Recent Posts

2201

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Stoic Joker on July 01, 2013, 03:39 PM »

Cicero is a great philosopher- one not spoken of in the same tones as Socrates and Aristotle outside of philosophy circles...

What is morally wrong can never be advantageous, even when it enables you to make some gain that you believe to be to your advantage. The mere act of believing that some wrongful course of action constitutes an advantage is pernicious.

You can't say it any plainer than that.

-wraith808 (July 01, 2013, 12:12 PM)

It's no wonder he isn't very popular...^that's^ blasphemy, and almost seditious these days.


He sounds like our kind of people.  

2202

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Stoic Joker on July 01, 2013, 11:35 AM »

Okay... Since I had to Google all the Latin... I ran across this other quote that I found rather interesting:

Philippic (44 B.C.)
(Hannibal ad portas) Hannibal at the gates: a cynical expression made when Cicero was forced by Antony to attend a Senate meeting which Cicero thought was of no major importance.

That, Senators, is what a favour from gangs amounts to. They refrain from murdering someone; then they boast that they have spared him! From the Second Philippic Against Antony.

Kinda sounds like the gang in Washington to me.

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Living Room / Re: Prism Break

« Last post by Stoic Joker on July 01, 2013, 11:24 AM »

Be sure to read its warning page which explains the limitations of what this distro can do for security.

-40hz (June 30, 2013, 10:26 AM)

Oh the irony ... We're in the process of transitioning the internal systems (going virtual), and I don't currently have an unfiltered (bypass) DNS server available (decommissioned hard box). So when I tried to visit your link I got nailed by the (to keep the staff honest) edge web filter.

Now granted, I am the admin ... But I feel obligated to yell at myself for being a %&^*$ dumbass.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Side note: I noticed that OpenDNS is rather curiously absent from the above list...have they gone to the dark side?!?

2204

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 29, 2013, 01:07 PM »

"A person is smart, people are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals." Was my favorite quote from the whole movie.

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Living Room / Re: Prism Break

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 29, 2013, 01:02 PM »

Oooo ... This looks fun to play with: Anonym.OS

2206

Living Room / Re: E P I C - Spying & Privacy Issues

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 28, 2013, 10:24 PM »

About the only thing that would get their attention is about a million people standing on their lawns demanding it stopped....

-Tinman57 (June 28, 2013, 06:53 PM)

Since they seem to want to know all about our personal business ... I say we get a million folks together and go take a shit on their front lawn. Then we can ask'em if they're happy with what they wished for.

2207

Living Room / Re: FTC: Reclaim Your Name

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 28, 2013, 10:15 PM »

If it was just outlawed like it should have been from the start we wouldn't be having this discussion....

-Tinman57 (June 28, 2013, 07:02 PM)

Which is what I was driving at. Resolving the tracking issue by starting yet another list, is like trying to take your mind off a nose bleed by dropping an anvil on your foot. 

2208

Living Room / Re: EU Court - Piracy Tax On Printers

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 28, 2013, 03:50 PM »

The rule of thumb originally stated that you weren't allowed to beat you wife with a rod that was larger (in diameter) than your own thumb.

-Stoic Joker (June 28, 2013, 06:20 AM)

This tale about the origin of the "rule of thumb" phrase has been pretty well debunked.

-mwb1100 (June 28, 2013, 03:17 PM)

Perhaps so, but none the less the potential for abuse (when interpreted by the good Ol' boy network) for either one matches perfectly.

2209

Living Room / Re: 10 signs you may have OCD

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 28, 2013, 03:00 PM »

I have an uncontrollable urge to wash my hands every time I'm forced to handle an Apple device ... Is that a bad sign?

2210

Living Room / Re: FTC: Reclaim Your Name

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 28, 2013, 06:28 AM »

So... I order to not be tracked...you sign up for a don't track me list. Which will of course need to have some level of detail about you to ensure that you specifically are the one that is not tracked. To further ensure your not tracked-ness, all of the no track folks are compiled into a database that is made available to everyone that is to not track you, so that they can more easily verify that your activities aren't saved in the wrong places.

So ultimately...you still end up in a database...as an easily targetable demographic.

...What exactly does this change? 

2211

Living Room / Re: EU Court - Piracy Tax On Printers

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 28, 2013, 06:20 AM »

Can anyone 'translate' this:

The court does however limit the amount that can be levied. "The overall amount of fair compensation must not be substantially different from the fixed amount owed for the reproduction obtained through the use of one single device," the ruling said.

-tomos (June 28, 2013, 02:47 AM)

I'm guessing it fairly close to the same "logic" behind the origins of the "Rule of Thumb".

For those that don't remember/care to Google it: The rule of thumb originally stated that you weren't allowed to beat you wife with a rod that was larger (in diameter) than your own thumb.

...Which sounds pretty close to what they are doing here to me.


---------------------------

Congrats on hitting 7,000 posts man!

2212

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Essential Studio WinRT 100% Discount

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 27, 2013, 11:56 AM »

Cool, grabbed a copy as I've been pondering the possibility of attempting a Metro app.

..So is this a standalone IDE, or an add-on for MSVS, or both?

-Stoic Joker (June 27, 2013, 11:38 AM)

No, it's controls for use in  Visual Studio.  I evaluated for work, but we ended up not using it because of politics, even though I liked it and the company better than the alternative.

-wraith808 (June 27, 2013, 11:42 AM)

Cool, I can work with it either way, thanks.

On a side note: I just got paged with a call from them (which I sent to voice mail), and as I type this I see an Email coming in from them ... Zoiks! I hate being attacked directly after a transaction...give me a friggin minute FFS ... It's not like I clicked the 'Send new BFF' button. If I need help with something I'll call...answering the phone then will impress me. This is just annoying.

2213

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Essential Studio WinRT 100% Discount

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 27, 2013, 11:38 AM »

Cool, grabbed a copy as I've been pondering the possibility of attempting a Metro app.

..So is this a standalone IDE, or an add-on for MSVS, or both?

2214

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 27, 2013, 11:20 AM »

So... The US is expecting to get favors from people...(directly)...after getting caught red-handed shitting in their hats.

Dear god, how stupid are these people?!?

 

2215

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 7 History

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 26, 2013, 01:45 PM »

The IE history isn't so much a group of folders as it is a database of where the current user has browsed. This is easier to see if you have show hidden system files turned on and browse to a different user's profile.

I've always had good luck with the Nirsoft utility in that regard.

2216

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 26, 2013, 01:34 PM »

But please remember what happens when governments really become afraid of somebody.

-40hz (June 26, 2013, 01:26 PM)

Actually I posted the graphics assuming that's what you're LOL'ing.

People living in places like Baghdad, or who are being detained indefinitely and without charges under utterly inhumane conditions, can tell you exactly what some governments can also do when they get really nervous and pissed-off about something

-40hz (June 26, 2013, 01:26 PM)

That's not fearing the people...that's viewing them with contempt.

2217

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 26, 2013, 01:12 PM »

Apparently there is a bit more reasoned version of this by one of the original crew:

2218

Living Room / Re: Blowback from Snowden's revelations... this isn't pretty...

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 25, 2013, 06:31 PM »

I'm guessing "somebody" got cautioned. And in no uncertain terms.

-40hz (June 25, 2013, 02:26 PM)

I've always felt that Obama truly wanted to make a difference in the beginning. Shortly before getting a rude awakening when he got into office regarding which end if the proverbial strings he was actually getting attached to. Because all the real power is in the hands of off board players that constantly lurk in the shadows.

2219

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 25, 2013, 06:19 PM »

Ok...it's 17:15 EDT on 25-Jun-2013.

Mssr. Putin has just confirmed Mr. Snowden is currently standing in the 'international area' in Moscow's airport.

The US is insisting Russia has the legal authority to expel him immediately, and is insisting they do so.

-40hz (June 25, 2013, 04:16 PM)

Tom Hanks lived in an airport for ages and he's done alright for himself.

-wraith808 (June 25, 2013, 05:35 PM)

...And I was trying so incredibly hard not to go there.

2220

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 25, 2013, 05:05 PM »

So if they already knew how to prevent...this... WTF happened?

-Stoic Joker (June 25, 2013, 07:07 AM)

I think you're seeing yet another manifestation of The Snafu Principle  which says: Clear and accurate communication is only possible between equals.

etc... (I didn't want to quote the whole thing).

-40hz (June 25, 2013, 07:55 AM)

This strikes me as the downside of 'Big Picture' logic, as it's frequently the lame assed excuse reason given for this type of nonsense. The speaker is generally smugly sure of their eruditely pinnacle as they explain to the listener that they simply don't understand the 'Big Picture'.

In reality when you zoom out to see said 'Big Picture' the actually relevant fact and details are so minuscule-ly obscured...that the only thing you really have a clear view of is who's political ass appears to be the most tasty.

----------------------------------------------------

On a side note: Your level of detailed insight on this stuff is truly frightening at time. 

2221

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 25, 2013, 01:06 PM »

Okay this spam had a unique enough (wtf) subject line that I thought I'd a screen shot of my inbox:

2222

Living Room / Re: Knight to queen's bishop 3 - Snowden charged with espionage.

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 25, 2013, 07:07 AM »

There is one thing about this that has been bothering me...from an Administrative stand point. Yes Snowden was an admin...which means he would need access to the relevant systems to perform his job. However... as a Systems Admin, he would...or rather should not have access to the data on those systems...as it isn't necessary for the performance of his job.

As an example, I manage networks for several medical facilities. I have free and unrestricted access to their systems that allow me to verify that their Patient Health Information (PHI) is online and available. I do not however have access (e.g. any login information) for those databases ... Which acts as a protection for both them and I.

Here's the thing, years ago (e.g. pre 9/11) there was a downloadable security profile (Windows domain group policy template) that was available from the NSA. And accompanying documentation that outlined various security policies that should be in place for segregating how much of what access should be allowed at what level to prevent ... Well shit like this.

So if they already knew how to prevent...this... WTF happened?

2223

Living Room / Re: Bug Bounty From MS

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 24, 2013, 03:59 PM »

If somebody dug up three bugs looking to get paid for them, and MS didn't have a decent going rate type price for the first one... I bet the other two would get offered to somebody else first.

Just sayin'...

2224

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 24, 2013, 03:54 PM »

Of course this don't mean anything when Prism sits between the search engine and your ISP, or between you and your ISP.....

-Tinman57 (June 24, 2013, 02:40 PM)

Yeah, that part's a given. I was just pondering the DDG microcosm part because it struck me as a bit of spin-doctored slight of hand. It smacks of all the sincerity you'd expect out of someone saying trust me in an ally.. 

2225

Living Room / Re: Beware the vaportini

« Last post by Stoic Joker on June 24, 2013, 08:16 AM »

It's also virtually identical to a gadget available in "head shops" back in the 70s dubbed The Carburetor, that was designed for use with red oil of hemp

-40hz (June 24, 2013, 07:16 AM)

Dated yourself pretty hard that time man.. (I remember browsing the bong dept. too.)