Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

Okay, I got some real sleep, but on a really wonky schedule. (The important thing is that I got some.) Headaches continue to be a problem, alas.

Something I've been thinking about lately: Maryland is considering allowing slot machines, the reason being that doing so would raise much needed money for the state. I've got a terribly selfish reason for preferring that over at least one of the alternatives. The last I heard, someone was suggesting raising the sales tax instead. The sales tax comes out of my pocket. Since I won't be playing the slots, any money raised by taxing slot machines comes out of somebody else's pocket.

A few months ago, a net.friend in Canada offered to get some of the film in my freezer developed (200+ rolls waiting until I can afford processing -- of course I said 'yes' to an offer of getting some of them developed). It was both a "late Christmas gift" and an "as long as there's no hurry on any of them" deal. Today the developed film and prints arrived in the mail. That may sound like a long time, but given that the rest of the film is still in the freezer, it's a Hell of a lot faster than the remaining rolls are getting done. Some of the film was shot in 2001, but I sent along some film from 2002 and 2003 as well. The first roll I looked at included shots of the fireworks from Pennsic in 2003. I am grateful for this gift.

I haven't been spending as much time as I'd like reading or posting to LiveJournal, or commenting on other folks' entries, and I'm behind on email yet again (as if that's ever a surprise). Got a busy day scheduled, so I'm likely to get even farther behind before I start catching up. (I have skimmed my friends page back through the past week. I entertain this absurd hope of getting around to reading some of the heavier entries in detail later.)

And I've got things I should be doing now (unless my body decides it's willing to sleep) instead of writing here. G'night.

Mark Rasch wrote in SecurityFocus, 2003-12-22:

Anonymity is a wonderful thing. Early American patriots like John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison routinely published under pseudonyms -- such as drafting the Federalist papers under the name "Publius." Ben Franklin and others had long been publishing not only political diatribes but also editorials, and comments about issues of the day (like the role of women in society) under fictitious names, and even fictitious genders. Anonymity can help frame important issues apart from the author of the article, and can permit the author to feel free to express controversial ideas or reveal sensitive information in the public interest without fear of retribution.

Who, in January of 2003, would have felt free to criticize Saddam Hussein's regime from inside Baghdad or Tikrit? Who would criticize Kim Jong Il inside North Korea? Indeed, the United States Supreme Court has struck down laws that mandated that ballot initiative petitioners place their names on such petitions, extolling the virtues of anonymous political speech. Such anonymous speech can topple repressive regimes, and encourage mass peaceful protest.

Anonymity is also a horrible thing. It allows sexual deviants, perverts, pedophiles and stalkers to lurk in the dark recesses of the Internet. It allows virus writers, purveyors of malicious code, hackers, crackers and attackers to destroy files and disrupt legitimate business and social enterprises without real fear of justice. It permits and perhaps encourages irresponsible speech -- fraud, deception, defamation, slander, and incitement to violence. It can be used as a tool for hate groups of all political persuasions to incite fear and hatred.

It can be used to fraudulently manipulate stock prices for personal financial gain, cause personal ruin, and promote unsafe and untested products (like male enhancements, etc.) In can be used to harass, annoy, and flood mail boxes worldwide. Without knowledge of the author of an electronic communication, it becomes difficult to evaluate its bias and bona fides.

I was just a victim of a hit and run vehicular assault on the Beltway. I think my car is ok to drive but I am a bit ticked.

Car got me to rehearsal. Maybe lucked out, only cosmetic damage? Will pay attention to handling going to anniemal's.