Orwellian

David Galland: I’m from the Government, I’m Here to Bend You Over

"Yet, just as a woman can't be 'a little pregnant,' constitutions can't really be a little—or, in the case of the USA these days, a lot—flexible. When that happens, the constitution becomes something else. A document with some general suggestions? A paper with loose ideas that governments are free to accept—or not—depending on the day and circumstance? But it's not a constitution any more. The problem, as I hope you begin to see, is that once a nation—scratch that: once the government of a nation—is allowed to make it up as they go along, the system of laws is certain to quickly deteriorate. The consequences are as clear as the mountain across the valley from where I sit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDavid Galland: I’m from the Government, I’m Here to Bend You Over

Internet Giants Got Millions From Taxpayers to Cover PRISM Spying Costs

"Internet giants like Google and Yahoo received millions of dollars from the NSA to cover their surveillance under the PRISM program. These payments occurred after a federal court ruled that surveillance requests the companies handled under the PRISM program were unconstitutional. The document also shows the NSA was anxious to get certifications from the FISA Court to authorize surveillance beyond the possible expiration of the law that authorized that surveillance. The law was set to expire on December 31, 2012, but the NSA received authorizations under that law to continue its surveillance until September 23, 2013." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInternet Giants Got Millions From Taxpayers to Cover PRISM Spying Costs

A View Down The Road

"The latest versions of these GPS systems have 'real time' functionality. They can adjust route guidance to take account of accidents along your planned route, for instance. This is handy. But the same functionality can be put to other uses, too. For instance, there is no technological reason why the new Lincoln MKZ’s ability to keep abreast of the speed limit wherever you happen to be driving could not also be used to limit the speed you drive – or at least, record your failure to abide by the speed limit and perhaps report your noncompliance to the authorities. Or more likely, your insurance company. Perhaps both." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA View Down The Road

Librarian wants to ban 5-time reading champ from contest

"After Tyler Weaver read 63 books between June 24 and Aug. 3 to win this year’s Dig Into Reading competition at the Hudson Falls Public Library, director Marie Gandron told a reporter from the Glens Falls Post-Star that Weaver 'hogs' the contest every year and should 'step aside.' 'Other kids quit because they can’t keep up,' Gandron said. Gandron's declaration didn't sit well with Tyler and his family. 'When he heard what the director said [about him] he was very upset,' Katie Weaver, Tyler’s mother, told TODAY. 'He’s never seen being good at reading to be a negative thing. And he shouldn’t! He realized that the director was wrong.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLibrarian wants to ban 5-time reading champ from contest

Court: Britain can look at Greenwald partner’s seized electronic documents

"British authorities can sift through electronic documents seized from journalist Glenn Greenwald’s Brazilian partner, in the interests of 'national security', a court ruled on Thursday. The 'highly sensitive' material could risk lives, said UK police. Two judges gave authorities until Aug. 30 to analyze 'thousands' of documents, according to a police lawyer. 'he home office and police now have seven days to prove that there is a genuine threat to national security, rather than make mere assertions as they have done today,' stated lawyer Gwendolen Morgan after the ruling was passed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCourt: Britain can look at Greenwald partner’s seized electronic documents

Only One Big Telecom CEO Refused To Cave To The NSA; Jailed For Years

"Former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio is currently serving a six-year sentence after being convicted of insider trading in April 2007 for selling $52 million of stock in the spring of 2001 as the telecommunications carrier appeared to be deteriorating. During the trial his defense team argued that Nacchio, 63, believed Qwest was about to win secret government contracts that would keep it in the black. Nacchio alleged that the government stopped offering the company lucrative contracts after Qwest refused to cooperate with a National Security Agency surveillance program in February 2001." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOnly One Big Telecom CEO Refused To Cave To The NSA; Jailed For Years

Lavabit: The Latest Dead Canary in the Privacy Coal Mine

"Private data stored with a company which is US-based and/or has servers based in the US does not have strong legal or privacy protection. The US government can force that company to turn over its customer data while also preventing it from talking about it. Are you still entrusting your private data to a US-based company or a company with servers based in the US? If you are but you value your privacy, you need to move your data elsewhere. Otherwise, that company might be compelled to violate your privacy and give up your data to the US government. And they may never be able to tell you about it." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLavabit: The Latest Dead Canary in the Privacy Coal Mine

Venezuela will install 30,000 surveillance cameras

"Venezuela is installing 30,000 surveillance cameras to crack down on rampant crime, officials said Wednesday. Most of the Chinese-made equipment will be put up in the capital Caracas. Some is already in place in a municipality within the Caracas metropolitan area as part of a pilot program. The equipment, manufactured by Chinese company CEIEC, will be delivered to Venezuela under cooperation agreements agreed by Caracas and Beijing. The information picked up by the devices will be made available to police for use in crime probes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVenezuela will install 30,000 surveillance cameras

Homeland Security retains black race warrior

"Ayo Kimathi is a black supremist, who says in order for blacks to survive, they must kill large numbers of whites. Ayo Kimathi, who writes under the pen name of the 'Irritated Genie', works for the DHS. (Department of Homeland Security) Even more troubling is his job at the DHS, which is to buy guns and ammunition. During the evenings and on the weekends, he prepares for the coming race war and spewing diatribes about gays. He says he believes the white man is encouraging black men to turn gay. His site is named 'War is on the Horizon.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHomeland Security retains black race warrior

America’s Dictator

"After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush and a bipartisan Congress rushed into law the unconstitutional PATRIOT Act, which now serves as the 'legal' basis of the NSA spying on the phone calls, emails and Internet activity of every American and millions more in other countries. In 2009, Obama signed into law the Democrat-backed Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) that seeks to impose IRS control and review over every American’s offshore financial activity, destroying all financial privacy, based on a false assumption of tax evasion. Your salvation rests with you – and with the actions you determine to take right now." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerica’s Dictator