Gary Secondino: Legal

New Blog and Tools

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:36:26 GMT

After more than 10 years of good Blogging use from Radio Userland 8 I've moved on to MarsEdit, NetNewsWire, and WordPress. Follow this link to my next blog, webstir.com/opmlblog/.

Job Spam Scams

Wed, 06 May 2009 05:56:47 GMT

Dear Readers, Two days after reactivating my careerbuilder.com profile I've received several job offers via email which smell bad. I call these offers Job Spam Scams. For example today I received this:

From: BostonMA@lmhsolutions.com
Subject: CAREER OUTSIDE SALES OPPORTUNITY, Greater Boston Area ONLY SERIOUS APPLICANTS NEED RESPOND!     HMA Direct Benefits Consulting Group have retained the s ervices of LMH Solutions, LLC to help fill the position of 'Outside Sales Representative' for Business to Business Outside Sales, in the Boston MA Region'. The newly chosen candidate will be responsible for helping in the growth of the Lynn area, motivating, training and leading a team of agents to meet company goals and expectations, understand and articulate the value of their service offerings to clients, utilize communication skills, messaging, sales tools and use all resources available to develop customer relationships. As the next step, I would like you to interview with Mr. Lugo, the Vice President of Sales for HMA Direct, to review specific details about the position, including compensation, company leads, training, products, as well as to discuss your background and how you feel you can become an asset to their team. Please re spond back by e-mailing LMH Solutions, LLC at, BostonMA@lmhsolutions.com (include your name, phone number, city and state. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS), so we can set up a time to meet with them. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, V. Bret Matheson
President / CEO www.LMHSolutions.com For this job offer, email: BostonMA@lmhsolutions.com     ;
HMA Direct Benefits Group JOB DESCRIPTION:   *Prestigious Fully Differentiated Products and Services
  *Call on prospects who need to see you
*Professional Training provided
*The only 'Cost Controlling Product' Available to Business Owners
*Personal Sales and Leadership Development
*Advancement Opportunities (Management)
*Residual Income
*Honest Potential First Year Income of $100,000 plus
*Top Producers can earn in excess of $250,000 Per Year

There are so many things wrong with this email that I will not bore you with that detail. One big question is; What does HMA Direct want me sell? So I search in Google.com for HMA Direct I find HMA Direct in spot #1. Their website is a run-of-the-mill template with duplicate information on the front page. Many of the navigation links lead nowhere. No biographical information about the management (RED FLAG WAVING). But they do show MA License No. 1812179 and the BBB tag. Back to Google.com results spot #2 claims "HMA direct illegal health operation by local Health Care Industry Examiner expert, Bill Randell." which led me to this AP article in Boston.com:

NH files complaint against Mass. consulting firm
April 16, 2009 CONCORD, N.H. --New Hampshire's Insurance Department has accused a Massachusetts-based employee benefits consulting firm of conducting an illegal health insurance operation. The department said Wednesday HMA Direct Benefits Consulting Group of Newton offered employers a new type of self-insured arrangement to reduce health insurance costs. HMA Direct told employers it required health information for all employees in order to provide the workers with a life insurance policy as a "bonus". The department says HMA Direct didn't use the information for life insurance, instead using it to "carve out" sick employees from the employer[base ']s health plan, and in some instances left those carved out employees with no insurance. State law doesn't allow insurers to consider the health of individuals in a pool of employees as a factor in charging employer premiums. HMA Direct did not immediately respond to call seeking comment Thursday.

I've been around long enough to spot a scam. HMA Direct and LMH Solutions, LLC, stop wasting my time and go away!

Dear Mr. Scammer..I am sorry

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:47:46 GMT

Anyone who posts on craigslist.org will appreciate this post from the best of craigslist.

Dear Mr. Scammer

I owe you a few apologies:

I am sorry for responding and saying sure I am happy to engage in a bizarre business deal with you knowing full well it isn't real.
I am sorry you wasted time to print a horrible fake check.
I am sorry you spent $4.90 UPS'ing it to me overnight.
I am sorry for taking a few days to get back to you after I got the check and ask you for your phone number which you can't give me. I knew that and still I emailed you for the phone number.
I am sorry that I lied to you and said I could not find a western union office near me, making you look them up, emailing me a list and me telling you those two liquor stores are shut down.
I am sorry that I lied to you about getting pissed at the western union office because they wanted $1.75 to cut a check and that I said that's robbery and left in a huff. The truth is I never went there in the first place. Sorry for wasting your time that day.
I'm sorry I lied the next day after you threaten to call the FBI and local police on me because I cashed your check and would not pay you. I knew you would not, but I wrote you an email begging you not to call the police and that I would pay you tomorrow after I cashed the check.
I'm sorry that I lied the next day and said the western union office girl was rude to me so I left in anger, again delaying your money by another day.
Im sorry I lied about sending the money to western union in your name vs the shipper so you could not pick it up. I realize this cost you a day or so.
I am really sorry that I lied and said that the money order was at your western union, but off by 1 zip code making you drive 30 minutes to find out I am a liar.
Your last email to me was justified. Obviously from your language you were pissed. The fact that as you "YELLED" and your grasp of the English language seemed to fade away like my Mom's when she is livid showed me what a bad person I am.
Your phone call from Africa? was upsetting because as you were trying to explain to me how to go down to western union and pay the $1.75 and you would pick up the fee, I realized how frustrated you were getting. I also lied about being hard of hearing and asking you to yell. Sorry.

All in all, I am sorry for sucking up your bandwidth. I realize that my actions probably sucked up 6-10 hours of your time and kept you from fleecing some gullible person in America.

Please forgive me. Go ahead and send me another forged check and I will send you my cash to your shipper. Please try me again. Even though I lied you to about 15 times I won't do it again.

Your friendly computer person.

AIG and Insanity

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:58:14 GMT

AIG-Bailout = Insanity
insanity
noun
1 mental illness, madness, dementia; lunacy, instability; mania, psychosis; informal craziness.
2 it would be insanity to make this loan FOLLY, foolishness, madness, idiocy, stupidity, lunacy, silliness; informal craziness.
3 Def. Repeatedly doing the same action and expecting a different result.
In my view AIG and the lying thieving bastards therein need to be put down, hard. Cooler minds with a larger vocabulary speak to AIG at TPM:

Few exchanges have so captured the disconnect that makes this situation so politically explosive. We're collectively taking our country's future in our hands, spending vast sums of money to keep these companies from suffering the consequences of their own folly and (in many cases) criminality. And in return we're receiving cavalier dictates about pay-outs and bonuses from executives who by any reasonable measure work for us -- dictates we promptly accede to. There's a beggars can't be choosers problem there. And the disconnect is so mighty that it fuels the impression that the whole enterprise is not what it seems, not what we've been told, that in addition to picking up the tab we're being played for fools. --Josh Marshall

AIG Wants to Add $4 Million to Cash Awards

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:46:50 GMT

Hugh Son of bloomberg.net reports that AIG continues to push forward more bonus payments (under another name) to an additional 38 "executives" of as much as $4 million. These "executives" earn salaries between $160,000 and $1million. On Nov. 26, Hugh Son of bloomburg.com reported that AIG will pay 130 managers "cash awards" to stay with the firm, including $3 million to retirement services chief Jay Wintrob. This insider corporate culture of rewarding people for failure has to stop. Does Edward Liddy need to get jail time to think about how WRONG this is? He is responsible for AIG losing $25 BILLION last quarter. I'm certain that this pressure to get the AIG bonus distributed before the next AIG quarterly financial report goes public is because the losses will be astoundingly high. AND REMEMBER, THAT'S OUR MONEY AIG IS SPENDING.

A.I.G. STILL DOESN'T GET IT!

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:36:37 GMT

These A.I.G. "executives" have an unrealistic sense of entitlement like W's Mayberry Machiavelli's. They all need to pay back their wild spending and punished for their bad actions. Support Integrity!

Four top AIG executives flipped U.S. taxpayers the bird by spending $86,000 on a partridge hunt at an English country manor as the feds gave their struggling firm billions to stay afloat.

American International Group agreed Thursday to help the New York State attorney general's office recover tens of millions of dollars in improper expenditures, including compensation given to two former top executives.

U.S. Justice Dept. Super Slow To Investigate Fraud Cases

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:26:44 GMT

From the Dept. of You Get The Government You Vote For:

More than 900 cases alleging that government contractors and drugmakers have defrauded taxpayers out of billions of dollars are languishing in a backlog that has built up over the past decade. Many of the cases involve the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising health-care payouts, and privatization of government functions -- all of which offer rich new opportunities to swindle taxpayers.

Halliburton, KBR, Others - Fraudulent War Profiteering

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:29:48 GMT

Army contracts overseer tells of being forced out of his job of 31 years for refusing to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR. The Good Friday Massacre A lawsuit was brought on behalf of KBR drivers whose fuel convoy was ambushed on April 2004 in what's known as the Good Friday Massacre. Six drivers were killed. One is still missing and presumed dead. Fifteen were wounded. More on this at Law.com Department of Defense Oversight - The waste will make any sane American furious. The Web of Cover Ups Much more at American Chronicle Example:

"Constitution in Crisis," a book by Congressman John Conyers, details the Bush Administration's response when contract abuse is made public: "Bunnatine Greenhouse was the chief contracting officer at the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that has managed much of the reconstruction work in Iraq. In October 2004, Ms. Greenhouse came forward and revealed that top Pentagon officials showed improper favoritism to Halliburton when awarding military contracts to Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR). Greenhouse stated that when the Pentagon awarded Halliburton a five-year $7 billion contract, it pressured her to withdraw her objections, actions which she claimed were unprecedented in her experience. "On June 27, 2005, Ms. Greenhouse testified before Congress, detailing that the contract award process was compromised by improper influence by political appointees, participation by Halliburton officials in meetings where bidding requirements were discussed, and a lack of competition. She stated that the Halliburton contracts represented "the most blatant and improper contract abuse I have witnessed during the course of my professional career." Days before the hearing, the acting general counsel of the Army Corps of Engineers paid Ms. Greenhouse a visit and reportedly let it be known that it would not be in her best interest to appear voluntarily. "On August 27, 2005, the Army demoted Ms. Greenhouse, removing her from the elite Senior Executive Service and transferring her to a lesser job in the corps' civil works division . As Frank Rich of The New York Times described the situation, '[H]er crime was not obstructing justice but pursuing it by vehemently questioning irregularities in the awarding of some $7 billion worth of no-bid contracts in Iraq to the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown Root.' The demotion was in apparent retaliation for her speaking out against the abuses, even though she previously had stellar reviews and over 20 years of experience in military procurement."

If you want more click here and here and here. Remember Obama's statement about an "oil company windfall profits tax"? Sounds good to the average guy, right? What is the story behind that message to the oil companies? Get the story here.

Comcast and your internet

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:42:29 GMT

http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/04/16/aNewReasonToHateComcast.html Please read. This is classic anti-customer service.

The Pigs Pay Up

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 14:03:43 GMT

Oral Roberts University President, Facing Accusations He Misspent College Funds, Resigns JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS AP News Nov 23, 2007 23:38 EST The president of Oral Roberts University, facing accusations he misspent school funds to support a lavish lifestyle, resigned on Friday, officials said. Richard Roberts' resignation is effective immediately, according to a statement e-mailed from George Pearsons, chairman of the school's Board of Regents. Roberts and the evangelical university have come under fire since three former professors sued last month, alleging wrongful termination. The lawsuit includes allegations of a $39,000 shopping tab at one store for Richard Roberts' wife, Lindsay, a $29,411 Bahamas senior trip on the university jet for one of Roberts' daughters, and a stable of horses for the Roberts children. Roberts, son of school founder and televangelist Oral Roberts, had been on temporary leave from the university, fighting the accusations against him. The Board of Regents had ordered an outside probe of the school's finances. In a recent interview, Roberts and his wife denied wrongdoing. He has said the lawsuit amounted to "intimidation, blackmail and extortion." On Friday, he said in the statement that he loved the university, of which he became president in 1993. "I love ORU with all my heart," he said. "I love the students, faculty, staff and administration and I want to see God's best for all of them." The school will not provide additional comment until next week, spokesman Jeremy Burton said. A message left for Roberts' personal attorney wasn't immediately returned. Gary Richardson, the attorney for the three professors, said, "Those who have seen what we have seen won't have any surprise about the fact that Richard has stepped down." He later said, "There was no option, period." One of the plaintiffs, John Swails, said Roberts "could have spared the university and the students by going ahead and stepping down and admitting his wrongdoing." The professors also alleged in their lawsuit that Richard Roberts required students in a government class to work on 2006 mayoral candidate Randi Miller's campaign. Roberts publicly endorsed Miller, but said then that he was doing so as a private citizen and not as an ORU representative. He has denied the lawsuit's claims that he ordered students to work on Miller's campaign. Professor Tim Brooker, one of the lawsuit plaintiffs, accused the school of forcing him to quit after he warned Roberts that requiring students to work on Miller's campaign jeopardized ORU's tax-exempt status. In the weeks since that lawsuit was filed, others have cropped up, including one from a former senior accountant who alleged that the Robertses ordered him to help them hide improper and illegal financial wrongdoing from the authorities and the public. "This is good news for the university," said Donald Vance, a professor of biblical languages and literature. "It's time for the Board of Regents to step forward with a strong choice, and I hope they will involve the tenured faculty in the process." Two weeks ago, Vance joined the majority of tenured faculty in a vote of "no confidence" in Richard Roberts as president, regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit. Cornell Cross II, a senior government major, said the resignation is "an excellent step to fix the university," but believes the school's most trying days lie ahead. "This is not over, there a lot of things that need to continue," Cross said. "The culture of fear that has been allowed to fester at ORU has to be looked into. "We still haven't heard any admission of wrongdoing or any kind of humility or contrition," he said. The school's regents will meet Monday and Tuesday to determine action in the search process for a new president, Pearsons said in the statement. Executive Regent Billy Joe Daugherty will assume the president's administrative responsibilities, working with Oral Roberts until the regents' meeting, the college said. Former ORU Regent Harry McNevin, who quit the board in 1987 because of the misspending he alleged he witnessed, called the resignation "inevitable." "You can't take the sacrifices of God's people and use them any old way," he said. "It's been 20 years that they've been doing the same things that I became aware of." Source: AP News Background: "It's good to have faith"

It's good to have faith

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:45:53 GMT

It gives people comfort to have faith in a god and to believe in the unbelievable. But that also means the faithful believers are not completely understanding of the real world. It's an often told and still sad story that, when exposed, certain "leaders" have used religion to personally benefit themselves, their family, and friends. I urge all people of faith to demand transparency and accountability from their leaders. If the leaders are doing nothing wrong then there should be no reason to not be accountable. Is there? The Robert's family, like pigs at a trough. CBS News You can read or download the pdf titled:
Scandal Vulnerability Assesment, Oral Roberts University, Oral Roberts Ministries. It is an internal investigation of potential ares of leagal and/or financial issues in the university and ministry.

Why Bush Acts That Way

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 13:44:37 GMT

This morning I see a headline that says 'Dems sell out again, give Bush sweeping power to spy on you without a court order'. The author claims the Dems rolled over and they are pathetic. I must question that. One would think that a President with a 28% job approval rating is ripe for a setback from a stern opposition. It appears that is not the case. I will venture the Dems are not the opposition party. They see how much unilateral power has been grabbed by the Bush Administration and the Dems want it too. It's politics as usual at the expense of our Democracy. All Americans are diminished by empire building political power plays. Until the American people exercise their constitutional right of impeachment this situation will continue. To an end which I fear could fracture the United Staes of America. Mark Danner concisely sums up why Bush acts that way in 'US Power has made reality its bitch'. The long form is from Mark's commencement address at UCal titled 'Taking the Measure of the First Rhetoric-Major President'.

Does Cheney Expect US to Belive This?

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:24:56 GMT

Cheney and Bush are liars. Let's see if "anyone" in the media or Congress will ask the questions below to these two "executives". via TPM:

For a White House that has offered a bountiful stream of substantive scandals for six years, the latest dust-up might be the most bizarre.

The background details are surprisingly straightforward. In 1995, the Clinton White House issued an executive order establishing uniform rules for protecting classified information. In 2003, the Bush White House revised it. The order plainly includes any executive-branch agency, any military department, and "any other entity within the executive branch that comes into the possession of classified information." The entire branch of government, the order said, is subject to oversight.

This week, however, in light revelations about the White House ignoring its own E.O., the Bush gang started spinning like a top.

The White House said Friday that, like Vice President Dick Cheney's office, President Bush's office is not allowing an independent federal watchdog to oversee its handling of classified national security information.
An executive order that Bush issued in March 2003 -- amending an existing order -- requires all government agencies that are part of the executive branch to submit to oversight. Although it doesn't specifically say so, Bush's order was not meant to apply to the vice president's office or the president's office, a White House spokesman said.

Look, I can appreciate the fact that the White House is in a jam here. Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the gang repeatedly mishandled classified materials during a time of war, got caught, ignored their own rules, and is now struggling to rationalize their conduct. When the federal agency responsible for oversight tried to do its job, the Vice President reportedly tried to abolish the agency. This isn't a fact-pattern that's easy to spin.

But the explanations thus far have been transparently ridiculous, up to and including the notion that the Vice President, as defined in Article II of the Constitution, isn't actually part of the executive branch of government.

Perhaps it's best to take a moment to summarize the questions that need answers:

* Why did Bush and Cheney abide by the executive order in question in 2001 and 2002, and then stop in 2003? Is it a coincidence they started ignoring the E.O. on handling classified materials just as they started mishandling classified materials?

* Why did Cheney abide by the E.O. in 2001 and 2002 if he's not part of the executive branch?

* Why did the President exempt the Vice President from an executive order he was already following? Why did he later exempt himself?

* When, precisely, did the White House decide that Bush and Cheney should exempt themselves from their own rules?

* Does Bush consider Cheney part of the executive branch? Why has the White House thus far refused to respond to this question? Does the President consider this a trick question?

* In its response to questions about the E.O., why did the White House point to a provision of the E.O. that doesn't exist?

* The White House insists, "There's no question that [Cheney] is in compliance" with the E.O. If there is no oversight, and Cheney is unaccountable, how does the White House know?

* In yesterday's press briefing, the president's spokesperson dismissed the oversight provision of the E.O. as "small" six times. Does the White House believe only "big" provisions need to be followed? How does the administration make the distinction?

Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said yesterday, "Vice President Cheney is expanding the administration's policy on torture to include tortured logic. In the end, neither Mr. Cheney nor his staff is above the law or the Constitution."

At this point, I think they might quibble with that assertion.

-- Steve Benen

TPM digging into US Attorney Scandal

Sat, 05 May 2007 14:14:37 GMT

Fired US Attorney John McKay telling how it felt getting threatened not to talk about his firing and whether he thinks Alberto Gonzales told the truth in his testimony before the senate. It appears the Bush Republican Neo-Conserative Whitehouse was fully engaged in directing the firings and replacement of the US Attorney's. Here's some links: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013984.php and http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013980.php and http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013970.php and http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013973.php

A Clear Reason To Impeach

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 14:30:37 GMT

Sen. Durbin Drops Bombshells on the Senate Floor I like being right and I like that other people agree. But it's disturbing that about 29% of Americans still have faith in Bush and the Neo-Con administration. I do know the full 29% aren't all on the Republican payroll. However, I can only guess why the others are faithfull and none of my guesses are complementary. The Bushies are liars, thieves, thugs, and murderers. Yes, murderers! What else would you call someone who lies to you and then puts you in harms way to serve their purpose and you get killed as a result? Think about it.

Bush Political Interference in Prosecution of Big Tobacco

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:42:46 GMT

Isn't this clearly illegal if true? From the Washington Post: The leader of the Justice Department team that prosecuted a landmark lawsuit against tobacco companies said yesterday that Bush administration political appointees repeatedly ordered her to take steps that weakened the government's racketeering case. Sharon Y. Eubanks said Bush loyalists in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's office began micromanaging the team's strategy in the final weeks of the 2005 trial, to the detriment of the government's claim that the industry had conspired to lie to U.S. smokers. She said a supervisor demanded that she and her trial team drop recommendations that tobacco executives be removed from their corporate positions as a possible penalty. He and two others instructed her to tell key witnesses to change their testimony. And they ordered Eubanks to read verbatim a closing argument they had rewritten for her, she said. "The political people were pushing the buttons and ordering us to say what we said," Eubanks said. "And because of that, we failed to zealously represent the interests of the American public."

When Will Media Deeply Probe Corruption in Iraq Contracts?

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:19:58 GMT

Joe Galloway asks the question. My answer is most likely never. If the public can't be outraged over Bush sending $12 Billion american dollars in cash into Iraq with no controls, not even a reciept then I have no idea what will motivate them. Our country is being ruined by liars and thieves in the Bush administration and it seems that the general public is going along for the ride down.

My New Years Message

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:44:38 GMT

Tomorrow Never Knows: Lyrics, AMG, Wikipedia Whithin You Without You: Lyrics, AMG, Wikipedia

Sony root kit settlement

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:29:54 GMT

Sony rootkit settlement with states reaches $5.75M.

(InfoWorld) - Sony BMG Music Entertainment's botched attempt to stop unauthorized music copying has cost the company another $4.25 million.

Two days after reaching settlements worth $1.5 million with Texas and California, Sony agreed on Thursday to pay another 40 states the money to end investigations into its use of two copy protection programs: First 4 Internet's XCP (extended copy protection), and MediaMax, written by SunnComm International.

In a statement, Sony said it was pleased with Thursday's settlements.

More than 12 million Sony BMG CDs shipped with this software last year, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Sony's trouble began in late 2005, when a computer science researcher disclosed that XCP used dangerous "rootkit" techniques to cloak itself after installation.

Later, investigators found that even users who declined to install the MediaMax program would have software placed on their computers, and one version of the program created a security issue, the Massachusetts statement said.

Sony has reportedly also reached a tentative settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in the matter, although nothing relating to that investigation was announced Thursday. Sony settled a class-action lawsuit over the software in May.

As with the California and Texas agreements, residents of the 40 states that settled with Sony are entitled to up to $175 in refunds for damages that may have been caused to their computers. The settlements also limit the ways that Sony can use copy protection software in the future and require that the company notify consumers if it uses this kind of software.

A list of the states covered in Thursday's settlement can be found in the Massachusetts statement.

Sony has set up a Web site with information for consumers on the matter. It is expected to eventually include information on how to file a claim under these latest settlements.

By Robert_McMillan@idg.com (Robert McMillan). [InfoWorld: Top News]

Dirty Double Dealers

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:32:32 GMT

Bush 'Privacy Board' Just a Gag. A White House board empaneled to protect Americans' civil liberties has its first public meeting. Reporters are barred from asking questions, and the panel won't tell the public what it's learned about warrantless domestic spying. With friends like these.... Ryan Singel reports from Washington. [Wired News: Top Stories]

George Carlin - Who Really Controls America

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 16:33:57 GMT

Get this video and more at MySpace.com In his forthright style punctuated with expletives George lays out the truth to round after round of applause. If you want the TRUTH watch and listen. Please wear your thinking hat.

Momentous NSA Injunction: Experts' First Impressions

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:04:20 GMT

The Sixth Circuit will likely clear its calendar to set up a panel to hear the government's appeal. If they uphold the ruling, the Supreme Court will likely hear the case immediately.

Bush blasts court decision -- rules don't apply to him

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 17:52:05 GMT

AMERICAblog: We know we're in a war on terror. We want the President to do everything he can to stop it. Unfortunately, he has chosen methods -- invading Iraq and undermining our constitution -- which play in to the hands of terrorists. Iraq has made the situation worse on many levels especially by diverting the fight against the real terrorists. And, the President likes to remind us that terrorists hate our free society. He's making us less free when he usurps the constitution and rule of law. Bush said he thinks his wiretapping program is constitutional. But, he doesn't decide that. The courts do, whether he likes it or not.

Judge Orders Halt to Bush's Warrantless Surveillance

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 21:43:16 GMT

It's damn well about time! A federal judge in Detroit ruled Thursday that the government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it. AOL News Truth Out Update: NYT ...one judge in Michigan has done what 535 members of Congress have so abysmally failed to do. She has reasserted the rule of law over a lawless administration and shown why issues of this kind belong within the constitutional process created more than two centuries ago to handle them.

Net neutrality rejected in tie-vote by panel

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:06:26 GMT

Supportes of the bill predict that without a net neutrality law, large broadband carriers will block or degrade Web content from competitors, creating a slow lane for everyone but themselves and their business partners. Officials with AT&T and BellSouth Corp. have advocated a business plan that would allow them to charge extra fees for preferential delivery of some companies' Web content. The broadband providers need new business plans to pay for the roll-out of next-generation broadband networks, they argue.

These companies have huge profits from subscriber fees and are looking to protect and extend their Monopoly. I urge everyone to write, email, and call your representatives to express support for a law guaranteeing Net neutrality. The fight is still on.