Happy Labor Day

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and
importance and should be undertaken with painstaking
excellence."
Martin Luther King Jr.


Labor Day, has been an official holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894.

Peter J. McGuire, one of the founders of the American Federation of Labor, is considered to be the "Father of Labor Day." At a meeting of the New York Central Labor Union, he proposed that a day be set aside for an annual picnic and demonstration of worker
solidarity.

That first Labor Day was celebrated in New York on September 5, 1882. It was an idea whose time had come Before very long, there was a major social movement to make Labor Day a regular occurrence. Legislators in both the United States and Canada felt the heat. It became a national holiday soon thereafter.

Technology and privacy

In the foreword to David Burham’s book The Rise of the Computer State Walter Cronkite wrote:

"… Our privacy is being invaded, and more and more of the experiences which should be solely our own are finding their way into electronic files that the curious can scrutinize at the punch of a button"

I agree that the amount of personal information collected is increasing. New technologies have the potential to reveal the unseen, unknown, forgotten or withheld. And, may also raise a variety of troubling issues including injustice, intrusion, denial of due process, absence of informed consent, deception, manipulation, errors, harassment, misuse of property and lessened autonomy.

One response to privacy concerns often expressed by some industry spokespersons and many citizens is simply, "So what? Why worry?" These technologies fill deeply felt needs believing also that we are an open society and visibility in government brings accountability. The United States Supreme court has said in its famous Katz decision that privacy was only protected when it could be reasonably expected

Others argue that given the free market, you can also buy technologies to protect yourself from privacy invasion. The only people who worry about privacy are those who have something to hide. Sure those are valid points but I also think that while functioning in a dynamic society we need to have the ability to control information about ourselves. this confidentiality is vital to trust, dignity and self respect.

This is not to say that unlimited privacy is good. Surely too much privacy can shield irresponsible behavior -- protecting child and spouse abusers, unsafe drivers etc. But without appropriate limitations it can trigger backlash. The private subversion of public life carries dangers as well as the public intrusion into private life.

Technology's unique power is also its tragic flaw. What serves can also destroy, without increased public awareness and appropriate public policies.

Reality Check

VH1 Turns Booing for Hillary Clinton into Cheering
"Senator Clinton was booed when she walked on stage last October at a rock concert in Madison Square Garden to benefit 9/11 victims. It was shown live by VH1 but, as ABC's John Stossel illustrated in a July 20/20 special on media distortions, when the Viacom-owned cable channel replayed it sound technicians replaced the booing with cheering and applause. And that version is the permanent record VH1 put onto its DVD of the event."

MTV VMAs:

Some funny analysis of the MTV video music awards by bloggers Que Sera Sera, and Jim Treacher

CLINT EASTWOOD.NET

an online tribute to one of cinemas most talented and best-loved stars! With a career that spans over six decades, from television, to hit movies, to winning Academy Awards, Clint Eastwood has established himself as one of the greatest and most respected actors and directors Hollywood and the world has ever seen.

If you're a die hard Clint Eastwood fan as I am, you'll love this site. Some of my earliest memories of my dad taking me to the movies are of seeing Clint's early western movies such as a "fistful of dollars" and "for a few dollars more" ... Those were the days.

(Via Good Shit)

Jazz Giant Lionel Hampton Dead At 94

One of the greatest names in jazz history has died.
His manager says Lionel Hampton died this morning in a New York City hospital. He was 94 and had been in failing health.

Hampton was a virtuoso of the vibraphone and jammed with Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker and Quincy Jones during a six-decade career.

September 11: What Our Children Need to Know

This series contains 23 essays by well known personalities such as William Bennett and Lynne Cheney, and distinguished scholars, such as Victor Davis Hanson and Walter Russell Mead. Highly recommended reading.

Personalized Rock Athem

Wow, what I've always wanted, the price is right ... and it's on e-bay no less. Let's do it dude, my check will be in the mail.

Via (Fark.com)

very cool
Sony has created a new robot called the SDR-4X which can speak, understand Japanese, get back up if knocked down, walk up and down stairs and recognize faces! Check it out (Caution- the link downloads a movie which is a few minutes in length).

Quote of the day

"No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear." Edmund Burke, "A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful", 1756