Which Online Game is most fun ?
I have a selection of online games , mmog's they're called (massive multiplayer online games, or something like that). They all cost the same , 60$ to buy the game (when they first came out) and 15$ / month there after. I had reason to cycle through a number of them and I thought I'd write a review.
World of Warcraft
It's not bad. The rule system is unique and not based on anything else. Combat starts out relatively simple and grows progressively more and more complex as you level up. The first five levels are very rapid , you burn through them in an hour, and you can usually make level 8 or 10 on the first day , assuming several hours game time. Advancement slows considerably after that.
There are a lot of "solo" area's where you can just off monsters all by yourself , a fair number of fixed quests for you to run through , and instance dungeons. The dungeons will require you to party up you cannot really run them alone.
There is a certain difficulty factor that is unavoidable , that is to say if you stay in a low level area , you stop getting experiance. I think the rule is you still get xp if the creature is 5 levels below you , but not 6. And this goes up 1 every 10 levels (at 10th you can get xp of creatures 6 levels below you , at 20th , 7, etc) so you are forced to move on to higher level area's. Elite monsters in "instances" (dungeons that require a full party) generally insure that even a high level charactar that gets no xp from the dungeon will still have a very hard time in it...very hard and fruitless. Ah well.
The games crafting system is interesting and keeps some life into it. Fishing is a waste of time however, that was nerfed a long time ago, but you can make your own weapons and armor and such.
I would rate world of warcraft as a pretty good game, but I don't play it anymore because after a year you just get bored.
EverQuest
I have a new computer.
I must be the only person to have a copy of Everquest and have never played it because it would't run on my old computer. So I put it on this machine and gave it a shot.
Boring , and glitched.
first off, they want you to grind away killing rats and bats as a new charactar, in a combat system that doesn't actually inspire patience (press the auto attack button and wait... or if you're a spell caster there is some stradegy ... wait for the rat to attack , then hit the hot key for your spell and hope it doesn't fizzle.. it should go off before the rat attacks again. Blow the timing , and the rats next attack interrupts the spell).
This took about 1 minute to master and then it was just a boring grind. Gathered my 8 rats and 4 bats and 4 vermin nests I was supposed to kill, and returned to turn them in, speaking to the stated NPC.
She totally ignored me. Wouldn't let me turn in the quest.
And this is on a beginning quest that must have seen a million people go through it with their new charactars. Obviously this game is no longer being maintained.
After a few hours I decided the game was simply too boring, too much grinding , no way to turn in quests, most likely I would get stuck somewhere due to these glitches ... cancelled my subscription the very same day I had applied for it and uninstalled it.
Matrix Online
Charactar creation consisted of simply what does your charactar look like. As you progress , however , you load "abilities" into your memory that give you better and better combat abilities, or spell like abilities (viral attacks and what not .. the whole thing is very computer theme'd if you've ever seen the matrix movies) and of course there's the constant problem that while abilities are easy to come by (you can just buy them at various venders) memory space to load them is in short supply , so you're always fiddling with what you have loaded, what will fit.
Combat comes in two flavours, ranged , and hand to hand. Ranged you select a target , click on the gun or shot gun icon (depending on what weapon is in your hand) and you start firing until either you fall down or the enemy does. Not too complicated.
Hand to hand , is very complicated. You have a selection of attacks, like fast (more speed than damage) , power ( more damage than speed) throw , and block. You also have a special "head butt" abilitie that can only be used on a charactar that is stunned. Oh , your "fast" attack has a chance of stunning. So a beginner tactic is to use your fast attack until the opponent is stunned and then click on the head butt ability to inflict massive damage.
Later on this motief is repeated with special kicks and punches that only work when the enemey is off balance (a throw will leave him off balance) staggered, etc. This tends to make hand to hand combat fairly complicated.
Whats that you say , you'll just stick to ranged ? Sorry , works great at low levels by after a bit the enemy will charge you and force you into hand to hand.
Judging by the training video's in the introduction hall that all charactars go through ranged combat has it's own issues. Weapons don't have the same range, so if you can run fast and stay ahead of the enemey , you can pretty much get free shots off at him until he falls and defeat him without getting hit at all (I also noticed an ability with guns to slow an enemey down by 50% ...hmmm... )
There's a lot of "grinding" in the game (just killing over and over) but the combat system is complicated enough that that isn't as boring as you'd think.
There are also "missions" to be accomplished, and the missions advance some kind of story line that holds the whole game together. When your charactar gets pretty high level (I think level 50) there are "world events" for such high level's.
I see the threads of a crafting system for building your own equipment (you get to see ALL the abilities , even the ones you don't have , and definitions for what they do) though I havn't experimented with it yet. That's always nice.
Multi-class to a fair thee well.
Raise some cash , kill a few thugs, hit the venders. Buy up some "virus/ hacker" abilities, and suddenly your charactar switches from being a kung fu martial artiest to a virus zapping ranged "spell caster" type. Doesnt' work out too well ? You still have those kung fu abilities, just load them up again. Or try out healing for a while , or programming (you get to make a pet that fights alongside with you) and try that for a while. Tweaking exactly what abilities you will load, will you be all the way kung fu ? Or will you take just enough hacking to give yourself some self healing ? Is obviously going to be an art form unto itself.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Ottawa Boy
"A defect in the abdomen wall"
What exactly is a "defect" ?
A weakness. I'm a fat bastard. If they cut open my belly (abdomen in medical terms) it will come gushing out , make a big defect ,and when they put it all back together then , it will not be as strong as before. There will be this "defect" showing. Please lose weight , make my life easier, says my surgeon.
Aha.
I barely eat as it is. Two meals a day. don't go to restaurants because a trip to a restaurant generally means I'mg going back to the hostpital ( I have Chrones Disease... anything irritates my belly , I'm hospital bound)
I lift up my t-shirt. I look down. I have two bags, Shcomata bags , or some such. Basically the kind where your intestines have been cut lose from your "anus" and stuck in a hole in your belly , and you now "excrete fecal matter " (shit) through the hole.
Only no one ever cut lose my my intestines. I have "fistula's" , holes my body makes all by itself. Thus why there is two instead of just one that a surgeon would make.
I look down and there are two bags on my belly. And yes, i also still go to the bathroom and dump "fecal matter" as per a normal man would do this.
I'm on predinzone , in 5 years this will give most people a lethal case of Ostrioperosis, (weak bones, all the bone cells die off you break your bones at the drop of a hat and you die quickly from having every bone in your body broken) , so I have to have this operation.
Ok.
I'm a fat bastard and I'm going to have a "defect" in my belly.
So... what exactly does this mean ?
I'm going to be a troll. A fat ugly man with a big scar in his belly , most of his lower intestines missing , crapping into a bag on my belly instead of out my rear end ...
Oh yes. And this is only to stop this bout of Chrones disease, you do understand there is no cure , we may have to come back and cut out some more of your intestine ? Do this all over again ?
"Oh I'm sorry , but the summer surgery schedule isn't out yet. Please call back in two weeks and we'll see if we can schedule your operation then. yes, feel free to call back an check on that in mid may ..."
Welcome to my nightmare.
What exactly is a "defect" ?
A weakness. I'm a fat bastard. If they cut open my belly (abdomen in medical terms) it will come gushing out , make a big defect ,and when they put it all back together then , it will not be as strong as before. There will be this "defect" showing. Please lose weight , make my life easier, says my surgeon.
Aha.
I barely eat as it is. Two meals a day. don't go to restaurants because a trip to a restaurant generally means I'mg going back to the hostpital ( I have Chrones Disease... anything irritates my belly , I'm hospital bound)
I lift up my t-shirt. I look down. I have two bags, Shcomata bags , or some such. Basically the kind where your intestines have been cut lose from your "anus" and stuck in a hole in your belly , and you now "excrete fecal matter " (shit) through the hole.
Only no one ever cut lose my my intestines. I have "fistula's" , holes my body makes all by itself. Thus why there is two instead of just one that a surgeon would make.
I look down and there are two bags on my belly. And yes, i also still go to the bathroom and dump "fecal matter" as per a normal man would do this.
I'm on predinzone , in 5 years this will give most people a lethal case of Ostrioperosis, (weak bones, all the bone cells die off you break your bones at the drop of a hat and you die quickly from having every bone in your body broken) , so I have to have this operation.
Ok.
I'm a fat bastard and I'm going to have a "defect" in my belly.
So... what exactly does this mean ?
I'm going to be a troll. A fat ugly man with a big scar in his belly , most of his lower intestines missing , crapping into a bag on my belly instead of out my rear end ...
Oh yes. And this is only to stop this bout of Chrones disease, you do understand there is no cure , we may have to come back and cut out some more of your intestine ? Do this all over again ?
"Oh I'm sorry , but the summer surgery schedule isn't out yet. Please call back in two weeks and we'll see if we can schedule your operation then. yes, feel free to call back an check on that in mid may ..."
Welcome to my nightmare.
Friday, April 28, 2006
(Empires Fall) More Mail Encryption
Article
There's an excellent extension for Thunderbird, called Enigmail.
It allows you to send and receive public-key encrypted messages from within Thunderbird.
..
Concerned about NSA wiretapping? Install this and use it. It'll most likely make...
Yeah , right !
I used to work at a (name not disclosed) security company up here in canada. They debated for a long time trying to get into the US market writing encryption software , but eventualy decided not to do it. Why ? Because the FBI wanted them to put in a back door to any encryption such that they could instantly break the code and read the messages . Don't do that , and you're not allowed to sell your product in the usa.
It doesn't take much to imagine that every off the shelf "encryption" package of any kind in the US has a similar back door.
If you want encryption write it yourself. Otherwise you're only one you're deluding.
There's an excellent extension for Thunderbird, called Enigmail.
It allows you to send and receive public-key encrypted messages from within Thunderbird.
..
Concerned about NSA wiretapping? Install this and use it. It'll most likely make...
Yeah , right !
I used to work at a (name not disclosed) security company up here in canada. They debated for a long time trying to get into the US market writing encryption software , but eventualy decided not to do it. Why ? Because the FBI wanted them to put in a back door to any encryption such that they could instantly break the code and read the messages . Don't do that , and you're not allowed to sell your product in the usa.
It doesn't take much to imagine that every off the shelf "encryption" package of any kind in the US has a similar back door.
If you want encryption write it yourself. Otherwise you're only one you're deluding.
N.S. educator proposes all-black school
Article
A black educator in Halifax suggests a school exclusively for black students will help them thrive.
Wade Smith, vice-principal at St. Patrick's High School, said the education system is failing black students.
"Putting forward the notion of a black school is something that people might not be comfortable with because it suggests that things aren't working. Then I think you have to look at the possibility of a black school as something positive, that's good for our culture and good for our people," he said.
This is an AMAZINGLY bad idea.
Why ?
It was tried in the USA. The black schools got inferior funding , inferior everything , they became quickly a ghetto to get rid of unwanted students.
Seperating out students for any reason is just asking for trouble. Put them in the same schools and partake of the same resorces is the only way to go.
Just an opinion , just an opinion.
A black educator in Halifax suggests a school exclusively for black students will help them thrive.
Wade Smith, vice-principal at St. Patrick's High School, said the education system is failing black students.
"Putting forward the notion of a black school is something that people might not be comfortable with because it suggests that things aren't working. Then I think you have to look at the possibility of a black school as something positive, that's good for our culture and good for our people," he said.
This is an AMAZINGLY bad idea.
Why ?
It was tried in the USA. The black schools got inferior funding , inferior everything , they became quickly a ghetto to get rid of unwanted students.
Seperating out students for any reason is just asking for trouble. Put them in the same schools and partake of the same resorces is the only way to go.
Just an opinion , just an opinion.
Self Sinker Sunk
Article
Fire-damaged sub won't be operational until 2012
Ah yes, The Chicoutimi , the amazing canadian self sinking submarine. It apears to be sunk for another six years. Money well spent by our government.
The Department of National Defence announced Friday that repairs to Chicoutimi will be delayed for another four years so that the money that would have gone into repairs can be spent elsewhere, including on two of Canada's other submarines.
"This will improve our ability to get Victoria and Corner Brook back into service and better position the navy to have two boats fully operational in 2009," the navy said.
The decision means the Chicoutimi won't be operational until 2012, compared to a previously announced launch date of September 2007.
Ah ha. Do we get our money back from the brits for this pile of junk ? Why do I hear a resounding "NO !" echoing from sea to sea ?
Only one of Canada's four submarines, HMCS Windsor, is now able to go to sea. Sister ships HMCS Corner Brook and HMCS Victoria have been out of service for several years.
Oh good move. We got four sub's , only one of which works. Money well spent all right !
You want my opinion ? You do what they did in yugoslovia before that country broke apart. You put up factories all over the country to make pieces of subs, and you put them together to make the final product, our own made in canada brand new sub. Think of it. Unlimited spare parts, redesign anytime you like , repairs obviously not a problem we built it we fix it.
We've tried second hand subs from elsewhere. Cost a fortune and dont work. We should try this. Even if it sinks (ha ha ) we get a few canadian jobs out of it.
Fire-damaged sub won't be operational until 2012
Ah yes, The Chicoutimi , the amazing canadian self sinking submarine. It apears to be sunk for another six years. Money well spent by our government.
The Department of National Defence announced Friday that repairs to Chicoutimi will be delayed for another four years so that the money that would have gone into repairs can be spent elsewhere, including on two of Canada's other submarines.
"This will improve our ability to get Victoria and Corner Brook back into service and better position the navy to have two boats fully operational in 2009," the navy said.
The decision means the Chicoutimi won't be operational until 2012, compared to a previously announced launch date of September 2007.
Ah ha. Do we get our money back from the brits for this pile of junk ? Why do I hear a resounding "NO !" echoing from sea to sea ?
Only one of Canada's four submarines, HMCS Windsor, is now able to go to sea. Sister ships HMCS Corner Brook and HMCS Victoria have been out of service for several years.
Oh good move. We got four sub's , only one of which works. Money well spent all right !
You want my opinion ? You do what they did in yugoslovia before that country broke apart. You put up factories all over the country to make pieces of subs, and you put them together to make the final product, our own made in canada brand new sub. Think of it. Unlimited spare parts, redesign anytime you like , repairs obviously not a problem we built it we fix it.
We've tried second hand subs from elsewhere. Cost a fortune and dont work. We should try this. Even if it sinks (ha ha ) we get a few canadian jobs out of it.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
New Arab search engine to challenge Google
Article
"If you look at the international search engines, their functionality is non-existent. This market really lacks the support of an Arabic search engine," he said.
...
Sawafi is hoping to copy the success of local Chinese language search engine Baidu, which has made huge strides in a market with over 100 million Web surfers.
The "success" of the Chinese language search is relative. Why ? Because China has heavy censorship.
I can see it now. An arabic search engine, pulling up only anti-jewish hate sites , articles on the Protocols of Zion , Hadiths of the Prophet (the hadiths are basically fake sayings attributed to Islam cobbled together by every dictator and religious fanatic to support their personal opinion ) .. essencially becomeing a massive propoganda tool.
Yup yup...time for the USA to start engaging in a few denial of service attacks when that starts up !
I can see the "cyberwar" beginning already ... I really can.
"If you look at the international search engines, their functionality is non-existent. This market really lacks the support of an Arabic search engine," he said.
...
Sawafi is hoping to copy the success of local Chinese language search engine Baidu, which has made huge strides in a market with over 100 million Web surfers.
The "success" of the Chinese language search is relative. Why ? Because China has heavy censorship.
I can see it now. An arabic search engine, pulling up only anti-jewish hate sites , articles on the Protocols of Zion , Hadiths of the Prophet (the hadiths are basically fake sayings attributed to Islam cobbled together by every dictator and religious fanatic to support their personal opinion ) .. essencially becomeing a massive propoganda tool.
Yup yup...time for the USA to start engaging in a few denial of service attacks when that starts up !
I can see the "cyberwar" beginning already ... I really can.
Iran 'will harm U.S. interests if attacked'
Article
This reminds me of something very interesting. I was watching the TV while eating breakfast ( I only watch the news) and one of the announcers while talking with a guest said that "everyone knows Bin Laden is in Iran being protected by the Iranians". Actually I hadn't heard of this before.
And it didn't show up on any news sites either. Almost like they didn't want anyone to know , presumably to avoid aggrivating the Iranians anymore than they had to.
Now we add together this little charming fact and what do we get ? Iran is behind most of the anti-american terrorism.
But more than that , the terrorism is already going pretty much as strong as it can go. Which actually makes this threat rather empty. They're already doing the best they can , they've already got the volume cranked up to max , so to speak. And you can't turn it up any louder than max. What are you going to do ? Have your pet Bin Laden issue a few more tapes ? maybe blow up another hotel someone in the middle east because you can't actually get to the US the defences are too tough (you've been trying for a number of years now and failing)
Against this, there is the threat of Iran developping nukes.
Yeah , right. That nuke factory is going to get bombed to a fair thee well and the only people going to suffer radiation poisoning are the rag heads who built it in the first place. And if those religious air heads think otherwise they've been rolling their sacred scrolls and smoking them too much !
But of course , they are religous air heads, and far more interested in what their holy Koran is saying than the fact that cnn routinely now publishes ariel photo's of the nuke plant as a subtle hint by the US , as if saying "We know exactly where to drop our bombs...better cool it".
It's almost like watching a damb slowly breaking. You know the Iranians are not going to listen , not going to change the path their on. And you know they're going to get that place bombed, and you know that their reaction is going to launch a few terrorist attacks. Everyone knows. But there's no stopping it.
This reminds me of something very interesting. I was watching the TV while eating breakfast ( I only watch the news) and one of the announcers while talking with a guest said that "everyone knows Bin Laden is in Iran being protected by the Iranians". Actually I hadn't heard of this before.
And it didn't show up on any news sites either. Almost like they didn't want anyone to know , presumably to avoid aggrivating the Iranians anymore than they had to.
Now we add together this little charming fact and what do we get ? Iran is behind most of the anti-american terrorism.
But more than that , the terrorism is already going pretty much as strong as it can go. Which actually makes this threat rather empty. They're already doing the best they can , they've already got the volume cranked up to max , so to speak. And you can't turn it up any louder than max. What are you going to do ? Have your pet Bin Laden issue a few more tapes ? maybe blow up another hotel someone in the middle east because you can't actually get to the US the defences are too tough (you've been trying for a number of years now and failing)
Against this, there is the threat of Iran developping nukes.
Yeah , right. That nuke factory is going to get bombed to a fair thee well and the only people going to suffer radiation poisoning are the rag heads who built it in the first place. And if those religious air heads think otherwise they've been rolling their sacred scrolls and smoking them too much !
But of course , they are religous air heads, and far more interested in what their holy Koran is saying than the fact that cnn routinely now publishes ariel photo's of the nuke plant as a subtle hint by the US , as if saying "We know exactly where to drop our bombs...better cool it".
It's almost like watching a damb slowly breaking. You know the Iranians are not going to listen , not going to change the path their on. And you know they're going to get that place bombed, and you know that their reaction is going to launch a few terrorist attacks. Everyone knows. But there's no stopping it.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Empires Fall
Gotta check my email more often.
new blog wants to link to mine. Writing style is ok , no profanity so I'll do it.
Seems to be as anti-iraq as I am pro iraq though. Well...different opinions make the world go around , what can i say ?
new blog wants to link to mine. Writing style is ok , no profanity so I'll do it.
Seems to be as anti-iraq as I am pro iraq though. Well...different opinions make the world go around , what can i say ?
5% Solution
Saw the doctor today.
Apparently I'm in pretty good health , good enough that they're finally ready to operate. Operate several times it seems what they want to do to my belly isn't going to be done in a single operation.
I asked him two questions.
1. What choice do I have ? Whats the alternative ?
A. Do nothing and continue on as you are now.
- not good. I'm on predizone. You can stay on it for a while , but 5 years and you got ostrioperosis (weak bones, they break at the drop of a hat) and that's fatal.
2. What are my odds of survival.
a. 95%
So a 5% chance I bite the big one and don't have to worry about it ? Like , hello , do I have a choice here ?
I call this one the 5% solution.
Apparently I'm in pretty good health , good enough that they're finally ready to operate. Operate several times it seems what they want to do to my belly isn't going to be done in a single operation.
I asked him two questions.
1. What choice do I have ? Whats the alternative ?
A. Do nothing and continue on as you are now.
- not good. I'm on predizone. You can stay on it for a while , but 5 years and you got ostrioperosis (weak bones, they break at the drop of a hat) and that's fatal.
2. What are my odds of survival.
a. 95%
So a 5% chance I bite the big one and don't have to worry about it ? Like , hello , do I have a choice here ?
I call this one the 5% solution.
Bloated Ad Pages
Ok, I was reading this news article on how martha stewarts stock was doing well, and there was this annoying flashing at the corner of my eye. I look down and what do I see ?
A full color animated movie trying to sell houses.
Hello ? I'm reading a TEXT article ? Simple words on a page, and there's a movie playing off to the side to try and sell me junk ?
I pay for my internet connection , I don't get it for free. And being forced to by faster and faster speed (for more and more money) because some yammer head wants to place MOVIES on every other web page to try and sell me stuff while all I want to do is read the news, is just plain stupid !
Come on ! Surely this qualifies as robbery of some kind ? They're using what , 5% of the connection to show me some text and 95% to show advertising movies ?
Thats not right. Somethings messed up there.
A full color animated movie trying to sell houses.
Hello ? I'm reading a TEXT article ? Simple words on a page, and there's a movie playing off to the side to try and sell me junk ?
I pay for my internet connection , I don't get it for free. And being forced to by faster and faster speed (for more and more money) because some yammer head wants to place MOVIES on every other web page to try and sell me stuff while all I want to do is read the news, is just plain stupid !
Come on ! Surely this qualifies as robbery of some kind ? They're using what , 5% of the connection to show me some text and 95% to show advertising movies ?
Thats not right. Somethings messed up there.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Merchants fume at high tobacco taxes and insurance rates
Article
Korean small-business owners rallied outside Ontario's legislature on Tuesday, demanding that the government listen to their concerns about provincial tobacco policies and other issues.
McGuinty says cigarette sales across the province are down 10 per cent since the Liberals took power in 2003.
The Ontario Korean Businessmen's Association, which organized the demonstration and represents more than 3,000 convenience stores across the province, said many of its members face having to close shop because of increasing cigarette thefts and soaring hydro rates. The association blamed the rise in cigarette thefts on higher tobacco taxes, and noted such crimes in turn force up their insurance rates
Ummm...yeah. Ok.
Cigarettes are BAD , ok ? They kill you with lung cancer. Only the tobacco companies think otherwise, no one else.
If Cigerrets are unprofitable, I suggest you stop selling them ! That will solve that problem real quick ! And a number of others (like people dying from first and second hand smoke)
As for the usual argument that the other guy does and if I dont' sell this stuff everyone will go to his store... well... let them. If he's losing money on cig's , the more customers buying the more he loses. Stick with bread and milk. Most people send their kid to pick up that stuff anyways.
Korean small-business owners rallied outside Ontario's legislature on Tuesday, demanding that the government listen to their concerns about provincial tobacco policies and other issues.
McGuinty says cigarette sales across the province are down 10 per cent since the Liberals took power in 2003.
The Ontario Korean Businessmen's Association, which organized the demonstration and represents more than 3,000 convenience stores across the province, said many of its members face having to close shop because of increasing cigarette thefts and soaring hydro rates. The association blamed the rise in cigarette thefts on higher tobacco taxes, and noted such crimes in turn force up their insurance rates
Ummm...yeah. Ok.
Cigarettes are BAD , ok ? They kill you with lung cancer. Only the tobacco companies think otherwise, no one else.
If Cigerrets are unprofitable, I suggest you stop selling them ! That will solve that problem real quick ! And a number of others (like people dying from first and second hand smoke)
As for the usual argument that the other guy does and if I dont' sell this stuff everyone will go to his store... well... let them. If he's losing money on cig's , the more customers buying the more he loses. Stick with bread and milk. Most people send their kid to pick up that stuff anyways.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Victory over the Evil Parasite McAfee
It's now April 10th , 7 days since I removed the McAfee files from my computer. In the last 7 days I have seen no McAfee pop ups demanding up dates, have your credit card ready , etc.
I delcare the Evil McAfee Parasite vanquished.
I also declare it a parasite, since it should in no wise be this difficult to get rid of a legitimate program. You should just go to add-remove programs, hit uninstall , and it's gone. This business about playing with the Msconfig utility to turn things off, and even that has been sabataged to turn it right back on again ... that kind of dirty underhanded stunt is what you expect from a virus program, not an anti-virus program.
McAfee is Learning too much from the enemey , becoming too much like the enemey. I can only advise you stay away from it. It has been "corrupted" at the most basic of levels. The corperation that creates it has adopted the very methodology of the virus writers they puport to fight, and do not realize they have stepped over the line and joined the ranks of those virus writers.
more than an opinion this time.
It's a fact.
I delcare the Evil McAfee Parasite vanquished.
I also declare it a parasite, since it should in no wise be this difficult to get rid of a legitimate program. You should just go to add-remove programs, hit uninstall , and it's gone. This business about playing with the Msconfig utility to turn things off, and even that has been sabataged to turn it right back on again ... that kind of dirty underhanded stunt is what you expect from a virus program, not an anti-virus program.
McAfee is Learning too much from the enemey , becoming too much like the enemey. I can only advise you stay away from it. It has been "corrupted" at the most basic of levels. The corperation that creates it has adopted the very methodology of the virus writers they puport to fight, and do not realize they have stepped over the line and joined the ranks of those virus writers.
more than an opinion this time.
It's a fact.
Ontario's future dark without coal-fired plants
Article
Hydro rates will climb significantly and job losses will follow if the provincial government proceeds with plans to shut down Ontario's coal-fired plants, says a lobby group for major power consumers.
"Under the current plan, electricity prices are going to rise by $3 billion a year and an average of 25 per cent per year," said Adam White, the head of the Association of Major Power Consumers, which released its report on Monday.
The Liberals plan to phase out coal-burning plants by 2009 and replace them with cleaner energy sources.
no no no ! Don't phase out those dirty stinky polluting coal fire plants ! ignore the fact that we're running out of coal and there is no "new coal" being created and you'll have to replace them eventually , getting rid of them will cost us money !!!!
The association says that plan would cost 100,000 jobs in industries such as pulp and paper, nickel and steel, while Ontario's real gross domestic product could drop by as much as $16 billion.
1.. how is pulp, paper , nickel and steel related to coal production ? Why would they drop ?
2.. Pulp, paper nickel , and steel are some of the heaviest polluting industries in ontario. I should think a drop in them would be a good thing. More clean air to breath and all that.
3.. pollution is a bad thing. Go to Los Angeles on a bad day , stand on a street corner, and just try to breath. Not being able to breath is definately a bad thing.
Hydro rates will climb significantly and job losses will follow if the provincial government proceeds with plans to shut down Ontario's coal-fired plants, says a lobby group for major power consumers.
"Under the current plan, electricity prices are going to rise by $3 billion a year and an average of 25 per cent per year," said Adam White, the head of the Association of Major Power Consumers, which released its report on Monday.
The Liberals plan to phase out coal-burning plants by 2009 and replace them with cleaner energy sources.
no no no ! Don't phase out those dirty stinky polluting coal fire plants ! ignore the fact that we're running out of coal and there is no "new coal" being created and you'll have to replace them eventually , getting rid of them will cost us money !!!!
The association says that plan would cost 100,000 jobs in industries such as pulp and paper, nickel and steel, while Ontario's real gross domestic product could drop by as much as $16 billion.
1.. how is pulp, paper , nickel and steel related to coal production ? Why would they drop ?
2.. Pulp, paper nickel , and steel are some of the heaviest polluting industries in ontario. I should think a drop in them would be a good thing. More clean air to breath and all that.
3.. pollution is a bad thing. Go to Los Angeles on a bad day , stand on a street corner, and just try to breath. Not being able to breath is definately a bad thing.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Tribunal dismisses eviction for blog comments
Article
A Kingston woman can't be evicted from her apartment for comments she posted about her landlord on her blog, a tribunal ruled Tuesday.
Hrray ! A victory for free speach !
The Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal dismissed the eviction order, saying Homestead failed to prove the accusations posted on the blog were unfounded.
thats not much of a victory ! So what your'e saying is that if the comments had proved to be unfounded they could successfully evict her ?
Hmmm.... Actually , thats not that bad a deal. If you slander your land lord they can boot you....
Unfortuantely doesn't work on jobs. most jobs can fire you any time they like , just make up a reason , or the position has become redundant or some such.
ah well. When you go public , I guess you better be able to back up your words.
A Kingston woman can't be evicted from her apartment for comments she posted about her landlord on her blog, a tribunal ruled Tuesday.
Hrray ! A victory for free speach !
The Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal dismissed the eviction order, saying Homestead failed to prove the accusations posted on the blog were unfounded.
thats not much of a victory ! So what your'e saying is that if the comments had proved to be unfounded they could successfully evict her ?
Hmmm.... Actually , thats not that bad a deal. If you slander your land lord they can boot you....
Unfortuantely doesn't work on jobs. most jobs can fire you any time they like , just make up a reason , or the position has become redundant or some such.
ah well. When you go public , I guess you better be able to back up your words.
Monday, April 03, 2006
The McAfee Adventure Continues
The McAfee update agent keeps popping up with a "critical update" . hah ! To a program I'm trying hard to get rid of !
A check on various online forums indicates that getting rid of McAfee is a nightmare, there are three hundred registry entries you have to get rid of , and you have to do it by hand there is no automated tool. (nice to know I'm not the only one having issues).
Hah ! But I got around it. (I think... it looks good so far).
msconfig / Start up , remove the checks from the stuff in the mcafee folders. Reboot... odd, check marks come right back. Do as it suggest press general and do a normal start up , and ALL the check marks for every mcaffee and other program I wanted to ditch comes back !
But I got it's number now. Msconfig is my guide. It actually gives the exact location of the files it's running on start up.
Write them down , go to the mcafee folders , and DELETE those files !
Ah... blessed silence. At least so far.
We'll see how this latest action on the Mcafee battle front goes.... let you know in a few days.
A check on various online forums indicates that getting rid of McAfee is a nightmare, there are three hundred registry entries you have to get rid of , and you have to do it by hand there is no automated tool. (nice to know I'm not the only one having issues).
Hah ! But I got around it. (I think... it looks good so far).
msconfig / Start up , remove the checks from the stuff in the mcafee folders. Reboot... odd, check marks come right back. Do as it suggest press general and do a normal start up , and ALL the check marks for every mcaffee and other program I wanted to ditch comes back !
But I got it's number now. Msconfig is my guide. It actually gives the exact location of the files it's running on start up.
Write them down , go to the mcafee folders , and DELETE those files !
Ah... blessed silence. At least so far.
We'll see how this latest action on the Mcafee battle front goes.... let you know in a few days.
Friday, March 24, 2006
New Computer and McAffery
I got a new computer ! A Dell Dimension 1100 !
Unpacked it and set it up.
Hmmm... 90 trial copy of McAffee , well , I get a free virus scanner from my provider, I'll just uninstall it.
Can't uninstall it, the virus scanner is running. How do I turn off the virus scanner ? Doesn't say.
How do I turn off this dang spam killer ? Doesn't say.
Got to mcaffee website.... look up uninstall, get directed to an FAQ (frequently asked question) list to the catagory install/uninstall. Which , after a link or two, is magically transformed into install / reinstall, the uninstal part seems to have comlpetely vanished.
Apparently uninstalling the software and using someone elses isn't a possibility in their perfect little world.
I eventually ran msconfig and took the checkmark off any program in the mcaffery folder. Still got the spam filter...I'm working on that. I think that spam killer is in a different directory.
Oh ..it came with a free copy of word perfect ! Start it up ... welcome to your free 90 day trial copy of world perfect ... shut it down. (You have to pay after the 90 days , the main reason I wanna ditch macafee in favor of the free anti virus that comes with my provider)
And of course don't forget your free trial copy of aol have your credit card ready !
*sigh* Why is my brand new computer doing nothing but trying to sell me tons of junk ? If the whole world wasn't going xp I wouldn't have bothered.
Unpacked it and set it up.
Hmmm... 90 trial copy of McAffee , well , I get a free virus scanner from my provider, I'll just uninstall it.
Can't uninstall it, the virus scanner is running. How do I turn off the virus scanner ? Doesn't say.
How do I turn off this dang spam killer ? Doesn't say.
Got to mcaffee website.... look up uninstall, get directed to an FAQ (frequently asked question) list to the catagory install/uninstall. Which , after a link or two, is magically transformed into install / reinstall, the uninstal part seems to have comlpetely vanished.
Apparently uninstalling the software and using someone elses isn't a possibility in their perfect little world.
I eventually ran msconfig and took the checkmark off any program in the mcaffery folder. Still got the spam filter...I'm working on that. I think that spam killer is in a different directory.
Oh ..it came with a free copy of word perfect ! Start it up ... welcome to your free 90 day trial copy of world perfect ... shut it down. (You have to pay after the 90 days , the main reason I wanna ditch macafee in favor of the free anti virus that comes with my provider)
And of course don't forget your free trial copy of aol have your credit card ready !
*sigh* Why is my brand new computer doing nothing but trying to sell me tons of junk ? If the whole world wasn't going xp I wouldn't have bothered.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Microsoft launches Web search engine
Article
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- In its latest bid to catch up with rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. is launching a revamped Internet search engine it says will help computer users find information faster, view it more easily and organize it better.
I predict that the Microsoft Search Engine will be the Bane of most techies existance. Why ?
Windows Updates have a habit of causing products that compete with anything Microsoft is doing to stop working. In effect locking you into a microsoft only world.
I bought a compiler once from microsoft. I thought it was a "Java" compiler which would make programs that run on Internet Explorer or Netscape , the competiter of Internet Explorer. Wrong. It only worte stuff for the internet explorer. Hundred and fifty bucks wasted.
This pattern repeats itself in many many of Bill Gates endeavours. I recall reading of a mapping site he made that showed his cheif competiters building (apple) to be empty.
A micrsoft web search engine will find microsoft products very easily , and likely will not find competing producs at all , at all , at all... making it little better than those search toolbars that every anti-virus program in the world marks as a "parasite".
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- In its latest bid to catch up with rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. is launching a revamped Internet search engine it says will help computer users find information faster, view it more easily and organize it better.
I predict that the Microsoft Search Engine will be the Bane of most techies existance. Why ?
Windows Updates have a habit of causing products that compete with anything Microsoft is doing to stop working. In effect locking you into a microsoft only world.
I bought a compiler once from microsoft. I thought it was a "Java" compiler which would make programs that run on Internet Explorer or Netscape , the competiter of Internet Explorer. Wrong. It only worte stuff for the internet explorer. Hundred and fifty bucks wasted.
This pattern repeats itself in many many of Bill Gates endeavours. I recall reading of a mapping site he made that showed his cheif competiters building (apple) to be empty.
A micrsoft web search engine will find microsoft products very easily , and likely will not find competing producs at all , at all , at all... making it little better than those search toolbars that every anti-virus program in the world marks as a "parasite".
Friday, March 17, 2006
Canada wins another round in softwood battle with U.S.
Article
Canada has won another free trade ruling in the softwood lumber dispute with the United States, the federal government says.
* INDEPTH: Softwood Lumber
Canada's battle with the United States over softwood lumber tariffs has been raging since 2002.
The NAFTA decision found that Canadian softwood exports are not subsidized, the government said. That means the U.S. never had the right to impose the $5.2 billion in duties it has collected on Canadian lumber imports,
So what else is new ? The USA has basically run itself out of trees, Canada has many because it's land mass is far larger than the usa and the population is far smaller. And tree's , if left alone , are happy to grow themselves without any help from anyone , an obvious truth to anyone who care's to look.
"This is the second NAFTA panel comprised of a majority of Americans to have unanimously ruled that there is no merit to the U.S. allegations, first regarding injury, and now regarding subsidy."
A unanimous decision ? Thats nice, but so was the last one and it did nothing.
The U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports was not happy with the ruling.
"The NAFTA panel decision issued today is gravely flawed, and signifies a potential end to an important antidote in the U.S. lumber industry's efforts to counter the poison that is Canadian lumber industry practices,"
Gravely flawed , antidote, poison ... yah yah , sore losers. Except you didn't lose. We went through this last time , you bribed a few senators and the USA told canada to go climb a tree, they're ignoring this decision by a trade body they set up in the first place.
And around we go on this merry go around again .
Canada has won another free trade ruling in the softwood lumber dispute with the United States, the federal government says.
* INDEPTH: Softwood Lumber
Canada's battle with the United States over softwood lumber tariffs has been raging since 2002.
The NAFTA decision found that Canadian softwood exports are not subsidized, the government said. That means the U.S. never had the right to impose the $5.2 billion in duties it has collected on Canadian lumber imports,
So what else is new ? The USA has basically run itself out of trees, Canada has many because it's land mass is far larger than the usa and the population is far smaller. And tree's , if left alone , are happy to grow themselves without any help from anyone , an obvious truth to anyone who care's to look.
"This is the second NAFTA panel comprised of a majority of Americans to have unanimously ruled that there is no merit to the U.S. allegations, first regarding injury, and now regarding subsidy."
A unanimous decision ? Thats nice, but so was the last one and it did nothing.
The U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports was not happy with the ruling.
"The NAFTA panel decision issued today is gravely flawed, and signifies a potential end to an important antidote in the U.S. lumber industry's efforts to counter the poison that is Canadian lumber industry practices,"
Gravely flawed , antidote, poison ... yah yah , sore losers. Except you didn't lose. We went through this last time , you bribed a few senators and the USA told canada to go climb a tree, they're ignoring this decision by a trade body they set up in the first place.
And around we go on this merry go around again .
Sunday, March 12, 2006
When has Canada been attacked? I must have missed that.
Ottawa Boy: Relatives of dead soldier question Canada's role in Afghanistan
Anonymous said...
"We should stop it and let those terrorists keep attacking us..."
When has Canada been attacked? I must have missed that.
Face it, that boy died for Uncle Sam, not Bucky Beaver. And now that the PM of Canada is an official Bush fartcatcher, expect alot more Canadians to die for Uncle Sam. We'll probably be heading off to the utterly useless quagmire of Iraq any day now.
Dear , sweet , brave , Anonymous
We are not attacked because we sit beside the US , and the US would counter attack them.
(edit : If you're one of those people that believe that we would not be attacked if the US were not there...then you live in some kind of fantasy world that I don't even want to deal with ...seek psychological counciling immeidately. 30 million people scattered thinly through the third largest nation in the world with vast wealth in oil and minerals under our feet ? They'll be lining up for miles to arrage a "regime change" !)
At which point , there are a lot of people that would say that we don't need a military of any kind , Daddy Warbucks (also known as Uncle Sam) will take care of us.
Well...we'll forget the part where you're pissing on uncle sam on one hand and on the other happy to suggest a stradegy whereby he continues to protect us... (presumably he doesn't mind being pissed on by ignorant idiots like you while he's doing all the dying) and move along to the part where we discuss "Adulthood" , a concept that I'm sure is far beyond your feeble comprehension.
Adult hood is where you do not whine and beg someone else to do your work for you , you do it yourself. If you are the junior partner in some relationship , you do not slack off and do nothing, you pull what weight you can.
Canada , it is true , is the junior partner in north american defence. So we are , according to you , obligated to do absolutely nothing and let the americans die for us. Or , according to me , pull what weight we can so we at least get a say at the table when important issues come up. There's no way we can single handedly win the war in Afghanistan or Iraq, but that doesn't mean we should do nothing. We should do what we can. Even if it's only 5% of what the americans can do , we owe them that 5%.
Iraq and Afghanistan are Just Wars. War's where the first words out of the mouths of the rich and the religous over there are "we don't need no stinking democracy , we like our dictatorship's just the way they are." Wars where the common person like me and you are lined up against the wall and shot because they didn't have enough money to bribe the cops this week to leave them alone.
When has canada been attacked ?
whenever someone decides they're going to kill off our much maligned , not so shiny knight in some what dented armor and thus remove our protection from every tom dick and harry who thinks they might want a little extra land , we are being attacked.
Give the knight his due , and don't shout too loud about all the dents and scuffs in his armor, he's doing his job , we should do ours.
Just an opinion, just an opinion.
Anonymous said...
"We should stop it and let those terrorists keep attacking us..."
When has Canada been attacked? I must have missed that.
Face it, that boy died for Uncle Sam, not Bucky Beaver. And now that the PM of Canada is an official Bush fartcatcher, expect alot more Canadians to die for Uncle Sam. We'll probably be heading off to the utterly useless quagmire of Iraq any day now.
Dear , sweet , brave , Anonymous
We are not attacked because we sit beside the US , and the US would counter attack them.
(edit : If you're one of those people that believe that we would not be attacked if the US were not there...then you live in some kind of fantasy world that I don't even want to deal with ...seek psychological counciling immeidately. 30 million people scattered thinly through the third largest nation in the world with vast wealth in oil and minerals under our feet ? They'll be lining up for miles to arrage a "regime change" !)
At which point , there are a lot of people that would say that we don't need a military of any kind , Daddy Warbucks (also known as Uncle Sam) will take care of us.
Well...we'll forget the part where you're pissing on uncle sam on one hand and on the other happy to suggest a stradegy whereby he continues to protect us... (presumably he doesn't mind being pissed on by ignorant idiots like you while he's doing all the dying) and move along to the part where we discuss "Adulthood" , a concept that I'm sure is far beyond your feeble comprehension.
Adult hood is where you do not whine and beg someone else to do your work for you , you do it yourself. If you are the junior partner in some relationship , you do not slack off and do nothing, you pull what weight you can.
Canada , it is true , is the junior partner in north american defence. So we are , according to you , obligated to do absolutely nothing and let the americans die for us. Or , according to me , pull what weight we can so we at least get a say at the table when important issues come up. There's no way we can single handedly win the war in Afghanistan or Iraq, but that doesn't mean we should do nothing. We should do what we can. Even if it's only 5% of what the americans can do , we owe them that 5%.
Iraq and Afghanistan are Just Wars. War's where the first words out of the mouths of the rich and the religous over there are "we don't need no stinking democracy , we like our dictatorship's just the way they are." Wars where the common person like me and you are lined up against the wall and shot because they didn't have enough money to bribe the cops this week to leave them alone.
When has canada been attacked ?
whenever someone decides they're going to kill off our much maligned , not so shiny knight in some what dented armor and thus remove our protection from every tom dick and harry who thinks they might want a little extra land , we are being attacked.
Give the knight his due , and don't shout too loud about all the dents and scuffs in his armor, he's doing his job , we should do ours.
Just an opinion, just an opinion.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Ottawa police break up major identity theft ring
Article
Police say online employment ads were used to lure victims to send resumes. When they applied, they received a letter promising a high-paying position from one of four companies – Logistic Telecom, Microtel, Idcor or Pastel Media.
The letter requested candidates to send a $20 administration fee and fill out an application form.
The form asked for personal information such as a social insurance number, a driver's licence number, full name, and address. That information was then used to apply for credit cards. About $500,000 was racked up for such items as high-end electronics.
Oh oh. The 20$ is a good clue not to fill out the applciation. But the rest of it ? My employer asks for that , it's a legitimate request for doing taxes. How the heck would you know it was bogus if they didn't get greedy over the 20$ ?
I think online job applications are about to die. An employer HAS to have that information to remit money to the tax man. And that means a smart scammer has an open door to plunder the unemployed for such things.
The scam was discovered when a man from Ottawa complained to Canada Post that he was no longer receiving his mail. Officials found his mail had been transferred, but he had never requested the switch.
Canada Post then contacted Ottawa police, who discovered other people had also had their mail redirected to a post office box without their knowledge.
Police tracked down the rerouted mail to the home in Orléans where they arrested two individuals.
Yeah , once you reroute the mail thats pretty much all she wrote. All notices now go to the scammers instead of you.
So much for sending out resume's by email.
Police say online employment ads were used to lure victims to send resumes. When they applied, they received a letter promising a high-paying position from one of four companies – Logistic Telecom, Microtel, Idcor or Pastel Media.
The letter requested candidates to send a $20 administration fee and fill out an application form.
The form asked for personal information such as a social insurance number, a driver's licence number, full name, and address. That information was then used to apply for credit cards. About $500,000 was racked up for such items as high-end electronics.
Oh oh. The 20$ is a good clue not to fill out the applciation. But the rest of it ? My employer asks for that , it's a legitimate request for doing taxes. How the heck would you know it was bogus if they didn't get greedy over the 20$ ?
I think online job applications are about to die. An employer HAS to have that information to remit money to the tax man. And that means a smart scammer has an open door to plunder the unemployed for such things.
The scam was discovered when a man from Ottawa complained to Canada Post that he was no longer receiving his mail. Officials found his mail had been transferred, but he had never requested the switch.
Canada Post then contacted Ottawa police, who discovered other people had also had their mail redirected to a post office box without their knowledge.
Police tracked down the rerouted mail to the home in Orléans where they arrested two individuals.
Yeah , once you reroute the mail thats pretty much all she wrote. All notices now go to the scammers instead of you.
So much for sending out resume's by email.
Slain parole officer faced unnecessary danger: probe
Article
Louise Pargeter, 34, was visiting Eli Ulayuk in October 2004 when he hit her several times with a hammer, then strangled her to death, marking the first time a Canadian parole officer was killed on the job.
..
Ulayuk pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last month. A judge sentenced him to life in prison, recommending no parole for at least 25 years
In 1988, Ulayuk killed a 23-year-old woman by stabbing and then strangling her.
"There's no absolute guarantee, no predicting criminal behaviour in a lot of cases, " Campbell said.
No predicting criminal behavour ?
the guy murdered a woman in an exceptionally violent and brutal mannor, and you sent an unarmed FEMALE parole officer to his home, ALONE , to meet with him ?
I would arrest you for manslaughter , personally. Criminal neglegence causing the death of your own employee.
"But we're doing everything we can to reduce the risks to not only our officers, but the communities at large."
Judging by this incident, "everything you can" is "diddly squat" ...
Louise Pargeter, 34, was visiting Eli Ulayuk in October 2004 when he hit her several times with a hammer, then strangled her to death, marking the first time a Canadian parole officer was killed on the job.
..
Ulayuk pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last month. A judge sentenced him to life in prison, recommending no parole for at least 25 years
In 1988, Ulayuk killed a 23-year-old woman by stabbing and then strangling her.
"There's no absolute guarantee, no predicting criminal behaviour in a lot of cases, " Campbell said.
No predicting criminal behavour ?
the guy murdered a woman in an exceptionally violent and brutal mannor, and you sent an unarmed FEMALE parole officer to his home, ALONE , to meet with him ?
I would arrest you for manslaughter , personally. Criminal neglegence causing the death of your own employee.
"But we're doing everything we can to reduce the risks to not only our officers, but the communities at large."
Judging by this incident, "everything you can" is "diddly squat" ...
Relatives of dead soldier question Canada's role in Afghanistan
Article
Relatives of dead soldier question Canada's role in Afghanistan
Last Updated Thu, 09 Mar 2006 07:17:21 EST
CBC News
The mother and aunt of a Newfoundland soldier who was killed in Afghanistan are calling on the federal government to reconsider Canada's role there.
Cpl. Jamie Murphy died in a suicide bomb attack near Kabul in January 2004. Two years later, Murphy's mother says his death still haunts her.
Cpl. Jamie Murphy
"I think about Jamie every second of every day," said Alice Murphy, who lives in Conception Harbour, N.L.
She said memories of her son's death are revived whenever she hears of new casualties.
Oh please ! PLEASE ! Don't let my son die ! People die in war ! We should stop it and let those terrorists keep attacking us , keep killing people and sending off suicide bombs... I don't want my son to die ! I don't care about anyone else !
Yeah. Right.
Need a better excuse than "he might get hurt" not to send people to war. Especially war against some arabs that have decided we should all stop breathing and they should take over the world and convert it all to their religion.
And then they can get back to the infighting of which particular version of that religion was right ? You don't agree with me , better start killing you .... and so the fighting continues anyways.
Relatives of dead soldier question Canada's role in Afghanistan
Last Updated Thu, 09 Mar 2006 07:17:21 EST
CBC News
The mother and aunt of a Newfoundland soldier who was killed in Afghanistan are calling on the federal government to reconsider Canada's role there.
Cpl. Jamie Murphy died in a suicide bomb attack near Kabul in January 2004. Two years later, Murphy's mother says his death still haunts her.
Cpl. Jamie Murphy
"I think about Jamie every second of every day," said Alice Murphy, who lives in Conception Harbour, N.L.
She said memories of her son's death are revived whenever she hears of new casualties.
Oh please ! PLEASE ! Don't let my son die ! People die in war ! We should stop it and let those terrorists keep attacking us , keep killing people and sending off suicide bombs... I don't want my son to die ! I don't care about anyone else !
Yeah. Right.
Need a better excuse than "he might get hurt" not to send people to war. Especially war against some arabs that have decided we should all stop breathing and they should take over the world and convert it all to their religion.
And then they can get back to the infighting of which particular version of that religion was right ? You don't agree with me , better start killing you .... and so the fighting continues anyways.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Woman loses frozen embryo battle
Article
LONDON, England -- The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a British woman has no right to use frozen embryos to have a baby without the consent of the man who provided the sperm
This is an example of the Law tripping over itself in it's rush to protect everyone.
Why ?
Because the eggs are already fertalized, by her former husband (they're split up now). So if they get used to impregnate her , guess what ? They're his kids and he's responsible for them. Financially too ! Alimony time !
Of course you can't hit him with that without proper warning , so you have to have his permission to use those eggs. He's incurring a big financial burden if he agrees.
Of course he's not going to agree because he split up with her.
And of course, you can't cut a deal such that "you can use them so long as I don't have to pay" because now you're permitting him to black mail her. And thats not fair to her , or to the state that's going to wind up paying for it all when she winds up on welfare because she has no husband.
So instead of this now infertile woman who cleverly put away some eggs for a rainy day having kids, now she gets nothing.
Yeah. The law is protecting her real good. Aha.
LONDON, England -- The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a British woman has no right to use frozen embryos to have a baby without the consent of the man who provided the sperm
This is an example of the Law tripping over itself in it's rush to protect everyone.
Why ?
Because the eggs are already fertalized, by her former husband (they're split up now). So if they get used to impregnate her , guess what ? They're his kids and he's responsible for them. Financially too ! Alimony time !
Of course you can't hit him with that without proper warning , so you have to have his permission to use those eggs. He's incurring a big financial burden if he agrees.
Of course he's not going to agree because he split up with her.
And of course, you can't cut a deal such that "you can use them so long as I don't have to pay" because now you're permitting him to black mail her. And thats not fair to her , or to the state that's going to wind up paying for it all when she winds up on welfare because she has no husband.
So instead of this now infertile woman who cleverly put away some eggs for a rainy day having kids, now she gets nothing.
Yeah. The law is protecting her real good. Aha.
Vonage Canada wants CRTC to investigate Shaw Cable's 'VoIP tax'
Article
Vonage, which offers voice-over-Internet protocol services that depend on lines provided mainly by phone and cable companies like Shaw, said Tuesday that Shaw shouldn't be charging an extra fee to customers for high-priority Internet service.
"Shaw's VoIP tax is an unfair attempt to drive up the price of competing
VoIP services to protect its own high-priced service,
What is VoIP ?
Voice over IP , or a phone that runs through the internet , not through the phone lines. Very cheap , much cheaper than a regular phone through the phone lines.
The issue here is that Shaw Cable provides an internet connection. AND it provides it's own VoIP service on that internet connection. But you can use a competiter. If you pay Shaw it's "tax". A tax for it doing nothing but what you're already paying for anyways (an internet connection).
Is this fair ? No.
Is it inevitable ? Yes. Shaw , and any IP provider , dictates the terms of service , decides what you can and cannot use their network for. So yeah , they can block out VoIP from a competiter if they want.
Which sucks. And the Law on this should be changed ( up here in canada at least). Because now you're talking "bundling", the practice of selling the customer not just one service but a bunch of them , and denying the customer the ability to shop around , thus allowing you to charge anything you like for certain extra's , like an internet phone (VoIP).
It's also a moot point ?
Why ?
Cell phones are dirt cheap.
Ha ha ! Let them fight over the table scraps. Real users don't use regular phones or VoIP ! Ha ha !
Vonage, which offers voice-over-Internet protocol services that depend on lines provided mainly by phone and cable companies like Shaw, said Tuesday that Shaw shouldn't be charging an extra fee to customers for high-priority Internet service.
"Shaw's VoIP tax is an unfair attempt to drive up the price of competing
VoIP services to protect its own high-priced service,
What is VoIP ?
Voice over IP , or a phone that runs through the internet , not through the phone lines. Very cheap , much cheaper than a regular phone through the phone lines.
The issue here is that Shaw Cable provides an internet connection. AND it provides it's own VoIP service on that internet connection. But you can use a competiter. If you pay Shaw it's "tax". A tax for it doing nothing but what you're already paying for anyways (an internet connection).
Is this fair ? No.
Is it inevitable ? Yes. Shaw , and any IP provider , dictates the terms of service , decides what you can and cannot use their network for. So yeah , they can block out VoIP from a competiter if they want.
Which sucks. And the Law on this should be changed ( up here in canada at least). Because now you're talking "bundling", the practice of selling the customer not just one service but a bunch of them , and denying the customer the ability to shop around , thus allowing you to charge anything you like for certain extra's , like an internet phone (VoIP).
It's also a moot point ?
Why ?
Cell phones are dirt cheap.
Ha ha ! Let them fight over the table scraps. Real users don't use regular phones or VoIP ! Ha ha !
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Iran native charged with attempted murder at UNC
Article
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (AP) -- A recent University of North Carolina graduate was charged with nine counts of attempted murder Saturday, a day after authorities say he drove through a popular campus gathering spot in an attempt to avenge Muslim deaths.
Derek Poarch, chief of the university police department, confirmed Saturday that Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a 22-year-old Iran native, told investigators he wanted to "avenge the deaths or murders of Muslims around the world." Poarch would not provide any other details on the motive.
No one was seriously hurt in the incident just before noon Friday at The Pit, a sunken, brick-paved area surrounded by two libraries, a dining hall and the student union near the center of campus.
Ok. I'm ticked off at you for killing muslims. I volinteer to go out and kill some stupid americans.
But I'm stupid, and lazy, and even driving a jeep through a heavily crowded area I couldn't hit anyone if my life depended on it. So I got a kill count of ZERO.
Taheri-azar, who called police to surrender and then awaited officers on a street two miles from campus, is cooperating with investigators
Then I just decide to give it up as a bad job, call the cops and surrender.
Todays special word is "incompetance" , a word many muslims are deeply familiar with , it seems. In a country where it is dirt easy to get a gun, you decide to try a jeep instead. And then you surrender. After killing no one.
I try to be afraid of the muslim terrorist, I really do , but this ... is just plain silly.
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (AP) -- A recent University of North Carolina graduate was charged with nine counts of attempted murder Saturday, a day after authorities say he drove through a popular campus gathering spot in an attempt to avenge Muslim deaths.
Derek Poarch, chief of the university police department, confirmed Saturday that Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a 22-year-old Iran native, told investigators he wanted to "avenge the deaths or murders of Muslims around the world." Poarch would not provide any other details on the motive.
No one was seriously hurt in the incident just before noon Friday at The Pit, a sunken, brick-paved area surrounded by two libraries, a dining hall and the student union near the center of campus.
Ok. I'm ticked off at you for killing muslims. I volinteer to go out and kill some stupid americans.
But I'm stupid, and lazy, and even driving a jeep through a heavily crowded area I couldn't hit anyone if my life depended on it. So I got a kill count of ZERO.
Taheri-azar, who called police to surrender and then awaited officers on a street two miles from campus, is cooperating with investigators
Then I just decide to give it up as a bad job, call the cops and surrender.
Todays special word is "incompetance" , a word many muslims are deeply familiar with , it seems. In a country where it is dirt easy to get a gun, you decide to try a jeep instead. And then you surrender. After killing no one.
I try to be afraid of the muslim terrorist, I really do , but this ... is just plain silly.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Blog comments net Kingston woman an eviction notice
Article
A landlord is threatening to evict a Kingston woman from her apartment for criticizing him on her blog, raising questions about how libel laws apply to the internet.
Hmmm..... guess I better not put down my landlord either in this blog. I already knew not to put down my work... thats why I don't use my real name here ...
Two weeks ago, Sarah Dawe received a notice from Homestead Land Holdings Ltd., the company that owns the apartment building, accusing her of libel and asking her to vacate the building because of her online comments.
A landlord is threatening to evict a Kingston woman from her apartment for criticizing him on her blog, raising questions about how libel laws apply to the internet.
Hmmm..... guess I better not put down my landlord either in this blog. I already knew not to put down my work... thats why I don't use my real name here ...
Two weeks ago, Sarah Dawe received a notice from Homestead Land Holdings Ltd., the company that owns the apartment building, accusing her of libel and asking her to vacate the building because of her online comments.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Mohammed cartoons inflame U.S. campus
Article
Now whats the problem here ? Just because some guy actually showed a cartoon of the prophet of their religion they're freaking out. Calling it indecent etc.
Thats not fair. They should put up with our morality. I mean it's not like we showed him naked or anything.
I mean they can draw cartoons of Jesus Christ can't they ? As long as they're tasteful. As long as we don't think it's indecent. As long as he's not , say ... surrounded by jews jumping up and down shouting "kill him ! kill him ! " (which actually ahppened, by the way) , that would be anti-sematic and we'd have to do something about that ....
Ok....
Maybe it is fair. We all have our sensibilities when it comes to religious topics , and maybe we all need to cut each other some slack on the matter. We all have our sore points that shouldn't be pushed, and we should respect that.
Just an opinion , just an opinion.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Alberta's 'Third Way' could mean health-care showdown with Ottawa
Article
Alberta has outlined its 10-point plan to reshape medicare and in the process has unleashed what could become a major challenge to the Canada Health Act.
Who cares ?
Why ? Because in all of ontario there are only allowed 250 new doctors per year.
Out of thousands and thousands of applicants. (edit: one presumes there is a similar limit in Alberta , though I don't know what the limit is)
Doctors already have the ability to opt out of the public system completely in Alberta, but the government says that isn't happening, so it wants to introduce a hybrid system allowing physicians to offer private delivery of health care, if they submit a business plan and can prove that the public system won't be harmed.
Notice how the option of allowing more than 250 doc's a year to be trained never seems to come up ? Is never mentioned ?
They want to draw on an already limited pool of doctors when they can easily double or triple the size of that pool with no loss in quality. Do you know how many thousands and thousands of people would love to become doctors ? And skimming the top 1000 instead of the top 250 is just a drop in the bucket in that number.
But this never comes up for some reason.
Who the heck is making money off of this , I wonder ?
Alberta has outlined its 10-point plan to reshape medicare and in the process has unleashed what could become a major challenge to the Canada Health Act.
Who cares ?
Why ? Because in all of ontario there are only allowed 250 new doctors per year.
Out of thousands and thousands of applicants. (edit: one presumes there is a similar limit in Alberta , though I don't know what the limit is)
Doctors already have the ability to opt out of the public system completely in Alberta, but the government says that isn't happening, so it wants to introduce a hybrid system allowing physicians to offer private delivery of health care, if they submit a business plan and can prove that the public system won't be harmed.
Notice how the option of allowing more than 250 doc's a year to be trained never seems to come up ? Is never mentioned ?
They want to draw on an already limited pool of doctors when they can easily double or triple the size of that pool with no loss in quality. Do you know how many thousands and thousands of people would love to become doctors ? And skimming the top 1000 instead of the top 250 is just a drop in the bucket in that number.
But this never comes up for some reason.
Who the heck is making money off of this , I wonder ?
Ontario could claw back child-care benefit
Article
Some of Ontario's poorest families might never see the monthly child-care allowance proposed by the federal government.
The provincial government is expected to deduct the annual $1,200 child-care benefit for every child under age six directly from social assistance or disability support cheques.
.
.
.
The $100 monthly allowance is intended to replace the current national child-care funding deal with provinces, but Wilkey and other advocates for low-income families worry the province will claw back the benefits.
The Ontario government already deducts the National Child Benefit Supplement from social assistance and disability cheques, despite a campaign promise to stop the clawback.
The truth is ....
The provincial government wants the money , and has no intention of giving it to the private citizens.
If the federal government doesn't give it to the provincial government , but instead opts to give it directly to the people , the provincial government will "claw back" the money and take it anyways... thus insuring the people get nothing.
The current premier of ontario is Dalton McGuinty. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.
His web site is : http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/english/
His email address is Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca.
He is a provincial class RAT , obviously.
Some of Ontario's poorest families might never see the monthly child-care allowance proposed by the federal government.
The provincial government is expected to deduct the annual $1,200 child-care benefit for every child under age six directly from social assistance or disability support cheques.
.
.
.
The $100 monthly allowance is intended to replace the current national child-care funding deal with provinces, but Wilkey and other advocates for low-income families worry the province will claw back the benefits.
The Ontario government already deducts the National Child Benefit Supplement from social assistance and disability cheques, despite a campaign promise to stop the clawback.
The truth is ....
The provincial government wants the money , and has no intention of giving it to the private citizens.
If the federal government doesn't give it to the provincial government , but instead opts to give it directly to the people , the provincial government will "claw back" the money and take it anyways... thus insuring the people get nothing.
The current premier of ontario is Dalton McGuinty. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.
His web site is : http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/english/
His email address is Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca.
He is a provincial class RAT , obviously.
Change of Email
My friend a techy has his email server running , and my old email (whatshisname@rogers.com) got toasted by rogers.
On his server it's Ottawaboy@skokos.com , and that gets redirected to whatever my current email is, so if my ISP toasts it again I won't lose any email.
Sorry for the bother...
On his server it's Ottawaboy@skokos.com , and that gets redirected to whatever my current email is, so if my ISP toasts it again I won't lose any email.
Sorry for the bother...
America Online vows to institute fee-based service despite protests
Article
Political group MoveOn.org Civic Action, the AFL-CIO labour union and other organizations have criticized the service, which will charge senders a fee to route their messages directly to AOL users' mailboxes without first passing through AOL junk mail filters.
Lemme get this straight.
You'r going to let spammers pay you to bypass your spam filters and dump their garbage into MY mailbox (assuming I actually had an aol account, which I don't)
AOL, a unit of Time Warner Inc., contends the system will help it reduce spam because only legitimate senders of mass e-mail are likely to pony up the fee - ranging from 1/4 cent to one cent per message. But critics say the system will end up blocking many e-mails from groups that can't afford the fee.
But no one is saying "But I set the spam filter not to receive this junk and it's recieving it anyways !" etc etc etc ... in other words, the heck with you you weak powerless user we do as we please and if you don't like it go elsewhere.
I already did.
Political group MoveOn.org Civic Action, the AFL-CIO labour union and other organizations have criticized the service, which will charge senders a fee to route their messages directly to AOL users' mailboxes without first passing through AOL junk mail filters.
Lemme get this straight.
You'r going to let spammers pay you to bypass your spam filters and dump their garbage into MY mailbox (assuming I actually had an aol account, which I don't)
AOL, a unit of Time Warner Inc., contends the system will help it reduce spam because only legitimate senders of mass e-mail are likely to pony up the fee - ranging from 1/4 cent to one cent per message. But critics say the system will end up blocking many e-mails from groups that can't afford the fee.
But no one is saying "But I set the spam filter not to receive this junk and it's recieving it anyways !" etc etc etc ... in other words, the heck with you you weak powerless user we do as we please and if you don't like it go elsewhere.
I already did.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Feb 2 - 16 Hospital Visit
Jan 31
Havn't been eating for a few days, weak, but I had a doctors appointment with my doctor for today , so rather than go and spend 6+ hrs in emergancy to find out it's nothing I waited for the appointment and , feeling like crap , went to the doctor.
After a full out examination lasting a total of 30 seconds he proclaimed "We're going to admit you." And sent me down to emergancy. Well... not quite that fast. There was a perc bag hanging on my belly , slowly draining puss from an old abcess they'd put in long ago. The hose stuck in my belly had , after 8 or so months worked it's way to the surface and was now sticking out. He removed it and you know, I never realized how sharp the end of that hose was ? They really cut it so it was nice and pointy , probably so it could go in easy in the first place. No wonder I had so much trouble bending over every day ! I was stabbing myself with every movement !
Anyways , it was out, and I was off to emergancy to get admitted.
Not quite.
He admitted me for shortness of breath , thinking it was the pulmonary embolism I had before. Wanted a cat scan for it. Some doctor in emergancy noticed I was on Coumadin , to prevent a reoccurence, did an INR test and some other blood test to detect blood clotting and came to the conclusion that I couldn't possibly have an embolism. (To his credit he was right, My doctor was actually using that as an excuse to bypass the long line ups) . He would have written me a perscription , but since I was admitted by my doctor , my doctor had to write it.
they gave me a note to tell my doctor to write such and such a perscription, patted me on the head , and sent me home WITHOUT DOING A DAMB THING for me !
Next day phone my doctor. Oh , can't write a perscription without examining me. Earliest appointment was the day after.
Day after... (feb 2) go to him, and get the bums rush right back to emergancy. This time he took more time with me , kicked over a few tin cans or whatever it is they do when they go talk with other doctors, and this time around I got admitted. Oh , and the perscription ? My doctor tossed the note out , stating it wouldn't help me a bit.
Still...three days and no treatment ! sheesh !
Turns out my Crohns Disease had caused a blockage in my intestines somewhere , food wasn't moving , and of course I was slowly starving to death despite the fact that my belly was so full I couldn't put more food into it.
For a while they thought they might have to operate, but the matter eventually cleared up on it's own. Two weeks of hospital time felt like I was in jail though. You can only lie in bed staring at the ceiling for so long. Of course there was relief from the bordom. Like the time I snuck down to the cafeteria to eat a hamberger or two after they said I was allowed to eat again.
Spent two days throwing up after that. They were pissed, since they were about to release me and suddenly I was up chucking this black gunk from the bottom of my suddenly empty belly every two hours. And I was none too quiet about it either, you could hear me across half the floor when I got going.
They finally stuck a tube down my nose and into my belly and attached it to a vacuum pump , and I stopped ralphing up the gunk after that , ,though the container filled up pretty quick with black gunk. That was pretty desgusting. Anyone would throw up with that stuff in their belly. Of course, I probably should mention that when they stuck the tube in me ? It also was gross going down. They're not actually cutting anything , so it's not "pain" that you feel. But you're body definately doesn't like it, and I more or less freaked out going "ahhhh ahhhh ahhh !" waving my hands around and everything when they did it. 24hrs later I barely noticed the tube was there.
but that was nothing next to the unusual torture they call a "cathader" (sp?). What is a cathader you might ask ? (and I did ask , to the male nurse I had that day).
blah blah lots of medical terms blah blah measure out put of your bladder blah blah ... tube of some kind..blah blah...
Hmmm... tube , bladder. Now how would you get a tube into my bladder without a major operation ?
I looked at the male nurse. "You're going to stick a tube up my dick ?"
Yup. Thats what he was talking about.
A GUY STUCK A TUBE UP MY DICK !!!!
This was just about the ultimate indignity. Hurt like hell too.
The ultimate indignity came the next day when the cathader stopped working and I suddenly had this urge to go for a piss. Well, I got a tube up my dick , right ? I don't actually have to get up , I can just cut loose and it will go into the bag , right ?
Suddenly there was a fountain between my legs, and I quickly stopped that and called for the (male ) nurse. "Youre cathader is broken. " I informed him angrilly. Angrilly, because they hadn't put it in because something was broken, they'd put it in so they could '" more accurately measure" my output.
When it came it out it was quick , but painful. I only screamed once.
Lemme see. By my count , Guys have stuck hoses up my rear, up my dick , and up my nose in this past year. I'm just not a virgin anywhere anymore.
Havn't been eating for a few days, weak, but I had a doctors appointment with my doctor for today , so rather than go and spend 6+ hrs in emergancy to find out it's nothing I waited for the appointment and , feeling like crap , went to the doctor.
After a full out examination lasting a total of 30 seconds he proclaimed "We're going to admit you." And sent me down to emergancy. Well... not quite that fast. There was a perc bag hanging on my belly , slowly draining puss from an old abcess they'd put in long ago. The hose stuck in my belly had , after 8 or so months worked it's way to the surface and was now sticking out. He removed it and you know, I never realized how sharp the end of that hose was ? They really cut it so it was nice and pointy , probably so it could go in easy in the first place. No wonder I had so much trouble bending over every day ! I was stabbing myself with every movement !
Anyways , it was out, and I was off to emergancy to get admitted.
Not quite.
He admitted me for shortness of breath , thinking it was the pulmonary embolism I had before. Wanted a cat scan for it. Some doctor in emergancy noticed I was on Coumadin , to prevent a reoccurence, did an INR test and some other blood test to detect blood clotting and came to the conclusion that I couldn't possibly have an embolism. (To his credit he was right, My doctor was actually using that as an excuse to bypass the long line ups) . He would have written me a perscription , but since I was admitted by my doctor , my doctor had to write it.
they gave me a note to tell my doctor to write such and such a perscription, patted me on the head , and sent me home WITHOUT DOING A DAMB THING for me !
Next day phone my doctor. Oh , can't write a perscription without examining me. Earliest appointment was the day after.
Day after... (feb 2) go to him, and get the bums rush right back to emergancy. This time he took more time with me , kicked over a few tin cans or whatever it is they do when they go talk with other doctors, and this time around I got admitted. Oh , and the perscription ? My doctor tossed the note out , stating it wouldn't help me a bit.
Still...three days and no treatment ! sheesh !
Turns out my Crohns Disease had caused a blockage in my intestines somewhere , food wasn't moving , and of course I was slowly starving to death despite the fact that my belly was so full I couldn't put more food into it.
For a while they thought they might have to operate, but the matter eventually cleared up on it's own. Two weeks of hospital time felt like I was in jail though. You can only lie in bed staring at the ceiling for so long. Of course there was relief from the bordom. Like the time I snuck down to the cafeteria to eat a hamberger or two after they said I was allowed to eat again.
Spent two days throwing up after that. They were pissed, since they were about to release me and suddenly I was up chucking this black gunk from the bottom of my suddenly empty belly every two hours. And I was none too quiet about it either, you could hear me across half the floor when I got going.
They finally stuck a tube down my nose and into my belly and attached it to a vacuum pump , and I stopped ralphing up the gunk after that , ,though the container filled up pretty quick with black gunk. That was pretty desgusting. Anyone would throw up with that stuff in their belly. Of course, I probably should mention that when they stuck the tube in me ? It also was gross going down. They're not actually cutting anything , so it's not "pain" that you feel. But you're body definately doesn't like it, and I more or less freaked out going "ahhhh ahhhh ahhh !" waving my hands around and everything when they did it. 24hrs later I barely noticed the tube was there.
but that was nothing next to the unusual torture they call a "cathader" (sp?). What is a cathader you might ask ? (and I did ask , to the male nurse I had that day).
blah blah lots of medical terms blah blah measure out put of your bladder blah blah ... tube of some kind..blah blah...
Hmmm... tube , bladder. Now how would you get a tube into my bladder without a major operation ?
I looked at the male nurse. "You're going to stick a tube up my dick ?"
Yup. Thats what he was talking about.
A GUY STUCK A TUBE UP MY DICK !!!!
This was just about the ultimate indignity. Hurt like hell too.
The ultimate indignity came the next day when the cathader stopped working and I suddenly had this urge to go for a piss. Well, I got a tube up my dick , right ? I don't actually have to get up , I can just cut loose and it will go into the bag , right ?
Suddenly there was a fountain between my legs, and I quickly stopped that and called for the (male ) nurse. "Youre cathader is broken. " I informed him angrilly. Angrilly, because they hadn't put it in because something was broken, they'd put it in so they could '" more accurately measure" my output.
When it came it out it was quick , but painful. I only screamed once.
Lemme see. By my count , Guys have stuck hoses up my rear, up my dick , and up my nose in this past year. I'm just not a virgin anywhere anymore.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Update your Account information For your Bank
This one got past the spam filters and wound up in my inbox. It had all the pretty pictures of the bank of america , some guy typing on a lap top, the whole nine yards.
Security Update Notification
Because of unusual number of invalid login attempts on you account, we had to believe that, their might be some security problem on you account.
We'll start by mentioning that I don't have an account with the bank of america, just to get things rolling.
So we have decided to put an extra verification process to ensure your identity and your account security.
Please click on continue to the verification process and ensure your account security. It is all about your security.
Thank you.
Continue To Online Banking
When you pass your mouse over the link , a nice tool tip pops up saying "www.bankofamerica.com".
When you tearapart the html and examine where that link really goes .. it's not heading for that. It's going to www.lucrablog.com/... some big long thing
lucra = money , by the way , so it's probably some paid log site. Heck, why don't I just pull that up ?
Bummer. It's all in french. But it's definately NOT bank of america and I suppose that is enough.
This is a con job. Not just spam, but out right criminal activity of the sort known as Phishing. You can bet anyone answering this message is going to find their bank accounts cleaned out and their credit cards maxed out the next day.
Well...I needed something to blog about today anyways.
My advice to all who receive such emails and you think it might be valid (ie: you might actually have an account at the place specified) is simply to phone them. don't mess around with online forms. Phone them.
-----------------------
WHOIS information for lucrablog.net:
[whois.namesecure.com]
Registrant:
AGATE Ben
Nouveau Net Inc.
187, Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montréal, Québec H2X3X5
CA
(hmmm... that doesn't look like an american address...)
Security Update Notification
Because of unusual number of invalid login attempts on you account, we had to believe that, their might be some security problem on you account.
We'll start by mentioning that I don't have an account with the bank of america, just to get things rolling.
So we have decided to put an extra verification process to ensure your identity and your account security.
Please click on continue to the verification process and ensure your account security. It is all about your security.
Thank you.
Continue To Online Banking
When you pass your mouse over the link , a nice tool tip pops up saying "www.bankofamerica.com".
When you tearapart the html and examine where that link really goes .. it's not heading for that. It's going to www.lucrablog.com/... some big long thing
lucra = money , by the way , so it's probably some paid log site. Heck, why don't I just pull that up ?
Bummer. It's all in french. But it's definately NOT bank of america and I suppose that is enough.
This is a con job. Not just spam, but out right criminal activity of the sort known as Phishing. You can bet anyone answering this message is going to find their bank accounts cleaned out and their credit cards maxed out the next day.
Well...I needed something to blog about today anyways.
My advice to all who receive such emails and you think it might be valid (ie: you might actually have an account at the place specified) is simply to phone them. don't mess around with online forms. Phone them.
-----------------------
WHOIS information for lucrablog.net:
[whois.namesecure.com]
Registrant:
AGATE Ben
Nouveau Net Inc.
187, Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montréal, Québec H2X3X5
CA
(hmmm... that doesn't look like an american address...)
Monday, January 23, 2006
Sadness Is
Sadness is when you finally realize it's not going to work out between you and your wife.
Sadness is when you sit down with your wife to have an honest talk with her about problems, and thats what starts the fighting. Now I know I am alone, If you can't talk with your wife bout things, you can't really talk to anyone , can you.
Sadness is watching her go off to work , and start packing a few minutes after she's gone.
Sadness is her phoning you from work , you knowing it's the last phone call you will take from her , and its going to be an angry hateful spiteful one. You dare not let her know you're leaving because she'll rush home from work and make what is already a trial a nightmare.
Sadness is knowing it's time to just walk away, and not say anything.
Sadness is when you sit down with your wife to have an honest talk with her about problems, and thats what starts the fighting. Now I know I am alone, If you can't talk with your wife bout things, you can't really talk to anyone , can you.
Sadness is watching her go off to work , and start packing a few minutes after she's gone.
Sadness is her phoning you from work , you knowing it's the last phone call you will take from her , and its going to be an angry hateful spiteful one. You dare not let her know you're leaving because she'll rush home from work and make what is already a trial a nightmare.
Sadness is knowing it's time to just walk away, and not say anything.
Monday, January 16, 2006
French Waste Time Hounding Converts
Officials Concerned About Muslim Converts
Ok then. How many converts we got ?
Pawlak is one of about 50,000 French, and tens of thousands of others across Europe and North America, who have converted to the Muslim faith. Like most converts, he is a mainstream Muslim
Ok then. How many of these freshly minted muslims are doing dastardly deeds ?
At least three Muslim converts in France have been convicted in recent years on terror-related charges, the most recent Lionel Dumont, given a 30-year prison term last month. He was co-leader of a gang of violent hoodlums in the northern city of Roubaix that provided Ahmed Ressam, the so-called millennium bomber, with his start in terrorism. Dumont later fought for the Muslim cause in Bosnia
Ok. 3 / 50 000 ...
hmmmm.... 0.006% of all french muslim converts become terrorists within a few years of converting ...
Duhh ! Ok ... I can see why we should be panicking ! Oh yeah ! Definately something I'm gonna lose sleep over !
American Arrogance
CNN 'very disappointed' at being banned from Iran
"There are reports today, Monday, that Iran has banned us from the country. CNN is very disappointed that this action has been taken," Nigel Pritchard, a spokesman for the company, said in a statement from Atlanta, where CNN is based.
"Due to an error in translation, CNN incorrectly quoted Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Saturday speech as saying that Iran has the right to build nuclear weapons," the statement said.
"In fact, President Ahmadinejad said that Iran has the right to nuclear energy
Heck no prob. I'd banish you from my nation too (if I ran one) if you misquoted me as saying "I should have nukes and fire them off at anyone I like" too !
We all know the Iranians are trying to build nuclear weapons , it's a delicate situation. Yahoo's like you messing up the waters like this only make it worse. Much worse. It's probably for the best that you take a powder from the scene if this the kind of reporters you employ in Iran.
Save the real "we have nukes" report for the Iranian Prez to make , don't make it for him, he's an idiot and will do it eventually.
And fire that reporter. He or she is obviously highly incompetant and in need of a career change.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Church of Absolute BS
Scientologist Director Slams Psychiatry
Wow, Scientology, I totally forgot how much I hate those quacks !
Ok , here's the deal.
These honest , hard working people go out and learn a few things , put their name on it , no one elses, and say "this is what I think." They're called Scientists, and what they beleive they call science.
Some religious air heads with no brains and fewer scruples happen to notice that these hard working scientists are getting results. So they'll just steal their title of Scientist , modifying to Scientologist, and make up a religion called the Church of Scientology and thus ride on the coat tails of these scientists.
Oh yes... the scientists they're immitating ? They totally disagree with everything those scientists every said or did. And they're ticked the hard work is paying off and somehow it's all the scientists fault that the scientists have to steal their titles to get their air head religious views even looked at.
ok..now we can begin.
WASHINGTON - When Joseph Feshbach, a Scientologist, joined QuadraMed Corp.'s board in 2001 he didn't think the health-care information technology company would ever involve itself with the "pseudo-science" of psychiatry.
Wow..immagine that... a scientologist annoyed that a scientist is actually practicing ... science .. no less .... impressive ....
So when the company decided to market its pharmacy software to psychiatric hospitals, Feshbach quit.
Wow, Scientology, I totally forgot how much I hate those quacks !
Ok , here's the deal.
These honest , hard working people go out and learn a few things , put their name on it , no one elses, and say "this is what I think." They're called Scientists, and what they beleive they call science.
Some religious air heads with no brains and fewer scruples happen to notice that these hard working scientists are getting results. So they'll just steal their title of Scientist , modifying to Scientologist, and make up a religion called the Church of Scientology and thus ride on the coat tails of these scientists.
Oh yes... the scientists they're immitating ? They totally disagree with everything those scientists every said or did. And they're ticked the hard work is paying off and somehow it's all the scientists fault that the scientists have to steal their titles to get their air head religious views even looked at.
ok..now we can begin.
WASHINGTON - When Joseph Feshbach, a Scientologist, joined QuadraMed Corp.'s board in 2001 he didn't think the health-care information technology company would ever involve itself with the "pseudo-science" of psychiatry.
Wow..immagine that... a scientologist annoyed that a scientist is actually practicing ... science .. no less .... impressive ....
So when the company decided to market its pharmacy software to psychiatric hospitals, Feshbach quit.
It's the Super Terrorist !
Man Sentenced to Life in Bush Attack
The grenade that Arutyunian threw during the huge rally attended by Bush and President Mikhail Saakashvili landed about 100 feet from the stage where they were standing behind a bulletproof barrier and did not explode. No one was hurt.
So... you got close to President Bush and you threw a grenade at him ! And ... you're aim is crap , you didn't come within 100 feet of him. And the grenade you threw was a dud , it didn't go off.
Truely ... I am simply ... terrified ... of this kind of person. Really.
LMFAO !!!!
TBILISI, Georgia - A court Wednesday convicted a man of trying to assassinate
President Bush and the leader of Georgia by throwing a grenade at them during a rally in May 2005, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
The grenade that Arutyunian threw during the huge rally attended by Bush and President Mikhail Saakashvili landed about 100 feet from the stage where they were standing behind a bulletproof barrier and did not explode. No one was hurt.
So... you got close to President Bush and you threw a grenade at him ! And ... you're aim is crap , you didn't come within 100 feet of him. And the grenade you threw was a dud , it didn't go off.
Truely ... I am simply ... terrified ... of this kind of person. Really.
LMFAO !!!!
TBILISI, Georgia - A court Wednesday convicted a man of trying to assassinate
President Bush and the leader of Georgia by throwing a grenade at them during a rally in May 2005, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
CSIS
Years ago , I took a stroll down the wrong road and got lost , and I wound up at CSIS , the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service. Called for a cab using their phone and went home.
It always amused me that when you look on a bus map for Ottawa , it's not called CSIS. It's called CENSORED . I'd always found that amusing. They don't want their location on the map our make believe spies, do thay ? Could they have picked a worse cover than a CENSORED ??? I really gotta wonder about these people some times.
Remember. They're really at CENSORED Just look on the bus map , it's right there.
It always amused me that when you look on a bus map for Ottawa , it's not called CSIS. It's called CENSORED . I'd always found that amusing. They don't want their location on the map our make believe spies, do thay ? Could they have picked a worse cover than a CENSORED ??? I really gotta wonder about these people some times.
Remember. They're really at CENSORED Just look on the bus map , it's right there.
The Iranian Nuclear Mess
Tehran removes seals at nuclear plants, resumes research
It reads , while slightly to the right there is this beautiful full color ariel photo of the Natanz Nuclear Complex in Iran , with every building in beautiful color just perfect for use as a guide to high flying american bombers...
If I was the Iranian Intelligence minister I'd be wetting myself at this point. Because if that plant starts producing any kind of nuclear material that material is going to get splattered all over Iran and no where else.
Oh yeah.
Blah blah , says Iranian President. Peaceful use only. By the way we hate jews and other infidels , blah blah blah ....
This is going to make for a very messy middle east.
It reads , while slightly to the right there is this beautiful full color ariel photo of the Natanz Nuclear Complex in Iran , with every building in beautiful color just perfect for use as a guide to high flying american bombers...
If I was the Iranian Intelligence minister I'd be wetting myself at this point. Because if that plant starts producing any kind of nuclear material that material is going to get splattered all over Iran and no where else.
Oh yeah.
Blah blah , says Iranian President. Peaceful use only. By the way we hate jews and other infidels , blah blah blah ....
This is going to make for a very messy middle east.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Bill Gates : Money Talks !
Microsoft Shuts Down Blog in China
BEIJING, China (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. has shut down the Internet journal of a Chinese blogger that discussed politically sensitive issues, including a recent strike at a Beijing newspaper.
MONEY TALKS !
Microsoft's Web log-hosting service shut down the blog at the Chinese government's request,
And it talks loud , and it talks long ...
Microsoft's Web log-hosting service shut down the blog at the Chinese government's request,
And it can walk !
And so here he'll stay ,
The Gates Way ...
Forever in China !
The blog, written under the pen name An Ti by Zhao Jing, who works for the Beijing bureau of The New York Times as a research assistant, touched on sensitive topics such as China's relations with Taiwan. Last week, he used the blog to crusade on behalf of a Beijing newspaper.
Reporters at the Beijing News, a daily known for its aggressive reporting, staged an informal one-day strike after their chief editor was removed from his post. The editor's removal and the strike attracted comments on Chinese online bulletin boards, which censors then erased.
Dead Beats Die !
They got no cash , but china Does
So to heck with him !
Microsoft's Web log service bars use of terms such as "democracy" and "human rights."
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Movie Review : Phantom of The Opera - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom of The Opera
A Joel Shumacher film
Expectations
Webber's Phantom is a Rock Opera. I'm pretty much expecting what amounts to a 90 min rock video with minimal special effects and acting, but the music had better be awesome , because that's what I'm paying for.
What I got
141 minutes, not 90
Pretty much 95% of the movie was someone singing. Good quality sound. Dolby 5.1 I'd heard the songs before , they were the ones you find on the cd's , it was nice to see people acting along to them.
Sets / Acting
It's not someone sticking a camera in front of a stage and having the actors do Phantom of the Opera one more time before it stops running in toronto. They actually build real sets and it looks like a movie. If you get over the part where everyone is singing ALL the time, it actually looks quite real. I hadn't expected that, so I put it up a notch above the expected 90 min rock video
Actiing is difficult to judge , no one acts , they all just stand around and sing. They all sing real good. The phantom has a better stage presence than anyone else, so I suppose he's the best actor around, even though he's the villian.
Special Effects
No special effects are particularily noticable. What is noticable is simply that "everything works". You're back stage of an 18th century opera house, all the levers and ropes and curtains and everything work properly.
There was one scene where the phantom was poling a boat along an underground river (singing a song of course) and candels on some kind of chandeliers rose up out of the water. And the candles actually lit themselves as they cleared the water. Amusing, but the only obvious special effect in the whole movie.
The story
who cares ? I just bought it because I liked the tunes.
Some kind of love triangle between the disfigured Phantom (dont' get your hopes up , by 18th century standards he may be considered a monster but by 21st century standards it just leaves you going "they can fix that now you know, cheap too..") a pretty young girl , and a non disfigured man who is a mediocre singer and uglier than the phantom if you ask me , though he's played up as the handsome prince.
The two men fight. The Evil Monster Phantom loses. The pretty girl runs off with the ugly prince. The rest is mere detail and a lot of really nice rock music.
Except that you can see the 18th centuray morality showing through, and the phantom doesn't really come off as evil by modern standards. Or maybe we're just way too understanding about such things.
Conclusion
it's a 90 min rock video , and then some. If thats what you're looking for , you won't be disapointed.
A Joel Shumacher film
Expectations
Webber's Phantom is a Rock Opera. I'm pretty much expecting what amounts to a 90 min rock video with minimal special effects and acting, but the music had better be awesome , because that's what I'm paying for.
What I got
141 minutes, not 90
Pretty much 95% of the movie was someone singing. Good quality sound. Dolby 5.1 I'd heard the songs before , they were the ones you find on the cd's , it was nice to see people acting along to them.
Sets / Acting
It's not someone sticking a camera in front of a stage and having the actors do Phantom of the Opera one more time before it stops running in toronto. They actually build real sets and it looks like a movie. If you get over the part where everyone is singing ALL the time, it actually looks quite real. I hadn't expected that, so I put it up a notch above the expected 90 min rock video
Actiing is difficult to judge , no one acts , they all just stand around and sing. They all sing real good. The phantom has a better stage presence than anyone else, so I suppose he's the best actor around, even though he's the villian.
Special Effects
No special effects are particularily noticable. What is noticable is simply that "everything works". You're back stage of an 18th century opera house, all the levers and ropes and curtains and everything work properly.
There was one scene where the phantom was poling a boat along an underground river (singing a song of course) and candels on some kind of chandeliers rose up out of the water. And the candles actually lit themselves as they cleared the water. Amusing, but the only obvious special effect in the whole movie.
The story
who cares ? I just bought it because I liked the tunes.
Some kind of love triangle between the disfigured Phantom (dont' get your hopes up , by 18th century standards he may be considered a monster but by 21st century standards it just leaves you going "they can fix that now you know, cheap too..") a pretty young girl , and a non disfigured man who is a mediocre singer and uglier than the phantom if you ask me , though he's played up as the handsome prince.
The two men fight. The Evil Monster Phantom loses. The pretty girl runs off with the ugly prince. The rest is mere detail and a lot of really nice rock music.
Except that you can see the 18th centuray morality showing through, and the phantom doesn't really come off as evil by modern standards. Or maybe we're just way too understanding about such things.
Conclusion
it's a 90 min rock video , and then some. If thats what you're looking for , you won't be disapointed.
Cafe Internet
Cafe Internet
288 Bank Street,
Ottawa, ON
K2P 1X6
Well..thats what it's called on yellowpages.ca. When you get there the sign on the door says "micro" something or other increadably forgetful. It's one door in from the corner of bank and sommerset.
Went there with a friend. Sat down. What did I see ?
Cute software to measure your online time.
Could I go to blogspot and post anything ? No , increadably slow... blogspot loads only after a painful long time, and attempts to actually log in fail after 30 min (didn't actually fail, I just ran out of time waiting)
Could I read the funnies ? No. To be honest, I was going through my.yahoo.com and clicking on the comic links there. Nothing came up.
Speed test shows 190 kbps, which by the way only technically qualifies as broadband. Dial up is 56 kbps , for comparison.
Tried to install firefox from getfirefox.com , it let me download it (wasting 10 min of my time) and then refused to install the program, I didn't have security rights. Well , I can't really blame them for not letting me install random software. I can blame them for wasting my time on it.
I could check my yahoo mail.
That was about all I could do.
4$ / hour to find out thats all it's good for.
There are no online games of any kind installed.
Oh , the security software that tells your time is up works real good. Booted me out most efficiently.
288 Bank Street,
Ottawa, ON
K2P 1X6
Well..thats what it's called on yellowpages.ca. When you get there the sign on the door says "micro" something or other increadably forgetful. It's one door in from the corner of bank and sommerset.
Went there with a friend. Sat down. What did I see ?
Cute software to measure your online time.
Could I go to blogspot and post anything ? No , increadably slow... blogspot loads only after a painful long time, and attempts to actually log in fail after 30 min (didn't actually fail, I just ran out of time waiting)
Could I read the funnies ? No. To be honest, I was going through my.yahoo.com and clicking on the comic links there. Nothing came up.
Speed test shows 190 kbps, which by the way only technically qualifies as broadband. Dial up is 56 kbps , for comparison.
Tried to install firefox from getfirefox.com , it let me download it (wasting 10 min of my time) and then refused to install the program, I didn't have security rights. Well , I can't really blame them for not letting me install random software. I can blame them for wasting my time on it.
I could check my yahoo mail.
That was about all I could do.
4$ / hour to find out thats all it's good for.
There are no online games of any kind installed.
Oh , the security software that tells your time is up works real good. Booted me out most efficiently.
Guest Blogger : George
Ok , I have a friend who'd like to let his opinions on certain matters known , so I'm going to turn over this entry to George, the Guest Blogger
George ? You're On.
---------------------------------------------------
In a world without need of Fences and Doors, who needs Gates and Windows??
-George
George ? You're On.
---------------------------------------------------
In a world without need of Fences and Doors, who needs Gates and Windows??
-George
Thursday, January 05, 2006
My life sucks
It's cold out.
Its winter.
I feel down , and blue
I know that that is because I'm taking my meds properly and not cheating on them.
I felt good the other day , but discovered that it was because I'd forgotten to take my mid day meds.
I have to watch my breathing because I have a pulmonary embolsim and if I start panting too much it's gone berserk.
I have to check my fingers every day to make sure they don't tingle, because it means I've been on certain anti biotics too long and I should stop immeidately before the nerve damage (tingling) becomes permanent)
I have a nurse that comes every day to change the packing in my wound, caused by teh surgical removal of a large abcess. It hurts like heck and this has been going on for more than a month.
I'm on 6MP and Prednezone , both immuno suppresants that slow down my healing , so my belly doesn't keep on spitting out more abcesses and forceing me to have more operations.
Yesterday the nurse spotted a new abcess in my belly , despite the medication to prevent such things.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
Its winter.
I feel down , and blue
I know that that is because I'm taking my meds properly and not cheating on them.
I felt good the other day , but discovered that it was because I'd forgotten to take my mid day meds.
I have to watch my breathing because I have a pulmonary embolsim and if I start panting too much it's gone berserk.
I have to check my fingers every day to make sure they don't tingle, because it means I've been on certain anti biotics too long and I should stop immeidately before the nerve damage (tingling) becomes permanent)
I have a nurse that comes every day to change the packing in my wound, caused by teh surgical removal of a large abcess. It hurts like heck and this has been going on for more than a month.
I'm on 6MP and Prednezone , both immuno suppresants that slow down my healing , so my belly doesn't keep on spitting out more abcesses and forceing me to have more operations.
Yesterday the nurse spotted a new abcess in my belly , despite the medication to prevent such things.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
Remote Controlled Answering Machine
Yesterday , Dalton McGuinty himself phoned me up with a recorded message and tried to leave a message on my answering machine. It started with him explaining how he and his family spent the new year preparing for the coming election ( of which he is a candidate)
This is the part where I discover that if you press "talk" on the phone ... it picks up and stops recording. If you press talk again ... it hangs up on him (or in this case , his recording).
I suppose I should now go on about how spam has now reached epic proportions and we now have computers phoning us up to leave messages on our answering machinge , but ... click click ... golden silence ...
I thought it was hysterically funny , actually.
This is the part where I discover that if you press "talk" on the phone ... it picks up and stops recording. If you press talk again ... it hangs up on him (or in this case , his recording).
I suppose I should now go on about how spam has now reached epic proportions and we now have computers phoning us up to leave messages on our answering machinge , but ... click click ... golden silence ...
I thought it was hysterically funny , actually.
Racist Musings
I play a lot on world of war craft, an online game with a lot of other players.
A lot of them are pretty quick to bring racisim to the table. After a year or so of playing with what essentially amounts to a long stream of random strangers I've come to the following conclusion.
People are too quick to generalize.
Once you get into the habit of saying somone is bad because of their race, it's too easy to add another race to the list , and another , and another. Even "fantasy" races that don't actually exist in the real world come under fire (there's a lot racisim against gnomes or elves for example).
I think maybe racism is bad because it cannot be controlled. Once you go down that road , you can't limit it to just one target , it takes on a life of it's own and very quickly becomes a "we hate everyone" kind of deal.
and of course, if racism is shown to work , your "racial enemeies" will adopt it as well , and there will be a bunch of people who hate you as well. No matter who you are.
Not a pretty picture.
A lot of them are pretty quick to bring racisim to the table. After a year or so of playing with what essentially amounts to a long stream of random strangers I've come to the following conclusion.
People are too quick to generalize.
Once you get into the habit of saying somone is bad because of their race, it's too easy to add another race to the list , and another , and another. Even "fantasy" races that don't actually exist in the real world come under fire (there's a lot racisim against gnomes or elves for example).
I think maybe racism is bad because it cannot be controlled. Once you go down that road , you can't limit it to just one target , it takes on a life of it's own and very quickly becomes a "we hate everyone" kind of deal.
and of course, if racism is shown to work , your "racial enemeies" will adopt it as well , and there will be a bunch of people who hate you as well. No matter who you are.
Not a pretty picture.
Testing
This is just a test to see if this blog is actually working , or if that "out of disk space" error I was getting is a permanent thing and I should walk away and abandon this.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Top Ten Ways I use the Web
There's a lot of top ten lists coming out lately , no doubt a david letterman thing. And It occured to me, yah know... the web has me doing things now that I never did before.
So , what are the top 10 ways the web has touched me ?
1.. My MP3 player. I take it everywhere. I listen to it all the time. Ummm.. guess where the songs come from ? Yes, they're legal ! Sheesh !
2.. email. Don't get a lot, but I do use it. Never did before.
3.. buying software. I have bought at least 2 pieces of software , online , for my PDA . A chess program and a basic interperter.
4.. cheap cell phone. Instead of hunting around for cards for this phone and hoping they're in stock (the reason my last cell phone died is I could never find cards for it) I go to a web site and "fill her up" pay as you go style. No hunting for cards required, and no mysterious deductions if I'm feeling poor this month.
5.. Blogging. I never even heard of blogging 5 years ago. Now I blog. Hmmm...
6 .. Online gaming. I am a world of Warcraft fanatic. Ok, I tried a few other games, they sucked, and I went back. guess maybe I'm an online game fanatic and WoW is the only one who did it right. Whatever. I pretty much plan to be playing an online game of some kind or another for the rest of my life.
7.. catch the news on cnn. Never watch tv , but I'm well informed. cbc as well. Occasionally a blog article results from this if somethign annoys me.
8.. online calender. What days I work and what times I start vary , so this has to be kept track of. Used to use the pda for that, now I use my.yahoo.com 's calander and do it online, typing in the stuff at work and being able to view it from anywhere (like home)
9.. Streaming music. Sometimes I get tired of the canned mp3 music , my ISP provider has streaming music that I can listen to.
10.. frequent Bill Gates Rants. Can you believe that guy ? What does he think he's trying to do ? Purchase the Entire Internet ? Gawd I hate him ! And that Internet Explorer ! Biggest virus and parasite trap in the world !
9..
So , what are the top 10 ways the web has touched me ?
1.. My MP3 player. I take it everywhere. I listen to it all the time. Ummm.. guess where the songs come from ? Yes, they're legal ! Sheesh !
2.. email. Don't get a lot, but I do use it. Never did before.
3.. buying software. I have bought at least 2 pieces of software , online , for my PDA . A chess program and a basic interperter.
4.. cheap cell phone. Instead of hunting around for cards for this phone and hoping they're in stock (the reason my last cell phone died is I could never find cards for it) I go to a web site and "fill her up" pay as you go style. No hunting for cards required, and no mysterious deductions if I'm feeling poor this month.
5.. Blogging. I never even heard of blogging 5 years ago. Now I blog. Hmmm...
6 .. Online gaming. I am a world of Warcraft fanatic. Ok, I tried a few other games, they sucked, and I went back. guess maybe I'm an online game fanatic and WoW is the only one who did it right. Whatever. I pretty much plan to be playing an online game of some kind or another for the rest of my life.
7.. catch the news on cnn. Never watch tv , but I'm well informed. cbc as well. Occasionally a blog article results from this if somethign annoys me.
8.. online calender. What days I work and what times I start vary , so this has to be kept track of. Used to use the pda for that, now I use my.yahoo.com 's calander and do it online, typing in the stuff at work and being able to view it from anywhere (like home)
9.. Streaming music. Sometimes I get tired of the canned mp3 music , my ISP provider has streaming music that I can listen to.
10.. frequent Bill Gates Rants. Can you believe that guy ? What does he think he's trying to do ? Purchase the Entire Internet ? Gawd I hate him ! And that Internet Explorer ! Biggest virus and parasite trap in the world !
9..
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Seven Ways to Fend Off Spyware
Article
1. Beware of pop-up ads that ask you to "click here." Just clicking on a link embedded in an ad can trigger a spyware download and installation, a delivery method known as a "drive by".
Thanks for the warning, but before I could read this a big nasty pop up for some kind of survey apeared , forcing me to make a decision before I could even reaad the first line or two of this article.
2. Bump your browser's default security settings from "medium" to "high" or higher. This way you'll receive an alert any time you're about to download something, which will give you a chance to back out before the damage is done. In Internet Explorer, select Tools from the top menu; under Internet Options, choose Security, then Custom Level.
Only applies to the internet explorer, the worlds buggiest, most virus and parasite prone browser. Ever notice how "STOP USING THE INTERNET EXPLORER" never makes it onto this kind of list ? It didn't make on this one either. (oh yeah ,please click on getfirefox.com )
4. Many free downloads are aimed at kids, so if you have some, consider making this a rule of the house: no downloads without your approval.
When was the last time your kid actually did as you told him / her to ? I know my sisters kids don't !
5. If you are asked to fill out a form in order to get that screensaver or play that game, know that in doing so, you are probably adding yourself to a spam list. Consider creating a second email account (there are many free Web-based services to choose from) and put that address on these forms to deflect unwanted email from your primary account. This is also helpful if you are an avid online shopper.
Odd. "Don't download freebies" and "Don't shop online...go to a reputable store" didn't make the list either. I mean , lets face it. Walk over to the shopping mall, walk into the store , buy stuff. It doesn't fit, it's broken ,w hatever, go back and return it.
1. Beware of pop-up ads that ask you to "click here." Just clicking on a link embedded in an ad can trigger a spyware download and installation, a delivery method known as a "drive by".
Thanks for the warning, but before I could read this a big nasty pop up for some kind of survey apeared , forcing me to make a decision before I could even reaad the first line or two of this article.
2. Bump your browser's default security settings from "medium" to "high" or higher. This way you'll receive an alert any time you're about to download something, which will give you a chance to back out before the damage is done. In Internet Explorer, select Tools from the top menu; under Internet Options, choose Security, then Custom Level.
Only applies to the internet explorer, the worlds buggiest, most virus and parasite prone browser. Ever notice how "STOP USING THE INTERNET EXPLORER" never makes it onto this kind of list ? It didn't make on this one either. (oh yeah ,please click on getfirefox.com )
4. Many free downloads are aimed at kids, so if you have some, consider making this a rule of the house: no downloads without your approval.
When was the last time your kid actually did as you told him / her to ? I know my sisters kids don't !
5. If you are asked to fill out a form in order to get that screensaver or play that game, know that in doing so, you are probably adding yourself to a spam list. Consider creating a second email account (there are many free Web-based services to choose from) and put that address on these forms to deflect unwanted email from your primary account. This is also helpful if you are an avid online shopper.
Odd. "Don't download freebies" and "Don't shop online...go to a reputable store" didn't make the list either. I mean , lets face it. Walk over to the shopping mall, walk into the store , buy stuff. It doesn't fit, it's broken ,w hatever, go back and return it.
Go online ... and you don't know who you're dealing with , where they are , are they going to honor their return policy ? Are they going to even be there next week ? And what about your credit card ? Entire credit card databases are being routinely stolen from major corperations this year even, and there are dozens if not hundreds of virus's out there that the first thing they do is scan your computer to see if you ever typed in your credit card anywhere on any site so they can steal it !
Odd how that doesn't get a lot of press either.
6. Install an anti-spyware program like Spyware Doctor or Spy Sweeper that not only seeks and destroys offending programs, but also detects incoming spyware before it loads and blocks it. If your PC starts acting funny, run a system scan and remove any suspicious files. If you are an active Internet user, set your anti-spyware program to do a full system scan at the end of each day.
but "Spend money on these products" did make the list.
7. Before you purchase an anti-spyware program, check whether your Internet service provider offers one. If so, you probably just have to activate it. (Go to the vendor's home page and look under Security.) "If your ISP doesn't offer it now, it probably will soon," Lambert says. You can also download Microsoft's Windows AntiSpyware program, an early version of the upcoming Windows Defender, by clicking here.
And the almost apologetic "here are some free ones" listed last, at the bottom of a huge article.
Lets recap !
1... keep using the Internet Explorer , the worlds most virus and trojen prone program !
2...buy anti virus junk !
3...give your kids some instructions you know they're going to ignore !
4... don't forget to click on the pop up ad that came on this page and is giving us money !
Yeah ..ok... so who wrote this article again ?
Thursday, December 22, 2005
"Legitimate" Spyware
Texas files new spyware claim against Sony BMG
The original lawsuit was filed by Attorney General Greg Abbott in November against the company for violating state anti-spyware laws by embedding software in its CDs and media player to monitor users' habits.
The new charges brought by Abbott contend MediaMax software used by Sony BMG to thwart illegal copying of music on CDs violated state laws because it was downloaded even if users rejected a license agreement.
Ok. I buy a music CD from a reputable company. Sony. I throw it in my computer.
It tries to install software on my computer. I say no , don't do that.
It installs it anyways.
ritics have said the MediaMax software allows the company to track customers' listening habits even if the customers reject maker SunnComm's terms in a licensing agreement that appears upon installation.
Sony wants to collect info on what songs you listen to, and it doesn't care if you say no to it , and it doesn't care that you are the Paying customer, you paid for that cd !
And this is a legitimate company , not a fly by nite spyware shop.
It would seem that Spyware is now going legit.
That is not to say that it is changing it's tactices, but rather , that llegitimate companies are now using it. And you gotta know, they're going to lean on governments and get laws changed to make what was once illegal suddenly legal. Thats how they usually operate.
Welcome to the new world. A simple music cd is now your enemey.
The original lawsuit was filed by Attorney General Greg Abbott in November against the company for violating state anti-spyware laws by embedding software in its CDs and media player to monitor users' habits.
The new charges brought by Abbott contend MediaMax software used by Sony BMG to thwart illegal copying of music on CDs violated state laws because it was downloaded even if users rejected a license agreement.
Ok. I buy a music CD from a reputable company. Sony. I throw it in my computer.
It tries to install software on my computer. I say no , don't do that.
It installs it anyways.
ritics have said the MediaMax software allows the company to track customers' listening habits even if the customers reject maker SunnComm's terms in a licensing agreement that appears upon installation.
Sony wants to collect info on what songs you listen to, and it doesn't care if you say no to it , and it doesn't care that you are the Paying customer, you paid for that cd !
And this is a legitimate company , not a fly by nite spyware shop.
It would seem that Spyware is now going legit.
That is not to say that it is changing it's tactices, but rather , that llegitimate companies are now using it. And you gotta know, they're going to lean on governments and get laws changed to make what was once illegal suddenly legal. Thats how they usually operate.
Welcome to the new world. A simple music cd is now your enemey.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Iran: Holocaust remarks misunderstood
ATHENS, Greece -- Widely condemned remarks by Iran's president about Israel and the Holocaust were "misunderstood" by Western governments, the country's interior minister has said.
Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know that when I called the jews liars and demanded that they be wiped off the face of the planet that it would upset you !
"They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets," Ahmadinejad said in the speech to thousands of people in the Iranian city of Zahedan, according to a report from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
We're really annoyed that our racist kill all jews religion says one thing, history says another , and you decided to believe history over our religion ! We didn't expect that !
In a speech to thousands of people in the Iranian city of Zahedan, Ahmadinejad said during a tour of southeastern Iran that if Europeans insist the Holocaust occurred, then they were responsible and should pay the price.
True, it was european germans who commited the crimes in question, assuming you're willing to assume those crimes took place, not the iranians.
"Our question is, if you have committed this huge crime, why should the innocent nation of Palestine pay for this crime?"
1..Palistine isn't a nation, and never was.
2.. they're sitting on the land of israel that your religion drove the jews off of. (by force , murdering those that disagree)
3... whats good for the goose is good for the gander. In other words, if you believe that land is yours because you had the strength to kill off the previous inhabitants, and it's now Israel's because THEY killed off the previous inhabitants and took it back from you ... lol !
4... most non-muslims have little sympathy for a religion that demonizes and punishes non-muslims.
5... when your holy book decided to single out the jews for special attention...yah gotta know the jews now decided to single YOU out for similar attention... lol !
6.. All religions are a pack of lies, useful only for starting wars among people who otherwise really should be friends. We should just burn all those holy books and head down to the nearest pub and have a beer.
7.. don't tell my doctor I said that, I think I'm not allowed beer on all the meds I'm on.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Ottawa Boy
Microsoft warns of critical Windows flaw
Yawn. Another one ?
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday warned users of its Windows operating system of a "critical" security flaw in its software that could allow attackers to take complete control of a computer.
The world's largest software maker issued a patch to fix the problem as part of its monthly security bulletin. The problem mainly affects the Windows operating system and Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser.
Wow, more Internet explorer problems.
Computer security experts and Microsoft urged users to download and install the patch available at www.microsoft.com/security.
Well, I"m a computer expert , and I have a recommendation too !
Stop using the Internet Explorer ! Go and download firefox and get off that flea infested fly trap of a virus attracter !
sheesh ! I've been off of Interent Explorer for a couple of years now. No pop ups, no parasites, no virii ... and thats with no virus scanner and a 5 year out of date fire wall ! What more can I say ?
For more than three years, Microsoft has been working to improve the security and reliability of its software ...
And it aint done yet !
And it aint gonna be done anytime soon !
*Sigh*
When will people learn ?
Yawn. Another one ?
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday warned users of its Windows operating system of a "critical" security flaw in its software that could allow attackers to take complete control of a computer.
The world's largest software maker issued a patch to fix the problem as part of its monthly security bulletin. The problem mainly affects the Windows operating system and Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser.
Wow, more Internet explorer problems.
Computer security experts and Microsoft urged users to download and install the patch available at www.microsoft.com/security.
Well, I"m a computer expert , and I have a recommendation too !
Stop using the Internet Explorer ! Go and download firefox and get off that flea infested fly trap of a virus attracter !
sheesh ! I've been off of Interent Explorer for a couple of years now. No pop ups, no parasites, no virii ... and thats with no virus scanner and a 5 year out of date fire wall ! What more can I say ?
For more than three years, Microsoft has been working to improve the security and reliability of its software ...
And it aint done yet !
And it aint gonna be done anytime soon !
*Sigh*
When will people learn ?
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Ebay Customer-491A1-491
I'm not an Ebay customer. I've never used it.
---------------------------------------
EBAY CUSTOMER -491A1-491
To: xxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
----------------------------------------
I'm not any kind of ebay customer.
Your business is greatly appreciated and to show our thanks we would
like to
simply go to the following website and fill our form out and we will
award you a free gift.
http://www.peevishly.com/ebay/
Thanks Again and Enjoy!
Filling out a form sounds like a recipie for disaster actually
We're sorry ,offer is not available in your area
Breif , but painless.
Then it redirects me to some kind of money making secrets web site that does have a form you can fill out. I'll enter some bogus information and see where it takes me.
Nope. Wants to mail me stuff and won't go any farther without me actually checking my mail and picking up stuff.
wanted my real phone number too.
I'm not going to bother. It's not the advertised item in the first place and it's an obvious scam ..thats good enough.
---------------------------------------
EBAY CUSTOMER -491A1-491
To: xxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
----------------------------------------
I'm not any kind of ebay customer.
Your business is greatly appreciated and to show our thanks we would
like to
simply go to the following website and fill our form out and we will
award you a free gift.
http://www.peevishly.com/ebay/
Thanks Again and Enjoy!
Filling out a form sounds like a recipie for disaster actually
We're sorry ,offer is not available in your area
Breif , but painless.
Then it redirects me to some kind of money making secrets web site that does have a form you can fill out. I'll enter some bogus information and see where it takes me.
Nope. Wants to mail me stuff and won't go any farther without me actually checking my mail and picking up stuff.
wanted my real phone number too.
I'm not going to bother. It's not the advertised item in the first place and it's an obvious scam ..thats good enough.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Anti-Muslim Riots
Strike force for Sydney race riots
Racially motivated rioting erupted Sunday after thousands of drunken white youths attacked police and people of Middle Eastern appearance at Cronulla beach in southern Sydney.
It spread later with retaliatory attacks by groups of youths of Arab appearance who stabbed one man and smashed dozens of cars.
Hmmm.... looks like some idea's are just too good to keep to yourself. Muslims are not the only ones who now riot when they don't get their way. I wonder if this will be the muslim legacy ... don't get you're way ? Start a riot. If it works for them ... *shrug*
Racially motivated rioting erupted Sunday after thousands of drunken white youths attacked police and people of Middle Eastern appearance at Cronulla beach in southern Sydney.
It spread later with retaliatory attacks by groups of youths of Arab appearance who stabbed one man and smashed dozens of cars.
Hmmm.... looks like some idea's are just too good to keep to yourself. Muslims are not the only ones who now riot when they don't get their way. I wonder if this will be the muslim legacy ... don't get you're way ? Start a riot. If it works for them ... *shrug*
Terminated.
Gang Founder Claimed Innocence Until the End
Stanley Tookie Williams maintained his innocence right up until his death, even when an admission of guilt may have spared him execution.
Even after the courts and Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected a flurry of Williams' last-ditch appeals before his execution early Tuesday, his supporters vowed to prove his innocence.
This is what happens when you rob a store, have the clerk lie down on the floor ,face down , and then shoot him , twice, in the back ,with a shot gun.
You get Terminated !
ha ha... ok... enough with the swartznegger jokes. But somoene had to say the obvious !
As for the debate on the death penalty itself...
... I'm against death penalties. Bureaucrats are only interested in making their life easy , not in justice or fair play. Witness all the old folks homes where they juice the "patients" up on behavioral control drugs and such , and just wait for them to die. One can picture such a system too easily decideing "You're too much trouble, death penalty for you " and "YOu don't bug us much , ,and somone worse might come along if we let you get killed and take your spot, so we're going to have you spared..."
No death penalty for anyone. Life in prison , no hope of parole, sure. But I wouldn't trust a bureacracy with the death penalty. No chance !
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Doomed Media fights back...
New technology puts fresh spin on U.S. govt spin
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - From the Strategy for Victory in
Iraq to "Recovery Channel" TV on federal disaster relief, the Bush administration's spin operation is in high gear, aiming its message directly at the American public as it critiques the mainstream media
You're bypassing the traditional media ! You're a bad boy , Bush !
Or so the traditional news media reports.
There has been plenty to spin: since George W. Bush's August vacation i.... (insert half page tirade of all the things Bush has done wrong)
ok...so where's this new technology you mentioned ?
The Internet makes it easier now to bypass the Washington media. For example, to get out the government's message on hurricane relief, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency offers the Recovery Channel, which can be seen on local government access television stations in the United States.
Ok, you can't compose a decent thought. ("The internet" has nothing to do with running your own Television channel, television channels are traditional media)
In streaming video available online at http://www.fc-tv.com/clients/recoverychannel/prime.asx, there are high-gloss pieces on such matters as .....
Aha ! you finally , 80% of the way down the page... actually mention the Bush administration using a new technology some how.
Hmm.... actually...that one line blurb is the only "new technology" mentioned in this long an boring tirade against the bush administration.
Yup...this particular media is doomed and it knows it if it's writing pieces like this. Turn off the boob toobs, these guys are no longer reporting the news, they've stepped over the line into attempted brain washing and highly slanted articles.
Not that I particularily approve of Bush , but a "neutril , objective" news report should be just that. This isn't.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - From the Strategy for Victory in
Iraq to "Recovery Channel" TV on federal disaster relief, the Bush administration's spin operation is in high gear, aiming its message directly at the American public as it critiques the mainstream media
You're bypassing the traditional media ! You're a bad boy , Bush !
Or so the traditional news media reports.
There has been plenty to spin: since George W. Bush's August vacation i.... (insert half page tirade of all the things Bush has done wrong)
ok...so where's this new technology you mentioned ?
The Internet makes it easier now to bypass the Washington media. For example, to get out the government's message on hurricane relief, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency offers the Recovery Channel, which can be seen on local government access television stations in the United States.
Ok, you can't compose a decent thought. ("The internet" has nothing to do with running your own Television channel, television channels are traditional media)
In streaming video available online at http://www.fc-tv.com/clients/recoverychannel/prime.asx, there are high-gloss pieces on such matters as .....
Aha ! you finally , 80% of the way down the page... actually mention the Bush administration using a new technology some how.
Hmm.... actually...that one line blurb is the only "new technology" mentioned in this long an boring tirade against the bush administration.
Yup...this particular media is doomed and it knows it if it's writing pieces like this. Turn off the boob toobs, these guys are no longer reporting the news, they've stepped over the line into attempted brain washing and highly slanted articles.
Not that I particularily approve of Bush , but a "neutril , objective" news report should be just that. This isn't.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
The cherry picker argument
Ottawa Boy
Ok. I'm a marketting company.
I make a game , say , MaJong, it's a good game, people like it.
I give it away free.
But ....
I include some tracking software in it. Shows you ads, tracks what web pages you go to things like that.
But... I tell you point blank I'm doing this, ,I don't hide it. And give you the option of not playing my game if you don't like it.
Now then, the user reads all this , downloads the game anyways, runs a virus scanner, and the virus scanner removes my tracking software but leaves the game intact. He's now playing the game without being tracked. without "paying for it" so to speak , since I intended to track his movement across the internet in lieu of charging him any money.
Who's right ? Who's wrong ? Who broke the rules ?
Interesting situation.
There is some credibility in the argument that the user should not have downloaded the program in the first place, and that the virus scanner is wrong to remove the software without removing "all" the software, even the game, because that constitutes not paying for the game in question. You are picking the cherries (the good parts) and leaving the rest behind.
There is also some credibility to the argument that such tracking software is a violation of privacy and should not have been bundled in the first place. This is the same as what happened up here in Canada with smoking. Bars and restaurants could decide for themselves if they would permit you to smoke in them, but every single bar and restaurant in the country promptly became a smokers haven. 100% of them. Why ? Because in every group of 2 or 3 or more people there was at least one smoker, and you didn't want the whole group to wander off elsewhere...so EVERY bar became a smokers paradise , instead of being able to make their own decision on the matter. The market FORCED the situation , whether they liked it or not , and the only solution was to legally FORCE it right back to where it was illegal to smoke in a bar at all.
Similarily , if you permit such advertising to be part of the bundle in any software, paid or free, then the market will very quickly FORCE every single software manufacturer everywhere to include spyware in their products. Picture buying a copy of microsoft word, perfectly legit , and it's spamming the heck out of you because everything does that.
You don't think so ? Look at television. Thousands of puportedly different stations and companies, but every single one of them has spam (advertising). Not just a little, but literally more ads than actual content. The rule of thumb is 22 minutes of show in an hour, and thats universal , across dozens of so called "competing" companies and stations. They're not competing on that point, I've noticed.
Look at cable TV. You're paying for that tv. And that means you're paying not only for the 22 min of show every hour, but the 38 minutes of ads too.
Where this takes a left turn from television , however , is that the TV ads don't crash the TV. The spam does crash and render useless your computer , however, as anyone who's ever caught a virus knows. The thing slows right down ..even to the point where it won't even boot up any more ,and you just want to toss the thing into the trash.
Aha.
Picture cleaning up all the virus's (and thus programs) from your computer and making it work.
Picture installing your favorite game ,and one or two "productivity packages" (spread sheets ,word processers, ,business applications basically). But it all comes with spy ware, and so you're system is back to square one again ..infected to a fair thee well and spamming you like crazy.
And you just cleaned it too.
Ok. I'm a marketting company.
I make a game , say , MaJong, it's a good game, people like it.
I give it away free.
But ....
I include some tracking software in it. Shows you ads, tracks what web pages you go to things like that.
But... I tell you point blank I'm doing this, ,I don't hide it. And give you the option of not playing my game if you don't like it.
Now then, the user reads all this , downloads the game anyways, runs a virus scanner, and the virus scanner removes my tracking software but leaves the game intact. He's now playing the game without being tracked. without "paying for it" so to speak , since I intended to track his movement across the internet in lieu of charging him any money.
Who's right ? Who's wrong ? Who broke the rules ?
Interesting situation.
There is some credibility in the argument that the user should not have downloaded the program in the first place, and that the virus scanner is wrong to remove the software without removing "all" the software, even the game, because that constitutes not paying for the game in question. You are picking the cherries (the good parts) and leaving the rest behind.
There is also some credibility to the argument that such tracking software is a violation of privacy and should not have been bundled in the first place. This is the same as what happened up here in Canada with smoking. Bars and restaurants could decide for themselves if they would permit you to smoke in them, but every single bar and restaurant in the country promptly became a smokers haven. 100% of them. Why ? Because in every group of 2 or 3 or more people there was at least one smoker, and you didn't want the whole group to wander off elsewhere...so EVERY bar became a smokers paradise , instead of being able to make their own decision on the matter. The market FORCED the situation , whether they liked it or not , and the only solution was to legally FORCE it right back to where it was illegal to smoke in a bar at all.
Similarily , if you permit such advertising to be part of the bundle in any software, paid or free, then the market will very quickly FORCE every single software manufacturer everywhere to include spyware in their products. Picture buying a copy of microsoft word, perfectly legit , and it's spamming the heck out of you because everything does that.
You don't think so ? Look at television. Thousands of puportedly different stations and companies, but every single one of them has spam (advertising). Not just a little, but literally more ads than actual content. The rule of thumb is 22 minutes of show in an hour, and thats universal , across dozens of so called "competing" companies and stations. They're not competing on that point, I've noticed.
Look at cable TV. You're paying for that tv. And that means you're paying not only for the 22 min of show every hour, but the 38 minutes of ads too.
Where this takes a left turn from television , however , is that the TV ads don't crash the TV. The spam does crash and render useless your computer , however, as anyone who's ever caught a virus knows. The thing slows right down ..even to the point where it won't even boot up any more ,and you just want to toss the thing into the trash.
Aha.
Picture cleaning up all the virus's (and thus programs) from your computer and making it work.
Picture installing your favorite game ,and one or two "productivity packages" (spread sheets ,word processers, ,business applications basically). But it all comes with spy ware, and so you're system is back to square one again ..infected to a fair thee well and spamming you like crazy.
And you just cleaned it too.
Virus Writers Sue Virus Scanners
180solutions sues Zone Labs for being called 'spyware'
Zone Labs, an Internet security firm, has been sued by 180solutions. The documents filed in Washington state claim that Zone Labs wrongfully classifies 180solutions' software as spyware. The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages and to have Zonelabs remove the spyware warning for 180solutions' products.
.
.
.
180solutions is currently the target of a class-action lawsuit filed by The Collins Law Firm. That lawsuit filed on behalf of residents in Illinois state alleges that 180solutions' software was wrongfully installed on hundreds of thousands of computers within the state and 20 million computers in the United States.
.
.
.
(from their blog) We provide search assistant software that delivers consumers to highly targeted websites on behalf of advertisers when they are searching the Internet for products or services.
(from zone labs)
180search Assistant displays ads based on items you view and search on while browsing. It also opens web pages of its advertisers. 180search Assistant sends information about the websites you visit back to its controlling servers.
Ok. So , by everyones definition (except 180solutions) this is a standard piece of scumware that slows your computer down , spams you with ads, and tracks every page you visit.
Scumware's solution to this problem ?
Sue the people who scan for scumware and make them take your product off the list.
Excuse me while I cry.
Why ?
Because it will probably work.
Because there are thousands of scum ware companies out there ,a nd if they all start sueing the virus scanning companies ...well...thats gonna make business way too expensive for them... even if they lose every single law suit they can bankrupt norton , ,zone alarm , all of them.
This will suck bad.
Zone Labs, an Internet security firm, has been sued by 180solutions. The documents filed in Washington state claim that Zone Labs wrongfully classifies 180solutions' software as spyware. The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages and to have Zonelabs remove the spyware warning for 180solutions' products.
.
.
.
180solutions is currently the target of a class-action lawsuit filed by The Collins Law Firm. That lawsuit filed on behalf of residents in Illinois state alleges that 180solutions' software was wrongfully installed on hundreds of thousands of computers within the state and 20 million computers in the United States.
.
.
.
(from their blog) We provide search assistant software that delivers consumers to highly targeted websites on behalf of advertisers when they are searching the Internet for products or services.
(from zone labs)
180search Assistant displays ads based on items you view and search on while browsing. It also opens web pages of its advertisers. 180search Assistant sends information about the websites you visit back to its controlling servers.
Ok. So , by everyones definition (except 180solutions) this is a standard piece of scumware that slows your computer down , spams you with ads, and tracks every page you visit.
Scumware's solution to this problem ?
Sue the people who scan for scumware and make them take your product off the list.
Excuse me while I cry.
Why ?
Because it will probably work.
Because there are thousands of scum ware companies out there ,a nd if they all start sueing the virus scanning companies ...well...thats gonna make business way too expensive for them... even if they lose every single law suit they can bankrupt norton , ,zone alarm , all of them.
This will suck bad.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Biting the Hand that Feeds You
Kidnappers threaten to kill Western hostages in Iraq
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Kidnappers threatened to murder four Western peace activists abducted in
Iraq last week ...... In a video that appeared on Al-Jazeera television, the kidnappers said that unless all detainees in Iraqi and coalition prisons were released by December 8, they would kill the American, British and Canadian hostages.
Lemme see if I understand this !
These guys came over to Iraq to say "War is bad , the USA shouldn't be here ! " (They're peace activists) , and the very people that benifit most from this message decide to kidnap them and will probably murder them ?
Hmmm........
I predict the USA will win in Iraq. It will win because the insurgents are stupid idiots. They kidnap and murder the people they should be winning over. They terrorize the population they hide in (thats good for having everyone and the dog turn you in the first time an american patrol drops by). They openly tell the stupidist of lies and are routinely caught at it over and over (the Iraqi foriegn minister comes to mind as the prime example of that)
It's going to be an amusing next 10 years while these idiots alienate everyone and the dog from themselves. I honestly don't believe they're compentant enough to run their own hot dog stand, let alone any kind of revolution or insurgancy.
Courage and self sacrifice are nice... brains are also required.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Ottawa NDP Canditates
Ottawa Boy
Here are the candidates for the NDP for the city of Ottawa
If you want any other party you're on you're own (heh heh heh)
Ottawa South : Henri Sader
Ottawa Centre : Paul Dewar
Ottawa Orleans : Mark Leahy
Ottawa Vanier : Ric Dagenais
Ottawa West Nepean : Marline Rivier
Get out there and vote Ottawa !
(presumably on Jan 23)
Ok ...why do I love the NDP ?
Hmmm....they once won an election in Ontario, to rule the whole province, and didn't make a mess of it. Oh the newsies all spoke about how "inexperianced" they were ,,a nd liked them to zoo animals and stuff, but no one could doubt they honestly persued their agendas of people first and to heck with big business (hmmm...newspapers are big business in canada, arn't they ? No wonder they hate the NDP)
This places them three steps ahead of the Liberals and Conservatives, both of which have very well experianced members who seem to do nothing but mess up ! (And give big business money and tax breaks)
Gee ..why would anyone like the NDP ?
Here are the candidates for the NDP for the city of Ottawa
If you want any other party you're on you're own (heh heh heh)
Ottawa South : Henri Sader
Ottawa Centre : Paul Dewar
Ottawa Orleans : Mark Leahy
Ottawa Vanier : Ric Dagenais
Ottawa West Nepean : Marline Rivier
Get out there and vote Ottawa !
(presumably on Jan 23)
Ok ...why do I love the NDP ?
Hmmm....they once won an election in Ontario, to rule the whole province, and didn't make a mess of it. Oh the newsies all spoke about how "inexperianced" they were ,,a nd liked them to zoo animals and stuff, but no one could doubt they honestly persued their agendas of people first and to heck with big business (hmmm...newspapers are big business in canada, arn't they ? No wonder they hate the NDP)
This places them three steps ahead of the Liberals and Conservatives, both of which have very well experianced members who seem to do nothing but mess up ! (And give big business money and tax breaks)
Gee ..why would anyone like the NDP ?
The Expert Politician Speaks
Kim Campbell says Harper won't win
Ok then, lets recap.
Kim Campbell is a former prime minister of canada. (Prime Ministress ? )
She never actually won an election as Prime Minister, she became one because the previous prime minister stepped down.
She served four doomed months in which it was obvious to all that she had about a snow balls chance in heck of getting re-elected.
This is the vast experiance and expertise she brings with her when she states who will and will not get elected.
Excuse me while I roll on the floor laughing for a bit ....
Ok then, lets recap.
Kim Campbell is a former prime minister of canada. (Prime Ministress ? )
She never actually won an election as Prime Minister, she became one because the previous prime minister stepped down.
She served four doomed months in which it was obvious to all that she had about a snow balls chance in heck of getting re-elected.
This is the vast experiance and expertise she brings with her when she states who will and will not get elected.
Excuse me while I roll on the floor laughing for a bit ....
Capitalism At Work
American Tax Dollars well spent, I'm sure.
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Government engineers performing sonar tests at the site of a major levee failure confirmed that steel reinforcements barely went more than half as deep as they were supposed to, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Wednesday.
.
.
.
Engineers confirm LSU levee study
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Government engineers performing sonar tests at the site of a major levee failure confirmed that steel reinforcements barely went more than half as deep as they were supposed to, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Wednesday.
.
.
.
Baumy said the Corps cannot explain the disparity between what its 1993 design documents show was supposed to be there and what they've found.
The documents indicated that the steel reinforcements in the levee, known as sheet piling, went to a depth of 17.5 feet below sea level. Sonar tests indicated the pilings went only to 10 feet below sea level, meaning the flood wall would have been much weaker than intended.
of course , of course. A hurricane will NEVER happen , no one is actually going to use those levee's right ? No one will notice if we stick the steel bars as far down as they're supposed to go, we can just take the money and run....
American Capitalism at it's finest.
What was that roman phrase ? Cavaet Emptor ? Buyer Be Ware ?
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Half a Percent in Iraq
US to detail 'Iraq victory plan'
story
Not really interested in the details of the victory plan , but at the bottom of the articals it gives some interesting statistics. Since May of 2003 there have been as few as 120 000 troops and a high of 150 000 troops in iraq. In this time , there have been 2100 american casualties.
Hmmm.... So in two years, the enemies in Iraq have only killed 1% of the americans there ? (Less actually) .
Average term of combat service is 6 months ?
In 6 months service in Iraq you have a half a percent chance of getting killed ?
Are these combat figures , or traffic fatality figures ? This isn't a war. I'd personally be deeply embarrased to be an enemey soldier if this is the effect you're having.
story
Not really interested in the details of the victory plan , but at the bottom of the articals it gives some interesting statistics. Since May of 2003 there have been as few as 120 000 troops and a high of 150 000 troops in iraq. In this time , there have been 2100 american casualties.
Hmmm.... So in two years, the enemies in Iraq have only killed 1% of the americans there ? (Less actually) .
Average term of combat service is 6 months ?
In 6 months service in Iraq you have a half a percent chance of getting killed ?
Are these combat figures , or traffic fatality figures ? This isn't a war. I'd personally be deeply embarrased to be an enemey soldier if this is the effect you're having.
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