Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders produces a list of which countries in the world they think enjoy the most and least freedom of the press. Given the fact that the US has enshrined freedom of the press in the First Amendment, it would make sense if we were near the top every year. But we’ve […]
Continue reading →In case you needed any confirmation that the TSA was intrusive, shameful, and useless … here you go. A former TSA agent, Jason Edward Harrington, who had been anonymously posting insider information on his blog, just came out of the shadows to re-confirm what we have all suspected for quite some time. Apparently, the TSA […]
Continue reading →Well, it’s happened. It was really only a matter of time before domestic law enforcement officials started using the assistance of domestic drone patrols. But the wait is over. Rodney Brossart was arrested in North Dakota with the help of a domestic drone, and now he has been sentenced to prison time after a judge […]
Continue reading →The NSA made a heart-warming public appeal on NPR, expressing their intention to become more transparent and accountable. They also pleaded with the American people to allow them to maintain their current level of privacy intrusion. John C. Inglis, current deputy director of the NSA, acted as spokesperson. His comments did not fill me with […]
Continue reading →Pirates and privateers engage in the exact same kinds of actions. In fact, the only difference between a pirate and a privateer is which side you’re on and which side is defining the law. Wikipedia points out the nice difference between the two: “The actual work of a pirate and a privateer is generally the same (raiding and plundering […]
Continue reading →Under the auspices of “preventing accidents,” federal officials are contemplating a requirement to install vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication devices on all new cars. This would apparently allow cars to avoid colliding with one another. So it’s “for your protection” or “for the children” or whatever. I honestly don’t care what their reasoning is. The move toward […]
Continue reading →Oh, the NSA. What a pack of ghouls they have become. Among their myriad shady dealings, a recently revealed/purported practice should give all of us even further pause. In fact, you might just want to hit the stop button. The NSA is apparently intercepting shipments of computers and electronic devices and implanting surveillance hardware and […]
Continue reading →The NSA is utilizing its extensive surveillance network and mind-boggling technological resources to collect data on your porn habits. It should probably go without saying that I don’t think you should have any porn habits. But if you do have any, the NSA knows about them. Aside from the fact that the NSA collects anything […]
Continue reading →This is rich. First, Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent, scolded Obama and America for its interventionist imperialism in Syria. That in itself would have been bad enough. But now, the official (i.e., state-controlled) news agency for China, XinHua, has joined in the chorus of foreign powers who take umbrage at America’s indiscriminate surveillance dragnet. […]
Continue reading →The US Postal Service will destroy an entire print run of new stamps because they apparently encourage unsafe behavior in children. The “Just Move” collection of stamps was commissioned to encourage juvenile philatelists (wherever they may be) to exercise. These stamps depict young people engaging in all sorts of healthful activities like biking, skateboarding, swimming, […]
Continue reading →