June 28, 2002

ExtremeTech has word from CERT of a bug in the BIND v4 DNS resolver library that could lead to potential buffer overflow vulnerabilities. While the current BIND, version 9 is not affected many older installation might be. Having the source available only helps if qualified people look at it, open source is not a magic bullet. 11:31:10 PM

Want to play chess? Pee first. The US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that schools could demand drug tests from students before they can participant in extra extracurricular activities. Some justices wanted the random testing extended to all students. This of course is an idiotic decision as it imposes humiliating conditions on students who wish to take part in activities that most people consider worthwhile such as the chess or math clubs, academic teams and even the school choir. When the rate of student participation in these activities decreases the people supporting these draconian measures will only have themselves to blame. It also tells students that nobody trusts them and that they have no rights or privacy. 9:19:20 PM

Following a trade for Cleveland ace pitcher Bartolo Colon, Jacob Luft of CNNSI suggests that it’s possible that the Montreal Expos are planning to make a splash in whatever city becomes their new home by opening up their corporate wallet before moving next year. Or they might just want to disappear from baseball with a bang. 9:10:38 PM

A not so cute baby picture. 9:04:07 PM

In the New Republic, Hillel Halkin has a harsh review of Elvis in Jerusalem: Post-Zionism and the Americanization of Israel by Tom Segev, an anti-Zionist. He argues that each of the main points in the book are flawed. In particular Halkin notes that even the smallest Jewish state in Palestine could have potentially saved millions of Jews from the Holocaust who were victims of closed borders around the world. 8:58:32 PM