Newly Discovered & Immediately Exploited Windows Vulnerability Fix

There's a new Windows problem, and this one is bad. It's one of those problems that you can have from just visiting a website. Nothing else. Just by visiting a website. So go above and fix it. Do not wait on M$ to fix the problem with an update.  ¶ 12:59 AM

 

Merry Christmas. I hope that everybody finds an angel in the woods this holiday season.

  ¶ 2:10 AM

  The other day I was reading about some folks at IBM who had Gentoo Linux running as a screensaver in Windows. I couldn't find anything to download and try, but I did learn that Damn Small Linux or DSL can run inside Windows, OS X, and even Linux. So, I downloaded and tried.

Here is DSL on my Windows box:



Yes, I'm festive.

And here it is running on my Linux machine:



Why do this? The Windows answer is obvious (Well, not to everybody at Redmond and their acolytes). Seriously, it helps to have this to test webpages. You can easily config DSL to run as a webserver or ftp server and just use it on your Windows box to test stuff like php. Also, the Geek level is high on this one. And that means I had to try it.

To try this for yourself, download the embedded version of DSL. Go to their website by clicking here and then clicking Download. You'll have to click on a mirror site to download. Click on Current and then find something called dsl-2.0-embedded.zip. The first mirror site had it. Some do not. Then just unzip and run the windows bat file. In Linux, run the sh file. OS X... well, I don't remember. But you'll figure it out.  ¶ 11:49 PM

    ¶ 12:59 AM

  Last night I watched Birth which stars Nicole Kidman. The movie is about Nicole Kidman loosing her husband and ten years later, a ten year old boy walks up and tells her that he is her husband. And the boy knows things that only her husband would know. The movie is not easily classified. I thought at first it was going to be a horror movie, something between The Sixth Sense and Rosemary's Baby. Though it was probably Nicole Kidman's hair style that was making me think of Rosemary's Baby. Birth is spooky and a bit uncomfortable, which is all good. The thing that really started to get to me was the suspense. In fact, it was killing me near the end.

I was surprised at how beautifully the movie looked and was shot. And Birth, which is not really a long movie time-wise, took it's time and never got in a hurry. I loved that. The director, Jonathan Glazer, and the actors never seemed afraid of silence and stillness. There's something I love in a movie. The music was just as good as everything else. It never got in the way and was there to almost hold our hand as we move through some complex and/or intense stuff.

Every single person in the movie was amazing acting-wise. Of course, Nicole Kidman is the star of the movie and there were a few scenes that she was beyond amazing in, the concert scene in particular. Anne Heche is also worthy of taking note. And it was also nice to see Peter Stormare in a normal role. You may remember him as the Russian on Mir in that crappy Armageddon movie.

Birth left me feeling full like I had had a good meal. There are so many okay movies out there and even more crappy movies. It was nice to see a good movie made just to tell a story that somebody wanted to tell with actors who all seemed like they wanted to be there. And the story itself is not one a safe and simple story either. So basically what I'm saying is see Birth.  ¶ 12:27 PM

  I just finished the first big storyboard drawing for the new animatic that I'm working on. Not only did I finish the first one, I also started on the second one. I had to start completely over with the first one. The one I did last night did not look right to me, which is hard to imagine since I'm such a natural with drawing.

I hope to have a solid name soon for this project. That way I can stop calling it "the new animatic." Maybe I should be like programmers and have an internal code name for it such as Blue Cheese, Private Idaho, or Turtle Neck.

There was a bad accident up the road at the intersection this afternoon. I was on my way back from Jasper and couldn't get home the usual way. I had to do some detouring. I believe they had the intersection closed for two hours and traffic diverted. Nobody seems to know what happened. I'm sure I'll find out later. But everybody seems to have a sense that something bad happened and somebody died.

Speaking of somebody died, my neighbor across the street passed away this week. According to the custom here, we took his family food, fried chicken and cole slaw. The neighbor and I didn't speak much, but we sat on the porch a lot. Not the same porch, but he'd sit on his and me on mine. We'd come out about the same time and ignore whatever weather we were having. He died of lung cancer from smoking. I'm going to miss seeing him on his porch. I'm going to miss watching the same outdoors with him.  ¶ 2:50 AM

  Foolish me. I've started another animatic. My first one can be found here: W. T. for Short. And for those who don't know, an animatic is basically animated storyboards. It's usually rough. This time, however, I hope to make something not rough. If I can get what's in my head out, then I'll probably just call it an animated short film.

What is it? Well, I can't say just yet. I can tell how I got where I am. I was going to do an animatic of a short story, something short. While I was working that idea out in my head, I had a different idea for one. This one is sort of an epilogue to a totally different short story. This idea is horror by the way. And it's going to be dark. And I can't wait.

For two days, I've been drawing extremely crude storyboards of the idea in two by three inch squares. Before with W. T. for Short, I'd draw the little square then draw the entire thing on a sheet of paper. That worked well for W. T. because I wasn't sure what I was doing. I'm not saying I know what I'm doing now, but this time around, it makes more sense to do the little ones first and have a clearer idea of the whole thing. Soon, I'll start on the big ones, which will take time. Then there will be scanning. And then processing and making thing look the way I want them to. This next one will look completely different than W. T. I'm also approaching this one from a silent film angle so that nobody will have to suffer through my wonderful voice acting.  ¶ 1:49 AM

  Hey Crackhead

Read this. Click above or, for fun, go to Google and type in Hey Crackhead. Then click I'm Feeling Lucky.  ¶ 10:52 PM

  148983_1110764412_medium.jpg

The above picture isn't a real person. It's a cg image. Of course, this means that Lucas is about to remake all six Star Wars movies.  ¶ 9:04 PM

  CNN.com - Comedian Richard Pryor dies at 65 - Dec 11, 2005

From CNN.com:

Just days after his 65th birthday, groundbreaking comedian Richard Pryor died Saturday of a heart attack, his wife told CNN.

Pryor, who had been ill with multiple sclerosis, died at Encino Hospital near Los Angeles at 7:58 a.m. PT. Jennifer Lee Pryor tried to revive him at their home before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital, she said.

"He enjoyed life right up until the end," she said, adding that Pryor had been laughing a lot and was in good spirits in the two weeks preceding his death. "At the end, there was a smile on his face."

Jennifer Lee and Richard remarried in June 2001, 19 years after they divorced.

Born Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor in Peoria, Illinois, on December 1, 1940, the funnyman had long suffered from health problems at the time of his death. In addition to his multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1986, he suffered a massive heart attack and underwent triple-bypass surgery in 1990.

Pryor was known for his raunchy stand-up comedy and a variety of acting roles, including in "Superman III," "The Toy" and "Harlem Nights," in which he starred with his comedic predecessor, Redd Foxx, and his heir apparent, Eddie Murphy.

Though Pryor was known as a comic, Oscar-nominated director Spike Lee said he also was capable of serious roles, such as in 1972's "Lady Sings the Blues," a movie that earned five Academy Award nominations.

Lee also noted that it was Pryor who gave several entertainers license to inject social commentary into their comedy, acting or art. Lee, best known for his socially charged "Do the Right Thing," said he was "definitely" one of those entertainers.

"For me, Richard was a great. He was an innovator. He was a trailblazer, and the way he showed social commentary in his humor opened up a universe for other comics to follow in his footsteps," Lee said.

Pryor was arguably the biggest name in stand-up comedy during the 1970s, earning Grammy Awards for his comedy albums.

In addition to appearances in almost 40 films, Pryor also was part of the team that created the script for the Mel Brooks comedy, "Blazing Saddles."

He also directed himself in a semi-autobiographical film, "Jo Jo Dancer Your Life is Calling," in the mid-1980s, a film he says refused to be written as a comedy.

But despite his achievements on the screen and on stage, Pryor is often remembered for seriously burning over half his body while freebasing cocaine -- an incident he later dubbed a suicide attempt.

Even that made its way into his comedy, which his wife said was a common theme in his life -- being able to turn crisis into comedy -- and one that scored big with audiences at his stand-up shows.

As his disease became more and more debilitating, Pryor refused to abandon his career. He continued to do stand-up -- sitting down. Many have called it remarkable that he was so determined to keep performing despite his illness.

One is director Martin Scorsese, who said Pryor's resilience was inspiring.

"It's a very savage kind of humor, it comes out of a great deal of pain," Scorsese said.

Jennifer Lee Pryor said her husband inspired many people by being candid about his own strife.

"He was able to turn pain into comedy," she said. "He let the world see it, and that was his inspiration, too.

"People said, 'If he can do it, I can do it.' "

Pryor was married seven times to five different women and has seven children, Renee, Richard Jr., Elizabeth, Stephen Michael, Kelsey, Franklin and Rain.  ¶ 12:50 PM

    ¶ 1:56 AM

  I just added two video clips to the site. The first one is called W. T. for Short. It's actually an animatic of the first act of a script I wrote. W. T. for Short is satire, comedy, and farce. It also shows off my excellent art skills and voice acting. The animatic also contains "Lazy Killer" by Charlie Terrell so you Terrell fans go watch. Just so you know, animatics are animated storyboards used to help directors figure out how to shoot their movie or show others how it's going to be shot.

The second video is Dirty Girls and Lightning which is actually a music video for Charlie Terrell's song of the same name. The video is mostly Bettie Page clips, but there are other pinups in the video as well as other kinds of naughty fun. Enjoy that as well.

I have put some permanent links to the right on my blog so folks can always find them. Eventually, I guess there will be a Media section on the site, but just not yet.

  ¶ 11:27 PM

    ¶ 1:53 AM

  Hopeful Sinner - A Charlie Terrell Site

Over the weekend, Jon and I (jh2media) finished another redesign of Hopeful Sinner. Go check it out. There are a few more videos up as well as mp3s that you can legally download. So have at it.

Elsewhere, the weather outside is just wonderful. I love wet and cold and grey. It just screams joyful holiday time.  ¶ 1:23 AM

  ABC 33/40 E-WARN: Severe Thunderstorm Watch Outline Update

From ABC 33/40 E-Warn:
WOUS64 KWNS 042103
WOU1

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 891
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
303 PM CST SUN DEC 04 2005

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 891 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

ALC001-007-009-011-015-017-021-023-025-027-029-037-047-051-055-
057-063-065-073-075-081-085-087-091-099-101-105-107-111-113-115-
117-119-121-123-125-127-129-131-050100-
/O.CON.KWNS.SV.A.0891.000000T0000Z-051205T0100Z/

AL
. ALABAMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

AUTAUGA BIBB BLOUNT
BULLOCK CALHOUN CHAMBERS
CHILTON CHOCTAW CLARKE
CLAY CLEBURNE COOSA
DALLAS ELMORE ETOWAH
FAYETTE GREENE HALE
JEFFERSON LAMAR LEE
LOWNDES MACON MARENGO
MONROE MONTGOMERY PERRY
PICKENS RANDOLPH RUSSELL
ST. CLAIR SHELBY SUMTER
TALLADEGA TALLAPOOSA TUSCALOOSA
WALKER WASHINGTON WILCOX
$$

GAC013-021-035-045-053-063-067-077-079-081-089-093-097-113-121-
135-143-145-149-151-153-159-169-171-193-197-199-207-215-217-223-
225-231-233-235-247-249-255-259-261-263-269-285-289-293-297-307-
315-050100-
/O.CON.KWNS.SV.A.0891.000000T0000Z-051205T0100Z/

GA
. GEORGIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

BARROW BIBB BUTTS
CARROLL CHATTAHOOCHEE CLAYTON
COBB COWETA CRAWFORD
CRISP DEKALB DOOLY
DOUGLAS FAYETTE FULTON
GWINNETT HARALSON HARRIS
HEARD HENRY HOUSTON
JASPER JONES LAMAR
MACON MARION MERIWETHER
MONROE MUSCOGEE NEWTON
PAULDING PEACH PIKE
POLK PULASKI ROCKDALE
SCHLEY SPALDING STEWART
SUMTER TALBOT TAYLOR
TROUP TWIGGS UPSON
WALTON WEBSTER WILCOX
$$

ATTN...WFO...BMX...MOB...FFC...
WWWW

E-Warn is a free public service from the ABC 33/40 Weather Center
and Alagasco. Natural Gas. Reliable. Comfortable. Convenient.

To sign up for other ABC 33/40 E-Warn products, or to unsubscribe, go here:
http://www.jamesspann.com/ewarnmain.html

  ¶ 3:13 PM

  ABC 33/40 E-WARN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning

From ABC 33/40 E-Warn:
WUUS54 KBMX 042023
SVRBMX
ALC127-042100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0479.051204T2023Z-051204T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
223 PM CST SUN DEC 4 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
EASTERN WALKER COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS INCLUDES THE AREAS OF...JASPER...CORDOVA

* UNTIL 300 PM CST

* AT 221 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THIS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR PARRISH...OR ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF
CORDOVA...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
SIPSEY...OAKMAN...PARRISH...AND SUMITON.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3379 8737 3366 8733 3380 8700 3398 8712

$$

WWWW

E-Warn is a free public service from the ABC 33/40 Weather Center
and Alagasco. Natural Gas. Reliable. Comfortable. Convenient.

To sign up for other ABC 33/40 E-Warn products, or to unsubscribe, go here:
http://www.jamesspann.com/ewarnmain.html

  ¶ 2:26 PM

  ABC 33/40 E-WARN: Severe Thunderstorm Watch Outline Update

From ABC 33/40 E-Warn:
WOUS64 KWNS 041915
WOU1

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 891
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
120 PM CST SUN DEC 4 2005

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 891 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

ALC001-007-009-011-015-017-021-023-025-027-029-037-047-051-055-
057-063-065-073-075-081-085-087-091-099-101-105-107-111-113-115-
117-119-121-123-125-127-129-131-050100-
/O.NEW.KWNS.SV.A.0891.051204T1920Z-051205T0100Z/

AL
. ALABAMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

AUTAUGA BIBB BLOUNT
BULLOCK CALHOUN CHAMBERS
CHILTON CHOCTAW CLARKE
CLAY CLEBURNE COOSA
DALLAS ELMORE ETOWAH
FAYETTE GREENE HALE
JEFFERSON LAMAR LEE
LOWNDES MACON MARENGO
MONROE MONTGOMERY PERRY
PICKENS RANDOLPH RUSSELL
SHELBY ST. CLAIR SUMTER
TALLADEGA TALLAPOOSA TUSCALOOSA
WALKER WASHINGTON WILCOX
$$

GAC013-021-035-045-053-063-067-077-079-081-089-093-097-113-121-
135-143-145-149-151-153-159-169-171-193-197-199-207-215-217-223-
225-231-233-235-247-249-255-259-261-263-269-285-289-293-297-307-
315-050100-
/O.NEW.KWNS.SV.A.0891.051204T1920Z-051205T0100Z/

GA
. GEORGIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

BARROW BIBB BUTTS
CARROLL CHATTAHOOCHEE CLAYTON
COBB COWETA CRAWFORD
CRISP DEKALB DOOLY
DOUGLAS FAYETTE FULTON
GWINNETT HARALSON HARRIS
HEARD HENRY HOUSTON
JASPER JONES LAMAR
MACON MARION MERIWETHER
MONROE MUSCOGEE NEWTON
PAULDING PEACH PIKE
POLK PULASKI ROCKDALE
SCHLEY SPALDING STEWART
SUMTER TALBOT TAYLOR
TROUP TWIGGS UPSON
WALTON WEBSTER WILCOX
$$

ATTN...WFO...BMX...FFC...MOB...
WWWW

E-Warn is a free public service from the ABC 33/40 Weather Center
and Alagasco. Natural Gas. Reliable. Comfortable. Convenient.

To sign up for other ABC 33/40 E-Warn products, or to unsubscribe, go here:
http://www.jamesspann.com/ewarnmain.html

  ¶ 1:25 PM

  ABC 33/40 E-WARN: Tornado Watch Outline Update

From ABC 33/40 E-Warn:
WOUS64 KWNS 041003
WOU9

TORNADO WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WT 889
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
403 AM CST SUN DEC 04 2005

TORNADO WATCH 889 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CST FOR THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

ALC057-075-107-127-041100-
/O.CON.KWNS.TO.A.0889.000000T0000Z-051204T1100Z/

AL
. ALABAMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

FAYETTE LAMAR PICKENS
WALKER
$$

ARC003-017-041100-
/O.CON.KWNS.TO.A.0889.000000T0000Z-051204T1100Z/

AR
. ARKANSAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ASHLEY CHICOT
$$

LAC035-067-123-041100-
/O.CON.KWNS.TO.A.0889.000000T0000Z-051204T1100Z/

LA
. LOUISIANA PARISHES INCLUDED ARE

EAST CARROLL MOREHOUSE WEST CARROLL
$$

MSC007-015-019-025-043-051-053-055-083-087-089-097-103-105-125-
133-151-155-159-163-041100-
/O.CON.KWNS.TO.A.0889.000000T0000Z-051204T1100Z/

MS
. MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ATTALA CARROLL CHOCTAW
CLAY GRENADA HOLMES
HUMPHREYS ISSAQUENA LEFLORE
LOWNDES MADISON MONTGOMERY
NOXUBEE OKTIBBEHA SHARKEY
SUNFLOWER WASHINGTON WEBSTER
WINSTON
$$

TNC003-031-055-061-117-041100-
/O.CON.KWNS.TO.A.0889.000000T0000Z-051204T1100Z/

TN
. TENNESSEE COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

BEDFORD COFFEE GILES
GRUNDY MARSHALL
$$

ATTN...WFO...BMX...JAN...OHX...

WWWW

E-Warn is a free public service from the ABC 33/40 Weather Center
and Alagasco. Natural Gas. Reliable. Comfortable. Convenient.

To sign up for other ABC 33/40 E-Warn products, or to unsubscribe, go here:
http://www.jamesspann.com/ewarnmain.html

  ¶ 4:04 AM

  ABC 33/40 E-WARN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning

From ABC 33/40 E-Warn:
WUUS54 KBMX 040834
SVRBMX
ALC127-040915-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0470.051204T0833Z-051204T0915Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
233 AM CST SUN DEC 4 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
NORTHERN WALKER COUNTY
THIS INCLUDES THE AREAS OF...JASPER...CORDOVA

* UNTIL 315 AM CST

* AT 230 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH...WHICH CAN KNOCK DOWN LIMBS AND POWER
LINES...DAMAGE WEAK STRUCTURES...AND PUSH TRUCKS OFF THE
HIGHWAY. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF CARBON HILL...OR
ABOUT 7 MILES EAST OF WINFIELD...AND MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
ELDRIDGE...NAUVOO AND CURRY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. IF A TORNADO
IS SPOTTED... ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3399 8717 3399 8715 3375 8710 3376 8711
3380 8753 3387 8753 3388 8754 3388 8763
3400 8763

$$

WWWW

E-Warn is a free public service from the ABC 33/40 Weather Center
and Alagasco. Natural Gas. Reliable. Comfortable. Convenient.

To sign up for other ABC 33/40 E-Warn products, or to unsubscribe, go here:
http://www.jamesspann.com/ewarnmain.html

  ¶ 2:37 AM

 

The future has imploded into the present. With no nuclear war, the new battlefields are people's minds and souls. Megacorporations are the new government. The computer generated info-domains are the new frontiers. Though there is better living through science and chemistry, we are all becoming cyborgs.

The computer is the new "cool tool," and though we say all information should be free, it is not. Information is power and currency in the virtual world we inhabit; so mistrust authority.

Cyberpunks are the true rebels. Cyberculture is coming in under the radar of ordinary society. An unholy alliance of the tech world, and the world of organized dissent.

Welcome to the cybercorporation, Cyberpunks.

Billy Idol said that on his album Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk came out in 1993. Do you think the above statement is relevant today?  ¶ 12:59 AM