Come on Al Franken! Admit you read it on DemocraticUnderground!

[HamdenRice]

I was just listening to Al Franken. He is right now interviewing a congressman from Mass. who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, and they are talking about the latest NSA telephone data mining scandal.

Al said something like, if you want to find a needle in a haystack, this is like adding a lot more hay. Then he said this is not my analysis, I read this .... and he trailed off like he did not want to mention the source of that metaphor.

Is it just me, or didn't some DUer post exactly that metaphor in a thread I read this morning??? If so, it begs statistical probability that someone else came up with the same metaphor on the same day.

Come on Al, there's no shame in saying your source is one of the many incredibly smart, well informed and charming members of DemocraticUnderground!

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Is Al entertaining yet?

I couldn't bear to listen to him when AAR debuted. Has it gotten better?

[HamdenRice]

That's a different issue ... but

no. But it seems during the few times I've recently heard him, he has perked up a little lately.

[LSK]

4. Al is Al - some people get him, some dont

I personally like him but its all subjective.

[LSK]

2. i wouldnt doubt it

Malloy and Randi definately know about DU. Guy James is actually a member. I'd believe it.

[havocmom]

9. There are other voices on radio who are DUers

One never know, do one?

Seems there are lots of TV people with staffs who check us out too. More than a couple times we have read it here way before the talking heads say it there.

DU, not just for us 'radicals' anymore.

[Pithy Cherub]

3. Actually it is on the front page of dailykos and georgia10

wrote it and is a DU'er as well. ;)

[HamdenRice]

5. OK, so its DU or Kos -- either way, don't be ashamed!

After all, at this point, these sources are certainly more credible than most of the MSM.

[Pithy Cherub]

12. You may never use MSM and credible in the same sentence.

Nope, Not ashamed at all, I had just happened to read it a minute ago. ;)

[HamdenRice]

13. Not you ... Al!

I understand, and thanks for the citation. I just meant that Al should not hem and haw rather than say his source is Kos or DU.

[Initech]

6. I'm still waiting for Jon Stewart to admit he reads DU.

I mean I swear, I come hear and read about what our country is doing to fuck up this week, then I watch the Daily Show and it's almost a mirror of what we're talking about on DU. It's weird...

[LSK]

8. i know, i see sooooo much DU stuff on TDS

[supernova]

10. Tell me about it

Where else do they get all the Panda jokes. :P

[danalytical]

11. Yeah I agree

He's definitely on the same wave length as our conversations here. Either he reads, or his writing staff does, which is more plausible.

[babylonsister]

7. See response #4:

:thumbsup:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1159326

[Dunvegan]

14. I think I've read that metaphor used elsewhere...It's apt and simple.

I used it earlier here...but I think the haystack metaphor has been tossed around all during this debate.

It would make sense for Franken to drop in from time to time, keep up with the blogs and forums.

But I think the haystack analogy is going to be used by a lot of people.

[Ian David]

15. Maybe if we'd stop beating-up on Al Franken so often and instead focus...

on the real enemy:

Ed Schultz.

Then-- maybe-- Al Franken would toss us a bone once in a while.

But why should we care?

I mean, Stephanie Miller loves us.

And that's all that really matters, isn't it?

Isn't it?

[Pirate Smile]

17. Focus on Ed as the real enemy? Oh, come on.

I thought that would have been Hannity or Rush or O'Reilly or any of the other dozens of RW'ers.

[Ian David]

19. Oh, no! What good is having a bus to throw someone under...

unless you can throw your own team mates under it?

Oh, yeah... Ed Schultz... he's on my list.

[Pirate Smile]

20. LOL. Throwing your own teammates under the bus does seem to

be rather popular sometimes.

I've always been cautious about jumping on that bus, probably because I thought I could end up under it.

[Kadie]

16. I read that in the SFGate this morning... link

U.S. PHONE-CALL DATABASE IGNITES PRIVACY UPROAR
DATA MINING: Commonly used in business to find patterns, it rarely focuses on individuals
Matthew B. Stannard, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, May 12, 2006


snip...
"We're looking for a needle in a haystack," said Bruce Schneier, a security technologist and chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security Inc. in Mountain View. "Dumping more hay on the pile doesn't necessarily get you anywhere." ...

more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/12/MNG0AIQRPR1.DTL

[Cleita]

21. My take on the needle in the haystack analogy is that

if you are looking for a needle in a haystack, it would be prudent to use a magnet and not inspect every strand of hay. If you are inspecting every strand of hay, then you aren't really interested in the needle, but are looking for strands of hay that aren't the preferred color or length or whatever the criteria is to be in your haystack.

So we know they aren't looking for terrorists because they could devise a program or magnet that would draw them out of the population. What they want to find out is what part of the population disapproves of BushCos agenda.

[jillan]

18. Al If you're reading - Welcome!

I find your show very informative because you have
the most interesting guests.

Keep it up!:hi: