WyzGuys Tech Talk

I have a calendar I keep for this blog, so I can write articles related to significant events.  There are many of those this month.  Since today is the first holiday of September, I have replaced my usual cybersecurity article with this piece.

First, today, September 1st, is Labor Day, so I am taking the day off from writing about cybersecurity, not so much to benefit myself, as for my readers.  Go ahead take today off, you deserve it.

There are three birthdays in a row in my family in September, including my own.  Happy B-Day fam.  You know who you are.

Some fun dates include:

• 9-19 Talk Like A Pirate Day
• 9-20 International Watch Firefly Day – There is some dispute whether Sept 20, the anniversary of the premier of this awesome but short-lived space-western ought to be the date, or April 24 ought to be the date, so I am going to celebrate both dates.  Haven’t seen Firefly yet?  What is wrong with you?
• 9-21 National Day of Civic Hacking – Interesting social justice hacking event – check it out.
• 9-23 Autumnal Equinox – The official start of autumn.
• 9-25 FutureCon in the Twin Cities – a technology event
• 9-26 through 9-28 BSide Twin Cities – a hacking and cybersecurity fest.
• 9-28 National Drink Beer Day – Not like anybody needs another reason to have a beer, but go ahead and have an extra beer today.

And then there is September 11.  Do I really need to say anything?  It’s probably better that I don’t.  But here goes. This is the day that middle eastern extremists won their war against European and American democratic principles.  In one attack, they got our governments to eliminate many of our God-given and Constitutional liberties and replace them with a surveillance state.  You used to be free, now you are not.  You are now a suspect, guilty until proven innocent, and even then still considered a threat.  Examples?  The ironically named USA Patriot Act.  Or how London has more surveillance cameras per square inch than Moscow.  Certainly more that Tehran or Riyadh.  The Mexican border wall – who are we keeping out?  Or keeping in?

Enough.  With back-to-school and the official end of summer vacation (back to work, cubicle dwellers), September is a busy month.  Take time to enjoy the best parts of it.