My News on June 22
Discovery Channel–Scientists Reach Teleportation Milestone I don’t know how much closer we are to "beam me up Scotty," but who knows. I very vaguely remember some of the old Buck Rogers shows with the exciting special effects. WOW! Now look at where are today. My subnotebook Sony has more computing power than was on the Apollo 11 spacecraft. And yesterday, a private company flew a craft into space and returned it to earth. I remember being in grammar school and figuring out that I just had to make it to 40 years old to see the 21st century. That seemed like such a long time, and I expected to be very old. Well, here I am. And while I have yet to be physically teleported around the world, or out into space, I do get to sit right here at my desk and visit exoctic places (and erotic too considering the derth of porn on the internet) virtually. I can visit with friends via webcams and instant messaging. Its really pretty amazing.
Registered Traveler Program — Well, the TSA is now saying that we can give them fingerprints and iris scans and they will let us through security faster. I find it hard to believe. I will still have to pass through the metal detectors. While I’m sure there will be an "express line," I refuse to participate.? I fail to believe that this will significantly improve security, and don’t believe my ability to get through a line a little faster is worth giving up even more of privacy to the government. So many people have become so complacent about this. I keep hearing people say, "Well, that horse is already out of the gate, so what’s a little more?" Well, what’s a little more is a little more, a little more there, and in no time at all George and Jon are tracking every move you make. I think its time to put stakes in the ground and start rolling back some of the privacy invasions. Just because the "horse is out of the gate" doesn’t mean we can’t put it back the corral if we want to…and we’d better want to.
Casket Pictures — Now the Senate is conspiring to help the Bush Administration control the flow of information related to the Bush War. They are now supporting the Bush policy of not allowing photographs of the caskets coming into Dover AFB. Even some Republicans are tired of the growing secrecy. "’These caskets that arrive at Dover are not named; we just see them,’ said Sen. John McCain, a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war for five years in Vietnam. He added, ‘I think we ought to know the casualties of war.’" Of course, the Bush Administration wants to try to prevent you from any realization of the real costs of his littler personal vendeta.
Bad Call by Carl Rove — It seems he’s now wanting to try to force a Senate vote on the Gay Marriage Ammendment in July before the Democratic National Convention. Dave Pell at electablog has a good take on it in a story, where he points out the amendment is likely to fail, and will cause even conservatives who are closer to the center to roll their eyes. This is merely a play to the far right, and as Pell says, don’t you think Bush had those votes at "hello?"
Another Bush Payoff –?The President has nominated Thomas B. Griffith (former counsel to the Senate for the Clinton impeachment) to be a Federal Judge. Only problem, the guy practiced law in D.C. for a couple of years, and now in Utah for nearly four years, without a license. And some other republican lawyers are writing letters of support saying its no big deal. Just a minor oversight that he didn’t renew his law license.
