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L.A.C.K. & Censoround
July 30, 2004
"Sometimes a novel is the best way of making that happen."
Nicholson Baker's Checkpoint, in which one character tries to talk another out of assassinating President Bush, may spark a battle between the laws protecting free speech and the laws protecting the president. Freedom to Write Program Director Larry Siems says:
"There are really strict legal standards on what constitutes a threat, and certainly a fictional conversation between fictional characters - it's almost impossible to imagine that that could rise to the level of a legal threat against the president. Characters in novels don't kill presidents."
He adds, however:
"There have been encroachments recently on the terrain of creative freedom that are connected with people's fears and anxieties. We know the Secret Service has visited high school classrooms where students have produced art that has made reference to violence. The whole atmosphere has shifted enormously."
The release date, incidently, has been moved forward from the eve of the RNC to August 10.
[TT] Christian Science Monitor via How Appealing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:25:00 PM
"They are available for public use and will continue to be."
Jessamyn West talked to Boston Public Library President Bernard Margolis about the GPO order to destroy five DOJ pamphlets. He told her he wasn't going to take the directive lying down, then later emailed the ALA Council to outline his plan.
[TT] librarian.net at the DNC
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:04:00 AM
July 29, 2004
"George Bush is only for now."
The Linda Rondstadt flap has New York Times reporter Jason Zinoman wondering if it's a wise move for the producers of the musical Avenue Q, which features an anti-Bush reference, to stage the show in Las Vegas. Producer Jeffrey Seller responded, "Fahrenheit 9/11 is a very controversial movie, but Avenue Q is just a show about a boy who moves to New York to figure out what to do with his life."
[TT] New York Times
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
5:22:00 PM
FCC to take a shot at TV violence
The FCC will investigate whether they should increase regulation of television violence. They will also try to find out if parents are using the v-chip or paying attention to the TV ratings.
[TT] Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:01:00 PM
"We just don't know the rationale for this."
The Government Printing Office ordered US libraries to destroy five Department of Justice pamphlets on asset forfeiture, explaining that "the Department of Justice has determined that these materials are for internal use only." However, Boston Public Library President Bernard "Saklad's Bane" Margolis pointed out the materials in question are easily available via the internet and law textbooks. The ALA plans to challenge the order.
[TT] Boston Globe via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:13:53 AM
"These two factors alone require this court to direct the district court to vacate its order immediately."
Tim Rutten's column "Free speech under fire all around the nation" is essentially from last week, but still a good piece to read.
Incidently, if you're using a Mozilla browser, check out the BugMeNot extention. Once you've installed it, all you need to do when you visit a newspaper's website that demands free registration is right-click and select "BugMeNot." A window pops up with a username and password for the site you're visiting.
[TT] Los Angeles Times via Dan Gillmor's eJournal
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:01:35 AM
"...demeaning and dismissive."
The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in favor of Alabama's ban on sex toys, with the assenting opinion that while the Supreme Court struck down the Texas sodomy ban, the high court hadn't ruled that Americans have the right to sexual privacy. Judge Stanley Birch Jr. wrote, "[If] we today craft a new fundamental right by which to invalidate the law, we would be bound to give that right full force and effect in all future cases -- including, for example, those involving adult incest, prostitution, obscenity, and the like."
In her dissent, Judge Rosemary Barkett criticized Birch's "stubborn unwillingness to consider relevant Supreme Court authority," adding, "Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code."
[TT] Fulton County Daily Report via Law.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:04:00 AM
July 28, 2004
" They are your children. It is your tax dollars. It is your library."
The aforementioned group of concerned parents Library Patrons of Texas have a website with a list of the books they're challenging. (Note that I skipped the age verification check that's always good at stopping kids from looking at porn sites.) They cribbed their descriptions of offensive content in the books from the PABBIS book excerpts site. The Mainstream Majority Republicans of Montgomery County also weigh in on this topic.
[TT] via Library Underground
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:18:00 PM
"Wal-Mart is known to be punitive."
John Wiley & Sons management ordered subsidiary Jossey-Bass to withdraw an offer to Greg LeRoy to publish his book The Great American Job Scam, which will now be released in 2005 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Jossey-Bass editor Johanna Vondeling resigned in protest. When journalist Matt Smith asked about the story that the company dropped the title to avoid being sued by Wal-Mart (the subject of a chapter), Wiley Sales Veep Dean Karrel replied, "You'll be contacted by our attorneys."
[TT] SF Weekly via NewPages Weblog
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:34:00 AM
"I love public school teachers punishing any mention of God..."
Dave Weigel, a blogger who works on USA Today's op/ed page, offers some details about the Ann Coulter situation. In case you missed this, she's crying censorship because USA Today decided against publishing a column they asked her to write about the DNC. USA Today responded that the column was incoherent and poorly written. Judge for yourself.
[TT] DW-i 2 via Blog of a Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:36:48 AM
July 27, 2004
"You can't have free speech inside a prison."
Demonstrators at the DNC, despite the various things they're protesting, have all agreed on one thing: not to make use of the official free speech zone. Here's why:
"Activists say the zone resembles the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
"The zone, surrounded by two layers of chain link fences mounted on Jersey barriers, draped with black mesh and topped with razor wire, violates the protesters' free-speech rights, said a legal observer for the Boston chapter of the National Lawyers Guild."
[TT] Wired
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
5:04:55 PM
"It's a shame that, in America, we can't have someone with an opposing view."
Silver City, NM radio station KNFT was forced to take off the air the show Radio Free Silver after over 20 advertisers threatened to pull their spots. Jason Dobrinski, a listener who convinced two advertisers to cancel their advertising on the radio station, said, "What has really occurred is that many people, acting independently, have exercised their rights to free speech in voicing their dislike of the program."
[TT] First Amendment Center
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:32:26 PM
"ADF members are free to choose whether to see the film in their free time."
The Australian Defence Force will not allow Fahrenheit 9/11 be screened on military bases. A spokesperson said, "It is not appropriate for Defence to be seen to be supporting any film of an overtly political nature."
[TT] Sydney Morning Herald via Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:16:07 PM
Texas group targets library's books
A group of concerned adults calling themselves Library Patrons of Texas Inc. are asking the Montgomery County (TX) Memorial Library System to review 120 books aimed at children and teenagers they say contain offensive language and sexual and gay themes. So far they've challenged 16 books, four of which were returned to the stacks after being reviewed.
[TT] Houston Chronicle via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:03:39 PM
July 26, 2004
"We are dismayed that Margaret Cho has been disinvited..."
Margaret Cho was "uninvited" from performing at a GLBT unity event by HRC out of fear that she'll say something controversial. In response, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has withdrawn its support of the event.
[TT] Margaret Cho via librarian.net at the DNC
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:51:54 AM
If only 'Home on the Range' had linked Bush to bin Laden
Fahrenheit 9/11 has topped the $100 million mark. Disney, which refused to distribute the film, has yet to have a film this year make $100 million. Said Michael Moore, "If you had told me when we were going through all the pre-distribution problems with Disney that this film would gross more than any other Disney film this year, I don't even know how to respond to that."
[TT] The Guardian
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:01:55 AM
"...creates an illusion of a homosexual utopia..."
The Taiwan comedy Formula 17 has been banned in Singapore because it "conveys the message that homosexuality is normal and a natural progression of society." This is not surprising since in Singapore, oral sex carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
[TT] Taipei Times via Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:54:11 AM
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. I'm going to kill you, and your family, too."
The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a San Jose high school student's violent poem "simply does not constitute an actual threat to kill or inflict harm." J.M. Coetzee and Michael Chabon were among 10 writers who weighed in on the case.
[TT] The Recorder via Law.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:46:00 AM
July 21, 2004
"Make what you will of that cultural evolution."
I've entered into Blogger all the L.A.C.K. posts from July 10, 2003, to February 26, 2004. Those would be the dates I stopped using Blogger and started using Blogger again. I didn't want to switch back, actually, but circumstances forced me into it. Fortunately, the uberweblords at Google have improved it considerably in the past few months.
Obviously, many links expire over time. I didn't have time nor the inclination to actually check to make sure they're all still active. I had done so a few months ago, but it's kind of a tedious process. In other words, I'll need to be really bored at some point to check again.
The unintended consequence of my diligence will likely be an increase in the number of hits from perverse and disturbing web searches due to posts like this one.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:02:00 PM
"I have never seen a reaction like this in all my years of touring."
Linda Ronstadt told the Los Angeles Times that Aladdin President Bill Timmins' story about throwing her out of the casino after she praised Michael Moore during a concert wasn't accurate: "They didn't throw me out. I didn't even know there was trouble. I didn't know they were mad."
I'd link to the Times story, but they charge for access to their Calendar Live website now, so you'll just have to assume Lew Irwin's summary is accurate.
[TT] Los Angeles Times as told by Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:30:00 PM
"... a crucial document the public would want to know about."
When some in Congress floated the idea of banning peer-to-peer networks, Outragedmoderates.org creator Thad Anderson built Download for Democracy to prove their worth. The Government Document Library contains 600+ files, pertaining to everything from Halliburton contracts to Vice President Cheney's energy task force.
[TT] Wired via Political Wire
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:06:20 AM
"That is a task the First Amendment leaves to the American people, not a government agency."
I meant to post this on Monday, but forgot. Anyway, better late than never: the FTC has rejected MoveOn.org's complaint that Fox News is engaging in misleading advertising with its motto "Fair and Balanced."
[TT] Federal Trade Commission via TV Barn
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:56:39 AM
"So what Oprah wants, Oprah gets."
Because of an accidental curse word uttered by a guest, Jimmy Kimmel Live is now taped, despite the fact that it airs after childrens' bedtimes and, in Chicago, after Oprah.
[TT] South Florida Sun-Sentinel via TV Barn
[EDITOR'S NOTE] Formatting error fixed.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:48:00 AM
July 20, 2004
"The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."
The Senate Judiciary approved an anti-flag burning amendment, although Sen. Russ Feingold pointed out that there won't be enough votes in the Senate to pass the constitutional change.
[TT] First Amendment Center
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:25:53 PM
"As they start to think of what it takes to be a public space, they have to think of what comes with it."
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the Crystal Mall in Waterford, CT can bar union members from distributing pamphlets on the shopping center's grounds, saying the plaintiffs did not sucessfully argue the mall was public property.
[TT] First Amendment Center
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:22:38 PM
"...real idiots who simply kiss Mr. Coccia's butt instead of actually try and help the council."
Patrick Yeon, a 12th grader at St. Francis Xavier Catholic High in Hammond, Ontario, was suspended for 10 days for printing a "derogatory and condescending" article about two of the teachers written in his unofficial school newspaper. School principal Sergio Coccia said, "We allow students to express themselves, but in this case, he crossed the line with the two teachers." Yeon, however, feels "I've been punished wrongly."
[TT] Ottawa Citizen via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:56:33 PM
"... all-out hell for cyber-dissidents."
Reporters Without Borders has requested that Cable & Wireless CEO Francesco Caio ask the Maldives to free "imprisoned Internet-users" who posted articles online that were critical of the government. Cable & Wireless owns 45 percent of the Maldives telephone company Dhiraagu.
[TT] The Register via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:47:28 PM
"I think that she spoke the truth. That is why they are mad."
When Tiffany Schley, valedictorian for the graduation class at Brooklyn's High School of Legal Studies, decried overcrowded classes, the lack of textbooks, and other school ills, she was cut off by the assistant principal, then later denied her diploma until she apologized. Once the media got hold of the story, she eventually got her diploma, although it doesn't appear school officials have apologized. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the story, "What bozo tried to hold back a diploma in a country where freedom of speech is so prized I don't know."
[TT] Decatur Daily Democrat via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:41:00 PM
"...monks should not be involved in politics."
Thailand's PM Thaksin Shinawatra denied he was responsible for the Public Relations Department decision to bar monks from delivering speeches critical of the government from the state-run radio station. But he's evidently not entirely against it: "If they want to get involved in political affairs, they should not be monks."
[TT] The Nation (Bangkok) via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:35:17 PM
"I keep hoping that if I'm annoying enough to them, they won't hire me back."
Linda Rondstadt has been banned from performing at the Aladdin casino in Las Vegas after she dedicated the song "Desperado" to Michael Moore. She was booed by members of the audience, many of whom left and tore down Rondstadt posters on their way out. The casino's president, Bill Timmins, had her escorted off Aladdin's property after the concert was over.
[TT] MSNBC via TalkStation
[EDITOR'S NOTE] According to a Defamer reader who was at the Rondstadt concert, "Aladdin President Bill Timmins' account of what happened is complete crap."
[TT] Defamer
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
8:58:49 AM
July 19, 2004
"... and that tarry substance inside certainly isn't sand ..."
San Jose State's Scott Rice has posted the 2004 winners of the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.
[TT] Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:37:55 PM
"Restricting approved freedoms is against the constitution."
Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi has ordered Iranian newspapers to not report any parts of a trial concerning a murdered Iranian-Canadian photojournalist that contain allegations against government hardliners.
[TT] Globe and Mail
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:48:54 PM
"There is always a pandering to the audience, depending on who your core viewership is."
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission will allow cable providers air Aljazeera, but only if it is closely monitored for questionable content. Jehane Noujaim, director of Control Room, a documentary about the Qatar-based news network, equated the ruling to censorship.
[TT] Globe and Mail via Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:38:53 PM
"I just felt like everyone was overreacting."
So why hasn't Miramax released the the film version of Prozac Nation, starring Christina Ricci? Is it because "it doesn't have a traditional dramatic structure, in terms of a clear, unqualified ending?" Or is it because of a controversial statement about the September 11 attacks by author Elizabeth Wurtzel? I wonder if I mention Ricci's nude scene, legions of internet users will organize a letter writing campaign...
[TT] The Observer via Blog of a Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:29:04 AM
"It's perilously dangerous."
CBS plans to fight the proposed $550,000 FCC fine for the Janet Jackson breast-baring incident at the Super Bowl. Viacom COO Les Moonves said, "We think the idea of a fine for that is patently ridiculous and we're not going to stand for it. We're going to take that to the courts if it happens."
[TT] My Way via TV Barn
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:05:00 AM
"What politician is going to vote against decency?"
The Fall 2004 television season is fast approaching, and networks are trying to figure out what the FCC means by indecent. That 70's Show producer Jeff Filgo says, "It's almost like they're saying: 'What's indecency? That's for us to know and for you to find out.' You don't know if you've done anything wrong until you get letters." This leads to inconsistent instruction from the network censors. For example, Fox told producers of The O.C. not to show a female character having an orgasm, although they didn't complain about a male character having one.
[TT] New York Times via LawMeme
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:33:51 AM
"It's a surprise that it took this long."
Obsenity charges have been dropped against Joanne Webb, a Burleson, TX woman arrested for selling sex toys to undercover cops. Her lawyer says the Texas obscenity law, which forbids the use of genital-stimulation devices, is unconstitutional.
[TT] Dallas Morning News via How Appealing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:10:27 AM
"...a Music Syndicate official described Rubi as a 'sex-bomb' whereas Nancy is merely a 'sex-pot.'"
The Egyptian government has banned music videos showing off women's navels, prompting Maria Golia to ruminate on the place of bare bellies in Egyptian social politics.
[TT] nthposition via Arts & Letters Daily
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:47:11 AM
July 16, 2004
Only the name is changing, not the awesomeness!
As deemed per HR 2751, the General Accounting Office is now known as the Government Accountability Office. It's for the best, as the new name provides a better description of the office does. Just ask Dick Cheney.
[TT] beSpacific
[TT] FindLaw via Google
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:49:10 PM
This sounds vaguely familiar
The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals decided that Ohio Judge James DeWeese violated the Constitution by putting up a poster of the 10 Commandments in his courtroom.
[TT] First Amendment Center
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:36:48 PM
"The man just made a flippant statement."
Crime writer and former New York criminal prosecutor Robert Reuland was given $30,000 by a jury that found he was wrongly demoted for telling New York magazine, "Brooklyn is the best place to be a homicide prosecutor. We've got more dead bodies per square inch than anyplace else." District Attorney Charles J. Hynes apparently testified Reuland was demoted not for saying what he said, but for being inaccurate in what he said.
[TT] First Amendment Center
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:32:32 PM
"This gives us the flexibility to develop a policy that works for us."
The University of Utah has settled a lawsuit with a theater student who refused to utter the swear words written in scripts because of her religious beliefs. The school drafting a policy for religious tolerance, taking into the following questions, amongst others:
"...can future theater students choose not to swear? Will a creationist biology major be forced to complete assignments on evolution? Should religious college athletes be required to play in Sunday games?"
The administration aims to have the new policy in place within next 12 months.
[TT] Salt Lake Tribune via How Appealing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:23:15 PM
"Why should the taxpayers pay one dime for the cost of this trip?"
Dan Kennedy is concerned about the chilling effect the quest for campaign reform can have on free speech.
[TT] Media Log
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:32:03 PM
"... no single groups or ideas will be censored."
After first implying against the idea, Gov. Mike Rounds will let the South Dakota State Library Board review the links on the teen-oriented library website.
[TT] Rapid City Journal via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:20:00 AM
"...the Court finds that the Act is unconstitutionally vague."
A federal judge tossed out a Washington state ban on selling violent video games to minors, saying the law violated the First Amendment. Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, the law's author, responded, "While we may have lost this one battle in the sale of violent games against children, the war is far from over."
[TT] Reuters via GigaLaw
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:09:51 AM
Would this effect Turkey's EU application?
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Turkish government violated book publisher Aysenir Zarakolu's rights by banning the book Our Ferhat, Anatomy of a Murder, and imprisoning her for violating anti-terrorism laws.
[TT] KurdishMedia via Feedster
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:49:49 AM
"It's an Orwellian way to keep speech out of sight..."
Jeff and Nicole Rank were arrested for trespassing after wearing anti-Bush t-shirts during the president's official, non-campaign Independence Day visit to Charleston, WV. Mrs. Rank was laid off from her job as a liason for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a result of her arrest.
[TT] Charleston Gazette via anarchygoth via Feedster
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:39:37 AM
"... watching your actions closely."
Brent Bozell's Parents Television Council has begun endorsing family-friendly films with a seals of approval that movie studios can use, and have been using, in their advertising. Ernest Miller argues that Hollywood's acceptance of their endorsement is a bad idea, seeing as the PTC "use their organizational skills to encourage the government to censor content."
[TT] Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo! News
[TT] Corante via BuzzMachine via Feedster
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:18:09 AM
July 15, 2004
"We may be killing off dances at schools."
Oceanside, CA has banned songs of a sexually or violently suggestive nature from being played at school dances. Nick Alexander, an area deejay, said when told of the decision, "That's pretty much every popular song."
[TT] San Diego Tribune via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:58:12 PM
"Rounds' efforts to defend young minds is in effect leaving them defenseless..."
Students Against Censorship, a Rapid City, SD organization founded after Gov. Mike Rounds ordered a link to Planned Parenthood off a teen-oriented library website, want a representative on the governor's committee that will review the links on said home page.
Meanwhile, an op/ed piece by South Dakotans for Open Government President Stewart Huntington and an editorial in The Press & Dakotan both decry Gov. Rounds' actions.
[TT] Aberdeen News, Black Hills Pioneer & The Press & Dakotan via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:57:00 AM
"... her recent remarks offended some of our consumers."
Slim-Fast has dropped Whoopi Goldberg as a spokesperson because of anti-President Bush remarks she made at a Democratic fundraiser. According to the AP article, "At one point in a speech mocking the Bush administration, Goldberg used his surname as a sexual reference."
[TT] Washington Post
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:13:08 AM
"I'm surprised they can't just view her as ... an artistic sculpture."
Scotland Yard ordered a Wimbledon art gallery to cover up a sculpture of a nude woman because it violated the Indecent Displays Act. Said the gallery's owner, Fraser Kee Scott, "People drive past and it gets their attention. I knew it would get attention, but I didn't know it would get this."
[TT] BBC News via FARK.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:07:13 AM
July 14, 2004
"I assumed we would face some problems."
The clerical government of Iran deemed The Lizard, a movie about an escaped convict posing as a cleric, as being "a bad influence," forcing the filmmakers to close the film after three weeks of sold-out showings. To further placate Iranian officials, the filmmakers sued to prevent the movie from being released in the United States. They lost, but convinced the American distributors not to aggressively advertise the film.
[TT] Washington Post
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:25:02 PM
"I just felt he had something to do with that."
Jadakiss' new single "Why?" contains the lyric, "Why did Bush knock down the Towers?" However, to ward off controversy, Interscope Records released two versions of the single, one with and one without the lyric. "Actually, the uncensored version of that line is probably my favorite in the whole song," said a Washington, DC-based programming director, adding, "Since they can hear us in DC, and I don't want [the] Secret Service knocking down my door in the middle of the night, I'll stick to the clean version."
[TT] Billboard via Taboo News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:27:03 AM
July 13, 2004
"...St. Paul never had to worry about fire codes."
A planned book burning by the Jesus Church of Cedar Rapids, IA had to be cancelled after the fire department told Rev. Scott Breedlove that it would violate municipal fire codes. Furthermore, holding the book burning in the suburbs was barred as well, due to a law against transporting materials outside the city limits. The church now plans to put the offending materials in garbage cans, then circle the recepticles while holding candles as a symbolic measure.
[TT] CNN.com via The Morning News
[EDITOR'S NOTE] URL fixed
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
5:15:16 PM
"Does this represent the vanguard of a major public shift..."
I suppose it was inevitable, after all that news about IE's security flaws, that holes in Mozilla would pop up. Fortunately, there's a quick fix to patch it up. "The article says: 'Developers said the flaw affects only Windows users, not computers running the Macintosh and Linux operating systems,'" wrote Ernie the Attorney. "So, the trick is to get rid of both Internet Explorer and the Microsoft operating system."
Incidently, IE usage may be slipping. No surprise when the federal government warns its citizens about using the damned thing.
[TT] ZDNet via Ernie the Attorney
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:02:00 PM
"Thanks and we're looking forward to seeing you in Boston!"
Off-topic, but infinitely excellent: Jessamyn West of librarian.net is one of the bloggers who received press creditials to cover the Democratic National Convention in Boston. She's set up a DNC-specific weblog.
[TT] librarian.net at the DNC via librarian.net
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:48:33 PM
"...everyone's right to bear respective perception."
Imelda Marcos has dropped her lawsuit against Ramona Diaz, the director of the documentary Imelda, after a Philippine court ended a temporary injunction preventing the film's release.
[TT] Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:42:00 PM
"The governor is not the master father of the state of South Dakota."
Gov. Mike Rounds of South Dakota has taken down the state library's teen-oriented website after a controversy over a link to Planned Parenthood. He plans to assemble a committee to review all the links on the website, saying that the state library board may not be "the right group to do it." (They had kept the Planned Parenthood link up after an initial complaint, and only voted to take it down after the governor told them to.) He also likened the controversial links, which pertain to teenagers' sexual health, to a librarian reading Playboy during story hour.
[TT] USA Today via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:40:00 AM
July 12, 2004
"We have no political agenda."
Clear Channel backed out of an agreement to display an anti-war ad in Times Square during the Republican National Convention because it had a bomb on it.
Clear Channel's president Paul Meyer said they would accept an alternate ad with a dove on it.
[TT] New York Times via Wonkette
[EDITOR'S NOTE] Mr. Meyer, incidentally, donated $2000 to Bush's re-election campaign.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:23:17 PM
"When you start restricting information, it's a very slippery slope."
The South Dakota library board temporarily removed a link to Planned Parenthood from the state library's teen-oriented website at the request of Gov. Mike Rounds, on behalf of Sioux Falls Bishop Robert Carlson. The governor responded to censorship charges by pointing out the website is easily accessed via the internet.
[TT] Aberdeen News via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:49:49 PM
"Ladies and gentlemen, 'Cop Shop' was never meant to be bleeped."
PBS has edited the words "shit," "fuck," and "blowjob" out of its upcoming crime drama Cop Shop, angering its star, Richard Dreyfuss. In a statement to TV critics, he said, "David [Black] and I agreed to be bleeped because we were told that KCET, our greatly appreciated allies in this affair, could be subject to intimidating fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars."
[TT] SFGate.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:14:33 PM
"...the depiction of excessive alcohol use are not appropriate in the context of our guidelines."
This isn't censorship, per se, but Cingular Wireless has pulled its advertising from Celebrity Poker Showdown because the eliminated players drank tequila and used foul language during one of the episodes. As Wall Street Journal writer Joe Flint puts it, "Although Cingular had no problem with the gambling elements, it was shocked - shocked - to find the kind of drinking and trash-talking that generally go hand in hand with poker."
[TT] Ocala Star-Banner via TVtattle
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:10:37 PM
July 9, 2004
Server outages
CONK!, our benevolent website host, is upgrading its servers. L.A.C.K. may be down for periods of time over the next few days while this process takes place.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:50:46 PM
"The government should stop practicing unnecessary censorship..."
Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs has ruled that only Christians will be allowed to see The Passion of the Christ. Democratic Party secretary Teresa Kok responded, "Does it mean that the government is going to implement a policy where movies concerning ... Buddhism and Buddha could only be watched by Buddhists and movies related to Hinduism can only be watched by Hindus?"
[TT] Aljazeera via Studio Briefing
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:48:14 PM
"...a growing trend towards abusive, closed-fist partisanship..."
The House GOP leadership extended time to vote on the Freedom to Read Protection Act in order to get Republicans who approved the modification to the USA PATRIOT ACT to change their vote.
[TT] Washington Post
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:21:23 PM
"We spoke up for powerless people, but we ourselves are powerless before these officials."
The Chinese government is trying to supress the best-selling book An Investigation of China's Peasantry with such tactics as barring references to its authors, Chen Guidi and Wu Chuntao, in the media. Interestingly, the federal government is actually praised in the book, and blames the plight of the peasant class on local officials. One of whom is suing the authors for libel.
[TT] International Herald Tribune via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:10:04 PM
July 8, 2004
New Banned Bookslut column
"If You're Good, You're Not Necessarily Rewarded," the new Banned Bookslut column about Lemony Snicket, is now online.
[TT] Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:39:49 AM
"Should you really be able to say whatever you want?"
The Chicago Tribune recently did a poll about free speech and found that 64% of the respondents felt that deejays should not be allowed to use sexually suggestive or explicit material on the air. The study also found that 52% of respondents feel the government should "impose restrictions on information and content that appears on the Internet." Also, 20% felt that negative reporting should not be aired during times of war.
[TT] Chicago Tribune via Cursor.org
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:20:39 AM
"Russia's becoming a very closed society with very little space for public politics."
After the Russian television network NTV, owned by the state owned-oil company Gazprom, replaced its GM with a man who used to run the state-owned TV station, the politically independent show Freedom of Speech was cancelled. According to Union of Journalists head Igor Yakovenko:
"The process of liquidation of nongovernment TV channels that started several years ago has reached its conclusion. The liquidation of Freedom of Speech is the end of this process, full stop. The TV screen looks the same now as in the 1970s, except instead of a party general secretary, we have a president."
[TT] Washington Post
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:19:48 AM
July 7, 2004
"China is experiencing its first real generation gap, and it's a 7 on the Richter scale."
The Los Angeles Times takes a look at the Chinese government's increasing attempts to "strengthen and reform the virtue of Chinese minors" (read: keep youth culture under control). Said the publisher of Seventeen's Chinese edition, "What they're really afraid of is not political dissidents. It's long hair, decadence, punks and hip-hop. That's raising more concern than anything else."
[TT] Los Angeles Times via Taboo News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:32:00 PM
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