Death is coming

The closer death creeps up upon me the less I am able to understand the reasons for life or living.

Yes I have experienced a close family member dying and unlike television it takes decades to handle such a thing. To think I am going to put my family through such a thing when I finally leave is more horrific to me than the thought of death itself.

My life was and is still a learning experience but when all said and done what am I to do with all this accumulated learning over my lifetime if I just die. There is no logic or reason to this.

Long ago I became aware that the God story that is sold to the majority is just a nice story to give mankind with a message of a basic layout of how nice life could be if everyone followed these ideas. Not many in life do and if one thinks about it the good and evil structures actually depend on each other. The good that can be experienced in life is only understood as good when there is it's opposite to compare it to. This is not rocket science only common sense in reality. I am not saying we need to experience bad but understanding in it is needed to appreciate the great things many of us can have in our lives. From birth to death there are many ways mankind helps his fellow man. How many ways can you help?


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Clocks, Dolls, and Other Spy Cameras

By David Artstone

Slate and Artstone - That innocent looking wall clock staring at you from the wall might be more menacing than you think. Is it staring...or is it watching? And who is it telling?

Cameras are being placed everywhere, and nobody is telling us about them. They are being hidden in vases, teddy bears, televisions, and even innocuous wall clocks. Corporations are hiding them to protect their treasures, or to monitor our shopping habits. Governments are tracking our movements, and now, even private individuals are starting to watch us.

That's right; the power of surveillance is now in the hands of the average person on the street. With the prevalence of mini spy cams now being offered at very affordable prices, the ability to secretly watch us is now available to anyone with a couple of extra dollars to spend. And where are these responsible citizens placing their new spy toys?

Some people have innocent enough desires. The most common use of a spy cam is to monitor babysitters and housekeepers while you are at work. It is a basic enough desire. In a world short on trust, it is difficult to hand over your most prized possessions and even your children to random strangers claiming to be nannies.

But many clever people are thinking outside of the box, and are using these spy cameras to take explicit images of people in very private places.

Aside from merely monitoring the short skirts in the neighborhood on a windy day, some people are sneaking into bathrooms and dressing rooms and installing these mini devices in order to take explicit, and highly illegal photographs of those trusting enough to expose themselves.

So what is the answer? Tentative vigilance or outright paranoia? Whenever you are outside of the security of your home, be aware that you may be on camera. However, it may not really matter. If we are all on camera all of the time, then there is a certain equality in that.

Eventually we may discover some technology that will reveal hidden cameras and other transmission devices. Unfortunately, until that time, the wall clock sitting above the mantel may not be as unassuming as you think.

About the Author: