Eastern Utah
EMAIL ME AT: mgypsy97 at aol dot com

Friday, June 7, 2013

NO TV FOR NOW!

It is 99F right now, on the way up to 103F for the day, with 104 predicted for tomorrow.  This is just too hot for me!

This morning I found my DirecTV service had finally been disconnected.  In anticipation of this I knew I had to get back to reading to fill my time.  BookTV last weekend featured an in-depth interview with Rick Atkinson, who wrote The Liberation Trilogy, the 3 volume history of the Allied liberation of Europe in World War II.

Today I picked up the first volume of this set, "An Army at Dawn", the history of the war in North Africa.  This is a huge book, one of the biggest I've attempted that wasn't in large print.  After a couple of pages of the Prologue I think I will really like it subject-wise as well as Anderson's style of writing.

With no tv I may go through the 3 volumes fairly quickly, although my eyes are off and on for reading over the past year.  Sometimes I can, and sometimes it isn't worth the effort.

One of my mother's brothers was a Marine who served in North Africa and no doubt elsewhere during the war.  I can vaguely remember him telling some stories my Mom didn't want me to hear, and I probably won't find them in this book!

By the way, Anderson said during his interview that he his finished writing about WWII - let someone else cover the war in the Pacific - and that his next effort will be a series on the Revolutionary War.  I became interested in that war last year while spending time in the Hudson Valley of New York, which is the scene of several of General Washington's headquarters.  I became intrigued with Washington and look forward to visiting other sites this coming trip to NY, as well as learning more about Washington and his Army, Ticonderoga, Saratoga, and others.

It really makes me angry that while I don't use my cellphone much, don't text, Facebook, Tweet, and supposedly I have a program that blocks 3rd party tracking on my computer, the NSA can still obtain my cell phone records.  And this is just what I know at this time - maybe they can track every website I visit, every email I send or receive, and of course, my blog.  My cell phone has no way of tracking my location unless I opt to add programs such as 5 Star response, or get a pendant to wear around my neck in case I've fallen and I can't get up.  Come to think of it, a lot of computer sites already know my location, such as weather.com, which provides me with 10-day forecasts for my zip code, as well as a lot of other websites.  I have never been paranoid about Big Brother, but I think I don't like what has been going on since the Patriot Act was signed into law under the Bush Admin.  Give them an inch and they'll take a mile.  (Sounds like my kids.)

CORRECTION:  The author I referenced is Rick ATKINSON (not Anderson).  Sorry about that.


11 comments:

  1. I agree completely! But after 9-11, the act signed under Bush was completely different than what is going on now. It's been changed and expanded, and like you, I'm just a little old lady minding my own business, but I don't like the government having my cell phone records and e-mails.

    They say they won't use them unless necessary for our security, and I'm sure they won't ever use mine, but what if I was in charge of a Conservative Tea Party group? Would they then go into my stuff looking for things to use against me? LIKE THIS COMMENT? Gotta be careful, Big Brother is definitely watching. :(

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  2. I really can't imagine why anybody would ever want to read my stuff or track where I go on line. I am so boring. Those books really sound interesting.

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  3. I feel that if you are doing nothing wrong, who care who reads your emails or knows what web sites you visit. I leave my curtains open because there is nothing to see.

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  4. Feedom is just another word for nothing else to looooooose... ha

    It is my understand that what 'they' do is not who you are or what you are saying ... they track the numbers and where they are and the frequency.

    I have absolutely nothing to hide... as my blog certainly shows... TMI all the way ...

    Used to bother back years back when you go into Sears or other retail shops that they store your phone number for identification.

    I didn't and still don't like that because I didn't want spam or telemarketers... that element has been fixed so I go ahead and identify myself with my phone number.

    the great thing about cell phones is ... they are so easy to not answer. AND you know who is calling.

    you can block numbers and so forth. I don't like anonymous comments and I don't like emails from people I don't know with websites listed for me to click on.

    JUst had one and I know I know the name of the sender but she would never send such an email with just a link... she obviously has been hacked.

    I have changed my passwords a bazillion times... hackers are much MUCH worse than our government, I think so.

    We live in an electronic world... people can zoom in on my freakin house! don't know why they would ... got no money ... ain't pretty .. ornery and fat...

    be a mighty sad case ...

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  5. There are a lot of typos and such but ... let me correct the first line... jeeeez .

    It is my understanding that what 'they' do is not record or track who you are or what you are saying ....

    the rest? it's figurable outable sigh

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  6. I have had texting, etc. turned off on our cell phones. I am old fashioned when it comes to phones, I only use them to talk. I have computers and tablets and a Verizon hot spot for trave. BTW, when using a cell phone, it can be determined approx. where you are at by which tower you have activate when callin.

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  7. I wonder who gets to make this "for our own security" decision. I think I'd rather do that myself.

    Happy Reading!! Hope your eyes behave themselves.

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  8. That boo series sounds interesting, will have to look into that:)

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  9. I watched a clip of Pres. Obama's news conference last night. He said you can't have 100% security with 100% privacy. My thought is...We are not 100% secure!

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  10. Your cell phone is always broadcasting where you are (or, where it is) which is by law for 911. When I went for my clearance to work for the military I gave up any attempt at privacy. Now that I no longer need the clearance I may start worrying more about it. However, anything online is forever and can be traced. Another reason I don't 'do' facebook. Too easy to put way too many private details out there.

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  11. Anyone who writes about their life and where they live in a blog, then complains about privacy is a moron.

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