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13 Ingenious Household Uses For Lemons
Global Research Report
By now, thanks to Edward Snowden, it is common knowledge and not just conspiracy theory, that every bit of information sent out into the wired or wireless ether is scanned, probed, intercepted and ultimately recorded by the NSA and subsequently all such information is and can be used against any US citizen without a court of law (because the president’s pet secret NISA “court” is anything but).
Sadly, in a country in which courtesy of peak social networking, exhibitionism has become an art form, the vast majority of Americans not only could not care less about Snowden’s sacrificial revelations, but in fact are delighted the at least someone, somewhere cares about that photo of last night’s dinner.
However, it turns out that far from being a passive listener and recorder, the NSA is quite an active participant in using the internet.
The weaponized internet.
Because as Wired reports, “The internet backbone — the infrastructure of networks upon which internet traffic travels — went from being a passive infrastructure for communication to an active weapon for attacks.”
And the primary benefactor: the NSA – General Keith Alexander massive secret army – which has now been unleashed against enemies foreign, but mostly domestic.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-15/internet-now-weaponized-and-you-are-target
Enter the QUANTUM program….
User Attack
The NSA has a collection of FOXACID servers, designed to exploit visitors. Conceptually similar to Metasploit’s WebServer browser autopwn mode, these FOXACID servers probe any visiting browser for weaknesses to exploit.
All it takes is a single request from a victim passing a wiretap for exploitation to occur. Once the QUANTUM wiretap identifies the victim, it simply packet injects a 302 redirect to a FOXACID server. Now the victim’s browser starts talking to the FOXACID server, which quickly takes over the victim’s computer. The NSA calls this QUANTUMINSERT.
The NSA and GCHQ used this technique not only to target Tor users who read Inspire (reported to be an Al-Qaeda propaganda magazine in the English language) but also to gain a foothold within the Belgium telecommunication firm Belgacom, as a prelude to wiretapping Belgium phones.
One particular trick involved identifying the LinkedIn or Slashdot account of an intended target. Then when the QUANTUM system observed individuals visiting LinkedIn or Slashdot, it would examine the HTML returned to identify the user before shooting an exploit at the victim. Any page that identifies the users over HTTP would work equally well, as long as the NSA is willing to write a parser to extract user information from the contents of the page.
Other possible QUANTUM use cases include the following. These are speculative, as we have no evidence that the NSA, GCHQ, or others are utilizing these opportunities. Yet to security experts they are obvious extensions of the logic above.
HTTP cache poisoning. Web browsers often cache critical scripts, such as the ubiquitous Google Analytics script ‘ga.js’. The packet injector can see a request for one of these scripts and instead respond with a malicious version, which will now run on numerous web pages. Since such scripts rarely change, the victim will continue to use the attacker’s script until either the server changes the original script or the browser clears its cache.
Zero-Exploit Exploitation. The FinFly “remote monitoring” hacking tool sold to governments includes exploit-free exploitation, where it modifies software downloads and updates to contain a copy of the FinFisher Spyware. Although Gamma International’s tool operates as a full man-in-the-middle, packet injection can reproduce the effect. The injector simply waits for the victim to attempt a file download, and replies with a 302 redirect to a new server. This new server fetches the original file, modifies it, and passes it on to the victim. When the victim runs the executable, they are now exploited — without the need for any actual exploits.
Mobile Phone Applications. Numerous Android and iOS applications fetch data through simple HTTP. In particular, the “Vulna” Android advertisement library was an easy target, simply waiting for a request from the library and responding with an attack that can effectively completely control the victim’s phone. Although Google removed applications using this particular library, other advertisement libraries and applications can present similar vulnerabilities.
DNS-Derived Man-in-the-Middle. Some attacks, such as intercepting HTTPS traffic with a forged certificate, require a full man in the middle rather than a simple eavesdropper. Since every communication starts with a DNS request, and it is only a rare DNS resolver that cryptographically validates the reply with DNSSEC, a packet injector can simply see the DNS request and inject its own reply. This represents a capability upgrade, turning a man-on-the-side into a man-in-the-middle.
One possible use is to intercept HTTPS connections if the attacker has a certificate that the victim will accept, by simply redirecting the victim to the attacker’s server. Now the attacker’s server can complete the HTTPS connection. Another potential use involves intercepting and modifying email. The attacker simply packet-injects replies for the MX (Mailserver) entries corresponding to the target’s email. Now the target’s email will first pass through the attacker’s email server. This server could do more than just read the target’s incoming mail, it could also modify it to contain exploits.
Quantum of pwnness: How NSA and GCHQ hacked OPEC and others
Telecom companies gave intel agencies ability to reroute targets’ traffic.
Documents provided by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed that the NSA and its partner, Great Britain’s GCHQ, have done a whole lot more than just passively monitor what passes over the Internet. Using their surveillance tools, the intelligence agencies have been able to identify and target individuals at organizations of interest—not just suspected terrorist cells.
The latest target of these “tailored access” efforts to come to light is OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Brazil’s Petrobras, Belgium’s Belgacom, and many others have been targeted as well, based on documents provided by Snowden. According to a report in Der Spiegel, the NSA and GCHQ have had access to OPEC’s internal networks and systems since January of 2008, allowing the NSA to provide intelligence on individual members of OPEC and the countries’ negotiations and tactics. As with the GHCQ hack of engineers at Belgian telecom provider Belgacom, the infiltration of OPEC took advantage of partnerships with international telecommunications providers to reroute Internet traffic to and from targeted users within the organization, including Saudi Arabia’s OPEC governor, through network equipment controlled by the intelligence agencies. That allowed the NSA and GCHQ to perform “man-in-the-middle” attacks that let them install malware onto the target computers and gain access to OPEC’s internal network—even gaining administrative privileges for the network and access to file servers.
The attack, called a “Quantum insert,” is just part of an arsenal of network monitoring and attack tools that the NSA and GCHQ have created that have essentially turned the global Internet into a weapons system that can scan for, identify, target, and attack nearly anyone of interest who connects to Internet services across borders.
DB
- See more at: http://globalresearchreport.com/2013/11/17/enter-the-quantum-program-the-internet-is-now-weaponized-and-you-are-the-target/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+globalresearchreport+(Global+Research+Report)#sthash.xSwLEaiN.Hjvd7MfU.dpuf
I`m a big fan of multiple-purpose items. I use them in my survival planning and training and I try to use them around the house as much as I can. Lately, my wife and I have been replacing the regular store-bought cleaning and deodorizing products with natural, dirt-cheap items (such as lemons or vinegar).
I have to admit I am very pleased with the results. You woulnd`t believe how much money (and peace of mind) you can save by choosing these alternative, 100% natural methods.
Just take a look at what you can do with lemons:
Naturally repel insects
Forget about those toxic insecticides! You can use lemon juice to keep ants out of your kitchen. Here`s how to do it:
Give your door thresholds a good rub with lemon juice
Pour some lemon juice in all the cracks and holes ants could use to get in the kitchen
Wash your floor with this mix: 1 glass of lemon juice and 1/2 gallons of water.
This will repel insects like ants, roaches and even fleas.
(Optional) Peel a lemon or two and place the peels around the entrances
Deodorize your entire home
My wife loves spraying the house with deodorant, but I hate that artificial, heavy smell. Plus, it seems like it covers the smell, instead of eliminating it. So I tried a little trick I saw on TV: I peeled a few lemons, put the peels in a bowl and placed it on the table. Our living room smelled amazing, like fresh air with a light scent of lemon.
Extra tip: When you turn on heating during the cold season, place the peels near the pipes. The room will be filled with lemon scent in no time.
You can also use lemon juice to deodorize your refrigerator, your garbage disposal and even the cat`s litter box. Just soak a sponge in lemon juice and place it in the fridge or near the litter box, and throw lemon leftover down the garbage disposal.
Get rid of stains
Grease, sweat, wine and berry stains can be easily removed with lemon juice. First, wash the stain with soap and water, and then pour lemon juice on the remaining stain. Let it sink in, then rub salt on the area. Then, you can throw it in the washing machine. You`ll never see that stain again.
Boost detergent power
Every time you wash your clothes, add 1 cup of lemon juice into the washer. This is not just for stain removal, but also to help cotton shorts last longer, to make the fabric softer and brighter, and to give your clothes a fresh smell (yes, you can stop buying softener!).
Bleach yellow stains out of your t-shirts
Bleach may be effective, but it`s also very aggressive and can easily ruin the fabric. Replace it with an equally effective mix of lemon juice and baking soda. Just soak your delicates in this mix for an hour and then give them a wash. The stains will vanish and the fabric will stay intact.
Remove that nasty tarnish
Apply a mixture of lemon juice and salt (mix it until it looks like a paste) on brass, copper or stainless steel surfaces. Leave it in for a few minutes. Then soak a piece of soft cloth in warm water and rinse the paste off. Finally, wipe the area with dry cloth.
Make metal shine again
Don`t buy a special polish for metal surfaces. Rub half a lemon on the area to make stainless steel and aluminum shine again. You can use this on your survival knives, as well.
Extra tip: If the area is still dull, mix lemon juice with salt or baking soda until you get a paste. Rub it on the area gently, to make sure you don`t leave any scratches.
Keep fruits and vegetables fresh
Certain fruits and vegetables tend to turn brown when sliced or left in the fridge for too long. You can treat apples, potatoes, cauliflower, avocados or lettuce with a bit of lemon juice.
Here`s how to do that: When you wash or boil them, add a spoon of lemon juice to the water. Also, you can add lemon juice to salads and guacamole for extra freshness and extra taste.
Keep brown sugar from hardening
Brown sugar is very healthy and very tasty, but if you`re not careful, it can get hard and form blocks of sugar that are difficult to crack. To avoid this problem, put some lemon peel in the bag or box to keep it moist and soft.
Make your own firelighters
Did you know you can make firelighters out of lemon peels? All you need to do is bake them until they darken and then simply use them as firelighters. They work just fine and smell amazing, too.
Keep your clothes smelling nice all throughout the year
As I said before, adding lemon juice in the wash can give your clothes a nice, fresh smell. But you can do a lot more than that: Whenever you peel a lemon, let the peels dry, break them into smaller pieces and then place them in little sachets. Add some nutmeg or cinnamon sticks or whatever spices you like and then place the sachets in your drawers or in your closet. This way, your clothes will keep the fresh scent.
Kill weeds in your garden
Unfortunately, not many people know of this trick. Instead of spraying your garden with toxic weed killers, you can “water” it with lemon juice. Those nasty weeds will be gone before you know it.
Tenderize meat
This is something my grandmother used to do. Whenever she roasted chicken, she`s rub lemon juice all over it and placed a lemon slices right on top of it. It tasted delicious and it was always amazingly tender. It melted in your mouth.
Extra tip: You can also add spices and herbs to the lemon juice for even greater taste.
- See more at: http://globalresearchreport.com/2013/11/17/13-ingenious-household-uses-for-lemons/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+globalresearchreport+(Global+Research+Report)#sthash.X42UJoh8.dpuf