Thursday, May 24, 2007

Several more Rose pics...

Here are a few more rose pics that i took this afternoon. I have several more that are starting to bloom.

Just Opening

Rose on the other side of garden.

DSC01889


What is your opinion?

RIAA Wants to Hack Your PC

This story was on Wired Magizine several years ago by Declan McCullagh, but i thought that it needed to be retold! This just show the absurdity of their actions!!


WASHINGTON -- Look out, music pirates: The recording industry wants the right to hack into your computer and delete your stolen MP3s.

It's no joke. Lobbyists for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) tried to glue this hacking-authorization amendment onto a mammoth anti-terrorism bill that Congress approved last week.

An RIAA-drafted amendment according to a draft obtained by Wired News would immunize all copyright holders -- including the movie and e-book industry -- for any data losses caused by their hacking efforts or other computer intrusions "that are reasonably intended to impede or prevent" electronic piracy.

In an interview Friday, RIAA lobbyist Mitch Glazier said that his association has abandoned plans to insert that amendment into anti-terrorism bills -- and instead is supporting a revised amendment that takes a more modest approach."It will not be some special exception for copyright owners," Glazier said. "It will be a general fix to bring back current law." Glazier is the RIAA's senior vice president of government relations and a former House aide.


The RIAA's interest in the USA Act, an anti-terrorism bill that the Senate and the House approved last week, grew out of an obscure part of it called section 815. Called the "Deterrence and Prevention of Cyberterrorism" section, it says that anyone who breaks into computers and causes damage "aggregating at least $5,000 in value" in a one-year period would be committing a crime.


If the current version of the USA Act becomes law, the RIAA believes, it could outlaw attempts by copyright holders to break into and disable pirate FTP or websites or peer-to-peer networks. Because the bill covers aggregate damage, it could bar anti-piracy efforts that cause little harm to individual users, but meet the $5,000 threshold when combined. "We might try and block somebody," Glazier said. "If we know someone is operating a server, a pirated music facility, we could try to take measures to try and prevent them from uploading or transmitting pirated documents."


The RIAA believes that this kind of technological "self-help" against online pirates, if done carefully, is legal under current federal law. But the RIAA is worried about the USA Act banning that practice -- and neither the Senate nor the House versions of that bill include the RIAA's suggested changes. Glazier said that the RIAA was no longer lobbying for the language provided to Wired News -- "that's completely out" -- but instead wanted to ensure that current law remains the same. But Glazier said he could not provide a copy of the revised amendment he hopes to include. Legal scholars say that the original amendment the RIAA had been shopping around to members of Congress raises privacy and security concerns.


"It could lead to some really bad outcomes, like a program purposefully intended to delete MP3s that misfunctions and erases everything on a disk -- ooops," says Marc Rotenberg, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Think a repo man smashing windows and knocking down doors to pull out the 27-inch color TV when you've missed a couple of payments."
Peter Swire, a former top privacy official under President Clinton and now a professor at Ohio State University, says he hopes there would be public debate on any such proposal.


"On its face, this language would allow a deliberate hack attack by a copyright owner against the system of someone who is infringing the copyright," Swire said. The draft amendment is overly broad and poorly-written, says Orin Kerr, a former Justice Department lawyer now at George Washington University. Says Kerr: "It would deny victims their right to sue copyright owners and their agents if they engaged in vigilante justice by hacking or other means in an effort to block online music distribution."


"Another troubling thing is that they appear to be trying to limit their liability for consequential damages," says R. Polk Wagner, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania's law school. "What if their efforts caused your hard disk to become fatally corrupted?" An aide on Capitol Hill who had been contacted by the RIAA was even more blunt, dubbing the amendment the "RIAA's License to Virus" proposal.


For its part, the RIAA is still trying to get a copy of its revised amendment -- that it would not provide a copy of -- included in the anti-terrorism bill called the USA Act. "It didn't make it into the Senate bill," says the RIAA's Glazier. "So the great work of the Senate staff to fix this unintentional problem didn't get through. Now we're in the House with the base language that could have these unintended consequences." On Friday, the House voted 339-79 for the USA Act, which eases limits on wiretapping and Internet monitoring. The Senate approved the bill on Thursday.


Because neither the House nor the Senate versions of the USA Act include either variant of the RIAA's amendment, the association's lobbyists will focus on a possible conference committee, which would be appointed to work out differences with the Senate. Another possibility is that the Senate could enact the USA Act when senators return this week, automatically sending the bill to President Bush for his signature.


Bush has asked Congress for the additional surveillance and detention powers as a response to the deadly Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.The text of the original RIAA amendment says that "no action may be brought under this subsection arising out of any impairment of the availability of data, a program, a system or information, resulting from measures taken by an owner of copyright in a work of authorship, or any person authorized by such owner to act on its behalf, that are intended to impede or prevent the infringement of copyright in such work by wire or electronic communication."

It also immunizes from liability actions that "are reasonably intended to impede or prevent the unauthorized transmission" of pirated materials.


What is your opinion?

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Server Space...

Well, it looks like that i am going to have server space again for our family website. I have been talking to a person in Houston Texas that is going to let me have some space on his server. We are working on a trade for the space. So, with any luck, i will have a proper TheRmstringers.com up by the weekend.


What is your opinion?

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

My Roses...

Here are a few pics of roses that i grow in my back yard. These just happen to be blooming...

Virginia 5.22.2007 014

Virginia 5.22.2007 011

Virginia 5.22.2007 007

What is your opinion?

Clif and Lindsey


Picture 060, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on their Engagement last night. More to come...

My 2 days off...

I needed these days off. I was Totally drained from working the 4 days straight and doing the 2 biking rids. Sunday night i actually fell asleep at work! I never do that. I have several things to do today such as blow off the house with my pressure washer and cut the grass. IT is very high again from all the rain and fertilizer that i put on it during the early spring. I also sprayed some weed killer on it yesterday as well as bug stuff. I do not want crab-grass this year...

I need to go and get some of this work done. we have a big weekend as it is Memorial Day holiday and we are going to finish painting the other two bedrooms upstairs and get all that sorted out for company this summer. And besides, we are tired of the mess!


What is your opinion?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

This morning...

Well, I got off work at ~7.15am and then proceeded to go to Powhite Park to ride bikes. Mark and my friend Mike. It was Mike's first time to ride Powhite and only his second time to ride bikes in that type of environment. Our friend Jeff called in and said that he would not be able to make it.

We started slow and went to the top so we could take him down the 1/2pipe. He really enjoyed it and then we went to some other trails and all in all, we rode about 4.5 miles! It was a good time and I found out that he was from Texas and lived in San Antonio and some other interesting facts about him. So, needless to say, we all hit it off very well!

I got home around 10.15am ad took a shower and then went to bed. When I started ridding bikes about 8-9 months ago, I weighed around 185-190 lbs. When I got on the scales Wednesday, I clocked in at 172lbs. It sounds like a Bow-Flex commercial, but I am going to be 36 in 2 months and I will be in perhaps better shape than I have been in many years. I play hard, but I get good benefits from it so I will continue.

What is your opinion?

Former Jasper County Constable Sentenced To Prison


A Jasper County constable that was arrested last year in a drug sting operation in nearby Hardin County has been sentenced to five months in federal prison. The sentence handed down on Wednesday by United States District Judge Thad Heartfield also orders Fred Peters to serve another five months of detention at his home after he is released from prison.

Former Constable of Precinct Six Fred Peters was arrested after allegedly being caught in the act of buying methamphetamines in a sting operation last year. Photo by Michael Love

Peters, 60, of Evadale, who served as constable of Precinct Six in the most south part of Jasper County was arrested in July of last year at a motel in Silsbee, after officers witnessed him buying methamphetamines. The arrest came as the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency, Beaumont Police, Silsbee Police and the US Attorney’s Office.



What is your opinion?

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Just Very Strange...

I saw this article while i was on FARK. I wanted to post a pic, but it looks like the computers here at work will not allow that at the moment. Here is the link to the pic: http://i12.tinypic.com/6glewkj.jpg

The family of 95-year-old Zhao from Zhanjiang city, China are hoping that doctors will be able to explain the 5 inch horn that is growing out of her forehead. Local media describes the horn as curving down "like the stalk of a pumpkin".

The mysterious growth started three years ago. "At first, it was only a mole, but it gradually grew and became like a horn. It causes me no discomfort, but blocks part of my view," said Zhao.

What is your opinion?

5.20.2007 Powhite Park...

We are gonmna do a morning ride at Powhite Park at 8.00am. Some friends from work and my normal riding group are all going to meet and do a 2 hr ride. I will let you know how it comes out...


What is your opinion?

Friday, May 18, 2007

LastFM, Emmylou Harris and Wachovia CanalWalk


Just a quick note before i start getting ready for work. LastFM is getting some very cool badges for websites and Blogs. I just added 2 new badges to replace the old style ones that i had for a long time.

I have to work all weekend so i hope to be able to put out some posts that are of some substance. Tomorrow is the Wachovia Canal Walk and i will miss it because i have to work and that sucks. We went last year and it was very fun with Food, Drinks and Bands and also for a great cause.

Emmylou Harris comes to canalWALK!!
For more than 30 years, 12-time Grammy Award-winning artist Emmylou Harris has flowed effortlessly between musical genres, achieving popularity in pop, folk, country and alternative styles of music. The common bridge is an exquisite vocal style and a gift for discovering the heart of a song.

What is your opinion?

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

My Partial List of Bands...

Bands I Have Seen as of 5.9.2007 This list is not complete as of yet…

Billy Ocean, Freedom Jam,
Sting, The B-52s, Maynard Ferguson, Two Tons of Steel
Depeche Mode, Eric Johnson,
Rage Against the Machine Tool
The The, Brand New Sin, NIN, Jimmy Dickens
Nitzer Ebb, Book of Love , Lords of Acid, Primal Scream, Twin Hype
Seal,
Babes in Toyland, The Guess Who, Vince gill
Primus, Alice in Chains, Dinosaur Jr., Fishbone, Porter Wagoner
The hunger,
Arrested Development, Front 242
Bouffant Jellyfish, Saul Williams, Firefall, Billy walker
Spin, Sprawl, Bad Mother Goose, Billy Goat, Robert Earl Keen
Pink Floyd, The Orb, The KLF, Sunflower, Timmy T, Po Dunk
Machines Of Loving Grace , Bamboo Crisis, Stabbing Westward,
7-Mary 3, Candle Box, Pilot, Information Society, SNAP,
TTK, MBM, Ethel Meat Plow
Xymox, EMF, Kicking Herald, Daddy Freddie, Ten Hands
Skinny puppy, Tank Hog, Monster Magnet
Download, Butthole Surfers, Quiet Riot
Twilight Circus Dub Sound System, Jonny Lang
Dink, quicksand, The Offspring, Henry Rollins, BS&T,
KMFDM, Blue Man Group, Type-O-negative, Celtic frost, ,
The Orb, Faith no More, No Use for a name, Charlie Daniels Band


I will add more as I remember them soon as I am waiting for a radio station to get back to me.

What is your opinion?

Bike Ride Today...

Well, i came in from work and i got about 3.5 hours of sleep. Not a lot but i guess that it was enough. Mark and I went to Pocahontas Park and we did several new trails called Lake View and Lake View 2. They go around the lake that is in the park. They were mainly Red and Blue trails, so they were not very hard. We got there at around 1.15pm and we left at 4.oopm. All total we rode about 11.66 miles!! This is our personal record at this time. I hope to go riding on Sunday Morning at Powhite around 7.45am, as I will be getting off work.


I took an extra shift tomorrow night (i was off) but i cannot pass up the Over Time hours. It will make for a long 4 days, but with me trying to get on with Qimonda at this time; it will look good due to my cooperation with what needs to be done.
Well, I am going to sign off for now. I will have some more stuff to talk about over the next few days.


What is your opinion?

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The RMStringers.com

Well, our website is back up and running. It is not on dedicated server space like it was before. I went and purchased a FlickR Pro account so I could have unlimited sets and groups as well as no limit of pics. The basic account has just a 200 pic limit and if you are like me, you take a lot of photos.

My domain name has been parked at www.Enom.com for the last few months and I am in a battle with Registerfly as I bought server space for 1 year and then something happened to their company. I have about $20 in credit that I cannot get back from them as well as the 1 year contract for server space. It sucks! And They SUCK!! You cannot get them on the tele or via fax nor email. I xfered my domain to Enom and that is how I decided to get the FlickR Pro account. SO all texts and stuff like that will be on the FlickR page on the picture captions. I will tell about the adventures on the Blog. So if you want to stay up with us, subscribe to the RSS feeds that I offer on my blog.

What is your opinion?

Parachutes...

An airplane was about to crash.There were 5 passengers on board, but only 4 parachutes –

The 1st passenger said, “I am Kobe Bryant, the best NBA basketball player. The Lakers need me, and I can’t afford to die.” So he took the 1st pack and left the plane!

The 2nd passenger, Hillary Clinton said, “I am the wife of a formerU.S. President, a NY State Senator and a potential future president.And I am the smartest woman in American history…..... so America ‘s people don’t want me to die.“She took the 2nd pack and jumped out of the plane!

The 3rd passenger, Ted Kennedy said, “I am a US Senator… the democratic party needs me and my liver still has some good years left.” So he grabbed the pack next to him and jumped.

The 4th passenger, Billy Graham, said to the 5th passenger, a 10 year old schoolgirl, “I am old and frail and don’t have many years left,... and as a Christian I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute.”

The little girl said, “That’s okay. There’s a parachute left for you! America’s smartest woman took my school bag.”


What is your opinion?

Monday, May 14, 2007

Wet Graduation Pic...


It was a very rainy night on May 12. We all got totally soaked trying to get from the parking garage to the chapel.

This is a pic of the duke chapel inside. It is built in the Gothic style of all the European cathedrals.

All of the pics inside were taken without a flash. During the ceremony, they were not allowed.
What is your opinion?

Sunday, May 13, 2007

This Weekend...

I have many pics from this weekend and i will be posting them on FlickR. I just moved to a FlickR PRO account and i will be redirecting our personal website to a fickr page tonight. I will post a few pics to the blog as well.

It was wonderful seeing my whole family this weekend. We saw my brother graduate from Duke Divinity School with a Masters degree and and he is leaving for Texas tomorrow. The weather was a mess!! We were under a flash flood watch all yesterday evening and we got soaked running to the Duke Chapel. We got up and went to church where he used to preach. It was a very good time and it was nice to visit my family.

More Later with Pic goodness.


What is your opinion?

Friday, May 11, 2007

Graduation!!!

We are off to Durham North Carolina to meet my Dad and Sister and Stepmother to see my Brother (Clifton) graduate from Duke University Seminary. He is going to be posted to a church in Austin Texas as a Youth minister. I am very proud of him and I will miss him dearly. We will stay the night in Durham and go to church on Sunday with the Family and then make our way back to Midlothian…


 

Have a good weekend!! I will post with pics when I get back.


 

Thanks,

RMStringer

+++++++++++++++++++++++

"We are all geniuses when we dream"

- E.M. Cioran

Body Mods...My Thoughts.










Hey folks, don’t get me wrong, I am all for someone expressing themselves. I have a tat and I had my ears pierced for nearly 20 years. All my stuff is covered up and I don’t ware earrings anymore (not by my choice, by my wife's) At some point all these people will have to become productive members of society and how the hell can they do that when they have enough metal in their head to set of metal detectors at the nearest airports or stick to an electromagnet??


What do they expect to do?? We don’t need 1,000,000 tattoo artists in the world. How can they go to a normal workplace and get a job as a doctor or lawyer looking like a scrap metal yard. When I was younger I thought that it would be "cool" to be a "freak" and now that I am older, I am glad that I NEVER went through with it. Some of these people are like a counter-culture to the counter-culture. They go to the FAR EXTREAM!!! Who or What are the rebelling aginst??
You tell me and we will both know...


What is your opinion?

More Body Mods..FREAKS!







Well here is another installment of my Body Modifications...

Why and What do these mods do??


Enjoy!! :-) LOL!!








What is your opinion?

Take A Face From The Ancient Gallery Original Mix videoclip

Release Title: Take A Face From The Ancient Gallery Release Date: 29 Apr 24 Artists: Ambient Massive Cat no: 2024-03AM Genre: Ambient Tags: ...