The case against the internet kill switch

Egypt has activated its own internet kill switch. This was a desperate act, but the consequences of using such a contingency plan would be even more dire. I don't have to tell anyone reading this that much of the US economy depends on the Internet. If the Internet went offline tommorrow, many Americans would be unable to make phone calls, and thus would not have access to emergency services such as police, ambulances, and firefighters. Whatever the reasons for activating the kill switch, there will be panic and conspiracy theories galore. It could very well cause more civil unrest than it prevents.

Proponents of a US kill switch claim that it could be to prevent a cyberattack. Talk about destroying the village in order to save it. Thousands of IT departments ewploying various security measures can do a better job of protecting themselves than a single giant bureaucracy.

Bombing at a Moscow airport

My immediate thought about this is the federal government can spend billions of dollar turning every domestic flight into a flying Alcatraz, and terrorists will decide that they don't even need to board a plane to cause mayhem. If your highest priority is to avoid being killed by a terrorist, then perhaps you should stay home, hide in the cellar, and avoid saying anything inflammatory. But please let everyone else live their lives. The world cannot be as safe as we would like it to be. We should not let maniacs dictate national policy. Nail clippers don't hijack planes, people do.

This is what irony is.

I just saw this commercial yesterday. I find it ironic that my tax dollars bailed out the company that made the product in this commercial. Here's hoping Americans in Detroit start getting cars right, and Americans in Washington DC start getting freedom right.

Just a reminder...

If Maniac A advocates Idea B, that should never be taken as refutation of Idea B. Bad people can still have good ideas (example: the Volkswagen Beetle). Crazy people will attempt to imitate other people in order to appear sane, and therefore will espouse some of the same ideas. And some maniacs might attempt to apply reverse psychology by outwardly advocating for a cause that they secretly want to discredit.

Congresswoman shot, others killed

The first reports that I heard was that Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D, AZ 8th) was killed, but as of this writing she was merely wounded and was even responsive. I hope that she recovers enough to serve out the rest of her term.

After visiting the suspected shooter's Youtube page, (hat tip to DailyKos) I think that he was either mentally ill or trying to convince everyone else that he was mentally ill. Whatever the case, I hope he stays locked up for a long time.

Lastly, I hope that this does not have any undue impact on public policy. I hope that this does not affect any upcoming votes in Congress. I don't want any controversial bill to lose by a margin of one and have people say that it would have passed if Mrs. Giffords had not been shot. Finally, I hope that this is not used to rationalize more infringement on our civil liberties. The world can never be as safe as we would like it to be, but we can still live our lives as we choose.

Who should you take seriously in 2011?

If the Republicans in Congress vote to raise the debt ceiling, it's time to stop taking them seriously as fiscal conservatives.

If Democrats continue to push for more government spending as a cure for economic woes, it's time to stop taking them seriously on economic matters. If the recession isn't over by now, it's time for a different strategy. On the other hand, if you want to think that the recession is over, then there is no need for further stimulus.

Net neutrality

Does anyone reading this blog really think that all data traveling over the internet should be treated equally? Is this video as important as an online course or a doctor communicating with a patient via web cam?


I use the Internet to write on this blog and to play Call of Duty online. There are corporations and universities that have way better things to do with their bandwidth than I do. If they want to reach an arrangement with their ISPs to get the better access that they need, they should be allowed to do so.

Do we really want the FCC regulating the Internet? Ever notice that networks will still air "Pearl Harbor" but won't show "Saving Private Ryan"? You can thank the FCC for that.

Wikileaks and Hacktivists

I work as a private security officer, so I understand the importance of secrecy. I have signed a confidentiality agreement, and I will not breach that agreement on this blog or any other website. Military personnel and civilians who hold security clearances have an obligation to protect secrets as well.

If a soldier releases a classified secret to a journalist, then that soldier should be disciplined. But secrets are like intestinal gas: once passed along, everyone knows about it and it cannot be taken back. Sometimes you don't even know who spilled the beans or cut the cheese. Once it's out, everyone is free to talk about it.

Journalists should be allowed to publish these former secrets because the damage is either already done or is inevitable. If Julian Assange knows something, Osama bin Laden probably knows it too. What I find bizarre is all this emphasis on one website. Aren't there plenty of other conspiracy theory websites? Why is Wikileaks taken anymore seriously than any other forum filled with anonymous trolls?

What is really making me mad are the "hacktivists". These politically motivated hackers are no better and no worse than common vandals. They should be denounced for their methods rather than be admired for their cause. In my opinion, those people are the ones who really do belong in prison.

Should poor people pay taxes at all?

Since poor people are more likely to spend additional income, liberals tend to advocate policies that steer money towards the poor. Since taxes are a net drain on the economy, conservatives tend to support cutting taxes.

So here's my idea that I think everyone can get behind: make all income up to the federal poverty level tax exempt. For an Alaskan (the federal poverty level is the highest in that state.) living by himself, that would be $13,530.

People can argue all day long about what the poverty level should be later. But can't we all agree that a government that has enough money to give to multi-billion corporations should not be taking money from people who can barely make ends meet?

This would be a tax break that can pay for itself in the long run: poor people who can take care of themselves would be less dependent on social services.

Close Guantanamo for Christmas

This time of year, we are all reminded that most Americans worship a shaggy haired Middle-Easterner who was brutally tortured and killed by a superpower.

While I recognize that sometimes not even Middle-Easterners can avoid killing other Middle-Easterners, we probably should leave out that whole torture thing. I don't want us to be the antagonists in somebody else's New and Improved Testament centuries from now.

Civil Forfeiture in Indiana

Here is a good article about civil forfeiture in Indiana.

How does this issue affect you and your kids?

It could affect you if you are ever accused of a crime. To put you in prison, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty. But to take your house, the prosecutor only needs to establish that you probably committed an offence.

It is affecting your kids because seized funds are supposed to be turned over to public schools, but instead the money has been going to private attorneys and the police departments who pursued the cases.

Another Modern Modest Proposal: Convert to Islam to Make Yourself Safer!

(Before sending me any hate mail or posting flame comments, kindly read about the original Modest Proposal.)

It seems that there are many people who are willing to sacrifice their own liberty to make themselves safer from terrorists. I'm not here to judge people for having values that are different from mine, but I did have an idea. Why not go all the way and convert to Islam so that terrorists won't want to blow you up?

Let's face it, the TSA simply will not do what it takes to make you completely safe on an airplane. I don't doubt the sincerity of the intent of these civil servants, but how do they expect to keep bombs off the plane if they aren't checking body cavities? But assuming that Al Qaeda is sincere in its intentions, a plane full of innocent Muslims will do more to deter a suicide bomber than any federal official.

Islam will make you safer on the ground as well. Any state that adopts sharia law can dramatically reduce drunk driving overnight. You don't hear about drunks running over little kids in the streets of Saudi Arabia. Why do some people put the First Amendment over the safety of our children?

Ban on perfume at Northrup?

A mother wants Northrup High School to ban perfume. She insists that her son is allergic to freshly sprayed perfume. Some allergists say that this isn't possible, but it still could be an asthmatic reaction. Whatever it is, let's assume for the sake of argument that there is a causal relationship between high concentrations of perfume and respiratory distress in this particular boy. Students could still be allowed to wear modest amounts of perfume, as long as they didn't spray it in the same room as the boy. However, it should be explained to the students that deliberately trying to cause breathing problems by spraying perfume could be construed as battery or even attempted murder, depending on the mood of the county prosecutor.

I wonder if Dr Crawford is going to push for a ban on perfume in private clubs.

What does TSA stand for?

TSA=Touch Some Ass?

The TSA has started making airline passengers go through body scanners that see through clothing. Even if you are willing to go through this in order to feel safer, you should still understand that this will cause the airline industry to lose a lot of business. Body scanners and enhanced pat downs are not going to be tolerated by non-exhibitionists. People are going on trips by car that they would have previously taken by plane.

You are all adult enough to know that it is more dangerous to drive than to fly, so we can expect a rise in highway deaths as a result of these new humiliating procedures. Wasn't the whole point to save lives?

Veterans Day

Go hug a veteran today, if he's into that sort of thing.

Another dumb idea for a law

The Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers is seeking a statewide ban on alcoholic energy drinks. The reason they cite is that caffeine masks some of the effects of alcohol, and young people are over-consuming as a result.

This particular effort to protect idiots from their own stupidity is a exercise in futility. Anyone with ID can still buy a case of beer, and anyone at all can still buy caffeinated products. You can take them home and mix them into a glass. If you don't have any clean glasses, you can drink one after the other and have both chemicals in your bloodstream at the same time.

Vote!

Be sure to vote on Tuesday. On Wednesday, be sure to get screened for colon cancer. Having smoke blown up your ass all year can't be very healthy.

Did he really just say that?

Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller cited East Germany as a place that was able to effectively control their border.
First of all, I'll concede two points:
1. East Germany did control their border effectively.
2. Just because they were socialists doesn't mean we can't learn anything from them.

But I think that there are certain differences between East Germany back then and the US today. Namely, East German border guards were ordered to shoot anyone trying to cross on site. On the other hand, the United States is not going to use lethal force against unarmed civilians on our own soil. (At least I hope not.) So unless you're willing to adopt similar policies and tactics, East Germany doesn't really serve as a useful model.

Watch the 3rd district debate here.