Random Thoughts

A few thought on items I came across recently...



FBI Hires Hackers to Crack San Bernadino Terrorist's iPhone

For the life of me, I couldn't understand why the feds didn't do this in the first place.  It's not a novel idea.  Banks have been doing this for years, and businesses in other industries have too.  In fact, Uber recently promoted a "contest" for hackers to find flaws in the company's computer and communications systems.

So when the feds (and the courts) kept pressuring Apple to create backdoor access to the iPhone 5C, I was hoping that the company would stand its' ground.  Don't get me wrong, I definitely want the
government to access Syed Farook's phone, but it just didn't sit well with me that the government wanted Apple to create a new software tool that would eliminate specific security tools that the company built into its software to protect the personal data of their customers.  Besides, today, cyber-terrorism is a major issue, even the FBI's director's email has been hacked.  So it seems to me that it's high time the government puts together its own team of highly-skilled hackers to deal specifically with terrorist activity.  Of course, the utmost scrutiny would be required in selecting the hackers, but I'm quite certain the FBI is up to the job.

Taxpayers pay $200,000 for therapy for "Affluenza Teen"

Now let me get this straight...In 2013, Ethan Couch killed four people and injured several others while driving drunk when he was 16-years old.  His attorney argued that Couch's wealthy parents had coddled him so much that he didn't understand the consequences of his actions, that he was basically raised to be irresponsible ("affluenza") and therefore he shouldn't go to prison. The judge apparently found merit in that argument and sentenced Couch in juvenile court to 10 years probation and time in a treatment facility.  Of course serving time in a treatment facility would have amounted to Couch being held responsible for his actions (at least a little bit) so quite naturally he fled the country.

This story is still unfolding, the legal portion that is, but the thing that gets me is that Couch's defense is that he was too wealthy to know better than to drink and drive, yet his parents are too poor to pay for his stint at rehab.  I was raised that you don't count other people's money, but come on now. According to published reports, the father owns Cleburne Metal Works, which does large-scale metal roofing, with estimated annual sales of $9.59 million (according to Hoovers).  The company has 40 employees, business costs, taxes, insurances, and so forth, so who knows how much the make in profit.  But whatever it is, it shouldn't matter.  Couch's parents could teach him an important lesson by paying for their son's treatment even if it hurts financially instead of burdening the taxpayers with the $200,000 tab.  Showing their son what responsibility looks like now may seem a little late, but hey, better late than never.