Category: Social

Cybersecurity, Development, Governance, Risk, and Compliance, SocialLeave a comment

Getting In The Groove

SysRisk

As many of you know, I left Deloitte late last month and have moved onto a position within IT Audit at SMBC Nikko Securities. This new position puts me in the thick of a Japanese working environment, which is challenging on many levels – language being the least of which. I look forward to this career change since it pulls out of the rat race that Big Four job have turned into. Long gone are the days where Big Four managers could get regular work and charge exorbitant rates. The competition is stiff and the rates are falling through the … Continue reading Getting In The Groove

Development, Electronics, Social, SocietyLeave a comment

Lazy Sunday

SysRisk

I’m back in Japan and back to the grind after a good, short vacation on Guam. I was called back to JP for some clean-up work before I change jobs, and also thought it would be a good idea to do some programming on the home development server to release WorkPapers Windy 2011; which is about two weeks past due.Lately, I have been programming a lot of python in order to create a REST API for WorkPapers (http://workpapers.pro). The first version of this API will be used for push/pull/replication functions in this upcoming release of the desktop application. While working … Continue reading Lazy Sunday

SocialLeave a comment

Funny Job Posting On Elance

SysRisk

I was perusing freelance programming postings on elance and found this one:================================================= Following is needed:1) Recommend the most cost effective Java host for developing a small web app2) Set up this host, AND development environment (IDE) — I am a rusty programmer who does not know Java.3) Provide working Java code samples that perform the same/similar functions on each of the following web APIs: Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Twitter. These functions are:a. Authenticate/login (store a user’s login credentials for each and login to each API)b. Perform a query against each (e.g., find people I know with last name “Smith”).4) Provide … Continue reading Funny Job Posting On Elance

politics, Social, SocietyLeave a comment

Back To Normal

SysRisk

Or, as normal as a foreigner living in a Japanese nuclear leakage zone can be. Packed my brief case, put on a necktie, and headed into Tokyo this morning. Was interesting with dark train cars, no heating on the trains, darker train stations, and all the escalators shut down. It’s a different Japan and will be different well into summer of this year. Our house is zoned outside of the regular power outages, so I can keep this new home server humming and continue to develop, script, and otherwise hack unencumbered. Well, almost unencumbered. This little server screams – it … Continue reading Back To Normal

politics, Social, SocietyLeave a comment

Sensation Sells – CNN Is A Cauldron Of Liars

SysRisk

Throughout my life, the wiser individuals have pointed out propaganda, sensationalism, and how one should only believe a part of the news that’s broadcast. This experience has been a big lesson and has made those advisories so clear; especially as it applies to CNN and Wolf Blitzer. I am in Japan and have lived in Japan for a third of my life at this point. I read, write, and speak the language fluently at a near-native level. I am not confused by the events here… unlike the stupid American reporters that keep claiming ‘mixed signals’ or ‘unclear messages’ or ‘changing … Continue reading Sensation Sells – CNN Is A Cauldron Of Liars

politics, Social, SocietyLeave a comment

All Shook Up In Japan

SysRisk

Just as I start to write this blog entry the NHK station that I incessantly stay tuned into reports an upcoming earthquake warning… yet again. Since Friday March 11, there have been over 300 after-shocks only about 40 of which I can remember actually feeling or experiencing. Also, if the only news you have is from Wolf Blitzer on CNN, then you are drastically misled about the current situation.Since I was small child I have experienced four major natural disasters – the first was typhoon Pamela when I was 11 years old growing up on Guam. Then the 1989 San … Continue reading All Shook Up In Japan

hacking, SocialLeave a comment

Addicted To Web Apps – 11 Services I Use

SysRisk

Posting this blog entry to inventory the web apps that I have signed up for over the past year, and to provide a brief commentary on what I think of them. 1) Google – excellent offering for the price. $50 a year amd you get just about everything to run a virtual office, including collaboration.2) Yahoo! – Premium email has undergone a major facelift and is a great location to integrate all thos ‘other’ email addresses one accumulates.3) .Mac or .Me…. whatever – a control freak rip-off. Don’t buy it.4) Salesforce – a great product, especially if you get the … Continue reading Addicted To Web Apps – 11 Services I Use

Social, SocietyLeave a comment

Let The Tablet Wars Begin

SysRisk

This morning I had the great opportunity to sneak-peak the Samsung Galaxy tablet. Not yet released in Japan, so this was a ‘special’ occasion made available to preview Samsung’s morsel of toy. I have to say, ‘it is nice’. The accelerometer, the touch screen, the screen is all really nice. Okay, okay, you know there is a big BUT coming….Here is a nice picture and article from Reuters.I do not know how to describe what I am about to write, so I’ll be careful. What I notice with the my wife’s Android phone, I also see in the Galaxy tablet … Continue reading Let The Tablet Wars Begin

Governance, Risk, and Compliance, SocialLeave a comment

Bullet Trains and Small Bladders

SysRisk

Everybody in this country wants a window seat on the bullet train, but nobody can hold their bladder long enough for a two hour ride to Osaka. So, people like myself who actually like the ‘edge’ leg room and ease of mobility offered by the aisle position, find themselves levitating toward the window seats. When Japanese try to get out of their window seat, some where in their mind they think they can get get by without waiting for you to stand to get out of their way. One Japanese guy found himself sitting back down to wait for me … Continue reading Bullet Trains and Small Bladders

Cybersecurity, hacking, SocialLeave a comment

Twitter Phishing Rampant – Today’s Flavor

SysRisk

The Twitter buzz (<- that’s funny) this morning were a bunch of postings about a phishing direct mail that would include a link which included a link to bzpharma.net (don’t click here if my blog software automatically links!!). When the end-user goes to the site, malicious software is executed that retrieves the user’s Twitter password, then spam direct messages all of their followers. Nasty and too bad. I have grown to like Twitter and other similar services as yet another networking medium. After seeing several hundred tweets (I’m up to 700-plus followers on @sysrisk), lo and behold, I received one … Continue reading Twitter Phishing Rampant – Today’s Flavor