rickf - a cynical professor
rickf@indieweb.social
<p>After a 20-yr gov/mil/corp career that included being CSO for the company once running global DNS, I'm now a senior cybersecurity professor overseeing a large grad program, co-coordinating a campus institute, and taking a critical eye towards risks, information-based conflict, natsec, tech policy, & more. Author, investor, AoIRista, C19 LongHauler & StanfordCIS affiliate. A geek rooted in the humanities & longtime metalhead who misses '90s internet. Posts deleted weekly.</p>
Posts
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Post #4364720
Today is August 3. With the deadline to avoid holding a special election in Kentucky passing at midnight, does anyone else think will learn of Mitch McConnell’s ‘tragic’ and ‘sudden’ death sometime in the next 36 to 48 hours?
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Post #4325275
LOL good riddance! WSJ: FIFA Scraps Controversial Plan to Sell Commercial Rights to Private Investors
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Post #4118978
WHOA. https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search/
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Post #3926132
Yes, they are. Because they’re afraid. https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/theyre-launching-a-new-cointelpro
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Post #3919992
Yup, they’re hitting desalinization plants. https://www.rawstory.com/iran-war-2677243108/
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Post #3890067
You know what to do. https://wtop.com/dc/2026/07/what-do-you-think-about-building-a-triumphal-arch-in-dc-nps-wants-to-hear/
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Post #3827950
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who famously landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River in 2009, shared Tuesday he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2026/07/miracle-on-the-hudson-pilot-capt-sully-shares-alzheimers-diagnosis/
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Post #3773177
I think this McConnell photo and statement will only generate more conspiracy theories and rumors There’s no reason why in 2026 he couldn’t do a phone call into Fox News …. Releasing a prepared statement doesn’t provide any serious reassurance. And who the hell wears a button-down shirt and bluejeans in a hospital bed? Somebody better count his fingers and make sure that wasn’t an AI photo.
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Post #3510955
Herr Stephen Miller floats the idea of denying entry to the US to pregnant women on Fox &#39;News&#39; hit. He is beneath contempt, like so many others in his MAGA Christofascist regime and cult.
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Post #3510954
Excellent idea! Speaking as a former trader during the GFC, AI-gone-wild will make the periodic first-gen algorithmic trading chaos during 2006-09 look tranquil. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/06/30/bank-of-england-considers-ai-kill-switch-to-stop-market-mel/
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Post #3510953
Maybe the string of DSA wins will wake the national Democratic Party up from its never-rock-the-boat stupor and force it to modernize. Or as happened with the ‘tea party’ and the Republicans, the party will implode.
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Post #3510952
Interesting… https://thereallo.dev/blog/claude-code-prompt-steganography
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Post #3510951
Give Kali her usual bit of love this morning, and both her owner and I believe I’ve been upgraded from ‘uncle’ to ‘daddy’ based on how she now acts around me. Loki wandered over and I could barely give him two minutes of attention before I was like “screw it, it’s too hot” and went back inside. At least they’re small enough that they can hide under the concrete railing and be safe from the direct morning sunlight. Us humans are not so lucky. ;(
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Post #3510950
More pardons (for sale) may be coming soon… https://www.rawstory.com/trump-mass-pardons/
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Post #3477229
Flight operations at DCA are expected to be temporarily paused from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 3 and from noon to 11:59 p.m. on July 4 to support Independence Day events. These times are subject to change. Travelers should check with their airline for the latest flight status.
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Post #3453778
To wit: "Passports.gov is now run from inside the White House, not from the state department. The state department operates US passport services through its existing site at travel.state.gov. The studio’s version collects identity information from people applying for passports. It carries no privacy notice. Developer test code was left running on the live page."
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Post #3416354
Maybe if you're scared of oversight or prison, don't do bad things. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/mike-johnson-trump-republicans-investigation-b3004011.html
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Post #3416092
The American Film Institute today named 1974’s “Blazing Saddles” as the funniest film of all time. Perfect timing as Mel Brooks heads towards 100 on Sunday. Mel is the new Betty White. 👍 https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/AFI-Names-Mel-Brooks-BLAZING-SADDLES-as-the-Funniest-Film-of-All-Time-20260626
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Post #1379815
Acting ICE chief Todd Lyons resigned from the agency on Thursday, submitting a resignation letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that noted his plans to stay on through May.
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Post #992944
Donnie now actively trying to censor CNN over war reporting. https://www.rawstory.com/trump-iran-2676677485/
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Post #968665
Donnie threatens to jail the reporter for breaking the story of the first downed airman&#39;s rescue, calling them &#39;sick&#39; and then ranting about the press. BUT - BUT - BUT ... reportedly, Israel’s Channel 12 seemed to be the first to report the first rescue on Friday, which was later confirmed by U.S. outlets ... so yeah, Donnie, go for it. Idiot.
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Post #968664
Guess who just suggested he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize? *barfs* ... but he keeps telling people that he &quot;doesn&#39;t care&quot; about it. *barfs again*
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Post #968663
715K people watching the NASA YouTube channel right now. That&#39;s a lotta science geeks! 👍
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Post #968660
Now Demented Donnie is claiming he killed bin Ladin. Ummm, no, that was under OBAMA. You know, the guy who still lives rent-free in your little mind?
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Post #968659
Attention FL professors and students... https://floridapolitics.com/archives/789132-gov-desantis-signs-domestic-terrorist-bill-that-democrats-fear-will-lead-to-crackdown-on-college-liberals/
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Post #968658
Surreal moment and view. Words aren’t enough.
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Post #968657
I can&#39;t wait for the hi-rez version of that image to be transmitted, downloaded, and released.
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Post #968656
LOS
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Post #968655
A group of humans is now entirely unreachable and disconnected from any other humans in current existence. In today&#39;s info-drenched, always-on, interconnected world, just let that sink in for a bit.
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Post #968654
Science room and MCC are practically empty during LOS ... consider this the bathroom/dinner/stretch/smoke break for the ground team. :)