It's a start at least.

Apparently the leading Russian "v!4gr4" spammer was recently found murdered, apparently by the mafia.

Let's hear it for the mafia! (...and how often is it you get to say that) ...although perhaps next time they'll just break a hand's-worth of fingers as a warning first. Spammers can [i]probably[/i] be rehabilitated just like any other criminal, so there's not much sense in wasting them like that.

Spammers: Four Zillion, Russian Mafia: 2

While we're on the subject of using force as a legitimate part of your job vs. using force because you like hurting people and now you've got a job that gives you a passable explanation for having done so, the final public report on the UCLA taser incident from last November is available.

The conclusions of this report are that the officer's actions were completely outside of UCLA policy and that the policy is also too liberal. This is obviously unwelcome news to various commentators who supported this incident as model police behavior. However, for their benefit it there is also a second "internal" report that you and I are not allowed to read which concludes that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what happened. This enables UCLA management to change their policies without admitting that anyone has done anything wrong.

Which report is correct? Such questions completely miss the point. Its not about right or wrong. If you want to really understand all of this please refer to my previous post on how everything everywhere actually works.

At the behest of acting UCLA Chancellor Norman Abrams, the Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC) conducted a seven- month, independent investigation of a November 14, 2006 incident at UCLA’s Powell Library in which the UCLA Police Department (UCLAPD ) arrested UCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad. This report sets forth our factual findings and conclusions.

This story has no heroes. The event triggering the repeated electrical shocking of Tabatabainejad was a declination by the UCLA student to produce a BruinCard identification in the Powell Library computer lab after hours. While the student should have simply obeyed the order to produce the card, and by not doing so brought trouble upon himself, the police response was substantially out of proportion to the provocation. There were many ways in which the UCLAPD officers involved could have handled this incident competently, professionally, and with minimal force. We find that one UCLAPD officer violated UCLA use of force policies in the incident. We further conclude that UCLAPD’s current policies are, in any event, unduly permissive, giving the police unnecessary latitude, and are inconsistent with the policies of other universities and leading police departments across the country, including other University of California campuses, the LAPD, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). The UCLAPD policy stands alone in its legitimization of the Taser as a pain compliance device against passive resisters. The current UCLA policy is more permissive than the Sacramento Police Department policy on which it was based and the Taser policy recommended by its chosen outside expert on the question.

UCLA Taser Final Report [PDF]

Rev.Lennox Yearwood regarding being attacked, arrested, and hospitalized by Capitol Police

This man was denied entrance to the hearing because he had clearly been identified as holding opinions counter to the party line.

Bush's people will do everything in their power to keep dissenting voices away from the media when they have their official digs going on, and make no mistake about it, this is censorship of the worst kind.

Can we file a class-action suit yet, or do we have to wait until Bush's third term so that it gets lost in the shuffle of the switch to despotism?

YouTube - Rev. Yearwood speaks re: Police Brutality against him.

He goes way to far, but he is trying to make a point.

Jim Cramer Blows a Head Gasket 8/3/07

For tens of thousands of members of the National Guard and reserves who are called up to serve in Iraq, returning home safely may be the beginning -- not the end -- of their worst nightmare. Reservists lucky enough to make it home often find their civilian jobs gone and face unsympathetic employers and a government that has restricted access to civilian job-loss reports rather than prosecuting offending employers.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects members of the guard and reserves from job loss, demotion, loss of seniority and loss of benefits when they are called to active duty.

The act is supposed to protect reservists' civilian jobs for up to five years of military service. But the government has made it difficult for veterans to enforce their legal rights. Service members who return to find their civilian jobs gone also find that the burden is on them to prove that their jobs were taken away as a result of their military service and that there is no other reason that they could have been fired.

This onerous burden of proof discourages many from filing formal complaints.

Amy R. Gershkoff - Saving Soldiers' Jobs - washingtonpost.com

The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOFTB) will stop accepting public comments on proposed photography and video restrictions on August 3, 2007. As The New York Times recently reported, the new rules have drawn protests from both the New York Civil Liberties Union and Picture New York, a group created to counter the proposal.

The proposed rules would require photographers and videographers shooting or scouting locations on New York City property (which includes the streets and parks that make up most of the city's public space) to obtain a permit specifying dates, times, and location. This restriction would apply to any party including two or more people in a single site for 30 or more minutes, and any party of five or more with a tripod at a site for 10 or more minutes. The time limit includes all set-up and breakdown activity, and a single site is defined as "any area within 100 feet of where an activity commenced."

It is notable that while comments on the MOFTB Web site refer to the relevant parties as "crew," the text of the formal proposal describes them as anyone engaging in "conduct involving a communication ... whether verbal or otherwise." That would seem to include photographic subjects, making outdoor portrait and group photography sessions subject to the rules. Photographers who hold NYPD-issued press passes are exempt from the permit requirement.

Accepting a permit under the new rules would require the holder to agree to "protect all persons and property from damage, loss or injury ... and to indemnify and hold harmless the City" in case of any problems attributed to the permit holder. The permit application also requires proof of liability insurance with a limit of at least one million dollars per occurrence, although applicants are invited to make a case for a waiver.

Bullshit!!!!Bullshit!!!!Bullshit!!!!

Not only is it fair for NY to install cameras EVERYWHERE, photography for regular people is about to be effectively outlawed in NY.

NYC Mayor's Office to Close Comment Period on New Photography Restrictions - - PopPhotoJuly 2007

Today, of course, the United States finds itself in much the same position as Britain in 1781. Distracted and diminished by an irrelevant, costly and probably unwinnable war in Iraq, America could ultimately find itself challenged by countries like China and India.

by

Michael Rose, a retired British Army general, commanded the United Nations forces in the former Yugoslavia from 1994 to 1995.

This is an interesting perspective on the American Revolutionary War that you don't hear often over here. Adam originally recommended it but he linked the second page, so I'm linking the first instead.

The defeat that made Britain great - International Herald Tribune

Today, of course, the United States finds itself in much the same position as Britain in 1781. Distracted and diminished by an irrelevant, costly and probably unwinnable war in Iraq, America could ultimately find itself challenged by countries like China and India.

by

Michael Rose, a retired British Army general, commanded the United Nations forces in the former Yugoslavia from 1994 to 1995.

The defeat that made Britain great - International Herald Tribune

Ironically if she succeeds in banning the books for their "religious influence" she sets a precedent which might make it easier to strip away the Christian influence in our schools as well. Harry Potter is less Wiccan than intelligent design is Christian. Praying isn't so different than uttering spells. Children should be able to pick a religion, but they should be prevented from exposure to them at all costs.

RE: Laura Mallory Speaks Out about Harry Potter

A must-watch clip of gay actor George Takei (Sulu from Star Trek) responding to Hardaway's homophobic comments.

Elonka :)

George Takei 0wnz Tim Hardaway