Operation Cassandra, Phase 2: Data Consolidation

Phase 2 of Operation Cassandra is the consolidation of my own personal data, and the archiving of additional data that I'm pulling from various sources. For the last few years, I've had a lot of data spread across several different assets. I want to get those assets mostly consolidated - with multiple devices at play, it will be difficult to keep them that way for more than a few minutes - to make future use a bit easier. Here are the steps I've established:

1. Consolidate all files into new file structure - As I mentioned above, this basically involves taking all of my files and sorting them into a deliberately structured hierarchy to make them easier to use. As some of them may eventually go online, it will make it easier to enforce the appropriate access controls as well.
2-4. List and clear KFHHG downloads; Determine KFHHG document load; Set KFHHG document load - I've previously mentioned my Kindle Fire Hitchhiker's Guide. Organization of what went onto it, and what came off, has been sort of ad hoc. I want to be more organized about it, so I'm going to figure out what files I've loaded onto it, and clear those files; figure out what stuff I need on there either permanently, or in phases; and set that load. I technically have two of them, so the lists may look a bit different, but it will be an improvement.
5. Dhofar archive - From time to time, I've mentioned my obsession with the Dhofar Rebellion, an obscure conflict that took place in southwestern Oman during the 1960's and '70's. I want to archive the bulk of what's available online, plus all of the work that I've done myself.
6. OGHAP archive - I may have mentioned that I'm writing a book about the First World War. I want to neatly archive all of the materials I've used.
7. History Education Resource Archive (HERA) - When I was in college, I assembled and peddled an archive of public domain history sources, mainly primary source materials, and focused primarily upon ancient history. I'd like to get it a little bit more streamlined (possibly converted into plaintext) and expand it to include some additional sources and topics.
8. Linguistic Asset Resource Archive (LARA) (language archive) - I've collected a lot of foreign language materials over the years, mostly Arabic and a little bit of Latin. I want to get it better organized.
9. Database of Historically Acquired Risk Management Assets (DHARMA) - I've collected a lot of security risk management materials over the years. Between 2009 and 2012, I put a lot of that material together as archives focused on information security and anti-terrorism. I want to consolidate those archives into one, and then expand it to cover additional security risk management categories.
10. Strategic Analysis Resource Archive (SARA) - Not surprisingly, I've collected a lot of stuff related to strategy, military operations, and military history over the years.
11. Figure out BitLocker - The days of "I don't really need encryption" are pretty much over, so I'm hoping to figure out how BitLocker works without locking myself out of any of my own files. So, that should be fun, right?

Work continues. More to come.

Operation Cassandra, Phase 1: Computing Equipment

I've made some progress on Operation Cassandra. The original plan was to embark upon the various phases of the operation in sequential order, but that's kind of fallen apart. Still, the phases help to keep the tasks somewhat organized.

The first phase is squaring away my existing computing equipment. In addition to two legacy Dell laptops, I've had a number of additional bits and pieces laying around, and those needed some attention. The plan has been as follows:

1. Check the functionality of an old laptop hard drive - After an old Rocketfish hard drive enclosure bit the dust, I bought an Inateck USB 3.0 2.5 Inch & 3.5 Inch Aluminum Hard Disk Drive External Enclosure to check the functionality of an old laptop hard drive. It didn't work, but I may give it another go at a later date.
2. Check the functionality of an old desktop hard drive - I used the same Inateck hard drive enclosure to test this hard drive, which is still functional.
3. Check the functionality of an old desktop hard drive - This was a different hard drive from my mother's old desktop computer. Not only was it still functional, but I was amazed to find that it had no malware on it.
4. Clear files and defragment both laptops - I've basically cleared the files, which feeds into Phase 2, but I haven't defragged them yet. 5. Optimize black laptop for OSGEOINT and podcasting use - After Operation Irene, my open source geospatial intelligence laptop sort of became my primary workstation. I want to clear some of the stuff that's accumulated (a lot of it has already been cleared) and optimize it for Phase 4 (Raspberry Pi GSS) and Phase 5 (Geospatial Information Systems) work, as well as podcasting.
6. Optimize green laptop for use as file server - I saw an article (Turn an Old Computer into a Networked Backup, Streaming, or Torrenting Machine with NAS4Free). Once I'm able to get a fresh laptop, I'd like to try my hand at turning my second laptop into a Network Area Storage.

Work continues. More to come.

Defeating Technology: Podcast in Occultation

A while ago, I posted about finding hidden podcasts. I just had another victory. Last Summer, as I've mentioned previously, I discovered a female artist named Kristina Train. In that context, she was the featured vocalist in a Lexus commercial...


... in which she was performing a cover of Aretha Franklin's "I'm Wandering".


Last week, I discovered that, like those Chris Isaak podcasts I found before, Kristina Train performed a live set that was broadcast on NPR all the way back in 2009. I could see that it was still available, but once again there was no download link. I took way too much time last week trying to decipher the location of the mp3 file. I decided to give it another try this evening, and was about to give up and beg help from Facebook, when I looked at the webpage code again and decided to try one more thing, informed in part by looking back at the link to that Chris Isaak link, I was able to find the link and download the file. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but I'm looking forward to it, and it'll be nice to be able to listen to it without being confined to my laptop. (I may even listen in the car!)

Operation Irene

Seriously, I have an operational name for everything.

I own two laptops. Both of them are Dell Inspiron 1440s, purchased in close succession to one another in 2009 due to a mishap involving a bottle of Widmer Hefeweizen. I've spent most of the last three years using one of them while the other one sat idle. One of my goals during these interim weeks is to organize and backup my data. Since it's a lesser project, I'm starting with the laptop that I haven't used much in the last three years. Without any good reason, I'm calling it "Irene", and reconditioning it is "Operation Irene" (no relation to the Battle of Mogadishu - I swear!).

First and foremost, the thing requires some maintenance. I've already updated the virus definitions. The next step is to backup all of my files to a flash drive for future sorting, and then clear them off of the laptop. Next, I'll clear any and all extraneous programs off of the machine. Then, I'll run Scandisk and Defrag. Once all of that is complete, I'll start installing some new software.

My goal for "Irene" is to turn it into a dedicated open source GEOINT platform. That will involve the installation of a number of different programs:

Garmin MapSource and Basecamp

EasyGPS

Google Earth

FalconView

I've previously used my Garmin eTrex Vista H for such projects as honesty traces and geocaching, and both the Garmin programs and EasyGPS interface with that handset. I came up with my own methodology for making honesty traces, but the original instruction uses FalconView. A number of the position descriptions I've seen have also called for FalconView experience, so I'd like to get some exposure to it - if I can get it to work on my laptop. (Most of those position descriptions also call for ArcGIS experience, but it's licensed software, so I'll stick to the stuff that's free for the time being.) At any rate, I don't expect FalconView to be that tough to learn, particularly if I go through the trouble of practicing on a couple of honesty traces using the originally prescribed methodology to familiarize myself with the interface.

Of course, Operation Irene is just the first step. Once "Irene" is stripped down and squared away, I need to get all of my files organized and backed up, both for the sake of redundancy, and in preparation to decommission and scrap these two machines once it comes time to replace them.

* * *

Alright, so before I could publish that initial post about Operation Irene, I completed the setup. Here's a screenshot that shows the current desktop configuration and the Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M). Here's what I did:

I entered my current product key and updated my virus definitions for F-Secure Internet Security, then ran a scan to ensure that the system was clear of any malware.

I downloaded and installed a year and a half or more of system updates. That took awhile.

I moved all of my personal files to an external hard drive, and then purged them. This took a long time, particularly while trying to back files up to a flash drive. That external hard drive went a lot faster.

I deleted a couple of extraneous programs.

I ran Defrag.

I updated Flash Player and Adobe Reader, and installed Google Chrome.

At that point, it was time for the actual GIS software. I installed Mapsource and Basecamp from Garmin, and EasyGPS, and Google Earth. As I noted previously, I want to familiarize myself with the open source version of FalconView, but had to install Microsoft .NET Framework 4 in order for it to operate.

So, after a couple of days of work (or, more accurately, about an hour of work and a couple of days of off-and-on waiting), my OSGEOINT platform is ready to rock. As I sort all of my files - a giant knowledge management effort involving at least a decade and a half worth of accumulated data - I'll start doing some similar work with my primary platform. I've thought before that it if I started a security company, it would be smart to have several different machines and/or images for specific tasks, and Operation Irene has been the first step toward that goal. As I continue to use it to familiarize myself with current OSGEOINT/OSGIS utilities, I'll post as appropriate.

Defeating Technology: Outsmarting Websites, Finding Podcasts

As I'll note in subsequent posts about my Kindle Fire, I love outsmarting technology and making it do my bidding.

I learned basic HTML in high school, and I've picked up a few tricks through blogging and other pursuits. While I was living in Virginia, I was looking for information that I could use to counter 9/11 conspiracy theories presented by a couple of friends. One of the things I found was a wealth of information at the Popular Mechanics website - they've got some really smart people who have put together some really detailed information (#1, #2) aimed at debunking the conspiracy theories that have cropped up since 9/11.

There's a great podcast in the mix, but there's no download link, only a player. The original link that I had from several years ago - 2007 or 2008, maybe? - had disappeared, but the audio file was obviously still located somewhere since the player still worked. With a little ingenuity, and my basic knowledge of HTML, I was finally able to find a working link and download it. The podcast itself is too brief to go into detail about every conspiracy theory swirling around 9/11, but it goes through a number of the common lapses in logic used by 9/11 conspiracy theorists. The Popular Mechanics content is great in and of itself, but its best feature is that it demonstrates that the sheer volume of science and research is on the non-conspiracist side of the fence. For additional information, the reports from the National Institute for Standards and Technology are also extremely valuable.

More difficult was a January 2012 NPR interview with Chris Isaak on the World Cafe program. I tried to find it in January of 2012, while languishing in a back office in the Middle East. Then, nearly two years later, on the morning of 17 November 2013, while working on this post, the thing about The Sporkful and its snippet on NPR reminded me that I'd never gone and found that Chris Isaak podcast. The thing is, they don't give you a podcast download link, but but buuuuuut, there's an mp3 listed in the source code. I spent just shy of an hour trying one thing after another before I finally found it. I was so pleased, because I hate the idea of relying on a website to keep content up in perpetuity, and I also hate the idea of not being able to listen to stuff whenever I want, regardless of whether I can get an Internet connection or not. (By the way, on the topic of stuff from NPR, here's a 2005 interview by Terry Gross on the Fresh Air program with the authors of Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil.)

When I outsmart technology, or otherwise find ways to get a hold of stuff that the content owners don't intend for me to get, it makes me feel like a superior specimen of the human condition.