A Byte of Python which is nicely available free.

You’ve seen the LOLcats, here’s the FailDogs.

Alamoure gave birth to Tessa Tuesday night at 8:57pm. Welcome little engineer.

Pictures are here.

McDonald’s Bathroom Attendant at Improv Everywhere
His accent was unbelievably thick, but it was clear he was delighted that there was someone in the room to “help the boys wash up”. He shook Agent Simmons’ hand, explaining “the kids are astonished because they don’t do this in England.”

Security is like liberty, in that many are the crimes committed in its name. The menace to the security of this country, be it great as it may, from this girl’s admission is as nothing compared to the menace to free institutions inherent in procedures of this pattern. In the name of security, the police state justifies its arbitrary oppressions on evidence that is secret, because security might be prejudiced if it were brought to light in hearings. The plea that evidence of guilt must be secret is abhorrent to free men, because it provides a cloak for the malevolent, the misinformed, the meddlesome, and the corrupt to play the role of informer undetected and uncorrected.

–Robert H. Jackson, in United States ex rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy, 338 U.S. 537, 557 (1950)(dissenting)

Harper’s Magazine

Awhile back I was watching a great documentary on the birth of the punk scene, it closed with former Black Flag frontman and current TV host Henry Rollins saying these words: “All it takes is one person to stand up and say ‘fuck this.’”

I truly hope so, because I’m finally doing just that.

And I should’ve done it a long time ago.

Deus Ex Malcontent

> MR. STANZEL: Well, those are conversations that are ongoing. And as
> you would remember, prospective liability was passed in August, and
> that gave liability protection to companies to assist going
> forward. That prospective liability comes into question with the
> expiration of the Protect America Act.
>
> So as you heard the leaders talk about, those companies are
> increasingly reluctant to help their country and help us track the
> activities of terrorists in foreign lands. It becomes more and more
> difficult as time goes on to obtain their cooperation on these
> issues, and that is of great concern.
>
> Yes, Helen?
>
> Q: What right does the President have to tell any company or any
> person in this country to break the law?
>
> MR. STANZEL: I — what’s your point?
>
> Q: No warrants and so forth; that they can go and spy on us without
> any warrants?
>
> MR. STANZEL: The Protect America Act was passed by Congress last
> August, as you know, and signed into law. So it is a lawful program
> that is expiring tomorrow night.
>
> Q: Well, if it’s lawful, why would you not get a warrant? It still
> prevails, doesn’t it?
>

Why CYA Prez Needs to Wiretap US