Incredible Julian Beever Drawings!

Chalk drawings from Julian Beever. Incredible!!!

Julian Beever is an English artist who's famous for his art on the pavement of England, France, Germany, USA, Australia and Belgium Beever gives to his drawings an amazing 3D illusion. Look at some of the pavement drawings of Beever...

Looks like the real one on the ground, right?

Batman and Robin to the rescue, cool, huh?

Girl on a beach mat...

Make Poverty History...amazing, right?

Make Poverty History drawing from the side (40 ft long)

Spiderman to the rescue!

Girl in Swimming Pool (Remember, both her feet in reality are flat

on the pavement)

Politicians Meeting Their End...

Worlds biggest Fly...

This drawing of a Rescue above was to be viewed using an inverting mirror

Who is the real guy above and which Beer is the real one?

In the above pic; look closely, you can see the Bricks

through the Chalk on the Monitor Screen

There is no hole in this pavement!

People are actually avoiding walking in the square "hole" above!

Look at the superb 3D effect....

Don't miss seeing Julian Beever on top of the bottle...

Do you notice everything is fake?? Even the hose and water?

For some more drawings of Julian Beever check here.
Sky News of Julian Beever

The Threat of Botnets

The world of internet in 2006 was the year of Botnets.

What is a Botnet? Think of it as something of a Virus; but not exactly one. Botnets are networks of infected computers that can be controlled by a master computer. Such compromised computers are infected due a malicious code. The malicious code or malware is sent to computers through various means like email attachments, spam emails, video downloads, music downloads etc. Computers that are vulnerable are the first ones to be targeted. When computers do not have the latest upgrades, patches and anti virus software they are vulnerable to such malicious code or malware. Once infected it is not possible for the owner to know that his machine is compromised or infected. It is said that in the USA around 20% of all computers are estimated to be infected. Such infected computers are called Zombies or bots. They serve the interests of the vested few who control them. Once inside a PC, the installed malicious files perform all the functions they are programmed to do. They can install as a worm in the registry files.

Here are some of the dangerous ways in which botnets can be used:

Recording Keystroke information or Keylogging - With the help of a keylogger it is very easy for an attacker to retrieve sensitive information. This helps in stealing secret data.

Illegal pay per click advertising & Browser help Objects - Well know companies like Google, yahoo etc run advertisements. Bonnets can be used for financial gain.

Spamming – The Zombie machine can then be used for nefarious tasks such as spamming. With the help of a botnet and thousands of bots, an attacker is able to send massive amounts of bulk email (spam). The spammer stays anonymous.

Abuse of Google Adsense: AdSense offers companies the possibility to display Google advertisements on their own website and earn money this way. An attacker can abuse this program by leveraging his botnet to click on such advertisements in an automated fashion and thus artificially increments the click-counter.

Manipulating online polls - Since every bot has a distinct IP address, every vote will have the same credibility as a vote cast by a real person. Online games can be manipulated in a similar way.

Identity Theft – The controller controlling a botnet can collect a lot of personal information. Such data can then be used to build fake identities, which can be used to obtain access to personal accounts or perform various operations putting the blame on someone else. The controller never seems to be the one doing the theft.

ID Phishing Email: Here is an example of Barcalays letter by Phishing Scam email using botnet techniques. See also this BBC news

Computers with an ADSL always-on connection are at a greater risk since they usually have the machines connected to the net always. When protective software such as up to date anti virus software and proper firewalls are not used the computers are exposed to risks. Botnet operators are people with a high degree of crooked intelligence. They are light years ahead in their thinking and act in well organized crimes. The botnet controller might not be the one who has written the code. These people work in groups with amazing coordination. They often work with fake bank accounts and keep changing places with no permanent base. It is very difficult to catch a botnet controller. Very few crimes are brought to notice.

It is wise to have adware anti-spy software and the latest anti-virus software and protect your PC in every way possible. Keep your system updated, downloading patches and system updates for both the OS and for all applications accessing the web. Use qutomatic updates option to download regularly from Microsoft. Have a firewall. Try to minimize or deactivate support for scripting languages such as ActiveX and JavaScript. Also protection is necessary at the ISP level which is not in an individual’s hands. There is every chance the PC you are working on right now is serving some ones interests and you may be unaware. In a nutshell; a botnet affected computer is not fully owned by the owner but by some one else.

Warning Signs of a Stroke

Stroke is a life-or-death emergency in which every minute counts. Learn how to tell if someone may be having a stroke -- you could save a life. Often, stroke isn't treated as an emergency. The problem? One in three Americans can't identify any of the symptoms. That can lead to dangerous delays in getting care. Use this F.A.S.T. action plan to tell if someone may be having a stroke. You could save a life.

Face. Ask the person to smile. A stroke can cause one side of the face to droop. Abrupt dimming of vision or a sudden, severe headache with no known cause is also a warning signs.

Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downward, that could signal a stroke, which can trigger weakness, numbness or paralysis of an arm or leg, particularly on one side of the body. Sufferers may also have unexplained loss of balance, or a sudden fall.

Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Stroke victims may slur their words, have trouble speaking or understanding speech, or not be able to talk at all.

Time. If the person has any of these symptoms, call the emergency number. Stroke is a life-or-death emergency in which every minute counts. To have any hope of reversing the effects, a patient must get tPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) within three hours, or the Merci Retriever procedure within eight hours. The Merci Retrieval System is the first and only medical device with FDA clearance and CE Mark for the intended use of removing thrombus in acute ischemic stroke patients.For more information on this device, visit the manufacturer's website, concentric-medical.com, or the National Stroke Association at stroke.org.

Source of this article Reader's Digest

The Greatest Driving Road in the World

Look at what they have achieved in a desert.

The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the best driving roads in the world. Stretching for 7.3 miles and climbing nearly 4,000 feet, it boasts of 60 corners and a surface so smooth that it is to be experienced to be believed. The immaculate road was called the greatest driving road by automotive guide; Edmunds.com. The road scales the mountain and ends at a parking lot with a hotel and palace belonging to the country's rulers.

The road is cut into the Jebel Hafeet mountain, the highest peak in the United Arab Emirates , the oil-rich Gulf state. The road is a challenge for cyclists who frequently come to train there. The mountain spans the border with Oman and lies about 90 minutes' drive southeast of the thriving city of Dubai . It looks down upon a dusty, desert landscape that belies a nation of astonishing wealth.

About Jebel Hafeet: A mountain in UAE on the outskirts of Al Ain. The mountain rises 1240 meters and provides a lovely view of the city.

A Photograph to Make you Think

Have a close look at both the photographs & read the messages below them. Forwarding this link to as many people as you can wouldn't fulfill a wish; nor ignoring it will cause any misfortune; but its our moral duty to be concerned....towards humanity.

PS: Click on the first photo to view it bigger and read the message on it.

This was found in his diary:

"Dear God, I promise I will never waste my food no matter how bad it can taste and how full I may be. I pray that He will protect this little boy, guide and deliver him away from his misery. I pray that we will be more sensitive towards the world around us and not be blinded by our own selfish nature and interests.

I hope this picture will always serve as a reminder to us that how fortunate we are and that we must never ever take things for granted".

Email this link to friends. On this good day, let's make a prayer for the suffering in anywhere any place around the globe and send this friendly reminder to others; think & look at this...when you complain about your food and the food we waste daily...

Reason why people don't visit rich people's residence

Question: "What would you like to have...Fruit juice, Soda, Tea, Chocolate, Milo or Coffee?"
Answer: "Tea please"

Question: "Ceylon tea, Herbal tea, Bush tea, Honey bush tea, Ice tea or green tea?"
Answer: "Ceylon tea"

Question: "How would you like it black or white?"
Answer: "White"

Question: "Milk, Whitener, or Condensed milk?"
Answer: "With milk"

Question: "Goat milk, Camel milk or cow milk"
Answer: "With cow milk please”

Question: "Milk from Freeze land cow or Afrikaner cow?"
Answer: "Um, I'll take it black"

Question: "Would you like it with sweetener, sugar or honey?"
Answer: "With sugar"

Question: "Beet sugar or cane sugar?"
Answer: "Cane sugar"

Question:" White, brown or yellow sugar?"
Answer: "Forget about tea just give me a glass of water instead.”

Question: "Mineral water or still water?"
Answer: "Mineral water"

Question: "Flavored or non-flavored?"
Answer: "I'll rather die of thirst”

Source: Unknown (via email)