Working from the library today and they have this on every door. Boulder was pretty liberal, but even they didn’t have a gun check at the library.

I love living in the Southwest.

Of course I know a bunch of people with concealed carry permits, just not here in Phoenix/Scottsdale.

(yes, I know it also means knives and such, so stop spoiling everyone’s fun)

troll 1 |trōl|
noun:
1. A cowardly creature that hides behind anonymity to demean, harass, or threaten others (sometimes illegally) because they lack the intelligence to engage in real dialog or debate.
2. A pathetic, almost-life form that leaches off society without contributing anything of value.

Trolls are the lowest form of life. Ugly, pathetic creatures of absolutely no worth, they strive to destroy the good work of others through intimidation. Trolls may lack intelligence, but they can be persistent pests, and in large numbers they can destroy a community. Some trolls are more aggressive and represent a physical danger, and must be dealt with harshly only by trained professionals, typically law enforcement.

Trolls have been tolerated in our society for too long- these… things… must be confronted and destroyed. While full eradication is impossible, concrete steps can be taken to limit their impact on the world. Trolls can be marginalized through persistent effort, but only when a community acts together to condemn their behavior.

You can participate in the Troll Eradication Project by taking a few simple steps:

1. Reduce their habitat: Trolls live anonymously; very few have the intestinal fortitude to carry out their activities when they can be identified. Should trolls appear, forcing them to identify themselves will often scare them away. In some cases, more radical action needs to be taken and their ability to communicate restricted.
2. Confront them: Trolls are cowardly, and will often flee confrontation when a community bands together. Some trolls may attack individuals, but few are willing to confront entire communities openly.
3. Eliminate their food: Trolls feed off the negative energy they create. In some cases, persistently ignoring them may cause them to seek food elsewhere.
4. Call in a professional: Some trolls are dangerous and violate the law. In these cases, law enforcement should be notified promptly. Outright threats and harassment are clearly illegal and should only be dealt with by professionals.

Remember- only YOU can prevent trolls. We must control the troll threat before our communities are overrun.

Seriously folks- after yesterday’s events, we just can’t put up with this anymore.

I read a few posts today on the deplorable harassment of Kathy Sierra (read Scoble, Feld, Kathy’s Site). Basically, Kathy is giving up on blogging and public speaking out of fear due to a series of death threats and online sexual harassment.

It’s absolutely disgusting. And as someone who has been a member of online culture since the BBSs of the 1980’s, I’m simply embarrassed.

There is one way to describe those who perpetuate this- fucking cowards.

I know these people. They are everywhere on the Internet- hiding behind semi-anonymous IP addresses and spewing their garbage on every forum, IRC channel, or blog they can slap their pathetic personality on. I know them in the real world; too cowardly to face authority, but more than willing to make anyone they perceive as weaker miserable for no more reason than to inflate their pathetic egos. I’ve helped more than a few of them learn just exactly how “special” they are as we kicked them out or took them to jail.

I’m probably violating my policy of not blogging about technology, but this is a cultural issue, not an industry issue.

Except that it highlights the need for those of us in security and law enforcement to provide the same protections online that we do in the physical world. We can’t do this just by hiding behind our own walls; we need to band together as a community and figure out ways to improve online safety without violating online privacy (the usual mistake). Our society has very very few limits on freedom of speech, but threats and harassment to create fear are clearly unacceptable.

Reading Kathy’s blog it looks like she is already working with law enforcement, and I sincerely hope they catch and prosecute those involved.

There is no excuse for this. We cannot tolerate it. And those of us in security have the same responsibilities online as we do in the physical world to do our part.

I watched Planet Earth on the HD version of the Discovery Channel last night.

It’s friggen awesome- the best use of my HDTV since the World Cup. I mean, where else can you watch a 20 foot Great White shark launch itself out of the water in slow motion in high definition as it munches on a sea lion fur seal? Only thing better would be sharks with freaking lasers on their heads.

There are a lot of security tie ins- ranging from situational awareness to… aww, who am I kidding, it’s just really cool. Like IMAX at home.

I highly suspect animals were harmed during the filming of this particular production.*

*not that I like to see things getting killed, been around too much death for that, but this is a seriously amazing documentary.

Updated: it was a fur seal, not a sea lion. You’d think I’d know that. Thanks Alan…

Nope, not the lifeguard dude. Someone a bit more interesting. I bet that Night Rider dude never climbed Kilimanjaro despite some serious leg injuries.

Chris Hoff wins the official award for “Best Host for Security Geeks in Boston”. I rolled in Tueday night and after an excellent dinner we won a secondary award for “Worst Dressed in the Hotel Bar at Midnight”. He followed this up by letting me tag along to BeanSec over in Cambridge, where I also got to catch up with Mike Murray.

The life of a road warrior can get a bit lonely at times; it was great to spend two nights hanging with my peers in casual environments rather than catching up on Dancing with the Stars or Armed and Famous. BeanSec was pretty cool, and I’m thinking we need something similar in Phoenix. PHXSec?

Thanks Chris- hopefully I’ll get the chance to return the favor someday…

Not the city, but just outside.

Drop me a line if you are in the area- I’m out there for 2 days so actually have a free evening.

Last week was one of those crazy travel ones. I headed to NYC for some client work, and since my wife had never done the tourist route there she came along and I took some time off to show her around. I’m not from NYC, but I’m from the part of Jersey that likes to think we are (technically, I lived closer to Manhattan than some of the other boroughs). After a few days in the city we headed down to Richmond, VA to catch up with my family.

It was a ton of fun- we caught up with a bunch of friends and spent a couple nights staying with Chris Pepper and his wife Amy- who it turns out are pretty exceptional hosts, even when their daughter’s a little sick.

It’s weird going back to post-9/11 New York. Aside from the skyline of my childhood being forever altered, there’s a different vibe in parts of the city. (And why the f* don’t we have any real progress on a new WTC?!? Are politics so bad in this country we can’t get anything done anymore?).

One of those vibes is security- I hadn’t been in the Empire State Building for about 10 years, but the day was clear so we decided to give it a shot. Aside from the dramatically inflated prices and lines (carefully hidden so you can’t see them where you buy your ticket) there was the ever-present x-rays and magnetometers.

Magnetometers de-tuned to such a level that I walked through with my jacket, belt, and watch on- and cellphone and camera in my pocket.

Maybe that thing would have stopped a rifle, but I had more than enough metal for all sorts of badness on me.

Then again, I suppose if it’s all just for show, there’s no reason to actually inconvenience people. No wonder ticket prices are up.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

From /.

No, not some discussion on something controversial like global warming. Just the FDA approving use of a potent antibiotic in cattle against warnings by the AMA and other medical and scientific studies. You know, one of those drugs that the nasty bugs are becoming resistant to.

There are enough articles out there on antibiotic resistant bacterial infections that you don’t need me to rant on it. It’s bad. I know 2 people that have died because of these things personally (both contracted in a hospital).

I’m really hurting today. And it’s not a hangover.

As I think I’ve mentioned before I’m back into martial arts after a 2 year gap (the result of moving across state lines and getting married). It’s pretty amazing how much you can forget when you take a 2 year break from anything.

What’s worse is that your body forgets more than your brain. All those synaptic connections go dormant, if they haven’t withered and died. The weird thing is it’s a strange mix of what’s left at the end. Timing, focus, and distancing are gone. Some physical techniques are still there, or maybe half there.

Yet my brain still thinks I’m a black belt. It still charges in expecting to emerge victorious.

Yeah, right. If anything, I’m more dangerous. I still have some skills, but that bit of rust and amorphic muscular response makes me feel like that bug dude in Men in Black. I’m more scared about accidentally hurting someone than anything else. I figure it will take me at least a year or more of training to feel normal again.

I’m sure there’s some general lesson on life hidden in here, but I’m in too much pain to really think about it.

*Farnum- never take a break. Trust me.