Voting has always been a sensitive issue in years past. Wars have been fought and millions have died for the freedom we are all enjoying today. Indeed, we have come a long way but much is still left to be done. The US Constitution states and upholds this right as stated in Section 1 of Amendment XV that American citizens have the right to vote regardless of their race, color, or prior condition of servitude. While most people get to enjoy their inherent voting rights right now, many are still deprived of the right to choose the elected official they want to rule the land simply because they aren’t eligible, for instance. Yet no matter how much the country has achieved over the years, problems pertaining to one’s voting rights persist especially that the topic of illegal votes was raised during the last election. While President Trump won the presidency in broad daylight, he still raised the issue of the three million illegal votes he insists that Clinton received and is the reason why he fails to win over the popular votes. His claim of voter fraud paved the way to the recent creation of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity that many believe is just the start of their attempt to roll back voting rights.
(Via: https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2017/08/voting-rights-fight-our-democracy) If this happens, the votes of millions of Americans will be put to waste as the officials heading the commission are known advocates of voter suppression and anti-immigrant crusaders in the person of Vice-President Mike Pence and Kris Kobach. Yet despite this obvious political ploy being played by the current administration in securing their personal interests, millions of American citizens are now becoming more aware of the issue and are educating themselves on the issue of voting rights, what it means to them, and how they can protect it from power-greedy officials.
They start with IDs since most minorities will have a hard time complying with some requirements especially if they frequently move from one state to the other. It means these people have to secure new IDs that may take time for some and will prevent them from meeting certain federal deadlines. Hence, it’s the first step to gradually restrict citizens’ voting rights and ensure that the result of the election is always in favor of the sitting president. For a president who cried voting fraud, it seems that he is doing the exact thing he was complaining about. How can you ensure that an election is conducted fairly and justly if not every citizen in the land can exercise the right to vote for the leaders they believe is the best for America? The post Inherent Right To Vote was originally seen on https://www.euro-toques.org via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/28/inherent-right-to-vote/
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Society as we know of today may look calm and peaceful most of the time that is because most of us have turned a blind eye to the problems experienced by war-torn nations and all the refugees who are displaced because of these wars that most progressive nations (that started these wars in the first place) refuse to accept in their shores. But there is one nation that has held itself very well and managed to resist any outside influence – North Korea. For decades, very little is known about their country and how everyone lives. The only thing we know is that they are preparing for something big that will shock the entire world when the right time comes. Kim Jong Un, the current supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and also the Chairman of the Worker’s Party of Korea, is perhaps one of the most talked about yet feared political leader of today. He has been doing a series of missile testing over the years and has been threatening the western world with whatever they are cooking especially that it involves nuclear ammunition. And as such, his leadership of his tiny nation has, at times, caused distress to the world at large and we can only second guess what else is happening inside North Korea.
(Via: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/28/politics/north-korea-launch-unidentified-projectile/index.html) It is impossible to ignore North Korea’s message because they did it so in a manner that can be heard loud and clear by everyone – another missile test that dropped somewhere in the Pacific. It even passed the northern part of Japan, a rare occurrence even if they have been known to drop bombs here and there from time to time and has definitely made everyone feel uneasy because it was just quite recently when Kim Jong Un threatened to bomb the US island territory of Guam.
It seems that President Trump is really fed up now over all these ballistic missile threats they are getting from North Korea and he should be considering he now leads America. He will surely not allow any of those missiles to land anywhere in the mainland US and as such, is now communicating with allied nations on the best recourse for this new threat. The US, South Korean, and Japanese governments are all working side by side because of the bombing as it is no longer just a physical threat but an economic one too. Despite all the ruckus, the US claims to put diplomacy first before exhausting all means whatever it may be because the capacity of the opponent is still unknown to the rest of the world and thus a grave threat to all. So yes, there is a reason to be scared but there is still time to prepare and work with allies to protect everyone from any possible attack. The article Is There A Reason For The US To Be Scared Of North Korea? is courtesy of The Euro Toques Blog via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/26/is-there-a-reason-for-the-us-to-be-scared-of-north-korea/ Since we live in the digital age, most of the things we do have gone digital too. Only a few people do things manually. Why make it harder for yourself when you can simply look up things online and have them saved right on your device for easy access and storage. But because we have grown accustomed to the use of technology in our daily lives, data storage became an increasing concern for us considering the amount of data we accumulate over time. From photos, music, videos, files, and other important documents you need for various purpose, they need to be stored somewhere accessible like a computer or a laptop perhaps. Smart gadgets are popular too and they allow us to have a smooth browsing experience because it works like any conventional computer device albeit it usually fits the palm of your hand. While most have a built-in internal storage system, some allow you to use an external SD card or external disk drive where you can migrate your files for long-term storage once your device starts running out of space. Storage space is especially a chronic problem among iOS users mainly because iPhones aren’t compatible with any type of external storage added into it.
(Via: https://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-complete-guide-to-creating-more-space-on-your-compu-1798530536) Also, devices start lagging once you have stored more than enough data. Too many apps that you don’t use eat up space and affect the way your gadgets work. It takes longer for uploads/downloads to finish and there are many more issues you may encounter because of low storage space. It always helps to clear unwanted files starting from your devices download folders because it is fast and easy to do before checking your gallery or photo, video, and music libraries. It also helps if you can purchase an external storage device that has a bigger storage space for all your data saving needs.
(Via: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/29/wdc_buys_public_cloud_storage_startup/) Then, you can start deleting games and apps you are no longer using on your smartphone. You can even have certain data copied on Google Drive or Dropbox, for instance. Now, this is most helpful. The arrival of cloud technology has definitely made life a lot more comfortable for us as we don’t necessarily have There are more options now like Upthere that gives consumers more freedom in saving their important data that isn’t just marketed as a secondary backup storage option but the main alternative in keeping and finding your files for the next time you need it. Best of all, cloud technology allows you to access the same file in various devices, which is really helpful now that one person probably personally own and use one or more smart gadgets at a time. Your device will thank you if you do all these measures today and not wait for the time to come when you lose access to your precious data and can’t get it back anymore. The following post Too Many Apps? Free Up Space On Your Device was first published to The Euro Toques Blog via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/25/too-many-apps-free-up-space-on-your-device/ Technology is synonymous with modern living. It is a crucial part of our lives that not only makes the world go round right now but somehow makes it more complex too. These high-tech innovations have actually transformed our lives and made a lot of things easier and more comfortable for us but they are also flawed like most things here on this planet. A lot of things are interconnected now on the Internet of Things and as such, things can easily go from bad to worse when disaster strikes. And it is something we have experienced many times in this digital age. The ransomware, WannaCry, which infected over 200,000 computers globally managed to cripple the UK’s healthcare system and many patients missed out on their medications for days because the medical staff can’t access the hospital computers where the patient’s chart and data can all be found. You see, any tech issue can potentially become a major medical emergency because medical devices that are hooked and used in a patient’s care can be hacked or encrypted by dubious cyber scammers that are only out for monetary gain.
(Via: https://betanews.com/2017/08/15/iot-medical-device-security/) Cyber security is not only a concern for public and private individuals using the web on a daily basis but many hospitals and health institutions have also automated most of their processes and services and are just as vulnerable as any one of us. The problem here is that human lives on the brink of death are at risk once the medical devices and machines keeping them alive suddenly stop working because of a technical error or problem. Medical institutions can’t allow that to happen because the risks are far too big to allow such a failure to prepare and plan a contingency plan for such a scenario that will endanger the lives of the people in their care.
Imagine the inconvenience and the outright dangers posed by malfunctioning or non-functioning (at all) medical devices that are supposed to support patient’s lives but fail to do so. Even cyber criminals are aware of this, which is probably why they showed the UK the type of disaster they can bring with the last WannaCry outbreak. Increasing cyber security efforts and taking data recovery backups seriously is something all medical institutions can do to safeguard themselves from such modern problems now that most gadgets (medical or not) are all connected to the web. It is a non-negotiable measure given that malwares are just looming on the horizon and any system can easily fall prey to these attacks. The blog article Cyber Issues On Medical Devices See more on: https://www.euro-toques.org via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/20/cyber-issues-on-medical-devices/ The medical community is always full of surprises, from surprising tech innovations, mind blowing medical treatments, new drug discoveries, to out-of-the-box medical practices, the public is always fascinated by most news in the field of medicine. And for quite some time now, we are seeing major changes happening everywhere too. We have witnessed how the humble marijuana plant has transformed its image from an illegal substance to a now legal one. Various US states have already given the thumbs up to the farming, use, promotion, and selling of either medical or recreational cannabis but it seems that the US has been beaten by their next-door neighbor when it comes to this weed’s popularity. What probably urged Canada to be quick and bolder than the US in their approach towards cannabis is their desire to improve the lives of many Canadians who have been suffering from many chronic and debilitating conditions for the longest time that no drug or medical treatment has managed to address aside from medical cannabis and boost the economy. There have been numerous studies and testimonies as to the powerful effects of medical marijuana in treating conditions like epilepsy, seizure, chronic pain, and even cancer. And unlike the US, Canada has passed the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) in aid of cannabis research, sale, and use, so that Canadians requiring help from such a magical plant like Cannabis can have access to it whenever they need one.
The public’s perception of cannabis has changed a lot over the years and Canada is taking advantage of this positive shift to help them become a leader in the cannabis industry. Unlike some US states that are still undecided whether or not to legalize adult medical or recreational marijuana use in their territories, Canada has been pushing their lead forward and in the process helps their economy grow as well. And they are not wasting any second to realize their goals by acting on it now when other nations are still second guessing their decision.
(Via: http://www.thedailybeast.com/will-canada-put-weed-on-the-same-shelves-as-booze) Given Canada’s current aggressive take on cannabis use, it probably won’t be long before they eventually start selling weeds alongside most alcohols, wines, and spirits in groceries and stores. Although it is a novel and daring concept, we all know nothing is impossible especially if such actions are backed by the federal government like in the case of Canada. For now, there are legit dispensaries where cannabis patients can go to and come out with various weed products in hand. Supply really isn’t an issue anymore and people realize more than ever how beneficial weed is for their health where most traditional medical treatments have failed. Canadians Pioneering In The Use Of Medical Cannabis Read more on: https://www.euro-toques.org via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/17/canadians-pioneering-in-the-use-of-medical-cannabis/ Human beings are always on the lookout for the next big thing in life. We don’t just settle for second-rate items or luxuries because we only want the best our money can afford. Although we don’t always get what we want, it gives us more reason to work harder and hope for a brighter future. If we want to uplift our lives, we must be able to act timely on opportunities or forever miss our chance of experiencing something really great in our lives. Knowing that we are now living in the digital age, it is safe to assume that the majority of the population is hooked on some sort of tech device in their day-to-day lives. We are a generation that can’t live without social media and the Internet – a far cry from the lives led by our parents and grandparents in the past. Yet, this is the reality of our times whatever part of the globe you may be living in. So, it no longer comes as a surprise that the new opportunities presented to us are also in the digital form. What am I talking about? Bitcoins.
You’d be surprised at how Bitcoin investors are enjoying their profits today. Cryptocurrency is the name of the game nowadays and everyone who wants a good investment turns to it because everybody wants to have a slice of the pie. It is a great way to double, triple, or even quadruple your money, something you won’t be able to do with conventional investments.
Cryptocurrency may still be a novel item for most tech users right now but it won’t be for long as these alternative currencies are currently taking the world by storm. Investments are skyrocketing and many hypes about it on social media, so it is no longer surprising if many are asking about it on a daily basis. Since the start of 2017, Bitcoin's value kept on rising and it has encouraged investors to put in more money and buy more crypto currencies making it the multi-billion industry that it is today. Bitcoin is actually just one type of cryptocurrency. There are many more that you can invest in if you are willing to take the risk of this highly unstable market. Bitcoins: The New Gold Rush is republished from Euro Toques via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/15/bitcoins-the-new-gold-rush/ Kids give more meaning to life. Ask any parent about it and they will likely tell you the same thing. But raising one is a different story. There are a lot of hurdles parents face each day from the moment a child is born. Not only are parents expected to provide all the basic needs of their kids but as well as teach them on how to become wise, responsible, God-fearing, and compassionate adults someday. But how can kids do that in the near future if they are already struggling with their health (and body image) as early as now? Looks may not be everything but say that to a bullied pubertal child or teen and you’d likely receive glaring stares that paint a thousand words. Weight is the biggest struggle of young kids these days perhaps because of the food they eat and the lifestyle they lead. Parents today are almost always harassed and exhausted so you can’t expect them to prepare healthy home-cooked meals when more often than not, both partners are out most of the day earning their keep. Aside from feeding their young children sweets, junks and processed food, kids also have access to tech gadgets to help them pass the time and not bother their tired parents at home. So eating + lounging around with a tablet/smart gadget with WiFi in hand = obesity. Hence, more and more kids are diagnosed as overweight and obese today than kids in the past.
(Via: https://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/why-only-children-are-at-higher-risk-of-obesity/20300) Even adults find comfort in eating especially when they are stressed. It is not surprising to discover that kids are vulnerable to this too since it helps them cope with all the new things they encounter in life. Children’s preoccupation with technology leaves them too lazy to engage in more active outdoor activities that young kids their age should be doing. Yet even though we like pinching the chubby cheeks of a cute, fat child, the impact of obesity on the health and well-being of that child is not always a positive experience as it can put them at higher risk of certain medical conditions and even suffer from lower self-esteem from being bullied by their peers for their heavy weight.
(Via: https://blog.oup.com/2017/07/children-obesity-future/) Society as a whole should be taught to change their perception regarding obesity and basically urge everyone to examine the way they live their lives and how parents also raise their children. If children aren’t taught about the value of health and healthy eating, they will carry their bad habits into adulthood and eventually do the same thing to their children. It will be an endless vicious cycle that we are starting to feel its menace now. The problem basically lies with the types of food we eat and how we live our lives when we are constantly glued to the screens of our smart gadgets day in and day out. Despite this awareness, nothing much has changed and kids still get fed with fastfood and all things sweet and processed. But you can’t blame most parents since it is actually more expensive now to feed your family with healthy and organic food than junks especially if these parents are also struggling to make both ends meet. Indeed, it takes a village to raise a child. It is only with the concerted efforts of everyone that we can start making progress in addressing childhood obesity and saving young kids from a long list of health, emotional, and mental woes brought about by being overweight or obese from a young age. The following post Why Children Are Getting Fatter By The Minute was initially published on https://www.euro-toques.org/ via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/15/why-children-are-getting-fatter-by-the-minute/ Technology is crucial to how well we live our lives today. Think about times when there are power blackouts. Can you imagine your discomfort as you trudge on the next few hours devoid of power and all the modern conveniences you have grown accustomed to? It is interesting to note, though, that as we become highly dependent on these technologies we also gradually realize how fragile they are compared to digital crimes committed today. We can easily go powerless for days on end if cyber criminals manage to click on the right button and mess up an entire power grid’s operation. And ironically, it isn’t just something we have randomly thought about but already a reality that has already happened in certain parts of the globe. In Europe, for instance, Ireland’s power grid was overtaken by cyber criminals. If it happened to them, it can also easily happen to any place here on earth, even in the United States. Cyber criminals manage to take down the impressive Irish engineering and infrastructure safety precautions, so it won’t be difficult for these hackers to do it again to a different power grid in a far away country and temporarily cripple an entire nation.
While people working on the grid take pride in the safety and reliability of these structures given that they can manage to withstand and survive even the most inclement of weathers, the threat actually involves the computer technology that runs these infrastructures and the way it connects everything. It will scare you, actually, and it’s the reason why these genius hackers pull off stunts like this without a sweat.
Hackers are increasingly becoming more interested in attacking power grids because if they do so, they’ll be able to (somehow) make the world stop even just for a while and relish in the moment when they are able to disrupt the world order and show the world how powerful they have become. It’s surprising how breaking into a computer system can make everything stop in an instant. And considering that we live in a digital world, human life will be in total chaos and be put at a standstill with the power out indefinitely. Everything that relies on electricity to work will stop and that is basically everything there is in the world right now. Let these previous instances serve as both as a warning and lesson to everyone not to take cyber security lightly because a lot is at stake with the data we have on the web and everything else that is connected to it. The following article Cyber Criminals: A Threat To The Power Grid is republished from Euro Toques via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/10/cyber-criminals-a-threat-to-the-power-grid/ We can’t deny how much technology has made our lives so much easier. We no longer need to do most things manually and everything is just simply automated. That in itself is already a blessing. Imagine no longer having to put in the manual labor to get things done. Yet no matter comfortable and convenient our lives have become, there are its drawbacks too. Everything can go haywire in an instant when you encounter a tech-related issue. It is even more difficult if you are clueless about how the technology works itself and you have no go-to guy around that can help you with your digital concerns. You should, by the way, have a go-to guy. As complicated technology already is, the rising threat of cyber attacks is also a cause of concern among tech users. Malwares are everywhere. You can hear it constantly mentioned on news and it makes tech user’s stomach queasy with the jitters with just the thought of getting hit by such a major headache. Malware often attacks older models of computers and laptops but there have been mobile versions too. These malwares have been so nasty they even managed to cripple many businesses and organizations all over the world and even the UK’s healthcare system a few months ago. Patients missed out on their medications because the medical staff can’t access their data on the computer. Everything just vanished.
It’s funny that this entire WannaCry issue wasn’t really just all about crippling nations and gaining money from the bitcoin ransom but also as a means to advertise their data recovery magic to the unfortunate computer users who have fallen victims to this scam for even more cyber hacking. Even corporate offices received such offers but there is a catch, not only are these dubious people offering such services but in the process also steals personal data of the victims by redirecting victims to phishing pages. It’s a double whammy for these unfortunate individuals to be scammed twice.
Data security is the biggest threat on the web today when cyber criminals have also leveled up their A-game and the possibility of quantum computing that will eventually override encryption that is essentially our safety net against hackers when using the Internet is looming on the horizon. Then, there is the issue of data recovery for those whose gadgets have succumbed to the malware introduced especially that most backups installed on hard drives failed to protect the gadgets from these malwares. They’re just too much to handle for these victims, so better upgrade the OS you are using to protect yourself from these modern dilemmas as newer operating systems are equipped to fight off these ransomware attacks much better than older models.
Why Data Recovery Matters At A Time Of Widespread Malware Threats Read more on: The Euro Toques Blog via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/07/why-data-recovery-matters-at-a-time-of-widespread-malware-threats/ The world has never been a fair place to live in. Poverty is rampant everywhere and only a few gets to enjoy most of the riches of this world. This unequal distribution of wealth has left millions (if not billions) of people hurt, starving, lonely, at a disadvantage, and left to fend for themselves against the elements and basically everything else. If you look around you, especially if you are living in highly urbanized areas/cities, the number of homeless people scattered all over the streets is growing. They seem to be popping here and there and mostly reliant on the generosity of other people. Just imagine what it would be like living on the streets – without a wall and a roof to protect you from harm. For years, the government and the private sector have teamed up to help clear the streets of these unfortunate souls yet many still remain and the number keeps on growing. Blame it on our unstable economy and other personal variables, it seems like an impossible endeavor to clear the streets of the homeless population and help them stand on their two feet once more.
Aside from helping the homeless find jobs so they can support their needs, there are also efforts that aim in helping the homeless escape the streets by providing them affordable housing options. How can a country like America claim to be a progressive and first-world nation when there are thousands (possibly millions) of its citizens loitering in the streets? Only when it can provide for all the needs of its citizens can the US be as proud as other nations that know how to take care of its citizens well.
(Via: http://businessworld.in/article/Real-Estate-Freedom-From-Homelessness/23-08-2017-124574/) Homelessness is actually a big problem in various parts of the globe not just in the US alone. Many nations have been the face of poverty where people line up on the streets asking for alms and sleeping under the sun or rain. While we don’t know the circumstances why they end up living on the streets, let us not easily pass judgment on them and try to do our part in helping one human being reclaim their lost lives and be self-sufficient again. Governments are busy thinking of ways on how they can address the problem but we should also do our part in extending help in whatever way we can. Let our random acts of kindness inspire others to help and pitch in because humanity still isn’t lost, after all. Clear The Streets Of The Homeless Find more on: ET Blog via https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/09/03/clear-the-streets-of-the-homeless/ |
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