Seek! » Rights

phone spying

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:57:24 +0000

Sprint and AT&T have admitted to secretly installing a piece of software called Carrier IQ which tracks everything you type into your phone and where you go. While there is nothing saying that they do anything with this data, it exists if the police/FBI/whatever want to grab it or if a lawyer wants it for evidence. I can just imagine the folks at AT&T saying “OBTW, there’s a record of everyone you called and every text you sent and everywhere you went. Didn’t we mention that? We don’t really look at it, we just like to have logs of where you go. It, uhhhh, ummmm, it’s fun!” Creepy!

At what point is it appropriate to turn into a raving protestor and get ignored by the news? How do we actually affect change?

e-Voting!

admin — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:13:01 +0000

The Texas Supreme Court has declared that the voters there can’t sue to get electronic voting machines which are capable of being audited and recounted. According to the court, the voters need to prove that they were wronged somehow. Sooo, after someone hacked the machines to steal an election, the voters would need the sort of papertrail that they are suing to get. Then, and only then, can they sue to get their papertrail.

-via ArsTechnica, Texas Supreme Court: no e-voting paper trail required

It is my professional opinion, as a software engineer, that any software product can be hacked eventually. It is an invitation for abuse to deploy a voting system which relies only on software. If you are asked to vote on a machine that does not include paper evidence, I would recommend casting a write-in or absentee ballot.

more getting better

admin — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 07:12:29 +0000

Another video for the It Gets Better Project. A music video by Rebecca Drysdale. It rocks, has some vulgarity and almost made me cry at work.

“There’s no one who is meaner than a bunch of asshole teens.
Those assholes are the first people that you will soon forget
When you’re living life and learning how much better it can get.”

If you need to skip the music, listen to the last minute, starting around 4m27s.

Why I’m done with Apple

admin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:53:44 +0000

Folks ask why I didn’t stick with Apple for my second smart phone. It’s because they act like nannies and limit what their users can do. Most recently, Apple banned an app that presents Android news. And, as I looked into it, I found out that Apple gets to approve each and every issue of a magazine before it’s allowed to be published via an iPhone app. That’s just not acceptable.

Folks at Pixar think it gets better

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:19:59 +0000

Here’s a contribution to the “It Gets Better” project from some of the staff at Pixar. 8 minutes, youtube

(note to self, wordpress hates when you leave a space in your hyperlink between the http:// and the www.youtube.com)

TSA compromise

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:07:41 +0000

Looks like the TSA is going to compromise by doing everything the same long enough that it stops being news.

A NY Times article has some great quotes. “in the sort term there will not be any changes.” And “most Americans are not used to a real law-enforcement pat-down like that.”

Yeah, it’s surprising how few law-abiding citizens have been arrested or treated like criminals isn’t it?

VIP’s like TV magician Penn (& Teller) and congressmen can opt out of security. Some people are, after all, more equal than others.

In the land of the free, routine search is not acceptable.

secret airport boobies!

admin — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:34:03 +0000

That’s right ma’am, lift your arms up and smile while you show my friend your boobies!

our xray glasses make you safer citizen

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:39:44 +0000

This image more or less sums up my feelings about the TSA’s Advanced Imaging Tech.

It’s from the new website Fly With Dignity

Undressed protest

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:44:45 +0000

Today, a short video of some protesters spreading awareness of full body scanners at airports.

Yes, really, the scanners see through you clothing. You don’t have anything to hide though so why shouldn’t you be stripped naked. I’m sure the fellow operating the machine isn’t checking out your body, saving the image and bringing it home.

DC allows more marriages!

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:00:49 +0000

Washington DC allows more marriages; line forms; temp workers hired

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100303/ap_on_re_us/us_dc_gay_marriage

Yes, I believe that my lesbian and gay friends should be allowed to marry the people they love too.