Scorpius now in view

The summer constellation Scorpius is now center-stage in the southern sky. It's always a treat to see the distinctive shape of Scorpius with red supergiant star Antares glowing in the sky. Through binoculars Scorpius is great because of an abundance of deep-sky objects in and near the constellation. And this week there is an extra treat as the moon passes through.

Animated Gif In Ubuntu

When you open animated gif in Unbunt it appears as a static gif image. To see the gif animation you need to install a program called 'gthumb'

Install it by opening terminal and typing

sudo aptitude install gthumb

Or go to Synaptic package manager and select 'gthumb'

If you are using Ubuntu, you can also click here to install it.

After installing it, save this cool 'super dog' photo to your computer and try viewing it with gthumb.

Google Wave Check It Out

Sorry guys for posting this late, if you haven't checked out Google Wave, check it out now or blame yourself. Its a killer app.




Pretty cool ha ?

Bash Quick-Reference, Great Shortcuts

C-n means control-n
M-x means escape-x (few keyboards have a 'meta' key)

Finding a line in history:
C—p Move to previous line in history
C-n Mcve to next line in history
C-r Reverse search

Moving in the current line:
C-a Move to start of the current line
C-e Move to end of the current line
C-f Move forward (right) one character
C-b Move backward (left) one character
M-f Move forward one word
M-b Move back one word

Editing the current line:
del Delete the character under the cursor
bs Delete the character to the left of the cursor
C—k Kill the characters to the right of the cursor
C-u Kill the characters to the left of the cursor
M—d Delete the word to the right of the cursor
M—bs Delete the word to the left of the cursor
M-u Convert the next word to upper case
M-l Convert the next word to lower case
M—c Capitalize the first character of the next word
C-vx Insert x literally, even if x is special

Kill ring and previous line:
C-y Yank (paste) the last deleted characters
M-y Immediately following Yank, remove yanked text and replace with previous deleted text
M-. Paste the last word of the previous line
C—o Execute the current line, then present the next line in the history

Redhat

Hide Channels From Whois In Freenode

If you are a geek you must be hanging on lots of irc channels. I like to hide my details as much as possible. So I prefer to hide the other channels I've joined. To do so, the command you type is

/quote mode user_name +i

Also you can get cloak to hide your IP.

Run GNU Screen Directly

Whenever I have to start screen, I have to start a terminal and run screen manually. Now to run the screen automatically without first opening a terminal you can use the following command

gnome-terminal -e screen

This opens screen in gnome-terminal directly.

Star Party on Saturday 27 June

This Saturday is a chance to hear a great lecture and enjoy star gazing with the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) for their monthly star party on Mt. Tam. This month, Professor Lynn R. Cominsky of Sonoma State University is giving a lecture at 8:30 pm at the Mountain Theater. Her topic will include "blazing galaxies, intense stellar explosion and super-massive block holes" and should be quite captivating. Afterwards, the SFAA will set up telescopes for public viewing of the universe and there is a lot to see this time of year. The Moon will be a lovely crescent, Saturn is visible, and many deep space objects such as star clusters and nebulae will be on display. And if all goes well, I'll be there pointing out constellations with my trusty green laser pointer.

Hope to see you Saturday night - above the fog.

Simple And Powerful Command To Take Screenshots

I often take screen shots. So I need a simple applications that loads fast, is easy to take screen shots, is powerful and saves file directly to the location I want. And the best thing I found is the command import .

For example to take a screen shot I can simply press ALT+F2 and type

import -frame /tmp/my_screenshot.png

Gateway Brightness problem solved

I encountered a problem with Gateway laptop. The brightness level can't be changed neither from keyboard shortcut nor from gnome-power-manager.

If you encounter the same problem, open terminal and type

xrandr --output LVDS --set BACKLIGHT_CONTROL native

or

xrandr --output LVDS --set BACKLIGHT_CONTROL legacy

To make this fix permanent add the above line in your startup(From Menu, System, Preferences, Startup Applications).

MASTER LIST #13: The 101 Best Films of the 1970s

In response to the current poll being held at the magnificent Wonders in the Dark, I decided to commit to posterity my 101 favorite films from the 1970s. I came of age in the 1970s, so I saw about 65% of these titles in first-run theaters (it was an unbelievable time to be a budding film lover). So, in order, based on (1) influence, (2) personal affection, and (3) overall quality, here's my

MASTER LIST #13: The 101 Best Films of the 1970s

In response to the current poll being held at the magnificent Wonders in the Dark, I decided to commit to posterity my 101 favorite films from the 1970s. I came of age in the 1970s, so I saw about 65% of these titles in first-run theaters (it was an unbelievable time to be a budding film lover). So, in order, based on (1) influence, (2) personal affection, and (3) overall quality, here's my

Jeans Can Make You Look Very Fashionable!

A little over a century ago Levi Strauss invented to "first modern jeans".



Introduced originally as rugged, durable clothing for hard working men and women, today all social classes feel comfortable in jeans. Trends and fashion icons come and go but wearing stylish, comfortable jeans is still favored by many people. While their charisma springs from their legendary American roots, their commercial strength rests on innovation and interpretation in the hands of jeanswear makers around the world.

While the basic structure of jeans has remained the same, there have been some colorful innovations. Consider the Bell Bottoms of the 1970’s. Tight waisted and wide flaring bottoms. Yes, jeans are versatile and durable which is why they are such a hit with people. Who hasn’t enjoyed the feeling of slipping on an old comfortable pair of trusted jeans on a lazy Saturday morning? They fit well and they look great.

There are so many styles of jeans to choose from. Whether you want to mow your lawn or dress up for a business meeting, jeans just fit the bill. We’ve looked all over the web for quality jeans retailers and on this page you’ll find some great suggestions. You can order from the comfort of your home and before you know it, your new pair of jeans will be at your doorstep.

Shop for jeans, flare jeans, hipster jeans, bootleg jeans, classic cut jeans, hip hugger jeans, low rise jeans, bellbottom jeans stretch jeans, maternity jeans, carpenter jeans, straight cut jeans, ultra low rise jeans and much, much more.



by: Mike Yeager

Seven Jeans

Are you into high fashion jeans like Seven jeans? Seven jeans are well known as highly priced, but highly fashionable jeans. They are worn by celebrities and teens alike. Of course they come in all shapes and sizes, but check out the heavy price tag before you purchase them!

Seven jeans are jeans of high fashion. They are available worldwide and known as well. To find a pair, simply check out your local mall. They offer a lot of options. To list a few: boot cut, high cut, low rise, and washed or not. They come in many colors and designs. Styles that come and go with trends are Seven jeans.

To find a pair of seven jeans, you will need to check out the mall. There you will find a few stores that offer the latest style. But, don’t forget to take the credit card for this purchase! These jeans are costly, but you are paying for quality and high fashion.

It is possible to find Seven jeans at a discount rate online though. Sales for them are everywhere. You maybe able to purchase them at online auctions. Of course, you take that chance with purchasing online that they will not fit the way you like or feel the way you like. But, it does offer some convenience and a cheaper rate.

Seven Jeans are high fashion, high quality, and highly demanded jeans. They range in styles from low rise to boot cut and base their designs off the trends set by the public. While costly, Seven jeans can be found online at discounted rates when you search for them or find a good sale. Seven jeans are a jean every teenager wants.


by: Mike Yeager

GIVE HACKERS SOME RESPECT

Amazing title isn't it!
What am I saying, easy yes this subject is about cyber crime how can you say this well first I want to ask some question and give their answers:

Who is cyber crime?
Ok they are people who use the technology to steal money from banks and visa .. etc.
So are cyber crime hackers well yes they are. Cyber crime refers to any criminal activity conducted with a computer .

Hacker vs. Cracker ?
Well what is the difference between hackers and crackers , well hacker means a clever programmer ,well as you can say a computer phreak .
While cracker means one who damages and destroy for and example the man who gain access to a bank as an example and steal Money, or hack any machine or gain access to any computer Hacker builds crackers destroy.
But now a day people called then hackers so we will call them hackers.

hackers are three types:
- white hackers
Those one who can gain access in any system and just don't do anything just explore it.
-grey hackers
Those one is little bit dangerous who gain access and can take some files or do some changes on your system.
-Black hackers
those who just damages and all what they do is damaging ,can gain access on any system then deleting any files stealing money from bank accounts spreads worms and virus in your system (Those who can be really cyber crimes(.

What is Malicious Code?

What is Malicious Code?
Malicious code is any code added, changed, or removed from a software system in order to intentionally cause harm or subvert the intended function of the system. Though the problem of malicious code has a long history, a number of recent, widely publicized attacks and certain economic trends suggest that malicious code is rapidly becoming a critical problem for industry, government, and individuals.

Traditional examples of malicious code include viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, and attack scripts, while more modern examples include Java attack applets and dangerous ActiveX controls.
• Viruses are pieces of malicious code that attach to host programs and propagate when an infected program is executed.
• Worms are particular to networked computers. Instead of attaching themselves to a host program, worms carry out programmed attacks to jump from machine to machine across the network.
• Trojan Horses, like viruses, hide malicious intent inside a host program that appears to do something useful (e.g., a program that captures passwords by masquerading as the login daemon.)
• Attack scripts are programs written by experts that exploit security weaknesses, usually across the network, to carry out an attack. Attack scripts exploiting buffer overflows by “smashing the stack” are the most commonly encountered variety.
• Java attack applets are programs embedded in Web pages that achieve foothold through a Web browser.
• Dangerous ActiveX controls are program components that allow a malicious code fragment to control applications.

Eerie Moon

We all know what the Moon looks like when it is in its early phases, waxing from a thin crescent over a two-week interval of time through first quarter and then to full moon. Although many people might not be able to explain exactly which way the "horns" of a crescent moon are pointed, it's something that you just know is right when you see it. For us living in the Northern Hemisphere, the horns of the young crescent moon point left and up when you see the moon in the western sky after sunset. That is, they point primarily south (left) and up (east) because the moon is being illuminated by the setting sun -- which is typically to the lower right (northwest) of the crescent moon. If you suddenly saw the horns of the crescent moon pointing the other direction, you might find it strangely discomforting. I certainly would!

Each month as the moon wanes from full moon to last quarter to a thin crescent in the morning, the orientation of the crescent reverses compared to the first 14 days of the lunar cycle. But because these phases are visible late in the night and in the early morning, there are generally fewer opportunities to see the moon in these phases. When I am up late at night or very early before sunrise and I see an old moon in the sky, the reversal of the orientation of the horns always throws me off. This week and weekend if you are up late at night or early in the morning you can take note of this as the waning moon passes Jupiter (see image) and continues eastward in its path, slimming to a thin crescent by June 18-20. Sky and Telescope Magazine called the waning gibbous late at night an "eerie moon" and I can appreciate why they would call it that. Whenever you see the moon, be it a slender evening crescent just starting its 29-day cycle, or a bold full moon lighting up the night, or a waning gibbous, think about the view and how it makes you feel. If you can start to gain a familiarity with the phases of the moon, you will find it does indeed evoke different feelings depending upon which phase it is in.

MASTER LIST #12: The 40 Best Film Books

In responding enthusiastically to MovieMan's wildfire-like Reading the Movies meme over at The Dancing Image, I've come up with my top forty movie books. Listed roughly in order of importance, they are as such:1) The Cult Movies series (1,2, & 3) by Danny Peary (Delta 1981, 1984, 1989)2) Guide for the Film Fanatic by Danny Peary (Simon and Schuster, LTD, 1987)3) Alternate Oscars by Danny Peary (

MASTER LIST #12: The 40 Best Film Books

In responding enthusiastically to MovieMan's wildfire-like Reading the Movies meme over at The Dancing Image, I've come up with my top forty movie books. Listed roughly in order of importance, they are as such:1) The Cult Movies series (1,2, & 3) by Danny Peary (Delta 1981, 1984, 1989)2) Guide for the Film Fanatic by Danny Peary (Simon and Schuster, LTD, 1987)3) Alternate Oscars by Danny Peary (

Film #132: An American Werewolf in London

In the early 1980s, there were few American directors whose style was as crunchy as John Landis'. It's difficult to explain what I mean by the term "crunchy"--I just know it's the correct word to describe many of the movies Landis made from 1977 to 1992. The only times he failed us were with the unbearable Spies Like Us, the equally awful Sly Stallone vehicle Oscar and his merely bland but

Film #132: An American Werewolf in London

In the early 1980s, there were few American directors whose style was as crunchy as John Landis'. It's difficult to explain what I mean by the term "crunchy"--I just know it's the correct word to describe many of the movies Landis made from 1977 to 1992. The only times he failed us were with the unbearable Spies Like Us, the equally awful Sly Stallone vehicle Oscar and his merely bland but

Love Theme from Halloween (R.I.P. Patrick Flynn 1961-2009)

My very best friend Patrick Flynn passed away on May 20th, and as John Carpenter's Halloween was one of his favorite movies, I thought I'd write these bad-taste lyrics for Carpenter's eerie electronic theme for the movie. Hey, it's silly, but Patrick would have dug it. Thanks to Bill Tomey for the idea, and you can hear the theme below!LOVE THEME FROM HALLOWEEN (BACKGROUND MELODY)Jab jab

Love Theme from Halloween (R.I.P. Patrick Flynn 1961-2009)

My very best friend Patrick Flynn passed away on May 20th, and as John Carpenter's Halloween was one of his favorite movies, I thought I'd write these bad-taste lyrics for Carpenter's eerie electronic theme for the movie. Hey, it's silly, but Patrick would have dug it. Thanks to Bill Tomey for the idea, and you can hear the theme below!LOVE THEME FROM HALLOWEEN (BACKGROUND MELODY)Jab jab

Above The Fog: Star Parties on Mt. Tam

It's been foggy in San Francisco. Really foggy. It seems like we have one clear night and six foggy nights per week lately and that is not what an Urban Astronomer likes. So it was with delight that I drove myself and my daughter to Mt. Tamalpais last Saturday for the monthly lecture and star party put on by the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA). The Mt. Tam lecture series has been going on for many years and features a wide range of speakers from different areas of astronomy and cosmology.

Following each month's lecture, the SFAA hosts a star party featuring a collection of telescopes, some homemade by SFAA members, pointing out the wonders of the night sky. Despite the foggy conditions in San Francisco and Marin, Mt. Tam is almost always a great vantage point because you are literally "above the fog" and despite the proximity to the city lights of the Bay Area, the viewing conditions on Mt. Tam are quite good. Last Saturday was no exception and the view of the first quarter Moon, Saturn and the spring and summer constellations was great. My daughter and I used an iPhone application called "Star Walk" to help us to identify the fainter stars in Libra and Virgo, to get a full picture of the big summer constellation Ophiuchus, and to even identify part of Centaurus. Using the "Star Walk" application we were able to see that the view from Mt. Tam toward the south was good enough for us to see the upper half of Centaurus and even though we could not see our nearest stellar neighbor, the Alpha Centauri system, we felt like we were nearly there. In fact, it was very interesting to see on my iPhone that the Southern Cross was only a few degrees below the horizon at that moment and even though we can never see it from 37 and 38 degrees north latitude (the Bay Area), I felt like I was *almost* there. I guess I need a vacation at a more southerly latitude ...

Film #131: Vanishing Point

With a plaintive, desert-baked guitar acting as soundtrack, Richard C. Sarafian's existential action epic Vanishing Point begins at its end, with rust-speckled bulldozers rumbling through the morning light of a funereal California town apparently populated only by doddering old men with ancient hats. As helicopters dot the air, these earth-movers situate themselves imposingly in Main Street's

Film #131: Vanishing Point

With a plaintive, desert-baked guitar acting as soundtrack, Richard C. Sarafian's existential action epic Vanishing Point begins at its end, with rust-speckled bulldozers rumbling through the morning light of a funereal California town apparently populated only by doddering old men with ancient hats. As helicopters dot the air, these earth-movers situate themselves imposingly in Main Street's

Film #130: Days of Heaven

A lonely Victorian house stands guard in the midst of winding wheat fields. Grays and oranges seep through the torrid air of a Chicago smelting plant. Smothering swarms of hungry grasshoppers attack a newly-birthed harvest. Nighttime bonfires spread out of control as murder swirls bloody in the Midwestern breeze. A migrant worker gleefully tap-dances away on a dusty springboard. A brother

Film #130: Days of Heaven

A lonely Victorian house stands guard in the midst of winding wheat fields. Grays and oranges seep through the torrid air of a Chicago smelting plant. Smothering swarms of hungry grasshoppers attack a newly-birthed harvest. Nighttime bonfires spread out of control as murder swirls bloody in the Midwestern breeze. A migrant worker gleefully tap-dances away on a dusty springboard. A brother