US Patriot Act now directly affects BC Residents

OK, what did I say? Our information on the MSP computer is now totally unprotected from prying eyes. How do you say "outsourcing"? And why?

Well, the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (read previous postings on that bunch) has outsourced the computer services to a US company. The ruling came down on the US Patriot Act today. Canadian data on US computers and computers in Canada owned by US companies have to turn the records over to the CIA and/or the FBI if asked for them.

Boy, do I feel good that your Uncle Sam (I am a Canadian) can peek into the medical records on me whenever he feels like it. And, recall that I also mentioned there is all sorts of other information on us in there. Like nationality and citizenship. It could be a virtual treasure source of information. I would like the MSP to come clean on this one and tell us all what is in there so that we can decide who the enemy is on this continent! And, how come no Canadian companies are cabable of doing the outsourcing for us? Heck, my server under my desk is probably secure enough now...

tw

What sort of information does the government have?

We are all getting more aware of the fact that there is far more information being gathered on us than we really need. The national news network had a blurb on internet pharmacies. Seems they farm out the ordering to some third party. In actual fact located in some house in small town Ontario somewhere. Call centers are the operative word. Our so called national gun registry program uses a call centre too. And do you think for one moment they are concerned with security.

But, that's not the point of this tirade. It is about information already gathered, and how it is being used.

British Columbia Medical Service Plan is a mandatory plan for all folk in the province. And all the folk that provide a service (x-ray labs for example) are plugged in to the computer system it uses. Well, there is a huge leak in that area. My wife was allowed to look at her record in the lab, and there in one of the windows was her citizenship status. Why the hell do they need that there? She is a resident, paid up, and what more do they need than that. Do they need that so they can establish the kind of service she is to get? I personally found out that my last marital status was all the record they have on me. They may need my wife's citizenship status, but they can't get my correct marital status.

I am a director of one of the local organizations, and as such had to be listed as a signing authority with the local credit union. The first thing they wanted was my social insurance number. I have had that run in before, so I played dumb and asked them why. I was told that they had to report any income on accounts to the income tax folk. When I pointed out that I was not taking out an account, and had no responsibility for the thing they had to go and check with "management" Needless to say, they did not get number one from me, but I can still sign the checks. BTW, did you know that credit unions (and some banks) do a credit check on you before they will open an account. Seems they don't want any "deadbeats" putting money in the place. And, they make you sign a statement saying you will not use the account for "illegal purposes" . As if you are going to tell them if you are laundering money...

tw

Hard Science or blind luck in development of new forensic techniques?

Don't know if it has changed, but blind luck played a major role in some of the most important forensic tools that we have.

Laser examination of fingerprints got a big shot in the arm when an examiner (from Toronto) and a copier machine technician were talking over a common back fence. Seems the new copier that used a laser was a bugger to clean. Fingerprints just glowed everywhere. Needless to say, that is what the examiner was looking for. He went on to become a major promoter, and expert, in the use of lasers for fingerprint examination.

The technique of "fuming" to develop fingerprints on all sorts of surfaces was a packaging fault of "Crazy Glue". The packages were being returned as the insides of them were covered in fingerprints. No one would buy a packaged item that was all "dirty" inside. Seems the fumes from the packaged glue had developed the fingerprints of the folk packaging the stuff. A whole new industry was created for fingerprint examination. Items to be examined were bagged (or just placed in an ordinary aquarium) and a piece of material soaked in the glue was allowed to fume in the enclosure. Of course, now the package has been considerably refined to do the job. And the concentrations have been increased to the point that almost anything (a car for example) can be "bagged" and every single print developed. One problem to this is that when the item is returned to the owner the prints are a real bugger to get off. Requires a solvent of sorts. And believe me, the prints are everywhere!

As we jokingly say "isn't science wonderful"

tw

DNA evidence being used to investigate old crimes

As a "forensic expert" going back 20 plus years I am totally familiar with the use of DNA to establish guilt (or innocence). DNA has indeed been gathered back that far, and further in some insances. The biggest problem was the ability to prove the credibility of it. In my field at the time (Image Processing), the biggest problem I personally had was to convince courts of the science. Had to prove that evidence was not being manufactured, just examined. I was not alone in this, and in actual fact played a very small role.

But back to DNA, the developing of it was called "Electro-Phoresus Examination" (sp) and used an electrical current to develop a pattern. The evidence folk knew they had something, just did not know what and how it could lead to a proveable science. So, even though they could not use it, they stored the samples away for future use. There is no actual statute of limitations on homicides. So, that evidence is now being re-examined in light of new technology. With some interesting results. In some instances convictions are being over-turned. In others, new suspects are being convicted.

Who is the biggest user of computer chips?

Normally I don't write on stuff I have not researched, but this topic intrigues me.

Why you might ask? Well, I once heard that the largest computer user is not the aerospace industry or the military but the good old auto industry. You are driving a rolling aresenal of computer technology down the road! Everything has a chip connected to it. Fuel injection would not be as easily used in engines were it not for computer chips. A chum of mine had the headlights go out in his older Pontiac. Guess what, the sucker uses a computer to control them. Cost him over $400 bucks to get it fixed!

Cadillac had an embarassing moment a few years ago when all the trunks on them opened up. All over N. America, not just in some small area. Seemed the satellite system goofed and popped them all open. Mark one up for "Onstar".

Just wait till the banks and finance companies get into that system! You miss a payment and click, your car dies on the spot. They just query the GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) and send a tow truck to it's location. Heck, the system is capable of being so smart they would disable it only while parked with the engine off too. That way there is no chance of the valuable goods causing an accident. World's safest car is one that won't start!

tw

Information Brokers, a new growth industry!

I have been ranting on about the internet and how much information can be gathered on us, so it naturally follows that perhaps I should create a new growth industry. There is a fortune out there in information. All it needs is a channel to sell it. Now, perhaps I am too late, and someone has beat me to it. We know it is there, all we have to do is market it.

What sort of information would one want? Well, suppose you have an employee who you suspect is goofing off. Perhaps at the bar all afternoon instead of being out doing sales calls. Well, you could check his charge cards records. You could find out exactly what bar he was at and how much he had to drink. All time stamped.

The use of plastic money could be the downfall of a lot of nefarious activities. Suspect your spouse is cheating? Well, buy a little information and you could have him (or her) nailed. Gas cards, plastic money, hotel computers and the sort all have information that could be tapped and used to track the scoundrels.

Forget emails and computer records. That information is too unreliable. Your spending habits could be the downfall. But, lets not forget that little toy we all pack around. The cell phone knows all! Yup, it sure as heck does. How do you think it gets calls to your belt? It knows where you are down to a couple of miles. All the time you travel around it is reporting your location to the nearest cell site. In the country they can be a few miles apart. In big cities as near as a few blocks. If the information from them could be tapped just think of the possibilities.

So, think about it the next time you get a cell call or use a bank machine. Big brother, as he has been refered to, could indeed be watching.

tw

Spyware

Morning news had a big blurb about how folks are not aware of what spyware is . Well, what did I just say a few articles down? Would not hurt if everyone out there did a bit of housekeeping. Not all that difficult, pick a good search engine and take a look. Personally I use Adaware and Spybot, but I refuse to endorse any products. I appreciate free stuff naturally, but watch some of that stuff it is never totally free. I launched one of the popup killer programs. It promptly killed off the only "pirate" program I had in the system. Killed it so good that I could not re-install my paid up copy of the same darn thing. So, who paid for that one?

"there is no such thing as a free lunch"

tw

I taught a computer to lie...

In the good old days, before Personal Computers (to, me at least) we had small computers called Micro-computers. The were the little ones below the mini ones like Honeywell level 6 and PDP 11's. As well we had a number of kit units that were becoming accepted. Not a PC to be found.

The University of British Columbia Psychology Department wanted badly to run some experiments to these computers. The one I personally built did not really lie, it just fibbed a bit. Basically played a game (developed I believe in the University of Waterloo, Ontario). Participants were shown a series of "stimulus" ( slides, etc) and asked a multiple choice question. No right or wrong answer was given, just the results that all off the other participants gave. You were given your own choice as to if you were wrong or right.

It was all done with a number of computer controlled terminals. Your answer was flashed back to you in the display. When the rest had voted, all of the choices were displayed. You decided if you were right or wrong. Fine and dandy, what was the purpose of a quiz with no right and wrong answer. Manipulation of the players was the whole purpose! You see, the computer was programmed to return false answers to selected individuals. The stimulus was so clever that there probably never was a right or wrong choice. The purpose was to see if folk could be made to change thier concept of the stimulus. In other words, to follow the herd. Person conducting the test had already evaluated the participants based partly on how they could or could not be manipulated. A weak willed person could be convinced very early in the game to forego thier own thoughts and give in to the thinking of the herd. The computer kept track of time to make decisions of all folk. They only had to see how long it took to manipulate an individual.

tw

If Hitler had owned a PC...

If Hitler had owned a PC the outcome of the Second World War would have been entirely different!

Wars are not won by guns. They are won by information! Before a shot is fired all the espionage is done to gather information on the enemy. As well, false information is planted to distract his efforts.

The Enigma machine, a very early pre-cursor of a computer enabled the Allies to decode Nazi (and Japanese) information. That machine alone won the war, not all the guns and lost lives. You can't kill everyone in warfare! So, it all comes down to information.

Orwell, in his book used the television to spy on the masses. Today, we willingly use the computer. And, it is bloody well cabable of doing exactly what Orwell envisioned (and more). That scares the shit out of me! When I built my computers in the 60's I joked about everyone having one. At the time not one person believed me! I am not a psychic, and one does not need to have one to predict this fact.

Notice all the "security updates" we all get to our computers. Is there a problem (tongue planted firmly in cheek) here? We know about hackers, and all the stuff they do to the internet. Who are they? I know the CIA has a convention for them every year where the very best are selected to work for them. I think viruses are created by those that would sell us virus checkers (well, not really but it has been mentioned to me)

Canada recently passed some guidelines (my word, they call them laws) on what information can and cannot be divulged. We have all seen the little "disclaimers" appearing on everything from our newspapers to our bank statements. They are really just rules, and like speeding rules, do they really stop those that will break them?

Banks are already sharing information on your bank account. Who with? Those private money machines that are showing up everywhere (especially in bars) give you money. They are privately owned, and how do you think they know that the money you want is in you account? The bank computer tells them! Who else can it tell? Can that machine you just used be trusted that if a crunch came and the owner needed cash he could not clean out all the accounts just accessed?

And as well, all the systems have changed over to the internet to transfer information. All that information out there waiting for an Enigma machine to come along and pluck it out. Hey, if we could build a simple machine with no computer help to decode messages, what makes you think we can't make a better machine with all these computers to help us.

"Let the arrows fly, the gaunlet is thrown down" We all assume everyone around us is honest. It is about time we started waking up. Why do you think Microsoft and Bill Gates came under such intense investigation? Were they worried about all the power that Windows has? I suspect they worry deep down that the Microsoft company has the power to do all sorts of very bad things. But, then again, even they use Windows! Those that don't (like bank machines) use IBM. Who is that? Just another trusted computer company!

... more on this subject coming!

tw

Dr Dobbs Journal of Computers and Orthadontia

I think I recall the name correctly. Sitting and recalling the medieval days of personal computers, boy were we on the edge. Talking about pre- apple, comodore, tandy and others. We built the bloody things! Most of use used kits to start with. Altair and SWTP are the two I used. Mind you, that was just the start. You only got a box, mother board (call a buss) and a processor card. Altair unit was impressive, you got lots of lights and switches and it impressed the hell out of anyone. But from there on it did "sweet fanny adams". You needed memory, and all sorts of other things. Wanted high teck operation you went looking for an old teletype unit (I was lucky, I got a Texas Instruments thermal printer and added a keyboard to it). Programing was by toggle switches. Every time you turned it off you had to re-enter your program. The along came an interface to a tape recorder. You could actually store programs. You still had to toggle in your "boot" program. Short for Bootstrap, a term used from the old phrase "to bring one up by thier boot straps". Most of the time it worked first time. Often not. We all subscribed to Doctor Dobbs. Every month they had a new program, and lots of tips and history. It was basically a newspaper, but we read everthing then.
tw

Who would have thunk it?

Back in the sixties I was involved in radio, television and communications electronics. As an avid electronic hobbyist the thought of a computer at home had intrigued me. I had access to all sorts of old stuff, but the thought of rewiring my house pretty well put that off. Intel introduced the 8000 series computer chip and I had a chance to go to a seminar. Pretty well convinced me that they were talking space ships and science fiction. A few of us retired to the bar and pretty well decided that technology was a long way off and going to be pretty expensive. That was the first mistake in judgement (one of many that would follow) regarding predictions of what was coming

tw

Getting back to writing again

I started a new blog. Wonder how many I can have? This one for my history research and findings. Going to branch out a bit and include the area around here as well as the Gulf Islands. cowichanhistory.blogspot.com is the address. Maybe I can get more material for the Web-book. Got my picture gallery started too. photowizard.blogspot.com is that address. Can't get away from that wizard thing no matter how hard I try.

tw

Ramblings and Msc. Drivel

Been in computers since the mid sixties, built a few of them and here I am still learning what to do. When I had my first intel seminar back then I thought, "this is impossible". Then I built a few. My kids were bragging about having a computer at home and no one believed them! I actually met Bill Gates when he was just getting started back up in Washington. Seemed like a nice enough chap...