Second Half

In Katrina and Security, Bruce Schneier has, in my opinion, nailed a fundamental issue about how our government (and perhaps most other governments) deal with security funding...with a focus on what he calls "movie-plot threats". Scenarios are developed and funding goes toward dealing with those scenarios. The spending on the movie-plot threats winds up going to very specific prevention measures, often based on the last attack. As a result, the attackers are now clear to find other soft spots to attack, e.g., shopping malls instead of airlines.

What Bruce calls for is to allocate funding to two primary areas: intelligence gathering and emergency response, both of which make us safer. In the case of Katrina (or any other natural disaster), there are certain fundamentals required for emergency response and those can be well-understood, whether what is being responded to is a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. You can imaging the logistics related to food/water/shelter as well as transportation. Transportation was one of the planning items that was left unfinished in New Orleans' efforts to work out their response plans over recent years (sad).

Intelligence gathering, be it the CIA or the NSA, or in the case of natural disasters, agencies like the National Weather Service.

Sounds like a whole lot of common-sense to me.

Technorati Tags: security

Posted by Bob Monsour at 8:08 PM | Permalink

In a wonderful display, Roger Federer beat Andre Agassi to win the 2005 US Open. Andre left it all on the court and certainly gave Roger some things to think about along the way. Agassi was clearly disappointed, but he gave his best and continues to inspire. The next big question for him is "can he keep playing with the sciatic nerve problem that he's got?"

Technorati Tags: tennis

Posted by Bob Monsour at 7:43 PM | Permalink

ecto: What is ecto?: ecto is designed to make blogging much more easier and yet give the users as much power as possible to manage their weblogs.

ecto is my new blogging tool (meaning it's new to me...not that I built it). I recently started this blog and was looking for a solid OS X desktop client to support blogging with MovableType. This is the one and it sure makes it easy to prepare posts offline for later posting, or just for getting things together and doing what appears to be EVERYTHING that I could do through the web-based MT interface.

If you're on a Mac and you blog (using just about any blogging system), then ecto is worth checking out.

Thanks to the ectonians for ecto...

Technorati Tags: blogging tools

Posted by Bob Monsour at 10:28 PM | Permalink

Well, as astonishing as it is, Andre Agassi has defeated Robby Ginepri in 5 sets in the US Open semi-finals to earn a berth in the finals against the winner of the other semi-final (either Roger Federer and Leyton Hewitt).

Let's lift a beer to the geri-athelete in us all.

Technorati Tags: tennis

Posted by Bob Monsour at 3:57 PM | Permalink

It's 11:43pm eastern daylight time. James Blake is up two sets to one against 35-year old Andre Agassi. Blake is 25 years old and hitting "out of his mind". In the first two sets, Blake dominated Agassi like few have ever done. He hit with power and served strong.

 

At Blake up 3-2 in the 3rd set, Andre came out and seemed to relax and really start hitting his shots. He broke Blake's serve and then went on to hold serve. It's now 4-3 Agassi, with Blake serving. The master has found another gear.

Agassi just had a break point on Blake's serve to go up a break and serve to take the 3rd set. Blake won the point. Damn!

It's now Blake's advantage and...he double-faulted. Back to deuce. C'mon Andre!

Blake won the deuce point and now it's Blake's advantage again...but he double faulted again!

Agassi won the deuce point and now it's Agassi's ad. Blake faults on the first serve...gets the 2nd one in and Agassi blows the point. Shit!

It's Agassi's ad again...first serve fault...great point...Andre misses...back to deuce.

Blake nets a forehand...Andre's ad again...4th break chance in this game.

Blake nets a backhand and Agassi stands to serve for the 3rd set. YES!!!

Agassi to serve at 5-3 in the 3rd set...

Long rally...net cord and Agassi wins the point...15-love...Agassi double faults...15-all...fault...long backhand exchange...Agassi goes down the line and nails it...30-15...right in the corner!

Blake nails next point in the corner...30-all...fault...long rally..Blake blows a forehand...40-30..SET POINT Agassi...

Service winner! Agassi takes the 3rd set...winning the last 4 games of the set. Nice!

Now that we're between sets (10 minutes), let me tell you why I'm so excited about this. I'm 50 and play tennis 2-3 times a week. I go to the gym and stay relatively fit for my age. When I watch these guys play, I can feel the points and feel the movement. It's a blast!

Interestingly, as the 2nd set came to an end an well into the 3rd set, Agassi appeared to become increasingly afraid of Blake's speed. Agassi kept trying to paint the lines, feeling he had to hit a better shot or else Blake would run it down and get it back...which he repeatedly did. The turning point was late in the 3rd set when Agassi came out and stopped trying to paint the lines and went back to playing his agressive form of percentage tennis.

Back to the match...4th set about to begin.

Let's see if Andre can keep up the momentum. Blake to serve...

Fault...Agassi hits a backhand long...15-love...fault...Agassi hits a forehand long...30-love...Blake nets a forehand...30-15...fault...Ag hits a fh long...40-15...fault...Blake blasts a forehand to win the game...leads 1-0, 4th set. Back later in the set...

1-all in the 4th set...last point of the set, Agassi hits an incredible drop shot...which Blake reaches and gets back, only to find Agassi there to block it into the open court.

Blake serves...loses serve at love...Agassi leads 2-1, up a break of serve. Lovin' it.

Agassi serving at 30-all..ACE!!! Advantage Agassi...ACE..game Agassi, he leads 3-1 in the 4th set. Blake somehow let Agassi up for air...fatal mistake...

Blake serving...30-15...Agassi hits a backhand long...40-15...let...first serve...fault...Agassi returns long...Agassi leads 3-2 in the 4th set.

Agassi serving...love-15...Blake playing strong...love-30...Blake returns wide...15-30...service winner...30-all...GO ANDRE...Andre hits a backhand wide...break point...Andre hits a backhand wide...game...Blake...3-all, 4th set. Damn!

Blake serving...less than 2 hours in the match so far...Agassi has Blake on the run, but Agassi hits a shot wide...he's going for the lines again...15-all...Blake slides a forehand wide...15-30...fault...Agassi hits the return long (only slightly)...30-all...cross-court backhand rally...Blake tries to nail one down the line and nets it...15-40...double break point...ace...30-40...deuce...Agassi reaches break point...and breaks on a long forehand by Blake...Agassi leads 4-3 in the 4th set...change sides...

Agassi to serve...amazing points....lots of running...unbelievable...both guys moving a lot...Agassi holds serve...leads 5-3, 4th set.

Blake to serve...love-15...love-30...Andre is magic tonight...love-40..SET POINT!!!

Call your neighbors...we've got a ball game...Agassi sends a forehand long...15-40...still 2 set points...Blake nets a backhand...we're headed for the 4th set!!! You just gotta love this...

Fifth and final set...at the US Open, one of the 4 Grand Slam tounaments, it's the only one of the 4 where they play a tiebreaker at 6-all in the fifth set. All the others play until one player wins two more games than the other.

Here we go...into the 5th...

Agassi to serve...15-love...blistering forehand by Agassi...30-love...winning drop shot by Agassi...40-love...service winner...game Agassi, he leads 1-0, 5th set...

Blake to serve...service winner 15-love...ace...30-love...Agassi hits a forehand long...40-love...Agassi nails the baseline with another blistering forehand...40-15...double-fault...40-30...Blake nets a forehand...DEUCE!!! ace...advantage Blake...(126 mph serve)...ad Blake...Blake nails a forehand...game Blake...1-1, 5th set...

Agassi to serve...15-all...Blake nets the return...30-15...2 hours 17 minutes on court so far...40-15...Blake nets a forehand...we're on serve in the 5th set...Agassi leads 2-1...

Blake to serve...the telecast is on the USA Network and they've just announced that due to "contractual obligations", they will be switching over the rest of the match to CBS, where they'd normally be showing the latenight highlight show for the matches of the day. I sure hope this switch goes smoothly...the last thing I want is another Heidi bowl...

Blake serving...brief rally...Agassi error...15-love...fault...Blake comes in, nice volley...30-love...

DAMN...the switch didn't go that well. Blake is suddenly leading 4-2, having broken Agassi's serve and held his own.

Agassi serving...30-love...now 40-love...service winner...game Agassi...Blake leads 4-3, up a service break...commercial...Canon cameras with Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi...more commercials...stupid car insurance commercial...Claritin commercial...dandruff shampoo commercial...

Blake serving...Agassi moving well...love-15...Agassi amazing the world by getting to balls no one should get to...love-30...fault...Agassi comes to net...nets the volley...15-30...service winner...30-all...service winner...40-30...DAMN...great forehand by Blake...game Blake...he leads 5-3...

Agassi serving to stay in the match (and the tournament)...service winner...15-love...failed drop shot...15-all...service winner...30-15...service winner...40-15...WOW!!!...ACE...game Agassi. Blake leads 5-4, FINAL SET.

Blake to serve for the match at 5-4...Agassi has to break serve to keep it alive...

Blake serves strong...15-love...return winner from the big A...15-all...nice return...Blake hits wide...15-30...fault...great return...Blake nets it...15-40...double break point...FAULT...Blake hits Agassi's return wide...AGASSI BREAKS...5-all...Agassi took it to him...

Agassi to serve at 5-all, 5th set...WOW and WOW!!!

Fault...strong return from Blake...love-15...ACE number 11...15-all...Agassi pounds from the baseline...30-15...fault...strong return from Blake...30-all...fault...Blake runs down a shot...gets it back...Agassi blocks it into the open court...40-30...service winner...Agassi holds serve. Agassi leads 6-5 in the 5th set...

Blake has to hold to stay in this...let's see what he can do...

Fault...Blake nails the line after a short rally...15-love...ace (17 for Blake)...30-love...Blake hits one wide...30-15...short rally...offensive lob from Agassi...40-30...ace...SIX GAMES ALL...let's go to the tiebreaker...

It's 1am in the morning and we're headed into the tiebreaker...first to 7 points...by 2...wins it.

Agassi to serve...fault...long rally...Agassi sends a backhand wide...1-0 Blake...mini-break...Agassi nets a forehand...2-0 Blake...DAMN...fault...Blake hits a monster forehand...3-0 Blake...Agassi to serve...fault...long rally...Blake nets a forehand...3-1 Blake...great serve by Agassi...3-2 Blake...Blake hits a forehand volley long...3-3...change sides...Blake to serve...ace...4-3 Blake...(19 aces for Blake)...Agassi to serve...fault...Blake nets a forehand...4-4...Agassi serves...short rally...Agassi goes for a down-the-line backhand...hits it wide (about 1/8 inches)...DAMN...Blake leads 5-4...Blake to serve...the match is on his racquet...let...first serve...fault...return winner from Agassi!!!!!!! 5-5...

I can't take much more of this...Blake serves...short return from Agassi...Blake lines up...nails a forehand down the line....it's called long...MATCH POINT FOR AGASSI!!! Agassi to serve...fault...nice deep serve...Blake returns...Agassi gets it back...Blake lines up another down-the-line forehand...nails it good...6-6...Agassi has another serve...change sides...

Long rally...Agassi hits a drop shot...nice one...Blake gets it...Agassi passes...7-6 Agassi...Match point...Blake to serve...fault...Agassi returns it for a winner and WINS THE MATCH!!! UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE!!!

You see, you're never too old to show up the youngin's at sport.

Technorati Tags: tennis

Posted by Bob Monsour at 11:43 PM | Permalink

Here's what Apple announced today:

1. A cell phone with iTunes


2. Harry Potter digital audio books via iTunes Music Store


3. 1,000+ new accessories for iPods


4. Collaboration with Acura, Audi, Honda & VW on 'driving while podding'


5. A 'pencil-thin' iPod called the ipod nano


6. iTunes 5 - new features

Clearly, items #1 and #5 are of significant interest.

The best view of the phone seems to be via Cingular's web site. The ads are pretty cool and I think they've managed to make this work very well. Time will tell, but not being 18 years-old any more, it's tough for me to guage. Overall, I expect it will be a hit. That said, I don't know where Cingular's numbers are, but Verizon seems to dominate the area where I live (central New Jersey).

Much more interesting, however, is the new iPod nano 1000 songs, 1.5 ounces, color display, click wheel. Here are a couple of shots from the Apple web site.

No doubt the buzz will be loud over the coming days. I think that the iPod nano will be a huge hit and the phone will add more fuel to the iTunes Music Store...both good things for Apple.

Here's a piece from the Times Online (UK) that talks about the phone, it's price in the UK and other aspects of what was predicted for the launch.

Interesting times for Apple. In my opinion, we have only scratched the surface of Apple's Mac market share gains. Once they are fully switched over to Intel processors, I expect to see double-digit market share within the next 3 years.

Posted by Bob Monsour at 1:49 PM | Permalink

Well, they've finally done it. Web design standards bearers Jeffrey Zeldman and Eric Meyer have announced the date and location of their inaugural Event Apart.

As they describe it:

You will learn how to:

• Design, write, and structure your site to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Let user needs and business goals guide redesigns, and get buy-in from bosses and clients.
• Separate your site’s underlying structure from its visual presentation.
• Translate even the most sophisticated and complex visual designs to CSS layout.
• Make pages that load twice as fast, rank higher on Google, and work better for more users.

You’ll also gain insight into how experienced standards-based designers approach and solve common problems as Eric and Jeffrey re-create an attendee’s site in CSS and semantic XHTML, and then re-cast it to look and work even better.

This is not an introductory class. Not a rehashing of basics. Not for beginners. Not to be missed.

I will not be missing it and I suggest that if you are involved in web design, are an active practitioner of CSS/XHTML, and are anywhere near Philadelphia on December 5th, you too should attend.

Posted by Bob Monsour at 8:30 AM | Permalink

What I find amazingly distressing is the level of surprise expressed by FEMA officials in the aftermath of what they have referred to as a "perfect storm" of events that resulted from Katrina.

In fact, Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, clearly recalls the briefings which were given to both the FEMA director and the director of Homeland Security prior to the storm.

Worse yet, in a FEMA press release that followed an emergency preparedness exercise that was conducted last July (2004), the assumptions that were made during the exercise eerily predict the resulting disaster:

Hurricane Pam brought sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans area. More than one million residents evacuated and Hurricane Pam destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. Emergency officials from 50 parish, state, federal and volunteer organizations faced this scenario during a five-day exercise held this week at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge.

The exercise used realistic weather and damage information developed by the National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the LSU Hurricane Center and other state and federal agencies to help officials develop joint response plans for a catastrophic hurricane in Louisiana.

UPDATE: The Washington Post has a new piece about the preparedness exercise that took place last year and the lack of heed to the results of the exercise.

Posted by Bob Monsour at 6:55 PM | Permalink

I had the opportunity to attend 3 days of the US Open tennis tournament in Queens this past week. As a recreational player, all one can say after seeing the physical displays of these atheletes is...WOW!!!

Here are a few photos that I managed to catch with my Casio Exilim.

First up: Guillermo Coria (Argentia) serving against Felix Mantilla (Spain) on the grandstand court.

Next up: Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) hitting a forehand on the practice court. This guy is 6' 10" tall!

Next up: Mariano Puerta (Argentina) winding up big and blasting his forehand against Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland).

And finally: Richard Gasquet (France) hitting a forehand and winding up big for his signature backhand against Giorgio Galimberti (Italy) on the grandstand court.

And, regardless of what Dave Winer said, the top players and sponsors have done an outstanding job of not only donating to those affected by tragedy in the gulf states, but have encouraged all viewers to participate by donating to the Red Cross.

Technorati Tags: tennis

Posted by Bob Monsour at 4:31 PM | Permalink

I am starting an evaluation of web-based calendaring products. The ones that I've most recently come across are:

• Trumba OneCalendar
• GoDaddy Online Group Calendar
• AirSet - Shared Calendars

My need centers around maintaining a calendar for the board of trustees of an independent school. What we had been doing was using Apple's iCal in combination with phpicalendar to post the board's calendar to a web site. I used .htaccess to password protect the calendar. All that worked great. We had one person, the headmaster's assistant, handling all the calendar change requests and she would use the phpicalendar publish.php script to transparently publish the web-based calendar. Board members could login to the calendar page and see all of the board's activities.

What has since happened is that we installed a web-filtering box, called SecureSchool to keep the middle school boys from going to inappropriate web sites (middle school boys being middle school boys). Unfortunately, the filtering box acts as a proxy server and the publish script can't talk through it. I have not yet explored the idea of opening up the necessary port on the proxy server to have our current solution continue to work.

In the meantime, I am exploring other alternatives, including those listed above. For anyone reading this (if there are any of you, that is) who has experience with any of the three solutions I've listed, please feel free to comment.

Posted by Bob Monsour at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am deeply saddened by the tragedy being suffered by the people of the gulf states.

I am following the local news and perspective through the Times-Picayune newspaper.

I encourage all who are able to make donations, large and small, to the Red Cross.

The people affected will remain in my prayers.

Posted by Bob Monsour at 12:53 PM | Permalink