Coredump

Robot Sunday: Arlan’s Bristol bots

Ian Dexter — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:38:18 +0000

Fully articulated Transformer robots made from Bristol board. Credit: Arlan Esmeña.

The artist for this astounding work is Arlanzandro Esmeña, great Pinoy komikero Gerry Alanguilan’s collaborator in “Where Bold Stars Go to Die”. He sadly passed away last February 18, 2010. RIP, Arlan.

(I haven’t had the pleasure of reading his work yet, but judging by what’s available on the web, I’m sure it is great, like the artists who created it.)

/via Komikero.com

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Robot Sunday: Arlan’s Bristol bots by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Bypassing SSH strict checking

Ian Dexter — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:25:40 +0000

I use an SSH gateway for work (one that requires two-factor authentication: an RSA SecureID PIN and an AES-encrypted Kerberos password). Problem is, since the gateway servers are clustered and change often, I sometimes get the following:

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@    WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!     @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE IS DOING SOMETHING NASTY!
Someone could be eavesdropping on you right now (man-in-the-middle attack)!
It is also possible that the RSA host key has just been changed.
The fingerprint for the RSA key sent by the remote host is
Please contact your system administrator.
Add correct host key in /home/username/.ssh/known_hosts to get rid of this message.
Offending key in /home/username/.ssh/known_hosts:1
RSA host key for gateway_server has changed and you have requested strict checking.
Host key verification failed.
Connection to gateway_server closed.

Of course, I cannot clean up the known_hosts file since I could not log on in the first place — I had to go another route (through a remote desktop using another server, etc.).

Although it’s not really recommended (read the dire warning above), this restriction can be bypassed by using:

ssh -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no

This way, strict checking is disabled, and the host key will not be checked against the file. Take note that this is insecure, and only works if you are absolutely certain that you’re logging on to a trusted host.

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Bypassing SSH strict checking by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Countdown to the May 2010 RP elections

Ian Dexter — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:38:15 +0000

100araw.com is a collaborative project among Filipino bloggers, media practitioners and technology enthusiasts. The aim: to provide a wealth of information to empower readers in making informed choices in the May 2010 election.

Read the articles, follow the group on Twitter and Facebook, and engage in the conversation.

(Disclosure: I am part of the group.)

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Countdown to the May 2010 RP elections by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Reportage on the Glorietta blast

Robot Sunday: Cat pwns robot

Ian Dexter — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:50:38 +0000

If robots ever go ahead with their plan for an uprising, we can rely on these wonderful creatures to save us. Here’s one in training.

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Robot Sunday: Cat pwns robot by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Makatao, makamasa, makabansa

Ian Dexter — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:42:16 +0000

Bayan Muna, the people first. This is our battlecry. A society where true freedom, democracy, justice and peace prevail. This is our vision.

We, the members of BAYAN MUNA, pledge this commitment as we draw inspiration and lessons from the historic struggle of our heroes and martyrs.

We stand on a platform of change and social transformation that addresses the basic problems that have plagued our country –foreign domination, feudal bondage and a graft-ridden government.

We embody the yearnings and aspirations of the most oppressed and the least heard, the “common tao” – workers, peasants, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, urban poor and other downtrodden. We also give voice to the concerns of the middle social strata and the cause of women and youth as well as other various pressing issues.

We believe that the test of an authentic democracy lies in the empowerment of the people, particularly the toiling majority. We believe that this can be realized by harnessing their collective creativity and strength, guaranteeing the full exercise of their basic rights and ensuring their representation and participation at all levels of government decision-making.

Upon this stated purpose and vision, we stand one and indivisible.

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Makatao, makamasa, makabansa by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Lesser evil?

QOTD: What books to read

Ian Dexter — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:29:51 +0000

[W]e ought to read only books that bite and sting us. If the book we are reading doesn’t shake us awake like a blow to the skull, why bother reading it in the first place? … A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.

– Franz Kafka in a letter to Oskar Pollak

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: QOTD: What books to read by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Julian Emmanuel turns three

Ian Dexter — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:19:08 +0000

Julian Emmanuel turns three, originally uploaded by iandexter.

Happy birthday, Wild Mutt-Echo Echo-Power Ranger!

We love you.

– Kuya Gab, mom, and tatay

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Julian Emmanuel turns three by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Robot Sunday: Robot love

Ian Dexter — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:34:26 +0000

No, it’s not what you think.

Directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) and premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, I’m Here is a “robot love story celebrating a life enriched by creativity.”

The movie is set in contemporary L.A., where life moves at a seemingly regular pace with the exception of a certain amount of robot residents who live among the population. A male robot librarian lives a solitary and methodical life — devoid of creativity, joy and passion — until he meets an adventurous and free spirited female robot.

/via Slashfilm

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Robot Sunday: Robot love by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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Link dump: Tubes, vampires, cookies

Ian Dexter — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:53:19 +0000

(It’s time for another link dump, a hodgepodge of web goodness. Enjoy!)

–

There is a theory — a “unified” theory, in fact — that the universe is connected by “wave tubes”. (Imagine traveling to other galaxies through wormholes ala-Star Gate.) But I digress.

On a less grander scale, but still beautiful, here is the Milky Way, represented as a transit (tube) map.

Credit: Samuel Arbesman

–

Speaking of tubes (what a segue…), ever wondered how the Internet is made? Wonder no more. Here is an Instructables how-to about making a replica of “The Internet”, as seen in the comedy hit, The IT Crowd. (Embedding is not allowed so here’s a link to the clip of that episode.)

Fun facts about the internet!

The internet is surprisingly small!

The internet is wireless!

The internet is very light! (Of course the internet doesn’t weigh anything!)

The internet lives at the top of Big Ben! (Where it gets the best reception.)

Before being borrowed, it MUST be demagnetised! Preferably by a Grand Master of The Internet such as Stephen Hawking.

–

Something totally unrelated, but very cool nevertheless: an SF story about vampires, with a twist. (Here is the link to the MP3.) I should look for more of these.

–

And here’s someone who loves typography: she bakes cookies shaped as Helvetica type. Lorem ipsum dolor sit yummy!

Credit: Beverly Hsu

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: Link dump: Tubes, vampires, cookies by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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QOTD: Learning journalism

Ian Dexter — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:28:17 +0000

He was doing journalism in order to eat, which is a very good way of learning journalism. Probably the only real way, come to think of it.

– Terry Pratchett on Neil Gaiman, in Good Omens

Posted on Coredump - Work, play, and everything in-between, under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Original article: QOTD: Learning journalism by Ian Dexter R Marquez
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