Of course, the original intent of all of these acts is genuine, whether it’s to counterattack terrorism, promote cybersecurity, or stop piracy, but the general public must ask itself at what price of freedom is additional perceived protections worth.  There is no right answer, and the politicians who voted for or against CISPA have their reasons, many of them well intended.  Not surprisingly, many large corporations are in support of CISPA (AT&T, Facebook, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Symantec, Verizon, etc.)¹ because if CISPA becomes a law, it means a lot less red tape for them in regards to safeguarding or sharing private information and also increases protection from hackers.

“As long as companies act in ‘good faith’ and the collection is for a ‘cybersecurity purpose’—a purpose as vague as protecting or securing any network from degradation or disruption—there are no limits on what type of information can be intercepted and shared. In short, surveillance would be outsourced to private companies that are not governed by the Fourth Amendment.”²

The quote above highlights additional loss of rights in exchange for a promise of greater safety.  Such agreement takes the responsibility and trust from the individual and passes it to the nation’s most employed group: the government.  Is that what we, as a society, want?  Trust that we can sit idly by while our elected officials take care of everything, one privacy act at a time?  There are no wrong answers, but this Dinner Topic is sure to arouse debate at the dinner table, so read up and discuss!

As it stands now, CISPA was passed by the House of Representatives Thursday, but still must go through the Senate and then to President Obama, who has already promised a big “veto” stamp on it should it make it that far.  That will delay the process until the next bill is brought to Congress.  Are you happy with your Representative’s vote?  Find your rep here, and let him or her know how you feel.  Voting results are listed in the link below.

Read on:

House.gov – FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 192 (CISPA)

msn.com – House OKs CISPA cybersecurity bill despite veto threat

WashingtonPost.com – CISPA passes the House, privacy battle moves to Senate

EFF.org – Even with Rogers’ Amendments, CISPA is Still a Surveillance Bill

What makes this story so inspirational is that Annie’s writing sample was the one chosen as the Grade Level Winner at her school to be entered into the state competition by someone unaware of her disability.  In other words, it was determined that Annie Clark has the best handwriting in her entire class!  Only after Annie’s teacher told contest organizer’s about her disability did they also decide to submit her entry into the newly formed contest for disabled students, which Annie eventually won.

Complain a little less this weekend, and retell the story of Annie Clark if you need a little pick me up.

Sign up with Groupon and start saving today!!

Read on:

Post-Gazette.com – First-grader without hands wins penmanship award

PittsburghLive.com – McKeesport girl conquers disability to win penmanship award

PittsburghLive.com – Wilson Christian student born without hands wins penmanship award

• Moyer was 49 years, 150 days old yesterday.  The previous record holder was 49 years, 70 days (Jack Quinn from 1932).
• Moyer is just 32 wins away from 300 career wins, typically a Hall of Fame guarantee, but his decades of mediocrity make that extremely unlikely.
• Moyer’s father-in-law is former Notre Dame basketball coach and current ESPN analyst Digger Phelps.
• Moyer’s first uniform number, way back in 1986 with the Chicago Cubs?  That’s right… 49.

Read on:

ESPN.com – Jamie Moyer becomes oldest pitcher to win game in majors as Rockies hold off Padres

Baseball-Reference.com – Jamie Moyer

(image taken from: http://everyjoe.com/sports/jamie-moyer-49-earns-starting-spot-362/)

First things first: think of the browning of a banana like rusting – over time an enzyme on the peel reacts with oxygen, causing the surface to brown.  Similarly, when a banana is dropped, it bruises because the cells are damaged so the discoloration accelerates.¹

As for the sweetness of a banana, according to the great site WiseGeek.com, the starch in the fruit and the peel slowly converts into simple sugars, making the banana taste sweeter.²  Think of how the taste of wine changes after being left open – the grapes, when exposed to air for an extended period of time, break down into sugars – great for a banana, not so good for a fine wine.

Now you know a little more behind the science of bananas, so if there’s a lull in your conversation today and some fruit within reach, you have something to talk about!

Read on:

ChiquitaBananas.com – Banana Ripening & Storage

WiseGeek.com – What is Happening as Bananas Ripen?

(image taken from: elated.com)

• No team from Illinois even made the tournament.
• Teams from Ohio (Ohio St., Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio) are a remarkable 8-0 so far!
• It’s the first time four teams from the same state (Ohio) have made the Sweet 16 in the same year.
• Teams with the most NCAA appearances WITHOUT a Final Four appearance: BYU (26), Missouri (25), and Xavier (22).  BYU and Missouri are already eliminated, but Xavier is trying to rid itself of that streak.

Final Four
Read on:

ESPN.com – NCAA Men’s College Basketball

Wikipedia – NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship

The U.S. Constitution states that a president can only serve two four-year terms in his lifetime with no more than a total of ten years serving as president.  That last part allows for someone who took over in office more than halfway through another president’s term the opportunity to still hold office for two full terms afterward.  In Russia, however, only two consecutive terms are permitted (which is what Putin served the first time around), but one can run again after someone serves in between, which is what is happening with Putin.  Putin served as the Prime Minister of Russia in between terms, so he has been ever-present in Russian politics in recent history and can serve this term and another term should he be re-elected.

Is Putin good or bad for Russia?  That’s a much deeper topic to tackle, so read on and at least you have something to add when the family starts talking politics and no one can figure out how long Putin is allowed to serve.

Read on:

CNN.com – What does Vladimir Putin’s return mean for Russia?

Wikipedia – Vladimir Putin

Wikipedia – President of the United States

In public, we often hear about a primary or caucus and just assume it’s the same thing, but there are some specific differences.  In general, a primary is the typical “closed booth” style of voting most of us are used to.  Tonight’s primaries in Michigan and Arizona will be held in the traditional voting format, but the awarding of delegates differs between the two states.  A caucus, on the other hand, is more of a public meeting where registered voters gather in groups based on the candidate they support, and the undecided voters are there to be swayed by the candidates. ¹  Most states have moved toward the primary process, but Iowa, Nevada, and a few others still use caucus meetings.

Democrat or Republican, you now know a little more about how the process for the presidential nomination works.  Check out the links below for more detailed explanations.

Read on:

Mlive.com - Michigan Primary 2012: National media prepares for a late night

CNN.com – Election Center

FactCheck.org – Caucus vs. Primary