Bloglines - Diebold Rep Now Runs Elections

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Wired News Technology, and the way we do business, is changing the world we know. Wired News is a technology - and business-oriented news service feeding an intelligent, discerning audience. What role does technology play in the day-to-day living of your life? Wired News tells you. How has evolving technology changed the face of the international business world? Wired News puts you in the picture.

Diebold Rep Now Runs Elections A former sales rep for Diebold Election Systems becomes a county election official in California. She sold the state millions of dollars worth of untested machines, which led to a scandal. Critics are asking, 'What's wrong with this picture?' By Kim Zetter.

Run your own campaign! 

A REAL sign of the times!  

The Politics of Fear (washingtonpost.com)

The Politics of Fear (washingtonpost.com): "Kerry Adopts Bush Strategy of Stressing Dangers

By Jim VandeHei and Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 29, 2004; Page A01

With voters expressing anxiety about Iraq, nuclear attacks and the threat of terrorism in the first presidential election since Sept. 11, 2001, John F. Kerry and his supporters are adopting President Bush's strategy of playing on the public's security fears and sometimes using incendiary charges to stoke them.

Kerry, the Democratic National Committee and party officials have warned voters in recent weeks, sometimes without evidence, that a second Bush term could lead to greater casualties and another Vietnam in Iraq, a military draft, a secret call-up of reservists and even a nuclear attack on U.S. soil. They are also suggesting Osama bin Laden could remain a haunting and elusive threat unless the Democratic presidential nominee takes charge. "

John Kerry's Open Mind - Christianity Today Magazine

John Kerry's Open Mind - Christianity Today Magazine: "For Kerry, windsurfing is one measure of his spirituality. In a 1998 interview with American Windsurfer, he said windsurfing is more spiritually fulfilling than playing hockey because windsurfing 'allows nature to play with you in ways that nature doesn't involve itself with a hockey game.'
In that interview, Kerry provided some of his most detailed public comments about his theological ideals:
'I'm a Catholic and I practice, but at the same time I have an open-mindedness to many other expressions of spirituality that come through different religions. � I've spent some time reading and thinking about [religion] and trying to study it, and I've arrived at not so much a sense of the differences, but a sense of the similarities in so many ways; the value-system roots and linkages between the Torah, the Qur'an, and the Bible and the fundamental story that runs through all of this, that � really connects all of us.
'I've always been fascinated by the transcendentalists and the pantheists and others who found these great connections just in nature, in trees, the ponds, the ripples of the wind on the pond, the great feast of nature itself.'"

John Kerry's Open Mind - Christianity Today Magazine

What are we to make of this...? --Chuck
John Kerry's Open Mind - Christianity Today Magazine:

"For Kerry, windsurfing is one measure of his spirituality. In a 1998 interview with American Windsurfer, he said windsurfing is more spiritually fulfilling than playing hockey because windsurfing 'allows nature to play with you in ways that nature doesn't involve itself with a hockey game.'

In that interview, Kerry provided some of his most detailed public comments about his theological ideals:

'I'm a Catholic and I practice, but at the same time I have an open-mindedness to many other expressions of spirituality that come through different religions. ... I've spent some time reading and thinking about [religion] and trying to study it, and I've arrived at not so much a sense of the differences, but a sense of the similarities in so many ways; the value-system roots and linkages between the Torah, the Qur'an, and the Bible and the fundamental story that runs through all of this, that ... really connects all of us.

'I've always been fascinated by the transcendentalists and the pantheists and others who found these great connections just in nature, in trees, the ponds, the ripples of the wind on the pond, the great feast of nature itself.'"

Anybody else out there who remembers the "Moog"? What a blast from the past! 

"Funny" Money

We're used to this sort of "funny money" in taiwan for around 10-15 years. Glad the folks "back home" finally got up to speed! ;-) --chuck

MSNBC - Too loud on cell phone? You're busted

MSNBC - Too loud on cell phone? You're busted:

"Sakinah Aaron was walking into the bus area at the Wheaton Metro station several weeks ago, talking loudly on her Motorola cell phone. A little too loudly for Officer George Saoutis of the Metro Transit Police.

The police officer told Aaron, who is five months pregnant, to lower her voice. She told the officer he had no right to tell her how to speak into her cell phone.

Their verbal dispute quickly escalated, and Saoutis grabbed Aaron by the arm and pushed her to the ground. He handcuffed the 23-year-old woman, called for backup and took her to a cell where she was held for three hours before being released to her aunt. She was charged with two misdemeanors: 'disorderly manner that disturbed the public peace' and resisting arrest.

Those are the facts on which both sides agree."

Read on>>>

Take a coffee break! 

Hold on! 

Lost in Translation

Need a break? Click on the link beow and have some fun!

For example, watch "Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry." becomes, "You must be you fastly sensation same you you, slowly, to say and to she delays for, of point under insano of all'estensione excess." (Whatever THAT means!)
--Chuck

Lost in Translation: (http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/)

"What happens when an English phrase is translated (by computer) back and forth between 5 different languages? The authors of the Systran translation software probably never intended this application of their program. As of September 2003, translation software is almost good enough to turn grammatically correct, slang-free text from one language into grammatically incorrect, barely readable approximations in another. But the software is not equipped for 10 consecutive translations of the same piece of text. The resulting half-English, half-foreign, and totally non sequitur response bears almost no resemblance to the original. Remember the old game of 'Telephone'? Something is lost, and sometimes something is gained. Try it for yourself! "

Bloglines - Appeals Court Says Judge Needs To Look At Paper Trail Issue For E-Voting

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Techdirt Easily digestible tech news.

Appeals Court Says Judge Needs To Look At Paper Trail Issue For E-Voting Last month when a state court ruled that a Florida law mandating that there be no way to ask for a recount on an e-voting machine was illegal, supporters of current e-voting machines complained that it created an impossible situation: you can't recount votes on a machine that doesn't provide a way to recount votes. Our response, of course, was that it wasn't impossible at all, but simply proved that those machines should be illegal, since they don't conform to the law in allowing recounts. It looks like some Federal judges might agree. In a related federal case filed by a Florida politician looking to have the machines declared illegal without a paper trail, a lower court had declined to take the case -- but now the Appeals Court is sending the case back, saying they need to reopen the case. Of course, the timing is unfortunate, with the election quickly approaching. If the courts do decided that the machines are illegal it certainly will put some counties in a tough spot. What's likely to happen, of course, is that much of this will get delayed, and fair or unfair, the machines will be used in this election.

Ready for a trip down computing lane? Check it out! 

Assume nothing...get out and VOTE! --Chuck 

Bloglines - Not Life After Death -- Email After Death

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

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 E-mail "from beyond"...  

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Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters

Not Life After Death -- Email After Death By timothy on anubis-as-mail-admin Rick Zeman writes "Wanna send that one last email after you're dead and gone? CNN has an article about a service that will give the 21st century equivalent to a old-fashioned note in a drawer except that this could be more targeted '...by offering people the chance to write one last e-mail, complete with video clip or photo attachments, and send it to loved ones, friends or even enemies after the person who wrote it is dead.'"

Bloglines - Experiment Cuts Off Online Junkies from Internet

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Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters

Experiment Cuts Off Online Junkies from Internet By CowboyNeal on sometimes-it-still-feels-like-it's-there Ant (an Internet junkie) writes "An article from The Register reports one begins gibbering uncontrollably because he/she can't get a fix without internet access after two weeks. That, at least, is according to an 'Internet Deprivation Study' carried out by Yahoo! and advertising outfit OMD. Participants in the human experiment were deprived of the web for 14 days, and found themselves quickly succumbing to 'withdrawal and feelings of loss, frustration and disconnectedness.' The reason for the rapid collapse of their universe is - say the researchers - because 'internet users feel confident, secure and empowered.'"

A Touchy Debate Over Voting (washingtonpost.com)

A Touchy Debate Over Voting (washingtonpost.com):

By Cynthia L. Webb
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Friday, September 24, 2004; 9:54 AM

With the presidential election less than six weeks away, activists and security experts are ratcheting up concern over the use of touch-screen machines to cast votes.
After the 2000 election debacle and recount fiasco in Florida brought the words 'hanging chads' and 'butterfly ballots' to the masses, technology was hailed as a way to help reform voting nationwide by simplifying the way citizens vote for candidates and providing a paperless electronic count of votes. But with a slew of states adopting e-voting technology and planning to use electronic voting boxes for the upcoming national election, some critics of the technology are increasing their drumbeat of warnings of potential hacking attacks and other problems."

Wired News: E-Vote Fears Soar in Swing States

Wired News: E-Vote Fears Soar in Swing States:

02:00 AM Sep. 23, 2004 PT

Roughly a third of the votes cast in the November presidential election will be made on controversial paperless electronic voting machines, but as any political analyst can tell you, the only votes that will matter a great deal will be cast in a handful of swing states.

And just as the Kerry and Bush campaigns are spending most of their efforts in those states where neither holds a heavy margin in the polls, voting advocacy groups concerned with the integrity of voting technology are devoting their resources toward the states which matter most. "

Click on the image for to get to a site with an informative, non-geeky approach to internet security. --Chuck 

Bloglines - Surviving Two Weeks With No Internet

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

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 I can give up the internet ANY time...I just don't WANT to. ;-) --Chuck 

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Techdirt Easily digestible tech news.

Surviving Two Weeks With No Internet Just how much do you rely on the internet on a daily basis? There are some people who can easily leave the internet completely behind when on vacation. However, what about doing everyday things that you've come to rely on it for? An experiment sponsored by Yahoo had 28 people give up the internet for two weeks to see how they coped. Not everyone took it so well. They increased usage of other media like the telephone, television and movies to replace the missing internet. One couple claims their phone bill tripled. While the lack of email was definitely a nuisance, it was "the little things" that really seemed to get to some. Not being able to get directions online and (the most embarrassing situation, apparently) not knowing how to boil an egg, and having no idea where to go to figure it out seemed to be the biggest problem. Honestly, though, for all the talk about people being "addicted" to the internet, this suggests that's not the case at all for the (small) group of people involved in this experiment. It's just that they find the internet useful in getting random every day tasks done.

Bloglines - The Mobile Phone That Tells You If You Stink

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

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 Your best friend won't tell you, but your PHONE will! --Chuck 

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Techdirt Easily digestible tech news.

The Mobile Phone That Tells You If You Stink And some people thought that mobile phone "feature creep" was going too far! Siemens, who has been struggling against the competition in the handset market lately, has decided that it's time to differentiate by offering features on mobile phones that no one else is even coming close to thinking about. Their latest? A phone that will tell you if you have bad breath or body odor. Now here's an application for location-based-services. Once your phone knows that you are in serious need of some mouthwash, deodorant or a complete decontamination, it could inform other location-enabled mobile phone owners to stay the heck away from you.

The Official Random Chicken

The Official Random Chicken: "Serving the Random Chicken Community since 1995

Welcome to Random Chicken, where chickens are random, and random is the chicken. Our mission on the internet is to keep chickens as random as they can be, and you can help by contributing to the archive! There are currently over 100 chickens in the poultry archive, with more added from time to time, so make sure to bookmark this page, and return often!

Remember, we are here to serve all of your Random Chicken needs!
Click Refresh/Reload to see another Random Chicken!

Happy Clucking!

-- The Poultry Proprietor (info@randomchicken.com)"

Everything you (and your KIDZ!) never wanted to know about eating BUGZ. --Chuck 

Bloglines - A Wi-Fi/VoIP Phone Booth In the Burning Man Desert

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Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters

A Wi-Fi/VoIP Phone Booth In the Burning Man Desert By timothy on burning-pots Brad Templeton writes "I, (of EFF/ClariNet/rec.humor.funny) along with Brent Chapman (Majordomo/Building Internet Firewalls) and the satellite dish of John Gilmore (EFF/Cygnus/Cypherpunks/etc.) put together an engaging hack -- a battery-powered free phone booth using 802.11, VoIP and a satellite IP uplink. This was placed in the desert at the Burning Man arts festival deep in the remote Nevada Black Rock playa, exactly where you wouldn't expect a working phone booth to be. With cheap VoIP people were able to call all over the world. The reactions of people to such incongruous technology were great fun and emotional as well. There's a page about the phone including details of building it and live experiences including totally non-gratuitous photos of naked people using technology. (There, that ought to stress-test my new server!)"

Bloglines - 245 Electronic Votes Lost In Florida Primary

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

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 Think this is only happening in Florida? NOT! 

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Techdirt Easily digestible tech news.

245 Electronic Votes Lost In Florida Primary It's amazing just how many problems Florida can have with voting. The state that brought you the butterfly ballot and the hanging chad hasn't done much to improve its reputation as a place where your vote isn't particularly sacred. We've already written about electronic voting records that were deleted in a hard drive crash and electronic audit trails that didn't match up with actual voting records, and now comes the news from Mikester that in the primary last month, one election official forgot to switch an e-voting machine from "testing" mode, meaning that 245 votes weren't counted. Luckily, this glitch was eventually caught a month later -- and didn't change the results of the election, but you have to wonder how many of these situations aren't caught at all.

Bloglines - When 60% Of Your Phone Bill Is From Unadvertised Fees

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Techdirt Easily digestible tech news.

When 60% Of Your Phone Bill Is From Unadvertised Fees We've had plenty of stories about phone companies and all of the additional fees they add to your bill, but the Miami Herald has a few examples where the situation clearly goes beyond any reasonable level. Take, for example, a simple plan from BellSouth, advertised at $11.04/month. What they leave is out the extra $16 in fees and taxes (BugMeNot required) that turn the $11 plan into a $27 one. Then, there are companies like Primus which is adding a $15 "low usage" fee for anyone who doesn't make $25 worth of long distance calls per month. The telcos come back with their usual refrain that they somehow "need" to collect this fee "to recoup normal business expenses." That, of course, is a ridiculous statement. Any normal business prices their "normal business expenses" into their advertised prices. This is simply a way for the telcos to advertise lower prices than they're really charging. Perhaps other companies should get into this game as well. Want a pizza pie? It's just $3, but there's a $3.50 "crust fee," a $9.38 "oven fee," a $4.50 "service fee," and a $2.18 "cleanup fee." Plus tax.

Bloglines - Supercomputers Improve Hurricane Prediction—But Still Imperfect

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Lockergnome's Tech News Watch The latest industry headlines, news scoops, reviews, opinions, press releases, virus alerts, security updates, and other time-sensitive information.

Supercomputers Improve Hurricane Prediction—But Still Imperfect By Marc Erickson on Technology Direct and Related Links for 'Supercomputers Improve Hurricane Prediction—But Still Imperfect' “Thousands of miles from the rain and wind of Hurricane Ivan, a model of the storm swirls in the memory and processors of a supercomputer that predicts its likely course and strength. Working through complex mathematical equations that describe the atmosphere’s behavior across the globe, hundreds of microprocessors perform billions of calculations each second on observations collected by sensors dropped by aircraft and other monitors. The result, after more than an hour of number crunching…

Bloglines - Ready or Not (and Maybe Not), Electronic Voting Goes National

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Lockergnome's Tech News Watch The latest industry headlines, news scoops, reviews, opinions, press releases, virus alerts, security updates, and other time-sensitive information.

Ready or Not (and Maybe Not), Electronic Voting Goes National By Marc Erickson on Technology Direct and Related Links for 'Ready or Not (and Maybe Not), Electronic Voting Goes National' Free registration required to read the article. “Just over six weeks before the nation holds the first general election in which touch-screen voting will play a major role, specialists agree that whatever the remaining questions about the technology’s readiness, it is now too late to make any significant changes. Whether or not the machines are ready for the election - or the electorate ready for the machines - there is no turning back. In what…

BBC NEWS | Europe | German radio starts Klingon service

BBC NEWS | Europe | German radio starts Klingon service:

The German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) is celebrating 10 years of its online service by adding a new language to the 30 it already publishes - Klingon.

The language was developed for the Star Trek television and film series and is spoken by a warrior race of alien bad-guys from the planet Qo'noS.

In a futuristic leap, the Klingon pages appear on DW's web site under the date 'September 2379', and describe Germany and the radio station at the start of the 21st Century.
The Berlin Wall has fallen, the Cold War has ended and Klingons - once the sworn enemies of Star Trek hero Captain Kirk - are now accepted as allies in the new world order.
And it is in this spirit that DW has launched its Klingon service."

Yeah...there's more>>>

The Living Room Candidate

Not getting enough of election advertising? View political ads from the PAST on this site! --Chuck

The Living Room Candidate

From, SlashDot.org...

The Living Room Candidate
By CmdrTaco on candidates-in-the-modern-age

Karin Ponce writes "I represent the American Museum of the Moving Image , and I wanted to write to you about the Museum’s latest online exhibition, The Living Room Candidate. The exhibition maintains a comprehensive and detailed collection of over 300 commercials from the past fourteen elections (1954-2000). As the presidential race heats up, I think this is a very timely exhibition that will equip your readers with insight on the development of the campaign messages crafted by our presidential candidates over the years and provide historical context for the 2004 campaign as the race unfolds. Its convenience (all commercials are available online in the Living Room Candidate website) make this exhibit a must-see for voters and non-voters."

Bloglines - Microsoft Shuts Down Nearly All Southern California Air Traffic

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Techdirt Easily digestible tech news.

Microsoft Shuts Down Nearly All Southern California Air Traffic Whoops. Having just flown back from southern California this past weekend from the DEMOmobile conference, I'm glad this "glitch" didn't happen until Tuesday. Apparently, there was a "radio breakdown" that left almost all air traffic in SoCal without guidance. The culprit? Microsoft. Apparently, the air traffic control system being used is now run on Microsoft, after recently replacing a Unix-based system. Just one problem: the system needs to be rebooted every 30 days to avoid a "data overload," and someone forgot to manually run the reboot. Beyond the shock of discovering that this air traffic control system can't handle very much data, you have to wonder why the reboot system can't be automated, or at least have a "reminder" go off at some point.

Spyware Warrior: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites

Spyware Warrior: Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites:

"Some of the products listed on this page simply do not provide proven, reliable anti-spyware protection. Others may use unfair, deceptive, high pressure sales tactics and false positives to scare up sales from gullible, confused users. A very few of these products are either associated with known distributors of spyware/adware or have been known to install spyware/adware themselves. Users are advised to rely on anti-spyware applications with deserved reputations for trustworthy performance.

Testing was performed with most of the apps listed below, though not all of them. The notes section below contains definitions and descriptions of some of the key terms used in the comments for the applications listed. Be sure to consult the Anti-Spyware Family Resemblances and Orphans & Outcasts companion pages for more information on the applications listed.

If your PC is already infested with spyware or adware, see the instructions below for getting help. And for anti-spyware applications that are recommended as useful and trustworthy, see the list of Trustworthy Anti-Spyware Products below."

Finally, an alarm made with ME in mind! ;-) --Chuck 

Not a good "photo op' for kerry, for sure...but it is significant? --chuck 

Democrats accused of ripping Bush signs - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - September 17, 2004

Democrats accused of ripping Bush signs - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - September 17, 2004: "Democrats accused of ripping Bush signs


By Robert Stacy McCain
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

A West Virginia man said yesterday that Democrats stole his family's Bush-Cheney campaign signs at an event featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards.
'They just pounced on us,' said Phil Parlock, who took his 11-year-old son, Alex, and 3-year-old daughter, Sophia, to the Democratic rally at Tri-State Airport in Huntington, W.Va.
Sophia became briefly famous yesterday when an Associated Press photo showing her in tears after Democrats tore her sign to pieces was posted on Matt Drudge's Web site, www.drudgereport.com. "

US-CERT Cyber Security Alert SA04-261A -- Multiple vulnerabilities in Mozilla products

Cyber Security Alert SA04-261A
Multiple vulnerabilities in Mozilla products

Original release date: September 17, 2004
Last revised: --
Source: US-CERT

Systems Affected

* Mozilla Suite (Mozilla web browser, Mozilla Mail)
* Firefox web browser
* Thunderbird email client

Overview

By taking advantage of one or more vulnerabilities in Mozilla
products, an attacker may be able to take control of your computer.

Solution

Upgrade to the latest version

Mozilla has released updated versions of the affected products. You
can download the latest versions:
* Mozilla
* Firefox
* Thunderbird

Description

There are vulnerabilities in various features of Mozilla's web
browsers and email clients. Some of the vulnerabilities are
connected to the way the application handles URLs or images. In one
instance, an attacker could cause an application to crash or could
take control of your computer by convincing you to view a malicious
web site or email message.

For more technical information, see US-CERT Technical Alert
TA04-261A.

References

* Known Vulnerabilities in Mozilla -
ml>
* US-CERT Technical Cyber Security Alert TA04-261A -

_________________________________________________________________

Feedback can be directed to US-CERT.
_________________________________________________________________

Copyright 2004 Carnegie Mellon University.

Terms of use:

This document is available from




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Chuck's outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release Date: 9/17/2004

Saturday, September 18, 2004 :: ::

Chuck :: permalink

Critical Flaws Flagged in Mozilla, Thunderbird

Critical Flaws Flagged in Mozilla, Thunderbird: "By Ryan Naraine

The Mozilla Project has issued a warning for a series of 'highly critical' security holes in three of its core projects, including its flagship Firefox Web browser and the Thunderbird e-mail client.
The vulnerabilities, which also affect the Mozilla browser, could potentially exploited by malicious people to conduct cross-site scripting attacks, access and modify sensitive information, and compromise a user's system.
The open-source group has already fixed the bugs and are urging users to upgrade to Mozilla 1.7.3, Firefox 1.0PR and Thunderbird 0.8.
The news comes just days after the open-source project issued a preview release of Firefox 1.0, which includes an RSS reader that displays 'live bookmarks, a new 'Find' tool and an updated plug-in installer.
An advisory released by Secunia warned that the flaws carry a 'highly critical' rating."

MercuryNews.com | 09/14/2004 | Maryland court rejects e-voting safeguards

MercuryNews.com | 09/14/2004 | Maryland court rejects e-voting safeguards: "Posted on Tue, Sep. 14, 2004
[AD]

Maryland court rejects e-voting safeguards


ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's highest court Tuesday rejected demands for additional safeguards for touchscreen voting machines, saying elections officials have done everything necessary to ensure the paperless devices are accurate and secure.
The Court of Appeals also rejected a call to allow citizens who do not trust touchscreen voting to use paper ballots in the Nov. 2 general election.
The decision came in a two-paragraph order issued less than three hours after the judges heard arguments on a suit brought by TrueVoteMD. The citizens group alleges the electronic machines, used statewide for the first time in March, are vulnerable to fraud and that the state cannot guarantee fair and accurate election results.
Lead plaintiff Linda Schade said that although the decision was not a surprise, it means voters ``are going to be forced to vote on an insecure system.''
Schade said the state delayed the suit so long that ``judges found themselves challenged to find a remedy for this upcoming election that could be implemented in time.''
Linda Lamone, state election laws administrator, said outside the courtroom that making significant changes in the voting system at this late date would have created chaos on Election Day.
Asked about the security of the state's 16,000 Diebold AccuVote-TS electronic machines, Lamone said, ``I'm very confident they are accurate and secure.''
TrueVoteMD wants the state to equip all electronic machines with printers that would make a copy of each vote, although it acknowledged in court that it was too late to do that for the November election.
For the upcoming vot"

Twenty more questions for any Kerry interviewer - Peter Kirsanow on Election 2004 on National Review Online

Peter Kirsanow on Election 2004 on National Review Online:

September 15, 2004, 6:23 a.m.

Where No Reporter Has Gone Before...
Twenty more questions for any Kerry interviewer.
By Peter Kirsanow

Here's a second set of questions the media should pose to John Kerry (for the first, click here). The same premises apply as in the first set: only policy-related questions; nothing to do with the Swifties (who've since posed their own set of questions); no 'gotcha' questions; several softballs; and, all posed in a respectful manner:"

Click HERE for more>>>

MLA Auto-[citation] Generator

Here's some light at the end of the tunnel for students everywhere! --Chuck

MLA Auto-Generator: "Welcome to the homepage of MLAGEN - the freeware program for your bibliographical needs.
Please visit the project page for technical details.


MLA Auto-Generator is an incredible piece of free software that allows you to quickly and effortlessly format your documents' works cited lists in complete accordance with the latest MLA or APA style guidelines. MLA Auto-Generator will automatically churn out a perfect bibliography entry, every time.


If you've ever used MLA style in your essays, term papers, theses, or PhD dissertations, you know how long it takes to achieve the precise format. Countless hours wasted in looking up the correct scheme of arranging works cited entries or underlining and italicizing text can now be utilized enhancing your paper. The extra time you could've earned can go to proofing, adding additional insight, or simply relaxation.


Now you, too, will find yourself several hours ahead of schedule when writing papers! With MLA Auto-Generator, you have the power and the knowledge that your formatting issues are all taken care of. You now have the freedom to use your precious time on better things than toiling with the tedious MLA/APA requirements. "

Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism

Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism: "FMCAT: We Are So Sorry for 9/11

After September 11, many in the Muslim world chose denial and hallucination rather than face up to the sad fact that Muslims perpetrated the 9-11 terrorist acts and that we have an enormous problem with extremism and support for terrorism.

Read more >>>

Bloglines - Wind Power Falls Under $0.01/kwh

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you.

Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters

Wind Power Falls Under $0.01/kwh By timothy on hey-it's-breezy-in-here js7a writes "Colorado State University's Rocky Mountain Collegian reports that, "as of June [the price of wind power] dropped to 1 cent per kwh." Even without further expected improvements in turbine technology, the U.S. would now need to use less than 3% of its farmland to get 95% of its electricity demand satisfied by wind power. Plus, wind power is the only mitigation of global warming, because if the whole world converted to wind power in 15 years, the amount of power being extracted from the atmosphere would be more than the increase in greenhouse gas atmospheric energy forcing since 1600. Don't say goodbye to coal and oil, yet, though; unless cell technology increases substantially, when we run out of oil we will convert coal to synthetic fuel."

FunStarters > Where Smiles are Free!

FunStarters > Where Smiles are Free!

Comments by Lockergnome...

"Did you ever have a day where nothing seems to go right? You spilled coffee all over the report you had just finished (or worse, all over your boss!). The car won't start, and that was AFTER you changed a flat tire. Well, if you haven't had a day like that, then someone you know may have. If so, the today's Family First site is one that you will want to book mark, and use often.

'Called FunStarters (Where Smiles Are Free), this site is a terrific collection of pages that you can read and enjoy, or better yet, send to a friend or loved one. You can send an ecard (for free) that really zings! You can make a unique birthday card, using the free templates and clip art. The software is free, as is the templates and clip art, all you have to do is register. But the included pages are hilarious. I really enjoyed the "Rednecks Dictionary of Computer Terms", and "Funny Church Bulletins". The variety of material is quite unique, as is the clip art that is available.

"So the next time you think you know someone who is having a bad day, or if you just want to send a special message to a special someone, then head on over to this site. It is one that has just the right something for every occassion."

http://www.funstarters.com/

Navistar starts marketing cement mixer-based truck that dwarfs the Hummer and the F-350.

Uh...how do you spell "excess" consumption!?

Is the 'Black Box' Spying on You? - EDITOR'S CORNER, WinXPnews

IF (big "if"!) the gathered information were limited to physical data, such as speed, braking pressure, engine condition, rate of acceleration/deacceleration, etc. I wouldn't be too concerned. MAYBE (big "maybe"!) it would help manufacturers and the government to make improvments/suggestions on how to deal with mechanical and human factors involved in driving safety. I am definitely against global positioning information or voice records being recorded or transmitted. The real issues seem to be:

Who is going to decide what informatoon will be recorded/transmitted and who is going to receive it — and for what purposes?

Who is will verify the accuracy of the devices and of the collection and transmission of the data?

Will this data be legally admissible in court, and under what circumstances?

Seems to me that the auto manufacturers' unilateral action in deploying their "black boxes" have unwittingly opened up BIG can of worms for themselves and for the government. And I really question whether or not the NHTSA has the authority to autorize and/or police the collection/dessemination of such informaiton.

Read on!
-- Chuck
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WinXPnews: "EDITOR'S CORNER Is the 'Black Box' Spying on You?

Most folks are aware of the flight data recorders (often called 'black boxes' even though they're painted orange to make them easier to find in a crash) that help investigators sort out what went wrong after a plane goes down. Most of us who fly (or have loved ones who fly) are probably vaguely glad they exist. There's no question that the information can help pinpoint problems and prevent the same thing from happening to other planes.

Now car makers are putting similar devices in motor vehicles (Ford and GM are two that we know about), for the same purpose. After an accident, the data can be analyzed to determine the speed the car was going, when the brakes were applied, and so forth. Somehow, though, the idea makes a lot of us a little uneasy. Privacy advocates are up in arms about it. One reason is that most of our car dealers didn't tell us this technology was sitting there, happily recording as we drive along. It feels like a bit of an invasion, knowing that Big Brother is watching and recording our driving habits. And knowing that you're being watched can, in itself, affect your driving. All cops know this; if you follow a driver long enough, chances are very good that he/she will violate the law out of pure nervousness.

Is this feeling justified, or is it paranoia?

Read the rest here >>>

Wired News: Step Toward Universal Computing

Wired News: Step Toward Universal Computing: "A Silicon Valley startup claims to have cracked one of most elusive goals of the software industry: a near-universal emulator that allows software developed for one platform to run on any other, with almost no performance hit. "

Family First: Clean Films

Family First: Clean Films:

"Going to the movies is an American pastime, for that past 110 years or so. For many years, it was our nations favorite past time. Many people still go to the movies, and it is a great source of entertainment. But when you go, you have to choose your films carefully so that your young ones are not exposed to too much violence or other non-family type entertainment. Today's Family First site is one that can help put your mind at ease when it comes to what your family watches

"The site is called Clean Films, an online site where you can rent DVD movies. So what, you are thinking, there are a lot of sites like this. But what sets this site apart is that the films you rent are edited for family viewing. This membership site uses current technology to edit films that are rate R or PG-13, and then removes the objectionable material.

"Is this legal? According to their website: 'Yes. CleanFilms is a Co-operative rental club. All subscribers to our service become members of the Co-op. The Co-op collectively purchases original, unedited DVD movies then has them edited - always maintaining a 1 to 1 ratio of edited and non-edited originals.

"As owners of the original, unedited movies, the Co-op has the right to edit out content that is objectionable to its members - similar to how you might press mute to avoid hearing objectionable language today. Accordingly, you must subscribe as a member of the rental club before you can rent edited movies. '

"There is a wide variety of films available, from Childrens to Romance, Musicals to Foreign, with every type in between. This is a wonderful site, offering a wonderful service for viewers who want to monitor what their children watch, and keep movie viewing a family friendly experience."

NatronLaw - Nathan Paul Mehrens, Esq.

NatronLaw - Nathan Paul Mehrens, Esq.

NatronLaw's Wrap of Notable Posts
Here's what you've been waiting for, the weekly wrap-up of notable posts.

First comes the uncertainty in German law caused by a yellow tomato. It seems that if you throw a green or red tomato there are set rules for the offense. However, the law hasn't yet dealt with the yellow variety and as such officials are unsure what to do. Thanks to How Appealing for bring this important issue to our attention. . . .

Techworld.com - Crackpot spam answer: say hello dmail, goodbye world!

I also used to use "bulletin board" style mail (what this story calls "dmail") about 20 years ago -- over a Zoom modem at about 7 "baud". Nothing wrong with it that faster speeds modern technology couldn't make better...andit was absolutely secure. Not sure that it will catch on, though. --Chuck

Techworld.com - Crackpot spam answer: say hello dmail, goodbye world!: "Crackpot spam answer: say hello dmail, goodbye world!
We're getting two dmail addresses so we can say hi to ourselves...


By Peter Judge, Techworld

A group of high-tech Luddites have come up with a blinding answer to the problem of spam and viruses. Instead of using public email, use 'dmail' - a private system that no one else can send messages to. They have an answer to the obvious objection, that this system wouldn't actually be much use: 'It's intended for niche markets.'

Dmail stands for 'digital mail' of course, and is 'the next evolutionary step for electronic communication, effectively eradicating the inherent spam, virus, security, privacy, speed and storage problems' according to the company's press release, which was sent to us by post (of course), but can be admired here.

The service, whose slogan is, aptly enough, 'A world of your own', seems not to be a spoof. The release describes a server-based system in which users leave messages for each other at a password-protected website. . . .

'It is just like email when it first started off,' says the scheme's promoter, Michael Hardware (his real name) at PR firm Chelgate, promising Techworld a free trial account. 'Or actually, I'll give you two, so you can send dmail to yourselves.' When we get those accounts we will report here.
For those of us with long memories, it sounds very much like the pre-history of email. . . "

More >>>

Parable of the Candle - from Answers in Genesis

The following article was forwarded by Chuck from the Answers in Genesis website.

Parable of the Candle
http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/1247.asp

This message was also included by the sender:
Cool "parable" about God's Word and creation... --Chuck

Bloglines - Nevadans to Become First to Use Touchscreen Voting That Produces a Paper Trail

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

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 There may be hope for e-voting! --Chuck 

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Lockergnome's Tech News Watch The latest industry headlines, news scoops, reviews, opinions, press releases, virus alerts, security updates, and other time-sensitive information.

Nevadans to Become First to Use Touchscreen Voting That Produces a Paper Trail By Marc Erickson on Technology Direct and Related Links for 'Nevadans to Become First to Use Touchscreen Voting That Produces a Paper Trail' “Nevada residents became the first in the nation to vote on computers that leave a paper trail, taking part in a primary that produced scattered reports of delays - though none of the serious problems that have cast doubt upon electronic voting systems in other states. A delegation of federal election officials monitored the equipment’s debut Tuesday in the state capital as voters cast ballots for congressional candidates, state legislators, school officials and judges. Results…

Kevin Kelly -- Cool Tools

Kevin Kelly -- Cool Tools: Wondermagnets
Really strong magnets

"Your source for incredibly strong rare earth magnets. They cling so forcefully they can hurt, and some are so tiny they are useful in ways you have never anticipated. Small super-magnets can be used like a bolt easily unlocked. I've had good service from this outfit.
-- KK"

Filehand Home Page

Ya GOTTA get this! --Chuck

Filehand Home Page: "Find the information you need on your computer instantly!

Filehand Search 2.0: 'It's like Google for your computer'
Now it's FREE! And 2.0 now supports Outlook!

"Simply download and register. No ads, no catches.

Not only does Filehand Search 2.0 search your hard drive and network drives instantly, it shows you the information you need. You don't have to poke around at all the search results to find the piece of information you're looking for.
Don't be fooled by snappy interfaces of other search tools. Filehand Search displays the search results in order of relevance and displays the relevant extracts so you can find your information fast.

Just because the search is fast, that doesn't mean you can find the information you're looking for fast!"

"Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians." - The Barna Group!

This is SAD! --Chuck

Welcome to The Barna Group!: Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians

September 8, 2004

(Ventura, CA) - Recent legislation, lawsuits and public demonstrations over the legality of gay marriage are just one battlefront regarding the institution of marriage. A new study released by The Barna Group, of Ventura, California, shows that the likelihood of married adults getting divorced is identical among born again Christians and those who are not born again. The study also cited attitudinal data showing that most Americans reject the notion that divorce is a sin.

Based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of 3614 adults, the Barna survey focused on the three-quarters of adults 18 years of age or older who have been married at least once. The study identified those who had been divorced; the age at which they were divorced; how many divorces they have experienced; and the age at which the born again Christians had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Comparing the ages when divorced adults had accepted Christ and when they underwent their divorce, the researchers were able to determine both the impact of one�s faith commitment on the resilience of the marriage and whether the divorce occurred before or after their born again commitment. The survey also examined whether people believe that divorce is a sin in situations where adultery is not involved. "

Read on to examine Barna.org's findings >>>

Welcome to The Barna Group!

This is SAD! --Chuck

Welcome to The Barna Group!: "Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians

September 8, 2004

(Ventura, CA) - Recent legislation, lawsuits and public demonstrations over the legality of gay marriage are just one battlefront regarding the institution of marriage. A new study released by The Barna Group, of Ventura, California, shows that the likelihood of married adults getting divorced is identical among born again Christians and those who are not born again. The study also cited attitudinal data showing that most Americans reject the notion that divorce is a sin.

Based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of 3614 adults, the Barna survey focused on the three-quarters of adults 18 years of age or older who have been married at least once. The study identified those who had been divorced; the age at which they were divorced; how many divorces they have experienced; and the age at which the born again Christians had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Comparing the ages when divorced adults had accepted Christ and when they underwent their divorce, the researchers were able to determine both the impact of one�s faith commitment on the resilience of the marriage and whether the divorce occurred before or after their born again commitment. The survey also examined whether people believe that divorce is a sin in situations where adultery is not involved. "

Read on to examine Barna.org's findings >>>

Bloglines - Michael Moore Seeks TV Airing of Fahrenheit 9/11

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you.

Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters

Michael Moore Seeks TV Airing of Fahrenheit 9/11 By CmdrTaco on what-channel-would-air-it telstar writes "According to Michael Moore's website, he plans to forgoe the nomination for Best Documentary in an effort to get his highly controversial movie Farenheit 9/11 on television. Despite having no assurances from the home video distributor, Moore hopes to air the film prior to the November elections ... suggesting the eve of the elections as a potential air date. Considering how many questions have been raised as to whether Moore's movie presents truth or propaganda, one has to wonder whether airing such a controvercial movie on the eve of an election helps or hurts the political process by influencing the vote with last-minute emotions rather than thoroughly contemplation."

Sign up for OneMillionDads.com

Clean up the trash on television by making your voice heard. Go to: http://www.onemilliondads.com and join the campaign.

Bloglines - Hollywood directors gone mad - sue anti-smut company

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you.

OneMillionDads.com Active Issues OneMillionDads.com - Active Issues

Hollywood directors gone mad - sue anti-smut company By American Family Association Right now, Hollywood producers are suing a company that wants to protect families from the cesspool of sex and violence in movies. Why? Because the company, ClearPlay, has invented an affordable DVD player that will automatically skip over graphic violence and sex scenes from many major movies.

DON'T FALL FOR THIS, EITHER!!!

Another example (below) of an attempt to scare us into clicking on a link in order to "protect" ourselves — and ending up compromised!

Don't be taken in!

Chuck

PS/ I altered the e-mail reply address and the the links so that they won't go anywhere harmful...or useful! /cj

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-----Original Message-----
From: Alba Story [mailto:don't_go_there!@msn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 6:16 PM
To: johnston@mca.org.tw
Subject: Stop adware/spyware once and for all. FGF

You are infected with:
Spyware and Adware

Get your free scan and removal download now, before it gets any worse.

http://hkgvb.are_you_kdding?.com/?id=111213

no more? (you will still be infected)
http://kkflaf.dlhghln.info/get_outta_here!?vKxAxgvoI36UN__vtyjsrjhnstn@mqa.org.tw
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Recovering a Protestant Mary - Christian History

Recovering a Protestant Mary - Christian History: "Recovering a Protestant Mary

A conversation with Timothy George

Timothy George is dean of Beeson Divinity School, an interdenominational, evangelical theological school within a Baptist university (Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama), and an executive editor of Christianity Today. He is author of the article 'The Blessed Evangelical Mary' in the December 2003 issue of Christianity Today, which is a short version of a chapter from Mary: Mother of God, edited by Carl E. Braaten (Eerdmans, 2004).

In your article, you suggest that Protestant believers have cut themselves off too hastily from Mary, a biblical figure who was at the forefront of the church's imagination from the post-apostolic period through the Reformation and beyond. Could you say a little about this?

I take my bearings from the Reformers. On the one hand, they were very critical of what they considered Marian excesses, and they talked at length about some of the ways in which Mary was given too much veneration, too much almost idolatrous worship, substituting her for Christ himself in some ways at the popular devotional level. On the other hand, they themselves had a very explicit devotion to Mary, especially Luther but also Zwingli and Calvin in their own way. They wanted to give honor to Mary. They wanted to remind the church that she was to be called blessed in every generation. They honored her as the vehicle of God's grace in giving Jesus to the world and an example of justification by faith alone, because she believed so purely in the gospel. I think we need to go back and reclaim something of the Reformers' more positive view of Mary, insofar as it really is biblical. It really is a part of our own Protestant heritage."

Thoought-proviking article! Read on! >>>

The Gift of Unanswered Prayer - Today's Christian

The Gift of Unanswered Prayer - Today's Christian: "The Gift of Unanswered Prayer

Sometimes God's 'no' is exactly what we need.
By Jerry Sittser

"It is every mother's worst nightmare. Her 3-year-old son, Kostya, is dying of an incurable disease. The mother believes that God can heal her little boy. She alternates agonizingly between hope and despair, fighting and giving up. Still, she prays, 'imbuing her prayer with all the power of her soul, although somewhere deep within her she feared that God would not move the mountain-that He would act not according to her desires, but according to His own will.'

"Her little boy dies. Why? she thinks to herself. Why would the God to whom I prayed so much allow him to die?

"The great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy tells this woman's story in a short story titled 'Prayer,' which he wrote after reading about a shipwreck in the United States in which many children died. Tolstoy wrote the story to explore the problem of unanswered prayer.

"I read the story only recently, when I was pondering the problem myself. I once thought that unanswered prayer was either the result of God's sovereign will, which functions like a trump card, making our prayers largely irrelevant, or the result of human failure, which makes our prayers unacceptable to God, however needy we are. In either case, the outcome is the same-unanswered prayer."

Read the entire article >>>

Suburban-TrunkMonkey

Suburban-TrunkMonkey

Self-explanatory...just go to the site and click on the small images to view the advertising vids.
--Chuck

Travels with Chicken

Travels with Chicken

"Chicken" is a catalyst used by four friends to stay in touch. The goal of our experiment is to expose Chicken to as many locations (i.e. cities, states, countries, planets, etc) as humanly possible. Each person gets Chicken when going someplace new and different or when they do something interesting and exciting. Chicken is most likely the most experienced and broadly-traveled Chicken that you'll ever have the pleasure of coming across."

Click on the link at the top to check it out...pretty cool! -- Chuck

Bloglines - Free VoIP For All: Skype Pros and Cons

Bloglines user ChuckzBlog (chuckzmail@johnstonz.net) has sent this item to you.

Lockergnome's Tech News Watch The latest industry headlines, news scoops, reviews, opinions, press releases, virus alerts, security updates, and other time-sensitive information.