Gratitude, Tacos, Expanding Networks, Dangerous Ideas

[tcpip]

Firstly, enormous gratitude towards those who expressed kind words over the little incident on NYE. I am indeed blessed with extraordinary and wonderful friends. A report has been made, our injuries have been photographed and the unfortunate fools have forgotten one slight issue with attacking people in the city - cameras. There's a very good chance the entire thing is on film.

Not one to let injuries impinge on my social life, caseopaya and I attended a fine Kerry Packer wake-cum-Taco Party hosted by rogue_scholar and dodgethis. Also had the opportunity to meet fryboy in person. An excellent night and I look forward to associating more with these bright young people. Later in the week we both had the great opportunity to visit splodgenoodes and briefly chat with tenbears

I have been having curious name resolution issues with my Red Hat/Fedora laptop. It has been very frustrating and time consuming to say the least. Actually Red Hat/Fedora as a curious distribution so I shouldn't be surprised. An odd amalgamation of the bleeding edge and conservatism. Whilst on topic, many of my half-alive boxes have been stripped and rebuilt increasing the size of the home network by another three machines; all currently running Windows 98. I am planning one Windows 98 box (lets face it, you only need one), and two FreeBSD installations. Why? Because they exist.

The Edge has come out with a "Dangerous Idea" competition (from fraerie) "The history of science is replete with discoveries that were considered socially, morally, or emotionally dangerous in their time; the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions are the most obvious. What is your dangerous idea? An idea you think about (not necessarily one you originated) that is dangerous not because it is assumed to be false, but because it might be true?

What should I choose? Jefferson's idea of confederacy of neighbourhood republics, Thomas Paine and Henry George's land tax or my own proposal of adulthood and citizenship being based on assessment of cognitive and moral reasoning?

Comments

[ironed_orchid]

Somehow I missed your NYE events entry, and it is terrible news, but I'm glad you didn't let it spoil your social life.

[elzia.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you are not letting the thugs keep you down.

[fryboy.livejournal.com]

Huzzah!

[reddragdiva]

"my own proposal of adulthood and citizenship being based on assessment of cognitive and moral reasoning?"

I've heard of a number of attempts at implementing this (even on a small level, e.g. a literacy requirement for voting) and have yet to hear of one that didn't turn into a mechanism for massive corruption, discrimination or both. People remain people.

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

Jefferson's idea of confederacy of neighbourhood republics

Because the Greek city states worked so well.

Thomas Paine and Henry George's land tax

Possibly a good idea. If it doesn't drive farmers out of business. (And the IT sector really messes up the theory).

my own proposal of adulthood and citizenship being based on assessment of cognitive and moral reasoning?

Jump, Jim Crow! (Being more serious, I see a massive case of both the "IQ test bias" and teaching people to lie to pass moral reasoning tests).

Dangerous ideas, indeed.

[evil-genius.livejournal.com]

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

*waves*

It was fun, I'm glad we finally met.
:)

troublesome new laws in ET

[elzia.livejournal.com]

H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao
President of Timor-Leste
C/o Embassy of Timor-Leste
to the United States of America
4201 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C 20008
USA

Fax: +1-202 966 3205

Vienna, 12 January 2006

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of
editors, leading journalists and media executives, is writing to
express its concern about plans to introduce a new penal code for
East Timor containing harsh criminal penalties for individuals found
guilty of defamation.

According to information provided to IPI, the Ministry of Justice
originally drafted the new penal code and, on 6 December 2005, the
Prime Minister, Mari bim Alkatiri, signed an executive decree
approving the proposed law. We understand that the new penal code is
waiting to be signed into law by Your Excellency.

The new penal code contains several harsh sections that will have a
detrimental impact on journalism within East Timor. Under Article
173, individuals face three years' imprisonment for defaming public
officials, and the code contains no limits on fines.

Moreover, Article 176 doubles the term of imprisonment, from one year
to two, where the defamation was committed through the media. Where
the defamation is both through the media and committed against
individuals performing "public, religious or political duties," the
term of imprisonment is increased to three years.

In the opinion of IPI, the new articles on criminal defamation will
stifle journalism and the free flow of information in East Timor. As
a result of the new articles, journalists will be encouraged to
practice self-censorship out of fear that they will be imprisoned for
their writing.

The articles also provide politicians with unnecessary protection at
a time when international standards, and international case law,
acknowledge that they should accept less protection and not more. IPI
would also respectfully remind Your Excellency that, perhaps more
than any other group in society, politicians have numerous
opportunities through the media and in parliament to rebut negative statements.

At a media conference discussing defamation, held in the capital Dili
on 26 August 2003, Your Excellency gave a speech in which you
reflected on whether the laws being applied in East Timor were "in
conformity with the highest norms of human rights prescribed in our
constitution and that are found in the human rights treaties that we signed."

On the subject of the Indonesian Criminal Code, containing several
articles suppressing the media, Your Excellency alluded to articles
"pertaining to criticisms against individuals occupying certain
government positions." When discussing them Your Excellency commented
that these articles "override the spirit of scrutiny and criticism."

IPI would argue that the same might also be said of the new penal
code and that, in seeking to replace the Indonesian Penal Code, the
East Timorese government is merely replacing one repressive law with another.

Your Excellency, IPI believes that the new penal code represents a
threat to freedom of the press and freedom of expression in East
Timor. With this in mind, we call upon you to refuse to sign the new
penal code until those articles related to criminal defamation are removed.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director

http://www.freemedia.at/Protests2006/Timor_Leste12.01.06.htm

[rogue-scholar.livejournal.com]

Yowzers - I've been neglecting my LJ Friends page so much that I've only read about the attack just now. I'm surprised you were such cheerful company, considering!

Having been mugged a couple of times, though thankfully never beaten, I know what you mean about bigger fish to fry - violence is intense, but at least it passes quickly and wounds heal (most of the time). So here's hoping that all the bastards get what they deserve, whether they wear white collars or blue collars or wife-beater singlets.