So this is the world we now live in

I assume by now that you’ve heard some news report about the NSA American spying scandal, the PRISM system and the now former Booz Allen Hamilton employee, Edward Snowden, who leaked all the sorted details.  Although the NSA has been doing what it’s doing for quite some time – the extent of the spying came as quite a shock to some.  Yet to others it seemed like a big deal being made over nothing.  For me, the news of the NSA spying on the American public put me in the middle of the road of being shocked and not shocked.

From the time of the 9/11 incident, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that every American citizen was having their communications monitored.  And because one of my career paths is in Information Technology, the more I learned about the field — the more those feelings nagged me.  But since I wasn’t a criminal or a terrorist – I had always managed to brush aside those feelings.  That was until lately.

I don’t consider myself as a tin foil hat wearing, conspiracy theorist, demon behind every rock kind of person.  I am, however, one who gets concerned when certain government agencies get out of control.  Which, in this case the NSA is, in my opinion, out of control right now. Why? Because of the extensive, unnecessary data mining and surveillance that is being done to every member of the American public.

Consider this example: Right now, I am currently siting in a Starbucks as I write this blog post. Because of the way most POS systems work and the use of my Starbucks card – the NSA now knows what I drank at Starbucks. During the course of my work – I made a post to Facebook – which the NSA now knows about.  I also made a call to a friend about an out of town dinner appointment next week – which again, the NSA now knows about.  And incidentally, because of my Android smartphone with GPS – the NSA knows which Starbucks I’m sitting in – right down to a few meters.  I could go on and on – but you get the point – the NSA, because of systems like PRISM, possesses a lot of unnecessary data details about most American citizens.

This is where the “I’m not doing anything wrong – why should I worry” attitude and approach to things doesn’t cut it anymore. Just think about it, if you’re not completely off the grid – you are being data mined on almost every little detail of your life. You are being monitored, spied on everywhere you go.  In short, you are under surveillance so much — the NSA knows about your wazoo.  The other reason is that technology as well as people can go south – resulting in disastrous consequences.  Another way to put this is who monitors those who monitor the American public? Additionally, what checks and balances are in place when things get out of control?  I suspect none.

Even if you have a “don’t worry, be happy” attitude about the whole NSA spying scandal – you should ask yourself these questions: Do you really want the NSA to know every little  detail about your life?  Furthermore, do you want to be monitored everywhere you go?  My personal answers to the aforementioned questions is no.

So again, this is the world that we now live in.  It is a world that far surpasses George Orwell’s “1984” both in technology and function.  It is also a world that be inconceivable even to George Orwell himself.

How do you feel about the NSA spying scandal — leave a comment.

News/photo source: The Guardian, UK.

Not every kid is a bomber…

A few days ago Kiera Wilmot, who is 16 years old, mixed some household chemicals in an 8 ounce water bottle for a science experiment.  The reaction from the chemical mixture caused the bottle cap to pop off and a small – emphasis on small – explosion to occur.  For Kiera, this was just a science project gone wrong.

Unfortunately for Kiera, school officials took a different view of her science project.  Because Kiera’s experiment took place on the grounds of Bartow High School – she was charged with possession of a weapon, discharge of a weapon and discharge of a destructive device.  Along with the aforementioned felony offenses, Kiera was also expelled from school.

Kiera, who has never been in trouble before, is described as a good kid by the school’s principle – who just made a poor decision.  So, should Kiera be subjected to such draconian punishment for a science experiment gone wrong – where no one was hurt?  Also, did she make a poor choice with her science experiment?  Before you answer these questions – let me give you a couple of my own high school science experiences.

Let me first say that as a kid – I as well as everyone else in my neighborhood did stuff like Kiera did.  There was no intention to do anyone harm – it was just a curiosity phase that I went through.  Again, these are two examples of science experiences that I had as a kid:

1. A friend and I wanted to know what happens to baking soda when it was mixed with other chemicals.  By the time we finished our experiment, my mom’s kitchen had baking soda residue all over it because of an explosion.  Aside from being yelled at by my mother – no one was hurt – and we accomplished our objective.

2. I was in a high school science class where a teacher wanted to demonstrate the explosive properties of hydrogen.  The teacher filled a balloon with hydrogen and then caused it to explode by holding a match to it.  The blast sounded like a grenade going off and the concussion was enough to make the overhead lights sway slightly.  But he made his point.

So again, in my day, the type of stuff that Kiera did was done by both kids and teachers alike.  If anything, what Kiera did was in poor judgment – but her actions do not deserve the draconian punishment that she’s now receiving.  Furthermore, a simple “please don’t do that again” admonishment would have sufficed in this matter.  Throwing the book at a good kid who made an innocent, but poor decision is never the way to go.  Kiera needs to be cut some slack big time…

Update 05/03/13: There is a petition to get these felony charges dropped against Kiera at www.change.org.  Please head on over there and sign it to get these draconian charges dropped against this young lady.

News/photo source: THEROOT.COM.

That inopportune flash of inspiration

Sometimes a flash of inspiration can come at the most inopportune moments.  When they do come are you ready to process them?  Or do you let that flash of inspiration fade away like a vapor?

If you’re a creative person – I would hope your approach to an inopportune flash of inspiration is the former – that you immediately process it.  Because inspiration can indeed hit you at the most inopportune times and in the strangest of places.  Yet, it is the aforementioned types of inspiration that often give birth to great novels, photographs, inventions, scientific breakthroughs and so forth.

As for the places that inopportune flashes of inspiration seem to pop up – they can be indeed strange.  Anything from that idle time on the commode to the mundane task of mowing your grass – can be opportunity for an inopportune flash of inspiration.  When they do take place – don’t be embarrassed about the location – just go with the flow and embrace that inspiration.