Month: February 2010

The term “spasm war” is now almost standard jargon in military and government circles and, to some degree, in journalism as well. I believe the expression originated in briefings I gave some years ago in which some war-plan proposals were referred to as “orgiastic spasms of destruction.” During one of these briefings, I said to the audience, “You people do not have a war plan. You have a ‘war-gasm.’ ” These expressions were put forward with no particular reference to their sexual implications, but some of my colleagues, more conversant with Freudian concepts and literature than I, argue that the term “spasm war” is more accurate and descriptive than one might like to think. The point is, in any event, outside the scope of this discussion.

On Escalation – Herman Kahn (via unpublishedrhyme)

An In-Depth Look at Microsoft’s Spy Guide – NYTimes.com

The implications of this are staggering, but the most confounding of them all is that there could not possibly be enough warrants to justify the sum total of requests that digital companies are handed by law enforcement seeking user data. Our sources all confirmed that without question, LE and government officials are often given user data by companies such as Microsoft without having to provide any kind of justification – not legal documents, not proof of criminal activity and not evidence of guilt.

What About the Fourth Amendment?

And then, there are the less widely known reasons that LE or federal agencies would gain access to user data – programs such as government data mining or Project Carnivore (which is essentially the wiretapping scandal of the digital sphere). Again, our sources confirmed that LE’s desire to see user data is often the only reason a digital company would need to turn over information – warrantless wiretapping all over again.

An In-Depth Look at Microsoft’s Spy Guide – NYTimes.com

James Cameron Explains Why The Na’vi Have Breasts

A straight-faced James Lipton posed this question to James Cameron while taping an upcoming episode of ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ a source told Uinterview.com.

Once the audience’s laughter subsided, Cameron paused from laughing and responded, “Because this is a movie for human people.”

That’s an extremely good answer, and I really appreciate it.

But…

It’s really not going to cut it for the type of fans who have their high school physics class compute that the Ringworld’s land would all fall into the sea after a couple of centuries.

James Cameron Explains Why The Na’vi Have Breasts