Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
My Little Pwnie
The 2nd Annual Pwnie Award Nominaitons are up.
Some interesting bits:
Pwnie for Best Client-Side Bug Nominees
Safari carpet bomb (CVE-2008-2540)
Discovered by: Laurent GaffiƩ, Nitesh Dhanjani and Aviv Raff
Nitesh Dhanjani discovered a design error in Safari that allows an attacker to automatically download files to the user's configured download directory (~/Downloads on Leopard, the desktop on previous versions of OS X and Windows). This can be used for a variety of attacks. First, you can litter the user's desktop with files or drop malware onto their desktop, hoping that the user will click run it. Or you can just let Internet Explorer load a planted DLL automatically. This vulnerability also has the dubious distinction of bringing the term "blended threat" into the security vernacular.
Slirpie
Discovered by: Dan Kaminsky, RSnake, Dan Boneh
Presented at Toorcon 2007, this attack used DNS Rebinding to bypass the Same Origin Policy and build a tunnel into a remote network using only a lured web browser (and its associated grab bag of Web 2.0 technologies like Flash, Java, and JavaScript). This vulnerability can best be described as a design bug in the Web 2.0 and we're all waiting for it to be fixed in Web 2.0 Service Pack 1.
Pwnie for Most Epic FAIL Nominee:
Todd Davis, Lifelock CEO for posting his SSN on the web
Todd Davis, CEO of a fraud-prevention company called Lifelock, had publicly posted his Social Security number (457-55-5462) to show his confidence in the services offered by his company. Of course, a clever marketing stunt does not mean that the protection is actually worth anything. As expected, it did not take long for Davis' identity to get stolen: somebody in Texas got $500 from an online payday loan company using Davis' SSN.
Windows Vista for proving that security does not sell
$100,000,000 invested in security and what does Microsoft have to show for it? Customers are revolting against Windows Vista and nobody who has a choice is choosing to upgrade. It doesn't matter that Vista really is the most secure Microsoft operating system ever made, all customers care about is the annoyance of the UAC prompts, the confusing user interface and the insane hardware requirements.
The good thing about the Vista debacle is that no other vendor will care to do such a security push, which means that we'll be able to easily own any piece of software for the foreseeable future.
Some interesting bits:
Pwnie for Best Client-Side Bug Nominees
Safari carpet bomb (CVE-2008-2540)
Discovered by: Laurent GaffiƩ, Nitesh Dhanjani and Aviv Raff
Nitesh Dhanjani discovered a design error in Safari that allows an attacker to automatically download files to the user's configured download directory (~/Downloads on Leopard, the desktop on previous versions of OS X and Windows). This can be used for a variety of attacks. First, you can litter the user's desktop with files or drop malware onto their desktop, hoping that the user will click run it. Or you can just let Internet Explorer load a planted DLL automatically. This vulnerability also has the dubious distinction of bringing the term "blended threat" into the security vernacular.
Slirpie
Discovered by: Dan Kaminsky, RSnake, Dan Boneh
Presented at Toorcon 2007, this attack used DNS Rebinding to bypass the Same Origin Policy and build a tunnel into a remote network using only a lured web browser (and its associated grab bag of Web 2.0 technologies like Flash, Java, and JavaScript). This vulnerability can best be described as a design bug in the Web 2.0 and we're all waiting for it to be fixed in Web 2.0 Service Pack 1.
Pwnie for Most Epic FAIL Nominee:
Todd Davis, Lifelock CEO for posting his SSN on the web
Todd Davis, CEO of a fraud-prevention company called Lifelock, had publicly posted his Social Security number (457-55-5462) to show his confidence in the services offered by his company. Of course, a clever marketing stunt does not mean that the protection is actually worth anything. As expected, it did not take long for Davis' identity to get stolen: somebody in Texas got $500 from an online payday loan company using Davis' SSN.
Windows Vista for proving that security does not sell
$100,000,000 invested in security and what does Microsoft have to show for it? Customers are revolting against Windows Vista and nobody who has a choice is choosing to upgrade. It doesn't matter that Vista really is the most secure Microsoft operating system ever made, all customers care about is the annoyance of the UAC prompts, the confusing user interface and the insane hardware requirements.
The good thing about the Vista debacle is that no other vendor will care to do such a security push, which means that we'll be able to easily own any piece of software for the foreseeable future.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Linus Torvolds: "I Don't Get Security"
This is a pretty stunning insight into the software development process for Linux:
The row erupted in the Gmane mailing list after a developer for the PaX Team, which patches the Linux kernel, accused Torvalds and other top Linux kernel developers of "covering up (the) security impact of bugs" by not clearly labeling them as security flaws.
Torvalds wrote that disclosing the bug itself was enough, without having to label each individual security flaw. He added that taking the bugs to the "security circus" level only glorified the wrong kind of behavior. "It makes heroes out of security people, as if the people who...fix normal bugs aren't as important," wrote Torvalds.
What was left behind for the developers were all the "boring" bugs, which Torvalds considered more important due to their volume.
All bugs do not have equal weight, which is why major software houses all tag bugs for things like "security effect" and try to do a fairly honest job of prioritizing fixes. What Torvalds has said, basically, is that they don't really have any kind of bug triage and its on an as-we-get-to-it basis. Now his comments need to be put in context, no major enterprise (and the vast majority of consumers who use Linux) dont actually use his version, they use a supported version from a vendor with more matrure software practices, so this doesn't mean much in real life.
OTOH if Bill Gates said something like this, he'd have been fired by the Board.
Also, this bit was good:
"I think the OpenBSD crowd is a bunch of masturbating monkeys, in that they make such a big deal about concentrating on security to the point where they pretty much admit that nothing else matters to them. To me, security is important. But it's no less important than everything else that is also important!" Torvalds concluded.
The row erupted in the Gmane mailing list after a developer for the PaX Team, which patches the Linux kernel, accused Torvalds and other top Linux kernel developers of "covering up (the) security impact of bugs" by not clearly labeling them as security flaws.
Torvalds wrote that disclosing the bug itself was enough, without having to label each individual security flaw. He added that taking the bugs to the "security circus" level only glorified the wrong kind of behavior. "It makes heroes out of security people, as if the people who...fix normal bugs aren't as important," wrote Torvalds.
What was left behind for the developers were all the "boring" bugs, which Torvalds considered more important due to their volume.
All bugs do not have equal weight, which is why major software houses all tag bugs for things like "security effect" and try to do a fairly honest job of prioritizing fixes. What Torvalds has said, basically, is that they don't really have any kind of bug triage and its on an as-we-get-to-it basis. Now his comments need to be put in context, no major enterprise (and the vast majority of consumers who use Linux) dont actually use his version, they use a supported version from a vendor with more matrure software practices, so this doesn't mean much in real life.
OTOH if Bill Gates said something like this, he'd have been fired by the Board.
Also, this bit was good:
"I think the OpenBSD crowd is a bunch of masturbating monkeys, in that they make such a big deal about concentrating on security to the point where they pretty much admit that nothing else matters to them. To me, security is important. But it's no less important than everything else that is also important!" Torvalds concluded.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Obama Approved
Obama Releases List of Approved Jokes About Himself
Bid to Help Late Night Comics
A Christian, a Jew and Barack Obama are in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean. Barack Obama says, "This joke isn't going to work because there's no Muslim in this boat."
the rest here
Bid to Help Late Night Comics
A Christian, a Jew and Barack Obama are in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean. Barack Obama says, "This joke isn't going to work because there's no Muslim in this boat."
the rest here
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Foe
In prepping for my lecture tomorrow, I learned a new term, the foe.
A foe is a unit of energy equal to 10^44 joules or 10^51 ergs, used to measure the large amount of energy produced by a supernova.[1]
The word is an acronym derived from the phrase [ten to the power] fifty-one ergs.[2] It was coined by Gerald Brown of Stony Brook University in his work with Hans Bethe, because "it came up often enough in our work".[3]
This unit of measure is convenient because a supernova typically releases about one foe of observable energy in a very short period (which can be measured in seconds). In comparison, if the Sun had its current luminosity throughout its entire lifetime, it would produce 3.827×10^26 W × 10^10 years ≈ 1.2 foe.
Jesus' shitballs!
A foe is a unit of energy equal to 10^44 joules or 10^51 ergs, used to measure the large amount of energy produced by a supernova.[1]
The word is an acronym derived from the phrase [ten to the power] fifty-one ergs.[2] It was coined by Gerald Brown of Stony Brook University in his work with Hans Bethe, because "it came up often enough in our work".[3]
This unit of measure is convenient because a supernova typically releases about one foe of observable energy in a very short period (which can be measured in seconds). In comparison, if the Sun had its current luminosity throughout its entire lifetime, it would produce 3.827×10^26 W × 10^10 years ≈ 1.2 foe.
Jesus' shitballs!
LSD for the Taste Buds
This is neat enough I'd liek to try it:
Back in May, The New York Times ran a story about an entrepreneur who was organizing "flavor-tripping parties" around a little red berry widely known as "miracle fruit," in part because of one of its components, a protein called miraculin, and in part because of its effects on the human palate. According to a university researcher who studied the berry, miraculin "binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids."
In other words, it makes sour things taste sweet.
...
But like all magic, there is a heavy price to pay for dabbling with god's ordered universe:
Much less fun: the after-effects. The Times article neglected to mention that while miraculin makes vinegar and Tabasco sweet, it doesn't make either of them any easier on the lining of the throat or the stomach. By the end of the day, miracle or no, all of us certainly felt like we'd been drinking pickle-Tabasco-sauerkraut-radish-mustard-vodka cocktails.
Back in May, The New York Times ran a story about an entrepreneur who was organizing "flavor-tripping parties" around a little red berry widely known as "miracle fruit," in part because of one of its components, a protein called miraculin, and in part because of its effects on the human palate. According to a university researcher who studied the berry, miraculin "binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids."
In other words, it makes sour things taste sweet.
...
But like all magic, there is a heavy price to pay for dabbling with god's ordered universe:
Much less fun: the after-effects. The Times article neglected to mention that while miraculin makes vinegar and Tabasco sweet, it doesn't make either of them any easier on the lining of the throat or the stomach. By the end of the day, miracle or no, all of us certainly felt like we'd been drinking pickle-Tabasco-sauerkraut-radish-mustard-vodka cocktails.
Some Much Wrong Packed in One Sentence...
... it threatens to form a black-hole and suck the reader into a parallel reality of over parenting, paranoia and mind-numbing dumbness. Really.
From review of WALL-E (which I quite liked):
“I didn’t think for a second that a movie about a little robot could have anything to do with weight. My son keeps making comments about ‘all of those fat, lazy people just sitting around doing nothing.’ We’ve seen a significant increase in [his] anorexic behaviors since we saw the movie yesterday.”
It never occurred to me that the "fat people" of WALL-E were the villains. I still have a hard time making that connection, possibly because it isn't true or I am not a moron. Not sure which.
From review of WALL-E (which I quite liked):
“I didn’t think for a second that a movie about a little robot could have anything to do with weight. My son keeps making comments about ‘all of those fat, lazy people just sitting around doing nothing.’ We’ve seen a significant increase in [his] anorexic behaviors since we saw the movie yesterday.”
It never occurred to me that the "fat people" of WALL-E were the villains. I still have a hard time making that connection, possibly because it isn't true or I am not a moron. Not sure which.
Astronomy Lecture on Thursday
I'm doing an informal astronomy lecture on Thursday, "The Deaths of Stars", talking about supernova, black holes, neutron stars etc.. I't sbeen awhile, and I find I have to do a bit of homework beforehand to remember some of the details after 20 years, e.g. is the Chandrasekar Limit 1.38M or 1.44M? (It turns out, it depends on the chemical structure of the star, but the metalicity effects the number of electrons available for supporting the star by electron degeneracy pressure).
It's a lot of fun, but I am starting to think I might need to go teach at the community collegefor a bit and work the rust out of my lectures.
It's a lot of fun, but I am starting to think I might need to go teach at the community collegefor a bit and work the rust out of my lectures.
PZ Death Threat Update
It turns out the guy who sent PZ Meyers an email death threat was using his wife's work account. She has been terminated from the company, sad but not unexpected.
Who does the guy blame? Himself? Not Really.
It is my hope that since the mystery is now removed, and now that the Identity of the horrible person who dared write such crude things to the mr. myers is known, that the same people who put so much effort into harming Melanie Kroll, will use as much effort to right the wrong that has been done to her.
When you worship victimhood, your highest calling is to be a victim yourself.
Who does the guy blame? Himself? Not Really.
It is my hope that since the mystery is now removed, and now that the Identity of the horrible person who dared write such crude things to the mr. myers is known, that the same people who put so much effort into harming Melanie Kroll, will use as much effort to right the wrong that has been done to her.
When you worship victimhood, your highest calling is to be a victim yourself.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Darwins!
[It says 2008, but I know at least one of these is recycled]
2008 Darwin Awards
You've been waiting for them with baited breath, so without further ado here are the 2008 Darwin awards.
Eighth Place In Detroit, a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to retrieve his car keys.
Seventh Place A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who 'totally zoned when he ran,' accidentally, jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.
Sixth Place While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom! When it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Fifth Place Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long flashlight he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor.
Fourth Place Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into his mouth and pull the trigger.
Third Place After stepping around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into H&J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up!, and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.
HONORABLE MENTION Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 A.M. so they lit a quarter stick of dynamite to toss out the window to see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice the window was closed.
RUNNER UP Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable, lay near by They secured one end around Bingham's leg and then tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.
AND THE WINNER IS...? Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn,Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him.
It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves.. 'Sh't happens'
IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPORTANT TO THANK THESE PEOPLE FOR REMOVING THEMSELVES FROM THE GENE POOL.
2008 Darwin Awards
You've been waiting for them with baited breath, so without further ado here are the 2008 Darwin awards.
Eighth Place In Detroit, a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to retrieve his car keys.
Seventh Place A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who 'totally zoned when he ran,' accidentally, jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.
Sixth Place While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom! When it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Fifth Place Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long flashlight he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor.
Fourth Place Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into his mouth and pull the trigger.
Third Place After stepping around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into H&J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up!, and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.
HONORABLE MENTION Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 A.M. so they lit a quarter stick of dynamite to toss out the window to see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice the window was closed.
RUNNER UP Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable, lay near by They secured one end around Bingham's leg and then tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.
AND THE WINNER IS...? Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn,Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him.
It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves.. 'Sh't happens'
IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPORTANT TO THANK THESE PEOPLE FOR REMOVING THEMSELVES FROM THE GENE POOL.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Green Eyed Monster
I read through PZ's hate mail bag after his pointing out the a communion wafer is really just a cracker. There is quite a bit of it, and I can't say I read every bit of it (it gets boring after awhile).
2 Observations:
PZ might have a real problem here. Try as he might, his university is going to get hit with some of the fallout. He won't get fired or anything, but I think he might get a chewing out.
Many of the catholics who responded are both deeply afraid of, and very envious of Islam. You can tell from the tone (and the death threats) that they a) want to do a lot of violence in the name of their religion (but can't) and b) feel they are getting a poor deal compared to the Muslims. I've argued with a lot of catholics in my day, usually on a very civil level. Most kind of quietly assume that once I'm dead, I'll change over when I see the proof. To be fair, that might happen should I find myself in an actual afterlife. I'm betting the other way of course, that there isn't one, but I could be wrong.
A subset though seem to really be torn between what they want to do and their religion, and express this through a great deal of misplaced anger. I assume every group has maladjusted people and that's what comes out at times like this (there are plenty of maladjusted atheists, muslims, jews and Steeler's fans), it's just a little shocking to see it so openly.
2 Observations:
PZ might have a real problem here. Try as he might, his university is going to get hit with some of the fallout. He won't get fired or anything, but I think he might get a chewing out.
Many of the catholics who responded are both deeply afraid of, and very envious of Islam. You can tell from the tone (and the death threats) that they a) want to do a lot of violence in the name of their religion (but can't) and b) feel they are getting a poor deal compared to the Muslims. I've argued with a lot of catholics in my day, usually on a very civil level. Most kind of quietly assume that once I'm dead, I'll change over when I see the proof. To be fair, that might happen should I find myself in an actual afterlife. I'm betting the other way of course, that there isn't one, but I could be wrong.
A subset though seem to really be torn between what they want to do and their religion, and express this through a great deal of misplaced anger. I assume every group has maladjusted people and that's what comes out at times like this (there are plenty of maladjusted atheists, muslims, jews and Steeler's fans), it's just a little shocking to see it so openly.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Venture Brothers Quiz
I'm Phantom Limb!
You are an unsettling supervillain, with invisible but deadly limbs, who favors a purple spandex costume, and is still obsessed with Dr. Girlfriend. You haven't forgiven the Monarch for stealing her back. He should probably be worried.
Take the Which Venture Brothers character are you? Quiz at HeavyInk.com
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Hate Crimes
The next time someone points out to me how only the "left" cries "hate crime" at the drop of a hat, I can point them to this:
Webster Cook says he smuggled a Eucharist, a small bread wafer that to Catholics symbolic of the Body of Christ after a priest blesses it, out of mass, didn't eat it as he was supposed to do, but instead walked with it.
...
"We don't know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was," said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic diocese. "However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it."
We just expect the University to take this seriously," she added "To send a message to not just Mr. Cook but the whole community that this kind of really complete sacrilege will not be tolerated."
PZ summarizes my thoiughts well.
Webster Cook says he smuggled a Eucharist, a small bread wafer that to Catholics symbolic of the Body of Christ after a priest blesses it, out of mass, didn't eat it as he was supposed to do, but instead walked with it.
...
"We don't know 100% what Mr. Cooks motivation was," said Susan Fani a spokesperson with the local Catholic diocese. "However, if anything were to qualify as a hate crime, to us this seems like this might be it."
We just expect the University to take this seriously," she added "To send a message to not just Mr. Cook but the whole community that this kind of really complete sacrilege will not be tolerated."
PZ summarizes my thoiughts well.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Secret Project, Revealed!
I posted this a bit earlier, but I had jumped the gun. One of my "secret projects" became public today. On purpose.
This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in the Windows Domain Name System (DNS) that could allow spoofing. These vulnerabilities exist in both the DNS client and DNS server and could allow a remote attacker to redirect network traffic intended for systems on the Internet to the attacker’s own systems.
One of my guys just finished his press conference. I'll link a you tube video when it gets posted.
Bottom line: the internet is once again safe for spam and porn.
Update:
Dan is one of the folks on my pentest team and this has been pretty much his whole project since early March. Hear his podcast.
Also, read about "the largest synchronized security update in the history of the Internet"
These are the days when I'm glad I got out of my old job, even though I occasionlly miss it. Despite being "worldwide" we never pulled off anything of this magnitude, or made this much of a difference to so many customers. It was great, but I'm doing stuff now with real impact and it's very rewarding.
At least it is today. Ask me again next week and I might say something different.
This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in the Windows Domain Name System (DNS) that could allow spoofing. These vulnerabilities exist in both the DNS client and DNS server and could allow a remote attacker to redirect network traffic intended for systems on the Internet to the attacker’s own systems.
One of my guys just finished his press conference. I'll link a you tube video when it gets posted.
Bottom line: the internet is once again safe for spam and porn.
Update:
Dan is one of the folks on my pentest team and this has been pretty much his whole project since early March. Hear his podcast.
Also, read about "the largest synchronized security update in the history of the Internet"
These are the days when I'm glad I got out of my old job, even though I occasionlly miss it. Despite being "worldwide" we never pulled off anything of this magnitude, or made this much of a difference to so many customers. It was great, but I'm doing stuff now with real impact and it's very rewarding.
At least it is today. Ask me again next week and I might say something different.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Death of a Guilty Pleasure
The CAP Ministries is going to close.
The bottom line is that we are broke. Our donor base is now four regular donors giving $165 per month (we lost a $200 per month donor). And that equates to a new release analysis about once every two months ... and no help in providing for my family while I work the ministry, except for maybe butter-n-egg money for a month (for ten people: 6 adopted children, two foster babies, my wife and I) plus a tank of gas.
The CAP has been a guilty pleasure of mine for quite a long time. I'd occasionally go check out how perfectly innocent movies would set up this wonderful approach-avoidance conflict within the reviewer where he was clearly fascinated by what he was seeing, but at the same time punishing himself for this joy. All this under the guise of watching the movies to "protect children". Seemingly, even the least clued christian parent would understand that a movie called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (rated R) is not something you would take a 6 year-old to see. Yet bravely, and with total deference to Jesus, the CAP reviewer would throw himself on such a beast, braving the violence, sex and blasphemy, some would say risking his very soul, to detail in exacting precision the complete catalog of god offenses and explain why this is a Weapon of Satan aimed at the delicate sensibilities of the Bob the Builder crowd. Why said christian parents, while fully savvy of the Internet and it's godless dangers, would fail to understand that the subtle warning ensconced the title phrase "CHAINSAW MASSACRE" is left as an exercise for the student.
So, okay, he liked to go to the movies and loved to feel the righteous indignation only true believers can. And he like folks to pay for this. Props for that. My hobbies usually cost me money and don't generally come with moral superiority so he out strips me there.
But, he even hates kids movies.
A terrific example is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Probably the blandest pablum the Hollywood vomit machine has ever snorted out it's nose. No god, no crime, no gangsta, no sex, no crippling existential angst. Nothing. What's the problem with Mr. Magoo?
Natalie Portman wearing a dress that exposed a large gap over her chest. Such a display of skin normally not seen is clearly sexual: clearly intended to tease, to incite lust in the male viewer. If she had worn a dress that covered the gap, the Sexual Immorality investigation area score would have been 100. Sure, some highfalutin, high society performers wear such clothing for such affairs, but does that make such a cultural-specific display acceptable? If you think "Yes" then the fact that some cultures eat other people makes it acceptable since it is a cultural-specific behavior. Don't argue with me about what is morally acceptable. Argue about it with God. He will give you a much better Answer than I ever could. [1Cor. 8:9, Matt. 5:28]
Wow! I could never have made something like that up. He had raised righteous indignation to a form of high art.
Unfortunately, he could not raise to the level where it paid all his bills. You need a cable show to do that.
Will I miss CAP Ministries? I will. I went there this morning to see what could possibly be offensive in the film Wall-E, which I quite enjoyed. I figured god has to hate robots (since it is man imitating god and robots can have souls since that is gods providence or some shit), and he has to hate robot sex even more! Alas, he is closing shop, at least for now.
Does this sadden me? A little. OTOH I am pretty stoked that the appetite for this kind of silliness, at least as non-parody, is too small to be self-supporting.
The bottom line is that we are broke. Our donor base is now four regular donors giving $165 per month (we lost a $200 per month donor). And that equates to a new release analysis about once every two months ... and no help in providing for my family while I work the ministry, except for maybe butter-n-egg money for a month (for ten people: 6 adopted children, two foster babies, my wife and I) plus a tank of gas.
The CAP has been a guilty pleasure of mine for quite a long time. I'd occasionally go check out how perfectly innocent movies would set up this wonderful approach-avoidance conflict within the reviewer where he was clearly fascinated by what he was seeing, but at the same time punishing himself for this joy. All this under the guise of watching the movies to "protect children". Seemingly, even the least clued christian parent would understand that a movie called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (rated R) is not something you would take a 6 year-old to see. Yet bravely, and with total deference to Jesus, the CAP reviewer would throw himself on such a beast, braving the violence, sex and blasphemy, some would say risking his very soul, to detail in exacting precision the complete catalog of god offenses and explain why this is a Weapon of Satan aimed at the delicate sensibilities of the Bob the Builder crowd. Why said christian parents, while fully savvy of the Internet and it's godless dangers, would fail to understand that the subtle warning ensconced the title phrase "CHAINSAW MASSACRE" is left as an exercise for the student.
So, okay, he liked to go to the movies and loved to feel the righteous indignation only true believers can. And he like folks to pay for this. Props for that. My hobbies usually cost me money and don't generally come with moral superiority so he out strips me there.
But, he even hates kids movies.
A terrific example is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Probably the blandest pablum the Hollywood vomit machine has ever snorted out it's nose. No god, no crime, no gangsta, no sex, no crippling existential angst. Nothing. What's the problem with Mr. Magoo?
Natalie Portman wearing a dress that exposed a large gap over her chest. Such a display of skin normally not seen is clearly sexual: clearly intended to tease, to incite lust in the male viewer. If she had worn a dress that covered the gap, the Sexual Immorality investigation area score would have been 100. Sure, some highfalutin, high society performers wear such clothing for such affairs, but does that make such a cultural-specific display acceptable? If you think "Yes" then the fact that some cultures eat other people makes it acceptable since it is a cultural-specific behavior. Don't argue with me about what is morally acceptable. Argue about it with God. He will give you a much better Answer than I ever could. [1Cor. 8:9, Matt. 5:28]
Wow! I could never have made something like that up. He had raised righteous indignation to a form of high art.
Unfortunately, he could not raise to the level where it paid all his bills. You need a cable show to do that.
Will I miss CAP Ministries? I will. I went there this morning to see what could possibly be offensive in the film Wall-E, which I quite enjoyed. I figured god has to hate robots (since it is man imitating god and robots can have souls since that is gods providence or some shit), and he has to hate robot sex even more! Alas, he is closing shop, at least for now.
Does this sadden me? A little. OTOH I am pretty stoked that the appetite for this kind of silliness, at least as non-parody, is too small to be self-supporting.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
An Especially Hot Pit in the 8th Circle is Waiting for
Billy Graham.
His lasting damage, I offer as an aside, was to persuade the young George W. Bush to abandon his wastrel ways, at which he excelled, and instead seek the path that has led him to where he is now, a calamity for the nation and the world. Graham's burden is heavy indeed.
I don't beleive in gods but I do believe we should explore the limits of what we're good at.
It is better to do your Dharma poorly than do another's well.
-The Bhagavad Gita
His lasting damage, I offer as an aside, was to persuade the young George W. Bush to abandon his wastrel ways, at which he excelled, and instead seek the path that has led him to where he is now, a calamity for the nation and the world. Graham's burden is heavy indeed.
I don't beleive in gods but I do believe we should explore the limits of what we're good at.
It is better to do your Dharma poorly than do another's well.
-The Bhagavad Gita
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Republican Strategy for Candidates
Brief and accurate, from TPM:
Continues to boggle my mind what a difference 4 years can make to the conservatives.
1996: Bob Dole is a war hero! Clinton is a draft dodger! WORSHIP THE WAR HERO!
2000: Forget the war! Ignore the potential Vietnam-era AWOL-ness of our candidate, and his complete lack of foreign policy knowledge! He's got integrity!
2004: So what your candidate actually fought and was injured in the same war during which our candidate was so very much NOT AWOL! We mock his service and question the legitimacy of his injuries! Have a purple band-aid to wear at our convention!
2008: Only a certified war hero can lead this country! WORSHIP THE WAR HERO!
You want to bet if I wore a purple band-aid to mock McCain's service I'd be roasted alive?
Continues to boggle my mind what a difference 4 years can make to the conservatives.
1996: Bob Dole is a war hero! Clinton is a draft dodger! WORSHIP THE WAR HERO!
2000: Forget the war! Ignore the potential Vietnam-era AWOL-ness of our candidate, and his complete lack of foreign policy knowledge! He's got integrity!
2004: So what your candidate actually fought and was injured in the same war during which our candidate was so very much NOT AWOL! We mock his service and question the legitimacy of his injuries! Have a purple band-aid to wear at our convention!
2008: Only a certified war hero can lead this country! WORSHIP THE WAR HERO!
You want to bet if I wore a purple band-aid to mock McCain's service I'd be roasted alive?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Preferences
How badly has President Bush damaged the Republican brand? Damn badly! So badly Dino Rossi, republican candidate for the govenor of Washington State is refusing to have the word "Republican" next to his name on the November ballot!
On Monday on FOX News Dino Rossi was caught trying to trick Washington's voters. You may have heard that Rossi and 27 other Republican candidates in our state will not allow the word "Republican" to appear next to their name on the ballot. Thanks to the new Top Two primary, candidates can choose what party label they want on the ballot in November. As we reported on June 11th, Dino Rossi will have "Prefers G.O.P. party" next to his name, which is clearly a scheme to avoid having the word "Republican" next to his name.Or as one of their candidates admits in this newscast:"There's 30 percent of the people in this state that would not vote for a Republican no matter what, and we want to get around that..."
here. wow!
I know democrats prefer the term "Democratic Party" over the Presidents mangled "Democrat Party" and foolishly made an issue of it in 2006 (If you don't like being called "wedgie boy" don't go up to the school jerk and tell him that idiots!). Will the republicans make a similar fuss over the word... republican? This has high entertainment potential.
On Monday on FOX News Dino Rossi was caught trying to trick Washington's voters. You may have heard that Rossi and 27 other Republican candidates in our state will not allow the word "Republican" to appear next to their name on the ballot. Thanks to the new Top Two primary, candidates can choose what party label they want on the ballot in November. As we reported on June 11th, Dino Rossi will have "Prefers G.O.P. party" next to his name, which is clearly a scheme to avoid having the word "Republican" next to his name.Or as one of their candidates admits in this newscast:"There's 30 percent of the people in this state that would not vote for a Republican no matter what, and we want to get around that..."
here. wow!
I know democrats prefer the term "Democratic Party" over the Presidents mangled "Democrat Party" and foolishly made an issue of it in 2006 (If you don't like being called "wedgie boy" don't go up to the school jerk and tell him that idiots!). Will the republicans make a similar fuss over the word... republican? This has high entertainment potential.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Free Computers
We had a flood 2 weeks ago in our building. A chiller pipe feeding the second floor lab burst and flooded the entire first floor to a depth of 2" or so. My office and the department I run are on this floor and it was, to put it bluntly, a disaster. We've been filing insurance claims for the better part of two weeks now and, after new dry wall, new carpet and some paint, things are largely back to normal.
I lost a pet goldfish and the strainer from my teapot in the accident.
While odd, that is not an important detail.
The week before the flood, one of the other departments was getting new computers, quad core, 8GB HPs. They were queued up in boxes in the halls when the water came, ruining some boxes and doubtless some of the machines. Because of all the construction, the team stored them in a large closet off the kitchen until things settled down. Today they decided to take them out and inspect them. This would not be interesting except that a) my building as a sense of humor and b) they used union labor.
So, rather than move all those computers back into the hall, which was 30 feet away, they decided instead to just move them into the kitchen, blocking the coffee, sink, fridge and water. The total volume of material was a large fraction of the total kitchen space, and this was highly annoying since, if they had moved them 10 more feet, they could have had their inventory and not stopped the flow of coffee (my company is, largely, a machine for turning coffee into programs, so blocking the coffee pot harms productivity greatly). Lazy but within union rules.
One enterprising programmer decided to have a little fun and sent out the following email to most of the building:
"Free computers in the kitchen! Get them while they're hot! :) "
There ensued a short spike of computer, cookie and cake jokes, as well as some lame puns around eating hot chips. Standard.
About 20 mins later I needed coffee, so I went to the kitchen and discovered three things:
1) They weren't kidding, there really were computers in the kitchen (good ones too!)
2) There was a very large crowd in the kitchen wondering how true the "free" part was.
3) The computers were filling about 25% of the available space in the kitchen, blocking the coffee.
I was there for a few minutes, mostly thinking about how to get at the coffee makers , when the union boys returned from their mandatory 30 minute break (which they had taken in the neighboring building because, as I might have mentioned, they blocked the coffee makers). They came in, saw the pile of computers in the kitchen and COMPLETELY FLIPPED OUT! Totally lost it, swearing in some language only Navy Seals and poets full grok. "Why?" you may ask. OSHA safety inspector? Union pit boss? Immigration? Sadly for them, no. They were having a total meltdown because when they had left 30 minutes earlier, the boxes had filled 50% of the available space, not the mere 25% I was looking at. So, counting on their fingers and toes they realized some computers were missing! Not So Good.
Emails flew fast and furious for the next few minutes as they sent out increasingly unrealistic threats starting first with firm demands for the return of the machines, escalating rapidly through threats of termination, briefly peaking with dark hints of beheadings and anal rape, then finally collapsing into pleas of mercy lest *they* be fired for losing $50,000 worth of high quality machines. Then their managers send emails. Then our managers send emails. Then the poor schmuck who sent out the original email sent out a series of messages pleading for the return of the machines, more than hinting that the beheading and anal rape options were not entirely off the table, at least for him, should the machines not be returned.
Finally, by then end of the day, all but three of the machines had been returned but the emails only slowed. Police were being summoned, terminations would be forthcoming and the poor joking schmo would have to pay back out of his own pocket. All looked dark until...
someone checked the trunk of the car of one of the union guys. Or so am I told. You see, the emails have stopped and all anyone will say is that the situation is "resolved".
What's the lesson?
"Don't send joke emails?", "Crime doesn't pay?", "Anal rape is an effective threat?"
No.
It's "Don't block my access to coffee and do remember to lock your car you fucking union jerk."
I lost a pet goldfish and the strainer from my teapot in the accident.
While odd, that is not an important detail.
The week before the flood, one of the other departments was getting new computers, quad core, 8GB HPs. They were queued up in boxes in the halls when the water came, ruining some boxes and doubtless some of the machines. Because of all the construction, the team stored them in a large closet off the kitchen until things settled down. Today they decided to take them out and inspect them. This would not be interesting except that a) my building as a sense of humor and b) they used union labor.
So, rather than move all those computers back into the hall, which was 30 feet away, they decided instead to just move them into the kitchen, blocking the coffee, sink, fridge and water. The total volume of material was a large fraction of the total kitchen space, and this was highly annoying since, if they had moved them 10 more feet, they could have had their inventory and not stopped the flow of coffee (my company is, largely, a machine for turning coffee into programs, so blocking the coffee pot harms productivity greatly). Lazy but within union rules.
One enterprising programmer decided to have a little fun and sent out the following email to most of the building:
"Free computers in the kitchen! Get them while they're hot! :) "
There ensued a short spike of computer, cookie and cake jokes, as well as some lame puns around eating hot chips. Standard.
About 20 mins later I needed coffee, so I went to the kitchen and discovered three things:
1) They weren't kidding, there really were computers in the kitchen (good ones too!)
2) There was a very large crowd in the kitchen wondering how true the "free" part was.
3) The computers were filling about 25% of the available space in the kitchen, blocking the coffee.
I was there for a few minutes, mostly thinking about how to get at the coffee makers , when the union boys returned from their mandatory 30 minute break (which they had taken in the neighboring building because, as I might have mentioned, they blocked the coffee makers). They came in, saw the pile of computers in the kitchen and COMPLETELY FLIPPED OUT! Totally lost it, swearing in some language only Navy Seals and poets full grok. "Why?" you may ask. OSHA safety inspector? Union pit boss? Immigration? Sadly for them, no. They were having a total meltdown because when they had left 30 minutes earlier, the boxes had filled 50% of the available space, not the mere 25% I was looking at. So, counting on their fingers and toes they realized some computers were missing! Not So Good.
Emails flew fast and furious for the next few minutes as they sent out increasingly unrealistic threats starting first with firm demands for the return of the machines, escalating rapidly through threats of termination, briefly peaking with dark hints of beheadings and anal rape, then finally collapsing into pleas of mercy lest *they* be fired for losing $50,000 worth of high quality machines. Then their managers send emails. Then our managers send emails. Then the poor schmuck who sent out the original email sent out a series of messages pleading for the return of the machines, more than hinting that the beheading and anal rape options were not entirely off the table, at least for him, should the machines not be returned.
Finally, by then end of the day, all but three of the machines had been returned but the emails only slowed. Police were being summoned, terminations would be forthcoming and the poor joking schmo would have to pay back out of his own pocket. All looked dark until...
someone checked the trunk of the car of one of the union guys. Or so am I told. You see, the emails have stopped and all anyone will say is that the situation is "resolved".
What's the lesson?
"Don't send joke emails?", "Crime doesn't pay?", "Anal rape is an effective threat?"
No.
It's "Don't block my access to coffee and do remember to lock your car you fucking union jerk."
Things I Am Glad I was Not Asked During My Quals
Unruh Radiation.
I should probably have known this and it would have been well within the committee's rights to ask me about it. To be fair, I did understand it immediately when I read it, but I had never heard of Unruh Radiation before today.
hmmm...
I should probably have known this and it would have been well within the committee's rights to ask me about it. To be fair, I did understand it immediately when I read it, but I had never heard of Unruh Radiation before today.
hmmm...
The Gay Plague
New evidence around male gay genetics suggest:
It is fixed at birth
It can't be eliminated from a population
and it isn't contagious.
Why are there gay genes at all? Why haven't they burned out of a non-reproducing population? Because gay men are a side effect of a different process which makes the female relatives more reproductively successful creating positive feedback.
First, it implies natural limits to homosexuality. You don't need to worry that gay teachers or television characters will "convert" hordes of boys. Sexually antagonistic selection is self-limiting and impervious to postnatal cultural factors. The authors' computations show no scenario in which male homosexuality spreads throughout a population.
Second, by the same token, you can't culturally eradicate the gay minority. It's sustained by genetics and natural selection.
Third, if the authors are correct, we're not really talking about genes for homosexuality. We're talking about genes for "androphilia," i.e., attraction to men. The importance of the genes lies in what they do not to men but to women, by increasing reproductive output so powerfully that these women compensate for the reduced output among their male relatives. You can't isolate gay men as a puzzle or problem anymore. You have to see them as part of a bigger, stronger, enduring phenomenon.
See? god knows what she's doing.
See also for why gay men should carry guns.
It is fixed at birth
It can't be eliminated from a population
and it isn't contagious.
Why are there gay genes at all? Why haven't they burned out of a non-reproducing population? Because gay men are a side effect of a different process which makes the female relatives more reproductively successful creating positive feedback.
First, it implies natural limits to homosexuality. You don't need to worry that gay teachers or television characters will "convert" hordes of boys. Sexually antagonistic selection is self-limiting and impervious to postnatal cultural factors. The authors' computations show no scenario in which male homosexuality spreads throughout a population.
Second, by the same token, you can't culturally eradicate the gay minority. It's sustained by genetics and natural selection.
Third, if the authors are correct, we're not really talking about genes for homosexuality. We're talking about genes for "androphilia," i.e., attraction to men. The importance of the genes lies in what they do not to men but to women, by increasing reproductive output so powerfully that these women compensate for the reduced output among their male relatives. You can't isolate gay men as a puzzle or problem anymore. You have to see them as part of a bigger, stronger, enduring phenomenon.
See? god knows what she's doing.
See also for why gay men should carry guns.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Comments
At the request of some readers, I have turned anonymous comments back on. I reserve the right to shut them back off or edit away insulting or crazy things.
Jump the Snark
As most of you know, I am a) kind of a jerk and b) enjoy going to websites with radically different viewpoints than my own. I do this for 2 reasons; first, because I like to constantly challenge my view point on things and second, because it occasionally pays off in spades with real, total meltdown craziness.
In that spirit, I invite you to check out the Texas Darling (although she is actually from SoCal).
During the dem primaries this spring I was wandering through the various websites trying to form an opinion on Obama. Almost site I went to was so pro-Obama I naturally had an allergic reaction. I did not think I would ever vote for another Clinton, but I wanted to check out what her fans were saying and see if there was any merit. I found MyDD which was strongly pro-Hillary, and had some members which were just this side of crazy. The primary got settled and the Hillary folks, disappointed and a little bitter, began to fall in line. I started to lose some interest since the blog was no longer an outlier.
However
TexasDarling has her own site and immediate dived off the deep end, satisfying my need for nonsense like a Snickers Tree to a starving man. At MyDD she was a frequent, somewhat shrill and monotone poster about Hillary and I kind of formed the opinion she was a GOP shill. But no, she's much more interesting than that.
If you need some craziness, go over there and you'll find:
How she and her followers have taken a low-rez jpeg of a reproduction of a web-issued birth record, called it a 1961 birth certificate and immediately found that, a jpeg of a document doesn't match a high rez photo at all! Must be a fake!
Political Prisoner (and wanted felon) Larry Sinclair is being suppressed in wide ranging conspiracy to keep his story of gay sex with a black man claiming to be Barak Obama out of the papers.
and much, much more!
What you wont find are any cogent arguments for voting for Hillary Clinton, which is probably what you suspected all along.
In that spirit, I invite you to check out the Texas Darling (although she is actually from SoCal).
During the dem primaries this spring I was wandering through the various websites trying to form an opinion on Obama. Almost site I went to was so pro-Obama I naturally had an allergic reaction. I did not think I would ever vote for another Clinton, but I wanted to check out what her fans were saying and see if there was any merit. I found MyDD which was strongly pro-Hillary, and had some members which were just this side of crazy. The primary got settled and the Hillary folks, disappointed and a little bitter, began to fall in line. I started to lose some interest since the blog was no longer an outlier.
However
TexasDarling has her own site and immediate dived off the deep end, satisfying my need for nonsense like a Snickers Tree to a starving man. At MyDD she was a frequent, somewhat shrill and monotone poster about Hillary and I kind of formed the opinion she was a GOP shill. But no, she's much more interesting than that.
If you need some craziness, go over there and you'll find:
How she and her followers have taken a low-rez jpeg of a reproduction of a web-issued birth record, called it a 1961 birth certificate and immediately found that, a jpeg of a document doesn't match a high rez photo at all! Must be a fake!
Political Prisoner (and wanted felon) Larry Sinclair is being suppressed in wide ranging conspiracy to keep his story of gay sex with a black man claiming to be Barak Obama out of the papers.
and much, much more!
What you wont find are any cogent arguments for voting for Hillary Clinton, which is probably what you suspected all along.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Illusions of the Year
Impressive.
The Tower of Piza one had me going until I blocked one out, looked at the other, then blocked it and looked at the first. If, at any point, they are both on the screen together, the illusion comes back.
wiggy.
The Tower of Piza one had me going until I blocked one out, looked at the other, then blocked it and looked at the first. If, at any point, they are both on the screen together, the illusion comes back.
wiggy.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Also, Since I Had the Camera Out
I took some pictures of the glass I have been working on lately.
Various paperweights I have been giving away. Not all of them obviously. Also missing is a fairly decent christmas orb I gave to Geoff for graduation:
A piece I just call the Flame:
The green version, which wicked cracked:
A blue, open mouth vase (next to a closed mouth orange tabby who could not help but pose for the camera:
A ridged plate which was the last thing we learned to make in this series of classes:
All in all I have been pretty happy with my progress the last 6 weeks. I bought some new glass for the open session tomorrow. I am going to try some more flame pieces with dichromatics.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Out Of the Loop
Yes, cooking popcorn with cellphones is impossible. At least cooking them with working cellphones is. I can think of a half dozen modifications that would make that work, but they would no longer be cellphones.
Also:
So, what's really causing the kernels to ricochet off the table in the YouTube clips? Bloomfield suggests tricky video editing or even a covert heating element beneath the table. Debunker website Snopes.com also points out that cooking popcorn with cellphones is impossible (same goes for eggs).
I can think of *no* modifications to eggs which would allow them to cook popcorn, but let me ponder a bit.
Also:
So, what's really causing the kernels to ricochet off the table in the YouTube clips? Bloomfield suggests tricky video editing or even a covert heating element beneath the table. Debunker website Snopes.com also points out that cooking popcorn with cellphones is impossible (same goes for eggs).
I can think of *no* modifications to eggs which would allow them to cook popcorn, but let me ponder a bit.
Settling in for Winter
via MSNBC:
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - One of the last shipments to a U.S. research base in Antarctica before the onset of winter darkness was a year's supply of condoms, a New Zealand newspaper reported Monday.
Bill Henriksen, the manager of the McMurdo base station, said nearly 16,500 condoms were delivered last month and would be made available, free of charge, to staff throughout the year to avoid the potential embarrassment of having to buy them.
...
About 125 scientists and staff are stationed at McMurdo base, the largest community in Antarctica, during the winter months when there is constant darkness.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - One of the last shipments to a U.S. research base in Antarctica before the onset of winter darkness was a year's supply of condoms, a New Zealand newspaper reported Monday.
Bill Henriksen, the manager of the McMurdo base station, said nearly 16,500 condoms were delivered last month and would be made available, free of charge, to staff throughout the year to avoid the potential embarrassment of having to buy them.
...
About 125 scientists and staff are stationed at McMurdo base, the largest community in Antarctica, during the winter months when there is constant darkness.
Comissioning
Geoff comissions into the Army on Thursday. I'm flying to Philly tomorrow to attend and pin his bars on. He graduates on Friday from Drexel.
Way to go son!
Way to go son!
Save It for the News Room
The opinion of a survey of newspaper editors on the question of blogging:
According to a survey I recently conducted, approximately 44% of newspaper editors and publishers wouldn’t allow their staff writers to maintain personal blogs without prior approval.
...
“Blogging is not just a conversation with an intimate, trusted family member or friend,” wrote (Everett, Washington) Herald city editor Robert Frank. “…So would I be fine with one of my reporter’s publishing commentary (I’m presuming it’s commentary) about the presidential election, or a local election, for that matter? No. I would be upset if someone chose to demonstrate partisanship over professionalism. It likely would lead to, if not reassignment, at least a serious reassessment of their duties here, and, depending on all the particulars, could potentially lead all the way up to a parting of ways."
Interesting. I was recently talking to a VC friend of mine in Silicon Valley and asked him if having a blog would effect their decision making on funding. His answer was kind of complicated but basically it boiled down to "Yes, especially at the early stages, not as much once the company was in full flight." The basic idea was that a blog either attracts or repels attention to the blogger and the company and if it gives out too much personal information, that's usually bad. Repelling potential investors early on makes it tough later. "You want to be know as the company with the cool technology, not as the company with the guy who has a diaper fetish".
In other words, all the basic human interactions are in play.
Thanks to Simon for pointing this out.
According to a survey I recently conducted, approximately 44% of newspaper editors and publishers wouldn’t allow their staff writers to maintain personal blogs without prior approval.
...
“Blogging is not just a conversation with an intimate, trusted family member or friend,” wrote (Everett, Washington) Herald city editor Robert Frank. “…So would I be fine with one of my reporter’s publishing commentary (I’m presuming it’s commentary) about the presidential election, or a local election, for that matter? No. I would be upset if someone chose to demonstrate partisanship over professionalism. It likely would lead to, if not reassignment, at least a serious reassessment of their duties here, and, depending on all the particulars, could potentially lead all the way up to a parting of ways."
Interesting. I was recently talking to a VC friend of mine in Silicon Valley and asked him if having a blog would effect their decision making on funding. His answer was kind of complicated but basically it boiled down to "Yes, especially at the early stages, not as much once the company was in full flight." The basic idea was that a blog either attracts or repels attention to the blogger and the company and if it gives out too much personal information, that's usually bad. Repelling potential investors early on makes it tough later. "You want to be know as the company with the cool technology, not as the company with the guy who has a diaper fetish".
In other words, all the basic human interactions are in play.
Thanks to Simon for pointing this out.
Play With Fire
get burned. :( 2nd degree burns all along my left arm from glassblowing last night. Apparently I was so intent on the piece I was working on (which ended up cracking btw), I failed to notice that I was roasting my uncovered arm. My pain sensitivity seems to be a little off, as I literally didn't notice it until I got home and was greeted by blisters and lots of oozing clear fluid. Dr. Mark has prescribed Neosporen and Tangeray for the pain. Actually, the weird part is, it doesn't hurt a bit, even today.
Also, last night was "graduation night" at glass blowing. We officially have the run of the shop and the 3 of us left in the class (people dropped every week as the pieces got increasingly complex) spent the whole evening making stuff. Same thing for next week, 4 hours with assistance in a glass shop. Hooray!
The bad part is, I now know how much I don't know about this, and finally realize just how much help my tutor has been. The good part is, I can hire him again for private lessons, and next level classes start soon. :)
Also, last night was "graduation night" at glass blowing. We officially have the run of the shop and the 3 of us left in the class (people dropped every week as the pieces got increasingly complex) spent the whole evening making stuff. Same thing for next week, 4 hours with assistance in a glass shop. Hooray!
The bad part is, I now know how much I don't know about this, and finally realize just how much help my tutor has been. The good part is, I can hire him again for private lessons, and next level classes start soon. :)
Monday, June 09, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
I Found $1 on the Sidewalk
Most people's reaction: Look skyward and say some version of "Thank you Lord!"
my reaction: I looked skyward and said: "A dollar??? I'm insulted!"
my reaction: I looked skyward and said: "A dollar??? I'm insulted!"
The Last Word in Rapture Delivery Services
Your post-rapture messages delivered by... atheists!
Aren't You Afraid of God's Wrath?
We don't believe in God, remember? In the event that the Rapture actually occurs, we will go to Plan B: "Lifetime of Sin Followed by Deathbed Repentance."
Aren't You Afraid of God's Wrath?
We don't believe in God, remember? In the event that the Rapture actually occurs, we will go to Plan B: "Lifetime of Sin Followed by Deathbed Repentance."
The Change Election
From Jon Swift:
Like many senior citizens, McCain knows what he is talking about. A lot of young whippersnappers who grew up with calculators and studied New Math in school can barely count, and if you don't make sure you have the right change before you walk away from the cash register, they will accuse you of trying to cheat, so you have to count it right in front of them. And I don't think it is racist to point out that a lot of the hired help in stores these days are minorities, who have not gone to the best schools. McCain would be the kind of President who would count America's change and not be afraid to point out when we have been shortchanged, even if he has to ask the cashier to call the manager and make a scene.
It seems like all we have heard about in this election is how America wants change, but as John McCain pointed out in his speech, speaking very slowly and patiently and enunciating all of his words to make sure we all understood what he was saying, not all change is good. In fact, generally Americans don't like too much change. We like to go out once a week for the Early Bird Special and order the exact same thing every time. It's very economical and gives us a break in our routine. We would be very upset if it was discontinued and we had to order off the regular menu, which would still be more expensive even with coupons we clipped out of the newspaper. That kind of change would not be welcome at all.
Like many senior citizens, McCain knows what he is talking about. A lot of young whippersnappers who grew up with calculators and studied New Math in school can barely count, and if you don't make sure you have the right change before you walk away from the cash register, they will accuse you of trying to cheat, so you have to count it right in front of them. And I don't think it is racist to point out that a lot of the hired help in stores these days are minorities, who have not gone to the best schools. McCain would be the kind of President who would count America's change and not be afraid to point out when we have been shortchanged, even if he has to ask the cashier to call the manager and make a scene.
It seems like all we have heard about in this election is how America wants change, but as John McCain pointed out in his speech, speaking very slowly and patiently and enunciating all of his words to make sure we all understood what he was saying, not all change is good. In fact, generally Americans don't like too much change. We like to go out once a week for the Early Bird Special and order the exact same thing every time. It's very economical and gives us a break in our routine. We would be very upset if it was discontinued and we had to order off the regular menu, which would still be more expensive even with coupons we clipped out of the newspaper. That kind of change would not be welcome at all.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
Useful Phrases When Traveling
like, ŠŠ¾ŃŠ°Š±ŃŃ Š¼Šø Š½Š° Š²ŃŠ·Š“ŃŃŠ½Š° Š²ŃŠ·Š³Š»Š°Š²Š½ŠøŃŠ° Šµ ŠæŃŠ»ŠµŠ½ ŃŃŃ Š·Š¼ŠøŠ¾ŃŠŗŠø
or, as I often say when traveling with Field Correspondant Brian, "čæä½å ēä¼ęø å/åå"
or, as I often say when traveling with Field Correspondant Brian, "čæä½å ēä¼ęø å/åå"
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Google Games
from the Google:
google "Mark Horvath": 24,200 pages
google "Mark Horvath" -fire: 2930 pages
hmmmmmm
google "Mark Horvath": 24,200 pages
google "Mark Horvath" -fire: 2930 pages
hmmmmmm
Ohes Noes! It's the End of the World As We Know It!
Well said on the Rachel Ray "controversy":
Dunkin' Donuts pulled the ad, for fear that some Americans would be sent into the streets in a pants-wetting panic that someone in a donut ad might be wearing a black and white scarf that looks sortof like something a Palestinian jihadist would be wearing. You know, if it wasn't a scarf but was a headdress. And if it had a different pattern. And if you were mind-rapingly insane to begin with
...
So this is what we've (well, I say "we", but I mean a small subset of American patriots who, having absolutely no intention of doing anything meaningful for their country that involves getting out of their chairs, spend their days looking for secret terrorist messages in television commercials) been reduced to. We're examining the fashion statements of donut ads and parsing them for hints of surreptitious Islamic culture. We're locked into a mortal combat against those that casually accessorize without remembering that we are at war; we're mere weeks away from probing the hidden alliances of the doilies on our grandmothers' coffee tables.
We are a nation that sees images of Jesus on toast. Admit it; there was absolutely no possibility that we would not eventually devolve to this point.
The rest here.
I'm on a bit of a roll today with blogging :)
Dunkin' Donuts pulled the ad, for fear that some Americans would be sent into the streets in a pants-wetting panic that someone in a donut ad might be wearing a black and white scarf that looks sortof like something a Palestinian jihadist would be wearing. You know, if it wasn't a scarf but was a headdress. And if it had a different pattern. And if you were mind-rapingly insane to begin with
...
So this is what we've (well, I say "we", but I mean a small subset of American patriots who, having absolutely no intention of doing anything meaningful for their country that involves getting out of their chairs, spend their days looking for secret terrorist messages in television commercials) been reduced to. We're examining the fashion statements of donut ads and parsing them for hints of surreptitious Islamic culture. We're locked into a mortal combat against those that casually accessorize without remembering that we are at war; we're mere weeks away from probing the hidden alliances of the doilies on our grandmothers' coffee tables.
We are a nation that sees images of Jesus on toast. Admit it; there was absolutely no possibility that we would not eventually devolve to this point.
The rest here.
I'm on a bit of a roll today with blogging :)
Road Trip!!!
I thought this was an interesting factino:
You may have seen this already. Americans cut back on driving in March, compared to the previous March, more than in any single month since such record-keeping began in 1942. It was a 4.3 percent drop in miles driven, a reduction of 11 billion miles.
hmmmm...
if a 4.3% drop is 11 billion miles then... (whips out calculator) 11x10^9/0.43 = 256 billion miles/month * 12 months = 3 Trillion miles/ year!
3 Trillion miles is half a light year. The US drives half a light year every 12 months. And thta's just the US! Assume thats about a 1/3 for all planetary driving.... 1.5 LY!
Wow.
We could *drive* to Proxima in less than 3 years!
You may have seen this already. Americans cut back on driving in March, compared to the previous March, more than in any single month since such record-keeping began in 1942. It was a 4.3 percent drop in miles driven, a reduction of 11 billion miles.
hmmmm...
if a 4.3% drop is 11 billion miles then... (whips out calculator) 11x10^9/0.43 = 256 billion miles/month * 12 months = 3 Trillion miles/ year!
3 Trillion miles is half a light year. The US drives half a light year every 12 months. And thta's just the US! Assume thats about a 1/3 for all planetary driving.... 1.5 LY!
Wow.
We could *drive* to Proxima in less than 3 years!
You've Been Left Behind
Letters people have written for their "friends" to find after they are bodily taken into Heaven.
I imagine the people who wrote them were very excited thinking about the day all their lack of hard work learning science and their avoiding deep introspection and the questioning of authority would finally pay off!
It kind of like when 10 year-olds write suicide notes so they can fantasize about how sad everyone will be at their funeral.
It is sad alright.
This from field agent Brian:
Brian: His number is 666.Some think this mark will be a bar code tattoo, others think and implanted computer chip. It will solve allot of problems with, identity theft, illegal activities, taxation of the underground economy, street crime for money, and economic control.
Brian: i'm not sure labelling everyone with 666 will actually cut down on identity theft
it's going to be hell at the deli, at least 666! who's got 666!
I imagine the people who wrote them were very excited thinking about the day all their lack of hard work learning science and their avoiding deep introspection and the questioning of authority would finally pay off!
It kind of like when 10 year-olds write suicide notes so they can fantasize about how sad everyone will be at their funeral.
It is sad alright.
This from field agent Brian:
Brian: His number is 666.Some think this mark will be a bar code tattoo, others think and implanted computer chip. It will solve allot of problems with, identity theft, illegal activities, taxation of the underground economy, street crime for money, and economic control.
Brian: i'm not sure labelling everyone with 666 will actually cut down on identity theft
it's going to be hell at the deli, at least 666! who's got 666!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Correllation
This is completely non-controversal and not in any way a troll:
Biblical literalism or low IQ: which came first?
Biblical literalism or low IQ: which came first?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Not the Onion, I Swear!
but the venerable TPM:
Christ and AquaMan could beat John McCain this fall
...in a poll commissioned by Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, one further poll shows Jesus Christ, were he the Democratic candidate for President this fall, would defeat McCain by the largest margin yet, 73-24. Christ, the poll indicates, would not only run particularly strongly in the South, but reaches deeply into McCain's Republican base, attracting the great majority of evangelical voters, while also holding onto antiwar voters in the Democratic base, given his preaching to "turn the other cheek" and his promotion of politically controversial commandments, including not killing one's fellow man.
...
Third, Rasmussen Reports, which polled on a yet wider range of subjects has determined that Marvel Comics superhero Aqua-Man (TM) holds a narrower but statistically significant national lead over McCain, 53-44, with his strength coming from coastal states, and those with marshes and navigable waterways, though McCain leads Aqua-Man by large margins in the more arid intermountain West and upper Great Plains.
I'm thinking a Christ/AquaMan Dream ticket!!
Christ and AquaMan could beat John McCain this fall
...in a poll commissioned by Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, one further poll shows Jesus Christ, were he the Democratic candidate for President this fall, would defeat McCain by the largest margin yet, 73-24. Christ, the poll indicates, would not only run particularly strongly in the South, but reaches deeply into McCain's Republican base, attracting the great majority of evangelical voters, while also holding onto antiwar voters in the Democratic base, given his preaching to "turn the other cheek" and his promotion of politically controversial commandments, including not killing one's fellow man.
...
Third, Rasmussen Reports, which polled on a yet wider range of subjects has determined that Marvel Comics superhero Aqua-Man (TM) holds a narrower but statistically significant national lead over McCain, 53-44, with his strength coming from coastal states, and those with marshes and navigable waterways, though McCain leads Aqua-Man by large margins in the more arid intermountain West and upper Great Plains.
I'm thinking a Christ/AquaMan Dream ticket!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Security Theatre of the Absurd
SeaTac where, evidently, you can just drive out onto the runway if you want.
"We were sitting there, the engine idling, nobody around, when all of a sudden I realized: We're out on the goddamn runway," [retired army lieutenant colonel Greg] Alderete recalled. "We're in a gassed-up, seven-passenger van, and no one really knows who we are. We have an unobstructed path to the main runways, the commercial gates, the whole place. It was unbelievable."
"We were sitting there, the engine idling, nobody around, when all of a sudden I realized: We're out on the goddamn runway," [retired army lieutenant colonel Greg] Alderete recalled. "We're in a gassed-up, seven-passenger van, and no one really knows who we are. We have an unobstructed path to the main runways, the commercial gates, the whole place. It was unbelievable."
All Over The Map
A man in need of media training meets the media.
You can kind of see where he wants to go, and you can kind of see his point, but wow.
Also, FTR, I don't disagree with any of the points he's trying to make, I just don't think he makes them well or should even be making them here.
You can kind of see where he wants to go, and you can kind of see his point, but wow.
Also, FTR, I don't disagree with any of the points he's trying to make, I just don't think he makes them well or should even be making them here.
Ted Kennedy
Unfortunate.
If for no other reason, I'll always be a fan of Ted's because of his vigorous defense of the constitution.
It was sent to the Senate, where it needed a 2/3 majority (66 votes) to pass. On 12-12-95, the amendment was defeated when it failed by only 3 votes.
I read his speech that day and was highly impressed (having the opinion at the time that this was just mock-patriot nonsense from the president). It was also about the time I joined the ACLU.
Brain cancer is a terrible way to go. Agree or disagree with him, (and there are a lot of legitimate opinions out there) how you feel about Ted Kennedy probably says something about the level of empathy for other human beings. Only the real sociopaths are going to see this as an opportunity gang up on him and write long hate-filled screeds. From my POV, this is an opportunity to let them self-identify.
If for no other reason, I'll always be a fan of Ted's because of his vigorous defense of the constitution.
It was sent to the Senate, where it needed a 2/3 majority (66 votes) to pass. On 12-12-95, the amendment was defeated when it failed by only 3 votes.
I read his speech that day and was highly impressed (having the opinion at the time that this was just mock-patriot nonsense from the president). It was also about the time I joined the ACLU.
Brain cancer is a terrible way to go. Agree or disagree with him, (and there are a lot of legitimate opinions out there) how you feel about Ted Kennedy probably says something about the level of empathy for other human beings. Only the real sociopaths are going to see this as an opportunity gang up on him and write long hate-filled screeds. From my POV, this is an opportunity to let them self-identify.
Celestia
I finally got the open source project, Celestia, to compile under VS2k8. Hooray!
I've been writing some code for add-ons, which I kind of abandoned for time reasons a year or so back. I have slightly more time these days, so I'll get to brush up some on my C++ skills.
I've been writing some code for add-ons, which I kind of abandoned for time reasons a year or so back. I have slightly more time these days, so I'll get to brush up some on my C++ skills.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Another Hot Piece of Glass
I had so much fun the other weekend, I signed up for 6 more weeks of afterwork glassblowing classes. When I've finished, I should be able to rent time in the studio for my own projects, of which I have ideas for a few dozen at this point.
So far, this is acting like all my hobbies, several months of intense, focused interest while I learn mad skillz, followed (hopefully) by several years of increasingly complicated projects.
Unlike digital art though, this is expensive and each piece is not abled to be copied en masse, so most folks won't see what I'm up to. However, its possible you might get a misshapen lump of colored paperweight for a birthday, anniversary, bar-mitzvah or gift-giving holiday.
Try to be polite when you get it. It's meant with goodwill.
So far, this is acting like all my hobbies, several months of intense, focused interest while I learn mad skillz, followed (hopefully) by several years of increasingly complicated projects.
Unlike digital art though, this is expensive and each piece is not abled to be copied en masse, so most folks won't see what I'm up to. However, its possible you might get a misshapen lump of colored paperweight for a birthday, anniversary, bar-mitzvah or gift-giving holiday.
Try to be polite when you get it. It's meant with goodwill.
Science AND Magic
News from the Vatican
First the science:
Writing in the Vatican newspaper, the astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, said intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space.
Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, is a respected scientist who collaborates with universities around the world.
The search for forms of extraterrestrial life, he says, does not contradict belief in God.
The official Vatican newspaper headlines his article 'Aliens Are My Brother'.
Take out the god stuff and yeah, thats pretty much the standard idea. There isn't any evidence yet that it's true, but the basic idea, that if life is possible here, is possible elsewhere, is a standard assuption. Also, it turns out, one of my colleagues fromgrad school, Doug McGonagale, became a priest after graduation and is still involved in astrophysics, so this doesn't surprise me.
now for the magic:
Just as there are multiple forms of life on earth, so there could exist intelligent beings in outer space created by God. And some aliens could even be free from original sin, he speculates.
So it could be Zanzar and Xloric in the Garden of Chotalis on Tau Ceti Prime. Until a wicked sunoraxyl comes along and tempts them with a fizbin. Then it's low road to civilization for Tau Ceti Prime. Now that's really just a guess, you understand, of what could be going on there. All the Bible really tells for sure is that it's Zanzar and Xloric not Zanzar and Zorric in the Garden.
Catholics! God Love'm
First the science:
Writing in the Vatican newspaper, the astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, said intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space.
Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, is a respected scientist who collaborates with universities around the world.
The search for forms of extraterrestrial life, he says, does not contradict belief in God.
The official Vatican newspaper headlines his article 'Aliens Are My Brother'.
Take out the god stuff and yeah, thats pretty much the standard idea. There isn't any evidence yet that it's true, but the basic idea, that if life is possible here, is possible elsewhere, is a standard assuption. Also, it turns out, one of my colleagues fromgrad school, Doug McGonagale, became a priest after graduation and is still involved in astrophysics, so this doesn't surprise me.
now for the magic:
Just as there are multiple forms of life on earth, so there could exist intelligent beings in outer space created by God. And some aliens could even be free from original sin, he speculates.
So it could be Zanzar and Xloric in the Garden of Chotalis on Tau Ceti Prime. Until a wicked sunoraxyl comes along and tempts them with a fizbin. Then it's low road to civilization for Tau Ceti Prime. Now that's really just a guess, you understand, of what could be going on there. All the Bible really tells for sure is that it's Zanzar and Xloric not Zanzar and Zorric in the Garden.
Catholics! God Love'm
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Blind Man Gets 3 Year Driving Suspension
WTF?
A blind man convicted of dangerous driving, after police spotted his car on the wrong side of the road, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Omed Aziz, 31, from Darlaston, West Midlands, who was being directed by an allegedly banned driver, was given 12 weeks in prison suspended for a year.
He has also been banned from driving for three years and ordered to take an extended driving test.
????
"dangerous driving"
Is there some other kind when you're blind?
A blind man convicted of dangerous driving, after police spotted his car on the wrong side of the road, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Omed Aziz, 31, from Darlaston, West Midlands, who was being directed by an allegedly banned driver, was given 12 weeks in prison suspended for a year.
He has also been banned from driving for three years and ordered to take an extended driving test.
????
"dangerous driving"
Is there some other kind when you're blind?
Best Understatement of the Week.
From TPM on a race between 2 GOP candidates for an open House Seat:
They're going all out in the Republican primary for the open seat of Democrat Darlene Hooley in Oregon. One of the GOP candidates says he had no choice but to publicize a two-year-old email accusing his opponent of paying for an abortion for a woman he impregnated.
I wouldn't want to be seated between those two at the next Lincoln Day event.
They're going all out in the Republican primary for the open seat of Democrat Darlene Hooley in Oregon. One of the GOP candidates says he had no choice but to publicize a two-year-old email accusing his opponent of paying for an abortion for a woman he impregnated.
I wouldn't want to be seated between those two at the next Lincoln Day event.
You Can Actually See the Piece Go Pear-Shaped
David Brooks talks about "the militant materialism of some modern scientists". The first 2 paragraphs are actually pretty good. The he says,
just as Einstein’s theory of relativity affected art
Ut-oh.
just as Einstein’s theory of relativity affected art
Ut-oh.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Conversion Story
This is very funny!
“Goddammit,” I pouted, “I guess when you’ve got the Holy Ghost, you miss all the fun.”
“Goddammit,” I pouted, “I guess when you’ve got the Holy Ghost, you miss all the fun.”
Friday, May 09, 2008
One of my Favorite Bands, Reviewed
Bringing in entire symphonies for heart-fluttering arpeggios on fairy-dusted strings, the band's songs fill the air like mirage waves of sound so glossy, you can almost see your reflection in them.
I have discovered Rhapsody.
FTR, I laughed at that. They are overblown, but also, I like them.
and
It's just physiologically impossible not to get high from inhaling so much production varnish. For some, it will cause euphoria -- for others, altitude sickness.
I have discovered Rhapsody.
FTR, I laughed at that. They are overblown, but also, I like them.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Your Quantum Computing Crib Sheet
Here (although I don't know that I would say all P-complete problems are "easily" solved by classic computers...)
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete?
A dozenish essays from Templeton. I have not read them all yet, but Pinker is probably closest to my own view.
I admit I am saving Hitch for last thought.
(via)
I admit I am saving Hitch for last thought.
(via)
Monday, May 05, 2008
A Great Threat Facing Our Fighting Soldiers
They keep the front lines secure so we have freedom. Like the freedom to take away their porn!
House Rep. Paul Broun (GA-10), with 15 co-sponsors and the support of organizations such as the Alliance Defense Fund and the American Family Association, recently introduced a bill that would strengthen the ban on sales of adult-themed publications on U.S. military installations.
Rep. Broun has introduced H.R. 5821, also known as the Military Honor and Decency Act, which would close what he calls a loophole that allows the continued distribution of pornography to soldiers, to their moral detriment, with the help of taxpayer funds.
but who is the villain who wants to put porn in the hands of our fighting men and women, distracting them from the purity of their cause? The vile, evil, unspeakable ACLU!
"We're asking these people to risk their lives to defend our Constitution's principles," said law school professor and ACLU head Nadine Strossen to USA Today last November, "and they're being denied their own First Amendment rights to choose what they read."
ACLU bastards. I'm so mad at them for hating freedom, I feel like writing them a very stern check.
House Rep. Paul Broun (GA-10), with 15 co-sponsors and the support of organizations such as the Alliance Defense Fund and the American Family Association, recently introduced a bill that would strengthen the ban on sales of adult-themed publications on U.S. military installations.
Rep. Broun has introduced H.R. 5821, also known as the Military Honor and Decency Act, which would close what he calls a loophole that allows the continued distribution of pornography to soldiers, to their moral detriment, with the help of taxpayer funds.
but who is the villain who wants to put porn in the hands of our fighting men and women, distracting them from the purity of their cause? The vile, evil, unspeakable ACLU!
"We're asking these people to risk their lives to defend our Constitution's principles," said law school professor and ACLU head Nadine Strossen to USA Today last November, "and they're being denied their own First Amendment rights to choose what they read."
ACLU bastards. I'm so mad at them for hating freedom, I feel like writing them a very stern check.
Guess What I Blew This Weekend?
Glass!
I took a weekend class at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio. It was a lot of fun, although a lot, lot harder than I expected. I got to dip my stick, work those 3 glory holes, and make a massive load of white hot glass.
Fun for the whole family!
I did manage to make some paperweights and some small Christmas ornaments. My suckie bowl was a mess though. Next time I want to take a class in making plates, which seems to be quite different than what we did this weekend.
Highly recommended and not as gay as it sounds.
I took a weekend class at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio. It was a lot of fun, although a lot, lot harder than I expected. I got to dip my stick, work those 3 glory holes, and make a massive load of white hot glass.
Fun for the whole family!
I did manage to make some paperweights and some small Christmas ornaments. My suckie bowl was a mess though. Next time I want to take a class in making plates, which seems to be quite different than what we did this weekend.
Highly recommended and not as gay as it sounds.
Friday, May 02, 2008
My Next Hobby
I read this and thought, "This is going to be me when I retire!"
Marshall Pappert admits that he has been a pain to government officials…
While he expected to get a fight, or to be told off, or even ignored, Pappert says he never expected to get arrested.
Every week, he sends a handful of letters to government officials, complaining about a neighbor who lives across Union Street in Bridgeville.
But then I read,
The neighbor is Silhol Builders Supply, a manufacturer of ready-mix concrete
and thought, "oh, damn. He probably has legitimate complaints."
(via)
Marshall Pappert admits that he has been a pain to government officials…
While he expected to get a fight, or to be told off, or even ignored, Pappert says he never expected to get arrested.
Every week, he sends a handful of letters to government officials, complaining about a neighbor who lives across Union Street in Bridgeville.
But then I read,
The neighbor is Silhol Builders Supply, a manufacturer of ready-mix concrete
and thought, "oh, damn. He probably has legitimate complaints."
(via)
I-Lawsuit
The interesting recent history of i-Robot, makers of the Roomba(tm) and of life-saving millitary bomb sniffers. I thought this was interesting and it underlines an important political fact, it's the cover-up, not the crime.
Five People Killed By Their Own Inventions
He discovered that adding tetra-ethyl lead to gasoline prevented internal combustion engines from “knocking”. However, this also released huge amounts of lead into the atmosphere, causing health problems and massive pollution. After people at the GM plants started hallucinating and dying of lead poisoning, though, Midgley was assigned to develop a non-toxic refrigerant for household appliance. So, he discovered dichlorodifluoromethane (please don’t ask me to pronounce that), AKA Freon. Turns out that Freon is a chlorinated fluorocarbon, which is insanely bad for the ozone layer
here
FTR, I have left extremely explicit instructions for the executor of my will. The 2 important ones are:
1) a tank of helium must be available for the eulogies
2) my tombstone must read,
"That Should Have Worked"
here
FTR, I have left extremely explicit instructions for the executor of my will. The 2 important ones are:
1) a tank of helium must be available for the eulogies
2) my tombstone must read,
"That Should Have Worked"
Thursday, May 01, 2008
McCain
Some actual email with some friends (I've reverse the order to make it readable):
From: Yacov Smirnoff Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:14 PM
To: (friends of a like mind)
Subject: McCain in WSJ opinion pages
I read this in the airport today. The words that came readily to mind included: duty, honor, valor, selfless acts of courage, selfless acts of compassion. This is the guy we should have had 8 years ago.https://mail.microsoft.com/OWA/redir.aspx?C=624b758540264cdab48d9031dbf92461&URL=http%3a%2f%2fonline.wsj.com%2farticle%2fSB120951606847454685.html If only the article hadn't been written by the sith lord.
me
Sent:Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:15 AM
To: (friends of a like mind)
Normally, I just dismiss anything by Karl Rove as lies and this smacks of dog-whistle religious politics. In this case though I suspect the facts are largely true, or at least as true as Karl Rove can deal with without bursting into fire.
And I agree that in 2000 McCain certainly would have made a better president than Bush and maybe Gore.
But, as I agrue with my son who is a strident McCain supporter, while it's a terrible thing that McCain was tortured, if that's all that's require to be president, Gitmo would be a future president factory. McCain has yet to close the deal with me,although I still think he can. I'm still not sure who he is today. If the man he was in 2000 is still in there, ready to break free, he could very well get my vote. OTOH, if the dems nominate Hillary and McCain continues doing things like skirting his own campaign finance law, or mixing up the Sunni and the Shia, then I might very well sit this one out.
From: Yacov Smirnoff Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:14 PM
To: (friends of a like mind)
Subject: McCain in WSJ opinion pages
I read this in the airport today. The words that came readily to mind included: duty, honor, valor, selfless acts of courage, selfless acts of compassion. This is the guy we should have had 8 years ago.https://mail.microsoft.com/OWA/redir.aspx?C=624b758540264cdab48d9031dbf92461&URL=http%3a%2f%2fonline.wsj.com%2farticle%2fSB120951606847454685.html If only the article hadn't been written by the sith lord.
me
Sent:Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:15 AM
To: (friends of a like mind)
Normally, I just dismiss anything by Karl Rove as lies and this smacks of dog-whistle religious politics. In this case though I suspect the facts are largely true, or at least as true as Karl Rove can deal with without bursting into fire.
And I agree that in 2000 McCain certainly would have made a better president than Bush and maybe Gore.
But, as I agrue with my son who is a strident McCain supporter, while it's a terrible thing that McCain was tortured, if that's all that's require to be president, Gitmo would be a future president factory. McCain has yet to close the deal with me,although I still think he can. I'm still not sure who he is today. If the man he was in 2000 is still in there, ready to break free, he could very well get my vote. OTOH, if the dems nominate Hillary and McCain continues doing things like skirting his own campaign finance law, or mixing up the Sunni and the Shia, then I might very well sit this one out.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
New! From the People that Brought You Shoeless Lines at the Airport
Pretty much the last humiliation before they just go for body cavity searches.
Monday, April 28, 2008
How Far Away is the Moon?
To put that into perspective, if you were to line up hamburgers end to end from the Earth to the moon, and then you were to eat those hamburgers, you would be fucking sick of hamburgers.
here
here
Friday, April 25, 2008
Satan Lurks in Seafood Restaurants!
It seems that god hates crustaceans.
God also hates Brats, Barbers, Vaginas, and Mixed Fibers
So, pretty much, god is a gay man in his late 30s.
God also hates Brats, Barbers, Vaginas, and Mixed Fibers
So, pretty much, god is a gay man in his late 30s.
Security Theatre
llyImaginary protection from threats you don't have: The Quantum Sleeper.
My first thought: It's made of wood! I could just set it on fire and be done with it.
My second thought: This is a joke of engineering! That thing would never protect your head from lasers.
I showed this to a co-worker who pointed out that the point of safety was to keep one *out* of a coffin.
My first thought: It's made of wood! I could just set it on fire and be done with it.
My second thought: This is a joke of engineering! That thing would never protect your head from lasers.
I showed this to a co-worker who pointed out that the point of safety was to keep one *out* of a coffin.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Star Formation in M83
The outlying regions around the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, or M83, are highlighted in this composite image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array in New Mexico. The blue and pink pinwheel in the center is the galaxy's main stellar disk, while the flapping, ribbon-like structures are its extended arms. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer is an ultraviolet survey telescope. Its observations, shown here in blue and green, highlight the galaxy's farthest-flung clusters of young stars up to 140,000 light-years from its center. The Very Large Array observations show the radio emission in red. They highlight gaseous hydrogen atoms, or raw ingredients for stars, which make up the lengthy, extended arms. Astronomers are excited that the clusters of baby stars match up with the extended arms, because this helps them better understand how stars can be created out in the "backwoods" of a galaxy.
(Via Galex)
Contrary to what the text might suggest, many of these stars have no discernable hillbilly accent, and several have indicated they'd vote for John McCain.
UPDATE: Brain suggests, "that galaxy looks like the FSM. More proof of our faith"
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
"I can’t believe the internet allows people like you publish this"
A great opening line and the rest doesn't dissapoint in the flavor department (unlike so many others):
your whole Flying Spaghetti Monster is going to get punctured like a big balloon and come floating down on your heads and completely crush you… and I’ll be there with plenty of spaghetti sauce to eat it up and rid the world of this Satanic idea, except that I wouldn’t do that because then your monster would be inside of me which I totally don’t want. LOSERS!!!! Don’t you get it? You made it all up! YOu are the total opposite of a real religion where God makes it all up, not you.
"where God makes it all up"
So much truth in so much cluelessness...
your whole Flying Spaghetti Monster is going to get punctured like a big balloon and come floating down on your heads and completely crush you… and I’ll be there with plenty of spaghetti sauce to eat it up and rid the world of this Satanic idea, except that I wouldn’t do that because then your monster would be inside of me which I totally don’t want. LOSERS!!!! Don’t you get it? You made it all up! YOu are the total opposite of a real religion where God makes it all up, not you.
"where God makes it all up"
So much truth in so much cluelessness...
Nearer My God Than Thee
Priest Vanishes on Party Balloon Flight
SAO PAULO, Brazil (April 21) - A Roman Catholic priest who floated off under hundreds of helium party balloons was missing Monday off the southern coast of Brazil.
Maybe Oral Roberts University should open a flight school...
SAO PAULO, Brazil (April 21) - A Roman Catholic priest who floated off under hundreds of helium party balloons was missing Monday off the southern coast of Brazil.
Maybe Oral Roberts University should open a flight school...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Some New Art
I have finished 2 pieces, both stylized Art Deco Bridges. The first, Works Progress Administration, is based on an idea had in 1998, when I first started with Bryce 4.0. I did a "draft", but my skillz were weak and I never really got the hang of it. This is much, much closer to the idea I have in my head. The lighthouse-statue in the lower right is actually from my remake of Science.
The other, The Silver Zephyr, was an accident. I had a train in mind for the WPA bridge and spent quite a bit of time building a deco-style model. Unfortunately when I put it in the image, it looked very wrong. It blocked a lot of the detail and added very little. While puzzling out how to fix it, I conceived the second bridge. His hat was going to be an Indian War Bonnet, but it got away from me and is now a kind of comet-thingy.
Enjoy!
The other, The Silver Zephyr, was an accident. I had a train in mind for the WPA bridge and spent quite a bit of time building a deco-style model. Unfortunately when I put it in the image, it looked very wrong. It blocked a lot of the detail and added very little. While puzzling out how to fix it, I conceived the second bridge. His hat was going to be an Indian War Bonnet, but it got away from me and is now a kind of comet-thingy.
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
'premature AJAXulation'
Awesome talk at RSA last week. The title alone was worth 50 minutes of my time.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Why Superman Sucks
pretty good really.
In the movie Superman Returns, Lois Lane writes an article explaining why mankind doesn't need Superman because we should be able to take care of ourselves, and the presence of an omnipotent superhero basically takes all responsibility off the human race and turns us into a bunch of helpless sheep, powerless to do anything but scream for help from our savior in times of crisis. She eventually decides this viewpoint is incorrect if only because she wants to bone Superman so badly, but the argument remains relevant no matter what.
Of course, to beleive this you have to have the opinion that people buy comic books for moral instruction or that they are a post-modern critique of the collective gestalt or some crazy-ass stuff like that.
Most of us read them because, you know, heat vision!
In the movie Superman Returns, Lois Lane writes an article explaining why mankind doesn't need Superman because we should be able to take care of ourselves, and the presence of an omnipotent superhero basically takes all responsibility off the human race and turns us into a bunch of helpless sheep, powerless to do anything but scream for help from our savior in times of crisis. She eventually decides this viewpoint is incorrect if only because she wants to bone Superman so badly, but the argument remains relevant no matter what.
Of course, to beleive this you have to have the opinion that people buy comic books for moral instruction or that they are a post-modern critique of the collective gestalt or some crazy-ass stuff like that.
Most of us read them because, you know, heat vision!
Elite
In a discussion with fellow elitists, a reference was made to the following article in The Nation which talks about the term's origin as an epitaph.
Served up on the same page was this ad:
You just can't write comedy like that.
Served up on the same page was this ad:
You just can't write comedy like that.
Amazing Innovation
This is a pretty awesome set of innovations based on existing technology. I'm very impressed.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Not Helping As Much As They Think
HP accidently sent out a USB stick with a virus on it. Not good but, you know, things happen.
So what do they suggest to their customers?
To find out whether a drive is infected, HP recommends inserting it into a system with up-to-date antivirus software. Systems with up-to-date antivirus should be protected from the threat, according to HP.
Sweet Zombie Jesus!
"should be"
So if you are protected, it will clean it. If not? meh! You needed to update your anti-virus anyway!
This was one response from the security folks:
Tony puts hand on hot burner
Tony: OUCH! That’s hot.. Hey Steve
Steve looks up at Tony
Steve: Yeah?
Tony: Come here, put your hand on this and tell me if this is hot
Steve: Okay!
Steve puts hand on the same hot burner
Steve: OUCH! Yeah that’s hot.. Hey Carol!
Yeah, thats about right.
Dumbasses.
So what do they suggest to their customers?
To find out whether a drive is infected, HP recommends inserting it into a system with up-to-date antivirus software. Systems with up-to-date antivirus should be protected from the threat, according to HP.
Sweet Zombie Jesus!
"should be"
So if you are protected, it will clean it. If not? meh! You needed to update your anti-virus anyway!
This was one response from the security folks:
Tony puts hand on hot burner
Tony: OUCH! That’s hot.. Hey Steve
Steve looks up at Tony
Steve: Yeah?
Tony: Come here, put your hand on this and tell me if this is hot
Steve: Okay!
Steve puts hand on the same hot burner
Steve: OUCH! Yeah that’s hot.. Hey Carol!
Yeah, thats about right.
Dumbasses.
Works Progress Administration
Some new art. I;ve been working on this for a while and finally got a long enough break to put in a few hours. Consider it a late draft.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Best Summary of Iraq Hearings
here.
okay, I may have taken liberties with the definition of the word "best"
BTW, I am coming out from under a huge amount of work, so regular blog updates should resume shortly.
okay, I may have taken liberties with the definition of the word "best"
BTW, I am coming out from under a huge amount of work, so regular blog updates should resume shortly.
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