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Creating Great Customer Service: The Apple Experience
April 2, 2012
By: Connie Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource Center
In his latest book, The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty, author and communications coach Carmine Gallo uncovers the secrets behind Apple's customer service and its extraordinary retail success.
We spoke with him about the role of great customer service in creating the Apple experience.
Monster: Apple customers are notoriously loyal. How did Apple's approach to customer service that you discuss in your new book help to cultivate that deep customer loyalty?
Gallo: The Apple Store's 'secret sauce' can be found in the two words on the front of a wallet-sized credo card all employees are encouraged to carry: Enriching Lives.
When you start with the vision of 'enriching lives,' interesting and magical things begin to happen.
For example, Apple has a non-commissioned sales floor so employees don't feel pressured to make a sale.
The Apple Store offers personalized, custom workshops to educate its customers. The store has play areas where children can see, touch and play with computers.
These are just a few examples of how the Apple Store is more than a 'store.' But it starts by asking the right question, "How do we enrich lives?"
Monster: Can a great customer experience help transform good products into great products?
Gallo: You used the magic words — good products. I don't believe that a great experience can improve poor products.
But if you offer "good products," then an extraordinary customer experience will help your business stand out from the competition and build incredibly loyal customers — real advocates for your company brand.
Monster: Has the Apple approach to customer service changed significantly over time? If so, what had the biggest impact in its evolution?
Gallo: The Apple Store is always seeking to improve the experience because "feedback" is a critical component of the brand. I've talked to Apple Store salespeople (specialists) who say they get feedback every day from their managers even though they have been on the job for months.
The feedback is always empowering and positive and it's always aimed at helping salespeople understand the conversation they just had with a customer and how to improve the conversation next time.
The Apple Store also seeks feedback from its customers. It sends a survey after a purchase and asks the ultimate question — on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend Apple products to a friend? Anything less than 8, 9 or 10 is considered room for improvement.
Monster: Innovative products demand innovative marketing. When both come together it's a match made in heaven. How did Apple find that groove over and over again?
Gallo: Jonathan Ive, Apple's chief designer, once said that human beings crave simplicity. In Apple's world, simplicity is the elimination of clutter.
If you can create a product so simple that a 2-year-old can use it instantly (like the iPad), then you know you're on to something.
Steve Jobs was committed to building products that were elegant, simple, and easy to use. I believe this philosophy should extend to everything a business does – Are the products easy to use? Is the business web site simple to navigate? Is the communication easy to understand? Eliminate the clutter to create a better customer experience.
Monster: How did Steve Jobs' communication style shape Apple's unique approach to customer service?
Gallo: Steve Jobs didn't talk "speeds and feeds" like they say in the computer industry. He talked benefits instead.
Apple Retail employees are taught to talk benefits, not features. If a customer is interested in an iPhone, an employee will not go into the technical specs of the A5 dual-core processor. Instead they will focus on what the chip means: better video, higher quality photos, faster web browsing, and Siri, the personal assistant.
Monster: The Apple Experience is your third book to disseminate Apple's unique approach to business. How do you see Steve Job's legacy informing the company's customer service strategy going forward?
Gallo: There would be no "experience" without Steve Jobs. When he opened the first Apple Retail Store in Tyson's Corner, Virginia in May 2001, Jobs said that people didn't want to buy computers. Instead they wanted to know what they could do with computers.
Jobs was committed to building an extraordinary experience and he brought in another executive who shared his vision — Ron Johnson (now CEO of J.C. Penney).
Together they built a store that is more than a store to people. They built a store where people would be willing to pay a premium for the experience.


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Global AV Receiver Market 2018 – Sony, Yamaha, Onkyo (Pioneer), D+M Group, LG Electronics, Harman Kardon
A brief overview of market status & outlook on Global AV Receiver Market which will help the buyer in reviewing industry development trends and opportunities. To begin with report which covers market characteristics, industry structure and comitative landscape, the problems, desire concepts, along with business strategies market effectiveness. The AV Receiver Market accounted a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, market size is estimated from 2030 million $ in 2014 to 2160 million $ in 2017. The AV Receiver Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 2290 million by 2022 at a CAGR of 2.09% in the given forecast period. The Major Players operating in AV Receiver Market are: Sony, Yamaha, Onkyo (Pioneer), D+M Group, LG Electronics, Harman Kardon, Inkel Corporation, NAD, Rotel, Anthem AV Solutions Limited, Pyle, Cambridge Audio, Arcam .
The Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of AV Receiver Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipment's, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. The report also provides Porter analysis, PESTEL analysis and market attractiveness which helps to better understand the market scenario. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities occurred in current and past few years. The Market report explores manufacturer's competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors. The report also covers import/export data across all major regions covered in this report.
Request for Sample Report @ www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-av-receiver-market-research-report-2018-259179#RequestSample
The research covers the current market size of the AV Receiver market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers. The Market Research Report is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategies.It provides overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, volume delivered (in kilo tons) and the income it produces (in US$), demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis.The AV Receiver market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.
The information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the market. The AV Receiver market covers impact and development analysis of key vendors is registered in the market and factored on the basis of Players Positioning Grid Analysis which measures the Players strengths and opportunities against present market challenges, measure providers ability to identify or satisfy present market needs, map providers market vision to current and upcoming market dynamics among others. The report also measures technology life line curve and market time line to analyze and do more effective investments.
On the basis of Geographically, AV Receiver market report covers data points for multiple geographies such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil
The Global AV Receiver market is segmented by Product Type Segmentation (5.1 &5.2 Sound Channels, 7.1 &7.2 Sound Channels, 9.2 Sound Channels ), Industry Segmentation (Home Theater ), Channel (Direct Sales, Distributor) Segmentation
The Key Points in the Global AV Receiver Market Research Report:
1) The report examines and modifies market by revenue updates, volume and market conjecture from (2018-2023).
2) It illustrates potential income openings across different segments and clarifies best investment areas for this market.
3) To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.
4) To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.
5) To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.
6) To strategically analyze each sub-market with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.
Inquiry for Buying Report @ www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-av-receiver-market-research-report-2018-259179#InquiryForBuying
Finally, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of AV Receiver market before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of market covering all important parameters.The report AV Receiver Market 2018 describes industry expansion game plan, industry knowledge supply, appendix, analysis findings and the conclusion. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption figures are also given.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today's cartoon characters are geared toward a different generation than twenty years ago, creating a pop culture craze not just with kids but adults as well. Animated cartoon characters have become iconic in the popular culture world. From "SpongeBob Squarepants" to "The Simpsons", a child cannot turn on the television without being bombarded with either. These two cartoons along with similar cartoons are so popular there both have full length movies, lunch boxes, and a variety of merchandise geared toward children. What does this say about the way society views these type of cartoons?
Popular culture views these type of animated cartoon characters as heroes. However, I think it is more popular culture hype. Kids as well as adults are drawn into a make believe world that is made to feel like reality, especially animated cartoons such as The Simpsons. Parents have to ask what value do today's animated cartoons such as "SpongeBob SquarePants" or "Superheroes" have in popular culture or society?


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Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Karuizawa 1971 & 1977 Single Casks for Taiwan
To say that it's getting harder and harder every month to get hold of new Karuizawa releases is a bit of an understatement. With the single casks featured in this post, it was almost like looking for two Holy Grails (well, actually three, because there was a 1981 as well) at the same time! They were bottled for Taiwan in 2012 but only released this summer. Don't ask why! All I know is that even die-hard collectors/speculators in Taiwan were having a tough time getting hold of these bottles at home. Until the people at Bond #1 decided to re-import a few bottles and offer them to members, we got messages from desperate Karuizawa collectors almost every day. It was all a bit surreal since I was on holiday in France when word got out… Anyway, enough drama. Time to put these old Karuizawas to the test.
Karuizawa 1977/2012, cask #4010, 65.9%abv, 427 bottles
On the nose, the 1971 is very heavy and concentrated: sweet – think cough syrup, stewed and dried fruits – but also earthy (dried leaves) and with a very prominent fresh white peach note. After a few minutes in the glass, there's a shift in emphasis and you get suggestions of red miso, balsamic vinegar, old parmezan, porcini, nail polish and gooseberries. If you leave it for a long time, it develops into something like orange balsamic glaze. The 1977 is much lighter and less sweet; here, the initial impressions are tobacco leaves, slightly smoked dried fruit (I have a friend here in Tokyo who's a keen home-smoker – is there a word for that? – and the last time I met him he brought some smoked dried pineapple and mango and that's what you get in this 1977 Karuizawa). There's also hints of grilled mackerel (saba shioyaki), nuts (macadamias and cashews), postage stamp gum and katori senko (incense coils used to keep mosquitoes away, very common here in Japan especially around this time of the year). There's also a lovely ruby grapefruit note that stands out if you give the whisky a bit of time.
On the palate, the 1971 offers berry jam on toast, chocolate mousse with cointreau, choco-chip scones, orange sorbet, persimmons and wood spice. It's slightly tannic but not to the point where it gets in the way of the other flavours. The finish is medium-long on After Eights and umeboshi candy. Water pretty much kills the party – it really does. The 1977 is very different, again: a combination of a tropical fruit salad (pineapple, mango, passionfruit, a touch of lime) with Japanese seven-spice powder (shichimi togarashi) and a dollop of Nutella. The finish is medium-long with slightly bitter overtones (grapefruit peel) and settles on something akin to blood orange jam. This one swims well: water throws a bit more sour in the mix, especially on the finish.
I love the complexity of the nose of the 1971, but as a total experience I prefer the 1977 – an intriguing dram from start to finish. Then again, it's summer and that may have something to do with it. We tend to forget how much we are influenced by the climate we're in, and that includes much more than just the weather…
Read more about Karuizawa Distillery here.
9 comments:
Do you know if any new releases will be available in the next 1-2 months in Europe?
- September 18, 2013 at 6:57 PM
- Stefan Van Eycken said...
Yes, loads... 10 at least that I know of (older vintages). But they won't be cheap - but that will not come as a surprise probably...
- September 18, 2013 at 7:00 PM
Suspect so. I just hope that they are not following the price model of Diageo.
- September 20, 2013 at 4:42 AM
Fair's fair regarding above comment: Diageo is following the market, not leading it, with regards to pricing. Balvenie, Dalmore and many others are already charging huge premiums for old whisky.
- September 20, 2013 at 2:34 PM
those two bottles will be part of the tasting for the Karuizawa masterclass at the Paris Whiskylive 2013, 28th september - led by Dave Broom ! I never thought i'd get the chance to taste those two, but here it is.
thanks for the review, as usual, great piece !
- September 20, 2013 at 4:20 PM
- Stefan Van Eycken said...
Thanks for the kind words. Good to know that Dave will be featuring them in his masterclass in Paris. If you speak to him at the event, send him our best regards! And enjoy the whiskies... they're very special!
- September 20, 2013 at 4:22 PM
Had the masterclass at WhiskyLive today, it was fabulous.
Between the taiwanese 1971 and 1977 came the all new 73 and 74 by LMDW.
All four bottles offered very interesting variations, it's really a rare occasion to taste such bottles together, making the experience even more incredible.
If i had to pick one, it would have been the 1971 - i even could grab one more chance to taste as someone had not touched their dram (dont ask me how this is possible, but there were half a dozen drams left on the tables when the room had to be emptied for the next masterclass!). The 1971 had thus been breathing for almost an hour, and it was a blast - quite a fruity blast in fact. Stunning.
(Didn't get a chance to say hi to Dave, sorry)
- September 29, 2013 at 5:36 AM
Both the LMDW and the TWE flew by so quickly..
Any idea if there is anything left?
- October 10, 2013 at 5:42 AM
- Stefan Van Eycken said...
All gone in the blink of an eye, I'm afraid. The only way to get it is.. wait for it to appear on auctions. Sad but that's the state of affairs...
- October 11, 2013 at 4:14 PM


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'Teen Beach Movie' a sweet retreat to the '60s; 'Only the Young' is real deal
Cute as a button and also like accidentally swallowing one, Disney Channel's perky "Teen Beach Movie" (premiering Friday) is a time-warpy hunt for a few concepts that have been irretrievably lost, first among them being the carefree American teenager.
Surfers Brady and McKenzie (Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell) have spent an endless summer shooting the curl and flirting, but now her guardian aunt has arrived to spirit her away to an elite prep school, which is "back east," McKenzie sighs with a nebulous geographical reference, which triggers a viewer's curiosity about what coastal paradise these teenagers live in. It's not crowded and scary enough to be Southern California and "Teen Beach Movie" feels far too haole to merit the desecration of Hawaii. (A-ha! The production notes indicate the whole thing was filmed in Puerto Rico.)
Before she goes, heartsick McKenzie sneaks out to face a once-in-a-blue-moon series of megawaves; a worried Brady takes to the jet ski to rescue her from the undertow; they both get noggin-knocked and wake up, "Oz"-style, in an imaginary 1961(ish), where, in a nice touch, nobody's hair gets wet because all the surfing takes place in front of a Frankie Avalon-style film screen of waves.
Once ashore, Brady recognizes a group of bewildered teens as characters from his favorite old beach flick, "Wet Side Story," in which the sun-kissed cool kids are terrorized by an inland motorcycle gang -- and by "terrorized," I mean sung to. "Teen Beach Movie" is jampacked with packed jams, the sort of minivan torture music that still sustains Uncle Walt's empire.
Brady's having the time of his life doing the watusi and the monkey (Lynch is an especially high-strung performer, even by Disney standards, helping himself to just about every number), but McKenzie is desperate to stop singing and get home. They make the paradoxical error of attracting the attention of the two star-crossed lovers (Garrett Clayton and Grace Phipps) around whom the "Wet Side Story" plot revolves. If the movie characters fall in love with Brady and McKenzie instead of each other, then Brady and McKenzie will be stuck in the '60s.
Or really, they'll be stuck in this barely reasonable facsimile of the '60s, which won't be so bad, considering that their version of 2013 was hyper-Disneyfied too. The filmmakers and cast have no interest in conjuring up the real -- and segregated -- '60s, no more so than the student council does when they schedule an "'80s day" and the entire school shows up dressed as Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper. We should be relieved that our children even know there was a 20th century, filled with assorted antiquities (45-rpm singles, bouffant hairdos) that they sometimes recognize and perhaps even hold dear.
Brady and McKenzie ought to consider staying put in the past, where they could sing their hearts out, dodge global warming by several decades, and, if so moved, get filthy rich by recording "Pet Sounds." Should they get completely bored they can always invent the iPhone.
Further criticism would be like taking a Slurpee to task for tasting too sweet. And in spite of my pasty self, there's something I liked about all the relentless mugging and frugging. Park your younger children in front of "Teen Beach Movie" and save your concern for anyone older than 12 who downloads the soundtrack.
May I suggest some real teenagers as an antidote? Elizabeth Mims and Jason Tippet's "Only the Young," a sweet and lovely documentary featured in PBS's "POV" series, follows three teenagers in sun-blasted Santa Clarita, Calif. The film (airing Saturday night on WETA and available free online for the next month) is an excellent test of a rewarding but risky journalistic notion, which holds that anyone is interesting if you observe them long enough.
It's hard to capture such a quiet idea on camera and even harder to edit it into a narrative, which means that the first 30 minutes of "Only the Young" unfold dreamily and without context. As often as not, the film succeeds on the virtue of negative space, slow-motion scenery and long silences. It feels precisely as aimless as being a teenage boy.
"Only the Young" focuses on the friendship between Garrison and Kevin, who met through a loose network of Christian skateboarders and punk-rock enthusiasts. Between them is a girl named Skye. In theory, she's Garrison's girlfriend (though their megachurch sense of propriety keeps things chaste), but she also once kissed Kevin, which means nothing will ever be the same.
We follow the teenagers in their free time and lazy afternoons through a year or so of their lives and their constantly blooming hair colors. "Only the Young" is transfixed by their surroundings: Foreclosed houses and empty swimming pools; spray-painted overpasses; vast asphalt parking lots and concrete arroyos. It must seem as if I'm strongly recommending a film about absolutely nothing, but, on the contrary, this is an elegant capture of the most elusive story of all: the awkward but nevertheless intense friendship between boys.
"Teen Beach Movie" (95 minutes) airs Friday at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel.
"Only the Young" (90 minutes) airs Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on PBS stations. Watch online through Aug. 14 at www.pbs.org/POV.


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Getty Images
When the lights went out at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (FedEx realizes it could have been worse, after all), the Ravens led the 49ers by 22 points.
Once the lights came back on, the 49ers finally hit paydirt.
A seven-play, 80-yard drive ended with a 31-yard catch and run by receiver Michael Crabtree, cutting the deficit back to 15.
The score came after a 34-minute power outage that featured plenty of frayed nerves in the press box, which is pressed tightly against the roof. Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports opted for hot dog chili without the hot dog as his possible last meal.


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Hey – I'm Max Elman, a 30.47 year old UCSC grad living in San Francisco, California where I run Razorfrog Web Design, a WordPress design and development firm. We make beautiful websites, take great photos, and make small businesses stand out from the crowd.
Much of my free time is spent taking pictures, flying drones, scuba diving, reading, and riding motorcycles.
Take a look around and get in touch with any questions. Cheers!


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Newly chaste teen feels guilty deceiving innocent boy
DEAR ABBY: I am in high school and have always been able to get whatever guy I wanted. My reputation at school is sort of "loose and easy."
I haven't had sex in eight months because I met a sweet, amazing guy who I want to marry. He's a virgin, and I think he thinks I'm one, too. He doesn't go to my school, so he doesn't know about my old reputation.
Should I let him keep thinking I'm still innocent? I feel like a worthless used rag. When I'm with him, I am worth something — I'm the whole world to him. I want it to stay like that. But I know that by not telling him, I'm lying. He doesn't deserve that — and I feel I don't deserve him. Please help. — NEW "ME" IN ARIZONA
DEAR NEW YOU: Before I answer your question, there are some things I would like you to understand. First, you ARE "worth something" whether you are with this boy or not. It is dangerous to judge yourself through the eyes of another person. It is far more important that you can look at yourself in a mirror and know you are a good person because you try every day to do what is moral and right. Practice that, and no one will ever again make you feel like a used rag.
You are still in high school, and that's early to be thinking about marriage. I'm advising you to tell this boy the truth because if you don't, there is a good chance that eventually he will hear it from someone else. If he drops you because of it, it will not be because you don't deserve him, but because he doesn't deserve you.
DEAR ABBY: I'm wondering if you can help me. I have been friendly with couples, and when an argument arises I have been caught in the middle. Sometimes I have felt forced to take sides. Then what happened was, they wound up mending fences and repeating to the other what I said during their split. It has put me in an awkward position when we're together. How should I handle this in the future? — TORN IN DALLAS
DEAR TORN: In the future, when your friends have a spat with a spouse or significant other and start to dump on you, politely decline to listen. Say, "If you have a complaint about ( ), you should work it out with him/her because I'm not comfortable hearing this." Either that, or do a lot of listening and comment, "Oh, that must be painful." Period. That way you're saying nothing you won't later regret.
The exception would be if you were told about an abusive relationship, in which case you should recommend a domestic-violence hotline.
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 30 years is easily startled. If I enter a room without a warning, he reacts as though he is in danger. He yells, "Don't do that, or you'll give me a heart attack!"
Since our retirements, this has become an issue. I don't understand his reaction — he wasn't in the military, didn't have a dangerous job and hasn't been in a disaster. I feel like an intruder in my own home. He doesn't think he has a problem. Your thoughts? — WIFE OF A JUMPY HUBBY
DEAR WIFE: Has your husband always been this way, or is this new behavior? If it's new behavior, it should be discussed with his doctor. He may suffer from a hearing loss or some other problem. And because he finds being "surprised" upsetting, try to accommodate him and not take it personally.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby — Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.


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Buddha 2.0: Ancient Chinese Buddhist Art Meets Digital Technology
A Journey to Xiangtangshan
Carved into the mountains of northern China, the Buddhist cave temples of Xiangtangshan ("Shahng-tahng-shahn") were the crowning cultural achievement of the Northern Qi ("Chee") dynasty (550-77). The name Xiangtangshan translates to "Mountain of Echoing Halls." It refers to two groups of caves: northern Xiangtangshan and southern Xiangtangshan, located about nine miles apart in Hebei province.
Commissioned by devout Buddhist emperors and courtiers, the manmade caves represent the power and prestige of the throne and an eternal appeal for divine protection. They also reflect a long tradition, begun in India, of situating holy places within the earth's mantle.
Once home to a magnificent array of sculptures, the limestone caves were severely damaged in the early twentieth century when much of their contents were chiseled away and offered for sale on the international art market. In 2003, the Xiangtangshan research team of the Center for the Art of East Asia at the University of Chicago began an intensive documentation project on the caves and their removed sculptures. Like the exhibition Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan, on view at the Sackler Gallery from February 26–July 31, 2011, and a publication with the same title, this Explore and Learn feature shares the results of that research. Using 3-D imaging, the team was able to digitally match fragments to their original locations, making it possible to envision some of the caves as they appeared before their tragic despoliation.
Learn more
Xiangtangshan Caves Project
at the University of Chicago


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Big things are happening in Wisconsin in response to Governor Walker's assault on the rights of working people. The Governor is trying to end 50 years of collective bargaining for Wisconsin workers, and has threatened to call out the National Guard to enforce it. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) was founded in Madison.
As of the time this is posted all Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate have walked out (update: left the state), preventing any vote on this. WSJ: Wisconsin Fight Heats Up as Democrats Skip Vote,
Prospects for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill that would strip the state's public employees of most collective-bargaining rights were thrown into question Thursday when the state's Democratic lawmakers were not present at the start of the state session to vote on the bill.
The bill has sparked three days of massive protests by public-sector unions around the state capitol, as well as the closure of public schools in Madison as hundreds of teachers called in sick.
Thursday: The Cap Times: Protests build on Square, in Capitol again; streets shut down,
Madison police closed downtown streets Thursday as thousands of protesters massed once again at the Capitol.
Hundreds of young students from many school districts reached the Square after marching from Madison West High School and joined in the protests against Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, being taken up in the state Senate.
Motorists, pedestrians and protesters should be aware that traffic closing and detours are in a very fluid situation Thursday, so streets both away from and on the Square could open or close depending on what's happening.
Wednesday an estimated 30,000 Wisconsin residents marched on the State Capitol in Madison in protest, following around 15,000 on Tuesday. Read the PRWatch ongoing live blogging of events here and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO coverage here.
Many schools are closed, as teachers instead are attending the rally.
By 6 a.m. Thursday morning, the closings had started to spill into the Milwaukee area with Glendale/River Hills, Racine, Beaver Dam and Watertown schools all closing.
From AP: "The story around the world is the rush to democracy," said Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar. "The story in Wisconsin is the end of the democratic process."
"I went to Iraq and came home to Egypt?"
Mary Bottari reports from the 3rd floor of the Capitol where she has spotted a young man holding a sign that says "I went to Iraq and came home to Egypt?" His name is Zach Laport from Spooner, Wisconsin. He served in Iraq from 2004 to 2007 and is now a student at the University of Wisconsin Madison. When asked why he was at the rally, he said "My Grandma is the librarian at Spooner Elementary School. My Mom is a public health worker. My Aunt and Uncle are teachers. Spooner is four and a half hours away and they couldn't be here, so I came for them. My brother and I signed up for the military because we needed the extra income to go to college. Wisconsin has some of the best benefits in the country for its students, and we don't want to lose that. I feel that Scott Walker is acting like a dictator. He is not negotiating, he is just giving orders. This week he came after worker rights and next week he is going to take one billion dollars out of K-12 education."
Obama: "An Assault On Unions"
USA Today: Obama argues with GOP governor over unions,
In an interview Wednesday with WTMJ-TV of Milwaukee, Obama said Walker's effort to eliminate collective bargaining rights for state employees "seems like more of an assault on unions."
Assault On All Working People
Yesterday, in the post Wisconsin: Face-Off Over Labor
This is couched as solving state budget problems, and more broadly is clearly as an attack on unions. But it really is an attack on working people everywhere. The only rights working people have is if they can overcome the hurdles to organizing a union. Without this fundamental right to bargain workers – all of us – become nothing more than replaceable, disposable, expendable cogs in the money machine.
Stand With Workers
If you are IN Wisconsin, Chicago, or anywhere in the area, get your butt to Madison. People are SHOWING UP!
Working America: Click here to say "I stand with Wisconsin's working people."
You can visit Not My Wisconsin and sign their petition,
Governor Walker is preparing to call in the Wisconsin National Guard to defend his plan to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights from state nurses, teachers and other employees. With virtually no public input, discussion or debate with affected workers, Governor Walker is briefing the Guard and state agencies to prepare for a disaster that he might cause. The Governor should not threaten to use the National Guard against Wisconsin public workers! TAKE ACTION: TELL THE GOVERNOR THAT THIS IS "NOT MY WISCONSIN" SIGN UP FOR E-MAIL AND/OR TEXT ALERTS
There is a Facebook group: Protect Wisconsin Families – go join.
Democracy For America says UNIONS = JOBS:
Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker is on the attack. His proposed state budget attempts to strangle workers rights by eliminating the right for cops, firefighters, teachers, or any other government employee to let their union negotiate their pay and benefits through collective bargaining.
This is only the beginning of the Republican attack on unions and middle class families. Similar attacks on unions are expected by Republican Governors in Ohio and New Jersey very soon with other states to follow.
It's time for us to stand up — all of us — across America — in solidarity with union workers and the good paying middle class jobs they protect.
Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) says Stand in solidarity against Walker's radical proposal and threats – sign the open letter,
The Wisconsin State Senate may vote as early as today. Gov. Walker has threatened to call out the National Guard against workers who protest his radical plan to cut benefits of middle class workers and strip them of their rights.
Stand in solidarity with tens of thousands of workers who have been protesting — sign the open letter.


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If you need an SUV that is a jack of all trade, then the new Chevrolet Tahoe is the vehicle St. Clairsville, OH customers would like to buy. With a quiet and comfortable seating space, you can seat your family and friends in this spacious SUV with no compromise on safety, with its state-of-the-art safety features. You can also keep your passengers entertained while driving in the new Chevrolet Tahoe, across St. Clairsville, OH roads with its available infotainment features. It is the best combination of space and available family-friendly features. With top-of-the-line trim, the new Chevrolet Tahoe, available at our St. Clairsville, OH showroom, pleases every onlooker on the road. It offers a more responsive and quieter ride. With its towing capabilities, it is made to get heavy-duty jobs done. Make a statement wherever you go with this high-performance vehicle. Check out our new Chevrolet Tahoe inventory at our St. Clairsville, OH dealership. Also, check our selection of other new vehicles. Drop by and test drive the new Chevrolet Tahoe in St. Clairsville, OH today!
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Great Sales manager and staff
Great Sales manager and staff
In an out as promised.. Everyone was...
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Michalene is our go to girl. She always...
Michalene is our go to girl. She always finds us what we want and we are repeat customers because of her
Be nice to have the vehicle washed when...
Be nice to have the vehicle washed when full service is purchased.
Took car over night before appointment...
Took car over night before appointment was at 10am an they called me at 930 an said car is ready for pick up👍
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Was disappointed with waiting room,.....which is sooo nice. Cappuccino machine out of order and water fountain out of order too.. Look forward to the ...


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Alex Honnold burst onto the climbing scene in Fall 2007 with a splash of headlines. He drew attention from the press by his audacious one-day free solo link-up of The Rostrum followed by Astroman – two demanding multi-pitch Yosemite 5.11+ free routes.
The newcomer made headlines again in Spring 2008, with a first-ever rope-less free ascent of the long Moonlight Buttress, 5.12, in Zion National Park. He was only 21-years-old.
But now, looking back on those impressive feats, he eschews the attention those climbs have gotten him. He'd rather tout the less-headlined free ascent he made of El Capitan's Salathe Wall, a seldom-free-climbed 5.13 testpiece requiring 3,000 feet of climbing. He and his partner did it in three days. To the now 27-year-old, that's more noteworthy.
The Rostrum and Astroman were "leisurely," he explains in his sincere, understated tone. "I climbed Astroman, then came down and ate lunch. Then I went over and solo'ed the Rostrum. Each one took about an hour or so."
As for the tougher Moonlight Buttress, with its soaring finger-width cracks and dizzying 1,100 feet of relief, he modestly passes that off by explaining that he'd rehearsed the moves on prior ascents.
"Exposure doesn't bother me," he says when addressing the reality that on a free solo ascent, if you fall, you die. "It's easy not to be scared if you know you won't fall."
The Sacramento-born climber took to the sport at age 11, when his parents introduced him to a local climbing gym. "They figured that since I was always climbing trees, I would like the gym," he recalls. "Soon I was going there five days each week, and riding my bike seven miles to get there. I would traverse back and forth across the walls for two hours at a time, never stepping down."
Now a professional climber, Alex looks forward to continuing to travel and climb all over the world.
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Nickname: Alex
Words to Live By/Personal Mantra: Go big!
Three Things You Always Pack: Shoes, harness, chalkbag. Or keys, wallet, phone, depending on the situation. Or sometimes all 6.
Training Nutrition: I try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. And I've stopped eating meat. But I eat too many cookies… training isn't THAT important to me…
Favorite Movie: Not sure, there are tons of movies I like, but no particular one that jumps to the front.
Favorite Book: As a child, Ender's Game. As an adult the list gets a lot more varied. It'd be hard to narrow down.
Proudest Sporting Moment: Maybe summiting Half Dome after soloing the Triple? I was very tired and very satisfied.
Most Humbling Moment: Too many to narrow down. Soloing has a way of making you feel small sometimes.
Favorite North Face Product: The Cinder pack right now. Cotton hoodies are probably my favorite piece of technical gear… And I've slept in a Green Kazoo every night for years now, I'm pretty psyched on it.
How I Relax: Spending time with friends and family I guess. Eating out. Strolling outside. Basic stuff.
Weakness/Guilty Pleasure: Cookie dough.
Inspiration Within the Sport: Tommy Caldwell and Peter Croft. Or El Cap, depending on what kind of inspiration you mean.
Dream Vacation: I'm living my dream vacation.
Causes You Are Passionate About: Energy accessibility and solar power.
Favorite Destination for Your Sport: Yosemite. Or sport climbing in Spain.
Favorite Piece of History in Your Sport: Maybe John Bachar and Peter Croft doing the first El Cap/Half Dome link up. Or maybe Lynn Hill freeing the Nose in a day.
Three Things People Should Know About Me: I generally climb with a rope. I like the saying "safety first, fun second, speed third." And I like to eat sweets.


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Police didn't return to the North Attleboro, Massachusetts home of Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Sunday. But the media was still outside, and neighbors were showing up, basically to gawk at it all.
According to the Boston Globe, more than 35 members of the media remain staked out at Hernandez's home. The player hasn't left the house since returning from a meeting with his lawyer on Friday. Two women departed in the late morning, returning in the middle of the afternoon. Another woman arrived roughly 45 minutes later, and all three left at 5:20 p.m. — taking with them a dog.
On Saturday, Charlie Stagg from nearby Attleboro rode his bike to the Hernandez home, where he spoke to the Boston Herald.
"Let me ask you something," Stagg told the Herald. "If you had nothing to hide, wouldn't you be standing out there on that lawn, screaming 'I'm innocent! I'm innocent!' I know I would be."
Hernandez's behavior has suggested anything but innocence, based on multiple published reports regarding a destroyed cell phone, a destroyed surveillance system, the hiring of a cleaning crew to "scrub" his house, and a lack of cooperation with the police. While in a court of criminal law he's entitled to a presumption of innocence, Hernandez isn't faring too well in the court of public opinion.


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The alleged medicinal benefits of booze have played a major part in alcohol history. For instance, shochu and awamori were valued for their anti-septic uses among Samurai in Edo Japan. Wine, after failing to establish a mass market in Meiji Japan, got a foothold following a major cholera epidemic in 1886. The wine was a component of various concoctions that claimed all sorts of anti-choleric properties. Wine consumption tripled in a year. Shochu`s recent boom started with a magazine article claiming health benefits. (It is not just Japan, by the way, distilled alcohol in Europe got its start as a medicine.)
So it is no surprise that Suntory`s PR department have just given top billing to a press release about an initially peripheral looking study on anti-allergens in whisky. From little acorns do influential magazine articles and TV segments grow!
Basically, the study says that the anti-allergenic components in whisky have not been much studied because the alcohol itself can cause problems for allergy sufferers. The researchers found significant quantities of Lyoniresinol and Syringaldehyde (I hope I have identified those right from the katakana characters used by Suntory) among the polyphenols in whisky. These were found to have anti-allergenic effects.
While we are talking about the health benefits of the Water of Life (and because I have struggled to find an illustration for this post), I want to share this World War I letter to the editor of the Scotsman:


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Tax your vehicle
Tax your car, motorcycle or other vehicle using a reference number from:
- a recent reminder (V11) or 'last chance' warning letter from DVLA
- your vehicle log book (V5C) - it must be in your name
- the green 'new keeper's details' slip (V5C/2) from a log book if you've just bought it
You can pay by debit or credit card, or Direct Debit.
This service is also available in Welsh.
You'll need to meet all the legal obligations for drivers before you can drive.
Other ways to apply
DVLA vehicle tax service
Telephone: 0300 123 4321
24-hour service
Find out about call charges
You can't pay by Direct Debit over the phone.
At a Post Office
Go to a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax. You need to take either:
- the payment for your vehicle tax
- your bank or building society account details to set up a Direct Debit
You also need to take one of the following:
- your vehicle log book (V5C) (it must be in your name)
- the green 'new keeper's details' slip (V5C/2) from a log book if you've just bought it
If you don't have any of these documents, you'll need to apply for a new log book.
You might also need your MOT test certificate (it must be valid when the tax starts).
It can take up to 2 days for MOT information to be updated, so you might not be able to tax your vehicle immediately after it passes its test.
In Northern Ireland you also need an insurance certificate or cover note.
If the vehicle is off the road
Register that your vehicle is off the road, for example you're keeping it in a garage. You don't need to tax your vehicle.


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Insurance Quote
This is not an offer for credit and should be used for estimation purposes only based on the information you provided. You should not base your decision on this estimate alone. Title, registration, tax and other fees, and personal circumstances such as employment status and personal credit history, were not considered in the calculations.
There's a comfortable seat. A ground-devouring suspension. Putting 1200cc of H-D® low-end torque to the pavement never felt better.
We named it "Custom" for a reason.
The Sportster® 1200 Custom model has plenty to back up its street brawling attitude. You've got 1200cc of world-famous H-D low-end torque to motivate you down the asphalt and a comfortable seat and suspension to make it all feel just right. And classic custom detailing, featuring black finishes complimented by chrome. Stand out on any street in the world.
Front - 130/90B16 73H
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Laden - 26.6 in.
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Price, if shown, is Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) and does not include government fees, taxes, dealer freight/preparation, dealer document preparation charges or any finance charges (if applicable). MSRP and/or final actual sales price will vary depending on options or accessories selected.


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Trust in the expert for your information logistics
Everything from one source!
An ever-growing product diversity, shorter development cycles and the inclusion of consistent communication across all communication channels are just a few of the typical challenges facing information management. Supplying your various target audiences worldwide with consistent information on your products, however, is an equally important objective.
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text: Federal, Voluntary GMO Labeling Legislation Introduced April 10, 2014 03:26 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Rhonda Brooks Editor, Farm Journal MagazineEditorial Director, Farm Journal Media Email Proposed bill aims to create a unified, science-based approach to address the issue. Legislation was introduced Wednesday to establish a federal voluntary labeling standard for food and beverage products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) led the introduction of the bill, which was co-sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, (D-N.C.). The proposed bill has been dubbed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act. If passed into law it would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over the labeling of GMO food and beverage ingredients. "FDA would establish federal standards for companies that want to voluntarily label their products," says Martin Barbre, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). "If they want to voluntarily label for the presence or non-presence of GMO ingredients that way then consumers will clearly understand their choices in the marketplace," The bill has the support of the NCGA, American Soybean Association (ASA) and the National Association of Wheat Growers. An ASA-issued press release notes that "The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act would ... make mandatory an FDA safety review of all new GMO traits before they are brought to market and enable FDA to mandate labels on any product shown to pose a health, safety or nutrition risk; and directs FDA to define the term "natural" for use on food labels. Additionally, the bill would eliminate a large potential source of confusion among consumers by establishing FDA's labeling guidance as the national standard and preventing states from enacting a patchwork of conflicting requirements." In 2013, at least 26 states proposed legislation that would require food products made from genetically modified crops to be labeled. The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food (CFSAF), made up of 29 organizations including many farm commodity groups, is urging Congress to develop a uniform, federal set of voluntary standards to address the food labeling issue. Pompeo says he expects hearings on the bill sometime this summer. Along with Pompeo and Butterfield, the proposed bill has support from Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.). More information about GMOs and the need for a federal labeling standard is available at www.CFSAF.org. Back to news


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Appreciate the suggestion, but I can't add all the contacts from all my clients companies to my address book.
From what I am hearing, on the help that people have given me is, the Bayesian filters in Barca/Poco are not that great, and it's better to use custom filters to only accept email from people in your address book.
Having the filter is good, but not great, the bayesian filters should do a better job. As a test, I think I am going to disable the internal bayesian filters and run a 3rd party filter again, then based on it's scores filter that message. If the internal Bayesian filter is just as good as 3rd parties, I should receive the same results.
I've talked to colleagues that use Thunderbird, and the built in spam filter in thunderbird has pretty much eliminated their spam from their inbox, so it is possible.
I think the developers may need to spend a little bit more time tweaking their bayesian/spam filters. If some people are getting great results, and others are getting poor resutls, something is definitely wrong.
BTW, I have a 71% accuracy on the junk filters at home (Pocomail), and that is VERY poor. This AM when I loaded Poco, 90% of the spam received ended up in my inbox, only filtered 1 email to junk. Something is not working correctly.
Any insight from the Poco Systems developers?


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They made music on a NYC subway — in an entirely new way.
Atomic Tom's purportedly "impromptu" performance of "Take Me Out" — in a B Train on the Manhattan Bridge, using only iPhones and captured on an iPhone — quickly went viral, and after just a few days it is approaching 1 million YouTube views. Previously, their YouTube count, for a different tune that was recorded conventionally, topped off at 24,000 over 9 months.
The Atomic boys get credit — but they weren't the first to generate buzz by their use of iPhones as music instruments rather than music players. Here is the British girl group The Mentalists, performing in February 2009—
Click here for more videos by The Mentalists (now renamed The New Mentalists) making music on their iPhones.
A Mashable post found the Atomic Tom performance "quite heartfelt — we'd even go so far as to say it's the best iPhone band performance we've yet seen." Mashable lets its followers judge for themselves — the post links to other groups strumming their stuff.
Back to NYC, subway riders love this stuff, by the way — a friend commented on FB: "Working in MSG area means I get constant subway music, some of it truly incredible. It's one of the great things about living / working in NYC — it's the best!"


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Folded Leaflets
More to say? Customised folded leaflets help you tell the whole story.
- Folds & panels help organise or highlight information
- 3 fold options: 4 panel bi-fold, 6 panel tri-fold, 6 panel z-fold
- Available in a variety of stocks and weights
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- Delivered pre-folded for your convenience
Sorry, we don't offer this design in
Prices include VAT
|Delivery time
|2 business days
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Please note prices shown exclude 20% VAT. Delivery times include processing, printing, packaging and delivery and apply to orders placed and paid before 11pm. Orders received after 11pm are calculated from the following business day.
Please note the following products are always sent at specific speeds:
- Photo books: 10 business days
- Promotional Products: 7-15 business days (depending on products ordered and delivery address)
- Bags: 9-11 business days
- Return address labels: 5-10 business days
An organised, effective way to share information.
When you're talking to potential customers, less isn't always more. Our easy-to-make folded leaflets let you tell a more complete story about your company and what it can do. Different paper stock options and sizes help you get the right look for your project, whether you're creating a handout, takeaway or presentation. What's more, each leaflet is crisply folded before it's shipped to you – meaning that you're able to start using them right away.
Quick tips for creating a folded leaflet
Paper stock options
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• Have one main message and a strong, clear call to action
• Use panels and bulleted sections for important information
• Create a "menu" of all your services and options
• Include a social media section, with logos and contact info
Tips for a professional look
• Don't use more than 3 different font sizes
• Go with a popular option like standard glossy paper
• Choose our thicker premium stock to really stand out
For delivery options, info and exceptions, click here.


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Iran threatens to chuck sueball at Google over missing gulf
State unhappy that 'Persian Gulf' name is gone
Iran's Foreign Ministry has threatened to take legal action against Google because the web firm removed the name Persian Gulf from its Maps and left the stretch of water nameless.
"One of the seditionist acts taken as part of the soft war against the Iranian nation has been Google's shameless act to drop the name 'Persian Gulf' which is... against historical documents," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on state television.
"We have put on our agenda to make an official complaint against Google," he said, according to Reuters.
The waterway in question is bordered by Iran on one side and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE on the other, plus a teeny bit of Iraq. Those states prefer to call it the Arabian Gulf, while Iran wants it to stay the Persian Gulf, as it has historically been known.
In Iran, the issue is taken very seriously. The country has previously told airlines that if they don't use Persian Gulf on their onscreen passenger maps, they'll be banned from Iranian airspace. Iran also does not accept use of the compromise name The Gulf, insisting on Persian Gulf.
Google Maps has left the waterway clear of any name, but a search for "Persian Gulf" puts the red marker smack bang in the middle of the stretch, while a search for "Arabian Gulf" gets you options of the water right beside Dubai or Kuwait.
Google told The Register that it had no comment on the issue.
The possibility has been raised that perhaps more than one waterway has been left unnamed on Maps, but no one has yet come up with an example of another major missing one. ®


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I am frequently asked how 'careful' someone has to be if they have gluten sensitivity. Those individuals suffering from celiac disease know, or should, that ANY gluten is too much. Their immune systems are highly sensitive and reactive, and dangerous contamination can literally be in the form of a crumb.
Those with gluten sensitivity are in a better condition. Gluten sensitivity is not considered an autoimmune disease; celiac, of course, is. Those with gluten sensitivity are often not reactive to small amounts of contamination… or are they?
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a 'mild' gluten sensitivity. You either are or you are not. And if you are sensitive, gluten in any form can be very deleterious to your health. The slightly insidious thing with gluten sensitivity, and sometimes for celiac sufferers as well, is that the reaction to gluten can be 'silent'. But just because you can't feel it, doesn't mean it isn't still having its evil way with you.
Sadly, irritation and inflammation to the nervous system and major organs of the body (yes, there is no organ spared according to research) can be free of obvious symptoms…initially. Once the damage progresses beyond a certain point, however you will then develop symptoms, but at the beginning you can be ignorant and by the time symptoms develop some major damage has occurred – meaning you can be formally diagnosed with a disease.
Obviously no one wants insidious, silent damage to be occurring to their body. That's why it's so critical to discover if you are really celiac or gluten sensitive. If you are, then there is no middle ground – you are and that means zero gluten.
What about individuals who aren't suffering from either condition but just notice they 'feel better' when they don't eat gluten? In this case they either do have one of the conditions and it just hasn't been properly diagnosed, or the refined carbohydrate aspect of the grain is bothering them.
Do realize that:
1. Gluten is a protein that no human properly digests, even if they don't have celiac or gluten sensitivity. This is complete fact, not my opinion.
2. The quality of gluten we tend to eat in this country is highly refined, processed and often laden with chemicals. It's just not good quality food for anyone.
While in a perfect world I would love to have you tested while you are still eating gluten, I would never recommend a reintroduction if you have already stopped and notice that you feel better. My favorite test is a blood test from Cyrex Labs (I have no personal affiliation with this lab) because it is the most comprehensive one on the market.
If you have already stopped eating gluten, EnteroLab (I have no personal affiliation with this lab either) offers an online test that is easy to do and you don't need to be eating gluten in order to achieve accurate results.
EnteroLab also offers a genetic test so you can find out if you carry the genes associated with celiac or gluten sensitivity.
Testing is my first choice, but if that's not possible then conduct your own test – it's free. Avoid gluten completely (100%) for 30 days. Make sure you know all the places gluten can hide such that your 30 day trial contains no slip-ups. Feel free to visit my website where I delineate the most common places gluten can hide.
Once your 30 days is complete, see how you feel. If you've noticed no change, then likely you aren't sensitive. If you have noticed improvement in your symptoms, consider that you likely have one of these conditions. Remember, you can use the tests that don't require you to eat gluten to be sure your analysis is correct – if that's affordable for you. When you're considering a permanent lifestyle change, saving a bit of money for the test that might provide you with the validation you need to continue your gluten-free life, could be worth it.
I hope this helps to answer this very common question. Gluten is just not something to play around with. If you're sensitive and you eat a small amount even once per month, that's too much. I'm sorry, but it's true. Please realize that you aren't doing yourself any favors being 80 or 90% gluten-free – at least not if you're sensitive to it.
Honestly, I think it's easier to completely stay away from it than continuing to torment yourself with occasional cheating.
Let me know if you have any questions. This is an important area to understand and I hope this post clears some things up. Remember that we are here to help. Regardless of where you live, we can offer you assistance. HealthNOW is a destination clinic and we treat patients from across the country and internationally.
Need Help? We're Here for You!
If you felt as if I was describing you above, you are not alone. As I mentioned earlier, adrenal fatigue/exhaustion is almost epidemic. If you would like assistance and don't have a clinician whom you feel can assist you, consider contacting us for a FREE Health Analysis. We are a Destination Clinic and treat patients from across the country and internationally. We would be delighted to help you as we have been doing so for over two decades.
Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I'm here for you! Call 408-733-0400.
I look forward to hearing from you.
To your good health,
Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP
IFM Certified Practitioner
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"
Author of the eBook: "Gluten Intolerance – What You Don't Know May Be Killing You!"
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"
Author of the eBook: "Gluten Intolerance – What You Don't Know May Be Killing You!"


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Actual intent to perform some act, but without a wish for the consequences that result from that act. Depending on the offense alleged, both tort plaintiffs and criminal prosecutors may need to prove that the defendant acted with general intent.
Contrast with specific intent and strict liability.
Taxonomy upgrade extras:


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UK-based software company SapphireSteel Software has announced the release of Amethyst Professional 1.5, its Flex, Flash and ActionScript IDE for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and 2010.
Specializing in professional-quality IDEs for Microsoft Visual Studio, SapphireSteel specifies that Amethyst is the "only non-Adobe Flex IDE to provide an interactive visual design environment," with its drag-and-drop design for Flex 3, Flex 4, Flex 4.5, and AIR.
The product also boasts a "Go Live" mode to allow developers to interact with controls in its Designer mode; double-click control to create event-handlers (as in C# and VB), and there is also the option to integrate with VS Toolbars and palettes.
Huw Collingbourne, SapphireSteel Software director of technology, said, "For developers, what is important here is the ability to work with both .NET and Flash in a single unified environment. Amethyst 1.5 gives programmers the ability to design and deploy Flash-based applications for the desktop, the web or mobile devices. Its multiprocess debugger even makes it possible to debug from .NET into Flash in a single debugging session."
In the code editing arena, the company's latest product version now handles extended code coloring with support for all VS standard colors plus 76 more. Code folding (based on syntax and user-defined regions) and customizable code formatting (spacing, newlines, wrapping, indenting) is also possible.
The product integrates with Adobe tools so that developers can share projects with Flash CS4/CS5 or Flash Builder and import entire Flash Builder workspaces, too.
Amethyst's Refactoring and Debugging functions include:
- Rename identifiers (auto rename all references in project)
- Auto-generate getters/setters (encapsulate field)
- Extract code into new method and many other refactorings
- Unique "Amethyst Cylon" debugger fully integrated with VS
- Multiprocess debugging (step between different SWFs in a single debug session)
- Flash/.NET debugging (e.g., step between ActionScript and C# in single debug session)
"Amethyst enables Visual Studio users to work simultaneously with Microsoft and Adobe technologies and this should be of tangible use to programmers who have previously experienced challenges working with multiple IDEs, including some such as Adobe's Flash Builder, which are based on Eclipse," said Collingbourne.


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The Exaltation of Christ
If Jesus' path to glory involves humbling Himself for the sake of His people, then one of the greatest ways we can bring Him glory is to remind the world of the clearest evidence of His humiliation — His death on ...Read More
The Path to Exaltation
God promises to exalt us one day and make us to reign with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4). However, this exaltation does not come as the result of the exertion of our own power, but results from ...Read More


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A scandal that started at the top of the Crestview Police Department and ran through its Street Crimes Unit was uncovered in 2012.
This is No. 5 in our series of the top ten local stories of 2012.
A scandal that started at the top of the Crestview Police Department and ran through its Street Crimes Unit was uncovered in 2012.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation that one source said stretched over two years resulted in a grand jury indictment of Maj. Joseph Floyd in March and the firing of Police Chief Brian Mitchell in April.
Floyd was arrested and charged with racketeering March 5, the day the indictment was handed down.
His attorney, Barry Beroset, said he is �still working on discovery� and has asked that Floyd�s scheduled trial in January be postponed.
The state attorney�s office, which is prosecuting Floyd, did not object, Beroset said.
He said a March trial date appears likely.
Floyd�s indictment states he used his position as head of the Street Crimes Unit to operate a criminal enterprise in which he threatened, harassed and physically abused his officers, city residents and criminal suspects.
The abuse included soliciting sexual acts from female officers and residents, forcing subordinates to falsify reports and using excessive force on non-resistant police detainees, the indictment said.
It also accused Floyd of misappropriate use of Police Department equipment, conducting covert surveillance on city employees and lying on the resume he turned in to get his job.
Floyd has denied any wrongdoing.
Crestview Mayor David Cadle, who suspended Floyd and Mitchell on March 1, waited until April 17 to fire the police chief.
Cadle said he made the decision to fire Mitchell �in order to restore the trust of the citizens of Crestview� in its Police Department.
A few weeks later the grand jury findings on Mitchell, which had been withheld from publication while he appealed their contents, were revealed.
From their scathing comments it was clear the grand jurors found Mitchell at least complicit in the criminal enterprise they were convinced Floyd had operated.
Floyd�s activities �were enabled and accomplished in part by the partiality and favoritism shown him by Chief Mitchell,� the report said. He �failed to perform his duty and withheld information about substantial instances of misconduct, and even criminal activity.�
Grand jurors found Mitchell failed to report Floyd�s misdeeds to Cadle, who oversees the Police Department.
It said Mitchell ordered officers with complaints against Floyd �to go through the chain of command,� which meant bringing them first to Floyd.
Jurors said Mitchell failed to take action on several occasions when sexual harassment charges were leveled against Floyd.
It said his failure to act on Floyd�s �offensive and humiliating conduct toward women and co-workers is indefensible.�
It noted that Mitchell hired Floyd despite Floyd having an arrest record and a long history of disciplinary problems as a law enforcement officer.
�The Chief of Police and Floyd were friends and colleagues for years,� the report said. �Chief Mitchell was fully aware of Floyd�s questionable background when he hired him.�
Cadle initiated a search for a new police chief following Mitchell�s firing, but before that could even get under way police Investigator Tim White was fired for tampering with evidence and perjury.
White, who worked in the Street Crimes Unit with Floyd and was under direct supervision of Sgt. Matt Purvines, told investigators he had stolen marijuana from the department�s evidence room and used it to bolster a request for a search warrant.
White said Purvines had told him to steal the pot from the evidence room. Purvines denied the accusation and still works for the department.
Cadle announced Sept. 25 that he had hired long-time Fort Walton Beach police officer Tony Taylor to succeed Mitchell.
Taylor said he soon will announce his plan to institute programs to �change the agency culture� in Crestview.
�We�re going to do things like seek accreditation and develop a whole new policy manual,� he said.
Taylor said he intends to review investigation records and �see what information comes out of the Floyd trial� before determining whether �residual� changes have to be made as a result of the scandal.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.


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Posts Tagged EZRSS
Sickbeard Fork: Feature Summary
Posted by Bricky in Programming, Sickbeard, Torrents, TV on September 24, 2012
Note: Since this post was written, TvTumbler was born. Going forward, all new development will be in TvTumbler.
Well I've been working on and off on Sickbeard for the last few weeks, and the list of additions is starting to grow. So it's probably time for a summary of the main additions.
Integrated Torrent Client
Uses libtorrent-rasterbar to provide a very simple (but very fast!) integrated torrent client. Manages queueing, priority, seeding, and deleting of torrent automatically. No need to use blackhole or watch dirs (but of course you can use those if you wish). If libtorrent rasterbar is not available on your system, this feature simply won't show. You can continue to use your existing torrent client without issue.
Custom Torrent RSS Providers
Add one or more custom torrent providers. Any torrent source with an RSS feed should work for this.
See this post for more info (including some recommended feeds).
New Torrent Search Providers
I've added all the useful/reliable torrent providers I know as search options (at least the ones that you don't need invites/accounts for). These are:
- ShowRSS: This appears to be very reliable, but their show naming is not always smart, and their backlog can be limited.
- Kickass Torrents: Includes solid backlog support.
DailyTvTorrents: Again, appears reliable, and includes solid backlog support (thanks to lylej for the heads-up on this one).(sadly, this is now gone)
- BBC iPlayer support (via the perl get_iplayer script): See here for instructions on how to set this up.
- Support for magnet links.
- PublicHD support: No backlog yet, their RSS is *extremely* limited.
- And additionally, EZRSS has been "fixed" so that it will continue to work (by using the twitter feed, tpb feed, and a feedburner feed as backups) even when the site goes down (which happens a lot!)
Custom Scene Names
The edit show page now includes a box into which you can type 'custom' show names (or 'Scene Names'). These will be searched for in addition to the tvdb show name. This is incredibly useful for picking up on minor variations in show names.
Custom Scene Numbering
Anyone who has used sickbeard for any length will know how annoying this is: The scene decides that the first episode was a double, but tvdb (from which sickbeard gets its numbering) thinks otherwise. Or they include a special in the numbering. Or they disagree on season numbers. Or they call the "special" episode "SxE00″, where tvdb calls it "S00E56″.
Well this gives you the facility to work around this problem, without having to manually "fix" everything sickbeard downloads (or tolerate the duplicates it creates). You can now manually enter a season/episode number for each episode, and this is what sickbeard will search for when trawling the internet. And it will renumber it correctly once it's downloaded to your PVR.
The code will also regularly check thexem.de for the known variations between scene and tvdb numbering – so in most cases you probably won't even need to correct the episode numbers, sickbeard will do so itself (but of course it will respect your numbering if you have specified it manually).
Installation Instructions
These now have a wiki page of their own. See How to Install Sickbeard for Torrents on github.
And I do believe that this time, I'm really finished. These are the main things that have annoyed me about sickbeard since I've started using it, and it took far more work than it should have to actually fix them (all-in, I've probably spent a full day on this). If I feel tempted to add features to this in the future, I think I'll start by doing a re-write: it will save time in the long run (and imo sickbeard is badly in need of a rewrite).
As always, the full source is available from https://github.com/bricky/Sick-Beard.
Update/Please Note: I don't intend to add any more features to this – so please stop asking for them! Sickbeard is, as far as I'm concerned, broken – and I don't have the time to fix it, or write a replacement.
I will generally keep this up to date however, until I find a better system (or actually do the rewrite).
(if someone else wishes to start a rewrite however, please let me know – I may be able to contribute)
Update (Sept 2013): I'm doing the rewrite: TvTumbler, an addon for XBMC with the same basic functionality. I'd encourage any new users (who also use XMBC) to try TvTumbler instead.
Having Issues?: Please use the github issue tracker (and include a debug log, or your issue will likely be ignored)


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Slack, a brief journey to mission control
In this blog post I will describe my thoughts while performing a blackbox pentest during Slack bug bounty program.
Thanks to the Slack security team
I want to thank Leigh Honeywell and Max Feldman of the Slack security team for the gentle, professional communication and coordination in the bug reporting process.
Information gathering
In order to understand the infrastructure and to gain information about the used framework I started to check the HTTP response header and saw that Slack is using an Apache httpd server. So I tried to identify common Apache directories and directives like
/server-info and
May I access your internal data, please?
Slack runs
mod_status on the web server. The Status module allows a server administrator to find out how well their server is performing and which resources have been requested by which ip addresses. An attacker may make use of this information to craft an attack against the web server.
When I tried to access server-status directive, the server redirected me to a login page located on the
*.tinyspeck.com domain. So this path has been protected.
Out of scope domain! Now what?
If you are lazy, be warned that brute-force is not permitted by the rules of the Slack bug bounty program. So one would now try to bypass the login page with some injection techniques, but unfortunally the login page itself is located on a FQDN outside of the allowed scope, so this was not an option. I had to find a way to stay within the allowed scope of
Routing? Filter? - Blackbox testing
First of all I thought, that if they are using Apache httpd and mod_status, the redirect could be triggered using the rewrite module. The
mod_rewrite module is a powerful module for Apache used for rewriting URLs on the fly. However with such power come associated risks; it is easy to make mistakes when configuring mod_rewrite, which can turn into security issues. Take for example one of the configurations in the mod_rewrite documentation:
If this is the case, they could probably have misconfigured the RewriteRule and therefore I could bypass it by simply adding a slash. Why? Requesting
RewriteRule ^/somepath(.*) /otherpath$1 [R]
will redirect and return the page http://yourserver/otherpath/secalert as expected. However, requesting
will bypass this particular RewriteRule. In case of Slack it was not possible to bypass it this way. So I had to think outside the box.
I was playing around with representations of a slash in order to potentially bypass a simple string based filter protection. I played around with the RTLO sequence in order to bypass the filter by submitting the RTLO sequence followed by the reversed string. which did not work at first.
Access control bypass!
After a few tests I thought, that they could use a Route Map in their framework and that I potentially could bypass the routing mechanism or access control by adding multiple forward slashes in case that the applied filter checks if the string starts with a particular string and does strip a forward slash, but eventually miss to strip all slashes recursively, and this finally worked.Success!
Bounty as low as $50?
While writing the report for Slack on hackerone I decided to add some screenshots as proof of concept. At this point I thought that I would earn the minimum bounty of $50 for reporting this misconfiguration issue, because the server-status file usually would not expose any sensitive information to me if the requested resources are part of my own Slack workspace, right? Well, i logged out of my Slack account and requested the server status without being logged in! That means that an attacker would potentially gain unauthorized access to the requested resources of ANY Slack site by accessing the server-status directive of a given workspace!
Secrets exposed, increased bounty!I realised that there are some requests listed like
/callbacks/chat.php?secret=... and
/users.list?token=... ,which definitely are sensitive data. So I added some screenshots, which most probably increased the bounty I finally received. Thanks again to Slack for that generous bounty.
Google indexing
After receiving the first bounty from Slack which has been generous I was motivated to hunt for further issues. I googled for common file extensions located on the Slack web sites and found cached urls, which indicates that Slack does have or had a backend admin panel, which Google indexed in the past. When i tried to access these pages I got redirected to the login page once again. But since Slack resolved the prior reported issue, chances were low, right?
Access control bypass part II
Well, after a couple of requests I found that on the particular path to the administrative panel I could bypass the restriction if I use exactly 4 slashes, which only worked on this particular controller!
Backend access -> second bounty!
The Slack employees have access to a backend admin panel called
mission control. In the mission control panel authorized people are able to read lots of meta data related to Slack user and Slack workspace by passing an
id to the
correspondingly controller. Since the needed "id" is being exposed in the rendered html of my own Slack workspace I read the meta data associated to my own account and sent these screenshots to the Slack security team. Besides that it was identified that an attacker would be enabled to reset the password of any user by guessing their "id" and passing a request to the associated
reset controller in the mission control panel. This would allow an attacker to take over any account! For this issue I received an additional bounty.
Be patient! Sometimes you may identify a flaw that seems to be trivial from technical point of view, but may raise a high business impact or an increased data privacy issue to the affected company, so that they could rate the risks different than you initially thought.
Apr, 11th 2016: issue identified and reported
Apr, 11th 2016: verified by slack
Apr, 13th 2016: issue fixed
Apr, 13th 2016: received a bounty
Apr, 14th 2016: identified and reported second issue
Apr, 14th 2016: issue verified by slack
Apr, 24th 2016: issue has been globally fixed
Apr, 24th 2016: received an additional bounty on top
Oct, 20th 2016: this write-up has been published
CVE-2016-4977: RCE in Spring Security OAuth 1&2
Affected version
- Pivotal Spring Security OAuth 2.0 - 2.0.9
- Pivotal Spring Security OAuth 1.0 - 1.0.5
A couple of months ago I performed a pentest against a web application which used the Spring Security OAuth framework for authorization. During my research I have identified some issues, including remote code execution flaws. The web application had implemented the Spring Security OAuth framework which comes by default with a template that is prone to RCE! One would believe that this one is secure by default, but indeed it was not. During my research i realized that there are a couple of well known websites that also implemented the vulnerable code.
Spring Boot Demo
If you want to verify the issue yourself, you can download the spring boot demo application as a maven project from
Let's get started
Usually one would run the demo application by passing a legit request like:
Everything works as intended. I then started to look for common issues like XSS:
This led to an error which showed the
Whitelabel Error Page. Surprisingly there are lots of well-known websites which still use the Whitelabel Error Page instead of having configured a custom error page. The Spring Security OAuth example shows the
Whitelabel Error Page by default whenever an error occurs. The Whitelabel View reflects parts of the given parameter values, which leads to XSS at first glance. After finding the XSS during blackbox testing I reviewed the source code to identify the vulnerable code before I report the issue to upstream. While reviewing the source code I realised that there is a more dangerous issue there.
Error handling calls "SpelView" endpoint
Let's review the source code of
The user supplied values are passed to the
org.springframework.security.oauth2.provider.endpoint.SpelView Class which is using the
SpelExpressionParser of
This is interesting. The Spring Expression Language (click here for detail) is the syntax used by spring for configuration and code place in annotations. To check if the param is also prone to Spring Expression Language Injection I then passed:
The response message shows "666" which means that the proof of concept code has been evaluated!
Exploiting the RCE (on Linux)
Exploiting the RCE (on Windows,null_ref)
The hotfix
The maintainer released a hotfix: https://pivotal.io/de/security/cve-2016-4977
Race condition in the hotfix may be exploitable
If one reviews the applied bug fix one may conclude that the fix looks some kind of a partial fix. They try to prevent recursive placeholders in whitelabel views by using the
org.springframework.security.oauth2.common.util.RandomValueStringGenerator class in order to replace the "{" prefix.
Whitelabel Error Page on production environmentAs web developer or web admin you should consider disabling the whitelabel error page or use a custom error page with a generic text. Please refer to Point < code>77.2 Customize the whitelabel error page on http://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/current/reference/html/howto-actuator.html
Feb, 8th 2016: vulnerability discovered and reported to upstream
Feb, 14th 2016: upstream verified the issue
Mar, 12th 2016: upstream deployed a hotfix
Jul, 5th 2016: initial vulnerability report published by upstream
Oct, 13th 2016: this write-up has been published
A tale of an interesting source code leak
Lately, while participating in Bug Bounty Programs, I came across an interesting issue which was classified with the highest severity yielding a potential bug bounty. Due to it's terms, i am compelled not to disclose the name of the company.
Information gathering
I started with some information gathering and footprinting. I noticed that the files ends with the ".jsp" extension which often runs with Apache Tomcat. First I reviewed the http response header in order to gain some information about the target system:
Date: 16 Mar 2016 15:15:33 GMT
If the http status code is followed by the date response header in the second line it usually means that it the page is using an Apache httpd as web server. In this case I assumed that an httpd is used in front of an Tomcat web server. If i am right then they could probably be using some module to dispatch the files between the httpd and the Tomcat web server which means I could potentially trick the routing to expose the source code of any ".jsp" or ".inc" files by appending specific lower ascii characters - depending on whether they are using a Connector or Handler.
Connector, Handler, File Descriptor
1) The Apache Tomcat Connectors: If Apache httpd and Tomcat are configured to serve content from the same filing system location then care must be taken to ensure that httpd is not able to serve inappropriate content such as the contents of the WEB-INF directory or JSP source code. This could occur if the httpd DocumentRoot overlaps with a Tomcat Host's appBase or the docBase of any Context. It could also occur when using the httpd Alias directive with a Tomcat Host's appBase or the docBase of any Context.
2) Well, let's have a look on the Apache web server handler. A "handler" is an internal Apache representation of the action to be performed when a file is called. Generally, files have implicit handlers, based on the file type. Normally, all files are simply served by the server, but certain file types are "handled" separately. If you want to handle ".jsp" files you may for example use the Apache module "mod_mime" in order to associate the requested filename's extensions with the file's behavior (handlers and filters) and content (mime-type, language, character set and encoding).
What will the httpd do if you try to access file which is not explicitly associated with a handler or filter? Httpd will serve the file as plain text without further actions which means that we can potentially exploit this behaviour.
AnalysisIn the case of my research of this particular target system i knew from the information gathering analysis that they were handling ".jsp" files, so i assumed that they are using an Apache httpd in the front and an Tomcat or similar web server in the back end of the architecture. So i tried to append some character to the file extension like this in order to get some information by forcing the system to run in some uncaught exceptions and show up with any anormally behaviour:
This, however did not work as expected. I was expecting the system to expose a stack trace or to run into a web application firewall, but instead if came it up with the following message:
From several pentests I performed in the past i knew that the apache httpd would usually strip the %00 and raise a message like this one:
Problem accessing /password.jsp%00. Reason:
The request contains an illegal URL
Therefore I assumed that the error message is not originated by the httpd but from a connector. From past pentests I know that there were some connectors which led to unusual behaviour when passing lower ascii characters to them.
Not Found
The requested URL /password.jsp was not found on this server.
During my research related to Tomcat connectors I found that i may manipulate the routing of the data stream by using the SOH (start of header, 0x01) transmission control sequence. The start of heading (SOH) character was to mark a non-data section of a data stream which is the part of a stream containing addresses and other housekeeping data.As i have been successful with this trick in past with several modules such as mod_proxy_ajp, mod_jk, some spring boot implementations and a few other i tried:
What I assumedIn this case I assumed the target system had following implementation in place:
1) Send request to Apache httpd
2) httpd uses it's file handler/filter to pass the request to Tomcat for processing
3) Tomcat uses it's file handler to open the".jsp" file because it handles
the %01 as the start of a new header and not as part of the file extension
4) Tomcat passes the content of the requested file to the httpd
which now has the content of the ".jsp" file with the requested extension ".jsp%01".
5) httpd does not find the ".jsp%01" extension in it's file
handler's extension list and therefore decides to serve the file as plain text
6) The same also works for ".inc" files on the target system
PoC and reporting
I would potentially gain access to the whole source code but decided to access a few ".jsp" and ".inc" files as a proof of concept. I then immediatly reported this issue to the company and within 3 hours they gave me feedback that they verified the issue and triaged it with the highest severity. They then deployed a hotfix within 48 hours. Respect!
Web server handler/filter/modules with similar issues in the past:
CVE-2007-1860: mod_jk double-decoding:
WebLogic: http://www.example.com/index.js%70
(via: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/2527/exploit)
Tomcat: http://www.example.com/examples/snp/snoop%252ejsp
IBM Websphere: http://www.example.com/login.JsP
(via: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/1328/info)
Netscape Web Server: http://www.example.com/login.jsp%20
(via: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/273/discuss)
Allaire JRun Root directory disclosure:
(via: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/3592/discuss)
Apache httpd artificially Long Slash Path Directory Listing Vulnerability:
http://www.example.com///[1-4096 slashes here]/admin/*
(via: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/2503/discuss)
BEA WebLogic Directory Traversal with %00, %2e, %2f and %5c:
ebay.com: RCE using CCS
Once again i have been hunting security issues on ebay's web sites. This time I've identified a controller which was prone to remote code execution due to a type cast issue in combination with complex curly syntax. Since this techniques are less known and less discussed I found it interesting enough to blog about it. The vulnerable sub domain id the same where I've identified an exploitable SQL injection last year, which is located on http://sea.ebay.com .
Information gatheringA legit user request looked like:
One of the very first tests I perform against php web applications is to look for type cast issues because php is known to raise warnings or even errors when the value of a given param is an array rather than being a string which it is expected to be. So obviously my next step was to perform the above request using
[] to submit it as an array:
The web application served me the same response as in the prior request which surprised me a bit. From my experience I know that php has several ways to handle strings. For example if the string is enclosed in double-quotes, the php parser will allow code evaluation if some circumstances are given.
PHP complex syntax
Well, if we use php's complex curly syntax we could possibly have some success. Never heard of complex syntax?
Let's give it a try:
PHP code evaluation circumstances
This had no success. So let's rethink which circumstances may lead to code evaluation in php.
Which of these is ebay using?Since it's been a blackbox test I assumed that eBay was using
preg_replace() for filtering bad words in combination with the
eval() function afterwords because of 2 observations i made:
1) they were using a spellchecker. I have seen a bunch of spellchecker in web apps working with
eval() function in the past
2) they are using some filter which I guess to be a blacklist of words that are being replaced with the
preg_replace() function.
Blackbox analysisFor example when I submitted my handle
'secalert' it was stripped and as a result it returned
'sec' in the response of the search query. So obviously they are filtering words like
'alert' from the user supplied string, maybe in hope to prevent XSS, which is a very bad idea!
It didn't work. Okay, seems like they are not using user-supplied values within double-quotes. So what can we do now?
PHP's internal string handlingHow does php internally handle strings?
PHP complex syntax + http parameter pollution + array indexingSo let's try to submit an array rather than a string and try to echo the values of the param 'q' by accessing the array indices.
It works. The search controller parsed that request and I got the last instance as part of the result, in this particular case it returned valid entries which matched to the keyword
My assumptionBut why? As mentioned prior I was assuming that eBay is using
preg_replace() for filtering bad words and afterwards doing some
eval() stuff with that return values. So what happens here could be that they are trying to enforce that user supplied values are always of the type
string. That means if it's not a string they try to make a string out of it, i.e. they try to cast the values of the array into a string before doing the string comparison for the list containing bad words.
Exploiting the RCEOkay, good. But how can we exploit that? We will put all this stuff together and submit an array with 2 indices containing arbitrary values, one of them will be supplied in complex curly syntax to trick the parser.
https://sea.ebay.com/search/?q[0]=Dave&q[1]=secalert{${phpinfo()}}&catidd=1Success! Now let's verify this by submitting two more requests.
Verified! We can evaluate arbitrary php code in context of the ebay website.
From my point of view that was enough to prove the existence of this vulnerabilty to ebay security team and I don't wanted to cause any harm. What could an evil hacker have done? He could for example investigate further and also try things like
{${`ls -al`}} or other OS commands and would have managed to compromise the whole webserver.
December, 6th 2013: vulnerability discovered and reported to ebay
December, 9th 2013: ebay solved the issue and deployed a hotfix
December, 13th 2013: this write-up has been published


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Instead, he found himself surrounded by cops and placed under arrest by the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.
Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden said his agency launched the investigation that led to the sting and arrest after a local mother contacted his office saying an adult male had befriended her 15-year-old daughter on Facebook and was making inappropriate comments. Investigators from Constable Hayden's office and Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable's Office who have been specially trained in dealing with cybercrimes against children then took over the teen's Facebook page and continued the dialogue suspect Stanley Haney had begun with the girl. Haney's sexually explicit messages intensified as he pressed for a meeting and sexual intercourse with the online persona who he was repeatedly told was 15 years old.
As the investigation continued, assisted by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, a sexual encounter was planned for Tuesday afternoon. Haney was to meet the teen at a store in Patton Village, which is where he learned his online prey was not a child, but a police officer with a warrant for his arrest. He was taken from his vehicle to the back of a patrol vehicle and to the Precinct 4 office in New Caney for processing before he was released to the custody of the Montgomery County Jail. Patton Village and Splendora Police Departments assisted in apprehending Haney- an operation that went very smoothly.
Investigators said Haney meant business, arriving at the Patton Village store as scheduled, with a freshly opened box of condoms. The Constable said Haney's story could easily have ended very differently, with one more person damaged for life.
"I believe we prevented the sexual assault of a child today," Constable Hayden said. "I'm very proud of our agency and all those that assisted."
Actually, investigators said Haney planned to have sexual contact with at least two children this week. A second investigator was also on Facebook posing as a 13-year-old girl from The Woodlands and Haney had made arrangements to meet and have sex with "her" on Friday.
Haney is already listed on the Texas Sex Offender Registry and was convicted of Failure to Comply With Sex Offender Registration in December 2010, which is a second-degree felony.
Constable Hayden said he could not stress enough the importance of parental supervision of children's online activities.
"Children are naturally trusting and easily deceived - Monsters like Stanley Haney know this," Hayden said. "They seek out victims who don't have a parent or guardian paying attention like the mother who is responsible making us aware of Stanley Haney."
"Know who your children are talking to, and know what they're talking about," he said. "And check the Texas Sex Offender Registry regularly to see who's in your area. Your child's safety is worth the time it takes."
Stanley Ray "Stan" Haney is charged with two counts of second-degree felony Online Solicitation of a Minor. He is currently in the Montgomery County Jail, held without bond.
After Haney's arrest, Constable Hayden and investigators from Precincts 3 and 4, assisted by Liberty County Precinct 6 Constable John Joslin executed a search warrant at Haney's residence on CR 3183 in unincorporated Cleveland. Haney lives in his family home, along with his parents, younger brothers, and his 7-year-old daughter.
Investigators found marijuana in plain view inside the residence, which is in unincorporated Cleveland. The Liberty County Precinct 6 Deputy Constables arrested Haney's two younger brothers for misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana. They were transported to the Liberty County Jail.
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