This interruption is brought to you by #SOPA & #PIPA #STRIKETOOLS #J18 #SOPABlackout

On-strike1

My sites will be BLACKED OUT tomorrow in solidarity with the ANTI-SOPA & ANTI-PIPA actions that will be happening all over the Internet tomorrow.

I hear Google (and Youtube) will be doing something in solidarity. I doubt they'll black-out their site, but whatever they do will probably reach more people than before. So there is hope. I don't have much hope for Twitter though, they're notorious for ignoring hash-tags that don't deal with some pop celebrity or some stupid commercial venture. Burger King is in the TOP TEN?

I'm curious about how many people in the US don't know what this SOPA/PIPA business is all about. Well if this campaign does what it plans to do, congress will be getting a lot of calls from angry consumers. 

Is this the first real internet strike? This should be interesting.

Join in the fun! Here's some links to get you started:

Information and detailed analysis on SOPA & PIPA, a must read to understand the bills and know why they're BAD:

Posted via email from Th’ Reverend Dak Post

Heads of State: 9 games about tyrants on th REVS’ SHOW, TONITE @ 6 on http://www.killradio.org/

Please join us HTTP://WWW.KILLRADIO.ORG for the REV’S SHOW. Our special guest is the creator of Heads of State, nine games about dictators.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2088966277/heads-of-state-nine-short-games-about-tyrants

He’s a super cool guy, a fellow gamer, cyclist and advocate for green city living. If you can, make a pledge and support the Kickstarter!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2088966277/heads-of-state-nine-short-games-about-tyrants

Posted via email from Th’ Reverend Dak Post

Jury Independance

I totally understand that in order for our justice system to work, there has to be a jury of impartial community peers. While most people will find any excuse to get out of jury duty, I actually have been anxiously waiting for my time to come around. The last time I had to report, I was put on the bench immediately. I got drilled by the judge about my feelings towards cops; or as I like to call them, pigs. Also came out my libertarian feelings about the prosecution of drugs use. Instead of being kicked off the jury, they waited until the next Monday to give me the boot. Back then I would have appreciated it if they let me off the Friday after my questions. 

About a year ago I was laughing, along with a zillion others, about a book called Go The Fuck To Sleep. A book written by Adam Mansbach and illustrated by Ricardo Cortés. What usually happens to me is I find myself obsessing over little details. Which lead me to the artist and the other books he has done. The one that really caught my eye was called Jury Independance Illustrated. It blew my mind. It taught me about a little known right called Jury Nullification. Basically if you're the jury of a court case and you believe or feel that the law in violation is unjust, you are well within your rights to reject that law, and declare the defendant, "NOT GUILTY". Armed with this knowledge I found myself itching to be on a jury and exercising this right.

Last week I got a jury summons. I actually didn't recieve the original notice, but instead got a nasty-gram from the court–threatening to fine me $1200. What? No way. I called in, and told them I could report after Thanksgiving. So I did. Today I went through the whole process and orientation, and waited to get assigned. And so I did. I got the nicest bailiff and the sweetest Judge, totally different than the Lich-judge I got the last time that drilled me about my past. I was totally hoping to get a Drug related case, but nervous about exercising my rights. I had thoughts of arguing with fellow jurors, and the possibility of caving in to pressure. While waiting to get questioned it was obvious what kind of world we live in. If a jury sample is a general example of the pupulation at large, we're fucked. I was the only juror to ever get arrested. I was one of three or four of around 30 that didn't support drug laws (and inherently the war on the drugs.) I was probably the only one with a general distrust of cops. The questions came up, and I answered them honestly. But this time the judge didn't make me feel like a criminal. He was a totally sweet old judge.

I was Jury #16. When #7 was excused by the defence, I was next in line to fill that seat. I got up to take that seat which was literally 5 steps away. Before I even sat down I was excused by the Prosecution. No lie. Everyone laughed. 

It seems unfair, honestly. It's supposed to be a jury of peers, not a hand-picked crowd of potentially safe bets. It's totally true that if I was selected and if the defendant didn't commit any violent crimes, I would have probably dead-locked the jury. 

I recommend everyone read Jury Independance, and other Ricardo Cortés books. 

It's good shit.

Posted via email from Th’ Reverend Dak Post