Judge Richard Posner, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, believes that the NSA should have unlimited access to digital data.

Privacy? It’s not really that important, according to one Federal Judge, Richard Posner, who currently sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Last week, during a conference in Washington, D.C., about cybercrime, Posner stated that he believed that privacy is “overvalued.” “Much of what passes for the name of privacy is really just trying to conceal the disreputable parts of your conduct,” he said.

Via PC World:

Congress should limit the NSA’s use of the data it collects—for example, not giving information about minor crimes to law enforcement agencies—but it shouldn’t limit what information the NSA sweeps up and searches, Posner said. “If the NSA wants to vacuum all the trillions of bits of information that are crawling through the electronic worldwide networks, I think that’s fine,” he said.

In the name of national security, U.S. lawmakers should give the NSA “carte blanche,” Posner added. “Privacy interests should really have very little weight when you’re talking about national security,” he said. “The world is in an extremely turbulent state—very dangerous.”

Posner criticized mobile OS companies for enabling end-to-end encryption in their newest software. “I’m shocked at the thought that a company would be permitted to manufacture an electronic product that the government would not be able to search,” he said

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Posner questioned why smartphone users need legal protections, saying he doesn’t understand what information on smartphones should be shielded from government searches. “If someone drained my cell phone, they would find a picture of my cat, some phone numbers, some email addresses, some email text,” he said. “What’s the big deal? Read More…

So, basically according to Posner, as long as its in the interest of ‘National Security’ the State has the power to do pretty much whatever it damn well pleases to you. If you don’t think those thoughts coming from a sitting Federal Judge are not downright terrifying, there is something seriously wrong with you.

Breyana Gallagher, 22, in court after she was arrested for driving drunk. During her arrest she was wearing nothing but a bra.

This past Saturday morning police arrested Breyana Gallagher, 22, of University Place, Washington under suspicion of drunk driving. Now you just know with a name like “Breyana,” this has got to be a good story. The only more police-blotter worthy white girl name is one of any one of those normal names with “Lynne” attached at the end of them.

Police observed her swerving in-and-out of traffic, passing up a red light as well as doing it all while traveling the wrong direction down Highway 509. When police tried to pull her over, Gallagher sped away and they had to eventually use a pit maneuver to force her silver Honda Civic to a stop.

After her car was finally stopped, Gallagher refused police commands to get out of the car, so officers broke the driver’s side window. That is when they discovered that she was wearing absolutely nothing more than a bra.

Via KOMO News:

“It’s not every day you find someone naked driving down the street – especially in the condition she was in,” said Sgt. Tom Thompson with the Fife Police Department. “A female corrections officer even tried to help her to get into a jail outfit. She didn’t want to have any of that.”

Gallagher has no criminal history, state records show. The lifelong Pierce County resident has a few speeding tickets, the prosecutor’s office said Monday.

“She’s a good girl,” Gallagher’s grandfather said after her court appearance Monday. He wouldn’t elaborate.

Gallagher told police she thought she was in Kitsap County. She was taken to the Pierce County Jail and booked for investigation of eluding and driving under the influence. Read More…

I just love the above quote from the Police Sergeant about not every day you find someone driving down the street naked, “especially in the condition she was in.” Apparently sober girls must drive around naked all the time.