He once drove the entire family from Louisville to Columbus, just so he could walk around a zoo for two days.
When women see him walking around with a bag, they know it contains a change of toddler clothes and baby wipes, not his dancing shoes.
When he packs up to go to the range, he has to take the car seat out of the minivan to make room for the gun cases and target stands.
His most memorable morning was spent trying to figure out how to get baby puke out of a dress uniform prior to an inspection.
When visiting an auto dealership, he walks past the new sports car so he can get a better look at the latest incarnation of minivan or station wagon.
He takes a vacation day prior to a major holiday so that he can spend the day doing housework and taking the kids to McDonalds for lunch.
He is DaddyBear, the most domesticated wild man on Earth.
I do not drink often, but when I do, it's to get blind drunk and sleep in until 7 AM. Stay whipped, my friend.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Morning Agenda
This morning I have:
- Made Breakfast
- Done dishes
- Done laundry
- Chased a three year old
- Scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom
- Picked up the dining room and living room
- Mopped floors
- Scrubbed the bathroom from top to bottom
- Chased a three year old
- Picked up Boo's room, with his help
- Put dinner in the crockpot
- Chased a three year old
- Taken the trash out
- Taken the trash cans out to the curb
- Begun preparing Thanksgiving goodies
- Chased a three year old
- Done more dishes
- Done more laundry
- Brought the trash cans back in
- Chased a three year old
Specialization is for insects. I think I could do the stay at home Dad thing for a while.
Go For It
Russian President Medvedev has threatened to deploy missiles to Kaliningrad and other parts of Russia with the mission of destroying NATO missile defense sites in the event of war. Russia objects to the sites in principle, and seems to be peeved at the fact that NATO won't agree jointly running the sites with the Russians.
I'm not going to get into the usefulness of the anti-missile effort, or what its effectiveness would be in the event that Iran decides to launch missiles at Europe or North America. That's a debate for another time. And I think we all agree that the anti-missile program wouldn't be very useful in the event that Russia launches everything but the kitchen sink against the West. By the way, I see that situation as being less and less likely the more that Russia and the West integrate politically and economically.
If Russia wants to station missiles of any kind on their soil, so be it. Far be it from me to tell a sovereign nation what to do with their openly declared weapons. But the Russians should remember that the policy of Mutually Assured Destruction still applies. A fusillade of Iskander missiles launched against Poland will be treated as if they were launched against Wisconsin. Rattle your saber all you want, but unsheath it, and we will have a problem.
Oh, and someone needs to remind the Russians that pointing missiles at the people who are making Russia rich buying their petroleum and natural gas isn't the smartest thing in the world to do. Something tells me the Poles won't have any second thoughts about buying their energy from the Scandinavians if the Russians make aggressive moves against them.
I'm not going to get into the usefulness of the anti-missile effort, or what its effectiveness would be in the event that Iran decides to launch missiles at Europe or North America. That's a debate for another time. And I think we all agree that the anti-missile program wouldn't be very useful in the event that Russia launches everything but the kitchen sink against the West. By the way, I see that situation as being less and less likely the more that Russia and the West integrate politically and economically.
If Russia wants to station missiles of any kind on their soil, so be it. Far be it from me to tell a sovereign nation what to do with their openly declared weapons. But the Russians should remember that the policy of Mutually Assured Destruction still applies. A fusillade of Iskander missiles launched against Poland will be treated as if they were launched against Wisconsin. Rattle your saber all you want, but unsheath it, and we will have a problem.
Oh, and someone needs to remind the Russians that pointing missiles at the people who are making Russia rich buying their petroleum and natural gas isn't the smartest thing in the world to do. Something tells me the Poles won't have any second thoughts about buying their energy from the Scandinavians if the Russians make aggressive moves against them.
Welcome to the Club
A 'performance artist' in New Hampshire is suing that state's government because park rangers at Mount Monadnock are requiring him to get a $100 permit and a $2 million insurance policy in order to dress up as Sasquatch, scare hikers, then ask them questions on camera. His argument is that the permit requirement is an infringement of his 1st Amendment rights, and he's gotten the ACLU to agree and represent him.
I wish him luck, and I'd like to remind him that membership in the "Government Permit Required To Exercise Your Rights" club is cost free, and we have jackets and tee-shirts on the website.
Gun owners have dealt with this kind of thing for decades. In most of the country, in order to exercise the "bear" part of "keep and bear", you have to pay for a training course, a background check, and a license to do so. In some parts of the country, you have to go through that to just exercise the "keep" part, which is even worse. While things are getting better, a lot of the country is "may issue", meaning that either someone who wants to carry a gun with them as they go through their day must prove to local authorities that they have a "need" to do so, or be politically connected to these authorities so that they can exercise their rights.
I guess now the government is telling this guy that he has to show a "need" to exercise his 1st Amendment rights.
So to the newest member of the "We get to exercise our rights when the government tells us we can" crowd, I say welcome. We're considering having a get together in one of the freer states sometime, where we will create art, make political speeches, walk around safely with our guns, hold tent revivals, and a bunch of other things the Bill of Rights tells the government to keep its nose out of, but are still regulated in some way.
I wish him luck, and I'd like to remind him that membership in the "Government Permit Required To Exercise Your Rights" club is cost free, and we have jackets and tee-shirts on the website.
Gun owners have dealt with this kind of thing for decades. In most of the country, in order to exercise the "bear" part of "keep and bear", you have to pay for a training course, a background check, and a license to do so. In some parts of the country, you have to go through that to just exercise the "keep" part, which is even worse. While things are getting better, a lot of the country is "may issue", meaning that either someone who wants to carry a gun with them as they go through their day must prove to local authorities that they have a "need" to do so, or be politically connected to these authorities so that they can exercise their rights.
I guess now the government is telling this guy that he has to show a "need" to exercise his 1st Amendment rights.
So to the newest member of the "We get to exercise our rights when the government tells us we can" crowd, I say welcome. We're considering having a get together in one of the freer states sometime, where we will create art, make political speeches, walk around safely with our guns, hold tent revivals, and a bunch of other things the Bill of Rights tells the government to keep its nose out of, but are still regulated in some way.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Product Review - Caldwell Emax Low Profile Hearing Protection
I absolutely hate in-the-ear hearing protection. They're not comfortable to me, and I just can't use them if I want to speak to someone or hear what they're saying. Yes, they're ubiquitous and cheap, but they're just not for me.
This past spring, I decided to take the plunge and get a pair of electronic earmuffs for shooting and high noise work.
I pretty much stumbled on electronic earmuffs by accident. A friend of mine had an older pair and seemed to really like his. I thought for $30 a pair, I could get these and try them out to see if a more expensive pair was worth the time. I bought a pair of the EMax Low Profile Earmuffs and took them to the range. After trying them, I've bought another pair for use when working with Girlie Bear or a new shooter at the range. Their comfort and aid in hearing while wearing ear protection makes a huge difference over plain earmuffs or foam earplugs.
These electronic earmuffs feature a microphone on each ear, an adjustable headband, and a volume control that takes the sound from normal to very amplified depending on your needs and preferences. One advantage I saw about these over some of the other models I've looked at is that access to the two AAA batteries is through a compartment on the outside of the earmuffs. Other models required taking the cushion and internal electronics out in order to access the batteries. The over-the-head band extends far enough that I could wear these comfortably over a hat and still place them securely over my ears.
There is a bit of hiss that is quite noticeable in a low-noise environment, but isn't distracting. They cut off the microphones quite well when hearing a loud noise such as gunfire or a chainsaw motor, with little to no delay before going silent. I have worn these doing yard work, at the Knob Creek machine gun shoot, to the range, and to the Lucky Gunner shoot with no ringing in my ears or other hearing issues afterwards.
I also wear these earmuffs when I'm out at Fort Knox doing volunteer work as a role player, and they have done an excellent job both in keeping my hearing safe from flash bang grenades and other nearby explosions and in staying on my head while I'm running and jumping around. I cannot say the same about the Peltor earmuffs that are stocked at the range for role players.
One quibble with these is that since the padded cups are covered in plastic, you will sweat underneath them, necessitating taking a break occasionally to wipe them out. However, the covering makes for an excellent seal between the cups and your skin. Also, the vinyl covering has no cracking or deforming after several months of regular wear in both hot and cold conditions.
Overall, I'd say that these electronic earmuffs are a good value for someone who is a recreational shooter or needs good hearing protection while working around noise sources that cut in and out. The sound quality from the microphones and speakers is good, and the ability to talk at a normal tone on the range and still hear is great.
Disclaimer - I received nothing for this review. I paid for the product myself.
This past spring, I decided to take the plunge and get a pair of electronic earmuffs for shooting and high noise work.
 |
| Caldwell Emax Low Profile Earmuffs Photo from Midway, USA website |
I pretty much stumbled on electronic earmuffs by accident. A friend of mine had an older pair and seemed to really like his. I thought for $30 a pair, I could get these and try them out to see if a more expensive pair was worth the time. I bought a pair of the EMax Low Profile Earmuffs and took them to the range. After trying them, I've bought another pair for use when working with Girlie Bear or a new shooter at the range. Their comfort and aid in hearing while wearing ear protection makes a huge difference over plain earmuffs or foam earplugs.
These electronic earmuffs feature a microphone on each ear, an adjustable headband, and a volume control that takes the sound from normal to very amplified depending on your needs and preferences. One advantage I saw about these over some of the other models I've looked at is that access to the two AAA batteries is through a compartment on the outside of the earmuffs. Other models required taking the cushion and internal electronics out in order to access the batteries. The over-the-head band extends far enough that I could wear these comfortably over a hat and still place them securely over my ears.
There is a bit of hiss that is quite noticeable in a low-noise environment, but isn't distracting. They cut off the microphones quite well when hearing a loud noise such as gunfire or a chainsaw motor, with little to no delay before going silent. I have worn these doing yard work, at the Knob Creek machine gun shoot, to the range, and to the Lucky Gunner shoot with no ringing in my ears or other hearing issues afterwards.
I also wear these earmuffs when I'm out at Fort Knox doing volunteer work as a role player, and they have done an excellent job both in keeping my hearing safe from flash bang grenades and other nearby explosions and in staying on my head while I'm running and jumping around. I cannot say the same about the Peltor earmuffs that are stocked at the range for role players.
One quibble with these is that since the padded cups are covered in plastic, you will sweat underneath them, necessitating taking a break occasionally to wipe them out. However, the covering makes for an excellent seal between the cups and your skin. Also, the vinyl covering has no cracking or deforming after several months of regular wear in both hot and cold conditions.
Overall, I'd say that these electronic earmuffs are a good value for someone who is a recreational shooter or needs good hearing protection while working around noise sources that cut in and out. The sound quality from the microphones and speakers is good, and the ability to talk at a normal tone on the range and still hear is great.
Disclaimer - I received nothing for this review. I paid for the product myself.
News Roundup
- From the "Play Stupid Games" Department - Fox News is reporting that three American citizens have been arrested in Egypt after being accused of throwing Molotov cocktails during recent unrest in Cairo. Here's a pro-tip from someone who's lived and travelled in a lot of places: When overseas, you are probably wrong in an epic manner if you start taking part in local politics, especially if those politics are expressed with the exchange of rocks and gasoline-filled bottles for tear gas grenades and 7.62x39mm rounds. These three knuckleheads should have stayed in their apartment, made sure their family knew they were OK, and kept their noses out of Egyptian politics. Now they get to learn what real police suppression and brutality is all about.
- From the "Foreign Entanglements" Department - Apparently, trying to figure out how we're going to get our own fiscal house in order isn't enough. The Federal Reserve has opened up lines of credit for European banks in an effort to help them stave off their own disaster. So we are not only going to be paying off debt we ran up to buy bread and circuses for our own people, now we're going to be paying off debt we're running up to make sure the bread and circuses keep flowing in Paris, Rome, Athens, Dublin, and Madrid. Brilliant!
- From the "Manny, Moe, and Jack" Department - Carjackers in California were stymied when they found that they were unable to drive the car they had stolen, which had a manual transmission. Kids these days, I tell you. Time was when a teenager could hotwire a car, drive it with a clutch, steal the tires, and sell it to a chop shop all by himself. Now we have three knuckleheads who have to hold up the owner for his keys, then abandon the car because they don't know how to drive a stick. I blame the educational system. Why aren't we teaching the children to be honest, self-reliant criminals like we did when I was growing up?
- From the "Dictators Ain't What They Used To Be" Department - Russian Leader-For-Life Vladimir Putin tried to get in the spotlight at an MMA match the other day, was booed by thousands of people for his efforts, and was visibly shaken by the experience. This just goes to show how far Russia has slipped in the past 50 years or so. If Stalin had gone into the ring of a boxing match and not had the entire stadium clap and cheer for him until they all passed out from the effort, the NKVD would have surrounded the stadium, arrested, tortured, and executed everyone present, then arrested their families and deported them to Kazakhstan, then arrested and killed all of the agents involved so that all memories of the incident were wiped out. In this case, the bloggers are having a flame war on the Internet. Vladimir, I've studied Stalin, I've listened to Stalin, and you're no Josef Stalin.
Today's Earworm
This one's been going through my head since Irish Woman told me I should sleep with one eye open last night.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thought for the Day
I think Boo might be a wizard, in the vein of Harry Potter. He seems to only know one spell at the moment: "Accio Crap My Father Doesn't Want Me To Have". No matter what I take away from him, how high I put it, or how well I hide it, he always manages to have it again within minutes. He's not able to overcome locks yet, so the gun safe is still secure, praise be.
I live in fear of the day he starts turning the cat into a teacup, though.
I live in fear of the day he starts turning the cat into a teacup, though.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!
The 'Super Committee' is reporting that they won't be able to agree on which Chinese buffet to hit for lunch, much less how to cut $1.2 billion out of the budget over the next decade, and now Congress is scrambling to find a way to not enact the across the board cuts that were the stick meant to get the Committee to actually do something other than posture.
Please excuse me if I don't rend my clothes and rage at the gods in disbelief on this one.
When the Republicans blinked this summer and kept the government running so that this collection of thieves could get together for a few months to fiddle while Rome burns, I knew we were boned. The truth is this: Our spending, including the military and entitlement programs, is going to be cut. We can either cut it voluntarily and in a way that softens the blow, or we can let the bond market dry up and then fight over the scraps. Either way is going to suck, but the path of inaction chosen by Congress pretty much amounts to people on the side of a volcano going out to watch the fireworks as the lava flows inexorably closer.
So what do I expect to happen?
For one, the stock and bond markets are going to start swinging wildly, but with a general downward curve for the near term. The prices of real things, like gold, are going to restart their steady climb upwards. Look for our national credit rating to take another hit. In order to get suckers, I mean buyers, to purchase government bonds to continue to pay for the bread and circuses, the government is going to have to offer higher and higher interest rates, which will drive up the cost of credit for everyone.
In the long run, I see a general slump in the economy as raising prices drive most of us out of the non-essential markets, meaning nothing other than food, clothing, energy, and housing. Hardest hit will be what's left of our manufacturing industries. It's cheaper to repair an old car than it is to buy a new one when you're worried about whether or not you'll be able to afford groceries this week. I see unemployment going nowhere fast, and a lot of people will drop off of the unemployment tracking as they just give up.
Doom and gloom? Yep. Accurate? I hope not, but then again, hope isn't a plan.
It's past time we accepted that we can't cash all the checks we've written in this country since 1934. We have to cut back, way back. $1.2 billion over a decade wasn't going to adequate, but at least would have been a good start. Now we get to make popcorn and watch the thriving economy our grandparents created grind itself into the dust.
Please excuse me if I don't rend my clothes and rage at the gods in disbelief on this one.
When the Republicans blinked this summer and kept the government running so that this collection of thieves could get together for a few months to fiddle while Rome burns, I knew we were boned. The truth is this: Our spending, including the military and entitlement programs, is going to be cut. We can either cut it voluntarily and in a way that softens the blow, or we can let the bond market dry up and then fight over the scraps. Either way is going to suck, but the path of inaction chosen by Congress pretty much amounts to people on the side of a volcano going out to watch the fireworks as the lava flows inexorably closer.
So what do I expect to happen?
For one, the stock and bond markets are going to start swinging wildly, but with a general downward curve for the near term. The prices of real things, like gold, are going to restart their steady climb upwards. Look for our national credit rating to take another hit. In order to get suckers, I mean buyers, to purchase government bonds to continue to pay for the bread and circuses, the government is going to have to offer higher and higher interest rates, which will drive up the cost of credit for everyone.
In the long run, I see a general slump in the economy as raising prices drive most of us out of the non-essential markets, meaning nothing other than food, clothing, energy, and housing. Hardest hit will be what's left of our manufacturing industries. It's cheaper to repair an old car than it is to buy a new one when you're worried about whether or not you'll be able to afford groceries this week. I see unemployment going nowhere fast, and a lot of people will drop off of the unemployment tracking as they just give up.
Doom and gloom? Yep. Accurate? I hope not, but then again, hope isn't a plan.
It's past time we accepted that we can't cash all the checks we've written in this country since 1934. We have to cut back, way back. $1.2 billion over a decade wasn't going to adequate, but at least would have been a good start. Now we get to make popcorn and watch the thriving economy our grandparents created grind itself into the dust.
Thoughts on the Hunt
- Fort Knox is a beautiful place to hunt, as always. There is little to no activity in a lot of the areas except for Army training, so it's not a park.
- Having limited access to your hunting area before the day of the hunt means lots of work done with maps and satellite images.
- Pro-tip - Maps and satellite images are not a substitute for good scouting. What looked like a hay field in 2006 turned into 6 foot high brambles and brush by 2011.
- Driving into your hunting area and seeing "Impact Area" signs off the side of the road gives you a good excuse to have the "If you didn't drop it, leave it alone" discussion with the kids.
- A friend goes hunting with you. A good friend changes his plans to come and pick you and Girlie Bear up when your truck refuses to start two days before the hunt.
- It's called hunting, not harvesting. I saw precisely one deer all day, and that was a buck that was too small to shoot. Hunting Buddy's daughter saw a doe, but her dad didn't get a shot off. All of us still had a good time.
- Animal count for the day: 1 buck, 27 bluejays, 4 cardinals, and 27 squirrels the size of a Yorkshire terrier.
- Sitting in the woods and listening to an armor unit go through a tank range a couple of miles away is pretty cool, actually.
- Doing a full day at the urban warfare center followed by a full day of walking up and down hills then sitting still for several hours at a stretch makes for a very sore DaddyBear come Sunday morning.
- Getting your daughter away from the TV, radio, little brother, older brother, friends, and homework for a day to just sit in the woods and talk quietly is worth more than any amount of meat in the freezer.
Good for her!
A mother here in Kentucky came home with her two children to find an uninvited guest helping himself to a few of her possessions. Confronted with an intruder, the lady didn't choose to cower or to run away from danger. She defended her home and her family:
The troglodyte in question is now in the hospital after taking a shotgun blast. While I won't shed many tears over the death of someone who makes a habit out of breaking into homes and scaring women and children, I hope he survives. I want him to go to prison and tell the story of how he ended up with such pretty scars. Maybe his example will knock some sense into a couple of other knuckleheads.
Update - The scumbag in question later died of his wounds. While I don't relish the death of another human being, this one was pretty much self-inflicted. Don't want to get shot by an homeowner? Then don't break into houses. Notch another one up for the DGC.
According to police, she went to the basement and confronted someone who was in the process of taking items, including her shotgun.Like Kathy Jackson says, if you have to fight, fight like a cornered cat.
"There was a struggle over that weapon," Said Sgt. Armstrong. "The struggle led to the suspect and the homeowner fighting over the gun all the way out to the driveway of the home where the suspect was shot."
The troglodyte in question is now in the hospital after taking a shotgun blast. While I won't shed many tears over the death of someone who makes a habit out of breaking into homes and scaring women and children, I hope he survives. I want him to go to prison and tell the story of how he ended up with such pretty scars. Maybe his example will knock some sense into a couple of other knuckleheads.
Update - The scumbag in question later died of his wounds. While I don't relish the death of another human being, this one was pretty much self-inflicted. Don't want to get shot by an homeowner? Then don't break into houses. Notch another one up for the DGC.
Community Organizer
Sung to the tune of "Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", with apologies to Richard O'Brien.
How do you do? I
See you've met my
Lapdog media men
They're just a little overwhelmed
Because covering my butt
Is becoming too much for their acumen
Don't get too mad
About the way I govern
Don't judge a man by his actions
I'm not much of a leader
By the light of day
But by night
I lead one heck of a faction!
I'm just a community organizer!
From socialist
Chicago, Illinois!
Let me lead you around
Your property we could impound
You look like you've already got enough
Or if you want to argue about it
Or call my VP a twit
I can have the IRS start to play rough
I'm glad we caught you at home
You elitist drone
You're usually out on vacation
I'm glad that you finally made par
Now we'll go live in our car
And try to find a new vocation
Well, the economy's flat!
Well, how 'bout that?
Well voters, don't get cranky.
I'll sleep on it tonight
And if the unions say it's all right
I'll get you money from Ben Bernanke!
I'm just a community organizer!
From socialist
Chicago, Illinois!
So why don't you come over from the right?
I don't want to fight
I would rather take your favorite possessions
I've been forming a compromise
With obfuscation and quite a few lies
And that's good for the next election
I'm just a community organizer!
From socialist
Chicago, Illinois!
So, come up to the Hill
And choke down a bitter pill
I see you quiver with exasperation
But maybe your pain
Is just for my gain
So I'll do it all for the cause
But not the citizens!
How do you do? I
See you've met my
Lapdog media men
They're just a little overwhelmed
Because covering my butt
Is becoming too much for their acumen
Don't get too mad
About the way I govern
Don't judge a man by his actions
I'm not much of a leader
By the light of day
But by night
I lead one heck of a faction!
I'm just a community organizer!
From socialist
Chicago, Illinois!
Let me lead you around
Your property we could impound
You look like you've already got enough
Or if you want to argue about it
Or call my VP a twit
I can have the IRS start to play rough
I'm glad we caught you at home
You elitist drone
You're usually out on vacation
I'm glad that you finally made par
Now we'll go live in our car
And try to find a new vocation
Well, the economy's flat!
Well, how 'bout that?
Well voters, don't get cranky.
I'll sleep on it tonight
And if the unions say it's all right
I'll get you money from Ben Bernanke!
I'm just a community organizer!
From socialist
Chicago, Illinois!
So why don't you come over from the right?
I don't want to fight
I would rather take your favorite possessions
I've been forming a compromise
With obfuscation and quite a few lies
And that's good for the next election
I'm just a community organizer!
From socialist
Chicago, Illinois!
So, come up to the Hill
And choke down a bitter pill
I see you quiver with exasperation
But maybe your pain
Is just for my gain
So I'll do it all for the cause
But not the citizens!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Joke of the Day
A tourist to North Dakota was bragging to Ole Peterson about all of the things he'd seen.
"Why, Ole, I've been to the Grand Canyon! It's so big that if you stand at the edge and yell "Peterson" down into it, it takes 10 seconds for it to say "Peterson" back to you!"
Ole thought about that for a minute, and then said "Oh, dat's nuttin! Ve got a lake up near Minot so big that if you stand on the edge and yell "Peterson", it takes about 10 seconds for you to hear "Vich Peterson?" come back at you!"
"Why, Ole, I've been to the Grand Canyon! It's so big that if you stand at the edge and yell "Peterson" down into it, it takes 10 seconds for it to say "Peterson" back to you!"
Ole thought about that for a minute, and then said "Oh, dat's nuttin! Ve got a lake up near Minot so big that if you stand on the edge and yell "Peterson", it takes about 10 seconds for you to hear "Vich Peterson?" come back at you!"
SCADA, SCADA, Shedoobie
Borepatch puts up some good points about IT security in general, and SCADA systems in particular, when he discusses the damage done by vandals using the controller for a water pump to disrupt operations at a water plant in Illinois.
I sort of tongue-in-cheek talked about IT security a few months ago with my 4 Rules of IT Security, and Borepatch added a 5th: Boot it and they will come.
He couldn't be more right.
Any system, be it a gaming console, a laptop, a smartphone, or the controllers for a nuclear power plant, can be compromised given access and time. The ideal is to make it hard enough for someone to get in that they can't do it before you notice and shut them down. The least you can do is to know they were there so that you know what was damaged or stolen after they're gone and you notice it.
So what do you do?
If you're in IT, you bake security into the cake when you're designing new software, systems, or products. You balance user requirements against security best practices, with the scales always tipped towards protecting the information and business that your system services. You patch early, and patch often, and double-check to make sure that your systems aren't vulnerable to new vectors of attack. You retrofit security into existing business processes and systems as much as you can, and you always watch your systems for early signs that someone is doing something nefarious. And for Cthulhu's sake, if you're taking care of SCADA systems, start jumping up and down on your vendor's desk to get them to do something about the abysmal state of their systems. Do that about 3 minutes after making sure it's hard as heck to get to your SCADA from the Internet, of course.
At work, if you're not in IT, pay attention to the excruciatingly boring security briefings and policies that you're regularly asked to attend and read.* You think about what you're using your computer for, and try to not do anything that will compromise it. You keep yourself educated enough that you recognize someone trying to trick you into giving up the keys to your particular kingdom.
At home, you are probably your own IT guy, so act like it. Educate yourself about the technology you have in your home the same as you do about the technology under the hood of your car. Keep your systems patched the same as you would change the oil in your car.* A quick pro-tip here: If the company that produced your operating system announces that there won't be any more patches to your system, replace it. They're not announcing that there isn't anything left to fix, they're announcing that they're giving up for financial reasons. Also, use firewalls, both at the point where the Internet comes into your home, and on your systems. I'm a Unix and Mac guy, and it pains me to say it, but Microsoft has come a long way in the security realm, so if you're using Windows, use the built in and bolt-on security software to your advantage.
What else can you do? If you use USB keys, be wary of putting information that can harm you on something so easily stolen or lost. If you have to keep your financial or personal information on a USB key, then encrypt it. Stay out of the seedier areas of the Internet, and always be on the look out for Nigerian princes who want to give you money. Watch your credit cards, bank accounts, and other business dealings so that you know if someone has compromised your information. Regularly check your credit report to make sure someone hasn't gotten hold of your identity and opened a bunch of new accounts in your name.
Basically, take care of your information security the same way you would take care of your physical security. Lock your computer the same way you would lock your doors. Use the most high-powered technology you can handle to protect your information the same way you would carry the most powerful handgun you can handle to protect your body.
*We enjoy writing and presenting them almost as much as you do going through them, trust me.
**If you don't know much about the engine in your car or change your own oil, you should probably pay to have someone to regularly service your computer the same way you do your car.
I sort of tongue-in-cheek talked about IT security a few months ago with my 4 Rules of IT Security, and Borepatch added a 5th: Boot it and they will come.
He couldn't be more right.
Any system, be it a gaming console, a laptop, a smartphone, or the controllers for a nuclear power plant, can be compromised given access and time. The ideal is to make it hard enough for someone to get in that they can't do it before you notice and shut them down. The least you can do is to know they were there so that you know what was damaged or stolen after they're gone and you notice it.
So what do you do?
If you're in IT, you bake security into the cake when you're designing new software, systems, or products. You balance user requirements against security best practices, with the scales always tipped towards protecting the information and business that your system services. You patch early, and patch often, and double-check to make sure that your systems aren't vulnerable to new vectors of attack. You retrofit security into existing business processes and systems as much as you can, and you always watch your systems for early signs that someone is doing something nefarious. And for Cthulhu's sake, if you're taking care of SCADA systems, start jumping up and down on your vendor's desk to get them to do something about the abysmal state of their systems. Do that about 3 minutes after making sure it's hard as heck to get to your SCADA from the Internet, of course.
At work, if you're not in IT, pay attention to the excruciatingly boring security briefings and policies that you're regularly asked to attend and read.* You think about what you're using your computer for, and try to not do anything that will compromise it. You keep yourself educated enough that you recognize someone trying to trick you into giving up the keys to your particular kingdom.
At home, you are probably your own IT guy, so act like it. Educate yourself about the technology you have in your home the same as you do about the technology under the hood of your car. Keep your systems patched the same as you would change the oil in your car.* A quick pro-tip here: If the company that produced your operating system announces that there won't be any more patches to your system, replace it. They're not announcing that there isn't anything left to fix, they're announcing that they're giving up for financial reasons. Also, use firewalls, both at the point where the Internet comes into your home, and on your systems. I'm a Unix and Mac guy, and it pains me to say it, but Microsoft has come a long way in the security realm, so if you're using Windows, use the built in and bolt-on security software to your advantage.
What else can you do? If you use USB keys, be wary of putting information that can harm you on something so easily stolen or lost. If you have to keep your financial or personal information on a USB key, then encrypt it. Stay out of the seedier areas of the Internet, and always be on the look out for Nigerian princes who want to give you money. Watch your credit cards, bank accounts, and other business dealings so that you know if someone has compromised your information. Regularly check your credit report to make sure someone hasn't gotten hold of your identity and opened a bunch of new accounts in your name.
Basically, take care of your information security the same way you would take care of your physical security. Lock your computer the same way you would lock your doors. Use the most high-powered technology you can handle to protect your information the same way you would carry the most powerful handgun you can handle to protect your body.
*We enjoy writing and presenting them almost as much as you do going through them, trust me.
**If you don't know much about the engine in your car or change your own oil, you should probably pay to have someone to regularly service your computer the same way you do your car.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Product Review - New Menu MRE's
Since today was hunt day for Girlie Bear and me, I decided to have a treat for lunch and grabbed two MRE's out of the camping gear. These are from the new menu, and I haven't tried them, so I thought I'd try them out.
Disclaimer - I didn't get anything for this review. I paid for the product with my own money.
Girlie Bear got Beef Stew and I got Beef Brisket. Here are my impressions:
- Beef Stew - Dinty Moore quality. 'Nuf said.
- Beef Brisket - For those of you who remember C-Rats, it was almost identical in taste and texture to Beef in Sauce. It did, however, come with a tear-open packet of pretty good barbecue sauce to mix in. This, however, made the meal almost soupy enough to drink. It also came with a 'biscuit' that when mixed in made it a bit easier to eat with the included spoon.
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes - The side dish for the Beef Stew meal. These weren't too bad, actually, but garlic mashed potatoes in field rations? Really? These must have been what the packet of Butter Buds in the accessory pack was intended for.
- Desserts - The Beef Stew came with a spiced pound cake, which Girlie Bear reported was quite yummy. The Beef Brisket came with what I call a "M&M Cookie", but is described on the package as a "Cookie with Pan Coated Chocolate Disks". Both Girlie Bear and I gave this a thumbs up.
- Hot Drinks - The Beef Brisket came with hot cocoa, and the Beef Stew came with vanilla cappuccino. Apparently, the days of mixing your instant coffee, cocoa, sugar, and creamer to make a poor man's mocha are over. These came in a new container, which is basically an hourglass shaped mylar envelope with a closer like a Zip-Loc bag on it. The powder is in the envelope already, allowing the soldier to tear open the top, add water, re-close the envelope, shake to mix, then drink. If hot water isn't available, cold water can be used, and the drink can be heated using the meal's heater packet. Not sure how these taste or how easy it is to drink a hot liquid from a mylar envelope, but I'm going to give one of these a try tomorrow.
- Accessory Packet - The coffee, creamer, and sugar are no longer included, at least not in these meals. To me, this would be a problem, as one of my favorite tricks when I absolutely had to stay awake through exhaustion was to either put the instant coffee between my cheek and gums like it was chewing tobacco or to place it a granule at a time under my eyelids. Either way, the pain and caffeine being absorbed directly into the blood stream would keep me awake for at least a few hours. For those not that psychotic or self-hating, the ability to make a quick cup of coffee after gathering the fixings from several MRE's was a lifesaver. The Beef Brisket included a miniature bottle of Tobasco sauce, as was usual after the First Gulf War. However, the Beef Stew instead had the Butter Buds flavoring for the potatoes instead. Again, I see this as a problem. The stew, while OK in flavor, definitely needed something added, especially if a soldier is going to be eating this item once every few days.
Overall, the two meals were pretty good, especially when compared with some of the other MRE's I've eaten (Shelf stable omelet, anyone?). My main quibbles are with how practical I see the hot beverage container and the lack of instant coffee and Tobasco in the accessory pack. That being said, I would much rather spend several months eating this fare over the meals I regularly got in the 1990's, even when the first menu changes came along in 1996 and 1997.
Disclaimer - I didn't get anything for this review. I paid for the product with my own money.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
