[Rhodes22-list] Humor, political, Canadian style

Fri Dec 7 11:59:35 EST 2007

Slim, check text of bill H.R.3791: 

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c110:./temp/~c110Zx7jjj

Bill is also in Senate: S.519

If it is in the Thomas register, per the above, it is not a 
hoax.  Too bad.

The bill does not require a WiFi provider (Starbucks, etc.) 
to look for any activity, but requires them to report any 
nasty stuff to all kinds of government agencies and keep 
evidence for 180 days.

I can see that WiFi providers (Minneapolis?) might see this 
as a requirement to keep logs of all traffic over their 
networks, since they may not spot a miscreant immediately, 
and if they do, they have to report it and keep evidence.  
Many small and timid businesses will drop WiFi service 
rather than get into this bind.

But the larger ones will continue to offer WiFi, creating 
a pool of data for the Feds, etc. to mine after the fact.
And, as shown in recent inquiries into government 
wiretapping, any data base is considered fair game when 
the Administration considers itself above the law.

I don't know how this bill will help enforcement.  Unless 
you have to log into a WiFi service with an ID and password, 
established with some traceable and verifiable methodology, 
there is no way for a WiFi service to really know who is on 
their network.  Even the MAC address of my WiFi card can be 
changed.

Anyone with WiFi capability can access any open WiFi network.  
This bill's chilling effect will ultimately have the effect 
of closing WiFi networks.

The congress's "If it mentions porn, it can't be bad" attitude 
is not only letting the camel's nose into the tent - it is 
inviting him for the night.  These 21st century witch-hunts are
getting completely out of hand.  Even the methods 
(waterboarding = Puritan dunking chair) are the same.  Of 
course, with tazers we don't need hot irons any more.  
Progress!  No marks as evidence.

It looks as if the lobbyists from the big land-line telcos 
are anxious to prevent their customers from defecting to 
Internet-based phone service.  The loss of revenues from 
millions who would go that way will be huge.  The transition 
to Internet access and Internet phone via cable tv is 
already moving along smartly.  The wireless companies 
(Verizon, Cingular-AT&T, etc.) thought they had it locked 
up, but WiFi is an end run around them.

Tom Allen, my US rep, apparently voted in favor of suspending 
the rules so that this bill could be slid into law without 
much (if any) debate.  I am disgusted with this cavalier 
treatment of the public.

/Robert
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Steven Alm wrote:
> 
> Minneapolis is one of the first wave of large cities to go WiFi city-wide.
> They've put up the antennas every 600 feet and have nearly finished
> providing service to the whole city.  How are they going to police all
> that--let alone the whole country?
> 
> And c'mon...cartoons?  I suppose if you want to kill someone for portraying
> Muhammad in a cartoon, you'd be welcome and fit right in in this country?
> 
> Slim
> 
> On Dec 6, 2007 10:50 PM, john Belanger <jhnblngr at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > sorry
> >  i was referring to the commentary below article. guy named burt.
> > commenting on article and laying down a link to his anti porno webpage.
> > cites various people, judges kids, police officers and homeless people using
> > library computers, convicted of possessing child porn. his page is riddled
> > with inaccuracies, as i mentioned. not to make light of the subject, but ,he
> > really should read what he puts up for others to believe as truth. must be a
> > good law though, only two people voted against it.
> >  http://filteringfacts.org/category/internet-safety/child-porn/arrests/
> > Hank <hnw555 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >  John,
> >
> > What in the world are you talking about? How does your post relate to what
> > Brad sent out? Sorry, but I'm confused. Please enlighten me.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Hank
> >
> > On Dec 6, 2007 6:51 PM, john Belanger wrote:
> >
> > > i'm not generally one to knit-pick but the name of burts site is
> > filtering
> > > facts. but just how many robert lee nikkel's are there? this guy sounds
> > too
> > > urban legendy to me. no photos, no newspaper links, and if my name was
> > > unfug, what choice would i have? also triple the number of cases over
> > last
> > > year cannot be 1/3 of 22. bs
> > >
> > > Brad Haslett wrote: Slim,
> > >
> > > This just in:
> > >
> > > http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9829759-38.html?tag=nefd.top
> > >
> > > Can't blame a particular party on this one. They're all idiots!
> > >
> > > Brad
> > >
> > > On Dec 6, 2007 3:46 AM, Steven Alm wrote:
> > >
> > > > Relax, Pete,
> > > >
> > > > You've got nothing to worry about if you have nothing to hide!
> > > >
> > > > Slim
> > > >
> > > > On Dec 5, 2007 2:31 PM, petelargo
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Pretty funny. It's even funnier pretending that we are the ones
> > living
> > > > in
> > > > > a
> > > > > free country with actual civil rights.
> > > > >
> > > > > WARNING: Due to presidential executive orders and signing
> > statements,
> > > > and
> > > > > provisions passed by the previous Republican-controlled Congress,
> > the
> > > > > National Security Agency may have read this posting, as well as and
> > > any
> > > > > other private correspondence of mine, and may listen to my private
> > > phone
> > > > > conversations without warrant, warning, or notice, and certainly
> > > without
> > > > > probable cause. They may also arrest me without telling me of any
> > > > charges
> > > > > against me, even transport me outside the United States, and hold me
> > > > > secretly and indefinitely in an undisclosed location without
> > notifying
> > > > my
> > > > > wife or relatives, and deny me access to an attorney. They may take
> > my
> > > > > property under the executive order of July 17, 2007, never to be
> > > > returned.
> > > > > They may torture me without fear of penalty or repercussions to them
> > > for
> > > > > their actions. They may do all these things to me, or to you, with
> > > > little
> > > > > or
> > > > > no judicial or legislative oversight. This danger became ever more
> > > > > apparent,
> > > > > and ominous, on Sept. 19, 2007, when the U.S. Senate failed to
> > > reinstate
> > > > > habeas corpus as an inalienable right of American citizens. I/We
> > have
> > > no
> > > > > recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the
> > > current
> > > > > president and vice-president, and voting to remove all rubber-stamp
> > > > > Republicans and neocons from office, as well as other elected
> > > officials
> > > > > acting only in their own interests instead of those of the People
> > and
> > > > the
> > > > > Constitution, be they occupying local, state, or national positions
> > of
> > > > > authority.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Tootle wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Big Al, you may delete this post immediately as it has nothing to
> > do
> > > > > with
> > > > > > sailing.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > We have not heard from Stan lately, maybe he is among this group?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > __________________________________________________________________________
> > > > > > From the Manitoba Herald
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into
> > > > Canada
> > > > > > has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased
> > > patrols
> > > > > to
> > > > > > stop the illegal immigration.
> > > > > > The actions of President Bush are prompting the exodus among
> > > > > > left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt,
> > > pray,
> > > > > and
> > > > > > agree With Bill O'Reilly.
> > > > > > Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of
> > > > > > sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians
> > > crossing
> > > > > > their fields at night. "I went out to milk the cows the other day,
> > > > > and
> > > > > > there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba
> > > > > farmer
> > > > > > Red Greenfield, Whose acreage borders North Dakota. "The producer
> > > > was
> > > > > > cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte
> > and
> > > > > some
> > > > > > free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't
> > > > even
> > > > > > get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"
> > > > > > In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher
> > > > > > fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing
> > > speakers
> > > > > that
> > > > > > blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he
> > > said.
> > > > > "The
> > > > > > liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they
> > > > > > wouldn't give milk."
> > > > > > Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet
> > > > > liberals
> > > > > > near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons,
> > drive
> > > > > them
> > > > > > across the border and leave them to fend for themselves.
> > > > > > "A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an
> > > > > > Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a drop
> > > of
> > > > > > drinking Water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet,
> > > > > though."
> > > > > > When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border,
> > > > often
> > > > > > wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives.
> > Rumors
> > > > > have
> > > > > > been Circulating about the Bush administration establishing
> > > > reeducation
> > > > > > camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and
> > > > watch
> > > > > > NASCAR Races.
> > > > > > In recent days, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways
> > > > of
> > > > > > crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens
> > on
> > > > bus
> > > > > > trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a
> > > > > > half-dozen young Vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian
> > > > immigration
> > > > > > authorities began Stopping buses and quizzing the supposed
> > > > > senior-citizen
> > > > > > passengers on Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney hits to prove they
> > > were
> > > > > > alive in the '50s. "If they can't identify the accordion player on
> > > > > The
> > > > > > Lawrence Welk Show, We get suspicious about their age," an
> > official
> > > > > said.
> > > > > > Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are
> > > > > > creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good
> > Susan
> > > > > > Sarandon Movies. "I feel sorry for American liberals, but the
> > > > > Canadian
> > > > > > economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How
> > many
> > > > > > art-history majors does one country need?"
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > View this message in context:
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > http://www.nabble.com/Humor%2C-political%2C-Canadian-style-tf4943326.html#a14179979
> > > > > Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> > > > >
> > > > > __________________________________________________
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-- 
Robert Skinner  "Squirrel Haven" 
Gorham, Maine         04038-1331
s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."