The other shoe

So now we know that the target was not only terrorism.  It may have started that way in the minds of some., but that NSA data is finding it's way into other hands.

The DEA and the IRS are getting this stuff.  Does anyone care to wager that this is not the last recipient that we will find out about.

To paint a broad brush that everyone is a potential terrorist, and therefore all of their electronic communications are fair game, but only for 'national security' of course, was already a stretch.  But of course it was never going to stop there.

And of course it will not stop with the DEA and the IRS either.  We are all suspects now, and for the moment it is about whether or not we may be committing a crime.  The more people get there hand on this information, it will be used for more and different purposes.

Just the way San Diego Mayor Bob Filner used information he gained as a member of congress to target women who had been victims of sexual harassment and rape, to help select his own targets, so you will find others with access to the NSA data using it for their own purposes.

Got any secrets?  Not anymore!
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The effect wears off after a while

Each work day morning I stop at the Park and Ride.  If there are a line of cars waiting for riders I pick up two riders.  If there are line of riders waiting for cars I pick up three.  I drop them on Howard, before proceeding to my parking garage on Polk.

In the afternoon I stop on Beal Street and repeat the process.  Two riders when there are more cars than riders, and three riders where there are more riders than cars.  The on ramp I use is the last east bound entrance on the south side of the bridge.  During commute hours, it for is trucks and carpools only.  Except that lately, that has not been true.

Every now and then, one or two CHP cruisers will stake out the on ramp, directing drivers off to the side and issuing tickets for those using the ramp without at least three (two for two-seater vehicles) occupants.  The tickets are not cheap, they are going to cost something move than $300.  An afternoon of catching HOV cheaters could put someone through one of our state colleges.

It has been a long time since I saw anyone on that on ramp writing tickets, and apparently the lesson needs reinforcing.  Today as I got onto the bridge, traffic was very slow, so I looked around a little.  The car in front of me, and the three cars to the left of me (it is a two lane on ramp for most of the length, so the one next to me and the ones in front and behind the one next to me) all had single occupants.  And none were 'exceptions', with the HOV lane stickers.

So, if any CHP read this blog, it is time to get back there and start writing tickets.
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