by berkeleygrad [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Andrea Foster filed a story with The Chronicle of Higher Education that should send a chill down students' spines everywhere.

As if the recent spike in bogus copyright infringement lawsuits gushing out of the RIAA and MPAA wasn't enough, it looks like these organizations are taking their fight to California's state legislators.

More below the fold...
Here's Foster's lede:

Higher-education officials say that the entertainment industry is pushing for state laws that would force colleges to police their networks for illegal trading of music and video files and to buy software to stem the problem.

Lawmakers in Tennessee and Illinois recently considered such legislation, and a similar bill may be brewing in California, according to officials who spoke at a technology-policy conference here on Thursday.

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised they haven't tried something like this in California already - after all, the RIAA and MPAA practically own L.A....

Foster continues:

by shayera [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Nooses were found on the Cal State Fullerton campus this week. Attached to a display decrying intolerance.
Campus police are investigating the incident but they're not referring to it as a crime. There does not appear to be much information about who placed the nooses.

Campus police say they are investigating last week's incident as a "somewhat offensive" act but not a crime.

"It's a freedom of speech area and it wasn't directed toward any particular group," said campus police Lt. Fred Molina. "But we want to find who's doing this and why."

"A somewhat offensive act." Wow. I don't even know where to begin with that. There are a few things that could have made it more offensive. But putting at least 4 (from the picture accompanying the article) nooses in front of an exhibit promoting tolerance is extremely offensive.
According to the article, this is the third such act across college campuses this year alone.

The campus community held a rally denouncing racism and intolerance on Wednesday.