A Muslim businessman in Canada became a terror suspect for telling his sales staff in a text message to "blow away" the competition at a New York City trade show, a religious association said Friday.

Moroccan-born Saad Allami, who works as a telecommunications company sales manager, was arrested three days after he sent the message in January 2011 and detained while police searched his home, said the Muslim Council of Montreal.

How did they know?

'Blow away' text lands Muslim in Canada jail

Acidus wrote:

Google CEO Eric Schmidt: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place,"

... ...

This was an enormously stupid and hypocritical thing for him to have said, particularly in light of the CNET incident, and it will be requoted and requoted for years to come.

However, its worth noting that Google recently created a Dashboard that allows users to control what information is collected about them. A snippet from this news report:

Dashboard let me review my Web searches going back to 2006. Long-forgotten queries about airline tickets, books and magazine articles, a new clarinet for my daughter - they’re all still there.

I recommended this when I spoke on the subject of privacy at WWW2007. But its really an extension of Greg Conti's research, in which he developed tools that allow users to see what information Google is collecting. Conti is quoted in that news article.

It doesn't really solve the problem - the privacy problem is a collective problem and this is an individual solution. Its more a negotiating position if you will. You insist that you need all this information in order to operate these services - can you at least empower me to see what you've collected and to opt out? On a certain level it provides Google with a way of shunting uncomfortable questions about privacy by allowing concerned people to opt out as it applies to them personally. However, we will face the broader social implications of the privacy problems posed by these systems regardless of whether or not we individually opt out.

Nevertheless, I'm glad that Google did this. Its an important step. It could help raise people's awareness.

More on the subject here.

RE: Fuck You Eric Schmidt

Wow

Government In Action

From Boing Boing:

"Mr. Lee is a cat in Germany, whose owner has attached a camera to his collar so that we can share his daily adventures! Some of the photos are mysterious. Others are beautiful. I love this!"

Cat has camera on collar so we can see what he does

This is strict constructionalism on drugs.

Colbert Defends Alberto Gonzalez

Silent J

...

This one was too good not to meme :)

'...not so you could throw light switch raves!!!'

Q: Out "president" [That's "resident" Bush -- Ed.] appears to be prepared to "kick some Iraqi ass." What would Jesus do?

A: Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. (Matt. 5: 43–44)

Q: While the governor of Texas, George Bush signed 140 death warrants, and granted no pardons to condemned prisoners. What would Jesus do?

A: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. (Matt. 5:7)

The HTML on this page is baddly broken, but I enjoyed the content.

What would Jesus do?

In an interview with CBS MarketWatch, 'gonzo' journalist Hunter Thompson talks about how Friday's live TV reports of a Florida highway shutdown because of a suspected terrorist threat shows what's wrong with today's media and political climate.

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:) HUNTER! HUNTER! Nice to hear a voice of sanity cutting through the fray these days. Live long and prosper Mr. Thompson. Two part audio interview available in Real and some other format...

Hunter Thompson is still all-Gonzo