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Sunday, December 30, 2012


Film Tries to Make Jewish Boxing a Hit Again

December 27, 2012 3:01 am 2 comments
Jewish boxer Yuri Foreman (on the left) and Miguel Cotto at an official weigh-in on June 4, 2010. Photo: Akira Kouchiyama.
These days, the once-proud sport of boxing has fallen on hard times. With so many weight classes and (corrupt) managers, the fighters may make millions—yet often lose their way.
Simple put, the “sweet science” is no longer a “haimische” (homey) activity.
There was a time when strong young men from quality families entered the ring—not so much for the fame and glory, but to show they could fight to help themselves and their families make it in the world. Those men had names like Leonard, Ross, Goldstein, and Rosenbloom, and in the 1920s they ruled boxing as few other groups of boxers from the same cultural group have.
Today more Jews are in management and promotion than in the ring itself, but there are a few exceptions like Yuri Foreman and Dmitry Salita (both of whom refuse to fight on Shabbat), former World Boxing Council (WBC) champ Dana Rosenblatt, and Ron Aurit (who went by the name “The Yid Kid” when he fought Sugar Ray Leonard).
James Ford Nussbaum is seeking to uphold the legacy of Jewish boxing not in the ring itself, but through the big screen. The award-winning film producer is about to release “Impact: Jewish Boxers in America”.
Nussbaum says his grandfather, Newton Ford, a candy salesman and avid boxing fan in Philadelphia, was the inspiration for the film. But while Nussbaum had an affinity for boxing in his Jewish blood, few others seemed to share that.
“The amazing thing about doing this film was that many people, when told about this project, would react in awe asking, ‘There were Jews who boxed?’” the director tells JNS.org. “It’s a part of our Jewish history that not many people recognize and accept.”
In fact, Nussbaum suggests, in some circles Jews boxing  is considered to be “almost a taboo topic.” He says that, despite their good upbringings, many Jewish boxers historically fell in with organized crime and other less-kosher activities, as many of their gentile fellow sportsmen did.
“Most Jews got involved with this sport to make a name for themselves,” Nussbaum points out, “and the thing that they all share in common with Irish, black, and Italian boxers and other ethnicities is poverty. They all came up from nothing and used the sport to promote themselves in a way that would excel them to a new socioeconomic level.”
As such, the director/producer poses his piece not as a film about the dark side of a dimming sport, but rather as “an incredible American Dream story of being able to come up from nothing in this country and be able to become a success.”
Over the course of two years, Nussbaum delved into the worlds of some of the best Jewish boxers from today and yesterday, including Cletus Seldin, Ron Lipton and Ed Gersh, by making time with them at home, in the gym and in the ring.
“The Jewish aspect of the sport is something out of the ordinary,” Nussbaum says, noting how many Jewish boxers still display the Jewish star somewhere on their trunks or robes.
Even so, he says, there has been what he sees as “an impressive number of boxers in the sport as well… a real diverse group with names like Bummy Davis, Slapsie Maxie Rosenthal and Barney Ross.”
Some Jewish boxers changed their names to protect their families. Many Jewish parents still look down on the sport, even if they had participated in it themselves.
“Most Jewish boxers like Barney Ross and Benny Leonard didn’t want their kids involved in the sport,” Nussbaum explains. “There are very few if any boxers that have children that continued in the sport of boxing. Most of them went on to become lawyers and doctors.”
Nussbaum got so involved in the lives of his subjects while shooting that he even required medical attention.
“One year into shooting… I injured my eye,” he recalls, detailing that his detached retina became one of his “favorite” parts of shooting the film because it was a typical “boxer’s injury.”
“It seems that I not only produced the film and directed it, but also lived a firsthand account of what the boxers go through on a day to day basis,” he says.
As he regained his own sight, Nussbaum gained even more insight into what the professional fighters he was featuring need to do to make it in their brutal, but still at times beautiful, sport.
“I had become a boxer myself,” he says, “determined to make this film and living a life that was very similar to them. I regained my sight and lived through an injury that made me feel exactly how some of these fighters feel… struggling to make this film as real and poignant as possible.”
Such experiences also drew Nussbaum’s subjects closer to him and encouraged others to seek him out and participate in the film.
“Many of the boxers in the film came to me after hearing what I was attempting to do,” he says. “They loved the idea and were so happy to learn that someone was interested in telling their stories the right way… from their perspectives.”
The finished film is set to air in more than 300,000 homes through Cablevision Systems in Morris County, NJ, and will possibly be distributed through The Jewish Channel on pay-per-view cable, but Nussbaum is also working to get it into film festivals and theaters nationwide.
“It is our hope to show and use the Jewish boxer as an example for accomplishing the American dream,” Nussbaum explains, “and proving once again that anyone can succeed in our great nation.”
Nussbaum also hopes that the film will “put an end to so much of the hatred that exists right now towards Jews and other minorities.”
“This is a part of Jewish and national history that many people are unaware of, and it is our hope to give viewers a behind-the-lens, honest rendition of what it is like to be Jewish and box in the USA,” he says.


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Learning Not To Run Away-The Aftermath of Newtown From A Mental Health Perspective





Grief will soon turn to anger in the aftermath's of what occurred in Newtown this past week with the shootings of innocent children in a small quaint community school in Connecticut.  As families and communities begin to try and pick up the pieces of their shattered lives let us remember that we must not be afraid to face the fire...our fears...and try to educate ourselves on viable solutions so that this kind of tragedy doesn't repeat itself.  Adam Lanza was a very ill and demented child that somehow obtained a gun and destroyed not just his own life but the lives of other family members within his community.  I'm reminded of the Bob Geldoff song "I Don't Like Mondays" regarding the Texas shootings that took place in the 70's when a demented  young girl decided to bring a shot gun to the local university and begin shooting.  When they finally apprehended her after the killings had stopped they asked her why.  Her response was simple.  "I Don't Like Monday's", she replied.  In the aftermath of Newtown we do not have answers to why from Adam Lanza and this must be extremely frustrating to the community and the families in order to bring some type of closure.  

Mentally ill patients, psychiatrists and social workers have been given another blow by this event establishing greater stigma's towards themselves and the freedom's they might already have worked hard to achieve within their own personal struggles but we must not forget that this is the time to act and not sit silent as victim's of a senseless shooting.  Now is the time to educate ourselves on mental health issues and learn more about what offers up the trigger factor for a young man who had "The silicon chip inside his head...switched to overload", as Geldoff poetically reveals in his song.  It is time to look for answers amoungst the mentally ill, practitioners of psychotherapy circles and social workers as they scammer to do better jobs of identifying children who are mentally disturbed.  Detection must come early and it seems only natural now to direct better testing methods early on in hopes that another senseless shooting will not place guns into the hands of those who can easily use them on innocent lives as well as themselves.  

What now will happen to the rights of the mentally ill now that Adam Lanza has taken us back 10 steps in order to mover 20 more forward?  Are we destined to become another 4th Reich isolating those who are mentally ill back into prisons and taking away their right to vote, their right to speak, their right to advocate.  Now is the time for educating communities about mental health issues and finding answers that will bring us into a new era of mental health awareness...the advent of taking off from work to have a mental health day may not be a bad idea but it is imperative that we try and funnel our communal anger towards the shooter and ask  ourselves what have I done to educate myself about mental health, the dangers in stress and anxiety holding our lawmakers, politicians and police enforcers more accountable to take part in keeping guns away from those who are mentally ill?  Placing a gun into the hands of anyone who is not mentally stable is like placing a suicide bomber into a crowded town square.  We must be relentless in understanding the problem early either in schools or at home and keep the weapons of mass destruction away from those who are able to obtain them without any kind of background check.  The system of checking handgun applicants must be reevaluated and streamlined to prevent another gun from getting into the hands of another mentally ill person.  The NRA will say guns are not the problem, people that use them are.  Then why not take the gun factor out of the equation by doing better background checks on potential owners.  That's the first answer.  Secondly, it's time to allocate more funding towards identification of potential mental health patients through the eyes and ears of mental health practitioners.  Now is not the time to cut back on mental health programs like state run PACT programs and social workers along with psychotherapists expenses for office hours.  Now is the time to allocate funding into the schools and help teachers better identify signs of a mental health emergencies so that the teachers are able to make some kind of sense out of strange and unusual behavior.  We must not start turning completely towards a state of placing "I'm Mentally Ill" stickers on every mental health patient that is out there.  It's a balancing act that must not violate the rights of the mentally ill community either.  It's time to bring about better training for mental health professionals and find ways to bring about awareness WITHOUT exploitation.

Adam Lanza was a victim of a community that turned their back on his mental health needs and in turn he destroyed a community and himself.  We must not turn our backs on the many other children who suffer from an identifiable mental health disorder.  Now is the time to take action and begin steps towards early detection and testing of our children and their mental health condition and make sure we can nip an ongoing problem in the butt early before we jump to conclusions and begin taking away the rights of the mentally ill as well.  The Patients Bill of Rights should be evaluated once again and the problems of not knowing how to answer the cries of Adam Lanza must be taken into account by community members, police and politicians.  Careful monitoring and supervision are needed to protect the rights of the mentally ill and the rights of community members along with families.  Gun control must be enforced better so that no child get's their lives senselessly taken away without the chance to make a difference.

Peace and safe surfing,

JFN





Sunday, December 9, 2012

Hippies to Hacktivists: The Wave of Hackers, Hacktivists and Anonymous



Hippies to Hacktivists:
The Wave of Hackers,
Hacktivists and Anonymous
James Ford Nussbaum
Understanding New Media
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Professor Lance Strate
December, 2012
c. 2012 GALILEO PRODUCTIONS, LLC



“We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.”-
The Anonymous Mantra

Since the early 50’s computer scientists and code writing experts have had their ownbrand of internal fixers.  People who harbor the knowledge to be able to use their
computer skills to openly repair and mend a technical problem that is computerbased beyond the scope of what many of us can accomplish using computers andthe Internet.  They also have the power to destroy and reek havoc through their actions online.  These individuals over the years have developed in what many see ascomputer hacktivists, hackers with altruistic motives dedicated to preserving  theintegrity of the Internet and the freedom’s that are available online.  Perhaps the Hippiemovement of the 60’s has evolved online to find and define a new movement thatwe now call hacktivism and in many circles they are perceived as guardians of the new information world over the Internet….modern day Robin Hoods.  In order to understand this new breed of hacktivism we must take a closer look at the hacker and his psyche along with the ways they have evolved into a new grouping of online hacktavists who claim to be keepers of our freedoms over the internet utilizing terroristic methods online attempting to protect out freedoms of speech while preventing censorship.  From this group of cyber techs comes a whole new group that we will explore.  They call themselves Anonymous and to this day they claim to protect even more of our freedoms by singling out certain online communities that they regard as dangerous to our online Internet freedoms.  To better understand this grouping of advanced online new age Hippies we must first understand the mindset of the hacker and how they have evolved into what is now known “hacktivistically” as Anonymous.  Let this journey begin. Many hackers of today are not only fixers that have arisen from the 1969 creation of
ARPANET, the prototype for a series of computers with intercontinental connectionsdeveloped for military communications by the US Department of Defense but theyalso carry with them a manifesto or code of hacker ethics that many of them believe inand live by through their actions over the Internet.  Are they Robin Hoods of the
computer era willing to try anything for a few hours of notoriety?  Are they autisticgeniuses or angry adolescents?  Perhaps political activists?   Whatever they may bethey have taken what many of the 60’s Hippy movement accomplished in that time andbrought many of the same tactics to the playing field of the Internet where their skills
can be tunneled into devastating proportions of manipulation sometimes for the sake of a cause or sometimes just for the sake of getting that high by solving complex computer codes and unraveling websites.  They then place their banners for thousands to see and view once their pirating charade has been accomplished.  Hackers have had their own language and jargon over the net that has evolved into what many people refer to as the computer hacktivist.  Some of the terms make complete sense and follow a common profile of computer guru’s who enjoy creating havoc and chaos.  The HACKER is followed by a group that is similar called CRACKERS.  The difference lies in their motivation.  Hackers CREATE while crackers DESTROY.  Antifork, an Italian hack research group (www.antifork.org) defines hackers with “superior knowledge, research and ultimate perfection.”  These bands of fixers require planning and organization as well as acuteness and inventiveness.  Many came out of computer science developers from MIT and University of California at Berkeley.  Their movements have been based on the OPEN SOURCE protocol of the 1990’s mostly those who knew the intricacies of UNIX based computer programming. To be a hacker you must be engaged in work that constantly challenges the user both on a code breaking level and website innovation strategy.  Most of what became the Hacker Manifesto was established by Lloyd Blankenship written immediately following his arrest and first published in January of 1986.  Anger is directed towards the STATUS QUO.  Solidarity comes by knowing you are part of a group or hacker community seeking solidarity.  The hacker emerges as being part of an underground Internet community well versed in decoding and breaking through any kind of Internet code or website. According to Raoul Chiesa and Stefania Ducci in their book PROFILING HACKERS the creed is broken down into several sub categories for better understanding.  They are: 


*TOOLKIT/NEWBIES: the techno novices that pose little know-how and
technical savvy*CYBER-PUNKS: capable of some programming writing skills that may beused for defacing websites and robbing credit card numbers whilealso spamming.*INTERNALS: used within corporations to solve complex computer codes andproblems. *CODERS:  Designers of codes that can write them to destroy Internet entities. *OLD GUARD HACKERS:   Their interest lies in intellectual and cognitive sidesof hacking.  They’re mostly from the school of the original hackers andusually don’t seek to destroy but mainly base their craft on curiousity.*PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS AND CYBER TERRORISTS:  This groupingusually is the most dangerous and can be seen breaking into governmenthigh security agencies while reeking havoc on many government militaryinstallations.

Hackers are also usually profiled in unique ways that better identify them to law
enforcement agencies and Internet watchdog groups.  They primarily go by a setof motivational characteristics that include:  1) a dependency and compulsive need tohack.  2) Curiosity as to what can be found on the Net.  3) Boredom of offline life andgoing for the adrenaline rush they achieve by conducting illicit activity.  4) Seekinghighs from hacking into government agencies, bank and many other institutional
organizations.  5)  Peer group recognition with acceptance in their hacking communityand advancement in their hierarchy.  Finally, 6) achieving a certain type of pride andgenerosity by finding holes and uncovering them in more secure systems.  Much ofwhat is mentioned above was originally discovered and studied by the HPP-HackersProfiling Project which began between 2003 and 2004.  Much of this study was
instituted by the UNICRI-United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice ResearchInstitute. (http://www.unicri.it).   More and more the political activists motto that was
followed so closely by the Hippy movements of the 1960’s have found their ways intothe profiling of modern day hackers who at some later time evolve into what wemight now label as hacktavists dedicated on using their skills to communicate a
political message or gain some kind of social goal within our world.   Over the yearswe have seen this evolution take shape as the more intense and grand acts ofcyber hacking and cyber terrorism become more socially motivated.  The extendedversion of hacker identities have also been broken down into three groupings as well
known as:  1) White hats-those who hack for what they believe are good causes,  2)Black hats-Those who hack for shear havoc and chaos motivated reasons and 3) The
Gray Hats which combine their motivations for hacking for both good and bad reasons.
 According to the New York Times (Thursday, December 6th, 2012; Section B) there is
yet a newer wave of hacker that has been associated with the hacktivist group
Anonymous seeking to wreak havoc through a lucrative online crime called RANSOM-WARE.  Here the hackers have found ways to break into a person’s computer onlineleaving a message that they have caused a DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service
within a computer usually leaving a ransom message demanding that the computerowner send a particular amount of money to an online address in order to continue  use of their computers.  This Ransom ware stops a person from using their system and prevents them from being able to access valuable software and programs while online. The hostage is your PC and the hackers have developed savvy ways to take control of your computer causing the owner to seek out technicians that must completely wipe away the contents of a hard drive and sometimes cause the loss of valuable information.  This has been the latest rash of terroristic attacks taking place over the Internet with many victims falling prey right here in the United States.  This form of Ransomware has been attributed towards one of the largest and most politically hacktivistic lurkers on the Internet.  They call themselves ANONYMOUS and ride again with the mantra motto:


“We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.”-
 According to Andy Greenberg author of THIS MACHINE KILLS SECRETS, definingthe Anonymous hacktavists is as follows:  “They are more than a traditional
organization, it functions as a loosely organized movement, or even an elaborate
participatory memes (a catchphrase or image that has become inadvertently popular,
thanks to the viral quality of the Internet, and whose meaning is typically lost on
mainstream Web users.  Often serving as in jokes for Anonymous supporters, many
memes, computer games originate from discussions on bulletin boards and cyber chat
rooms.)”    Those who took part in the groups and anyone called Anonymous joined in crowd-sourced swarm attacks on whatever target offended its values, tenets like
freedom of speech and anti corporation values.
 Some of the victims over the years since the movement emerged have included TeaParty and its billionaire corporate supporters, the Koch brothers, the anti–homosexualextremist Westboro Baptist Church, Sony Corporation, Mastercard and Paypal.  Thegroup has gone as far as to attack the Church of Scientology which they believed wasbullying a smaller entity or acting with corrupt impunity.  The Anon (Anonymous)attacks have gone so far as to “flood their victims servers with fraudulent data requests that paralyzed the machines like flies choking the mouth and nostrils of a Goliath elephant”, according to Greenberg.
 The HPP of most Anonymous members appears to be revealed as young teens someas young as fifteen years old.  Police have attempted to squelch these individuals only to be greeted by Anon to recruit more and harden the groups culture of stronganonymity.  According to Greenberg Anonymous relays the activist cry, “Anonymouswants you…Get your ass behind a proxy and join the raid.” Specific raids on the Church of Scientology have gone on to warn:“Hello Scientology.  We are Anonymous.  Over the years, we have been watching you.Your campaigns of misinformation, suppression of dissent, your litigious nature, all ofthese things have caught our eyes….Anonymous has therefore decided that your
organization should be destroyed.  For the good of your followers, for the good of
mankind—for the laughs—we shall expel you from the Internet and systematicallydismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form”….”Knowledge is free…Weare Anonymous.  We are Legion…We do not forgive…We do not forget…Expect Us.”Furthermore many of the members of Anonymous carry themselves with the trademark of the Guy Fawkes mask that was so adorned in the motion picture “V for
Vendetta”, produced by Uber producer Joel Silver and his company Silver Picturesthrough Warner Brothers.  This mask has been carried and seen at many rallies ofprotest including the Occupy Wall Street Movement that took place in cities mostrecently nationwide.  The reference to Guy Fawkes is interesting as it refers to the
radical anarchist that was put to death on November 5th for his acts against government. Anonymous has somehow grabbed onto this trademark to help them identify themselves to the larger masses of Internet users and establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with online.  The movement of Anonymous has been systematic while they fiercely guard their names and identities openly congregating in online chat rooms and crowd sourced documents that use pseudonyms.
 While it is obvious that hackers sometimes do their mischief just for the thrill and
excitement of the act, Anonymous attacks can be observed as having specificallypolitical motivation taking hacking to an entirely new level in an attempt to makewhat they call greater change and protect our freedoms over the Internet.  Whetheryou believe this mantra motto or mission statement the obvious still is relevant inthe listing of attacks that have taken place over the internet by Anonymous.  Hereare just a select listing of specifically motivated attacks that Anon has takenresponsibility:   (Courtesy of Parmy Olson’s WE ARE ANONYMOUS, Little Brown and Company, NewYork, 2012):

2006-2007:

*Habbo Raids-this amusement site was hacked by Anonymous due to the fact that
they barred a two year old toddler affected by AIDS from entering their parks or
swimming pool.  Their site as taken over and plastered with Internet slang whileflooding the site.

*Hal Turner raid:  White supremacist Hal Turner had his website hacked and was
forced to pay thousands of dollars in bandwidth bills due to it.  He attemptedto sue for his bills but the case eventually ran out of steam in court.  No legal actionprevailed.

2008:

*Sarah Palin Email Attack:  September of 2008 saw to the hacking of Sarah Palin’s
website by well known Anonymous member Rubico.  His attempts to invade Ms. Palin’semail account turned out to be frivolous in trying to find incriminating information that
she might have passed on during her political career.  Her passwords and email
information were revealed publically on various websites worldwide.

2009:

*No Cussing Club Invasion-January 2009 saw to it in attacking the website of the
No Cussing Club in California run by teen McKay Hatch, a website against profanity.Hatch’s home address, phone numbers and other personal information were disclosedover the internet along with a series of hate mails and obscene phone calls that were
made to the homes of members.  Also, bogus pizza and pornography deliveries weremade using members credit card numbers.

*Iranian Protests Against the Current Elections:  Anonymous launches an Iranian
Greet Movement  Support site with the help of Pirate Bay and other Iranian hackersto protest the rigging of elections of Iranian presidential candidates.  Thousands ofprotestors took to the streets as the Iranian government attempted to censor news
about the riots over the Internet.

2010:

*Zimbabwe Attacks:  Website of the government of Zimbabwe were systematically
attacked by anonymous and flooded with spam, flames and other information to
jam their site in protest of censorship due to Wiki Leaks documents.

2011:

*Attacks on Fine Gael Website:  Anonymous systematically attacks the Irish political
parties website Fine Gael, a labor party group in Ireland replacing many of their
pages with text that reads: “Nothing is safe; you put your faith in this political partyand they take no measures to protect you.  They offer you free speech yet they censoryour voice.  WAKE UP!”

*Arab Spring Activites:  Many sites were hacked and defaced during the Arab Spring
movement as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Middle Eastern governmental websites weresingled out.  Many of these attacks coincided with what was happening in Egypt asmany demonstrators utilized Facebook to organize and rally.  Tunisian governmentofficials attempted to respond by arresting online activists and bloggers within theircountry while questioning the attacks.  The retaliation effected Anonymous directlyas their website was placed into DDoS around January 5th of last year.

*Occupy Wall Street:  Many Guy Fawkes masks were observed during the Occupy
Wall Street movement rallies that occurred worldwide in many countries.  The maskedprotestors use of these masks were a clear message that they had connections to
Anonymous and were involved with illicit hacking activity during the course of the
movement.
 The continued hacking attacks by Anonymous have once again proven that thehacktivist movement worldwide over the internet has greatly evolved from a smallgroup of techno savvy computer users that have just been using their skills for kicksnot really attempting to cause much harm and doing most of their mischief for thesensation of the hack while acting out as a band of vandalizing youth.  Hacktivism andthe Anonymous movement have evolved into a lethal and very threatening force overthe Internet evolving into a movement beyond the scope of just hackers.  Anonymousclearly has patterns and select motives for their attacks and has taken hacking intoan entirely new level using their skills the same way the Hippie Movement of the
sixties used demonstrations and riots to protest the war and other political decisionmaking that occurs inside large government and bureaucratic organizations. We have seen since the 1950’s and beyond a movement of protestors that can nowtake their politically motivated mischief to an entirely new level hoping to make change. In some ways by doing this online, the risk to human life similar to what happened during the sixties movements occurs less but there are much greater financial and technical consequences that take place due to the work of Anonymous and its bandof computer pirates.  Most of what Anonymous and many of the hactivists protest are in response to groups that are looking to censor and prohibit certain freedoms over the Internet.  In some ways this might lead to more positive and less restrictive attempts by governments to control the internet and prevent freedoms of speech

.Either way you look at it, there must be some sense of observation that Anonymousand Internet hackers hold a particular space….a particular function and role over theworld wide web in helping to control and keep the web safe for some of the billions ofusers that have taken their campaigns to the bandwidth hoping to muster up changethrough global dissemination of information that the Internet provides to us all.  Are the arrests of these individuals a test of how free the internet remains or are they signsthat the Internet may be eventually controlled by governments and politically mindedbureaucrats?  These are questions that will continue to arise as we evolve over the
Internet as a better educated and closer knit global village takes its course online.
Hackers, hacktivists and Anonymous play a large role in helping us protect some ofthe freedoms we’ve learned to nurture online and in some ways take on a GuardianAngel role to the online community.  Either way they have become the new RobinHoods of a vast movement that has evolved online and effectively learned howto use their skills to help rob from the rich and give to the poor-in some cases usingtheir political viewpoints to help guide any kind of restrictions to our web browsing
freedoms.  Until there is some kind of larger entity out there to help retain thesefreedoms, Anonymous and online hacktivists are the new and subtle voices ofour freedoms to speak without being censored.  Good or bad, they are everywhere.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brenner, Joel, America The Vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digital Espionage, Crime and Warfare, The Penguin Press: New York, Copyright 2011.


Brenner, Susan W., Cybercrime: Criminal Threats From Cyberspace, Praeger, Santa Barbara, California-Denver, Colorado-Oxford, England, Copyright 2010.


Chiesa, Raoul and Ducci, Stefania, Profiling Hackers: The Science of Criminal Profiling as Applied to the World of Hacking, CRC Press, Boca Raton, London, New York, Copyright 2009


Gerdes, Louise I., Cyber Crime, Greehaven Press: Gale Cengage Learning, Detroit, New York, San Francisco, New Haven, Conn, Waterville, Maine, London, Copyright 2009.


Greenberg, Andy, This Machine Kills Secrets: How WikiLeakers, Cypherpunks, and Hacktivists Aim to Free The World’s Information,  Dutton, Penguin Group, Copyright 2012.


Holt, Thomas J., Crime On-Line: Correlates, Causes and Context, Carolina Academic Press, Durham, North Carolina, Copyright 2011.


Olson, Parmy, We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency, Little Brown and Company, New York, Boston, London; Copyright 2012.


INTERNET SOURCES

Anonymous,  International: An Anonymous Foe; Internet Security, The Economist: London,  June 18, 2011.


Anonymous, Leaders: The Rights and Wrongs of Hacktivism; Wiki Leaks, Protest and The Law,  The Economist, Business and Economics: Volume 397, Issue 8713, The Economist Intelligence Unit: London, December 18th, 2010.


Anonymous, New Security Concerns: War, Cyber Terrorists, News Services, Chicago Tribune: Tribune Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., April 2, 2008.


Howell, Donna, Hactivism Rising: Crooks Target Small Biz Food Services Hit The Worst Verizon Report Comes As Top FBI Officials Say Cops Losing Cybersecurity War. April 3rd, 2012  

Kutler, Jeffrey, Cyber Terrorism is an Increasingly Real Threat, Institutional Investor: Euromoney Trading Limited, New York, United Kingdom,  September 2011.


Kutler, Jeffrey, Cyber Terrorism is an Increasingly Real Threat, Institutional Investor: Euromoney Trading Limited, New York, United Kingdom,  September 2011.


Sieczkowski, Cavan,  Anonymous Claims To Have Hacked 28,000 PayPal Passwords for Guy Fawkes Day,  Huffington Post, November 5, 2012.


Vilensky, M., Heard & Scene:  Getting A Read on Anonymous “Hacktivists”, Wall Street Journal, pp. A23, September 1st, 2011.


Walmsley, Andrew,  Web Is A Powerful Force for Activism, Marketing, Haymarket Business Publications LTD., United Kingdom: London, February 13th, 2008.


PERIODICALS

Perlroth, Nicole, For PC Virus Victims, Pay or Else: Ransomware, a Lucrative Online Crime, Expands in the U.S., Culver City, California,  New York Times, Section B1, Business Day, December 6, 2012.




Sunday, November 11, 2012

Coming to the End--IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America




As I head down the road towards the end of the tunnel for production of IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America, I'm amazed at all of the fantastic people I've met along this journey.  My eye injury, a detached retina while preparing for the initial shooting of the film has been remedied and my eyesight is back to practically normal stages.  Ironically, it is an injury that is very similar to what most boxers get after been being battered in the head time and time again.  I've certainly lived this part to it's fullest but have achieved a project that I feel confident will get some attention in the festivals and through religious schools and temples.  The men I've met while shooting this film are rug-id warriors with heart.  Something they all have in common that rings true in all of them.  These men have a silent understanding before going into battle that consists of extreme focused concentration and determined excellence at being the best they can be in their sport.  But what has also been something true that I've noticed is their warmth and sincerity.  The Ed Gersh's and Ron Lipton's have incredible stories that make you understand what personnel struggles they have gone through individually.  I commend them all.  My crew was second to none and thanks must go out to Chip King, Seymour Stewart and Robert King, Jr. for all of their support in the field while shooting IMPACT.  The replication of the film has been made and we will begin distributing copies to a select group for inclusion into festivals and award ceremonies hoping to find a descent home for this project.  As usual, the help of Kurt Hoss and the many composers that contributed to the project include Yaron Gershovsky and Romulous from 2ACCESS in Canada all giving their best to underscore this project with melodies that ring true in tough and at times tragic lives.  Thanks again to Cletus Seldin and Ed Gersh, Dmitriy Salita and Ron Lipton.  A special thanks to author Douglas Century who bound these stories together through his narration and oral histories of Barney Ross and Benny Leonard.   We are bound to the stories of warriors who find time at the end of the day to offer up a bit more heart than many a man would think about in a soldiers story.  Each of them all I owe a tremendous amount of appreciation and thanks for allowing me to be their fly on the wall.  It was an experience I shall never forget.

JFN

  

Thursday, September 20, 2012

James Ford Nussbaum on WPAT FM Radio and WFAN-CBS RADIO, NEW YORK...

 Saturday September 29th late night on the Tony Paige show on WFAN CBS Radio out of New York to discuss the project IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America......Click on link below....

Sunday, September 9, 2012

More Fighter, More Hebrew Hammers


50 year-old makes boxing comeback after 21 year absence tomorrow


Mark Weinman, a highly touted hard punching 154lber out of New York who fought  in the mid and late 1980's returns to the ring for the first time in 21 years at age 50, this Friday, September 7th, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Airport Hotel.  

Weinman, known as the "Hebrew Hammer" ran up 11 straight victories including 9 ko's with a Mike Tyson like fury in his attack, before back-to-back losses in 1987 ended his career.  

An attempted comeback 4 years later in 1991 again ended in a setback as Weinman was stopped on his feet in a bout he was winning with 30 secondsleft in the final round.  His final career record was 11-3 with 9 ko's.
Weinman, a former Spanish Golden Gloves champion, three-time PAL Champion (Police Athletic League) and New York Golden Gloves Open Finalist, was hailed by New York's boxing media as a future champ. He fought on major boxing cards at Madison Square Garden and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. 

Says Weinman,  "I feel fresh, I had only 14 pro fights so I'm not shopworn.  I can still punch like a mule.  I have been training for this comeback since the summer of 2011 and have boxed over 500 rounds.  My left hook is back and their are no weight problems anymore. My stamina feels great."
Weinman's opponent will be Elvis "El Burrito" Martinez, a 36 year old journeyman from the Dominican Republic with 43 pro bouts under his belt. The fight is contracted at 165lbs weight limit. 

Weinman's manager Steve Tannenbaum tells us, "Mark looked like the goods. He had a great left hook to the body which you don't see fighters throw anymore. And along with being able to pop, he had a big heart.  

"Maybe like George Foreman during the second chapter of his career, Weinman will be a more relaxed fighter and pace himself better in the ring.I think he can be dangerous for anybody in the middle weight division."

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Rough Cutting IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America



We have successfully reached the rough cutting phases of our new documentary IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America-www.impactthefilm.com.  As we tighten and fine tune the project, we have gotten an overwhelming response from so many of the rough cut versions we've sent out to some of our team members.  We are not just exploring the history of a select few Jewish Boxers that include Barney Ross and Benny Leonard but are immersing ourselves in the exploration of the current day Jewish Boxer who most derives himself from poverty in the former Soviet Union and Israel.  I'm of course referring to Dmitriy Salita and Yuri Foreman although our investigation has also uncovered Cletus Seldin from Long Island, New York.  These men share a passion for the ring that is unlike any athlete I've encountered having worked many years with the NBA and witnessed the profuse passion of the American Basketball player.  Jewish Boxers are far from coming across as "thugs" who are just brutes.  They are articulate and intelligent knowing they have developed themselves into powerful weapons.  But it is their heart and soul that stands out most prevassively as I met and interviewed them all.  The lasting theme of the powerful Jewish culture will prevail in this piece and not present a weak culture that will allow themselves to be defeated either in or out of the ring.  The Jewish Boxer of today represents an individual with strong connections to the State of Israel and is not afraid to wear the Star of David on their trunks.

Ron Lipton, one of our film subjects is an amazingly tough and rug-id fighter, referee and trainer who has come face to face with antisemitism.  He has prevailed sometimes using extreme force and violence to protect himself and his family.  Ron represents the "tough Jew", the "Israelie Jew" who isn't afraid to defend himself with a jab and a right hook.  However Ron also represents men that not only can defend themselves but have that heart felt warm side that makes them human and approachable.

Our intent is to air this half hour project on Cablevision in Morris County, New Jersey, Channel 21 on Sunday's at 12:30 along with special presentation on THE JEWISH CHANNEL, a pay per view service.  Screenings will be arranged also for public viewing and our hopes are to enter it in national as well as regional competitions and festivals.  Stay tuned for IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America.  The Jewish spirit is alive and well right here in the USA.

For more information on this project contact: James Ford Nussbaum @ jnussbaum@galileoproductions.com.

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

ALCOA POWER AND PROPULSION USES GALILEO PRODUCTIONS, LLC FOR TOP TALENT VIDEO.

ALCOA POWER AND PROPULSION USES GALILEO PRODUCTIONS, LLC FOR TOP TALENT VIDEO.
 
 
August, 2012, RANDOLPH, NJ:  Alcoa Power and Propulsion, a major business unit of Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA), is a global leader in superalloy airfoil and titanium and aluminum structural investment castings. Serving the aerospace, defense, energy and industrial markets; its products are primarily used in jet engines and industrial gas turbines. APP employed Executive Producer James Ford Nussbaum and GALILEO PRODUCTIONS, LLC for the production of its latest Top Talent Video in July 2012.  The three minute video communicated management achievements about the latest news and developments by management teams at its Dover, New Jersey, operation.  Communications Manager Cary Dell thanked Galileo Productions for contributing  video and editing support.  For more information contact James Ford Nussbaum at GALILEO PRODUCTIONS @ jnussbaum@galileoproductions.com
 
 
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Saturday, August 4, 2012

IMPACT--Jewish Boxers in America--UPDATE--New Documentary






  
We're finally in the rough cutting phase of this Jewish Boxing documentary....IMPACT...It has been a true struggle, just like the many Jewish Boxers out there to get this project rolling.  I've experienced and repaired a detached retina injury along the way that ironically is similar to what many boxers suffer in the ring.  The project and my eye have survived.  Coming soon to Cablevision channel 21, Sunday's at 12:30PM.  This has been three years in the making....Those of you who are in Morris County local area, look out for it.  We of course will schedule select screenings of the project as the premiere draws closer.  Thank you to everyone for all of your support.   JFN

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Even the Tough Jews Can Be Women



As IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America evolves along the way as a documentary expose, I can be "WOWED!" by the diversity of Jewish boxers that have now been including women in the mix of athletes.  Argentinian Carolina Raquel Duer, 33, has just come to our attention as a leading woman Jewish boxer with a record of 12-3 in her circle of athletes.  She's the first Jewish woman to reach this level.  This stunningly beautiful and tough woman fighter opens the door to a whole new perspective in the sport of Jewish boxing by showing that women can be just as tough as the men.  She's being promoted as being just as tough as Dimitry Salita and Yuri Forman and if things continue as successfully as she's progressing, we just might see her in New York training at Gleason's Gym in no time.  Look, if the Isrealie's can boast about having women in the military for decades, as it's mandatory for them to serve alongside men, then why can't we accept and promote the fact that women have just as much right to fight in this sport alongside them?  It's something that many classic Jewish boxers of yesterday tend to cringe about but must soon learn that it's not just a man's world anymore when it comes to Jewish boxers in the ring.  Duer displays a Star of David on her trunks as well when she fights and together, both as men box alongside women, the sport is expanding into areas that break down old stereotypes about what sex can be found in the ring and who will be triumphant when it comes to the sport of Jewish boxers.  Raise a glass for the women who deserve just as much praise as the men and are fearless when it comes to boxing as well.  It's a battle of the sexes that won't just carry on inside the ring.  Women Jewish boxers are becoming their own Macabe's as well.  Duer even touts the fact that she beat up a man in her home of Argentina that tried to rip off her purse.  You can bet that it won't happen again.  You go girl!!  Carolina Raquel Duer has Moxy!!....Stay tuned....IMPACT-Jewish Boxers in America.   www.impactthefilm.com

Friday, May 18, 2012

SILENCE=DEATH: URGE THE IOC TO REMEMBER THE FALLEN ISREALIE ATHLETES FROM 1972 MUNICH GAMES AT UPCOMING BRITISH OLYMPICS.



The New York Times posted this report earlier today regarding the International Olympic Committee not recognizing the 11 Isrealie athletes that were killed by terrorists in 1972's Munich Games.  They have refused to offer up a moment of silence to remember the athletes at the upcoming British Olympic Game Opening Ceremonies.  This is clearly a sign of arrogance by the I.O.C and should be a questioned as to ask why are they burying their heads in the sand and not remembering this tradgic event through a moment of silence.  This is clearly not condeming the event but promoting the fact that it could happen again if we don't work together to stop terrorism.  This is like saying the the Holocaust never happened or that
9/11 was simply something we should just forget.  Silence=Death and by not conducting a
moment of silence at the upcoming British Olympic Games we are not fighting and possibly even sending out a message of blind sidedness by not remembering the horror terrorism caused at Munich in 1972.  We must not forget and encourage the IOC to simply offer up one minute of silence at the beginning of the upcoming games.  We are doomed to repeat history if we don't remember the horrors that terrorism has left behind.  Urge the IOC to offer up a moment of silence and bring the world together to stop the dangers of terrorism worldwide.
JN

Monday, May 7, 2012

Dealing With Tempermental Musicians at the Temple

It would appear that some artists are more tempermental than others when it comes to allowing their work to be used or seen by the public.  This I can understand but we all must be reminded about the phrase, mimicry can be a form of compliment.  Not the case with the Gene Marlow Heritage Ensemble who I was invited to tape for posting on the internet by a local synagogue.  We briefly met before the concert at a local Leonia, NJ religious venue.  The leader of the band seemed very excited that we were going to record his concert for a charity fundraiser for the Temple.  Everything went smoothly and I made the assumption that there would be no reason to secure a release.  Mr. Marlow had given us permission to record and all seemed right on the mark.  I was to later learn after we completed the project and posted it on Vimeo after a long time of not getting a set list from the composer that we were ready to roll.  Mr. Marlow later changed his tune rather quickly demanding that the concert be pulled from the internet and that it didn't meet to his satisfaction.  They say the artist is always in the right when it comes to their own material even when their wrong.  Where are the days of free bootlegging privledges that THE GRATEFUL DEAD would offer it's listener in creating recordings of concerts allowing DEAD HEADS to sell and trade the tapes amoungst friends.   It all boils down to what is known as INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.  You must secure releases in advance so that a tempermental artist CAN'T change their minds or tune once they agree on a recorded message over the World Wide Web.  What is news?  What is entertainment?  Clearly this was a form of entertainment but as for the Gene Marlow Heritage Ensemble, this artist wonders if their is any ounce of honor in the verbal word that states you're doing the right thing and following through on what you say you
are going to do.  Be careful out there when you record events, especially musical ones.  A change in mind is a producers worst nightmare....and maybe even a mothers as well.  Stay well everyone...Peace and good cheer...Hardly professional, hard lessons learned.

James Ford Nussbaum
GALILEO PRODUCTIONS, LLC
Fairleigh Dickinson University

Monday, April 23, 2012

Computer Insurance Is A Must....

Now that I've completely become artistically dependendent on the internet I must suggest that you get a good team of people behind you to make sure you have some kind of fall back when it comes to computer assistance in times of need during a computer crash.  I tried using a local vendor for computer support called TONI'S TECH'S located out of the Morris County, New Jersey area.  The owner who goes by the name of TONI BENNET, (no relation to the singer) how ironic, sent over a technician to service my system and was clueless in their efforts on servicing the machine.  They did arrive timely at my office and came by to service the system, took the box and then left.  After just hours, the machine was returned without any service conducted on the box.  The technician was clueless and I'm still scrambling to get my team together in the right way so we can move forward.  On top of that, they gave me an attitude that was not at all condusive to good business practices...Lesson learned....but here's some good advice people....

Establish a decent repoire with local insurance companies that can supply you with good data recovery policies when you're in your darkest hours.  Insurance companies offer up various policies that can protect you from a computer crash and help you rebuild your systems when the time is right.  We have protection when it comes to this problem and I whole heartedly suggest checking into a policy that will cover you in this kind of disaster.  The policies are out there.  Do the homework and plan for the future even if the future holds some unexpected disasters out there for you to endure and learn from.  Share your stories and hopefully we can help others survive through some of these unexpected nightmares.

Safe surfing!!  Have a great week people....Machines have their pitfall just like us.  The survivors will endure.  Those of us who use innovative ideas will survive THE HORRORS....

Peace,

JN