The Falcon's View

Focus on the... Hate?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:13:10 -0500

I've always found it obnoxious when religious leaders meddle in political affairs. It's one thing to stand up and promote values consistent with your religious beliefs, and to encourage others to support "leaders" (generic) who support those same beliefs, but this latest round from Dobson is over the line. Dobson's Focus on the Family radio series, as well as his role with the Promise Keepers organization, would suggest that he is in favor of less hate and more open cooperation. It thus seems quite disturbing that he's lashing out at Obama for a speech 2 years ago suggesting that the country cannot be run based on any one religion, noting that even if you said "the US is a Christian country" that you then have multiple denominations with varying value systems to contend with. Don't be too concerned by this hate mongering, though. It seems that Dobson doesn't really like either candidate, and may not even vote for a presidential candidate come November. If true, why bother trying to influence people one way or another? Haven't we heard enough hate speech already in this election?

"Dobson has not backed off his statement that he could not in good conscience vote for McCain because of concerns over the Arizona senator's conservative credentials. Dobson has said he will vote in November but has suggested he might not vote for president."

Little Miss Yawning

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:40:45 -0500

In a follow-up to the previous 3D/4D post... a short video of her yawning. :)

Sudden Climate Change is Normal

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:58:28 -0500

There's an interesting article on the SciAm website today about the results of ice core analysis from northern Greenland. Apparently climate changes have happened quite suddenly in the past, and it wasn't catastrophic. Of course, the global warming worry-wart alarmists then read this research and say:

"The question that arises from such findings is: How come the Greenland ice sheet at such a low latitude has remained so stable during the present interglacial [period] until now?" says study co-author and geochemist Claude Hillaire-Marcel of the University of Quebec in Montreal. "In view of the past instability—and sensitivity to temperature—of Greenland ice, serious concerns about its future under global warming stress do emerge."

Now, call me crazy ("crazy!"), but you can't have it both ways. Now they're suddenly concerned that the Greenland ice shelf has been too stable?!?!? And then they of course link it back to the doom and gloom typical of the global warming crowd.

Celebrity Death-Trio: Who's Next to Go?

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:54:48 -0500

Just a quick note... last week Tim Russert died suddenly... this weekend it was George Carlin... who will be next? It's an old urban legend, I know, but it makes one wonder. Both were heart-related problems, too. Interesting this thing we call living, isn't it?

Little Miss in 3D! :)

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:19:12 -0500

This post has nothing to do with information security, and everything to do with being a proud father-to-be! :) We went to InfantSee4D yesterday and had a special ultrasound of our bundle of joy - in 3D and in 4D (3D+motion). We saw her yawn at the beginning, which was just the cutest thing. And then she slept, so not much motion. :) She has cute little arms and cute little legs, and apparently loves to suck on the umbilical cord, up near the placenta. It's all very cool! Anyway, after the jump are pictures of her in 3D. I think she looks like Hanna - which is a very good thing! :)

Resist Strictly Incremental Changes

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:58:40 -0500

"IT consolidation is a major undertaking that can require escalating upfront capital costs to achieve long-term cost savings. It can also take between six months and two years to execute. As such, these investments often face senior executive — if not board-level — scrutiny. A business case built or vetted by a major consultancy has a better chance of approval due to higher perceived credibility of the methodologies and rigor behind the business cases built by these firms." (Source: James Staten, principal analyst, Forrester Research)

One of the more common sights in enterprises is to see an incremental approach to addressing big problems. From an engineering perspective, this is fine, and really quite a good problem solving tactic. However, when it comes to making meaningful change from a security perspective, I have come to seriously question the utility of incremental changes.

Urgent: Call Congress - Telecom Immunity (again!)

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:43:01 -0500

Those bastards we call elected Representatives are about ready to pass telecom immunity. !!!! Apparently it isn't enough that the last 3 times the public expressed outrage. Now there's no coverage of it in the press and it looks set to pass. Please, call your Congresscritter today and demand a 'no' vote!! Illegal activities must not be sanctioned by the government, no matter who signed off on it!!! Furthermore, quashing law suits designed to reveal illicit activities is also inappropriate and detrimental to freedom and civil liberties. Just say no to telecom immunity! Go here: EFF No Immunity site

Security is Like Fighting Ants

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:00:03 -0500

Have you ever had to deal with an ant infestation around your home? We've recently moved into a rental home, and our first major headache has been dealing with ants. It's apparently a seasonal thing (beginning and end of Summer), but it was still quite annoying, not to mention a bit gross. The first incursion occurred on move-in day. After having several guys help out, we grilled, and from around the door to the deck I noted a steady stream of ants that followed the trail of crumbs all the way to the nearby kitchen sink. Suffice to say, cleaning has become a much higher priority since then. Dealing with this matter has gotten me thinking about corollaries with security. These ants are external attackers (which is now known to be our primary concern, thanks to Verizon's report), and they seem to be very motivated to get through the perimeter. Once past the perimeter, they're much harder to contain. Also, how you defend against them varies depending on your goals.

Good Commentary on Airport Security Insanity

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:20:22 -0500

Courtesy my father, and from a rather conservative corner of the blogosphere. This article by Walter Williams provides a very pointed critique of TSA and why most of is in the security industry find the whole theater absolutely nauseating. My favorite quote:

"The bulk of the people hassled by these and other TSA procedures are law-abiding Americans who have no malicious intentions, along with a few people traveling with drugs and other contraband. The TSA routinely confiscates about 15,000 items a day from passengers, in addition to the hassle, rudeness and arrogance. With these kind of costs imposed on the traveling public, I'd like TSA to give an account of themselves, namely just how many hijackings or bombings they have prevented, along with the evidence. Americans have been far too compliant and that has given the TSA carte blanche to treat travelers any way they wish."

The Pain of Ordering a Ford Escape Hybrid

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:27:11 -0500

We have a baby on the way, and so it's time to get rid of my 2-door Civic. Back in April, we decided on the Ford Escape Hybrid, but found out that they were few and far between. The 2009 models became available for ordering, so we went ahead and put in an order with the local dealer (Ted Britt, Fairfax). Ours was their first order of the '09 models, and everything seemed Jim Dandy. Fast-forward 7 weeks to today. Our vehicle is still pending pickup in the queue for assembly. No VIN has been assigned. However, 3 vehicles ordered after ours have had VINs assigned, and are theoretically being assembled. The dealer is given no more status than this. Oh, and as if this isn't bad enough, they're being told that they'll only be allocated 9 Escape Hybrids, not the 11 originally indicated, which means that our order could be arbitrarily cancelled by Ford. This makes me wonder a couple things: 1) WTF?!?!?!?!?!!?!? 2) Why would Ford not process first in, first out, as I'm told all their other plants do? 3) Do they not realize how hard they're making it to buy an American car? Especially an American hybrid with superior technology? 4) Do they not realize that this is the last year for their tax credit, meaning there's literally no incentive for reduced/controlled production? 5) Have they not noticed that Toyota is owning the market, definitively and with force, all the while charging a heck of a lot more (fully-loaded Highlander Hybrid lists around $47k to the $35-36k for a fully-loaded Escape Hybrid)? 6) Does Ford honestly think that I can be sympathetic to the plight of the American auto industry in light of the my present experience? Clearly, I'm a little annoyed. Let this be a warning to everyone: if the car isn't already built, don't bank on it ever getting into your hands. BTW, if anybody knows anybody at Ford Corporate, I'd love to hear an explanation of why they can't figure out how to lock in and build mine. :)

Shawn's (Amazing) India Photos

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:44:58 -0500

You might recall that a year ago I had the privilege of traveling to India for work (AOL at the time). This year, Shawn got to go, and for a couple weeks at that, with stops in Bangalore, Mysore, and the New Delhi to see the Taj Mahal. You should definitely check out his collection of photos as they're quite remarkable. Worthy of publication, if you ask me.

Non-Fiction: Steve Martin's Born Standing Up

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:25:45 -0500

The sign of a good book, for me, is when I can read straight through it in a few days. This was the case with Steve Martin's memoir, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life. I've greatly enjoyed reading Martin's novellas (Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company), and found this memoir to be equally engaging and smooth reading. Sometimes you need a nice and easy read, and all of Martin's seem to fit this bill, while not being tawdry crap. That is to say, these don't need to be guilty pleasures. He uses a real vocabulary and everything! :) Notable quote from the book:

"I continued to pursue my studies and half believed I might try for a doctorate in philosophy and become a teacher, as teaching is, after all, a form of show business." (p86)

Anyway, I highly recommend this book - especially if you like that "wild and crazy guy." :) Up next: unsure, but I think it'll be Freedom House's Today's American: How Free?.

Missed This Friday: Tim Russert Dies

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:19:39 -0500

Massive heart attack, dead at age 58. That's a big loss in the media world. Of course, I've pretty much written off most of the mainstream media, but still. Still a bit surprising when people his age (or younger) kick it. More info on AOL.

My Monster Name

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:37:41 -0500

Surprisingly accurate? Hmmm.... ;)

Your Monster Profile

Mad Hitchhiker

You Feast On: Bananas

You Lurk Around In: Nude Beaches

You Especially Like to Torment: Boys Who Wear Make-up

What's Your Monster Name?

Hat tip to SNolan...