Peter J. Biondi, NJ Assemblyman for District 16, has introduced A1327, a bill to force every ISP and website with comments/forums to demand user identification from every single poster (called an "information content provider" in the bill). The bill also forces all ISP and websites to turn over that information upon demand to anyone who claims to have been defamed, without any legal process or protections:

Well, it appears Seigenthaler's stupid campaign to remove due process protecting the identity of Internet posters, based on the inane assumption that claimants are always good guys who always have a legitimate claim, has gotten traction in the New Jersey legislature. MemeStreams users in New Jersey ought to contact their local representatives and calmly and respectfully explain that for every human problem there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.

Talking points:
1. Anonymous and pseudononymous speech has a long history of political significance in our country.
2. People seeking to identify Internet users do not always have a legitimate claim. Sometimes they are stalkers or other criminals.
3. Having a court decide whether Internet Services are required to turn over personal information about their customers creates a process which validates the legitimacy of a claim before personal information is forcibly disclosed.
4. Internet message boards are often informal things run by hobbyists. Information collection and reporting requirements create barriers to entry for those seeking to operate message boards, which has a deleterious effect on the free flow of discourse critical to our democracy.

LawGeek: New Jersey Assemblyman introduced bill to force online identification

] "He pointed out a relatively remote baseball diamond that
] was enclosed in a chain-link fence," Neel recalled in an
] interview with Salon. "I could see these people behind
] the fence, with their faces up against it, and their
] hands on the wire." (The ACLU posted photos of the
] demonstrators and supporters at that event on its Web
] site.) "It looked more like a concentration camp than a
] free speech area to me, so I said, 'I'm not going in
] there. I thought the whole country was a free speech
] area.'" The detective asked Neel, 66, to go to the area
] six or eight times, and when he politely refused, he
] handcuffed and arrested the retired steelworker on a
] charge of disorderly conduct. When Neel's sister argued
] against his arrest, she was cuffed and hauled off as
] well. The two spent the president's visit in a firehouse
] that was serving as Secret Service and police
] headquarters for the event.
]
] It appears that the Neels' experience is not unique. Late
] last month, on Sept. 23, the American Civil Liberties
] Union filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Philadelphia
] against the Secret Service, alleging that the agency, a
] unit of the new Homeland Security Department charged with
] protecting the president, vice president and other key
] government officials, instituted a policy in the months
] even before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of instructing
] local police to cordon off protesters from the president
] and Vice President Dick Cheney. Plaintiffs include the
] National Organization for Women, ACORN, USA Action and
] United for Justice, and groups and individuals who have
] been penned up during presidential visits, or arrested
] for refusing to go into a "free speech area," in places
] ranging from California to New Mexico, Missouri,
] Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina and elsewhere in
] Pennsylvania.

'I thought the whole country was a free speech zone.'

By ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press Writer
AP - Friday, October 12

WASHINGTON - Rep. Barney Frank, a leading gay rights champion in Congress, on Thursday urged fellow gay rights advocates not to let their dispute over protecting transgender workers doom a job discrimination ban that could mark a major civil rights advance for gays in the workplace.

The debate over including transgender people has sharply divided gay rights activists, many of whom are trying to kill a stripped-down bill without protections for transgender workers that Frank and Democratic leaders hope will win House passage this year.

"We're not going to be split off this way," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "We're driven by principle. No civil rights movement has ever left a part of its community behind - and we're not about to be the first."

Frank, D-Mass., one of two openly gay members of Congress, supports transgender protections, but said they don't have the votes.

"Politically, the notion that you don't do anything until you can do everything is self-defeating," he said.

Frank said the public has more awareness because gay activists began educating people about the unfairness of prejudice based on sexual orientation a long time ago.

"These things take awhile," Frank said. "The transgender issue is of relatively recent vintage."

Legislation banning workplace discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals _ but not those who have had sex-change surgery or cross-dressers _ has stalled after an outcry from the transgender community and its allies, including many gay rights organizations.

"Transgender" is an umbrella term that covers transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance doesn't match their gender at birth.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would make it illegal for employers to make decisions about hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Churches and the military would be exempt.

But when Democrats took vote counts and realized the measure would fail, they substituted a new scaled-back version dropping transgender people from the bill. A second bill to ban workplace discrimination against transgenders was also drafted.

Gay rights groups that oppose a ban that leaves out transgender people have waged an aggressive lobbying campaign.

"Fighting your friends can sometimes be difficult," said Frank.

Foreman agreed.

"I never thought in a million years we would be on the opposite side of Barney Frank and it is painful," he said.

Federal law bans job discrimination based on factors such as race, gender and religion. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have laws against sexual orientation discrimination.

However, only nine states specifically protect transgender people from discrimination: New Jersey, Minnesota, Rhod... [ Read More (0.4k in body) ]

Gay Rights Backers Split on Bias Bill

John Feder is a police Sergeant in West Orange New Jersey, with a 22-year record of sterling service. Unfortunately, that record of service to the community is in danger of being flushed down the toilet.

Sgt Feder, you see, performs—free—as a stand-up comedian. And his politically incorrect act may now cost him his job.

I heard about this yesterday on Opie and Anthony. Kenny is a friend of the show and until yesterday I had no idea that he was a cop. After this story hit the paper and Kenny's pension was put in jeopardy they let all of their listeners in on the rest of the information about what was going on. In any case this is going to be a very interesting case to see just where the line of free speech can be drawn when you are an officer of the law and are expected to be held to a higher standard. They are saying that since he wasn't getting paid for the stand up comedy that it cannot be considered moonlighting and the real problem comes from the higher standard he agreed to when he became a cop.

Free speech in New Jersey

] ATHF is an animated television masterpiece that
] captures the day to day lives of three fast food
] (literally...) detectives and follows them through
] their misadventures as they try and solve the
] hilarious mysteries presented to them in Southern
] New Jersey. 

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

] Gilman and her 11-year-old daughter, Kristen, were among
] Krispy Kreme lovers who planned to spend the night in
] tents in front of the store, eagerly awaiting the grand
] opening. It is the first Krispy Kreme store in New
] Jersey.
]
] "I'm just thrilled to death that Krispy Kreme is finally
] here," Gilman said. The Toms River resident, who grew up
] in Alabama, said that "when people ask me about Krispy
] Kreme, I tell them they are the third religion in the
] South behind Southern Baptist and SEC football."

I have had them. Yes they are good. But they're just donuts!!!!!!!!

Krazy Krispy Kreme Kooks

Make us a slogan we can't refuse, the state of New Jersey said. We got your slogan right here, the people replied.

Here were a few of the suggestions from the CNN article:

"New Jersey: You Got a Problem With That?"
"NJ: How You Doin'?!"
"Most of Our Elected Officials Have Not Been Indicted."
"New Jersey: We'll Win You Over" (ed: That one cost $260,000)
"Get Away, Without Going Far Away"
From Ol' Blue Eyes to the Boss: Jersey Is Singing Your Song."
"Born to Fun."
"Bada Bing! Choose New Jersey"
"New Jersey: It Always Smells Like This"
"New Jersey: Come Glow With Us"

Too much Sopranos. Here are a few of my own:

"New Jersey: Everything is cool, really. Just don't drink the water in Ocean County."
"New Jersey: Our police force looks forward to meeting you."
"New Jersey: The authority on government corruption."
"New Jersey: The Diner and Mall capital of the world."
"New Jersey: A nice place if you have money."
"New Jersey: Less traffic than LA."
"New Jersey: Where you don't pump your own gas."
"New Jersey: The Statue of Liberty is OURS."
"New Jersey: The largest chemical producer in the United States."
"New Jersey: Home of the nations oldest beer brewery."
"New Jersey: Rated better than Lebanon."
"New Jersey: We'll make you into a man, or kill you."
"New Jersey: Nothing is illegal here as long as you don't get caught."
"New Jersey: The home of pork roll."
"New Jersey: The opposite of Texas."
"New Jersey: The only state with it's own version of the devil."
"New Jersey: Where counties are considered metropolitan areas."
"New Jersey: Birthplace of the electric guitar, sound recording, movies, the light bulb, telephone, radio broadcast, and the commercial nuclear reactor."
"New Jersey: Because Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Alan Ginsberg, Alexander Hamilton, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Walt Whitman, Jerry Lewis, Bruce Willis, Caesar Romero, Ice-T, Danny DeVito, Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Paul Simon, John Travolta, Dave Thomas, Ray Liotta, and Frank Sinatra make up for Bon Jovi, Tom Cruise, Robert Blake, Meryl Streep, and Sebastian Bach."

I could go on...

New Jersey slogans

Three mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague apparently disappeared from a laboratory about two weeks ago, and authorities launched a search though health experts said there was scant public risk.

The mice were unaccounted-for at the Public Health Research Institute, which is on the campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and conducts bioterrorism research for the federal government.

Health officials say 10 to 20 people in the United States contract plague each year, usually through infected fleas or rodents. It can be treated with antibiotics, but about one in seven U.S. cases is fatal. Bubonic plague is not contagious, but left untreated it can transform into pneumonic plague, which can be spread from person to person.

Decius informed me of this earlier today. Its not as serious as it sounds.

Update: DefenseTech has a roundup of links about this.

Mice Infected With Bubonic Plague Missing in Jersey

] A suicidal New Jersey man set a new standard for
] self-inflicted brutality when he decapitated himself by
] driving away from a light post with a rope tied around
] his neck.
]
] Wolfgang Persieck, 50, of Union Beach, died when the
] rope, which he had attached to the post, jerked his head
] off as he stepped on the gas Saturday night.
]
] His body was found inside the car, along with several
] suicide notes, behind the Hazlet Multiplex movie theater,
] Monmouth County Prosecutor John Kaye said.
]
] Two teenagers found the car as they walked through an
] isolated area behind the theater on Route 35.
]
] The pair stopped a passing police officer, who discovered
] Persieck's body. Interviews with relatives and the notes
] pointed to a suicide, Kaye said.

New York Daily News - Home - Driver in grisly suicide

"LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (AP) -- It smells like rotten eggs at best, decomposing flesh at worst. It looks like the pods from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
"It's frightening," said Eileen Masterson. "We can't swim because the odor is so horrible and we won't crab here because we don't know whether it's safe"
" The substance, which was noticed about two weeks ago, consists of jelly-like bulbs that undulate with the waves just below the surface. "

What is it...These things just keep popping up...Figures the one from jersey smells like shit.

Another gelatinous blob, but this one stinks