alfa.org.uk

I’ve never been a big Mac fan (they don’t really appeal to the hacker instinct in me), but this is quite, quite sexy.

Free to worthy recipients. Send me an email if you want one.

Quite often, when I’m browsing the web, I’ll stay at the same site for quite a long time, clicking “next” successively to get to the next page of some online article. An example of this is at Peter Norvig’s Design Patterns site, where he has the slides from a talk he has given online. I was reading this site earlier.

There are 76 slides in this talk.

When I got to the end, I wanted to return to the site I was at previously, which had linked me to Peter’s site in the first place. What were my options? Clicking my “back” button 76 times? Even with mouse gestures that didn’t appeal. Luckily Firefox has a drop-down menu that allows me to skip back in chunks of ten, but even so, it took me 8 clicks to return to where I was before.

I want a “super-back” feature. This shouldn’t be too difficult. Basically, when I hold down Shift (or whatever) and click “back”, it should jump to the last page I was viewing outside the current domain. So, since Peter’s site is at norvig.com, my “super-back” would jump back 76 pages to the first page in my history not hosted at norvig.com.

I think this is very simple, and a good idea.

Will someone write me a Firefox extension that does this?

Occasionally the slashdot peanut gallery throws up a real gem, like this.

This spring McDonald’s reintroduced the popular “What’s On Your Plate” nutrition education program designed to help establish and encourage balanced eating habits and a healthy lifestyle at an early age.

“What’s On Your Plate”, featuring host Willie Munchright, has been updated to reflect current knowledge within the nutrition community and to address the relevant needs of today’s children.

Eating McDonald’s is presumably part of that…

*sigh* Stories like this are really, really, counterproductive.

Here is the list of security issues fixed in SP2. These are real issues, many with exploits in the wild:

• MS04-025 (867801) - Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer
• MS04-024 (839645) - Vulnerability in Windows Shell Could Allow Remote Code Execution
• MS04-023 (840315) - Vulnerability in HTML Help Could Allow Code Execution
• MS04-022 (841873) - Vulnerability in Task Scheduler Could Allow Code Execution
• MS04-018 (823353) - Cumulative Security Update for Outlook Express
• MS04-016 (839643) - Vulnerability in DirectPlay Could Allow Denial of Service
• MS04-015 (840374) - Vulnerability in Help and Support Center Could Allow Remote Code Execution
• MS04-014 (837001) - Vulnerability in the Microsoft Jet Database Engine Could Allow Code Execution
• MS04-013 (837009) - Cumulative Security Update for Outlook Express
• MS04-012 (828741) - Cumulative Update for Microsoft RPC/DCOM
• MS04-011 (835732) - Security Update for Microsoft Windows
• MS04-007 (828028) - ASN.1 Vulnerability Could Allow Code Execution
• MS04-004 (832894) - Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer
• MS04-003 (832483) - Buffer Overrun in MDAC Function Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-049 (828749) - Buffer Overrun in the Workstation Service Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-048 (824145) - Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer
• MS03-045 (824141) - Buffer Overrun in the ListBox and in the ComboBox Control Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-044 (825119) - Buffer Overrun in Windows Help and Support Center Could Lead to System Compromise
• MS03-043 (828035) - Buffer Overrun in Messenger Service Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-041 (823182) - Vulnerability in Authenticode Verification Could Allow Remote Code Execution
• MS03-040 (828750) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS03-039 (824146) - Buffer Overrun in RPCSS Service Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-034 (824105) - Flaw in NetBIOS Could Lead to Information Disclosure
• MS03-032 (822925) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS03-030 (819696) - Unchecked Buffer in DirectX Could Enable System Compromise
• MS03-027 (821557) - Unchecked Buffer in Windows Shell Could Enable System Compromise
• MS03-026 (823980) - Buffer Overrun in RPC Interface Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-024 (817606) - Buffer Overrun in Windows Could Lead to Data Corruption
• MS03-023 (823559) - Buffer Overrun in HTML Converter Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-021 (819639) - Flaw in Windows Media Player May Allow Media Library Access
• MS03-020 (818529) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS03-018 (811114) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Information Service
• MS03-015 (813489) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS03-014 (330994) - Cumulative Patch for Outlook Express
• MS03-013 (811493) - Buffer Overrun in Windows Kernel Message Handling Could Lead to Elevated Privileges
• MS03-010 (331953) - Flaw in RPC Endpoint Mapper Could Allow Denial of Service Attacks
• MS03-008 (814078) - Flaw in Windows Script Engine Could Allow Code Execution
• MS03-007 (815021) - Unchecked Buffer in Windows Component Could Cause Server Compromise
• MS03-005 (810577) - Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-005
• MS03-004 (810847) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS03-001 (810833) - Unchecked Buffer in Locator Service Could Lead to Code Execution
• MS02-072 (329390) - Unchecked Buffer in Windows Shell Could Enable System Compromise
• MS02-071 (328310) - Flaw in Windows WM_TIMER Message Handling Could Enable Privilege Elevation
• MS02-070 (329170) - Flaw in SMB Signing Could Enable Group Policy to be Modified
• MS02-068 (324929) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS02-066 (328970) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
• MS02-063 (329834) - Unchecked Buffer in PPTP Implementation Could Enable Denial of Service Attacks
• MS02-062 (327696) - Cumulative Patch for Internet Information Service
• MS02-055 (323255) - Unchecked Buffer in Windows Help Facility Could Enable Code Execution

People should apply this NOW. Stories spreading FUD about it are irresponsible.

I’ve noticed quite a few people seem to arrive here after searching for the chords for The Streets “Dry Your Eyes Mate”. So as a public service, they are:

I, IV.

Complicated, eh? Well, I could get slightly more technical… The song is in A Major so the chords are actually A (that’s the I) and Dmaj9 (that’s the IV). You can make a Dmaj9 chord by suspending an A Major triad over a D bass note (optional F# as well).

The guitar voicing he uses keeps an A Major triad throughout (open top E string, second fret on B and G strings) then alternates between open A and D string second fret (E), and just an open D string.

Occasionally I say something vaguely profound. Sunday morning, about 2am:

You know, playing Mozart is like playing a snowflake.

I like the metaphor.

It might be the cup of tea I just had, but listening to this always makes things seem better:

i’ve found a way to make you smile

i read bad poetry into your machine
i save your messages just to hear your voice
you always listen carefully to awkward rhymes
you always say your name
like i wouldn’t know it’s you at your most beautiful

i’ve found a way to make you smile

at my most beautiful
i count your eyelashes secretly
with every one whisper ‘i love you’
i let you sleep
i know you’re closed eye watching me
listening
i thought i saw a smile

i’ve found a way to make you smile

I’m revising an old list of mine. It’s the list of “Things Needed For A Successful Relationship”.

So far I’ve got:

1. The ability to have conversation with the person
2. The ability to laugh with the person
3. Trust
4. An overwhelming desire to get inside their pants

Did I miss anything?

As someone who’s only discovering Morrissey (and the Smiths) as a result of his recent renaissance, I enjoyed reading What To Say About Morrissey. Spot the Smiths lyrics…