Posthuman Blues

Along with the "Sobig" virus scourge that threatens to flood my in-box, there are also some interesting anonymous political messages circulating (under hijacked email addresses). I just got this one, seemingly from a proprietor of a website devoted to weird Mars images:

Personal Message:
Terrorist sympathizer, you are being watched.

With Regards,
saudi_4u.

One theory about "Sobig" and related plagues is that they're permitted to roam free so that Bush Regime cohorts like John Ashcroft will have a ready-made excuse to advocate increased Internet monitoring. The "terrorist sympathizer" message now making the rounds is just menacing enough to accelerate plans to crack down on Net traffic. Ultimately, of course, the Department of Homeland Security will be satisfied with nothing less than hidden webcams in the homes of computer-users everywhere.

I started reading my autographed copy of Anne and Whitley Strieber's reprinted "The Communion Letters" tonight. It's fascinating stuff. I should finish "Perdido Street Station" tomorrow.

On the way out the coffeshop tonight I saw the Kansas City Star's front page: this week's squalid heat was -- surprise! -- a new record. Of course, in twenty years people will look back on 110+ degree weather with utter, consummate longing. This is nothing.