Brent’s Thoughts

Thats right baby!!! They finally upgraded the CO in Smiths Grove and I am getting DSL.

It should be on by tomorrow assuming everything goes correctly. They have pretty decent deal for the first year. First month is free, next 12 are 34.95, free modem with a year contract. After that it jumps up to 49.95 a month which kinda sucks, but that is a year away and I can figure out what to do then.

Hopefully, this will mean that you might be able to call my house now. Also with the way I have it setup it will allow everyone to be on the net at the same time, with the laptop and everything. I can’t wait. It will be like living in the 21st century. To bad I am only 4 years late to get there.

Update: 09 Apr 2004

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

So the guy checked the line today and we are 3.1 miles from the CO. Standard Distance that they can get the signal out to is 3 miles. They are going to check it and see if they can cut out some of the extra distance, but I don’t think it is going to happen. This is the exact same crap that happened to Maxx when he moved. ARGGGGGGGH!!!!!

Update: 15 Apr 2004

WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Finally it is up and working. Ah…. I love it.

In incredible news breaking in the US over the weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has made an application to the Federal Communications Commission requesting easy access to all forms of Internet communication, including Microsoft�s Xbox Live and online PlayStation 2 servers.

If the request is granted, all US-based Internet Service Providers will have to make radical changes to their systems in order to accommodate a backdoor listening post for FBI agents.

The request includes all forms of digital online communication, from instant messenger services to voiceover IP communications, and mentions gaming services such as Xbox Live.

“The importance and the urgency of this task cannot be overstated,” says the proposal, which is co-sponsored by both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration. “The ability of federal, state and local law enforcement to carry out critical electronic surveillance is being compromised today.”

However, this raises the point of how many arrests per day would come from tapping into the Microsoft gaming service. The constant stream of abuse, coupled with the endless threats of violent reprisals, may be too much for the US law agency to handle. Is it illegal to threaten the safety of someone’s family over the outcome of a Project Gotham 2 race?

We�ll find out soon enough…

http://spong.com/x?art=6442

Can’t find a link to a more mainstream outlet, but I would like to comment on this a bit.

Is anyone going to stop this stuff? I mean seriously, how far does the goverment have to go, before people as a whole are going to realize that they are taking away our freedom? What has to happen before some people stand up and say, “Hey what the hell are you doing reading all my conversations with everyone?”

Public safety is one thing, but it seems that after Sept. 11 they have really went out of control. Immediately after it they were power snatching, but at least they were doing it in the daylight, now they are doing it and no one is even reporting it.

Then you have stuff like this http://www.echelonwatch.org/ Where Australia has admitted it exists and that the US is in it, but the US won’t. Could be overhyped theory sure, but what if it isn’t? What if it is overhyped like the stealth figher/bomber rumors were overhyped?

Sorry but not in a good way. Listen to the audio of this interview and report from npr news.

http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1812503.html

The quote I am talking about is from Sharon and goes like this, “Anyone who kills Jews deserves death…… this is the way the U.S. acts and this is how Israel should act. Israel is a sovereign state and doesn’t need anyone’s authorization.”

WOW. Shocked

Amazing. He is pretty much just calling us out on that one I think. As a comedian said, “If you kill someone in Texas, we’ll kill you back. Its our policy.”

Well it appears that Bush has not only made that the US policy, but is also setting an example that will let the world make it theirs as well.

I know Mike said something about being a iTunes member and I know some of you other people mess around with these things sometimes, so has anyone ever seen this site?

http://www.allofmp3.com

They offer music downloads of whatever bitrate you want for 1 cent per megabyte. That doesn’t really seem that bad, especially when you compare it to iTunes. For the price of 1 song in iTunes you could get the entire Pink Floyd: The Wall album at medium quality.

That seems like a pretty good deal to me. What is the downside?