Steven's Blog – June 2009 Archive (5)

Folks in the free world may chatter all they like about Apple's sleek new iPhone, but citizens on lockdown must rely on more antiquated forms of communication.



Inventive inmates at facilities around the country speak jail cell-to-jail cell using their commodes, a phenomenon known to wardens, correctional officers and attorneys as "toilet talk."



Some toilet talk is mundane. A pair of inmates might call out chess moves. Some prisoners have used the sewage pipes as a conduit… Continue

A real-life case of 'Final Destination'

European couple Johanna and Kurt Ganthaler narrowly escaped death when they missed their flight home. The Ganthalers had been vacationing in Brazil and were running late to the airport, causing them to miss their scheduled plane.



The incident that more than likely frustrated the couple, turned out to be fortunate as the flight that they would have boarded crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all passengers… Continue

The 30,000 to 40,000 people filling Haft-e Tir Square to protest the Iran election seems just a fraction to those taking to the Internet to do the same. While the human element remains an essential tool of social protest, technology’s power to usurp government censorship continues to evolve.



In 1989, the vanguard of social networking technology came in the form of a fax machine purchased by Chinese students studying at the University of Michigan following the massacre in Tianamen… Continue

PHOENIX (AP) — A man accused of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman while broadcasting it live on the Internet is known in online circles for racy posts that include sexually explicit images of himself.



Police said Jonathon Richard Hock, 20, assaulted the woman he'd been dating for about two weeks after she became drunk and passed out at her home.



The alleged Feb. 26 assault was streamed live and two still images were… Continue

China is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown with another crackdown -- a massive block on Twitter and all those social media sites that pose a threat to China's government this week. The Chinese media site Danwei reported early Tuesday morning that Twitter, the popular microblogging site, has been disabled in mainland China. Thursday, June 4th marks the 20th anniversary of the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square and the brutal response by the Chinese government… Continue