NEWS

[nodstar]

Jun 6, 2009 6:30:47 GMT 4 @towhom said:

Jun 6, 2009 6:21:07 GMT 4 Eagles Disobey said:

THE EAGLES AND THEIR TEAM ARE HOME FROM THE SEA, SAFE AND SOUND!

IN 48-72 HOURS EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF THE EAGLES AND CAREFUL ONES OF THEIR TEAM, WHILE "AT SEA" WILL BE IN THE AMALFI GATEWAY, FOR EDO MEMBERS.

ON THE NIGHT OF SUNDAY, JUNE 7, DR. DAN RETURNS TO THE AMALFI WITH SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS!



EAGLES DISOBEY!

Welcome home, ALL OF YOU!

You have been missed!

Peace and Joy
Always with Love

Sally Anne

Yes indeed .. ;D

GREAT to hear !!!

love

Nod

[ochasame]

Jun 6, 2009 6:21:07 GMT 4 Eagles Disobey said:

THE EAGLES AND THEIR TEAM ARE HOME FROM THE SEA, SAFE AND SOUND!

IN 48-72 HOURS EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF THE EAGLES AND CAREFUL ONES OF THEIR TEAM, WHILE "AT SEA" WILL BE IN THE AMALFI GATEWAY, FOR EDO MEMBERS.

ON THE NIGHT OF SUNDAY, JUNE 7, DR. DAN RETURNS TO THE AMALFI WITH SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS!



EAGLES DISOBEY!

How do you become an EDO Member?

[nodstar]

Jun 6, 2009 8:00:43 GMT 4 @ochasame said:

Jun 6, 2009 6:21:07 GMT 4 Eagles Disobey said:

THE EAGLES AND THEIR TEAM ARE HOME FROM THE SEA, SAFE AND SOUND!

IN 48-72 HOURS EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF THE EAGLES AND CAREFUL ONES OF THEIR TEAM, WHILE "AT SEA" WILL BE IN THE AMALFI GATEWAY, FOR EDO MEMBERS.

ON THE NIGHT OF SUNDAY, JUNE 7, DR. DAN RETURNS TO THE AMALFI WITH SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS!



EAGLES DISOBEY!

How do you become an EDO Member?

Hi there ochasame..
and welcome to the forum ;D

Eagles forum is not taking any new members AT PRESENT ..
When new memberships are open I will let you all know .

Best Wishes

Nodstar*

[stan]

We missed you all too! ;D

On the final day of the cruise, Dan chaired a rare meeting with the main members of the Eagles team while Marci and Fran (Caspa) were having a "spa day." (Fran's mom watched baby Gloria, so she and Steven (Mongraal) could get a week of relaxation.) A few days prior, Dan and Marci came to some decisions about the future of Eagles Disobey, the rebirth of Eagles Disobey, the Eagles Team, the Eagles Forum, short and long term goals, where they are ultimately retiring, business and research directions, etc.

The ONLY things I am permitted to announce at this time is that-

1) They have decided to take their dance skills to the next level in the next few years! ;D While they never had a "romantic slow dance" (as their first dance) prior to marriage, which they HAVE HAD NOW, they have formally ballroom and rumba ("The vertical expression fo a horizontal wish." ;D) danced. Most people don't know, they are BOTH highly skilled dancers, but that fell away as Dan's illness progressed. Most people know: he's much better now. So, plans they set in the middle 1990's are back on!

They plan to enter international competition dance! Yes, when it starts, the public will be able to watch! ;D

2) The 5th. DVD (following #1,2,#3a and b) will be titled:

"Q94"! (It will be a highly technical DVD, about the Q94-109a document, a departure from their other DVD's, and not a "happy" DVD. Many of you know about the DISINFORMATION issued against Dan and the document, and HE IS GOING TO DEAL WITH IT DIRECTLY! We hear that he is soon to be given the NAME of an individual behind accusatory statements made against him and the document. GET THE DVD IF YOU DARE WATCH IT. NOW COMES DAN'S TURN TO HAVE A "SAY.")

3) The next Lotus Presentation, originally scheduled for FALL 2009, is being moved to Spring 2010. The reason is a major change in venue. (I can't even hint to you where it will be! ;D)

Stan

(p.s. Nodstar*: Dan and Marci told me to pass along that they look forward to speaking with you and the other "support team" person and close friend soon about their honeymoon -not mentioning the other person's name in public without permission first. They are available at home whenever you and she wish to call. [For the public: the "phone Dan" program is NOT being reinstituted EVER, this is a private friendship issue only.] Also, if you would like to start passing along the public's questions you select to Dan's private email, he will start answering them and passing them back to your email during his Sunday night office time, [for posting by you at your discretion].

[stan]

Eagles Disobey has NOT forgotten about the "Rumbles" contest and the winners and shirts. They will be mailed.

Stan

[nodstar]

Jun 6, 2009 11:12:19 GMT 4 @stan said:

We missed you all too! ;D

On the final day of the cruise, Dan chaired a rare meeting with the main members of the Eagles team while Marci and Fran (Caspa) were having a "spa day." (Fran's mom watched baby Gloria, so she and Steven (Mongraal) could get a week of relaxation.) A few days prior, Dan and Marci came to some decisions about the future of Eagles Disobey, the rebirth of Eagles Disobey, the Eagles Team, the Eagles Forum, short and long term goals, where they are ultimately retiring, business and research directions, etc.

The ONLY things I am permitted to announce at this time is that-

1) They have decided to take their dance skills to the next level in the next few years! ;D While they never had a "romantic slow dance" (as their first dance) prior to marriage, which they HAVE HAD NOW, they have formally ballroom and rumba ("The vertical expression fo a horizontal wish." ;D) danced. Most people don't know, they are BOTH highly skilled dancers, but that fell away as Dan's illness progressed. Most people know: he's much better now. So, plans they set in the middle 1990's are back on!

They plan to enter international competition dance! Yes, when it starts, the public will be able to watch! ;D

2) The 5th. DVD (following #1,2,#3a and b) will be titled:

"Q94"! (It will be a highly technical DVD, about the Q94-109a document, a departure from their other DVD's, and not a "happy" DVD. Many of you know about the DISINFORMATION issued against Dan and the document, and HE IS GOING TO DEAL WITH IT DIRECTLY! We hear that he is soon to be given the NAME of an individual behind accusatory statements made against him and the document. GET THE DVD IF YOU DARE WATCH IT. NOW COMES DAN'S TURN TO HAVE A "SAY.")

3) The next Lotus Presentation, originally scheduled for FALL 2009, is being moved to Spring 2010. The reason is a major change in venue. (I can't even hint to you where it will be! ;D)

Stan

(p.s. Nodstar*: Dan and Marci told me to pass along that they look forward to speaking with you and the other "support team" person and close friend soon about their honeymoon -not mentioning the other person's name in public without permission first. They are available at home whenever you and she wish to call. [For the public: the "phone Dan" program is NOT being reinstituted EVER, this is a private friendship issue only.] Also, if you would like to start passing along the public's questions you select to Dan's private email, he will start answering them and passing them back to your email during his Sunday night office time, [for posting by you at your discretion].

Hiya Stan !!!! ;D

Great to hear from you
I'll review the questions for Dan thread and forward them onto Dan ASAP

THANKS for the message
A PM awaits you ;D

Lotsa love

Nod

[nodstar]

MESSAGE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THIS FORUM

YOUR QUESTIONS FOR DAN ARE NOW BEING REVIEWED AND FORWARDED
TO HIM .

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to interact with Dr Burisch

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, and pose them in a POLITE and THOUGHTFUL manner,
I'll take the time to review them and forward them on, thereby returning your courtesy
for taking the time to think, interact, and learn ;D

Best Wishes to you all

Nodstar* Admin and Moderator

[galaxygirl]

Jun 6, 2009 11:12:19 GMT 4 @stan said:

We missed you all too! ;D

On the final day of the cruise, Dan chaired a rare meeting with the main members of the Eagles team while Marci and Fran (Caspa) were having a "spa day." (Fran's mom watched baby Gloria, so she and Steven (Mongraal) could get a week of relaxation.) A few days prior, Dan and Marci came to some decisions about the future of Eagles Disobey, the rebirth of Eagles Disobey, the Eagles Team, the Eagles Forum, short and long term goals, where they are ultimately retiring, business and research directions, etc.

The ONLY things I am permitted to announce at this time is that-

1) They have decided to take their dance skills to the next level in the next few years! ;D While they never had a "romantic slow dance" (as their first dance) prior to marriage, which they HAVE HAD NOW, they have formally ballroom and rumba ("The vertical expression fo a horizontal wish." ;D) danced. Most people don't know, they are BOTH highly skilled dancers, but that fell away as Dan's illness progressed. Most people know: he's much better now. So, plans they set in the middle 1990's are back on!

They plan to enter international competition dance! Yes, when it starts, the public will be able to watch! ;D

2) The 5th. DVD (following #1,2,#3a and b) will be titled:

"Q94"! (It will be a highly technical DVD, about the Q94-109a document, a departure from their other DVD's, and not a "happy" DVD. Many of you know about the DISINFORMATION issued against Dan and the document, and HE IS GOING TO DEAL WITH IT DIRECTLY! We hear that he is soon to be given the NAME of an individual behind accusatory statements made against him and the document. GET THE DVD IF YOU DARE WATCH IT. NOW COMES DAN'S TURN TO HAVE A "SAY.")

3) The next Lotus Presentation, originally scheduled for FALL 2009, is being moved to Spring 2010. The reason is a major change in venue. (I can't even hint to you where it will be! ;D)

Stan

(p.s. Nodstar*: Dan and Marci told me to pass along that they look forward to speaking with you and the other "support team" person and close friend soon about their honeymoon -not mentioning the other person's name in public without permission first. They are available at home whenever you and she wish to call. [For the public: the "phone Dan" program is NOT being reinstituted EVER, this is a private friendship issue only.] Also, if you would like to start passing along the public's questions you select to Dan's private email, he will start answering them and passing them back to your email during his Sunday night office time, [for posting by you at your discretion].

WOW!!! Sounded like the Eagles Have Landed . . . . on a brand new timeline, the Tabula Rosa for sure. I felt a lota bubbles of joy reading about the honeymoon cruise and all the wunnerful things that unfolded. But specially about the dancers getting their grove back. Well, there's just nothing more ecstatic than watching good dancers who also just happen to be in love. ;D It will be spectacular!! . . . I am waiting

Looking forward to catching up with the two of you Love Birds very soon.

GG

[towhom]

Prevent your system from becoming infected
Windows Secrets
By Ian "Gizmo" Richards
Best Software, January 15, 2009

What will be the major security risks in 2009? More importantly, what can you do to protect your PC against these risks?

Be forewarned: the answers are not quite what you expect.

There's more in that download than meets the eye

Most PC users have a distorted view of the nature of the security risks they face. Conventional wisdom holds that the three biggest threats come from (1) criminals exploiting flaws in Windows and other software products; (2) e-mail-borne viruses; and, more recently, (3) visits to malicious Web sites.

These threats, though real, are relatively minor players: each accounts for only a few percent of home PC infections. No, folks — the biggest threat doesn't come from any of these exotic sources but from something much more common and pedestrian: downloading infected programs.

The people who make their living cleaning up infected PCs have known this for years. When they ask users when their problem started, the answer is all too commonly "after I downloaded and installed a new program."

Tech-support personnel in corporations will tell you the same thing, and they'll often single out senior managers as particularly susceptible to malware-bearing downloads.

This practical experience is borne out in the statistics. Security research company Trend Micro recently reported that of the top 100 infections in the U.S. in 2008, approximately 63% were caused by downloading and running programs. E-mail–borne infections accounted for only 3%, while the exploitation of security flaws in products was responsible for a tiny 1.7% of PC infections.

Software thieves get more than they bargained for

So, what are these infected programs that users are downloading?

They include free games, utilities, toolbars, and just about any other program a malicious site can entice a user into downloading. An even-greater threat are pirated software and pornography.

Pirated software is particularly dangerous, because such programs are used widely and are often crawling with viruses.

In fact, when I'm looking for a new set of malware for my security tests, I go straight to pirated-software sites and cracked-software sources on BitTorrent.

The last time I did this, 39 of the 61 illegal programs I downloaded from BitTorrent were infected. Most of the infections are in the key generators ("keygens"), but in seven of the 39 cases, the infection was in the pirated program itself.

Even scarier was how few of these infected downloads had been noted by users in their comments on the BitTorrent search sites. I'm not sure why, though I do know that some malware infections disable your security software, so the commenters were likely unaware of the viruses.

I suspect many users of pirated software are smart enough to download a fresh copy of the program from the vendor's site and use only the pirated serial number or keygen they lifted off BitTorrent. Whatever the reason, be assured that you cannot rely on program ratings given by BitTorrent users.

Now, all of this sounds very scary, but I don't want to alarm you unnecessarily. Most downloading is perfectly safe. Indeed, downloading and trying new programs is one of the great pleasures of the Internet.

However, you do need to be smart about what you download and install. That, as we shall see, is not too hard at all.

In the last few years, I've downloaded and installed dozens of programs onto my laptop and it's never been infected by malware. Not even once.

This is not due to any technical genius on my part nor to the quality of the security software I use. It's the result of adopting safe downloading practices. If you develop the habit of using these practices, your computer will be just as safe as mine.

Rule 1: Download only from reputable sources

Following this single rule will cut your risk of infection dramatically. So, what is a "reputable source"? Certainly the following:

• Any major download site, such as Download.com, Softpedia.com, and MajorGeeks.com.
  
• Any site of a reputable developer or vendor, such as Microsoft, Google, HP, and Dell.
  
• Any open-source software hosted on Sourceforge.net, Mozilla.org, and other large open-source hangouts.

There are, of course, many more "reputable sources." The problem is knowing which sites to trust. McAfee SiteAdvisor is a free plug-in for Internet Explorer (download page), Firefox (download page) and MACs (download page) that rates sites based on a number of security criteria, including whether the downloads from the site are free from malware.


Figure 1. The McAfee SiteAdvisor browser plug-in shows safe (green) and unsafe (red) sites at a glance.

So, what files are definitely unsafe to download or install?

Topping the list are files a site offers to you unprompted or via a popup window. If the site asks whether you'd like to install a toolbar, video viewer, download manager, or whatever, always say no. Such files are the riskiest of all downloads, so never be tempted. Make no exception here; this is seriously dangerous territory.

Other unsafe sources are file-sharing services. Never download software from BitTorrent and other file-sharing networks unless you can verify the authenticity and integrity of the download with 100% certainty. For most people, it's best to play it safe and never download from these services.

The same prohibition applies to software provided to you by friends and colleagues. Unless it's on the original manufacturer's CDs, there's no way you can verify the authenticity and integrity of the program.

Rule 2: Scan all downloaded files

Normally, you don't have to worry about scanning files you download, because most of the top antivirus and antispyware programs automatically scan a file when you download it. If you're unsure whether your security product scans downloaded files automatically, you can usually initiate a manual scan by right-clicking the downloaded file and selecting the "Scan this file" option.

Unfortunately, even the best AV scanners have a less-than-100% detection rate; a downloaded file may scan as clean yet still be infected.

You can further reduce the chance of a file's being infected by making use of a free Web-based scanning service, such as Jotti and Virus Total. These sites run your downloaded file through a dozen or more antivirus and anti-malware programs.

Of course, there's still a chance your download is infected, even if it passes all the tests at Jotti or Virus Total. However, the protection these services offer is good enough to keep most PCs safe.

Rule 3: Run suspicious programs in a sandbox

If you have the slightest doubt about a program or e-mail attachment you downloaded, install the program or open the file in a sandbox or other virtualized environment before you load it on your PC.

My favorite sandbox app is the excellent free program called Sandboxie (download page). This and other virtual environments allow you to install and run programs in an area of your PC that's been specially corralled off.

If the program you install happens to be infected, the infection is confined to the sandbox and cannot affect your PC. Any infection can be removed by simply deleting the sandbox or its contents.

For more on sandboxes, read my Oct. 16 column.
[Note from towhom: I'll post this information later tonight.]

A neat feature of sandboxing is that your security software can see what's happening in the sandbox and can warn you of any problem. In fact, it's much easier for your AV scanner to detect an infected program that is actually running than to detect an infection simply by scanning the file before installation.

If you install a downloaded program in a sandbox and get no warnings from your security software, it's unlikely that the file is infected. You can then delete the sandbox and install the program with confidence on your real PC.

Sandboxes are also great for safely opening e-mail attachments. The next time someone sends you a funny PowerPoint presentation, save the attachment and then open it inside a sandbox. OK, it may take you 20 seconds longer, but that's a lot less time than the hours you'd spend removing a malicious infection from your PC.

Rule 4: Read the software licensing agreement

Of my four rules for safe downloading, this one is most likely to be ignored. That's a pity, because perusing the end-user licensing agreement (EULA) is a surprisingly good way of determining whether the program you're installing contains any unwanted components.

Now, no hacker or Internet criminal is going to tell you in a licensing agreement that they have malicious programs in their software. However, most adware purveyors and spyware vendors will disclose the contents of their "services."

That's because adware is quite legal. Indeed, some AV and antispyware programs won't pick up particular adware programs because they're legit.

Spend a couple of minutes reading the EULA rather than just automatically clicking the "I have read this and agree" button.

If you find reading EULAs too tedious, have Javacool Software's EULAlyzer program read it for you and flag for your attention any worrying paragraphs. EULAlyzer is free for personal and educational use (more info).

In addition to reading the EULA, you should also be vigilant about what you agree to during the program's installation routine. Quite often, software vendors will slip into the install wizard a default selection permitting the installation of a third-party's product, a subscription to their promotional newsletter, or whatever.

A common example of this practice is the otherwise excellent freeware disk-cleaning program CCleaner (more info). Embedded in the utility's install is a default option to add the Yahoo search toolbar to your system. If you don't want the toolbar, you need to uncheck the option.
[Note from towhom: I don't allow any other search bar installation, but that's my personal preference. I have enough on my hands tracking on MicroSnot's software and add-ons, so the less I have to follow, the better. Another caution that needs to be stated here - CCleaner, which I use, is an extremely aggressive cleaner. Some may not like the deep cleaning, since some personalized settings may be removed too (like in Access). I'll post some information and other options later.]

Now, the Yahoo search toolbar is a legitimate product and quite a good one, in fact. But do you really want it? I don't, and I suspect most other users don't want it, either. The next time you install a program, read before you click.

So there you are, folks. Of all the security threats you face, downloading and installing programs is statistically your highest risk. I've outlined four simple rules for downloading that anyone can follow. Just stick to these rules and you're on the way to a malware-free 2009.

[towhom]

I decided not to wait on sandboxing... ;D

Use a sandbox to improve your PC security
Windows Secrets
By Ian "Gizmo" Richards
Best Software, October 16, 2008

Sandboxes are a relatively new type of security product that can significantly reduce your chance of getting infected when you surf or when you download and install programs.

I'll explain why sandboxes are so important and show you how to use my favorite sandbox program.

Block access to system files as you browse

A security sandbox is a program that creates an isolated environment on your PC within which other programs can run. It sets up a kind of virtual PC within your real PC. Programs running in that virtual PC are corralled from the rest of the system.

It's like building a room in the deep interior of your house with no windows or doors. What takes place in that room cannot affect what takes place in the rest of your house. In the same way, what takes place in a security sandbox cannot affect your PC.

Now, this may sound abstract and theoretical, but it has some very practical implications.

First, if you run an infected program within the sandbox, the infection is restricted to the sandbox and cannot get to your real PC.

Second, when you shut down the sandbox, the infection is eliminated from your PC. It will be gone forever without ever affecting your system.

These characteristics make sandboxes ideal for improving your PC's security. And, as we shall see in the next section, sandboxes address the latest type of security threat confronting PC users: hostile Web sites.

Why sandboxes are important to your security

A few years ago, the major risk PC users faced was getting infected by a virus or worm that was contained within an e-mail. You may recall a time when there seemed to be a major virus outbreak every few weeks. Not anymore; with improved ISP e-mail filtering and more extensive use of antivirus products, large-scale, e-mail–borne virus outbreaks have become uncommon. They're not eliminated but are much less frequent.

Today, there is a new threat: infection by visiting a hostile Web site. It works like this:

You go to a seemingly innocent site. While you are viewing the site in your browser, your PC has been silently probed for security vulnerabilities by malware implanted surreptitiously in the site. Once the malware finds a weakness, the site secretly downloads Trojans, keyloggers, and other malicious software onto your PC. You are not even aware of what has happened.

What does this secretly downloaded malware do? Pretty well anything the criminals behind the scheme want it to. For example, they could take control of your PC and turn it into a remote-controlled slave PC — or zombie — that will do its master's bidding. This may be sending out spam e-mail, attacking Web sites targeted for extortion, or engaging in numerous other criminal and fraudulent activities.

Alternatively, the criminals may install a keylogger on your PC that transmits details of your banking and financial details to some remote computer.

Standard PC security measures aren't enough

At this stage, many of you are probably thinking, "This can't happen to me. I visit only reputable Web sites. Besides, my PC has all the latest Windows security updates installed and I have an excellent antivirus program."

While good security practices will certainly reduce your chances of being infected by a hostile Web site, you can still get infected. Furthermore, the risk is greater than you may think. Here's why:

First, an increasing number of hostile Web attacks are from reputable sites. Criminals may take control of a legitimate Web site via security vulnerabilities in the site's software. They can then use the site to infect unsuspecting visitors.

It may be hours or days before the site owners detect and correct the problem. In the meantime, thousands of unsuspecting visitors to the site could be infected.

The most famous example of this process was the Super Bowl incident last year. The Web sites of Dolphin Stadium and of the Miami Dolphins football team were hacked and used to distribute a keylogger. The sites were infected for over a week before the problem was discovered. In the interim, thousands of surfers who visited the sites looking for football information instead had their PCs infected.

Second, keeping your PC fully up-to-date with the latest Windows security patches may not help, either. Some of these hostile Web attacks use unknown security holes, flaws that even Microsoft doesn't know about. These so-called zero-day vulnerabilities are quite commonly used in hostile site attacks, perhaps because they allow a lot of PCs to become infected in the short time before the site owners discover their site has been hacked.

Finally, don't expect your antivirus and antispyware software to fully protect you. Yes, your security software will catch some of these Web-based infections, but the chances of zero-day attacks being detected are not high.

Worse still, some of these hostile sites attempt to download software that disables your security software before it gets a chance to warn you of their presence.

Now, all this sounds alarming, but keep in mind that the risk that the average user will encounter a hostile Web site is relatively small. There's no need to get into a panic about this; it's just another security risk that all Internet users face.

However, though the risk is small, the consequences are serious, so putting some protective measures into place is worthwhile. This is where sandboxing comes into the picture.

Using a sandbox for safer browsing

My favorite sandboxing program is Sandboxie, which I'll use to illustrate how sandboxes work and how they protect you. Other sandbox programs may work differently.

Sandboxie is a small, 350KB program for Windows XP and Server 2003, both 32-bit and 64-bit. The program does not currently work with Windows Vista. Sandboxie is free for personal use, though there is a U.S. $30 registered version with a few more features.

Most folks will be happy with the free version, though I encourage you to register if you can afford to, because this program is the work of a single hard-working individual — Ronen Tzur — not a large corporation.

After you install Sandboxie, you will notice very little that is different on your PC other than a small, yellow sandbox icon in the system tray.

Just because you installed Sandboxie, don't think your browser is now sandboxed.

Unlike ZoneAlarm's $30 ForceField and other sandboxing applications, Sandboxie does not set your browser to open in a sandbox automatically. You must do so manually by right-clicking your browser icon and selecting Run sandboxed.

Sandboxie can be set up to isolate your browser automatically whenever you open it. To do so, add the name of your browser's executable file, such as firefox.exe or iexplore.exe, to Sandboxie's list of the programs it always opens in a sandbox.

I use this setting to ensure that my browser always runs in a sandbox, regardless of whether it is started manually or automatically by clicking a link in a document or e-mail.

Some folks like full manual control, while others prefer it to be automatic. With Sandboxie, it's your call.

Whatever method you use, Sandboxie employs a simple technique to let you know when your browser is running sandboxed: the program places a number symbol (#) before and after the contents of your browser's title bar.

Security apps see in, malware can't see out

While running sandboxed, you can browse with near-perfect safety to just about any part of the Web. If you get infected by a hostile site, your antivirus and other security programs can still warn you because they can see into a sandbox, even though sandboxed programs cannot see out.

However, be aware that your PC may become infected even if your security programs don't sound the alarm, particularly if you encounter a new zero-day infection.

That's no problem when you're using Sandboxie. When you've finished surfing, simply close your browser, right-click the Sandboxie tray icon, and select Terminate programs to remove any program — including malware — that's running in the sandbox. Then select Delete contents to completely remove any downloaded programs. After that, your PC is completely clean, with all traces of infection removed.

The same technique can be used to ensure privacy. When you clear the sandbox, all traces of your surfing activity are removed, including the sites you visited, the searches you made, and the files you downloaded.

Of course, this can be a mixed blessing: I like to retain my surfing history as well as any saved passwords and bookmarks.

But that's no problem: you can set Sandboxie so that programs running in the sandbox have access to certain nominated files outside the sandbox. If you configure Sandboxie to allow sandboxed programs access to your real Favorites folder, then any new bookmarks you create while surfing in the sandbox will be saved.

However, you are exposing these shared files to any program running in the sandbox — including malware — so be sensible about what you choose to share.

Sandboxing isn't just for Web browsers

You can sandbox any program, not just your browser. This is a great way to check out downloadable apps whose integrity cannot be established. Remember what I said earlier: your security software can see into a sandbox even though sandboxed programs cannot see out.

Since your antivirus scanner can detect an infected download running in a sandbox, you can simply clear the contents of the sandbox, and all trace of the infection is gone forever.

These days, I never surf without a sandbox. On the rare occasions when I get infected, it's a great feeling to simply clear the sandbox contents and know my PC is safe from harm.

Sandboxing does not replace your antivirus scanner or other security software. Rather, it provides an additional layer of protection. No individual security solution — including sandboxing — is perfect. The more layers of protection you have, the greater your overall security.

I suggest you try the free version of Sandboxie, but first a word of warning: sandboxing programs cause problems on a small percentage of PCs, so before you install Sandboxie or any other sandbox program, please make sure your PC is backed up. That way you can recover in the event of a problem.

Please make sure you access and read the "Known Issues" and their solutions BEFORE you install this program. In fact, print the page first so you have the information at hand.

[ninathedog]

When I first started out, the thing that really got me fascinated was when the news had changed. I'd read The Praetorian Guard and had my eyes opened eight months after 9/11/2001. Then, a year later in the Spring of 2003, I was reading the NYTimes cover to cover daily to cull ideas for artwork (hence the Hiba portrait and other stuff.) Then in June 2003, I read the paper dumbfounded as I literally watched the news printed there abruptly change. What had been a series of articles in the NYTimes that had been relatively sympathetic to the Palestinians suddenly vanished when two editors resigned allegedly due to a scandal involving a journalist. The news changed then and hell began in Gaza in earnest, getting worse and worse and worse until what we see today...and now — the news is changing again -- and this is good news for the 1.5 million people, over half of whom are children, living in the Gaza Strip!

Militant Hamas gets into matchmaking business

By DIAA HADID, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jun 6, 2:26 pm ET

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – At 29, Tahani is considered a spinster by the standards of deeply conservative Gaza. So in her search for a husband, she turned for help to the best in the marriage business: the Islamic militant group Hamas.

"I gaze at all the men on the street and think, 'Oh God, isn't there just one for me?'" said the young woman with dark skin and honey-colored eyes, set off by a maroon headscarf.

Her application is among 287 from single women in the files of the Tayseer Association for Marriage and Development in Gaza. Photographs stapled to the files show Muslim women in headscarves, some wearing makeup, some smiling, others looking startled. They all want a husband, and the Hamas loyalists running the association are intent on finding a man for each.

Despite its fearsome reputation elsewhere, Hamas is known here for its cradle-to-grave welfare programs for the poor. It is a cornerstone of its political support in Gaza, where poverty is deepening as Israel and Egypt maintain an almost two-year blockade of the Hamas-run territory. Now, the group is branching out into matters of the heart.

"This is our vision of humanitarian work," said Wael Zard, director of the Tayseer association. "This makes people close to Hamas and makes Hamas close to the people."

While Tayseer's matchmaking service helps both men and women, it is particularly important for women since staying single is a cruel fate for them in Gaza. They are often treated as unpaid maids by their extended families and, says Gaza sociologist Naser Mahdi, increasing economic hardship has made the marriage market even harsher.

The dwindling number of middle-class men with steady incomes can have their pick of the prettiest women, leaving others to work hard to find a suitable husband. Meanwhile, poor families are reluctant to marry off working daughters, hoping to keep their salaries.

About 40 marriages have been arranged since Tayseer opened its matchmaking department in 2007. Most women apply in secret because it's taboo for women in Gaza to seek husbands outside the traditional route. Most girls are married in matches set up by their mothers. Dating is nearly nonexistent and love marriages are a novelty.

Tahani, who spoke on condition that only her first name be used because she is using the service without her family knowing, said she turned to Tayseer a year ago. Her mother died when Tahani was young, and none of her relatives were helping her find a groom.

The young woman said she became more determined to find a husband after Israel's three-week war on Hamas, which ended in January. Israel's assault killed hundreds of civilians, and Gaza's residents hunkered down in homes and shelters during the shelling, not knowing where bombs would fall next.

"My brothers held their wives when they were scared. I felt lonely," said Tahani, a university graduate in social work.

Most women are shy when they first come in the door, said Tayseer matchmaker Nisrin Khalil, 21.

"I tell the girls, be like Khadija!" said Khalil, referring to the Prophet Muhammad's first wife.

Muslim tradition says Khadija proposed to Muhammad — and was years his senior. It's a powerful message to women: Islam's first lady bucked conservative Arab tradition more than 1,400 years ago and they can defy Gaza tradition now.

The applicants, who pay a fee of $10-$70, are divided into categories according to their eligibility. Women under 25 are easiest to marry off; more challenging are women over 30 and divorcees.

But in a nod to Gaza's grinding poverty triumphing over its conservative culture, there is a special file for women with jobs. Bringing home a salary in Gaza can trump any other category, matchmakers say.

In the women's application, they describe their ideal man. Most ask for a devout Muslim with a job and his own apartment, a top find in crowded Gaza.

Women also must describe their appearance and answer a killer question: "Do you consider yourself pretty according to Gaza standards?"

The ideal of beauty in Gaza means tall and fair-skinned with blue or green eyes and light-colored hair — and that's what men usually ask for. But most Gaza women have dark hair and bronze skin.

"If we see a girl that appears to match (a man), but she's not physically what he wants, I'll call him and say, 'Well, she's pretty, but she's dark.' Or 'she's short, but she's white.' We encourage them to be a bit more realistic," Khalil said.

The one other matchmaking service in Gaza is little used. The Tayseer association was originally founded to fund and organize mass weddings, a service for poor or disabled Gazans who often can't afford the costs of a ceremony. Next month, a mass wedding is planned for more than a dozen blind Palestinians.

While Hamas is considered a terrorist group in the West because of its attacks on Israel — including suicide bombings — it also provides Gaza's poor with food coupons, medical care and other services. Its social network helped make the group popular, gaining it victory over its Palestinian rival Fatah in 2006 parliament elections. The following year, Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in clashes with Fatah.

Around 40 men a month turn to Tayseer in search of a wife. When association employees think there's a match, they quietly organize a meeting, with employees acting as chaperones in compliance with Islamic law. If the couple like each other, Gaza's traditional courtship kicks in.

The man's relatives visit the woman's family, saying that a well-meaning stranger told them of a girl wanting to marry. The matchmakers are not mentioned, because their role is still taboo, said Khalil.

If the woman's family accepts, a wedding is planned. Often women bully their families into agreeing, Tayseer workers said.

Rania Hijazi, 29, applied to Tayseer in March 2008 and two months later married Ashraf Farahat, 36. She said she went to the service because she feared her family's matchmaking efforts were going nowhere.

"I felt embarrassed when I applied," said Hijazi, who has since become a mother. "But then I said, 'I won't find a man any other way' and I tried to be strong."

Plenty of other women are waiting.

"I want to have a man, a husband," said Tahani. "I don't think that's a selfish request."

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_gaza_hamas_hookups

[towhom]

Molecules Which Flip Into Their Own Mirror Image
ScienceDaily
June 6, 2009
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529074952.htm

Two molecules which possess mirror image symmetry, like snail shells. (Credit: Image courtesy of Empa)

Catalysts do function, despite the fact that not all the chemical reactions (and partial reactions) which occur are fully understood, including those which take place during the treatment of automobile exhaust. If scientists understood these processes better not only would they be able to optimize exhaust gas catalysts but also other phenomena which are observed on surfaces, for instance when molecules orient themselves in either right or left handed fashion (i.e. as an image or mirror image). Knowing this would, not least, open new avenues of development in pharmacology for the manufacturers of medicines.

“We tickle molecules,” is how Karl-Heinz Ernst of Empa’s Nanoscale Materials Science Laboratory describes the experiments that he and his colleagues perform to investigate the chemical reactions which take place on surfaces. Using the electron beam of a scanning tunnel microscope (STM), they induce individual molecules to resonate at very precise frequencies. This is possible because the STM is not just a microscope, capable of imaging the tiniest particles, but also an extremely sensitive tool which can be used to manipulate single atoms and molecules.

During their experiments the Empa scientists observed that the excited molecules began to hop about and move around, rotating about their own axes. They also underwent very rapid “inversion”, that is, flipping over into their mirror image shape. By changing the electrical voltage and the tunnel current in the STM the researchers were able to identify which parts of the molecule became excited and how they reacted.

Pairs which are nearly – but not quite – identical

Ernst and his colleagues are particularly interested in this mirror-image or chiral behavior. Such mirror-image pairs, which appear alike but are still different, occur quite frequently in nature, and one may rotate and turn them any way possible in a vain attempt to prove them identical. Prime examples of chirality are snail shells, certain minerals and – yes – molecules. Many molecules which are essential to life have mirror-image forms, for example DNA, proteins (and their building block components, the amino acids), and sugars.

These molecules occur almost exclusively in one of the mirror image forms. Why this is so remains a puzzle with far reaching consequences, because the two forms of a chiral molecule can have completely different biological effects, despite possessing identical physical and chemical properties. The perfume Carvon, for instance, smells of mint or cumin depending on whether it is the left or right handed version. Less trivial were the effects of the soporific drug Contergan used in the 60’s. The right handed form of its active ingredient, thalidomide, caused the desired effect of sleepiness, but when taken by expectant mothers the left handed version of the drug caused severe congenital malformations in their babies.

If these experiments can now be better modeled and as a result the researchers discover why molecules jump over into their mirror image form, the result would be new synthesis processes of benefit not just to the pharmacological world.

Journal reference:
Manfred Parschau, Daniele Passerone, Karl-Heinz Rieder, Hans J. Hug, Karl-Heinz Ernst. Switching the Chirality of Single Adsorbate Complexes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2009; 48: 4065-4068 DOI: 10.1002/anie.200990112

Adapted from materials provided by Empa, via AlphaGalileo.

[towhom]

Thermal Adaptation in Viruses and Bacteria
Technology Review / arXiv blog
Peiqiu Chen^1,2, Eugene I. Shakhnovich^1
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street,
Cambridge, MA 02138
²Department of Physics, Harvard University, 17 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Submitted on 1 Jun 2009
arxiv.org/abs/0906.0390

Abstract
A previously established multiscale population genetics model states that fitness can be inferred from the physical properties of proteins under the physiological assumption that a loss of stability by any protein confers the lethal phenotype to an organism. Here we develop this model further by positing that replication rate (fitness) of a bacterial or viral strain directly depends on the copy number of folded proteins which determine its replication rate. Using this model, and both numerical and analytical approaches, we studied the adaptation process of bacteria and viruses at varied environmental temperatures. We found that a broad distribution of protein stabilities observed in the model and in experiment is the key determinant of thermal response for viruses and bacteria. Our results explain most of the earlier experimental observations: striking asymmetry of thermal response curves, the absence of evolutionary trade-off which was expected but not found in experiments, correlation between denaturation temperature for several protein families and the Optimal Growth Temperature (OGT) of their host organisms, and proximity of bacterial or viral OGTs to their evolutionary temperatures. Our theory quantitatively and with high accuracy described thermal response curves for 35 bacterial species using, for each species, only two adjustable parameters, the number of replication rate determining genes and energy barrier for metabolic reactions.

Complete article available for download at the link displayed above.

[towhom]

Noddie

I would REALLY love to see any additional information on this site and the aboriginal astronomy...

The Mystery of Australia's Stonehenge
Aboriginal Australians have been observing the skies for 50,000 years, but only now are their astronomical achievements coming to light
Technology Review / arXiv blog
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/23603/

Aboriginal Australians have lived in Oz for the best part of 50,000 years, making them the world's oldest culture by quite some margin. It also makes them the world's first astronomers. However, years of prejudice have prevented the astronomical achievements of Aboriginal Australians from being fully appreciated--something that Ray Norris and Duane Hamacher at Macquarie University, in Sydney, want to change.

They've put together an impressive account of the astronomical achievements of Aboriginal Australians. It is fairly well known, at least in Australia, that these people had their own mythology associated with the night skies, centered on the idea that the world was created in "the Dreaming" by ancestral spirits whose presence can still be seen, both on the land and in the sky, say Norris and Hamacher.

But it turns out that Aboriginal Australians also had a sophisticated understanding of astronomical events, such as solar and lunar eclipses. That's all the more amazing given that total solar eclipses are rare, occurring over any one piece of land only every three or four generations, and that any information about them must have been passed from generation to generation in the form of songs, stories, and cave paintings that can still be seen today.

But the most eye-opening revelation, for me at least, is the existence of an "Australian Stonehenge" called Wurdi Youang, in Victoria, whose age is unknown but obviously predates European settlement.

Wurdi Youang is an egg-shaped ring of stones about 50 meters across. Some of the stones have significant astronomical alignments. For example, some stones seem to indicate the position of the setting sun at the equinoxes and solstices, although there is some disagreement over this idea. Like Stonehenge in the U.K., no records of its use survive, and consequently, nobody knows what it was used for.

Norris and Hamacher say that they know of other stone arrangements with various alignments but have not been able to study these to the same degree. Meanwhile, the search goes on for "lost" stone formations--no mean feat, given the size of Australia.

A fascinating project to document the world's first astronomers and their legacy.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/0906.0155: The Astronomy of Aboriginal Australia

[towhom]

Conformons in alpha-helical proteins
arXiv
Victor Atanasov
SQIG, Instituto de Telecomunicac~oes, Av. Rovisco Pais, P-1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Yasser Omar
CEMAPRE, ISEG, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, P-1200-781 Lisbon and SQIG,
Instituto de Telecomunicac~oes, P-1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
[v1] Tue, 2 Jun 2009 10:16:19 GMT
PACS numbers: 87.15.hp, 87.14.E-, 87.15.ag, 71.38.-k
arxiv.org/abs/0906.0456

Abstract
We propose the conformon as a quantum of conformational change for energy transfer in alpha-helical proteins. The underlying mechanism of interaction between the quantum of excitation and the conformational degrees of freedom is nonlinear and leads to solitary wave packets of conformational energy. The phenomenon is specific to alpha-helices and not to beta-sheets in proteins due to the three strands of hydrogen bonds constituting the alpha-helical backbone.

Complete article available for download at the link displayed above.