Take a stand, Jackass

So the headline I paid most attention to yesterday was that Apple is fighting a judge’s order to bypass the built in security on an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the San Bernadino case.  The FBI thinks there is important information on the phone however it is locked with a passcode.  Part of Apple’s security is an option where it will automatically erase all contents of the phone if the incorrect code is entered 10 consecutive times. Evidently this is the case with this particular phone.

The code is a 4 digit number so there are 10,000 possible combos.  With the 10 consecutive fail limit and the longer timeout enacted between each possible wrong code it could become a VERY long process trying to successfully guess a passcode on an Iphone.  I can just imagine some FBI employee in a dark room whose job is solely to enter passcodes, one at a time, having to wait until the consecutive incorrect passcode timer clears to try again.

Well evidently the FBI is tired of waiting.  They initiated court action to FORCE Apple to provide them some way to bypass this security feature in the name of “national security”, a catch phrase that has been used far too many times in the last 15 years as an excuse to strip Americans of their rights to privacy. Well Apple had the balls to say, NO.

The are appealing the ruling and appear willing to take this to the highest court in the land, stating that the government request would be akin to creating a back door for their devices. This could obliterate any future privacy for their customers if this backdoor got into the wrong hands which far too often is the end result.  I think public opinion will fall hugely on the side of Apple in this situation, no matter how many times the government says “terror, fear, terror, national security, terror and God bless America”.  If that public opinion is enough to finally stop the federal governments increasingly Big Brother tactics is yet to be seen.

We are now in the heart of snowbird season and it is as miserable as ever.  Last night I had a reflex reaction of yelling at an old fart that suddenly slowed to a near stop to make a right turn without using a turn signal.  As I jammed on my brakes I screamed out my fully down passenger side window “Use your turn signal! Jack ass!”  The old mans window was down as well so I am sure he heard it.  I very rarely will scream at other drivers, they typically just get an enthusiastic THUMBS UP hand gesture from me.  I guess the impending full moon has already started it’s magic.