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Morrissey has been given a big meat-free boost as he prepares for his live comeback after illness after bosses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles agreed to go vegetarian for the rocker's show on March 1.
The concert will mark the first time the 20,000-capacity venue goes all-veggie as all vendors will keep their meat products out of sight during the show – and the venue's McDonald's outlets will be shuttered.
According to a press release from Morrissey's representative, the same request had previously been denied to Sir Paul McCartney.
The decision is a big win for animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who will benefit from a portion of ticket sales.
Morrissey plans to resume his North American tour on February 26 after canceling a string of dates to recover from a bleeding ulcer.


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Patricia and Riley Harrington
July marks may second anniversary here on Crowdrise. I feel like I have done some good., but there is so much more I can accomplish with your help. I have also made some real friends, a few of whom I've really met! I love this site as it brings people together to help so many worthy charities. The projects I support do not have any celebrities pulling for them (I sure wish they did). It's just me a a few other wonderful people. I hope you will check them out. A donation would be appreciated, but kind words help too. Thank you for reading my rise. Hugs and spotty tongue dog kisses from Riley are sent your way.
Patricia and Ri…
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Click the VOTE button to give Patricia and Riley 100 CrowdRise Impact Points (CIPs). Vote for the Volunteers and Fundraisers that are answering the call to service, raising money for charity, and making an impact for their causes. Come back and Vote every months. CIPs can earn you the highly coveted, highly respected CrowdRise Royalty Status.
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If you're seeing the grey VOTE button, you should feel great about yourself. It means you already voted for Patricia and Riley this month. Come back next month and vote again if you still love Patricia and Riley. Thanks to your vote, Patricia and Riley earned 100 CrowdRise Impact Points (CIPs). CIPs can earn you the highly coveted, highly respected CrowdRise Royalty Status.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Message Board
Ronald Anderson and Anne Koval Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Koval has written!
Author Koval's Book Reviews
James McNeill Whistler - Beyond The Myth
This is the biography of the artist James McNeill Whistler. Taking the best of Impressionism and Realism, Whistler's uniquely individual treatments of color are unforgettable. We think of "Nocturne In Blue and Gold," his muted yet powerful study of London's Old Battersea Bridge. Born in Massachusetts in 1834, Whistler spent part of his youth in Russia. For a time he lived in Paris, where he was an adherent of Courbet's. Later, he ...


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Ardor bed linen is designed in Australian and will add a fashionable touch to any bedroom. Naoko features a luxurious Cotton Sateen fabric in 250 thread count with classic floral design in black and cream colour tones printed front and tailored edge detail. The reverse is made from a pure cotton percale fabric.
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Under the health act, pillows, quilts (also known as duvets or donnas), underlays (or underblankets), bed toppers (or mattress toppers), pillow protectors and mattress protectors are non-refundable unless faulty. As such, you cannot return these items even if they are unused under our change of mind policy. So it is your responsibility to choose carefully prior to your purchase.
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If you are looking for something unique and something luxurious, Ardor is the brand for you. Their bed linens are designed to transform a room, to make it completely new, and all you have to do is put on a new set of sheets or a new quilt cover. Their quilt sets are often paired with their own set of bed sheets, making it easy to find a set that matches perfectly. Using the best materials, the most advanced weaving techniques, and the most incredible colors and patterns, Ardor has what you are looking for.
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text: Baseball season is here – And we can't seem to get enough of it! True fans support their favorite team by wearing a team hat or jersey, but super fans (especially young children) go all out, bringing the team spirit into their home! Here are some examples of fun baseball themed bedrooms to help you show off your team spirit!


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Thank you to all loyal Go Dairy Free viewers, and to all who have signed up as fans on the Facebook Go Dairy Free Page. The Fan Page officially topped 1,000 fans earlier in the week, allowing Go Dairy Free to establish a new fan page URL – http://www.facebook.com/godairyfree. Links to the old url will automatically be redirected to the new one. The fan page is automatically updated with links to all Go Dairy Free posts, whether it is new recipes in our recipe section, a recent product review, a food recall in our news, or an article feature on our front page. So it is a great way to keep current on all of our daily website additions. Readers are also encouraged to post on the wall with ideas, questions, and helpful suggestions in response to the questions of other viewers.
If you are not already a Fan of Go Dairy Free on Facebook, feel free head to our Fan Page and take a peak.


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Paint incompatibility can cause loss of adhesion where many old coats of alkyd or oil-based paint receive a latex topcoat.
When water-based latex is painted over more than three or four coats of old alkyd or oil-based paint, the old paint may "lift off" the substrate.
Repaint the surface using another coat of alkyd or oil-based paint.
Alternatively, you can completely remove the existing paint and prepare the surface—cleaning, sanding, and spot-priming where necessary—before repainting with a top-quality latex exterior paint.
Note: Images provided by The Rohm & Hass Paint Quality Institute.


text:
Looking for someone to play with this Wednesday, Feb. 18. Free all day on Wednesday.
Ala Moana, preferably; but anywhere in town is cool with me.
Enjoy very competitive play, although I am only at an intermediate skill level. I hate just hitting the ball around. That's lame.
I love meeting and playing with new people; but please come to play, not to to flirt. Especially if you are a dude. Drinks/good times are cool afterwards, but not on the courts.
Reply to this post or for an immediate answer text or call [edit: please share private info via PM or Friend Request]
Views: 64
Replies to This Discussion
Hey, I'm looking for someone to play any week day after 3:00. I used to play twice a week every week. I moved here 3 months ago and have not played yet. Need to get back on it. A little help please. I like to play a full match whenever possible. Don't know the courts yet. Help ! I'm 3.0ish. Not really sure.
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2013 cadillac srx Model Overview
Cadillac's best-seller in 2011, the Cadillac SRX crossover gets an overdue mid-cycle update for the 2013 model year. The 2013 SRX update includes a facelift, a redesigned interior, and more technology, anchored by the new Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system in the center stack. Motivating force for the SRX comes courtesy of a 3.6-liter V-6 making 308 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic. The SRX is rated at 17/24 mpg city/highway with front-wheel drive, and 16/23 mpg with all-wheel drive.
The last SRX we drove was a pre-refresh 2012 model mechanically-identical to the current version. We enjoyed how the SRX struck a nice balance between being sporty like a BMW, and plush, like a Lexus. To the latter point, we said, "The cabin is nicely isolated from the outside world, with wind noise almost non-existent and tire noise absent except on horrid pavement."
This year Cadillac fits the SRX with a new nose, a quieter interior, its CUE infotainment system, and an active safety suite that includes things like radar-based automatic braking, and blind spot monitoring equipment.
New for 2013
The 2013 Cadillac SRX has undergone several updates designed to freshen its exterior, interior and technology options. New to the SRX is CUE, which does away with buttons on the center stack in favor of haptic-touch buttons and screens. While CUE looks lovely on the now-simplified center stack, execution is lacking. Also new to the SRX is an active noise canceling system to make the cabin even quieter, active safety tech like the aforementioned automatic braking, and Safety Alert Seat, which will vibrate a portion of the driver's seat if it detects the crossover wandering in its lane, about to back into a foreign object, or change lanes into a car that's in its blind spot.
You'll Like
- Edgy styling that helps it stand out in the segment
- Sporty dynamics, with an uncompromising ride
- The assortment of available tech
You Won't Like
- You probably won't like CUE
- Fuel economy is lacking for the class


text:
Behind The Scenes: Ace Hood (Feat. Kevin Cossom) - Slow Down
Ace Hood Ft Kevin Cossom Behind the Scenes of "Slow Down"
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text:
Call signs
A method of generating a call sign. A method of generating a call sign comprising determining a distinguished qualifier, finding a distinguished salt, and hashing the distinguished salt with the distinguished qualifier.
Latest Microsoft Patents:
This application is related to co-pending U.S. Patent Application Methods and Systems for Authenticating Messages Ser. No. 10/401,241, filed Mar. 27, 2003.
Keys and cryptographic identifications ("IDs") play a key role in many applications which require user verification, such as computer systems, and the like. In an exemplary peer-to-peer computer system, a user identification ("ID") might be used as a verifier to a systems administrator that a user is entitled to access a network when the ID is presented electronically, such as electronic mail. Alternatively, IDs may be transmitted by voice or by writing.
In the past IDs have been presented manually using business cards or verbally. The IDs are typically a long stream of binary numbers that are not easy to remember. The IDs may be secured using cryptographic processes. However, the protected IDs are typically longer yet and also hard to pass around easily. Thus a user further gives up ease of use when protecting an ID with encryption.
The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identify key/critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The present invention provides a relatively short "call sign" to identify a user to a computer network. The network may be a peer-to-peer network where individual computers in the network tend to have more responsibility for security than in other networks. The call sign incorporates information about the person presenting the call sign for admittance to the network. The call sign is short and easy to remember, while conventional IDs are typically long and difficult to remember. Call signs also incorporate a "salt" value that is pre-calculated to cause a hash of itself and the personal information to output a fixed length result that is easily transformed to a call sign that includes letters and digits. Information other than the personal information may be included for hashing depending upon the application.
Those having skill in the art would understand the desirability of having a short easily remembered ID that is cryptographically secure. This type of call sign would necessarily be short enough to remember while still providing sufficient security, thus allowing the usability of peer-to-peer, or other, networks to be improved.
Many of the attendant features of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The following discussion may be best understood with reference to the various views of the drawings, described in summary below, which form a part of this disclosure.
I. First Embodiment of Call Signs Having an Explicit Number of Zeroes and a Method of Generating Them
II. Second Embodiment Call Signs Having a Requested Number of Zeroes Set by a Verifier and a Method of Generating Them
III. Alphanumeric Encoding for Passage of the Call Sign to ASCII
IV. Third Embodiment of Call Signs as Applied to the Peer-to-Peer Name Resolution Protocol
The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the present embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the invention and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Although the present invention is described and illustrated herein as being implemented in a peer-to-peer computer network system, the system described is provided as an example and not a limitation. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the present invention is suitable for application in a variety of different types of computer systems.
Many computer networks may call for the generation of peer names typically used in the process of "peer-to-peer" name resolution. As currently implemented, peer-to-peer name resolution protocols (PNRP) are typically constrained to, either use short peer names that can be easily handled by the users (that do not tend to provide adequate security); or use long peer names that include long binary strings (that typically provide a higher level of security) that are not easily handled by the users. Those skilled in the art will realize that shortened identifiers may be applied to any type of computer network, or system where a secure and shortened identification tool is desired.
Long peer names can typically be secured through the application of cryptographic processes. However, such long names typically can not be easily handled by a user. The long names are typically hard to remember and enter to gain access to a computer network. In short, the current state of the art typically forces users to choose between ease-of-use and security. It would be desirable to provide a way to identify a computer in a peer-to-peer network, in a secure way, with a short easily remembered identifier.
I. First Embodiment of Call Signs Having an Explicit Number of Zeroes and a Method of Generating them
The method of producing call signs typically used for peer-to-peer identification addresses the difficulty in securely communicating a user's identity. Security is accomplished by using a secure process to construct short call signs that can be easily remembered and entered by users. Such call signs may be strongly protected by a cryptographic process. For example a call sign for peer-to-peer identification such as "ZA4-3Y-4W-ZF4" 202 is short and secure. Such a call sign may be remembered with little more difficulty than remembering ones social security number.
The exemplary call sign illustrated 202 includes ten alphanumeric characters. Those skilled in the art will realize that call signs having more, or less characters may be produced. Each of the ten call sign characters represents five binary bits 203. The segments are portions of a longer binary number that has been broken up into five bit segments. Those skilled in the art will realize that alphanumeric characters may be used in equivalent embodiments to represent binary numbers of lengths either greater, or less than 5 bits.
The first digit in the call sign digits is the letter "Z" as can be seen in this example. In this example, the first digit has been defined to communicate the number of zeroes that are used in decoding the call sign. Here the letter Z has been defined to represent the decimal number 31, which is the five bit binary number 11111. Those skilled in the art will realize that in equivalent embodiments of the invention the placement of the digit identifying the number of zeroes, and the number of zeroes in the call sign may vary. Similarly, any bit pattern or character may be selected in place of "Z" in the example.
The remaining nine alphanumeric characters of this call sign represent the remainder of the binary number. These digits are designated as ("L"). In this example L is forty five bits long. The binary number L has been taken from the result of a cryptographic process used to encrypt the users identification. The remaining L bits in places two through ten are broken into five bit segments that are mapped to the nine remaining alphanumeric characters. Those skilled in the art will realize that the mapping of binary numbers to alphanumeric characters may be done by table lookup, formula, or other equivalent methods known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will also realize that the ordering of the ten characters may be varied in equivalent embodiments.
After decoding the number of zeroes and the number L from the call sign, cryptographic processing is performed on the binary digits to recreate the user's identity. Once the user's identification has been established then access to a network and other privileges may be granted to the person holding the call sign.
Generating the First Embodiment of the Call Sign from a Distinguished Qualifier
It is assumed that an entity to be named is in possession of a conventionally generated public/private key pair K/P, and a personalization information string, or digital identity, X. The personalization information string may be composed of natural attributes of the entity to be named. For example the personalization information string may include a combination of common name, company name, city, and e-mail address, and the like. The conventionally constructed public key K may be represented by a binary string, and the personalization information string by a text string.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any particular bit pattern may be used in place of leading zeroes. For example, further alternative embodiments may utilize leading ones, or a minimum number of "0110" groups or the like. What is sought in generating the call sign is that part of the call matches a predetermined pattern, while the remainder of the bits that make up the call sign and tend to not have patterns make up the remaining digits of the call sign. Alternately, a predetermined pattern could be obtained from a secondary function rather than the hash function used to produce a distinguished hash value.
Hashing is a process often used in cryptographic processes that produces a fixed-size result by applying a mathematical function called a hashing algorithm, to an arbitrary amount of data. The hash functions utilized in the embodiments are of the type known to those skilled in the art. Typical hashing algorithms include MD2, MD4, MD5, and SHA-1.
The hash functions utilized in the embodiments may be characterized as one way cryptographic hash functions. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, one way hash functions typically have several unique properties: it is easy to compute the fixed length hash value or result from an arbitrary length message input; given the fixed length hash value it is difficult to compute the arbitrary length message; and given the arbitrary length message input it is difficult to find another message that will produce the same fixed length hash value.
The distinguished hash, H 301 produced from the distinguished salt and other strings starts with a large umber of zeros (or other equivalent defined bit patterns) in the MSB side of the number produced by the hash. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in alternate equivalent embodiments the zeros (or other equivalent defined bit patterns) may be located on the LSB digits or other positions or that other characteristics of the described hash or another function could be used as an indicator. The distinguished salt value and the final distinguished hash are found through iterations of the one way hash function evaluated with different salt values. The salt value which results in a hash with the largest number of leading zeros is retained as the distinguished hash. The trials are repeated until a certain amount of time T has elapsed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the invention seek to find zeroes for some fixed time "T", under the assumption that an attacker would have to spend a multiple of T to find the same number of zeroes and match forty or forty-five bits. An embodiment of the search process for finding the distinguished salt value may be written as follows:
- Initialize the number of zeroes found: Z=0
- For a time T do:
- Select a new salt value V
- Compute HV=one way hash (K, X, V)
- Compute Y, the number of leading zeros in HV
- If (Y>Z)
At the end of the specified time T, a distinguished salt S and a distinguished H are found.
The distinguished hash, H is defined as the hash of K, X and S through a cryptographically strong one way function.
Distinguished hash=H=H(K,X,S)
A logical call sign is created from the distinguished hash H that is a binary number. The distinguished hash 301 is of a predetermined number of bits ("M"). M includes the leading zeroes ("Z") 302 of the distinguished hash, and a pre-selected number of the bits ("L") 303 of the distinguished hash value H that immediately follow the last leading zero (or the LSB of the leading zeros).
Once the number of zeros is determined the next step is to determine how many bits, L remaining from the distinguished hash H, are to be included in the content of the call sign. The parameters T (used in finding the distinguished salt) and L are chosen taking into consideration security and scaling considerations. The process presented above has two parameters: the time T during which the trials are run, and the number L of selected bits. These parameters are determined by taking into consideration scaling to a predetermined number of entries, making spoofing attacks by hackers difficult and future proofing the call sign so that it remains secure in the future. Future proofing is typically an exercise in taking into account Moore's law so that the unforgeability of the call sign remains valid as the speed of computers improves. An additional consideration in selecting these parameters is resisting "catalog" attacks from hackers.
Encoding of the Number of Zeroes in the First Embodiment
Once the number of zeroes are found, a way of encoding their number into the call sign must also be found. To generate a short call sign having sufficient security the total number of bits are kept sufficiently small so that they may be encoded in a short digital or alpha-numeric string. The total number of bits to be encoded is the sum of the number L and the number of bits necessary to encode the number of zeroes, Z. Typically, the number Z will be lower than 128, and may be encoded with 7 bits.
In alternative embodiments it is possible, instead of encoding the actual number of null bits, to encode the number of null octets, using 4 bits, or the number of null "4 bits nibbles", using 5 bits. The modified process for finding a sufficient number of nibbles is:
- Initialize the number of zeroes found: Z=0
- For a time T do:
- Select a new salt value V
- Compute HV=one way hash (K, X, V)
- Compute Y, the number of leading nibbles in HV
- If (Y>Z)
For example twenty-four leading zeroes can usually be obtained in this way in less than a minute on a conventional PC having a 1 GHz CPU.
As will be shown below, the number L, which is the group of bits following the leading zeroes that will make up the call sign, should seldom be lower than 40 bits. The practical range for the number of leading zeroes, Z, is between 24 and 88. Values between 24 and 87 can be encoded using a formula:
In this formula, R is a number varying between 0 and 63. Equivalently, the formula below may be used:
P is a number between 0 and 31 that encodes the number of pairs of zeroes. A number between 0 and 31 is very practical, because it can be encoded as a single alphanumeric character. The modified process for finding a sufficient number of zeroes that may be encoded in a single alphanumeric character is:
- Initialize the number pairs of zeroes found: Z=0 repeat:
- Select a new salt value V
- Compute HV=one way hash (K, X, V)
- Compute Y, the number of leading pairs in HV
- If (Y>Z)
- Until Z is larger than 24 AND the time T is elapsed
- Set Z=Z−12
- Initialize the number pairs of zeroes found: Z=0 repeat:
The next trade-off is the choice of the value L and of the time T. Their selection is discussed later.
The call sign that is suitable for casual exchange is obtained by using a digital or alpha-numeric encoding of the logical call sign, including an encoding of the number of zeroes Z and an encoding of the L selected bits. The Z plus L bits 304 that make up the call sign may be broken up into 5-bit segments. Each 5-bit segment is represented by an alphanumeric character. The alphanumeric characters are then assembled into the call sign 305. And finally one or more separators may be added to form the final call sign 306. One may also adopt call sign shortening conventions such as dropping leading "Q"s.
Call Sign Verification Procedure
When a third party receives a call sign they verify the linkage between the call sign, the public key and the personalization information string by asking the purported owner of the call sign to present the values of the public key K, personalization information string X, and distinguished salt S. The third party will use a verifier to compute the distinguished hash from K, X, and S. They will then verify that the number of leading zeroes matches the value Z expressed in the call sign, verify that the value Z is no less than a predetermined minimum, and verify that the L bits encoded in the call sign match the corresponding bits in the hash value. As an additional precaution, the verifier will "visually" check that the personalization information string X corresponds to the natural values that are expected.
As previously stated the parameters T and L are chosen with security and scaling considerations. The process presented above has two parameters: the time T during which the trials are run, and the number L of selected bits. These parameters are determined by the need to scale to a predetermined number of entries, the need to not make spoofing too easy, and the need to be future proof, i.e. resist to Moore's law. An additional consideration is the resistance to "catalog" attacks.
Choosing L and T in Consideration of a Possible Spoofing Attack
Any process that links a public key to a short signature has to be concerned with the spoofing attack, in which an attacker finds another public key that results in the same signature.
A common defense is to rely on the difficulty of generating a public key. If the signature is a hash of the public key and some fixed text, and if the signature is L bits long, the attacker will have to generate 2ˆL public keys before finding a match. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that generating a public key involves finding two long prime numbers, which is a very expensive operation. However, only incompetent attackers would try to use standard key generation software to find the matching key. Instead, the attackers would possibly use a process, such as:
In this process, with a maximum list of size M prime computation only occurs on average once every M loops. By choosing a large M, the attacker effectively minimizes the impact of prime number generation on the run time of the core loop, which ends up being dominated by the cost of the hash function. Relying on the complexity of public key generation is not an efficient defense.
To find a hash that includes Z leading zeroes, the generator will have to perform about 2ˆ(Z) operations; to find a corresponding hash, the attacker will have to perform about 2ˆ(Z+L) operations. By choosing sufficiently large values of Z and L, one guarantees that the call signs are hard to spoof, without having to make hypotheses on the generation of prime numbers.
Another popular defense is to increase the cost of the hash function, for example by requesting that a standard hash be run several times, to obtain what one could call a "power N hash". Regardless of cryptographic considerations, a drawback is that the increase in the cost of the hash function is symmetric: it applies to both the generation of the call sign and its verification. This is not a desirable property. One would like to have an asymmetric set up, in which generation may require a lot of computation in order to thwart spoofing attacks, but verification is very fast in order not to impose overdue loads on the readers.
The call sign process requires that the generator performs a large number of trials in order to find an adequate numbers of leading zeroes. This may require a long generation time, but does not affect the verification time, which is only marginally slower than a simple hash comparison.
Choosing L and T in Consideration of a Future Proofing and Moore's Law
The evolution of computing power over time is typically considered in evaluating the cryptographic strength of a hashing algorithm. According to Moore's law, the computing power available for a given cost doubles approximately every year and a half and quadruples every three years. This means that, everything else being equal, the amount of computing power available to an attacker doubles every year and a half. Put another way, an attack that requires a million years today would require less than a year 30 years from now. A code that looks unbreakable now may be quite easy to attack in the future, unless it has been sufficiently hardened, or "future proofed".
To protect the call sign against future attacks the initial number of zeroes are selected to follow Moore's law. By doing this Moore's law benefits the security of the call sign. Instead of over-dimensioning the code so that a long call sign would be produced, the number of initial zeroes is chosen following Moore's law. The codes used today may have a relatively small number of zeroes, but the codes used in a few years will have an increasing number of leading zeroes.
If new codes are generated on new machines, spending the same amount of time in the generation process three years from now will find a hash with two extra zeroes. Those skilled in the art will realize that the cost of generation is proportional to 2ˆ(Z), and the cost of the attack proportional to 2ˆ(Z+L). By spending a fixed amount of time in the generation, the attacker will need to spend 2ˆL times that amount for mounting an attack. In short, the attack will be just as hard in 30 years as it is now. For example, if the generation period T is set to 1 minute and the length L is set to 40 bits, generating a spoofed value will require about 2 million years of computation on a current machine, and a call sign similarly generated 30 years hence will still require 2 million years of computation on a similar machine to spoof.
This argument only applies however if the call sign is only used for a short duration. Breaking a 40 bit call sign generated in one minute in 2003 requires 2 million years of computation with the computers available in 2003, or 2 million such computers used in parallel for a year. Breaking a 40 bit call sign generated one minute in 2033 will also require 2 million years of computation with the computers available that year. But the 2033 computers will be able to break the 2003 call sign in only 2 years.
Call signs will thus be subject to some form of obsolescence. A call sign generated in a given year should probably not be used for more than a few years. The overall resilience of a call sign depends on the time spent in the generation and of the number of bits L. A better resilience is achieved by letting the generation process run longer: each doubling of the generation time T will protect against an iteration of Moore's law. In further alternative embodiments a really strong sign may be formed by running the generation process for a long time.
In further alternative embodiments a reasonable protection is provided by associating an expiration date to a call sign. This is particularly attractive if the call sign is used as a bootstrapping mechanism, to find the actual public key of a correspondent. After the public key has been found, the complete information can be used, rather than the compressed information represented in the call sign. The complete information is much less vulnerable to obsolescence.
Choosing L and T in Consideration of the Possibility of Natural Collisions
Even in the absence of attacks, a problem with short codes is the possibility of "natural" collisions when two users happen to pick combinations of keys, personalization information strings, and salt that result in the same call sign.
The bit length L used in the call sign is limited in order to keep the call sign short, while the population of computer users ("P") can be very large. For example, allocating at least one call sign per computer user in a population of P=10ˆ10 to have less than a 50% chance of collision using methods known to those skilled in the art would have the length L larger than 67 bits. L should be larger than 73 bits if the chances of collision are to be less than 1%.
Bit strings this large would be encoded in a 15 alpha-numeric character call sign. This length is above the practical length of a call sign. In short, completely eliminating the possibility of collisions would only be practical if the personalization information string embedded a unique token such as an e-mail address, and if this unique token was securely transferred alongside the call sign.
Since the call sign length is constrained and collisions will occur, a method of detecting collisions may be employed. Collisions are resolved with the resolution of the call sign. If there is a collision, the reader will obtain several versions of the public key, personalization information string, and salt associated to a call sign, all of which pass the first level verification process. The reader selects the "right" or "expected" version based on the personalization information string. The collision resolution process may be iterated by performing the following steps or their equivalents:
- 1) initiate a search for a call sign;
- 2) retrieve a public key, personalization information string, and salt associated to the call sign;
- 3) if there is no such entry available, the search terminates as a failure;
- 4) perform the verification using the one way function. If it fails, repeat step 2;
- 5) if the personalization information string matches the expected value, the search concludes successfully; and
- 6) if the personalization information string does not match, repeat step 2.
If the resolution process is efficient, the key only needs to be long enough to maintain a frequency of collisions compatible with the collision resolution mechanism. For example, it is inefficient to sort through long lists of personalization information strings. Those skilled in the art will realize that collisions will be rather rare, and only involve a couple of matching entries if 2ˆL is sufficiently larger than P: L>log 2 P.
Quantification in Choosing L and T
The first embodiment of the call sign is composed of a set of alpha-numeric characters. Each character encodes 5 bits of information. For length considerations the first embodiment of the call sign should not be more than ten alpha-numeric characters long. One of the ten characters encodes the number of zeroes Z. The remaining 9 characters to encode L bits, which when using 5 bits per character, puts L at 45 bits. Alternative embodiments of call signs with L=35, 40 or 45 bits are also possibilities. In arriving at an L of 45 bits for the first embodiment the criteria given above have been quantified using methods known to those skilled in the art. The values of L may be assigned quantifiable merit to know which of these values will be acceptable; similarly the time T which should be spent searching for zeroes has been quantified.
The previous sections discussing spoofing attacks, catalog attacks, natural collisions, and increased computing power over time are summarized with the following set of criteria: The total Z+L should be large enough to prevent spoofing. The number of zeros Z corresponds to a compute time T. The product T*2ˆL should be large enough to prevent spoofing, even if we take into account some iterations of Moore's law. The personalization information string should be unique enough to discourage catalog attacks. The length L should be long enough to make name collisions rare, given a probable population size.
Quantification in Choosing L and T in Consideration of Spoofing Attacks
Values larger than 10,000,000 years are single underlined and italicized these values, would require 100 years of computation on a network of 100,000 present-day computers. As can be seen from the table an L of 45 bits is generally safe. Using an L of 45 bits in combination with search times for zeroes (T) of 16 minutes or more yields a call sign that will likely remain valid for 10 years.
Quantification in Choosing L and T in Consideration of a Catalog Attack
Those skilled in the art will realize that the catalog attack can only be applied against a popular personalization information string. If the personalization information string included only the first name and surname of a user, the catalog attack would be largely ineffective.
In alternative embodiments it is possible to strengthen the security of the call sign by reducing the frequency of popular names by including additional tokens in the personalization information string. For example a city and a country name may be added to the personalization information string. A catalog attack could then only target users who have the same additional tokens in their personalization information. For example those users with the same first name and surname, and who live in the same city. Those skilled in the art will realize that these users form a relatively small population. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there will rarely be more than a few hundred such users in a city. From the table it can be seen that combining bit length L of 45 bits and duration T of 4 minutes (240 seconds) provides adequate security in the present application.
In further alternative embodiments the personalization information string includes a unique token such as an e-mail address, and when this token is safely passed as part of the call sign, then a catalog attack is defeated. Such a catalog attack is just as hard to successfully achieve as a spoofing attack.
Avoiding Obnoxious Identifiers
The luck of the draw in generating call signs may result in call signs that are not very desirable, such as "IAM-SO-DUMB". Random chance may even result in call signs including words that are patently offensive, such as some well known four letter words.
The surest way to eliminate these occurrences is to submit the proposed call sign to the user, and let the user either accept the proposed value or ask for another. The design of the computation as 16 sequential steps helps to quickly regenerate another call sign. If a call sign is rejected, it is sufficient in an alternative embodiment to repeat the very last step of the procedure, using only 1/16th of the time necessary for a completely new computation. If the design in which the call sign is derived by a final hash step is maintained, it is possible in yet a further alternative embodiment to introduce at that stage a final salt value, so that new call signs can be derived by simply picking a random number.
Further alternative embodiments embed a protection against undesirable call signs by adding the step of including a list of "unwanted keywords" in the generation process. Such protection of including the keywords makes the code itself somewhat obnoxious. However, in the alternative embodiment, the alphanumeric encoding of binary values is of concern. We can include in the program the binary values are encoded rather than the actual keywords. They are present but in unreadable form.
II. Second Embodiment Call Signs Having a Requested Number of Zeroes Set by a Verifier and a Method of Generating them
There are some possible areas of improvement in the first embodiment. It may not be necessary to encode the number of leading zeros in the call sign, thus allowing for either shorter call signs, or call signs that are equally long but contain a larger number L of significant bits. Also, undesirable results may occur with alpha-numeric encodings. They can inadvertently result in "readable" character strings that contain offensive words. A call sign generation process should make sure that such words are avoided.
Encoding the Number of Zeroes in the Second Embodiment
The encoding of the number of zeroes in the first embodiment is a compromise. It supposes that the number of zeroes will always be larger than 24 and lower than 98, and that encoding the number of pairs rather than the number of zeroes provides sufficient granularity.
More fundamentally, the encoding of the number of zeroes in the call-sign assumes that the owner of a call sign should decide how many zeroes are necessary. In the first embodiment the time spent looking for a distinguished salt is fixed, with the assumption that the number of zeroes found during that time will "follow Moore's law", and be representative of the average capacity of computers that year. However, the fixed time limit creates a dependency between the power of the computer used to generate the call sign and the strength of that call sign. In the second embodiment, we assume that the necessary number of zeroes will be determined by the receiver of the call sign.
This embodiment encodes a check in the verification code. A receiver of a call sign will obtain the public key K, the identifier X, and the distinguished salt S, and will then verify that the number of zeroes Z in the hash is larger than a minimum value, function of the year Y and the number of significant bits L:
In this formula, the number Z0 is set to represent a key length that was considered sufficiently strength in the year 2003. The coefficient X describes the number of years needed to double the capacity of the average computer. For practical implementations, we set the value of X to 1.5, according to Moore's law, and the value of Z0 to 62, resulting in the formula:
In this formula, the number 62 is computed assuming that 100,000 years of computing is a sufficient hurdle. In fact, the "bar" may well depend on the context in which the call sign is used. Financial application may require a larger value, e.g. 66 (1,000,000 years). Military services may be even more demanding.
III. Alphanumeric Encoding for Passage of the Call Sign to ASCII
As can be seen above, in producing a call sign the process assigns a numerical value from 0 to 31 for each character that has been picked for use in the call sign, yielding 32 available symbols. When the call sign is read by the computer, each character of the call sign is assigned a numerical value in the computer memory. When a call sign is output from the computer, each number that makes up the call sign in the computer is assigned a number or letter to make up the call sign output to the user. The combination of characters that make up the call sign are chosen by a call sign generation procedure. Their validity is then checked by a call sign verification procedure.
IV. Call Signs Applied to in the Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP)
Connecting to a peer group, and subsequently joining the peer group are common tasks in peer networks that utilize security precautions in identifying users. To join a group, a peer computer receives an invitation from the owner of a peer group. To receive an invitation from the group owner, the tentative group member must first pass identifying materials to the group owner, which are its peer name and public key. This information is passed using email, file sharing, XML, or the like. The group owner will next issue an invitation to the tentative group member.
When the tentative group member receives the information, the tentative group member uses the invitation information to connect to the group. To connect to the group, the tentative group member uses PNRP and the group ID to resolve the address of a group member, and connect to the peer network through that group member.
Mutual authentication between the tentative group member and the current group member occurs, typically through a web of trust. After mutual authentication, the tentative group member is now a new group member that has a single neighbor. The neighbor is the computer from the peer network that has accepted the connection and with which the authentication occurred.
In particular with respect to connecting to a peer-to-peer computer network, a peer-to-peer network includes infrastructure networking software that provides a set of networking application program interfaces ("APIs") for networking. These peer-to-peer applications may relate to collaborative communications, content distribution and the like. Peer-to-peer infrastructure API software may include the following components; peer name resolution protocol, multipoint communications, distributed data management, secure peer identities, and secure peer-to-peer groups.
The Peer-to-Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) allows peers in a peer-to-peer network to resolve "peer names" without involving servers, as would typically be needed in a server based network. The PNRP allows the peer computers to identify the other computers, or peers, in the network. The peer name resolution protocol provides an application program interface (API) that enables peer-to-peer resolution of names to endpoints, or nodes in the network that may conflict.
The peer name resolution protocol (PNRP) API is a name to IP resolution protocol that allows a group of participating peers to interact with each other by allowing computer nodes to find each other in the peer-to-peer network. Tasks that would typically be provided in a peer-to-peer network include registering and un-registering peer names, resolving peer names, and enumerating groups of peers. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art resolving peer names includes finding peer names that do not conflict with each other. In addition to finding names that do not conflict with each other, it is desirable that the names found provide adequate security, and that users can remember their peer names.
Peer names are stable names that may identify computers, users, groups, or services. A peer name typically includes an authority that tells if the peer is secure, and a classifier that is simply a string of characters. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art secure peer names may typically use the secure hash algorithm (SHA-1) or the MD5 algorithm to derive a 128-bit PNRP identifier to hash the public key K to the classifier C to provide secure transmission of the peer name. In the third embodiment C includes an identifier X, a salt S, and the identification of the hashing algorithm.
Cryptographic keys are devices known to those skilled in the art to provide security in network communications. Cryptographic keys are commonly used in a peer-to-peer environment to authorize access, and verify the identity of a source. Cryptographic keys allow the person in possession of the key to access data the key is associated with, or to forge the key owner's digital signature. Public key algorithms typically provide a pair consisting of a public key and a private key, denoted as K/P. The private key must be kept private and secure since it can be used as an identifier to the receiver of a message. The public key can be distributed freely so that others may decode a message. The public key of a key pair is often distributed with a digital certificate. When one key of a key pair is used to encrypt a message, the other key from that pair is used to decrypt the message.
These keys tend to be long, typically at least 256 hexadecimal digits. Thus passing them, and especially passing the public key can be cumbersome. Instant messaging or e-mail can be used but are prone to tampering, making verification of the key desirable. It is also desirable to include in the process of verification of the key, a verification that the person receiving the key is the person the sender intended to send the key to.
IV. Third Embodiment of Call Signs as Applied to the Peer-to-Peer Name Resolution Protocol
The Peer-to-Peer Name Resolution Protocol ("PNRP") allows peers to resolve "peer names" without involving servers. The PNRP peer names are composed of two fields: first the "authority", which is the SHA-1 hash of a public key; and second the "qualifier", which is a Unicode text string. PNRP derives from these two fields a 128-bit PNRP-ID, using a cryptographic hashing function such as:
PNRP-ID=hash(authority, hash(qualifier))
This third embodiment augments the PNRP with a "call sign". In order to generate a call sign for PNRP, the user will generate a "distinguished qualifier". The combination of authority, a distinguished salt, and distinguished qualifier results in a PNRP-ID that starts with a large number of zeroes. The call sign is derived from this PNRP-ID. A new PNRP API allows users to enumerate the PNRP entries that match a call sign, and then to obtain the associated authority and qualifier.
The Distinguished PNRP Qualifier
A distinguished qualifier is formed from a personalization information string, the identifier of the secondary hash function, and a distinguished salt, separated by the delimiters "//" and "/". Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the content of the personalization information string may vary depending upon the application in which the call sign is being used. For example the exemplary embodiment of PNRP call signs uses a unique personalization information string while other applications may call for different personalization strings.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the strings are separated by delimiters or other equivalent methods known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will also realize that the order of the strings, and the delimiters used may vary.
The hash function used is also included in the distinguished qualifier, and set off by delimiters. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art the hash function may be of any type known to those skilled in the art that will yield sufficient security. For example the SHA-1 hash functions or its equivalent.
The salt is chosen during the call sign generation process. The salt is selected by performing a secondary hash of the peer name, causing the hashed result to start with a sufficient number of zeroes. The salt itself is composed of ASCII letters and digits. The formal syntax will be:
- Distinguished Qualifier =<personalization>"//"<hash-function>"/"<salt>
An example of a distinguished qualifier is:
- Qualifier:JonSmith<firstname.lastname@example.com>//SHA1/A5E5F3Z4YWZTRF0TW9RTQ
The salt will be chosen so that the secondary hash of the authority and qualifier starts with a large number of zeroes.
Generation of the Third Embodiment of the Call Sign
The purpose of the Call Sign generation procedure is to find a distinguished qualifier that permits the peer name and associated call sign to pass the verification procedure. This includes finding an adequate "distinguished salt", so the secondary hash of the peer name starts with an adequate number of zeroes.
As seen in the verification section the adequate number of zeroes varies over time. The formula
- is used for these purposes.
For generation purposes, the value Y should not be set to the current year, but rather to the year until which the call sign is expected to remain valid. By default, this will be set to the current year plus 10.
The generation proceeds as follows:
1) Initialize the value of the PNRP name authority, as per PNRP, using the canonical form of this authority as expected in the verification procedure.
2) Initialize the value of the personalization information X according to the user name.
3) Choose a valid secondary hash function, by default SHA-1, and note the corresponding identifier I.
4) Choose the adequate number of zeroes Z.
5) Repeat:
a. Pick a Salt S.
b. Compose the peer name based on the authority and the tentative distinguished qualifier, based on X, I, and S.
c. Compute the hash of the peer name according to the function I.
d. Measure the number of zeroes (N) in this hash.
Until the number N is larger than or equal to the number Z.
6) Compute the PNRP identifier associated to the peer name.
7) Compose a Call Sign based on the most significant 45 bits of the PNRP identifier.
8) Verify that the Call Sign does not include an offending word; if it does, repeat step 5.
Step 5 is expected to last about 15 seconds on a modern computer.
The last step in the generation function is meant to check that the random set of characters in the call sign does not result in some offensive language. It can be implemented by asking the user whether they accept to use the proposed call sign.
Verification of the Call Sign Generated in the Third Embodiment
The call sign verification procedure compares the peer identifier to the call sign, and verifies that a secondary hash includes a sufficient number of leading zeroes, Z. Verification of the number of leading zeros makes the call sign hard to spoof by third party. In first approximation, the cryptographic strength of the call sign is equivalent to the strength of a symmetric key whose length is Z+45. The value of Z may vary over time. As Moore's law predicts that computers become more and more powerful, the length requirement for Z will tend to increase. If Moore's law is assumed to hold for the foreseeable future, the value for the number of leading zeros, Z may be thought to be a function of the current year Y:
Those Skilled in the art will realize that the value 17 used in the above inequality corresponds to a chosen security to computing trade off, and that a larger value may be chosen in more demanding environments.
The secondary hash function used to verify the call sign may change over time. In the current implementation, the hash function SHA1 known to those skilled in the art is used. In alternative embodiments, a list of acceptable hash functions may be maintained by the computer memory for use. In particular it is anticipated that hash functions will continue to be developed to provide improved security. Embodiments of the invention accommodate the development of new hash functions, by providing for their future use as they arise.
The verification shall proceed as follow:
1) Compute the PNRP identifier associated to the peer name.
2) Compare the most significant 45 bits of the PNRP identifier to the 45 bits encoded in the Call Sign.
3) If the 45 bits do not match, the verification fails.
4) Extract the identifier of secondary hash function from the distinguished salt.
5) If the hash function identifier is absent, is not acceptable to the verifier, or is not recognized as a valid value, the verification fails.
6) Compute the hash of a canonized version of the entire Peer Name with the specified secondary hash function.
7) Measure the number of leading zeroes in the resulting hash. If the number of zeroes is less than the target value Z, the verification fails.
8) Verify that the identification string is a plausible description of the person or entity designated by the call sign; if this is not the case, the verification fails.
9) If steps 1 to 8 are passed, the verification succeeds.
The "canonicalized version" of the Peer Name is obtained by making sure that the authority part of the peer name, normally composed of hexadecimal digits, is only encoded with digits and the upper case letters A, B, C, D, E, and F. Note that step 8 typically involves a human interaction.
Retrieval of PNRP Records from a Call Sign
In some cases, it may be useful to retrieve the PNRP record associated to a call sign, and thus the associated Peer Name. This can be achieved by: retrieving all the PNRP records whose PNRP identifiers start with the same 45 bits as the call sign; retrieving the corresponding peer names; eliminating the peer names that cannot pass steps 1 to 7 of the verification procedure; and using step 8 of the verification procedure to only retain the names that match the expected identity.
1. A method of generating a call sign comprising:
- determining a distinguished qualifier;
- finding a distinguished salt; and
- hashing the distinguished salt with the distinguished qualifier.
2. The method of generating a call sign of claim 1, further comprising finding a distinguished salt that causes the hash result to contain a predetermined output pattern.
3. The method of generating a call sign of claim 2, further comprising finding a number of leading zeroes from the hash.
4. The method of generating a call sign of claim 3, further comprising retaining a number of bits following the leading zeroes.
5. The method of generating a call sign of claim 4, further comprising encoding the number of leading zeroes into an alphanumeric call sign zeroes digit.
6. The method of generating a call sign of claim 5, further comprising encoding the number of bits following the leading zeroes into a plurality of alphanumeric call sign digits.
7. The method of generating a call sign of claim 6, further comprising forming a call sign from the call sign zeroes digit and the plurality of alpha numeric call sign digits.
8. A method of encoding a call sign comprising:
- creating a binary number from a plurality of digits that follow the leading zeroes produced by the cryptographically secure hashing function;
- dividing the binary number into a plurality of five bit segments; and
- encoding each of the five bit segments into corresponding alphanumeric characters.
9. The method of encoding a call sign of claim 8, in which the binary number is forty five bits long.
10. The method of encoding a call sign of claim 8, in which the alphanumeric zero character is the MSB.
11. A method of producing a cryptographic hash comprising:
- forming a personalization information string; and
- finding a salt value that when hashed with the personalization string produces a predetermined number of leading zeroes in the hashed result.
12. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 11, further comprising hashing the personalization information string with the salt value to produce a distinguished hash.
13. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 12 in which the salt value is a distinguished salt value.
14. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 11, in which the personalization information string includes a person's name.
15. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 11, in which the personalization information string includes a person's e-mail address.
16. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 11, in which the personalization information string includes a person's company name.
17. A method of producing a cryptographic hash comprising:
- forming a personalization information string;
- finding a salt value that when hashed with the personalization string, and a public key produces a predetermined output pattern in the hashed result.
18. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 17, further comprising hashing the personalization information string with the salt value to produce a distinguished hash.
19. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 18 in which the salt value is a distinguished salt value.
20. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 17, in which the personalization information string includes a person's name.
21. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 17, in which the personalization information string includes a person's e-mail address.
22. The method of producing a cryptographic hash of claim 17, in which the personalization information string includes a person's company name.
23. A method of producing a call sign comprising:
- configure a distinguished qualifier for a user;
- find a distinguished salt
- hash the distinguished qualifier, distinguished salt, and a public key into an M bit hash;
- determine the number of leading zeroes in the hash;
- remove a predetermined number of bits from the hash;
- encode the number of zeroes into one digit of an alphanumeric call sign by using table lookup.
Patent History
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 30, 2004
Publication Date: Jan 5, 2006
Patent Grant number: 7929689
Applicant: Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, WA)
Inventors: Christian Huitema (Clyde Hill, WA), Josh Benaloh (Redmond, WA), Kim Cameron (Bellevue, WA)
Application Number: 10/882,079
International Classification: H04L 9/00 (20060101);


text:
Fire truck with firefighters
Markus Bruchmann - Who I am
I was born in July 1970.
Growing up in a small town south of Freiburg, I attended after primary school in my hometown Pfaffenweiler, the secondary school in Freiburg.
After the training period from 1987 to 1990 at the company Sulzer GmbH in Freiburg, I stayed true to my training company and worked there as a designer in plant engineering since then. After several renaming the company is now called Cofely GmbH.
In 1993 I made the volunteer fire department to my hobby.
After completion of basic training, the performance badge and a squad leader course, I took part on the training for respirator carrier, radio speech and machinists.
In the period from 1993 to 2007, I accompanied the position of secretary.
Additional information on me in the fire service received on the Web site of my fire department
www.ff-mengen.de .
In 2009 I married my
girl friend Carmen, with which
I was already 11 years together before.
Until the birth of our son, was Traveling our large, common
During these trips, we have visited many
Fire brigades around the world, mets many nice comrades
and often brought an authentic helmet to supplement this
helmet collection with us.
design & coding: Andreas Berger


text:
Here's what we know so far about the new Dodger general manager.
The former PR guy talks a good game, as you might expect, so instead of Ned Colletti being fired after two years or so, he might make it three before the McCourts sour on him.
The Boston Parking Lot Attendant said he felt "immediate chemistry" with the schmoozer when they met, and because no one else wanted to meet with him and discuss the GM vacancy except Kim Ng, who had to meet with the boss, you can understand why.
Several of the town's top media types, Vic the Brick and Plaschke, already have pronounced the new Dodger GM a good hire because Colletti is "old school," which means he isn't Paul DePodesta.
I should point out at this time that Colletti's old school is Northern Illinois University, where he graduated in 1976 with a degree in journalism. I also went to NIU about the same time, but apparently he wasn't on the same party circuit, which might explain why I never graduated and he did.
Colletti began his career as a sportswriter covering hockey, which explains why our paths probably never crossed. He worked for a newspaper in Philadelphia, which went out of business, and the way things are going around here, we might have something in common after all.
He worked for the Cubs as a PR guy, and apparently the Cubs didn't fire their PR guys as often as the McCourts, so he hung in there. He wrote a gushing book about Cub broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, and then another gushing book, "You Gotta Have Heart: Dallas Green's Rebuilding of the Cubs." The Cubs never made it to the World Series under Green, but obviously Colletti was impressed.
I'd imagine it won't be long before we see Colletti's next book: "The Screaming Meanie: A Dodger Legend in the Making."
AT THE news conference, Colletti sounded as if he's going to be in charge, but I'm sure that's what the Screaming Meanie told him he could say.
He said he couldn't talk specifically about the amount of money McCourt will make available in terms of a payroll, and couldn't be specific in potential managerial candidates, or specifically what he intends to do with Milton Bradley, but he said he loves his mother and father and that seemed to go over well with everyone.
He said his father had him go to the local Italian deli every Sunday and buy five pieces of boiled ham so he could have one piece a day while going to school. You notice how specific he can be when he wants to be.
"I come from humble beginnings," he said, and wait until he sees what kind of operating budget McCourt gives him to work with.
He talked about the garage the family lived in, the airplanes flying over his front porch, and getting up at midnight, and then again at 3 a.m. to turn on the family car and warm up the engine in the Chicago cold. It was a sad story, and I'm not sure I've ever seen Plaschke write things down faster.
"He's got such a great story to tell," McCourt said, and with a nudge from McCourt, Colletti began, "When I was 5 "
I'm sure his time in kindergarten was fascinating, and I recall hearing something about him going to the same high school as a bunch of people who aren't really that famous by Hollywood standards, but he'll learn.
He talked about his devotion to his father and his father dying, his mother learning how to drive a car late in life, and taking a pay cut to work for the Cubs so he could move back home to take care of his mother. No question, listening to him talk about himself, he's a great guy. I have no idea if he will be a good general manager, but he's come to the right place if he wants to sell a movie-of-the-week screenplay.
"This guy is a born leader I believe," McCourt said, and a second banana pretty much his entire baseball career, which raised the question — and you can guess who asked it — why has he been passed over so much?
Colletti said he has had his chances to become a GM, naming Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but when asked if either offered him a job, he said no. He said he'd never go anywhere that didn't offer the chance to win, which makes you wonder why he agreed to work for the McCourts.
He said the San Francisco owner went out of his way to keep him every time he had a chance to leave — although he never really had a chance to leave — putting in writing he'd one day replace Giant GM Brian Sabean if Sabean ever left. I guess he couldn't wait for Sabean to leave, or took a look at the ancient team he and Sabean put together, and decided to start fresh.
"This guy has been affiliated with winners, consistent winners all his life," McCourt said, and if winning in baseball is measured in World Series titles, well, he has been consistent in not winning one of them.
He wears his Giants' ring proudly, though, the one identifying the Giants as World Series losers against the Angels. You've got to give McCourt credit for that — finding someone who at least got close to winning a World Series.
There's no way to know now if this is the right hire. Colletti said all the right things and seems to be a great guy, but let's see how long he lasts.
Several members of the media here go back a long way with Colletti, so he will get the benefit of the doubt — certainly longer than DePodesta.
I'll say this, I like his chances of lasting around Dodger Stadium longer than Shannen Doherty.
T.J. Simers can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.


text:
Sarah Malone knew she had to do something. It had been several months since the tragic death of her son, DJango Brevard, in a motorcycle accident, and although she seemed to be doing okay to the outside world, inside she knew differently.
"Facebook was my only outside contact," she said. She could feel herself isolating herself at home in front of her computer. "It was getting too comfortable," she said.
Before her son's untimely death in September of last year, he had urged his mom to open her own store, based on her experience working for Provisions and her love of, and experience with, organic and natural products. " 'Just do it,' he told me. I felt I needed to learn more about the business side of things before jumping in."
But it was a for rent sign in January that finally caught her eye, and made DJango's dream a reality. The space at 514 Three Mile Harbor Road, next to the Maidstone Market in Springs, spoke to her. And four months later, it is DJango's Organics, an all-natural store and juice bar, which will hold its grand opening on Saturday, although the store has been quietly open for over a month.
Ms. Malone and her fiancé, Gerry Desmond, have put a lot of sweat equity into the light, airy space. "I was going to build these big, light-blocking shelves," Mr. Desmond said. Instead, Ms. Malone found wire shelving on eBay, that allows the light to pass through. The shelves are stacked with all kinds of natural goodness — from vitamins and other supplements to organic, vegan, and gluten-free items. The refrigerators hold some local organic produce along with juices, dips, dairy, and frozen foods, and the back room holds more supplies as well.
Healthy snacks and organic chocolate are available at the bar, and there are juices made with Green Vibrance, a health supplement, and other fresh ingredients. Daily specials are listed on a dry-erase board.
Ms. Malone used to be a holistic health coach at the Institute for Integrated Nutrition, and believes that educating people about the benefits of whole-foods nutrition is tantamount. The store will host lectures and events covering select topics like acupuncture, yoga, and feng shui by local specialists.
As to the location, somewhat off the beaten path? It seems not to faze the owners or their customers. There was a steady stream of people one day last week and they all had one thing to say to Ms. Malone: "We're so glad you're here."
DJango's Organics is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and can also be found on Facebook.


text:
RepairClinic.com, an online store for replacement parts for home appliances, outdoor power equipment and HVAC equipment,shares some money-saving tips about prepping lawn mowers for spring.
"Many people wait until their yards are overgrown to take out their lawn mowers and other yard care equipment out of storage," says Jeff Linderman, resident small engine expert at RepairClinic.com, in a news release.
"However, just a few simple steps now can dramatically improve engine efficiency, reduce emissions, prevent costly repairs and extend the life of outdoor power equipment."
Here are seven ways to keep lawn mowers running like new:
1. Use...


text:
Sheryl Loch wrote:If you are looking for a way to invite all of your Facebook friends to Google + you can do it through a Yahoo mail account. Brad tried this and it worked.
Invite your entire Facebook graph into Google Plus
There's now an extension to do that for those of us who don't have Yahoo email accounts:


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Hello all,
Message boards don't seem to be the most active in the world, but I thought I'd drop in here and give you guys some suggestions based off the POV of a newbie just coming into the game.
Ok, when I first got into the game, I was fairly lost. First of all, there are no help files to speak of. If I could recommend anything to you guys, it'd be to get some type of Newbie guide out there and available (If there already is one, make it easier to find, and please tell me where it is! ). I imagine that the lack of a help file system that's fleshed out might turn some people off and increase your attrition.
Secondly, and this might just be a pet peeve, but while walking through town, I noticed plenty of places that had Gates, etc in the description, but when you tried to "Go Gate" it would respond with "Go where?". Looking at the gate, I realized it was a residence, which is all fine and dandy, but I still should have gotten some type of messaging regarding that when trying to "Goto" a lookable/real object (The gate).
Third, why is my guild not in my starting city? I saw only two Guilds in the starting city, and one of them (The Fighters Guild) I couldn't find a place to JOIN at. When I went up to the balcony, I got thrown out. I didn't check the mages guild, but if it weren't for a friendly player I bumped into (While trying to get to Cal'ziz (sp?), which I only found thanks to the maps on a player's website), who showed me where to go (Thanks Labryn!) and gave me some hints on finding the guild, I'd be lost.
Anyways, more to come. As I said in a different post, I'm quite please with the game overall. The things I listed here don't bother me too much, since I've played GS3/DR, but if you get a true "Newbie", it might be different.


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Rafferty Portable Lamp 3
A unique shape add to the coastal charm of the Rafferty collection.
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16 x 16 x 30.25 -In | Base Material: Glass
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text: I had a small cluster of 6 duals and recently doubled the size of it. A program once ran fine on the 12 processors. Now when I run it on all 24 processors, I will occasionally get "Command terminated on signal 13" error at the mpirun level. The broken pipe is when mpirun is trying to start the executables. If I only use 12 processors, whether from 6 nodes or use one processor each from all 12 nodes, I cannot make this error happen. I'm using mpirun with ssh. It seems to be random when and on which node this error occurs. Any insights on what may the possible causes be? Thanks, -Qian Peng General Atomics


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We're Almost Done Building the 'Black Widow Mud Run' Course!
Saturday, Aug. 2, come join us at the Horn Rapids Motorsports Park for the Black Widow Mud & Sun Run presented by Tire Factory and Max Muscle Nutrition! Our boss is busy building the obstacles over the 5-mile course! Check out his photos!


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Updated 2:03 p.m.
• Citigroup Says Amazon Phone Coming 2012 – An analyst says supply chain sources indicate Amazon's may get into the smartphone market. And 5 questions about the Amazon smartphone
• Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ first impressions (video) – Engadget has an early look at the next Nexus, and the first phone with Android 4.01. Plus Ice Cream Sandwich Prompts Users To Join Google+, Enter Credit Card Information
• PayPal Launches Facebook App for Sending Money to Friends [EXCLUSIVE] – It's called Send Money. Also Facebook Lets You Tag Photos While They're Uploading
• Skype desktop app now makes Facebook video calls – Microsoft is an investor in Facebook, so this makes sense.
• Decide.com's new iPhone app helps gadget shoppers find a better deal nearby – The app will find better prices both at physical stores and online, with a focus on electronics.
Original post
• Google Music is open for business – What was once a closed beta is now open to all, allowing you to upload up to 20,000 songs for free to Google's servers. You can also buy music – and there are free songs, of course – though some big labels have opted not to play. And The Confusing World Of Sharing Songs From Google Music To Google+
• Google folds Checkout into Wallet – Google's Checkout system is now part of Wallet. Of course, there aren't many phones that use Wallet, but this will change.
• Mobile Malware Development Continues To Rise, Android Leads The Way – Juniper Networks says there has been a 472 percent increase in malware in the Android Market since July of this year. Be careful out there . . .
• DLNA will work with Wi-Fi Direct to stream media without a network – You'll soon be able to stream music between Wi-Fi based devices without a router, thanks to the addition of the new Wi-Fi Direct standard to DLNA.
• Judge Declares Law Governing Warrantless Cellphone Tracking Unconstitutional – The law dates back to 1986. The ruling comes in a federal court in Houston.
• Chief Sponsor Wavers on Web Censorship Bill in Charged Hearing – U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith says he's still trying to figure it all out. Expect this bill to be amended. Also Internet Community Shut Out of Stop Online Piracy Act Hearing – Again and What the web is saying about SOPA
• Mac platform reaches 15-year high with 5% worldwide market share
• Gmail app for iOS available in the App Store (again) – It had been pulled due to a nasty bug.
• Nokia aims to undercut rivals with volume focus – It's selling its current Windows Phone lineup at prices below other WinPhones but above those of Android handsets.
• Facebook identifies those behind coordinated spam attack – Facebook has figured out who's behind an attack that has spread porn and violent images across users' pages.
• With a bold new redesign, AIM could finally be cool again (seriously) – Do you still use AIM?
• Scientists Build An Artificial Brain – This computer has "plasticity", which means it adapt based on the information coming in, and thus learn.


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July 14, 2010
I picked up Going Casual creamsheen glass and I'm in love with the texture. I have no idea why I waited so long to pick up my first creamsheen glass. This lipgloss looks gorgeous on top of pinks like Snob and St Germain. I'm a big fan of Snob (on my second tube) so this gloss was definitely a welcome addition. I love how softly it applies and the fact that it's not sticky at all.
We had a company wide BBQ today by the beach so I kept the eye makeup pretty light. There was about 80 of us at the beach and we had some amazing food followed by playing with frisbee and a game of volleyball. We were at the beach till it started to pour and we had to divert then.
Hope you guys are having a great day. For those of you who love creamsheen glasses, what other shades do you recommend?
Ben Nye powder
Stark Naked bpb - I have not worn this blush in a minute and forgot how gorgeous it is!
Pearl Blossom bp
Cash Flow p/p - base
Gorgeous Gold e/s - inner lid
Vanilla p/m - mid lid
Amber Lights e/s - outer lid
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
UD Baked 24/7 - lower lashline
Nars Bali e/s - to line
In Synch l/l
Snob l/s
Going Casual c/g
July 14, 2010
4 Responses to "Soft Golden Eyes + Going Casual"
So Very Fabulous
July 14, 2010 at 12:58 PM �
Don't you just love Cash Flow PP? I haven't used it for a while, but this is such a pretty look that you're inspiring me, I need to break it out soon! :)
July 14, 2010 at 4:01 PM �
the lip color looks amazing on you! great look
Lipstick Rules
July 14, 2010 at 4:01 PM �
amazing!! gorgeous as always.
p.s. I didn't see your post on layering lippies! thanks for letting me know. Great minds think alike!!!
Shadowy Lady
July 14, 2010 at 4:11 PM �
So Very fabulous - thank you, I know I only have 25% of my Cash Flow left :( I don't know what to do when I run out.
Michelle - thank you :) np, I know lipstick addicts mind think alike, hehe! I always love ur lip combos.
Fintia - thank you so much :)


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NMT and Gas Research Inst. To Collaborate on Roadmap, May 7, 2002
New Mexico Tech and Gas Technology Institute to Collaborate on Technology Roadmap for Unconventional Gas Resource Exploration and Production
CONTACT: Kent Perry, Director
Exploration, Production & Gas Processing Center
Gas Technology Institute
Phone: 847-768-0961
Des Plaines, IL - May 7, 2002 - The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and New Mexico Tech (NMT) have entered into a collaboration for the creation of a detailed technology plan to guide the development of unconventional onshore gas resources needed to meet the projected future gas demand in the United States. The $600,000 grant with NMT specifically calls for the development of a "roadmap" for future research ventures into enhancing the industry's ability to produce natural gas from unconventional resources such as tight sands, shale, and coal beds.
Congressman Joe Skeen, Chairman of Interior Appropriations, commented that "this program will eventually lead to increased production of natural gas with in our country. This will not only help the national economy but will improve our national defense by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. I am happy to see the Gas Technology Institute partner with New Mexico Tech, one of our nations leading institutions in research and development for petroleum and natural gas"
The technology roadmap, to be developed by New Mexico Tech by the end of 2002, is intended to serve as a detailed guide for technology research programs of the future. As part of the effort, New Mexico Tech will research and compile information and feedback from gas producers - both majors and independents - throughout the United States, as well as from government agencies, National Laboratories, and industry associations. In addition to a detailed, printed plan, a workshop will be conducted in August 2002 to disseminate information developed through the roadmapping activities.
"Technology needs and their relative importance for increased gas production will locally depend on the type of unconventional gas resources in each region of the country" notes Van Romero, Vice President for Research for New Mexico Tech. "We will be conducting focus groups with experts and organizations in all gas-producing regions of the United States. The industry is confident that significant additional gas production from unconventional sources can result by adding new, marginally productive pay zones to existing wells, re-completing wells with new and more effective treatments, and infill drilling of existing fields. All these variables will be brought into play in the development of this roadmap."
Researchers will investigate the potential for a variety of technologies to impact unconventional gas production. Major technology areas to be address will include, but are not limited to:
- Three-dimensional techniques that quantify reservoir continuity and heterogeneity
- "Fuzzy logic" and neural network expert systems for integrating well and seismic data
- Well-log interpretation/petrophysical models for detection of marginal pay
- Tools and methodologies for developing integrated geologic and reservoir modes
- Hydraulic fracture treatment design, application, and diagnostic
- Methods for more efficient drilling of vertical wells
- Horizontal and multi-lateral well
"Unconventional gas resources are very dependent on new technology for production to occur at market-clearing prices," explains GTI' Kent Perry, Director, Exploration, Production, and Gas Processing Center. "Every year, the average depth of a well increases, more low-permeability (tight) formations are needed to be explored, and, overall, wells are smaller in size. All these factors combine to make new technology requirements a strategic component of the gas industry's future."
Past developments conducted through GTI and others have increased production from unconventional resources from 1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) per year in the early 1980s to today's 4 Tcf per year. However, with projections for gas demand expected to reach 30 Tcf by 2015, experts point to the need to increase unconventional gas source production to 8 Tcf over the next 10 to 15 years. Targets for the New Mexico Tech production plan are based on providing the tools and techniques required to reach the 8 Tcf goal.
GTI, based in the Chicago area, offers research and technical services, R&D program management, technology commercialization, and education and training programs in the fields of energy and the environment, with a focus on natural gas. These programs benefit the natural gas industry and its customers, or provide technology-based solutions to individual organizations.


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Vintage 35
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