Privacy is a Joke

      In an article that appears in the technology section, Bits, on The New York Times web site titled, "Girls Around Me: An App Takes Creepy to a New Level" by Nick Bilton, the writer describes a mobile smart phone application called, Woman Around Me, that allows men (or woman) to pinpoint a woman's location, then find her on Facebook and make a connection. After reading this article, I'm thinking, maybe someone should create an application for gals and call it, Stalkers Around Me, so woman can bundle applications and find out the location and the identity of predators in the area. ~Andrew

(image appears with article at New York Times web site)

March 30, 2012, 4:43 pm                       ( Link to the article)

Girls Around Me: An App Takes Creepy to a New Level by Nick Bilton

Bilton goes on to say, "Girls Around Me uses Foursquare, the location-based mobile service, to determine your location. It then scans for women in the area who have recently checked-in on the service. Once you identify a woman you’d like to talk to, one that inevitably has no idea you’re snooping on her, you can connect to her through Facebook, see her full name, profile photos and send her a message."

link to cartoon

link to cartoon website  

      In his article, Invasion of the Cookie Monsters, author Jack Shafer writes, "I doubt that few who use the Web ever thought they were signing up for a technology whose surreptitious data-gathering can hone in on a user's age, ZIP code, level of education, health data, gender, estimated income, marital status, real estate situation, and more, as the Journal reports."

link to cartoon

     Shafer refers to a media series (which I have linked below) when he writes, "The invasive use of these technologies, documented brilliantly in an ongoing Wall Street Journal series titled, "What They Know," allows data miners to collect reams of personal information about you." You should check this out. At this site you can learn about privacy issues like, illegal iPhone tracking, the FBI's secret unauthorized probes in to google accounts, how consumer website adjust pricing according to your personal information, the tracking of your cars license plates, and more.                                                     

 (The Wall Street Journal series, "What They Know")

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Mountain Meets It's Match

Photograph by, Steve Grodin, photopatron.com


Old man mountain's red rippled nose rises from the lake valley floor
The tears have run and when the days are quite done
The water cuts his deep aged face then fills the lake with anguish
The sadness it holds is reflected twice fold, a double sad expression of anger

Marauding mist mingles amongst the fir studded forest
Creeping gently along, warming, mist rising like spirits leaving the earth
Spirits transporting the misguided emotions up in to the heavens
Clearly cleansing the weary water all the while easing its pain

Mountain's cousins lay strewn beside the canyons in between
Stressed surfaces as telling and terrible as an old skeleton
Rasped ridges protruding pinnacles and points
Water working it's weight, waging a battle to deconstruct

Mister mountain lay here for ten thousands of years
All the while he's been watching and waiting
The damage to his kin happens over and over again
And unjust the tears trail his face and erode him

 ~Andrew

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Branded a Hoarder

      There was a man, a tenant that I inherited six years ago when I began managing the buildings where I live. He always wore blue denim bib-overalls, a stained formerly white t-shirt, large metal framed eye glasses, a ball cap and often a white respirator mask over his mouth and nose. He always stunk of too much rose oil and a hideous combination of every tester perfume from the Macy's fragrance counter. Mostly, he roamed the streets of the downtown area scouring the ground for errant coins. On several occasions I witnessed him standing in front of the Plaza mall where he would orient himself facing East down 4th street, then put an open hand to each side of his mouth, tilt his head back, and yell out in a might bellow,"RiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBBiiiiiiiiiiiT!" You could hear this for many blocks. For that he became known as, "Ribbit Man". In our apartment complex he was known as "The Hoarder".


 He lived in a one bedroom apartment on the second floor for over thirty years and in that time he threw away very little.

When his health began to fail, he was forced to leave. He took nothing with him.

I had the pleasure of managing the clean-up.

He was a brand loyal man who loved specific products. In fact he loved them so much he was unwilling to get rid of the empty containers.

Ribbit adored his Mott's applesauce and left behind about 300 empty jars.


He ate lots of Quaker instant oatmeal and kept a huge stockpile stored on the kitchen counter at all times.

There were hundreds of empty candy wrappers as well as jars full of MnM's candy.








He never used his refrigerator once. In fact, the original paperwork was still inside and it had never been turned on or plugged in.

Ribbit Man must have made daily walks to the store to get his fresh food.

There were cupboards full of Clover cottage cheese tubs, hundreds of them in all.









 Apparently, Maruchan ramen style noodles were regularly on the menu as there were thousands of empty noodle wrappers.

It seems though, that he never used the seasoning packets because these were all still in tact.







Here, you see evidence of one of his ultimate weaknesses, See's Chocolate. He went to the mall everyday for thousands of days. 



It took two months to renovate the apartment and there are many more photos that I will try to post later. Some are a bit shocking and others are just down right bizarre. One thing is for sure, Ribbit loved his brands, including his favorite pop stars Brittany Spears and Brooke Shields.

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Great Time for a New Watch

     Rolex attempts to hook us with celebrity Renee Fleming. A beautiful accomplished singer who plays to high society in a packed house at an exclusive venue. A ticket to this concert is most likely expensive, but don't be concerned with the price of perfection when that is all you are willing to settle for. This ad plays to both woman and men who might like to buy an expensive gift or make a self indulgent purchase. Rolex wants us to believe that Renee always knows where she is going next, she is always on stage, and by wearing this watch she is not only great, but she also stands out above greatness, defining a generation of top performers.

(exploded view for detail)

     I like how the curve of the balcony mimics the shape of the watch and the way the theater lights mirror the encircled diamonds on its face. The audience delivers a standing ovation for both a magnificent performer and an outstanding timepiece.
   

                          (actual ad taken from Architectural Digest May 2012)                                 (exploded view for text and detail)

When you purchase this timepiece you are buying in to an exclusive club. A socially elite group who enjoys fine clothing, grand theaters, beauty, and great entertainment.

You are literally buying Greatness!










     After being hooked by international football star David Beckham, I find my focus settling directly on his wristwatch. Which is so perfectly placed in the ad, just to the right and above center. It's a very comfortable place for your eyes to land. This ad appeals to the serious world traveler who is always on the go. He could be off to anywhere at any time. But at least, when he wears a Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime, he will always know what time it is. Woman will like this ad too as Mr. Beckham's looks are known to be popular with the ladies. Any stylish woman would certainly buy one of these fine watches for her favorite man. It will only set you back $22,560.00.

(actual 2 page ad taken from Architectural Digest, Dec. 2009)

(exploded view for text)

                                                        (exploded view for detail)
     I like that Mr. Beckham is displaying a wedding band. He's edgy enough to wear tattoos in the open yet sophisticated enough to fly private in a Bombardier Challenger 605 business jet. Who knows, maybe he even owns this plane and by the look of his leather jacket and canvas flight bag, you may be led to believe that he flew it here himself.
     If you purchace this watch, you're also buying the identity of a world class athlete traveler. You walk with a steady surefooted directness. You know where you've been and more importantly, you know where you're going. You get there in a 25 million dollar jet plane. Perfection, precision, and style are important words in your vocabulary. You have achieved a lot. Now, with your new Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime wrist watch you are like Mr. Beckham...
you're an icon... a legend in your own time.

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