Classic DF – 12/13/01

December 13, 2001: [•] Israel has labeled Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat as useless in the war against terrorism and will instead use military force against terrorists. [•] Once again, a surrender deadline passed without the al Qaeda giving up. Looks like they want to die. [•] The US Army has admitted to producing anthrax in Utah, but says none of its supply is missing. [•] Suicide gunmen raided the Indian Parliament killing 12 people including themselves. [•] Zimbabwe President Mugabe says that the US and UK are unfairly punishing him for his land reform program. [•] The EU has ruled that France’s ban on meat imported from the UK is unlawful. [•] Japanese government officials may have tried to downplay its Mad Cow Disease outbreak a little too much. [•] A South African court sentenced 4 Caucasian men to 30 years in prison for killing 2 Black men in 1999. [•] A 7-year old Honduran boy’s eyesight is restored thanks to a generous missionary. [•] Dunlop-Tire is offering a total of $25,000 Canadian to anyone with the last name Dunlop who changes their last name legally to Dunlop-Tire. [•] Gary Hart has been found guilty by a UK court of “causing death by dangerous driving” that caused a train to crash. [•] The videotape with Osama bin Laden bragging about his part in the September 11th attack has been released. He is so screwed. [•] The US has quit its ABM Treaty with Russia. [•] The CDC is stockpiling the anthrax vaccine in case it’s needed for civilians.[•] Obesity has become the second largest preventable health risk next to smoking. [•] A freight train derailed in Missouri. [•] An Amtrak train hit a van killing the 7 people inside. [•] A news helicopter for Milwaukee TV station WISN crashed onto a freeway killing the pilot. [•] The FBI has confirmed that their home-brewed key logging virus called Magic Lantern is real. [•] So many people were anxious to see China’s new WTO web site they overloaded the server and crashed it. [•] The third artificial heart transplant recipient has died. [•] The American Accreditation HealthCare Commission has certified 13 health web sites as being reliable for health information. [•] Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl are suing Courtney Love in an attempt to kick her out of Nirvana LLC. [•] Recent advances in mice with sickle cell disease using gene therapy provides hopes that humans may respond in the same manner. [•] DrinkOrDie hasn’t been the most active cracking group. In fact, their reputation is downright horrid. So why did the FBI go after them over bigger dogs? [•] Need money? Sue a spammer! [•] Independent musicians are starting to make money selling music on the Net. Imagine that… LOL. [•] Scientists have developed a plastic magnet. [•] The FCC has approved area codes for wireless device use only. [•] People in opposition to building a Wal-mart distribution center in the Town of Mamakating voiced their opinion to the town. It’s nice to know that somewhere besides Warwick, NY hates having actual job creating businesses in their town. [•] Voters have approved the Town of Bloomingburg, NY to run trash pickup. [•] The regional US Post Office processing center at Stewart Airport is laying off its temporary workers. [•] One snowfall has put the Town of Fallsburg in debt, non-clerical Catholic school teachers are still striking, a traffic accident puts a woman in the hospital, a condo catches on fire, Dawn Delorenzo is indicted on stealing $50,000 from an acquaintance, Harold A. Bell is charged with molesting a young girl, taxi driver Patrick Lawlor is charged with exposing himself to a woman, Newburgh police are looking for a suspect who shot a man, a grocery store is robbed, Thomas Bair is charged with having sex with several minors, John Babcock is charged with having sex with a girl under 11-years old (What’s this National Arrest A Pedophile Day?), a teenage girl is charged with defacing a sidewalk, gambling draws opposition, Anderson R. Emmanuel is charged with trying to kill a woman, and the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is open again after a powder scare. [•] Creed has picked Tantric as its opening act. [•] The Duh Study of The Day: Using vaccines that are too weak could make viruses immune to treatment in the long-term. Anyone ever hear of antibiotics? Look what happened with people not using them properly! [•] Quantum cryptography promises uncrackable encrypted files through the use of a LED that emits a single light photons at a time. [•] VW has opened its new luxury car auto plant. [•] Current Dodge Vipers owners will get first dibs on the new 2003 Viper SRT-10. [•] Be prepared– have a winter emergency kit in your auto. [•] The BMW M3 rules. Find out why. [•] The Cadillac Escalade simply didn’t guzzle enough gas as is, but a super charged version should fix that! [•] How a desktop PC and an inventive young mind found the world’s largest primary number. [•] Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 1 is here. [•] The European Computer Manufacturers Association has backed Microsoft’s .NET Common Language Infrastructure and C#. [•] Microsoft has released the Windows Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP as a free upgrade that includes some multimedia goodies including an audio converter that turns MP3s into WMAs. [•] Azazel and Li’l Pooh went down to Hooter’s in Nanuet, NY with my mother-in-law. Now there’s an interesting story indeed LOL. [•] DF.com extends its prayers and heartfelt hope of recovery to Samantha and her daughter Winter Charlotte. [•] Mermaid my friend, unfortunately bad things happen to good people too. You’ll find your “light”; just give it time. [•] Bored? Well, this week I’d like to introduce you to another fine Pop Cap game called Alchemy. It rules and is even better than last week’s pick, Bejeweled. On a final note, a belated joyous Chanukah to all my Jewish readers. Talk to you all next week!

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Classic DF – 12/11/01

December 11, 2001: [•] The Eastern Alliance has issued an ultimatum to al Qaeda forces; surrender by 8 AM local time or die. Meanwhile, US President Bush is marking the 3 month anniversary of the September 11th attacks today and has decided to release a videotape that definitively proves Osama bin Laden is responsible for that aforementioned attacked. [•] The UK will lead postwar peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan. [•] Ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has entered a not guilty plea in his genocide trial. [•] China has joined the WTO. [•] The 2 major parties in Trinidad have both won 18 seats each in the 36 seat Parliament. [•] US military officials met with Somali warlords to discuss terrorism issues. [•] Kenyan authorities have arrested Ahmed Hassan Mursal for unspecified charges. [•] Colombia is trying to rehabilitate and educate captured rebel minors. [•] A fireworks factory explosion in Guatemala City has left 7 people dead. [•] Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo has apologized to his people for a government sponsored massacre 19 years ago. [•] Nauru has agreed to allow Australia to detain illegal immigrants in detention centers on the tiny island. [•] Saudi Arabia has begun issuing identification cards to its female citizens to prevent fraud. [•] The Syrian government has resigned to clear the way for reform. [•] A KFC/Taco Bell worker led several of his coworkers into the woods where he shot them in Malvern, Pennsylvania. [•] Norman Pyle McCann was killed when a 15-foot trench wall collapsed on him during construction in Rising Sun, Maryland. [•] The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are the most often stolen autos. [•] The Lion & Lamb Project, an nonviolent toy advocacy group, has listed the top ten toys it sees as violent and thus harmful to children. [•] Everything is peachy keen up in space. [•] New high resolution images of Jupiter’s moon Io show incredible volcano eruptions. [•] Anonymous e-mail services are on the rise. [•] An international treaty will bring 30 countries into synch as far as copyright laws go. [•] Napster has signed a license agreement with Matador Records. [•] Oracle says that it’s software is unhackable. [•] The Interior Department shut down Net access by court order to protect an Indian trust fund. [•] Another hole has cropped up in Microsoft Outlook Web Access software that can allow unauthorized access to users’ accounts. [•] Can worms create a better fertilizer? [•] Retirees may not realize just how expensive long-term care is. [•] A new device makes facial defects nearly a thing of the past for newborns. [•] Court scribes are protected from libel just like journalists. [•] Life as an accused child porn trader sucks. [•] The Duh Study of The Day: Teens are as likely to trade music online as to seek health information. Isn’t that the point of the Net? [•] A new X-ray machine lets you see bone structure in real time. [•] Nigeria will be the first country to issue inexpensive generic anti-retroviral drugs to HIV and AIDS patients. [•] The New York DMV says that a National ID card wouldn’t be a big deal to issue. [•] Just down the street from me an idiot hunter almost killed a kid simply by being reckless. Please watch where your shooting before you fire! [•] 3 men plead innocent to a murder indictment in Monticello, NY. [•] Orange County Executive-elect Edward Diana defends choosing Justice Catherine M. Bartlett as his pick for county attorney. [•] Melvin Canales is charged with having sex with a minor, Jazmin Roberts poses as someone else, Town of Lloyd historian Dot Gruner is calling it quits after 15 years of service, a pedestrian drug down the street by a car has been identified as Bonnie Flores, 2 men held up the Country Convenience Food Store in Monroe, a basketball tournament will benefit the victims of WTC, Richard Beach gets 15 years for committing burglary, Joseph Rivera is charged with maliciously killing a cat, Daryl Watkins is charged with falsifying his ATV ID number, Milton Munroe is caught with stolen items, and Kenny Mitchell is put in jail for selling drugs. [•] J. Lo, Kid Rock, and Ja Rule performed at a USO show for US troops stationed in Germany. [•] Ocean’s Eleven may be a movie remake, but the music is all original. [•] Eminem’s boyhood bully is suing the rapper for using his name on a track citing that it ruined his potential rap career. Are you buying this crap because I’m sure not! [•] Google will allow you to look up Usenet articles all the way back from 1981 (Now, that’s a news archive). [•] Zacarias Moussaoui has been charged with conspiring with Osama bin Laden in the September 11th attacks. [•] Guns N’ Roses tickets for their New Year’s Eve Concert didn’t sell out in record time like last year. Frustration over lack of new material may be to blame. [•] Why the Acura RSX made Car & Driver’s Top Ten Autos list. [•] Microsoft’s Window Media format will be supported by some DVD chipset makers. [•] I love you wife and daughter! “Phew” Another busy day 🙂

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Classic DF – 10/22/01

October 22, 2001: [•] The Taliban claim they have shot down a US helicopter. They back this claim with a photo of a wheel (Yes, I said a photo of a wheel). The US military denies that the Taliban have shot down anything. The Taliban also claim they have shot down Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and Bob Dole; none of which can be independently confirmed 😉 [•] Ramadan, a Muslim holy time, is a hop and skip away. [•] Another nut is shot while attempting to kill as many people as possible in Israel. [•] Economics is apparently beyond me; the more we attack Afghanistan the lower gas prices go. I would have thought just the opposite. [•] The Sudan People’s Liberation Army claims to have killed 429 government troops. [•] 11 people died in a stampede in a stadium in Venezuela. [•] The Pope has beautified a married couple that he hopes will inspire married couples to realize it is possible to live a good life and be married. [•] Muslims in Nigeria want to offer the Taliban money. [•] China has opened up its airwaves to AOL Time Warner. [•] Two young girls are injured during clashes in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestants. [•] US warplanes have pushed Taliban fighters back once again. [•] The US Senate and House remained closed again as anthrax results are double-checked. A third US Postal worker remains in serious condition after being diagnosed with inhalation anthrax. [•] History textbook publishers are trying to update their latest edition before the February publishing deadline. [•] The Concert for New York was pretty darn cool. My personal highlight was the resurrection of The Who. They freaking rocked! [•] The hippies take to the Net to rant and rave about peace, love, and overdosing. Do us a favor: Shut the Hell up! Bunch of weed smoking morons. [•] How computers are making the modern DJ lighter. [•] A Newburgh apartment fire looks suspicious, an anthrax scare, a DWI driver is charged with manslaughter for killing his sister, and an election winner is finally picked in Wallkill for the Conservative Party Town Board candidate. [•] Red Hat Linux 7.2 is here! [•] UK ground troops are ready for war. [•] Microsoft has announced a DVD and digital music add-on pack for Windows XP, but MP3 ripping will not be supporting since Microsoft has fears about offending copyright advocates and paying extra cash to use someone else’s software. They note that there are plenty of applications out there to fill the void anyhow. [•] Li’l Pooh has learned how to drink out of a cup while someone holds it! You go girl! [•] Immy is looking forward to NWA wrestling.

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Classic DF – 10/18/01

October 18, 2001: [•] The Capital Building has shut down in Washington DC after 31 people tested positive for anthrax exposure.[•] Airborne radio stations are sending Taliban soldiers an ultimatum. [•] The FAA is checking all employees’ backgrounds. [•] Israel has moved tanks into Palestinian neighborhoods hoping to keep the calm during an assassinated official’s funeral. [•] An envelope containing anthrax was sent from Atlanta, Georgia to a private citizen in Kenya. It looks like someone is testing international mail limits, now doesn’t it? [•] Japan’s Lower House has passed an anti-terrorism bill to support the US’s war on terrorism. [•] APEC is meeting in China this week and instead of economics they will be discussing terrorism. [•] Bodies from the sunken research vessel have started to be recovered. [•] Russia has pulled out of a spy base in Cuba. [•] The Canadian Navy has started making its way to join with US allies near Afghanistan. [•] Eliecer Meneses, an ex-Colombian congressman, was assassinated. [•] Diane Pretty, a terminally ill UK citizen, has lost her court case and the right to die on her own terms. [•] Saudi Arabia has asked its citizens not to sympathize with Islamic militants since they are perverting the religion instead of furthering it. [•] An unidentified man tried to hijack a bus and failed. He fled with an unknown woman into a car that was apparently following the bus. [•] Over $1 billion have been raised by charities for the victims and their families of the September 11th attacks. [•] The USS Kitty Hawk is armed with helicopters and special forces. It is only a matter of time now. [•] Before closing, the US House passed a bill that extends the ban on sales tax for items purchased over the Net by 2 years. [•] Microsoft has decided to start labeling security threats by genre and severity since users seem too incompetent to judge for themselves. [•] Apple has announced upgraded G4s and iBooks. [•] Everybody run for cover! AOL 7 is here! [•] The Ozone Hole over Antarctica hasn’t grown or shrunk for 3 years. [•] Due to anthrax fears Bayer is upping the production of the antibiotic Cipro. [•] Fleischmann’s recalls its unsalted stick margarine because whey isn’t listed on the ingredients label though it is used to create the food product. [•] So what’s stopping terrorists from tainting the illegal drug supply? I don’t know, but Wired is wondering the same thing. [•] Bell Labs scientists have developed a transistor a million times smaller than a grain of sand. [•] Yihat is looking for government support to hack terrorists. [•] GovNet may be separate from the Net, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be hackable. [•] The technicalities always get you. [•] How Route 17’s conversion to I-86 will affect traffic in Orange County, NY. [•] A cyclist collides with a van, Wanted: Politicians, a burglar is found guilty, restore your barn for free, Philip Halasz is arrested for fondling a teenage girl’s breasts, a drive-by shooting, switching from O&R Electric saves Port Jervis big money, and the debate over whether or not the Tappan Zee Bridge should be repaired begins. [•] Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson broke his foot when he threw a hissy fit and kicked a steel door. [•] Here’s Ozzy! [•] Sony and Toyota are developing a car that can understand human emotion (Ummm… great… I think). [•] Anthrax shows up at CBS. [•] Surgeons develop a way to insert an implant to restore hearing through a tiny incision. [•] Arrested Rapper of The Day: Jay-z has pleaded guilty to assaulting a record executive. [•] First pictures of the production Mazda RX-8 and 6. Very cool indeed. [•] DaimlerChrysler shows off its Mercedes F400 concept model. [•] 2002 will see the return of the Dodge to the police market with the Intrepid police car package. [•] Volkswagen unveils its new D1 and it has a 411 hp W12 engine. What more could you ask for? [•] If you look close at the 2002 Holden Monaro you can see the Australian version of the Chevrolet Camaro. Just “sigh” and think of all that could have been. [•] Sony continues its trend of integrating all of its products together with the TiVo. [•] Microsoft says that many of the exploits that turn up are due to vendors giving out early source code (Sure, blame someone else LOL). [•] I love you wife and daughter! [•] Immy reports that Reboot, a popular computer animated cartoon, will be running season four in the US. That rules. [•] I’ve been busy as heck at work. I had to compose a training transcript and work up a presentation. I completed a broadband presentation the other day. I keep getting stuck late at work solving implausible problems. I’ve had two meetings this week and next week I am going to an expo on local commerce. So faced with not enough time during prime time I got up a 5AM with Li’l Pooh this morning and had playtime. If one thing irks me about this world it’s that I don’t really see my daughter a lot during the week. I guess it’s time to wake up earlier to get some quality time– I hate getting up before the sun, but for her it’s worth it 🙂

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Classic DF – 10/17/01

October 17, 2001: [•] Rechavam Zeevi, an Israeli government minister, has been assassinated by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. [•] Al Jazeera, the Arabic news channel, has offered CNN a chance to submit questions to Osama bin Laden who will respond by videotape (maybe). [•] Iran has agreed to rescue US military troops if they somehow end up in Iran by accident. [•] US warplanes accidentally bombed a Red Cross warehouse in Afghanistan. [•] China has unblocked news sites it has previously deemed inappropriate. [•] A mob of angry citizens attacked a police station in Guatemala after authorities failed to find a suspect in a recent murder. [•] A small plane crashed in Canada. [•] Canada’s Ontario Premier Mike Harris will resign his post in order to focus on his personal life. [•] Australian Prime Minister John Howard has suggested to Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to continue to support the US and to avoid making US strikes against the Taliban seem like a war against Islam when it isn’t. [•] An auto accident in a Denmark tunnel has left 3 people dead and 6 injured. [•] An underground money transfer network called hawala is most likely the method used by al-Qaida to move large amounts of money without a paper trail. [•] Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has criticized fellow Arab nations for siding with the US since he sees nothing wrong with killing people as long as they aren’t Muslim. [•] The first body from a research boat sunk by a US submarine has been spotted. [•] Attorney General John Ashcroft met with Arab and Muslim leaders about racism issues in the US. [•] Jack Shroder, a geologist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, believes that he knows where Osama bin Laden is hiding. [•] Handspring has created a line of cell phones with integrated PDA functions called Treo. [•] Microsoft Windows XP hits PCs as the preloaded OS of choice. [•] News sites take the top viewership spots on the Net. [•] The US government is considering building its own private Internet. [•] How to tell if your Linux box has been hacked. [•] The anthrax sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was very strong biologically. [•] Women exposed to elongated repeated periods of light after sunset run a 60% higher chance of breast cancer. [•] Please do your kids a favor and don’t smoke around them. Secondhand smoke really hurts kids bad! [•] Smallville looks pretty darn cool. [•] MSNBC will be launching an Arabic version of its web site to fight anti-American propaganda. [•] The RIAA plans on tracking the highest MP3 traders on the Net and convincing ISPs to ban them from their service. Can you say illegal denial of service? I knew you could! [•] A charity concert called New Yorkers Against Violence will include performances by the Beastie Boys, the Strokes, Cibo Matto, poet Saul Williams and DJ Stretch Armstrong. [•] Ars Technica previews Mac OS X 10.1. [•] Over 20 people have been exposed to anthrax in Washington DC thus far. [•] The Northern Alliance is advancing with the help of US air support. [•] A new computer virus could have been as evil as Hell especially since it was trying to capitalize on the fear of anthrax; only one problem: the author screwed up the programming (Doh!). [•] One of the things you learn about a 7-month old is they have no concept of night or day. Up at 3AM? Sure, why not! Then again at 6AM? No problem! Hell, why don’t we just stay up all night? LOL 🙂 [•] The CVS & Warwick Page is all updated with the latest developments.

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