Interesting links and notes on updates to my main website.



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Terry Pratchett writes about the United States

You take a bunch of people who don't seem any different from you and me, but when you add them all together you get this sort of huge raving maniac with national borders and an anthem.

Um I mean Borogravia, yeah... Borogravia.
As seen in Monstrous Regiment. posted by Richard at 17:04 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Since the latest thing is ranting against Bush's $1.5 billion marriage proposal, it's useful to mention that

no Separatist was ever married in church, because there is no hint of a marriage ceremony in scripture and the [early] church had not considered marriage a sacrament before AD 537

As there is no wedding ring in the Bible either (what with there being no mention of a ceremony whatsoever), they didn't believe in using a ring either.

Many of the Separatists later colonized... the United States.
They were called... the Pilgrims.

Yes, that's right, that venerated group of Mayflower passengers did not believe in marriage as a church rite.

from God's Secretaries, pp. 180-181 and http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/colonial_life/pilgrims.htm posted by Richard at 16:43 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

This is cool.
The Vos Pad.
Via SE. posted by Richard at 09:49 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

So I watched the video of Space Bush.
(That's why I have the 20" LCD set up with the capability to show streaming video.)

Overall it sounds like a fairly sensible plan.

First I have say there is a problem with space.
Space is boring.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is incredibly boring, which makes it unfortunate that most of our time for the past few decades we have been sending people there.

The Moon is gray rocks, dust, and dirt.
Mars is red rocks, dust and dirt.

This is not so very interesting unless you're a geologist.

The space program also got a bit off track.
The whole space shuttle thing made no sense.
It makes a bit more sense now that they're putting together the space station.

Also this "let's go into space so we can invent Tang" thing is a bit off the track.

anyway, on to the commentary

Establishing an extended human presence on the moon could vastly reduce the costs of further space exploration, making possible ever more ambitious missions. Lifting heavy spacecraft and fuel out of the Earth's gravity is expensive. Spacecraft assembled and provisioned on the moon could escape its far lower gravity using far less energy, and thus, far less cost. Also, the moon is home to abundant resources. Its soil contains raw materials that might be harvested and processed into rocket fuel or breathable air. We can use our time on the moon to develop and test new approaches and technologies and systems that will allow us to function in other, more challenging environments. The moon is a logical step toward further progress and achievement.

Um, yes, in theory it's much easier to send stuff into space FROM space.
However, "abundant resources"? Um, abundant rocks maybe.
The moon is so devoid of resources that the best people can manage is to get excited about Helium-3 in some unlikely fusion scenario.
As far as I know, it has no other major resources.
The only scenario where the moon has useful stuff is if there is some ice somewhere that could provide oxygen and hydrogen.

I think Near-Earth Asteroids and Comets would be much better resource candidates.

And along this journey we'll make many technological breakthroughs. We don't know yet what those breakthroughs will be, but we can be certain they'll come, and that our efforts will be repaid many times over. We may discover resources on the moon or Mars that will boggle the imagination, that will test our limits to dream. And the fascination generated by further exploration will inspire our young people to study math, and science, and engineering and create a new generation of innovators and pioneers.

Um, of course you don't know what the breakthroughs will be. They wouldn't be breakthroughs if you did.
Resources on Mars, yes. Mars is a much more sensible place from which to stage further planetary exploration. We should be going Mars mining nuts. And also with the asteroid mining.
Then you're talking some reality.

And in the end, I think the real reason to do this is to give people something to aspire to.
Otherwise, what have we got. Bigger houses, bigger cars, bigger TVs.

At some point, when we're all living in starter castles with two hummers in the driveway and 80" TVs in every room...

The fundamental point is, we may be alone in the universe. Just us as technology-using, exploratory beings. That means, amongst other things, that the entire universe is up for grabs.

At 100 billion galaxies, that's about 16 galaxies for every man, woman and child on earth.
Feel rich yet? posted by Richard at 08:26 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Finished reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It reads very much like a movie, and not surprisingly, is being made into one.

I did a web search and amazingly, I didn't turn up the following, so I am sharing it with you.
I worked it out when reading the book last night.

13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5
O, Draconian devil!
Oh, lame saint!

use the numbers as an index into the text

O D r a c o n i a  n  d  e  v  i  l

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15



O   h  l  a  m  e  

16 17 18 19 20 21

so you have
V R D E O O I C
which is an anagram of
O DIVORCE posted by Richard at 20:29 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

MSDN Library - .NET Security (insert obligatory joke here)
Improving Web Application Security: Threats and Countermeasures

Did you know you can write command-line statements to block ports using IPSecPol in Windows 2000?
MS KB Article 813878: How to Block Specific Network Protocols and Ports
Ignore Microsoft's ridiculously confusing use of "IPSec". posted by Richard at 17:01 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Apparently today is Personal Firewall Day.
Via servergeek.net

Their list of firewalls is actually not that bad. However it really is WINDOWS Personal Firewall Day. They don't have any information for non-Windows platforms.

I have my collection of security software links for Windows, Mac, Linux and beyond at http://www.akerman.ca/trojan-port-table.html#Protect-Soft

Apparently the days are more than we can number

the [US] National Cyber Security Alliance, an association of federal agencies and industry groups, which promotes a biannual National Cyber Security Day. That campaign focuses on the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October, when people set their clocks to account for daylight-saving time and standard time, respectively. Those days are also promoted by many fire departments as days to check the battery in smoke detectors.

In addition, the educational Computer Security Day, which was launched in 1988, falls on Nov. 30.

from Security firms put up 'Personal Firewall Day'.

posted by Richard at 13:23 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Yesterday, electricity demand reached 24,528 MW, setting a new winter peak in Ontario. Electricity demand is forecast to climb even higher today. During periods of high demand, consumers are reminded to conserve electricity wherever possible in order to reduce the demand on the system.

from Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO).

NB Power and Hydro-Quebec also reported record electricity demand.

Hydro-Québec again asks for the population's cooperation

Hydro-Québec wishes to remind customers that the most effective steps to take are the following:

• reduce heating by 2 degrees in occupied rooms;
• reduce lighting to a basic minimum;
• restrict the use of hot water;
• avoid using dishwashers, washing machines and dryers.

Via OCIPEP Daily Briefing 15 January 2004. posted by Richard at 13:10 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Weather Network - Ottawa says
Thursday morning -32°C
will feel like -44°C posted by Richard at 19:12 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

computer and network security - Microsoft January 2004 bulletins

For some reason, I didn't get the monthly MS security email, but anyway

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for January, 2004

There is an MDAC vulnerability, just rated "important".
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-003: Buffer Overrun in MDAC Function Could Allow Code Execution (832483)
Symantec Security Response: Microsoft MDAC Function Broadcast Response Buffer Overrun Vulnerability

Note that when they say "Windows Security", they're just bulletins for the core OS.
MS has separate security bulletins for all of its various products.

The one that is getting the most attention is for their rather uselessly named "Internet Security and Acceleration Server"
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-001: Vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000 H.323 Filter Could Allow Remote Code Execution (816458)

There are accompanying, related advisories from OCIPEP, CERT, Symantec. Note that the H.323 vulnerability extends to a variety of systems other than just Microsoft.

OCIPEP AV04-001: Vulnerability Issues in Implementations of the H.323 Protocol
CERT® Advisory CA-2004-01 Multiple H.323 Message Vulnerabilities
Symantec Security Response: Microsoft ISA Server 2000 H.323 Filter Remote Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Symantec Recommendations

Block external access at the network boundary, unless service is required by external parties.
Block TCP port 1720 at network perimeter or gateway. The H.323 filter listens on TCP port 1720 for incoming traffic, therefore blocking this port will protect against a remote attack.

Deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor network traffic for malicious activity.
Use intrusion detection systems to monitor networks for anomalous activity and report attempted attacks.

Implement multiple redundant layers of security.
An attacker's ability to exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code may be hindered through the use of various memory protection schemes. Where possible, implement the use of non-executable and randomly mapped memory segments.

Microsoft has released security advisory MS04-001 to address this issue. Users are strongly advised to obtain fixes.

I expect though you may need port 1720 (H.323 host call) for other H.323 audio/video conference apps, for example according to my TCP/IP port page you need it for NetMeeting, GnomeMeeting, Netscape Conference, presumably ohphone and so on. So you may want to be careful about blocking it at your perimeter. posted by Richard at 16:11 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Read Monstrous Regiment. It was ok. posted by Richard at 07:19 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Kodak to stop selling traditional cameras in [the United States, Canada and Western Europe] posted by Richard at 07:18 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

The National Capital Commission is pleased to announce that the 34th season of skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway will be underway [today]. As of 8 am, Wednesday, January 14, 2004, skaters and outdoor enthusiasts are invited to take to the world-famous 7.8-kilometre rink. Maintenance crews [were] out [yesterday] removing snow off the entire length of the Skateway from the National Arts Centre to Hartwell Locks. Ice surface conditions on the Skateway are expected to be fair to good. Skaters should be cautious, particularly along the edges where the ice surface is rougher, and are also urged to respect barricades and signs.

http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/skateway/conditions/index_e.asp posted by Richard at 07:14 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

So there are all these ads up on Bank Street.

Be Web Aware they proclaim.

Since I spend 99% of my time on the web, it's not clear how much more aware I could possibly be.

In any case, since their site reports "Launching January 13" and I cannot help but notice that it is January 13, it seems they are not so very aware themselves. I wonder if their site is just supposed to end up at

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/web_awareness/

or if they have some more elaborate thing planned.

I bet all of you net addicts didn't even know that February 19, 2004 is Web Awareness Day. posted by Richard at 06:41 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

New Trojan masquerades as Windows XP update

Newest Trojan: Disguised to Do Damage

Virus Info Library @ NAI: Downloader-GJ
Symantec: Trojan.Xombe

The program, known as Xombe or Dloader-L, arrives as an executable attachment in spam e-mail messages purporting to come from windowsupdate@microsoft.com and installs itself on victim's computers when users open the attachment.

Via OCIPEP (PSEPC) Daily Briefing. posted by Richard at 13:16 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Watched American Wedding.
The first Pie movie was good.
This one, not so much. posted by Richard at 22:41 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

So a 17" LCD goes for about $750 now.
I have a new thinking about computers. I think they are fast enough.
I think you now get more benefit from more screen realestate.
Either one big monitor or two monitors side-by-side.

There's an interesting thing in LCDs though. They seem to get stuck at 1280x1024. Nothing above that until a very small number of 20"+ that do 1600x1200.

Witness:
Dell 15" LCD E152FP (I have the older model, the E151FP): 1024x768
Dell 17" LCD (highend) 1703FP: 1280x1024
Dell 18" LCD 1800FP: 1280x1024
Dell 19" LCD 1901FP: 1280x1024
even some of the 20" models stick at 1280x1024
Dell (USA) 20" 2001FP: 1600x1200

Apple 17" LCD: 1280x1024
Apple 20" LCD Cinema Display: 1680x1050
Apple 23" LCD Cinema Display: 1920x1200
The Apple Store Canada has it for $2800.

Dell USA lists one high-end model
Sony 23" LCD SDM-P232W/B: 1920x1200
SonyStyle.ca shows it instore only for $4900.

Dell USA also has a section on multi-screen monitors posted by Richard at 09:37 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)

Ok, so here's the story on the 8200 motherboard.
I posted to the Dell Community Support Forums and I quickly got some informative replies.
A useful resource, although I still think it's a shame we have all these discussion groups scattered across so many different websites, rather than a central USENET2 where you could find everything.
My thread: Dell 8200 motherboard.
Another one they pointed me to: 8200 motherboard upgrade, what's a 7G535 motherboard

According to them, the 7G535 motherboard being sold on eBay is the original 400MHz FSB model, regardless of what people say. So it should be fine with my CPU and RAM.

I also went through the Dell troubleshooting with a nice helpful guy from India.
Usual stuff with reseating all cables, reseating CPU, removing all add-ons and cables.
Only scenario I hadn't thought of was a partial failure of the power supply, but I checked with an identical working one and the motherboard is still dead.

The motherboard has only a few ways that it can communicate with you.
There is the colour of the light on the power button in front, and there are four small LEDs, ABCD on the back. Unfortunately the light is orange and none of the LEDs are lit.

I'm going to call Dell spare parts Canada, the number is 1-866-440-3355, they're only open M-F 8-8 EST.

Another option would be to buy an entire used 8200 on eBay, they only run about $400 now. posted by Richard at 09:21 / permalink (post) | permalink (numeric)