A fifth estate has a seat at Brussels

Yesterday I took the day offline and took in the movie "The Fifth Estate"; today I get earfuls and eyefuls of foreigner outrage at the NSA.  Yesterday, it was earfuls of House outrage at some violation of privacy committed by healthcare.gov after which followed the privacy issues of former NSA op, Michael Hayden.  Yeah, like none of us have ever overheard phone calls seemingly yelled out in public, ever.  If you want privacy, stick to landline.  FACT: nobody who makes calls in a public area cares if they've got privacy.  When you are on a cell phone, you are broadcasting, both ways--to your surroundings, and over the air, over the wireless.  Duh.

Angela Merkel, this post entitles you to one well-earned facepalm.

Everybody else that spent tax dollars flying to Brussels to discuss the outrage of broadcast phonecalls now gets to do their own facepalms.  D'OH!

So--about WikiLeaks, about Snowden...they both now have greater credibility among the European powers than the U.S. does, among world leaders, no matter how officially denigrated they are.  Interesting.

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Oh, I almost forgot to mention that on my way back from the movies, I thought I'd drop in on Betsy Ross for a spot of tea.  She offered scones, and I mentioned that I'd prefer Jelly Babies, and then, seamstress that she is, managed the chit-chat to eventually be about a certain scarf of a certain Gallifreyan Doctor.  Scarf?  The Shada Scarf, of course, and one couldn't tell he was from Gallifrey because of his wicked British accent.

Well, that did it. She got out her needles and commenced an American version.  So, you see, folks, the lady with the magic for threads turned out to be quite the witty little knitter her own bad self.  And I do believe that blue field is TARDIS Blue.

My country 'tis of thee

Sweet land of liberty

God save the bloody queen.