You may have noticed that my blog has been getting inundated with spam these past few days. I guess this is what happens when you take a break. I've since had a chance to get to a connected machine and fix the problem purging the bad comments and salvaging the good ones. For those interested, all the spam seems to have come from anonymous relays:

12.201.93.78
12.202.32.65
12.208.204.210
12.208.95.6
12.217.70.242
12.218.249.188
12.219.95.188
12.221.121.109
12.221.201.132
12.222.127.93
12.226.19.179
148.244.150.58
163.30.98.129
172.132.179.195
172.137.97.51
192.114.65.98
193.194.70.226
193.219.222.71
194.254.103.248
195.175.37.6
195.175.37.70
195.175.37.71
195.175.37.8
195.175.37.9
195.205.195.131
195.252.106.2
195.39.170.102
196.40.60.44
196.7.0.160
199.126.32.97
199.172.228.206
200.21.18.135
200.21.18.149
200.71.61.38
200.79.192.23
200.79.192.24
200.79.192.26
200.81.94.59
201.21.73.136
202.101.173.69
202.138.141.46
202.155.100.12
202.158.165.82
202.56.253.177
202.56.253.183
202.56.253.184
202.58.85.2
202.58.85.4
202.58.85.6
202.58.85.8
202.58.86.3
203.131.197.195
203.145.159.45
203.146.247.68
203.162.27.199
203.55.231.107
205.250.103.166
205.250.65.201
206.192.44.210
207.179.146.70
207.195.243.193
207.248.240.118
209.107.124.239
209.176.194.19
209.86.122.224
210.100.138.124
211.248.154.4
211.249.118.252
211.250.80.2
212.0.138.90
212.165.142.178
213.106.50.130
213.25.206.232
213.60.240.111
213.60.241.205
213.93.65.157
216.126.141.38
216.223.54.225
216.74.128.38
217.160.222.211
217.216.24.228
217.216.29.31
217.219.18.10
217.27.181.88
219.127.248.70
219.93.174.106
219.93.174.108
219.93.175.68
221.3.235.96
222.122.4.205
222.122.4.207
24.1.32.23
24.117.30.205
24.121.8.40
24.13.221.234
24.14.74.111
24.144.110.145
24.150.124.81
24.160.143.54
24.183.41.57
24.186.142.51
24.186.87.112
24.188.175.201
24.200.27.130
24.209.162.3
24.229.119.8
24.24.211.29
24.242.61.101
24.243.158.111
24.247.126.87
24.26.173.76
24.3.221.189
24.3.250.63
24.34.66.41
24.4.212.228
24.43.236.176
24.46.216.85
24.47.247.255
24.50.133.236
24.7.132.32
24.80.21.110
24.90.241.69
24.94.176.92
61.102.241.34
61.105.100.147
61.189.240.196
62.101.175.82
62.178.199.160
62.252.128.18
62.254.0.32
62.57.227.142
62.57.234.63
62.75.220.209
63.116.190.10
63.70.3.47
63.93.27.9
64.108.37.109
64.131.142.69
64.217.218.73
64.24.35.14
64.53.182.182
65.189.134.56
65.25.74.28
65.29.218.214
65.32.59.248
65.33.42.30
65.34.211.18
65.43.122.141
66.108.51.213
66.139.43.188
66.171.86.49
66.176.149.184
66.176.98.49
66.176.98.56
66.190.92.241
66.207.120.227
66.25.140.84
66.69.38.114
66.7.243.122
66.98.212.12
67.149.54.53
67.173.104.39
67.175.82.124
67.188.102.91
67.37.225.174
67.37.231.199
67.62.88.191
67.67.29.14
67.80.191.127
67.82.5.80
67.84.22.119
67.84.89.161
67.87.159.192
68.114.123.234
68.122.194.101
68.15.131.124
68.173.200.240
68.173.203.45
68.190.6.134
68.198.157.71
68.199.111.124
68.225.8.79
68.23.161.238
68.252.48.147
68.254.80.22
68.3.159.35
68.5.251.144
68.56.47.65
68.57.198.81
68.57.34.64
68.58.184.14
68.61.225.87
68.71.31.143
68.72.88.225
68.77.152.179
68.8.224.131
68.91.14.167
68.98.154.205
69.0.36.98
69.106.222.129
69.106.229.113
69.106.229.229
69.110.139.25
69.110.47.13
69.115.173.210
69.119.248.203
69.121.3.236
69.122.165.168
69.123.97.186
69.135.199.184
69.139.58.170
69.141.36.113
69.142.165.163
69.148.19.36
69.148.86.250
69.151.255.176
69.162.51.168
69.164.106.213
69.180.4.145
69.181.99.183
69.192.29.121
69.194.251.159
69.195.151.118
69.203.21.91
69.206.239.189
69.209.114.44
69.209.145.167
69.211.88.7
69.212.45.59
69.212.60.77
69.214.213.234
69.22.41.49
69.222.23.202
69.223.56.254
69.223.84.216
69.232.46.153
69.234.48.31
69.236.98.10
69.245.85.77
69.249.149.28
69.253.255.191
69.47.146.191
70.114.225.146
70.115.70.199
70.123.161.183
70.128.183.241
70.130.68.184
70.134.109.152
70.134.138.201
70.172.215.92
70.177.33.3
70.178.197.54
70.180.126.82
70.181.19.137
70.186.166.22
70.187.216.20
70.225.164.210
70.225.171.218
70.225.177.71
70.226.114.155
70.226.119.0
70.226.138.249
70.226.168.105
70.233.135.148
70.241.19.66
70.242.164.237
70.244.13.221
70.244.206.113
70.245.22.232
70.248.101.71
70.248.183.37
70.248.227.119
70.25.255.180
70.252.150.1
70.35.126.70
70.36.8.73
71.10.48.64
71.12.165.226
71.129.158.144
71.130.87.151
71.138.166.247
71.141.1.145
71.143.155.153
71.144.89.202
71.197.133.252
71.56.233.50
71.65.13.249
72.141.178.225
72.225.169.229
80.22.153.23
80.58.53.44
81.202.181.5
81.202.225.198
81.202.249.132
81.203.60.23
81.94.90.55
82.141.197.177
82.208.174.165
82.4.22.12
82.41.131.160
82.67.170.56
82.77.200.162
83.138.225.53
83.242.69.59
83.82.130.200
83.83.122.12
83.84.82.137
87.231.39.226
87.231.69.213

So among other things, it looks like I'll be blocking all anonymous relays at the network level. It's a shame that I have to do that since I rather like the idea of anonymous relays but I guess this is what happens when capitalist fuckers decide to destroy something for their own profit.

I've also added additional domain blocking on the URLs these people are advertising, but that won't stop them from just setting up another domain like they have in the past.

Alternative solutions include things like those lame Turing-keys that force you to read a squiggly picture and type in the letters you see, or requiring a login to post any comment at all. I'm open to suggestions for any other solutions... in fact, I'd love it if you could post some comments with some ideas of your own.

In the mean time, I'm going back to enjoying my holiday.

I'm typing this out with vi since it's easier and relatively faster to close down since my mom's about to drive me down to the store to get some internet access so I can fix the spam problem I'll post about publically later.

Last night was fun, but depressing. Seeing the fam was great, even my cousin Ashley who's turned into both a hottie and a bit of a bitch, (seemingly at the same time) was nice to see again. My grandfather though, is not doing so well. He had a stroke not more than a few weeks ago, falling down in a barber shop and hitting his head. He can't really eat solid food anymore, and had to "enjoy" blended turkey, potatoes and veggies while we ate the usual fare. His sense of humour is still there though. When the rest of us were complimenting the chefs, he piped up: "It's very moist!".

The consensus seems to be favouring the "he's had a good run" position, the family seems to be accepting that we won't likely see another Chirstmas with the man that's sat at the head of the table for as long as I can remember. On the one hand, it makes all the sense in the world to think like this, but on the other it hurts so much to be so accepting of death like this... even while he's still with us.

I'm sitting in the Vancouver airport waiting for a very much delayed connecting flight. I suppose this is better than missing your connector due to your own delay, but still, it's pretty damn boring here.

So, to fight said boredom I decided to watch "Steamboy" again, this time in the original Japanese with English subtitles. I swear it's like watching an entirely different version of the same movie. Subs are, without contest, much better than dubs. I think I'll give my dad a copy of this one so he can watch it in his office some time. It's an amazing flick. If you haven't seen it, I very much recommend that you do so soon ;-)

The flight out this way was my second worst flight ever (number one being courtesy of Curtis back when I went to visit Chrystal). This time out, I walked onto the plane with 2hours of sleep and gave up my isle seat to a young man so he could sit with his parents (little did I know, the centre-seat I recieved in exchange was right next to his brother). I then proceeded to endure the 4.5hour flight next to a 300lbs, sweaty bald guy thatnot once had anything inteligent to say.

By the time I got off the plane, I was starving and dizzy, but somehow it all got better when I looked out that window and saw my home. I checked then my messages and found that Quinn had called to say "Happy Christmas" -- so while the flight was horrid, the landing was wonderful.

Now if only I can shake this splitting headache...

I'm going to be taking a short hiatus for the holidays. I suggest that you do the same. Talk to you soon ;-)

This is inexplicable. But it's really fun and just as addictive. Can you beat my high score of 2800.31m?

Edit: I went looking for this nearly a year later only to find that the link had expired. I have since found another copy (thanks Jia!) so in case this one too expires, it's called "Nanaca-Crash".

Aaron sent this to me just now. Apparently, someone posted it to the developers list at his work. Non-geeks probably won't get it:

tail -f out &
set cry = 0
set pout = 0
echo $why
mv /etc/northpole/santaclaus ~/town
cat /etc/passwd > list
ncheck list
ncheck list
cat list | grep naughty > nogiftlist
cat list | grep nice > giftlist
mv /etc/northpole/santaclaus ~/town
who | grep sleeping
who | grep awake
who | egrep 'bad|good'
su good -c goodness

Dear Bill,
PLEASE TRY TO RELAX

Merry Christmas!
      Kwanza!
      Yule!
      Ramadan!
      Hunukkah!
      Mithras!

Season's Greetings
Joyeux Noel

See? "Happy Holidays" is just simpler ;)

From Dan

PS
If you're going to have a fit about something, maybe you should start with the whole concept of Christmas. It is, after all, just a Christian rip-off of a number of pagan traditions...
Food for thought :)

I just found this on Spacing Wire and it blew me away.

Apparently, someone has invented a passtime called Parkour, the idea that jogging is for the unimaginative, that instead, we should run, jump and play on anything we can get our feet or fingers on.

Instead of running down the street, these guy hop over fences, climb walls somersault over cars and fake out guard dogs while exploring the city in a way that should seem normal but is instead refreshingly exciting.

A couple Russian guys got together and produced a frickin' amazing video about this and posted it online. Watch the whole thing. It's worth the 8minutes of your time. (Google video)

Mike sent me Death by Caffeine this afternoon and I thought that I should share ;-)