"This is quite surprising, especially as we often don’t think of bananas, or even wet mud, as great conductors"

https://www.tomshardware.com/speakers/in-a-blind-test-audiophiles-couldnt-tell-the-difference-between-audio-signals-sent-through-copper-wire-a-banana-or-wet-mud-the-mud-should-sound-perfectly-awful-but-it-doesnt-notes-the-experiment-creator

#Audio #HiFi #Audiophiles

When I saw the other journalists that were nominated, I didn't think there was a chance (e.g. ProPublica was nominated for their excellent investigative reporting uncovering the Pentagon's reliance on Chinese contractors for cloud work). I'm very flattered to be in such great company. Thank you to the Institute for Security and Technology (IST) for this award.

Last night's IST gala at the National Press Club was a stroll down memory lane in many ways. Ran into people I haven't seen in person for ages, and most of them have been involved in shaping cybersecurity policy for 25+ years.

It was also bittersweet because I spent a lot of time at the Press Club as a reporter at The Washington Post, and I'm still livid about the insanity of the 300 or so WaPo journalists who lost their jobs this week.

I'm particularly mystified by the decimation of the Post's Metro staff; despite its stature as a top source of national and international news, The Washington Post has always maintained a strong focus on what's going on in the DC area. When they merged washingtonpost.com with the dead tree edition in 2009 and eliminated my job, the mantra of the company was they wanted to be THE source of news about what's happening in the Nation's Capital, and how policy being made in DC affects the rest of the world. Here's part of what I told the audience last night:

"I was horrified this week to see The Washington Post lay off 300 of its 800 remaining journalists -- the third major staff reduction in as many years. A lot of the cuts are deeply affecting the foreign and local metro staff; it's easy to forget the Watergate scandal started as a metro story. Probably we need several hundred more reporters digging into what this administration is doing, because Watergate frankly can't hold a candle to it all."

"I'm hoping all of the post-Posties will land in a better place soon, but I also hope they can keep doing their important work regardless of where it comes from. And I will continue to advocate for, support and encourage anyone who wants to go the independent route. I think journalism is going to be just fine for now, but I'm not sure I share the same view about many traditional news organizations. I hear from a lot of reporters considering the going out on their own worry about not having a big publication name to automatically open doors for them, or watch their backs legally, and those are certainly big adjustments of going solo. But you know what makes all that worth it? When you're breaking news that forces important people to answer hard questions, and the gatekeepers go, wait, who are you with again?"

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7425373027145752577/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(activity%3A7425373027145752577%2C7425575747831947264)&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A(7425575747831947264%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7425373027145752577)

Dan Froomkin, one of America's top press critics, dissects what looks like a short-lived internal rebellion by New York Times reporters and editors who -- all too briefly -- told the simple truth about the Trump regime's murder of an American citizen in Minneapolis.

https://criticalread.substack.com/p/moments-of-bravery-and-cowardice

We knew this was coming, but now the clock is running. From Privacy International:

"Yesterday the Trump Administration announced a proposed change in policy for travellers to the U.S. It applies to the powers of data collection by the Customs and Border Police (CBP)."

"If the proposed changes are adopted after the 60-day consultation, then millions of travellers to the U.S. will be forced to use a U.S. government mobile phone app, submit their social media from the last five years and email addresses used in the last ten years, including of family members. They’re also proposing the collection of DNA."

PI linked to and summarized a Federal Register entry describing the proposed requirements:

-All visitors must submit ‘their social media from the last 5 years’

-ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) applications will include ‘high value data fields’, ‘when feasible’
‘telephone numbers used in the last five years’
-‘email addresses used in the last ten years’
-‘family number telephone numbers (sic) used in the last five years’
-biometrics – face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris
-business telephone numbers used in the last five years
-business email addresses used in the last ten years.

https://www.privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5713/trump-administration-wants-your-dna-and-social-media

The Federal Register entry says comments are encouraged and
must be submitted (no later than February 9, 2026) to be assured of consideration.

Federal Register entry: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-10/pdf/2025-22461.pdf