Les Paul

Les Paul ... June 9,1915 - August 13, 2009

Local Shared Objects

Spy vs Spy

I recently downloaded Adobe 8 and decided to pop the hood to see what I could see. A bit of playing around and a lot of web time yielded a not so new tracking device. (here)

A Flash LSO is a local stored object which is somewhat similar to a browser cookie but is saved by a Flash application and is browser agnostic.

These little buggers can bypass browser privacy settings, go to a *.sol directory apart from the cookie file, hold up to 100K, and can re-enable deleted cookies without triggering anti-viral programs. Oh joy. Even if your not worried about tracking, they are a major space sucker. No delete by date, and they just pile up. Another one of many reasons Windows run slower and slower as time goes by.

To deal with this you can remove the objects manually. LSO files are stored typically with a “.SOL” extension, within each user’s Application Data directory, under Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects. The more long term solution is to go to the Macromedia site and use their tool to reset your global privacy. I suggest going to Google first and reading up on deleting flash cookies.

While we're here, you should know about CCleaner. It's the freeware of choice ( I keep mine in the recycle icon) to tidy up cookies, extraneous registry crap, event files and general Windows clutter. If for profit companies and now the government want to leave their tools on your computer, they can pay rent on the space.

It's Hot Out

The unusual weather (hot, sunny and clear) has wilted many of the gardens planted for the fog, but more than a few plants are really feeling their oats. Perhaps S.F. has joined the rest of California, perhaps maritime weather will kick back in. Time will tell. For now, everyone is finding every excuse to get away from the keyboard and go out in the sun.

Guerrilla Gardening

Works for me

Found in Beyond the Beyond

Laura's Shrimp

Shuck and devein shrimp. If you're going to skewer them, remove the tail, if they're jumbo (16-20 or larger) leave the tail for presentation. Crush some garlic into oil. Add fresh rosemary, red pepper flakes or both if inclined. Marinate the shrimp for an hour or two. Remember to keep everything cold, raw shrimp will limp out and spoil quickly at room temperature. Take a strip of prosciutto, put a fresh basil leaf on it, and place a shrimp on the leaf. Roll the assembly up, put on prep tray, cover and back to the fridge.

When the grill is ready, (med) oil it. If you're using wooden skewers, pin the shrimp now with sticks that are soaked in water. Even at medium heat, the shrimp will cook quickly. A bit of char is ok, but moderation in everything. Grind some black pepper over them and plate. Serve with lemon wedges, lime wedges or dipping sauce.

Variations

• Boil the shrimp, butterfly, pipe in pesto, wrap with prosciutto
• Change meats: Lamb proscuitto, soreno ham, bacon, etc.
• Substitute ginger for garlic
• Substitute langoustine or scallops for shrimp

Floating About

Cell reception is probably patchy too.

Cherokee

John McLaughlin shows a side most fans don't see. The song is Cherokee with the Tonight Show Band in 1985.