Nothin' but linkspam

[cleolinda]

Important! If you have played a Sony product on your computer, it apparently has downloaded a "rootkit" on your computer:

The software installs itself as a root kit, which is a set of tools commonly used to make certain files and processes undetectable, and they're the favored tool of crackers who are, as Wikipedia puts it, attempting to "maintain access to a system for malicious purposes." In fact, root kits are often classified alongside Trojan horses. And Mark Russinovich, who created a root-kit detection utility and was one of the first to blog about the Sony intrusion, discovered another little gem when he tried to remove the DRM drivers. It broke his computer--disabling his CD drive.

So, let's make this a bit more explicit. You buy a CD. You put the CD into your PC in order to enjoy your music. Sony grabs this opportunity to sneak into your house like a virus and set up camp, and it leaves the backdoor open so that Sony or any other enterprising intruder can follow and have the run of the place. If you try to kick Sony out, it trashes the place.

I'm hearing rumblings about a class-action suit. If anyone hears about anything more effective than a petition, let me know.


Australia foils major terrorist attack.

Police Find Bomb-Making Factory in Paris.

Defense lawyer in Saddam trial killed.

British author John Fowles, whose works include "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "The Collector," has died. He was 79.

Urbina charged with attempted murder.

Drunk Death Row Escapee Captured in La.

Beatty Tries to Crash Schwarzenegger Rally.

Pirate Attack Repelled by Cruise Ship Crew.

Cheerleaders Had Sex in Bar, Witnesses Say. Yes, with each other.

Tom Cruise fires sister.

I've been sitting on this story for a while, because it's just too horrifying.

bacardibreezer7: "I'm sure you have already been told about this but check it out: so much cocaine use is going on in London that there are traces of it in the Thames." Actually, I hadn't, so: awesome. Now that Kate Moss has been to rehab, though, I expect those figures to start going down significantly.

Honey is medicinally awesome. Also: "When combined with water and oxygen, glucose oxidase forms gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide—the very same stuff you probably have in your medicine cabinet right now. This means that diluted honey can serve as an excellent antiseptic, while being far less likely than ordinary hydrogen peroxide to harm already-damaged tissue."

Pictures: jenni_talula's books and her Lost bear have arrived.

BookCrossing: Discovered this the other day on scorpiosphynx's journal, and I'm having fun adding recently-read books to my bookshelf. The really fun part is that you can sign up for an alert for when someone releases a book "into the wild" in your city. (Eeeee! A book was released in the quad at my alma mater! Ooo, and it's a good book, too.)

Speaking of which: "Cleo, I'm sure you're tired of putting up these thefillintheblanksite things, but could you pimp The Literacy Site? It's like The Hunger Site, but it donates free books to children with every click. Today, every click is doubled. I don't know how long this will last." Actually, I'm not tired of them at all--they're all at the same hub site, so it's not like they're poser copycats or something. I just wanted to add a new one every so often rather than overwhelm people all at once, but if they're doing a special today, let's go for it.



ETA:

Alabama Governor Calls for Aruba Boycott

'Desperate Housewives' Actor Fired

Comments

[lady-ryuki.livejournal.com]

news. I meant news.

[phanatic.livejournal.com]

I may have ripped a Sony CD or two to my hard drive

Ripping the audio files is harmless. Their malware must be executed to infect your system, although if you autoran the CD, that counts, which is why it's a good idea to disable Autorun on all your Windows boxes. If you use a Mac or a BSD/Linux/Unix box, you're fine. Sony's own FAQ on the issue points right out to the user that if you use a Mac, this software won't infect it, which is yet another reason that my next computer will be a Mac.

And even if I didn't, it doesn't matter, because it's not like I can do anything about it.

Yes, you can. Sysinternal's Rootkit Revealer will tell you if you've been infected. The blog entries I linked to describe how to remove it. You can call or write your representatives and let them know anti-consumer bullshit like this should not be tolerated, and that you'd like them to support legislation like Rick Boucher's Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act. And, of course, you can stop giving Sony any of your money, which would include any CDs on any of Sony/BMG's labels, any motion pictures from Sony or its subsidiaries, and refraining from purchasing any Playstations or accessories.

Heck, you're widely-read, and have written a popular book about motion pictures. You could probably give Sony a harder time, and more to think about, than many of us could on our own.

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

grr. Sony bites ass right now. remind me NOT to purchase anything from them.

oh, and some random linkspam, just because.
Pilfered parrot used to stuff bra, cops say
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9967840/

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You can call or write your representatives and let them know anti-consumer bullshit like this should not be tolerated, and that you'd like them to support legislation like Rick Boucher's Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act. And, of course, you can stop giving Sony any of your money, which would include any CDs on any of Sony/BMG's labels, any motion pictures from Sony or its subsidiaries, and refraining from purchasing any Playstations or accessories.

Oh, I fully intended to do all of that. I just meant that it wouldn't really matter if I had it, because I couldn't remove it (although this is arguable, the mattering part). I intend to fight it whether I have it or not. : )

[jennnk.livejournal.com]

Cruise Ship Attacked by Pirates (http://www.ktvu.com/travelgetaways/5269753/detail.html).

Did the Flying Spaghetti Monster (http://www.venganza.org/) have a hand in it? I think so.

[jennnk.livejournal.com]

shit, I'm an idiot. Scrolled & missed you already posted the cruise ship link. Still, I think the FSM had a hand in the incident :-p

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Burt's Bees apparently has a new lipgloss out that's like their regular lip balm tube, but with honey. I am intrigued, as I estimate that I have used between 12 and 20 tubes since I came across the stuff.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have got to try this stuff. I keep hearing about it, and after reading that honey book ("Sweetness and Light," I think it was called. Pretty good, pretty interesting), I feel like honey and bees are, like, the wave of the future.

We'll just ignore the fact that I don't really like the taste of it.

[sillyworx.livejournal.com]

Flying Spaghetti Monster...

best...

religion...

ever...

*snigger*

[delurker.livejournal.com]

WRT the aussie terrorist thing - it may be wise to take all info along these lines with a grain of salt for a while. They're really looking for stories like this since they just rushed quite stringent anti-terrorist laws through parliament recently, to some controversy.

[jennnk.livejournal.com]

Bobby Henderson, the founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, is a friend of a friend, and a really cool guy.

[kalliopeia.livejournal.com]

Thanks. This is disgusting. :P

I don't buy many cds these days anyway, too broke. I think the only ones I've bought this year have been from Lost Highway and Razor & Tie records. I don't think they're part of Sony. Not that I can do anything about now it if they are. Ugh.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

*bows head* Ramen.

[lafemmeluna.livejournal.com]

Keep us up to date on that sony thing. That shit pisses me off especially since I have a Sony digital camera and just got a new pc. The first thing I did was upload the program. >_<

Btw, the ancient Egyptians used honey as a natural antiseptic all the time...

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Speaking from Sydney, I think people are a bit suspicious that a major terrorist cell was caught just at the moment when Howard is trying to push through more invasive "anti-terror" laws. I doubt police actually went so far as to plant evidence like some people say, but I'm pretty sure the timing of the raid was not coincidental. They could have waited to gather more evidence, but people in fear of being blown up are muuuuch less likely to object to laws that let the police detain people without charges.

Info on the PS2 Class Action Lawsuit

[north-of-you.livejournal.com]

All the information is below or on the links listed in the below:



An Important Notice from the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Mateo, United States and from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada, About a Class Action Settlement Involving the PS2



IF YOU OWN A PS2, YOU COULD GET BENEFITS FROM THE SETTLEMENT.



A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit concerning the performance of the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system ("PS2"). You may be a member of the Class whose rights may be affected by this lawsuit. The sole purpose of this notice is to inform you of the lawsuit so that you may decide what steps to take in relation to it.

If the settlement is approved, Class Members who complete and return a Claim Form, on or before February 16, 2006, may be eligible to receive settlement benefits. The claim form may be accessed at www.PS2Settlement.com or obtained from the PS2 Settlement Administrator, c/o Rust Consulting, Inc., PO Box 1784, Faribault MN 55021-1784.

Whether you are entitled to benefits will depend upon which subclass you are in. You may also choose to exclude yourself from the settlement. There are deadlines associated with the choices you may make regarding the settlement, and the last day to submit completed claim forms, to object to the settlement or to opt out is February 16, 2006. More information describing your rights under the settlement, as well as instructions for filing a claim may be accessed by contacting the Settlement Administrator. To contact the Settlement Administrator, please access the website at www.PS2Settlement.com, call toll-free 1-800-352-5331, or write PS2 Settlement Administrator, c/o Rust Consulting, Inc., PO Box 1784, Faribault MN 55021-1784.

Pour accéder au site Web du Règlement, cliquez sur le lien suivant: www.PS2Settlement.com.

First Sony Lawsuit

[bluebythebook.livejournal.com]

It's not a class action suit [yet], but an Italian group is the first to pursue legal action against Sony.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27508

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Hell, the regular beeswax lip balm is the best lipstuff ever. I wonder if the new honey stuff could possibly improve upon it.

[okibi-banshi.livejournal.com]

Random, but there is a handy sixpack" (http://www.livejournal.com/users/evilfuzzymonste/185799.html) of one click sites, including the hunger site, the breast cancer site and the literacy site, all in one handy code/link.

[kookaburra1701.livejournal.com]

I knew that beeswax had to have something special about it, because beeswax candles are the only ones that do not give me a sneezing fit. Which is fortunate, because they're what my church uses.

In other news- I recieved your book, (it only took about a week with regular shipping from the UK to CA, USA) and I have already read it, and am reading it again. The LOST/LOTR crossover almost made me pee myself. Just incase you were interested.

[tifaria.livejournal.com]

That Book Crossing thing is so, so awesome. Alas, there's only been two books released here where I live, and they're both trashy romance novels. That must be remedied.

I have no idea who Vincent Gallo is, and after reading that, I really, really don't want to know.

As for the Sony thing... that sucks, but at least there's iTunes.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I did see that, but there was a little more (text, etc.) than I wanted to put on the bottom of every single entry.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a lot of people are talking about buying only from iTunes now, to at least avoid malware.

[lady-ryuki.livejournal.com]

OMFG SOOO love your icon!
*yey for emotional capacity of teaspoons!*

[lapsus-calami.livejournal.com]

Don't know if you heard about ScarJo and Lucrezia Borgia (or, you know, care...) but here's some more linkspam =)
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news05/051104e.php