(no subject)

[vicarz]

OMG my ass hurts! That is to say I had a fabu weekend. Stop, get that mind out of the gutter...we went hiking for 10 miles yesterday in the Shenandoah Valley. It was a scary start - going down for about 2 miles, knowing that every step would have to be re-traced back up again after the hike was nearly through.

I'm royally pissed though. A friend came with us, and to do so they parked behind my home at about 9 AM, and we returned about 7 PM. They had their car alarm on. During the time we were out, her door was jimmied and car stereo ripped out. I'm completely stunned. This happened in my neighborhood in broad fucking daylight. I'm torn - do I have a really good suave car thief in this otherwise safe neighborhood, or is it so common not to give a shit about other people that you can just pilfer valuables in broad daylight anywhere there isn't a bored cop? The space they were in was on the street in a clear space - nothing around, not even a bush. I am very not-pleased with this. My friend took it well, but I'm fuming. I have these little thuggy wannabe looking kids all around - so which one is the real deal? If I saw it I'd like to take a bat to the mutha.

I'm all bitchy about privacy, and now I'm considering pointing a camera at the street and having the computer take pictures all day on the minute, so that if there is a crime I can provide video surveillance pictures. When faced with vague terrorist threats I tell the gov to go to hell with such ideas, but in my neighborhood faced with a property crime suddenly I'm a fascist. Interesting.

Comments

[ex-means947.livejournal.com]

i had a great time reading about some dude who's name is on the "do not fly" list with the airlines. His woes were splashed all over the front page of The B'more Sun. Apparently his name matches some wanted terrorist's name, so he needs to check in and/or show proof of identity when boarding, every time he flies.

Meanwhile thousands of foreign residents are held in secondary inspection for arbitrary reasons. And, my jeans are always pulled to my ankles [practically] when I'm walking through security. I suppose I always look surly or something. Plus I have a fetish for thick belts with really big handles.

Mr. O'Brien or whatever your name is? Fuck you, sir! "Do not fly" gripes, my ass. Everyone pays for better security. At least you don't get strip-searched.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I guess the danger is how long before the government creates the problems they then strip our rights to solve? When did we start trusting the government? Or do we fear them less?

I'm wondering about the American tendency to not know the neighbors, and think it may have dire consequences. Small communities are really bad to the rejects, of which I was once one. For them it's nice to feel connected with strangers or far-away folks. On the other hand, while conformity is bad, it's good to influence outsiders to some level of socialization locally or you get Columbine. I'm not ready to give away all our privacy - especially when the laws are made on the basis of victimless crimes...but terrorism adds some really weird arguments.

Drugs - who cares. Bombs - fuck privacy. Problem I've seen is the government lumping those issues together.