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Tuesday, May 04, 2004 |
 Doug Kaye continues his excellent audio interviews, this time with Bruce Schneier (the author of Blowfish encryption -- a widely used strong encryption algorithm that gives fits to intelligence/law enforcement agencies everywhere).
7:02:03 PM 
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David Isenberg does a nice wrap-up of US urban warfare capabilities.
6:41:16 PM
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One thing on the military prison problem. I spent some time as a prisoner in a simulated POW camp and found that people really change under that kind of situational pressure. I saw guards who became drunk on their new power (severe beatings and humilation). I also saw prisoners give up under the pressure (even though they knew intellectually they would be released in a couple days). Others were so motivated to escape they seriously hurt themselves. Granted, all the prisoners had little to no sleep or food for a week, so we were pretty stressed, but the behavior change was amazing to watch.
3:00:50 PM
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Robert Kaplan is in the market for body armor. Is body armor in your closet the new fashion statement?
1:30:01 PM
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Oil prices at 13-year high (the last gulf war created a mini-bubble in prices so it isn't much of a data-point for comparison purposes) due to fears of terrorist attacks on oil infrastructure:
The International Energy Agency (IEA), energy adviser to 26 industrialised nations, has warned that high oil prices could "inflict substantial damage on the economies of oil-importing countries and on the global economy."
US light crude rose 82 cents to $39.03 a barrel after climbing more than 80 cents yesterday when London markets were closed for a public holiday.
Attacks in Saudi Arabia and other major producers have intensified concern over supply security from the Middle East, which accounts for roughly a third of global oil production. The Yanbu attack has heightened fears militants might target oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude exporter, where energy facilities are tightly protected.
"The rampage occurred away from the major oil installations but (was) nonetheless alarming," said brokers Refco in a report. "This could be a portent of further disasters."
Barely a week ago US-led forces foiled a coordinated seaborne attempt by suicide bombers at the key Basra oil export terminal in southern Iraq.
Rising Chinese demand and low US fuel inventories have fuelled oil's rally which has pushed prices up by $12 a barrel, or more than 50%, from this time last year.
12:33:52 PM
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OK. I finally joined Orkut.
12:26:57 PM
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WP. Virginia and Maryland are planning to create toll-based congestion free lanes. Nice. We need these everywhere.
The two states are coordinating their plans, attempting to form a network of special lanes where motorists with extra cash but little time can bypass the daily jams that make this the third-most-congested region in the country, Flanagan said. "There's great interest on the part of both states to create this network," he said.
Express toll lanes are special lanes added to highways that allow motorists to pay their way out of traffic jams. Motorists in an express toll lane pay a fee that is automatically deducted through an electronic reader as their car or truck moves along at highway speeds, similar to the way E-ZPass works.
10:39:57 AM
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A National Intelligence Network. There is lots of interest in a dynamic, decentralized network for national intelligence. Here's why weblogs, wikis, and RSS can make this possible.
7:56:30 AM
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© Copyright 2004 John Robb.
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