Remember
when you once played the game I Spy. I don't mean the board game but
the child's game. Often it was played in the car on trips to pass the time away. I know this might seem foreign if you are young enough to be used to sitting in the car with a DVD player or having iPads/tablets to divert your attention away from seeing any actual sights that might be of interest outside your car window.
Anyway,.....as I was saying..there is a game where a person said "I spy with my little eye, something that's starts with an "D" (as an example) and the other person tried to guess what had been seen. (Hint: For today's subject we are not seeing dogs, dolls, dorks, or dancing divas.)
Just as I was getting used to the idea that groups of people were tracking what I buy, what Internet sites I look at, reading my email and checking out my cell phone calls, I read about the drones hovering around
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| I hope Mr. Corbet isn't speaking for all rednecks. |
I happened to be reading the paper last week when I noticed a story on the front page of the Kansas City Star that addressed a serious problem arising around the U.S.
I would have inserted more of the article but the fact that it was about a third of a newspaper page doesn't really endear itself to be put here on TAOBC.
Essentially it said, hunters aren't thrilled about being spied on. (are we to assume that other groups are open to be spied on?) and have declared open season on unmanned drones. You might be surprised to hear that the FAA is less than thrilled about these drones being shot out of the sky and are asking the hunters to be prepared to face some consequences.
For example, a Colorado town, Deer Trail, population 550, has garnered international attention by proposing an ordinance that would permit shooting down drones. Licensed hunters may even collect $100 bounty if they present verifiable pieces of a drone.
As with all "differences of opinion" lately, this is stirring up the debate of "their rights versus our rights." Clearly, there is a lot of snooping going on. Do we have a right to privacy?
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| Crabby isn't sure what the limit is for drones. |
Thought Number Two: To those that are watching
For anyone that is monitoring my Facebook/Twitter/email/blog/cell phone or computer for information, try to laugh at my jokes, ignore the rants, don't tell certain family members about the blog as they are better off not knowing. Oh...and some of the stuff I Google...it's for research purposes only...quit judging me.
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44 comments:
I hope anybody watching me has nerves of steel 'cause I'm sure I would horrify even the most seasoned spy. Hell, sometimes I even scare myself.
I don't blame the hunters one bit for blasting those privacy-invading drones out of the sky. It's simply 21st century skeet shooting. PULL!
Some really amazing pictures here, Cheryl. I read ideas in a 'covert' book on how to put 'spyers' off track. Examples included going to sites that don't interest you, looking up things you could care less about, following blogs totally contrary to your own life perspective. Well, you get the picture. Seems that you are already doing that, hum?
Kidding aside, the surveillance of everything we do and our lose of privacy has long been a key topic of discussion at my home. I won't be shooting down drones, since I don't have a gun. Besides, I strongly believe in the power of the pen over the gun. There needs to be a collective, as Malcolm Gladwell states in The Tipping Point. This drone shooting is an example that perhaps that point may be reached very soon. Security is one thing. But, as Benjamin Franklin so simply stated, "those who would give up essential liberty to purchases a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety ". It is time to reverse the momentum and regain rightful privacy.
Thank goodness there are fun people like you in the world. Just think how dull and boring these poor spies' jobs would be if everyone was like me and sat on their butts in front of the computer for large periods of time. At least they have something to talk about over supper about after keeping track of you.
I might be wrong but I bet the FAA wouldn't be your biggest fan. Not that that would be any big loss. I do think there are some hunters that would love your point of view so you would have them cheering for you.
I played "I Spy" recently. It had been years, and it was fun. It was just a game, compared to where our tax dollars are going. On one hand I have nothing to hide, so I'm not worried. On the other hand, I'd rather they spend my money on eradicating homelessness, ending wars, squelching child trafficking....etc. spying on me.
xoRobyn
PS I meant "instead of" spying on me.
Be well, Cheryl.
Bring on the drones! We will all have a sky-is-falling/enemy-of-the-state party. The legal drones (cops, farmers, pipeline owners) hopefully will be controlled and operated without problems. The first drone accident will be big headline news though. I'm more worried about private illegal drones which are not that expensive. The quadrotor type you used in the pics would only be around $100 with camera. There are idiots who are dangerous just walking down the street and I hate to think what damage they will do with their own drone. I spy idiots.
Hey Wendy - "...following blogs totally contrary to your own life perspective..." Just so you know I do have a blog that you are more than welcome to follow for whatever reason.
I just was reading more of the comments and now want to throw a bit more into the mix. Most of the drone use will be for practical legitimate uses (pipeline, crops, lost kids, lost seniors, lost bloggers?). I think the spying type surveillance stuff will not be happening. City dwellers already have lots of fixed cameras on them now. It has helped solve a few crimes. We probably need new laws beyond the FAA flight operation rules. For example, will people be allowed to fly their private drones over other people's property, in public parks or roads, etc.
I guess the owners of these drones could paint them to look like bald eagles, which are illegal to shoot. Gee, maybe drones should now be our National symbol.
Our privacy is being invaded in far too many ways for my liking. I don't know much about drones, but I get so mad at being spied on constantly online. I get even madder that my telephone number gets sold to hundreds of companies, who bombard me with all kinds of calls I don't want. Privacy is a thing of the past.
Yeah our privacy is being invaded, there are cameras and drones everywhere, does it bother me well if I think about it yes it does but guess what I don't think about it very often, it is one of those things that I really can't do anything about so can't see the point in getting my knickers in a twist over it.
You are so insightful, my friend. If there are spies (either human or technological) trying to get a clear picture of my interests they are going to be terribly confused. In fact, if it is of the techy sort they might just short circuit. My blog reading and writing is all over the place as far as topics go. For that matter..not just blogs but movies, books, news items etc.
Yes, being tracked is a sad reality that we all have to live with. As you and I often agree....I, too, won't be shooting anything down as I, also. don't have a gun. (now don't you feel safer knowing that I am not armed.)
It is so interesting that you quoted that particular quote of Benjamin Franklin. I had written a serious post about our personal rights a few months ago but never published it. My serious posts, never sound right to me. They come across more rant-like than interesting.
I found the concept of The Tipping Point really fascinating. I think in many instances there is a tipping point. I have also noticed more of a pendulum effect. We "tip" or take some action to correct a perceived wrong but then go too far....then we have to go back the other way to modify our over- zealousness.
I totally understood what you meant, Robyn and I agree with you 100 percent. I have nothing to hide. I can't imagine that a spy wouldn't be bored to tears looking through my cell phone, email or anything else.
But as you point out, it would be nice if more time, energy and money was allocated to work on some of the problems that I feel are more pressing. I like to think that maybe the people in charge know what they are doing. (Would my skepticism be showing if I said I have my doubts.)
Yes, George Orwell was right ... just off by thirty years or so. Big brother is watching and more people are saying it doesn't bother them and even supporting the loss of privacy with their online habits. I think we may be the last generation that values privacy at all. Enough. You outdid yourself with your pictures this time. But I have to ask ... what the heck is going "ping, ping" up there? Is there a sonar on that drone?
Now now, Crabby Pants, don't be shooting down any of my drones. We at the NSA only spy on you for your own good and our own personal amusement. Trust me! Your secrets are safe with us. ;) I always laugh at your jokes and your relatives never visit my site and read my reports that I know of. We're all on the same side here. Put down the shotgun and continue doing what you and I both know you want to do. That's a good girl. Smile!
If a spy watched me at my day job he/she would drop dead of boredom before lunch. Maybe that is a good Idea. Send enemy spies over to watch me. DEAD by lunch.
Hi Cheryl,
I have to agree with everyone, our privacy has been invaded and we really can't do much about it.
Do keep us posted on the Deer Trail ordinance, we could visit and go Drone Hunting!
Clicks!
Wolf
The good thing about lining in a farming area instead of a well populated area is that it would be pointless to fly drones here, there's too much space to cover and not enough data to be gathered.
I'm off to Google different drone types and familiarize myself with these privacy stealing devises. Great thoughts!
Click!
--Trina
Haven't we already had a few drones shot down? I remember vaguely hearing about some people that are in trouble over shooting down drones. I will have to go back and research that.
The KC Star article mentioned some of the private drones that are bothering people. Not to name names but one of the animal rights groups is sending drones out over areas to watch hunters to try to find violations. In that case, it would be private drones flying over privately owned land.
But you are right of course, there are all kinds of drone types lurking around for various reasons and at some point there will be a line crossed or some action that will stir things up. There are always some idiots among us.
With all new technology or technology that becomes more widely used there will have to be some sort of "appropriate use" rules.
One day last week The Today Show had a computer guru try to follow a Today staffer throughout his day by cyber spying on him. He was pretty effective at keeping tabs on him all day. We are all pretty much on the grid if someone wanted to cyber stalk us and had the computer knowledge to do it.
If it wasn't so late, Chatterbox, I would of Photoshopped some Bald Eagle parts on a drone and attached it. I think that would be pretty funny looking It's probably a good thing that no politicians (at least as far as I know) read this blog. He/she might introduce a bill to replace the eagles with drones.
I agree that our privacy isn't all that private anymore. We all are part of some sort of marketing. No one even needs to spy on us when our names and contact information gets passed around from company to company daily. I am with you...I am less than happy about it but there isn't much to be done to stop it.
Yes, Jo-Anne, there really isn't much to be done. I share your attitude....I am not going to lose sleep over it.
I see that as well, Bud that many people are very comfortable with exposure...that is extremely evident if you look at what people post on Facebook, Twitter and in blogs. I would say younger people might be less guarded as far as privacy than the 50+ crowd.
As for the pictures...Thanks! The "ping ping" is Crabby Pant's cell phone pinging a signal off of the cell tower. My feeble attempt to suggest that her cell phone company could track her if they were so inclined.
Hahaha...Agent 54, you do see that Crabby Pant's gun of choice is a pink Daisy BB gun, right? She can't actually shoot anything down. She could maybe chip some paint if she could get close enough.
I appreciate that you laugh at my jokes (not everyone does), my relatives would love your blog so it may just be a matter of time before they show up,
Sorry to say that Crabby Pants rarely smiles...she is crabby after all.
I did find it interesting that there is a bounty for parts. Couldn't a drone be divided into a lot of parts? They might want to rethink the math. Someone could shoot down one and make a bundle.
The article had my curiosity up a bit because the focus of the article was that animal rights groups were flying over areas where there are hunters. They look for hunting violations to turn violators in (at least that was the inference). It got me to thinking about our family farms where my brother and nephews hunt. The land is owned by them so do they have any rights not to allow private groups to fly drones over their farms??? I am not sure how that works. I too, have to do some research.
Well, I never thought I'd think of a hunter and say, "Well done!" But it's hard not to in this case.
I used to love to shoot beer cans floating in the canal with my Daisy BB gun when I was young and dumb.
I'm for the hunter. Enough of Big Brother!
I would be happier thinking that hunters only shot at inanimate objects. The thought of an animal being shot at makes me sad. I think Lisleman is right that at some point someone is going to take down a drone and get themselves in the headlines.
When we were kids we lived in Phoenix and my brother shot cans with his BB gun in the canals as well. I am assuming your gun wasn't pink like Crabby Pant's is.
I agree as long as they don't mistakenly shoot at a government drone. I can't imagine how much trouble that would cause but I would hate for someone to get in major trouble thinking they are just being spied on by some private company drone and shoot at the thing.
I totally agree with you on the "enough" part.
Maybe you are the answer to eliminating enemy spies. Maybe someone is currently hacking into this blog and realizing what a valuable safeguard you would be to our national security.
and to think that it's our money that is being used to spy on all of us- Aldous Huxley was a smart far thinking man- now if only we could require to government to do their job and it ain't watching me hang out my laundry.
I never got to play I Spy because I was an only child. It feels like I missed out.
Also, I've been to Deer Trail. Trust me when I say that those folks have nothing more interesting to do with their lives and would probably go out of their way to hunt drones if they could, not just because of privacy concerns, but because it'd just be something to do on a Saturday night.
I agree. I was watching a debate (in Washington DC...but it was televised) about some of the concerns over the NSA over reaching in their mining and collection of private information via cell phones and Internet. It is nearly laughable that all through it they kept referring to covert surveillance as "secret" I think it is safe to quit calling it "secret surveilliance." There is so much coming out of governments that seem like a total waste of time, money and resources.
You didn't miss all that much if it is limited to just the game I Spy.
Funny about Deer Trail. Real happening place, huh???? I can think of a few towns around here that probably should start drone hunting if that is the salvation for a town that has nothing going for it.
I loved I Spy! I still play that with my daughter in the car. Now about the whole post... how crazy I am now listening to Area 51 in the car. Planes, spies, secrets... fits so perfectly with what you have written!
This part cracked me up:
For example, a Colorado town, Deer Trail, population 550, has
garnered international attention by proposing an ordinance that would
permit shooting down drones. Licensed hunters may even collect $100
bounty if they present verifiable pieces of a drone.
I think they should be able to do it! :)
There might be a real shortage of drones around Deer Trail now that they are saying there is a bounty on them. Crazy world we live in.
Funny that I read about you listening to Area 51 just when I was listening to a news report about the declassification of documents by the government dealing with Area 51.
What exactly constitutes "verifiable pieces of a drone" and who is qualified to determine that? Because I'm moving to Deer Park where I will sell model airplanes that have "Drone" printed on the side for $50. hunters can buy them, shoot 'em up and make $50.
Love your hunting trophy wall!
Again, you and I think alike. What exactly constitutes verifiable pieces of a drone. At a $100 a "piece" and a hack saw, I might start a salvage yard of drone parts.
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