Bad Deeds for 2-12-2008

Conservatives in Saudi Arabia Ban All Things Red Ahead of Valentine’s Day = Saudi Arabia has asked florists and gift shops to remove all red items until after Valentine’s Day, calling the celebration of such a holiday a sin. Every year, officials with the conservative Muslim kingdom’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice clamp down on shops a few days before February 14, instructing them to remove red roses, red wrapping paper, gift boxes and teddy bears. On the eve of the holiday, they raid stores and seize symbols of love. “I think what they are doing is ridiculous,” said Al-Omran, who maintains the blog ‘Saudi Jeans.’ “What the conservatives in this country need to learn is something called ‘tolerance.’ If they don’t see the permissibility of celebrating such an occasion, then fine — they should not celebrate it. But they have to know they have no right to impose their point of view on others.” (Worldwide, Conservative seem to be the same. They may have slightly different wacky ideas, but they know that they are always right, you are wrong; so do as they tell you. – JLV)

Bank of America is Hiking Rates Based on No Apparent Reason – Some consumers are complaining that Bank of America (BAC) is hiking rates based on no apparent deterioration in their credit scores at all. The major credit-card lender in mid-January sent letters notifying some responsible cardholders that it would more than double their rates to as high as 28%, without giving an explanation for the increase, according to copies of five letters obtained by BusinessWeek. Fine print at the end of the letter—headed “Important Amendment to Your Credit Card Agreement”—advised calling an 800-number for the reason, but consumers who called say they were unable to get a clear answer.

The Telecoms Want to Take You Into the Matrix – Over the next few years, Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the next president will shape the internet for a generation. Down one path is a closed internet experience tightly controlled by a small handful of giant corporations. Down the other is the open internet, with all its possibilities.

Who wants you to swallow the blue pill? Meet the nation’s biggest telecom and cable companies, a cartel that dominates 99% of the US residential market for high-speed internet access. These firms — led by AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner — want to exploit their gatekeeper power to decide what you can do on the web.

That’s not what they say in their ubiquitous ads, of course. But watch their actions closely — or squint at the fine print in the terms of service — and you’ll get a glimpse of their plans. These companies are lobbying furiously to kill “network neutrality” — the longstanding principle that prevents them from discriminating against websites or services based on their source, ownership or destination.

Comcast was recently caught blocking users of file-sharing services, cutting off access to legal content — including a download of the King James Bible. Their “network management” is really just an attempt to undercut potential competitors in the video business, while avoiding sorely needed network upgrades.

Verizon censored text messages sent by Naral Pro-Choice America to its own members. Only after the incident appeared on the front page of the New York Times did Verizon correct its “glitch” and let the messages go through.

AT&T plans to “filter” content to ferret out pirated material on its networks. The company — the same one seeking retroactive immunity for spying on your phone calls — would use copyright protection as a Trojan horse to inspect everything travelling over its pipes and control how audio and video are distributed on the web.

Document Shows Army Blocked Help for Soldiers – Last year Army officials instructed representatives from the VA at Fort Drum not to help veterans with their disability paperwork because there was a “conflict of interest.” Soldiers that get help from the VA tend to get higher disability ratings…which means that the government owes them more money. And within the Bush administration’s corporate worldview, that just doesn’t work. After all, there are contractors to pay. Tell Secretary of the Army Geren that this is not acceptable and sign our petition today. More

Where Was Senator McCain on Clean Energy? – When the Senate passed a version of the economic stimulus bill that did not include important clean energy incentives. While Senator McCain voted for the final version, he missed the crucial vote that would have kept the clean energy provisions in the bill. Last Wednesday, one vote prevented the Senate from advancing an economic stimulus package that included important clean energy incentives–a key addition to the package passed by the House last week. Call Senator McCain (202-224-2235) and ask him why he failed to show up for a vote that could have determined the future of green energy in America.

Regards,

Jim