Here is something new to worry about. There is a new technique for picking locks making the Internet rounds -- and it seems to work for the majority of conventional locks that you depend on -- the kinds you might have on your doors, padlocks and mailbox.
The technique and tool are so simple, practically anybody can learn how to do it in minutes [PDF]. It is called "bumping."
Newsweek says:
The large majority of locks that open with a key, called pin tumbler locks, have structural weaknesses built into them that can be exploited with picks and practice. But a relatively new lock-picking technique known as "bumping" takes advantage of that weakness and requires no real understanding of how locks work. "You don't need expensive tools or anything," says encryption expert Barry Wels. "Any 15-year-old who's motivated can learn how to do it in 15 minutes on the Internet."
You can see an in-depth video presentation about bumping here.
Some in the security community says it is a bunch of nonsense, but lock-pickers are producing more and more video proof that bumping is for real. One video on the page says that, with 10 bump keys, he can open 90 percent of all tumbler locks.
Lock-pickers who use "bumping" need a bump key, which is a key where every tooth is cut the maximum depth. See the photo from the Open Organization of Lockpickers, [PDF] which says it released information about bumping because too many people live with false security, believing their locked goods are safe.
Lock-pickers claim that bumping actually works better on some high-end locks than on some less expensive ones. The more expensive locks are made out of harder metal, causing less deformations on impact.
Who can you thank for this marvel?
Thank lock-pickers who share their skills online. The Open Organization of Lockpickers says the "art" of lock-picking is gaining popularity as a "sport." Lockpicking101.com offers tools, advice and networking for lock enthusiasts.
YouTube.com includes tutorial videos from lock-pickers.
As you can see, the information is so widespread that the only people who don't know, it seems, are those of us who depend on locks to keep us safe.
It is hard to know how often this technique is being used because it leaves no clues -- no more than if a burglar had used a copied key.
I have intentionally not revealed all of the details about how bumping works -- I am sure if you are interested, you will follow the links, as I did, and learn all you want to know.
Toddlers Tipping TVs
Last year, about 2,600 children under five years of age went to the emergency room as a result of a television tip over, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
A 2-year-old Maryland girl was hurt when a 32-inch TV fell on top of her this weekend. It happens more often than you might think. The Capital, a newspaper in Annapolis, Md., reports:
A University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center study, printed in the June issue of the journal Academic Emergency Medicine found that most parents don't realize how easy a television can tip over.
"Our data indicated a lack of parental awareness and an absence of primary prevention as a root cause for this problem," said Dr. Floyd Ota, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern and lead author of the study.
Eighty-five percent of parents interviewed for the study were not aware of the potential danger, he said.
Researchers, who reviewed 26 cases handled by the Children's Medical Center Dallas emergency room between November 2003 and October 2004, found the injuries usually weren't severe. Only nine children were hospitalized.
That said, the potential for disaster does exist. Two of the children were admitted into the hospital's intensive care unit.
Fourteen of the 26 suffered head injuries and nine injured an arm or leg, the study said.
Children usually aren't being hurt by big screens. Researchers found most of the accidents involved 20- to 30-inch televisions -- making up 65 percent of cases. TVs with screens between 30 and 40 inches made up about 16 percent of the cases.
Eighty-five percent of the TVs that tipped over were situated between 2 and 5 feet from the floor. The children injured ranged in age from 1 to 7 years old.
Arlene Flecha, spokesman for the agency, said televisions should be tethered or otherwise bracketed to the wall. She stressed TVs should only be put on low rise stands.
"It is very important that the table is designed for a TV," she said, noting that young children may try to open dresser drawers and use them as stairs.
She said toys and remote controls should never be left on top of a television, just to make sure children don't have any reasons to start climbing on furniture.
Here is an additional story, from the Austin American-Stateman
The CPSC has a special warning to schools that use TV and audio/visual carts.
Hay Shortages
In places like Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi and more, a shortage of hay has been predicted for this winter -- and winter pastures won't have much to eat growing on them. Mississippi State University's Office of Agricultural Communications reports:
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in mid-July, 60 percent of Mississippi's pasture and hay land conditions are listed as poor or very poor. The same conditions can be found in 83 percent of Alabama pastures, 63 percent in Texas and 61 percent in Oklahoma.
Some states, such as Wisconsin, have set up Web sites to connect hay sellers with buyers. There's also a Web site that offers state-by-state hay exchange, and others that try to connect sellers and buyers.
In Missouri, farmers could typically turn cattle out to pasture this time of year. Now, they are dipping into hay reserves that are usually used during winter.
The Tuscaloosa News explains that crop insurance will help some farmers.
The government is allowing farmers to cut hay and graze on land set aside in the Conservation Reserve Program, which is usually off-limits.
"As of right now, let's just hope that they have crop insurance," said Cindy Owens, farm service agent for Fayette County.
Crop insurance pays a percentage of the difference between the average crop a farmer produces over a number of years and what he harvests in a disaster year. It usually requires the farmer to harvest his crop, no matter how bad it is, but Owens said this year's crops are so bad that farmers don't want to waste the fuel.
Here's a link to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service hay summaries.
To get local, here's the link to the Agriculture Department's state-by-state weekly hay reports updated weekly.
My Neighbor Is a Water Hog
Al's Morning Meeting reader and Dallas Morning News reporter Lee Powell found an interesting story in a new hotline related to the drought in his community. It urges people to turn in their neighbor if the neighbor is using too much water.
It all has some residents going CSI on violators, taking up cases with pad, pencil and cell phone in hand. Motivated by civic duty, perhaps, and cloaked in anonymity, residents are on the case.
So in Allen, a city employee making water rounds stumbled on a resident walking down the street, taking down violating addresses. Using a handheld radio, this watcher relayed information back home, where his wife called the hotline.
At 2 a.m.
"I guess he didn't have anything to do at 2 a.m. Maybe he couldn't sleep at night," said Steve Massey, community services director for the city of Allen.
Since the start of June, Mr. Massey estimates, Allen has easily handled 6,000 calls, nearly all of them coming from residents rather than city employees.
City officials are grateful to their squad of squealers because it means the water conservation ethic is catching on. Still, there is marvel at the lengths some drought detectives go.
"I get some callers who just zealously report people," said the city of McKinney's Steve Hill. "It's like the highlight of their day."
One regular passes along a list almost daily, never leaving a name or number, he says.
In Rowlett, the calls poured in. During the first few weeks of restrictions there was a call every five minutes, city officials said. Some people even walked into City Hall with video of illicit waterers.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
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