But he comes across as absolutely tone-deaf to the abusive potential of communications monitoring and “aggressive” interrogations. He’s alienated powerful Democrats in Congress by jerking them around over FISA, the surveillance act. His excuse is that he’s inexperienced in politics.

Sorry, Admiral, but that doesn’t cut it. When you’re proposing measures that have the potential to invade the privacy of ordinary citizens, and tar the good name of this country by associating it with abuse, you’d better get into “politics”—otherwise known as accountability. “Give me what I want or the terrorists will get you” is not sufficient.

Still, they’ve been doing this shit to the rest of the world for ages with ECHELON.

Let me just say that no-one has nothing to hide. If you’ve ever sent a sexy email to your boy/girlfriend; if you’ve ever ordered anything from a shop; if you’ve ever given advice to a friend in confidence. Think how you’d feel if that geeky guy down in IT read through all of those things. If I were so inclined - and the Bush regime is so inclined - I have blackmail material on lots of people now.

Richard Gadsden -

Which is pretty much the point I made in an email I sent out to my family and friends - especially my Republican family and friends, advising them that since I email them and they email me the government can now read their email. I asked them if they felt comfortable knowing that if they gave advice to a friend about their child’s drug use could now be in the hands of the government, or they sought advice due to infidelity, or that email they sent to their spouse about that sexy night they had planned.

I also pointed out for those of them that might ask “what good does that information due the government?” that since the VA Tech shootings we now know the government is keeping a database of everyone in the US who is taking anti-depressants, what good is that information to the government and why do they need it?

I hate doing this; you end up finding out all sorts of personal information that you never wanted to know.

I know what you mean. I don’t know how many times I’ve told people at work that they legally have no right of privacy in work email or in use of the network, as it is business communications and subject to being read by the employer. No one routinely monitors anything, but the point is if the folks upstairs suspect anything detrimental to business concerns is occurring, no one is going to come ask you if they can monitor your email.

It’s amazing when you hear about dolts doing things like running pr0n FTPs from their work server and wondering why they get busted.

And yes, our utilities are state owned.

the email thing however, is vile

I hate doing this; you end up finding out all sorts of personal information that you never wanted to know.

Let me just say that no-one has nothing to hide. If you’ve ever sent a sexy email to your boy/girlfriend; if you’ve ever ordered anything from a shop; if you’ve ever given advice to a friend in confidence. Think how you’d feel if that geeky guy down in IT read through all of those things. If I were so inclined - and the Bush regime is so inclined - I have blackmail material on lots of people now.

Do you have a battery powered nebulizer? My aunt had one for when they traveled over seas and I am getting one for the same reason.

One of the reasons I’m practically homebound is that my asthma gets worse when the temp is over 75 degrees. This is apparently the “kill a bunch of people” bill. At least while I’m living in the SMUD electricity district I know they will have some kind of medical exception, but I’m not exactly trusting PG & E, which I will have after I move.
Guess I’d better start writing to the legislature.