Michael Geist: The Behind-the-Scenes Campaign To Bring SOPA To Canada

January 24, 2012 — xanthippa

SOPA may appear to be officially dead, but that does not mean that the lobbyists will not try to convince legislators to sneak SOPA-style provisions into other legislation:  whether as bits attached to other bills in the US, or trying to incorporate aspects of it into laws of other countries.  We must remail vigilant!

That is exactly the message from Michael Geist:

‘While SOPA may be dead (for now) in the U.S., lobby groups are likely to intensify their efforts to export SOPA-like rules to other countries. With Bill C-11 back on the legislative agenda at the end of the month, Canada will be a prime target for SOPA style rules. In fact, a close review of the unpublished submissions to the Bill C-32 legislative committee reveals that several groups have laid the groundwork to add SOPA-like rules into Bill C-11, including blocking websites and expanding the “enabler provision”to target a wider range of websites. ‘

…

‘The music industry is unsurprisingly leading the way, demanding a series of changes that would make Bill C-11 look much more like SOPA. ‘

…

‘Several lobby groups also want language similar to that found in the infamous Section 103 of SOPA. That provision, which spoke of sites “primarily designed or operated for the purpose of…offering goods or services in a manner that engages in, enables, or facilitates” infringement, raised fears that it could be used to shut down mainstream sites such as YouTube.’

This is something we must stay on top of!

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Vi Hart: Doodling in Math Class (some more)

January 19, 2012 — xanthippa
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One Law For All: ‘Hold this date – 11 February 2012: A Day to Defend Free Expression’

January 19, 2012 — xanthippa

One Law for All is calling for a rally in defence of free expression and the right to criticise religion on 11 February 2012 in central London from 2-4pm.

We are also calling for simultaneous events and acts in defence of free expression on 11 February in countries world-wide.

The call follows an increased number of attacks on free expression in the UK, including a 17 year old being forced to remove a Jesus and Mo cartoon or face expulsion from his Sixth Form College and demands by the UCL Union that the Atheist society remove a Jesus and Mo cartoon from its Facebook page. It also follows threats of violence, police being called, and the cancellation of a meeting at Queen Mary College where One Law for All spokesperson Anne Marie Waters was to deliver a speech on Sharia. Saying ‘Who gave these kuffar the right to speak?’, an Islamist website called for the disruption of the meeting. Two days later at the same college, though, the Islamic Society held a meeting on traditional Islam with a speaker who has called for the death of apostates, those who mock Islam, and secularist Muslims.

Whilst none of this is new, recent events reveal an increased confidence of Islamists to censor free expression publicly, particularly given the support received from universities and other bodies in the name of false tolerance, cultural sensitivity and respect.

The right to criticise religion, however, is a fundamental right that is crucial to many, including Muslims.

Clearly, the time has come to take a firm and uncompromising stand for free expression and against all forms of threats and censorship.

11 February is our chance to take that stand.

You need to be there.

Enough is enough.

NOTES:

Contact us for more information or with details of actions or events being organised outside of London:
Maryam Namazie
Anne Marie Waters
Spokespersons
One Law for All
BM Box 2387
London WC1N 3XX, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
onelawforall@gmail.com
www.onelawforall.org.uk

To help with the costs of the rally and donate to the crucial work of One Law for All, please either send a cheque made payable to One Law for All to BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK or pay via Paypal.

The One Law for All Campaign was launched on 10 December 2008, International Human Rights Day, to call on the UK Government to recognise that Sharia and religious courts are arbitrary and discriminatory against women and children in particular and that citizenship and human rights are non-negotiable. To join the campaign, sign our petition here.

Posted in freedoms, politics, religion, society. Tags: , , , , . 5 Comments »

Wired: Multicellular Life Evolves in Laboratory

January 18, 2012 — xanthippa

Well, that about wraps it up for evolution denials…

From Wired.com:

‘An evolutionary transition that took several billion years to occur in nature has happened in a laboratory, and it needed just 60 days.

Under artificial pressure to become larger, single-celled yeast became multicellular creatures. That crucial step is responsible for life’s progression beyond algae and bacteria, and while the latest work doesn’t duplicate prehistoric transitions, it could help reveal the principles guiding them.’

Check out the full article – it includes photos.

What is interesting about this is that the ‘evolutionary pressure’ applied to the yeast was nothing other than selective breeding:  the simplest, time-tested method we have been applying in agriculture for millenia.

It also demonstrates, once and for all, that selective breeding resulting from evolutionary pressures is sufficient to cause ‘macro-evolution’ because what we have seen here is undeniably the emergence of a new species from an old one:  the emergence of multicellular yeast from single-cell yeast!

For your reference, here is the citation:

‘“Experimental evolution of multicellularity.” By William C. Ratcliff, R. Ford Denison, Mark Borrello, and Michael Travisano. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jan. 17, 2012.‘

http://image.spreadshirt.net/image-server/v1/compositions/22858378/views/1,width=178,height=178,interlace=true/science-it-works-bitches-t-shirts_design.png

P.S.

I wonder how many religious leaders (of all the creationist religions which also deny evolution:  i.e. Islam,  some Christian sects plus other, smaller religions) who had claimed this was impossible will step up and admit their error.  Now that their beliefs have been demonstrably falsified, they have no choice but to change their beliefs or admit that their faith is at odds with reality.

Posted in science. Tags: , . 2 Comments »

Technorati: List of Sites Going Dark Over SOPA Today

January 18, 2012 — xanthippa

As you may have heard, many sites are going ‘dark’ today over SOPA today.

 

Technorati has the list – and instructions on how you can, too!

‘Just as they’ve been warning for a few weeks now, a variety of websites, some small and others large in scope and influence, have shut down their virtual doors today in response to the possible passage of the Stop Online Piracy Act, otherwise known as SOPA.

The controversial legislation, before the House of Representatives, has caused nothing less than outrage from Internet service providers and their customers. The legislation, meant to stop companies from copying, or “pirating” content or software from others and reselling it, has been seen by many as over-reaching, a “sprawling new regime” of laws which will “stifle investment” and further “chill free speech” across the Globe.’

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R.I.P. Mema

January 15, 2012 — xanthippa

Mema:  April 23rd, 2009 – January 14th, 2012

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OpenMedia: ‘Now they’re after your cell phones’

January 11, 2012 — xanthippa

The following is from OpenMedia:

Get ready for price increases, more bureaucratic red tape, and disrespectful customer service.

We have reports that the Big Three cell phone giants (who control roughly 94% of the market) are trying to trick the government into shutting out independent competitors. Some of them are going so far as to use high-priced lobbyists and a fake grassroots campaign1.

If the Big Three succeed, they will:

  • Squeeze Canadians into tighter contracts, with disrespectful customer service.
  • Squeeze more money out of your wallet every single month.
  • Squeeze independent providers out of the cell phone market.

In short, they will be the only game in town, and that means you and I will pay more for our cell phones. It will lock Canada behind the rest of the world on mobile communications, cripple essential innovation, limit social progress, and drain your wallet every month.

Sign the Stop The Squeeze petition before it’s too late!

Canadians already pay some of the highest cell phone fees in the free world2. This is a gut check for Canada. Will we let price-gouging big telecom companies squeeze every last penny out of our wallets before we stand up for ourselves? Will we let them slow-walk our economy into disaster?

We’ve heard that the Industry Minister is about to make a decision that could rubber stamp this cell phone nightmare into reality. Please join Canadians from across the country in signing this urgent petition to send him a message.

Let’s not put up with this anymore.

For the Internet,

Steve, Lindsey, and Shea, on behalf of the OpenMedia.ca Team

P.S. Last year Canadians spoke out against metered billing and successfully pushed the government into action. We know it’s powerful when we raise our voices together. Let’s do that now before it’s too late: http://StopTheSqueeze.ca

NOTES:

[1] Rogers has a campaign that purports to be in the interest of customer service when it is clearly about limiting their independent competitors. Find our coverage of that campaign here.

[2] In 2009, an OECD study found that Canadians pay some of the highest prices for mobile phone calls in the industrialized world. This was corroborated by a 2010 report from the New America Foundation. More recently, another study found that Canada has the highest roaming fees in the industrialized world.

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OpenMedia.ca is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from people like you to operate. Our small but dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way to make your voice heard. Please donate today.
Posted in corruption, technology. Tags: , . 3 Comments »

Computerworld: ‘Hacked memo leaked: Apple, Nokia, RIM supply backdoors for gov’t intercept?’

January 9, 2012 — xanthippa

Can’t say this os a surprise, but it’s important that the confirmations are as publicly known as possible.

‘Everyone knows’ that all Miscrosoft software has more backdoors than a whorehouse – Microsoft openly admits they consult with the US government while developing Windows products.  But Apple consumers always laboured under the presumption that they were above such surveillance…

From Slashdot:

‘The memo suggests that, “in exchange for the Indian market presence” mobile device manufacturers, including RIM, Nokia, and Apple (collectively defined in the document as “RINOA”) have agreed to provide backdoor access on their devices. The Indian government then “utilized backdoors provided by RINOA” to intercept internal emails of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. government body with a mandate to monitor, investigate and report to Congress on ‘the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship’ between the U.S. and China.’

So, now we know a bit more:  more electronics manufacturers are willing to sell out their customers to government surveillance.

And, the US government is not unique in having access to the backdoors built in to consumer electronics.

So much for ‘an expectation of privacy’…

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Thunderf00t on William Lane Craig

January 8, 2012 — xanthippa

 

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A look at what has been happening in the EU lately

January 8, 2012 — xanthippa

From Daniel Hannan, as interviewed by RT:

And from Nigel Farage:

 

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