"The wealthy, not only by private fraud but also by common laws, do every day pluck and snatch away from the people some part of their daily living. Therefore, when I consider and weigh in my mind these commonwealths which nowadays do flourish, I perceive nothing but a certain conspiracy of rich men in procuring their own commodities under the name and authority of the commonwealth.

They invent and devise all means and crafts, first how to keep safely without fear of losing that which they have unjustly gathered together, and next how to hire and abuse the work and labor of the people for as little money and effort as possible."

Thomas More, Utopia

Monday, June 23, 2008

George Carlin 1937-2008

Dennis Perrin sums up this loss pretty well I thought. Carlin was simply one our best social commentators period. And, like Perrin, I too would put him in a class with Richard Pryor or, as the late comedian Bill Hicks used to say of himself, Noam Chomsky but with jokes. I'll miss this kind of stuff:
Update: George Carlin's final interview.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Internet's Uncertain Future

If we let them, the big telecommunications giants and internet service providers (along with their vassals in Congress) will irrevocably alter the internet as we now experience it. If you think the telecoms and ISPs have given up on their mission to slay net neutrality, I'd suggest that you think again. Pass this on... often.