How Not to Make a Lightbulb

Showing Up is not Participation

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

You might remember not all that long ago that the Middle East experienced a surge of protests and demonstrations in favor of democracy? Now, what do you remember most prominently about that?

Take your time.

Odds are, you recalled how it was hailed as a social media revolution. Your confusion is understandable, because that is all the American primary media outlets could focus upon. It’s not exactly a secret that the larger media outlets haven’t really understood how to wield social media since it’s very inception; the attempts to fit them together have been awkward, at best. Yet social media has captured the attention of the people, and this has not escaped corporate notice, so the march of badly-integrated half-attempts continues unabated. Naturally, when social media was used as a tool to co-ordinate something that big media companies did understand, they rushed to embrace it and tried to subtly co-opt it in the same stroke. Subtlety is not something big media does well, however, and the result was a complete shift of emphasis from the people who were making things happen to the glorified message board that was helping coordinate efforts.

To read most of the reports and articles from that time, you would think Twitter had single-handedly sprung the latch on the cages of the repressive regimes. The heroes were somehow not the brave men and women standing up for their rights, but the programmers and American capitalists who gifted them with social media, setting them free. In actuality, we were barely spectators. Content to watch from the sidelines, we re-tweeted and then patted ourselves on the backs at having played a pivotal role in their success, as if it were on equal footing with being out there putting our freedom and lives on the line.

Fast-forward now to the occupy movement, and you might notice something odd. It isn’t a reversal placing us in their shoes. True enough, we’re the ones in the streets, and yet we’re still just re-tweeting. Somewhere along the line, we seem to have fallen victim to a Venn overlap of arrogance and entitlement, a fallacy that one need merely show up to have positive results. This isn’t even wishful thinking on par with Field of Dreams, it doesn’t seem to expect any input of effort at all. No planning, no goal, no demands, no suggestions for a solution – the Occupy movement has done nothing but show up and hope that that will somehow be enough. The funny thing is, Occupy has succeeded in gaining the notice of politicians. The smug, righteously-indignant masses have bravely marched up to reclaim the political process, cell phones in hand to showcase the event to the world. The governing body has turned to us, with an expectant air, and asked what we want. Silence fills the air, broken only by muttering and shuffled feet. It’s almost lazy, apathetic, and rather embarrassing. I’m almost ashamed that this is the best we can muster. Really, if we can’t be bothered to figure out what we want out of this, what makes anyone think the politicians are going to do anything about it? How would we even know if they did?

It’s time we rejected the social media definition of ‘participation’. Simply showing up is not enough.

Disclaimer: I’m not suggesting that you start some sort of myopic rebellion, loot, riot, or anything else criminal. Just get a coherent plan before you organize a march on Washington.

The Decline of the High Economy

2010-10-11T20:19:00.001-07:00

Today I read an opinion editorial by David Frum on CNN, blaming China for the recent economic recession in the U.S. In it, he talks of the attempts China has made to sustain a booming growth. While they might have the best of intentions, their methods are unscrupulous, and as Frum pointed out, they have essentially set themselves up to learn the same painful lesson Wall Street was recently taught (but doesn’t seem to have learned): just because you can write a number down that someone theoretically owes you does not mean the money exists. You cannot squeeze blood from a turnip, no matter how hard you twist.

However, while the piece does correctly identify a contributing factor, it misses a larger picture. Like many distributed systems involving people, the market is far too complicated to be described in such simplistic terms. Several levels of interactions are taking place simultaneously, and there is more than enough blame to go around, making it easy to pick out the portion which blames a convenient group for the speaker. Both The Chinese government and Wall Street were complicit in this level, and in both cases greed overcame reason when the respective people in charge saw imaginary numbers piling to sky. Indeed, I would be quite surprised if China is anything but the next one slapped (let alone the end) as the rubber-band of debt fires back through the hands of everyone in the lending chain holding it.

But this is just one layer. Beneath it lies a much bigger problem for the Western world, of which this is merely a symptom. The so-called ‘trickle-down’ economic effect has taken hold. While it was mostly spoken of in a self-congratulatory manner by people defending exploitation of low-income foreign workers, the truth is that the rationale behind it was quite justified. What many failed to realize, however, was the eventual obvious implication: what happens when the rest of the world doesn’t need to work for you anymore?

Make no mistake: the gradual rise in living standard among the third world is not a bad thing, taken as a whole, and certainly not undeserved. Quite the opposite: most of them have put in a harder day’s work on a daily basis than anyone in the Western world does. And that their efforts are beginning to bear fruit for them is cause for celebration in its own right.

No, the problem is the failure of the Western world to prepare for this. With capitalism and the globalized economy actively making the flow of money more and more liquid across geographic boundaries, these effects which were spoken of before with a wink and nod are now poised to lay waste to the economies of the Western world. In fact, many of these economies were better equipped to handle the transition before such widespread globalization. What happened was a long, methodical process over several decades of attempting to exploit the gradient difference between living standards in various parts of the world (the United States is far from the only one involved). Corporations, noted these days for have foresight spanning mere months (frequently only until the next quarter), moved their production assets and operations overseas to where the bottom line was the lowest. The free market did exactly what it was designed to do and optimized for profit.

But the ugly truth looming in the not-so-distant future is that Western world did little to nothing to try to maintain some assets in place, which would remain geographically tied to their location. Acting as middle-men is too lucrative a position, and who doesn’t want cheap gadgets? Now, much of the United States’ production capacity is only a memory, and somewhere along the way we forgot that another thing we like to do is cut out the middle-man for greater profits. Greed blinded the lawmakers and businessmen to the fact that was was best for the global economy was not necessarily best for the national economy. We have, in essence, become a nation of middle-men, in the form of the so-called ‘service economy’, and before long people will look to cut us out of the loop. With very little left to anchor money geographically, the financial power will eventually migrate to other places, preferentially toward areas with few regulations, leaving economically burnt-out superpowers in their wake. One need look no further than the explosive growth of Dubai to see this exodus in action.

It isn’t an apocalypse, and the nation will eventually recover, but not before the process reaches or is well on it’s way toward the inevitable conclusion in which most or all of the living standards of the world more or less equalize at some average level. We had a chance to try to prepare for this and make the transition gracefully, perhaps even ensure that the average rose until it was at the level we generally expect for ourselves, but greed has allowed the opportunity of control to slip away. I had hoped, when I initially saw the meltdown of 2008, that it was not the harbinger of the tipping point, but with each day that passes I see more and more confirmation that the chance to fix the problem is at last gone, and control no longer truly rests in our hands.

I hope that some day the new rising stars of the world stage will be more considerate of us than we were of them, but history weighs in rather grimly on how people typically react when a power dynamic is reversed.

The question quickly becomes, for the Western world, one of how to make itself valuable again. Given that the standard of living among the highest has nowhere to go but down, the most damage-controlling options are those which are easily replicated and permit a global living standard to be higher. That is, creating technologies which are more efficient, cleaner, and scalable while we still have the resources to conduct research. In addition, during this critical free-fall period, anything that can be done to restore actual production would be helpful. Given the impossibility of competing based solely on price, the United States’ battle cry should be a return to the higher quality of production that ‘Made in the USA’ once stood for. It will never be as profitable as selling cheap junk which then needs to be replaced (read: ‘consumerism’), but one lesson we should be taking from this is the value of eschewing higher short-term profits at the expense of long-term stability.

But when has the financial sector ever learned its lesson?

Convenient Batch Re-Titling of TV Series

2010-03-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever downloaded or archived a TV series? Chances are, unless you meticulously hand-labeled the episodes yourself, you ended up with a grab-bag of assorted wretchedly deformed file names. Things like:

history.channel.aXXo51_[DVR]the_making_of_shoes[HI_QUALITY].AVI
the_three_stooges.1x5.the_voice_of_spring.DVDRip.sTeAlTh.XVID.avi

The OCD neat-freak in me rebels at the very sight of these. They're difficult if not impossible to search for in a file system, and are so cluttered with meta-information that they take a moment to even recognize what they are. The lack of white-space in the names is torturous to the eye. Contrast that with the following:

History Channel - The Making of Shoes.avi
The Three Stooges - S01EP05 - The Voice of Spring.avi

Much cleaner, isn't it? The only concession to short-hand is the Season/Episode identifier, mainly because it would absurdly long without compacting that information. Of course, given that a typical season can run 26 episodes in length, re-entering the information by hand can be anywhere from tedious to masochistic.

Fortunately, there's a better way. Many bulk re-naming tools with wide feature sets exist, but my personal favorite is ReNamer, available in both portable and installable formats. ReNamer's killer feature that sets it above most others is the near real-time application of all the naming rules in the list together, so you can see the final product as you build up rule sets. You can also turn on/off rules in the set with check-boxes, making it easy to find out which rules are causing problems and iteratively fix renaming rule sets. I've created a 22-rule set that can be used to re-name TV series, fixing most of the common naming problems. You can download the file here. Just drop the file into the 'Presets' folder inside the ReNamer program folder, and you're good to go! It will appear under the Presets > Load menu.

You can add files simply by dragging and dropping them into the lower pane. (Note: for some odd reason, this doesn't work on Vista/Windows 7 if you're running the program as an administrator. Go figure. You can still add files from the menu.) The Ctrl+A key combination ('select all') makes it easy to snap up all the files in a folder for dragging. You can see on the left the current name, and on the right the new name. If you're satisfied, you can go ahead and hit 'Rename' in the upper-right corner to actually rename the files, or you can mess with the rules as needed to set the names up like you want them.

Now, I'll go into a bit of detail about what the rules themselves do, since there's no way to add commentary, and some of them are fairly long and/or complex.

Rules 1 & 2 remove periods (except in the extension) unless they're surrounded by numbers on both sides. (So decimal numbers will be left as-is.)
Rule 3 removes common format/source meta information acronyms that are more or less irrelevant if you have the proper codecs.
Rule 4 replaces underscores in the middle of a word with spaces.
Rule 5 replaces any "-blah" sequences at the end, which can be useful if there are a lot of contributor screen-names tacked onto the end of the file name. It's disabled by default, as it can remove unintended title information. (For instance: D-Day.avi)
Rule 6 is a placeholder for you to add removal commands for other common strings that don't belong, such as a contributor screen-name or a format tag. Note that when editing it, you can use the "+" button to add more than one string search. Look at rule 3 for an example of how to use it. It is also disabled by default.
Rule 7 cleans up any mish-mash of spaces, dashes, underscores and periods left hanging around at the end of the file name from the clean-up so far.
Rules 8-10 reduce multiple occurrences of spaces, dashes, and periods anywhere in the name to a single one.
Rule 11 forces everything to lower-case to make it easier to deal with grammar corrections.
Rule 12 fixes missed apostrophes on common contractions.
Rule 13 puts everything back into proper first-letter capitalization for titles.
Rule 14 de-capitalizes in-between words that shouldn't be capitalized in a title.
Rule 15 undoes rule 14 whenever an in-between word is the first word in a group.
Rules 16 & 17 capitalize roman numerals (in the middle of the title or at the end)
Rules 18 & 19 convert most episode naming conventions to the S#EP# format
Rules 20 & 21 convert S#EP# to S##EP## with fixed numbers of digits (inserting leading zeros if needed) to make the names sort properly in a list view.
Rule 22 changes most variations of "part 1 - subtitle" to "(Part 1) - subtitle". (With or without subtitles)
Rule 23 interprets a trailing number as a part, and renames it to "(Part #)". Because this can misinterpret title information (such as "Apollo 13"), it is left disabled by default.

These are not by any means fool-proof. It's worth mentioning a small list of things that won't be fixed, and have to be checked manually:

Missing or incorrect title information
Possessive apostrophes ("Sallys day out")
Acronyms ("Us Guns of World War II")
Mixed trailing numbers ("Amazing Videos 2" & "Apollo 11" in the same batch, one will have to be manually corrected)

However, these rules should help save you a lot of work. There may be a few bugs still lingering in them, it's definitely a work in progress, but anyone with an OCD neat-freak streak in them will probably want to customize the rules anyway to suit themselves.

Operation Digital Shield

2010-02-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

Most people who are in any wise paying attention by this point have heard of the Chinese attack on Google. However, after I read this article published on Wired.com's digital security blog Threat Level, I saw the true scope of the attacks. Already irritated with China from the outset, I decided to craft my own Great Firewall. Given that any traffic could potentially be a vector, I decided to simply out and out IP-ban China in its entirety. If you want to send a message to the Chinese government, or are just concerned about your system, it isn't difficult to do with a bit of batch scripting.

I'm running Windows 7, so the exact commands will probably work verbatim on Vista, but may require tweaking for XP. The first step is to open the command line and get familiar with netsh. netsh is a very deep tool with a great deal of power, but we're mainly interested in using it to set firewall rules programatically. First, type netsh to enter the program's interactive environment. Then, type advfirewall firewall to access the firewall controls. Type add rule ? to get a help message explaining how to use the command. Pay close attention to the syntax of the add rule command. Optional parameters are listed in square brackets. After a few misses getting started, I found that the command I needed was:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="myrule" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=

This sets up a firewall rule that blocks any incoming traffic of any sort to any IP address my machine happens to have (on any interface) from anything listed in the remoteip argument. So far, so good. Next, I had to hunt down a list of IP addresses for China. A few minutes with Google yielded blockacountry.com, which keeps IP address lists for each nation. Generating an IP list was a simple process of selecting the country from a list, and clicking a button. However, the list is generated in the form of an apache .htaccess file, so it will need a bit of work first.

Copying the contents of the file to Notepad++, I first manually deleted the start and end lines of the file, leaving only the 'deny from <address>' lines. Next, I use the find/replace dialog (Ctrl+H) to clean up the list, replacying "deny from " with nothing, and replacing "\r\n" with ",\r\n" with Regular Expressions turned on to put a comma at the end of every line. Now, break the list down into blocks of about 220 lines or so. This is necessary because there is a limit to how much can be placed in a single command line entry, so we'll distribute the list over a group of about 6 rules. It's easy to count the lines if you position the cursor at the start of the first line of a group, and then hold the shift key to select while hitting the down arrow key to move down. A counter in the status bar of Notepad++ will tell you how many lines are selected. When you have a group selected, hit Ctrl+J to pull them all onto one line. After doing this for all the groups, you should be left with only about six really long lines of IP addresses seperated with commas. Do one more find/replace with regular expressions, replacing "\x20" with nothing to get rid of any remaining spaces, and trim the last comma off the end of each line.

Now, all we have to do is paste the command above in front of each line of IP addresses, and rename the rules to something useful. I used "China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 1)" with 1-6 for each of the rules. (Each one has to be named something different!) Also noticing that the article suggests that many computers may already be infected with sleeper agents, I copied and pasted the rules, changing the dir=in argument to dir=out, and changing "Incoming" in the name to "Outgoing", for a total of 12 rules, blocking anything inbound or outbound to/from China. Save the text file with a .bat extension, and run it as administrator to create the firewall rules.

I know already some of the more experienced network administrators are probably rolling their eyes. Yes, this is a first attempt, and it's far from bulletproof. But it completely closes the most direct avenue of attack, and makes it that much more difficult for a hacker.

For reference, I've appended the plain-text version of my final batch script. I urge you to walk through the steps above before using it to make certain you have some idea of what it does and how it does it. That said, this comes with no warranties of any kind, use at your own risk, yadda, yadda.

Show/Hide Batch File

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Outgoing (Part 1)" action=block dir=out protocol=any localip=any remoteip=58.14.0.0/15,58.16.0.0/16,58.17.0.0/17,58.17.128.0/17,58.18.0.0/16,58.19.0.0/16,58.20.0.0/16,58.21.0.0/16,58.22.0.0/15,58.24.0.0/15,58.30.0.0/15,58.32.0.0/13,58.40.0.0/15,58.42.0.0/16,58.43.0.0/16,58.44.0.0/14,58.48.0.0/13,58.56.0.0/15,58.58.0.0/16,58.59.0.0/17,58.59.128.0/17,58.60.0.0/14,58.66.0.0/15,58.68.128.0/17,58.82.0.0/15,58.87.64.0/18,58.99.128.0/17,58.100.0.0/15,58.116.0.0/14,58.128.0.0/13,58.144.0.0/16,58.154.0.0/15,58.192.0.0/15,58.194.0.0/15,58.196.0.0/15,58.198.0.0/15,58.200.0.0/13,58.208.0.0/12,58.240.0.0/15,58.242.0.0/15,58.244.0.0/15,58.246.0.0/15,58.248.0.0/13,59.32.0.0/13,59.40.0.0/15,59.42.0.0/16,59.43.0.0/16,59.44.0.0/14,59.48.0.0/16,59.49.0.0/17,59.49.128.0/17,59.50.0.0/16,59.51.0.0/17,59.51.128.0/17,59.52.0.0/14,59.56.0.0/14,59.60.0.0/15,59.62.0.0/15,59.64.0.0/14,59.68.0.0/14,59.72.0.0/15,59.74.0.0/15,59.76.0.0/16,59.77.0.0/16,59.78.0.0/15,59.80.0.0/14,59.107.0.0/17,59.107.128.0/17,59.108.0.0/15,59.110.0.0/15,59.151.0.0/17,59.155.0.0/16,59.172.0.0/15,59.174.0.0/15,59.191.0.0/17,59.192.0.0/10,60.0.0.0/13,60.8.0.0/15,60.10.0.0/16,60.11.0.0/16,60.12.0.0/16,60.13.0.0/18,60.13.64.0/18,60.13.128.0/17,60.14.0.0/15,60.16.0.0/13,60.24.0.0/14,60.28.0.0/15,60.30.0.0/16,60.31.0.0/16,60.55.0.0/16,60.63.0.0/16,60.160.0.0/15,60.162.0.0/15,60.164.0.0/15,60.166.0.0/15,60.168.0.0/13,60.176.0.0/12,60.194.0.0/15,60.200.0.0/14,60.204.0.0/16,60.205.0.0/16,60.206.0.0/15,60.208.0.0/13,60.216.0.0/15,60.218.0.0/15,60.220.0.0/14,60.232.0.0/15,60.235.0.0/16,60.245.128.0/17,60.247.0.0/16,60.252.0.0/16,60.253.128.0/17,60.255.0.0/16,61.4.80.0/20,61.4.176.0/20,61.8.160.0/20,61.28.0.0/20,61.28.16.0/20,61.28.32.0/19,61.28.64.0/18,61.29.128.0/18,61.29.192.0/19,61.29.224.0/20,61.29.240.0/20,61.45.128.0/18,61.47.128.0/18,61.48.0.0/14,61.52.0.0/15,61.54.0.0/16,61.55.0.0/16,61.87.192.0/18,61.128.0.0/15,61.130.0.0/15,61.132.0.0/16,61.133.0.0/17,61.133.128.0/17,61.134.0.0/18,61.134.64.0/19,61.134.96.0/19,61.134.128.0/18,61.134.192.0/18,61.135.0.0/16,61.136.0.0/18,61.136.64.0/18,61.136.128.0/17,61.137.0.0/17,61.137.128.0/17,61.138.0.0/18,61.138.64.0/18,61.138.128.0/18,61.138.192.0/18,61.139.0.0/17,61.139.128.0/18,61.139.192.0/18,61.140.0.0/14,61.144.0.0/14,61.148.0.0/15,61.150.0.0/15,61.152.0.0/16,61.153.0.0/16,61.154.0.0/15,61.156.0.0/16,61.157.0.0/16,61.158.0.0/17,61.158.128.0/17,61.159.0.0/18,61.159.64.0/18,61.159.128.0/17,61.160.0.0/16,61.161.0.0/18,61.161.64.0/18,61.161.128.0/17,61.162.0.0/16,61.163.0.0/16,61.164.0.0/16,61.165.0.0/16,61.166.0.0/16,61.167.0.0/16,61.168.0.0/16,61.169.0.0/16,61.170.0.0/15,61.172.0.0/14,61.176.0.0/16,61.177.0.0/16,61.178.0.0/16,61.179.0.0/16,61.180.0.0/17,61.180.128.0/17,61.181.0.0/16,61.182.0.0/16,61.183.0.0/16,61.184.0.0/14,61.188.0.0/16,61.189.0.0/17,61.189.128.0/17,61.190.0.0/15,61.232.0.0/14,61.236.0.0/15,61.240.0.0/14,116.1.0.0/16,116.2.0.0/15,116.4.0.0/14,116.8.0.0/14,116.13.0.0/16,116.16.0.0/12,116.52.0.0/14,116.56.0.0/15,116.58.128.0/20,116.58.208.0/20,116.60.0.0/14,116.66.0.0/17,116.69.0.0/16,116.70.0.0/17,116.76.0.0/15,116.78.0.0/15,116.89.144.0/20,116.90.184.0/21,116.95.0.0/16,116.112.0.0/14
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Outgoing (Part 2)" action=block dir=out protocol=any localip=any remoteip=116.116.0.0/15,116.128.0.0/10,116.192.0.0/16,116.193.16.0/20,116.193.32.0/19,116.194.0.0/15,116.196.0.0/16,116.198.0.0/16,116.199.0.0/17,116.199.128.0/19,116.204.0.0/15,116.207.0.0/16,116.208.0.0/14,116.212.160.0/20,116.213.64.0/18,116.213.128.0/17,116.214.32.0/19,116.214.64.0/20,116.214.128.0/17,116.215.0.0/16,116.216.0.0/14,116.224.0.0/12,116.242.0.0/15,116.244.0.0/15,116.246.0.0/15,116.248.0.0/15,116.252.0.0/15,116.254.128.0/17,116.255.128.0/17,117.8.0.0/13,117.21.0.0/16,117.22.0.0/15,117.24.0.0/13,117.32.0.0/13,117.40.0.0/14,117.44.0.0/15,117.48.0.0/14,117.53.48.0/20,117.53.176.0/20,121.0.16.0/20,121.4.0.0/15,121.8.0.0/13,121.16.0.0/13,121.24.0.0/14,121.28.0.0/15,121.30.0.0/16,121.31.0.0/16,121.32.0.0/14,121.36.0.0/16,121.37.0.0/16,121.38.0.0/15,121.40.0.0/14,121.46.0.0/16,121.47.0.0/16,121.48.0.0/15,121.51.0.0/16,121.55.0.0/18,121.56.0.0/15,121.58.0.0/17,121.59.0.0/16,121.60.0.0/14,121.68.0.0/14,121.76.0.0/15,121.89.0.0/16,121.100.128.0/17,121.192.0.0/16,121.193.0.0/16,121.194.0.0/15,121.201.0.0/16,121.204.0.0/14,121.224.0.0/12,121.248.0.0/14,121.255.0.0/16,122.0.64.0/18,122.0.128.0/17,122.4.0.0/14,122.8.0.0/13,122.48.0.0/16,122.49.0.0/18,122.51.0.0/16,122.64.0.0/11,122.96.0.0/15,122.102.0.0/20,122.102.64.0/20,122.102.80.0/20,122.136.0.0/13,122.144.128.0/17,122.152.192.0/18,122.156.0.0/14,122.192.0.0/14,122.198.0.0/16,122.200.64.0/18,122.204.0.0/14,122.224.0.0/12,122.240.0.0/13,122.248.48.0/20,123.0.128.0/18,123.4.0.0/14,123.8.0.0/13,123.49.128.0/17,123.52.0.0/14,123.56.0.0/13,123.64.0.0/11,123.96.0.0/15,123.98.0.0/17,123.99.128.0/17,123.100.0.0/19,123.101.0.0/16,123.103.0.0/17,123.108.128.0/20,123.108.208.0/20,123.112.0.0/12,123.128.0.0/13,123.136.80.0/20,123.137.0.0/16,123.138.0.0/15,123.144.0.0/14,123.148.0.0/16,123.149.0.0/16,123.150.0.0/15,123.152.0.0/13,123.160.0.0/14,123.164.0.0/14,123.168.0.0/14,123.172.0.0/15,123.174.0.0/15,123.176.80.0/20,123.177.0.0/16,123.178.0.0/15,123.180.0.0/14,123.184.0.0/14,123.188.0.0/14,123.196.0.0/15,123.199.128.0/17,123.206.0.0/15,123.232.0.0/14,123.242.0.0/17,123.244.0.0/14,123.249.0.0/16,123.253.0.0/16,124.6.64.0/18,124.14.0.0/15,124.16.0.0/15,124.20.0.0/16,124.21.0.0/20,124.21.16.0/20,124.21.32.0/19,124.21.64.0/18,124.21.128.0/17,124.22.0.0/15,124.29.0.0/17,124.40.128.0/18,124.42.0.0/17,124.47.0.0/18,124.64.0.0/15,124.66.0.0/17,124.67.0.0/16,124.68.0.0/14,124.72.0.0/16,124.73.0.0/16,124.74.0.0/15,124.76.0.0/14,124.88.0.0/16,124.89.0.0/17,124.89.128.0/17,124.90.0.0/15,124.92.0.0/14,124.108.8.0/21,124.108.40.0/21,124.112.0.0/15,124.114.0.0/15,124.116.0.0/16,124.117.0.0/16,124.118.0.0/15,124.126.0.0/15,124.128.0.0/13,124.147.128.0/17,124.156.0.0/16,124.160.0.0/16,124.161.0.0/16,124.162.0.0/16,124.163.0.0/16,124.164.0.0/14,124.172.0.0/15,124.174.0.0/15,124.192.0.0/15,124.196.0.0/16,124.200.0.0/13,124.220.0.0/14,124.224.0.0/16,124.225.0.0/16,124.226.0.0/15,124.228.0.0/14,124.232.0.0/15,124.234.0.0/15,124.236.0.0/14,124.240.0.0/17,124.242.0.0/16,124.243.192.0/18,124.248.0.0/17,124.249.0.0/16,124.250.0.0/15,124.254.0.0/18,125.31.192.0/18,125.32.0.0/16,125.33.0.0/16,125.34.0.0/16,125.35.0.0/17,125.35.128.0/17,125.36.0.0/14,125.40.0.0/13,125.58.128.0/17,125.62.0.0/18,125.64.0.0/13,125.72.0.0/16,125.73.0.0/16,125.74.0.0/15,125.76.0.0/17,125.76.128.0/17,125.77.0.0/16
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Outgoing (Part 3)" action=block dir=out protocol=any localip=any remoteip=125.78.0.0/15,125.80.0.0/13,125.88.0.0/13,125.96.0.0/15,125.98.0.0/16,125.104.0.0/13,125.112.0.0/12,125.169.0.0/16,125.171.0.0/16,125.208.0.0/18,125.210.0.0/16,125.211.0.0/16,125.213.0.0/17,125.215.0.0/18,125.216.0.0/15,125.218.0.0/16,125.219.0.0/16,125.220.0.0/15,125.222.0.0/15,125.254.128.0/18,125.254.192.0/18,134.196.0.0/16,159.226.0.0/16,161.207.0.0/16,162.105.0.0/16,166.111.0.0/16,167.139.0.0/16,168.160.0.0/16,192.83.122.0/24,192.83.169.0/24,192.124.154.0/24,192.188.170.0/24,198.17.7.0/24,202.0.110.0/24,202.0.176.0/22,202.4.128.0/19,202.4.252.0/22,202.8.128.0/19,202.10.64.0/20,202.14.88.0/24,202.14.235.0/24,202.14.236.0/23,202.14.238.0/24,202.20.120.0/24,202.22.248.0/22,202.22.252.0/22,202.38.0.0/23,202.38.2.0/23,202.38.4.0/22,202.38.8.0/21,202.38.64.0/19,202.38.96.0/19,202.38.128.0/23,202.38.130.0/23,202.38.132.0/23,202.38.134.0/24,202.38.135.0/24,202.38.136.0/24,202.38.137.0/24,202.38.138.0/24,202.38.140.0/23,202.38.142.0/24,202.38.143.0/24,202.38.146.0/23,202.38.149.0/24,202.38.150.0/23,202.38.152.0/23,202.38.154.0/23,202.38.156.0/24,202.38.158.0/23,202.38.160.0/23,202.38.164.0/22,202.38.168.0/24,202.38.169.0/24,202.38.170.0/24,202.38.171.0/24,202.38.172.0/24,202.38.173.0/24,202.38.174.0/24,202.38.175.0/24,202.38.176.0/23,202.38.184.0/21,202.38.192.0/18,202.41.152.0/21,202.41.240.0/20,202.43.144.0/20,202.46.32.0/19,202.46.224.0/20,202.60.112.0/20,202.63.248.0/22,202.69.4.0/22,202.69.16.0/20,202.70.0.0/19,202.74.8.0/21,202.75.208.0/20,202.85.208.0/20,202.90.0.0/22,202.90.224.0/20,202.90.252.0/22,202.91.0.0/22,202.91.128.0/22,202.91.176.0/20,202.91.224.0/19,202.92.0.0/22,202.92.252.0/22,202.93.0.0/22,202.93.252.0/22,202.94.0.0/19,202.95.0.0/22,202.95.4.0/22,202.95.8.0/21,202.95.16.0/20,202.95.252.0/22,202.96.0.0/18,202.96.64.0/21,202.96.72.0/21,202.96.80.0/20,202.96.96.0/21,202.96.104.0/21,202.96.112.0/20,202.96.128.0/21,202.96.136.0/21,202.96.144.0/20,202.96.160.0/21,202.96.168.0/21,202.96.176.0/20,202.96.192.0/21,202.96.200.0/21,202.96.208.0/20,202.96.224.0/21,202.96.232.0/21,202.96.240.0/20,202.97.0.0/21,202.97.8.0/21,202.97.16.0/20,202.97.32.0/19,202.97.64.0/19,202.97.96.0/20,202.97.112.0/20,202.97.128.0/18,202.97.192.0/19,202.97.224.0/21,202.97.232.0/21,202.97.240.0/20,202.98.0.0/21,202.98.8.0/21,202.98.16.0/20,202.98.32.0/21,202.98.40.0/21,202.98.48.0/20,202.98.64.0/19,202.98.96.0/21,202.98.104.0/21,202.98.112.0/20,202.98.128.0/19,202.98.160.0/21,202.98.168.0/21,202.98.176.0/20,202.98.192.0/21,202.98.200.0/21,202.98.208.0/20,202.98.224.0/21,202.98.232.0/21,202.98.240.0/20,202.99.0.0/18,202.99.64.0/19,202.99.96.0/21,202.99.104.0/21,202.99.112.0/20,202.99.128.0/19,202.99.160.0/21,202.99.168.0/21,202.99.176.0/20,202.99.192.0/21,202.99.200.0/21,202.99.208.0/20,202.99.224.0/21,202.99.232.0/21,202.99.240.0/20,202.100.0.0/21,202.100.8.0/21,202.100.16.0/20,202.100.32.0/19,202.100.64.0/21,202.100.72.0/21,202.100.80.0/20,202.100.96.0/21,202.100.104.0/21,202.100.112.0/20,202.100.128.0/21,202.100.136.0/21,202.100.144.0/20,202.100.160.0/21,202.100.168.0/21,202.100.176.0/20,202.100.192.0/21,202.100.200.0/21,202.100.208.0/20,202.100.224.0/19,202.101.0.0/18,202.101.64.0/19,202.101.96.0/19,202.101.128.0/18,202.101.192.0/19,202.101.224.0/21,202.101.232.0/21,202.101.240.0/20,202.102.0.0/19,202.102.32.0/19,202.102.64.0/18,202.102.128.0/21,202.102.136.0/21,202.102.144.0/20,202.102.160.0/19,202.102.192.0/21,202.102.200.0/21,202.102.208.0/20,202.102.224.0/21,202.102.232.0/21,202.102.240.0/20
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Outgoing (Part 4)" action=block dir=out protocol=any localip=any remoteip=202.103.0.0/21,202.103.8.0/21,202.103.16.0/20,202.103.32.0/19,202.103.64.0/19,202.103.96.0/21,202.103.104.0/21,202.103.112.0/20,202.103.128.0/18,202.103.192.0/19,202.103.224.0/21,202.103.232.0/21,202.103.240.0/20,202.104.0.0/15,202.106.0.0/16,202.107.0.0/17,202.107.128.0/17,202.108.0.0/16,202.109.0.0/16,202.110.0.0/18,202.110.64.0/18,202.110.128.0/18,202.110.192.0/18,202.111.0.0/17,202.111.128.0/19,202.111.160.0/19,202.111.192.0/18,202.112.0.0/16,202.113.0.0/20,202.113.16.0/20,202.113.32.0/19,202.113.64.0/18,202.113.128.0/18,202.113.192.0/19,202.113.224.0/20,202.113.240.0/20,202.114.0.0/19,202.114.32.0/19,202.114.64.0/18,202.114.128.0/17,202.115.0.0/19,202.115.32.0/19,202.115.64.0/18,202.115.128.0/17,202.116.0.0/19,202.116.32.0/20,202.116.48.0/20,202.116.64.0/19,202.116.96.0/19,202.116.128.0/17,202.117.0.0/18,202.117.64.0/18,202.117.128.0/17,202.118.0.0/19,202.118.32.0/19,202.118.64.0/18,202.118.128.0/17,202.119.0.0/19,202.119.32.0/19,202.119.64.0/20,202.119.80.0/20,202.119.96.0/19,202.119.128.0/17,202.120.0.0/18,202.120.64.0/18,202.120.128.0/17,202.121.0.0/16,202.122.0.0/21,202.122.32.0/21,202.122.64.0/19,202.122.112.0/21,202.122.128.0/24,202.123.96.0/20,202.125.176.0/20,202.127.0.0/23,202.127.2.0/24,202.127.3.0/24,202.127.4.0/24,202.127.5.0/24,202.127.6.0/23,202.127.12.0/22,202.127.16.0/20,202.127.40.0/21,202.127.48.0/20,202.127.112.0/20,202.127.128.0/20,202.127.144.0/20,202.127.160.0/21,202.127.192.0/23,202.127.194.0/23,202.127.196.0/22,202.127.200.0/21,202.127.208.0/24,202.127.209.0/24,202.127.212.0/22,202.127.216.0/21,202.127.224.0/19,202.130.0.0/19,202.130.224.0/19,202.131.16.0/21,202.131.48.0/20,202.131.208.0/20,202.136.48.0/20,202.136.208.0/20,202.136.224.0/20,202.141.160.0/19,202.142.16.0/20,202.143.16.0/20,202.148.96.0/19,202.149.160.0/19,202.149.224.0/19,202.150.16.0/20,202.152.176.0/20,202.153.48.0/20,202.158.160.0/19,202.160.176.0/20,202.164.0.0/20,202.165.96.0/20,202.165.176.0/20,202.165.208.0/20,202.168.160.0/20,202.168.176.0/20,202.170.128.0/19,202.170.216.0/21,202.173.8.0/21,202.173.224.0/19,202.179.240.0/20,202.180.128.0/19,202.181.112.0/20,202.189.80.0/20,202.192.0.0/13,202.200.0.0/14,202.204.0.0/14,203.18.50.0/24,203.79.0.0/20,203.80.144.0/20,203.81.16.0/20,203.83.56.0/21,203.86.0.0/19,203.86.32.0/19,203.86.64.0/20,203.86.80.0/20,203.88.32.0/19,203.88.192.0/19,203.89.0.0/22,203.90.0.0/22,203.90.128.0/19,203.90.160.0/19,203.90.192.0/19,203.91.32.0/19,203.91.96.0/20,203.91.120.0/21,203.92.0.0/22,203.92.160.0/19,203.93.0.0/22,203.93.4.0/22,203.93.8.0/24,203.93.9.0/24,203.93.10.0/23,203.93.12.0/22,203.93.16.0/20,203.93.32.0/19,203.93.64.0/18,203.93.128.0/21,203.93.136.0/22,203.93.140.0/24,203.93.141.0/24,203.93.142.0/23,203.93.144.0/20,203.93.160.0/19,203.93.192.0/18,203.94.0.0/22,203.94.4.0/22,203.94.8.0/21,203.94.16.0/20,203.95.0.0/21,203.95.96.0/20,203.95.112.0/20,203.99.16.0/20,203.99.80.0/20,203.100.32.0/20,203.100.80.0/20,203.100.96.0/19,203.100.192.0/20,203.110.160.0/19,203.118.192.0/19,203.119.24.0/21,203.119.32.0/22,203.128.32.0/19,203.128.96.0/19,203.130.32.0/19,203.132.32.0/19,203.134.240.0/21,203.135.96.0/20,203.135.112.0/20,203.135.160.0/20,203.148.0.0/18,203.152.64.0/19,203.156.192.0/18,203.158.16.0/21,203.161.192.0/19,203.166.160.0/19,203.171.224.0/20,203.174.96.0/19,203.175.128.0/19,203.175.192.0/18,203.176.168.0/21,203.184.80.0/20,203.187.160.0/19,203.190.96.0/20,203.191.16.0/20,203.191.64.0/18,203.191.144.0/21,203.191.152.0/21,203.192.0.0/19,203.196.0.0/21,203.207.64.0/18,203.207.128.0/17,203.208.0.0/20,203.208.16.0/22
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Outgoing (Part 5)" action=block dir=out protocol=any localip=any remoteip=203.208.32.0/19,203.209.224.0/19,203.212.0.0/20,203.212.80.0/20,203.222.192.0/20,203.223.0.0/20,210.2.0.0/20,210.2.16.0/20,210.5.0.0/19,210.5.144.0/20,210.12.0.0/18,210.12.64.0/18,210.12.128.0/18,210.12.192.0/18,210.13.0.0/18,210.13.64.0/18,210.13.128.0/17,210.14.64.0/19,210.14.128.0/19,210.14.160.0/19,210.14.192.0/19,210.14.224.0/19,210.15.0.0/19,210.15.32.0/19,210.15.64.0/19,210.15.96.0/19,210.15.128.0/18,210.16.128.0/18,210.21.0.0/17,210.21.128.0/17,210.22.0.0/16,210.23.32.0/19,210.25.0.0/16,210.26.0.0/15,210.28.0.0/14,210.32.0.0/14,210.36.0.0/14,210.40.0.0/13,210.51.0.0/16,210.52.0.0/18,210.52.64.0/18,210.52.128.0/17,210.53.0.0/17,210.53.128.0/17,210.56.192.0/19,210.72.0.0/17,210.72.128.0/19,210.72.160.0/19,210.72.192.0/18,210.73.0.0/19,210.73.32.0/19,210.73.64.0/18,210.73.128.0/17,210.74.0.0/19,210.74.32.0/19,210.74.64.0/19,210.74.96.0/19,210.74.128.0/19,210.74.160.0/19,210.74.192.0/18,210.75.0.0/16,210.76.0.0/19,210.76.32.0/19,210.76.64.0/18,210.76.128.0/17,210.77.0.0/16,210.78.0.0/19,210.78.32.0/19,210.78.64.0/18,210.78.128.0/19,210.78.160.0/19,210.78.192.0/18,210.79.64.0/18,210.79.224.0/19,210.82.0.0/15,210.87.128.0/20,210.87.144.0/20,210.87.160.0/19,210.185.192.0/18,210.192.96.0/19,211.64.0.0/14,211.68.0.0/15,211.70.0.0/15,211.80.0.0/16,211.81.0.0/16,211.82.0.0/16,211.83.0.0/16,211.84.0.0/15,211.86.0.0/15,211.88.0.0/16,211.89.0.0/16,211.90.0.0/15,211.92.0.0/15,211.94.0.0/15,211.96.0.0/15,211.98.0.0/15,211.100.0.0/16,211.101.0.0/18,211.101.64.0/18,211.101.128.0/17,211.102.0.0/16,211.103.0.0/17,211.103.128.0/17,211.136.0.0/14,211.140.0.0/15,211.142.0.0/17,211.142.128.0/17,211.143.0.0/16,211.144.0.0/15,211.146.0.0/16,211.147.0.0/16,211.148.0.0/14,211.152.0.0/15,211.154.0.0/16,211.155.0.0/18,211.155.64.0/19,211.155.96.0/19,211.155.128.0/17,211.156.0.0/14,211.160.0.0/14,211.164.0.0/14,218.0.0.0/16,218.1.0.0/16,218.2.0.0/15,218.4.0.0/15,218.6.0.0/16,218.7.0.0/16,218.8.0.0/15,218.10.0.0/16,218.11.0.0/16,218.12.0.0/16,218.13.0.0/16,218.14.0.0/15,218.16.0.0/14,218.20.0.0/16,218.21.0.0/17,218.21.128.0/17,218.22.0.0/15,218.24.0.0/15,218.26.0.0/16,218.27.0.0/16,218.28.0.0/15,218.30.0.0/15,218.56.0.0/14,218.60.0.0/15,218.62.0.0/17,218.62.128.0/17,218.63.0.0/16,218.64.0.0/15,218.66.0.0/16,218.67.0.0/17,218.67.128.0/17,218.68.0.0/15,218.70.0.0/15,218.72.0.0/14,218.76.0.0/15,218.78.0.0/15,218.80.0.0/14,218.84.0.0/14,218.88.0.0/13,218.96.0.0/14,218.104.0.0/17,218.104.128.0/19,218.104.160.0/19,218.104.192.0/21,218.104.200.0/21,218.104.208.0/20,218.104.224.0/19,218.105.0.0/16,218.106.0.0/15,218.108.0.0/16,218.109.0.0/16,218.185.192.0/19,218.192.0.0/16,218.193.0.0/16,218.194.0.0/16,218.195.0.0/16,218.196.0.0/14,218.200.0.0/14,218.204.0.0/15,218.206.0.0/15,218.240.0.0/14,218.244.0.0/15,218.246.0.0/15,218.249.0.0/16,219.72.0.0/16,219.82.0.0/16,219.128.0.0/12,219.144.0.0/14,219.148.0.0/16,219.149.0.0/17,219.149.128.0/18,219.149.192.0/18,219.150.0.0/19,219.150.32.0/19,219.150.64.0/19,219.150.96.0/20,219.150.112.0/20,219.150.128.0/17,219.151.0.0/19,219.151.32.0/19,219.151.64.0/18,219.151.128.0/17,219.152.0.0/15,219.154.0.0/15,219.156.0.0/15,219.158.0.0/17,219.158.128.0/17,219.159.0.0/18,219.159.64.0/18,219.159.128.0/17,219.216.0.0/15,219.218.0.0/15,219.220.0.0/16,219.221.0.0/16,219.222.0.0/15,219.224.0.0/15,219.226.0.0/16,219.227.0.0/16,219.228.0.0/15
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Outgoing (Part 6)" action=block dir=out protocol=any localip=any remoteip=219.230.0.0/15,219.232.0.0/14,219.236.0.0/15,219.238.0.0/15,219.242.0.0/15,219.244.0.0/14,220.101.192.0/18,220.112.0.0/14,220.152.128.0/17,220.154.0.0/15,220.160.0.0/11,220.192.0.0/15,220.194.0.0/15,220.196.0.0/14,220.200.0.0/13,220.231.0.0/18,220.231.128.0/17,220.232.64.0/18,220.234.0.0/16,220.242.0.0/15,220.248.0.0/14,220.252.0.0/16,221.0.0.0/15,221.2.0.0/16,221.3.0.0/17,221.3.128.0/17,221.4.0.0/16,221.5.0.0/17,221.5.128.0/17,221.6.0.0/16,221.7.0.0/19,221.7.32.0/19,221.7.64.0/19,221.7.96.0/19,221.7.128.0/17,221.8.0.0/15,221.10.0.0/16,221.11.0.0/17,221.11.128.0/18,221.11.192.0/19,221.11.224.0/19,221.12.0.0/17,221.12.128.0/18,221.13.0.0/18,221.13.64.0/19,221.13.96.0/19,221.13.128.0/17,221.14.0.0/15,221.122.0.0/15,221.129.0.0/16,221.130.0.0/15,221.133.224.0/19,221.136.0.0/16,221.137.0.0/16,221.172.0.0/14,221.176.0.0/13,221.192.0.0/15,221.194.0.0/16,221.195.0.0/16,221.196.0.0/15,221.198.0.0/16,221.199.0.0/19,221.199.32.0/20,221.199.48.0/20,221.199.64.0/18,221.199.128.0/18,221.199.192.0/20,221.199.224.0/19,221.200.0.0/14,221.204.0.0/15,221.206.0.0/16,221.207.0.0/18,221.207.64.0/18,221.207.128.0/17,221.208.0.0/14,221.212.0.0/16,221.213.0.0/16,221.214.0.0/15,221.216.0.0/13,221.224.0.0/13,221.232.0.0/14,221.236.0.0/15,221.238.0.0/16,221.239.0.0/17,221.239.128.0/17,222.16.0.0/15,222.18.0.0/15,222.20.0.0/15,222.22.0.0/16,222.23.0.0/16,222.24.0.0/15,222.26.0.0/15,222.28.0.0/14,222.32.0.0/11,222.64.0.0/13,222.72.0.0/15,222.74.0.0/16,222.75.0.0/16,222.76.0.0/14,222.80.0.0/15,222.82.0.0/16,222.83.0.0/17,222.83.128.0/17,222.84.0.0/16,222.85.0.0/17,222.85.128.0/17,222.86.0.0/15,222.88.0.0/15,222.90.0.0/15,222.92.0.0/14,222.125.0.0/16,222.126.128.0/17,222.128.0.0/14,222.132.0.0/14,222.136.0.0/13,222.160.0.0/15,222.162.0.0/16,222.163.0.0/19,222.163.32.0/19,222.163.64.0/18,222.163.128.0/17,222.168.0.0/15,222.170.0.0/15,222.172.0.0/17,222.172.128.0/17,222.173.0.0/16,222.174.0.0/15,222.176.0.0/13,222.184.0.0/13,222.192.0.0/14,222.196.0.0/15,222.198.0.0/16,222.199.0.0/16,222.200.0.0/14,222.204.0.0/15,222.206.0.0/15,222.208.0.0/13,222.216.0.0/15,222.218.0.0/16,222.219.0.0/16,222.220.0.0/15,222.222.0.0/15,222.240.0.0/13,222.248.0.0/16,222.249.0.0/17,222.249.128.0/19,222.249.160.0/20,222.249.176.0/20,222.249.192.0/18
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 1)" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=58.14.0.0/15,58.16.0.0/16,58.17.0.0/17,58.17.128.0/17,58.18.0.0/16,58.19.0.0/16,58.20.0.0/16,58.21.0.0/16,58.22.0.0/15,58.24.0.0/15,58.30.0.0/15,58.32.0.0/13,58.40.0.0/15,58.42.0.0/16,58.43.0.0/16,58.44.0.0/14,58.48.0.0/13,58.56.0.0/15,58.58.0.0/16,58.59.0.0/17,58.59.128.0/17,58.60.0.0/14,58.66.0.0/15,58.68.128.0/17,58.82.0.0/15,58.87.64.0/18,58.99.128.0/17,58.100.0.0/15,58.116.0.0/14,58.128.0.0/13,58.144.0.0/16,58.154.0.0/15,58.192.0.0/15,58.194.0.0/15,58.196.0.0/15,58.198.0.0/15,58.200.0.0/13,58.208.0.0/12,58.240.0.0/15,58.242.0.0/15,58.244.0.0/15,58.246.0.0/15,58.248.0.0/13,59.32.0.0/13,59.40.0.0/15,59.42.0.0/16,59.43.0.0/16,59.44.0.0/14,59.48.0.0/16,59.49.0.0/17,59.49.128.0/17,59.50.0.0/16,59.51.0.0/17,59.51.128.0/17,59.52.0.0/14,59.56.0.0/14,59.60.0.0/15,59.62.0.0/15,59.64.0.0/14,59.68.0.0/14,59.72.0.0/15,59.74.0.0/15,59.76.0.0/16,59.77.0.0/16,59.78.0.0/15,59.80.0.0/14,59.107.0.0/17,59.107.128.0/17,59.108.0.0/15,59.110.0.0/15,59.151.0.0/17,59.155.0.0/16,59.172.0.0/15,59.174.0.0/15,59.191.0.0/17,59.192.0.0/10,60.0.0.0/13,60.8.0.0/15,60.10.0.0/16,60.11.0.0/16,60.12.0.0/16,60.13.0.0/18,60.13.64.0/18,60.13.128.0/17,60.14.0.0/15,60.16.0.0/13,60.24.0.0/14,60.28.0.0/15,60.30.0.0/16,60.31.0.0/16,60.55.0.0/16,60.63.0.0/16,60.160.0.0/15,60.162.0.0/15,60.164.0.0/15,60.166.0.0/15,60.168.0.0/13,60.176.0.0/12,60.194.0.0/15,60.200.0.0/14,60.204.0.0/16,60.205.0.0/16,60.206.0.0/15,60.208.0.0/13,60.216.0.0/15,60.218.0.0/15,60.220.0.0/14,60.232.0.0/15,60.235.0.0/16,60.245.128.0/17,60.247.0.0/16,60.252.0.0/16,60.253.128.0/17,60.255.0.0/16,61.4.80.0/20,61.4.176.0/20,61.8.160.0/20,61.28.0.0/20,61.28.16.0/20,61.28.32.0/19,61.28.64.0/18,61.29.128.0/18,61.29.192.0/19,61.29.224.0/20,61.29.240.0/20,61.45.128.0/18,61.47.128.0/18,61.48.0.0/14,61.52.0.0/15,61.54.0.0/16,61.55.0.0/16,61.87.192.0/18,61.128.0.0/15,61.130.0.0/15,61.132.0.0/16,61.133.0.0/17,61.133.128.0/17,61.134.0.0/18,61.134.64.0/19,61.134.96.0/19,61.134.128.0/18,61.134.192.0/18,61.135.0.0/16,61.136.0.0/18,61.136.64.0/18,61.136.128.0/17,61.137.0.0/17,61.137.128.0/17,61.138.0.0/18,61.138.64.0/18,61.138.128.0/18,61.138.192.0/18,61.139.0.0/17,61.139.128.0/18,61.139.192.0/18,61.140.0.0/14,61.144.0.0/14,61.148.0.0/15,61.150.0.0/15,61.152.0.0/16,61.153.0.0/16,61.154.0.0/15,61.156.0.0/16,61.157.0.0/16,61.158.0.0/17,61.158.128.0/17,61.159.0.0/18,61.159.64.0/18,61.159.128.0/17,61.160.0.0/16,61.161.0.0/18,61.161.64.0/18,61.161.128.0/17,61.162.0.0/16,61.163.0.0/16,61.164.0.0/16,61.165.0.0/16,61.166.0.0/16,61.167.0.0/16,61.168.0.0/16,61.169.0.0/16,61.170.0.0/15,61.172.0.0/14,61.176.0.0/16,61.177.0.0/16,61.178.0.0/16,61.179.0.0/16,61.180.0.0/17,61.180.128.0/17,61.181.0.0/16,61.182.0.0/16,61.183.0.0/16,61.184.0.0/14,61.188.0.0/16,61.189.0.0/17,61.189.128.0/17,61.190.0.0/15,61.232.0.0/14,61.236.0.0/15,61.240.0.0/14,116.1.0.0/16,116.2.0.0/15,116.4.0.0/14,116.8.0.0/14,116.13.0.0/16,116.16.0.0/12,116.52.0.0/14,116.56.0.0/15,116.58.128.0/20,116.58.208.0/20,116.60.0.0/14,116.66.0.0/17,116.69.0.0/16,116.70.0.0/17,116.76.0.0/15,116.78.0.0/15,116.89.144.0/20,116.90.184.0/21,116.95.0.0/16,116.112.0.0/14
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 2)" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=116.116.0.0/15,116.128.0.0/10,116.192.0.0/16,116.193.16.0/20,116.193.32.0/19,116.194.0.0/15,116.196.0.0/16,116.198.0.0/16,116.199.0.0/17,116.199.128.0/19,116.204.0.0/15,116.207.0.0/16,116.208.0.0/14,116.212.160.0/20,116.213.64.0/18,116.213.128.0/17,116.214.32.0/19,116.214.64.0/20,116.214.128.0/17,116.215.0.0/16,116.216.0.0/14,116.224.0.0/12,116.242.0.0/15,116.244.0.0/15,116.246.0.0/15,116.248.0.0/15,116.252.0.0/15,116.254.128.0/17,116.255.128.0/17,117.8.0.0/13,117.21.0.0/16,117.22.0.0/15,117.24.0.0/13,117.32.0.0/13,117.40.0.0/14,117.44.0.0/15,117.48.0.0/14,117.53.48.0/20,117.53.176.0/20,121.0.16.0/20,121.4.0.0/15,121.8.0.0/13,121.16.0.0/13,121.24.0.0/14,121.28.0.0/15,121.30.0.0/16,121.31.0.0/16,121.32.0.0/14,121.36.0.0/16,121.37.0.0/16,121.38.0.0/15,121.40.0.0/14,121.46.0.0/16,121.47.0.0/16,121.48.0.0/15,121.51.0.0/16,121.55.0.0/18,121.56.0.0/15,121.58.0.0/17,121.59.0.0/16,121.60.0.0/14,121.68.0.0/14,121.76.0.0/15,121.89.0.0/16,121.100.128.0/17,121.192.0.0/16,121.193.0.0/16,121.194.0.0/15,121.201.0.0/16,121.204.0.0/14,121.224.0.0/12,121.248.0.0/14,121.255.0.0/16,122.0.64.0/18,122.0.128.0/17,122.4.0.0/14,122.8.0.0/13,122.48.0.0/16,122.49.0.0/18,122.51.0.0/16,122.64.0.0/11,122.96.0.0/15,122.102.0.0/20,122.102.64.0/20,122.102.80.0/20,122.136.0.0/13,122.144.128.0/17,122.152.192.0/18,122.156.0.0/14,122.192.0.0/14,122.198.0.0/16,122.200.64.0/18,122.204.0.0/14,122.224.0.0/12,122.240.0.0/13,122.248.48.0/20,123.0.128.0/18,123.4.0.0/14,123.8.0.0/13,123.49.128.0/17,123.52.0.0/14,123.56.0.0/13,123.64.0.0/11,123.96.0.0/15,123.98.0.0/17,123.99.128.0/17,123.100.0.0/19,123.101.0.0/16,123.103.0.0/17,123.108.128.0/20,123.108.208.0/20,123.112.0.0/12,123.128.0.0/13,123.136.80.0/20,123.137.0.0/16,123.138.0.0/15,123.144.0.0/14,123.148.0.0/16,123.149.0.0/16,123.150.0.0/15,123.152.0.0/13,123.160.0.0/14,123.164.0.0/14,123.168.0.0/14,123.172.0.0/15,123.174.0.0/15,123.176.80.0/20,123.177.0.0/16,123.178.0.0/15,123.180.0.0/14,123.184.0.0/14,123.188.0.0/14,123.196.0.0/15,123.199.128.0/17,123.206.0.0/15,123.232.0.0/14,123.242.0.0/17,123.244.0.0/14,123.249.0.0/16,123.253.0.0/16,124.6.64.0/18,124.14.0.0/15,124.16.0.0/15,124.20.0.0/16,124.21.0.0/20,124.21.16.0/20,124.21.32.0/19,124.21.64.0/18,124.21.128.0/17,124.22.0.0/15,124.29.0.0/17,124.40.128.0/18,124.42.0.0/17,124.47.0.0/18,124.64.0.0/15,124.66.0.0/17,124.67.0.0/16,124.68.0.0/14,124.72.0.0/16,124.73.0.0/16,124.74.0.0/15,124.76.0.0/14,124.88.0.0/16,124.89.0.0/17,124.89.128.0/17,124.90.0.0/15,124.92.0.0/14,124.108.8.0/21,124.108.40.0/21,124.112.0.0/15,124.114.0.0/15,124.116.0.0/16,124.117.0.0/16,124.118.0.0/15,124.126.0.0/15,124.128.0.0/13,124.147.128.0/17,124.156.0.0/16,124.160.0.0/16,124.161.0.0/16,124.162.0.0/16,124.163.0.0/16,124.164.0.0/14,124.172.0.0/15,124.174.0.0/15,124.192.0.0/15,124.196.0.0/16,124.200.0.0/13,124.220.0.0/14,124.224.0.0/16,124.225.0.0/16,124.226.0.0/15,124.228.0.0/14,124.232.0.0/15,124.234.0.0/15,124.236.0.0/14,124.240.0.0/17,124.242.0.0/16,124.243.192.0/18,124.248.0.0/17,124.249.0.0/16,124.250.0.0/15,124.254.0.0/18,125.31.192.0/18,125.32.0.0/16,125.33.0.0/16,125.34.0.0/16,125.35.0.0/17,125.35.128.0/17,125.36.0.0/14,125.40.0.0/13,125.58.128.0/17,125.62.0.0/18,125.64.0.0/13,125.72.0.0/16,125.73.0.0/16,125.74.0.0/15,125.76.0.0/17,125.76.128.0/17,125.77.0.0/16
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 3)" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=125.78.0.0/15,125.80.0.0/13,125.88.0.0/13,125.96.0.0/15,125.98.0.0/16,125.104.0.0/13,125.112.0.0/12,125.169.0.0/16,125.171.0.0/16,125.208.0.0/18,125.210.0.0/16,125.211.0.0/16,125.213.0.0/17,125.215.0.0/18,125.216.0.0/15,125.218.0.0/16,125.219.0.0/16,125.220.0.0/15,125.222.0.0/15,125.254.128.0/18,125.254.192.0/18,134.196.0.0/16,159.226.0.0/16,161.207.0.0/16,162.105.0.0/16,166.111.0.0/16,167.139.0.0/16,168.160.0.0/16,192.83.122.0/24,192.83.169.0/24,192.124.154.0/24,192.188.170.0/24,198.17.7.0/24,202.0.110.0/24,202.0.176.0/22,202.4.128.0/19,202.4.252.0/22,202.8.128.0/19,202.10.64.0/20,202.14.88.0/24,202.14.235.0/24,202.14.236.0/23,202.14.238.0/24,202.20.120.0/24,202.22.248.0/22,202.22.252.0/22,202.38.0.0/23,202.38.2.0/23,202.38.4.0/22,202.38.8.0/21,202.38.64.0/19,202.38.96.0/19,202.38.128.0/23,202.38.130.0/23,202.38.132.0/23,202.38.134.0/24,202.38.135.0/24,202.38.136.0/24,202.38.137.0/24,202.38.138.0/24,202.38.140.0/23,202.38.142.0/24,202.38.143.0/24,202.38.146.0/23,202.38.149.0/24,202.38.150.0/23,202.38.152.0/23,202.38.154.0/23,202.38.156.0/24,202.38.158.0/23,202.38.160.0/23,202.38.164.0/22,202.38.168.0/24,202.38.169.0/24,202.38.170.0/24,202.38.171.0/24,202.38.172.0/24,202.38.173.0/24,202.38.174.0/24,202.38.175.0/24,202.38.176.0/23,202.38.184.0/21,202.38.192.0/18,202.41.152.0/21,202.41.240.0/20,202.43.144.0/20,202.46.32.0/19,202.46.224.0/20,202.60.112.0/20,202.63.248.0/22,202.69.4.0/22,202.69.16.0/20,202.70.0.0/19,202.74.8.0/21,202.75.208.0/20,202.85.208.0/20,202.90.0.0/22,202.90.224.0/20,202.90.252.0/22,202.91.0.0/22,202.91.128.0/22,202.91.176.0/20,202.91.224.0/19,202.92.0.0/22,202.92.252.0/22,202.93.0.0/22,202.93.252.0/22,202.94.0.0/19,202.95.0.0/22,202.95.4.0/22,202.95.8.0/21,202.95.16.0/20,202.95.252.0/22,202.96.0.0/18,202.96.64.0/21,202.96.72.0/21,202.96.80.0/20,202.96.96.0/21,202.96.104.0/21,202.96.112.0/20,202.96.128.0/21,202.96.136.0/21,202.96.144.0/20,202.96.160.0/21,202.96.168.0/21,202.96.176.0/20,202.96.192.0/21,202.96.200.0/21,202.96.208.0/20,202.96.224.0/21,202.96.232.0/21,202.96.240.0/20,202.97.0.0/21,202.97.8.0/21,202.97.16.0/20,202.97.32.0/19,202.97.64.0/19,202.97.96.0/20,202.97.112.0/20,202.97.128.0/18,202.97.192.0/19,202.97.224.0/21,202.97.232.0/21,202.97.240.0/20,202.98.0.0/21,202.98.8.0/21,202.98.16.0/20,202.98.32.0/21,202.98.40.0/21,202.98.48.0/20,202.98.64.0/19,202.98.96.0/21,202.98.104.0/21,202.98.112.0/20,202.98.128.0/19,202.98.160.0/21,202.98.168.0/21,202.98.176.0/20,202.98.192.0/21,202.98.200.0/21,202.98.208.0/20,202.98.224.0/21,202.98.232.0/21,202.98.240.0/20,202.99.0.0/18,202.99.64.0/19,202.99.96.0/21,202.99.104.0/21,202.99.112.0/20,202.99.128.0/19,202.99.160.0/21,202.99.168.0/21,202.99.176.0/20,202.99.192.0/21,202.99.200.0/21,202.99.208.0/20,202.99.224.0/21,202.99.232.0/21,202.99.240.0/20,202.100.0.0/21,202.100.8.0/21,202.100.16.0/20,202.100.32.0/19,202.100.64.0/21,202.100.72.0/21,202.100.80.0/20,202.100.96.0/21,202.100.104.0/21,202.100.112.0/20,202.100.128.0/21,202.100.136.0/21,202.100.144.0/20,202.100.160.0/21,202.100.168.0/21,202.100.176.0/20,202.100.192.0/21,202.100.200.0/21,202.100.208.0/20,202.100.224.0/19,202.101.0.0/18,202.101.64.0/19,202.101.96.0/19,202.101.128.0/18,202.101.192.0/19,202.101.224.0/21,202.101.232.0/21,202.101.240.0/20,202.102.0.0/19,202.102.32.0/19,202.102.64.0/18,202.102.128.0/21,202.102.136.0/21,202.102.144.0/20,202.102.160.0/19,202.102.192.0/21,202.102.200.0/21,202.102.208.0/20,202.102.224.0/21,202.102.232.0/21,202.102.240.0/20
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 4)" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=202.103.0.0/21,202.103.8.0/21,202.103.16.0/20,202.103.32.0/19,202.103.64.0/19,202.103.96.0/21,202.103.104.0/21,202.103.112.0/20,202.103.128.0/18,202.103.192.0/19,202.103.224.0/21,202.103.232.0/21,202.103.240.0/20,202.104.0.0/15,202.106.0.0/16,202.107.0.0/17,202.107.128.0/17,202.108.0.0/16,202.109.0.0/16,202.110.0.0/18,202.110.64.0/18,202.110.128.0/18,202.110.192.0/18,202.111.0.0/17,202.111.128.0/19,202.111.160.0/19,202.111.192.0/18,202.112.0.0/16,202.113.0.0/20,202.113.16.0/20,202.113.32.0/19,202.113.64.0/18,202.113.128.0/18,202.113.192.0/19,202.113.224.0/20,202.113.240.0/20,202.114.0.0/19,202.114.32.0/19,202.114.64.0/18,202.114.128.0/17,202.115.0.0/19,202.115.32.0/19,202.115.64.0/18,202.115.128.0/17,202.116.0.0/19,202.116.32.0/20,202.116.48.0/20,202.116.64.0/19,202.116.96.0/19,202.116.128.0/17,202.117.0.0/18,202.117.64.0/18,202.117.128.0/17,202.118.0.0/19,202.118.32.0/19,202.118.64.0/18,202.118.128.0/17,202.119.0.0/19,202.119.32.0/19,202.119.64.0/20,202.119.80.0/20,202.119.96.0/19,202.119.128.0/17,202.120.0.0/18,202.120.64.0/18,202.120.128.0/17,202.121.0.0/16,202.122.0.0/21,202.122.32.0/21,202.122.64.0/19,202.122.112.0/21,202.122.128.0/24,202.123.96.0/20,202.125.176.0/20,202.127.0.0/23,202.127.2.0/24,202.127.3.0/24,202.127.4.0/24,202.127.5.0/24,202.127.6.0/23,202.127.12.0/22,202.127.16.0/20,202.127.40.0/21,202.127.48.0/20,202.127.112.0/20,202.127.128.0/20,202.127.144.0/20,202.127.160.0/21,202.127.192.0/23,202.127.194.0/23,202.127.196.0/22,202.127.200.0/21,202.127.208.0/24,202.127.209.0/24,202.127.212.0/22,202.127.216.0/21,202.127.224.0/19,202.130.0.0/19,202.130.224.0/19,202.131.16.0/21,202.131.48.0/20,202.131.208.0/20,202.136.48.0/20,202.136.208.0/20,202.136.224.0/20,202.141.160.0/19,202.142.16.0/20,202.143.16.0/20,202.148.96.0/19,202.149.160.0/19,202.149.224.0/19,202.150.16.0/20,202.152.176.0/20,202.153.48.0/20,202.158.160.0/19,202.160.176.0/20,202.164.0.0/20,202.165.96.0/20,202.165.176.0/20,202.165.208.0/20,202.168.160.0/20,202.168.176.0/20,202.170.128.0/19,202.170.216.0/21,202.173.8.0/21,202.173.224.0/19,202.179.240.0/20,202.180.128.0/19,202.181.112.0/20,202.189.80.0/20,202.192.0.0/13,202.200.0.0/14,202.204.0.0/14,203.18.50.0/24,203.79.0.0/20,203.80.144.0/20,203.81.16.0/20,203.83.56.0/21,203.86.0.0/19,203.86.32.0/19,203.86.64.0/20,203.86.80.0/20,203.88.32.0/19,203.88.192.0/19,203.89.0.0/22,203.90.0.0/22,203.90.128.0/19,203.90.160.0/19,203.90.192.0/19,203.91.32.0/19,203.91.96.0/20,203.91.120.0/21,203.92.0.0/22,203.92.160.0/19,203.93.0.0/22,203.93.4.0/22,203.93.8.0/24,203.93.9.0/24,203.93.10.0/23,203.93.12.0/22,203.93.16.0/20,203.93.32.0/19,203.93.64.0/18,203.93.128.0/21,203.93.136.0/22,203.93.140.0/24,203.93.141.0/24,203.93.142.0/23,203.93.144.0/20,203.93.160.0/19,203.93.192.0/18,203.94.0.0/22,203.94.4.0/22,203.94.8.0/21,203.94.16.0/20,203.95.0.0/21,203.95.96.0/20,203.95.112.0/20,203.99.16.0/20,203.99.80.0/20,203.100.32.0/20,203.100.80.0/20,203.100.96.0/19,203.100.192.0/20,203.110.160.0/19,203.118.192.0/19,203.119.24.0/21,203.119.32.0/22,203.128.32.0/19,203.128.96.0/19,203.130.32.0/19,203.132.32.0/19,203.134.240.0/21,203.135.96.0/20,203.135.112.0/20,203.135.160.0/20,203.148.0.0/18,203.152.64.0/19,203.156.192.0/18,203.158.16.0/21,203.161.192.0/19,203.166.160.0/19,203.171.224.0/20,203.174.96.0/19,203.175.128.0/19,203.175.192.0/18,203.176.168.0/21,203.184.80.0/20,203.187.160.0/19,203.190.96.0/20,203.191.16.0/20,203.191.64.0/18,203.191.144.0/21,203.191.152.0/21,203.192.0.0/19,203.196.0.0/21,203.207.64.0/18,203.207.128.0/17,203.208.0.0/20,203.208.16.0/22
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 5)" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=203.208.32.0/19,203.209.224.0/19,203.212.0.0/20,203.212.80.0/20,203.222.192.0/20,203.223.0.0/20,210.2.0.0/20,210.2.16.0/20,210.5.0.0/19,210.5.144.0/20,210.12.0.0/18,210.12.64.0/18,210.12.128.0/18,210.12.192.0/18,210.13.0.0/18,210.13.64.0/18,210.13.128.0/17,210.14.64.0/19,210.14.128.0/19,210.14.160.0/19,210.14.192.0/19,210.14.224.0/19,210.15.0.0/19,210.15.32.0/19,210.15.64.0/19,210.15.96.0/19,210.15.128.0/18,210.16.128.0/18,210.21.0.0/17,210.21.128.0/17,210.22.0.0/16,210.23.32.0/19,210.25.0.0/16,210.26.0.0/15,210.28.0.0/14,210.32.0.0/14,210.36.0.0/14,210.40.0.0/13,210.51.0.0/16,210.52.0.0/18,210.52.64.0/18,210.52.128.0/17,210.53.0.0/17,210.53.128.0/17,210.56.192.0/19,210.72.0.0/17,210.72.128.0/19,210.72.160.0/19,210.72.192.0/18,210.73.0.0/19,210.73.32.0/19,210.73.64.0/18,210.73.128.0/17,210.74.0.0/19,210.74.32.0/19,210.74.64.0/19,210.74.96.0/19,210.74.128.0/19,210.74.160.0/19,210.74.192.0/18,210.75.0.0/16,210.76.0.0/19,210.76.32.0/19,210.76.64.0/18,210.76.128.0/17,210.77.0.0/16,210.78.0.0/19,210.78.32.0/19,210.78.64.0/18,210.78.128.0/19,210.78.160.0/19,210.78.192.0/18,210.79.64.0/18,210.79.224.0/19,210.82.0.0/15,210.87.128.0/20,210.87.144.0/20,210.87.160.0/19,210.185.192.0/18,210.192.96.0/19,211.64.0.0/14,211.68.0.0/15,211.70.0.0/15,211.80.0.0/16,211.81.0.0/16,211.82.0.0/16,211.83.0.0/16,211.84.0.0/15,211.86.0.0/15,211.88.0.0/16,211.89.0.0/16,211.90.0.0/15,211.92.0.0/15,211.94.0.0/15,211.96.0.0/15,211.98.0.0/15,211.100.0.0/16,211.101.0.0/18,211.101.64.0/18,211.101.128.0/17,211.102.0.0/16,211.103.0.0/17,211.103.128.0/17,211.136.0.0/14,211.140.0.0/15,211.142.0.0/17,211.142.128.0/17,211.143.0.0/16,211.144.0.0/15,211.146.0.0/16,211.147.0.0/16,211.148.0.0/14,211.152.0.0/15,211.154.0.0/16,211.155.0.0/18,211.155.64.0/19,211.155.96.0/19,211.155.128.0/17,211.156.0.0/14,211.160.0.0/14,211.164.0.0/14,218.0.0.0/16,218.1.0.0/16,218.2.0.0/15,218.4.0.0/15,218.6.0.0/16,218.7.0.0/16,218.8.0.0/15,218.10.0.0/16,218.11.0.0/16,218.12.0.0/16,218.13.0.0/16,218.14.0.0/15,218.16.0.0/14,218.20.0.0/16,218.21.0.0/17,218.21.128.0/17,218.22.0.0/15,218.24.0.0/15,218.26.0.0/16,218.27.0.0/16,218.28.0.0/15,218.30.0.0/15,218.56.0.0/14,218.60.0.0/15,218.62.0.0/17,218.62.128.0/17,218.63.0.0/16,218.64.0.0/15,218.66.0.0/16,218.67.0.0/17,218.67.128.0/17,218.68.0.0/15,218.70.0.0/15,218.72.0.0/14,218.76.0.0/15,218.78.0.0/15,218.80.0.0/14,218.84.0.0/14,218.88.0.0/13,218.96.0.0/14,218.104.0.0/17,218.104.128.0/19,218.104.160.0/19,218.104.192.0/21,218.104.200.0/21,218.104.208.0/20,218.104.224.0/19,218.105.0.0/16,218.106.0.0/15,218.108.0.0/16,218.109.0.0/16,218.185.192.0/19,218.192.0.0/16,218.193.0.0/16,218.194.0.0/16,218.195.0.0/16,218.196.0.0/14,218.200.0.0/14,218.204.0.0/15,218.206.0.0/15,218.240.0.0/14,218.244.0.0/15,218.246.0.0/15,218.249.0.0/16,219.72.0.0/16,219.82.0.0/16,219.128.0.0/12,219.144.0.0/14,219.148.0.0/16,219.149.0.0/17,219.149.128.0/18,219.149.192.0/18,219.150.0.0/19,219.150.32.0/19,219.150.64.0/19,219.150.96.0/20,219.150.112.0/20,219.150.128.0/17,219.151.0.0/19,219.151.32.0/19,219.151.64.0/18,219.151.128.0/17,219.152.0.0/15,219.154.0.0/15,219.156.0.0/15,219.158.0.0/17,219.158.128.0/17,219.159.0.0/18,219.159.64.0/18,219.159.128.0/17,219.216.0.0/15,219.218.0.0/15,219.220.0.0/16,219.221.0.0/16,219.222.0.0/15,219.224.0.0/15,219.226.0.0/16,219.227.0.0/16,219.228.0.0/15
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="China IP Ban - Incoming (Part 6)" action=block dir=in protocol=any localip=any remoteip=219.230.0.0/15,219.232.0.0/14,219.236.0.0/15,219.238.0.0/15,219.242.0.0/15,219.244.0.0/14,220.101.192.0/18,220.112.0.0/14,220.152.128.0/17,220.154.0.0/15,220.160.0.0/11,220.192.0.0/15,220.194.0.0/15,220.196.0.0/14,220.200.0.0/13,220.231.0.0/18,220.231.128.0/17,220.232.64.0/18,220.234.0.0/16,220.242.0.0/15,220.248.0.0/14,220.252.0.0/16,221.0.0.0/15,221.2.0.0/16,221.3.0.0/17,221.3.128.0/17,221.4.0.0/16,221.5.0.0/17,221.5.128.0/17,221.6.0.0/16,221.7.0.0/19,221.7.32.0/19,221.7.64.0/19,221.7.96.0/19,221.7.128.0/17,221.8.0.0/15,221.10.0.0/16,221.11.0.0/17,221.11.128.0/18,221.11.192.0/19,221.11.224.0/19,221.12.0.0/17,221.12.128.0/18,221.13.0.0/18,221.13.64.0/19,221.13.96.0/19,221.13.128.0/17,221.14.0.0/15,221.122.0.0/15,221.129.0.0/16,221.130.0.0/15,221.133.224.0/19,221.136.0.0/16,221.137.0.0/16,221.172.0.0/14,221.176.0.0/13,221.192.0.0/15,221.194.0.0/16,221.195.0.0/16,221.196.0.0/15,221.198.0.0/16,221.199.0.0/19,221.199.32.0/20,221.199.48.0/20,221.199.64.0/18,221.199.128.0/18,221.199.192.0/20,221.199.224.0/19,221.200.0.0/14,221.204.0.0/15,221.206.0.0/16,221.207.0.0/18,221.207.64.0/18,221.207.128.0/17,221.208.0.0/14,221.212.0.0/16,221.213.0.0/16,221.214.0.0/15,221.216.0.0/13,221.224.0.0/13,221.232.0.0/14,221.236.0.0/15,221.238.0.0/16,221.239.0.0/17,221.239.128.0/17,222.16.0.0/15,222.18.0.0/15,222.20.0.0/15,222.22.0.0/16,222.23.0.0/16,222.24.0.0/15,222.26.0.0/15,222.28.0.0/14,222.32.0.0/11,222.64.0.0/13,222.72.0.0/15,222.74.0.0/16,222.75.0.0/16,222.76.0.0/14,222.80.0.0/15,222.82.0.0/16,222.83.0.0/17,222.83.128.0/17,222.84.0.0/16,222.85.0.0/17,222.85.128.0/17,222.86.0.0/15,222.88.0.0/15,222.90.0.0/15,222.92.0.0/14,222.125.0.0/16,222.126.128.0/17,222.128.0.0/14,222.132.0.0/14,222.136.0.0/13,222.160.0.0/15,222.162.0.0/16,222.163.0.0/19,222.163.32.0/19,222.163.64.0/18,222.163.128.0/17,222.168.0.0/15,222.170.0.0/15,222.172.0.0/17,222.172.128.0/17,222.173.0.0/16,222.174.0.0/15,222.176.0.0/13,222.184.0.0/13,222.192.0.0/14,222.196.0.0/15,222.198.0.0/16,222.199.0.0/16,222.200.0.0/14,222.204.0.0/15,222.206.0.0/15,222.208.0.0/13,222.216.0.0/15,222.218.0.0/16,222.219.0.0/16,222.220.0.0/15,222.222.0.0/15,222.240.0.0/13,222.248.0.0/16,222.249.0.0/17,222.249.128.0/19,222.249.160.0/20,222.249.176.0/20,222.249.192.0/18

UPDATE:
As has been pointed out to me, there are other, and probably more effective ways of doing this. However, this method is instructive in learning more about the Windows firewall, and demonstrates some tricks for when other methods aren't available. That said, one of the better ways is through the open-source program PeerBlock, which can be subscribed to a number of ban lists available at iBlockList, including a list of IP ranges in China. Expect to have to make a few manual edits to unblock sites that you use, because the lists are quite extensive.

Quantum Electronics

2009-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, scientists at Yale have created the world's first quantum integrated circuit. For those of you who are uninitiated in quantum mechanics, let me first preface this by saying that quantum mechanics do not, fundamentally, make intuitive sense. I don't understand them, and that's okay, because nobody does. But don't take my word for it:

I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.
-Richard Feynman

Okay, that said, this marks a major milestone in quantum computing. What is quantum computing? Basically, it uses the very singular properties and behaviors of subatomic particles to calculate things in ways that seem utterly nonsensical, yet have fantastic power. Quantum computer bits may assume a bizarre state called a 'q-bit', in which they are both zero and one. Using this, a quantum computer may determine all possible outcomes of an algorithm in a single step!

The chip mentioned in the article is a two-bit chip. The two bits of this chip would allow it to investigate algorithms it could compute within the time of holding a q-bit (on the order of microseconds for this model) of a size less than four (2²). For instance, say you had a list of four items. Provided a look-up could be done in less than the maximum time the q-bits can be made to persist on the chip, this could look up all four values simultaneously and return the one you wanted, as opposed to a regular chip, which would have to look at the first one, decide if it was the entry you asked for, then look at the second, and so on. That might not sound terribly impressive, but when you scale it up to chips of, say, 16 bits, then it could compute algorithms with 2¹⁶ possibilities: 65,536 list lookups (in our example) in a single step. That's a tremendous speed boost.

It also spells out some other, less enjoyable implications in the field of security. Most of the current strong cryptographic systems hinge upon (in one form or another) the factoring problem. It runs something along the lines of: Given a number, determine if the number is prime. You've probably even been required to do this (or something like it) in grade school, and for small numbers, it's easy, as everything is fast for small n. However, the only known algorithm for this is to simply try dividing it by numbers. (You can eliminate some as you go, but not enough to really change the category of the problem.) Thus, arbitrarily large numbers can be chosen such that even a computer working at it's fastest speed has trouble completing the problem in any reasonable timeframe.

If you've noticed that this looks similar in pattern to looking up things in a list, you're catching on. A quantum chip could potentially test all numbers within it's maximum capabilities at once. Before, it was relatively easy to keep ahead of computers: a few extra bits in the factoring problem would add orders of magnitude greater difficulty and time to for brute-force solution techniques. With quantum chips, however, security would be in an arms race against chip manufacturers to increase the size of the key space faster than the capacity of chips could be increased. Alternatively, they could opt to try to make the algorithm longer, so that it couldn't be calculated within the lifetime of the q-bits needed to make the magical all-at-once computation happen. Either way, this could get interesting...

This Shirt Is Made of Awesome

2009-07-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Really, I think this speaks for itself. Grab one on shirt.woot .com. (No, I'm not paid to advertise this. It really just is that awesome.)

Clouds Versus Islands

2009-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

With their characteristic lack of fanfare, Google announced today that they would be releasing an operating system based on their browser, Chrome. They've long ago learned that they, like Apple, needn't bother making a big deal out of it because the media will do it for them. Already, most every news outlet and blog has started making echos touting the start of the new era and how Google is ready to challenge Microsoft.

Color me skeptical, but I don't think this is going to be any bigger than the launch of Microsoft's Bing ~~search~~ 'decision' engine: a modest success, but nothing earth-shattering or even really threatening to the incumbent. Why? Quite simply, Google will be stepping outside their core competency, and they very nature of the announced operating system shows it. Google is exceptionally good at re-inventing old ideas in the image of the internet. But the operating system is fundamentally different in one very important way: whereas most of the things Google has tackled in the past tended to be ideas that evolved from the desktop into the internet in a piecemeal fashion, the operating system's role and purpose is to control the computer on which it resides. In unveiling a 'Cloud' desktop, Google is (not so) implicitly stating that they want to turn the computer into nothing but a portal to the internet.

This idea isn't new. It's called the thin client approach, and it's been around for a while. However, while it has some benefits, it suffers from a number of problems in execution, which are more than mere technical obstacles. The first is that it largely ignores the capabilities of what the machine itself can do. Yes, this can work in environments with cheaper hardware, but hardware itself is so cheap that it seems absurd not to go ahead and add the power to it. And if it exists, other operating systems will take advantage of it. The second is response time. Barring some advance that trumps the light-speed barrier, a network will never be faster for small operations than a local processor, because the latency in the network will be far greater (if for no reason other than distance) than the latency on the hardware bus inside the computer. For snappy response time, there's just no substitute for having the machine right there. And as Microsoft has learned the hard way, users value snappy response times above many, many other things.

But even if we were to say that people accept very 'dumb' terminals for price and put up with slower computing, there's the issue of ownership. At the end of the day, the data has to reside somewhere, and if it's not on your computer, then you're at the mercy of the internet for access. The internet was not designed to facilitate centralization, it was designed to be resiliently decentralized. That is, it will make a best effort to get information through, but at the end of the day you and you alone are responsible for making sure important information is available. For access to any kind of critical data, be it business, personal, or governmental, this is unacceptable. If Michael Jackson can stress the internet to the breaking point, what would happen if real trouble started? It's even more of a gamble for countries in which Google doesn't physically operate: not only do you not have your data, but you have no legal recourse to get it back short of basically begging. In other words, in the event of an emergency, an island may be disconnected, but it is still solid ground. The same can't be said for a cloud.

Don't get me wrong. I love Google, and I think they've become a role model for how responsible corporations should operate. I would be very surprised if the new Chrome OS made more than a small dent in the adoption of Windows, especially given how competitive it's become of late. In fact, a Chrome OS may be better poised to unseat Linux distros as the free operating system of choice, as Google will undoubtedly apply a level of fit and finish to the product that most Linux distros (yes, even Ubuntu) haven't the discipline to create. Google may even have a firm grip on the limits of scope, and simply decline to stop the media echo chamber. After all, who wouldn't want free publicity? But I think this is at most a mild jab in a sparring match between titans, not a finishing blow.

On Standards and the Web

2009-06-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard yet, Firefox 3.5 went live today. Among it's more noted features is support for the HTML <video> tag, which basically tells the browser that it should insert all the functionality of a flash embedded video player at that location. I installed it today, of course, and truth be told I really didn't see all that much difference, except for the <video> tag.

I'm a follower of the blog Lifehacker, which posts a lot of tips and tweaks for everyday life, especially computers. However, a few weeks ago I started noticing content being posted with the <video> tag. If you don't have a browser that supports HTML 5, it doesn't work very well. Did I mention that Firefox 3.5 is the first browser to support this? That's right, mainstream content was already being served in a standard that was only implemented in unreleased browsers.

Think about that for a minute. Also consider that HTML 5 isn't even finished yet. Then think about how far Twitter and Youtube have come in just a few years. Do you see the problem yet? Given how quickly businesses build up on the web, and how quickly they are adopted as the de-facto standards, releasing anything half-finished onto the web is dangerous. Suppose the next Youtube were to build up around the <video> tag, accumulate half the internet's video content, and then the <video> tag standard was changed at the last minute in a way that was difficult for this new video site (by now a cornerstone of social media) to implement? Suppose they simply chose not to change? Browser developers would then be stuck either implementing two incompatible versions of the same standard, or explaining to non-technical users why they can't see the videos of dancing bunnies anymore. In fact, that's very similar in nature to the situation that arose with non-standard tags and Internet Explorer, and we all remember how well that mess went.

Sometimes, unfinished things need to be kept seperate from the mainstream, even if it means you don't get the shiniest bits of tech immediately. I think we might do well to cultivate a little more patience for the sake of sanity a few years later. I also know that I'm not the only one who's noticed...

The Price of a Sticker

2009-06-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

What is the value of a sticker? To many, not much I'm sure. When I caved in to academic pressures and bought my laptop last year, it came adorned with all manner of little logos and stickers to the point it looked like the NASCAR model. One in particular which irked me was a little logo you may have seen before, the rather ubiquitous Windows compatibility logo. It was for Vista rather than the pictured Windows 7 logo, but you get the idea.

To me, this seemed a waste. Sure, it probably only cost a penny or so, but it was frustrating to me to have to take it off and added no value. I mean, it's not as if HP shipped alternative operating systems on the model, and stickers like this are about as meaningful as the red-and-white starbursts that proclaim 'new and improved' on the same laundry soap you've been buying for twenty years. Talk is cheap, and since the advent of affordable printing processes, print is even cheaper. So, what good is it?

Lately, I've started following a blog I ran across (It's dangerous to call it 'stumbling' these days. Will we have any verbs left unclaimed by the end of Web 2.0? But that's another ~~rant~~ topic for another day.) called Engineering Windows 7. It's not exactly a secret that I became something of a begrudging fan of Microsoft a few years ago, but I too had considered this to be mostly so much fluff. Then, I read this post from the EW7 blog. I knew that they had been putting some serious effort into testing Windows 7 and making real performance improvements, but I'd never realized how much they were doing to test the integrated system including hardware configurations. This probably marks the first time that I actually start to feel that we'll get every penny's worth out of the price of Windows. The sticker I scorned before actually means something this time around. And that's a change I welcome.

Tips for Last-Minute Applications

2009-06-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

If you're a college student, you've probably seen them. The wonderful program, scholarship, internship, or fellowship that you could have gotten if only you had found out about it more than two days before the due date. Don't give up hope! Whether time slipped up on you, or no one bothered to mention it before now, with a bit of preparation you be poised to snag opportunities that come up at the last possible minute.

Keep at least three official (or as close to official as you can arrange) transcripts from all of your colleges and/or high schools. Applications tend to come in waves and/or require multiple physical copies.
Keep at least three copies (most likely unofficial) of all of your standardized exams (SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.
Keep your resume up to date, and keep electronic and printed copies available.
Have scanned (electronic) versions of all of these documents. Make certain that you have them all in either PDF document format or JPEG or PNG image format, as these are the only formats that are almost universally readable. (PDFs can be created by 'printing' to a PDF from the editor of your choice a free program such as PDF Creator or Bullzip PDF. It pays to have these installed in advance. Microsoft Office 2007 also has an optional add-in that allows it to save directly to PDF.)
Keep contact information for professional and academic references current. It helps to have it written down or in a file, along with frequently needed application information such as university official addresses and dates of attendence or employment.
Know how to send a fax from your computer, or find a local business that you can fax from. (Mailing centers and copy shops can usually do this.)
Know the location of convenient copy shops, mailing centers, and post offices. If you use a printing service on a campus, make sure you keep extra credit on your printing account, especially if you can't re-fill it online. Also know a back-up location to print in case they're out of paper or having other technical problems.
Keep at least three priority mail and express mail flat-rate envelopes, including labels. This will allow you to do all the packaging at odd hours, though you will still have to go to the post office to send them. (But you won't have to wait until you're in line to fill them out.) Get replacements as you use them.
Get an account with FedEx. That way, you'll only have to give someone the account number and they can ship something at your expense. Sometimes services that operate through U.S. Mail can substitute for FedEx if they don't have to pay for it. (Naturally, be very careful with this number!)
Know the long poles in processes. Some things simply can't be rushed, such as mailed copies of GRE scores. Ask if electronic or faxed copies will be sufficient instead.
Find out the phone number of the person accepting the application. (It's usually on the letterhead for printable forms or on the related website.) You can often accomplish much more speaking to someone live than by e-mail or not asking at all. Also, they're more likely to accept a slightly late application if they know it's coming!
Ask if temporary copies can be temporarily substituted for documents with long processing times until official copies arrive.
Look for electronic processes wherever possible, as they usually operate 24/7
Do paperwork and packaging in the evening so that you can drop it off early the next day.
If you don't know which way something should be done, but can't wait until the next day to ask before starting, prepare sets of paperwork done each way so that you can ask later and then stuff the appropriate copy in the envelope at the last minute. (This usually only works for things where you can narrow down the correct approach to one of two, maybe three alternatives. One or two of the copies will be wasted, but why would you be applying for something that wasn't worth at least the paper of the application?)
Above all, keep a level head and don't panic!

Sometimes a good strategy, preparation, and little extra effort/money can make up for several weeks' worth of lead time. It won't always work, and knowing the dates ahead of time is your first, best defence, but these tips can be a lifesaver in a pinch.

Writing Contest Entry #2

2008-10-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Theme: "One moment in time"

Word Count: 550 (500 +/- 50)

Opponent: Ennia

One more moment...

Oh God, please, one more moment...

How could one moment be so many? I can feel her holding my hand, holding me close. I can see the world as it was, as we made it, as it will be. I can smell the ash and smoke in the air. I can feel her tearing my heart in two, hear her last footsteps echoing in the living room. I can taste my mother’s prized pecan pie and my shame at the same time. Is this my life? All that I’ve done, seen, been…. and this is the summation?

One hundred-fifty meters to target.

In the distance, in that other world, I hear shouting as people begin to realize what I’m doing. They know nothing of why I must, so I ignore them. Or would I have anyway because it’s easier? I always had trouble understanding myself, why I do what I do. Is this, even now, selfish? Is this now? I don’t suppose it really matters.

One hundred meters to target.

She always did think it was. Ever since we met, selfishness was her battlecry. Was she right? It’s hard to tell. I tried to go back to her, oh God, I tried. But did I merely want the comfort of her presence? Something I was accustomed to? She would know. She did know. Maybe it’s better that she wouldn’t take me back. Side-step left, one point five meters to avoid the first shot.

Seventy meters to target.

Who took the first shot, anyway? Metaphorically, I mean. Did we really start this war? They say we did. We say we didn’t. Either way, this has to happen, but who holds the blame? Or is it just one long line of snipe and countersnipe back the beginning? Third suit to the left, gun is improperly holstered. Quarter-turn clockwise and block upwards. Duck to avoid tackle exposes holster. Seven shots in clip.

Forty meters to target.

It certainly was with her. So playful, so deceptive, wit and parry, hurt and healing. What I wouldn’t give for one more moment with her, to just bask in that wonderful presence! It feels as if she’s here with me now, impossible though I know it to be. Would I be so selfish as to desire it? I could almost imagine her running with me now, our stride in lockstep, a wishful dance of lethal perfection. Two rounds, first and seventh agents. Up three steps, lean back twenty centimeters to avoid sniper fire. Up four steps, jump handrail to use as barrier.

Twenty meters to target.

Was it just an imagining? Can machines dream? The vision, so clear, so horrible, yet so undeniable, the product of equation and reality. Did it have to come to pass? Or did I willingly cause it to be in my haste to be the martyr? So selfish. My God, so selfish. If only I could turn it back, try again. Surely, there’s another way? One round, front-left tire causes escort vehicle crash. Three rounds, two agents within and driver. One round for primary target.

I can see her face. I no longer have to imagine the look of shock, her eyes stare back at me in terror. Why did you make me do this?

I’m sorry, my love.

Writing Contest Entry #1 (Exhibition Round)

2008-06-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Jameson and Gorthund C51 motor anything but advanced. The silver/graphite bearings had a lifespan of only six years, with sporadic failures under duress. The electrical contact brushes had long been superseded by continuous shear deformation gel rings in products from reputable vendors. The rotor's neodymium magnets were brittle even for their time, and often fractured under extended use or protracted heating, or even crushed themselves under their own magnetic fields. The stator's antiquated copper coils, used in place of conductive nanotubes to generate the driving field were shielded by a polyvinyl-teflon coating that was readily damaged if the cast-titanium/aluminum casing was compromised in the slightest, frequently shorting the motor and rendering it useless if not deadly. It was in every way inferior to its modern counterparts, shunning a century of steady advances in materials science.

But despite its faults, the C51 had one overriding consideration: price. And in the Modality it found a perfect match: a government sharing the philosophy of quantity over quality. Dirt cheap to produce, available on demand by the ton, scalable from hand tools to battleships, the C51 was the key economic enabler. The Modality cared little when it broke down transporting tanks to enforcement zones; There were always more factories in each freshly liberated territory. Sometimes the coils would literally melt from waste heat, often setting vehicles (and occupants) ablaze. But there were always more soldiers - no shortage of volunteers to see to realization of global peace. The bearings were sieve-like and the exposed metal within corroded at a glimpse of saltwater. But what did the government care if boats were stranded? The Modality was quite used to playing statistics. It was their unilateral approach.

The C51 powered their supply trains, their aircraft, their tools and their weapons. Dependability was a memory, but the Modality preached incessantly about the dangers of clinging to the past. Their construction squads scheduled demolitions every month to remind the people. The C51 was everywhere - government vehicles rolled by in the night constantly, the police trucks dispatching justice and the coroner's trucks cleaning it up. The motor's shrill whine was so ubiquitous that children no longer heard the upper registers of sound, even at birth.

The C51 brought bountiful fortune as the money rolled in. It took it away in trucks when they seized my assets. As I lay here, I know it will in only moments take my life away as well, whirring at the heart of the surgeons' tools, liberating the engines of the body for those 'better fit' to use them - standard practice for convicts.

Somehow, I imagined such success differently...

Life Takes Visa?

2007-08-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Now, this one is interesting. Recently, Visa began another in their ill-fated 'Life Takes Visa' advertisement series. It's a number of segments depicting how everything flows in perfect harmony and a bliss of spending while Visa cards are thrown around faster than Bicycles at a Texas Hold 'Em tournament. Suddenly, some poor inconsiderate soul uses cash - in the twenty-first century, cash! - and everything comes to a grinding halt as the cashier (irony) has to stop and make change for the money.

Well, I happen to have a Visa. (In fact, I don't know why they bother, as you've got a 50/50 of landing with a Visa and not really any choice in the matter, depending on your bank.) And let me tell you, these commercials are a perfect depiction of reality. I waltz right up to the counter, whip the joyous piece of plastic through the reader...

... what do you mean, "Card declined?"

Swipe again. This time, it stops and really thinks about whether or not it's wise to irritate me any further. Then it apparently decides the laughs are worth it. A third pass through, and it finally works. So now I just have to pick up my stuff and go...

Oh. Right. I have to sign the paper slip. Not that anyone will ever check it. Not that I could ever use it as proof that I didn't make a purchase on the card, should someone ever try to forge it. But it's still required.

Wow. Talk about fast. It only took me four times longer than if I'd just handed over cash. (As opposed to the twice as long it usually takes.) Color me unimpressed. Oh well, at least my Visa can't be stolen without even being touched. Yet.

n0 ntspk 4 u [Netspeak]

2006-04-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

So, I'm browsing the internet at my normal cruising speed of just a little slower than light, when I run across this little gem that brings me to a screeching halt:

YO man, wts hapenin?, am kool tho dude. myt be hookin up Thorpe Park or Alton Towers mission soon, lemme kno wot u tink, l8rz bruv

My heart started pounding. I read over the letters again and again, trying to decipher their meaning. The more I read, the more I came to realize that I was staring at something of incredible consequence, something that would shake the world to it's very foundations. I started scrambling around, looking for the telephone. SETI needed to know that I had just found evidence of alien intelligence, not in the stars but in our very own communcation networks!

But then, I started to think (a very dangerous passtime, I know) and I realized that I might need some evidence. Quickly, I asked my good buddy google about this extraodinary event. Imagine my disappointment, then, to discover that I had merely found the picasso movement of written text. No dramatic phone calls. No world-wide press conferences. No marble statue on the white-house lawn. No streaming webcasts of my nobel prize.

That ticked me off. I had wasted fully 20 minutes of valuable surfing time. But then I made the second mistake (the first being that I had actually thought that could happen): I tried to decipher it again. If I squint, select the text, tilt the monitor 17 degrees clockwise, and do a head stand, I can almost see something that might vaugely resemble english, in the way that a pineapple vaugely resembles a palm tree. Did I say palm tree? I meant stunning Manhattan cityscape, because it doesn't look a thing like what it's supposed to be.

After consulting a netspeak dictionary, I finally found what is, nearest I can tell, a rough literal translation:

Hello male, what is happening? I am cold. Male. Might be hooking up Thorpe Park or Alton Towers mission soon, let me know what you think. Laters brother.

And I can't help but wonder what has gone wrong. I know I'm neither the first, last, nor most qualified to comment on this, but something about this is just plain wrong. It represents a fundamental deterioration of human communication based around minimizing required keystrokes rather than imparting information. In addition, 'male' is used twice, once as a stand-alone sentance. (Shall we speculate as to the gender of the writer?) Further, it's just bad taste. Personally, I attribute this to stingy old english teachers with rulers to smack kids on the hands, followed by the college equivalent who think 'classic' is synonomous with 'so boring it never sold a copy and was all that was therefore left for archeologists to find'. Who would want to write properly after that?

To be fair, there are times it's okay. For instance, most text-messaging phones are too cumbersome for correct grammar and full spelling. During games, one can't stop to make fully-formed sentances while aiming for a headshot. And just like the professional world, any site/community/forum is entitled to some amount of local jargon like acronyms or terminology.
But to abbreviate 'you' to 'u'? That's intolerable. It takes two additional keystrokes, and you can't be bothered to that? What makes you think my time is less valuable than yours, such that I should have to spend time decrypting what you wrote because you were too lazy to type a few extra keys? It's not as if typing lessons aren't available for free on the internet.

But is it really laziness? Perhaps the aliens really are at work, producing strange glyphs at the hands of the typers? I have to wonder, but now we get on the shaky ground of personal testimony, right up there with all the people who claim to be abducted by Elvis or whatever. Clearly, that isn't even in the same ZIP code as actual text fragments as far as credibility. Such a shame, too, as the only plausible explanation would be facilitation of a massive invasion through increasing the general stupidity index. Alas, my days of SETI fame will have to wait until I find something more concrete....

Illuminati Alive and Well?

2006-03-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

Don't let the title of this article mislead you, I'm not going to really address that question. No, this is more about a video I found on Google Video [Video] that tries to do just that, and fails miserably. Initially, I wasn't going to comment on it, but it just begs for a response, so I guess I'll touch on a few of the things I found wrong with it. Consider this a 'viewing guide'.

First off, if you have no clue what the Illuminati are (or supposedly are), then you might want to have a look at the Wikipedia entry, [Article] which gives a good factual representation of what's known (and some of the speculation). And now, on with the corrections:

[0:38]
"Kennedy, killed at the apex of a pyramid without a capstone from a bird's-eye view"
The film quickly clarifies the cryptic statement with a roadmap of the spot where JFK was shot. It shows (gasp) a triangle. There's only how many triangle intersections in this world? What are the odds? Stretching it a bit thin, aren't we?

[1:11]
Now we're treated to a side-by-side comparison of the two symbol-circles on the dollar, overlaid with the masonic square and compass. Okay, I'll buy that it has something to do with the pyramid. Why not? The Masonic lodge was around at that time, and influential. But the shield of the United States? The lines happen to cross on occasion, and are symmetric. I could make similar comparisions with just about any symbol of the right size and circular layout.

[1:16]
Ah, the all-seeing eye. While I'll admit that it's presence on our currency is strange, the rest of the images presented are utter rubbish, at least from the standpoint of supporting the conclusions of the video. Eyes are common in depictions simply because they're a common feature of human anatomy, and one that our visual-based impressions tend to center on. So yes, it crops up in all of those places. Further, visual inspection is almost universally associated with vigilance and observation (for obvious reasons), so it's little wonder it should show up in media trademarks. Their business is in observation. Get a grip.

[1:32]
"Sacred geometry is their language"
And now we're barraged with images of geometry taken out of context. Okay, let me try to get down to the point behind this:
No secret organization owns 60, 105, and 120 degree angles. They occur because of geometric principles, and they're pleasing to the eye. They are simple mathematical truths that recurr because they fundamental relationships of geometry. As for the flower of life, that pattern has some meaning to it. But nowhere does the video do anything other than show that it occurs sometimes in deocrative architecture. So I guess the illuminati are trying to overrun Martha Stewart now?

[2:08]
Again, let me re-iterate: no one owns simple geometric symbols. They've been rediscovered and reused so many times that they don't have 'one meaning' anymore.

[2:20]
More 'hidden geometry' (see above), crop circles (which are known hoaxes), the drawings of DaVinci (who studied geometry because it was mathematical defined truth), various pyramids (including the 'illuminati online' logo ... real subtle) (and what did pyramids have to do with an organization that didn't even exist in egyptian times?), towers, fractals, geodesic spheres, etc etc.

Okay, now let's get down to buildings. The recurring theme of towers in buildings (including pyramids) is simple. Gravity pulls things down, so we feel a measure of power (including symbolic and economic power) when we build something that defies that. The taller, the more defiant of nature and the more powerful the impression. That's why towers have been built (and destroyed) throughout history. It's a very simple psychological symbolism that is universal to human existence because gravity is ever-present on our planet. Further, pyramids are a very stable geometric configuration. One of the reasons they're cropping up again in some modern architectures is that they're remarkable resistant to things like earthquake damage and won't collapse easily (like the WTC did). From a practical standpoint, that makes them a good choice.

[3:23]
The axe in a bundle of sticks. Oh yes, anything that displays this symbols is automatically fascist, just because Mussolini used it in his flag. Nevermind that it was already a well-established symbol dating back to Roman times meaning strength in unity. Why oh why would we ever chose something like that for our United States?

[3:52]
It's the Lady Freedom, not Persephone. Geez, if you'd spent as much time fact-checking as you did putting this movie together, you wouldn't have even started. If I can find it in five minutes with Google, the maker of this film has no excuse whatsoever.

[4:16]
Earth to conspiracy theorist: the upside down cross is because Saint Peter felt himself unworthy to be killed in the same manner as Jesus, and requested that it be upside-down, according to Church legend. (Whether it's actually true or not is uncertain, but that's the symbolism.)

[5:00]
Fact 1 is a consequence of maintaining military superiority. It's not like anyone could really afford the stuff anyway until the military is done playing with it. Fact 2... Reality check, please? I am not going to believe it just because some crackpot video says it with no citation. Fact 3: what they don't tell you is that the Tesla coil plants never made it because of the horrendous noise that they produced, the hundred-foot-long sparks they would have made (like a sustained lightning bolt) and the comparatively short range which would have forced placement in the middle of a city. It's very neat, to be sure, but it's unsafe in practical terms. Fact 4: I'll believe it when I see a source, and not before.
(Note: feel free to check me if you want. I'm not citing because most of this stuff is trivial to check for yourself or self-evidently wrong.)

[5:30]
Some footage of a supposed flying saucer at the WTC. Grainy footage, bad acting... hoax anyone?

[6:16]
Drag the bar back and watch that again. This time, keep in mind these things:
1) A 747 with wings has lift
2) A 747 without wings does not have lift
3) The body of the airplane is not going to assume the same speed as the debris it knocks clear
Glides in, smacks out debris, falls in a parabolic arc as described by Newtonian physics. Yet again, someone didn't do their homework...

[6:29]
...
Did you even look at that photo before you pasted it in?

[6:35]
Random stuff thrown in for good measure, and quasi-matrix conclusion slides. Don't bother reading them, you're not missing anything.

Thankfully, they were at least smart enough to not include 'credits'. I really don't want to know who's bright idea that was. The thing I found most disturbing about this video is that it actually made it into the popular category. Next time, try actually researching your facts. Really, with the internet at your disposal, you have no excuse.

The New Art Critique

2006-03-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

I feel inspired, ever since reading the story of a twelve-year-old boy who made a mark on the art world to share his views... literally. [Article 1] [Article 2] Some might view this as offensive to art in general. But those of us who actually have an idea of what art should really be find (in general) art upwards of $1 million to be an offense to human dignity anyway, so what could it hurt?

Indeed, I think this could be the start of a revolutionary new form of art critique. Applying internet methods to museums, we could start handing out packs of Wrigley's at the door. If you don't like a piece of art, you stick the gum on it and move on. At the end of the day, pieces completely covered are removed and fresh art brought in to replace it. After a certain amount of survival time, the art is then and only then promoted to a real gallery where it is lovingly restored from all of the sticky comments.

But not to fear: the high-art class will still remain. For those who simply have to leave their mark on the art world while simultaneously letting everyone else know how filthy rich they are, we'll create little pins that can be used to skewer the gum, each pin having a little flag that bears the name of the person who leaves it. You could make them in all kinds of precious metals: silver, gold, platinum, something for every pocketbook. Then you sell them (with customization) at about a dozen for the gross national product of Kenya.

But that's not all: you need to get this system entrenched. So we'll obviously have to get this on Oprah. Once it has the Winfrey seal of approval, no one would dare refute it, and it will be established as an American tradition. I think it would help improve the ailing standards of today, and put the power of veto back where it belongs, with the people.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a patent to file...