Vatican Lists Seven Social Sins, Including Drug Abuse

The seven social sins are:
1. “Bioethical’ violations such as birth control
2. “Morally dubious” experiments such as stem cell research
3. Drug abuse
4. Polluting the environment
5. Contributing to widening divide between rich and poor
6. Excessive wealth
7. Creating poverty

I imagine there will be lots of debate and blog chatter on this, hopefully by people more theologically qualified then myself. Somehow I doubt that, and not based on my qualifications.

I like the social justice aspects of 5-7, am not sure how #4 will go, and expect to see 1-3 widely mis-referenced to suit all sorts of peoples agendas. Cynical? Yes, but do you really disagree?

The Bloomberg article is not very good, but has the nice list. Here’s another article:
Thou shalt not pollute or clone

Warren Ellis: Texas Has Never Looked Better to Me

Information from the state of Vermont: Vermont’s ‘Smoking in the Workplace’ Law

There are already more then enough articles covering the details. I am sure there will be more trying to explain this. Are the explanations there, and we are just not listening? Or believing? I remember thinking that Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling For Columbine made some good points. Did anyone pay attention?

Apparently not. An article in USA Today describes legislations proposed in 12 states to allow concealed guns to be carried on campus.

12 states debate guns on campus – Pro-firearm bills proposed after Va. Tech killings

“The only way to stop a person with a gun is another person with a gun,” says University of Cincinnati sophomore Michael Flitcraft, 23. The mechanical engineering major has a license to carry guns but is prohibited by university rules from bringing one onto the campus.

I am almost speechless. Almost. Does anyone else think this is absolutely fucking crazy? I am trying not to cuss too much these days, but if every a cuss word was needed its here. WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING? I understand people’s need to feel safe, but what about EVERYONE ELSE’S need to feel safe? I would not feel safe knowing that anyone around me, at any time, may have a loaded gun in their jacket. How is that safe for anyone?

Some thoughts:

- with the ban on guns in place, it is easier to identify SOMEONE WHO IS PLANNING ON SHOOTING PEOPLE. If everyone can carry a loaded gun, you don’t know who the HOMICIDAL MANIAC is until he threatens, or shoots someone.
- your armed campus police will be a hell of a lot more jittery and violence-prone if they have to suspect every person of carrying a loaded, concealed weapon. Imagine every time you go to a call on campus for some loud, drunk students, having to worry that some asshole is going to shoot you? I bet a lot more excessive force would be used.
- drunken fratboys
- someone without a gun takes your gun and shoots you, your friends, and some other people for good measure.
- Now the SUICIDAL, CRAZED KILLER can walk around with a loaded weapon waiting for the ideal time to go on their RAMPAGE OF DEATH without worrying about being arrested until they have started.

These students killing people may have been disturbed, but they are not stupid. The last guy at Northern Illinois was a graduate student. If you give them more opportunities, they will use them.

Michael Geist has written a lot on the subject, and if this type of legislation concerns you, it worth checking out his site.

Privacy Commissioner Warns Against Copyright Reform’s Threat to Privacy

Superheroes in Real Life – By Ward Rubrecht

“BY MOST OBSERVERS’ RECKONING, between 150 and 200 real-life superheroes, or “Reals” as some call themselves, operate in the United States, with another 50 or so donning the cowl internationally. These crusaders range in age from 15 to 50 and patrol cities from Indianapolis to Cambridgeshire, England.”

The City Line article also provides some bonus web-features, such as this Google Map implementation showing various superheroes. This is a great example of using web content to enhance the static article.

Real Life Superhero Map

www.warrenellis.com: Three Laws of Robotics

#2:

“Robots couldn’t really give a fuck if you live or die. Seriously. I mean, what are you thinking? “Ooh, I must protect the bag of meat at all costs because I couldn’t possibly plug in the charger all on my own.” Shut the fuck up.”

If those new robots that can learn emotion and attitude hang out with Warren too long, we may be in a teeny bit of trouble. I’m not too worried, though. The crocodile people are more likely to stay with the ‘program’. And hell, they are CROCODILE PEOPLE.

The gust of the post on Motley Fool was that litigation is not a good business model.

The Motley Fool.com: We’re All Thieves to the RIAA

“As I’ve said before, a good sign of a dying industry that investors might want to avoid is when it would rather litigate than innovate, signaling a potential destroyer of value. If it starts to pursue paying customers — which doesn’t seem that outlandish at this point — then I guess we’ll all know the extent of the desperation. Investor, beware.”

The thing is, everyone is a potential customer. The marketing done by recording companies targets every person who listens to music. Therefore, the RIAA is ALWAYS going after its customer base.

These law suits are not cheap, and I have not seen any evidence that the RIAA is actually coming out ahead overall. They are costing the industry money, something that may be in shorter supply these days. And all of this money going into legal fees is fighting a battle against the changing reality of information distribution. Any savvy investor, and even the dumb ones should recognize that this is not the way to succeed in business, and is certainly not how the investor would want their money spent.

The NY Times: Airport Security Follies – By Patrick Smith

Via Boing Boing.

Who the fuck are these people? I never miss the irony in these stories, especially as they occur in the ideological heartland of cut-throat global capitalism, the USA. I mean, when workers are laid off by the thousands, when drinking water is polluted, or when sick people are denied necessary care, its pretty hard not find a politician, legal bureaucrat, or industry representative to solemnly declare these events part of the inevitable function of market, which must never be interfered with – lest we risk becoming filthy communists.

That is unless “the market” is hurting established players, like the RIAA or subprime brokerage firms, and then of course, all sorts of measures to ‘influence’ the market are miraculously found. New technology causing problems with your pre-1950′s business model? No problem, strangle its use with legislation. Made some bad loans to poor suckers who can’t pay? Here’s a few trillion in liquidity, that might help, but probably not.

I’m not even going to get into the question of “stealing” and “fair use” here. That’s for another installment.

It seems the singer finally managed to show up in a Chicago court this week, narrowly missing his bond being revoked after failing to make a previous appearance, reports the The Chicago tribune.

In defense of his misstep, the paper quotes Kelly’s lawyer as saying “Kelly’s absence was an aberration in a case in which he has appeared 107 times without delay. Genson said the singer was missing due to circumstances beyond his control, including the speeding tour bus drivers and a lack of available rental cars in Utah.”Mr. Kelly came as best he could to get here. He won’t get on an airplane,” Genson said. “When he tours in Europe, he gets on a boat.”

According to the paper, another of the reasons given by the judge for not sending Mr. Kelly to the big house was that since he is in mid-tour, it would be “unfair to concert employees and fans” – glad to know there are still some judges out there who understand where a misunderstood celebrity is coming from.