text:
Richard is a high profile figure in the Australian horse racing & sporting scene as well as a first class Master of Ceremonies, guest speaker and auctioneer.
Richard is a host and form expert on Australia's number one thoroughbred racing television Channel TVN (fox 522) and the Sydney correspondent for Australia's biggest racing paper, Winning Post. Richard can also be seen of Channel nine's racing coverage as an expert.
Richard is the third son of well know racing man Kenny Callander so horse racing is definitely in the blood.Richard is a former golf professional who has also worked for several sporting organisations including Rugby League Football Clubs and Marconi Soccer Club.
Richard has worked for a variety of media organisations such as Radio 2KY, Sportsman newspaper, Channel 10 and Radio 2UE as well as a short stint as Marketing Manager for Harness Racing NSW.
Richard can often be seen throughout Australia hosting functions for some of the countries biggest companies.
Richard also devotes many hours helping and aiding many charities with fundraising and speaking roles which include the Melanoma and Cancer Foundation Sydney Children's Hospital and the Brave Hearts foundation.


text:
22 Free Crochet Patterns: Afghan Patterns, Crochet Hats, and More
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
Earth tone Knit Afghan
This Earth-tone knitting afghan pattern is great for those who love the environment. This pattern uses a circular knitting needle. This makes for a great gift.
Find this pattern and 24 crochet and knitting patterns in the Wrap up with 25 Afghan Patterns from Red Heart Yarn eBook.
Afghan measures approximately 51" x 59"
- TLC® "Essentials™": 4 Skeins No. 2335 Taupe A, 1 skein each No. 2821 Paradise Blue B and No. 2615 Light Celery C.
- Circular Knitting Needle: 6mm [US 10] – 29".
- Yarn needle.
GAUGE: 1 Chevron = 4 1/4" across; 12 rows = 2 1/2" in pattern. CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size needle to obtain the gauge.
With A, cast on 204 sts. Do not join, but work back and forth in rows as follows:
Foundation Row (Wrong Side): Knit.
Row 1 (Right Side): * K2tog, K6, yo, K1, yo, K6, sl 1, K1, psso; rep from * across – 12 chevrons.
Row 2: Knit.
Rows 3 and 4: With B, Knit.
Rows 5 and 7: With A, * K2tog, K6, yo, K1, yo, K6, sl 1, K1, psso; rep from * across.
Rows 6 and 8: With A, Purl.
Rows 9 and 10: With C, Knit.
Rows 11-14: With A, rep Rows 5-8.
Rep Rows 3-14 twenty two more times, then rep Rows 3 and 4 with B, then Row 5 with A. K3 rows with A. Bind off.
Weave in ends on wrong side with yarn needle.
Your Recently Viewed Projects
Love these projects? Get MORE delivered to your Inbox – FREE Click Here!
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite crafts
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your crafts
Free eBooks
- 12 Thrifty Trash to Treasure Crafts
- 17 Flower Craft Ideas: How To Make Paper Flowers, Easy Fabric Flowers and More
- 18 Crafts with Felt: Simple Craft Ideas, Felt Flowers & More
- 24 Tie-Dye Techniques: Free Tie-Dye Patterns
- 24 Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids: Lovely Kids Crafts Ideas and Projects
- 25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles
- 26 Spring Crafts for Kids
- 41 Valentine's Day Crafts: Valentine's Day Cards, Gifts and More
- Cupid's Handmade Crafts
- Irish for a Day: St. Patrick's Day Craft and Recipe Guide
Our Newest Projects & Articles
- Learn to Embroider with the Best of Leisure Arts
- Colorful Ladybugs Toilet Paper Roll Craft
- Reworked Rainbow Table DIY Craft Project
- Leisure Arts Book Bundle
- Polyform Sculpey Clay Beginner Pack
- Red Heart Fancy Yarn Pack
- 13 Spring Crafts: Easter Craft Ideas, Spring DIY Home Decor, and More free eBook
- American Quilter's Society Gift Card
- Marvy Uchida Easy Crystal Applicator
- Sizzix eclips2 DIY Electric Cutter Starter Kit

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. -- U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana and recovered a stolen vehicle on Monday.
Casa Grande Station agents conducting joint operations in the Vekol Valley area with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office discovered an abandoned Chevy Tahoe near Interstate 8 on Monday.
The vehicle was filled with 1,097 pounds of marijuana worth more than $548,500, according to officials.
Agents and officers on the ground searched the area for suspects, but no arrests were made.
The marijuana was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Phoenix and was released to the Department of Public Safety.


text:
This is great information, thanks. I love this technology. I work in the medical field and we are always trying to get the word out about how this is a non-invasive way to see inflammation in the body. Where there is inflammation, there is more heat differences.
If someone is going to look into thermal infrared imaging in the medical area, please make sure that it is being read by a medical doctor only! There are places that have chiropractors or even a tech reading them. This is not regulated yet, so do your research if interested!


text:
Publishing Your Applications. Before you publish your app on Google Play and distribute it to users, you need to get the app ready, test it, and prepare your promotional materials.
This document helps you understand the publishing process and get ready for a successful product launch on Google Play. It summarizes some of the tasks you'll need to complete before publishing your app on Google Play, such as creating a signed, release-ready APK, understanding the requirements of the app, and creating the product page and graphic assets for your app. Welcome to Rosetta Code.
Technology Review: The Authority on the Future of Technology. Top 50 Programming Quotes of All Time. I hope you have enjoyed our collection of funny computer quotes, Linux quotes, and all those quotes that we have shared with you so far. For today, I've decided to gather a good number of my all-time favorite programming-related quotes. Most of the programming quotes I've collected are made by some of the famous names in the industry, while others came from not-so-famous people.
Nevertheless, they are all witty so I hope you will find them fascinating and enlightening. Without further delay, here are my top 50 programming quotes of all time: Google's ChromeOS means losing control of data, warns GNU founder Richard Stallman. Richard Stallman.
Photo by jeanbaptisteparis on Flickr. Some rights reserved Google's new cloud computing ChromeOS looks like a plan "to push people into careless computing" by forcing them to store their data in the cloud rather than on machines directly under their control, warns Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation and creator of the operating system GNU. Two years ago Stallman, a computing veteran who is a strong advocate of free software via his Free Software Foundation, warned that making extensive use of cloud computing was "worse than stupidity" because it meant a loss of control of data. Now he says he is increasingly concerned about the release by Google of its ChromeOS operating system, which is based on GNU/Linux and designed to store the minimum possible data locally.
Gawker.csv - Google Fusion Tables.
Andy Sernovitz's Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That! Newsmap. Best Online Backup Tool: Dropbox. Top 10 Must-Have Android Apps. CodeMirror. Professional Website Design & SEO Company. C# in Depth, Second Edition. One Minute Bottom Line Review After revising the first two chapters published by MEAP Edition, I have the luck to be given the latest beta, one month in advance of its official issue.
Now the work is almost done, and only lacking in some small editing details. Design Milk: Modern Design.
Google News Timeline.


text:
- dotTech - http://dottech.org -
Attack of 5,000 ducks [Amazing Photo of the Day]
Posted By Ashraf On June 6, 2013 @ 9:10 AM In Miscellaneous | 1 Comment
That is a Chinese farmer taking his 5,000 ducks for a walk. I wonder how he makes sure he doesn't lose 'em all.
[via Facebook [2]]
Article printed from dotTech: http://dottech.org
URL to article: http://dottech.org/111641/attack-of-5000-ducks-amazing-photo-of-the-day/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://dottech.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/wtf_ducks_bbq.jpg
[2] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=581291858568294&set=pb.285681181462698.-2207520000.1370351389.&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash3%2F944547_581291858568294_1778505108_n.jpg&size=960%2C650
Click here to print.
© 2008-2012 dotTech.org | All content is the property of its rightful owner.


text:
Schrute Facts. 9 Stages of an Acid Trip. First year law student. List of Yo Mama Jokes. Want to know if a girl you like likes you back? - Best Worst Advice. 6 Affairs - would you believe it? @ Coffee and laptops.com. "I have a friend who tends to send me weird things when I'm working on my laptop.
This is one of them. " The 1st Affair A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One day they went to her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM. 50 Drinking Games Guaranteed to Get You Hammered. What's more fun than hanging out with your friends, getting plastered, and making an ass of yourself?
Playing drinking games, hanging out with your friends, getting plastered, and making an ass of yourself. I'm sure in your years of wisdom and experience, you've come across a few drinking games. Barn Cars. Barn Cars A New York man retired.
He wanted to use his retirement money wisely, and decided to buy a home and a few acres in Portugal. The modest farm house had been vacant for 15 years. In A Perfect World. Cake Versus Pie: A Scientific Approach ? Aiming Low. Local boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day. Originally published April 29, 2010 at 9:39 PM | Page modified September 16, 2011 at 4:39 PM Thursday was shaping up to be just another school day for 13-year-old Erik Martin, but then something extraordinary happened: Spider-Man called.
Spider-Man happens to be one of the few people who knows that Erik, too, has a secret identity — he's Electron Boy, a superhero who fights the powers of evil with light. And Spider-Man needed Erik's help. Erik, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. Image001. Some_People_by_MumblingIdiot-the-luke-ferenc-pearson-blog-person-comic-.jpg (JPEG Image, 900x5056 pixels) - Scaled (12%) Spockrap. How to pet a kitty. Cookies by Douglas Adams. Manly Bike for Sale. Bike for sale What kind of bike?
I don't know, I'm not a bike scientist. What I am though is a manly guy looking to sell his bike. This bike is made out of metal and kick ass spokes. The back reflector was taken off, but if you think that deters me from riding at night, you're way wrong. Fuckyouonthefloor.jpg (JPEG Image, 521x265 pixels) 1242172147011_f. Funny Stuff - Fondling in Bed One Night..... This post was updated on Jan 04, 2010; 9:35pm. Click Here for more fun and jokes! Check out Savings for You! Article_DrugChart. Gayniggers from Outer Space. Gayniggers from Outer Space is a 1992 short film, directed by Danish filmmaker Morten Lindberg.
The movie is a satire of the blaxploitation and science fiction genre.[1] Plot[edit] The film follows a group of intergalactic homosexual black men from the planet Anus, who discover the presence of female creatures on planet Earth. Some Useful Condescending Phrases. Stuff No One Told Me Illustrations By Alex Noriega theBERRY. SHOCK and AWE: The Apocalypse Opener - Bristol Lair. Dr Jekyll tells us one killer line that expresses the right attitude to take when attracting women.
Chat up lines don't work. That's the main problem with them. I mean, we all know this. Omegle Chat Win. The Most Badass Alphabet Ever. Sometimes I find things on the internet that leave me speechless with their awesomeness.
And considering it's my job to find crazy stuff all day long, that's actually saying something. But today I am bowing down to "The A-Z of Awesomeness," a series of illustrations by Neill Cameron, where he takes each letter of the alphabet, crafts an absurd sentence around it, then brings it to life with an excellent drawing as you can see above. There are 25 more epic letters to go, and you must check them all out below: Lamebook ? Funny Facebook Statuses, Fails, LOLs and More ? The Original. Funny airplane announcements. Now and then, airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight safety presentation and their other announcements a bit more entertaining.
Here are some of the better ones that are flying around the web: Pilot: "Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land.


text:
Follow Us
NHI Newsletter
Legal Notices
Some Favorite Sites
- At Risk for HD
- barista
- Branford Eagle
- Business NH
- Chris Volpe Photography
- Crosscut
- CT Capitol Report
- CT Enviro Headlines
- CT Mirror
- CT News Junkie
- CT Watchdog
- Design New Haven
- Gotham Gazette
- I Love New Haven
- Josiah Brown
- Karman Turn
- La Voz Hispana
- Laurel Club
- Media Nation
- Middletown Eye
- MinnPost
- My Left Nutmeg
- NH Register
- NH Review of Books
- NHV.org
- OneWorld
- Only In Bridgeport
- Oral History Project
- Reddit NH
- Saved By Design
- See Click Fix
- Smartpill Design
- St. Louis Beacon
- Taste Of NH
- Valley Independent Sentinel
- Voice of SD
- VT Digger
- Yale Daily News
Government/ Community Links
- 'r Kids Family Center
- Agency on Aging
- All Our Kin
- Animal Shelter Volunteers
- Arte Inc.
- Arts Council
- Artspace
- Beth El Keser Israel
- Bike New Haven
- Boys & Girls Club
- Cancer Support
- Chabad of Westville
- Chamber of Commerce
- Children's Museum
- Christian Community Action
- City of New Haven
- CitySeed
- Citywide Youth
- Columbus House
- Community Action Agency
- Community Loan Fund
- Community Mediation
- ConnCAN
- Creative Arts Workshop
- CT Best Restaurants
- CT Tech Council
- Data Haven
- Elm City Cycling
- Elm Shakespeare
- Elmseed
- Empower NH
- Friends Of Wooster Sq.
- Gay Men's Chorus
- GNH Community Chorus
- Habitat For Humanity
- Info New Haven
- INFO NH Calendar
- Jazz Haven
- Jewish Federation
- Job Finder
- Junta
- Labor History
- Lawyer Finder
- Legal Aid Network
- Liberty Safe Haven
- Life Haven
- Literacy Coalition
- Magrisso Forte
- Mary Wade
- Music Haven
- Neighborhood Music School
- New Haven 828
- New Haven Chorale
- New Haven Farms
- New Haven Museum
- New Haven Reads
- New Life Corp.
- New Reach
- NH Land Trust
- NH Symphony
- NH/Leon Sister City
- On The Road To Greenness
- Orchard Street Shul
- Orchestra NE
- Parents Available to Help
- Pat Dillon
- Peace News
- PechaKucha
- Planned Parenthood
- Police
- Promoting Enduring Peace
- Public Allies CT
- Public Library
- Public Schools
- Public Works
- Rainbow Girls
- Register Calendar
- SCSU Events
- Share Our Voices
- Shubert
- Solar Youth
- Soul-O-Ettes
- Squash Haven
- United Way
- Urban Design League
- Urban Resources Initiative
- W. Square Blossoms
- West Rock Trails
- Westville Renaissance
- Westville Synagogue
- Workforce Alliance
- Yale Events
- Yeshiva NH Shul
- Youth Continuum
City Looks To Tame Dirt-Bike "Wild West"
by Thomas MacMillan | Oct 9, 2012 7:16 am
(22) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: City Hall, Legal Writes
In the war against the scourge of illegal dirt biking, the city may have unearthed a new weapon—the ability to seize bikes and impound them.
That was one idea to emerge from a brainstorming session last week with three aldermen, a police lieutenant, and a lawyer with the city's corporation counsel office. The group convened in City Hall as part of an ongoing effort to explore legal options the city might pursue to make it harder for dirt bikers to tear around the city frightening neighbors, flouting traffic laws, and even hitting children.
The perennial whine of two-stroke engines has again filled the air as dirt bikes hit the streets this summer. Click the play arrows above and below for a sample.
The bikes are not street legal, but cops have a hard time catching riders because of the city's no-chase policy, which prohibits cops from pursuing them, for safety reasons.
Police have tried a variety of tactics to crack down on the dirt biking menace, from boxing them in to trying to find out where they're stored at night.
When they are able to catch them, cops can ticket or arrest the rider and have the bike towed. The rider can then pick up his bike at the towing company lot, provided he proves his ownership and pays a fee of about $80. In some cases, cops can seize the bike as evidence, if an incident involves a more serious crime than operating without registration or insurance, said Lt. Jeff Hoffman.
At Thursday's meeting, Hoffman joined Aldermen Justin Elicker, Jorge Perez, Al Paolillo, legislative liaison Matt Smith, and city lawyer Alison Lanoue to talk about what else the city can do.
Elicker said the most important idea to come out of Thursday's meeting was a realization that the city's ordinances allow cops to seize bikes in all cases, even if they are not evidence of a greater crime.
When a bike is seized, it's harder for a dirt biker to get it back. Instead of just going to the tow yard and paying a fee, the rider has to go through a court process to recover it, Elicker said. When the cops seize a bike it might mean the bike stays off the streets longer.
"In New Haven, very few to no people that own a dirt bike are planning to operate it legally," Elicker said.
Elicker said the law in question is Section 29-133e, among a set of laws covering "mini cycles," a category that includes "Pocketbikes, mini bikes, mini cycles, mini sport bikes, mini motorcycles, mini dirt bikes, chopper scooters, motor scooters, bicycles with helper motors." The ordinance states that police officers who catch people riding mini cycles on city streets may take the bike "into the custody of the New Haven Police Department, at the owner's expense, pending a disposition of such property by court order or otherwise by law and proof of ownership…"
"It's a step forward without having to do anything," Elicker said. The law is already on the books; cops can start using it immediately. "I think it's a great thing."
Lt. Hoffman said the police department is still working out the ramifications of the law and has not issued a new protocol on how to deal with dirt bikes. "Some logistical things have to be worked out first," he said. The department would need to figure out where to store the bikes, for one thing.
Asked about Thursday's meeting, city Corporation Counsel Victor Bolden said the city is looking into how it can use local and state laws to get ATV and dirt bikes off of city streets. Legal analysis is "still underway," he said.
Elicker said the city is also looking to see if it has the ability to charge dirt bike riders a daily storage fee if cops seize their bike, which could make it even harder for them to get their bikes back on the street. If the city doesn't already have that power, the next step would be to work on creating some state legislation to create or increase fees, he said.
"We welcome any new tools that the state legislature or board of alderman can give us," said Lt. Hoffman. "We're working with both legislative bodies to see what we can come up with."
Thursday's meeting came after a push by a new anti-dirt-biking coalition called Stop Illegal Traffic (SIT), which has been using SeeClickFix and Facebook to ask people to call and email the mayor and ask him to create stronger policies on dirt biking. Lee Cruz, one of the founders of the group, said SIT quickly realized the city has been trying to do just what the group had concluded was necessary: Find new and stronger legal avenues to prevent dirt biking on city streets.
A Shame
"It's ridiculous out there. It's like the wild west," said David MacQuarrie (pictured), who's run New Haven Power Sports on Whalley Avenue for 40 years. He said he's used to seeing packs of dirt bikes zooming past his store, which sells motorcycles, scooters—and dirt bikes.
MacQuarrie said kids he's sold bikes to come in now and then looking for papers to prove their ownership after their bike gets towed.
MacQuarrie said he always makes sure, when selling a dirt bike, that the buyer knows it's not street legal. The bikes have "no blinkers, no mirrors, no lights," he said. The knobby tires are designed for biting into dirt trails, and provide far less traction on an asphalt street. "They're very unsafe."
MacQuarrie said cops seizing more bikes isn't likely to stop illegal riding. "Whether they collect them or not, I think that's really going to change much."
"Kids are kids. What are they going to do?" Dirt biking is better than being inside sitting in front of the TV or "out stealing iPods at Yale," he said.
He said the ideal solution would be to give people a place to ride legally. He mentioned Milford Riders, a club track where dirt bikers can tear around to their hearts' content.
New Haven's problem is that dirt bike owners have no place to ride, he said. "It's a shame. It's the same in every city."
Dirt biker Maajid Muhammad expressed similar sentiments this spring, at the court appearance of a fellow rider. He said dirt biking is a positive outlet for young people. "It keeps you out of trouble. It's something to do—riding bikes, having fun," he said. "In New Haven's there's not a lot of activity the youth can get into."
Asked about the rider who had recently run over the 7-year-old girl, Muhammad said, "Accidents happened. ... There are a couple of knuckleheads who can't ride dirt bikes. That doesn't mean you ban dirt bikes."
Tags: dirt bikes, Justin Elicker, Lt. Jeff Hoffman, corporation counsel, legal, ordinances
Post a Comment
posted by: Wildwest on October 9, 2012 7:48am
"It keeps you out of trouble. It's something to do—riding bikes, having fun,"....
It is trouble, its against the law for many reasons that I don't need to list.
People that ride legally spend a ton of cash to do so and they don't film themselves riding illegally in large groups all over the city blasting through stop signs and red lights.
I would have much less of a problem with these boys if they obeyed traffic laws and used the factory exhausts on these bikes.
posted by: anonymous on October 9, 2012 9:01am
The constant talk and press releases around this issue, year in and year out, is next to worthless.
What residents actually want to see is
1) a monthly count of the number of bikes that have been ticketed and confiscated in their neighborhood, and
2) a sense of "responsiveness" when they call to report an illegal behavior like this.
If residents don't get an answer, or if they see that 10 bikes ere confiscated last year and none this year, they can take action.
The police and Mayor knew more than a decade ago that dirt bikes could be ticketed and confiscated, they were just too distracted to do anything about it. They will continue to be uninterested in doing anything other than talk, until people hold them accountable for making the two changes suggested above.
posted by: HewNaven on October 9, 2012 10:01am
"Kids are kids. What are they going to do?" Dirt biking is better than being inside sitting in front of the TV or "out stealing iPods at Yale," he said.
I didn't realize those were the only 3 choices for kids in New Haven.
posted by: WestvilleAdvocate on October 9, 2012 10:25am
I cannot understand why, with all of our parks, the city doesn't just open an ATV / dirt bike park. Make a requirement that helmets and pads must be worn and that a legal guardian or, if 18+ years old personally, sign that the city is not liable? Get them off the road, provide a place to ride, and satisfy everyone.
The current situation is ridiculous. In Westville they tear through the park, intimidating park goers and law-abiding citizens. My fear is that by not doing anything, which is essentially what the city's stance has been up until now, something far worse than dirt biking will occur. It is only a matter of time before one of the law abiding citizens snaps in the face of these dirt-bikers.
The other thing is that New Haven should be lobbying our state reps to require ANY motorized vehicle (ANY) to be registered with the DMV. The under 150CC not having to be registered is an open door for interpreting the rules of our road in different ways. By requiring all motorized vehicles to be registered, even off-road ATVs, the State will do a big part in helping alleviate the issues and law enforcement will have a real tool to impound and a reason to stop these riders.
posted by: BenBerkowitz on October 9, 2012 10:54am
Thanks for giving this issue the attention it deserves NHI.
I'm curious if you could also look into the onslaught of illegal motorcycles with straight pipes on our city streets.
Please see the issue on SeeClickFix which also already has 60 votes since this weekend when I reported it.
If the motorcycle noise on State Street is not curbed I have decided that I will leave for health and comfort reasons. Given all that we have put into the street I would hate for this to be the reason that we have to go.
If you feel the motorcycle noise on State Street needs to be curbed please vote here: http://seeclickfix.com/issues/242897-deafening-loud-motorcycles-need-to-be-stopped-on-upper-state-street
posted by: anonymous on October 9, 2012 11:08am
If my street had the level of motorcycle noise that State Street experiences every day, I would be packing up immediately.
As it stands now, the street is absolutely not a livable place, unless you are a student or shift worker who spends little time at home and sleeps from 3AM to noon every day.
posted by: MXRacer36 on October 9, 2012 11:56am
If i lived in New Haven i would rather hear 2 strokes (which sound awesome) then people getting shot. And riding around dirt bikes is alot better than doing drugs. If the people get hurt and crash they will learn a lesson, to wear a helmet next time!
posted by: MXRacer36 on October 9, 2012 12:06pm
Why not just open a legal place to ride dirt bikes / ATVs? this would solve so many problems. and i would rather hear a 2 stroke ripping down the road (which sounds great!) than people getting shot! why doesn't the police crack down on the many drug dealers in the city than the people that just ride around a dirt bike? its so easy for a 15 year old to get a bag of weed or coke or something. its easier than riding a dirt bike the way the people in the video do! If the people that ride around the city crash or something, they will learn a lesson, to wear proper gear!
posted by: Gauss on October 9, 2012 12:15pm
If there is no place to ride perhaps they should buy these bikes. There are lots of other things to do in the city besides riding bikes, shooting guns or stealing. What about mountain biking in one of the parks? Not so cool, I imagine, and it requires some actual skill instead of just money and gas.
posted by: RCguy on October 9, 2012 1:32pm
Yes- a Private Motocross Club in Milford… now that's a great idea. I wonder what elements will have to come together in order to build a private motocross club in West Haven.
posted by: Stephen Harris on October 9, 2012 4:57pm
It's about time. I've called and talked to police officers a number of times to no avail. The bikers run red lights and stop signs all the time. Someday someone will get run over and killed.
posted by: FrontStreet on October 9, 2012 9:23pm
Best solution may be for state legislature to pass a much simpler law. Impound and dispose of bike with no option to return to "owner". Maryland state legislature passed this type of law to help Baltimore deal with its very chaotic and dangerous urban dirtbike culture.
Macquarrie should be happy that New Haven has not been as agressive as Baltimore in trying stop illegal use of dirtbikes. No dirtbike or ATV sales allowed within Baltimore city limits.
posted by: Russell Street Libertarian on October 9, 2012 9:41pm
These dirt bikers are irritating, but having to live with them in a jurisdiction filled with law enforcement officials that were either completely ignorant of the law OR outright lied at every bloody community meeting all summer about having to release bikes to the owners is INFURIATING. Is Elicker mistaken or misinterpreting this law?
If not, one Sgt. whom, I was told, was "in charge" fed me the same story about the "bust he made last week" twice a month all summer. A gritty tale about chasing two boys on a mini bike that he was forced to return to the kids grandfather up in Wallingford. Six times, I heard this story between June and August, never a new one. And each time he tells me this tale, he gave the bike back at the end.
One of my neighbors said, "If calling the police gets no response, I will have to assume the same thing about calling the ambulance when they hit the pavement. Why bother."
posted by: Teacher in New Haven on October 10, 2012 6:17am
This is just one of many reasons that people move out, and one of many reasons they are unlikely to move back.
Say what you will about taxes, crime, and services… but this is just one of many quality of life issues that actually make day to day life in the Elm City less attractive.
When someone rides a dirtbike down the street they are displaying a callous and unacceptable disregard for their fellow citizens. They are loud, illegal nuisances. And every single one of them (the dirt-bikes not the kids) represents not just an individual, but a whole family of people who don't give a crap about anybody around them.
If you buy one of these for your kids, if you ride one of these on the street, if you run from the police when you are seen, you deserve not only the condemnation of NHI commenters, of your friends, and of your community, you deserve some kind of punishment.
On a personal level, in a city that puts so much blood and treasure into building and maintaining great schools, I think someone should note the homework that these kids might be doing. What future does dirtbiking buy you? And in what way is it better than having the education and the money to live in a place where your neighbors respect you enough not to wake you up at all hours of the night for a cheap thrill?
posted by: ISR on October 10, 2012 7:30am
How do you legally get your bike to the legally designated riding area?
posted by: Claudia Herrera on October 10, 2012 8:22am
After seeing these videos we all know how it's feels, the upsetting and frustrations. We have not laws and control in others, ok I get it.
BUT QUALIT OF LIFE SHOULD BE A priority in New Haven.The City can start by enforcing laws in small things are happening all around New Haven.LCI needs more proactive laws, strategies and actions! Did I say enforce the laws? Take serious small complaints. One Word PREVENTION. These people know there are no laws to stop them and where we have them,there are no applied! No control. Wow Laws.
posted by: HhE on October 10, 2012 9:59am
MXRacer36, given your name, I would imagine you really like the sound of a two stroke dirt bike. As someone who enjoys running his chain saws, I like the smell of two stroke fuel and bar oil. Yet most of us do not care for the sound of dirt bikes; running up and down our streets, nor breaking the still of the woods (and I take a shower and a change of clothes before I go out into polite society).
While it might make sense to find a location of a public dirt bike trail, it does open up issues of liability and all that. I also think that would not necessarily solve the problem (albeit, it might reduce it), as clearly, we have a large contingent of people who enjoy riding dirt bikes in an illegal and dangerous manor, and see nothing wrong with that.
When people sanction their immoral conduct with the lame excuses like "At least I'm not shooting anybody." we have a systemic cultural problem.
posted by: robn on October 10, 2012 10:13am
If a kid (parent?) can budget $1500-3000 for a motocross bike, they can budget another $250 for a carrier like this…
posted by: anonymous on October 10, 2012 10:21am
Teacher in New Haven is 100% correct.
The hundreds of millions per year that we are investing in schools are absolutely worthless if this is the type of behavior we allow on the streets.
New Haven Schools are guaranteed to fail if we let our environment decay like this.
posted by: D9DM on October 11, 2012 12:38pm
To Russell Street Libertarian - I am Sgt. Anastasio,Please don't insult me like that in this public forum ..You know who I am and I didn't tell that story 6 times because if I did you would have remembered that the grandfather is from Ansonia not Wallingford and I made him make me a promise that if I gave it back to him he would keep it in Ansonia ,he kept his promise, besides if you came to more than one meeting you would know that Sgt. Zona and I have been on a crusade about this issue since the beginning of the summer and we both have seized over 50 dirt-bikes and atvs throughout Fair Haven and Fair Haven Heights.I have brought pictures of those seizures and photos of the men we have arrested to the Community Meetings. The Police and the Board of Alderman,Corporation Councel have been working behind the scenes to find a resolution to this issue…No one is more frustrated than we are about this matter because I listen to all your frustrations and I cant put a stop to it without stronger laws…So please don't minimize our efforts out there because we are trying!!! Just know that chasing them is not an option!!
posted by: Truth Avenger on October 11, 2012 2:54pm
I have harbored fantasies of stringing up a couple of lines across the road when these selfish yahoos go tearing up the streets with their noise-searing dirt bikes. They look foolish showing off at their age. They run with impunity and at the expense of neighborhood tranquility and safety. That simply should not be tolerated. Does sugar in the gas tank still work to disable a bike? When they finally crack their heads open on the pavement like so many melons, sympathy will be in short supply.


text: See Firsthand How Sioux Falls Has Grown By Chad McKenzie May 14, 2013 Watch how much Sioux Falls has grown over the past 30 years. Read More|Comment Category: Local News, US/World Tags: photography, Satellite Imagery, Time Lapse Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


text:
Connect to share and comment |
The recent honor bestowed on Stepan Bandera raised shrieks in Ukraine and abroad.
Ukraine's long, complex history rarely stays out of the headlines for long. To better understand this crucial country at the crossroads of east and west, read David L. Stern's explanation of the tension raised by World War II fighter Stepan Bandera in 2010.
KIEV, Ukraine — Sometimes Ukraine seems just one giant battlefield.
For centuries invaders from all directions have swept across its flat expanse: Mongols, Russians, Swedes, Germans, to name a few. Its soil, inch-for-inch, may claim the dubious honor of being the most blood-soaked in Europe.
Politics also is a winner-take-all fight to the finish. Business too. Though the outcome is usually not as violent, the methods often appear to be merely hand-to-hand combat by other means. Nowhere are the passions as inflamed, however, as over the question of what happened yesterday.
As befitting a country historically dominated by outside players — Russia to the east, and Austria and Poland (among others) to the west — Ukraine's past is a cacophony of conflicting viewpoints, versions and political agendas.
Now that it's an independent nation, Ukraine is struggling to reclaim its history for itself. But it's not easy. The truth behind great and horrible events — like the Holodomor, the great, ghastly government-induced famine that took the lives of millions of Ukrainians in the 1930s — is often tucked away elsewhere, in Soviet-era archives in Russia for example.
But, of all the horrific tragedies that have befallen this nation of 46 million, the Second World War is perhaps the area that inspires the greatest passions, and causes the most debate.
And at the center of this raging dispute is one man: Stepan Bandera, a leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, or OUN, who fought for Ukrainian independence in WWII.
As one of his last acts of office in January, then-President Viktor Yushchenko bestowed the title "Hero of Ukraine," the country's highest honor, on Bandera citing his "unbending spirit, his fight for a national idea, selflessness in the fight for an independent Ukrainian state."
The decision however raised shrieks inside Ukraine and out. The European Parliament passed a resolution asking Ukraine to reconsider the act, while the Kremlin called it "odious." In Crimea, a parliament deputy burned his Ukrainian passport in protest, and Kiev's chief rabbi asked to return his own official honor.
And the controversy continues — and grows. Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's new president, said during a trip to Moscow earlier this month that he would decide before May 9 — Victory Day — whether to withdraw the title. Nationalist groups say that they will turn out in force if he does.
The country's suffering during WWII almost defies comprehension. Germany invaded in June 1941, and from that moment on the land became one enormous charnel house. As many as 10 million Ukrainians — soldiers and civilians — may have perished. Of these, about 900,000 were Jews, comprising 60 percent of the pre-war Jewish population. Entire ethnicities, like the Crimean Tartars, were accused by Stalin of collaboration and deported to Central Asia. Untold numbers died along the way.
To get a sense of the emotion the war continues to evoke, take a look at last year's winning entry in the nationally televised talent contest "Ukraina Mae Talant" ("Ukraine's Got Talent"). Kseniya Simonova depicted the country's WWII experience in a series of sand paintings — and brought the audience to tears.
Ukrainians experienced the war differently, depending on where they lived. The country's east and center, including Kiev, were part of the Soviet Union. Their understanding is part of the greater Soviet narrative — the Great Patriotic War, in which Soviet armies overcame unbelievable hardship and odds to defeat the Nazi invader. (Many obviously did not wholly support the Soviets, given the horrors of the Great Terror and Holodomor.)


text:
Arrest made in stolen ambulance crash that killed 1, hurt 2
Reducing ambulance crash fatalities
CommentGreen interview July 31, 2014
Veteran dies waiting for ambulance in VA hospital
A veteran who collapsed in an Albuquerque Veteran Affairs hospital cafeteria, 500 yards from the emergency room, died after waiting 30 minutes for an ambulance, officials confirmed Thursday.
Student collapses at middle school, nurse does not call 911
Donna Hill-Preston isn't thrilled with the staff at Kingsview Middle School in Montgomery County.
D.C. ambulance wait time leaves elderly woman unconscious before being transported to hospital
An ambulance reportedly failed to arrive for a 90-year-old woman, who waited 45 minutes for medical personnel to arrive. The woman has multiple health problems and uses an oxygen tank, but fell unconscious before an ambulance arrived.
Capitol Police Officer helps save life with CPR
A couple of hours into what had been a routine shift, U.S. Capitol Police officer Nick Simons says everything suddenly changed when a man ran into the Hart Senate Office Building.
D.C. Fire/EMS ambulance had unfixed brakes, despite reports
ABC7's I-Team has learned that crew members have been documenting and ignoring an air hose leak for months now. Medic 31 has yet to be repaired, which could delay the ambulance when it comes to an urgent call.
Verizon Center drops D.C. Fire/EMS as ambulance provider
The operators of the Verizon Center have ended a longstanding contract with D.C.'s Fire and EMS agency that provided ambulance coverage for events at the downtown Washington arena, the Washington Times reports.
D.C. ambulance fires in August were accidental, says police department
An investigation into fires in three District of Columbia fire department ambulances in August says the blazes were accidental.
Durand A. Ford Sr. death lawsuit dismissed by D.C. judge
The Washington Post is reporting that a D.C. judge has dismissed a multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the D.C. Fire Department.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase rescue squad asks for chunk of surplus
The volunteer Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue squad is asking for a chunk of Chevy Chase's $9 million budget surplus to buy a new ambulance.
Maryland ambulance not removed in protest
Morningside volunteer firefighters were expected to remove a county ambulance Monday morning in protest over a collective bargaining agreement. However, they decided against the plan.
Morningside ambulance dispute between PG County and volunteer fire department
A volunteer fire department is locked in a battle with Prince George's County over the fate of an ambulance.
Fires in DC ambulances were accidental, internal reports say
Internal reports show that engine fires in two District of Columbia fire department ambulances were probably caused by malfunctions or poorly done repairs.
D.C. paramedics are lacking in the city
D.C. ambulances have been in the news lately for a range of problems. Add to that today a report from the Associated Press and the International Association of Firefighters that says the number of paramedics in the area is far below the number in many comparable cities.
D.C. Fire/EMS does more with less than other comparable departments
Here is a breakdown of emergency medical call volumes and paramedic staffing in the district and similar departments, using data compiled by The Associated Press and the International Associat1ion of Fire Fighters.
DC Fire Chief: Ambulance fire possibly deliberate
The ambulance that burst into flames during a call in Southeast on Tuesday morning is a reserve unit – an old reserve unit. Still, the fire chief believes someone, possibly firefighters, might have deliberately set the fire.
D.C. ambulances: Aluminum signs were temporarily installed, now being removed
According to a Wednesday press release from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, aluminum signs that were temporarily installed in some FEMS ambulances are being removed.
RecommendedRecent Facebook Activity
Only On 7
ABC7 News at 4 Now Weekdays!
ABC7 is giving you MORE news in your afternoons with an extra hour, an hour earlier! Join ABC7's Leon Harris and Alison Starling for what's trending in your community and world. Every weekday afternoon at 4pm right after "The Queen Latifah Show" at 3pm on ABC7.


text:
Your host Pete welcome you to the Robbers Roost Motel, a modern, clean, recently renovated motel that is ideal for Hazelton accommodations in any season.
Free High Speed Wireless Internet
Queen size beds and/or double beds
Great rates
In-room coffee
Non-smoking and smoking rooms
Free local calls
24 hour check in
View all list
Situated amidst a majestic landscape dominated by the 3000-foot walls of the rugged Rocher de Boule Mountain Range, the Robbers Roost Motel is the ideal stop off the Yellowhead Highway for visitors travelling between Prince George and Prince Rupert. It is also the last stop before the turnoff going North on the Cassiar Highway (Highway 37) towards the Alaska and Yukon borders, or the first stop coming from that direction. The Hazeltons offer an unsurpassed combination of hospitality, attractions, scenery, wilderness recreation, unique Native culture, and trophy salmon and steelhead fishing, all handy to the communities with their array of services for the visitor. So many reasons to come, so many reasons to stay! We at the Robbers Roost Motel will make your stay enjoyable!


text:
Test Center: Sandbox security versus the evil Web
Five products strive to trap drive-by downloads and other threats in a virtual Web browsing space, with mixed results
The Internet is a scary place. Criminal malware lurks on legitimate and illegitimate Web sites alike, looking to steal your money one way or the other. Vendors have been scratching their collective heads attempting to make more consumers safer, more often. One of the results has been a class of anti-malware software that I call sandbox protection products. These items encapsulate Internet browsers (and e-mail programs and sometimes any other program you can run) within a virtual, emulated cocoon designed to keep malware from reaching and modifying the underlying host computer.
It used to be that you had to boot with an infected floppy diskette, run an infected executable, or double-click on an e-mail attachment to get exploited. Nowadays, all you have do is surf your browser across the wrong Web page, or the right Web page at the wrong time. Client-side, polymorphic, Internet browser-based exploits account for the large majority of malware infections. And although nearly ubiquitous in use, conventional anti-virus, anti-spam, and host-based firewalls are being challenged as never before to provide protection. In the virtual world, malware can be controlled, limited, and defanged. If the vendor does its job perfectly, everything legitimate the end-user wants to keep is kept permanently, and all traces of malware are erased as if the exploit never occurred.
[ For the back story to this review, see "Does sandbox security really protect your desktop?" and Roger Grimes' original review of ZoneAlarm ForceField as well as his discussion of red/green computer security in his Security Advisor blog. ]
As this review will show, none of the current solutions are perfect, but they do have value as an additional line of defense. I tested five products: Check Point Software's ZoneAlarm ForceField, Sandboxie, Prevx, Authentium's SafeCentral, and Softsphere Technologies' DefenseWall HIPS. Trusteer declined our invitation to participate, and one of the original pioneers in this field, GreenBorder Technologies, has been purchased by Google and is unavailable for review. I intentionally wanted to cover products that would be new to most of our readers and that have not been reviewed multiple times in the past.
Each product was tested by subjecting it (and the underlying host running Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2, Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 1.0, and several older versions of browser add-on software) to hundreds of malicious Web links. Unpatched application software was intentionally used to test the defensive capabilities of the reviewed products. I didn't want the latest vendor patches stopping the malware. I wanted the sandbox products to do all the hard work.
I surfed to real-world Web sites that hosted computer viruses, worms, bots, Trojans, malicious scripts, and rogue batch files, then attacked using local and remote buffer overflows, all while logged on using the built-in Administrator account. I used malicious links provided by public and private anti-malware discussion lists and sources. I ran both old and new exploits, attempting to mimic the common threats the average user could encounter while surfing the Internet.
I was keen to see how well programs prevented silent "drive-by" downloads and how well they protected the user even if the user intentionally installed them (as if provoked by social engineering). Some sandbox products only provide protection from silent downloads, which can be furnished by a fully patched system without additional software in most cases. Others provide protection no matter what the user does, which is even more important in today's world of sophisticated social engineering.
Concerns about the class
But before reading the individual product reviews, let's discuss sandbox software in general. Sandbox protection products haven't gained a tremendous amount of traction with customers over the years for a number of legitimate reasons.
The first concern is accuracy. Every product failed one or more tests to varying degrees. All of them failed the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack exploit test, and most failed to accurately clean up from the XP Antivirus malware program (see the sidebar, "Two tenacious exploits debunk vendor claims"). This was despite the fact that many sandbox vendors claimed to prevent all known and unknown attacks. You can see the results and failures in the many screen images and video files offered along with this review.
The question is, despite the dubious accuracy, do these products provide additional value? In most cases, the answer is yes. Most sandbox programs attempt to prevent any system modification and don't care whether a particular threat is "recognizable." But this causes a tremendous amount of false negatives, meaning real threats aren't identified as such, and leads to a second problem.
Inherent in many of the products is the idea that end-users must make a trust decision on whether to erase, save, or execute downloaded content. Taken to one extreme, if end-users erase all content after every session, how would their system, applications, or browsers receive upgrades or security patches? Taken to the other extreme, if users save or execute all content, they will end up infected or negate the need for the additional protection. Ultimately, with varying levels of assistance from the product, the end-user must make the key decision on whether or not to save and execute the data from each session.
Detecting what is and isn't malicious is becoming harder all the time. A large majority of malware is coming from innocent, legitimate Web sites (such as favorite news sites, online social portals, blogs, and so on) that are infected with harmful content, and the social engineering pitches to the end-user are getting more persuasive.
Gone are the days when phishing malware was easy to spot due to obvious grammar issues and misspellings. Today's crimeware poses as legitimate vendor patches, online malware removers ("You are infected and need to run this scanner!"), overdue bills, and legal notices. Because of these increasingly blurred distinctions, end-users can't always be sure which Web site content can be trusted and safely executed. And still users are forced to make a trust decision that twenty years of history shows they aren't adept at making. If users could make consistently correct trust decisions, would they need the protection that sandbox products provide in the first place?
Some of the products in this review, notably Sandboxie and SafeCentral, rarely made an attempt to inform the user whether a Web site or download was legitimate or malicious. The user had to make every trust decision. Other products attempted to tell the user which Web sites contained malware and which did not. Prevx did a fairly good job at this, while DefenseWall and ForceField were more hit than miss.
In many products, content downloaded during a browser session must be saved or discarded as a whole (in other words, everything or nothing), while other products, especially Sandboxie and DefenseWall, allow the user to pick and choose between individual objects. I enjoyed the detail Sandboxie showed, as it often allowed me to confirm whether or not something malicious had occurred (such as new files in System32), but it really is only useful for technical users.
Sandboxie and DefenseWall focused on protecting particular applications or sessions, while others fell into the more traditional role of a host intrusion prevention system (HIPS), protecting critical system areas regardless of the attack vector. I was impressed with Sandboxie's ability to ensure that additional child sessions were always launched in protected mode when instantiated by a protected parent process. This is important as the browser is becoming more of a launching point for the rest of our integrated applications. Malware writers are increasingly attacking the applications as operating systems and browsers get more secure.
Nobody's perfect
Another important question is, how good is the emulation coverage? Sandbox protection products, by their very nature, don't emulate the entire operating system, as a full virtualization product such as VMware Workstation, Microsoft Virtual PC, or Parallels would. Malware programs are known to infect more than a hundred different Windows attributes, including registry locations, files, folders, startup areas, and more. How many Windows attributes and APIs are covered in the sandbox? The answer is never all. Does the product protect against remote and local buffer overflows, phishing attacks, alternative data stream techniques, file sharing avenues, and so on? Some did, most didn't.
Some of the products provided additional anti-buffer overflow, privacy, or phishing controls. The privacy and phishing controls are often already provided by other installed anti-malware programs, so their inclusion in this class of products may not be necessary (although additional layers of defense-in-depth never hurt).
Each product offered up differing levels of buffer overflow protection. For example, Sandboxie only prevented local buffer overflows if they happened against a protected process. Prevx protected the whole system against both local and remote buffer overflows, but only when they affected a critical system area being monitored.
Most of these products would not detect previously installed malware (Prevx being the exception) unless the malware made additional system modifications to the monitored areas after the products were installed. None of the products provided anti-DoS services, misconfiguration detection, missing patch analysis, or a host of other protections required to make a host system more fully secure.
Every product in this review worked only with Microsoft Windows. Some required Windows XP SP2 or later, although most worked with Windows 2000 and later versions. DefenseWall refused to defend Windows system processes. All worked with Internet Explorer and Firefox, although some of them would work with any program.
All of the products worked by installing one or more monitoring executables and services. Each provided a main executable and a system tray icon. Some of the tray icons changed colors, like a traffic light, to indicate current status (green for everything's OK to red for malware detected). All products displayed an on-screen warning when maliciousness was detected and most created log files. Interfaces ranged from Prevx's all-user elegance to Sandboxie's technical-user sophistication. The install, interface, and alerting for all products was acceptable. Pricing was $29.95 per copy or less.
Only Prevx had any enterprise capabilities, and even that was minimal. Most of the products were obviously intended for home or personal use. You won't find enterprise-wide reporting, logging, or alerting; or the capability to push out or monitor large-scale deployments. Sandbox defenses are first-generation products, sitting where anti-virus scanners were a decade ago.
Overall, this class of protection products does provide additional defense capabilities that could protect a user against unknown threats. In no case was using the vendor's product worthless, although some need to mature a bit to be ready for widespread use. The biggest question is if the additional protection value is worth the additional outlay of money and ongoing support. A fully patched system (OS and applications) where the user cannot install random programs would probably provide as much protection. How well your organization handles those two requirements will determine if sandbox products are worth investigating.
And the winners are…
In the end, the reviewer's favorite products were Prevx and Sandboxie. Prevx provided the best identification of malware and prevented most of the exploits thrown at it, though by no means all. It's nice to be told what was trying to infect your system instead of having to make trust decisions on the fly. Plus, Prevx was the only product able to detect previously installed malware, and its interface was elegant. Sandboxie was a surprise. It provided fairly accurate infection prevention and, in most cases, excellent cleanup. It requires a bit more technical knowledge when picking which changes should and shouldn't be kept, but it's free price tag makes it a winner.
Now on to the individual reviews…
Prevx 2.0
I've been a big fan of Prevx for years. It was one of the first players in the Web security space and tends to be on the cutting edge of browser defense. The product's maturity shows in the end-user interface, operational aspects, and availability in 64-bit and business versions.
Prevx provides a multipronged defense, with heavy reliance on heuristic host-intrusion detection techniques. It provides distinct protection to Internet browsers, e-mail programs, critical file and memory areas, and startup program areas, and it supplies additional defenses against keyloggers, buffer overflow programs, and network connecting malware. Although real-time monitoring and heuristics are certainly its sweet spot, Prevx contains multiple signature-based mechanisms and relies heavily on its community-based malware reporting database, which requires an active Internet connection to utilize.
[ View the companion video, "Prevx gets the slip." Download the QuickTime version. ]
After the initial licensed-based install, Prevx did a scan of some of the critical system components and checked for program updates. Prevx has the best user interface in this roundup review (see Figure 1). There wasn't a part of it I did not like. It looks good, displays what the user needs when required to make a decision, and hides when it is not in play. There are three operation modes: ABC, which is the default for beginners, and two expert modes.
When the user surfs to a malicious Web site, Prevx notes any system modifications it detects while the related files are identified and compared to a local database or sent to the larger community-based database. If identified as malware (see Figure 2), the malicious programs and system modifications are removed and the system rebooted. Suspicious programs are placed in "jail" (see Figure 3), where the user can restore or tell Prevx to quarantine or delete. Cleaning always results in a mandatory reboot, followed by an additional rescanning of critical areas and an uploading of any found changes to the community database. I especially liked this feature because it can find modifications missed on the first pass. Nice touch.
Sadly, Prevx didn't always keep my system clean. On just the fifth malware Web site, a password-stealing Trojan was able to infect the test system. Prevx had noted system changes and uploaded multiple files to the community database, but it completely missed one of the Trojan files, even after the reboot and second scan (see the program called SSUUDL in Figure 4, Figure 5, and Figure 6). In further testing on the same site, Prevx removed every infectious file nearly all of the time, but not every time. And although it detected and prevented the XP Antivirus malware program, it did not stop the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack. If Prevx could improve its accuracy, it would easily be the best product in this review.
SafeCentral 4.0
Although Authentium's SafeCentral attempts to prevent keyloggers, screenscraping software, and malware from silently exploiting systems from Firefox browser sessions, it is most proud of its ability to prevent DNS and Web site spoofing for its 15,000 registered partner Web sites. The SafeCentral Portal site list includes thousands of commonly used banking, financial, and other popular Web sites and will prevent many phishing attacks. This is an opt-in feature, forcing the user to access sites from the SafeCentral Portal in order to ensure site authenticity. If your Web site is not listed or if you are socially engineered into visiting a bogus Web site without going through the portal, you will not get the protection of SafeCentral's redirection.
[ View the companion video, "SafeCentral vs. the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack." Download the QuickTime version. ]
After you install SafeCentral, which requires a multistep process more complicated than its competitors, it loads a custom version of Firefox and modifies the toolbar in Internet Explorer, if it finds Internet Explorer on your system. Various "elements" are installed to secure and protect the desktop from the custom version of the Firefox browser and vice-versa.
When the user is in a secure Firefox browser session, the rest of the system is dimmed (see Figure 1) and interaction is restricted in significant ways. If you click any program or desktop area outside of the browser, the secure browser session is paused and dimmed. Every switch between the protected browser session and the desktop took an extra click and often caused slightly uncomfortable latency. It reminded me of Microsoft Windows Vista's "secure desktop" feature that accompanies User Account Control (UAC) protection, except that Microsoft's secure desktop provides significantly more separation and security.
In extensive testing, SafeCentral did not allow a single silent install in Firefox, except for the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack, which every other product missed as well. That's about the only good point I could give this product, and one that would be matched by a fully patched browser as well. In my testing, SafeCentral permitted hundreds of malware downloads, if the site "fooled" the user into downloading and running the program. At no time did SafeCentral stop any malware download initiated by the user, or prevent the subsequent system modification, or ever warn the user of the impending potential damage. For example, Figure 2 shows a fake MSN.com site requesting to install an update to the Adobe Flash Player.
Protection was worse for Internet Explorer. Even though SafeCentral modified the toolbar and offered an indication of alert messages, it allowed nearly every silent malware install I threw at it, without so much as a peep. Clicking the SafeCentral toolbar icon (with Internet Explorer) simply launches the further secured version of the Firefox browser, which doesn't help when visiting the millions of Web sites that require Internet Explorer. Overall, I saw no advantage to using SafeCentral with Internet Explorer and questionable value with Firefox. The strength of this product lies with its DNS and anti-phishing protection. Those who want protection against browser threats should look elsewhere.
Sandboxie 3.28
Sandboxie is a superquick download (421K) and an easy install, supporting Windows 2000 and later Microsoft operating systems. It can be used to provide sandboxed protection (for files, disk devices, registry keys, processes, threads, driver objects, named pipes, mailbox objects, events, mutexs, semaphores, sections, and LPC ports) while running any program, including any Internet browser, command prompts, and Windows Explorer. It has a multitude of configuration options and a good interface that is directed more toward technical end-users.
Sandboxie offers many runtime and configuration choices over two main views: Programs (Figure 1) and Files and Folders (Figure 2). Both figures show Sandboxie running with active malware. At any point, the user can choose to terminate sandboxed programs and delete or restore the involved objects.
[ View the companion videos, "Sandboxie sandbox under attack," "Sandboxing programs in Sandboxie," and "Sandboxie configuration options." Download the QuickTime versions: "Attack," "Sandboxing," "Configuration." ]
Because of the number of things Sandboxie emulates, it successfully stopped almost everything I threw at it, including bots, worms, Trojans, viruses, rootkits, low-level disk editing, and malicious alternative data streams. The two exceptions were, as covered in the accompanying sidebar, two tenacious tricksters, the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack and the XP Antivirus malware program. Sandboxie didn't prevent the clipboard hijack, and it did not remove all remnants of the XP Antivirus malware program when I told it to delete everything.
Still, overall, I was more impressed with Sandboxie than I expected to be -- with three reservations. First, as comprehensive as the coverage appears, Sandboxie cannot virtualize system-level drivers, which can lead to installation and stability problems from both legitimate and malicious programs. Some of the low-level malware programs I tested caused "blue screen" errors and severe booting problems afterward. To be clear, at no time did I see a malware program installed in such a way that Sandboxie allowed it to run seamlessly outside of virtualization; however, Sandboxie allowed more browser and system crashes than most of the competitors.
Second, Sandboxie only protects one program or process at a time. When you use Sandboxie, you must choose which programs and processes to protect and when. You can create one or more virtual sandboxes, each with its own settings, but what goes into each sandbox is up to the user. Occasionally, I found myself accidentally running unprotected programs when I wasn't paying attention. Plus, it's just not possible to run every program and process virtualized all the time, for various reasons (consider remotely buffer overflowed system service, anti-virus software, tape backup software, and so on), which means they can be exploited. Other competitors in this review focused on protecting critical system areas against all threats and didn't rely on the user to choose which area to defend.
Third, all trust decisions are left up to the end-user. Sandboxie never makes a declaration of safe versus unsafe content. The nontechnical end-user usually doesn't have enough knowledge of malware to make successful trust decisions. For example, Sandboxie doesn't prevent against phishing, so if a user is sent an e-mail claiming to be a security patch from Microsoft, how many end-users would download and install the patch using an unprotected browser session? How many users might be tricked by the XP Antivirus malware program? Too many, I suspect.
Overall, I liked Sandboxie's coverage, user interface, level of protection, and wealth of configuration options, especially for the price. It's a solid utility for those who can make the right trust decisions.
SoftSphere DefenseWall HIPS 2.44
Although security is rarely a binary choice, SoftSphere's DefenseWall HIPS separates all applications into just two categories: trusted or untrusted. Applications that can be expected to interface with potentially malicious content should be placed into the untrusted category. Processes started by untrusted programs automatically inherit untrusted status. Automatically downloaded or executed content from an untrusted program is protected from execution and prevented from manipulating protected resources.
Installation of DefenseWall HIPS was simple and quick, and the accompanying help file covered the essentials. The DefenseWall HIPS comes preconfigured with 11 untrusted programs, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, QuickTime, and a few other frequently exploited programs (see Figure 1). However, Adobe's Flash Player was not automatically included on this list, and this allowed the clipboard hijack exploit demo to be successful.
[ View the companion video, "DefenseWall HIPS vs. the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack." Download the QuickTime version. ]
Untrusted programs can be launched in a trusted state by choosing the application in the Untrusted applications window and selecting the Run as Trusted button. This is a nice way to end up with both trusted and untrusted browser sessions to handle various Web sites. The untrusted browser sessions are marked in the title bar to help users distinguish between the two.
The SoftSphere program has many customizable options, including the ability to include or exclude specific Windows resources (such as files, folders, registry keys, and so on) as trusted or untrusted. You can roll back any identified resource changes on a per-resource basis, although the program does not always distinguish between legitimate and malicious changes, leaving the final trust decision to the end-user. I especially like that DefenseWall HIPS considers all programs from removable sources to be untrusted by default.
Overall, DefenseWall HIPS stopped most malicious threats from automatically executing, though at times in a disconcerting way. When I browsed to malicious Web sites with an untrusted browser, the DefenseWall HIPS added any further starting programs (in testing, these were always malicious programs) to the untrusted applications list (see Figure 2), which prevented much malicious activity. Further, it warned me (Figure 3) when a malicious program was trying to modify critical system files.
Auto-downloaded malware is saved to the disk, but in such a way that it is not a threat to your system. You can disable the program, remove it, or, if the program is legitimate, move it to the trusted applications area. If you manually save a file to the desktop, which is often the case with social engineering, DefenseWall HIPS attempts to keep it marked as untrusted, but I found instances where malicious files could escape to trusted areas.
The DefenseWall HIPS includes a Stop Attack window, which allows a user to quickly close all untrusted processes if a malicious attack is suspected. The Adobe Flash clipboard hijack exploit lived through this closing; DefenseWall HIPS did not report any events or modifications, nor did it offer to roll back any changes.
DefenseWall HIPS also had a hard time cleaning up from the XP Antivirus malware, as did many of the competing programs. Although XP Antivirus was executed from within an untrusted browser session, the malware program was able to permanently modify the system and leave remnants of itself behind, even after I instructed DefenseWall HIPS to close all untrusted processes and delete all resource changes. DefenseWall HIPS did a pretty good job in stopping most malware programs, but it wasn't perfect.
ZoneAlarm ForceField 1.1
Check Point's ZoneAlarm ForceField requires Windows XP Professional SP2 or later, and works with Internet Explorer (6.0 and later) and Firefox (2.0 and later) browsers. It prevents "silent" malware downloading and keyloggers, while providing anti-phishing services, Web site inspection, and privacy components. As shown in Figure 1, ForceField can open a protected or private browser session, the latter of which adds the ability to erase browser session markers. Once a protected browser session is opened, protection is indicated by the additional toolbar (Figure 2).
ForceField accurately prevented silent infections, although it did not prevent the Adobe Flash clipboard hijack. During the first round of testing a few weeks ago I was able to bypass ForceField by using a completely different malicious Flash buffer overflow file. During the later, and longer, second round for this review, ForceField held up without allowing a single silent infection. ForceField's user interface, although not the best in the competition, certainly held its own. Warning messages were easy to understand and presented at appropriate times.
[ View the companion videos, "ForceField clears a malicious site" and "ForceField runs away with local resources." Download the QuickTime versions: "Clears malicious" and "Resource DoS." ]
For these reasons, and the fact that I have liked both Check Point and Zone Alarm software for a long time, I wanted to award a glowing review to this product. However, it's hard to give a strong recommendation to a product that only works to prevent "silent" drive-by downloads. While this is good, a fully patched system will do the same, albeit without the same level of warnings. These days, a large portion of malware is intentionally downloaded and installed by the end-user because of incredibly realistic social engineering. This is a hard deficiency to overlook.
Second, ForceField is prone to false negatives, detecting many of my very malicious test Web sites as safe or merely suspicious (see Figure 3, for example). In my testing of hundreds of malicious links, it became almost surprising to see ForceField call a Web site definitely malicious. These two complaints alone make it hard to bestow a strong recommendation, but ForceField also caused an unintentional DoS problem, which I think reveals a serious design flaw.
Frequent exploit attempts from a single Web site (which is pretty common) caused ForceField to create and re-create numerous processes (Figure 4), leading to 100 percent CPU utilization (Figure 5). (See also the video, "ForceField runs away with local resources.") Even killing the malicious browser session would not stop the DoS, as ForceField was now out of control.
Lastly, some integrated applications, such as instant messaging, can open additional browser sessions that escape ForceField's protection. And clearing ForceField's virtualized session data often removed browser settings I had hoped to keep.
ForceField does provide additional security value, but is not nearly as strong as some of the competitors. For most users, Prevx is the best choice for Web browser protection. Technical users will find a lot to like in Sandboxie.
InfoWorld Scorecard | Value (10.0%) |
User interface (15.0%) |
Accuracy (60.0%) |
Administration (15.0%) |
Overall Score (100%) |
Prevx 2.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | |
Authentium SafeCentral 4.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | |
Sandboxie 3.28 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | |
SoftSphere DefenseWall HIPS 2.44 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 | |
ZoneAlarm ForceField 1.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 |
Windows 7 is suddenly telling users it isn't genuine -- and it has nothing to do with Windows being...
Windows users are reporting significant problems with four more October Black Tuesday patches
The larger design is very welcome, but there's much more to the iPhone 6 than a bigger screen
Sponsored by Rackspace
Sponsored by Nuage Networks
Sponsored by Fibre Channel Industry Association
White Paper
White Paper
White Paper
White Paper
White Paper
Easier than Amazon's Mobile SDK and more complete than Google's Firebase, Azure Mobile Services has...
Data portability is your key to keeping vendor lock-in from following you into the cloud
Certifications abound in the IT industry, but they aren't all equal. Here's a look at which...
All the major clouds offer mobile back ends as a service, but InfoWorld judged Azure's to be the best....


text:
My Shopping List |
Most Recent Items:
Oktoberfest Bratwurst Sauté
Courtesy of Schnucks Cooks
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 25 Min. Cook Time: 55 Min. What you need:
(click + to add ingredients to your shopping list)
+ 1 lb. Schnucks fresh bratwurst sausages (about 5 links)
+ 1-1/2 c. Schnucks apple cider, divided + 2 Tbsp. Schnucks unsalted butter, divided + 1 large sweet onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced + 1 lb. Fuji apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced + 1 bag (2 lb.) refrigerated sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and squeezed dry + 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds What to do:
1. In deep 12-in. skillet, add bratwursts and 3/4 c. cider; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 9 to 11 min. or until cider evaporates, bratwursts brown and internal temperature reaches 145°F. Transfer bratwursts to plate; keep warm.
2. In same skillet, add 1 Tbsp. butter and onion. Cover and cook 6 to 7 min. or until tender, stirring occasionally; transfer onions to plate with bratwursts. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add apples and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter to skillet and cook, uncovered, 7 to 8 min. or until tender and browned, stirring occasionally. 3. Stir sauerkraut, caraway seeds and remaining 3/4 c. cider into apples; heat through. If desired, cut each bratwurst diagonally into 3 pieces. Add to skillet with onions and any juices on plate; heat through. Nutritional information:
Calories: 340; Total Fat: 22g; Saturated Fat: 9g; Cholesterol: 55mg; Total Carbs: 27g; Fiber: 5g; Protein: 9g; Sodium: 1310mg;
Customer Reviews for this Recipe
You must sign in above or create a new account to submit your own review.


text:
Most people think the Dot Com lifestyle is about fast cars, exotic vacations, fine dining and partying all over the world. While that is all part of it, I want to show you what the Dot Com lifestyle is really about. The answer isn't what you might think it is.
Anyone can join the Dot Com lifestyle. However, most will stay where they are because in nearly all cases, it will require a complete changing of one's mindset. Changing a mindset is extremely hard to do. When you've been programmed since birth to do something a certain way (like get a good education so you can get a good job and work until you retire at 65), it almost goes against your nature when someone tells you there's better way. For those who can do it, I welcome you to the Dot Com lifestyle club.
Did you enjoy this post? Get John Chow Dot Com updates via email...
Stay up to date with all of John Chow's tips for making money online and blog posts by subscribing via email. Your email will be kept private and never shared with anyone.