28. February 2008 by admin.

Recently, the law giving the Federal Government expanded powers to listen to your phone conversations, read your emails, and monitor your electronic communications expired. Be happy.

President Bush has said repeatedly this will leaves America more vulnerable to terrorist attack. At best, he’s wrong. At worst, he’s fearmongering.

His administration has told us the telecommunications companies were refusing to allow new surveillance requests.  They have had to retract that statement and admit cooperation is continuing without disruption.

The facts are any investigation that is currently ongoing can continue without interruption until August. And any new eavesdropping can take place under the old rules, where the Justice Department need only get a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court. Under these rules, the Justice Department has 3 days to get a warrant after they have begin listening to the suspect’s communications. And while not a rubber stamp, the FISA court has approved almost all warrant requests put before it.

There is a new bill before the House which would put remove many, if not most, of the strictures under the traditional FISA laws permanently. The Bush Administration is adamant about getting this law passed. With such a compliant court, why the need for the new law?

To protect the telecommunication companies that violated your rights.

A variety of telecom companies allowed the government wide access to their system traffic without a warrant or court order, allowing the government to illegally troll through the communications of any American citizen without probably cause. This was against the law. The telecom companies are now facing dozens of lawsuits from people seeking redress for the telecoms’ collusion in this clandestine activity. The new eavesdropping law contains a provision granting the telecoms retroactive immunity for allowing this spying. In essence, the government wants to give the telecoms a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card.

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell has said on NPR’s ‘Weekend Edition’ news show that the telecoms did nothing illegal.  As such, there should be no need for the retroactive immunity.  If the actions taken by the telecoms were lawful, then let the legal process work.  The the suits have no basis, they should, and will be dismissed.  If, however, there was a legal breach, the phone companies deserve to be held responsible for failing in their duty.  Civil, and even criminal, penalties should be assessed as appropriate.

We are a nation in danger.  But giving up the freedoms that make us a target is not a path to safety.

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28. February 2008 by admin.

PBN is following its normal schedule, and Notsferatu has been updated.  Nots is also now listed by chapters, to make it easier to follow the serialization.

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21. February 2008 by admin.

Reasonably big developments over at Ontheblob.net: the Paper Bag Ninja is now officially started, and will be updated (roughly) every Monday and Thursday. Notsferatu is updated, see what happens when everyones favorite geek vamps try their first night out on the town; I also published the adventures of the Paycheck Gnome and his wacky travels and travails as he globetrotted around the world. Email contact information is posted, so if you have something you’ve been dying to say to me, now’s your chance!

This blog that’s going to make people mad? It’s coming. It just took a lower priority.

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15. February 2008 by admin.

I have the first probably third of Notserfuratu posted under Library at OntheBlob.net. Geeks and vampires, never the twain shall meet. Until now.

In the next few days I will write a post designed to anger and annoy. It’s too early in the morning now to percolate the thoughts properly.

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14. February 2008 by admin.

Welcome to my vanity project.

Given the breadth of the Internet today, it is the height of hubris to believe that any new website will get noticed, much less become successful. And even if a site catches the imagination of the public, our genetic attention span seems better suited to the latest celebrity trainwreck than long term interests.

So, how am I going to maintain the interest of you, my gentle reader?

I’m going to give entertain you, amuse you, give you quality content you won’t find anywhere else, and I’m going to piss you off.

Sorry, that last line should have read: I’m going to ask you to think.

And I challenge you to do the same for me. Post your comments below. While you can say what you want, I reserve the right to delete posts I feel are deleterious to the flow of ideas.

The Web is a rough place, and if you can’t hold your own, you should play somewhere else. But this does not mean we need abandon all decorum. Therefore, some ground rules: 1) Flamewars only illuminate a person’s ignorance and immaturity; 2) Feed a cold, starve a Troll; 3) Remember, your grandmother may read this.

Let’s Go!

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14. February 2008 by admin.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »