WORST EVER SECURITY FLAW FOUND IN DIEBOLD TS VOTING MACHINE

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 certification process practically irrelevant,” according to Dechert. “If you have access to these machines and you want to rig an election, anything is possible with the Diebold TS -- and it could be done without leaving a trace. All you need is a screwdriver.” This model does not produce a voter verified paper trail so there is no way to check if the voter’s choices are accurately reflected in the tabulation.

United States Patent: 6767717

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.

Fake IDs Save Lives in Iraq

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.

The Politics of Paranoia and Intimidation

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.

4th of July Fireworks: Unredacted Hursti reports, photos released

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 pending litigation and citizen actions, we are releasing it publicly now.

Diebold voting machines are flawed. Terribly. Remember this quote?

"I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president."

That's Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell, from a fundraising letter sent to Republicans in the fall of 2003. E-voting machine maker Diebold is based in North Canton, Ohio.

Measuring Progress in Iraq

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 Iraq's main ethno-religious identities—the Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds—are making progress toward reaching a communal power-sharing agreement. Only such an arrangement, he argues, can reduce the cycle of violence.

A recent poll backs up Biddle's claim. Security, not jobs or round-the-clock electricity, is what ordinary Iraqis desire most. They have relied increasingly on alternative means—local militias, insurgents, organized criminals—to fill in the government's security void.

Homebrew chemical terror bombs, hype or horror?

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 would our media be without the Movie Plot Terrorist Attacks!? Can anyone recall when our own White House suggested folks wrap their homes with plastic wrap and duct tape? Local hardware stores ran out! I suggested a smaller, personal protection system -- seal yourself in a trash bag -- but no one would take me seriously.