LIBERTY: Paper ballots, which can be verified by voters and recounted if necessary.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

http://www.schneier.com

 

CRYPTO-GRAM, November 15, 2006
Voting Technology and Security
by Bruce Schneier
Founder and CTO
Counterpane Internet Security, Inc.

***Begin Quote***

Electronic voting machines represent a grave threat to fair and accurate elections, a threat that every American — Republican, Democrat or independent — should be concerned about. Because they’re computer-based, the deliberate or accidental actions of a few can swing an entire election. The solution: Paper ballots, which can be verified by voters and recounted if necessary.

***End Quote***

You have to admire how he guts to the bottom line. It’s a real problem (i.e., FL citation). It’s easy to fix (i.e., A machine is NOT a vote counting device. It IS a vote preparation tool.) and here’s how. It’s critical to address the problem (i.e., confidence in the fairness).


ALUMNI: PREPSTER64 “rump group” met last night

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Several laffs; a few sad moments; no agenda; valet parking!; great food; lots of suggestions and good and not so good ideas. And I saw the moth fly out of a raccoon’s wallet! ;-)

No computer for an evening felt strange. So I am way behind.


LIBERTY: We can’t be the world’s police!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2006/tle393-20061112-09.html

http://tinyurl.com/yfdq2f

A Word to the Unwise
by L. Neil Smith

***Begin Quote***

First, we are not the cops of the world. Every time we try to be, young Americans die by the thousands, instead of living to discover a cure for cancer or a matter-antimatter drive—or simply getting married and raising children and grandchildren in peace, freedom, and prosperity.

***End Quote***

L. Neil Smith, in addition to being a great writer, is a pithy libertarian commentator.

His ten points are well taken.

But, there is zero chance that either “major” party will listen. Our only hope is that the people will throw them both out.


JOBSEARCH: Introverts need to network as well

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/networking/
20030211-osemarin.html?cjpartner=mktw

http://tinyurl.com/y5uszm

 

Networking Strategies For Shy Professionals
By Judy Rosemarin

***Begin Quote***

Unlike extroverts, you aren’t energized by contact with others. Frankly, you prefer being alone.

***End Quote***

I’m not sure that is how I’d describe it. But from childhood, we were trained “to be rarely seen and not heard”.

As an ITSJ, techies are used to working on tough technical problems. Heads down. Fingers to keyboard. And, you get used to it.


GUNS: What good are guns against the government?

Monday, November 13, 2006

http://www.jtk3.com/laissezfirearm/strossen.htm

***Begin Quote***

Letter to Reason magazine
Ms. Postrel:

Nadine Strossen’s rationale for the ACLU’s abandonment of the right to keep and bear arms is: “What it [the pro-gun position] comes down to is the very strong belief that having a gun in your home is something that can ultimately fend off the power of a tyrannical government. I find that really unpersuasive in the 20th-century context. Maybe it made sense in the 18th century.”

Recent history offers numerous examples of lightly-armed men able to inflict grievous damage on vastly superior forces. Afghanistan’s mujahadeen, initially equipped with archaic Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifles, stalled the Soviet Red Army for many years before receiving the advanced weapons from the West that finally tipped the balance of power in their favor. Chad’s desert fighters managed to repel Moammar Gadhafi’s tanks by the insanely brave expedient of shooting-up enemy supply convoys, mounting Libyan anti-armor weapons thus captured on their Toyota pickup trucks, and then charging the invaders in packs. In the former Yugoslavia, 5,000 Croat defenders carrying hunting rifles and Kalashnikovs were able to protect the city of Vukovar against 25,000 army troops and Chetnik irregulars backed by Soviet T-84 tanks and heavy artillery for eighty-nine days before they depleted their ammunition supplies and were overrun.

LF

***End Quote***

This is a great post.

Don’t forget: Gandhi’s defiance of the British in India after WW2, the ’44 Warsw Ghetto Uprising, and the ’56 Hungarian Revolution.

Against a tyrannical American government, there would be some “interesting” resistance.

First, you have to figure that the Bloods and Crypts would want to continue their current drug business. Since they haven’t been impacted by current methods, one would reasonably assume that they wouldn’t be impacted by future efforts. Given that they corrupt the cops, one would expect it to continue. These gangs would mount a very good light infantry, which in their own neighborhoods, would be impossible to root out. Especially since they, like all Fourth Generation forces, would blend in with the populace, and emerge to fight that asymmetrical war.

Second, the Gubamint runs on money. If it becomes too tyrannical, then the economy will grind to a halt. As the tax rate rises, and the inflation rate rises, they will “net” less and less value. Running a fascist state requires an economy. The leaders, and politicians, will want to be kept in the appropriate style befitting their “regal” position. It’s hard to be a King, if the subjects don’t pay or work. All we need is for the people to decide that it’s a good idea to work a little less, use a metal based “medallion”, do some bartering, grow a “victory garden”, and do other “muck up the works” activities. And there will be a lot of hungry politicians!

Third, the Ross book “Unintended Consequences” demonstrates how the ruling class can be brought to its collective knees. In the book, people just start killing bureaucrats and politicians. Like the internet, it would be possible to have leader-less bloody revolution. Pick out a government worker and kill them! It wouldn’t take long for the word to spread among the government workers that if you value your life, find a new line of work. That’s Fourth Generation warfare at its heart. I think to some extent that is what we are seeing in Iraq.

It really depends on the consent of the governed. If we don’t consent, they CAN NOT govern!

I read a stat that said about 130 of the 300 million Americans own a firearm. That’s roughly one in three. It could get real messy very quickly if a consensus emerged.

Look at what happened in NOLA when the good people left. But, they don’t have to actually LEAVE. They can just look the other way for the same effect.

Remember the dead old white guys on what the tree of liberty needs?


JOBSEARCH: Use different cards, just like different resumes, for different purposes

Monday, November 13, 2006

Vista Print will, from time to time, actually print some for free if you let them advertise on the back. I’d suggest that you need different “cards” for the different types of positions you are trying to target. You do have different resumes for each genre; why not cards? If you’re hard pressed for bucks, you can print your own from that card stock they sell at the OfficeWhatever store, even though in the long run that costs more, and looks worse. So what if you throw them away. Ready, Fire, Aim!


PRODUCTIVITY: Use free file transfer services securely to move files around

Monday, November 13, 2006

I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

May I suggest a most simple work around?

If you have a big glump to transfer and it even MIGHT be private … …

(i.e., if you are NOT absolutely sure it’s public info. AND bear in mind, from my time on Wall Street, I know that interest in public info by a registered rep is in and of itself sensitive. So you may always want to err on the side of caution!)

… … then encrypt it.

Now before everyone runs for the silver bullets and garlic, it’s almost trivial.

Get any of the free zip utilities. Take your file and zip it up with the password option. (Make the password easy live NEVADA, DOPEY, or CONSTELLATION. Just not “password”!) And, upload your encrypted and compressed file.

(If you make it an executable, it’s easier the receiver.)

The receiver takes the file download and is challenged for the password.

That allows you to use a free utility service for private information. If you are really paranoid, encrypt it twice with different packages and different passwords.

imho


JOBSEARCH: A resource that may be useful

Monday, November 13, 2006

http://www.billbelknap.com/tips.php

TIPS & FUN

***Begin Quote***

If you are interested in receiving our free Survival Kit, complete the form below and you will automatically receive an email with a link to the kit:

***End Quote***

He offers a survival kit.


RANT: Hey Governor Corzine … … still wanna hear about state cars? … (continued) …

Monday, November 13, 2006

You don’t? TOO BAD!

This morning 08 Nov at 0654 est on Route 295 S at Mile 60 … …

… … a white truck td 0342 … …

… … was seen at leisurely 80 (Speed limit for serfs is 65)

… … in lots of traffic

… … tailgating the poor peon in his way

… but he was in the right lane (heading for the exit)!

Any way I am sure that he was hurrying to get to I assume trenton to protect and serve me.

Arghhh!

P.S.: Dear reader, I don’t write these every day. Just when I ARRIVE early for work, particularly agitated aggravated and have to wait for my employer workstation to get online.


LINUX: Here’s a resource of linux laptops

Monday, November 13, 2006

http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/dell.html

Have to try my old dells first.