Posts Tagged ‘Government’

It’s not like we are losing it…

Thursday, November 2nd, 2006

…because very likely it has already been lost.

Either from ineptitude and ignorance,

No business in America would put someone with no computer expertise in charge of a multimillion dollar information technology (IT) purchase. However, this is precisely what we’ve done with our election officials. Good, well-meaning but technically naive bureaucrats all over the country have been sold huge, complex, untested computer systems that masquerade as simple “voting machines.” These officials have been put in charge of a massive IT procurement project, and they simply are not qualified.

Or plain old malfeasance,

e-Voting
Tom Toles

I will be voting but with little faith that my vote cast will have any weight, meaning, or purpose. Rather, my vote will be like that futile attempt to change the traffic light cycle by franticly pressing the crosswalk button. It will amount to nothing.

Gneiss Threat!

Wednesday, October 11th, 2006

Geologist and his rock deemed a threat. Rock confiscated for the safety of all. Robert M. Thorson, a professor of geology at the University of Connecticut, hassled for his favorite rock writes,

I suppose I could have put the grapefruit-sized specimen inside my sock, swung it around my head like a mace, charged the cabin and attempted to hijack the flight…Perhaps your tax dollars will be used by an internal think tank of agency hire-ups to ponder why on earth a geologist would travel with a rock. Who knows?(No Stone Unturned)

Gneiss Threat
Scary rocks!
Gneiss laying siege to Dublin
Photographic proof of the Gneissian Threat

I for one feel safer knowing that the bureaucracy works tirelessly to protect me from dual-use items such as chunks of gneiss. Thanks, TSA, that was a close one!

via Boing Boing

File Under: Ha!

Wednesday, October 4th, 2006

I Can't Believe It's Not Torture!

Via the fine folks at Boing Boing

Feministe on NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and Lieberman

Thursday, July 13th, 2006

Feministe has a great write up about how NARAL and Planned Parenthood are not really serving those that they say they are by continuing to back Joe Lieberman.  I have no great love for Lieberman but my level of indignation has risen to new heights in finding out that NARAL and Planned Parenthood back his draconian and backwards view of woman’s rights and health issues. 

Senate won’t quiz telecoms about NSA spying

Wednesday, June 7th, 2006

Senate won’t quiz telecoms about NSA spying: “Specter said he was willing to suspend the inquiry largely because Vice President Dick Cheney had provided assurances that the White House would be more receptive to pending legislation–including a proposal chiefly backed by Specter himself–that would send the existing NSA program and all future surveillance plans to a special court for review of their constitutionality.” Yeah, because you know that Gay Marriage and Flag Burning is way the fuck more important than the NSA spying. (via Digg)