People like Michael Savage don’t realize they are a part of the problem, as much as they would like to believe they are the solution. All they understand is a taste of their own medicine. So, Mr. Savage, do you also think that Reagan developing Alzheimer’s was fitting poetic justice in light of his “I can’t recall” answers during Iran-Contra? You should. If you are going to be an asshole, at least be consistent.

Odd little fact. Your real last name is “Weiner”. Figures, you dick. So you change it to “Savage”, which is basically what you are. Nothing more than a knucklehead with a grudge. Evolve or die, scumbag.

Too bad all you’ll do is continue to convince your knuckleheaded listeners that it’s okay to make fun of someone else’s tragedy. That takes a lot of courage.

From SFGate:

Dungeons & Dragons Co-Founder Dies at 69

Science prevails again. It just goes to show you, if the research hasn’t been done, it might not be true. Science. It works, bitches!

From the original digg.com posting:

Goldfish have more than a three second memory… a 15 yr-old student has proven they remember things for up to three days, and can deal with ‘fairly complex concepts’.

read more | digg story

In a fantastically boring blog posting over at CNET’s News.com, we are provided with an ever-so-fascinating look into Microsoft’s Security Response Center and their dedicated conference rooms. Wow. This is so amazing. I’ve never worked at a place with dedicated conference rooms before.

From the article:

While most of the room’s accoutrements are practical–food, a world map, and clocks showing the time around the world, there is also a photo of actor Harvey Keitel. That’s courtesy of Christopher Budd, who used to work as part of the security response effort. “

There is even a collection of pictures including the conference rooms, chairs, and Harvey Keitel!

I feel so much safer now. Thank you, Microsoft! Your conference rooms will keep us safe! And thank you to Slashdot for making sure the world knows about this fantastic story!

Researchers in The Netherlands have managed to create different documents that share the same MD5 sum. They use a technique they refer to as “chosen-prefix collisions” and “multi-collisions” in order to generate the documents. Interesting article, well worth the read. Also of note is their use of a Sony PlayStation 3 to aid in computation, providing them much better performance. Via the Securiteam Blog.

From the article:

“Now we have a more advanced technique, which on a single PC still can take several days. On the PlayStation 3, with its multiple computing cores and each core computing four instantiations of MD5 in SIMD mode, the advanced birthday attack takes just a couple of hours. Essentially, a single PlayStation 3 performs like a cluster of 30 PCs at the price of only one. In our experience, one chosen-prefix collision can be constructed well within 2 days of computation time, using one PlayStation 3 and a quadcore PC.”

The interesting theme being employed in their announcement is the creation of 12 PDF documents, each of which contains the name of the winner of the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, each sharing the same MD5 sum.

“asteroid impact that pockmarked moon n earth zilianz uv year ago…”

Interesting article from Cosmos Magazine. The study of the origins of the Solar System has always fascinated me. The dyamics and timeframes involved, the possible scenarios for how Earth acquired Luna, the formation of planets from accretion rings, etc.

From the original digg.com posting:

The fiery demise of a fifth rocky planet in our Solar System might have led to a flurry of asteroid impacts that pockmarked the Moon and Earth billions of years ago… “Destabilised its orbit, causing it to fall into the Sun.”

read more | digg story

Arthur over at the Emergent Chaos blog has an interesting post about code becoming less secure as it ages due to a changing vulnerability landscape. Yes, this is a blog posting about a blog posting, but it’s worth the read.

Interesting article on CNN.com about the U.S. military using various kinds of RF and infrared jamming equipment to defeat IEDs. Various vehicle-mounted, portable, and wearable devices are mentioned from a variety of manufacturers.

Jamming systems play secret role in Iraq

[Ed. Note: Not so secret anymore, eh?]

Many of my friends honestly think they can’t do anything about the current political climate. They’re pissed off, but they feel like tuning out, because the world (and specifically our country) is going to pot — wars of aggression, loss of civil liberties, health care, domestic surveillance, political corruption, corporate control of the internet — but nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. At least it seems to them, we are powerless to affect real change. I don’t blame anybody for feeling disenfranchised right now … they’re trying to make us feel that way!
So, the other day, I got pissed off enough to write my Congresswoman, Ellen Tauscher, to tell her how I feel. [I’ve written both Boxer and Feinstein with marginal success.] Contra Costa County is sort of a centrist democratic area with a lot of pro-business types. She’s a blue dog democrat (though her site says she’s on leave from this group) and a member of the New Democratic Council (NDC). When she was elected in the district, she could afford to be a more centrist or conservative Democrat. She was recently re-elected with no real competition. However, with some recent redistricting, her bailiwick has shifted more to the left. Which means, she has to contend with letters from folks like me.

I told her I want her to support impeachment of AG Gonzales, Cheney, and Bush. I want her help us get our of Iraq and avoid another quagmire in Iran. I layed it out to her and this was her response:

CONGRESSWOMAN
ELLEN O. TAUSCHER
10TH DISTRICT ~ CALIFORNIA

Dear Mr. [n0d] : [How did she know my nic?]

Thank you for writing to me with your concerns about the Bush Administration. I have reviewed your comments and I welcome this opportunity to respond.

For six years President Bush and Vice President Cheney have pushed the boundaries of their Constitutional roles. Their backroom decisions spurn accountability and threaten civil liberties. Nothing better exemplifies the abuses and failures of this Administration than the war in Iraq. With faulty intelligence and fear-mongering, the White House launched a short-sighted invasion without an exit strategy that has cost the lives of over 3,600 soldiers. When Americans voted overwhelmingly for change in November, the President instead committed more troops and more money to fight what most have recognized is an intractable civil war. The Administration has become deluded by its own ideology, and it is obstinately unresponsive to the will of the country. I am outraged that, through their tactics of misdirection and manipulation, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney have sacrificed the integrity of their offices and shaken the institutions of government.

Like you, I am eager for new leadership in the White House, and I look forward to the inauguration of a Democratic President in 2009. With 18 months remaining for the Bush Administration, I am committed to providing the thorough oversight that was missing in previous Congresses. I will work with my colleagues to conduct investigations that will bring into the light the shadowy workings of this White House.

Correspondence from constituents like you is essential to my work in Congress, and I hope that you will continue to inform me of your concerns. I value your input as I work to shape national policies to reflect the views of California’s 10th District. To keep abreast of my work, please visit my website www.house.gov/tauscher to sign up for my newsletter, e-tauscher. If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact my office at 925-932-8899 or 202-225-1880.

Sincerely,

Ellen O. Tauscher
Member of Congress

In conclusion: shout if you have to!

After this experience, I coincidentally found this thread on DailyKOS. Apparently, I’m not alone.

EmilyD whips Tauscher into shape