Jerry Falwell won't have it so easy.

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Account frozen...

I don't know why I bother because nobody seems to give a shit anyway, but here's a guy who I agree with a lot of the time.

Ziggy
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YES, MOMMY, THIS IS A WELL-REGULATED STATE

By Fred Reed

We tell ourselves that in America we are the Free People. I wonder
whether we might not better be called the Obedient People, the Passive
People, or the Admonished People. I doubt that any country, anywhere,
has been so regulated, controlled, and directed as we are. We are bred
to obey. And obey we do.

It begins with the sheer volume of law, rules, and administrative
duties. Most of the regulation makes sense in isolation, or can be made
plausible. Yet there is so much of it. (One illegal act can result in
being charged for violating several applicable laws with accumulated
penalties. This is why the USA has the world's largest percentage of
its population imprisoned.)

Used to be if you wanted a dog, you got a dog. It wasn't really the
government's business. Today you need a dog license, a shot card for the
dog, a collar and tags, proof that the poor beast has been neutered, and
you have to keep it on a leash and walk it only in designated places.
Its all so we don't get rabies.

Or consider cars. You have to have a title, insurance, and keep it
up to date; tags, county sticker, inspection sticker, emissions test.
Depending where you are, you can't have chips in the windshield, and you
need a zoned parking permit. You have to wear a seatbelt. And of course
there are unending traffic laws. You can get a ticket for virtually
anything, usually without knowing that you were doing anything wrong.

Then there's paperwork. If you have a couple of daughters with
college funds in the stock market, annually you have to fill out three
sets of federal taxes, three sets of state, and file four state and four
federal estimated tax forms, per person, for a total of twenty-four.
This doesn't include personal property taxes for the county, business
licenses, tangible business-assets forms, and so on.

Now, I'm not suggesting that all these laws are bad. Stupid,
frequently, but evil, no. Stopping at traffic lights is probably a good
idea, and certainly is if I'm crossing the street. But the laws never
end. Bring a doughnut on the subway, and you get arrested. Don't
replace your windows without permission in writing from the condo
association. Nothing is too trivial to be regulated. Nothing is not
some government's business.

I wonder whether the habit of constant obedience to infinitely
numerous rules doesn't inculcate a tendency to obey any rule at all. By
having every aspect of one's life regulated in detail, does one not
become accustomed to detailed regulation? That is, detailed obedience?

For many it may be hard to remember freer times. Yet they existed.
In 1964, when I graduated from high school in rural Virginia, there were
speed limits, but nobody much enforced them, or much obeyed them. If you
wanted to fish, you needed a pole, not a license. You fished where you
wanted, not in designated fishing zones. If you wanted to carry your
rifle to the bean field to shoot whistle pigs, you just did it. You
didn't need a license and nobody got upset.

To buy a shotgun in the country store, you needed money, not a
background check, waiting period, proof of age, certificate of training,
and a registration form. If your tail light burned out, then you only
had one tail light. If you wanted to park on a back road with your girl
friend, the cops, all both of them, didn't care. If you wanted to swim
in the creek, you didn't need a Coast Guard approved life jacket.

It felt different. You lived in the world as you found it, and
behaved because you were supposed to, but you didn't feel as though you
were in a white-collar prison. And if anybody had asked us, we would
have said that the freedom was worth more to us than any slightly greater
protection against rabies, thank you. Which nobody ever got anyway.

Today, the Mommy State never leaves off protecting us from things I'd
just as soon not be protected from. We must wear a helmet on a
motorcycle. Why is it Mommy Government's business whether I wear a
helmet? In fact I do wear one, but it should be my decision.

And so it goes from administrative minutiae (emissions inspections)
to gooberish Mommyknowsbestism ("Wea-a-ar your lifejacket, Johnny!") to
important moral decisions. Obey in small things, obey in large things.

You must hire the correct proportion of this and that ethnic group,
watch your sex balance, prove that you have the proper attitude toward
homosexuals. You must let your children be politically indoctrinated in
appropriate values, must let your daughter get an abortion without
telling you, must accept affirmative action no matter how morally
repugnant you find it. And we do. We are the obedient people.

As the regulation of our behavior becomes more pervasive, so does the
mechanism of enforcement grow more nearly omnipresent. In Washington,
if you eat on the subway, they really will put you in handcuffs, as they
recently did to a girl of twelve. In 1964 in King George County, the cop
would have said, "Sally, stop that." Arresting a child for sucking on a
sourball would never have entered a state trooper's mind.

Which brings us to an ominous observation. America is absolutely
capable of totalitarianism. It won't be the jackbooted variety, but
rather a mindless, bureaucratic insistence on conformity. What we call
political correctness is an American approach to political control.

Think about it. Arresting the girl eating on the subway, confiscating
nail clippers at security gates, the countless ejections from school of
little boys for drawing soldiers or the Trade Centers in flames, playing
cowboys and Indians, for pointing a chicken finger and saying Bang.

This isn't intelligent authoritarianism aimed at purposeful if
disagreeable ends. It is the behavior of petty and stupid people, of
minor minds over-empowered, ignorant, but angry and charmed to find that
they can push others around. It is the exercise of power by people who
have no business having any. (The Judicial branch of government has
usurped power over the Executive and Legislative branches, but the judges
who ignored the required "good behavior" should be impeached.

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Ziggy for President!
Dominique for First Lady!

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> Ziggy for President!
> Dominique for First Lady!
>

"Evil Overlord" will be just fine and these are The RULES!

Ziggy

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If it doesn't include kicking the crap outta script kiddies, spammers, proselytizers, telemarketers, and whoever wrote the final episode of ST:DS9, the rules (and therefore the ruler) should be gotten rid of. So...

Dominique for President!
Ziggy for... uhm... Prime Minister?

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>
> YES, MOMMY, THIS IS A WELL-REGULATED STATE

Well, hell-
If there weren't so damn many people
A guy could run an occasional red without getting whacked
War, pestilence, massacres, plagues,purges,earthquakes,tsunamis,volcanic explosions.and massive floods
Are just Mother Nature's way of getting somemore of us pesky humans killed off
I mean c'mon- People are swarming all over the earth like they own it
Enough already...cc

Good to see you, Carl!

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Because there are thousands of $6/Hr jobs that need doing in Arizona
That US citizens refuse to do because the jobs SUCK
And US citizens feel they are ABOVE working on rooftops and golf courses
Mexican workers who can get only $2/Hr at home cross the border
And bust ass - shooting the money back home for the family
And living 20 to a 4BR house somewhere in Phoenix
Mercans look at 6 bucks like it's not worth turning their hand for

Once again, Carl tells it like it is, with blatant honesty and sincerity.

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Judge Sentences Spammer to Nine Years

LEESBURG, Va. (AP) - A man convicted in the nation's first felony case against illegal spamming was sentenced to nine years in prison Friday for bombarding Internet users with millions of junk e-mails.

However, Loudoun County Circuit Judge Thomas Horne delayed the start of Jeremy Jaynes' prison term while the case is appealed, saying the law is new and raises constitutional questions.

A jury had recommended the nine-year term for the Raleigh, N.C., man.

Jaynes, 30, who was considered among the top 10 spammers in the world at the time of his arrest, used the Internet to peddle pornography and sham products and services such as a "FedEx refund processor," prosecutors said. Thousands of people fell for his e-mails, and prosecutors said Jaynes' operation grossed up to $750,000 per month.

Jaynes was convicted in November for using false Internet addresses and aliases to send mass e-mail ads through an AOL server in Loudoun County, where America Online is based. Under Virginia law, sending unsolicited bulk e-mail itself is not a crime unless the sender masks his identity.

While prosecutors presented evidence of just 53,000 illegal e-mails, authorities believe Jaynes was responsible for spewing out 10 million e-mails a day. Prosecutors said Jaynes made millions of dollars from the illegal venture.

Prosecutor Lisa Hicks-Thomas said she was pleased with the ruling and confident that the law would be upheld on appeal.

But defense attorney David Oblon argued that nine years was far too long given that Jaynes was charged as an out-of-state resident with violating a Virginia law that had taken effect just weeks before. He planned to challenge both the constitutionality of the law, as well as its applicability to Jaynes.

"We have no doubt that we will win on appeal, therefore any sentence is somewhat moot. Still, the sentence is not what we recommended and we're disappointed," Oblon said outside court.

Horne said he might also reconsider the sentence if Jaynes loses the appeal.

"I do not believe a person should go to prison for a law that is invalid," he said. "There are substantial legal issues that need to be brought before the appellate court."

A judge has ruled Maryland's anti-spam law unconstitutional because it seeks to regulate commerce outside the state's borders. However, an appeals court in California and the Washington state Supreme Court have upheld state laws that had been declared unconstitutional by lower courts on grounds similar to the December ruling in Maryland.

Many states have criminal laws against spam, but Virginia's makes it easier than others for prosecutors to obtain a felony conviction, which carries more jail time than a misdemeanor, said Quinn Jalli of the online marketing firm Digital Impact.

Jaynes told the judge that regardless of how the appeal turns out, "I can guarantee the court I will not be involved in the e-mail marketing business again." He remains under $1 million bond.

The jury also convicted Jaynes's sister, Jessica DeGroot, but recommended only a $7,500 fine. Her conviction was later dismissed by the judge. A third defendant, Richard Rutkowski of Cary, N.C., was acquitted of all charges.

> Judge Sentences Spammer to Nine Years
...
> However, Loudoun County Circuit Judge Thomas Horne delayed the start of Jeremy
> Jaynes' prison term while the case is appealed, saying the law is new and
> raises constitutional questions.
...
> But defense attorney David Oblon argued that nine years was far too long given
> that Jaynes was charged as an out-of-state resident with violating a Virginia
> law that had taken effect just weeks before. He planned to challenge both the
> constitutionality of the law, as well as its applicability to Jaynes.
...
> A judge has ruled Maryland's anti-spam law unconstitutional because it seeks
> to regulate commerce outside the state's borders. However, an appeals court in
> California and the Washington state Supreme Court have upheld state laws that
> had been declared unconstitutional by lower courts on grounds similar to the
> December ruling in Maryland.

As I am neither a US citizen nor a resident, I find it difficult to understand your constitution and the arguments that certain judicial rulings are "unconstitutional". Which part of the constitution (including amendments) would prevent state laws/cross-state judgments being legal??? Is this some type of appeal/defence snow job?

Please note: New Zealand is not divided into states, so we don't have federal versus state law problems. Come and live in NZ!!!! :) :)

> As I am neither a US citizen nor a resident, I find it difficult to understand
> your constitution and the arguments that certain judicial rulings are
> "unconstitutional". Which part of the constitution (including amendments)
> would prevent state laws/cross-state judgments being legal??? Is this some
> type of appeal/defence snow job?
>
> Please note: New Zealand is not divided into states, so we don't have federal
> versus state law problems. Come and live in NZ!!!! :) :)
>

This is easy Magenta. Attached to the US Constitution is a document called the
Bill of Rights. These right can NOT be superceded by local, state, or federal
laws. The most fundimental and most cherish admendment is the 1st Admendment.
The 1st Amemndent guarantees the freedom of speech, press, to worship as you see
fit, to protest and the freedom of privacy.

The a** is claiming that by arresting him under this Virginia Anti-Spamming Law
his 1st Amendment Rights to the freedom of Free Speech, Freedom of Press has
been violated. This is a tactic may racist groups have used successfully for years.

For the record the Virginia Law does not outlaw the sending of Spam. It
strictly forbides the sender from hiding his identity when sending it..
Methinks he will lose that appeal :)

Since Virginia has done all the work proving this guy be a spammer I am sure
that North Carolina will get this guy next. NC's anti-spamming law provides
that the sender of spam be required to pay the receiver $10.00 for each
unsoliciated spam mail. Many states have these type laws in place but no
affective way to enforce them.. Virginia's has given them that way..

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I'd rather speak my mind because it hurts too much to bite my tongue.

American Spirit BBQ Proudly Serving those that courageously defend freedom.

> YES, MOMMY, THIS IS A WELL-REGULATED STATE
Hi Ziggy and Dominique!
That is a great article Ziggy. I live just a few miles from the King George line. He mentioned 1964, and the funny thing is, 10 years ago there were still a couple of small burroughs that really didn't pay to much attention to the "outside World". They got no Federal funds, They were self governed, self administered and self policed. And it was a nice place. In 1996 the Virginia State Police moved a barracks in between the 2 burroughs, and life as usual came to a stand still. Within 2 years of the state Police's arrival The federal Government built and opened an Internal Revenue Field Office, and Government Accounting satellite offices. No more one traffic light town, no more main street, no more general store. Soon Big Box department Stores, fast food joints (which there were none)no more butcher shop etc.Since then 60% of the population that has lived many generation there has moved on..unwilling to bend to "Government takeover. Where they went...who knows. Now they have crime,lazy kids, TAXES, and closed down farms and businesses. The government went in and tried to fix something that was not broke, with the general attitude that "if you don't need the Governemnt, your doing something wrong".

Respectfully,

Rocky Cudd

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www.boincsynergy.com

Say buy-buy to Adelphia?
Time Warner and Comcast reportedly teaming up to acquire cable TV rival

STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

April 9, 2005

In a deal that could affect about 68,000 San Diego County subscribers, Time Warner and Comcast have reached a tentative agreement to buy Adelphia Communications for nearly $18 billion, according to news reports yesterday.

The two media companies agreed in principle to buy bankrupt Adelphia for between $12 billion and $13.5 billion cash, in addition to between $4.5 billion and $5.6 billion in stock in a company that would be created out of Adelphia and Time Warner's cable unit, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

The tentative deal, which was presented privately to the bankruptcy judge Thursday, would give Time Warner and Comcast control of Adelphia's 5.3 million subscribers in 31 states, including systems in Southern California and in upstate New York.

Cablevision Systems also expressed interest in acquiring Adelphia, which has been in bankruptcy since 2002. Cablevision, which has about 3 million subscribers in the New York metro area, had reportedly offered $16.5 billion in cash.

An executive close to Adelphia told The Times that the Time Warner/Comcast bid was "far and away the best deal actually on the table."

A final resolution could still be several weeks away, however, as the details still have to be approved in bankruptcy court. Spokeswomen for Adelphia, Comcast and Time Warner all declined to comment.

The transaction would be the latest in the rapidly shrinking cable industry as providers try to offer not just television, but high-speed Internet and telephony services. The industry has come under increasing pressure as satellite and telecommunications rivals also try to transform their businesses with similar services.

If the deal goes through, Adelphia's estimated 68,000 North County cable subscribers will most likely become customers of Time Warner, which has a large San Diego County presence, local telecommunications analyst Mark Kersey said.

Even after the deal is completed, Time Warner, with an estimated 208,000 local subscribers, would remain No. 2 to Cox Communications, which has an estimated 540,000 subscribers in San Diego County.

Kersey said Adelphia customers might notice a difference in service after the switch, however. While Adelphia has upgraded its system more than one might expect from a bankrupt company, he said, the company still does not offer digital phone service or video on demand, both of which are provided by Time Warner.

"Time Warner runs a very good system here in San Diego," Kersey said. "On a corporate level, they're always first on the block with new technology."

Adelphia, the No. 5 cable company nationally, gained its presence in San Diego County when its Highland Carlsbad Cablevision division bought Daniels Cablevision in 2000. The company's customers live in Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Fallbrook, San Marcos, Solana Beach and Vista.

Time Warner serves northern San Diego, Coronado and parts of Poway.

As part of the deal, Philadelphia-based Comcast will contribute $2 billion and swap its 21 percent stake in Time Warner in exchange for 2 million of Adelphia's 5.3 million subscribers.

In addition to allowing Time Warner to unwind the complicated cross-ownership structure with Comcast that investors never liked, the deal also would allow the New York company to take its cable unit public.

Investors have looked down on media conglomerate stocks recently, preferring pure-play companies such as Comcast, which only operates in cable. Time Warner, despite the sale of its music company and other assets, still spans many media categories, including magazines, cable networks, book publishing and AOL.

A separation of the cable business into a separately traded company would further streamline Time Warner's own structure while also giving the company a currency to use in making other transactions in cable. Viacom, another media conglomerate, recently announced plans to split itself in two in hopes that Wall Street will value its business higher as two entities than as one.

Cable TV has been one of the major growth areas for Time Warner as customers sign up for premium services such as high-speed Internet access, digital cable, personal video recorders and telephone service carried over the Internet.

Adelphia filed for bankruptcy after founder John W. Rigas and others were accused of looting the company and cheating investors out of billions of dollars. Rigas and his son Timothy were convicted of conspiracy, bank fraud and securities fraud.

The company, which moved to the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village from Coudersport, Pa., closed bidding on its assets in late January.

Staff writer Rachel Laing, The Associated Press and the New York Times News Service contributed to this report.

> Say buy-buy to Adelphia?
> Time Warner and Comcast reportedly teaming up to acquire cable TV
> rival
> [i]

Can you say "Road Runner" :) Beep-Beep!!

I think the only one I know of that has good service with Adelphia is Captain Avatar :)

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I'd rather speak my mind because it hurts too much to bite my tongue.

American Spirit BBQ Proudly Serving those that courageously defend freedom.