What's New

January 31, 2008

Scammers use PayPal to demand payment:
<rant>Recently (25 Jan 2008), I encountered a PayPal scheme that's increasingly popular. It's a pyramid scheme of sorts - A multi-level marketing scam (MLM). You send a scammer some money, and he sends you a list of verified PayPal accounts (I have a verifiable PayPal account). Then you send payment requests to all the people on the list. So, I recently received one of these 'payment' requests. In my PayPal account, it looks like I purchased something, and now I need to pay the bill. Since I don't use the account very often, I immediately suspected some shenanigans. After corresponding with PayPal customer service, I decided to challenge the payment request. I never received anything from the person who sent me this $1.00 bill, and I don't think others would appreciate his/her tactics. Apparently he/she had created his/her PayPal on the same day that I received the payment request. After reading PayPal's acceptable use policy, it became quite clear that this type of MLM scheme is forbidden by PayPal. In addition to being prohibited by PayPal, these Pyramid or Ponzi scams are illegal in the U.S. If you find unexpected bills or 'requests for payment' in your PayPal account, don't pay them. Report them as unacceptable behavior to PayPal. I certainly hope that PayPal will conclude it's investigation soon, and shut down the account of <imfamousg3@hotmail.com> of Brooklyn/Elmsford NY, his/her activity is unacceptable and I don't owe him/her a single penny.</rant>
<http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/paypal.html>
<http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/use/index_frame-outside&ed=rich_quick>

My Movies:
Recently, I updated my primary movies page. That page contains a bunch of lists. Movies I plan to watch (some movies, not all), movies I plan to buy, and some of my favorite movies. With the recent release of a new version of Blade Runner (The Final Cut version), I updated the page. I added some new 'must buy' movies, made some changes to the 'must watch' list, and some other minor changes. From the movies page, you can check out my movie reviews, or my movie collection.
<https://www.robsworld.org/movies.html>

Warm Streak:
It may be January, but Colorado's weather is never predictable. This week (26 & 27 Jan) we experienced some unseasonably warm weather. A significant thaw, compared to recent winter temps. The temperature climbed into the high 40's on the 26th, the high 50's on the 27th, and I believe we even made it into the 60's for a brief period of time. As expected, this warming trend was rather short lived, but not entirely unwelcome.

What's so special about area code 710?:
Something odd occurred today (30 Jan 08). I tried to make a phone call and I encountered something very strange. When I tried to call my friend Stacy, I dialed the area code 710 instead of 720. With a single digit error, I encountered an odd tone, followed by an automated voice prompt. "Please enter your PIN". No ringing accompanied the call, and I wasn't sure what was going on so I called AT&T customer service. I was transferred to a technician rather quickly, and together we spent something like twenty minutes trying to figure out what was going on. At first I thought it might be a problem with my iPhone, and the technician wasn't sure what the problem was. After several attempts to enter the correct 'PIN', I started to think - 'This doesn't seem like an iPhone problem.' Eventually, I figured out what the problem was - It's the area code. Stacy's phone number starts with 720, not 710, and I had inadvertently recorded his phone number (in my address book) as 710. I did a quick web search, and found some interesting information regarding this particular area code. Apparently, it's reserved for use by the federal government. Specifically, it's used by the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS). This area code is used to make priority phone calls during emergency conditions. It allows users to make priority calls, regardless of any congestion on standard phone lines. According to all the information I could find, there's supposed to be a single working access point into the GETS system. That access point is supposed to be 710-NCS-GETS (710-627-4387). Well, that's not the number I dialed. After a bit more research, I found some claims of a second number. I wonder how many numbers there really are?

What an odd occurrence. The AT&T folks had no idea what was going on, and I've never heard of GETS before. I've since corrected Stacy's phone number, and I hope I don't end up with a visit from the FBI. p.s. I'm not a Hacker (as in a black hat/bad hacker).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Emergency_Telecommunications_Service>

Here's some snow to shovel:
After a warm streak on the 26th and 27th of January, we're back in the sub-freezing category. Our little corner of Colorado is still firmly in the grip of old man winter. The temps dipped back down into the 20's and 30's on the 29th, and we saw some snow on the 30th of January. Not enough that I had to break out the snow-blower, but just enough to make my life miserable. The road conditions were terrible, but I braved them in order to pick up some chicken wings. With just over an inch on our Northern exposure, I bundled up and did my duty on the 31st. Thankfully, it only took me a little more than an hour to scrape the concrete clear.

I'm a great uncle!:
That makes my sister Alice a 'Grandmother'. Congratulations go out to Justine. Justine gave birth to 'Grace Gauthier' on the 30th of January. At a little over 7 lbs, I'm sure that this little bundle of joy will prove to be a fantastic addition to our extended family. I just wish we could be there to congratulate Justine in person. So Alice, how does it feel?

January 22, 2008

A little bit of snow:
It's been very cold lately. Our little corner of Colorado is still firmly in the grip of old man winter. With temperatures in the subfreezing range all week, we even saw some snow in recent days. On the 18th of January, we saw snowfall of approximately 2 inches. Thankfully, Kim shoveled that white fluffy stuff. I was working the 12 hour shifts, and she's the greatest gal I know. It's an agreed upon thing that I do the shoveling, but she's so sweet that she can't resist. I do so love that one. On the 21st, we pulled in more of that frozen precipitation. Less than an inch this time. I barely broke a sweat dealing with it. It gave me a chance to listen to an audio book I've been trying to finish.

D&D updates:
We played our last D&D session of 2007 on the 12th of January, and I just completed some more updates from that meeting. Our meeting on the 12th marked the first meeting of the new year. After a brief vacation, we're back on schedule with our meetings, and hopefully we can complete this current adventure in short order.

Having spent themselves on futile battles with mindless creatures and evil denizens, the party has finally obtained one of three crystal rods required to seal the 'vast gate' and complete their quest. As the clock ticks forward, the gates wait for no one, and the party has still has to find two more of the crystal rods. Will the party have enough time to find and vanquish the source of evil within this mountain? What of Nigel, Tanar's father? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for adventure!

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. Here's another double entry offering. Mark and Lee provide the personal journals of Solmar and Dynnera. You won't want to miss the insightful entries penned in our journal. Be sure to read about the party's journey into Firestorm Peak.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal07.html#jan12_2008>

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the next game date (26 Jan 2008) on the campaign page. This is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Monsters encountered:
As a result of the meeting on the 12th of January, I added one new entry. According to Dynnera, Deepspawn are round in body, sprouting several flailing tentacles reaching out farther than the height of a normal man. The tentacles are tipped with eyes and mouths. This creature reminds us of stories about beholders. My readings essentially say it can do almost anything – fast healing, detect thoughts, set traps, spell resistance, spell abilities, multi-attack, combat reflexes, etc. In addition to this new addition, I also updated the entry for the Duergar of Firestorm Peak. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

Yet another new feat:
I added one new flaw to our campaign feats document. The credit for this flaw goes to Lee and Me. Lee and I collaborated to create a variation on the 'Confined Spaces phobia' These flaws help players create characters with more flavor, and they also result in a reward of one feat per flaw taken. Is your character afraid of water, swamps, giants? Maybe you should check out these (and more) new flaws. The new flaw 'Phobia: Restraint' was crafted to helped Dynnera more accurately define her fear of restraint. The feats document contains campaign tailored skills, feats, traits and flaws. The feats listing is available for download by the members of our D&D campaign. It's a password protected pdf, so you'll need the password in order to read it. I encrypted the document because some of the materials are taken in whole directly from copyrighted game materials. It's not my stuff, and I don't have explicit permission to re-distribute it. Thanks to Apple for making my computer powerful and versatile. Without OS10, I'd have to pay really big bucks to make password protected pdf files.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3enewfeats.pdf>

Our next gaming date is 26 January, 2008. Stay tuned for more adventure; there will be lots of thrills and excitement in the months to come. In this quest there is a time limit that the party must be cognizant of. If they spend too much time fighting beasties, they just might find that they've run out of time to unravel the mysteries of Firestorm Peak. Be sure to follow our adventurers as they search for Tanar's father, and seek out the source of taint inside Firestorm Peak. I hope to complete additional updates (including an updated journal entry) prior to our next meeting.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Neighborhood Watch:
Civic duty? Recently (Oct of 2007), I decided that I wanted to do more to help my community. With shift work, finding something that I can do to help has been a bit difficult. When I started wondering what I could do that wouldn't necessarily require a specific 9-5 schedule, I realized that my odd-ball schedule would actually work in my favor if I were up at odd hours of the day. I decided to volunteer with our local neighborhood watch. Like many of the people in my community. I own some nice things, and I want to keep it that way. Volunteering for the neighborhood watch doesn't require a lot of dedication, but it does require some attention to detail and a keen sense of your surroundings.

During the last couple of days, I sent out some notes I took during a recent HOA meeting. While it's not exactly Neighborhood Watch related, I decided to do it because our HOA has been notoriously lax in providing this sort of information. They never publish minutes, and I for one realize that not everyone can attend their meetings. So, I took some notes during their annual meeting. They were my notes, and I thought that some residents would appreciate the short note I sent to the residents mailing list. Well, they did. I received quite a few thanks and positive replies. Unfortunately, you can't please everyone. I also received one note of a particularly different flavor. They criticized me for posting my 'personal opinions' on the HOA web page. Hmm, that's odd. I didn't post them on the website (I assume they were talking about the Neighborhood Watch website), and of course they contained my personal opinions, I pointed that out in my email. Thankfully, the positive responses make my efforts worth my time. I'm convinced it was a good move, and I'll continue to provide these kinds of 'notes' in the future. Especially when it comes to Neighborhood Watch meetings.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. After the meeting, I updated the Neighborhood Watch page. I made some format changes, updated the events and welcome pages, and created two new pages: Community Information and the Alert Me List.

If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join or mailing list to receive periodic alerts, updates and information. For additional information see the Neighborhood Watch web page.
<http://www.auroragov.org/AuroraGov/Departments/Police/Neighborhood_Watch/index.htm>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/index.html>

January 17, 2008

Software favorites:
A couple of my favorite software applications were recently updated. Transmit and GraphicConverter have both released new versions this month. The latest batch of releases address Leopard compatibility. With the recent release of Apple's newest OS comes a slew of software upgrades, updates and patches.

GraphicConverter:
The developer of this fantastic application released one new versions (6.0.4b1), in the past few days. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($34.95). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

Transmit:
An FTP tool that does it all. Anyone who publishes web pages eventually needs a way to upload their pages to a web site. I've found that stand alone FTP tools are the best for this task. Transmit has a clean and easy to use interface, and some really nifty features, like the ability to resume a transfer that's been interrupted, site synchronization capabilities, iDisk integration (It's way faster than the finder!), drag-to-dock sending, column views, a built in text editor, and secure ftp transfer (in various different flavors) capability. The most recent update moves this software up to version 3.6.4.
<http://www.panic.com/transmit/index.html>

During the last couple of days, I spent some time updating our Neighborhood Watch web page. I updated the information for our next Neighborhood Watch meeting. The time and place are now set: The 5th of March, 7PM at the Tollgate Crossing community club house. Mark your calendars! In addition to the web page updates, I've also been busy adding new subscribers to our neighborhood mailing list and sending out email to the community members.

Fighting Spam:
<rave>Recently (09 January 2008) I received another email message from Anthony Edwards, the system administrator for a few different domains (Easynet UK, Sky Broadband, and others?). The email I received from Mr. Edwards, was sent in response to spam that I reported through SpamCop. Anthony wrote to inform me that the spammers account has been suspended, and to thank me for reporting the spam sent through his network. This isn't the first time I've received an actual positive response from a spam report, but I report more than a thousand spam messages per month, and I almost never receive thanks, email, or any sort of reply from the ISPs where the spam originated. Kudos to Anthony Edwards and the companies he works for. Thanks for helping to fight spam. This isn't the first time that I've received an actual response from Anthony Edwards, and it's apparent that he's taken the time to send a personal response (because of the way the SpamCop reporting system works). System administrators like Anthony are our front line in the war against spam. If every ISP employed someone with Anthony's attitude, we'd have a lot less spam to sift through in the morning.</rave>
<https://www.robsworld.org/index2.html#fightingspam>

The 4th Edition of D&D:
It was bound to happen sooner or latter. Wizards of the Coast - The company that produces my favorite game, announced (on the 16th of August, 2007) the pending release of version 4.0 of the game. The company that owns D&D is best known for their Collectible Card Game - Magic The Gathering. With this release, they've proven their true ethos. Profit over purist. Recently, I was listening to the D&D podcast, and they were providing more insight into what the new game will be like. One of the developers from Wizards of the coast one of the developers repeated something I'd heard earlier. 'The Book of Nine Swords was something of a preview to the 4th edition.' If the 4th edition is anything like that book (I own it), then it's going to suck big time. That book introduced a group of incredibly overpowered characters with little in way of story. The rules introduced in that book were difficult to understand, very complex and overly ornate. I guess if you had a computer to manage your character, you wouldn't have such a hard time managing such a character. This podcast simply reinforced my distaste for this new version of the game. I was glad to see third edition and even welcomed 3.5. Unfortunately, with the introduction of this new version (first books come out in June of 2008), the company seems set on a clear shift in their business ethic. They're moving their value set to emphasize profit over player. The changes they have already revealed show a clear acceleration towards a consumption based game. One which accelerates the power level of the game, reduces the time it takes to work through an adventure, and increases the amount of money you'll need to spend in order to keep up with their new 'model'. No longer are players expected to create their own maps, WOTC has a whole line of official 'Dungeon Tiles' lined up. You no longer need to keep track of your characters with paper and pencil. You can pay a monthly subscription fee to record the information on your computer. Ordinary dice are no longer offered, now we have 'Premium Dice' - $12.95 for ten little hunks of plastic and a sack to put 'em in!

An entirely new version of D&D means that my $1,875.00 plus collection of 3.0/3.5 books is obsolete. A hefty exercise in planned obsolescence. There's nothing wrong with these books, but Wizards of the Coast has decided that I need to buy all new books in order to continue playing the 'official' version of my favorite game. I don't like it. What am I going to do? I'm not quite sure. I haven't made a firm decision yet, but I'm leaning towards - Screw that! For now, we'll continue to play 3.5.
<http://www.enworld.org/index.php?page=4e>

Much More Music in the New Year:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

Website downloads:
* Time & Whiskey - Heals all wounds: (9+3 songs) I first heard this song by listening to tracks off of a MacAddict software disc, and I've been searching for an album for many years. This Toronto based band broke up many years ago, but not before they cranked out this awesome alternative country/folk gem. The other day I wrote one of the band members, and I was rewarded with a link to the entire album. Thanks to Des, I've got my hands on the original 'Heals all wounds' album. All the tracks are just as good as the three I already had.
* Wire - Multiple albums: (12 songs) I first heard Wire way back in the 80's. This band has been around since the late 70's. Ushering in the punk scene, they helped establish the post-punk sound we're all such fans of. Energetic, alternative, tracks all available free of cost, courtesy of the band. These 12 songs span the bands career, and I for one am glad their still making music.
* Kickstart - Kickstart: (2 songs) Discovered by listening to previews at 3hive.com. Here's a new upstart on the block. A Rock & Roll rip-tide, that sucks you under and spits out the raw energy equivalent of a chain-saw wielding tax collector on crank cocaine! I liked these cuts so much that I added their debut album to my eMusic download queue.

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of January. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>

A light dusting:
Recently, on the 16th of January, we received a light coating of the white fluffy stuff. Far less than an inch. So little in fact, that I didn't even bother to shovel. A day later, and most of the snow is gone. The temperatures have been very cold. Down into the teens at night, and barely above freezing during the day. Winter is still hanging on. What's the weather been like in your neck of the woods?

Crappy Cooler:
<rant>Recently (on the 11th of January) I purchased a new cooler for use during our D&D meetings (every other Saturday). The old one had finally fallen apart. After more than 15 years, some of the screws would no longer hold the lid on. It was time to retire the old Coleman. So I went looking for a new one. Unfortunately, I made a mistake. I decided to go with an off brand. I bought the new cooler based on it's looks. It had legs, stood upright, and had a nice looking wooden outer cover. It held more than the old cooler, and the cooler was lined with stainless steel. It sure looked like a good cooler. I plunked down my $150.00 and brought it home. While putting it together I became concerned. After accidentally dropping the lid, it nearly fell apart. The wooden slats holding the lid together were held together by very small, weak staples. I had to use a lot of screws and nails to secure the lid properly. Now it looked like crap, and the lid still wasn't firmly secured. I sure hope no one lets the lid drop shut again. On Saturday night, I used it for the first time. Filled it with sodas and ice. Within minutes I discovered numerous leaks. The thing was leaking like a sieve. Apparently the stainless steel liner wasn't properly sealed, and the drain spigot didn't seal properly. We had to hunt down a large tub to catch all the water from the melting ice. Needless to say, I was less than pleased. I really should have paid more attention - Made in Brazil? Outsourcing probably wasn't the best idea for this company. I vowed never to purchase from that company again, and I fired off an email expressing my disappointment.<rant>

Crappy Cooler Makes Amends:
<rave>Assuming you read the <rant> above, your probably wondering why I didn't name the company responsible for the "Crappy Cooler". Well, read on friend of "Rob's World". I wrote the manufacturers of this "Crappy Cooler", and fully expected no reply whatsoever. Lo-and-behold - For I was immediately surprised by a prompt response. In less than 24 hours, I'd received a very personal email from Ted Mathis of Stand-Tec, LLC. Ted apologized - " I am truly sorry about the cooler problems you are having. Believe me, we do have pride in our product and stand behind them as best we can." and then went one better. Not only did he explain how the outsourcing (to Brazil) had been a bad idea, he even offered to replace the cooler with a new version. Stand-Tec has moved their production back to the good-ol' U.S.A. and their facility in Texas is now producing a far superior product. Ted shipped me a new cooler that day, and I'm looking forward to my new American made cooler. Stand-Tec, LLC definitely stands behind their product. Once again, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, or in this case - The Cooler!</rave>

Stand-Tec, LLC - 12780 Highway 105 East, Cut & Shoot, Texas 77306, 936-264-3939 Office, 936-264-4524 Fax, standtec at consolidated dot net.

January 8, 2008

Spammer Flood:
While the weather has been relatively mild, an immense Spam storm has begun to consume more and more of my time. An increase in spam of more than 300% is wrecking havoc on ISP resources, and straining the viability of email to the breaking point. It's gotten so bad that I've had to cut back on my reporting of spam. I used to report all the spam I receive, but due to recent developments (an increase of appx 500%), I've had to cut back. I just can't keep up. Three recent spam trends are causing plenty of problems.

* Development 1: The greatest increase of spam in recent years. I've been hit by an immense increase in something I'm labeling"Three part subject spam" This particular type of spam is distinguished by it's subject line. The subject line is composed of three parts in a single Spam subject. The single subject word is composed of three words. These three part compound words are formed from three variables. For example - One word from the 'Name' column (Jim); One variable from the 'Size' table (Immense), and finally, another from the 'Body Part' column (Cock). Combined together these variables (in no specific order) form the basis for this 'spam word' (JimImmenseCock). So far I've seen two rounds of this type of spam. The first round was 'body part' enhancement in nature, the second round is 'cut rate pharmaceuticals'. The first round ended quickly, in part due to it's unsophisticated implementation. It was pinned on a single URL. The second round uses multiple URLs (appx six different web sites).
* Development 2: A furious round of 'Non-Accredited college' spam has hit the streets recently. Featuring a telephone number, and a promise to award you that college degree that you deserve, but never went to school for. This relatively primitive spam may in fact be a 'Joe Job', but it's definitely been overwhelming in nature. Several hundred duplicate messages received in mere hours. This spammer is testing the limits of the system.
* Development 3: 'Citibank spoofing'. Over the last couple of months (starting in November of 2007), spammers have really been promoting this particular type of spoof. Apparently there's some kind of security upgrade at Citibank (Not!), and I need to log in to update my information. How many people are scammed by these phishing attacks? I guess it doesn't have to be many. One bank account scammed might provide thousands of dollars to these criminals. If you get any email from someone claiming to be Citibank, it's probably a phishing scam. If you can arrange to set up a unique email with your bank, do so immediately. The email to your common email address is likely a spam. If you use a unique email address, odds are it's not a spammer. Use it for one thing, and one thing only. Use your 'Citibank' email address only when you conduct business with Citibank. If you get a spam at the unique email address, that means someone either 'owns' your computer (time to upgrade your security software, or better yet - get a Mac!), or the bank sold your email address!

So, what am I doing about this flood? Filters - That's the only thing I can really do (at this time). I've set up some filters to delete the spam. Reporting the spam is what I should be doing, but I simply don't have enough time to deal with this recent onslaught, so I'm doing the only thing I can do. I'm ignoring it. Oh, I'll still continue to report some spam, but I can't spend all my time reporting spam. It simply isn't feasible. I set up filters using tools provided by SpamCop.net. As most of my email (appx 95%) comes through SpamCop, that's my first line of defense. I've set up filters to simply delete any of the spam that meets some identifiable criteria that I've defined. I'm deleting the 'Three part subject spam', the 'Non-accredited college' spam, and anything addressed to a series of email addresses that I don't use. These email addresses are variations of valid email addresses, but they don't actually exist at my domains - For example 'obert at robsworld' Yes, missing the 'R'. How did that get on a spammers list? Easy, spammers are idiots. So, I'm filtering away most of this recent flood. I'm still reporting the Citibank phishing spam, and some other spam, but I'm no longer reporting 100% of the crap that lands in my inbox. You do what you can, and I'm doing my share. I hate spammers.

If you ever need any help hunting down a spammer, don't hesitate to ask for my help. I'm willing and eager to help. Just drop me an email. I'd put the email address here, but this email message is also posted online, where spammers could scrape the email off the web page. Damn those spammers!
<https://www.robsworld.org/index2.html#fightingspam>

Rocking in the New Year:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites out there. Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download 90 tracks from eMusic.com. I bought in when the price was right - $19.99 for 90 DRM free songs a month. At less than $.25 a track, that's a awesome value. iTunes eat your heart out. You can't get that deal anymore, but eMusic still offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality.
* Gary Numan - Hybrid CD #2: (10 songs) One of my favorite artists from the 80's. Here the artist remixes many of his originals for a new century. Released in 2006, here he's tuned up his classics to turn out a more gothic groove. Dark and moody, super synthetic stylings. The master deftly inhabits the industrial dance niche quite nicely. Spanning a career that reaches all the way back to the 70's, is it possible that his voice still sounds the same?
* Cake - b-sides and rarities: (12 songs) A favorite band that I discovered in the 90's. I was pleasantly surprised to find Cake on eMusic. Despite the fact that this is the only album, I have to admit I was pleased, as I didn't have this album. Cake covers classics from Sinatra to Black Sabath. Awesome stuff.
* Echo and the Bunnymen - B-Sides and Live (2001-2005): (16 songs) My all time favorite band releases another 'best of' compilation. This particular release covers the later period of the bands career. Remixes, rare cuts and acoustic versions of some great songs. This album was released Dec 3rd, 2007.
* Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist: (10 songs) A favorite from the 80's. My favorite punk band. I skanked to, drank to, and bemoaned my teenage years to the political rhetoric and instrumental havoc of these disgruntled punk-tagonists. Long live Uber Alles!
* Ashley - Twelve days in January: (9+1 songs) I discovered this artist by listening to samples of MacAddict software discs. Pop colored rock with roots based lyrics and guitar work. Ashley (Male artist, born in South Africa) knocks your socks off from the get go.
* The Pages - Creatures of the Earth: (5+3 songs) I discovered this artist by listening to the Indiefeed podcast. I really dig the lead singers ululating vocal style combined with the 60's psychedelic instrumentals and the quirky lyrics.
* The Mary Onettes - The Mary Onettes: (6+4 songs) I first learned of this band from iTunes. One of the tracks was offered as a free download. Unfortunately, the download they offered had some technical flaws, so I had to use Audio Hijack and Audacity to affect some repairs. After I fixed the iTunes download, I went out and collected a few more tracks from the artists web site. Since then, I've downloaded the rest of their debut from eMusic. The Mary Onettes are defined primarily by their comparison to other bands. Another band that I would compare to 80's bands that I love/loved - Echo and the Bunnymen, Modern English, Joy Division, Flock of Seagulls. These comparisons aren't necessarily a bad thing. I for one appreciate this resurrection of the 80's.
* Jason Chesworth - Presenting Jason Chesworth & The Pocket Co.: (3+3 songs) I discovered this artist by listening to samples of MacAddict software discs. Smooth, lyrically pleasant, and filled with acoustic melody. Sit down, kick your shoes off and enjoy a spell.
* The Crystal Method - Keep Hope Alive EP: (6 songs) I discovered this artist by listening to samples of MacAddict software discs. I'm enjoying this electronic duo's synth based rock stylings. They lay down some mean techno dance tracks. Sampling, dubbing and spinning the groove with boundless energy to create a pulse pounding techno beat.
* Scritti Politti - Early: (13 songs) Here's a band that I was first exposed to back in the early 80's, while I admittedly didn't stick with them, I was recently reintroduced to this band by a friend of mine (thanks Troy). These 'Early' tracks are simply fantastic. Mixing just enough static with discordant, turbulent lyrics, this band creates an ambiance unlike any other. The abrupt breaks, discordant instrumentals and amazing voice combine to make for pre-punk post-punk before punk came and went. This is definitely my favorite this month.

Website downloads:
* Peter Greenstone - Emmet: (4 songs) I first learned of this artist by listening to free tracks on the MacAddict software disc. Most of this artist's material is available on various websites. It took me some time, but I managed to collect three albums worth of stuff. I just wish he was available on eMusic.
* Peter Greenstone - Something: (11 songs) He's got quite a repertoire of instrumental stuff. It's well composed and sonically sound. The lyrics add another layer. Something is the most varied sample of these three, and easily the best.
* Peter Greenstone - The Blanket Sessions: (9 songs) These three albums form a fair sample of his music. Somber, moody and orchestraly soaring at times. It's laced with emotion, dark notes and resonant harmonies; reminding me of Pink Floyd and Peter Murphy.

My iPhone died!
On the 21st of Sep, 2007. I bought an iPhone. I've been very happy with it. It's so versatile, so nice to have the power of the internet in my hand. Just today, I looked up the address for a 'Discount Tire' shop, and programmed it into my GPS unit. Then I clicked on the web page, and the iPhone automatically dialed the store's number. Oh yeah, it's awesome. I never had to use the phone book, or log on to the computer. The iPhone does it all!

So, anyway - the bad news. My iPhone died! On the 1st of January, I suddenly found myself staring at a blank screen. For some reason, the phone would not turn on. After returning from work, I took the phone out of the glove box (where it was powered off), and attempted to use the phone, only to find it non-responsive. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the phone to turn on. In addition to the blank, non-functioning handset, the phone was extremely hot to the touch. It remained hot for a couple of hours, but finally it cooled down. I searched the internet for information regarding this odd development. I found some documentation of the problem, but couldn't find any solution to the problem. I called the support phone number, but they didn't really know what to do. They recommended that I take it in to the store where I bought it. So, I did. On the 2nd of January, I made the trip to the nearest Apple Store (there's four in the area). After some conversation with one of their technicians, they gave it their best try. They tried various reset methods, and they even tried to recharge it using a 'Firewire' cable. Unfortunately, nothing they tried seemed to help. Eventually, (after about two hours), they decided to replace the unit. They even activated the new unit for me - That was quite a relief, considering the difficulty I had activating the original unit. Thankfully my iPhone was still under warranty. The customer service experience was pleasant, and they never accused me of 'breaking' my iPhone. I took home a new, fully functional, new iPhone. I sure hope this doesn't happen again.
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/>

D&D updates:
We played our last D&D session of 2007 on the 15th of December, and I just completed some more updates from that meeting. Our meeting on the 15th marked Eric's first meeting. Lars had to leave our group to attend college in California. With his departure I sought out a new player to fill his spot. Someone who could play one our two 'playerless' characters (Zeddishous and Belt). Prior to his departure, Lars had recommended a friend. I contacted Eric, and everything seems solid. He showed up on the 15th and everything seemed to work out well. For now, he's playing Belt.

Having spent themselves on futile battles with mindless creatures and evil denizens, the party recently discovered an entrance into the Duergar complex of Firestorm Peak. Bluffing their way into an underground town, the party sought clues and supplies. They went there seeking information and supplies. Unfortunately, their stay in that town was cut very short when they were recognized from their fierce assault at the entrance to Firestorm Peak, and they were asked to leave. Escorted out of the inhabited section of the caverns, the party has returned through trickery (the Blink Dog carried them directly into the Duergar town). Bypassing guards and wards, the party engaged Wellfast (leader of the Duergar of Firestorm Peak) in heated battle. In our meeting on the 15th, they successfully concluded that battle, and found one of the Crystal Shards! As the clock ticks forward, the gates wait for no one, and the party has still has to find two more of the crystal rods. Will the party have enough time to find and vanquish the source of evil within this mountain? What of Nigel, Tanar's father? Stay tuned for danger, stay tuned for mystery, stay tuned for adventure!

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. Here's another double entry offering. Mark and Lee provide the personal journals of Solmar and Dynnera. You won't want to miss the insightful entries penned in our journal. Be sure to read about the party's journey into Firestorm Peak.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal07.html#dec15_2007>

Who's Who?
Recent changes to this informative page include new entries for Nigel Stormcloud's adventuring companions, and a change in category. I moved Madreus from the 'unknowns' column to the 'Foes' category. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the next game date (12 Jan 2008) on the campaign page. This is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

As the clock ticks forward:
Recently, Lee decided to create a timeline of our party's adventure. As this adventure is timed, the party needs to pay particular attention to the amount of time they've expended, the time remaining, and how far they progressed in achieving their goal. The crystal gates of Firestorm Peak will only stay open for 28 days, and they've already used 5 days. The gates wait for no one, and the party still has to find two more crystal rods. Who or what, holds the remaining shards? Will the party have enough time to find and vanquish the source of evil within this mountain? What of Nigel, Tanar's father? Lee has indicated that he will continue to update this timeline, if people find it useful. Well, as the DM, I can definitely say - It's helpful to me.
<https://www.robsworld.org/timeline.png>

Our next gaming date is 12 January, 2008. Stay tuned for more adventure; there will be lots of thrills and excitement in the months to come. In this quest there is a time limit that the party must be cognizant of. If they spend too much time fighting beasties, they just might find that they've run out of time to unravel the mysteries of Firestorm Peak. Be sure to follow our adventurers as they search for Tanar's father, and seek out the source of taint inside Firestorm Peak. I hope to complete additional updates (including an updated journal entry) prior to our next meeting.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Wacky Warm Weather:
So it's winter? Based on the temps in the past few days, you'd never know. It's the middle of winter, and I'd expect some snow or cold weather in the weeks and months to come. What I didn't expect was a wave of uncharacteristically warm weather. Over a four day period (3-6 January), we experienced some serious spring-like temps. The temperature over these four days rose way up into the 60's! Most of the time we were in the 50's during the day, and the temps only sank down into the 40's at night. As a result of all this warm weather, we saw a lot of melting. No more snow on the roads, and the yards across from us (on the South side of the street), are virtually snow free. The ground is fairly saturated at this point, and it could get very wet - as in flooding if we see any rain or snow in the next couple of days.

The snow storm that wasn't:
So, over the last couple of days (7-8 Jan '08), the experts were predicting that we were going to get hammered by truckloads of snow from the storm that swept across California. So, what did we get? Virtually nothing. Sure we got a good dusting of snow and cold temps in the mountains of Colorado. But, as usual, the storm spent itself on the mountains. All we got in our area (South-eastern Aurora) was less than an inch. A dusting, barely enough to coat the driveway. By 1630, most of the snow that came down on the 7th was gone. So much for that snow storm!

January 1, 2008

Happy New Year!
Kim and I have had a very good year. Life is only as good as it gets, and this year has been one of the very best. Kim and I stayed home and enjoyed a steak and shrimp scampi dinner on the day after new years day (I had to work on New Years day - Yay, Holiday Pay!). While we ate dinner, we watched a movie. As midnight struck we toasted the new year. We can only hope that it's as good as the last. Don't miss the "What's New?" entry for the end of 2007.

During the last couple of weeks, I've been busy adding subscribers to our Neighborhood Watch mailing list. A mailing list created specifically to alert residents to important crime related information, community news, upcoming meetings, etc. The list currently has 50 subscribers, but managing the list isn't any sort of chore. Thanks to my web hosting administrator (Dale), I've been able to create and manage this list with no problems at all.

A little bit of snow:
On the 30th of December we accumulated some snow. Nothing major, just a light dusting. Less than an inch in fact. Winter here has pretty normal, and thankfully, we haven't had any gigantic storms or flooding - yet.