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02/05/2004 Archived Entry: ""
For those who are plagued by telemarketers, I highly recommend this script as a coping tool. I have actually had telemarketers hang up on me in frustration, unwilling to talk further. And thanks to Doug N. for suggesting that I include a link to the cartoonist Shjuaat who appears on the front page of Al Jazeera. A different perspective: just click on the archive link for past cartoons.
Congratulations to Jim Bovard for his new book "Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of Evil", which has received great reviews, including one from the irrepressible -- God knows her friends have tried! -- Karen de Coster.
As I compose this blog entry, Bush is delivering a stump speech on CNN, with a U.S. Coast Guard ship lodged prominently in the background over his shoulder. The framing is perfect: not quite military...but not quite civilian...achieving just the right quasi-armed force ambience of "I'm security-minded but not quite Full Metal Jacket." The thrust of his speech seems to be "We need to adjust domestic strategy to better protect the homeland": translation, strengthen the Patriot Act. He claims that the proposed expansion of the PA - - in particular, expanded gathering and pooling of information on citizens/residents by states and agencies -- is nothing new. He states, we have done this to track down criminals in the past...why not terrorists now? Well...the information being pooled is on your children and your family. It is on your bank account, your book purchases, your charitable affilitations, your politics. And, no, the United States has never tracked criminals by requiring libraries to turn over lists of what books are checked out by patrons against whom no criminal charges have been filed or even alleged. That fat-witted liar. It is almost vice to listen to him. The good news is that Bush is on the defensive about the PA...largely because there is starting to be effective grassroots backlash against it, as evidenced by U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins declaring parts of the Act unconstitutional..
I gotta tell you...the privacy drum is tiresome to beat on, tiresome to hear about, and sounding hollow...because,by now, it has all been said. At this point, either you believe that we are fast sliding toward the total control of information by government and the elimination of privacy as a right or...you don't. And, if you don't, then nothing on the face of this earth will convince you; further demonstrations of evidence or proof are a waste of everyone's time. From now on, I'm going to look for the positive ways that you and I can protect our freedom. I'm going to seek out the alternatives that make us safer. Those who have a "What, Me Worry?" attitude can take care of themselves. The first step: educate yourself on what NOT to do, which records NOT to maintain...in this endeavor, privacy.net can help, especially in cleaning up your browser's cache, cookies, history, etc. Give it a whirl.
LIFE ON THE FARM:
Oh the treachery! After carefully negotiating the slushy streets of the nearest small town (pop. 1,300) in which I had a lunch date with my French Canadian friend Isabel...after squinting through the swirls of huge, puffy snowflakes that smattered on my windshield faster than the blades could clean...I finally arrived home. Seriously, it was bad driving weather and I was relieved to be back, safe and sound, at the end of my own laneway. In 4-wheel drive, I eased our SUV up past the pond -- which I always envision sliding into -- and along the gentle upward curve that ends at our garage. Or rather, I eased myselfabout 1/2-way up. Then Sam -- our 100 pound Black German Shepherd -- bounded out from behind the cedar trees that form a wind break for our porch and stopped directly in front of me. I turned the wheels abruptly away, with the SUV sliding into the thick, sticky snow to the left of our plowed lane. Talk about straying from the straight and narrow. How deep was it? It was so deep I couldn't open the driver's side door because the snow was packed up against it, holidngit closed; instead, I had to scramble out the passenger's side which, fortunately, still opened onto the plowed area. Even Brad -- who has the touch when it comes to rocking cars back-and-forth to free them from snow banks, etc. -- only got the SUV more stuck. Finally, we surrendered, called a tow truck (already paid for by our CAA membership), and glared at Sam a lot while we waited. I don't think he noticed. Doofus was having too much fun with both of us outside with him for a change, with snow flying from the shovels, and with both of us swearing like sailors at the truck. And, of course, there was a new stranger -- the tow truck operator -- to bark at. Great fun. Oh the treachery!
Best to all,
mac
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