This is Why I Do My Own PC Repairs
From Engadget:
"Sure, it seems like a no-brainer, but when Sky News in the UK dropped a brand new laptop off at several repair shops in London (equipped with a key logger and sneaky video recording software) they caught employees accessing personal data, hacking accounts for banking and social networking sites, and charging for unnecessary work. Who would've thunk it, right? For their next report, the news team is going to investigate whether or not the iPozh is actually manufactured by Apple."
Update: Now with video!
Another reason why I don't trust retail repair services. And if I must go to someone else, I only go through manufacturer's warranty and after I get all my important data off.
40 Years Later
Apollo 11 landed on the moon and humankind took its "giant leap" on this day 40 years ago. Humanity has come a long way in technological advancement.
Next stop, Mars!
Though I still at times wonder if we can make it that far. The threat of nuclear annihilation is currently growing and we fight amongst ourselves rather than looking to the stars. Much of the interest and allure of space exploration has faded in the general public.
I think more and more we need "first contact" to happen because only by knowing we are not alone can humanity be united as one.
On a side note, today would also have been Billy Mays' 51st birthday. R.I.P. The man can sell you anything ... and throw in another for FREE!
Michael Vick Released
So he gets out today. He has paid his dues and has suffered enough in terms of career, emotion, and family. Thus, in my opinion, all those haters should stop hating on him.
I mean, I think it would be awesome for him to have his shot at redemption and write the story of the greatest comeback ever in sports history. Such stories of fallen stars have inspired many. But it is his decision and the decision of the NFL.
We forgive not to condone the crimes committed but to stop the cycle of hatred and move on. The dogs are dead for 2 years now and they are not coming back. But right now, a human life fights to earn his freedom and reintegration back into society. Depriving him to a life of poverty (he has long since accumulated a substantial amount of financial debt) is uncivilized.
I mean - we'll be setting a double standard by dogging on him when other NFL players have killed other humans (DUI's and say... murder!?) and are still allowed to play.
All those PETA bandwagoners want Vick's head scanned for "violence" or even his head on a platter. Remember, PETA jumped on President Obama for swatting a fly. And their ad campaign seems to respect animals more than women. So maybe it's not Vick's head that needs to be checked.
And to all those red herrings playing the race card, it's totally ignorant and irrelevant in this day and age - this video does a good job of satiring the issue:
P.S. Pun unintended.
Bill O’Reilly on Michael Jackson
All I have to say is: "Oh no you didn't!!!"
Bill O'Reilly is not known for his impeccable timing (or maybe he is depending on how you look at it).
With all the anger being expressed on Twitter right now, I am not going to touch this one with a ten-foot pole. I have no comment.
Watch out! Here it comes...
This is what everyone is raging about (and it really shouldn't come as a surprise if you know who he is):
Though, with no reference to the above video, I will say that the least a country's media could do is spend a respectable amount of time to honor their recently fallen soldiers...
Independence
As America celebrates theirs, many other countries fight for theirs and some have no hope of achieving it. It's been three weeks since #IranElection made top trending topic on Twitter and it is still going strong. The grassroots movement has become an inspiration to me and to the world and the outcome will have a lasting impact. It seems the Iranian theocracy has failed to protect the rights and freedoms of its people and by allowing innocent blood to be spilt, it has lost its legitimacy.
As much as I'd like to remain in blissful ignorance and denial, I can't help but draw connections. Global security to oil prices, fundamentalism to democracy, the conflict over there is tied to a lot. As 29 innocents stand to be executed, the conflict is a reminder to us why we keep religion and the state separate.
Though, I believe the Green movement will win. It's only a matter of time. The younger generation wants change and as long as they resist being indoctrinated with the old ways, the older generation will fade away clinging to tradition. Even now, the current regime has lost a lot of support internally and on the world stage, which they cannot afford in this age of "post-globalization".
North Korea continues to fire missiles with no concern to others. Iran recently launched a satellite and continues to enrich uranium. Add those two technologies together and you eventually have the capability to nuke any location in the world.
Don't even get me started on "climate change". We've heard it all before. I just hope we don't resort to that drastic measure of pumping sulfur/water vapour into the atmosphere to cool Earth down in the event of severe global warming.
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I recently saw Watchmen again and despite being a comic book movie, it really does beg the question: is humanity really doomed to destroy itself?
I used to be quite the humanist, believing we have the capacity to basically take care of ourselves. But now, as I see more and more of the world, is Watchmen is right? We absolutely need to live in fear of God's wrath? Are we inherently flawed and destined to destroy ourselves? Do we need a "common enemy"? Too often we focus on our differences only to forget we are all human.
"Five minutes to midnight," they say. With a push of the wrong button or the turning of two keys, the world's institutions, governments, and infrastructure could all collapse as everything turns to dust. That degree hanging on my wall and the money in my wallet will all mean nothing in a land turned cold and lawless as everyone fends for themselves. What a bleak future.
I can draw many parallels of what I saw in the film to the world today. Giant squid monster aside (if you've read the graphic novel), perhaps it is true that a great calamity - depending on your beliefs, either by God or by our hands - is what will unite us and save us from a greater tragedy. The lives of millions to save billions. Or maybe, to be an optimist, that will never be necessary and we never were on the path to self-destruction.
I'll close with this thought though. As much as the media loves to instil fear by bombarding us with the above stories, I still keep hope alive that we will do better. The future looks gloomy but the future can change and I hope our world leaders never stop trying. I cherish every moment I have now and shared with others. For that, every day isn't so "emo" and pointless.
Not Always in Threes
This month had a lot of notable deaths that put the media in a frenzy. Many of these people were part of my childhood and teenage memories of TV and movies.
Though many discount the significance of a "celebrity death", do know that entertainers touch the lives of millions. They make sure those long flights aren't boring. They can give hope to the hopeless for those awaiting trial in a lonely cell.
Here are the deaths I encountered over the month in the media:
Billy Mays (July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009) - The guy from the OxiClean and Orange Glo infomercials. Hypertensive heart disease. 50.
Gale Storm (April 5, 1922 - June 27, 2009) - Of My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show. Long illness and failing health. 87.
Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) - The King of Pop behind "Thriller", "Billie Jean", and "Beat It". Cardiac arrest. 50.
Farrah Fawcett (February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) - American actress of Charlie's Angels fame. Anal cancer. 62.
Ed McMahon (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) - Johnny Carson's announcer and sidekick in The Tonight Show. No formal cause, accumulated illness. 86.
Neda Agha-Soltan (1982 – June 20, 2009) - Iranian citizen whose death was captured on video during the 2009 Iranian protests and became a martyr for the movement. Gunshot wound below the neck. 26.
Tomoji Tanabe (18 September 1895 – 19 June 2009) - Oldest living man (for 2 years and 146 days) passes on his title to Henry Allingham. Heart failure. 113 years, 274 days.
David Carradine (December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) - From the Kung Fu, and Kill Bill fame. "Accidental" hanging. 72.
With so many celebrity deaths, especially within a week, I fear rates of depression may spike, especially those who are already susceptible. It can be difficult especially for those who hoped so much for Fawcett to come through or for Jackson to make his big comeback. Many are indeed depressed losing an icon they grew up with.
Alas, death happens everyday and I hope I'm not misinterpreted that these lives are worth more than those who die everyday deprived of human rights and basic survival needs.
I'm also well aware of some interpretations of the words "idol" and "icon". Please, please, do not take it upon yourself to be self-righteous as it will only appear foolish and intolerant in the public eye.
"Life is precious but fleeting."
I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire – The Ink Spots (1941)
- I don’t want to set the world on fire
- I just want to start
- A flame in your heart
- In my heart I have but one desire
- And that one is you
- No other will do
- I’ve lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
- I just want to be the one you love
- And with your admission that you feel the same
- I’ll have reached the goal I’m dreaming of
- Believe me
- I don’t want to set the world on fire
- I just want to start
- A flame in your heart
[Spoken Word]
- I don't wanna set the world on fire, honey
- I love ya too much
- I just wanna start a great big flame
- Down in your heart
- You see, way down inside of me
- Darlin' I have only one desire
- And that one desire is you
- And I know nobody else ain't gonna do
[Sung]
- I’ve lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
- I just want to be the one you love
- And with your admission that you feel the same
- I’ll have reached the goal I’m dreaming of
- Believe me
- I don’t want to set the world on fire
- I just want to start
- A flame in your heart
Once Science Fiction
"Space, the final frontier." - Dubbed "Spaceport America", the world's first spaceport breaks ground and begins construction in New Mexico. The above is a rendering of what it will look like. Next thing we know, we see spacedocks building the USS Enterprise. 
This kind of technology where a screen is powered wirelessly (radio frequency) makes us that much closer to a world looking a lot like Minority Report. Driver's licences and passports with animated pictures of yourself! Newspapers that update their stories right before your eyes!
I just realized, is that a Gattaca reference? "Specimen card". Maybe I'm mixing up movies again. I would be very sad if J.K. Rowling attempts to sue and hold back technological progress. Haha.
From Gizmodo,
"It looks like a nondescript battery, but this is actually the world's smallest GPS, GSM and RF tracking device.
The recently released CATS.i measures just 45mm x 35mm x 12mm, and makers say it can be used to track cars, pets and even people. Given that they also claim this is the "most covert" tracking device of its type and is "almost undetectable when being worn", I'm not sure I want to know who their normal customers are.
The device uses a built-in GSM sim chip to report back its GPS data, either constantly or at set intervals, which can then be tracked online. It is battery powered but can also be hardwired to vehicles, or even solar power—though the makers don't specify how. Quad band GSM, GSP and RF ensures you should be able to monitor the people you are stalking—sorry, tracking—wherever they go."
So, basically, someone could reverse pickpocket one of these on me and track me wherever I go with a cell phone. Wow. I'm going to be super paranoid now especially with old tricks like casually bumping into me or the "hot girl" distraction. Nah, I'm not that important.
You Can’t Stop the Signal, Mal
I'm just amazed at the unity and the fight for what's right in Iran and Twitter right now. People all over the world are banding together to get the truth out while Iran's recently and questionably elected government tries to clamp down on information getting out of the country. Tweeters are changing their time zones to Iran's to confuse Iran's Intelligence agents and to hide those who continue to get the word out about the wrong that is being done to them in the country.
Today, we see an end of an era of modern day news reporting as news agencies such as CNN were prohibited or too slow reporting on the situation in Iran. This means that the latest up-to-date news on the situation is from Twitter and its Iranian users hiding and getting the word out. So much for freedom of the press and freedom of information. But hey, we can be our own broadcasters! Even the US State Department demanded that a scheduled maintenance on Twitter that would have brought it down for hours be postponed because Twitter has become such a crucial outlet for live information to them.
Looking through images posted under #iranelection, university dorms are being raided and destroyed (So much for safe higher education...). People are getting shot and human rights activists arrested. Reporters are getting kicked out of the country. Democracy itself has fallen as people were robbed of their votes by an oppressive regime. I just pray we do not see another Tiananmen.
"My death is irrelevant. What's important is that you not forget my words. We want freedom. I will die for that."
It's scary how that may have been someone's last words...
Some more notable tweets:
"I've learned something today. Americans DO care about the world outside America. Their media just doesn't."
"We are all Iranian now."
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -Gandhi
If you're a Twitterer, do NOT post the person's name when you retweet. And make sure your source is real and not counter-Tweeters spreading misinformation. There's a lot of 1984 going on.
What happens there matters because the climate for dialogue between Iran and the Western world (US and well, us) will never improve if the government in power does not represent the views of its citizens. And it's unknown if Iran will continue to seek nuclear weapons. If they do, it could spark an arms race in the Middle East.
Stem Cells and Random News
The recent development by Australian scientists of curing blindness within a month using contact lenses coated with adult stem cells and using those lenses on the same individual is nothing short of amazing. Even though it's only limited to corneal damage, reading about lifesaving and life-improving developments such as this makes it that much harder for me to side with those radical naysayers against any stem cell research (not that I ever have). However, as the way things are
From the religious concept of "ensoulment" to the legal concept of "personhood", this is a very complicated debate and even I still have trouble "drawing the line". So, I'm not going to start.
Now, I don't know if this is still true, but the FDA and "Big Pharma" (pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists) in the US has yet to legalize adult stem cell treatments (autologous stem cells - i.e., using your own cells on yourself). This is because the FDA has called these stem cells "drugs" and must be regulated. It's preposterous to think that when it comes time that you want to use your own stem cells to treat yourself, you can't because the pharmaceutical companies want the profits from basically patenting your cells as drugs.
I can see why though. Autologous stem cell treatments appear to be a tenth of the cost of their drug counterparts and Big Pharma stands to lose a lot of money from this unless they gain control of it for themselves. Sigh. Greed kills. The FDA and Big Pharma are in a way killing the people they aim to protect.
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To the person who killed the abortion doctor, you have severely undermined the public's sympathy for your position and your supporters by committing the very act you and your group sought to prevent. This is the ultimate irony of a "pro-lifer". Yes, he aborted late-terms and many of the procedures bordered on negative eugenics (eliminating genetic defects) but murdering someone because of his ideology is the stuff terrorism is made of.
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On a lighter note, from the front page of Globe and Mail website: Link - Sex: $100. Just listening: $400.
It's funny yet sad to see this industry grow in the recession. It seems when the man loses huge income, the love from the wife magically disappears. Indeed there is a "global problem with intimacy" (as quoted from the article) and my naive beliefs are repeatedly tested by what is seen. And I have seen that dense urban life can be really lonely.
In the comments: "The dating scene these days is either frustrating and annoying or bruising to the male ego to the point that I can see guys paying to get a few hours of relief." Hmm? Yes? No? Well, sure, sometimes nothing can be more annoying than an egg that just... sits... but I'd hate to be the one that can't swim either. If both sides can continually put forth the effort to meet in the middle, then perfection is conceived.
Ok, I'm done with the gross analogy. Haha. Bye.
