The most complicated machine man ever built

The world's most powerful particle accelerator..

If you happen to watch the movie Angels and Demons by Tom Hanks (have seen it in SM
San Lazaro weeks ago) , you will probably will have an idea what this machine is capable of.
Well in the movie it created an anti matter in such a small size. But this one is also a time machine in the making. Please read the excerpts for better understanding.


Here are some quick facts:
- 20-year work-in-progress
- A team of 7,000 physicists from more than 80 nations
- 27 kilometers in circumference, 175 meters underground
- facilitating head-on collision of protons, traveling very near the speed-of-light
- each tunnel is big enough to run a train through it.
- temperatures generated: more than 1000,000 times hotter than the sun's core
- superconducting magnets are cooled to a temperature colder than in deep space


To better appreciate the enormous scale of this beast, consider that it runs 17 miles across the border of two countries, has detectors in four locations the size of buildings, housed in huge caverns - and if you happen to be inside the tunnel while this thing is in operation, you would have a highly radioactive - and fatal - experience.



Just one superconducting solenoid (CMS) contains in it more iron than the Eiffel Tower. The cost of building LHC is so high, that America had to put a stop to its own Superconducting Super Collider in 1993 (even though 14 miles of tunnel had already been dug in Texas), so today CERN's structure is the lone contender for the title "the most complicated thing that humans have ever built".

As the world's most powerful particle accelerator becomes functional this spring - unleashing forces, capable of distorting not only space (just like gravity distorts space around Earth), but also TIME.

Two proton beams travel in opposite directions and collide at four points along the way - replicating the Big Bang conditions of "cosmic plasma", a mysterious almost liquid state, which occurred before quarks had cooled off enough to allow atoms to form together. The Large Hadron Collider will force quarks to break free of their bonds, the matter substance to unravel - to recreate the original "cosmic plasma", and to reconstruct Big Bang conditions.

According to the research published by Irina Arefieva and Igor Volovich, "in general relativity, a time-like curve in space-time will run from past to future. But in some space-times the curves can intersect themselves, giving a closed-like curve, which is interpreted as a time machine - which suggests the possibility of time travel".

Like Bowe, Chad Dawson Won't Be Dictated To

Chad Dawson is king at 175 pounds and he simply wants to engage in the best and most lucrative fights that can be made.

In December 1992, then World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, along with his garish manager Rock Newman, unstrapped the green belt of the WBC from around his waist and ceremoniously dumped it into a trash can.

It was either that or face Lennox Lewis, who had knocked Bowe out in the finals of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

It was a symbolic move meant to send a message to the WBC. The message was that Bowe was bigger than any chintzy belt and that he would dictate the terms of who he was going to be fighting and when. In spite of the ravings of an absolutist sanctioning organization, Bowe was the champ, he was not going to fight Lewis, and that was that.

Nearly 17 years later, Chad Dawson, the now former WBC and IBF light heavyweight titlist, has twice done much the same thing as Bowe did.

While Dawson didn't unstrap his belts in front of the worldwide press and fling them into a garbage can of indifference, he has essentially told both the WBC (and now the IBF) that he will decide who and when he fights and that no matter what the alphabet soup racketeers say - he is the champ and that is that.

Dawson's hand has been forced twice. When he was the WBC belt-holder they were mandating that he fight somebody named Adrian Diaconu. All Dawson wanted to do was fight the well-known Antonio Tarver in what was an attractive match-up on paper. Dawson told the WBC that he didn't want their belt anymore and that he would instead fight Tarver without their blessing.


Dawson (left) and Antonio Tarver have fought twice and each time Dawson has come out on the winning end.

Dawson beat Tarver, won the IBF title in the process and then fought and beat Tarver earlier this month for the second time. Both were lucrative fights from a monetary standpoint and they were broadcast on Showtime and HBO. From Dawson's vantage point, the Tarver fights were a win-win situation because of the money and notoriety involved in beating such a high-profile opponent.

Earlier this week, Dawson's hand was forced again when he was essentially compelled to vacate the IBF title in lieu of meeting undefeated #1 contender Tavoris Cloud.

Instead, Dawson has decided he wants to meet former titlist Glen Johnson who he has defeated previously in what was a close fight. The bout with Johnson represents much more money than a fight with Cloud would and if Dawson wins it helps him avenge what some saw as a disputed win over Johnson the first time around.

But Cloud does appear deserving of a title shot, at least on paper. He has a glitzy record of 19-0, 18 knockouts and is only 27 years-old. However, except for a 2008 win over former titlist Julio Cesar Gonzalez, Cloud's record is littered with a collection of fighters from the mid-west circuit. Even Reggie Strickland, one of the most losing fighters in all of boxing history, dots his ledger. Cloud is untested and unproven. As a result, the television networks would not approve the fight for its airwaves.

On Wednesday, Dawson's promoter Gary Shaw plainly and succinctly explained the circumstances to the IBF in a letter to that organization; “On behalf of Chad and his team, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for allowing Chad to fight for and defend the IBF light heavyweight title. It is an honor he will always cherish.

However, inasmuch as the IBF has rejected our request for an exception from immediately defending the title against mandatory challenger Tavoris Cloud, a request made because no major television network had an interest in purchasing the rights to that fight, Chad must vacate the IBF light heavyweight title effective immediately.”

For Dawson, the dumping of the hard-won title belts has been bittersweet. But in a day and age where there are 17 weight divisions with 4 “world champions” per division, the significance of a “championship” doesn't mean as much as it once did. What has become clear since the sanctioning bodies began handing out belts as though they were cotton candy is that it is the fighter that makes the title belt – and not the other way around.

To some extent, the day Riddick Bowe dropped that belt into the garbage can represented an emancipation of sorts. Fighters finally got to see that they could tell the alphabet marauders to take their belts and shove them - and that life would go on.

The 26 year-old Dawson and his team seem to have learned that lesson well as “Bad” Chad has run his record to 28-0, 17 knockouts and has barely missed a step while defeating former world champions and amassing title belts.

“I gotta' do what I gotta' do to get that money,” explains Dawson who resides in Hamden, Connecticut with his wife and family in a large, newly built Cape Cod styled home.

“Tavoris Cloud? He's been talking a lot of crap lately. I don't know who he really is to be honest with you. Nobody knows who he really is. I guess he just wants to make some money off me. I don't know. He's talking trash like he can beat me. Nobody knows who this guy even is. He's from Chicago and who is he? He's really not sayin' nothin' so...”

So rather than face an unknown for small change, Dawson had to tell the IBF he was no longer interested in their belt.


Glen Johnson (left) and Dawson engaged in a spirited battle the first time around. Some thought Johnson did enough to win, hence the rematch.

“I'm looking for bigger fights than Tavoris Cloud,” he says. “I'm looking for fights like Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe. I'm not looking for a guy with a suped up record who has beaten nobody. You go look at his record and you'll see he's fought nobodies and beaten nobodies. Why should I give him a shot? He has to prove himself just like I've proven myself.”

Dawson, a multi-talented southpaw with decent power and above average boxing ability makes a good point. But Cloud has been the #1 IBF contender since last August and whether he is deserving of a shot or not, that really wasn't Dawson's choice to make as long as he held the IBF belt.

For his part, Dawson claims he has no problem in facing Cloud, just not right now.

“He'll get his opportunity, but don't rush it,” Dawson said. “I'm the champion and everybody wants what I got. I've got to take everybody on one at a time. I can't take on the whole world at one time. He's got to hold his horses. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm the champion and I deserve to be treated like the champion and he's going to have to wait his turn. Just like I waited for my shot he's going to have to wait for his shot.”

To be sure, Dawson seems to have a great future ahead of him. With his talent and desire and at an age where his prime could be a year or two away, he could be listed highly in the pound-for-pound rankings in the very near future. Dawson is confident in his position as the world's best 175 pound fighter, regardless of whether or not he has a world title belt to hold up his trunks.

“I've beaten the best light heavyweights in the world already,” he says. “I've beaten Glen Johnson, I've beaten Eric Harding, I've beaten Antonio Tarver. Cloud hasn't beaten anybody with the credibility of those guys - therefore, he has to wait.”

So, despite the fact that he is once again a champion without a title and a boxer without a belt, Dawson is of he opinion that none of that matters.

“The boxing world knows that I am the best light heavyweight in the world,” he proudly states.

And they also know he's not afraid to dump belts.


May 2009

Clottey Ready for any Version of Miguel Cotto

Miguel Cotto (left) and Joshua Clottey will meet under different circumstances on June 13 at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.

With a little more than two weeks to go before he takes on Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title at Madison Square Garden, Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey says the biggest problem he has had in his career so far is getting other fighters to simply step in the ring with him.

“I have a problem with other fighters coming to the ring and fighting me,” says Clottey, the former IBF welterweight belt-holder who hails from Accra, Ghana. “That's all, that's the biggest thing for me.”

The 32 year old Clottey, with a record of 35-2, 20 knockouts, always shows up in great shape and ready to fight and most recently he was avoided by Kermit Cintron. The only two losses in a career that began in 1995 have been to former world champs Carlos Baldomir and Antonio Margarito. He holds wins over former world champs Diego Corrales and Zab Judah and he says his strategy against Cotto will be a simple one.

“I don't know how he is coming to fight me,” says Clottey. “But if he is going to try and run, then he is going to have a big problem, because I am not going to allow him to run away from me.”

Clottey is a pressure fighter who comes forward behind a high guard and tight defense. He is a muscular welterweight who will likely weigh in as a middleweight or super middleweight on fight night. He holds height and reach advantages over Cotto and it was a fight that he vocally campaigned for.


Clottey exalts after beating Zab Judah for the IBF welterweight belt in 2008.

“I'm going to be ready for anything that he brings,” says Clottey of their fight that will take place on June 13. “Whether he wants to run or whether he wants to try and stand there and trade punches with me – I don't know. The question he has to ask himself is whether he has has much heart as I do.”

Clottey claims he is aware that Cotto has excellent skills as a fighter, but in his view boxing is more about heart – not skills.

“I don't respect his boxing skills,” says Clottey. “Maybe he can make me respect his heart. His skills won't be able to keep him in the fight as the rounds go by - but his heart might be able to. I don't know if he has the heart to last with me. Maybe after four or five rounds with me he'll want to quit. I'm going to jump on him. I'm going to stop him”

As it currently stands, Cotto is a -400 favorite over Clottey who is a +300 underdog. The sportsbooks like Cotto to retain his title by decision.


May 2009

Wolfe to Train Brewer, Pavliks Upset with Arum

Ann Wolfe, pictured above training James Kirkland, is now assuming the job of head trainer of Grady Brewer.

Before James Kirkland got himself embroiled in a mess that will likely see him spend another stretch behind bars, his trainer Ann Wolfe was on the verge of taking another turn in the spotlight – this time as a trainer.

Wolfe was recently featured with a segment on the HBO series “Real Sports with Bryant Gumble” and she was getting a lot of credit for her work in ushering Kirkland to the verge of a world title shot and an undefeated record of 25-0, 22 knockouts. It seemed as though when Wolfe's most famous client went away, her career as a trainer was at risk of going along with it.

However, now comes word that Wolfe will be assuming the training of former “The Contender” reality show season two winner Grady Brewer. The 38 year-old Brewer, from Lawton, Oklahoma is fighting on Aug. 22 at the Pala Casino Spa and Resort in Pala, California against Russian born Zaurbek Baysangurov for the lowly regarded IBO Jr. middleweight belt.

Brewer (25-11, 14KOs) is hoping to make one final run at a title shot in a decade long career that has seen him come up short against the likes of Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor. Brewer is not rated in the top 10 by any sanctioning body but he is hoping that Wolfe may be able to teach him some new tricks.

All does not seem to be well in the relationship between world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and his promoter Top Rank. Youngstown's favorite son has been with Bob Arum since he turned pro, but cracks are beginning to form in their once solid foundation.


Mike Pavlik, father of the world middleweight champion, is unhappy with promoter Bob Arum for suddenly calling a halt to his son's June 27th bout.

Pavlik was supposed to fight Sergio Mora in Atlantic City on June 27, but a couple weeks ago (with little notice) Arum canceled the bout. He said Pavlik was suffering from a staph infection that caused him to have to call the fight off. However, a few days after the fight was called off, Pavlik indicated his hand was fine and that it was basically a non-issue.

Pavlik's manager, Cameron Dunkin, told the Warren, Ohio Tribune Chronicle that he was in the dark about Top Rank's sudden plans to shelve Pavlik.

“I have no idea,” Duncan told the Tribune. “The fight is off.”

Kelly's father and co-manager, Mike Pavlik, was a little more open about his feelings and claims all is not well.

“We are very disappointed,” said Pavlik. “We were looking forward to fighting Mora and the rug was pulled out from under us.”

Mr. Pavlik claims the staph infection was not the reason the fight was canceled. “We have no idea whey they decided to call the fight,” he said. “I've got no idea what they're thinking right now or why they're doing this. We're trying to work it out. We've been with Top Rank for a long time and we've always done what they've asked of us. I'm very disappointed and I'm somewhat upset with Top Rank.”

Nothing definite is on the horizon for Pavlik which is strange since he is regarded as the best middleweight in the world and is a young champion at age 27 that is willing to fight several times a year.


May 2009

Principles of Tenacity

PRINCIPLES FOR TENACITY

By: Francis Kong

Albert Einstein could not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven. Beethoven’s music teacher said, “As a composer he’s hopeless.” The great inventor Thomas Edison did not do well in school either. His teachers thought he was stupid. F. W. Woolworth couldn’t get a job. Merchants said he didn’t have enough sense to wait on customers. A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because the editor said Disney didn’t have any good ideas. “You can’t sing. You have no voice at all,” said the voice coach to Enrico Caruso. An editor told Louisa May Alcott she was not capable of writing anything that would appeal to a popular audience. And some well meaning relatives of my wife told her years ago that she has chosen a loser for a husband. I would like to think that they were all wrong. Rather than carrying a grudge against them I took upon me to nurture the drive to prove them wrong. And this takes a lot of tenacity.

In yesterday’s column I talked about how success is never handed to the successful and so today I would like to talk about tenacity.

What is tenacity? My portable built in thesaurus that comes with my favorite word processor Microsoft Word 2007 (is there any other anyway?) version says: tenacity is stubbornness, obstinacy, resolve, firmness, persistence, insistence, doggedness, drive, determination and steadfastness. (Try it yourself, this is the order in which it comes.)

So how do you have this? Let me suggest a few ideas:

1. FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED

How are you going along with your New Year’s Resolution anyway? Most people are worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year but what they fail to realize is they need to be concerned with what they eat between the New Year till the next Christmas. Success requires discipline. You start with a good idea and you stick to it. And you need to outlast others in doing so. William Feather says: “”Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”

2. DO NOT BE DISHEARTENED

Listen to the stories of successful people. They had their ups and downs and their downs usually outnumber their ups. The thing is they never quit. There are many people who start on their dreams but they never finish. Then those who stop resent those who make it. And if you get disheartened, tell yourself, “just a little bit more….just a little bit more……” You need to hold on at the end and as Franklin Roosevelt says: “”When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

3. BE FAITHFUL WITH THE LITTLE THINGS.
Be careful with the details. If you are faithful with the little things then you will earn the right to handle the big things. And if you are unfaithful in the small things, even the little things that you have will be taken away from you. It’s just the way it is. What causes obesity? One piece of fries at a time. What causes failure? A few wrong decisions and erroneous judgment accumulated over time. What causes poor health? A refusal to put on those gym shoes and hit the treadmill. What causes poverty? A little folding of the hands, a little slumber and poverty overtakes the poor fellow. You need to hold on to holding on. You need to work on tenacious!

Motivational speaker Chris Widener says this and I fully agree: “Instead of looking at pressure and trials as the reason to quit, get tenacious and see them as the very thing that will make your life the beautiful thing that you desire it to be. See it as your opportunity to learn, to grow, and to be transformed. See these trials as the very things that will enable you to have the life that dream of! Trials will surely come. Life will get hard. You will want to quit. Then you will have a choice: Will you give up? Or will you take your turn at tenacious. The choice you make will determine much of the rest of your life. My advice? Take your turn at tenacious. You will become stronger, and you will end up living the life you dream of!”

Want a bit of inspiration? Just think of the snail who finally made it to the ark!

Never ending hayden kho scandal issues

Still in the news today and talk of the town pa rin was the hayden scandal issue. It started with a video leaked in the internet by a website i presumed that started it all, fleshasiadaily.com, known for its celebrity and obscene unregulated story.It come no surprise this site traffic soar as the most talk about video started to leak.
Out of curiousity everybody wants to watch the videos and as expected everybody have seen all the videos except for this Hayden Kho- Ruffa Mae Quinto se-x video. I could still remember how Ruffa Mae cried on tv when her name was dragged into the Hayden-Katrina issue. Ruffa Mae categorically denied any relationship with hayden much more a video scandal. But in the same vein Hayden and Katrina denied any se-x video but look, a different story came up. We may say they lied but who would admit having a s-ex video anyway, especially if you are a celebrity.

The scandal has been so hard hitting that even the senate seems to be interested in the video. Okay, maybe not the senate. Maybe it's just Ramon Revillia Jr. who is ironically rumored to have his own sex video with Ruffa Mae Quinto.

We're not paying senators everything we workers earn during Mondays just to let these ??? watch and discuss porn on valuable office hours time.

That's almost 6,400 active nodes working to spread the videos on torrent alone. This does not include people who still get their supplies from DVDs sold on the sidewalk, on USB sticks from friends, and for the really oldschool people, floppy disks.

For as long as there is one stranger online willing to share his stash of porn to another guy he barely even knows, fraternity among men will never disappear.

Hope will get some results out of these circus and a happy ending not like the past contrversies, scandals and stories we have seen in the fast.

So much for this....

David Haye Fights for the Hearts of Boxing Fans

David Deron Haye was born October 13, 1980 in London, England. It was eleven days after Larry Holmes beat Muhammad Ali in defense of his heavyweight championship. It was a contest the world watched.

After Holmes had dispatched of a virtually helpless Ali the heavyweight torch had finally been passed, at least in the eyes of the skeptics that for years viewed Holmes as a poor imitation of Ali - and his former sparring partner.

The morning after the fight, Ali peered through dark sunglasses and he saw what everyone else did; Larry Holmes was an unbeatable champion.

“Taking as many punches as I was, I was glad they stopped it,” said Ali of his fight with Holmes. “Take your hearts and turn them over to Larry. He's the heavyweight champion - until I return.”

Ali never did return to the heavyweight throne and the public never did turn their hearts over to Holmes because he was never who they wanted him to be. And passions of the heart, especially the hearts belonging to boxing fans, are fickle.

Now, nearly three decades after Ali said you should turn your heart over to Larry, David Haye is is about to fight not only for the heavyweight championship against Wladimir Klitschko, but for the now broken hearts of heavyweight boxing fans.

Since Lennox Lewis retired in 2004, the heavyweight division has been in disarray. In the past five years, five different men have held the WBC title, three the WBA, five the WBO and two the IBF.

The most consistent performer of the various names that have held the belts for short moments of time in the past half decade since Lewis left for the retirement community and a life in Montego Bay, is Wladimir Klitschko.


Klitschko (left) and Haye will meet on June 20th at the Veltins Arena in Germany. The venue holds 70,000 for boxing and is expected to be near capacity.

Wladimir has held the WBO belt for a little over three years and has made six successful defenses of the title. He added the IBF strap to his collection early last year and he is generally regarded as the best heavyweight in the world. His older brother Vitali, the WBC titlist, is a close second.

Which brings us back to David Haye.

In only 29 days he will face Wladimir in a German soccer stadium. Nearly 50,000 tickets were sold in the first 48 hours after they went on sale. An explosive puncher with both hands and the former world cruiserweight champion, Haye is the owner of a 22-1, 21 knockouts record. He will pose the most significant threat to Klitschko since he began the slow process of resurrecting himself under the careful guidance of Emanuel Steward in 2004.

Klitschko's recent numbers are impressive, but somewhat deceptive. Seven wins with six knockouts against fighters that had a collective record of 223 wins against only 15 losses. Two of those fighters were undefeated before he beat them and four of them were former heavyweight titlists. However, none of those fighters were truly dangerous nor did they pose a significant and dangerous threat. There were no Mike Tyson types on the list.

The critics say Klitschko has flaws. Some say a shaky chin, others say little punch variety, although he does possess an exceptional left jab. Others say no stamina. They skeptically claim he is only the champion because the competition is so pathetic.

None of what Klitschko has managed to accomplished concerns David Haye. Nor does it impress him. Haye is hungry for the heavyweight titles that Wladimir Klitschko holds and more pressing is his desire to stamp himself as a heavyweight champion the entire world can believe in.

A heavyweight champion they can turn their hearts over to.


Haye is an impressive physical specimen. When he decides to turn it on, he can be as explosive a fighter as you will see in the sport of boxing.

“None of who he has faced recently are of any consequence,” says the brash and outspoken Haye. “They've only shown up for the paychecks. They've been over the hill, under-motivated and it's pretty sad, to be honest, that he hasn't been able to give the fans the entertainment he should have been giving them. You put someone under-motivated, out of shape, fat and useless in front of me and I knock them out and make it look pretty doing it. He doesn't do that. He lets them go seven rounds, holding, clinching and leaning on them.”

There is some element of truth in Haye's words. Klitschko is a jab first and throw right hands later type of fighter. He tends to peck, poke and prod with his left jab and once an opponent is sufficiently weakened he begins to sparingly toss hard right hands. His style is cautious and not explosive. He is not usually always aesthetically pleasing to watch, but he is relatively effective.

David Haye is different. He's aggressive, quick handed, is eager for hand-to-hand combat and he unleashes hard, fast, straight punches that are all designed with one thing in mind – the knockout.

“I come out from the first bell and I throw bombs,” says Haye. “The tickets sold so fast, not because the people want to come and see Wladimir jab all night long - hell no. All you've got to do is go to one of his fights and look at the crowd. They're talking to each other, clapping. 'Oh, the guy has fallen over now, let's go home.' This isn't going to be like that, this is going to be electric.”


Haye would like to take Wladimir Klitschko out to deep water on June 20th - and drown him.

Some say that Haye has the necessary components of what it takes to be a superstar in the sport. He has the looks, the physique a heavyweight champion should, and he possesses equal doses of personality and charisma. However, he is not yet a proven commodity as a heavyweight and he has only fought four times above 200 pounds. Those that are predicting a Klitschko win say that Haye is too small to compete.

“I'm healthy, I'm happy and I'm in my prime,” counters Haye. “I'm 28-years old and this is my time to shine. The people in the boxing public, especially the American boxing public, they know what they're looking at. You can try and put Wladimir in with Sultan Ibragimov and they know it sucks, they know it's garbage. I want to bring boxing back to what it was like a few years ago. The last few years people have switched off from it, it's been boring.”

Haye says he can be the one to bring heavyweight boxing back from the doldrums and turn fans back onto the heavyweight division. He is in a great position to capitalize since the fight will be seen live around the world. If you believe even half of what he says then it could be a fight that a heavyweight boxing fan wouldn't want to miss.

“There's going to be a changing of the guard,” Haye predicts. “The old 6'7” heavyweight - jab, jab and grab - against the 'Haye-maker' coming out there throwing bombs and giving people what they're paying to see and that's excitement. Don't blink come June 20th. Don't go to the toilet, don't go to get yourself a cup of tea, don't go and get beer. Sit down and enjoy the new heavyweight sensation and that's David Haye.

“My plan is to go out there and destroy Wladimir Klitschko. I want to really shock Germany and I really want to shock Europe and really shock the United States. I guarantee people around the world will begin to recognize me after that. Someone needs to clean up the division, it's not what it once was. I fight with my heart on my sleeve.”

And speaking of hearts, as long as David Haye has anything to say about it, he thinks you'll turn yours over to him - soon.


May 2009

Juan Urango Readies for Tango With Andre Berto

With muscles on top of muscles it's hard to believe that Juan Urango only weighs in at 140 pounds.

IBF 140-pound titlist Juan Urango is preparing to step up the welterweight division and face WBC titlist Andre Berto on May 30. The pair will meet at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The hard-punching Colombian, who has won the vacant IBF 140-pound belt on two separate occasions says making a living as a prizefighter is not for the faint of heart.

“It's not easy to be a champion,” Urango told BoxingScene.com from his training base. “Champions are not born, they're made. I have to work very hard and I have to make a lot of sacrifices. I knew if I really worked hard I could become a champion and that's what I've done.”

Urango, who lost a unanimous decision to Ricky Hatton in 2007, brings a record of 21-1-1, 16 knockouts into the fight with the undefeated Berto. Urango says he's not underestimating Berto and he's ready to beat him.

“He's a famous guy, he's a good champion,” explains Urango. “He's a very good fighter. He has a lot of great skills. But I'm working hard right now to counteract those things when we get in the ring together.”

Urango said he has had plenty of opportunities to size up Berto, who reminds some of the young Shane Mosley. Berto has a record of 24-0, 19 knockouts and is making the third defense of the WBC title that he won last June.


Berto (left) took care of David Estrada in 11 rounds when the two faced off at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2007.

“He's fast and all of that and he's got his skills, but I'm a very hard puncher and I bring strength,” said Urango. “I know I'm not the greatest boxer in the world, or don't have the greatest boxing skills, but I'm a very good puncher.”

Urango claims he has no idea how the fight will eventually play itself out, but he is confident of winning a third word title in a second weight division and he has learned that training is the key to success.

“I'm preparing myself for twelve rounds,” he says. “If the knockout comes, it comes, then great. But if not I'm ready for twelve rounds of whatever Berto will bring.”

The oddsmakers seem to think that Urango is going to have a difficult task in winning another title. With the fight little more than a week away, Berto is currently the betting favorite at -330 over Urango who is a +265 underdog.


May 2009

Mayweathers Reconcile for Marquez Battle

Floyd, Jr. and Floyd, Sr. have let bygones be bygones and are currently rekindling their strained father-son relationship.

In another sign that the apocalypse is upon us, it appears as though Floyd Mayweather, Sr. and his son Floyd, Jr. have reunited yet again.

Mayweather, Jr. announced the end of his retirement from boxing on May 2, which turned out to be a few days less than 11 months in length. His uncle, head-trainer and former world champion Roger Mayweather was with him on the dais in Las Vegas when he made his comeback plans public.

It’s not clear, what, if any, official role Mayweather, Sr. may play in the camp. Floyd, Sr. and Roger have not always coalesced in the past either, so it has come as somewhat of a surprise that Sr., Jr. and Roger will all be together again under one roof, so to speak.

Floyd, Sr. and Jr. have mostly been estranged for several years now. But after Floyd, Sr. finished training Ricky Hatton for his disastrous appearance against Manny Pacquiao back on May 2, father and son apparently reconciled.

Both men have strong-willed personalities and are very opinionated. The major gripe from Floyd, Jr. in the past has been that his father treated him as though here were still a boy. The father’s major issue with the son was that he wasn’t treated with respect. It appeared as though any hope for a burying of the hatchets was hopeless. Most simply wrote the Mayweather’s off as another dysfunctional boxing family.


Mayweather, Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez will meet again in the ring at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas.

But in the Pacquiao vs. Hatton installment of the popular HBO 24/7, Mayweather, Sr. seemed to be reaching out to his son. He explained that sarcoidosis – a disease that can limit lung capacity and shorten a person’s life - was beginning to affect his health. In one scene he was shown coughing uncontrollably.

Mayweather, Sr. went on to explain that life was too short for minor disagreements and that he wished he and his son had a better relationship. He made the obvious remark that it was his blood that was cursing through the veins of his son.

“We’ve been working together since just after the Hatton fight,” Floyd, Sr. said. “It’s all good, we’re taking it one day at a time.”

Mayweather, Jr. will face Juan Manuel Marquez, the WBA/WBO lightweight belt-holder at a catch-weight of 144 pounds on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

At a press conference held in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon, Mayweather, Jr. explained his simple reason for a ring return.

“I missed the sport,” he said.

He likely also missed the paydays. His rumored compensation for the Marquez fight, which is being bilingually billed as “Number One/Numero Uno” is said to be in the $15 million range.

“It doesn’t matter how much I make,” said Mayweather, Jr. on Tuesday afternoon. “We fight for checks, not bragging rights.”

And for now, it’s a family affair.


May 2009

How Boxing Saved Edison Miranda's Life

Edison Miranda has lived a difficult life. On Saturday night it could get more difficult as he faces Andre Ward in Oakland, California.

Edison Miranda, who will fight Andre Ward tomorrow night in Oakland, California, didn't live a normal childhood. When he was only two months old, the Colombian-born slugger was simply given away by his mother to a relative.

For Miranda, there was no such thing as a Christmas morning with presents under the tree. No pointy hats or cakes on his birthday. There were no family memories of Mom and Dad and no idyllic remembrances of being a happy-go lucky kid that do the things all carefree kids do.

“I was beaten everyday and they mis-treated me,” says Miranda of the childhood he endured. “All they wanted me to do was work and I just wanted to be a kid. When I was only nine-years old I ran away because I got sick of getting beaten.”

Miranda ran to the dark alleys and squalid streets of Barranquilla, Colombia. It was there that he was forced to live and it was there that he got a job sweeping sidewalks. Most meals consisted of whatever he could scrounge out of garbage bins. Most nights he would lay alone in his makeshift shanties, sometimes with other kids similarly deserted , but most times all alone. It was on these nights that he would dream of what it must have been like to be a normal child.

“I would lay there, looking up at the stars and the heavens, sometimes with tears streaming down my face,” he explains. “I would pray. I would pray as hard as person can pray to get me out of there. There was one night I dreamt that I was a boxer. Even though I never boxed before, had never seen a ring or gloves I had that vision. And after that I knew the way out for me was boxing.”

For the man now known as “Pantera” boxing did prove to be his way out of the slums. He was one of the lucky ones that was able to escape the chaotic, violent and murderous streets of a region of the world that breeds equal helpings of evil, poverty and hopelessness.

He fought his first amateur fight in April 1997 and scored a first round knockout. From the beginning he had electric power in his gloved fists. As a boy he was built like a man and he still has a physique that looks as though it was carved from a stump of petrified mahogany.

“I don't smoke, I don't drink and I go to bed early,” he explains. “I am God's warrior and I've always put my trust in Him. He's always protected me. God is the reason I'm here today and he's the reason I fight. I know it's His plan that I be a champion one day.”

So far the plan that has been laid out has worked pretty well. Except, that is, for a couple of guys named Kelly Pavlik and Arthur Abraham. Since turning pro in 2001 Miranda has only lost to Pavlik (KO by 7) who is the current world middleweight champion and Abraham (L 12 and KO by 4) who holds the 160-pound International Boxing Federation belt.

Aside from those mis-steps, Miranda has scored 17 first round knockouts and is regarded as one of the most fearsome punchers in the sport. In Jan. 2008 he scored one of the most sensational one punch knockouts you will ever see when he separated David Banks from his senses in the third round with a flash of a right hand.

What you notice right away is that Miranda has little finesse and he has a puncher's resume of 32-3, 28 knockouts. By all accounts he is a clubber of the highest order.

But tomorrow night at Oakland's Oracle Arena, Miranda is being brought in as an opponent for hometown hero Andre Ward. The Showtime television network is airing the bout with the idea that it will be a showcase for the young and undefeated Ward who is a 2004 Olympic gold medalist. Ward has a well crafted and carefully selected 18-0, 12 knockouts ledger and Miranda stands a great chance to land one punch to wreck all that Ward has accomplished over the past several years.


Miranda chillingly dispatched David Banks with one right hand. The knockout punch made highlight reels around the world.

Miranda, who is as accomplished as a trash-talker as he is a prizefighter, has other ideas about how the night will play itself out.

“I'm going to knock him out in the tenth round,” says Miranda. “I respect Ward as a person and as a man but the second we enter that ring that’s all gone. I respect no one in the ring. That’s how I feel for whoever I fight.”

Miranda makes headlines with his mouth as much (or more) than he does with his fists. He's a dichotomy of personality. On the one hand he's a God-fearing man who relies heavily on his spirituality to guide him through the minefield of life. On the other hand, his pre-fight comments often cross the line of incredulity and have bordered on bizarre. He tears down his opponents first with his mouth and then with his fists.

“Actually, the second they tell me I’m going to fight someone I lose all respect for them,” says Miranda in explaining his mindset. “Ward hasn’t accomplished anything besides a gold medal - and I’m very surprised he even got that. When you look at my career you see that in my first 21 fights I knocked every one of them out. So I don’t think Andre has what it takes to win. On Saturday he’s going to see what it’s like to be in the ring with a real man and what it’s like to get hit by a real man.”


Miranda always shows up in spectacular physical condition and is ready to go from the sound of the first bell.

Miranda, it seems, is a man of many compartments. The neglected child rejected by his mother. The world class boxer on the verge of a world title. The spiritual man on a a mission from God. He seems to be able to block out the negative and focus on the positive and he uses boxing as a tool to forget his dark past and focus on his bright future.

“Being turned away by my mother doesn’t bother me at all,” says the 28 year old Miranda. “It's only other people that bring it up and if they didn't bring it up, I'd never even think of it. For me, I don’t want to think about that. I want to think about the present and the future. The only thing I’m thinking about right now is Andre Ward.”

And maybe that line of thinking has gotten Edison Miranda to where he is today. He's forgotten all about trying to reconcile a horrible past. His thoughts are on settling up with the future.

“What do I want out of life?” he asks no one in particular. “I just want to be the kind of champion and the kind of person that helps others. I want to help children that were like me; homeless, with nowhere else to go. True champions are role models and that's what I strive to be.”


May 2009

The Hawaiian Punch Wants to Unify

Last month in Manila, Brian Viloria (right) won another world title with an electrifying one punch knockout over long reigning titlist Ulises Solis.

Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria is hanging ten and riding a tidal wave of popularity since he knocked out Ulises Solis last month in Manila, Philippines to win the IBF junior flyweight title.

Viloria, who will likely return to the ring on August 22 in San Francisco, is still basking in the glow of his big win in his parent's native country.

“It was awesome, it was an amazing experience,” he says. “I had a great time and winning a world title there was a big honor for me. It was one of those things in my career I can look back to and enjoy and just have a blast. The people there are so nice. The fight was an awesome fight. It was a great fight and winning it was just a great plus.”

Viloria scored an 11th round knockout win over Solis who had held the belt for nearly four years and was favored to win going into the bout. It was an action packed fight with plenty off ebbs and flows, but in the end Viloria's power proved to be the great equalizer.

Viloria is now back in Hawaii after having spent some time in Las Vegas to see the Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton fight. Viloria has been relaxing and enjoying himself.


Jesus Salud, the original "Hawaiian Punch" and Viloria pictured together at a parade in 2001.

“I'm going to rest up for a little bit. I had a really busy year last year with five fights leading up to the world championship. I'm just hanging out for a little bit. When I get back from Hawaii I'll begin training for my next fight.”

It's not clear who Viloria will fight next. However, he will be fighting along with fellow Filipino, Nonito Donaire, on a card at AT&T Park which is the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Viloria says he would eventually like to get a unification fight with Puerto Rico's Ivan Calderon.

“Hopefully I'll be able to fight Ivan Calderon,” says the 28 year-old Viloria who has a record of 25-2, 15 knockouts and was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team. “I'd like to hopefully get a couple more unification matches if I end up being successful against Calderon and then I can go from there.

“I'd like to win some more world titles. I want to have fun in the sport and maybe I can get my name on the pound-for-pound lists. I love to train and get in the ring. I'd like to get my name in the history books.”


May 2009

Tomasz Adamek Fight Nears, Judah in Title Hunt

Tomasz Adamek (left) pounded out a career win over Steve Cunningham to win the championship in December 2008.

The ongoing saga of who will be The Ring magazine and IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek's next opponent has nearly reached its end.

Sources close to the negotiations say that it will be Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey who hails from Providence, Rhode Island and fights out of Jimmy Burchfield's CES stable. Godfrey, rated #9 by the IBF, has a record of 18-1, 10 knockouts with the only loss coming last year against the Czech Republic's Rudolf Kraj in a WBC title elimination fight.

Should the Adamek vs. Godfrey fight take place it will occur on July 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The final call should be made by Showtime execs by Wednesday.

Sources also say there is still a small chance that since the contract for the Godfey fight is still not signed that a deal could emerge with Showtime for an Adamek vs. Glen Johnson fight on Aug. 1 which would take place in Newark.

There is frustration on the part of Adamek's backers, especially when they learned that HBO paid over $3 million for last weekend's mediocre Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver rematch. Adamek's people believe their fighter is superior in terms of action and that a fight against Glen Johnson, which could have been made for $1 million less, would have also offered greater entertainment value for the fans.


Zab Judah (right) came up short against Miguel Cotto at a fight held in Madison Square Garden in June 2007.

Adamek's camp has been disappointed with both the pace and nature of the negotiations in terms of attempting to get their man a fight on either Showtime or HBO. Neither network has expressed the desire to put up serious money for an Adamek fight. Sources have said that neither network wants to go anywhere near an Adamek vs. Roy Jones, Jr. fight and have said that Bernard Hopkins is completely out of the question since his financial idiosyncrasies are beyond ridiculous. They said Hopkins' recent comments indicating that he made a $1.2 million offer to fight Adamek was totally untrue

Adamek's people simply want their man to remain active so he can capitalize on his surging popularity and build on his exciting wins over Steve Cunningham and Johnathon Banks. They indicate the plan after his next fight could be a title unification against one of the other titlists in a bout that would likely take place in Europe.

In other news, reports are beginning to surface that former world champ Zab Judah (37-6, 25 knockouts) may face fellow former titlist Randall Bailey (39-6, 35 knockouts) on the Mayweather vs. Marquez undercard on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Sources say the intriguing fight would be for the vacant IBF 140-pound title that will likely go empty when Juan Urango steps up to the welterweight division to meet WBC 147-pound belt-holder Andre Berto on May 30.


May 2009

Chad Dawson Steps into the Spotlight

Chad Dawson, king of the light heavyweights according to the International Boxing Federation, is willing to do whatever it takes to make an impression.

How else do you explain the fact that when he was 10 years old and first laced on a pair of boxing gloves that he decided he was going to be a lefty – just like his father?

“I got my style from my father, my father was a southpaw,” explains Dawson, also known as “Bad” Chad. I'm originally a right-handed fighter, but I fight lefty just to emulate my father.

So far the decision to be a southpaw has been a good one. Dawson once sat atop the World Boxing Council light heavyweights before he abdicated the throne in favor of a fight last year against Tarver, the International Boxing Federation titlist. Dawson handed the fast talking former champ a twelve round beat down to annex the belt and become generally regarded as the world's best 175-pounder. Before that he squeaked out a close win over former champ Glen Johnson in another signature win.

“Boxing is in need of young superstars,” says Dawson who would be happy to assume that position. He tells the story of a phone call he received from one of the game's best just before he squared off against Tarver last October.


Tarver was no match for Dawson in their first fight. He will have the opportunity to redeem himself in the rematch.

“I got a call from Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and that just boosted my confidence right there. He told me I was one of the best in the world, if not the best. He told me to go out there and use my boxing skills and my hand speed and everything and I'd come out with the victory and that's what I did.”

Dawson did such a good job of using all of his skills that he not only beat Tarver handily, but he launched himself onto some of boxing's pound-for-pound lists.
It was a life-changing win for the young, undefeated fighter who hails from New Haven, Connecticut. The veteran Tarver is a man known to try and tear down his opponents with his words as well as his fists and the onslaught of adjectives is sometimes as difficult to ward off as are his punches.

“Talking is just words,” says the pragmatic Dawson. “You've gotta' get in the ring, you've gotta' use your hands and that night my hands were better and I was just a better fighter like I knew all along.”

So as he prepares to step into the ring again with "The Magic Man" tomorrow night at the Hardrock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Dawson is able to put the Tarver experience into its proper perspective.

“Everybody knows that Tarver, he's a great talker,” says the 26 year-old Dawson who has a record of 27-0, 17 knockouts. He promotes himself very well and I take nothing from him. He came out and he fought a helluva' fight. I was just a little too much for him on that night. Tarver was a great champion, but he's had his time. Like I've said before, it's my time now. There's a new king in town.”


To be sure, the victory over Tarver was a complete one as Dawson, at times, battered the older man. So when word came that Tarver would exorcise his contractual option for the rematch it left many within the industry scratching their heads. Even more perplexing is that HBO is coming up with big dollars to televise the fight ostensibly because they want to get into the business of being part of Chad Dawson.

Many fans were left asking, “What the ...?” when the rematch was announced. But Dawson says this fight could end up being more competitive than the first.

“Tarver and Dawson two is different the second time around because I know that Antonio Tarver is going to be coming out and he's going to try his best to come out with a victory in this fight,” says Dawson. “My whole game plan is to keep training hard and keep working hard and everything will work out again.”

Tarver, now 40 years old, will likely mount a stronger assault on Saturday night than he did the first time around. But Dawson's speed, confidence and youth will presumably blunt the efforts of the former 3-time champ. Even though Tarver has won every rematch he has ever engaged in, Dawson doesn't expect that is going to happen against him.

“There were times I felt like saying, 'Look man, you're not hurting me,'” says Dawson in recalling the first fight. “He was trying his hardest to hurt me, but I put in the work. You put in the work and it's going to show. Like I've said before, I believe that fights are won in the gym and I won that fight in the gym.”


Tarver and Dawson met for the cameras one more time on Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas.

While Tarver is a loquacious individual who uses words to motivate himself and denigrate his opposition, Dawson says those words motivate him just as much and the more Tarver talks the worse it will be for him.

“It's personal in the way that I wanted to go out after Tarver told me I wasn't on the same level as him and that I didn't deserve to be in the same ring with him. He told me there was nothing on my resume that could compare to him and him being a hero. So, I wanted to go out and not just beat him, but embarrass him and show him I was the better boxer and the better fighter. I wanted to show him I could do anything he could do, but better.”

Dawson accomplished that and then some. With the decisive win over Tarver he vaulted himself onto the bottom half of some pound-for-pound rankings. Heading into this fight he is a heavy betting favorite and there are very few of the opinion that Tarver will have much of a chance against him. In fact, the only real challenge Dawson has at 175 pound would be Bernard Hopkins.

However, Hopkins is reluctant to get into a ring with Dawson and instead prefers to call out fighters that have a lesser chance to beat him. Hopkins claims the money a Dawson fight would bring him isn't enough to justify the risk. But if the Hopkins fight never happens, Dawson doesn't seem hung up on it because his vision for himself is larger than that.

"I want big fights, I want big names,” says Dawson. “I do believe that I'm one of the best in boxing right now, but that's for the critics and the fans to decide. I want to be recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound in the world. I really can't ask for more than that. I'm just happy to be in the position that I'm in. I want everyone to open their eyes and look at me as if I'm one of the best in the world. Two years ago nobody knew who I was. Now it feels good to walk down the hall and have people know who I am.”


May 2009

Oakland's Ward Ready to Shine in Homecoming

Oakland, California native Andre Ward is ready to come back home and make a statement to the boxing world.

Andre Ward calls Edison Miranda “a bully.”

Edison Miranda claims he's going to do the same thing to Andre Ward that Carl Froch did to Jermain Taylor "because they are cut from the same cloth.”

Both fighters spent some time on Wednesday talking tough and proclaiming that when they meet on May 16 at the Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, California the fans will be treated to a satisfying show.

Ward, undefeated at 18-0, 12 knockouts and only 25 years old, is on the verge of a title shot at 168-pounds. He readily admits that Miranda is the best fighter he will have faced thus far.

“Absolutely, on paper,” Ward said. “The bottom line is we've taken a steady climb up. Not that we've been fighting tomato cans. These guys have six to eight weeks to prepare for me and win. Guys are going to bing their 'A' game. This is right where we need to be. These are the kinds of fights that bring out the best in great and potentially great fighters.”

If Ward, who won a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, is going to go on to become a potential great he knows he has to get past Miranda who is a dangerous puncher with a record of 32-3, 28 knockouts. The tough talking Colombian should pose a stern test because he has only ever lost to middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and IBF middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham (twice).


Edison Miranda is a big talker and a big puncher. If he has his way he'll be doing a bit of both on May 16th.

“This is an event,” said Ward of next weekend's fight that will be promoted heavily in Oakland and televised by Showtime. “This is what me and my team have talked about. This is absolutely the right time and the right opponent. We said, 'OK bring him on' - and we'll do it in my backyard.”

Ward, the North American Boxing Federation super middleweight titlist, claims he's under no pressure when it comes to facing Miranda or fighting in front of a hometown crowd.

“I'm a steady kind of person,” he explains. “I'm steady and consistent in my approach to fights. This preparation leading up to this will have me prepared mentally, emotionally and physically. I've been preparing for nights like this since I've been nine years old. I will deliver.”

Ward's promoter, the indefatigable Dan Goossen, is pulling out all the stops for next week's show in Oakland. “Tickets begin at twenty-five dollars," he said. "We've got a lot of confidence in Andre and we believe he's going to win and win in exciting fashion.”

Goossen said that Ward will be arriving in Oakland on Sunday, Miranda on Monday and that Tuesday will see open workouts by both fighters at Oakland's resplendent City Center Plaza. The weigh-in will be held at the same locale on Friday.

“For me this fight is totally about respect,” said Ward. “Respect from the media, the whole 168-pound division in general. There is always something to prove. I know a lot of people don't expect me to win this fight. A lot of people are caught up in the Miranda hoopla, his punching power. Nice guys do finish first, not last. I'm eating, sleeping and drinking Edison Miranda.”


May 2009

Two Old War Horses in the Final Stretch

With this weekend's scheduled fight between Hector “Macho” Camacho and “Yori Boy” Campas having been kicked out of Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey, organizers are said to be seeking a new state in which to stage the bout.

However, two rumored states where the fight could be headed (Florida and Texas) have their own regulatory rules that would likely derail the match in those states as well.

I called New Jersey Athletic Control Board commissioner Aaron Davis last week (before the cancellation was announced by his office) and left a message with a receptionist to speak to him as rumors were mounting that the fight would be canceled by his office. However, the call was not returned.

The NJACB did not give a precise reason for the cancellation of the fight, but sources say Davis was unhappy with Camacho's performance in a sparring session that he witnessed late last week. Camacho will turn 47 later this month and turned pro 29 years ago. He has only fought once in the past four years and hasn't held a major world title since 1991.

The 37 year-old Campas had issues last year when he attempted to obtain a boxing license in Nevada. He was initially denied a license because the Nevada State Athletic Commission was concerned that he had absorbed too much punishment in his more than 100 fights and over two decades in the ring. However, Campas appealed the ruling and was ultimately granted a license. He has lost 6 of his last 10 fights and has not held a major world title since losing to Fernando Vargas in 1998.

Nevada, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have some of the most stringent medical requirements in the country whereas Florida and Texas are somewhat less demanding.

However, a call today to the Florida and Texas commissions revealed that both states would have concerns in staging a Camacho vs. Campas fight.


Campas (right) has clearly seen better days, but he would seem to have more left of offer than Camacho who is 10 years his senior.

Representatives at both offices would only speak off the record, but both indicated because New Jersey declined the fight that if they were asked to consider such a bout they would be more discerning. Both claimed that the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) headed by Tim Lueckenhoff could get involved in any potential licensing matters.

The ABC has adopted the Boxing Severity Index (BSI) which helps to measure the risk fighters are under by assigning a number value to high risk fighters. Under that system, Camacho and Campas both fall under the “High Risk – Category B” designation which will make obtaining approval to fight more difficult as both would require further clinical evaluation by the commissions and their medical advisory boards before obtaining an endorsement.


May 2009

Computer Security

Computer Security, techniques developed to safeguard information and information systems stored on computers. Potential threats include the destruction of computer hardware and software and the loss, modification, theft, unauthorized use, observation, or disclosure of computer data. Computers and the information they contain are often considered confidential systems because their use is typically restricted to a limited number of users. This confidentiality can be compromised in a variety of ways. For example, computers and computer data can be harmed by people who spread computer viruses and worms. A computer virus is a set of computer program instructions that attaches itself to programs in other computers. The viruses are often parts of documents that are transmitted as attachments to e-mail messages. A worm is similar to a virus but is a self-contained program that transports itself from one computer to another through networks. Thousands of viruses and worms exist and can quickly contaminate millions of computers. People who intentionally create viruses are computer experts often known as hackers. Hackers also violate confidentiality by observing computer monitor screens and by impersonating authorized users of computers in order to gain access to the users’ computers. They invade computer databases to steal the identities of other people by obtaining private, identifying information about them. Hackers also engage in software piracy and deface Web sites on the Internet. For example, they may insert malicious or unwanted messages on a Web site, or alter graphics on the site. They gain access to Web sites by impersonating Web site managers. Malicious hackers are increasingly developing powerful software crime tools such as automatic computer virus generators, Internet eavesdropping sniffers, password guessers, vulnerability testers, and computer service saturators. For example, an Internet eavesdropping sniffer intercepts Internet messages sent to other computers. A password guesser tries millions of combinations of characters in an effort to guess a computer’s password. Vulnerability testers look for software weaknesses. These crime tools are also valuable security tools used for testing the security of computers and networks. An increasingly common hacker tool that has gained widespread public attention is the computer service saturator, used in denial-of-service attacks, which can shut down a selected or targeted computer on the Internet by bombarding the computer with more requests than it can handle. This tool first searches for vulnerable computers on the Internet where it can install its own software program. Once installed, the compromised computers act like “zombies” sending usage requests to the target computer. If thousands of computers become infected with the software, then all would be sending usage requests to the target computer, overwhelming its ability to handle the requests for service. A variety of simple techniques can help prevent computer crimes, such as protecting computer screens from observation, keeping printed information and computers in locked facilities, backing up copies of data files and software, and clearing desktops of sensitive information and materials. Increasingly, however, more sophisticated methods are needed to prevent computer crimes. These include using encryption techniques, establishing software usage permissions, mandating passwords, and installing firewalls and intrusion detection systems. In addition, controls within application systems and disaster recovery plans are also necessary.

Computer Security

Computer Security, techniques developed to safeguard information and information systems stored on computers. Potential threats include the destruction of computer hardware and software and the loss, modification, theft, unauthorized use, observation, or disclosure of computer data. Computers and the information they contain are often considered confidential systems because their use is typically restricted to a limited number of users. This confidentiality can be compromised in a variety of ways. For example, computers and computer data can be harmed by people who spread computer viruses and worms. A computer virus is a set of computer program instructions that attaches itself to programs in other computers. The viruses are often parts of documents that are transmitted as attachments to e-mail messages. A worm is similar to a virus but is a self-contained program that transports itself from one computer to another through networks. Thousands of viruses and worms exist and can quickly contaminate millions of computers. People who intentionally create viruses are computer experts often known as hackers. Hackers also violate confidentiality by observing computer monitor screens and by impersonating authorized users of computers in order to gain access to the users’ computers. They invade computer databases to steal the identities of other people by obtaining private, identifying information about them. Hackers also engage in software piracy and deface Web sites on the Internet. For example, they may insert malicious or unwanted messages on a Web site, or alter graphics on the site. They gain access to Web sites by impersonating Web site managers. Malicious hackers are increasingly developing powerful software crime tools such as automatic computer virus generators, Internet eavesdropping sniffers, password guessers, vulnerability testers, and computer service saturators. For example, an Internet eavesdropping sniffer intercepts Internet messages sent to other computers. A password guesser tries millions of combinations of characters in an effort to guess a computer’s password. Vulnerability testers look for software weaknesses. These crime tools are also valuable security tools used for testing the security of computers and networks. An increasingly common hacker tool that has gained widespread public attention is the computer service saturator, used in denial-of-service attacks, which can shut down a selected or targeted computer on the Internet by bombarding the computer with more requests than it can handle. This tool first searches for vulnerable computers on the Internet where it can install its own software program. Once installed, the compromised computers act like “zombies” sending usage requests to the target computer. If thousands of computers become infected with the software, then all would be sending usage requests to the target computer, overwhelming its ability to handle the requests for service. A variety of simple techniques can help prevent computer crimes, such as protecting computer screens from observation, keeping printed information and computers in locked facilities, backing up copies of data files and software, and clearing desktops of sensitive information and materials. Increasingly, however, more sophisticated methods are needed to prevent computer crimes. These include using encryption techniques, establishing software usage permissions, mandating passwords, and installing firewalls and intrusion detection systems. In addition, controls within application systems and disaster recovery plans are also necessary.