One more reason why RFID passports are crap

Bruce Schneier points in his blog to this BBC article that describes how easy it is to clone RFID passports.

WTF!? Molecules on papers front pages?

“Quality” newspapers The Independent and The Times today have on their front page a big computer generated picture of PVL, the new strain of the infamous MRSA virus.

What does the average reader think? “Shit, that new virus looks whack, look at all those green coils! We’re better run!”.

Paul Cooper

Another music post. And a few more are coming!

I have recently discovered Paul Cooper, a British electronic / drum and bass composer. He’s kind enough to make several tracks available from his website, and they are all from good to very good.

My favourites are Typhoon and March of the Space Ants. Have a look at his web page and go to the archive page to stream or downloads the tracks.

Mentispesse: Hip-hop from Sardinia

This is my homie!

Check out also:

• website
• myspace page.

Alan Watts’s soporific properties

For those who don’t know, Alan Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. He wrote over twenty-five books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, consciousness and the pursuit of happiness, relating his experience to scientific knowledge and to the teachings of Eastern and Western religions or philosophies (Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism). Taken from Wikipedia.

In his lifetime he wrote many books and delivered many lectures and seminars. Most of these lectures and seminars were recorded and are now available in mp3 format. Some of them as podcasts.

I find both the books and the podcasts quite interesting, but I have also discovered that the podcasts have potent soporific properties. If you have trouble sleeping, tuck yourself in bed, lower or switch off the light, and play one of the audio files. You’ll be asleep in no time.

Links:
- Alan Watts website
- Alan Watts podcasts

Italian calendars

In Italy every year many companies and magazines publish calendars that in many countries, certainly in the UK, would be considered soft-core porn. In the country this is quite an event surrounded by an unbelievable amount of media coverage.

The calendar by Pirelli, a rubber and tyres manufacturer, is famous since the 60s for proposing classy shots that stand out from the “just babes” pictures in other calendars. Photographers consider being chosen to take pictures for the calendar a one of the highest points in their career and so the do the models that they photograph.

In recent years, Lavazza, a coffee producer, has blown everyone out of the water publishing the coolest, classiest, and visually impressive calendars yet.

At the other end of the scale there is with no doubt the calendar published by Cofani Funebri, a coffin manufacturer.

Have a look:
- Lavazza
- Pirelli
- Cofani funebri
- Other calendars