NSA Is Out Of Control. Time To Rein It In.

NSA Is Out Of Control. Time To Rein It In.

James Clapper, the Obama Administration's Director of National Intelligence has said NSA does not "wittingly" collect data on citizens. General Keith Alexander, NSA's Director as well as his predecessor have testified that NSA is not spying on or collecting data on citizens. Even the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee has told the media that the American intelligence community is not intrusively monitoring the communications of our citizens without a warrant.
Wednesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

Wednesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

The News Journal has a haunted house expose up. Here is an interesting tidbit from the story:
Former Delaware GOP Chairman Terry Strine, for example, feels exactly the opposite of Milliken about his home near Centreville where a Delaware socialite was beaten to death in her first-floor bedroom in 1967. He finds it “totally illogical, irrational and psychologically crazy” that anyone would be spooked from buying the house where Katharine “Kaa” Thompson Wood died.
In fact, he enjoys conversing with the undead spirits every night as he refines the latest Republican talking points.

Rampant child rape and abuse going unreported

A new study says that each year approximately 7,500 children are admitted to U.S. hospitals having been raped and more than 500 children die during hospital admission as a result of rape.
An abstract of the study, titled "United States Child Rape--Disturbing Trends," was presented on Sunday by researchers at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla.
  Why isn't it a national scandal that this isn't covered in the media? It is almost as if someone is covering it up? Oh wait. I changed "gunshot" to "rape." Here is the original.
Tuesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

Tuesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

So last night I attended the Delaware Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. My thoughts: 1) Dem Party Chair John Daniello really hates the 21st Century. He hates the blogs. He hates social media. The venom that dripped off the word "blogs" as he said it was amazing. I looked across my table to a particular State Representative as he said and said "Boy does he hate me." The Representative laughed. The point Daniello was making was that the people in that room are what is important, not blogs and Facebook or Twitter. I wonder if Daniello realized just how many bloggers and former bloggers and users of Twitter and Social Media were in that room. 2) Senator Carper needs to stop drinking caffeine around noon or so. The man spoke at warp speed and wandered around the stage with a microphone in his hand making jokes like he was Robin Williams. Too bad he wasn't as funny as Robin Williams. Also, Tom, for the love of God, it is the DemocratIC Party. I know you just love love love your Republican friends (or should I say Republic friends), but you have been talking like them for far too long. Come inside for more...
Breaking Political News (As If You Needed More…)

Breaking Political News (As If You Needed More…)

Octogenarian Sen. Bob Venables (D-Mars) has sent a letter to his Senate colleagues announcing that he will seek reelection. This is the opposite of what he was telling his colleagues and constituents two years ago, when he said he'd run for one more two-year term.