Dear readers of this blog (however rarefied your ranks may be by now),

Certainly the best way to return from a lengthy hiatus is with a hearty war, crime, and bathroom-related posting, and this piece from Mother Jones does not disappoint. From Vancouver to North Carolina, privies are bearing the brunt of these near-Apocalyptic violent times, as humanity's sensibilities and bowels suffer the consequences.

Perhaps Mother Russia has a thing or two to teach us about [E]sc[h]atology...these are no mere stainless-steel jailhouse crappers, but

"...self-maintaining, solar-powered, and terrorist-proof toilet cabins, as reported by the Moscow Times. This Swiss Army knife of a potty is made of a fibrous concrete that can withstand a bomb blast. Demonstrated as part of Moscow's Clean City expo in June, 'its appearance can be modeled to fit the architectural surroundings, even in the old part of the city,' the Times reported chirpily. My takeaway: If I'm ever in Moscow and feel the ground trembling, I'll dive into the nearest loo."

Bombs away? "Мы вас похороним!" Indeed.

Something strange is definitely going on: Boulder, CO didn't warn residents about erupting toilets
Exploding toilets surprise some Palo Alto, CA residents
The Strange Case of the Exploding Toilets: Japan residents on high alert

Labels: 2012, canada, crime, security, toilets, war

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  A rather unfortunate (but appropriate) dynamic ad appears on the right side of this CNN story on the Northwest 253 attempted bombing, where suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab unsuccessfully tried to detonate an explosive device secreted in his trousers, badly burning himself in the process.

Labels: humor, news, security, transit

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  Perhaps the most surprising thing about this news story from the UK is how unsurprising it seems today, in 2008:

A government database holding details of every phone call made, email sent and minute spent on the internet by the public could be created as part of a centralised fight against crime and terrorism, it emerged [May 20th]. News of the proposal prompted alarm about the country's growing surveillance culture and raised fears of "data profiling" of citizens. It follows on from plans for databases for ID cards and NHS electronic patient records.

Telecoms companies and internet service providers would be compelled to hand over their records to the Home Office under proposals that could find their way into the new data communications bill. The information would be stored for at least 12 months and police, security services and other agencies across Europe would be able to access the database with court permission. [Read full article in Guardian UK, and others, via Schneier on Security]

Which brings me to my main point. I've noticed an unsettling trend in the comment sections of blogs and websites reporting on intrusive government proposals like the one above.

I see fewer expressions of outrage at the idea that our private communications could be intercepted, monitored, shared and stored by government agencies - and more "what, are you paranoid?" joking, more "what's the big deal, everyone's doing it, get used to it" dismissals. Why should this be the case? Do we actually value our electronic privacy less today than we once did?

What I suspect is happening is a gradual downward shift of privacy expectations in this less-than-a-decade since 9/11, and public acclimation to pervasive surveillance. Being watched is no longer the exception: it's the norm.

Corporations routinely buy and sell our private personal and financial information amongst themselves, public spaces and private establishments surveil and record activity as a matter of course. Any time we enter a store, a bank, a sports arena, or an airport we expect to have our actions and movements electronically observed and recorded. When we dial a customer service number, the canned preamble more often than not warns us "this call may be recorded."

A friend whom I normally held to be an advocate of individual privacy rights recently offered the apologist's trope, that those who are guilty of nothing have nothing to fear by being watched. I found this surprising and a bit disturbing - after all, if our calls and emails are recorded, then yesterday's innocent act could become tomorrow's documented transgression. It also occurred to me that these days even I rarely notice the increasing number of dark, shiny watchful hemispheres on the ceilings and walls of nearly every store and public place I go. They're just there, like light bulbs and fire sprinklers.

Outside of our homes, we have virtually no expectation of privacy of action to speak of, but this broad proposal is different: it hits us where we communicate, emote, express, think. It's not just surveillance of behavior; it's the closest thing we have today to surveillance of thought.

You know, I think those commenters are right. We're starting to care less and less that we're being watched because we're all being watched.

Labels: security, soapbox, UK

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  UPDATE 4/20/AM: We received this comment regarding the Monday morning '4chan' posting from a user who states they are from the Planet Blacksburg website, and while I can not vouch for its authenticity, it does have the ring of truth to it:

"We removed the post due to a sick phone call and a host of sicking posts from 4chan users.

I understand that the vast majority of 4chan users are perfectly normal people exchanging information. However, it seemed that our reporter stumbled upon a sick little corner of cyberspace. With everything else we had to do in reporting on and dealing with the massacre, we decided to turn the issue over to the FBI, to remove the post and to push on to cover the story that really mattered.

Planet Blacksburg"

UPDATE 4/18/PM: To all the commenters who wrote in to point out and give various reasons why the '4chan' entry is faked: if you read this blog entry, it only says that someone posted an anonymous entry on the forum threatening to kill people at 'vtech' that day. Given the nature of these forums (fora?), this probably wasn't the first time someone posted vague threats - but they are rarely paid attention to unless an actual crime occurs. Unfortunately, this time, one did.

Nowhere did I - nor did the Planet Blacksburg site - claim that the message actually was posted by Cho Seung-hui. Amazing how many people seem to miss this basic point before commenting. If you think about it, it's a bigger deal that someone would bother to fake such a tasteless message than if it were the real thing.

You've likely heard by now that Cho did mail a "manifesto package" of photos, writing and a videotape to NBC - after the West AJ dorm shootings and before the Norris Hall shootings, according to the postal date stamp. Which makes the fact that the 4chan forum posting may have been a fake (as in, posted by anyone other than Cho) rather moot. Carry on.

Sick Internet Joke or Real Thing? No information yet on the veracity of this post on Planet Blacksburg, a Virginia Tech group student blog, where a user allegedly threatened to shoot people on campus hours before the shootings occurred:

An anonymous user on the English imageboard, 4chan, posted the following warning Monday just before 5 a.m.

“hey /b/ I‘m going to kill people at vtech today in the name of anonymous”

PlanetBlacksburg.com notified authorities immediately upon discovering the threat. The timing of the post remains open to question. Is it an Internet hoax? The site 4chan, consisting of mostly anonymous users, showed busy posting activity. The nature and message in many posts was nothing short of disturbing.

The shooter has now been identified by authorities as 23-year old Cho Seung-hui, an English major from South Korea. [Image above from Department of Homeland Security, is Cho Seung-hui's "green card" photo as shown on CNN]

More info (and speculation, as much is uncorroborated) on the Virginia Tech Massacre Wikipedia page.

UPDATE: As of Tuesday evening 4/16, the Planet Blacksburg page in question seems to have been removed. Hot Air links to a screenshot of the "Sick Internet Joke or the Real Thing" page, courtesy of one of their readers.

Labels: crime, security

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  This is a fascinating read: the University of Chicago Law School's Judge Richard A. Posner, of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, author of Not a Suicide Pact, and a blogger in his own right as half of the Becker-Posner Blog, took part in an unusual live online interview in Creative Commons' Kula Island - in the virtual metaverse of Second Life. Judge Posner provides provocative answers to questions on topics like intellectual property, constitutional law and civil liberties in the War on Terror, parody, satire, fair use and fan-fiction. Here's a taste (excerpt courtesy of nwn.blogs.com):

H[amlet] A[u]: Finally from me, sir, a question related to where we are now. The Internet is already an essential recruiting, communication, and logistical tool for Al Qaeda and its ideological adherents, so it seems inevitable to me that terrorists will be attracted to Second Life. For example, to "dry run" attacks in simulated environments they custom-build, to launder money through Linden Dollars, and most advantageous for them, to communicate anonymously as avatars in a way that would be very difficult for government officials to track. For all we know, Al Qaeda may already be in Second Life, doing those very things right now.

Obviously it's a concern, but what should be the legal response? A court warrant so the Feds can monitor chat dialog in Second Life? A law that requires Linden Lab to cull their database for suspect conversations and activity? Suggest some legal principles, sir, for Constitutionally permissible counter-terrorism in the metaverse.

J[udge] R[ichard] P[osner]: There is I believe no legal impediment to an FBI special agent enrolling in Second Life under an avatar that would not identify him as an agent. The general rule is that if a building or other area is open to the public, anyone can enter if he adheres to the rules of the owner, but the owner cannot bar an investigator who does not resort to coercion or other distinctive police methods of investigation.

But in response to your broader question, the Internet offers opportunities both for terrorists and counterterrorism. Open source intelligence (that is, intelligence gleaned from public sources such as the Web) is an increasingly important form of intelligence used by the CIA and other government agencies. So it's an arms race between the opposing forces, both seeking maximum advantage from the digital revolution.

Later, during a virtual autograph signing...

Cindy Heying, an avatar in the Pamela Anderson mode, approaches the Judge to have her autograph signed.
Cindy Heying [grinning]: Hello. Thank you!
JRP: Hi... Watch out, my wife is watching.
Suddenly, another griefer attack is unleashed on the colisieum.
Neptune Rebel: Fireball!
Chancery Jae: Oh no, it's Al Qaeda again.
Undaunted, Judge Posner continues autographing books.
Quee Taiyang [having her book signed]: Thank you your honor!
JRP: My pleasure. But where's the raccoon? Come back here, raccoon. That's an order.
Kear Nevzerov: Yes, sir?
JRP: Hi. I have a Maine Coon cat--half raccoon. Her name is Dinah. She was in the New Yorker.
KN: It's what they gave me when I signed up yesterday. Would like to lose the tail.
JRP: Your tail is great.

Good stuff. Read the whole thing at Wagner James Au's New World Notes.

Labels: chicago, computers, law, security

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