Jerk

We are the laughing stock of the world again, curtsey of Barack Hussien  Obama. More's the pity that posterity will remember the first black president as the worst in America's history. Obama looks more and more all the time like nothing more than the product of affirmative action and the ability to vote present and accuse people who pointed out his continuous fence-sitting votes as racist.

This time Obama went running out to say that he would lob missiles at Syria, only to tuck his tail between his legs and run away to get Congress' permission first. You know, like he's supposed to post War Powers Act. the only problem with this is that he made the whole country look bad in the process.

Canada Free Press reports:

Half hour late to his Rose Garden announcement on Saturday, President Obama put the best possible spin he could on his badly timed threat to lob a half-billion dollars’ worth of Tomahawk missiles into Syria as retaliation for the gas attack; one whose perpetrator is not as yet known with any certainty.

This is a President who could not put together a coalition of nations to support his proposed action. His predecessor (“It’s all Bush’s fault”) had some forty nations on board for his attack on Iraq. Obama could not get a United Nations’ resolution. His predecessor had some sixteen UN resolutions. He has been told that Congress would have to authorize covering the cost of the action and of replacing the missiles because his administration has cut the Defense Department budget to the bone.

There’s a word to describe someone who would get himself into such a fix: JERK.

Obama will fly off to a G-20 conference where the other world leaders will no doubt treat him like the witless fool he has proved himself to be time after time. What other president would announce a surge into Afghanistan in 2011 at the same time he announces when the troops would be leaving? What other president has managed to increase Russia’s influence in the Middle East while diminishing our own?

France has offered to hold his coat while he engages the U.S. in an utterly futile military attack on Syria, but the British concluded that they wanted no part of it. The whole of the NATO pact nations have made that plain as well. Obama couldn’t organize a weekend camping trip for a pack of Boy Scouts.

Ain't that the truth.

Read the whole thing. It's worth it.

Link of the Day: The Incredible Shrinking President

About the Value of Life

Here's the true end of abortion: post-birth abortion. A woman in Pennsylvabia has been charged with murder for reportedly giving birth to a baby in the resteroom of a bar, wrapping the infant in a plastic bag, and submerging him in the behind the toilet. Then she went outside, had a cigarette, and then came back into the bar and went on with her evening.

At first glance this seems quite shocking, but if you've been aware of the rate at which abortions happen in this country (among other things), no. It's not. If a child has no value in the womb, then why does it have value after birth? (This is question that people like me have been waiting for Planned Parenthood et al to give an answer to for years. None seems to be forthcoming.)

This is, as Gateway Pundit called it, horrifying. But for anyone who understands what abortion does, it's not very surprising.

Link of the Day: HORROR! Woman Charged With Murder for 'Giving Birth in Bar Bathroom, Stuffing Infant In Toilet'

HORROR! Woman Charged With Murder For ‘Giving Birth In Bar Bathroom, Stuffing Infant In Toilet’ - See more at: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/horror-woman-charged-with-murder-for-giving-birth-in-bar-bathroom-stuffing-infant-in-toilet/#sthash.NpCKpo56.dpuf

HORROR! Woman Charged With Murder For ‘Giving Birth In Bar Bathroom, Stuffing Infant In Toilet’ - See more at: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/horror-woman-charged-with-murder-for-giving-birth-in-bar-bathroom-stuffing-infant-in-toilet/#sthash.NpCKpo56.dpuf

The Law of Conservation of Stupid

For the first time since I started this blog, I did nothing for it over the Christmas holiday. For the first time ever.

Let me tell you why.

When I first began this blog, I was a naive newcomer to the world of politics, and it shows. I was mentored by a really awesome blogger who retired the year after I got online. I kept going. Until last year.

Last year, Obama was re-elected. Like many Conservatives, I thought there was no way Obama would win re-election, but the Republicans nominated a nice guy who also happened to be a complete moron. When you have a voting district that goes 100% to one specific candidate, with no opposing votes whatsoever, you might have a problem. Did Mitt Romney question it? No. Did the Republicans question it? No.

Thank you for nothing, Geriatric Old Party.*

Anymore, I don't blog because nothing surprises me anymore. Unions demanding higher wages during a reception? You don't say. Obama raising taxes while families are struggling to get by? No surprise.

Today I was actually surprised by something, which is the only reason I'm back.

Obama's EPA is going to ban D-Con. In case you reacted like me, by staring dumbfoundedly at the computer, you read that correctly. Obama is going to allow the EPA to ban D-Con.

Via Gateway Pundit, who got it from the AP:

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to ban the sale of a dozen rat and mouse poisons sold under the popular D-Con brand in an effort to protect children and pets.

The agency said Wednesday it hopes to reduce the thousands of accidental exposures that occur every year from rodent-control products. Children and pets are at risk for exposure because the products typically are placed on floors.

The agency had targeted a handful of companies two years ago, saying they needed to develop new products that are safer for children, pets and wildlife. All but Reckitt Benckiser Inc., manufacturer of D-Con, did so.

I'm not trying to say that it isn't sad that accidents happen with stuff like rat poison (though since I can find no statistics on deaths caused by rat poison, I'm pretty suspicious), but I smell, pardon the pun, a rat.

Rats and mice carry lots of nasty diseases and as someone who has had to deal with mice before, they are unsanitary, noisy pests. I'm sorry people are careless and accidents happen, but this is something that I would like to call the Law of Conservation of Stupid. It's stupid that he government would take D-Con away. Just because accidents happen does not mean that an effective product should be removed from consumers.

When did we get so pathetic that we need the government to hold our hands for everything? (And where are the statistics on children who have been accidentally poisoned by D-Con, anyway? I'm getting lots of articles about pets, but none about children.)

And what happens when these new products that are 'safer' don't kill mice and rats? What then?
--


*I'm aware I called them old twice, but I couldn't find a synonyms for 'useless' or 'foolish' that started with 'O'. Either way, it's time for the Republicans to go the way of the Whig Party.  If they aren't going to stand up to the Democrats, then what do we need them for?

Planned Parenthood Goons Back At It

So first it was the gift certificates for Christmas, now it's the discounts. Yes, the Planned Parenthood goons are back it. Now one of these goons squads has offered a Black Friday discount on their services.

From LifeNews.com:

A Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in souther [sic] Florida is offering a black Friday discount — including $10 off a visit to the abortion center today.

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast offered the special, saying, “Visit our West Palm Beach or Kendall Health Center for special after Thanksgiving savings on Friday, November 23rd.”

Pro-life blogger Jill Stanek noticed the Black Friday discount and responded, “Planned Parenthood brings new meaning to the term, “Black Friday,” doesn’t it?”

This alone ought to cast some doubts into people's minds about the nature of Planned Parenthood.  I have yet to hear of an honest medical center that offers special discounts and gift cards to people. No doctor I know of does things like this. So why does Planned Parenthood offer such discounts? Why offer gift cards? They don't provide mammograms, though they reportedly provide pap smears. They don't provide much beyond birth control and abortions.

So I wonder what it is that they are trying so hard to give away.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello. Yes, I am aware I have been absent for awhile. Life has been crazy, and I don't just mean because of the election either. But it's Thanksgiving, and I have a tradition to keep.

Petra - Thankful Heart



"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 107:1

I hope you all have great Thanksgiving!

Please note that anonymous comments have now been turned off due to the high volume of spam comments I have been receiving.

Happy Halloween!

It is Halloween again! And you that means: Halloween music!

Monster Mash

Ghostbusters!


Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London*

*Not to be confused with any songs by Kid Rock

And last but not least...

Panic! at the Disco - This is Halloween

Have a happy Halloween! Don't let the ghouls get you.

Never Forget

I don't care that Odrama officially decided to declare today a  'National Day of Remembrance and Service.'  Forget community service. There are 364 other days of the year you do that on. When Romney gets into office, we need to have him overturn the service part.

But anyway, today marks 11 years since 9/11. Obama may be concerned about service, but I'm more concerned about remembering what happened.

"Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire, and her people blown away?
Have you forgotten when those Towers fell
We had neighbors still inside, going through a living hell."

Have you forgotten?

Never forget what happened to this country on that day eleven years ago.

Chick-fil-A and Tolerance

So this last week I learned that my gay friends are not as tolerant as I thought they were. See, Dan Cathy, owner of the Chick-fil-A franchise, came out last week in support of the Biblical definition of marriage. Gasp! Needless to say, liberals were beside themselves with the agony of having to endure anyone who followed Biblical standards. Besides, Cathy somehow managed to insult gays or something, so Cathy is obviously a jerk.

Democrats respond to perceived intolerance with real intolerance. This is, in a nutshell, the difference between liberals and Conservatives. I don't know one Conservative who appreciates, say, Westboro Baptist Church, but we don't go around demanding that they made to be quiet. We all really wish Westboro would go back to wherever they came from and just stay there, and protesting funerals is a new kind of low, but we understand that if we take away Westboro's rights to be a group of jackwagons, then what will stop anyone from taking our rights to freedom of speech? Everyone has the right to say to what they want, within reasonable limits, and being a Conservative you learn early on that all you can do is deal with it.

But liberals don't see it that way. There is only one way of thinking and it's their way. No dissent allowed.

So Cathy was flagellated in the media for having an opinion and not being afraid to say it. Liberal liberal mayors banned Chick-fil-A from their city only to have the ACLU of all groups pipe up and say that the mayors weren't allowed to ban Chick-fil-A. According to CBN:

[T]he ACLU "strongly supports" same-sex marriage, but explained that "if a government can exclude a business for being against same-sex marriage, it can also exclude a business for being in support of same-sex marriage."

Even the ACLU understands. (Incidentally, I haven't any reports of pigs flying - yet.) If the ACLU gets it, I would certainly like to know what's holding other liberals back.

And then there was the support day on the fist of August, which was a smashing success, and then there was the kiss-in response, which was a flop.

But the day after the Chick-fil-A support day, one of my friends on Facebook posting a picture to his wall that said they hoped that when someone who ate Chick-fil-A started choking on thier food, that the only person who knew CPR wasn't gay.

Now, I also support the traditional view of marriage, that is, the Biblical one. Since I learned my friend was gay, however, I have toned down my rhetoric and don't discuss my opinion as much. I haven't backed down from my beliefs, but I try to be considerate of other people. As long as they are not attacking me or my beliefs, there is no point in attacking them.

To be brutally honest, I don't care who you sleep with or why. I don't want to hear about it, regardless. I absolutely condemn homosexuality, but I don't generally condemn those who practice it. You have to attack my beliefs first, before I get riled up. But I have never discussed my views with this friend.

And I was very insulted to see that picture on his wall. Thank you for wishing that I would choke when I eat at Chick-fil-A.

I always thought he was a very tolerant person. It was a quite a shock to discover that I, who hold to beliefs so tightly and see the world very much in black and white, was far tolerant of his beliefs then he was of mine.

I understand that it happens, but is still a mystery to me: why is it that the people who are always talking about tolerance are the most intolerant of all?

Happy Easter!

From Matthew Chapter 28:

28:1 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. 28:3 His  appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 28:4 The  guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. 28:5 But the angel said   to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know   that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. 28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. He  is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you!” 28:8 So they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 28:9 But  Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings!” They came to him, held on to his feet and worshiped him. 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”

Eleventyseven - Love in Your Arms

Petra - He came, He Saw, He Conquered



Natalie Grant - Alive



Happy Easter! He is Risen!!

The Trayvon Martin Case: Enough Already. Seriously.

I wasn't paying attention for the first 9,000 or so reports about Trayvon Martin, a black 16-year-old who was shot by a white Hispanic guy named George Zimmerman. I don't know why I didn't; it might have been because I was on vacation when it happened and didn't want to deal with it. It might have been that, even though I didn't recognize it immediately, my BS meter had gone off.

But upon returning home, I was gobsmacked with a piece of information that really set my BS meter off: the New Black Panthers had put a bounty on Zimmerman's head and were in the beginning stages of a rout, that is, the prelude to a riot, over the fact that the police had determined that Zimmerman's story matched the evidence and did not arrest him.

Now, I have a specific litmus for any cases involving the Black Panthers, and sure enough, the evidence that came out proved me right.

It seems that Zimmerman was on his way back to his vehicle when he was assaulted (assault is a crime, by the way,) by Martin. Zimmerman sustained some injuries in the assault but was legally armed and defended himself from more serious injuries.

Martin is consistently portrayed as a victim in this incident even though HE initiated the attack. When you decide to assault someone, you have accepted all risks, including the fact that you might end picking a fight with someone who might be armed and just shoot you. It fills me with deep gall that outside the Internet, no one will tell the truth about what actually happened the night Zimmerman performed an act of self-defense.

People magazine has a picture of Trayvon Martin on their cover. This cover is a lie because that picture is about five years old. More recent pictures of Martin show him making gang signs to the camera. This a narrative the media has spun can simply not allow people to know that they have flat-out lied about the case. NBC doctored a tape of a 911 call relevant to the night Martin was killed. ABC tried to conceal evidence that Zimmerman was injured that night, only to be caught red-handed by Breitbart.com and The Daily Caller. The New York Times accidentally let it slip that Zimmerman actually weighed 170 lbs, instead of the 200+ that had been the media's fib for so long. I say accidentally because they have damaged their myth that Zimmerman had the odds tilted in his favor in a fight and shooting poor wittle Trayvon was something he did because he was a racist meany.

Never mind the fact that Zimmerman mentored black kids or that he called out a cop's son for beating up a homeless black man. The mainstream media wants you to understand that Zimmerman is an evil racist jerk who hunted Martin down and shot him (despite the fact that the evidence we have contradicts that story.)

American Thinker put together a through article on this manufactured mess. I have some excerpts but you should make it a point to read the whole article:

"John" [a witness who observed the attack] told police that he saw two men on the ground, fighting.  The one on top, beating the one underneath, was Trayvon Martin.  George Zimmerman, in a red sweater, was yelling "Help, help!"  You can hear his screams on other 911 tapes.  A tape was played for Martin's father, and he confirmed that the voice crying for help was not his son's...

... According to Zimmerman's later testimony, he had returned to his truck and was waiting for the police when he was surprised by Martin.  The teen asked him if he had a problem.  When Zimmerman said "no" and reached for his cell phone, Martin punched him in the face.  Zimmerman fell to the ground; Martin jumped on top of him and began slamming his head against the sidewalk.

Zimmerman was not arrested for the simple reason that the physical evidence corroborated his testimony and "John's."  According to the police, he had a bloody nose, a swollen lip, lacerations on the back of his head, and scuff-marks or grass stains on the back of his jersey.  The police had no reason to believe that these were self-inflicted.  If Zimmerman's statement is accurate, Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, the subject of so much vitriol, may not have been relevant; it applies to individuals who are standing, not lying on their back being beaten.  In no state do you not have a right to defend yourself with lethal force if your head is being slammed into concrete.

Emphasis mine.

The way in which the story has been spun by the media should not surprise anyone who remembers earlier National Hate campaigns: the Tawana Brawley, Duke lacrosse team, Jena 6, and Jared Loughner cases.  Five-year-old pictures of Martin were repeatedly shown.  Photos of the 6'2" or 3" seventeen-year-old wearing gold teeth, sporting two prominent tattoos, and making gang signs, readily available on the internet, were suppressed, as were other images from his Myspace and Twitter accounts, where he called himself "No_Limit_Nigga."

Also missing was any background on the teenager.  He happened to be in Sanford because he'd been suspended from his high school in Miami for ten days on suspicion of selling marijuana.  ... This was Martin's third suspension.  Last October, he was caught with twelve pieces of woman's jewelry, a man's watch, and a flat-head screwdriver.  He told authorities that a friend had given him the jewelry, but he couldn't identify the friend.  When this information was released, the family and left-wing commentators accused those responsible of smearing the teenage martyr.

...Zimmerman's concern about a young black male stranger has been represented as pure racism -- that is to say, paranoia.  This is the assumption that frames the entire narrative spun by the media.  The corollary is that across the nation, young black males, especially those who choose to wear hoodies, are being targeted by white vigilantes.  ...

...Is this what's happening?

At the very beginning of his 911 call, Zimmerman tells the operator that there have been a lot of break-ins recently.  In fact, there were eight burglaries in the previous fifteen months.  Where the intruders were identified, most were young black males, including two who invaded the home of a young mother and tried to break into the bedroom she had locked herself into with her infant son.  This must have been a terrifying experience, but it was not of interest to the MSM....

... It's ... of interest what ordinary Americans -- and extraordinary Americans who are not members of the Fourth Estate -- think of the case.  They're not likely to reveal their opinions to pollsters.  You have to check the comments below news stories, when these aren't censored.  And maybe the election results later this year.  It's always "the economy, stupid."  But there's a possibility that voters this November might also wish to express their preference for candidates who are willing tell the truth about daily life in the real world.  There are still no cameras in the polling booths.

I am furious over the fact that the media absolutely refuses to tell the truth about this case. That Zimmerman had a bounty put on his head should be screamed to rooftops of every building in this nation until the media finally reports it, and the police should not let these threats against Zimmerman go unpunished.


My greatest fear is that the Grand Jury currently investigating this case will simply decide that to patronize Sharpton, Jackson, and race baiters et al, the best thing to do is feed Zimmerman to the lions. I greatly doubt that justice will happen in this case.


Here's a bit of food for thought: over the past year I have been made aware of something called the knock-out game, where a bunch of usually black thugs attack a passerby and try to knock them unconscious, in some cases killing them. Over on Gateway Pundit, the question was raised in the comments section of one of those stories: what will happen the first time these thugs decide to attack someone who is armed?


Now, this is pure conjecture, and I openly admit it, but I think we just found out what would happen in that scenario.

Fade to Black .... Update Below: TV Tropes Protest and IN Senator Contacts...Update II: It's Going, Going, Galt!

The theme today is darkness. Google has blacked out their logo, though their site still operates. Wikipedia has made good on their promise to black out their site. When I went there this morning, I saw the page I was on for a scant moment before it vanished and this screen showed up.

I sorely underestimated the problems this bill would cause until I saw Google and Wikipedia both upset over it. But they're right. Just because I'm a little late to the party doesn't mean that they're not right.

From CNN:

The bills [SOPA and PIPA] are intended to strengthen protections against copyright infringement and intellectual property theft, but Internet advocates say they would stifle expression the World Wide Web. In essence, the legislation has pitted content providers -- like the music and film industries -- against Silicon Valley.

"It's not a battle of left versus right," said progressive activist Adam Green, whose organization Progressive Change Campaign Committee on Tuesday hosted a press conference with opponents of the bills. "Frankly, it's a battle of old versus new."

...The popular link-sharing site Reddit got the ball rolling for today's 24-hour Internet blackout. In addition to Reddit and Wikipedia, other sites participating include BoingBoing, Mozilla, WordPress, TwitPic, MoveOn.org and the ICanHasCheezBurger network. Search giant Google is showing its solidarity with a protest doodle and message: "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the web," but the site planned no complete blackout...

...Internet companies and their investors would readily say that they're holding the "blackout" to protect their corporate interests -- and the entire burgeoning Internet-based economy.
"The success of Reddit... is one of the smaller examples of the success that has happened in our industry -- and will continue to unless bills like SOPA or PIPA become law," Ohanian said Tuesday.

Under the rules SOPA or PIPA would impose, Ohanian and others argue, start ups wouldn't be able to handle the costs that come with defending their sites against possible violations. Such sites would not be able to pay the large teams of lawyers that established sites like Google or Facebook can afford.

The legislation in question targets foreign companies whose primary purpose is to sell stolen or counterfeit goods -- but opponents say domestic companies could still be held liable for linking to their content. While sites like Reddit wouldn't have a legal duty to monitor their sites all the time, "you might have your pants sued off of you" if you don't, said Jayme White, staff director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on international trade.

So if by mistake I link to a foreign website that deal in counterfeit goods, I get taken to task by the US Attorney General.
And what about American sites that use copyright content, such as YouTube. Arguably, YouTube allows for people to steal whatever songs they want, but on the other hand, I own six CDs that I would never have bought if I hadn't heard the songs first on YouTube.

I agree that piracy should be stopped, but this bill is a net cast too wide to do any good - it almost promises to do more harm than good.

The Senate is scheduled to have a vote on the bill on January 24th.

=============================

Updated 12:15 p.m. EST

For those of you who live in Indiana, you can contact Senator Lugar at his D.C. office by phone: (202) 224 - 4814. I tried calling a moment ago, but I got sent to a message because Lugar is getting swamped with calls.

To contact Senator Dan Coats at his D.C. office, the number is (202) 224-5623.

TV Tropes, my favorite site for wasting time, is also protesting SOPA today.

I really have this desire to keep recording this sort of stuff; who is protesting on their sites against SOPA.

Kudos to Google, Wikipedia, and all the other sites that are calling attention to this attack on freedom.

===============================

Update 2: The other sites worth seeing.

First, Google, for posterity.

I like what they've done with their logo. I contemplated something similar, but it's kind of hard to pull off when your original background for your banner is black.

Here we have LiveJournal's protests.

And finally ... I had some doubts about posting this. I had heard WordPress was protesting, but WordPress also killed an anti-Islam blog I really enjoyed. I did eventually go over to see what they were doing. It's kind of touching in a squishy way. If someone complains about you, we'll take your blog down, but we don't want to the government taking it down. (For the record, the blog they took down was Bare Naked Islam.)

Per Gateway Pundit and The Guardian, we have this list of the sponsors of SOPA dealing in .... copyright violations!! No joke! This bill that will shut websites down for not policing every single site they link too was written by a bunch of copyright infringers!!

I never did manage to get through to Lugar, it was either a machine, or when I did get through I was on a very wonky version of hold. I did get through to Coats and it may have been a wasted phone call, but I used to trust Mike Pence to do the right thing, too, and he tried to keep the government running when I wanted it shut down, so you can't be too careful.

Here is a giant collection of banners and logos and sites that did something to protest SOPA. Very cool.

So today, in protest of SOPA, the entire Internet went on complete of partial strike, or stood in solidarity with the strikers. The Internet went Galt, and I hear that Congress is getting a backlash now. Let's take a look...Ooh, from the New York Times, no less!

Phone calls and e-mails poured in to Congressional offices against the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect I.P. Act in the Senate. One by one, prominent backers of the bills dropped off. ...


Then trickle turned to flood — adding Senators Mark Kirk of Illinois and Roy Blunt of Missouri, and Representatives Lee Terry of Nebraska and Ben Quayle of Arizona. At least 10 senators and nearly twice that many House members announced their opposition.

The NYT then goes on to talk about how Hollywood is so menaced by the new force of the Internet, accusing the Internet of lying and all that other crap. Uh-huh. This, I think, is the other reason Congress wanted this bill. Without freedom to disseminate information, which the Internet gives us, how will we ever find the truth? As I said above, I own 6 CDs I would never have bought if someone hadn't posted copyrighted content to YouTube so I could listen and go, 'hey, I like that!'

The fight isn't quite over yet, but we've all made a good effort today. Kudos to everyone.

Going, going, Galt!!

Even Wikipedia Understands the Danger of SOPA



Dear Congress, isn't there something else you should be working on, like lowering the deficit? Or does Freedom of Speech scare you that badly?


Alright, so Wikipedia isn't the best website in the world, but as far as extensive information goes, they are pretty good for it. It might not all be true but I'm a fiction writer so I don't care anyway. Yay artistic licence.

Wikipedia has something of a leftist tilt, but I've only noticed it in minor places. (I deal with it by staying off those pages.) I've seen that some of the more controversial articles are generally kept locked so that no one can come in off the web and edit them, which is a nice touch. The site also has extensive hyperlinks when they document things, and I find these to be very helpful.

Anyway, why is this important, you ask? Because even Wikipedia is in a tizzy over SOPA.

Here, have a look:

For the past several days, Wikipedia editors have been discussing whether to stage a protest against the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). I’ve been asked to give some comments on the bill and explain what effect the proposed legislation might have on a free and open Internet as well as Wikipedia. My goal in this blog post is to provide some information and interpretation that I hope will be helpful to Wikipedia editors as they discuss the bill.

SOPA has earned the dubious honor of facilitating Internet censorship in the name of fighting online infringement. The Wikimedia Foundation opposed that legislation, but we should be clear that Wikimedia has an equally strong commitment against copyright violations. The Wikimedia community, which has developed an unparalleled expertise in intellectual property law, spends untold hours ensuring that our sites are free of infringing content. In a community that embraces freely-licensed information, there is no room for copyright abuses.

We cannot battle, however, one wrong while inflicting another. SOPA represents the flawed proposition that censorship is an acceptable tool to protect rights owners' private interests in particular media. That is, SOPA would block entire foreign websites in the United States as a response to remove from sight select infringing material. This is so even when other programs like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act have found better balances without the use of such a bludgeon. For this reason, we applaud the excellent work of a number of like-minded organizations that are leading the charge against this legislation, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge, Creative Commons, Center for Democracy and Technology, NetCoalition, the Internet Society, AmericanCensorship.org, and others.

On Tuesday, after receiving input on the original version of the bill, the House Judiciary Committee issued a new version of SOPA for its mark-up scheduled for this coming Thursday. A vote on that mark-up may take place on the same day. At the end of this article, I provide a summary of the most relevant parts of this new version of SOPA as well as a summary of the legislative process ...

In honesty, this new version of the bill is better (and credit goes to the Judiciary staff for that). But, it continues to suffer from the same structural pitfalls, including its focus on blocking entire international sites based on U.S.-based allegations of specific infringement. Criticism has been significant.  Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, for example, felt the bill “retains the fundamental flaws of its predecessor by blocking Americans’ ability to access websites, imposing costly regulation on Web companies and giving Attorney General Eric Holder’s Department of Justice broad new powers to police the Internet.”

Members of our community are weighing whether a protest action is appropriate. I want to be very clear: the Wikimedia Foundation believes that the decision of whether to stage a protest on-wiki, such as shutting down the site or putting a banner at the top, is a community decision. The Wikimedia Foundation will support editors in whatever they decide to do. The purpose of this post is to provide information for editors that will aid them in their discussions.

I’ve been asked for a legal opinion. And, I will tell you, in my view, the new version of SOPA remains a serious threat to freedom of expression on the Internet.

Even Wikipedia gets the danger in this bill. So why is Congress dumber than an encyclopedia my instructors don't let me use while writing college papers?

Wikipedia is going to black out the site, with the exception of SOPA-relevant articles, for 24 hours sometime on or around January 18, 2011. Read the whole thing: it's lengthy but I think it's worth it.

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that has been developed by tens of thousands of volunteers from all over the world over the last 11 years. Together, we have created millions of articles containing billions of facts, referenced to hundreds of thousands of sources from around the world. We have grown to be one of the most frequently accessed websites in the world. Wikipedians are fiercely proud and protective of our ability to freely share knowledge with the rest of the world, as the first of 846 related projects in 280 languages working under the umbrella of the Wikimedia Foundation.

In late 2011, the United States Congress proposed two legislative bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), which legal scholars and others have advised have the potential to significantly change the way that information can be shared through the Internet. It is the opinion of the English Wikipedia community that both of these bills, if passed, would be devastating to the free and open web.

Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a "blackout" of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.

On careful review of this discussion, the closing administrators note the broad-based support for action from Wikipedians around the world, not just from within the United States. The primary objection to a global blackout came from those who preferred that the blackout be limited to readers from the United States, with the rest of the world seeing a simple banner notice instead. We also noted that roughly 55% of those supporting a blackout preferred that it be a global one, with many pointing to concerns about similar legislation in other nations. For example, one British editor stated "American law is America's business, but law that affects Wikipedia worldwide is an issue of worldwide interest", a principle we felt had considerable support.

Therefore, on behalf of the English Wikipedia community, the Wikimedia Foundation is asked to allocate resources and assist the community in blacking out the project globally for 24 hours starting at 05:00 UTC on January 18, 2012, or at another time as determined by the Wikimedia Foundation. This should be carried out while respecting technical limitations of the underlying software, and should specifically prevent editing wherever possible. Provisions for emergency access to the site should be included in the blackout software. In order to assist our readers and the community at large to educate themselves about SOPA and PIPA, these articles and those closely related to them will remain accessible for reading purposes if possible. Wikipedians are urged to work with WMF staff to develop effective messaging for the "blackout screens" that directs readers to suitable online resources. Sister projects, such as the German and Italian Wikipedias and Wikimedia Commons, have indicated an intention to support the same principles with banners on those sites, and the support of other projects is welcome and appreciated.

Even Wikipedia gets it.

SOPA is just the latest in a long line of assaults on the Internet, as you can see from my new and improved fairness doctrine net neutrality SOPA banner up there, slated to replace the old 'fairness doctine' one very shortly.

Is online piracy a problem? Yes. But SOPA is too wide-reaching to fix the problem without tightly regulating every single American website.

Hmmm. Now that I think about it, that smells a little like socialism. But our government couldn't possible want to foist that on us, could it?

To read the extremely extensive and very informative Wikipedia article on SOPA and the Great Wikipedia Blackout, it's here.

Trespass on the Case: The Beginning

So for awhile now I have contemplated beginning another blog. I know: I can't keep up with the one I have so of course I should start another one.

Realizing that one blog is probably enough for me (notice that the other two I have haven't been updated in forever), I decided that I would not start a new blog. Instead, any posts that I would have put on the new blog will be here under the heading of 'Trespass on the Case."

Now, let me explain the name.

'Trespass on the Case' is a legal term used to describe an event where someone you know steals something from you, and you trespass on their property to retrieve your stolen chattels. That action is called trespass on the case. but I like to think of the term a little differently, perhaps as trespassing on the case of a story, news item, or product review. Or law case, as the case may be.

It's a bit of an unusual term, which is why I thought it would make a great title for a blog.

The new icon in the sidebar over there can be considered something of a shrunken banner for TotC. I'm going to try and hyperlink it so that all TotC posts can be accessed by clicking on it - but we'll see how well that works.

Let the trespassing begin.

Mery Christmas!!

Casting Crowns - I heard the Bells on Christmas Day



God is not dead, nor does He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
Peace on Earth, goodwill to Men.

I feel the need this Christmas to point out that there came a cross out of that manger. The wrong shall fail, the right will prevail, and today we celebrate Jesus' birth and the reason we have the hope to say that right will prevail.

Barlow Girl - Hallelujah (Light has Come)



Luke 2

2:8 Now  there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 2:11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 2:12 This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 2:13 Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

2:14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased."

And I think that this following song sums everything up better than I ever could.

Chris Tomlin - Born that We May Have Life



Merry Christmas everyone, and may you know the true meaning of Christmas this year.

Glory in the Highest

This fall under 'Christmas music I forgot I had." But hey, it's Christmas time. It's all good.

Enjoy!

Chris Tomlin - Angels We Have Heard on High



Chris Tomlin - Joy to the World




In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!' ~Dave Barry

Christmas Eve, and Other Stories

Happy Saturday! Not that I am trying to cause you to panic or anything, but by my reckoning there are only nine days until Christmas. Just a thought.

But I'm sure you came for the music, not to think. Today we're doing Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Enjoy!

Nutrocker



Faith Noel



Wizards in Winter



Next time we have a post like this, with Christmas music, it will be the 23rd of December.

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is. ~Eric Sevareid

Christmas Sweet

I have offically run out of singles for these Friday posts, so, yeah. Today Mannheim Steamroller, tomorrow, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Christmas Sweet: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen



Carol of the Bells



I just love that one. Especially the middle. Ding, dong, ding, dong...

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing



I like that one, too. I like a lot of the stuff Mannheim Steamroller does.

See you tomorrow.

“There's more, much more, to Christmas Than candlelight and cheer; It's the spirit of sweet friendship That brightens all year. It's thoughtfulness and kindness, It's hope reborn again, For peace, for understanding, And for goodwill to men!” - Unknown

Greatest Twelve Days of the Year

Here's a couple of Miscellaneous songs, and by Miscellaneous I mostly mean "Christmas Music not done by Mannheim Steamroller or Trans-Siberian Orchestra." Regardless, both of these songs are very fun.

Aly & Aj - Greatest Time of Year



The following is perhaps the most uncouth version of "12 Days of Christmas" ever made, but I love it. It's so much fun.

Relient K - 12 Days of Christmas



Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Peppermint Winter

Owl City's songs tend be quite nonsensical, but very fun. I hope you all will enjoy this one just as much as I did.

Owl City - Peppermint Winter



I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. ~Harlan Miller


Until tomorrow!

Deck the Halls for Christmas Eve

Let the Christmas music begin!

For this first post, we have the two quintessential Christmas bands, Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO).

Mannheim Steamroller - Deck the Halls



I love this next one, don't get me wrong, but it always confuses me. This may be the very song that got me into TSO in the first place. Or it may not be. I always thought the song that got my attention first was TSO's 'Carol of the Bells,' but maybe not. The problem is that the song you find when you search for "Carol of the Bells" by TSO sounds exactly like Christmas Eve.

Oh well. No matter what you call it, it still rocks. (Ignore the fact that the video calls this song 'Carol of the Bells.' That's not the name I'm using.)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve in Sarajevo 12/24



I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens