May 2011 Archives
Some of us laugh, some of us cry Some of us lay back, watch the world go by Some of us fear, some of us hate Some of us won't wake up until it's too late Why do we fight, why do we fall? Why do we stand the backs against the wall? Why don't we change, why don't we try? Why don't we turn around, help the other guy? The distance between us is a a mystery to us all The difference between us is so small There are no answers only questions And we're all strangers to the truth But in my mind's sight I have found the reason why But I carry the burden of the proof --The Alan Parsons Project - No Answers Only Questions
The traveller is always leaving town He never has the time to turn around And if the road he's taken isn't leading anywhere He seems to be completely unaware The traveller is always leaving home The only kind of life he's ever known When every moment seems to be A race against the time There's always one more mountain left to climb The traveller awaits the morning tide He doesn't know what's on the other side But something deep inside of him Keeps telling him to go He hasn't found a reason to say no The traveller is only passing through He cannot understand your point of view Abandoning reality, unsure of what he'll find The traveller in me is close behind Days are numbers Watch the stars We can only see so far Someday, you'll know where you are Remember Days are numbers Count the stars We can only go so far One day, you'll know where you are --The Alan Parsons Project - Days Are Numbers
A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
Hence a phrase that has passed into hitchhiking slang, as in "Hey, you sass that hoopy Ford Prefect? There's a frood who really knows where his towel is." (Sass: know, be aware of, meet, have sex with; hoopy: really together guy; frood: really amazingly together guy.)
--Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
When we were living in a dream world, Clouds got in the way We gave it up in a moment of madness And threw it all away Don't answer me, don't break the silence Don't let me win Don't answer me, stay on your island Don't let me in Run away and hide from everyone Can you change the things we've said and done? It ain't enough that we meet as strangers I can't set you free So will you turn your back forever on what you mean to me? Don't answer me, don't break the silence Don't let me win Don't answer me, stay on your island Don't let me in Run away and hide from everyone Can you change the things we've said and done? --Alan Parsons Project - Don't Answer Me
Sit here on the stairs 'Cause I'd rather be alone Sometimes, I get so tense But I can't speed up the time ... I've been walking these streets at night Just trying to get it right It's hard to see with so many around You know I don't like being stuck in a crowd And the streets don't change but maybe the name I ain't got time for the game 'Cause I need you (Patience, yeah) --Guns N' Roses - Patience
You say Love is a temple, love the higher law Love is a temple, love the higher law You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl And I can't be holding on to what you got When all you got is hurt --U2 - One
Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains within the sound of silence ... People talking without speaking People hearing without listening People writing songs that voices never share And no one dared Disturb the sound of silence ... And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made And the sign flashed out its warning In the words that it was forming and the sign said: "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls And tenement halls" And whispered in the sounds of silence --Simon & Garfunkel - Sound Of Silence
Security is both a feeling and a reality. And they're not the same.
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Or, more generally, you can be secure even though you don't feel secure. And you can feel secure even though you're not. The feeling and reality of security are certainly related to each other, but they're just as certainly not the same as each other. We'd probably be better off if we had two different words for them.
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Security is a trade-off. This is something I have written about extensively, and is a notion critical to understanding the psychology of security. There's no such thing as absolute security, and any gain in security always involves some sort of trade-off.
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Why is it that, when food poisoning kills 5,000 people every year and 9/11 terrorists killed 2,973 people in one non-repeated incident, we are spending tens of billions of dollars per year (not even counting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) on terrorism defense while the entire budget for the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 is only $1.9 billion?
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People make very different trade-offs if something is presented as a gain than if something is presented as a loss. Behavioral economists and psychologists call this a "framing effect": peoples' choices are affected by how a trade-off is framed. Frame the choice as a gain, and people will tend to be risk averse. But frame the choice as a loss, and people will tend to be risk seeking.
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Because gains and losses closer to one's current state are worth more than gains and losses further away, people tend to be risk averse when it comes to gains, but risk seeking when it comes to losses.
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People are not only risk averse when it comes to gains and risk seeking when it comes to losses; people also value something more when it is considered as something that can be lost, as opposed to when it is considered as a potential gain. Generally, the difference is a factor of 2 to 2.5.
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We in the security industry are used to the effects of the availability heuristic. It contributes to the "risk du jour" mentality we so often see in people. It explains why people tend to overestimate rare risks and underestimate common ones. It explains why we spend so much effort defending against what the bad guys did last time, and ignore what new things they could do next time. It explains why we're worried about risks that are in the news at the expense of risks that are not, or rare risks that come with personal and emotional stories at the expense of risks that are so common they are only presented in the form of statistics.
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For example, people have a tendency to choose options that dominate other options, or compromise options that lie between other options. If you want your boss to approve your $1M security budget, you'll have a much better chance of getting that approval if you give him a choice among three security plans--with budgets of $500K, $1M, and $2M, respectively--than you will if you give him a choice among three plans with budgets of $250K, $500K, and $1M.
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When I started reading about the psychology of security, I quickly realized that this research can be used both for good and for evil. The good way to use this research is to figure out how humans' feelings of security can better match the reality of security. In other words, how do we get people to recognize that they need to question their default behavior? Giving them more information seems not to be the answer; we're already drowning in information, and these heuristics are not based on a lack of information. Perhaps by understanding how our brains processes risk, and the heuristics and biases we use to think about security, we can learn how to override our natural tendencies and make better security trade-offs. Perhaps we can learn how not to be taken in by security theater, and how to convince others not to be taken in by the same.
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The evil way is to focus on the feeling of security at the expense of the reality.
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After all my reading and writing, I believe my good way of using the research is unrealistic, and the evil way is unacceptable. But I also see a third way: integrating the feeling and reality of security.
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The feeling and reality of security are different, but they're closely related. We make the best security trade-offs--and by that I mean trade-offs that give us genuine security for a reasonable cost--when our feeling of security matches the reality of security. It's when the two are out of alignment that we get security wrong.
I have climbed highest mountains I have run through the fields I have run I have crawled I have scaled these city walls These city walls I have kissed honey lips Felt the healing in her fingertips Burning like fire I was burning desire I have spoke with the tongue of angels I have held the hand of a devil It was warm in the night I was cold as a stone I believe in the kingdom come Then all the colors will bleed into one Bleed into one but yes I'm still running You broke the bonds and you Loosed the chains Carried the cross Of my shame Of my shame You know I believed it --U2 - And I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Děkuji | Thanks
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Stvořil Bůh, stvořil Bůh ratolest, | God created, God create spring,
bych mohl věnce vázat, | so that I can create laurel,
děkuji, děkuji za bolest, | thanks, thanks for the pain,
jež učí mne se tázat, | that teaches me to question,
děkuji, děkuji za nezdar: | thanks, thanks for the failure:
ten naučí mne píli, | will teach me diligence,
bych mohl, bych mohl přinést dar, | so that, so that I can bring a gift,
byť nezbývalo síly, | even there's no energy left,
děkuji, děkuji, děkuji. | thanks, thanks, thanks.
Děkuji, děkuji za slabost, | Thanks, thanks for the weakness
jež pokoře mne učí, | that teaches me the humility
pokoře, pokoře pro radost, | humility, humility for the joy,
pokoře bez područí, | humility without bondage,
za slzy, za slzy děkuji: | for the tears, thanks for the tears:
ty naučí mne citu, | they will teach me to feel,
k živým, jež, k živým, jež žalují | for the alive, that, for the alive that repine
a křičí po soucitu, | and cry for mercy,
děkuji, děkuji, děkuji. | thanks, thanks, thanks.
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Pro touhu, pro touhu po kráse | For the desire, for the desire for beauty
děkuji za ošklivost, | thanks for the ugliness,
děkuji za to, že utká se | thanks for the rendezvous of
láska a nevraživost, | love and grudge,
pro sladkost, pro sladkost usnutí | for sweetness, for sweetnes of falling asleep
děkuji za únavu, | thanks for the exhaustion,
děkuji za ohně vzplanutí | thanks for burning up the fire,
i za šumění splavu, | and for murmur of river float,
děkuji, děkuji, děkuji. | thanks, thanks, thanks.
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Děkuji, děkuji za žízeň, | Thanks, thanks for the thirst,
jež slabost prozradila, | that disclosed the weakness,
děkuji, děkuji za trýzeň, | thanks, thanks for the agony,
jež zdokonalí díla, | that improves the art,
za to, že, za to, že miluji, | for that, for that I love,
byť strach mi srdce svíral, | despite my heart is full of fear,
beránku, děkuji, | ewe lamb, thanks,
marně jsi neumíral, | you didn't die pointlessly,
děkuji, děkuji, děkuji, děkuji, děkuji...| thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks...
--Karel Kryl - Děkuji
I look inside myself and see my heart is black No colors anymore I want them to turn black Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue I could not foresee this thing happening to you If I look hard enough into the setting sun My love will laugh with me before the morning comes --Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn That's alright because I like the way it hurts Just gonna stand there and hear me cry That's alright because I love the way you lie I love the way you lie. --Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie
"Oh, and Zaphod?" "Er, yeah?" "If you ever find you need help again, you know, if you're in trouble, need a hand out of a tight corner ..." "Yeah?" "Please don't hesitate to get lost." --The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
A large dairy animal approached Zaphod Beeblebrox's table, a large fat meaty quadruped of the bovine type with large watery eyes, small horns and what might almost have been an ingratiating smile on its lips. "Good evening," it lowed and sat back heavily on its haunches, "I am the main Dish of the Day. May I interest you in parts of my body?" It harrumphed and gurgled a bit, wriggled its hind quarters into a more comfortable position and gazed peacefully at them. Its gaze was met by looks of startled bewilderment from Arthur and Trillian, a resigned shrug from Ford Prefect and naked hunger from Zaphod Beeblebrox. "Something off the shoulder perhaps?" suggested the animal, "Braised in a white wine sauce?" "Er, your shoulder?" said Arthur in a horrified whisper. "But naturally my shoulder, sir," mooed the animal contentedly, "nobody else's is mine to offer." Zaphod leapt to his feet and started prodding and feeling the animal's shoulder appreciatively. "Or the rump is very good," murmured the animal. "I've been exercising it and eating plenty of grain, so there's a lot of good meat there." It gave a mellow grunt, gurgled again and started to chew the cud. It swallowed the cud again. "Or a casserole of me perhaps?" it added. "You mean this animal actually wants us to eat it?" whispered Trillian to Ford. "Me?" said Ford, with a glazed look in his eyes, "I don't mean anything." "That's absolutely horrible," exclaimed Arthur, "the most revolting thing I've ever heard." "What's the problem Earthman?" said Zaphod, now transferring his attention to the animal's enormous rump. "I just don't want to eat an animal that's standing here inviting me to," said Arthur, "it's heartless." "Better than eating an animal that doesn't want to be eaten," said Zaphod. "That's not the point," Arthur protested. Then he thought about it for a moment. "Alright," he said, "maybe it is the point. I don't care, I'm not going to think about it now. I'll just ... er ..." The Universe raged about him in its death throes. "I think I'll just have a green salad," he muttered. "May I urge you to consider my liver?" asked the animal, "it must be very rich and tender by now, I've been force-feeding myself for months." "A green salad," said Arthur emphatically. "A green salad?" said the animal, rolling his eyes disapprovingly at Arthur. "Are you going to tell me," said Arthur, "that I shouldn't have green salad?" "Well," said the animal, "I know many vegetables that are very clear on that point. Which is why it was eventually decided to cut through the whole tangled problem and breed an animal that actually wanted to be eaten and was capable of saying so clearly and distinctly. And here I am." It managed a very slight bow. "Glass of water please," said Arthur. "Look," said Zaphod, "we want to eat, we don't want to make a meal of the issues. Four rare steaks please, and hurry. We haven't eaten in five hundred and seventy-six thousand million years." The animal staggered to its feet. It gave a mellow gurgle. "A very wise choice, sir, if I may say so. Very good," it said, "I'll just nip off and shoot myself." He turned and gave a friendly wink to Arthur. "Don't worry, sir," he said, "I'll be very humane." It waddled unhurriedly off into the kitchen. A matter of minutes later the waiter arrived with four huge steaming steaks. Zaphod and Ford wolfed straight into them without a second's hesitation. Trillian paused, then shrugged and started into hers. Arthur stared at his feeling slightly ill. "Hey, Earthman," said Zaphod with a malicious grin on the face that wasn't stuffing itself, "what's eating you?" And the band played on. --The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
I bin lookin' for someone Between the fire and the flame We're all lookin' for somethin' To ease the pain Now who can you turn to When it's all black 'n' white And the winners are losers You see it every night ... When you're out on the front line And you're watchin' them fall Doesn't take long to realize It ain't worth fightin' for ... Another night another lesson learned It's the distance that keeps us sane But when the silence leads to sorrow We do it all again - all again ... --Bryan Adams - Somebody
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