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Monthly Archives: March 2011
Ugh
Robert often hears and reads people make variants of the following points:
“It is a problem that in country X, so much wealth is owned by so few people.”
Similarly,
“The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, which is bad.”
He usually scratches his head, wondering why so many people think it is bad if a nation’s pie is not sliced evenly (which it never is). He guesses that people that say these things really want to make a point that is different than the point they are making. For example, that the poorest people in a country live too pitifully. Or, that wealth is unfairly transferred from one-generation to the next. Or that political power is too closely linked to wealth. Or that the rich obtained their wealth through corruption. But he gets frustrated by the shorthand.
Courage
“Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it’s the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.”
— Alice M. Swaim
Baby Trashes Bar
Muslim Group Sues FBI
Muslim group lawsuit alleges FBI secretly tracked Santa Clara college student
Posted: 03/02/2011 12:14:34 PM PST
Updated: 03/02/2011 10:05:00 PM PST
A Muslim advocacy group Wednesday sued the FBI on behalf of a 20-year-old San Jose student who says he found a GPS tracker on his car last fall, alleging the device violated the man’s constitutional rights.
The Council on American Islamic Relations’ suit revolves around Yasir Afifi, a marketing student at Mission College in Santa Clara, who made headlines when he posted a photo of the mysterious device online asking readers to decipher what it was. The FBI showed up two days later “interrogating” him, the suit alleges, before taking the GPS tracker back.
The lawsuit states the FBI was able to “continuously monitor Mr. Afifi’s vehicle, and thus, Mr. Afifi himself, accurately within meters,” acting as an “unlawful trespasser,” in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The suit also contends that the FBI is keeping an active file on Afifi, which documents where he prayed and had dinner with his girlfriend, among other activities, in violation of the First Amendment.
“The biggest thing here is that the FBI is treating American Muslims as suspects instead of partners,” said Zahra Billoo, Afifi’s attorney and executive director of CAIR in Santa Clara. “This targeting undermines cooperation with law enforcement and chills Muslims’ civil rights. We want to ensure the FBI stops these types of practices. This should be an ongoing cause for concern for all Americans.”
FBI spokeswoman Julianne Sohn said she couldn’t specifically comment on any lawsuit.
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But, in general, Sohn stated: “The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for bringing to justice those who violate civil liberties, and we follow strict guidelines when we conduct preliminary investigations to ensure that we protect the civil rights of all individuals.” The defendants named are Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Director Robert Mueller and unnamed FBI agents.
The suit demands that the FBI never place another tracker on Afifi’s car, return or destroy the documents on him, declare these type of warrantless searches illegal, and seeks an unspecified amount of money for damages.
Records state Afifi has one prior, unrelated misdemeanor from when he was 19 years old.
CAIR filed the lawsuit in Washington, D.C., where the FBI has its headquarters and where a federal court has declared it illegal to place GPS trackers on cars without warrants, Billoo said, which is not the case within the Ninth Circuit district that encompasses California.
Afifi, who was born in the United States, has said that on Oct. 3, his mechanic spotted the tracker while performing a routine oil change. The mechanic yanked it out, and Afifi brought the device home, worried that it may be a pipe bomb. He uploaded photos of it on the Internet, and a reader suggested it was a law enforcement GPS. Afifi’s story first appeared in Wired, and later in the Mercury News and other outlets.
A couple of days after he posted the photo, Afifi said FBI agents pulled him over to question him about his license. One agent identified himself only as Vincent, the suit alleges. The agents asked about the tracking device and said if he didn’t turn it over, he’d face charges for possessing federal property. Vincent said he had a warrant to retrieve the device, but refused to show it to Afifi, the suit states.
Afifi said he wanted to contact an attorney, who would make the “appropriate arrangements” with the FBI, but then “Vincent began yelling at Mr. Afifi and emphatically refused Mr. Afifi’s request,” according to the suit.
FBI agents finally acknowledged the tracker was theirs, and they had attached it to Afifi’s car, the suit states. Even after Afifi decided to return the device, agents continued asking questions: Was he was a national security threat? Was he excited about an upcoming trip abroad? Did he have money troubles? Had he traveled to Yemen? Another agent, identified as Jennifer Kananan, “made clear that she knew intimate, private details of Mr. Afifi’s life,” by congratulating him on his new job and commending him on his taste in restaurants, the suit states.
Last week, CAIR in Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California announced a federal class action lawsuit against the FBI for alleged illegal surveillance of the Muslim community there.
Muslim Group Sues FBI
Muslim group lawsuit alleges FBI secretly tracked Santa Clara college student
Posted: 03/02/2011 12:14:34 PM PST
Updated: 03/02/2011 10:05:00 PM PST
Click photo to enlarge
Yasir Afifi (Handout photograph)
A Muslim advocacy group Wednesday sued the FBI on behalf of a 20-year-old San Jose student who says he found a GPS tracker on his car last fall, alleging the device violated the man’s constitutional rights.
The Council on American Islamic Relations’ suit revolves around Yasir Afifi, a marketing student at Mission College in Santa Clara, who made headlines when he posted a photo of the mysterious device online asking readers to decipher what it was. The FBI showed up two days later “interrogating” him, the suit alleges, before taking the GPS tracker back.
The lawsuit states the FBI was able to “continuously monitor Mr. Afifi’s vehicle, and thus, Mr. Afifi himself, accurately within meters,” acting as an “unlawful trespasser,” in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The suit also contends that the FBI is keeping an active file on Afifi, which documents where he prayed and had dinner with his girlfriend, among other activities, in violation of the First Amendment.
“The biggest thing here is that the FBI is treating American Muslims as suspects instead of partners,” said Zahra Billoo, Afifi’s attorney and executive director of CAIR in Santa Clara. “This targeting undermines cooperation with law enforcement and chills Muslims’ civil rights. We want to ensure the FBI stops these types of practices. This should be an ongoing cause for concern for all Americans.”
FBI spokeswoman Julianne Sohn said she couldn’t specifically comment on any lawsuit.
Advertisement
But, in general, Sohn stated: “The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for bringing to justice those who violate civil liberties, and we follow strict guidelines when we conduct preliminary investigations to ensure that we protect the civil rights of all individuals.” The defendants named are Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Director Robert Mueller and unnamed FBI agents.
The suit demands that the FBI never place another tracker on Afifi’s car, return or destroy the documents on him, declare these type of warrantless searches illegal, and seeks an unspecified amount of money for damages.
Records state Afifi has one prior, unrelated misdemeanor from when he was 19 years old.
CAIR filed the lawsuit in Washington, D.C., where the FBI has its headquarters and where a federal court has declared it illegal to place GPS trackers on cars without warrants, Billoo said, which is not the case within the Ninth Circuit district that encompasses California.
Afifi, who was born in the United States, has said that on Oct. 3, his mechanic spotted the tracker while performing a routine oil change. The mechanic yanked it out, and Afifi brought the device home, worried that it may be a pipe bomb. He uploaded photos of it on the Internet, and a reader suggested it was a law enforcement GPS. Afifi’s story first appeared in Wired, and later in the Mercury News and other outlets.
A couple of days after he posted the photo, Afifi said FBI agents pulled him over to question him about his license. One agent identified himself only as Vincent, the suit alleges. The agents asked about the tracking device and said if he didn’t turn it over, he’d face charges for possessing federal property. Vincent said he had a warrant to retrieve the device, but refused to show it to Afifi, the suit states.
Afifi said he wanted to contact an attorney, who would make the “appropriate arrangements” with the FBI, but then “Vincent began yelling at Mr. Afifi and emphatically refused Mr. Afifi’s request,” according to the suit.
FBI agents finally acknowledged the tracker was theirs, and they had attached it to Afifi’s car, the suit states. Even after Afifi decided to return the device, agents continued asking questions: Was he was a national security threat? Was he excited about an upcoming trip abroad? Did he have money troubles? Had he traveled to Yemen? Another agent, identified as Jennifer Kananan, “made clear that she knew intimate, private details of Mr. Afifi’s life,” by congratulating him on his new job and commending him on his taste in restaurants, the suit states.
Last week, CAIR in Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California announced a federal class action lawsuit against the FBI for alleged illegal surveillance of the Muslim community there.
Argentina News
Vargas Llosa visit stirs controversy in Argentina
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By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 2, 2011; 7:04 PM
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The choice of Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa to inaugurate Argentina’s annual book fair is turning into a political challenge for President Cristina Fernandez.
Key supporters of the populist president are angry that the Vargas Llosa will open the fair given his criticism of Fernandez and other populist leaders in Latin America.
The director of Argentina’s National Library wrote an open letter calling on the fair to disinvite Vargas Llosa. The president then called him twice to get him to pull back the letter and spread her word that it should be clear “without the most minimal doubt” that anyone can speak freely in Argentina.
Her government was sharply criticized last year after her supporters shouted down two writers and kept them from presenting their books. Fernandez told the library director that such attacks on free speech can be unwelcome distractions.
The director of Argentina’s National Library wrote an open letter calling on the fair to disinvite Vargas Llosa. The president then called him twice to get him to pull back the letter and spread her word that it should be clear “without the most minimal doubt” that anyone can speak freely in Argentina.
Her government was sharply criticized last year after her supporters shouted down two writers and kept them from presenting their books. Fernandez told the library director that such attacks on free speech can be unwelcome distractions.
But her Cabinet chief apparently wasn’t ready to let go on Wednesday. Anibal Fernandez called the Peruvian novelist a “reactionary right-winger,” in a radio interview, and said “Vargas Llosa is an enemy of popular governments, particularly that of Argentina, which he has insulted millions of times gratuitously and for no reason.”
The novelist had an opportunity to respond Wednesday at an event in Mexico but didn’t address the controversy and left without answering questions.
Argentina News
Vargas Llosa visit stirs controversy in Argentina
|
|
By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 2, 2011; 7:04 PM
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The choice of Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa to inaugurate Argentina’s annual book fair is turning into a political challenge for President Cristina Fernandez.
Key supporters of the populist president are angry that the Vargas Llosa will open the fair given his criticism of Fernandez and other populist leaders in Latin America.
The director of Argentina’s National Library wrote an open letter calling on the fair to disinvite Vargas Llosa. The president then called him twice to get him to pull back the letter and spread her word that it should be clear “without the most minimal doubt” that anyone can speak freely in Argentina.
Her government was sharply criticized last year after her supporters shouted down two writers and kept them from presenting their books. Fernandez told the library director that such attacks on free speech can be unwelcome distractions.
The director of Argentina’s National Library wrote an open letter calling on the fair to disinvite Vargas Llosa. The president then called him twice to get him to pull back the letter and spread her word that it should be clear “without the most minimal doubt” that anyone can speak freely in Argentina.
Her government was sharply criticized last year after her supporters shouted down two writers and kept them from presenting their books. Fernandez told the library director that such attacks on free speech can be unwelcome distractions.
But her Cabinet chief apparently wasn’t ready to let go on Wednesday. Anibal Fernandez called the Peruvian novelist a “reactionary right-winger,” in a radio interview, and said “Vargas Llosa is an enemy of popular governments, particularly that of Argentina, which he has insulted millions of times gratuitously and for no reason.”
The novelist had an opportunity to respond Wednesday at an event in Mexico but didn’t address the controversy and left without answering questions.
Who Said It: Sheen or Gaddafi
Who Said It: Sheen or Gaddafi?
Both Charlie Sheen and Muammar Gaddafi gave insane, potentially drug-addled speeches this week. Vanity Fair has this hilarious quiz of quotes from the two crazies. Who said which?! Answers below the cut.
1. “Remember these are my people…not yours…we will continue on together…” 2. “…maybe they should let their women and their daughters go out.”
3. “We won’t lose victory from these greasy rats and cats…”
4. “Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words—imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists.”
5. “Walk with me side-by-side as we march up the steps of justice to right this unconscionable wrong.”
6. “I fire back once and this contaminated little maggot can’t handle my power.”
7. “Shame on you, you gangsters. Surrender…”
8. “They are trigger happy and they shoot especially when they are stoned with drugs.”
9. “I am like the Queen of England.”
10. “I’m not Thomas Jefferson. He was a pussy.”
ANSWER KEY:
Sheen: 1, 4, 5, 6, 10
Qaddafi: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9
Pink Martini
The Pierce family just got tickets for the July 1 show at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.