Is It Just Me??

Hello again readers. The subject of today's rant, which isn't a rant but more of a musing, is "Is It Just Me??"
As I was wandering the aisles of the local grocery store earlier today, I had an odd thought. I went to pick up a loaf of bread and thought "Is this loaf of bread smaller or is it just me?" I couldn't tell which was true (the loaf being smaller, or just appearing smaller). So therefore I thought that I would consult my readers. So which is it, are loaves of bread getting smaller, or do I just think that they are getting smaller? (Believe me, it isn't just loaves of bread which are shrinking in the stores) Let me know what you think.
Another random thought, is it me or has the price of food gone up greatly in the last six months? It seems to me that my food bill used to be lower six months ago.
And one last thing, it occurs to me that this country (the US) may have too much or too many of certain consumer items. What I mean is, the other day at the local grocery store (while looking for toilet paper), I counted 29 different types and sizes of toilet paper on the shelf. They had everything from a single roll to giant multipacks with 24 rolls in them! It occurs to me that 29 different varieties may be just a bit of overkill when it comes to toilet paper.
I am Chuck and I have way too much time on my hands for my own good!

[This post removed due to the dickweeds at Google AdSense]

The post that was here concerning raising my earnings by including certain keywords in the title has been removed. It would seem that the dickweeds at Google AdSense like to have you place their ads on your page so that they can make money, but as soon as you put up something that might make you a few bucks, then that is a no-no. AdSense has seen fit to remove the normal advertising content and substitute it with public service ads (which make me no money whatsoever). Therefore, I have removed the post which appeared in this space talking about Cialis, Viagra, Levitra, Texas Hold-em Poker, and more. Gee, let's see if Google restores the normal ads to this page or not. I am hereby giving Google AdSense 72 hours to return the ads, or they are gone...permanently. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
I am Chuck and I am sick of Google trying to dick with me!

This just in...

Hello readers, I am happy to say that this blog is not dead yet! (Hopefully, it is getting better.) (Apologies to Monty Python).
Today's rant is from the Electronic Frontier Foundation's weekly news letter, the Effector. It concerns the Senate Intelligence Committee's current debate on the Patriot Act. If you are from Kansas, Utah, Ohio, Missouri, Maine, Nebraska, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, California, Oregon, Indiana, Maryland, or New Jersey, listen up as your senator(s) is (are) on the committee. I now present the item in its entirety:

* Congress Considers PATRIOT Expansion Behind Closed Doors

EFF Supporters Fight Back

Today the Senate Intelligence Committee is considering,
behind closed doors, a bill that would not only
renew the USA PATRIOT Act's most dangerous provisions,
but would also expand the FBI's power to secretly
demand the private records of people who aren't
suspected of any crime - *without* a judge's approval.

The FBI already has dangerously overbroad subpoena powers
under PATRIOT. But if this bill passes without
modification, the FBI could use new "administrative
subpoenas" to get practically anything from anyone -
Internet logs and emails from your Internet service
provider, health records from your doctor, financial
information from your bank, borrowing records from your
library - without a judge's permission. The Justice
Department has long sought this kind of unprecedented
subpoena power for the FBI, but Congress has always
said no - even in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11
terrorist attacks.

Earlier this week, we sent out a special action alert
asking EFF supporters in the states that have senators
on the Intelligence Committee to speak out against the
bill. The response was swift. Within 24 hours, you
sent more than 1,600 faxes and emails to the committee.
Seven of the senators received 90 or more messages;
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) received more than
680 messages. Now the figure is up to 2,050 - roughly
half the number of letters typically sent over a
full week's time for alerts that are not restricted
to specific states.

We succeeded in attracting the senators' attention, but
the battle against PATRIOT expansion has just begun.
Early reports indicate that there is strong support for
the bill within the Intelligence Committee, despite the
public outcry. If you live in Kansas, Utah, Ohio,
Missouri, Maine, Nebraska, Georgia, Virginia, West
Virginia, Michigan, California, Oregon, Indiana, Maryland,
or New Jersey, and you haven't contacted your senator,
it's not too late. Take action today, and stay tuned to
EFFector and the EFF Action Center for the next steps
- your voice counts!


Say No to New PATRIOT Spying Powers:
http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=133

The above item is by, and courtesy of, the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
I am Chuck and this has been my blurb for the day.

PLEASE NOTE: This post has been edited to reflect a correction made in a revised edition of the Effector (the EFF newsletter) dated 26 May 2005. Also note that you no longer have to sign in or register with EFF to get to the Patriot Act notice. If you wish to send your senator the letter provided on the site, you merely need to enter your information (name, address, etc) in the appropriate boxes. Sorry for any problems this may have caused. --Chuck.