101 Ways You Are Being Tracked

The recent release of the NSA spying documents is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways that you are being tracked.  Consider your activities and how they can be tracked via:

1. Cell phone usage
2. Smartphone apps
3. Cell phone cloning
4. Social media post/tweets/etc
5. Items you buy with store rewards cards
6. Items you buy online
7. Items you buy with credit/debit cards
8. Your car's GPS system/On Star system
9. Your library activity (recorded via your library card)
10. Your internet (ISP) activity
11. Red-light/traffic cameras
12. Private, public, and government security cameras
13. People with cell phones recording your activities
14. Your passport and other RFID-chipped cards
15. Your banking activity
16. Your casino player's card
17. Facial recognition software
18. DNA
19. Microchips (ie: in your pets)
20. Biometrics (for work/banking.etc purposes)
21. Public sound surveillance systems
22. Computer cameras and microphones
23. Public transit cameras
24. PC printer/copier machine tracking
25. Digital camera GPS tracking
26. Fingerprints (for Concealed Carry license, etc)
27. Online public records 
28. Online forums, comment activity
29. Your website/blog/Facebook page, etc
30. The emails you send
31. The search engines you use
32. The web browser you use
33. The torrents/videos/etc you stream/download (ie: Netflix activity)
34. The organizations you participate in/join/volunteer for
35. Cookies and caches on your computer/smartphone
36. Credit reporting agencies
37. The wi-fi networking in our homes (everything from PlayStation usage to networked lights and thermostats)
38. Google Earth and other satellite tracking systems
39. Medical records (irrespective of HIPPA)
40. Dental records 
41. Airports (flight records, TSA searches and body scans, etc)
42. Public transit and toll pass card records
43. ATM usage
44. License plate recognition systems
45. Border crossing automated record systems
46. Unusual financial transaction reports (SARCs, Form 8300, and other government mandated reports)
47. PayPal, eBay, and other online financial activities
48. Everything that falls into the SHODAN search engine
49. Any barcoded activity (from your VIN # to your employee ID badge to your luggage)
50. Activity trackers for your car provided for a "discount" on your auto insurance
51. The black box in your car
52. Any cyber stalking activity (ranging from a hidden camera in your home to hacking into your computer or online accounts)
53. Online accounts where you provide personal information (dating websites, Linked In and Monster, etc)
54. Malicious software downloaded to your computer
55. Anything you leave in "the cloud"
56. All account information (from your online comment account for your local newspaper to your online utility accounts)
57. Your utility usage
58. Charities you donate to
59. Collected personal information sold by data brokers
60. Anything that can be found online by Googling you
61. Any activity that triggers social security number usage (from Medicare payments to government pensions, etc)
62. IRS/tax collection information
63. Data collected from your employer (everything from attendance records to performance reviews)
64. Keylogging software on your computer/browsing history stored on your computer/etc
65. Caller ID
66. Insurance claims/disability claims/etc.
67. Any legal actions by/against you (lawsuits, tickets, fines, criminal records, etc)
68. Firearms registration
69. School records
70. Your investment history (401k, stock purchases, etc)
71. Any surveys you participate in (census, consumer survey, psych evals for work, etc)
72. Crowd scanning data (everything from chemical surveillance at a football game to photographic records by law enforcement at big events)
73. Government data collection (Fusion centers, Echelon, PRISM, Carnivore, etc)
74. Any interaction you have with the government (jury duty, college loans, government-backed mortgages, etc)
75. Anything put online by or about you (from naked pictures to viral videos of poor behavior)
76. Any job you apply for
77. Any gathering you partake in (from hacker conferences to football games to "subversive" gatherings)
78. Data collected by any "service" you join (from the military to AmeriCorp to FEMA, etc)
79. Anything you create on your computer
80. Everything you buy that's traceable (whether by payment type, store security video, etc)
81. Any debts you owe 
82. The people you hang around with (maybe you aren't under surveillance but they are)
83. Your habits (a daily Starbucks addiction, a penchant for strip clubs, etc)
84. Any surveillance or data collection done by your employer
85. Tattoos, scars, or other markings that permanently identify you
86. Data collected by companies on your shopping habits (Amazon for example)
87. Any prescription medications you require
88. Records kept for anything you rent (apartment, storage unit, car, tools, heavy equipment, etc)
89. Any "subversive" group you belong to (can be anything from your local shooting club to the local mosque)
90. Any odd/unusual behavior that is noted by neighbors, coworkers, etc.
91. Random checkpoints (DUI checkpoints, traffic stops when the police are looking for a fugitive, etc)
92. Any documents/items found in your trash or your shredder
93. Through friends, family, and associates (if someone wants to find you, this is often their first stop)
94. Through professional societies, school alumni groups, etc.
95. Through licensure (from the basic--driver's license--to the professional--DEA license)
96. Through subscription services (from Netflix and magazine subscriptions to CSAs and online subscriptions)
97. Through your children (everything from consent forms to school/CPS/children's club activities)
98. Through your spouse (your spouse often needs to list you on financial/business/other official records whether you know/approve of it or not)
99. Rebates, warranties, service contracts, and other information you provide to businesses
100. Your religious affiliation
101. By your shoe prints, tire marks, etc (crime scene investigators can use this information to great effect)

NSA Leak 101

Here's some stuff you should know about the recent leak of NSA spying documents (yep, the NSA is spying on YOU).

• In a nutshell, this is what happened.
• And another article on the NSA spying program.
• This is the guy who did it.
• These are the leaked documents.
• Why the big deal (tldr; unchecked government spying on innocent people flies in the face of your 4th amendment rights)
• Restore the Fourth (4th Amendment protests being planned for the 4th of July complements of Reddit)
• A Change.org petition to pardon Snowden can be found here.
• Ron Paul's take on the situation (here, here, and here).
• Social media and the NSA leak:  Reddit, Twitter, more from Twitter, more from Reddit
• Is Snowden a hero or a traitor?

It's Wildfire Season, Prepare Accordingly

While some of the country is battling massive rainstorms and flooding, for folks in the west, it is time to get ready for wildfire season.  Here's some tips:

• If you have a lawn, keep it mowed and watered (a tall, dried out lawn is much more likely to catch fire and/or help encourage a fire that is heading towards your property).
• Keep the land around your home/detached garage/out buildings/propane tank/etc. cleared (this will serve as a buffer against wildfires).
• Keep your gutters and roof clean and clear of all debris.
• Don't store firewood next to your house/garage/outbuilding; you should have a separate wood storage area away from the house for this.
• Dead or dying trees/shrubs/other vegetation should be cleared immediately (not only is this a hazard during wind/ice storms but dead trees easily fuel wildfires as well).
• Have a plan to evacuate your home in the event of a wildfire (this includes having a BOB on hand as well as a few planned routes out of your neighborhood).
• Be able to evacuate via a variety of means in the event of a wildfire (by car, by motorcycle, by bicycle, on foot, etc).
• Have a plan for evacuating your pets and livestock in the event of a wildfire.
• Consider fire-resistant landscaping around your home.
• Use common sense when burning outdoors (ie: if it is dry and windy, reconsider your need to burn the brush pile or have an outdoor barbecue).
• Be sure your children don't have access to matches and lighters (and be sure older teens know when it is safe/not safe to burn outdoors).
• Make sure your chimney has been cleaned recently and it has a spark arrester on it.
• Have the means to fight a small fire yourself (fire extinguisher, long garden hose, buckets for water, rakes and shovels, etc).
• If you are living in an area that is prone to wildfires/where an active wildfire is burning, stay tuned to local news for info on when and if to evacuate.
• Make sure the fire department can respond to your home (keep driveways clear, make sure your home is well marked, make sure your driveway is wide enough for emergency vehicles, etc).
• If you must evacuate and have time, be sure to close and lock all windows and doors, water your roof and lawn, shut off your gas or propane, etc).
• If you see a fire, call 911 and report it immediately; you can always cancel the response if necessary, but if you are fighting a fire, you want professional back-up on its way ASAP.