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/

Al freakin Franken. Quickly becoming my favorite elected representative.

Case in point:

Byron Dorgan (D-ND), in 1999:

Part 1

Part 2

Via DKos – Click for transcript.

Thank the sweet baby jesus for Sarah Haskins:

Totally ripping off Consumerist on this one, even if they can’t embed correctly (will prob be fixed when you click, at least i hope.)

Been a bit since I brought this series to the light of day, but here she is in all her self-interested glory. NEWSISH for 8/1/2008. Might end up being a once a week thing, maybe more. Enjoy while you can!

• Should you skimp…or splurge? [MSN Money via Consumerist]
  

  “Credit cards let us instantly satisfy our retail desires,” Yochim says. “Our grandparents had to delay that gratification. They figured that if they had to save for it, they’d better get the best they could. Now retailers want to catch that fleeting desire.”

• College funding bill passed with anti-P2P provisions intact [Ars Technica]
• What if you could own your internet connection? [Google Public Policy Blog]
  This looks to me like a very very interesting way for consumers to finally push back against Ma Bell and Big Cable.
• Moving with no place to go [Press-Citizen]
  For those not in the IC area, this has been an issue for quite some time and there doesn’t seem to be a good answer to it…except maybe not to move. 😛
• Travelers’ Laptops May Be Detained At Border [Washington Post]
  And this is with no suspicion of wrongdoing. Just if they feel like it. For months.

Check back for more [maybe].

New York makes people like strange things.

The IC/Coralville area is under siege from rising water, with the ante upping tonight as waters top the spillway at the Coralville Dam.

Here are some interesting links:

RiverCam of the coffer dam from Facilities Management at the UI.

Waters to top spillway at midnight – Press Citizen

Iowa City: Reservoir will top spillway at midnight – Des Moines Register

Looking Alot like ’93 – Daily Iowan

—

I’ll try to post more as I find it.

Here’s a pile o’ news for your discerning palate.

• Whistleblower DANIEL ELLSBERG, the 2007-2008 Distinguished Lecturer, January 28th, 7:30 pm, Hancher Auditorium. He’s the Pentagon Papers guy.
• AT&T: Pair Bonded DSL ‘Late 2008’ and Qwest Testing Line Bonded DSL. Both companies decided it was better to milk the copper they had instead of laying new fiber optics [a la Fiber to the Home], and this is about the only way they would be able to deliver television signals, especially HD signals, over their existing copper lines.
• Cable Cos are challenging the recent FCC decision to regulate exclusive contracts between Cable Cos and MDUs (multiple dwelling units). With the market deregulation of both phone and cable and the upcoming ‘format war’ over how you receive your communications (fiber, coax, or copper?), these exclusive agreements are some prized possessions.
• Immigration officials detaining, deporting American citizens, reads the headline. The choice quote:
  

  “The burden of proof is on the individual to show they’re legally entitled to be in the United States,” said ICE spokeswoman Kice.

  [Via DKos]

• Dominique Douglas [Iowa Footballer] gets a deferred judgement
• A cute picture [it’s Alicia’s cousin’s son]

Good to be back, more as I find it

• MPAA Rejects ‘Taxi to the Dark Side’ Poster – We cannot offend the delicate nationalistic sensibilities of today’s rendition supporting Americons.
• Toshiba Builds 100x Smaller Micro Nuclear Reactor – How long until MR.FUSION?
• ‘Active glacier found’ on Mars – Sedentary glaciers still in hiding.
• VOD, ‘Net connected set-top boxes, poised for massive growth
• More people fleeing California than moving in – A shame considering the coming abundance of vacant housing.
• HANDBELL HERO – Annoy your family or coworkers!
• Stanford creates new nanowire battery – Battery buffs seem optomistic. Look for poopoo-ing from Big Auto and Oil.
• House Explodes in Blog Author’s Previous Home – Shook the windows at my mom’s 10 blocks away.

Sorry I haven’t been around, but we’ll always have NEWSISH:

• How Your Creepy Ex-Co-Workers Will Kill Facebook – more and more I hate Facebook. Did you know this?
• Court orders Bush administration to disclose telecom lobbying ties. What about senators? – Good news for Law and order types.
• Leahy takes next step toward holding White House in contempt – It must be ‘grow a pair’ day…
• Venus: Earth’s twin planet? – Cool pictures to boot.
• No Hoff, and now this? – I guess not all remakes can be as good as Battlestar.
• Feds pushing states on gun database – ‘there is no guarantee that the information wouldn’t be used for other purposes‘. You mean the gov’t isn’t completely trustworthy? I would add the question of competency to that as well…nothing like losing 4 million persons mental health records. But its for our own protection, of course…
• This could never be abused either…
• VA GOP will demand ‘oath’ of February primary voters – I can smell the ’08 confidence…
• And if you screen wasn’t cluttered with enough ads…