Room362.com

Blatherings of a security addict.

Jericho Thanks the People

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I was a quick fan of the show called “Jericho” on CBS. It was one of the few shows on that didn’t have the advertising that LOST or The 4400 had, but still competed or surpassed in some cases the level of story and all out “Good”. I am lost for words since I’ve posted like 4 posts tonight, so without further ado:

Automatix Automated.

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Original Source: http://ubuntu.qio.dk/ubuntu/

I recently stumbled upon a awesome script. Tried and test, works out of the box. Basically you open a terminal, paste this in, and hit enter.

sudo -k && clear && gksudo -D “setup script” echo && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y ubuntu-restricted-extras gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse libdvdread3 unrar totem-gstreamer vlc nfs-kernel-server samba gparted && gconftool-2 —type boolean —set /apps/nautilus/preferences/always_use_browser false && sudo gconftool-2 —direct —config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults —type boolean —set /apps/nautilus/preferences/always_use_browser false && gconftool-2 —type string —set /desktop/gnome/volume_manager/autoplay_dvd_command “vlc %m” && sudo gconftool-2 —direct —config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults —type string —set /desktop/gnome/volume_manager/autoplay_dvd_command “vlc %m” && sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh && echo -e \n\nBxnl, nyy qbar. Lbh pna pybfr guvf jvaqbj abj. \n | tr ‘[a-m][n-z][A-M][N-Z]’ ‘[n-z][a-m][N-Z][A-M]’

Worked like a charm, codecs, DVD playing, flash, java, just as the original post says. I still suggest Automatix, for the other ‘stuff’ but if you are just looking at Automatix for the aforementioned features, here is a quick and easy solution.

Logmein.com

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So, this is my first time writing with ScribeFire. (We’ll see if it auto detects it’s name and links to it. But, as you can probably tell by the title, this article isn’t about ScribeFire. It’s about Logmein.com. Now, you most likely have already seen or used this service, and I have fought back in forth in my head about regurgitating information which I think people already know. However, I’ll save that talk for another post. On with it already.

Logmein.com is an awesome service and a scary one. As with any useful and powerful tool, it can be used for good or evil. The best way to describe their service is like VNC, or Remote Desktop for you Microsoft people. It’s SSL based so, if you can resolve it, you can probably use it. Where is your business. ;–)

They offer a bunch of services, the free one stays free. I use it mainly to help all of the people in my family that need tech support. Here is how it works:

  1. Sign up for an account

  2. Click the Add Computer

  3. Go through the motions (Next, Next, Finish)

  4. You’re done. Now the computer will be available to you on a list.

There is a dual layer of protection here. You have your account that you log into the web site as, and then the account on the computer that you log in to. So, if for any reason the person that you installed the Logmein client on doesn’t want you to have access, or your Logmein account gets compromised, there is still that second layer of security.

In summary, I think it is an awesome service, and if you like it, you should check out some of their paid plans as well.

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Questions That Need Answering.

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QUESTIONS ********* Why do you need a driver’s license to buy liquor in America when you can’t drink and drive? Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds? Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? Why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes? Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there? Do you need a silencer if you are going to shoot a mime? Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations? How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings? If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors? If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose? If nothing ever sticks to TEFLON, how do they make TEFLON to stick to the pan? If you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, what would happen? If you’re in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights? You know how most packages say “Open here”. What is the protocol if the package says, “Open somewhere else”? Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM? Why do Americans drive on parkways and park on driveways? Why is it that when you transport something by car, it’s called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it’s called cargo? You know that little indestructible black box that is used on planes, why can’t they make the whole plane out of the same substance? Why is it that when you’re driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio? Why does your nose run and your feet smell? Why do American always call for the cheque, and then give one back to the waitress?