Holding off on the e-mail

Given the amount of protest and division among the Mac faithful regarding the new .Mac service, I'm holding off on switching to another POP mail service until I see if Apple is willing to offer any compromise positions, like say, a no-frills version of .Mac with only e-mail for free. So, for the moment, khaos@mac.com is still a viable address, but to be always sure of reaching me, send via khaos@tim.org as per usual.

Further updates on e-mail as warranted.

Photo ID or passport please?

Air Traveler ID Requirement Challenged

Civil libertarian John Gilmore today challenged as unconstitutional a secret federal rule that requires domestic US travelers to identify themselves.

"United States courts have recognized for more than a century that honest citizens have the right to travel throughout America without government restrictions.  Some people say that everything changed on 9/11, but patriots have stood by our Constitution through centuries of conflict and uncertainty.  Any government that tracks its citizens' movements and associations, or restricts their travel using secret decrees, is violating that Constitution," said Gilmore.  "With this case, I hope to redirect government anti-terrorism efforts away from intrusive yet useless measures such as ID checks, confiscation of tweezers, and database surveillance of every traveler's life."

For more information, see the full document or the FAQ.

When I Go

Dave Carter, of the folk duo Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, has died of a heart attack. He will be missed. I had always hoped to see them in concert but now I never will, and I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to "When I Go" again without tearing up.

Gods speed you on your way, Dave.

Weird

Ever have one of those dreams which end really abruptly for no apparent reason like the first reel of a movie suddenly coming to an end so that you find yourself lying in bed, your hand curled up to answer a phone call like in your dream and your voice being heard to say, "But.. what's happening next?"

Never mind.

It's too easy

Why is it so easy for the Republicans to erode constitutional freedoms? Because many people don't know their constitutional rights, or what's in the Constitution. A short, but cogent article, more of which at the link.

One (Constitutionally Illiterate) Nation Under God

According to a National Constitution Center poll five years ago, "only 5 percent of Americans can correctly answer 10 rudimentary questions about the Constitution," such as naming any of the rights contained in the First Amendment or declaring true or false whether the president is elected directly by the people. Notably, one out of six citizens (this means tens of millions of people) actually believes that "the Constitution establishes America as a Christian nation." A lot of high school students mix up the Ten Commandments and the Bill of Rights, which may explain why so many congressmen make the same mistake. Many high school students I have spoken with in inner city areas think that Brown v. Board of Education established rather than overthrew the doctrine of "separate but equal." After all, de facto segregation is their lived experience and no one has taught them the decision itself.

I do recommend visiting the NCC site, by the way.

Buggerit

The spectacle frame surrounding one of my lenses just snapped, so I'm back to wearing my spare, which is of a lower power so things are just that little bit doubly-visioned. Will trot down to the optometrist's tomorrow

*sigh*

Maybe I should consider that laser eye surgery thingy. What d'ya think?

Squeal!

Just saw the preview for the next new episode of Farscape and...

( Cut for spoilers )

Lest we forget...

33 years ago... and 250,000 miles away...

102:44:29 Armstrong (on-board): I got a good spot (garbled).

102:44:31 Aldrin: 160 feet, 6 1/2 down.

102:44:33 Aldrin: 5 1/2 down, 9 forward. You're looking good.

102:44:40 Aldrin: 120 feet.

102:44:45 Aldrin: 100 feet, 3 1/2 down, 9 forward. Five percent (fuel remaining). Quantity light.

102:44:54 Aldrin: Okay. 75 feet. And it's looking good. Down a half, 6 forward.

102:45:02 Duke: 60 seconds (of fuel left before the 'Bingo' call).

102:45:08 Aldrin: 60 feet, down 2 1/2. (Pause) 2 forward. 2 forward. That's good.

102:45:17 Aldrin: 40 feet, down 2 1/2. Picking up some dust.

102:45:21 Aldrin: 30 feet, 2 1/2 down. (Garbled) shadow.

102:45:25 Aldrin: 4 forward. 4 forward. Drifting to the right a little. 20 feet, down a half.

102:45:31 Duke: 30 seconds (until the 'Bingo' call).

102:45:32 Aldrin: Drifting forward just a little bit; that's good. (Garbled) (Pause)

102:45:40 Aldrin: Contact Light.

102:45:43 Armstrong (on-board): Shutdown

102:45:44 Aldrin: Okay. Engine Stop.

102:45:45 Aldrin: ACA out of Detent.

102:45:46 Armstrong: Out of Detent. Auto.

102:45:57 Duke: We copy you down, Eagle.

102:45:58 Armstrong (on-board): Engine arm is off. (Pause) Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.

-- from The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal.

We did that once back then - why can't we do that again?