Posts by Brian McGovern

This is exceptional?

I have an umbrella cockatoo that uses parts of his toys as levers, and the chains from his toys to build pulley systems. A "rake" is a pretty common and normal activity (at least with the 3 large birds I have). The one in particular is so effective with his tools that I recently (a year ago) had to replace his cage due to popped screws, broken welds, and bent bars, and we're talking 5mm steel bird cages.... I had to bump him up to one of the only 6mm cages I could find, and that, really, is only delaying him.

So basically...

Parenting has become so pathetic that the Nanny State really is required. In Texas, no less. The US is doomed.

Whatever ever happened to a good corporal punishment, and keeping your kids in their room (sans computer, cell phone, HD Plasma TV, Xbox, play station, Ps3, iPod), perhaps with a good book.

"Undermine trust..." ?

Use of the present tense is a little... umm... idiotic?

I would suggest there are far better ways to check whether someone lives at a particular address... Any number of tax forms the government already has access to immediately come to mind. Auto insurance next? At least here in the US, in the horrific state of Taxachusetts, the government has access to all kinds of peripheral information that gives a pretty good hint as to where you're living.

I would suggest the proper word is "evaporate", rather than undermine, and it should be in the past tense, as in "Our insane levels of surveillance has resulted in the complete evaporation of any public trust we may have once enjoyed."

George Orwell was 25 years early.