Searches at School: No Reason Necessary

There is a contentious school issue being debated in Hawaii. The state is considering allowing searches of student lockers, without the need to establish just cause. The rationale from the Board of Education Chairwoman is as follows:

“”I think that if you are on a school campus, that it’s not really your own personal property,” said board Chairwoman Karen Knudsen. “But if the dog is specifically trained to be able to detect drugs, I don’t see that that should be a problem if you don’t have drugs.”"

The counter-argument is supplied by a lawyer with the ACLU:

“But Laurie Temple, a Hawaii ACLU attorney, said giving principals access to students’ lockers at any time without reason or cause is “unnecessary, potentially unconstitutional and opens the schools up to liability.”"

link: ACLU protests blanket student locker searches

It is disturbing what the unfettered search would teach the children. For one thing, there is absolutely no expectation of privacy. And underlying that, civil rights are theoretical constructs and certainly not practiced.

Ms Knudsen’s argument about not having drugs misses the point. One wonders what Ms Knudsen’s reaction would be if she were to be stopped by police periodically and had her vehicle searched. The roads are not her private property. By Ms Knudsen’s own premise, the no-cause search of her vehicle should not be a problem because she does not have drugs. On the other hand, she has no privacy either.

Justice Louis Brandeis made the point in 1928: “The makers of our constitution undertook to secure conditions favorable to the pursuit of happiness . . . They sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred, as against the government, the right to be let alone - - the most comprehensive of the rights and the right most valued by civilized men”. It would seem that it would be in our collective best interests if school children learned that the constitution was indeed meaningful - and applied to all Americans.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

[tags]privacy, schools, no-cause searches, board of education, aclu, drugs, constitution[/tags]

Tiger Prepares for the PGA Championship

The Firestone Country Club must have a challenging golf course. Some of the world’s finest golfers had their difficulties with the course and no one, except one lone score, managed to finish the Bridgestone Invitational under par. That lone score belonged to Tiger Woods - at eight under par:

“Woods erased a one-shot deficit in two holes, then buried Rory Sabbatini and the rest of the field to win the Bridgestone Invitational for the third straight year and send him to the PGA Championship with his game in good shape.”

link: Woods erases deficit, dominates field at Bridgestone Invitational

Perhaps, Tiger Woods remembered the Sabbatini comments at the Wachovia. However, it is doubtful if Tiger Woods needs added motivation on a golf course. It is remarkable that Tiger Woods is able to be eight stokes ahead of a field of such talented golfers. It is a singular talent - for the ages. Next is the final major of the year - the PGA Championship.

Catherine

Tiger Prepares for the PGA Championship

The Firestone Country Club must have a challenging golf course. Some of the world’s finest golfers had their difficulties with the course and no one, except one lone score, managed to finish the Bridgestone Invitational under par. That lone score belonged to Tiger Woods - at eight under par:

“Woods erased a one-shot deficit in two holes, then buried Rory Sabbatini and the rest of the field to win the Bridgestone Invitational for the third straight year and send him to the PGA Championship with his game in good shape.”

link: Woods erases deficit, dominates field at Bridgestone Invitational

Perhaps, Tiger Woods remembered the Sabbatini comments at the Wachovia. However, it is doubtful if Tiger Woods needs added motivation on a golf course. It is remarkable that Tiger Woods is able to be eight stokes ahead of a field of such talented golfers. It is a singular talent - for the ages. Next is the final major of the year - the PGA Championship.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]golf, tiger woods, bridgestone invitational, firestone country club, pga championship[/tags]

Cost of Stolen Data Storage Device Incident: About Three Million Dollars

There is now a cost estimate for the loss the data storage device in Ohio. The estimated fall-out from that incident is approximately three million dollars ($3,000,000.00):

“The bill for Ohio taxpayers to respond to the loss of sensitive data on a computer backup tape stolen from a state intern’s car could reach nearly $3 million, as affected individuals continue to sign up for identity-theft protection services.”

link: State’s tab for data theft could hit nearly $3 million

Perhaps it can be considered expensive tuition for the state to learn about data security. And the public relations cost of letting an intern take home the data for safekeeping remains immense.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]data breach, privacy, security, identity theft, cost, ohio, intern[/tags]

Hackers Defeat Locks in Seconds

At the DefCon hackers conference in Las Vegas, there was a gathering of those involved in the sport of defeating locks. This involves the electronic key card entry systems and deadbolt locks. It seems that both can be compromised with some ease:

“…Medeco deadbolt locks relied on worldwide at embassies, banks and other tempting targets for thieves, spies or terrorists can be opened in seconds with a strip of metal and a thin screw driver, Marc Tobias of Security.org demonstrated for AFP.”

link: Hackers click locks open at conference in US

Needless to say how many numerous ways such compromised security can be catastrophic. Hackers may not only be rattling your electronic doors. They can compromise the door lock and walk in, physically. Perhaps the lock companies should start attending the hackers conventions.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]hackers, locks, key card entry, deadbolt, medeco, security, marc tobias[/tags]

Dara Torres: Forty and Fast

Dara Torres is a four time Olympian. She has won nine Olympic medals for swimming. She won her first U.S. Championship race in 1982. Ms Torres is now a mother, with a young daughter. Ms Torres, at age forty (40), just set a record for the 50 meter freestyle swim:

“INDIANAPOLIS — Dara Torres’ 15th national title felt no different from her first a quarter-century earlier.

The oldest national champion in U.S. swimming history, Torres set an American record in the 50-meter freestyle Saturday night in her bid toward a possible fifth Olympics appearance.”

link: Torres breaks own American record in 50-meter freestyle

It is a remarkable achievement. She’s forty, fast and focused on the Beijing Olympics. Kudos to Ms Torres.

Catherine

Dara Torres: Forty and Fast

Dara Torres is a four time Olympian. She has won nine Olympic medals for swimming. She won her first U.S. Championship race in 1982. Ms Torres is now a mother, with a young daughter. Ms Torres, at age forty (40), just set a record for the 50 meter freestyle swim:

“INDIANAPOLIS — Dara Torres’ 15th national title felt no different from her first a quarter-century earlier.

The oldest national champion in U.S. swimming history, Torres set an American record in the 50-meter freestyle Saturday night in her bid toward a possible fifth Olympics appearance.”

link: Torres breaks own American record in 50-meter freestyle

It is a remarkable achievement. She’s forty, fast and focused on the Beijing Olympics. Kudos to Ms Torres.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]dara torres, olympian, swimming, speed, record, beijing olympics, kudos[/tags]