Join the Pirate Party now! 17 Jun 2009 As Pastafarians know, global warming is inversely related to the number of pirates in the world. But slightly more seriously, the Pirate Party in Sweden has gained a seat in the EU Parliament. They stand against the encroachment on individual privacy by the increasingly draconian Intellectual Property activists of industry. Their sudden success follows the jail sentences for the administrators of the Pirate Bay website. I am increasingly concerned at the advent of democratic governments using these provisions to control what can, and cannot, be said in public forums like the internet. It basically means that culture is owned. That is as bad, in my view, as patenting ethnic DNA or some plant that grows naturally. So I have “joined” the Australian Pirate Party. This gives me better cred than PZ ArrrMatey. Via Crooked Timber. Also, see Wired. Censorship Freedom Politics
Australian stuff Gillard not wonderful: opposes gay marriage 30 Jun 2010 Julia Gillard has said she opposes gay marriage. Why? She doesn’t say. But there has to be a reason, so what could they be? 1. She dislikes it and thinks she can impose her preferences on everyone no matter what the implications or rights of those concerned. 2. She is… Read More
Epistemology Are smarter people irreligious or just nonconformists? 14 Aug 201314 Aug 2013 There’s been a lot of discussion around the traps that studies show repeatedly that those who are atheists or otherwise irreligious are on average a bit smarter than those who aren’t. The usual ballyhoo has followed, with atheists claiming that religion makes you stupid or only stupid people follow religions,… Read More
Politics Harvey Milk is getting a Presidential Medal of Freedom 11 Aug 2009 This is a Very Good Thing: Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk encouraged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens to live their lives openly… Read More