Breathe easy, get on the bus and be thankful you don't live in a certain New Jersey community.

First, let me assure everyone that I have survived The Great OS X/iOS SSL Scare of 2014 unscathed.  Indeed, the nice folks at Macworld have clearly and competently explained what the fuss was all about and why although it was absolutely serious, it was nowhere near as dire as the mainstream (i.e. non-tech) media made it out to be.  In fact, if, like me, you don't use an iPad at all, you were only affected if you run Mavericks-which I not only don't but can't, my venerable MacBook Pro being of too early a vintage. 

Well, I paid so much for it hoping for such longevity, so who's complaining?

Moving on...Although it's not really free and open access, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority is lighting up its MAX buses as well as some on other routes, according to the Kansas City Star. 

I'm not even sure I remember the last time I rode the ATA; if my car's not running and I can't walk or bike there for free, I'm more likely to pop for either a one-way cab ride to a rental counter or patronize one of the we'll-pick-you-up companies, so wedded am I to the automobile culture.  Anyway, I'm intrigued, and I'm sure ath64 probably is as well, so if any of you try out Bus-Fi anytime soon, let us know how you find it.

Finally, there's this tidbit from NorthJersey.com that-to me at least-resembles the kind of story one might have expected to come across maybe a decade ago, but not in 2014.  I mean, is there really any good reason for a public library not to offer wireless Internet access to its patrons today? 

Yes there is, maintains at least one of the library officials interviewed.  Quoting from the story:  "Wireless internet usage in public libraries is typically not filtered, so technically, patrons can access any sites on their personal devices, including pornographic or offensive material, on their wireless devices and laptops."

That "fact" was all the justification that the board president of that one library system needed.  Never mind that in reality there's no reason they couldn't filter it if they really felt the need.  It's a "safety issue," you see.  Yeah, sure it is.  With only six desktop computers, a 30-minute time limit and a filtering system that "can't even get on the Victoria's Secret website," it's clear that someone here has more issues than they're letting on to, despite allegations of having "had substantial problems with people trying to look at inappropriate material."

Right, ma'am.  On a system that locked down, I'll bet you have.

I just hope the patrons of that library system come across that story and find out just what their board president really thinks of them.  In a truly free society, government that does not trust the people it governs is bad government, all excuses and rationalizations for that mistrust notwithstanding.