Today's Mighty Oak


While I don’t think the current legislation goes far enough, I have to at least realize it’s a start for Net Neutrality.  However, Verizon is suing to block what will go into affect in two months.

HuffPo has the story here.



Google and Verizon had a proposed contract of some sort, and while both companies state that it will not affect net neutrality at all, EFF is still worried:

On Monday, Google and Verizon proposed a new legislative framework for net neutrality. Reaction to the proposal has been swift and, for the most part, highly critical. While we agree with many aspects of that criticism, we are interested in the framework’s attempt to grapple with the Trojan Horse problem. The proposed solution: a narrow grant of power to the FCC to enforce neutrality within carefully specified parameters. While this solution is not without its own substantial dangers, we think it deserves to be considered further if Congress decides to legislate.

Unfortunately, the same document that proposed this intriguing idea also included some really terrible ideas. It carves out exemptions from neutrality requirements for so-called “unlawful” content, for wireless services, and for very vaguely-defined “additional online services.” The definition of “reasonable network management” is also problematically vague. As many, many, many have already pointed out, these exemptions threaten to completely undermine the stated goal of neutrality.

The FCC had been trying to move forward, but was not fast enough, and this is what’s happening:

Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege.

Wired covers it here, and Slog does here.

I haven’t heard anything about this really since I’ve been back, so I’m thinking that the deal fell through.  But I’ll try to keep updated.

 



I’m heading to Fort Wayne for Practice Thanksgiving, but before I go, I wanted to pass on a few things.

It’s a bit over the top at the end, but it’s a great trailer.  It does remind me why I’m so scared of public protests, how crazy and violent they can get.  And yes, it’s a bit one sided, and it itself is probably propogating hate, I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, I just don’t know where it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upWb2jBk5xw

Disney is working on a new game, Epic Mickey.  It looks dark and creepy and all kinds of cool.  Even cooler: they traded an ESPN sportscaster for the rights to the villian…in 2006.  Apparantly it’s been in development for that long.  Hopefully it lives up to the hype.

If you’re not watching Glee, shame on you.  And besides, Joss Whedon is going to direct an episode!

The picture of the Pope at this article is frightening.  But really?  I find it very uncalled for, and quite frankly, detremental to any kind of honest eccumenical dialogue.  Rowan Williams was suprised, but I think is handling it fairly well, for this to come out of left field at least.  Shame on you Pope.  Andrew Sullivan examines it here.  My favorite line:

Now recall that the celibacy requirement has clearly contributed to the decline of the church in the US and the West and has led indirectly to the sexual abuse problems of screwed up celibates. Why would the Vatican make an exception for Anglicans but not for, you know, Catholics?

And he chimes in again here:

For now, however, it seems an almost baldly political move, made at a pace more reminiscent of modern politics and public relations than the traditional ecclesiastical creaking of the wheels. That is troubling to me. Churches are supposed to be about eternal truths and freedom of conscience, not what amounts to an unfriendly take-over bid for a franchise.

And it does not seem to have occurred because of some deep resolution of the theological disputes between Anglicans and Catholics, but merely by a shared abhorrence of women priests and openly gay ones. If you want to switch churches, prejudice seems a pretty poor reason for doing so. But this is so sudden it will take some time to absorb and it’s a little hard to take in. Stay tuned.

Fresh on the heels of “Blame it on the Girls,” comes the new video from Mika, “Rain.”  Watch it here.

I first saw this video a few months ago.  It is heartfelt, moving, and short, so there is no reason not to watch it.  It’s making a huge resurgance right now since marriage equality is on the ballot in Maine:

These photos made me smile.  A lot.  Take old war photos…and add superheros.  My favorite:

A few days old by this point, but crazy local politics.  This is a direct quote from one of our elected officials in an e-mail calling veterans traitors for working against global warming:

Remember Benedict Arnold before giving credibility to a veteran who uses their service as a means to promote a leftist agenda. Drill Baby Drill!!!

I can get behind him saying whatever he wants, however big of an asshat he wants to be.  However, when you end an e-mail with that many exclimation points, as well as the phrase “drill baby drill” I will laugh.  A lot.  Then weep for the state of politics.

Bad AT&T, bad!  Don’t do that!

I was given a link to information is beautiful, and I love it!  If you love charts and graphs, you probably will too.

Ok, that’s all I have for now.  I have a lot more to go through, but I should get some sleep before packing tomorrow.  Have a great one everybody!

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