Orwell may have been more accurate than even he thought. Although he and many others seem to have missed that “Big Brother” is coming from both sides.

Two stories, opposite ends of the political spectrum, same goal… to control your life through governmental monitoring and regulation.

(New York Times) WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 ­- Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials.

And...

(Washington Times) Anti-smoking activists who are driving cigarettes from public places across the country are now targeting private homes -- especially those with children.

Their efforts so far have contributed to regulations in three states -- Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont -- forbidding foster parents from smoking around children. Parental smoking also has become a critical point in some child-custody cases, including ones in Virginia and Maryland.

Maybe the anti-smoking crowd can get with Bush to help monitor the evil smokers breaking the law in their own homes? One is doing it for your "protection", the other is doing it for your "health". America, land of the Free?

As a side note:

I personally think the government, by use of law or other authority, has no constitutional right to impose health standards on persons in the private homes. The government should not be in the practice of trying to save the stupid people from themselves. And before you go “but it’s for the children” on me… this is about the larger picture, and the precedent that it represents.

And my wife and I are now 14 weeks, 2 days, 14 hours, 9 minutes, and 14 seconds smoke free! We have not smoked 2,011 cigarettes, and saved $301.65. Numbers curtsey of Quitmeter.