Monday, April 21, 2003

EFF Action Alert: Stop Total Information Awarness Congress has taken a crucial first step toward protecting the civil liberties and privacy of innocent people in the United States. On Jan. 23rd, the Senate voted in favor of the Wyden-Feinstein amendment to the current omnibus appropriations bill (Senate Amendment No. 59), which would block the deployment of any TIA program until it has specifically authorized and appropriated funds. If the amendment makes it through the joint committee, TIA will be halted for now. It's up to you and your Representative; stop TIA! Send an email to your representative here. More information on the TIA is here. There is enough doubt in my mind that the TIA program has enormous potential for abuse, and there is enough evidence from respectable computer scientists that it will be an inefective tool for it's supposed purpose of keeping America safe from terrorists. 12:44:09 AM    comment [] TECH: Ad Astra   Mojave, California, April 18, 2003: Scaled Composites today unveiled the existence of a commercial manned space program. This previously hidden, active research program has been in the works at its facility for two years. This program includes an airborne launcher (the White Knight), a space ship (SpaceShipOne), rocket propulsion, avionics, simulator and ground support elements. Master of Ceremonies, Cliff Robertson, introduced Burt Rutan who explained the history and the components of the program. Other dignitaries who attended the event were Dr. Maxim Faget (pioneer configuratioin designer of the early NASA space program from the Mercury through the Apollo programs), Erik Lindbergh (grandson of Charles Lindbergh and President of the Lindbergh Foundation), and Dennis Tito (Soyuz space tourist). Further information about the space program and high-resolution photographs are available here. 12:30:08 AM    comment [] Quote-Mania I love quotations. Here's a great list in a Kuro5hin.org story. More good quotes in the followups, and a link to the quoteland website. 12:21:06 AM    comment [] POP: 300 Reasons to Love The Simpsons Bart's 10 best blackboard lines: I was not touched 'there' by an angel; Fire is not the cleanser; Fish do not like coffee; Pork is not a verb; The hamster did not have 'a full life'; No one wants to hear about my sciatica; I am not my long-lost twin; The nurse is not dealing; I will not surprise the incontinent; Temptation Island is not a sleazy piece of crap. SOURCE: 300 reasons why we love The Simpsons,  Guardian Unlimited) 12:13:13 AM    comment []

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