My American I was born in Boston, and in those early years I would glue my ears to the radio for clues on both the language and the culture that makes e pluribus unum.
One surname was the source of deep confusion: Bulger. I would sometimes hear it in the crime section, at other times in politics. The given name did not help much, and it took me a long while to distinguish two. Little I knew that one, William Michael "Billy" Bulger was the president of the Massachusetts Senate, and the other, James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger, was the "president" of the Irish mob (in fairness to my sticky ears, such names were never enunciated at full length). It took me even longer, and I still find it hard to believe that these two do not share a surname by coincidence, but are related, and in fact brothers.
These memories lay dormant until today, when I heard of the capture of the Whitey. Hearing that the FBI is still after the mob and that nabbing its fugitives still makes news is a salve for a mind somewhat chafed in the times of Bin Laden and cyberwar.
That two scions of the same stock can grow so contrary to each other, like faces of a family Janus, like William Wilson, is yet another reminder that human nature is still manifold and irreducible as ever.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
eG8
A couple of weeks ago, the worlds Internet moguls met their political counterparts in Paris. The event was an unusual prelude to the customary G8 affair to be held in further "from the madding crowd" in the resort of Dauville.
The meeting unfolded as expected, advocates of net freedom upbraiding politicians for even thinking of regulating, It was fun to see the incurably T-shirted Zuck wearing a suit for once and shaking hands with überbureaucrat Sarkozy. He did not miss a beat, once interviewed in his habitual accoutrements, to stress that politicians cannot have it both ways: regulate the channels that brought about the Arab spring thanks to being unregulated.
That was a good point, but like any potent line there is more to it beneath the veneer of rhetorical efficacy.
One of the most worrisome points is that the Internet is in fact already quite regulated, be it by governments, ICANN, or, more powerfully, the de facto gatekeepers such as Google and Zuck's own baby.
On the other hand, the internet is quite anarchic, or better hackocratic. I always considered SecureID's
the entry point of professional-grade security, but it too got hacked, hacked at the source, namely its manufacturer, RSA.
Once again, a powerful reminder that no system can be completely secured. If your trusted security token is no longer trusted, how secure are the data mines that Big Buy Brother hoards on us are?
The meeting unfolded as expected, advocates of net freedom upbraiding politicians for even thinking of regulating, It was fun to see the incurably T-shirted Zuck wearing a suit for once and shaking hands with überbureaucrat Sarkozy. He did not miss a beat, once interviewed in his habitual accoutrements, to stress that politicians cannot have it both ways: regulate the channels that brought about the Arab spring thanks to being unregulated.
That was a good point, but like any potent line there is more to it beneath the veneer of rhetorical efficacy.
One of the most worrisome points is that the Internet is in fact already quite regulated, be it by governments, ICANN, or, more powerfully, the de facto gatekeepers such as Google and Zuck's own baby.
On the other hand, the internet is quite anarchic, or better hackocratic. I always considered SecureID's
the entry point of professional-grade security, but it too got hacked, hacked at the source, namely its manufacturer, RSA.
Once again, a powerful reminder that no system can be completely secured. If your trusted security token is no longer trusted, how secure are the data mines that Big Buy Brother hoards on us are?
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