While it would be nice to see them get hit with a fine, aren't there laws on the books making it a criminal act to spoof traffic in this way? Of course, laws like that never seem to end up applying to corporations; look at the Sony rootkit fiasco for plain evidence of that. Civil penatlties are nice, but if we have laws criminalizing individuals for the same acts these companies are performing, they should be applied. I have always thought that executives will think nothing of paying a fine, but will think twice about spending time in jail.

That's crazy talk! Our Congress would never even consider such a thing! You, sir, have insulted America.

When you add up the hookers and the toe-tappin' gay bathroom sex OF COURSE Republicans end up having sex more often than Democrats! Interesting about the number of Republicans that would sleep with an old married white guy though.

I keep hoping that Netflix will extend their client support out to the Xbox 360, since I already have one hooked up to my TV, and Reed Hastings is on the MS board of Directors. Please, please, please, please. How hard could it be?

Also, we must change the menus in our restaurants to remove the vile pork and shellfish that so offends the living God! Remember, it's easier to take bacon wrapped shrimp off the Outback menu that it is to change our peculiar desire to have a big daddy in the sky tell us what to do!

"So what explains...all of those "Girls Gone Wild" videos?"

Alcohol, high pressure techniques employed by the producers and the apparently irresistible pull of a free t-shirt.

Huckabee really doesn't get that the story of the Loaves and fishes isn't about God making the food multiply and go around, it's about Jesus getting the crowd to share what they had - those with more food sharing with those with none. It's actually a story about the re-distribution of wealth and resources for the good of all. You know, sort like those commie socialist democrats what to do with their progressive taxes that take from the rich and do crazy shit like feeding the poor.

Your IP address is plainly not private, any more than your network cards MAC address is. So plainly this is not information that can be considered private in any way.

It's also not really personal, in that for 90% of individuals it is subject to change at any moment, without any notice or without the user even noticing it. It's not your home address and it's not your phone number.

The issue here is not whether it's personal information or not, it's what business should be allowede to do with IP addresses that are exposed to them, and how they are allowed to link it to other, potentially personal data that may be disclosed to them in the transaction that revealed the IP address. The thing here is not about IP addresses, it's what kind of restrictions should there be on companies combinging public and private data to create profiles...and that SHOULD be heavily regulated.

I meant to make that point, but I got distracted by work. Very, very good point - the problem with cookies is much greater.

JC was not above occasionally getting nuts with a whip. Now, it's unclear if he actually beats any people with it, or if he only uses it to drive the livestock out from the temple courtyard, but he definately had a temper. Mitt Romney is also exactly the kind of guy that would have been in the temple changing money, so yeah, I am pretty sure there is a good chance that JC might pop him one it mouth.

You know, if Jesus wasn't totally made up.

I will miss Kucinich's presence in the race, since I agree with him on just about every issue (which explains why he can never be elected), but I understand that he must return to guarding his pot of gold and/or Lucky Charms.

"The elder McCain suggested that the not-quite-as-elder McCain deserves the support of Republicans because he "worked like a dog" to get George W. Bush re-elected."

This is exactly why he should not be elected. It's bad enough that he supported Bush, but to become his lapdog after the underhanded crap that the Bush campaign pulled in 2000 completely strips McCain of what little respect anyone should accord him. It shows a distinct lack of character to have a bully walk all over you, then tell everyone how great he is.

I would be asking for citations.

Brilliance? What examples can be provided that Obama is brilliant? I am assuming that this supposed the be the "intelligence" meaning as opposed to the "being very bright, like a light" meaning.

I am not trying to impugn Obama's intelligence, I just haven't seen any evidence that he, or anyone one else in the race, is "brilliant". "Smart", sure - they all are on the Dem side - but not "brilliant".

Only read the first one, Dreams From My Father, and only about two years ago. Haven't read the second one (there are only two, I think)

I think that he has a very interesting story, to tell, tells it competently, and has some interesting thoughts on what it means, but it's not "brilliant", sorry. Neither is "It Takes a Village". I haven't read "Four Trials", which is odd since I am an Edwards supporter, but I am betting that it's good, not brilliant.

Let's reserve words like brilliant for things that truly are extraordinary rather than applying them to anything that has us excited at the moment. I'm tired of seeing words like "brilliant", "genius", and "hero" get devalued to the point of meaninglessness.

I don't know if I will be able to bring myself to read Politico though...

Hopefully, as others have aid, you will be able to raise the tone and increase their accuracy.