Twitter has patched a flaw in its website that was being exploited to pump out pop-up messages and links to porn sites.
Initially, users only had to move their mouse over a message containing a link - not click it - to open it in the browser.
The code was spread by worms, self-replicating, malicious pieces of code.
Thousands of users were caught out by the flaw, including Sarah Brown, the wife of the UK's former Prime Minister.
"This issue is now resolved. We apologise to those who may have encountered it," wrote Bob Lord, security chief at the firm, in a blog post.
"Users may still see strange retweets in their timelines caused by the exploit. However, we are not aware of any issues related to it that would cause harm to computers or their accounts."
The firm said there was no need for users to change their passwords "because user account information was not compromised".
People using the mobile web site or third-party Twitter software - such as Tweetdeck - were unaffected by the bug.
The flaw comes just one week after Twitter rolled out a major redesign of its site.
The code exploited what is known as a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability, a flaw in a website that can be exploited by relatively simple code.
In the case of the most recent incident, the command - written in a programming language called Javascript - automatically directed users to another website, some of which contained pornography.
The malicious links looked like a block of colour or a random URL that contained the code "onmouseover", which triggered when the cursor hovered over the link.
"Other users took this one step further and added code that caused people to retweet the original Tweet without their knowledge," wrote Mr Lord.
The first self-replicating code, or worm, seems to have been written by a developer called Magnus Holm.
"I simply wanted to exploit the hole without doing any 'real' harm," he told BBC News. "It started off as 'ha, no way this is going to work'."
He said the flaw had been identified by others and had already been used for other means.
"There were several other tiny hacks using the exploit - I only created the worm," he said.
Mr Holm said he had seen his worm passed around in at least 200,000 messages.
Others soon copied his code using "other nasty or smart tricks" he said, including directing people to porn sites.
"It was only a matter of time before more serious worms started."
A Twitter user called Matsta appeared to have spread one variant. Their account has now been suspended.
Mr Holm said he had no regrets about his actions and was "not sure" whether he would receive a call from Twitter.
It is not the first time the service has suffered an attack.
In April 2009, another worm spread links to a rival site, again showing unwanted messages on infected user accounts.
Graham Cluley, a researcher at security firm Sophos, told BBC News that Twitter needs "much tighter control" over what users can put in a tweet to prevent similar problems in the future.
He also warned users to continue to be on their guard, as once an exploit had been found there would be a raft of hackers looking for new ones or ways to circumvent the patch.
"We've seen it in the past," he said. "When Twitter says they have fixed a flaw, we see a new exploit again and again."
September 22, 2010
What Does Creatine Do?
When creatine as a supplement first came out there were many myths circulating about the safety of the substance, with stories of weights crashing down on people and alsorts of similar horror stories.
While it isn’t known why stories like these were spread they have since been proven to be false and creatine is now considered by most to be a safe supplement, just like protein powder or any other common supplement used in bodybuilding.
Creatine Monohydrate will enhance any strength trainers workout session as it allows you to lift for longer, this means instead of burning out at 3 repetitions of a heavy weight, you could in fact lift for a longer period of time, say 10 seconds, along you to complete a full working set of 8 repetitions, which is regards as the best number of reps to promote muscle growth.
Due to the fact you lifted heavier for an adequate number of repetitions, the muscles will now repair and grow larger than they would have been able to previously.
While it isn’t known why stories like these were spread they have since been proven to be false and creatine is now considered by most to be a safe supplement, just like protein powder or any other common supplement used in bodybuilding.
Creatine Monohydrate will enhance any strength trainers workout session as it allows you to lift for longer, this means instead of burning out at 3 repetitions of a heavy weight, you could in fact lift for a longer period of time, say 10 seconds, along you to complete a full working set of 8 repetitions, which is regards as the best number of reps to promote muscle growth.
Due to the fact you lifted heavier for an adequate number of repetitions, the muscles will now repair and grow larger than they would have been able to previously.
Oh Lindsay?!
Lindsay Lohan, who admitted on Twitter in the middle of the night Friday that she "regrettably" failed two court-ordered drug tests by testing positive for cocaine in her system, was all smiles as she sauntered her way into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting here in SoCal last night.
It appears that L. Lo wants anything but anonymity when she attends these meetings so that we can see how serious she is taking her newest attempt at sobriety:
Lindsay Lohan looked calm and in control last night as she arrived at an AA meeting in Hollywood. But friends are claiming that underneath the calm exterior, the actress is panicking about what is going to happen to her after she failed two mandatory drug tests.
Wearing a stripey short playsuit with a black hat and black boots, Lindsay even managed a smile at one point. But according to TMZ, the Mean Girls star is 'beating herself up' over the tests, one of which tested positive for cocaine. Her friends also say Lindsay 'feels like she just ruined all these really great opportunities that were coming her way.'
And it looks like the actress should be worried about the effect this will have on her career. Her role as Linda Lovelace in upcoming biopic Inferno will be in serious jeopardy if Judge Fox refuses Lindsay permission to travel. As Inferno is due to shoot in Louisiana, this would throw the movie into serious financial turmoil … Unsurprisingly, producers of the film are said to be at the end of their tether where Lindsay's problems are concerned and are 'beyond irritated by the recent developments',stating 'concern of her commitment to the work.'
The actress admitted on Twitter that she is still taking drugs – which will put her back behind bars for 30 days. The 24-year-old admitted to failing a court-ordered drug test for cocaine and said: 'I am taking responsibility for my actions.'
On a positive note, I will say that I do applaud Lindsay for making the effort to attend these AA meetings. Irregardless of whether or not she is going for the right reasons (and I suspect, at least on some level that she is going for the right reasons), I believe she will greatly benefit in a positive way from just showing up.
I still find it very hard to believe that L Lo is truly ready to "take responsibility" for her actions because for that to happen her life would have to change radically and she would have to actually PAY for her criminal mistakes. I'm still curious to see what the ruling judge overseeing her ongoing probation will do now that she has admitted to failing two drug tests.
Will he actually follow thru and throw her back in jail, essentially forcing her to "take responsibility" for her actions? We may find out very soon. For her sake, I hope she is forced to truly take responsibility … otherwise, as we have seen, I firmly believe that if Lindsay Lohan is left to her own devices she will surely continue to destroy her life.
It appears that L. Lo wants anything but anonymity when she attends these meetings so that we can see how serious she is taking her newest attempt at sobriety:
Lindsay Lohan looked calm and in control last night as she arrived at an AA meeting in Hollywood. But friends are claiming that underneath the calm exterior, the actress is panicking about what is going to happen to her after she failed two mandatory drug tests.
Wearing a stripey short playsuit with a black hat and black boots, Lindsay even managed a smile at one point. But according to TMZ, the Mean Girls star is 'beating herself up' over the tests, one of which tested positive for cocaine. Her friends also say Lindsay 'feels like she just ruined all these really great opportunities that were coming her way.'
And it looks like the actress should be worried about the effect this will have on her career. Her role as Linda Lovelace in upcoming biopic Inferno will be in serious jeopardy if Judge Fox refuses Lindsay permission to travel. As Inferno is due to shoot in Louisiana, this would throw the movie into serious financial turmoil … Unsurprisingly, producers of the film are said to be at the end of their tether where Lindsay's problems are concerned and are 'beyond irritated by the recent developments',stating 'concern of her commitment to the work.'
The actress admitted on Twitter that she is still taking drugs – which will put her back behind bars for 30 days. The 24-year-old admitted to failing a court-ordered drug test for cocaine and said: 'I am taking responsibility for my actions.'
On a positive note, I will say that I do applaud Lindsay for making the effort to attend these AA meetings. Irregardless of whether or not she is going for the right reasons (and I suspect, at least on some level that she is going for the right reasons), I believe she will greatly benefit in a positive way from just showing up.
I still find it very hard to believe that L Lo is truly ready to "take responsibility" for her actions because for that to happen her life would have to change radically and she would have to actually PAY for her criminal mistakes. I'm still curious to see what the ruling judge overseeing her ongoing probation will do now that she has admitted to failing two drug tests.
Will he actually follow thru and throw her back in jail, essentially forcing her to "take responsibility" for her actions? We may find out very soon. For her sake, I hope she is forced to truly take responsibility … otherwise, as we have seen, I firmly believe that if Lindsay Lohan is left to her own devices she will surely continue to destroy her life.
Nutri-System. Does it really work?
Yesterday, a friend of mine was seeking feedback on this weight loss system called Nutrisystem. She's asking if it really works or not?
So we did a few searches online and asked does nutrisystem really work and here's what we found out.
It turns out, a high school friend of mine blogged about it a few months ago and she says that one of her mom's friends did it and it was effective that's why she's planning to do it also.
She swears that if you really eat only what you get from the system you will definitely lose weight, because that's what her mom's friend did. She says that the food was alright, but it was the type of food like healthy versions of junk food that tricks your mind into thinking it had whatever it was craving.
After learning this, I think I want to do this too.
So we did a few searches online and asked does nutrisystem really work and here's what we found out.
It turns out, a high school friend of mine blogged about it a few months ago and she says that one of her mom's friends did it and it was effective that's why she's planning to do it also.
She swears that if you really eat only what you get from the system you will definitely lose weight, because that's what her mom's friend did. She says that the food was alright, but it was the type of food like healthy versions of junk food that tricks your mind into thinking it had whatever it was craving.
After learning this, I think I want to do this too.
September 21, 2010
Another Great Mad Men Episode: Hail Mrs. Blankenship
Another week, another great episode of "Mad Men." The show has really settled into a solid groove of awesomeness over the course of the past several weeks. Not that it isn't always pretty darned awesome, but ever since Episode 4.6, it's been mindbogglingly good.
Given the title of this blog, I feel obliged to start things off by discussing the late, great Mrs. Ida Blankenship. I've spent much of this season under the presumption that Bert Cooper would be the one to die in the saddle at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Not that I'm rooting for Robert Morse to leave the show, but it just seemed like we hadn't been seeing a whole lot of him this year, so I thought that perhaps that Bert's days were numbered…and maybe they still are, but I certainly never expected that Mrs. Blankenship would beat him to the punch.
Of Mrs. Blankenship's death, Roger quipped, "She died as she lived: surrounded by the people she answered phones for." Similarly, the character departed in much the same way that she existed: as a punchline. There was some straight-up "Weekend at Bernie's" schtick going on in the background as Don desperately tried to maintain his meeting with the gentlemen from Fillmore Auto Parts, and even though that isn't necessarily the sort of thing that I expect when I tune in to "Mad Men," it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. If I laugh harder at a Don Draper line this season than "I'd have my secretary do it, but she's dead," I'll be very surprised. Still, Mrs. Blankenship's demise did also lead to a sad, sweet moment from Bert, when he poetically described her as "an astronaut," and it served to remind Roger of his mortality, which ultimately found him living life to the fullest…but we'll get to that.
Don's relationship with his hot blonde doctor has obviously progressed rather well since the end of last episode. Back then, he wasn't willing to take things beyond the back seat of the cab, but now they're indulging in a bit of early afternoon delightful at his place. There's a lot of flirting going on, but the depth of the conversation remains relatively limited, as evidenced by her refusal to be as open with her goings-on as he is with his. I have to admit, though, that as soon as she made reference to a Chinese wall, this is the first thing that leaped into my mind:
I wasn't terribly surprised to discover that Sally had essentially run away from Betty, seeking solace in the arms of her father. She's always felt closer to Don, and as Betty has become progressively more evil toward her, it was only inevitable that she'd press the issue about living with him. Having her there during the whole Mrs. Blankenship saga only added a further element of silliness to those goings-on, but things got more serious as the episode progressed. It's clear that, aside from Don's dalliances with the opposite sex, he and Sally get along very well together, and she's clearly doing her best to win her daddy over with her cooking (the bit with her accidentally using the rum as pancake syrup was priceless). Indeed, I'd guess one of the primary reasons for her explosion in his office was less to do with Faye trying to interact with her and more to do with the frustration of not knowing what else she could possibly do to show Don that she wouldn't be any problem if she lived with him. Watching all of the women congregate in the doorway as Betty prepared to take Sally away was one of the most depressing shots in the show's history, and I kept waiting for Don to say something about maybe having Sally live with him full time…but it never happened. Damn you, Don Draper…
Speaking of Faye, I was surprised both at Faye's reaction to the Sally situation and at Don's tenderness toward her. Despite the fact that Faye's made it sound as though she and Don aren't exclusive, it's clear that both are taking this relationship rather seriously, even if neither of them are necessarily willing to commit to it 100% quite yet.
The Roger / Joan storyline this week was extremely interesting. I laughed at poor, deluded Roger trying to defend his book's quality in his first scene of the episode, and his delusional state continued as he unabashedly flirted with Joan when she came into his office. She wasn't having it, though, and we soon discovered that at least part of the reason for her tepid reaction was that she'd just learned of her husband's imminent departure to Vietnam. It was a sweet gesture on Roger's part to gift her with a massage, but, again, she went frosty when he dared to ask her to dinner. It isn't until after Mrs. Blankenship's death and the obvious affect it has on him that she finally agrees to go out for a meal, and they have a pleasant enough time together, though you'd have to be a fool to think that he really meant it when he said that he didn't expect anything to happen.
Similarly, though, it's not like they could've predicted that they'd be mugged after leaving the restaurant, resulting in such a tremendous surge of adrenaline that they'd succumb to their passions once more. I liked the way how, come the morning, Joan was willing to concede that there was a moment. If she's willing to admit that much to Roger, then it was clearly more than just a moment. She knows him well enough to know that, by even acknowledging that there was one, he's never going to give up on trying to capture that moment again…and again and again and again.
All told, I found Peggy's storyline the least gripping of the episode, but it did serve to once again remind us that, although she doesn't suffer fools gladly when it comes to her romantic relationships, she does learn from her mistakes: even though Abe may have put his big, fat foot in his mouth when he mocked her premise that sexism and racism were inherently similar problems in the workplace, he still managed to open her eyes to the issue with Fillmore Auto Parts and try to do something about it. I still don't know what to make of her new lesbian buddy. Peggy definitely doesn't seem interested in crossing over to that side of the street, but it's hard to imagine that they're just bringing her around to show that Peggy's open-minded.
It was, as I said at the beginning, another great episode. What were your thoughts about the teaser for next week? I have this sneaking suspicion that Betty's having Sally institutionalized... but maybe that's just me.
Given the title of this blog, I feel obliged to start things off by discussing the late, great Mrs. Ida Blankenship. I've spent much of this season under the presumption that Bert Cooper would be the one to die in the saddle at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Not that I'm rooting for Robert Morse to leave the show, but it just seemed like we hadn't been seeing a whole lot of him this year, so I thought that perhaps that Bert's days were numbered…and maybe they still are, but I certainly never expected that Mrs. Blankenship would beat him to the punch.
Of Mrs. Blankenship's death, Roger quipped, "She died as she lived: surrounded by the people she answered phones for." Similarly, the character departed in much the same way that she existed: as a punchline. There was some straight-up "Weekend at Bernie's" schtick going on in the background as Don desperately tried to maintain his meeting with the gentlemen from Fillmore Auto Parts, and even though that isn't necessarily the sort of thing that I expect when I tune in to "Mad Men," it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. If I laugh harder at a Don Draper line this season than "I'd have my secretary do it, but she's dead," I'll be very surprised. Still, Mrs. Blankenship's demise did also lead to a sad, sweet moment from Bert, when he poetically described her as "an astronaut," and it served to remind Roger of his mortality, which ultimately found him living life to the fullest…but we'll get to that.
Don's relationship with his hot blonde doctor has obviously progressed rather well since the end of last episode. Back then, he wasn't willing to take things beyond the back seat of the cab, but now they're indulging in a bit of early afternoon delightful at his place. There's a lot of flirting going on, but the depth of the conversation remains relatively limited, as evidenced by her refusal to be as open with her goings-on as he is with his. I have to admit, though, that as soon as she made reference to a Chinese wall, this is the first thing that leaped into my mind:
I wasn't terribly surprised to discover that Sally had essentially run away from Betty, seeking solace in the arms of her father. She's always felt closer to Don, and as Betty has become progressively more evil toward her, it was only inevitable that she'd press the issue about living with him. Having her there during the whole Mrs. Blankenship saga only added a further element of silliness to those goings-on, but things got more serious as the episode progressed. It's clear that, aside from Don's dalliances with the opposite sex, he and Sally get along very well together, and she's clearly doing her best to win her daddy over with her cooking (the bit with her accidentally using the rum as pancake syrup was priceless). Indeed, I'd guess one of the primary reasons for her explosion in his office was less to do with Faye trying to interact with her and more to do with the frustration of not knowing what else she could possibly do to show Don that she wouldn't be any problem if she lived with him. Watching all of the women congregate in the doorway as Betty prepared to take Sally away was one of the most depressing shots in the show's history, and I kept waiting for Don to say something about maybe having Sally live with him full time…but it never happened. Damn you, Don Draper…
Speaking of Faye, I was surprised both at Faye's reaction to the Sally situation and at Don's tenderness toward her. Despite the fact that Faye's made it sound as though she and Don aren't exclusive, it's clear that both are taking this relationship rather seriously, even if neither of them are necessarily willing to commit to it 100% quite yet.
The Roger / Joan storyline this week was extremely interesting. I laughed at poor, deluded Roger trying to defend his book's quality in his first scene of the episode, and his delusional state continued as he unabashedly flirted with Joan when she came into his office. She wasn't having it, though, and we soon discovered that at least part of the reason for her tepid reaction was that she'd just learned of her husband's imminent departure to Vietnam. It was a sweet gesture on Roger's part to gift her with a massage, but, again, she went frosty when he dared to ask her to dinner. It isn't until after Mrs. Blankenship's death and the obvious affect it has on him that she finally agrees to go out for a meal, and they have a pleasant enough time together, though you'd have to be a fool to think that he really meant it when he said that he didn't expect anything to happen.
Similarly, though, it's not like they could've predicted that they'd be mugged after leaving the restaurant, resulting in such a tremendous surge of adrenaline that they'd succumb to their passions once more. I liked the way how, come the morning, Joan was willing to concede that there was a moment. If she's willing to admit that much to Roger, then it was clearly more than just a moment. She knows him well enough to know that, by even acknowledging that there was one, he's never going to give up on trying to capture that moment again…and again and again and again.
All told, I found Peggy's storyline the least gripping of the episode, but it did serve to once again remind us that, although she doesn't suffer fools gladly when it comes to her romantic relationships, she does learn from her mistakes: even though Abe may have put his big, fat foot in his mouth when he mocked her premise that sexism and racism were inherently similar problems in the workplace, he still managed to open her eyes to the issue with Fillmore Auto Parts and try to do something about it. I still don't know what to make of her new lesbian buddy. Peggy definitely doesn't seem interested in crossing over to that side of the street, but it's hard to imagine that they're just bringing her around to show that Peggy's open-minded.
It was, as I said at the beginning, another great episode. What were your thoughts about the teaser for next week? I have this sneaking suspicion that Betty's having Sally institutionalized... but maybe that's just me.
All Natural
A friend asked me for help because she's having a hard time finding a good natural treatment, especially for cystic acne. I know how difficult it can be to find natural acne products because I've searched for it also before.
But there are a lot of products out there that can help. Products which are 100% natural with no chemicals what so ever. The last thing you want is to inflame your acne even more.
That’s why it’s important to make sure every acne product you buy to treat cystic acne, or even any other type of acne, is really 100% natural. You have to remember that a lot of products are "natural" but not all of them are really chemical free.
Secondly the product should have added bonus of working with your body, that is to eliminate the causes of cystic, and not just "burn" away your acne for a couple of weeks, which would only make it worse in the long run anyway.
But there are a lot of products out there that can help. Products which are 100% natural with no chemicals what so ever. The last thing you want is to inflame your acne even more.
That’s why it’s important to make sure every acne product you buy to treat cystic acne, or even any other type of acne, is really 100% natural. You have to remember that a lot of products are "natural" but not all of them are really chemical free.
Secondly the product should have added bonus of working with your body, that is to eliminate the causes of cystic, and not just "burn" away your acne for a couple of weeks, which would only make it worse in the long run anyway.
September 20, 2010
Toronto Film Festival Awards
The Toronto International Film Festival topped off an impressive festival with an exuberant awards ceremony on Sunday. Canadians dominated the celebration, including key wins by filmmakers Sturla Gunnarsson, Denis Villeneuve, Deborah Chow and Vincent Biron.
The ceremony may also provide a glimpse into the next race for Oscars, with British director Tom Hooper's The King's Speech singled out in the most significant category.
The King’s Speech earned the Cadillac People’s Choice Award as the favorite film of the 2010 festival, with the work of another British director, Justin Chadwick's The First Grader, earning runner-up status.
Precious, last year's People's Choice winner, went on to compete in the Oscars, including as best picture. Slumdog Millionaire, the 2008 People's Choice, went on to take the best picture Oscar in its year.
The ceremony may also provide a glimpse into the next race for Oscars, with British director Tom Hooper's The King's Speech singled out in the most significant category.
The King’s Speech earned the Cadillac People’s Choice Award as the favorite film of the 2010 festival, with the work of another British director, Justin Chadwick's The First Grader, earning runner-up status.
Precious, last year's People's Choice winner, went on to compete in the Oscars, including as best picture. Slumdog Millionaire, the 2008 People's Choice, went on to take the best picture Oscar in its year.
About Phentermine
What is phentermine?
According to a medical book I have, phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine, which is similar to an amphetamine. It is also known as an "anorectic" or "anorexigenic" drug.
It basically stimulates your nerves and your brain to increase your heart rate and blood pressure and decreases your appetite. It is commonly used as a short-term supplement for diet and exercise to be able to treat of obesity.
Why am I telling you this, because I received an email asking about it. I guess that person encountered the term and decided to ask me about what it is.
According to a medical book I have, phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine, which is similar to an amphetamine. It is also known as an "anorectic" or "anorexigenic" drug.
It basically stimulates your nerves and your brain to increase your heart rate and blood pressure and decreases your appetite. It is commonly used as a short-term supplement for diet and exercise to be able to treat of obesity.
Why am I telling you this, because I received an email asking about it. I guess that person encountered the term and decided to ask me about what it is.
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