A large topic on the internet nowadays is privacy, or the lack of it. Technology has enabled your everyday ‘Joe’ to see everything you’re doing. If your wifi is “secured”, it will have a lock next to the signal bars. But don’t let an icon fool you, a lock may make your wifi protected yet you could crash someones wifi with as little as 10 lines of code in the right program.
The ‘lock’ icon next to a ‘secured’ network might as well be a globe because anyone around the world could get into it by watching a step by step tutorial. There are programmes such as Kali Linux which are known as “Penetration testing” tools. You install this to your computer and it acts like another operating system (OS). The programmes use a base of the OS Linux which is a very simplistic version of Windows. This OS will have many tools that will allow you to do many things such as, password cracking, which allows you to hack into email accounts, internets, admin sites, and anything with a password. The point I’m trying to make here is that you’re not as protected as you think you are. You may know of a man named Edward Snowden. He is a computer programmer, that formerly worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) and, was what you call a whistleblower. He made headlines in 2013 after leaking NSA surveillance activities to the public, using WikiLeaks and The Guardian newspaper. I bring Edward Snowden up because of his quote. In an interview he said, “Either you are secured, or you aren’t, there is no inbetween when it comes to privacy”, and I completely agree with him, although I have nothing to hide, I still think that law abiding citizens should be recorded and watched by their governments. If you still aren’t convinced that your privacy is worth nothing, then take a look at London, England. ‘The Ring of Steel’ is a nickname for the surveillance system in the city. For every 11 people there is one camera. It was put in place after the Bishopsgate bombing in 1993. Since 9/11 countries have prepared for the worse, by spying on their citizens the governments say they are preventing terrorist attacks which may be true. But, more deaths and injuries have been caused by police injuries and by people slipping in the bathtub on average. Don’t let the little deceive you. It may look like the internet is locked, but if you know how to search something in youtube, that lock becomes window. A window that lets anyone with eyes look into everything you do. Either you’re protected, or you’re not.
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I think we can all admit that we have an item on our bucket list which entails going somewhere no man has before, little did you know, it’s never been so easy.
The thrill of scuba diving is like no other. You’re weightless, like outer space. The only thing you hear is your breath and the water. It’s tranquilizing. You get to see things like never before. Did you know that more is known about the moon than the oceans? It isn’t illegal to scuba dive without your open water certificate, however the industry makes it difficult to get your gear and it is not safe without proper training. Scuba diving isn’t hard either. You have your main equipment which consists of your bcd (buoyancy compensator), which lets you establish buoyancy and carries your tank, you also carry weights that allow you to sink. Lastly you have your regulator which is connected to your tank, this is what you use to breathe. The limits are endless when it comes to expanding on your knowledge and abilities when it comes to scuba. Essentially, your scuba diving license is a license to lean You can learn to dive deeper, you can do cave and wreck diving, you can learn to use different suits and different breathing systems. I could go on but my fingers would get tired of typing. One set back for many people and maybe even you is the cost. Your gear will cost about $2000, and certificate about $600. Nonetheless, once you have bought everything, it is dirt cheap to dive locally. I pay $20 to get into a quarry and dive twice in one day. Some quarries will have artificial reefs and habitats like sunken buses, cars, boats, and planes. Others may still have mining equipment for if or when it was a mine! For me diving is more than a hobby. I think about it all the time and it even helped get me a job. If you put down that you have your diving license on your resume, interviewers might like it. When I went for a job interview last month the manager was extremely interested in my diving. He said it shows character and responsibility. Ever since I started diving I’ve had a larger awareness to things like littering. It bugs me now. I’ve seen how beautiful things are under water and things like littering are impacting that. The purpose of this blog was to at least get you thinking of what diving is like. It’s a way to get away from the stresses in life and just float. Nothing else matters when you’re in the water. The only thing you’re thinking about is breathing and experiencing. That’s what diving is. It’s an experience. That’s why you should dive. Drones have been an idea of the future for many years… Until 2016 that is. But should they be regulated? Drones are unmanned, radio controlled aircraft. They can now carry out many tasks for both civilian life, and military. Larger militaries such as Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the United States Armed Forces (USAF) use these drones to do the ‘dirty work’ that can lead to a casualty. They allow ‘risk-free’ surveillance and combat, from the home country. But I am not here to talk about that. I’m here to discuss the civilian use of drones and how they should be treated. Ever since it has been made possible to stick a camera to drone, people have been making a big deal out of privacy and how drones are against their rights. Some people think you should have a special licence and permit to own and fly a drone. Which I’m still skeptical about. There is a very large ‘grey area’, meaning, no one really knows if drones should be regulated or not because not everyone wants to spy on people or do any funny business. Many YouTubers and Photographers use these drones to capture cinematic sequences or stunning landscapes. Casey Neistat is one of the most popular YouTuber's on YouTube. He has almost 5.5 million subscribers and he basically started the idea to use drones to capture videos. However, their use in crime has been 10 times more popular. ‘Peeping toms’ are using the drones to spy on women that are topless, bottomless etcetera, and being posted on pornography sites. Doing this is a direct violation to everyone's rights, and the consequences are very high if someone is caught videoing naked people and posting it for everyone to see. It is cases like these that brings me to the idea that drones with cameras should be regulated. No wonder people don't like the idea of these drones. There are many unfortunate countries such as Rwanda in Africa who need emergency medical supplies like blood which can’t be stored for long, but can’t get it in time due to their landscape and terrain. Many procedures like birth sometimes need blood transfusions or the mothers will die. Luckily, a company called ‘Zipline’ has found an answer to this problem, utilizing drones, and it works like this. The clinic that needs blood calls, emails, or texts ‘Zipline’ with the type of blood and amount that is needed. Zipline then packages the blood, puts the drone in pre-flight testing, and the drone is then launched with a flight plan. Within 15 - 35 minutes, the blood is dropped from the drone at the clinic and flies back to base. This solves the issue of shipments taking hours to deliver blood and it’s genius. In my opinion, drones should be regulated if they have a camera. A permit that makes sure the ‘weirdos’ don’t have a drone that can fly 5 kilometers away with a 4k camera to do unjust things. They should be just regulated enough so that people who use them for good things aren’t deterred from getting one, and people who use it for bad things have to go out of their way to get one. But in a way, it is like a gun, if you have guns, no matter how hard it will be to get one illegally, people will still do it, like in America. 5 minutes ago, 1,870 was just a number to you. But now, that represents the amount of innocent people wounded by mass shootings in 2015.
The 2nd amendment is a sacred right to the Americans. This is what allows American citizens to bear arms. Some argue that the right to carry a weapon is a good thing, it enables them to defend themselves. On the other hand, the availability of weapons easily equips ‘bad’ people who have ‘bad’ intentions. Recently, there have been a plethora of mass shootings, school shootings, and other incidents with deaths caused by firearms. Wouldn’t you say this is a problem? Mass Shootings 475 People have been killed due to mass shootings in 2015. Mass shootings are defined as a public shooting in which four people, or more, who are targeted and killed, not including the perpetrator. The most infamous mass shooting was this year in Orlando, Florida. An armed gunman ‘waltzed’ into a gay nightclub, killed 50, and injured 58. Later on, the gunman shot and killed the perpetrator. Shootings are becoming an everyday event. It’s a sad fact, but people are getting used to shootings. School shootings are not to be forgotten. They are some of the most gruesome killings. Who’s fault is it? The amendment which makes guns so easy to get? School Shootings Most people know of the Columbine. The school shooting that took place at Columbine High. In 1999, two armed senior students took students and teachers hostage, ending up with 12 students and 1 teacher killed. On top of that, 24 were injured. This event brought up questions towards the gun control laws. But is there really any control? These teens carried 5 guns altogether. A couple of eighteen-year-olds made 99 bombs and placed them around the school. No wonder people are looking into moving to Mars, this race is a disappointment. What kind of person does it take to do something this horrible? The Animals Not anyone could commit mass murder in my opinion. If you take a look into who shoots up schools and kills people in cold blood, they’re either mentally insane or were brought up wrong. The two kids who held the Columbine High School hostage had a history of dark thoughts. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold made a video for a project in their creative writing class. It was named Hitmen for Hire. In this video they were swearing, yelling, and acting out killing students in the hall, acting as hitmen for hire. I’ve come to a conclusion, I have noticed that in 17 years, America has done nothing to combat this problem. Ever since 1999 when Columbine took place, more shooters have sprouted up. I bet their parents are proud. The 2nd amendment is to blame here. This right has made it a walk in the park to get your hands on a gun. An untraceable one. The United States of America has no control. They should take a look at how Canada’s gun crimes are so minute. It’s mostly illegal to own a handgun here! During the presidential debate gun laws and ‘control’ was a frequent topic. Hopefully, they adjust the amendment, until they do that, nothing will change. Bad driving is seen worldwide. A prime example is India. They don’t even follow the road lanes, they make their own. I think that whenever a major rule has been put in place, drivers should have to do an online test. For example Ontario, Canada has just been hit with a lot of roundabouts. They should decrease traffic, but do they really if people don't know how to use them?
Roundabouts Roundabouts are finally making a large appearance in Ontario. There are over 50 roundabouts in Ontario that were recently implemented. They are built to increase flow of traffic but frankly, people do not know how to use them. Which does the opposite of creating flow. In the UK roundabouts are plenty. It’s a rare sight to see a traffic light there. The driver's test has always included the roundabout in Europe. They were only introduced in Ontario recently, so many people do not know how to use them. This results in accidents. Canadian drivers just want to be first. For example, a common thing you see is people pushing through, causing them to be rear-ended, or getting t-boned. Smart Phones Smart phones have become such a major part of our life. People use them for everything, GPS, talking, dating, and television. They’ve become such a large piece in our lives that everything we do revolves around them. In the United States, 1 in 4 car accidents are caused by some use of a smartphone. Driver Awareness Driver awareness is needed to drive safely. It’s the same as everything else, if you aren’t aware of what’s happening around you, how can you operate a car? Some accidents can be blamed on pillars in your car. There are six in sedans. These have airbags in them and keep your automobile structurally safe, but they also block your view and create blind spots. Driver awareness often comes with driving under the influence and using your phone while driving. In 2013 alone, over 146,000 accidents occurred. That’s 400 accidents a day in Ontario. Driving under the Influence Driving under the influence is a serious offence. You can be heavily fined, their license suspended, insurance problems, and possibly even jail time. If anyone under the age of 21 is driving with any alcohol in their bloodstream, they can be fined. Drunk driving is the reason behind 30% of the pedestrian deaths in the United States. Be safe, call a cab or have a designated driver if you plan to be drinking, it saves lives. The world's most versatile and popular use of travel is in an automobile. They can be cheaper than flying and can go on most terrain. These pros also have cons, which is driver error. In order for a car to be driven, a human has to be driving (for the most part). There are some amazing drivers on the roads, but they don’t get as much recognition as the bad drivers do. That is because bad drivers can be lethal, they kill many people by being careless and acting like they’re the only ones on the road. I’m only 15, I cannot legally drive yet, but from what I understand, you need to be thinking 3 cars ahead in order to stay safe on the road.My sources: Wiki mto.gov cdc.gov Edgarsnyder |
Justin BatherMy name's Connor and I look like a burnt sweet potato, HUUHHHH Archives
November 2016
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