dark_web_angst Painting

"Most people never get to see their own FBI file, but I saw mine. No need to name drop but it was a classified three-way trade of information and data that I arranged many years ago in the early days of the dark web. Back when The Onion Router was new. My hands are clean and my conscience remains clear since I was more or less just the middleman in this exchange. Some arms dealers were caught, the whistleblower was able to disappear into Witness Protection, and I got an unnamed Special Agent In Charge the high visibility bust he needed to get the promotion of his life. So he broke protocol and showed me my confidential FBI file. The headline? Nothing much as far as I'm personally concerned. They had all my basic info on a dashboard with my newest DMV photo, but otherwise there were just two grainy B&W photos of me from the ‘70s. One was taken with a telephoto lens when I was on the podium at a protest rally on the steps of Old Main at Penn State. At the time I was one of the editors of an underground newspaper, but I was no revolutionary subversive. I was Entertainment Editor and I was on stage to introduce a band. That's all. The other B&W shot was of me on the White House lawn talking to UN Ambassador Andrew Young and jazzman Chick Corea. Harmless conversation but for some reason the FBI was interested. After 1980 they must have realized I'm just a civilian and stopped their surveillance. Gee, thanks. The bad news is I now believe they must have files on millions of Americans. The good news is that I now have the personal cell number of a very senior level Fed who owes me one, and I suppose the overall story has a happy ending. Bad actors were exposed and punished, the whistleblower was never named and is now living somewhere sunny, and I have an ace in the hole that I hope I never need to play. Still, this whole experience has given me dark_web_angst." Note: Complete prevarication.