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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Thomas Dans, a venture capitalist and MAGA influencer with no background in public policy or science, is the Trump regime’s top arctic adviser. - ProPublica
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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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LOL good riddance! WSJ: FIFA Scraps Controversial Plan to Sell Commercial Rights to Private Investors
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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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Yes, they are. Because they’re afraid. https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/theyre-launching-a-new-cointelpro
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Yup, they’re hitting desalinization plants. https://www.rawstory.com/iran-war-2677243108/
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Interesting… https://thereallo.dev/blog/claude-code-prompt-steganography
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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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More pardons (for sale) may be coming soon… https://www.rawstory.com/trump-mass-pardons/
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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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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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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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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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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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Donnie now actively trying to censor CNN over war reporting. https://www.rawstory.com/trump-iran-2676677485/
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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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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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715K people watching the NASA YouTube channel right now. That&#39;s a lotta science geeks! 👍
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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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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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Surreal moment and view. Words aren’t enough.
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I can&#39;t wait for the hi-rez version of that image to be transmitted, downloaded, and released.
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LOS
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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.