He may be pulling some strings from afar but his influence is waning considerably. However, you would have to be pretty stupid not to know that the current PM was elected: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_general_election,_2011 and that this isn't exactly the government Thais want. It was the democrat party, that was in power before the election, who got there with administrative maneuvers.
/.ers are, for the most part, introverts, and not seasoned travelers. You see all the (negative) advice here about how hard it's going to be and all the potential problems. Now go post the very same same question on forums like Couch Surfing, Ball of Dirt or Lonely Planet and watch the (positive) ideas to solve your concerns flow like a waterfall from people who travel *a lot*.
Indeed, especially here in Asia where the cost for a Western standard of living is comparatively very low. I've also been self-employed overseas for years and would never go back.
One quick bit of advice, get out of the hostel mentality now! You're not going to be crashing at a different place every night. You should be looking for accommodations that rent by the month. You can get a decent studio apartment across the street from where I live in Thailand for about $150/mo. WiFi there is shared amongst all the residents of the building so that can be inconvenient. My 2bd, 1ba, full kitchen "duplex" costs me $230/mo. My 14/1Mbit ADSL is $30/mo. I started with a 6 month lease contract but could have probably got the place with no contract if I had pressed. Also, housing contracts here aren't worth the paper they are written on. If you don't leave much of a deposit or if you use it for your last months rent, a very common tactic here, you cave hardly any liability and can move anytime you want. The OP should consider themselves as a part-time resident, not a traveler, and should be looking for accommodations to match.
3G isn't everywhere in Asia yet but it is in most major cities and is expanding very rapidly. In some countries it's very well deployed. It's fast enough for work and besides cell/mobile phone tethering you can buy an "aircard" that accesses the GSM network. Then all you have to do is buy a sim card and sign up for a monthly data plan for whatever country you're in.
I've got a Kali VM and travel with a wifi nic that can run in monitor mode and do packet injection so I rarely have a problem finding an internet connection anywhere I need one these days, even when hard pressed to find a good open one. I'm a very courteous uninvited guest though, I don't mess with others' network configs nor saturate their bandwidth.
Sign up for Couch Surfing https://www.couchsurfing.org/ no so much for finding people's couches to crash on but for networking in the new country you have arrived. The expats who already live in the countries you are coming to will be more willing to help show you the ropes and how to get up on your feet in just about any country you land. Think of it as an easy way to make friends abroad that will help you integrate into the new community you're in. For example, I found out about where I live by word of mouth, it was not advertised, and that is the kind of thing people who already live where you are going can help you with.
And finally, yes, here in Asia all major malls have wifi and internet cafes or Starbucks and they will let you sit there all day long for purchasing a $3 cup of coffee and/or a $3 pastry. Don't look for public libraries here though, you won't find many / any.
Just do it and don't look back. Don't let the neckbeards here who haven't left their crypts for a month get you down. You'll have the time of your life and, if nothing else, the value of the experience itself will be immeasurable. Send me a PM / email if you want more specifics about how I made it work.
"the more pressure it will put on Congress to keep up with the changing legal landscape."
Congress can't even keep it's own house in order so I won't be holding my breath for any action on this issue.
Privacy is not at the forefront of any politician's agenda that I know of, unless you can find a way to make it turn a profit, and it never will be until there's a massive breech i.e. until it's already too late.
I wonder if the gun lobby will be quoting the statistic they very much like to ignore in order to sell this gun? "Reduces or eliminates the possibility of you being shot with your own gun which, as people have been telling us for quite some time now, the odds of increase substantially when you take possession of a gun. Also, it will prevent your gun from being used without your authorization."
I can see this tech introducing a lot of investigative and prosecutorial cans-of-worms too.
I couldn't agree more. I can not for the life of me understand how that man still has a job. I can not think of even one (1), not a single product that has been rolled out under his tenure that was a success. He should have been fired after Longhorn and definitely after Vista. I have no idea at this point how he is still holding on to his job.
I thought it was only unlocking a phone to use it on any carrier that recently became "illegal" due to a change at the library of congress.
IIRC there was a court case or some legislative action a year or 2 ago that made it illegal for manufacturers to stop people from jailbreaking their phones.
How is Apple geting around this, assuming I'm not misinformed? If they are just "fixing bugs" they should have the "Allow apps from anywhere" option that sFurbo mentioned above long ago!
This is written on a MacBook but I have less love for Apple every day. It's like an old marriage that's jumped the shark.
We're people and we suck. The only thing that matters is what this employer can do for you when you finish working there.
Are they going to be an asset for networking or as a reference? Are they going to get you more work by recommending you? Are they going to be bringing you back for more work?
Your answers to these questions will dictate how much time you should spend supporting the new hire.
I know, I don't have a lot of faith in this petition system but, I'm hopeful that enough people will keep making noise on this one that some action will actually be taken. With this latest development that politics at least played a role in Aaron's persecution they should be jailed for bullying but we all know prosecutors don't go to jail so at least they should be fired and disgraced. Imagine if people don't make enough noise, nothing is done, and in 5 or 10 years these jerks are sitting on the bench as Federal Judges!
Thats why you have a lawyer that explains to you how things work. Most people plea because they are actually guilty and realize that it is in their best interest to do so.
Plenty of people have pled to charges they are innocent of or to charges that are harsher than they deserve because they fear a much more unreasonably harsh outcome of a trial that they don't have the resources to defend themselves at. The whole plea bargain system should be done away with. Prosecutors should use discretion in determining charges and more cases should go to trial. In the case of someone who is guilty why should they get a deal for nothing more than making it easy for the investigators and prosecution by not going to trial?
Prosecutors don't just pull random people off the street and charge them. Investigators collect evidence which they present to the prosecutor. Then the prosecutor decides if there is enough evidence to present to a grand jury / judge. It is only after the judge / jury looks at the evidence and decides that there is probable cause to believe the suspect committed the crimes that an indictment is handed down.
No, you missed a very important step in the process. Once the investigators and prosecution determine they have something to charge a defendant with they go back to the defendant and threaten them with what they have and the worst case scenario to try to scare them into cutting a deal. The investigators want it to close cases quickly which helps their career paths and the prosecutors want it because it's an easy win that also benefits their personal aspirations. These deals are cut in interrogation rooms and holding cells way before anyone gets in front of a judge to consider anything other than bail.
Also, prosecutors may not pull random people off the street and charge them but cops certainly do. Maybe you've never lived in a place like Oakland or LA where cops can and do stop and search (almost exclusively non-white) people for literally nothing more than walking down the street. I can assure you that it happens all the time. Why do you think it is so hard for people who live in these places to stay out of the system or to get out of it once they're in?
Even when you plea, it is the judge that actually determines the sentence, not the prosecutor.
By the time it goes to a judge the deal is done and the judge's signature on the plea deal is a formality. Have you ever heard of a judge ruling that the terms of a plea agrement are unreasonable or unfair and sending it back to the prosecution to come up with something better? I haven't.
I'm not comparing the actions of Sabu with Swartz and I know far less about the details of the Sabu case than I do about Swartz. I was only pointing out that the heavy handed treatment from the prosecution was pretty much the same in both cases.
Who knows, had Sabu and Swartz not been intimidated by the prosecution telling them they were going to throw them away for the rest of their lives they might have chosen different courses of action than becoming a snitch and suicide. The system sucks and until that is fixed it's hard to blame people for their actions when they are being mentally tortured by draconian prosecution tactics without any real recourse to defend themselves. This sort of thing never happens to people who have millions to defend themselves with and that simply is not equal justice under the law.
I'm a man without a country and that weighs heavy on my mind. It sucks to not be able to feel proud of where I come from anymore
Where you came from is your past. Where you came from is your family. You can still be proud of that. A country (or a nation, if you like) means nothing. It is just a political line on a map. You can not be proud of things where you have no influence. You can be satisfied or even happy that they are there, but you can not be proud of them.
You're quite right about that and thank you for reminding me.
The answer that they give is always that it does not matter, so why ask the question in the first place?
My answer would be that it does matter but, I wish it didn't.
In my experience I have only been able to form close friendships with other expat Americans that share a similar belief system and set of values as me. That has not been for lack of trying either. I have acquaintances and colleagues from all over the world and, despite being quite well traveled when I arrived, being around them has taught me more than I ever imagined about how little I know of the world and other cultures. Despite this learning, debate and exchange of ideals, which definitely is a bonding experience, if I was in trouble and needed real help the call would go out to a fellow countryman. It's something that the vast majority of expats I know also experience and agree with me on.
With all the weirdoes and sickos that come here for all the wrong reasons, like Mr. AC troll above, you become very careful and selective about who you make friends with. That may be more of an issue for Thailand than other countries but I'm in touch with a lot of expats in other countries too and it definitely is a factor everywhere. Also, people come and go a lot so one must prioritize who they put the time in with to form close friendships.
It may be possible for where you come from to not matter when you're on holiday or for casual friendships and acquaintances but when it comes to making real, long-term, friendships it does come into play.
One thing that is much better here than in the US is that never is the first question from someone you just meet, "So, what do you do?" and I'll take "Where do you come from?" over that one any day.
Thanks for your reply, I have a feeling that you're the kind of person I could be good friends with.:)
I don't blame GWB exclusively or even primarily, it was just the final straw that broke the camel's back. Clinton and congress did plenty to contribute to the state the country is in and it all started decades ago. GWB probably is my least favorite president, certainly in my lifetime, and I was just taking a jab at his dumb ass but I really did go to the computer and buy my ticket right after Peter Jennings announced he was re-elected. I had started planning to leave quite some time before that.
Yours is a good post. It's too bad you felt you had to post as AC but I think I understand why you did and don't blame you.
It's not about what the judges choose to do or what the sentencing guidelines say. It's about prosecutorial intimidation e.g. "you're going away for the rest of your life or you cooperate" which occurs way before a judge ever gets a chance to rule on sentencing.
This is why the vast majority of cases are closed with a nolo contendo (no contest) plea bargain and never even make it to trial. There is very little justice left in the US (in)justice system for the average citizen without vast resources to defend themselves.
"If he was smarter, he would have gotten a job as a banker and actually stole shit and destroyed people's lives. In that case he would be immune from prosecution." Well said AC and I could not agree with you more!
I don't like rats but also cannot condone criminal activity if that indeed happened. I don't know the full truth about that and suspect that very few people ever will.
However, here's another prime example of how the US maximizes it's leverage by amassing as many charges and counts as possible to intimidate citizens into giving up their rights and giving the government whatever they want. I cannot support the policies of my country and that is why 7-years ago I left. I bought my plane ticket the night GWB was re-elected and have been living in Thailand ever since. My tax $ will not go to support a government that uses it to maintain a world hegemony and to persecute it's citizens with heavy-handed intimidation tactics. The signs of it becoming a police state are all over the place, if it's not one already. I never imagined that when I read 1984 I would live to see the day where something like that would come to pass yet, here we are.
Obviously it's not possible to fix the system at the ballot box anymore, the corporations have rigged the system so citizens have no power or voice. The only option left is to vote with your feet and your wallet because $ is the only thing that matters anymore in the US. Many of you are able to work from anywhere in the world and make a living. Your money will go much farther in a foreign country and you will have a high standard of living and a much higher quality of life.
I recommend getting out while the getting is still good because when, not if, the shit really hits the fan other countries will not want US refugees and you'll be stuck.
I'm a man without a country and that weighs heavy on my mind. It sucks to not be able to feel proud of where I come from anymore but I have found a lot of like minded good people living here and we take comfort with each other where and when we can.
You can do a few easy things to take yourself out of the "low hanging fruit" category, listed in order of extremeness & difficulty:)
1. Diable all browser plugins. I only use Flash very occasionally on an as needed basis. There's loads of hidden Flash on sites. Very easy to do in Chrome. 2. Install an extension called DoNotTrackMe, it's free and blocks nearly all of the nasty commercial trackers. https://abine.com/dntdetail.php 3. Install another extension called HTTPS Everywhere from the good people at EFF. https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere 4. Use an app or manually manage your cookies regularly. On the Mac at home I have an app that regularly erases all the cookies and DBs web surfing leaves behind except for the ones I have marked as favorites. I have a similar app that erases other data at regular intervals such as caches, logs, etc. 5. Don't use FB and other free social sites and services e.g. Google Docs. (Use Libre, etc.) 6. Use a Robots.txt file in every directory that could ever put online. They work. 7. Use LastPass (free) which stores all your web site login data in an encrypted file which only you can access from any computer. You can use a different email address and login ID with every website you surf to then. Even if you just don't want to have to remember multiple web site logins and passes I could not imagine web life without LastPass anymore. https://lastpass.com/ 8. Use pre-paid credit cards. 9. Change your name to be the same as that of a famous actor who is the same sex and a similar in age & appearance as you. I happen to have this by luck, if you Google me you must troll through several pages of celebrity garbage to even get to results for anyone with the same name.
Do all of the above in a VM with default settings from a variety of connections and you're pretty un-trackable for all but the most sophisticated out there.
Slashdot Mirror
He may be pulling some strings from afar but his influence is waning considerably.
However, you would have to be pretty stupid not to know that the current PM was elected: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_general_election,_2011 and that this isn't exactly the government Thais want. It was the democrat party, that was in power before the election, who got there with administrative maneuvers.
Read this:
http://www.justonewayticket.com/2013/01/13/8-steps-to-freedom-how-i-quit-my-job-and-traveled-around-the-world/
And this:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/
for inspiration.
/.ers are, for the most part, introverts, and not seasoned travelers. You see all the (negative) advice here about how hard it's going to be and all the potential problems. Now go post the very same same question on forums like Couch Surfing, Ball of Dirt or Lonely Planet and watch the (positive) ideas to solve your concerns flow like a waterfall from people who travel *a lot*.
Indeed, especially here in Asia where the cost for a Western standard of living is comparatively very low. I've also been self-employed overseas for years and would never go back.
One quick bit of advice, get out of the hostel mentality now! You're not going to be crashing at a different place every night. You should be looking for accommodations that rent by the month. You can get a decent studio apartment across the street from where I live in Thailand for about $150 /mo. WiFi there is shared amongst all the residents of the building so that can be inconvenient. My 2bd, 1ba, full kitchen "duplex" costs me $230 /mo. My 14/1Mbit ADSL is $30 /mo. I started with a 6 month lease contract but could have probably got the place with no contract if I had pressed. Also, housing contracts here aren't worth the paper they are written on. If you don't leave much of a deposit or if you use it for your last months rent, a very common tactic here, you cave hardly any liability and can move anytime you want. The OP should consider themselves as a part-time resident, not a traveler, and should be looking for accommodations to match.
3G isn't everywhere in Asia yet but it is in most major cities and is expanding very rapidly. In some countries it's very well deployed. It's fast enough for work and besides cell/mobile phone tethering you can buy an "aircard" that accesses the GSM network. Then all you have to do is buy a sim card and sign up for a monthly data plan for whatever country you're in.
I've got a Kali VM and travel with a wifi nic that can run in monitor mode and do packet injection so I rarely have a problem finding an internet connection anywhere I need one these days, even when hard pressed to find a good open one. I'm a very courteous uninvited guest though, I don't mess with others' network configs nor saturate their bandwidth.
Sign up for Couch Surfing https://www.couchsurfing.org/ no so much for finding people's couches to crash on but for networking in the new country you have arrived. The expats who already live in the countries you are coming to will be more willing to help show you the ropes and how to get up on your feet in just about any country you land. Think of it as an easy way to make friends abroad that will help you integrate into the new community you're in. For example, I found out about where I live by word of mouth, it was not advertised, and that is the kind of thing people who already live where you are going can help you with.
And finally, yes, here in Asia all major malls have wifi and internet cafes or Starbucks and they will let you sit there all day long for purchasing a $3 cup of coffee and/or a $3 pastry. Don't look for public libraries here though, you won't find many / any.
Just do it and don't look back. Don't let the neckbeards here who haven't left their crypts for a month get you down. You'll have the time of your life and, if nothing else, the value of the experience itself will be immeasurable. Send me a PM / email if you want more specifics about how I made it work.
Please be sure to copy and paste your comments to PayPal's forums too.
Thread is here: https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/My-Feedback-for-PayPal/Shame-on-PayPay-for-Cheating-a-17-year-old-website-bug-finder/m-p/647249/
"the more pressure it will put on Congress to keep up with the changing legal landscape."
Congress can't even keep it's own house in order so I won't be holding my breath for any action on this issue.
Privacy is not at the forefront of any politician's agenda that I know of, unless you can find a way to make it turn a profit, and it never will be until there's a massive breech i.e. until it's already too late.
I wonder if the gun lobby will be quoting the statistic they very much like to ignore in order to sell this gun? "Reduces or eliminates the possibility of you being shot with your own gun which, as people have been telling us for quite some time now, the odds of increase substantially when you take possession of a gun. Also, it will prevent your gun from being used without your authorization."
I can see this tech introducing a lot of investigative and prosecutorial cans-of-worms too.
I couldn't agree more. I can not for the life of me understand how that man still has a job. I can not think of even one (1), not a single product that has been rolled out under his tenure that was a success. He should have been fired after Longhorn and definitely after Vista. I have no idea at this point how he is still holding on to his job.
Not for me! A simple browser extension called The Great Suspender takes care of all those tabs I leave open for months. No leaking, no CPU usage, it's great for people like me who keep too many tabs open.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/the-great-suspender/klbibkeccnjlkjkiokjodocebajanakg?hl=en
I thought it was only unlocking a phone to use it on any carrier that recently became "illegal" due to a change at the library of congress.
IIRC there was a court case or some legislative action a year or 2 ago that made it illegal for manufacturers to stop people from jailbreaking their phones.
How is Apple geting around this, assuming I'm not misinformed? If they are just "fixing bugs" they should have the "Allow apps from anywhere" option that sFurbo mentioned above long ago!
This is written on a MacBook but I have less love for Apple every day. It's like an old marriage that's jumped the shark.
Try one of those 'Jedi Mind Melds" before you go. Could save you a lot of time explaining things the old fashioned way. :-)
We're people and we suck. The only thing that matters is what this employer can do for you when you finish working there.
Are they going to be an asset for networking or as a reference? Are they going to get you more work by recommending you? Are they going to be bringing you back for more work?
Your answers to these questions will dictate how much time you should spend supporting the new hire.
It's just business.
I hope everyone is signing the White House petitions to fire these 2 prosecutors for overreach in this case.
Petition for Carmen Ortiz: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-united-states-district-attorney-carmen-ortiz-office-overreach-case-aaron-swartz/RQNrG1Ck
Petition for Steve Heymann: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/fire-assistant-us-attorney-steve-heymann/RJKSY2nb
I know, I don't have a lot of faith in this petition system but, I'm hopeful that enough people will keep making noise on this one that some action will actually be taken. With this latest development that politics at least played a role in Aaron's persecution they should be jailed for bullying but we all know prosecutors don't go to jail so at least they should be fired and disgraced. Imagine if people don't make enough noise, nothing is done, and in 5 or 10 years these jerks are sitting on the bench as Federal Judges!
Couldn't care less about being "modded up" so no problem here.
No, wrong!
Thats why you have a lawyer that explains to you how things work. Most people plea because they are actually guilty and realize that it is in their best interest to do so.
Plenty of people have pled to charges they are innocent of or to charges that are harsher than they deserve because they fear a much more unreasonably harsh outcome of a trial that they don't have the resources to defend themselves at. The whole plea bargain system should be done away with. Prosecutors should use discretion in determining charges and more cases should go to trial. In the case of someone who is guilty why should they get a deal for nothing more than making it easy for the investigators and prosecution by not going to trial?
Prosecutors don't just pull random people off the street and charge them. Investigators collect evidence which they present to the prosecutor. Then the prosecutor decides if there is enough evidence to present to a grand jury / judge. It is only after the judge / jury looks at the evidence and decides that there is probable cause to believe the suspect committed the crimes that an indictment is handed down.
No, you missed a very important step in the process. Once the investigators and prosecution determine they have something to charge a defendant with they go back to the defendant and threaten them with what they have and the worst case scenario to try to scare them into cutting a deal. The investigators want it to close cases quickly which helps their career paths and the prosecutors want it because it's an easy win that also benefits their personal aspirations. These deals are cut in interrogation rooms and holding cells way before anyone gets in front of a judge to consider anything other than bail.
Also, prosecutors may not pull random people off the street and charge them but cops certainly do. Maybe you've never lived in a place like Oakland or LA where cops can and do stop and search (almost exclusively non-white) people for literally nothing more than walking down the street. I can assure you that it happens all the time. Why do you think it is so hard for people who live in these places to stay out of the system or to get out of it once they're in?
Even when you plea, it is the judge that actually determines the sentence, not the prosecutor.
By the time it goes to a judge the deal is done and the judge's signature on the plea deal is a formality. Have you ever heard of a judge ruling that the terms of a plea agrement are unreasonable or unfair and sending it back to the prosecution to come up with something better? I haven't.
I wish I had mod points for you. +1
I'm not comparing the actions of Sabu with Swartz and I know far less about the details of the Sabu case than I do about Swartz. I was only pointing out that the heavy handed treatment from the prosecution was pretty much the same in both cases.
Who knows, had Sabu and Swartz not been intimidated by the prosecution telling them they were going to throw them away for the rest of their lives they might have chosen different courses of action than becoming a snitch and suicide. The system sucks and until that is fixed it's hard to blame people for their actions when they are being mentally tortured by draconian prosecution tactics without any real recourse to defend themselves. This sort of thing never happens to people who have millions to defend themselves with and that simply is not equal justice under the law.
Where you came from is your past. Where you came from is your family. You can still be proud of that.
A country (or a nation, if you like) means nothing. It is just a political line on a map.
You can not be proud of things where you have no influence. You can be satisfied or even happy that they are there, but you can not be proud of them.
You're quite right about that and thank you for reminding me.
The answer that they give is always that it does not matter, so why ask the question in the first place?
My answer would be that it does matter but, I wish it didn't.
In my experience I have only been able to form close friendships with other expat Americans that share a similar belief system and set of values as me. That has not been for lack of trying either. I have acquaintances and colleagues from all over the world and, despite being quite well traveled when I arrived, being around them has taught me more than I ever imagined about how little I know of the world and other cultures. Despite this learning, debate and exchange of ideals, which definitely is a bonding experience, if I was in trouble and needed real help the call would go out to a fellow countryman. It's something that the vast majority of expats I know also experience and agree with me on.
With all the weirdoes and sickos that come here for all the wrong reasons, like Mr. AC troll above, you become very careful and selective about who you make friends with. That may be more of an issue for Thailand than other countries but I'm in touch with a lot of expats in other countries too and it definitely is a factor everywhere. Also, people come and go a lot so one must prioritize who they put the time in with to form close friendships.
It may be possible for where you come from to not matter when you're on holiday or for casual friendships and acquaintances but when it comes to making real, long-term, friendships it does come into play.
One thing that is much better here than in the US is that never is the first question from someone you just meet, "So, what do you do?" and I'll take "Where do you come from?" over that one any day.
Thanks for your reply, I have a feeling that you're the kind of person I could be good friends with. :)
I don't blame GWB exclusively or even primarily, it was just the final straw that broke the camel's back. Clinton and congress did plenty to contribute to the state the country is in and it all started decades ago. GWB probably is my least favorite president, certainly in my lifetime, and I was just taking a jab at his dumb ass but I really did go to the computer and buy my ticket right after Peter Jennings announced he was re-elected. I had started planning to leave quite some time before that.
Yours is a good post. It's too bad you felt you had to post as AC but I think I understand why you did and don't blame you.
It's not about what the judges choose to do or what the sentencing guidelines say. It's about prosecutorial intimidation e.g. "you're going away for the rest of your life or you cooperate" which occurs way before a judge ever gets a chance to rule on sentencing.
This is why the vast majority of cases are closed with a nolo contendo (no contest) plea bargain and never even make it to trial. There is very little justice left in the US (in)justice system for the average citizen without vast resources to defend themselves.
"If he was smarter, he would have gotten a job as a banker and actually stole shit and destroyed people's lives. In that case he would be immune from prosecution."
Well said AC and I could not agree with you more!
I don't like rats but also cannot condone criminal activity if that indeed happened. I don't know the full truth about that and suspect that very few people ever will.
However, here's another prime example of how the US maximizes it's leverage by amassing as many charges and counts as possible to intimidate citizens into giving up their rights and giving the government whatever they want. I cannot support the policies of my country and that is why 7-years ago I left. I bought my plane ticket the night GWB was re-elected and have been living in Thailand ever since. My tax $ will not go to support a government that uses it to maintain a world hegemony and to persecute it's citizens with heavy-handed intimidation tactics. The signs of it becoming a police state are all over the place, if it's not one already. I never imagined that when I read 1984 I would live to see the day where something like that would come to pass yet, here we are.
Obviously it's not possible to fix the system at the ballot box anymore, the corporations have rigged the system so citizens have no power or voice. The only option left is to vote with your feet and your wallet because $ is the only thing that matters anymore in the US. Many of you are able to work from anywhere in the world and make a living. Your money will go much farther in a foreign country and you will have a high standard of living and a much higher quality of life.
I recommend getting out while the getting is still good because when, not if, the shit really hits the fan other countries will not want US refugees and you'll be stuck.
I'm a man without a country and that weighs heavy on my mind. It sucks to not be able to feel proud of where I come from anymore but I have found a lot of like minded good people living here and we take comfort with each other where and when we can.
...to the bottom.
I don't know why the parent isn't modded higher.
You can do a few easy things to take yourself out of the "low hanging fruit" category, listed in order of extremeness & difficulty :)
1. Diable all browser plugins. I only use Flash very occasionally on an as needed basis. There's loads of hidden Flash on sites. Very easy to do in Chrome.
2. Install an extension called DoNotTrackMe, it's free and blocks nearly all of the nasty commercial trackers. https://abine.com/dntdetail.php
3. Install another extension called HTTPS Everywhere from the good people at EFF. https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
4. Use an app or manually manage your cookies regularly. On the Mac at home I have an app that regularly erases all the cookies and DBs web surfing leaves behind except for the ones I have marked as favorites. I have a similar app that erases other data at regular intervals such as caches, logs, etc.
5. Don't use FB and other free social sites and services e.g. Google Docs. (Use Libre, etc.)
6. Use a Robots.txt file in every directory that could ever put online. They work.
7. Use LastPass (free) which stores all your web site login data in an encrypted file which only you can access from any computer. You can use a different email address and login ID with every website you surf to then.
Even if you just don't want to have to remember multiple web site logins and passes I could not imagine web life without LastPass anymore. https://lastpass.com/
8. Use pre-paid credit cards.
9. Change your name to be the same as that of a famous actor who is the same sex and a similar in age & appearance as you. I happen to have this by luck, if you Google me you must troll through several pages of celebrity garbage to even get to results for anyone with the same name.
Do all of the above in a VM with default settings from a variety of connections and you're pretty un-trackable for all but the most sophisticated out there.
No, you just fell for an AC that was trolling you.
You're the AC trolling but your bait is rancid.
Actually it doesn't. Notice the date: "November 27, 2007"
I assume his illnesses had progressed over the 5 years since he wrote the blog.