Reasonably Logical

The EFF has an item in their most recent newsletter that really disturbs me. Apparently, the MPAA has gotten a piece included in a congressional higher education bill that would force universities to filter network traffic and provide a pay-per-use music sharing. All this, in the name of copyright protection. I’m sorry, but *fuck* no. Students are citizens just like everyone else. MPAA (or congress) has NO right to force monitoring on them. If any of you reading this are students, I *strongly* recommend you speak up about this. Talk to your senator/representive. Talk to your campus network security group. Hell, just tell your friends about it. So far, this seems to have gone completely under the radar.

EFF Action Alert

Democrats: Colleges must police copyright, or else
Top congressional Democrats put pressure on colleges and universities to stamp out peer-to-peer piracy or lose financial aid for all their students.
By Anne Broache and Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: November 9, 2007, 5:41 PM PST

Some of you may remember my earlier post regarding the conflict between the Philly chapter of the boy scouts and the city government over the BSA’s anti-gay discrimination policy. I’ve been wondering what had happened with that. Sadly to say, the answer seems to be “not much”. Check out the article below.

Philadelphia Gives Boy Scouts Ultimatum
City Solicitor Tells Branch to Renounce Its Ban on Gays or Lose Rent Subsidy
By Dafna Linzer, Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 19, 2007; Page A03

Not exactly new, but worth remembering none the less.

Gays should be hanged, says Iranian minister
Dominic Kennedy, The (UK) Times
November 13, 2007