Monthly Archives: December 2024


Now on Bandcamp: Beacons in the Darkness   Recently updated !

My latest album, Beacons in the Darkness, is now available on Bandcamp. It’s a living-room album, and I make no great claims for my vocal abilities, so payment is optional. It’s the songs themselves which I think have some interest. The title track, a secular solstice song, is one of my best songs, and it’s on the album in both English and German. Album cover for Beacons in the Darkness. Picture of a lighthouse. Text: Beacons in the Darkness / Songs by Gary McGath. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eiger%C3%B8y_fyrstasjon_28.09.2015_Super_m%C3%A5neform%C3%B8rkelse.jpg

You can find my other albums, likewise on a payment-optional basis, at garymcgath.bandcamp.com.


Trump reverses the meaning of censorship   Recently updated !

In Newspeak, freedom is slavery. In Trumpspeak, freedom of speech is censorship.

Brendan Carr, whom Trump wants to head the FCC, has declared his intent to “smash the censorship cartel” using the agency’s power. According to the Washington Times, “He is threatening the platforms with revocation of their federally granted immunity against content-based lawsuits.” He’s presumably referring to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, one of the few parts to survive legal challenges. It says that in general operators of websites that allow public posting of commentary can’t be held liable for what third parties post. Without it, website operators would have to keep a quick finger on the “Delete” button to keep potentially defamatory comments from showing up. They’d need to err on the side of caution. Many sites would probably find it easiest to eliminate the comments section.
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