Ben's Bits

If you're interested in maps as either a hobby or resource you may want to check and see what your state provides. Last night I was driving around the web and found the MnDOT Transportation Data and Analysis page. Here you'll find a state highway map, county maps and even many city maps in PDF format all free for the taking. If you have a system that can take GIS data you'll find that there too. What a resource! I beleive it's all public domain too!

If you're a collector of old Macintosh Computers you might find Gamba's site to be of use. It has locations for old system enablers, boot disks, manuals, schematics, downsizing instructions and more.

If setting up a NAS server isn't what you're looking for but you want to use an old system as a router you might want to look at m0n0wall or smoothwall.

For those that want to setup a network file server without all the complexity (and flexibility) of a complete Linux/SAMBA server two projects to look at are NASLite and Openfiler.

There's an AP story floating about how commuters are taking subway bag searches in stride. I would like to take this opportunity to point out that terrorists are systematically destroying our country and constitutions through the use of fear and the political system of the United States.

Once upon a time we had our own group of terrorists running amuck (though we now call them the founding fathers) and when they finished their war they wrote a fantastic document we call the Constitution. When they finished they added a Bill of Rights. These are the freedoms we claim to hold high and protect, but one of these very freedoms has been threatened by our own government!

The fourth ammendment to the Constitution was a protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

I think it's pretty clear that probable cause and a specific warrant must be issued before a search is conducted. I question the validity of these so called bag inspections in this light.

Mostly, I am alarmed by responses such as "They should have done this long time ago, ever since 9/11", "I don't mind if they're doing it for the right cause" and "I don't know how effective it will be, but if it makes people feel more secure, it's OK." Have these people grown up in the same country I have? Do they value freedom? Perhaps they should have listened to Benjamin Franklin: "Those who give up essential liberty, to preserve a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

For all the talk about preserving our way of life and our freedoms people sure are willing to give up most of them. When it's over and we've "beaten" the terrorists what will be left?