Blog Articles

Twitters Denial of Service Attack

Fri, 07 7 Aug 2009 01:17:03 GMT

Hey folks! Too bad for Twitter huh? It's just another case of a site becoming a victim of its own success.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Denial of Service Attack

On this otherwise happy Thursday morning, Twitter is the target of a denial of service attack. Attacks such as this are malicious efforts orchestrated to disrupt and make unavailable services such as online banks, credit card payment gateways, and in this case, Twitter for intended customers or users. We are defending against this attack now and will continue to update our status blog as we continue to defend and later investigate.

Michael Jackson Memorial Tickets Selling For Thousands

Tue, 07 7 Jul 2009 02:20:50 GMT

Michael Jackson Memorial Tickets Selling For Thousands

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A child passes a large poster at the Staples Center in Los Angeles , Sunday, July 5, 2009. The venue is the planned location for late pop star Michael Jackson's memorial service scheduled for Tuesday, July 7. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

NEW YORK — Michael Jackson's concerts always were difficult to get tickets to, but that's nothing compared to the pop star's memorial service.

On eBay, bids for tickets for Tuesday's event were reaching as high as $3,000, though it was impossible to verify the seriousness of those bids. On Craigslist, asking prices also were in the thousands. Some unable to attend, though, simply wanted to give away their tickets _ as one post read _ "to only true fans."

Throughout the day, both eBay and Craigslist were taking down postings attempting to sell tickets to the memorial service, which will be held at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

More than 1.6 million fans registered online for a chance to attend, and only 8,750 names were chosen _ each of whom received two free tickets.

Organizers have also made efforts to prevent scalping. Staples Center spokesman Michael Roth said organizers will check IDs to make sure those picking up wristbands are the same people who originally applied online.

Ticket winners also have to present a unique code when picking up tickets, as many did Monday at Dodger Stadium. A bracelet for the event was immediately placed on ticketholders' wrists, though they were permitted to give anyone their second bracelet.

Demand for the tickets was likely to only increase after representatives for Jackson's family released a list of participants Monday. Among those scheduled to attend the ceremony are Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant, Brooke Shields, Usher and John Mayer.

Even the rejection notices fans received informing them that they had not won tickets to the memorial service were being auctioned. For a dollar or two, some on eBay offered to forward a copy of their rejection e-mail as "a collector's piece for a fan."

More swine flu cases worry health officials

Mon, 27 27 Apr 2009 01:24:28 GMT

We told you earlier this week about two cases of an unusual form of swine flu diagnosed in children from California. Now it looks like those two were just the beginning of a larger problem that may already be in two states and throughout Mexico.

Though it’s not possible to get swine flu from eating pork products, and this variation doesn’t seem to have started with contact with pigs, we thought we’d still share the latest on what’s likely to be the biggest health story in the news for the foreseeable future.

Cases in U.S. up to seven

Homeland Security secretary Janet Nopalitano declared a public health emergency on Sunday (there is no secretary of Health and Human Services yet, who would normally be in charge of such an outbreak, and Obama was golfing) and current reports say that at least 20 Americans have been sickened by the flu.

Those cases have been found in California, Texas, Ohio and Kansas, as well as a cluster among high school students in New York, some of whom had visited Mexico for Spring Break.

People visiting the United States from other countries will be asked about their illness history but will not be barred from the country just for having come from Mexico (or other countries with the flu if it spreads). The nation’s stockpile of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which has so far been an effective treatment, has also been released.

None of the patients is known to have had direct contact with pigs before getting sick, which is what makes these cases so unusual. Getting the illness directly from a pig is a lot more common.

Also, the genetic combination of flu strains — including North American swine and avian influenza and human and swine influenza strains from Asia and Europe — is one that hasn’t been seen before. And while the strain is resistant to some antiviral medications, others did work to treat it, officials say.

Another outbreak in Mexico

Meanwhile in Mexico, the situation is more dire, with an estimated 61 deaths and more than 800 thought to have been infected

Schools in Mexico City have been closed and public events canceled until further notice, and people are advised to avoid physical contact with other people or share glasses, dishes or cutlery for fear of spreading the flu. The World Health Organization fears that with cases in Mexico and parts of the United States the illness will spread and possibly mutate into a more deadly strain, but for now the agency is collecting information before it decides whether to increase the potential threat level of the outbreak.

And in Asia, where folks are used to health dangers like SARS and bird flu, countries have quickly ramped up anti-contamination efforts including testing at docks and airports and health screens for visitors.

Truth Comes Out After Chris Brown's Court Appearance!

Fri, 06 6 Mar 2009 14:32:29 GMT

Friday 8:45 AM, 06/03/2009

Chris Brown has postponed his case until April 6th. Probably hoping to arrange some kind of deal so there won't be a long fullblown trial

Singer Chris Brown was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats yesterday in a Los Angeles Court. A police report was presented stating exactly what happened that night. Chris beat Rihanna repeatedly while driving, he smashed her head against the car window and threatened to kill her and even bit her ear! We don't understand why she is back with this guy and neither does her dad. He has now come out saying he is worried that someone has a "stronghold" on Rihanna because neither he or her mother can make contact with Ri-Ri. Her phone numbers and email address have been changed. This sounds really bad to us!(TMZ and USMagazine)

Preparing Kids For A Smaller Christmas

Fri, 05 5 Dec 2008 16:27:54 GMT

Hey folks! I know its been a while. I'm pursuing some other business ventures. I will continue to keep this site up for all of you who wish to continue and check out the various ads. Checkout my latest article.

"Tell a friend to tell a friend!!!"

by Amy Hatch Dec 5th 2008 8:00AM

Categories: Money & work, Holidays

It's official -- the U.S. economy is in a recession. So what does that mean for Santa's sack? For many of us, it will be much smaller this year. If you're like me and you tend to go overboard at the holidays, but you're cutting back this year, experts say you might want to prepare your kids for less loot under the tree.

Teens are readily able to grasp the concept of budgeting, but what about the little ones?

Holiday 2008 Gift Guide: Under $20

Wrapables.com

10 photos

Magic Bean

Even the youngest child can appreciate the thrill of seeing something grow from a mere seed. What makes this seed so special is the secret message it reveals as it grows. Just add water and in about two weeks, the words "I Love You" or "Good Luck" will appear on this Jack Bean stalk. $11.95 at Wrapables .
Ages 5+

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Holiday 2008 Gift Guide: Under $20

Wrapables.com

Bananagrams

A gift the whole family can enjoy, Banagrams is a word game that can be played simultaneously by spellers of all levels. 144 letters in a bright yellow pouch provide take-along fun while helping to build vocabulary and improve spelling skills. So much fun, the kids might not even notice they are learning. $15.00 at Creative Kids Stuff
Ages 7+

CreativeKidsStuff.com

Paint Your Own Tea Set

Playing tea party is fun, but playing with a tea set you made yourself is even better. This one comes complete with 17 pieces of white porcelain just waiting to be adorned with the brightly colored non-toxic paint. Let it set for a few days or bake it in the oven and the art becomes permanent. $12.95 at Amazon.com
Ages 8+

Amazon.com

3-D Drawing Pad

Stereographic background paper lets little doodlers create their own 3-D images. Simply draw on the pad, don the groovy glasses and you have instant 3 dimensional awesomeness. At just $7.99 for a pad of 50 sheets, you can buy two and keep one for yourself at Perpetual Kid.
Ages 3+

PerpetualKid.com

Antworks

This is not your father's ant farm. Sand has been replaced with gel and the results are groovy 3-D ant tunnels. Even better? The ants get their food and water from the gel, so they are practically care-free. The habitat kit comes with instructions and a magnifying glass for up-close viewing. Ants not included. $19.49 at Discover This.
Ages 6+

DiscoverThis.com

Bubble Gum Factory

What kid doesn't like bubble gum? Make them work for it with this Bubble Gum Factory kit. Kit includes everything needed to make flavored, color-changing and even gooey center-filled gum. From the Discovery Channel Store at Amazon.com for $16.96.
Ages 8+

Amazon.com

Cadaco's Spectacular Magic Show Set

Now you see it, now you don't! Clever kids can amaze their friends and family by making playing cards vanish, pouring paint from an empty can and more. Includes everything needed to perform 100 different magic tricks, including an instructional DVD. $19.99 at Target.
Ages 7+

MagicTrickZone.com

Pizza Party Play Food

Get little chefs cooking with a pizza party. This all-wood set comes complete with six slices of pizza on a tray, a cutter, a spatula and over 50 toppings to mix and match. Packaged in a wooden box with a see-through lid, it sells for $15.96 at Gummy Lump.
Ages 3+

GummyLump.com

Zoob Construction Set

Most building sets allow kids to build stuff and that's about it. With Zoob, they can actually play with their creations. The pieces snap together to form joints that rotate, extend, spin and more. Get their creative juices flowing with 55-piece collection of Zoob pieces for only $11.99 at Stuff Kids Like.
Ages 6+

StuffKidsLike.com

Pirates of the Tub

Make bath time a lot more fun with this cool pirate set. Includes foam pieces that stick to the walls, island-building pieces and three pirate squirters. Set contains 38 phthalate-free pieces and a suction-cup mesh bag for drying. Ahoy! $18.95 at Growing Tree Toys.
Ages 3+

GrowingTreeToys.com

One Big Family: Try explaining the concept by saying that our country is one big family, and everyone needs to spend a little less, even Santa. Be honest and brief; don't overload the little ones with lots of heavy grown-up concepts.

Make A List: Kids should still be encouraged to make a list, and don't limit them. Allow them to include everything they desire, even the extravagant stuff. As the holiday gets closer, ask them to revisit the list and choose a few items that are really important to them. Ask them to explain to you just why those items are so crucial.

Tell The Truth: Don't set them up for disappointment. Be honest if there is a big-ticket item that won't be under the tree.

Shop Together: When purchasing gifts for others, bring the kids with you. It can be a subtle way to teach about budgeting, and also helps show them that giving is just as fun as getting.

Deal With Tantrums: If your child is still unprepared and wakes up to disappointment on Christmas morning, he or she just might have a melt-down. After all, the holidays are all about build-up, and those TV advertisements can get under their skin. Lovingly but firmly deal with it as you would any other melt-down.

My kids would be happy if I wrapped an empty box and put it under the tree, so the giving is really about me. However, I know that in the long run, it is a greater gift to exercise fiscal restraint in these uncertain times.

Halloween Ideas Blog

Fri, 31 31 Oct 2008 00:29:51 GMT

People just love Halloween and it is easy to understand why, Halloween allows people to show their creativity in a variety of fun and exciting ways. This holiday season instead of purchasing a costume from your local shopping center why not have some fun and create your own unique one of a kind costume! If your really feeling ambitious you might consider throwing Halloween party for the adults or creeping out the kids by creating your own haunted house, complete with props and decorations. Our online article on creating a super scary sound effects CD will be of use for both a hunted house or Halloween party. Celebrate the spooky season with fun cell phone wallpaper for Halloween, then each time you answer your cell phone you can view fun Halloween pumpkin wallpaper. Those into mail order shopping for Halloween items can find a listing of Halloween catalog retailers here. Halloween is rich with History and lore, you can learn about Halloween, get ideas at Halloween Cat.com

Of course Halloween would not be complete without a cool jack o lantern, learn how to get the job done with our article how to carve a pumpkin. When your carving out your pumpkin don't forget to save the fleshy inside as well as the seeds, both are important ingredients in Halloween recipes.

Does Facebook have an answer for MySpace Music?

Mon, 15 15 Sep 2008 19:20:24 GMT

Hey folks! Long time no blog to. Here is my latest blog:

"Tell a friend to tell a friend!!"

With the launch of the much-anticipated MySpace Music expected within the week, tech industry wags are already asking if MySpace's archrival Facebook has its own "social music" strategy.

Now Facebook, despite bouts of indecision, may be leaning toward a plan: The social music service iLike announced Monday that Radio Retaliation, the forthcoming album from electronica duo Thievery Corporation will make its exclusive debut Thursday on its site. (It probably wasn't a coincidence that Thievery Corporation was the headlining musical act at Facebook's F8 conference in July.)

iLike became a runaway success on Facebook's platform and was selected as one of the social network's preferred "Great Apps" at F8. The music site has debuted albums before, most notably R.E.M.'s Accelerate in February, but this one will be officially promoted by Facebook in a "listening party" that lasts until the album's wide-release debut on September 23.

Facebook's choice to openly promote iLike as a "Great App" and enter into an album release partnership is a distinct shift away from the "neutral platform" image that Facebook has cultivated in the past. So does this mean that Facebook is finally going to embrace music?

Officially, the answer is a coy maybe. "For Facebook to start doing more things with iLike is definitely in the direction of keeping things pressing forward," Ali Partovi, co-founder and CEO of iLike, said in a phone interview last week. He described the Seattle start-up's relationship with Facebook as "ongoing and deep." Facebook representatives produce a standard "no comment" on future plans, except to say that digital music is a niche that the company continues to explore.

Unofficially, the answer isn't all that different. Music industry sources say Facebook has been notably indecisive about its music plans, frustrating industry executives who would love to have another major digital outlet for their music, despite their investments in MySpace's planned music service. It's gotten so bad that executives at one major recording label call Facebook's clumsy two-step of initial enthusiasm and meetings that lead nowhere "the Facebook dance."

A straight-up music service, or some other kind of potentially lucrative music strategy like promotion or ticket sales, hasn't been as natural a fit for Facebook or, for that matter, MySpace (perhaps that will change this week, of course, for MySpace).

This struggle has been going on since 2004, when the creators of Facebook--then a small site limited to students with e-mail addresses from a select number of U.S. universities--built a side project called Wirehog. Now mostly forgotten, Wirehog allowed Facebook members to share their music libraries and other files with people on their friends lists.

Wirehog, which was cross-promoted on Facebook and used the same user credentials but was never officially a part of the site, didn't last long. With obvious potential legal issues, the service was suspended in early 2005.

Company insiders say the music debate has been going on inside Facebook since then. For a while in late 2007 and early 2008, it looked like a Facebook music service might be on the way as rumors spread that the company was negotiating with labels and looking to hire a "music czar." But the most that came out of it publicly was Facebook's "Fan Pages" feature, which were marketed to music artists as well as to other brands, movies, television shows, and products.

With MySpace Music on the way, and entertainment-focused social sites like Imeem and Buzznet making headlines, the pressure is on Facebook to finally make up its mind. One source within the digital music industry said to expect more aggressive music initiatives from Facebook in the next three to five months. Another said that in addition to iLike, Facebook has met with subscription-music companies Napster and Rhapsody. Both make sense: Rhapsody has partnered with iLike to provide full-length music playback, and early Napster exec Sean Parker was Facebook's first president before he left to join the Founders Fund, the venture firm run by Facebook investor Peter Thiel.

"All social networks are aggressively looking at adding social music features to their experience, said one executive in the digital music industry who asked not to be named. "I think for the last six months I've really seen almost every social network out there, the top 20, all making moves to go after social music."

The ad industry, still lukewarm on the prospects of getting good click-through rates from display ads on social profiles, will be more upbeat about serving their inventory on music-related content, the executive said. Entertainment, even digital entertainment, is a more familiar playing field.

Now, there is plenty of "social music" on Facebook. iLike's application is one of many: Imeem, Pandora, and Last.fm (which is owned by CBS, publisher of CNET News) all have applications on the platform. Many bands have created "fan pages" on Facebook, though MySpace remains the hub of choice for most band promotion in the U.S.

But this is where the advertising issue comes up again: Facebook does not charge for external applications on its platform, nor does it take a cut of the revenue. In spite of its ongoing development of "Social Ads" as an alternative to display advertising, advertiser confidence in Facebook and the social-network industry as a whole remains low.

It's not clear how much money changed hands in the Radio Retaliation promotion, but suffice it to say that Facebook would probably make a few bucks if it became known as a hub for promoting and previewing new music. That's one area where MySpace is still the leader--parent company Fox Interactive Media was recently estimated to be the biggest market for display advertising on the Web, regularly pulling in flashy ad packages from movie studios, automakers, and even high-end luxury brands. With a renewed focus on media and entertainment, it's a friendlier destination for ads.

Additionally, Facebook executives have confirmed that the company is working on developing a payment system, something that could have huge implications for both third-party music companies on the site and Facebook's profit margin. If Facebook took a cut of the revenue from the use of a PayPal-like system on its platform, this could mean a lot for sales of songs, tickets, merchandise, and the like.

"Because we're one of the 'Great Apps,' one of the benefits of that includes getting early access to any new features before other applications have access," iLike's Ali Partovi said when asked about how his company would take advantage of a Facebook payment system. "We haven't thought through exactly what the best scenarios are but I think something with respect to tickets would be something to consider."

Not everyone agrees that Facebook, or anyone else for that matter, should count on social music to help it make a profit. This could be why Facebook has hesitated for so long on the music front: it knows it wants to make licensing agreements but isn't sure what the resulting product would be.

Imeem, iLike, and others including the forthcoming MySpace Music count on ad-supported free streaming, a trendy but ultimately unproven business model that one source close to Facebook said the company does not find particularly compelling. High profit margins from digital downloads or streams are "a bit of a fantasy," said another industry source who requested anonymity. "iTunes exists to sell iPods." Billboard magazine estimated earlier this year that iTunes is indeed profitable, likely pulling in between $160 million and $390 million, but that's pocket change compared to the multibillion-dollar iPod industry.

That leads to another reason for Facebook's indecision. Streaming music on Facebook has been a product of third-party companies rather than Facebook itself, and clever legal language in the terms of the developer platform means that Facebook is exempt from many of the legal issues that would require it to negotiate with the labels. Direct negotiations with executives who have caused Apple fits in its iTunes pricing decisions could prove unpalatable to the social site, and an industry source hinted that legal issues, not profit margins, were the driving force behind MySpace Music.

Facebook has thrived on offering products that are, for better or worse, major shakeups in the social-media world. It introduced the "news feed" as a means of social consumption, and the developer platform as a way to bring in outside services, both of which are now industry-wide offerings, and its "Beacon" advertising program made a splash, as well (though not exactly a positive one).

There's no question that Facebook would want a large-scale "Facebook Music" to be equally groundbreaking, but record executives still aren't sure of the social site's intentions. With the official "listening party" for Radio Retaliation, Zuckerberg & Co. are starting to drop a few hints.

CNET News' Greg Sandoval contributed reporting to this story.

Bern Out -- Mac Dies at 50

Sat, 09 9 Aug 2008 21:53:26 GMT

Hey folks,

Bernie is right up there with the best comedy greats. RIP Bernie.

"Tell a friend to tell a friend!!"

Comedian Bernie Mac died this morning in Chicago after a long hospitalization from pneumonia.

Mac, whose real name is Bernard McCullough, passed away early this morning at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was 50 years old.

His rep just issued the following statement to TMZ: "Actor/ comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital. No other details are available at this time. We ask that his family's privacy continues to be respected."

The day before he died, Mac's rep insisted he was stable, in no danger and expected to be released within the week, even though it was clear Mac was on his death bed.

I added a New Section to my site...its called QuiKSites.com

Tue, 15 15 Jul 2008 23:01:27 GMT

Hey folks!

Hope everyone is doing well. I just wanted to let you guys know that 6MPA has a new section that was added a few days ago. I created a site called QuiKSites.com. Whats the purpose you ask? Simple, its a way for people with a business to have a website created quickly. You just select a template of your choosing, send in all the info regarding your site and we build it in a matter of a few minutes or hours, as opposed to weeks or months.

The templates are cool and modern looking, so if you know someone who is looking to have a site created, have them checkout my site QuiKSites.com and they could end up with a site like this:

"Tell a friend to tell a friend!!! "

Is Dating A Jock A Good Thing?

Wed, 25 25 Jun 2008 23:05:20 GMT

Hey folks,

All I can say is .... GO JOCKS!!!!

"Tell a friend to tell a friend!!!"

The Kim Kardashian-Reggie Bush romance continues to burn strong.

The two lovebirds recently enjoyed a romantic vacation in Italy, where they were photographed sitting side by side while an artist sketched them in Florence.

How cute.

Glamour girls dating professional athletes is an old sport but one that is thriving more than ever with supermodel Gisele Bundchen and New Englands Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Jessica Simpson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Hilary Duff and New York Islanders center Mike Comrie.

Jennifer Hudson reportedly had a short fling with New York Jets safety Kerry Rhodes but supposedly went back to her longtime sweetie James Peyton, the maintenance engineer.

Author Staci Robinson cautions women about dating professional athletes. In her novel Interceptions, she writes about what it’s like to date a baller about to go pro.

And she writes from first-hand experience.

She was engaged to her college sweetheart at UCLA Roman Phifer, who went on to marry another woman named Alexis. Yes, that Alexis, who later became the fiancée of Kanye West though the two split earlier this year.

“The moment a guy puts that NFL or NBA jersey on, they are thrown up onto this pedestal to be worshipped by a large part of our society,” Robinson said, “and with that comes all this temptation, beautiful women, spending many nights in five star hotel rooms. I mean you can go from a beat up old bucket car to a $100,000 dollar Mercedes sedan all within weeks. The transitions are sometimes overwhelming for young couples - but the excitement of it all keeps you coming back. If you enter into a relationship with one of these guys, you have to proceed with caution and really know what you’re getting into. And you have to keep your stuff together, stay on the path that leads to the personal and professional goals you have created for yourself instead of getting swallowed up by the demands of his career.”

Or maybe a pro athlete is better off doing it Tiger Woods’ way. Marry an au pair.