same as it ever was.

[scottopic]

Oopsie, we tap into the communications of non-terrorist 'mericans, too! But all that matters is we have been authorized to do anything we want. (thanks forestdweller)

I cannot believe that I've actually heard and read arguments along the lines of "well, if you aren't doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about" when it comes to government invasion of privacy.
"The Point" and these people are so far apart, light takes centuries to travel between the two.
This explains much - the information they're processing is circa 1306.

This is not a Lameocrat vs. Repugnican argument. This is an outrage. Oh, the scrollbar is over there -->

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In other news, I get a weird image every time I read a headline such as:
"UN Staff flees Cartoon Riots"
I keep envisioning Scooby and Daffy throwing rocks through windows, stealing televisions, as Goofy burns this motherfucker down.

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One of my co-workers wrote a book. It is funny. It was based on the collaborative efforts of a website he runs with thousands of active users — he'd write 4-5 chapters, they'd vote on which one would be published, and after 3 years...a book!
Check out
Mentally Incontinent
It's gross, disturbing, off-color and 90% true.

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I very rarely do the whole birthday thing in Elljay, since I worry over leaving someone out, but hey -
Andrew the unrepentant - happy birthday, man. We will drink soon, and you will get both your Christmas present and you're 'hey, you were born' present soon, I promise. Have a good one.

Comments

[scottopic.livejournal.com]

the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the publicthe other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public the other two branches of government and disclosure to the public <-- bingo.

The ability to use surveillance is key, no doubt. But the guidelines are already laid out. Puncturing the field surrounding our rights for expediency is yet another dreadful move by an increasingly dreadful government.

[chapel-of-words.livejournal.com]

If you're interested (or bored) do research re: Ashcroft on this issue. I've seen a few not very well reported inferences that Ashcroft was approached with this plan (some say while he was sick in a hospital) and turned it down concerned it was not legal. Mewonders if there was some reason in him leaving his position and Gonzales taking it related to this.

Not to be Dan Brown conspiracy or anything but I think Jesus made Bush do it.

Tim C.

[scottopic.livejournal.com]

I could see it either way. I think Ashcroft was deluded. Gonzales seems more of a schemer.

You leave Dan out of this!

All that was old...

[bcarruth.livejournal.com]

Just like He-man and transformers, these fantastic and bizarre entertainments of our childhood keep cropping up in new, repackaged forms.

1994? Echelon? AOL?
Anyone with me, here?

I'm just tickled that it's actually getting PRESS this time. In some ways, there's never been a worse time to go forward with mass surveilance: people are already watching for that "bridge too far". Last time a text parser and parameter search got applied to an e-mail chokepoint, it got a one-paragraph blurb...

...on an Australian news site.