‘Dumb’ American criminals attempt robbery with ‘permanent marker pen disguises’

Copied directly from: Telegraph

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Two hapless robbers in America, Matthew McNelly and Joey Miller, have been arrested with the “worst disguises ever” after trying to hide their faces with permanent marker pen.

By Andrew Hough
Published: 9:25AM GMT 30 Oct 2009

McNelly, 23, and Miller, 20 were arrested by armed police in Carroll, Iowa, last Friday after witnesses reported seeing two men trying to break into an apartment with fake beards and “masks” scrawled on their faces.

Police responding to a call about the attempted burglary later pulled over a car matching the alleged suspects’ vehicle.

When they stopped their 1994 Buick Roadmaster, bewildered police discovered the drunk hapless pair – nicknamed “dumb and dumber” – complete with makeshift disguises.

Police issued-mugshots of the pair show the black ink scribbles on their faces, in what some commentators described as “the worst disguise ever”.

“We’re very skilled investigators and the black faces gave them right away,” local police chief Jeff Cayler told CNN.

“I have to assume the officers were kind of laughing at the time.

“I’ve never heard of colouring your face with a permanent marker.”

He added: “They probably were just not thinking straight and figured we’ll go out and scare the guy or whatever.

“[They were] being dumb and combine that with alcohol and it was the perfect storm.

“I’ve been chief here almost 25 years, been with the department 28½ years and I’ve seen a lot of things that make me laugh and weird things but this was probably the best combination of the two – strangely weird and hilariously funny all at the same time.”

He had earlier told Radio Iowa: “It’s a little weird.

“I’ve been here long enough that I’ve seen a lot of things, but this one’s a little different compared to most … I mean, just the face thing is what sets it apart.”

The men may have been under the influence of alcohol when they devised the idea for their disguises.

“For what it’s worth, it appeared they had both been drinking quite a bit and maybe weren’t thinking quite rationally,” Mr Cayler said.

McNelly and Miller were each later charged with attempted second-degree burglary and released on bail after appearing at Carroll County Magistrate Court on Monday.

McNelly was also charged with drunk driving.

Lawyers for the pair declined to comment.

The pair are due back in court next month.

Five Things You Should Know About Windows 7 Security

Copied from: PC WORLD

By: Tony Bradley

Microsoft says Windows 7 is the most secure version of the Windows operating system ever developed. Big deal, right? I am pretty sure that Microsoft has made that claim for every new version of Microsoft Windows in the past 15 years, and that it is a valid claim.

What else would you expect? Is Microsoft going to come out with a new operating system and make it less secure than its predecessor? I think not. Still, while the marketing around Windows 7 security may be part hyperbole, there are actually a number of significant security improvements to be aware of, especially for Windows XP users making (or considering) the transition to Windows 7. Many of these security updates existed in Windows Vista as well, so Vista users should already be familiar with them.

1. Protecting the Core

The kernel is the heart of the operating system, which also makes it a prime target for malware and other attacks. Basically, if an attacker can access or manipulate the operating system kernel they can execute malicious code at a level that is undetectable by other applications or even by the operating system itself. Microsoft developed kernel-mode protection to protect the kernel and ensure there is no unauthorized access.

In addition to protecting the kernel, Microsoft has made some other fundamental improvements since Windows XP to protect the operating system. Many attacks rely on the attacker being able to know where a specific function or command resides within memory, or the ability to perform attacks on files that are supposed to contain only data.

Address Space Layer Randomization (ASLR) keeps attackers guessing about where to attack by randomizing the memory locations of key operating system functions. Microsoft also developed Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to prevent files that are supposed to contain data or that are stored in an area reserved for data from executing code of any type.

2. Safer Web Browsing

Windows 7 comes with the latest and greatest version of Internet Explorer, IE8. You can download and use IE8 with other versions of Windows, so its not specific to Windows 7, but it does contain some security enhancements worth nothing.

First, InPrivate Browsing provides the ability to surf the Web…in private as the name implies. When you launch an InPrivate Browsing window Internet Explorer does not save any information related to your Web surfing. That means that there is no cache containing information you typed, and no history of the sites you visited. This is especially useful if you are using IE8 on a shared or public computer, like at a library.

The other IE8 security improvement is Protected Mode. Protected Mode relies on security components in Windows 7 to ensure that malicious or unauthorized code is not allowed to run within the browser. Protected Mode prevents things like drive-by downloads that install malicious software on your system just by visiting a compromised web site.

3. Protection We Love to Hate

User Account Control (UAC) is the poster child for everything we love to hate about Windows Vista. With Windows 7, UAC is still there, but Microsoft has added a slider that enables you to control the level of protection–and therefore the amount of pop-ups asking for permission to access or execute files–UAC provides.

The pop-ups are just a small, but visible, aspect of what UAC does. Many users simply disabled UAC altogether in Windows Vista, but that also turns off Protected Mode IE and some other operating system protection. The slider in Windows 7 is set to the same protection as Windows Vista by default, but you can customize the setting in the Control Panel.

4. Security Tools and Apps

Because of the kernel-mode protection and the changes Microsoft made regarding how, or if, applications are allowed to interact with the core functionality of the operating system, older antivirus and other security software is not compatible with Windows 7.

Vendors like McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, and others offer Windows7 compatible versions of their security software products, but Microsoft also provides free security tools to protect you if you don’t want to invest the additional money.

The Windows Firewall and Windows Defender antispyware tools are included with the base installation of Windows 7. You can also download and install Microsoft Security Essentials, a free antivirus product released recently by Microsoft.

5. Monitor the Action Center

The Security Center that Windows XP users are familiar with has been replaced by the Windows Action Center. The Action Center is a more comprehensive console for monitoring the Windows 7 system, including security.

The security section of the Action Center provides at-a-glance status regarding the security of your Windows 7 system. It includes information about firewall, spyware, and virus protection, as well as the state of Windows Updates, Internet security settings, and UAC.

There are plenty of good reasons to make the switch to Windows 7. If you are still running Windows XP, security is arguably the best reason to embrace the new operating system. It may or may not be the greatest operating system ever, but it is definitely the most secure Windows operating system ever.

Tony Bradley is an information security and unified communications expert with more than a decade of enterprise IT experience. He tweets as @PCSecurityNews and provides tips, advice and reviews on information security and unified communications technologies on his site at tonybradley.com.

Top 4 Popular Vacation Spots

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Dreamland Beach, Bali, Indonesia

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Washington DC, USA

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Lummi Island, Washington (Near Bellingham)

What else do you want photo’s or anything of?

Thanks

~Hannah

Carrie Underwood Interview with E! News.

Is it true Carrie Underwood laughs at her boyfriend when he sings her songs?

What is the real dish on their relationships?

Find out Now!

(Ryan Seacrest Hosting)

(Jason Interviewing)

10/27/09

Bay Bridge closed after rod snaps, cars hit

Copied directly from: San Francisco Chronicle

Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Authorities said they are shutting down the Bay Bridge in both directions after pieces of the cantilever section fell during the late-afternoon commute, striking three vehicles on the upper deck, the California Highway Patrol said.

Caltrans officials said the parts that fell were two high-strength rods and a saddle that were part of the emergency repair that delayed the opening of the bridge on Labor Day weekend.

Westbound traffic on the Bay Bridge had been crawling through two open lanes as officials assessed damage to the bridge. Caltrans officials earlier had shut down three lanes on the upper as they assessed the damage.

CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt said the parts of the span’s overhead steel support structure fell around 5:30 p.m. Eckhardt said the passengers in one vehicle hit by the falling debris were shaken up but not injured.

A chunk of steel lay in the middle of the far left lane of the upper deck and an object that appeared to be a cable was on a Ryder truck dangling from the side of the span.

Authorities have not said how long the closure will last.

 

Pilots of wayward jet lose licenses

Copied directly from: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/10/27/airliner.fly.by/

Washington (CNN) — The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot a Minnesota airport by 150 miles during a 78-minute period of radio silence last week.

Capt. Timothy B. Cheney, 53, and First Officer Richard I. Cole, 54, were piloting Northwest Flight 188 from San Diego, California, to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport Wednesday when air traffic controllers lost radio contact with the Airbus A320 over the Denver, Colorado, area.

“The pilots were out of contact with air traffic controllers for an extended period of time and told federal investigators that they were distracted by a conversation,” the FAA said.

“Air traffic controllers and airline officials repeatedly tried to reach them through radio and data contact, without success.”

Cheney and Cole told investigators they were using personal laptop computers during the flight, in violation of company policy, and lost track of time, the National Transportation Safety Board has said.

The FAA said the revocations cite several violations of regulations, including failure to comply with air traffic control and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

The pilots have 10 days to appeal the revocations, which are effective immediately, to the NTSB, the FAA said.

Flight 188 carried 144 passengers, the two pilots and three flight attendants.

Cheney was hired in 1985 and has more than 20,000 hours of flight time, while Cole was hired in 1997 and has about 11,000 hours of flight time, according to an NTSB report released Monday.

Neither pilot reported having had an accident, incident or violation; neither had any ongoing medical conditions; and neither said he was tired, the report said

They each had had a 19-hour layover in San Diego; neither said he had slept or argued during the flight, but both said “there was a distraction” in the cockpit, according to the report.

The pilots said there was “a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls” from air traffic control, though both said they heard conversation on the radio, the report said.

Neither pilot said he noticed messages sent by company dispatchers, it added. It said the men were talking about a new monthly crew flight scheduling system put into place in after Northwest’s merger with Delta Air Lines.

“Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure,” the report said. “The first officer, who was more familiar with the procedure, was providing instruction to the captain.”

Neither pilot said he was aware of where the plane was until a flight attendant called the cockpit about five minutes before the plane was to have landed and asked their estimated time of arrival, the report said.

“The captain said, at that point, he looked at his primary flight display for an ETA and realized that they had passed” the airport, the report said.

After 78 minutes of radio silence, the pilots re-established radio contact with air traffic controllers, according to the report.

After landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul, both voluntarily underwent alcohol breath tests, which proved negative, the report said.

 

Iraq car bombings kill 147

Copied directly from: La Times

By Liz Sly and Usama Redha

Reporting from Bagdad – Twin suicide bombings in the heart of a busy section of downtown Baghdad killed 147 people Sunday in an apparent attempt to undermine Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s government at a time of rising political tensions over crucial national elections due in January.

The attacks outside the Justice Ministry and the Baghdad provincial council headquarters injured an additional 700 people. They were the deadliest bombings in Iraq in more than two years.

The midmorning explosions, in a closely guarded area packed with government buildings, served as a fresh reminder that although U.S. attention has shifted in large part to Afghanistan, Iraq remains a highly volatile place. Some fear it could disintegrate into chaos again even before U.S. forces finish their planned departure.

The car bombings, which occurred within minutes of each nother, also indicated that militants appear to have the capacity to strike at will against key targets, despite repeated claims of progress by Iraqi security forces, which have been in charge since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities in June.

The explosions ripped through traffic and buildings a block apart on a busy workday, hurling vehicles through the air, incinerating drivers and burning office workers at their desks. Blast walls erected for protection were pulverized. Mangled bodies and pieces of flesh lay strewn around the streets. Water spewed from a destroyed mains and collected in blood-tinged pools. Read More

H1N1:What to believe.

Written by: Lili

Everyone is talking about H1N1 scared and overreacting…until Obama calls in a national emergency.

As says Reuters “H1N1, declared a public health emergency earlier in the year, has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States and put more than 20,000 in the hospital since it emerged earlier this year, the CDC said. But health officials are quick to note that the actual number of cases cannot be measured.”

Here at Lili Lately we are giving news that is true. What people don’t realize is Flu season kills that same amount anyway. I know it is hard to believe but the media is making everyone stress to get more publicity. The best thing you can do is wash your hands. There are diseases out there you should be way more worried about.

Vaccination Update: I would definitely have to have health information. If it is someone under  whom has never had any flu, a senior over 80, or someone with a health condition ..Get it. If it is a 30 year old man/woman who exercises on a daily basis whom has had the flu before, an 8 year-old kid who has had the flu and is healthy…Don’t get it. Honestly I am not a doctor (yet) but I have gotten information from my neighbors that are doctors and my dad (PHD). If you have questions I can get them answered as quick as possible.

Ways to prevent the flu:

Wash hands

Don’t share food/drinkd

Stay away from drinking fountains

Keep Germ-X handy

If someone is constantly coughing/sneezing give them space

Everything else you do in a normal flu season.

International News: Canada

News for the most computerized country!  Copied from: CBC

Ontario deficit could reach $24.7B: Duncan

Ontario’s deficit is expected to reach $24.7 billion in the current fiscal year, provincial Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced Thursday.

And the province’s economic output is expected to show a decline of 3.5 per cent for 2009, Duncan said in the Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, which he released at Queen’s Park.

Declining corporate tax revenues and increasing demand for public services have dragged down the government’s bottom line, Duncan said.

Corporate tax revenues dropped by an “unprecedented” 48.1 per cent in 2008-09, or by more than $6 billion, the report says.

And the economic downturn forced more people to depend more heavily on public services like social assistance, skills training and health care, Duncan said.

Employment in the province dropped three per cent, or by 205,200 jobs, from 2008, the report says, with jobs in the auto sector down by 25.5 per cent in the first nine months in 2009 compared with the same period in 2008.

The report singles out the struggling auto industry as a unique expense, and a “distinct challenge and opportunity.” Ontario pledged $4 billion in emergency loans in December to support the Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. automakers Chrysler and General Motors.

Other investments in infrastructure, skills training and reshaping the province’s tax system “ensure that we are ready for growth,” Duncan said.

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Typhoon Lupit Heads for Philippines; Warnings Issued (Update1)

Copied directly from: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aXnP2u2wN5Xo

By Aaron Sheldrick and Francisco Alcuaz Jr.

Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) — Typhoon Lupit edged closer to the Philippines, bringing the threat of more rain and floods to the most populous island of Luzon, where more than 860 people have died in two cyclones in the past month.

While Lupit’s eye isn’t expected to make landfall for three days, its outer bandshave already reached northern Luzon. The longer it hovers near land, the more rain it may dump on areas already under water from earlier storms.

“The winds are the most dangerous when they hit the coast, but after that they weaken,” said Prisco Nilo, the administrator at the Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. “The most casualties and damage come from the rain.”

Evacuations have been under way throughout the island all week and supplies and equipment for rescue operations continue to be sent to regions expected to be affected by Lupit. Parts of Luzon were devastated when Tropical Storm Ketsana swept through Sept. 26, followed by Typhoon Parma, causing damages of almost 30.3 billion pesos ($645 million). About 8.7 million people were affected by the storms and more than 189,000 remain in emergency shelters, according to the government.

Lupit, with maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers (99 miles) per hour, was 350 kilometers east-northeast of the town of Aparri on the northern tip of Luzon at 4 a.m. local time today, according to the Philippines weather agency.

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