Aaron Russo, producer of From Freedom to Fascism has passed away this morning. August 24th, 2007. A great American Hero and patriot. God Bless you Aaron! He fought his battle with cancer long enough to inspire and educate countless people to learn the truth about the globalists' agenda. Aaron Russo was a Jewish-American filmmaker and produced the movies "The Rose" and "Trading Places."
This is sad news. I'm grateful for his passion and effort to educate us - we need to wake up! Condolences to his family, friends and volunteers who helped to spread his cause.
If you haven't already, watch From Freedom to Fascism - educate yourself.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Aaron Russo, Producer Of From Freedom To Fascism Has Passed Away
Sony Develops Battery Powered By Sugar!
Sony has developed an environmentally-friendly prototype battery that runs on sugars and that can generate enough electricity to power a music player and a pair of speakers.
The bio battery's casing is made of a vegetable-based plastic. It measures 3.9 cm (1.5 inch) along each edge and works by pouring sugar solution into the unit, where enzymes break it down to generate electricity.
This is very cool. For now, it'll take many of these to light a bulb so it's a baby step. But baby's do tend to grow so I'm really looking forward to seeing this as the next viable alternative for everyday use. Indeed, a freely available, growable energy source is what we need now!
What You Need To Know About Bluetooth Security
Bluetooth is everywhere, from our laptops to our cell phones to our PDAs. But you need to know some important facts about its security issues. The following can be found here:
Bluetooth Security
Security has played a major role in the invention of Bluetooth. The Bluetooth SIG has put much effort into making Bluetooth a secure technology and has security experts who provide critical security information. In general, Bluetooth security is divided into three modes:
· Non-secure
· Service level enforced security
· Link level enforced security
In non-secure, a Bluetooth device does not initiate any security measures. In service-level enforced security mode, two Bluetooth devices can establish a non-secure Asynchronous Connection-Less (ACL) link. Security procedures, namely authentication, authorization and optional encryption, are initiated when a L2CAP (Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol) Connection-Oriented or Connection-Less channel request is made. (Haataja, 2006). The difference between service level enforced security and link level enforced security is that in the latter, the Bluetooth device initiates security procedures before the channel is established.
As mentioned above, Bluetooth‘s security procedures include authorization, authentication and optional encryption. Authentication involves proving the identity of a computer or computer user, or in Bluetooth‘s case, proving the identity of one piconet member to another. Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to a network resource. Encryption is the translation of data into secret code. It is used between Bluetooth devices so that eavesdroppers can not read its contents. However, even with all of these defense mechanisms in place, Bluetooth has shown to have some security risks. The next section of this paper will describe some of these vulnerabilities associated with Bluetooth technology.
Bluetooth Vulnerabilities and Security Risks
Bluejacking: Bluejacking is the process of sending unsolicited messages, or business cards, to Bluetooth-enabled devices. This does not involve altering any data from the device, but nonetheless, it is unsolicited. Devices that are set in non-discoverable mode are not susceptible to bluejacking. In order for bluejacking to work, the sending and receiving devices must be within 10 meters of one another. While this method has been widely used for promotional purposes, Bluetooth device-owners should be careful never to add the contact to their address book. While bluejacking is usually not done with malicious intent, repetitive bogus messages can be annoying to the user, and in some cases, can render the product inoperable. This can also open the door to a variety of social engineering attacks.
Bluesnarfing: Bluesnarfing is a method of hacking into a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and copying its entire contact book, calendar or anything else stored in the phone‘s memory. By setting the device in non-discoverable, it becomes significantly more difficult to find and attack the device. However, the software tools required to steal information from Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones are widely available on the Web, and knowledge of how to use them is growing. (Kotadia, 2004)
The backdoor attack: This attack involves establishing a trust relationship through the “pairing” mechanism, but ensuring that it no longer appears in the target‘s register of paired devices. In this way, unless the owner is actually observing their devices at the precise moment a connection is established, they are unlikely to notice anything untoward, and the attacker may be free to continue to use any resource that a trusted relationship with that device grants access to…This means that not only can data be retrieved from the phone, but other services, such as modems, or Internet, WAP and GPRS gateways may be accessed without the owner‘s knowledge or consent. (The Bunker, 2003)
The cabir worm: The cabir worm is malicious software that uses Bluetooth technology to seek out available Bluetooth devices and send itself to them. According to Bluetooth SIG (2006), The cabir worm currently only affects mobile phones that use the Symbian series 60 user interface platform and feature Bluetooth wireless technology. Furthermore, the user has to manually accept the worm and install the malware in order to infect the phone. Although this may be the case, this shows that it is achievable to write mobile viruses that spread via Bluetooth and may cause other hackers to explore the possibilities of writing Bluetooth viruses.
The Mabir worm is essentially a variant of the Cabir worm where it uses Bluetooth and Multimedia Messaging Service messages (MMS) to replicate.
Bluetooth wireless is constantly growing in popularity because of the convenience of exchanging information between mobile devices. As Bluetooth usage rises, so do the security risks associated with the technology. Advantages to Bluetooth include the ability to simultaneously handle both data and voice transmissions which enables users to enjoy a variety of innovative solutions such as a hands-free headset for voice calls, wireless printing and fax capabilities, and synchronizing PDA, laptop, and mobile phone applications. (Bluetooth SIG, 2006) Bluetooth users should familiarize themselves with Bluetooth security issues before using Bluetooth devices, and especially before they bring these devices into the work place.
China Will See Underwater Hotel
I've always enjoyed going to theme parks and riding in those mini-subs. In all my travels, I haven't seen or stayed in theme-type hotels. Well, now it looks like one resort will be making the underwater world as their theme and China will see the first one. I think this is cool and kind of freaky at the same time. That thing better be sealed good!
Having obtained sea rights from China, Crescent Hydropolis Resorts will build the world's first underwater hotel and resort there named Hydropolis Qingdao. The Hydrotower component will be located on 33,000 sq meters of land that was formerly the Ocean Entertainment Park in Qingdao, and completion is slated prior to the start of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. The actual underwater hotel section or Hydropalace, will be located southwest of the island of Chidao and will be operative in 2009.The company is also working on the underwater hotel in Dubai, with plans to build in London, Monaco, Munich, New York and the Isle of Man.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A Fight Club To Ease The Pain
I caught an episode of Taboo on the National Geographic channel last night and saw a fight club that I'm familiar with - Gints Fighting Club. Gints Klimanis has been running this club out of his garage for a number of years and with him are a number of fighters who put their skills to the test in full contact fights. If you've watched Fight Club with Brad Pitt you'll know what I'm talking about. But in Gint's club they fight with knives, sticks, fists, and improvised weapons ranging from baking sheets to chairs to hoses. As you can see in the picture, people get hurt... bad. The show mentioned cases where fighters from other fight clubs have even died as a result of receiving a major blow to vital points.
I've been training in and teaching the use of sticks, knives, fists and improvised weapons for a number of years, but I've never tested my skills in this sort of arena. Other members in my organization have fought in full contact fights held by another group, The Dogbrothers. From watching the fights from last night's show and even some of the Dogbrother's clips, it seems that the fighters need a bit more training in the realm of defense. It is so hard to fight relaxed as your adrenalin is pumping, and you're nervous about getting hit - you get stiff. Another point is the ego factor. We get caught up in this ridiculous mentality of getting as many hits as you can (yes, even with no armor protection) while neglecting defense. And this is defense mainly in the close range. From what I saw in last night's show, fighters just want to clinch in the close range. Is that the best defense to use? Maybe for some, but not me. I may have not fought in these fight clubs but I've fought in the street and when you play on the street, you play for keeps. There's no, hitting with reckless abandon. On the street there's just the perfect opportunity and one nice hit to the throat and then run - you don't know if the attacker has friends nearby. They say there's no rules in fight club, but on the show there clearly was.
And this brings me to the title of my post. Yes, there are rules in fight club. Why? People have to work the next day, man! But it's like an event loop in computer programming - people have this instinctual need to act violent, over and over again. At work, you deal with crap situations and stupid idiots. You can't obviously punch a guy out at the office or risk getting fired. Go home, eat a bit, go to fight club, ease the pain of a most crappy day at work stuck in a cubicle dealing with ignorant, inconsiderate co-workers by beating each other up. With each other's consent, of course. And the loop begins the next day at work and so on.
Luckily, I don't feel the need to act out this way and prove my manhood. You prove your manhood by surviving each freakin' day anyway. If I have a really bad day at work, there's always Tai Chi. But to each his own right?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Add A Great Service To Your Site And Earn Some Cash
I've recently added this great service, Job-a-matic, to my graphic tutorials blog. If you're looking for a unique way to add something to your unique blog that your readers will find value in, why not give it a try? You can earn extra cash and keep your visitors coming back to your blog. Best of all... it's free!
You can learn more about Job-a-matic in the clip below right from the source - CEO of Simply Hired, Gautam Godhwani.
Is Global Warning Going To Do Us In?
Leishmaniasis is a potentially fatal flesh eating disease that is on the rise, and scientists from the University of Hull state that global warming appears to be the culprit. Leishmaniasis is caused by a parasite transmitted via sand fly bites usually found only in tropical climates. Rising temperatures will increase the number of countries the sand fly colonises, moving further north and through Europe.
"Because of travel and tourism, nations already affected by the disease are on the rise. Military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan are exposed to conditions ripe for developing Leishmaniasis. Global warming and the military presence in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan mean that this horrific and debilitating disease is affecting more people than ever before," says Dr. Ross Boyle, lead researcher on the project at the University of Hull. "My co-investigator, Dr. Tim Paget at the Medway School of Pharmacy, Hull PhD student Carrie-Anne Bristow and myself wanted to work towards finding a significantly better treatment.” Leishmaniasis currently affects 12 million people around the world, with 350 million people at risk of infection and a further 2 million new cases popping up each year." (treehugger)
Current treatments have unpleasant side effects and the chemists at the university are working on alternative methods of treatment to counter the parasite's increasing drug resistance. After years of research, they've discovered a method to halt the effects of Leishmaniasis by using photodynamic therapy - traditionally used to treat cancers. Also, medicinal chemists at Hull have synthesised the basic core molecule which could lead to a cure for cutaneous and mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis.
So I guess we're going to have be more aware the next time we're out on the beach or out camping. Bring your mini-torch, any sort of nettings, plenty of bug spray, but in my experience - covering up is the best protection. Some facts about the sand fly:
- They don't fly that fast – even at a slow walking pace they can't keep up and when it's windy they can't cope and will retreat to the grass or sheltered forest. If you stop for a break, it's best to stay out in the open where there is enough wind to keep them away. If you're worried about the sun and getting too dark, have a light umbrella handy and sunblock.
- They go away at night – as soon as it gets dark the sand flies will disappear, but will return at first light.
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Monday, August 20, 2007
Why Do Playboy Models Need To Be Photoshopped?
This is old news of a brazilian Playboy model who lost her belly button in an issue that caused a big stink among customers... and rightly so. The mistake went unnoticed for awhile, and the magazine sold 605,000 copies that month. That is not good for business, man. I wonder how many subscriptions they lost after that? If it comes to a point where a model needs her curves fixed or skin toned muted or highlighted, or whatever, then she shouldn't be in an issue. It also makes you think if the make-up artist or photographer did a sub-par job. Can you really blame them? Nah, I think it's a team effort.
I'm bringing this story up again because it's important to touch up on a few points about teamwork. I've worked with people in the graphic design sector that were really unpleasant. You get them in any work setting I'm sure. The important thing to realize is that it's not all about you. And it's most definitely not all about them too. It's about your client and the integrity of the company. But for me, it's more about the client. When I watch those reality chef shows like Hell's Kitchen, it really pisses me off that the product of teammates backstabbing, not pulling their weight, and doing crappy work, equals crappy food and ultimately, a dissatisfied customer who will never eat there again and probably tell 10 friends who will then tell 10 friends and so on. I know it's just a TV show, but you see the same thing in the real world all the freakin' time.
I don't know what happened with the team working on that issue of Playboy that resulted in a missing belly button on the model. It could've been an honest mistake that simply got missed or worse, a disharmonious atmosphere where a foundation wasn't set and agreed upon among all involved in the project. With no foundation you'll get a hell of a lot of politicking and no work or shabby work done. If you like your job, like eating and living, it's time to look at the big picture of a project, put the differences aside, and maintain your integrity and reputation of the company. You might even get a sweet bonus as a result. Now that's what I'm talking about!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Are You On Par With Your Web Copy Writing Skills?
Writing web copy is a specialized genre that combines marketing savvy with an understanding of the culture, mindset, psychology and lingo of the internet. This means that there are some differences between writing copy offline and online. Selling on the web is text driven and to be effective, it needs to grab attention, create desire, cause an action, and create satisfaction.
You need good web copywriting skills or need to hire a good web copywriter if you're an internet marketer or website owner who sells goods or services, a professional who approves and organizes internet marketing campaigns, or even a webmaster who wants to expand his business offering more services or products.
I'll tell you write now, if you want to be successful marketing your goods or services online - don't make your website look like one big ad! Use editorial style web headlines and copy. Also, write much like you're talking to someone casually - a conversational style. This friendly and approachable style ensures you don't scare your visitors away and causes them to continue reading to a point that they have a desire that calls for an action.
Well, I could go on but I'm still studying as much as I can about internet marketing in case I decide to branch into selling products online. If you're also in the same boat I am you can probably use all the information and guides you can get your hands on in order to make the right moves in the internet marketing arena. If so, keep your eyes on my blog as I'll be giving away free e-books that'll give you the heads up on what you need to know.
The first giveaway is a book called "10 Steps To Killer Web Copy." This also includes all the material you need if you wish to market the book with a ready made website and all the resell rights. In order to receive this, you have to do the following:
- write about this giveaway on your blog (no trackbacks please, only full posts)
- describe what goods or services you are selling and how this giveaway may help you
- come back to my blog and fill in your contact information at the bottom of the page
- include your email, direct link to your post and I'll email you the prize if it's all good
As this is a giveaway and not a contest, it will be ongoing. So, if you're reading this and it's a few months (or years) down the road don't hesitate to follow the steps to receive a resource that can help increase your sales. ♦DiggIt! ♦Add to del.icio.us ♦Add to Technorati Faves ♦Stumble This
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