Covering text over in a pdf document does not equal "redaction"
From CNET:
May 26, 2006
AT&T Leaks Sensitive Info in NSA Suit

Lawyers for AT&T accidentally released sensitive information while defending a lawsuit that accuses the company of facilitating a government wiretapping program, CNET News.com has learned.

AT&T's attorneys this week filed a 25-page legal brief striped with thick black lines that were intended to obscure portions of three pages and render them unreadable (click here for PDF).

But the obscured text nevertheless can be copied and pasted...

For full article follow link.

---

Setting aside the whole wiretapping thing, let's just focus, for the time being, on this IT illiteracy.

They covered the text in the pdf, basically by highlighting with black, but did not put any kind of security on the document. So, any reader (me, for example) can highlight the blacked out ("redacted" - more like "retarded") sections and paste it into Word or even Notepad for full access reading fun. I laughed out loud. And then I started to wonder - this was so obvious, could it actually be AT&T's clever smokescreen to get this information out to their own advantage while crying "but we didn't mean to leak it!" to the judge?

Topic: Personal
I took these at a Chinese Opera ("Peking Opera") production in LA a few weeks ago, my mother and her group of college friends were extras on stage. It was a full-scale production, which is a rare treat to the expatriot community. Although, due to the age of the key performers, it was a maudlin literary drama, and there were no acrobatics or fight scenes which I prefer. Still, the colors and images were very interesting.

The most unfruitful morning
Topic: Personal
NMA was participating in the annual community cleanup event in Encanto, and as the official chapter photographer I planned to take some photos of the event. The kickoff is usually around 8am, but I was out late last night and wasn't going to make it so early, so I figured I'd drive directly to their assigned cleanup site at about 9.30ish. Sounds like a good plan, yah? I've done this the past two years and it's always worked out well - I show up, round the crew together around a stop-sign and a NMA banner, and have a great photo for the newsletter and the annual dinner.

I drive to the address given to me by the volunteer team captain, and sure enough, there was a group of people in matching t-shirts cleaning up this yard, but wait! They're far to young and lissome to be City employees! In fact, they were UCSD students. So, where is my group?

Off I drive back to the non-profit that was hosting the event, and had to go through 5 people in 'staff' t-shirts before someone can figure out where the volunteer assignments were. I was a little annoyed by that. On the one hand, I'm used to working with people who are organized and know what they're doing - sure, the UT'd probably dispute that view of City employees, but I digress - so I expected the organizers to be much better organized than they were, but on the other hand, it is a meagerly funded non-profit, and while I was trying to get the information I need, a guy on their staff had a heart attack. The ambulance and firetruck came for him, and while the medics were strapping him to the gurney, another guy comes tearing, breathlessly, into the building, and yells, "there's a terrible car-crash down the block!"

Turned out that a car had driven into the strip mall on the other side of the parking lot and plowed straight into a shop, through the plate-glass window, taking out all the shop furniture and lights (but oddly enough not the shop door, which stood unharmed and not even moved), and almost wholly disappearing into the shop itself, leaving only a morose set of tail-lights winking through the demolished frontage. [I read later that three people were hurt in the crash, one seriously. It was not clear whether they were all in the car or if there was anyone in the shop; but looking at the photo, it's pretty damned shocking that the driver managed to get the car so deeply and neatly into what really is a small space.]

So there I was, standing on the sidewalk on Imperial Avenue, with a fire-rescue unit in action in the parking lot on my right, and another unit in action the parking lot on my left. Which to photograph? Would I get in trouble if I took photos? And where is my group? 'Cause, you know, I came here this morning to take their photos, not to gawk ghoulishly at heart attacks or car wrecks.

I eventually completely failed to find the people I was supposed to photograph (either I was too late and they'd finished, or I was given bad directions, which was more probable), but ended up with a bunch of random pics of other volunteers and of course the crash. I'm going to have to have some 'splainin' to do for the team captain on Monday, but I really felt as though I was thwarted at every turn today in my attempt to complete my mission...

Topic: Personal
I almost got kicked out of the Mingei Museum again on this past Sunday. If they didn't want people touching the exhibits there should be signage. It wasn't behind glass cases, or velvet ropes, it was furniture (okay, artisanal furniture, but still, it's table and chairs and cabinets); nonetheless I nearly gave the docent a heart attack - "Stop that! Stop! Just stop touching it! Aaaaarrgh!" This is not the first time I've gotten into trouble at the Mingei, but probably not the last time either - their exhibits frequently are characterized by beautiful textures that frankly invite further tactile investigation. They had finally done away with the creepy Japanese dolls and now have an exhibit of Jewelry from Five Continents, including the extravagant silverworks of the Miao people, an ethnic minority group of Southeastern China, as well as pieces from their permenant China collection. It was very neat to see jewelry pieces in display cases that resembles pieces that I own - "Hey, I have a silver hairpin like that!" - although of course museum pieces are much more delicately made and better cared for than mine, which gets used and abused.

There were what felt like thousands of people in the park today, it's like half of San Diego brought their out-of-town friends to the park. Even the Japanese Friendship Garden, which normally is tres, tres tranquille, nigh on bustled with people. I thought the koi fish in the pond might die from a surfeit of surreptitious bread crumbs.The plant house had really been spruced up for spring and their carnivorous plants are coming along nicely, although I can't for the life of me figure out what they get to eat. I had a Venus Flytrap plant once but it starved. My apartment was just too clean. No flies on us.

Topic: Opinion
Library drops plan for fingerprint scans

May. 6, 2006 at 5:52PM United Press International

A Chicago-area library system has dropped a plan to use fingerprint scans to monitor computer use, blaming incompatible software.

...Naperville [Public Library] signed a $40,000 contract with U.S. Biometrics a year ago.

...the library system's information technology manager said installation of the scanners was postponed twice and then finally abandoned because of software problems.

"They tried very hard to interface their products with ours. They came very close a few times, but could not do it."

**************************************************
Don't feel sad, Mr Librarian! Yours isn't the only agency to have lept into the seductive but expensive arms of new technology without the due diligence of a compatibility study. Frankly, I'm starting to admire the faith of conspiracy theorists, who believe that the government is hiding alien spacecrafts and reading our minds. Many government agencies can't manage their way out of a paper bag, can hardly find their own arse with both hands*, and certainly not capable of the kind of complex and deliberate malfeasance that conspiracy theorists would insist as being constantly visited upon our unsuspecting populace.

*Can't find his own arse with both hands is an expression I read in the books of Terry Pratchett, I think it's just perfect to describe a certain, special kind of incompetence.

Happy Sinkhole de Mayo!
Topic: Fun

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060505-1331-bn05water.html

1:31 p.m. May 5, 2006

SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE – City Water Department officials said they expect to reopen Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach in time for Friday evening's Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Repairs on three pipes connected by a 2-foot section of cast-iron that broke Wednesday afternoon were made overnight, said Tedi Jackson, San Diego Water Department spokeswoman. She said the 30-by 20 foot wide hole has been filled and the cement has been poured.

The westbound lanes of Grand Avenue just west of Mission Bay Drive remain closed to drivers while the cement sets, but they could be opened by 5 p.m. or sooner, Jackson said.

Hundreds of residents near Grand Avenue and Figueroa were left without water after the break. Most had water restored to their homes by Wednesday night, but 200 to 500 residents near Grand Avenue and Bond Street had to go without water until 11 p.m. Thursday.

Water department crews had to dig the 12-foot deep hole to reach the pipes.

Oh No He Di'int!
Topic: News
http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=527&id=698456

China's UN Ambassador Asks the US to Shut Up
Official Opinion

China's Ambassador to the UN Sha Zukang admonished Washington yesterday of interfering in Beijing's domestic affairs , particularly in its military program. Asked by a BBC reporter about China's growing military budget, Sha Zukang did not contain himself and shouted out: "The population of China is six times as much as that of the United States. So, it's time for Americans to shut up and keep quiet. They will be better off like this."

"The United States have the right to settle domestic problems on its own, so let them not pry into China's internal affairs," the Chinese diplomat said. Sha Zukang also warned that if Taiwan declares independency and any country recognizes it, China will apply military force. "It is not a question of how big Taiwan is. Each centimeter of Chinese land is more important to us than lives of our soldiers," the Chinese ambassador to UN stated openly.

China has not spoken so harsh on the Taiwan issue for a couple of years. These blunt words may cost Sha Zukang his post and career but the speech of China's ambassador to the UN shows the hardening of the Chinese leadership's stance on the Taiwan issue and possible conflict with the United States.

Oh No He Di'int!
Topic: News
http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=527&id=698456

China's UN Ambassador Asks the US to Shut Up
Official Opinion

China's Ambassador to the UN Sha Zukang admonished Washington yesterday of interfering in Beijing's domestic affairs , particularly in its military program. Asked by a BBC reporter about China's growing military budget, Sha Zukang did not contain himself and shouted out: "The population of China is six times as much as that of the United States. So, it's time for Americans to shut up and keep quiet. They will be better off like this."

"The United States have the right to settle domestic problems on its own, so let them not pry into China's internal affairs," the Chinese diplomat said. Sha Zukang also warned that if Taiwan declares independency and any country recognizes it, China will apply military force. "It is not a question of how big Taiwan is. Each centimeter of Chinese land is more important to us than lives of our soldiers," the Chinese ambassador to UN stated openly.

China has not spoken so harsh on the Taiwan issue for a couple of years. These blunt words may cost Sha Zukang his post and career but the speech of China's ambassador to the UN shows the hardening of the Chinese leadership's stance on the Taiwan issue and possible conflict with the United States.

Oh No He Di'int!
Topic: News
http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=527&id=698456

China's UN Ambassador Asks the US to Shut Up
Official Opinion

China's Ambassador to the UN Sha Zukang admonished Washington yesterday of interfering in Beijing's domestic affairs , particularly in its military program. Asked by a BBC reporter about China's growing military budget, Sha Zukang did not contain himself and shouted out: "The population of China is six times as much as that of the United States. So, it's time for Americans to shut up and keep quiet. They will be better off like this."

"The United States have the right to settle domestic problems on its own, so let them not pry into China's internal affairs," the Chinese diplomat said. Sha Zukang also warned that if Taiwan declares independency and any country recognizes it, China will apply military force. "It is not a question of how big Taiwan is. Each centimeter of Chinese land is more important to us than lives of our soldiers," the Chinese ambassador to UN stated openly.

China has not spoken so harsh on the Taiwan issue for a couple of years. These blunt words may cost Sha Zukang his post and career but the speech of China's ambassador to the UN shows the hardening of the Chinese leadership's stance on the Taiwan issue and possible conflict with the United States.

Lent!
Topic: Personal
I forgot to give anything up for Lent this year!

Last year it was Spicy Hot Cheetos.

Seriously.

Last year, when a lackadaisically lapsed Catholic co-worker announced his decision to give up coffee for Lent, we all lent (heh heh) support by giving up something too.

I loved, and therefore chose, Cheetos and all its crunchy, salty, spicy, limey, artificial-colored-and-flavored manifestations.

Last Easter my plan was to sit in front of the TV, with a big bowl of Hot Cheetos, and eat until I make myself sick and have to lie on the floor groaning and wishing I hadn't eaten all those Hot Cheetos.

That didn't happen because someone (someone who heard of my appalling plans for the holiest Christian day of the year, mayhaps) gave me a Dove Chocolate bunny, which creamy goodness pre-empted my Cheeto-mania and probably saved me a carpet-cleaning bill.

This year, since I didn't give it up, I have zero desire to eat Cheetos on Easter. Instead, I might be giving myself the gift of unconsciousness only punctuated by brief, but required managment of internal organs that demand attention every few hours.

And one more thing!

Why is Jesus like an Easter Egg?
.
.
.
Wait for it...
.
.
.
They both dyed for us.

One ticket, window seat please.