Archive for the 'Required' Category


STOP SOPA AND PIPA 0

As a web worker, technologist, and community media supporter I cannot support the bills known as SOPA and PIPA. I disagree on multiple levels with the transfer of speech rights to a group of private entities and the onerous ‘policing’ actions foisted upon independent content creators.

Contact your representatives and let them know how you feel: http://americancensorship.org/

Thanks, Al. 0

Al freakin Franken. Quickly becoming my favorite elected representative.

Case in point:

FCC Comments on Net Neutrality Close January 14th 0

Greetings-

This Thursday, January 14th, is the closing of the FCC’s comment period on Net Neutrality. Their decision will have long term and far reaching effects on both the cost of and the way information is distributed over the Internet. Pressure from large telecommunications providers for the ability to limit or degrade connectivity of rivals inside their respective networks, which some have likened to censorship, to gain competitive edge for their own product offerings has been immense and well funded. Such a scenario does little, if anything, for the consumer and ultimately stifles the innovation allowed under the current ‘open’ paradigm. Here is an illustration of one possible scenario:
The Walled Garden

If you enjoy the Internet as it exists today, accessible and indiscriminate, I would encourage you to submit your thoughts to the FCC concerning this vital issue if you have not done so already. You may do so electronically through the Free Press website: http://www.savetheinternet.com/fcc-comments

Former FCC and ICTC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson has already done so himself, you may read his comments on his website: http://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2010/01/48-hours-to-save-internet.html My own comments are included at the bottom of this post.

Thank you for your attention and your contribution to this extremely important issue. Please feel free to distribute this call for comments as widely as possible.

Sincerely,
Hans Hoerschelman

+++
Honorable Members of the Federal Communications Commission,

I write you today to express my personal support for a strong policy of Network Neutrality. The preservation of the principle of open connectivity is the driving force behind the innovation and entrepreneurship that has made the Internet the interesting, informative and expansive tool that it is today. We must have specific and strong prohibitions against the ‘walled garden’ or degraded service approach that could be instituted by those who would wish to undermine rivals or stifle competing viewpoints and technologies in favor of profits and control, for the segmentation of our national communication would serve to do nothing but create an information oligarchy. The free exchange of information and ideas is essential to our democracy and must be maintained.

Please think of the consumers, the citizens and businesses, not just the moneyed interests of the telecommunications industry, when creating what will become essentially the rules of digital speech. It is the current open access that has brought us the success of the present, and it will be the same open access that will allow us to explore and innovate towards the successes of the future.

Sincerely,
Hans Hoerschelman
Chair, Iowa City Telecommunications Commission
Owner, 460 Website Design
Concerned Citizen

My Love For John 0

This is top 5 Daily Show segment material for me.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M – Th 11p / 10c
Baracknophobia – Obey
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Economic Crisis Political Humor

‘The End’ 0

…seen from Wall Street as it happened [Portfolio.com].

It’s an informative narrative.

Found via a Dkos diary

Because It Can’t Be Repeated Too Many Times 0

Read this whole thing if you need to start understanding what’s happening in the financial markets and another reason to be anti-McCain.

Just read below if you want the kicked-in-the-genitals part:

How big did this market become? Here’s business correspondent Bob Moon and host Kai Ryssdal on American Public Media’s Marketplace from back in the spring.

BOB MOON: OK, I’m about to unload some numbers on you here, so I’ll speak slowly so you can follow this.

The value of the entire U.S. Treasuries market: $4.5 trillion.

The value of the entire mortgage market: $7 trillion.

The size of the U.S. stock market: $22 trillion.

OK, you ready?

The size of the credit default swap market last year: $45 trillion.

KAI RYSSDAL: That’s a lot of money, Bob.

As in three times the whole US gross domestic product, Bob. And the truth is that Moon probably underestimated. The unregulated and poorly reported credit default swaps may have actually passed $70 trillion last year, or about $5 trillion more than the GDP of the entire world.

Ridiculousness Disguised As Government 0

If you have been paying attention, you may have noticed that the United States government has reached a level of [choose your favorite] stupidity, ludicrousness, lack of institutional memory, brazen disregard for anything resembling reality, inferred hallucinogenic drug use, soul crushing asshattery, and intelligence insulting rhetoric that has surpassed any and all measure. I lament for our descendants and am redefining the upper bound of contemptuousness for the Federalist system.

Case in point, as beautifully and satisfyingly portrayed on Mr. Stewart’s lovely show:

I hope there will be a return to accountability and common sense within my lifetime. I also hope to live forever. I think the chances for both are just about equal.

BONUS: Pictures from the conflict zone taken by a local. [EnglishRussia.com]

In No Way Safe For Work 1

I just find this beyond awesome.


Here’s a link to the original source.

FISA 0

Now they’re not even pretending you have privacy or 4th Amendment protections. If the president says…

Who Dies? 0

While you weren’t looking, people were deciding.

Via Digg

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