tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71031882011-04-21T22:15:11.848-05:00<P> That's the way I feel, most days. &nbsp;&nbsp; Way too old for this. </P> <P> I got involved in blogging because of an old friend, one-aging-geek. &nbsp;&nbsp; His blog may be found at: </P> <a href="http://one-aging-geek.blogspot.com"> http://one-aging-geek.blogspot.com </a> <BR> <P> I used to write for a local newspaper -- a weekly column on things tech or things that just pissed me off. &nbsp;&nbsp; I intend to do the same here, to relieve stress and leave a "paper trail". </P>Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comBlogger2371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-10541429442753784082007-12-13T08:45:00.000-06:002007-12-13T08:46:59.858-06:00

Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out... Welcome to the Make Blog!

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-49816259164438242602007-11-09T23:57:00.000-06:002007-11-10T00:05:38.644-06:00

Last May I was invited by Mark Gibbs to begin blogging with him on Network World's Gibbsblog. It's gotten me a lot more exposure, and I've been given pretty much the same freedoms I have here. I don't get into rants as easily on Gibbsblog, and I avoid politics... well, mostly. So, if you have been reading my stuff here and wondered what happened to me, you've got your explanation.The Network

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-57709489963545776002007-07-16T15:24:00.000-05:002007-07-16T15:28:06.086-05:00

The first unmanned attack squadron in aviation history will arrive in Iraq today looking to deliver 500-pound bombs and Hellfire missiles to the enemy - all from the comfort of a US Air Force base in Nevada.Go to war without leaving home.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-64426928408782091172007-06-16T12:03:00.001-05:002007-06-16T12:07:43.396-05:00

The National Academies of Science produces regular reports on the state of scientific research in the US... The report identifies six key questions that will represent the grand challenges that materials science will face over the coming decade, the ones most likely to produce the next revolution. But it also raises fears that those challenges will be met by researchers outside of the US. It

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-23008410767765709822007-05-16T17:51:00.000-05:002007-05-16T17:54:27.889-05:00

...the world is warming, this warming is due to human activity increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and if emissions continue unabated the warming will too, with increasingly serious consequences.So for those who are not sure what to believe, here is our round-up of the 26 most common climate myths and misconceptions.There is also a guide to assessing the evidence. In the

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-87584130632852872992007-05-10T10:50:00.000-05:002007-05-16T17:58:06.500-05:00

The availability of high performance sensors and large capacity of precision guided weapons enable the new Predator to operate as an efficient "Hunter-Killer" platform, seeking and engaging targets at high probability of success.You can run, but you can't hide. This weapon requires human operators, but the next version can operate autonomously. Anyone remember Terminator 3?[ADDED 16/05/2007]

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-92000555142473531412007-04-26T09:22:00.000-05:002007-04-26T09:23:46.529-05:00

This kind of thing isn't easy to train. (Much has been written about it, though; Malcolm Gladwell's Blink discusses this in detail.) You can't learn it from watching a seven-minute video. But the more we focus on this -- the more we stop wasting our airport security resources on screeners who confiscate rocks and snow globes, and instead focus them on well-trained screeners walking through the

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-82942312207121313682007-04-22T09:58:00.000-05:002007-04-22T10:03:27.707-05:00

The decision to use circumvention technology should be taken seriously, carefully analyzing the specific needs, available resources and security concerns of the end-user. There is a wide variety of technologies available for users who want to circumvent Internet filtering. However, using them for successful and stable circumvention service depends on a variety of factors, including the user’s

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-20419053446169122872007-04-20T18:03:00.000-05:002007-04-20T18:23:34.833-05:00

"We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings," Dell said on the Idea Storm portion of its Web site, dedicated to implementing customer feedback.This is almost funny! They are trying to put a positive spin on what has been a failure and make it look like they are being responsive to their customers.A customer of mine purchased a brand new

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-53681390319643938642007-04-16T11:50:00.000-05:002007-04-16T11:52:15.017-05:00

I'm not a fan of MySpace, but I think much less of censorship. This technique should work with any blocked URL.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-15977295452588633142007-04-04T21:22:00.000-05:002007-04-04T21:29:09.213-05:00

The Harris Poll of 2223 US online adults in early March found that 87% were aware of Vista. Unfortunately for Microsoft, only 12% of Vista-aware respondents were intending to upgrade to Vista in the next 12 months.I don't think the numbers for XP were that different. XP was forced upon you when you purchased new hardware. I suspect that's how Vista is going to be as well. But Dell wasn't

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-70703241905066832892007-04-04T18:45:00.000-05:002007-04-04T18:51:36.926-05:00

Based on my personal experiences with Vista over a 30 day period, I found it to be a dangerously unstable operating system, which has caused me to lose data. I really did want to like Vista. Yes, it is possible to enjoy both Windows and Linux - but unfortunately this product is unfit for any user. I still intend to keep a Windows XP partition on my computer for gaming and some multimedia editing

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-89326208160442530812007-04-03T18:50:00.000-05:002007-04-03T18:55:42.524-05:00

As it turns out, the US Department of Energy (and almost everyone else except members of Congress) was correct when they predicted that there would be little energy savings. This echoed concerns voiced after a similar experiment was attempted in Australia. Critics pointed out a basic fact: the gains in the morning will be offset by the losses at night, and vice-versa, at both ends of the switch.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-16147361536887635512007-04-02T08:03:00.000-05:002007-04-02T08:14:03.070-05:00

EMI and Apple announced that they will beginning offering every song in their catalog in a "premium" service. You will pay more, but you get no DRM and twice the audio quality. Apple's iTunes will let you upgrade all your existing music to "premium" by paying the difference ($.30). Is this the beginning of the end for DRM? Where will Vista go when DRM is gone?

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-64231784936072269272007-03-30T07:37:00.000-06:002007-03-30T07:44:49.463-06:00

According to eEye Chief Technology Officer Marc Maiffret, Microsoft should have caught the problem two years ago, when his company first reported the bug that was patched in the MS05-002 update. "They fixed the bug we discovered back in ’05, but during their standard bug report code audit, they missed an area... where identical code was used, with an identical vulnerability," he said via instant

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-20904952612707423642007-03-29T09:35:00.000-06:002007-04-04T21:30:30.196-05:00

According to The Boston Globe, "At least 45.7 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen by hackers who accessed the computer systems at the TJX Cos. at its headquarters in Framingham and in the United Kingdom over a period of several years, making it the biggest breach of personal data ever reported."According to a survey done by the IT Policy Compliance Group, 68% of all companies lose

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-79870205943267849392007-03-18T02:04:00.000-06:002007-03-18T02:09:49.810-06:00

Undoubtedly, someone will discover where the increment counter is for slmgr and you'll be able to do this indefinitely, but until then, Vista users will have a year to extend activation if they wish.Everyone likes "free" windows, but at some point you have to ask yourself one question: If you can get herpes for free, do you still want it?

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-35048987751686031452007-03-15T23:18:00.000-06:002007-03-15T23:28:53.988-06:00

By Dirk A. D. Smith, Network World, 04/19/05Excellent stuff here. I used it to chase down and dissect a kernel dump on my Windows 2000 box. I think the windbg tool has changed a bit since the article was written, however. You aren't going to need the second command to search out the driver information -- once the bad driver is identified, it's hyperlinked -- just click on it instead.Read the

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-24172323562777692072007-03-03T09:38:00.000-06:002007-03-03T09:48:00.636-06:00

Tens of thousands of federal workers are prohibited from upgrading to the latest versions, according to memos seen by InformationWeekIn a memo to his staff, the DOT's CIO Daniel Mintz says he has placed "an indefinite moratorium" on the upgrades as "there appears to be no compelling technical or business case for upgrading to these new Microsoft software products. Furthermore, there appears to be

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1170434904312556552007-02-02T10:46:00.000-06:002007-02-02T10:48:25.456-06:00

The proposal, made as part of the state's budget process, would pay for 100 percent of the conversion, would only allow touchscreen system for disabled voters and for early voting, and would upgrade those systems to include a paper trail. The move is a setback for paperless polling machines and a rejection of the contention by former governor Jeb Bush, brother of U.S. President George W. Bush,

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1170193602536425522007-01-30T15:45:00.000-06:002007-01-30T15:46:42.926-06:00

Oh, this is wonderful. NOT!

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1170175043326730042007-01-30T10:34:00.000-06:002007-01-30T10:37:24.146-06:00

Essay by Bruce Schneier.It doesn’t really matter how well a Real ID works when used by the hundreds of millions of honest people who would carry it. What matters is how the system might fail when used by someone intent on subverting that system: how it fails naturally, how it can be made to fail, and how failures might be exploited.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1169738342683228062007-01-25T09:16:00.000-06:002007-01-25T09:19:03.043-06:00

It was revealed in the course of last summer's landmark virus hack of a Diebold touch-screen voting system at Princeton University that, incredibly, the company uses the same key to open every machine. It's also an easy key to buy at any office supply store since it's used for filing cabinets and hotel mini-bars! Sleep well. Your government is awake.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1169482179262330402007-01-22T10:06:00.000-06:002007-01-22T10:09:39.510-06:00

Dell shipped faulty LCD screens in 2005 and is giving customers grief about replacing the screens. It's time to bring attention to the issue.It's long past time to stop buying from Dell!

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1168378754269841132007-01-09T15:33:00.000-06:002007-01-09T15:39:15.213-06:00

"I kind of call it a Good Housekeeping seal" of approval, said Michael Cherry, a former Windows program manager who now analyzes the product for Directions on Microsoft, a firm that tracks the software maker.Cherry says the NSA's involvement can help counter the perception that Windows is not entirely secure and help create a perception that Microsoft has solved the security problems that have

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1167496505241307902006-12-30T10:34:00.000-06:002006-12-30T10:35:05.560-06:00

The year in review -- a common topic in the final weeks.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1166491665832712302006-12-18T19:24:00.000-06:002006-12-18T19:27:46.740-06:00

We have recounts because vote counting is -- to put it mildly -- sloppy. Americans like their election results fast, before they go to bed at night. So we're willing to put up with inaccuracies in our tallying procedures, and ignore the fact that the numbers we see on television correlate only roughly with reality.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1163436075293110592006-11-13T10:40:00.000-06:002006-11-13T10:41:17.686-06:00

Essay by Bruce Schneier; link to his blog.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1163171558706941602006-11-10T09:09:00.000-06:002006-11-10T09:12:39.140-06:00

So you wanna build a nuke, huh? Simple, according to the latest reports. But remember -- these stories are coming from the same people who were screaming "WMDs! WMDs!" just a short time ago.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1162267186778470252006-10-30T21:57:00.000-06:002006-10-30T21:59:47.990-06:00

Fully one third of the votes cast in this fall's election will be recorded on electronic voting machines. You should be worried.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1159634361853941052006-09-30T11:36:00.000-05:002006-10-05T22:12:00.703-05:00

Not a complete victory, since they have until Oct. 5 to find yet another legal loophole.UPDATE 10/5 Nope. The current junta managed to convince the court of appeals that their illegal activities are necessary to prevent further attacks on our soil and our people, so the court is going to allow illegal wiretapping to continue while the appeal is processed.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1159548469142170302006-09-29T11:47:00.000-05:002006-09-29T11:47:49.603-05:00

The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would provide congressional authorization for President George W. Bush's warrantless domestic spying program but subject it to new rules. AND THOSE "RULES" ARE...?The president would be permitted to do so, for example, after an "armed attack," "terrorist attack" or when the president deems there is an "imminent threat."OH, I FEEL _

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1158287231874135152006-09-14T21:20:00.000-05:002006-09-14T21:29:07.233-05:00

This latest comes from the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University:For example, an attacker who gets physical access to a machine or its removable memory card for as little as one minute could install malicious code; malicious code on a machine could steal votes undetectably, modifying all records, logs, and counters to be consistent with the fraudulent vote count it

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1158207419016236582006-09-13T23:13:00.000-05:002006-09-13T23:16:59.943-05:00

The American people must recognize these odious tactics for what they are and remain vigilant about our Constitution and individual liberty. Too many people seem to think that the Constitution will automatically check the government from overstepping its authority and running amok. That simply is not true. The Constitution is incapable of enforcing itself. The ultimate limit on the power of

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1157397054598765302006-09-04T14:10:00.000-05:002006-09-04T14:26:23.583-05:00

At press time, millions of end users may be using Wi-Fi so insecure that an attacker could install a rootkit on their system in less than a minute.That was almost a month ago, and little has changed since. The lawyers apparently are winning, and anyone using anything but an Intel wi-fi card remains at risk.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1155621780517591152006-08-15T00:53:00.000-05:002006-08-15T01:06:36.133-05:00

Dell is recalling 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they could erupt in flames, the company said today.   This will be the largest safety recall in the history of the consumer electronics industry...   The recalled batteries were used in 2.7 million computers sold in the United States and 1.4 million sold overseas.   The total is about 18 percent of Dell's notebook production during

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1155583077261710732006-08-14T14:17:00.000-05:002006-08-14T14:18:10.966-05:00

What would you call a computer program that surreptitiously installed itself onto your computer, collected personal information about you without your knowledge or effective consent, was difficult or impossible to remove, installed pop-up banners that constantly harassed you, and presented significant security vulnerabilities?If you were Los Angeles resident Brian Johnson, the answer would be

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1154879210159434552006-08-06T10:27:00.000-05:002006-08-06T10:46:52.903-05:00

It was ten years ago when NASA exclaimed Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars . From MATT CRENSON, AP National Writer:Ten years later, the results have not been verified. Skeptics have found non-biological explanations for every piece of evidence that was presented on Aug. 6, 1996. And though they still vigorously defend their claim, the NASA scientists who advanced it now

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1154617673114673112006-08-03T10:02:00.000-05:002006-09-14T21:31:20.596-05:00

Maynor said the MacBook was used in the demo as a retort to the latest Apple commercials. "We don't want to bash Mac. I'm a big fan of Mac. But those commercials are just [annoying]," he said.I wonder what he really said in place of "annoying"...   I couldn't agree more."This is not a big problem today. But, it should be something to take seriously now before it becomes a big, big problem a

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1154376118932499932006-07-31T15:01:00.000-05:002006-07-31T15:01:59.376-05:00

From PRESS RELEASE -- JULY 31, 2006:Upon examining the inner workings of one of the most popular paperless touch screen voting machines used in public elections in the United States, it has been determined that with the flip of a single switch inside, the machine can behave in a completely different manner compared to the tested and certified version.“Diebold has made the testing and

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1153266823164668552006-07-18T18:53:00.000-05:002006-07-18T18:53:44.840-05:00

While some Senators and the Dept. of Homeland (in)Security are screaming about how the Internet is filled with bomb-making information, some of the best information comes straight from the federal government's own open records.Kids, don't try this at home.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1153247138412825992006-07-18T13:23:00.000-05:002006-07-18T13:25:40.056-05:00

Surnames refer to tribe and clan, while first names are often chosen to honor historical figures revered by one sect but sometimes despised by the other. For about $35, someone with a common Sunni name like Omar could become Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite name that might provide safe passage through dangerous areas.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1152539500646168792006-07-10T08:51:00.000-05:002006-07-10T08:51:41.790-05:00

The Bush administration and the National Security Agency (NSA) have been secretly monitoring the email messages and phone calls of all Americans. They are doing this, they say, for our own good. To find terrorists... It cannot work. The whole NSA domestic spying program will seem to work well, will seem logical and possible, if you are paranoid.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1152072629453789192006-07-04T23:01:00.000-05:002006-07-04T23:10:30.026-05:00

Black Box Voting has provided the following to VoterAction.org for its litigation. This will become a public record via the litigation filed by Lowell Finley. Because public officials who have received the unredacted reports have failed to take this risk seriously and arrange for appropriate mitigations, and because Black Box Voting believes this information is of critical public interest for

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1151074662567513702006-06-23T09:53:00.000-05:002006-06-23T09:57:42.816-05:00

A glance at various quality-of-life indicators and statistics on the rebuilding of Iraq's infrastructure... indicate a decided lack of progress. Electricity output has flat-lined. Potable water remains scarce. And despite holding one of the largest crude reserves in the world, Iraq still produces less oil than Brazil.More important, says CFR Senior Defense Fellow Stephen Biddle, is whether

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1149463270926605582006-06-04T18:14:00.000-05:002006-06-04T18:21:10.943-05:00

Security services themselves need to grasp this, to avoid deploying hundreds of operatives and millions of pounds (dollars) on investigations which in the final analysis do not add up. Essentially, they need to start doing risk assessment and to stop over-reacting on the strength of 'might'. While they're chasing 'might' they can all to easily be neglecting a whole stack of 'wills'.Oh, but where

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1149449470939420772006-06-04T14:24:00.000-05:002006-06-04T14:31:10.950-05:00

Ernst & Young, which has been the outside auditor for Hotels.com for several years, notified the company of the security breach on May 3. The computer contained personal information including names, addresses and credit card information of about 243,000 Hotels.com customers. Both Hotels.com and Ernst & Young mailed letters to Hotels.com customers this past week encouraging them to take

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1149353691108019652006-06-03T11:50:00.000-05:002006-06-03T11:54:51.120-05:00

Ouch! Guilty as charged. Read the article and think about how you are sitting as you read it.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1148677809239391182006-05-26T16:06:00.000-05:002006-05-26T16:37:04.246-05:00

As voted by PC World : 1. America Online (1989-2006) 2. RealNetworks RealPlayer (1999) 3. Syncronys SoftRAM (1995) 4. Microsoft Windows Millennium (2000) 5. Sony BMG Music CDs (2005) 6. Disney The Lion King CD-ROM (1994) 7. Microsoft Bob (1995) 8. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (2001) 9. Pressplay and Musicnet (2002) 10. dBASE IV (1988) 11. Priceline Groceries and Gas (2000)

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1148065355417832622006-05-19T13:56:00.000-05:002006-05-19T14:02:35.430-05:00

It is important to understand that these attacks are permanent in nature, surviving through the election cycles. Therefore, the contamination can happen at any point of the device's life cycle and remain active and undetected from the point of contamination on through multiple election cycles and even software upgrade cycles. These are the same machines that delivered the state of Ohio to Bush

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1147878374449039432006-05-17T10:00:00.000-05:002006-05-17T10:06:14.463-05:00

"When the company's founders first approached the broader anti-spam community and asked them what they thought of the idea, everyone said this was a terrible idea and that they would eventually cause a lot of collateral damage," Underwood said. "But it's also extremely unfortunate, because it shows how much the spammers are winning this battle."Yes, this was a terrible idea -- one that should

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1146755752843698442006-05-04T10:03:00.000-05:002006-05-04T10:15:52.863-05:00

An excellent essay by Bruce Schneier:Adware, software-as-a-service and Google Desktop search are all examples of some other company trying to own your computer. And Trusted Computing will only make the problem worse.There is an inherent insecurity to technologies that try to own people's computers: They allow individuals other than the computers' legitimate owners to enforce policy on those

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1144073364843444202006-04-03T08:56:00.000-05:002006-04-03T09:09:24.873-05:00

Because it employed parallel processing to attack its problem, the Colossus machine was enormously powerful. Even today, a desktop PC would take a similar amount of time to crack a Lorenz key... It was the first ever programmable electronic computer, predating the American Eniac (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) by two years.A forgotten piece of history, brought back to memory by

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1144025059447068482006-04-02T19:29:00.000-05:002006-04-02T19:44:19.463-05:00

“For the past decade the risk and imminence of the use of biological agents by nonstate actors/terrorist organizations -- 'bioterrorism' -- has been systematically and deliberately exaggerated.” He immediately adds this practice “accelerated” after 9/11 and the mailings of powdered anthrax.Because of the public and governmental perception that mitigation of allegedly catastrophic bioterrorism is

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1143679152301547802006-03-29T18:37:00.000-06:002006-03-29T18:39:12.313-06:00

President Bush has given Commander-in-Chief Bush unlimited wartime authority. But the "war on terror" is more a metaphor than a fact. Terrorism is a method, not an ideology; terrorists are criminals, not warriors. No peace treaty can possibly bring an end to the fight against far-flung terrorists. The emergency powers of the president during this "war" can now extend indefinitely, at the pleasure

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1142440614882208422006-03-15T10:13:00.000-06:002006-03-15T10:36:54.930-06:00

Finding terrorism plots is not a problem that lends itself to data mining. It's a needle-in-a-haystack problem, and throwing more hay on the pile doesn't make that problem any easier. We'd be far better off putting people in charge of investigating potential plots and letting them direct the computers, instead of putting the computers in charge and letting them decide who should be

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1141746386764958702006-03-07T09:44:00.000-06:002006-03-07T09:52:24.616-06:00

Remember, all the time spent chasing down silly false alarms is time wasted. Finding terrorist plots is a signal-to-noise problem, and stuff like this substantially decreases that ratio: it adds a lot of noise without adding enough signal. It makes us less safe, because it makes terrorist plots harder to find.This story smells a bit fishy. Either it's a hoax or the bank was just trying to cover

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1141745621951601422006-03-07T09:29:00.000-06:002006-03-07T09:33:41.966-06:00

"The significance of this cannot be overstated," says prominent New York litigator Glenn Greenwald. "In essence, while the President sits in the White House undisturbed after proudly announcing that he has been breaking the law and will continue to do so, his slavish political appointees at the Justice Department are using the mammoth law enforcement powers of the federal government to find and

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1141092349802765682006-02-27T20:01:00.000-06:002006-02-27T20:07:11.160-06:00

The fact is, there's no effective way to censor the Internet in broad strokes. Only dumb CIOs and totalitarian governments like the UAE believe that adding censorware to your network will prevent the naughty stuff from slopping in. Agreed. Likewise, the lame excuse that it's "for the children" just doesn't wash. Use one of the many proxys described in the Boing Boing Guide.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1139926668220080562006-02-14T08:15:00.000-06:002006-02-14T08:17:48.246-06:00

The Physarum polycephalum slime, which naturally shies away from light, controls the robot's movement so that it too keeps out of light and seeks out dark places in which to hide itself.Kinda creepy. They gave it six legs, but it still looks like a big spider. I hate spiders.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1139842865882708792006-02-13T08:57:00.000-06:002006-02-13T09:01:05.896-06:00

An ambitious program to check every domestic airline passenger’s name against government terrorist watch lists may not be immune from hackers, a congressional investigator said Thursday.And because of security concerns, the government is going back to the drawing board with the program called Secure Flight after spending nearly four years and $150 million on it, the Senate Commerce Committee was

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1139534172276457152006-02-09T19:08:00.000-06:002006-02-09T19:16:12.290-06:00

I all ready had the pipelining set "true", but my maxrequests were only set to 8. I changed that to 30 and added the delay=0 item. These changes appear to have bumped my performance by nearly 80%.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1139494993491596832006-02-09T08:20:00.000-06:002006-02-09T08:23:13.500-06:00

Building A Calculating Machine Using LEGO

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1138918020153982072006-02-02T16:03:00.000-06:002006-02-02T16:07:00.163-06:00

House Republicans are taking a mulligan on the first ballot for Majority Leader. The first count showed more votes cast than Republicans present at the Conference meeting.ROFLMAO!!! Oh, those wacky Repugnants! They just can't stop rigging an election!

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1138811979066652942006-02-01T10:32:00.000-06:002006-02-01T10:39:39.106-06:00

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced several parameters for a nationwide private sector Registered Traveler (RT) program, including the biometrics to be used for identification purposes and the redress process for individuals who are denied access to the program. The Registered Traveler program is envisioned as a means to accelerate the screening process at

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1138749036846192142006-01-31T17:04:00.000-06:002006-01-31T17:10:36.863-06:00

The Homeland Security Department has installed biometric entry facilities at all fixed ports of entry as part of the federal government’s program to strengthen border controls for visiting foreigners in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, DHS officials said Friday.Since January 2004, US‑VISIT has processed more than 44 million visitors. It has spotted and apprehended nearly 1,000 people with

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1138227610295592302006-01-25T16:17:00.000-06:002006-01-25T16:20:10.310-06:00

Richard Hatch, the first winner of US reality TV show Survivor, has been convicted of not paying taxes on his $1m prize... He now faces up to 13 years in prison and a fine of $600,000 (£336,000)... His lawyer also said Mr Hatch was a bumbling bookkeeper who could not handle so much money.And this is the best legal defense $1m can buy!?!?

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1137979776925583962006-01-22T19:23:00.000-06:002006-01-22T19:29:36.940-06:00

Congress_critters are now trying to look tough on terrorism -- rather than hang Bush for violating federal law (FISA), they want to make illegal eavesdropping legal.Click the title (above) to read an article by Jennifer Granick. She is executive director of the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, and teaches the Cyberlaw Clinic.Mass surveillance isn't just illegal, it's probably

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1137900224767552672006-01-21T21:19:00.000-06:002006-01-21T21:23:44.776-06:00

Greetings my dear friend and potential business partner. I am greatly excited about our correspondence today as it will lead to great riches, fame and power for the both of us.... I know that I can trust you, shrewd titan of business that you are, and I hope that my credentials (successful banker, cousin to a king, nephew of a general, brother to a famed flamenco dancer) will ensure your trust in

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1137892495376060302006-01-21T19:12:00.000-06:002006-01-21T19:14:55.386-06:00

Most students at community colleges and four-year schools showed intermediate skills. That means they can do moderately challenging tasks, such as identifying a location on a map.Almost 20 percent of students pursuing four-year degrees had only basic quantitative skills. For example, the students could not estimate if their car had enough gas to get to the service station. About 30 percent of

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1137012101142752012006-01-11T14:39:00.000-06:002006-01-11T14:41:41.153-06:00

In the early morning hours of January 15, 2006, the Stardust mission returns to Earth after a 4.63 billion kilometer (2.88 billion mile) round-trip journey carrying a precious cargo of cometary and interstellar dust particles. Scientists believe Stardust's cargo will help provide answers to fundamental questions about the origins of the solar system.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1136850582318879822006-01-09T17:47:00.000-06:002006-01-09T17:49:42.333-06:00

Robert Lemos interviews Datarescue's senior software developer Ilfak Guilfanov, the creator of the unofficial patch for the flaw in the Windows Meta File format that saw tens of thousands of downloads prior to the official patch release by Microsoft. Guilfanov explains why he decided to issue a patch for the vulnerability, how he created the patch, and his thoughts on whether third-party patches

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1134142392127236522005-12-09T09:26:00.000-06:002005-12-09T09:33:12.140-06:00

Today is the U.N.'s Anti-Corruption Day. The U.N. has published a survey of 69 countries, and 48 of them feel that corruption is higher now than it was three years ago. They feel that corruption is highest in the political parties. Were these red countries or blue countries?

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1132542196814789132005-11-20T20:57:00.000-06:002005-11-20T21:03:16.826-06:00

By Jim Rapoza, "eWeek", 11/14/05 issue:But a funny thing happened with Windows 98—in many ways, it has become the most successful version of Windows ever. It's certainly had the longest life span so far for a Windows version. Amazingly, you can still use Windows 98 and get by quite nicely, seven years after its release.In fact, I still use Windows 98 often. The main system that sits in my home

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1132370266098804332005-11-18T21:11:00.000-06:002005-11-18T21:17:46.110-06:00

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are everywhere. You can't order a pizza without pressing the '*' key -- it's a real rectal irritant -- specially on a cell phone. Paul English, founder and CTO of Kayak.com feels your pain. He's go a great list of companies, their phone numbers, and what you need to do to get a living, breathing person.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1132163470932252332005-11-16T11:49:00.000-06:002005-11-16T11:51:10.943-06:00

This pumpkin pie recipe's step-by-step instructions were written for techs, engineers and others with an analytical mind.Another for the TDay DIYers. If you are going to go to all this trouble, and need another stomach to feed, call me.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1132160966091520992005-11-16T11:07:00.000-06:002005-11-16T11:09:26.106-06:00

This easy-to-follow recipe shows you how to roast a traditional Thanksgiving turkey. This article's step-by-step instructions and detailed images were designed for those with an analytical mind.I prefer to order my turkey all ready cooked, but for the DIYers...

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1131467637622998882005-11-08T10:32:00.000-06:002005-11-08T10:33:57.633-06:00

What seems certain is that bugs are here to stay. Here, in chronological order, is the Wired News list of the 10 worst software bugs of all time … so far.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1130510959757023972005-10-28T09:39:00.000-05:002005-10-28T09:51:09.793-05:00

Fearless Leader has taken some steps to improve your safety. Yes, he's created yet another federal agency, charged with stopping those nasty terrorists in their tracks. He has created the Information Sharing Council , and they report directly to Him. But in the next breath, He says we need to remain vigilant . I wonder if he knows that the movie "Chicken Little" opens today....

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1130003208696438652005-10-22T12:43:00.000-05:002005-10-22T12:46:48.700-05:00

"Frankly we are in a different situation than we were immediately after 9/11," Hackett said. "Congress has now had more of a chance to review the act. ... I think the business community has said it's time now for Congress to be a little more deliberate in its process."

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1128964381553267062005-10-10T12:07:00.000-05:002005-10-10T12:13:01.560-05:00

Printers return relatively low profit margins. But the ink, ounce for ounce, is four times the cost of Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne, which sells for around $425 a bottle. Ink is about the same price as Joy perfume, considered to be one of the more pricey fragrances, at $158 for a 2.5-ounce bottle.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127749902375458982005-09-26T10:47:00.000-05:002005-09-26T10:51:42.383-05:00

Bruce Schneier was a member of the Secure Flight Privacy/IT Working Group. He got pretty disgusted when the TSA couldn't even answer:   What is the goal or goals of Secure Flight?   What is the architecture of the Secure Flight system?   What is the oversight structure and policy for Secure Flight?"So far, however, Secure Flight is being developed without the authorization and guidance of a

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127715389173021142005-09-26T01:13:00.000-05:002005-12-05T11:11:24.600-06:00

File this one under "Too Weird to be Fiction"...Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico.Experts who have studied the US navy's cetacean training exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers risk attack, they claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127681802884513652005-09-25T15:55:00.000-05:002005-09-25T15:56:42.890-05:00

While initial rounds of cancer testing today identify only whether or not cancer is present, nanowire arrays have the potential to immediately fill in details on exactly what type of cancer is present. Nanowires could also track patients' health as treatment progresses. Because the arrays detect molecules suspended in fluids, drops of blood could be tested directly, in a physician's office,

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127672028416980942005-09-25T13:12:00.000-05:002005-09-25T13:13:48.420-05:00

Shots pulled from the AP wire.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127669868706959232005-09-25T12:35:00.000-05:002005-09-25T12:37:48.710-05:00

This site includes satellite products and photos from the International Space Station.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127595568293963762005-09-24T15:55:00.000-05:002005-09-24T15:59:28.300-05:00

"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."According to FBI headquarters, the war against smut is "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Gonazalez and FBI Director Robert Meuller. Although

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127200425155669852005-09-20T02:10:00.000-05:002005-09-20T02:13:45.160-05:00

"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."-– George W. Bush, on "Good Morning America", Sept. 1, 2005,Mr. President, Mr. Bill, from "Saturday Night Live" knew. Over a year ago.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127195878986258642005-09-20T00:45:00.000-05:002005-09-20T02:16:31.443-05:00

Such timeless classics from our President, like:"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." -– "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina.Or this classic from Tom Delay:"Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?" -– said to three young hurricane evacuees from New Orleans at

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1127150810658293972005-09-19T12:19:00.000-05:002005-09-19T12:26:50.663-05:00

One of the greatest threats our democracy has ever known.I mentioned something about Diebold's now famous quote last year, where the CEO promised to deliver Ohio's vote to GeeDubya. Indeed, he did.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1126677540775138212005-09-14T00:52:00.000-05:002005-09-14T00:59:00.780-05:00

Brownie was deputy director of the agency under Joe Allbaugh -- because he was Joe Allbaugh's college roommate, you see, and Allbaugh was Bush's campaign manager in 2000, which made both of them qualified to manage disasters. FEMA was faulted a decade ago, after hurricane Andrew tore up Florida, and created what used to be the most costly disaster in U.S. history. That was back when Bush the

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1126451297288813712005-09-11T10:05:00.000-05:002005-09-12T22:12:24.093-05:00

It's now 4 years since terrorists brought home what, perhaps, should have been obvious. Their first attack, from the parking garage, taught them some valuable lessons concerning the design of their target. Their second attack was successful.Every time I wrecked a motorcycle, a race car, a boat -- every time I ended up in the hospital because of something that I had done -- my father would be

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1126163763392589142005-09-08T02:13:00.000-05:002005-09-08T02:16:03.393-05:00

Comparing the government reaction this past week to the government reaction the last time an American city was destroyed - San Francisco, April 18, 1906. The earthquake struck at 5:13 AM. By 7 AM federal troops had reported to the mayor. By 8 AM they were patrolling the entire downtown area and searching for survivors. The second quake struck at 8:14 AM. By 10:05 AM the

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1126163576570371772005-09-08T02:10:00.000-05:002005-09-08T02:12:56.573-05:00

*CHRONOLOGY....Here's a timeline that outlines the fate of both FEMA andflood control projects in New Orleans under the Bush administration.Read it and weep:** • January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, ashead of FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disastermanagement.** • April 2001: Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bushadministration's goal of privatizing

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1126163350533848032005-09-08T02:07:00.000-05:002005-09-08T02:09:10.536-05:00

"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." - President Bush, September 1, 2005Well, he got the first three words right.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1125338670241722252005-08-29T13:02:00.000-05:002005-08-29T13:04:30.246-05:00

A former Scottish police chief has given lawyers a signed statement claiming that key evidence in the Lockerbie bombing trial was fabricated.The retired officer - of assistant chief constable rank or higher - has testified that the CIA planted the tiny fragment of circuit board crucial in convicting a Libyan for the 1989 mass murder of 270 people.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1124655808379880532005-08-21T15:22:00.000-05:002005-08-21T15:23:28.383-05:00

Ignore the audio -- just watch this, and think about "Star Trek Bloopers".

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1124474611792775852005-08-19T12:58:00.000-05:002005-08-19T13:03:31.796-05:00

... Americans (not coalition) dead and wounded in Iraq? I see that the number of American troops killed in Iraq is something over 1800, as of 8/13/05. But I was curious how the numbers stack from various sources, so...1,861 killed, 18,219 evacuated 1,862 killed, 13,877 wounded 1,861 killed, 14,021 wounded I'm having some trouble finding any official government data that shows totals -- oh, I

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1124462826285046212005-08-19T09:39:00.000-05:002005-08-19T09:51:27.923-05:00

A vulnerability has been reported in Internet Explorer, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a vulnerable system. yawn... Yeah, I know -- this happens all the time. Micro$oft is upset, calling the reporting of this hole "irresponsible". The exploit was known, and sample code published, so the discoverers took it to the streets first rather than to Micro$oft. Micro$oft has

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7103188.post-1123541553240554902005-08-08T17:49:00.000-05:002005-08-08T17:52:33.243-05:00

The final result was a full 11 Mbps data transfer rate over a distance of 125 miles, a new world record for an unamplified wireless networking connection.Bad news for anyone thinking that distance makes their wireless connection secure.

Miles Baskanoreply@blogger.com