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BREAKING SURF
Day Trading Hazardous to Wealth
The story in a nutshell: day trading appears glamorous but is really rotten. If you want all the sordid details, you can read the forty six pages and an appendix of this report by the North American Securities Administrators Association Project Group on Day Trading. This international investor protection organization claims "day trading is virtually a form of gambling". The report shows that day trading firms typically are run by people who know next to nothing about investing and exchange rules, make false claims to delude customers, keep inadequate company records, charge exorbitant interest rates on loans, and encourage people to take huge risks, out of all proportion to the returns. A detailed analysis by an independent analyst using customer data backs up the sorry story, with the finding that "70% of the public traders analyzed will "almost certainly lose everything they invest." Cough, cough! Excuse me - just dusting off Plan B.Report: http://www.nasaa.org/daytradingreport.htm
Analysis: http://www.nasaa.org/RJReportFinal.html
PR: http://www.nasaa.org/whoweare/media/dtreportrelease.htm
The Kansas State Board of Education does not believe in evolution. By a vote of 6 to 4 the Board adopted new science education criteria which removes any need to understand evolution in order to pass state sanctioned competency tests. The change was apparently instigated by unabashedly creationist legislators and board members with an openly religious agenda. While we firmly believe that mockery is the best remedy for willful ignorance - a rash of "How evolved is Kansas" jokes is surely about to sweep the nation - we also believe that there is something worthy of serious scientific study here. Why do irrational beliefs persist in the face of overwhelming evidence? Meanwhile, we await the first lawsuit against the Board charging it with gross and negligent educational abuse of young children. Lest we be accused of shrinking from the good fight, we give you this link, proudly staking our ground in opposition to the loonies. The inevitable creationist flames to the editor will be mercilessly mocked before consignment to the electronic void.
http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs-evolution.html
Muslim rebels invade from Chechnya and declare independence from Russia. Russia sends in troops, and off we go into another civil war in a chunk of ex-Russia. At press time the action is already starting to escalate as Russia is sending massive reinforcements to pummel the estimated 1,200 invaders. True, without pictures on TV you don't hear much about this particular war, and you're not likely to get many pictures because only the suicidally insane would actually agree to wade into this particular bloodbath armed only with a camera. But rest assured, there's some serious fighting and dying going on and chances are it will get a lot worse before it gets better. Yahoo has the media coverage. Caspian net has info on where-in-hell (literally) Dagestan is - ironic, since geographically it's supposed to be a beautiful piece of the world.
Coverage: http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/World/Chechnya/
Dagestan: http://www.caspian.net/dagestan.html
China struck first, when hackers from the mainland altered some Taiwanese government web pages. Days later, Taiwanese hackers retaliated by inserting pictures of the Taiwanese flag, its president, and sound files of the Taiwanese national anthem into some Chinese sites. While not the first example of cyberwar (see NSD 05.11 for an item about Serbs hacking a NATO site) this is clearly part of a pattern where cultures in conflict try to score propaganda points by cracking each other's servers. Never mind that this type of attack has mostly cosmetic consequences, it's just a prelude to much more sophisticated and stealthy attacks which will inevitably become part of international conflicts. CNet has the story.
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,0-40316,00.html
GPS Timing Rollover Puts Navigation at Risk on August 21
Specifically, the danger point is August 21 at 3:59:47 GMT. That's when the timers in the Global Positioning System satellites roll over to zero. Originally the GPS system was designed to record time for 1024 weeks starting in 1980. The timers will roll over to zero on August 21 and if your GPS locating device is unable to handle this correctly - well, potentially you're lost. This Reuters article posted on Yahoo has some more information on the situation and suggests that you'd be foolish to rely on GPS exclusively to know your location. Probably a good idea to spread the word, since in some cases being lost is equivalent to being dead. We assume (foolishly?) that the military has tested their cruise missiles to make sure their GPS navigation systems work through the rollover.Article: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19990812/tc/tech_navigation_1.html
All About GPS: http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.htm
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Netsurfer Launches Netsurfer Education E-Zine
Comments about a special issue of Netsurfer Science dedicated to
education encouraged us overwhelmingly to go ahead with a regular
monthly Netsurfer Education publication. Et voila. NSE 1.01 made its
debut last month bringing you a Netsurfer guide to the best education
sites in the wired world. It covers the social studies, language and
fine arts, sciences and maths, alternative learning such as distance
learning and home schooling, support resources such study aids, and
resources for administration. We're also cobbling together a standing
page of links to the Web's very best general resources - dictionaries,
encyclopedia, and research aids. Periodically, you'll find themed focus
articles on subjects of particular interest to educators and students -
subjects like teaching science and technology to girls, special
education, or school violence. Check out Netsurfer Education 1.01 and
SUBSCRIBE HERE; we know if you read any Netsurfer publication, you care
about learning at some level. And, don't miss our call for new NSE
writers in the NSE Administrivia section, either.
NSS 2.03 NSE pilot issue: http://www.netsurf.com/nss/nss.02.03.html Netsurfer Education 1.01: http://www.netsurf.com/nse/ |
http://www.msss.com/mars/global_surveyor/camera/images/8_10_99_releases/index.html
New Beowulf Computing Cluster for Genetic Programming
Tech types will be interested in this just published paper describing a Beowulf type computing cluster of 1,000 Pentium II 350-MHz processors. Beowulf clusters typically consist of very low cost commodity computers bound together by some open source code to function as one large parallel computer. This particular machine is used in research which attempts to evolve computer algorithms using parallel genetic programming methods. A good description of genetic programming can also be found on this web site, and we have a book about the topic in our Recommendations section below. Cool machine, cool application.Paper: http://www.genetic-programming.com/machine1000.html
Genetic Programming: http://www.genetic-programming.com/parallel.html
Beowulf: http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/beowulf/tutorial/tutorial.html
Original Beowulf: http://www.georgetown.edu/irvinemj/english016/beowulf/beowulf.html
As we reported in last week's issue, the crack contest was a tit-for-tat response to a Microsoft challenge to crack their next generation Windows operating system. No, nobody cracked the Linux machine, but the attempts have gotten out of hand. The contest was ended due to wasted bandwidth, the load on the network, and most important, because crackers are trying to break into other unrelated machines on the ISP network. The scoreboard shows no successful cracks and one reboot after a hang, possibly related to running out of swap space. Note that you can still win the machine if you demonstrate that you can crack a similar LinuxPPC setup. Details and a log of the whole affair are on the web site.
http://crack.linuxppc.org/
Executive Order for Creation of Internet Crime Task Force
In case you've ever wondered, this is what a Presidential Executive Order looks like. In this case the order is also of interest because it establishes a task force which is to study "unlawful conduct that involves the use of the Internet" and recommend various law enforcement measures, tools, and policies for dealing with such conduct. The task force is nominally composed of the heads of various government agencies, heavily weighed to the law enforcement community.http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/0807-107.htm
SURFING SITES
Wee Tee Cee Pee: World's Smallest Web Server
Something wild and really, really small. How amazing it is, and what it means, is revealed through your great big, clunky computer that would loom like Everest over this miniature marvel. Yes, folks, the world's smallest Web server, about the size of a match head, consists of an iPic microcomputer, based on a PIC 12C509A, in a tiny 8-pin SO8 package, so there, as well as a 24LC256 EEPROM chip, and a teeny, tiny, power-supply regulator. You can connect to the actual diminutive server directly via the link provided at this site - well you can unless hordes of other readers are also trying to do so. It hosts 32 different files consisting of an assortment of text, including A Complete History of the Universe, many HTML files, some Java Applets, GIF and JPG images, and audio files. Technical details and examples of applications are given here as well as links to some other tiny TCP/IP stacks. Cool, potent, but not big - but it just may change the world in a big way. Toaster-net here we come!http://www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/~shri/iPic.html
Early cartographers centered their maps on the great politico-religious cities of the world. For many, Jerusalem was the center of the world with increasingly ill-defined territories stretching away in all directions. The Internet, while graphically feasible to depict, tends to suit a textual mapping. Mappa Mundi combines both techniques. One section of the magazine covers traditional maps and discusses issues like projection and topography. There is an appropriately well-informed Web Informant section where David Strom discusses some of the hot Internet topics of the moment, although NSD's favorite and most recommended section considers which venture capital firms provide the best refreshments for young entrepreneurs. Much of the site seeks to link traditional geographies with the Internet. Heroes and explorers of both are given prominence with implicit and explicit links made between them. Mappa Mundi boasts some impressive contributors, including Carl Malamud - founder of Internet Multicasting which put the SEC's EDGAR database online - and this alone should encourage even the cynical surfer to dive into the oceans of cyberspace commentary that are found within.
http://mappa.mundi.net
Stalag Luft One: A WWII POW Story
Stalag Luft One is a tribute to Marcus Kolb, a U.S. aviator in World War II, from two of his daughters. Kolb lived for 14 months in the Stalag, a German prisoner of war camp in Barth, which held airmen from Great Britain, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and America. During a strategic daylight-bombing run to Berlin, Marcus's plane was hit somewhere northeast of Madgeburg. After jumping from the crippled plane, he walked through the snow-covered forest, hoping to get to Denmark's border. Instead, he was picked up by German soldiers and began his interrogation and imprisonment. The oral history combines with some amazing documentation to create a memorable experience.http://www.stalag.net/
Up to One's Elbows in Elegance
What does Queen Elizabeth have in common with drag queens - porn stars with super stars? Opera Gloves, those 19 to 23 inch accessories popularized by Empress Josephine Bonaparte and perpetuated by ladies of distinction. Society be damned. Nowadays one reserves one's black leather opera gloves and matching bustier for bad-assing about on one's Harley - like Pamela Anderson Lee in "Barb Wire". Read the history of opera gloves and check out the portraits of Pamela, Marilyn, Audrey, and seemingly every other celebrity who's ever elbowed her way in on this exquisite vogue, which has reigned a la mode for two centuries.http://members.xoom.com/pryderi92/operagloves/glovmain.html
Historical primary sources can be hard to find, let alone see. This project brings over 650,000 pages of early Canadian history to your desktop. With a focus on English literature, women's history, native studies, French Canada and 19th century Quebec monographs, the site has plenty to keep even the most ardent Canadianist intrigued. A search on Chinese and railroad produced 24 matches in 11 documents, many of which were illuminating. A word of warning: note down the relevant page numbers from the search results. The next click takes you to a hyperlinked page number list of the entire document. So within a book you'll need to remember which pages matched your search. Pages are scanned and made available in HTML or PDF formats and at various scales. The catalogue is fully searchable and explains the rationale behind the document selection procedure.
http://www.canadiana.org
For an off-beat museum experience, try the National Signs of the Times Museum. While the board gathers the funds to establish the collection in "an appropriate museum facility," the Signs of the Times Museum exists only online, which is fortunate in some ways. The virtual quality of the museum has the advantage of being able to take the visitor via photographs to historic signs, which often are best left in their native surroundings. The Events section lists upcoming exhibits, conferences, and shows on commercial archaeology, but the best part is the News, which includes a list of recent acquisitions complete with photographs and stories about the signs, courtesy of their donors.
http://www.signmuseum.com/
In 1970, Americans were horrified when four Kent State college students were killed by National Guard soldiers during a protest against the US invasion of Cambodia, a country whose unstable foundation was destroyed by the neighboring Viet Nam war. But no one could have imagined the horror that would follow when the Khmer Rouge Communists would invade Phnom Penh in 1975. Four years of ignorance and wanton slaughter would leave two million fellow countrymen dead, and a beautiful ancient culture exhausted. The CPB's Andy Carvin's site examines Cambodia as it recovers from self-inflicted genocide.
http://edweb.bilkent.edu.tr/sideshow/
Many people dream of traveling round the world. Some actually do it, and a select bunch do so with a purpose. In this case the purpose is to meet people, give them hats made of balloons and watch them laugh. And then, of course, to put some of the images and stories that they produce on a web site. There are a lot of pictures of people wearing these amazing balloon hat constructions, but also some interesting text. An interview with a Burkina Faso teacher reveals how individuals' determination is developing next-generation learning, another discusses the cultural role of hats in society. A picture of a Bosnian, a Serbian and a Croatian all smiling in their flamboyant air-filled head gear sums up the site's aims, as does a quote from an encounter in Thailand: "Laughing is the smile of the world." Go to the site. Laugh.
http://www.balloonhat.com
If you assume that QB means Quarterback, you're clearly a student of the body, not the mind. Quiz Bowl (QB) is a game in which college students who possess academic prowess get to strut their stuff. This Web site explains the basics of the College Bowl competition, delves into the who-why-where of past and future QBs, and even explains how to start your own College Bowl team. But will any of the contestants ever be quizzed about the trivia of College Bowl itself?
http://www.umich.edu/~uac/mac/maize/
Conventional wisdom would have us believe that we as a society must learn from history. Those who fail to do so, of course, are doomed to make the same mistakes again. While this is no doubt true, the question that must then be asked is: Whose history are we to believe? By looking back at historical documents one can see that the history reported in the textbooks sometimes differs quite substantially from the events of the day. A case in point is this wonderful reproduction of the events leading to the 1876 battle now known as Little Big Horn. It turns out that opinions on General Custer's motivations were varied. "It is the opinion of Army officers in Chicago, Washington, and Philadelphia, including Gens. Sherman and Sheridan, that Gen. Custer was rashly imprudent to attack such a large number of Indians, Sitting Bull's force being 4,000 strong." There is indeed much to learn from history, especially if the accounts are first hand.
http://www.hillsdale.edu/academics/history/Documents/War/America/Indian/1876-BigHorn-Times.htm
No, it is not your imagination. The infamous Primary Season is indeed beginning much earlier. Which does not mean that the Presidential Election will be over any sooner, of course. Still, if you simply cannot wait to begin marking your Primary Scorecard, a visit to PrimaryDiner is in order. In the Daily Dish one can read the latest news, fresh off the wire services, and while supping on dessert one might wish to mosey over to the Jukebox to hear speeches by those who have and have not declared their nominations. The Soup du Jour serves a beefy bevy of issues while those with an opinion to dispense will want to make a stop in The Booth in order to relax and chat with fellow diners. And of course those who will be out of the country on Election Day may wish to cast their virtual ballots now.
http://www.primarydiner.com/
Blacklist of Internet Advertisers
At last, some sensible, non-emotional publicity about spamming and unwelcome advertising on news and Usenet groups. There is, of course, a list of offenders, but in addition this site also thoughtfully provides information on how to improve the net junk mail situation without getting too hot under the collar. Suggestions for using the Blacklist range from boycotting the business, filtering their e-mail, filing lawsuits in small claims court, and even (shudder!) consulting with the denizens of the alt.revenge newsgroup. Spammers can be removed from the active blacklist if the do not re-offend within three months, however their name will stay in an archive file just in case. The site is not strictly negative in its approach to spamming, and includes information about how to successfully advertise on the net without offending anyone. Overall, a fine resource to include in your anti-spam and commercial advertising arsenal.http://www-math.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/BL/
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War of the Rats
How to Build a Beowulf: A Guide to the Implementation and Application of PC Clusters 
Genetic Programming III: Darwinian Invention and Problem Solving
Palm V (With Rebate)ONLINE TRAVEL
Cuba may be the size of the proverbial postage stamp, but that certainly does not curtail the media fascination with all things Cuban. Most photographs of the island depict a country lost in a 1950s time warp with its art deco colors and automobiles held together by spit and wire. There is another side, of course, just as there is in most regions, but it is a picture rarely seen in the west. Photographer Pablo Cabado has seen the soul of Cuba, however, and his photos are that of an outsider (he lives in Argentina) who is not afraid to search for the truth. Without the colors to distract our attention, the black and white photos cannot help but draw us to the subjects, the ordinary people who are at the heart of Cuba.http://www.cuba90.com.ar/
Chances are that before a vacation you've picked up a Frommer's guide to your destination. Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Online, despite how bold and busy the front page looks, provides a useful online companion to the print product. The Tip of the Day is a great feature for timeless suggestions, while the Daily Newsletter product provides more timely tips for the budget traveler. For some food for thought, check Testy Opinions, which range from an illumination of the wage scale on cruise ships to the deconstruction of the Disney mythos by way of EPCOT. Warning: It is very easy to find yourself lost in this site, poring over it for hours. Be sure you have plenty of free time before you visit or you'll find yourself unexpectedly late to whatever you were going to do next. And don't visit the Blockbuster Bargains page unless you have the willpower to refrain from reaching for your credit card. It'll be very tempting.
http://www.frommers.com/
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
This site could probably be summed up with the question featured in the section called The Great Debate: 'Is a ray which forces people to go-go dance uncontrollably an effective weapon to take over the world?'http://www.ohthehumanity.com/
There's something about these damn second hand online book shops that just make you want to buy. We browsed, we searched, we checked our own bank account and we'll soon be checking the letterbox. Woohoo!
http://www.Bookopoly.com
Ever decided to put your dark glasses on so that no one will see you staring? If you're not convinced this is a cunning enough disguise, try people watching using someone else's selection criteria, with snaps of - fully clothed - folks on the street that caught the author's eye. Eye popping.
http://www.itispolitetostare.com/
InGenius Technologies from Kalamazoo, Michigan has basically set up a metacrawler search aimed at finding people on the Net. You put in your name; it theoretically finds all the pointers to you on the Web. If you give them your e-mail address, they'll send you updates to the results for a week.
http://www.egosurf.com/
SOFTWARE
PaintShop Pro is the affordable alternative to Photoshop, an image manipulation and paint program for the artist on a budget. Fortunately the software is already packed with features, and version 6.0 just enhances an already fine tool. New features include support for a bunch of digital cameras, better image browser, watermarks, layering, and much more. Read the PR for details, and download the Beta. Final release is slated for early September.Download: http://www.jasc.com/psp6beta.html
PR: http://www.jasc.com/aug0999.html
RealNetworks has just released an enhanced version of their RealJukebox, a music player and manager. The big reason to own this software is its ability to create CD quality MP3 files. Real also threw in a graphic equalizer and a music management system. You can download the Plus version for $30. RealNetworks also announced a new beta of their free RealJukebox. The PR has details and download links.
http://www.real.com/company/pressroom/pr/99/rjbplus.html