A surveillance program codenamed Optic Nerve collected still images of Yahoo webcam chats in bulk and saved them to agency databases,

regardless of whether individual users were an intelligence target or not.

• Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ), the United Kingdom’s equivalent of the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States of America intercepted and stored the webcam images of millions of internet users not suspected of wrongdoing, secret documents reveal.
• Optic Nerve collected still images of Yahoo webcam chats in bulk and saved them to agency databases, regardless of whether individual users were an intelligence target or not.
• Rather than collecting webcam chats in their entirety, the program saved one image every five minutes from the users’ feeds, partly to comply with human rights legislation, and also to avoid overloading GCHQ’s servers. The documents describe these users as “unselected” – intelligence agency parlance for bulk rather than targeted collection.
• Yahoo reacted furiously to the webcam interception and the company denied any prior knowledge of the program, accusing the agencies of “a whole new level of violation of our users’ privacy.”

So for all of you who were having sex online with a partner or by yourself,  your image is stored in the United Kingdom. The agency has struggled to keep the large store of sexually explicit imagery collected by Optic Nerve away from the eyes of its inquisitive staff.

To see if you have been targeted while using Yahoo’s webcam services, please continue below.

 

Is this invasion of privacy?

I’ve been sitting near gate 66 and just now noticed this security camera over my right shoulder. I think this camera is too close. If they are monitoring every keystroke, then they have already seen a few passwords. I think it’s pretty creepy to install this surveillance camera so close to this seat.

Sent from my dumB iPad

Bryant Gumbel has a thing about the Winter Olympic.

Bryant Gumbel has a thing about the Winter Olympics—and it relates back to the Greek origins of the Olympics.

“I’m not a fan. I think the name Winter Olympics is an oxymoron,” he jokes—barely—during a phone call. “I think the ancient Greeks would look at these games and go, ‘Play what?’ I don’t think the Greeks ever did any ski jumping or ice-skating. Or cross-country skiing with guns. Somehow I think the Greeks might have missed that part of it.”

He pauses. “So I wish they’d call it what it is: made-up games for revenue.” http://deltaskymag.delta.com/Sky-Extras/Favorites/Bryant-Gumbel.aspx

Sent from my dumB iPad

BBC E-mail: Last of Trapp Family Singers dies

Maria von Trapp died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, her brother, Johannes von Trapp, told the Associated Press.

He said she was a “lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people”.

Von Trapp and her family fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and ended up performing around the US.

Their story eventually inspired the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music, and subsequent 1965 hit film.

Coincidentally  I was just in Vermont last Sunday.

If you wish to read more please click on the link below.

** Last of Trapp Family Singers dies **
The last surviving member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose life story inspired The Sound of Music, dies at the age of 99. < http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/world-us-canada-26311694 >

 

Nelson Mandela, a warrior who won over the world with love.

Nelson Mandela Commemorative Issue,
Time magazine, February 2014
Verbatim

Not too happy with the events happening in Ukraine and Venezuela. Hopefully all sides come to an agreement? It’s sad to see these nations being torn apart by agitators from all over the world.

Elections in Colombia should produce more of the status quo of its past. Urge all to vote to prevent what happened in Venezuela. Elections will be held May 25, 2014.

“The world is full of great criminals with enormous power, and they are in a death struggle with each other. It is a huge gang battle, using well-meaning lawyers and policemen and clergymen as their front, controlling papers, means of communication, and enrolling everybody in their armies.” Thomas Merton

Sent from my dumB iPad

Fundraiser for Fallon Mirsky. You can help save her life.

Fallon, a life-long Long Island resident is suffering from rare, life-threatening combination of diseases. Autonomic dysfunction, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and gastroparesis.

On February 27, the Melrose Ballroom, located at 36-08 33rd Street in Astoria, New York,  will hold the Fight for Fallon event at 1900H (7 P.M.)  to raise money to help Fallon pay for a treatment which would place her in a coma to replace her entire digestive system.  Please contact mmessados@qmbrokerage.com or donate at http://www.gofundme.com/fallonmirsky

Rare Disease Day is also approaching!  I think it is so fitting for the fundraiser to be taking place on February 27^th because the very next day, February 28^th, is known as Rare Disease Day.  In the U.S., any disease affecting fewer than 200,000 people is considered rare. Hola!

Lo vamos a hacer.  Todo está listo.  Estoy muy emocionada, pero muy nerviosa también.  Pero sé que todo va a salir bien.  Estoy donde debo de estar  y todo va a salir bien.  Éste es el primer paso de mi vida nueva .  

In other words… It is a “Go!”  It is official.  I am very excited, but also very nervous.  Yet, I know that everything is going to be ok. I am in the right place and all will be ok.  This is the first step of my new life.

Well… another day here in Beautiful Mexico and I have so much to say because I met with the doctors for the Ketamine Coma.  I can’t believe how much has changed in just a day!  First of all, my Spanish has greatly improved, which will come in handy especially now that we will be returning because the coma is an official “GO!”  Even though I knew that it was going to happen before, it was never official until I met with the entire team and they all saw me because I always had a fear that once all the members on the team saw me… they were going to change their mind.  I am so used to having my hopes squashed and having someone pull the rug out from underneath me.  But I no longer have to worry about that part because it is official… I will be undergoing the coma! It is a GO!  Well it is a GO as long as I can pay for it!

To read more about Fallon Mirsky’s fight for life see her website at:  http://fallonmirsky.wordpress.com

February 21, 2014… I have a lot of news to share.

A special fundraiser is being held for Fallon Mirsky in Astoria, Queens.

Read more at:

http://fallonmirsky.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/february-21-2014/

and

http://queenscourier.com

FALLON MIRSKY

Hey!

Wow do I have a lot of news to share because so much has been happening.  Sometimes I think I am living in a soap opera because there is always something happening.  At least I can’t say my life is ever “boring” because there is always something occurring! 

I guess I will begin with the biggest announcement!  A special fundraiser is being held for me at the Melrose Ballroom, and I would love for you all to attend.  It is very important for as many people to come because I am scheduled to undergo an intense treatment called a Ketamine Coma in Mexico on May 1st.  This is my last option and will only be able to get it with the help of others, as it will cost over $100,000. 

 In addition, I am suffering immensely and need dire medical treatment even within the United States such as medications…

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