This past December, when the country was distracted by healthcare reform and the awarding of questionable nobel peace prizes, a bill quietly passed the US House of Representatives that flies in the face of one of the most basic tenants that the Unites States was founded on. Introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (pictured left), H.R. 2278 would allow the US to classify any satellite provider that carries broadcasts deemed by the government to be of a terrorist nature as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” and to “consider implementing other punitive measures”. Additionally it says that as a policy the US should “urge” governments and investors to oppose transmitting “terrorist” networks. The bill passed with only 3 dissenting votes and has been sent to committee in the Senate for consideration.

When I first read this bill a chill shot down my spine. I find it utterly repulsive that a bill that instructs the government to limit free speech would even be penned by anyone who took an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States”, even more so by the fact that it passed almost unanimously. Worse still is how vague the language of the bill is. Who is to decide what is a “terrorist” broadcast and what is not. There is nothing to stop the government from labeling any broadcast that is opposed to US foreign policy as “terrorist”. Simply carrying these “terrorist” broadcasts allows the US to label satellite carriers as terrorist organization and/or take “other punitive measures” against them. Does this mean the US will use foreign governments or private contractors to attack networks that will not block broadcasts that are not US approved like we are currently doing to other terrorist organizations overseas? The bill also contains an edict to “urge” investors with the ability to influence what broadcasts the networks carry to block anti-US stations. Will this “urging” be at the barrel of a gun with investors facing being labeled a terrorist, or worse?

As much as I don’t want to be the target of a terrorist action, I am a firm believer in free speech. If someone hates the US with every fiber of their being (and with the recent actions the US has taken it’s easy to see why), I believe they have the right to tell others about it and make their case in a public forum, regardless if they enjoy the protections of our Constitution or not. If this bill passes, it is a slippery slope that will lead to US broadcasts being labeled as terrorist for criticizing the government (we are already labeling US citizens as terrorists and marking them for assassination without trial) and the end of free speech. This bill needs to die before it even reaches the full Senate for a vote, so if your senator is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, please consider urging them to reject this outrageous affront to free speech.

Full Text of H. R. 2278

photo by cowbite

With sales of paper Chinese lanterns (or sky lanterns) soaring over the last two years in the UK, the National Farmers Union have expressed grave concern over the risk the lanterns pose to livestock. The simple lanterns, constructed of paper, wire and a candle, are often launched to mark special occasions and can fly many miles from where they are launched. This poses a risk to grazing animals that inadvertently ingest pieces of wire from lanterns that land in their fields. The House of Lords have taken up the cause and are moving to join several other nations, including Malta, Germany and Australia, that have already banned sky lanterns.

Since Chinese lanterns can fly very high, can move around erratically, and are silent, they are often confused for UFOs. The potential ban would eliminate these false sightings, a major boon for ufologists working in the UK. With the sheer number of UFO sightings reported every year (well over 4,000 sightings were reported to the National UFO Reporting Center in the US last year), any reduction in the possible number of sightings is a welcome relief to any serious researcher investigating the UFO phenomenon.

Call To Ban Chinese Lanterns To Protect Cows [via Real UFOs]

This past Sunday a fleet of approximately 30 UFOs was filmed flying in the skies over Acapulco, Mexico. Other than the video of the incident, little else is known about the sighting as no witnesses have come forward. From the audio, it seems that the group of people witnessing the event were honestly shocked and/or surprised by what they were seeing.

When I initially watched the video, I thought that the UFO fleet may be a bunch of balloons, but when you see a balloon floating across the sky you can usually tell that it is a ballon. No one in the crowd mentions balloons (that I can hear) and everyone seems to be surprised by the objects presence in the sky, which leads me to think this may be an actual UFO sighting. What do you think? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

UFO Fleet Over Acapulco, Mexico