Archive for » December, 2011 «
Two bills are snaking their way through congress at the moment in an attempt by the entertainment industry to clamp down on online file-sharing and piracy.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (or SOPA) in the House is the more famous of the two. Its counterpart in the Senate is PIPA (or the Protect IP Act.) Both bills are controversial, and with good reason.
Many big tech companies oppose the bills. And many more will soon if Reddit has anything to do with it. Major online web hosting giant GoDaddy.com recently learned its own lesson in the power of a boycott after they announced their support for SOPA, a bill that critics say would effectively censor the internet.
Soon after GoDaddy announced its support for the bill, Reddit users went into action, threatening to pull domains from the web host. Others joined in the fun, including Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
The power of the grassroots online can’t be underestimated. Whether we’re talking about hacker ingenuity or simple boycotts, things happen in real time and as I’ve noted before, even censorship bills like SOPA won’t be able to stop it.
GoDaddy backed off after this barrage of protest and customers threatening to take their money elsewhere. And good for them, I suppose, though there are plenty of other good reasons not to give them your money.
But if hackers and internet junkies can find ways to stop corporations from supporting noxious bills and maybe even put pressure on a few elected officials, that still leaves countless Americans with very little knowledge of these bills. Most Americans aren’t great with computers and don’t know much about the internet or belong to activist communities online.
All the more important for us to work together to stop the state from clamping down on free speech and free commerce. Reddit is a great example of a site that has become far more than simply a social-networking or link-sharing utility and has grown into a real online community that can get things done.
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Police in a quiet Fort Worth suburb worked Monday to piece together a family history after a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit apparently shot six relatives and himself on Christmas.
Grapevine police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling said the shooter showed up in the Santa outfit shortly before gunfire erupted and that the family appeared to have been opening Christmas presents. Police responding to a 911 call found four women and three men dead, along with two handguns.
“We think he was just inside there celebrating Christmas with the rest of them and decided for whatever reason that’s how he’s going to end things,” Eberling told The Associated Press.
Investigators worked through Sunday night and into Monday morning, meticulously searching the apartment where the bodies were found, along with vehicles parked outside. Police said they believe the victims were related, though some were visiting and didn’t live in the apartment.
Eberling said investigators are piecing together a “family history,” but he declined to get into specifics. Autopsies of the shooter and the victims were being done Monday by the Tarrant County medical examiner, but it would probably be Tuesday before their identities were released, he said.
Records show the couple had financial problems and that their home, most recently valued on the county tax rolls at $336,200, had been sold in 2010 at a foreclosure auction.
Police and firefighters rushed to the Lincoln Vineyards complex about 11:30 a.m. Sunday after receiving a 911 call in which no one was on the other end of the line. Because no one responded on the phone, police went into the apartment, located at the back of the complex.
They found the seven, aged 18 to 60, dead.
Many of the nearby apartments are vacant, and police said no neighbors reported hearing anything on a quiet Christmas morning when many people were not around.
The apparent murder-suicide involved the first homicides in Grapevine in more than a year and a half.
J-Roll will stay a Philadelphia Phillie. Baseball’s Jimmy Rollins signed a three-year, $33 million deal after negotiating with the Phillies. Rollins, who won a 2008 World Series title with the team and was a 2007 MVP, had considered other options when talks went long, but in the end decided to remain with his first and only professional team.
America’s Got Talent, hosted by Nick Cannon, has a new judge. Radio Shock Jock Howard Stern is joining the show, and the show is moving to New York. Stern is joining fellow Judges Sharon Osborne and Howie Mandel. I think Stern is giving the show a much needed jolt, and I can’t wait to watch the new season next summer.
GrammywinningPercussionist/Songwriter/Producer Ralph MacDonald has died. MacDonald had an incredible career working with everyone from Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones and Lena Horne to Ashford & Simpson, Amy Winehouse and Teddy Pendergrass. His most successful works came through co-writing the songs Where Is The Love for Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972, and Just The Two Of Us for Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers in 1981. MacDonald had suffered from both a stroke and lung cancer in recent years. He was 67.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is headed to jail. The boxer received a 90-day sentence for his involvement in a domestic violence incident involving his babymomma. Mayweather pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and no contest to two misdemeanor harassment charges. He’ll have to pay a $2,500 fine and do 100 hours of community service. He’s to report to jail January 6th and should be out by March 11th. Mayweather is scheduled to fight in Las Vegas on May 5th.
How do you lose $15 million? Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife Nicole has lost all the money she got in their divorce settlement. How did that happened? Well, her former financial manager stole $7 million; she lost a $5 million home; she had a $60,000 landscaping bill; she owed $600,000 thousands to her lawyers; and $836,000 to the I.R.S. She and Murphy had 5 children together, and she is currently dating former Football Star Michael Strahan. Nicole has a very interesting relationship with Strahan. A couple of years ago, he put a tracking device in her car and caught her cheating, but he stayed anyway…hmmmmmmmmmmm!
Terrence Howard is fighting back after allegations came out about his abusing his second wife Michelle Ghent. Howard says Ghent started out loving and gentle then turned into a racist monster. He says she threatened to have him killed, and that she would call him monkey and the n-word. He says she hated black people. He also says she once attacked him with a bottle when she saw him talking to other women. Howard says her jealousy issues destroyed their marriage. A hearing is set for January 17th. His latest movie, Red Tails, about the Tuskegee Airmen opens in theatres January 20th. Famed Director George Lucas is the film’s producer.
Meanwhile, speaking of the Kardashians, published reports claims they are endorsing and selling products manufactured in foreign sweatshops, where workers as young as sixteen are abused and imprisoned. A human rights watchdog organization has launched an investigation into America’s top reality family. Last year, the Kardashians made $65 million with their products. The sweatshop workers reportedly made $1 dollar an hour.
Blair Underwood is coming out with a signature men’s suit line. The BU Collection will be sold exclusively at the K&G Fashion Superstores. This spring, Underwood makes his Broadway debut in A Street Car Named Desire.
Rap’s favorite hype man has landed another reality show. Flavor Flav will be starring in Celebrity Wife Swap. Flav, 52, was recently ordered to attend drug counseling classes following a recent arrest. He was caught with drugs and was driving with parking violations and no insurance.
Janet Jackson is the new spokesperson for Nutrisystem. She talks about her weight challenges and she looks amazing in the commercials.
Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson may have to testify in court about the 2008 murder of her mother, brother and nephew. A trial has been set for February. Hudson’s brother-in-law William Balfour has been charged in connection with the deaths, and he has pleaded not guilty to charges of first degree murder.
Former Football Star Deion Sanders and his beautiful wife Pilar are divorcing after 11 years of marriage and three kids. Sources say Sanders is mad because Pilar wants to pursue a TV career, and he’s having trouble keeping up with his beautiful wife.
R Kelly wants to give us more Trapped In The Closet. Kelly says he has written 32 more chapters of the Trapped songs, but he needs financial backing to turn it into a series. In 2007, Kelly made a 22-part series of Trapped In The Closet, and it was a big hit.
NeNe Leakes is going primetime. The Real Housewives Of Atlanta Star is joining the cast of the FOX TV show Glee. She is going to play a recurring role as a swim coach.
Get ready for the stage musical The Gate Called Straight with a new location and times. Stephanie Mills is directing and BeBe Winans will be appearing in some performances as the dad. The Gate Called Straight is a gospel adaptation of The Wiz, and is playing at Sharon Baptist Church, 3955 Conshohocken Avenue on January 11th and 12th. For more information go to thegatecalledstraight.com or urbantix.com.