Its the sign of the times. The technology for Big Brother to track everywhere we go is here. Of course, that's not news to you. You already know about GPS (Global Positioning System). You know that cell phones are being embedded with GPS; OnStar by General Motors uses a GPS. You also are aware of "spy satellites" that can take images of your sidewalk from space. We've seen how close those pictures can get by watching the news during the Iraq War. So what's new? Nothing really. However, are you aware the technology is here to track everything you own? You might be shocked at what you don't know.
You are probably familiar with something called EZ Pass or Fastrak, maybe even Speedpass. These are all "payment systems" that use technology called RFID tags. They allow you to bypass the traditional cash register and have your bank account automatically charged. RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification. These tags are also used in the hard plastic anti-theft tags attached to merchandise in stores. They are tiny transponders that emit a radio signal. The Tags contain digital memory chips which are able to store any kind of data requested such as price, size, date purchased, store purchased from etc. The tags are made in all shapes and sizes. They can be made as small as to fit in a strand of fiber!
As with most innovative technology, there are practical purposes for these RFID Tags. One such application Wal-Mart is paving the way for: Tracking Inventory. With merchandise tagged, and stores equipped with scanners, Wal-Mart can instantly know where all of it's inventory is, or where it is not, but should be. We can expect RFID's to replace the UPC Barcode system in the near future.
A prototype application even has the tags programmed to send a signal when an expiration date has arrived; for example, a gallon of milk gone bad. This could save you from quite a few gagging moments. EPIC continues to explain about some of the other proposed uses:
The proposed uses of RFID tags pose exponentially greater risks to personal privacy. Many technology experts predict the development of a seamless network of millions of RFID receivers strategically placed around the globe in airports, seaports, highways, distribution centers, warehouses, retail stores, and consumers' homes, all of which are constantly reading, processing, and evaluating consumers behaviors and purchases. In addition to undermining a consumer's ability to enjoy a lifestyle in relative anonymity, critics of the technology counter that the information gathered by RFID readers could be obtained by the government for surveillance or monitoring the activities of citizens, or even misused by hackers and criminals. Even more, the ever-expanding use of RFID chips would leave no aspect of life safe from the prying eyes of retail and corporate giants. Chips integrated into commonplace products such as floor tiles, shelf paper, cabinets, appliance, exercise equipment, and grocery and packaged products would allow even our most intimate activities to be monitored.
Isn't this what the Bible warns us about? Do these RFID Tags resemble what we already know about the Number of the Beast? Wal-Mart has placed a demand on its suppliers to use RFID's by January 2005. How soon before every supplier of goods and services is required to use RFID's? When you consider what the possible applications of RFID's are, and you take a look at what Homeland Security (The Patriot Act) is doing to our civil liberties, it isn't hard to connect the dots. RFID's are paving the way for our right to privacy to be revoked, in the name of National Security. It is not our security that we are at risk of losing, it is our Freedom. In the Book of Revelation it explains:
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
This reveals that our Freedom will be taken away, in the name of "Peace", "Security".
I came across many interesting websites while researching this topic. There's some disturbing information available to those who seek it. It's so easy to get caught up in our daily lives just trying to get by, to put food on our tables and enjoy the moments we have with family and friends. Meanwhile, there are larger forces at work to undermine our very existence. It's easy to cast off the unfolding events as coincidence, or as exaggerated paranoia by those seeking wisdom. But if you do the research (both Biblical and Non-biblical), and keep an open mind and heart, you will realize that the prophesies are coming true. Is it "Life Depicts Art" or "Art Depicts Life"? Either way, George Orwell had some insite whe he wrote "1984". And you cannot reasonably deny the wisdom that the Bible reveals unto us when seeking truth with an honest heart and mind.
Tune in to my radio show on Sundays from 4pm-7pm at www.charlieprofit.com.
Forces are moving to remove Christianity from our Country. No prayer in school, attempts to remove "One Nation Under God" from our Pledge of Allegiance, not allowing the Ten Commandments to be posted anywhere...the list goes on.
This Country was FOUNDED on Christianity. There was a desire to see Freedom blossom. The Founders also understood that God has given every single person something called Free Will.
They understood the right to believe in God or not and they made that right part of the U.S. Constitution.
From the U.S. Constitution; Article I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Free Will is a basic God given right.
Free = without restraint.
Will = the faculty of the mind by which one chooses or determines; choice.
This means that even if you don't believe in God, you have Choice Without Restraint. It's a concept that even non-believers should be able to accept. They have that choice, with or without God. And Christians accept the fact that God allows all of us to decide if we will believe in Him or not. So we accept Free Will and accept those who do not share the same beliefs. However, many who choose to not believe are trying to force their own beliefs on the rest of us and remove the very principals that allow them to have those beliefs. How do they expect us to allow them to remove our basic God given right of Free Will? It was, and still is, Christianity [more specifically, GOD] that allows American to have Free Will, thus Freedom of Religion. If they remove the principals that are the basis for Freedom, will they not remove their own right to Freedom?
I started this blog to share my thoughts and opinions on life, politics and various ramblings. My last blog was two weeks ago. Everyday I ponder what I should discuss next. The more I think about it, the more there is.
I'm really getting into planning...As the saying goes, "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail". I've experienced both sides of that equation. And I must say, planning to succeed is the better choice. We'll explore the ideology behind the "universal law" at some point.
Recently I got on what many call a "health kick". But it's not so much a "kick" as it is a lifestyle. I started working out with a personal trainer almost 6 months ago. Due to various "bumps" along my path (failing to plan, being one of them) I stopped training. What's really discouraging about that is I was seeing phenominal results. I lost 16 pounds and went from 21% body fat to just 16%. You can see why I'm upset with myself for quitting. The good news is that I'm back at it! And it feels great! It is a bit of a struggle to get my body back into the shape it was before I left, but the program I am on is phenominal. (I have to give my Trainer a plug here: visit Horizon PT HERE.)
Not only am I working to get my body in great shape, but I also have taken steps to keep my brain sharp. Since I host a weekly radio show (The BEST Show) I am expected to stay up with the issues of the day. I typically stay abreast of the hot topics through various email newsletters and websites. But it's really just not enough. I am putting myself on a plan to read. I am currently reading 3 books. You can see what's on my "night stand" in the library I am setting up on my website. I'll have a link up soon.
There are benefits to getting in shape. The family gets to share in the rewards. Not only am I eating healthier, but the rest of the family is too. My point in sharing this with you is two fold: 1) Accountabilty. By sharing with you what I am doing, you will no doubt expect to see me follow through. Have you ever started a diet, but didn't tell anybody, that way if you didn't stick with it, no one would be the wiser? So, you get my point... 2) I truely believe you can do it too. Many people don't think they are smart enough, fast enough, good enough...the truth is that we ALL are capable. The test is, how hard are you willing to work for what you want?
The Starting Point is HERE...NOW. Stop procrastinating. Get it done. As Nike said: Just Do It. I am, are you?
Before I get into my opine for the day, for those of you who may not catch the blog for my radio show, The BEST Show, here's an update on the topic for August 8th:
Topics include discussing the local Apple Harvest Festival as well as something that might turn your colors red. I happened to be listening to another station's morning show, who's discussion was whether it would be acceptible for American servicemen returning home to have sex ON the very symbol of Freedom, The American Flag, in celebration of their return home! It's outlandish! And the lack of respect American's have is embarassing. We'll discuss it Sunday evening at 5. Tune in on the internet at www.charlieprofit.com. Call in at (860)621-1750. Sorry I don't have an 800# yet.
Setting Goals has got to be one of THE most difficult things to follow through with. I set some goals, as specific as I could at the beginning of the year. I differentiate Goal Setting and Resolutions. What I have read, and believe to be true, is that in order for you to actually achieve your goals, you have to be able to visualize what you want, specifically. You help yourself to do this by writing them down, in a specific fashion, ie: I want a 5 bedroom, 2 bath house with blue shag carpets, green bathroom tile, red vinyl siding, an 8 car garage, 3 peach trees, a lush green lawn with 3 dandylions on a 17 acre plot. By the way, that's just an example, it's not my goal! But you get the picture. Be specific. After you have your ideas on paper, you are to read them at least twice a day; maybe morning and night. Once your Goals are on paper, you can start to develop a PLAN, to put into action that will help you achieve the reward. See, it's not simple enough to just write it down. You have to know HOW you will achieve it. For example, you might say you want 1 Million Dollars. That's fine. It's a commendable goal to assertain. But, do you have any clue how the money will end up in your bank account? Goal setting is not a Genie in a Bottle who you can have wrinkle her nose and blink all while nodding her head to get what you want. It takes a plan. Ugh. You didn't realize there was a little work involved in Goal Setting, did you? And who likes to plan their life? That might take out some of the fun and excitement of the unplanned tragedy, right? I want you to think about this for a day or so: What kind of plan or "map" would you outline for your life for certain improvements, or to attain certain goals you may have? Think about it.
I've fallen off the path, but I am "planning" how I expect to get back on, and STAY on! I'll revist this in a day or so with a little more guidance to get your map written, so you too can achieve your goals.
After almost three months of laziness I'm back into my personal training and fitness program. My personal trainer was pleasantly suprised that I hadn't gained any weight and that my percentage of body fat was only up by .9 percent! Of course I was more than exstatic about it. I set my personal goals to achieve a low body fat and high lean mass content. But then I let some outside circumstances get in the way as an excuse to stop training. I didn't realize how much I was cheating myself. So I'm back at it!
You can't function comfortably without succumbing to the technological advances of our society. I finally updated my webpage (www.charlieprofit.com). It was nagging and nagging at me. I would spend hours just staring at the screen, wondering what kind of image I wanted to project. Finally, after stumbling across "Blogger.com" where I submit my blogs to be posted, I found the image I wanted. It only took a few hours to get every page in line.
Blog. There's a fairly 'new to the mainstream' concept. I've known about blogs for probably 2 or 3 years. I've always thought, "someday" I'll earn how to "blog", when I have the time. Well, as technology continued to move full speed ahead, I had to try to catch up. I was getting emails left and right about "blogs". And since I am in the Communication field, I should blog too. The hold up for me is that, when I write, I can write for hours. Same thing with reading. If I actually allow myself to slip away to Barnes and Noble or Borders...well, I basically get lost. Not lost as in I can't find my way, but lost, oh where to begin.
I'm on a tangent. Back to blogging and technology.
Keeping up with technology. A novel idea. Impossible to do. I don't even think the "geeks and nerds" (said in an admirable tone) can keep up with themselves. The geeks and nerds we knew in school, have truely become the Cool Guys/Gals. Maybe geeks and nerds should now be capitalized, to show an unsaid form of respect: Geeks and Nerds. They are changing the virtual landscape.
I read, almost daily, about various programs that are supposed to make life easier, more managable. I end up spending more time reading about all these advancements, yet don't have the money or the time to put them to work for me. PDA's, palm pilots, cell phones...ipods, mp3 players, tiffs gifs and jpegs.
I downloaded a neat program called "EasyGen" (http://www.easygen.com). It's a cool program that's supposed to make web design simpler. My learning curve is WAY off. By the time I learn it, they will have 6 or 7 upgrades with newer and cooler features that I probably thought of while I was burning brain cells trying to make the program work for me. I'll let you know how it goes.
I like technologically advanced toys. I have email accessiblilty from my cell phone. At one point, I could even access my email right off my desk top! My pc didn't like the program though. The computer kept crashing...and if the computer isn't functional, neither was accessing my desk top from my cell phone.
The other day, I must have spent over an hour reviewing rate plans for my cell phone. Mind boggling. I was being lured by the Black Berry. But alas, it's not in my budget .... yet. I remember telling my mom when I was only 9 that one day people will be able to talk on their phones while driving their cars. I don't know why I told her that. It was just a fleeting thought. And now, we can communicate with almost anyone almost anywhere and at anytime. Although, I've learned, sometimes you have to turn the toys off.
What's cool about all this technology, is that you can have an RSS or Atom Feed to your desktop that will alert you when I've updated my blog. Learn about RSS and Atom feeds at http://www.feedburner.com. Another thing that I find fascinating is that I can post to my blog directly through email. And since I have email on my cell phone, I can post to my blog anywhere I have cell service! That's Cool. Is there anything we CAN'T do with email?
I wanted to start a blog to put my thoughts down. To have a record off what goes through the vast land of space between my ears. As I've mentioned, I do have a radio show. I host a talk show on WXCT AM 990 in Hartford, Connecticut. Doing the radio show is cool, because as the thoughts come, you just say them. Of course you need to have some kind of format to keep your thoughts in order, and to keep your listeners listening. Have you ever been conversing with someone who goes from topic to topic with in seconds? Difficult to stay attuned.
Blogging is a little different. While I aspire to keep my thoughts that I express on my radio show coherant, there's more of an excuse, if you stray. When you write, there isn't much of an excuse, except that maybe you write like you talk. But then, people find it hard to follow you. I am basically writing as the thoughts come, as if I am talking. Boy, I don't know how long I would last in radio if I only talked 30 words per minute! (If you are a comedian, you can steal my joke, just give me credit).
Technolgy is changing the way we live and the way we think. If you can get by without email, without a cell phone and without downloads, I commend you. I am finding that in this age of technology, I can't function without being attuned to the latest trends, and the latest technology fads of our culture; but are they really just fads? And I may not have the latest toys, but I like to know what's out there. I think to myself that if I could just have this or have that, that my life would be more manageable, I'd get more done and make more money because I was more efficient. Would that be true though? Or would there just be that much more to do, to learn, to implement.
There's no getting around this technology. I remember NOT having cable TV as a kid. HBO was for rich people. I remember NOT having the internet. You had to do your research at the library. I remember having to wait til I got home to call my friends, because we didn't have cell phones. Have you noticed it's harder and harder to find pay phones these days? These Wi Fi Hot Spots are about as common today as Pay Phones were in the 70's!
Here's a side note to the discussion about technology. Did you know that in Hong Kong you can buy a soda pop from a vending machine using your cell phone to pay the tab! And look at these picture phones. Almost every memory can now be documented so you will never forget.
There's alot I look forward to writing about. And as time marches on, I'll be trying to find the better, more efficient way to do things so I can spend more time writing.
What really is interesting: Our kids will grow up never knowing what life was like without the internet, they'll never know what it was like to NOT know what a CD is, and they probably won't remember gas at prices less than $2.00 per gallon!
Tomorrow's Topic: I dunno yet...maybe politics, maybe health.
This Sunday's show should prove to be interesting. We will have a special guest from Southington on the show on Sunday. Angelina Santa Maria will be joining us in the studio to talk about the new Southington Chamber of Commerce Group, Chamber Women. She will also be talking about the recent fund raisers for Bread for Life. Join us online at www.charlieprofit.com.
Today we start a new blog. Let's see how it looks.
