Life For Rent

There has been recent talks about the youngster who got charged for leeching on someone’s network.

And so many of us will now follow what ST recommends. ie disable SSID broadcast, encrypting WEP etc. Allow me to share some information with you based on my knowledge and expertise in terms of networking and network security.

To me what is really important when you are using your laptop in an open wireless environment is to link up with the right Access Point (AP). With Singapore going wireless island wide, I forsee a problem in the near future. I am sure the technical people behind the wireless experts will do what they can but we as end users need to be aware of the problems too.

So you go to Macdonalds, turn on the wireless device and allow it to roam for available networks. And you see one network that is unsecure. Free internet! WOW!

Not so wow after all. Someone (like me) who has malicious intentions can set up what we term as, a rouge Access Point. It entices people to connect to me cause perhaps, I am the only one offering internet access without the need for a password. And Microsoft allows the system to connect to it automatically unless you disable the feature (it is enabled by default). What happens is, all your internet traffic will go through my access point (which eventually means I have access to all the information that you upload and download onto the web). So you go into Live journal, key in your username and ID and guess who has the password now? You think your internet bank has good encryption when it comes to passwords? It sure does. But I can do something that will install a keylogger into your system, with or without your knowledge. What a keylogger does is that it logs everything you type. So when I view my logs and I see entries such as:

www.dbs.com.sg
princecharlesming
abc123

It doesn’t take a genius to realise what the 3 fields would mean. So in a way the banks issuing tokens are a good idea. But most people use the same password across the board. How many of you actually change your passwords every 3 months, or have different passwords for each account you log into online? Not many I would say. What are the odds that the same user id and password will work on say, live journal? Pretty good. And so I go into live journal, try out the passwords and whola! It works! Guess what sort of entry I would love to type in your name? Potentially the ones that will land you in jail for quite a while. The authorities may come to get me eventually after a long investigation (if I werent’ careful in clearing my tracks) but do you really wanna be arrested and go through court sessions to clear your name when you did nothing?

So that’s one part of it. Be careful when you are out on a public wireless internet. Be VERY careful.

As for home networks, enabling MAC address filtering is a good way to keep unauthorised people out. But you need to know what you are doing or you may lock yourself out. What is a MAC address? It is like the NRIC of your network card. The address is set by the manufacturer and is unique. How do you get the MAC address?

Open up your command prompt and type “cmd”

When the command prompt is up, type “ipconfig /all” (Please ignore the “” when doing the actual input). You shoud see something like :

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

H:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxx
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : xxx
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxx
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : xx
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : xx
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : xxx
xx
xxx

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VM Network Connecti
on #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-08-02-7D-55-0E
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : xx
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : xx
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : xx
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : xx
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : xx
xx

I have put in xxx for the details that I need to hide (for security reasons) and details that don’t matter anyway. Look at the Physical Address field. That is your MAC address. When you are in your router configuration (please follow the instructions in the manual that you get when you purchase your wireless router), look for the place that enables MAC filtering and key in that address into the field provided. Don’t forget to save.

BE VERY CAREFUL not to key incorrectly. The consequence is that you will lose your connection to that router. A

After enabling MAC filtering, what this means is, only the machine with the MAC address listed will be allowed through. Let’s go through some scenarios :

1. If you change your wireless network card, will your connection still work? NO. You will need to go through the same process above again.

2. If you take out the wireless card and put it into another machine (say your friend’s laptop who is visiting), will it work on his/her? YES. Remember the setting is tied to that hardware, not anything else.

Some other pointers:

1. Please change your default password as soon as you can. I cannot stress this enough.

2. Set your SSID to something else other than the default setting. Hmm I have mixed feelings when it comes to this. The way I see it, what it does is, it stops genuine novice users from connecting easily (your parents/brother who wants to use the network at home for the first time may have problems). As an intruder or the technically trained, they will know there is a point some where. They will have problems finding out where when they do a scan BUT it won’t take more than 2 or 3 seconds on normal occasions to find the same SSID (even if you encrypt it) in clear text. You can encrypt your SSID, but if your network is in use and there is a lot of traffic going in and out, I will be able to see that same encrypted SSID in mere seconds. I don’t really need tools for that. It is just the way the network functions. I won’t go into the technical aspects, but just be aware that it can be done. For those who wanna go deeper in this, I am willng to.

That’s all for now! Have a jolly Christmas this season!

Meantime, as what someone would say, Be Good. Else, be safe.

I just wanna share this bit while I was on the bus on the way home with my woof woof. There was a bunch of teens who were making fun of an old lady. She isn’t that old, maybe in her late 50s or so. They were utterly rude and disrespectful. My woof woof and I agreed it must be a bunch of kids with zero upbringing and education. No one gave up their seat for her too. You know it has been a long time since I last gave up my seat, probably cause if there were a few seats remaining I would opt to stand instead. In my head I am always hoping the elderly gets the seats, or people who will give it up to them. I would like to think when my grandma is on the bus, someone would be kind enough to give up their seat to her too.

Giving up a seat is a really simple gesture that will make you feel good too knowing you did something right. I don’t see how teasing and making fun of people will achieve the same effect. All I can conclude is, poor upbringing (and yes birds of a feather flock together). So in this case, should we blame the individual, or his/her parents?

Given if I were in a bad mood, I might have retorted to that bunch of kids. I don’t care if they out number me and stuff for numbers don’t intimidate me. I would wanna speak up for the poor lady who’s alone (and standing.. yes) and get those bunch of dumbos to shut their traps. I guess I would have intervened if they went on and on but they stopped soon enough so I just let it go. I do have a quick fuse and when my tolerance is breached I won’t just keep silent no more. Singaporeans in my opinion are known to have a lot to say, but it usually comes out in words (ST Forum)instead of settling it there and then. The good side of it is, we don’t have riots and protests and all. I won’t say it is good or bad. It is just simply the way we are. I’m someone who is rather extreme though. Either I keep silent when I don’t feel like saying anything, or I’ll attack vocally and I attack to kill. If I can break someone from within through words and I feel the person deserves it, I will. Guilt? No guilt. Sometimes people just have to be taken to task.

Like that bunch of kids with no upbringing. Period.

Just received payment from myLot so that’s good news indeed *L*

My baby was off on thursday and he managed to get me the chocolate wafer biscuits for me. You know, I have been snacking throughout the time I am in the office which is bad! People get fat very easily cause they sit the whole day and all. If one does nothing, eventually the waist gets bigger, the butt gets wider…. you get the picture..

But not to worry! I am head back to the gym in a while before I go pick my woof woof from work. Last night featured Noris and some of the artistes from Boom Boom room at club happy. They were making their debut I believe and it also featured some models from whatever model agency they call it. The male and female models hardly appeared as models to me. They couldn’t cat walk for nuts. Sandra commented the same and she wanted to show those people how to dance too *L* I believe some pictures that they took of us will be put up on club happy’s website. Me, my woof woof, sandra and her woof woof DJ raj *L*

I think we gave DJ Jack who was playing quite a bit of stress cause we were scrutinising him from where we were and the lighting engineer prolly told jack that there are at least 2 DJs in the house and they are just behind him *L* The sound system was great I must say. Ahhh the power of JBL speakers..

I am quite late in my photos unfortunately cause I haven’t received them yet so try to be a little patient.

Work wise, pretty good so far. Learning stuff along the way. One thing I have learnt, or should I say, reminded of i that in the corporate world, sometimes it is not about efficiency that is important. Quite frankly, a good team leader will hear feedback from his or her staff anytime and explain to them if certain things will not work. The staff will accept it and that won’t kill creativity maybe. But when one is new and so eager to share ideas but is sorta given crap reasons why xxx cannot be done, it simply kills creativity outright. Someday as time goes along, he or she begins to become robotic. Just follow orders, or follow procedures.

I am someone who’s like a new broom that sweeps clean. I guess I am the kind of person where either you love me or hate me in terms of leadership. I’ll probably offend people along the way when I speak up for my team and defend them, and fight for what I feel is right and the way things should go. Maybe I will get fired along the way and become popular.

Or.. I become just like one of them. Sit on the ‘manager chair’, send emails and be a ‘yes man’. It is simply not my style but who knows? 10 years down the road prince may just turn out to be someone who says a lot of things but does nothing about it. NATO.

Yikes I hate that.

Being young, full of drive VS being matured and laid back. Gosh I can go on and on about it but I guess I had better get ready for gym! As you have noticed I have begun my yearly cycle of christmas tunes. The same tunes that I like and all. You’ll probably find vocals on the main page (foyer) and kenny g over here. I will rotate the tracks once in a while so stick around. I love Christmas… a time to be wih people and reflection. It is probably the only time in the year that I emerge from my shell

Have a great weekend all.

Got this in my email today. SAFE Singapore has talks/emails etc for PLUs and their parents alike. For those who intend to ‘come out’ or have issues with their sexuality, this is a good contact to have. I got this from the ST a few months ago. Check them out at your own time.

Meantime this is the email :

Dear Friends

SAFE Singapore has sent out the following Statement to our Press and Media
contacts in Singapore. The Government has asked for public feedback on the
proposed changes to the Penal Code and it would be very helpful if you could
write in to the feedback unit, identifying yourself as a straight ally, at
this link http://www.reach.gov.sg/olcp/asp/ocp/ocp01d1.asp?id=3683
Thank you one and all for your continued encouragement and support!

——————

13 Nov 2006

To The Press

We are a group of parents, families and friends of lesbian and gay people
who believe in a society that accepts, affirms and empowers everyone to
participate fully in it regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

We write to voice our opposition to the proposed changes to the Penal Code
and in particular to the retention of s.377A which criminalizes male
same-sex acts even if conducted in private. The Ministry of Home Affairs has
come public to say they will “not be proactive in enforcing the section
against adult males engaging in consensual sex with each other in private.”
Why then have a law if it is not going to be enforced? Is it not illogical
and a self-contradiction to have a law on the statute books and not enforce
it? It appears that the government wants to have its cake and eat it too –
employing gay people in civil service, welcoming foreign talent even if they
might be gay and benefiting from the contributions of intelligent & creative
gay brains while not doing anything at all to protect these same gay
people’s human rights.

Are we to remain on the surface, according to MHA, “by and large, a
conservative society (where) many do not tolerate homosexuality, and
consider such acts abhorrent and deviant” while covertly wooing the gay
community’s pink dollar and creative talents?

As friends and families of gay people, we are strongly against any law that
makes the people we love and respect — our adult gay sons, brothers,
grandsons, nephews and friends, “criminals” simply by what they do in
private with another consenting adult.

Do we have an agenda? Yes indeed. Our agenda is to strive for a society
based on justice and equality, respect for individual dignity and opposed to
bigotry, homophobia or any other form of hatred and discrimination.

Ms Khoo Hoon Eng S2582275G
Ms Susan Yap Siu Sen S2538443A
Ms Tan Joo Hymn S6946231F
Ms Ong Su-Chzeng S2690608C

SAFE
Supporting, AFfirming and Empowering
Our lgbtQ friends and family

Yay I got my next payout from myLot! US$38 and it has been withdrawn via Paypal and awaiting bank’s processing now.

I don’t have a lot of time for it though but I try to go in there and take a look at its stuff now and then. There are some good threads, you just need to find them. They have better stuff that the forums I have been to mostly!

And yeh I guess being paid to post messages and all does help
*L*

If you are interested you can join too.

http://www.mylot.com/?ref=charlesming

Well you will need to do a CTRL C to copy the url

Lunch is over, time to get back to work!

Good tuesday morning everyone. Sorry I have been late with the shout outs here. Been rather busy indeed!

Let’s backtrack a little. hmm.. Saturday evening saw me and my babe with Noris and gang at the paragon coffee bean. It had been raining the whole day and for some reason I decided to get outdoors in my tank top and tight berms amid the wet weather. It was all good, till I realised the fan above me at coffee bean is really strong and we were there for like 4 hours and I did get very cold! A pity we didn’t bring the jumper out…

My epal at work who is from the US laughed when I asked her the difference between a jumper and a cardigan/pull over. She said a jumper is normally what prison people wear, and it is normally in orange! She didn’t answer my question (she probably forgot while laughing!) so I guess I have to ask her again anyway.

We soon adjourned to maxwell for a late dinner and while Noris and gang headed to tabs to catch a performance, my hubs and I stayed back for a little beer before we headed to tantric to catch up with sandra a little. We met up with sandra the day before on a friday as well. Well mainly I did. Had dinner with her. Chit chat and all while waiting for my baby to finish work. We headed to this pub at far east shopping centre (not far east plaza!) for a little drink and all but it was so hot and stuffy. What’s more my baby and I were really tired so we headed back by 11ish.

The highlight of the weekend had to be on Sunday where I experienced my first jalan raya. A lot of people who said they would go didn’t in the end. If I had it my way I would have collected the payment for bus rental ahead, which is what I suggested but I reckon they all had their own way of having stuff done. People just don’t turn up and sunday being a sunday everyone gets drunk on Sat and sleeps into monday. Calling people just doesn’t work cause all of them off their mobile phones! It is very irritating…

Nonetheless because of those twits, I got to ride on the LRT for the very first time! It was so exciting! We have photos and all but they are with lesley so we have to wait for a while cause all of us are busy with work and all and it will take a while. My first LRT ride! Can you imagine that! After so many years I finally got the chance to ride on one. It looks pretty much like a skytrain! But the trains come at very frequent intervals, and they have windows that will turn opaque when the train passes by the HDB blocks so that you can’t peer into the flats! Wow! I love sitting at the front watch the train go up and down the slopes on the track. It is really fun! And the trains do go into this 10 mile shopping centre too and at certain stations, the tracks will switch for the train to either use the left or right track. Wow! I went ‘wheeeeeee..!!’ when the train went down the slope and noris was “oh my gawd i have never seen this side of mark’. hah hah yes he probably saw the kiddy side of me for once indeed. Thanks Noris, sean, kak amy and mus for being such good hosts and providing such great hospitality. The food at mus’s place was really nice to end things off in the night. I hoped for ayam goreng and I got what I wanted! It was delicious! The malays do the best ayam goreng (fried chicken) ever. The spices and marinade… wow!

Thanks everyone for making it a memorable one.. Lesley and Sebes, my baby, jamal, noris, jaye, mus, sean for making my ‘debut’ a memorable one!

Weekend came and went pretty quick with all that activity and now we are into tuesday already. I do reckon mei mei is returning soon, is she? I hope she remembers getting my moisturiser!

The Christmas season is here and shortly I will be putting up the Christmas songs that I love. Every year I do the same songs but hey I love them! I get a tad more emotional during this season, as I look forward to a brand new year with everyone and my baby!

alright I have to begin work for now! Geez. I think I got the chance to ride on the new MRT train today. The retrofitted one with fewer seats. Didn’t seem any cooler but it did hold more people standing I reckon. Looks pretty much like the north east line trains..

Have a good tuesday people! Haven’t had time for the joke of the week and all but if you do have good jokes do share by dropping a comment below!

Caught the musical, Little Shop Of Horrors starring the cast from Dim Sum Dollies. I thought it was quite good. Worth watching. Comments as expected were that they expected more from the experienced cast but I reckon it was quite good. The last one I watched was Army Daze. I do remember commenting here that I expected more from most of them. A newbie played CPL Ong which I felt was very well done for a newbie though. Little Shop of Horrors runs till Nov 18. It’s a ‘yes’ from me. Thanks Ian for the tickets!

My baby was busy calculating how much gross income they can get from doing one show with 750 seats and an average of 50 bucks a seat. haha..

Thought of catching the Covenant as well but decided to wait for reviews. Those that I have read aren’t that optimistic though.. hmm.. Shall see how that goes.

Saw a link somewhere on Youtube on a recruit’s life in D coy. I’m quite sure heads will roll from MINDEF over that but ah well since it is on YouTube I reckon I can share it anywhere too?Just note that all isn’t play as a recruit yeah? I guess they stuck to the good times and left out the training due to sensitivity issues but it was a feel good trailer.

Here’s part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k5yyWQEA6g&mode=related&search=

You will find part 2 in the link there too.

And that’s another day for me and my baby. He has to go back to work liao. We’re still adjusting to new schedules I reckon but I am confident we will get through it and head onto better times, very soon!

Sinusitis is what I have. Probably this time round the throat infection went upwards to affect the nose and I decided to get some antibiotics for it. And why not, medical treatment is free and covered by the company.

The doc saw me wearing my wales shirt (cause every friday is dress down day) and asked if I studied there and I said yeah. He said he did a course there too. I checked his credentials on my way out and saw he did his dip in dermatology there hah hah.

I guess I will be going to see him quite a bit to take a look at my crown and see if I should do something about it.

Gonna move on outta here soon. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

It is raining outside. I am hungry.

Running through the logs, going through mails and all..

Suddenly I am not so hungry after all. I’m more worried bout my baby. *sigh*

Firs day at work. Pretty nice colleagues. Typical IT sorta people that I have come across. Just like me pretty much. I could be the more temperamental one though.

Probably got a throat infection from my mom. She was the first to complain about it and soon enough I got it too. Cough, with a weird taste coming out from within. General weakness and all. But I should survive I guess. Feeling fat already and all already. Eat eat eat. Sit sit sit. From Sunday till yesterday I have been having huge and sinful meals. haha… Regret it a little but WTF, at least I feel a tad happier..

Came back home… tried to do my assignment. Totally moodless and all but tried my best to finish 2/4. Decided to skip lessons tonight once again. And looking at the schedules for the next 2 weeks… I don’t know man. The boy’s having off on Wed and the following he does morning….

I was waiting eagerly for him to come back so I could eat with him and all. And I was feeling a little… ‘ahem’. From the moment he stepped in I could smell a lot of things. Unpleasant things. I think he is upset with his boss dropping me a message on a forum. Is it my fault and can I help it if someone wants to drop me a message? Maybe next time I should just keep mom.. and then there was another message. Someone went to HIS blog page and the came to message me bout it. And then it became my fault again. I’m like..wth. I’m not the famous one here you know. People don’t even know my name out in the wild. But mention his name the whole community knows. And they are very intrigued with the fact he and I are together. Not like I care a big deal. i should be the one making a fuss cause it’s he who is driving attention to my corner. But he’s the one upset bout it.

Don’t know la. I’m in pain. No it is not my heart nor my head. It hurts where I least want it to probably.

Ok ok second behind the heart… But I don’t have the chance to say. Neither do I wanna show it anyway. I hope it heals soon enough…

I still have a lot on my mind. Plans for the future and all. I guess till I do something I will forever be stuck between 2 walls. Someday I will have to bang one down. Which will it be? It won’t be easy that is for sure…

I’ve reached my $25 payout level in myLot. But I’m not thrilled one bit. I hardly find anything thrilling these days. Maybe when I see the money it’ll excite me a little more..

Also, I got a strong feeling one day the government will push for a ban on smoking in public places. They are pushing for it after results of the pollution within an enclosed area that sees people smoking are alarming. The results shows the pollution to be worse than clubs and pubs in other countries as compared to those around. We are almost double as polluted as the clubs in other countries, and if compared to PSI equivalent, it would translate to over 300. Hazardous levels!

1 hour ago I cared. I’m no longer that fond of clubs and that gives me more reason than ever. Right now I don’t really give a darn.

Oh let me be. You know my temperaments.. I am not in one of my best right now.

Looking at my msn list. Looking at the news. Both are as boring as the weather outdoor these days. As boring as the IT fellas I know who work around me and with me. As boring as… me.

I really wonder, how many people in this world can step over me. I can probably count with one hand but the number is not zero. Why then why, and how do this person(s) get to do what they do?

I long for more time. I long for more understanding. Both of which I don’t seem to be getting. I miss my dog diesel and whiskey. They are the ones who always knew me and what I needed. It was me who forsaken them in the end and not the other way round. I let them down.

I miss them. I really do……

I do hope I can see them one day. Be it heaven earth or hell. I don’t really care. I wanna be with them and them around me, forever and ever….