In case (like Saddam) you were under a rock or something, the U.S. Army captured Saddam this morning. The old tyrant’s time had run out. Now that he’s all cleaned up, I suppose its only a matter of time until he spills the beans about those weapons of mass destruction. Because, you know, that’s what this was all about, remember?

Now that we’ve got him, what next? Does he become cellmates in Miami with Manuel Noriega, the villian of George H.W. Bush? Does he get his own cage at Guantanamo? Does he begin a new career making infomercials? What does one do with a former national leader? Sell him on Ebay?

Let’s hope this is enough to convince the Iraqi citizens to stop shooting at us.
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This can’t be good. Earth’s magnetic field has weakened 10% in the past 150 years. It could possibly be the beginning of a pole-reversal, for which the Earth is long overdue.

A weakened magnetic field could put a hurting on the ozone layer. Let’s hope that this is just an anomaly, for our descendents’ sake.

Yesterday, two Triangle-area men were arrested for spamming. Virginia authorities filed charges against the men, who are expected to be extradited to Loudoun County. Two men who once lived in million-dollar homes now face the possibility of 20 years in much smaller accomodations: prison cells.

You read that right: 20 years in prison. Damn.

Now I hate spam as much as the next person. Perhaps more than the next person, because as a system administrator I’ve fought it at the server-level. Yet, I don’t think spamming warrants the death penalty. And twenty years is a bit harsh, too. I’m more afraid of the government passing laws against things it doesn’t understand.

It drives me crazy that politicians don’t understand that laws will not spam. Uh, the Internet is GLOBAL, dumbasses! Your laws AREN’T (though one miserable failure is trying to change that, but I digress). Spam legislation is not the answer. Only technical solutions will defeat spam.

I’m wondering what got left by the wayside while Virginia officals were chasing down spammers. How many murderers slipped away? How many guns were smuggled through the state? How many meth labs escaped destruction?

Passing laws against a form of communication like email raises my First Amendment hackles, spam or no spam. There’s just no way to draw the line against the accepted and unaccepted, which threatens all speech. Our leaders have shown absolutely no clue when it comes to technology, making these laws much more dangerous.

Let’s save prison for violent offenders. Let’s use our limited law enforcement resources to go after the real threats to our society, not some stupid mass marketers.

My delete key can take care of the spam.

The Brothers Cup
Red Hot Chili Peppers
From the album “Freaky Styley”
—
Give it up to this planet full of strife
We’re the brothers cup cuttin’ sharp as a knife
With the pop of a snap and the flip of a flap
The cups went up like a natural fact
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Got a “Lastfoot Lunch” today, with The Illustrious Alan Boyd, Melissa Verdery, and Susan James, meeting in Durham.

The problem with eating with Alan is the choking hazard he causes with his warped sense of humor. At least there will be two other victims to share the “pain.”

Yesterday morning, I began to feel human again, after a long bout with a pesky cold. Fortunately, the rest of the household is better, too. Being sick is one of those “shared experiences” I’d rather do without.

It doesn’t hurt that the weather has been gorgeous for December: clear blue skies == brilliant sunshine.

Kelly and I are saying we’ve got our sickness out of the way for the rest of the season. Word.
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I found SIPthat.com today from a link from XTen‘s website. It’s daily commentary on VoIP and SIP-related stuff. Finally, I’ve got a single website I can visit to keep up with this fast-moving industry.

This week I got the first unsolicited telemarketer call I’ve received in probably four years. I’ve been blissfully immune to that damned phone-ringing-during-dinner syndrome. That is, until last weekend.

The perp was a mortgage company which wouldn’t take no for an answer. Three times, Kelly and I hung up on this woman, telling her “no, not interested.” It was only when Kelly said the Magic Legal Words “Do Not Call” that she finally quit. Now what kind of idiot wouldn’t stop after the first no? The second? Why did it take three frigging times before she got the message? Did she think we’d give in or something?

I have long ago registered our name, address, and number on the Direct Marketing Association’s Do Not Call list. I have also told the credit bureaus (1-888-5-OPTOUT) and credit card companies not to sell our number. Miraculously, they have all kept their word. It was the easiest and most effective way I tried to stem these annoying calls. Until this week, it was bulletproof.

I suppose the telemarketers, on the ropes from the recent legislation, have resorted to desperate measures. I mean, blatantly ignoring the Do Not Call list! Idiots. I only wish I’d gotten the name of her firm so I could trash it here. That, and maybe track down how they found me.

On the subject of banning the calls altogether, I’m not in favor of that. The privacy advocate in me (no calls!) gets overruled by the libertarian in me (First Amendment!). As long as the industry respects the consumer’s wishes, no legislation should be necessarsy. Sadly, it’s idiots like the one who called me that drive the legislation.