Bill Moyers Journal

On government oversight

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Thanks to Andy

NSA's Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up Data

Who knew the government was into social networks? This sounds like the Total Information Awareness program that the Congress defunded a few years back. This kind of think is in some ways the natural extension of power through a combo of AI techniques and ICT s - and, it would seem to me, is a difficult genie to put back in the bottle. There needs to be a new set of protections (like the 4th amendment) but for personal information and internet use...

While the Fourth Amendment guarantees "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures," the legality of data-sweeping relies on the government's interpretation of a 1979 Supreme Court ruling allowing records of phone calls -- but not actual conversations -- to be collected without a warrant.

Times are a changin'.

Poo

House oversight

House Creates New Panel On Ethics

The House last night approved one of the most significant changes to its ethics rules in decades, creating for the first time an independent panel empowered to initiate investigations of alleged misconduct by members of the chamber.

An independent panel, sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

"If you have a single ounce of self-preservation, you'll vote no," implored Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) last night.

Ferraro defends controversial comments on Barack Obama

Ferraro defends controversial comments on Barack Obama

"Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

She's way off base, she being attacked for being an uppity woman. She needs to learn her place.

Proving a negative

While it is not possible 100%, this sure seems like enough warrant to believe that we can finally dispel any lingering convictions that Sadaam had links to al Qaida.

WASHINGTON — An exhaustive review of more than 600,000 Iraqi documents that were captured after the 2003 U.S. invasion has found no evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime had any operational links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaida terrorist network.

The Pentagon-sponsored study, scheduled for release later this week, did confirm that Saddam's regime provided some support to other terrorist groups, particularly in the Middle East, U.S. officials told McClatchy. However, his security services were directed primarily against Iraqi exiles, Shiite Muslims, Kurds and others he considered enemies of his regime.

Chemical brain controls nanobots

A tiny chemical "brain" which could one day act as a remote control for swarms of nano-machines has been invented.

Perhaps I'm a fuddy-duddy, but all this stuff actually scares me at a visceral level. That said, why worry? Its not like humans haven't already invented enough horrific weapons...

Run baby run

Paul leaves open door to third-party bid, unlikely to support McCain

MSNBC giving Tucker Carlson

the axe

I never really liked the guy too much...

here is an example of his lovely arrogance. Damn he is an ass, and thats my vulgarity on the record.

Winter wonderland

The view of the driveway out the garage this morning (after shoveling it twice yesterday)

Canada is being punished

Southern, eastern Ontario brace for another storm

Probably payback for tampering with the US elections.

Oh, and did I mention that it is already Ottawa's 2nd heaviest snowfall on record (351 centimeters so far, that's 11 1/2 feet of snow)? And this storm is potentially the biggest one this year bringing between 30 and 50 centimeters...

And proof that it is payback - just ask where this storm originated... Texas!

'NAFTAgate' began with remark from Harper's chief of staff

and it looks like original report was mostly about Hillary reassuring the Canadians after she spent all that time hitting Obama over it and, possibly, to good affect in Ohio.

Was Moses high on Mount Sinai?

Study suggests Israelites may have eaten hallucinogens, but scholars scoff

Winter storm blasts through northwestern Ontario

The snow keeps coming. Here is an interesting dilemma - with the emphasis on city density, where do we put it all?

Genius

TPMtv: Texas / Ohio Preview

Simbabwe

A Zimbabwe simulation game - only for Mac OS X.

Welcome to Simbabwe, where the property is already owned and the houses built and you compete to burn and dispossess them. Bounce around the map plundering farms, denying grain silos to opposition supporters and robbing the community chest.

Easy to play but hard to escape from, Simbabwe is a richly detailed, evolved board game with unscrupulous AI and editorial cartoon graphics.

Rig elections, gaol opponents and taunt the Commonwealth as you use intimidation and stooges to create a mugaboly on power.

Compete with Robert Mugabe, Canaan Banana, Cecil Rhodes and Sir Godfrey Huggins to earn a place on the all-time EU travel ban list!

Fall Back, Winter forward

Spring is 3 weeks away and we move the clock forward this weekend. Apparently an energy saving measured introduced in the American Energy Policy for Patriots and Kittens Act.

Can't come soon enough, my back hurts... Apparently we are approaching the second snowiest winter in 50 odd years.

Ad wars

The salvo:


and the response: