Pat Ramsey

My letter to Representative John Carter regarding SOPA

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Congressman Carter,

I was disappointed to read on Propublica.org that you are in support of SOPA. I make my living building web sites. Prior to this I studied and worked in the print news industry. (Just to cap things off I am also a proud former Navy reservist & worked with digital technology onboard ships.)

I believe SOPA creates a problem that is nowhere near as problematic as its proponents claim. Rather, this is a subsidy to the MPAA and Hollywood with police powers. Publisher Tim O’Reilly wrote,

“As a publisher, I have a very deep experience here, and the fact is that piracy is not a significant problem. Yes, there are people who are pirating my books, there are people who are sharing links to places where they can be downloaded. But the vast majority of customers are willing to pay if the product is widely available and the price is fair. If you have a relationship with your customers, and they know you’re doing the right thing, they will support you.”

He is correct. People don’t buy movies from Hollywood like they used to when Hollywood is treating them (us) as criminals before any wrongdoing has happened.

Have you tried to play a Blu-ray lately? You are not able to skip straight to the movie. Rather, Hollywood has placed blocks mandating you see the red anti-priracy screen, then you have to watch each preview, then you have to wait for the menu to load. Then and only then do you get to see the movie that you bought. It’s no wonder Netflix and Amazon video are flourishing. It’s easier to watch a movie that way. If you piss off the people who want to give you money, they’ll soon find someone else to give their money to.

I think SOPA is the latest effort from old Hollywood to legislate subsidies for their sinking profits.

More:
http://gigaom.com/2012/01/13/tim-oreilly-why-im-fighting-sopa/
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/internet-regulation-and-the-economics-of-piracy.ars

The penalty aspect of SOPA is just downright evil and unconstituional. Rather than a day in court, SOPA would mandate a hosting provider remove a suspect site from the Internet before guilt has been established.

One, that’s a violation of due process and as such, is unconstitutional. It’s also a potential violation of free speech. Why support a bill that will fail a court test?

Two, the mechanics behind this action stand to break the Internet as we know it. Rather than a single, global free-flowing source of knowledge, there would be a Balkanized system of isolated webs disconnected from each other.

How does this help make the Internet safe and secure? SOPA mandates a methodology of filtering domain names be put into place. This is a risky proposition. You’re building, by law, a method that could eventually be compromised.

From Stanford Law Review:

“Under SOPA, IP rights holders can proceed vigilante-style against allegedly offending sites, without any court hearing or any judicial intervention or oversight whatsoever. For example, SOPA establishes a scheme under which an IP rights holder need only notify credit card companies of the facts supporting its “good faith belief” that an identified Internet site is “primarily designed or operated for the purpose of” infringement. The recipients of that notice will then have five days to cease doing business with the specified site by taking “technically feasible and reasonable” steps to prevent it “from completing payment transactions” with customers. And all of this occurs based upon a notice delivered by the rights holder, which no neutral third party has even looked at, let alone adjudicated on the merits. If they get the assistance of a court, IP owners can also prevent other companies from “making available advertisements” to the site, and the government can prevent search engines from pointing to that site.”

Rep. Carter, I am asking you to publicly withdraw your support for SOPA. As a registered Republican in your constuency, I believe it is your duty to do so.

Thank you for your elected service to this great nation. I look forward to your reply on this matter.

Pat Ramsey

Beer Bread

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  • 3 cups self-rising flour*
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 (12-ounce) can of beer
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease or spray a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Combine all ingredients, mixing well.
  3. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Makes 1 loaf.

*Or you may substitute with 3 cups all purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Pat’s Cottage Pie

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Here’s the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie: If it’s made with lamb, it’s shepherd’s pie. If it’s with beef or other meats, it’s cottage pie. Simple enough? Here’s my recipe for cottage pie.

Ingredients

  • 4 large russet potatoes (2 1/2 pounds)
  • 3 pounds ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large onions (1 pound total), chopped
  • 2 large garlic clove, smashed, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 large can Veg-all, drained
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (packed) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

Prepare the potatoes as you would for making mashed potatoes. Peel as needed, chop, place in pot. fill w/water to just above the potatoes & bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer till just soft, 10 to 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are simmering, brown the ground beef in skillet or pan. Breaking up and stirring till brown all the way through.

Heat oven to 500℉.

Drain the cooked beef. Move beef to a plate.

Add the olive oil to the pan, along with a pinch of salt. Sautee the onion and garlive till golden and tender. Add the meat back to the pan, along with the tomato puree and drained canned vegetables. Stir till the mixture is even.

Drain the potatoes when soft and tender. Return them to pot, adding the half-and-half, along with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the meat mixture in a 13 by 9 glass cake pan. Smooth it to a level surface. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Add the potatoes, spreading along the surface till the meat is almost completely covered. Drag the tines of a fork along the surface on potatoes to create grooves in the potatoes.

Bake for about an hour, till potatoes are golden.

Remove, let cool, eat.

Original recipe, Nan’s Shepherd’s Pie

 

Occupy South Park

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The Occupy movement’s nebulous, disorganized point seems to be centered around anger at corporate profits, pro-environmental stances, class warfare, and a push for redistribution of wealth.

South Park commented on the anti-corporate movement years ago, most pointedly in the “Die Hippie, Die” episode (season 9, episode 2).

Over the years, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been a great source of cultural criticism, producing many episodes that are pertinent to some of the claims made by #occupiers. I figured I’d make a quick list of these episodes: