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Gone, But Not Forgotten? What The Internet Will Look Like Under SOPA Fearsgiving Week Jesus Approves of Waterboarding Beware of Asteroids 
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D-oh! and Banning BooksThursday, Oct. 05, 2006 11:00 AMAmid the wailing and gnashing of teeth that is the GOP's response to the Mark Foley problem, several news outlets ��beginning with our Fair & Balanced friends at FOX News Channel ��have identified not only Mark Foley, but Dennis Hastert as Democrats. (The Hastert misidentification came by way of Associated Press.) As someone who used to run Chyron for live newscasts, I fully understand that mistakes happen. I've made a few myself. But I'd like to think that there's still somebody exercising their little grey cells back there. If you don't know, look it up. It's not that hard. (In fact, with the internet, it's easy. Go to the FirstGov website and look for the list of current representatives.) Otherwise, the adjectives that come to mind are partisan, lazy, and stupid. On the other hand, clueless comes to mind in the case of Alton Verm, a parent who has issues with the language and content of a book that was assigned to his daughter's high school class. Verm describes the book as being full of filth. It discusses being drunk, smoking, refers to the Bible, and takes God's name in vain. The book? Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Said title derived from the temperature at which paper burns. Book burning is a state-sponsored activity in the novel, along with themes of censorship and the dissemination of knowledge. Verm would be right at home, it seems. Verm apparently isn't alone � someone mentioned that there's a woman trying to get the Harry Potter books banned because they teach the Wicca religion. Remember, fear makes you stupid. In this case, it shows that these people wouldn't know Wicca if it was on their breakfast plates. The new futon frame was delivered and assembled. Many thanks to Mary, Dianne, and Terry from Mary's Futons in San Rafael.
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