Rumors

They took a hidden camera (looked like it was in a ball cap) and went into a 7-11 in Indianapolis. He went to buy a pack of cigarettes, and the cashier at the counter asked him for his ID. Then, without saying a word, she took a handheld scanner and scanned the barcode on the back of his driver’s license. When he asks the casheir why he’s scanning his ID, he says “We have to.”

The reporter says, “I don’t want it if you’re going to scan my ID like that.

I mean, that’s all the information in my license…” And the other woman behind the counter says “It’s only your birthday.”

Right.

Only your birthday shows up on the little monitor on the scanner itself. Those scanners don’t read one little piece of info off of that barcode, they have to take all of the information and decide what needs to be displayed. They go on to say that there are no signs warning people of this practice, and the cashiers are told they scan or they don’t sell, and if they do they’ll be fired.

They contacted someone at 7-11. He said they check everyone’s IDs. He also said that while social security numbers are not picked up by these scanners, names and addresses were indeed stored in the database. Next, they contact the CEO of Indiana’s Convenience Store Industry Association, who said he had no idea that they were doing this, and he could understand the concern of law abiding citizens.

Personally, I don’t like the idea that someone can track where I buy cigarettes, not only by my driver’s license number, but also my
address, birthdate, or any other piece of information. My birthdate is clearly marked on the front of my driver’s license, and there is no need for them to go beyond visual verification. If that’s not satisfactory, they won’t have my business. They say they don’t sell
their information, but who knows what they actually do with it.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s just too much. This, inconjunction with the Real ID post from just a couple of days ago, makes me very afraid. Who has the right to have to have this information?

LadyPhoenix

–Update–
I’ve done some research, and here are links to other articles about Driver’s Liicense Barcode Scanning

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/04/04-09-03tdc/04-09-03dnews-08.asp

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,62182,00.html

http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/april3_1_98.html

Indianapolis

I’m downloading the torrent from the show now and look forward to listening to it again.

On with the technical tidbits from this week:

• Did you know that geeks have their own cruise line?? When is the LAMP cruise?
• Apple released new versions of the iBook and Mac mini
  lines on Tuesday.? The 12″ iBook includes a 1.33Ghz processor,
  40GB HD, combo drive, and Bluetooth 2.0 for $999.? The 14″ iBook
  includes a 1.42Ghz, 60GB HD, 8x SuperDrive and Bluetooth 2.0 for
  $1,299.? Both iBooks carry Apple’s scrolling-enabled trackpad and
  Sudden Motion Sensor, formally only available on the PowerBook line of
  laptops.? The $499 MacMini received a bump in ram up to 512MB,
  while the $599/1.42Ghz MacMini gains memory and built-in AirPort
  Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth.? Finally, Apple added a $699 Mac
  mini configuration that includes a 4x SuperDrive.? Good value on
  these new Mac mini models.
• This Wired Magazine article talks about the 10 Years That Changed the World.?
  The past 10 years have certainly seen a vast array of innovation on the
  Internet.? Ten years ago this month, I would have been celebrating
  HolliCom Internet Service’s 1 year anniversity.? How time
  flys…? HolliCom was one of Indiana’s first Internet Service
  Providers (ISP) in Indiana.? I founded HolliCom when I was 24
  years old.? Seems so much longer ago than that.
• From the “Drool-on-the-keyboard” department, some very cool 1TB FireWire hard drives.? Just screams “Feed me, Seymour!”
• This is a great site to visualize some of the United States Census data.? Very cool application of the Google Map technology.
• Mark Cuban’s “blog maverick” has a good piece about the Blogosphere and old days on the Internet.?
  Go Mark!? I remember when you first got started at Indiana
  University in Bloomington.? Wish I would have had your business
  skills at that time.
• Good demo site for AJAX.? script.aculo.us
• Excellent reference site for Skype Software Add-on’s
• On the heels of the shuttle being indefintely grounded, Slate chimes in.
• Very well produced site demonstrating tableless CSS design.? Very useful.

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Technology

big weekend for music in Indianapolis.? The Midwest Music Festival is in town.

Read more for the full schedule.

Abbey Coffeehouse, 825 N. Pennsylvania St.

? 8 p.m. Friday: Pete Hofmann, Julie Gribble, Arlington Priest, Mycenea, Samantha Twigg Johnson.

? 8 p.m. Saturday: Paul Alexander, Russ Rogers, Travis Brant, AJ Rosales, Brent Heckerman.

All Stars Sports & Daiquiri Bar, 6235 Guilford Ave.

? 7 p.m. Thursday: Masa, Wes McDonald, Bolth, Seven Star, Austin Bridges, Dr. Jones, Hypnocinema.

? 8 p.m. Saturday: Model One, Matthew Sturm, Shivers, Eric Alexander, Humans.

Alley Cat, 6267 Carrollton Ave.

? 7:20 p.m. Thursday: Mulligan, Landing Gear, Cousin, Tiara, On a Sun, Big Big Car, Tiny Steps, Ruetschle.

? 5:45 p.m. Friday: Living Blue, Humanists, Princess, Goodhands Team, the Narrator, Catfish Haven, Vegetables, Manishevitz, zZz, Nicotines.

? 6:30 p.m. Saturday:
Campfire Crush, Smallspace, Sundresses, Paper Airplane, Radio Holiday,
Lapush, Love as Laughter, Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers, America Owns the
Moon, Those Young Lions.

Birdy’s, 2131 E. 71st St.

? 8:20 p.m. Thursday: JK McKnight, Greg Mahan, Basement What?, American Motherload, Win With Willard, Turnbull AC’s, Junior Revolution, Epic Hero.

? 8:20 p.m. Friday: Chaselounge, Steven Cooley, Joshua Meltzer, L.P., Mary Prankster, the Silver State, Dressy Bessy, Gentleman Caller.

? 7:40 p.m. Saturday: Mo Andrews, Samantha Twigg Johnson, Earthborn, Rebels Without Applause, Greyscale, NYC Smoke, Just, Harsh Krieger, Dystalis.

Blue Cactus, 20 N. Pennsylvania St.

? 8 p.m. Friday: Fontaine, Sweet Dilemma, Lab Rats, Motorchief, Beautiful Sinner, 650 North.

? 11:15 p.m. Saturday: DJ Taz, Beto Hale.

Bourbon Street Distillery, 361 Indiana Ave.

? 7 p.m. Friday: Dave Golden, Kristin Allan-Zito, Bright Orange Robots, Sindacato, Liz Clark, Bowmans.

? 8 p.m. Saturday: Michael J., Brian Deer Band, Kate Hathaway, Shaan Sharma, Pale.

Champions Patio at the Marriott, 360 W. Maryland St.

? 4 p.m. Thursday: Shaan Sharma, Abby Ahmad, Todd Hurst, Patrick Woods, Joel Weir.

? Noon Friday:
Son, Absentee, Tad Armstrong, Sam Winch, Chris Haskett, Chris Koza,
CryptoKats, Alina Simone, Aaron Howard, Amanda Shelly, Brian Deer Band,
Kim McLean.

? Noon Saturday: Shelley Miller, Jeremiah Birnbaum, Tom’s Guitar Show, Denison Witmer, Dan Mecher, Jessy Green, L.P., Elza, Kit Malone.

Emerson Theater, 4634 E. 10th St.

? 7:45 p.m. Thursday: In Pieces, Wasteland D.C., Baroness, From Ashes Rise, Ari.Ari.

? 7 p.m. Friday: Nixon, Creations End, About the Fire, the Dream is Dead, Angelville, Burn It Down.

? 6:30 p.m. Saturday: Self Destructed Dream, A Present Day Nightmare, Opiate, Straight Line Stitch, Year of Desolation, Signs of Decay.

Hard Rock Cafe, 49 S. Meridian St.

? 7 p.m. Friday: JoAnna James, Lightwires, Emily Strand and the Town, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Kate Voegele, Quietdrive.

? 7 p.m. Saturday: Alina Simone, Romantica, Overzealous, Chris Allen, J DiMenna, Luzer.

Have a Nice Day Cafe, 225 S. Meridian St.

? 3 p.m. Friday: Nehemiah, Golden, Boondoc’ Saints, Nearest Nova, Twilight Sentinels, Black Elephant, Yo, Flaco!, Franchize, Mudkids, Cleptoz.

? 4 p.m. Saturday: Waltz for Venus, Wolfy, Emory Salem, Missing Six, Blacksoil Project, Beta Male, Mardelay.

Hyatt, 1 S. Capitol Ave.

? 3 p.m. Friday: Sam Winch, Modern Groove Syndicate, Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius, Shamra.

? 3:45 p.m. Saturday: Dogme 95, Shirock, Lightwires, Lovedrug, Silver State, Brando, Lunar Event.

Indianapolis Artsgarden, Washington and Illinois streets.

? Noon Friday:
Ian Jackson, Anita Rogers, J30, Emily Mansfield, Brianna Surrett,
Clayton Miller Band, Chris Bolint, Grace Hopkins, Pancake Rescue Squad,
Katie Turner.

? Noon Saturday: Jordan Boyd,
Emily Mansfield, Take California, Beautiful Lies/Caryn Creviston, 2
Greasy Hogs and a Mandolin, Matt Steele, J30, Life of Riley.

Indy CD & Vinyl, 808 Broad Ripple Ave.

? 5:30 p.m. Friday: Seldomseen, Son, Denison Witmer, Hitchhike, Kola Koca Death Squad, Prizzy Prizzy Please.

? 5 p.m. Saturday: Turncoat Serenade, Collapsar, Black Arrows of Filth and Impurity.

Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

? 6:30 p.m. Friday: Cameron McGill, Otis Gibbs, Vess Ruhtenberg, Richard Edwards, Tim Easton, Jenn Cristy, Cynthia Layne.

Jillian’s, 141 S. Meridian St.

? 2:40 p.m. Friday:
Andrea Bunch & Aerin Tedesco, Todd Bowie, Dawn Kinnard, American
Grass, Jeffery David & Section 57, Blue Background, Saucers,
Coolidge, Buckra, Stereo Deluxe, Audible Campaign, Adelyne, Corporate
Circus, Covington, Trendy, Ludo, Miranda Sound, Last Amanda, Mock
Orange, Loretta.

? 2:40 p.m. Saturday: Quiet
Life, Tristen, Connor, Al Weber, CryptoKats, the Common, L’arusso, Lost
Anthem, Calcutta, DJ Rusty, Hero Pattern, Lapush, America Owns the
Moon, Mudkids, Lovedrug, the Beautiful Down, Silver Addictive, Under
the Drone, Devil to Pay, Crank County Daredevils.

La Jolla, 921 Broad Ripple Ave.

? 7 p.m. Thursday: Kristin Allan-Zito, Bowmans, Motil, Hal Gerard.

? 6 p.m. Friday: Elza, Jeff Byrd, Jerod Birchell, Russ Rogers, Geoff Koch.

? 6 p.m. Saturday: Chris Koza, Emily Strand, JoAnna James, Aaron Howard, Adam Payne.

Marriott Circle City Bar, 350 W. Maryland St.

? 5 p.m. Friday: Paul Kogut, Lauren Cregor, John Danley, Jeff Deherdt, Heather Brooks & Thinkpiece, Motil, Casey Stratton.

? 5 p.m. Saturday: Tim Jones, Zach Brock, Tom’s Guitar Show, Dan Holmes Group, Wes Charlton, Katie Reider, Rory Stitt.

Melody Inn, 3826 N. Illinois St.

? 7 p.m. Thursday: Stockwell Road, 500 Miles to Memphis, Hot IQs, Jessie Diamond and the Thousand, the Cinema Eye, Lunar Event, Valeze.

? 7 p.m. Friday:
Joel Weir and the Faithful, Brian Schram Band, Liquid Motor Commission,
Camp Climax for Girls, You Will Die, Crank County Daredevils, Nastys,
Rockets to Ruin.

? 1 p.m. Saturday: Roundups,
Double Barrel Darrel, Stockwell Road, Apparitions, Fuglees, Up!
Scumbag, Resonators, Teenage Girls, Spectacular Fantastic, Payola
Reserve, Silent Years, Thin Fevers, Urinal Mints, Mary Prankster,
Jerra, Go Betty Go, Speedknobs.

Monkey’s Tale, 925 E. Westfield Blvd.

? 4:15 p.m. Thursday:
Elizabeth Cook, Avett Bros., the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Margot
& the Nuclear So & So’s, KJ Denhert, Wojo, Jessica Benge,
Tiffany Hull, Deacon Sean & the Snakehandlers.

? 7:30 p.m. Friday:
Tim Brickley and the Bleeding Hearts, Keli Feck Quartet, Justin Simison
& Pushing Atlantic, Danny Flanigan & Rain Chorus, Pennycuff.

? 10 p.m. Saturday: Jon Hardy & the Public, Sharif Iman, Kit Malone.

Morrison Opera Place, 47 S. Meridian St.

? 6 p.m. Friday: Chalisa Keaton, Chad Zienen, Tony Valle, Scott Kern, Roger Baker, Katie Trotta, Jethro Easyfields, Ken Crouch.

Music Mill, 3720 E. 82nd St.

? 8 p.m. Thursday: Huckleberry Groove, Stringtown Pickers, Bump, Shadyside Allstars, Bockman, EN2.

? 8 p.m. Friday: the Elect, the Flat 5, Emitter, Bottle of Justus, Jackson Pain.

? 8 p.m. Saturday: Sunday Runners, Hot IQs, Communique, Tegan & Sara.

Patio, 6308 Guilford Ave.

? 8:25 p.m. Thursday: Shadeland, Absent Star, Seven Degrees from Center, Luna Halo, Brazil.

? 8 p.m. Friday: Shots Fired, Heiruspecs, Controller Controller, Rhymefest, VHS or Beta.

? 7 p.m. Saturday: Detholz!, Singles, Chinese Whispers, Hockey Night, Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s, Longwave.

Pub, 30 E. Georgia St.

? 7:30 p.m. Friday: Patrick Thomas, Disappear Fear, Jon DeCosta, Jodi Lee, Danny Isaacs Band, Austin Bridges.

? 6:30 p.m. Saturday: Steve Northeast, Matt Marka, Adam Payne, Aaron Winters, Jennifer Applequist, Lynda McLaughlin, Dark House Sweet.

Radio Radio, 1117 E. Prospect St.

? 3:30 p.m. Friday:
Bloarzeyd, Southerly, Vegetables, Harley Poe, Rockwells, Castle
Oldchair, Sleeper Cars on Bullet Trains, Tiara, Sunday Runners, Lou
Reeds, Killjoy Confetti, Mike Downey, Pravada, Red Queen Hypothesis,
Everything, Now!, Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s.

? 4 p.m. Saturday:
Davey T. Hamilton, Betweeners, Ik Ben, Hayes Carll, Deadstring Bros.,
Chevy Downs, Otis Gibbs, Sin City Social Club, Wes Charlton, Chad
Mills, Cameron McGill, Tim Easton, Johnny Berry, Society, Benders,
American Ambulance.

Rathskeller, 401 E. Michigan St.

? 4 p.m. Friday:
Stacy Bowman, TV Mike, Lare Williams & New Direction, Lisa Alice,
Randy Kohrs, Nathaniel Mayer, the Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, John
Emil, Paul Alexander, Kirsten Jones.

? 12:30 p.m. Saturday:
Julie Gribble, Jerod Birchell, Kristy Hanson, Jeff Byrd, Mother Grove,
Soda Over Pike, Creepin’ Charley and the Boneyard Orchestra, Jennie
DeVoe, Amy Lashley, Max Allen Band, Punkin Holler Boys, Cornmeal,
Governor Davis and the Blues Ambassadors, Buckwheat Zydeco.

Red Room, 6335 Guilford Ave.

? 9 p.m. Thursday: Up Ensemble, Ian Ross, ESW, Groovkilla.

? 9 p.m. Friday: Patrick Woods, Pleasure Technicians, Lunar Event, Thin Fevers.

? 9 p.m. Saturday: Infinite Number of Sounds, Fred Niznik, Tally Hall, Villanova.

Rock Lobster, 820 Broad Ripple Ave.

? 8:15 p.m. Thursday: Bel Auburn, Lonely Hearts, Emerson Rose, Apparitions, Dream Catcha, Soular, Madras, De Novo Dahl, Modena Vox, Down & Above.

Upper Room, 929 E. Westfield Blvd.

? 9 p.m. Thursday: Nate Larson, Lisa Alice, Chris Bono, Todd Hurst, Julie Gribble.

? 9 p.m. Friday: Chad Mills, David Moore, Abby Ahmad, Aaron Winters, Jethro Easyfields.

? 8:15 p.m. Saturday: Kirsten Jones, John Danley, John Emil, Jer Gregg, Jeremiah Birnbaum, Dave Golden, Shelley Miller.

Vic’s Downtown Espresso Bar, 627 N. East St.

? 4 p.m. Saturday: Lindsay Mac, Paul Alexander, Liz Clark, Dawn Kinnard, Mycenea.

Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave.

? 8 p.m. Thursday: Pravada, Bobby Conn & the Glass Gypsies, Ponys, Robbers on High Street, French Kicks.

? 6:30 p.m. Friday: Changes, Slurs, Dead 60s, Louis XIV.

? 6:20 p.m. Saturday: Jabs, Transgression, Toxic Reasons, Zero Boys.

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Indianapolis

• If you use Apple’s built-in mail.app to as your mail client, this article gives you step-by-step instructions on how to add Digital Certificates.
• This site has a ton of free Excel spreadsheets for many different uses.? Good resource.
• Will open source software ultimately own the future?? These folks sure seem to think so.
• More reasons to believe that traditional and satellite radio is screwed.
• Newsflash, the United States does not own the Internet.? Seems to me to be common sense.? However, I’m sure the wingnuts on the right would disagree.
• IBM is rolling out new Corporate Blogging tools.? Corporate Blogging just became more mainstream.

Until next week!
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Technology

Of course, it is your money anyway…

I found some unclaimed money for family and friends on here, and suggest you go give it a quick search…

IndianaUnclaimed.com

Corrected address: http://www.indianaunclaimed.com/
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Indianapolis

Time will tell…

The end of Eminem?

By the way, I caught the t-shirt he threw off of stage towards the end
of the concert.? I was on the floor, in the pit…and ran over a
few chicks and a dude to catch it…? I have a VIP ticket stub,
bracelet and his t-shirt from perhaps his final concert in
Indianapolis.?? If anyone is interested in this stuff, let me
know.]]>

Indianapolis

Announced today by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
ticket holders from the June 19 F1 U.S. Grand Prix race may request and
receive a complete refund.? After 14 cars withdrew before the
first lap, this race became a shell of what it should be.? Those
who submit requests before August 29, 2005 will receive a full
refund.? It appears that Michelin will be footing the bill for all
of this.

This is a good gesture on the part of the IMS.? However, and even
better gesture would be to ensure that something like this never
happens again.
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Indianapolis

Here are some technical quickies for Thursday, July 14!

• Did you just buy a new PC?? Did you plug it into your home
  network?? Did it take more than 12 minutes to installed your
  anti-virus software?? If so, you might be screwed.
• Ever been waiting on someone while sitting in your car, and grab
  your laptop to scan for some open WiFi to check your email?? Guess
  what, in Florida (What *IS* it with Florida?!?) you could be arrested..? This is about the stupidest thing I’ve seen in some time.
• Any
  Roller Coaster fans out there?? There was to be a group of us in Terre
  Haute, IN during the late 80’s who use to venture to local roller coaster
  havens nearby, including Kings’s Island and Cedar Point.? We would
  all carpool and engage in “CoasterFest ‘89″ together.? How did we
  all know each other and organize these trips?? Via Bulletin Board Systems (BBS’s) of course.? Anyway, this roller coaster has more technology than your data center…? Cool stuff.
• While I am certainly not a MicroSoft fan, I do try to keep tabs on what they are doing and thinking.? This is a good one-on-one interview with Steve Ballmer, the CEO of MicroSoft.
• This article wonders if Linux is losing a step in the enterprise.?
  Not sure I agree with some of his conclusions.? In my experience,
  a talented Unix systems administrator can produce more services with
  less hardware than 3-4 MicroSoft Certified Engineers running Windows.
• Here are some Blog pointers.? Tips for successful blogging and some companies are now scanning blogs for marketing insight.?
  Hey, blog scanners.? Sprint PCS SUCKS!? I still haven’t
  received my $150 refund for purchasing a LG PM-325 back in
  January.? I’ve been in twice, and each time they take my name and
  say it will be resolved.? Hey tools, IT STILL ISN’T RESOLVED!
• This is a great site that shows off Google Maps.? Very cool technology!
• Finally, if anyone needs Christmas ideas for me.? This would work…

Until next week!? Enjoy…

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Technology

First, with millions of security camera’s installed around the world, London has the most camera’s installed all over the city
in the world.? The United States is following Britain’s lead by
installing thousands and thousands of camera’s here.? The
government tells us it is for our “security”, yet with all of those
camera’s installed all over London.? It did not one bit of good.

The camera’s may facilitate the identification of who did this horrible deed.? But they did nothing to PREVENT the act from happening.

Second, the Homeland Security Advisory System that has been used
since 9/11 is worse than worthless.? Two days before the attack in
London, the security level was lowered.? Could a sleeper cell here
in the United States be waiting for us to lower ours, as a signal to
carry out their attack?? This is not a good thing.? The worse
than worthless Security Alert/Color Coded system should be done away
with, and we should be treated like adult citizens.? Just tell us
what is going on and we will deal with it.??

Why does it seem
we knew more about the Soviet Union during the Cold War than we know
about our current threat?
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News and Politics