I'd Like to Say Something about Closing Gitmo
Guantanamo Bay is an embarrassment to the principles we as a nation's citizenry are meant to uphold. Before we can begin to keep our heads up high, we must recognize that the government is servile to the Constitution, and the Constitution forbids government from pursuing indefinite waivers of certain fundamental judicial procedures, meant to
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Identifiable combatants are not entitled to any due process but are simply held 'incombaticado' pending the end of the hostilities, but those fighting outside the rules of legitimate (?!?) combat are liable for summary execution. Ahh, pity poor Nurse Edith Cavell.
In the case of terrorists, the essential question is whether they should be afforded recognition as legitimate combatants. Do the traditional rules of combat apply, i.e., uniforms, organized military units, etc.? Or, have terrorist and guerrilla 'war' become legitimate? Was 9/11 an act of war?
It is a tricky question, because if they have not, then those practicing those activities are subject to summary execution as francs-tireurs, while if that kind of activity is recognized as legitimate 'war,' then they are subject to being held without due process pending the end of hostilities. Neither case is 'good' for them.
On a more mundane but much more important personal note, do you know of any websites where I can get free music downloads, in an act of guerrilla warfare against the big music companies? I am tired of getting 99-cented to death by Bearshare. ;-)-" (My fondest recent memory: me smoking on the infamous porch at NoVa)
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Firstly, go here. If Firefox is not already your primary browser, make it so. There are hardly any security holes, and whenever there are new ones found, the open-source system it runs on means the updates come regularly and promptly.
Secondly, go here and read. Get educated.
If you like what you see, go here and download the toolbar.
Lastly, this is the client I use. I like it a lot. It's easy to learn, which is a major plus.
On another note, be extremely careful downloading movies and video games. It's the film and gaming lobbies that land on torrent downloaders. Music companies have bigger fish to fry.
The nature of torrents, being big and relying on users to keep them "hosted," means that it's the real classics, new releases, and truly dedicated purveyors of rare items that are most readily available. That being said, I've very, very rarely been unable to find something I've been looking for.
I also miss the days early in the Fall semester and late in the Spring semester, sitting outside on the Porch and bullshitting for hours on end with interesting people about interesting things, watching the cavorting squirrels and the Asian chicks walk in the sun with umbrellas-cum-parasols. I feel too busy and overly tired whenever I think of those days of lovely inaction.
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I waded through all the neat websites you suggested, struggled to understand even a small portion of what I was reading, seeing, and doing, and ended up with the little white frog/Vuze. Just to see what I had, I typed Beatles as my first search, and the screen exploded with hits. WOW WOW WOW WOW! I could grow to like this. Many (not mini) thanks. Don't expect to download movies, just music.
Speaking of Beatles, I bought Across the Universe, which I watch regularly. Still a good movie.
Like you, I too recall those halcyon days at NoVa and the porch. I am sure by now the porch is no more. There were too many people on campus for whom the porch represented a terrible threat: the threat of freedom, of youth, of a lack of their control. When I was going to college, back when we still used stone tablets, the term in loco parentis meant that the school exercised on-the-scene parental control. Supposedly, that concept died a welcome death when 18 year olds were recognized as adults. But, some people can't accept that fact, and they ahve to impose their will. I attended a faculty senate meeting (chaired by Mary Zimmerman), and the attitudes expressed there were so depressing. Mary, by the way, did not share those attitudes and tried to be a voice of moderation. But, people like that cretin who was the dean of students (Thrash or Trash?) were rabid. (Fortunately, I understand he was retiring; good riddance.)
Anyway, things change, and life moves on. Sitting on the porch, smoking and talking or just listening, would be one of those places where I could wish time would stand still. Time never stands still, though.
Hope you are doing well.
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