First, I took off my loud shoes…
Then I tippy-toed into baby Ollie’s room in just my sock feet…
And I spied on him through the bars in his crib.
from: junie b. jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying
written by Barbara Park
illustrated by Denise Brunkus
Random House, 1994
(read on Libby)
My dad used to say proudly that his personal privacy didn’t matter. He had nothing to hide. That was after the Nazis were squashed in the aftermath of WWII. It was after McCarthyism. Dad felt safe. He was not afraid.
Then came Watergate. When Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974 and left office on August 9, he wanted to take his presidential documents with him. After all, all the presidents before him were allowed to. But Nixon wanted the so, so, so damaging tape recordings. Then, in December, 1974, an act of Congress made his materials public, not private, property. As such, they were moved to the National Archives. In 1978, Congress passed the Presidential Records Act. Now Presidents are required to turn over everything when they leave office.
We’ll skip the part about finding Presidential Papers marked classified, some even labeled top secret, in a bathroom (and elsewhere) at Mar-a-Lago, a president’s personal residence. Much of it is still missing.
Some things should not be private.
Clearly, the public’s right to know must always be balanced with national security, public welfare, and maybe even common sense.
Clearly, too, the public’s right to know is vital to ensuring an informed citizenry. Since 1967 when the Freedom of Information Act took effect, and more so, through a presidential memorandum issued in 2009 by President Obama, transparency is (was) the key objective. The FOIA allows people to request records from any any federal agency. Unless a request falls within the parameters of nine exemptions (scroll down past the YouTube video to the 16th question in the list), you will receive the information you’re seeking. If it is denied, an appeal process is in place.
I didn’t use to think so, but the Dark Web is real.
According to AT&T's blog, “[t]he dark web is the area of the internet that is hidden from search engines…Since people can’t be traced on the dark web, bad guys use it as a marketplace for illegal items or services.”
Nefarious acts and actions can (and do) take place when allowed to be cloaked or hidden. Hacking can lead to the hellish occurrence of identity theft. Cyber-criminals can use the dark web to create viruses that infect our computers and devices to collect our personal information including medical and financial data. Even driver’s license information and voting records.
Businesses, organizations, and individuals can lose the trust needed to maintain their feelings of normalcy. This can result in depression, and fear, as well as financial loss.
The same blog lists a few ways we can protect ourselves:
Those days when you hung up the phone after a long (or not so long) conversation and the connection was truly broken, or when you put a lock on your door and thought no one would know what you were watching on TV? Those day are gone, too. For good. Too bad.
If he were still alive, I imagine my dad being more careful with his personal information And as for me? Yes. I take precautions, but I’m pretty terrified of AI.
Ann Patchett, in her new book Whistler, (Harper/HarperCollins Publishers, 2026), explores the profound affect people have on each other. After 45 years, a chance but emotional meeting recreates the past for a step-father and young step-daughter. It’s the story of how memories work as the two reconnect and build a present to share with their complicated family. Recommend!
Be curious! (and change your passwords)
Then I tippy-toed into baby Ollie’s room in just my sock feet…
And I spied on him through the bars in his crib.
from: junie b. jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying
written by Barbara Park
illustrated by Denise Brunkus
Random House, 1994
(read on Libby)
My dad used to say proudly that his personal privacy didn’t matter. He had nothing to hide. That was after the Nazis were squashed in the aftermath of WWII. It was after McCarthyism. Dad felt safe. He was not afraid.
Then came Watergate. When Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974 and left office on August 9, he wanted to take his presidential documents with him. After all, all the presidents before him were allowed to. But Nixon wanted the so, so, so damaging tape recordings. Then, in December, 1974, an act of Congress made his materials public, not private, property. As such, they were moved to the National Archives. In 1978, Congress passed the Presidential Records Act. Now Presidents are required to turn over everything when they leave office.
We’ll skip the part about finding Presidential Papers marked classified, some even labeled top secret, in a bathroom (and elsewhere) at Mar-a-Lago, a president’s personal residence. Much of it is still missing.
Some things should not be private.
Clearly, the public’s right to know must always be balanced with national security, public welfare, and maybe even common sense.
Clearly, too, the public’s right to know is vital to ensuring an informed citizenry. Since 1967 when the Freedom of Information Act took effect, and more so, through a presidential memorandum issued in 2009 by President Obama, transparency is (was) the key objective. The FOIA allows people to request records from any any federal agency. Unless a request falls within the parameters of nine exemptions (scroll down past the YouTube video to the 16th question in the list), you will receive the information you’re seeking. If it is denied, an appeal process is in place.
I didn’t use to think so, but the Dark Web is real.
According to AT&T's blog, “[t]he dark web is the area of the internet that is hidden from search engines…Since people can’t be traced on the dark web, bad guys use it as a marketplace for illegal items or services.”
Nefarious acts and actions can (and do) take place when allowed to be cloaked or hidden. Hacking can lead to the hellish occurrence of identity theft. Cyber-criminals can use the dark web to create viruses that infect our computers and devices to collect our personal information including medical and financial data. Even driver’s license information and voting records.
Businesses, organizations, and individuals can lose the trust needed to maintain their feelings of normalcy. This can result in depression, and fear, as well as financial loss.
The same blog lists a few ways we can protect ourselves:
- Stay away from the dark web. Browsing it can put your device at risk. You could even accidentally connect with criminal activities.
- Create strong passwords. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommends using a long password. Even better, a passphrase. It doesn’t need to make sense; you only need to be able to remember it. Something like Il0vesunnyfl0wers!andRain.
- Use a unique password or phrase for each site and account. I know, but it really is safer.
- Use a password manager app. My MacBook has one built in. You might have one too.
Those days when you hung up the phone after a long (or not so long) conversation and the connection was truly broken, or when you put a lock on your door and thought no one would know what you were watching on TV? Those day are gone, too. For good. Too bad.
If he were still alive, I imagine my dad being more careful with his personal information And as for me? Yes. I take precautions, but I’m pretty terrified of AI.
Ann Patchett, in her new book Whistler, (Harper/HarperCollins Publishers, 2026), explores the profound affect people have on each other. After 45 years, a chance but emotional meeting recreates the past for a step-father and young step-daughter. It’s the story of how memories work as the two reconnect and build a present to share with their complicated family. Recommend!
Be curious! (and change your passwords)
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