F*** Metallica

I blame Metallica for this:

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

In all seriousness, of course I don't.  It's the entertainment industry as a whole.  And before anyone whinges about this vid being laden with hyperbole ("can go to jail for 5 years even for just singing a pop song"), it's actually true.  It's in the bill.

This bill is the end of social media, and I believe that's exactly what the entertainment industry wants.  They want to be the sole source of information, not the much more democratized internet, and this is their salvo.  This bill allows them to shut down site for just one single link that is subjectively offensive or in violation.  What will YouTube and Facebook do?  What will I do as a user?  If I see a cool piece of artwork, take a pic of it, and send it to my buddies saying "get over to this gallery; this is awesome," will I look at a fine?  Not massively likely, but Facebook will be forced to close my account (umm...on second thought...).

Call or write your Congresscritter.

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Another Dose of Daily Awesome

Dick Durbin, in response to the mendacious comments of JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, essentially tells the credit industry to go roundly fuck itself. I would put quotes of some of my favorite "pour yourself a hot cup of Shut The Fuck Up" lines, but really it's the whole letter that gives me a half-chub.

Go read the whole letter. It's only 4 1/2 short, massively-margined pages, but Durbin goes point-counterpoint and it is as sexy as SI's Swimsuit Edition.

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