Amanda Ripley : Homeland Security for Grown-Ups

Amanda Ripley : Blog : Homeland Security for Grown-Ups:

"Terrorism is a psychological war as much as a physical war. To win such a war, it is essential not to overreact. That is the crux of the matter. If you overreact, you become a force multiplier for the terrorists."

And if you multiply that force, and you are in the business of making the public safe^TM, you profit from it and gain power.

Is aviation security mostly for show?

Is aviation security mostly for show? - CNN.com:

"There is a difference between indomitability and arrogant 'bring 'em on' rhetoric. There's a difference between accepting the inherent risk that comes with a free and open society, and hyping the threats.

We should treat terrorists like common criminals and give them all the benefits of true and open justice -- not merely because it demonstrates our indomitability, but because it makes us all safer."

I think this is an excellent article by Bruce Schneier. It takes courage to be free. Too many would rather just be safe^TM.

Bad Finance 101

Bad Finance 101 - A Programmer's Guide - O'Reilly Broadcast:

"O'Reilly's focus has long been on programming issues (or programmer issues) and that focus remains very much in place. However, it is worth understanding how the grief playing out on Wall Street will have a very significant impact upon the IT industry within the next four to six months, even despite the fact that up until now the contagion seems largely to have remained contained in the financial sector."