Use Windows to Access Your Bank Online at Your Own Risk

From the Washington Post:

An investigative series I've been writing about organized cyber crime gangs stealing millions of dollars from small to mid-sized businesses has generated more than a few responses from business owners who were concerned about how best to protect themselves from this type of fraud.

The simplest, most cost-effective answer I know of? Don't use Microsoft Windows when accessing your bank account online.

I do not offer this recommendation lightly (and at the end of this column you'll find a link to another column wherein I explain an easy-to-use alternative). But I have interviewed dozens of victim companies that lost anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000 dollars because of a single malware infection. I have heard stories worthy of a screenplay about the myriad ways cyber crooks are evading nearly every security obstacle the banks put in their way.

But regardless of the methods used by the bank or the crooks, all of the attacks shared a single, undeniable common denominator: They succeeded because the bad guys were able to plant malicious software that gave them complete control over the victim's Windows computer.

Why is the operating system important? Virtually all of the data-stealing malware in circulation today is built to attack Windows systems, and will simply fail to run on non-Windows computers. Also, the Windows-based malware employed in each of these recent online attacks against businesses was so sophisticated that it made it extremely difficult for banks to tell the difference between a transaction initiated by their customers and a transfer set in motion by hackers who had hijacked that customer's PC.

Yet another reason to use a Mac.

This Halloween, Make Trick-or Treaters Poop Their Pants

Forget cheesy yard tombstones, evil cackling pop-up witches, or ghosts that fly down from on top of the porch. Todd Harrison has put dual 110-decibel automobile horns inside his jack-'o-lantern, which features a cute red button nose and buck-toothed smile to throw people off from how diabolical it truly is. And here's the really wicked part: The horn is on a delay. Pushing the button causes the eyes to light up immediately, so the little tykes think, "Hey, neat, a pumpkin with light-up eyes," and then go on about their tyke-y business, at least for a few seconds before the dual 110-decibel automobile horns go off and leave them traumatized for life. Genius! Video and photos here.

Thanks to Matt for sending this.

Making Memories

While waiting to go on the field for Sammy's birthday at halftime, I turned around and saw Kayci standing at the railing in the stands watching. So I went up and got her and brought her down on the field with me. We watched the marching band performance up close and she got to see her old man go out on the field from field level. She really seemed to enjoy it. I hope she did.

WTF of the Century

From the new York times:

Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

The U.S. president Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize
"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international
diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," the Nobel
Foundation said in Sweden on Friday.

My head may very well explode of this collossal display of absolute horse shit. 

Full opinion to come once I can see straight again. 

My new favorite expression

"tits up"

I heard Gordon Ramsay say it last week on Hell's Kitchen, and I've heard and read it a couple of additional times since then.

According to UrbanDisctionary.com:

A word used to describe something that has broken or someone who is dead

Quote of the Day...

"The AT&T rule of thumb is this: If the first, second, or third customer service rep can't help you, the fifth, tenth, or twentieth might."

-Erica Sadun at TUAW

Open Letter to the Houston Texans

Dear Texans,

Congratulations on your decisive victory over the Oakland Raiders yesterday. But you suck.

What makes me say you suck, you wonder? Coaching, execution, play calling, consistency. You name it.

First, coaching. As I blogged during the game, late in the fourth quarter and up by a 23 point lead, matt Schaub was still in the game. This is the same Matt Schaub who has been somewhat injury-prone during his career. This is the same Matt Schaub who is still nursing a tender ankle. We all wince and pray and watch through our fingers every time he scrambles, praying that somebody doesn't land on his ankle and put him out for the season. Seriously, coach. Pull him in a victory that big. He should have been benched at the end of the third quarter and Grossman sent in. Matt played a decent game, but not great. What would've happened if he had been injured on the final series of a blowout game? Fans would've been demanding heads to roll.

Second, execution. I saw several defensive plays that should have resulted in either a sack or in an interception. Mario is doing well. Cushing is tearing it up. But.that's. about. it. As I was discussing yesterday with my buddy, Johnny, during the game, when the defense shows up to play we usually win. They showed up yesterday. Make that happen every week, will you? And please work with your defensive guys on catching. I can think of at least three occasions yesterday when, if they had been able to catch an easy ball, the play would have been a turnover.

Next, play calling. Why on God's green Earth were we still running passing plays in the fourth quarter with a 23 point lead? Run the ball. Run the clock.

And finally, consistency. If the Texans I saw yesterday would show up every week, we would be a playoff team, no doubts. The problem is that the team only seems to play well every other week. And even then, the offense only seems to play half the game. Their play during the second half of games is almost non-existent. They seem to have simply run out of gas. Some stamina training might be in order. Or ore substitutions. Who knows? That's not my job - it's yours. Do it, already.

Oh, and one more thing... Pink????? Pink gloves? Pink hats? Pink shoes? I know it's October and it's breast cancer awareness month. I get that. But for God's sake, this is a man's sport. Know your audience. Seeing big, burly guys down on the field sporting pink is just wrong. Period. I can't imagine such a thing happening twenty years ago. I can't imagine players submitting to it. A small pink ribbon on the helmet or on the uniform should suffice. Man up. And hocking that gear on your website is shameful.

-Destructo

P.S. - Quit winning on weeks when my buddy Johnny and I don't watch the game together. I need a football buddy, and if our wives start catching on to the pattern that seems to be emerging, they might not let us out to play at each other's houses anymore.

Poor coaching.

Fourth quarter. Texans leading the Raiders 29-6.

Why on earth is Matt Schaub still in the game???

This is what watching football is all about.

Rainy days and bluegrass music

Obama urges spirit of compromise on healthcare

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama called on the U.S. Congress on Saturday to be willing to compromise on a plan to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system now that a key Senate committee has wrapped up work on its proposal.

I bet he did. Urging compromise is a desperate tactic of someone who is losing.

Note to Republicans and blue dog Democrats: if you give in, compromise for the sake of "getting along" and shove government health care down our throats, be prepared for a firestorm the likes of which hasn't been seen since 1776. You just THOUGHT you got an earful from a beligerant citizenry at the town hall meetings.

Further note to politicians: quit "fixing" things. Everything you touch turns to crap. Get out of our damn lives. Secure the borders, run the wars and, well, that's it.

Happy October

October... may favorite month of the year.