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The Internet is No Longer Safe......

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:22:35 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Congress' "anti-extremist" bill targets online thoughtcrime

Congress is about to approve the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This is not necessarily a good thing for Internet users.

I say that because VRAHTPA establishes a new federal commission tasked with investigating Americans with "extremist belief systems" and those who may engage in "ideologically based violence." This effort is expected to cost $22 million.

It's possible, of course, that nothing will come of VRAHTPA. Technically no new laws are being proposed except those creating the so-called National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism.

Tags: censorship, congress

A Shortage of Cocaine?

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:26:28 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: www.chron.com

A shortage of cocaine — where?

America's top two drug fighters said anti-narcotics programs in Latin America are causing a cocaine shortage in Houston and 36 other U.S. cities — but police said it doesn't jibe with what they're seeing in the streets.

With White House drug czar John Walters and Drug Enforcement Administration chief Karen Tandy both in Bogota, Colombia, the administration put out a unified message Thursday: It is tougher to get cocaine in many American cities, and the prices are going up.

Armed with the results of a sample involving thousands of purchases made by undercover DEA agents and their informants during the first seven months of the year, Walters said the price of a pure gram of cocaine now stands at about $137 — up 44 percent since January.

He portrayed the spike in cost as progress, because a key drug-war goal is to squeeze supply and drive up prices to discourage people from using cocaine.

Tags: cocaine, drugs

Brits less popular after Europeans get to know them

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:27:03 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802
clipper's remarks: "'I would be careful about drawing too much inference about people disliking the British -- it's small and not significant, but you know, it is what it is, and it did happen that way.'

Fishkin said he did not think France's defeat by England in the rugby World Cup semi-final in between the two polls had had an influence, even though the number of French participants in the survey was disproportionately high."

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A poll of Europeans showed people of different nationalities liked each other more after getting to know each other, except in the case of the British -- who became less popular.

A project organized by the Notre Europe think tank brought together 362 citizens from 27 EU states for two days of deliberations in Brussels last weekend.

They were asked their views on a range of issues before and after the event, including how much they liked or disliked German, French, Polish, Italian, British and Spanish people.

The Spaniards were most popular with 78.6 percent approval at the end of the weekend. The Poles the least with 67 percent.

But all nationalities gained in popularity, bar the British who went from a 70.3 percent approval rating at the start of the weekend to 68.1 percent by the end.

Professor James Fishkin of Stanford University in the United States, who developed the polling technique used, urged some caution about the findings.

Tags: britain, english, europe

Funny Ads

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:31:55 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: bored.com

Barebecue Grill Drain Outdoor

"Lord of War" Poster with Bullet Holes

Wrinkled Poster for Skin Care Salon

Bus Poster for Duracell

"Giant Hand for Heineken" Billboard

Outdoor Ads to Fight Homelessness

Giant iPod Billboard for Magazine

Cork Outdoor

Rain-Sensitive Billboard for Mascara

"Street Chains Replaced with Necklaces" Outdoor

Outdoor for Pest Control Services

"Drowned Child" Underwater Ad

Government Ads on Traffic Light Buttons

TV Decals on Train Windows

Painted Hole Promotes Cell Service

Competing "No Dropped Calls" Billboards

Ad Tricks in Japanese Train Stations

Speech Bubbles For Clean Beaches

Volkswagen Polo and Concrete Blocks

Different Billboards for Different Shoe Sizes

Treadmill Marathon for Nike

Car Crashing into Urinal

Creative DIY Lamp-post Ads

Spam Truck

"Dead Woman" Decal

Ubuntu Billboard

The "Hip Ronald McDonald" Poster

"Ready for Your 45:" Billboards for Nike

Blue Rubber Duckies in Fountain for Adidas

"Violence Everywhere" Posters

DHL "No Size Limits" Billboard

"Kill Bill" Bathroom Promo

Tags: ads, funny

The First "Hacker-Proof" System

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:10:30 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: crave.cnet.com

'Hacker-proof' system? You be the judge

The system, called "Ectocryp," was developed for military and business applications by researchers and engineers at EADS' Defence and Security Systems division in Newport, South Wales. The team relied on technology developed by the U.K.'s Government Communications Headquarters, sister agency to the NSA and formerly known as Government Code and Cypher School, of German Enigma fame.

The system owes its success to the "lightning speed with which the 'keys' needed to enter the computer systems can be scrambled and reformatted," reports the Telegraph. "Just when a hacker thinks he or she has broken the code, the code changes." (See related video.) The system is the first "Top Secret, Eyes Only" High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptor (PDF) device in the U.K., according to the company.

Tags: internet security, hackers, hacker-proof

Bomb Scare in Boston

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:53:32 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

BOSTON - Troopers arrested an MIT student at gunpoint Friday after she walked into Logan International Airport wearing a computer circuit board and wiring on her sweatshirt. Authorities call it a fake bomb; she called it art.

"I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," said State Police Maj. Scott Pare, the airport's commanding officer.

Simpson, 19, of Hawaii, has expertise in electronics and even received a Congressional citation for her work in robotics, according to her lawyer.

She wore the white circuit board on her chest over a black hooded sweatshirt, Pare said at a news conference. The battery-powered rectangular device had nine flashing lights, and Simpson had Play-Doh in her hands, he said.

Simpson was charged with possessing a hoax device. A not guilty plea was entered for her and she was released on $750 bail.

Prosecutor Wayne Margolis had requested $5,000 bail, saying Simpson showed a total disregard for airport security concerns.

Tags: bomb, boston, terrorism, hoax

Senators Push for Internet Tax Ban

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:16:04 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Grant Gross, IDG News Service

Three Republican U.S. senators on Thursday called on Congress to pass a permanent Internet tax ban before a moratorium expires Nov. 1.

The current Internet tax moratorium, which Congress has extended twice since 1998, bans taxes on Internet access, as well as other taxes unique to the Internet. It's important for Congress to pass a permanent ban soon, before state and local governments begin to tax Internet access, said Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican.

Those who wonder what impact Internet taxes could have should look to U.S. telephone and mobile phone bills, where taxes are up to 20 percent of the cost, McCain said. "We cannot allow that to happen to the Internet-- likely the most popular invention since the light bulb," McCain said at a press conference.

Tags: internet, taxes

The Universe as a Proof of God's existence

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:14:38 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802
clipper's remarks: Thoughts? Very good read. Both sides of the argument are welcome just keep it clean people.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

The argument

Framed as an informal proof, the first cause argument can be stated as follows:

Every finite and contingent being has a cause.

Nothing finite and dependent (contingent) can cause itself.

A causal chain cannot be of infinite length.

Therefore, there must be a first cause; or, there must be something that is not an effect.

The cosmological argument can only speculate about the existence of God from claims about the entire universe, unless the "first cause" is taken to mean the same thing as "God." Thus, the argument is based on the claim that God must exist due to the fact that the universe needs a cause. In other words, the existence of the universe requires an explanation, and an active creation of the universe by a being outside of the universe — generally assumed to be God — is that explanation.

Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

The universe began to exist.

Therefore, the universe had a cause.

Tags: god, universe, debate, theology

Al-Qaida fighters raid Iraq villages

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:24:22 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD - The U.S. military on Sunday announced the arrest of a suspect in the killing of a sheik who spearheaded the U.S.-backed Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq, even as the terror network launched a campaign of violence during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Dozens of suspected Sunni insurgents raided Shiite villages north of Baghdad, killing at least 15 people and setting homes ablaze, police said. A bicycle bomb exploded at a cafe serving tea and food during the Ramadan fast in northern Iraq.

The surge of bloodshed — with 54 people killed or found dead nationwide — occurred a day after al-Qaida announced a new campaign aimed at countering U.S. and Iraqi claims the terror movement is reeling following the U.S.-led offensives around the Iraqi capital.

Tags: iraq, war, terrorists

Abortion.....

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:12:58 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: photos-856.ll.facebook.com

Tags: abortion, sorta funny, sorta disturbing

Wave Power Device Gets in Water in Oregon

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:35:49 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: news.com.com

Finavera Renewables, the Canadian company that wants to harness wind and wave power, has successfully deployed a prototype of its AquaBuoy 2.0 two and a half miles off the coast of Oregon.

Waves push the AquaBuoy up and down in the water. The motion puts pressure on a hydraulic fluid. The pressurized fluid then turns a turbine, which creates electricity. Wave and tidal power are primarily in the prototype and experimental stage, but several companies are ramping up prototypes and test vehicles. Marine Current Turbines hopes to put in a tidal turbine in the water off Northern Ireland later this year.

The hydraulic fluid inside the AquaBuoy is seawater, says Finavera CEO Jason Bak, so if one breaks, nasty oils don't escape into the environment. (Finavera is also building wind farms in Ireland.)

Tags: wave power, energy independence

US-Iranian War Imminent?

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:56:56 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802
clipper's remarks: I strongly believe that Iran is providing weapons and training to Iraqi insurgents but I really hope we don't engage Iran. Any thoughts or insight on the possibility of another war? This article is definitely worth reading.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Iran ready to fill any vacuum in Iraq

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly declared Tuesday that U.S. political influence in Iraq is "collapsing rapidly" and said his government is ready to help fill any power vacuum.

President Bush defended the Iraq war in a speech at the American Legion's national convention and accused Iran of violating human rights and trying to destabilize Iraq, Afghanistan and the wider region.

"Iran is sending arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan to be used to attack American and NATO troops," Bush said. "Iran has arrested visiting American scholars who have committed no crimes and impose no threat to their regime. And Iran's active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust. Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere."

Tags: iran, iraq, war

Is Yahoo Anti-Human Rights?

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:50:24 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: news.com.com

Yahoo files to dismiss China human rights suit

Yahoo on Monday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by two Chinese journalists who alleged that the Internet company and its subsidiaries "willingly" handed over information about their online writing to the People's Republic of China.

The case hinges on a lawsuit filed in April in the U.S. District Court for Northern California. Plaintiffs Shi Tao, Wang Xiaoning--two pro-democracy advocates--and Yu Ling (Wang's wife) charged Yahoo and its Hong Kong subsidiary with allegedly divulging information about their online activity and pro-democracy writing to Chinese authorities, an act that ultimately caused their arrest and prosecution, according to the filing. Both men were sentenced to 10 years in prison.

In a 51-page motion to dismiss, filed with the district court, Yahoo argued that the case has no merit.

Tags: china, yahoo

Bush Making Fun of Himself

Fri, 11 May 2007 05:36:17 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: bush, funny

All Hail Al Gore!

Mon, 07 May 2007 22:19:23 GMT

clipped by: crdz9802

Clip Source: www.cagle.com

Tags: politics, political cartoons, funny