Comments for Charlie Lehardy http://blog.betablue.net The life of Charlie and various rants... Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:31:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Global Warm(cool)ing – The Cash Cow of the 21st Century by Zack http://blog.betablue.net/2009/02/21/global-warmcooling-the-cash-cow-of-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-29868 Zack Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:31:32 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/?p=78#comment-29868 I think the thing we can all agree on is moving toward energy independence and avoid putting money in the hands of various less savory people around the world. Following the money can lead you to some interesting places too - witness the recent defeat of lawyers trying to blame autism on vaccines, which only got credit because a few scientists were paid to say it was related: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/02/us-vaccine-court-sides-with-science.ars I think the thing we can all agree on is moving toward energy independence and avoid putting money in the hands of various less savory people around the world.

Following the money can lead you to some interesting places too – witness the recent defeat of lawyers trying to blame autism on vaccines, which only got credit because a few scientists were paid to say it was related:

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/02/us-vaccine-court-sides-with-science.ars

]]> Comment on Blackberries, India, Terrorists and Privacy by Zack http://blog.betablue.net/2008/11/28/blackberries-india-terrorists-and-privacy/comment-page-1/#comment-29813 Zack Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:54:23 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/?p=70#comment-29813 Data doesn't go away, and will enevitably be abused by the government for uses it wasn't originally intended for. Or even not by the government - curious employees often get in trouble for looking up celebrities and politicians information in their company databases. For example, there are now cameras where an officer can drive through a parking lot and read all the license plate numbers, running them through the DMV database, and seeing if any are expired, stolen, etc. It's not to hard to imagine the same algorithm applied to normal traffic cameras to do the same thing with moving vehicles, or even to measure speed between stoplights. You could basically track the movement of any car all over town. Right now, in the US there are plenty of technological measures available to protect communications - nearly every desktop email client has support for S/MIME or PGP encryption. The thing is that almost nobody uses it because it's too hard to get started with. The only way for that to change would be for a software vendor (Say Mozilla with Thunderbird) to make security the default - issue a certificate as a part of email account creation, and dumb down it's use to the point that it would actually get used. When the nation was founded, they didn't write in protection for personal privacy, as it just wasn't needed - if you needed to conduct business in private, there were no invasive technological inroads. Now, any request for personal privacy tends to be interpreted as "what do you have to hide?". People have legitimate reasons to hide things, be they business trade secrets, financial information, or simple things like sending the password to a wireless network to someone who needs it. Data doesn’t go away, and will enevitably be abused by the government for uses it wasn’t originally intended for. Or even not by the government – curious employees often get in trouble for looking up celebrities and politicians information in their company databases.

For example, there are now cameras where an officer can drive through a parking lot and read all the license plate numbers, running them through the DMV database, and seeing if any are expired, stolen, etc. It’s not to hard to imagine the same algorithm applied to normal traffic cameras to do the same thing with moving vehicles, or even to measure speed between stoplights. You could basically track the movement of any car all over town.

Right now, in the US there are plenty of technological measures available to protect communications – nearly every desktop email client has support for S/MIME or PGP encryption. The thing is that almost nobody uses it because it’s too hard to get started with. The only way for that to change would be for a software vendor (Say Mozilla with Thunderbird) to make security the default – issue a certificate as a part of email account creation, and dumb down it’s use to the point that it would actually get used.

When the nation was founded, they didn’t write in protection for personal privacy, as it just wasn’t needed – if you needed to conduct business in private, there were no invasive technological inroads. Now, any request for personal privacy tends to be interpreted as “what do you have to hide?”. People have legitimate reasons to hide things, be they business trade secrets, financial information, or simple things like sending the password to a wireless network to someone who needs it.

]]> Comment on xkcd defines me by Lance Willett http://blog.betablue.net/2008/09/02/xkcd-defines-me/comment-page-1/#comment-29796 Lance Willett Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:18:05 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/?p=63#comment-29796 Awesome! I often find xkcd to be speaking my language – though this one (http://xkcd.com/466/) is what I end up doing from the RV when my WiFi isn't working. ;) Awesome! I often find xkcd to be speaking my language – though this one (http://xkcd.com/466/) is what I end up doing from the RV when my WiFi isn’t working. ;)

]]> Comment on Learn something new every day… by Grace http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/11/learn-something-new-every-day/comment-page-1/#comment-9530 Grace Sat, 22 Sep 2007 03:22:19 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/11/learn-something-new-every-day/#comment-9530 Charlie, Why are you not updating us to the joys of your life? I was so enjoying getting to know you again and now... NOTHING, NADA, ZIP. Charlie,

Why are you not updating us to the joys of your life? I was so enjoying getting to know you again and now… NOTHING, NADA, ZIP.

]]> Comment on Learn something new every day… by Cindy Bridges http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/11/learn-something-new-every-day/comment-page-1/#comment-4907 Cindy Bridges Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:21:12 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/11/learn-something-new-every-day/#comment-4907 Hi, I was upset by the news you had diabetes. I asked everyone was it type 1 or 2 but no one I asked could tell me. Elizabeth, as you know has had type 1 since she was 10. It has been difficult for her with the discipline part. I wish she was as careful with what she ate and with taking her blood sugar as you are. I have been praying for you and hope the best. I am sure you will do excellently!! Take care, Cindy Hi,
I was upset by the news you had diabetes. I asked everyone was it
type 1 or 2 but no one I asked could tell me. Elizabeth, as you know has had type 1 since she was 10. It has been difficult for her with the discipline part. I wish she was as careful with what she ate and with taking her blood sugar as you are.
I have been praying for you and hope the best. I am sure you will do excellently!!

Take care,

Cindy

]]> Comment on Been a long time… by Grace for us all... http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4782 Grace for us all... Mon, 11 Jun 2007 07:13:34 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/#comment-4782 I've not had the chance to find a blood sugar over the 600's. Wow. Are they thinking that it is type 1? Are you controlling it with diet/exercize/oral meds/shots/all or some of above? Take care! We want you around a while longer. G I’ve not had the chance to find a blood sugar over the 600’s. Wow. Are they thinking that it is type 1? Are you controlling it with diet/exercize/oral meds/shots/all or some of above? Take care! We want you around a while longer.

G

]]> Comment on Been a long time… by Zack http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4576 Zack Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:04:47 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/#comment-4576 Hang in there man! We're praying for you. Hang in there man! We’re praying for you.

]]> Comment on Been a long time… by Jake http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4510 Jake Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:17:39 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/#comment-4510 Hey bro, Glad you're alright. I'm gonna try to put together another Guy's Night. If I'm lucky I can practice Starcraft a bit more before I run into you guys. =P Take Care. Hey bro, Glad you’re alright. I’m gonna try to put together another Guy’s Night. If I’m lucky I can practice Starcraft a bit more before I run into you guys. =P Take Care.

]]> Comment on Been a long time… by Charlie http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4506 Charlie Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:43:46 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/#comment-4506 Yeah, I was certainly not in good shape. The nice thing is that insurance takes care of most of the cost, so I didn't have a problem going to the doctor, I just didn't realize how bad it was until the day I went in, so I was closer to being in real trouble than I would have liked. Thankfully, God is VERY good and kept me safe through all of it :-) Yeah, I was certainly not in good shape. The nice thing is that insurance takes care of most of the cost, so I didn’t have a problem going to the doctor, I just didn’t realize how bad it was until the day I went in, so I was closer to being in real trouble than I would have liked.

Thankfully, God is VERY good and kept me safe through all of it :-)

]]> Comment on Been a long time… by Christy Strader http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4499 Christy Strader Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:46:41 +0000 http://blog.betablue.net/2007/06/05/been-a-long-time/#comment-4499 Wow! Glad you're ok. Sounds like what Liz went through when she found out about her diabetes. Good thing you went to the doctor, rather than try to tough it out. Wow! Glad you’re ok. Sounds like what Liz went through when she found out about her diabetes. Good thing you went to the doctor, rather than try to tough it out.

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