“What am I missing?" asked Britain's Prince Harry about living in secret. "Nothing, really. It’s nice just to be here with all the guys and just mucking in as one of the lads.”
But his secret is out. Apparently, third in line to the the monarchy that rules England no more makes him a target for the Taliban and creates greater danger for his surrounding Household Calvarymen than would be otherwise. But who would really be endangered by his death -- if the unfortunate were to happen? When a less internationally famous but more U.S.-prominent Pat Tillman died it was the Bush administration that took the hit because it fed into the storyline that much of their policymaking was fed by lies. So, when the Drudge Report broke the story, gaining itself a few more hits and notoriety, did it really save lives and an important battle asset or simply simply some institution's future secrets?
To keep health secrets we need a fantasy character to be real or a real character to create fantasy. From the early 19th c. grew the legend of Ned Ludd and the anti-technology movement he inspired. Now, with Google working to make access to health records readily available -- not a horrible idea, per se, but one that will no doubt lead to leaks and discrimination -- the only hope is hope, the current neo-luddites are well intentioned, but, sadly, uninspiring, to be honest.
The readier someone is to reveal a secret from the past, the more likely that secret will be like the sandwich stuck in a drawer and forgotten at work. While it was out of sight it may have gained pungency, but as a secret it has lost its ability to satisfy most tastes. And so we have Gennifer Flowers trying to squeak a few more shekels and nanoseconds of fame by auctioning her secret recordings of then-Governor WJ Clinton as her proof of their infidelitous amorousness.
A new question for presidential candidates. Will you do your best to make sure the secrets of the current administration are unraveled in a judicious manner?
How cool is a story that promises to reveal the Pope's secrets? Much less when it turns out to be the tale of how Gautier (Miss.) Police Chief Ed Williams (possibly) illegally taped Mayor Pete Pope in a hiring dispute.
Virtue has the secrets to help triumph over evil. How much better can a Hollywood story get than having (Tarita) Virtue emerge from a hidden location to take the stand and testify against the evil king of filmdom private investigators, Anthony Pellicano, who is imprisoned and on trial for a long list of ill deeds committed on behalf of his various big shot clients. And, oh yeah, Pellicano threatened to kill Virtue.
It may seem like a good idea at the time, but murdering an ex-lover rarely seems to work out as a way to keep the relationship secret. The latest to take the fall for following that fool's gold strategy is Pennsylvania's Jennifer Vinsek, sentenced to life without parole when her ex-boyfriend was shot to death by her new beau. Apparently, there was a plan to keep the two apart; but the plan fell apart.
In a likely sign of corporate weakness, Microsoft will be giving away some of the programming secrets to its software monopolies. Coincidentally, Princeton University researchers believe they've found a way to get into the secrets hidden in your laptop that no manufacturer can currently protect against.
Gossip is the fun part of the secrets landscape. Most fun when people are trying to hide sexual escapades or eccentric behavior of years ago, which when revealed hurts nobody. Of course, you do have to care about the people involved to care. But, if you care about "90210" or Tori Spelling or when she was and wasn't sleeping with whomever, then "sTORI Telling" is for you, although since this is both pointless and very old news, perhaps you want to consider if for your own mental health there might be other more important gossip or secrets to consider.
You almost expect to hear The Beatles "Do You Want to Know a Secret" while reading Linkin Park band member Mike Shinoda announcing a secret concert on his blog.
