Who was it in “Dr. Strangelove” that was concerned with “our precious bodily fluids?”

http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=4169

Sweat Becomes Offenders’ New Snitch

September 26, 2009 by Dissent Filed under Featured Headlines, Surveillance

Fredrick Kunkle and Derek Kravitz report:

The government has buried its nose in Bari Lynne Williams’s personal business.

Almost literally.

Twenty-four hours a day, whether she’s jogging, sleeping or managing a pool hall, Williams wears a high-tech sensor on her ankle that can detect the faintest whiff of alcohol in her perspiration. If she sneaks a drink, the device will know it — and so will a judge, who could put her behind bars for violating a court order to avoid alcoholic beverages.

[...]

While law enforcement has been using satellite-based GPS to track offenders’ whereabouts for some time, privacy advocates say the alcohol-monitoring device — known as Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor, or SCRAM — has taken law enforcement into the realm of continuously and remotely monitoring people’s physical condition.

Read the full article on The Washington Post.

(Related) “It's for their own good!”

http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=4176

UK drugs test for claimants sparks row over unemployment benefits

September 27, 2009 by Dissent Filed under Govt, Non-U.S., Surveillance

Controversial government plans to allow Jobcentre staff to “order” benefit claimants to undergo tests for drug and alcohol dependency are in breach of European law and unlikely to work, according to leading addiction charities.

The proposals, outlined in the welfare reform bill, which is due before the House of Lords next month, are part of a major government drive to reform Britain’s benefits culture and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds a year.

Read more on UTV

[From the article:

"Potentially, anyone could be required to answer questions about their drug or alcohol use as the bill includes no test or threshold which staff must first satisfy," he said. "Do we really want to see Jobcentres given the power to drug test, share information about claimants with the police and, for the first time, require vulnerable people to undergo medical treatment by waving the stick of benefit sanctions?"

What does the US have on Switzerland? First, access to banking records, now arresting an “artist”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/27/zurich.roman.polanski.arrested/

Polanski arrested in connection with sex charge

... He was taken into custody trying to enter Switzerland on Saturday, Zurich police said.

'cause sometimes it helps to have a simple explanation you can point to.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/technology-explained-how-do-rfid-tags-work/

Technology Explained: How Do RFID Tags Work?

Sep. 26th, 2009 By Guy McDowell