Insecurity About New National ID RFID Chips

OKAY,
so this might be a bit more serious than the usual post here for a while, but straight from the Blackhat Conference going on right now, just read this from WIRED. Here's the WIRED article.
Basicly, this guy takes 2 weeks to figure out how to nab, clone and possibly even rewrite this data thats supposed to be how we're going to control the in and out of traffic coming in and out of this country. Grunwald [the security tech] says of this, "The whole passport design is totally brain damaged" ... and it seems if this is true, I couldn't agree more.
And as Gus Hosein, a visiting fellow in information systems at the London School of Economics and Political Science and senior fellow at Privacy International, asked of the chip "...is this what happens when you do policy laundering and you get a bunch of bureaucrats making decisions about technologies they don't understand?"
This doesn't make me feel more secure about our nations's borders or the security of our private information. He's supposed to be showing this at the Blackhat Security Conference today. I guess we'll see what the end of this is. For now check it out, this may be just another way people get info on us, get into this country and in general just makes our day to day more insecure.
Later!

Zidane Blows the Cup for France?

Okay, I'm going to admit to a bit of sensationalism there. Did he blow it? Maybe. Who knows? The problem is, it's a game played across 90 minutes with everything usually decided in seconds. And everything you grow up learning about teams sports tells you that it's not the individual that wins or loses a game, but the team as a whole, but when you talk a player of that caliber, it's kind of hard to swallow. Take for instance his first goal that same game of the FIFA World Cup Final: his one on one against Buffon, who had a stellar showing with only one goal on him on the books at that point(and an own-goal at that), and Zidane put it in with apparent ease. He didnt even bother to put much on it as it was a slow chip. He made the goalie commit, then put it nice and easyily in the opposite corner. Almost as if to let the italian keeper know who was in charge...
So, when you lose a player who was previously considered the best player in the world by FIFA, and who scored 2 of the 3 winning goals in the 1998 World Cup versus Brazil in the final, it's hard to even fathom these events taking place. Why with only minutes left would a player of that caliber, who's probably about seen it all across his career as a soccer player, let something get to him to draw a Red Card?
Well, the man of all this spectacle has spoken in an interview with Canal Plus, where he claims that Materazzi "Pronounced very tough words about my mother and sister.." and that, "I tried not to listen to him but he kept repeating them."
Personally hearing that, I'm kind of torn. Part of me says you just don't retaliate - a player of his profile should just know better. As I really sit and think about it though, and you watch back over the way the Italians have played in the cup, falling over to draw fouls, the acting, etc.. and then you see this - hell, I think he didn't hurt him bad enough. At least that way they would have had to have sent Materazzi off the field in a stretcher.
I love soccer. Grew up playing it in the U.S. playing it in other countries during my summers as a kid even - watching European ball as I grew up and loving the sport. But you see the garbage and play-acting I see everytime I watch Italy play, it just ruins the game. I swear in Italy, this brand of soccer must but like their Soap Operas. "Oh dear Totti was SHOVED, will our beloved play again? OH WAIT! They have given him the foul and he is MAGICALLY BETTER!!! AHHHH !!!!"
It's not just Italy - I don't mean to just pick at them (and I fully admit they have some amazingly talented players). I definitely saw it in a few of the Portuguese players as well. FIFA seriously needs to crack down on that garbage. How about a 5-10 minute period for going down and requiring to be taken off the field? Not just 30 secs off the field then magically better. That would make players think twice if they went down wouldn't it? If you dive their should repercussions. And if they find you guilty post-game, their should be serious game suspensions, otherwise you're just ruining the game.
Now back to Zidane. What shuold be done? I've got to admit I'm seriously torn. You can't just condone open violence on the field. However, I think about anyone has their limits, and to him, maybe really insulting the hell out of his family is it. I consider myself pretty level-headed, but if you said the right thing about my mom, well, we'd have problems.
So what about the guy throwing that kind of language around? If they talk about stripping the award from Zidane, then maybe we should think about stripping the cup title from a player willing to play like that at the highest level of the game? It sounds stupid, but If you consider one, I'm not against considering the other, especially if its proven down the road he was trying to get a rise out of Zidane. And hell, Materazzi has already admitted it publicly...
Anyways, will be interesting to see how FIFA reacts and what comes about, and whether they will really find the stones to come down on people, as they've said they would in the past. This is supposed to be the beautiful game, they need to make it that way.

Trojans gored by Longhorns at the Rose Bowl

Wow... what a crazy few nights. My head is still reeling from the Sugar Bowl the other night. So I sit down to watch a little Rose bowl action after hearing about this game it seems like ALL damn year. The hype was just too much for the USC Trojans though. How can anyone be expected to constantly perform and pull out the win like the Trojans had been doing for the last 3 years - especially when you start believing your own shit though, really. Yeah just yesterday I was watching one of those pre-game week interviews with some Trojan players, when one of em comes on and says, "USC is gonna win cause that's all we know how to do." Just matter of fact. Just 'yeah I'm the shit and what're you gonna do?'

Well, it looks like Young and his Longhorns knew just what to do. Despite the Trojan's ability to March the ball and having their own great QB, Texas just impressed the hell out of me. Their protection of Young was phenominal, he never really seemed in any trouble on the pass, and when any pressure came the guy just moves. Despite having a great team and their own scoring ability the USC Trojans couldnt seem to stop the Longhorns when they were marching down the field to the inzone.

You just can't say enough about a kid like Young, either. He's just another of the new breed of QBs that can pass or scramble and run. It's just too hard for most teams to really keep guys like that down. In the end Vince Young ran for 200 yards and passed for another 267, personally making the last TD run that sealed the game for the Vikings. It's like there's a whole new breed of little Mike Vicks coming up. It'll be interesting to see this kid when he hits the NFL - and you know he'll be there - and see what happens in the big show.

So, don't get me wrong about something. I actually like USC, it was fun watching this seemingly unbeatable team make it to the top and stay there as King for a short while , but there's always someone else lookin at your top spot, so when you start talkin smack, I can't help but feel ya got it comin'....

Anyhow, it was a great game. Both teams brought their game. When one team would score, the other had an answer for it 3 minutes later. It's good to see that the Rose Bowl ends up being this kind of game. It went all the way to the last seconds. USC needed some yardage to put them close enough to the IZ for a field goal, but with 8 seconds left on the play it didn't happen and that's how it came down in the end with a 41-38 finish of Texas over USC. I know some guys that ended up payin some good money for some sideline tickets - but I know they enjoyed every last dollar of it. Wish I Coulda been there. Maybe next year! Later folks!

Dawgs go down to Mountaineers in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl

Well what a game. It started on january 2nd and ended on the 3rd, and if you were watching this game you were probably holding your breath til the last minute of game time. It didnt start off that way though. Right out of the gate, Pat White and the West Virginia Mountaineers just looked like they were there to own the Georgia dome. The Georgia Bulldogs looked like they just got slapped in the face when the Mountaineers took the lead in the first quarter over the dogs with three unanswered touchdowns. A fourth came about in the second quarter leaving the Dawg fans in shock.
The dawgs held on and a pass from DJ Shokley finally answered the 28-0 lead and it almost looked like they'd pull a rally out of the magic hat. However, things just never came together for the dogs, and with a surprise run from the Mountaineers punter in the last few minutes put a nail in the coffin for the Georgia Bulldogs. In a night filled with suprises and action, Steve Slaton rushed for a record 204 yards and three touchdowns to lead the No. 11 Mountaineers to a 38-35 victory over the eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. All in all, a great Sugar Bowl. It looked at first like I was going to change the channel, but glad I watched it and definitely wished I was there for the game. I'm definitely going to have to make it to the Sugar Bowl next year!

Buy Sugar Bowl Tickets

Vikings hold Porn auditions... or a boatload of strippers is good Viking fun

SO, its official I guess. Some 30 members of the Minnesota Vikings have been ID'd as being on the 2 party boats where the sex scandal took place. Among them, 3 Vikings and Daunte Culpepper were charged with the shebang.
according to the article in AOL news, "Culpepper got a lap dance from a naked woman, and put his hands on her buttocks; McKinnie placed a woman on a bar and performed oral sex; Smoot used a sex toy on two women; and Williams got a lap dance from a topless dancer and placed his hands on her breasts."
Well... I'm still not completely sure what was wrong with this if they paid money to charter this boat, personally I don't see anything illegal so long as all involved were consenting and all that jibber-jabber... It may not be the classiest move, but I don't think anyone really ever accused these guys of that.
-j0ny

Brad Pitt, luckiest man alive... ( Angelina Jolie)

Well, for those used to watch her old stuff, and remember her talking about how much she loved to play Lesbian roles in film, the Cat is now out of the bag and her ex-lover from her film Firefox has talked all about their affair. Super Model Jenny Shimizu, according to an interview has said that she is still Jolie's Lesbian lover... (uh-oh!), and what does she say about Jolie?
Says Shimizu:
"She is beautiful. Her mouth is amazing. I've never kissed anyone with a bigger mouth than Angelina. It's like two water beds - it's like this big kind of warm, mushy, beautiful thing."
Ummmm.....? hold on,okay, I'm gonna re-read that.... What a Bastard that Pitt guy is!
Now it sounds like Shimizu is a little testy towards our man Brad, however, if he plays his cards right, he could become the luckiest-EST man alive... ya think?
Hmmm okay. Time to stop bein a total tard-guy about this but, one more time.... WOW....
more soon...
-j0ny

That time of year again... BOWL TIME!!!

Well, I may have already touched on this briefly - but cause of how busy its been at work, am gonna say it again: It's BOWL TIME AGAIN! That's right.. with the going of Thanksgving and all us turkeys stuffing ourselves, all our favorite (hopefully) teams qualify and make it to the big NCAA Bowls, and ticket sales to these bowls start goin thru the roof. It always amazes me just how big these events are for people. Figured I'd go ahead go over a few quick bowls some people might be interested in...
For the Georgia Tech fan out there, the trip's a long one, but should be good. Emerald Bowl Tickets will be sold between number 24 ranked Georgia Tech from the ACC for their first Trip to Sunny San Fran versus the Utah Utes from the Mountain West Conference. Georgia Tech made it in when a slot opened due to the PAC-10 not qualifying enough teams. This'll be the Yellow Jackets' 9th straight Bowl season with impressive wins this season over top-10 teams Auburn (23-14) and Miami(14-10).
This should be a great Bowl For the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Sophomore and All-American puck Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson is one of the leading receivers in college football and bowl-record breaking running back P.J. Daniels (2 years ago at the Humanitarian Bowl), along with QB Reggie ball represent some serious guns for Ga Tech to get the job done. The Emerald Bowl will be played at beautiful SBC Park in San Francisco on Thursday, December 29, with a kickoff at 1:30 PM. Hope you Tech fans can get there for this one! You can get tickets at www.peachtreetickets.com, or go straight to their NCAA Bowl Page and just click on the link for Emerald Bowl Tickets!
Wow... this ended up bein longer than I thought... will have more soon... more on Sugar Bowl Tickets and Peach Bowl Tickets soon!
See ya!
-j0ny