Do our votes really count?

Do our votes really count? I wonder how real elections really are. I read the following information in a book recently:

“On election night, when the three major television networks announce the next president, the winner they announce is not chosen by the voters of the United States. He is the selection of the three networks themselves, through a company they own jointly with Associated Press and United Press International.

The company is called News Election Service (NES)...News Election Service provides ‘unofficial’ vote tallies to its five owners in all presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections. NES is the only source Americans have to find out how they, as a people, voted. Country and city election supervisors don’t come out with the official totals until weeks later. Those results are rarely reported in the national media.

The U.S. government does not tabulate a single vote. The government has granted NES a legal monopoly, exempt from antitrust laws, to count the votes privately.

Those are the facts.

Even an average citizen should be a bit unsettled by the prospect of a single consortium providing all the data used by competing new organizations to discern winners and losers in national elections...

One rationale behind maintaining a vote-counting monopoly is to insure ‘accuracy,’ but in 1968, when Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey by a margin that could be measured in angstroms, the role of NES became a good deal more shadowy.

At one point in the tally, the NES computer began spewing began spewing out totals that were at the time described as ‘erroneous.’ They included comedian/candidate Dick Gregory receiving one million votes when, the New York Times said, ‘His total was actually 18,000.’ The mistakes were described as something that ‘can happen to anyone.’

NES turned off its ‘erroneous’ computer and switched on a backup system, which ran much slower. After much waiting, the new machine put Nixon ahead by roughly forty thousand votes, with just six percent of the votes left to be counted. Suddenly, independent new reporters found over fifty-three thousand Humphrey votes cast by a Democratic splinter party in Alabama. When the votes were added to Humphrey’s total, they put him in the lead. Undaunted the Associated Press concluded its own state-by-state survey of ‘the best available sources of election data’ (presumably, NES also makes use of the ‘best available sources’) and found Nixon winning again. And that’s how it turned out.

What exactly was going on inside the ‘master computer’ at NES? The company’s director blamed software, even though the machine had run a twelve-hour test flawlessly just the day before using the same programming. Could the software have been altered? Substituted? Or was the fiasco caused by a routine ‘bug,’ which just happened to appear at the most inconvenient possible time? At this point, it’s more a question of what we can know than what we do know.” -From, “Conspiracies, Cover-Ups, and Crimes” By: Jonathan Vankin

Newsletter News Brief: The How Informative Is Twitter Edition

The internet and social networking sites can be a double edged sword. It can be a distraction, or an alternative source of great information. With that being said, a study conducted by Pear Analytics (an American marketing research firm) found that overall the tweets on twitter lack informational substance.

According to The BBC, the research firm concluded that: 40.5% of the tweets on twitter could be considered "pointless babble," 37.5% was open conversation between twitter users who used the site like an instant messaging service, 3.75% was spam, 5.85% was "self-promotion," and 8.7% of tweets had information value.

Scientists Continue To Push The Envelope When It Comes To Cloning

Two groups of Chinese scientists have reportedly discovered a technique in which they can "reprogram" mature skin cells of mice into embryonic-like cells. The new embryonic-like cells can then be used to create offspring.

According to The Wall Street Journal, this new technique may be used to create stem cell lines that can help treat human diseases. However, the technique can also be used to create human clones and "designer babies" who have manufactured genetic traits.

[SIDEBAR: When science experiments cross certain boundaries of nature, disaster is sure to strike.]

Newsweek Asks: "Is Your Cellphone Spying On You?"

It's common sense that a cellphone can be used as a tracking device. However, Newsweek recently published an article, "Is Your Cellphone Spying On You?", that details how your cellphone can be turned into a truly invasive spying mechanism.

According to Newsweek, "spy phone" software now makes it easy for anybody to infect any mobile phone with a wiretapping program. The spy software is manually downloaded onto a cellphone. The download process only takes a few minutes.

Newsweek reveals that once the software is downloaded onto the phone: "The latest programs can silently turn on handset microphones even when no call is being made, allowing a spy to listen to voices in a room halfway around the world. Targets are none the wiser: neither call logs nor phone bills show records of the secretly transmitted data."

Newsweek also states that an Italian software developer is creating spyware for law enforcement agencies that will allow a cellphone to be infiltrated by spying software via a text message. Once a cellphone user opens the text message, installation of the spyware will automatically begin.

Reportedly smart phones- like iPhones and BlackBerries are the most vulnerable to spy phone software.

[SIDEBAR: While I like the convenience of modern technology, I'm beginning to have deep apprehensions (to say the least) about living in a digital world.]

The Future Of MetroCards

According to news reports, New York City's transit system is looking to implement a new commuter payment system that will make the current MetroCard obsolete. The former head of the MTA (who's tenure with the MTA recently ended), is quoted as saying that the new E-ZPass-like system could be in effect as early as 2011. It would consist of using a "contactless device" instead of a MetroCard. [SIDEBAR: Does a "contactless device" = A big brother like chip?]

The announcement that the MTA will likely be installing a whole new payment system that will require the replacement of the currently used turnstyles and Metrocard machines, comes in the wake of the MTA crying broke and requesting that the government provide them with taxpayer-funded bailout money. The MTA will also be increasing their fares soon.

I'll dare to ask the obvious question: How can the MTA afford an expensive overhaul of their payment system? [STATING THE OBVIOUS SIDEBAR: Something's not right.]

How Is Online Social Networking Effecting Us Mentally?

In a study conducted by Oxford University concerning the effects of online social networking, scientists found that continued use of sites like Twitter, Facebook & MySpace could lead to: Shorter attention spans, self-centeredness, and a craving for instant gratification.

Neuroscientists and psychologists are frightened that social networking sites could do a lot of damage. Scientists have stated that continued use of these sites could rewire the brain, and lead to mental and psychological infantilization.

There is no doubt that use of these sites can be a great networking tool, but a huge distraction. Try to monitor your use of them. Also try using these sites during a designated time that fits into your schedule, and doesn't interrupt your priorities. Man should control the machine; the machine shouldn't control man.

Driverless Trains Debut In New York

About 48 hours ago, New York City's transit tested out their driverless trains. Reportedly, the trains debuted on the L line between 12:30 AM and 5:30 AM. Although motormen were present on the computerized train, the computer did all of the accelerating and braking.

According to The New York Daily News, the trains come attached with a $326 million price tag. The MTA aspires to implement the driverless trains on more of the subway's lines. They vow to do so if they can obtain the funding. [SIDEBAR: What recession???]

The automated trains will make train conductors obsolete. The MTA can not yet lay-off the motormen because of the agreement that they have with the Transit Workers Union. However, transit's officials seem to be looking forward to the day when driverless trains dominate the subway system.

Cellphones As The New Currency?

Mastercard is currently testing out new technology that will allow cellphones to function as credit cards. The test is being run in New York, Atlanta, and The Bay Area. According to The New York Times, the cellphone as credit card technology has already been implemented in Japan for the past five years.

The cellphone as a credit card technology embeds a user's account number onto the phone, sim card, or SD card. The phone is then waved in front of a scanner that can read the information and complete a financial transaction.

Am I the only one who thinks that all of this technology is getting a little out of hand?

Are Retailers Requiring An ID Scan In Order To Purchase Cough Medicine?

I was at a local Target a couple of days ago and witnessed a cashier request that a customer show her an ID. The man complied, and flashed his state identification card. This wasn't enough for her. Next, the cashier asked him to remove his ID from his wallet and give it to her. The customer also complied with this request.

The cashier then proceeded to scan the back of the man's state id. After his id card was scanned, the customer asked the cashier why she had to do this. She replied with uncertainty that she thought that it was because he was purchasing cough medicine, and anything that contains alcohol requires that she requests identification.

At this point, I had about a handful of questions running through my head:
(1) Is this a new law?
(2) If this is a law, is it a state, federal, or city law?
(3) Since when has this been the policy?
(4) After scanning a person's id, what kind of database is the information going to?
(5) What in the Big Brother/1984 heck is going on?

I'm also baffled that someone would so easily relinquish their personal information without knowing the reason for it.

I need answers!

The Adverse Effects Of Electronic Smog

The modern technological byproduct of "electronic smog" is said to be detrimental to certain forms of nature. Man-made electrical fields, that are created via wi-fi, cellphones, and power lines, are increasingly becoming denser as more people become converts to mobile technology.

According to The Independent, "Dr Ulrich Warnke, who has been researching the effects of man-made electrical fields on wildlife for more than 30 years," has said that, "man-made technology has created transmitters which have fundamentally changed the natural electromagnetic energies and forces on the earth's surface. Animals that depend on natural electrical, magnetic and electromagnetic fields for their orientation and navigation are confused by the much stronger and constantly changing artificial fields."

The doctor is specifically boisterous of the effects that electronic smog is having on sparrows and bee colonies. The Independent, has quoted Dr. Warnke as saying that his research has shown that the dense man-manufactured electrical fields "could be responsible for the disappearance of bees in Europe and the US (in what is known as colony collapse disorder), for the decline of the house sparrow (whose numbers have fallen by half in Britain over the past 30 years), and that it could also interfere with bird migration."

There is still no concrete evidence as to how this electronic smog is effecting us homosapiens. However, some researchers are blaming electrical fields for everything from cancer to miscarriages to suicides. My concern is that we won't know the truth until it is too late. Being that the truth of this situation could tamper with the bottom line of almost every high-powered corporation, there is likely an ongoing campaign to conceal it.

When Artificial Intelligence Is Not So Artificial...

Scientists have created a "biological robot" that is being powered by a rat's brain. Neurons from the brain of the rat, sends signals to the robotic device, directing it to maneuver around objects.

Currently, the robot's creators are reportedly fulfilling their aspirations of "teaching" the robot. According to the BBC, the research team "is now getting the robot to learn how to navigate. Eventually the robot will be able to recognize familiar surroundings it has memorized."

Professor Kevin Warwick, who is the scientist in charge of the project, has stated: "This new research is tremendously exciting as firstly the biological brain controls its own moving robot body, and secondly it will enable us to investigate how the brain learns and memorizes its experiences."

Taking artificial intelligence to this kind of unprecedented level, where an inanimate object is combined with animal matter, can open all kinds of dangerous doors. This Pandora's Box is probably better left closed.

With inventions like this, how long is it before we are terminator status?

Is The Military Trying To Make War Fun?

Forget about boot camp, the next U.S. military training regiment may take place in a location that more resembles an arcade than rugged terrain.

Internationally, countries are increasingly using the same hardware and software that is utilized in gaming systems like: Halo, Splinter Cell, and Xbox; to control military equipment, and fight wars.

Remote controls that are extremely similar to the ones used to operate gaming systems, are being implemented to control military aircraft and ground robots. Army recruiting paraphernalia is also reportedly being adapted to reflect the usage of the new game-like apparatus.

According to The Wired's website, a blogger "spotted a British Army recruiting advertisement which seemed to show troops using an Xbox 360 controller to pilot a small drone." Curious about the advertisement, the blogger "used the Freedom of Information Act to find out if he was right." The response that he received from his inquiry, is as follows: "The system used to control the planes has been adapted by Lockheed Martin and although the controller used by the soldiers to fly the plane is very similar to a Microsoft Xbox 360 controller, it is not the same. You will see that there is no Microsoft wording on the controller nor a wired headset port."

My concern is that by replicating the imaginary game-like atmosphere on the real life battlefield, the military will be able to make a soldier out of almost anyone. Members of the upcoming generation who would be consciously turned off by the blood and gore of war, may now be enticed to participate in creating carnage from a detached distance. By "turning war into a video game," the new age soldiers will not have to view the immediate, gory repercussions of their actions.

[SIDEBAR: War is still not the answer!]

One More Step Towards A Cashless Society...

According to The Gothamist, the MTA wants to completely phase out the use of toll booths within the next four years.

In lieu of toll booths, the MTA is proposing that commuters be mandated to pay their tolls via E-Z Pass, or via a system in which non-E-Z Pass users would be billed after being identified with license plate cameras.

For Those People Who Say They Only Watch TV To See The News, This May Make You Want To Go On A Permanent TV Strike...

In his book, "The Assault On Reason," Al Gore discusses how television news is manipulated by the networks and the corporations that own them. Here's the excerpt:

"These conglomerates are apparently sometimes tempted to bend their news-programming choices to support the achievement of commercial objectives. The news divisions- which used to be seen as serving a public interest and were subsidized by the rest of the network- are now seen as profit centers designed to generate revenue and, sometimes, to advance the larger agenda of the corporation that owns them.

They have fewer reporters, fewer stories, smaller budgets, less travel, fewer bureaus, less independent judgment, more vulnerability to influence by management, and more dependence on government sources and canned public relations handouts.

The coverage of political campaigns, for example, focuses on the 'horse race' and little else. And the well known axiom that guides most local television news is 'If it bleeds, it leads.' (To which some disheartened journalists add, 'If it thinks, it stinks.')

For these and other reasons, the U.S. press was recently found the 53rd freest press in the world. NBC, to take only one prominent example, is slashing its news division in order to boost profits: It is cutting $750 million from its budget, a considerable amount from its news division.

This tragedy is compounded by the irony that this generation of journalists is the best-trained and most highly skilled in the history of their profession. But they are often not allowed to do the job that they have been trained to do. As Dan Rather put it, television news has been 'dumbed down and tarted up.'

The purpose of television news now seems primarily to be to 'glue eyeballs to the screen' in order to build ratings and sell advertising. This was the point made by Jon Stewart, the brilliant host of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, when he visited CNN's Crossfire: There should be a distinction between news and entertainment. It really matters. The subjugation of news by entertainment seriously harms our democracy: It leads to dysfunctional journalism that fails to inform the people. And when people are not informed, they cannot hold government accountable when it is incompetent, corrupt, or both." From, "The Assault On Reason" By: Al Gore

Cell Phone Safety

Society seems to excitedly embrace new technology that makes our lives easier. [SIDEBAR: Multi-taskers stand up!] The cell phone, and all of its derivatives, may go down in history as one of the most celebrated inventions of modern times. Who wouldn't love a device that allows for such a swift transference of information? However, as with almost all relatively new inventions, there is a downside. Because of the "newness" of the product, long term testing is negated. This can be dangerous because users of the popular, new technology can be left ignorant of the detriments of its usage. In the case of mobile communication technology, the possible detriments are no small laughing matter.

Researchers have been debating about the dangers of cell phone use since the product's inception. Some scientists argue that mobile phone utilization can lead to cancer. However, there is no definitive proof to this claim because of a lack of long term observation. Still, many doctors who have experience in dealing with radiation exposure, are advising that cell phone users exercise certain precautions.

According to The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Center For Environmental Oncology, here is a list of guidelines that should be practiced when using a cell phone:

1. Do not allow children to use a cell phone except for emergencies. The developing organs of a fetus or child are the most likely to be sensitive to any possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.
2. While communicating using your cell phone, try to keep the cell phone away from the body as much as possible. The amplitude of the electromagnetic field is one fourth the strength at a distance of two inches and fifty times lower at three feet.
   Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wireless Bluetooth headset, which has less than 1/100th of the electromagnetic emission of a normal cell phone. Use of a headset attachment may also reduce exposure.
3. Avoid using your cell phone in places, like a bus, where you can passively expose others to your phone’s electromagnetic fields.
4. Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times. Do not keep it near your body at night such as under the pillow or on a bedside table, particularly if pregnant. You can also put it on “flight” or “off-line” mode, which stops electromagnetic emissions.
5. If you must carry your cell phone on you, it is preferable that the keypad is positioned toward your body and the back is positioned toward the outside of your body. Depending on the thickness of the phone this may provide a minimal reduction of exposure.
6. Only use your cell phone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes as the biological effects are directly related to the duration of exposure. For longer conversations, use a land line with a corded phone, not a cordless phone, which uses electromagnetic emitting technology similar to that of cell phones.
7. Switch sides regularly while communicating on your cell phone to spread out your exposure. Before putting your cell phone to the ear, wait until your correspondent has picked up. This limits the power of the electromagnetic field emitted near your ear and the duration of your exposure.
8. Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
9. When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, limiting the duration of exposure and the proximity to the body.
10. Choose a device with the lowest SAR possible (SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available by searching for “sar ratings cell phones” on the internet.

The Hypnotic Power Of Television

"The physical effects of watching trauma on television- the rise in blood pressure and heart rate- are the same as if an individual has actually experienced the traumatic event directly. Moreover, it has been documented that television can create false memories that are just as powerful as normal memories. When recalled, television-created memories have the same control over the emotional system as do real memories.

And the consequences are predictable. People who watch television news routinely have the impression that the cities where they live are far more dangerous than they really are. Researchers have also found that even when statistics measuring specific crimes actually show steady decreases, the measured fear of those same crimes goes up as television portrayal of those crimes goes up. And the portrayal of crime often increases because consultants for television station owners have advised their clients that viewership increases when violent crime leads newscasts. This phenomenon has reshaped local television news.

Many of the national morning programs now lead with crime and murders, and we'll watch them for hours because they are so compelling. The visual imagery on television can activate parts of the brain involved in emotion in a way that reading about the same event cannot.

Television's ability to evoke the fear response is especially significant because Americans spend so much of their lives watching TV. An important explanation for why we spend so much time motionless in front of the screen is that television constantly triggers the 'orienting response' in our brains...

Now, television commercials and many action sequences on television routinely activate that orienting reflex once per second. And since we in this country, on average,watch television more than four and a half hours per day, those circuits of the brain are constantly being activated.

The constant and repetitive triggering of the orienting response induces a quasi-hypnotic state. It partially immobilizes viewers and creates an addiction to the constant stimulation of two areas of the brain: the amygdala and the hippocampus (part of the brain's memory and contextualizing system). It's almost as though we have a 'receptor' for television in our brains." -From, "The Assault On Reason" By: Al Gore

Who's Watching You, While You're Watching You Tube?

You Tube's owner, Google, and Viacom are in the midst of a hot-and-heavy legal battle. Viacom is suing Google for giving internet surfers the opportunity to view Viacom's copyrighted material free of charge without their permission. In an effort to prove their case, Viacom requested and was granted, a peek into You Tube's visitor files.

According to Wired, a judge ruled that "Google will have to turn over to Viacom every record of every video watched by You Tube users, including users' names and IP addresses." Google argued that turning over this data would be a gross violation of their site visitors' privacy. However, the presiding judge disagreed.

All I have to say to You Tube users is: "Enjoy it while it lasts." We'll all be telling our grandkids about the "good old early-You Tube days" someday.

[SIDEBAR: It seems like "Viacom" is becoming a dirty word- for more reasons than one].