Source:  http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/BORROW_Max_630_378.png

Wired is running a fantastic article about the 25th anniversary of the movie WarGames, which is arguably one of the most influential movies of my generation and certainly the most influential within the Generation X technology clique.

As noted this interview conducted with me in the year 2000, I had a WarGames poster in my office for years (it is now relegated to the server room in my basement).

When you enter the office of Matthew Devost, one of the most visible monuments to his life’s work is — a poster. More specifically, it’s a poster advertising the 1980s movie War Games, a hacker classic in which a high school kid almost starts World War Three. Devost would admit to the hyperbole of that Cold War film, yet he has become one of the most articulate advocates for educating leaders and the public by the growing threats from cybercrime and information warfare. (Future Presence Interview)

Wired deconstructs the impact the film had dealing with the subjects of nuclear war and technology proliferation at a critical time within the Cold War.

It was the year Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an “evil empire”; the year the United Nations implored the Russians to withdraw from Afghanistan; the year ABC aired The Day After, a TV movie about the wake of a nuclear attack on the US. In the midst of all this came WarGames, a fizzy little thriller about looming Armageddon. It’s a deceptively simple story: High schooler David Lightman (played by 21-year-old Matthew Broderick) is a digitally proficient goofball who wants to play an unreleased computer game — and impress a pretty girl (Ally Sheedy). So he does something most Americans didn’t have a word for back then: He starts hacking. Little does he know, the “computer company” he’s infiltrated is actually a military installation running a missile-command supercomputer called the WOPR (War Operation Plan Response), and the game — Global Thermonuclear War — is real. Naturally, only David can stop it from setting off World War III.  (Wired)

Worth reading the entire thing.  It will also be interesting to put this in context with Kevin Mitnick’s book when it is released.  He has several quotes in the article discussing how the movie impacted his case including this one:

That movie had a significant effect on my treatment by the federal government. I was held in solitary confinement for nearly a year because a prosecutor told a judge that if I got near a phone, I could dial up Norad and launch a nuclear missile. I never hacked into Norad. And when the prosecutor said that, I laughed — in open court. I thought, “This guy just burned all his credibility.” But the court believed it. I think the movie convinced people that this stuff was real. They tried to make me into a fictional character.

My friend Scott Albert Johnson has released his new album entitled “Umbrella Man”. It draws on many styles and I hear songs that are reminiscent of Blue’s Traveler, John Taylor and a full-spectrum of old fashion blues with great lyrics and wonderful harmonica solos. The family favorite thus far is “Turn Out Fine”, which is a fast-paced upbeat ode to a former lover. Support this hard-working independent musician by picking up your copy today.

Interesting post by Warren Ellis today….

…I share a conviction with Steven Shaviro, whose most recent book was CONNECTED, that we live in a science fictional world. Not the one everyone expected, of course — no jetpacks. But good science fiction, challenging science fiction, is never about the future we expect. Sf has never been about predicting the future. It’s been about laying out a roadmap of possibilities, one dark street at a time, and applying that direction to the present condition… Link—>

If you don’t get it, you don’t get it.

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Steve Jobs.  Therefore, it should be no surprise that I find his commencment address to Stanford to be very interesting.  Originally from here.

"
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the
finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth
be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation.
Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big
deal. Just three stories."

(more…)

I’ve only seen one tornado in my life and never anything as close as what we experienced tonight. We were in the car and managed to get ourselves out of the way of one that was about 300 yards away from us tonight. We literally circled around it and worked our way behind it only to see tires, construction debris, and porta-potties that had been tossed around. Intense experience!

Note: I didn’t take this picture. We were much closer than this!

In talking with my parents and others on the Canadian border, I am amazed to hear the impact this is having on the local economy and the tourism industry. I am also amazed at the complete lack of attention from U.S. government to remedy the situation. What am I talking about? Visit RAISE THE CAP! for more information.

There is something about watching hockey with a three year old that lends magic to the game. Amazingly, my daughter comprehends the basics of the game. Since she ice skates on Sundays, she can relate to the flow of the game and the concept of scoring is not lost on her, nor are the many penalties of the game where players go to “time out” for being bad and tripping or fighting. It has been well worth the extended hour past her bed-time to share a period or two of hockey with her over popcorn.

I also had the opportunity to watch “Miracle” last night with my brother-in-law. It was a great movie and brought back lots of memories from the days of college hockey practices in the early morning and late on Saturday nights. Herb Brooks was fantastically played by Kurt Russell, from his early break-down of the individual personalities to create a team, down to his inspiring pre-USSR game lockerroom speech….”Great moments are born from great opportunity. Great opportunity is what you have here tonight. Nine games out of ten, they will beat us, but not tonight.” Great stuff.

Just a quick posting to draw your attention to the fact that Martin St. Louis is the current NHL leading scorer. Who says short guys can’t play in the NHL?

Taken up on our land in Vermont last winter.