Leave your almanac at home.

[Dough]

Well, a sign of the times...[:(]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=1&u=/ap/20031230/ap_on_re_us/fbi_almanacs

QUOTE: It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways.

QUOTE: The FBI noted that use of almanacs or maps may be innocent, "the product of legitimate recreational or commercial activities." But it warned that when combined with suspicious behavior — such as apparent surveillance — a person with an almanac "may point to possible terrorist planning."

QUOTE: It said this information is often accompanied by photographs and maps.

[locomutt]

Well, I guess the next time I go out, I'll leave the BIBLE and road maps
out of the car. Oh, yeah forgot the Almanac too.
I wanted to know how much snow Denver got last year,
L.A. how much rain,N.Y.C. how much whatever.

Are any of you all Dale Brown fans?
Read StormingHeaven! This (if you keep an open mind)
should say what we are in for.

Enough said. I THINK IT IS LUDICROUS!
I did read the WEB posts this time also.

locomutt

[RudyRockvilleMD]

I guess I'll leave my De Lorme maps, any trackside guides, and Amtrak or MARC railroad schedules at home when I go out railfanning for fear of raising suspicion. Oh yes, publishers should recall trackside guides, and they might even refuse to publish articles describing good sites for watching or photographing trains including directions for reaching them.

[tree68]

Let's see, my truck currently contains a copy of the Emergency Response Guide (for hazmat incidents), the Feds Chem-Bio terrorism response handbook, roadmaps for this and an adjoining county, and for several states. How suspicious is that?

On a couple of recent road trips I was carrying scanners, frequency lists, trackside guides, and other railroad and emergency services reference materials. In fact, I always carry that stuff when I travel, driving or flying.

By the way. I hold a US security clearance, and a Michigan mobile scanner permit, issued by the MSP. I'm also a fire chief and an advanced EMT. Of course, my name isn't Arabic, and I don't think I look the part. Then again...

The bottom line of terrorism is hitting 'em where they aren't looking. There are so many sources of information out there that all we can hope is that the bad guys will somehow telegraph their intentions. But was that me, or a terrorist, that looked up the schedules for train trips to an east coast destination the other day?

Of course, I'll probably have a visit by the FBI in the next few days, too.

[Dough]

Yeah, I just bid on a bunch of rail maps on ebay. Then I read that article. I guess that I should be expecting the FBI any day now...[;)]

[Anonymous]

Does this mean I can't make sketches of the local rail line?

[JoeKoh]

Man
i have all kinds of maps for the state and county and marked where crossovers and yards are? I also have extra film batteries and binoculars. If the cops come I'll ask if they want some doritos or gummi snacks we keep for my helper matt.
stay safe
Joe

[zardoz]

This is so depressing.

We have become a nation of paranoid, flag-waving, lets-snitch-on-everyone--because-fox-news-and-tom-ridge-told-me-immenent-death-is-certain-and-only-homeland-security-can-save-me--overrreacting droids. Since one of the goals of terrorists is to disrupt a political and social system through TERROR, it would seem that the terrorists have actually won.

United States of America: what a great place it used to be! (and hopefully will be again)



p.s.-i had to edit this to remove the more 'controversial' comments i had originally wrote.

[Modelcar]

.....Especially the Fox news part.

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz

This is so depressing.

We have become a nation of paranoid, flag-waving, lets-snitch-on-everyone--because-fox-news-and-tom-ridge-told-me-immenent-death-is-certain-and-only-homeland-security-can-save-me--overrreacting droids. Since one of the goals of terrorists is to disrupt a political and social system through TERROR, it would seem that the terrorists have actually won.

United States of America: what a great place it used to be! (and hopefully will be again)

Hear, hear!

[cherokee woman]

[?]Well guys, are we all going to be on the FBI's Most Wanted List, just for talking about this[?]
Zardoz, I believe you are very correct in what you're saying. We are becoming very paranoid[#oops]
I guess we really shouldn't be this way, even though it seems this is the way our fair country is fighting terrorism[:(][V]
[C):-)] Enough already, now to get off the [soapbox]

locomutt[:-^]

[cherokee woman]

We may be on MY screen, but I just typed for locomutt on this one.[8)]

At least we share the same opinions on this. [soapbox]

locomutt wife[#wstupid]

[cherokee woman]

THIS IS FROM LOCOMUTT HIMSELF:

[soapbox] [censored]

locomutt [*^_^*]

[mudchicken]

When you two take that romantic weekend trip to see Gibson City, IL out there in Amish country, the locals wiil single you two out as being a little "different"......

[Willy2]

Well, I guess taking my Time For Kids Almanac to the train tracks or anywhere else is out of the question. All of the people who would mean no harm have to be ruined by those who do mean harm. On top of that the railroads have high security so it would be double trouble. Not only an Almanac, but reading it next to the railroad tracks.

[locomutt]

[yeah] Oh well! We're so in love, we have been married 16 years: 17th annivrsary is coming up 2/7/04. She puts up more with me than me putting up with her![2c]

[?] by the way, what do you mean "a little different"[?]

She's only 4'7": how does that compare with little[?] oh yeah: I'm 5'10", but good things come in SMALL packages!!!!!!!![censored]

locomutt [swg][2c] [sigh]

[Anonymous]

Do you two take turns or something? at least one post each in the same hour on the same topic, now thats a relationship!

[ironhorseman]

This is NUTS! This whole idea is NUTS! If they're gonna stop people for carrying almancs why stop there? The bookstore are responcible for selling them! The publishers are responicble for printing them! The researchers are responcible for putting them together!

I say we imprison the researchers, close down the publishers, and burn all the maps and almancs. The public doesn't have a right to possess such items. They can't handle it. They'll do something drastic with this information. Let's burn all the books all things that have to do with learning and knowledge. That way no one can use knowledge to harm others. Then let's burn all the books that have to do with expression of ideas and thoughts. That only encourages dangerous behavior. Then we limit the amount of news we recieve because bad news is too upsetting. We can give this job to CNN. They did a good job up covering up the truth in Iraq. They knew of the atrocities there. They saw Saddams weapons. They fail to report the progress in Iraq. We can let them control our minds.

LET'S BE RESONABLE PEOPLE!
If any officer wants to stop we for carrying an almanac or a map because that's suspicious behavior I'd say he's gonna have to define suspicous behavior and he's gonna have to do it before a judge or magistrate. If I'm to be detained against my free will the officer will have to face me court. If I'm arrested because they think I'm suspicious I'll sue them for false arrest. If they want to prosecute me I'll sue them for false prosecution.

We, as American citizens, have certain unalienable Constituional rights, and no matter how hard the Supreme Court and other lower courts try to take those rights away I won't stand for it.

[tree68]

QUOTE: We, as American citizens, have certain unalienable Constituional rights, and no matter how hard the Supreme Court and other lower courts try to take those rights away I won't stand for it.

Unfortunately, there are people in high places who feel that your rights threaten what they stand for (or, they say, national security), and would like very much to take those rights away. Off [soapbox]

[tree68]

QUOTE: We, as American citizens, have certain unalienable Constituional rights, and no matter how hard the Supreme Court and other lower courts try to take those rights away I won't stand for it.

Unfortunately, there are people in high places who feel that your rights threaten what they stand for (or, they say, national security), and would like very much to take those rights away. You won't see them trying to rewrite the constitution, but they will try very hard to chisel off the edges... Off [soapbox]

[Anonymous]

I think we've certainly crossed over the line where common sense ends and paranoia begins. About the only way to ensure that no one might be a terrorist would be to have everyone stay home and never leave. I don't think we're too far off from that.

[dharmon]

I'm a big fan of the constitution and America. I believe in the system we have here. You got to understand though, that the folks coming up with these ideas, good or bad, are doing so out of a sometimes rabid attempt to end bad things from happening on our soil. They require tempering and oversight as much as anyone though. No one wants to recreate the USSR here.
So I'll say it again and again. They only way you're gonna change things is to vote. And hopefully there's enough folks who vote the same way as you. But going back to your high school civics classes, there is a social contract....you give up some freedoms to be part of a state, and in return the state has obligations to you. Tito held the Balkans in a tight grasp.....not a lot of rights, but there wasn't much terrorism either. Post Tito didn't have alot of policing, but you weren't real safe either........it's a balance, you, I, we, have to help find it....