For all practical purposes, and despite the fact that he was a mass-murdering religious fanatic (religious fanatics are always the worst. Hipster come in at a close #2 and conservative republicans round out the Top 3), Osama Bin Laden was helpfull to the United States. As long as he was out there, it was very easy to justify being at war. He represented some token, almost like a golden nugget, for the military, and the government, to look for.

No doubt his assasination is significant: it provides some sort of closure or sense of justice for millions of Americans. It is going to weaken Al-Qaeda over time. But it also brings forth the possibility of severe retaliation and revenge from radical elements, and these should not be underestimated. Attacks are likely to be concentrated against American targets, though intel shows that several western European nations are also possible destinations for destruction.

Bin Laden is dead

What can be said?

You are not allowed to ask me about this

Clicky

Frustration is the word

And that's really all I'm gonna tell you.

There's someone in my head

but it's not me. In the casa de the house, today is cleaning day. So vacuum, mop and scrub to make it clean for easter. All that you touch, and all that you see. And Pink Floyd/other good music in between. 2 weeks until the season gets going!

Benjamin Franklin

By the power of my education and interests, I should comment on Libya, Yemen, all the unrest down there, and the budget problems in America. But today we are talking about Datalagringsdirektivet. I'm not gonna get into the details of the document itself, but it provides the government, or any agency under their control, with the opportunity to collect and store information about ordinary people's use and habits concerning computers and phones.

From a democratic perspective it looks like a blatant violation of the right to privacy. The government can track all your movements online and through this they can access the information should you be under investigation on charges of say, terrorism. The pretense here is that this will improve national security, and from a realistic standpoint this might very well be the case. However, by implementing directives such as this, they are practically removing layers of security from our everyday lives. The good $100 once said: "Those who choose security over freedom deserves neither." I believe our government is in violation of that.

The Loss of a Diva

Wenche Foss passed away today, after arguably one of the most celebrated life's a Norwegian celebrity has ever had. A classical diva and a woman that still reminds me of my grandmother, we wish her a safe passage into the next life.

The queen is dead. Long live the queen.