Author: Glenn Hauman

Peter David’s been telling for weeks to watch this week’s Twilight Zone because of the sequel to “It’s A Good Life”. While there’s some heavy discussion over there
(including a cameo blog appearance by Bill Mumy) I’m actually more
interested by the second half of the episode, a remake of “The Monsters
Are Due On Maple Street.”
Only now it’s “The Monsters Are On Maple Street”.
Same basic plot, one “minor” change– the focus is on “terrorists”.

And it’s scary as hell to watch because it’s all too plausible.

If you can catch the west coast feed, do so. If not, they’ll be rerunning it on Tuesday, March 18th.

…we’ll go through the mines of Moria. Are you happy now?

Oh look, a statistic that can be used as a bludgeon by both the vast left-wing and right-wing conspiracies…

More statistics show that people working in the media are more
likely to lie than any other profession – with an output of between two
and five lies a day for nine out of every 10 of them.

Of course, I read this on a newspaper’s web site, so can I really believe it?

More: The
total of 46% of men who admitted to at least one fib a day is dwarfed
by the 79% of women owning up – and what’s more the men were prepared
to concede that this was one skill that women were better at, with many
reporting that their female partner lied to them on a regular basis.
You still have to wonder if all this simply boils down to women being
more truthful about lying.

My god, how can Dave Atell do this and look so damn cool?

Oh, that’s right. Prodigious editing.

In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant
Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous
consequences for years.

Robert Byrd speaks
on the Senate floor, and it’s a joy to behold. Shame the topic is so
depressing…

Dave Barry:
JUST A THOUGHT: What if, for the past year or so, terrorists, working
in U.S. factories, have been putting lethal biochemical agents on… duct tape?

Still not posting as regularly as I might like, only because there are
too many things to do and to discuss some of the things I want to
require more time to spell out than I might like.
Therefore, I end up posting odd things like this in the odd hours when
even odds should have me odding off. Or nodding off, even.
Of course, occasionally, the sleep deprivation does lead to insights.
Like this one:
Why does my iron have a setting for permanent press?When
I re-read this post in the morning, perhaps I’ll have an answer. If
not, I will have added to my collection of great mysteries of life.

Winn Schwartau has an article on how “Microsoft Monopoly Threatens U.S. Security”:
\\It owns 95 percent of the Internet browser market (which includes
e-mail software) and more than 90 percent of the operating system and
office suite market. Also, 28 percent of Web servers on the Internet
are run by Microsoft software. See the problem?…
Now nearly all the world’s locks to the repositories of the Information
Age are made by the same company. Isn’t that the height of criminal
stupidity? Every time a weaknesses or vulnerability to a Microsoft
product is discovered, the details are instantly broadcast around the
globe, surely to be exploited by the nethermongers of the ‘Net.
The world’s economic engines run on Microsoft products waiting for the
next “It’s Always Something” to strike. The foundation of American
defense is Microsoft. Its products, which are used throughout the
federal government, including the Department of Defense, similarly
await the next debilitating cyberattack. Our national critical
infrastructures, including transportation, power, communication and
first-response emergency services, also sit in dire need of a workable
balance between security, privacy and efficiency. Whether it’s harmless
joyriding hackers gung-ho to help their country or terrorists targeting
an electronic Pearl Harbor, the results are the same.\\

Jim Henley’s been discussing how the Bloomberg Administration has been working against people trying to hold a protest rally this weekend.
He quotes an email from me stating “One note you may not be aware of:
NYC has been at Orange ever since the system was inaugurated, and has
never gone off it.” (a status that Jimmy Breslin also noted in his own article on the case) and goes on to state:
\\It would seem to mean that:
a) the City disapproved the UFPJ march under Code Orange;
b) the City approved the St. Paddy’s Day march under Code Orange.
That looks like game and set already if not game, set and match.\\
Jim understates the case. By my reckoning, match point is:
c) the City under Code Orange approved and previously allowed:
1. the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2001 & 2002)
2. the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebrations (2001 & 2002)
All four of thouse events had hundreds of thousands of attendees, plus
nationwide TV coverage. Perfect things for terrorists to hit, no?
The paranoid mind might think that this was Bloomberg’s payback to Bush for freeing up 9/11 recovery funds.

It will be if Patriot Act II: The Search For More Power becomes law:

Section 501, Expatriation of Terrorists: This provision, the
drafters say, would establish that an American citizen could be
expatriated if, with the intent to relinquish his nationality, he
becomes a member of, or provides material support to, a group that the
United Stated has designated as a terrorist organization. But
whereas a citizen formerly had to state his intent to relinquish his
citizenship, the new law affirms that his intent can be inferred from
conduct. Thus, engaging in the lawful activities of a group designated
as a terrorist organization by the Attorney General could be
presumptive grounds for expatriation.

Anybody want to place bets that the ACLU will considered a group that supports terrorists? Anybody want to join up anyway?