THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN SUICIDE

Popular history will tell you Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. Call it revisionist history, but we know Lincoln was not assassinated. He was a haunted soul, hounded by depression, and he was ready to leave the world after giving it his final gift.

Not only did Lincoln suffer from Marfan syndrome, but he was known to be depressed. NPR produced a fascinating piece on his troubles, which ranged from general gloominess to complete breakdowns. And while some argue his depression is what made him great, it's doubtful he had any chance of beating it. Even today doctors struggle to fend off depression, but in the 1800's their tools were even more limited.

Add to that Lincoln's "Suicide Soliloquy" and things start to take quite the grim turn. Was Lincoln's suicide poem not a suicide note? Here are some lines:

• "No fellow-man shall learn my fate" (a hint that we'd think his suicide was a murder)
• "Yes, I've resolved the deed to do, And this the place to do it: this heart I'll rush a dagger through"
• "Rip up the organs of my breath, And draw my blood in showers!"

Whether Lincoln pulled the trigger himself or hired Booth to do him in, there's no doubt he wanted to die. The Civil War was over, the Emancipation Proclamation passed, and his work was done. What was left for his tortured soul to do but die?

FINGERPRINT APPS MAY STEAL YOUR IDENTITY

If you live in the world of smartphones and tablets, you've undoubtedly been offered fingerprint apps. They advertise high-tech security and fun, but what do they really deliver? Your information and fingerprints in a database, shuffled across the internet highway for all to see.

There's Fingerprint Lock, Fingerprint Lock Free, Fingerprint Scanner FREE, Fingerprint Screen Lock ICS, and countless others. Check the permissions tab on those apps. They want approximate and precise GPS location information, full network access,  the ability to "read phone status and identity" and the ability to view your and edit your web bookmarks and history.

What do you think these app developers do with your fingerprint information?

• Is it secure? If multinational banks can't keep records safe, it's doubtful poor app makers can. Hackers and evildoers will be doing their best to get this info, and what's to stop them from planting your fingerprints at a crime scene? It's not that crazy.
• Is it sold? A buck an app isn't much money, but personally identifying information is worth boatloads in today's marketing culture. Is your identity being sold to marketers, or are the app makers the marketers themselves?
• What about the government? The government would love a database of everyone's DNA and fingerprints. And with the ability to link that fingerprint to browsing and download info, who knows how legally unscrupulous things could get.

The app world is filled with fun and innovative things, but you should always be wary of what permissions you have to give your apps, and what personal information they are using. This goes for fingerprint scanners, facial recognition software, photo apps, and more. Every app is a potential threat. Keep yourself and your information safe.