Aldoblog

“You believe in believing in God far more than you believe in God.”

— Episcopalian bishop and author John S. Spong, describing religious fundamentalism

Money. Funny, and true. Be sure your audio is turned on before viewing.

When I was a kid we got a VCR with an early model remote control — with a wire! (This obviously dates me.) When watching movies, the kids would want to fast-forward past the FBI warnings, and our father would make us stop.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been posting a lot fewer political items here. It’s not because I think things are looking up, but because I think they’re looking worse and worse. I decided that trying to keep up would (a) be a lost cause, and (b) make this blog terribly boring (not that it isn’t anyway).

About 45 years tardy, one of our nation’s courts ruled that adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance turns it into a state-sponsored (or -mandated) prayer, and therefore makes it un-Constitutional. The fact is, any time Congress is voting to add the word “God” to anything, it’s probably a violation of the separation of church and state.

I have a sure-fire way to end all this suicide bombing. Israel could be the first nation to legally require that all residents go nude, all the time, in public.

I’m convinced that only a structural remedy can successfully address Microsoft’s unrepentant behavior and resolve the guilty verdict in the Microsoft antitrust trial. Dave Winer wondered if bloggers could come up with ideas. I have one: make them pay a shareholder dividend. A biiiiiig dividend.

Not all of the concepts in this classic story scale well to a larger society, but the most powerful one — F.-I.W. — is essential (in measured amounts), even if Dumbya and John Ashcroft would tell us otherwise.

A CNet article covers customer resistance to Microsoft licensing changes that result in substantial price increases, which drives home how consumers really are harmed by Microsoft’s illegal exercise of their monopoly power.

“Given the lack of public outcry about these shameful laws and rulings, I’m beginning to wonder if very many of you care about your rights. Do you?”