Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'.
Lee Iacocca Says:
Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage with this so called president? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of tax cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even run a ridiculous cash-for-clunkers program without losing $26 billion of the taxpayers' money, much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'trust me the economy is getting better..'
Better? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the Democrats out along with Obama!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore..
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.. While we're fiddling in Afghanistan , Iran is completing their nuclear bombs and missiles and nobody seems to know what to do. And the liberal press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for.. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with thumb up your butt and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.
We're immersed in a bloody war now with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.. But our soldiers are dying daily.
We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the world, and it's getting worse every day!
We've lost the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are going to sky rock again, and nobody in power has a lucid plan to open drilling to solve the problem. This country has the largest oil reserves in the WORLD, and we cannot drill for it because the politicians have been bought by the flea-hugging environmentalists.
Our schools are in a complete disaster because of the teachers union.
Our borders are like sieves and they want to give all illegals amnesty and free healthcare.
The middle class is being squeezed to death every day.
These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point..
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping the government will make it better for them. Now, that's just crazy.. Deal with life.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, look what Obama did about it!
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the Chicago gangsters in Congress. We didn't elect you to turn this country into a losing European Socialist state. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on NBC or CNN news will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America .. In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years since 9/11.
Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!!
***********************************
LET'S GET THE MUSLIM ROOKIE OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE!!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Birds of a feather.
1938 Austria --Land of "The Sound of Music" Story
Friends, I had the opportunity to hear Kitty Werthmann speak at the
Eagle Forum National Conference a couple of months back. She told a
powerful story about what it was like growing up under Hitler.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don’t Let Freedom
Slip Away
By: Kitty Werthmann
What I am about to tell you is something you’ve probably never heard or
will ever read in history books.
I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that
Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We
elected him by a landslide – 98% of the vote. I’ve never read that in
any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in
with his tanks and took Austria by force.
In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our
workforce was unemployed. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan
interest rates.
Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young
people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they
didn’t want to work; there simply weren’t any jobs. My mother was a
Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we
cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry
people – about 30 daily.
The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each
other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna, Linz, and Graz were
destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to
let them decide what kind of government they wanted.
We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany , where Hitler had been
in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn’t have
unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing
was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We
were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of
life in Austria .. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean
the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that
businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back.
Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany
and have Hitler for our ruler.
We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had
candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens
and everyone was fed.
After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle,
we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was
employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created
through the Public Work Service.
Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it
was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home.
An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn’t support
his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they
could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for
marriage.
Hitler Targets Education – Eliminates Religious Instruction for
Children:
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school.
The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our
schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my
schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler’s picture hanging
next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told
the class we wouldn’t pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang
“Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles,” and had physical education.
Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents
were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told
that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of
warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the
equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail.
The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of
the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it.. Oh, we had so
much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and
gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.
My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out
of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn’t do
that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful.
There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun – no sports, and no
political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate
it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back
to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing.
Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without
religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby
for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so
suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother
did so that I wasn’t exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.
Equal Rights Hits Home:
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was
rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same
time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn’t work,
you didn’t get a ration card, and if you didn’t have a card, you starved
to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn’t have any
marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young
people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During
the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to
their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were
trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal
corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in
the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and
friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just
were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat. Three months before
I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had
a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and
into military service.
Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government
immediately established child care centers. You could take your
children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there
around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government.
The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly
women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child
psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we
had been had.
Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors
trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was
socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government.
The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors
for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40
people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were
full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for
your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into
socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally
stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other
countries.
As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our
income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the
government to establish a household. We had big programs for families.
All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by
the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was
entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law
owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told
him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump
themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional
bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack
bar. He couldn’t meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business.
If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones
existed, it could be in control.
We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy.
Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency
specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count
the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to
produce it.
“Mercy Killing” Redefined:
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The
villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were
closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people
intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I
was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all
useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well.
He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw
Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they
were going. She said to an institution where the State Health
Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The
families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they
could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere
with the program and might cause homesickness.
As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died
a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected
what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and
all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.
The Final Steps - Gun Laws:
Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns.
Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few)
was by matching serial numbers on guns.. Most citizens were law abiding
and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms.
Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to
turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it
was futile not to comply voluntarily.
No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the
government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not
only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.
Totalitarianism didn’t come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until
1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria . Had it happened
overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead,
we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles.
The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by
little eroded our freedom.
After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria . Women were raped,
preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the
Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling
whole factories in the process. They sawed down whole orchards of
fruit, and what they couldn’t destroy, they burned. We called it The
Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their
houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized.
Those who couldn’t, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna
today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians.
This is an eye witness account.
“It’s true….those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a
country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don’t Let Freedom
Slip Away
"After America , There is No Place to Go"
Please forward this message to other voters who may not have it.
Friends, I had the opportunity to hear Kitty Werthmann speak at the
Eagle Forum National Conference a couple of months back. She told a
powerful story about what it was like growing up under Hitler.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don’t Let Freedom
Slip Away
By: Kitty Werthmann
What I am about to tell you is something you’ve probably never heard or
will ever read in history books.
I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that
Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We
elected him by a landslide – 98% of the vote. I’ve never read that in
any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in
with his tanks and took Austria by force.
In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our
workforce was unemployed. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan
interest rates.
Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young
people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they
didn’t want to work; there simply weren’t any jobs. My mother was a
Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we
cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry
people – about 30 daily.
The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each
other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna, Linz, and Graz were
destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to
let them decide what kind of government they wanted.
We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany , where Hitler had been
in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn’t have
unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing
was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We
were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of
life in Austria .. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean
the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that
businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back.
Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany
and have Hitler for our ruler.
We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had
candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens
and everyone was fed.
After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle,
we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was
employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created
through the Public Work Service.
Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it
was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home.
An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn’t support
his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they
could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for
marriage.
Hitler Targets Education – Eliminates Religious Instruction for
Children:
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school.
The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our
schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my
schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler’s picture hanging
next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told
the class we wouldn’t pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang
“Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles,” and had physical education.
Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents
were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told
that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of
warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the
equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail.
The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of
the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it.. Oh, we had so
much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and
gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.
My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out
of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn’t do
that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful.
There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun – no sports, and no
political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate
it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back
to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing.
Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without
religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby
for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so
suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother
did so that I wasn’t exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.
Equal Rights Hits Home:
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was
rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same
time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn’t work,
you didn’t get a ration card, and if you didn’t have a card, you starved
to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn’t have any
marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young
people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During
the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to
their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were
trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal
corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in
the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and
friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just
were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat. Three months before
I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had
a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and
into military service.
Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government
immediately established child care centers. You could take your
children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there
around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government.
The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly
women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child
psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we
had been had.
Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors
trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was
socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government.
The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors
for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40
people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were
full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for
your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into
socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally
stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other
countries.
As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our
income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the
government to establish a household. We had big programs for families.
All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by
the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was
entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law
owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told
him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump
themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional
bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack
bar. He couldn’t meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business.
If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones
existed, it could be in control.
We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy.
Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency
specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count
the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to
produce it.
“Mercy Killing” Redefined:
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The
villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were
closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people
intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I
was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all
useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well.
He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw
Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they
were going. She said to an institution where the State Health
Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The
families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they
could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere
with the program and might cause homesickness.
As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died
a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected
what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and
all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.
The Final Steps - Gun Laws:
Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns.
Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few)
was by matching serial numbers on guns.. Most citizens were law abiding
and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms.
Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to
turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it
was futile not to comply voluntarily.
No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the
government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not
only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.
Totalitarianism didn’t come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until
1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria . Had it happened
overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead,
we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles.
The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by
little eroded our freedom.
After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria . Women were raped,
preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the
Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling
whole factories in the process. They sawed down whole orchards of
fruit, and what they couldn’t destroy, they burned. We called it The
Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their
houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized.
Those who couldn’t, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna
today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians.
This is an eye witness account.
“It’s true….those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a
country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don’t Let Freedom
Slip Away
"After America , There is No Place to Go"
Please forward this message to other voters who may not have it.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Chrome-OS
I have downloaded Chrome-OS, and installed it on a 16 gig USB drive, on an HP 1115 Mini netbook. They say it will boot in 7 seconds, and they are about right. Takes about 7 seconds to get to the log-in screen, and around 10 seconds to see the desktop. Fastest boot time I have ever seen on a computer, and I have tried most of the minimalist Linux distros. The only problem I have had is with it not connecting to a wireless network, and there is no shutdown button. Everything about it is very fast, apps opening in seconds, going from web page to web page. It is unlike any typical operating system I have ever used, but since everything is done in the cloud, it makes for a great experience. Be glad when the final version arrives. It should make Microsoft shiver, since the netbook sales are going through the roof, and most of them have XP pre-installed. It should bring down the cost of netbooks also, since you have to pay Microsoft for their software, and it will be more secure than anything Microsoft has to offer.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Our church fixin to be ripped apart.
It seems there is an elite group that wants to revise our church's bylaws, and constitution. They want to replace deacons with elders, and require every member to sign a covenant in order to be a member. I am assuming that every current member will be relieved of their membership until they sign this covenant, and if they refuse to sign then their membership will be terminated. I'm not sure where this came from, or who instituted this action, but it is reminiscent of our government trying to force health care reform on the American citizen, whether they want it or not. We were supposed to vote on this change in, I think, August, before the bylaws and constitution were even completed. They tried to rush it through without the members knowing what it would contain. Thanks to one member who took the initiative to warn a lot of the members what these documents contained. There was an immediate uproar and the vote was re-scheduled, so changes could be made. We have already lost some members, and I personally know of a lot of members who are not going to sign this covenant in its present form. The covenant contains a lot of language that is not biblical, and you have to make a lot of promises that no earthly being can uphold. I believe it to be a legalistic document, made by man, for man, and will add nothing to the worship of our one, true, living God. There is a video posted on blogger .com which shows those in opposition as members who are against God, and think our church leaders are from outer space planning to control the earth, by starting with these documents. We are all a bunch of hillbilly rednecks who need to be led around like sheep. Link to the bylaws: http://www.fbcthecolony.org
Link to the video: http://2corinthians410.blogspot.com/2009/08/bylaw-review-team-discussion-10.html
Link to the video: http://2corinthians410.blogspot.com/2009/08/bylaw-review-team-discussion-10.html
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Our trip to Wales.
Journal to Wales
March 8 to March 20, 2009
Angi, Heather, and Tamra drove us to DFW around noon, on March 3rd. Plane was scheduled to lift off at 1430 hours. Went thru security, checked bags and found that the departure gate had changed to A20.Our flight at 1410 hours was delayed by storms in the Chicago area. Finally boarded the plane at 1610 hours. Arrived in Chicago at 1820 hours, and discovered that our direct flight to Manchester had been cancelled. We had to go to re-booking. First available flight was at 2340 hours to Heathrow, in London. We ate dinner at a food court, walked around, got a couple of crossword puzzle books and waited. Boarded an American Airlines 777 at 2330 hours and the plane was full. We had a crying baby a few seats in front of us. Shortly after takeoff we were served a light dinner. Tried to sleep, but my leg was getting muscle spasms, and the man in front of Carol reclined his seat back so Carol was not able to stand up to get out. She was on an aisle and had to sidle out of the seat. Had a light breakfast about an hour out of Heathrow and landed about noon, London time. Security was VERY strict, but line moved fairly quick. Got our currency exchanged at a Thomas Cook counter. Ate lunch at a court called Giraffe. Carol had “Fish and Chips”. Flight to Manchester was supposed to leave at 1515 hours, but was 20 minutes late. We had a mini coke and cookies(biscuits) snack and landed in Manchester around 1630 hours, local time. Went through another security check and then on to the baggage pickup area. My suitcase was still in Chicago, would arrive the following morning and be brought over to the B&B , in llandudno, by courier. Got a free bus to the train station, got round trip tickets to Llandudno, Wales and left Manchester around 1730 hours. Stopped at Crewe and had to change trains with another wait of an hour. The next train had 10 cars, and the front five were going to Holly Oaks and the last five were going on to Bangor. We got on the last five and had to get off and change again at Llandudno junction, about five minutes from our destination. Carol and ann were texting back and forth and Ann said she would pick us up in Llandudno Junction and take us to the B&B. We had to call the B&B and let then know we were running late. We both recognized Ann immediately, and it was great to see Ann and Carol finally meet after 53 years of letter writing. We arrived at the B&B at about 2140 hours. Said goodnight to Ann and went to our room. We were the only guests. The room was very nice, twin beds, flat screen TV(telly),
bath, with small shower, and free WIFI. Carol hung her clothes up, I threw mine on the sofa, as I would have to wear them again Tuesday until my bag arrived. Went down for breakfast Tuesday morning, Carol had toast and orange juice. I had a full Welsh breakfast consisting of, two slices of ham, a link sausage(banger),
one egg, fried potato wedges, baked beans, fried toast, and half of a baked tomato, coffee, and juice. After breakfast we walked over to the main street, which was only two blocks away. I bought a shirt, and Carol got some Dr. pepper, hair spray, and post cards. Got back to the B&B and were notified that my bag should be there by 1400 hours. Ann arrived the same time as my bag, and after I got my clothes hung up and changed, Ann drove us up to the top of The Great Orme. Llandudno is on an inlet with a high mountain on the left and a smaller one on the right. The big one is called The Great Orme and the smaller one is called The little Orme. Tourist season open officially April 1st and they were testing the tram railcar ride up the Orme. Ann drove us around town, went to the cemetery where her parents are buried, and then to her husbands grave site. Stopped by a store called ASDA, which is owned by Wal-Mart, and got some sandwiches for dinner, more Dr. Pepper, and some souvenirs. Most of the restaurants close at 1600 hours, but the pubs stay open later and serve meals till 2100 hours. We either had to eat early or go to one of the pubs. Went to a Tea House about 1630 hours for tea and scones. Carol had mineral water. Back to the guest house about 1800 hours. Ate our sandwiches, watched TV, checked email, downloaded the cameras to the computer, charged everything up for the next day. Ann has things to do on Wednesday so we will be on our own. The North Wales Pioneer will be out Thursday to interview Ann and Carol and take pictures. They will be co-ordinating with The Colony Courier- Leader on the article. Walked around town, went to the bank, had lunch at Leopold's Restaurant, bought more souvenirs, went back to the B&B to drop off the bags and had a short rest. Went back to town, walked around , went into a lot of different stores, bought more postcards and souvenirs, and had dinner at Tribells Restaurant. I had Fish and Chips, with boiled potatoes, and mashed peas. Went to bed early that night. Thursday morning we walked back to town, went to the bank, back to ASDA's for more Dr. Pepper. Dropped it off at the B&B and then went to the Greenery for lunch. Very nice place to eat. Bill came to ten pounds and some change, and Carol was trying to find the right coins and finally just laid all the coins on the counter and told the clerk to take what she needed. Went back to the B&B, and at 1500 hours the reporter, photographer, and Ann showed up, for the interview. Anna Glover was the reporter, and I think the photographer's name was Kerry. Interview lasted about 45 minutes. I used a camcorder to record the whole thing. Then Ann drove us around town some more and we walked around on the Promenade, and we ate at Tribell's again.
Walked back to the B&B, met some new guests, Nick, Carrie, and baby Charlie. They are only staying a couple of days. They are from England.
Friday morning Ann picked us up at 0930 hours and drove us to Conwy. We toured the castle, walked all over the town, and it rained for the first, and only day we were there. Several elementary school groups were touring the castle too so it was a little noisy. Found the smallest house in Great Britain, and wanted to go to the Butterfly Museum, but it started raining, and then we found out that it was about ½ mile out of town. Had lunch at a coffee house then caught a bus back to Llandudno. Ann picked us up at 1630 hours, and took us out to her house. Most of the houses we saw were duplex's(semi detached), Very small yards. We had tea(dinner) with Ann, met her neighbor, Pat. Pat kept us in stitches with some of the things she and Ann had done. Took a lot of photos, more videos, and Ann got us back to the B&B around 2230 hours. Went down for breakfast Saturday morning and Ann had left us an anniversary card. Nick, Carrie, and Charlie are leaving this morning, but we have another guest. He is from North England in town for a meeting. He told us about how seniors get free bus passes and reduced rates for the train. Sweet. Also had a lady who wasn't very friendly, didn't talk to anyone. When we got back to our room the owners had left us an anniversary card and a box of candy, very nice of them. After breakfast we caught a bus to Caenarfon Castle. Got there around 1100 hours and decided to have lunch before going into the castle. Mailed some postcards off also. Ate at Cofi Roc, a pub, restaurant. Looked like a hangout for the young crowd, rock music playing, big screens on the walls. Had a sandwich and potato chips(crisps). Finally went into the castle. This is the castle where Prince Charles was investured as the Prince of Wales. This is one of the best preserved castles around, and it is huge. Met some people from California in the souvenir shop. Caught the bus back and the trip back was much faster, lady bus driver. Called Ann and asked her if she would join us for our anniversary dinner at The Albert, a pub just up the alley from the B&B. We walked over and had a great meal. The bill was around 30 lb and I was going to leave a 5 lb tip and Ann said that was too much but I managed to slip it in without her noticing. Walked over to town, after dinner, and Ann took us over to meet her sister, and then we walked back to ASDA's, more Dr. Pepper, and then back to the B&B. Ann is going to pick us up at 0730 hours Sunday morning, and we will be attending the 0800 service at The Holy Trinity Church of England. Got back to the B&B in time for breakfast. Rested till lunch time and went back to The Greenery, and Ann and Pat picked us up and drove us over to Rhos on Sea, and we walked all over, had some Welsh ice cream then back to Ann's house for tea and cake. Ann dropped us off at the B&B and we walked back to The Albert for dinner. Monday we had breakfast, walked back to town, got a bus that took us to the last street before starting up The Great Orme. There is a bronze age copper mine about half way up and we decided we could walk that far. Bad decision, the grade is about 60 degrees. We staggered up and the mine was closed, so we had to walk back down to catch a bus. Got back to town, had lunch, and went back to the B&B for a short nap. Went back to ASDA”s for sandwiches. March 17 got up, had breakfast, walked back to town got Mothering Day cards for Ann & Pat, and a plant for Ann to put on David's grave. Went back to B&B to drop our stuff off and then back to town, Walked around by the St. George Hotel, looked through Mark's & Spencer's store, and then Ann called. She picked us up at the B&B and took us to Happy Valley. It is a park, by the pier, and it ain't no valley. They have a miniature stonehenge, Lots of different plantings, a cave, and at the top there is an artificial ski slope, two levels. It is very long . Plus there is a metal bobsled run around it. We watched a couple make the bobsled run and there were some people on the ski slope. Again, this “valley” has a 50 to 60 degree grade. Took some good shots across the bay. March 18 at breakfast we met a new guest from Phoenix who is touring the U.K. For a month, by herself. She works in the Phoenix Zoo. She said she took a six month course of Welsh before coming. Very interesting to talk to. Also met a gentlemen who was performing in a show at the local theater. I think it was an orchestra. After breakfast we walked back to town and picked some North Wales Pioneer newspapers, and Ann and Carol were on the front page. Went back to the B&B to rest a bit and pack, as we leave for Manchester the next morning. Ann came by to say goodbye, she is going to Manchester to see her daughter and grandson tomorrow afternoon. We check out at 1000 hours and catch the train at 1045 hours. Walked to The Albert for dinner and then back to the B&B, last night here. March 19, had our last breakfast, at the B&B, took some pictures of the owners, Dyfrig & Julie Williams, and told them if we ever came back they would be the first to know. Walked to the train station, took more pictures. Train was an express to Manchester, but this time it was daylight and we got to see the scenery. Got to Manchester around noon, and their station is huge. Got a real British taxi to the hotel, which was 3 miles from the airport, and 13 miles from the train station. The taxi was equipped with GPS. Checked in the hotel, ordered the shuttle to the airport, for the next morning, and the girl at the desk called and got our terminal and gate number. Room was very nice, lot of amenities for $65.00. Had lunch in the lounge, and walked around the grounds. Had dinner in hotel dining room. Waiter wore suit and tie and was very formal, but the prices were very reasonable. Went up to the room and got ready for bed, and about 2030 hours Ann called. Seems her daughter lives only about 15 minutes away and they want to come over, as we have never met Janet. So we get dressed again, and go downstairs to wait on them. They stayed about an hour and then said goodbye. March 20, we got up at 0500 hours, went down to the lounge and waited for the shuttle to take us to the airport.
Arrived at 0715 hours, got boarding passes and turned in baggage, which was overweight and had to pay extra. Went through security again, had breakfast, exchanged our British lbs for dollars, and went to gate and waited to board. Had a crying baby in the seat in front of us this time, and when she wasn't sleeping, she was crying. Got to Chicago and had to collect our bags and take them to the next gate for our flight to DFW. Flight to DFW was very smooth, and we arrived 35 minutes early, female pilot. Angi met us at the airport and we stopped at the Texas Steakhouse for dinner. Connor and Devlin met us at the door and we unpacked our souvenirs and gave them their gifts. Carol sent Ann a text and told her we had made it home. This was a fabulous trip. I thank God for setting it up so these two friends could finally meet face to face.
March 8 to March 20, 2009
Angi, Heather, and Tamra drove us to DFW around noon, on March 3rd. Plane was scheduled to lift off at 1430 hours. Went thru security, checked bags and found that the departure gate had changed to A20.Our flight at 1410 hours was delayed by storms in the Chicago area. Finally boarded the plane at 1610 hours. Arrived in Chicago at 1820 hours, and discovered that our direct flight to Manchester had been cancelled. We had to go to re-booking. First available flight was at 2340 hours to Heathrow, in London. We ate dinner at a food court, walked around, got a couple of crossword puzzle books and waited. Boarded an American Airlines 777 at 2330 hours and the plane was full. We had a crying baby a few seats in front of us. Shortly after takeoff we were served a light dinner. Tried to sleep, but my leg was getting muscle spasms, and the man in front of Carol reclined his seat back so Carol was not able to stand up to get out. She was on an aisle and had to sidle out of the seat. Had a light breakfast about an hour out of Heathrow and landed about noon, London time. Security was VERY strict, but line moved fairly quick. Got our currency exchanged at a Thomas Cook counter. Ate lunch at a court called Giraffe. Carol had “Fish and Chips”. Flight to Manchester was supposed to leave at 1515 hours, but was 20 minutes late. We had a mini coke and cookies(biscuits) snack and landed in Manchester around 1630 hours, local time. Went through another security check and then on to the baggage pickup area. My suitcase was still in Chicago, would arrive the following morning and be brought over to the B&B , in llandudno, by courier. Got a free bus to the train station, got round trip tickets to Llandudno, Wales and left Manchester around 1730 hours. Stopped at Crewe and had to change trains with another wait of an hour. The next train had 10 cars, and the front five were going to Holly Oaks and the last five were going on to Bangor. We got on the last five and had to get off and change again at Llandudno junction, about five minutes from our destination. Carol and ann were texting back and forth and Ann said she would pick us up in Llandudno Junction and take us to the B&B. We had to call the B&B and let then know we were running late. We both recognized Ann immediately, and it was great to see Ann and Carol finally meet after 53 years of letter writing. We arrived at the B&B at about 2140 hours. Said goodnight to Ann and went to our room. We were the only guests. The room was very nice, twin beds, flat screen TV(telly),
bath, with small shower, and free WIFI. Carol hung her clothes up, I threw mine on the sofa, as I would have to wear them again Tuesday until my bag arrived. Went down for breakfast Tuesday morning, Carol had toast and orange juice. I had a full Welsh breakfast consisting of, two slices of ham, a link sausage(banger),
one egg, fried potato wedges, baked beans, fried toast, and half of a baked tomato, coffee, and juice. After breakfast we walked over to the main street, which was only two blocks away. I bought a shirt, and Carol got some Dr. pepper, hair spray, and post cards. Got back to the B&B and were notified that my bag should be there by 1400 hours. Ann arrived the same time as my bag, and after I got my clothes hung up and changed, Ann drove us up to the top of The Great Orme. Llandudno is on an inlet with a high mountain on the left and a smaller one on the right. The big one is called The Great Orme and the smaller one is called The little Orme. Tourist season open officially April 1st and they were testing the tram railcar ride up the Orme. Ann drove us around town, went to the cemetery where her parents are buried, and then to her husbands grave site. Stopped by a store called ASDA, which is owned by Wal-Mart, and got some sandwiches for dinner, more Dr. Pepper, and some souvenirs. Most of the restaurants close at 1600 hours, but the pubs stay open later and serve meals till 2100 hours. We either had to eat early or go to one of the pubs. Went to a Tea House about 1630 hours for tea and scones. Carol had mineral water. Back to the guest house about 1800 hours. Ate our sandwiches, watched TV, checked email, downloaded the cameras to the computer, charged everything up for the next day. Ann has things to do on Wednesday so we will be on our own. The North Wales Pioneer will be out Thursday to interview Ann and Carol and take pictures. They will be co-ordinating with The Colony Courier- Leader on the article. Walked around town, went to the bank, had lunch at Leopold's Restaurant, bought more souvenirs, went back to the B&B to drop off the bags and had a short rest. Went back to town, walked around , went into a lot of different stores, bought more postcards and souvenirs, and had dinner at Tribells Restaurant. I had Fish and Chips, with boiled potatoes, and mashed peas. Went to bed early that night. Thursday morning we walked back to town, went to the bank, back to ASDA's for more Dr. Pepper. Dropped it off at the B&B and then went to the Greenery for lunch. Very nice place to eat. Bill came to ten pounds and some change, and Carol was trying to find the right coins and finally just laid all the coins on the counter and told the clerk to take what she needed. Went back to the B&B, and at 1500 hours the reporter, photographer, and Ann showed up, for the interview. Anna Glover was the reporter, and I think the photographer's name was Kerry. Interview lasted about 45 minutes. I used a camcorder to record the whole thing. Then Ann drove us around town some more and we walked around on the Promenade, and we ate at Tribell's again.
Walked back to the B&B, met some new guests, Nick, Carrie, and baby Charlie. They are only staying a couple of days. They are from England.
Friday morning Ann picked us up at 0930 hours and drove us to Conwy. We toured the castle, walked all over the town, and it rained for the first, and only day we were there. Several elementary school groups were touring the castle too so it was a little noisy. Found the smallest house in Great Britain, and wanted to go to the Butterfly Museum, but it started raining, and then we found out that it was about ½ mile out of town. Had lunch at a coffee house then caught a bus back to Llandudno. Ann picked us up at 1630 hours, and took us out to her house. Most of the houses we saw were duplex's(semi detached), Very small yards. We had tea(dinner) with Ann, met her neighbor, Pat. Pat kept us in stitches with some of the things she and Ann had done. Took a lot of photos, more videos, and Ann got us back to the B&B around 2230 hours. Went down for breakfast Saturday morning and Ann had left us an anniversary card. Nick, Carrie, and Charlie are leaving this morning, but we have another guest. He is from North England in town for a meeting. He told us about how seniors get free bus passes and reduced rates for the train. Sweet. Also had a lady who wasn't very friendly, didn't talk to anyone. When we got back to our room the owners had left us an anniversary card and a box of candy, very nice of them. After breakfast we caught a bus to Caenarfon Castle. Got there around 1100 hours and decided to have lunch before going into the castle. Mailed some postcards off also. Ate at Cofi Roc, a pub, restaurant. Looked like a hangout for the young crowd, rock music playing, big screens on the walls. Had a sandwich and potato chips(crisps). Finally went into the castle. This is the castle where Prince Charles was investured as the Prince of Wales. This is one of the best preserved castles around, and it is huge. Met some people from California in the souvenir shop. Caught the bus back and the trip back was much faster, lady bus driver. Called Ann and asked her if she would join us for our anniversary dinner at The Albert, a pub just up the alley from the B&B. We walked over and had a great meal. The bill was around 30 lb and I was going to leave a 5 lb tip and Ann said that was too much but I managed to slip it in without her noticing. Walked over to town, after dinner, and Ann took us over to meet her sister, and then we walked back to ASDA's, more Dr. Pepper, and then back to the B&B. Ann is going to pick us up at 0730 hours Sunday morning, and we will be attending the 0800 service at The Holy Trinity Church of England. Got back to the B&B in time for breakfast. Rested till lunch time and went back to The Greenery, and Ann and Pat picked us up and drove us over to Rhos on Sea, and we walked all over, had some Welsh ice cream then back to Ann's house for tea and cake. Ann dropped us off at the B&B and we walked back to The Albert for dinner. Monday we had breakfast, walked back to town, got a bus that took us to the last street before starting up The Great Orme. There is a bronze age copper mine about half way up and we decided we could walk that far. Bad decision, the grade is about 60 degrees. We staggered up and the mine was closed, so we had to walk back down to catch a bus. Got back to town, had lunch, and went back to the B&B for a short nap. Went back to ASDA”s for sandwiches. March 17 got up, had breakfast, walked back to town got Mothering Day cards for Ann & Pat, and a plant for Ann to put on David's grave. Went back to B&B to drop our stuff off and then back to town, Walked around by the St. George Hotel, looked through Mark's & Spencer's store, and then Ann called. She picked us up at the B&B and took us to Happy Valley. It is a park, by the pier, and it ain't no valley. They have a miniature stonehenge, Lots of different plantings, a cave, and at the top there is an artificial ski slope, two levels. It is very long . Plus there is a metal bobsled run around it. We watched a couple make the bobsled run and there were some people on the ski slope. Again, this “valley” has a 50 to 60 degree grade. Took some good shots across the bay. March 18 at breakfast we met a new guest from Phoenix who is touring the U.K. For a month, by herself. She works in the Phoenix Zoo. She said she took a six month course of Welsh before coming. Very interesting to talk to. Also met a gentlemen who was performing in a show at the local theater. I think it was an orchestra. After breakfast we walked back to town and picked some North Wales Pioneer newspapers, and Ann and Carol were on the front page. Went back to the B&B to rest a bit and pack, as we leave for Manchester the next morning. Ann came by to say goodbye, she is going to Manchester to see her daughter and grandson tomorrow afternoon. We check out at 1000 hours and catch the train at 1045 hours. Walked to The Albert for dinner and then back to the B&B, last night here. March 19, had our last breakfast, at the B&B, took some pictures of the owners, Dyfrig & Julie Williams, and told them if we ever came back they would be the first to know. Walked to the train station, took more pictures. Train was an express to Manchester, but this time it was daylight and we got to see the scenery. Got to Manchester around noon, and their station is huge. Got a real British taxi to the hotel, which was 3 miles from the airport, and 13 miles from the train station. The taxi was equipped with GPS. Checked in the hotel, ordered the shuttle to the airport, for the next morning, and the girl at the desk called and got our terminal and gate number. Room was very nice, lot of amenities for $65.00. Had lunch in the lounge, and walked around the grounds. Had dinner in hotel dining room. Waiter wore suit and tie and was very formal, but the prices were very reasonable. Went up to the room and got ready for bed, and about 2030 hours Ann called. Seems her daughter lives only about 15 minutes away and they want to come over, as we have never met Janet. So we get dressed again, and go downstairs to wait on them. They stayed about an hour and then said goodbye. March 20, we got up at 0500 hours, went down to the lounge and waited for the shuttle to take us to the airport.
Arrived at 0715 hours, got boarding passes and turned in baggage, which was overweight and had to pay extra. Went through security again, had breakfast, exchanged our British lbs for dollars, and went to gate and waited to board. Had a crying baby in the seat in front of us this time, and when she wasn't sleeping, she was crying. Got to Chicago and had to collect our bags and take them to the next gate for our flight to DFW. Flight to DFW was very smooth, and we arrived 35 minutes early, female pilot. Angi met us at the airport and we stopped at the Texas Steakhouse for dinner. Connor and Devlin met us at the door and we unpacked our souvenirs and gave them their gifts. Carol sent Ann a text and told her we had made it home. This was a fabulous trip. I thank God for setting it up so these two friends could finally meet face to face.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Trip to Wales
We will be leaving for Llandudno, Wales on Sunday, March 9th. Plan on staying in Llandudno for 10 days and 1 night in Manchester, England. My wife has had a pen pal in llandudno for the last 53 years, and they have never met. We have Vonage phone service, which allows us to call her for no charge, so carol talks to her every other Saturday. Planning on a lot of sightseeing and shopping. There are about 16 castles within a 2 hour ride, and we hope to see as many as possible. I will be posting the photos on our web site when we get back.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
VISTA Security?
LAS VEGAS -- Two security researchers have developed a new technique that essentially bypasses all of the memory protection safeguards in the Windows Vista operating system, an advance that many in the security community say will have far-reaching implications not only for Microsoft, but also on how the entire technology industry thinks about attacks.
In a presentation at the Black Hat briefings, Mark Dowd of IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) and Alexander Sotirov, of VMware Inc. will discuss the new methods they've found to get around Vista protections such as Address Space Layout Randomization(ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and others by using Java, ActiveX controls and .NET objects to load arbitrary content into Web browsers.
By taking advantage of the way that browsers, specifically Internet Explorer, handle active scripting and .NET objects, the pair have been able to load essentially whatever content they want into a location of their choice on a user's machine.
Researchers who have read the paper that Dowd and Sotirov wrote on the techniques say their work is a major breakthrough and there is little that Microsoft can do to address the problems. The attacks themselves are not based on any new vulnerabilities in IE or Vista, but instead take advantage of Vista's fundamental architecture and the ways in which Microsoft chose to protect it.
"The genius of this is that it's completely reusable," said Dino Dai Zovi, a well-known security researcher and author. "They have attacks that let them load chosen content to a chosen location with chosen permissions. That's completely game over.
"What this means is that almost any vulnerability in the browser is trivially exploitable," Dai Zovi added. "A lot of exploit defenses are rendered useless by browsers. ASLR and hardware DEP are completely useless against these attacks."
Many of the defenses that Microsoft added to Vista and Windows Server 2008 are designed to stop host-based attacks. ASLR, for example, is meant to prevent attackers from predicting target memory addresses by randomly moving things such as a process's stack, heap and libraries. That technique is useful against memory-corruption attacks, but Dai Zovi said that against Dowd's and Sotirov's methods, it would be of no use.
"This stuff just takes a knife to a large part of the security mesh Microsoft built into Vista," Dai Zovi said. "If you think about the fact that .NET loads DLLs into the browser itself and then Microsoft assumes they're safe because they're .NET objects, you see that Microsoft didn't think about the idea that these could be used as stepping stones for other attacks. This is a real tour de force."
Microsoft officials have not responded to Dowd's and Sotirov's findings, but Mike Reavey, group manager of the Microsoft Security Response Center, said Wednesday that the company is aware of the research and is interested to see it once it becomes public.
Dai Zovi stressed that the techniques Dowd and Sotirov use do not rely on specific vulnerabilities. As a result, he said, there may soon be similar techniques applied to other platforms or environments.
"This is not insanely technical. These two guys are capable of the really low-level technical attacks, but this is simple and reusable," Dai Zovi said. "I definitely think this will get reused soon, sort of like heap spraying was."
In a presentation at the Black Hat briefings, Mark Dowd of IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) and Alexander Sotirov, of VMware Inc. will discuss the new methods they've found to get around Vista protections such as Address Space Layout Randomization(ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and others by using Java, ActiveX controls and .NET objects to load arbitrary content into Web browsers.
By taking advantage of the way that browsers, specifically Internet Explorer, handle active scripting and .NET objects, the pair have been able to load essentially whatever content they want into a location of their choice on a user's machine.
Researchers who have read the paper that Dowd and Sotirov wrote on the techniques say their work is a major breakthrough and there is little that Microsoft can do to address the problems. The attacks themselves are not based on any new vulnerabilities in IE or Vista, but instead take advantage of Vista's fundamental architecture and the ways in which Microsoft chose to protect it.
"The genius of this is that it's completely reusable," said Dino Dai Zovi, a well-known security researcher and author. "They have attacks that let them load chosen content to a chosen location with chosen permissions. That's completely game over.
"What this means is that almost any vulnerability in the browser is trivially exploitable," Dai Zovi added. "A lot of exploit defenses are rendered useless by browsers. ASLR and hardware DEP are completely useless against these attacks."
Many of the defenses that Microsoft added to Vista and Windows Server 2008 are designed to stop host-based attacks. ASLR, for example, is meant to prevent attackers from predicting target memory addresses by randomly moving things such as a process's stack, heap and libraries. That technique is useful against memory-corruption attacks, but Dai Zovi said that against Dowd's and Sotirov's methods, it would be of no use.
"This stuff just takes a knife to a large part of the security mesh Microsoft built into Vista," Dai Zovi said. "If you think about the fact that .NET loads DLLs into the browser itself and then Microsoft assumes they're safe because they're .NET objects, you see that Microsoft didn't think about the idea that these could be used as stepping stones for other attacks. This is a real tour de force."
Microsoft officials have not responded to Dowd's and Sotirov's findings, but Mike Reavey, group manager of the Microsoft Security Response Center, said Wednesday that the company is aware of the research and is interested to see it once it becomes public.
Dai Zovi stressed that the techniques Dowd and Sotirov use do not rely on specific vulnerabilities. As a result, he said, there may soon be similar techniques applied to other platforms or environments.
"This is not insanely technical. These two guys are capable of the really low-level technical attacks, but this is simple and reusable," Dai Zovi said. "I definitely think this will get reused soon, sort of like heap spraying was."
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