Fables volume 8: Wolves - Willingham et. al. (graphic novel). I perhaps got my hopes up a little high because of the title. Although I enjoyed this, I did not enjoy it as much as the earlier volumes. The art wasn't as consistent and it felt very light, with characters I hope become relevant later because they added little here. It was a bridging volume, a breather, and hasn't diminished my hopes for the next volume.

Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen - Joanne K. Rowling. (That's the Philosopher's Stone). I had so much fun reading this. I'm pretty familiar with the original (having read it, read it out loud, written a research essay on it, written part of my thesis on it, etc), so it was an ideal book to read in German because I knew the story well enough that it helped me guess vocab I didn't know. Although one evening I was running around my house asking, "Does anyone remember the name of the street the Dursleys live on?" because the name had been translated. (It was Privet Drive, translated Ligusterweg which means Privet Way). Rereading a book in another language is enjoyable because you get to enjoy it again almost for the first time, and have the added pleasure of getting some jokes for the first time, discovering new ones, and just laughing at language in general - words in German which are literally the same as English and force you to realise what the English word is, words in German which sound funny or charming: undursleyhaft for instance, or the word to describe cats weaving between people's ankles: hindurchschlaengelten. It was also very interesting to see some of the characters again for the first time, knowing what they will become and do - hints and clues and foreshadowings fulfilled six books later.

Hellblazer: Joyride (graphic novel). I won't recommend these for all sorts of reasons, but I really enjoy watching how the character of John Constantine is written. They are horror comics, and I was surprised often in this one by how scenes bothered me which wouldn't have if they were on screen or in a book. I've discussed this with a few friends and we think it is because films usually don't leave much to the imagination: it all takes place on the screen. Books leave everything to the imagination: it all takes place in your head but is constrained by everything else that goes on in your head. The comic gives enough visual guidance to make sure you interpret things the way the artist/writer intended, and then lets your mind take over from there.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu - Susannah Clarke. I really, really liked this book. In spite of its deliberate archaism and modelling after Regency texts, the stories reminded me most of T. H. White and Mistress Masham's Repose. Elegant, beautifully-crafted, enjoyable, unashamedly fictional tellings of new and old faery-tales in the England of Jane Austen, the Duke of Wellington, the Raven King and Stardust (there is one story set in the world of Stardust beyond the Wall). And it has a pretty cover and Charles Vess' otherworldly ink illustration.

The House of Many Ways - Dianne Wynne Jones. Dianne Wynne Jones frustrates me, but in a good way. This story of tangled mythological strands, chaotic and legendary families, quests and paperwork was thrilling and yet worse than most of her books in the sense that there was a very tangible impression of vast reaches of even more wonderful stories just off the edge of the page. It's closest to Homeward Bounders and Eight Days of Luke. My favourite part was the way the mythological strands are mundane closer to earth, and wilder and more dangerous as they snake out among the stars. [ETA: That was actually a review of The Game. Here is the correct review].

The House of Many Ways - Dianne Wynne Jones. A sequel, insofar as she writes such things, to Howl's Moving Castle  and Castles in the Air. It takes place in the same world, at least, and Howl and Sophie and Calcifer put in appearances, not always as themselves. I enjoyed this, but (obviously) didn't find it as memorable as the first two. The main characters were a delightful combination of practical and spoiled, yet both aware of their own flaws (and a little more keenly aware of each others'), and the book felt self-contained as if it had told all the story necessary, rather than spilling out all over the place like some of her books.

The Puffin Book of Nursery Rhymes - Iona and Peter Opie. I don't usually review reference texts because I don't usually read them from cover to cover in a sitting (although given a free afternoon and a volume of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica I'm happy to give it a try). I read this in one evening, cover to cover, including the introduction which is written with such a gentle, humorous intelligence that I wish I knew the Opies. It is a slim, fabulous, generous collection of nursery rhymes for personal use - an appetiser for their Oxford Encyclopaedia of Nursery Rhymes which is on my list after Child's ballads.

The Explosionist - Jenny Davidson. I bought this, unseen, on Kate's recommendation from The Book Depository (free! international! shipping!), and it had me at "New Hanseatic League." I'm not quite sure how to classify it - it is alternate history, set in a 40s Scotland which has split from England, where Spiritualism (a la Arthur Conan Doyle) is influential, war threatens, Scotland's power is based on its production of dynamite and surgical rationalisation of the emotions is being trialled. The characters are appealling and more than one dimensional, the alternate history is alert but also fun (Oscar Wilde is famous for developing incubators for premature babies and Doctor Freud is a rogue radio operator). I'm quite interested to see where the story goes from here.

There were plenty of things that made the last season of The Real World interesting.  Not least of which was the fact that MTV was finally admitting (or at least acknowledging) the recent devolution of what used to be their most relevant brand.  Starting around the time they got the cameras rolling in Key West, almost every cast member of every season since has entered the Real World house with only one goal: cultivate a memorable persona to push back the "Sell By" date on whatever new found celebrity they emerge with after the series airs.  Whether they were forthcoming about this or not, they all wanted to be famous.

So when I found out the premise of The Real World: Hollywood - all the roommates are fully disclosing their aspirations to be actors/producers/models/music artists/TV personalities right off the bat and their "job" for the season involves little more than taking improv lessons from the woman who set Andy Dick loose on the world and making show biz connections - I was not at all surprised that MTV was voluntarily yanking whatever wool remained from over the eyes of the small population that still watched the network's shows in earnest.  Although I ended up enjoying the season, I was a bit disappointed and missed the artistry required of the producers and host city to devise hokey jobs that serve no public good and only offer a thin semblance of responsibility.

Well, much like they did in Hollywood, MTV has intentionally removed all pretense and context from the latest RW/RR offering.  No more waking up at the crack of noon and competing in pesky "challenges," or enduring the hassle of dealing with the members of your assigned "team."  For the first 25 minutes of the show, it appeared as though there was only one objective and goal this season:

Get drunk.  Even though the contestants were greeted with only a few bags of rice, a single pot of boiled chicken and the realization that they had nothing but their non-dominant hand with which to wipe their ass, it sure as hell looked like they had a shit load of booze at their disposal.

Surely this couldn't be it.  I know many shows are still feeling the effect of last fall's writer's strike, but there had to be more to this challenge than alcohol and night swimming.  Thankfully, the incomparable TJ Lavin soon hit the scene and started explaining the rules of the game, which involve airdrops, rafts, treasure and... CORE ARMY CHARACTERISTICS?!?!?!

After what quickly turned into a bullshit propaganda speech from TJ, I expected the Party Posse to pop out of the first airdrop and start signing "Yvan Eht Nioj."  For fuck's sake man, I almost gave the entire series the old "heave ho" right then and there.  I sure hope that the tax dollars that are being used by the US Armed Forces to underwrite an MTV program were not the ones that were originally earmarked for, I don't know, better armor on a Humvee or maybe a few extra flak jackets.

What kind of an ROI could the Army be expecting with this ruse?  Did anyone wake up this morning and call their local recruiter because they watched Kenny spend 20 minutes calling Tonya a retard?  What about the part where Jenn was talking about how she isn't into girls but likes making out with Rachel?  Was that supposed to renew my patriotism and sense of civic duty?  Because it actually made me want to hit myself in the dick with a ball-peen hammer.

Lame attempt at brainwashing aside, I can't really see to much to be excited about this time around.  There's no CT, no Alton, no Brad, no Cara, no Tim, no Randy, no Jodi, no Katie and no Casey.  Instead, we're treated to Dunbar from Sydney (that is the only season of any Real World that I have deemed officially "unwatchable"), Dan from Road Rules Viewer's Revenge (I still have not met a single person that was following Road Rules by the time his trip reached the airwaves), and another serving of Eve (back again with her black visor and man-hating aggression).

KellyAnne got a beautiful new set of tits and Tyrie looks like he finally got his hands on some Winstrol, which are both good things, I guess.  And I am still a pretty big Kenny fan, although after hearing him offer commentary for the better part of this hour long episode I feel like it is only a matter of time before he hops in a boat with Opie and straps on some waterskis.

But considering how weak the cast is shaping up to be, if I have to sit through anything else that sounds like a ROTC training session (or another commercial for Paris Hilton's New BFF, for that matter) I am going to skull fuck my television and throw it out the window.

We ask the question: What does Allstate stand for? This is a relevant question as we celebrate work and labor.

********************************************************************

J. MATT BARBER’S PERSECUTION OVER CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

By Michael Westfall

10-01-2005

INTRODUCTION

“The American Worker” is a series of papers developed around worker issues relative to the moral decline in America over the last 50 years.

There is no better recent illustration of the importance of this issue then the story of  “American Worker” J. Matt Barber. His dismissal from the Allstate Insurance Company for his opposition to same-sex marriage and his stand for one-man, one-woman marriage is a true indicator of where America stands in the cultural war today.

Our culture has changed tremendously since my childhood in small town Montrose, Michigan back in the 1950’s. Our towns back then were a much simpler place, not unlike Andy Griffith’s Mayberry. Andy Griffith must have crafted TV’s Mayberry after the small towns of that era.

Fathers would sit down and talk with their kids like Andy did with Opie. Kids had a moral compass because of the supporting culture of those times. To stand up for morality and values was the right thing to do, and when you did your neighbors supported you.

Mayberry was really about the entire town and the lessons learned from everyone. All of our small towns had characters similar to the excitable Barney Fife and down home Aunt Bea. They just had different names.

Montrose, like Mayberry and most of the other TV family shows of the era, was filled with patriotic folks that had a deep religious faith and would never relate nor tolerate the profanity or anti-family content of today’s television. The families in Montrose 50 years ago consisted of a one-man, one-woman marriage with kids. Yes, we don’t live in the 1950’s anymore, and America can no longer be defined as an innocent place.

Our culture has become loud, profane, disrespectful and in your face. In 2005, America now offers legalized on demand murder through abortion, living room pornography through our televisions, violent and vulgar music and films through our radios and movies. On top of these developments we now face the potential redefinition and destruction of the American family itself as powerful groups with help from big labor unions fight for same-sex marriage. Our culture is seething with anti-family messages and attacks on those who take stands for values and morality.  J. Matt Barber and his family have become a symbol of this.

There are many of us that are completely fed up and are fighting this darkness that is choking out our American culture.

America needs to wake up and smell the coffee. We need to go back home again to the real definition of family and America.

J. MATT BARBER

J. Matt Barber was a manager at Allstate’s Corporate Security Division headquartered in Northbrook, Ill. On his own time, in his own home and without identifying himself as being from Allstate, he wrote an article as a private citizen on his home computer. His article was put on a few websites. The piece followed his Christian beliefs and was critical of same-sex marriage and read in part…

“Marriage between one man and one woman, and the nuclear family have forever been the cornerstones of civilized society. Regrettably, there are at present, many within the militant homosexual lobby who wish to take a sledge hammer to those cornerstones – many who hope to undermine both the historical and contemporary reality of marriage and family- many who, through judicial fiat, aim to circumvent the constitution, the legislative process and the overwhelming will of the people in an effort to redefine marriage”.

An outside pressure group unhappy with the content of Mr. Barber’s article, complained to Allstate, and Allstate fired him saying that the article didn’t reflect the Insurance Company’s values.

What has happened to free speech in America? Don’t workers have the right to free speech? Has it flown out the window so ultra-liberal “so-called” politically correct fringe pressure groups who hide in the darkness can pop out at will, squash and march in lockstep over the constitutional rights of those they disagree with?

Has America turned into a nation where those that would destroy the family itself have the political power to get our workers fired and create tremendous hardship for these working Americans and their families?

Why do those who practice homosexuality have freedom of speech and Christians who voice their convictions on their own time get fired? There is something mighty wrong here that doesn’t pass the smell test.

Christianity is not something we only practice in Church. As citizens our actions and deeds reflect our Christianity. That is what Matt was terminated for. It had nothing to do with Allstate. Matt was a good worker. If anyone was to be terminated, it should be the people who were feeble minded enough to fire Mr. Barber in the first place.

Allstate is not a slave master where workers sell their Christian and ethical rights to work for them. Slavery died a long time ago.

What their workers do on their own time is none of Allstate’s business, and there are several questions that can easily be generated. Is Allstate in the business of promoting an unhealthy lifestyle?

Being in the insurance industry doesn’t Allstate have data, which shows that the homosexual lifestyle is a very unhealthy lifestyle with hefty healthcare costs? Why would Allstate fire one of its good workers who advocated a healthy lifestyle?

Why is it that Allstate harasses, persecutes and terminates their Christian workers for following their Christian ethics, values and moral beliefs on their own time, yet upholds a different biased standard and in fact actively supports the agenda for those who practice homosexuality?

Why would Allstate want to alienate its Christian customers with such Christian employee persecution when most of their customers are Christian? Why would any existing Christian customer want to continue doing business with Allstate after viewing the terribly wrong way in which they are treating Mr. Barber and his family?

CHURCH

As conservative Christians we know for certain where God stands on life, marriage and homosexuality. Christians, like Mr. Barber and the church body itself, have the right and responsibility to stand up for Biblical righteousness where and when we can. That is what Mr. Barber was doing with his article.

Over two hundred years ago in 1776 our deeply religious ancestors stood in rebellion against Great Britain after coming here and founding the colonies, which became the United States of America. At tremendous danger and sacrifice these people crossed the Atlantic in rickety little boats so they and their descendants could freely practice their faith and belief in God and his word, the Bible. It is time for another rebellion and revolution to take back our culture. We need a return to decency.

The Bible clearly states that the practice of homosexuality is an abomination to God. This is God’s word and that will never change.

For the practice of homosexuality to be considered “normal” in a Christian nation is an impossibility. It cannot happen.  The only way that this practice could  ever be considered acceptable is to eliminate the influence of the Bible. To those who think your personal religious liberties are not being targeted Mr. Barber is an example of why you are wrong.

Doesn’t Church mean a little more than ice cream socials, fish dinners and social functions? Shouldn’t churches be held more accountable? While there are churches and Christian based organizations like the AFA that have stepped up to the plate and are carrying the load, there are many other churches that remain comatosely quiet on these moral issues. They let others do it for them and refuse to do their part. That’s how anti-Biblical groups and issues garner power. That is how and why our culture has declined. These cultural changes were not a force of nature. On the contrary, they did not have to occur. These groups had no power but came in like a lion because of the “silence” of our church body.    

The power they now wield is the power we freely gave them. If we don’t reverse this cultural slide then the dark changes we have already seen will be but a down payment on what is to come. It is just the beginning.

It is time for “all” of America’s churches to crack open their Bibles and read what God’s word says about these issues. Then grow a backbone, join the fight and reclaim our culture. Our nation can no longer afford us to bury our heads in the sand, ignore the issues and even worse…support ultra-liberal politicians.

In too many cases today our underpaid and very dependent pastors feel compelled to go lightly on issues like homosexuality and abortion because one of their liberal church members might not like it and get their nose out of joint. Well let them get their nose out of joint! This attitude has created a slippery downward domino effect where these issues are not properly discussed in the church. If the people don’t read and understand their bibles on these issues, “and some don’t”, and then they see it accepted more and more in our culture, “like they all do”, then it gets accepted more and more, “which it has.”

Church, get active and…SPEAK OUT! Don’t wait until there is only one single church or Christian organization left speaking out on the moral issues. If you don’t speak out now then you could very well be opening up a Christian persecution, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for nearly 2000 years.

Our system is being poisoned and immorality is marching on in lockstep. If thinking moral people refuse to address this issue then our nation, as we know it, will fall.

CONCLUSION

What does this mean for other Allstate Christian workers? Does this mean that Allstate will now have a litmus test where Christians must recant their faith and beliefs at the hiring table when they are hired? If Christian workers speak out, will they be terminated or was this termination exclusively for J. Matt Barber to be used as an example? What has happened to Matt and his family is clearly a one sided biased position against his Christian beliefs and the word of God? “Allstate owes J. Matt Barber more then the return of his job and lost salary for the needless persecution and discrimination that he and his family have been forced to endure.”

When Allstate discriminates and quickly terminates one of its employees because the worker follows the word of God, then Allstate is turning its back on a power much bigger and greater then it they realizes.

I suggest that the leaders of Allstate and other business leaders as well who profess to be Christians stop and think about who they are really turning their backs on. We must stop undermining and reversing our societies values and morals.

J. Matt Barber fearlessly took on this major societal issue at tremendous personal sacrifice and did it for the defense of all our families. We owe him our support and we need to stand with him.

There is an old union saying that today’s union officials have “forgotten”. We used it many years ago relative to losing rights that you have. This old union saying is fitting and applicable to J. Matt Barber and the Federal Marriage Amendment. The statement is

………………“NEVER A STEP BACKWARDS”!

Carry on,

Michael Westfall

If you are a regular visitor to Rob's Megaphone, you know I'm a huge Andy Griffith Show fan. I even started an Andy Griffith Show group on Stumble.

Well, you can imagine my surprize when I stumbled upon this sign.

Since moving to Mount Pilot, Bea dropped the "Aunt"

an now goes by Madam.

First things first, here's a link to the Andy Griffith Show theme song: theandygriffithshowtv 

Today, I started: THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW Group on StumbleUpon.

What's News

Andy Taylor (82): In 2008, Andy Griffith is still going strong. Andy appeared in country singer Brad Paisley's music video "Waitin' on a Woman" released on June 27, 2008. Also in fall 2008, Griffith will appear in the romantic comedy Play The Game alongside Doris Roberts, as a widowed grandfather re-entering the dating world after  60 years.

Barney (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) Don Knott's hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, has begun creation of a statue of the actor that will be placed in a memorial park along the river and Don Knotts Boulevard.

Coming Soon: 18th Annual MAYBERRY DAYS Thursday - Sunday, September 25-28, 2008 from mayberrydays.org/

Mayberry Days is the annual festival of the Surry Arts Council that brings fans and friends from all over the county together in Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. This year's special events are described below, along with all the traditional events in the Mayberry Days Primer. Special guests scheduled to attend this year include: Betty Lynn - Thelma Lou Doug & Rodney Dillard - The Darling Boys LeRoy McNees - Mayberry on Record James Best - Jim Lindsey Jackie Joseph - "Sweet Romena" George Spence - Frank the Fiancé Maggie Peterson - Charlene Darling as well as others     Mayberry Days is a festival for the whole family with activities and events for the fans to those who long for the days when life was simple and the Sheriff didn't carry a gun. Enjoy a bottle of pop while playing checkers, relax to music from many local bands playing the same songs that Andy grew up with in Mount Airy and be sure to get your picture with the TV Land statue of Andy & Opie. There is so much to do during the festival, but there is always time to slow down and enjoy what Mayberry means to you.

 Personal Note

For me, the Andy Griffith Show is the ultimate television program.   Every episode is a gem, chock full of down home humor and   small town philosophies that have passed the test of time.  Peaceful living, lasting friendships, country courtships, and   family  values make up the magic that still draw fans in four decades later. The characters are more than actors we respect; they are  our friends. We all can identify with someone from Mayberry.  There's Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, Helen, Thelma Lou, Floyd, Otis, Gomer, Goober. There's Ernest T. Bass, Howard, Mayor,  Claira, the Darlins, and Emmet. And there's oh so many more . 

Need More?

If you're a fan of the Andy Griffith Show, or if you're just curious,  stop by the AGS group and say Hey!

For more information on the Andy Griffith Show, click HERE or on the picture above. Also be sure to check out The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watcher club.

If asked to whistle one tune, most folks would either chose to whistle "Whistle While you Work" or "The Andy Griffith Theme Song".  Yesterday, we lost the composer of the the Andy Griffith whistling tune, Earle H. Hagen, he was 88.

Beside that famous tune, Mr. Hagen was responsible for other memorable theme songs for early television shows, including such shows as That Girl, The Dick Van Dyke Show, & Gomer Pyle, USMC.

Instead of a moment of silence, let's all take time today to close our eyes and vision Andy & little Opie making their way to the fishing hole with rods & reels in hand.  I promise, if you can picture that then the tune will come and soon you'll be whistling a tribute to the departed Mr. Hagen.

Non è granche ma è quello che voglio! Non mi interessa minimamente la nuova tecnologia Touch!

Anche se sono molto scettico quando penso che gli smart-phones siano il futuro, credo che con l'avvento del'iPhone e di cellulari così avanzati (tecnologicamente) credo che la via per un telefono che fa il caffè è ormai pronta per essere attraversata!

Tanta gente dice che i PDA e questi smart phone che non sono dotati di tastierino, hanno il problema della scrittura facilitata, in quanto la querty risulta assai ridotta. In realtà (da come si può vedere nel video qui sopra) risulta che il problema si sia affrontato egregiamente! (vedi secondi: 1:20 !) Nonostante ciò resta comunque un ottimo Smart Phone, forse il rivale del'iPhone. Unica pecca: Windows Mobile 6.0 ... ma a quanto leggo, Opie e Android girano perfettamente su tutti gli HTC, anche senza installazione fisica!

Lo so che la grafica sembra quella di compiz, ma vi assicuro che non mi interessa minimamente, anche se mi sembra utile in quanto ci rende la vita più semplice :D !

Aaron Dykes / Jones Report | April 8, 2008

Former Governor Jesse Ventura broke through enemy lines yesterday, exposing major inconsistencies with the official 9/11 story and holding his own against some of mainstream media’s most disingenuous hosts, including Fox News’ Sean Hannity and Opie & Anthony from XM Satellite radio.

Ventura’s notoriety as a fiercely independent upstart may have kept Hannity, for one, from playing his usual dirty tricks.

As former Governor, Ventura may be the highest level official in the United States to take 9/11 truth questions seriously, yet his enduring popularity and success as a celebrity, wrestler, Hollywood star, Navy SEAL and even Harvard professor make him more difficult to diffuse and ignore than celebrities who have previously come forward or Congressmen who have flirted with raising questions.

The Associated Press ran a story last week about Ventura’s 9/11 comments following an appearance on the Alex Jones Show that has now exploded into a frenzy of coverage as he makes the rounds to promote his book Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me, a title that may prove to be more than just rhetoric.

On Hannity & Colmes, Ventura touts his knowledge of (mere elementary) physics and his experience with explosives in the Navy Seals– if only to establish that the questions about the collapses of the Twin Towers and Building 7 are entirely credible and indeed deserve an explanation– rather than the usual ridicule.

Indeed, it may have been the first episode of Hannity & Colmes– or any Fox News program, for that matter– where 9/11 truth is treated with dignity and respect. Perhaps with Ventura in-studio towering over him, Hannity realized that his own persona was nothing more than playing a tough guy on TV.

You can see in the transcript how ‘The Body’ crippled the weak defenses of his challenger:

HANNITY: The one thing that I read in the book that I totally found– just alien to me is this idea that you believe in 9/11 conspiracies.

VENTURA: "Well, let me tell it to you this way: Why is it that when you ask any question about 9/11, you’re immediately attacked?"

HANNITY: "I’m not attacking you"

VENTURA: "You’re not. I’m speaking in general. I’m not saying you guys. But I’ve watched– people get attacked, people have their credibility attacked. My problem is, I look at it, and I go: how can two planes knock down three buildings?"

HANNITY: Pretty easy. It’s 757s– 747s.

VENTURA: But there were three buildings that went down.

HANNITY: There was a lot of fire and there was a lot of damage–

VENTURA: Well, first of all, jet fuel blew up at the start. Jet fuel is four-fifths– and I don’t want to stay on this, I’d rather talk other things– but jet fuel is four-fifths kerosene. It doesn’t burn hot. So, using the analogy that it could melt the metal, then propane burns hotter. So if you turn on your camp stove for three hours, shouldn’t it melt the grates? But it doesn’t, does it?– it doesn’t.

Hannity, unsure where to gouge at Ventura’s credibility, drew upon the perceived vulnerabilities of previous celebrities instead: "He’s going Rosie O’Donnell here– that’s Rosie O’Donnell."

Colmes’ brief attempt to trap Ventura into placing the blame on specific government officials resulted in an defiant explanation that the governor simply doesn’t know, but seeks to answer:

"I can’t place blame, but I have a hard time accepting the fact that never before in history has a steel structure fallen to the ground at the rate of gravity (and the core beams, how did they go down?)…I’m simply questioning that it doesn’t add up to me."

Ventura covered similar ground with Opie, Anthony and Jim, who have little to argue about, yet talk over the governor and try to confuse the issue.[Listen to parts 1-3 here]

"I just have questions," Ventura blurted over their chatter amidst a detailed discussion about the many inconsistencies of the government’s official story with the truth, the laws of physics and etc.

Ventura brought up molten steel at the bottom of the wreckage and other relevant issues while the hosts tried to explain away the situation with vague descriptions of wreckage and debris.

The governor critiqued one host when he tried to argue that fires in the basement were spread from the top floors through the elevator shaft. “The only one problem was– the elevator shafts were sealed. They always are,” Ventura corrected.

When the host theorized that burning plane parts had been the source, Ventura chastised, “You’re getting like Hollywood– you never run out of bullets.” He pointed out that, in reality, most of the fuel burned in the initial explosion, diminishing its ability to bring down the skyscrapers.

Ventura also argued that the fact that NORAD failures and other intelligence breaches did not result in the firings of ‘inept’ officials because firings would lead to unwanted investigations.

By the end, he resigned in silence– pushing his mike away, according to Opie & Anthony– unable to reach his hosts who were ready to explain away the ‘ineptitude’ and ‘futility’ of the government’s details and yet incapable of facing the big lie staring them in the face.

Reports have also come in of Jesse Ventura stumping for 9/11 truth on a number of other combative radio shows, including Bo and Jim of KZPS in Dallas.

Richard Greene of Air America– a station that normally won’t touch 9/11 truth issues– played extended clips of Jesse Ventura’s comments from the Alex Jones Show.

May many more reports pour in…

Hannity & Colmes Video:

For the impatient, here's the list of steps to get you up and running:

- Mount the SD card on your Linux desktop

- Extract tx-bootbundle-20060813.tar.gz to a temporary location

- Copy linux.boot.cfg to the SD card

- Copy garux.prc to Palm/Launcher on the SD card

- Download the root image with your choice of environment

GPE - GTK+ widget toolkit/X Windows
Opie - a fork of Qtopia developed by Trolltech

The links for the root images above are for version 0.8.4-RC3 of the Familiar distribution and are somewhat dated.

- Copy the root image(s) to the SD card

- Create 32M swap file in SD card

dd if=/dev/zero of=swap.fs bs=1k count=32k
mkswap swap.fs

- Edit linux.boot.cfg and uncomment the line with the root image that you wish to boot

- Uncomment the following line

SWAP_DEV=/media/mmc1/swap.fs

- Unmount SD card, giving it ample time to flush its buffers

- Pop the card in the Palm TX

- Tap on "Garux" and you're ready to boot Linux

Garux is a loadlin-style bootloader that unloads the Palm OS from memory and boots Linux. PalmOS will still be present in ROM so a reset of the handheld will boot the device back into PalmOS. Because of the way PalmOS works, the Linux kernel is broken up into 64k chunks and rejoined at runtime. The kernel is embedded in Garux, and so a Garux image cannot be used to boot a kernel other than the version it was compiled for. Cocoboot is a newer bootloader that can be used to boot any supported kernel. To setup Cocoboot, simply follow the additional steps:

- Copy zImage to the root of the SD card from the tx-bootbundle

- Copy cocoboot-0.4 to Palm/Launcher of the SD card

- Start the cocoboot application from the handheld and follow the steps

Next week, Linux powered toaster.

Ugh. Now even the radio is talking to me. Thanks Ant.

instalacja na serwerze

sudo -i
apt-get install opie-server
cp /usr/share/doc/libpam-opie/examples/pam.d/common-auth /etc/pam.d/common-auth
opiepasswd

Kiedy uruchomimy opiepasswd zobaczymy coś takiego :

Updating root:
You need the response from an OTP generator.
New secret pass phrase:
otp-md5 499 ub1981
Response:

na innym komputerze z zainstalowanym opie-client wpisujemy swoje nowe tajne hasło mające 10-127 znaków :

asus@Asus:~$ otp-md5 499 ub1981
Using the MD5 algorithm to compute response.
Reminder: Don't use opiekey from telnet or dial-in sessions.
Enter secret pass phrase:
HARM GOES HOB PIN FIGS BUD

i przepisujemy HARM GOES HOB PIN FIGS BUD

You need the response from an OTP generator.
New secret pass phrase:
otp-md5 499 ub1981
Response: HARM GOES HOB PIN FIGS BUD

ID root OTP key is 499 ub1981
HARM GOES HOB PIN FIGS BUD

od tej pory żeby zalogować się na konto roota będziemy proszeni o podanie hasła jednorazowego
bartek@ubuntu:~$ su - root
Password:
otp-md5 498 ub1981 ext, Response:
root@ubuntu:~#

odpowiedź generujemy na innej maszynie

logowanie przez OPIE działa tylko przy "su - user" dlatego dobrze jest wyłączyć sobie dostęp w /etc/sudoers (możliwość logowanie się poprzez "sudo -i" )

np:

# Members of the admin group may gain root privileges
#%admin ALL=(ALL) ALL

jeżeli chcemy żeby inne konta też używały haseł jednorazowych musimy na nich odpalić opiepasswd i postępować tak jak wyżej

podobno można generować odpowiedzi na telefonach ale nie testowałem tego

linki:

http://www.inner.net/opie

http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Opie

Today, JJ Abrams - entertainment's most dangerous man - announced on Opie and Anthony that the movie is somehow tied into Lost (insert more "Lost" puns and jokes here).

This reminds me of the movie A Christmas Story in which Ralphie listens eagerly to a show that reveals pieces of a code that he wants to solve. Not just wants to but is obsessed with completing this task just like a crack head becomes hungry for the glass pipe. Like Ralphie, we as the audience wait the whole fuckin' movie just to find out that the words become "Drink Your Ovaltine" and just like Ralphie we're severely disappointed.

This is much like JJ Abrams's trick on our consumption obsessed society. Are you ready to see JJ Abrams pointing at peanut butter in a grocery store and telling the people perusing the aisles that it has something to do with Lost? Or how about Captain Crunch? Sounds crazy to you? Go to www.slusho.jp and you'll find that he's all ready got that covered - substitute peanut butter for a slushie type product.

Anyone at this moment can become an agent of JJ Abrams and his magic show. Last week, I pranked a friend and told him that I had seen Cloverfield all ready (which was a lie) and that it was somehow tied into Hook. I gave him a clue, which was  a quote made by Tinkerbell: "If you can't imagine yourself being Peter Pan, you won't be Peter Pan, so eat up."

What happened? He ate it up and tried to solve the puzzle only to discover that at the end the monster looked like... well I can't repeat what website he went on to find the monster because it was a web site that had something to do with gay porn and really bad things. A mean prank on my part but I realized how easy it is to throw people completely off into a dangerous road of obsession in which it becomes imaginable for for someone to throw their grandmother down a flight of stairs for knowledge of what Lost or Cloverfield (now both) is really about or maybe just a hint. Just a hint, man. One hint. That's it.

I'm not anti-JJ Abrams or Lost or Cloverfield. In fact, you'll probably find me in line to see Cloverfield this weekend. I'm just venting because it seems like the Truman Show.  We've all become characters in the biggest TV show ever created and which JJ Abrams is its only audience. I am for quality television and I just hope that this man gets it right in the end. Either way... even if it's a trick - it's fucking brilliant. Scary brilliant.

P.S. How do you know that this blog isn't associated with Lost or Cloverfield or JJ Abrams in any way? Is it? Is it not? You'll never know.

I took the source RPM from OpenSUSE, and installed it onto the Fedora system:

rpm -ivh opie-2.4-630.src.rpm

This installs the files in their appropriate locations in the RPM build tree. In Red Hat distributions, this means /usr/src/redhat: the spec file goes into /usr/src/redhat/SPECS, and the sources and patches go into /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES.

Then I had to remove a line from the spec file (opie.spec) that read:

%debug_package

Otherwise, the Fedora RPM suite complained thusly when built using rpmbuild:

error: Package already exists: %package debuginfo

Building the binary RPM consists of:

rpmbuild /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/opie.spec

The RPMs will be created in RPMS/i386.

Installing the RPMs is then very straightforward:

rpm -Uvh opie-2.4-630.i386.rpm

These steps bring us to the point where we now have opie available (and installed as an RPM). The rest is configuring opie. In the file /etc/pam.d/system-auth, add a line under the line that mentions pam_unix.so:

auth sufficient pam_opie.so use_first_pass

This line adds support for one-time passwords during logins - including most all forms of logins. However, some login programs do not handle the extra output and requirements well. KDM (related to XDM) perhaps does not handle it the best: a message is put up, and then it goes away without any indication that the password request has changed.

In any case, to support a user with OTP requires initializing their OTP key. This is done with:

opiepasswd -c user

This initializes the password and OTP for the specified user. This command should only be used in a secure environment (such as over SSH or on the system console). It will ask for a new password to create (only needed for a few things, but important) and then generates your secret password (along with the sequence number and the seed). All three of these things will be needed when using OTP calculators. Remember that your secret password is just like any other normal password: that is, it must be kept secret. The sequence number and seed are not enough to get in, and the generated OTP are not enough either (though they should also be kept secret).

It is possible to generate a list of the next series of OTP passwords to use; for example:

$ opiekey -n 5 -5 499 my9999
Using the MD5 algorithm to compute response.
Reminder: Don't use opiekey from telnet or dial-in sessions.
Enter secret pass phrase:
495: KAY TRY GLOM NOVA CALF KIM
496: OVAL JADE RUNT LATE MIT JAKE
497: MYRA COED LIND TO GREY FIG
498: NESS WAKE BLOC COAT GAIT ROWE
499: CLAW GAGE HOST MARK FAIN PAP

However, do not do this over an insecure line - such as from telnet, xterm, rsh, and so forth - as your secret pass phrase will be sent in the clear. Whenever using an OTP password calculator, make sure that your password is not seen by others, whether on the wire or in person: again, it is just like a regular password and should be treated as such. The generated passwords should also be kept secret; however, during use secrecy is not required. That's because as soon as it is typed in, it is no longer valid.

Scordatevi che dentro ci sia Linux: da uno sguardo a questi video sembrerebbe proprio che ai fini dell'uso normale nessun utente sarà mai esposto a niente che sia lontanamente familiare a ciò che noi pinguini conosciamo. Diciamo che Linux è il motore, e che deve rimanere ben sigillato, tant'è che a quanto pare non sarà distribuito alcun SDK.

Detto questo, e precisato che difficilmente comprerò questo o altri Motorola, accolgo questa notizia con soddisfazione e mi auguro che la validità di Linux porti ogni bene a questo telefono, che a parte tutto sembra proprio ben fatto :)

PS: adesso non vedo l'ora che Microsoft porti Motorola in tribunale, hehe...

[via: OSNews]

Buona continuazione...

Nel frattempo ecco questo piccolo video segnalatomi da viger, in cui viene mostrato l'avvio di OPIE su un Qtek9090, quindi un palmare.

Carino eh? Beh a me non interessa un palmare, ma carino lo stesso :) Se qualcuno ha notizie su telefoni Linux per favore mi faccia un fischio! Vi ricordo ancora una volta le caratteristiche che dovrebbe idealmente avere:

• Niente Symbian del piffero.
• Niente niente che non sia Linux
• Deve essere basato su Linux
• Dentro deve avere Linux

A parte gli scherzi, nel mio post originale "Telefono Linux cercasi disperatamente" ci sono tutte le caratteristiche che tutti noi vorremmo trovare in un telefono Linux, e anche qualcosa di più.

Tra i commenti di quel post sono spuntati almeno due candidati molto interessanti:

Un nuovo Motorola basato su Linux di cui però non sono sicuro che ci siano immagini attendibili, e poi questo, che è di un'azienda a me sconosciuta:

Il FIC Neo 1973: dovrebbe essere modificabile ed estensibile e interamente aperto. Paolo, tra i commenti, aveva segnalato in particolare questa funzionalità :)

Se qualcuno ha novità a riguardo sono sempre curioso di saperne!

Corey Worthington is my new hero. He's also my fictional kid brother's new hero. And my fictional kid brother's best friend's new hero. As you can tell, me and my band of hypothetical siblings and siblings' friends have jumped straight onto the Corey Worthington bandwagon.

I'm running out to the store tomorrow to buy a pair of Corey Worthington knock-off shades.

I'm booking a trip to Australia to make a pilgrimage to Corey's party house.

I'm joining the facebook group that was created to help raise the $20,000 Corey was fined.

I'm going to switch my nipple ring from my right nipple to my left nipple.

I'm going to start raising money for an Aussie remake of Fast Times at Ridgemont High so that I can cast Corey in the role of Jeff Spicoli.

Watch and see why I'm making such a fuss:

[liveleak 3fd_1200305248]

Now that you're hooked on Corey like crack cocaine, watch this follow up piece:

[liveleak 07c_1200396053]

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for... the interview with Corey's parents he doesn't want you to see.