WARN the Egyptians about Democracy … and Montana

On February 23, 2011May 17, 2014 By Rick McIn GOP USA, government3 Comments

I’m shocked to see what’s happening in the Middle East.

Do they know what they are getting themselves into?

For your reading pleasure, here are some of the major pieces of legislation that have been put forward by the Tea Party Republicans who are now in control of the legislature. This is not a joke. These are real bills, and they are currently taking priority in the Montana legislature.

1. Legalize hunting with hand-thrown spear (Senate Bill 112)

2. Create fully-armed militia in every town (House Bill 278)

3. Allow legislators to carry weapons in the Capitol (Senate Bill 279)

4. Create an 11 person panel with authority to nullify all federal laws (House Bill 382)

5 Allow guns in schools (House Bill 558)

6. Eliminate educational requirements for persons seeking job of State Superintendent of Schools (HB 154)

7. Lift nuclear ban for purpose of building a nuclear reactor in the Flathead Valley (House Bill 326)

8. Withdraw the United States of America from the United Nations (Senate Joint Resolution 2)

9. Eliminate all state incentives for developing wind power (House Bill 244)

10. Omit Barak Obama’s name from the 2012, ballot because his father was born outside of America (House Bill 205)(this guy was on CNN this week)

11. Compulsory marriage counseling for people seeking a divorce (House Bill 438)

12. Give sheriffs authority over the federal government in terror investigations (Senate Bill 114)

13. Legalize hunting with silencers (House Bill 174)

14. Lift the prohibition on carrying concealed weapons in bars, churches and banks (House Bill 384)

15. Eliminate law that requires landlords to install carbon monoxide detectors (House Bill 354)

16. Require the federal government to prove in court that the National Parks were lawfully aquired. (House Bill 506)

17. Officially designate the “Code of the West” as the “Code of Montana” (Senate Bill 216)

UPDATE: 18. Declare that global warming is good. (House Bill 549)

Nutjob Bills in the Montana Legislature

I was OK with the Tea Party defying conventional politics. They are an entertaining protest movement. … But this is moronic.

The Tea Party obviously cannot govern.

No doubt the President will again want my advice for 2012. His prospects for reelection are looking up.

related – my friend Tom Chandler on Montana Bill (SB 306) – intended to revive highly toxic cyanide leach mining in the state.

online privacy – be very AFRAID

On February 21, 2011February 19, 2011 By Rick McIn government, internetLeave a comment

I follow Jeff Jarvis religiously, one of the best pundits on the WWW:

At two privacy conferences—one in New York, the other right now in Victoria, B.C.—I’ve watched the growth of privacy’s regulatory/industrial complex and seen its strategy in action: scare, then sell. …

… the emergence of Privacy, Inc., as a industry built on scaring people is beginning to scare me. …

Buzz Machine – The privacy industry: Scare and sell

Jeff tells us not to be so worried about privacy online … unless you’re doing something illegal.

comparing ‘advanced’ economies

On February 20, 2011February 19, 2011 By Rick McIn economics, government, health & fitnessLeave a comment

How ‘advanced’ is your country?

Red is bad.

via Peter and Warren Long.

I hate Minister Bev Oda

On February 17, 2011February 16, 2011 By Rick McIn government1 Comment

Is she a class act, or what?

… All three opposition leaders forcefully demanded Wednesday that Mr. Harper fire the International Co-operation Minister, who ordered an official document to be altered and then allegedly misled a parliamentary committee about the matter. …

Globe and Mail

Why is the government supporting this loser?

Please quietly shuffle her out of cabinet.

I love Minister Tony Clement

On February 16, 2011February 15, 2011 By Rick McIn government, internetLeave a comment

I love him so much, I just might have to vote Conservative next election.

I heard Clement on the radio yesterday, making exactly the right noises.

Canada minister says Internet billing ruling flawed

… A Canadian regulatory ruling that effectively stops small Internet providers from offering unlimited downloading must be revised, Industry Minister Tony Clement said on the social networking site Twitter.

“True. CRTC must go back to the drawing board,”

Read more …

Prime Minister Harper dropped the hammer on the CRTC via Twitter, too.

The people I trust on the internet are Michael Geist, Jeff Jarvis and Cory Doctorow. (2 of them Canadian).

They’ll like the stand made by Clement.

Here’s what Cory Doctorow had to say Feb. 2nd, before the elected masters stomped all over the CRTC ruling:

Welcome to the Canadian Internet, where extreme concentration in telecoms and a weak, lame regulator have given rise to a nation where your Internet access is metered in small, ungenerous dribs, and where ranging too far afield during your network use results in your ISP breaking into your browsing session to tell you that you’re close to being cut off from the net. …

Boing Boing – Welcome to the Canadian Internet, now stop using it

Other politicians are coming ’round to the ephiphany that standing up for the voters is a WINNER of an issue.

Jeff Jarvis:

In her second major speech on internet freedom, I’m delighted that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stood for the freedom to connect and recognizes the internet as a public space …

Clinton and the freedom to connect

She vowed Tuesday to invest $25 million for developers to build tools that will let online dissidents get around “thugs, hackers and censors.”

Just How Open Is Your Internet? [INFOGRAPHICS]

I know what you’re thinking. We’re going to drive TELUS, Bell and Rogers out of business in Canada !!

I hope so.

Some leaner, more honest competitors will rise to take their place.

If there’s a demand for internet, companies will fill that need.

decline of religion in richer nations

On February 6, 2011February 4, 2011 By Rick McIn economics, good news, government, philosophyLeave a comment

In general, the more affluent the country, the fewer citizens report that they are ‘religious’.

Note that Kuwait and the USA are outliers, exceptions to that general rule.

secular-graph — click for larger version

via Ordinary Gentlemen

James A. Haught wrote about this trend:

Since World War II, worship has dwindled starkly in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and other advanced democracies. In those busy places, only 5 or 10 percent of adults now attend church. Secular society scurries along heedlessly. …

… males outnumber females among the churchless. “The ratio of 60 males to 40 females is a remarkable result …

A huge news story, barely noticed

Is this trend good or bad?

Good, I’d say, overall.

Religion works for some. I respect their right to freedom of religions so long as it doesn’t impose on others.

And any trend for less religiosity should diminish the fervency of religious extremists. We would hope.

Thanks Warren.

how TELUS lies

On February 4, 2011January 31, 2011 By Rick McIn government, product complaintsLeave a comment

From the company’s FAQ:

Q. Why do you call your service unlimited, when my monthly usage is limited?

A. We refer to TELUS High Speed as being unlimited because you get unlimited hours of monthly access.

If that’s not deceptive enough, Napalm points out that it’s also wrong. A month has only 744 hours, not “unlimited”.

(via Michael Geist)

Bandwidth Caps & Usage Based Billing

On February 1, 2011February 1, 2011 By Rick McIn government, internetLeave a comment

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved a lame proposal being pushed by 3 Internet Service Providers that control 96% of the market.

I’m one of 200,000 voters who signed a petition against that proposal.

Happily it looks to be dead in the water.

First the NDP. Then the Liberals. And now Conservative Tony Clement, the Minister responsible, are all banging the drums for an innovative and competitive marketplace.

CBC – Industry Minister Tony Clement says CTRC decision will be ‘studied carefully’

Fact is that corporations try to use monopoly and oligopoly to maximize their own profits. They want to make you pay as much as possible, for as little as possible.

If you are interested, the best summary of the complicated issue was posted today by Michael Geist.