What Security?

 I had gotten a notice from the IRS to validate who I am. After some 65+ years they decided to force me to use the third party ID.me service. Now being somewhat astute at communications and computers I did find this complex. It demand that you have a cell phone with the updated capabilities that exceed my less expensive one about just three months ago. It took me some 4 hours to figure out how to work this annoying third party system. I had to give them a scan of my drivers license, front and back, my signature, my SS number, and connect to some foreign agent to validate me live and record my face, voice and God knows what other biometrics. Now some third party with foreign connections has more personal information on me that my attorney and accountant. The risk of ID theft has increased in my opinion many orders of magnitude.

To reiterate, the IRS demands you go through this process otherwise they will default any and all returns! I wonder what moron invented this scheme? Also why have a commercial third party control all this data?

Now the real problem is that for me, 4 hours is a burden, but I have a PhD from MIT in EECS and have spent sixty years in computers and communications. What does an 80+ year old have to do flopping around this junked up system? Our Government has managed to harass the older folks not to mention everyone else. I have a passport, why not use that? Answer, the want your video, voice, eye motions etc to have a full set of biometrics less a DNA swab. China and Russia are not this bad!

Now can it be scammed. Easy! One's drivers license has been used extensively to enter buildings in NYC and check into hotels. Thus getting that ID is simple. SS numbers are everywhere. AI allows for fake video to be used in their biometric system. Creating a false identity is simple! In fact they have made it fool proof.  

This has not in my opinion and my experience improved security, it has dramatically degraded it. It creates a massive burden on older  people. I would love to know who made this decision!

Cloudflare Stinks!

 It seems that more and more web sites use Cloudflare. This means more and more web sites have become inaccessible. One would assume if Cloudflare accepts you once then that is it. No, each web sites has its own idiosyncrasies. Which means you may pass the moronic test ten times then the eleventh they ban you! Worse, on one web site you get one article then the second is blocked by a never ending Cloudflare cycle! Why is page 1 OK and then page 2 blocked. 

What type of gross incompetents run this mess!  

Cloudflare states:

Automatically stop bad bots without interrupting legitimate users

Cloudflare analyzes behavior and detects anomalies in network traffic based on how requests deviate from the baseline.

Cloudflare's machine learning trains on a curated subset of hundreds of billions of requests per day to create a reliable bot score for every request.

 In reality it always interrupts legitimate customers like me. Whoever uses it. when I try to get on the website for which I paid and registered I am blocked at least half the time. One wonders what idiotic algorithm they employ. Frustrate the customer! Great way to lose business. 

 

 

Insane!

 The NY Times has an article on deer dying from a wasting disease, a prion disorder. Prior disease like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)is a deadly protein neurological disorder. It can be highly contagious from bodily fluids from a infected entity. The Times shows employees with dead deer noting:

The harvested deer were prepared at the state lab in Lena, Ill., for sample-taking and field dressing.

 If the deer prion disorder can jump species this is a great way to start another epidemic. No masks and blood on the floor! This is a Level 4 pathogen! If you thought COVID was bad this is a billion time worse.

Airport Surface Traffic Control

 In the summer of 1974 when I was at MIT I spent the time doing two projects. First was what was to become MITES, a minority student program to see if we could get more minority students into MIT by exposure and experience. With that group I also had a project called Airport Surface Traffic Control, ASTC, using what Lincoln Lab had developed using transponders called DABS, discrete address beacon systems. Namely ASTC would equip every vehicle with a DABS transponder and we could then detect locations of every vehicle on the airport surface and with added software anticipate possible issues. I never got to finish the project but it was workable fifty some years ago!

Now the NY Times reports on the LaGuardia crash noting:

On Thursday, before the report was released, Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, told reporters that the agency would wait to see the report before making any changes. The Port Authority operates the three major airports in the New York area, including LaGuardia.

 Duh! Like so many of our NY/NYC employees just wait till tomorrow, and see if anyone else dies!

A Reason Why Tuition is so High!

 In reading a recent MIT News brief they lauded a new employee whose job is:

... associate director of student organizations and programming for the Student Organizations, Leadership, and Engagement Office (SOLE) in the Division of Student Life (DSL), empowers and equips students to lead and serve not only during their time at MIT, but also as they venture into their professional lives. With enthusiasm and a global mindset, she is dedicated to helping students thrive and reach their goals.  

Well there goes another couple of hundred thousand, How long has this organization been around. Do MIT students have time for this stuff, I never did.  

 

Late Night Visitor

 We have a collection of animals in front and back. This guy I have seen frequently looking for what I do not know.