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Greetings
Quotaholics.
Today’s subject is public online privacy. Sort of, kind of, in a way,
maybe, perhaps not at all. I don’t know. I know nothing…no-thing.
I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it, you can’t prove anything. That
wasn’t me anyhow, that was my evil twin sister.
I am lucky. I get to use my computer in the relative privacy of my own
home. Note I said ‘relative’ privacy. I post to Facebook nothing (I
don’t Twitter or Tweet) that I don’t already consider public knowledge
or else that I don’t give a rat’s ass if anyone knows about. But if
it’s something that could be used as evidence against me, something
on the order of 8×10 colored glossy photographs with circles and arrows
and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what the evidence
is that could be used against me in court*…well I just don’t post
those kind of things. I don’t even think about them unless I have my
aluminum foil hat on to prevent ‘them’ from reading my mind.
But if you are using a computer at an internet cafe all the aluminum
foil hats in the world aren’t going to do you any good. ‘They’ are really
out there and they are really watching us, or trying to get someone
else to help them watch us. The FBI and the Department of Justice are,
that is. Or at least they are trying to.
http://publicintelligence.net/do-you-like-online-privacy-you-may-be-a-terrorist/
According to a flyer designed by aforementioned organizations if you
are using a computer at an internet cafe and seem to be overly concerned
about privacy…well, yoouu might be a terrorist.
The document lists several clues to be used in recognizing suspected
terrorists such as logging into an account associated with a residential
internet service provider such as Comcast or AOL, shielding the screen
from the view of others or using encryption. They state that anyone
engaging in those types of activities should be considered suspicious
and potentially engaged in terrorist activities.
That means if you really feel the need to post pictures and blog from
an internet cafe or other public computer about what you did on your
recent vacation to Las Vegas, don’t do it. Leave it be. Big Brother,
Uncle Sam or your local internet cafe worker just might be looking over
your shoulder, literally.
Now one would think in this day and age that most of us by now have
figured out that the concept of privacy, especially on the internet,
is pretty much dead. Sadly, a lot of people are of the mindset that
if you are concerned about keeping anything private, that you must be
up to something or have some nefarious knowledge to hide. On the other
hand there are a few dorkfish out there that think if they post something
on Facebook they really can limit it to just friends and nobody else
will ever know. Riiight…and they probably believe in Santa Claus and
the Tooth Fairy too. But the reality is that even if you don’t Twitter,
Skype, Facebook or do any of those other bazillion social networking
things this old codger doesn’t do, there is little you can do to prevent
someone else from finding out about you with just a few choice clicks.
Try investigating yourself sometime. I did and although I didn’t find
out anything to alarm me, I was uncomfortable with what was available.
I don’t have a lot of questions to ask today, but I just felt this was
an interesting tidbit to pass on to those old fashioned folks out there
who mind their own business and would like others to do the same. How
do you feel about privacy, internet privacy and using online cafes?
I strongly encourage you to use the link I have provided and read the
whole article. There are some interesting links at the bottom of the
page and some useful ideas about keeping your privacy on the internet.
GrammieSammie
*From Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie.
Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping
Tom to install your window blinds. ~John Perry Barlow~
The things people most want to know about are usually none of their
business. ~George Bernard Shaw~
If you say to people that they, as a matter of fact, can’t protect their
conversations, in particular their political conversations, I think
you take a long step toward making a transition from a free society
to a totalitarian society. ~Whitfield Diffie~
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| Today’s
Quotes |
A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.
- Arnold Glasow
The future, according to some scientists, will be exactly like the past,
only far more expensive. - John Sladek
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| Today’s
Chuckle |
Bathroom Break
[Thanks Bonnie]
Some carpenters were
working outside the old house and Bill’s wife had just finished washing
the floor, when one of the workmen asked to use the bathroom…
With dismay she looked from his muddy boots to her newly scrubbed floors.
“Just a minute,” she said, thinking of a quick solution. “I’ll put down
some newspapers.”
“That’s all right, lady,” he responded. “I’m already potty-trained.”
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| Life
Sentences |
I am the inferior of any man whose rights I trample underfoot.
The darkest hour in any man’s life is when he sits down to plan how
to get money without earning it.
The illusion that times that were are better than those that are, has
probably pervaded all ages. - all from Horace Greeley, American journalist,
editor, and publisher, born on this day in 1811
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| Image’n
That! |
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| My
Most Embarrassing Moment
My Scariest Moment |
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Speak right up!
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| Cliff’s
Notes
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Friends
Since the earliest of my life that I can remember, I have had friends.
Everyone does. Unless we are a recluse or in an area so remote
to prevent human interaction, we have friends.
Some will categorize friends on a scale. An acquaintance is someone
that was friendly that a person met but had no ongoing interaction.
An associate is usually a person who is friendly toward the person,
but the interaction is only while working at a common workplace.
An associate can be simply someone with whom we interact at work, but,
I use it in this reference for the sake of the topic.
Usually, when someone says someone else is their friend, there is frequent
interaction. That may be circumstantial. The interaction
may be attenuated by geography or careers which make the interaction
less frequent than the friendship with a neighbor just down the street.
However, the feelings of friendship may be more intense for the infrequent
interaction than for the neighbor we see daily.
Of course, there are romantic relationships that fall into the friendship
range. They may or may not include any sexual contact, but the
more intense feelings fall into a whole different range. The "best
friend" would be one of these more intense relationships.
Usually these are same-sex associations, but it is not an exclusive
gender bias. There are many who have a "best" guy or
gal friend. Some have both.
Lovers take a higher step on the range. This usually infers sexual
contact, although it isn’t always a factor between lovers. These
days it is usually assumed if one says they are someone else’s lover
that sex is the natural result. We generally assume the highest
step is the relationship between one person and their mate, or spouse.
The definition of a mated pair assumes a friendship of the ultimate
devotion.
There are many factors we use to define these "types" of friends.
Whether the friend would loan us something we needed when we needed
it, or if the friend would go out of their way to do something we needed
done give us a definition of how important we are and our well-being
is to them. How we feel in the other perspective defines to ourselves
how important the other person is to us. Would we share something
of value with them, or would we drive across town to make sure they
were safe identifies our feelings toward them even though it is usually
not a forethought, but we realize that importance when a situation
arises.
Here’s your quiz:
Do you have any friends with whom you stay in contact that stemmed from
childhood?
Considering our language limitations, what other categories of friends
do you perceive?
Do you have a "best friend" that either of you would do just
about anything for the other if needed?
Friends - Those With Whom You Can Truly Rely
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
Comment
on this article |
| BJ’s
Ponderings |
Where Angels Tread (CS)
My wife lay in the hospital bed, recovering from her liver operation,
the chemotherapy treatment, and lastly coming out of a semi-coma.
Her chances of survival were slim, about one half of one percent,
but survive she did. Phil, her son in law and I were visiting her,
getting her ready to come home.
While visiting with her, she asked me who is the lady that is scrubbing
the floor.
I looked but just the three of us were in the room, no other lady.
I asked my wife about the woman’s appearance, her attire.
She responded, "She is wearing a white robe and has silver hair."
We continued to visit, then she sat up in bed and said, "She
is washing my feet."
I had to turn away, tears were coming to my eyes. I realized for the
first time my wife was being prepared for her last journey. What did
my wife see? I cannot say except I believe she witnessed people from
heaven, angels, whatever you wish to call them and they were preparing
my wife. How could she see them and we could not?
Medication? Perhaps. However, I prefer to believe, no, I have to believe
she saw through the vale. My wife saw with spiritual eyes things that
I could not see because I was too far from the other side .
B.J. Cassady
Comment
On This Article
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Kirsten’s
Krazy Kaleidoscope |
Kirsten has lost an aunt in a traffic accident in South Africa.
She may be absent for some issues. Join us in sharing some thoughts
and/or meditations for her and her family. It was an unexpected
loss after a recent loss of 3 other elderly family members.
Comment
On This Article |
| Lucille’s
Lunacy |
http://gantdaily.com/2012/01/03/man-accidentally-shoots-himself-while-using-the-bathroom/
If you were a felon, and legally not permitted to carry arms, you might
garner some understanding when you hide the gun you insist on carrying
anyway. After all, you would want to have something on board if someone
chose, or at least tried to choose not to give you your own way. In
my opinion, the guy in the above story got just what he deserved.
You see, he forgot that he had moved his little friend, (I mean the
metal one, not the — you know) from its place of honor in his pocket.
(He wanted it within easy reach, and you can decide for yourself which
little friend I mean this time). He stuck it in his waist band, probably
drank a couple of beers, and had to do what all G-d’s chillen’ gotta’
do after consuming quantities of liquid.
He marched into the little boy’s room, and began the process. In his
fog, he had forgotten where he had put his little metal friend, and
it fell. On its way to the floor, it hit the urinal, and shot its load.
Now, if I could make the facts more convenient, you know where the bullet
would have landed. However, I’m not a member of Congress, and am not
licensed to edit the truth for any reason, let alone just to enhance
the humor of a story. So, I must admit, it hit him in the leg.
The man’s absent mindedness, (drunkenness?) stupidity found a place
on the Internet, which gives him the thing RGQ has tried to offer for
years, his fifteen minutes of fame. In addition, he has found his way
into my imagination, which I assure you will become even more humiliating
for him if this column goes viral. Can you imagine the conversation
that proceeded his little adventure:
Him: “Well, I got to go see a man about a horse.”
wife: “Don’t forget what you have in your pants –”
Him, slightly offended: “What is that supposed to mean?”
Wife: (again hoping he’ll catch on without forcing her to announce to
the whole bar that her idiot husband is illegally armed) “You know,
the thing you should take out of your pants before you go.”
Him: “I hardly need your advice. I’ve been toilet trained for years!”
Then, he stomps off in a huff.
“Bang! Bang!”
Bar patrons: “What the hell was that?”
Wife: “Well, at least I won’t be the one who has to make excuses tonight.”
Comment
On This Article |
| Poet-Tree |
Turkey facts - Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the
wild turkey, not the Bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States?
Did you know that wild turkeys spend their nights in low branches of
trees? Did you know that the "wattle", the flap of skin under
the turkey’s chin, turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during
courtship? Did you know that the domestic turkey (the Thanksgiving variety)
is twice as big as the wild turkey and is too heavy to fly?
Did you know that this issue’s "turkey" needs a name? You
fill in the blank -
Let’s try this one:
I once had a turkey named ________
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
I
once knew a sailor named Dan
For a sailor, a very fine man
Like most sailors onshore
He went looking for a whore
Then reboarded and sailed to Taipan.
- Bonnie >^..^< |
I
once milked a goat with 6 tits—
the barnyard cows loved her to bits—
until one fine day
when the chicken did lay
and that goat in her barn didn’t fit.
- Cassandra in New York |
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Reader Comments |
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Re: Pets
I
don’t keep pets, because it is incredibly difficult to feed one except
at the expense of a person or a wild animal. However, my friend Don
is happy to keep any superannuated farm animals. Currently, he has
a dozen chickens and a dog, but has also hosted llamas, goats, horses
and cows, which are our favorites. It is easy to see why they are
sacred in India for setting a good example. - Bob of the North
I currently have 3 exotic
pets, a 22 yr old blue and gold macaw, a 19 yr old Congo African grey
and a 17 yr old Umbrella cockatoo. They are all DNA sexed male and
I’ve had them since 5 weeks of age. They have been a joy. I have been
fortunate enough to be able to trade petsitting with a friend of mine.
She watches my 3 parrots and our cat and I watch her cat, 2 dogs and
aquarium. It has been an enjoyable experience. In the past we have
had a black rat snake, a corn snake and a bull snake. - Mare8too
Cliff: In regard
to exotic and non-traditional pets see the articles from the Washington
Post and BBC News concerning the reduction of the mammal population
of the Everglades by 90% to 99% by the Burmese pythons released there
by people who couldn’t handle their pets. Rabbits, raccoons, opossums,
bobcats and deer are being exterminated by exotic reptiles that started
as pets.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/in-florida-everglades-pythons-and-anacondas-dominate-food-chain/2012/01/30/gIQAULTVdQ_story.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16791094
- bob in maryland
Re:
Backups
I love the
Internet and all that… but really, put all my important stuff out
there in never never land? You’ve got to be kidding me! Behind my
firewall I make my own backups, in fact, several; and one copy is
always kept in a small fireproof safe. I use encrypted external pocket
drives that are password secured, far more secure than any web service.
- LDO in OH
Personally, I won’t use anything like that because if you’re files
are out, unprotected (whatever the host service may say about security)
then you’re just asking to lose them or get them hacked. Like Tim
always told us, if you’re to lazy to do a manual backup on your computers
you deserve what you get. I use both a Book and a thumb drive for
redundacy. I may lose some stuff, but the important things are where
I can still access them. Thank you Tim!! - Ruth in WA
whatever happened to simply
downloading important documentary stuff to a CD ? In this den there’s
half a wall shelf full of those things. In storage boxes one can see
and touch. And use, if you can decifer the scribbled what-is-this
marked on them. Why trust Really Important info on somebody else’s
computer? That seems like handing the chicken to the fox. - Nancy
L in Ohio
As many of you may know,
I write for my own amusement and for publication here and in blogs.
I like to write ahead of time for my blogs. I have through most of
the month of August already written out ready for my blog posts. I
store those at Dropbox because it is handy for me. I use three different
computers to write and moving the files back and forth can be a nuisance,
and if I use the wrong file, I can lose data.
I also use Dropbox to store my favorite recipes. I share them with
my sister and my niece-in-law. We all love to cook and finding a good
recipe is fun. It is also very handy since I can access a recipe from
my phone while I’m grocery shopping to see if I have to buy something
else when I find a really great sale, making me think I could have
a specific dish - if I only knew what else to buy.
I send my articles in to Cliff and Mike in advance, and once I sent
it to the wrong place and needed to scramble to get it back. I also
look back to make sure I’m not writing about the same thing too often.
I suppose I could go through Mike’s website to check, but it is easier
to look through my saved files - on Dropbox since I’m once again using
three computers.
These are important to me, but probably not worth anyone hacking into
them. And they aren’t so precious I want to put them on CDs for me
to never be able to find again. But I do want easy access and the
ability to share them. I would feel cheated if the US government all
of a sudden decided my own files were theirs to do with as they chose.
- Patti
Re:
Equality
Tom,
I’m sorry you don’t like the Huffington Post. Maybe you’ll like the
Memphis Appeal better. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jan/13/tea-parties-cite-legislative-demands/
HuffPost provided a link to their article as their source. You should
know that it’s not about whether you particularly like the source
but whether the story is true or not. I only reported what they printed.
If you find out that the information it contains is incorrect, please
let us know. - Bruce
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
which pieces impacted you the most.
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