Sunday, June 02, 2013

Somehow, I don't think this is about agreeing on “the rules of espionage in the Internet age.” Have we come close to CyberWar? Does this suggest that one of us has gone too far or at least shown that they could go too far? Otherwise we just sit and listen to China deny they ever did anything illegal. immoral or fattening.
U.S. and China to hold high-level talks on cyberspying -- report
China and the U.S. have agreed to hold regular, high-level talks on cyberespionage, according to a report.
The talks will focus on the theft of U.S. intellectual property and will kick off in July as part of the yearly "Strategic and Economic Dialogue" between China and the U.S., which covers a varied slate of issues, The New York Times reported late Saturday. A new working group will also meet more often, the Times reported -- referring, perhaps, to the working group mentioned by Secretary of State John Kerry in April.
… In its report today, the Times says it's not clear what, exactly, will come of the talks on cyberespionage. Cyberspying, and cyberwarfare, are relatively new phenomena, for one thing, and can't necessarily be handled with the same diplomatic tools, such as arms control treaties, that have been used in the past. Also, the two countries are not yet prepared to discuss outright military espionage -- which is why the talks will initially focus on the stealing of corporate secrets.
On the other hand, the Times says, both countries would benefit from some sort of agreement that would protect critical infrastructure, such as utilities. [Unlikely Bob]


Not the same as saying the football coach must talk to the parents. Interesting ethical question.
We hold that there is no clearly established law holding that a student in a public secondary school has a privacy right under the Fourteenth Amendment that precludes school officials from discussing with a parent * * * matters relating to sexual activity of the student.” So holds the majority on a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a ruling issued today.
Previous coverage of this case on this blog can be found here and here.
In this case, the school personnel were not school psychologists, and parents may welcome the ruling that nothing in the Supreme Court’s rulings or Fifth Circuit precedence bars school personnel from discussing concerns about a student with the student’s parent(s). But can this case have a negative impact on the willingness of students to disclose personal and sensitive concerns to school psychologists? I would think so, but then, I don’t imagine most high school students will even be aware of this ruling – at least, not until it’s too late for them to guard their privacy from their own parents.


Can they ask the Feds to grab the data for them?
Tom Bell reports:
Maine’s Legislature is poised to become the first in the nation to enact a law requiring police to obtain warrants to get the location history for people’s cellphones.
The House voted 113-28 on Wednesday to pass the measure, following its passage in the Senate last week by a margin of five votes. The bill now goes back to the Senate for enactment.
Read more on Portland Press Herald.


From the “Teachers gone crazy” file: “Hey kid! Here's what we gonna learn ya. You needs to be less smart and more lazy just like our kids. And we're gonna make up new rules to make sure our kids have a chance to win.”
"A Wyoming high school student who built a nuclear reactor in his dad's garage was disqualified from the International Science and Engineering Fair this month on a technicality.' His crime: competing in too many science fairs."


Question: What is the digital equivalent of 'collecting baseball cards?'
"Pundits tell us that the world of console video gaming is in dire straits, but recent collections of console video games have sold on eBay for tens of thousands of dollars. There are still a lot of video game disks and cartridges out there, but is it worth your effort to try to complete your collection and sell it on eBay? If you're a potential buyer for a massive collection of video games, are they likely to appreciate over time, or is this a really bad investment? Market research company Terapeak runs some numbers and suggests that it depends on your goals, the size and quality of your collection, and the console you're focused on."
There's a film crew hoping to bypass the uncertain hoarding phase, though, and just mine a landfill in New Mexico for the legendary hoard of dumped Atari inventory.


I toss this out because some of the “programs” are grants...
Federal Program Inventory
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on June 1, 2013 in Uncategorized
“Federal agencies regularly report program information to the public – through their websites, congressional budget justifications, the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance, and other means. But this information is often decentralized. Congress recognized this issue, and the GPRA Modernization Act required an inventory of government programs. Starting with the largest agencies first, the Administration is taking steps towards centralizing program information on Performance.gov. This work will help facilitate coordination across programs as well as improve public understanding of the services delivered by the government. Agencies talk about their programs differently – such as budget accounts, customers, products/services, outcomes and organizational units – but each way resonates with their key stakeholders, including the public and Congress. [Here] is a list of the major agency’s programs, an explanation of what the program does, and how it helps the agency achieve its broader goals and objectives. Moving forward, Performance.gov will be expanded so users can search and sort by program. We’ll also add more information about each program, such as the related grants and funding.”

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