http://packet-media.com/2011/01/13/mary-sue-shields-letter-to-the-editor/

Shields was found guilty of first degree murder for having defended herself from a drunken assilant on the dancefloor at a Columbus city jukejoint on a New Yeras Eve night.

Dr. Haynes testified for the prosecution, claiming that the stress from the barfight caused his heart attack, while admitting that the “victim” suffered from heart disease. The only “wepon” used in the barfight was a broken barstool leg.

Mighty white of them.

I have no problem with the leaking of the Climategate emails. I would also have no problem if the people who had sent them had erased them, and there was nothing there. The real issue that I have with the Climategate nitwits is that they are supposed to be scientists, and as such they are supposed to be willing to share raw data, so that others can check their work, and they have consistently stonewalled.

Everybody else; you have good points. I think, on reflection, that you are probably right, and my gut reaction was wrong. I still have doubts about the kind of people who are willing to work in that kind of fishbowl, but then I’m 50, and my parents were even older than that would suggest, since they were in their mid 30′s when I was born. I didn’t grow up with email, and probably consider it more ephemeral than it really is. I was raised by people accustomed to far more privacy from prying fools than we enjoy today. And, of course, if the emails are open for examination by upright sensible people, they are also open for examination by fools.

I still think that the public purse will be less hard hit by the deletion of the emails (if it cost just $100,000) than by a media feeding frenzy over undeleted emails, but that’s probably a price we should pay.

If, and I say *IF*, deleting the emails was legal (which, from what I’ve read on this story isn’t settled), though, I think that what the deletion proves is that Romney isn’t an idiot.

As pointed out in #36, there is no expectation of privacy regarding email communications. Your “bug” analogy isn’t the same as long as you mean the bugging is a covert act, and thus you would have an expectation of privacy regarding audio (or visual) communications.

Private companies and public institutions usually have logon disclaimers designating the email policy (as well as other policies regarding use of their computers). They might also have courses and HR orientation regarding such use. FOIA requests have become so prevalent that most everyone should know by now that their email communications offer no guarantee of privacy. Romney certainly knew this, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to the lengths he did to delete the emails. I don’t necessarily have a problem with Romney buying the hard drives (other than using public funds); however, I have a huge problem with deleting the emails off the servers. I wonder if he was thorough enough and deleted any backups.

As #15 said, maintaining a record of past emails is for purposes other than a fishing expedition by opponents. For all we know, they could contain evidence that could be used to exonerate an individual x number of years from now, and have nothing to do with Team Red/Blue politics.

Even if Romney had mostly libertarian views, I doubt I could vote for someone who does this kind of crap. Mike Huckabee did the same thing.

…

Sigh. Prices advertised to consumers in shops should include *all* relevant taxes (Sure, the internet means you can’t really do that there with your tax system).

It’s well established that an employer has every right to read the work emails of their employees. This should be no different, as they are supposed to work for us.

Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillippa Boyens have a new documentary about the West Memphis Three coming.

They also funded the DNA testing for the three men.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52167

So I take it you’re opposed to all of the leaks related to Climategate?

I’m not absolutely convinced I’m in the right here. Convince me that I’m not.

“We have met the enemy, and they are us.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/program-1033-military-equipment-police-2011-12#ixzz1fgCE0oI1

Penalty for government officials convicted of corruption = LOL…also “none” but it can be awkward at the club.

They’ll keep deleting records.

Relatively certain that Ron Paul might be tied only because nobody has any idea what specifically he’s recommending in terms of policy.

Weird. Ron Paul is the only one who’s policy I know.

Confirmation bias, ladies and gents.