Tuesday, May 31, 2005
281 3 3 0 000 4
C.I.A. Expanding Terror Battle Under Guise of Charter Flights
A good read for sure. This article very plainly details what is publicly known about the illegal* activities that the CIA is participating in within the United States.
(*irregardless of executive orders, the U.S. constitution still provides absolute protection from illegal detention, and guarantees due process. Even fanatically right-wing "strict constructionists" (read: Antonin Scalia) would be hard pressed to find an exception for times of war - because it doesn't exist.)
For anyone with an even limited memory, this entire scene should seem very reminiscent of the bad old days when Hoover/Nixon/Kissinger & Co. were running wild, and abused their authority so egregiously that congress was finally forced to pass laws making all of this bullshit illegal.
And Let's not forget, it was the arrogant excesses of the CIA that sunk us into this whole mess in the first place, (Bin Laden, the Shah, Lebanon, etc...) so it is nothing but insanity to trust them to digs us out of it now, especially with a hack pig like Porter Goss running the show.
A good read for sure. This article very plainly details what is publicly known about the illegal* activities that the CIA is participating in within the United States.
(*irregardless of executive orders, the U.S. constitution still provides absolute protection from illegal detention, and guarantees due process. Even fanatically right-wing "strict constructionists" (read: Antonin Scalia) would be hard pressed to find an exception for times of war - because it doesn't exist.)
For anyone with an even limited memory, this entire scene should seem very reminiscent of the bad old days when Hoover/Nixon/Kissinger & Co. were running wild, and abused their authority so egregiously that congress was finally forced to pass laws making all of this bullshit illegal.
And Let's not forget, it was the arrogant excesses of the CIA that sunk us into this whole mess in the first place, (Bin Laden, the Shah, Lebanon, etc...) so it is nothing but insanity to trust them to digs us out of it now, especially with a hack pig like Porter Goss running the show.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
No News is Good News
Feds Shut Web Site in Piracy Crackdown
I guess that blows my weekend.
Seriously, this shit gets a bit annoying. The idea that people can be arrested and sent to prison for doing something that harms no one is really depressing.
With drugs it is somewhat understandable. People are getting hurt everyday, and sometimes even killed because of their involvement with illegal drugs, so if you can make the logical leap of assigning the blame for that to a particular individual, there is at least a sense of justice being served by punishing them for their actions.
The misuse of "intellectual property" on the other hand, harms no one at all.
Despite the fact that lobbyists and politicians love to refer to it as "theft," the violation of copyrights is clearly not.
Theft is an action by which one person gains property, while another person loses it.
In the case of "intellectual property" misuse, one person gains, and nobody loses. Unless you count potential profit as a real asset, which last I checked, nobody in their right mind does. (if you have any doubts about the distinction, ask an accountant, or try taking out a second mortgage on your get rich quick scheme.)
In a larger sense, I disagree with the enforcement of copyrights and patents in general, but for god's sake, at least let's recognize that violating them isn't stealing, and since it doesn't harm anyone, it can't be considered a criminal act.
**Edit**
For clarification, I would like to add that I don't necessarily oppose the right of copyright holders to claim damages in civil court. The distinction is that civil law is much less absolutest and less focused on "right" and "wrong," while being more focused on resolving conflict, and awarding the plaintiff damages that they can prove they incurred.
Additionally, civil law is focused not on punishment, but on restitution, and thus, if the accused is unable to pay the judged award, they do not suffer any additional sanctions. This, in my opinion, is fair and just, because it sets individual citizens on a level playing field with corporate entities who are immune, by definition, from criminal sanctions.
On the other hand, allowing criminal sanctions against citizens for "crimes" against corporate entities is inherently unjust, because it punishes the one party with measures that the other party is immune from, no matter how perverse their actions.
I guess that blows my weekend.
Seriously, this shit gets a bit annoying. The idea that people can be arrested and sent to prison for doing something that harms no one is really depressing.
With drugs it is somewhat understandable. People are getting hurt everyday, and sometimes even killed because of their involvement with illegal drugs, so if you can make the logical leap of assigning the blame for that to a particular individual, there is at least a sense of justice being served by punishing them for their actions.
The misuse of "intellectual property" on the other hand, harms no one at all.
Despite the fact that lobbyists and politicians love to refer to it as "theft," the violation of copyrights is clearly not.
Theft is an action by which one person gains property, while another person loses it.
In the case of "intellectual property" misuse, one person gains, and nobody loses. Unless you count potential profit as a real asset, which last I checked, nobody in their right mind does. (if you have any doubts about the distinction, ask an accountant, or try taking out a second mortgage on your get rich quick scheme.)
In a larger sense, I disagree with the enforcement of copyrights and patents in general, but for god's sake, at least let's recognize that violating them isn't stealing, and since it doesn't harm anyone, it can't be considered a criminal act.
**Edit**
For clarification, I would like to add that I don't necessarily oppose the right of copyright holders to claim damages in civil court. The distinction is that civil law is much less absolutest and less focused on "right" and "wrong," while being more focused on resolving conflict, and awarding the plaintiff damages that they can prove they incurred.
Additionally, civil law is focused not on punishment, but on restitution, and thus, if the accused is unable to pay the judged award, they do not suffer any additional sanctions. This, in my opinion, is fair and just, because it sets individual citizens on a level playing field with corporate entities who are immune, by definition, from criminal sanctions.
On the other hand, allowing criminal sanctions against citizens for "crimes" against corporate entities is inherently unjust, because it punishes the one party with measures that the other party is immune from, no matter how perverse their actions.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
WatchthisDVD.com
Check out the greatest DVD store in Portland ever: watchthisdvd.com
That's a totally unbiased review btw...
That's a totally unbiased review btw...
ALL TWEAKED OUT
haha... that isn't even about me.
No, that was the 200pt BOLDED headline on the world's worst newspaper (Portland Tribune for those who don't live here) last week.
Beneath the headline was a 1/4 page photo of two officers with shotguns kicking down the door of a meth house.
When I saw the photo I was actually overcome with pride in the performance of our local police bureau. All else aside, at least they have learned that the only reasonable way to deal with a tweaker is a shotgun.
As the old saying goes: tweakers are like cockroaches - they hate the light and they need to be exterminated.
At my work the whole meth sweep has been rather personal since one of our employees got fired after no-call/no-showing due to being in jail. The only thing that suprised me was that it was only one.
No, that was the 200pt BOLDED headline on the world's worst newspaper (Portland Tribune for those who don't live here) last week.
Beneath the headline was a 1/4 page photo of two officers with shotguns kicking down the door of a meth house.
When I saw the photo I was actually overcome with pride in the performance of our local police bureau. All else aside, at least they have learned that the only reasonable way to deal with a tweaker is a shotgun.
As the old saying goes: tweakers are like cockroaches - they hate the light and they need to be exterminated.
At my work the whole meth sweep has been rather personal since one of our employees got fired after no-call/no-showing due to being in jail. The only thing that suprised me was that it was only one.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Workplace Suggestions II
In our "team" meeting today my TL asked us all to come up with ideas on how we could improve CRT (call time) and adhearance (staying on schedule) since our team is hovering somewhere between last and last place in these, and a few other categories.
As it happens, I am number two on our team, and comfortably above the established call center goals, so I have a certain amount of license to fuck around - not that I woundn't anyway.
So this is what I wrote for my "suggestion" about improving adhearance...
Amongst the gems are these:
"These people don't need customer service. What they need is to finish the eight grade."
"It's not my fault this guy's parents shared the same uncles."
"Until now I didn't realize that calling customer service was an event in the Special Olympics."
Word. These days, working in a call center is too.
As it happens, I am number two on our team, and comfortably above the established call center goals, so I have a certain amount of license to fuck around - not that I woundn't anyway.
So this is what I wrote for my "suggestion" about improving adhearance...
I think they need to drop the whole "drug free workplace" thing. Seriously, how am I supposed to maintain my adhearance when i have to go into aux-2 ever 5 minutes, just so I can go to the bathroom to smoke my crack?Actually, I have many insights into how our workplace environment could be improved, and I am generally pretty willing to share them, especially when I'm cracked the fuck out, and I've slept about 5 hours in the past 3 days.
Amongst the gems are these:
"These people don't need customer service. What they need is to finish the eight grade."
"It's not my fault this guy's parents shared the same uncles."
"Until now I didn't realize that calling customer service was an event in the Special Olympics."
Word. These days, working in a call center is too.
