What's all the Furor over SOPA/PIPA?

Over the past couple of days, you may have heard about SOPA and PIPA and have heard that WIKIPEDIA went dark for 1 day in protest of the bills. The Internet search engine giant, Google, placed a blackout across its name on its main search page.

You may be asking what is all the furor over.

First, let us look at the basics. SOPA stands for "Stop Online Piracy Act". It is US House Bill 3261. The sister legislation in the US Senate, HR 968, is called "PROTECT IP Act" (PIPA).  The full name is "Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011".

Both bills do essentially the same thing. They shut down access to illegal web sites that may be enfringing on copyrights. However, the bills may go too far and provide the government with more power over the Internet.

I found this wonderful video by Khan Academy that breaks down the bills and explains why people are upset.

Need Photo ID to Buy Drain Cleaner

A new Illinois state law now requires individuals to show a state-issued photo ID and sign a log in order to purchase drain cleaner or other caustic chemicals.

In answer to two incidents in which two women were attacked and had drain cleaner poured on them, the state legislature passed a law which requires the customer to show a photo ID and sign a log in order to purchase drain cleaner or caustic chemicals.

Non-compliance would result in a $150 fine for the first offense, $500 for the second and up to $1,500 for a third and subsequent violations.

Some stores estimate that as many as 30 products would have to be reported to the state when sold.

Washington DC Woman Fined for Not Recycling Cat Litter

Patricia White, a Dupont Circle resident, says that she has been fined eight times for not recycling her homemade cat litter. The fines total $2,000.

Instead of buying cat litter, White has been taking her old newspaper and junk mail and shredding them to make her homemade cat litter. She believed that she was helping the environment by reusing the paper and avoiding cat litter.

According to the Department of Public Works, the inspector who cited and fined White for not recycling her newspaper and junk mail admitted to going through her trash to find violations. White appealed the violations; however, Judge Audrey Jenkins agreed with with the inspectors.