New Frames

Gordon Smith seeks to stifle tech innovation

Kazablog has the scoop on our Senator Gordon Smith's love affair with big media and how that affair could choke technological innovations:

And the story is this...our Republican Senator Gordon Smith wants to kill the next iPod Or DVD. Or...you name the innovation. It was all protected in the past by a somewhat archaic legal concept called "fair use". And our moralistic, supposedly free-market loving Senator has introduced a bill that would change that historical definition. And try to make consumer electronics manufacturers pay for something that they cannot quantify...a new market. And to force you, as a consumer to pay for ANY and ALL uses of content going forward.

And how does this help big media?

A consumer would not be able to record over-the-air local news on her broadcast-flag compliant digital video recorder in her living room and play it back on a non-compliant player in her bedroom.

A member of Congress could not email a clip of his appearance on the national news to his home office.

A consumer would not be able to record analog home movies using a digital camcorder and transfer them to a computer in order to make a DVD...

And much more...

You must be wondering if this story could be true because there hasn't been a peep in the local news about it... not even the Oregonian has written about their little darling Smith's plan.  Kaza knows why:

...big money wanted a favor...and Smith is all too willing to give it to them. In this case, big BROADCAST money. And therein lies the explanation for why NO major media outlet in Oregon is bothering to report on Smith's handy (to them) little legislation. Namely because they are all behind it (yes, even the b'Oregonian's owners, Newhouse, have significant broadcast interests).

So, all our future gadgets will have backdoors for warrantless wiretapping and they won't be able to do any of the convenient, cool things we envision.  And which countries will be wanting to import these gadgets from America?  Oh, probably Iran, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan... That's America's free market for you!

Feds want to wiretap your Netware

And you thought Bush's first phase of warrantless domestic spying was bad.  Here's the second:  The FCC filed a brief last week with the US Circuit Court of Appeals that would force all net hardware and software makers to build a wiretapping backdoor into their products.  If the mandate is approved, vendors will have 18 months to comply.

As Networking Pipeline notes this will not only have a huge impact on our privacy, but it will create an environment where the government can decide which software and hardware makers stay in business, which would stifle innovation.  Moreover, Pipeline points out that such a setup "is an open invitation to hackers. So we may be faced with a double-whammy: The feds and hackers working their way into our systems."  These jackasses couldn't even connect the 9/11 dots, and now they're going to muck things up even more while hacking alongside hackers!

No doubt, the soon to be new Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito is a true believer of this emerging Orwellian system we have here in America... land of the free...

Oregon Apollo initiative filed. Sign up now!

Readers of this blog know that I get cynical every so often (see posts on Gordon Smith and triangulating Dems) and despite my cynicism, I still like to think the glass is half full, thanks to groups like Onward Oregon.  In other words, my cynicism isn't by nature defeatist.  While I think the Dems in the DC establishment are a bunch of spineless knuckle heads and the Republicans are criminals, I have a lot of hope in the brave spirits that are helping put together a new vision for our future, especially here in Oregon. 

Part of that vision here in the Northwest is Oregon Apollo, the ballot initiative that will propel Oregon into a leadership position on new energy technology.  Onward Oregon is the launch pad for Oregon Apollo, and the place where you can sign up to be a part of this exciting project.  Would you like to hold a house party to help raise money for Oregon Apollo?  Want to help gather signatures to ensure that the initiative gets on the ballot?  Or maybe you'd like to canvass in your neighborhood?  Whatever it is, Oregon Apollo is looking for Oregonians to join them, so sign up today and let's make Oregon the bioneering leader of the nation and the Pacific Rim!

About that Hillary ad...

A friend of mine was wondering why on earth I would run an ad for Hillary Clinton on the sidebar of my blog if I wasn't a fan.  She thought I was going against my principles.  I explained that in a primary race I wouldn't support Hillary, but if she were to be the Democrat's primary winner that I would support her in the presidential race.  I'm not sure if I made myself clear, but I just came across something from Daily Kos that describes my views about triangulating Dems and how they relate to the big picture:

We need more Dems willing to fight for us in the Congress. And that is what Election 2006 will be about. Personally, in the primaries, I will support the Dems who will fight for our ideals and our well being. I am a Big Tent Dem, and I will support almost all the Dems in November, but in the primaries, I fight for the principles of the Democratic Party.

That's it in a nutshell.  So, Nancy, if you're reading this, I hope that makes sense.  I'm not adamantly opposed to Hillary, I just prefer someone who would be more progressive, along with someone who would have voted against the invasion of Iraq.

Back from gourmet food show... Oregon rocks

I just returned from the annual Fancy Food Show in San Francisco where thousands of companies were showing their wares to buyers and the like.  The best part about the show was that there were a lot of Oregon companies there.  I'm not sure if Oregonians realize just how many food and beverage companies operate in this state.  There's a large contingent of us and we keep growing! 

Many Oregonians are busy making salad dressings, fruit spreads, fudge sauces, syrups, salsas, curry sauces, cheese, and sourcing cocoa, roasting coffee, packaging or brewing tea, etc. to sell at your local grocery store.  What I noticed about all of the companies from Oregon is that we are extremely particular about the ingredients we use in our products because it's all about quality, quality and quality.  I realized when buyers glanced at my badge and said "Oh, you're from Oregon!" that meant "Your products must be great."  I think it says a lot about us and as a state we should build on that image.

Next time you're at the grocery store, make sure you check the label for an Oregon address.  We love your support and you'll love what we produce for you.  Buy local.

Be a patriot, use Patriot Search

Google is so passe, so privacy minded.  It's 2006, not pre-9/11.  That's why you should switch to Patriot Search today!  Only people who have something to hide use Google, but real patriots don't have nothin' to hide, so we use Patriot Search, and in doing so we help the gubment do their jobs.

Durbin: filibuster against Alito possible

Only a week ago Senate Dems were talking "no filibuster" on Alito, which left many of us progressives wondering "who the f#%@# did we vote for when we sent our Democratic Senators to DC."  But today Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who's job it is to count the votes, said there is such strong opposition to the right wing jurist that the Dems may have enough votes to filibuster:

"In case after case, he has voted -- often as the lone dissenter on his court -- against the dispossessed, the poor and the powerless who finally made their way to his court," Durbin said.

What does this mean for those of us who convinced our Senator Ron Wyden to vote against Alito?  It means we need to keep calling Wyden and tell him that we support a filibuster.  Otherwise, what do the Democrats stand for...  This is their time to show that they support Roe v. Wade, the Family Medical Leave Act, a government with checks and balances, and much more.  And it's their time to prove to America that they aren't a bunch of namby pambies.

Call Wyden every day until the vote.  And I mean every day!  And after you have called send him an e-mail.

DC Switch Board 1.877.762.8762

Feds want Google data

Google has promised to "vigorously" fight the Bush administration on it's quest to get Google to turn over a "broad range of material":

In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Justice Department lawyers revealed that Google has refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for the records, which include a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period.

This is being done under the guise of minors having access to internet porn.  But knowing this administration and it's insatiable thirst for spying, I wonder...  If Google loses, privacy advocates are screwed.

Instead of using Google, we'll be stuck with this.  Really!

Gay marriage advocates need to reframe for rural voters

All Things Considered on NPR had an interesting story (audio included in link) this evening about the passing away of Dr. Stanley Biber, sex-change surgeon king of the world.  He was 82 years old and performed over 5,000 sex-change operations.  Contrary to what most would believe, Dr. Biber didn't have his famous international practice in New York City or San Francisco.  No, he had it in a little rural town in Colorado where he lived comfortably and at ease among his fellow small town residents.  He even ran a cattle ranch and led the cattle drive to Nebraska this year, where he caught pneumonia and later died.

But not all residents were happy with Dr. Biber's practice.  A local preacher tried to start a campaign to put an end to Biber's sex-change practice, but as NPR reports the unique values of the west, as in western states, prevailed and the preacher walked away with his tail between his legs.  And what are those values?  According to a town resident whom NPR interviewed, it's pretty simple:

You take care of your business.  I'll take care of my business, and what you do is your business and what I do is mine, and that's it.

Is it possible that this philosophy, this frame, could be used in rural Oregon, particularly eastern Oregon to get residents to be less threatened by gay marriage or civil unions?  Maybe the "equal and civil rights" meme just doesn't click with voters outside the urban areas.  Maybe it's just too urban.  If you're not used to hearing a certain language, you're not going to understand it.

I don't know what Basic Rights Oregon's campaign strategy was in the rural areas in their effort to defeat Measure 36 in November of '04, or even if they tried to reach those areas, but perhaps there has to be a paradigm shift in how rural voters learn about gay marriage.  If some town in rural Colorado stood up for a sex-change doctor, why couldn't rural Oregon voters accept gay marriage?

Onward Oregon: New web home for Oregon Apollo

Some cool, as in global, news from Onward Oregon:

Onward Oregon is the web home of Oregon Apollo, the ground-breaking ballot measure to ensure that Oregon remains a leader in clean and renewable energy and moves toward independence from foreign oil.

And what is the Oregon Apollo initiative?

We need to stop outsourcing and hemorrhaging Oregon's job base.  With oil supplies shrinking and oil at over $60 a barrel, we'd be smart to pioneer a clean energy technology industry and make Oregon—not California or China—the green tech capital of the Pacific.

Do you want to get involved to help ensure that this visionary initiative ends up on our ballot next November?  Sign up and find out about all the great things you can do to help get Oregon Apollo off the ground!  By signing up you will get a petition sent to you so that you, your family and all your friends can sign it.  You can get at least 20, right?  So, what are you waiting for, sign up right now!