"James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the architect of the Patriot Act, has repudiated his Frankenstein's monster -- though it took the NSA mass-spying scandal to do it (yo, James, where were you for the 10-ish years of horrors before Snowden's leaks?). He's told American spooks that if they keep on blocking reform to their habits, he'll lead an effort to tank the Patriot Act's spying provisions when they come up for renewal this June, and he sounds serious: "Unless Section 215 is fixed, you, Mr. Cole, and the intelligence community will end up getting nothing because I am absolutely confident that there are not the votes in this Congress to reauthorize 215.""
"Washington Post published my letter in response to Kofi Annan's call for ill-considered action on climate change. Whereas Mr. Annan is right that carbon dioxide emissions will eventually cause substantial problems for the world, he is wrong in calling climate change the biggest challenge of our time. What challenges the well-being of people today is lack of food, basic health care, quality education and access to markets. These problems we can address at low cost with high impacts."
"If you were a software simulation, how would you know?"
"The freedom to sell what you want - or not - is a marvelous thing and should be applauded whenever it's exercised. I have no idea whether it's a good idea from a stockholder point of view, or even from a customer point of view. I only hope that right-wingers and left-wingers recognize that choice - for the business owner, the customer, the employee - is key. We should all be allowed to do more things than the government currently allows. And to bear the costs of those decisions, including negative (or positive) feedback about those choices. Restaurants should be allowed to permit smoking if they want, for instance, or ban it... Homeowner associations should be allowed to enforce all sorts of stupid rules and townfolk should be allowed to grow front-yard gardens on their own damn property.
The point is that we should let people make more decisions about their lives, their loves, and their businesses. And live with their consequences."
"“Good. I don’t want cigarettes sold in the same place I get my flu shot, Red Bull, and mini-donuts.”"
Best part of Agents of SHIELD last night.
Clark Gregg = Awesome.
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