Brian Becker

Elisa Lam Fact sheet + theory

2015-11-08T19:14:00.001-05:00

Elisa Lam April 30, 1991 - February 1, 2013

Full story

Timeline

June 19, 2013 - Autopsy Report released
February 19, 2013 - Body Found
February 13, 2013 - Modified elevator video posted by LAPD 2/13/2013
February 6, 2013 - Tumblr updated

Using Queue feature, or someone found lost phone and turned it on. Maybe connected to Wifi and offline stuff updated.??

February 1, 2013 12:22AM - Last sighting

Elevator cam Actual time and speed

January 31, 2013 - Supposed to check out

{need fact checking}

January 29, 2013 - Arrived in LA Cecil Hotel
January 27, 2013 - No cell phone - Lost Cell Phone

The Speakeasy WAS AWESOME
except I lost a cellphone
SIGH
#and it's not even mine #it's my friends old blackberry #that he's lending to me #and ughhh #well not lend #he doesn't want it anymore #but UGHHH #STUPID #caliblah

January 26, 2013 - Going out to Speakeasy

I’m going out tonight
I really hope no creeper comes near me
Seriously though
those Italian and Mexican guys go after you STRONG
Show the slightest inclination and they hound you
#GOOD GOD I JUST WANT TO LISTEN TO SOME LIVE JAZZ #UGHKLAJSDL:KAJS #ok ok #caliblah

January 24, 2013 - Hostel at San Diego

Today I slept, took a long hot shower, stuffed myself silly with a $3 dinner. It has been most productive and enjoyable.
I seriously have done nothing in San Diego that is out of the my normal routine at home.
I DO WHAT I WANT
After all, I like my home comforts and every now and then I do something entirely impulsive and reckless like tell a guy I just met I like him…….
I do like people watching at the hostel.

Now that I’m rested and well, starting tomorrow I should venture outside more.
1. Seaworld
2. The Zoo
3. Museum because it’s free!!!!
4. Whale watching at Coronado/Point Loma ?
#caliblah #OK OK ENOUGH OF THE HOUSEPLANTING #It's time to get down to business

January 22, 2013 - Though she missed connection

I got lost in the airport and missed my connecting flight
UGHH. Sleepover at the airport again.
Oh well. It could be worse.
United Airlines provides blankets

I have wifi and I can pretend I’m Tom Hanks in the Terminal (not at all similar but SURELY if a fictional character in a movie can live in an airport than so can I)
#caliblah #this trip is STARTING OUT GOOD #the movie did not mention that vacuum cleaners are really loud #it's a lot comfier than ottawa for sure

January 21-22 - Packing

I’m too tired to pack

January 7, 2013 - Original flight schedule

I just got my flightbook'd
Vancouver: Jan 18 - 22, San Diego: Jan 22 - 27
and the rest is to be written…
#caliblah

January 5, 2013 - Original plans DID include LA

Next leg of my whirlwind adventure: the West Coast
Meet-up applications now accepted for Vancouver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Opispo, Santa Cruz, San Jose and San Francisco.
SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HIGHLY HIGHLY APPRECIATED AND NEEDED!!!!
#caliblah

Other info and resources:

Yelp
Fire escapes
Elevator alternate View
2 Elevators
Chinese investigation
Street view
Fire Dept - LAFD Station #9

The Elevator Game
Dark Water Movie

Facts still need checking

Katie Orphan owner of "THE LAST BOOKSTORE" recalls talking to Elisa on Jan 31st in her book store

Bought gifts to take home

What about invisibility cloak?
Missing Facebook and Twitter
Need records of fire alarm going off or dispatch on that date.

Possible Source

Was known for posting pictures from rooftops to facebook
Contacted family every day until Feb 1
Was originally checked in to 5th floor, but moved to 4th floor after roomates complained about behavior
Hostel had shared bathrooms, unsure about shared rooms.
Did Elisa see the film Dark Water, or have any history with it

My Theory:

It was her last day on vacation before going home.

Either she was being adventurous and enjoying the last night.
or she was locked out of her room

Could not get in room.

Check out would have been Jan 31, 2013 - around 11am
Elevator video from Feb 1, 2013 12:22am
May have been looking for safe spot to stay/sleep and ventured to the roof
Could be debunked if shared room guests would let her in?

Tried 15th floor roof access door before getting in elevator.

Most speculation is that she was on the 14th floor
Either looking to hide for the night for a place to sleep

or being adventurous

Possibly set off alarm and was hiding from security, or expecting security.

May have been accidental by opening alarmed roof door

If alarm was going off in elevator footage

Could explain why doors wouldn't close
Maybe elevator resumed operation after alarm was reset
Explains behavior

Calm when first entering elevator
Panics when doors don't shut
When reentering after standing in hall, hands appear to be covering ears.

No glasses on

Bent to see buttons when first entering elevator
Pushed hold button or open door button instead of floor so elevator didn't close.

Stayed open while talking or looking in the mirror

may have held button on outside of door.
Unclear what she is doing outside of elevator
Could have been talking to security about alarm.

Climbed fire escape ladder to rooftop

May have been common for her
However it would have been dark and no glasses

Climbed to higest platform above water tanks on roof, up another ladder

Likely just adventurous

Could have fallen or jumped in to water tank

If jumped, obviously didn't foresee the lack of a way out.
May not have known there was water in there

It's dark, and it was a hatch... possibly open

May have stripped before or after falling in

after to aide in staying afloat
unsure if clothes were found inside tank

Conclusion

It was one Youtube comment that led me in the direction of the Fire alarm. I couldn't find any evidence to back this up, but her elevator actions could be better explained if she had just done something wrong.
She didn't appear to be scared for her life as much as she appeard to fear being in trouble.
I don't know the circumstances that led her to be in the tank, but I believe she wanted to be on the roof.
So, no mystery solved, but another unbiased logical opinion.
This started out as a note sheet for myself, but due to the popularity of this case, I thought another reference sheet could be useful to others.

Time Warner BYO Cable Modem

2014-10-17T12:44:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Time Warner's ~~greed~~ feeling that their rates weren't high enough, they decided a couple of years ago to charge extra for the privilege of using their hardware.
I'll try to leave my opinions aside, and explain how to get around this extra fee.

Order a Netgear CG3000D from Amazon, or wherever you'd prefer.

It is not the greatest available, but is about the least expensive DOCSIS 3 modem I could find that is confirmed to work.

DOCSIS 2 does not support the higher speeds

These devices are not supported by Netgear, and firmware updates are not available.

The best support I've found is in the Amazon Reviews section

They do work with Time Warner

Plug into your home network, or another computer

DHCP is enabled by default, so your computer should obtain an IP from the CG3000D

Default settings are

IP - 192.168.100.1
Web - http://192.168.100.1
Admin login

admin
password

Super Admin login

MSO
changeme

Advanced hidden settings

NAT Control - to disable routing functions and use only as a cable modem

http://192.168.100.1/RgNatControl.asp

Advanced Firewall services

http://192.168.100.1/RgServices.asp

Advanced Firmware update

http://192.168.100.1/__SeContents.html
Attempting a fake firmware upgrade is said to resolve some issues, (although it fails)

Configure as you wish.

You can use the modem as a router and Wireless access point if needed

Many have complained about the wireless, but I haven't used enough to know.

If you choose to disable NAT,and use your own router;

Perform a factory reset by holding the reset button on the bottom of the router for 30 seconds.
The router should obtain a WAN IP from the CG3000D's DHCP server
Immediately login to the CG3000D to disable NAT

http://192.168.100.1/RgNatControl.asp

Wait a minute.
If your router does not obtain a public IP after a minute

Power cycle the CG0000D
Then power cycle your router.

Once your router has a public IP, you can disable the wireless radio on the CG3000D

Once everything is set up on the modem

Call Time Warner to provision your new hardware

I believe you will need to speak with a rep to provide the new MAC address

Return Time Warner's modem and power cable to them.

Enjoy the $5.99 you save every month!

Personal Computer FAQ and Tips

2014-08-21T10:21:00.002-04:00

Personal Computer FAQ and Tips

Computer/Virus cleanup

First off, know how to use the internet safely

No matter if you are looking for games, programs, porn, or videos... you should not download or install any software unless you are 100% certain it is safe to install.
If you have the Recommended apps (see below) installed, you should not need to install anything else to view that video, or read an email. Many sites are set up to trick you with ads, popups, etc. that convince you to install their "software" (malware, phishing, virus, etc)

Infected Computers
If your computer is extremely slow, try these steps

Press Ctrl-Alt-Del and click on Task Manager

Click on Processes, and tick the box to Show All Processes.
Click the CPU column header to sort by CPU largest to smallest
Find the largest CPU hogs and end the process

This may kill something important, but the damage is undone once you reboot
You can ignore System Idle Process.
iexplore is Internet Explorer
svchost is used by Windows, but also by viruses

Killing it can be good or bad depending, but is worth a shot

Eliminate startup programs with WhatInStartup

If you are really infected, just remove everything in the list.

Scheduled Tasks

Start - Control Panel - Scheduled Tasks or
Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Task Scheduler
Some Virii hide in here.
You can pretty safely remove any tasks that are not in the Microsoft folder

Download TDSSKiller

Scan computer and remove threats

Reboot if prompted

Install MalwareBytes

Opt out of the professional trial when installing
Update, Scan and Remove all infected Malware

Install Microsoft Security Essentials

Update, Scan and Remove all infected items

Browser Toolbars

Remove ALL toolbars and suspicious add-ons from each browser

Internet Explorer

Tools - Settings - Manage Addons

Firefox

Tools - Addons - Extensions, and Plugins

Chrome

Settings - Extensions

Change Search provider to Google as default

Download and run Cleanup to clean Temp files and free up space
Please see my warning about Cryptolocker

If this applies, seek immediate attention
This will destroy all of your files, and leave "HOW_TO_DECRYPT" files in your folders.

New computers/Windows 8

Windows 8

Windows 8 can be improved with the Installation of Classic Shell

This will give your start menu back, and nearly eliminate the Metro start screen.

Startup - Speedup

Eliminate startup programs with WhatInStartup by Nirsoft

Extract/open the zip file and run the exe program

Never do this unless you trust the origin - but you can trust me now

You can pretty safely delete everything in here to speed up your computer and eliminate background programs.
Once you've removed everything, reboot for the changes to take effect.
Keep this program, and check it again in a month, things tend to reappear and need to be cleaned out regularly

Applications

Installing

Be careful installing ANY programs that are downloaded from the internet.
Even if you know it's safe, click through the installer carefully. Almost every installer now contains additional "sponsored" software that you don't need.

ie. Ask toolbar, Safesearch, MyPCBackup, Trial antivirus, Trial professional versions, etc.

Use the links below to get the apps

They go to the best source to download them

Safe applications

You can find many free, useful and safe apps at Sourceforge
Any application that is "Open Source" is generally safe to install

Highly Recommended for every computer

All of this software is free but can contain sponsored software, so again - Be careful
Necessities

File unzip

7-Zip

Internet

Firefox

Install the following add-ons for the best experience

AdBlock Plus

Pictures

Irfanview

Video

Thunderbird

This has many add-ons available to integrate calendar, sync with Google contacts, etc.

I recommend Gmail for free email as it allows you to sync email, contacts, and calendar with nearly any Android, PC, or Apple device.

Microsoft Office

MS Office is not free, but there are alternatives

Office Viewers (allow you to view but not edit files)

Just install the latest version for each program

Google Docs

Create or login with your Gmail account

drive.google.com

Open Office

This is a free competitor to MS Office

If you have an older version of Office and want to open newer files, just install the Compatibality Pack

PDF viewer

Adobe Reader

Be sure to uncheck the optional offer before downloading

Notes

Evernote

Permits you to save and sync notes from any device

Removing programs

You can uninstall most programs in the Control Panel

Start - Control Panel - Programs and Features

You may need to change the View by to Large Icons, or classic view

Windows XP is Start - Control Panel -Add/Remove Programs

Any program listed here that you do not currently use is generally safe to Uninstall

Everything Else

If I have forgotten anything, please let me know in comments and I can add it.
Bookmark and check this blog as needed, I will try to keep it up to date.
If you don't know how to do something Google it

Cryptolocker Virus Alert

2014-01-14T13:13:00.002-05:00

I normally do not panic about new virus alerts, but this one has caught a lot of attention because of the potential destruction.
The links in this page are safe, but are a perfect example of how viruses spread through email. Do not trust unknown links (except for this). One way to verify links are by hovering over with your mouse, the destination address should appear in the bottom left corner of the browser window.

What does this virus do?

When this virus infects a system, it immediately encrypts the user's data and possibly the data on any external drives (such as USB/thumb drives) or network share drives to which the machine is currently connected. Once the data has been encrypted, the virus prompts the user to pay money ($300) by a specified deadline to decrypt the data. If there is no response before the deadline, the key to decrypt files specific to the encrypted machine is destroyed. Once the files are encrypted there are no other alternatives EXCEPT to recover the data from an offline backup. Read more here

Will your Antivirus program protect you?

At this time, both Vipre and other major antivirus vendors have updated signatures to this virus and prevent its infection. However, they do NOT not have a way to decrypt the files once they have been encrypted. It is critical that you keep your antivirus active and updated daily. They are still not 100% fool proof, and the best defense is user education and excessive caution when opening email attachments or files downloaded from the internet.

What you can do to protect your computer and your data?

Do NOT open attachments from people you are not expecting to get attachments from. This includes emails from printers saying they have sent you a scanned document, or from shipping companies stating there is a customer support issue.
Continue to keep your antivirus signatures updated.
Importantly, the only sure way to beat this virus and others like it is to make regular backups of your data and store them offline. If you backup your files to an external hard drive, do not leave it connected to your computer unless it is in the backup process.

What should I do if I get infected?

Immediately turn off your computer by holding the power button down for 10 seconds.
Do not attempt to move files or circumvent the problem.
Immediately contact your local computer support group

What should I do at home?

Backup your important data regularly to an external USB drive, and keep the drive disconnected.
Be sure you are running up to date Antivirus software

Microsoft Security Essentials is recommended due to it's cost (free) and minimal impact.

Scan your computer now for Malware and Rootkits.

Do not trust links or attachments sent through email unless you are absolutely sure of what you are downloading.
Do not connect to an office network or VPN if you are unsure that your computer is clean.

What about other devices?

At this point Linux, Apple and Android computers and devices are not affected.
Cloud storage such as Dropbox, Google drive, etc. can be affected by this and other viruses if an infected computer is synchronized.

Dear _Upset Gun Owners___

2013-01-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

Dear ___Upset Gun Owners_____,

Where the hell have you been?
Didn't you notice the groups out there fighting for years to salvage freedom in this "land of the free"? That's not even scratching the surface of the rest of the world. Now it's finally affecting you personally, and holy shit!

I'd be happy to summarize the past 12 years for you if you're finally interested. Which, again is just scratching the surface of the other 500 years of American corruption.
Or do your own research...and NOT from the American "news" channels! I think you can still trust Google (**subject to change).
Google - Start with the Patriot act and NDAA. This gives the feds full right to silence the opposition with force (btw, you are currently the opposition). Also, if you care about freedom of speech, and want to be able to voice your opinions, keep googling; SOPA, PIPA, CISPA, etc. Once those bills become law, you may not be posting so freely on Facebook.

Let's be honest, when this "democratic government" decides to take your guns, there is not a damn thing you can do about it. It's too late. And good luck "not going down without a fight"... Have you seen their military that you've bought for them, and maybe even volunteered for? I'm pretty sure the number of automatic weapons and amount of ammo you own is irrelevant.

To be honest, I have been waiting for this “wake up America” for a long time. I just hope this is the real one, and not just another hot topic that will be forgotten next month when there’s new “Breaking News”. I hope they send the secret police door to door for this one. So far they've been smart and sneaky, destroying the constitution in moderation. This one actually caught some attention. Let's hope it's enough.

Sincerely,
Another Upset ___American______

Sonicwall NetExtender and Snow Leopard

2011-03-25T18:24:00.001-04:00

I called Apple, and their "TOP" level support's best advice was to reinstall the OS. Since I've done this 2 times already, I refused.
The problem is with Bonjour, and it's split DNS. It is about 50% Apple and 50% Sonicwall' problem, but Sonicwall would be the actual cause.

Problem
DNS fails all lookups with NetExtender installed.

Solution - Although this only works until reboot
from http://www.fuzeqna.com/sonicwallkb/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=8386&catID2=41&catID1=549
sudo su
Enter password
$ cp /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist ~/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist.orig
$ /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments: string '-StrictUnicastOrdering'" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist
$ launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist
$ launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist

I was able to get this working by just unloading/loading

Permanent solution
Remove Netextender
Delete contents of \Library\Receipts and \Library\Updates
Install VPN Tracker

More information
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2140119&start=135&tstart=0
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4030
http://superuser.com/questions/84144/how-is-dns-used-by-individual-processes

Backup script

2011-03-05T10:54:00.000-05:00

This script can be scheduled to run automatically to backup all or some of your local drives. It is self contained, and customizable.

All files that are backed up are logged to a logfile within the backup directory. The logfile opens automatically upon completion of backup. This has been tested on Windows Vista/Windows 7, but should work on most windows systems. Some functions have changed with the different Windows versions, so minor debugging may be necessary for previous versions.

The Source and Destination can be customized per directory, and should work fine with UNC names as well as mapped network drives. If scheduling this to run automatically, you should consider removing the START /MAX NOTEPAD LOGFILE line to prevent Notepad from opening under the Scheduler account. Also keep in mind that anything run ad a scheduler account may not have access to mapped network drives, or UNC paths.

The script uses XCOPY switches to copy only the files that have been created or changed since the last backup. If you would like multiple copies of a backup, consider appending %DATE% to the destination path.

Cool things to do with your Android phone.

2011-02-13T13:26:00.007-05:00

So, now that you've got the best phone on the market, how do you use it????

This is not necessarily a how to for any of these things. It is just a list of super cool things that can be done with your phone with a little time & effort... and a lot of google searching.

Install Apps
Open the market application and search

Check Email from multiple accounts
Install K-9 Mail

Watch live TV
You would need to purchase a Slingbox
You also need the SlingPlayer app for Android

Play Poker
Full Tilt offers Rush Poker app for Android
You need to change your application settings to "Allow applications from unknown sources"

Scan Barcodes
Install Barcode Scanner

Listen to your MP3 collection

Install GMote on your desktop and phone

Open ports on your firewall 8889 & 9901 to your computer

Listen to other music

Install Pandora Radio and create a free account

Run Windows
This is a bit tricky, but well worth the trouble.
You need to have a computer at home running at least Windows XP professional
You must "Allow Remote Desktop connections" from your computer.
Open port 3389 on your firewall
Sign up for a free DynDNS.org account
Configure your computer to update that account with your current IP address
Install Remote Desktop on Android ($19.95)
Connect to your dyndns address

Live webcam backgrounds
Change your background automatically with various world webcams
Install WorldTour

Listen to the news
Install Scanner Radio

Cancel phone service.
Seriously... it's possible. But I wouldn't recommend it YET.
You can actually use the droid to make and receive calls with a local phone # of your choice.
AFAIK, there is only one true way to do this

Create your phone number, and add your Gizmo number as a forwarded phone.

Install GrooveIP

Configure this to use your Google Voice account

Connect to WiFi and make some VOIP calls

Phone calls are placed through your Google Voice account. I believe US calls are free, and international are about .02/minute.
I believe incoming calls are free
**You DO need an internet connection of some sort. It can be a data only plan, or WiFi

Ask yourself WHY do I pay $60/month for cell phone service.

Backup your apps

Install Titanium Backup

This is too true to be funny

2010-12-14T14:22:00.000-05:00

How many zeros in ONE billion?
This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

ONE billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases.

A.
ONE billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
ONE billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.
ONE billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D.
ONE billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

ONE billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20
minutes, at the rate our government
is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain...
let's take a look at New Orleans ..

It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently asking Congress for
250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number....
what does it mean?

A.
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child)
you each get
$516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets
$1,329,787.

C.
Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets
$2,066,012.

Washington , D.C .
< HELLO! >
Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
keep going
Corporate
Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
keep going
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
keep going
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
keep going
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Fe deral, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
keep going
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago..
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What the heck happened??

My first post

2010-09-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

So, I have finally decided to start a blog, and Google (blogger.com) seemed like a logical place to host it.
I don't have much to say at the moment, so I'll start by offering some links to my electronic world.

My Website
Facebook
MySpace (Wow! they have changed a lot recently)

Twitter
My Blog (You are here)

Becker Central (Family Website)
Rahlin

Alternative Aspect (My Company)
Alternative Aspect on Twitter

PokerJars
KickAsh

There you have it. I am a computer geek, and poker player, so 99% of this blog will probably be about these topics since they consume 99% of my life. I started this blog just for a place to share some of my life experiences for the world to learn from.
Lets hope it works.
Brian