Happily Ever 3X09_3X10

Random update night

I started writing on RSA Conference and the fairly useless event it seems to have become. I ended up just posting random updates to some other posts.

• Can't turn Finger off now
• Advanced Persistent Whodunit
• The new hawtness (or three blurps)
• Big game hunting and tea

And if you want to know what's going on at RSA then just pay attention to the #BSides. This trend to have an anti-conference in parallel is something you've just gotta love. -Pk

Big game hunting and tea

• Some old colleagues of mine have a domesticated White Rhino that they deal with on a regular basis. Odd for Security guys, right? Well, they're looking for Big Game control and safety and that got me thinking about a Westley Richards 470 Nitro Express, Federal Ammunition, Trijicon AccuPoint scope, SCI, and Cabela's.
• I'm going to live in a log home one day. Preferably a day really soon. And while the wood and rustic appeal is obvious to me I didn't ever think I'd be considering concrete logs. No, you didn't read that wrong.
• I've taken a solid beating this past year and coaching has been suggested a few times. My immediate thought was all the Anthony Robbins stuff I used to see and hear. Which reminds me of the telemarketer that kept calling trying to sell me a Tony Robbins package to some resort in Fiji he runs. Anyway, Feroce was recommended so I may look into it. Some of y'all know me, tell me if I've lost my remaining marble.
• Lately I've been bombarded by Vegetarians and Vegans. I guess my Juvo consumption has started giving off some sort of vegetable energy. So I'm going to get the meanest formula from Protein Factory to undo the damage.
• Some people pursue advanced degrees in Physics. Some in Theology. Why not bend both around the axle and go for Witchcraft at Sacred Mists? They have a quaint little online shoppe too.
• AND A CALM NOT YELLING IN CAPS LOCK REMINDER TO PARTICIPATE IN FINDING ADA!!!

And I for one am glad the Winter Olympics are over. Ice boxing and curling aren't my cup'o'tea. Speaking of tea I think it's time for some. -Pk

[ UPDATE 03032010: It's that time of year and hunting is on my mind even thought I don't expect to do any soon. However, here are some other vendor recommendations for y'all.. Envelope makes the best soft-cases for rifles and shotguns hands-down, MILITEC-1 lubricants need to be considered (for firearms *cough*), Limbsaver makes a great shirt for serious recoil management, EAR makes solid static and dynamic hearing protection products, HEYM makes much more affordable big-bore solutions, and Red-I makes the best laser bore sighting tool on the market. Yes, I'm opinionated but I'm not wrong. Often. At least 50% of the time. Except with my wife. Yeah.. -Pk ]

Leather and Stoneware

I'm really particular about my drinking vessels. I have favorites, I hand-wash them.. gently. I coddle them and I put them in the same place at the same angle everyday after use. Yes, I'm obsessive about my drinking vessels. I need exactly two at all times. One for tea/coffee/cocoa and one for everything else.

Enter Ralph Nuara and Chris Hardwick...

Nuara makes big beefy solid beautiful stoneware that I'm convinced Indiana Jones would fight to get to. Hardwick makes throwback leather vessels that allow me to speak in medieval tongues. And I'm a big fan of handmade everything so Etsy and Zibbet shops get what scraps of money I have. -Pk

Finding Ada

Please please please spread the word on Finding Ada.

Ceridwen is asking you very very very nicely. Cheers, -Pk

I'm not dead yet

A few really rough days for my family and a bit too much time in the hospital. I'm not dead yet though. For the moment I'm thinking of time travel and beer. That is all. -Pk

Four links for equals sexteen

• Stop trying to build the tallest buildings and start doing more of this. And tell me The Hole House, being in Texas and all, doesn't just scream "Clint Eastwood was here."
• Some creatures have very reasonable expectations for their lives. And maybe some need to set their goals higher. Maybe.
• Nerf warfare is the only mandatory training actually needed in a corporate environment. And thus the only hacking universally condoned in all corporate policy handbooks is Nerf modding.
• The Nintendo Wii's nunchuk controllers are innovative, yes. But this traditional control pad with biohaptic-enabled response if really what gamers want.

You cannot get those few minutes of your life back. They are gone. Forever. You're welcome. -Pk

Good deeds

I tend to get asked about or to do the things you don't ask other people. Well, let me clarify.. I tend to get asked VERY PUBLICLY. A funny story comes to mind.

It happened seven years ago while I was at work in a conservative corporate Engineering department. News had broken that another Engineer had been passing counterfeit bills all over creation. And because eventually uber-stupidity had to strike he started passing fake Franklins at casinos. So we're all at work and a coworker calls over from a few rows and asks me how somebody would make such high-quality counterfeits. The rest of the scene involved people gathering around my cube honestly expecting an answer. When I explained kindly I actually don't have experience in counterfeiting "US currency" they suggested maybe it was smarter that I tried other currency first *blinks*. Oddly enough my departure from this company probably didn't do anything to clear their minds of those misguided questions.

It would follow that my good deeds sometimes are a little off too. Again, if it's amongst friends it's not a big deal. Most people who bother to read this post do all the things I do at the very least. I think the only difference is people ask me in public or strange situations. As if ~everyone~ should know that I'm not quite all together normal.

So today three situations happened that I could only laugh about...

• This morning while I was taking the garbage out a neighbor called over to me and asked if I could help them. Break into their own house. Very specifically suggesting SHE thought I might know how to pick locks. I don't know this young lady (I know she lives there) but something about me called out to her "BURGLAR!"... Guys might ask other guys about this but I'm simultaneously vibrating breaking-and-entering and safe-to-ask to this woman? I tried not to chuckle as I grabbed my bumping keyring and went to open her front door. When I came back over she was on the phone with a girlfriend exclaiming how cool it was. She tried to give me a tip.
• While I was at the local indoor bazaar one of the employees at the Verizon kiosk decided to ask me, from about twenty feet away, if I knew how to get a fake Facebook account. Again... FTW kind of vibes am I giving off? I pointed him to FNG and told him Facebook actually didn't know it wasn't his real name. I'm curious to know what all the other people wandering around were thinking when they looked at me. To top it off I had Ceridwen with me in her stroller so my vibes must also include daddy did time.
• The third was much less awkward.. the corner gas station clerk asked me while I was trying to prepay if I could show him how to "fake Google". After a minute I figured out he meant futzing with the user agent string. I took him to User Agent Switcher on his little netbook and was on my way. Still paid full price for the gas so he isn't getting anymore free support from behind the plexishield. Seriously though, isn't it bad enough every gas station clerk always has a wireless headset on and a conversation about cigarettes and money? Do I need them bypassing registration to some support forum for frostie machines?

I just realized I want to choke on a turkey leg. My pheromones don't work right.... they carry signals from the geek corners of the Internet. I think I'm going to cry pcaps. -Pk

God's Waiting Room

They call Florida God's Waiting Room and I hope I don't have to explain that.

And it appears God now has a faster processing system! Florida is turning into Swiss cheese. -Pk

[ Dear Gods, I'm just joking around. Please don't take my parents, brother, or uncle who live in Florida. Err... I mean. Umm. Thank you, -Pk ]

#WednesdayWanker

This tweet caught my eye as just stupid.

@fmanjoo:  It's fine to say retard when you just mean stupid. Just like it's OK to say lame, moron, idiot. Nobody thinks you mean disabled people.

If you go to his Twitter you'll see that it didn't end there..

I am the last person to be readily and fully politically-correct. I think it's gone well beyond sensible in most settings. However, once you say something and people disagree, to continue tweet after tweet trying to pragmatically and logically justify offending people is silly stupid. Like my grammar, just silly stupid.

So an unfollow click later this Wanker (see, not PC!) is off my list. -Pk

[ It should be noted that I've volunteered many hours to mentally disabled children and have seen the hurt the random use of that word can cause. -Pk ]

Spy Numbers Exhibition

The Contemporary Conflict Institute is putting together an exhibition and wants input from those who follow and have any history and perspective on spy number stations and operations. I want to pass this on early and often. -Pk

Almost random links

• I wonder how long it will take until citizens start taking down police drones? Seriously, there will be a lot of new innovative ways to bring them down once you unleash them on the geeks and freaks of the cities.
• IntelFusion commented on the Mandiant APT paper and it's worth a read. APT will be perceived in way too many different ways depending on if you've experienced it, have funding riding on it, have always treated any threat as potentially APT, etc. etc. etc.
• I like Google's proposed extensions to DNS and the responding comments have good thoughts too. Positive reception so far.
• Who wants to resurrect Incognito in a donations for dissidents capacity? Heck, donate for Citizens of growing Police States.
• The secret at this robotics lab is that all of their projects are leading to beer scavenging and recovery robots for natural disasters. You know, so they can recover the beer under the rubble. In all seriousness, they'll be able to find Scotch too.
• I really like my Duracell Powerhouse, it's the first reserve system that actually worked properly on all my devices. And I can see Duracell merging their reserve systems with their myGrid (although myGrid needs lessons from Powermat).

I think I will watch BBC America now for no particular reason. -Pk

The new hawtness (or three blurps)

• Software Defined Radio has come a long way and the amateur setups have gotten really good. I'm going to spotlight the FlexRadio FLEX-3000 at the moment and hope one drop-ships to me shortly. My old WiNRADiO setup met death. It's not just for Spooks anymore.
• For April Fool's Day this year I suggest you incorporate epoxy and wee folk accessories. Failing that run around your workplace and label everything Advanced Persistent <Something>.
• Hide your women and children because there is an actual Google Wave success story that sounds believable. My own very limited Google Wave experience came crashing down with the interface a few dozen times before I stopped trying.

These three blurps brought to you by insomnia. Insomnia, the choice of a GNU too many few dark secrets generation. -Pk

[ UPDATE 03032010: MMmm MMmm tasty goodness from FlexRadio with the new FLEX-1500. This reads a great upgrade to the 1000. -Pk ]

Reboot

Time for a reboot and some brain dumps on the wire. The password protected space is no longer. And for the time being I'm going to be conservative until my realized paranoia starts to fade. If you don't know what happened, why it happened, or want to know more you can check my About or Profile pages for contact information. I look forward to conversing with myself again *grin*. Cheers, -Pk