Current Events And Commentaries
SALON
I’m Terrified Of My New TV:
Why I’m scared to turn this thing on — and you’d be, too
From facial recognition to personal data collection,
this thing is downright scary -- and so are the implications
By Michael Price, Salon — I just bought a new TV. The old one had a good run, but after the volume got stuck on 63, I decided it was time to replace it. I am now the owner of a new “smart” TV, which promises to deliver streaming multimedia content, games, apps, social media and Internet browsing. Oh, and TV too.
The only problem is that I’m now afraid to use it. You would be too — if you read through the 46-page privacy policy.
The amount of data this thing collects is staggering. It logs where, when, how and for how long you use the TV. It sets tracking cookies and beacons designed to detect “when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message.” It records “the apps you use, the websites you visit, and how you interact with content.” It ignores “do-not-track” requests as a considered matter of policy.
It also has a built-in camera — with facial recognition. The purpose is to provide “gesture control” for the TV and enable you to log in to a personalized account using your face. On the upside, the images are saved on the TV instead of uploaded to a corporate server. On the downside, the Internet connection makes the whole TV vulnerable to hackers who have demonstrated the ability to take complete control of the machine.
More troubling is the microphone. The TV boasts a “voice recognition” feature that allows viewers to control the screen with voice commands. But the service comes with a rather ominous warning: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.” Got that? Don’t say personal or sensitive stuff in front of the TV.
You may not be watching, but the telescreen is listening.
I do not doubt that this data is important to providing customized content and convenience, but it is also incredibly personal, constitutionally protected information that should not be for sale to advertisers and should require a warrant for law enforcement to access.
Unfortunately, current law affords little privacy protection to so-called “third party records,” including email, telephone records, and data stored in “the cloud.” Much of the data captured and transmitted by my new TV would likely fall into this category. Although one federal court of appeals has found this rule unconstitutional with respect to email, the principle remains a bedrock of modern electronic surveillance.
According to retired Gen. David Petraeus, former head of the CIA, Internet-enabled “smart” devices can be exploited to reveal a wealth of personal data. “Items of interest will be located, identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through technologies such as radio-frequency identification, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy harvester,” he reportedly told a venture capital firm in 2012. “We’ll spy on you through your dishwasher,” read one headline. Indeed, as the “Internet of Things” matures, household appliances and physical objects will become more networked. Your ceiling lights, thermostat and washing machine — even your socks — may be wired to interact online. The FBI will not have to bug your living room; you will do it yourself.
[See full story link below for entire article]...
In the meantime, I’ll be in the market for a new tinfoil hat and cone of silence.
Michael Price is counsel in the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law....
The only problem is that I’m now afraid to use it. You would be too — if you read through the 46-page privacy policy.
The amount of data this thing collects is staggering. It logs where, when, how and for how long you use the TV. It sets tracking cookies and beacons designed to detect “when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message.” It records “the apps you use, the websites you visit, and how you interact with content.” It ignores “do-not-track” requests as a considered matter of policy.
It also has a built-in camera — with facial recognition. The purpose is to provide “gesture control” for the TV and enable you to log in to a personalized account using your face. On the upside, the images are saved on the TV instead of uploaded to a corporate server. On the downside, the Internet connection makes the whole TV vulnerable to hackers who have demonstrated the ability to take complete control of the machine.
More troubling is the microphone. The TV boasts a “voice recognition” feature that allows viewers to control the screen with voice commands. But the service comes with a rather ominous warning: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.” Got that? Don’t say personal or sensitive stuff in front of the TV.
You may not be watching, but the telescreen is listening.
I do not doubt that this data is important to providing customized content and convenience, but it is also incredibly personal, constitutionally protected information that should not be for sale to advertisers and should require a warrant for law enforcement to access.
Unfortunately, current law affords little privacy protection to so-called “third party records,” including email, telephone records, and data stored in “the cloud.” Much of the data captured and transmitted by my new TV would likely fall into this category. Although one federal court of appeals has found this rule unconstitutional with respect to email, the principle remains a bedrock of modern electronic surveillance.
According to retired Gen. David Petraeus, former head of the CIA, Internet-enabled “smart” devices can be exploited to reveal a wealth of personal data. “Items of interest will be located, identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through technologies such as radio-frequency identification, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy harvester,” he reportedly told a venture capital firm in 2012. “We’ll spy on you through your dishwasher,” read one headline. Indeed, as the “Internet of Things” matures, household appliances and physical objects will become more networked. Your ceiling lights, thermostat and washing machine — even your socks — may be wired to interact online. The FBI will not have to bug your living room; you will do it yourself.
[See full story link below for entire article]...
In the meantime, I’ll be in the market for a new tinfoil hat and cone of silence.
Michael Price is counsel in the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law....
U.S. Constitution
Bill of Rights - Fourth Amendment
Officially the Law of the Land since December 15, 1791
Officially the Law of the Land since December 15, 1791
‘Search and Seizure’
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, SHALL NOT BE VIOLATED, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Ben Carson 1st Republican
To Throw Hat In 2016 Presidential Ring
By Shushannah Walshe, ABC News —To Throw Hat In 2016 Presidential Ring
Yes, the 2016 race for the White House has already gotten started -- and it looks like Dr. Ben Carson is first in the ring. Carson, a famous pediatric neurosurgeon and conservative political star, will air a nearly 40 minute-long ad introducing himself to the American people this weekend, an aide to Carson confirms to ABC News.The documentary titled “A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America” will air in 22 states and Washington, DC. The paid video will detail some of his biography and family life, including his rise from being born to a single mother with a poor childhood in Detroit to director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins for almost 40 years, known for his work separating conjoined twins, to potential 2016 presidential candidate. ...
Dr. Benjamin Carson Epic Full Speech at National Prayer Breakfast Attacks Obama’s Policies!
The speech took an interesting turn when the doctor cautioned that moral decay and fiscal irresponsibility can have dire consequences — even for powerful countries like America. Here, he became even more pointed and impassioned.
"I think particularly about ancient Rome. Very powerful — nobody could even challenge them militarily...they destroyed themselves from within," Carson continued. "Moral decay. Fiscal irresponsibility."
Watch This Inspirational Biography Film
Starring Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. as Ben Carson
Synopsis: Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. stars in this true story about a renowned brain surgeon who overcame obstacles to change the course of medicine forever. Young Ben Carson didn't have much of a chance. Growing up in a broken home amongst poverty and prejudice, his grades suffered and his temper flared. And yet, his mother never lost her faith in him. Insisting he follow the opportunities she never had, she helped to grow his imagination, intelligence and, most importantly, his belief in himself. That faith would be his gift - the thing that would drive him to follow his dream of becoming one of the world's leading neurosurgeons. Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 wins & 10 nominations.
Gifted Hands - The Ben Carson Story
CONSERVATIVE ICON: Executive Amnesty Will ‘Ignite A Civil War’
‘Great, great damage not only to the Democratic Party, but to America’
WND Exclusive —
Barack Obama’s famous observation about the 2008 election was, “Elections have consequences.”But what if national leaders respond to an election by ignoring the will of the voters?
Then the election might have tempestuous consequences.
At least, according to longtime conservative fundraiser Richard Viguerie, who has a warning for President Obama about his stated plans to take executive action on immigration reform even though voters just repudiated his policies by voting his party out of power in the Senate.
“If President Obama, by executive order, extends amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, as he’s promised to do shortly, this could ignite, quite frankly, a civil war across America against the Democratic Party,” Viguerie cautioned....
Democrats Ideology Dealt Sweeping Losses
Fox News - The Kelly File
Judge Napolitano Drops The Hammer,
Saying Obama A ‘Candidate For Impeachment’
Saying Obama A ‘Candidate For Impeachment’
Republicans In Congress Will Have “Very Little Recourse”
By Norvell Rose, Western Journalism —
A brand new, post-election poll on Americans’ feelings about illegal immigration shows that the public, by an almost 2-to-1 margin, clearly favors:-enforcement of current law,
-repatriation of young illegal immigrants to their home countries, and
-limiting the President’s ability to use executive action to legalize immigrants on his own.
In other words, this new survey, like so many before it, finds that Americans by and large disagree with Barack Obama’s immigration policies and his stated intent to move forward with executive action on amnesty....
‘Not A Smidgen Of Corruption’: IRS Forced To Admit
They Never Even Looked for Lerner’s ‘Missing’ Emails
By Greg Campbell, TPNN —They Never Even Looked for Lerner’s ‘Missing’ Emails
When it comes to scandals, the Obama Administration maintains a strict policy of denial mixed with a level of stonewalling that truly boggles the mind. Not only has this administration plainly denied the existence of a political vendetta by the IRS, but when finally forced to admit that such improprieties existed, this administration has maintained that there is not “a smidgen” of corruption to be found.It can’t be found because they’re not looking… At the heart of the scandal is Lois Lerner, the disgraced IRS chief who oversaw the tax exemption department of the IRS who waged war on conservatives for years until thrown under the bus by the Obama Administration. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but when investigators subpoenaed her emails from the period of the IRS’ vendetta, officials claimed they could not provide the emails because of a supposed computer crash....
To Help You Put Things In Perspective...
CleanTV: Family-Friendly Television and Video On Demand
A sobering and humbling look at our problems and our planet compared to the vast creation of Yahowah God.... read full transcript here
Sen. Johnson: Obama’s Letter To Iran
Marks ‘Sad Day For US Foreign Policy’
By Melissa Clyne, Newsmax —Marks ‘Sad Day For US Foreign Policy’
It’s a “sad day for American foreign policy” when the U.S. president operates under a “policy of withdrawal and weakness,” Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said Friday on Newsmax TV's “America’s Forum.”Johnson denounced the Obama administration’s actions concerning Iran, most recently revelations that last month President Barack Obama secretly wrote to Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to float the idea of “a shared interest in fighting Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Iraq and Syria,” according to the Wall Street Journal....
Muslims Spit On Christians And Scream At Them,
“Death To The Pope!” And “A Good Christian Is A Beheaded One!”
The Police Then Force The Christians To Leave
By Theodore Shoebat, Shoebat.com —“Death To The Pope!” And “A Good Christian Is A Beheaded One!”
The Police Then Force The Christians To Leave
A rally of conservative Christians in Rome was attacked by both Muslims and Italian police. The Muslims spat at the Christians, and began to scream, “Death to the Pope [Francis]!” And they also held signs that said, “A good Christian is a beheaded Christian!” The police then forced the Christians out and yelled, “Disperse!” The Christians had no choice but to end the rally, while the Muslims continued their rally.To describe to us this persecution, Shoebat.com interviewed a member of the rally, Tommy Pacinotti, a Christian activist and a P.HD scholar in medieval history....
NewsBusted: November 07, 2014
The Green Light For Conservative Laughter!
Topics for this Edition of NewsBusted
• Midterm Elections
• GOP Takes Senate
• Ebola
• Governor Andrew Cuomo's Book
• Obamas to Divorce?
• Michelle Obama
• Cuba's New Catholic Church
• Champ Bailey Retires
Appeals Court Upholds Same-Sex Marriage Ban
By Sarah Fisher, Ben Shapiro’s Truth Revolt —
Yesterday, an appeals court upheld the same-sex marriage ban in four states, deviating from the national trend of reversing state bans by the court. The ruling sets up the case to head to the Supreme Court.The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel that heard arguments on gay marriage bans or restrictions in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee on Aug. 6 split 2-1, with Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton writing the majority opinion. The ruling creates a divide among federal appeals courts, increasing the likelihood the Supreme Court will now take up the issue.
The ruling cites a need to allow "change through the customary political processes" rather than the court system, maintaining that states have the right to set policy on same-sex marriage....
Susan B. Anthony List: ‘War on Women’ Strategy Is Dead
By Dr. Susan Berry, Breitbart —
In the wake of the Republican electoral wave that saw the success of pro-life candidates, the leader of national pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony List is proclaiming that the liberal, abortion-focused “war on women” strategy is dead.At an address at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Susan B. Anthony List and Women Speak Out PAC President Marjorie Dannenfelser said, “To the extent that abortion was used as an issue by pro-abortion candidates, those candidates suffered a backlash.”...
Obama’s Agenda
» Cartoonist: Bob Gorrell born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bob Gorrell attended the University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1977. Gorrell moved to the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1992, and served there as editorial cartoonist until resigning in January 1998 to concentrate on syndicated editorial and comics page features. From October 2001 through January 2004, Gorrell was Editorial Cartoonist for AOL News. That platform gives Gorrell one of the nation’s largest daily audiences from among AOL’s 33 million subscribers.
Jesus Privately Briefing His Inner Circle of Disciples
Regarding The Last Days
Regarding The Last Days
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” ~ Matthew 24:3-14