"Deceptive Duo" Partner Doing Hard Time

21-year-old Robert Lyttle, a Californian hacker who broke into the computer systems of federal agencies has been sentenced to four months in prison. Lyttle, who was part of a two man team called "The Deceptive Duo", was found guilty of unlawfully accessing computer systems of various federal agencies in April 2002. These systems included the Department of Defense's Defense Logistic Information Service (DLIS), Office of Health Affairs (OHA), National Aeronautic and Space Administration's (NASA) and Ames Research Center (ARC). Lyttle has claimed that he was trying to help these organizations improve their security, if only he had asked their permission first he might not be heading for the slammer now.

U.S. District Court Judge D. Lowell Jensen handed down the sentence following a guilty plea on five counts of unauthorized access to government computers. As well as the four month prison sentence, Lyttle will also have to spend a further four months electronically tagged in home confinement and pay $71,181 in restitution. He will also undergo a three year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving his sentence on August 24, 2005.

You may know him under his online handle "Pimpshiz". He is also known for defacing over 200 websites back in 2000 with pro-Napster graffiti messages. In 2002 Robert was raided by the FBI, on suspicion of being a member of the Deceptive Duo hacking group. He also ran the website Sub-Seven.com and was an "acquaintance" of mine at least online. I'm sorry to hear about his conviction, but really he had it coming to him and was easy to catch. For me, I can say it's good that these days I associate myself with more of the security side than hacking side of things.

Neato Is Not A Real Word, But You Can Use It

Little inside post/joke here in hopes it will bring even a small smile to a certain someone's face. See, I can draw too...just not very well. Neato nonetheless though, right? ;)

Celebrity Blogs Including Mark Cuban's

It seems like everyone these days has a little corner on the net. Whether it's their own domain name and website or they just keep a blog going, it's becoming more and more common for people to have a URL alongside of their name, e-mail, cell phone number and home address. Celebrities are no different except they like to keep the majority of the public "out of the loop" when it comes to telling their private/personal contact info. One exception to this rule is that many are putting up their own blogs to interact with the public. It's a safer, less "crazy fan stalking" method of connecting with people. Just like blogs belonging to non-celebrities, some celebrity blogs are personal diaries of their lives and some are more topic oriented.

Now if you know me, you know I'm not much into the Hollywood stuff. Personally, I could care less if Britney got knocked up by some trashy dude or if Tom Cruise is engaged to a girl half his age or even if Oprah has been abducted by aliens...well now THAT I would like to know about so I could cheer. Anyways, I did come across one celebrity blog that interested me. It belongs to a former dot-com millionaire and current owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mr. Mark Cuban. Cuban's blog takes 2 of my loves and combines them - tech and basketball. How could I not be intrigued to read more? Plus he is from the same city I grew up and live in. I have seen him interviewed on occasion and for whatever reason I can't seem to remember if I liked him or not. He is one of those guys that people either love or hate, usually no in-between. He's cocky and a little on the obnoxious side, but he is bright guy that made big bucks and now he is getting to live out the dream of any big kid spending the money as he sees fit. Rough life huh? Well actually it was BEFORE he made it big in the tech industry.

His first business was selling garbage bags door to door as a kid. He was a stereotypical nerd (and if you ask me, is still nerdy today, just the cash helps in the clothes department). After college he had virtually no knowledge in computers, but founded a tech company called MicroSolutions which he then later sold to CompuServe for a cool $6 million. After that he had an idea of broadcasting live games and events through the internet, which led to him creating Broadcast.com which then was sold to Yahoo for $2 BILLION dollars! Now Cuban has taken his money and bought his own NBA team and is enjoying the good life. God, this would be my dream life! Hitting it big in the tech world and then being young enough to still enjoy life with all that money. I too would be buying my own professional sports team. It's been my dream as a kid to do that and I'm sure it was Cuban's also. He is just lucky enough to actually make the dream a reality!

Now the link you have been waiting for, www.blogmaverick.com is Mark Cuban's Blog. I know there are other celeb blogs out there, I just haven't gone looking for them. So if you have a good link to a celeb blog, post it in the comment section and maybe if there is enough interest and a lengthy enough list going, I will make a section for Celebrity Blogs on my sidebar.

Bloggers's Block Sucks

Everyone has had writer's block, where the mind goes blank when it comes to creative and unique things to say/write. Well I think I've officially invented the term "blogger's block". It's similar to writers block of course, except the only difference being it's related to blogging. Today is my blogger's block moment here on the blog. So since I obviously have nothing good to post because of this, enjoy the below image that comes to you from a true writer's/blogger's block desk area.

Ergonomics Exercises Are Important

The term “ergonomics” is derived from two Greek words: “ergon”, meaning work and “nomoi”, meaning natural laws. Ergonomists study human capabilities in relationship to work demands. In recent years, ergonomists have attempted to define postures which minimize unnecessary static work and reduce the forces acting on the body. All of us could significantly reduce our risk of injury if we could adhere to the following ergonomic principles...

• All work activities should permit the worker to adopt several different, but equally healthy and safe postures.
• Where muscular force has to be exerted it should be done by the largest appropriate muscle groups available.
• Work activities should be performed with the joints at about mid-point of their range of movement. This applies particularly to the head, trunk and upper limbs.

Any attempt to improve workplace conditions can have only limited success if the importance of ergonomics is ignored. Ergonomics help people develop the subtle coordination of thought and physical action required to monitor and alter harmful patterns of posture and movement. This in turn reduces your risk of developing a repetitive strain injury. Ergonomic exercises or stretches (with the above image being an extreme, humorous and somewhat gross example of such) can be necessary. Also helpful are the use of ergonomically correct desks, chairs and other computer/office equipment to help reduce and/or eliminate pain and injury. Take this short quiz of 3 questions to see if you could benefit from ergonomic exercises.

• Do you suffer from Repetitive Strain Injury or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
• Do you have a backache or stiff neck and shoulders?
• Do you become uncomfortable when sitting at your computer for long periods of time?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then ergonomic exercises could be of great benefit to you! I've located a good website that gives step-by step illustrated exercises you can do right at your office and they only take a few minutes to complete. Best of all, you should start feeling the results immediately. So in the words of rapper Mase, go "breathe, stretch, shake, let it go"! Another solution, you could just buy some weed off the stoned intern and release your pain that way - joking of course. Now go try those exercises because your boss is calling for a surprise pee check this afternoon! :P

Summer Has Officially Begun - WHOPPIE!

In case you didn't already know, the first day of summer kicked off this past Tuesday according to calendars. So with that, I thought I would share my summer time list of "Loves and Hates" for the season. Perhaps you share some of the same with me, or if you feel chatty, you can post your list in the comment section. If you do nothing else, remember to keep the kid running the lemonade stand down the street in business. Sure 25 cents is more than what I sold it for back in the day and granted kids get lazy and make the mix stuff instead of doing the real homemade kind, but hey he needs to buy a pocket bike this summer so let's help him out. (Alex here is selling it for just 20 cents! Damn it. I should of shopped around and saved a nickel - kidding. Maybe Alex's lemonade isn't as tasty as what I bought. Nah, Alex looks like he's got game so I bet it's good too.) Now, here's my list...

Loves...

• the nice warm weather
• a healthy tan
• the long daylight hours
• the crickets chirping at night
• women wearing less and smelling like suntan lotion - yum
• pool parties and outdoor BBQs
• long motorcycle ride home
• pickup basketball games
• spending an evening at the ballpark tailgating with friends
• a good summer romance
• camping out and making smoores
• mountain biking covered in mud and loving it
• practically living in shorts, tees and sandals

Hates...

• that one annoying bird who insists on being the first to sing waking me and other birds up BEFORE dawn
• having the A/C bill run up
• sweating my ass off with leather car seats
• nothing good on TV
• having to work during the day as compared to being a kid and having off
• bad sun burns (fortunately I don't get those anymore, just tan now)
• thinking of new excuses as to why I don't want a summer fling with ex girlfriends
• Harley riders who feel necessary to talk sh*t and flex their beer muscle on younger guys who ride crotch rockets
• sucking lawnmower fumes and getting buzzed by that mixed with sun heat/humidity while cutting grass
• not being able to take my little buddy for a dog walk these days
• hands down my biggest gripe - bug bites

***UPDATE***
Then there is always the shyster. This boy is a prime example. He's taken his entrepreneurship skills high tech and he's on the verge of highway robber in the process. A $1 off your first cup of lemonade? Ah, what are you selling it for if it's a buck off with your website coupon? My advice, stay away from this kid. Chances are if he has the money and know-how to host a website, then he doesn't need to be selling some overpriced lemonade for his summer job. He should look into being a lawyer if he wants to rip people off. Just look at that smug face of his. It screams "you're a sucker and I'll get away with this because I'll play up the inocent little boy act" - mmmwah haha.

Maintenance Scheduled For My Blog

Over the course of the next few days (time permitting), I will be doing a little facelift on my blog. What I mean by that is I will clean up any broken links or missing image files, fix any typos I have made and delete any spam comments left in the posts. In addition to that I will even go thru the "Bloggers Who Commented" list removing or updating users/blogs that either no longer exist or haven't been active in 60+ days. Initially it sounds like busy work that isn't really needed, given the fact that I have other more pressing things that take priority, but it really won't take me more than a few minutes to do this.

I figure after nearly 6 months of blogging, a little cleanup work may need to be completed. I keep throwing around the idea of changing up the blog template to a new tech theme, but of course I can't decide on anything that looks halfway decent and I would like it to be original work. So for now it looks like I am sticking with the one you see before you. I've updated my blog profile by adding my photo and linking to it on the frontpage as well. I'm not crazy about how it look in terms of meshing well with the rest of the layout, so I might move it around trying to improve the overall style of the site. By the way, Blogger announced the other day that it is now offering free image hosting right on their servers! You can store up to 300MB of photos in a variety of formats to be used with your blog. Click here for more details.

So that is what I will be up to on the blog and if you see a glitch here or there, don't worry because I'll work those bugs out pretty fast. I doubt you will notice any problems that a quick page refresh a few minutes later can't correct. So Mr. Fix-It will be doing just that, fixing things here in the blogosphere. Hopefully it is change for the better.

A Day Of Disappointment

A word of caution, you may not want to read this post if you are having a lousy day yourself, because if you do, you might depress yourself even more. Now with that said, if you still want to hear about my multiple failures packed within a 24 hour span, do read on! By definition, the word disappointment means it's the act of disappointing. The condition or feeling of being disappointed. One that disappoints. A feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized. An act (or failure to act) that disappoints someone.

So what is it about disappointment that makes us physically sick to our stomach? Whether you are the one doing the disappointing or on the receiving end of a disappointer, it's never pleasant and it's certainly an unsettling nauseas like feeling that comes over every part of you. It's a powerful thing, too powerful I think...did I mention it sucks? Yeah, it does. Without going into too much detail, here is a quick rundown of how I've failed and disappointed myself and others. It happened yesterday over and over again throughout the entire course of the day.

We can start off with my job. I've been away on business since Sunday night and it wasn't suppose to carry out all the way into Thursday, but it did. In my line of work, expectations can be extremely high. It's only normal that it puts stress and strain on you trying to meet those expectations. The majority of the time I manage to succeed, but sometimes I crack under pressure. I suppose I could use the pep talk phrase on myself and say "you're only human, everyone makes mistakes", but unfortunately when I do f-up, I f-up big! What's surprising is the last trip out to DC I impressed these guys. Here was someone less than half their age doing things for them they didn't even fully understand and all within record setting times. Hell, I even impressed myself a little. Then this next trip out the same group of people that were praising me had a completely different attitude towards me once I "messed up". I was no longer the "talented kid in his 20s". I now became the "overrated punk who was in over his head".

Then without getting too personal and respecting her privacy, I've managed to come back home and disappoint a woman. Yes, I know that is far worse than disappointing a bunch of stuffy government guys. She's having a hard time and I know what I need/should do for her, but somehow I manage to screw that up too. I don't know what is worse, living with the screw-up on my mind or having to break the disappointing news to her knowing what she must be thinking or feeling about it. Being the jerk I am, I make matters even worse by putting off telling her for a few hours because I'm such a puss. I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way towards me if I was in her shoes.

Lastly, I close out the day being the party pooper out tonight with my friends. Tired from traveling and feeling bad about how the day had played out so far were all weighing on me. It was keeping me from being my normal "life of the party" guy. I suppose I should brush that one off because it's not huge and it happens, but still. One other thing, I should add that my dog not getting better is very disappointing to me. Now that might sound silly to some, but if you have a pet you love and has been with you since you were a kid, you would understand. Ok, enough of me being a baby.

I want to say that I didn't write this post for pitty. I don't expect that. I wrote it to show I do in fact acknowledge my own mistakes and take responsibility for them. I hope to learn and change for the better from them. If I am being hard on myself right now, it's only because I feel I deserve it. I'm sure this will past and I'll live to disappoint another day - bad joke, sorry. Tomorrow I have a lighter/more happier post to upload. Perhaps I will put it up early to lift my sad blog spirits. I hope everyone's weekend is enjoyable and do your best not to follow in my disappointing footsteps.

Push It Past Game 6 And You May Spark My Interest

I use to be a huge NBA fan. Back in the 90s I never missed a Chicago Bulls game. I faithfully routed for my team even before they started wining back to back championships. Jordan was my idol! He was simply amazing on the court and off the court he's a pretty good guy too. I got to meet him once when he played at a local Mario Lemiux celebrity golf tournament. He's not a bad golfer either. So enough of me "kissing the air he flies thru" (get it, a play on words like "kissing the ground he walks on"). That was then, this is now. Today there is little to worship or cheer for, or even like when it comes to the NBA. The players are generally spoiled, childish and basically assholes. The games lack that excitement they once possessed and instead of "heros" winning the game with that final shot at the buzzer, we are left with a bunch of rich thugs slugging it out sometimes even before tipoff.

Now THAT is what I call getting close to the action!

Get up and personal with your favorite NBA All-Stars.

Forget the autographs, how about a nice punch in the face instead?

It's just another way Ron Artest likes to "leave his mark".

As the NBA season comes to an end, I can't say I watched much of the regular season or playoffs. I have barely even watched the finals between the Spurs and Pistons. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that as the final championship game comes to a close tonight, we will remember this NBA season more for the mayhem than the glory. Whoever wins tonight and is crowned the world champs will have their accomplishments overshadowed much like the way Mike Tyson's career is looked back on (06/13/05
Mike Tyson Calls It Quits After A Disgusting Performance). People will remember more of the big Indian Pacer and Detroit Piston brawl than anything else. It was talked about on ESPN, local and national news for a month straight! We will also close out this NBA season with the ugly dispute about the collective bargaining agreement...and perhaps carry the negotiations well into the off season. Pro athletes wanting more money? Hmm, there is a surprise.

At the very least, I can say "I might" sit thru (or shall I say, suffer thru) game 7 tonight of the Spurs vs Pistons. I don't have anyone to route for, so really I don't give a crap who wins. That in itself is something very, very rare when it comes to me and sports. I am a competitive freak whether I'm watching or playing. So not having someone to route for is bizarre to me. I suppose if I did have to pick a team, I would go for the Spurs just because the Pistons probably shouldn't even be in it given the fact they were the sparrow partner with the Pacers earlier this year. They are lucky the entire team wasn't suspended for the season. There is little to look forward to when it comes to the next year's NBA season. I find that there is much more to look down on in the NBA since the end of the Jordan era. Anyways, life goes on and so does hoops. So half heartedly I say "Go Spurs".

Brutally Honest, Straight And To The Point

Here's a kid that knows how to sweep the ladies off their feet! He doesn't BS around. He gets his message out there loud and clear. It's simply said in black and white - literally. There is no such thing as a "gray area" in understanding him. There is no wondering, asking questions or trying to analyze his inner most thoughts. No, this boy tells it like it is. You have to have respect for someone who is well ahead of his time. If the future brings me a son, I only hope he will be like this kid...minus 50lbs. ;)

***UPDATE***
I added a profile pic to my blog. Thanks to EXSENO for hosting it for me! So for anyone that doesn't know me in real life and is wondering just who writes this superb blog, now you can see. :P

Bluetooth Snarfing Sniper Rifle

The point of this post is to make people aware of the endless vulnerabilities around you. Now I don't mean to panic you or cause paranoia in my readers, but it's important to recognize that your computer, your cell phone, your PDA and virtually any other electronic device that stores and transmits data is "hackable". When it comes to technology, privacy is never fool-proof. There is no such thing as 100% secure and that rule even applies to the government. Where there is a will, there is a way. Hackers prove this theory over and over again. The first step in gaining back your privacy and security is being aware, being informed. So read the article below and then you can consider yourself to be a little more knowledgeable on one of the latest methods in which hackers are compromising your everyday life.

Bluetooth is a short-range radio technology aimed at simplifying communications among Internet devices, between Bluetooth enabled devices and the Internet. It also aims to simplify data synchronization between Internet devices and other computers. Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging.

• Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.
• Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement.
• Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

At last year's annual Defon "hacker convention gathering", the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls!

Laptops Outsell Desktops For The First Time Ever

Perhaps it's the fact that laptops are not the most easy thing to upgrade, nor are they the most cost efficient in terms of upgrading, as compared to a desktop PC. Technology changes so fast that within a year or two, your laptop is obsolete - even more so than a desktop. Could it be that most laptops have a shorter life span than your average desktop PC, thus needing to be replaced more often? Because laptops are so mobile, your risk of something happening to it obviously increases, which in turn causes you to go out and buy a new one. This includes losing them, theft or accidental damage such as Fido pissing on it. Perhaps you should of said yes to that BS warranty they tried to sell you.

In any case it looks like laptop sales are increasing as more and more computing goes wireless. Nobody wants to sit in a room wired when you can have the freedom of wireless technology. Go wireless and you'll be spending your time virtually anywhere, including the great outdoors! Therefore the jump in laptop sales only makes sense, not to mention the fact that you can buy many good laptops now for under $1,000 making them very affordable. According to research firm Current Analysis, sales of laptops accounted for 53% of the total PC market last month, up from 46% a year earlier. I expect to see these numbers only increase in the future.

Father's Day Tribute To The Old Man

Today is Father's Day and that means Dads around the world (I think it's a worldwide holiday) will be getting praised, thanked and rewarded. It only comes once a year, but it's time to pay tribute to the old man for all the hard work he has done in helping raise us thru childhood and even into our adult years. Of course if you are one of those worthless deadbeat Dads, this day only means that you will be despised and spit on even more than usual...but then again I feel you are use to it and you don't really care anyways. Like they say, anyone can be a father but it takes something more to be a "Dad" - it requires going beyond putting a roof over your head and food on the table.

When you think about it, fathers don't get alot of love. For many (well mostly sons) it seems weird/uncomfortable to get sentimental with Dad. I certainly don't have a super tight relationship with my Dad, at least not in a sentimental way. I would never say "hey Dad I love you" or vice versa. Sure I do, but we are "manly men" and that is an area that is better left unsaid and just "known". Maybe that is bad, but it has always been that way. I'm fine with it and so is he. Besides, I think we both would be super uncomfortable if we had to be all huggy and stuff. My Dad has taught me alot growing up and I can't imagine what it is like for some kids to grow up without a Dad. It must really be hard. I am fortunate enough that my parents remain married to this day and although there were rocky times along the way, I can say my childhood was pretty good. My relationship with my Dad isn't too bad either and I definitely have more fond memories of spending time with him than bad ones.

Things I've Learned From Dad
You taught me how to ride a bike, fish, shoot a basketball, train a dog, drive a stick and even pee standing up like a man (something Mom couldn't really teach well). You also taught me not to be afraid to take a risk and push myself. I can remember riding super fast on a snowmobile with you and feeling perfectly safe. I think I would of failed Algebra back in 7th grade had it not been for you helping me nearly every night with my homework. Even when you scolded me, I knew it was only because you were trying to teach me right from wrong. I watched how you treated women and followed your example in being a gentleman - opening doors, being respectful to what they say, ect. You showed me the proper way to cut a good steak and how to shave my face with the grain. You even let me in on the secret to the biggest and best cannonball pool splashes.

Times Dad Was There For Me
You were at ALL of my basketball games, boxing matches and any other sporting event I was involved in. That meant so much to me and I don't think Dads realize what a big deal that is to a kid. You gave me my first "kid job" helping you and snuck me a couple bucks for cutting even our own lawn (shh, don't tell Mom). You were the first to congratulate me when I finished college. You gave me your good taste in jewelry advice when I bought an engagement ring. You were sympathetic to me when that same girl broke up with me and you even had great advice on that as well as when I was fired for the first time at work. You were visibly shaken and scared, which is something I have never seen, when I received bad news and when I had my motorcycle accident.

I could go on, but I don't want to bore anyone and I think you get the point of this post. Hopefully you too have more fond than bad memories of time spent with your Dad. My father has taught me more thru the years than what I have listed, but the most important thing I have learned from him is just by following his example. He's a good role model and I like to think he had much to do with the way I turned out today, which I think isn't all that bad of a guy. So this Father's Day, the gift I give you won't be anything near as good as what you have given me, but hopefully you will like the surprise I have coming. ;)

Related post 05/08/05 Happy Mother's Day

Proof That AOL Sucks More Than Ever

Prolexic, a provider of security consulting products, has claimed that Deutsche Telecom, Wanadoo and AOL are Europe's top three internet providers for harboring infected PCs. The primary attack of choice in the beginning of 2005 was an advanced full connection based flood. This attack exposes the real IP address of the attacking zombie. Due to the sheer number of IP addresses that must be blacklisted to successfully defend against the attack, this places an overwhelming load on protection hardware. The findings were based on statistics taken from real DOS (Denial Of Service) attacks over the last six months. Globally, AOL was found to be the most infected service provider on the Internet!

To add insult to injury, the same day this news hit the net, a new AIM virus is announced to be circulating. It was contained within hours, according to experts. The worm started with a message that read “LOL LOOK AT HIM” and contained a contaminated link. In the past, worms that infected IM programs through a corrupted link also included a backdoor for malicious code to be installed on the user's PC. It is not yet known whether or not the infection achieved this. The worm is thought to be a variant of the Opanki virus that surfaced on the Internet last month. IM users are warned to be just as careful with links in chat programs as they are with e-mail attachments, as there has been an increase in IM worms.

I'm Exhausted, Drained To The Last Drop

First let me start by saying, don't read the title of this post as sexual. I know how your filthy mind works because my head is in the gutter most of the time too! I will blame it on my age...what's your excuse? ;) I had a moblog shot of RedBull awhile back, but not even "the bull jiz juice" (see this post to understand what I mean by that term) can refresh my body and mind at this point. Believe me, I tried - just drank a can of RedBull and it had no affect on me at all. Therefore, I'm going to try some new Mountain Dew Amp energy drink.

I'm just feeling emotionally and physically beat lately. Between work, women (sorry) and just alot of other things is causing me to crash. I'm going to try and get a good night sleep here as soon as I finish this post (posting this early on Thursday) and hope that helps. It's not like I don't exercise, eat right and stuff - I do actually alot. I was even a good boy and skipped going out with the guys drinking tonight so I could just catch up on some R&R. To make matters worse, I think I have a bit of insomnia and that's when I DON'T drink RedBull, Amp or anything like that. I can't help it. I've had problems sleeping well since college and I do have alot of messed up dreams/nightmares (see dream/nightmare posts - part 1 and part 2) so that probably just adds to it. I can be dead tired but as soon as I lay down, my head races and keeps me wide awake. It's annoying, frustrating and finally really taking it's toll on me. Even my attitude is a bit "jerkish" lately. Almost everyone and everything is irritating the hell out of me. I apologize.

I feel like an old man today. Nobody should feel this depleted in their 20s. I'm usually the energizer bunny when it comes to everything, but maybe my batteries just need a little recharging and I'll be good to go - just like new again. Let's hope that happens fast because one thing I don't like feeling is lazy. I think a need a vacation. It's a matter of finding the time to do it. I'll have to make time for that soon because I feel like sh*t and desperately need a break from things. Thanks for listening to me b*tch and moan. Now for the good news, the weekend is here! So go and enjoy.

GTA Hidden Sex Game

Listen up game geeks, especially the pimpled faced teen fresh on summer vacation with hormones raging and too much time on his "hands". A few months ago, Barton Waterduck discovered a few sections of unused code in the PS2 version of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) San Andreas for the girlfriend "missions". With a bit of memory hacking and such, he discovered these removed portions of mission scripting were to not only put the camera inside the girlfriend's house when you stop in for "coffee", but also to make a little sex mini-game of it. Now, with the magic of user-editable files on the PC, PatrickW was able to unlock the uncensored "coffee" segments for all to play with. Press O repeatedly for the "O face" - joking.

Many were doubtful about its authenticity. Well there's a new version out which combines Hot Coffee with the state wide open and allows you to travel all around the state to different girlfriends. The mod now also has two different modes. For those non-believers, you can download the 1:30 video of the interactive coffee session with a girlfriend after a date. Many are claiming these are doctored images, however if there is any doubt left after having seen these images and viewing the video, just download and install the modification for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PC.

Now there is just one more reasons for parents and the FCC to get all huffy over the GTA series. As if stealing cars, selling drugs, killing people and beating up pimps and hoes wasn't enough already...now add some simulated pixel sex. If that turns you on, I feel very, very sad for you.

***WARNING!***
If you are offended by cartoon nudity, I suggest you don't click the screen shots to enlarge.

Another Dot-Com Boom?

Could it be true? Could there be another "dot-com boom" nearly 10 years after the "dot-com bust"? It's the best news I've heard in a long time, but is it too early to start investing and celebrating? Some anlysists say no and it's time to jump aboard for round 2 of the tech industry's version of...SHOW ME THE MONEY!

CNN Money is reporting that the internet might be at a stage of another dot-com book, with the top tech stocks now gaining ground again after the dot-com crash. According to the book, now 10 years after two key events in the history of the Internet are the successful IPO of Netscape (which many cite as the beginning of Wall Street's love affair with net stocks) and the founding of Yahoo! We're in the midst of a new, let's say mini dot-com boom. Now that is something even I can stand up and say YAHOO about!

Now I'm not going to go crazy at the first bit of light shinning down the dark tunnel, but I may look into starting up another business. I was still finishing up college when round 1 of the dot-com boom was well underway. It drove me nuts racking my brain thinking of how I could profit and be one of the latest 20 something year old dot-com millionaires. The Napster thing I saw coming, but was beat to the punch. There were also some other tech ideas that I was working on, but then later kicked myself for not going about it the right way that someone else did and watched them cash in on it. So this time around I'm determined to get my hand in the pot of good luck and good fortune. If anything I have learned from the dot-com bust in the past and I won't be one of the guys that goes for gold and then comes crashing down harder than "insert just about any tech company name here".

I was lucky enough to land a position fresh out of school in one of the tech companies that were booming. It was the #1 tech company in the city, headquartered right where I already lived and had branches around the world. The 4 men that started the company came from CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) and became multi-millionaires almost overnight. In my first year I went from working in a cube up to a rather plush office of my own. My job title would vary and before I knew it I found myself running big meetings, having new responsibilities and even getting to do a little hiring and firing (which of course I hated to do the firing). Sadly though, the ride would be short lived due to the fact that I was entering the workforce at a time when the tech world was already on it's way out. The point is, it was the best of times and the worst of times for techies then. For the last decade you have seen everyone in that industry struggle with layoffs and some even going bankrupt...which by the way only happens if you don't grasp the fact that what goes up, must come down - sooner or later.

So with that said, I have learned. I'm not sure I would trust alot of these stock brokers with my cash. I worked long and hard for the money, so in some ways it almost seems foolish to hand it over and allow them to "gamble" with it. Really, that is all investing in the stock market is - a gamble. Of course we all need an investment firm, it's just picking the right one and praying for the best possible outcome. I've seen too many family and friends lose $100,000+ in the stock market and I would be sick if that happened to me. Therefore, I am going to play it a little safer and take advantage of this next possible dot-com boom, but still learn from other's past mistakes and keep in mind that not every cloud always has a silver lining. Unlike some, I know that what goes up must come down. Let's just hope you don't see any of my businesses listed on the www.fuckedcomany.com website. Remember if you get rich off the next dot-com boom, you know you heard about it coming first, here on my blog. ;)

New Found Talent At Tickling The Ivory

Awhile back I said I was going to post about a rather odd/interesting little hidden talent I found within myself. Since then, I've been caught up with other post topics and just haven't sat down to write this up, until now. Let me start by saying this probably amazed me more than anyone. I have no idea where this came from, it just "appeared" is the only way I can describe it. There's an old saying "God works in mysterious ways". Well if that is true, this is perhaps THE MOST MYSTERIOUS of all ways...ever!

One Saturday afternoon I was on my way to pick up a buddy. He was over at his girlfriend's parent's house, so that is where I had to swing by. Now I've never been there before, but I have met her Mom and I'm comfortable around her. She is one of those "make yourself at home" types of women, which is cool. Upon arriving at her house, she told me to make myself at home, so I did. While I was waiting for my buddy to come downstairs, I noticed she had a piano in her living room. I thought I would entertain myself, you know just mess around. I knew I could play "Figaro" or "Mary Had A Little Lamb", but that is about the extent of it. Although I never expected this to come out...

I'm sure you have all heard The Backstreet Boys (or as some call them, The Backdoor Boys) are back, yes back again. Goodie right (sarcasm)? If you've heard their new song titled "Incomplete" then you have noticed it is mostly piano. Now before you laugh, I'm NOT a fan. I had the stereo on in my car and the song came on while I was driving over to pick up my friend. I'm rambling so let me tell you how this ties in together. By the way, you can download the song here and view the lyrics here.

For whatever reason the song didn't really stick in my head, nor did I find it all that catchy when I first heard it. In fact I wasn't even thinking of the song and I bet if you had asked me at that moment to hum it, I couldn't even do that. THAT is how much I "thought" I paid attention to it when it came on the radio. Now are you ready for the really weird part? Well I sat down at this piano, which by the way I've never had any musical practice on anything before in my life, and out of nowhere a perfect remediation of the song "Incomplete" came out of me! Yeah, what? That is what I thought too. I was actually a little freaked out.

Now I don't know how to read music and there wasn't even the song playing in the background, lyrics laying around or anything to help me along. It just came out of me note by note and right on cue. It was very strange indeed. So strange that it stopped everyone else in the house dead in their tracks when they heard it. As soon as I heard people coming downstairs to see what was going on, I stopped playing and acted like I was just wondering around looking out the window. I didn't know what to think. Perhaps it was just a fluke or it was my imagination. I even thought for a moment that what if someone hears or sees me, that I won't be able to do it again. The whole thing was just so bizarre to me that I couldn't make heads or tails out of the situation. Should I be proud or should I feel creeped out? I decided to take the oddest route of all, I pretended it wasn't me playing. Obviously not the most brilliant move I've ever made.

To wrap my tale up, everyone in the house found me out - so much for the "pretend it wasn't me alibi". Naturally the phrases of "how did you do that", "I didn't know you played" and "do it again" where repeated over and over to me. To be honest, I have no clue if that song is hard to play or not. I know nothing about keys, bars or whatever you call it. My question to those who made it thru this lengthy post (sorry about that), is this normal? I don't think it is, but how rare is it to be able to do that without ever playing before? I defiantly don't think I am some musical prodigy or anything like that. I just think it's really, really strange. I still don't know how to feel about it. Anyone have some insight on this for me? I would appreciate the thoughts. Thanks!

Michael Jackson Molestation Trial Verdict Is In!

NOT GUILTY...TOLD YOU SO

Michael Jackson has been found NOT GUILTY of ALL 10 counts against him, including child molestation, conspiracy and other charges stemming from his relationship with a teen boy. I can't say I'm surprised at all. I did however think he would of had a "guilty" on one or two of the smaller counts, but the jury saw it differently. Fans gathered outside the courtroom make me laugh though. Some crazy woman was standing there releasing doves after each "not guilty" charge was read to the public. Other fans were cheering and crying tears of joy. Come on now, that is a little much. Your thoughts on the verdict?

My Blog Coverage of the Jackson Trial

• 03/07/05 Michael Jackson Trial Gives New Meaning To...
• 03/18/05 Death Row, Jacko and Another "Juice"
• 06/05/05 If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Equit

***UPDATE***
If you look to your right on the sidebar, you'll see I added a new voting poll. Cast your vote on the Michael Jackson verdict. Do you agree or disagree with the outcome? Since I added a new poll, I decided it was time to take down the old poll. Thanks to those that voted and it looks like "Sushi" is the winning name for my new iMacAquarium fish as it just barely edged out the competition! He may need a buddy/roommate, so the running up name was "iFish" and that is what I will call fish #2. You can view the voting stats below.

What is the best name for my iMacAquarium fish?

Selection Votes (13 votes total)
Steve - after Apple CEO Steve Jobs 8% 1
Sushi - does it need an explanation? 46% 6
Mac - tough name shortened after the iMac 8% 1
iFish - spin off on the iEverything Apple makes 38% 5

Mike Tyson Calls It Quits After A Disgusting Performance

The once Iron Mike Tyson is alot less "iron" these days as his boxing career has spiraled out of control and plummeted downhill at record speeds. The rape conviction, the ear biting incident and the chaotic press conferences are all just parts of Tyson's very interesting/controversial life and professional career. Although we may of seen the last of these antics and Mr. Tyson himself, at least the last of him in the ring. After Saturday nights bout against Kevin McBride, Tyson found himself on the receiving end of the majority of punches, even laying him out on the canvas. Tyson called it quits to the fight after just the 6th round. Then later in the press conference he called it quits to his boxing career as well. He stated the reason being that "his heart just wasn't in the sport anymore". Personally I think he should of called it quits a few years back when he showed his skills were diminishing as he bite Holyfield out of frustration.

For many boxers, fighting in the ring is a positive way to take your frustration out and that was one thing Tyson did very well. He has never hid the fact that he is an emotional guy. Tyson's emotions would boil up until they erupted inside the ring. Unfortunately, as time went on and Tyson grew older, his skills were not as sharp as they once were. He became frustrated by this and would resort to "fighting dirty" - pulling out all the punches and even biting if he had to in order to regain control over his opponent and attempt to win the round. As Tyson approaches 40 years of age, I can't help but wonder what he is going to do with all these built-up emotions now if he doesn't have a boxing ring to unleash them in. For that reason, I think we will see more of Iron Mike, just not when it comes to boxing. My guess is you turn to CourtTV rather than ESPN in the future to see what's up with Mike.

Many consider Mike Tyson as one of the greatest boxers of all time. His mix of power and intensity were unlike any other heavyweight. He use to literally stalk his opponent down in the ring like a tiger, cornering him and then exploding with furry. He struck hard and fast, never letting up until Tyson was left towering over yet another fallen man. Years ago, he never failed to impressed me as I would watch him battle it out in aww. However the last few years he has done anything but impress me...rather he has disgusted and disappointment me. I've never seen such a tremendous amount of raw talent go to waste. It's pretty sad given all the potential he had before him. There is no doubt Iron Mike has left his mark on boxing history. I'm just not sure if his career will be highlighted in a positive way. You can't deny his accomplishments in the sport, but as the years went by, those championship belts were overshadowed by all of the mayhem he brought along with him. To me that is a shame because I feel he will be remembered more for biting someone's ear off than for having a 50-6 record with numerous 1st round KOs all while fighting the biggest names in boxing. He was one of the reasons I got into boxing. I loved Tyson's relentless style. It was so impressive that it could bring out great enthusiasm even in non-boxing fans.

So Mike Tyson left his legacy after being pushed to the canvas in the sixth round on Saturday. He was slow to get up and resume his non-title fight with McBride. The bell rang to end the round and Tyson sat on his stool in his corner. And that is where he stayed, deciding not to continue fighting, against McBride or any other opponent. "I cannot do this no more," Tyson said. "I am not going to lie to myself. And I am not going to embarrass this sport anymore." Um, I think throwing in the towel during your last professional bout is in no way as "embarrassing" as chewing off the ear of another man! But yes Mike, I agree you are embarrassing this sport these days and your time has come and gone. I hope you enjoyed the ride while it lasted and I also hope that people will try and remember Mike Tyson with more of the great talent he brought into the ring, rather than the disgusting antics he closed out his final few years with.

The Gods Have Spoken

Amen brother. Amen.

Virtual Stripper

Hot on the heals (no pun intended) of my post 04/22/05 Virtual Bartender, comes the Virtual Stripper. The same concept from the Virtual Bartender is carried out to the Virtual Stripper. You simply type what you want her to do and she obeys! Of course there are a few things she will refuse to do or may simply not understand. I mean come on, she is a stripper so don't expect her to be a wiz kid. She will get confused from time to time, so bare with it if you want her to bare it all for you.

Click Here For The Virtual Stripper

As always, this Virtual Stripper should in no way make up for a real stripper or better yet, a real woman in general. So play with this a little and then go out and ask real women to perform your naughty demands - JOKING. Ok, it's worth a try but if you get slapped in the face, don't blame me.

Public Or Private Rejection/Humiliation, You Choose

Want to know how to get rid of obnoxious and annoying bar guys? You know the ones that are unattractive and can't take a hint you're not interested. Usually they have bad pick up lines, can't dance, wear too much cologne and are eager to boast to you about how much of a stud they feel they are. Well ladies listen up because I have your answer! Everyone has heard of lines like "my number is 1-800-Get Lost" so that form of rejection/humiliation is just too obvious. Why not be more subtle and let the poor bastard down in a more creative and realistic looking way?

It's called "Not-My-Number" and it provides phone numbers nationwide for women to use when they go out and encounter those guys that "just won't give up". The concept is rather simple. You give the guy the number and tell him it's yours. When he calls, he gets a humorous rejection message aimed at deflating his ego a few notches. There's no charge for the service whatsoever, as the website relies totally upon commercial sponsors for it's revenue.

Of course men too sometimes have to deal with the unwanted girl. You know the chick that needs to get a clue. She is usually throwing herself at you in her tightest shirt with the world's shortest skirt. She leaves little to the imagination and unfortunately for you, the last thing you want to do is "imagine her" at all. So what do we do guys? Well I have a solution for this problem as well. You can either use a similar fake phone number service called "The Rejection Line", which is appropriate for ditching both men and women, or you could go the fake e-mail route and use a service called "Paper Napkin". This also can be used for men or women. Paper Napkin works like this...

Give them anyname@papernapkin.net (or paamail.com to be less suspicious), tell them it's your address and when they write you, they'll automatically get a response telling them how badly they've been rejected. If they sound desperate enough, it may even get posted and ridiculed online (via the Paper Napkin website)! Yes it's cruel, so use it wisely. Now I know what you are thinking. Sure you could just tell the guy or girl you aren't interested instead of playing these little games/tricks on them, but that wouldn't make for a very entertaining post now would it?

***Editor's Note***
Just for the record, I've never been given a fake number or e-mail address from a woman (thank god). I'm not sure I would ever use any of the above mentioned services. Although I still feel there is a need for them (would of come in handy had I know about these before) and find them pretty damn funny if I do say so myself. So for all the losers out there who fall victim to any of these services, I feel for ya. Ok actually I don't because you probably had it coming sooner or later. Still...better luck next time.

Turn Your Blog Into Cold Hard Cash

If you enjoy blogging, you obviously spend some time doing it. So as the saying goes, "time is money". Therefore why is your blog time not accounted for? Why are you not getting paid to blog? Well if your blog isn't for business purposes you may think you can't make money from it - wrong! Personal blogs can bring in the green just the same and I'll not only tell you how, but also show you (and no this is not an infomercial, it's me sharing a little know-how for those who care to try this out). It's called AdSense at www.google.com/adsense

Google AdSense is a fast and easy way for website publishers of all sizes to display relevant Google ads on their website's content pages and earn money. Because the ads are related to what your visitors are looking for on your site, or matched to the characteristics and interests of the visitors your content attracts, you'll finally have a way to both monetize and enhance your content pages. It's also a way for website publishers to provide Google web and site search to their visitors and to earn money by displaying Google ads on the search results pages. The big secret to Google AdSense is…there is no big secret. Disappointed? Perhaps this list of tips will help you increase your AdSense revenue, but remember, there’s no one thing that “works.” For the most part, AdSense works because alot of different parts work. Follow these tips to test, test and test. Test until you know what works for your site/blog.

Make Your Ads Blend In
Make your ads blend into your site. Make the ad border and background color the same color as your site’s background color. Make the ad title’s the same color as your links. Make sure there’s plenty of padding around the ads. I’ve found the more white space the better. If you have an image or animated gif next to the ads I’ve found this too helps. Test, test and test different formats.

Specific Content
Make sure your content is specific. It’s better to have 10 pages about 10 things than 1 page about 10 things. Your content should reflect what’s on your site.

One Really Good Ad Is Better Than 3 OK Ads
I’ve found that it’s better to have 1 really good ad than 3 OK ads. I think this is because when you show more ads, you show lower paying ads. So if/when the visitor clicks, they’re clicking lower paying ads.

Ad Placement
Make sure you’re ads are placed in strategical spots. Reference Google’s heat map (shown above) for the best locations for ads.

Experiment
Just because something doesn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. Experiment, test and track the results. Don’t change your ads more frequently than weekly. Daily figures can range dramatically – take the week’s average.

I must add that you shouldn't go off and quit your job because you will now be getting paid to blog. In all honesty, chances are you will not see alot of profit from using AdSense on your blog/site. There are of course exceptions to this rule and let's hope you are one of the success stories. Just don't bank on bringing in a note worthy amount of money or you may be disappointed. This is more of $20 a month deal if you are lucky. I thought it's only fair to state that fact. So with that said, may you continue blogging now with the added sound of, a little or perhaps alot, "cha-ching" in your pockets.

The OC

Appreciating the simple, beautiful things in life. Sunset ocean view from Orange County, CA.

If I Were...

I'll confess, like my post back on 04/13/05 I Will Comply, I stole this idea from another blog.

If I were a month, I would be: July
If I were a day of the week, I would be: Saturday
If I were a time of day, I would be: dusk
If I were a planet, I would be: Mars
If I were a sea animal, I would be: a shark
If I were a direction, I would be: pointing north :P
If I were a piece of furniture, I would be: a huge comfy bed
If I were a historical figure, I would be: Nostradamus
If I were a liquid, I would be: vodka
If I were a stone, I would be: a diamond, duh...no actually marble - it's interesting, smooth and tough

If I were a tree, I would be: the maple tree I grew up with
If I were a bird, I would be: a night owl
If I were a tool, I would be: a glue gun
If I were a flower/plant, I would be: a daisy or rose from my backyard
If I were a kind of weather, I would be: warm sunshine, aww :P
If I were a musical instrument, I would be: a piano
If I were an animal, I would be: a panther
If I were a color, I would be: red of course
If I were an emotion, I would be: romantic and humourus
If I were a vegetable, I would be: corn on the cob
If I were a sound, I would be: laughing
If I were an element, I would be: water
If I were a car, I would be: a Ferrari
If I were a song, I would be: Green Day - "Time Of Your Life"
If I were a movie, I would be directed by: no clue
If I were a book, I would be written by: Dr. Seus
If I were a food, I would be: sushi because "a certain someone" would love me and eat me up!
If I were a place, I would be: NY
If I were a material, I would be: silk - soft, sexy, goes with the flow but needs to be treated right to last
If I were a taste, I would be: sweet with a spicey kick
If I were a flavor, I would be: good choclate
If I were a scent, I would be: mulled wine
If I were a word, I would be: adventorus
If I were an object, I would be: a sex toy, kidding...I would be a pen to express myself
If I were a body part, I would be: um, you know...if keeping it PG, I would eyes
If I were a facial expression, I would be: a big smile

eBay Human Ad Space Overload

A few months back, a man came up with the idea of auctioning off his forehead on eBay to be used as a human billboard. Since then, eBay has been flooded with people doing spin-offs on the idea trying to sell numerous body parts and material possessions to be used as ad space. From babies, to breasts, to cars, there is no limit to what people are trying to sell/market to hungry advertisers.

Let me catch everyone up to speed if this is the first you have heard of this. A 20-year-old web designer named Andrew Fischer (or better known as "The Forehead Guy") from Omaha was the first to auction off his forehead on eBay to be used as ad space. A company called SnoreStop was the winning bid, at get this...over $37,375! He had no idea the bidding would go that high and of course he is back at it again in hopes more advertisers will want in on his precious noggin.

Is it just me, or is anyone else amazed at some of the stuff that goes up on eBay? Some ideas, like this one, I just want to slap my forehead and say "duh, why didn't I think of that". Then again I can't see subjecting my body to such blatant advertising even if I did make nearly 40 grand off of it. Ah, who am I kidding? I would do it. It wouldn't kill me and like this guy, I would be the one with the last laugh...all the way to the bank. Besides, most people wear t-shirt slogans and designer clothing with the label displayed somewhere on their body, so how much different can it be to plaster it on your forehead? Right now I have an old tee on that says "Polo Jeans" and Ralph Lauren isn't sending me a check. Perhaps I'm the idiot since this guy is getting paid for "sponsorship" and I'm not.

You can check out "The Forehead Guy" website at www.humanadspace.com

If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Equit

The famous words (if it doesn't fit, you must equit) spoken by defense attorney Johnny Cochran back in the 90's, as he was defending OJ Simpson on double murder chargers, now come into play in the latest "trial of the century" - the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. Although in this case we aren't talking about a designer leather glove or even the sparkly glove that helped make Jackson famous. No, we are talking about whether or not the stories and all the "evidence" adds up enough to show guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If not (if it doesn't fit), then you must equit. After just 66 days of court duty, closing statements ended this past Friday and now it's up to the jury whether or not Michael Jackson will walk or the accusing family will be awarded millions. If Jackson is found guilty, he could face up to 15 years in a state prison!

The panel of eight women and four men filed into the deliberation room where they will sift through nearly 700 pieces of evidence. Relying on their recollections and notes from the testimony of 140 witnesses, they will determine whether Michael Jackson is guilty of molesting a 13-year-old boy. The panel deliberated for about two hours Friday before breaking for the day. They are not sequestered and will resume deliberations Monday.

I've been following the trial as much as I could and I did a post on it (03/07/05 Michael Jackson Trial Gives New Meaning To "Beat It") when it started back in March. I kept an open mind through the trial, but I must say I still feel pretty much the same on things as I did even before opening statements began. I am honestly going to be shocked if Michael Jackson doesn't walk free. I just think the brothers couldn't get their stories straight and I'm sure everyone can agree the accuser's mother doesn't seem very credible. Jackson will tell you himself that it's a fact he shared his bed with this boy, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything sexual happened. Although in my opinion it's still a little creepy and society in general will see that as "wrong", but I don't think it will be seen as "criminal" in this case.

If in fact Michael Jackson didn't molest this boy, then I hope he walks free and he learns something from it - like no more kids in your bed Peter Pan! If he is a child molester, then whether he is found guilty or not, he sure is one hell of a magic show. Perhaps Wonderland really is a magical place to pull that off for so many years. Seriously though, my gut is telling me the guy is just plain weird and not a child molester. Was it wrong of him to have little boys sleep in his bed? Sure it was if you look at thru the eyes of society in terms of what is acceptable and not acceptable behavior. If you look at it thru the eyes of Mr. Jackson, then it's "normal" and innocent. Nobody can deny Michael Jackson is defiantly different than your average 40+ year old man. His mentality is that of a child and an uniformed one at that.

You Have A Life. AutoBlogger Helps You Live It.

As anyone who has ever had one can tell you, the experience of running a popular blog/online journal is a double-edged sword. While it may be gratifying to know your words are viewed by hundreds or even thousands of readers per day, the challenge of developing fresh content on a regular basis remains a constant struggle for even the most creative of souls. In the cutthroat world of online writing, every blogger is only as good as his last update. You have a life. AutoBlogger helps you live it.

Play Video

So what is AutoBlogger you ask? AutoBlogger is a powerful content-authoring software tool designed for online columnists and bloggers. Upon installation, AutoBlogger uses a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence algorithm to "read" the public entries of your journal/blog to triangulate a sense of your writing style. From that point forward, any time you hit a writer's block, want to take a vacation or simply wish to step away from your computer for a few days, AutoBlogger can be set to take over. It uses what it has learned about your posting and writing patterns to author original content in a voice consistent with your existing prose. AutoBlogger frees the busy blogger to a life outside computers, by giving your readers the impression you are constantly online. Intrigued? Read more at www.autoblogger.net

Remember the old Apple switch commercials? Well the video above is a spin-off on that idea for AutoBlogger. I love this guy, it's my sentiments exactly! Perhaps one day I'll try AutoBlogger here on my blog and see if anyone even notices. ;)

.XXX Porn Idea Leaves A Bad Taste In Your Mouth

If you've been on the Internet for longer than 10 seconds, you have encountered something called pornography. It's rampant. It's close to impossible to avoid unless you use some serious filters and even they aren't 100%. It's been announced that porn sites will have the right to use a domain name with the .XXX domain extension. The voluntary initiative for the porn industry to differentiate its web site URLs with the .XXX domain name is heralded by some as being a good first step to end confusion over which sites carry adult material and which do not. However, being a voluntary measure, this will not stop porn sites from using common .com, .org or .net extensions and of course there is this problem...

The .XXX domain idea would allow the porn people to move from easily mistaken sites to more appropriate digs where you know what you're getting. It would also allow people and companies to better block web traffic to and from these domains. This all sounds swell, but here is the snag. Even though the pornography industry soaks up $12 billion a year off the Internet the projected cost for an .XXX domain name will be upwards of $60. This price is approximately ten times higher than the standard Internet name. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Why should we care if they have to pay a bigger price for porn? They're the ones making $12 billion. They should be able to afford it, right?"

Well which domain would you buy? The one that will put you in the mainstream and capable of generating more revenue that costs only $6 or would you do the "kind and gentle" thing and fork over $60 for a label that will get easily filtered out of many of the revenue streams throughout the world? I wouldn't be surprised if whole countries would filter a .XXX domain. So the big question is, will the .XXX catch on and work? I'm very doubtful. I think it's just one of those things that some will not want to swallow, but rather spit out.

Evil Crashing PC Trick

Have a buddy or co-worker you are looking to "get back at", perhaps play a little prank on? Revenge can be sweet! Maybe you are just feeling a little mean/evil today and you want to let out a devilish chuckle as you watch another human in pain. If you answered yes to any of that, then stop rubbing your chin and smirking while plotting you plan because I've already done the dirty work for you. So grab your pitchfork and jump thru the hot coals with me - the fun is about to begin. Mmmwaaahaaahaaa!


This IE exploit will freeze Internet Explorer users (which is just about everyone) almost immediately after clicking it. It works by an HTML file trying to load an image with excessively large dimensions specified by the coding. Right as the image begins to load, IE just starts to lock up and the user may hear some beeping noises coming from the inside of the computer and possibly "The Blue Screen Of Death" (AKA, Windows blue error message screen). 97% of the time, this ultimately results in the user being forced to restart his or her computer. No long-term harm is done to any computer from this crash. It is just a simple overload which causes the computer to shut down. So in other words, it's SAFE but annoying - perfect! Below is the link you will need to send to your "victim". DO NOT click on it yourself, unless you want to experience the crash first hand. I should note to the gullible, melting will not occur from this trick.

WARNING!

Clicking on this link will crash your system. Use at your own risk.

www.jgiannotti.com/pwned

6 Months Down, Another 6 To Go

Today I hit my 6 month mark here on the blog. If you remember, a few days ago I was debating whether or not the whole blogging "been there, done that" phase had worn out because I was finding it difficult to find the motivation to make a new worthwhile post day after day. I think sometimes pushing yourself can be a bad thing, well at least when it comes to creativity. Creativity/writing is something that is either there or it isn't, sort of like chemistry in a relationship. You can't force it no matter how much you want it to happen. If it's just not there and you push yourself to make it appear, more than likely you will not be happy with the outcome. In terms of blogging, it will result in dull posts and you can tell when someone isn't enthusiastic about what they write. The way I see it, if it doesn't interest me, then I don't' write about it.

After all, I've always said that I do this blog more for myself than anyone else. I have always felt that even if nobody knew this little blogspot existed, that I would still post to it. Although now I'm not really sure. I felt that way before because I enjoyed posting, but now I feel it's become a little "mundane" (I think that is the best word to describe it). I think sometimes what makes a good blog isn't always the posts, but the reader's feedback - the comments. I've seen this happen even on my own blog. I will post something short and simple like a moblog pic and from there it's the comments from my readers that make it good. Here are just 2 examples of what I mean.

• 03/08/05 Size Does Matter...
• 05/18/05 Pulling An All-Niter...

Before I make this into another rambling post, let me wrap this up and say I'll do my best to keep the blog going, but I can't promise anything. I need to find some motivation...and fast. Perhaps if you keep the comments flowing in, then that may inspire me to go from there - feed off of that in a sense. Sounds silly I know, but hopefully you understand what I mean. I'm considering adding my photo to the blog on the sidebar just to add a little color and change it up. I get bored fast with the same look on sites, so you may see some changes as far as the template is concerned. I've also added a search feature at the bottom of my sidebar. It will allow you to search within this blog via keywords and phrases. It's powered by Feedster, so you may get better results than the standard built-in search that Blogger/Google offers at the top of everyone's blog.

***UPDATE***
If you haven't voted in the "Name My New Pal" poll yet, then do so now. I'll be taking it down shortly. So far the name "Sushi" is winning with 50% of the votes. "iFish" is coming in a close second with 25% of the votes and the names "Steve" and "Mac" are tied at 13% a piece. Thanks to those that voted. Now I have one less thing to do in life - name my fish. :P