Of fig leaves and "n-words"

There is no doubt money to be made in producing a marketable version of a perennial bestseller that has long topped the “most frequently censored books” lists. But is such an edition good for education, let alone good for literature?

If the Disneyfication of literature began with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disneyfication of history was already long underway by the time Song of the South came out in 1946, literally “whitewashing” America’s slaveholding and segregationist past.

I cringe whenever a semi-historical film about the American South comes out, because I know what’s coming. Watch Benjamin Button and The Legend of Bagger Vance and you’d never know there was such a thing as racial segregation in the United States. While “whitewashed” movies like these are not the only depiction of American race relations, I foresee a day when they will be the norm: when our history will be Disneyfied beyond recognition, and only academics will ever crack the cover of the unexpurgated Huckleberry Finn, which is, after all, about real issues and not just entertainment. (Incidentally, FoxNews notwithstanding, world events are also about real issues and not entertainment or “talking points.”)

A Little Background On Two Companies Suing Bloggers & Others

With 179 lawsuits filed to date and more coming daily, it looks like everyone with a website is getting sued.  So far only bloggers and forum owners who don't know their legal rights are freaking out.  

In the process of dumbing down news for Americans - the man who has been described as "divisive" and a "bantam" - who is currently profiting from buying newspapers cheap, gutting staff, then padding the masthead corpse with content from everywhere, is now trying out his plan to own the news.  

Allegedly what's at stake is "Fair Use."  Not, as the lawsuits claim "Copyright Infringement."   Also, when newspapers owned by Stephens Media report on the litigation, they report it as "copyright infringement."  

...I next contacted EFF attorney Kurt Opsahl - (and if you don't know about  EFF heads up:  know that you are seriously - seriously without a clue.) 

I asked Kurt why Righthaven would go after domain names when absent legal standing, it was such a bonehead pr move.

He answered:  "The effect of it is to induce people to settle who might not understand there is no basis under the law to seize their domain name."

Good news  (and isn't it about time)

So far these suits haven't passed the sniff test with Nevada district judge who asked why publishing the entire article would be an infringement.

The Fourth Estate was about educating the public in important areas.  The Fourth Estate died about ten seconds after the FCC ruled newspapers and television stations could be owned by the same company. 

Life without the Fed: The Suffolk System

 Suppose for a moment that Republican Congressman Ron Paul's fondest wish came true, and the Federal Reserve Bank was not only audited but closed down. As far-fetched as such a notion may seem, it would not be the first time in our nation's history that a central bank has been shuttered. For all the Fed's imposing grandeur, Ben Bernanke is running our third (albeit longest-running) try at a central bank. This country has lived without a central bank before and, if given the chance, could do so again.

One Nation, Under God, and Its Child Soldiers

 I see we've been arming and training Somalia's army, at least the one we favor, and they in turn are using that money to arm children (some as young as nine) to fight our War of Terror. As I read further into it I am, needless to say, dripping in proud patriotism. What fresh hell is this? We're back in Somalia?

I have vague memories of Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down, a nice tale of our last disastrous fool's errand into Somalia. Granted, we left once but an empire never truly leaves anywhere forever. Now, not wanting to put our own soldiers at risk this go round we are instead using locals as armed proxies to do our bidding. In this case, that means fighting whomever we've designated as the enemy for this month and, to make the American flag unfurl even more proudly in the sun, we're arming and training child soldiers to do it.

All these little boy soldiers are funded and armed by a tentacle of the Pentagon called AFRICON, which was created in 2008 to make certain that no matter where in Africa mayhem may erupt an American weapons dealer will be there to cash in.

I stop reading the paper and watch my son running the length of the shoreline with the ocean waves his backdrop, and I think of all the children, barely older than he, that part of my every workday is spent to supply with weapons. I gag on a surge of patriotism. 

The Dancer, the Juggernaut, and the Care Giver (Open Call)

This Open Call asked that we examine the reason behind our divorce.  Having been divorced twice, I fully understand the reason for both of them.  I see him in the mirror every day.   And every day I search that mirror to determine if he is any smarter today then he was before.