Tuesday, March 08, 2016

France Clears Bill That Could Force Apple to Unlock Terror Data

French lawmakers backed a plan to impose penalties including jail time on technology executives who deny access to encrypted data during a terrorist investigation, giving security services and prosecutors the power to force companies such as Apple Inc. to cooperate.
An amendment providing the new power was submitted by the opposition party The Republicans and, while the government hasn’t officially supported the measure, it was included in Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas’s bill to overhaul legal procedures and fight organized crime in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks that killed 130 people in Paris. (via Bloomberg)
My suggestion - which will not happen - is that Apple should say "fine we will stop doing business in any and all piss ant countries that want to dictate the quality of our product by forcing us to install vulnerabilities in said products".   
Let the French people go without the new Iphone 7 or 8 *whatever they are up to now, and you would then see a slew of lawmakers looking for new jobs.

Sunday, March 06, 2016

Pursuing drugs and guns on scant evidence, D.C. police sometimes raid wrong homes — terrifying the innocent

"Sallie Taylor was sitting in her apartment in Northeast Washington one evening in January 2015 watching “Bible Talk” when her clock fell off the wall and broke. She turned and looked up. Nine D.C. police officers smashed through her door, a shotgun was pointed at her face and she was ordered to the floor." (via WP)

A few years ago a chaplain friend of mine was stationed in the DC area with his very large family and this exact same thing happened to him in the middle of the night.

Of course the only illegal thing happening in his house was the dozen or so clowns wearing badges that broke in and held he and his family hostage.

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan Dead at 94

There has been a bit of reconstructionism related to Ronald Reagan as of late.  But it cannot be argued, honestly, that his first lady did not exude class and style.

RIP Ms. Nancy.

Tuesday, March 01, 2016