An interesting news story some of you may have seen: The DHS is enforcing trademarks, on the theory that part of their job is “protecting the integrity of the economy and our nation’s financial systems.”
Has anyone noticed that this “department” has taken on itself the authority to enforce more or less anything they want to, and subject to only nebulous and unspecified restriction?
Yonatan Zunger’s Blog 
Yeah, it’s pretty much insane, and while I know it’s against the spirit of the consitution, I’m not so sure if the effective law wrapped around it can actually protect us from it any more.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/10/the_security_of.html
Is a good article about the danger of the power of the executive branch right now.
But I’ve also seen some rather interesting events that seem to have slid under the national news radar.
A “pirate”, low power FM radio station in SCruz was shut down last month, all equipment confiscated. They’d been in operation for over 10 years. Never bothered by the FCC until now. They’ve always been a bit… left-wing.
A “pirate”, low power FM station in SLO was shut down the same week, all equipment confiscated. Also in operation for ~10 years or more. Also talked politics, with a liberal/libertarian bent.
A “pirate”, low power FM station in SLO was shut down the same week, no equipment confiscated. Also in operation for ~10 years or more. Music only…
All were stations whose broadcast power was tiny, a couple watts, if. Just enough to have a few hundred yards of listening audience range.
Yeah, it’s pretty much insane, and while I know it’s against the spirit of the consitution, I’m not so sure if the effective law wrapped around it can actually protect us from it any more.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/10/the_security_of.html
Is a good article about the danger of the power of the executive branch right now.
But I’ve also seen some rather interesting events that seem to have slid under the national news radar.
A “pirate”, low power FM radio station in SCruz was shut down last month, all equipment confiscated. They’d been in operation for over 10 years. Never bothered by the FCC until now. They’ve always been a bit… left-wing.
A “pirate”, low power FM station in SLO was shut down the same week, all equipment confiscated. Also in operation for ~10 years or more. Also talked politics, with a liberal/libertarian bent.
A “pirate”, low power FM station in SLO was shut down the same week, no equipment confiscated. Also in operation for ~10 years or more. Music only…
All were stations whose broadcast power was tiny, a couple watts, if. Just enough to have a few hundred yards of listening audience range.