02 Dec 2003
Who Owns the Facts?

When you have political groups ranging from the American Library Association to Eagle Forum agreeing that a piece of legislation is a bad idea, you can be pretty sure that it is, in fact, a bad idea.

Who Owns The Facts? [Slashdot]

00:00 /Copywrongs | 0 comments | permanent link

RIAA Wins Another Round

Pretty sad when a change of venue to DC is considered a victory due to the massive presence of industry lobbyists (and money) in our nation's capitol. For once I actually feel sorry for a Baby Bell.

RIAA wins round in file-swapping suit. A San Francisco federal judge moves SBC Communications' lawsuit against the recording industry's file-swapping legal strategy, a potentially significant victory for record labels. [CNET News.com - Front Door]

00:00 /Copywrongs | 0 comments | permanent link

Pagan Santa

Maybe they're getting wise ....

Priest bans pagan Santa from his church

If there was a historical Jesus (and that's a big if), and he was born following a Roman census, then odds are he was born in September, not at the winter solistace. Christianity has had a nasty habit for millennia of stealing other folk's religious celebrations - Samhain becomes "All Saints Day", Yule and the Mother Night became Christmas and Passover is now "Easter" - complete with bunnies and eggs!

Odd too, how the Sabbath became Sunday: 7 = 1, eh?

I did get kind of a kick out of the priests characterization of Santa as both "pagan" and "commercial". I wonder if he's aware that of all major world religions, only monotheists from the Middle East (Christians, Jews and Muslims) set a fixed amount that each believer is to "give to god"? Since god typically doesn't cash his checks, of course, it is necessary that this remittance be given to his (self-appointed) representatives on earth! How commercial can you get?

Arrgh ... this time of year always makes me a bit religiously cranky!

00:00 /Asatru | 0 comments | permanent link

Canola Case Tests GMO Patent

This could be huge ...

Canola Case Tests GMO Patent. A lawsuit brought by a biotech giant against a Canadian canola farmer could set the tone for the genetically modified seed business in all of North America. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News]

00:00 /Agriculture | 0 comments | permanent link

MIT Educates Students on Offshoring

MIT Students Get an Education in Software Development

Boy, did they ever! Follow the link in the Slashdot piece - it's an eye opener!

[Slashdot]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Sancity of Marriage

I wonder if the Bush Administration and others who are so adament about the "sancity" of heterosexual marriage would care to explain to this family why they're a dirty word?

[from CNN]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link