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DeaconBlues
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22 May 2009, 12:44 pm

Okay, for the paranoids out there...

A modern digital cell phone has to use encryption. It's the only way cell towers in cities can handle the call loads. Back in the old days (as recently as 2001), some people still used the older analog phones, which could be picked up by some radio scanners; however, the technology is now only supported in extremely rural areas where the technology for digital transmission (which is relatively short-range) has not yet been constructed. These areas are shrinking on a daily basis.

It's possible, with the help of a court order, to figure out where you've used your cell phone at and what number you called (or what number called you), but unless the government can convince a judge that you're a dangerous criminal, or a cell provider that you might be violating the so-called Patriot Act, they can't get that info.

Heavy surveillance is expensive. You'll only get that if you're suspected of defrauding the government of large sums of money (like the famed case in California a few years back of the man who was involved in an accident with a police car, sued and won several million dollars for a back injury that supposedly left him unable to perform any work, and was later photographed carrying his girlfriend in the Hawaiian surf). If you're getting the pittance afforded by SSI/SSDI, it's not going to be worth their while to spend that much effort to bust you.


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MattShizzle
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22 May 2009, 2:38 pm

I put in for it a while back and should get it soon. Besides AS I have major depression and quite a few physical problems. They had me see a psychologist for evaluation about 2 weeks ago (at their expense.) When I was in the hospital Nov 2007 they said I definitely should qualify (I was working at the time.) Assuming I get it it will be a bit over $1000 a month.