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Three cheers for David Frum…

Posted: September 3, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech
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…and the rest of the men who signed this letter to Yale:

To the Editor:

Yale University Press, owned and operated by the University, has retreated into shameful censorship. The Press accepted for publication “The Cartoons That Shook the World,” by Brandeis Professor Jytte Klausen. But it deleted from her manuscript the actual cartoons. Why? Because the cartoons — which ran in newspapers and are available on the Internet — might lead to more violence.

The Press went even further, stripping out all depictions of Muhammed, such as a 19th Century painting by Gustave Dore. Why? Because Islamic law forbids depictions of Muhammed, and — there might be violence. Evidently Yale now excises from its books any content that might encourage someone to violence. And we all know what kind of “someone” the Press has in mind.

Yale’s shocking surrender to unknown potential belligerents drew scorn from the American Association of University Professors. Yale’s new policy, according to AAUP president Cary Nelson, is: “We do not negotiate with terrorists. We just accede to their anticipated demands.”

This disgraceful resort to censorship also violates Yale’s own explicit policy: “Above all, every member of the university has an obligation to permit free expression in the university. No member has a right to prevent such expression. Every official of the university, moreover, has a special obligation to foster free expression and to ensure that it is not obstructed.”

All Yale alumni have a vital stake in preserving a free press at Yale. We urge President Levin and the Corporation to immediately nullify the Press’s cowardly action. Yale should print Klausen’s book with all the censored material restored and distribute it to university bookstores around the world as a tangible reminder that a free press can never be taken for granted.

If you are a fan of free speech let me have a big AMEN to that. Via Atlas.

I don’t like this anti-debt ad

Posted: September 3, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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I hate the kid stunt stuff. We have a great arguments on the merits we shouldn’t do stupid kid stunt.

Of course as Doug Powers points out it’s better than this

or this

It’s videos like this that really makes us wonder about the president’s address to the kids.

I prefer this video from Reason (via Glenn).

It puts things in their soviet style historical context. Maybe this should be in the religion category. Instead I’m creating a new obamacult tag.

Update: Dan Calabrese this Steve Green is overreacting. It wasn’t too long ago that I would have agreed, myself I’m not worried if my kid had enough guts to be the only one when asked by his teacher who supported McCain in his particular class then he can handle this.

Apparently Tom Baker needs to sign with Big Finish…

Posted: September 3, 2009 by datechguy in amazon reviews, doctor who
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…because if the reviews from Amazon.com UK is any indication it looks like the story and the presentation of his return is just awful.

Some quotes:

The listener is initially left thinking that Hornet’s Nest is either a radio drama made on the cheap or a talking book that the producers have tried to make more interesting with a couple of extra voices and one or two sound effects.

and this:

Paul Magrs’ storyline and script leave a lot to be desired – both pedestrian and silly.

and that’s from a 5 star review.

And finally this:

What we have is a Tom Baker who sounds like he’s sleep-walking through the lines he’s reading and a story that belongs in the 19th century.

…I have already cancelled part 2 which I had on pre-order.

Remember these are the Doctor Who Fanatics who got the item right away, first day stuff.

If you can get Doctor Who fanatics to cancel a pre-order of this then that’s BAD!

I don’t think narrative style is a big deal, that is the style used by the Companion Chronicles. I think the BBC decided they could copy the success of Big Finish on the cheap and somehow managed to convince Tom Baker to do it. They created expectations and just failed to deliver. At least that is my guess I haven’t managed to get a copy as it isn’t available on Amazon US and Mike’s Comics doesn’t have it yet. It’s only £5.37 out of England. Of course Amazon UK shipping cost practically doubles the price.

If the problems are post production it might be possible to improve the CD’s that are coming, but I’m still talking out of my hat so we will see.

As this is the release day in England I’ll keep an eye on the Amazon reviews and see if the unhappy trend continues.

Update: Andrew Whickey is a bit kinder:

For an audience coming to this from the other BBC audiobooks – straight readings of novelisations of TV shows – this will be a pleasant change, but compared to Big Finish’s productions it seems slightly underwhelming – it’s just not using the medium well enough.

That said, I will still be buying the rest of the series – it’s definitely entertaining, and while the story is not up to the standard of Big Finish’s best, it’s definitely not *bad* either – it’s a pleasant, diverting hour-and-ten-minutes of entertainment, with Tom Baker getting to do his thing again. It’s firmly aimed at a casual nostalgia market, rather than being aimed at either hardcore fans or people who are interested in innovative drama, but that’s not a bad thing. On its own terms it’s enjoyable enough, but I hope if Baker does any more, that he will turn to Big Finish…

Well it looks like it all comes down to the expectations game.

Andrew Sullivan needs to read this article…

Posted: September 3, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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…by D. K. Jammal in the Progressive Examiner.

When the Democratic Congress finally passes its Palinized, Obamagutted health care non-reform bill with nothing in it resembling cost control, competition, or anything remotely progressive, the epitaph should read:

“Here lies health care reform: killed by Facebook, buried by Obama.”

By Facebook. By Sarah Palin’s Facebook notes.

You don’t have to agree with Palin’s policies to be wowed by this — or to get a kick out of seeing the misogynist, working class-hating East Coast manchild geeks get their butts handed to them by this PTA mom. This is populism at its most stunning.

Whack job? Depends on your politics.

But lightweight? Ha! Whatever you say, Begala.

See you in 2012, private citizen Palin. Do your thang, babe. Lightweight your way right to the Oval Office.

Via Conservatives4Palin who should be very afraid if people on the left keep figuring it out.

BTW the most important line is the article is this one:

They should have ignored her, as they would do any one they really considered a rube with no credibility and no power.

That’s why the anti-Palin stuff always fails, not because she in unattackable, she is attachable. I think it’s pretty obvious how, but I’m certainly not going to tell them.

It fails because when they try to paint her as irrelevant you can see their palpable fear of her shining through. People without Sullivan’s syndrome can see it and know when they are lying through their teeth.

Presuming some great mistake isn’t make, if Palin is defeated it will be by guys like Jammal who recognize her for what she is and try to counter the argument.

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