(no subject)

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Anastasia did well her first night. She even looks a lot like mila in the face... however I don't think she's the brightest dog. I learned that this dog has some reindeer in her too... at first if you look at her legs and paws they are spotted and have the deer thing going... then last night I was putting Howard the Duck in and I heard *thud thud*... well I had trapped her into the room with me by putting out my notebook case and a chair and a vacuum to block her in... well... I turn around and she has cleared the chair... I want to discourage her jumping though so she doesn't jump the fence, as she could easily clear it if she can clear the chair... especially with a running start.
I've read a few series in the past two weeks... all 11 of Edgar Rice Burroghs books in his Mars series (the first 5 focussing on John Carter of Mars, the next 5 about various others, and the last being shorts that go along with the series)... also Clarke's Rama (4 books) series. I highly recommend them to all. Now I'm going to start reading more Heinelin... Stranger in a Strange Land is a wonderful book, and starship troopers was good too, so I'm checking out some more of his stuff... I'm especially interested in reading this book he wrote which was the inspiration for Stargate.

(no subject)

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I hope everyone is enjoying the end of the year. I've discovered a few good series lately and have enjoyed reading them. We are going to get a dog Friday after work.
You know, around me, often... I see wonderful people in a relationship with someone who doesn't see them for what they are... they end up in a relationship with someone who doesn't treat them as well as they should, someone who doesn't fully appreciate them. I see this more and more lately... but I saw it yet again this past week. A friend, who is a wonderful woman, a beautiful woman with a beautiful mind and an aboslutely superb musical talent (who has me deeply enchanted with one of her pieces) was spoken to unapropriately and harshly by her male companion. I just don't understand why or how these people find someone so wonderful then treat them so poorly. If I was lucky and fortunate enough to be in a relationship with this individual, or someone similiar... I would be by far the happiest man alive. I would be loyal and loving, dedicated, I would be extremely interested and involved. Oh well...
-Ryan Carl Mercer, The Wolf.

The Patriot Act Provisions

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The provisions are:

Section 201 -- Gives federal officials the authority to intercept wire, spoken and electronic communications relating to terrorism.

Section 202
-- Gives federal officials the authority to intercept wire, spoken and
electronic communications relating to computer fraud and abuse offenses.

Subsection 203(b)
-- Permits the sharing of grand jury information that involves foreign
intelligence or counterintelligence with federal law enforcement,
intelligence, protective, immigration, national defense or national
security officials

Subsection 203(d) -- Gives foreign
intelligence or counterintelligence officers the ability to share
foreign intelligence information obtained as part of a criminal
investigation with law enforcement.

Section 204 -- Makes
clear that nothing in the law regarding pen registers -- an electronic
device which records all numbers dialed from a particular phone line --
stops the government's ability to obtain foreign intelligence
information.

Section 206 -- Allows federal officials to
issue roving "John Doe" wiretaps, which allow investigators to listen
in on any telephone and tap any computer they think a suspected spy or
terrorist might use.

Section 207 -- Increases the amount of time that federal officials may watch people they suspect are spies or terrorists.

Section 209 -- Permits the seizure of voicemail messages under a warrant.

Section 212
-- Permits Internet service providers and other electronic
communication and remote computing service providers to hand over
records and e-mails to federal officials in emergency situations.

Section 214
-- Allows use of a pen register or trap and trace devices that record
originating phone numbers of all incoming calls in international
terrorism or spy investigations.

Section 215 -- Authorizes
federal officials to obtain "tangible items" like business records,
including those from libraries and bookstores, for foreign intelligence
and international terrorism investigations.

Section 217 -- Makes it lawful to intercept the wire or electronic communication of a computer hacker or intruder in certain circumstances.

Section 218
-- Allows federal officials to wiretap or watch suspects if foreign
intelligence gathering is a "significant purpose" for seeking a Federal
Intelligence Surveillance Act order. The pre-Patriot Act standard said
officials could ask for the surveillance only if it was the sole or
main purpose.

Section 220 -- Provides for nationwide service of search warrants for electronic evidence.

Section 223
-- Amends the federal criminal code to provide for administrative
discipline of federal officers or employees who violate prohibitions
against unauthorized disclosures of information gathered under this act.

Section 225
-- Amends FISA to prohibit lawsuits against people or companies that
provide information to federal officials for a terrorism investigation.