Calif court: Cops can search texts without warrant
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January 05, 2011 7:28 AM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Supreme Court has ruled that police do not need a warrant to search a cell phone carried by someone under arrest.

The justices ruled Monday that a Ventura County deputy had the right to conduct a warrantless search of the text messages of a man he had arrested on suspicion of participating in a drug deal.

The state court ruled 5-2 that federal precedent affirms that police can search items found on defendants when they are arrested.

Unfortunately many Americans will never start to prepare until it is far too late.

10 Things That The Egypt Riots Can Teach Us About What Happens When Society Breaks Down:

But for the rest of us that are willing to learn, there are some things that have happened during these Egypt riots that are important lessons for all of us….

#1 When society breaks down, people look for whatever weapons they can find.  Over this past week, abandoned police stations throughout Egypt have been stripped of their arsenals by looters.

#2 When society breaks down, nobody is safe.  Average Egyptians “armed with sticks and razors” have formed vigilante groups to protect their homes from the crazed looters that have emerged during the rioting.

#3 When society breaks down, you better protect your women and children.  At least 60 rapes have been officially reported since the rioting began.  The unofficial number is surely far higher than that.

#4 When society breaks down, criminals do not fear the law.  There are reports that at least 4 prisons have been attacked and that thousands of convicts have escaped into the streets.

#5 When society breaks down, authoritarian governments begin hoarding food.  The Telegraph is reporting that governments throughout the Middle East and North Africa have started stockpiling huge amounts of food in response to all the rioting that has been going on.

#6 When society breaks down, food shortages can happen shockingly fast.  As commerce has been brought to a standstill in Egypt, serious shortages of some of the most important basic food staples are starting to be reported.  Many families in Egypt only have enough food to be able to survive for a couple more days.

#7 When society breaks down, respect for personal property goes out the window.  All over Egypt shops and businesses are being broken into and totally looted.

#8 When society breaks down, mobs will start doing some of the most stupid things imaginable.  According to Egypt’s top archaeologist, Zahi Hawass, looters broke into the Egyptian Museum during the rioting “and destroyed two pharaonic mummies”.

#9 When society breaks down, it always creates a “power void”.  The Obama administration is calling for an “orderly transition of power” in Egypt, but there is absolutely no guarantee that is going to happen – especially in a nation that has no history of legitimate democracy.

#10 When society breaks down, often outside influences are involved.  The individual being touted as the new “leader” of the protest movement in Egypt is Mohamed ElBaradei.

"When a computer scientist in North Carolina petitioned the state for a new traffic signal in his neighborhood, a transportation official replied with a complaint about what 'appears to be engineering-level work' done by someone who is not licensed as a professional engineer."

Kevin Lacy, chief traffic engineer for the state DOT, and the one who filed a complaint with the N.C. Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, protested that in trying to have Computer Scientist David Cox investigated for his detailed complaint about a traffic intersection while not licensed as a professional engineer, "I'm not trying to hush him up."