Archive for February, 2005

• Freedom Alert: Nepal

  The King of Nepal, after 13 years of partial democracy, has sacked the ruling government and installed himself as sole ruler. While some saw it as stepping up attacks against the Maoist rebels, others saw it as a full on power-grab.

  To ensure those pesky civilians don’t rise up and protest against him, he has kindly asked citizens to not critisize the government for a period of 6 months. Also, scores of political and Maoist leaders have been rounded up and detained.

  To ensure the public keeps quiet, all Internet connectivity and International phone lines have been cut. (ed - since writing, these services seem to have been restored….for now). Also, all newspapers, radio and t.v. stations have been taken over by army troops, sent there to ‘censor’ all news about the crisis.

  February 8th, 2005

• Dead men don’t do P2P

  Someone tell that to the RIAA. It seems their PR can’t get any lower after submitting a lawsuit against an 83 year old dead woman who hated computers. Evidentally, this closet Kazaa-fiend made over 700 songs available to download from her tea cosey, since her house had no PC whatsoever.

  But wait, it gets better! Her daughter even faxed a copy of the death certificate to the record company a week before the lawsuit was filed. It seems that even in death, the RIAA is intent on hounding legitimate consumers on baseless fact.

  You almost wonder if the RIAA can go any lower.

  http://p2pnet.net/story/3773

  February 8th, 2005

• Bake cookies, go to jail

  Durango, Colorada clearly takes no shit. Recently a neighbor filed a lawsuit, and WON against two terrible neighbors who had waged a campaign of terror against the defenseless homeowner. Their crime? Those two scallywags DARED to bake a try of cookies for the woman. Cookies? I know, please stay calm!

  I say Its about time the authorities get around to busting young girls who bake cookies for their neighbors. Surely 17 year old girls should be smoking crack and selling e at the prom by now. The fact that instead of being depraved like their friends, they go around baking cookies for everyone, Is something that I find truly disturbing.

  Thank god someone has started the crack-down against such old fashioned civility.

  http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/04/costly.cookies.ap/index.html

  February 5th, 2005

• New type of phishing scam?

  Now I get my fair share of Nigerian 419 scam emails, but there is something about the email I received today that makes me think it may be a new variant. Check it out:

  [phish]
  JOB OFFER.

  From: denmorgern@zipmail.com.br
  To:
  Date: Today 12:04:06 05 FEB 2005 01:42:10 -0500 DENNIS MORGERN

  Attn:DEAR SIR/MADAM,

  ORANDO OIL, a reputable multinational consultant based in West Africa and other branches in the world after recommendation from labour consultant, seek to write your response on a Job opportunity as an expatriate in offshore and onshore environment.

  The Job requires professionally highly skilled with reasonable experience and competence to work in oil and gas installations
  as well as facilities in:
  * Offshore Brazil
  * North Sea
  * KSA
  * Oman South Africa
  * South Africa
  * West Africa (Nigeria, Gabon and Angola)
  * And facilities world wide.
  * Abu Dhabi

  JOB ENTAILS:
  .

  February 4th, 2005

• Why Idiot?

  So what’s the deal with idiotabroad.com?

  Well in a word, its a blog. There’s only several billion
  blogs out there in the ether so I suppose life could use just one more.
  I feel like I’ve got a somewhat unique perspective on the world. I’m an
  American whose currently living in London. Over the past 10 years I’ve
  probably spent almost 8 of them somewhere outside the US. Despite the
  fact I’ve switched my Folgers for Lavazza, I still am quite proud to be
  an American (though if you meet me, I usually say I’m a Texan first).
  Living Abroad has given me a great deal of interest in the world that
  we live in, and how we live it. If CNN goes for the obvious, then I
  seek out the unique. Some people say the media selectively report on
  what they think is the most important story of the day, I just say the
  media portrays what sells. Starvation and famine don’t sell, but
  bloodshed does. It also goes without saying, that good news, gets
  burried underneath a pile of suicide bombings and beheading videos.

  February 4th, 2005