SOME INTERESTING STUFF FOR TODAY



How Everyday Things are Made

I, Cringely: Stupid Microsoft Tricks: Why the Richest Company on Earth Feels it Needs to Cheat


OK: the following areticle is SCO related...but just read the title!
SCO Stock Goes Up After SCOForum Code Revealed as Baloney

We Need Input

Dangnabbit - we want pictures of all the freaks and geeks. Of course - the freakiness level of a con can be measured by the proportion of Klingons and/or Stormtroopers to "normal" (if you can call it that) people you can see. So - what's the measure?

Greetings from Atlanta!

Well, we made it to Atlanta on Thursday. Our flight was early at LAX, so we were able to get a flight to Atlanta two hours earlier. And Oh My God were the seats cramped. It was like they were ergonomically designed to be the least comfortable possible position. Four HOURS OF PAIN!!!!! I swear, I couldn't even rest my head on the seat in front of me (which was leaned back against my knees). But enough whinging.

I am here at Dragon*Con, a really crowded convention filled with geeks of every description. Some are 'cool' geeks, and some are 'scary' geeks, and some are just plain geek geeks. I'm currently hijacking a computer from a friend by the name of Josh Cochran, otherwise known as Evil Josh - as a big lunk of a Texan, he's very easy to bait, but a really nice guy. And no, he's not looking over my shoulder.

I hit the Steve Jackson Games booth today and spent some money. I also won a pen off a guy by showing some obscure geek knowledge, which is pretty impressive given the general geek quotient of this place. I'd actually seen a group of guys on the first day, all in blue flightsuits with 'Terran Confederation' on the badges. Now, my first thought was Wing Commander, but for some reason I was also thinking Space: Above and Beyond. So when I saw a guy lounging around today, I asked him which it was, and he gave me a pen because I'd picked Wing Commander. So I did something geeky. :)

Anyway, I should probably give the laptop back now. More reports as they come to hand!

Wierd Stories

NEWS.com.au | Wife kills husband in testicle attack (August 29, 2003)
NEWS.com.au | Bride's mum attacks stripper (August 28, 2003)
NEWS.com.au | Chook woman attacks police (August 29, 2003)
NEWS.com.au | Arnie's past orgies revealed (August 28, 2003) (hey - it worked for Bubba Clinton...)

Stupid Emails

From an email I recently recieved

X-Envelope-To: <jamartin@iinet.net.au>

From: "Microsoft Technical Support" <zvkoxj_51356@advisor.ms.net>

To: "Microsoft Customer" <>

SUBJECT: Latest Internet Security Patch

Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:12:23 +0200 (CEST)

Microsoft Customer

this is the latest version of security update, the
"August 2003, Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates
all known security vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer,
Outlook and Outlook Express as well as five newly
discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to protect your computer
from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow
an attacker to run executable on your system. This update includes
the functionality of all previously released patches.

System requirements	Win 9x/Me/2000/NT/XP
This update applies to	Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later Microsoft Outlook, version 8.00 and later Microsoft Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
Recommendation	Customers should install the patch at the earliest opportunity.
How to install	Run attached file. Click Yes on displayed dialog box.
How to use	You don't need to do anything after installing this item.

Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles
can be found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site.
For security-related information about Microsoft products, please
visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site, or Contact us.

Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored
e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.

Thank you for using Microsoft products.

With friendly greetings,

Microsoft Technical Support

---

©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. The names of the actual companies
and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Now - viruses don't transmit throughout the world just because people use Microsoft software. They don't transmit because people do or do not use anti-virus software and firewalls (though they do help). They transmit mainly because People Are Stupid. Rather than stop and ask "Why did Microsoft just send a file to me completely out of the blue. They've never done this before. Is it really from Microsoft and should I really just run it?", they go ahead and run the file anyway. Why - because People Are Stupid.

And just for those who are curious - the virus was

Just when you thought that "Action Figures" couln't be any more of a hack:

Here is what happens when a Caterpillar meets a Hilux

Sometimes, Work is Good...

Got my roster for work this week, took a look at it and realised I'd been rostered on a door in the Concert Hall. "Great..." I think to myself, "probably another freaking boring orchestra or some such bullshit." I'm normally rostered on as some part of the complex staff - ie people with responsibilities who make the place actually run, so naturally I'm a little bummed. Go into work tonight and decide to work out what the actual event I'm sitting through is. Look at the list of events - and find out it's Lou Reed....

Lou freaking Reed

And I'm getting paid to watch him. Sometimes, work is good...

Just a perfect day,
Drink Sangria in the park,
And then later, when it gets dark,
We go home.
Just a perfect day,
Feed animals in the zoo
Then later, a movie, too,
And then home.

Hello New Zealand

3 hours down, 16 to go. Currently spending a coupla dollars on a web kiosk to report in. Got a bit over an hour to kill before boarding the flight to LA. With any luck it'll be as empty as the flight from Brisbane was - Josh and I had 3 seats between the two of us. Then it's 12 hours or so from here to LA, a few hours to kill at LAX, then another 4 hours or so to Atlanta.

And naturally, the best thing about the flight to LA is that we get to watch Bulletproof Monk *again*.

SOME STUFF FOR TODAY

For all those who are interested here is the report from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. This is the final report on the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia

Interesting Concept: Why computer virus writers are useful and we should thank them.

Interesting Article: 'Open source' software trend faces barriers

Bye-bye w.Bloggar

Well, any posts from me or Josh for the next month or so will be via the Blogger website. We'll be off to my parents' place in about an hour, hence to the airport, then away in one of those flying metal tubes Josh mentioned. And never forget, that with the application of enough force, even a brick can fly. . .

Well, Everything Seems To Fit...

...which can't be a good sign. I'm packed, ready to go, even packed a spare bag in with my main suitcase to try and cope with luggage expansion... and it all fits. Hell, I have room to spare.
I refuse to list what I do have, because no doubt it will be painfully obvious what I've forgotten to whoever reads this, and by that time, it'll be far too late to do anything about it. Suffice to say, I even know where my towel is on this one.
By the end of this week, I'll be in another country, having skipped through New Zealand on the way. This is somewhat freakish. After a total of seventeen hours sitting in an aluminium tube (split by moments wandering around on the ground), I'll be in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The weirdest part will be that I'm going to be the one with a funny accent. Oh, and Nick, too, of course.
And all this so I can act blase about it when I get back. Funny old world, innit?

$20 on the Blue Monkey

How Lame is This???

Ever been sitting there playing video games and thought to yourself, "I can't believe I have to go to class/work right now...why can't I just get paid to play video games?" Why leave the video games at home, when you can take 'em with you - and get paid the whole time? Instead of letting all your responsibilities get in the way of going out to the game, bar or club, it BECOMES your responsibility to get out there and go to all your favorite places - video games in hand. All this is possible as a member of the N-GageTM Special Forces.

The N-Gage Special Forces is an elite group of people who are selected to promote the Nokia N-GageTM mobile game deck to their peers while getting paid and having one of the coolest gigs out there. You’ll get paid to play games on the N-Gage device and demonstrate the product to people at your campus, local events, around town and all of the places you love to hang out.

What are you waiting for?!
Sign up now!

More here.

Guys - it's a f*cking phone. You use it to make and recieve calls. The fact that Nokia want to pay people to appear cool and hip while using this stupid bloody thing is just even sadder. People who think you look cool and funky playing piddly games on it aren't the types of people you want to impress...

Unless of course you really think you look cool playing games on your bloody phone. In which case - you should be hanging out with this guy.

Name That Show

"I suppose it's some sort of neutral environment, an isolated space, cut off from the rest of the universe."
"He should have told me that's what he wanted. I could've shown him Brisbane."

Answer (highlight to read): Dr Who, Castrovalva
For bonus points, name the two speakers: Nissa & Tegan

What a Lawsuit

Not sure if this is genuine or a piss-take - but either way it's pretty interesting reading.

Dis an Dat

What our favorite German industrial metal band is up to.

Don't know whether these are the greatest or worst taste things ever to buy...

A home-done wiring job?

Employment

I am employed doing helpdesk for a government departmet for the next three weeks. Its only a three week contract but it's a start(and I've allways heard that the government is a good place to be). I start Monday.

SILLINESS

This raises an interesting point:
SCO Use of Samba Code Under the GPL

SCO Preparing Legal Action Against Customer

"Stolen" SCO Linux Code Snippets Leaked

What's Wrong With Australian Rugby?

Check it out here.