Slashdot pointed me to a pretty funny event that happened recently - about 80 people got dressed up in blue shirts and khakis, and then, one at a time, wandered in to a best buy. For those who don't know, best buy is an electronics store, and the uniform is... a blue shirt and khakis. The even was staged by a group called Improv Everywhere, and if you visit their site they have photos, videos, and written accounts of the fun.

This was amazing! I found this to be really extremely interesting and informative. What I found most amazing was the American response which went from nervousness to paranoia to actual police intervention! Even more amazing was the fact that the police themselves tooks this things so seriously rather than just leaving it as a completely harmless prank.... O.I.A.

It's true - as a social experiment it was actually really interesting (and as a prank I thought it was pretty funny). I don't know if you noticed or not, but they also apparently do a once-a-year 'ride the metro in your underwear' where the goal is to arrive en masse wearing no pants (but boxers which cover everything, as the goal is not to be risque, merely unexpected), and act as if nothing were out of the ordinary. There, as with the Best Buy gag, the police intervened, and something like eight people were arrested. That which is different is to be feared, apparently, and that which is feared should be arrested and sent away. It's a crazy way to run a country....

...and NOW you know why we NEED secret prisons!! We cannot have half naked people running around unless it is spring break in Daytona Beach and they have AT LEAST a C cup... I'm just saying... :)

Is there a c-cup rule at daytona beach? I had no idea... I wonder if it was sponsored by MTV...?

Seriously, though, I think the secret prisons are a direct result of our increased paranoia, which is also reflected in the way the police reacted to these harmless pranksters.