http://richard.rathe.org/reading/ A collection of important people, ideas, and links... en-us rss_feeder.cgi Copyright 2008 by Richard Rathe http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p7 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p7 I learned to canoe in Northern Minnesota and the BWCA. I recently returned for a five day trip with an old friend. We went to the extreme northeast corner along the Canadian border. The lakes in this area are mostly long and narrow, running west to east between steep hills. The water clarity was remarkable. We saw bear, beaver, loon, eagle, osprey, and many smaller birds. Our route included the Royal River, which was beautiful and very different from the large lakes. Wild rice was falling into our canoe as we passed. At one point we even had to pull over a beaver dam. http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p6 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p6 In 1972 the musical prodigy Frank Zappa released two amazing records with two amazing title cuts—Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo (listen!). Both feature large ensembles with a big band sound. This is some of the best jazz/rock fusion you'll ever hear! Waka/Jawaka begins with an aggressive (triumphant!) brass anthem that still amazes me every time I listen to it. My favorite! The Grand Wazoo has a more laid back introduction, then proceeds through a series of jazzy improvisations. After several other notable cuts the album concludes with Blessed Relief, a perfect anodyne. These albums were preceded by Hot Rats, which is a classic in its own right. It includes Peaches En Regalia, probably the most famous instrumental number Zappa produced in his long, diverse career. http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p5 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p5 The best passwords are completely random—strong but almost impossible to remember. This report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology suggests a better solution—use long pass phrases. Entropy is a measure of password strength. The more entropy a password has the harder it is to crack. Many systems enforce dictionary and composition rules (numbers, mixed case, punctuation) on short (less than ten character) passwords. This graph on page 23 of the NIST report shows that dictionary rules do not improve longer passwords, and the boost from composition rules becomes fixed. So a simple twelve character pass phrase (a-z plus spaces) is as strong as an eight character rule-based password, but it is likely to be much easier to type and remember. Throw in one digit and you've got a very strong credential indeed! I've written a quick three step approach for the UF campus system. http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p4 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p4 I'm riding my bicycle to the post office and notice bits of doggy-do that appear to be moving on their own! Closer inspection revealed several scarab beetles (aka dung beetles). About an inch long, these impressive insects have beautiful green and orange iridescent backs. This particular species, Phanaeus vindex or Rainbow Scarab, is a "roller" and the most common dung beetle in the lower half of the US. This behavior apparently caught the attention of the Ancient Egyptians who associated the scarab with the rising sun. None of these photos do justice to the bright orange antennae, which give it a very acute sense of smell! http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p3 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p3 Philip K. Dick is less well known than other science fiction authors of his generation (Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein), but today he enjoys a growing reputation as his novels are adapted to the screen. Of these, A Scanner Darkly is the most recent, the most personal, and perhaps the most important. It is a semi-autobiographical story of drug addiction, corporate greed, and universal surveillance. Several of the characters are based on real people the author knew, and the damage done by drugs is not hypothetical. The story anticipates several developments of the last twenty years: pharmaceutical companies inventing diseases to fit the drugs they produce; a surveillance society with video cameras everywhere; and human beings who are written off by the society they live in. The 2006 movie sticks close to the original novel, deftly exploiting Dick's dry humor and sense of the absurd. The action centers around a loose group of "friends" who all share interest in (and possibly addiction to) the ominous "substance D." In the words of one character, "There's no week-end warriors on the D. You're either on it, or you haven't tried it." http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p2 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p2 What science gives, stupidity and geopolitics may take away. Norman Borlaug is the (largely unknown) hero of the last half of the twentieth century. He is credited with saving the lives of millions by developing high-yield crops and other agricultural innovations. He is one of only five who have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. But things may be changing. The recent spike in oil prices, coupled with a switch from food to fuel production is putting the world at risk. A series of food shortages and riots may presage what's to come. http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p1 http://richard.rathe.org/reading/2008.html#p1 Instead of one long trip I took two shorter trips back to back this year. The first to Whitewater Bay was extreme in several respects. Significant wind, fog, mud, and traveling by moonlight. We were tripped up by low tide for several hours on the second day with only a Tricolor Heron for entertainment. The sunrise at North River was spectacular as small flocks of White Pelicans flew by. The second trip to Gopher Key was a first in several ways: odd number of paddlers, canoe plus kayak, and a layover day for bushwacking. It turned out the kayak was not as desirable as we expected. Other than windy conditions, the canoe was preferred by all. New Turkey Key was disappointing due to extensive hurricane damage and sailboats with generators, but we made the best of it. On the third day we took a side trip up Charlie's Creek to Gopher Key. It was strange, almost desert-like area, with large flocks of American Avocet and White Pelicans.