Brave New World

Big Brother

Information is money ... and lots of information means lots of money. The Masters of the Universe have learned this lesson well ... and so, dear reader, we are well on our way into the Brave New World ... ruled by Silicon Valley.

Social Credits

China has instituted a “social credit” score for virtually all its adult citizens ... in essence a computer weighing based upon many social parameters as to how good a “citizen” its residents are. This score is then used by China to allow or restrict social rewards: freedom to travel, welfare benefits, medical services ... anything that the government can control ... and the government of China controls almost everything. This is all very restrictive and frightening ... the ultimate in Big Brother tyranny.

Now the barons of Silicone Valley are thinking to emulate this Brave New World ... see: Fast Company Story. Will these tech tyrants follow China’s lead in using the same parameters that measure us? (They already have quite a bit of raw data with which to work ... our buying patterns, our credit scores, our browsing histories, our friends, our travel preferences, our DNA, etc. ... and now are vying to corner our medical records and banking transactions too ... but, interestingly, not if we are a US citizen). So this development, unless it is nipped in the bud by Trump, might collect some other personal data on us Americans. May I suppose:

- have we ever typed or spoken the word “transgender”?

- do we vape or do any drugs?

- do we listen to gospel music?

- have we ever made a political donation ... and to which party?

- do we own an all-electric vehicle?

- what level of melanin do we have in our skin?

- do we believe in God, Allah, or climate change caused by CO2?

- do we own a weapon more powerful than a BB gun?

- do we own a BB gun?

- have we memorized any Bob Dylan lyrics?


Will  Mark Zukerburg soon effectively own us everyone ... cast our votes ...  make all other choices for us? ... or else!

Obvious Truth #28

American's right to privacy is guaranteed by the 4th Amendment to our Constotition. But now this right is being seriously jeopardized by the Internet and its connected listening and camera devices ... which can and often do capture everything said and done in a connected room.  The implications of this power in anyone's let alone evil hands is enormous. We should be very afraid.

Afterward; See: Fast Compamy

Justice Blinked

The Department of Justice blinked in its attempt to force Apple to open up the IPhone of the San Bernardino terrorist, Sayed Farook. The FBI now says that it has found a third party (NSA?) to open up this possible source of further intelligence and doesn't need the court to force Apple to comply ... see: Politico Story. This all sounds very fishy and halfway supports Apple's position that this FBI request was a red herring really meant to open up the IPhone to generic government access (not that there is necessarily anything wrong with that.)

This FBI vs. Apple issue is all about personal privacy. American people want to believe that our Constitution guarantees them an inviolate cocoon of privacy that our government cannot pierce no matter what national security issues involved. Clearly this may not be the case. However, in a related development, Edward Snowden, our traitor hero,  avers that the federal government is not the only risk to our personal security. He says that large technology companies such as Microsoft are equally guilty of the invasive collection of our personal information ... far more than we suspect ... see: Sputnik News Story. I agree with the rat-fink Snowden and would add at least Google, Apple and Facebook to his named snoop.

If you think that Big Brother government is the only risk to your little secrets, you are just another babe in the woods.

Juxtaposition LVI

Iranian Ayatollah

Big Brother

Media Nazis

The Soup Nazi

I realize that the use of the term “Nazi” is a sure loser … unless of course you are Jerry Seinfeld. But I do believe that it is quite appropriate in this case. The Obama administration's FCC now wants to monitor news outlets (I assume this includes the Internet) to insure that they are following what Big Brother considers important media stories ,,, its term for these priorities is  Critical Information Needs (CINs) … see: PJ Media Story. Our Gestapo in Washington wants to make sure that its eight topics are getting adequate on-air coverage. 

So far these CIN topics are somewhat nebulous but one can assume that they will include: climate change, income inequality, women’s reproductive rights, voter suppression, homophobia, and food deserts … and won’t include the Benghazi killings, NSA’s snooping, IRS targeting of the Tea Party, true unemployment rates, Fast and Furious, the al-Qaeda resurgence, and excessive Presidential golfing.  Here are the questions that will be asked during these proposed First Amendment violations:

Station Owners, Managers or HR
• What is the news philosophy of the station?
• Who is your target audience?
• How do you define critical information that the community needs?
• How do you ensure the community gets this critical information?
• How much does community input influence news coverage decisions?
• What are the demographics of the news management staff (HR)?
• What are the demographics of the on air staff (HR)?
• What are the demographics of the news production staff (HR)?

Corporate, General Managers, News Directors, Editors, etc
• What is the news philosophy of the station?
• Who else in your market provides news?
• Who are your main competitors?
• How much news does your station (stations) air every day?
• Is the news produced in-house or is it provided by an outside source?
• Do you employ news people?
• How many reporters and editors do you employ?
• Do you have any reporters or editors assigned to topic “beats”? If so how many and what are the beats?
• Who decides which stories are covered?
• How much influence do reporters and anchors have in deciding which stories to cover?
• How much does community input influence news coverage decisions?
• How do you define critical information that the community needs?
• How do you ensure the community gets this critical information? 

On-Air Staff (Reporters, Anchors)
• What is the news philosophy of the station?
• How much news does your station air every day?
• Who decides which stories are covered?
• How much influence do you have in deciding which stories to cover?
• Have you ever suggested coverage of what you consider a story with critical information for your customers (viewers, listeners, readers) that was rejected by management?
o If so, can you give an example?
o What was the reason given for the decision?
o Why do you disagree?

So far my upstairs spare bedroom (where I write these blogs) has not been invaded by these jack-boots … but I do have an upturned wastepaper basket upon which they can sit and watch me compose my pap … if they are willing to show up at 3 AM ... and are not offended by flatus.

Afterward: Adweek Magazine reports that the FCC may be backing off this intrusion into our First Amendment rights ... see: Adweek Story.  Was this just a canard to piss us off and get our attention off of Obamacare, the Ukraine, etc.

After Afterward: The Wall Street Journal, through a FCC commissioner, has some interesting points to make about this cause celebre ... see: WSJ Story.

Womb to Tomb

In his recent State of the Union message, President Obama has proposed a pedagogical initiative for preschoolers … a Super Head Start Program if you will.  (See: Breitbart Article).  This mandatory (babysitting?) program would involve the federal government matching state funds in order to send children age four and up to preschool … on the governments’ dime … and with Big Brother's oversight and controls.  Here is the meaningful quote from the above article: 

Qualifications for the funding include: teachers would have to hold college degrees in certain categories related to education, restrictions on class size, and a government-approved curriculum.

The catch-term for intrusive government used to be called “cradle to grave.”  Now, since our Solons have determined that they have a lot to say about whether a baby gets born, it really is now “womb to tomb.”  I don’t know about you but I am really beginning to think George Orwell was a major prophet when he wrote his books, Animal Farm and 1984.  I still recall, in my callow youth, a certain dismay at seeing how Russia and China were taking over the rearing of small children at the height of these countries' ideological frenzies … in order to indoctrinate them into the ways of the State.  Now its our turn.

I can’t leave this blog post without repeating one last quote from Our Dear Leader in this same speech to Congress: “Let me repeat – nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime.”

Joesph Goebbels was right: “If you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”

Potato Head

The federal government is making one more insane intrusion into the life of its citizen sheep.  It is considering baning the potato from its child nutrition programs.  See Baning Potatoes.

I recently wrote a blog about another chuckle-headed move by the feds ... its banning of certain incandescent light bulbs.  See Junkier Science.  Now Big Brother has sharp-elbowed his way into our lives once again.  When will he stop?  When he pushes his way into our bedroom?  Oops, of course not, government bedroom intrusion will only be allowed when food or tobacco is included (but not involving cannabis, underage children, or illegal immigrants.)  One medium baked potato has only 160 calories and it is loaded with potassium and vitamin C.  Yet, it is now to be "relegated to the secular arm."  Those in favor of this insanity say that it is not so much that the potato is evil, but it is the butter, sour cream, and salt that we put on the potato ... or the fat in which it is fried.  Isn't that the same argument that was once use against marijuana ... that it was what went along with pot usage that was evil?  (It was a "gateway drug.") Can now we call this carom-shot morality?

Big Brother ...

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The following is from the official White House website:

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking you for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

If this doesn't send a chill up your spine, you are not alive.