Everyday Erinyes

It was a rough week.  I was truly challenged to limit myself to three stories and a reference in passing which really call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them.  As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as "unceasing," "grudging," and "vengeful destruction."

Did you know that the CIA has a "Venture Capital Arm"?  I didn't, but I do now.  It's called In-Q-Tel.  You can read about it at its own website or on Wikipedia (probably less self-serving).  I'm sure it will surprise no one that this entity is investing in tools to mine technology such as cell phones and social media, but my eye was caught by a deal it has going with a skin care company.  Skin care?  WTF?

Yes, Skincential Sciences is getting funding from In-Q-Tel for a product they call "Clearista."  It is, or is based on, and I quote, "a patented technology that removes a thin outer layer of the skin, revealing unique biomarkers that can be used for a variety of diagnostic tests, including DNA collection."  It is, quote, "said to require only water, a special detergent, and a few brushes against the skin, making it a convenient option for restoring the glow of a youthful complexion — and a novel technique for gathering information about a person’s biochemistry."

Now, you may be wondering – I know I am – how in the world they expect to harvest this stuff in any way that is traceable to any particular person.  However – I have little faith in the CIA's ethics, but I have great faith in their ability to dream up ideas like harvesting DNA.

The names of several other firms funded by In-Q-Tel have come out this week, and if anyone decides to try to follow the money, you will find it is quite a Pandora's Box (I'm sure the Furies are familiar with those LOL).  The CIA, on its own and through In-Q-Tel, seems always to be messing with things that don't concern them.  It just never quits.  So I think, maybe Alecto, you might be the one to look into this.

And while we are speaking of spying and intrusion (and sometimes it seems that those are one and the same – a class action suit has been filed by the Michigan chapter of CAIR on behalf of 18 named plaintiffs and thousands of unnamed plaintiffs against the Terrorist Screening Center, which comes under the FBI.  One of the named plaintiffs – well, the court has his name but his identity is being protected – is a young man, an American citizen, now four, whose name was placed on the watch list when he was seven months old.  Numerous current and former employees of the Terrorist Screening Center are also individually named in the suit.  Apparently any one of us could get onto the list if someone is having a bad day and happens to see our names.  "No accountability" hardly seems to cover it, does it?  But I'm happy to let CAIR handle this for now.  We can always jump in later.

Now I have a situation in Arizona.  Seems their state Speaker of the House, David Gowan, has come up with a New Rule, as speakers are wont to do.  Under this rule, any reporter who wants access to the floor of the house will have to submit to a background check.  Anyone with certain offenses on their record will be disqualified from the floor of the house for up to ten years.

Quote: The new policy goes as far as to list specific offenses, including misdemeanor ones like trespassing, which automatically disqualify a reporter from being on the House floor for up to 10 years. That’s significant because misdemeanor trespass is an offense that Arizona Capitol Times reporter Hank Stephenson was convicted of following a bar fight a couple years ago.

Early this year, Stephenson wrote a piece scrutinizing Gowan’s use of a state vehicle during a 19-day period last October during which he logged nearly 4,800 miles of windshield time. Some of the events he traveled to were related to his congressional campaign, and using a state vehicle for that purpose is unlawful. Gowan has since reimbursed the state more than $12,000, and his is office is now under investigation by Arizona’s Attorney General for misuse of public resources.

And, as Hunter at Daily Kos says,

Yes, what ARE the odds that the only House reporter who seems to be disqualified by these new, very specific rules is the one whose reporting cost David Gowan $12,000 worth of free state vehicle time. It is uncanny, and so forth, and so on.

To their credit, state reporters are refusing to go along with the "background" checks, because there doesn't seem to be anyone in the state who really believes this is about anything other than David Gowan being peeved that reporters caught him doing something blatantly illegal.

That's vengeful indeed.  So, Tisiphone, this one's for you.

As I said, it's been a busy week, and I could give another voter ID story, but this story on a different subject just seemed so grudging I had to put it in for you, Megaera.  Readers Digest version:  "If you had an abortion in Missouri between 2010 and 2015, you’re on Missouri State Senator Kurt Schaefer’s hit list."

Schaefer (need I say he is a Republican?) is demanding that Planned Parenthood, and a St. Louis area pathologist, turn over to him all medical records of all women who had abortions in Missouri  between 2010 and 2015.  (Need I say this would be a blatant violation of HIPAA?)  Doesn't phase him.

He hasn't mentioned what he would do with the names if he got them, but I'm thinking suboenas to a House hearing, which would also result in publication, which would certainly resuly in shaming, if not harassment, if not dangerous physical violence.

Even the main stream media (in the form of the St. Louis Post Dispatch) says his demand is “…a thinly veiled effort to expose the identities of abortion patients as a means of shaming and discouraging other women from exercising their constitutional rights.”  But he is not backing down, and has managed to seduce or extort the Missouri Senate's Rules and Ethics committee to approve a resolution to compel Planned Parenthood's CEO to “appear before the whole Senate to explain why they should not be punished for failing to comply with the demand.”  (Spoiler: It's HIPAA, stupid) 

Did I mention he is running for Attorney General?

He has also threatened to hold her in contempt if she fails to produce the list he wants.  Personally, I think she would be rationally able to rejoin, "What a coincidence.  That's exactly how I feel about you."  But she probably has better manners than I do.  Besides getting him, Megaera, I hope you will have her back.  Many thanks.

The Furies and I will be back.