A Sad Day In America

The FISA bill passed by a large margin openning loopholes where none were needed, loosing privacy protections and giving a immunity to Telecoms who knew that it was illegal, shit they’ve been handling wiretapping requests for 50 years, this law’s been on the books for 30.  Now it is easier to get blanket federal wiretapping warrant than it is to get a criminal case one.

I think I’ve lost all my faith in Congress now, are the courts the only place where the LAW exists?  Will there be no Rule of Law, anywere?

Update: Hooray for the ACLU, fight that bill!

and certainly not this

Article I

After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred representatives, nor less than one representative for every forty thousand persons, until the number of representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than two hundred representatives, nor more than one representative for every fifty thousand persons.

(mark)  enjoy your 6,000+ member HoR.  It’d make the current house look like a paragon of efficiency.

Can’t forget about this either

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Just a reminder

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Green Drazzi Kill Purple Drazzi

The mind is an interesting place.

Fantastic Article on Slate

The article is about a current court case involving “Obscene online viewing” and the community standards provision of the Obscenity stature.

Excerpt: “You could commit adultery in your fantasies, try bondage with your spouse in the bedroom, and sing about purity in church.”

(mark)  yeah this was a great bit.  I love Human Nature.  I miss the old formatting (though I understand that it was a huge amount of work).

Al Gore

The north pole is melting. What is interesting that I did not realise is that it is melting so fast.

Here’s why immunity passed

Well this explains it. It’s comforting to know that if I eventually have enough money, I’ll be able to do anything I want too.

(Tony): It’s not like it was an immense amount of money either, you could probably win more in a Class Act Privacy violation suit.  However, there is a glimmer of hope, Dodd delays vote.

The Whiskey of Mass Destruction, your DTRA money at work

I’m not sure if this is genius on the government’s part (free training videos) or incredibly stupid but now I want to watch.

(mark)  yeah, saw that.   Whiskey cam goes down, DHS immediately asks them to put it back up.  Whiskeymakers go “WTF?  Spying on our booze?”

Telco Immunity, again

passed easily. gods peolsi is a spineless waste of space.

rollcall: price, obviously, but space too, which is a bit of a shame. I don’t honestly expect any better of kilroy when she replaces price either. about the only good thing was the new england dems were unanimously against it. seriously though… ::headinhands::