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| "The future masters of technology will have to be lighthearted and intelligent. The machine easily masters the grim and the dumb." -- Marshall McLuhan, 1969 |
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| Topic: Computer Security |
12:27 am EDT, Jun 10, 2002 |
Firewall Builder consists of an object-oriented GUI and a set of policy compilers for various firewall platforms. In Firewall Builder, a firewall policy is a set of rules; each rule consists of abstract objects that represent real network objects and services (hosts, routers, firewalls, networks, protocols). Firewall Builder helps users maintain a database of objects and allows policy editing using simple drag-and-drop operations. Preferences and object databases are stored in XML format. We support policy compiler for the popular free firewall engine iptables, ipfilter and OpenBSD PF. Here is one to watch. Firewall Builder |
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America preps gamer population for service |
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| Topic: Current Events |
9:12 pm EDT, Jun 5, 2002 |
Developed by the U.S. Army and a world-class team of Department of Defense experts in simulations and virtual environments, America's Army will be available in August. The Army will distribute Americas Army for free in response to requests at America's Army and GoArmy.com, through distribution partners that include leading computer game magazines, at Army events, at recruiting stations, and through internet download. The game is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. America preps gamer population for service |
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Fire rages in the New Jersey Pinelands |
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| Topic: Current Events |
6:14 pm EDT, Jun 5, 2002 |
A forest fire burned out of control near a New Jersey state park yesterday, engulfing a house, damaging nine others, and shutting a 24-mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway in Ocean County near Toms River. By nightfall, state forest fire officials said they did not have the blaze contained but had stopped its forward progress. They were "getting the upper hand on it," they said. Firefighters planned to set backfires - controlled fires that burn away the brush that could fuel the larger blaze - around the perimeter to contain the main fire. They said they expected the fire to consume between 1,500 and 1,600 acres. This made for a fun weekend. Its been a few days now, but most of the county still has a burnt pine smell to it. Caused a lot of havoc with the roads. There was a fire in the early 90's that was much worse.. This one only shut down the Parkway. That one shutdown the Parkway and RT9, the only north/south thrufares in the area. Total and complete chaos. The area is still very dry, so I expect this will probably happen again before the summer is over. Fire rages in the New Jersey Pinelands |
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FBI Tips and Public Leads |
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| Topic: Society |
2:53 am EDT, Jun 5, 2002 |
While the FBI continues to encourage the public to submit information regarding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, this form may also be used to report any suspected criminal activity to the FBI. FBI Tips and Public Leads |
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NSA Working on Fiber Snooping |
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| Topic: Computer Security |
2:14 am EDT, Jun 5, 2002 |
Schmid said further: "[Non-European nations] have access only to a very limited proportion of [European] Internet communications transmitted by [fiber] cable...only a very small proportion of intra-European Internet communications are routed via the USA....A small proportion of intra-European communications are routed via a switch in London to which the British monitoring station GCHQ has access. The majority of [European] communications do not leave the continent...more than 95% of German Internet communications are routed via a switch in Frankfurt." Now it is easy to see why the German and European Internets were convenient staging areas for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States-the perpetrators' Internet traffic had a tiny chance of being surveilled by either the United States or United Kingdom, nations that lost citizens in the New York City attack. Liikanen's emphasis on "human rights" and respect for "rules of law" last September now looks more akin to misplaced delight about keeping American and British snoopers out of the EU communications system rather than support for principles that should govern and pervade Internet use. NSA Working on Fiber Snooping |
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LOOSE LIPS CAN SINK SHIPS -- AGAIN |
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| Topic: Current Events |
5:40 pm EDT, Jun 3, 2002 |
Created by the NSA's ad agency, Trahan, Burden & Charles, Baltimore, the new print campaign uses dramatic patriotic art of miliary personnel at work emblazoned with slogans such as "INFORMATION SECURITY BEGINS WITH YOU." LOOSE LIPS CAN SINK SHIPS -- AGAIN |
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When 300 baud was the bomb |
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| Topic: Technology |
4:36 pm EDT, Jun 3, 2002 |
Back in the day, there were boards. Bulletin Board Systems. BBS's. No Net, no Web, no cyberspace, nothing. Just boards, and their ugly stepchildren, D-Dials. All strung together with phone lines, hand-rolled software, and 8-bit computers. No backbone, no hubs, no routers, no DNS tables. Just one computer picking up the phone, calling another, and having a little chat. Back in the day, phone prefixes mattered. Flat rate local calls meant the boards in your local zone were free --- not phree, which was different. I had a list of them posted on my wall, for a while, but soon enough I never really needed it. I knew my zone. 992, 667; 665; 464 --- they were my 'hood. Sometimes when I was feeling adventurous I might go beyond, out to the outer reaches of (201) --- none of that (908) crap back then --- but rarely farther. Go beyond (201), man, and you might, like, fall off the planet. None of that 908 crap?!? What is this guy talking about?!? 908 is where all the board were! It had the biggest local calling area in the United States! There were some good boards in 201, but 908 was where it was at.. All the boards I called were in 908, even thou I was in 609. Everything was local. This guy missed the real party. His "hood" was lame. 908 was the center of the BBS world, thats were all the non-pd boards were.. I know, I called everywhere in the state. 31337 908 4 3v3r! When 300 baud was the bomb |
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| Topic: Current Events |
8:13 pm EDT, May 30, 2002 |
Muhammad Dahlan: Head of the Preventive Security Force in Gaza, with rank of colonel. Member of Fatah-RC. b.1961, Gaza, from a refugee family. Former leader of Fatah's Shabiba movement on the West Bank. Was imprisoned for long periods by Israel (1981-late86), before being deported in 1988 to Jordan. He then joined the PLO in Tunis, where he coordinated with the intifada. Returned to Gaza in 1994. Believed to have drawn up an agreement at the Rome meeting in Jan94 with senior IDF & Shin Bet officials a plan for containing Hamas (MEI520); frequent member of negotiating team on security issues for Israeli redeployments during the Oslo process, on the return of those expelled after 1967, and on prisoner releases; coordinates with US agencies often. Speaks Hebrew fluently. Sharon blamed him for an attack on a settlers' bus in Gaza in Nov00, launched attacks on his offices & and said that he deserved to die. Reportedly tendered his resignation on 5Nov01, in opposition to the PA's policy of arresting PFLP & Jihad members; but refused by Arafat. His article, "Our partners in life in this land", appeared in Ha'aretz on 31Jan02. Was a central figure in running the PA through the "Gang of 5" that took over during Arafat's captivity (Mar-May02), backed by Asfur, Urayqat, Rashid, Shath, and favouring the creation of a unitary security apparatus that could return to an Oslo-style process (and opposing Rajub). The head of the Preventive Security Service in the Gaza Strip, Dahlan has played a key role in negotiations with Israel. In the absence of an official army, he and Rajoub are the closest to military chiefs the Palestinian Authority has. Both have recruited young men from the ranks of Arafat's Fatah faction to carry out a security mandate largely aimed at reining in militant groups. Dahlan, 41, was a student leader in the Palestinian intifada of the 1980s and was also deported by the Israelis. He continued to orchestrate the protesters from exile in Tunis where he won Arafat's confidence. Dahlan angered Arafat last month by expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of a coherent policy during the current uprising. He and Rajoub have been criticized by human rights groups for their methods during past crackdowns on Islamic militants. According to a number of sources, Muhammad Dahlan is considered the most likley canidate to replace Arafat if Bush gets his way. There isn't that much information out there about him, other then frequent mentions in various news articles. If anyone has a link to a good bio of the guy, please post it up. Arafat replacement #1 |
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Terrifying threat to marines in Afghan mountains |
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| Topic: Humor |
6:13 pm EDT, May 30, 2002 |
British marines returning from an operation deep in the Afghan mountains spoke last night of an alarming new threat - being propositioned by swarms of gay local farmers. An Arbroath marine, James Fletcher, said: "They were more terrifying than the al-Qaeda. One bloke who had painted toenails was offering to paint ours. They go about hand in hand, mincing around the village." "We were pretty shocked," Marine Fletcher said. "We discovered from the Afghan soldiers we had with us that a lot of men in this country have the same philosophy as ancient Greeks: 'a woman for babies, a man for pleasure'. Terrifying threat to marines in Afghan mountains |
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India, Pakistan, The United States, Kashmir, and Nuclear Bombs: Its a party, and everyone is invited! |
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| Topic: Current Events |
5:54 pm EDT, May 30, 2002 |
We are therefore in an extraordinarily difficult crisis. The three players each have strategic interests that simply don't mesh. If Washington convinces New Delhi to wait, it will have to convince Islamabad to stay in India's crosshairs and India to put up with intolerable attacks. If India proceeds, it essentially would save al-Qaida by shattering Pakistan. In the event of complete mismanagement, a nuclear exchange costing millions of lives is a genuine possibility. This is a well written summary of the current cluster-fuck in Central Asia. World War III has to start somewhere, and Eastern Europe isn't what it used to be. India, Pakistan, The United States, Kashmir, and Nuclear Bombs: Its a party, and everyone is invited! |
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