tagged w/ ACLU
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"Today the ACLU won a significant victory in our battle to ensure that cell phones don’t become Big Brother tracking devices. Following a four-year fight, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to comply with our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and turn over the names and docket numbers in numerous cases where the government accessed cell phone location data without a warrant.
This fight began in 2007 when we filed the request seeking the policies and procedures used by DOJ in obtaining cell phone data and other information. Everyone acknowledges that the government has a right to keep the details of particular investigations secret, but when the government adopts whole new policies that affect our society’s privacy rights in very broad ways — that is something that should be decided democratically, and that can’t happen if we don’t even know what’s happening.
So when the government refused to respond adequately to our request, we filed a lawsuit along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Among the documents we sought were the case names and docket numbers for cases where individuals were criminally prosecuted after cell phone location data was accessed without a warrant. U.S. District Judge James Robertson ordered the DOJ to produce the information, at least in cases that ended in a conviction or guilty plea. The DOJ appealed that result, and today, the appeals court upheld the lower court's ruling, ordering the DOJ to make that information public. (We also want information on cases where the defendant was not convicted; the court sent that question back to the District Court so it remains unresolved.)
A related case is heading for the Supreme Court — it's about whether police need a warrant before planting a GPS device to track a person's car. If the government wins that case, it will become much harder to prevent it from using our cell phones in the same way."
More at link. And this will be important to follow.
By the way, I got word of this via the handy tech newsletters I get emailed from CNET. I recommend those updates even for those who, like me, are not real techies. They are very helpful regarding many aspects of the tech tools we have around us, whether we use them or not."Today the ACLU won a significant victory in our battle to ensure that cell... more
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The ACLU just issued the report 'A Call to Courage: Reclaiming Our Liberties Ten Years After 9/11' which exposes the Obama Administration for not prosecuting any Bush Administration crimes and in many cases (outside of torture and extraordinary rendition) continuing or expanding Bush policies.The ACLU just issued the report 'A Call to Courage: Reclaiming Our Liberties Ten... more
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The military industrial prison complex have been preparing for a breakdown of civil society for decades.
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From microwave energy blasters and blinding laser beams, to chemical agents and deafening sonic blasters, these weapons are at the cutting edge of crowd control, and look and sound like they belong in a Hollywood science fiction thriller.
The Pentagon's approved term for these weapons is "non-lethal" or "less-lethal" and they are intended for use against the unarmed. Designed to control crowds, clear streets, subdue and restrain individuals and secure borders, they are the 21st century's version of the police baton, pepper spray and tear gas.
1. The Invisible Pain Ray: The 'Holy Grail of Crowd Control'
Works like an open-air microwave oven, projecting a focused beam of electromagnetic radiation to heat the skin of its targets to 130 degrees. This creates an intolerable burning sensation forcing those in its path to instinctively flee
" ... the ADS provides the technical possibility to produce burns of second and third degree. Because the beam of diameter 2 m and above is wider than human size, such burns would occur over considerable parts of the body, up to 50% of its surface. Second- and third-degree burns covering more than 20% of the body surface are potentially life-threatening"
2. The Laser Blinding 'Dazzler'
The Personal Halting and Stimulation Response rifle, or PHaSR, is a massive laser shooter. It won't kill you, but it will temporarily blind you — or as the NIJ prefers to say, it will "dazzle" you into disorientation — by shooting you with two low-power diode-pumped lasers.
3. The Taser on Steroids
Taser has developed the Taser X12, a 12-gauge shotgun that instead of firing lethal bullet rounds, is designed to fire Taser projectile rounds. Known as Extended Range Electronic Projectiles (XREP), the XREP cartridge is a self-contained, wireless projectile that delivers the same neuro-muscular incapacitation bio-effect (a fancy way of saying electric shock) as the handheld Taser, but up to 100 feet.
4. Calmative Agents for Riot Control
Calmatives are chemical or biological agents with sedative, sleep-inducing or similar psychoactive effects.
Penn State’s College of Medicine researchers agreed that “the development and use of non-lethal calmative techniques is both achievable and desirable,” and identified a large number of promising drug candidates, including benzodiazepines like Valium, serotonin-reuptake inhibitors like Prozac, and opiate derivatives like morphine, fentanyl, and carfentanyl, the last commonly used by veterinarians to sedate large animals. The only problems they saw were in developing effective delivery vehicles and regulating dosages, but these problems could be solved readily, they recommended, through strategic partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry.
5. Screaming Microwaves That Pierce the Skull
Researchers are in the process of developing the Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio or MEDUSA, which uses a beam of microwaves to induce uncomfortable auditory sensations in the skull. The device exploits the microwave audio effect, in which short microwave pulses rapidly heat tissue, causing a shockwave inside the skull that can be detected by the ears. MEDUSA’s audio effect is loud enough to cause discomfort or even incapacitation. It may also cause a little brain damage from the high-intensity shockwave created by the microwave pulse.
6. Ear-Splitting Siren
It works using gas from a cylinder of domestic liquid petroleum, which is mixed with air and then detonated, producing a series of high-intensity blasts. Patented “pulse detonation” technology ensures high-decibel blasts. With an effective range of up to 50 meters, the makers say it is extremely loud but will not do any lasting damage. They warn, however, that within 10 meters the Thunder Generator could cause permanent damage or even death.
The Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, built by American Technology Corporation, focuses and broadcasts sound over ranges of up to hundreds of yards. LRAD has been around for years, but Americans first took notice when police used it in Pittsburgh to ward off protesters at the 2009 G-20 summitThe military industrial prison complex have been preparing for a breakdown of civil... more
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has filed open records requests asking Governor Rick Perry and other officials to disclose the amount of government resources being used to promote a planned evangelical Christian prayer rally in Houston.
"We are concerned that Gov. Perry is using public office to endorse a sectarian religious event and to advance specific Christian beliefs,” said Lisa Graybill, Legal Director of the ACLU of Texas. “We are seeking information on the degree to which state resources have been or will be used for the planning and promotion of this event and for state officials’ participation in it.”
Perry proclaimed August 6 as a "Day of Prayer and Fasting for our Nation to seek God's guidance" and invited governors from across the nation to join his Christian prayer summit at Reliant Stadium.
"Given the trials that beset our nation and world, from the global economic downturn to natural disasters, the lingering danger of terrorism and continued debasement of our culture, I believe it is time to convene the leaders from each of our United States in a day of prayer and fasting, like that described in the book of Joel," Perry said in June.
http://tinyurl.com/3jfy7hrThe American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has filed open records requests asking... more
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LOrion
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added this
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10 months ago
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Yeah, the ACLU went after this one too. Something about illegal search and seizure maybe? So Scott's plan is going to court and he is walking it back and trying to save face too:
" "Nonetheless, while the case is pending, it does not make sense for all agencies to move forward with the logistical issues involved in instituting the new policy," he wrote.
Scott also mentions agencies' efforts to coordinate and procure drug-testing services for the lowest cost per test. He said agencies were asked to hold off on adopting drug-testing policies as those discussions took place."
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/16/2269870/scott-suspends-drug-test-requirement.html#ixzz1PVIP6J4n
Another GOP 'small government' pol trying to abuse people's rights for fun and profit. He DID put his company in his wife's name, so it's not like, ya know, he was trying to pump up HIS business by requiring all state workers to get drug test every 3 months. No, nothing like that. And he DID mention trying to get the lowest price per test for the state, but seems the bidding process might just be rife with potential for fraud.
Fraud, now there's a word Rick Scott and his lawyers probably know something about, what with him running the company that got hit with the biggest Medicare fraud case in US history, resulting in $1.7 Billion in various fines and damages.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-05-20/news/fl-rick-scott-governor-hca-20100520_1_medicare-fraud-case-hospitals-in-el-paso-hospital-giant-columbia
Hey, wasn't that the company owned by former Senator Frist's family? GOP family values.
Scott also wants drug tests for people on public assistance. Guess he doesn't want any poor people scamming the government so they can buy drugs? Scamming is for bigger fish, it seems.Yeah, the ACLU went after this one too. Something about illegal search and seizure... more
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Civil liberties advocates are raising alarm over news the FBI is giving agents more leeway to conduct domestic surveillance. According to the New York Times, new guidelines will allow FBI agents to investigate people and organizations "proactively" without firm evidence for suspecting criminal activity.
We speak to former FBI agent Mike German, who now works at the American Civil Liberties Union, and Texas activist Scott Crow, who has been the focus of intense FBI surveillance from 2001 until at least 2008.
Read more and watch the video here:
http://www.politicalfailblog.com/2011/06/fbi-to-expand-domestic-surveillance.htmlCivil liberties advocates are raising alarm over news the FBI is giving agents more... more
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There is a story in The New York Times that has received little to no fan fare from the media. The article Voter Registration and Requirements states that 13 Republican controlled statehouses around the United States are requiring photo identification at the polls. Moreover, they want to reduce the number of early voting days and tighten registration rules. In May 2011, states like Wisconsin and Texas recently signed bills into laws joining South Carolina and Kansas.There is a story in The New York Times that has received little to no fan fare from... more
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Over the past few weeks we’ve been able to announce several victories in our Don’t Filter Me initiative to stop censorship of LGBT websites at public schools. Our largest success to date occurred earlier this month when Lightspeed Systems, which produces software used for website filtering in thousands of public schools across the U.S, stepped up to do the right thing. After its customers began receiving complaints from the ACLU, Lightspeed responded to this problem by removing a discriminating filter from its software.
Why haven’t the other leading filtering companies — Blue Coat Systems, M86 Solutions, Fortiguard, Websense and URL Blacklist — taken similar steps to fix this problem? Four out of five of these companies are located in California, where anti-gay censorship in public schools is prohibited not only by federal law, but by state law as well
Help us tell the web-filter companies to remove their anti-LGBT filters. Sign our petition asking the filter companies to stop selling public schools software that is designed to discriminate.
http://bit.ly/myZnV8Over the past few weeks we’ve been able to announce several victories in our... more
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LOrion
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added this
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12 months ago
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Rick Scott, is a monster, pure and simple. He is out to
eradicate all poverty by killing the poor off; All elderly who
rely on social programs; by killing them off; All social
programs that middle and lower class income groups (who
will not survive without) depend upon... you guessed it, BY
KILLING THEM OFF.
How did this prima donna despot become Governor of
Florida? Right now he has an approval rating of 29%, the
real question here is... WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE THAT
COMPRISE THIS 29% GROUP? No wonder we are a divided nation!
GET OUT AND VOTE AND STOP THESE MONSTERS! thinkingblue
Standing up to Rick Scott in Florida
As we speak Rick Scott is harming the state of Florida. My daughter almost was fired from her teaching job because she was up for tenure (THE ONLY REASON)... A single mother of 2 children who worked her fingers to the bone to obtain a teaching degree while working and raising her kids. Then a Rick Scott comes along and wantonly tries to snatch her achievement away from her. This man is not worthy of his position.
Rick Scott's goal in life apparently is to bring Florida to its knees or worse. The people who voted for this selfish, arrogant man must be horrified at what they have put into power. If Florida is to survive as a state anyone would be proud to call home, Rick Scott and his immoral objectives must go. Below is a video I have put together concerning this pathetic man Florida calls Governor. Please watch it and then help save our beautiful state from Rick Scott, sign petition. thinkingblue
THE PETITION SITE http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/impeach-florida-governor-rick-scott/
Rick Scott took the Fifth SEVENTY FIVE TIMES during this Two Hour Deposition for Medicare Fraud
MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott will soon be hit with legal challenges over his decision to make drug tests mandatory for all state workers, an American Civil Liberties Union official said on Monday.
Also See: Democracy: Just Not Here In Florida http://sogcityoracle.blogspot.com/2011/05/democracy-just-not-here-in-florida.html
Florida Governor Signs Historic Medicaid Bill
Gov. Rick Scott has signed two historic Medicaid bills, placing the health care of nearly 3 million Florida residents into the hands of for-profit companies and hospital networks
Tallahassee, FL - Gov. Rick Scott has signed two historic
Medicaid bills, placing the health care of nearly 3 million Florida
residents into the hands of for-profit companies and hospital
networks.
Scott signed the bills Thursday.
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Florida_Governor_Signs_Historic_Medicaid_Bill_123071303.html
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Rick Scott Faces Challenge Over Decision To Make Drug Tests Mandatory For State Workers
"We're certainly moving in that direction," said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, when asked about possible lawsuits challenging the policy.
"It's certainly going to be subjected to a test, a constitutional evaluation by the courts," Simon, a veteran civil rights advocate, told Reuters.
He was referring to an executive order that Scott, a Tea Party-backed conservative, signed last week requiring random drug screening for all workers on the state payroll at least once every three months.
New job applicants would also be subject to drug tests under the order signed by Scott, a controversial former healthcare executive, who took office in January.
Scott issued his order on the same day a bill was filed in the state legislature seeking to make good on his campaign pledge to require drug tests for welfare recipients, who would be required to pay for their own drug screening.
He said random drug testing of government workers, without reasonable suspicion of drug abuse, has generally been limited to employees in jobs where public safety is an issue.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/28/rick-scott-faces-challeng_n_841703.html
BUT WAIT, THERE'S GOOD NEWS CONCERNING THIS FLORIDA TOTALITARIAN GOVERNOR thinkingblue
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The Rick Scott Effect: Obama’s Approval Rating Skyrockets In Florida
May 26, 2011
By Jason Easley
http://www.politicususa.com/en/obama-rick-scott-florida
A new Quinnipiac poll released today found that in one month President Obama’s approval rating in Florida has gone from 44% to 51%.
According to the Quinnipiac University poll, President Obama has experienced a net 16 point swing in Florida. The President went from having a net negative approval rating of 44%-52% in April to having a positive 51%-43% job approval rating in May.
Obama has made up most of his ground with Independents, who swung a net 18 points in his direction. The president’s job approval rating with the state’s Independents has gone from 39%-55% in April to 47%-45% today. Obama also gained a net 12 points in Democratic approval from 79%-16% in April to 86%-11% today. Obama experienced a huge swing with men in the state. He has gained a net 22 points. The president has gone from a 19 point negative split in April, 39%-58% to 47%-45% today.
By a margin of 50%-44% voters say Obama deserves a second term. Last month, by a margin of 51%-42% voters said that he did not deserve to be reelected.
Obviously the big change since April was the killing of Bin Laden, but Americans have notoriously short memories and that event took place weeks before this poll was conducted. Something interesting happens when Gov. Rick Scott’s approval numbers from the same poll are compared with Obama’s. As Obama was gaining a net 18 point in the state, Gov. Scott was losing 16 points.
Scott’s approval rating has fallen to a Palin like 29%. His disapproval rating (54%) almost mirrors Obama’s new approval rating (51%). Scott’s disapproval ratings with Independents and men are each over 50%. Rick Scott came into office as an unpopular governor, and his numbers continue to only trend downward.
The question is has Rick Scott poisoned the well for the Republican nominee in 2012? If Scott’s approval ratings don’t improve, he may have made it impossible for the Republican nominee to beat Obama in Florida. Recent polling in Ohio revealed that as Gov. John Kasich has become the second most unpopular governor in America, Obama has become the favorite there too.
The best argument for voters in Florida to support Obama in 2012 may end up being Rick Scott. If Scott continues to plummet, a state that Republicans consider crucial to defeating Obama may be out of reach.
The lesson here is be careful what you wish for. Republicans wanted a big victory in 2010, but their victory may be helping Obama steam ahead towards a Sunshine State victory 2012.http://www.politicususa.com/en/obama-rick-scott-floridaRick Scott, is a monster, pure and simple. He is out to
eradicate all poverty by... more
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Many Americans believe they understand the dangers of the Patriot Act, which Congress has vowed to extend 4 more years in a vote later this week. Trust me when I say, Americans are not nearly frightened enough.Many Americans believe they understand the dangers of the Patriot Act, which Congress... more
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"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) concluded its delegation in Puerto Rico yesterday in an attempt to gain insight into the human rights and civil liberties violations of state forces involved with the ongoing student protests at the University of Puerto Rico...
The protests recently lost some public support after an alleged violent attack on a higher-up university staff..."
http://citizenscom.com/2011/05/06/rosie-perez-speaks-out-against-state-violence-aclu-delegation/"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) concluded its delegation in Puerto... more
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Kobe Bryant looking like a f**king fa**ot in this photo by Ruven Afandor.
Kobe Bryant did the unthinkable. In a moment of heated passion and utter annoyance at a play on a basketball court, he spewed the two words that no homosexual likes to hear. This quickly became GLAAD’s call to arms, rainbow flag in hand, crying (with tears) foul. There was a time that simply the F-word was taboo extraordinaire on the courts with penalties mounting as the inner city kids were taking over the sport. This recent Kobe-Gate multiplies the drama times two because when he screamed F**cking Fa**ot, he was not just whistling Dixie. It was a double entendre and you had two no-no’s for the price of one.
As a homosexual Jew who would have slaughter in minutes by the Nazis and a few current Republicans, I would like to draw a line in the sand and say that it is OK to cross it. We all say words that we do not mean literally. As the world become beyond homogenized and political correctness traps up into a frozen state of not knowing what to say, I say let bygones be bygones and just don’t make a habit of it. A year ago I wrote a piece called The End of Political Correctness and to this day, I think it still holds true. Frankly, things never will change. There will be N-words and F-words till Judgment Day, so why judge people for a slip of the tongue? A slap on the wrist , rather, a slap on the ass is the appropriate penalty here.
Here is what I wrote on April 2, 2010:
Over the last few decades, we have become curiously, annoyingly and extremely politically correct and certain words have become absolutely taboo. That which was once acceptable is now considered offensive and there are times when you just don’t know what to say for fear of offending anyone or everyone around you. In the early 1970s, I was bussed to an all–black high school. “Black” was the acceptable term then, whereas now, “African-American” is the new black, replacing what was once the new “colored”. My ancestors are from Russia and Poland, do I walk around saying I am Russian-American, or worse, Polish-American? We are caught in the quagmire of what is the “right thing to say” and quite frankly, I see no light at the end of this tunnel – not even a glimmer.
The expression “politically correct” or “political correctness” can be traced back to 1920s Germany, when communist academia sought to impose their views on students. The term became more frequently used in the 1960s and 1970s by suburban bleeding-heart liberals, feminists and progressives who were intent on impacting the media, while leaving an emotional imprint on the Baby Boomer generation. As Boomers became adults, they clung on to the notion of being “politically correct”, however, adapting some of the initial ideas to surprisingly new and often meticulously planed-out hidden agendas.
What we now have is a wide-ranging group of hypocrites in charge of the media and most industries, where everyone is expected to play nice in the sandbox. The climate of corporate politics suggests that you “keep your head down” while those in higher positions, do as they please regarding dubious hiring practices, stealing, or worse, illegal activities as in the case of the banking culture and while I am at it, the Catholic Church. I refer to this group as the “nouveaux-hypocritical”. In light of the recent attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day in Detroit by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (a.k.a. “The Underwear Bomber”), there’s a renewed outcry for stricter airport screening regarding “certain types”, or, as it is more commonly referred to, racial profiling. Then again, at the risk of sounding like a total bigot, is that actually such a bad idea? The Muslim Public Affairs Council calls racial profiling unconstitutional. But from where I’m sitting, it is equally unconstitutional to sew explosives into your Calvins to bring a plane down on Christmas Day.
When Richard Reid (a.k.a. “The Shoe Bomber”) was captured, we automatically started checking everyone’s shoes… even old ladies’ with large, unsightly corns. Umar’s bomb was hidden in his underwear, so now what? Will security guards start pulling down our pants? Random wedgies? There’s some fancy detective work for you. Isn’t it easier to identify a certain type of individual that we can all look at cross-eyed? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is claiming invasion of privacy and rejecting the controversial full body scans. Feel free to check out my ass in order to secure safe passage. How about that recent case in Saudi Arabia where the Al-Qaeda member had an explosive stashed in his anal cavity. What next, proctologists moonlighting for the sake of airport security? Immediately after 9-11, while working with a writer on her promotional book tour, we had to continue the planned nine-city schedule. This involved several plane rides, one of which was to Kentucky, where one of the reported terrorists had lived. Believe me, we were doing our own version of racial profiling aplenty. It was more anecdotal than a serious bid to rid evildoers, but I found much comfort in giving the evil eye to a host of “certain-types”. Was I being politically incorrect? Thank you.
To see the list of things you simply cannot say…
There are expressions that you can no longer say and on the same token things that you have to say…or else! Here is a list of the most important ones, to ensure you stay politically correct in these confusing times:
1. Worldwide no-no is the N-word.
2. People with intellectual disabilities no longer can be called Retarded. Whereas I find it most applicable in the case of Umar, that retarded member of the Lucky Sperm Club who tried blowing up Flight 253 on Christmas Day.
3. African-American, Asian-American, Latino-American, Corporate-American.
4. Child-Obesity is the politically correct term for Fat Kid these days. As an ex-fatty, call me fatso any day over “You obese baboon”.
5. Tranny hookers now must be referred to as Transgender Sex Workers. As a past resident of the Meatpacking District in New York City back in the 1990’s, I can assure you; “tranny hooker” is how they referred to themselves. It was the uber-political correct LGBT Community Center that put that glamorous title onto them and consequently killed their business.
6. Homosexuals became really Gay around the time of the Stonewall Riots in the 1969, birthing the Gay Rights movement. Whereas in England, Fags are the correct term for cigarettes.
7. The women’s equality movement escalated in the 1970’s demanding equal pay for equal work, which also birthed the Bitch in the Workplace.
8. Midgets must now be referred to as Little People, even in the Wonderful Land of Oz and Munchkin Land.
9. Secretaries needed an ego boost and the only option was a title as opposed to a raise, so they settled for Administrative Assistant, which sure beats Mistress.
10. Housewives once they heard that their husband’s secretaries were getting a verbal promotion, quickly jumped on the bandwagon and demanded to be called Domestic Engineers. Those who survive Fucked Up Upbringings, which is most of us, can now say we came from Dysfunctional Families.
11. Someone Crippled became Handicapped, which evolved into Disabled and now is officially Physically Challenged…until that will be simply unacceptable.
Now matter what you say or do, there is always a 50% chance that you will be utterly, terribly and embarrassingly wrong. So, either we just stop talking and communicating altogether or rather, say whatever we want and let the chips fall where they may.
Read more: http://imeanwhat.com/canyoubelieve/kobe-minced-meat-bryant#ixzz1JWKSDSDoKobe Bryant looking like a f**king fa**ot in this photo by Ruven Afandor.
Kobe... more
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The REAL ID Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-13, 119 Stat 392) was scheduled to go into effect on May 11, 2011, requiring the federalization of State-issued driver's licenses.
But, the Department of Homeland Security has just announced they will extend that deadline by two years to January 2013, because States are revolting against it.
That is because MANY people have told Congress they DO NOT WANT A NATIONAL ID card! The government has been delaying this program for several years, because every time they push hard for implementation, American citizens fight back against it!
Unfortunately, we have a President right now who doesn't care what we think.
REAL ID violates privacy, takes sovereignty away from individual States and will cost as much as $11 Billion!
But Obama is still determined to see it happen.
What could the government make us put on this card?
Driving records, of course... Prescription drug, or other medical information?... Gun registration information?... Legal information?... Tax information?... Family information?... Employment information?
The answer is, ANYTHING THEY WANT.
Once a federal driver's license program is implemented, we will have no choice but to accept government mandates relating to this card.
That's why we have to stop it NOW, before it actually goes into effect.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN/SENATORS AND "DEMAND" THEY OPPOSE THE REAL ID ACT!The REAL ID Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-13, 119 Stat 392) was scheduled to go into... more
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Daytona Beach – The ACLU of Florida today filed a legal challenge to an Administrative Order entered by Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The Order bans protected speech on the Orange County and Osceola County Courthouse complexes. The ACLU’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari asks the Fifth District Court of Appeal of Florida to review and overturn the Order.
The ACLU of Florida filed the Petition on behalf of the Fully Informed Jury Association (“FIJA”) and one of its supporters and volunteers, James Cox, who, until Judge Perry’s order, regularly spoke about jurors’ rights and distributed leaflets and other related educational materials at the Orange County Courthouse complex. Mr. Cox’s expressive conduct, and the FIJA materials he offered to members of the public focused primarily on jury nullification, sometimes referred to as “jury pardons.”
Cooperating attorney Lawrence G. Walters, of Walters Law Group, and ACLU of Florida lawyers Randall Marshall and Maria Kayanan are asking the Fifth District Court of Appeal to vacate the January 31, 2011 order that bans the dist
http://irregulartimes.com/c/i_heart_free_speech--145577381885981062-product-210.jpgDaytona Beach – The ACLU of Florida today filed a legal challenge to an... more
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According to the ACLU (and most rational human beings), The Maryland Department of Corrections crossed a line when it demanded that Officer Robert Collins (who tells his story in the video after the break) turn over his Facebook password during a job interview. As part of the department's background check procedures, all new applicants and those seeking recertification are required to turn over usernames and passwords for social media accounts. This, predictably, has set off alarms with privacy advocates who view this as a gross violation of an individual's rights. Note, this is not reading an applicants public Twitter feed; this is digging through personal correspondance and rummaging through posts made not just by the applicant, but by his or her friends and family.
The case will undoubtedly spark debate about whether or not a potential employer has the right to request access to your personal social networking accounts. Allow us to make this argument very easy for you: no. No they don't.
http://www.switched.com/2011/02/21/robert-collins-forced-give-up-facebook-password-for-job/#continuedAccording to the ACLU (and most rational human beings), The Maryland Department of... more
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Apparently, President GWBush wasn't the only American president who believes there ought to be limits on freedom.
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http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/aclu-eff-court-alexandria-today-over-government-demands-twitter-records
ACLU / EFF In Court In Alexandria Today Over Government Demands For Twitter Records
February 15, 2011
Demands For Information Were Made In Connection With WikiLeaks Investigation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) are in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia today for a hearing in a legal battle over the government’s demands for the records of several Twitter users in connection with an investigation related to WikiLeaks. The ACLU and EFF represent Birgitta Jonsdottir, an Icelandic parliamentarian and one of the Twitter users whose records were sought by the government.
“Like many elected officials, our client uses Twitter and other online tools to communicate with her constituents and express her political views. The government shouldn’t be trying to find out about her communications unless they can withstand serious First Amendment scrutiny, and the government hasn’t done that here,” said Aden Fine, staff attorney for the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, who presented arguments today. “The government’s request is especially troubling because it seeks information about all statements made by our client, not just speech about the subject of the government’s investigation.”
The ACLU and EFF have asked the court to unseal the still-secret court records of the government's attempts to collect private records from Twitter, Inc., as well as other companies who may have received demands for information from the government. The groups have also asked the court to overturn the December 14 court order requiring Twitter to provide information about its users.
“We are deeply troubled that the government asked the court to keep secret the original court order asking Twitter for its users’ records,” said Fine. “Except in truly extraordinary circumstances, Internet users should receive notice and an opportunity to go to court to defend their constitutional rights before their privacy is compromised.That’s what is happening now, thanks to Twitter’s efforts.”
Attorneys for Jonsdottir are Fine and Benjamin Siracusa-Hillman of the ACLU, Rebecca Glenberg of the ACLU of Virginia and Cindy Cohn, Lee Tien, Marcia Hofmann and Kevin Bankston of EFF.The motions were joined by attorneys from the law firm Keker & Van Nest LLP and the Law Office of John D. Cline on behalf of Jacob Appelbaum and Rop Gonggrijp, respectively, as well as local counsel in Virginia. The government has also requested information concerning Appelbaum and Gonggrijp's Twitter accounts.
More information about the case is online at: www.aclu.org/free-speech/twitter-wikileaks-ordersubpoenaApparently, President GWBush wasn't the only American president who believes... more
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Have you caught your breath yet? In just 24 hours, we told you about an upcoming vote on the Patriot Act, over 1,000 of you took action through our Action Center (thank you!), and we won (!): On February 8, the House failed to get enough votes to extend the Patriot Act until Dec. 8, 2011. We hope you’ve celebrated.
We sure have. We added the Patriot Act extension vote to our Scorecard, and you can see how your member voted here (please let them know how you feel about their votes!), and our own fabulous Senior Policy Counsel and former FBI agent, Michael German, was quoted (twice) in Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) press release opposing Patriot Act reauthorization:
“The framers of the Constitution recognized that giving the government unchecked authority to pry into our private lives risked more than just individual property rights. These patriots understood from their own experience that political rights could not be secured without procedural protections. The Fourth Amendment mandates prior judicial review and permits warrants to be issued only upon probable cause.”
AND
“As Michael German put it “modern day patriots are willing to exchange our forbearers’ ‘don’t tread on me’ banner for a less inspiring one reading “if you aren’t doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about.”
Well, now it’s time to get back to work and tell Congress once again that, really, we do care about our privacy and would prefer that the FBI confine its spying to individuals who there is probable cause to believe might be terrorists. Thankyouverymuch.
The House of Representatives voted today on a “rule” to govern floor debate on the Patriot Act reauthorization bill, and that ugly little bill will rear its head again – this time only for a simple majority vote – sometime next week. That means we need even more representatives to vote “no” than did this week, which also means we need even more of you to take action. Can we double or triple our number of action takers over the weekend? Come on…I dare you.Have you caught your breath yet? In just 24 hours, we told you about an upcoming vote... more
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