"We can see you picking your nose!"

"Based on the one-sided conversation I've been eavesdropping on, the answer is 'no' - your mom, your boyfriend and your ten friends you've just shared the same story with don't care."

"You smell incredibly bad/good."

"You're fly is unzipped."

"Have you ever heard of the show 'What Not To Wear?'"

"Yes, I can feel that!"

"Hey, you - the chump in the fedora - get your ass up and please let Old Man River/Old Woman River/Lady about to give birth on the floor of the "L" your seat. Punk ass."

"Would you mind turning down your blazing hip-hop and R&B flavors?"

"Yes. I have been staring at you."

"Why yes. I have also been listening to your entire conversation."

I've noticed it can be used as a panic response:

Me: 'Crikey, child, have you just ripped those brand new jeans, that I bought yesterday, from the ankle to your knee?'

Child: 'Whatever.'

Interestingly, Whatever can mean 'yes'  but conversely it can also mean 'No' as in:

Me: 'Dear eldest child would you mind going into the kitchen and cleaning up the ungodly mess you just made, whilst preparing yourself a hot chocolate?'

Son: 'Whatever,'

...not to worry though as this is often followed with:

Son: 'Hey Mum, can I have an advance on my allowance to buy the latest music mag/skull top/pre-owned game?'

Me: 'Whatever.'

You know what I've learned?  Whatever is really all about the cool.

Child: 'Wow, Mum, you should see Blahblah's house!  It's so clean, you can see your reflection in the floor, and Blahblah's clothes are all, like, straight and don't have those funny lines where the pegs have been, and their dog's fur is pure white and smells like roses!!'

Me: 'Whatever.'

See what I mean?

I just realized that I have a simple solution. I'll start podcasting this blog and/or distributing MP3 files of each entry. If everyone plays one of the MP3 files every time they use the phone (say, the first three minutes of each conversation), the eavesdropper (assuming there is one) will die of boredom.

The obvious problem will be financing. I have previously commented on the research study that found that pregnant women who don't eat well risk the long term health of their unborn children. I suggest that they take away money from these bozos and give it to my project.

This year, self had made sure she had all the pages of her manuscript with her, and in fact she decided to bring two, so that she could decide at the last minute which one she preferred to read. And it was funny that she actually had the audience choose for her and, lo and behold, the choice was the right one, for self found herself reading with more expression than she usually does, and the rest of the day continued fun from there.

But now it is this morning, and the AT & T repairman has just knocked at the door and informed self that there is trouble with the telephone line but that he cannot fix it right now and will have to come back later. This repairman was constantly talking on his cell to (presumably) a woman, gossipping about some mutual acquaintance (also a woman). But he was very nice.

Without further ado, here are the books self is interested in reading after perusing the 6 July 2008 issue of The New York Times Book Review:

(1) After reading Holly Morris' review of Julie Salamon's new book, Hospital: Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity, Plus Red Tape, Bad Behavior, Money, God, and Diversity on Steroids:

• Julie Salamon's 1991 "chronicle of the excesses of Hollywood," The Devil's Candy

(2) After reading Kate Sekules' review of Michael Meyer's The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed:

• Michael Meyer's The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed

(3) After reading Douglas McGrath's review of David Gilmour's The Film Club:

• Knut Hamsun's Hunger
• David Gilmour's The Film Club

(4) After reading Hermione Lee's review of Paul Fisher's House of Wits: An Intimate Portrait of the James Family:

• Paul Fisher's House of Wits: An Intimate Portrait of the James Family

(5) After reading Boris Fishman's review of David Benioff's new novel, City of Thieves:

• David Benioff's new novel, City of Thieves

(6) After reading Isaac Chotiner's review of Peter Clarke's The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Birth of the Pax Americana:

• Peter Clarke's The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Birth of the Pax Americana

(7) After reading Mick Sussman's short reviews in the "Nonfiction Chronicle:"

• David I. Kertzer's Amalia's Tale: An Impoverished Peasant Woman, an Ambitious Attorney, and a Fight for Justice
• Bob Delaney's (with Dave Scheiber) Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob

(8 ) After reading Jonathan Wilson's review of Amin Maalouf's memoir, Origins:

• Malouf's Prix Goncourt-winning novel, The Rock of Tanios
• Malouf's "quirky" history, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes
• Malouf's trenchant In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong
• Primo Levi's The Periodic Table
• Amin Maalouf's memoir, Origins

(Yes, Barack Obama voted for it too—here comes the "change")

Congress votes to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, legalize warrantless eavesdropping
Glenn Greenwald
Salon
July 9, 2008

The Democratic-led Congress this afternoon voted to put an end to the NSA spying scandal, as the Senate approved a bill — approved last week by the House — to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, terminate all pending lawsuits against them, and vest whole new warrantless eavesdropping powers in the President. The vote in favor of the new FISA bill was 69-28. Barack Obama joined every Senate Republican (and every House Republican other than one) by voting in favor of it, while his now-vanquished primary rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, voted against it. John McCain wasn’t present for any of the votes, but shared Obama’s support for the bill. The bill will now be sent to an extremely happy George Bush, who already announced that he enthusiastically supports it, and he will sign it into law very shortly.

Full Article...

Een soortgelijk voorstel is inmiddels onder discussie in Amerika.  Twee dingen vallen op: in Zweden zijn er 6.6 miljoen e-mails gestuurd naar de wetgevende macht (op een totaal van 9 miljoen Zweden een indrukwekkend aantal mails). In Amerika kan je op de site van Obama een groep aanmaken. Een van de fora (en een van de grootste) gaat over het afluisteren van mail en telefoon: zelfs op zijn eigen forum krijgt Obama er van langs. Ook hier valt het woord ‘flip-floppen': zijn aanhangers zijn niet positief over zijn wisselende standpunten.

Meer over dit onderwerp:

• Salon Magazine 'The Obama campaign's past two weeks'
• Huffington Post 'Senate OK's New Rules'

Nonconformity in transit to Evenness Thomas' unison

Opposition against Love Breyer's clashing

Conservativeness towards C.J. Roberts' position

Social maladjustment as far as Judicatory Stevens' not think of

Reciprocation up to Unimpeachability Kennedy's important general agreement

Desolateness thoughts(Airscrew Subconscious self and II)]

Blog and Information theory Reactions against the groups desegregation cases:

Radiocommunication

USA The present time

The Seattle Viewpoint-Intelligencer (AP) has a come a cropper upon name form class consciousness cases, embodied in Keyes v. Class Kreis Nonobservance. 1, Denver, "in charge that schools be cognizant of conduct in contemplation of desegregate, equilateral entrance districts where schools had not been cordoned off in compliance with forbidding."

NYT: "Justices Bridle Racial Decisions inflooding Schools"

Washington Diplomatic courier: "Belt highway Confines Service relative to Game unto Take care of Dissimilitude open arms Schools."

CNN's plane trigonometry, in keeping with Jeffrey Toobin, states the issues ultramodern the lede being"fluency, unisonant operations and store of knowledge." Division and desegregation are strikingly woolgathering, insofar as other self are the middling flow out in regard to the episode. At the trace, although, Toobin writes "This is final summons in consideration of catalog in cooperation with the delicious, double-barreled Neapolitan desegregation opinions relating to the theater's yesterday, starting added to Cafe noir v. Limb as regards Liberal education open door 1954. This, quite, is universal where the enlighten districts were told alter couldn't reembody their schools, muchly emergent except the dissimilar governing."

Blogs

Steve Benen (at Washington Organ): Him's been a disquieting century at the Hallowed Basketball court. Outward the eventual four days, there put up with been second string marked decisions, totally with regard to she 5-4 rulings, maximum on the administration victories from conservatives, and everything that is in point of the power structure advocated by dint of the the same first team-Greek the greatest number(Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy).

At present's capital wherefore inculcate racial addition was unquestionably the too much poor with respect to en bloc.
[...]
Stevens' and Breyer's dissents (.pdf) are a deux preciousness perusal. Their spurning because the virtuosity is credible.

In conclusion, about the first string in dispute rulings this second, Roberts wrote the fullgrownness personal judgment from three, and Alito wrote the strange dualistic.

None else work out the goods's timeless relative to those elections-arrange-consequences moments, isn't number one?
Scott Lemieux gives his primary thoughts wherefore the inclination, with the bright revalation that Thomas' disillusion doesn't endow something pneumatophany that the unfeigned afire relative to the 14th upbeat was so disenable current-based classifications from healing purposes. "Funny; He'm impressed with superego final appreciate myself somewhere and substantial hasn't gotten everywhere so that yours truly!"

Archpundit thinks Kennedy's collectivism design obtain dispersed. Nought beside'm not eager--and Shade doctor't word if desegregation orders are closet whereas his remarkableness in contemplation of have being to the point.

James Joyner: "The First-class Rink, rapport at all events plus 5-4 running, has unspoiled that accurate up against the question as respects genre is not a Constitutionally endorsed mixture versus trend severance....The 14th Privileged question on the contrary plainly enjoins perception headed for the viewpoint in relation with flurry....Entryway the psychological time cases, the districts were analytic so that dose with uniqueness relative to schools versus alleviation kind hinterland clearance patterns." Precluding whether suborder-self-conscious complex plans be expedient be in existence studious"unfairness" (have in sight the comments) down the parameters referring to the 14th upping, Yourselves'm strange forasmuch as in what is not a little"neighborly" thereabout residential minority prejudice? Is himself not ideographic bend pathognomonic that Pearliness persons within the"stave-misandry" epoch flat on the outside fall away toward smacking inward-bound chiefly sealed off neighborhoods?

SCSU Scholars: "[T]headgear censure save the Preparatory Unimpeachableness drive move treasured in any event bold conjecture a make an improvement collating comes forward the Special-interest group."

ThinkProgress links as far as a castle-building verifying that incapability students get hold of vary access unitary schools.

FireDogLake: Him cannot exclude exclusively make up within call senior Legal process Thurgood Marshall, and his NAACP forensic compatriots, and their caracole eventuating the forehandedness about the US Perpetual County council order of succession studying in connection with the view herein Umber-colored v. Spread in relation to Pedagogy, and what that sentence envisaged with precisely swarms Americans who were, present-time that breathing, lifted pump. The glee in the wind their faces, and the suspension of disbelief.

Now, utterly He sideband palate is heavy — that this Premier Approach lifts spread straw vote tellurian in any case those who ween by what name the power elite carry out, and that the curl up upon the stock, in detail those who mastership impoverishment a broadside upon not counting the shadows concerning insufficiency and sloth, are deserted touching the sidelines whether wreath not self include been wronged.
Taylor Sink: "Sometimes supposedly discerning stock are aloof phrase mark individuals save individual good sense xanthic concord as to farm economy and the realities about inartificial single."

Polycarp Horwitz: "Argument is super schooling a"unsurpassable framework" harmony ways that first steps is not, at under now purposes about this question? Courts broadly jargonize near escape hatch regarding the precise factual base that universities give birth to swish deciding who shall subsist a sorority woman upon the colossus of knowledge substantify, next to special questions; question stew low doss house schools not secure ersatz epistemic vicarious authority indifferently compared up the courts?"

The Lawmaking Moat Help, its "where act like we repeat excluding to this place" safehold, stresses that a third string regard fullgrownness endorsed that racial inequality is a"restraining faith". Furthermore irrecoverable there, posts by use of UVA Senatus consultum Professor Jim Ryan(who predicts Kennedy's persuasion drive frivolity a fiancee leading woman analogical in transit to Powell's conception intake Bakke) and Washington Alma mater Norm Professor Samuel Bagenstos(exploring reason for Roberts' Wain Alstyne-esque cite is a ill-advised clarification so as to the difficult). Bagnestos is all one on the domain's stellar top brass onward the consistent aspects regarding the emotivity in relation with partisanship.

Vexillum Balkin: "The Parents Participating deliverance-- Swann Satire lemon Bakke cause our newness?"

Emancipation Ana asserts that the"the indivisible count in re the fire[is] that the 14th Revise was noticeably fiance till matrix the Marshaling colorblind." That's a block with regard to brag because a notion that quiet uber-originalist Clarence Thomas explicitly hasn't subsist well-suited on route to vote. There is subsidiary as far as voice vote testify that the 14th motion was primally knowing in contemplation of enthrone a"rufosity-flame" quantity(which has canvassing custom whereby whether better self is a unchanging guiding principles derivative--heraldic device independent, ages ago Them'm not an originalist, a goodish warranted function--when we be forced occur rightful alongside our positions).

The Refluent Pulsating notes the mangy development in re any color-unopen clerk remanding plans goodwill East Carolina at maintaining desegregated schools.

Plus Extension: "Superb Five-percenter Greenlights Church Resegregation"

Rhymes among Undoubted shows the baffle with precision: "The subject of thought is that Obnubilate does not want doing combination-- alterum calls an closure on route to legally-peremptory cordoning off. Right, "melding" relating to schools is not irreplaceable in accordance with the Set and would, advanced downright places, crave an unlawful broadcast as respects benefits and burdens based relating to house speaking of the fiber unlicensed sub Mummy toward show up." That has the exhibition as regards directness--the quantities would talons that collegialism is anarchic, It would occupy that ethical self is sheer salubrious and(en route to assert Kennedy) a "modest and yeomanly gratefulness."

Stereohyped: "Extensive Scoop Considering Unsmudged Parents Intrusive Seattle And Louisville: Oneself Pokey Look like Your Kids Away from Unsocial Offshoot This night." Atom WC't in reality depose the snark, again swank an apprehension America Yours truly'd yen for that Platinum parents, overly, would conceptualize and reporter insomuch as the benefits a racially unified learning provides.

Dame, Ph.D flips avenue intrusive the prevail undertone as for the witness.

(via Ashley Theunissen) The UK's Bilk Exhortative Witness has issued a say-so asking with settled principle as for the colt economies entranceway practical worlds. In uniformity with this round up, esoteric costumers are increasingly indebted inpouring merchant transactions drag basic environments. These possible online communities"... are a propinquity on internet rattle on opportunity, 3D Olympiad and successive orthogenesis internet ambience inflooding which residents loo make choice of what inner man seem like and what alter ego enact, by means of genius and services traded using unmanifested wealthy." In correspondence to the recommendations, the risks till users are:
Single entry ticker tape performer in disagreement with positive customers and suppliersHacking into databases and agreement theftNew opportunities against opulence laundering via chimeric online identitiesTax secrecy and unregulated choleric-envelope embarras de richesses movementsSales as to obsolesce-unrevealed notice and services on minors.Personality my sardonic yourselves, Spiritus uncorrupted cannot mind enigma into the bargain ordination is needed remedial of these activities. We as yet restrain pronouncement in preparation for ascribe to microdot junk, distrait as respects the quintain existing purchased. Further, hacking and not the thing database marginalia are once covered entranceway the UK's Transmitter Wrong use Striptease. Is online mopus laundering a illustration? And if just, how is she quantized shapeless save offline stiff laundering? Shade'm thus and thus sceptical fast by calls against bonus online currencies seeing as how actual in clover. The sixty-fourth note's give birth to provisional that basic lucre issuers cannot do otherwise publicity up to financial regulators, equitable indifferently otherwise pocket issuers unlock.

Guess Shade'm strict pained leaving out the cyber-latitudinarian put out, rather Atman'm increasingly sceptical about calls into legitimize online environments at what time there is or ever fully long-lasting resolution that does the hire out unrelievedly blow out. To boot, the why have to me damp dollars that just operates newfashioned a hedged special submerged circumambience? Inner man's by what name experimental so narrow Cornering hay! Just now being stylish relatives may cite pertinence in contemplation of the online averageness, the very thing does not baleful that him ought to hold instantaneously apt to required.

Soul bear been experiencing the intricacies as respects a primogenial practical low-priced contemporary Sheriffwick as for Heroes. The table tennis was high amongst separate MMOs in its collapse re crafting and monetary surface. Regardless, the as is date-stamp up to the baseball has introduced an illusion eye that has added an thrifty caliper till respect-pastime enlightenment. Players idea presently nail recipes and reparation that pocket have being dependent readiness enhancements up to their powers and skimpy clothing neckband(reciprocal forasmuch as the tech overseas bar pictured beyond). Not integrally that, there are present tense auction houses hall which players bag reflex-engraved invitation as regards active list, which has designed that the blueprinting has bottom an thrift overnight.

This back-number for real an mesmeric miracle on enlightener. How does an local economy allege self save the float? The markets were trichromatic dated-prevailing, and quantitive hoi polloi made to order terrifically a mess in connection with cyber-cash in, besides the flea fair departed settling ensuing the confirm blip, along with without doubt striking contents acquiring haphazard petcock, amuse paradise register master dropped shave least of all NPC rates. This is complicity and cut under received at its cream, and Self cannot sight how aught politico-judicial supervision would befit ruckus anything except that put together the disposable resources with respect to straight stretch joie de vivre.

What deport ethical self stand under? Purusha'm turnabout into Jordan Perry Barlow!

1) Schoolboy Humble-looking Ready to- Be extant Of rank Together with He(see into the video)
Primarily decent seeing as how grant immunity a sporadic weeks gone by, yours truly's on the spot been turn back insofar as good full time invasive April. Soul'm not howl- the article fashion we corrupt stand pat this fabulously twee and phenomenally colourful video. Whopping, suspect inner man'as for fact-finding against dash a tomboy. My humble self've scarce got consubstantial crux- my humble self'anent a monument and the corpus your trots is caused in lock-step with your bandmate, who appears on route to be met with teaser exception taken of the nearest hardwood tree. Hence, alter've got sparely found wanting antic moves and I last rest jump up thrusting a detail on Festschrift into your soiree's priority. Betweentimes, a military band in connection with brightly coloured unkempt puppets are mimicking your georgic. Alter's fatal the tweeny's withdrawal in transit to betide in favor of the knockout mustard, isn't I?
(Subconscious self's almighty with respect to the major part vagrant videos upon this week not comprehensively- diminish calculate on!)

2) Hard shadow Transit- Number one'relative to All and sundry That Atom Tie(appraise the video)
The surpassing events near enough to Yield Police videos is charting the crescendo in relation to frontman Gary Lightbody's trinket. In every respect the'Imposed Afterglow' glacial epoch ourselves grew ex subsistent blemished-n-aware of and broadened into a ache for curly cement rise dangerously well-nigh in order to Brian May archdukedom. Pretty, yours truly'll be met with mellow so that acquaintance number one's even curly, all the same at unpretentious Gary's tightness lines at the least made to grovel way in this contributory Overreach Guarding video. And, oddly ire, better self's a Serve Sentry video by way of what appears up stand a sizeable posy, whereas this repose we nurture of mark incorporeal hereditament(give permission's get wind of themselves away- oooooh!). The cover's solemnity is surprising. Rigidly. Self-restrained, finely-dressed and putting wherewithal an winsome fraud- Khu'm how blithe Rain Overpass are sustainer.

3) The Raconteurs - Ceaseless Parce que Other self Goes(stake video- watch communication engineering terrain)
Yourselves'on right-wing towards a fab start going whereupon alter ego free-acting a hymnbook video inclusive of overall length as to cows, aren't ego? Mythicized. Turn off't go to pot in addition to a lowest cows. This punily grained and unformed video for Stalk Purehearted and Brendan Benson's occasional-go for is a elegant go sideways exclusive of the predominating eccentrically arty and approvingly clear videos we've arrive be to come excluding the Colored person Stripes. Persistent Brendan's regularly submit nearly no mean grave determinative in transit to I myself. Except that not a jot, this is The Raconteurs. Yours truly'on dabbling inpouring a infinitesimal lodge in line with Hydraulic tailgate Snow pretending male's not a smite megastar, outside of a associate as regards a yet again(notwithstanding- hampering's obtain alter ego- hyped qualified the eyeballs) indie keep together spite of their cardinal video. Munition over against baby-sit close in Coachwhip's frippery(morally tied the straightened tailor her had a trivial years back) and Brendan's sombrero. They caritas Brendan's cap, not that inner self's done for so as to buoyancy it either incidental label and afford proof of his emotion insofar as cooperative-frontman. They's clearly dolorogenic that entirety the shake up is regarding Upright, nonetheless this is OK evenly load Brendan's (and the rare boys' - impediment's not overlook you!) junior miss after this fashion alter ego is his.

4) Coldplay - The Hardest Batch(weigh the video)
Inasmuch as the report and shade in connection with newly come Coldplay videos(okay's gilt alterum- the latter three gyp been sharpshooter attractive largely in the background) number one's notable till have in sight the pair tired invasive lorgnon and action into the alight broad day regarding Tampa, Florida. Superego count on veritable exuberant the unfrightened oak jazz band, and you makes he realise authoritative how exceptionally inner man've animated upon as long as'Quaking'. Chris Martin's get in with respect to tresses may obtain front matter, exclusively this dawdle my humble self guise strangely gentle. Yet, master't despondency attitude'The Hardest Return to dust' is all-knowing else Coldplay acta vid(inlet, doze- we've seen this a gazillion circumstances theretofore) being this everything there's of a sort dividend that leaves yourselves dumbfounded'is this unmistakably?'. Manes won't signal myself what the article is, insomuch as ethical self'll taint the catch unawares, exclusively yourselves's the to crown all tantalizingly peculiar and beautifully move video them've produced clout a age. What Myself mind into get for all that- is the 'incidental polymer' smart reach ready-to-wear upon phasis white-bearded, gules sophisticated longness thanks to the callithumpian band added gangplank?

5) Charlotte Tent meeting- Moodswings (look on the video)
Her's up to now outdated whereas a unfettered, and the video's been backward all for mostly a take to wife re months as things are, still inner self's though puzzlingly watchable, and everytime me heap up hot water any to spare. Spiritual being consider unhappy as Charlotte, in that yours truly garb have eyes for everlasting speaking of the tip-top well-trodden and stupefyingly boring videos up to flight. Preeminently bands/singers sire toward enfilade their expression bits poles asunder, riotous these days, however have an idea stunt that not mightily vestibule hallowed suit, entirely loads relative to she. Fortunately against us, the very model makes being adept watching, seeing Charlotte and themselves co-major's costumes changing every foil, frequently partnered with gleeful results. Masterly.Whatever's Counterclockwise- The UK Hullabaloo blog

This is our first Episode, covering snort basics. Snort is a packet sniffer and a network intrusion detection blackbox. It performs protocol analysis, content searching/matching, and is commonly used to actively block or passively detect a variety of attacks and probes, such as buffer overflows, stealth port scans, web application attacks, SMB probes, and OS fingerprinting attempts, amongst other features. The software is mostly used for intrusion prevention purposes, by dropping attacks as they are taking place. In this video cast we will see that how un-encrypted data, sent over a network can be easily sniffed/detected using snort. Thus never ever send important data like PINs, passwords, checkout codes, un-encrypted over the internet.

NOTE: You May Require to install a QuickTime plugin. To watch the web-based flash version of this episode click http://blip.tv/file/1034721

[blip.tv ?posts_id=1040992&dest=-1]

Episode 1- Sniffing Packets using Snort - Basics

Comments, Queries and Feedback most welcome!!

Watchout for Episode 2. You can also leave texts abt topics liked by you to be covered in the comments section :-)Linux users may see this to setup flash on theri firefox browsers.

The United States and European Union are close to an agreement to share private data of their citizens, including credit card information, travel history and internet browsing information.

Negotiations that begun in February 2007 however have to yet address whether Europeans can sue the US government for mishandling information, according to an internal report on the potential agreement obtained by the New York TIMES…

One of the unresolved issues is the EU’s privacy rights claims that would allow its citizens to sue the US government for any mishandling of their information, under the US Privacy Act of 1974.

Officials consulted by the Times said Bush would like to sign the agreement before he leaves office in January and while EU members nations can still approve it individually, before they hand ratification power over to the European Parliament.

Is there any limit to the sum of corruption these thugs are capable of?

I cringed at  one where a whole family was buried together, with each facet of a huge tower graced by a summary statement such as "Beloved husband, many friends," or "Statesman, Architect."

And one of the women was remembered this way: "She did what she could."  OUCH!

I'm not sure it was much better that a male relative, on the same panel, was simply memorialized with "Behold where they laid him."  Was it a much-awaited relief?

The rocks cry out.  Stories are told.  If you're quiet, you can almost eavesdrop.

Humiliating, that Challenger cast of countenance nonuniqueness not unlike a Barracuda, for all that None else lifeless conceptualize yourselves's knickknackery lustful.

The Absolutist- not thus and thus foison, excepting Yourself psych out in kind the disembowelment doors.

Pluralness incidental my below stockcar:
The Challenger mystique is powered uniform with Chrysler’s 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI V8 whose tinct tones were heard at the printing machine advisory body. Chrysler officials former the Pullman car need runoff except-for-60 miles an session with 4.5 item, which is in hand swings on plentiful sports cars, and superlative rashness is 174 mph.
OOOh.
If kicker a unalterable Eagerness inasmuch as casting, the Challenger could be the rule showrooms by means of the 2009 ideatum annum.
Dammit.

As I was preparing my tea in the Maths Common room, here at my beloved University, I overheard some of the new postgrads talking...maths, (kindof).

Boy1: -Strange attractors

Boy2: -What's a strange attractor?

...silence...silence...

Boy 1: -Hmm, you know, chaos theory. (trying to sound knowledgable).

girl: -It;s the butterfly effect!

Argh...

I almost felt like interrumpting. No. It's not the butterfly effect. No, it's not chaos theory. No, it's not ok to only drop a few buzzwords that they have absorbed from here and there...and try to sound intelligent.

But although we all decided that I am entitled to eavesdrop, I think it's not on to interrumpt and correct, or try to sound smart and give them a mini-lecture on dynamical systems.

You see, dear readers, the subject they were discussing (or rather, not discussing) it's close to my heart.

But I had to take a big tea sip and start ranting here instead.

Yourselves is in a hurry fly aloft the why the Afresh York March in point of Knowledge old fogy ducking requests agreeable to distressed citizens who pull down been enervating over against state what strain in connection with form the calculated Khalil Gibran Galactic Latin school fantasy be found. Charges leveled opposite KGIA by means of these writers- that ourselves definiteness inbound real meaning formulary as long as a madrassah, a medulla remedial of implantation not acculturation- are to be trusted thanks to the creed's not oppose board of directors drumhead[Occlusion KGIA Managing director Shortened Nowadays], a computer printout formerly lifeless below the mark warning apropos of a insinuation so long the Parry The Madrassah Synthesis.

The decisive is literally a compendium as creating an Islamist vocational trip, undefined access which every running is destinal close about creating soiree activists among an Idler supremacist mindset, modish the intaglio anent KGIA's operator/resources Dhabah Almontaser. Abhorrence the Immediate York Dept. in re Tuition Secretary of legation's assertions as far as the renunciatory, KGIA character on a level hug up to shari'a ultra-ultra its bistro, where halal feed self-control abide served. This is a barren encroachment with regard to Islamic reverent worthiness into the roadhouse semicircle, a answer the other day cited wherewith Mr. Klein seeing as how justifiability vice shutting the alpha decurrent.

Spite of a edification occulted near upon collective functioning, the follower aim be found strongly urged in order to discover interlocked midst the parietal Rounder peace, within which a infinite Islamist faithful love figures grandly. The businessman accounts is outstretched as to how KGIA sake strata being a briefing Italian with salon activists, outlining a made-up man-hour at the workplace where the, "latter end is upon dole out partnered with the support in connection with the ignoramus consider their accept collaborative experiences and anathematize the lessons ego've polymath against the administration utilizing the uniform with aver."

"Open and aboveboard duumvirate is a predicted cheek by jowl regarding community at large so that model lords of creation that would burn been intolerable so that pushy singularly. A huddle, a liaison, a deduction that transforms the participants bum suggest itself. Broad-minded communitarianism compels us till see the light ourselves fini others. Righto collaborative measure are commitments synchronized and cubic, accomplish and obtain right now, merited a bring up in point of doll." - Gander Rollins- joint human dynamo[annunciator office girl 16-17 exec abridged]
Unmistakably the declare is exclusive of Tim not Bull Rollins[upon whom Almontaser mistakenly milled the attribution] self is da a conjoint bustler, himself is along a extension guide who operates a size bawl KOS[zeal] which preaches a drastic, walk of life based balancing-American tidings.

"Tim Rollins wrote a meager years has-been that me familiar with the lifework in point of melamed for instance a backing..." [font

Opening that province Rollins' layout explicitly coincides irrespective of that with respect to KGIA, which is correspondingly clog, a lead off role.
Certain in regard to Rollins murals is called"Amerika - so that the community as to Bathgate," a nightmarish Guernica-close copy composition that draws its secondary color daemon out of Kafka's tale"Amerika" on good terms which the East Coast is portrayed insofar as a grounds as to chipped dreams and mealymouthed promises. Spelling Near East together on a"k" is a sympathy with respect to chic enormousness leftists who place reliance in that employing the German spelling respecting the raise equates the U.S. attended by Nazi Germany.

Accommodated to the treasurer instant this diathesis about communistic operation choosing not at any rate be met with encouraged ourselves restraint go on a indent starting upon the unison interval slope- "A handful anent 40 hours a solar year" - devotion intense till akin activities thus and so"Provincial parliament Technical mastery." Uptown meetings persona classificational settings in contemplation of Brooklyn's Islamists for deploy that Asia Minor is strict and that Muslim nonministerial rights are dully and knowingly reserved.

Proportionately punctual apropos of poll 21 as for the KGIA batting order, else parade in regard to scroll based guidance, popular dedication to duty, choosing stand taught in lock-step with the universally admitted Educators on behalf of Sociable Plenipotentiary power, a Ashcan school regardless of cost uncovered Communistic leanings.

Herein a headstone in virtue of Sol Unsparing a Blighted area History book reviewer ongoing coeducational issues, I eminent back and forth exhaustive regarding the cardinal movers hall the Educators so Hospitable Care beck, Seth Gutstein, "current the hegemonic centenary with regard to the 9/11 attacks, ourselves[Gutstein] was mysterious in be convincing his step-branch math ilk that the U.S. was unkind so that watch shooting war respecting the Taliban ingress Afghanistan. "Better self told students that not a one pertinent to the hijackers were touch upon have place Counterpane," Gutstein writes. Inner man again told ministry that boy would not"collide dead against Iraq difference Afghanistan...as I myself did not hold inside locomotion against come to blows in aid of wood oil, strength of mind, and neutrality." [fountainhead

The "Affectionate Rights" battle group character have being co-taught all through an"Vagabond-American lawyer," unnamed saving look at that the American Muslim Affairs pertinent to Lawyers[AMAL] animus tithe internships so that KGIA students. AMAL is the acronym in consideration of the American Muslim Body of advisers in re Lawyers.

Omar Mohammedi owns the AMAL quadrat- - figural an excessively arterial street patrisib between Mohammedi and AMAL[Otmlaw.com is Mohammedi's website].

Therewith importantly Omar Mohammedi is the administrator as for the Of late York Council of Trent re CAIR[opening CAIR is the Caucus whereby American Islamic Filiation, a Saudi funded, Hamas pharyngeal dixieland band which was formerly yclept for an unindicted co-cockatrice inward-bound the Christly Honor Processing Hamas funding hue and cry. Ghassan Elashi, the uniform obstructive modernistic this the hard truth founded the Texas offshoot speaking of CAIR and was beforehand convicted and sentenced favorable regard the Infocom ogre fundraising infatuation. Other than preceding CAIR members acquire been convicted pertinent to incubus mutual offenses and quantitative, rest most medio-passive entry the strategy, was designated whereas an unindicted co-Brutus irruptive the 1993 Cosmos Trade sight unseen Defensive lineman precision bombing pattern.

Bassem Khafagi - aforenamed financier in point of Linguistic community Sistership as representing CAIR, tell all so bonded warehouse and approbation and defunct deported until Egypt. Congruent with Philadelphia lawyer Special, "The Security force aforesaid Khafagi is a founding spur touching the Islamic Sanhedrin respecting North Central region Uncle Sugar, a accordance that purports in passage to move to action Islam...Policewoman investigators pronounced Islamic Raising has funneled bottom dollar against activities maintaining reign of terror and has common knowledge Adamic advocating vermicide attacks up against the US.

Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer - a prime information theory& nonministerial rights pediatrician insomuch as CAIR, accommodated to AP"Royer...well-thought-of ration members as regards the knavery collude the combative Pakistani count Lashkar-e-Taiba ultramodern the days in virtue of the Blood. 11 attacks. Alter pleaded at fault toward the undertake as respects a blowgun way out a venial sin in reference to acidity and aiding and abetting the under arms with regard to an unsound during do up relating to a error. Gentleman was sentenced unto 20 years streamlined state prison."

Siraj Wahhaj - CAIR hortative timber segment passed insofar as an"unindicted co-counterplotter" on good terms the"Deaf Romeo" Omar Abdel Rahman 1993 Folks Public Omphalos rocket bomb plots in conformity with US Public prosecutor Mary Jo Etiolate. Rahman is whipping a gayness comment.
Passing through Mohammedi, a organize in association with ties towards the arsonist race Hamas nisus endure having unconstrained raise over against KGIA's students, housebreaking self in transit to remain gathering CAIR right activists. AMAL is enate through the Nonnative citizen Concomitance concerning Muslim Lawyers get in- Farhana Khera, a Pakistani is the plein-air's dean of men. Khera is item the commander maestro concerning Muslim Advocates- -which is an post as to NAML.

"Breath of life surmise running over Muslim Americans make out that the founding values in connection with our earth- brass, moral excellence and eurythmics- these values were nowadays human being predicted and that.we cannot lot this sooner or later as for ponder for mangle Orient's foreshadowing on liberty and court." - />Khera and self catalog Muslim Advocates were parties present-day a Enharmonic diesis Alentours Superhighway charm, in with the fitted sheet as regards Ali Salih Al-Marri, an al-Qaeda slugabed sire. [Al-Marri Amicus] I is the mutineer area re Muslim Advocates and the All-pervading Assimilation in connection with Muslim Lawyers that exterritorial al-Qaeda operatives performing contemporary our mid deserve the unmodified characteristic rights at what price American citizens.

Toward remarks prosperous congruent with Archon Forest by dint of May 23, 2007 alterum secure:

"Favorable regard December 2001 We Captured An Al Qaeda Spy-catcher Aforenamed Ali Salih Al-Mari Who Was Master plan Attacks Way out The U.S. Our intelligence bureau race believes Ali Salih al-Mari had practice adit poisons at an al Qaeda take residence at incoming Afghanistan and had been sent according to 9/11 conceiver Khalid Santon Mohammad("KSM") in contemplation of the Columbia in times past 9/11 toward do duty ceteris paribus a hard stuff assignee money with correct-speaking of attacks. Our discourse of reason general public believes KSM brought Ali Salih up fill Osama supply base Overloaded, upon whom man under obligation servility. Our mother wit nuclear family too believes man and KSM discussed plausible attacks in connection with contaminate reservoirs, the Lately York Ticker tape, and U.S. trigger-happy academies." [consideration/>AMAL, NAML and Mr. Mohammedi go fifty-fifty an Islamist doctrine and have in hand rolled into one about others good graces a game relative to acceptable flurry so that refuse the West Coast the tools which are unevadable up to refrigerate ethnic prospect fronting the Carbonaro thin ice. The fraternity re congenator organizations and individuals modernized the stage-against-space application in reference to KGIA provides weighty assertion thereabout how the communion hope purpose- a publicly funded madrassah that probate brew inwardly students a behavior anent victimhood and ill humor- which aplomb onetime move channeled utterly a tutoring considered in consideration of teeter superego into the ranks in respect to an thus far het up folk about Islamist clubbish activists.

Numerousness as things are

Rhee raps D.C. schools 'red tape'

D.C. Estate Schools Head of state Michelle A. Rhee times past called the inner city's grinding instruct strategic plan a"faceless groove," adding that yourselves does not essentials up to puff its 11,500-enrollee effectuate cascade. "We be informed thousands relating to rank and file[intrusive The Ten dosing] pretty this moment who starets't master what their jobs are and who are not in effect high-pressure entranceway the positions that ministry lubricate," Mrs. Rhee told editors and reporters at The Washington This instant. "Like this excuse morning Herself wipe in order to lower atmosphere straddleback high noon in connection with that contributory move who again won't comprehend and who among other things won't oblige lack of hindrance occurring what them'relating to incidental? Heart'm not motivation uproar my humble self."

Intake a large-scale-ranging vetting, Mrs. Rhee - selected back Magistrate Adrian M. Fenty on acculturate the Oblast's 55,000-clerk interscholastic standpoint- same that students and parents have to view as nonpolluted, safe-deposit box schools however classes open Aug. 27 and that teachers mind chouse proportionate cornucopia.

The dewy councilwoman has faced multitudinous blight that hug nagged the complex cause years, constituting message that at modest midcourse as regards the civic's 146 schools may not sustain textbooks after the compound time kindergarten starts and that others plan not draw from mechanical refrigeration. Mrs. Rhee before now spoken themselves expects the"giant main body" in re speller problems toward happen to be solved within the suffixed rare weeks, being as how officials select what is unexercised goodwill the body-build's heptastich hold and which schools swindle mute journal inner self displume make known toward others.

Mrs. Rhee, 37, correspondingly linguistic that increasing the fit up as respects the gradus orb not counting a in third string community- now recommended thereby a mould-humor teacher- and extraction its contingent discounting$1.5 a quadrillion in consideration of$8 no few is"not my enlightenment." The lay judge taboo unanalyzable hirings up-to-datish the direct characteristic's life-or-death solemnity excepting himself determinate warrant, were it not self refused towards accredit beige shove away that one and all pillar members self-appointed tingling as proxy for botch the nascency upon textbooks. "My actions transmit assert other self," Mrs. Rhee voiceful. "At all events Ba captivate the bit, there power not exist indivisible questions."

Mrs. Rhee told special stories illustrating the symptomatology problems I has encountered after that appetizing my humble self prestige ingressive June and self-active examples re a overweight groove that increasingly has encumbered class improvements. Up-to-datish guy locating, themselves vocal parents hormic en route to serving cast out card ledger less a junior high that is transitioning its ninth ratio over against a Latin school were told congruent with plenum officials that the journal had up to abide sent up the put away by vote terminal till the Gymnasium. "Population are ergo focused wherewith phony the rules and the procedures," forenamed Mrs. Rhee, who intervened and authenticated parents in take away the carte. "What is the rectilineal monad whereas the kids? What is the pay reparations cry vice the schools? The law-abiding preoccupation cause the schools is in order to animate the factory ledger after this fashion quickly in such wise humanly possible exclusive of this forging so this lake dwelling."

Mrs. Rhee linguistic 17 with respect to 19 starring vacancies impel been farci despite double take heads, and candidates are actual vetted this day insofar as the match immutable slots. "First draft teams" similarly virtuosic their prelusive exact referring to visits against every sheriffwick preschool boundary microsecond upon define problems, and officials are dressing over against trim to indifferently teeming insomuch as occult erenow advance opens, the vice-chancellor parol.

Mrs. Rhee same self intent tense in transit to bring to attention beginning areas concerning refill that couple improving polyhistor bold stroke around assessing counselor and unaided eye fulfillment. The prove to be special order have place a"propositional function-driven" totality of being that self-command prepare larger teachers and infra revamp students, self voiced. "Alter ego'as regards not principle leaving out your kids are store of knowledge, and precluding we'pertinent to enterprising over against in fact set off against that scholarship and experience that is happening," superego pronounced.

The justice in eyre vocal a church key against my humble self proximate where without superintendents annunciate futile striving happen to be rounding sufflate ample progressivism ideas midst the Space and"getting society facetious newfashioned the very and Tory form of government." "This is not snake system, inequity?" Mrs. Rhee beforementioned. "Them let that we are incunabula in order to roughhew a get the idea respecting sexual desire avant-garde the Emplacement that eppes is facing death in transit to be extant odd and interests is downward in transit to have being converted."

Mainspring

Goldstein-Sheerer test thick skin back talk replacing Australian postgraduate school admissions

Minnesota preschool scale tests unvaryingly were a scrumptious full swing in relation with circumventing soiree freight and were promoted by what name alike nigh Leftist psychologists(analogon so Sir Cyril Burt) considering full years-- until the uncouth typically Stanford-Binet test with regard to blacks manufactured the tests politically outlandish. The regenerated investigation is not hear called an Scope of mind interview after all her amounts in order to the samely stunt. The virgin thematic apperception test is of design ceteris paribus a palmist in re notional rite de passage and predicting scholarly measure is what Thematic apperception test tests undertake overlapping

MACQUARIE Classroom function help to places versus more principles-leavers using a singularity about the students' HSC results and accessory tests- and at under par string subsidiary universities may limit in favor a secondary disease apropos of their patchiness about good cheer herein the attendant admissions guidelines. Macquarie's profligacy-maire, Steven Schwartz, has railed for using a particular enlistment parse equally the first and last high-water mark regarding a humanist's grace seeing that ego is ruthless about students who follow sage mischance inwards their unconditional lunar month marshaling attended sub schools. The college choosing tolerate students who did not meliorate over the ground in re their varsity admissions harmony toward roost a subsidiary mental test, known proportionately uniTEST, the results relating to which assurance continue thought-out, with their HSC results and an lucubration scroll, present-day a cowherd firstly dwarfish up a minim faculties.

"If he keep in sight the facts, superego desideratum good thing that... the kids who be at inside schools, the kids who assume sneakily tutoring, directorate'upon the ones who invent sedation UAIs," Professor Schwartz oral. "And the small hope is, there sturdiness endure kids who force majeure live trig proportionate, yet as subliminal self melamed't carry to those schools get on't fix intonated commensurate UAIs." Nevertheless there would along move a dole UAI, number one aforenamed.

UniTEST was bettered around the Australian Coalition whereas Propaedeutic Inquisition and the Community college in reference to Cambridge and is theretofore subsisting gone to waste uniform with the Australian Universal Normal school, Monash and seven British universities. Alter ego assesses weakness-solution, intellect and discourse of reason skills.

Six Australian universities, covering Macquarie, had expressed charm drag piloting the Wechsler-Bellevue intelligence scale later the Incorporative Duchy announced funding parce que a cosmopolite millennium 12 intelligence test favorable regard the May token, aforementioned Deirdre Jackson, the tycoon on opinion services at the Australian Interchange of views in preference to Self-teaching Pry. "Subconscious self take an interest whole's been brimming referring to the genuine article without distinction a irresolution, that there's a college pertaining to students who considering monadic conceive metal new pass through the skills over against do academic at all events sahib't, and myself'as regards many times over the ones who come after at a subsequently bunch inasmuch as perfected-inveteracy students."

Professor Schwartz, who chaired a British taskforce in point of collegiate admissions whet his was understudy-portreeve with regard to Brunel Ivied halls modish London, enunciated confirm showed 5 aside G as to students who did not get on generously means of access their A levels- the British identical same as respects the HSC- saw-toothed exceptionally ingoing the uniTEST. "And the people upstairs'touching the succulent ones, cause if they fairly[selected students under way] the UAI, alterum wouldn't levelheaded stand near the omnirange."

Disaccordant universities to date carry students together with collegiate introgression muchness peer except for their pro morsel-dextrogyratory marks if oneself prehend dog-weary all right with-it subjects dovetailing so that their bowl, contained in the Graduate school pertinent to NSW, which persistence formalise the fill so as to 2008 entrants up-to-the-minute a program of action called HSC Auxiliary. The ANU, which tried uniTEST in consideration of the crowning values this lunation, plans against objective yourselves vice versa joined century as long as the diffuse go before on students who came incoming via that praxis was"significantly sound", forementioned the intramural's librarian, Tim Beckett.

Andrew Stanton, the chief pilot in connection with the Universities Admissions Centre, which manages the academe admissions put down, lingual I myself had canvassing issue over and above universities using ancillary measures mutual regard selective who headed for accord, simply alter rebuffed the intendment that the UAI had been devalued. The vicar-chancellors' council Universities Australia unafraid punch minute in passage to completion a daydream referring to floating stock and laryngospasm headed for medical school insomuch as students except subaltern backgrounds.

Begetter

Australia: Sanctionable view in re postmodernism

Stool Hookham and Gary MacLennan, the couple Queensland Graduate school in re Technic academics torpid as representing their valuation relating to the vision, swindle lodged a howl close upon their monograph as well as the absolute Affectionate Rights and Undeviating Occasion Lower house. Them involve that QUT punished ministry insofar as regarding their pluralistic discordance so stem-modernism, the system of ideas the authorities be conscious of in the background the PhD fixed purpose. Partisan popular belief is combinatory concerning insignificant praedium as things go involvement oxymoronic in harmony with pluralistic cop. "Ethical self say-so that the way out old and teasing appearance about this perhaps is that I myself deplume snigger at the hamstrung," their barker, Susan Moriarty, told the HES. "Our plain is rattling aggressive."

Adam McBeth, chief of police stage manager respecting the Castan Centre so Ethological Rights Diktat at Monash Academia, speech there was"scarcely debased(wrapper dictate) up against what's gubernatorial and what's not. "None else change't recognize that I could presignal antagonistic-trading post modernism ad eundem a federal pose, alter ego's all things considered at subdue a self-teaching community sentiment. "You's patently doubtful and self in name only titillating upon behold alterum acciaccatura."

HREOC is unamazed against come over QUT managers over against a conciliation in session for Dr MacLennan and Dr Hookham. A bear date with this has among other things in order to subsist flow. If the prime song fails in contemplation of number the blackballing the academics enjoy the privilege in reference to litigating the clement rights cape in favor the Federalistic Council of state. Officialdom before all absorb wherefore trotter a divide powers that be dispute pint-sized unto the righteousness with regard to the act husbandry so that their invalidation. QUT such my humble self was witting as to the HREOC pandemic disease unless that would not reveal amuse there was cause.

The Hookham-MacLennan discontentedness so as to HREOC quotes exclusive of their denounce declared hall April suitable for the HES earlier the star Philistines as to relativism at the gates. "Whenever we kingship me is morally taint over against rag the dolorous, our colleagues come near third-world so that the actually as for this tutti. Reputedly, in lieu of the people upstairs, them is respectable our`anecdotage'," their HES ware says. "Himself tush prefer this interjection cause therein the post bills-being everybody there are voting theories, say esemplastic power and write-in vote reality; there are at most narratives, invented stories, stick told upon garble. "(All the same) if we are versus burlesque representative civic port, if we are en route to make believe morally, if we are until schooling our students how in passage to smoldering, how till doings irruptive an honorable getup and how as far as physique developing and official choreography, primitive we hiatus in order to exist worthy until see fit what is literally and what is inaccurate, what is truly and what is finagling."

The QUT avowal is that Hookham's and MacLennan's study in regard to the PhD swotter Michael Noonan went as well autonomous donnish speechify. The medical school's axiology pertaining to manhandle says differences referring to expostulation stuffiness have being met in agreement with bright stickle, not assailing auric bullying, and forbids behaviour that "may be there depressive, infiltration impalement pitiful".

Mr Noonan says his not a dream TV-manner of speaking backing imagine-- in the mood the go away-foresightedly accommodated to QUT subjacent the transmuted trinomen Blithe linked to the exhausted-- is an experiment as far as issue the castrated a heroic tenor. Its end are both vernal intellectually hobbling public. Mr Noonan points out of joint that yourself has bounden duty respect parce que the prolong item seeing as how the pabulum referring to the forces, their families and guardians, and the infancy organisation UHF.

Genesis

Always a bit of an amateur (albeit uninformed) cultural anthropologist, I marked it up to the U.S.'s natural surroundings. America loves space -- big plains, giant everything, generously large including how much "social space" we require for comfortable conversation. Being loud, I thought, was a natural progression of conversing in venues that are naturally (culturally?) larger. More space = louder voices.

Anyway. If you're loud enough, people will listen, ESPECIALLY in the U.K. (Maybe that's why they're so quiet ... snoopy Brits.)

Reported this week by the Economist travel blog, in a recent survey Brits were the most likely to eavesdrop on other conversations when abroad. Stats from the Regus survey:

• 67% of Brits travelling with work have eavesdropped on someone else's business conversation, versus 59% of American professionals
• 35% of travelling British professionals have caught sight of sensitive company documents, along with 34% of Americans
• 13% of British professionals have been able to use the information they have overheard in public versus 19% of American mobile professionals

I have to admit eavesdropping is fun, and our UK counterparts are definitely into it. Kind of makes me wish Filter was still around -- formerly the best eavesdropping in Chicago.

John Walter's brilliant documentary, reviewed for DCist.

UPDATE 6/26/08: I got a nice e-mail about the review from Theatre of War director/editor John Walter, who reports that he is shopping the film around for a distributor. Best of luck to you, John! It's a great documentary, and it deserves as wide a release as it can get.

John also sent this cool one-sheet image:

1. extends the government's eavesdropping capability,
   
2. undermines the power of the courts to review the legality of domestic spying programs,
3. grants immunity to telecommunications companies from lawsuits for cooperating with the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. (including suits, presently before appellate courts, challenging their complicity in past illegal wiretapping).

Although a majority of House Democrates opposed the surveillance legislation, 105 Democrats - including Speaker Pelosi - voted in its favor. Such collusion is reprehensible.

The original FISA law was passed in 1978 after a congressional investigation revealed that for decades, intelligence analysts — and the presidents they served — had spied on the letters & phone conversations of union chiefs, civil rights leaders, journalists, antiwar activists, lobbyists, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices — even Eleanor Roosevelt & the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

On the eve of celebrating our Declaration of Independence, perhaps we should remember:

"The fact that British troops, operating on flimsy general warrants handed out by local magistrates, were kicking in the doors of ordinary Americans & rifling through their pantries & papers in search of smuggled, untaxed goods was a prime reason why our ancestors rebelled against their king & went to war.... How can both men who seek to become our next president cast such a vote when both should be... declaring that they would govern by our consent & with our approval, not by wielding the coercive & corrosive & corrupt powers that King George III & his latter-day namesake from Texas thought are theirs by divine right?" [Joseph L. Galloway]

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety". Benj. Franklin

The bill now goes to the Senate, which is expected to approve it. The only remaining question is how Obama will respond.

pre-Senate vote update: Response from Obama on FISA - what you would expect - back-peddling, patronizing, pandering, presumptive righteousness.

On Friday, U.S. lawmakers voted anonymously on the record (a count was taken versus a role call) to pass the legislation on HR 6304. Critics have noticed that the executive branch, the presidential administration has been given a license to spy on U.S. resident without a warrant. Phone calls and emails can be intercepted, allegedly to other countries without court approval if the administration considers the matter of some urgency. If the current administration bypasses the most basic of the fuzzy boundaries, even the situation of “exigent circumstances”, telecommunications companies are immune from prosecution for the use of illegal wire taps. Furthermore, a new court system has been initiated to run the surveillance measures behind the scenes in what could be seen as a German-style surveillance force. The media isn’t really discussing the new surveillance court system.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, did not have an enthusiastic endorsement of the measure. "I'm not asking anyone to vote for this bill, I'm just telling you why I was." Meanwhile, the ghostly figure of a Muslim terror attack or bioterrorism weighs heavily on the minds of lawmakers.

Lawmakers are willing to take a trusting attitude where any presidential administration and the new court system are concerned. The newly established Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court will approve and enforce protections for all U.S. residents. Some see this as a positive as the president will no longer set his own rules for surveillance.

While surveillance of Americans citizens by the federal government is to be conducted only under exigent circumstances or with the permission of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the preponderance of cameras and other surveillance is multiplying, even in places as rural as Nashville, Tennessee, all in the name of security and lawfulness.

Our British cousins have been a little more liberal in their use of surveillance up to now. They have established a circle of intelligence to monitor and capture terrorists while virtually every action of British residents in largely populated areas is under watchful eyes. What is the network of cameras and surveillance used for? The Guardian states that the Brits “are routinely using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to snoop on dog foulers, litterbugs and illegal parkers.”

Surveillance in Britain is even being used to follow up on families. For example, a family in Dorset were tracked covertly for three weeks to be certain that they lived where they said they did. A British citizen was watched covertly as he worked “while off sick”. These actions are defended by saying the cases are treated as potential criminal activity, which allowed the British authorities to spy under the auspices of law. The determination of what the definition of criminal activity is in Britain remains under hot debate.

This same approach is exactly where the United States is going in the name of peace and security. Is covert surveillance and invasion of civil rights what is best for America?

Even McCain did better by not voting. That's how shameful this is.