Zombie Networks

The reason my post for "Friday" is so delayed is because we threw my Aunt a surprised birthday party since she turned 50. I was basically out of commission until 2:00 P.M. until like midnight setting up and then being at the party itself. A good time was had by all, though I think there were a couple of wet blankets on my Uncle's side of the family (i.e. my side). Oh well, it happens. What i wanted to talk about today was the evil zombie networks marching in the streets feeding off the living. Ok, not really, but they are trouble. I never realized how dangerous spyware could be in harnessing computer power until I read this article about how hackers are doing it to block access to sites. So a company could pay them to do this to hurt a rival, but damage could also be done to federal government servers. More than that though, they could even bring down whole web sites or instant messaging services. Imagine what people who orchestrate such intricate schemes could do if they used their powers for good. I wonder how they even got turned out to that kind of stuff. I always had a penchant for computing myself but never that much.

Not too much tech news today. Microsoft is releasing Windows XP N in Europe as ordered by the EU but it turns out that distributors don't feel too rushed to go out and buy it. The only difference is the choice it gives the user with regard to a media player, and I think that it's a stupid punishment if that's all that came of the lawsuit. At least they're preparing to extend RSS support, presumably in Internet Explorer and in Longhorn. If you're a Mac user and you despise having to use Office then you should either switch to Linux or use ThinkFree Office, which will supposedly be compatibly with most MS Office files. I'm surprised no one had done this sooner considering how expensive Office is. IBM is great at losing face as it's now cutting jobs domestically and hiring more abroad (in India, namely). They claim it's because of the growing demand in India for their services, but the way IBM has been doing lately I don't think they're in it for the long haul anyway. Lastly, if you have any really sensitive data on your hard drive you should look into chemical misting for extreme security.

There's a good amount of movie news. AICN is reporting that Sean Penn may be up for the role of Joker in a Batman Begins sequel according to a drunk Christian Bale. It's a strange role for him, but it is just a rumor. AICN also has another positive review for The 40-year-old Virgin and a very promising review for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The director of the highly acclaimed Hustle and Flow is making a return to the big screen in a movie called Black Snake Man with Christina Ricci as a sex addict who gets an unlikely father figure in her life with Samuel L. Jackson, a god-fearing ex-Blues musician. I'm interested in this because of the great reviews for Hustle and Flow as well as to see these two great actors (I really think Ricci is underrated). All that's left now is video stuff. IGN has a new trailer for Transporter 2 revealing a lot more about the plot and may be a good action flick after all. MTV put up the Elizabethtown trailer in Windows-only form and it makes the movie look damn good. I think I'll have to catch this one, though the premise originally sounded boring. Lastly, Yahoo! Movies put up a few Fantastic Four clips. Why do I continue to post stuff about this movie? One reason:



Since it's Saturday I decided to do the Saturday Six:

1. Yesterday, I linked to the journal "Mall Of America," a collection of photos from shopping malls of the 1960s and 1970s. What store do you associate most with your childhood in terms of happy memories and why? Is the store still around?
I'm not really sure. There's a Target that used to be near my house where I use to look at games and we would go to a lot, but it's no more. I could say the Galleria, but it's not like I went there all that often in my younger years.

2. What song makes you the most emotional and why?
There are some Coldplay songs that will do it for me if I'm in the right mood (like "Fix You") and also "Joy" by Talib Kweli, but not much else. Once I've heard a song enough it usually loses that effect. "Last Night" by Az Yet used to do it for me because I associate it with my brother moving out for college when I was younger.

3. Take the quiz: What year were you born under, and what year should you have been born under?
I was born under the tiger, but apparently I should be a rooster:

Resourceful and practical, you are a quick thinker.
You are very observant - and it's hard to get anything past you!
A total perfectionist, you are especially picky about looking your best.
You're a big dreamer - such a big dreamer that reality can disappoint you.

You are most compatible with an Ox or Snake.

4. What time do you typically wake up each day? What is the latest you're normally able to sleep? How many hours of sleep do you get in an average night?
Around 10:00 A.M. or 10:15 A.M., so I get about 8 hours or so usually. That time will probably change a little bit in July, but only by an hour backwards.

5. What frightens you the most about getting older?
Less years to find a woman! My greatest fear is dying alone after all. I guess another thing would be getting older and not reaching any of my goals (like a meaningful career).

6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #56 from Debi: If you found the house of your dreams, right price, then discovered that a murder or suicide had taken place in the house, would you still consider buying the house?
I think I've watched too many horror movies to buy that. Phantasmagoria (video game) pretty much scarred me for life.