ACT 731,260,816

Scene 1

Empty room except for a negotiating table in the middle.

Enter the United States, Israel, and Syria.  

U.S.: We have reason to believe that Israel bombed a weapons convoy headed for Lebanon, carrying anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah.  

Bashar al-Assad (President of Syria): HA!!! There is no truth to what you speak!  They destroyed an important Syrian military  research center.  Israel’s attack “unmasked the true role [they] are playing, in collaboration with foreign enemy forces and their agents on Syrian soil, to destabilise and weaken Syria.” (Brief footage of the attack.) 

Though Israel has maintained an official silence over the attack, their Defense Minister did have something to say.  

Ehud Barak: ”What happened in Syria several days ago [is] proof that when we said something we mean it… we say that we don’t think it should be allowed to bring advanced weapons systems into Lebanon.”

Bashar al-Assad retreats to corner contemplating the opposition coalition’s recent terms for leaving the country peacefully.  

Exit Syria.  

Scene 2

Enter Iran and Egypt. 

Israeli officials warned the U.N. General Assembly in September 2012 that Iran was near the crossing of a “red line” in their nuclear program, possibly in 2013. 

Ehud Barak: “If worst come to worst, there should be a readiness and capability to launch a surgical operation that will delay [Iran] by a significant time frame.”

Joe Biden (Vice President of the U.S.): Hold on there, Ehud… We’re ready to discuss Iran’s nuclear program with them, when their leadership becomes serious about engaging in dialogue.  

Iran: We’re ready to talk, as long as Washington has “fair and real intentions.”

Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, turns to Egypt to attempt to strengthen ties with its regional foe.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Egypt, I know it’s been over 30 years since we’ve visited, but we’re feeling desperately lonesome.  Can we put aside the sectarian fighting and work on our friendship?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad exits room, enters Al-Azhar Mosque, the seat of Sunni religious scholarship.  

Enter sectarian fighting.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb (Head of Al-Azhar Mosque): Iran must end their interference in Gulf Arab states, particularly Bahrain, and stop their extension of Shia influence in Sunni countries! 

Exit Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as he is pelted with a shoe (one of the utmost signs of disrespect in the Arab world) for his support for the Syrian regime and discrimination against Sunnis in Iran.

Enter further U.S. Sanctions against Iran.

Iran returns to room.

Iran: The United States expects us to negotiate with them as they “hold a gun” to us.  We will not submit to their will as they continue to sanction us, and we will not proceed with talks.

Iran releases footage from a U.S. CIA drone they captured to their state television.  The tape included footage of the drone being transported on an Iranian helicopter, as well as its disassembled parts being carried away.  

Exit in separate directions the United States, Israel, Iran, and Egypt. 

End Act 731,260,816. 

Short intermission

Will Israel and Syria be drawn into a new conflict, or is President Bashsar al-Assad too preoccupied with the ongoing war in Syria?  Will Iran ever talk with the international community about its nuclear program, or will Israel take matters into her own hands, possibly dragging along the U.S.? Stay tuned for Act 731,260,817

UMBC’s Student Administration System had a service interruption today that lasted  approximately 2.5 hours.  As of 2 p.m. today, service to the Student Administration system has been restored and is available for UMBC’s students, faculty and staff. Students may continue to make schedule adjustments until midnight tonight, Friday, February 8th.

If you are still having trouble connecting please restart your web browser and clear the cache. 

FAQ: How Do I Clear My Browser’s Cache?

If you require further assistance please submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via my.umbc.edu/help or contact UMBC’s Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838.

DB Networks has raised $4.5 million in Series B funding from Khosla Ventures for its security platform for real-time advanced database attack detection. The company uses behavior analysis technology to rapidly and automatically detect SQL injection attacks and denial of service attacks.

SQL injection is a code-injection technique that exploits a security vulnerability in an application’s software. Traditional security software uses black lists and white lists to prevent attacks. Apple has a white list of sorts. Apps that get approved for the iPhone are essentially put on a white list. Security software companies will keep black lists of IP addresses to protect their clients from attacks.

DB Networks looks for abnormalities in behavior to protect enterprise environments. The company’s Adaptive Database Firewall has a drop-in, transparent installation, which requires no database or application expertise and provides passive monitoring of all critical databases so dataflow between the application and the database is not compromised.

SQL attacks are on the rise with the advent of social networks. Hackers use sites like Facebook to spread malware that unsuspecting users then carry with them. Attacks happen when these hidden viruses get into enterprise networks.

DB Networks competes with a host of security vendors, including F-Secure, Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro.

Tetracore is coming to campus!

Wednesday, February 13

12 noon -1 pm

UC 312

Tetracore, a leading biotechnology company whose mission is to create and develop highly innovative diagnostic reagents, assays, and instruments for the detection of infectious diseases and bio-terrorism threat agents is seeking 4 interns for Summer 2013. Tetracore's focus is on veterinary, domestic preparedness, clinical, antibody and ELISA products.  Positions are at the Tetracore headquarters in Rockville, MD.

Positions include:

Research and Development Science Intern

Seeking an R&D intern that will work in collaboration with the R&D team on various projects. He or she will make detailed observations, analyze data, and interpret results. The intern will help prepare technical reports, summaries, protocols, and quantitative analyses. The intern will be expected to maintain familiarity with current scientific literature and may also be responsible for conducting his or her own experiments.

Software / Bioinformatics Engineering Intern

Tetracore’s next generation diagnostic platform requires software development for embedded systems, graphical user interfaces, algorithms, and data analysis.  The Software Engineering Intern will assist the team in the planning, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance of software solutions in support of biotechnology R&D and Product Development.  Assist in the design and implementation of new products or enhance current designs of software modules and components that meet functional specifications and target due dates.  Support and/or participate in component, subsystem and system concept design to help the team in verifying key design parameters and evaluating design options.  Assist the team in setting up and maintaining infrastructure for the software development process including revision control, continuous integration, and testing. Participate on multi-functional product research and development teams.

The functions of the Software Engineering Intern will be performed under supervision, in a timely manner and with acceptable quality.

Electrical / Computer Engineering Intern

Tetracore’s next generation diagnostic platform requires the development of mechanical, electrical, and software systems for novel diagnostic instruments.  The Electrical Engineering Intern will assist the team in the planning, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance of device solutions in support of biotechnology R&D and Product Development.

The functions of the Electrical Engineering Intern will be performed under supervision, in a timely manner and with acceptable quality.

All positions are posted in UMBCworks - deadline to apply: February 28, 2013.

New to UMBCworks?  Visit http://www.shrivercenter.org/students/internco-opresearch/how-do-i-get-started/ to get started.