0 is also a number

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Does anyone know how to access and rip the hidden tracks on the X-Files Songs in the Key of X soundtrack CD on a Mac?

For those who don’t know, the CD (a collection of music featured in the X-Files television show) contains a liner note that says, “Nick Cave and the Dirty Three would like you to know that ‘0’ is also a number.” When you put the CD in a CD player and, rather than hitting ‘Play’, you hit the ‘Rewind’ button (not the ‘Skip Back’ button), you can rewind to the -9:15 mark and find two hidden tracks by Nick Cave and the Dirty Three. The first is “Time Iesum Transeuntem et non Reverendem” (Dread the Passage of Jesus for He Will Not Return), and the second is a cover of the X-Files theme.

Unfortunately, iTunes doesn’t seem to want to scan backwards past the 0:00 mark! I can’t scan backwards, nor can I put a negative value into the ‘Start Time’ option. I looked at the audio file that the Finder displays, but it only reads as 3:25, so it looks like the Finder isn’t reading the extra information either. I even checked it on my “normal” CD player (as it has an optical audio out that I could plug into my G5), but it’s new enough that it isn’t reading the extra bits either.

Has anyone found a way to pull the hidden information off on a Mac? I’d love to know (or, alternately, if anyone happens to have a 128kbps AAC rip of the two tracks, that’d be nice too…)!

CSS geek humor

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Last week, CSS guru Eric Meyer and his wife Kat had their first child, Carolyn, which resulted in a large number of congratulatory posts using css-ish puns. Unfortunately, many of these pseudo-CSS concepts didn’t validate, so Eric has responded in turn by “debugging” their CSS code.

Hey, it amused me.

Profile of a Spammer

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Ever wonder about the people responsible for cramming your inboxes full of offers that you neither want or need? Here’s one of them — a “graying grandmother in a ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ T-shirt.”

Typically a marketer is tipped to Fox’s business by word of mouth and a deal is done on the telephone. Fox then taps into her list of 40 million e-mail addresses — 1,500 times more names than Slidell has people — for possible targets. She is paid based on how many prospective buyers she delivers to the marketer. Until recently she made a good living spamming, she says, pulling in $4,000 in a good week, $2,000 in a slow week. Some weeks produce no income.

(via /.)

US Political Regions

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Commonwealth Magazine, unsatisfied with the standard blue (Democrat) vs. Red (Republican) political reporting of elections past, has proposed an interesting division of the country into ten seperate political regions.

this primary-color collage resonates only because it turns up the contrast. Given that more than 40 percent of voters in the blue states backed Bush and more than 40 percent of voters in the red states backed Gore, doesn’t the red vs. blue model seem, well, a bit black-and-white?

So CommonWealth decided to make a map of our own. Aiming somewhere between the reductionist red-and-blue model and the most accurate (but least useful) subdivision of the United States into infinity, we split the county into 10 regions, each with a distinct political character. Our regions are based on voting returns from both national and state elections, demographic data from the US Census, and certain geographic features such as mountain ranges and coastlines. Each region represents about one-tenth of the national electorate, casting between 10.4 million and 10.8 million votes in the 2000 presidential election.

2003/12/graphics/uspoliticalregions

By their map, when I moved to Seattle from Anchorage, I moved from the Sagebrush region (more centrist, 57.4% Bush/37.5% Gore/3.7% Nader in 2000) to the Upper Coasts region (more liberal, 57.5% Gore/35.8% Bush/5.6% Nader in 2000). Works for me.

(via Lane)

Emperor Norton

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I’ve mentioned Emperor Norton (first [and only] Emperor of the United States) here in the past. Today I found Will’s link to the “Which Historical Loony are you?” quiz, where he came out as Emperor Norton. So, I bounced over, took the test…and whaddaya know…

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?\
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

You are Joshua Abraham Norton, first and only Emperor of the United States of America!

Born in England sometime in the second decade of the nineteenth century, you carved a notable business career, in South Africa and later San Francisco, until an entry into the rice market wiped out your fortune in 1854. After this, you became quite different. The first sign of this came on September 17, 1859, when you expressed your dissatisfaction with the political situation in America by declaring yourself Norton I, Emperor of the USA. You remained as such, unchallenged, for twenty-one years.

Within a month you had decreed the dissolution of Congress. When this was largely ignored, you summoned all interested parties to discuss the matter in a music hall, and then summoned the army to quell the rebellious leaders in Washington. This did not work. Magnanimously, you decreed (eventually) that Congress could remain for the time being. However, you disbanded both major political parties in 1869, as well as instituting a fine of \$25 for using the abominable nickname “Frisco” for your home city.

Your days consisted of parading around your domain – the San Francisco streets – in a uniform of royal blue with gold epaulettes. This was set off by a beaver hat and umbrella. You dispensed philosophy and inspected the state of sidewalks and the police with equal aplomb. You were a great ally of the maligned Chinese of the city, and once dispersed a riot by standing between the Chinese and their would-be assailants and reciting the Lord’s Prayer quietly, head bowed.

Once arrested, you were swiftly pardoned by the Police Chief with all apologies, after which all policemen were ordered to salute you on the street. Your renown grew. Proprietors of respectable establishments fixed brass plaques to their walls proclaiming your patronage; musical and theatrical performances invariably reserved seats for you and your two dogs. (As an aside, you were a good friend of Mark Twain, who wrote an epitaph for one of your faithful hounds, Bummer.) The Census of 1870 listed your occupation as “Emperor”.

The Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, upon noticing the slightly delapidated state of your attire, replaced it at their own expense. You responded graciously by granting a patent of nobility to each member. Your death, collapsing on the street on January 8, 1880, made front page news under the headline “Le Roi est Mort”. Aside from what you had on your person, your possessions amounted to a single sovereign, a collection of walking sticks, an old sabre, your correspondence with Queen Victoria and 1,098,235 shares of stock in a worthless gold mine. Your funeral cortege was of 30,000 people and over two miles long.

The burial was marked by a total eclipse of the sun.

Security: Mac OS X vs. Windows

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Last week, a minor firestorm erupted when PC Magazine columnist Lance Ulanoff wrote a ridiculously inflammatory article gleefully declaring that, “the Mac OS is just as vulnerable as Microsoft Windows.”

I know this is wrong, but in one respect I was happy to learn earlier this month about the discovery of a significant security hole in the Jaguar and Panther versions (10.2 and 10.3, respectively) of the Apple operating system (OS).

Richard Forno, former Chief Security Officer for Network Solutions, has responded with a comparison of Mac OS X and Windows security — and Windows doesn’t exactly come out ahead.

In a December 11 column that epitomizes the concept of yellow journalism, he’s “happy” that Mac OS X is vulnerable to a new and quite significant security vulnerability. The article was based on a security advisory by researcher Bill Carrel regarding a DHCP vulnerability in Mac OS X. Carrel reported the vulnerability to Apple in mid-October and, through responsible disclosure practices, waited for a prolonged period before releasing the exploit information publicly since Apple was slow in responding to Carrel’s report (a common problem with all big software vendors.)  Accordingly, Lance took this as a green light to launch into a snide tirade about how  “Mac OS is just as vulnerable as Microsoft Windows” while penning paragraph after paragraph saying “I told you so” and calling anyone who disagrees with him a “Mac zealot.”

You’re either with him or with the “zealots.”  Where have we heard this narrow-minded extremist view before?  

More to the point, his article is replete with factual errors. Had he done his homework instead of rushing to smear the Mac security community and fuel his Windows-based envy, he’d have known that not only did Apple tell Carrel on November 19 that a technical fix for the problem would be released in its December Mac OS X update, but that Apple released easy-to-read guidance (complete with screenshots) for users to mitigate this problem on November 26.  Somehow he missed that.

Since he’s obviously neither a technologist (despite writing for a technology magazine) nor a security expert, let’s examine a few differences between Mac and Windows to see why Macintosh systems are, despite his crowing, whining, and wishing, inherently more secure than Windows systems.

(via Damien)

Saddam captured – what now?

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saddamcaptured.jpg

This was a rather surprising headline to wake up to this morning. Good news, overall &mash; and not only was Saddam captured, but it was done without any loss of life, apparently without troops having to fire a shot.

Of course, me being me, I have to wonder where things are going to go from here. Two things immediately stick out in my mind.

First, I doubt that this is going to suddenly prompt a halt to the violence in Iraq (nice as that would be). From the situation in which Saddam was found, it seems unlikely that he was acting as any sort of major influence over the attacks against the forces of the US and our Allies in Iraq. Will his capture demoralize the Iraqi fighters? Or just give them another reason to want the US (who seems to be perceived as more of an occupying force than a liberating army) out of Iraq, prompting them to start hitting us that much harder?

DHinMI at Daily Kos touches on this question:

And what about the continued attacks on American troops?  It’s hard to imagine Saddam was exerting much operational leadership over the attackers from inside a “spider hole” in which he barely had room to move around.  The people attacking coalition troops don’t appear to need Saddam around to tell them what to do, and their actions don’t appear to be necessarily directed at restoring Baathist control over Iraq as much as evicting the occupying forces from their country.  The biggest positive from Saddam’s capture will probably be in eliminating the fear that he will return to power.  That’s a huge relief for many common Iraqis who may now be more emboldened to assist U.S. forces with intelligence about the resistance forces attacking out troops.  There may also be less acquiescence by the general population to having the resistance forces move as effortlessly through the country.  But it’s too early to tell.
binforgotten.jpg

Secondly…wasn’t all this started by the seemingly forgotten Osama bin Laden?

In Sept. of 2001, the US was the victim of a terrifying terrorist attack that hit the Pentagon and New York City, brought down the World Trade Center, and killed thousands. All of this was, apparently, masterminded by Osama bin Laden, head of the al Qaida organization. After the attacks, we were assured that al Qaida would be destroyed and bin Laden would be caputured “dead or alive”, and the War On Terrorism™ was begun.

Then we stopped hearing about bin Laden. Suddenly Saddam Hussein was once again elected “bad guy of the moment”, circumstantial links between al Qaida and Iraq were manufactured, and the Bush Administration’s propaganda machine managed to convince a frightening majority of the American public that Saddam was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. And into Iraq we went.

And now, months later, after losing over four hundred US lives to Iraqi forces (the majority of which were lost after Bush foolishly declared “Mission Accomplished” after we took Baghdad), we’ve finally captured our latest scapegoat. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens from here. With Saddam in custody, who will we hold ultimately responsible if the Iraqi forces don’t stop their attacks? After Saddam’s highly-publicized capture, what will be the reaction of the American public if we continue to lose soldiers to Iraqis determined to regain control over their homeland from the occupying forces of the US? Only time will tell.

And, of course, there are always questions regarding such a high-profile capture as this (sorry, but Bush has pulled too many fast ones during his tenure in office so far for people not to be cynical and suspicious anymore).

CTDem2 at Daily Kos noticed a few possible discrepancies between the before and after shots of Saddam’s medical examination after his capture:

I think it’s very unlikely that Saddam was captured last night, from looking at the photos.

First off, the wound on his forehead has healed over  between the time the “unshaved” photo was taken and the time the “shaved” photo was taken.  Sure, I guess you could say that for some reason they put makeup on it.

But, more difficult to explain – he has more than a little stubble by the time the “shaved” photo was taken.  That’s no 5 o’clock shadow, even if you have a fast-growing beard.  Looks more like at least a couple of days.

My interpretation is that he was captured on Thursday or Friday, but they didn’t want it to hit the weak Friday news circuit.  By announcing it Sunday morning, they made sure it (a) took that talk shows by surprise, (b) dominated the TV news on a day most Americans are home, and (c) will be on the front page of every newspaper on Monday, just in time for watercooler talk.

kaemaril asks in MetaFilter’s discussion thread about the legality of the released footage of Saddam’s medical examination:

How is showing video footage of Saddam undergoing a medical examination not humiliating and degrading, the sort of show footage that the Bush Administration were OUTRAGED about when it was American GIs on Iraqi TV screens?

You’d have thought the head of state of an occupied nation would have at least some protection from the Geneva Convention …

And lastly, on what may (or may not) be a lighter note, WizBangBlog is collecting possible conspiracy theories surrounding the capture. While I get the impression that they’re doing this mostly to poke fun at the “tin foil hat brigade” (which I freely admit I sometimes flirt with joining, if only for the entertainment value), it would be quite entertaining if there were more truth to some of these than might be initially thought…

I'm a dork

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One of my cost-cutting measures of late has been using my phone line as something almost unheard of in this modern day and age — as a phone. Nothing else. No call waiting, no caller ID, no voice mail, no fancy goodies of any sort. Just a phone. If someone calls when I’m home, I pick it up and answer it. If they call when I’m out, then they’ll just have to call back later. To my mind, it works well.

When I lost my job and had to go back into job hunting, though, I knew that that wouldn’t be the best approach, so I went ahead and signed back up for voice mail. It worked fine while I was job searching. I’d get home, pick up the phone to see if it beeped at me to tell me I had messages, and I’d call back the few that weren’t telemarketers anxious to make a sale.

Once I became gainfully employed, though…well, voice mail just isn’t for me. Due to the combination of an evening schedule that has me operating at hours quite different from a lot of people I know, a very small group of friends local to me in Seattle that I’d want to call anyway, and my own general semi-hermit lifestyle, I almost never pick up the phone to make a call. One of the few times I’ll call out is when I’m in a mood to order pizza, and then I’m dialing almost as soon as the phone leaves the cradle, and long before the handset reaches my ear. Hence, I never know if I have messages or not.

So this morning I actually checked my messages. There were two on there — one a telemarketer that had tried to get ahold of me Dec. 4th, and one from Rick, who wanted me to call him as soon as I got the message so we could clubbing that Friday night. Friday, Dec. 5th, that is. Well, he wanted me to call him as soon as I got the message, so I did (and just got his voicemail), but I think the verdict is pretty clear.

I’m a dork. :)

And I should probably pick up an answering machine and turn that fool voice mail off again.

Ooga-chaka! Ooga-chaka!

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Presented for your amusement: one of the most bizarre, funny, and somewhat disturbing music videos I’ve ever seen:

oogachaka.jpg

David Hasselhof singing “Hooked on a Feeling”!\
(Best viewed with broadband…probably a bit much for dial-up users.)

Notable both for how wonderfully horrid the entire experience is, and because many of the shots for said video appear to have been filmed in Alaska, even closing with a shot of Anchorage.

(via Nate, another ex-Alaskan)

Resume of George W. Bush

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Update: I originally received this as an uncredited e-mail forward. After I got an e-mail asking about the source, I did a quick Google search, and what follows appears to be a variation of a BuzzFlash article by Kelley Kramer.

George W. Bush — The White House, USA

LAW ENFORCEMENT:

I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver’s license suspended for 30 days.

My Texas driving record has been “lost” and is not available.

MILITARY:

I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL.

I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use.

By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.

COLLEGE:

I graduated from Yale University with a low C average.

I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:

I ran for U.S. Congress and lost.

I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975.

I bought an oil company, but couldn’t find any oil in Texas.

The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.

With the help of my father and our right-wing friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:

I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union.

During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.

I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.

I set the record for the most executions by anygovernor in American history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida,and my father’s appointments to the Supreme Court,I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:

I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.

I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.

I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.

In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.

I’m proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My “poorest millionaire,” Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.

I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.

My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.

I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history.

I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S.history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.

I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.

I’ve broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.

I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. “prisoners of war” detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).

I set the record for fewest number of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

I set the the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period.

After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people),shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of asovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families –in war time.

In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq, then blamed the lies on our British friends.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my “presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.” This is an actual quote by the mayor of London, Ken Livingston.

I am supporting development of a nuclear “Tactical Bunker Buster,” a WMD.

I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father’s library, sealed and unavailable for public view.

All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.

PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN 2004.