• 22Feb

  Bloom Box – Should power companies sell these things?

  Uncategorized No Comments

  

  As far as energy goes, the Holy Grail is a power source that’s inexpensive and clean, with no emissions. Well over 100 start-ups in Silicon Valley are working on it, and one of them, Bloom Energy, is about to make public its invention: a little power plant-in-a-box they want to put literally in your backyard.

  You’ll generate your own electricity with the box and it’ll be wireless. The idea is to one day replace the big power plants and transmission line grid, the way the laptop moved in on the desktop and cell phones supplanted landlines.

  Two boxes can power the average high-consumption home and one box can power the average low-consumption home, at least that’s the claim being made by K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy, on the 60 Minutes show on CBS. The original technology comes from an oxygen generator meant for a scrapped NASA Mars program that has been converted, with the help of an estimated $400 million in private funding, into a fuel cell.

  Bloom’s design feeds oxygen into one side of a cell while fuel (natural gas, bio gas from landfill waste, solar, etc) is supplied to the other side to provide the chemical reaction required for power. The cells themselves are inexpensive ceramic disks painted with a secret green “ink” on one side and a black “ink” on the other. The disks are separated by a cheap metal alloy, instead of more precious metals like platinum, and stacked into a cube of varying capabilities – a stack of 64 can power a small business like Starbucks.

  Now get this, skeptics: there are already several corporate customers using refrigerator-sized Bloom Boxes. The corporate-sized cells cost $700,000 to $800,000 and are installed at 20 customers you’ve already heard of including FedEx and Wal-mart – Google was first to join this green energy party, using its Bloom Boxes to power a data center for the last 18 months. Ebay has installed its boxes on the front lawn of its San Jose location. It estimates to receive almost 15% of its energy needs from Bloom, saving about $100,000 since installing its five boxes 9 months ago – an estimate we assume doesn’t factor in the millions Ebay paid for the boxes themselves. Bloom makes about one box a day at the moment and believes that within 5 to 10 years it can drive down the cost to about $3,000 to make it suitable for home use, which sounds awfully expensive. Nevertheless, Bloom Energy will go public with details on the 24th of February.

  Via: Engadget

• 11Nov

  The 11th Hour: The Date Behind Veterans Day – Yahoo! Buzz

  General, Uncategorized No Comments

  The 11th Hour: The Date Behind Veterans Day

  by Claudine Zap

  While most know that Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military, the meaning behind its exact date (November 11) may not be so familiar. Here’s the backstory:

  Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.

  President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day “Armistice Day,” kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars. But 11/11 still represented the end of the Great War in the public’s mind, and the date stuck.

  In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified continues every year in the U.S. The ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

  Congress designated Veterans Day as a legal holiday in 1938, and since then, most Americans have come to know it as a day for store sales and parades. Yahoo! Searches on the holiday have already surged on the Web. People want to know “veterans day history,” “veterans day closings,” veterans day sales,” and “veterans day free meals.”

  via The Buzz Log – The 11th Hour: The Date Behind Veterans Day – Yahoo! Buzz.

  Tags: 11 11, armistice day, november 11, origin, veteran, veterans day

• 16Oct

  Obama Seeks Power to Shut Down the Internet

  Uncategorized No Comments

  Senator Democrats are attempting to pass legislation which will give President Obama the authority to shut down the Internet and seize private networks.

  On CNET News, Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), stated “As soon as you’re saying that the federal government is going to be exercising this kind of power over private networks, it’s going to be a really big issue.”

  The bill, misleadingly titled “The Cybersecurity Act of 2009″, allows Obama to declare an emergency based upon no hard criteria. Once he declares this emergency, he can effectively shut down free speech on the Internet.

  Jay Rockefeller, the bill’s sponsor, said “I know the threats we face. Our enemies are real. They are sophisticated, they are determined and they will not rest.” Unfortunately, it looks like the threat which Jay is most worried about is free speech from Americans who do not approve of Obama’s plans to impose national socialism upon the citizens of the United States.

  In addition, the bill will require government licenses of any individual who seeks employment as a “cybersecurity professional”, effectively giving the Democratic party authority to prevent their political opponents from being involved in protecting either government or private networks from attack.

• 28Aug

  Smoking advice for the beginner

  General, Recipes, Sports, Uncategorized, Weekend No Comments

  8 Steps to a great smoking experiences.

  STEP1: The first thing you should do is sign up to http://smoking-meat.com/ . This site has tons of great information from regular guys and gals that smoke on a regular basis. Plenty of newbies also, since all great smokers were once newbies.

  

  STEP2: Buy all sorts of meat. Pork, beef, fish, turkey, chicken. Start “burning” it as we call it. Since likely you will burn it, and it will not be what you hoped for, but it is like tuition to school. It costs something for the lesson.

  STEP3: Seek sweet wood. Their are obvious standards, and they are awesome! Like Hickory, Oak and Mesquite are all well known. Look for good fruit tree wood also; Apple, Cherry are good examples. Walnut and Maple are excellent as well. More info at Smoking-Meat.com.

  STEP4: After burning some well intentioned purchases, consider what you learned.. Most likely a couple things; need moisture in the smoker, and too much heat.. You will need to learn how to love your thermometer. The keys to smoking success is “LOW and SLOW” and plenty of moisture to humidify the air inside. The reason your ribs are so good from the oven is because you wrap them in foil with some water in the bottom of the foil. This keeps them from drying out. The other key is perhaps the most important! LOW and SLOW. Make up a blues hymn or some sort of song to sing along while you are enduring it. That will accomplish two things; reminder that LOW and SLOW is important, and it entertains you while you are spending quality time with your smoker.

  STEP5: “You will know them by their fruit” it says in the bible, so if we were to apply that scripture to smoking, your growth in smoking would yield tasty smoked stuff. Remember you will stumble along the way, but you are becoming the smoker that God wants you to be! Honestly, if you use it for fellowship and things like that, I trust He will bless it and you guys for that!

  STEP6: DO NOT LIMIT EXPERIENCE! Just about ANYTHING you can heat can be smoked! Last week I made a blueberry crumble that was to be smoked for 45 minutes, oh how sweet that would have been, if I had the smoker running that day. I cooked it in the oven, but the recipe called for smoking. Fish (obviously), beef, ribs, pork loin, open breast chicken, turkey, upright beer chicken, clams, cheese, so many types of desserts. Open your mind to the possibilities and just try it!

  STEP7: Seek great smoking leaders. The cooking channel has plenty of good smokers from time to time. WATCH THEM! Also this guy, Steve Raichlin has a show that is excellent, but I have his book, many many recipes from across the USA with great tips and secrets.. It may be considered the smokers bible (not holy, just filled with truth!). These books should be well used during your experience: BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America or The Barbecue! Bible.

  FINAL STEP: Have folks that offer you good tips, try out your makings.. Not only will it encourage more tips, but it will give them a good reason to visit! My first smoking experience I invited a bunch of people over, not a whole lot of stuff turned out, but I learned so much from the feedback..

  Enjoy your new endeavour, as it will change the way you look at food.  MMM MMMM  MMMMMMMMmmmmmm….

  Tags: cook, food, grill, meat, outdoor, smoker, smoking

• 20Aug

  One Nation Under God

  General, Political, Uncategorized No Comments

  

  One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington , D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument . With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this amazing historical information.

  On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. , are displayed two words: Laus Deo.

  No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less.

  Once you know Laus Deo’s history , you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.

  Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.

  So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply,

  they say ” Praise be to God!”

  

  Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States , it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo. “Praise be to God!”

  From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l’Enfant…a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.

  

  A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.

  Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message.

  On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore;
  on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians;
  on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!

  

  When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy “One Nation, Under God.”

  I am awed by Washington ’s prayer for America Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!

  “Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

  Laus Deo!

  When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation’s capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of “Laus Deo “, its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: “Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127: 1)

• 11Aug

  Read the privacy statement, Goverment owns your computer and everything on it

  Uncategorized No Comments

  Your Computer is owned by OBAMA

• 29Jul

  snopes.com: Socialism Grade Averaging

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  snopes.com: Socialism Grade Averaging

  Posted using ShareThis

• 25Jun

  State Health Dept. reacts to cancer cluster |West Palm Beach News, South Florida Breaking News, Forecast, Video from WPTV

  Uncategorized No Comments

  State Health Dept. reacts to cancer cluster |West Palm Beach News, South Florida Breaking News, Forecast, Video from WPTV

  Posted using ShareThis

• 20May

  Incredible photo of Hubble and Space Shuttle passing the Sun.

  Political, Uncategorized No Comments

  

  from flickr:
  In this tightly cropped image the NASA space shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope are seen in silhouette, side by side during solar transit at 12:17p.m. EDT, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, from west of Vero Beach, Florida. The two spaceships were at an altitude of 600 km and they zipped across the sun in only 0.8 seconds. Photo Credit: (NASA/Thierry Legault)

  Thierry made this image using a solar-filtered Takahashi 5-inch refracting telescope and a Canon 5D Mark II digital camera. Photo Credit: (NASA/Thierry Legault)

  You can see more of Thierry’s fine work at: www.astrophoto.fr/

  My favorite: http://legault.club.fr/iss_atlantis_transit.html

• 14Apr

  Tea Party Slogans

  Uncategorized No Comments

  MR. GEITNER,

  WHILE YOU’RE AT IT, PRINT AN EXTRA MILLION $$ FOR ME.

  I NEED A NEW WHEELBARROW TO CARRY MY $ TO THE GROCERY STORE.

  ===========================================================================

  MONEY?

  THAT’S NO PROBLEM….

  JUST PRINT ALL YOU NEED!

  AFTER ALL, IT WORKED WELL IN 1920′S GERMANY, DIDN’T IT?

  Hmmm….. Whatever happened to the Weimar Republic anyway?

  ==================================================

  TAXES…. I LOVE TAXES

  NO, NO….. WAIT,.. I MEANT TEXAS!

  ===============================

  OBAMA/GEITNER STIMULUS PLAN:

  STEAL OUR GRANDCHILDRENS’ CREDIT CARDS TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON OURS

  ====================================

  HEY BARAK,

  MAKE ME CEO OF FANNIE OR FREDDIE.

  I CAN MANAGE THEM TO FAILURE FOR HALF THE SALARY

  ====================================

  BARAK, BARAK, BARAK, BARAK…..

  THE SOUND OF AMERICA CROAKING

  ====================================

  PRES. OBAMA,

  DON’T BE DISCOURAGED… KEEP TRYING… YOU’LL LEARN TO BE PRESIDENT IN A FEW YEARS.

  (IF WE SURVIVE THAT LONG)

  ==================================

  IL DUCE, OBAMA!

  VIVA MOUSILINI!

  VIVA FASCISM!

  (please, please don’t fire me Mr. President)

  ================================

  Obama, Pelosi, Reed…..

  America’s new Trinity

  Leading the new USSA

  United Statesof Socialist America

  ================================

• 03Apr

  Origin of TGIF

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  Anyone who attends school or works Monday through Friday will tell you that the last day of their week is met with much anticipation. Each Monday, the countdown to Friday begins, and so naturally, Friday is received with open arms. TGIF, the acronym for Thank God It’s Friday, or Thank Goodness It’s Friday came about in the 1960s as a universal mantra to express the relief of the end of the workweek, as well as reference to the good times planned for the weekend ahead.
  The weekend as we know it did not come into existence until the five-day workweek became standard in the U.S. and many other industrialized countries in the 20th century. Until then, many workers worked seven days a week, or had only Sundays off. The Sabbath, which varies in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, plays a large role in what comprises a weekend. In the U.S. and other predominately Christian countries, the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Although Friday is considered by many to be unlucky, some cultures believe that Friday is the luckiest day for marriage and fertility, as it is named for the Norse Goddess Freya, the Goddess of fertility.
  One of the earliest references of TGIF can be found in the perennial favorite grill and bar, T.G.I. Fridays, which first opened in 1965 on Manhattan’s Upper East Side as a place for young professionals and students to mingle. Their slogan soon became, “In here, it’s always Friday”®, evoking the celebratory feeling of Friday that everyone looks forward to all week long.
  Although TGIF remained an oft used phrase shared by many an employee or student on Friday, it reached its fever pitch by 1978, when Donna Summer starred in the movie, Thank God It’s Friday. Surely, the disco and club scene of the 1970s and 1980s contributed to the party-like atmosphere that Fridays seemed have been imbued with. Even non-partiers relished in the opportunity to stay up late Friday and Saturday, and sleep in late the following day, or make up sleep lost over the workweek. PDFs, or pay-day Fridays are even more special, knowing that you can relax or play with your paycheck newly deposited into your bank account.
  In the 1990s, the network ABC launched its TGIF Friday night lineup which brought in the viewers with family friendly comedies. For families, it was a night of relaxation when kids could stay up a little later than usual with the parents.
  On college campuses, TGIF means parties and often, heavy drinking. Some universities have used tactics to entice students to enroll in Friday morning classes to avoid Thursday night parties. In an effort to stretch the weekend partying by another day, many bars have introduced the mantra, “Thursday is the new Friday,” to convince students that the standard weekend needs an extra day. Although “TGIT” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, it seems to be working, as more students report avoiding registering for Friday classes to get more socializing time in.
  The acronym TGIF has become so popular and memorable that many other phrases and names use it for their acronym, including “Thank God I’m Female,” “That Girl is Fine,” The Global Institute of Finance & Banking,” “The Green Initiative Fund,” and the “Texas Geriatrics Interest Fund.”

  Credit: LoveMyMonkeys
  

• 31Mar

  Conficker.C primed for April Fool’s activation

  Uncategorized No Comments

  Website ARS says: We’ve been been tracking the Conficker worm since it launched itself into the wild last November; despite the best efforts of security officials worldwide, the worm still hasn’t been completely crushed. The original flavor and its nastier follow-up (Conficker.A and Conficker.B) have been locked down, but the worm’s creators have a third version (Conficker.C, naturally) prepared to hit the tubes come April 1. The new “C” twist won’t have all of the tools “B” used to replicate, but it will be able to detect and kill certain system processes designed to find and remove it.

  Ars spoke with Don DeBolt, CA’s Director of Threat Research, to get some additional information on Conficker.C, its threat profile, and why the gosh-darned thing isn’t dead yet. CA (formerly Computer Associates) has published an extensive guide to Conficker.C, which includes information on its attack vectors, behavioral analysis, and how to tell if the “C” variant of Conficker is running on your system. This last part could pose a challenge—unlike previous versions, C adopts what DeBolt refers to as a “defensive stance” and throws up a number of roadblocks, all of which are aimed at hindering user detection of the worm.

  The security industry was collectively able to put the brakes on Conficker.B’s expansion when they managed to reverse-engineer the virus and determine which domains it would attempt to register and dial home to on particular dates. With Conficker.A and B, the worm chose to contact 32 addresses out of a possible 250 on any given attempt. With their algorithm broken, the malware authors went a step beyond updating their randomization/selection code—they also vastly increased both the number of domains the worm could generate as well as the number it will randomly select. Conficker.C will select 500 domains out of a randomized pool of 50,000 instead of the previous 32/250.

  This will drive up the cost of operating the botnet (we’ve previously covered how vulnerable malware networks can be to changes in their cost structure) but will also significantly increase the cost of attempting to monitor and prevent botnet registrations, even once the randomizing algorithm has been broken.

  Once installed, Conficker.C implements a variety of nasty behaviors. The worm will attempt to disable Windows Automatic Update and stop access to the Windows Security Center, can detect and kill SysInternals’ Process Explorer program, and will interfere with the operation of a number of other search-and-destroy programs including WireShark and SysClean.

  It will also reset and delete system restore points, disable various services (including WinDefend, BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) ERSvc (Error Reporting Service) and WerSvc (Windows Error Reporting Service, Vista-only). In a final fit of pique, Conficker.C will prevent any attempt to connect to a variety of antivirus software services or websites. This behavior is nothing new to malware in general, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it from our Conf(l)ickt-causing little friend.

  The security industry’s battle against Conficker is unlikely to resolve this go-round—we’ll probably see at least a “D” variant before this is done—but DeBolt believes the coordinated response and organized counter-attack from Team White Hat has dramatically retarded the virus’ ability to infect new systems. In the meantime, Romanian researchers from BitDefender have released a tool that should remove Conficker, though it’s not clear if this will clean versions A, B, and C, or just the first two.

  Credit: arstechnica.com

• 31Mar

  Sorry, But Obama Scares Me

  Uncategorized No Comments

  It is what it is.. I hope he proves me and other naysayers wrong. It could be a great thing if he does. However if he proves the YES folks wrong, then what?
  
  read more | digg story

• 26Mar

  In God We Trust

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  Why do we use this on our money anyway.. Not many people trust in God, unless they are all out of options.
  
  read more | digg story

• 18Dec

  Top Gift ideas For Christmas

  Uncategorized No Comments

  Top 10 gift items for those people that are difficult to buy for….

  1. Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 26-Inch LCD HDTV Monitor -Beautiful inside and out, the Samsung Touch Of Color Monitor is a great way to get the most out of your PC–as well as watch your favorite 1080p HDTV broadcasts. It features an embedded DTV tuner that enables you to watch digital HD broadcasts without a special receiving set. And with six image input terminals, you can connect several pieces of digital equipment to the T260HD and use them simultaneously.
  2. Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Chronograph Canvas Watch is powered by the Eco-Drive movement, which runs continuously in any kind of natural or artificial light for a lifetime of use. Fueled by light, it never needs a battery. This watch has a stainless steel case, military green strap, and a 1 second chronograph and 12/24 hour time indicator.
  3. 14k Gold, Round, Diamond Stud Earrings -Extra 40% Off at Checkout. Simple enough for daytime wear, yet radiant with evening attire, diamond stud earrings offer sophistication and versatility all in one beautiful package. Available in 14 karat white or yellow gold.
  4. Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube -Ideal for children of all ages! Create original music from 5 different instruments (French horn, flute, piano, violin and harp) or play music from eight Mozart compositions. Large colorful buttons light up to the tempo of the music. Soft, rounded corners make it easy for a baby to hold. Batteries included.
  5. Keurig B30 Mini Personal Single-Serve Brewing System -The new mini brewer from Keurig is perfect for coffee lovers and makes a single-serving in less than three minutes, with no messy grinding and no cleanup. The unit uses Keurig’s patented K-Cups, which offer over 70 varieties of pre-measured gourmet coffee and tea from a variety of premium brands. Ten K-Cups come with the machine.
  6. Il Divo -refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to remind the world just what we’ve been missing. The original and most popular operatic quartet returns with its richest, most dynamic and diverse album, “The Promise”.
  7. Maxim – on sale for only $5, and is one of over a hundred magazines on sale through December 31. Find great gifts for everyone on your list, and print out personalized magazine gift cards right away.
  8. Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush with Sanitizer -Your readers can get a promotional certificate good for $40 off a future Amazon.com purchase when they spend $139 on select Norelco, Sonicare, and Bliss Philips products offered by Amazon.com. Eligible products include Sonicare FlexCare power toothbrushes and Norelco arcitec shavers.
  9. Guitar Hero World Tour -Transform your music gaming into a cooperative band experience by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines advanced wireless instruments with online and offline gameplay modes including online Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online (available for multiple platforms). Quantities will be limited!
  10. The Dark Knight on Blu-ray DVD -Available now, Batman and the Joker will be unleashed on Gotham—and the world—just in time for the holidays. Find The Dark Knight on DVD, Blu-ray, and special editions (plus other Batman-related products) in our Dark Knight store.

  MERRY CHRISTMAS,

  TGIFriday.com

  Tags: Christmas, gift, gifts, ideas

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