Net Neutrality and why you should be afraid.

"Net Neutrality".

There is yet another quiet war raging these days, I pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster that we start giving a shit about it. The problem my fellow humans are motherfuckers. Motherfuckers that are afraid of the Internet. More specifically, rich motherfuckers that are kicking themselves for not taking full advantage of the miracle that is the Internet. The same motherfuckers that run huge telecom companies, grease the palms of politicians (not naming names Newt) and try to fuck up all the fun people are having on the Internet. They want to quadruple charge us for anything we like to do on the Internet. They want us to pay membership fees, services fees, premium package fees, annual fees, late fees, reconnect fees, disconnect fees, fuck-you-we're-a-monopoly fees, etc. If they had it their way they'd collect all these fees, then give the government all your private information (a service for which you'll be taxed to pay for), and then use the money you give them to fund research & develop in hopes of finding more and more ways to fuck us all over.

Only a stingy technophobe piece of shit would support any legislation that would lead to clamping down, segregating, spying on, or letting the gov't generally fuck up the Internet. Please people, read up on this shit, it's not that complicated, then get really pissed off. Instead of posting one more forum flame, smack-talking someones fantasy beach-volleyball team or sharing that special 'kinda' funny story about your friend Megan, please take a few minutes out of you busy schedules and take a look at a site like this. To be completely honest, there's still time. These guys don't have a good enough reason to do it publicly, so they are looking for sneaky fucker ways do it on the down-low. Just a few days ago a bunch of Federal Investigators were let go because someone snuck in a few sentences giving the President the ability to do it into the Patriot Act. These people are ruthless, have armies of lawyers, lobbyists and golfing buddies in D.C. If you won't do it for me or yourselves, at least do it for the free pictures of naked people. I guarantee you'll miss them when they're gone.

-- DB

Barack Obama in 2008

Barack Obama officially launched his "Presidential Exploratory Committee" today in a somewhat surprising show of authority this early on in the race. I think that the timing was masterfully chosen in light of President Bush's recent blunders, crippling approval numbers and yesterday being M.L. King holiday. Senator Obama launched a slick pre-campaign complete with a video biography and hopeful, heartfelt personal statement of intent.

I think that Barack Obama is going to be a tough man to beat in 2008 but I predict that America will have to wake up to and deal with some vestigial prejudices with him as a front-runner. Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL) has a stellar background that will appeal to America on a number of levels. On the other hand, we must be honest about the ugliness that is American politics and the unfortunate downright ignorance of the average American voter.

1) "A rose by any other name"
Barack... Hussein... Obama... I would guess that the vast majority of Americans will encounter a phonetic speed bump here. Let's be honest, his name sounds foreign and definitely calls up Arabic/Muslim linguistic roots compared to the usual rich-white-guy presidentialfrontrunners. Despite America's undeniable call for change in the cesspool of politics, even some moderate Democrats will still have problems with the market viability of the platform that will inevitably be called "Barack Obama 2008". I'm guessing most of these prejudicial ponderings will remain below the surface. I doubt that big media will spend a lot of time covering this issue (though the issue of his name has already appeared in some brainless innuendo from the conservative media) . I think it's an undeniable factor in deliberating Senator Obama's electibility.

2) We knew it would happen eventually, but now?
Barack Obama is getting a lot of press recently, as is Hillary Rodham Clinton, his most likely front-running competitor. Is America ready to elect a historic first anything right now? In short, I think so, Senator Obama's votes against the Iraq War may be his trump card in the upcoming race. His outspoken anti-war record and relatively short time in Washington will be key in his messaging. If his campaign is as smart as I think it will be, he'll position himself as an intellectual centrist that is willing to enact an agenda of fixing domestic grievances and damage control on the international stage.

3) Video killed the radio star.
Senator Obama will likely pull out the Clinton playbook and reach out to the younger generation, whose rampant distrust of old-man government will bring back the days of Clinton's legendary saxophone and will play to the MTV Rock The Vote crowd. Younger Americans are seemingly more comfortable with setting aside legacy racial stereotypes and have embraced the African-American identity wholeheartedly. At the same time, Senator Obama will have to mitigate becoming labeled as "the black candidate" while at the same time carefully choose which ties he builds to more established African-American politicians.

4) Mr. Smith smoked what?
He should be unapologetic in regards to his admitted use of (gasp!) illegal drugs in his earlier years. The media will make some pretty outrageous coverage to this, and his entire colorful biography. As I'm writing this, there are armies of interns pouring over his recent works in hopes of launching some kind of smart-bomb scandal. Owning up to all of this in conjunction with his impressive resumé and people will start to see him with the "everyman" clout that seems to win elections in recent years.

In closing, it's going to be an exciting campaign. So far, The Devil's Advocate would have to say that Senator Obama has come out of the gate several lengths ahead of the pack. Hopefully his high-minded and hopeful message will persist in the midst of the increasing nastiness of political warfare. His cross-cultural following will be motivated, his charismatic un-cola attitude and outsider status will be a saving grace in the hearts and minds of frustrated left and moderate America. If the election were tomorrow, he'd be Commander-in-Chief.

-DTB

Barack Obama Wikipedia

The Future Of Food

http://www.thefutureoffood.com/



This is one of the scariest movies you will ever see. I was expecting a sickening journey through the muck (a la Upton Sinclair) but what I found was a smart and alarming exposé about the dangers of megalopoly controlled agriculture, the unmitigated risks corporations are taking with the food supply and the chilling future consequences of genetic patenting. What Robert Kane Pappas' "Orwell Rolls in His Grave" does for media conglomerates and the FCC, in a similar vein, Deborah Koons Garcia turns the mirror on bullying agribusiness giant Monsanto and a spineless, inept of corrupt FDA. I was surprised by the heartbreaking stories from America's breadbasket and the inevitable loss of wild seed and grains from the ecosystem. This alarming story is a must see for anyone concerned with corporate domination, nutrition, genetic engineering, ecology and a myriad of other timely and relevant issues. Grade: A

DJ Cheb i Sabbah - Krishna Lila

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheb_i_Sabbah



In short, DJ Cheb is a musical genius. With his latest release, Krisha Lila, DJ Cheb opens up a whole new dimension of acoustic experience. "Anjali" (track 4) is a flowery Hindu aria that bridges generations as it seemlessly progresses into trippy Eastern lounge techno with hints of moody Parisian accordians. "Tum Bin Shvam" (track 7) offers amazing sitar work that captures the musical soul of the East. It's all enlightened fare to say the least. If a steely sitar and fluttered wailing may not yet be to your liking, give it a chance, it might just open up a whole new appreciation for an entirely different paradigm of music. A-

The Devil's Advocate - Day 0

Welcome!

This is the latest manifestation of my restless mind. Life seems to be changing so quickly. It's seems impossible to stay on top of everything and still find time to explore your interests. At the same time, it's a great time to be a nerd. In the upcoming months I'll be covering a lot of topics. Here's a list.

"RIP "Humanity" 40000 BCE - 2087 CE
Do You Have A License for that Garden?
The President is Just Some Chick's Dad
The Cops Aren't Here Yet

That's just the beginning.

See you soon.