8/23/06-8/29/06

THIRTEEN SIGNS OF FASCISM 8/29/06

http://mvp-seattle.com/pages/pageFascism.htm

Link lifted from the blogroll of blogging buddy Susan M. http://360.yahoo.com/profile-shLjL8cydLYZSqR.u0WZLr_FLJxf2Ru0

spike q

Is the United States government becoming a fascist government?

Yes.

15

No.

0

Maybe.

1

What is fascism?

1

I dunno.

0

So what?

0

Too complicated an issue to be reduced to a poll.

5

We're already there.

5

UGANDAN UNREST 8/29/06

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-xE6lqiAgbqn_iZ3je4ay?p=26 is the 360 blog post of my friend quorora about something happening in Uganda. Please go check out his pages for articles that are informative and interesting. ~spike q

REP. KATHERINE HARRIS AND ISLAMIC LAW 8/28/06

Rep. Katherine Harris of Florida was the subject of a quite a few blogs lately.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=39458 She was quoted in the Florida Baptist State Convention's weekly journal as saying that when christians are not elected to public office, non-christian politicians wil "legislate sin." [see: http://www.haloscan.com/comments/crooks/10019828 for a heated discussion about the article]. Would Ms. Harris have made the same comment if the majority of our elected politicians were of the Muslim faith? Or any other faith group different from her own? Something to ponder...

*****

Here's something else to think about and I bet it's something you were never taught in social studies or religious education classes: R. Joseph Hoffman, a notable scholar from Westminister College of Oxford UK [ http://www.hutch.demon.co.uk/prom/porph.htm ] said the following about Islam vs. Christianity during the Reformation and now:

Most Westerners who are not simply islamaphobes are willing to acknowledge where our system of numerical notation comes from; where algebra got started; how Aristotle was saved from puritan schoolmen in the Middle Ages; indeed, where scientific thinking in a number of disciplines originated. The culture of Islam, ranging in its missionary extent from Baghdad to Malaysia, is humanistically rich and potent. And yet. The Middle Eastern culture which spurred humanistic learining and scientific thinking remains a religious culture in a way that befuddles liberal Christians and secularists, and in a way that has not existed in the West since the decline and fall of Christendom in the Reformation. At least part of our befuddlement stems from the fact that the Reformation is often seen by historians, not as a fall or a falling apart but as a rejuvenation of Christian culture. The persistence of misperceptions about what "happened" with the advent of humanistic thinking in the late Middle Ages stems from the view that the Christian reform was a "back to basics" movement-- an attempt to restore biblical teaching and practice to the church rather than (as it was at its roots) a radical challenge to systems of religious authority, a challenge that would eventually erode even the biblical pillars of authority upon which the Reformation itself was based. Islam underwent no such change and entertained no such challenge to Koranic teaching; its pillars remained strong while those of Christianity, unknown even to those who advocated the reform of the church "in head and members," were crumbling.

Some websites which tell of great achievements by Islamics:

http://www.al-bab.com/arab/science.htm

http://www.lincoln.smmusd.org/staff/Hart_Web/history/otherislamicachievements...

http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/knowledge.htm

http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/ScienceMath/Science_and_Math.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/03/27/nislam127.xml...

*****

Here are five questions asked by Luc Barbulesco, Philippe Cardinal, L’Islam en questions, Vingt-quatre écrivains arabes répondent, Grasset, Paris, 1986 which I have adapted for this blog. Please insert the religion or spiritual path of your choice and answer any of the questions in the comment section or in your own blog. If you post these in your own blog, please drop me a note so I can include a trackback to your blog in future blogs:

1. Does your religion or spiritual path have universal appeal?

2. Could a modern system of government be based on your religion or spiritual path?

3. Is a system of government based on your religion or spiritual path necessary to the development of the people who follow your religion or spiritual path?

4. Is the return to basics or revival of your religion or spiritual path a positive force in the political arena of your home country? the country where you are living now if you are not living in your home country?

5. What is the principal enemy of your religion or spiritual path today?

Til next time then,

spike q

BLOGGART 8/28/06

Sanj666v over at http://360.yahoo.com/profile-vqGq6Ewieqhhq6XsX1BKBA--?cq=1 wants to know if anyone is interested in becoming part of a blogart show. That is, we would agree to post our own art, photography etc on a predetermined day and then provide a link to the next blogart gallery. If interested, please send him a message. If you cannot send him a message via his page, then send me one and I will let him know of your interest.

~spike q back from Maine

AWAY TIL SUNDAY--AUGUST 27th 8/23/06

I will be away until Sunday night and without a computer where I am going. I will leave you with three things:

A news article about a teacher burning two flags in his Louisville Kentucky classroom can be read at: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060822/NEWS01/608... . This article was sent to me by Patti whose 360 blog can be read at: http://360.yahoo.com/profile-4A1IrYkherJiyGoCHv60IA--?cq=1 ;

A poll [below] for those of you who have read the article and want to participate;

The lyrics to Joe Hill sent to me by Opossum TreeHugger.

I first heard the song at a meeting of Students for a Democratic Society at LSU. I had been invited there by a male friend from Iran. Some time later, I had lunch with him and his roommates. They cooked a delicious soup and welcomed me. I have never forgotten that meeting of the SDS or the kindness shown to me.

Joe Hill

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
Alive as you or me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead,"
"I never died," says he
"I never died," says he
"In Salt Lake, Joe," says I to him,
Him standing by my bed,
"They framed you on a murder charge,"
Says Joe, "But I ain't dead,"
Says Joe, "But I ain't dead."

"The copper bosses killed you, Joe,
They shot you, Joe," says I.
"Takes more than guns to kill a man,"
Says Joe, "I didn't die,"
Says Joe, "I didn't die."

And standing there as big as life
And smiling with his eyes
Joe says, "What they forgot to kill
Went on to organize,
Went on to organize."

"Joe Hill ain't dead," he says to me,
"Joe Hill ain't never died.
Where working men are out on strike
Joe Hill is at their side,
Joe Hill is at their side."

"From San Diego up to Maine,
In every mine and mill,
Where workers strike and organize,"
Says he, "You'll find Joe Hill,"
Says he, "You'll find Joe Hill."

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
Alive as you or me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead,"
"I never died," says he
"I never died," says he

----------------------------------------------------------------- Music by Earl Robinson, copyright 1938 by Bob Miller, Inc. Joe Hill, a great organizer and poet, was executed in 1915 on a murder charge which union circles have always considered a frame- up. This song, written in his memory, is one of the most moving of all the labor songs.

Little Red Songbook

What do you think about the teacher in Louisville Kentucky who burned flags in his classroom?

He did indeed illustrate the principles of freedom of speech.

12

He should be fired.

0

He should have cleared this with his boss first and also the parents.

1

He should face consequences for his actions but not get fired.

2

I don't know. It is up to the authorities to decide.

0

I don't care.

0

I haven't decided what I think about this incident.

2

8/20/06-8/21/06

AFTER LEBANON, IRAN? 8/21/06

Bush "There are many who believe George Bush is a liar. . . . But lying would indicate an understanding of what is desired, what is possible, and how best to get there." [Written]

Seymour Hersh said it. Quoted and published at the New York Metro on-line at: http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/people/features/11719/index1.html. A great place to read about Seymour Hersh, the investigative reporter and the strict standards that the New Yorker maintains for its' investigative reports.

Seymour Hersh wrote that in spite of denials by Israeli Embassy officials, the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers was merely the excuse which triggered plans that Israel had already laid to attack Hezbollah. The original recent New Yorker article can be read here: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060821fa_fact

In the same article in the New Yorker, Seymour Hersh said:

According to a Middle East expert with knowledge of the current thinking of both the Israeli and the U.S. governments, Israel had devised a plan for attacking Hezbollah—and shared it with Bush Administration officials—well before the July 12th kidnappings.

Matthew Kalman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an article which can be read here: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/21/MIDEAST.TMP declaring that Israel had planned the attack on Hezbollah "at least a year" before Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers [July 21, 2006], quoting from the Seymour Hersh article in the New Yorker.

Metroland, an alternative paper distributed for free in the Capital Region Area of New York State: http://www.metroland.net/newsfront.html#2 :also referred to the Seymour Hersh New Yorker article in their What a Week column. A paragraph just under the heading Dry Run maintains that:

According to a recent report in the Aug. 21 issue of The New Yorker by Seymour Hersh, Israel asked U.S. officials for permission to launch a full-scale offensive against Hezbollah months before fighting began—before the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier that supposedly triggered the war. Hersh further reported the U.S. officials looked at the conflict as “the mirror image of what the United States has been planning for Iran.” A former senior intelligence official reportedly told Hersh that Vice President Dick Cheney said: “What if the Israelis execute their part of this first, and it’s really successful? It’d be great. We can learn what to do in Iran by watching what the Israelis do in Lebanon.”

The Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0814/dailyUpdate.html :had this to say:

A special report in The New Yorker says the Bush administration was closely involved in the planning of Israel's retaliatory attacks against Hizbullah in Lebanon, and US officials hoped that by helping Israel destroy or disarm the militant Islamic group, it would make it easier for the US to launch a preemptive attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

That article went on to name other newspapers which had picked up the story.

So there we have it:

(1). Israel was planning the attack on Hezbollah for more than a year before July of 2006.

(2). The kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers was not the provocation, but merely the trigger for an attack which was going to happen regardless. Hezbollah maintains that Israel is not a real nation. Israel maintains that Israel is a real nation.

(3). Indications are that President Bush was either lying or he was wreckless with the truth when he said that he hadn't known.

(4). Even if the Bush administration did not approve of Israel's plans ahead of time [and I personally find that very difficult to believe], folks there are studying the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in order to plan a strike against Iran in order to interfere with Iran's nuclear weapons program.

BOTTOM LINE: President Bush and the government of the United States continues to meddle in the affairs of the Middle East.

May Lebanon and all other Arab countries stand strong against this meddling.

~spike q

YAHOO VINDICATED 8/21/06

Below is the letter that Yahoo sends out as clarification on the Shi Tao case.

This just illustrates what happens when only one side of an issue is reported.

The well-meaning folks who reported the incident in which Shi Tao was

imprisoned by the Chinese government laid part or all of the blame upon

Yahoo for providing information on his internet activities to them. In fact,

Yahoo did not have a choice when it received a request for the information.

Any company or corporation that does business in a country is subject to the

laws of that country.

Something to think about when some of us whine that the folks providing

electronic space for blogging will not allow the use of profanity or X-rated

pictures or other stuff. The issues involved in internet censorship go a

lot deeper than, "Drat, they removed my picture...". Being imprisoned

because one sent e-mail from an internet cafe to relatives in the

United States or because one reported accurately on current events

or because one dared to blog on the internet using restricted words

deserves far more attention.

Sincerely,

spike q

[Yahoo's response letter begins:]

Hello,

Thank you for your email expressing concern and inquiring about the

facts surrounding the Shi Tao case.

At the outset, let us make clear that the facts surrounding the Shi Tao

case are distressing to us here at Yahoo!. We pride ourselves on

helping citizens around the world communicate with each other, search

and access independent sources of news and information and participate

in e-commerce. We are proud of our role in expanding opportunities for

Chinese citizens to enjoy the significant benefits of the Internet.

Yahoo! Search gives Chinese users an ability to access various

independent, non-government sponsored sources of information of interest

to them, fostering a more outward-looking population.

On the Shi Tao issue specifically, Yahoo! China received a valid and

legal demand for information from PRC law enforcement authorities

according to applicable PRC laws and the procedures we had established

with Chinese law enforcement officials. As in most jurisdictions,

including the United States, the Government of China is not required to

inform service providers why they are seeking certain information and

typically does not do so. In other words, we did not know whether the

demand for information focused on murder, kidnapping, embezzlement or

another crime. Until we read the distressing facts about Shi Tao in the

news, we did not know the particular information about which Chinese

authorities issued a lawful demand for information from Yahoo! China.

As a business that had been operating inside China, Yahoo! China was

legally obligated to comply with Chinese law enforcement's requirements,

just as each of the other Yahoo! subsidiaries must comply with the laws

of the countries in which they do business and just as foreign companies

must do in the United States. As you may be aware, Alibaba and Yahoo!

merged businesses and Alibaba now runs the combined entity including the

Yahoo! China business.

We balance the requirement to comply with laws that are not necessarily

consistent with our own values against our strong belief that active

involvement in China contributes to the continued modernization of the

country as well as a benefit to Chinese citizens through the

advancement of communications, commerce and access to information. The

Internet is a positive force in China and a growing Chinese middle class

is benefiting greatly from more education, communication, technology,

and independent sources of information.

We want to assure you that this issue is very important to Yahoo!.

Again, thank you for your message as your feedback is truly important to

us.

Regards,

Yahoo! Inc.

[end of response letter]

ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION MINI-LINKS 8/20/06

Never Mind the Piracy, Feel the Profits
Ed Felten says that the DRM debate has moved from combating piracy to supporting price discrimination...

"DRMs Enable Business Models, They Don't Stop Piracy" - Universal VP
... as Universal's Jerry Pierce confirms the change of tack.

"We Have Already Helped you Filter Out Excess Web Pages!"
Human Rights China documents how Yahoo censors its Chinese users...

"Lost" in Translation
...while Chinese TV fans bypass censorship by trading and translating US shows...

Install the Circumventor, Get Paid $10
...and free censorware-bypassing developers offer $10 to help free speech.

Hoboken Battles Giant Robot, Software Licenses
City's cars trapped in an automatic car lot during software payment dispute.

Berkman Center Announces Citizen Journalism Project
Blogging rights resources take another giant step forward...

Law Enforcement Use Facebook To Capture Public Urinators
...As police start Net data-mining on the smallest scale.

Past Behavior No Indication of Future Temptation
Google's CEO claims that it would "never" let search records escape, then backs down.

Layperson's Guide to the RIAA Lawsuits
Grant Robertson attempts to simplify how the music industry sues the world.

***************************************************************************

The above mini-links were pasted from http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/ . Recycled electrons are used in all publications of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The EFF encourages the dissemination of information contained in the above links andfurthermore they will not sue me, toss me out, or ortherwise harangue me for helping them out.

~spike q

MOVE ON IT ! 8/20/06

from http://www.moveon.org and from friend Gary's blog at: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-II5aF2U1eryhPojSnraYVkMzZ3WD6dyn?p=1133

On Friday, Republican Senator George Allen sank to a new low. At a campaign stop the senator singled out the only non-white member of the audience—S.R. Sidarth, a young Indian-American volunteering for his opponent and called him "macaca" (a racial slur meaning 'monkey').¹ He went on to say, "welcome to America." As it happens, Mr. Sidarth was born and raised in Virginia.

Republicans have used racism to try to win over voters for decades, but this kind of pandering has absolutely no place in our politics. That's why we're standing with Color of Change to ask the Republican National Committee to withdraw support from Sen. Allen. We need to send a strong message that America won't tolerate bigotry.

Can you sign the petition and add your voice? You can sign and watch video of the incident on this page:

http://political.moveon.org/withdrawallen?id=8472-6897933-BPCWdMooXDi1u4CNjQa.GQ&t=3

A PEACEFUL PROTEST AND THE MIAMI POLICE 8/20/06

The Miami Herald reports on a peaceful protest gone bad thanks to the reactions of the police force. Included are three videos. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/front/15228898.htm to read the report and view the videos.

~spike q

PS: Thanks to friend johneboy for originally alerting me to this. His blog can be found at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ops5w1A7dK6gFjhfKgWwXC_nLPU-?cq=1&p=84 .

8/13/06-8/17/06

FROM AMNESTY USA 8/17/06

http://www.amnestyusa.org/emails/immunity081706.html?tr=y&auid=1887340

Dear Supporter,

The Bush Administration authorized techniques like sleep deprivation, stress positions and the use of dogs on detainees, and now it wants immunity from criminal prosecution. Tell Congress you're outraged.

The War Crimes Act makes any violation of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions a crime under federal law. Since the Supreme Court said the Administration wrongfully denied these Geneva Conventions protections to those detained in Guantanamo Bay and similar detention facilities, Administration officials could face prosecution under the War Crimes Act.

The America I believe in upholds and defends the law. The America I believe in wouldn't sacrifice these values in the name of a "war on terror".

Act now! Tell Congress to uphold the rule of law!

Thank you,

Jumana Musa
Advocacy Director, Human Rights and International Justice
Amnesty International USA

IRREPRESSIBLE 8/16/06

A 360 tree-hugging friend at

http://360.yahoo.com/profile-qsNfoU42aalq7u8BLDtebtBcoPg-?cq=1

has sent me some info on http://irrepressible.info/.

The Irrepressible Campaign is part of Amnesty International and will deliver snippets of censored content to your blog every time it reloads. I cannot figure out how to add it to this blog since there is no access to Yahoo 360 templates. I have added the script to the templates of my other blogs with no difficulty. There are also static buttons that one can enclose in one's email.

~spike q

CEASE-FIRE 8/16/06

Dear 360 Friends,

Right now a tragedy is unfolding in the Middle East. Thousands of innocent civilians have been killed or wounded in the bombings in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel and the death toll is rising every day. If the US, Syria or Iran get involved, there is a chance of a catastrophic larger war.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of international troops to the Israel-Lebanon border, and been strongly supported by almost every world leader. This is the best proposal yet to stop the violence, but the US, the UK, and Israel have refused to accept it.

I have just signed a petition calling on US President Bush, UK Prime Minister Blair, and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to support Kofi Annan's proposal. If millions of people join this call, and we advertise our views in newspapers in the US, UK, and Israel, we can help pressure these leaders to stop the fighting. Go to the link below and sign up now!

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org

With hope,

spike q

For those who wish to understand islam a bit better, here are some links that a moslem friend has sent: http://www.islamway.com/mohammed , http://www.beconvinced.com , and http://www.islamworld.net .

HIJACK THIS ! 8/16/06

I've been hearing lots lately about a variety of spyware, scumware, malware, and shovelware being installed on computers. Recently, I found BestTechieForums. BestTechie recommends the download of freeware called HijackThis! from http://www.tomcoyote.com/hjt . After running a scan via HijackThis, one can copy the resultant log and paste it into a post at BestTechie. In turn, a volunteer posts recommendations and straightforward directions.

BestTechie Forums -- Free Tech and Computer Support--http://www.besttechie.net/forums/index.php?&CODE=00

Information about helpful and not so helpful anti-spyware programs-- http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Highly Recommended! ~spike q

FIFTY QUESTIONS 8/13/06

I lifted the questions from ArtfulDodger over at The Secret Brain at blogspot who lifted it from a friend who lifted it from...



1. My roommate and I once: went to a local WalMart's to look for a pocketbook [ check this out: http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/03/07/walmart_recruits_bloggers_for... ]for his cross-dressing alter ego. We sashayed through the aisles at length openly comparing possibilites. As I remember, he settled on a tasteful faded blue-jean colored zippered shoulder strap model. One middle-aged woman fled from us in terror.



2. Never in my life have I: done crack or shot heroin and I hope I never do.



3. The one person who can drive me nuts, but then can always manage to make me smile is: my husband.



4. High School was: torture.



5. When I'm nervous: coffee calms me down.



6. The last time I cried was: I don't remember but it was sometime this year I think.



7. If I were to get married right now, my bridesmaids/groomsmen would be: -- one would have to assume that my present husband suddenly died and that I out-lived him.



8. Would you rather run naked through a crowded place or have someone e-mail your deepest secret to all your friends? Running naked sounds like more fun!



9. My hair: is naturally limp.



10. When I was five: I was cute and thin and blonde.



11. Last Christmas: we opened our presents and ate sticky buns in bed.



12. When I turn my head left: why is this question in here?



13. I should be: on the beach.



14. When I look down I see: the old wood floor.



15. The craziest recent event was: watching our oldest cat teach the kitten what to do with a mouse. She snagged a dead mouse from somewhere or other and shoved it over at him. When he went to shove it back or make motions to play with her, she growled. When he sniffed the mouse or jumped at it or threw it in the air, she made signs of approval.



16. If I were a character on "Friends," I'd be: --clueless as I hardly ever watched the show.



17. By this time next year: I should be on the beach.



18. My favorite aunt is: getting older by the minute.



19. I have a hard time understanding: why I should not curse as much as I want to as often as I want to.



20. One time at a family gathering: a cousin killed Peter Rabbit, put him in Shake'N'Bake, and then barbequed him. Very yummy!



21. You know I like you if: I drink coffee with you.



22. If I won an award the first person/people I'd thank: dad, gram, and Blondie the dog.



23. Take my advice: Have the courage to dream new dreams.



24. My ideal breakfast is: a vanilla yogurt coated PowerBar and some coffee.



25. If you visit my hometown: you would never know the glorydays I remember growing up there [http://www.ci.newark.nj.us/default.asp]. The place where I live now-- you'd get bored quick.


26. Sometime soon I plan to visit: my friend Ellie in Vermont [ http://www.bennington.com/ ] and my friend Philly Dave [http://www.lbccc.org/].



27. If you spend the night at my house: some animal would insist upon sleeping with you. And you would get to meet my frogs!



28. I'd stop my wedding if: one of us had a heart attack or something.



29. The world could do without: WAR and HUNGER and DISEASE.



30. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: re-live my childhood.



31. The most recent thing I've bought myself is: one-half of an old computer [husband bought the other half] so I can revamp it and do stuff with it. And the idea of checking to see what stuff the old owner might have left on it is also appealing.



32. The most recent thing someone else bought for me is: dinner-- thanks Crow! [visit Crow's domain at: http://blog.jeremycrow4life.com/ ]



33. My favorite blond is: my dog Blondie.



34. My favorite brunette is: me.



35. My car must have a sign on it that reads: Go ahead, do something idiotic and piss me off!



36. The last time I was drunk: was on two beers and going into a blackout. Something I don't miss.



37. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds: humans. I would love to spread out my arms and zoom around the atmosphere. Now that would solve the gauging gasoline prices problem!



38. I shouldn't have been: so full of inertia during some times in my life.



39. What was your wildest haircut? I shaved my head into a butched-up version of a military brush cut for several years. Those were the days...



40. Last night I: did computer stuff. [insert shameless self-promotion: http://sapphoq.com http://radical.sapphoq.com http://life.sapphoq.com http://healingtbi.sapphoq.com http://www.sapphoqnfriends.blogspot.com http://www.sapphoqreviews.blogspot.com :end of shameless self-promotion].



41: There's this woman I know who: is dead cuz she killed herself in Boston in September of 1999. I miss her still.


42. I don't know: why I am doing this.



43. A better name for me would be: there is no better!



44. If I ever go back to school: I'll take up puters.



45. How many days til my birthday? Every day is my birthday. That means I ain't tellin' yas.



46. One dead celebrity I wish I'd met is: Audre Lourde. [http://www.millikin.edu/ACI/CROW/chronology/lordebio.html and http://www.alp.com.]



47. I've lived at my current address since: our marriage.



48. I've been told I look like: one of the women on "Cagney and Lacey."



49. If I could have any car, it would be: a working Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Or maybe a new Mercedes. One that gets super excellent gas mileage.



50. If I got a new cat tomorrow, I would name it: Sammy.



~sapphoq

8/9/06-8/12/06

BOOK TAG 8/12/06

I got this from my 360 buddy redbarronaustin who got this from friends.

Reese argues that the costs of law in this context are extremely high-- in part because it is hard to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate uses of cyberspace. Web spiders, which gather data for web search engines; browsers, who are searching across the Net for stuff to see; hackers (of the good sort) who are testing the locks of space to see that they are locked); and hackers (of the bad sort) who are breaking and entering to steal. It is hard, ex ante, for the law to know which agent is using the space legitimately and which is not. Legitimacy depends upon the intention of the person gaining acess. excerpt from: Code by Lawrence Lessig. New York: Basic Books, 1999.

Here is the way to do it (also lifted from redbarronaustin's blog):

1. Find the nearest book.

2. Open to page 123.

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the text of 3 sentences on your blog---along with the title of the book and the author.

5. Please do not go digging into the closet for that "cool" or "intellectual" book. Just pick up what ever is closest.

As usual, I tag no one. spike q

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 8/12/06

"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag,carrying a cross." ~Sinclair Lewis

WAR HURTS REAL PEOPLE 8/11/06

Updated Aug 9, 2006 BEIRUT (IPS/GIN) - About 55 percent of all casualties at the Beirut Government University Hospital are 15 or younger, hospital records show. "This is worse than during the Lebanese civil war," Bilal Masri, assistant director of the hospital, one of Beirut’s largest, told IPS. Not only are most of the patients children, but many of the injured are in serious condition, he said. "Now we have a 30 percent fatality rate here in Beirut. That means that 30 percent of everyone hit by Israeli bombs are dying. It is a catastrophe." The fatality rate was high, he said, "because the Israelis are using new kinds of bombs which can enter shelters. They are bombing the bomb shelters which are full of refugees."

Mothers wail, "What human would ever do this?" :: from www.uruknet.info :: news from occupied Iraq

The link above is located at
http://www.uruknet.com/
?p=m25619&hd=0&size=1&l=e and you should be able to read the whole story there. The nation doing these things is the nation that our President has chosen to side with in the Israeli-Lebanon conflict: Israel.

9/11 happened. That is a reality. I didn't want it to happen nor would I wish it to happen. But it did. The word terrorist is not defined as: everyone in the universe who is an Arab or a Moslem or from Iraq or from Lebanon or from Palestine or has connections to the Middle East or who disagrees with President Bush.

9/11 happened. When something like 9/11 happens again, who then will we blame? The government of the United States persists in holding entire groups of people accountable for the terrorist acts of a few. What part of the responsibility will our government accept when terrorists come calling for us again? Pogo said it pretty good many years ago, "We have found the enemy, and it is us."

spike q

Thank-you blu4lyf for sending me the link to the article. I appreciate it.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT 9/10/06

US at war with 'Islamic fascists', Bush says. 11/08/2006. ABC News Online

Dear Mr. President,

My country, the United States, is a nation at war. It is not a nation at war with terrorism. It is not a nation at war fighting fascism or tyranny. You want us to believe those things perhaps. You want us to believe that this "war on terror" is real.

Mr. President, war is not a political smear campaign. Name-calling is not nice. You are fueling the flames of a fire already burning too brightly. When you insult my islamic brothers and sisters throughout the world Mr. President, you are insulting me. Your prejuidice is showing.

Are you going to erect concentration camps for all followers of Islam and for some of the rest of us who are voicing our dissent here in the United States like our country did shamefully once before during World War II? Is anyone who disagrees with your foreign policy and your christian god The Enemy? Does your god approve of what you are doing? Isn't there enough hatred in the world already?

Mr. President, I'm sorry that you are afraid of anyone who is not like you.

We don't want your war on terror. We don't want your hatred to continue to infect the universe. We don't want the United States to continue to slide into the very fascism that you say you despise.

sapphoq

l

US President George W Bush has tightened airline security and said a plot foiled by Britain to blow up US-bound flights was a "stark reminder" the United States is "at war with Islamic fascists".

The suspected plotters were "a couple days from a test, and a few days from doing it," according to a US intelligence official.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the plan would have involved coordinated multiple suicide bombings.

Mr Bush said the United States was safer than before the September 11 attacks but that it would be a mistake to believe there was no longer a threat.

Mr Bush launched a global war on terrorism after the 2001 hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington killed nearly 3,000 people.

Faced with public discontent over the three-year-old war in Iraq, he often tells Americans the threat remains.

Speaking briefly on a visit to Wisconsin, Bush said the foiled plane plot was "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation".

Criticism

US Muslim groups have criticised Mr Bush, saying his choice of words could inflame anti-Muslim tensions.

"The problem with the phrase is it attaches the religion of Islam to tyranny and fascism, rather than isolating the threat to a specific group of individuals," said Edina Lekovic, spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles.

THE ISRAELI-LEBANON CONFLICT 8/9/06

I have reproduced the Human Rights' Watch Questions and Answers on the Israeli-Lebanon conflict. The Human Rights' Watch is an international watchdog organization and as such remains neutral on the whys of war. The HRW does take a position on violations of the International Rules of War-- something which Israel signed on to but Lebanon did not.

Anyone who wishes to comment on the blog post located at: http://radical.sapphoq.com/ [the Q&A is the second post down] must have a [free] Blogspot account in order to do so.

I will caution anyone eager to dis followers of Islam of the following:

• I have some 360 friends who are of the Moslem religion. I do not take kindly to anyone disrespecting or name-calling anyone else because of their religious beliefs.
• Quite frankly, I believe that Israel has done far more to violate the International Rules of War than Lebanon has. I am not siding with the position of my government on this one.

Thank-you,

spike q

O Lebanon, Stand Firm!

بعد ان قلناها لانفسنا ... فالنقولها الى العالم...

شعار صمود لبنان بعد تعديله اصبح الان يتحدث الى العالم لكى يقول ...
اصمدى يا لبنان .. فكلنا معك.
O Lebanon … Stand Firm!

We are all with you.

7/29/06-8/7/06

GREAT NEWS! 8/8/06

A yahoo 360 buddy of mine named Scott at:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-2Irl5_IwdqdElVmhG6DDcSYDGa.R0gW23VnFoA--?cq=1

has posted a link to an article about people fighting the RIAA file-sharing lawsuits that are popping up. One Mom out in Oklahoma has won a summary dismissal AND the judge ordered the RIAA to pay the costs of her lawyer and several others are fighting the RIAA in courts in other states.

Go Moms!!!

spike q

MY BLOGGING BUDDY JOHN 8/7/06

my blogging buddy John has two items of interest on his blog for anyone who might be concerned about the United States Patriot Act and about the continued actions of the MRA sueing websites offering unlicensed copies of song lyrics and music:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-TemqM3wib7TaYZfb7DhGTCz5og--?cq=1

If you have any concern about the un-expectation of privacy or about the extension of copyright laws to benefit Big Hollywood, you might want to check it out.

thanks,

spike q still processing websites into rss feeds vs. restricted

FIVE THINGS 8/7/06

FIVE THINGS THAT SEND MY SPIRIT SOARING AND FIVE THINGS THAT GET MY GOAT:

1. Seeing a whole crop of little minkies at a small pond on a summer's day, birds nesting in my yard and raising little ones, watching my four-footed companions play together.

2. Being there at the moment that someone dies, being able to help someone transition, knowing that I've made a difference.

3. Recognizing small increments of progress in myself and those around me, being able to do something newly learned, the ability to set goals and follow through with them.

4. Knowing that we are all interconnected, striving to give peace a chance, honoring the sacredness inherent in all beings.

5. Believing in love.

- we are trampling on the earth our mother and the ocean our other mother.

- people who are stuck in the same rut and not being able to help them get out of it.

- abuse of any kind, hunger, poverty, discrimination, murder, and war.

- those who would deny others the same basic human rights that they themselves have.

- having to pay the consequences for what others have done.

Idea for this list was taken from Dianna's blog: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-yZlGtdA.aac9gydwI.bgkQLUaoqL

Dear 360 Companions,

I have been going through my list of companions and adding RSS feeds of those of you who have them to my Yahoo Home Pages. This will ultimately result in an increased ability to read your posts and respond. Those of you who do not have RSS feeds I am placing into a separate "friends category." My hope is that the process of reading your posts and responding to them will become more streamlined.

spike q

TAGGED BY INFAMOUS RIDER 7/30/06

SIX BEHAVIORS WHICH I DO NOT CARE FOR IN OTHERS:

1. Anything that reminds me of things within myself that I don't like.

2. People who repeatedly ask me to lend them money-- as if I have any to lend them.

3. Doctors who remain uninformed about traumatic brain injury.

4. Those who insist upon writing comments in my blogs which demonstrate their ability to call others names and don't demonstrate a mature ability to agree to disagree.

5. People who wish to impose their ideas of morality and their religions upon me.

6. "Helping professionals" who do not help due to their stereotyping of those of us who live with disabilities.

SIX DREAM VACATIONS

1. Portugal, Spain, and Morocco.

2. Europe by train.

3. Islands which can only be gotten to by plane or boat.

4. All of Mexico.

5. The birthplaces of my ancestors.

6. Australia.

SIX FAVORITE HOBBIES

1. Communication and Creating: writing, blogging, computer art, music, crafts, decorating, connecting with people who are different than me and challenging my own preset notions and prejuidices.

2. My animals: dog, cats, frogs, fishies.

3. Nature: hiking, backpacking, walking, parks, birding, swimming in remote places in the woods, learning about life.

4. Activism: disability advocacy, support groups, political action for meaningful change, freedom of electronic speech, working for human rights for all humans-- including but not limited to granting people in same-gender relationships the protection of legal marriage, freedom of religion and freedom from [your] religion and freedom not to have a religion, culturally competent medical care, supporting our troops but not this so-called "war on terror," seeing checks and balances restored to the government of the untied states...etc.

5. Movement: traveling, walking the dog, exercise, driving, swimming, dancing, breath.

6. Mental stimulation: rational thinking [yes, it can be taught], becoming an intelligent consumer of the "news media," sudoku, imagination, reading, figuring things out, remembering, learning new things.

SIX THINGS THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOU ABOUT ME:

1. I grew up in an extremely prejudiced family and have to fight that daily.

2. My first reaction upon seeing a mouse indoors is to stand on a chair!

3. Although my memory is in the 99th percentile, there are things that have been "wiped" due to my traumatic brain injury.

4. I can remember where in a book I read something, whether it was a left-page or a right-page, and where it appeared on the page-- when asked. I also dream in spanish.

5. I can no longer multi-task-- except for driving.

6. I have permanent double vision in my left eye, a central nervous system tremor, and severe vertigo. My balance has improved to "excellent." When I fall, it is due to perception problems and not due to equilibrium.

SIX SONGS THAT DEFINE ME:

1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor," by Jimmy Buffett

2. Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue"

3. "Air I Am" traditional witch round

4. "Galileo" by the Indigo Girls

5. "I Am What I Am" sung by Gloria Gaynor or in the musical La Cage aux Folles

6. Harry Chapin's "All My Life's a Circle"

SIX GOALS I HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR:

1. Maintain 10% acceptance rate for submitted writing to lit mags and zines.

2. Train the new kitten to quit treating the computer desk like his very own personal race track.

3. Increase the number of hours I am able to tolerate volunteering at the museum up from 3 hours 1 day a week for 2 or 3 weeks out of a month to 4 hours 1 day a week for 3 or 4 weeks out of a month.

4. Run scripts on Paintshop Pro 10.

5. Purchase a dehumidifier for the basement with the money I am saving up.

6. List the steps necessary to build a computer "from scratch."

As usual, I tag no one. Anyone who wishes may tag themselves or not. ~spike q

LETTER FROM A FRIEND 7/29/06

This letter was written by a friend. I am passing it on to you because it contains critical information. Sincerely, spike q.

pic is from the public domain.

Hello, my name is Legions and I suffer from the guilt of not
forwarding 50 billion fricking chain letters sent to me by people
who actually believe that if you send them on, a poor 6-year-old
girl in Arkansas with a breast on her forehead will be able to raise
enough money to have it removed before her redneck parents sell her
to a traveling freak show.

Do you honestly believe that Bill Gates is going to give you,
and everyone to whom you send "his" email, $1000?

How stupid are we?

"Ooooh, looky here! If I scroll down this page and make a wish,
I'll get laid by a model I just happen to run into the next day!"

What a bunch of crap!

Maybe the evil chain letter leprechauns will come into my house
and sodomize me in my sleep for not continuing a chain letter that
was started by Peter in 5 AD and brought to this country by midget
pilgrims on the Mayflower.

Screw 'em.

If you're going to forward something, at least send me something
mildly amusing. I've seen all the "send this to 10 of your closest
friends, and this poor, wretched excuse for a human being will
somehow receive a nickel from some omniscient being" forwards about
90 times.

I don't fricking care.

Show a little intelligence and think about what you're actually
contributing to by sending out these forwards. Chances are, it's our
own unpopularity.

The point being? If you get some chain letter that's threatening
to leave you shagless or luckless for the rest of your life, delete
it. If it's funny, send it on.

Don't tick people off by making them feel guilty about a leper
in Botswana with no teeth who has been tied to the ass of a dead
elephant for 27 years and whose only salvation is the 5 cents per
letter he'll receive if you forward this email.

Now forward this to everyone you know.

Otherwise, tomorrow morning your underwear will turn carnivorous
and will consume your genitals.

Have a nice day.

P.S. Send me 20 bucks ....a $20 bill will do just fine, thanx!!

What statement closest resembles your thoughts on chain e-mails?

• They can spread viruses and other computer nasties and they clog up space on the internet.
• Nothin' wrong with them, just some of us havin' some fun.
• I don't much care either way.

They can spread viruses and other computer nasties and they clog up space on the internet.

42

Nothin' wrong with them, just some of us havin' some fun.

0

I don't much care either way.

7