SAN FRANCISCO -- Two days ago, a 75-foot section of Telegraph Hill (near North Beach) slid down the hill, requiring the demolition of six buildings nearby that were no longer structurally sound. That section of Telegraph Hill must have eroded.

Not unlike our civil liberties.

I've read no fewer than three stories online today that have made my blood turn cold.

From Boing Boing, the story of the Department of Homeland Security's attempts to mandate government-issued identification in order to board planes or enter federal courthouses. This is part of the REAL ID Act, a piece of legislation that was sneakily inserted into an omnibus spending bill last year. The Act creates federal requirements for state-issued identification -- including conglomerating the data into a national database -- effectively creating a national ID card.

Also from Boing Boing, apparently when you take pictures of the police, and they don't like it, they're allowed to slam you to the ground and threaten to use a Taser.

From CNet, the Bush administration is waving its flag of less government intrusion by engaging in ... more government intrusion! Under the traditional guise of "save the children," the administration wants to require websites that allow uploads of photos or videos to keep detailed records of who uploads the photos or videos, in case the police need to investigate illegal content. The administration also wants to allow the Attorney General to dictate national data retention policies and wants packet-switching devices designed with built-in backdoors for easier eavesdropping.