The BBC has a timely reminder about “free speech”: Blogger arrests hit record high

More bloggers than ever face arrest for exposing human rights abuses or criticising governments, says a report.

Since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for publishing their views on a blog, says the University of Washington annual report.

In 2007 three times as many people were arrested for blogging about political issues than in 2006, it revealed.
…

The report pointed out that it is not just governments in the Middle East and East Asia that have taken steps against those publishing their opinions online. In the last four years, British, French, Canadian and American bloggers have also been arrested.

The report predicted that the number of blogger arrests in 2008 would exceed the 36 seen in 2007 thanks to greater popularity of blogging as a medium, greater enforcement of net restrictions, and elections in China, Pakistan, Iran and the US.

Our corporate owners don’t like it when “little people” get uppity and start acting like they are allowed to speak their minds.

You may have heard that Moqtada al Sadr has said that his organization won’t be participating in the up coming elections in Iraq.

McClatchy reports that that is technically true but it doesn’t mean they will not have candidates that they support in the election.

In a related note, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party notes a request for information about forming a foreign version of the party from a Mr. M. Sadr of Najaf, Iraq. 😈

It isn’t a lake or a swamp this time, but Orlando’s WKMG reports on Florida’s latest brush fire:

“Officials said the wildfire is burning in a wetlands area of Clermont and no homes have been threatened.”

If they start drilling off the coast we might be able to watch the Gulf of Mexico burn.

Oh, contrary to the propaganda of drilling advocates, there were, indeed, oil spills from broken underwater pipelines after Katrina. The pumps were shut down and there are check valves on the pipes, but crude oil leaked out. There were also major leaks from damaged storage tanks on shore.