Posts Tagged ‘I wish I said that’

The reason this works is PETA types…

Posted: September 3, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech
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…are just so easy to annoy:

According to the Ada Evening News, the hometown newspaper of the Oklahoma-born singer (and avid hunter), Blake’s irreverent humor in his Twitter remarks ruffled a few PETA feathers. One PETA tweet which read: “Animal testing breaks hearts,” prompted Blake to respond: “Yeah, and bow hunting breaks their lungs!” Another PETA tweet which read: “There’s nothing funny about BBQing cats,” got this rapid reply from Blake: “Ha! Ha! Sorry but when you say it like that it, is damn funny! Ha!”

For a hunter like Mr. Shelton this is an incredibly easy shot.

Banned by PETA is going to sell a lot of extra country albums.

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.

Out of the mouth of babes…

Posted: August 28, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech
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…well out of the mouth of a new graduate.

Because I have the greatest filial love for my alma mater, I write today as a sorrowful son and disappointed disciple. The Yale that cultivated my faith in the power of knowledge to move the world forward has resorted to censorship. I grieve.

As the News reports today, Yale decided this summer to omit cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad from a book about the fit of violence that swept the Muslim world in their wake four years ago. I can’t help but feel the dismay and embarrassment of a pupil watching his teacher sabotage the foundation of her credibility by betraying the spirit of her most important lesson.

That lesson, which singularly informs the work of a great university, is this: that free dialogue and the unfettered exchange of ideas fuels human progress. A great university is a place where these activities are protected and encouraged. But Yale forfeited this most basic role, pleading that it did not want to be responsible for tension that counterterrorism authorities speculate could still provoke protests and bloodshed.

(with apologies to Glenn Reynolds) You know they said that if I voted for George Bush Sarah Palin we would see censorship of art by religious zealots in this country. And they were right!

Allow me to demonstrate how it’s done.

My favorite of the cartoons

My favorite of the cartoons

No Saudi money for me! And I could really use it.

Hey I hear the president’s supporters are hiring!

What do you think overtook Ted Kennedy on Twitter yesterday…

Posted: August 27, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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…Tim Blair gives the answer that outrages the Boston Phoenix

But evidently there’s another vast conspiracy afoot, which has now succeeded in moving the search term “Mary Jo Kopechne” — the victim of Chappaquiddick — ahead of the late Senator.

The Victim of Chappaquiddick? What did the Island jump up and whomp her in the head or something?

Jim Treacher didn’t use the term that the Phoenix considers “bile” but had the best tweet of them all concerning the tingle going up MSNBC’s leg:

Think of it this way: If they get to bring up Camelot, we get to bring up the lady in the lake.

Wow that’s gotta leave a mark.

Update: It’s important not to forget facts, including this one.

Update 2: My wife didn’t get the reference to the Arthurian legend if you didn’t either here is what he’s talking about:

The Lady of the Lake was the foster-mother of Sir Lancelot and raised him beneath the murky waters of her Lake. She is, however, best known for her presentation to King Arthur of his magical sword Excalibur, through the intervention of the King’s druidic advisor, Merlin (Myrddin) who was constantly worried that his monarch would fall in battle.

Of course there is always this reference:

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