Earlier this week, a gentleman named Charlie Paglee received a Skype call from a colleague in China -- nothing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that this particular call was coming from an unofficial, homemade Skype client. Paglee, who cofounded the VoIP startup Vozin Communications, claims that the Chinese friend he spoke with is part of a team that has successfully reverse-engineered the Skype protocol, possibly paving the way for a series of third-party clients that would delight consumers but provide no small amount of frustration to Skype-owner eBay.

Although this unlicensed client is currently only able to perform peer-to-peer calling -- presence, instant messaging, & super node features have not yet been implemented -- it seems to be only a matter of time before the engineers have a more robust demo available for public download (they're supposedly shooting for an August release). And since all of this work is going on in China, eBay has no legal means of shutting down the client's development, but even if they did, it's probably already too late -- now that the cat is out of the bag, it's pretty clear that an open-source Skype client is inevitable, and that eBay's future business plans will have to take that reality into account.


SOURCE: HERE

Skype's been cracked?

by on 5:14:00 AM
Earlier this week, a gentleman named Charlie Paglee received a Skype call from a colleague in China -- nothing out of the ordinary, except f...
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History
Al Capone was a Neapolitan born to immigrant parents in New York City who eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois. There he grew to become a notable criminal figure and gangster in American history. He played large parts in gambling, alcohol, and prostitution rackets and in 1925 Capone took control of the Chicago Outfit for which he had served as the second in command, after an assassination attempt on former head Johnny Torrio. He was listed on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list, sold alcohol during the Prohibition era, planned the St. Valentine's Day massacre, and was eventually indicted and convicted of income tax evasion in 1931.

Program
Al CaponeCapone had previously housed his headquarters at the nearby Metropole Hotel, but in July 1928 moved to a suite at the Lexington Hotel. Capone ran his various enterprises from this hotel until his arrest in 1931. A construction company in the 1980s planned a renovation of the Lexington Hotel and while surveying the building discovered a shooting range and a series of secret tunnels including one hidden behind Capone's medicine cabinet. These tunnels connected taverns and whorehouses to provide an elaborate potential escape route in case of a police raid. These discoveries led to further investigation of the hotel, notably by researcher Harold Rubin. Rumors said Capone had kept a very secret vault beneath the hotel to hold some of his wealth and Rubin uncovered a previously unknown vault.

Geraldo Rivera had been fired in 1985 after criticizing ABC for canceling his report on an alleged relationship between John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. He hosted the special, The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, which was broadcast live on April 21, 1986. The two hour special (including commercials) was greatly hyped as potentially revealing great riches or bodies on live television. This included the presence of a medical examiner should bodies be found and agents from the Internal Revenue Service to collect any of Capone's money that may be discovered. When the vault was finally opened the only things found inside were dirt and several empty bottles including one Geraldo claimed was for moonshine bathtub gin. Despite the ending the special became the most-watched syndicated television special with an estimated audience of 30,000,000. Rivera later wrote of the event in his 1991 autobiography Exposing Myself that "My career was not over, I knew, but had just begun. And all because of a silly, high-concept stunt that failed to deliver on its titillating promise." The term "Al Capone's vault" has become slang for a heavily expected event with disappointing results.
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Dear Terrorist,

Even if you are not reading this we don't care. Time & again you tried to disturb us & disrupt our life - killing innocent civilians by planting bombs in trains, buses & cars. You have tried hard to bring death & destruction, cause panic & fear & create communal disharmony but everytime you were disgustingly unsuccessful. Do you know how we pass our life in Mumbai? How much it takes for us to earn that single rupee? If you wanted to give us a shock then we are sorry to say that you failed miserably in your ulterior motives. Better look elsewere, not here.

We are not Hindus & Muslims or Gujaratis & Marathis or Punjabis & Bengaliies. Nor do we distinguish ourselves as owners or workers, govt. employees or private employees. WE ARE MUMBAIKERS (Bombay-ites, if you like). We will not allow you to disrupt our life like this. On the last few occassions when you struck (including the 7 deadly blasts in a single day killing over 250 people & injuring 500+ in 1993), we went to work next day in full strength. This time we cleared everything within a few hours & were back to normal - the vendors placing their next order, businessmen finalizing the next deals & the office workers rushing to catch the next train. (Yes the same train you targetted)

Fathom this: Within 3 hours of the blasts, long queues of blood donating volunteers were seen outside various hospital, where most of the injured were admitted. By 12 midnight, the hospital had to issue a notification that blood banks were full & they didn't require any more blood. The next day, attendance at schools & office was close to 100%, trains & buses were packed to the brim, the crowds were back. The city has simply dusted itself off & moved on - perhaps with greater vigour. We are Mumbaikers & we live like brothers in times like this. So, do not dare to threaten us with your crackers. The spirit of Mumbai is very strong & can not be harmed.

Please forward this to others. U never know, by chance it may come to hands of a terrorist who can then read this message which is specially meant for him.

With Love,
From the people of Mumbai (Bombay)
Regards MUMbaiker.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Crude's back at record levels, with the $60-per-barrel price we saw just last year out of the picture for now, maybe even forever, and $80 oil a real possibility by the end of the summer.

"Producers and consumers alike should get used to the fact that oil prices will likely never fall below $60 a barrel again," said Emanuel Balarie, a senior market strategist at Wisdom Financial.

The front-month contract for crude futures closed at $75.19 a barrel Wednesday in New York -- the highest closing price ever -- and the price rally has not stopped there as a world of political turmoil, direct threats to production and supplies and a strong global appetite for oil come together to rattle investors' nerves.

"Whether it be tension with Iran and North Korea, war in Iraq, summer gasoline demand, [or] refinery outages, prices are going to be very sensitive to supply disruptions and/or perceived potential disruptions," said Thomas Hartmann, an analyst at Altavest Worldwide Trading.

The oil market has been factoring in daily news related to the nuclear standoffs between Western nations and Iran and North Korea.

At the same time, the market is routinely bombarded by strong demand figures for oil from countries around the world, especially China. Refinery outages, the recent closure and reopening of a key waterway in Louisiana and storms in the Atlantic also serve as reminders of oil's fragile supply system.
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"What items should a good waiter carry with them at all times?"

Gear to be carried on your person (or close by)

1. Cheap ballpoint pens. Every waiter should carry at least three; one for signing checks, one for writing down orders, and the other for fellow servers to borrow and never return. Don't bother bringing a nice pen to work. The customers will only steal them. Alternate uses are, but not limited too:

a. Taking down a hot chick's phone number.
b. Emergency tracheotomy tube
c. Weapon (Think the Bourne Identity)

2. Wine opener. Not those expensive pieces of shit people get as wedding presents from Williams Sonoma. A $5 dollar waiter's helper from the liquor store will do. Has a myriad of uses:

a. Opens wine bottles
b. Pops open beer bottles
c. Punches holes in olive oil cans
d. Cuts open boxes
e. Cleans under fingernails
f. Slashes car tires of customers/owner (I never did this but I know someone who did)
g. Also comes in handy as a weapon. Think what that a corkscrew could do to a person!

3. Table crumber. Also a multipurpose tool:

a. Cleans crumbs off table.
b. Tongue depressor in a pinch
c. Scrapes dogshit or gum off your shoe
d. Also doubles as a nifty weapon. Good for poking soft body parts.
(Gee do you detect a pattern here?)

4. Pepper Mill

a. Would you like fresh ground pepper? How I hate saying that! Makes me feel like Adam Sandler.
b. Doubles as a club

5. Gum. Keeps your breath minty fresh and covers up the fact you've been drinking on the job.

6. Narcotizing substance of your choice. Waiters can be a walking pharmacy. I've seen servers with:

a. Cigarettes
b. Hip flask of booze
c. Leftover Vicodan from the dentist. Percodan is also reallllly nice.
d. Prozac - should be in the water.
e. Crack
f.. Advil, Tylenol, Alleve, Oxycontin
g. Marijuana
h. Chocolate

7. Latex gloves. Now most waiters don't carry this but I do. It's a habit leftover from my days working in a psychiatric hospital. You never knew what bodily secretions you'd encounter. (You know vomit, blood, semen, urine, feces, spinal fluid) Well, the same holds true for a restaurant.

8. Reading glasses. A nice touch for the blind customers.

9. Cell Phone. I hate them but most waiters have one. Good for:

a. Calling home
b. Calling 911
c. Calling a cab
d. Calling your agent (Loser!)
e. Calling your therapist
f. Calling your bookie
g. Calling your dealer
h. Using built in camera to video coworkers banging in the linen closet

10. Distractions. Something to keep you occupied when it's slow:

a. A good book or magazine
b. Gameboy, Etch a Sketch, Darts (not recommended)
c. I have a wireless enabled PDA. I hop on the free neighborhood wifi network, check my email, update this blog, and, of course, look at porn.

11. Dupe pad. Some uses are:

a. To write down orders
b. For writing down hot chick's number
c. Doodling unflattering caricatures of customers
d. Kindling

12. Matches for:

a. Lighting birthday candles
b. Lighting cigarettes/cigars
c. Cover the foul stench in the employee bathroom if you or someone else had Mexican the night before.
d. Burning the fucking place down. (Use dupe pad soaked in Bacardi 151 as a starter)


Gear to be stored in locker:

1. Additional narcotizing substances
2. Extra shirt and tie. In case you get splattered with food or aforementioned bodily substances.
3. Extra socks. Helps ward off "swamp foot."
4. Talcum powder. When you're walking all day you might get "the chafe."
5. Preparation H. Standing all day gives you hemorrhoids. I get them the size of golf balls.
6. Band-Aids
7. Hand sanitizer. (In case you touch something gross)
8. Tissues
9. Condoms (You might actually get lucky with the hot chick)
10. Extra weapons (Pens, scrapers, wine openers)
11. Copies of all applicable labor laws.
12. Resignation letter pre printed and signed. Insert date when needed.
13. Firearm where permitted by law

Waiter Gear

by on 7:14:00 AM
"What items should a good waiter carry with them at all times?" Gear to be carried on your person (or close by) 1. Cheap ballpoint...
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India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is blooming. Plz make sure that u buy drugs only if prescribed by a doctor(Also, ask which company manufactures it, thiswould help to ensure that u get what is prescribed at the Drug Store) & that also from a reputed drug store. Not many people know about these banned drugs and consume them causing a lot of damage to themselves.

DANGEROUS DRUGS THESE DRUGS HAVE BEEN GLOBALLY DISCARDED BUT ARE AVAILABLEIN INDIA. The most common ones are D cold, action 500 & Nimulid.


ANALGIN:
This is a pain-killer. Reason for ban: Bone marrow depression.
Brand name: Novalgin
___________________________________________________________
CISAPRIDE:
Acidity, constipation. Reason for ban : irregular heartbeat
Brand name : Ciza, Syspride
____________________________________________________________
DROPERIDOL:
Anti-depressant. Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat.
Brand name : Droperol
______________________________________________________________
FURAZOLIDONE:
Antidiarrhoeal. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen
_____________________________________________________________
NIMESULIDE:
Painkiller, fever. Reason for ban : Liver failure.
Brand name : Nise, Nimulid
________________________________________________________________________
NITROFURAZONE:
Antibacterial cream. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furacin
________________________________________________________________________
PHENOLPHTHALEIN:
Laxative. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Agarol
________________________________________________________________________
PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE:
cold and cough. Reason for ban : stroke.
Brand name : D'cold, Vicks Action-500
________________________________________________________________________
OXYPHENBUTAZONE:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Reason for ban : Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Sioril
_______________________________________________________________________
PIPERAZINE:
Anti-worms. Reason for ban : Nerve damage.
Brand name : Piperazine
________________________________________________________________________
QUINIODOCHLOR:
Anti-diarrhoeal. Reason for ban : Damage to sight.
Brand name : Enteroquinol

Banned Drugs

by on 5:15:00 AM
India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is blooming. Plz make sure that u buy d...
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SI.com - 2006 World Cup France eliminates defending champ Brazil - Saturday July 1, 2006 4:59PM: " Germany playing Italy in the other semifinal, it will be the first all-European final four since 1982."
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