When Life Gives You Lemons, Declare An Allergy
4 hours ago
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
TANSTACS-- There Ain't No Such Thing As Computer Security
A truly terrifying article by Quinn Norton.
But the thing is, there is no going back. There's no real solution.
Back in the day, the naval supply system was run out of some huge-ass depot in Mechanicsburg, PA.[1] Their system was truly fucked up. The Pork Chops'[2] inventory and tracking system for supplying parts was a mess and they routinely lost track of things the size of a home dishwasher or larger. Sometimes much larger. A report back then stated that they could fix things by a complete revamping of the inventory tracking system, but that would mean that they'd have to shut down the supply system for a month. Which isn't possible.
Lord only knows how many embedded controllers there are out there that are operating on a 286-level chip an software as old as DOS 3.0.[3] There is no way to fix it all.
And there is no real way anymore to hold down a professional-type job without being online, not if you aspire to make much above minimum wage.[4] You work with computers, you play with computers. People take college courses online. They watch TV online.
There's no going back. We left the non-digital world soon after Mosaic was released.[5] Norton recognizes that:
Yep. Good luck with that, pal.
(HT1, HT2)
_________________
[1] Probably in some then-powerful congressman's district.
[2] Because their collar device kind of looked like a pork chop.
{3] The Air Force still has systems that use 8" floppies, kind of on the same theory that car thieves are less likely to steal cars with manual transmissions.
[4] Or if you have some sort of obscure skill. But even the shipwrights working on the Charles W. Morgan are online.
[5] In `91, I had drinks with a guy who was trying to explain to me how FTP worked and that I could download things from the University of Sarajevo. I asked him: "Why would I ever want to do that". And now, I don't think I've been inside of a formal law library in a dozen years.
But the thing is, there is no going back. There's no real solution.
Back in the day, the naval supply system was run out of some huge-ass depot in Mechanicsburg, PA.[1] Their system was truly fucked up. The Pork Chops'[2] inventory and tracking system for supplying parts was a mess and they routinely lost track of things the size of a home dishwasher or larger. Sometimes much larger. A report back then stated that they could fix things by a complete revamping of the inventory tracking system, but that would mean that they'd have to shut down the supply system for a month. Which isn't possible.
Lord only knows how many embedded controllers there are out there that are operating on a 286-level chip an software as old as DOS 3.0.[3] There is no way to fix it all.
And there is no real way anymore to hold down a professional-type job without being online, not if you aspire to make much above minimum wage.[4] You work with computers, you play with computers. People take college courses online. They watch TV online.
There's no going back. We left the non-digital world soon after Mosaic was released.[5] Norton recognizes that:
Executable mail attachments (which includes things like Word, Excel, and PDFs) you get just about everyday could be from anyone — people can write anything they want in that From: field of emails, and any of those attachments could take over your computer as handily as an 0day. This is probably how your grandmother ended up working for Russian criminals, and why your competitors anticipate all your product plans. But if you refuse to open attachments you aren’t going to be able to keep an office job in the modern world. There’s your choice: constantly risk clicking on dangerous malware, or live under an overpass, leaving notes on the lawn of your former house telling your children you love them and miss them.But his solution is sort of vague, basically "rise up and demand better security."
Yep. Good luck with that, pal.
(HT1, HT2)
_________________
[1] Probably in some then-powerful congressman's district.
[2] Because their collar device kind of looked like a pork chop.
{3] The Air Force still has systems that use 8" floppies, kind of on the same theory that car thieves are less likely to steal cars with manual transmissions.
[4] Or if you have some sort of obscure skill. But even the shipwrights working on the Charles W. Morgan are online.
[5] In `91, I had drinks with a guy who was trying to explain to me how FTP worked and that I could download things from the University of Sarajevo. I asked him: "Why would I ever want to do that". And now, I don't think I've been inside of a formal law library in a dozen years.
Life Copies From Art, Sometimes
Thailand's military rulers said Tuesday they are monitoring a new form of silent resistance to the coup — a three-fingered salute borrowed from "The Hunger Games" — and will arrest those in large groups who ignore warnings to lower their arms.
The military rulers will, no doubt, soon ban showings of the movies.
Elites everywhere hate democracy. They hate the idea of people having an unqualified right to vote. They despise the idea of public protests. In this country, there are persistent moves to keep those people from voting- students, the elderly, and minorities. Jim Crow, at its core, was the systematic denial of the right to vote to Black people. "First Amendment Zones" by the Secret Service and other police agencies are symbols of the distain for public protests. The powerful have had little trouble getting the cops to assist in tromping over teh rights of the people.
The difference between places such as Thailand and here is that, for the most part, the military has stayed out of naked interference in politics. The day that happens will be the day that we can mark "Fin" to the American Experiment.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Helo Akro
Wasn't terribly long ago that any one of those maneuvers would have ended with a smoking hole in the ground.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Come the Revolution, You're Gonna Get Yours, Bud; Health Insurance Edition
During the open-enrollment period for Obamacare, I did some shopping. None of the deals they offered were that much better than my current plan. So I didn't switch.
The month after the open enrollment period ended, those motherfuckers jacked my insurance rates up $150 a month.
OK, here's a pronouncement: If you work for a health insurance company and if you're one of the evil bastards involved in setting rates, then may you die soon, painfully, and often.
The month after the open enrollment period ended, those motherfuckers jacked my insurance rates up $150 a month.
OK, here's a pronouncement: If you work for a health insurance company and if you're one of the evil bastards involved in setting rates, then may you die soon, painfully, and often.
The Stupid Assholes of Texas, Open Carry Edition
They think that they are doing something good for gun rights, but as noted here, they're not helping. Not a frigging bit. Cripes, even Rick Perry apparently thinks that they're idiots.
Unless they're a false-flag operation for the Bloomberg groups.
BadTux is right, open carry of rifles and shotguns makes as much sense as carrying a chainsaw into a restaurant. It goes further, of course, would you go out to dinner while carrying a 16lb sledge-hammer? After all, something might come up in the middle of the meal and you'd have to mine another three tons of #9 coal.
OC-Texas may be well-meaning. But they are about as much help as a tanker truck of gasoline at a fire.
Please, guys, I beg of you: Stay the fuck home.
Unless they're a false-flag operation for the Bloomberg groups.
BadTux is right, open carry of rifles and shotguns makes as much sense as carrying a chainsaw into a restaurant. It goes further, of course, would you go out to dinner while carrying a 16lb sledge-hammer? After all, something might come up in the middle of the meal and you'd have to mine another three tons of #9 coal.
OC-Texas may be well-meaning. But they are about as much help as a tanker truck of gasoline at a fire.
Please, guys, I beg of you: Stay the fuck home.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
"KaBoom" at Fox
Tonight's episode of Cosmos was about global warming, the true cost of burning fossil fuel and a clarion call to fix it- not because it is easy to do, but because it is hard. Because if you want to have a habitable and comfortable world for your children and grandchildren, business as usual is not an option.
Airing on Fox, mind you.
Airing on Fox, mind you.
Try to Keep Your Face Offline
Because if you don't, the NSA will collect your ugly mug and add it to their database.
The NSA says that they don't have access to state drivers' licenses. It they're not outright lying about that, then the FBI probably does have access. So my guess would be that the FBI takes the photo databases from the state DMVs, renames the databases and then gives that to the NSA, which can then say that it doesn't have the state databases. Which would both be a literal truth and a factual lie.
The NSA says that they don't have access to state drivers' licenses. It they're not outright lying about that, then the FBI probably does have access. So my guess would be that the FBI takes the photo databases from the state DMVs, renames the databases and then gives that to the NSA, which can then say that it doesn't have the state databases. Which would both be a literal truth and a factual lie.
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