By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
“The land of the free.”
We are fortunate to live in a country carrying that motto.
Each passing year seems to find more and more of the freedoms we cherish encroached upon by our government. Some, by necessity, some by paranoia, some by greed.
The latest council meeting in the Village of Covington saw a directive that will require village employees to wear identification badges as proof they work for the village.
It is really not much of an issue, on the surface. When combined with a never-ending string of other “small issues,” it takes on a different look entirely.
Many residents of Covington can probably remember a time, not long ago, when they felt like they knew most every other resident in the village. No one needed an ID tag because everyone knew everyone.
Safety precautions that were necessary in “the big city” have now filtered down to hamlets such as Covington.
I am not disputing the Covington council’s decision to require that ID badges. Rather, I am saddened at the necessity.
You may wonder how the wearing of an ID badge in Covington may be related to the loss of our freedom. It is one more thing that is necessitated because of lawlessness and fear in our country.
Covington employees must wear an ID badge. School employees in many systems wear identification. In some schools, students wear an ID tag. School doors are locked in order to prevent incidents. You must present yourself for video verification in order to gain admittance to many schools.
I wear my media identification almost everywhere that I go in order that people may know that the person taking their photograph is doing so for the purpose of a newspaper. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it has not been that many years ago that folks would beg to have their kids photo in the local newspaper. Now, if you point a camera in the direction of a child, parents and bystanders reach for their cell phones to call 9-1-1.
Are they just being paranoid? To a certain extent, maybe, but in today’s society, can anyone really afford to take chances?
All of this is a loss of our freedom. Shouldn’t we have the right to be comfortable taking our children to a public park or event?
“Spy” camera are everywhere today. If you think differently, just try running a red light in Dayton. When I was young, the most repeated law enforcement phrase on television was “Book ‘em Dano,” from the original “Hawaii Five O.” Today, that has been replaced with a phrase common to all police dramas — “Pull the surveillance video.”
We can localize that, as well. A recent bicycle vs. car crash in Bradford was caught on video. A store that happened to be nearby had video cameras outside that caught the entire incident.
Granted, from a law enforcement standpoint, video coverage of many areas is a great tool for catching bad guys. The more disturbing issue is that, in many cases, the video is a necessity, not a luxury.
No matter how you paint it, or sugar-coat it, all of this video surveillance, is still “big brother” keeping an eye on us. Our movements can be tracked by these, or by many of our cell phones.
It is difficult for me to believe that I, or anyone, is “free,” in the purist of forms, when our movements must be watched and we must wear photo identification to prove who we are.
This smacks too much of a communist or a socialist existence.
I do, however, realize that compared to many other people around the world, we are very fortunate.
I can only hope that our leaders recognize that every time they pass another law, or just decide to grab another one of our freedoms, they are eroding the foundation of our country.
America’s leaders need to remember that the reason we are “the land of the free” is because we are “the home of the brave.”
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Right to Keep and Bear Arms = awesome responsibility
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Ohio’s concealed carry law was in the news again this week. Legislators passed a bill that will allow those with a concealed weapon permit to carry their firearm into bars.
The new law will allow weapons to be carried into establishments that serve alcohol, as long as the person carrying the firearm does not drink.
Let me start by saying that I could probably be the poster boy for the Second Amendment. I firmly believe that Americans should have the right to bear arms.
I do, however, have doubts about this new twist on Ohio’s concealed carry law. One of the many things that I learned as a young boy who grew up around guns was that guns and alcohol do not mix. The best intentions of someone who is sober can be lost when mixed with liquor.
I know that the law reads that you can enter the establishment with your firearm if you are not drinking. Let’s be realistic. Most people who go into a bar, do so to get a drink. I have no problem with that. I love a cold beer, myself, from time to time. The bottom line is that if you are going into the local corner bar for a drink, common sense should tell you to leave the gun at home, or at least in your car.
My biggest fear from all of this is that every time some moron shoots someone, the anti-gun establishment immediately begins crying that all guns are bad and all gun-owners are looking for a shoot-out.
I would be far more happy if our learned legislators would start passing laws that come down like the hammers of hell on criminals who use guns in the commission of a crime.
There are common sense answers to the issues but, for some reason, our lawmakers have a habit of ignoring common sense. Heaven forbid that a criminal’s rights might be tread upon.
True, there are criminal acts where there is truly a question as to the guilt of the accused. These situations should be sorted out, taking whatever amount of time is necessary to get to the truth.
More often, there is little, or no, doubt as to the guilt of the accused. When the situation is cut-and-dried, and someone has used a weapon to inflict injury to someone, they should be thrown in a cold, dark cell. No phone. No television. No computer. And no appeals. From my perspective, the minute they pulled the trigger, they forfeited their Civil Rights.
Only when we pass, and begin enforcing … repeat, enforcing, laws that hurt offenders, will criminals think twice before committing a crime.
It can also be argued that those who prey on others should begin thinking twice before committing a crime against another individual, for the intended victim could be lawfully carrying a weapon and just might ruin the day of the predator.
I know that there are requirements that must be met before one can be issued a permit to carry a concealed firearm. I urge those who have such a permit, or are contemplating acquiring one, to please, become proficient with your sidearm. Learning just enough to pass the course is not enough. Continued familiarization and practice is a necessity.
Arming one’s self carries with it an extraordinary responsibility. While a gun, by itself, is a tool, an inanimate object, it affords the person wielding it the power to end someone’s life. We owe it, not only to ourselves, but to those around us, to learn to be safe and accurate with the weapon.
The early leaders of our country, in writing our Constitution and Bill of Rights, made decisions that, I am sure, weighed heavily on their shoulders. As we execute these rights on a daily basis, it is our responsibility as Americans to perform in a manner that is in keeping with the principals set by our Nation’s Founders.
Principals and responsibility … two things which are sadly lacking these days.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Ohio’s concealed carry law was in the news again this week. Legislators passed a bill that will allow those with a concealed weapon permit to carry their firearm into bars.
The new law will allow weapons to be carried into establishments that serve alcohol, as long as the person carrying the firearm does not drink.
Let me start by saying that I could probably be the poster boy for the Second Amendment. I firmly believe that Americans should have the right to bear arms.
I do, however, have doubts about this new twist on Ohio’s concealed carry law. One of the many things that I learned as a young boy who grew up around guns was that guns and alcohol do not mix. The best intentions of someone who is sober can be lost when mixed with liquor.
I know that the law reads that you can enter the establishment with your firearm if you are not drinking. Let’s be realistic. Most people who go into a bar, do so to get a drink. I have no problem with that. I love a cold beer, myself, from time to time. The bottom line is that if you are going into the local corner bar for a drink, common sense should tell you to leave the gun at home, or at least in your car.
My biggest fear from all of this is that every time some moron shoots someone, the anti-gun establishment immediately begins crying that all guns are bad and all gun-owners are looking for a shoot-out.
I would be far more happy if our learned legislators would start passing laws that come down like the hammers of hell on criminals who use guns in the commission of a crime.
There are common sense answers to the issues but, for some reason, our lawmakers have a habit of ignoring common sense. Heaven forbid that a criminal’s rights might be tread upon.
True, there are criminal acts where there is truly a question as to the guilt of the accused. These situations should be sorted out, taking whatever amount of time is necessary to get to the truth.
More often, there is little, or no, doubt as to the guilt of the accused. When the situation is cut-and-dried, and someone has used a weapon to inflict injury to someone, they should be thrown in a cold, dark cell. No phone. No television. No computer. And no appeals. From my perspective, the minute they pulled the trigger, they forfeited their Civil Rights.
Only when we pass, and begin enforcing … repeat, enforcing, laws that hurt offenders, will criminals think twice before committing a crime.
It can also be argued that those who prey on others should begin thinking twice before committing a crime against another individual, for the intended victim could be lawfully carrying a weapon and just might ruin the day of the predator.
I know that there are requirements that must be met before one can be issued a permit to carry a concealed firearm. I urge those who have such a permit, or are contemplating acquiring one, to please, become proficient with your sidearm. Learning just enough to pass the course is not enough. Continued familiarization and practice is a necessity.
Arming one’s self carries with it an extraordinary responsibility. While a gun, by itself, is a tool, an inanimate object, it affords the person wielding it the power to end someone’s life. We owe it, not only to ourselves, but to those around us, to learn to be safe and accurate with the weapon.
The early leaders of our country, in writing our Constitution and Bill of Rights, made decisions that, I am sure, weighed heavily on their shoulders. As we execute these rights on a daily basis, it is our responsibility as Americans to perform in a manner that is in keeping with the principals set by our Nation’s Founders.
Principals and responsibility … two things which are sadly lacking these days.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thank a firefighter this weekend
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Stormy weather …
Those words are not only the the title of a song, made famous by Lena Horne and Billie Holiday, they are synonymous with weather across the U.S. during the early months of 2011.
Parts of the country have been devastated and many lives have been lost. Our area has been spared for the most part and we have been lucky that we have not seen weather in the same league as those in Tennessee and Missouri.
While our area has been spared the death and destruction, we have had more than our share of rain, wind, thunder and lightning.
And, in spite of the fact that our weather is never as bad as some of our professional weather prognosticators make it out to be, there has been damage and a few of our friends and neighbors have suffered losses.
Most of us think of our local firefighters as, well, men and women who fight fires. We are blessed in Miami County to have a mix of professional, full-time and volunteer, firefighters who are among the best in the business.
What many may not realize is that our firefighters, and rescue squad members, have been losing lots of sleep in recent months, not due to house or barn fires, but rather, to reports of utility poles burning and downed trees due to wind and lightning.
They, along with area law enforcement officers, brave the driving rain and wind to identify danger and either repair or isolate it until utility crews can arrive.
I don’t mean to paint their efforts, under these circumstances, as “heroic”, but most of us have, at one time or another, been caught, outdoors, in a thunderstorm. I think that we would all agree that it is not a lot of fun. And, there is an element of danger involved. Lightning and falling trees are dangerous.
Most of us, given the choice between sitting at home where it is warm and dry, or standing outdoors in a deluge of rain making sure that someone does not drive into high water or a downed tree, would probably choose to stay home.
A couple of months ago, when a series of storms came through the Covington area, a downed electrical wire left a large portion of the community in the dark. Out of the darkness came the Covington Fire Department. As calls came in to the Miami County 9-1-1 Center, members of the department patiently and methodically investigated every report of downed wires, high water and arching power lines. Once they caught up with the calls and tentatively identified the source of the problem, a number of the volunteer firefighters stuck around until Dayton Power & Light arrived on the scene to begin repairs.
Similar scenarios play out in other communities with every storm.
It also bears mentioning that most of these firefighters are married and have families. There is a natural feeling when potentially dangerous weather is targeting your community, your home, to want to be there to protect those you love. When things are looking the worst, these firefighters have to leave their family and go out to help and protect others.
Family members of our volunteer firefighters deserve credit for their strength during these times. One might tend to think that circumstances such as these would see wives, or sometimes husbands, and children feeling scared and abandoned during crucial times. It have been my observation that it is a sign of strong families who know that they can take care of themselves when the chips are down.
Maybe, this is one of the reasons why so many firefighters, both paid and volunteer, are second and third generation firefighters.
Most firefighters love “sinking their teeth” into a big fire. It is a rush to be involved in putting out a large blaze. For every hour a firefighter spends pouring water on a raging fire, he, or she, probably spends 20 or 30 hours standing on some country road next to a fallen tree or power pole, waiting on someone to arrive to clean things up. Few of those hours are during pleasant weather conditions.
There is an old saying, “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.” Thank God for our firefighters who respond to disasters, large and small, and almost always, with a smile on their face, even in a rainstorm.
Memorial Day weekend is to honor our fallen military heroes. Many of us will be attending parades on Monday. Taking part in those parades will be members of our local fire departments. As they pass by, how about giving them a special wave and thank you for a job well done?
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Stormy weather …
Those words are not only the the title of a song, made famous by Lena Horne and Billie Holiday, they are synonymous with weather across the U.S. during the early months of 2011.
Parts of the country have been devastated and many lives have been lost. Our area has been spared for the most part and we have been lucky that we have not seen weather in the same league as those in Tennessee and Missouri.
While our area has been spared the death and destruction, we have had more than our share of rain, wind, thunder and lightning.
And, in spite of the fact that our weather is never as bad as some of our professional weather prognosticators make it out to be, there has been damage and a few of our friends and neighbors have suffered losses.
Most of us think of our local firefighters as, well, men and women who fight fires. We are blessed in Miami County to have a mix of professional, full-time and volunteer, firefighters who are among the best in the business.
What many may not realize is that our firefighters, and rescue squad members, have been losing lots of sleep in recent months, not due to house or barn fires, but rather, to reports of utility poles burning and downed trees due to wind and lightning.
They, along with area law enforcement officers, brave the driving rain and wind to identify danger and either repair or isolate it until utility crews can arrive.
I don’t mean to paint their efforts, under these circumstances, as “heroic”, but most of us have, at one time or another, been caught, outdoors, in a thunderstorm. I think that we would all agree that it is not a lot of fun. And, there is an element of danger involved. Lightning and falling trees are dangerous.
Most of us, given the choice between sitting at home where it is warm and dry, or standing outdoors in a deluge of rain making sure that someone does not drive into high water or a downed tree, would probably choose to stay home.
A couple of months ago, when a series of storms came through the Covington area, a downed electrical wire left a large portion of the community in the dark. Out of the darkness came the Covington Fire Department. As calls came in to the Miami County 9-1-1 Center, members of the department patiently and methodically investigated every report of downed wires, high water and arching power lines. Once they caught up with the calls and tentatively identified the source of the problem, a number of the volunteer firefighters stuck around until Dayton Power & Light arrived on the scene to begin repairs.
Similar scenarios play out in other communities with every storm.
It also bears mentioning that most of these firefighters are married and have families. There is a natural feeling when potentially dangerous weather is targeting your community, your home, to want to be there to protect those you love. When things are looking the worst, these firefighters have to leave their family and go out to help and protect others.
Family members of our volunteer firefighters deserve credit for their strength during these times. One might tend to think that circumstances such as these would see wives, or sometimes husbands, and children feeling scared and abandoned during crucial times. It have been my observation that it is a sign of strong families who know that they can take care of themselves when the chips are down.
Maybe, this is one of the reasons why so many firefighters, both paid and volunteer, are second and third generation firefighters.
Most firefighters love “sinking their teeth” into a big fire. It is a rush to be involved in putting out a large blaze. For every hour a firefighter spends pouring water on a raging fire, he, or she, probably spends 20 or 30 hours standing on some country road next to a fallen tree or power pole, waiting on someone to arrive to clean things up. Few of those hours are during pleasant weather conditions.
There is an old saying, “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.” Thank God for our firefighters who respond to disasters, large and small, and almost always, with a smile on their face, even in a rainstorm.
Memorial Day weekend is to honor our fallen military heroes. Many of us will be attending parades on Monday. Taking part in those parades will be members of our local fire departments. As they pass by, how about giving them a special wave and thank you for a job well done?
Friday, May 13, 2011
No such thing as a second place winner
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Educating our children is always one of our biggest concerns. Not a day goes by that we don’t hear or read about some aspect of education.
Many profess alarm that America’s youth have fallen behind their counterparts in other counties. Many suggestions and opinions are offered to put American kids back “on track.”
As usual, there are too many American’s whose ultra-liberal opinions seem to carry the day. And, as usual, they are dead wrong. Legislators and self-proclaimed education “experts” who are flapping their jaws about year-round school, for example, are probably parents themselves who cringe that they are keeping score at their kid’s soccer games.
Sports and life are intertwined. Parents who interfere in either, or both, are usually doing their children more harm than good.
An example is parents who call a newspaper office and complain that their little “Johnny” did not have his photo in the paper and the paper should be ashamed of itself for not giving “Johnny” his moment in the sun. After all, the parent will say, “Johnny” works just as hard on the JV squad as his varsity counterparts. Or, there is the parent who will complain that their kid didn’t make the paper from a particular game and we should rectify the situation because their kid “deserves” to be publicized. (Please note: we do not photograph “players,” we photograph the game.)
A couple of lessons are to be learned from this. First, life isn’t fair. Second, let “Johnny” pay his dues, just as the rest of the varsity team did. With rare exceptions, they had to earn their way to win a varsity spot. There are two key words there that too few of our kids know much about - earn and win.
When our kids are in first or second grade and participate in a sport, it is fine to give everyone a ribbon or a medal for participation or good sportsmanship. But there are way too many wishy-washy parents out there who think that keeping score can make a kid feel bad because he or she will be devastated to find out that he or she did not win.
Guess what folks? If you want to be a success as an adult, you have to learn about competition. You must learn about winning and you must learn about losing. It is part of life.
Sure, kids are going to cry if they lose. As a parent, you feel for them. But you don’t create a winner by creating an environment where everyone who shows up “wins.”
I can remember when I was a kid, playing my dad in checkers. He would teach me the game and we would play. He would always win. I can vividly remember being upset at one point and asking my dad, “why don’t you ever let me win?” His answer was, “If I let you win, you will never learn to win on your own.” It hurt at the time, but not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the lesson he taught me. I eventually learned to play well enough to beat him, not always, but I learned how to win.
Parents need to learn that there is no entitlement for our children. We cannot live life for them and, while it hurts a little, learning how about losing is a part of life.
In case someone is not getting the message about what winning or losing at a school-level sport has to do with life, if you don’t learn about winning and losing in school, you are destined to get your butt kicked in life.
American kids need to learn that competition can be brutal. They need to learn, at a younger age, that not everyone makes the varsity team. They need to learn that if you are not gifted with God-given athletic ability, you have to work harder to make the team. You have to want that varsity spot bad enough be willing to work for it. Too many of our kids do not know anything about hard work.
Kids need to learn to lose gracefully but to never be satisfied with losing. They need to learn to fight their own battles, both literally and figuratively.
Children, and adults, in other parts of the world are winning the sporting events and the jobs because they still grow up learning to fight to win, to succeed in life. Americans don’t like to hear that. We are too busy still living off the reputation earned by our parents and grandparents.
A reality in life that we had better learn, before it is too late, is - there is no such thing as a second place winner.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Educating our children is always one of our biggest concerns. Not a day goes by that we don’t hear or read about some aspect of education.
Many profess alarm that America’s youth have fallen behind their counterparts in other counties. Many suggestions and opinions are offered to put American kids back “on track.”
As usual, there are too many American’s whose ultra-liberal opinions seem to carry the day. And, as usual, they are dead wrong. Legislators and self-proclaimed education “experts” who are flapping their jaws about year-round school, for example, are probably parents themselves who cringe that they are keeping score at their kid’s soccer games.
Sports and life are intertwined. Parents who interfere in either, or both, are usually doing their children more harm than good.
An example is parents who call a newspaper office and complain that their little “Johnny” did not have his photo in the paper and the paper should be ashamed of itself for not giving “Johnny” his moment in the sun. After all, the parent will say, “Johnny” works just as hard on the JV squad as his varsity counterparts. Or, there is the parent who will complain that their kid didn’t make the paper from a particular game and we should rectify the situation because their kid “deserves” to be publicized. (Please note: we do not photograph “players,” we photograph the game.)
A couple of lessons are to be learned from this. First, life isn’t fair. Second, let “Johnny” pay his dues, just as the rest of the varsity team did. With rare exceptions, they had to earn their way to win a varsity spot. There are two key words there that too few of our kids know much about - earn and win.
When our kids are in first or second grade and participate in a sport, it is fine to give everyone a ribbon or a medal for participation or good sportsmanship. But there are way too many wishy-washy parents out there who think that keeping score can make a kid feel bad because he or she will be devastated to find out that he or she did not win.
Guess what folks? If you want to be a success as an adult, you have to learn about competition. You must learn about winning and you must learn about losing. It is part of life.
Sure, kids are going to cry if they lose. As a parent, you feel for them. But you don’t create a winner by creating an environment where everyone who shows up “wins.”
I can remember when I was a kid, playing my dad in checkers. He would teach me the game and we would play. He would always win. I can vividly remember being upset at one point and asking my dad, “why don’t you ever let me win?” His answer was, “If I let you win, you will never learn to win on your own.” It hurt at the time, but not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the lesson he taught me. I eventually learned to play well enough to beat him, not always, but I learned how to win.
Parents need to learn that there is no entitlement for our children. We cannot live life for them and, while it hurts a little, learning how about losing is a part of life.
In case someone is not getting the message about what winning or losing at a school-level sport has to do with life, if you don’t learn about winning and losing in school, you are destined to get your butt kicked in life.
American kids need to learn that competition can be brutal. They need to learn, at a younger age, that not everyone makes the varsity team. They need to learn that if you are not gifted with God-given athletic ability, you have to work harder to make the team. You have to want that varsity spot bad enough be willing to work for it. Too many of our kids do not know anything about hard work.
Kids need to learn to lose gracefully but to never be satisfied with losing. They need to learn to fight their own battles, both literally and figuratively.
Children, and adults, in other parts of the world are winning the sporting events and the jobs because they still grow up learning to fight to win, to succeed in life. Americans don’t like to hear that. We are too busy still living off the reputation earned by our parents and grandparents.
A reality in life that we had better learn, before it is too late, is - there is no such thing as a second place winner.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Bin Laden is dead, remember the moment - and move on
Osama Bin Laden is dead. The mastermind behind so many terrorist attacks over the past 20 years is gone, killed, appropriately so, by United States troops.
Last night and into today, Americans celebrated the death of this heartless, ruthless and I might add cowardly terrorist. There are reports that, ever the coward, Bin Laden died while hiding behind a woman.
It is time to ask ourselves what the death of the world’s most infamous terrorist really means. In short, what is next?
As usual in America, less than an hour after the announcement, some were throwing political accusations about. Anyone who reads my weekly column is aware that no one would like to see Barack Obama out of office more that I. There is no doubt that knocking off Bin Laden is a feather in Obama’s cap.
There are times to disagree with our president and there are times to rally behind him, or at least give due credit for a job well done. This is one of those times. The task undertaken by our military was the stuff that movies are made of.
I do feel for President Obama in this instance. No matter how one feels, politically, about any given president, I cannot think of a more troubling decision that one to eliminate, yes kill, another human being. We can talk about it all we like. “Yeah, I’d have not trouble makin’ that call,” many of us would say.
Think about it though, from the president’s perspective. He is giving an order to kill someone. In giving that order, he is committing a number of United States servicemen to accomplish his order. His order is putting them into a position where there is a likely-hood that they could die. It is their job, we know. But, knowing all of that, are you so sure that you could give the order?
It should also be noted that it is not just the President of the United States who is responsible for locating and killing Bin Laden. President Bush had people hot on his trail and Obama picked up the trail after taking office.
To accomplish the mission that culminated in Bin Laden’s death took years of intelligence gathering. The mission did not require Republicans and it did not require Democrats. It required Americans – working together, as a team, toward a common goal. That is what American’s do best.
I do not wish to judge how, or to what extent, Americans celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden. Yes, some will argue, he was a human being, after all.
I do not wish to argue how Bin Laden was buried. The decision was made. It is done. Drop it. Second-guessing at this point is useless.
Now is not the time to spend too much time celebrating the victory. The battle has been won. The war is not over. Terrorists are still alive and a sizable number of them would still wish to continue in the footsteps of their fallen leader.
Well done to the CIA. Well done, U.S. military troops. Well done, Mr. President.
Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo. (The code name, and “go” signal, for the operation.)
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Technology - a ticking time bomb
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Every day, Americans continue to build on our love/hate relationship with technology.
Some love and embrace technology and all of its gadgets. Others detest our computerized world. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.
Technology is great — when it works.
Hollywood has been fond of making cataclysmic movies for decades. I doubt that anyone can count the number of ways that movie makers have brought our country, or the world, to the brink of destruction. Computers of one sort or another have been responsible for the havoc caused in some of these scenarios.
There is a certain air of reality, or at least plausibility, to how our ever-increasing dependence on technology could prove to be our undoing.
I don’t believe that it takes a genius to figure out that if a person or group could disable our technology, ie: our computer systems, they could bring us to our knees.
One has to look no further than the recent Internet issues brought about when Amazon.com, one of the country’s largest web servers, went down, followed less than a week later by a hacker stealing Sony PlayStation user information. An enormous number of websites served by Amazon were rendered inoperative. Sony customers now live in fear that their personal information is in the hands of criminals.
What is even more scary is that a large percentage of our population, especially those under, say, 30 years old, have grown up with computers and their benefits. Many of them have no idea how to operate, or survive, in a society that is not dependent on a machine.
I don’t believe that it is much of an exaggeration to say that most of our under-20 generation would be lost, literally, if someone took away their cell phones.
If I were looking to wage “war” against America, I would look for ways to disrupt our technology. We have stopped using our brains, our wits and our ingenuity. Most all of our “lives” are computer-based. What better way to defeat us than to take away our computers?
How many of us are thrown for a loss when we drop our cell phone in the toilet? It is not, so much, the loss of the phone, but the phone numbers, email addresses, and calendar that also “goes down the toilet” with the phone.
We are too dependent on machines. Period. Our kids can type. Our kids can’t write. Our kids can add, subtract, multiply and divide — on a calculator. Our kids can Google but few can use a dictionary and even fewer even know what an encyclopedia is.
Adding insult to injury, more and more service manuals for everything from cars and trucks to washers and dryers are available online … only. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great convenience. But, what if something just knocks us offline?
Some of you are going to say, “well, our technology is redundant or, it is backed up.” Technology is not infallible. It does fail. It will fail.
As we put more and more responsibility for everything, from our daily personal lives to the very security of our country, in the “hands” of computers we are edging further out on an ever-weakening limb. It is not a question of “if” there will be a failure. The question is “when” it will fail.
In the event of such a catastrophe, those who lose the least, and those who will recover most quickly, will be those who still believe in using their mind and those who are ready and able to use their hands and their brains to recover.
The Darwin adage, “survival of the fittest,” still holds true today.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Every day, Americans continue to build on our love/hate relationship with technology.
Some love and embrace technology and all of its gadgets. Others detest our computerized world. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.
Technology is great — when it works.
Hollywood has been fond of making cataclysmic movies for decades. I doubt that anyone can count the number of ways that movie makers have brought our country, or the world, to the brink of destruction. Computers of one sort or another have been responsible for the havoc caused in some of these scenarios.
There is a certain air of reality, or at least plausibility, to how our ever-increasing dependence on technology could prove to be our undoing.
I don’t believe that it takes a genius to figure out that if a person or group could disable our technology, ie: our computer systems, they could bring us to our knees.
One has to look no further than the recent Internet issues brought about when Amazon.com, one of the country’s largest web servers, went down, followed less than a week later by a hacker stealing Sony PlayStation user information. An enormous number of websites served by Amazon were rendered inoperative. Sony customers now live in fear that their personal information is in the hands of criminals.
What is even more scary is that a large percentage of our population, especially those under, say, 30 years old, have grown up with computers and their benefits. Many of them have no idea how to operate, or survive, in a society that is not dependent on a machine.
I don’t believe that it is much of an exaggeration to say that most of our under-20 generation would be lost, literally, if someone took away their cell phones.
If I were looking to wage “war” against America, I would look for ways to disrupt our technology. We have stopped using our brains, our wits and our ingenuity. Most all of our “lives” are computer-based. What better way to defeat us than to take away our computers?
How many of us are thrown for a loss when we drop our cell phone in the toilet? It is not, so much, the loss of the phone, but the phone numbers, email addresses, and calendar that also “goes down the toilet” with the phone.
We are too dependent on machines. Period. Our kids can type. Our kids can’t write. Our kids can add, subtract, multiply and divide — on a calculator. Our kids can Google but few can use a dictionary and even fewer even know what an encyclopedia is.
Adding insult to injury, more and more service manuals for everything from cars and trucks to washers and dryers are available online … only. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great convenience. But, what if something just knocks us offline?
Some of you are going to say, “well, our technology is redundant or, it is backed up.” Technology is not infallible. It does fail. It will fail.
As we put more and more responsibility for everything, from our daily personal lives to the very security of our country, in the “hands” of computers we are edging further out on an ever-weakening limb. It is not a question of “if” there will be a failure. The question is “when” it will fail.
In the event of such a catastrophe, those who lose the least, and those who will recover most quickly, will be those who still believe in using their mind and those who are ready and able to use their hands and their brains to recover.
The Darwin adage, “survival of the fittest,” still holds true today.
Friday, April 8, 2011
"Idol" thoughts
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
I was given some advice many years ago about a difference between men and
women. This sage advice has never proven itself more than in the past two
days.
What was the advice? Women, I was told, when faced with an important
decision, are far more likely to react based on emotion than on reality.
That does not mean that the females of our species are not capable of
basing a decision on facts, just that they are more likely to react
emotionally.
The next issue is that while most everyone who enjoys music knows what
they like best, few are even remotely qualified to really and truly judge
talent.
I have seen no figures to support my theory, but am willing to bet that
the following is factual. Far more females than males cast votes for their
favorites on American Idol.
There is no doubt that the remaining finalists on American Idol 2011 are,
far and away, the most talented group in the history of the show, but when
it comes down to it, only one can be the next American Idol.
From the time that the finalists were announced, I told my wife that Paul
would be relatively safe. While his voice is unique, and I am sure that he
is a nice guy, his singing is not even in the same league with a few of
the other contestants. Not to mention that he dances like a guy with
electrodes attached to his private parts. Sorry ladies, but he just
doesn’t cut it. The problem is that women vote for him because they think
he is cute.
Sorry, all of you Paul fans, but I consider him the weakest of the
remaining contestants.
Let’s see, what is another female-type emotion? Ah, yes … jealousy. Ah,
come on now, we all know how women can be. Face it, Pia is cute. Heck, she
is downright good looking. Many women are jealous of other women. Why, you
ask? Heck, if I actually understood women …
So, it is time to vote. On one hand, you have a decent-looking guy who
sings, well, okay, but the word “unique” seems to best describe his voice.
While dancing, or at least moving with the music is not a deal breaker on
Idol, one would think that it should be included in the judgment of
overall performance. Just come right out and say it, Paul couldn’t do the
hokey-pokey and look comfortable.
On the other hand, you have Pia. Okay, she hasn’t exactly looked like a
contender for Dancing with the Stars, but from the moment she tried out
for Idol, I have yet to hear one, that’s right, one, missed note. She is
in a league all her own among female performers this year.
The same tonal accuracy can be said about a couple of the male singers,
but Pia was the only female that was … perfect, vocally. Yet, the women of
America voted her off the show.
What does all of this mean? What is the moral of my opinions?
Quite simply, it means that, if American Idol is really and truly a talent
competition meant to identify the best of the best in a given season, then
the decision should not, repeat not, be left up to “America.”
Some of the changes made by Idol producers prior to this season have
breathed new life into the show. Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez joining
Randy are the best group of judges in the history of the program. Idol was
set to get its second wind and look at another ten years.
I know that the audience participation thing is popular. What a fitting
word … popular. For Idol has turned into a popularity contest with teeny
boppers voting hundreds of times … for what? Are they voting for the most
talented singer? No, they are voting for the cutest guy.
“America” has taken all of the legitimacy out of American Idol. If you
want legitimate, take the voting out of “America’s” hand and put it back
into the hands of people who know the business.
Like that is really going to happen. After all, this is America, where
ratings and selling ads are always far more important than truth and accuracy.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
I was given some advice many years ago about a difference between men and
women. This sage advice has never proven itself more than in the past two
days.
What was the advice? Women, I was told, when faced with an important
decision, are far more likely to react based on emotion than on reality.
That does not mean that the females of our species are not capable of
basing a decision on facts, just that they are more likely to react
emotionally.
The next issue is that while most everyone who enjoys music knows what
they like best, few are even remotely qualified to really and truly judge
talent.
I have seen no figures to support my theory, but am willing to bet that
the following is factual. Far more females than males cast votes for their
favorites on American Idol.
There is no doubt that the remaining finalists on American Idol 2011 are,
far and away, the most talented group in the history of the show, but when
it comes down to it, only one can be the next American Idol.
From the time that the finalists were announced, I told my wife that Paul
would be relatively safe. While his voice is unique, and I am sure that he
is a nice guy, his singing is not even in the same league with a few of
the other contestants. Not to mention that he dances like a guy with
electrodes attached to his private parts. Sorry ladies, but he just
doesn’t cut it. The problem is that women vote for him because they think
he is cute.
Sorry, all of you Paul fans, but I consider him the weakest of the
remaining contestants.
Let’s see, what is another female-type emotion? Ah, yes … jealousy. Ah,
come on now, we all know how women can be. Face it, Pia is cute. Heck, she
is downright good looking. Many women are jealous of other women. Why, you
ask? Heck, if I actually understood women …
So, it is time to vote. On one hand, you have a decent-looking guy who
sings, well, okay, but the word “unique” seems to best describe his voice.
While dancing, or at least moving with the music is not a deal breaker on
Idol, one would think that it should be included in the judgment of
overall performance. Just come right out and say it, Paul couldn’t do the
hokey-pokey and look comfortable.
On the other hand, you have Pia. Okay, she hasn’t exactly looked like a
contender for Dancing with the Stars, but from the moment she tried out
for Idol, I have yet to hear one, that’s right, one, missed note. She is
in a league all her own among female performers this year.
The same tonal accuracy can be said about a couple of the male singers,
but Pia was the only female that was … perfect, vocally. Yet, the women of
America voted her off the show.
What does all of this mean? What is the moral of my opinions?
Quite simply, it means that, if American Idol is really and truly a talent
competition meant to identify the best of the best in a given season, then
the decision should not, repeat not, be left up to “America.”
Some of the changes made by Idol producers prior to this season have
breathed new life into the show. Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez joining
Randy are the best group of judges in the history of the program. Idol was
set to get its second wind and look at another ten years.
I know that the audience participation thing is popular. What a fitting
word … popular. For Idol has turned into a popularity contest with teeny
boppers voting hundreds of times … for what? Are they voting for the most
talented singer? No, they are voting for the cutest guy.
“America” has taken all of the legitimacy out of American Idol. If you
want legitimate, take the voting out of “America’s” hand and put it back
into the hands of people who know the business.
Like that is really going to happen. After all, this is America, where
ratings and selling ads are always far more important than truth and accuracy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)