Did I Miss Something?

Christmas has come early this year.

I'm not counting the one time in July that I was shopping and said to a woman pushing a basket past me, "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"The music."

She listens to the canned music from the speakers overhead. She laughs. I laugh. Strains of Christmas songs were coming from on high. We shared our faith for a few moments and continued on our separate ways.
.....
What I'm really writing about is that it seems the stores have skipped a major American holiday. The day before Halloween I saw one store pulling down the haunting displays, setting the trick or treat candy on sale and putting up yuletide decorations.

I asked one of the employees what happened to Thanksgiving. He said, "I just work here, I don't make decisions." He seemed a bit embarrassed about the task he was performing. I don't blame him at all. I'd be doing the same thing were I to have his job. You do what the boss tells you. Although I don't think I would be full of Christmas Cheer while doing it. I'd be mumbling imprecations beneath my breath about the 'suits' stealing Thanksgiving.

Not only is Christmas early this year the Grinch has come early too. This time he stole the only national holiday designed to thank the Living God for all of His grace, mercy and blessings...

Bio Weapons in the Mail

Quote from New Scientist -

YOU might think it would be difficult for a terrorist to obtain genes from the smallpox virus, or a similarly vicious pathogen. Well, it's not. Armed with a fake email address, a would-be bioterrorist could probably order the building blocks of a deadly biological weapon online, and receive them by post within weeks.

That's the sobering reality uncovered by a New Scientist investigation into the bioterror risks posed by the booming business of gene synthesis. Dozens of biotech firms now offer to synthesize complete genes from the chemical components of DNA (See "A dollar a base pair"). Yet some are carrying out next to no checks on what they are being asked to make, or by whom. It raises the frightening prospect of terrorists mail-ordering genes for key bioweapon agents such as smallpox, and using them to engineer new and deadly pathogens.

Customers typically submit sequences by email or via a form available on a company's website. The companies then construct the specified genes and mail them back a few weeks later, usually spliced into a bacterium such as Escherichia coli. New Scientist approached 16 such firms, identified by a Google search, to ask whether they screened orders for DNA sequences that might pose a bioterror threat. Of the 12 companies that replied, just five said they screen every sequence received. Four said they screen some sequences, and three admitted not screening sequences at all (see Table).

The risks posed by gene synthesis first hit the headlines in 2002, when a team from the State University of New York at Stony Brook made infectious polioviruses from synthetic DNA. And just last month, researchers with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, said that they had used similar means to recreate the virus that caused the 1918 flu (New Scientist, 8 October, p 16). - end quote -

Hopefully the companies in question will tighten security but don't expect all of them too. Security costs money and that might bite into profits.

prying1 sez: What can we do as individuals whose lives are far away from this problem?

Only 2 things I can think of. The first is to pray. My prayer is that all the schemes of terrorists blow up in their faces. The second is to realize the there really is a threat. Support the worldwide war against these thugs and murderers. The term "War on Terrorism" has almost become a cliche'. Some politicians placate and coddle these animals. Boot those politicians out!

The war against terrorism is producing good results we cannot see. Every time a terrorist is killed or taken off the street that is one less act of terrorism perpetrated against humanity. That is something that cannot be measured.

"So what? It doesn't affect me!" some might say. That might have some truth in it today. Maybe tomorrow also. - But it would no longer be true after a bomb goes off near you or yours... Or after a bio-terrorist plot hits your town...

Habits

No. Not the kind nuns wear. The kind that have you doing things without really thinking about it.

When I get home from work I take off my work shoes just inside the front door. I then slide my feet into a pair of comfortable slippers. Ahhh! Much better.

Tonight after I got home and ate dinner I went to drop a couple packages off at the LAX Post Office. I think it is the only Post Office in the world that stays open until 11:00 o'clock at night. Anyway, I decided to just keep my slippers on because I wasn't planning on seeing anyone I hoped to impress. Not that my work shoes would impress them.

Got home from there and what did I do? I took off my slippers and put on my work shoes.

It was close to an hour later that I realized my feet did not have that 'Ahhh!' feeling that lives inside the slippers. Another few moments of scratching my pate to realize what had happened.

Then I started to think about how many other times in my life I've let habits carry me away from where I should be. Too many to enumerate and many times it would be too embarrassing to recount the full stories. One thing I have found though is that in spite of it all I have a way to get back on track.

Someone, you see, whom I met years ago, has been a closer friend than a brother. He is always one up on me and is always willing to help me get back on track. Although he finds my behavior repugnant at times he still sticks with me. He promised me he would never leave me nor forsake me.

Some of you reading this have guessed already because you too have met this same friend. Funny how he gets around. Little did I know when I invited Jesus into my heart in January of '71 that 34 years later I would still feel the same sense of awe that the story is true. He died for my sins. He rose again. He is still alive!!!

New PayPal Trojan Horse

Found this bit of info on WebsenseSecurityLabs.com -

Quote - Websense Security Labs has received reports of a new attack that targets users of PayPal. The attack begins with a spoofed email phishing message that provides a link to download the executable "PayPal security tool" file. The executable, named 'PayPal-2.5.200-MSWin32-x86-2005.exe', is a Trojan Horse which modifies the DNS server of the local workstation and then deletes itself. All future requests for 'paypal.com' will be transparently redirected to a phishing website. This same DNS server could also be used to redirect requests for additional websites, but it currently appears to only redirect 'paypal.com'.

The next time the user attempts to visit the PayPal website, they will instead arrive at a phishing site. The web address shown in the browser's toolbar will appear to be correct. Upon log in, the phishing site will request the user update their account. They are prompted to enter the following information: Name, Credit/ATM Card, Billing Address, Phone Number, Social Security Number, Mother's Maiden Name, Date of Birth, Driver's License, and Bank Account/Routing Numbers.

The Trojan Horse is currently not detected by any anti-virus vendors. The malicious DNS server is hosted in Romania while the phishing server is hosted in India. Both were online at the time of this alert.

prying1 sez:
Please pass this info on to anyone you know that utilizes PayPal. Post it to bulletin boards too!

How Stupid Are They?

Got a spoof PayPal email today. - 3Nov05 -

We are contacting you to remind you that: on 30 November 2005 our Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your account, one or more attempts to log in to your PayPal account from a foreign IP address.

It then gives a chart showing times and dates some supposed hackers from Poland and Romania attempted to hack into my account. Had this been a real email from PayPal I would have thought, "Great! My password works! So why change it?"

Now even I know that many people will not read the entire text but when a spoof comes dated nearly a month ahead of time I think even the biggest blockhead will say, Hey! Wait a minute..."

Needless to say my reaction to this con was the same as always. Forward the email to spoof@paypal.com and scams@fraudwatchinternational.com - Go to PhishFighting.com and submit the phony website into the little box.

I have to wonder if there is anyone left in this world that does not know about spoofing and phishing scams. I guess there is because these con artists spend a lot of time and trouble to put these emails out. There must be a return or they would not waste their time.

prying1 sez: Be careful out there. Gobs of predators are on the Internet. Remind your friends, neighbors and acquaintances to watch their steps too.

Sidetracked Again!

As I sit here at my computer I have to wonder if I'm the only one or are others subject to the problem of getting sidetracked?

I have seen an email making the rounds of a person who decides the plants need watering and while going to get the water notices the remote control for the TV is in the kitchen and really needs to go in the living room by the TV and on the way to the living room finds the missing pair of glasses along with yesterdays mail and there is a bill that must be paid today or there will be late charges so where is the checkbook?... It goes on until the day is over and nothing is done.

I can really relate to that email.

I'll set down to list some items on eBay and decide to search the name of the book and check what other booksellers are selling it for. Next thing you know I'm purchasing some other book by the same author to add to my collection. A few days later I am the proud owner of two books and still have not listed the first.

So when I do get a round to it I'll list them together. That means I'll save a lot of time. I need to save time to make up for all the time I waste.

For my auctions I take pictures of items and upload them to the internet so I'm not dependent on EBay's costly service. Plus I use the same service for the items I sell at YardSale Pirate. Real easy. I take the pics, crop and size them and place the finished .jpg's in a folder reserved for them. Go to Ranchoweb.com and upload them. Nothing to it.

BUT

Ranchoweb.com has a message board I frequent. I have to check the boards before I upload my pictures. One of the members there had posted pics of a huge model plane she has had for years. But, she says, no identifying marks, it has no propellers or any way you could attach an engine for flying it. Plus it is much heavier than any model she has handled. It is not plastic or balsa wood. Much too heavy to ever actually fly. "What is it?", she asks. Ideas are flung about as people weigh in as to it's make etc. It is a DC-3 says one friend who posts a picture as proof. Another suggests it was a wind tunnel model. That set me off.

To Google I go! A bit of playing with a few keywords and shazammm I find a picture of a DC3 in a wind tunnel. Did you know they place the test model planes upside down for wind tunnel tests? Learn something new everyday as the saying goes. So I get to take the picture back to Ranchoweb, post it and the next day when the model's owner visits the board she agrees it is her plane or one like it.

In the meantime I sit with a pile of books next to me. The pictures are still on my computer instead of uploaded to the internet. Very few items actually listed and it is time to hit the hay.

I've come to the realization that I will never get anything done if I continually allow myself to be distracted like this. So now I've decided I must prioritize my life. How to do that? One way that has been suggested to me is to make notes of things I must do and number them 1 - 2 - 3... THEN STICK TO THE LIST!

I've got a pad of paper and pencil (in case I need to change the order of the numbers) Oh! The pencil needs sharpening. Have to go to the kitchen drawer for the sharpener. As long as I'm going to the kitchen I really should get some water for this plant by my bookshelf.

Cute Pic

I saw this entitled

- WAITING FOR THE MAILMAN -

& thought I'd share it. -

Thanks to ebarry for this post...

Piglet Must Go!!!

The American Princess has posted a piece on, of all things, piggy banks and piggy toys. - Quite a wonderful read. You will have to go to her site to catch the whole story and conclusions I agree with.

It seems that pigs are being banned from ever appearing anywhere a muslum might show up. Heaven forbid they might die at the moment their eyes focus on a pig and the be denied their 72 virgins.

By the way. What do muslum wimmen get when they die?

David E. Napstead - Con Artist Loose in California

Attention visitors to this post. Feel free to comment!
- It can be done anonymously - Your message might help someone else down the line.
Thanks - prying1 -

9 AUG 08 had a hit from N. Las Vegas via a Yahoo Search for David Napstead - PLEASE - Leave a comment if you would.

Good news for Kentucky that David E. Napstead was last seen working out of the Los Angeles area of California. - [UPDATE] Anonymous left a message that David E. Napstead was seen working (if you want to call it that) in Reno Nevada - [End Update] Kentucky Parole Board released David Napstead from Adair County prior to 9/14/2005 - According to this link (best seen through Internet Explorer and perhaps subject to change)- Kentucky Parole Eligibility Listing - July 2005 - David E. Napstead was given parole from prison in Kentucky for:

NAPSTEAD DAVID E CD178893 04CR00014 THEFT FAIL MAKE REQ DISP/PROP >$100 09/20/04
NAPSTEAD DAVID E CD178893 04CR00095 THEFT BY DECEPTION > $ 300 12/28/04

The name "Napstead" comes up close to a blank in Google.

I have a feeling Kentucky was scammed by an alias!

I work in a printing shop near the LAX airport - L.A. California -

On 9-26-05 a man identifying himself as David E. Napstead came in and ordered business cards for Primetime Cellular - The name on the card is David Napstead

- He first paid the down payment ($20.00) with cash and asked if he could redeem the cash with a check for payment in full when he picked up the cards. Trusting souls that our shop was we agreed.

Needless to say the check bounced big time with "Account Closed" on it.

Calling the number on the card gets a message that the owner of the number "is not accepting calls at this time." - That message might change as he utilizes more scams.

The reason I am posting all of this is to let people typing David Napstead or David E. Napstead into Google know that they have dealt with or are dealing with a small time scam artist. "Primetime Cellular" as of this date and time (via Google search with quotes) does not appear to be a real company in any way shape or form.

Our shop apologizes for allowing this scammer to have the business cards and we should have known something was fishy but that is the problem with small time thieves. They often times appear to be honest and trustworthy but in reality their hearts are filled with some of the most vile of the seven deadly sins. Greed and Sloth are evident in David E. Napstead's life.

I would suggest if you have knowledge of his whereabouts or have been one of his victims you contact your local police department and file a report. Hopefully your loss was small and I pray that you pray for his salvation.

That will be the only way his life is changed! And the only way others will not be scammed...

Update: - Comments have a way of disappearing sometimes So I thought I'd bring them into the post content. -
Comments follow:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a guy named David Napstead chained to the wall in my cellar.I've got a recording down there playing old Barry Mantilow and Beach Boy songs 24/7.
Quantumthought | Homepage | 10.28.05 - 6:21 pm | #

This guy turned up in Reno, Nv. Scamming people in local bars.
Anonymous | 11.14.05 - 7:57 pm | #

QuantumThought - Switch from the Beach Boys to Tom Jones -

Anonymous - Would be nice to have a pic. - Any chance??? -
prying1 | Homepage | 11.14.05 - 11:44 pm | #

This gentleman is in Reno, NV ripping off car dealerships and running the same scams. Steer clear!
Nichoel Seymour | 11.18.05 - 5:36 pm | #

Recent visitors to this posting show that Carmichael, California has someone searching through Google for the name David Napstead. Hmmm. Who will snatch a pic of him for me to post?
prying1 | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 11:35 pm | #

Saw Napstead in Las Vegas 12/4/05, dining at Okada at the Wynn Casino. He ordered the $150 kobe beef teppanyaki. He told us he played for the Oakland A's for seven years before a motorcycle accident a couple of years ago sidelined his career. Said he was staying in a parlor suite at the Wynn while he was opening his 12th Primetime Cellular store--this one at the Fashion Show Mall. He claimed the other stores were in the SF South Bay. He tried to sell us (and the people at the next table) $400 Sprint Samsung phones that just came out--but at his cost of $150. I don't think anyone bit. Very interesting to read that he's a scammer! I didn't get a photo of him, but he looks like a light-skinned hispanic man, of average or less than average height and slight build.
Anonymous | 12.07.05 - 5:04 pm | #

We were sitting across the table from him and can verify the above womans comment. So obvious a braggard we were embarrassed for him, smart looking him up "Ms. bureaucrat" before falling for a scam, good job. Who the hell would pay $150 for a piece of meat unless you were rich or using free money. My wife commented to me that night why this guy would not sign the dinner check to his parlor suite with the 50" plasma as he was bragging about. Look at the above comments description and add short crewcut close to balding (very thin on top) and fast talking squeaky/high pitch voice. Definitely raised our attention when he said he played for the A's as he did not look the tall athletic type at all. Beware anyone of this description trying to sell you cell phone delivered to your door.
anonymous | 12.07.05 - 6:32 pm | #

Mr. Napstead was arrested on the evening of Tuesday, December 6, 2005 at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel. Kentucky authorities are on their way to pick him up and take him back to prosecute.

Wynn Las Vegas Company Official
Anonymous | 12.07.05 - 9:35 pm | #

Thanks Mr. Wynn Las Vegas Company Official - I do hope the Kentucky Authorities do a better job of checking this joker's past and find out who he really is. I have a feeling the Napstead name is an alias.
prying1 | Homepage | 12.07.05 - 10:52 pm | #

Gravatar I'd also like to thank the two anonymous commenters for their part in seeing this character removed from the streets.

A prayer for Mr. Napstead:

Lord, Reach this man and change his heart. - Amen.
prying1 | Homepage | 12.09.05 - 11:22 am | #

I say reach him, but rather with a very blunt object to the side of the head!
Reach his victims by repaying their losses!
anonymous | 12.19.05 - 8:42 pm | #

anonymous - I agree up to a point. A bip upside the skull might get him to think a bit but in the long run he would be back to his old ways in no time.

This character is only going to continue costing society unless he gets a change of heart or until someone really gets pissed off and kills him. I do not think he deserves the death penalty. From my experience the change of heart only comes through a relationship with the Living God.

He is intellegent and could make a very decent living without stealing but has chosen the easy way out. Con artists really do not have to work because the impulse in men's hearts is to get something for nothing (or very little). With that promise a gullible person will part with the contents of their wallet every time.

I know this because I had a good friend that worked all kinds of scams.
Getting free money was like taking drugs to him. He was addicted and refused to get Jesus in his heart because he knew that God did not want him to steal. (he did believe but would not receive...)
prying1 | Homepage | 12.19.05 - 10:56 pm | #

~~~~~~~
*****
Update 9 Aug 08 - Bringing comments onto the main page in case they get lost. *** 9 AUG 08 had a hit from N. Las Vegas from a Yahoo Search for David Napstead - The following comments reach back to Sept, 06

~~~~~~
Quite a few visitors from Vegas lately coming through this page - (6-15-06) - Leave a comment if you've found this info useful in any way. -

Really I'm just curious of why the sudden resurgence of interest in Mr. Napstead?
prying1 | Homepage | 06.15.06 - 5:33 pm | #

Gravatar Well Kentucky did not do a good job of holding him then. Mr. Napstead was back in Las Vegas his past few weeks running scams about he does debt consolidation and promising people to help them pay a bill and then you giving him half and the paying the rest when you can. He targeted people that where in debt bad. But the scam is he would pay from a Bank of America bank account with check debit and show you that the balance was 0, get your money and then leave. Problem was 2 days later these people where contacted and told there was insufficent funds in that account. And that there payments needed to be paid again, on top of this he was stealing stuff from the houses of the people he befriended. But he was once again discovered due to this board and was arrested at Denny's on W. Sahara today. He has several warrants for his arrest in Kentucky and is in the Clark County Jail without bail, and the exradition hearings to take place. But anyone running into him his birthdate is 3/30/1971 as listed on the Kentucky Parole Board website. He was carrying a California drivers license listing his adderess of 37089 Spruce St still. Everyone beware, this individual has no conscience about taking your money.
Anonymous | 06.16.06 - 4:03 pm | #

Gravatar Thanks Anonymous - Curiosity satisfied - Anyone who has a claim against Mr. Napstead might want to contact the LVPD. Not that you necessarily will collect anything but your testimony might keep him behind bars a bit longer!
prying1 | Homepage | 06.16.06 - 5:29 pm | #

Gravatar Your welcome, and here is the record from Clark County Detention

Inmate In-Custody Status
ID: 01198815
Name: NAPSTEAD, DAVID EDWARD
Age: 35
Race: White
Sex: Male
Case: 06F11490X
Charge: FUGITIVE
Status: Active
Related Case:
Arrest Date: 6/16/2006
Detainer: N
Cash Bail: $0
Surety Bail: $0
Housing: Call (702) 671-5700
Sched Department: INITAL HEARING
Sched Action: FUGITIVE REVIEW
Sched Date:6/20/2006
Sched Time: 7:30 AM

Courtesy of this website:
http://redrock.co.clark.nv.us/ cc...todySearch.aspx
Anonymous | 06.16.06 - 7:23 pm | #

Gravatar Mr. Napstead is in jail in las vegas as of 6-19-06 thanks to Nationwide Realty. They did a number on him he'll never forget. This man was finally coned and was left with nothing but problems. It was done VEGAS style just like the movies. I even felt bad for him, the poor guy is looking mighty funny these days. God forgives the brotherhood dosent.
Steve | 06.23.06 - 1:32 am | #

Gravatar Now I've had a visitor from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada - Sep 17 2006 7:31:37 pm - 8 minutes 11 seconds spent on the page - Referred from a Google search - Buzzwords = david napstead -

Don't tell me he is up to his old tricks again but has left the U.S.A.

God save the Queen! (or whatever line they use up there...)
prying1 | Homepage | 09.17.06 - 9:17 pm | #

Search Engines and Blogging

Just stopped by Sitemeter.com and checked some of the records they keep. One thing they do is keep track of some of the ways visitors are referred to my pages. For example I could see that my posting called Katrina Pics pulls up one of my posts quite often. Sorry to all the visitors. All I did was link to aka.alias and mentioned that there were some Katrina pics there but The Photo Album had some really beautiful pics. I Hope they check out some of the photographs there. Much prettier than Katrina Pics...

My post on the scam called the Rife Bare Cancer treatment gets a couple hits a month. - I hope it keeps some people from wasting their money and may the perps starve for lack of customers...

Terri Schiavo is one of the main news items I've blogged about that people look for through various search engines. I've a few post concerning her and the ungodly way she was murdered and I guess some of the search engines still have me near the top concerning her.

AOL search has me third in line for the word Muslum. I had some joker tell me I misspelled the word. All I can say is that I can show him books from the last century where they were called musselmen. (I believe it was pronounced Moo-sell-men at the time.) So the name is not written in stone. I replied to him that I was spelling it the right way for the next century. - - He was not amused. - - I'll keep on spelling it the way I want to. I'm self centered that way.

A couple of posts I did on toilets - 1 - and - 2 - Get hits from the term Toilet Humor being typed into the searchers. Looking back on one of those posts I see that Yahoo has removed the pages and the pics are no longer available. - Guess next time I'll save the pics and upload them to Ranchoweb. - Be sure to click on number 2 above and save to favorites for a slow day. Quite a wonderful read. Really funny stuff!

Sometimes it is obvious what the person is looking for. 'Katrina Pics' is a perfect example of that. I've got to wonder what the visitors from 'Toilet Humor' searches are really looking for.

As for one recent searching visitor who came through Yahoo's engines I'm not even going to speculate the motives. At least not for too long. Why would anyone type in - 'eBay Auctions Spankings' - ??? - Oh well! The prying1 blog placed number 10 on the list. Whoo Hoo! Just wish they had left a comment. Maybe my post just wasn't what they expected or hoped for...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
prying1 sez - Check the sitemeter link at the bottom of the page if you would like to get an idea of where your traffic comes from. - It can be entertaining and it is free.

Sorry About That Chief!

Don Adams has passed away.

The closest I could say I've been to the man was on a day my mom came home from Hollywood Park Race Track

- We take this moment to divert your attention to this Advert - Check out Hollywood Park Memorabilia here! -

Sorry for the interruption. I have to make a buck here and there for buying shoes and milk for the baby...

OK! Mom came home from Hollywood Park. She tells me that Don Adams was at a table near her. In the 'super star section' reserved for heavy bettors. She was invited to this section by a friend that made bets like Don Adams was doing on this particular day. Both her friend and Don Adams were tearing up tickets with disgusted looks.

Meanwhile Mom was just betting the way anyone should. - Sample of WINNING BETTOR'S THINKING - Hmmm. Forge Up in the 5th race - Hmmm. When I was in the fourth (which sounds sort of like Forge) or fifth grade (fifth race) I remember learning that Excelsior meant "Ever upward" that should place the horse in first because up is on top - And Aimed 4 First Hmmmm... Aimed... Amy... I remember Amy in fourth grade got second place in the spelling bee
- That must be place. -

Here boy!

Back in the 60's in L.A. from whence this story comes The term 'boy' had no evil nor racial connotations to it. The boy answering was not upset with the term. We don't even know his ethnicity. He was only the quickest runner waiting nearby in hopes of a tip. Upon his receipt of the $6.00 and the bidding slip I'm certain his hopes faded but he fulfilled his duties. Others in the area in which mom sat placed bids with hundred dollar bills. Both she and they would receive their wagering ticket prior to the gate opening. All wager tickets would have the race number and the horse's number stamped on it. All would have different values attached. That is prior to the race.

But

Only until after the third horse crossed the wire and the judges affirmed that not too much hanky panky went on would it be decided which slips of paper increased in value. The others would become worthless.

My mom came home with more money than she had left with. She had gathered from the torn tickets she had seen on the ground around the tables about her that her method of betting had worked this time. She doubted it's efficacy for the next. Chance can take directions as can a bird in flight. That is the main point I had learned from her tale.

Her mention that Don Adams had been there is the closest I have ever personally come to the man. I will say that impersonally, through his legacy of film, he has left us all closer than a table away.

Used Books are a 2 Billion Dollar Industry

Buddy of mine has an Internet Auction Site Blog. Lot of news items for those who like to purchase stuff online. In fact it motivated him to start the YardSalePirate.com site you can see advertised on my right hand column. Thanks to the Bidreaper for the heads up on this story from 28Sept2005 WWW.Boston.Com

Used Books are a 2 Billion Dollar Industry - Highlights from the article are:

- Quote (italics are mine) -

...a landmark study released Wednesday confirms what publishers, authors and booksellers have believed -- and feared -- since the rise of the Internet: Used books have become a modern powerhouse, driven by high prices for new works and by the convenience of finding any title, new or old, without leaving your home.

According to the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), used book sales topped $2.2 billion in 2004, an 11 percent increase over 2003. Much of that growth can be credited to the Internet. While used sales at traditional stores rose a modest 4.6 percent, they jumped 33 percent online, to just over $600 million.

"I think consumers are increasingly starting to notice that they can get used books in good condition, in a timely manner," says Jeff Hayes, a director at InfoTrends, a market research firm that served as the principal analyst for the BISG study.

More than 111 million used books were purchased last year, representing about one out of every 12 overall book purchases. By the end of the decade, the percentage is expected to rise to one out of 11, a troubling trend when sales for new works are essentially flat; authors and publishers receive no royalties from used buys.

"Obviously, these are not statistics to warm the heart of publishers," says Simon & Schuster spokesman Adam Rothberg.

The BISG, a nonprofit organization supported by publishers, booksellers and others in the industry, reports that price is the greatest appeal for choosing used books over new ones. While hardcovers often cost $25 and higher, used books purchased in 2004 averaged $8.12 -- except for text books, which averaged $42.31.
~~~~~
The BISG study raises other questions, such as how publishers can respond to the used market. Jane Friedman CEO of HarperCollins rejects the idea of lowering prices, but acknowledges that she has no specific solution. "It's something we've looked at for a long time," she says.

The study also does not resolve a fundamental dispute over used books: Are they hurting the market for new books, as many publishers and authors believe? Or, as retailers say, do they simply enable customers to acquire books they otherwise wouldn't have purchased?

"But there may be an upside, because a consumer might buy a used book by a certain author, and like it enough to buy the author's next book. So at this point, the impact is hard to quantify."

prying1 sez: Thanks again to Bidreaper and especially toBoston.com for the story!

- Raising prices to make up for lost profits will only lead to more lost profits. These outfits like the one Jane Friedman runs ought to jump on the bandwagon instead of watching the parade go by. - Is HarperCollins any relation to Tom Collins? Might think so from her quote...

Why Spotty Cell Phone Reception!

NewsMax.com sends out a newsletter with highlighted news articles. - Subscribe here for free. - This is from one email I received in my mailbox that I though I would share.

Cell Phone Woes: Here's Why They Don't Work

Wonder why cell phone reception can be so bad in the U.S.?

Don't blame technology - it's a matter of economics, several experts maintain.

"Carriers would rather spend money on ads starring Catherine Zeta-Jones than on improving infrastructure," Christopher Null, editor in chief of Mobile, told the publication Wired.

"Instead of expanding into areas where coverage is spotty, companies are increasingly taking the cheap way out by leasing equipment and tower space from other companies.

"The result is that, eventually, your service will sound pretty much the same no matter which carrier you subscribe to."

Consumer advocate Morgan Jindrich, director of HearUsNow.org, has a similar view.

He said there's no economic incentive for carriers to improve service once they have a customer locked into a long service contract.

"So consumers have to be smart and take advantage of the trial periods that companies offer," he told Wired.

"You generally have 15 days from the time you sign up to make sure your phone's reception is OK in the areas you need it."

prying1 sez: Perhaps complaining to the phone companies about the wasted money going to airhead stars might help. Seems that a simple ad blitz showing towers going up would be cheaper and more effective.

Maybe It's a Guy Thing

This pic is making the email rounds. Thought I'd post it in case you missed getting it. If your Browser has the pic under the right hand panel you might be able to right click on it and click 'view image'.

Tag line is:

Why Texas had no looting during Hurricane Rita

I'm willing to bet that whoever held the camera had a gun too...

I Hear but Don't Believe

On the news tonight I heard concerning the threat of BOMBINGS on New York subways, "'High level officials' downplay the threat..."

I ask, "What are the names of these 'High level officials'?

The TV News did not say...

Do the 'High level officials' really know more than I do? Do the NewsReaders know more than I do?

I place these 'High level officials' in the same categories as I mentally place whatever groups give out the medals and ribbons in the 'Award Winning Newscasts' from which I heard this tidbit of news. Three steps down from Used Car Salesman Awards...

Personally I place more faith in the awards given out by Road and Track Magazine than I do with the TV News Awards.

Perhaps I've become a bit too cynical but I would be more apt to believe that the TV NewsReaders would prefer the subways be full to capacity and have the bombs go off so they can report it than to have the people be wary, the bombers captured and no-one hurt.

I would blame Dan Rather for my cynicism but it started long before his getting caught doing what he did best. That is, fooling his avid fans (They still say the memo's were forged but the info was true. And we are supposed to nod our heads yes...). I knew they were lying to me in the 70's but since I'm conservative I'm evil and want to control the world with cameras in every bedroom and guns for every one who is not a southpaw. Why should I be listened to?

I'd rather trust a liberal blogger than a NewsReader on TV. They may both be lying but with the liberal blogger you at least have it in writing. Unless you record the newscast there is no proof of what they said and your head is too full of mush to really put it together. Unless you walk out in the middle of a sentence as I did.

"'High level officials' downplay the threat..."

I ask again, "What are the names of these 'High level officials'?

Film at 11!

Caught in a Scam!

Ok, the deal so far is this. I received a 419 Nigerian scam letter. I answered and signed the email as Winn D. Seety. The scammer has replied.

His first letter said that MY money was in jeopardy because some woman controlled by criminal forces had come forward to claim it. I replied that the email was sent to me by mistake, the money was not mine, the situation sounded important and he should go through his records to find the true owner.

Second letter A paltry $850,000 USD is involved and the real owner cannot be found. IBRAHIM DURU wants me to claim the money so a hospital can be built near his poor hometown. I replied that I had no claim to the money and he should do his job and find the true owner.

Third Letter - quote -

ATTN:PAUL.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

I ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECIPT OF YOUR MAIL AND I MUST TELL YOU TRHAT DISPITE THE CONTENT IT GLADENS MY

HEART THAT YOU ARE SO SINCERE.

BUT MY FRIEND THE REASON I MADE THE PROPOSITION IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS THAT WE HAVE TRIED OUR

POSSIBLE BEST TO LOCATE HIM WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS.

YOU SEE I COME FROM THE POREST REGION IN MY COUNTRY AND I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BUILD A COMMUNITY

HOSPITAL FOR MY PEOPLE AND THAT I CAN NOT DO WITH MY EARNING.

YOU NOW SEE WHY I CHOOSE THIS GOLDERN OPPURTUNITY TO ACHIVE THAT GOAL. ALL I WANT IS YOUR

ASSISTANCE TO MAKE THIS A REALITY AS IF I DONÂ’T DO ANY THING OTHERS WILL USE THAT WOMAN AS A STOGE TO

CLAIM THE FUND AS HER NAME IS ALREADY ON OUR PAYING COMPUTER SYSTEM.

PLEASE I WILL BE VERY GREATFULL IF YOU ASSIST ME AS I HAD ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT I WILL PROVIDE YOU

WITH ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO FACILITATE YOUR CLAIM AND WITH MY POSITION AS A DIRECTOR YOU

WILL ENCOUNTER NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CLEARANCE.

PLEASE DO GET BACK TO ME AS I AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE

REGARDS,

IBRAHIM DURU

~~~~~~~~~

Note the "Attention Paul" - I had forgotten my emails went out with my first name in the from email bar. I had stopped it in my signature but... Oh Well! Liver and loin as the butcher says.


My Reply -

Good News!

I did an online search for "**** ****" and found him
for you.

If you click on this link you will see that he is
playing football/soccer for the Grimthorpe City team.

**** Google Search cache link was here ****

I'm certain that his gratitude for your protecting his
money will extend to sharing part of his 850 million
dollars to help you build the hospital. Let me know
when it is built. Hoping your doctors will be able to
help my daughter. - Winn D. Seety -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since he wants to build a hospital I figure he will need patients hence the daughter is brought into the picture. And perhaps I can get a discount for helping him find the real owner.

I have plans to let this person know that my daughter suffers from Groschnozzosis - Unusual growths on the end of the nose causing it to extend daily. - Also known as Pinochiosis -

Don't laugh. Groschnozzosis (Pinochiosis) is very painful and the growth must be removed weekly (A painful process that involves putting the nose to a grindstone) or else the nose will extend into other peoples business. -

I'm also hoping that by taking time from his busy day to answer my emails he might not take the time to advance other scams to the unwary.

Terminating Identity Theft!

Once again I find a new internet friend's blog post a real must read for anyone that ever thinks about or worries about, or has been a victim of Identity Theft. Here is a real opportunity to do a bit to help yourself and others. Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds, a blog by Ted Richardson has come up with a great post about the matter. Entitled, Terminating Identity Theft in California this post has some great news from a corner of politics I have never voted for. That is, Dianne Feinstein (D. CA). She is the second to least favorite politician in the score book I keep in my head. Barbara Boxer is first. However Feinstein has come up with some doozies of laws to combat identity theft and I support her efforts...

Quote - "The Privacy Act - A comprehensive bill that would set a national standard for protecting personal information such as Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, and medical and financial data, including information collected both online and offline. Modeled on California'’s financial privacy law, it requires companies to let consumers “"opt in" before their most sensitive information is shared."

"The Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act - This bill would regulate the use of Social Security numbers by government agencies and private companies by prohibiting the sale or display of Social Security numbers to the general public, and by requiring Social Security numbers to be taken off of public records published on the Internet."

"The Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act - Modeled on California's database security law, this bill would define as personal data an individual's Social Security number, driver'’s license number, state identification number, bank account number or credit card number; require a business or government entity to notify an individual when it appears that a hacker has obtained unencrypted personal data; levy fines by the FTC of $5,000 per violation or up to $25,000 per day while the violation persists; and allow California's privacy law to remain in effect, but preempt conflicting state laws."

The post also has a list of laws The California Governator is working on and should be coming to a state near you. They can if you bring this to the attention of your local politicians. Please check out this post and put a few minutes work into forwarding the link to your favorite (or least favorite) politician. Let them know that you think this is important. Links for U.S., U.K. and Governor Schwarzenegger's site are in the title and at the bottom of Ted's post.

You might also consider sending the link to all on your email friends. I did and am getting quite a response!

This settles the problem!

Received this in an email today so that must make it true!

BATON ROUGE, LA. - The White House announced today that President Bush has successfully sold the state of Louisiana back to the French at more than double its original selling price of $11,250,000.


"This is a bold step forward for America," said Bush. "And America will be stronger and better as a result. I stand here today in unity with French Prime Minister 'Jack Sharaq', who was so kind to accept my offer of Louisiana in exchange for 25 million dollars cash."

The state, ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild.


"Jack understands full well that this one's a 'fixer upper,'" said Bush. "He and the French people are quite prepared to pump out all that water, and make Louisiana a decent place to live again. And they've got a lot of work to do. But Jack's assured me, if it's not right, they're going to fix it."


The move has been met with incredulity from the beleaguered residents of Louisiana. However, President Bush's decision has been widely lauded by Republicans.


"This is an unexpected but brilliant move by the President," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. "Instead of spending billions and billions, and billions of dollars rebuilding the state of Louisiana, we've just made 25 million dollars in pure profit."


"This is indeed a smart move," commented Fox News analyst Brit Hume. "Not only have we stopped the flooding in our own budget, we've made money on the deal. Plus, when the god-awful French are done fixing it up, we can easily invade and take it back again."


The money gained from 'The Louisiana Refund' is expected to be immediately pumped into the rebuilding of Iraq.

prying1 sez: No matter what your feelings are about anything, if you don't laugh you will end up crying! - So go ahead and laugh!

Just Peachy!

Hat Tip to NewsMax.com
The New York Post has a story by Deborah Orin (registration required) that has the catchy title, "IF THAT DON'T BEAT AL". My comments will be in blue. All the rest will be quotes from the Post article. -

AS SEN. Hillary Clinton ratchets up her attacks on President Bush, some Democrats think they smell an explanation: the threat of a 2008 Al Gore presidential bid that could come at her from the left on Iraq. - Smell? Is that the proper word to use concerning our former V.P.??? -

The former vice president is suddenly re-emerging as a vocal and visible Bush-basher - he's slated to star at a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser for big donors in Washington next Tuesday. - Bush bashing is very popular amongst the ultra rich liberals that would rather give their money to politicians than Katrina victims. -


"He's keeping a very strong public profile. He was the first major Democrat to oppose the Iraq war. He's keeping in touch around the country and doing a lot of speeches. You don't do all that if your goal is to play celebrity golf," says a Democratic fundraiser. - How about if your goal is to fill your pockets with something other than golf balls. -

A top Dem strategist adds: "Americans love comebacks and Gore could come back as a real human being instead of a wooden guy. He could come back as the new Nixon - somebody who went into the wilderness and found himself." - Now let me get this straight. The lefties are now saying Nixon was a "Real Human Being"? AND they want to compare Gore to him? AND they admit Gore is a "Wooden Guy" that needs to change appearances. Which does not mean he must really get a 'heart of flesh' but just appear to do so? Now this is the Real LeftWorld uncovered (again). -
.......
Would Gore really run against his ex-boss's wife? Way too early to know. - I'll bet he would if he knew he could rake some dough in! I mean really! Would Gore have distanced himself from Monica's boyfriend in his losing run had he any real loyalty to others. What loyalty does he have besides to his own selfish ambitions? -
.......
- prying1 sez:
There is little doubt in my mind that the Democrats must start getting honest with themselves and the rest of the country. Do Democrats really want the Move-On Dot Org and Michael Moore crowd running the country? (Please SERIOUSLY consider the outcome before answering that. - Imagine Michael Moore stepping out on the front porch of the White House and saying, "OK folks! Here's the way it's gonna be!") If so ALL Democrats should step forward and claim what they stand FOR and not just rant against Bush. I have not heard an Anti-Bush speech say anything new for a coons age. The rhetoric is tired.

- Do we really want Socialised Medicine where the government runs ALL aspects of our health care? Vote for Hillary!
- Do we want a Neville Chamberlain type to stand back and watch terrorists regrow their organizations? Vote for Gore.
- Do Democrats want to see socialists continue to lead their party away from JFK's ideals? Just stay seated.


- -

Donna Brazile Writes an Article

This is one of the things I have been waiting/wanting to see. Someone from the left to see and say that what President Bush wants to accomplish is to enable people to stand up. Not just to fill his pockets and the pockets of his 'friends'. Thanks to AubreyJ for the heads up on this (please visit his site) -

The article is from the WashingtonPost.com site. and is entitled, "I Will Rebuild With You, Mr. President" -

Quotes from the article -
I know, maybe better than anyone, that there are times when it seems that our nation is too divided ever to heal. There are times when we feel so different from each other that we can hardly believe that we are all part of the same family. But we are one nation. We are a family. And this is what we do. When the president asked us to pitch in Thursday night, he wasn't really asking us to do anything spectacular. He was asking us to be Americans, and to do what Americans always do.

and

Bush talked about how we bury our family and friends. We grieve and mourn. We march to a solemn song and then we rejoice and step out and form the second line. That line is now open to every American to join us in rebuilding a great region of this country. New Orleans will rise again. My hometown is down but not out, and with the help of every American, it will be back on its feet, bigger and brighter than ever.

Mr. President, I am ready for duty. I am ready to stir those old pots again. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. - end quote -

prying1 sez:
I'm glad that Donna Brazile is willing to stand up for what is so obviously the correct thing to do. (Notice I did not use the word 'right'.) There has been so much mud slung at Bush often times for obvious partisan reasons that the Secret Service must need to keep a garden hose handy. In this tragedy and crisis it is time for the left to quit their bellyaching and lift a hand to help.

If you belong to a group, club, church or just have a favorite hobby consider finding a victim in need and mail 'em some of your excess.

prying1

How about this for a solution?

It seems that spam, fraud and phishing emails are on the rise recently. The amount of monies stolen through this means of conning people cannot really be calculated because often times people that are taken to the cleaners will not report the crime due to embarrassment. I propose that we set up a world wide clearing house to stop this type of activity.

Initially I thought we could run it through the U.N. (I'm including you in on this 'cause I don't want all the credit) but on second thought "Old Kofi" (whom nobody seems to want to fire) would probably have his son running the show so perhaps we should use INTERPOL.

Here is the scenario. A tried in absentia and proven spammer is sitting before his computer. The system is suddenly taken over by INTERPOL through remote access. A smiley face comes on the screen and says, "For a good time put your face real close the screen!" A signal goes out to a killer satellite and before the spammer has a chance to stand up from his chair (if he decides to not put his face close to the screen) a laser beam cuts through the ceiling and fries his system and any electronics within 10 feet. Hopefully he won't be set up in the basement of a 10 story apartment...

Hmm. That could be a problem. OK. I guess that won't quite work without a few safeguards. Last thing INTERPOL needs is a bassinet or Pop's easy chair in the way.

The real reason for this post is because I've been getting pretty much the same phishing emails for eBay passwords from apparently - Germany, Thailand and China. The links lead to the same page supposedly at - superclean-tech.com - (nonexistent per Google and browser bar) and since the 13th of Sept. eBay and assorted phish/scam fighting sites have given me NO return to my many emails telling me why.

??? Hmmm... ???

prying1 sez: -
Perhaps INTERPOL has already started a program and this is part of it. I might be interfering with an ongoing investigation and thereby be subject to arrest. Or worse yet. They might decide to stop my interference with one of their lasers. Excuse me for ending this post before I'm really finished. I have a baseball cap I'm going to cover in tinfoil and I need to get it done real quick...

prying1

Should be interesting!

A friend has started a new blog - Renassiance Wench

At the age of 55 i will be doing a job of my dreams that i never got to do in my youth! image this old lady selling garlands at the renassiance fair...

Pictures will be added as the event gets rolling. - Be sure to drop by her site and give her encouragement. - Might want to stick her address in favorites/bookmarks to keep an eye on the little wench. -

prying1

What I'd like to see...

When FEMA hands out the checks to people, say for 2 grand or so, they should be waving a second check and saying, "You'll get this one when you've joined the clean up work crews and have put in a week..."

Of course I'm not suggesting that disabled or elderly be put to work although they might not mind pushing a broom or supervising a bit if able. What ticks me off is I've seen pictures of a lot of strong bodies just sitting around.

prying1

What About Fingerprints?

NewScientist.com has what I thought to be an interesting article. Some might even call it an arresting article. It is entitled, "How far should fingerprints be trusted?". I found this New Scientist page to be well worth a read. - It seems that fingerprinting has yet to be established as a reliable form of evidence.

- Quote - No one disputes that fingerprinting is a valuable and generally reliable police tool, but despite more than a century of use, fingerprinting has never been scientifically validated. This is significant because of the criteria governing the admission of scientific evidence in the US courts.

The so-called Daubert ruling introduced by the Supreme Court in 1993 set out five criteria for admitting expert testimony. One is that forensic techniques must have a known error rate, something that has never been established for fingerprinting. - End Quote -

~~~~~~~
The pressure is building to come up with some accurate numbers on the error rate of fingerprint experts. -
~~~~~~~

- Quote from article - The reliability of fingerprinting is at the center of an appeal which opened earlier this month at the Massachusetts Supreme Court in Boston. Defense lawyers acting for Terry Patterson, who was convicted of murdering an off-duty policeman in 1993, have launched a so-called "interlocutory" appeal midway through the case itself to test the admissibility of fingerprinting. Patterson's conviction relies heavily on prints found on a door of the vehicle in which the victim died. - End Quote -

A study was done by Stephen Meagher of the FBI's Latent Fingerprint Section in Quantico, Virginia in which 50,000 fingerprints were involved. It was shown that for any one of the prints to be mistaken for any other of the 49,999 prints would be 1 in 10⁹⁷.

Critics said this was fine for nice clean images but the smeared and partial prints found in real life situations don't always match up neatly to archival prints of criminals. Meagher's reply, to New Scientist included the words, "This is not a study on error rate, or an effort to demonstrate what constitutes an identification,". This statement is now being used by critics to show that the '50k study' does not prove the infallibility of fingerprinting something the courts, the FBI and prosecution lawyers have claimed.

The New Scientist article also shows how some examiners were influenced to make wrong decisions concerning prints they themselves had testified about in court.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

prying1 sez: I would suggest that if you are going to pull any shenagigans that you continue to wear gloves. Oh! And don't scratch your skin or drop any hairs or leave any footprints. Also watch out for hidden cameras and don't drive a getaway vehicle with a For Sale sign that has your phone number emblazoned on it.

prying1

Will Gmail EVER make reporting with full headers easier?

This is an Open Letter to the powers that be at Gmail. - I have sent a copy via the process they provide to them and thought I'd share it with you, that is, whoever reads this post. - I have been using Gmail for quite a while now and am quite satisfied with their (free) service. Except for one area that I think Yahoo (another free service) has them beat. That is the ability it gives the user to forward emails with full headers.

The only times I wish to do this is when I receive spam, scams, and phishing emails. BUT! I report each and every one I get as soon as I find them. With Google's Gmail I must open another window to get the requisite full headers and I cannot just cut and paste the info into the forward but I have to adjust the email format to accept the paste. I'm not exactly stupid when it comes to some of this stuff but Why?, I ask, must Gmail make it so complicated?

Here is the recent letter I wrote to them regarding this matter.

Will Gmail EVER make reporting with full headers easier?



It seems that each time I get an email from a phisher or scamster I have to jump through hoops to forward it to the powers I wish to notify. Tonight I got an email from an obvious phisher and it seems that Gmail had dx'ed the link so I could not even see if the false site was still up. Had I wished to forward the headers (to eBay) Gmail had them all messed up with their own lines letting me know to be careful.

I gather Gmail is conducting a security course that has me left out of the loop of reporting phishers and scams which is fine by me IF they would say so at the top of the email. Instead I get:

- quote from email - Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. - end quote -

MAY NOT BE??? The darn thing was obvious from the get-go! And what can I do about it?

I cannot report it to Ebay. I cannot click on the link to see if it is still active (I have the safety steps taken care of). I cannot get the full headers.

The message should have been - Quote - This email has been reported and treated as a scam or phishing message. Praise the Lord (or what ever divine entity you trust in) that Google/Gmail has your best interests at heart and will protect you from the dark side. - end quote -

Don't get me wrong. I love Google and have since the day I first heard of it. I would prefer if they would be up front with a touch of humor regarding steps like this.

P.S. Attn: anyone at Google. If you need a semi-literate humourist to write messages to your adoring public please inquire. I work cheap! - prying1 -

prying1 sez: - As a matter of full disclosure I did adjust a couple things in the message sent to Gmail due to spellcheck.

prying1

What to post?

Two things caught my attention today -

1:) Heard on Hugh Hewitt that the Brave Sir Nagin - mayor of New Orleans has bought a house in Texas. He apparently has registered his daughter for school there. Northern Alliance Wannabe - has written a post on it with links so I don't have to. I thought that was mighty nice of him.

2:) Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds has a post on 'How ISP's are profiting from spam'. This is a site that should be a regular stop for people that want to stay a step ahead of the internet crooks. Leave a comment! Put Ted's site in favorites!

Prying1 sez - Not much you can do about the mayor but check the list of ISP's through Ted's link to Spamhaus.org - If you see yours write to the president of the company and blog on his reply! (If no reply blog on that...)

prying1

Another Man's Meat says it for me.

Phil Dillon of Another Man's Meat has said what I have felt but did not take the time to put into words. Good thing I didn't because he has said it so eloquently had I attempted the words his post would have made me look bad.

He titled the post, "The Center Must Hold"
Phil shows a concern about the criticism by both religious and political zealots over the Katrina disaster. - God is punishing the U.S. because of Yada, yada, yada... - Bush did not sign the Kyoto Treaty so Yada, yada, yada...


Phil is on vacation but he left us with a wonderful post. If he can access the internet he may visit the blogosphere before he gets back home but doesn't plan on it.

First we are shown through the forgotten/often ignored second half of the story of Jonah that Man should be concerned for man and not put his selfish interests first. Jonah cared more about a plant than he cared about a city full of people. Are there any people around us today like that?

Then Phil tells us of another vacation he was on when tragedy struck America. He shares some of his reaction to 9-11 and sees the similarities not in the cause but in the effect.

I felt the following paragraph to be poignant.

I understand the anger and the frustration that comes at tragic times like these. I felt the same frustration and helplessness four years ago that feel now. But I believe the appropriate way to express that anger and frustration now is to pray and to give. The time for criticism will come later. The time to cleanse ourselves of personal or political sins will come later. When that day dawns we can convene commissions and we can hold prayer meetings. We can find out what we should have done logistically or spiritually. We can fix bridges and buildings, we can build homes and businesses, we can mend lives, and we can, if necessary, repent. But this is not the time for the looters of our national fabric to gain a foothold. There is far too much work to do now and we who occupy the center must hold. We've given and we've prayed, but more will be required of us. We must not allow the extremists to carry the day!

As the great philosopher Rodney King once said, "Can't we all just get along?"
prying1 sez, "At least for a couple of weeks?"prying1

Roberts Jumping Over and Ahead

Wandering about the blogosphere this evening I came across a post at VOLuntarilyConservative on Judge Roberts and his nomination to the Chief Justice position on the Supreme Court. - In the comments on the post Ariadne of Ariadne's Labyrinth asked the question, "Won't the rest of the judiciaries resent the hell outta Roberts if he bypasses sitting on the bench to become the chief justice?"

Fair question. I think the answer however really does not matter. Ariadne was really asking Rob Huddleston, whose site I was visiting but being the buttinski I am (no offense to persons of Polish extraction) I had to reply.

prying1 sez

- quote - If they allow this to affect their decisions THEY should not be allowed the position! - end quote -

prying1

Katrina pics

Hat tip to aka.alias for the link to this site. If you like scenic pictures she has some beauties posted here. Check some of her previous posts. -

weather channel pics of Katrina prying1

Gone Fishing!

I received these pics from a friend in Texas of her grandchildren who are staying with her for a while. Their mom is getting a chance to visit her husband who is in the military and deployed in the Middle East. Although we have never met I find myself filled with a sense of kinship of Spirit with this family. Something about seeing these kids in Texas playing by a river takes me back a few years......

These pics remind me of a Saturday I spent on base at Ft. Sam Houston Texas. I was in the army and had learned not to stay in the barracks sacked out on a bunk on Saturdays. Much as I loved to lounge around and read on my days off it was dangerous. Any sergeant could walk in and conscript a person for any detail he wanted. I knew this from experience but that is another story.

So I took a walk towards some of the nearby woods and found a section of a river. Some might have called it a stream but it looked a mite too big for that. I thanked the Lord for the chance to experience a bit of His nature and walked along the bank. The Lord and I were having a mighty good heart to Heart talk. Part of the conversation I mentioned to the Lord that it sure was a mighty fine day to dip a line in the water. He and I both knew He had put a few fish in there.

Soon I found a supple long stick and I mentioned to the Lord that it would have made a good pole if I had a line and hook. Going on a piece I found a bit of line that was tangled in a branch by the shore. It untangled pretty easy and became another good reason to praise Him for His providence. Walking further I came across a man fishing on the bank who gladly gave me a hook from his tackle box. While conversing with him a grasshopper that was waiting to become bait hopped on by. I waved goodbye to the fisherman and quickly caught the last ingredient of my endeavors.

Around a bend I found a quiet spot away from the man who might have been a general for all I knew. I figured he wanted to fish alone or he would have been with a friend. I baited up, tossed the hopper into the water and sat on a log to wait. After a bit of kicking the grasshopper finally settled down and sank. Having no weight on the line I could not pull it taut the way I would have liked but that didn't really matter much. I was fishing! Half a country from my home in California and I was fishing. That was all that was important to me. That and the time I could spend in this quiet location away from people, in the woods, away from the army and with my Lord Jesus.

He and I had a good conversation that day. Most of it spent with me talking but there were enough times where the Lord got to put in his 2 cents worth too. Wish I could remember what we were talking about. I am positive that most of it was Him sharing His love. - Suddenly the line went taut. I pulled a bit and the line pulled back. It went first to the right and then doubled back to the left. I pulled a bit harder and the line went slack. From the way it pulled I figured it to be a turtle that stole my bait. Just as well because had I caught a fish I had no way to cook it anyway. They frowned on fires in the barracks.

It was a wonderful day. One of those days the Bible talks about when it said, This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! -

prying1

One Way to Help Katrina Victims

Send a package from your home or business to someone that lost everything and likes what you like.

Sounds simplistic I know but I had to start this post with that line because too many people surfing the blogs will keep surfing after reading the first sentence. They might miss the rest of this post but hopefully the first line will sink in at a later date...

Big tragedy hits and it is ALL OVER the news. Help is needed here or there... Please send money NOW!!! DONATE THROUGH THIS PHONE NUMBER NOW! CLICK ON THIS LINK! SEND ME THE MONEY AND I'LL GET IT THERE! PAYPAL ACCEPTED!!!!

- I am rather loathe to send money to the big name outfits like the Red Cross and even one of the best, the Salvation Army. I always feel that whatever I send will get gobbled up in the confusion. - Because of this I wait before sending a check any direction and often times it ends up I send nothing.

After the Tsunami I waited and sent money to the only person I KNEW in Thailand, that is, Glenn "Jeep" Holthaus in Pattaya, Thailand of the Thai Kids Charity Project - The money hit there while the UN leeches were still sitting by their poolside, sucking up expensive booze in the 4-5 star hotels mere blocks from the devastation. 'Jeep' Holthaus made sure the funds went towards something the locals needed. Funds you send him will help the little ones. - Don't hesitate to contact him or send him funds. (PayPal accepted! - Where did I hear that before?) - So where to send money or goods in the Katrina aftermath?

Listening to Hugh Hewitt on the radio I heard him talking about churches helping churches, schools helping schools, construction companies helping construction companies... - I called my pastor, Barry Griffing (Google that name!), and asked him if he knew any pastors that might be affected by Katrina. - It affected his memory cells in a positive fashion and he is checking on a name that came to mind. Hopefully this weekend our church will take up an offering for specific needs and in the near future as mail service is restored we can send packages of specific items needed, requested and desired. Be it food, blankets or books. We will not be opposed to sending cash through PayPal either.

For years I've been wheeling and dealing on ebay primarily with one of my main loves, that is, books. I have cartons of books in my garage. I've been searching for a small, soggy used bookstore or eBay seller outside of the big cities in the devastated areas that could use a few cartons of books mailed to them. I'm sure through Google, eBay and Yahoo I'll find the right place. Suggestions will be considered. - I'm reminded of a fellow I met in Arkansas whose garage was a lending library of sorts. I forget the trade rates he had set up, bring 2-3 books & take one or what, but he loved books and delighted in meeting others with the same emotion. I was just passing through had no books to trade, other than the one I was reading at the time. He reluctantly took cash for the books I wanted. - I'm certain that a like minded person will be happy to get some books to start replacing what they have lost.

Imagine a month from now if a fellow that owns a small construction company, say in Nevada or Oklahoma, looks around his yard for duplicate equipment and sees a small (working of course) cement mixer that has not been used for a while. He fills the drum up with a hand drill, sabre saw, hammer, pliers, assorted screwdrivers, asks his employees to throw their donations in the drum and sends it to someone he KNOWS through contacts that has lost his livelihood.

In a couple of weeks from today a lawyer pulls a couple of his computers out of his network, cleans the hard drives for ethical and clientele privacy reasons (To hell with the legal reasons) and ships them to a lawyer he KNOWS through contacts has lost his business. Included in the package is a subscription to an online legal research site to help replace the books lost. He would be confident that a snake with a pattern similar to his own would be receiving something needed to continue the deception first started with Eve. - (OK - Disclaimer - Previous line was designed for humor relief. It in no way was written as a disparaging remark meant to slime any snakes, living or dead.)

A gardener sending a check or gift certificate to Sears to another gardener to cover the cost of a lawn mower and weed whacker. (I like 'Extreme Makeover' - I have shopped as Sears as a result! Great advertising program! {disclaimer - No monies are received for advertisement of any products or endorsements...) An electrician shipping duplicate tools of the trade he has gathered through the years. This guy really has a giving heart and sends the BEST of each as opposed to the ones he quit using. A seamstress sends a box of quilting material. Butcher sends a set of knives. Baker sends some money for flour and starter for sourdough. Candlestick Stick Maker sends a ton of wax and some oils for flavoring.

Think of your trade, career, interests or hobby. Look about your house. Ask your boss and fellow workers to participate. Use the internet to find someone who has been wiped out. Watch for and avoid scammers. Find someone in need and ship a package (and more) directly to them as soon as the roads are clear.

The government checks some of these folks will be receiving will be nice and helpful but will be used up quick. The thing they will remember most are the gifts you send directly to them. Start searching today and don't be thinking 6 months from now, "Gee, I should'a"....

prying1

Google to Take Over the World?

I received this in an email from NewsMax.com -

- Quote -
GoogleNet: Building the Mother of All Networks

Google is building a national broadband network massive enough to rival even the largest Internet service providers - and free Wi-Fi access from Google could be just around the corner.

For the past year the company has been quietly shopping for miles of unused fiber-optic cable, and acquiring superfast connections between East Coast cities, according to Business 2.0. magazine.

"The rash of telecom bankruptcies has freed up a ton of bargain-priced capacity, which Google needs as it prepares to unleash a flood of new, bandwidth-hungry applications," the magazine reports.

These could include a service to troll podcasts and other audio files, and another to let users share personal videos and watch on-demand TV programming.

Building a network would also save Google millions of dollars a month, since it currently utilizes a network owned by an ISP when a user performs a search and Google has to pay as much as $60 per megabit in transit fees.

Once the network - which Business 2.0 dubs GoogleNet - is up and running, users could connect via wireless Internet after Google blankets major cities with Wi-Fi.

And the magazine speculates that Google plans to do just that. The company is already sponsoring a Wi-Fi hotspot in San Francisco.

"So is Google about to offer free Net access to everyone?" Business 2.0 asks.

Google officials aren't saying. But stay tuned.
- end quote -

prying1 sez:
I'm not knowledgeable on Wi-Fi but I do know that with the right equipment the signal can be 'borrowed' by neighbors and even passers by. Bradley Mitchell has several articles at About.com - "Computing and Technology section" He says, "Firewalls are not 100% bulletproof" against hacking so if this service comes about and when people decide to jump on the bandwagon I would suggest simply shutting down the connection when not in use.

Will Google eventually become the ruler of the internet/www world? Would that be a good or a bad thing? The internet/www is pretty big but logically some company must be the biggest. Up to this point I have not seen Google make any moves that would appear to be evil. It might be that behind the scenes Google heads are controlling and making demands of people that forces them to go against their consciences but there is absolutely no evidence of such behaviour. Neither has any moves they have made shown a propensity to move toward the 'Dark Side'...

I'm Shocked! Shocked I say!!!

Thanks to NewScientist.com for the heads up on this one -

Ki Bang Lee, of The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore announced a battery that is activated with biofluids such as urine or blood.

- - - Quote - - -
The first urine-powered paper battery has been created by physicists in Singapore. The credit-card sized unit could be a useful power source for cheap healthcare test kits for diseases like diabetes, and could even be used in emergency situations to power a cellphone, they say.
- - - End quote - - -

Are they going to set up special booths in the streets for people to discreetly step into in order to pee on their cell phones? I'd be concerned about putting it up to my ear when it is juiced up.

- - - Quote - - -
Current biochips need an external reader such as a laser scanner or an external source of power, such as conventional batteries, to perform diagnostic tests. Lee'‘s technology houses both the sensors and the battery on one plastic chip.
- - - End Quote - - -

Please note this plastic chip is not the kind you play poker with!

- - - Quote - - -
The urine-powered battery was able to generate a voltage of about 1.5 volts with a corresponding power of 1.5 micro-watts using just 0.2 millilitres of urine, says Lee. And if a second droplet of urine was added 15 hours after the battery was first activated, the replenished urine could generate still more electricity.

The battery is currently suited for use with disposable devices it is not yet ready to power laptops or iPods. "But if, for example, we place a small cellular phone or transmitter on a plastic card, the chip will work as a disposable biofluid-activated means of communication in an emergency, Lee told New Scientist. In this case, the size will be less than that of a credit card.
- - - End Quote - - -

1.5 volts! Hmmm. My camera takes 3 volts. I wonder if two of em...

I wonder too how far will this go? I mean, could you start your car if you put a bunch of these in your car seat? Dad's Barcalounger will have to be aired out on occasion if it is set up to run the TV.

- - - Quote - - -
The battery is made of a layer of filter paper steeped in copper chloride, sandwiched between strips of magnesium and copper. This sandwich is then laminated in plastic to hold the whole package together. The resulting battery is just 1 millimetre thick and 60 by 30 mm across slightly smaller than a credit card.

To activate the battery, a drop of urine is added and soaks through the sandwiched filter paper. The chemicals dissolve and react to produce electricity. The magnesium layer acts as the anode, losing its electrons. And the copper chloride acts as the cathode, mopping up the electrons.

But Lee adds that the voltage, current and capacity of the battery could be improved by different designs or by switching the electrode or electrolyte materials used.

He believes the system could be used in home-based health test kits. The long-term goal is for people to be able to buy disposable biochips for a disease test from any pharmacy,” he says.
- - - End Quote - - -

ATTENTION JEFF FOXWORTHY FANS - Do not be fooled by the word 'sandwich' in the preceding paragraph. They are not talking about bread and meat!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

prying1 sez:

- This really does look like a good thing but we will all be well advised to wash our hands after borrowing a friends cell phone and think twice before jumping into Dad's Barcalounger. Just in case...

Why Use Yahoo and Not Hotmail?

Ok, What is with these tech support people? Can't people make an obvious decision anymore? If these jokers worked for me and I happened to read this in prying1's blog then you bet they might not get fired but advancement would be a looong time coming. Whatever happened to 'executive decisions'? I make 'em all the time at my work and my bosses (two company owners - I'm the peon and prefer it that way.) depend on me to do so as occasion warrants. - Here is the scenario all of which on my end went through one of my Yahoo email accounts -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I get an email for a Nigerian 411 scam -

- Quote from email -
I am a business development specialist and i have engaged in the purchasing of heavy materials and machinery from any part of the world,for contract supplies(only) to some multinational companies in Europe and Africa.More to it,i was also partially or slightly invloved in the exportation of solid minerals in minimal quantity from some countries in Central Africa to some countries within the United Kingdom but due to some new strict trade policies and severe political and economical factors in some of the countres i was involved with in Africa,i have been put out of business for a while. - ... - ...
- end quote -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i have to wunder if his speiling andpunchuatshun might of had sumthin todo with looseing his busyness. - It goes on in much the same vein... - I wanted to change the word exportation in the email above to exploitation but decided not to change the body of the quote.

If you want to read the whole thing email me and I will forward it. - The deal was, I get 20% of 19 MILLION $$$'s - Whoo Hoo!

I'll be rich! Inevitably this would only cost me all I have plus all I could borrow and even all I could steal. Needless to say I did not go for it. If you want to invest let me know - I'll forward the pertinent info.

I noticed at the bottom of the letter was an email address. A bright blue link to the perpetrator of this scam. - It was a Hotmail.com address. - So I do what any semi law abiding citizen would do. I forwarded the message to abuse@hotmail.com - A short while later I get an auto response from Hotmail - Form letter. They got the message and will look at it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The same day I get another nigerian scam letter from Dr. John Smith. His real name! Wow! At first I thought he was joking but Dr. John Smith is his real name. His deal is better (I think).

- Quote - On behalf of myself and my colleagues who are ministerial official and other officers in charge of offshore remittance in this corporation, we are seeking your assistance for the transfer of Forty Two Million (US$15,000,000.00) to your account for further private investment purpose, Hence our request for your assistance. - ... - ... - End Quote -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The idiot didn't even change the number when he modified his letter. Which is it? 42 mil or 15 mil? I did not bother writing to ask. I

noticed the return address on this one was a Yahoo.com account. - Forwarded email to abuse@Yahoo.com - They responded within 8 hours. A form letter but it said appropriate action was taken. I feel satisfied. (note - As I am writing this I emailed from a dummy account to both addresses. - Response from Yahoo - Account non-existent! Mail undeliverable - Hot mail.......... No reply yet.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mind you these emails were received and forwarded on the same day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, 2-1/2 hours after Yahoo tells me they took "appropriate action" Hotmail send me a message saying

- quote -

Thank you for writing to MSN Hotmail Technical Support.

My name is Harrison and I am writing in response to the unsolicited message that you reported. I know how important it is for you to protect your account from unsolicited messages.

I have verified that the account [michealhartrupp2000@hotmail.com] you reported is an active Hotmail account. However, we did not find enough evidence to prove that the e-mail that you received originated from this account. If you have other documentation to prove that this account is indeed sending unsolicited e-mail, please send us a copy with the full message header so we can re-evaluate your report. To do this, please refer to the Help section of your e-mail account or client to learn more about exposing the full message headers of the e-mail you are forwarding. - ... - ... -
... more about forged headers and crap unrelated to the nigerian scam letter I sent them ...
- end quote -

They got the full headers. The email address the scammer was using was at the bottom of the page. Hotmail is dealing with a scammer not a spammer. A scammer that is using a Hotmail account.

I wrote back to Hotmail - quote -

Hi Harrison, - This is the only email I received from this joker to my knowledge. - I could email him and get more on his scam for you but I should think that the body of the email with the hotmail address at the bottom should be enough to yank his account. - - I'm not sure if your terms of service allow you to go into his account and peruse his mail but certainly -[michealhartrupp2000@hotmail.com]- is up to no good and is using hotmail for nefarious purposes. - Paul -
prying1.blogspot.com - - - 6:56 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- end quote -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reply from Hotmail @ 15:43 hrs (8+ hours later) -

- Quote -

Hello Paul,


Thank you for writing back to MSN Hotmail Technical Support.

My name is Divino. I have read the e-mail exchanges you have had with Harrison
and from what I understand you were reporting about the unsolicited e-mail message you received.

We have investigated the account you have reported and we found that the X-Originating IP of the mail you have sent us did not match. It is possible that it was forged or tampered with. If you have any other documentation from this sender, please send it to us immediately with complete message headers.

Hotmail firmly enforces its Terms of Use (TOU) including our anti-spam stance. You can review our TOU at:
http://privacy.msn.com/tou/default.asp

We are very sorry if we were not able to take action against this person because we need sufficient evidence to justify our actions. I appreciate your patience and understanding regarding this matter.


Thank you very much.


Divino T.
MSN Hotmail Technical Support

- end quote -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
prying1 sez:

My FINAL reply: - quote -

OK - If you want to allow an obvious crook to continue
using hotmail then fine - I sent a similar email to
abuse at Yahoo and they YANKED the jerks account toot
sweet!. - Who cares where he originated the blasted
email - He want victims to use his Hotmail address
because he knows you will let him! - Paul -

- end quote -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will continue to forward scams to Hotmail in hopes that Harrison and Divino don't get them... But I'm not gonna continue this endless diatribe with these boys. Let Mr. Micheal Hartrupp continue his scam through Hotmail.com. He knows he has the support! (smiley face here)

Why They Write Science Fiction!

I've been reading a bit of science fiction lately. I came across a set of books I got years ago and never got around to reading. It is a collection of short stories and novellas plus some that was selected by the members of The Science Fiction Writers of America. They had each member submit the titles they liked best excluding their own and tallied up the winners to put in an anthology. It is a 3 book collection called "The Science Fiction Hall of Fame".

Of course Asimov, Bradbury, Pohl, Heinlein, and a myriad of authors are represented.

Some favorite stories are, The Roads Must Roll (Heinlein), The Time Machine (H.G.Wells), The Midas Plague (Pohl), and too many more to name. Especially for a four fingered typist...

While reading a bit it finally came to me what it is that draws writers into Science Fiction as a favored genre. It is simply this. Lawsuits...

You know at the start of novels where it tells you that no one on earth was the model for the characters inside the book. Imagine this court scene:

Lawyer, "Your Honor, we will prove that my client Mr. Smith was slandered by this so called author. He was called a lying, unethical, crook and this has had an adverse effect on his business. He was called a pimping whoremonger and this has had an adverse effect on his family life. He was called an immature mamma's boy with apron strings tied to his wrists and this has had an adverse effect on his psyche.

Judge: Ok, I perused the book and am wondering where you find all of these accusations in it?

Lawyer, "Your Honor, You can read, starting on page 12, about the slimesided Arcturian gizzlewop named Rejrindul Azurkod and we intend to show how the author cleverly used this character to cause harm to my client.

Judge: (slams gavel) "Get out of my court!" (slams gavel again) "Now!!!" (Judge mumbles a bit, then barks) "Next case..."

Delete Button Does Not Delete!

On occasion I wheel and deal at a computer swap meet. I'll pick up hard drives real cheap there. Of course I'm taking a chance when I pick up a drive off the ground or a blanket that when I get it home it will not work. Last meet I got a 80 gig hard drive for $3.00. It works, whoohoo!

When I plugged the drive in I was able to set it up as a 'd' drive and accessed all the info on it. It had belonged to someone that had set it up as a 'C' drive with WinXP.

WinXP has now got it set up so that you cannot just simply transfer the drive from one machine to another. To get it to work as a 'C' drive I had to reformat it and reload Windows. This of course wiped out all the previous information. Or did it?

The info stored on a hard disk is simply magnetic bits that are pointed north or south, on or off, yes or no, 1 or 0. Deleting files or even formatting a hard drive does not remove all the information stored on it. It simply removes the pointers that tells the reading heads where to go to find the requested info. As a result sensitive information like banking and financial records can still be accessed with the proper software. I have read that even writing over the previous file doesn't quite do the trick. A ghost image of the file can remain and a real pro can find and reconstruct the info.

So, the question is, what to do with old unneeded hard drives to protect yourself from any hanky panky with the info on it. One solution that is quick and easy is to smash it with a hammer making sure all the platters inside get damaged. But suppose the computer you use at work is about to go down the hall to someone else. Perhaps the laptop you use is about to be transferred to another department. They might be a tad upset if the hard drive has major dents in it.

I came across this page from Brown University that gives some tips and links to software (Some Free!!! Whoohoo again!) that solves this problem. I see some in the list for Mac and Unix. (which reminds me of the time my buddy Mike asked another computer nut if he liked Unix. The man replied, "No! I prefer women...")

I will suggest you be careful if you download and use any of these programs. It appears that some of them are designed to wipe out the whole disk only and not selected freespace, files or folders.

One of my favorite lines from a book

As I'm sitting here at the computer I have a stupid fly buzzing about the room.

On occasion it gets nearby and I swing at it. - I miss... -

On occasion it lands on the monitor screen. I swing at it. - I miss... -

Kung Fu practictioner I'm not...

But this reminded me of one of my favorite lines from a book. - Art Linkletter's Kid's Say the Darndest Things. (Not to be confused with Bill Cosby's book by the same title.) This is not verbatim but it is pretty close.

Scenario: Art Linkletter has very young school children sitting in chairs and is asking them questions about life and love.

Art: "How did you get that bump on your head?"
kid: "I was killing flies."
Art: "You were killing flies with your forehead?"
kid: "No, I was using a hammer."

NARAL Tells Lies in Anti - John Roberts Commercials

Opposed to bombing abortion clinics? Well then you should be pushing your elected officials to support John Roberts as Supreme Court Justice. You should also be pushing for NARAL to back off on their adverts that portray Roberts as a man who supports the criminal/terrorist activity of bombing abortion clinics.

Factcheck.org has the real scoop on what NARAL is up to. The pro-abortion group's commercial shows a bombing scene that happened 7 years after the legal brief they misquote as Roberts endorsing murder. The legal brief was supporting states laws and simply said there was no need for federal interdiction. - The Supreme Court agreed 6 to 3...

prying1 sez - It amazes me that a group that endorses ripping babies from the safety of their mothers wombs uses an obvious lie about murder like this and expects to get away with it. - Anyone who supports NARAL after this has no excuse. Bearing false witness is still in the 10 Commandments even if the Commandments are not on the walls of our courts. Duplicity always ends up with a spotlight shining on it. If you stand with NARAL the spotlight will also be shining on you!