text:
Who we are
We are Instatek and we bring trend in technology. We are a talented, innovative and efficient. We are dedicated to delivering specialized and original electronics peripherals solutions. We thrive on creativity and we are devoted to finding an answer to latest computing demands, mobile accessories and storage devices.
How we do it
Our methods are our own. We find a niche in the market or identify something that is lacking in a particular product, and we fill that gap. We adhere to the highest standards – we are committed to quality control, we consistently update our inspection procedures and constantly improve both our employees' skill-sets and our technological capabilities – but those are mere details. We do what we do by seeing potential, by seeing things that are not yet there, and then bringing that potential to life.
What we do
What we do is special. Our job is to know what you desire, before you know it yourself. We break down the barriers between the technological and the everyday, seeking to bring you the newest and most pioneering gadgets as soon as it is physically possible. "Lifestyle technology" is our focus, our drive and our passion, and through this we strive to seamlessly incorporate modern technology into your daily life, whether that be at home, in the office, in the car, or on the move.
Why we do it
Because there is no such thing as 'perfect.' There can never be enough options, enough add-ons, enough in the way of customisable and personalisable features: just because a product does not have something the consumer needs, it doesn't mean we should accept it as it. We have a choice and we at Instatek are here to give that choice.


text: WorldCom markets AOL services to its customers Published on May 25, 2000. WorldCom and America Online created a unique multiyear consumer Internet alliance under which WorldCom will market AOL online services to WorldCom's residential local and long-distance telecom customers, offering bonuses of up to an hour of free calls every month when they join AOL. Also, under the agreement, WorldCom will offer its existing residential ISP customers a special opportunity to convert to the AOL service. Other WorldCom residential customers, as well as small business customers, can receive a total yearly credit of up to $36, or up to $3 per month, on their WorldCom bill as long as they remain an WorldCom local or long-distance customer and become a new AOL member. The customers also get 500 hours of AOL free in the first month, with unlimited access after that, and $200 in member savings at the AOL Store.Copyright May 2000, Crain Communications Inc. Most Popular In this article: News

subset: commoncrawl


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OK, so I thought the zappers were true miracle workers — and they are, but I had yet to discover the healing powers of Reiki! Well, if you are spiritually open to receiving the healing energy from the Universe/ God/ Soul/ Angel or whatever force you believe in, then you are ready to begin the self healing journey that is Reiki!
I received my Reiki level one certificate on Tuesday and here it is three days later and I have pretty much stopped the Magnesium Taurate that I used to take to the tune of 1500 mg over the course of a day. AND I have stopped using my zappers which I was doing almost 24/7.
I had already been meditating and cleansing my Chakras, so it was a natural next step to take the Reiki leap. I've had RA since 2010 so it's going to take a while to be truly rid of it, but I can truly say that the healing hands you are bestowed with after your first attunement really do heal.
On the way home from my Reiki class, I drove while healing my left ankle which had started to swell and feel tingling and some pain. By the evening, all of it was gone. I had gone without my zapper treatment, so I know it was the Reiki that did it.
Please read up on it — there are lots of sites to google out there. But receiving your training and attunement seems to be best done in the presence of a Reiki Master.I'm so excited about this that I've been shouting from the rooftops to anyone who will listen.
So what have you got to lose?
As always, I encourage you to partner with your medical professional and share anything adjunctive with them. They'll likely be learning something new!
Blessings, Abundance and Health to you, Kariann


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For everyone who ever saw the movie.. Forget it.
The book took the concept HG Wells wrote about and then thought they could do better.
Did they?
I've read War of the Worlds, which is kind of lukewarm in my honest opinion. The Time Machine is way beneath it.
I was taught that if you can't say something nice, you should say nothing.
It would be a very short review if I lived by that rule, but luckily I don't.
The Time Machine is a lack of skill put into words.
It's a recollection of someone who has been into the future and lived there for a while, because he lost his time machine. His recollection of this day and age is so past anything that could ever happen, and painted in drab colours so I never even could imagine the world he was seeing.
It was all very black and white.
The surrounding was perfect, the people were innocent and happy while the 'bad guys' were ugly, living underground in the dark, eating the flesh of those living in daylight.
Also his train of thought was sad to follow.
With a protagonist so distant from emotion, how can the writer expect his readers to feel anything remotely emotional reading his novel?
And how does this get on the 1001 novels to read before you die?
It's only plus I can think of, it's only about 80 pages long. So you won't lose much time if you get this into your hands.


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Posts: 1
United States of America
I have download several movies on Saturday January 19th and I can't get any sound on the movies.� The movies plays and the subtitles work but there is no sound.� I made sure that my computer sound was up to 100 and the movie app sound is up all the way.� What do I need to do to get the sound? What am I doing wrong?
Posts: 85
plbutcher wrote:
Not giving us much to go on.
Assuming you checked audio with another movie you've watched before?
If audio works then your sound card does not support the audio formats for movies downloaded on the 19th.�
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By Andrew Collins
September 15 2012
Cardiff RFC set out an impressive stall for their regional colleges, demolishing Newport RFC in the first of today's two matches between the sides.
Cardiff kick started their season with a 9-try thrashing of Newport at the Arms Park, their first win of the new campaign.
Cardiff had been bolstered with the return of regional players such as Macaulay Cook, Robin Copeland and Dan Fish, all of whom got on the score sheet. There was also a notable display at outside half from Gareth Davies, a player who was overlooked at for the Blues' match at Rodney Parade this evening, with youngster Rhys Patchell getting his first senior start at 10.
With the Blues facing the Dragons in tonight's regional match, the Premiership players have given fans a dream start to the day. However, with the Blues' unconvincing performance against Edinburgh last weekend, fans look unlikely to get the same result – let along score! – later on.
The Blues will travel to Rodney parade as underdogs for the first time in a number of years following a summer of player cuts and fresh coaching faces. The match, which is live on S4C from 6.00pm, has the potential to be a high-scorer and is an early season 8-pointer with the two Welsh sides likely to be scrapping for Heineken places come May.
Newport Gwent Dragons: Dan Evans, Will Harries , Pat Leach, Andy Tuilagi, Tom Prydie; Steffan Jones, Jonathan Evans; Phil Price, Steve Jones, Dan Way, Ian Nimmo, Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate, Lewis Evans (capt), Toby Faletau.
Replacements : Hugh Gustafson, Aaron Coundley, Nathan Buck, Jevon Groves, Tom Brown, Liam Davies, Ashley Smith, Adam Hughes.
Cardiff Blues: Thomas Williams; Alex Cuthbert, Gavin Evans, Dafydd Hewitt, Harry Robinson; Rhys Patchell, Lloyd Williams; Nathan Trevett, Marc Breeze, Taufa'ao Filise, Bradley Davies, James Down, Josh Navidi, Sam Warburton, Andries Pretorius (capt).
Replacments: Kristian Dacey, Thomas Davies, Benoit Bourrust, Lou Reed, Rory Watts-Jones, Lewis Jones, Ceri Sweeney, Jamie Roberts.
View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.
Need to playb Copland blindside, not second row


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Chiropractors are specifically trained to use their hands, small instruments, and specialized tables to help alleviate stiffness, restore range of motion and improve function. This is done by applying controlled, safe and low force thrusts to the joints of the spine and other areas in the body. This form of treatment is referred to as a "Chiropractic Adjustment" or "Chiropractic Manipulation".
When this technique is applied to the spine, it is referred to as a "Spinal Adjustment", and when applied to the other joints of the body such as the knee, elbow, wrist, and jaw, it is known as an "Extremity Adjustment".
Regular adjustments help to maintain proper alignment of the joints and spine and support optimal health.
Dr. Melanie Stewart offers a wide range of chiropractic services such as Graston® Technique-Soft Tissue Therapy, MedX Phototherapy (Laser Therapy), Exercise Prescription and Kinesio Taping
To learn more about Dr. Melanie Stewart please click here


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Alice C. Linsley
The Placement of the Vision
The vision of Revelation 12 comes after the proclamation of the Kingdom in Revelation 11:15 made famous by Handel's Alleluia Chorus: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" This sign serves to punctuate the rise and fall of kingdoms much as the following Messianic Psalm is used in Daniel to punctuate the rise and fall of kingdoms: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." (Ps. 145:13)
This vision comes between the proclamation about the eternal
and the vision of the blasphemous
Beast who makes war on the Saints. This recapitulates Genesis 3:15, the first
promise of Scripture concerning the Woman and her Seed. Her Seed is to crush
the Serpent's head. This was accomplished at Christ's birth, death,
resurrection and ascension ("The Christ Event") and in the vision is a timeless
event described in these words: "The woman was delivered of a boy, the son who
was to rule all the nations with an iron rod, and the child was taken straight
up to God and to his throne." (Rev. 12:5) Kingdom of Christ
The Church has understood Genesis 3:15 to be about the Theotokos and her Son, the only begotten of God. It is not about Eve. Eve is not named until Genesis 3:20. Further, John's Gospel connects Jesus with the Seed on Genesis 3:15. In John 12:24, we read that Jesus told his disciples that he was going to
Jerusalem to die. John's vision connects the death of the Woman's Seed with the new life or abundant fruit of the Kingdom.
Sign and Signs
"The woman fled to the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days." (Rev. 12:6)
One thousand two hundred and sixty days is three and a half years, a period of time used elsewhere in John's Apocalypse. Compare to the period of time that the holy city was trampled in Revelation 11:2. Here the wording is "forty-two months" which is also three and a half years and the period of desolation of the temple described in Daniel. Daniel 8:11-14 reads:
"He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?" And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."
The Woman
The Woman is the Mother of Christ our God. In Christian iconography she is sometimes shown standing on the earth with the serpent beneath her foot. She brings forth the "Son who was to rule all the nations" (Rev. 12:5).
She is also the Mother of the Church and is invoked as the Mother of the Orthodox. The Orthodox Church holds that the miraculous birth of Jesus left Mary's virginity intact as a sign; therefore she did not travail in bringing forth her Son. However, as the Mother of the Church she travails in intercession for all the saints. This is evident from John's vision. Revelation 12:17 says that when the dragon could not get to the Mother or her Child, it "went away to make war on the rest of her children who obey God's commandments and have in themselves the witness of Jesus."
Many believe that when Jesus gave his mother into John's care, he was giving Mary to be "mother" to the whole community of early believers. The title "Mother of the Church" was first used by St. Ambrose, the Bishop Milan (A.D. 330 – 397).
Historically Mary was regarded as first among the Apostles and was greatly honored in the Christian community. Such honor had the effect of stirring great animosity against her among the Jews. In the Talmud, ignominious names are given by the rabbis to Mary and be Son. Sanhedrin 106a calls Mary a whore: "She who was the descendant of princes and governors played the harlot with carpenters." In the Talmud Mary is also called "Charia" which means dung or excrement and Jesus is called "Jeschu" which means May his name and memory be blotted out.
Mary is the most honored woman in the Church as the mother of Christ our God and the model of obedient love. She is the blessed Woman of Genesis 3:15 by whom God fulfilled the Edenic Promise. She is the culmination of the expectation that led the ruler-priest lines to intermarry exclusively so that the Promised Son would be born of their blood lines. Analysis of the kinship pattern of Abraham's people reveals a unique pattern of intermarriage between cousins of priestly lines. It is possible to trace these lines because the cousin brides named their first-born sons after their fathers. The genealogies of Genesis trace only male rulers. The naming of the first-born son after the cousin bride's father was a way to trace royal lineage on the mother's side.
Mary is the most honored woman in the Church as the mother of Christ our God and the model of obedient love. She is the blessed Woman of Genesis 3:15 by whom God fulfilled the Edenic Promise. She is the culmination of the expectation that led the ruler-priest lines to intermarry exclusively so that the Promised Son would be born of their blood lines. Analysis of the kinship pattern of Abraham's people reveals a unique pattern of intermarriage between cousins of priestly lines. It is possible to trace these lines because the cousin brides named their first-born sons after their fathers. The genealogies of Genesis trace only male rulers. The naming of the first-born son after the cousin bride's father was a way to trace royal lineage on the mother's side.
The New
In Revelation 12:1 we read: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars…"
The woman clothed with the sun recalls Joseph's dream (Gen. 37:9-11). In that dream, Joseph's father (
is represented by the sun and Joseph's mother is represented by the moon.
Joseph's eleven brothers are represented by the eleven stars that bow down to
him. In this sign, the woman wears
a crown with twelve stars. Joseph, who was sold into slavery, is restored to
his rightful place. The New Israel must mean restoration through the Theotokos
and her Seed, the Son of God. The New Israel is then the Church into which the
faithful ones of the Old Covenant have been brought to safety. Even so, God makes a place of protection for the Woman
of Revelation 12.
The Woman represents the New Israel. She is given strength to rise above the Devil's attacks. She flies with wings of an eagle. This is reminiscent of the promise in Isaiah 40:31: "But they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
The Child
In Revelation 12:5 we read that the Woman brings forth "a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." The Woman is the Woman of Genesis 3:15 whose conception of the Divine Seed was foretold and anticipated by John's faithful ancestors going back before the time of Abraham.
This sign speaks of the Christ event in relationship to Satan's unsuccessful attempt to thwart God's plan. God has exalted the glorified Jesus to a position of universal authority (Philippians 2:9-11). He is destined to "rule all the nations with an iron scepter" (12:5). He will shepherd the nations with loving, but absolute authority. These words identify the Child as God's anointed Messiah, destined to reign in God's kingdom over all the earth (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 19:15).
Abraham's Horite ancestors expected a virgin from among their people to bring forth the Divine Seed. They were familiar with this text: "My wrath will be turned against the enemy of my father Osiris and I will put him beneath my feet in my name of Red Cloak." (Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt by R.T. Rundle Clark, p. 216)
Here we find the words of Psalm 110:1, a messianic reference: The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
Here we find the words of Psalm 110:1, a messianic reference: The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
Daniel 2:44 says, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."
The Woman's Seed, as foretold in Genesis 3:15, was to crush the serpent's head and restore
Paradise. Jesus alludes to this first promise of Scripture when describing his
passion and resurrection. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat
falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much
fruit" (John 12:24). He identifies himself as the "Seed" of Genesis
3:15 and the fulfillment of Messianic expectation.
Horite belief in a deified son who would embody kindness and unite the peoples found fulfillment in Jesus Christ, a descendant of the Horite ruler-priests, the divine son of the Virgin Mary, daughter of the priest Joachim of the line of Nathan. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham's ancestors in
that a woman of their people would bring
forth the Divine Seed. This is why Frank
Moore Cross cannot avoid the conclusion that the God of Israel is the God of the Horites. Eden
The Dragon
Revelation clearly identifies the dragon or monster. He is "that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" (Rev. 12:9, 20:2). Since ancient mythology had many references to antagonistic dragons and sea monsters, John's readers would have recognized the dragon as a cosmic enemy. In Christian iconography the serpent is often shown as a dragon. Many famous paintings depict the serpent's defeat by St. George or St. Michael, the
In John's vision the serpent is associated with the serpent of
. However,
the association goes beyond Eden
to the creation narrative of Genesis 1 where the serpent is associated with
chaos and the dark abyss. Eden
In Genesis 1 we read that the primal substance covering the earth was water and it was disordered, that is, it had no boundaries. God's breath (Ruach/Logos) created order from the chaos, separating the waters above from the waters below, and the dry land from the seas. The chaotic waters are called Tehom and the ordering word of God is called Tehut. In the cosmic struggle, Tehut is victorious over Tehom. The oldest known law code is the Law of Tehut (c. 3500 B.C.) and it was said to express the wisdom of God by which boundaries were established. Among Abraham's Nilo-Saharan ancestors boundaries were not to be violated. Such transgression carried serious consequences.
The ancient Egyptians believed the great serpent that created chaos lived south of
and therefore never wanted to
sail that far south. There was a very ancient temple on Elephantine Island
at which priests offered sacrifice and prayers daily. Their presence was seen
as a restraint against the serpent. Further, Elephantine Island
was known as a seat of wisdom and justice whereby divinely established
boundaries were honored and enforced. Elephantine Island
Elephantine Island was the center of Nubia's international power. Pepinakht-Heqaib (third millenium BC) rendered judgment
from Elephantine and waged wars. He claimed
that when judging between two brothers, presumably first-born sons, he never
deprived a rightful heir of his inheritance. Since he lived before the time of
Joseph's rule in Egypt,
it appears that he was honoring a long-standing custom among his Nubian/Kushite
people. (The practice of Kushite rulers having two first born sons by two
wives, as was customary among Abraham's people, clearly predates the domination of Egypt by the Asiatic Hyksos.)
Revelation 12:17 we are told that "the dragon was angry with the Woman and with her Seed, those who keep the commandments of God and have the witness of Jesus." Here the Woman's Seed is not only the Son of God but also all who are "in Christ", the Church.
When the dragon failed to destroy the Woman and her Seed, it called forth an assistant from the deep. "And he [the dragon] stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up from the sea, having ten horns and seven heads…and upon its heads were the names of blasphemy… And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority." (Rev. 12:18-13:2)
The Beast is the Dragon's first assistant. Others are mentioned in Revelation 16:12-14: "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river
Euphrates, and its
water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw
three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came
out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of
the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform
signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather
them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty."
The Serpent and the Tree of Life
There are two trees in Garden, and the serpent led Eve from the right choice - to eat of the Tree of Life - to the wrong choice - to eat of the Tree by which she hoped to become like God. This has been the Devil's approach throughout history. He attempts to lead us away from life by promising what he cannot give - divinity and immortality.
The Church Fathers understood the Tree of Life in
Eden as representing the Cross. Satan employs
many methods to distract us from the Cross, and today there are more
distractions than ever. The Kaiser
Family Foundation found that
young Americans on average spend over seven and one-half hours a day on
entertainment media. This translates into more than 53 hours a week as compared
to 30 hours a week in school. Cell phones are used to listen to music, play
games, text friends, take photos, and watch TV, even in schools where cell
phone use is prohibited during the school day.
There are two trees in Garden, and the serpent led Eve from the right choice - to eat of the Tree of Life - to the wrong choice - to eat of the Tree by which she hoped to become like God. This has been the Devil's approach throughout history. He attempts to lead us away from life by promising what he cannot give - divinity and immortality.
The Church Fathers understood the Tree of Life in
The imagery of the Woman, her Son and the Beast, draws on very ancient symbolism that can be traced back to Abraham's Nilo-Saharan ancestors. The Son's victory over the beast was foretold from the beginning (Gen. 3:15) and John's apocalyptic vision makes it clear how things will end.
"And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who in his presence performed signs (sēmeia) by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur" (Rev. 21:8).
"The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).


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Check out my new Facebook page for my blog.
Same as the name of my blog of course.
So please "Like" my page and also spread the love by having friends "Like" my page also. Click below to check out my page and follow. New Posts, Giveaways and everything else fabulous. Check it out!
If you have a Facebook page, please leave it in the comments below and I will gladly follow. :)


text:
How to build muscle – best muscle building workout , diet, A free guide to how to build muscle that explains which muscle building workout , diet and exercises work best for gaining mass fast!.
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How to gain weight and build muscle mass fast!, Learn how to gain weight and build muscle mass fast. proven step by step muscle building diet..


text:
So, here I am.
I just stepped off the bus and set foot in the new (and a wee bit foreign to me) world of the Blogosphere.
Wow. quite the view from here.
I'll just sit down on my old suitcase and get my sketchpad out, I might do some drawing until someone interesting comes along.
Will keep you posted on things I see while I'm here and designs that pop into my head and out again onto my sketchpad. I might even share some good recipes with you every now and then.
Feel free to wave to me as you stroll by, or come have a chat if you're not too busy.
I'll be right here sketching.


text:
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Details: Magazine.
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Building is the UK's best-read, most established brand in the construction industry. It was launched in 1843 as The Builder, by Joseph Alysius Hansom architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom safety cab. Building once counted Prince Albert, Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale among its readers.
Building provides an unrivalled combination of award winning editorial, news, interviews, analysis and hard industry data and leads the way in journalism for the construction industry.
© 2019 All rights reserved, Professional Books Limited - www.constructionbooks.net
Reg no. 07271521 | Registered in England | Registered office: Winkworth House, 4 Market Place, Devizes SN10 1HT.


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Group Classes for Adults & Teens
Harmony Singing by Ear!
Class Info
Important Notes:
This class begins a week earlier than the regular term (June 13) and ends earlier (July 11).
This class is also available as a drop in for $18 per class.
What's even better than lunch? A late lunch hour full of harmony singing! We'll use songs from around the world to learn 2, 3 and maybe even four parts for harmony--while also strengthening individual skills, including breath support, tone, and of course...holding on to your own part. No sight reading skills are necessary. If you can carry a melody, you can sing harmony! Teacher's Web Site:
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text:
In 2008 I designed 26 girls with wonderful patterned outfits. Their patterns were designed from the letters in the alphabet...and then about 6 or so months ago I decided to make them into a coloring book which I named "The Alphabet Girls of the North Winnie Mountains ..there is a coloring poster as well. I have shed some happy tears these last couple days while laying out the final pages...of course listening to the Little Women soundtrack while working most likely contributed to that. I wish it hadn't taken me so long to finish this book, but who knows....it could have been a timing thing. :/ Tomorrow this book goes on sale, and let me tell you...you're gonna want this for yourself or your daughter, granddaughter, niece...whomever...this book is magical inside!
Now....I gotta get to stapling these ladies and packaging them up!


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ET-08. The Happy Film
USA, Feature Documentary, 2016, 95 min
"Graphically inventive and visually playful." TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
"Moves you to reexamine your own pursuit of happiness." INDIEWIRE
Grammy Award-winning graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister is doing well. He's wealthy, successful and has a cool apartment in New York, the city of his dreams…but he wasn't happy. In the back of his mind he suspected there must be something more. Can he redesign his personality to become a better person? Is it possible to train his mind to get happier? He meticulously pursues three controlled experiments—meditation, cognitive therapy and drugs, grading himself along the way. Finally, after five years, he is astounded to find a therapy that actually works and makes him happier than he has ever been in his life. Unfortunately, as events unfold, the new therapy has made him too happy for his own good.
Directed by Stefan Sagmeister, Ben Nabors and Hillman Curtis
Boulder Premiere


text:
Jane isn't entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start, but didn't she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. Until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes---or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire---maybe do exist.
Except Brock Wellington isn't anyone's dream guy. Hell, a prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk---even if it was just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it's karmic retribution that he's tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can't have. But while they can't have a fairy-tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . . .
The Bachelor Auction #1
Rachel Van Dyken always writes a good romance. This is the first book in a new series: The Bachelors of Arizona. This one centers on Jane and Brock. It was a great take on modern day Cinderella.
Jane's sisters were total cray-cray. I'm sure my patience wouldn't be as good as hers. And poor Brock. He's a wounded, damaged guy with the world on his shoulders. I really adored him.
The supporting characters, Brock's twin brothers, Brant and Bentley, were so fun. They added spunk to the story. I'm sure one of the next books in the series will center around them.
I can't wait to read more in this highly promising series from a master romance author! Five glittery stars!
"Jane." It was a whisper, it was a question, and then his mouth was on hers—harsh, forceful, but so inviting she whimpered at the contact and leaned into him, begging him with her body to take what she couldn't voice aloud.
It was a bad idea.
He was a bad idea.
Ready to be married off.
But here, in this moment, he was hers.
So she kissed him back with as much passion as she possessed, her hands digging into the front of his shirt while his teeth nipped at her bottom lip.
His hands slid beneath her shirt, unhooking her bra with ease as he nudged her thighs apart.
"You feel so soft," he murmured against her mouth. "Perfect." Another plundering kiss, his tongue flicking hers before his lips slid down her neck. "So damn good."
With a moan, she pressed as close as she could against him, nearly riding his leg in an effort to get more of him.
"That's it," he encouraged while she clawed at him.
"Brock!" Bentley's voice pierced the air. "Did you need help?"
Brock froze above her, his face filled with irritation. "Open that door, Bentley, and I'm selling every car you own and replacing it with a Honda!"
"You don't mean it." The knob turned.
Jane's eyes widened in alarm as Brock quickly moved away from her and tossed the blanket…over her head. Right, like that was going to look normal. She pulled the blanket off her face and tried in vain to fix her bra while frantically pulling her hair back into a ponytail.
Bentley entered, took one look at both of them and smiled. "Clearly this room was dirtier than we thought?" He tilted his head at Jane. "Or maybe not dirty enough?"
"Out!" Brock barked.
"Fine," Bentley grumbled. "I'm leaving. I just thought you should know that Grandfather called and wanted to know how the maid was working out. I told him that you've been helping her since she sprained her ankle. He was concerned about her finishing the job."
"What did you say?" Brock grabbed Bentley by the shirt and gave a little shake.
Bentley held up his hands. "Chill. I told him that she would make a full recovery, that she refused to sue, and that you were taking care of the situation. Because that's all you're doing, right Brock? Taking care of the situation…" He peered around Brock at Jane.
Feeling suddenly more naked than she actually was, she covered herself up with the blanket.
What had she been thinking?
It was beyond unprofessional.
Tears burned the backs of her eyes.
"Thanks, Bent." Brock sighed, running his hands through his already mussed hair.
Bentley saluted him then added quietly. "For the record, any girl that can get Boring Brock to bend the rules is a keeper."
Brock bit back a curse as Bentley shut the door.
"Boring Brock?" Jane asked.
"It's about as bad as it sounds."
"Well, I'm Plain Jane, so…I understand."
He turned. "You've never been plain a day in your life."
"I think you've already learned that you don't need to give me pretty compliments to get me to kiss you."
"You have seven freckles. You press your lips together to keep yourself from saying things you shouldn't. You hum when you clean, and though I'm not sure what the tune is, it's familiar. When you eat, you watch people rather than your own food, and I'm just going to come out and say it: you eat like an animal, the most erotic thing I've ever seen."
Jane covered her face with her hands. "It was flattering until you said that last part."
Brock laughed. "Seeing a woman dig into her food like she hasn't eaten in weeks? It's one of the most erotic visions I've ever had."
Emotion flashed across his face as he made his way over to her and kissed her again, pulling away with her name on his lips. "Jane, I want you."
"Thought I was just the help." The walls around her heart started to slip; she felt it in the way her body rose against him. He'd noticed things about her nobody ever had, he was helping her, and he was beautiful. Was it so wrong to want this? For herself? Once in her life?
"You're more than that, and you know it." His eyes locked on to hers as his deep voice washed over her.
"You're getting auctioned off in two weeks and you know it."
He paused, his expression going completely ice cold before he looked away and then back at her. "And if I wasn't? What then?"
"Then…" She bit down on her bottom lip. "I'd ask you to kiss me again."
Excerpted from THE BACHELOR AUCTION by Rachel Van Dyken. Copyright © 2016 by Rachel Van Dyken. Used with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
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text:
I am an illusion
I am an enigma
I am that which I myself don't know
I am not the person you see
I am just a drop
In the ocean of life
I am the soul
Another form like you
I am Shiva, I am He
I am constant, endless
I am a phenomenon unknown
I am the truth
I am what is before birth
I am what is after death
The illusion you see in between
Is not really me
I am that mystery
I am what I search for
I do not even know
Who or what am made of
I am not ego, nor the self
I am no daughter or mother
I am life, I am breath
i am that bliss, that ecstasy
I am divinity that even I don't know
Asato maa, Sadgamayaa
Tamaso maa, Jyotirgamayaa
Mrityor maa, Amritam Gamayaa
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
The Shanti Mantra beautifully renders this truth, that what we call the self is really non existent and we live in an illusory world where we are defined by the roles we play rather than who we really are. This deep inherent search for the self, mingled with life's experiences that makes our search far more complex is all in the state of the mind.
Asato maa, Sadgamayaa
This is the definition of our journey through life, life being a medium but not the end. Through this path laden with events and experiences shaping up our personality, clouded by circumstances and emerging with a brutally beaten ego we are like travelers who stray away not knowing where they lost touch of their chosen destination. This journey is from ignorance to bliss, this journey is in the mind as we sieve through various facets of our external life. This is not a journey from birth to death, but a constant attempt to give up the illusory self- The "I" in me, the ego - to calm a jumping mind.
Tamasoma, Jyotir Gamaya
This is worship to be delivered from ignorance to eternal bliss. With every passing event, leaving us undeterred and detached is when the mind begins to settle. The mind begins to reach a state of equilibrium, where there is silence, where there is nothing, no thought, no fear but pure consciousness. This is the state of bliss, where the only sounds are that of OM, the fundamental sound that shapes this universe. Externally, this is a state when we cease to ask for external approval, we cease to seek attention, we live without ego massage. Now we are ready to be alone in a room faced with our self and the feeling is of complete bliss, and time ceases to exist. This is the moment to feel the inner light of spiritual ecstasy.
Mrityor maa, Amritam Gamayaa
This is worship for salvation. Arriving at the state of bliss is a constant, where the world ceases to exist and the mind continues to rest within that silent room of the self. The world is visibly external, its sounds can't be heard, its presence can't be felt, its noise cannot be experienced. It's the death of the ego, its the death of "I", I don't exist any more. I am bliss, I am Amrit, I am the constant, I am potency, I am present as I should be, I am beyond life and death, I am real, I am divine.
Moolatho Brahma Roopaya, Madhyato Vishnu Roopini
Agratas Shiv Roopaya, Vriksha Rajayte Namaha
Another depiction of this bliss is in the worship of the banyan tree or the Ashwatha Vriksha. The banyan tree is the emblem of life, symbolizing the constant. The banyan tree is also considered to be the symbol of the trimurthy, with Brahma at the root of creation, Vishnu representing the shaft is a symbol of sustenance and Shiva resides at the top bring out in full bloom and life, therefore describing its form as the Shiva linga itself. Such is the beauty of this tree that it describes the constant of life, the eternal bliss that we search for, within ourselves.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti


text:
Newsbusters asks: Has CBS News Allowed A Political Campaign To Use And Alter Their Footage?
Or will CBS merely excuse it.
Here is the video:
Here is a transcript of the interview with the part the Obama campaign cut out in bold:
PELLEY: Now, you made on your investments, personally, about twenty million dollars last year. And you paid fourteen percent in federal taxes. That's the capital gains rate. Is that fair to the guy who makes fifty thousand dollars and paid a higher rate than you did?And remember: Obama says he approved this message.
ROMNEY: It is a low rate. And one of the reasons why the capital gains tax rate is lower is because capital has already been taxed once at the corporate level, as high as thirty-five percent.
PELLEY: So you think it is fair?
ROMNEY: Yeah, I -- I think it's -- it's the right way to encourage economic growth, to get people to invest, to start businesses, to put people to work.
If you found this post interesting or informative, please it below. Thanks!


text:
I hardly pouted at all when our search for vampires in Romanian cities came up empty. A skeptical observer might raise an eyebrow, but I assure you: foot stomping and annoying grunts is not pouting. It's an incredibly effective way to shed the city grime. Besides, exploring Romania's cities wasn't a total loss. Timisoara and Cluj are beautiful places to visit. And after way too much immersion in Bucharest's intoxicating night life, I learned that "clubbing" has the same impact on me as it does for baby seals.
The search wasn't over yet. Once we left the big cities, I was sure we were going to get lucky.


text:
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You know that thing where you have something you need to do... or several somethings you need to do... but you just want to sleep, or at least veg out watching mindless TV?
Yeah, that's me, right now.
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For those who listened to this week's podcast, the below is the article on isolationism that I referred to.
The isolationist beast stirs in America again
(Andrew Sullivan, Times Online)
Since the 1930s, isolationism has rarely had a real chance at achieving the kind of ideological dominance it once had in America. The second world war and the cold war – with the fascist and communist threats always in the front of American minds – kept America enmeshed with the wider world. The first Gulf war seemed to presage a new form of engagement – multilateral, order-oriented, pax Americana.(via The Daily Dish)
The Bill Clinton years can be seen in retrospect as a kind of neutral zone – with much-reduced military spending, a policy of globalisation and free trade, but with sporadic intervention in various trouble spots: Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo. Then Bush II – and the launching of the New American Century, galvanised by 9/11.
At first blush, 9/11 seemed to mean the end of even the dream of leaving the rest of the world behind. After all, terror had now reached American soil. War had been declared. What choice did Americans have but to fight back?
But the gruelling, soul-sapping war in Iraq has unsettled that idea considerably. Many Americans look at trying to coax democracy or even stability in the Arab world and conclude that it's a mug's game. If this is interventionism, could isolationism be much worse? The lead-up to the war disabused Americans of any notion that they could easily corral global support for their policing the planet. The follow-through has convinced them they cannot do it by themselves either. You can see why opting out has begun to appeal.
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A few minutes ago I released the 9th Curmudgeon's Corner of the year. Once again Ivan bailed (some vacation or something) and I had to improvise. You will, as usual, get insightful and exciting commentary on the most pressing items facing the world today. Uh, and other things. In any case this weeks topics:
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I've checked in occasionally on Michael Totten's Middle East Journal for his independent reporting on the middle east. Most recently a few months back when he was reporting on the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. And a while ago he posted some good material from Kurdistan. His entries are relatively long by Internet standards, but they tend to be worth the read.
He is now in Baghdad. His reporting from there has started. He is "embedded" so not a complete freelancer of course and what he sees is going to be somewhat controlled. But it is still fascinating. I'm linking to the articles so far below, and will be checking his site for the continuations as they happen.
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Queen guitarist wraps studies for doctorate
(Reuters via Yahoo)
Brian May, the lead guitarist from rock band Queen, is close to earning his doctorate in astrophysics -- more than 35 years after quitting his studies to become a rock star.(via Slashdot)
May arrived on the island of La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands several days ago to conduct astronomical observations in support of his thesis, according to a statement by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
His thesis, "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud," is the last component of his PhD studies, and May expected to complete his work on Wednesday.
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For those of you who have known me a long time (that means since college), check out who the host of this TV show is. Blast from the past, eh?
Mission Good Nutrition
Mission Good Nutrition is an exciting half-hour TV program on PCTV Channel 27 brought to you by the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation. This locally produced show is designed to promote healthy living and healthy lifestyles. Each original show brings you delicious, nutritious recipes your family will love . . . fitness tips . . . plus great ideas from experts to help you feel your best!There are video clips available in the show archive.
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This kinda scares me.
Nimoy to Reprise Spock Role in 'Trek' Film
(Sandy Cohen, AP on Chicago Tribune)
Leonard Nimoy isn't through with Spock yet. The 76-year-old actor will don his famous pointy ears again to play the role in an upcoming "Star Trek" film due out Christmas 2008.(via Slashdot)
Nimoy was joined by the newly named young Spock, "Heroes" star Zachary Quinto, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Nimoy.
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I don't know what it is about my desk at work lately, but it has seemed like it is not the right place for me to be to get things done. I don't know why. Yesterday I left work a bit early, so that early today I could sit at home in a nice comfortable chair (a Poang... I love those chairs) and popped open my laptop and spent the next few hours (the rest of the evening until bedtime really) being focused and productive in a way I hadn't been able to manage at my actual desk at work.
Having said that, it isn't just work vs home. Even at work I've found I can get more done sometimes grabbing the laptop and finding a comfortable quiet place to sit and then just crunching through stuff. And it isn't just interruptions. Yesterday was pretty quiet in terms of that, but yet my rate of productivity probably doubled in my chair at home as compared to my chair in my office.
I think this pattern has probably always been there to a degree, but I've particularly noticed this week. Maybe it is just a "getting into the swing of things" thing after returning from vacation. But I'm thinking maybe the real answer is that I need to put a Poang in my office and use it and the laptop in my lap instead in a docking station on my desk.
Yeah, that's it. In the mean time, maybe I'll try spending some time sitting on the couches down the hall from my office and working there.
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A couple of days ago Brandy's Dell laptop crashed and crashed hard. When it tried to boot just a blank black screen. All the diagnostics you could get to from the BIOS said everything was fine though. But when you tried to boot into Windows... nothing at all. And because it was a budget Dell laptop, no Windows restore/install disks either.
And of course there was no recent backup of her stuff. So the fear was the drive was completely dead and all her stuff would be gone.
This of course happened to Brandy in the middle of the night and she woke me up because she was distraught. After the usual things failed, I decided to try booting from an Ubuntu Live CD. I spent the next three hours or so downloading the ISO image and then burning it to CD.
Then I pop it in the drive, hit F12 while booting to get the menu letting me boot from the CD, and zoom... the disk whirs a bit and up comes Ubuntu just fine. Not only did it pop up right away into a desktop where I could easily find all the things I was looking for, but it automatically mounted the hard drive... which turned out to appear to be completely perfect... all of Brandy's data was there. Then I easily found in a couple clicks that I could mount the drive in my iMac through ssh right there in the GUI and have it pop up nice and easily. (I of course immediately started copying all the relevant data files "just in case".)
All the file manipulation was just there. Firefox was just there. It was all clear and pretty simple to use out of the box with no messing around with the config. Well... one exception... I couldn't get the built in wireless card to work out of the box, or even after searching online for instructions on how to get her specific wireless card to work with Ubuntu. So the laptop needed to be plugged into a wired connection for the networking to work. Which kind of sucks on a laptop. But still... it beat my expectations.
Don't get me wrong, I'd probably get frustrated pretty quickly if I tried to use Ubuntu as my primary OS... it ain't no Mac OS X. But having not tried Ubuntu before, I was impressed by how far the effort to make a usable (for a non geek) desktop Linux has come compared to all my prior Linux exposures (including regularly at work). Pretty good.
Of course, the next day when Brandy called Dell tech support they led her through a series of steps to try to fix the machine, and only resulted in making the hard drive (which had been fine before) completely unmountable from Ubuntu, while still not making it able to boot into Windows. So they mailed her a set of restore disks that will put the laptop back to the exact state it came from the factory in. (Theoretically... well, except for the missing keys on the keyboard that Roscoe broke off... a software update won't fix that.) The disks arrived in yesterday's mail, but she is supposed to wait until they call her to touch it... even though I'm sure she could pop the first disk in, follow the instructions and be fine... but they have to walk her through it. Whatever.
I'm just glad I backed up all her data before she called Dell tech support. Bleh.
And I was impressed with Ubuntu. I'll have to explore it a bit more.
(And yes, I'm partially just making this post right now because I found a small bug in my email notification thingy mentioned in the last post and want to see if the tweaks I made in the last hour or so fixed it.)
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For years whenever I've made new posts on this blog I've sent out an email to the current Email Top Ten to let them know about the new post. That has always been a manual process for me. I've finally taken the time to automate it. So now when I make a post it will automatically generate those emails for me. Woo.
(Well, that is true as long as I post in the "normal" way. If I pre-publish so that a post will automatically get posted at a time in the future I have it set to just send an email to me. Same if I post something but for some reason mark it as "Closed". Also, if I ever get the blogger API thing working again so I can post from a blogging app on my phone, it won't send the email then either, although I think I now know how to add that... if only that functionality would work at all any more. It hasn't since a MySQL update a few months ago.)
Anyway, I've been wanting to do this for awhile and finally did. Go me.
Now, I only need to catch up on my counting for the email top ten so that the current list of people emailed isn't the email addresses who won it in October 2004... two of which are now invalid and always bounce. Oops.
One more note of interest... this is the first time in quite some time I've made a second post in a single day. I'd been sticking to the "one post a day" thing, but maybe I'll switch that to "at least one post a day". Of course, regardless it is only a matter of time until I get busy one day and miss a day entirely again. But that will be OK.
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It finally happened. Yesterday at work I saw an iPhone. It was only for a couple of seconds, as someone half pulled it out of his pocket to check something and quickly put it back. I did not see it in full use, it was only a glance, but it was long enough to verify it was indeed an iPhone.
So, my milestones so far:
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I was going to lay off the politics and switch to something else, but I couldn't let this go. Alberto Gonzales testified again yesterday. And he made a complete mess of things yet again. Can this man dig his hole any deeper? As usual, TPM Muckraker had the wall to wall coverage. Here are quick links to all the relevant stories:
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On this weekend's podcast, Ivan asked me to name some things that Ron Paul actually voted "yes" on in congress. Since he is only known for voting "no" I said I had no idea without doing some research. Feeling obligated to follow up, here are the 10 most recent things Ron Paul voted "Yes" to in the House. (My source is here.) Note that the first couple directly contradict something I said in the podcast. Oops.
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I'm going to start using the Episode title in the blog post title rather than the date. In any case, this is our 8th Curmudgeon's Corner of 2007. This time we did much better from a technical perspective, and you won't hurt your ears listening.
One quick note: Ivan gave me a heads up that he will be out of town and unavailable next weekend, so if anybody wants to volunteer to co-host, let me know. I record Sundays at 16 UTC (That's Noon Eastern, 9 AM Pacific) although the time can be a bit flexible. All that is required (I believe) is an AIM compatible IM client that can do audio chat and a willingness to spend half an hour or so talking about current news or tech related issues. If you are interested, please let me know. If not, next week will be another Sam monologue.
Anyway, this week Ivan and Sam talk about:
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It should be no suprise to anybody who has followed me or my blog for awhile... for instance this post from February this year, but I am liking Ron Paul more and more as the campaign continues and I see more of him. Sure he has some views I disagree with, but so do all the candidates, and the percentage I disagree with seems by far the smallest with Paul.
The New York Times has a detailed profile (free login may be required) in this weekend's magazine:
The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul
(Chirstopher Caldwell, New York Times)
Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. In late June, despite a life of antitax agitation and churchgoing, he was excluded from a Republican forum sponsored by Iowa antitax and Christian groups. His school of Republicanism, which had its last serious national airing in the Goldwater campaign of 1964, stands for a certain idea of the Constitution — the idea that much of the power asserted by modern presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the states. Though Paul acknowledges flaws in both the Constitution (it included slavery) and the Bill of Rights (it doesn't go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn from them: Against gun control. For the sovereignty of states. And against foreign-policy adventures. Paul was the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1988. But his is a less exuberant libertarianism than you find, say, in the pages of Reason magazine.(via Andrew Sullivan)
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Looking back, it has been a while since I posted something news related, but earlier today I was reading the following article:
Broader Privilege Claimed In Firings
(Dan Eggen and Amy Goldstein, Washington Post)
Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege.(via The Volokh Conspiracy)
The position presents serious legal and political obstacles for congressional Democrats, who have begun laying the groundwork for contempt proceedings against current and former White House officials in order to pry loose information about the dismissals.
Under federal law, a statutory contempt citation by the House or Senate must be submitted to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, "whose duty it shall be to bring the matter before the grand jury for its action."
But administration officials argued yesterday that Congress has no power to force a U.S. attorney to pursue contempt charges in cases, such as the prosecutor firings, in which the president has declared that testimony or documents are protected from release by executive privilege.
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We just got back from leaving Cynthia at the airport. Within the next few minutes her plane should be taking off to take her back home to the east coast. It was great to have her here for a week. I'd taken the whole week (and a day) off work, so we had time to do a lot of things together. It was a fun time and I miss her already. I wish we'd been able to keep her longer.
She's my favoritist sister ever. :-)
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Earlier today the four of us finished up watching the first disk of the first season of Roswell. Cynthia had never seen it before, I've seen sporadic episodes as had Amy, and Brandy is a big fan. It is not the DVD I would have chosen, but Cynthia is here she gets to choose. And it fits into my "DVDs we own but I have not watched yet" category. So all is OK. (Although I really should have been watching a Doctor Who this time around.)
Anyway, as is typical for this type of show I guess, the DVD had four episodes:
"Pilot": Introduces the concept of the alien kids in hiding at Roswell and puts them in peril by almost revealing their secret.
"The Morning After": Um... I don't remember much about this one. And I just watched it a couple days ago. Oops. Ah yes. They go breaking into the Sheriff's office.
"Monsters": Maria is scared of the aliens, but protects them in the end.
"Leaving Normal": A grandmother dies, and Liz breaks up with the one guy, presumably so she can be with the other guy.
Anyway, it is a fun little series. So far from the first four I'm only at the "it is kind of cute" mode and not at the "I must watch all three seasons right away!". But I'll probably watch more at some point. After all, Brandy liked it so much she actually went to a Roswell convention at one point. Or so I hear.
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OK, this is the 7th Curmudgeon's Corner of the year. Fair warning though... it sucks. It sucks pretty badly. We had a lot of technical difficulties this time, with parts or all of the recording getting zapped a total of three times. The last time, we were actually recording it simultaneously in two different ways, and when one crashed we still had the other. But the other was extremely low quality, with my voice way too loud, and Ivan's way too soft, and recorded all on one track so I couldn't just correct both volumes once and be done with it. Instead I had to boost the volume when Ivan was talking, and pull it way down when I was talking. This is somewhat sloppy. I did my best, but it still sucks and is pretty hard to listen to.
There are several effects of all this, but the MOST noticeable is what is responsible for the name of this episode. This episode is entitled: "Darth Sam Breathes on Ivan".
This week Sam and Ivan discuss:
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Saturday we went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Well, "we" in one sense anyway. Amy saw it with a bunch of other kids as part of a birthday party for one of her friends. Brandy, Cynthia and I sat in the back. Cynthia had already seen it, had not been very impressed by it, but agreed to come and watch it again anyway.
Anyway... thoughts... it was a Harry Potter movie. One must see them all out of completeness. It was OK. It seemed a little disjointed at times though. I'm thinking it is just a matter of exactly what was cut from the book and what was left in not being quite as smooth as one would have liked.
Overall the usual for a Harry Potter film. Special effects, magic. The final fight scene reminded me more of a Star Wars film what with all the force lightning and such.
The actors are all aging very quickly. You can tell they haven't kept up with the one movie per year.
Hmmm... I guess I don't have all that much to say about Harry Potter. And I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll leave it at that I guess.
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Earlier today we decided to watch a DVD. According to my current system, it was time to either watch a Doctor Who, or one of the DVDs I actually own but have never watched. Since Cynthia is here though, I let her pick from all the available DVDs in the house that I haven't watched yet including all of the other Netflix ones besides the categories I mentioned. But she ended up picking one in the "Own but haven't watched" category anyway. Not the one I would have watched next on my own, but that is OK. She's a guest and all. :-)
Anyway, she picked Donnie Darko. Years ago I had seen it at a midnight showing in a theater with Rebecca and company in DC. A few years later it was given to me on DVD for Christmas or my birthday or some such, and I watched it fairly soon thereafter. I remember assuring Brandy that it was a family safe movie, but then five minutes in two of the main characters start using some highly amusing, yet not 8 or 9 year old safe language and Amy started hiding her eyes and covering her ears. Oops.
A little later they released a Director's Cut version. I bought it as soon as it was available, but then it sat on shelves and in boxes for two and a half years until we watched it today.
First lets start with I liked the original quite a bit. The Director's cut adds a LOT. The Donnie Darko page on Wikipedia has a listing of the differences. When we finished the movie I was saying that they must have added "about half an hour". I was close. Turns out it was about 20 minutes of new scenes.
For the most part I like the additions. There is an argument that can be made that some of the appeal of the original version was just how confusing it was, whereas some of the things added are attempts to clarify what is going on... especially the places where the text from the time travel book is shown... and that this takes away from the "WTF just happened?" feelings that leave you talking and wanting more when you are done. Like too much explanation spoils it.
Having said that, it isn't like they end up spelling it out cleanly. You still get some of that effect. And for the most part I liked the additions. But I think I am glad I saw the original version first.
Cynthia saw it for the first time in extended form. I'm thinking it was still odd and disturbing, but perhaps not quite so odd and disturbing as if she'd seen the original version.
Oh yeah, right as the dramatic tension was building near the end, Roscoe started baking uncontrollably from the back yard. He had treed some sort of animal that hissed back from above. We couldn't see it because it was dark, but we had to pause for about ten minutes to get him back inside and stuff. Threw things off a bit. But not too badly. Then the sound got messed up (by my needs to be replaced A/V system) right at the end when Mad World was playing. Hated that. HAd to keep getting up to kick the system to fix the sound. Grrr...
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About 13.5 hours ago Cynthia arrived. Now we have to figure out what we will do for the next week or so.
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I've noticed a trend lately that seems to be most prominent about "blogs" that get big. What would that be? Really crappy redesigns that add more crap to the page, and detract from the primary content. I could list a bunch of them, but instead I'll just tick off some of the features that really annoy me. Now, many of these may just be me, and other folks may love it, but...
#1) "Click to read more". Yeah yeah, you get another click and more page views, and you can fit more on your front page. But these really piss me off. I want to go to your front page, scan down for new things, and read any postings I am interested in. I shouldn't have to go anywhere other than your front page unless I want to dig into your archives and find something old... or perhaps if I want to read the comments and discussion. But not to read the primary content. That just annoys me. But more and more places are using it more and more often. Too many to list. But I hate it everywhere. This is a big deterrent to me, but if the content is good it hasn't yet stopped me from going to a site. But it is close. I don't care if you right something long and I need to scroll a bit to read it... or to see the stuff below it. If I am coming to your site, it is because I like your content and want to read it. Don't make it harder for me.
#2) More and more columns. People. No more than three columns. Come on. I've seen sites recently with four or more. You need one big one for your main comment. You need one for secondary navigation. (Primary should probably be up top.) And I can even buy a third one for an ad bar or some additional interesting feeds or something if there is a compelling reason. I've considered adding a right hand bar to this site for a few things I want to put there. But no matter what your main content column should be prominent and none of the other columns should distract from it. One of the big advantages to a blog is the clear and central chronological organization. There are several sites I go to that appear to be going for an old fashioned newspaper layout with several columns, all of which get new content through the day. Sometimes not always with the newest at the top. It makes my eyes hurt and confuses me. Stop. Talking Points Memo just did this. I think they are imitating Huffington Post. With HuffPost I just can't stand going there the layout is so annoying, doesn't matter if they have good content or not. TPM was one of my regular daily stops. It may not be any more. The main content column is now less than half the width. No. Just to give both sides of the political spectrum some time, Michelle Malkin did this recently too. Only three columns, but two of them are content columns. Lead story on the left, other stuff on the right. WTF? JUst give me one column with the new stuff on top please.
#3) Little side blocks with summary information about the post. Gawker just did this with all their sites. Instead of putting the little "Posted by bob at 5:15" thing at the bottom of each post, they are putting it at the side, thus creating huge blocks of wasted white space. This won't stop me from going to engadget or lifehacker, but it is just stupid and annoying. It takes up more space this way. It wastes space. It makes the main content column narrower than it needs to be. Again, please put it back how it was.
#4) Too many links to yourself. There are places that in a post make some words links. For instance they mention President Bush or the Whitehouse or the iPhone or something. When I see links like that, I expect to be sent to the actual website of the thing being mentioned. Or perhaps a wikipedia entry or some such. If you link these words to a listing of your own posts that you tagged with that word it pisses me off. If such a thing is really useful to the post, have a feature with a list of tags that people can click on that is clearly marked as such. Don't use inline links for this.
#5) Inline Ads: Yeah, yeah, I know, you want to make money and these are more effective that ads in the sidebar or whatever. But they are annoying as hell. Keep your content bar where your content bar goes. Keep the ads somewhere else.
OK, I could probably pick more things to rant about, but I need to finish up a few things and then get to work. So I'm done.
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The sixth CC of the year, released late yesterday, is entitled "Law, Law and the Law". Ivan had technical difficulties this week, so this week Greg Haverkamp joined me, and we spent the first half or so of the show discussing his response to last week's podcast. Then we moved on to another legal issue Greg has been researching recently.
So this week Sam and Greg discuss:
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Earlier today we went to a Moody Blues concert. This is becoming an annual tradition in the Minter/Donaghy/Roney household. This time it was outdoors at a winery. Some hot air balloons floated overhead during the concert. I think I liked them a bit better in the enclosed sort of venues from previous years. But it was still fun. Amy brought one of her friends from school as well, and a good time was had by all.
Especially at the end. Amy and her friend had gone to the designated "dancing area" near the stage for the last few songs of the concert. Then when the band came out and got on their bus, the kids happened to be right at the closest spot you were allowed to be as the bus turned and started to drive away. Nobody else seemed to be paying any attention at all. But Amy and her friend started waving frantically at the people in the bus. John Lodge saw them, looked straight at them and started waving back at them. Then suddenly other people around the area noticed that the waving was going on and started waving too.
But the girls (and Brandy) were very excited that they were waved at, and that they had been the only ones waving at first, so he was waving at THEM. :-)
Anyway, it was a fun time.
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Given the week, we thought it was a good time to watch this movie. Um... OK, that's not true. It just happened to be the next Netflix movie on my queue, and I'd had it on my desk for quite some time. But earlier today we decided to watch it. I had never seen it before.
I'm not sure how exactly I went more than a decade without actually seeing this, but I did. As it turns out, I enjoyed it. It was fun for that sort of movie. Amy also had never seen it and was getting quite into it and very animated. Thus, it was a good family movie night over all.
Brandy needed to point out all the inaccuracies about the planes of course. I refrained from mentioning the whole virus into an alien ship with a couple of hours of analysis thing. But it all really doesn't matter, cause technical accuracy is certainly not something this film was interested in at all. You don't need to in order to have an aliens attack, they are winning, then we fight back movie.
Worth a watch. Fun. Will probably never watch it again.
Oh yeah, we watched the Special Edition, which had something like 10 minutes of extra footage, apparently mostly character background development near the beginning.
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My father is currently in the midst of a 64 hour visit. About 31 hours into it at this point actually.
On Tuesday he arrived and the day ended as we were driving home from the airport.
Wednesday we did the tour of the house, the four of us went out to dinner (Mexican) and then chatted for a bit at home before everyone turned in. After sleeping, we went to a National Forest and drove around a bit looking at mountain scenery and even dipped our toes in a stream. After that was just lounging around at home.
So far today while Amy and Brandy went to see 4th of July fireworks (which for some odd reason is happening early on the fifth - shrug) my dad and I went for dinner (Chinese) then chatted a bit about one of the projects he is involved with.
Now he has turned in for the evening and I am waiting for Brandy and Amy to return. After sleep, the plan for the rest of today is to show him where I work, then explore downtown Seattle a bit, then maybe take a ferry somewhere in the afternoon.
Then Friday we'll probably do the Space Needle around dusk, then after sleep it will be an early wake up to get him to the airport and then I'll head to work as usual.
In any case, it is good to have my dad visit. He never got a chance to visit while I was in Florida, which was a shame, but here we are now. Good visit so far.
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Just a short time since the last ancestor this time, but never the less it is time for another one. Mary Ann Mendenhall is my mother's father's father's mother... #25 in my ahnentafel.
I do not know much about her at all other than the fact that she lived in Darke County, Ohio all her life, she married Robert G Brandon and had 10 or 11 kids with him, 7 of whom lived to adulthood. Her third child was my great grandfather David Clement Brandon.
Does that sound a lot like what I know about her husband Robert G? Yup. This is one of those cases where pretty much all I know is that the two of them married and the list of their children. And some dates and locations. But no real biographical information. Maybe someday I'll turn up more info along those lines, but I haven't found that sort of info yet.
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Yesterday the fifth Curmudgeon's Corner of 2007 was released. This episode is entitled "The Long Made Short".
This time Ivan and I talk about:
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So I presume that this means that any day now they will announce that no private vehicles will be allowed within a one mile radius of any airport, and we'll all have to take the bus if we want to fly, right?
Oh wait, there were also car bombs in the city so this means we shouldn't allow any cars in cities at all, right?
Those aren't any sillier than the restrictions and fake security that have already been put in place, which result in no actual extra security and just loss of freedom and increased inconvenience for everyone.
As of last time I checked (a few hours ago) they have yet to announce exactly what new "enhanced security" they will put in place after these incidents, either in the UK or here. But every time anything happens I fear the reaction is going to once again, like the reactions to almost all of the previous incidents in the past few years, be in the allergic reaction category where the response of the system to the attack (or even just perceived attacks in some cases) ends up causing far more damage overall than the threats which are supposedly being defended against.
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text:
Emilio de la Morena Pleated silk mini dress
Emilio de la Morena dress has a sheer cream tulle panel at top, a curved hem with tiered pleated cream and pastel-pink layers, draped detailing at hips, a concealed zip fastening through back and is lined in white cotton. 100% silk; contrast: 100% polyester; lining: 100% cotton. Dry clean. Cream silk mini dress with asymmetric cream and white pleated panels. Designer color: White/ Blush.


text:
It's sad to hear someone getting sick, most especially if the person is one of your family members.
But the best thing that we can do is to tell them how much we care about them during this heartbreaking moment of their life.
If you cannot think of any messages to send them, refer below for a list of the top 60 get well soon messages for mom, dad, sister or brother.
Get better soon, my dear mom. Life is no longer that fascinating now that you are in the hospital. We love you!
Dear mom, we miss hearing your voice each morning giving us instructions on our tasks for the day. It's sad seeing you lying on the hospital bed, but we know that you will be back to being active and healthy again soon. We love you!
Dear mom, thank you for all the advices that you gave us about life. It helps to make life so much easier despite of all the challenges that we have to go through. I love you mom, please fell good soon.
Mom, we miss you so much here at home. We are earnestly praying for your fast and easy recovery. We love you, fell better soon.
Mommy, please fell better soon so you can occupy us with your stories, because truly… we miss eating with you every day and above all, we miss your delicious home cooked meals.
Dear mom, seeing you sick and lying on your hospital bed is hard. Please remember that we are all here for you, whatever happens. We can't wait to see you back to being lively again, we love you!
Mom, we are sending our best wishes and prayers for your fast recovery. Sorry if we cannot come to visit you but please remember that you are always in our hearts, every day and forever. Love you, mom! Get well soon.
I greatly miss you daddy. I hope you will get well soon so we can hangout and watch our favorite movies again. I love you!
Sending sunshine to brighten your day, get well soon my brother dearest. I miss you!
Brother, I know you are in pain right now, but I want you to know that I will always be here for you. Wishing you a full and fast recovery, I love you!
100 Get Well Soon Quotes
60 Get Well Soon Wishes
Hope you feel better soon messages
60 Funny Get Well Wishes
Mommy, everyone here would like to send their best wishes and prayers to you. Get well soon for we can't wait to see you!
15 Get Well Soon Messages for Mom – With Images
We can't stand to see our Mom in pain, so we would try to do what ever is in our power. In time like this, it will best help some kind words and cheerful messages to help mother get well soon.
I love you mommy dearest! Please fell good soon so we can once again hang out and share funny stories to each other.
Mom, I was so sad when I received the news that you are sick. I'm sorry if I can't be there to take care of you, but please remember that you are always in my prayers. Get better soon, I love you!
Mother, seeing you sick is one of the saddest moment of my life. But I know this is just one of the storms that we have to go through in life. Sooner or later, you will be back to being healthy and I'll be back to being happy as well. I love you, mom!
I know how much you have gone through mom, and I'm sorry if you have to suffer a lot of pain lately. Don't worry, for I will never leave your side so just call me if you ever need a hug. I love you mommy, please get well soon!
Mommy, we specifically miss your kindness and humor here at home. So please recover fast from your illness because we can't wait to see you and hear your sweet laughter.
Mommy, your absence at home makes everyone sad. Please get better soon… Because we need you hear back home. We love you, mom!
20 Get Well Soon Messages for Dad – our Hero
Hey Papa, we are not use to seeing you laying down, so get well sooner then usually. This is something nice to use to get father spirit come back, with fun and joy, so he can be this old guy who has always protected and provided for us.
Dad, I know you are not feeling so well right now. But please hang in there and keep in mind that we are just right here… Fell good soon!
Daddy, I wish I have some sort of magic so I can take away all the pain and suffering that you have right now. But since I don't have, all I can do is to give you a tight hug and hopefully that will make you feel better. I love you dad, fell better soon!
Illness means something is not working right. So when I received a message that you are sick dad, it gave me quite a fright. But don't worry, I'll keep praying for you day and night. So please stay strong, because you will fell better soon, I know that!
I pray that it will not take that long for you to recover, daddy for I am missing you badly already. Here's wishing you a speedy recovery. I love you dad, get well soon.
Recovering sooner than you think has been my prayer for you, daddy dearest. I hope you will swing back to life and wear that cheerful look again, I love you!
We are excited to have you back home soon, daddy. So listen to what your doctor has to say and don't forget to take your medicines every day. Fell good soon, we love you.
Wishing you a fast and easy recovery dad! Please get well soon so we can be together once again, I love you!
May you be back to your usual self again, dad! Missing you lots, so please get well soon. I love you!
To my dearest dad, when I found out that you are not feeling well, I was really very sad. But hey, cheer up, daddy! I know everything will be alright. You will get better soon and I can't wait for that. I love you!
I miss the fun and the laughter that we share daddy… I can't wait for you to be back home, I love you, get better soon!
Rest well dad, so you may be able to heal fast and be back to being healthy again in no time. I love you!
I hope this card will make you happy daddy. I really miss you a lot, so please get well fast. I love you!
Hi daddy, I wish that you will get better soon and experience the joys of being healthy and active again. I love you!
23 Get Well Soon Messages for Sister From the Heart
Looking for a way to say to a Sis some kind words of inspiration, to boost her moral and spirit? Then you are at right place, because we have these loving messages for getting well crafted just for her.
Dearest sister, you may be sick, but you still look so beautiful. Your sickness has certainly not cast you down, for you are still as vibrant as before. I love you, please get well soon!
As you are healing, may you feel the warmth and compassion from every one of us who care so much about you, I love you dearest sister, get better soon!
Sending you healing thoughts and a little sunshine to brighten your day, sis! I wish you a speedy and easy recovery, fell good soon!
Dear sister, take all the time that you need in order to build up your strength and spirits. I love you, get well soon!
Hey sis, fell better soon. Your illness is all in your head and I know that you are strong enough to fight it. Wishing to see you get better really soon, I love you!
I know you are not very fond of hospitals so I hope you will remain strong so you can go home soon. I miss you so much sister, I wish to see you smile once again and your laughter as well, I love you!
I am sending you my best wishes, sis. So get ready to be well and be fit again. I love you, fell better soon!
I wish you a healthy recovery sissy. May you soon get back to the best of your health, I love you, fell good soon!
It feels horrible to see you sick. Please take care sister dearest, get better soon!
May you get better soon sister so we can go back into the fun times. Take care!
You are certainly the best sister in the world. I miss you so much, so please take your care and stay relaxed. Fell good soon!
I hate to hear that you are down with sickness. So please take care of your health my little sis. I can't wait to hear your giggles and laughter soon. I miss you!
Sit, stay and get well, my sis. We all miss you here, I love you!
You fill our home with so much happiness my sister. We miss your lively presence around so please fell better soon.
21 Get Well Soon Messages for Brother
Don't let this bro of your, who has helped you to get stronger, feel sad and lonely. Use these caring messages for brother to help him get back on his feet soon and feel better.
Dear brother, yesterday I was so sad because you were not around, so please fell better soon and bring back my happiness. I miss you!
The days are empty without you here, brother. I wish that you will be able to recover and be back home feeling happy, healthy and strong. I love you, fell good soon!
You are always in my prayers brother. May you have a fast and easy recovery! Get better soon!
Brother, I miss the bed time stories that we share to each other and how we laugh to each other's jokes. So please get better soon. I love you so much!
Brother, I miss how we had one another's back and how we would assist each other with our chores just to get an extra second for our football game. I miss everything about you, so please recover fast. I love you!
Dearest brother, seeing you sick lying and lying on that hospital bed makes me really sad. I wish you will be able to recover soon because I miss hanging out with you at home. Fell good soon!
Get well soon, my lazy brother because your absence has created more work than I can handle. The more you stay in the hospital, the more chores I will have to handle. I' m just kidding! Please get well very quickly because I just miss you here at home.
I was sad when I found out you were unwell. So here's wishing you a fast recovery, dear brother. Fell better soon!
Brother, I hope you are getting all the rest that you deserve. May you be able to recover faster so we can once again watch movie together. I miss you, fell better soon!
My dearest brother, please don't forget to drink plenty of fluid and get as much rest. That way, you will be able to recover faster from your illness. I love you and I miss you so much!
Dear brother, you are immensely missed here. So please fell good soon, we love you !
Home is just not the same without you, my dearest brother. Please get better soon so we can once again hear your laughter and giggles. I love you!
I hate seeing you looking so sick. But I know you will get better sooner than you think. I love you brother, I miss you!
Teen called to principal's office gets heartwarming surprise00:48
Watch: Boy meets new baby sister for 1st time in precious video00:37
Refugee children delighted by snow in heartwarming video00:41
TODAY anchors and their kids take a fun trip to 'Sesame Street'06:56
Hugs and high-fives: The cute way this pre-K class greets each other each day00:38
Sweet 2-year-old starstruck meeting Mickey Mouse00:45
Best of TODAYPlay AllallDAYWillie and Dylan share the best pranks they've ever pulledNewsRay Chavez, oldest military survivor of Pearl Harbor, dies at 106FoodVisit Nonesuch, dubbed the 'best new restaurant in America'NewsMeet the people racing to save war-torn Syria's historyMovies'The Greatest Showman' star Hugh Jackman enters political circus in 'The Front Runner'NewsTeen and grandma who met accidentally share 3rd Thanksgiving, more Highs and LowsPlay All
Dear Mom and Dad,
I can't tell you how lost I've been.
My stories would make you cry,
and I can't tell you why I've sunk this far.
*** above as my witness,
I just can't win this fight.
Pray for me, Mom and Dad.
Pray that I'll be okay.
Can *** hear me drowning?
Does He hear me when I cry
Pray for me.
Who am I?
I cannot see.
Just pray for me.
Dear Mom and Dad,
it's been so many years.
Would you even know me?
Do you see me in the street?
You would have kept walking
for the smell would scare you away.
Pray for me, Mom and Dad.
Pray that I'll make it there.
Heaven is so much higher
than from where I fell.
Do you think *** heard
when my body hit the ground?
Pray for me, just pray for me.
I don't deserve Heaven,
and I'm so ****** afraid of ****.
Dear Mom and Dad,
*** told me you cried for me.
Today you went to my grave
beneath the magnolia tree, to sing
"Happy Birthday" so miserably.
Dad, you held her in your arms
as she sank to her knees.
Dear Mom and Dad,*It's been so many years.


text:
Flickr photo by joaquinuyEmbarrassing moments ... they're proof of Mother Nature's bad sense of humor. And when those embarrassing moments happen when you are trying to impress a guy on a date or during sex (gah!), it's even worse.
But, once time has passed and you've gotten a couple of good therapy sessions in, you learn to laugh about those mortifying incidents.
This week's embarrassing moment will cause you to be extra aware of what you have packed in your car.
One of my girlfriends gave me an 18-inch vibrator as a gag gift for my bachelorette party. We laughed about it and then I put it away and never thought about it again. Fast forward about nine months later.
I was in the middle of moving, and was driving to my new home with a few boxes in my recently purchased car when I heard this strange sound. Since the car was new, I was a bit worried and pulled over to check things out. I was looking around when a state trooper pulled up. I told him the problem and he started helping me look to see what the problem was. All of a sudden, he said, "Ma'am, I - uh, I think I found your problem."
I turned around and looked at him to see him standing there trying to keep from laughing and holding up this 18-inch vibrating plastic penis. I wanted to die! All I could think to do was grab it, throw it in the back, get in the car, say "Thank you," and drive off. I didn't look back.
Has a stranger ever found one of your sex toys?
If you want to share a story that made your cheeks blush, email me and select Love & Sex as the subject. I'll keep it anonymous!


text:
Regin, an old but sophisticated cyber espionage toolkit platform
Malware can be named in one breath with Stuxnet & Co.
As G DATA experts worked on this rootkit for quite a while we also gathered some data. The first Regin version we identified was used in March 2009 and the compilation date is July 2008:
paul@gdata:~/regin$ ./pescanner.py b12c7d57507286bbbe36d7acf9b34c22c96606ffd904e3c23008399a4a50c047
File: b12c7d57507286bbbe36d7acf9b34c22c96606ffd904e3c23008399a4a50c047
Size: 12608 bytes
Type: PE32 executable (native) Intel 80386, for MS Windows
MD5: ffb0b9b5b610191051a7bdf0806e1e47
SHA1: 75a9af1e34dc0bb2f7fcde9d56b2503072ac35dd
Date: 0x486CBA19 [Thu Jul 3 11:38:01 2008 UTC]
EP: 0x103d4 .text 0/4
Some sources go even back to 2003 but this in unclear at this moment however we can confirm that this campaign appeared at least early 2009.
An Open Source detection tool provided by G DATA
We identified the use of an encrypted virtual file system. In the version mentioned above, the file system is a fake .evt file in %System%\config. The header of the virtual file system is always the same:
typedef struct _HEADER {
uint16_t SectorSize;
uint16_t MaxSectorCount;
uint16_t MaxFileCount;
uint8_t FileTagLength;
uint16_t crc32custom;
During our analysis, the checksum was a CRC32. A generic approach to detect the infection could be a detection of the existence of a virtual file system on the infected system by checking the custom CRC32 value at the beginning of the file system.
Download the python script by simply clicking the link below this article.
regin-detect.py SHA256: 98ac51088b7d8e3c3bb8fbca112290279a4d226b3609a583a735ecdbcd0d7045
regin-detect.py MD5: 743c7e4c6577df3d7e4391f1f5af4d65
And here is the output when a virtual file system is scanned:
paul@gdata:~regin$ ./tool.py security.evt
SectorSize: 1000
MaxSectorCount: 0500
MaxFileCount: 0500
FileTagLength: 10
CRC32custom: df979328
CRC of the file: df979328
Regin detected
So far, victims of Regin were identified in 14 countries:
- Algeria
- Afghanistan
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Fiji
- Germany
- Iran
- India
- Indonesia
- Kiribati
- Malaysia
- Pakistan
- Russia
- Syria
Perhaps one of the most publicly known victims of Regin is Jean Jacques Quisquater, a well-known Belgian cryptographer. Kaspersky Lab stated this in their report which you can find at
securelist.com/blog/research/67741/regin-nation-state-ownage-of-gsm-networks/ .
Even more interesting is the fact that Regin seems to be the spyware behind the Belgacom case, a big Belgian Telecom provider hacked in 2013. Belgacom acknowledged the hack, but never provided details about the breach. Ronald Prins from Fox-IT, which helped with the forensics and investigation of the Belgacom case, confirmed on his Twitter page that Regin could possibly be the malware behind the Belgacom case.
The Intercept, a publication of First Look Media, not only connects Regin to Belgacom, but also names the European Union as potential victim in an article published on November 24th.
Regin can be best described as a full cyber espionage platform where the goal was to reach complete remote control and monitoring on all possible levels. Attribution is difficult in cases like this however considering the complexity of development, we suspect that this operation is supported by a nation-state. From the information we have, we assume that it is not originating from Russia and not from China.
If you need more information please contact us at email@example.com
Example of Regin MD5:
G DATA detects known Regin samples.
[1] www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/regin-top-tier-espionage-tool-enables-stealthy-surveillance