HOOOORAY! What a wonderful day!
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/061024/K102418U.html
A (hopefully) class action lawsuit against UPS in B.C. (and potentially Ontario too), because of the brokerage fees they like to charge receivers in Canada. Having been dinged by this crap many times, I look forward to seeing how this goes. I wouldn't horribly mind being included in the class too if they make it that far and I'm eligible.
(I'll update the post if I find they're actually ready to form a class)
Basically, UPS provides a brokerage service which handles all the quirks of getting your package through customs. Of course, with free trade to the US, this is nothing more than 7% GST and maybe $5.00 in admin fees. Which I'm cool with. However, unlike other couriers who may just ask you to pay the actual cost plus some small admin fee, UPS charges an all-encompassing brokerage fee (and often the acutal GST on top of their all-encompassing fee), which can at the worst case, reach 50% of the item's value! They even have the gall to charge you for the convenience of charging you (the COD charge)!
Of course, the same problem doesn't exist for US receivers. Probably because Americans would just shoot a delivery person who tried to feed them crap like that.
My worst story was when I rejected a package (an ebay retailer had sent me something by mistake). UPS then MAILED me a bill telling them I owed them the brokerage charge anyways. Needless to say, I told them where they could shove that bill. Just goes to show how ridiculous their process is.
I hope they burn.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Life and Some Links
300 Miles of driving: $425 (*)
All-you-can-drink beer: Free.
Trip to Scrape Records: $120
Weekend in Vancouver with the Irishman and Popple: Priceless
(*) It's a lengthy calculation. Take my word for it.
Oh yea, and don't forget: Valid H-1B status through August 2009: Priceless!!1!
That's right, travel lockdown is officially over. USCIS gave me one of those RFID I-94 cards, so now I just wave my passport at the sensor, and enter the US with minimal hassle. I may have a couple of questions coming back from Singapore, but for trips to Canada, I'm golden.
I intend to make full use of this privilege - I'll be in Vancouver at least twice between now and Christmas. Perhaps again for New Years too!
As for post content:
An interesting 'rebuttal' (well not really, it more just presents the positive side of the same points) by another officer of the guild featured in my previous post; this highlights how it is indeed possible to achieve balance between the game and life, and the benefits being involved in an MMO can bring.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/warcraft-another-point-of-view.html
And finally, try this - it's quite amusing:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40255643/
check out YouTube after you've played a bit, and see what talented people actually did with it.
All-you-can-drink beer: Free.
Trip to Scrape Records: $120
Weekend in Vancouver with the Irishman and Popple: Priceless
(*) It's a lengthy calculation. Take my word for it.
Oh yea, and don't forget: Valid H-1B status through August 2009: Priceless!!1!
That's right, travel lockdown is officially over. USCIS gave me one of those RFID I-94 cards, so now I just wave my passport at the sensor, and enter the US with minimal hassle. I may have a couple of questions coming back from Singapore, but for trips to Canada, I'm golden.
I intend to make full use of this privilege - I'll be in Vancouver at least twice between now and Christmas. Perhaps again for New Years too!
As for post content:
An interesting 'rebuttal' (well not really, it more just presents the positive side of the same points) by another officer of the guild featured in my previous post; this highlights how it is indeed possible to achieve balance between the game and life, and the benefits being involved in an MMO can bring.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/warcraft-another-point-of-view.html
And finally, try this - it's quite amusing:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40255643/
check out YouTube after you've played a bit, and see what talented people actually did with it.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Warcraft Destroys Lives... or do YOU?
hey all! Post #50! (well... 49.... one post never quite saw the light of day)
And yes, I'm alive, though you'd not know it from this blog. For those following along, my travel lockdown is nearly done! I've obtained the keys from the lawyers of Microsoft, and I'm ready to fight the final instance boss - the Archduke USCIS. If all goes well, I'll be in Vancouver by Friday, and by Monday I'll be back in the US on a newly-activated H-1B visa.
But I digress. On to my point.
An interesting article today on another blog, about the destructive soul-sucking nature of World of Warcraft. And why we still play.... often.... for hours.... DAYS... at a time.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top.html
... and already a follow-on (Slashdot makes you popular enough that you get to do followons).
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top-redux.html
This article interests me for a few reasons reasons. First, it highlights the destructively addictive nature of WoW, while highlighting the escape of one soul. It acknowledges the role of the player in the sad consequences. Finally, it brings up some interesting design questions in gameplay in general - one must ask about the things he describes in WoW, and wonder if those are the right ways to do things.
I won't rant, you can draw your own conclusions. Give it a read.
And yes, I'm alive, though you'd not know it from this blog. For those following along, my travel lockdown is nearly done! I've obtained the keys from the lawyers of Microsoft, and I'm ready to fight the final instance boss - the Archduke USCIS. If all goes well, I'll be in Vancouver by Friday, and by Monday I'll be back in the US on a newly-activated H-1B visa.
But I digress. On to my point.
An interesting article today on another blog, about the destructive soul-sucking nature of World of Warcraft. And why we still play.... often.... for hours.... DAYS... at a time.
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top.html
... and already a follow-on (Slashdot makes you popular enough that you get to do followons).
http://soulkerfuffle.blogspot.com/2006/10/view-from-top-redux.html
This article interests me for a few reasons reasons. First, it highlights the destructively addictive nature of WoW, while highlighting the escape of one soul. It acknowledges the role of the player in the sad consequences. Finally, it brings up some interesting design questions in gameplay in general - one must ask about the things he describes in WoW, and wonder if those are the right ways to do things.
I won't rant, you can draw your own conclusions. Give it a read.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Snakes on a Plane
Yes. I went.
Imagine every concept of every B movie you've ever seen rolled into one. Marginal plot. Completely flat and undeveloped characters. Every single action and reaction easily predictable from the first scene onwards. An utterly standard ending. Ridiculous dialogue delivered in complete seriousness.
Now, imagine that movie, with the protagonist as Samuel Jackson, and the antagonist being a few hundred enraged snakes going on a killing rampage on a plane.
They don't deliver a single punchline, but you'll come out of there doubled over with laughter.
Best. Movie. Ever. It's so bad it's good.
Imagine every concept of every B movie you've ever seen rolled into one. Marginal plot. Completely flat and undeveloped characters. Every single action and reaction easily predictable from the first scene onwards. An utterly standard ending. Ridiculous dialogue delivered in complete seriousness.
Now, imagine that movie, with the protagonist as Samuel Jackson, and the antagonist being a few hundred enraged snakes going on a killing rampage on a plane.
They don't deliver a single punchline, but you'll come out of there doubled over with laughter.
Best. Movie. Ever. It's so bad it's good.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Software Amusement
For you software types, a new site has been added to my daily reading.
http://thedailywtf.com/
Once a day, they post a real-life story from an employee of some software firm or another, describing incompetence and embarassing mistakes witnessed by that employee. It's truly horrifying some of the stories they tell. After reading a few of these, you may find yourself less surprized the next time your app crashed.
Now if only they weren't anonymous - I'd love to see some of these companies publically shamed.
http://thedailywtf.com/
Once a day, they post a real-life story from an employee of some software firm or another, describing incompetence and embarassing mistakes witnessed by that employee. It's truly horrifying some of the stories they tell. After reading a few of these, you may find yourself less surprized the next time your app crashed.
Now if only they weren't anonymous - I'd love to see some of these companies publically shamed.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Mike the Environmentalist!
This week, I've been trying something new. Novel. Dangerous even. A new paradigm in the history of mankind.
I took the bus to work.
"What's this madness?" you say? "Don't you have a sexy coupe that you got specifically so that you'd never have to rely on a bus again?"
Well yeah. But I thought I'd try it anyways. Consider
I took the bus to work.
"What's this madness?" you say? "Don't you have a sexy coupe that you got specifically so that you'd never have to rely on a bus again?"
Well yeah. But I thought I'd try it anyways. Consider
- Incremental cost to drive to work: $1.60 in gas. While others (namely my family) would assert, "OH plus insurance, maintenance, etc. etc.", lets face it, I need a car anyways, so the ADDITIONAL cost to work is mostly in gas.
- Incremental cost to take the bus: $0.00. Microsoft provides every one of it's full-time employees a free transit pass, good for a year.
- Time lost on bus: from -5 to +15 minutes over driving each way. Worst case: $20 worth of time a day (far less if there's even a hint of traffic). But on the other hand, that is time that can be used reading tech magazines and other productive pasttimes, as opposed to driving where the vast majority of time is committed to the driving act itself.
- The bus departs from my doorstep, and drops me off mere moments from work, taking a more or less direct route between the two. The bus runs every half-hour.
- No worries about driving on the rather common days where some group or another is providing free beer.
Friday, July 07, 2006
I'm published!
It's official. Despite some 'attendance issues', with some of the conferences, I was included in the proceedings of all three conferences to which I was accepted. That means I now have a publication history (as first author on all three), and am now part of the social elite of the academic research world.
Well not really - nobody in their right mind would cite my work. But hey, a group of academics accepted them, so they must have been worth something.
I'm not putting these papers online, in deference to IEEE's right to sell the conference proceedings. I have no idea if I have the legal right to put them online or not, but why cut IEEE out of potential business? If you want to read these, but do not have access to IEEE's Digital Library through your local institution, I can get you a copy to read.
Well not really - nobody in their right mind would cite my work. But hey, a group of academics accepted them, so they must have been worth something.
I'm not putting these papers online, in deference to IEEE's right to sell the conference proceedings. I have no idea if I have the legal right to put them online or not, but why cut IEEE out of potential business? If you want to read these, but do not have access to IEEE's Digital Library through your local institution, I can get you a copy to read.
- M. Jarrett and R. Seviora, "Constructing an Autonomic Computing Infrastructure Using Cougaar", Proceedings of the Third IEEE International Workshop on Engineering of Autonomic and Autonomous Systems (EASE 2006), March 2006, pp. 119-128. [IEEE Xplore link]
- M. Jarrett and R. Seviora, "Diversity to Enhance Autonomic Computing Self-Protection", The First International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES 2006), April 2006, pp. 295-299. [IEEE Xplore link]
- M. Jarrett and P. Ward, "Trusted Computing for Protecting Ad-hoc Routing", Proceedings of the 4th Annual Communication Networks and Services Research Conference (CNSR 2006), May 2006, pp. 61-68. [IEEE Xplore link]
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Portable Aircon
"What? But why would you want an aircon in Seattle? Isn't it cool and rainy all the time?"
Well no. Sometimes cool and rainy, often sunny, and for a short time in summer, very warm. Whether or not AC is worth buying for that short period is something one could argue... but only when it's cool. When it's 97'F and you want to sleep, I shall be snug in my chilled bedroom, and you will suffer, and I will laugh, and you will cry.
As a compromise, I bought a "portable AC". Unlike the wall-mount or in-window units these just roll around on wheels, much like R2D2. You hook a vent hose to your nearest window, and tada, instant cooling. The downside is, of course, that it takes floorspace, and tend to be less efficient (the guy at sears said 50%, but I have trouble believing it's that much).
Back around the time of our last heat wave (after it cooled down), I bought a 9000BTU Royal Soverign portable for a cool $500. from Sears. And sure enough, plug it in, run the hose, and tada, cold air comes out. But there's a catch: it's loud like a freakin' jet engine! This thing is NOT pleasant to have running while you sleep. Plus, they are not exaggerating at all when they tell you the size of room they can chill - if you plan to chill a full apartment with this single room AC, think again. I can get my bedroom cool over time, but the thing won't make so much as a dent on my living room.
But on the plus side, it has a remote, and, my primary concern, it makes things cold. The main concerns.
A friend waited until now before buying one. They're nearly impossible to find now, but my friend lucked out and grabbed an Everstar 10,000BTU portable at Home Depot. It's a bit larger in size, but it cools amazingly - far more than you'd guess from a 1000BTU difference. Plus, it has a removable condenser tray and a few more modes. But on the other hand, the remote is rather finicky. The biggest bonus though: it's QUIET! Far quieter than mine. I'm now officially jealous.
... but at least I'm still cool.
Well no. Sometimes cool and rainy, often sunny, and for a short time in summer, very warm. Whether or not AC is worth buying for that short period is something one could argue... but only when it's cool. When it's 97'F and you want to sleep, I shall be snug in my chilled bedroom, and you will suffer, and I will laugh, and you will cry.
As a compromise, I bought a "portable AC". Unlike the wall-mount or in-window units these just roll around on wheels, much like R2D2. You hook a vent hose to your nearest window, and tada, instant cooling. The downside is, of course, that it takes floorspace, and tend to be less efficient (the guy at sears said 50%, but I have trouble believing it's that much).
Back around the time of our last heat wave (after it cooled down), I bought a 9000BTU Royal Soverign portable for a cool $500. from Sears. And sure enough, plug it in, run the hose, and tada, cold air comes out. But there's a catch: it's loud like a freakin' jet engine! This thing is NOT pleasant to have running while you sleep. Plus, they are not exaggerating at all when they tell you the size of room they can chill - if you plan to chill a full apartment with this single room AC, think again. I can get my bedroom cool over time, but the thing won't make so much as a dent on my living room.
But on the plus side, it has a remote, and, my primary concern, it makes things cold. The main concerns.
A friend waited until now before buying one. They're nearly impossible to find now, but my friend lucked out and grabbed an Everstar 10,000BTU portable at Home Depot. It's a bit larger in size, but it cools amazingly - far more than you'd guess from a 1000BTU difference. Plus, it has a removable condenser tray and a few more modes. But on the other hand, the remote is rather finicky. The biggest bonus though: it's QUIET! Far quieter than mine. I'm now officially jealous.
... but at least I'm still cool.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Rikki Rikki
I love good food. Sadly, I find myself able to eat less and less of it, but that just means I must work extra hard to find those top bites.
But, even more than I appreciate fine meals, I appreciate service. Where I do business may not be the best quality place, or even the cheapest place. I will do business at the place that treats me respectfully. This applies to everything from my financial institutions to my web provider*, and more than anything, to food.
(* BTW, 1 and 1, if you were wondering, and yes, they get the seal of approval)
So, today, I'd like to recommend you all have one meal at Rikki Rikki, on Central Way in Kirkland, a sushi place I frequent due to it being literally on my doorstep. I really appreciated the fact tonight that the matron of the establishment greeted me warmly and recognized me right away. That, despite the fact that I was entering as the sushi chefs were cleaning up, that they were eager to serve me whatever I wanted, for however long I wanted to eat. That they brightened a long day by feeding me excellent sushi and a chilled glass of top quality Mu sake (nice brand, quite sweet to my inexperienced palate). That they made pleasant smalltalk and were friendly instead of rushing me out the door.
... and a waitress that could have been a stunt double for Lucy Liu. Wow, if all my food was served by waitresses as cute as that, I'd probably be a very fat man by now.
But, even more than I appreciate fine meals, I appreciate service. Where I do business may not be the best quality place, or even the cheapest place. I will do business at the place that treats me respectfully. This applies to everything from my financial institutions to my web provider*, and more than anything, to food.
(* BTW, 1 and 1, if you were wondering, and yes, they get the seal of approval)
So, today, I'd like to recommend you all have one meal at Rikki Rikki, on Central Way in Kirkland, a sushi place I frequent due to it being literally on my doorstep. I really appreciated the fact tonight that the matron of the establishment greeted me warmly and recognized me right away. That, despite the fact that I was entering as the sushi chefs were cleaning up, that they were eager to serve me whatever I wanted, for however long I wanted to eat. That they brightened a long day by feeding me excellent sushi and a chilled glass of top quality Mu sake (nice brand, quite sweet to my inexperienced palate). That they made pleasant smalltalk and were friendly instead of rushing me out the door.
... and a waitress that could have been a stunt double for Lucy Liu. Wow, if all my food was served by waitresses as cute as that, I'd probably be a very fat man by now.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
A real visa, all for me!
Just a quick note - I've been accepted for this year's H1B quota! As of October 1st, I'll have three years in the US, or until Microsoft realizes I'm lazy and inept and tosses me out*. Should I decide that the USA is just a place to visit, I can renew it once (giving me six years total). However, the whole point of this visa is that, should I desire it, I'll be allowed to begin the process of obtaining a green card here in the United States.
Of course the green card is a long, complicated, drawn-out, painful process, with many of its own pains. And potentially more periods of travel lockdown. Great. And it's not even all that good - it's one of those "use it or lose it" things.
... and don't even get me started on citizenship. I already have plenty of rants on that.
What this means:
1. I will definitely be off travel lockdown on October 1st.
2. Since it's a port-of-entry application, I will HAVE to travel sometime between October and December.
So start planning the party, folks! Mikey's coming to town!
(* I'm not actually inept. I actually do many good things for Microsoft. Both in my own work and my almost constant scathing criticism of the work of others. But I mean well.
... please don't fire me. )
Of course the green card is a long, complicated, drawn-out, painful process, with many of its own pains. And potentially more periods of travel lockdown. Great. And it's not even all that good - it's one of those "use it or lose it" things.
... and don't even get me started on citizenship. I already have plenty of rants on that.
What this means:
1. I will definitely be off travel lockdown on October 1st.
2. Since it's a port-of-entry application, I will HAVE to travel sometime between October and December.
So start planning the party, folks! Mikey's coming to town!
(* I'm not actually inept. I actually do many good things for Microsoft. Both in my own work and my almost constant scathing criticism of the work of others. But I mean well.
... please don't fire me. )
Sunday, May 21, 2006
In Flames!
In a distinct change of style, I shall present myself today in a random scattered assortment of facts. Nobody seems to like my factual tech-heavy style, so I present you with storytime goodness.
Yes, last Thursday, myself and my best friend said a hearty "Screw it all!" to any sense and reason, and after a commute down from Vancouver to Seattle, myself and him motored all the way to Spokane for the Washington date for the In Flames concert, opened by American metal act Nevermore, and Sweedish sensation Evergrey..
Now Spokane isn't just a quick hop out of Seattle, like Renton is to Kirkland, or even Squamish is to Vancouver. It's 280 miles of pure high-speed motoring. Streets and Trips predicts 4h10m. Of course, what Streets and Trips doesn't tell you, is how unpleasant the interior of the state can be in 34 degree C weather can be.
Interesting factoid: my Scion tC can reach speeds of 200kph in a straight line on a highway. With standard unleaded gasoline. Not that I tried of course, that would be illegal. Of course. Moving right along.
It's wierd - we expect Spokane has some sort of noise laws. By the time we were in the bar (maybe 7:20pm), we had already MISSED Evergrey. I can't believe this! FOUR HOURS IN THE CAR, AND EVERGREY ONLY PLAYS FIVE SONGS, ALL BEFORE I ARRIVED! Such a horrific turn of events won't be soon forgotten. Nevermore (a passable act if one enjoys the American style metal) plays a similarly short set. Following up is some unknown, a band called Throwdown out of California. Nothing to get excited about. In Flames make it in around 9:30pm, about the time most doors are opening for real concerts. Except for some mixing issues, an amazing show, covering many tunes I like. Some off the new Come Clarity. Some old ones. Cloud Connected, one of my favourites. But, by 10:30pm, zero encores later, it's all over.
WTF? Four hours driving, and we're done by 10:30pm? What sort of crap is this? So, debating whether it's worth heading home or not, we wander Spokane. We find a bar called "Jamie'z" or something like that. Amazing. Wood everything, with a massive bar, and an impressive array of beers on tap (not just local, which is strange for an American bar, I find). Many pints, and some whiskey later, we're pleasantly pleased at our situation. If anyone is passing through Spokane, stop for a pint.
A greet out to the young lady we met, a "world travelling" "lawyer" we ran into at the bar, who pilfered our chicken wings, and served as great amusement for a short while as she discussed her exploits of "manhandling random French people" who gave her flak for being American. (note, the quotes should indicate how much I believe each element of her story). Way to justify a stereotype. Doubly amusing was her "friends" who literally bolted when she turned her back for a second. A true *LOL* moment, costing us only some wings (incidentally, some of the best damned chicken wings I've ever had! Another vote for Jamie'z!)
Random drunken quote: The white men said "Whoh", and the natives said "whoh"... and then Monahan said "whoh.... I'm dead!"
We made it home the next day, despite traffic, and a short excursion to Arby's (mmmm beef) in under 4 hours, including Seattle traffic.
Summary:
Spokane is a cool place - despite expectations, it is indeed a bona fide city, skyscrapers, panhandlers, and traffic. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Denver. It's worth a visit if you're ever feel the need to head towards Idaho.
Likewise, In Flames is worth seeing. They, as expected, are loud, crunchy, and heavy beyond imagination.
The new Evergrey CD, Monday Morning Apocalypse, very very good. True to the best elements of their style, while not going off on too many religious folktale sidetracks like the Inner Circle. One day, I'll hear them play live.
The point of this post: Metal and booze with good friends makes for good times. That's pretty much it.
Carry on.
Yes, last Thursday, myself and my best friend said a hearty "Screw it all!" to any sense and reason, and after a commute down from Vancouver to Seattle, myself and him motored all the way to Spokane for the Washington date for the In Flames concert, opened by American metal act Nevermore, and Sweedish sensation Evergrey..
Now Spokane isn't just a quick hop out of Seattle, like Renton is to Kirkland, or even Squamish is to Vancouver. It's 280 miles of pure high-speed motoring. Streets and Trips predicts 4h10m. Of course, what Streets and Trips doesn't tell you, is how unpleasant the interior of the state can be in 34 degree C weather can be.
Interesting factoid: my Scion tC can reach speeds of 200kph in a straight line on a highway. With standard unleaded gasoline. Not that I tried of course, that would be illegal. Of course. Moving right along.
It's wierd - we expect Spokane has some sort of noise laws. By the time we were in the bar (maybe 7:20pm), we had already MISSED Evergrey. I can't believe this! FOUR HOURS IN THE CAR, AND EVERGREY ONLY PLAYS FIVE SONGS, ALL BEFORE I ARRIVED! Such a horrific turn of events won't be soon forgotten. Nevermore (a passable act if one enjoys the American style metal) plays a similarly short set. Following up is some unknown, a band called Throwdown out of California. Nothing to get excited about. In Flames make it in around 9:30pm, about the time most doors are opening for real concerts. Except for some mixing issues, an amazing show, covering many tunes I like. Some off the new Come Clarity. Some old ones. Cloud Connected, one of my favourites. But, by 10:30pm, zero encores later, it's all over.
WTF? Four hours driving, and we're done by 10:30pm? What sort of crap is this? So, debating whether it's worth heading home or not, we wander Spokane. We find a bar called "Jamie'z" or something like that. Amazing. Wood everything, with a massive bar, and an impressive array of beers on tap (not just local, which is strange for an American bar, I find). Many pints, and some whiskey later, we're pleasantly pleased at our situation. If anyone is passing through Spokane, stop for a pint.
A greet out to the young lady we met, a "world travelling" "lawyer" we ran into at the bar, who pilfered our chicken wings, and served as great amusement for a short while as she discussed her exploits of "manhandling random French people" who gave her flak for being American. (note, the quotes should indicate how much I believe each element of her story). Way to justify a stereotype. Doubly amusing was her "friends" who literally bolted when she turned her back for a second. A true *LOL* moment, costing us only some wings (incidentally, some of the best damned chicken wings I've ever had! Another vote for Jamie'z!)
Random drunken quote: The white men said "Whoh", and the natives said "whoh"... and then Monahan said "whoh.... I'm dead!"
We made it home the next day, despite traffic, and a short excursion to Arby's (mmmm beef) in under 4 hours, including Seattle traffic.
Summary:
Spokane is a cool place - despite expectations, it is indeed a bona fide city, skyscrapers, panhandlers, and traffic. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Denver. It's worth a visit if you're ever feel the need to head towards Idaho.
Likewise, In Flames is worth seeing. They, as expected, are loud, crunchy, and heavy beyond imagination.
The new Evergrey CD, Monday Morning Apocalypse, very very good. True to the best elements of their style, while not going off on too many religious folktale sidetracks like the Inner Circle. One day, I'll hear them play live.
The point of this post: Metal and booze with good friends makes for good times. That's pretty much it.
Carry on.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Want to Hack?
This is, without a doubt, the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.
http://www.try2hack.nl/
Here, you get to try your "hacking" skills. It's not traditional network intrusion, so you have no issue with overloading networks or doing anything illegal. The objective is to complete levels - starting at level 1, each page asks you for a password to get to the next page. Your objective? Discover the password, or skip the password and just discover the URL of the next page directly.
The first level is easy. It gets harder after that, requiring you to have knowledge, an eye for details, and the ability to use tools. Of course, don't think the same tricks will save you every time, or you'll find yourself good and duped.
Give it a try! I cleared the first four levels pretty quick - L5 will take some time, so it can wait for the weekend.
Quiet you, I have plenty of life!
http://www.try2hack.nl/
Here, you get to try your "hacking" skills. It's not traditional network intrusion, so you have no issue with overloading networks or doing anything illegal. The objective is to complete levels - starting at level 1, each page asks you for a password to get to the next page. Your objective? Discover the password, or skip the password and just discover the URL of the next page directly.
The first level is easy. It gets harder after that, requiring you to have knowledge, an eye for details, and the ability to use tools. Of course, don't think the same tricks will save you every time, or you'll find yourself good and duped.
Give it a try! I cleared the first four levels pretty quick - L5 will take some time, so it can wait for the weekend.
Quiet you, I have plenty of life!
Citizenship Redux
Okay, I've been actually getting a few messages/emails/comments about this lately, so perhaps it's time for a new topic.
One of my earlier posts commented on the difficulty of a Canadian like myself obtaining dual US-Canadian citizenship. Since then, many have tried to tell me "No Mike, you absolutely can obtain dual citizenship." And thus refer me to some website or another, or relate tales of some friend or another.
There is the rare reference that at least implies that US naturalization into dual citizenship is perfectly valid. For example, straight from a .gov, "A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth". Encouraging. Another link, with some interesting references and details.
The law itself say practically nothing on the subject, leaving it to case law, USCIS rules and memos, and in the end, the whim of those who may oppose you. The primary factor that makes these things different are "renunciation oaths", requiring you to pledge to give up your previous citizenships. Canada used to have such an oath, but it was made illegal in 1973 by the courts and removed. The US renunciation oath remains. However, an mportant point - most countries in modern times, including the US and Canada, simply ignore foreign oaths of this sort. Basically, this means, from a country's perspective, they don't lose you as a citizen, regardless of what you said, until you march into an embasy office and tell the government directly (and probably fill in a million forms).
However, I found this link to be the most telling resource, citing cases and giving many many FAQs, including one or two with details on this specific case. Here is what I found to be the most telling quote:
"Finally, some people who become US citizens hope to take advantage of the fact that the US didn't make them actually go to their old country's consulate and get their citizenship revoked (all they were required to do was make a renunciatory statement as part of the US naturalization oath) -- and so they continue to exercise rights of citizenship in the old country as though nothing had happened. The US State Department used to take a dim view of such behavior if they found out about it, and people acting in this way were known to lose their US citizenship on the grounds that their pledge to renounce their prior status had evidently not been made in good faith. Now, though, the State Department almost never pursues such cases."
So, in the end, we're right back where I said we were when I wrote my first post on the subject (see? I'm not TOTALLY stupid) - it's against the oath, but not any explicit law. However, wee now know that such oaths carry little weight in practice, and that after 1990, the US has done very little to enforce them.
Of course, this still does not answer the question: if I could have it, would I really want it?
Meh.
One of my earlier posts commented on the difficulty of a Canadian like myself obtaining dual US-Canadian citizenship. Since then, many have tried to tell me "No Mike, you absolutely can obtain dual citizenship." And thus refer me to some website or another, or relate tales of some friend or another.
There is the rare reference that at least implies that US naturalization into dual citizenship is perfectly valid. For example, straight from a .gov, "A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth". Encouraging. Another link, with some interesting references and details.
The law itself say practically nothing on the subject, leaving it to case law, USCIS rules and memos, and in the end, the whim of those who may oppose you. The primary factor that makes these things different are "renunciation oaths", requiring you to pledge to give up your previous citizenships. Canada used to have such an oath, but it was made illegal in 1973 by the courts and removed. The US renunciation oath remains. However, an mportant point - most countries in modern times, including the US and Canada, simply ignore foreign oaths of this sort. Basically, this means, from a country's perspective, they don't lose you as a citizen, regardless of what you said, until you march into an embasy office and tell the government directly (and probably fill in a million forms).
However, I found this link to be the most telling resource, citing cases and giving many many FAQs, including one or two with details on this specific case. Here is what I found to be the most telling quote:
"Finally, some people who become US citizens hope to take advantage of the fact that the US didn't make them actually go to their old country's consulate and get their citizenship revoked (all they were required to do was make a renunciatory statement as part of the US naturalization oath) -- and so they continue to exercise rights of citizenship in the old country as though nothing had happened. The US State Department used to take a dim view of such behavior if they found out about it, and people acting in this way were known to lose their US citizenship on the grounds that their pledge to renounce their prior status had evidently not been made in good faith. Now, though, the State Department almost never pursues such cases."
So, in the end, we're right back where I said we were when I wrote my first post on the subject (see? I'm not TOTALLY stupid) - it's against the oath, but not any explicit law. However, wee now know that such oaths carry little weight in practice, and that after 1990, the US has done very little to enforce them.
Of course, this still does not answer the question: if I could have it, would I really want it?
Meh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)