tagged w/ infrastructure
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Nielsen Online reported that by the end of 2008 social networking had overtaken email in terms of worldwide reach. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Linkedin provide users with a way to build and interact with a community in real time on a familiar platform at a very low cost.Nielsen Online reported that by the end of 2008 social networking had overtaken email... more
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In the age where a huge percentage of all attacks are done through e-mail, very few of us know how to analyze where this e-mail was sent from. This analysis must go beyond the sender e-mail displayed in your e-mail client (which are easily spoofed). Here is a simple tutorial on analyzing Internet headers.In the age where a huge percentage of all attacks are done through e-mail, very few of... more
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Bruce Schneier points out the attacks against US Federal sites that succeeded in shutting them down or the malware spread by USB thumb drive that infected the US Military Central Command, demonstrate a lack of common sense anti-virus and patch management. But that is a very big deal Bruce…Bruce Schneier points out the attacks against US Federal sites that succeeded in... more
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War has not changed. The weapons of disruption, corruption, and destruction reflect only the evolution of human creativity and innovation. We must understand the conflicts that drive their use, be they individual, corporate, or international. Without this insight, we are doomed to cyber attrition.War has not changed. The weapons of disruption, corruption, and destruction reflect... more
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Twitter suspends accounts of users with infected computers; South Korea blocks sites to help end cyber attacks; Kansas audit raises computer security questions; Apple still mute to iPhone complaints; U.S. State Dept. workers beg Clinton for Firefox; Snooping through the power socket; New York official: Tagged site stole identities; Firefox 3.5 vulnerability rated ‘highly critical; Probe into cyberattacks stretches around the globe; BlackBerry update bursting with spyware; French workers threaten to blow up Nortel factory; FBI charges satellite descramblers…Twitter suspends accounts of users with infected computers; South Korea blocks sites... more
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Analyzing an incident when the manufacturer claims that it’s an operator error and the operator claims that it is an application error is one of the most daunting tasks of a security officer. And this is a type of incident that the security officer will be called upon to investigate simply because the management needs an independent observer and has doubts both in the operator as well as the manufacturer. Here is what to do when thrown into the fire…Analyzing an incident when the manufacturer claims that it’s an operator error... more
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I dream of a world without cars.
(as an ex smoker, I've come to appreciate and revere fresh air)I dream of a world without cars.
(as an ex smoker, I've come to appreciate... more
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Why so many green jobs are sprouting in Colorado.
Talk from Washington suggests that investments in renewable energy, infrastructure, and public transit may be a partial solution to our economic woes. For the last several years, the Denver region has been staging a trial run of this strategy, one that shows both its promise—and perhaps its limits.
The Mile High City occupies the high ground when it comes to clean energy—and clean living. Denver's sheer outdoorsiness can be by turns charming and infuriating. (The question "What do you do?" is likely to be answered with an outdoor activity, not a profession.) When I showed up at Gov. Bill Ritter's office, an aide was carting a bicycle rack out of the inner sanctum. And while the state's jewel of a capital may be testimony to its heritage of extraction—walls of Colorado-mined rose onyx, a dome covered in gold, and Works Progress Administration-era frescoes paying tribute to coal mining—a new Colorado is dawning. In November 2004, Denver-area citizens voted to boost sales taxes to expand the region's light-rail system, and the state's voters approved a ballot initiative mandating that utilities draw a chunk of electricity from renewable sources. The quasi-independent republic of Boulder is a capital of composting, recycling, hybrid-driving, and general eco-fabulousness.
Ritter, a Democrat elected in 2006, speaks of the dawning of a "new energy economy," fueled by the shifting zeitgeist but also by the state's research universities, local institutions such as NREL, and anticipated stimulus funds. A quick case study: Abound Solar, which started producing thin-film solar material in April in Loveland, was hatched in a laboratory at Colorado State University in the 1980s, received $15 million in Department of Energy funds in the 1990s, and in recent years has raised $150 million in private capital.Why so many green jobs are sprouting in Colorado.
Talk from Washington suggests... more
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Saudi Arabia's plans to move forward with government projects despite expectations of posting a budget deficit for the year highlight a broader trend within the state. The Arab world's largest economy wants to rely more heavily on domestic funding sources for its dramatic expansion plan that includes $400 billion in state spending on development projects in the coming five years. Transport Minister Jebarah bin Eid al-Suraisry said that "after studying the options, it was clear that government funding for the projects is less costly during these times."Saudi Arabia's plans to move forward with government projects despite... more
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GCC countries need to prioritize investment in their infrastructure.
Governments, banks and other stakeholders must collaborate to prioritize sector investment and provide or attract financing to enable infrastructure development to continue, according to a new report by analysts Booz & Company.GCC countries need to prioritize investment in their infrastructure.
Governments,... more
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President Obama today put federal support behind a national high-speed rail plan than has been years in the making. Initial funding of $8 billion was included for high-speed rail projects in his stimulus package — to be spent over two years — and an additional $1 billion a year is being budgeted over the next five years.
According to the New York Times, the stimulus money has yet to be allocated to specific projects, but the key projects identified so far include:
- a northern New England line;
- an Empire line running east to west in New York State;
- a Keystone corridor running laterally through Pennsylvania;
- a southeast network connecting the District of Columbia to Florida and the Gulf Coast;
- a Gulf Coast line extending from eastern Texas to western Alabama;
- a corridor in central and southern Florida;
- a Texas-to-Oklahoma line;
- a California corridor from San Francisco to Los Angeles (already approved by CA voters)
- and a corridor in the Pacific Northwest.President Obama today put federal support behind a national high-speed rail plan than... more
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"Apologies to residents of the Lower East Side; Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and other hipster-centric neighborhoods. You are not as cool as you think, at least according to a new study that seeks to measure what it calls “the geography of buzz.”
The research, presented in late March at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers, locates hot spots based on the frequency and draw of cultural happenings: film and television screenings, concerts, fashion shows, gallery and theater openings. The buzziest areas in New York, it finds, are around Lincoln and Rockefeller Centers, and down Broadway from Times Square into SoHo. In Los Angeles the cool stuff happens in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, along the Sunset Strip, not in trendy Silver Lake or Echo Park.
The aim of the study, called “The Geography of Buzz,” said Elizabeth Currid, one of its authors, was “to be able to quantify and understand, visually and spatially, how this creative cultural scene really worked.”
The answers were both obvious and not, a Möbius strip connecting infrastructure (Broadway shows need Broadway theaters, after all), media (photographers need to cover Broadway openings) and the bandwagon nature of popular culture. Buzz, as marketers eagerly attest, feeds on itself, even, apparently, at the building level. A related exhibition opens on Tuesday at Studio-X in the West Village, just south of Houston Street, an area not quite buzzy enough to rank.
The study follows in the wake of urban theorists like Richard Florida (Ms. Currid calls him a mentor), who have emphasized the importance of the creative class to civic development.""Apologies to residents of the Lower East Side; Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and other... more
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Architects and engineers are artists in their own way; they are constantly pushing the limits of construction, defying the odds and laws of gravity in order to create structures that serve more than just a functional purpose. These structures become landmarks and statements of accomplishment to the world. From the pyramids of Egypt to the Empire State Building, this race to reach the heavens has been going on for centuries and continues today.Architects and engineers are artists in their own way; they are constantly pushing the... more
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The answer to economic recovery is, simply, more freedom. We need more freedom, lots of it, if we are to hope to make a recovery from the current economic situation anytime soon. It is at the height of arrogance for the President-elect and the members of Congress to presume that they know best how to allocate and invest resources to bring about a robust economy.The answer to economic recovery is, simply, more freedom. We need more freedom, lots... more
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At least nine people were injured when a school building partially collapsed in Haiti - days after a similar incident killed more than 90 people.
Officials said most of the students were out in the playground when the collapse happened at the private school in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
A witness said the cave-in left chunks of wall scattered on the ground.
The accident comes less than a week after the deadly collapse at La Promesse College in Petionville.
Rescuers have now ended a search for survivors at that site.
Crews have cleared the wreckage, uncovering the remains of those trapped inside.
'No cement'
The second collapse occurred at the Grace Divine school, in the Canape Vert part of the capital.
The concrete roof was sagging and there were clear cracks in the remaining walls, AFP news agency reported.
Two students were taken to hospital with serious injuries while another seven had minor injuries, an official told the Associated Press news agency.
Haitian authorities have blamed the collapse of the Petionville school on poor construction - and indicated that the second one could have the same cause.
"It is the same kind of construction we have seen in Nerettes [in Petionville]," said Eucher Luc Joseph, secretary of state for public safety.
"It is construction with practically no cement, no iron. It has been built in total violation of regulations."
The owner of the Petionville school has been arrested.
Sorry for copying the whole thing, but the part about there being no cement is so tragically metaphorical for the infrastructure in Haiti. The lives of these school children was lost in the sake of saving money, of improper funds for the schools in Haiti, and because of a lack of regulation. All of these are derivative of the seemingly inept government at supplying basic needs. I don't think this is any longer a matter of, "well, let's see what they do" - I think aid to Haiti is overdue and unfortunately even that won't be any sort of cure-all. It's such an intensively internal problem that the improvement really must manifest from within the country itself - one currently in a state of disarray and poverty.
I hate being negative (no pun intended). So, instead, what do you think is a way for us current users to reach these people obviously in need? What solutions come to mind concerning this situation? And should we even care and why?At least nine people were injured when a school building partially collapsed in Haiti... more
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El Hierro is the smallest of the Canary Islands (a chain of Spanish islands off the coast of Africa), and it is incredibly beautiful. Previously its mainly been known as a sheik and exotic European tourist mainstay. Now, it's becoming famous for something a bit more virtuous as part of the eco crazy revolution----it is the world's first island to run on 100% renewable energy. This small island is basically a blueprint for a sustainable future on planet earth. We will travel to the island and get a look at el Hierro's design, something that may just end up saving the world.El Hierro is the smallest of the Canary Islands (a chain of Spanish islands off the... more
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Bill Fletcher: We need public investment in infrastructure and a basic change in the way we live. Part 2
Immediately following the second Presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain, Senior Editor Paul Jay spoke with Bill Fletcher, Jr.. In part two of that interview, Bill discusses the sort of response he would hope to see from a new President to address the roots of the crisis.
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a columnist, activist, author and labor organizer. He is the Executive Editor of The Black Commentator and his newest book, co-written with Fernando Gapasin, is entitled "Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path Toward Social Justice". He is the a cofounder of the Center for Labor Renewal, has served as President of TransAfrica Forum and was formerly the Education Director and later Assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO.
See Part 1 at: http://current.com/items/89386881_contempt_from_mccain_as_obama_pulls_ahead
Bill Fletcher: We need public investment in infrastructure and a basic change in the... more
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The tentacles of the global credit crisis are reaching into some of British Columbia's large-scale infrastructure projects as international banks with a stake here are struggling to find cash.
The tentacles of the global credit crisis are reaching into some of British... more
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The events of the past few days have caused me great pause and consternation. Our nation is gripped in a financial crisis that at its worse could send us down a course that would rival the Great Depression.
And yet these days it seems we go from crisis to crisis – a war with no clear result or end, the housing and foreclosure crisis a few months ago, now we have a melt down on Wall Street.
Congress considers passing a plan to bail out an industry that should know better, an industry Congress had coddled, and will now subsidize.
Congress will then move on to the next debate – all without addressing the underlying conditions that got us here, and keep getting us here.
Why are markets failing? Why are the fundamentals of our economy not sound? Why do people feel worse today, and are more pessimistic about our future than at any other time in our history?
This is a time when Washington has lost its values----- lost its principles - lost its sense of purpose - It no longer invests in our cities, it no longer invests in our people.
Plain and simple, Washington has abandoned us.
Cuts to education, cuts to housing, health, public safety, youth programs, economic development, job training, arts, and infrastructure.
This comes at a time when people in America are suffering – when our nation needs the most.
Consider the following:
1 in every 6 children lives in poverty, with nearly half living in extreme poverty. Is poverty and economic opportunity an urban problem or an American problem?
The US economy has lost over 450,000 jobs so far this year - wages remain flat - gasoline is now over $4 a gallon - rising food prices, rising medical costs - hitting each and every one of us in the wallet.
Is our economy an urban problem or is it an American problem?
We know the answer - these are America’s problems – and yet cities have been left alone to deal with them.
Cities drive the national economy. And yet, when Mayors bring up the issues we all face – we get the same response.
We are told Mayors need to be fiscally responsible, that we need to do more with less, but there is not enough money to solve urban problems.
CDBG is funded at a little over 3.5 billion annually, and has been cut every year since I’ve been in office – We get a Water Bill passed over a veto, approximately $5 billion annually – this is what we spend on water! And remember the SCHIP crisis? How much resistance did the current administration put up to spending money to make sure uninsured children got health insurance?
And yet, this same administration proposes we spend $700 Billion to bail out Wall Street. We are supposed to entrust the bailout to the same regulators who allowed it to happen.
This isn’t monopoly money – Can any of you imagine what $700 billion dollars could do in America’s cities? Or even $350 billion?
Then we are told we MUST spend this money to save our economy, save our very way of life, but no one talks about the path that led us here. The financial crisis has been building up for some time – we know about the bad lending practices; irresponsible borrowing; irresponsible lending - No one bothered to look at underlying value until it was too late.
Meanwhile, mayors have been working on financial literacy, small business assistance, entrepreneurship, education – working with organizations like the ICIC to reinvigorate our inner cities –
We are arming people with the knowledge and tools necessary to make wise financial choices, to build credit worthiness, to accumulate wealth. And now the financial crisis may lead to a credit crisis – Whereas banks were too eager to lend, now they don’t lend at all.
It is time for Washington to end its partisan gridlock, end the pointless debates, and engage in some serious planning and leadership to address the issues we all face.
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Click the link for the rest of the post.The events of the past few days have caused me great pause and consternation. Our... more
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