Heh. I worked out with a friend who has become a personal trainer, for the first time yesterday, so I, too am sore, but at least I have a good reason for it! Oddly, she had me doing lunges and so I thought I'd be all sore in my quads (which were hurting by the end!), but instead it's my ASS that is all sore. I think that's a good thing, probably. Means I got a butt workout, right? I'm going to end up with a perky ass?

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I'm so sorry Hil.

In other news, did y'all see the news about the PA school district that was spying on students through their laptops?

Here are some linky links: School used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home

School spying: infected laptops mandatory, jailbreaking grounds for explusion

FBI investigating Lower Merion School District over laptop spying (plus a commemorative tee)

Yikes.

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Yeah that school spying story is unbelievable. I forget which buffista mentioned how crazy it is that not one person in the scool administration spoke up on the wrongness of it all.

I spent the last 20 minutes swearing at my DVR and accusing it of homophobia because it wouldn't record "Ru Paul's Drag Race". Finally I figured out it's now called "Ru Paul's Drag Race 2". Sheesh.

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Yah, we were talking about that one the other day--forget if it was in here or another thread. SOO messed up--how can someone not think to speak up and say "gee, this seems like a poor idea!" Though I don't find it THAT creepy if they were told they'd be spied on DURING SCHOOL HOURS...I guess. Maybe. But....outside of school?? HELL NO.

I guess now they're claiming they were only doing it to track supposedly stolen laptops? Which, yes, there are programs that do that, and I know some people who've had those, and that's awesome and all....but then how does that end up with "we're going to suspend you"?? Becuase, really. Was it "we're going to suspend you because that's not your laptop?" I don't think so. And that's the only reasoning I can think of...and that's not a good reasoning (because if it's not your laptop....that should be a police matter, not a suspension one)

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OK, I took a Vicodin. It's probably going to make me too groggy to really do any work tomorrow, but I need the pain relief now.

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Actually, "my PLASTIC HAND" is kind of perfect. I'm always amazed how many real-life applications of that line come up--long ago, I would've thought that "A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend" would be the most real-world useful useful Whedonverse line ever, but repeating "my PLASTIC HAND" inside my head has saved me from punching many, many an unwitting asshole in the throat over the years.

"HEALTHY attachments, Lindsey."

I've found that to be oddly useful in myriad situations.

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I'm sorry, Hil. I hope the Vicodin kicks in quickly.

I have a coworker who has had trouble meeting her deadlines lately. Her way of dealing was to sit in a meeting with me, my manager, and his manager today and say that the reason I make all my deadlines is because all the work I've done for the past three years has sucked. Believe me, no one on this board is that coworker I hate right now.

My boss's boss's response was to move me one step closer to becoming a managing editor. So I suspect the Deflection Queen's clever plan didn't quite work. I'm still a tad annoyed with her, though. Maybe I'll be annoyed with her highness a little less if/when I'm contributing to her performance reviews. Maybe.

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I really need to get this voice in my head to shut up, the one telling me that drugs are for weak people and that a "better" person would stoically work through the pain. I know that's not true, but it's just so much the message everywhere that I can't totally turn it off.

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I'm going to start with a tongue in cheek volley...

Especially when their reason for doing so is to bring about a worldwide theocracy most notable for its anti-non-Muslim, anti-democratic, anti-women, anti-gay agenda.

Like the Republican party and the Christian Coalition? Except for that Muslim part. t /tongue in cheek volley.

Seriously now. This is a war, not about land or resources. It is about ideology. When 9/11 happened, the fear mongers kicked into high gear, and I kept asking "Why", and it was like I was screaming into the wind, as it seems the media and gov't were not asking that question, just "where" to send the troops.

As this is a war of ideology, I think it even MORE important to stick to our guns, and make sure that our ideology is right. "Truth, justice, and the American Way" does not equal torture. Why is ok to torture one person, and not another? Doesn't that torture reinforce why they would hate us? I'm not saying spoil them with caviar and soft pillows. But torture gives limited to no effective results. Threats of torture seem to work better. That aside, I think now is the time when we have to go back to our base. Look at the bill of rights, and ask, "why did the founding fathers want that?".

But we also have to ask "why do they hate us?" Sure, I know we can't all just get along. As much as the hipppy in me wants it to happen, it's just not practical. But I think we, as a nation, have to look at our history, and how the dollar diplomacy has effected the world. How the Domino Theory has had the US gov't put bad people in power, because they didn't side with the Soviets. Noriega, Saddam Hussein, etc. When we are seen as the cause for peoples perils, we have to pay the consequences. And torturing someone is only going to help their cause. I recall a Vietnam Vet pilot story, he got shot down and was tortured by his captors. They kept asking him "where are the livestock stored on the carrier!" They wanted a way to poison the livestock to poison the pilots. The pilot kept telling him that there is no livestock on the carrier. After awhile of torture, he told them what they wanted to hear. There is livestock on deck ___ (I forget where on the ship he said). And then the torture stopped. The problem with torture is, how do you know when he's actually told the truth? How do you know when to stop?

I will ask those who know more about these things if Miranda rights apply to enemy combatants.

My understanding of Geneva Conventions is, there aren't Miranda Rights as we know them, but there are very specific rights for captured combatants. The problem we have is, the Geneva Convention applies to nations at war, and signers of said convention. These are individuals. An unknown sized group, loosely held together by a hatred for non-Muslim things. So? What laws do they fall under? Well, we are a nation of laws, we should not pursue or encourage lawless behaviour.

The Christmas bomber was not a shoplifter. He was an agent of a non-state enemy of this country, wearing no uniform, and actively attempting to kill American civilians. Whether caught on U.S. soil or otherwise, I think that (should) effectively take him out of standing for Miranda rights

What about the Oklahoma Bomber? Should he be an "Enemy Combatant"? He wore no uniform, killed American Civilians, and was for the downfall of the gov't. What about Columbine kids? They wore no uniform, killed civilians. Where do you draw the line? Who gets to decide that? Re-decide? And again? That can't be shifting line in the sand. You are human? You have rights!

The people Saddam Hussein's sons got their hands on, THEY were tortured.

So our goal is to be like them? Sounds rather bad. I seem to recall a quote from Goebbels, talking about allied bombing. In the beginning we would only bomb military targets. Then there was a shift to bomb areas that might have military targets even if there were civilians in the area (like factories). And Goebbels said something to the effect "even if we lose, we have won, for we have made the enemy just (continued...)

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( continues...) like us". Is that the goal with the war on terror? They torture, so we can torture? We are a nation of e pluribus unum. Out of many, one. We can not pick and choose the many. Therefore, we need to respect everyone.

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