The Runcible Blog

This article from The Guardian talks about a court battle in New York that aims to lift the ban on police surveillance of political "dissidents" and political demonstrations:

Mr Kelly's proposals, which a judge is expected to consider next month, would mean that any NYPD unit could investigate any political group with out suspecting a crime, could videotape or photograph demonstrations, and would no longer need to convince a three-person panel - two police officials and a civilian - of the legitimacy of an infiltration.

This week's issue of the Boston Phoenix (it's not that evil, Judy) has a few pages devoted to letters from concerned citizens about the impending war with Iraq. There's also an interview with a veteran war photographer. Ever since I borrowed "Is Anyone Taking Any Notice?" by Don McCullin (amazingly, this book now costs upwards of $500 used!) from the library, war photography has been a subject close to my heart. Maybe one day I'll be a war photographer and die in battle like Robert Capa, who stepped on a landmine in Vietnam, I think. On another note, now that the Homeland Security Act is a law, you can read the entire text of the final version here. I hope you have some time on your hands since it's 485 pages long.... It'll take a while for us normal folk to understand just how far reaching and scary this thing actually is.

John Mellencamp's "Small Town" drives me crazy every time I hear it:

Well I was born in a small town And I live in a small town Prob'ly die in a small town Oh, those small communities All my friends are so small town My parents live in the same small town My job is so small town Provides little opportunity Educated in a small town Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another boring romantic that's me But I've seen it all in a small town Had myself a ball in a small town Married an L.A. doll and brought her to this small town Now she's small town just like me No I cannot forget where it is that I come from I cannot forget the people who love me Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town And people let me be just what I want to be Got nothing against a big town Still hayseed enough to say Look who's in the big town But my bed is in a small town Oh, and that's good enough for me Well I was born in a small town And I can breathe in a small town Gonna die in this small town And that's prob'ly where they'll bury me

Gee, did he come from a small town? I can't tell. Arg! That song sucks!