Ten years on from 9/11there is at least one bit of positive news from a new Pew research poll on civil liberties. The percentage of Americans that feel they need to sacrifice their freedoms for security has continued to decline and now sits at just 40%. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, that number hit a high of 55% and has dropped steadily ever since which is to be expected.

Of course that is why politicians on both sides of the aisle (but especially the right) have continued to play up the fear factor in hopes of garnering support for oppressive surveillance, detention and torture practices.

Unfortunately having 40% of Americans willing to voluntarily sacrifice the same freedoms that these laws are purportedly meant to protect is still way too high. It's high time to educate people about the importance of the bill of rights and what it really means to everyone. Maybe then we will get a movement toward repealing the PATRIOT act.

Hey, a guy can dream right?

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Glenn Greenwald: Public opinion surprises
A new Pew poll contains some unexpected findings about how Americans view Terrorism and their rights

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ConAgra recently demonstrated conclusively that if you are going to use social media in your marketing and PR efforts, authenticity is a key ingredient. The processed food and agri-business company invited a group of bloggers to a dinner at a purported "pop-up restaurant" in New York with chef George Duran.

Unfortunately someone at ConAgra's PR agency Ketchum was a bit too clever and ignored the authenticity rule. The bloggers were served re-heated frozen dishes from a Marie Callendar's line. Unlike many "traditional journalists," bloggers are often far less averse to calling bullshit to company PR efforts, especially when they feel they have been misled.

When it became clear that Duran had not actually prepared the main courses, the bloggers did not take the whole stunt well. There is nothing wrong with taking non-traditional approaches to promoting new products. When done well, surprising the right audience with something unexpected, it can work very well and generate some great buzz.

When done badly as Ketchum did, the results can be decidedly negative. When social media writers feel like they have been scammed, they will tell the world and make you look foolish.

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When Bloggers Don’t Follow the Script, to ConAgra’s Chagrin
An exclusive meal for food lovers turned out to be a frozen-food switch — but the marketing strategy backfired.

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Government security theater is in high gear ahead of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Unfortunately the emphasis still seems to be on the theater aspect. First of all why are customs officials even questioning passengers on a domestic flight? More importantly what exactly is the point of questioning passengers coming OFF a flight that landed without incident? These are the sort of questions that if asked at all should be happening before people get on a plane not when they get off.

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Um, Shouldn't You Have Asked Me These Questions Before I Got on the Plane? – Dallas News – Unfair Park
?Got home from the airport last night just in time to see Channel 8's piece on how Dallas PD and…

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I know that there are still some diehard Saab fans out there but frankly it's time to just stick a fork in the brand. Saab has not turned a profit since the 1980s and frankly there has never been anything that compelling about the brand. It's too quirky to appeal to a mass audience but not special enough (like a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Aston Martin) to command really premium prices. That means that without a major brand like VW behind it to provide platform engineering resources, it can't possibly generate enough revenue to develop modern cars.

Unless a major automaker is prepared to step up and support Saab right now, it's just throwing more good money after bad.

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Saab Reportedly Seeking Court Protection | TheDetroitBureau.com
With the walls ready to come tumbling down, it appears Swedish automaker Saab is ready to file for court protection hoping to keep its doors from closing. As TheDetroitBureau.com reports, Saab has als…

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As usual the Onion nails it again with the real inside scoop about the post Steve Jobs Apple.

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New Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm Thinking Printers'
SAN FRANCISCO—Following the resignation of Apple founder Steve Jobs, incoming CEO Tim Cook called a meeting of shareholders and members of the press Thursday morning to announce that he envisioned pri…

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Phil from Android Central takes a look at Chevy's new MyLink infotainment system that's coming to the Volt, Equinox and Malibu in the coming months with more to follow soon after.

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AC on the Road: A couple days with GM, Chevy MyLink and a wealth of Android potential | Android Central
Chevy MyLink Image courtesy of General Motors and Wieck Media Services General Motors wants you to use your phone in the car. No, really. And it's got a way for you to do so more easily. With the ad…

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"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

That single sentence from Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. constitution has enabled so many creators and inventors over the past 200+ years to earn a living from their creations. Unfortunately the patent and copyright laws that arise from that clause are no longer benefiting the progress of science and useful arts.

Big corporations and "non-practicing entitities" (aka patent trolls) now abuse both copyright and patents to line their pockets at the expense of society without adding anything useful.

In just the past few weeks Google, Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, RIM and others have spent $17 billion to acquire portfolios of thousands of patents that will be used to either beat up on competitors or defend against such lawsuits.

What that $17 billion won't do is create a single useful job aside from the lawyers that perpetuate this travesty. That's one hell of a tax on productivity and innovation. We deserve better.

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TechCrunch | The Terrible Cost Of Patents
The cost of patents is going up, and that is not a good thing. After all, Google is paying $12.5 billion for Motorola largely for its huge mobile patent portfolio. In July, an anti-Google consortium…

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India ranks in the middle of the pack for corruption sandwiched between the likes of China and Colombia one side and Egypt and Mexico on the other. While the United States does much better on the Transparency International index of 178 nations, ranked 22, it could be much better.

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results

Reshared post from +Jeff Jarvis

India's culture of bribery and petty corruption explained by the Guardian in light of Anna Hazare's protest against it.

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Corruption in India: 'All your life you pay for things that should be free'
As Anna Hazare leaves prison to continue his protest, residents in Delhi explain how bribery forms part of everyday life

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It should come as no surprise to anyone that the hypocrisy of the US government extends to "freedom." While the US has always espoused freedom here and abroad, it has long propped up dictators around the world including Mubarak, Suharto, the Saudi Royals, Ferdinand Marcos and so many others.

Even here on home ground, the Hoover-era FBI regularly monitored enemies like JFK and John Lennon. Today, the feds are fighting to require back doors in encryption tools and trying to suppress the spread of information through WikiLeaks and other channels.

Thankfully there are limits to what authorities can achieve even if they do manage to pass new laws because important technology like Truecrypt is already in the wild. Truecrypt like many of the best tools is open source and if used properly, it's virtually impervious to cracking. Use the tools and fight back at the polls by voting against any politician that doesn't support true freedom.

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Glenn Greenwald: A prime aim of the growing Surveillance State
As economic anxiety and social unrest increase, control over Internet technology and communication becomes vital

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