9 - 2004 | ***Dave Does the Blog

A picture is worth a thousand hacks

For criminy’s sake, how the hell could opening a JPEG file constitute a security risk? Well, it can if you do using Micro$oft software. Crikey. Users opening a file or…

For criminy’s sake, how the hell could opening a JPEG file constitute a security risk?

Well, it can if you do using Micro$oft software. Crikey.

Users opening a file or viewing a specific image could be at risk if a hacker exploits the flaw and tries to gain access to a PC.
“The vulnerability could only be exploited by an attacker who persuaded a user to open a specially crafted file or to view a directory that contains the specially crafted image,” Microsoft said in a statement. “There is no way for an attacker to force a user to open a malicious file.”

Right. So now, thanks to M$, we can teach all of our less computer-literate friends and relatives to be scared of picture files, too. Yeesh.

UPDATE: The Reg provides more details. Basically it sounds like the old standard buffer overrun flaw.

The JPEG bug rounds out a growing menagerie of vulnerabilities in code that displays image files. Mozilla developers last month patched the open-source browser against a critical hole discovered in a widely-deployed library for processing PNG images. And last July, Microsoft simultaneously fixed two image display holes in Internet Explorer: one made users potentially vulnerable to maliciously-crafted BMP images, the second to corrupt GIF files. The GIF bug had been publicly disclosed 11 months earlier.

Maybe we should all just go back to terminals with glowing green letters …

Palette

Generate a color palette using the photo of your choice. I can see a lot of uses for this in web design. Shiny!…

Generate a color palette using the photo of your choice. I can see a lot of uses for this in web design. Shiny!

Not for the faint of heart

If there is an issue more contentious, more emotional, more liable to cause a wrench to the gut, a surge of anger, a shout of anguish, than Iraq, gay marriage,…

If there is an issue more contentious, more emotional, more liable to cause a wrench to the gut, a surge of anger, a shout of anguish, than Iraq, gay marriage, and gun control combined, it’s abortion.

It’s not a topic I discuss here often, just because it’s a topic I struggle with on a number of levels, being both highly sympathetic to those who oppose abortion because they believe it’s the taking of human life (and the lengths to which such a conviction must drive them), and to those who oppose abortion restrictions because of the intrusion of the law and society into something so painfully personal.

That said, as this linked article shows, regardless of what has or has not been legally restricted, the legal and social threats over abortion and abortion providers has led to circumstances where a woman who needs one, who should be able to get one — even, I suspect, in the eyes of most abortion opponents — had to go through this ordeal.

Not for the faint of heart.

This isn’t an easy topic, because regardless of what we end up doing as a society about abortion, a horrible amount of pain and suffering is going to result.

(via Respectful of Otters)

It is, after all, the World-Wide Web

But it still freaks me out slightly to see a trackback link from a foreign-language site to something I’ve written here: Registos das Sessões – Vantagens e Dificuldades ***Dave escreve…

But it still freaks me out slightly to see a trackback link from a foreign-language site to something I’ve written here:

Registos das Sessões – Vantagens e Dificuldades
***Dave escreve no seu blog um long post sobre as vantagens de se possuirem registos mais ou menos completos dos eventos das sessões de jogo. O problema é mais arranjar o tempo livre que é preciso para os manter, ou pelo menos como incentivar os jogadores para o fazerem pelo mestre; várias sugestões são também apresentadas sobre isso.
Em Random Encounters, Doyce oferece-nos também os seus pensamentos sobre o mesmo assunto, contando os sucessos e falhanços que teve ao tentar incentivar os jogadores a manterem registos em diferentes campanhas e estilos de jogo. Vale a pena ler os dois!

Yes, Doyce is in there, too. And that’s Portuguese, for the record. Google translates this as:

Registers of the Sessions – Advantages and Difficulties
*** Dave writes in its blog one long post on the advantages of if possuirem more or less complete registers of the events of the game sessions. The problem is more to at least arrange the free time that is necessary to keep them, or as to stimulate the players to make it for the master; some suggestions also are presented on this.
In Random Encounters, Doyce also offers to us to its thoughts on the same subject, counting the successes and falhanços that had when trying to stimulate the players to keep registers in different campaigns and styles of game. Valley the penalty to read the two!

‘Nuff said. Except … “um long post”?

Map the vote

Here’s a fun map that (a) charts current electoral votes to Kerry or Bush based on the most recent polls in each state, and (b) represents each state in size…

Here’s a fun map that (a) charts current electoral votes to Kerry or Bush based on the most recent polls in each state, and (b) represents each state in size based on the number of electoral votes it carries.

I’m more interested in it based on presentation than on the actual content it currently carries — it’s still way too early, IMO, to pay much attention to polls (esp. polls of different natures). Here’s a geographically accurate map of the same info.

(via J-Walk)

Classic D&D Art

David Sutherland III (not the Dave Sutherland I gamed with) was one of the key artists in the early years of D&D, doing many of the illustrations on the first…

David Sutherland III (not the Dave Sutherland I gamed with) was one of the key artists in the early years of D&D, doing many of the illustrations on the first AD&D books (the ones I cut my teeth on).

Alas, he’s in failing (as in “terminal”), so he’s selling off an amazing treasure trove of art and first-edition materials on eBay to pay for his care and bolster his estate for his family. Check it out.

(via Uncle Bear)

Movies not made

One sidelight I’m discovering from listening to Books on Tape is that it’s like watching (or at least listening to) movies that never got made. I’m listening to a BoT…

One sidelight I’m discovering from listening to Books on Tape is that it’s like watching (or at least listening to) movies that never got made.

I’m listening to a BoT of Starship Troopers (not the one currently for sale on Amazon), and while I have some quibbles with the voice artist, for the most part it’s highly enjoyable. And listening to the book is akin to listening to a real movie made from it, rather than the entertaining light-weight bastardization that hit the theaters. All the little idiosyncratic bits that Heinlein put in, some of which sound odd almost a half-century (!) later, all of which are beloved friends to someone who’s reread the book as often as I have.

It’s a much nicer way to commute.

Oddly enough, I’m preferring Books on Tape to Books on CD. The CDs have better audio quality, no doubt, but few of them are indexed on each disc. That’s a problem if you have a CD changer, since if you (or another driver) flip to another CD (inadvertently or on purpose), then flip back to the BoCD, you have to Fast Forward your way through the disc to find where you left off. And most CD players don’t (for good reason) make the FF function something that’s quick or easy to use. I’ve spend most of a commute FFing at a 3:1 ratio, trying to track down where I was, and then accidentally (because of the CD player interface) dropping back to 0:00 again. Rrg.

Anyway, if you always wanted to watch a movie that was a true adaptation of a book, consider a Book on Tape. You’ll miss the picture, of course, but that’s what your brain’s best able to recreate for you.

Weighty moment

Since I committed last weekend to a number of pairs of size 36 pants, I immediately began to get paranoid about my weight. I’ve eased up on the strict Geek…

Since I committed last weekend to a number of pairs of size 36 pants, I immediately began to get paranoid about my weight. I’ve eased up on the strict Geek Diet, of recording all the calories I eat. I’ve snacked. I’ve nibbled.

So, for the first time in a couple of months, I weighed myself this morning. How high would I have ballooned? How hard were the Diet Gods laughing regarding my new pants?

Continue reading “Weighty moment”

Sin City

It’s 54Mb, but this Sin City promo trailer from the Comic-Con not only looks sweet, but it’s intercut with shots from the comics to show exactly (a) how cinematographic they…

It’s 54Mb, but this Sin City promo trailer from the Comic-Con not only looks sweet, but it’s intercut with shots from the comics to show exactly (a) how cinematographic they are, and (b) how closely they’re hewing to the source material.

Those who like that sort of thing will definitely find it the sort of thing they like. Looking forward to it.

(via Jack)

Thunderbird 0.8

Now that I actually have it working, I’m happy with the 0.8 version of Tbird. My favoritest bit is that it allows all accounts to filter into the Local Folders,…

Now that I actually have it working, I’m happy with the 0.8 version of Tbird. My favoritest bit is that it allows all accounts to filter into the Local Folders, removing the redundant Inbox, Junk, Sent, Drafts, etc. folders for each account. I like it that Tbird allows you to separate accounts out. I also like that it now can mask the differences as far as the file display and distribution go. That, alone, is worth the price up upgrading.

It’s also nice that you can optionally block inline pictures in HTML messages (with an easy button to restore them).

I remain impressed by Tbird’s spam blocker, both in terms of what it catches, what it doesn’t catch, and how easy it is to add messages to the spam bucket. My only irk is that it doesn’t process new spam messages in a folder until you actually open that folder.

Anyway, I’m happy with it, and will be upgrading Margie (now that I know the secrets) anon.

Haven’t done this sort of exercise in many, many years …

It’s a variation on the old Lifeboat exercise. I guess this is more topical these days than the old Nuclear Bomb Shelter versions I used to do back in high…

It’s a variation on the old Lifeboat exercise. I guess this is more topical these days than the old Nuclear Bomb Shelter versions I used to do back in high school …

You’re a Coast Guard helicopter pilot who has rushed to the aid of a capsized boat with ten people aboard. You can use the aerial harness to pull them up one by one. The boat is sinking fast, though, and you know you won’t get to all of them in time. In which order do you pull them to safety?
1. President of the United States (just a president, not a specific one)
2. Kindergarten teacher with twenty years experience.
3. Young mother of three.
4. Grandfather of ten.
5. Police officer.
6. Eight-year-old child.
7. Rhodes Scholar.
8. Pregnant woman.
9. Doctor working on a cure for his own terminal cancer.
10. Your best friend.
So, in which order (ex. 7, 4, 10) would you pull them out? Why did you choose that order?

Two assumptions I’ll add. First, the passengers will come out in the order you choose (no noble sacrifices on their part). Second, the water is crawling with humongous sharks, and anyone aboard when the boat sinks is food for the fishes (no “well, my best friend can swim really well”).

Continue reading “Haven’t done this sort of exercise in many, many years …”

Nonscents

I’m sure this will be a fine opportunity for all our friends to tell us about the fetid odors that infest our house (“Even your best friend won’t tell you”),…

I’m sure this will be a fine opportunity for all our friends to tell us about the fetid odors that infest our house (“Even your best friend won’t tell you”), but I really don’t understand why I’m seeing so many wild and high-tech plug-in air deodorizers (“fresheners”) being advertised on TV these days.

Especially since they don’t actually do anything about odors, but only mask them (or deaden your nose).

Getting focus

Doyce writes at length on getting players (and the GM) to focus on the game, cutting down on digressions and the like that have turned some game sessions into lengthy…

Doyce writes at length on getting players (and the GM) to focus on the game, cutting down on digressions and the like that have turned some game sessions into lengthy chatting-and-socializing get-togethers. Some thoughts:

Continue reading “Getting focus”

Thunderbirds are Gone!

Never did get to the movie during its very short run in the theaters, but, from what I’ve heard from everyone, Kovalic has it right here. (I may still end…

Never did get to the movie during its very short run in the theaters, but, from what I’ve heard from everyone, Kovalic has it right here.

(I may still end up seeing if I can find an inexpesive copy of the DVD. Just on GPs.)

Look and feel

Creativity within expectations. That seems to be the the point behind this article, which puts forward the case for web design standards. The basis for it is named after the…

Creativity within expectations. That seems to be the the point behind this article, which puts forward the case for web design standards. The basis for it is named after the author, Jakob Nielsen:

Jakob’s Law of the Internet User Experience: users spend most of their time on other websites.
In visiting all these other sites, people become accustomed to the prevailing design standards and conventions. Thus, when users arrive at your site, they assume it will work the same way as other sites.
In our Web 2004 project, users left websites after 1 minute and 49 seconds on average, concluding in that time that the website didn’t fulfill their needs. […] With so little time to convince prospects that you’re worthy of their business, you shouldn’t waste even a second making them struggle with a deviant user interface.

Heaven knows I’ve skipped over non-business sites that seemed too much a bother to navigate (Flash interface, anyone), and I’ve even less patience with commercial sites that insist on doing something unique — which usually means uniquely irritating.

Think of it as real-world architecture. There’s a lot you can do to make a house, or even an office building, reflect your personality and style. But when you start violating certain expectations (e.g., light switches by the doors, doors that open inward, windows that slide up or across, which way to turn the faucet to turn water on, which side of the faucet is hot), the visitors are going to find your idiosyncracies less enchanting (and we’ve all been to homes and places of business — or, for travellers, countries — that did this).

Uniqueness for uniqueness’ sake is irritating. If exploration of the site is not your site’s reason for being, don’t make a visit there an expedition into the great unknown.

Dealing with the help

A marvelous tale of roofers, a barking dog, a katana, and an angry lady just out of the shower. I’ve no doubt Margie could handle the situation with at least…

A marvelous tale of roofers, a barking dog, a katana, and an angry lady just out of the shower.

I’ve no doubt Margie could handle the situation with at least as much aplomb. There’s a reason I don’t let her keep a sharpened sword around her.

(via Julia)

Spielberg beaten to the punch

A straight period adaptation of The War of the Worlds has finished filming (in, as one can imagine, high secrecy) and is set to be released in 2005, beating out…

A straight period adaptation of The War of the Worlds has finished filming (in, as one can imagine, high secrecy) and is set to be released in 2005, beating out the (updated) Spielberg/Cruise version. Neat.

Of course, it might also be an awful movie, but I’m glad someone at least considered doing the “authentic” setting for the tale. And the trailer for the other flick they have coming out, Chrome, looks moderately interesting.

(Speaking of interesting trailers …)

(via Fred)

Peter David Bruce Banner

Peter David is back — for the moment, at least — as writer on The Incredible Hulk. Bottom line is this: The combination of the positive fan response to the…

Peter David is back — for the moment, at least — as writer on The Incredible Hulk.

Bottom line is this: The combination of the positive fan response to the “Hulk” limited series by Lee Weeks and me, and the fact that Bruce Jones is now exclusive with DC, prompted Marvel to say, “Why the heck are we doing this as a limited series instead of as part of the ongoing?” So rather than it being issues 1-6 of “Tempest Fugit,” the Hulk series will simply start up again in January after a four month hiatus and my storyline will be issues 77 through 82 of the regular book. Which means that, to all intents and purposes, I’m back writing the Hulk.

Cool. David wrote some of the best Hulk tales of the modern era, and Marvel screwed up in getting rid of him in the first place.

(via Thought Balloons)

You have the right to remain silent

I don’t know what the labor laws are in Alabama, but I suspect that Lynne Gobbell has little recourse to having been fired for having a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker on…

I don’t know what the labor laws are in Alabama, but I suspect that Lynne Gobbell has little recourse to having been fired for having a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker on her car.

“We were going back to work from break, and my manager told me that Phil said to remove the sticker off my car or I was fired,” she said. “I told him that Phil couldn’t tell me who to vote for. He said, ‘Go tell him.’ “
She went to Gaddis’ office, knocked on the door and entered on his orders. “Phil and another man who works there were there,” she said. “I asked him if he said to remove the sticker and he said, ‘Yes, I did.’ I told him he couldn’t tell me who to vote for. When I told him that, he told me, ‘I own this place.’ I told him he still couldn’t tell me who to vote for.”
Gobbell said Gaddis told her to “get out of here.” “I asked him if I was fired and he told me he was thinking about it,” she said. “I said, ‘Well, am I fired?’ He hollered and said, ‘Get out of here and shut the door.’ “
She said her manager was standing in another room and she asked him if that meant for her to go back to work or go home. The manager told her to go back to work, but he came back a few minutes later and said, ” ‘I reckon you’re fired. You could either work for him or John Kerry,’ ” Gobbell said.

Which is just stupid on Gaddis’ part, no matter how much of a Bush partisan he may be. The question, though, from a technical standpoint, is not whether Gaddis can fire someone for having a particular political opinion (something I’ve rarely seen covered as a protected status, and assuming that Alabama is an at-will employment state) but whether he can control the appearance of private vehicles in the company parking lot. That might be more legally defensible on his part, though still ethically dubious. (To take a more extreme case, though, could an employer require someone with a huge motorhome that said “KERRY KILLS BABIES” with a large image of an aborted fetus on it to not park in the company lot?)

Still, it’s a stupid and uncivil act on his part, and he should be ashamed of himself.

(via Les)

Fair hearing

We hear differently between our left ear and right ear — at least as babies. The right and left human ears process sound differently, according to scientists who studied the…

We hear differently between our left ear and right ear — at least as babies.

The right and left human ears process sound differently, according to scientists who studied the hearing of babies and found the right ear better at picking up speech-like sounds and the left more attuned to music.
It has long been known that the right and left halves of the brain process sound differently, but those differences were thought to stem from cellular properties unique to each brain hemisphere. The new research suggests that the differences start at the ear.
[…] The scientists inserted tiny probes into the babies’ ears that emitted two different types of sounds and measured the amplified vibrations. They found that speech-like clicks triggered greater amplification in the right ear, while music-like sustained tones were more greatly amplified by the left ear.
“We were intrigued to discover that the clicks triggered more amplification in the baby’s right ear, while the tones induced more amplification in the baby’s left ear,” Sininger said. “This parallels how the brain processes speech and music, except the sides are reversed due to the brain’s cross connections.”

Interesting.

(via GeekPress)