Joel Luther

sym-pa-thy; n.
the fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, esp. in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling, compassion, or commiseration.

I was born in December 1992. Just a few months later, Jordan Chandler first accused Michael Jackson of molestation and sexual abuse.

From the time I was born, Michael Jackson was already a "tainted" public figure. I was only twelve when the People v. Jackson trial began. A large section of the public had turned against him, despite him being cleared of all charges. So much for "innocent until proven guilty."

It's with deep regret that I admit that I was one of the ones who had "turned against him." Despite never hearing his music, never watching one of his music videos, never watching one of his interviews, never researching the charities he devoted his life to, I blindly accepted everything the media told me.

On June 25, 2009, that changed. I bought several of his records, watched a few videos on YouTube, and researched the man himself. Despite everything I had been told, I learned that he was actually an extraordinary person. From his charitable efforts to his amazing music, Michael Jackson is one of the most influential men that has ever lived. His music has entertained and inspired countless people, and will continue to do so for generations to come. Unfortunately, it took his death for me to realize that.

So, it's with my deepest regrets, sympathies, and apologies, that I say goodbye to Michael Jackson. You will be missed.

censorship - n
cen-sor-ship
1. the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful or sensitive

If you're not aware, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) are currently sponsoring two bills (S.773 and S.778) which would give government access to private Internet data and the ability to "shut off the Internet" in order to "protect the people".

Naturally, bloggers and commentators, including myself, are pretty angry because of this, and I've just sent the following letter to Senators Rockefeller and Snowe. I strongly encourage you to contact them and senators from your state, encouraging them to vote against these un-constitutional bills.

Dear Senator Rockefeller/Snowe:

You're an idiot.

Oh, was that offensive to you? I presume that's exactly the type of speech that you're trying to block with S.773 and S.778, which would give government access to private Internet data and the ability to "shut off the Internet".

Not only are these bills major threats to our privacy, they are simply un-Constitutional (the Constitution, you know, the document that established our government?). If I may, let me point you to Amendment IV, ratified in 1791:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable search and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

It's really a great document, you should read it sometime.

Furthermore, S.773 and S.778 encourage government censorship. Let me again point you to the Constitution, this time referencing Amendment I:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Seriously, check it out one day.

The bills you are proposing violate both the first and fourth amendments. These bills call for unwarranted government access to private data (see Amendment IV) and threaten our right to free speech by granting the President the option to "shut off the Internet" and effectively censor anything he wishes. Are you aware of the situation in China, where people are persecuted for speaking out against their government? Is that what you wish for in the United States?

Send me to jail, I guess, because I simply cannot and will not stand for these actions, and strongly encourage you to drop your sponsorship of these bills.

These bills include the phrase: "without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." Newsflash: you can't just "disregard" this country's founding document, which you swore to uphold and protect.

Kind regards,

Joel Luther

Holy friggin crap.

What you're looking at is the view from a piece of land my family is getting ready to sell - which happens to be the highest point in the county. My mom and her brother inherited half from their parents, and her aunt owns the other half. It's 16 acres of land and we're asking $100,000, so we expect to get about $20,000 from the whole deal...

The downside is that it's completely landlocked, which limits the potential buyers to ... the surrounding owners. Ah well.

The view is fantastic.