Monday, March 31, 2008

Photo of the day


Collared finchbill bulbul (Spizixos semitorques)
Original from China, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Miami's Metrozoo

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Photo of the day


Nicobar pigeon
Miami Metrozoo

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Photo of the day


Eclectus parrot (female)
Miami Metrozoo

Friday, March 28, 2008

Photo of the day


Crested wood-partridge
Miami Metrozoo

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Photo of the day


Green peafowl
Miami Metrozoo

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Photo of the day


White collared kingfisher
Miami Metrozoo

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Photo of the day


Sarus crane
Miami Metrozoo

Monday, March 24, 2008

Photo of the day


Sarus crane
Miami Metrozoo

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Photo of the day


Cuban crocodile
Miami Metrozoo

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Photo of the day


Water monitor
Miami Metrozoo

Friday, March 21, 2008

George Carlin, getting old but he's still sharp.




Link

Our government outsources our privacy too now?

I am incensed about the failure of our government to protect our privacy. They say they want to make use safer. Now we found out that the State Department has outside contractors with access to private information. Employees of these contractors have viewed the passport files of Senators Obama, Clinton and McCain. in breach of the Privacy Act of 1974.

Section b) Conditions of disclosure states:

"No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be:
(1) to those officers and employees of the agency which maintains the record who have a need for the record in the performance of their duties;"
etc.

If I asked the government to see the Senator's passports under the Freedom of Information Act I would be denied because those are private files and I have no business looking into them. And that is how it should be. Who knew that we are now also outsourcing the government?

Where these private contractors snooping just for fun? Or where they hired by a ring of identity thieves? Let's consider the possibility of political gain. What if they steal passport, SSN, and other private info then register a credit card in the name of one of these candidates and make a reservation with the Emperors Club VIP then leak it to the press?

How many thousands of passports have these people been looking into? Yours? Mine? WHat if they are gathering all sorts of private info for the purpose of identity theft? (See: FAQ: The passport breach: What exactly is in those records?).

Secretary Rice has apologized to the candidates. Will she go on a press conference on national TV and apologize to the American public for this breach? I doubt it will happen. An internal investigation has been started by the State Department. What about the Attorney General getting involved? He should do so and prosecute these people, and their employers, to the full extent of the law. Congress should also get into the act. Congressman Henry Waxman has already asked for the names of the companies and persons involved. If our government does not protect our privacy, who does?

Photo of the day


Bengal tiger
Miami Metrozoo

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Photo of the day


Kitties
Miami Metrozoo

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Photo of the day


Hooded merganser (male)

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Photo of the day


Southern yellow-billed hornbill
Another view of this bird.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Photo of the day


Yellow-billed hornbill
Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, Florida

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Photo of the day


Black Crowned Crane
Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, Florida

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Photo of the day


Kookaburra
Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, Florida

Friday, March 14, 2008

Photo of the day


Giraffe
Brevard Zoo,Melbourne, Florida

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Photo of the day


Southern Ground Hornbill
Brevard Zoo - Melbourne, Florida

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Photo of the day


Sandhill crane
Viera wetlands, Florida

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Photo of the day


American bittern
Viera wetlands

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Photo of the day


Fire Dept. boat going out to sea, same place as yesterday.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Photo of the day


US Coast Guard going out to sea in a hurry
Haulover pier

Friday, March 07, 2008

Photo of the day


Brown Pelican - Bal Harbour, Florida

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Photo of the day


Sanderling
Bal Harbour beach

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Photo of the day


Royal tern

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

FoxTalk is dead. FoxRockX is alive!

Maybe a little late to the info but important nonetheless. The German Foxpro Group (DFPUG), a dedicated group of FoxPro professionals, including several VFP conference speakers and MVPs, have started a new magazine, taking over from FoxTalk and FoxPro Advisor. They offer a bimonthly edition online for subscribers, (with optional print subscription also available). All subscribers get access to FoxTalk's archives too.

This is great news for FoxPro developers world-wide. FoxPro is still a vibrant and powerful programming language, with new additions like Microsoft's SEDNA project and the comunnity-developed additions of VFPx.

Well done, and congratulations to Rainer Becker and his dedicated team.

Photo of the day


Hooded merganser (male)
Viera wetlands

Monday, March 03, 2008

Photo of the day


Hooded merganser (female)
Viera wetlands

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Photo of the day


Brown pelican
Bal Harbour, Florida

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Photo of the day


Ring-billed Gull - Bal Harbour, Florida