Why LiveID drives me batshit

It's a small thing... But, man does it bug me...

We've all seen the (numerous) best practice docs on long, complex passwords being the hardest to crack (if you're using brute force and a password hashing methodology that doesn't have a Rainbow Table available for it, that is) and how, logically, a passphrase (like a sentence, complete with punctuation and spaces) makes for a very good, complex, long password with the bonus that it is more memorable (for normal humans) than the 13375p3@|<>

So, I was resetting my LiveID this AM, and being a good user was dropping in a passphrase instead of a password.

Examine the image, particularly the text circled in red.

Can you fathom advocating passphrases as a good idea, and then NOT SUPPORTING them in one of the larger online identity schemes out there?

OK, I'm done.

Alanna Kurtis and the Tumblers

I'm not a big country music fan. Ask my girlfriend, she'll confirm this.
That's kind of odd, considering I'll do tend to dip into a lot of different genres (yes, even after they cease to be fashionable).
Might have something to do with the fact that my parents listened to nothing but country when I was a kid. Everyone's gotta rebel against something, right?

Anyway... Having said that, I will say that if you are in Toronto on the 19th of September you should hie your ass down to the Rivoli for 9:45 and check out Alana Kurtis and the Tumblers.
I've seen them a couple of times now and it ain't your father's country music.

Hmmm, on second thought, maybe it is. Maybe that's why I'm enjoying it.

It is certainly a hell of a lot more country than the thinly disguised pop that has been packaged as country for the last 15 years.
Alana has a hell of a voice and an excellent lyrical pen,and her band the Tumblers are definitely not skill-deficient. Come out on Wednesday and give it a listen.

Short rant on Large Orgs

I've been buried inside the bowels of one of the country's larger financial players, working with management solutions.
I have never been a big fan of the large organizations; I have always maintained that there were too many layers of bullshit, petty empire-building and people being assigned to roles, not because they had any aptitude or interest in it, but because they had been there so long.
I've worked at government clients in both Canada and the US, and the madness, bureaucracy and waste in those environments has nothing on what happens in a large, profitable FI.

I am glad I spent almost a decade in a variety industries working for small and medium businesses. I learned a lot doing that.
In a large environment like this, I think I would have lost more than I would have learned.

Fuck you, fuckbag.

I never did like SUVs. Not even the "compact" ones.
A few short days ago, I was riding to the client site (the joys of a gig in town - the bike commute becomes an option) heading south on Dovercourt.

The light at College St. was red; I waited next to a Honda CRV (or some similar vehicle - my memory for reasons that will shortly become clear is a little jumbled on some details), I made eye contact with the driver. The turns green, we both set off, the Honda getting ahead of me on the descent, then signalling a turn to the right, presumably to park curbside as there is no street to turn onto.
So far so good, I'll just make sure I get on the left of this vehicle and all will be fine.
I'm about 3 metres uphill and closing when it happens.
There is no warning, no signal.
The Honda, still with the turn signal lit does an abrupt 90 degree turn to the left. I'm looking into the broadside of this vehicle.
I'm anticipating pain and am suddenly very appreciative of my helmet.
With about 2 metres to go I start pulling my handlebars to the right while braking hard.
Next thing I know, I'm not smacking into the Honda, nor am I hitting the curb.
I'm heading uphill coming out of the dip. My tailbone is riding the tip of my seat. Not too comfortable, but it beats the shit out of riding the top tube. And it is orders of magnitude less shitty than being broadsided by a steel box.
By the time I get to Dundas I have my shit together.
A cyclist riding behind me has seen the whole thing go down, and expresses her disgust with the driver involved.
Feeling vindicated, I gingerly make my way to work.

As for the driver, you fucking dipshit oblivious cunt, your carelessness could have fucked me right up. You saw me beside you, you should have seen me coming in your rearview. I was lucky I managed to swerve the fuck out of your way.
You were lucky I wasn't another car.
Pay fucking attention.
By

Spammers are fucking scum of the earth

Just read this entry from the Handlers' Diary over at the Internet Storm Centre.
The 419 scamming has taken on an ugly new aspect: email Death Threats.

This text from a short variant was posted (verbatim from the offending spam) on ISC:

Hello,
I wish to let you know that i have been paid by a client to assasinate you at convenience,and i have signed a contract of $650,000 yesterday for this.I have never met you before,but they gave me the full description of your identity and contact,together with your photograph which my boys have used to trace you.

The reason why they want you Dead is not disclosed to me as i was not allowed to know,but you are now not better that the dead ok.

My BOYS are now contantly watching you,they are following you-home,office,everywhere.....,you go and they are waiting for my instruction to terminate you.And they will strike at convenience.

THIS IS MY MESSAGE-

LISTEN VERY WELL !!!!,the Police cannot do much to help you out in this right now because you are being watched,any such attempt is very risky cause you will push us to terminate your life without option. Your calls are not safe also.In fact you are traced.
I have no business with you but at least i have cleared the way as a pro-,but you may have one chance to live again if you can contact me not latter that 24 hours after this mssage.

GOODLUCK!!!"

Really? It's come to this? Fucking false fucking Death Threats via email to extort money?
This is a brand new low.

If this piece of digital excrement shows up in your mailbox, follow the instructions in the ISC post on how to report the alleged humans perpetrating this shit.