Sunday, July 27, 2003

IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. We speak ENGLISH, NOT Spanish, Portuguese, NOT Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Not Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language! "In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our life style. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so! But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE. (Found on the Internet - Origin unknown) 1:25:09 PM    comment []

Rita Rudner. "My mother buried three husbands, and two of them were just napping." [Quotes of the Day] 9:12:02 AM    comment []

Greenspun: "Is it time to accept Bill Gates as my personal savior?" [Scripting News] AMEN! 9:00:53 AM    comment []

Very funny stuff.........!Sean Campbell and Scott Swigart: "If anyone on the Longhorn team is listening, do you think you could add one of these [funny dialog about moving files]?" I'm listening, but can't give an answer yet. I could give you an answer, but then I'd have to shoot you. :-) [The Scobleizer Weblog] 8:52:36 AM    comment []

WashPo embarasses itself with hysterical WiFi FUD article. The Washington Post has embarassed itself today with a FUD-laden, inaccurate and hysterical story about "WiFi security risks" that appears to have been ginned up by publicists for "security companies" who rely on public fear to generate business. But most of those networks are unprotected, vulnerable to hackers who could steal data, introduce viruses, launch spam or attack other computers. Even as the number of wireless networks has risen dramatically, Poole's surveys suggest that the rough percentage of them that are unprotected remains above 60 percent. None of these are risks that are unique to WiFi. The world is full of coin-operated or cash-based network access systems (I spent an hour feeding quarters into an Ethernet-equipped payphone in the Vancouver airport in June), and the idea that I, as a hotspot provider, am "unprotected" because the people who gain access to my network can do something bad to someone else is (deliberately) misleading. I'm no more "unprotected" from spammers on my WiFi node (something I've yet to see a single published account of, despite the continuous warnings about it) than I am from spammers sending Nigerian 419 letters from the next terminal at the library. It's like saying that restauranteurs are "unprotected" from bank robbers who use a back table to plan their next job. Sure, they're "unprotected." So what? Fundamentally, this is a warning against abetting the anonymous use of the Internet. A Beltway-Insider rag like WashPo should have too much familiarity with the Bill of Rights to advance the un-constitutional notion that anonymity is somehow bad, wrong, or illegal. In their darkest visions, consultants can imagine someone with a WiFi-enabled laptop walking through an airport launching a destructive computer virus at every other unprotected laptop in the vicinity, because users who tap into a vulnerable network are just as exposed as its host. In their sales literature, snake-oil "security" vendors identify "being connected to the network" as a risk, instead of "running unpatched and insecure software" as a risk. It's the public Internet. If connecting your computer to the public Internet puts you at appreciable risk from "destructive computer viruses," you'd better get a new operating system. Hackers could also use WiFi access to anonymously launch attacks at the broader Internet, also threatening non-WiFi users. Hackers could also use coin-operated Ethernet jacks and Internet Cafes to launch attacks on the broader Internet, also threatening WiFi users. So what? Malice is transport-independent. Although no calamitous hacking event via wireless has occurred, security professionals say it is only a matter of time. "Security professionals" also noted that "although no calamitous hacking event has been launched using a Dvorak keyboard, it is only a matter of time." "It's broken; it has holes and flaws," Skoudis said of WEP technology. "It's kind of like a Band-Aid, but better to have a Band-Aid than a big gaping hole." Users can also require passwords for access to their networks. Yes, yes they can. Using WEP technology. Geez. Link Discuss [Boing Boing Blog] 8:48:57 AM    comment []

Pots and kettles: More great stuff from the Lawyer Babe!  The Howard Dean campaign was forced to cancel events this week in response to events in Iraq. Donations to the Odai and Qusai Hussein Memorial Fund can be submitted directly to the Dean campaign. Dean responded to the passing of these martyrs to American jingoism by angrily announcing that the ends don't justify the means. This is a war we're talking about. Why don't the ends justify the means? (Note to the Democrats: Just because you defended Bill Clinton doesn't mean you have to defend every government official who is reliably reported to be a rapist.) (townhall.com) 7:49:36 AM    comment []

The case for war—revisited  Why we still think, on present information and trends, that the war was justified.  THERE are many good arguments against war, but high among them is its ability to bring surprises, many of them unpleasant. The second Iraq war was no exception to that, though it may have been unusual in bringing surprises both to those who were in favour of it and to those against. (Economist.com) 7:37:31 AM    comment []