Daily Headlines
The
hard-liners in the Republican Party say that it isn't the government's
job to coddle people that can't make it in today's society. They have
nurtured and reinforced the meme that everyone in America has an equal
chance at grabbing that big brass ring, and if they can't, then it is
their own fault, any other reason that is given is just an excuse.
By Rob Kall
For First Time, a Nation Convicts a Former Leader of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
For First Time, a Nation Convicts a Former Leader of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
the
former Junta leader was convicted and sentenced for killing thousands.
Perhaps he will be the first of many such former national leaders
An economist guides us gently through economic facets of fracking fever.
I
grew up with the story of Our Lady of Angels fire all around me. It was
more than an event, it was a sunset on the bright stable way people saw
their world. That fire blew that neighborhood up. There was no one who
didn't know someone who'd died in OLA. I was struck by how surviving an
event could be just as paralyzing as dying in that event -- that the
survivors were changed forever.
The
Florida legislature passed HB 87 which gives huge advantages to banks
in foreclosure hearings. It may well cause a new wave of lost homes to
the banks.
The
Silk Road nation of Kazakhstan is an excellent place to encounter the
dervishes of the Great Game for control of the camel-and-pipeline routes
of the Central Asian steppes. Here we can witness the
diplomatic-military idiocies of new empires pathetically attempting to
ignore the dried skeletons of the imperial forces that went before them.
Republicans and their news outline Fox news have short memories. Or do they have something else up their sleeves?
In
our postmodern, fact-free democracy my ignorance is as good as your
knowledge and I can prove it. Just check the wealth of those who purvey
their fear as fact.
The
American Empire, as the neoconservatives have made clear, is what keeps
you free from terrorism. We have to kill them over there before they
come over here. And those who are over here will be killed too. We
tolerate no dissent. That part of the Constitution is gone, along with
the rest of it.
In
celebration of National Short Story Month I have asked several writers
to answer five questions for me. For fun, I answered them myself. The
first installment includes: Alan Heathcock, Lydia Millet, Eddie
Chuculate and Shann Ray.
60
Minutes was once a shining light of independent journalism. Now it's a
covert mouthpiece for the far-right, anti-government values crowd. Once
it spoke to, and for, a majority whose interests it fought to defend.
Now it represents an atavistically self-centered billionaire class which
expects flattery from its subjects whenever it deigns to take notice of
their misery.
Women representatives of the Safe Climate Caucus on why they are pro-active on Climate Change.
By Kamala B. Sarup
Raped Victims: His Daughter who was raped
It's not a new incident, because the loss of grown up girls is quite common in the Dhading village (Nepal).
Raped Victims: His Daughter who was raped
It's not a new incident, because the loss of grown up girls is quite common in the Dhading village (Nepal).
Researchers
from IMDEA-Nanociencia Institute and from Autonoma and Complutense
Universities of Madrid (Spain) have managed to give graphene magnetic
properties. The breakthrough, published in the journal 'Nature Physics',
opens the door to the development of graphene-based spintronic devices,
that is, devices based on the spin or rotation of the electron, and
could transform the electronics industry.
By Danny Schechter
"Rot Within The Ranks:" How Deep Does It GO
When military officers were fired because of "rot," You have to ask how deeply it has spread says News Dissector Danny Schechter.
"Rot Within The Ranks:" How Deep Does It GO
When military officers were fired because of "rot," You have to ask how deeply it has spread says News Dissector Danny Schechter.
The
London government has at long last been forced into recognizing
compensation payments for as many as 50,000 Kenyan nationals who were
victims of torture and other crimes against humanity during that
country's independence struggle in the 1950s.
The
USPS cannot take many more cuts. Nor can it shoulder the financial
burden that's been imposed on it. This is a time for urgency. And Peter
DeFazio, with his White House petition, has figured out how to focus the
energy that is needed to beat the proponents of privatization and to
save an essential public service.
This
topic questions the dismissing of ideas as "conspiracy theories" so as
to deny factual support for unpopular thoughts. Many examples are
provided that were once tagged as wild-eyed theories, which have since
been shown to be quite real.
A
woman trapped for 17 days beneath the rubble of a collapsed building on
the outskirts of Dhaka was discovered alive on Friday and then rushed
to a nearby military hospital after rescuers pulled her free. Rescuers,
speaking live on national television from the wreckage site in Savar,
said they were clearing debris on Friday afternoon when they saw a pipe
moving. It turned out to be Reshma, shaking the pipe from below, trying
to gain attention. "Save me!" rescuers say they heard her shouting.
Israeli
writer Noam Sheizaf points out that the event from which Hawking
withdrew is not really an academic one but rather "an annual celebration
of the Israeli business, political and military elites," and he rebuts
the principal attacks on Hawking.
Official
Washington's "tough-guy-ism" -- no one wanting to look "weak" on
"terror" -- has stopped sane and humane policies toward Guantanamo.
Members of Congress have blocked President Obama's efforts to close the
prison and he has shied away from a political battle to do so.
Five
days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant leveled a wide swath of
this town, Gov. Rick Perry tried to woo Illinois business officials by
trumpeting his state's low taxes and limited regulations. Asked about
the disaster, Mr. Perry responded that more government intervention and
increased spending on safety inspections would not have prevented what
has become one of the nation's worst industrial accidents in decades.
Even in West, last month's devastating blast did little to shake local
skepticism of government regulations.
Once
the US formally abandons the peace process, the current status quo
intensifies: a single state ruled over apartheid-style by Israel, with a
Palestinian Authority consigned to irrelevance or oblivion. Another
round of failed peacemaking will do far more damage to the Palestinians
and Washington's reputation than to an Israel that never intended to
pick up the phone in the first place.
Bill Black: Brown-Vitter Will Not and Cannot Work but it is Criminogenic
Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and David Vitter (R-LA) have introduced a bill entitled "Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness Act of 2013." It is a miracle of modern staffing that Vitter, who loves polluters as much as his prostitutes, was able to pull himself away from demanding that President Obama's nominee to run the EPA answer over 600 questions and join Brown in proposing the bill. Under Obama, bipartisan bills have a dismal fate because the Democrats negotiate away key elements necessary to create a good bill and add provisions that make parts of the bill harmful -- just to pick up a few token co-sponsors -- and then the Republicans kill good parts of the bill anyway and try to enact the bad parts.
Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and David Vitter (R-LA) have introduced a bill entitled "Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness Act of 2013." It is a miracle of modern staffing that Vitter, who loves polluters as much as his prostitutes, was able to pull himself away from demanding that President Obama's nominee to run the EPA answer over 600 questions and join Brown in proposing the bill. Under Obama, bipartisan bills have a dismal fate because the Democrats negotiate away key elements necessary to create a good bill and add provisions that make parts of the bill harmful -- just to pick up a few token co-sponsors -- and then the Republicans kill good parts of the bill anyway and try to enact the bad parts.
We
are creating more Jihadists in the Muslim world w/our killing of
innocents. Al over the world people object to our military bases (over a
1000) in their communities. Okinawa has suffered rapes & assaults
by American military personnel creating bitter resentment toward the
American military base presence. W/our drones killing innocents we will
have more people taking revenge against us. Hatred of U.S. policies is
rampant.
Official
Washington is obsessing over the Benghazi "scandal," proof that the
Republicans and their right-wing media can make the smallest things big
and the biggest things small. It is a disparity that has distorted how
Americans understand their recent history.
By Burl Hall
Seeking the Resurrection of Life on Earth By Reclaiming the Original Wisdom According to Robert J. Wolff
Seeking the Resurrection of Life on Earth By Reclaiming the Original Wisdom According to Robert J. Wolff
Our
world is a mess. We are constantly at war. Our civil rights are being
violated. And, we are alienated from our home while facing possible
extinction. Is there any hope for us hairless apes that are so
maladapted to this planet? In this article, the work of Robert Wolff,
the author of "Original Wisdom: Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing"
and OpEd contributor will be explored. Yes, perhaps there is hope. Or
not.
Latest Articles
Earlier
this week, on Wednesday, May 8, lawyers for Russell "Maroon' Shoatz
filed a federal lawsuit regarding his placement in solitary confinement
for over 22 consecutive years. The written complaint, directed at
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel and the
Superintendents of SCI-Greene, where Shoatz was last held, and
SCI-Mahanoy, where he was transferred to on March 28, 2013.
Lebanon greets the Special Rapporteur for Palestine with an ear full
Mousab Kerwat, Islamic Relief's Middle East institutional funding manager, said: "It's better for countries to stay away from donor conferences than to attend and make pledges they don't intent to keep. As a minimum, they should communicate where their pledges have gone in a transparent process.
Mousab Kerwat, Islamic Relief's Middle East institutional funding manager, said: "It's better for countries to stay away from donor conferences than to attend and make pledges they don't intent to keep. As a minimum, they should communicate where their pledges have gone in a transparent process.
Climate Change: Governments Must Act to Reduce CO2 Emissions
If we, as a society, deem climate change the greatest threat facing humanity and that urgent action is needed to limit our CO2 emissions, then printing money to achieve that aim need not be inflationary because there is corresponding work associated with it, creating sustainable growth and boosting GDP. Systems will be manufactured, people will be employed, and opportunities for export will open up.
If we, as a society, deem climate change the greatest threat facing humanity and that urgent action is needed to limit our CO2 emissions, then printing money to achieve that aim need not be inflationary because there is corresponding work associated with it, creating sustainable growth and boosting GDP. Systems will be manufactured, people will be employed, and opportunities for export will open up.
Salt is Good for You in Moderation
Salt intake is a highly controversial subject, thought by some to be highly detrimental and by others to be a minor consideration for health. The inconsistencies in studies on salt are explainable by the quality of the salt and other dietary factors that protect heart health.
Salt intake is a highly controversial subject, thought by some to be highly detrimental and by others to be a minor consideration for health. The inconsistencies in studies on salt are explainable by the quality of the salt and other dietary factors that protect heart health.
Just
as, about 40 years ago, Alvin Toffler's Future Shock described the way
our rush into the future was changing and shocking us, Douglas
Rushkoff's book, Present Shock offers a guide an explanations to the
ways that the new technologies and media have drastically changed the
way we relate with time, narrative, story, multitasking, relating to
others, work and a lot more. He describes Presentism, Presentists,
Fractalnoia....
Will the final result of Obama's charm offensive be impeachment proceedings?
The country is getting crazier says TCHB! journalist Dave Lindorff. How much crazier can it get?
Who's to Blame for Long-Term Unemployment?
May 3 rd brought news that the unemployment rate has dipped to 7.5 percent and there's been an alarming rise in the suicide rate for middle-aged Americans. According to the Center for Disease Control, "The [suicide] increase does coincide with a decrease in financial standing for a lot of families"" 4.35 million Americans have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks. Whose fault is this?
May 3 rd brought news that the unemployment rate has dipped to 7.5 percent and there's been an alarming rise in the suicide rate for middle-aged Americans. According to the Center for Disease Control, "The [suicide] increase does coincide with a decrease in financial standing for a lot of families"" 4.35 million Americans have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks. Whose fault is this?
Reversing
Citizens United would reverse some portions of corporate 1st Amendment
free speech "rights," but it won't address the many other Bill of Rights
(including other types of free speech "rights") and other
Constitutional protections that corporations have high jacked for 127
years used to acquire and expand their power and control. They would all
remain.
If
their real concern was to quell "radicalization," shouldn't they be
sending in people to talk up peace, tolerance, non-violence? It's almost
as if they want to foment scarifying plots, keeping the public scared,
obedient -- even slavishly grateful. I wonder who radicalized them into
such violent extremism?
Republicans
are refusing to do their part in governing the country. They say "do it
our way or we won't let anything get done at all." As a result We the
People are on our own. We get no jobs programs, and no infrastructure:
no dams, roads, bridges, high-speed rail or even highways. It's "My way
and no highways."
The
newest target of the crazed gun-huggers is Neil Hesslin. His
first-grader was among the murdered in Newtown, Conneticut, just days
before last Christmas. A local gun right's group "Connecticut Carry" is
attacking this grieving dad in the most vindictive way because he dares
to advocate for sensible gun regulation.
Mark
Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute,
testified on May 8 before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats regarding concerns
being raised about imports of food from China that are entering the
U.S.
After
last year's aborted effort, Congress begins anew the effort to
reauthorize the federal Food and Farm Bill. Unfortunately, fundamental
reform is off the table, as agribusiness dominates in Congress. Family
farms fail to receive the support they need, anti-hunger and
conservation programs are under attack, and the need for healthy food
gets lip service.
Of
course the Republican economic program is worse, and President Romney's
policies would have been even more corporate-driven. That doesn't in
the slightest make acceptable what Obama is doing. His latest high-level
appointments -- boosting corporate power and shafting the public -- are
despicable.
Hillary Clinton's Middle East Peace Save
The difficulty of President Obama's options in Syria would be far greater if former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had not taken major steps toward Middle East peace before she left office.
The difficulty of President Obama's options in Syria would be far greater if former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had not taken major steps toward Middle East peace before she left office.
The
House GOP is obviously playing along with the corporate-owned spin
machine's game of smoke and mirrors. It's largely a frantic attempt by
the corporations running our government to steer attention away from the
populist resistance to corporate rule that's slowly and steadily
sweeping all over the country.
Best News Links from the Web
Biometric Database of All Adult Americans Hidden in Immigration Reform
The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system.
The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system.
The Ethics Reform On the table | CitiReport
Chiu, Herrera Put Ethics on the Agenda Board President David Chiu and City Attorney Dennis Herrera's proposed ethics reforms would force into the open a flow of money aimed at influencing City Hall that has been hidden by custom and law, identifying how play-to-pay politics tips the scale on decisions that cost taxpayers in swollen contracts, preferential approval of permits and ensnares even do-gooder nonprofits as allies. In opting for heightened disclosure, the two city leaders laid aside for now adding new prohibitions such as enacting bans on contributions by lobbyists, fundraising by city commissioners or stretching the current ban on contractor contributions to include bundling of money contractors collect from others. Those are all features of ethics laws in force in other jurisdictions, notably Los Angeles and in Sacramento.
Chiu, Herrera Put Ethics on the Agenda Board President David Chiu and City Attorney Dennis Herrera's proposed ethics reforms would force into the open a flow of money aimed at influencing City Hall that has been hidden by custom and law, identifying how play-to-pay politics tips the scale on decisions that cost taxpayers in swollen contracts, preferential approval of permits and ensnares even do-gooder nonprofits as allies. In opting for heightened disclosure, the two city leaders laid aside for now adding new prohibitions such as enacting bans on contributions by lobbyists, fundraising by city commissioners or stretching the current ban on contractor contributions to include bundling of money contractors collect from others. Those are all features of ethics laws in force in other jurisdictions, notably Los Angeles and in Sacramento.
US
drone strikes on Al Qaeda and Taliban elements in Pakistan's lawless
tribal belt are illegal, a top court declared on Thursday and directed
the Foreign Ministry to move a resolution in the UN against such
attacks.
The
Republican Party's obsession with turning the attack against the U.S.
diplomatic mission in Benghazi into a Watergate-level scandal may not
have paid any dividends in the 2012 presidential election, but that
won't stop them from trying again in 2016. Karl Rove's SuperPAC,
American Crossroads, has released an inflammatory attack ad targeting
former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in what will surely be the
first of many misleading attempts to ground Clinton's hypothetical
presidential campaign before it even begins.
Political Intelligence: Transparency or Insider Trading? | Money & Politics, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com
There are many ways corporations and financial interests can exercise influence in Washington. Some donate money to political campaigns while others hire lobbyists to be their megaphones to legislator ears. But information flows the other way, too. And since the financial crisis, details about the laws and regulations being hashed out behind closed doors is more valuable than ever. A story from the Washington Post this week looks at the growing popularity of "political intelligence" firms that sell analysis of federal actions, and the likely policy ramifications of those actions, to interested parties. Oftentimes, the clients are investors in a company that will be affected by a policy decision or a proposed regulation. Some firms even coordinate meetings and conference calls with congressional staff members in which they share what they know about relevant legislation.
There are many ways corporations and financial interests can exercise influence in Washington. Some donate money to political campaigns while others hire lobbyists to be their megaphones to legislator ears. But information flows the other way, too. And since the financial crisis, details about the laws and regulations being hashed out behind closed doors is more valuable than ever. A story from the Washington Post this week looks at the growing popularity of "political intelligence" firms that sell analysis of federal actions, and the likely policy ramifications of those actions, to interested parties. Oftentimes, the clients are investors in a company that will be affected by a policy decision or a proposed regulation. Some firms even coordinate meetings and conference calls with congressional staff members in which they share what they know about relevant legislation.
Bernie Buzz: Young and Unemployed in America
The unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year old workers was 16.2 percent in April. That's more than double the national rate of unemployment. For teenagers, the overall unemployment rate is 25.1 percent. For black teens the number is a distressing 43.1 percent. The United States has surpassed much of Europe in the percentage of young adults without jobs, according to The New York Times. What has Congress done? It cut $1 billion from youth jobs programs over the past decade. Bernie is working on legislation to change that.
The unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year old workers was 16.2 percent in April. That's more than double the national rate of unemployment. For teenagers, the overall unemployment rate is 25.1 percent. For black teens the number is a distressing 43.1 percent. The United States has surpassed much of Europe in the percentage of young adults without jobs, according to The New York Times. What has Congress done? It cut $1 billion from youth jobs programs over the past decade. Bernie is working on legislation to change that.
A
California father of four died Wednesday shortly after a group of
police allegedly beat him with batons as he lay defenseless on the
sidewalk. Cops, before confiscating witness' cameras, also reportedly
unleashed a canine unit on him. Witnesses who had recorded the events on
their cell phone cameras had the devices confiscated by officers, who
claimed the footage was part of a police investigation that could yield
evidence. The Sheriff's Department has released the names of seven
officers who were on the scene, but the identities of the California
Highway Patrol police who were also there have not yet been made public.
Those
who are trying to make the Benghazi tragedy into a scandal for the
Obama administration really ought to decide what story line they want to
sell. Actually, by "those" I mean Republicans, and by "the Obama
administration" I mean Hillary Clinton. The only coherent purpose I can
discern in all of this is to sully Clinton's record as secretary of
state in case she runs for president in 2016.
In
a courageous and outspoken article, Desmond Tutu calls for South
Africans to create a functioning democracy as a living monument to
Nelson Mandela. My South African friend who alerted me to the article
says, "It is classic Tutu writing and gives us a overview of South
Africa since the coming into power of the African National Congress.
Please read it carefully and share it with others who will pray and
might even have connections with people who might be in a position to
bring pressure to upon the South African government. And, please pray
for Desmond as he endures the inevitable vitriol that will ladled out
against him by the spin doctors of the ANC."
Massachusetts
investigators have developed what they call "mounting evidence,"
bolstered by "forensic hits," that point to the possible involvement of
both Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokhar in a gruesome,
unsolved triple homicide in 2011, law enforcement officials told ABC
News. The officials cautioned that until more definitive DNA testing is
complete, it is still too early to consider bringing an indictment
against the younger of the two brothers... In the wake of the Marathon
bombings, Middlesex County began to probe a link between the elder
Tsarnaev and Brendan Mess, one of the three men killed in the gruesome
slaying on Sept. 11, 2011. Officials said Mess and two men were found in
a Waltham residence with their throats slit and their bodies covered
with marijuana. Tamerlan and Mess were once roommates and did boxing and
martial arts training together.
A
Pakistani court has declared that US drone strikes in the country's
tribal belt are illegal and has directed the government to move a
resolution against the attacks in the United Nations. "The government of
Pakistan must ensure that no drone strike takes place in the future,"
the court said, according to the Press Trust of India. It asked
Pakistan's foreign ministry to table a resolution against the American
attacks in the UN. "If the US vetoes the resolution, then the country
should think about breaking diplomatic ties with the US," the judgment
said.
Paperless Future Has Arrived!
The paperless future has arrived. I have always liked the idea, but I do see one or two downsides. Humorous video shows one. Worth the watch and one you are not likely to forget.
The paperless future has arrived. I have always liked the idea, but I do see one or two downsides. Humorous video shows one. Worth the watch and one you are not likely to forget.
A
knit-and-run fan, this Hockessin, DE, needleworker blankets the city
with cheer, giving people a good yarn to take home. Bombing the world
with art might be the path to peace.
here's
a lot of bubble talk out there right now. Much of it is about an
alleged bond bubble that is supposedly keeping bond prices
unrealistically high and interest rates -- which move in the opposite
direction from bond prices -- unrealistically low. But the rising Dow
has raised fears of a stock bubble, too. What is a bubble, anyway?
Surprisingly, there's no standard definition. But I'd define it as a
situation in which asset prices appear to be based on implausible or
inconsistent views about the future. Dot-com prices in 1999 made sense
only if you believed that many companies would all turn out to be a
Microsoft; housing prices in 2006 only made sense if you believed that
home prices could keep rising much faster than buyers' incomes for years
to come.
Banks Still Behaving Badly on Mortgages - NYTimes.com
"Attorney General Eric Schneiderman of New York announced this week that he plans to sue Bank of America and Wells Fargo for failure to adhere to the terms of a $26 billion settlement that was supposed to provide relief to homeowners and end foreclosure abuses.From data that have been compiled so far, it appears that banks are directing much of the required relief toward large mortgages, presumably for higher-income borrowers. It also appears as though banks may be urging borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth to sell their homes at a loss via short sales when those borrowers could qualify for loan modifications instead. In addition, there is evidence that banks may be structuring the mortgage aid so that they get credit under the settlement for taking action, even when the relief is insufficient to prevent foreclosures."
"Attorney General Eric Schneiderman of New York announced this week that he plans to sue Bank of America and Wells Fargo for failure to adhere to the terms of a $26 billion settlement that was supposed to provide relief to homeowners and end foreclosure abuses.From data that have been compiled so far, it appears that banks are directing much of the required relief toward large mortgages, presumably for higher-income borrowers. It also appears as though banks may be urging borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth to sell their homes at a loss via short sales when those borrowers could qualify for loan modifications instead. In addition, there is evidence that banks may be structuring the mortgage aid so that they get credit under the settlement for taking action, even when the relief is insufficient to prevent foreclosures."
Jeffrey
Skilling, the convicted former Enron Corp. chief executive officer, may
get out of prison in as little as four years if a judge approves a deal
with prosecutors over objections by victims of one of the biggest
corporate frauds in U.S. history. In exchange for getting as many as 10
years cut from his 24-year sentence, Skilling will drop his bid for a
new trial and end litigation over his conviction. A jury found he
spearheaded a fraud of as much as $40 billion that destroyed the world's
largest energy trader in 2001.
World Wide Web Consortium takes next step with controversial DRM proposal, Defective
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Thursday, May 9, 2013 -- The HTML Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) today released a First Public Working Draft of the controversial Encrypted Media Extension (EME) specification, despite massive opposition from public interest organizations and members of the public. W3C CEO Jeff Jaffe also released a statement justifying the Working Group's decision. The proposal, which is supported by the entertainment industry and giants like Netflix, Google, and Microsoft, would endorse and facilitate use of proprietary Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in HTML, and would have a dramatic impact on streaming audio and video on the Web. Defective by Design (a project of the Free Software Foundation devoted to fighting DRM) and a coalition of 26 other organizations publicly opposed the proposal in an April letter to the W3C.
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Thursday, May 9, 2013 -- The HTML Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) today released a First Public Working Draft of the controversial Encrypted Media Extension (EME) specification, despite massive opposition from public interest organizations and members of the public. W3C CEO Jeff Jaffe also released a statement justifying the Working Group's decision. The proposal, which is supported by the entertainment industry and giants like Netflix, Google, and Microsoft, would endorse and facilitate use of proprietary Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in HTML, and would have a dramatic impact on streaming audio and video on the Web. Defective by Design (a project of the Free Software Foundation devoted to fighting DRM) and a coalition of 26 other organizations publicly opposed the proposal in an April letter to the W3C.
Any
event where Sarah Palin still gets a standing ovation, where not a
single respected celebrity, politician, spiritual leader or intellectual
pundit would ever dare show his face, where they want to arm children
and compare Michael Bloomberg to a Nazi, these are surefire signs you're
among the most lost and desperate in America.