Chicago Tribune | Internet blows CIA cover

~~~ QUESTION: How do we know if the names discovered by the Tribune
are not plants by the CIA ?

ANSWER: Because we know the Bush / Cheney  CIA is not that smart.~~ technopolitical
--------------------------------------------------

Chicago Tribune | Internet blows CIA cover: "Internet blows CIA cover
It's easy to track America's covert operatives. "
All you need to know is how to navigate the Internet.
By John Crewdson
Tribune senior correspondent
Published March 12, 2006
"

Cheney Says He Can Declassify Info { but not hunting accidents!}

~~~ However it seems Dick Cheney is not empowered to
publicly report when he shoots someone.
So at least there is some check on his power.~~ TP
-----------------------

Cheney Says He Can Declassify Info WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2006 "(AP) == "Vice President Dick Cheney says he has the power to declassify government secrets, raising the possibility that he authorized his former chief of staff to pass along sensitive prewar data on Iraq to reporters"

AT&T Sued Over NSA Eavesdropping

~~ A new twist in the NSA wiretap mess.

Did Ma Bell do it with Big Brother ?!?!

~~~TP

------------------------------

AT&T Sued Over NSA Eavesdropping
Wired News::
By Ryan Singel
04:03 AM Jan, 31, 2006

The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a class-action lawsuit against AT&T Tuesday, accusing the telecom company of violating federal laws by collaborating with the government's secret, warrantless wiretapping of American citizens' phone and internet usage.

The suit, (.pdf) filed by the civil liberties group in federal court in San Francisco, alleges AT&T secretly gave the NSA access to two massive databases that included both the contents of its subscribers' communications and detailed transaction records, such as numbers dialed and internet addresses visited.

'Our goal is to go after the people who are making the government's illegal surveillance possible,' says EFF attorney Kevin Bankston. 'They could not do what they are doing without the help of companies like AT&T. We want to make it clear to AT&T that it is not in their legal or economic interests to violate the law whenever the president asks them to.'"

Google : Communist sympathizer !!

Google is willing to bow to China on search censorship . but yet Google fights the American Government on releasing search data.
Seems clear to me . Google 's motto of " Do no evil", is easy to abide by when you have your own definitions of right and wrong. ~~ TP
-------------
--------

Google faces China challenges

By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter, BBC News website

Google has acknowledged that its decision to launch in China will be seen as inconsistent with its mission to make information universally accessible but believes it has little choice.

"We don't want to risk becoming irrelevant or useless due to the way that our content is blocked or filtered currently," Google's senior policy adviser Andrew McLaughlin told the BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

"We feel it is a step forward. Not a big step forward but a step forward. We understand that many people will find the decision either puzzling or objectionable," he said.

politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever.

~~ I found these quotes today on my Google homepage.

I thought I would share them ~` TP
---------------------------

"Yes, we have to divide up our time like that, between our politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever."
- Albert Einstein
............... ..............................

"There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun. "
- Pablo Picasso"

-------------

Answering Back to the News Media, Using the Internet - New York Times

~~ There is a bit of irony to me in the
New York Times reporting on the
Internet's rising power --
through personal blogs and
web pages -- as a growing check
and balance to the mainstream
media powers
{ Of which of course the Times is one.]
Yeah, there has been some
democratization of journalism
because of the Internet, but the blogsphere is still a small fish in the
Corporate Media Ocean.
And the business of actually
reporting the news – what is the
news story of the day --- is
dominated by the same mainstream
Wire & Broadcast services
that where in charge before the
rise of the Internet.

Internet based writers & bloggers,
have yet to become – for
the most -- the “reporters” of
news. The early promise of
Internet muckrackers – like Matt
Druge – becoming a powerful
force , really has yet to
emerge, and may never. As with
the mediums of print, radio
and then television , the power
of gathering and disseminating
original reporting on the web falls into
the hands of mega-media companies,
interested in circulations,
advertising revenues and
ratings, more than independent
reporting of the news that
really matters.
[See this link for a litte more backround]
~~ TP

Answering Back to the News Media, Using the Internet - New York Times

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Published: January 2, 2006

"Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel, or so goes the old saw. For decades, the famous and the infamous alike largely followed this advice. Even when subjects of news stories felt they had been misunderstood or badly treated, they were unlikely to take on reporters or publishers, believing that the power of the press gave the press the final word.
The Internet, and especially the amplifying power of blogs, is changing that."

Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts - New York Times

~~~ The NY Times has an extensive article today on the Bush team again forgetting that a Democracy is a place where the Government does not spy on its citizens with out first getting a Court order. This is major news , but unless Congress raises a stink and starts hearings , it will pass under the radar of most voters.

I have to keep saying to myself -

-- "Just three more years,, Just three more years".

Anybody will be better than the Bushies in 2008. 

{ Assuming that Team Bush does not find 

some way to cancel the 2008 American elections.] ~~~ TP
-----------------------------------------

Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts
By JAMES RISEN and ERIC LICHTBLAU

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials"

Wired News: Blogging With a Wooden Tongue

~~~ This Blog will never speak with a Wooden Tongue ~~~ TP
------------------------------------------------------------------

Wired News: Blogging With a Wooden Tongue:
By Momus

02:00 AM Nov. 29, 2005 PT

The French call it la langue de bois, the 'wooden tongue.' It's the language of officialdom; of politics, power and propaganda. It's usually spoken by someone whose job is to speak, but whose real mission is to end speech.

Once upon a time, the wooden tongue was restricted to corporate reps, PR mouthpieces and government spinmeisters. But over the last couple of years, there's been a fashion for official websites to reformat as blogs. A corporate website might be consulted once or twice, but a blog invites readers to return for a daily dose of 'rolling news' about the product, personality or politician being advertised."

----------------

Ad dollars threaten bloggers' rebel reputations | CNET News.com

~~ Oh , how surprising.

I really always thought bloggers

would stay pure and chaste , and completly immune

to the temptations ad-dollars.
{ I hope you see my tounge in cheek here. }~~

~TP

"Ad dollars threaten bloggers' rebel reputations"

By Louise Story
http://news.com.com/Ad+dollars+threaten+bloggers+rebel+reputations/2100-1025_3-5972623.html
Sun Nov 27 11:10:00 PST 2005 "

CNN.com - Technology pushing political films to forefront - Nov 23, 2005

~~~ Interesting , but how many people watch political films ? Especially films that they are not already pre-disposed to agree with.

Come to think of it , is anybody reading this ? Why am I writing ? ~~
~~ TP
-------------------------

CNN.com - Technology pushing political films to forefront - Nov 23, 2005: "Through the use of digital technology and Internet distribution it is now easier than ever for filmmakers to push their points of view. Movies can be made quickly and cheaply, then burned onto DVDs and disseminated worldwide on the Web.
'You couldn't do these films with the old technology,' says Greenwald. 'It's tremendously exciting for the way it continues to democratize the process, from making the films to distributing them.'"

LaSalute.net - UN predicts 'internet of things'

~~~ Will the Internet of 2105 still have blogs ? ~~ ~~` TP
--------------------------
--------------

LaSalute.net - UN predicts 'internet of things': "UN predicts 'internet of things'

Changes brought about by the internet will be dwarfed by those prompted by the networking of everyday objects, says a report by a UN body. The study looks at how the use of electronic tags and sensors could create an 'internet of things'...

Journalist, Cover Thyself - New York Times

~~ Journalist writing about journalist.
Movies about making movies.
Even comic stips about writing comic strips. I think I will start a blog about blogging.

But seriously , a little self-examination is always good, but the main point of journalists today is all too often the medium itself -- to which I plead guilty !!

[OK, so you have caught me in a

cynically self-effacing mood today.]

~~` TP
-----------------------------------------

Journalist, Cover Thyself - New York Times: "In the last few years, with the rise of blogs and a rich supply of scandals at news organizations, including The New York Times, the media have come under intense scrutiny. And many news outlets have turned a critical eye on themselves - a tricky matter rife with conflict that raises the question of whether anyone can report fully and fairly on his or her own employer, particularly for public consumption."

Next-Gen "Analog Hole" Legislation Proposed

~~ Mixed fellings here.
I believe copyrights should be honored. People do not honor them.
If everyone on the internet acted nice & honest this law would not be needed.

But then there is the Libertarian in me sayin' ,,
"Whaooh,, here !! Hold on a sec...." ~`
~~ tp
----------------------------------

Next-Gen "Analog Hole" Legislation Proposed: "The bill would essentially require all analog devices, such as televisions, to either re-encode a signal into a digital form, complete with rights restrictions, or to encode the rights restrictions into the analog stream itself.

Manufacturers would also be forbidden to develop a product that would remove those restrictions. Exectives at Veil Interactive, the developer of the VRAM technology at the heart of the legislation, described the technology as one that would not be noticeable by consumers."
=====================================================

"Blogs and text messages spread call to violence - Europe - International Herald Tribune"

~~~ The Internet seems to be perfect place for Anarchists to organize. { Yes, I know if they are "organized", then they can't truely be anarchists. But try to tell them that. }

The Republicans in the USA also use the internet much better than the Democrats in elections , with the GOP having larger email lists , , and more donations via the net.

This led to
a Republican base turn-out in the 2004 Presidental race that trumped the Democrats -- whose urban base failed to turn out .

Maybe the Democrats could hire the guys now running the tech-side of the Paris Ghetto Riots of 2005 .....

..... and put them in the voter-turnout "war-room" for next year's 2006 mid-term Congresional elections.

~~ `~~ TechnoPolitical ~~

------------------------------------

"PARIS The banners and bullhorns of protest are being replaced in volatile French neighborhoods by mobile phone messages and Skyblog, a Web site hosting messages inflammatory enough ..........."

from :
Blogs and text messages spread call to violence
- Europe - International Herald Tribune:
By Thomas Crampton International Herald Tribune

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2005

President Bush's Walkabout - New York Times

~ ~ Pretty heavy words from the NY Times editorial page.

I really do not like agreeing with NYT's editorials. Doing so often leaves me haunted that I may be mis-informed on the issue at hand.

But in this case, there is no mistake -- the Bush Presidency is a ticking time bomb of more disasters.

We are in a war that seems to have been engineered from even before Bush II took office. { I saw Jimmy Carter say that on TV , to promote his new book .}

A very serious change of both staff & policy is needed from the Oval Office before there are more wars & ill-handled natural disasters..

May G-d help America !!~~ ` TP
-----------------------------------------------------------

"After President Bush's disastrous visit to Latin America, it's unnerving to realize that his presidency still has more than three years to run."

"An administration with no agenda and no competence would be hard enough to live with on the domestic front.

But the rest of the world simply can't afford an American government this bad for that long."

========================================

from :

President Bush's Walkabout - New York Times:

"Published: November 8, 2005

"Blogs for a Cause", by "Nicole Price Fasig ,- PC Magazine.

~~~ My cause is to inform you.

[And me too, as doing this blog encourages me to read a broader spectrum of the media.]

I hope to contribute to a world with less censorship, more reasoned & peaceful debate, less war , and a cleaner Earth.....

.... and maybe have a little fun doing it too. ~~~

~~ tp
---------------------------

by "Nicole Price Fasig
- PC Magazine
Mon Nov 7, 5:00 PM ET

"International bloggers are increasingly positioning themselves as watchdogs over governments.

In countries with oppressive regimes, weblogs are often the only way to communicate injustices to the international community,,,,

,,, but creating and maintaining an anonymous blog can pose nearly insurmountable challenges." { Tell me about it ! ~` tp }

link:
Blogs for a Cause - Yahoo! News:

October Was Wettest Month On Record

~~ " You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows ......"
---

""The rainiest spot in the Northeast in October was the core of the Big Apple _ Central Park, where 16.73 inches fell to eclipse a 102-year record of 13.31 inches. More than half that total _ 8.5 inches _ fell over a three-day period from Oct. 12-14, Vreeland said. The wettest month on record in Central Park was September 1882 when it was soaked with 16.85 inches of rain. {1010 WINS - ALL NEWS. ALL THE TIME.: October Was Wettest Month }

------------------------------

IF you don't know the quote ~~
" You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows ......" ,
well your online.
Search !!

CNN.com - Caterpillar contest predicts mild winter - Nov 2, 2005

CNN.com - Caterpillar contest predicts mild winter - Nov 2, 2005: "HAGERSTOWN, Maryland (AP) -- If you believe the caterpillars, maybe people in the mid-Atlantic states won't need as much wool this winter."

Nature knows nature. 

InformationWeek > Microsoft Internet Explorer > FEMA Aid Site Blocks Access To Firefox, Macs, Linux Users > September 7, 2005

~~ F. E. M. A.
A Division of
the United States of Mircosoft, Inc.~
~
TP
---------------

"FEMA Aid Site Blocks Access To Firefox,
Macs, Linux Users"
Sept. 7, 2005

By Gregg Keizer
TechWeb News

"Users looking to file claims online for government help must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later with JavaScript enabled."

"That blocks everyone running Linux, Apple Macintosh computers, and Windows users running alternate browsers such as Firefox or Opera."

"The Council for Excellence in Government works to improve the performance of government at all levels; and government's place in the lives and esteem

http://www.excelgov.org/

--To promote e-government as a revolutionary tool for improving performance and better connecting people to government; and

--To improve the connection between citizens and government and encourage their participation in governance.

The Council is supported by members (called Principals)---

private sector and nonprofit leaders who have served in

government and are united by a strong, sustaining

commitment to Council objectives-

--and by project grants and

other funding from government agencies, corporations and

foundations. [ Zzzzzzzzz, worst sentance ever. ~` tp}

Former Presidents Carter, Ford, Bush and

Clinton are honorary chairs of the Council.
===============================

~~~ Sound like a bunch of young idealiastic kids to me . They'll learn. ~` ` ` ` t p