Open Thread – Lights On!
Thanks to all who contacted their legislators regarding SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) yesterday. Google didn’t go dark, but included a link to take action against these two bills and got over 4 million people to make their feelings known. That’s some pretty impressive online activism.
Wikipedia, Reddit, and a host of other megasites went completely dark. The Mudflats followed suit. All of us here take the first amendment, and free uncensored speech pretty seriously. Online piracy is a serious problem, but starting down the slippery slope of regulated content and censorship through loosely worded legislation isn’t the way to fix it.
Believe it or not, both Alaska’s senators – Mark Begich (D) and Lisa Murkowski (R) have come out against PIPA (the Senate bill). Murkowski said that PIPA causes “serious concerns about our civil liberties.” Senator Begich also issues a statemt saying that “the theft of intellectual property and copyrighted material is a serious problem and solutions should strike an online balance between creativity, property protection and Internet freedom.”
Congressman Don Young? Well, he’s thinking about it.
Mikey got staples removed this very day and am well on my way to being heavy metal free,except for hip and plate and screws in wrist. Whooppee!!!
ps I also have a gold bridge to nowhere in my mouth and a couple of fillings and……
careful Mikey !! There are pure minded ladies reading this blog, and we don’t need to hear about EVERYTHING that got reinforced !!!
You certainly reinforce my belief that the “Mudflats” is the only blog to be seen on for witty banter and thoughtful,incisive comments.
Walker turns down multi-million dollar grant meant for healthcare for Wisconsinites. Why? It is one step closer to ObamaCare. Of all the stupid, nincompoop things he could do to the lowest income folks in his state. Me thinks this is retaliation against the recall effort. He probably believes he won’t lose.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/19/walker-turns-down-37-million-meant-for-wisconsinites-health-care/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
In case anyone missed it, here’s the video link for the crow sledding on a rooftop in Russia (or, if you prefer, crowboarding):
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=6uXiAe7Oc-I
Wheeee!
Hang 8! (crow toes, don’tcha know?!)
🙂
thatcrowwoman
That video is a riot and proves just how smart crows are.
It’s not just crows. All corvids (crows, ravens, jackdaws) are brainy and fun-loving.
What is gonna be Perry’s excuse for failure? America just doesn’t appreciate a rilly bad liar whose words are directly contradicted by reality. Maybe its his cavalier attitude towards most females not marrted to him. Maybe he will blame dumbass dubya and k rove. Maybe his shrink forgot to tell him he is bats&*t crazy.
Andrew Sullivan’s ~ Checkmate
“I knew from afar that they were a propaganda channel. Now, in this close-up personal interaction, you realize just how deep the rot goes. This is a channel dedicated to money, power and entertainment, in that order. But here’s what they’re missing; and what they’re terrified of:
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/01/obamas-long-game-ctd-2.html
Could the Romney campaign or the Republicans in general really not come up with a more articulate speaker than Bay Buchanan? We all stutter–Sullivan did, too–but she Palinized it. Stammering may become the new Word Salad!
Anyone listening with an open mind to hear the differences between Romney and Obama couldn’t fail but hear that this Romeny supporter had either no clue what we going on or Romeny has no plan at all. None.
Bay’s Palinized salad ~ slathered in Fox’s frothy facts vinaigrette ~ not very appetizing ~ not at all.
The interview is from CNN.
Sure missed the flats while His Oiliness was spouting last night.
In case y’all missed it, Belle Waring has a hilarious pair of rants up at Crooked Timber:
[sexist swine watch out]
http://crookedtimber.org/2012/01/16/hey-look-some-sexist-bullshit-at-slate-no-wai/
Chapter 2 is even better:
http://crookedtimber.org/2012/01/17/dear-guys-who-would-like-to-make-stuff-up-about-sexual-relations-a-priori-on-the-basis-of-like-spiders-or-something/
Excellent news! The State Department has rejected issuing a permit for constructing the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. This decision protects thousands of miles of the planet, as well as the integrity of the Ogallala Aquifer (which is already being pumped faster than it’s being replenished). Small steps.
And here’s a nuanced article on the subject:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/01/keystone-xl
Here’s a great little infographic to let you know what your state excels at:
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/infographic-whats-your-state-good-at
Welcome back, AKM. SOPA and PIPA are bad ideas–like using machine guns to take out mosquitoes.
Yeah, machine guns are a little underpowered for the mosquitos in Alaska. Slipstream recommends a shoulder-mounted rocket propelled grenade.
Two Republican co-sponsors of PIPA, Mark Rubio and John Cornyn have dropped their support. Unfortunately there are 5 Democrats who have not and need to change their minds if protests are to be successful. They are Al Franken, Sherrod Brown, Claire McCaskill, Jeanne Shahee and Bill Nelson.
Details of how to contact them can be found here – http://www.politicususa.com/en/5-democratic-senators-sopa-pipa
PERRY OUT?
CNN, NYT: Rick Telling Supporters He’s Leaving Race… Press Conference Planned… Endorsing Newt?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/rick-perry-drops-out-2012-_n_1214032.html
And another one bites the dust…
Stewart’s PAC needs a new ad–a vote for Perry is a vote for Colbert!
Breaking news! Rick Perry announces he is dropping out. Those teabaggers sure are a bunch of quitters.
Why would rethuglicans be concerned with the theft of “intellectual property” when none of them has ever had a co-herent thought in their lives?
Don Yuong thinking aboutit ?? Yeah, right…sure…. Doesn’t he subscribe to the Ted Stevens version of the internet ?? “It’s a series of tubes” ???
We love our tubes! Some times they get a little clogged with cats, but that is the price you pay for living in a totally tubular world.
No problem! The Binford 2000 CatBlaster will clear out those tubes in no time!
Just be careful not to be looking down the tube when you hit the power button . . .
You might also want to spread some dropcloths first…that flying cat hair gets EVERYwhere!
The Day The LOLcats Died – #SOPA #PIPA Protest Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1p-TV4jaCMk
you can unlawfully search me at the airport.
you can arrest me and hold me without charging me.
you can murder anyone you claim is an enemy of the state.
you can start preemptive wars and bankrupt the country.
you can take away my right to collective bargaining.
you can keep me in poverty while you make millions.
you can give person-hood to corporations.
you can take the resources i own and give them to corporations to sell back to me.
you can call me unpatriotic for exorcising my free speech.
you can impose your religion or values on me.
you can tax me extra so you don’t have to pay any.
you can shout praise Jesus and spit on the homeless man.
you can have your plastic surgery while i die of cancer for lack of money.
you can eat your cake while my kids have no school lunch or home cooked meal.
you can teach your kids that Jesus want them to hate gays or those that you disapprove of.
you can let wall street commit crimes and go unpunished.
you can fill your for-profit prisons with minorities and misdemeanor offenders.
you can say God bless America while excluding the rest of the world.
BUT DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH MY INTERNET OR I WILL WRITE YOU A LETTER.
Oh, Ivan, you call out many injustices here using the interwebz. What a wondrous thing, to be able to share your thoughts and concerns and observations with the world, to call attention to the causes that matter to you.
yes, I have written SOPA PIPA letters, but I have also written letters and taken personal actions to address many of the injustices you list. (You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.)
What a wondrous thing, to be able to share our thoughts and concerns and observations with the world, to call attention to the causes that matter to us, to be the change we seek.
L’Shalom,
thatcrowwoman
Very well said! Glad to are that the return of the light has brought you out on this fine day.
Thanks CrowWoman.
i know that those who participate on this blog are activist for all the injustices.
My sarcasm was to point out that 4 million people spoke up about this but not about the death of the the rights all ready lost.
Did they speak up when there rights were taken away. ?
Why did the web sites only put out the call for action when their personal existence was threatened.?
The fact that they made if very easy for a letter to be sent in mass to congress was instrumental in so many people participating.
Why do we not see a big page calling for the reinstatement of our rights and a form to write the congress every time we click on a any web site. ?
Our constitution is mortally wounded, it lay’s bleeding on a bed of apathy.
( and apparently it has no health care plan )
Thinking maybe folks spoke out for the internet because it is folks’ avenue for speaking out on and collaborating with others on those precise issues–that you so eloquently stated above.
Let there be……..