Expressive Opposition

The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Social Disobedience

The Associated Press [link expired] ran a story on actor Gerald McRaney, formerly TV’s detective in Simon and Simon, and later “Major Dad.” He once appeared as a villain on the traditional western “Gunsmoke” early in his career. Now he plays historical mining baron George Hearst on HBO’s edgy western “Deadwood.” He addressed the issue of language and censorship stirred by the show’s critics. Surprisingly, the former family friendly actor from Major Dad was quoted as saying; “I’m a little tired of government treating us all like children.” He loves his role on Deadwood and has a lot to say about the show and it’s creator, as well as vocalizing his opposition to government censorship.

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George W. Bush doesn’t want to hear about Global Warming. Furthermore, he doesn’t want the public hearing about it either. Scientists at NASA have evidence that Global Warming is a reality, so bush appointed someone to NASA’s Public Affairs office who actively tried to silence scientists with factual evidence of man made global warming. However, like so many of Bush’s appointees, it turns out the guy lied on his resume and therefore he gets canned! Apparently highly educated and qualified cronies are difficult to find these days.

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When there are too many bears, residents of Vernon New Jersey are not safe. The once threatened black bear population has boomed into present overpopulation, driving bears into places they should not be, such as into town, people’s back yards, and where children play. Yet when a state sanctioned hunt takes place to reduce the population to more healthy numbers, which is good for the bears and the people, dopey protestors hold up signs reading, “I’d take a bullet for a bear.” The angry_squirrel contends that human population control can begin with obliging the dopey protestors, perhaps thereby making more room for the remaining bears!

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Tomorrow, (Wednesday, November 2nd,) the House will vote on The Online Freedom of Speech Act (HR 1606). The outcome will likely effect this site along with many others with political content and links to any political figures or group sites. If successfully passed tomorrow, this bill will exempt blogs, emails, and other forms of online speech from being regulated by the FEC (Federal Elections Commission.) Support for this bill exists notably on both sides as it has bipartisan appeal and defends everyone’s First Amendment right to free speech.

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Animal rights activists pushed congressional legislation that would inhibit research by limiting research institutions so they can no longer purchase animals from some traditionally common suppliers. On another front, activist physicists numbering nearly 500 are protesting a United States policy allowing the use of nuclear weapons against adversaries. Two issues, testing on animals to save human lives, and the idea that using Nuclear force to save combat forces and perhaps civilian lives, should be considered carefully and understood by all Americans.

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HealthCARE Advocates is suing “The Wayback Machine” after their web site archive was used as evidence in another lawsuit. The plaintiff claims that the Wayback Machine didn’t obey their robots.txt file. Can you legally demand no one copy anything from your public Internet web site? Honoring the robots.txt file should be a courtesy, not a law. Archives and spiders that ignore it should pay the price of a boycott or loss of business, not the oppressive arm of the law. I don’t doubt that this suit will be unsuccessful, however, a legal defense is very expensive so no matter how you look at it, The Wayback Machine is going to lose.