ftc workshop, 2 years later

It’s been a while since the last time I jotted down my thoughts in advance of an FTC workshop, but here I am again tapping away at the keyboard on my laptop on my way to Washington D.C. I’m doing last minute preparation for being on a panel tomorrow at FTC’s mobile marketplace workshop with another security professional from US CERT and an academic/engineer. While I’m normally guided by a slide deck, slides are verboeten on panels like this and the most important thing to be armed with is well-formed thoughts. So in the spirit of cementing the thoughts in my head after doing a few days of research and mulling things over, here’s my notes on the questions I’m expecting tomorrow.

fair warning: this ended up pretty techie...

Who are the stakeholders in the mobile security market?

The carriers – it’s their job to keep the networks clean and running smoothly. Since they often get paid by how much services you use, they have a high level of incentive to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

The handset manufacturers – they are responsible for making sure the hardware is designed with at least basic defenses in mind. For example, it would be great if they had onboard encryption, but they should at least make sure that the combination of the OS & hardware provide sufficient support for security related aspects of protocols such as GSM and UTMS.

The OS vendor – they have the same responsibility as the handset manufacturers to make sure all the basics are covered, but since they are also application providers (and service providers to phone applications) they have all the normal software security concerns (buffer overflows, dos conditions, etc.). Code re-use for windows exemplifies this, as the old IGMP DoS flaw was a direct carry over to Windows Mobile 5. Mobile OS have many years of security expertise to draw on from the PC space—in some areas the lessons seem to have been learned (code signing is standard), in other areas, they have not. There are also new issues here related to privacy & mobility, such as location tracking, which really are a bit different than the PC space (which assumes your device is not terribly mobile, probably not true anymore with laptop sales outpacing desktop sales, but I still carry my phone more places than my little thinkpad x60.

The user – given the movement of attacks to exploiting people, no matter how good a job the above players do, the user has to make the right decisions about what data to store on their phone (how sensitive?), how to protect it (use a password?), what to install on it (can I trust this file claiming to be a background or ringtone?), and what to connect it to (hotspot, Bluetooth device, etc.). The biggest risk here is loss or theft, phones are lost at 15 times the rate of a PC! Hence, the most important thing you can do is carefully consider how much sensitive data you store on your phone, password protect your phone, and use encryption when it is available. I use a password on my phone and store most of my sensitive data in other places, like on my lappie or in a file in gmail (not the best, but better than in a flat file in my phone).

Note that in systems that accommodate payment by phone, as you now see in Japan, you also have the merchants and more importantly the payment processor in the mix. Nothing really new here, just all the same security practices you would expect from players accustomed to handling credit cards and other payment instruments.

What is the future of malware & mobile phones? How is it different from PCs?

PC	Mobile
Homogeneous OS: Windows	At least 4 different OS (RIM, Apple, Symbian, Windows Moile), 1 with the most market share is Symbian at 65% -- Linux is out there too, and what about Motorola’s OS? Conclusion: threats cannot spread as easily since they cannot assume a single, dominant OS.
Hardware abstracted from the OS: Single threat will run on any Windows-supported hardware (AMD, Intel processors make no difference as long as long as it is the same bit rating)	Hardware and OS more tightly linked—at least differences across platform force application development challenges such that you cannot compile for Symbian and then expect it to run across all Symbian devices—has to be recompiled for the specific processor used on the phone if not the phone itself Conclusion: not only can threats not assume a single OS, but even on that OS, threats cannot cross processor architectures (i.e.in 05, CommWarrior could not jump from a Nokia phone to a Sony Ericsson phone via BT or MMS, even though both used Symbian Series 60).
Incentive: $$$	Phones are not used for cash transactions in most places—yet. The data they store on average is more useful for spammers than anyone else. Conclusion: there is less incentive for malware to afflict a mobile phone since the authors cannot directly monetize their theft.
Unauthorized installs quite easy along with exploits or fake alerts	Code-signing and platform issues (mentioned above) make this difficult, forcing attackers to resort to trickery and low volume attacks Apple gates this by forcing everything through iTunes (all apps have to register and be sold via iTunes). Symbian forces applications to be signed by them. MSFT has code-signing with Windows Mobile 6, unsigned apps will prompt the user once and will not have access to certain “dangerous” APIs. J2ME could facilitate this, but would have to vulnerable and installed on the vast majority of devices—and you would have to have a static IP address or some vector of exploit, such as a popular browser like FireFox. J2ME attacks will force prompts for every dangerous action, so social engineering a la RedBrowser may be effective, but self-replicating malware is unlikely. RIM uses same model as J2ME. Conclusion: Unauthorized, silent installs are unlikely without physical theft of a phone itself due to the level of control the OS/device manufacturers exert over the handset.
No money trail for spamming	If someone is spamming via your phone, many users will receive an “out of whack” bill (SMS is not free for many), funny charges or have a monthly bill they are accustomed to receiving. Conclusion: Not foolproof, but it’s harder to remain unnoticed on a phone when spamming.
Proximity unlimited—completely remote attacks are du rigueur	Remote attacks are possible today with repeaters and antennas, but there are still geographic limitations. Conclusion: an attack like Slammer which spanned the globe in 15 minutes is highly unlikely. It hinged on auto-execution of code, poor centralized control, and no proximity limits.
ISPs serve as the transportation network—many of them and they sprang up quickly. Sharing relationship were new as they were not well acquainted with one another and intensely competitive. This is how phishing “takedown” services proliferate, basically they are go-betweens across ISPs for brands asking for fraud sites to be taken down. If ISPs had better fraud detection services and coordination, phishing would not be the problem that it is. Not to mention the existence of rogue ISPs like the Russian Business Network.	Telcos are the transportation networks—while very competitive, they have longstanding relationships and are more likely to work together to solve resolve a large threat than an ISP.

What does the market for phone-based security services look like?

§ Easy data encryption and backup

§ Potentially includes privacy services

§ Identity protection

§ Safety services for file download & install, hotspot access, etc.

§ Parental controls (centralized, across devices)

What can consumers do to protect themselves?

1. Don’t store sensitive info on your phone.

Names and addresses are understandable, but don’t put your SSN and CC data on your phone. At least not unencrypyted.

2. Password protect your phone.

It’s irritating, but it will prevent most data theft if the phone is lost or stolen.

3. Back-up your phone data.

You never know when you will need it.

4. Set your device’s Bluetooth to undiscoverable.

Will prevent unsolicited requests and will not affected paired devices.

5. Don’t accept incoming BlueTooth requests unless you asked for it.

No good can come from it.

6. Review your monthly bill for any funny business.

Will help you identify fraudulent charges/spam impact.

7. Don’t install files from untrusted sources on your phone.

Might affect your phone performance, stability, or security.

Closing statement

§ Watch for transaction increases to drive more malware author incentive

§ Watch for IPv6 and dedicated IP addresses—promises for more issues and concern

§ Malware itself is not likely to target an OS platform, but rather the web which is quickly becoming the platform for all devices.

o Windows has been the target of choice b/c it is pervasive, the web is becoming this today given the proliferation of devices and increased functionality (i.e. web 2.0)

o Attackers in the future will aim for the web since it offers the biggest return, but even these attacks will be language specific (unless you can get at a global ad network)

§ Threats will therefore “merge” from the PC world to phones and other web-enabled devices where they will exhibit traits we are already seeing today

o More reliant on deception than technology exploits

o Service specific

o Language specific

And they will likely be non-persistent “flash” attacks.

So we won’t have to worry too much about self-replicating malware, but malware and spyware will be a worry, especially those that focus on install via deception (Trojans).

§ Nonetheless, we think the market is much broader than malware protection alone, it encompasses

o Easy data encryption and backup

o Potentially includes privacy services

o Identity protection

o Safety services for file download & install, hotspot access, etc.

o Parental controls (centralized, across devices)

santa monica classic

after a couple months of training, this morning i completed our corporate challenge 10k run along with my fellow members of team fascinus. the results aren't up yet, but we probably placed 2nd to team nike who stacked the deck with a guy who as the olympic trials and ran something like a 35:50. since they sponsored the race, this is sort of like inviting all your pals over for poker and then cleaning them out in pai gow. you may have a little extra spending $$$, but you're going to get less xmas cards next year for sure. i can't complain too much as our team ringer scored me a really nice pair of nike air equalon 2s as well as some bonus shorts and a shirt.

oh yeah, i turned in a respectable time of 44:30, around 7:18 per mile. not bad, but i was hoping for something in the 43 range, which would have required more training or more likely a rocket pack :-)

edit: results are up now. i ended up with a 44:20 finish. it's only 10 seconds less, but i'll take it!

techetiquette

late afternoon yesterday i cut out of work early (hey, i started at 6am) in order to take a cruise around the marina del rey harbor with my pal te'o. as we tooled around in his little boat, we were reflecting on how there really don't seem to be any rules or established "common sense" for using the massive amount of consumer technology now available. sensing an opp'ty to be both snarky and elitist, we seized the moment and i offer you this list of new rules for using today's tech, with a heavy focus on mobile phones.

1. use silent or vibrate mode on your mobile phone in the office
it's hard enough to focus on what your doing with IM, email and 2 phones (land line and a mobile) vying for your attention, you certainly don't need someone else's phone binging off every 30 minutes as my old office mate's used to do when he forgot to take it to meetings with him. i resolved the problem by threatening to flush it down the toilet.

2. don't put IM on your mobile phone
you can already text ppl from your phone to get that groovy sense of immediate gratification, why would you need IM? and you can use the web from your phone (at least ppl with a smartphone can), as well as email. do you really need IM on your mobile? i say give it up.

3. it's ok not to answer your phone
and i've yet to miss an important call.really. just b/c you can be accessible damn near anywhere, doesn't mean you should be. i can't tell you how many times i've walked into a public restroom and i can hear someone yapping away with their pal while sitting on the can. yuck. this is an extreme case, but i've become accustomed to leaving my phone at home on the weekend or shutting it off in the evening. it feels really good, try it.

4. don't invite ppl to join facebook groups
i think i have something like 18 group invitations pending, everything from joining the struggle vampires versus the zombies to the purdue women's lacrosse team. i'm over it. i've yet to figure out why i even need facebook groups.

5. don't call a bluetooth headset "a bluetooth"
this little gem came from a certain family member lately who will remain unnamed. bluetooth is a wireless protocol, not a device. it can connect your phone to your car, a keyboard to a computer, and the your digital picture frame to a phantom image of the virgin of guadalupe (ok, this one may take additional help from a psychic, but you get the idea). unless your willing to call a website "an HTTP", let's nip this one in the bud.

6. bluetooth headset <> fashion accessory
i said it before but apparently i'm losing this battle: i don't care how groovy and matchy your headset is, chances are you look really silly wearing it in your ear when your not talking. i've started seeing this all the time now, it's nutty. ever tried having a conversation with someone who is wearing it in their ear? first, the ear blinks every 5 seconds which i find really distracting while trying to maintain eye contact. secondly, you are often left to wonder if they've just picked up their phone and are speaking to you or someone else. lastly, it just seems rude that i am right in front of you and having a conversation yet i can be instantly interrupted and trumped by anyone who dials you up on your mobile to see what your favorite pizza topping is.

7. don't text, email or otherwise type while driving
the only exception to this is when stuck in traffic. this one is an obvious no-no, but i will admit to having done it.

8. keep your VM greeting 2 sentences or less
you can't always zing past every VM greeting, so for the love of god, pls keep it brief. 2 sentences or less is perfect. i don't need to know how to send you a fax, know how much you really want me to have a wonderful day, or hear your favorite quote from charles dickens. the related request here is to keep your VM messages short. not nearly as offensive and sometimes you just have to ramble a little but always appreciated.

9. don't just use your phone # as your VM greeting
i know you may not like hearing your recorded voice (not many ppl do, including myself), but i often wonder if i called the right person when i don't have any sort of aural clue when leaving a message. if you don't want a custom greeting, how about just your name? or getting someone else to say it?

10. mute while typing on a conference call
this happens once a day: i'm on a conference call with a slew of people, and someone is multitasking by hammering away on their keyboard. nothing wrong with multitasking, i do it just as much as the next person, however, you have to consider the noise factor of what your doing. nothing seems to be quite as rampant or popular as pounding out emails, IMs or anything else that requires frequent typing while pretending to listen in to the guy from finance explain budgetary procedure #71. it's just too damn loud. mute if you're going to type. or fold clothes. or dust the wood in the room. or rip your old CDs. i do all of these and they make very little noise to the ppl on the call.

would my lower back still ache in 2058?

i rolled out of bed about 30 minutes ago after my aching lower back reminded me that sleeping on my side is no longer the best idea any more. darks days when the fetal position doesn't get the job done! i suppose i could wedge a few properly positioned pillows at key locations and make it work, but why do that when i can simply roll-over on my back? and it's not normally that bad, it's just a little upset after 13.2 miles last sunday and pounding the pavement for 7 miles yesterday.

anyways, i finally gave in and plopped myself in front of my desktop computer to read personal email and do take a look at the news. an article called "the world in 2058" caught my eye. first off, it has a long section with vint cerf whom is one of my faves, sort of the jimmy choo of technology in janespeak. while i have to consider what the future will bring for security products and i spend a lot of brain cycles on it, i admittedly don't consider much beyond my field and if i'm still working on security products in 2058 i'd be sorely disappointed (i've promised myself this is my last job in the field i joined in 95/96).

so what did the big brains have to say?

we'll get to travel at the speed of light - i'm all for getting to places faster, but we haven't really even figured out how to safely travel by car at 70 mph yet. we were doing just fine until mobile phones came into the picture. now, every time someone weaves into a nearby lane or bumps the car in front of them, you see in their hands a phone or 'berry that was receiving more attention than their driving. now, imagine this at lightspeed! what the heck happens when you give into temptation and text your pal while traveling from NYC->TYO, only to bump into someone from Shanghai? i don't know the answer, but i'm betting you don't just bump off of them video game style and offer a polite apology.

we'll have nano devices inside us - i'm all for this. i'm thinking i could have a little gyrosleeping agent which recognized that my artificially enhanced six-pack abdomen had flipped over on its side to indulge in a little fetal position while catching a few z's. it would then smooth everything out, released some chemical or pushing some body buttons that would basically tell my lower back to piss off for a bit while i sleep how *i want to sleep*, not how it allows me to. oh yeah, and if i could get a nano device which would power up my anemic slapshot, count me in. how about one that travels to where the middle of my back itches when jane isn't around to help out? i can see my whole body as a freakin' 405 of little nano devices zipping around to cure ailments and shortcomings i simply shrug off today.

a few other interesting things were the mention that terrorism and climate change are pretty much in check by that time. not that we've "solved them" but that the planet doesn't yield under the weight of climate change and we adapt around it and terrorism is recognized as a police and not a military function. mind you, combating it means giving up fundamental privacy rights, which is mentioned as a "thorny" issue. uh yeah. banksy has done some brilliant art on privacy lately with his "one nation under cctv" graf. it also turns out that blue is the new green and we end up with a water shortage after we deal with all this sticky climate change stuff. hmmmmmm... desalination anyone?

after all of this, i'm left with a very simple longing for the future: can anyone make a really good rum raisin ice cream in 2058 that won't gird my nano-tricked out buttocks with a new layer of fat?

current playlist

blind mary - gnarls barkely - odd couple
pong pang - booka shade - movements
alice (drop the lime heavy bass remix) - moby - alice e.p.
where is your god now? - adam freeland - hate e.p.
tocando o terror - dj dolores - 1 real
still take you home - arctic monkeys - whatever people say i am...
crown royal - jill scott - the real thing
the white flash (feat. thom yorke) - modeselektor - happy birthday!
tomahawk - jon kennedy - demons e.p.
f*ck was i (morgan page remix) - jenny owens - elevate
bad man - missy elliot - bad man single
nectarine - mike doughty band - golden delicious

hello april - musings

ran into this little slice 'o graf on a wall while i was visiting the media in oslo during my last trip. remember the detroit graffiti i mentioned below? skulls, profanity & cheap vodka? well, you can forget about that in scandinavia my friend. starbuck thugs unite! the foreboding "rich kids on soya" posse are rolling into whoville. keep an eye on your splenda my friend...

i caught a snippet of the news this morning while grabbing my coffee from downstairs that mentioned barack obama went bowling last nite and they were going to announce his scores. this almost made me nostalgic for all the anna nicole smith nonsense. i think i might even be ready for a good brittany scandal at this point. i'm waiting for the hillary response to barack's bowling, think she'd be interested in joining me for lawn jarts?

since i've been home for the last month i've been on a non-stop music binge. i'm really enjoying the new jack johnson, gnarls barkely as well as the latest moby album. moby has finally returned to form and delivered his first decent album since "play". i'm still liking the new goldfrapp too, very much a return to the mellow grooves of felt mountain. i'm disappointed in mike doughty's latest though, "golden delicious"; the lyrics just aren't as interesting as i expect from him nor is the production quality there either.

back on the road next week in SF for the RSA conference. short trip, hope it doesn't mess up my now regular running schedule and my wii boxing progress :-)

democratic fatigue

It's finally happened: I am tired of all the election coverage. I admittedly binged on the earlier primaries and was fully absorbed by the race to the party nominations. now? I'm simply tired of hearing about it. About what do you ask?

Obama's Lack of a Flag Lapel Pin
This is retarded. Why is he not patriotic for not wearing a flag pin? Is this standard politician uniform nonsense, doled out alongside stars and stripes boxers? Don't we have a better measure for patriotism than adorning oneself with a 10 dollar metal trinket? The guy obviously has a sense of style; maybe he just doesn't want that irritating hole left in his Italian suits that pins would certainly leave in his fancy lapel?

McCain's Insanity
I am not going to vote Republican, but I still really wanted to like John McCain. Unfortunately, he is nuts and I am prevented from doing this. When asked about how to solve the current economic woes in the U.S., he began by focusing on the importance of free markets. Ok John, I'm with you. I believe in free markets too. Then he attributed the current issues to legislative and regulatory impediments. What? Are you kidding me? What statutes and encumbrances inhibited the lenders from writing billions of dollars of really ill-advised debt? Isn't that what's at the heart of much of today's financial woes? I'm all for a smaller govt footprint, but excessive greed and myopia has dealt us a serious blow, let's own up to it and do whatever we can do to prevent it in the future. Reluctantly, I think this means correcting issues created by capitalistic excess in this case.

Obama's Preacher
Get over it. The guy's preacher has an abrasive, old school style of preaching that is at least confrontational if not openly racist and wrong-headed. Obama should know better, but who agrees with everything they hear at church? Or in any other group? A thinking, independent person will typically filter what data they take in and accept only what makes sense to them. Why would someone instantly attribute all the beliefs of the ppl who are listening to the one that is speaking? I can understand the temptation to do this, but we need to be smarter than this. We not only have the printing press, but YouTube as well. Let's give ourselves a bit more credit.

Hillary
I'm done with her little lies, awkward attempts at humor and most importantly establishment politicking. While I frankly think her policies, experience and budget objectives are more aligned with what I want than Obama's, I'm so turned off by her person that I'm afraid I can't vote for her. I just don't trust her.

Having said all of this, I can't believe the current breed of tyrants running the white house and any of today's flawed candidates will be an improvement over GW and Cheney. I was incensed this week to read Cheney's quote of "So?" in terse reaction to the american public's lack of support for the war in iraq. The white house spokesperson, in a failed attempt to recover, stated that the american ppl get the chance to vote every 4 years. WTF? So they can do whatever they want in the interim? No matter how bad the current crop of candidates seem, can it really get any worse than this? Warp speed captain, bring on November!

current playlist

all i really want - viktoria mullova - through the looking glass
tick tick boom - the hives - the black and white album
bombs - faithless - to all new arrivals
silverlake pills - adam freeland - silverlake pills e.p.
bump bump - skeewiff feat. young mc - the jalapeno sound system
hong kong - gorillaz - help: a day in the life
twice - little dragon - little dragon
meant to be - dub specimen ltd feat. little tasha - oliver peoples 5 (compilation)
the longest road - morgan page - the longest road e.p.
mandarin girl - booka shade - movement
hope - jack johnson - sleep through the static
cologne cerrone houdini - goldfrapp - seventh tree

detroit city: a pictoral by whit

whit clements, the goalie on my inline hockey team, is also from michigan and a pretty good amateur photographer. he snapped the shots below on a recent trip to the motor city. check 'em out.ketel one? belvedere? chopin? step aside my friends and take your fancy pants foreign names with you. this is mohawk town! mohawk vodka, that is. i'm betting mohawk has been in a helluva lot more brown bags than martinis.

sort of speaks for itself eh? remember how i mentioned the cute, fuzzy graffiti i saw in italy. yikes. this is our goodfellas to their pokemon.

sites like this are not that uncommon. urban decay in detroit is in advanced stages, it has every feeling of a city without hope.

old mills and abandoned industrial yards. sites like this have been mined for scrap metal which can be re-sold. i read a story a few months ago about people ganking air conditioners and phone lines so that they can be sold as scrap. detroit = desperation.

and on a lighter note :-)

outro feb, intro march

it's been a while since my last "real" post. while i normally get a lot of these done on the road this past journey had too many cities in too little time: stockholm, oslo, copenhagen, milan. it was all i could do to keep my breath with the planes & hotel rooms. i'll post some pics after i get home and settled in, but in no particular order, here are my thoughts on the plane ride home:

all airports should have hardwood floors.
every airport in scandanavia does (that i saw) and it completely changes how you feel about the space, turning what could have been a bustling, stress-ridden thoroughfare into something not unlike an ikea living room display floor. they should hire the norwegians to extreme makeover the dirtbag airport that is LAX. just left charles de gaulle and even the french are kicking our butts with clean & stylish airports. the french! these are the people who thought red pants would make great camouflage in world war 1 and inaugurated consumption of snails.

faded empires don't suck.
this was an important one i contemplated while cruising around stockholm. i understand the swedes used to be a dominant society at several times in history. now they are relegated to bestowing upon us meatballs with lingon berries, disposable design furniture and the occasional pop or movie star (think abba, greta garbo, dolph lundgren, etc.). none of this is bad, but it's not exactly shaping the future of humanity. having said that, the swedes seemed genuinely happy with their lot in life even though their one-time glory is mostly recalled now in advanced college history courses and commerative shot glasses with really small font. relate this to where we are now in the US and i think we can take some comfort from the fact that other nations have quietly slipped into a background role on the world stage where they were once playing the star. and, following their adoption of a lesser role, people seem really ok with it. really. sooooooooooo... heed my call citizens of the u.s.a.: it is time to figure out what our new contribution to the world since the day will soon be upon us when we will hand the keys over to the chinese. i'm betting it will still be media and some form of hollywood that does not include kanye west-- i heard the man rap about klondike bars at the grammies. what the hell is that?

graffiti doesn't have to be gang-related or violent.
this one is sort of obvious, but i think i lost this sometime in LA. in fact, i think it relates directly back to jonathan who can explain which tagging relates back specifically to which gang did it and where they're from. for example, after spotting the "TMK" tagged onto our trash can a few months ago, jonathan sagely advised me that "too much krap" had staked a claim onto our trash bin. apparently they are a mexico-based gang that is on the rise in socal. i'm fine with them tagging our trash can, but if they are going to claim some portion of it, the least they could do is take it out for us every now and again. anyways, back to my point, which is as follows: graffiti in italy was downright cute and fluffy in some areas and artistic and fun in others. why does is almost all of our graffiti in LA so ugly and bleak? granted, we have some cool street murals like the "art of chase" and wyland stuff, but impromptu street art is not our flavor apparently. too much krap indeed...

it's floor happy face.
can we just standardize on what floor the lobby level is on? some places it is "ground", which i'm ok with. other places it is "1" and commonly in europe it is "0". which i can appreciate. it's all too confusing though; i think we should just replace all of it with a star or a happy face. this works for me. on another note, while explaining that we did not name the latest version of our backup and recovery s/w version 13 (went straight to 14 from version 12) for the same reason many buildings do not have 13 floors, a smug italian pr person commented to me (in front of about 20 italian journalists) that 13 was actually lucky in italy. go figure. i remarked that it was an ethopian guy who had made the decision (which it was), which i figure was about the best defense i had at the time.

english rules.
now you can't just go assuming everyone speaks english, especially cab drivers, but if you had to choose one language to carry you around the globe you'd be well served to through english in your knap sack. this is really the benefit of the work the british started so long ago, hollywood has more gently influenced and the internet is perpetuating. just try and find an internet protocol that you have to spell out in french, italian or any other language. really. so to the victors go the spoils: we can travel damn near anywhere and step 2 paces beyond everyone else's pointing and grunting when they don't speak the language b/c everyone has seen our movies, had at least a little high school english or visited an adult website on the internet. while the chinese will eat our lunch economically, i don't think they will have much luck replacing english as a form of clumsy esperanto worldwide. their character system was nearly designed to prevent literacy, the language is impossibly tonal and (apologies, but let's be honest), it's just plain ugly to the eardrums. so while we will no longer be able to afford to travel internationally with our already flaccid dollar bills, when the chinese or russian tourist offers to buy our house with cash, they will at least have to suffer the indignity of doing it in english.