My little sister and her friend have pretty much settled into their new home in East Asia. They are there teaching and living their lives the way Dad wants them to. I am so proud of them! I ask that you all talk to Dad for them and ask that he send lots of good mail to them.
They are eating quite a bit of "unusual" food, but are managing well! My little sister is a coffee freak and just bought a Love Coffee shirt with a bunch of different cups of coffee all over it. If you knew her you would know how fitting that shirt really is for her!
2007/06/25
Growing up in a town named after the big jolly guy...
Well, I was sitting on facebook earlier going through some profiles when I noticed that some of my friends from the town I grew up in created a group that I would have loved to have had when I was a kid. The group is called Yes, I actually live in a town named after a fictional character... and cracks me up. When I was a kid my friends and I that lived in the Village (Christmas Lake Village) were teased just about every time we left our general area and someone asked us where we were from. I hated people asking me this as I knew that I was going to have to put up with jokes and laughter. On occasion, I had to sit and explain to people that I was not kidding. I grew to hate the questions- I would avoid them at all cost. Sure, some of my best years were spent in Santa Claus, but I still hate the teasing and explaining that goes along with being from there. It's just a city name for crying out loud! Sorry- had to vent for a second. In all honesty, it was and is probably the best place to raise your kids. The city is gated, VERY low crime rate (if any at all), and it is one of the few places where you can feel safe leaving your doors unlocked. Kids can even ride their bikes around without parents having to worry about them...
2007/06/01
Homeland Security or Homeland Spying? You be the judge.
Several of my friends and I are consistently debating just which it is- Homeland Security or Homeland Spying? My personal opinion is that there is no Homeland Security without homeland borders. Earlier, I spoke about Bush's new thrill- the Amnesty Bill. This, in a way, goes along with that. Please explain to me why we are spending billions upon billions of dollars on Homeland Security, yet if I go down to Nogales, Arizona I can just chill in a lawn chair and watch illegals running through the tunnels coming into the U.S. every ten minutes? I mean, come on. Is that Homeland Security? No, it's not. Homeland Security could give a flying flip about our border problem. They care too much about spying and potential terrorist threats than they do about actual homeland security. If the agency was really worried about homeland security they would take care of our borders. Let the CIA and FBI worry about terrorism. Get with the program people! I could run to Wal Mart and for $200 purchase a Remington knock-off and a box of shells and take care of the problem with our borders. I don't need the billions of dollars- though come to think of it I would like a new motorcycle... If the terrorists had half a brain (which I am glad they don't) they would come come through so easily like all the others- through our borders. Screw all the hard work of getting visas or passports- just come through our weak borders. I would love to take some pot-shots at them. Why don't we spend all that money on our trusty fence (preferably, a wall) and a few cheap guns at your local store.
Now, back to the subject- I, personally, have nothing to hide, but few things annoy me more than having people listen to my conversations. Not because of privacy, but because I am sure there is something better they could be doing. I have no expectation of privacy when I speak on the phone or when I e-mail anyone. I do, however, think it is completely stupid and a wast of my money that our government is paying people to listen to us. Even if it is just for keywords. I feel that if they want to listen to calls coming into our country from other marked places then- go for it, but you darn well better believe they should have a search warrant! There is a justice system and proper routes in place for a reason. They should not be able to just listen to anyone at anytime. There should be a proper investigation and all the "t's" should be crossed before they start to tap or listen. The President and his minions thinking they are above the law should be held to account. There should, in no way, be UNLAWFUL listening or SPYING going on, yet, that is what he promotes and stands behind.
A great news article that shows the depth and carelessness of Homeland Security spying is here.
I very much enjoyed this, "A spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection division said he couldn’t speak directly to Goodman’s case but acknowledged that the agency can, will and does open mail coming to U.S. citizens that originates from a foreign country whenever it’s deemed necessary."
So, who deems it necessary? Where is the search warrant? Do they need one? Many questions left unanswered in my book. What deems it necessary? Maybe the potential for a good love story so they pop open the envelope? Maybe they just want to know how little Johnny has been doing in his baseball games.
Apparently, Homeland Security is free to do whatever they want- with very little supervision. If they want to spy on me or anyone else in America- they can- when they have the permission of a PUBLIC court. Getting the permission in private does not fly. Things need to be done in the open.
Sorry for the rant, but this is just one of my hot buttons. Until Homeland Security is open to proper supervision and audits they are going to be known by most people I know as the Homeland Spying Agency and up for a lot of scrutiny. I don't care what they do outside our soil, but in the U.S. you can't just go around and do what you please. If a guy just says, "Hey, I think I will tap her phone because there may be something fishy going on." and does- he gets arrested and goes to jail. If Homeland Security does it just because they feel like it then it's just fine because they, well... apparently can.
Homeland Security breaking the law.
I support the CIA, FBI, and the Secret Service- I think what they do is good and they have proper direction. What I do not support is a complete and blatant slap in the face from my own government saying they will spy on us, open our mail, and infiltrate every part of our lives because they want to and can- with or without cause or reason. That is not right and that is not legal.
End of story.
Now, back to the subject- I, personally, have nothing to hide, but few things annoy me more than having people listen to my conversations. Not because of privacy, but because I am sure there is something better they could be doing. I have no expectation of privacy when I speak on the phone or when I e-mail anyone. I do, however, think it is completely stupid and a wast of my money that our government is paying people to listen to us. Even if it is just for keywords. I feel that if they want to listen to calls coming into our country from other marked places then- go for it, but you darn well better believe they should have a search warrant! There is a justice system and proper routes in place for a reason. They should not be able to just listen to anyone at anytime. There should be a proper investigation and all the "t's" should be crossed before they start to tap or listen. The President and his minions thinking they are above the law should be held to account. There should, in no way, be UNLAWFUL listening or SPYING going on, yet, that is what he promotes and stands behind.
A great news article that shows the depth and carelessness of Homeland Security spying is here.
I very much enjoyed this, "A spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection division said he couldn’t speak directly to Goodman’s case but acknowledged that the agency can, will and does open mail coming to U.S. citizens that originates from a foreign country whenever it’s deemed necessary."
So, who deems it necessary? Where is the search warrant? Do they need one? Many questions left unanswered in my book. What deems it necessary? Maybe the potential for a good love story so they pop open the envelope? Maybe they just want to know how little Johnny has been doing in his baseball games.
Apparently, Homeland Security is free to do whatever they want- with very little supervision. If they want to spy on me or anyone else in America- they can- when they have the permission of a PUBLIC court. Getting the permission in private does not fly. Things need to be done in the open.
Sorry for the rant, but this is just one of my hot buttons. Until Homeland Security is open to proper supervision and audits they are going to be known by most people I know as the Homeland Spying Agency and up for a lot of scrutiny. I don't care what they do outside our soil, but in the U.S. you can't just go around and do what you please. If a guy just says, "Hey, I think I will tap her phone because there may be something fishy going on." and does- he gets arrested and goes to jail. If Homeland Security does it just because they feel like it then it's just fine because they, well... apparently can.
Homeland Security breaking the law.
I support the CIA, FBI, and the Secret Service- I think what they do is good and they have proper direction. What I do not support is a complete and blatant slap in the face from my own government saying they will spy on us, open our mail, and infiltrate every part of our lives because they want to and can- with or without cause or reason. That is not right and that is not legal.
End of story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
