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8/22/2003



SoBig.F: Zombie Army to Download Orders at 12pm PST :.

UPDATE: 3pm PST: SoBig turned out to be nothing much... for the moment, anyway. NY Times did pull the plug on its network, however.

I just shorted the QQQ again. The current short squeeze must be nearly over. If the oil traders and these worm writers manage to create enough chaos, I might be able to buy a couple of buritos from my winnings. With my luck, however, the Nasdaq will rally to new highs now that I'm short. Oh well:

Security experts are warning of a possible attack or mass action by machines infected with the Sobig.F worm scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. EST on Friday.

Code buried deep in the Sobig.F worm will cause afflicted Microsoft Windows machines worldwide to simultaneously connect to an as-yet unknown Web page and download a software program, according to security company F-Secure of Helsinki. The machines are using a number of atomic clocks worldwide to synchronize activities and coordinate the mass action, F-Secure said.


Related: F-Secure Page on SoBig.F :.

F-Secure has a ranking system for malware. SoBig.F is Alert Level 1, indicating the greatest possible threat. What I don't understand is why some whitehat network security freaks don't simply compromise the remaining command nodes and drop in their own code that directs all infected clients to stand down!? This seems easy enough. Unless this entire thing is some sort of swindle.





Something to Keep in Mind as You Pay Record Prices for Gas :.

Electricity from solar power could be used to generate a carbon based fuel from water that can run the internal combustion engine in your car. Check out BingoFuel and Aquafuel. I've posted so much on this in the past I'm sick of talking about it:

The highest gasoline prices in history appear to be just down the road.

Dwindling supplies in the face of increased demand threaten to push pump prices over the national record set last mid-March, when markets were shaken by the prospects of a war with Iraq.

On Thursday, the markets "went ballistic," says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service in Lakewood, N.J. That means the highest pump prices ever seen are just a few days away.





Arbeit Macht Frei: The End Arrives in India :.

TR writes:

Now that the globalists are shifting IT jobs to India, the Indians are able to wallow in the same vacuous trash that is shoved down everyone's throat here in the Homeland.

From the article:

On the table lies Kedia's prized possession, an Ericsson feature-loaded mobile phone with PDA-like functions that cost him nearly $400, almost as much as an average Indian earns in a year. That night he plans to watch X2: X-Men United at a posh, newly built multiplex theater south of New Delhi and then sip cappuccinos with friends at one of the city's hip new coffee shops, a twice-weekly indulgence for Kedia. With his job as a computer-call-center manager, he is earning enough to consider buying a car and even his own apartment. Kedia is a new breed of consumer in India � young, increasingly wealthy and willing to spend on everything from mobile phones to sneakers to French fries.

More: Another Bright Idea, Foiled Again :.

Just as I was writing the above post, I was thinking, "I'd like to have a high quality t-shirt enscribed with, Arbeit Macht Frei. I thought it would make a nice gift that people could give to their PHBs, or just wear around the office on those casual Fridays. Well, someone else beat me to it. All order of lovely tchotskes are available:

A Polish artist has sparked controversy in the Netherlands by selling "Auschwitz souvenirs" -- from crematorium fridge magnets to "Arbeit Macht Frei" key rings -- to remind people of the horrors of the Nazi death camp.

T-shirts with the menacing skull-and-crossbones symbol from the camp's electric fences and key rings bearing the camp gate's infamous German inscription "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) have been on sale at a Dutch art show since late July.

The difference between Auschwitz and your cubicle is that They have figured out how to keep you showing up to work without having to point a gun at you. If you think I'm being insensitive, etc. you're an idiot. Go away. Get back to work, important matters require your attention.





Work

I have to do some work that has nothing to do with the nonsense on this site. Very draining work. Since everyone is busy rearranging the deck chairs on this sinking ship, I thought that I might as well join in. As such, I'm only interested in posting the most far out stuff at this point. So, if you come across something that is totally off the rails that I haven't posted, send it over.


8/20/2003



Land of the Free: The U.S. Has the Highest Incarceration Rate in the World :.

More than 5.6 million Americans are in prison or have served time there, according to a new report by the Justice Department released Sunday. That's 1 in 37 adults living in the United States, the highest incarceration level in the world.

It's the first time the US government has released estimates of the extent of imprisonment, and the report's statistics have broad implications for everything from state fiscal crises to how other nations view the American experience.

If current trends continue, it means that a black male in the United States would have about a 1 in 3 chance of going to prison during his lifetime. For a Hispanic male, it's 1 in 6; for a white male, 1 in 17.





Slammer Worm Crashed Ohio Nuke Plant Network :.

The Slammer worm penetrated a private computer network at Ohio's Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in January and disabled a safety monitoring system for nearly five hours, despite a belief by plant personnel that the network was protected by a firewall, SecurityFocus has learned.

The breach did not post a safety hazard. The troubled plant had been offline since February 2002, when workers discovered a 6 x 5in hole in the plant's reactor head.





Start Em' Young: Police State Lego Sets

This is one for the I-Shit-You-Not File. We need something like The Spies in Orwell's 1984; a special homeland security academy for the uncontrollable spawn of the most patriotic and ignorant Americans. The kids could sit around all day getting fat, playing with their Legos, eating twinkies and drinking red, purple and green "fruit" punch. Over the loudspeakers, the little ones would listen to John Ashcroft lectures on how great the Patriot Act is and an occasional rendition of the all time classic, Let the Eagles Soar. So, the next time you're wallowing around in the muck at Walmart, get in the spirit and give your little hellions the gift that keeps on giving!*

LEGO World City: Surveillance Truck

The eyes and ears of the law keep LEGO World City safe. Police keep the 10-wheeled Surveillance Truck on the scene to watch and listen for potential trouble. Officers use antennas to send and intercept radio communications, and a satellite dish to monitor transmissions from around the world. A three-wheeled vehicle accompanies the LEGO World City: Surveillance Truck at all times to catch criminals in the act. Includes two police agent mini-figures. 266 LEGO pieces.

LEGO World City: Helicopter

Fight crime from the air with this powerful police helicopter. It gives World City officers a sweeping view of activity on the streets below. The helicopter plays an important role in catching escaping crooks and monitoring high-speed car chases. Includes mini-figure police pilot. 87 LEGO pieces.

LEGO World City: Police 4WD and Undercover Van

Use this fully-equipped Undercover Van and Police 4WD to stop crime in World City. The undercover officer monitors criminals using high-tech surveillance equipment in the Undercover Van. When it's time to go in for the arrest, the Police 4WD swoops in and catches the bad guys in the act. Includes two vehicles, two mini-figures and accessories. 151 LEGO pieces.

LEGO World City: Police Headquarters

The World City Police Headquarters is the place to go for action and adventure. The latest satellites and computers keep track of all the trouble in town. When an alarm comes on, the police ATV and van are ready to roll at a moment's notice. Create your own World City stories and bring in the bad guys every time. Includes police ATV and van, four policeman and crook mini-figures, accessories and more. Set contains 418 LEGO pieces.

LEGO World City: Armored Car Action

The police armored car carries a fortune in gold and cash to the bank. Crooks can try to slow it down, but no barricade can stop the armored car. Create your own exciting World City adventures with the Armored Car Action set. Includes armored car, three-wheel escape vehicle, two mini-figures and accessories SRC6 LEGO pieces.

* May result in your arrest.


8/19/2003



Incredible Laptop Deal

HP Pavilion ze4430us Notebook PC (1.80--GHz Athlon XP-M 2400+, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

My sister is going to buy a laptop computer and she asked me to make a few suggestions. I made the rounds. I looked at them all. In the end (not to be confused with The End) this is the most incredible deal running at the moment. Now, besides the fact that this laptop kicks ass, consider the following benefits of ordering this machine from Amazon right now:

* Chances are, you will not pay sales tax.

* There are no shipping charges.

* You will get a $100 refund.

* Your purchase will support my efforts on Cryptogon.

Price Too Low To Mention! Limited Time! Screamin' Deal! Don't Wait! This Is The One You've Been Waiting For! Etc.

More: Incredible Laser Printer Deal

Samsung ML-2151N Laser Printer

Check the specs and compare prices. This is an incredible value.

Related: Cryptogon Reader TM Adds

You fucking tool.......
Carly Fiorina and HP are shipping jobs out of the US faster than DUBYAS daughters can down a fith of Jim Beam. Check the web sites.


Thanks TM. Of course, you're right. But until I find a big enough refrigerator box to sleep in, I'm bound by this beast, just as much as you are. By the way, which brand of computer do you use?


8/18/2003



Dying to Tell the Story: U.S. Soldiers Kill Reuters Cameraman :.

International media rights bodies called on the United States on Monday to launch a full inquiry into the killing of award-winning Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana, who was shot dead by U.S. troops in Iraq.

Soldiers on an American tank shot at Dana on Sunday while he filmed outside Abu Ghraib prison in western Baghdad which had earlier come under a mortar attack, witnesses said.





Phoenix: Gas Running Out :.

This story goes to show just how close to chaos our society really is on a daily basis. What if there was a sustained interruption in the delivery of gasoline?

Gasoline here has been treated like liquid gold in the week and a half since a rupture forced the sole pipeline to the city to shut down.

Motorists drove on fumes from gas station to gas station Sunday night, searching for one that still had fuel. The stations still open had drivers lined up for hours waiting for their chance to pump and pay an increasingly high price for the privilege.


8/17/2003



The Transformation of Tax Protestors Into Terrorists :.

Watch for tax protestors to be branded as terrorists. It has to happen. The government must create this linkage in the public mind or the system will collapse sooner rather than later.

As all levels of government begin to turn the screws on the public, increasing numbers of people will simply opt out. The unthinkable thought is that people stop paying their taxes, en masse. Well, it's happening; people are flipping the IRS the bird. The obvious scam of the government swindling the public and redistributing the money to the most wealthy individuals is becoming a little too obvious. The seeds of collapse are sewn, and that's a beautiful thing, if you ask me:

These folks either don't see the connection between the taxes they pay and the services they want -- the price we pay for a civilized society, in Oliver Wendell Holmes's famous phrase -- or they don't feel the services are worth the money.

...

So what's going on?

Looking back, it seems that where once taxes were viewed as a communal effort -- we'll all chip in and pay for things we couldn't afford individually, with the rich paying more and the poor paying less, but with wide agreement on what we need -- they are now seen as a feeding trough for interest groups. Combine that with the growing cynicism about who actually pays taxes, and you have a recipe for systemic breakdown.


More: Irwin Schiff Case in New York Times! :.

Can a man be held in contempt of court and jailed for selling copies of public records?

Irwin Schiff, the nation's best-known proponent of the idea that people are not required to pay income taxes, has put that provocative question to Lloyd D. George, a federal district judge who held a hearing here on Thursday on a Justice Department request that Mr. Schiff be put behind bars for civil contempt.

On June 16, Judge George issued an injunction ordering the 75-year-old Mr. Schiff, who has twice gone to prison for tax offenses, to stop promoting his "zero tax return," which he says allows anyone to legally list no income and so pay no taxes. At least 5,100 such returns have been filed in recent years, the Internal Revenue Service says, costing the government $51 million in taxes and tying up law enforcement resources needed to pursue the filers.

...

In interviews, many of those supporters described the federal government as a criminal organization systematically destroying economic opportunity for all but the elite and using the tax code to undermine what they called a right to not have their labor taxed.


I'll drink to that.





Did U.S. Transport Planes Fly Saddam Out of Iraq? :.

Do I doubt it? Yes. Would it surprise me if it was true? No.

Then early on the morning of April 9th, as the remnants of his unit were close to being overrun, a general cease-fire was unexpectedly declared for 6 AM. Shortly after it went into effect, and in broad daylight, the officer claims a motorcade of 10 Mercedes stretch limos suddenly barreled onto the airfield, carrying Saddam and his entourage. Almost simultaneously, a flight of what the officer asserts were four USAF Hercules transports swooped down and landed on the lone stretch of intact runway. All four C-130s dropped their rear loading ramps and the limos drove up into the cargo bays of the waiting planes, which then took off. The officer insists he has no idea where Saddam or any of the other members of his party may have gone.

Dillon says his film lends major support to what many have believed for years: that Saddam was little more than an American tool, a stage-managed "evildoer", just one in a long line of useful villains bought and paid for by the United States in order to better manipulate international politics and commerce.





Homeownership in a Bubble: The Fast Path to Poverty? :.

Bend over, Joe and Jane Six Pack, here it comes:

While homeownership may be indeed be desirable in normal times, it is not clear that encouraging moderate income families to buy homes at present is a good strategy. There is good reason to believe that the nation is experiencing a housing bubble very similar to the stock bubble of the late nineties. Nationwide, the rise in home prices has exceeded the overall rate of inflation by more than 30 percentage points since 1995. This sort of run-up in home prices has no precedent in the post-war period. No economist has been able to put forward a plausible explanation for such a sudden run-up in home prices, apart from a speculative bubble.




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