Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Yesterday I wrote that the breaking of SHA-1 means that I'll need to switch to PGP keys that use MD-5 for signing. However, on further thought, I remembered that MD-5, if not exactly broken, has had numerous weaknesses found in recent years. That's bad news--not just for me, but for any application that uses digital signatures, because (as far as I know) all the software that's out there uses one or the other. 12:14:14 PM    comment () # Botach Tactical - Coldsteel Nightshade Series - fiberglass reinforced plastic knives. Inexpensive, deadly, non-magnetic. On sale now. My favorite is the Skean Dhu ($6.00), pictured below. I ordered one of those plus an FGX Tai Pan ($7.50). They listed UPS ground shipping as $7.39, but "Worldwide Express" was, unbelievably, only $1.00, so I picked that. I'll let you know if they tell me it was a misprint. Black as a moonless night, silent as the grave, and totally undetectable...these are the qualities that make up our new lightweight Nightshade™ series. Most are detailed reproductions of existing Cold Steel favorites and some are new designs representing the newest trends in high-tech, covert construction. Made from Grivory™-- the latest in fiberglass reinforced plastic, and stronger than even the super tough Zytel® we have used in earlier models-- they are UV and heat stabilized, making them impervious to the elements. One of the most unique features of these knives is their handles. They are made from deeply checkered Kraton that has been molded directly to the blade tangs. The use of Kraton in knife handles is a Cold Steel innovation that dates back to the early 1980's. It has been readily copied by most of our competitors because it offers a superior, slightly tacky gripping surface that is unaffected by heat, cold, or moisture. It never rusts, warps, cracks or splits even in the most extreme environments. Our Nightshade™ knives are light enough to be tied, tucked, or taped just about anywhere on one's person. And, since they are impervious to heat, cold, moisture and extreme weather they are a natural to hide both inside and outside your house. They can be hidden virtually everywhere from the hedges and flowerpots in your yard, to the refrigerator, bookshelves, and closets in your house. Keep one in every room of the house, from the laundry room to the bathroom shower! With violent home invasions on the rise a strategically placed Nightshade™ could save the day, and even your life. [End the War on Freedom] Interesting idea. They're pretty cheap, so I'll look around and see if I can find them on sale from a more reliable source. 10:49:48 AM    comment () # Walt Williams at The Bozeman (Montana) Chronicle - Anti-federal bills move forward in House - Two Montana bills have easily passed the first two of three votes in the House. One, HB 304, "would prevent the state from cooperating with the federal government in establishing nationwide standards for noncommercial driver's licenses." The other, HB 366, "would exempt guns made in Montana from federal regulation under the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, as long as the guns remain inside the state." Bravo, Montana! [lrtdiscuss] [End the War on Freedom] I doubt these have a chance, but I'm cheering for them anyway. 10:48:00 AM    comment () # Claire Wolfe at Backwoods Home Magazine - The Bug-Out Campout - three clairefiles participants, Bobaloo, Thunder, and Lightning, give their bug-out bags a field test and discover that you really really need a ground pad for winter camping. [claire] [End the War on Freedom] If you haven't got a ground pad when you need one, a debris mattress can be improvised from leaves, small branches, etc. Unfortunately, if you're likely to be stuck camping out in a desert, this may be a problem--the debris tends to have lots of little spines in it. 10:17:26 AM    comment () MSNBC.  Misconduct. Kurdish mercenaries. Incompetence.  Custer Battles. [John Robb's Weblog] There are new allegations that heavily armed private security contractors in Iraq are brutalizing Iraqi civilians. In an exclusive interview, four former security contractors told NBC News that they watched as innocent Iraqi civilians were fired upon, and one crushed by a truck. The contractors worked for an American company paid by U.S. taxpayers. The Army is looking into the allegations. More attrocities committed by mercenaries working for the Feds. 9:07:50 AM    comment ()

© Copyright 2006 Ken Hagler. Last update: 2/15/2006; 2:04:35 PM.