9/11 Mystery Plane Spurs Conspiracy (Plus Video)

The events surrounding 9/11 have prompted one of the fastest growing conspiracy movements in American history (perhaps even set to eclipse the conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination in scope and popular interest). Adding fuel to this fire is a new CNN report on the "mystery plane" -- a Boeing 747 identified as the E-4B, the National Airborne Operations Center -- that flew over the White House on Sept. 11.

Conspiracy theorists say the airplane is proof that the government coordinated the attacks (that raises the question: why then would the government do something so obvious as to fly the "attack coordination" aircraft over the White House). Complicating attempts to refute such theories is that the government apparently won't confirm this is the E-4B, or to explain why it was flying over the White House on 9/11.

Source: CNN

Facebook Founder Loses Court Battle Against 02138 Magazine

A federal judge ruled against Facebook Inc. on Friday, denying two emergency motions to force 02138 magazine to take down documents regarding Mark E. Zuckerberg, the company’s founder.

The documents—which included Zuckerberg’s Harvard College application, his personal diary, and an e-mail he wrote to the College’s Administrative Board—are evidence in an ongoing court battle between Facebook and ConnectU, a social networking site founded by Harvard students who employed Zuckerberg before he went on to found Facebook.
The ConnectU founders allege that Zuckerberg, formerly of the Class of 2006, stole their ideas, including some of the source code for their site.

In the copy of the diary that is posted on the magazine’s Web site, Zuckerberg detailed potential features for the original Facebook, as well as how he would acquire the photographs and data for the first version.

“The Kirkland facebook is open on my computer desktop and some of these people have pretty horrendous facebook pics,” he wrote in a diary entry in October 2003, referring to the undergraduate House where he resided at the time. “I almost want to put some of these faces next to pictures of farm animals and have people vote on which is more attractive.”

Facebook argued that the documents were under court seal and should not have been released. The company’s lawyers notified 02138 on Thursday morning that they had filed the motions, giving the magazine less than two days’ notice to appear in court on Friday.

Bom S. Kim ’00—the founder of 02138, a magazine geared toward Harvard alums—said in a phone interview that the reporter who wrote the story about Zuckerberg simply walked into federal court and asked for the documents.

“We obtained them legally—it’s a matter of free speech,” Kim said. “This isn’t a new tactic—a big company trying to suppress information by harnessing their resources and lawyers to overwhelm media outlets.”

According to Kim, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock recognized 02138’s First Amendment right to publish the information.

“We were relieved and happy,” Kim said. “It’s a good day for journalism.”
Richard Bradley, the executive editor of the magazine, echoed Kim in an entry he posted on his blog, “Shots in the Dark.”

“[T]his is a victory for the ability of the American press to do its job,” Bradley wrote, “even when a $15 billion company brings its legal guns to bear on you.”

Representatives from Facebook did not respond to requests for comment

Source: thecrimson.com

Redskins Pay Respects at Sean Taylor Funeral

MIAMI, Dec. 3 -- Washington Redskins players, coaches and officials joined thousands of other mourners to pay their final respects to slain teammate Sean Taylor in a massive funeral service Monday at Florida International University's Pharmed Arena.

As the players filed into the 5,000-seat arena along with Taylor's friends, relatives and NFL players and dignitaries, two large screens showed highlights from the Pro Bowl free safety's football career, starting with clips from high school and scenes from his playing days at the University of Miami, where he helped lead the Hurricanes to a national championship in 2001.

At a vigil Sunday night at his alma mater, Taylor's girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, said he had been "planning to come back and attend school in January; it was his dream to graduate." Taylor was a first-round draft pick of the Redskins in 2004 and quickly earned a reputation as one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the NFL.

Among those attending Taylor's funeral were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and Coach Joe Gibbs. They were scheduled to offer tributes, along with Redskins tailback Clinton Portis, a University of Miami teammate of Taylor's; former Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington; and Taylor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

The group of current and former Redskins was joined by a large contingent from the Florida City, Fla., police department. Taylor's father, Pedro Taylor, is chief of police there.

Also attending was O.J. Simpson, the Hall of Fame running back who faces trial in Las Vegas on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping after a September incident involving two sports memorabilia dealers. Simpson told other attendees that he had encouraged his own alma mater, the University of Southern California, to recruit Taylor.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson accompanied Pedro Taylor into the arena. Garcia's uncle, actor Andy Garcia, was in a late-arriving group of family members who made their way into the arena as a choir sang gospel music.

Taylor, 24, died at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital on Nov. 27, a day after being shot in the upper thigh at his Palmetto Bay home during an apparent burglary attempt. The bullet struck his femoral artery, and he bled profusely before paramedics arrived on the scene. With him in his house at the time of the break-in were Garcia and their 18-month-old daughter. They were unharmed.

Police last week arrested four young men and charged them with unpremeditated murder in the case. Authorities said the men did not know that Taylor was home when they broke into the house and that one of them shot Taylor when he surprised them.

The funeral was held a day after another in a series of tough losses by the Redskins, this one a 17-16 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills on a last-minute field goal. The team is scheduled to play again on Thursday against the Chicago Bears.

Thousands of fans paid tribute to Taylor at Sunday's game, many of them sporting jerseys or towels with his No. 21 on them. All stadiums around the league observed a moment of silence to honor Taylor, and players wore stickers with his number on their helmets.

Source: Washington Post