My Take on the FBI Stuff
I do think that it is the intention of the US government to attempt to provide better protection for its citizens by giving the FBI easier access to information that could be used to prevent a large-scale terrorist attack. That's the intention. However, as HH suggests, I do think it could potentially lead to investigative authorities beginning to function as a sort of thought police...at the very least, reconstructing chat transcripts, e-mails, etc to build cases in a courtroom.
I for one am not at all opposed to this...that's where HH and I differ. I think people in the US are far too free...we are like spoiled children in that regard, whining when someone tries to impose a little discipline. If you were dumb enough to chat away on AOL IM or shoot e-mails back and forth (particularly mega-providers like Hotmail, Yahoo! and the like) regarding your drug habits, semi-criminal behaviors, etc, then you deserve to get nailed. For better or for worse, we have laws...laws which only become more arbitrary and biased when they are only minimally enforceable.
So I say enforce away. Read my mind and arrest me before I buy booze for that 19 year old chick. In fact, right now, I'm thinking about beating the guy in #305 with an ice skate. Come and get me.
Hey FBI, Search This!
So at first glance I thought, no big deal, the government is already surfing the Internet looking for clues to crimes. Then I thought, now they don't need a reason, they don't even need to be looking for something. In fact, what's to stop the feds from collecting all the information on the Internet? All the chat room conversations, all the email, all everything. They probably have the Cray supercomputers and all the storage space they need to perform the task. Now they can collect it and go back after a crime has been committed and search for information, or just search on people like you and me for the hell of it. I'm going to bet that very little impact will be made in preventing terrorism but many americans will have their privacy violated in the name of stopping some yahoos from planting a bomb somewhere. I'm not buying the terrorism ploy. Protecting our rights is far more important than protecting a bridge or a building. We've lost a lot more lives protecting the intangibles of freedom than we ever will to some idiotic terrorist.
Remember the Fouth Amendment to the Constitution: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
A stretch? Maybe, but why did they have to get approval before?
The Tale of the Funny Comedian
Chapter 1: Monty goes to see the comedian
One time there was a man named Monty.
He was in the mood to hear some jokes.
So he went to the comedy show featuring a comedian.
Chapter 2: Monty is late to the show and doesn't hear some of the jokes
Monty was at the show featuring a comedian.
He got there a little late because he got a phone call at 7:15.
When he got to the show it was hard to find a place to sit and the comedian had already started with his jokes.
He was not paying attention to the jokes and not many people were laughing.
Chapter 3: Monty leaves the comedian show
Monty was preoccupied throughout the show because a man was looking at him.
He felt awkward and left the comedy show because he was scared.
On his way home, he wasn't too disappointed because he didn't hear a lot of the jokes and no one was laughing.
He thought it was OK to leave the show because the comedian didn't tell many good jokes.
Chapter 4: A twist in the plot
Monty thought the comedian wasn't very good.
But he was wrong because the comedian was so funny the crowd forgot to laugh throughout the entire show.
The End(?)
Hardcore Songs VI
Unnamed Ditty. On the road presently, can't think of any words. Anyone want to give it a shot?
Hardcore Songs V
Less Dishes. Words taken from a cartoon on my refrigerator, author unknown. New sound card and sound editing software used.
Hardcore Songs IV
Three Weeks Home Alone, a song about Alice in Chains singer, Staley.
Hardcore Songs III
Song about being a punker in Salt Lake City in 1984 and
jamming econo.
Hardcore Songs II
Another song about being 15 and
homeless in Seattle.
Hardcore Songs
I've written and produced some songs. One about being
hassled by the SFPD and another about the plight of the
middle class. Just hut up and histen.
Stolen without permission from news.com.au
War stress wears out prostitutes
By Liza Kappelle AAP
02 May 2002
PERTH prostitutes were reeling from exhaustion following an influx of United States sailors stressed from a stint in a war zone, a well-known madam said today.
Mary-Anne Kenworthy said she was forced to close the doors of her famous Langtrees brothel for only the third time ever yesterday because her prostitutes were so worn out they could no longer provide a quality service. When she realized the sex workers just couldn't cope any more she closed Langtrees doors for a day rather than risk the brothel's reputation. "We're the biggest and the best, I'd rather take nothing than offer a poor service," Ms Kenworthy said. Langtrees did a week's business in just three days after 5500 American sailors disembarked in Fremantle on Sunday, many of them stressed from their encounter with war, she said. Three US warships - the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis, the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal and the fast combat support ship USS Bridge - were returning from taking part in the war against terror. "A lot of it was stress. They'd been in the war zone," Ms Kenworthy said. "And they were a lot more agitated sexually because they'd been at sea too long. "All the sex workers in Perth would have been exhausted." Ms Kenworthy said she had to close the doors when she realised some sex workers were taking money when they were not up to the job. "The girls were starting to refuse to have sex but still wanted money just for taking their clothes off." Ms Kenworthy said she wished the US sailors would arrive in smaller numbers. "I just wish they could dribble-feed the Yanks in, fly a thousand off at a time," she said. "We usually find the Yanks are hard work but lots of fun, this time they needed the company too." Ms Kenworthy said the last time she closed the brothel's doors was on December 31, 1999 so the girls could party.
Film-Flam
Those of you who like movies are in luck. Cyber-peruse this, Mr./Mrs./Ms./Mme. I-Like-To-Surf-The-Internet-All-Day-On-My-Computer-Machine:
http://www.lowbar.com/curbed.htm
Save Internet Radio
One of the best things about the Internet may be coming to a close soon. Don't let "The Mang" have his way.
It's super easy to send a
fax to your congressman/woman. Let them know you're mad as hell and won't take it anymore.
Lowbar vs. Isobar
Every once in a while I’m amazed with what basic, readily available technology allows me to do. I’m posting this to the world (or at least the dozen or so world dwellers who actually visit this site regularly) from a ship in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Kind of neat when you think about it.
Anyhow, I spent a couple days in Australia...most of this period is a haze. Met a lot of delightful people. Somehow, in Hobart, we kept finding ourselves at
Isobar, a place making an earnest effort to be hip, which is stymied by the absolutely terrible cover bands. We met some good people there though, and unfortunately our time was cut short with them by a departing boat.
The
LBNewswire needs a good kick in the ass.
And, for the rest of you...did you know the buildings of the Sydney Opera House are actually tiled? I always thought of them as concrete or something. When in Sydney, I recommend a stay at the
Kirketon...if you've ever wondered what was meant by the term "Tragically Hip," this will define it for you.
Deep and Meaningful IM Discussions, Volume 2: ApeRobot vs. gymbebe8930
Today's topics: The Federal Bureau of Investigation, manners and shorthand
gymbebe8930: hey
ApeRobot: hey
ApeRobot: who this?
gymbebe8930: alessandra
gymbebe8930: asl?
ApeRobot: yes
gymbebe8930: wat
ApeRobot: do you work for the fbi?
gymbebe8930: no
ApeRobot: why not?
ApeRobot: their cafeteria is great
ApeRobot: and you get a free fbi sweatshirt
ApeRobot: how can you lose?
gymbebe8930: lose wat
ApeRobot: exactly
gymbebe8930: w/e
ApeRobot: don't get snippy with me, young lady
gymbebe8930: dont talk 2 me ape
ApeRobot: it's clever how you replace actual words with letters and numbers when said letters and numbers make for less typing
ApeRobot: kudos!
Will the real AesFanzen please stand up?
From the AP:
A streaker runs past second base umpire Brian Runge before the last out of the Boston Red Sox's 12-6 win over the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, May 8, 2002. The fan streaked from the third-base seats to right field, where he was apprehended by a half-dozen security officers as players on both teams laughed.
Assnozzle
Hours of juvenile delight can be found at
this inspirational site. I wonder what software they are using and how hard would it be to get Lowbar to have this functionality? The Capt and I agree, the tea bag icon is the best we've seen.
CashmereLC: 5. What does your ass smell like?
CloudsMountain: damn spiders
I hate the RIAA
The litigous happy Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
sued a small tech company, named IIS, in Arizona for having an MP3 server on their system which employees could enjoy while they sit at work. Rather than face a lengthy copyright battle in court, the IIS settled for $1million dollars. RIAA lawyer Matt Oppenheim stated that "This sends a clear message that there are consequences if companies allow their resources to further copyright infringement." Matt, you can kiss my white, pastey ass! According to the Home Recording Act section 1008:
No copyright infringement lawsuit may be brought based on consumers' noncommercial use of digital or analog recording devices to copy prerecorded music.
Might does not make right. All you have done here is limit the reach of non-mainstream artists and piss off countless office workers whose companies are now yanking the plug on thier MP3 servers because they are scared of you. This does not in turn make us want to go to a corporation sponsored music store and shell out $15 for the latest No Doubt discharge, rather we'll spend more time and money investing in our own servers, iPods, time on Morpheus, etc. The genie is out of the bottle. Quit being a pain in the ass. Quit going ofter small companies that can't defend themselves. Quit making money for the multi-tentacled, out-of-reach music lables you claim to represent.
Boycott all major labels! Listen to
internet radio and
MP3.com. Spend your money at
record stores that carry primarily indy labels.
CEO of the RIAA, Hilary B. Rosen is the Anti-Hendrix. Below is a list of her evil minions that serve on the RIAA board. They come from the major labels of the world. They are evil. Do not buy from them:
Roger Ames, Warner Music Group
Michele Anthony, Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Val Azzoli, The Atlantic Group
Jay Boberg, MCA Records
Bob Cavallo, Buena Vista Music Group
Ray Cooper, Virgin Records America Inc.
Ronnie Dashev, Maverick Recording Company
Tracey Edmonds, Edmonds Record Group
David Glew, Epic Records Group
Dick Griffey, Solar Records/J.Hines Co.
Zach Horowitz, Universal Music Group
Don Ienner, Columbia Records Group
Robert Jamieson, RCA Records Label U.S.
David Johnson, Warner Music Group
Lawrence Kenswil, Universal Music Group
Mel Lewinter, Universal Music Group
Alain Levy, EMI, Recorded Music N.A.
Roy Lott, EMI, Recorded Music N.A.
Antonio Reid, Arista Records Inc.
Sylvia Rhone, Elektra Entertainment Group
Guillermo Santiso, Fonovisa Inc.
Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, BMG Entertainment
Tom Silverman, Tommy Boy Music
Andy Slater, Capitol Records
Thomas Stein, BMG Entertainment
Tom Tyrrell, Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.
and by the way, anyone who listens to Metallica is lame
