Last week I wrote about the San Francisco Fire Department's ban on helmet cameras. Citing concern over privacy issues, Chief Joanne Hayes-White determined that a 2009 ban on cameras in SFFD "facilities" also applied to department field operations. However, the timing of the ban, coming as it did so quickly after the Asiana Airlines crash […]
SFFD Chief Joanne Hayes-White Last week I moderated a webinar on emerging technologies for public safety agencies. Among the things I noted in my introductory comments was the incredible use being made of video as a diagnostic, investigative, and training tool. It came as a bit of surprise to note that my own […]
Princess Leia, Ruler of the Universe One of Kona's pals is a chihuahua/poodle mix named Princess Leia. Leia weighs about eight or nine pounds soaking wet but that doesn't keep her from running with the big dogs. She usually does this by hiding behind someone's legs and dashing out when she sees an opportunity for […]
A couple of weeks ago I commented on how a local television station suffered considerable embarrassment by airing what was thought to be the names of the four pilots involved in the recent Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco. The station had done its due diligence: the names came from a normally reliable source and […]
Last year I wrote about the conviction for manslaughter of a group of seismologists in the Italian courts for their predictions related to the L'Aquila earthquake. Now the Italian courts have upped the ante. Five employees of the Costa Crociere SpA cruise company have been convicted on multiple counts of manslaughter related to the wreck […]
Last week I wrote about the importance of checking your facts before passing on information. However, I should probably have also mentioned that the source you use to check those facts is important. Confirming one Facebook posting by using another does not count. Also, a little common sense goes a long way towards keeping you […]
The Internet has given everyone the power to be a reporter. This is not necessarily a bad thing – I know better than most how little gets reported in the mainstream media and how ofter what is reported is distorted. Unfortunately, the average Internet user doesn't receive a journalist's training in fact-checking and ethics. Case […]
The Founding Fathers were not universally nice people. The were venal and indecisive, made decisions based on political or economic gain, and had hidden vices. They were not gifted with prescience or an ability to see the future. In short, they were just ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Yet somehow they managed to craft […]