Department of Defense?

I just received an eBay spoof email requesting I verify my user information by clicking on the link. Being the geek that I am, I proceed to view the email’s headers to see where it came from. I perform a whois lookup on the IP address..

OrgName: DoD Network Information Center
OrgID: DNIC
Address: 3990 E. Broad Street
City: Columbus
StateProv: OH
PostalCode: 43218
Country: US

NetRange: 33.0.0.0 – 33.255.255.255
CIDR: 33.0.0.0/8
NetName: NIPR-CONUS
NetHandle: NET-33-0-0-0-1
Parent:
NetType: Direct Allocation
NameServer: CON1R.NIPR.MIL
NameServer: CON2R.NIPR.MIL
NameServer: EUR1R.NIPR.MIL
NameServer: EUR2R.NIPR.MIL
NameServer: PAC1R.NIPR.MIL
NameServer: PAC2R.NIPR.MIL

So what does that mean you ask? That means one of two options:

• The US Department of Defense has a spammer working from within their network.
• More likely, there’s a US Department of Defense workstation that has malware and/or viruses on it that’s allowing the real spammers access to their computer to exploit.

I’m not one to really get involved in bashing politics and the military, but it isn’t very comforting know that the US Department of Defense cannot protect its network yet is charged with protecting the United States and everything for which we stand.

Lubbock’s So-Called Media

To put it bluntly: Lubbock media sucks.

Don’t get me wrong – Lubbock is a wonderful place to live and I love living here. But there are a few things about Lubbock that annoy me and its media is high on that list. Lubbock has a skewed idea of what news is.

First of all – the newspaper. It’s called the Lubbock Avalanche Journal. I haven’t subscribed to it since my third year in college. Why? Because there is absolutely no point in subscribing as most articles are horribly written. The online edition is worse. It’s difficult to even find the crappy articles between all of the advertisements. Its layout is horrendous and not user friendly. If anyone from the AJ comes across this entry, I highly suggest reading Jakob Nielson’s book, “Designing Web Usability : The Practice of Simplicity” as well as “The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems” by Jef Raskin.

The local affiliate television stations are interesting to say the least.

KCBD (NBC)
This is the station we watch. Unfortunately, I don’t know whether it’s because we like it the most or if it’s the lesser of four evils. The news anchors are pretty good and have a great vibe. The meteorologist is also very good at what he does. The sports guy is okay though. Even though I thought I didn’t like her, I miss Emily Jones who left KCBD for FoxSports in Dallas. She was actually very very good looking back on her time at KCBD. KCBD’s website is decent; it’s not too over-the-top with ads and organized decently.

KJTV (Fox)
KJTV has the only hour-long newscast in Lubbock, but it broadcasts at 9pm. That’s too early for me. I would consider watching them if they were on at 10. KJTV is so much better without that idiot weatherguy (Bryan Hughes). KJTV’s website is really bad however.

KAMC (ABC) & KLBK (CBS)
I really don’t know what to say about these two stations other than they’re apparently still owned by the same organization. They’re both horrible enough that I’d rather read the AJ than watch one of their newscasts. Their joint website is a mess of unorganized crap.

Am I being too harsh? I don’t think so. Lubbock as a city is sheltered and needs to wake up – starting with the media. How you ask? For starters, join the 20th century by redesigning user-friendly websites, implement RSS feeds, and realize there’s much more to news than weather and local high school sports.

Classic American Idol

American Idol did it again.

Towards the end of the broadcast, the traditional recap of performances was shown. The funny thing is that the recap of Jordin’s last performance wasn’t really a replay of her last performance.

Got that? American Idol must have pre-recorded the recaps or something.

It was obvious since Jordin was in tears at the end of the televised final performance but yet during the recap there was nary a tear.

Maybe I’m just upset because I think Blake should win and that all Jordin can do is screech..

Bon Jovi – A Hypocrite?

While watching American Idol last night, Jon Bon Jovi said something about Blake Lewis’ upcoming performance that really irked me. He said something to the effect that “people don’t want to hear a remade You Give Love A Bad Name.

Now, as a caveat – Blake Lewis is who I believe will win American Idol.

What caught me funny about Bon Jovi’s comment was that the band themselves – rock legends Bon Jovi – did exactly what Jon stated people wouldn’t want. In 2003, Bon Jovi released a CD entitled This Left Feels Right. What’s ironic about this album is that all of the songs were redone and reworked.

That’s right ladies and gentlemen.. Bon Jovi released a full album of twelve tracks remade from their originals.. just as Blake Lewis did last night.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a Bon Jovi fan and always will be. But this situation does lend itself to being hypocrisy at its highest.

Why Education Is Vital

These are real notes written by parents in an Alabama school district. Spellings have been left intact.

1. My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.
2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.
3. Dear school: please ecsc’s john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.
4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.
5. Please excuse roland from p.e for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football He was hurt in the growing part.
8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered byvery close veins.
9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.
10. Please excuse ray friday from school He has very loose vowels.
11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She had diahre dyrea direathe the shits.
12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.
13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.
14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father’s fault.
15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because i don’t know what size she wear.
16. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it monday. We thought it was sunday.
17. Sally won’t be in school a week from friday. We have to attend her funeral.
18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the marines.
19. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.
20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.
21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.
22. Please excuse brenda. She has been sick and under the doctor.
23. Maryann was absent december 11-16, because she had a fever, sorethroat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever an sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn’t the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.

Now we know why parents are screaming for better education for our kids.

Social Security

I’m not a huge fan of forwards, but I received this one today and is quite interesting.

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.

You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society . They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.

In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.

For all practical purposes their plan works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.

Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments..

For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that’s Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.

This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.

Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA..! ..ZILCH…

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan . The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;

“OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK”!

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer). we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement.

Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator! Bill Bradley’s benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.

That change would be to:

Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us.

Then sit back and see how fast they would fix it.

Today’s Entry in the “DUH” Department

Parents are suing Starbucks because served hot chocolate spilled onto their child daughter was too hot. No shit? Hot chocolate? Served hot? What is this world coming to? Next we’re going to see someone sue McDonald’s for coffee being served hot.

Oh, wait. That already happened. And the stupid lady won the lawsuit which prompted McDonald’s to add to their coffee lids and cups the phrase “Caution! Hot!”

Again, no shit? Seriously? We’re this sue-happy these days?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006611160497

Seriously?

Having done customer service work before, I can understand the monotony of the job as well as the need for “canned replies” in helpdesk/email applications.

This one takes the cake though. Mind you that I have not altered this response in any way. My question simply asked when additional HD channels would be added by my cable provider.

Dear Mr. or Mrs. Customer,

At this time I am not sure when those will be available, However we e are continuously upgrading our system to bring more services to our customer’s.

Thank you for your inquiry. Suddenlink is committed to providing the best customer service possible.