two kids and some babies

Spyware dudes are sure getting more creative. Norma informed me last week that her computer had been infected when she got on twitter. She was getting some unwanted content on her computer and asked me to take a look at it.

When I got to her house, her pc and username was pretty messed up. Here are a few of the tricks the spyware guys had wreaked on her computer:

1. Access to task manager denied by administrator (cute)
2. Rundll32.exe hijacked (bad, bad news)
3. Tons of browser toolbars added.
4. Windows Security Center disabled.
5. Fake Windows Security Center alerts constantly popping up telling her she needed spyware protection (day late, dollar short).
6. This is my favorite, her google search and dns was being hijacked. Any request I made for SpyBot (my favorite spyware removal tool), AVG Free, or FireFox, was redirected to sites the spyware authors obviously wanted… they looked sorta like the real sites, but it just linked you to more spyware!

I got a clue to #6 when Norma originally claimed she probably got infected on Twitter, because Twitter had links to movies and stuff. I told her, “… Twitter doesn’t have movies.” They even redirected requests for Twitter to their bogus sites! So, her computer had obviously been infected before she even tried to find twitter.

Fixing it was no easy issue. I had to get spybot and avg without using the dns… in Safe Mode. I then cleaned up her computer, but it totally trashed her user account (rundll32.exe was so badly messed up it had to be removed). I set her up a new account, and that seemed to work ok.

The guys that write this garbage should be locked up. Then give them a key to the cell that looks exactly like the real key, that makes a sound like the door is unlocking when you turn it… that ultimately does nothing.

Most people I am acquainted with aren’t much for… overly scientific discussion.  I was, however,  on YouTube the other day and ran across this video:

I’ve often heard the term “Quantum Physics,” but never actually looked at any of it.  I find this “Double Slit” experiment to be pretty baffling from a logical point of view.  On the spiritual side, the fact that attempting to observe the electrons actually modified their behavior, suggests to me that there are some things God just won’t allow scientists to peek into.  A… creation safeguard, if you will.

Regardless, I’m interested in the field now.  I’ve been reading up on String Theory, and I must say, some of the conclusions that they’ve come up with are intruiging.  Theories stating things like there are possibly other dimensions very close to our own that are affecting things in this dimension… aren’t too far fetched for someone who believes the Message of the Hour.  Listening to scientists explain things that have been commonly accepted belief amongst us for over 50 years is amusing, at least.

Of course, these discoveries also sometimes lead these scientists into fields they have no business speculating on, such as philosophy and religion.  I eat the pie, but spit out the seeds, as it were.

I may post more about this field as I look into it more, but for now, that little introduction might whet someone’s whistle.  There are more videos on YouTube if anyone is interested.