@BartGordon.net

There is a very big discussion concerning your right to privacy in the Electronic Age, and the average American has no clue they are even being watched.  Here are a couple of issues at hand.

Representatives from NBC, Microsoft, several digital filtering companies and telecom giant AT&T said the time was right to start filtering for copyrighted content at the network level.

and

E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress.

Filtering content?

Well for starters, every time you send an e-mail, attach a file, or request a page or content on the internet, you do it through your ISP. ISP’s like Cablevision or Verizon provide you with access to the net. You pay to use the servers.  Filtering searches for bits of code. Like a ‘copyright’. Or in the case of the NSA, an algorithm is used to find the unusual. It reads and interprets them. Copyright holders will pay big bucks to let ISP’s look for their content. The Feds will subpoena for it, and in the end, every e-mail, attachment or file will be read.

What could that possible mean to me?

Its exactly like the post office opening each and every letter looking for a copyrighted picture or a tape, or a note to Kendall Myers.  If the ISP’s ’find’ a problem, they may refuse to send it. Or they may invoke a TOS case. Or they may rat you out unless you get sanitized.

Some people feel filtering is a conspiracy; a way for ISP’s to monetize their monopoly position via a racket. Ooops, our filters caught too much Twitter traffic today, and since Twitter is not our partner, were going to slow down or deny page loads. Oops, you didn’t pay a premium, you can’t embed pictures in your e-mail. You can do these things on the fly if you monitor every packet.

Someone checking each and every file on the internet in hopes of finding someone who MAY be trading a copyrighted file or is involved in a terrorist act would be invasive, to say the least. We better make it the law that at the minimum, filtering of data must be an approved act, subject to the same principals as snail mail, and we better do it soon.

E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress.

Under the surveillance program, before the N.S.A. can target and monitor the e-mail messages or telephone calls of Americans suspected of having links to international terrorism, it must get permission from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Supporters of the agency say that in using computers to sweep up millions of electronic messages, it is unavoidable that some innocent discussions of Americans will be examined. Intelligence operators are supposed to filter those out, but critics say the agency is not rigorous enough in doing so.

The rising concern among some members of Congress about the N.S.A.’s recent operation are raising fresh questions about the spy agency. All we can do is implore our local Representatives to control who can open and read our e-mail. Laws need to be written to protect our privacy, and they need to be written now.

Here at the Lounge, we have been talking for years about how broadband providers have manipulated our bandwidth to increase profits on their content side. How ISP’s are proposing Deep Packet Inspection for network management and  e-mail, and how that’s like the post office charging for a ghetto stamp. We have talked quite often about the need for more competition in the broadband market and how in competitive markets, ISPs act much more pro-consumer. We talked about how in markets that do lack competition, the cable industry has flooded State and Local government with FUD and untold $$millions while lobbying for regulations that stifle competition and innovation.

The one thing we haven’t talked about is Net Neutrality. What is it, how it can help us diversify our media choices and how it just might stimulate a whole new world of media distribution, like the Television did 50 years ago. Hulu, Ruku, XBox, Tivo and Boxxee are popular alternatives to the traditional cable distribution model, and those Money Grubbing Cable TV shysters are doing everything to make them fail. It’s time we helped, and Net Neutrality might just be the law we all need.

The idea behind net neutrality is that the owner of the plumbing should not care what the plumbing is used for or who uses it. This means that just because you are the local cable company, you cannot discriminate in how your Internet service is priced to benefit your other businesses. Streaming a 3 gig movie should not, for example, be more expensive than streaming the same amount of data from a cable branded stream. Net Neutrality would address the DPI issue in that it would de-monetize the data, it would make it illegal to click-watch without opt-in, and make it illegal to ‘cap for crap’ unless the Exaflood really does happen. In a nutshell, it would make the Internet a dumb pipe, just what they invented 20 years ago.

The carriers very much want the FCC to stay as far away as possible from the network neutrality debate. And if their actions are any indication, they are trying very hard to push through as much change before the government steps in. In proposing what looked like Internet pricing intended to ward off competition to its cable TV business, Time Warner set off  a shit storm of criticism. This time around, it looks like Congress is starting to get involved, and where Congress goes the FCC soon follows. A Democrat-controlled FCC will probably not roll over for cable companies quite as easily as the Bush FCC did. After seeing this particular danger lurking, Time Warner bailed on the new pricing, at least for now. This was a direct result of the potential for increased oversight, not because the average customer would pay much higher prices. TW really doesn’t give a crap about you the customer, and that’s why I expect it to show up again in somewhat different form sometime in the next few months. Either way, everyone must understand that laws are needed now. Once these pricing plans go live, there will be very little we can do about it.

In closing, there is simply was no reasonable justification for the per-gigabyte pricing that Time Warning Cable was proposing. I cannot imagine a situation in which a gigabyte of Internet data should cost $1 from the cable company, when it costs them about 3 cents to produce in a non-competitive market. I strongly believe that Internet companies should provide either access or content, but not both. Verizon should not discriminate against Yahoo because it has a deal with Google. The Internet carrier should handle traffic for both companies equally. Time Warner was planning to charge those kind of rates to help kill the ‘On-Demand video market. That’s a fact. The way I look at it, Net Neutrality may be the only thing between me and all those streaming re-runs of Gilligans Island.

Always willing to twist a little Scientology tail, I can’t help but notice there is a lot of Scientology going around the Nascar Garage lately, and the soon to be announced Boy Scout of the Year Jeff Gordon is smack dab in the middle of it. Its funny how the Boy Scouts and the Scientologists both share the same views on a number of topics including gays. One thing is certain, Scientology has very deep links to the Boy Scouts of America, and so does Jeff Gordon. Jeff, who is set to receive the Sivler Buffalo Award March 29th, is to be presented the award by none other than Rick Hendrick. Perhaps Rick is the only person on earth who can afford to mix Scientology and NASCAR. And perhaps he invites Tom Cruise to spend time with him because Tom really loves speed. To be honest, I don’t really know whether Rick Hendrick is a scientologist, and I wouldn’t care except I keep seeing that nutcase hanging with all his drivers. Either way, would a link to Scientology be that big of a problem for the most winning Owner in NASCAR history? Joe Gibbs allegedly thought so when it came to Football, and there’s many others who think like him.

Why don’t you take a read at WIKILEAKS about how the Scientologists use front organizations like the Boy Scouts to spread the word about the cult. Then ask yourself why Tom Cruise has made every NASCAR race this year, and with whom he’s been palling around with. You just might wonder if that’s why Hendrick Racing has yet to win a race this year?

Apple Corps announced that they will release a new music video game, The Beatles: Rock Band, in September 09.  Apple Corps, the venerable band’s marketing and licensing arm, has long envisioned  making money on the popularity of the Beatles. After a number of so-so attempts including  Apple Electronics, Apple Films, Apple Publishing, and Apple Boutique, little was heard from the core for over 25 years.

Late last year, we talked here about a possible release of the  Beatles Collection on ITunes, and we really hoped it would happen. Since the Gordon’s don’t torrent, Lisa and I were faced with using the Evil Apple to pay those poor artists their 3 cents for our listening pleasure, and any artist who resisted the ‘personne corrompue’ for all those years deserved our support. Anyhow, now that DRM is a thing of the past so goes those thieving rotten bastards and viola, Beatles Rock Band!

As avid gamers, there is always a certain pride when we see an obvious winner like Rock Band getting set up in peoples living rooms. It’s just too bad EA didn’t  steal Take Two last year, we could have seen a “Revolver”  theme in the next Grand Theft Auto!  Either way, you have to hand it to Jeff Jones . What a great job so far in bringing what is now a 40 year old brand into the new century, and almost getting all of these young kids rocking to the Beatles. Not just that, it will be a lot of fun to karaoke I Want To Hold Your Hand with a bunch of  50 something Paw-Paws. What a laugh it will be.

After 40 days of the Obama Administration, Americans have seen one of the most radical post election shifts in history. Over the course of the last month or so, Obama has managed to frustrate almost every facet of his new found following one way or the other, yet most of the media has yet to catch on. Some pundits do disagree, though.

Barry and his new left-wing socialist people’s party meanwhile  have slammed down all opposition, regardless of their importance to his very own Democratic Party . That can only be a major disaster in the making on a local political level. Time will certianly tell. Below are a couple speeches Barry has made recently. These speeches, combined with his actions so far, give us a true understanding of how far The One plans on pushing us closer and closer to a modern Mixed Economy . I don’t really know how much the average Joe can understand this shift to the left, but he only has to look at the markets to see they have lost over 15% of value in February alone, which can only be contributed to Barry’s actions thus far.

Inaugural Address (January 20, 2009):

"Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred."

Many people who voted for Barry are strictly anti-war. They voted for a man who from all indications planned to stop all aggression as soon as he got into office. Not only is an Iraq pull out going to be at least 1 1/2 years from now, he is building up Afganastan. To many, he is acting much like Johnson and Nixon did on Viet Nam. Not a good start for the doves in the party.

On Clinton, Importance Of Diplomacy (January 22, 2009):

"Part of what we want to do is to make sure that everybody understands that the State Department is going to be absolutely critical to our success in the years to come, and you individually are going to be critical to our success in the years to come."

Speaking of Sec State Clinton, Barry actually made no sense whatsoever in this speech. I knew from this minute on, the Clinton’s were screwed. Another body slam to the Jews and Eastern Democrats who backed that shiksa bitch last year. Doesn’t the average American know it’s all about NUKES , and Israel is the target?

On Energy And Environment (January 26, 2009):

"These urgent dangers to our national and economic security are compounded by the long-term threat of climate change, which, if left unchecked, could result in violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking coastlines, and irreversible catastrophe… These are the facts, and they are well-known to the American people. After all, there is nothing new about these warnings. Presidents have been sounding the alarm about energy dependence for decades."

Obviously, Barry is still having trouble with environmental policy. He continues to confuse energy dependence and conservation, with the scientific realities of a carbon based earth atmosphere. He is continuing to shove this radical approach to the environment down our collective throats while the average American thinks global warming is a crock of shit. Not an auspicious start. A message to the scientific community and middle-class people that a radical approach to the environment will prevail, including sin-taxes for cars and homes that don’t meet green standards scares everyone.

On Exe cutive Compensation (February 4, 2009):

"But in order to restore our financial system, we’ve got to restore trust. And in order to restore trust, we’ve got to make certain that taxpayer funds are not subsidizing excessive compensation packages on Wall Street. We all need to take responsibility. And this includes executives at major financial firms who turned to the American people, hat in hand, when they were in trouble, even as they paid themselves their customary lavish bonuses. As I said last week, that’s the height of irresponsibility. That’s shameful."

B Obama 2009

To establish a socialist system, there will be a period where the needs of the working-class, not of capital, will be the common deciding factor, and  must be created on a temporary basis to carry out the revolution.

A Marxist 1867

On The Economy (January 28, 2009):

‘That’s why I called for a new era of responsibility in my Inaugural Address last week – an era where each of us chips in so that we can climb our way out of this crisis – executives and factory floor workers, educators and engineers, health care professionals and elected officials."

B Obama 2009

"So we have come together on this day to prove symbolically that we are more than a collection of individuals striving one against another, that none of us is too proud, none of us too high, none is too rich, and none too poor, to stand together before the face of the world in this indissoluble, sworn community."

A Fascist 1935

Signs Stimulus Bill (February 17, 2009):

"Today does not mark the end of our economic troubles. Nor does it constitute all of what we must do to turn our economy around. But it does mark the beginning of the end – the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the wake of layoffs; to provide relief for families worried they won’t be able to pay next month’s bills; and to set our economy on a firmer foundation, paving the way to long-term growth and prosperity."

B Obama 2009

Announces Housing Plan (February 18, 2009):

"In the end, all of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis. And all of us will pay an even steeper price if we allow this crisis to deepen – a crisis which is unraveling home ownership, the middle class, and the American Dream itself. But if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral, every American will benefit."

B Obama 2009

All’s this did was start a monster Keynesianism debate that still make’s me very nervous. I just remember how very bad things were in the early 70’s for cities and towns alike.

And from American Magazine

Finally, I have a concern about the “public choice” aspects of the stimulus, meaning the political distortions that make it an ineffective stimulus. If the only goal of the bill were to stimulate the economy, then the focus would be on trying to get the largest possible improvement in employment for a given increase in the deficit. A traditional stimulus proposal, going back to the 1960s, is a temporary investment tax credit. With such a credit, the government in effect provides matching funds for firms that undertake investment while the tax credit is in effect (say, through March of 2010). This would lead to spending increases that are a multiple of what the government contributes.

Another proposal, which George Mason University’s Bryan Caplan has suggested, is a cut in the employer portion of the payroll tax. The extra kicker here is that it reduces the employer’s cost of labor, thereby stimulating hiring. I think an additional kicker is that this would restore profitability in the non financial sector, helping to boost investment.

Instead, the stimulus bill is directed largely at state and local governments. There is a lot of rhetoric about making sure that we do not lay off cops or teachers. But the fact is that millions of private sector workers are being laid off, while public sector layoffs so far have been fewer than one hundred thousand. The need for stimulus is in the private sector, but the political focus of the bill is on enlarging the public sector.

Many economists are willing to overlook the flaws in the legislation and to sanctify Pelosi’s bill as a stimulus bill. Other economists reject Keynesian economics altogether. The economists that you hear less about are those of us who oppose the bill because of our reading of Keynes.

READ MORE HERE

Unveils Budget (February 26, 2009):

"Just as a family has to make hard choices about where to spend and where to save, so do we, as a government. You know, there are times where you can afford to redecorate your house and there are times where you need to focus on rebuilding its foundation. Today, we have to focus on foundations."

That’s Still Full of Pork

• $2.1 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in New York.

• $1.7 million for a honey bee factory in Weslaco, Tex.

• $1.7 million for pig odor research in Iowa.

• $1 million for Mormon cricket control in Utah.

• $819,000 for catfish genetics research in Alabama.

• $650,000 for beaver management in North Carolina and Mississippi.

• $951,500 for Sustainable Las Vegas.

• $2 million “for the promotion of astronomy” in Hawaii.

• $167,000 for the Autry National Center for the American West in Los Angeles.

• $238,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii.

• $200,000 for a tattoo removal violence outreach program to help gang members or others shed visible signs of their past.

• $209,000 to improve blueberry production and efficiency in Georgia.

PS I stole this list from Dowd . I wonder if she had Rahm proof read it first?

Either way, there are a lot of Rants and Raves around town, and Senator McConnel just can’t hold back.

‘Pushing back these efforts to basically Europeanize America will not be easy,’ Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, told the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Obama on Thursday released the outline of his 2010 budget and priorities over the next 10 years. It includes a more than 600- billion-dollar downpayment on health care reform and 15 billion dollars per year for renewable energy investments.

Obama’s budget would increase the federal deficit in 2009 to 1.75 trillion dollars in 2009 – 12.6 per cent of gross domestic product – and 1.2 trillion dollars in 2010.

The administration believes it can trim the deficit back to 533 billion dollars by 2013, once the US economy pulls itself out of a deep recession. The 2010 budget faces a bruising battle over the coming months in Congress.

‘Americans have gotten a glimpse of the big government plans of Obama and the Democrats and millions are ready to stand up, speak out, and yes, even take to the streets to stop America’s slide into socialism,’ South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint told the gathering of conservative activists from around the country.

Socialism has long held negative connotations in the United States as a representation of leftist ideals that go against the US free- market tradition.

Senator Mitch McConnell 2009

So after the first 40, it looks like a vast Americans are about to be hoodwinked by this clever and popular President. I just wanted to be the first to let you know.