FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!

(for those of you with no idea what this is about, you might want to read the bottom part of this page first)
12.20pm update

Thank you all for your overwelming support and offers of help - I really do have faith in humanity now! I'm just heading downtown now to try and find a Kinkos, and I'll be back with scans (and hopefully some photos) this evening. Oh, BTW, some of you have said you've been "giving McCain a piece of your mind". Please don't - he is just a symptom of this oligarchy dressed up as democracy, and deserves your wrath no more than any other politician that can afford to play the "let's be president" game. If you really feel you need to vent, please contact a local news organization and get the word out. Thank you. I love you all!!

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!

OK, there, I got that out of my system. I tried to think up a better title, but that's all I'm thinking right now.

Obviously some people don't share my sense of humor. This afternoon I was happily geeking away when I heard a knock at the door. I went to answer and was presented with a local sheriff and two FBI agents holding a lovely search warrant (scans coming when I can get down to Kinko's in the morning). Apparently, WITHOUT BOTHERING TO ASK A FUCKING PROGRAMMER WHETHER IT'S POSSIBLE OR NOT, I'm being accused of unlawful entry to the Senator's official web site!!! Anyone with HALF A FUCKING BRAIN will know that I did NO SUCH THING.

This is what the warrant allowed them to take:

Documents (handwritten or typed), printouts, video tapes, audio tapes, electronic data processing and storage devices, computers and computer systems including central processing units; internal and peripheral storage devices such as fixed disks, external hard disks, floppy disk drives and diskettes, tape drives and tapes, optical storage devices or other memory storage devices; peripheral input/output devices such as keyboards, printers, video display monitors, optical readers, and related communications devices such as modems; together with system documentation, operating logs and documentation, software and instruction manuals, computer disks, computers, computer storage devices, passwords or other items which are or contain evidence of violation of the above-described violations including the following:
(1) items which contain or refer to the Internet address "http://myspace.com/JohnMcCain"
(2) items which contain or refer to protest movements or anti-government activities or organizations...

It goes on for about another half a page, but you get the idea...

Basically, I'm fucked. As a programmer, my whole fucking life revolves around computers, so they've basically taken my life away. Sure I'll get it back eventually, but it's still going to be hell trying to work Monday - and exactly how I'll explain the loss of two VOIP phones to my boss I have no idea. Anyone got a cheap laptop? Oh, and get this - they even took my Year Zero lithos!!!

Anyway, when the dust settled this evening, I managed to persuade a neighbor to let me use her PC to get this out to you all. I am OK (so don't worry), and I already have a very good lawyer. I'm really tired right now, but will update you all in the morning at some point.

Oh, and here's a picture another neighbor took on her cell phone this afternoon - a little embarrassing, yes, but the neighbors have actually been very supportive, bless 'em - once I explained what happened they realized immediately how STUPID the whole thing was.

[ IMAGE REMOVED BY IPW TO PRESERVE BANDWIDTH ]

Hey kids, be careful out there when spreading the word - never assume THEY won't care!

love hippygeek (aka cLive ;-)