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011031 21:07 Corporate

This is the second time recently that the Danish company Lego, which has been contributing to our childhoods for generations, seems to be doing something right. (A sigh of relief from all geeks with a conscience.) This is the kind of corporate behavior that we'd like to see more often. Finally some concern for the correct representation of cultures.

After challenging Danish company Lego to stop using Maori words for its hi-tech toys, New Zealand Maori are now planning to work with the company to draft guidelines on how to use traditional knowledge. (BBC News)

011031 20:33 Civil liberties

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is keeping track of websites shut down in the wake of the WTC attacks:
Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism. (via robotwisdom)

This page attempts to convey the chilling effect that responses to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have had on information availability on the Internet as well as some sense of the effect on people trying to provide this information.

Another site tracks changes in public access to government information.

011030 10:24 SF

Wil Wheaton (a.k.a Wesley Crusher of ST:TNG), interviewed by slashdot, is far less annoying, far more humble and way funnier than his fictional alter ego. A nice bloke really. And I'm glad his reputation has improved. He deserves it.

Once, in 10th or 11th grade, I had to write a research paper, and I got permission from my teacher to do it on the fictional technology of Star Trek, focusing on propulsion. This was before Mike and Denise had written their books, so I actually had to interview the Techies on our show (oh, I guess they like to be called "Tech-ers". Sorry.)...

011024 09:21 Tribalism

This morning on BBC Radio 4 : The British Advertising Standards Agency says it's ok to call Germans 'Krauts'. The German cultural attache to London, when interviewed about this by Radio 4, started his comments by saying that he'd been in the country since July and that this was his "first posting to a third world country".

"Third world country?" the interviewer interrupted after a short moment of shock. I was ROFL. The German continued by saying that Brits should realize that there is a world beyond Dover.

After the rude awakening America had to the world's opinions about it, maybe it's time Britain woke up from its uninterested slumber as well (Why should we learn other languages? Everybody speaks English!). It's really time some nations realized that globalization can only be build on education about and respect for each other.

England is a third world country. The streets are dirty, the health service is atrocious, education is limited... but my pet peeve is plumbing: a civilized country that hasn't discovered mixer taps yet.

But don't just believe me... or the guy they interviewed this morning. Get some other opinions as well:

England is old and qaint. I don't like the pollution and general decrepitness. Or the prevailing paternalism. Or the bland, fatty food, or the customer service, or the medical care. Recycling is something that goes on at the drycleaners. The refrigerators work - in cold weather. The escalators work - when it's not busy. The lifts work - when they're not full.

Want more opinions? Here's the discussion on the BBC website.

Yes, this is a long post, but this has been bugging me for the whole 11 years that I've been living in England. There's a lot of cynical anger stored up.

011022 15:40 Civil liberties

"Civilized" nation considers torture:
Silence of 4 Terror Probe Suspects Poses Dilemma (Washington Post, via politech)

Said one experienced FBI agent involved in the investigation: "We are known for humanitarian treatment, so basically we are stuck. . . . Usually there is some incentive, some angle to play, what you can do for them. But it could get to that spot where we could go to pressure . . . where we won't have a choice, and we are probably getting there."

011020 20:50 Civil liberties

the fight for freedom continues: http://www.stoppoliceware.com/ (via boingboing)

011020 20:04 Science

Good to know that scientist invest time and money in really vital research like why cold, left-over pizza, tastes so good the morning after. More recently they discovered the thrilling answer to the mystery that occupies us all of why birds fly in a "V" formation. Don't rush off. I'll tell you. It's energy saving. Which proves the astonishing theory that there are beings out there with more intelligence than us..

011020 02:22 Civil liberties

Common sense goes out the window as Big Brother takes control: 22 year old was not allowed on plane because he had a novel about a radical environmentalist in his bag.

011018 16:19 Politics

Paranoia hits potheads. Watch that Afghan! (Wired)

If pot was legal, it could be monitored and regulated like all of the other things the government protects.

011018 13:52 Economics

While Americans - in the most dodgy attempt in history to boost the economy and politicians' image - are being encouraged to spent more time in the shopping malls, Adbusters is about to bring you its yearly anti-commercialism and anti-overconsumption event 'International Buy Nothing Day' on 23 November 2001.

November 23 is Buy Nothing Day. This year, celebrants in more than 50 countries will opt not to spend any money for 24 hours, but instead to enjoy pranks, parades, street parties, credit-card cutups - and some quiet time with family and friends. Why don't you join us? [source: Culture Jammers mailing list]

011017 21:23 Civil liberties

Mr. Bean defends free speech:

...how would a film like Monty Python's Life of Brian, criticised at the time of its release for being anti-Christian, be judged under the proposed law? Or that excellent joke in Not the Nine O'Clock News all those years ago, showing worshippers in a mosque simultaneously bowing to the ground with the voiceover: "And the search goes on for the Ayatollah Khomeini's contact lens"?

011013 19:35

Victory in the W3C / patents debacle.

011012 12:34

Transform Columbus Day

This alliance is dedicated to the transformation of the Columbus holiday from a hateful, racist holiday that celebrates conquest and domination to a respectful celebration that calls for a future for the Americas without racism, exploitation, or state/corporate domination.

011010 13:43

Running out of oil. It seems nothing else will make us change our wasteful ways. (via rotten.com)

011010 11:05

O'Reilly interviews Userfriendly characters:

oreilly.com: What did you do when you saw the first commercial site?
Sid: I cut up my credit cards. It's better that way.

011009 13:05

Journalism in capitalist times: CNN has exclusive rights to images from Afghanistan broadcast by Al-Jazeera for six hours after they aired. (via rotten.com)

011007 17:16

Channel 4, UK, just interrupted its programming to bring us the news that large explosions have been reported in Kabul... Thanks to all the stupid idiots on this planet for starting another war. As a species we are just bound to wipe each other out.

011007 17:06

The gradual evacuation of of the Pacific will be starting next year. New Zealand is accepting an annual quota of refugees from islands like Tuvalu (of the famous .tv top-level domain) who are fleeing from the effects of global warming. (BBC)

011007 14:42

i should start a still-going-strong list (to counterbalance my RIP watch^[?]), where i keep track of all the services and initiatives that are still around, carrying on in true hacker ethic spirit. First on this new list: Seti@home, who's been so successful they're running out of data.

011005 12:17

More threats to free speech: Feminist's anti-U.S. speech causes uproar. (via robotwisdom)

011004 22:11

RIP^[?] Anonymity:
ZeroKnowledge to Discontinue Anonymity Service (/.)

011003 15:15

They've got 'a hall for braille readers' in the newly rebuild Biblioteca Alexandrina. The library can hold 4 million books but only has 200,000 so far. (via <library_geek>)

011003 15:03

America welcomes Big Brother as free speech suffers: Copyright protection has gone to far. (Wired)

011003 14:55

Look! It's history repeating itself and nobody seems to notice or worry: Columnist fired for questioning Bush's leadership (via camworld). I was always convinced that people would have enough common sense to see what's really going on. How naive I've been. Humans as herd animals are brainless and dangerous. So, better conform or else.

011003 13:50

Are You A Terrorist? Read the FBI's Definition! (indymedia)

011002 22:02

you won't find much entertainment news here, but since we're on the subject: Farscape renewed for 2-more years. (via bureau42)

011002 16:21

Add to RIP collection^[?] : The free Web's over, as W3C blesses Net patent taxes. Proprietory patents as standards?

Imagine where the web would be now if only large companies were able to use image files.

011002 10:04

Saw Star Trek Enterprise - Broken Bow last night. I loved it. Yes, the theme tune sucked (kind of 80s Bon Jovi) and the decontamination scene was silly. They should have just taken their clothes off (and i mean both. completely). It's hard to believe that in the future we'll still have hang-ups about nudity.

There's a new trend in scifi, following on from Farscape. After the politically correct, diplomatic Next Gen who lived in a perfect world, tempers got more angry in the 90s and the general attitude turned to militarism when Sisko started chasing brainlessly after the Marquis and more obvious in Voyager with its Maggie Thatcher character. With Farscape and ST:Enterprise we have entered the era of awe and confusion of living in a multicultural world, where we realize that it's important to understand first and then act. ...or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Science Fiction has always been a mirror of present society. The new issue is the conflict between the tolerance necessary in a multicultural society and the tribal fear and arrogance we can't get over yet. As Ballard says: 'Earth is the alien planet'.

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