March 2014 Archives

by Manuela Dohmen

What do Barack Obama, Britney Spears, and Fox News have in common?  They've all had their Twitter accounts hacked.  Even the rich and famous can't always protect themselves against intruders, physical or cyber.  Everyone is at risk, and these days, with 72% of all internet users active on social media, that risk is greater than ever.  With every site we view or account we create, we become more vulnerable to infiltration.

Reality shows are all the rage these days.  They cover many topics:  surviving on an isolated island or in the Siberian wilderness in the winter, racing around the world, selecting a mate, or just living as a group of strangers in the same house.  Then there's    Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, a spin-off of the TLC reality television program Toddlers and Tiaras.  It follows the life of Alana Thompson ("Honey Boo Boo"), a children's beauty pageant competitor, and her family.  Alana's not your average participant, lacking grace, rhythm, and polish, and is known for her brash behaviour.  She gained notoriety in 2012 following an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras where she drank "go-go" juice, a concoction of Red Bull and Mountain Dew intended to give her energy for the competition, but threw her into a frenzied state.  Mother and daughter wound up on the talk-show circuit defending the use of the caffeine-loaded drink