China recognizes me as an unperson

Finally, I officially don't exist in the eyes of China! I've managed to be personally censored by the Great Firewall. Unfortunately, W3C is also a party to the censorship.

Obama's speech on race

Is it possible I'm starting to like -- not just tolerate -- a liberal Democrat who's good a good chance at being his party's next presidential candidate? I have to be careful. I know that before the campaign is over he'll say disappointing things, even things I'll hate. But for the moment I'll say that Obama's speech on race is one of the best things I've seen from a major political candidate in years.

The speech shows a high level of honesty. It would have been easier for him to repudiate Rev. Wright completely. Perhaps he should have. But he saw too much of value in him, for whatever reason, to reject him completely while repudiating his offensive statements. I respect that.

He recognizes that both black and white people have reason at times to be resentful. He talks about "taking full responsibility for our lives." He says that even those who face discrimination "must always believe that they can write their own destiny." He rejects the zero-sum view of society, saying instead that "your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams." He rejects "the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens," to cast himself as an inherent victim because of his race.

There are things I object to. He says, "Let us be our brother’s keeper." He attacks businesses that outsource jobs "for nothing more than a profit." (What does he think they're in business for?) He mentions things which are desirable, such as "better health care," but which he would pursue in the wrong way.

There's time enough to criticize him for these things. For now, I'm simply impressed at how well he got to the heart of the race issue. I expected him to be attacked as an "Uncle Tom" for his speech, but I may have overestimated the level of current American political discourse; the attacks on him look like mostly personal grievances based on pulling single sentences out of context. His honesty appears to have cost him in the polls; many people want pettiness, and Clinton is the clear winner in that department. But I won't worry about that. Not just yet.

FBI uses fake porn links for entrapment

Apparently there aren't enough criminals to keep the FBI busy; Declan McCullagh reports that it's putting out fake child porn links, then arresting anyone who clicks on them. People with open wireless connections might also get arrested when others connecting through their machines take the bait.

China blocks Google News

China's government has been blocking Google News for the past ten days in order to avoid letting its people know about its actions in Tibet, which are starting to look like a full-scale military occupation. Given that Google recently caved in to Pakistan and removed a YouTube video, just as it groveled before Thailand's king last year, I wouldn't be surprised if Google shows just as little courage in this case. They won't outright block news that's unfavorable to China, but they might find some less obvious way to make the Chinese rulers happy. Google already submits to news censorship in its Chinese edition.

Another warranty scam

I've received a postcard promoting a warranty scam, apparently not the same one I reported before. This one's a little more disturbing, in that the scammer has obtained the year and manufacturer of my car. Here's the text:

FINAL WARRANTY NOTICE
Call and Activate Now: 1-866-442-5552
Dear Valued Customer,
This card is to notifyyou that this is your FINAL NOTICE to extend or reinstate your warranty on your vehicle. Please call us immediately with your exact mileage. This is your FINAL chance to renew your warranty and requires your prompt attention.

There is no return address; the card shows they're sending mail using Permit No. 1731 out of Chicago.

A web search on the phone number turned up this post, which mentions the same operation in the comments, along with other warranty scams. Apparently this has become a popular way to defraud people.

Related links:

• Car warranty scam targets seniors
• Conn. Attorney General warns of extended warranty scam

Voting machine fraud investigation

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation has seized voting machines in Franklin County, Ohio, in an investigation of possible voting machine fraud. Franklin County includes Columbus and Dublin.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner reported that the candidate Jay Perez appeared as "Candidate withdrawn" on her electronic ballot last November, but appeared on some other people's ballots. Perez had in fact withdrawn, after the ballots had been finalized. A preliminary analysis suggests that the internal audit capability of the machines was intentionally turned off, and that the election board did not properly test the machines.

If the charges are confirmed, this will be one of the clearest cases on record of election fraud through manipulation of insecure electronic voting machines.

Update: In other news, Sequoia Voting Systems' legal threats have made New Jersey cancel a planned security test of its voting machines. More here.

Sequoia doesn't want its systems tested

Ed Felten reports that Sequoia Voting Systems has threatened legal action if its voting machines are subject to independent testing.

That's strong evidence that Sequoia knows its machines are untrustworthy.

Come to think of it, I could have titled this post "Intimidation by Incomprehensibility" too.

Intimidation by incomprehensibility

Usually Old West Church in Boston has fairly innocuous statements on its signs. Yesterday, though, it had a sign with a blatantly anti-reason sentiment: "A God you understood would be less than yourself."

This is the perfect answer to any objection. You don't understand how a good God could order the massacre of the population of Jericho or drown nearly the whole population of the world? It doesn't make sense to you that a merciful deity would command the death penalty for minor offenses? You don't see how killing God's innocent son pays for the death of the guilty? The fact that it doesn't make sense just shows how much greater God is than you are. Stop asking questions.

Like Tertullian, Old West Church expects you to believe religious mumbo-jumbo because it is absurd.

Rush Limbaugh endorses Clinton

You can't make this stuff up.

Conservative radio giant Rush Limbaugh said on Fox News on Feb. 29 that he was urging conservatives to cross over and vote for Clinton, their bête noire nonpareil, "if they can stomach it."
 
"I want our party to win. I want the Democrats to lose," Limbaugh said. "They're in the midst of tearing themselves apart right now. It is fascinating to watch. And it's all going to stop if Hillary loses."
 
He added, "I know it's a difficult thing to do to vote for a Clinton, but it will sustain this soap opera, and it's something I think we need."
 
Limbaugh's exhortations seemed to work. In Ohio and Texas on March 4, Republicans comprised 9 percent of the Democratic primary electorate, more than twice the average GOP share of the turnout in the earlier contests where exit polling was conducted. Clinton ran about even with Obama among Republicans in both states, a far more favorable showing among GOP voters than in the early races.

If Clinton is the next president because of Limbaugh, I'm going to be really annoyed.