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Actually, it proves that the SF Weekly has the right to amass this much information about John Poindexter -- and about you, if its editors saw fit. Naturally, John Poindexter has no right to acquire the same information about columnist Matt Smith.

It also proves that John Poindexter has a $269,700 house, which is totally incomprehensible, since any celebrity journalist can spend as much for a doghouse. "Why, for example, is their $269,700 Rockville, Md., house covered with artificial siding, according to Maryland tax records? Shouldn't a Reagan conspirator be able to afford repainting every seven years?" I guess the information gathering game doesn't pay too well.

There may a lot of good reasons for objecting to the Total Information Awareness project, but media pique is not one of them. If I had a penny for every time they sold my database to marketers, I would be a rich man.

Haven't you ever considered how great it would be to turn the information war against the warriors? If I was one of the pseudocelebrities that is constantly stalked by papparazzi, I would simply hire a private detective to dig up everything -everything- on the people who were making it impossible for me to kiss a girl or drink a cup of coffee in peace, and let them know I had it. Whose life can withstand that kind of scrutiny?

"If I had a penny for every time they sold my database to marketers, I would be a rich man."

You certainly would be rich. In 1993 a chairman for one of the Society of Manufacaturing Engineers chapters sold the entire membership roster to the Thomas Register. He boasted to me that he got $150 dollars for the name of every degreed engineer on the list. I asked him how much he got for my name and he fell silent.

I have thought there has to be a way to prevent these jerks like marketeers, journalists, and politicos from profiting on our personel information.

First collect all of your personel information. I mean all of it. 1st grade report cards, speeding tickets, military and medical records, any and all inuendo, gossip, etc. Social Security number, bank records, credit card numbers, leave no stone unturned. Then publish and copyright the stuff. Next make your living sueing any and all that use the information.

Tell the data basers like Scott Nealy to get over it. I'll settle out of court for half your annual salary and retire in comfort.

Actually, it proves that the SF Weekly has the right to amass this much information about John Poindexter -- and about you, if its editors saw fit. Naturally, John Poindexter has no right to acquire the same information about columnist Matt Smith.

What you are missing is that the SF Weekly isn't the government,and they don't have the powers the government has. Nobody from the SF Weekly is going to arrest you,indict you for any crimes,call you in for questioning,or seize your bank accounts. They also won't be working hand in hand with Bubba-2's new Office of Reich Security.