Random Curry

Yeah, this is off my main topic motif, but I just love the headline:

Florida Officials See Added Hurricane Threat: Not Enough Fear

You see, you cause a threat to the authorities if you’re not sufficiently afraid. It’s impossible to be prepared if you are not fearful. Sigh…

Seems like a brilliant metaphor for the last seven years in America…Glad to see that the Times sees fit to admit it…

Interesting post on C|Net today, that unfortunately lands with a thud:

Corporate Governance is a Myth

I’ve always taken the proxy voting materials I’ve received for owning stock with a grain of salt – I’ve always thought the process was rigged to preserve the status quo, and this article simply confirms that. However, the conclusion the author presents is one of the things he cites as being an issue – diversification. If it’s bad for the corporate governance process to have diversified fund managers voting in the process, why is it OK for you to do the same thing? Thuddddd…

Nonetheless, I hope Mr. Tobak has a nice nest egg, since he won’t be sitting on any more boards with talk like this. Remember the move Fight Club? “The first rule of Fight Club is – you do not talk about Fight Club.”

updated below

First the patent silliness of the FISA fight and retroactive immunity for campaign contributions Democratic complicity in lawbreaking patriotic corporate behavior, now this:

Travelers’ Laptops May Be Detained At Border

From the article:

The policies state that officers may “detain” laptops “for a reasonable period of time” to “review and analyze information.” This may take place “absent individualized suspicion.”

The policies cover “any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form,” including hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. They also cover “all papers and other written documentation,” including books, pamphlets and “written materials commonly referred to as ‘pocket trash’ or ‘pocket litter.’ ”

Reasonable measures must be taken to protect business information and attorney-client privileged material, the policies say, but there is no specific mention of the handling of personal data such as medical and financial records.

The policy covers everyone, including US citizens, “absent individualized suspicion.” In other words, everyone is suspect.

I’d add a comment, but I’m speechless…

UPDATE

I’m heartened to see that so many other people are as outraged as I am, if I may use that over-used term. Please go to Hands Off My Laptop! to sign the online petition and hopefully get some accountability going. Thanks.