Sunday, November 30, 2003
Serious Investment Consideration
This Year's Gift Wrap Paper
ThanQ! Michele
"... this guy walks into a bar with a duck on his head ..." • (0) Trackbacks • Link This
Where, exactly, are we, comrade?
On a map of the blogosphere -- where else?Krazy Cahleefohrneeah, eh?
Federal authorities may now have broad powers under the USA Patriot Act to monitor the public in its fight against terrorism, but guidelines distributed last month by the California attorney general's office contradict the surveillance methods used by federal agencies -- and advise local police to observe stricter state limits when it comes to spying on the public. "Put bluntly, it is a mistake of constitutional dimension to gather information for a criminal intelligence file where there is no reasonable suspicion" of criminal activity, the guidelines state. ...The guidelines [are] entitled "Criminal Intelligence Systems: A California Perspective,"
Although it seems that the Fresno Sheriff's Department is fairly unimpressed and will keep to business as usual.
The department is aware of Lockyer's guidelines, "but the attorney general's document does not dictate how we will operate," said Lieutenant Marty Rivera. "We feel we are following those guidelines."
*ahem* Marty, this is not about your feelings. And, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that what a state AG is for? It is good to question authority. Keeps all of us on our toes. ThanQ! Drudge Report
BFL Grows Under Schwarzenegger Governorship !
Welcome to two more new Bearflaggers. This is getting to be quite a group -- might be time for a F2F one of these days . . . e-Talkinghead Jockularocracy And Go See . . . Justene's Bear Flag's Thanksgiving Day ParadeSaturday, November 29, 2003
Jumentous Leavings from Greyge
SB 1645... requires that anybody taking [trapping] furbearing mammals or non-game animals must purchase a trapping license, available only by paying a fee ($78.50) and passing a fairly complex test. Fish and Game Code 4005 defines non-game animals as including mice, rats, gophers and moles.
The law is not being enforced for "personal use," however you wish to interpret "use," but it will be enforced for commercial use. Therefore if you ask a gardener, ranch hand, or neighborhood kid to trap mice in the barn or kill gophers in the lawn, they must have this permit or face legal penalty. [wonder if it applies to cats . . .] ThanQ! sharp knife
Science Update
She always knows how I feel . . .Friday, November 28, 2003
Surprised?
You are a Templar! You are a woman from the future
that loves to blow shit up. The world has been
destroyed by robots, so you have dedicated your
life to destroying them. You may even be a bit
robotic yourself. Go you!
What Kind Of Evil Bitch Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla ThanQ! She Who Will Be Obeyed!
Military Blogs
In looking around I discovered this list of blogs written by members of the military. I've just begun to randomly read thru the list and I'm finding some pretty dam good blogs. Good logo, too.
Members are aware of the liklihood of difference of opinions between fellow members, and although we may not agree with each other on everything we say we will fight for the rights of each other to say it. We mean that literally.
Go See . . .
Nicey-Nice Nanny Government
Remember when you were three and some adult would make a big deal in a silly falsetto voice when you did some ordinary thing like throw away a piece of paper? Didja really, really wanna smack 'em? I sure did. Well, now the entirety of Germany's capital city will praising and petting citizens and tourists alike for doing just that -- through its speaking and singing trash cans.The talking trash cans _ powered by solar cells _ are meant to show that Berlin is "a modern city with high-tech services, and that it is also very cosmopolitan."
Cosmopolitan. Right. Like Oscar and Big Bird. Oh, and the trash cans won't sing to you after dark -- they decided that that might be creepy . . .
PC for your PC
Dateline LA: LA County's Office of Affirmative Action Compliance has asked computer and electronics manufacturers to stop using the terms "master" and "slave" when referring to primary and secondary disc drives."Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County, this is not an acceptable identification label," Joe Sandoval, division manager of purchasing and contract services... "We would request that each manufacturer, supplier and contractor review, identify and remove/change any identification or labeling of equipment components that could be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive in nature "
That's gonna be a big job as, apparently, there is no word about which someone, somewhere cannot find something that offends. Offended on behalf of a machine . . . One Two words: pathological anthropomorphization
Where are the rights for all of us who find all this being offended at nothing ...er, offensive?!? Who will stand up for the rights of The Offended by the Offended?
"I do understand that this term has been an industry standard for years and years and this is nothing more than a plea to vendors to see what they can do," he said. "It appears that some folks have taken this a little too literally."
Ooh. I see. We who are offended by the easily offended are just too sensitive. Maybe we should just lighten up. ThanQ! MITBlog
The Council Has Spoken ! !
Feelin' turkey-fat and happy? Mee tooooo. Luckily, neither gravy, stuffing, nor cranberry sauce keels the Watcher's Council from its appointed rounds. Here are this week's best post picks -- Go See . . . The Weaseliest of Weasels by Free Will and, Revolution - Beyond Instalanche by The Politburo Diktat . Go See . . . Spambots: eat hot bits and die!! [Thanx, Watcher!]Thursday, November 27, 2003
Things to Be Thankful For
Two Yummy Stuffing recipes for your consideration: [overheard *somewhere*] Stuff your bird with a bag of White Castle Sliders™ [I guess it wouldn't really matter if ya take 'em outta the bag or not . . .] Military Stuffing 2 C un-popped pop corn 1 cube butter Slide that into the bird, set oven at 350°, don helmet and flak jacket and stand back. When it's done, you'll have a perfectly done Bird Kernel. Happy Turkey day, all. I am most grateful for your continued participation in and contribution to this little blog.Gratitude -- Delivered in Person
Guess who just showed up to thank the service women and men in Iraq? Their Commander in Chief! Way to go, Mr President. Thank you for carrying the gratitude of the nation to those who have earned it, in person. [ya gotta admit, the guy's got stones, eh?] [and speaking of small; boy is the media pissed they didn't get in on the story ahead of time. bwahahahahaha -- morons]Wednesday, November 26, 2003
paging Johnny Mnemonic -- your office is on ...er, your mind
Applied Digital Solutions, Inc. VeriPay [ the Company's newest subdermal RFID solution ] is intended to be a secure, subdermal RFID (radio frequency identification) payment technology for cash and credit transactions.
How, exactly, would that be a "cash" transaction?
About the size of a grain of rice, VeriChip(TM) is the world's first subdermal, radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip that can be used in a variety of security, financial, emergency identification and other applications.
Financial. Security. Identification.
each VeriChip product contains a unique verification number that is captured by briefly passing a proprietary scanner over the VeriChip.
Well alrighty, then. "Proprietary" means it can't be hacked, right?
The standard location of the microchip is in the triceps area between the elbow and the shoulder of the right arm. The brief outpatient "chipping" procedure lasts just a few minutes and involves only local anesthetic followed by quick, painless insertion of the VeriChip.
ok, um, eww . . .
Here's the "happy-sell" via USA Today. [sorry; no cartoons in the online version]
Imagine throwing away your wallet. No need to carry credit cards or cash. No need to haul around cards for the ATM, video store, gas station or frequent-flier program. It would all be replaced by just your fingerprint. Or perhaps your cell phone. Or a round piece of plastic the size of a quarter.
Sounds so carefree. Wheeee! No bulging pockets ruining the drape of your suit. No heavy hand bags straining sore shoulder muscles.
And one goal is to get people to use these new technologies for the kinds of small purchases that usually require cash. That has a boatload of implications...
Ya think? This idea is already around, albeit in more familiar forms. Exxon/Mobil already uses the Speedpass key fob, MaccyD's in Chicago uses a similar thingie and Timex has introduced a Speedpass watch. MasterCard has RFID embedded in its card eliminating the need for a signature. [fairly obvious stepping-stone move -- other that that what would be the point?] In Istanbul they use a prepaid, coin sized "iButton" for bus and subway fares.
As PayPass evolves, it could take on other forms, says Art Kranzley, senior vice president at MasterCard. "We're certainly looking at designs like key fobs. It could be in a pen or a pair of earrings. Ultimately, it could be embedded in anything — someday, maybe even under the skin."
And we're off and running.
Still, experts note that one big hurdle remains for RFID systems: security. Lose your RFID-enabled card or earring, and someone else could easily use it to run up charges — especially if no signature is required. One possible solution is to pair RFID with some other quick method of identification, such as a voice print or retinal scan. Among the most beguiling concepts is to replace all your cards with something you can't misplace or forget: your fingertip.
Beguiling? Beguiling?!? " To take away from by or as if by guile [or lying]; cheat: To distract the attention of; divert: [The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. --Gen. iii. 13. ]" [do they even own a dictionary?]
Mr. Silverman made the point that the subdermal RFID VeriPay technology specifically addresses the security issue. VeriPay's unique, under-the-skin format offers a much more secure, tamper-proof, and loss-proof solution. VeriPay brings to consumers the benefits of fast and reliable RFID technology along with the security of a subdermal format.
"secure, tamper-proof, and loss-proof solution" Think again, slick.
Well, it certainly obviates the need for any public debate about a National ID Card.
It has started as a "financial convenience object." Later, "for your safety" they add in ID with retinal prints -- after a couple dozen people get slit open by muggers. [and we thought getting your purse stolen felt intrusive. . .] Then we come to the Law of Unintended Consequences-effect:
-- Muggings will always involve a knife.
-- Child abductions will always leave physical scars, as well as psychological.
-- Hacks which retrieve encoded info without the owner's permission or knowledge. "Official" or freelance.
-- Hacks which deposit encoded information without the owner's permission or knowledge. "Official" or freelance.
-- Atheists and fundamentalist Christians band together as do the lion and the lamb to fight against the mark of the beast and/or the mark of the fascist, whichever.
-- We will all live in ever more "interesting" times.
-- We'll hafta amend that quote to: "He who is willing to trade security convenience for freedom deserves neither."
-- Underground cash economy surpasses "official" economy in size and importance [like the "undocumented worker" labor force in Cahleefohrneeah.]
-- The concepts of privacy and freedom of travel become faint, nostalgic memories. Something one's granny goes on and on about; sorta like walking thru the snow to school. Up hill. Both ways.
And just to put things in context, this little piece of joy was introduced at a conference in Paris called ID World
With industrial spies, terrorists, hackers and vandals increasing their ability to operate in both [physical and virtual] environments, the traditional compartmental approach to security is evolving towards an increasingly holistic view. Key industry players that traditionally focused either on physical or digital security explain how the boundaries of these worlds are blurring and how global security infrastructures are converging to address both environments with integrated solutions.
Here. Put on this armband. It's for your own safety.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Theory
There is a story [apocryphal] that the US dropped very large condoms on the Japanese during WWII. The condoms were marked "USArmy -- size small." Propaganda designed to take the men's minds off their jobs and plunge them into irrational insecurities, right? Is the proliferation of penis enlargement spam designed to do the same thing? Al Q plots abound!Statistics
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