Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Waking Up Orwell: A consolation digest

THIS WEEK ON WAKING UP ORWELL

There was no time budget to produce a radio program this week.  HOWEVER, we do have details on an important digest of topics we would have slated for the program.  We liken it to leaving you the place to yourself with an elaborate feast in the fridge and an apology for having to duck out this week.

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF COVERAGE!!

Here’s a sneak peak into NY’s spycam society c/o Loss of Privacy



Watch CBS News Videos Online

WHO'S PROTESTING WHAT

SB 1070 drama continues as more protestors were arrested. This time it wasn’t anywhere near Arizona - it was Los Angeles.  Protests are ongoing in Arizona.  5 more people were arrested; this time over Don't Ask Don't Tell at Senator McCain's office.

Speaking of protest arrests, Amy Goodman is now suing the city of St. Paul Minnesota over her arrest at the RNC. That was an obstruction of real journalism. I recall over 130 accredited journalists were arrested during the 2008 RNC . Many citizen journalists were also arrested and had to deal with bail and charges out of pocket. TruthOut found gaps in the journalism shield laws which didn’t protect their rights.  Bloggers, like Gizmodo editor Jason Chen, aren’t covered. Chen’s home was raided last month over the search for an iPhone prototype. A hearing is scheduled this Friday to sort out what is legal or illegal search and siezure of a blogger’s workplace - which, typically, is their home. We are talking a batched violation here of both 1st and 4th Amendments if Apple and the Redwood City PD are wrong about this.

Along with journalists, the numbers of regular citizens engaged in the political process were arrested en masse along with the dispatch of sonic weaponry during the RNC protests. The Center for Investigative Reporting cites a new book revealing a troubling amount of pre-emptive spying, specifically targeting activists.  COPBOOK, authored by retired policeman Richard Greelis delves more into, the now infamous, Minnesota police “Welcoming Committee” for the RNC and a charachter dubbed Chicken Little.

IF YOU MISSED IT:  A Miami TSA employee lost a lot more than his personal privacy due to an airport body scanner.  The TSA agent became angry over a derisive comment made about the size of his "junk" as he passed through a body scanner.  He then assaulted his co-worker and went to jail.

AND ONE TIME @ PRIVACY CAMP...

As always please share the information you find on BeatTheChip.org with others on the net. It’s just a very sad sad reality that Facebook has gone from friend to Facecrook. Stolen and bogus webprofiles are being sold now on the black market. The depth and breadth of the privacy violations caused me to cut short our 20 day evaluation period of their webservice. This years Privacy Camp in San Francisco was little more than a succession of support group circles given tasks on how to deal with the betrayal of our basic trusts as consumers using what I will call now Facecrook. Even if I do have to pay for Ning - I’m already feeling the pains of separation. One condolence coming out of the Center for Democracy & Technology camp is a step by step method to put Facecrook on a privacy lockdown. It’s about 33 steps. Please take them if your not strong enough to leave Mark Zukerberg’s technology.

I’m not sure he should get custody of our friends in the divorce.  There were long discussions about portability earning terms of refugee status.  Social networks numbered in the thousands who would move to temporary another social network or disperse and reconvene at a different time and place.

Our decision became crystalline to delete our profile as it was carefully explained to me that we are "paying" for free services by allowing them - knowingly or unknowingly - to sell the transactional information we give them while using their service.   Since I'm almost violently against surveillance I'm not going to volunteer up for it for free, when I know better.

I've seen a lot of hit pieces on FB but I think what really did it in for me was when I saw vitaminWater's :::connect flavor, a smart beverage partner with Facebook with the the image of a fingerprint on it.  The first words on the bottle's product description were accusatorial and predatory: "We caught you. Your fingerprints are all over this bottle."  It was then I decided with finality I would delete ALL of my Facebook accounts.

If you prefer mediation: Wired magazine has called for an Open Alternative.

In this week's DIY Government:
THE GOVERNMENT PHONES ARE OPEN, but we prefer you to write your Congressional leaders a handwritten note about the most critical issue of your day: your identity.   
There is a window open right now to state how much you really oppose another national ID card program.  If you are opposed to the digital use of your fingerprints or any future biometrics in a social security card or any other form of identification required to work.  You should be heard and heard clearly.  Watch the following video if you fall into the "silent majority" of people who don't relish a national ID card.  (Pssst! Everyone has power. Especially you!)

Here's an excellent tutorial:





NO CAMERAS FOR SAN BRUNO

Special effort award: San Bruno for counting the cost ahead of time and heading off Redflex at the pass. They won’t be signing up for the radar any time soon due to expenses. They performed a preliminary audit - a strategy which is working very very well for the Bay area to opt out of more undue surveillance.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:  Announcement of a new segment titled: "HEY CITIZEN! Prove You're Not A Terrorist "  Because every week it's something else...

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