oh that’s right I forgot, its all Bush’s fault

Rithotz can you possibly move on from blaming Bush or Cheney for EVERYTHING ?????

~~~

BR: I do not blame them for everything, just the bad decisions and foolish policies they made. Just as I blame Obama for his bad decisions and appointments.

I don’t know why you political junkies have a problem with Pols taking responsibility for their actions. Your objectivity and analytical ability is so blinded by bias that your commentary is worthless.

This isn’t a political site where your partisdanship counts for anything, its an objective critical site that calls it as it is.

If you look at the “Previously” posts, they are about blocking grad students and intellectual capital from coming into the US. The Customs and Immigration issues are an extension of those foolish policies:

Is the balance of scientific power shifting? (January 16th, 2004)
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2004/01/is-the-balance-of-scientific-power-shifting/

Economics, Security, and the Decline of the US Creative Class (October 6th, 2004)
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2004/10/economics-security-and-the-decline-of-the-us-creative-class/

Losing Our Intellectual Edge (December 22nd, 2004)
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2004/12/losing-our-intellectual-edge/

Global Competition for Talent (June 5th, 2005)
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2005/06/global-competition-for-talent/

U.S. dominance in science and engineering at risk (July 23rd, 2005)
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2005/07/us-dominance-in-science-and-engineering-at-risk/

I actually had the “Insolence” once to ask one of the frontline angels WHY it was necessary to take my fingerprints and photo every time I entered the US, wouldn’y my Passport scan link to my file on a Central database? I was, of course, told that “I can’t discuss our systems with you for security reasons.” Now, in this context, security can be used both for security reasons but also to cover up a bloated inefficient system that doesn’t work and is implemented by improperly trained goons who want to make their little bit of authority in this world noticed.

Meanwhile, whilst all these resources are wasted, the REAL terrorists apply for Visas in “friendly” countries such as Saudi OR simply drive over the border from Canada.

Well, that’s ironic! Freedoms?

http://web.archive.org/web/20010815210951/http://www.usembassy.state.gov/riyadh/wwwhvzxp.html

Bush’s little gift to Saudi terrorists – let your travel agent apply for your visa for you.

Even certified wingnut Michelle Malkin was onto it… http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin110701.asp

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/terror/articles/visa011212.htm

But keep sipping that koolaid, my friend.

They don’t hate you because you’re “free” (cough, hack).

I stopped transiting through the USA in 2003. I’ll fly twice as long and pay 4 times the ticket price to avoid getting grilled by the US Gestapo just for wanting to sitting in a transit lounge at LAX for a few hours.

If you freedom-loving airheads cared to look at the facts you would realize that a significant proportion of Europeans avoid the USA for the same reason.

Likewise antipodeans visiting the UK – they now by default choose to fly through the middle east (on Emirates) rather than doing what they used to – a shopping stopover at LAX.

simply, “Cloud Computing” is, from a ‘data-security’ POV, at the minimum, a sad joke.

past that, stories similiar to yours are legion..

these guys http://www.eff.org/ will give anyone that can Read, and possesses the minutest Spirit of Inquiry, more than most would ever care to know..

also, here: http://epic.org/ the same, as above.

and, from a mildly different perspective http://www.spychips.com/

LSS: any thought of anonymity when using computer networks (and, yes, your cell phone, and soon to be ‘Smart Grids’, are compNets–to name, just, two others) is, in reality, a Primitive Pipe Dream.

“Dear 9/11 Commission:
After Sept 11th I looked at past issues of Time and Newsweek magazines in the Summer of 2001. Life in the media was all about Condit, Wall Street thievery and not to forget the 2000 Vote. This notion of looking at facts in a pre 9/11 and after 9/11 perspective: I belive President Bush had a personal agenda pre 9/11.
Agenda:
Get Americas defense engine into Iraq.
To hoist his personal status in America.
I would like:
You to superimpose the day after 8/6/01 disemination brief with actual 8/6/01 PDB with above bias in an unbiased way. I remember tv facial expression changes on our President in those days. His day in history had arrived after 9/11. I suppose … he was just energized by events and not actually thrilled with his personal agenda success.
Respectfully submitted for your consideration.”
I got an immediate thank you back from the National Commission on Terrosist Attacks Upon the US.

The Next morning – 2 ICE agents and my police chief paid a visit (I had a walk-in policy then). I was told my computer was used by hackers for money laundering. Would I mind allowing a couple nights useage in a sting operation. I offered up my laptop too. (ya BR that one). I said ok for a day or two tops (I may be a small business but 3 days without my mainframe). Well my roomie uses the machine too, and there was supposed pictures of children in porn positions. I was never charged*, my roomie was never questioned. My hard-drive was returned erased, after about 11 months. They returned my equipment in a week (short 1 hard-drive). I begged to get my data back. On 5/13 made a trip to Chicago for disks of my documents (area where all info goes). Bought a bigger hard drive (needed it anyway) and loaded all my software and data provided from the ICE disks.

It gets more interesting TBP readers. I had (in the machine) an idea that we had concerning cell phones inside buiding walls that was being showed in a couple places. In a quick sentence .. an answering machine like device that your cell phone is placed in – that pair of devices becomes the interface to the outside world – delete’g telephone pole wires but the inside wall wires to your existing instruments are energized. I saw on the Today Show with Matt & Katie the thing invented (at least a prototype) at the 2005 CES. Never took off in the stores tho, don’t know why.

Disclaimer Conspiratorists – 3 other things could have happened besides what is inferred .. I wasn’t the only one who thought of it / my contacts ran with it / their contacts ran with it .. I had a bit of a contract (but run’g that way – nope).

Now .. conclude this event confession … would Cloud Compute’g be better or worse – depends on the sensitiveness of your stuff.

* coda – am I worried now I hit *Refresh* .. ya a little .. maybe a bit more in 2012 too

ps – here is the idea by PhoneLabs (Americas Telephone Company) its called Dock-N-Talk (search the web archives)

dss – tell the tribe – that as much as some of us try – its an ocean above water too – big fish eat small fish – its the game – get the right education (best of luck) – is the right education street fighting ? .. not in my eyes

and BG – I see this thing your way about 48% .. the other 52% is cash flow .. whats your pyramid project in the works?

this house is rotting from within and the cockroaches and termites are taking over … and imo this flavor is because control of the government is the best path to prosperity for the corporatists

ps – CNBCsuxs .. that was an interesting take on this whole thing