anyone worried about US borders wrt ebooks?

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

And since he was psychotic to begin with, I don't think they expected a serious threat, but they are required to come and look.




I think they carry Sig Sauers, not Uzis.
______
Dennis

Ooh! Pretty!

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Although ... really, both of them were simply impressed that Laura Bush treated them really nicely, and Hillary Clinton not so much.

No surprise. Laura Bush is from a generation where gracious behavior was expected of a lady. She'd treat them nicely because that was what you did, especially when they were people whose job was to protect you.

Hilary is someone whose intelligence, knowledge, and ability I respect, but "nice person" is not a descriptor I'd apply.

I don't think they gave a hoot as to whether it was a Republican or a Democrat in the chair. They'd still take a bullet for the man ... or really for the man in the office.

Pretty much, yes. They may not think much of the person (though I can't imagine what would get one to admit publicly he didn't like the man he protected), but their mission is to protect the man in the office, and if that involves taking a bullet, they'll do it.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I sit there for a second ... and I think .... I know that name ... I dated him while I was in law school. So then, Mr. Bestseller says "Of course, you've HEARD of him!!" My reply?? "Well, not in a business or computer context, but I did have sex with him for the better part of a year."

Ah, yes.

"In what sense did you say you knew him?"
"Biblical..."

A couple of days later I got an email from my old friend (the mega VIP) ... we have kept in touch since then. He's married now and has a couple of beautiful children, and of course, faaabulously wealthy. Funny to think that a website devoted to my cats could lead to so many other interesting encounters.

The Internet is great for that. It's sometimes the definition of serendipity.

That's the one thing I really don't like about dating law enforcement or government men ... having a loaded weapon on the bedside table at night. That simply gives me the creeps. It's not like I don't know how to use one ... but the last thing I need is for me to be sleepwalking (did I mention I sleepwalk??) and have someone mistake me for a prowler and blamo ... good bye Ricky.

Unlikely. Those guys are very well trained and fanatic about safety.

But stuff happens. An old friend is an ex-Marine who served a couple of terms in Nam, and recounted a story he'd heard. A new, gung ho, Second Lieutenant was posted to a base. One night, he decided he would get dressed in his gym sweats, and go probe base security. He climbed atop an APC that was on a sentry's route and waited for the sentry to pass, then jumped on him when he did.

The sentry was just back from a combat zone, and had live ammo. The Lieutenant had a full clip of M16 rounds in him before he hit the ground.

After that, the Corps started reviewing the policy governing when when live ammo would be issued to sentries, especially in stateside bases...
_____
Dennis

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

No surprise. Laura Bush is from a generation where gracious behavior was expected of a lady. She'd treat them nicely because that was what you did, especially when they were people whose job was to protect you.

Hilary is someone whose intelligence, knowledge, and ability I respect, but "nice person" is not a descriptor I'd apply.


Pretty much, yes. They may not think much of the person (though I can't imagine what would get one to admit publicly he didn't like the man he protected), but their mission is to protect the man in the office, and if that involves taking a bullet, they'll do it.
______
Dennis

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Ah, yes.

"In what sense did you say you knew him?"
"Biblical..."


The Internet is great for that. It's sometimes the definition of serendipity.


Unlikely. Those guys are very well trained and fanatic about safety.

But stuff happens. An old friend is an ex-Marine who served a couple of terms in Nam, and recounted a story he'd heard. A new, gung ho, Second Lieutenant was posted to a base. One night, he decided he would get dressed in his gym sweats, and go probe base security. He climbed atop an APC that was on a sentry's route and waited for the sentry to pass, then jumped on him when he did.

The sentry was just back from a combat zone, and had live ammo. The Lieutenant had a full clip of M16 rounds in him before he hit the ground.

After that, the Corps started reviewing the policy governing when when live ammo would be issued to sentries, especially in stateside bases...
_____
Dennis

Yup .... I believe it. The thing is "stuff" always seems to happen to me. I am a "stuff" magnet. If I don't attract it ... I manage to fall in a vat full of it.

Heck, Laura Bush is from my generation ... the current Mrs. Bush ... not sweet ol' Gramma Bush. I think it's more just that Laura Bush is a very sweet lady (former librarian and all that). However, she was certainly well raised ... even though she did marry and idiot.

I really love the net. I do. There, I've said it. I've reconnected with so many old friends over the years. It may be one reason why I've never much used screen names. I actually want people to be able to find me and find out things about me. I find even the really awful parts of my life can be a great source of humor. Since there have been many really awful things that have happened to me .... I find I laugh a lot.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Yup .... I believe it. The thing is "stuff" always seems to happen to me. I am a "stuff" magnet. If I don't attract it ... I manage to fall in a vat full of it.

I know folks like that. One old friend once said "I'm the guy who's standing up when the shit hits the fan!" Calling him was theraputic. Guaranteed, what was going on with him would make anything in my life look trivial by comparison...

I really love the net. I do. There, I've said it. I've reconnected with so many old friends over the years. It may be one reason why I've never much used screen names. I actually want people to be able to find me and find out things about me. I find even the really awful parts of my life can be a great source of humor. Since there have been many really awful things that have happened to me .... I find I laugh a lot.

I've always posted under a variant of my real name, and while I don't advertise it, I've stated in various places where I live, and I'm "in the book". It would be trivial for anyone who wanted to find me. Despite following this practice for the better part of twenty years, I haven't had anyone actually do so.

I have gotten occasional emails from folks I lost touch with saying "Are you the same..." I should hope so. If there's another of me out there, I think I'm worried.
______
Dennis

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I know folks like that. One old friend once said "I'm the guy who's standing up when the shit hits the fan!" Calling him was theraputic. Guaranteed, what was going on with him would make anything in my life look trivial by comparison...


I've always posted under a variant of my real name, and while I don't advertise it, I've stated in various places where I live, and I'm "in the book". It would be trivial for anyone who wanted to find me. Despite following this practice for the better part of twenty years, I haven't had anyone actually do so.

I have gotten occasional emails from folks I lost touch with saying "Are you the same..." I should hope so. If there's another of me out there, I think I'm worried.
______
Dennis

I'm the female version of that guy. But, I gotta tell you, a person really learns to roll with the punches when that's your life. Either that or you just go into a fetal position and die.

Back in 1988 I was raped by someone who broke into my home and put a weapon to my head. A few weeks later, I realize I'm pregnant as a result of the rape.

I decided that I was not the sort of person that any child should have as a parent, so I made an appointment to have an abortion. I showed up at the clinic ... and here is this whole room of very scared looking girls ... it was the most depressing place I'd ever been in.

Then, I noticed that out of the ten of us in the waiting room, nine of us were wearing white tennis shoes. So, that got me started on schtick about the little known fact that "Nine out of ten rape victims wear white tennis shoes to their abortion procedures??" and then in fact "Nine out of ten doctors who perform abortions actually recommend white tennis shoes to their raped patients!!" Once I got started ... there was no stopping me ... but I had them all laughing before it was my time to go under the knife.

I'll probably be laughing as they sit me down on "Old Sparky" for my eventual execution.

[CCDMan]

So the risk isn't really having something illegal on your reader, it's that they may "detain" it for a while, especially if they don't understand it.

Indeed. The TSA Gestapo are all the worse for being refugees from the fast food employment line. You would think with the HUGE number of PEDs (portable electronic devices <g>) carried daily by travelers, TSA would carefully and regularly educate the screeners so they actually understand what they are looking at. My experience has been that they are just mostly dumb on this front.

It seems to me that this is not doing your job properly and results in not only delays and hassles for travelers, but a possible security risk as well. It is only reasonable that finding something illicit be it hardware (like weapons) or illegal content would be a damn site easier if these folks were not brain dead when it comes to the latest portable gadgets (along with most everything else)..

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by CCDMan

Indeed. The TSA Gestapo are all the worse for being refugees from the fast food employment line. You would think with the HUGE number of PEDs (portable electronic devices <g>) carried daily by travelers, TSA would carefully and regularly educate the screeners so they actually understand what they are looking at. My experience has been that they are just mostly dumb on this front.

It seems to me that this is not doing your job properly and results in not only delays and hassles for travelers, but a possible security risk as well. It is only reasonable that finding something illicit be it hardware (like weapons) or illegal content would be a damn site easier if these folks were not brain dead when it comes to the latest portable gadgets (along with most everything else)..

Well, hey, government employees are pretty much brain dead everywhere. The last time I traveled I was searched because I had a "large amount of suspicious metal" in my carry-on. Oh, my my my .... about $50 worth of quarters. Yep ... no question, I was planning to hijack the plane using 200 quarters ... I'm McGuyver and I can use them along with this here paperclip to create a bomb!!

You know ... it's just a part of life these days. If I ever run into Osama Bin Laden, I am soooo bitch-slapping him.

[sassanik]

I would seriously hope that the US Customs has better things to do than look at peoples e-readers for illegal DRM broke books.


Amy

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I know folks like that. One old friend once said "I'm the guy who's standing up when the shit hits the fan!" Calling him was theraputic. Guaranteed, what was going on with him would make anything in my life look trivial by comparison...


I've always posted under a variant of my real name, and while I don't advertise it, I've stated in various places where I live, and I'm "in the book". It would be trivial for anyone who wanted to find me. Despite following this practice for the better part of twenty years, I haven't had anyone actually do so.

I have gotten occasional emails from folks I lost touch with saying "Are you the same..." I should hope so. If there's another of me out there, I think I'm worried.
______
Dennis

There is another physician out there (Texas actually) with my exact name (middle initial same, even) who shared my DEA number with me for a couple years until I wrote a sharply worded memo pointing out the physical impossibility of being in two places at one time. The whole thing was compounded by the fact that my first medical license was from Texas, as well, so whenever he gets a patient complaint (Extremely rare) I have to write to the Board and let them know that i am, in fact in Wisconsin and they need the other Dr pshrynk. (Names changed to protect the terminally paranoid.)

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

There is another physician out there (Texas actually) with my exact name (middle initial same, even) who shared my DEA number with me for a couple years until I wrote a sharply worded memo pointing out the physical impossibility of being in two places at one time. The whole thing was compounded by the fact that my first medical license was from Texas, as well, so whenever he gets a patient complaint (Extremely rare) I have to write to the Board and let them know that i am, in fact in Wisconsin and they need the other Dr pshrynk. (Names changed to protect the terminally paranoid.)

further evidence of the texan plot for world domination.

(oh, and is anyone else worried that pshrynk's reaction to photos of handguns is "oooh, pretty !" ?)

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by sassanik

I would seriously hope that the US Customs has better things to do than look at peoples e-readers for illegal DRM broke books.


Amy

Lordy, I certainly hope so!!

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

further evidence of the texan plot for world domination.

(oh, and is anyone else worried that pshrynk's reaction to photos of handguns is "oooh, pretty !" ?)

It worried me, but I didn't want to actually come out and SAY anything about it .... I mean ... what if he actually got a gun!!!

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by silencer

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but there is a very easy solution to this.
If you have a laptop, notebooks, digital info, papers, anything you want kept private (or not arbitrarily seized for no reason), you simply have to slide it into an envelope addressed to you, with enough international postage - and SEAL it.

Customs has not been given the right to open private mail (unless on your person) without a search warrant.

*I had to clarify, I assumed people understood that you have to actually mail it to your destination*

Thank goodness he "clarified" it ... because this would have been a completely crackpot scheme otherwise.

In the United States mail does not become "mail" unless it is out of your custody and control and in the custody and control of the United States Postal Service. Otherwise, all it is is an envelope or package with stamps on it. If it is in your possession at the United States border, it is subject to search.

With regard to the Fourth Amendment, the primary point there is whether or not the individual has "a reasonable expectation of privacy." In order to search somewhere where an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy, the police must obtain a warrant.

However, there are serious limitations on the expectation of privacy at an international border. Most people realize that their luggage, purse, briefcase, and any other materials with them will be searched, so they do not have any expectation of privacy with regard to those items. However, move those same items to your hotel room (where you DO have an expectation of privacy), and the police would have to obtain a warrant to search them (even if the manager of the hotel game them permission to search the room .. they would still need a warrant to search your possessions).

What the Customs people are doing, in setting this policy, is to inform those travelling with digital media that they do not have any expectation of privacy in those items at the border. Customs agents MAY search those items. I've been through Customs in this country several times ... more than several actually ... sometimes they search my stuff ... sometimes they don't. They are not extensive searches ... they usually reserve those for people who "fit the profile" of someone who might be smuggling illegal goods into the country. Really special searches (generally the person is detained pending the issue of a warrant) are reserved for those people at which the drug dogs smile. They really (really) don't give a solitary hoot where you got your copy of "War and Peace" or whether you stripped the DRM off it. They have bigger fish to fry.

So, if you are really paranoid about it, by all means, mail your ebook reader to yourself at your destination. You will be spending a lot of money for no particular reason (especially if you want to insure it and have some way to track it should it become lost in transit), and you won't have it to read while you are on the plane. Things to keep in mind.

Now, just because silencer brought up the topic of cameras ... to any of you planning trips to the United States, please be aware that cameras are prohibited on many State and Federal properties. It doesn't matter whether you plan to use it or not ... the camera itself is prohibited. Generally, the police (or sheriff) will warn you and allow you to take the camera back to your car, hotel room, office, home ... or where ever you want to put it that is not on your person while you are on the property. They do not generally have lockers and will not generally keep it for you while you go on about your business. If you give them grief, they will take your camera and you will NOT get it back. This rule also holds true for cell phones with cameras. For the most part, the policy will be clearly posted on the property. Do not even think about screwing with officials over this policy. They have zero sense of humor about it.

So, please, don't let someone (anyone) tell you that the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States prohibits your digital media from search at the border. It does not. It provides (as it has been interpreted countless times in the courts) that in those places where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy, officials may not search without a warrant.

The two single biggest ways people screw up??

1. Leave something illegal on property owned by another person (you have no reasonable expectation of privacy in a hotel room where maid service and others have a key to your room); and

2. Leaving something on their own property, but in plain sight (it's not a search if any bozo can see it or access it).

I hope this actually does clarify things with regard to crossing the border with your digital media and what rights you do (and do not) have with respect to same.

[tompe]

People have mentioned "illegal information" or something similar here. Can it really be illegal to have a copy of a book in US? I thought it was the act of getting the book that could be illegal.

[Olympus]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

As mentioned ... if you are all that worried about what US Customs is going to find on your digital device, then before coming to the US:

1. Remove all child pornography from all digital devices;

That is what the real issue is: each country have their own interpretation of child-porn. Should I have innocent pictures of my childeren at the beach - the customs can interpret that as childporn.
Currently Italy has forbidden parents for taking pictures of their children in the swimming pool. In the Netherlands we have had discussions of art could be interpreted as (kiddy)porn. Should I have holiday pictures of (half) naked man/woman it could be considered porn - however even in de US you must have naturists and nudists.

Once the customs get access to my personal data/pictures/art I can get into these kind of discussions. Unfortunately it's the US that creates these ineffective measures:
- access to all personal data of anyone that takes a plane and store this ( for 15??? years)
- access to all creditcard data from Euopean citizens to .... (create a blacklist for the US border ??).

And in return the EU is requesting the same information from the US as countermeasure.

Any references to Anne-Frank I consider rather off-topic and offensive.