Andy Ramblings

So, yesterday was the launch of the latest version of windows. Vista is now with us, and as far as I'm concerned, I've been using it for a while as I got a beta version (test version) and am not 100% impressed with it. But I'll let you watch Bill Gates talking to John Stewart from the daily show.
Say no more, No wonder it's so confusing! Bill obviously doesn't know what simplicity is.

Well, one can say, the weather is rather odd here in London. The last 2 days/nights we have been having, well, normal winter type temperatures for once, you know, when it's very cold, and hitting the sub-zeros. So, what can one say to this poor rose? there all by it's self, no other roses to keep it company. But it did make a nice photo, so when it goes, either tonight when it freezes again, or naturally, either way, you have to say, it's a very nice one indeed.

Warning! We have had a few millimeters of snow over night., ok, your on your way home and are wondering what the hell is he telling us about the snow, you know, it been, it stay a while and buggered off, well, I gather this is for tomorrow.
So, as there is snow, drive carefully, also an excuse to show how well, some of the houses around me are insulated. Ok, pointless post really as it's all happened and I'm no use as a weatherman. But then I will be bad tomorrow!

Oh hell, have a look at the pointless photo there!

Ok folks, Spammers and their likes have a tendency to try and get you to read e-mails. Some of you may or may not have noticed that there has been a change it the types of spam you are getting. The latest ones will try and convince you that they have some Good/oh My God terrible news about the storms that we have had over here in Europe over the past week, No this is not a weather report.

SO,  What is Small.Dam?

During the last 48hrs virus writers have been taking advantage of the winter storms in Europe to launch a new wave of attacks on computers around the globe.

This particular attack trys to get the user to "execute" a malicious file attached to an email that contains a Trojan horse.

The email and its attachment pose as information about the dreadful weather that Europe has currently been experiencing.

(Something I can personally vouch for as a roofing contractor has only just left my house after replacing tiles blown off in the strong winds!)

The Trojan is being distributed in emails with messages subjects like:

- 230 dead as storm batters Europe.
- British Muslims Genocide
- Naked teens attack home director.
- A killer at 11, he's free at 21 and kill again!
- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has kicked German Chancellor Angela Merkel

The email will have an attachment  that contains the Small.DAM Trojan.

The attachments may contain one of the following filenames:

- Full Clip.exe
- Full Story.exe
- Read More.exe
- Video.exe

Source

Basically, If you didn't ask for e-mails about the weather in Europe, it's most likely crap.
Obviously, below, there is more info on what the trojan does, read only if you want info on it. Read More

Well, today it's Friday! Thank God! Mind for me that's neither here nor there. I was perusing my stats as I do from time to time, like every 10 mins. I found the most amusing Google seach. Someone thought that the power of the internet would tell them the answer to everything. I do believe that it is darn powerful, but hell there are limits. Oh, you want to know what the search is, and don't want me to ramble on? Well It's my name isn't it?
ok ok, here's what they searched for:

Andy's Address in the united kingdom (google search)

There, now I guess that the person in question, who also happened to be in Israel, didn't find Andy's address.
There, you need to put some more info in to find an address.

I recall, over 10 years ago, yep, It was a haze of the 90's but I do recall, buying my first hard disk drive, it was, at the time a huge, it was 40Mb! Yep, that was huge in those days. You could have DOS 6 or windows 3.11 , see, told you it was a haze, it was at least 12 years ago or maybe more!
Nowadays, a 40GB, that's 1000 times bigger, may just be big enough for an office laptop with nothing extra added, by extras, I mean anything other than an office application, maybe Firefox browser, you are using that and not that Internet Explorer 7 excuse of a browser? Anyway, 40GB ain't going to get you far and in no short time will you be looking to get a bigger one. As for home PC's well they now come standard with over 200GB, you know, the multimedia PC's, with a TV on board, allows you to use your PC as recorder. You get the idea.
Well, now we have moved on to the next mile stone, say welcome to the Terabyte harddisk drive! Yep,that's the next step. Want to see what it looks like? yep, that's it below... exxxxciting!

Received via E-mail

Four United States Presidents get caught up in a tornado ...
and off they whirled to the land of OZ.
They finally made it to the Emerald City and went to find the Great Wizard.
" What brings the 4 of you before the great Wizard of Oz?"
Jimmy Carter stepped forward timidly and said:
 "I've come for some courage."
 " No Problem! said the Wizard. Who ' s next?"
Richard Nixon stepped forward,
"Well, I think I need a heart."
 "Done! says the Wizard.
Who comes next before the Great and Powerful Oz?"
Up stepped Dubya and said,
"I'm told by the American people that I need a brain."
"No problem! said the Wizard.
Consider it done."
Then there is a great silence in the hall.
Bill Clinton is just standing there, looking around,
But he doesnt say a word.
Irritated, the Wizard finally asks,
"Well, what do you want?"
"IS DOROTHY HERE?"

Typical eh!

So they say, so when you see a tramp with his placard saying something like, need money for food, you kinda know that this isn't totally true, as you get a good wiff of the boozer 100m before you get close to them, so when one is honest, you, you know, feel more tempted to help, even if you know in your heart of hearts that this isn't going to help them. You also know that well, at least he is honest. So, would you give for an honest tramp? Vino?

Some people have good names that sound great, it may be theirs or it maybe their stage name. Other people sometimes are just given the wrong name, and one wonders what the hell the parents were thinking of, or what were they on? something rather strong I would say.
However, this poor guys parents must have been in some hell of a trip or bad mood or something or the baby was but ugly? Or you have some people who name their kids after the first thing they see... In either case, this guys parents obviously didn't have their brains in gear and gave him this name.... Click on the image.... Poor guy, I mean.... what can I say?

I've never been a fan of the red tops, the way in which they seem to be very happy to come up with claims that so and so went out with so and so and Oh it is such an important story that the 'Nation Needs To know'
What got me to write this entry, is the way in which they go around to sort of legitimise their methods, Yes, they will try and contact you, they will send you a car to collect you for a photo shoot.

The tactics they use, in particular a certain Nicholas Hellen to are downright despicable, they way he outed 'Abbey Lee'  the blogger behind Girl with a one-track mind One just has to look at the e-mail Nicholas Hellen set to Abbey. To quote some lines:

We have matched up the dates of films you have worked on - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Batman Begins and Lara Croft Tomb Raider - and it is clear that they correlate to your blog. We have obtained your birth certificate, and details about where you went to school and college.

We propose to publish the fact that you are 33 and live in [my address] -London, and that your mother, [her name], is a [her address] -based [her profession]. The article includes extracts from your book and blog, relevant to your career in the film industry. We also have a picture of you, taken outside your flat.

The fact that they have been getting hold of her birth certificate and I can assume, trying to contact her old school friends to get some 'quotes' about her when she was at school. It's the way the gutter press work and for me, another reason why we need better laws protecting the personal  privacy of everyone.
There was no way Abbey could have prevented the Sunday Times from publishing the story.
So, to Nicholas Hellen and the 'investigative/stalker journalist like you are not worth anything, you don't provide news, you don't even know what it is. You sit in your office, getting it off seeing who's life you can piss off now.

Anyway, that's my rant over for today.

I'm one of those people who gets a sort of kick out of reading warning messages on product packaging. Here are some good ones:

Liquid Plummer
Warning: Do not reuse the bottle to store beverages.

Windex
Do not spray in eyes.

Bowl Fresh
Safe to use around pets and children, although it is not recommended that either be permitted to drink from toilet.

Toilet Plunger
Caution: Do not use near power lines.

Dremel Electric Rotary Tool
This product not intended for use as a dental drill.

Arm & Hammer Scoopable Cat Litter
Safe to use around pets.

Endust Duster
This product is not defined as flammable by the Consumer Products Safety Commision Regulations. However, this product can be ignited under certain circumstances.

Baby Oil
Keep out of reach of children

Little Ones Baby Lotion
Keep away from children

Hair Coloring
Do not use as an ice cream topping.

Wet-Nap
Directions: Tear open packet and use.

Dial Soap
Directions: Use like regular soap.

Stridex Foaming Face Wash
May contain foam.

Beach Ball
CAUTION: It is not a life saving device.

Chainsaw
Do not attempt to stop chain with hands.

Sears hairdryer:
Do not use while sleeping.

Bag of Fritos:
You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.

Bar of Dial soap:
Directions: Use like regular soap.

Swann frozen dinners:
Serving suggestion: Defrost.

Hotel provided shower cap in a box:
Fits one head.

Tesco's Tiramisu dessert: (printed on bottom of the box)
Do not turn upside down.

Also form Tesco's cheap branded Eggs,
allergy warning, may contain eggs!

Yep, there are so many reasons not to diet, as it can and in some cases get too involved with your life. As in this Dilbert cartoon.

That's all there is to say.. Fireworks over the London Eye where simply brilliant. as they say, Twas a Jolly good show, pity about a certain Kerplunkski!... Off to bed I goes....

Pity all the Gales wanted to be party poopers... never call your kids Gail... to many jokes for them tonight. So no show for the Scots.
Glasgow Hogmanay cancelled but we are all happy that Kylie gears up for gig and is back in town.

Night all.. Sleep well and take care!