Damien Miller's weblog

Some time ago I wrote about the US Department of Homeland Security's crazy plan to gather science fiction authors to think of crazier "security threats". Apparently this gathering has happened, and the results are far more comedic that I could have possibly imagined:

The 45-minute panel discussion quickly deteriorated as federal, local and state homeland security officials, and at least one congressional aid, attempted to ask questions, which were largely ignored.

Instead the writers used their time to pontificate on a variety of tangentially related topics, including their past roles advising the government, predictions in their stories that have come to pass, the demise of the paperback book market, and low-cost launch into space.

...

David Brin, keeping on the topic of empowering citizens with mobile phone technology, delivered a self-described 'rant' on the lack of funds being spent to support citizen reservists to back up the military, homeland security officials and first responders in times of crisis.

"It is impossible for you to succeed without us!" he shouted at the assembled officials, while banging his fist on the table and at one point jumping off his chair to wave a mobile phone in their faces.

There is more in the article - you just can't make comedy this good up...

posted at: 13:04 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

More shark-jumping from the Department of Homeland Stupidity: since they have obviously run out of absurd threats (I thought liquids on a plane was the nadir, but no...) - they have stuck upon the genius idea of tapping science fiction authors for still crazier ones. Note that at least one of these authors (Pournelle) has a track record in beating up crazy threats and responese, having campaigned for the failed "Star Wars" missile defence system with Reagan. The late, great Isaac Asimov's take on that matter is just as relevant now as it was 22 years ago: "I have as my theme that violence is the last resort of the incompetent.". Hear hear.

posted at: 22:19 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

Finally! At last my insatiable need to find out my IP address, while shopping for shoes can be met.

I'm so relieved.

posted at: 12:32 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

Could this be the moment where John Howard jumped the shark? He has just attacked the US Democratic party and presidential candidate Obama as being the party/candidate that terrorists "pray" for. Apart from being a bizarre and hypocritical attack on another nations domestic politics (he strongly criticised the previous opposition leader for an attack on George Bush, but notably not the entire Republican party), it seems to be completely out of touch with both Australian and US opinion on the war. I'm sure that his motivation was just to shift debate from domestic matters where he is taking a thumping, but this seems to have backfired spectacularly - the opposition has used it masterfully to demonstrate Howard is once again an ideologue, has endangered the long-term AU/US relationship and to portray him as subservient to Bush. More amusing is that the level of press coverage that the story has received in the US, which may actually help Obama's candidacy. Nyah ha!

posted at: 09:43 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

Peter Gutmann released an excellent paper: A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection that does a brilliant job in explaining the horrendous costs that Microsoft's misguided attempt at currying favour with the media industry will foist on producers and comsumers of computing equipment. It is full of his fine wit, so it is depressing and amusing.

posted at: 23:16 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

The ABC has axed its most popular comedy program, The Glass House one week after a government senator criticised it for being "biased". Perhaps they should have been more "balanced" in satirising the powerless as well as the powerful... I was disgusted enough by this latest interference in our supposedly independent national broadcaster to write an angry letter to The Age newspaper, but I was a bit late and they didn't publish it. Here it is:

The axing of The Glass House demonstrates that a government need not appoint a censor to exert editorial influence over a broadcaster; it need only demonstrate that the way to a position of power, influence or money lies through publicly and faithfully holding an approved ideological line. How is this achieved? Look at the constituents of the ABC board - political appointees chosen for ideological compatibility and not for broadcasting experience or business acumen. Once the carrot is waved, the greedy and sycophantic will follow.

posted at: 06:15 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

I just stumbled across this paper (via Charlie Stross' weblog): A False Sense of Insecurity by John Mueller. Here is a taste:

Even with the September 11 attacks included in the count, the number of Americans killed by international terrorism since the late 1960s (which is when the State Department began counting) is about the same as the number of Americans killed over the same period by lightning, accident-causing deer, or severe allergic reaction to peanuts.

(the "War on accident-causing deer" just doesn't have the same ring to it). This quote slightly misrepresents the paper as whimsical, it is not - it is a very sober assessment of terrorist threats and appropriate policy responses. Like other such comparisons, I expect this to to be completely ignored by our leaders. The Power of Nightmares it just too tempting for those who want to retain control.

posted at: 13:27 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

For the last week, I have been receiving spam emails with titles such as "eigenstate is?" and "What?? biconnected?". Unless these are targetted, I can't possibly imagine what audience would respond to them.

posted at: 14:06 | path: /stupidity | permanent link

My weekend consisted of cleaning, and recovering from same. Recovering? Well, I used a fair quantity of a product called "Exit Mould" to clean the bathroom and it tore the crap out of my throat and lungs, despite wearing a (light) mask, ventilating the area and limiting the duration of my exposure while the spray was lingering in the air. Today, I have finally stopped coughing up blood but am still a little hoarse.

Apparently, I'm not the only one to have had trouble with this product - Choice magazine reported that a substantial proportion of their testers suffered throat or nose irritation when using it. This shouldn't be surprising, as the active ingredients are bleach and caustic soda :)

Never again.

posted at: 20:52 | path: /stupidity | permanent link