Photographers Hassled By Police Might End Up On ‘Suspicious Activity Reports’

People should not have to worry about being hassled by law enforcement when they are out taking photos with their camera. But in the total fear zone known previously as the United States of America, you not only face questioning by police officers, the government might be keeping records (known as Suspicious Activity Reports) on where you’ve been and what photos you’ve taken.

• • •

Insomniac Edition: Neil Young – Rockin’ in the Free World (1989)

Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” is one of those protest songs that can probably be utilized by people of many different political stripes and motivations. Taken at face value, and only paying attention to the title, it could be interpreted as pro-West, pro-democracy, or in other words, pro-American. Much the same as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A” which was misappropriated by the conservative right (including former President Ronald Reagan), “Rockin’ in the Free World” has a more subversive meaning, possibly even rivaling that of Springsteen’s “Born.”

• • •

Department of Homeland Security: It’s Time To Unwind The Anti-Terrorism Apparatus

I’ve contemplated writing an article which asks the question, do we need the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)? It rose to the forefront last week when Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced she was resigning. Then today I see Charles Kenny at Businessweek wrote (“The Case for Abolishing the DHS“), which as you might imagine grabbed my attention.

• • •
1 2 3 5