Snowden is starting…
…to remind me of the Flying Dutchman. Or Philip Nolan, The Man Without a Country:
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To those who still think Snowden is a hero
I already wrote one post about this today, but it turns out I have more to say. There are a few people in the comments section here, there, and everywhere who still think Edward Snowden is a hero. I cannot … Continue reading →
Hide and seek: the “seek” part not working out so well for Obama
In the game of hide and seek he’s playing with the US, Snowden seems to hold the upper hand. That’s not really because he’s so very clever, or because he has a lot of help from Wikileaks and others (although … Continue reading →
What computers can do these days
If true, this is both interesting and frightening: At a research center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, agency scientists and engineers are building super computers capable of running at exaflop speed–that’s one million, trillion operations per second. Very useful in performing … Continue reading →
Disapproval of Obama is growing—but what does it mean?
Much is being made of the recent drop in Obama’s approval rating, particularly among his usual strong supporters, the young (see also this): Barack Obama’s job approval rating is down to 45 percent in the lastest CNN/ORC poll, conducted June … Continue reading →
Today’s NSA hearing
So far what I’ve heard at the NSA hearing today is pretty straightforward and pretty interesting. The testimony makes the programs sound reasonable. Nor is this information new, although some of the detail is. But we’ve known the general outlines … Continue reading →
They see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake
Assuming this is true, I’ll also assume I’ll have more to say about it anon: The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic phone calls, a … Continue reading →
Zombie emails the NSA with a polite request
Funny stuff here: Dear NSA, …If you have any pull with the American Psychiatric Association, could you please recommend to them that the psychological state formerly known as “paranoia” should be no longer defined as a mental illness? Asylums all … Continue reading →
It’s…
…the mistrust, stupid. As usual, Richard Fernandez gets to the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is trust, or lack thereof. We don’t trust this administration. But even if we did, it’s always a bad idea … Continue reading →
NSA phone records: unconstitutional, or just a bad idea, or what?
I’ve seen a lot of chatter around the blogosphere about the NSA phone records program that goes like this: “Those who argue that it’s constitutional are in favor of it.” But the two do not necessarily go together. I don’t … Continue reading →
Distrust vs. security, domestic and foreign: Part I
Richard Fernandez always has something interesting to say, and this post of his is no exception: For much of history our ability to harm ourselves was fortunately limited by the crude nature of our means. But by the dawn of … Continue reading →
People are deciding…
…to read the classics: … George Orwell’s “1984” is enjoying a surge in popularity, landing at No. 4 on Amazon’s list of “Movers and Shakers.” Sales of Orwell’s classic have risen an astonishing 5,771% as of Tuesday morning, with a … Continue reading →