01.27.04

I received the following email alert from DataDoctors:

There is a mass mailing e-mail worm in wide distribution:

It has been named the W32.Novarg.A@mm (Norton), W32/Mydoom@MM (McAfee), WORM_MIMAIL.R (Trend Micro)

The worm generally arrives as an attachment to e-mail with the file extension .bat, .cmd, .exe, .pif, .scr, or .zip. If you open an infected attachment, a backdoor program will be installed into the system that will allow a remote attacker to access and make use of the computer. This worm is designed to attack all current versions of Windows but does not affect DOS, Linux, Macintosh, OS/2, UNIX, Windows 3.x based systems.

Infected messages will generally have the following characteristics:

From: Usually a spoofed 'from' address, meaning that the address used is not the actual sender... DO NOT BLAME THE SENDER, AS THEY ARE AN INNOCENT PARTY TO THE WORM!

Subject: (Generally one of the following)
test
hi
hello
Mail Delivery System
Mail Transaction Failed
Server Report
Status
Error

Message: (Generally, one of the following)
Mail transaction failed. Partial message is available.
The message contains Unicode characters and has been sent as a binary attachment.
The message cannot be represented in 7-bit ASCII encoding and has been sent as a binary attachment.

Attachment: (Generally one of the following)
document
readme
doc
text
file
data
test
message
body

Notes: The attachment may have two suffixes. If so, the first suffix will be one of the following:
.htm
.txt
.doc

The worm will always end with one of the following suffixes:
.pif
.scr
.exe
.cmd
.bat
.zip

This worm also copies itself to Kazaa download folders as one of the following files in an attempt to spread via the popular file sharing network:
winamp5
icq2004-final
activation_crack
strip-girl-2.0bdcom_patches
rootkitXP
office_crack
nuke2004

With a file extension of:
.pif
.scr
.bat
.exe

More details can be found here: MSNBC.com, Symantec, and McAfee

[9:10AM MST] [Permalink] []

01.19.04

Yeah, sure Jann ... tell the folks you will try to update more often and what do you do? Disappear for almost two weeks!

Well, I can happily report that the "great office clean out" has been completed.

When I started in there, I opened a box of 100 trashbags and it appears that I have about 11 bags left. That, my friends, is a lot of trash! My paper shredder got one heckuva workout!

It amazes me that I generated that much trash because, prior to the clean out, if you walked into my office ... you would think, "Wow, this place is so organized and clean."

It now looks so empty and so sparse. I love it.

Just as I LOVE the look of the house after taking down the Christmas decorations. It always looks so fresh and minimalist. More space.

I do not do well with clutter.

I do have many, many moving boxes filled with stuff to go to my Mother's home. It is stuff for a garage sale ... and each item has been cleaned, priced and is ready to be set out for sale to become someone else's clutter ... um, er ... I mean treasure.

Now, when it comes time to pack up my home to move, the office will be far less intimidating and no headache whatsoever.

Next room on my agenda: my bedroom. I did my 20' wall closet a few months ago and purged, purged, purged ... however, the drawers will be a wonderful adventure.

Meanwhile, to those of you who offered to help me pack ... *cough ... Bobbi* ... not yet, m'dear, not yet. However, when the time comes I doubt even I will do it all. I will probably call a moving company in to do the packing.

So .... now ... around the web:

The 2004 Bloggies nominations are up. A warning though ... I am on high speed cable internet and the page took far too long to load. There are over a hundred images on the nomination page.

Oh, and there is a fun spelling bee at MSN. I will boast a bit and tell you that I correctly spelled 10 out of 10.

On a side note, I joined NetFlix. Now, of course ... nothing will get done! ;-p

[6:00PM MST] [Permalink] []

01.07.04

I am planning to eventually move from my home to better accommodate the physical limitations that are going to affect my life permanently.

I know that I will not be able to pack this place up alone (I have lived here 20+ years) and will have to call a moving company to help me pack.

So ... why am I writing this?

As an explanation for my recent absence: I am fine although I have been tired, sore and reeked of Pine Sol and Windex for almost three weeks.

I am purging, purging ... and more purging. Current victim: my office.

There is/was so much stuff that I was holding on to in the event that I would "need it". Not anymore. Sure, I am keeping business related materials but to give you an idea of how seriously I am purging ...

... I have filled over 40 fifty-gallon trash bags with shredded, tossed and unusable items!

Of course, anything that can be sold at a garage sale or given to charity ... those things go into boxes staged in another room.

The weird thing is ... my office looked so tidy and organized BEFORE I started this. Where did all this stuff come from?!

I have made numerous trips to department stores for clear plastic storage boxes, drawers and shelving. Everything is being sorted and placed in the appropriate container and stored in the closet.

Ala Martha Stewart, I am using a label maker to identify the contents. Slick baby, very slick!

So ... when the time comes that I have found my new domicile and am ready to make that commitment, I can act on the decision very quickly knowing that the packers will not be packing "junk" or trash.

Why is it taking me so long? For the same reason I am planning to move.

My physical limitations allow me to work for 45 minutes or so and then, I must lay flat (usually on the heating pad) and rest my back. In addition, I am making every effort to not lift the heavy stuff ... so I have to drag some of the bags.

Now, before I forget ... thank you to those of you who have dropped by through the holidays and left a comment with warm wishes. Your visit and time spent commenting is very appreciated!

I will be very busy for many days to come but I will make every attempt to update more frequently.

Meanwhile, I gotta go shower .... phew, I stink!

[5:30PM MST] [Permalink] []