Globe in Disarray, Researchinator Hangs Tough

There is another layer to life that the average person doesn't see, but which was exposed a little more this week through some good media work. I recall my August Wired magazine had reported on the so-called cyber-attacks on Georgia. There was just a good NYTimes article that updates the situation, and outlines how the military action was presaged by a cyber attack.

I see the CBC read the NYTimes yesterday too. There's this pecking order, it seems. Journalists read wired, write an article, then other journalists read that and write another themselves.

I wonder if one of the global internet performance sites could be a tool then to predict global conflict. At least where the shady Russian military and their pals in organized crime are involved. I'd imagine that the investment community is probably up on it already - no doubt big movers selling short on anything connected to the war zone before the shooting starts. Actually that's an even better indicator of pending war: the insiders dumping shares or taking up short positions.

This makes you wonder how much work is going on on the other side of the coin, with industry protecting against big DDOS attacks on commercial and government infrastructure. We minor users of technology are mere pawns in the activity I guess.

As I sit at my computer in the morning and craft some future product idea, I'm just one of the potential victims, as my eggs get put into the same basket as everyone else's.

Today is the anniversary of the big blackout in 2003. It was rather a pleasant affair really, for us. However, I recall while going for a warm evening walk in the pitch black with my wife how tentative is that veneer of civilization. The only piece remaining was the information. Without radio/TV access through batteries etc, nobody would have known what was going on. How far from panic in the streets would we have been then, I wonder. Instead it was a bit of a break-up of the ordinary summer week.

I remember though that there were frustrated people trying to find cash given the dead ABMs. I was OK but I remember thinking it a good idea to put a couple of hundred bucks away somewhere for such contingencies. Perhaps that is a good idea.

Oh well, such are my deep thoughts on the fabric of society and the worries of global disorder. Meanwhile, Canadian "athletes" continue to fill out the competition in Beijing, to ensure that the medal winning athletes have a good time. We aim to please!

Researchinator looks around for tea-making apparatus.