"Celibacy in the City" Pt. 1

The first part of Isaiah's "Celibacy in the City" from his comic strip The World Today Just Nuts. Posted as a look back at 2005 and to start your weekend off with a blast.

"Celibacy in the City" Pt. 2

Second part of Isaiah's "Celibacy in the City" from his The World Today Just Nuts.

Celibacy in the City Pt. 3

From Isaiah's "Celibacy in the City."

Spying and Snooping Bully Boy

This is one of Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts called "Spying Bully Boy is a drag" and I planned to use it next week at the earliest but then I got online and saw some stuff and thought this might be something that needs attention today.

This is from yesterday's Democracy Now!'s "National Security Agency Whistleblower Warns Domestic Spying Program Is Sign the U.S. is Decaying Into a 'Police State:' "

Meanwhile, the Washington Post is reporting that the NSA passed on records of intercepted email and phone calls to other government agencies including the FBI, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security. This news come on the heels of several other reports that the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, military intelligence and local police departments have all been engaged in monitoring peaceful groups including Greenpeace, PETA -- the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Catholic Worker, anti-war groups and even bicyclists in New York City. During the 1960s and 1970s, the military used NSA intercepts to maintain files on U.S. peace activists. It was this domestic surveillance that led Congress to intervene and pass Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 in order to prevent future such abuses. The statute permits domestic intelligence surveillance with the approval of a court order from the FISA court.
In 1975, Senator Frank Church, a Democrat from Idaho, said, "We have a particular obligation to examine the NSA, in light of its tremendous potential for abuse. . . . The interception of international communications signals sent through the air is the job of NSA; and, thanks to modern technological developments, it does its job very well. The danger lies in the ability of the NSA to turn its awesome technology against domestic communications."Now Congress is considering holding a new round of hearings on Bush’s domestic spying program. A bipartisan group series of Senators have already issued their public support including several top Republicans including Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
Two weeks ago, a former NSA intelligence officer publicly announced that he wants to testify before Congress. His name is Russell Tice. For the past two decades he has worked in the intelligence field both inside and outside government, most recently with the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency. He was fired in May 2005 after he spoke out as a whistleblower.

C.I. notes that in a thing called "Spying and Seberg" that talks about how the spying before harmed.

And in the New York Times today there's an article called "Agency First Acted on Its Own to Broaden Spying, Files Show" (which I just read thanks to C.I.'s link). The spying by the NSA started right after 9-11 and Congress member Nancy Pelosi objected and questioned from the start. She's said that before but her letter on this was classified and we've had to wait for it be declassified. Now that parts of it are we know that when the spying started.

Little heavier Jot than I was planning for this morning but hopefully Isaiah's comic makes you chuckle and the spying is something you're already interested in.

the new york times
democracy now
government snooping
government spying
snoopgate
nsa
the world today just nuts
the common ills

2005: Bully Boy Exposed

Did you miss The Daily Jot? I took off Monday because I was beyond tired after we finished The Third Estate Sunday Review and needed a break, we all did. And since I still get e-mails whenever I don't have a post up first thing in the morning, I made the decision that on Tuesday, I'd post late to get the point across that The Daily Jot doesn't have to go up in the morning. I'd like it to. It's like brushing my teeth, something I'd like to deal with first thing but sometimes that can't happen.

Cartoon is Isaiah's "Bully Boy Exposed" from his The World Today Just Nuts comic strip.
It should make you chuckle. It made me laugh.

And I'm going to jot a bit about "The Common Ills Year in Review 2005." Hope you already caught that. It's a great look back at the issues that mattered in 2005 and the people who made a difference. And thanks to Joey and Kara (and C.I.) for thinking two things I did were worth noting in that. I read "The Common Ills Year in Review 2005" and didn't just get a sense of some headlines but saw how much the country went through in 2005 and how much the people woke up. I enjoyed hearing people's picks for what stood out and why. So if you haven't check it out, here's the link one more time "The Common Ills Year in Review 2005"

I'm going to be noting Isaiah's comic strip for the next three Jots, by the way. I think he was an important voice in 2005 and he provided us with laughter while making us think. Today's comic was picked because it does reflect 2005, Bully Boy was exposed for what he was.

the world today just nuts
the common ills
2005 in review