Web Surfing, Email, and Text Data Sought

IS THE CHOICE SECURITY OVER PRIVACY?

A British newspaper is reporting that a proposal has been put forth by the British government to keep data on all Internet surfing, text messages, and emails sent over a year's time.

Directly from the MSNBC-reported story:

"The report, which did not cite sources, said that phone companies and broadband providers would be ordered to store the information themselves for a year for security services’ “real-time” inspection under the plan."

The Telegraph, a high-respected British newspaper, goes on to say that the specific content of these media would not be recorded or kept; however, the actual phone numbers, Internet sites, and text origination and destination data would be kept.

"And the plan would reach into social networking for the first time, The Telegraph reported, allowing security services to get information about direct messages between users of Facebook, Twitter and similar sites, and even between players in online video games."

This is a link to the story:

World News - Report: UK anti-terror plan to sweep up email, phone, online records:

Is this being done here now, and if not, could there be a similar effort in the US? Is there any similarity between this initiative and SOPA and PIPA, two Internet bills in Congress that were shot down a few weeks ago? And finally, would you rather keep your technology use private or stay safe?

Internet Game-Playing Curfew To Set New Restrictions On 21st Century Child Play?

NEW CURFEW AIMED AT LIMITING KIDS' GAME PLAYING

The South Korean government has proposed a law that will limit Internet-based game playing to two sessions of two hours a day for children 16 and under.

An excerpt from the MSNBC site story:

"... the Cooling Off system will cause a game to be shut down automatically after two hours of being played.  Gamers can log back in, but only after 10 minutes to "rest," and only once per 24 hours. It was not specified how long the second session will last, but it is presumed to be no longer than the initial time allotted."

Last year, a guy in Tennessee killed his infant son because the child interrupted him during his video game...check it out ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45021025/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/man-sentenced-years-killing-infant-son-during-video-game/#.Tz0S6fGrJ2A

While that is an extreme case, there have been studies released that reflect that extended video game playing can have negative consequences on children 16 years old and younger.

Here's the link:

In-Game - South Korea introduces yet another law to curb gaming's ills:


Would you support this kind of curfew and restriction for your children? 


Let us know!

GOP Gets Boxed In on Payroll Tax Cut, Unemployment Extensions and Medicare Payment to Physicians

GOP OPPOSITION FADES AS POLITICAL REALITY SETS IN

CNN is reporting that a deal has been struck that will extend the payroll tax cut for millions of Americans.

Set to expire at the end of this month, it is now likely that the Republican Party will surrender to the Democrats on this issue and not require a "pay as you go" condition tied to paying up front for the extension of the tax cut, which was approved in December 2011 and which apparently now will be extended to the end of 2012.

Think about it: How could the Republican Party sell a tax increase?!?!?!?!?

Despite the efforts to separate the payroll tax cut from the other two hot-button  issues (unemployment benefit extensions and fixing the hole in Medicare physician compensation), look for the same Democratic Party strategy when it comes to extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans.

President Obama and the Democratic Party machine are hard at work painting the Republicans as out of touch with the suffering of average voting Americans, and this "compromise" on the part of House Republicans marks the first of many crow-eating concessions likely to occur during this political season.

Jump to the link and then share your perspective:

Tentative payroll tax cut deal reached, GOP legislators say - CNN.com

Holy Smokes! Free To Be Bad?

Just when you thought that cigarette manufacturers were on the ropes (no hemp jokes here...), it appears that the federal government will have to back off demanding and requiring that companies that makes cigarettes depict and state the potential gruesome consequences on the upper half of cigarette packs. The written warnings were rough enough, but some of the artwork is straight out of scare straight!

Jump over to the link:

Are cigarette companies right this time? - CNN.com

Is this government overkill or does the First Amendment trump graphic extreme public safety warnings?

Are the Poor Collateral Damage In A Romney Economy Or Will He Fix A Broken System?

WILL ROMNEY FIX OR DESTROY THE "SAFETY NET"?

Pulitzer Prize winning economist Paul Krugman's recent editorial makes dramatic statements and asks provocative questions regarding Mitt Romney's recent statements about the poor.

Some believe Romney's statement regarding the poor were taken out of context and are being quoted in an abridged fashion. Others believe he has revealed a deep disgust for disadvantaged Americans, and would seek to prevent humanitarian services to citizens of his own country.

Will his words be used against him in the general election, or does he have time to clearly enunciate his intent to fix what everyone sees as a broken entitlement system?

Read Krugman's article by clicking on the link below and then weigh in, please....

Romney Isn’t Concerned - NYTimes.com: