Somebody's Watching You

Edward Joseph "Ed" Snowden is an exiled American computer specialist and former CIA employee and  NSA contractor who disclosed classified details of several top-secret United States and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.

Who are the NSA and what are their methods? 

Take a rare behind the scenes tour.

Did you ever feel like somebody's watching you?

WikiLeaks

A dramatic thriller based on real events, THE FIFTH ESTATE reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization. The story begins as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) team up to become underground watchdogs of the privileged and powerful. On a shoestring, they create a platform that allows whistleblowers to anonymously leak covert data, shining a light on the dark recesses of government secrets and corporate crimes.

Assange has inspired other internet whistleblowers including American Edward Snowden whose leaks of National Security documents last year disclosed classified details of several top-secret United States and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.  The diplomatic fallout includes allegations that the United States was spying even on its closest allies France and Germany.

Mr. Snowden has been fleeing United States authorities ever since, first taking refuge in Hong Kong, then holing up in the transit section of the Moscow international airport, and finally get a year’s asylum in Russia.

Even though he may have broken American laws in leaking classified documents to the press, do you think Mr. Snowden did the right thing? Did he reveal information the public needed to know? Is he justified in fleeing the United States?

Key Question: Is Snowden a Hero, a Traitor or Something Else?

Government Re-opens: Win, Lose or Draw?

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President Barack Obama signed into law a bipartisan deal approved by Congress Wednesday to reopen the federal government and avert an unprecedented debt default, ending a bitter and partisan 16-day impasse.The Senate voted 81-18; The House voted 285-144. Only Republicans opposed the deal in each chamber.

But Who were the winners?  Who were the losers?

National Parks?  Astronauts? Giant Pandas?

Budget Legos

Confused about the back-and-forth between the House and Senate over the budget shutdown that threatens the entire American economy? Allow us to explain, using the Legos on our desk.

The shutdown is only part of the story. On Oct. 17, the government is set to run out of money to pay its bills, leading to a potential default by the United States, something that has never happened and which many economists and business leaders warn could be calamitous for the country and the economy.

Think you could do a better job than Washington balancing the budget?  Play the Penny Game. 

Do you have what it takes to be a Budget Hero?

To understand the debt ceiling crisis, read the article “Treasury Puts a Date on When Cash May Run Out: Oct. 17″ and answer the following questions:

1) What is the debt ceiling? What is a default?

2) Why do many economists fear a default? What might happen?

3) Why have Republicans in Congress been reluctant to raise the debt ceiling?

4) Should President Obama ignore the debt ceiling?

5) Should he interpret the 14th Amendment as giving him the authority to bypass Congress and pay all United States debt in full?

6) Should Congressional Republicans offer to raise the debt ceiling to create more time to pursue their legislative goals with the shutdown?

7) How is the current standoff different from the 1995-96 shutdown? How did that end? How do you think this will end?

Obamacare: Should I Care?

While the Democrats and Republicans have been arguing about the budget, and we've been talking about the subsequent government shutdown, you may have missed the series finale of one of the best shows on television: Breaking Bad.

Why would this show never have happened anywhere else in the Industrialized World except the USA?

How is health care in America broken?

What will 'Obamacare' do to fix it?

What are the arguments against his 'Affordable Care' Law.

Room for Debate:  Is 'Obamacare' working?

Privatize It?

What is the role of Government in our economy? Should all government be privatized and controlled by a 'Free Market?' Are there certain government services that can't be privatized?

What is the 'Yellow Pages' test? Take a look at this list of services and decide whether or not you think they should be privatized:

1. Phone Service
2. Postal Serivice
3. Trash Removal
4. Police
5. Fire
6. Education
7. Parks
8. Shopping
9. Recreation
10. Hospitals
11. Military
12. Transportation
13. Power
14. Day Care
15. Banking
16. Road Building
17. Insurance
18. Radio
19. Museums
20. Libraries

Check your answers here.

What was the "Kids for Cash" scandal?

Wouldn't it be cool to have a robot police force to protect our streets from crime?

Detroit thinks so.

How about your own Zoo?