RenderMan's Journal

2:23pm: Towel Day tomorrow
Tomorrow is Towel day, time to honor Douglas Adams by knowing where your towel is all day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

" A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitch hiker can have. Partly it has great practical
value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a bush, but very, very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with."

5:37pm: Tomorrow is Towel Day
Always Know Where your towel is, particularly Tomorrow, May 25th

http://www.towelday.kojv.net/?frood

To Quote the Good Book:

"A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitch hiker can have. Partly it has great practical
value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with."

12:33pm: Shit disturbing
So I' was watching Discovery channel, getting my fix of cars and motorcycles when I noticed something. In alot of their motorcycle shows (American choppers, Biker Buildoff, etc) the guys aren't wearing Helmets for their 'test rides'. Considering the audience size and the amount of interest that those shows are generating about motorcycles, you'd think they could be a better influence.

I'm not some safety nut or anything, but usually it's not a good idea to be showing what amounts to some peoples 'hero's' committing moving traffic violations or just not using common sense. You'd think that the producers would say 'hey, can you put on a helmet since there's kids watching '

So I think I'll be calling the PR dept at Discovery to find out why they aren't pushing their show producers to show these guys with appropriate safety gear. At least it gives me a good excuse to put the screws to somebody guilt free.

I'll update if anything flys

1:10pm: To the democractic experiment of the United States of America:

It's been nice knowing you.

"...the legislation allows President Bush or Donald Rumsfeld to declare anyone - US citizen or not - an enemy combatant, lock them up and throw away the key without a chance to prove their innocence in a court of law. In other words, every thing the Founding Fathers fought the British empire to free themselves of was reversed and nullified with the stroke of a pen, all under the guise of the War on Terror."

3:48pm: Here's something to make you think. The ommision of little details in media reports can make a huge difference:

Re: Canadian nutjobs arrested on terrorism charges

The Toronto Star Notes: "The Star has learned that when investigators monitoring the men found out about the alleged purchase of the fertilizer, they intervened before delivery, switching the potentially deadly material with a harmless substance." http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149460818253&call_pageid=970599119419

USA today on the otherhand: "The Royal Canadian Mounted Police itself delivered three tons of potential bomb-making material to the group that authorities said wanted to launch a string of attacks inspired by al-Qaeda, according to a news report Sunday." http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-06-04-terrorsuspects_x.htm

Hmmm, so Canadian investigators did thier job and investigated, found a suspicious purchase and switched it to an intert substance just in case. The Star reports this correctly. USA today however omits the switch and makes it look like the cops were hookwinked into delivering the explosives themselves.

This is why it is nessecary to read many sources. This is also why it's worth reading and supporting Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (www.fair.org).

11:39am: Iran 'could develop nuclear weapons in just five years'
http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=815232006

The first paragraph gives me a sense of Deja Moo (The feeling I've heard this bullshit before)

"IRAN could develop a nuclear bomb in as little as five years, the man in charge of American intelligence warned today.

John Negroponte, the US National Intelligence Director, gave the chilling warning as six major world powers agreed a "carrot and stick" programme aimed at persuading the Tehran regime to curb its nuclear programme. "

12:25pm: Interesting factoid of the day
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1783339,00.html

More people voted for the latest American Idol than voted for a president. EVER!

7:34pm: Alive
Yep, I'm still alive.

10:11am: Ok, This should be interesting. Through various people at Lockpicking101.com we are going to be having our first meeting of Canada Locksport International / Edmonton (CLSI/E) on July 16th, 4pm - 7pm.

It's a group that (we hope) will meet regularly to share information about locks and lockpicking for the Edmonton area. No experience nessecary, just bring your curiosity and manual dexterity.

No website yet, but we have a charter and bylaws. Free to attend, just mail me (render AT renderlab DOT net) for directions. It's in the basement of the RenderLab and will be a pot luck BBQ, so bring grillables. The itinerary thus far:

Introductions
Brief intro to lockpicking by Renderman (if new folk are present)
Food/beverages
Lockpicking roundtable (tools and locks supplied by Varjeal (for those who don't bring any))
High security lock installation demonstration (Varjeal and kuefler)
Chapter President Elections
Go home

This will be the first attempt at having a meeting of this nature, so the more people the better to get things started right.

2:03pm: Once again swiped from Matt Good:

"What happened today in London was nothing short of tragic and the result of the actions of murderous cowards. No person should fear to ride a bus, ride a train, or walk down the street, no matter where they live. Fighting those who struggle to strike fear into the hearts of others can only be successfully undertaken by ensuring that a likeminded approach is not relied upon to defeat them. We have seen all to well what matching the lunacy of those who would undertake such actions as today visited London produces more of the same.

Londoners are not unfamiliar with incidents such as these. Having endured decades of IRA attacks, many have cultivated a suspicious nature regarding packages left on buses and in Tube stations and on trains. The difference now is how this incident will be used to heighten their fear, reduce their liberties, and inch them closer to resembling the neo-fear state that is the United States.

But while we grieve for those lost and contemplate what will become of all of this, let us recognize our own glaring hypocrisy. The Western world is, of course, stunned that this has happened. A significant number of world leaders have already made statements condemning the attacks and asserting their support for the British people and government. So one has to ask the question - where is the outpouring of mass sympathy for the people of Iraq? This sort of thing happens on a daily basis in Iraq - thirty Iraqis can be slain by a car bomb and it often doesn't make the news. Where are the statements from world leaders? Where is the front page coverage of their deaths, of their loss, of their suffering? Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians have lost their lives, not thirty or fifty or even three thousand. And yet their plight is largely ignored. Are they less human than the rest of us? Are their lives worth less? If we are to be stunned that Londoners can be murdered, why aren?t we as equally stunned that innocent people in Iraq have been killed by US bombing or insurgent suicide attacks?

Humanity knows no difference in worth. It?s time some of us learned that.

The focus placed on this week?s G8 summit by Live 8 has, unfortunately, been entirely erased by today?s events. If anything is to come out of this beyond heightened security alerts in Europe and the US and the perpetuation of fear-fear-fear, let it be an awakening to the plights of those in Iraq and Afghanistan that are suffering the West?s 'vengeance'. That like those who died today in London, they are people just trying to get home from work, feed their families, and make sense out of a world descending into madness. Let the legacy of those that perished today be that the majority of us who seek peace and community with our neighbors refuse to be categorized any longer as ?us and them?. That today we stood firm and because only ?us?. For ultimately that is the greatest weapon against those that undertake such slaughter."

9:36am: "GENEVA (AFX) - Washington has, for the first time, acknowledged to the United Nations that prisoners have been tortured at US detention centres in Guantanamo Bay, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq, a UN source said."

http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/afx/2005/06/24/afx2110388.html

This should be interesting to watch....

3:52pm: In a moment of surprise, I've been asked to Speak at Defcon 13 as part of a panel on Wardriving Ethics and Legalities.

Only took 7 years, but it looks like I'm finally going to be a speaker at Defcon, as well as contest participant and something resembling a circus side show and all around entertainment and drinking venue

2:13pm: poking through the OpenBSD changelog for 3.6 -> 3.7 and found this:

"Disable aac(4) because Adaptec is run by total assholes who will not give us documentation on their RAID controllers. They will be the first against the wall... "

Makes me smile :)

On another note, got a successful 5Km wireless link from downtown Edmonton, across Hwy 16 to a community center having a LAN party this weekend. Went pretty smooth. Thanks OpenWRT!

1:21pm: Ladies and Gentleman, It's begun.

http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+Real+ID+will+affect+you/2100-1028_3-5697111.html?tag=nefd.lede

The US has rammed through what is effectively a 'National ID card'. Basically it would be a new ID card that would be required any time you deal with the US feds, law enforcement, etc and with recent decisions down there that require citizens to produce ID on demand of law enforcement, The phrase 'papers please' just hopped continents.

Since they would all be machine readable and one can expect that retailers would be encouraged to scan and verify the ID card in order to detect fakes frequently, you can imagine the national database that will be created.

I just hope that they are RFID enabled so I can hack the crap out of them from across the room

11:04am: Owning your own house is an interesting thing. Suddenly, you have complete freedom to do every little insane idea that enters your mind. Every odd idea you've ever had since childhood, you can now do if you wish.

Example: There is a big rock in the corner of the front yard by the driveway. I think it needs a sign bolted to it saying 'Beware of Everything' or 'Beware the Grue'

Example 2: During election season, there's nothing to stop me for using my property to campaign for Mr. Bean or Hunter Thompson

My first dream though is to have wall mount bottle openers in every possibly convenient spot. By the couch, the bathtub, the kitchen sink, the grill, etc.

10:37am: Guess it's safe to tell the world now that it's a certain thing.

The Renderlab will be moving out finally. After far too many years in my parents basement (lame, I know), I've purchased a 1200 sq/ft house on the south side of Edmonton.

I'm skipping all that apartment rental crap and going straight into a mortgage.

Unfortunately cuts into my toy budget, so no spectrum analyzer for me :( but I now have a huge amount of space for my projects and the geekification of a house to keep me occupied.

Hmmm, where to put the Kegerator

It's terrifying, but in the long run will be *SO* much better.

11:02am:
:: how jedi are you? ::

3:06pm: It's interesting. I've never been a Dr. Who fan before, but I find myself enjoying the new series quite a bit.

I remember seeing some of the old Dr Who iterations on PBS years ago and laughing at the campy production and cheap sets/props.

This new series finally has a Doctor who is'nt dressed like some 1980's glam queen, has decent production value and a reasonably likeable/amusing lead pair of characters. Only too the BBC 30 years to make the series worth watching.

Who'd of thought it?

9:56pm: Yeah, I've been around. Wish I'd never visited Utah though. That's one place I'm not going through again.



create your own visited states map

10:59am: Jack Schitt

The lineage is finally revealed. Many people are at a loss for a response
when someone says; "You don't know Jack Schitt."
Now you can intellectually handle the situation.

Jack is the only son of Awe Schitt and O. Schitt.

Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt,
the owner of the Needeep N. Schitt, Inc.
They had one son, Jack.

In turn, Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt.
They produced four children named
Dip Schitt, Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, and Giva Schitt.

However, after being married 15 years,
Jack and Noe Schitt divorced.
Noe Schitt later remarried Ted Sherlock and since her kids
were living with her she wanted to keep her previous name.
She was then known as Noe Schitt-Sherlock.

Meanwhile, Dip Schitt married Loada Schitt and
they produced a son of nervous disposition named Chicken Schitt.

Two of Noe's four children, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt
were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently
married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony.
The wedding announcement in the newspaper
announced the Schitt- Happens wedding.
The Schitt-Happens had four children
named Dawg, Byrd, Hoarse, and Bull.

Bull left home to tour the world
and returned with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.

So, now when someone says, "You don't know Jack Schitt",
you can correct them.

This family history was recorded by Crock O. Schitt.

9:44am: Yes that was my mug on the TV last night.

The rest of that data recovery sory runs tonight.

Hopefully I can scare some work up from the deal.

12:17pm: Cool.

I got an email from the National Center for Victims of Crime, Stalker Resource Center, asking for help understanding the potential uses/abuses of wifi by stalkers.

It was pretty cool to be able to help an organization with some redeeming social value.

9:48am: Welcome to my day:
Userfriendly

11:53am: Edmonton Sun, Feb 17th, Page News-19 for a brief article including my comments.

3:18pm: wierder and wierder...

Got an Email from another reporter today, this time asking about my opinions on the federal auditors finding gov't computer security lax.

Did someone decide that the world needed to see me again?