US to Declassify Documents After 25 Years
Posted on December 21, 2006
At midnight on December 31st, hundreds of millions of pages of classified documents will be the first to be “automatically declassified” in accordance with an executive order issued by President Bill Clinton, and enforced by the current administration. The order calls for the automatic declassification of any material more than 25 years old. Exemptions may be requested by government agencies, and indeed they have– this first time around more than 100 million documents were allowed to be kept classified past their 25 birthday. Among the declassified documents available on January 1, 2007, is some juicy reading on the Cold War, the Camp David Accords, and the Vietnam War.
“Almost every current headline has an echo in the declassified past”
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A Lizard’s Immaculate Conception
Posted on December 21, 2006
Just in time for Christmas, a Komodo dragon in London will hatch 8 babies from eggs she fertilized without the help of a male counterpart. Flora is the largest known animal to undergo a process known as parthenogenesis– the growth and development of an embryo without fertilization by a male. The implications of this event are astounding, and will change the way we look at the development and growth of a species.
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Get a Grip
Posted on December 18, 2006
It’s good to know that Ralph Nader is “an advocate for all workers; no matter their salary.” And it’s even better to know that in the midst of all his political duties he has time to stand up for the little guy. The millionaire-basketball-player who should never, never have to use an inferior basketball.
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Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: YOU
Posted on December 18, 2006
Fascinating and dead-on.
It’s about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.
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Is Freedom of Speech in Danger?
Posted on December 9, 2006
You’ve heard the term “hate crimes” before; and more recently “hate speech” is all the rage. Since Michael Richard’s recent tirade, many (rightfully) upset members of the African-American community and others have been clammoring for some type of justice for Richad’s “hate speech” crime. What many don’t know is that there is nothing illegal about hate speech.
Our first amendment rights are in danger. Why? Because there are well-meaning (or maybe not) individuals out there who desire to see free speech limited to only the kind of speech they like. I don’t agree with Richard’s use of racial slurs and hateful speech, but he has a right to them. He can’t be arrested for what he said. This doesn’t mean that their aren’t social consequences, however. Michael Richards will never again perform at the Laugh Factory. He may never land another gig period (except maybe in Jasper, TX).
Selwyn Duke at Renew America has written a very interesting piece about the peril of free speech in the name of stopping “hate speech”. He likens it to the concept of the separation of church and state, which most American’s believe is a constitutional mandate but in actuality appears no where in US law.
There are social engineers in our time… who are trying to imbue the American mind with the notion that so-called “hate speech” is not protected under the First Amendment…As long as you continually condemn “hate speech” and juxtapose it with “free speech,” more and more people will assume that it already is illegal. And once enough Americans believe this, all that is left is to make it official…Just as [judges] were able to perform the intellectual contortions necessary to read the separation of church and state into the First Amendment, so will they read freedom of speech out of it.
It’s a great read. Check it out here.
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Fun Thoughts on Ikea and $3 Umbrellas
Posted on December 8, 2006
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The DMCA Gets a Facelift
Posted on December 8, 2006
Thank God for laws that make sense. The Librarian of Congress has modified the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) setting some conditions under which it is okay to break the rules. This doesn’t mean you can rip your friends copy of Nacho Libre guilt-free, but at least it removes some of the other silly restrictions found in the DMCA. I’m waiting for the day when I can make a ripped copy of a DVD I legally own just to put it on my iPod without having to worry about MPAA troopers knocking down my door.
It’s a little change, but hey– Baby Steps. Baby Steps.
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/
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Pastor Chosen to Lead Christian Coalition Steps Down in Dispute Over Agenda
Posted on December 4, 2006
Joel C. Hunter, the president-elect of the lobbying-group Christian Coalition, has stepped down before even starting due to philosophical differences with the board.
Dr. Hunter said his departure from the Christian Coalition indicated his belief in the rise of an evangelical Christian constituency that is less interested in the passage of certain laws and focused instead on “living what Jesus would do.â€
As jaded as I am of the “what would Jesus do” mantra, this rings true to me. As a Christian there are far more important things to me than Ford’s “promotion of the homosexual agenda” and the concept of “holiday trees” (although the latter is pretty annoying). I for one can say that the “evangelical Christian” lobbyist groups and political associations out there do not represent the interests of this “evangelical Christian” (for lack of a better term).
Anyway, sounds like a good guy.
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Thoughts on Racism
Posted on December 2, 2006
In light of Michael Richard’s recent episode I’ve been thinking a lot about racism. I’ve realized that you won’t find many racists who are hold-overs from the segregation days, and you certainly won’t find any who lived during legalized slavery in America. Why then, does racism persist? I believe that racism does not necessarily have to be tied to any event in the past, but instead it has to do with fear: fear of the unknown, fear of what we do not understand. You see, most of the people I know who have racist tendencies seem to derive their prejudice from a dislike of a particular culture. Their cultural ignorance causes them to harbor hateful feelings towards another race simply because they are intimidated by what they do not know. What is interesting about this is that racism crosses all socio-economic boundaries. You’ll find racists among doctors, lawyers, teachers, college students, and high school drop-outs. You’ll find racists in the city slums and the affluent suburbs. Racism is an affliction that universally infects the human race. It is a symptom of the fear of the unknown, and the only cure is to remove your ignorance. You can’t just decide you’re not going to be racist– you have to cure yourself of racism through education and experience. Attend a black-southern-baptist church one Sunday morning. Go to your co-worker’s daughter’s Quinceañera. Only then will you be able to begin to understand another’s culture, and instead of fearing it, you’ll embrace it. The key to tolerance is education.
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