Fatwas accepted here

We, the undersigned, agree that:

Liberty to express and discuss any issue including religion is a basic principle of a free society and human dignity.

Accepting free speech is an essential quality of free people.

Fear of free speech is the mark of one whose beliefs are weak or based on force.

...Because we so despise those who would use violence to silence others, and because we laugh at the thought that their voices speak for any power beyond their own weakness and fear of open talk, we hereby:

Request, invite, and laugh at the issue of a FATWA, CURSE, SPELL, or any other fancied ignominy that any enemy of human liberty may choose to place upon us.

Wanna join the party?  Go here and leave your name and URL in the comments.

h/t the original Fatwa-worthy one, and while you're there, read this too.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:09 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Good News for a change....

Chuck Z. posts his account of the Sooper Bowl here.  Thanks indeed to the wonderful folks from Soldiers Angels who made it possible for Chuck to watch his beloved "Stillers" beat the Seahawks!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:59 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Oh the Irony

Journalist and Blogger Michael Yon has consistently been one of the most strident voices in support of our Troops and the marvelous things they do in Iraq that don't get reported elsewhere.

You know the old saying don't sh*t where you eat?  Well, it looks like the Army is doing just that.

You may remember that Michael took this picture of a US soldier cradling a young Iraqi girl in his arms.  This picture was even nominated as one of Time Magazine's Best Pictures of 2005.  However, the Army released the photo on its own initially, without Michael's permission and under the false attribution "AP/US Army".

Since last fall, Michael has been trying to claim the rights to his own photograph, including any compensation the Army recieved for its publication, and has been denied.

According to the Boston Herald, the Army is denying his claim based on their assertion that the

""hold harmless" waiver that [he signed at the ouset of his trip] absolved the government of responsibility for any "injury" Yon might suffer as an embedded blogger.
    The army also said that Yon uploaded his photo onto government computer servers, creating an "implied license" agreement for the Army to distribute the photo.
     Yon, who's become something of an online celebrity because of his vivid battle dispatches from Iraq, said the Army's arguments are "preposterous". The injury waiver applies to physical wounds, not copyright infringements, he said.
    He added he gave the Army permission to use the photo for purely internal purposes."

Michael Yon has consistently supported our troops and brought their stories to light out of his own pocket, having recieved no compensation for his time in Iraq, funding his trips to the Middle East on his own.  By denying Michael his due compensation for this photograph, the Army is, ironically enough, shooting themselves in the foot by preventing one of their best weapons in the battle of public opinion from reloading.

If you support Michael and his mission, link this post or these posts, and tell his story.  Write your congresspeople and senators, too.  Especially if you are a Massachussetts resident, like Michael.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:55 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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