Privacy & Tracking

Katherine Albrecht, a consumer privacy expert and VP of startpage.com, the world's most private search engine, discussed the latest RFID technologies being used to track not only products but humans, and their movement and activity. She announced that Macy's is considering implementing RFID on a broad national scale, placing a unique RFID number in some 300,000 pairs of shoes. This RFID number could subsequently be read by devices such as IBM's proposed "person tracking unit," as well entered in a planned "Internet of things," in which every single product is tied to a unique number in a database, she reported. Albrecht characterized this as a privacy invasion, and said a response from Macy's spokesperson will be forthcoming-- updates will be posted at her blog.

Recently some 160,000 concert goers at the Coachella Music Festival had to wear RFID wristbands, and were likely unaware of the tracking technology, she reported. This is becoming the standard at music festivals, and "I'm guessing by the end of the year we'll have seen more than 1 million people place an RFID chip on their right hand in order to access a music venue," she continued. Albrecht, a Christian, warned that the technology is moving closer to the 'Mark of the Beast' prophesied in the Book of Revelation.

She also cited privacy concerns about Google, and Gmail in particular. Though the service is free, if you read the fine print, "what you will discover is that Google gives itself the right to read all of the email that you send and receive," and to use that material to determine your relationship with your correspondents and create very detailed entries into your database as well as those of the people you write to, she stated. While Google doesn't sell your information to third parties, they can use it to target you with specific ads based on your mail and search engine inquiries, she added.

Using Tarot Cards

First hour guest, psychologist Dr. Art Rosengarten spoke about how Tarot cards can be used for self-exploration and problem-solving. "Each Tarot reading is like a fingerprint...There's a set of 78 cards and each card in and of itself has a multitude of meanings," so when a person randomly selects a group of cards they get a unique experience, he said. Like a powerful dream, Tarot cards or any other oracle tool can slow you down and make you reflect about underlying or spiritual issues in your life, he added.

News segment guests: Dr. Robin Falkov, Mish Shedlock