Four for Friday

This week’s a thinker! Again, from Belicove:

FOUR FOR FRIDAY

Q1 – Next Tuesday: Instead of going to work next Tuesday, if you could spend the entire day doing something else–any one or two things that you absolutely love doing–what would you do?

Hmmmm, I guess I will flip this to fit my circumstances. Since I don’t go to work, I will answer this as if I didn’t have to take care of the kids. If I were to spend the whole day doing what I wanted, rather than doing what I usually do, and money wasn’t an issue, I would probably treat myself to a massage, manicure and pedicure and possibly a new hairdo/cut/style.

Q2 – Telecommunications & Privacy: Earlier this week, San Jose, California-based Pudding Media announced the availability of a new service that allows anyone to place free telephone calls from the Web or a cell phone. However, as many “free” offers turn out to be, there is a catch. Pudding Media uses voice recognition software to monitor your calls, and when certain keywords are spoken, timely news, entertainment, and other offers are displayed on your computer or cell phone screen. For example, if you were talking with a friend about an upcoming movie, you may see links to trailers, reviews and show times for nearby theaters. A sports fan talking about her favorite team may see commentary and game statistics on a computer or handset screen. How likely are you to use this service? Does the ability to make free telephone calls entice you enough to open up your conversations to a computer generated voice recognition software program, or does privacy dictate that you would never use such a service?

This one definitely makes me think. I will say that I don’t say anything (99% of the time anyway) that would be considered “private.” However, that doesn’t mean I think opening up my conversations to voice recognition programs is a good idea to save a few bucks on our phone bill. The question is not would I use it. The question is, how far would this sort of thing go? On a personal level, no, I would not use it, but not necessarily because of the whole privacy issue. The members of our family whom we call have cell phones with plans that include free long distnace. Therefore, they generally call us via their cell phones. We don’t really have a need for free long distance since we pay so very little for long distance phone as it is.

Q3 – Architecture: Back in the late-1960s, construction began on a six-building structure at the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base near San Diego, California. Designed by a respected architect, the original blueprint consisted of two central buildings and a single L-shaped 3-story barracks. Eventually, the plan called for the L-shaped building to be repeated three times at 90-degree angles from the central buildings. That’s right, the United States Navy constructed a series of buildings that when viewed from above, appears to look like a giant swastika–the official emblem of the Nazi party and the Third Reich. (Don’t believe me on this one? Fair enough. Google the words “Coronado” and “swastika” and see for yourself. Trust me, I could not make this stuff up even if I tried.) Now, some 40 years later, after fielding requests from the Anti-Defamation League and at least one member of Congress, the Navy plans to spend nearly $600,000 for landscaping and architectural modifications to obscure the fact that the complex looks like a swastika when viewed from above. How do you feel about this? Is the $600,000 expenditure an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars or is this not an issue that deserves our time and money?

My first thought was “How did they NOT see that in the plans???” I don’t think I’ve really thought enough about this to respond in a way that I want to.

Q4 – Magna Carta: Later this year, Sotheby’s auction house in New York will present for sale The Magna Carta, the royal document revered as the birth certificate of freedom. This iconic manuscript, dated 1297, is the original charter that enshrined the rights of man into English law, and inspired the passion for liberty that flowered in America in the 18th century and continues around the world today. Quite simply, The Magna Carta is widely considered to be the most famous single document in existence. According to Sotheby’s, it is estimated to sell for between $20 and $30 million. How do you feel about items such as The Magna Carta being sold? Do you think historical documents of such significance should be banned from ever being bought and sold? If your knee jerk reaction is that there is nothing wrong with the practice, would you change your mind if oh, I don’t know, it was the original version of the Declaration of Independence that was up for sale?

No, I don’t think it should be up for private sale. I definitely think that documents and other things of that importance should be in a museum. I don’t know if I would go so far as to say the practice should be banned but I think people ought to use their heads. The other question is what is a piece like this worth? I tend to think that historical items of that nature are priceless and for that reason ought to be in a museum somewhere for all to enjoy.

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