We're definitely aware. Don't forget that HALF of us live in "blue states."
What kills me about this sort of thing is how information like one's photographs or browsing history or even what books you have on the shelf can be abused and distorted to fit a negative profile.
If they find visits to porn sites in someone's browsing history they conclude that he is either a "pervert," or, as seen in a recent homicide case here in Massachusetts, that the accused was "unhappy about his sex life."
There is a .pdf document that I've seen a dozen times here and there online that is supposed to be the "al-Qaeda manual." If somebody downloads that to check it out and it is later found on their computer, what do you think the chances are that this person will be accused of being a "member of al-Qaeda" or "sympathetic to al-Qaeda."
I remember seeing somebody undergoing "trial via the press" when in the course of searching his house the police found a pair of night-vision goggles. Night vision = terrorist, of course - even though the COLEMAN company that makes camping equipment sells cheap, consumer-level night vision equipment for camping, hunting, fishing, etc.
Another one - a book about "how to make your own fireworks" once became "instructions for building bombs" or "bomb making material."
Pushing back against this sort of lunacy seems so difficult and frightening in these strange times. What can one do?
I've found that the "No Longer Available" thing is often simply incorrect or at least temporary. I've just been able to play the video now, even after clearing my cache. If you run into a "No Longer Available" message, clicking through on the text link to YouTube often addresses it.
I can't believe that you actually said that, Alex.
We're definitely aware. Don't forget that HALF of us live in "blue states."
What kills me about this sort of thing is how information like one's photographs or browsing history or even what books you have on the shelf can be abused and distorted to fit a negative profile.
If they find visits to porn sites in someone's browsing history they conclude that he is either a "pervert," or, as seen in a recent homicide case here in Massachusetts, that the accused was "unhappy about his sex life."
There is a .pdf document that I've seen a dozen times here and there online that is supposed to be the "al-Qaeda manual." If somebody downloads that to check it out and it is later found on their computer, what do you think the chances are that this person will be accused of being a "member of al-Qaeda" or "sympathetic to al-Qaeda."
I remember seeing somebody undergoing "trial via the press" when in the course of searching his house the police found a pair of night-vision goggles. Night vision = terrorist, of course - even though the COLEMAN company that makes camping equipment sells cheap, consumer-level night vision equipment for camping, hunting, fishing, etc.
Another one - a book about "how to make your own fireworks" once became "instructions for building bombs" or "bomb making material."
Pushing back against this sort of lunacy seems so difficult and frightening in these strange times. What can one do?
If it says its not available, click through to it directly on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5yWDW5U5Ek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCYPGmKfhqE
I remember doing a few wacky things back in my old Berkeley/LSD days, but nothing like old Blue Boy there.