The United States of America turns 233 today (July 4th, 2009). On this Day of Independence, let us visit the truth. We are often referred to as ‘The Great Experiment’ where people of all nations come to live in peace and prosperity in one great melting pot. This is our narrative.

In our reality, this ‘great experiment’ is simply continuing humanities one true quest. From the beginning of recorded time we have striven for one great capability, a set of answers or mechanism that will facilitate our ultimate goal. This is the goal of us all. The goal that transcends boundaries, sexes, races and time. It is the reason behind every organized religion and every government.

The goal is simple… to control others.

Every citizen’s life is one data entry in the ongoing experiment to discern the most reliable, effective and efficient institutions, mechanisms and methodologies to control all varieties or humans regardless of culture, race or personal capabilities for the next thousand years.

So while you are enjoying your Independence Day BBQ, the game on TV or gossiping with friends you haven’t see in a while, take a moment and think about the following:

If you suddenly had no money or property, what would you still be free to do?

How can we pursue personal wealth while others starve to death?

What does your soul crave and what is keeping you from it?

Are there truths you see but are afraid to share?

Beside work, food, texting, television and breeding; why does humanity exist?

With the current passing of so many participants in the shared experience; Neda Soltan, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson & Billy Mays, one can’t help but have an interest in how the population is reacting. Below are two graphs created by utilizing search statistics from Google Trends. The first graph plots the keywords; “neda soltan”, “ed mcmahon”, “farrah fawcett” & “michael jackson” from June 20th (Neda’s murder in Iran) to July 3rd (today).  The second graph adds the keyword “billy mays” for the same time frame.

Neda’s death on June 20th starts the cycle but is interrupted by Ed McMahon’s death on June 23rd.  Even though Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson both died on June 25th, Farrah Fawcett’s search queries were over three-times Mr. Jackson’s.

Billy Mays scored a 6700 for a peak search on Google vs. 655 for Mrs. Fawcett, 139 for Mr. Jackson, 132 for Mr. McMahon and finally 184 for Neda Soltan.  Billy Mays scored over five-times the search query scoring of the others.  With the weekend approaching and the July 4th holiday now upon us, one can clearly see the attention of the population shift elsewhere. Timing is everything. May they all rest in peace.

In a court case involving the establishment of a ruling council and set of stringent copyright rules that included a possible penalty of Internet disconnection, a French court has ruled that Internet access is a ‘Basic Human Right’. This ruling stands as a landmark decision in the support and defense of Net Neutrality.  We congratulate the French for their foresight into the information needs of humanity in the twenty-first century.

“The law was supported by the industry and many artists. They saw it as a model for the USA and Europe in the fight to keep earning a living from their music and film. Net libertarians saw it as the creation of a sinister Big Brother. Many called it technically unworkable. Some artists saw it as hostile to the young consumers who are their main customers.

The Socialist opposition appealed to the council on the grounds that the constitution was breached by the creation of an extra-judicial agency with powers to punish internet offenders.

The council, which includes two former presidents and is usually seen as elderly and out-of-touch, gave the Left more than it was hoping for.

Les sages – the wise men – as the council is known, took the teeth out of the law. They ruled that “free access to public communication services online” is a right laid down in the Declaration of Human Rights, which is in the preamble to the French constitution. It also said the law breached privacy by enabling the HADOPI agency to track people’s internet activity.

It agreed that the law reached the separation of powers because if gave an administrative authority power to impose justice. And to boot, it violated the presumption of innocence because alleged pirates would be cut off without being able to defend themselves, the council said.” Top French court rips heart out of Sarkozy internet law [London Times Online].

[Click to read Top French court rips heart out of Sarkozy internet law at timesonline.co.uk]

A new generation of sophisticated young Lebanese are holding their leaders accountable by using the Internet and computer based digital video recorders (the same computer DVR’s that no longer work with subscription television in the US). Danny Moussa (18), and some thirty of his friends spend their time watching 24-hour, subscription cable news and recording examples of politicians they find politically offensive. They then edit the video together with supporting evidence complete with commentary (think Comedy Central’s Daily Show) and upload online. This has made quite a name for Mr. Moussa who’s website ranks 28th in traffic from Lebanon according to Alexa. View the video below, courtesy [Channel 13] via [WorldFocus] via [AlJazerra].