What's New

January 31, 2010

Wicked Winter Weather just misses the Front Range:
From the 27th through the 29th of January a very large storm moved through the area. Thankfully, it left our area with very little damage - this time around. Stretching all the way from Arizona to the Carolinas, this one was quite a major event. Bringing snow, ice, hail, sleet, high winds and rain to several states, it took more than three days for this storm to move all the way across the nation. Our area was spared the brunt of damage. The south end of our state (Colorado), and the western mountains saw a good amount of snow, but we got less than half an inch in our neighborhood. The rest of the nation didn't fare so well. Texas and Oklahoma seemed to suffer the most. Hopefully, we'll get some rain or snow in the months to come. January was way to dry for our area.

Coyote in my back yard:
On the 28th of January, 2010, I woke up, opened the curtains, and spotted a four-footed friend. It's not the first time I've seen one during the daytime, and I've seen them in packs as well. This time around, it's a lone hunter, looking for some easy prey. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of them to eat all the rabbits plaguing my neighborhood. During warmer months, they can often be heard in our community. Yipping and yapping as they prowl about in the early hours of the evening.

We live next to a very large (39,000,000 m³) reservoir, and there's just enough open space to support a small population of these prairie predators. Unfortunately, the expansion of nearby suburbs (like mine) have reduced the range and population of these animals. Coyotes have long served an important role in Colorado's ecosystem by controlling populations of mice, voles, snakes, rabbits, and more.

If you see a coyote, there is no need for alarm. Coyotes rarely attack humans. The best way to avoid negative contacts with coyotes is to keep local coyotes wild. Don't feed coyotes, either intentionally or by leaving dog food on your porch. Remember, coyotes are part of our natural ecosystem. If you live in Aurora – or any Front Range community – you probably have these “wild” neighbors. They are highly adapted to our urban landscape, which means they may travel through your subdivision in search of food. One of these days, I'll manage to snap a decent picture of this beautiful beast. Until then, please enjoy these public domain images (by Richard Spencer).
<http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=634&picture=coyote-walking>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote>

Apple Announces the iPad:
On the 27th of January, 2010. Apple announced it's newest mobile sensation; the iPad. It's a portable device designed to fit between the iPod and the laptop; both in form and function. If you missed the news releases, you can read all about this new product on Apple's website. With a 9.7 inch LCD screen, and 10 hour battery life. This mobile media platform is a capable entrant in a field that hasn't really had any serious attention - until now. Tablet computing has been around for some time (Microsoft introduced a 'Tablet PC' back in 2001), but Apple's announcement moves this type of device into the realm of practical. Previous attempts depended on stylus input, had very short battery life, were very heavy, had poor computing power, and sat in a niche so small that no one noticed. Confined to production and service related environments, consumers didn't see them as something usable by the masses.

Apple's product offers a touch screen interface matured through the iPhone and iPod touch. A form factor that enables mobile web browsing, and a book reader platform that will soon dominate the reader market. The iPad comes complete with all the iPhone apps, and that's a great way to start things off. 140,000+ apps means the iPad is already a leader in portable computing. Smaller and more portable than a laptop, larger and more functional than a iPhone. This device does have a spot on my 'Want' list. I've even got a use case for it. My D&D game would likely benefit from the portability of this platform, and I'm glad to see that the iPad has finally been born. I'll probably wait a bit before I buy one. I can't imagine owning one without an iChat/video conference capability, and I really want to see some other improvements before I jump on board.
<http://www.apple.com/ipad/>

Predator stalks the bird feeder:
A new visitor to my bird feeder. I've seen evidence of late; a patch of plucked feathers in the back yard, a curious lack of song birds, panicky birds flitting about. Now I know what's been spooking all the song birds at my feeder. This afternoon (27 Jan, 2010), while noting the absence of birds at my feeder, I saw the shadow of a bird as it swooped down to the fence.

Ah hah! A Hawk! That's the bird that's haunting my feeder. The avian predator that's keeping all the little birds away. It's a small one, but you can tell by it's keen eyes, broad shoulders, and predatory poise that this one means business. I immediately turned to the web and did a bit of searching. Stripes on chest, squared off tail feathers, small bird with small beak... It's a 'Sharp-Shinned' hawk. The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is the smallest to reside in USA and Canada. The one visiting my yard is approximately 11 inches long, which marks it as a male. The females are much larger.

These birds surprise and capture their prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation. They are adept at navigating dense thickets. The great majority of this hawk's prey is small birds, especially various songbirds such as sparrows, wood-warblers and American Robins. Males target smaller birds, such as sparrows, and finches. They often pluck the feathers off their prey on a post or other perch. Rarely, Sharp-shinned Hawks will also eat rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes, and large insects. (photos of Sharp-Shinned Hawk are copyright by me: Robert L. Vaessen. I took some photos with my new camera; a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 (12.1MP with 18x optical zoom and HD video)
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp-shinned_Hawk>
<https://www.robsworld.org/sharpshinnedhawk.png>

New Work Schedule Impacts D&D meetings - Not!:
It's been seven years since I started running my current D&D campaign, and we've been meeting every other Saturday for a bit of fun and fantasy. This schedule started when I was working in the military, and it survived my transition to civilian life. I've been working shift work since December of 2004, and the alternating Saturdays fit perfectly with my shift worker schedule. Recently (20 Jan 2010), I learned of a change in that schedule. With a new contract (I work for a defense contractor) comes a new schedule, and the results are a bit disruptive to our D&D campaign... Not!

Update - As of 27 January, I have learned that our schedule is changing, to the same one I'm already on! What? Yeah, everyone else (well, not everyone else, but a bunch of shift workers) is changing their schedule to the one that I'm on now. So, there will be no interruption to our D&D schedule. We'll continue to play every other weekend. They only problem with this, I probably won't be able to start up that 'Other Games' schedule that I was hoping to implement.

Software favorites:
Another beta release for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here is one more releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta releases over the last few days. I saw/downloaded the following update: 6.6.2b12. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). 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>

With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

Netflix/Comcast outage:
<rant>At first I thought it was a Netflix outage... On the 26th of January, I was watching a movie on Netflix. I paused it to use the bathroom, and when I came back, it wouldn't resume. I spent the next half hour troubleshooting the problem. Ultimately, I had to reboot my router twice and my cable modem three times before I got my cable internet working again. What was the real cause of this problem? Who knows? No one will never know. Here are the modem's log entries from that incident:

1970-01-01 00:01:11 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
1970-01-01 00:00:17 3-Critical D002.0 DHCP FAILED - Request sent, No response
1970-01-01 00:00:05 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
1970-01-01 00:03:44 3-Critical D001.0 DHCP FAILED - Discover sent, no offer received
1970-01-01 00:00:10 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out

Notice the date? 1970 - It's a date I see quite frequently in my modem logs. This default date is programmed into the modem as the default time whenever the modem can't connect to a time server. Plenty of 'Critical' errors, T3 timeouts and DHCP failures. If I call Comcast, they'll do a bunch of useless tests, and then they'll try to blame this problem on my Modem, the Router, my Computer, the wiring in my house. Anything except their service. The truth is that most of these disconnects are caused by unacceptable SNRs or power levels on the cable line. With an SNR out of spec, the modem can't connect or maintain a connection to the cable service. The biggest problem? The modem doesn't keep track of SNR/line levels. So, unless I happen to be continuously refreshing the modem's 'signal' page, I won't see any changes to the upstream and downstream power levels. I live in a technological age where the technology is so complex that no one really knows how it works, or what it takes to fix things. It's 'F'ing magic!</rant>

January 25, 2010

Spammers Strike Again:
On the 25th of January, I was surprised to find spam in my inbox. Umm, I get a lot of spam, so this spam was a bit different. Addressed to three addresses that have never received email before: southlands@, rokubox@, and tynan@ (domains omitted to thwart/confuse spam spiders/scraping of my web pages). It's a bit odd that these email addresses should start becoming targets for the spammers. I use/used these email addresses for very specific reasons. I didn't use them on other web pages. I didn't give them away, and all three started receiving spam on the same date. I can only conclude that the servers associated with these websites/companies have been compromised. I've disabled all three, and unsubscribed from any associated mailing lists. So far I've emailed one of the websites, and inquired about a possible security breach.

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>
<https://www.robsworld.org/whybother.html>

D&D updates:
We played D&D on the 12th of December, 2009 and the 9th of January, 2010. Here are some of the updates from those meetings. With the conclusion of our 8 August meeting, the characters have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. Training has been completed, and the party has decided on a course of action - They've selected an adventure to embark upon. The party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. The Adventurers departed Whillip on the 1st of Mavis. Setting sail for Westgate, the party is committed to their course. Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons!

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 6 February, 2009. This page (The "3eCampagin" page) 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. You can also check out the latest group photo.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

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 The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights struck out from Whillip on the 1st of Mavis. The party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. With horses and a wagon, the journey is likely to be long and arduous. And what was that rumor about some ultra-powerful gang of Orcs? Sharpen your blades and hitch up your horses - Adventure calls and danger beckons! Thanks to Mark and Sean for their continued input and support. Hopefully we can see some journal entries from Joe/Jusarian in the future.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#jan09_2010>
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#dec12_2009>

Who's Who?:
Recently, I've updated a couple of player character entries on this page. I updated the character entry for Jusarian. Joe sent me a great write-up for Jusarian's background and I posted that material. I also updated images for Jusarian and Belt. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Monsters encountered:
As a result of the meeting on the 9th of January, I added two new monsters to this page. The Firbolg is a more civil member of the Giant-Kin. and Skif sometimes summons giant Dire Raccoons to help out the party. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

These updates follow our meetings on the 12th of December, 2009 and the 9th of January, 2010. The party has departed Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Regarding Campaign Contributions and Corporations:
<rant>On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to make unlimited campaign contributions to any political candidate. I believe this truth is self evident - "Corporations are not people". Human beings are people; corporations are licensed organizations. The Supreme Court is misguided in principle, and wrong on the law. In a democracy, the people rule, not corporations. If you are a U.S. Citizen and a voting member of this Democracy, I urge you to contact your elected representatives now, before it's to late. Before the corporations own your senator. Before your congressional representatives have been co-opted by the immense wealth of corporations (foreign or domestic).

This recent ruling by the Supreme Court clearly illustrates the danger that our Democracy faces in this age of corporate greed and massive profits. Corporations hold all the wealth of our nation, and given the opportunity, they will soon 'own' our nation in all regards. I for one demand that you; Representatives elected by me, to serve the American citizens; immediately move to reverse this decision by our Supreme Court, and make it clear to those who would attempt to 'purchase' our Democracy. This is a Democracy of and for the people, not the corporations. We must stand together, and stop these instruments of greed from co-opting our government. What about my rights? What influence do I have? My vote? What does a vote mean when all the candidates are bought and paid for by the corporations? Help reverse this ruling immediately.</rant>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission>
<http://action.citizen.org/t/10315/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2190>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood_debate>
<http://MoveToAmend.org/>

New Work Schedule Impacts D&D meetings:
It's been seven years since I started running my current D&D campaign, and we've been meeting every other Saturday for a bit of fun and fantasy. This schedule started when I was working in the military, and it survived my transition to civilian life. I've been working shift work since December of 2004, and the alternating Saturdays fit perfectly with my shift worker schedule. Recently (20 Jan 2010), I learned of a change in that schedule. With a new contract (I work for a defense contractor) comes a new schedule, and the results are a bit disruptive to our D&D campaign. This new schedule will still allow me to have off every other Saturday, but I'll have to go in for work on the Sunday following our game. Gaming ends at midnight, and I'd have just three hours before I have to get ready for work. At the moment, we're considering our options. Despite the fact that this schedule may cause me to change our gaming date, the game 'Will' go on.

Software favorites:
Yet another slew of beta releases for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. Here are more beta releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed. In addition to the GC update, there was also a one-up increment to my favorite cataloguing applications.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released a few more beta releases (6.6.2b8, 6.6.2b9, 6.6.2b10) over the last few days. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). 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>

DVDPedia:
DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection, and I'm running version 4.5.5. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, the ability to play movie in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my movies and movie reviews. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemoviecollection/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymovies/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/reviews.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/>

CDPedia:
CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection, and I'm running version 4.5.5 It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my music. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemusiccollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/cdpedia/>

Bookpedia:
Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s), and I'm running version 4.5.5 It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate an HTML listing of my favorite books.
<https://www.robsworld.org/books.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/bookpedia/>

January 19, 2010

Self Update:
Recently (January of 2010), I gave my 'Self' an update. While sifting through a bunch of old photos, I found one that reminded me of a happy time. A photo that harkens back to 1985. Kim and I got married in 1985, and the photo was one of us at our wedding reception. It's not the best photo, but the copyright isn't held by some heavy handed studio, so I decided to add it to my 'Self' page. The 'Self' page is something of an autobiography page. An 'About me' page that I put together many years ago. It hasn't needed any updates for some time now, but this photo fills a gap on the page, and I thought I'd add it. I also updated a couple of the email links on that page.
<https://www.robsworld.org/self.html>

Apple Security Update 2010-001:
Apple's first security update for 2010. This update addresses a series of security vulnerabilities in Apple, second, and third party software. Some of the issues addressed include Core Audio, CUPS, Flash Player plug-in, ImageIO, Image RAW, OpenSSL, and other code/software. Thankfully, Apple's software update makes it easy to find out about, and implement these security updates. If you own a Mac, you can rest assured that any potential security concerns will be addressed in a timely and thorough manner. You can read more about the update at Apple's website. Keeping my Mac safe from malicious hackers and such.
<http://www.apple.com/macosx/security/>

Comcast Dumps Comedy Central?
<rant>What a way to ruin my day. In an apparent stroke of genius. The programming geniuses at COMCAST's onDemand division have figured out how to make me really mad. Imagine the conversation...

"Hey, how can we make our customers really mad at us?", "I know Joe, we could drop the Comedy Central line-up from our onDemand channel. That stuff is really popular, especially that goofy 'South Park' thing. The kids really seem to love that!", "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. I can't imagine why anyone would want to watch that show on their television", "O.k. then, it's decided. In order to make our customers hate us even more, we're going to dump one of most popular programs. Let's force them to watch television on their computer.", "Yeah, who needs cable anyway?"

So beginning in 2010, the marketing and programming geniuses at COMCAST have decided to remove South Park (and all Comedy Central programming?) from the traditional onDemand access (available on my Television with COMCAST cable subscription). They've moved it to their new 'Fancast xFinity TV' online beta program. Apparently, everyone wants to watch videos using their computer - Not! This is a stupid move, designed to make their new online beta more popular than it would be otherwise, and make their cable television subscribers want internet access more than they want cable television. Dhuh - Make South Park and the Simpsons available online, and people will watch your beta program. You know what, it makes me want to drop my cable TV package and switch completely over to internet only. I've got a Roku player, an AppleTV, a Samsung Blu-Ray player (with online access) and plenty of content available from the internet. Do they really want to drive viewers off their cable TV service? What idiocy is this?</rant>

My Movie Reviews:
January of 2010 marks a change in the way I present my movie reviews. A change I've contemplated, pondered, and ultimately wanted to do for the last couple of years. Using DVDPedia (fantastic software made by Bruji.com), I'm now including cover art, a summary, production details and many of the technical details that I had been transcribing by hand for several years. This change/using this software frees me from the drudgery of much tedious work. It allows me to concentrate on my review and just the review. The software (on of my favorites) takes care of much of the other work. Little details that were slowing me down, and sucking up my valuable time. Thanks to DVDPedia, my life just got easier. The software is even flexible enough to allow me to tweak an HTML template, and make it specific to my website. So, check out the new movie reviews format, and let me know what you think. I hope you like it.
<https://www.robsworld.org/reviews.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/>

Updates to the Tollgate Crossing Website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, and supporting our community by maintaining the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. What started out as a website focused primarily on our Neighborhood Watch has grown to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Here are a few changes I made at our community website in the last few days:

* Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. I added some badges for volunteers. The HOA and the Neighborhood Watch both need volunteers to help out with various activities. I updated a banner for the upcoming HOA meeting (HOA elections are scheduled for 9 Feb, 2010). I also updated some of the information on the 'New Tree' badge. If you've got a dead tree in your yard (between curb and sidewalk), you could be fined by the HOA.
* Updated some information on our Events page. Updated the entry for our next HOA meeting (9 Feb, 2010), and our next Metro District meeting (Jan 26th, 2010).
* On the Neighborhood Watch page, I posted some information regarding a request for volunteers. Our Neighborhood Watch needs a volunteer to serve as Watch Captain in the Filing V subdivision of Tollgate Crossing. We also need some help with our upcoming annual picnic.
* On the Info page, I updated the contact information for our Aurora Police Department PAR (Police Area Representative). Officer John Cassell.
* Added new information to the Volunteer page. Added information for the Neighborhood Watch - They still need volunteers to help distribute flyers, and they also need a volunteer to serve as Watch Captain for the Filing V subdivision of Tollgate Crossing. I also posted a banner requesting volunteers to serves as members on our HOA board.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're interested in our Neighborhood Watch group (Serving Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore and Tallyn’s Reach), you should check out the Neighborhood Watch section. 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. 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 our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>

Forum/Mailing list Spam:
Lately (on the 14th of January, 2010), several users subscribed to the mailing lists that I manage. I manage a number of mailman mailing lists for the robsworld.org and tollgatecrossing.org domains. On the 14th, I received a request to subscribe someone to one of the closed lists. It's a list for specific members, and moderator approval is required in order to subscribe. After receiving the request, I called the head of our Neighborhood Watch (The mailing list was related to a local Neighborhood Watch). I asked her about the 'person' who attempted to join our 'Watch Captains' mailing list. She didn't know who the person was... That led me to wonder... Just who was this person at 'zeusmail.org'?

As it turns out, I wasn't the only one to notice this unusual activity. After a bit of poking around (searches on the internet), I discovered the 'truth' of the matter. This 'subscriber' was actually the result of an automated subscription process. A spammer sets up some software which automatically subscribes to a predefined list of mailing lists. Then after they've subscribed to these lists, they send spam to the lists, and all the subscribers are subjected to the spam messages. I found twenty bogus subscribers. All of them from the same domain - 'zeusmail.org'. All the subscribers had names formatted in the same way 'firstname.lastname', and all the names seemed a bit contrived. Hmmm, they all subscribed at the same time... Yeah right!

Luckily, I caught on to the scheme before the spammer had a chance to send spam to all my list subscribers. I purged all the 'subscribers' and added that domain to the 'ban' lists of all my mailing lists. Then I went one step further. While I couldn't figure out who was responsible for this spammy activity (the domain owners/registrants contact info is blocked to protect their 'privacy'), I was able to find a list of other domains registered to the same company/registrant. I added all the listed domains to my 'ban' lists. I don't need spammers in my mailing lists, and I'd rather err on the side of caution (to protect legitimate subscribers), than take a chance and allow spam into my mailing lists.

^@zeusmail.org, ^@ec-group.biz, ^@footyscout.com, ^@sciencespider.net, ^@techspider.net, ^@ukmtb.net

Based on my experience with spammers and their nasty schemes, it certainly looks like the signup requests from these zeusmail.org addresses are not legitimate. If your a list admin, and you're seeing this sort of activity, I'd recommend blocking any further signup attempts from users at the zeusmail.org domain.

iTunes New Music for January:
Here's another free track 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 (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc)) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, CDBaby podcasts, and indiefeed). 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 (iTunes and eMusic). Here's the latest music I legally downloaded.

iTunes Discovery download:
Sometimes I purchase music from iTunes, and sometimes I take advantage of their free downloads (check it out on Tuesdays). iTunes is the King of the Hill when it comes to the bigger names, so sometimes I find that I have to pay the higher prices. Here's one of those free downloads from the iTunes store:
* This Is The New Year (Featuring Chad Vaccarino) - Ian Axel: (single) If you enjoy piano pop and the sounds of Ben Folds, Jeff Buckley or Elliott Smith, then you're in for a treat. Here's a talented artist with a some excellent instrumentals, lyrics and energy. He's available on eMusic, and I've added this album - 'This Is The New Year' to my download list.

This is an example of some of the tunes I've added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/>

Software favorites:
More beta releases for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here are two more releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released a few more beta releases over the last few days. I saw/downloaded the following updates: 6.6.2b0, 6.6.2b5. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). 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>

Chinese Domain Name Scam:
Recently (on the 11th of January, 2010) I received a curious email. Something that piqued my interest and caused some concern. This email indicated that someone is trying to register "robsworld" as a 'Trade Mark'? That concerns me. I own the domain name, and this could cause problems in the future. This company (the one that sent me the unsolicited email) wants me to contact them regarding the matter. The use of English in the email certainly indicates that the originator isn't an English speaker. They claim to be a 'Domain Name Registration Center' in Hong Kong. At the same time, some of the language felt out of place. The author used terms that are not applicable to the medium and or technical genre. I got the feeling that something wasn't quite 'right' about the email. Being a skeptic, I started doing a little research (Isn't the Internet great!?).

The research/searches yielded a great deal of information regarding this domain (apidnr.hk), similar emails, and the 'Scam' that this company (possibly/probably others) are engaging in. It's a scare tactic. The fact that this email, and many like it, have gone out to several other domain name owners (as indicated by searches) indicates that it is a mass mailing email campaign (just like spam). They're not targeting me specifically, just targeting domain name registrants. I found examples that were nearly identical to mine. Their email indicates that someone is trying to register my domain name 'robsworld' as a an 'internet keyword'. I wasn't sure what that was to begin with, but I soon figured it out. They also insinuate that someone may be attempting to register the 'robsworld' domain with a .cn or .hk TLD (Top Level Domain). They also indicate that 'robsworld' refers to my 'company name or trademark'. This isn't true. I don't trade on the domain name. I don't have a trade mark, and I haven't incorporated anything under the domain name. Clearly they're trying to frighten me. If I had a 'trade mark' or 'company name' I would likely be concerned in a legal sense. This entire solicitation seems designed to make me call/contact them in order to prevent this 'third party' from using my 'trade mark' or 'company name'.

Domain name registration, trade marks and internet keywords are all different. This company is playing on fear in the hopes that I/others will become so concerned that we'll buy into their scam. Whatever it happens to be. One might speculate that they want me to register my domain with a chinese TLD. Perhaps they want me to register my 'internet keyword' (something initiated by CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center), the state run network information center of China), so that Chinese users will be directed to my website as opposed to web site run by some mythical 'third party'. I'm not interested in registering any 'Internet Keywords' with a Chinese NIC; as these keywords are used as a means of internet censorship in China. The registration of 'Internet Keywords' is a costly proposition, that simply creates a second tier of domain name registration as a way of generating revenue for the Chinese state/corporations, and facilitating internet censorship. The only 'domain names' I'm interested in are the ones I've registered. If I ever wanted a Chinese TLD (or internet keyword), I certainly wouldn't go through a company that sends me unsolicited email, full of unfounded, unproven, insinuations and speech designed to frighten me.

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/domainscam.png>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship>
<https://www.robsworld.org/index2.html#fightingspam>
<https://www.robsworld.org/whybother.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/domainscam.png>

January 10, 2010

Professional Photos:
<rave>Back in September of 2009, Kim and I had our pictures taken - Professionally. It's the first time since... December of 2004? That was part of a family portrait session, and we only ended up with one photo from that sitting. This time we went all out. We had a pre-shoot meeting, the sitting was something like two hours, several different poses and we changed clothes three times! The photographer took over a hundred photos. Afterwards, we went back and sat through a slide show to pick out the photos we liked. Then the photographer put up a website, and we invited friends and family to pick the ones they liked. Kim and I purchased a bunch of photos for ourselves and family.

The web site is still there, if you'd like to take a look (On the sessions page - enter the Session ID of 'vaessen' in all lower case). I even paid for one 'Internet' photo. Something I'm permitted to post online. Click on the little picture at left to see a larger version. Kim and I are very happy with the way the photos turned out. Tracy (of TQ-Photos) did a really good job. One of Kim's friends recommended her (Tracy Quintana - TQ Photography of Parker, CO - , and we recommend her as well.</rave>
<https://www.robsworld.org/pictureofus.png>
<http://tq-photo.com/sessions.php>
<http://tq-photo.com/>

Home Mortgage - Finally Refinanced:
<rant>Kim and I bought our house back in 2005, when mortgage rates were still riding high. Thankfully, my status as a veteran allowed us to get a decent fixed rate with our VA home loan. Great? Well, maybe not so great - 6.5% Over the years since, the economy fell into the crapper, the banks won a giant windfall, paid their executives gigantic bonuses, bought up a bunch of other banks, and delivered record dividends to their investors. With the Federal Funds Rate riding along at 0 - 0.25% (The rate fell to 0% on the 16th of Dec, 2008), the big banks (my bank included) have been raking in record profits. They're paying virtually nothing for the money they get from the fed. Every penny they lend becomes instant profit for them. Man, talk about a lucrative deal. So why are the rates for home mortgages so high? That's a very good question...

Getting our home refinanced was no easy task. We decided to go with our current bank, and that's the last time I'll do that. They've got no incentive to reduce my rate. I'm truly amazed that I was able to get any kind of reduction in my loan. A whole 1.375%! Wow! Amazing, such a drastic drop. It's almost one and a half percent! The paperwork was quite onerous, and the financing officers dragged the process out forever. Come on. We wanted to refinance into another VA loan. A loan that's guaranteed by the federal government. I tried to convince them that they didn't need to run a credit check. They did anyway. Then I had to explain to them all the extra fees they wanted to charge were either illegal or unnecessary. Like they didn't know that to begin with. I was already in a VA loan, but they had to verify my status, I had to convince them that an appraisal wasn't necessary, and the list goes on. These people are either incompetent, or they're trying to layer on all these charges in the hope that I'm stupid enough to let them. All in all, after more than two months, we finally got our mortgage refinanced, but the aggravation was barely worth it. Why does it have to be so difficult?

Why don't I mention the name of my bank? You're kidding right? They hold all the power, just like the mail man, just like your employer. Complain and you're screwed. There's no such thing as consumer protection in this country. Try to fight the man and you'll end up unemployed, without a credit card, no bank account, probably on a terrorist watch list... I love my job, I love my bank, I love my mailman. All is good in my World!</rant>

D&D Update:
Recently (12 June 2007), I received a couple of D&D books for Christmas. My favorite game is rule heavy, book heavy, but thankfully, the players don't have to buy all the books. That joy usually rests on the DM's shoulders. I received two book which I think will enhance the game play within the context of our campaign. The latest acquisitions were:

* Special Edition Dungeon Master Guide: A leather bound version of a core rule book. Players may bring a copy to the game, but should request permission before consulting this book during game play. Here are rule details pertinent to the governance of the game. Rules which govern the inner workings of the world. More concerned with the NPC/Campaign management, this book is a DM's reference.
* Deities and Demigods - Campaign Supplement: This supplement provides everything the DM may need in order to create and call upon the most powerful of beings. Included are descriptions and statistics for over seventy gods from four fully detailed pantheons. Along with suggestions for creating your own gods, Deities and Demigods also includes information on advancing characters to godhood. Players may bring a copy to the game, but should request permission before consulting this book during game play.

Besides adding these books to the 'Rule Books' sections, I also updated the Deities section and made some format and font changes. Yes - As a result of these purchases, I updated the house rules document.
<https://www.robsworld.org/dndbooks.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ehsrls.pdf>

Still Winter:
O.k. Reality check - I just looked out the window, and winter is still here. Over the last couple days (6 - 7 Jan 2010), our little corner of Colorado received a gentle reminder that we've got a long way to go - before the shoveling stops. We received approximately 2 inches of snow and the temperatures dropped down to a bitter 0 degrees farfenheiten.

January Jams - eMusic Downloads:
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 (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, and indiefeed). 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 (iTunes and eMusic). Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download 50+ tracks (50 download credits) from eMusic.com. This month (January of 2010) I managed to download 59 tracks (due to their 'download deals' where (for example) you can download an entire 17 track album for 12 credits). Unlike some music outlets, eMusic doesn't have any DRM and they don't insert unique track id's into the ID3 tags. Their terms of service are consumer friendly; eMusic allows you to burn as many CDs as you like and copy downloads to an unlimited number of computers and portable MP3 players, including the iPod and Zune. At less than $.40 a track, it's a really good value. iTunes and Amazon still charge more. eMusic offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings.
* Maybe I'm Dreaming - Owl City: (12 Tracks) A new discovery - Thanks to iTunes for the free sample last month. Owl City is Adam Young. An ambitious young musician who started out making music in his parents' basement. It took a considerable effort, but his recent spotlight on iTunes was the final push that gave him a huge spotlight and microphone. I really liked the 'Fireflies' single, so I decided to download this album (a 2008 release). The results are o.k. This album shows some potential and a style under development. Unfortunately, his latest material isn't available on eMusic.
* The Essential Adam Ant - Adam Ant: (17 tracks) A favorite from the 80s. I was an 'Ant-Head' back in the early 80. His pop oriented image meshed nicely with his new wave sound. Upbeat, light and quick paced. Its a tribute to the feel good 80s. An excellent compilation for this artist.
* Three Way Tie (For Last) - Minutemen: (16 tracks) Some would call them hardcore or punk rock. Definitely rock with heavy folk influences and a touch of punk in the instrumental. Minutemen were much more than a single genre. Minutemen have been a favorite of mine since the early 80s.
* Be Gone Dull Care - Junior Boys: (7+1 tracks) A new discovery, thanks to Starbucks and iTunes, I first heard this band back in September of 2009. This album is quite dark compared to the Electro-pop tune I sampled as a single, but it's still good.
* In The Reins - Iron & Wine / Calexico: (7 tracks) I first heard Iron & Wine on a free Starbucks (by way of iTunes) compilation. This EP is the closest I could get (through eMusic) to an Iron & Wine release. Alternative Indie Rock with a Country flavor. Excellent.

These are some of the items I added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.emusic.com/>

Work it baby, Work it!
Get fit - A New Year's resolution. Kim and I need to get fit, and this year we managed to put our money where are feet are. We bought a treadmill. Yeah, I know - Most treadmills end up in the basement, covered by cobwebs, forgotten and unused. We've got the jump on that (it's already in the basement), but hopefully we'll make good use of our new fitness machine. We bought a Sole F63 at a sale price of $999. I tried to find a used one - "Play It Again Sports" sells used fitness equipment, but I couldn't locate any decent treadmills in my area, so I bought mine from "Dick's Sporting Goods". Capable of speeds up to 10mph and inclines up to 15%, this treadmill. features a 2.5HP motor, fans, integrated speakers (for the iPod/iPhone), a slew of programs and a generous (75") deck. Rounding out the purchase is a pretty good warranty and delivery to the basement. All in all, I'd say I'm happy with the purchase, and we've already integrated it into our workout routines.
<https://www.robsworld.org/treadmil.png>

Software favorites:
More beta releases for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here are several more releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released a couple more beta releases over the last few days. Over the last few days Thorsten released three beta, and one full release - 6.6.1b15, 6.6.1b16, 6.6.1b20 and 6.6.1. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). 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>

Happy New Year!
Kim and I had a very good year (in 2009). Another good year for us, we both saw pay raises from our employers, we took some great vacations, and didn't have any serious illness or insurance claims. For new years eve, Kim and I stayed home and enjoyed a shrimp and pasta dinner (I actually had off for new years eve, but due to my shift worker status, I had to work on New Years day). While we ate dinner, we watched a movie (Weather Girl - I gave it a 2 out of 5). As midnight struck, we toasted the new year. We can only hope that 2010 ends up as good as 2009.