "yes" isn't just that it's unpopular, it's that it's unpopular because it sounds ridiculous."
igdmlgd: AMAZON ONE-CLICK PATENT REJECTED BY THE US PATENT OFFICE AS A RESULT OF MY REQUEST
http://igdmlgd.blogspot.com/2007/10/amazon-one-click-patent-rejected-by-us.html
"In a recent office action, the USPTO has rejected the claims of the Amazon.com one-click patent following the re-examination request that I filed on 16 February 2006. "
Do-It-Yourself Counter Notification Letter
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Terrorism/form-letter.html
"The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, enacted in 1998, set out a notification procedure that can be used to request an ISP to remove allegedly infringing material from a web page. However, there is a defense against this attack"
JNJ BTW » Blog Archive » You’re Doing What?!
http://jnjbtw.com/?p=96
"So, I’ve now lived a classic corporate public affairs nightmare: announcing a lawsuit against the American Red Cross. Would I have chosen this exercise as a reputation-building opportunity for Johnson & Johnson? No, of course not."
A Patent Lie - New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/opinion/09lee.html?ei=5088&emc=rss&en=22f3d8f9f3cfc921&ex=1339041600&partner=rssnyt
"As more and more lawsuits rock the industry, we should ask if software patents are stifling innovation. Bill Gates certainly thought so in 1991, even if he won’t admit it today."
Substitute teacher's conviction for porn popups set aside | The Register
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/06/amero_conviction_set_aside
"Julie Amero, the substitute teacher convicted of four felony counts when a computer in her classroom subjected seventh-graders to pornographic images, has been granted a new trial in light of fresh forensic information that came to light following her fi
Tech news blog - Gonzales proposes new crime: 'Attempted' copyright infringement | CNET News.com
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9719339-7.html
"Require Homeland Security to alert the Recording Industry Association of America"
“I Don’t Care What the Judge Said!” by Joel Turtel
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/24518.html
"How Jury Nullification Can End the Sick War on Drugs"
Conservatives to Bush: Fire Gonzales | TIME
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1610738,00.html
"In what could prove an embarrassing new setback for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the eve of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of influential conservatives and longtime Bush supporters has written a letter to t
Woman jailed after reporting rape - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070130/ap_on_re_us/jailed_rape_victim
"While she was behind bars, according to the college student's attorney, a jail worker refused to give her a second dose of the morning-after contraceptive pill because of the worker's religious convictions."
Salt Lake Tribune - Teen, both a perpetrator and victim of sex offense, presents legal puzzle
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4787105
"struggling to wrap their minds around the concept that a 13-year-old Ogden girl could be both an offender and a victim for the same act - in this case, having consensual sex with her 12-year-old boyfriend."
MI Legislature RSS feed! | Common Monkeyflower
http://blog.commonmonkeyflower.net/node/198
"I discovered the Michigan Legislature's Bill Update RSS Feed - updated every ten minutes while leg. is in session with status on bills."
Where Faith Abides, Employees Have Few Rights - New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/business/09religious.html?ei=5090&emc=rss&en=2daaf5a55c943b8c&ex=1318046400&partner=rssuserland
"His client was a middle-aged novice training to become a nun in a Roman Catholic religious order in Toledo. She said she had been dismissed by the order after she became seriously ill — including a diagnosis of breast cancer."
DownsizeDC.org | Make Congress Read the Bills Campaign
http://www.downsizedc.org/read_the_laws.shtml#top
"For Members of Congress, fiduciary responsibility means reading each word of every bill before they vote. But Congress has not met this duty for a long time."
The founding fathers save America's soul - Sunday Times - Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2088-2252652,00.html
"The conservative intelligentsia in America have also shifted dramatically from a conservatism that protects the individual from government towards a conservatism that wants to impose democracy abroad and enforce morality at home."
Net Neutrality: This is serious | Decentralized Information Group (DIG) Breadcrumbs
http://dig.csail.mit.edu/breadcrumbs/node/144
"When I invented the Web, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission."
American cops taped torturing drug suspect - LISTEN! : Indymedia Radio
http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2006/05/9797.php
"When Lester exercised his constitutional right not to sign a consent to search his house, these officers spent the next two hours torturing him."
Attorney General prepared to quit over Jefferson probe: NYT - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060527/us_nm/crime_jefferson_dc
WSJ.com - Lawmaker Raid May Come Back to Bite Bush
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114858897380963400.html
"The recent FBI raid of a congressman's office is fueling a power struggle between Congress and the administration that could hobble President Bush in his efforts to move his legislative agenda."
Breach Was More of the Spirit, Not the Letter, of the Constitution
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/24/AR2006052402335.html
"Both the search warrant for Jefferson's office and the raid to execute it were unprecedented in the 219-year history of the Constitution."
House Leaders Demand Return of Seized Files - New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/washington/25cong.html?ei=5090&emc=rss&en=57743282011cf921&ex=1306209600&partner=rssuserland
"Reckless Justice: Did the Saturday Night Raid of Congress Trample the Constitution?"
Wired 14.05: Posts
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.05/posts.html?pg=7
"If figuring out your taxes were easy, why would anyone bother to hire H&R Block?"
Wired News: The Eternal Value of Privacy
http://wired.com/news/columns/0,70886-0.html?tw=wn_index_23
"For if we are observed in all matters, we are constantly under threat of correction, judgment, criticism, even plagiarism of our own uniqueness."
Wired News: Feds Want Hacker's Genetic Code
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70869-0.html?tw=rss.index
"Lamo's refusal is based on a religious objection to giving blood, and he's willing to provide his DNA in another form."
insomnia: Future American lawyers to be proud of.
http://insomnia.livejournal.com/652389.html?nc=2&style=mine
Holy crap - these guys give lawyers a good name! "Alberto Gonzales spoke before law students at Georgetown today ... the students in class did something pretty ballsy and brave. They got up from their seats and turned their backs to him."
Debunking the Drug War - New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/opinion/09tierney.html?ei=5090&emc=rss&en=5437e34f4e69dfcd&ex=1281240000&partner=rssuserland
"And why spend three decades repeating the errors of Prohibition for a drug that was never as dangerous as alcohol in the first place?"
mnot’s Web log: Another, More Disturbing Reason Not to Buy a House
http://www.mnot.net/blog/2005/06/23/eminant_domain
"That’s right, it turns out that your locality’s tax revenue is more important than your fifth amendment rights."
Blogcritics.org: Rush Guitarist Lifeson Sues and Speaks
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/06/10/101144.php
"The legal action we are embarking on now will hopefully bring attention to the fact that people cannot and should not be treated this way."
The Washington Monthly - BARBARISM IN TEXAS
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_06/006447.php
"Prosecutors chose not to pursue the death penalty against Flores, meaning he received an automatic life sentence with parole possible after 40 years." 19-year-old guy in jail for stepping on girlfriend's stomach because abortion was unavailable.
Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260481
"This was done without either of us requesting it and at the judge's whim" Absolutely disgusting.
Congress confuses file sharing with manslaughter | The Register
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/21/p2p_is_murder
"Since involuntary manslaughter brings, on average, anywhere from 0 to 36 months' incarceration, one might well question the morality of going harder on those who trade files than on those who negligently cut short the lives of fellow citizens."
Wonkette - Scalia Subjected to Probing Question, the Aftermath
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/about/scalia-subjected-to-probing-question-the-aftermath-040057.php
"The student who asked the question has responded to these criticism."
The New York Times New York Region Videos Challenge Accounts of Convention Unrest
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/12/nyregion/12video.html?ei=5094&en=034b59d6aece5085&ex=1113364800&hp=&partner=homepage
"But one day after Officer Wohl testified, and before the defense called a single witness, the prosecutor abruptly dropped all charges."
CNN.com - Congress may extend daylight-saving time - Apr 7, 2005
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/07/daylight.saving.ap/index.html
"If Congress passes an energy bill, Americans may see more daylight-saving time." Aww, hell. It'll be like a mini-Y2K. Although, maybe it'd help with my S.A.D.
newsobserver.com | Local & State | Unmarried woman challenges law
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2263947p-8643550c.html
"Fired because she lived with her boyfriend, she files suit to overturn state cohabitation ban."
ABC News: Poll: No Role for Government in Schiavo Case
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/PollVault/story?id=599622&page=1
"Federal Intervention in Schiavo Case Prompts Broad Public Disapproval"
Mark A. R. Kleiman: Schiavo, Hudson, and Nikolouzos
http://www.markarkleiman.com/archives/_/2005/03/schiavo_hudson_and_nikolouzos.php
"What I can't figure out is how someone could be genuinely outraged about the Schiavo case but not about the Hudson and Nikolouzos cases."
:: Douglas Rushkoff - Weblog :: The Needs of the One
http://www.rushkoff.com/2005/03/needs-of-one.php
"If only the Michael Jackson judge had permitted cameras in the courtroom..."
QDN: Congress’s own words on Schiavo
http://q.queso.com/archives/001630
"This is so much worse than I originally thought. Is there any doubt that this is a horrible violation of both separation of powers and states’ rights?"
Muralist's vision has jail staring him in face
http://www.freep.com/news/locmac/mural18e_20050218.htm
"In 39A District Judge Marco Santia's eyes, it's a crime." ...whereas the Judge's decision is obscene.
[IP] more on Dell to Add Security Chip to PCs
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200502/msg00008.html
"Richard Stallman, self-proclaimed founder of all that is Free, calls it Treacherous Computing."
[IP] more on Research under fire?
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200501/msg00233.html
"Putting roadblocks in front of knowledge doesn't stop it from coming about -- it moves offshore."
Electrolite: Memo to Planet BoingBoing.
http://nielsenhayden.com/electrolite/archives/005986.html
"The bad guys’ basic strategy is to portray themselves as defending the status quo while in fact effecting a revolutionary change."
Yahoo! News - Texas Lifts Reprieve, Executes Inmate
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/texas_execution
This is disgusting.
MTV.com - News -Court Rules That All Musical Samples Must Be Paid For
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1490830/20040908/index.jhtml?headlines=true
'"Get a license or do not sample," the court said Tuesday. "We do not see this as stifling creativity in any significant way."' Wow. I guess it's not significant if you don't listen to it.
NPR : Denied a Visa, Scholar Won't Teach at Notre Dame
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3879409#38;sourceCode=RSS
"Agreeing to a request from the Homeland Security Department, the State Department refuses to issue a visa to a Muslim European professor hired by Notre Dame." Score one for the good guys.
Database snafu puts US Senator on terror watch list
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/19/senator_on_terror_watch
"It is not known exactly how Kennedy became mixed up in a national terrorist database - whether by accident, or as a practical joke, or as a Republican dirty trick to keep him out of Boston during the Democratic National Convention."
ABCNEWS.com : Does Web Information Help Terrorists?
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/US/internet_sensitive_info_040812-1.html
"John Young, a 69-year-old architect, was contacted a few weeks ago by Department of Homeland Security officials, who expressed concern about what he was posting on his Web site." Wow, I wondered if he'd get some attention from the spooks.
Penguin sticks head in the sand
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/08/08/penguin_sticks_head
"The US publishers of a harrowing real-life tale about Net-related child abuse are refusing to admit they cocked up after naming the book after a Web site owned by a British woman."
John Edwards, Trial Lawyers, and McDonald's Coffee
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/8/1/141345/4615
"So, if you hear people drone on about how John Edwards is on the side of those shark trial lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits like that one against McDonald's because its coffee was too hot, tell them the name Stella Liebeck."
Mouthful Gets Metro Passenger Handcuffs and Jail (washingtonpost.com)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22456-2004Jul28.html
'Farbstein said Willett violated the rules. "Chewing is eating," she said.' Reg required, thank bugmenot.com
USAO/CDCA Press Release: CINCINNATI MAN CHARGED WITH STREAMING ILLEGAL COPIES OF SCIENCE FICTION TELEVISION SHOW OVER THE INTERNET
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cac/pr2004/050.html
"As early as 2001, McGaughey provided visitors to his website the opportunity to download copies of Stargate SG-1 episodes." Hmm, still disgusting that the PATRIOT Act was invoked, but this sheds some different light.
SG-1 Archive Forums - SG-1 Archive Charged with Copyright Infringement
http://www.sg1archive.com/forums/index.php?s=fe7addd31c72c7a3733190261f1fdc21&showtopic=6807&st=216#entry212094
"The REAL reason for this lawsuit was that divx bootlegs of nearly (all?) every episode, up until a couple years ago, were available here for download. THAT'S why he got raided." Hmm, further down the rabbit hole.
Stargate Information Archive - Federal Charges Filed Against SG-1 Archive
http://www.sg1archive.com/nightmare.shtml
"Federal charges were filed against Adam McGaughey, creator of the popular SG1Archive.com website - a fan website devoted to the MGM-owned television show Stargate SG-1." And I just was just watching SG1 as I read this. Absolutely disgusting.
Plastic: Bring Me The Head Of Jose Padilla
http://www.plastic.com/article.html;sid=04/06/07/15360859
'There was never a "dirty bomb." Or a plan to explode such a bomb. What there was, was a failure in the legal process, thanks to recent "advances" in the anti-terrorism laws.'
Proof, Negative
http://slate.msn.com/id/2101632
"The Justice Department's triumphant victory over the Constitution."
Chocolate and Vodka :: Something for Nothing: The Free Culture AudioBook Project
http://chocnvodka.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2004/5/24/75489.html
"Copyright is what stops people ripping you off or making money from your hard work. Isn't it?"
Howard and Me
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/09/magazine/09ESSAY.html
"What public radio show has that kind of diversity?" by Ira Glass, about Howard Stern
Chick-Fil-A threatens to sue Attrition.org
http://www.attrition.org/postal/z/legal/chick-fil-a
"Eat mor lawyers"
Forced erasures of Scalia speech outrage journalists
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/04/09/scalia.tapes/index.html
"In what can be only described as an ultimate constitutional irony, Scalia was praising the Constitution and its First Amendment while a federal marshal harassed reporters and curtailed their right to gather news at a public appearance"
Help a Geek in need!
http://www.livejournal.com/users/constants/113120.html
"On February 19th I was suspended from school for a computer infraction. Which was making an account on the network. I made this account so I could save my files so when the computer rebooted, it wouldn't erase them."
Repeal every law enacted since 1912
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Mar-14-Sun-2004/opinion/23315601.html
Nail *this* to the door.
http://www.acriminalwasteofspace.net/journal_beds.asp?blogid=24
"Today’s lecture – as you may have surmised – is on the topic of separation of Church and State."
Bush Loves Appointing "Activist" Judges [not satire]
http://web.morons.org/article.jsp?id=4649§ionid=1
"Activist" is, of course, code for "does not fall in line with the radical right agenda".
"Virtual desktop manager" patent applied for by Microsoft
http://arstechnica.com/news/posts/1077781268.html
'Microsoft has applied for a software patent #20030189597 for a "Virtual desktop manager".'
Federal Judge Sways to Rhythm of Talking Heads
http://www.legalunderground.com/2004/02/i_was_ready_to_.html
Top Twelve Reasons Against Gay Marriage
http://www.drmomentum.com/aces/archives/001172.html
Neil Gaiman
http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2004_02_22_archive.asp#107766958467371937
"You know, if I were Todd McFarlane, I would simply have apologised a long time ago."
ICv2 News - Gaiman Sweep!
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/1883.html
"... the jury came back with a verdict in Phase I of Gaiman vs. McFarlane, awarding a complete victory to writer Neil Gaiman in his court battle with toy and comic magnate Todd McFarlane."
the american street: The theocrats' stealth attack on the courts
http://www.reachm.com/amstreet/archives/000278.html
"Did I happen to mention that this is an important election?"
Los Angeles Times: 2nd S.F. Judge Delays Ruling on Gay Marriages
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-021704marriage_lat,1,6151479,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines
"Superior Court Judge James Warren told plaintiffs he would not issue a court order until they corrected a punctuation error in their legal filing." Hey, it's the same in programming.
U.S. Constitution - Amendment XVIII
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxviii.html
D'oh! Joe Grossberg corrects me - there's already been at least one amendment imposing a restriction of rights. Though, we all know how well that went...
Bush Plans to Endorse Marriage Amendment
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/bush_marriage_dc
I may be wrong, but this seems like the first Amendment intended to prevent the granting of rights, rather than extending them.
"It took a while for Microsoft to come after Mike Rowe Soft..."
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/news/story.asp?id=37261520-1B58-4E4F-B534-7077040C8071
Patent lawyer puts claim to entire Internet
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/34949.html