In my experience in technical support, sharing "the why" makes users more cooperative. If you say "Do X and tell me what happens", users may underestimate the importance of doing X. If you say "I think I know what the problem is, but I need you to do X and tell me what happens to be sure" or "To check and make sure that Y is not the problem, I need you to do X and tell me if Z happens" then they realize it's an important step in getting the problem fixed.

How do you know this to be true? You'll forgive me if I ask for more proof that the surveillance was legal than the words of the officials who ordered and/or performed the surveillance.

Why are you leaving a visitor alone with a network jack? When my company brings in a visitor, about the only time we leave them unattended is when they're in the cafeteria in the morning eating breakfast (and as far as I know there are no network jacks in there) and when they're in the restroom (no network jacks in there, either.)

When they use a different voice actor or actress for the computer voice in the next Star Trek movie (after the one that's currently in production), at least one of the main characters should remark that they miss the old voice from before the main computer upgrade, as a salute.

Also, it is impressive you can separate the Christmas madness that starts after Thanksgiving from the actual holidays of Dec. 23rd to 31st.

Where are you living? Stores around here started their Christmas madness around Halloween. In my opinion, almost all of those stores jumped the gun. [I'm inclined to give Christmas Tree Shops an okay, since they have the name of the holiday in their company name all year.]