On a side-note, I finally started to process some of the video that was shot while the Mendella crew were here visiting… with that, I give you a small sample… Mendella Invades the 2008 Abbotsford International Airshow.

What started off as a wet morning turned rather suddenly into an outright downpour. But, thanks to some quick thinking and creativity of the sound and tech crew (Curtis and Ryan from Sonic Voodoo Productions), promoter and owner of VillageGamer Tami, and “space occupier and video camera person” Scott, a very large tarp was strung out over the field, giving the feeling of watching a concert inside a circus tent. Thus it was born, “Under The Tarp Productions: Always A Unique Show”. While the wind battered at our defenses of black poly from the sides and rear of the stage, the rain tried to bring down our shelter. Still the band played on, and in moments of true creativity, even added it into the act. Lead singer Tom “Butters” occasionally changing around lyrics of their songs to reference “the rain keeps coming down” (and down and down), while “set design and emergency water management” Scott (that’s me, people) scrambled to pop various small holes in the tarp to drain the growing lake forming overhead in the low points of the shelter. Drummer Toby Parker was even supplied some “backup beats” from the thunder in the distance, which simply added to the effect of “Rain or shine, we come to rock your (soaking wet) socks off!”.

All in all, a great time was had by all under the tarp, and the band, while braving the weather during the “breakdown” of the set and packing of the gear, had nothing by wonderful things to say about our lovely province and it’s people… although I think there may have been some mumbling in the background about how the rain finally let up for a few minutes during the very last song, only to start again once the packing started.

I think that it is a very safe bet to say that these boys are destined for super-stardom… and they are well on their way. Thank you Mendella for showing Aldergrove a great time, and we will all be watching for you in the record stores next year. Enjoy the remainder of your stay in Beautiful Sunny British Columbia, and we hope to see you here again real soon.

* NOTE * Mendella will be playing another show in Vancouver, on Wednesday August 13th at the Roxy (932 Granville St). They are set to take the Stage at 8:30 PM, so come out and show your support for this amazing band.

Mendella is:
(Bass and Supporting Vocals) Jude Davies
(Rhythm Guitar) Green Jay
(Vocals) Butters
(Lead Guitar) Chappell
(Drums) Toby Parker
(Tech) Luke Matthews
You can (and SHOULD) check out their music and profile on MYSPACE

It was an honour to work with this band, as well as with Dave and Jo while they were here in BC, and I look forward to the time when I can work with them again. Enjoy the ride to the top, boys… you’ve earned it.

DSL… Less than a week away.  Just a few more days, and we’ll be packing up the vehicle(s) to prepare our trip into Vancouver for DSL ‘08, ready for an early morning departure.
Okay, maybe not really early… probably closer to 10 or 11… but you get the idea.  With some great prizes, and an amazing band who will be playing a live concert there on Saturday night, this will definately be an experience to remember.

I managed to get a few days off this past week… not exactly by choice, though.  Stepping off my firklift on Monday, I somehow managed to either twist wrong or bent wrong or something, because as my foot made contact with the ground, I got this sudden pulling/tearing feeling just below my shoulder blades.  Nice, huh?  It gets better.  Being the typical guy, I decided that whatever it was couldn’t have been too serious, and reported it to the shift supervisor, and kept on working to finish out the day.  Not one of my better ideas, but whatever.
So Tuesday comes along, and things are not happy.  By noon, it hurt to even move… my firklift seat didn’t really help the situation much, what with forklifts not having any shocks.  Headed to the chiropractors, and after some interesting tests, find out that I had 3 vertibre and 4 spinal ribs out of place that had to be “repositioned”.  Yeah.  OWW!  But wow, did it feel good after.  They couldn’t do anything about my neck for that visit, as its a WCB claim (and the neck is not part of the report), but my back felt great after.  Of course though, I can’t return to work until they say it’s okay, so here I am sitting at home at 11 AM on a Thursday waiting… and waiting… and waiting.
Meanwhile, I just know there’s stuff to be done at work, and that it’s probably superhellainsanebusy… and I’m here, waiting.  Even after I get out of the office, it’ll be close to 3 PM… by the time I got to work, it’d already be 4, and the place closes at 5:15 (can we say pointless trip?).  Theoretically, WCB will cover the 2ish days I’ll be off.  A slight redesign on the forklift would be nice too, as that seat really does NOT help any.
I’m not really sure if they follow this, but I would like to congratulate Matt and Rachel on settling on a (apparently) nice appartment to move into.  I say apparently, because as I write this, I have not yet seen the pictures and can only go on Rachel’s description on her livejournal.  Either way, congratulations you too!  I do NOT envy your next few weeks as you sort and pack and sort and move and sort and unpack and throw away and… well, you get the idea.

As you’ve probably guessed, this blog post was done over the course of… ogh, about a week.  So if you’re confused about the jumping around the calendar thing, let me straiten it up for you real quick.
Journey review: July 21st-ish
DSL blurb #1: July 24th
Back Owwie stuff: July 24th
DSL #2: July 29th
So yeah… about a weekish or so to get this typed.  I guess that’s just how I work.

At any rate, I doubt I’ll be blogging again this week.  I may post from the LAN, but I commit to nothing at this point.  If anything, I’m certain I will have pictures, video, and stories to post when I get back, so be sure to either subscribe to the blog, or check back regularly.  A good, sleep-deprived time is sure to be had by all. 

Later.

…

Are we ever?

Thanks to some incoming assistance from some friends, a lot of stress has been taken off our shoulders, allowing us to focus on other parts of the event, as well as the dozen or four other projects that all suddenly popped up.

Umm… yay?

So, we’ve gone to see a few movies since my last post.  Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull, Hancock, and Wall-E (which we caught last night in Abby).  Thoughts?  I was actually impressed, for the most part.  I’ll explain a bit here, without spoiling the movies.

Indy.  Well, other than the weird-ish ending, it was a fairly well-done movie, I thought.  Yeah, they deterred from their usual topics of chasing after Xtian relics, and into a mythical outlook (or a different mythical outlook *wink*), and it’s sad to find out that the actual real life Crystal Skull(s) were found to be fake, but overall it was pretty good.  Shia LaBeouf could very easily take on Indiana’s legacy as a treasure hunter, and I think that the movie may have actually left that option open.  I guess it’s whether Lucas and Spielberg are in need of a new gold-plated Mercedes or not.
Speaking of gold plated… HOLY CRAP HANCOCK!!  I have heard a lot of bad reviews about this movie, but honestly, I came out of it happy.  Why?  Other than the fact that everything that Will Smith touches on a July long weekend turns to solid gold, it was like Superman with actual human traits… primarily the flaws.  Sure, one of the flaws was the ability to put back a 40 pounder of any hard alcohol like we drink water… then take out a sign or two while flying drunk… but it brings up the question “If you had the power to save people over and over and over… would you still do it when they stopped thanking you?”.  Throughout the movie, it also moves (somewhat slowly in points) towards the idea of one person being able to change the world.  Yeah, in this movie, part of that seems to involve destroying buildings, cars, trains, streets, people… you know, change the world one piece at a time.  Great ending though (no, I will not spoil it).  Some of it was disgustingly predictable, but overall, I enjoyed it enough that I would seriously like to see it again when it comes out on DVD.
Wall-E.  Great animation, although a bit more “cartoonish” than a lot of the Pixar movies we’ve seen lately, and a strong storyline that remains consistent throughout the movie.  The downside to the storyline?  Well, while the movie was obviously done to market primarily to kids, a lot of the storyline was a bit on the mature side for them (like a lot of “cartoons” now).  It weighed heavily on the Environmental impact humanity has made on the planet, and what it takes to make it better.  Now, this may spoil part of the movie, but it (the movie) also takes a quick jab at American Lifestyle… as people depend more on junkfood and machines, and less on such strenuous tasks as walking, what happens to their bodies?  Hover chairs, though… gotta get me one of those.  The movie touches peoples hearts a few times, like when Wall-E (obviously the main character) starts to… wait, can’t tell that without spoiling things.  Just be ready to tell the kiddies that everything will be alright… Pixar wouldn’t hurt their pocketbooks… I mean, their characters like that.  they did a nice touch of using live action “movie reels” inside the cartoon to give that feel of looking back on “old Earth”… something that, so far as I am aware of anyway, Pixar had not done for any of their other movies.
Oh, and you adults will also get to see a few mini-references to 2001-A Space Odyssey in the movie, so be watching (like you could miss these).

So what’s up in my personal life, other than DSL?  Well, some of the things, I can’t… actually… say.  Well, I can, but I would probably get in trouble and be moved to the couch until after the things are over… that’s a long time, and I’m not THAT into our new couch.  One of the things that I can talk about though, is how creeped out I was the other day at a customer that came into work… she was, I kid you not, airport security’s worst nightmare.  I mean, piercings in moderation is one thing (though not really MY thing), but DAMN, she probably breaks a sweat whenever she’s within 15 feet of a magnet.  She had, and I am not making this up, like 3 in her eyebrow, two in her lower lip, and two in her upper lip, she had both sides of her nose pierced, the center ring (why?  Well, why the hell not.. she’s already going for a 50/50 flesh to metal ratio), she of course had her ears turned into a pin cushion, and the trademark tongue piercing… and that was only what we could see (without asking, which I certainly had no intention of checking into).  Why would someone trash their body like that?  I mean, fine, pierce your ears… but know where to draw the line.  Maybe I’m just alone in thinking that when I look at someones face, I don’t want to be looking at shiny crap ON the face.  Plus, and I mentioned this earlier… imagine what damage could be done if they were to be near one of those big car magnets… or an older microwave.  So, how much do you want to bet that she screams and yells when she gets a paper cut or a sliver? 

At any rate… yeah, piercings and tattoos have never really appealed to me, and this example just made me… ick.  Other than that, it’s mostly SSDD syndrome in the NightStorm way of life.  Things are going well, and they’re of course going to just get better as time progresses.  Check back over the next few weeks, because there’s going to be some awesome announcements coming.  I wish I could make them now… but, well… couch.

Also, check out Tami’s blog (or villagegamer.net), as she’s reviewed a couple of great books on there in the last week or two (well, a lot more than a few, in a much greater length of time, but a couple stand out in my recent memory of 7 days… that’s about all I’m good for right now) that I suggest people check out.  Especially people who like, play, or live within 100 miles of someone who plays, video games.  That’s all of you, for the record.  Just in case you missed that.

Below is the official press release sent out by the United States Department Of Justice.  I’d just like to take a second to thank everyone who helped on this case, as well as Tami (of course) for riding this out to the end.

I think it’s time to breath a heavy sigh of relief.  One less headache. 
 

Department of Justice

Eastern District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           CONTACT: Lauren Horwood

Tuesday, June 10, 2008                          PHONE: (916) 554-2706

www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae                          lauren.horwood@usdoj.gov

Docket #: 07-cr-442-LKK

COMPUTER HACKER PLEADS GUILTY AND AGREES TO TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today that GREGORY KING, 21, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton to two counts of transmitting code to cause damage to a protected computer. As part of the plea agreement KING agreed to a two-year prison sentence.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the FBI, whose agents analyzed Internet logs, executed search warrants, performed forensic analysis of KING’s computers, and took KING’s confession. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) Unit, prosecuted the case.

According to Segal, KING admitted to using a “botnet” to conduct distributed-denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks against two different Web sites: Killanet and Castlecops. A botnet is a network of malware-infected, zombie computers (bots) that can be used to conduct DDOS attacks, send spam, and commit fraud over the Internet. Bots are also used to infect other computers and thus propagate the botnet. The owners of the infected computers do not know that their computers have been infected with “botware,” but their computers can nonetheless be secretly directed by the “bot herder,” the person in control of the botnet. In a DDOS attack, a bot herder directs the bots to flood a victim computer with information and thereby disable the target computer.

Known online as Silenz, Silenz420, sZ, GregK, and Gregk707, KING admitted to controlling about 7,000 bots and using them to DDOS attack Killanet and Castlecops. Killanet, an interactive forum where members share advice on graphic design, Web design, photography, and gaming was DDOS-attacked in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Castlecops is an Internet security community specializing in anti-phishing, malware analysis, and combating spam; it was DDOS-attacked in 2007.

On October 1, 2007, FBI agents went to KING’s residence to arrest him. After agents knocked on the front door, KING exited the back door, hid a laptop computer in the backyard, and then returned to answer the front door. Pursuant to a search warrant, the laptop was seized and searched. It contained, among other things, botnet software and references to KING’s various Internet monikers.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Karlton on September 3, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for this violation is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

    Why?

    I went out to the bar last week with Tami to celebrate her birthday, and experienced first-hand, that which is to be the future of mankind… the hope for our species as a whole.

    …

    We’re doomed.

    …

    The band that played are old friends of Tami’s, and go by the name of "Cease and Desist".  They also put on a show, where they dress up as the singers of the songs they cover (for example, they do an amazing cover of "Maggie May" by Rod Steward, while the lead singer dons the wig and clothes to match) as "Atlantic Crossing", but they didn’t do that for this show.  So yeah, they’re a cover band… but a GREAT cover band.  The part that left me with an empty feeling for society?  The kiddies that were in the bar at the time.  While many of them really got into the music, some were just… sad.  Not "boo hoo" sad, but "what the fuck" sad.  Some of them were damn near breeding right on the dance floor (when, given their general overall look, they shouldn’t even be breeding in the privacy of their own dorm rooms).  The paper towel dispenser in the bathroom ran out of towel, okay?  No big deal, just tell one of the staff and it’ll get looked after, right?  Nuh uh… some dumbass actually tore it off the wall and left it sitting on the floor.  Yeah, that’s a good way to get it refilled.  I hope the person went in there later, pissed all over themselves, and then couldn’t dry their hands when they were done because there was NO FREAKIN’ TOWEL DISPENSER ANYMORE!!  Morons.

    Some of the kids in this bar were outright obnoxious.  Of course, it was obvious that it wasn’t a true bar, but more of a college bar, given the crap that was being played over the radio during breaks in the live show.  Just the same though, we got some networking in, and may have a great announcement coming up soon.  It’s in the works… like everything else… damn, we have a lot of things "in the works" right now.  Oh well, it’s all good.

    Anyway, now that I’ve managed to get over the childish antics of a bar full of apparently prepubescent teenage boys and barely-dressed barely-legal streetwalkers, I can move on to some great news.

    DSL 2008 is going to have a live concert!  That’s right, Mendella has been confirmed to play at DSL 2008.  I’m really psyched about this, and once we have figured out the final details (we have a date, and location, but need to sort out the small details), a massive announcement about it will go up on the DSL site, as well as on Village Gamer.  I will of course echo it here, for the 3 readers I have.  *cough*

    Great things are coming… just as long as those kiddies from the bar aren’t a part of it.  And as long as our datacenter doesn’t try to explode again.  Yeah, wishful thinking.

I don’t want to be a "job hopper"… you know the type, who will work at one place just long enough to become annoyed with it, then suddenly quit and start looking for employment somewhere else. I have a good work history, and I want to keep it that way. Besides, with DSL coming, money will of course be welcome… and it flows a little better when you actually show up at your job in order to obtain the paycheck. I guess I’m just… annoyed.

Anyway, rants aside, this hasn’t been that bad of a… damn, its been a few weeks, hasn’t it.. all things considered. We went out last Friday night to an Industry Mixer, and ended up hanging out with a few of the guys from RockStar games (unfortunately, I can’t namedrop this time, due to the secrecy that the company operates under, and the fact that in doing so, I may end up with a hit out on me *cough*). We discussed to some extent the enjoyment that Mike has been getting out of GTA 4, and they tipped us off to a Rockband competition taking place in Vancouver that we should check out… so we did. You can read about that over at
http://www.villagegamer.net.  We actually attended the finals today, and got a chance to see an amazing up-and-coming band from the UK play live. There are some amazing announcements regarding them, but I’ll save that for later. In the meantime though, check them out. The name is "Mendella".
http://www.myspace.com/mendellaband

Went shopping with Tami yesterday (yeah, I’m jumping all over the calendar), and among the many things we picked up was a brand new Nintendo Wii for the house. It was technically an investment for Killanet and DSL, but just the same… I didn’t initially think it would be that fun of a system when it first came out, but I am the first to admit in this case that I was wrong, and I
apologize to Nintendo (who will be visiting us at DSL 2008). I beg your forgiveness in hopes that you do not dispatch a short pudgy plumber to deal with me. *cough*

We’ve launched a brand new site, focused on the Vancouver Gaming Industry.
http://www.villagegamer.net.  The site also has a good idea on what I’ve been up to over the past few weeks. Check it out.

Anyway, things are rocking hard here, and I predict an amazing Summer ahead. Keep tuned to
http://www.bladeradio.com for Mendella, and keep tuned to this site for personal updates.

Take care everyone.

 As the story goes, this video was made with an intended purpose… a focus on the War in Iraq.  The statement it makes though, reaches far beyond any one purpose.  This video should be viewed more as a way of life… a better way.  Is it possible that the World can really live this way?

 You decide.

 With each passing day, we have choices to make.  Do we turn left, or right.  Do we smile, or cry.  Do we point and laugh, or do we help the person up?  It doesn’t take much to reach out and make someone else’s life a little better.  Does it?  One World.  Our World.  Together.  Think about it.

On a side-note, Digital Storm LAN has signed on a few new sponsors.  RedBeard joined us yesterday, and has offered to send a number of high quality OEM skins for the LAN.  What are OEM skins?  Well, they are metal foil skins that you can put over your DS, PSP, or XBox to give them a completely unique look.  They use a 6 colour print process onto the metal, then coated in a clear epoxy to provide protection from scratches and dings.  This allows you to have a flame job, or advertising for your own company, or favorite movie logo right there on the side of your game console (or whatever else).

DSL has also partnered with VS-Gaming Arena out of Vancouver, giving them exclusive in-store ticket retail sales.  In simple English, this means that if you want to buy a ticket for DSL in person and can not make it to one of our selling events, you can buy the ticket at his Cafe anytime during their regular business hours.. and can even sit down at one of his many computer terminals to check email, or just frag the guy on the other side of the room.  It’s all good, and Dustin is a great guy, so be sure to swing through and say hi, even if you don’t need a ticket.  He’s got a CS 1.6 Tournament coming up on the 12th and 13th, so if you’re into the FPS games, this might be just up your alley.

We have another "in person" ticket sale taking place at the Croatian Cultural Center on April 12th, from 1PM to 4PM (it’s a Saturday).  There is also a monthly computer swap meet taking place there at the same time, so come and buy your ticket, and stay for the sale.

On a personal note, umm… lesse, what is there I can talk about…?  Uhh… yeah, I’m drawing a total blank on this one.  It must be because it’s my day off and my brain refuses to function when it doesn’t actually have to.  days off are good.  Like pizza.  I like pizza.  And cookies (yes, I am simply looking around the room and describing what I see… sad, isn’t it?).  Caffeine is good too… and speaking of which, my cup is empty, so I’m gone to get a refill.

Take care everyone, and coffee to all.

…………..

           I must be nuts.

I was given a unique opportunity for my birthday this year… I got to be one of the “heads” for the 2nd Annual Elans Awards show here in Vancouver, along with Tami and Mike. The show is put on by Jack and Holly, and Tami was essentially their right… sorry, left (Tami is left handed) hand for the event, Mike was given the title of “Security Head” (two days before the event), and I was the head of the Limo team, as well as doubling as security. As the night went on, it appeared that I was also the main contact point between the volunteers, and Tami (who was in direct contact with the Producers), and the near-constant chatter over my headset made it very hard to focus on what Seth Macfarlane was saying. But, we pulled through, and other than a few technical problems (which are bound to happen during a live show) things went very well. We will definitely be on the list for next years event as well (only hopefully it will have more planning involved in advance). I did take pictures, as did some of the other volunteers I worked with, and I will of course upload them as soon as I get the time to put them all together and clean a few of them up. It’s coming, I swear.

Home life is going well. Got my first root canal at the beginning of the month. That was an expensive yet enjoyable experience. Okay, I’m lying. The drugs were definitely enjoyable though, and made it easy to forget that there was even any pain to begin with. It’s nice to be able to finally get my teeth looked at and fixed up. It had been far too long, and as the dentist said, right now I’m looking to buy him a brand new car by the time he’s done in there. Whatever, as long as the owie goes away, and the pills flow freely. Yet another nice thing about being back in Canada… “Why yes, I would like to have a prescription for a bottle full of Tylenol 3’s… $9? I think I can cover that…”

I think Mike may have found his calling. He starts voice acting school on April 6th, and he’s now got a job DJing for an online radio station (who is looking to expand to XM Radio) called Bladeradio. He’s DJ Behemoth, and right now, broadcasts at around midnight… given his sleep schedule, he’s perfectly set for this time slot. He’s having a great time doing it, and has shown amazing responsibility with keeping to the schedule (”I’m so tired… but I go on in 2 hours, and still have to put some songs together… can’t sleep yet!!”). Bladeradio has actually signed on to be one of the sponsors to DSL, and Mike is set to broadcast live from the LAN… should be entertaining.

Overall, things are moving along very well, and I can’t wait to see what the Summer has to bring to our plans. If DSL goes well, we may finally be able to open our physical store here in town (once council clues in to the fact that we are NOT a bloody arcade), and things will really take off.

Next on the to-do list… find, purchase, and prepare a brand new (likely Dell) server, and figure out how to route 380 computers, 3-12 xBoxes, and 18 24-port switches through it. Can’t take more than 15 or 20 minutes, right? Anyone got a few thousand feet of Cat5e cable they don’t need?

 So next month I turn 30.  Being a person who was rather amazed to survive to 20, 30 is probably some sort of big deal… or something.  Having never turned 30 before, I don’t exactly have anything I can compare it to.  I’m sure it’s important to some people when they experience the event, but personally it’s just not that big of a deal.

 How would I like to spend it?  Sleeping in, cuddled up to someone I love.  Really, that’s all I want for my birthday.  It kind of narrows down the list of who I can get a present like that from, doesn’t it?

 One would think that, after 30 years of existence, a person would be able to figure some things out.  But then again, if that was the case, we wouldn’t have the saying "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it".  Have I learned from my history?  I should hope that, at the very least, some of my mistakes will not be repeated.  I’m happy where I am now, and of course I would not be there without having made some mistakes in my past.  They are essentially what made me who I am, and I can live with that.

 So I get to spend this birthday doing something amazing.  The eLans are being held the day after I turn 30 (the second annual eLans), and I get to actually work backstage for it.  The chance to help run (even if on a micro-scale) a major Canadian Awards event, and meet some extremely talented and well-known people (like "Family Guy’s" Seth MacFarlane) is an amazing opportunity for me, and I think it’s a great way to ring in "number 30".  Of course, I’ll likely be too busy focusing on the awards show to even care that it’s my birthday.

 I must say though… it will be a very nice, and refreshing change to spend my birthday with someone I love and who loves me.  Might even be the start of a change, where I have something to look forward to with each passing year.

…….

 Or maybe I’m just getting old.

On a side-note, DigitalStormLan 2008 is running full-steam ahead.  We’re about to launch an entire series of new sites (which, of course, I will link to when they go live), and we have a number of potential locations scouted out for the LAN party, which will also be a qualifier for the World Cyber Games.  And, of course, with the completion of one headache, comes the onset of another.  Once DSL is completed for the year, we begin to kick our next project into gear… the opening of a physical location here in Aldergrove, to act as the new "Home Base" for Killanet Technology.  What is the base going to be?  We’ll be an Educational Media Outlet… a location where people can come in to learn things from the basics of computer control, to the more advanced fundamentals of Graphics design and animation, all the way up to game developement.  We plan on having several computer terminals available to the public during open hours, so that they may complete homework, research projects, check their email, or even just chat with friends.  There’s plans to have guest speakers and "teachers" come in from the multitude of Studios around Vancouver to show people how they do their magic, and there is even plans to go retail (seeing as we would need to be able to cover the lease somehow) and become one of the (hopefully) primary computer repair and supply locations in the area.

So yes, things are going very well, and I can see "30" as being a great year.  Assuming I survive that long.  20 was lucky… 30… well, you get the idea. 

Take care everyone, and talk with you soon.

- Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WVCUEifZYI if it doesn’t work for you…

That’s my new way of life.  Something goes wrong, just move on.  It’s what got me to here, and it’s working out well so far. 

So, here we go.  My list of things I learned through 2007.

What have I learned this year?

• Greyhound sucks.  There is a reason it’s so cheap… that’s the only way someone would willingly spend more than 10 minutes on one of their busses.  Personally though, I don’t think it balances out.
• The best relationship is the one that you never really notice is there until it smacks you right in the face.
• Laying Linoleum sucks… especially when you are very limited in your supply and operating under a "learn as you go" method.
• "Home" isn’t always the place you live.  "Home" is the place you feel you belong.
• New Orleans rawks, and yes, Jino, Donna, Tony and Gail really are as cool in person as they are on the board.
• If someone acts like a nut, it’s very likely that the person truly is in need of mental care
• Suicide is nothing more than a cowards escape… which explains why only a coward would try it
• Once someone lies to your face once (be it about where they are, or who they are sleeping with), there is nothing to stop them from turning into nothing more than a pathological liar… the best thing you can do with a pathological liar is to get as far away from them as you can.
• Women with Russian ancestry are hot.  Or at least one of them. 
• Don’t ever replace the toilet.  If one ever requires replacing, just give up and get a new house.
• Being a "gamer" and living in a "gamer house" is probably one of the most expensive hobbies one can come across.  But at least entertainment is always readily available (assuming you can wrestle the controller out of some one’s hand long enough).
• So there’s this guy… Murphy… he’s not cool.
• Sometimes, it’s not about the destination, but in the journey you took to get there.

I’m here.  And I’m happy.  I hope you all are as well.  Take care.

- Me

I give you a clip that just jumped right out at me… well, not literally, but you know what I mean.

I credit Tezza (Tegan, to those who know her) from the 12 Stones board for actually transcribing the lyrics before anyone else thought to (and of course Jino for correcting her on one word).

Once In A Lifetime

Taking chances, will they take their toll?
Will you focus, or will you lose control?
Your eyes are open, your path is chosen
You can’t back down now, you’ve come too far
And so now it’s time to stand up and take your best shot

You made it, just take it
This might be your once in a lifetime shot (Take your best shot)
Don’t waste it, or you’ll be left faceless
It’s once in a lifetime so take your best shot

Second chances, will they come at all?
Is your mind set to use all self-control?
Your conscience speaking, it tells you nothing is certain
But certainly some things are worth it
So now it’s time to stand up and take your best shot

You made it, just take it
This might be your once in a lifetime shot(Take your best shot)
Don’t waste it, or you’ll be left faceless
It’s once in a lifetime so take your best shot

Taking chances, will they take their toll?
Will you focus, or will you lose control?

Will you make it? Will you make it? Will you make it?
Will you make it?

You made it, just take it
This might be your once in a lifetime shot (Take your best shot)
Don’t waste it, or you’ll be left faceless
It’s once in a lifetime so take your best shot

It’s once in a lifetime (Take your best shot)

So take your best shot

Thoughts? Good gaming song, don’t you think? I would like to hear some opinions, so please don’t hesitate to respond.

Maybe I should be taking better medication for my finger…

   As I thought about it, my phone beeped at me. Hmm… could it be getting jealous of the attention the computer has been getting lately?? Nah… likely just some setting I haven’t found yet to make it stop. I went to Rogers Wireless the other day with Tami to check out new phone plans… turns out I was eligible for a new phone as well. Go figure. Got a Blackberry Pearl 8100 “smart” phone free. Not sure how smart it really is though, as it keeps doing what I tell it to and then getting mad when things break. It plays videos and music though, and has the expandable memory so I can fit lots and lots of junk on it, so I suppose it’s all good. I’m happy with it anyway.

   We went and picked up the family Christmas present the other day too. xBox 360 Elite. I’m impressed. I mean, I’m not much of a Console gamer by any standards (or gamer in general at the moment), but even I found myself messing around in xbox Live and thinking “Okay, I could like this”. We picked up a new Wireless Router to go with it, so it’s online right now. Feel free to add me to your friends list on Live (NightStormDraco), and perhaps I might even be able to figure out how to approve the request. Mike is downstairs right now “testing” it. So far, he’s approved of the purchase. In fact, I think he may have genetically bonded with the chair infront of the TV, as that is pretty much where you can find him now, since it’s been set up.

   What else is new in my life?? Well, the year is almost over. Gonna be time soon where I get to reflect on the events that have passed, and think to the Future that has not yet come. It doesn’t mean I live in the past… no, not in the slightest. I just like to spend some time thinking back on the year, and seeing what I can learn from it… so that hopefully certain fuckups won’t be repeated. I’m certain right now that one of them won’t. Trust is a massive factor in any relationship, and it’s nice to have finally found it. Honesty is another major factor, and I don’t think I can even begin to explain how it feels now to have someone that I can both trust and believe.

   Speaking of whom, Tami is gearing up to take on City Council again about opening a location here in town. I think she has a solid case this time, as the exact same center was recently opened near Toronto, and an article about it was posted in the Globe And Mail (she forwarded a copy to all Council members). We also have our sorta-annual LAN coming up sometime in the sorta-near future. Digital Storm Lan 2008 coming soon to Langley… or Vancouver… or, well… the Lower Mainland.

   I am so proud of her. She has such determination that I have never seen… when she meets an obsticle, instead of becoming discouraged, she takes it head-on and beats her way through it so she can proceed with the plan. And, when someoen says no to her idea, instead of just walking away from it, she goes at it from a different angle until they see it her way. I hope she knows how happy I am to be with her, and, as I said, how proud I am of her.

   Anyway… kinda got off on a multi-tangent. I suppose this counts as enough of an update, though. Hope all of you are doing well, and if I don’t make another post beforehand (though I likely will), I hope your Holidays are safe and happy. Take care, everyone.

- Me

   Pretty simple, isn’t it? When you make a choice, you have to expect repercussions of that choice somewhere down the line. Whether they are good or bad, is purely based on the choice you make. Lets look at an example.

   Example 1 (the good): You truly love someone, and they want to spend their life with you. So, when you tell them you love them, they smile.
   Cause -> Effect. The cause is the words you say to them, the effect is the most beautiful sight you have ever seen.

   Example 2 (the bad): You take a bunch of pills then drink some alcohol, and leave a suicide note sitting next to you while your kids are sleeping upstairs. This results in you being put into a hospital and your kids taken away.
   Again… Cause -> Effect. The cause is being a selfish child not thinking of your kids while you try to kill yourself, and the effect is loosing the only people who would have loved you unconditionally if you had only never tried to abandon them.

   Not too difficult to wrap ones head around, is it? So why then, do some people still choose to blame the rest of the World for the way their own life is turning out? Especially people who are thousands of miles away at the time? Is there some sort of hidden message that the rest of us aren’t receiving?

   Victim complex is a serious issue. Go ahead and Google it, it’ll actually have results. Some people are insistent that they can do no wrong, and every screw-up in their life is the not the result of their choices or actions, but of everyone Else’s. Those people need to grab a clue. Your life is the way it is because of YOU, not because of us. Daddy didn’t pour the booze down your throat and make you an alcoholic behind the wheel. You not getting hugged by your mother as a child didn’t turn you into a child molester. The fact that your dad hit your mom when you were a kid does not give you any excuse to hit your wife or girlfriend when your upset (or anyone, for that matter). And sorry, but that ex-boyfriend/husband/whatever didn’t pop the top off that bottle of pills and hold a gun to your head while you ate them.

   When it comes time to make choices, where is the difficulty in simply reviewing the potential results of those choices? How long would it have taken someone to consider the fact that if they tried to off themselves while their kids slept, that possibly if they failed in the attempt, the kids might be taken away from them? That’s not even hard to fathom… it’s basic logic (which obviously escapes some more than others).

   Its time that some people stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for their own actions. And the first step in that is to stop blaming the World because you proverbially fucked up (or who knows, maybe not proverbially…. I could care less what you do in your personal time). Are you a closet case of victim complex? How often do you blame others when your own life goes to shit? Accept responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. You learn SFA if you don’t admit they were your screw-ups in the first place.

   This is my angry post. Feel free to file it under “rant” and not bother reading it again… it might not even survive the week. But damn, blogs are a great venting point, aren’t they?

    My relationship with that person did not end well.  She had cheated on me several times (two of which are confirmable, but likely there were others), and with what she put me through, I don’t think it’s possible to dislike someone any more (I know of at least one person who can relate to that, and he remains active on my myspace blog, so he’ll probably check this one sooner or later anyway… so HIYA!!).  I left with pretty much nothing… I had been emotionally broken down and most of my possessions were “claimed”… even objects that were never hers to begin with… things I have had since I was a teenager, and pictures of my now dead grandfather.  All things that suddenly were no longer mine.  I was lost, and damaged.  Then someone found me, and fixed me (you can read about her all over this place).

    Today, I came home from work to a message waiting for me on Messenger.  This woman who cheated on me, used me, lied to me, and took advantage of me for years  decided it was time for an attention grab.  Mind you, she wasn’t targeting me this time… no, she was targeting the guy she was cheating on me with (whom she continued a relationship with after I left).  As the story goes, she took a number of pills and mixed them with some alcohol, after writing a letter.  See where this is going?

    I don’t know where she is.  Honestly, I don’t care.  Likely some hospital somewhere, possibly even one with nice white jackets and padded rooms.  Again, harsh, but whatever.  After so long, it’s easy to stop caring about someone who chooses to self-destruct continuously without actually accepting help from anyone.  I know that my children, as well as her son from a previous marriage, are looked after.  That is what counts… obviously, it’s not something she took into consideration at the time.  I am only left in awe of how far someone will go just to get the attention of someone else… after speaking with a few people this evening, it comes out that she had broken up with “the guy” shortly before taking the pills.  She did this to her first husband (prior to their marriage), trying to kill herself to get his attention.  She told me just before our relationship ended that she had considered suicide… I even found the letter she wrote.

    Seriously.  Is the only way to get someone’s attention to do something extreme (and in this case, extremely stupid)?  What ever happened to “Hey, we need to talk”?  This was ultimately the reason my relationship with her failed, and why I am so happy where I am now.  I no longer have to put up with “do as I say or I’ll try to kill myself”.  I suppose it all comes down to maturity.  Yes, there are days when I wonder if I’m really loved as much as I originally thought I was, or how important I really am to people… but I don’t see killing myself (or attempting) as being a very productive way of solving the problem.  Communication means a lot, and so does spending time just thinking.  Hell, thinking about it is what leads me to discover that most of my insecurities are inside my own head, and are only there because of how I was treated in the past… my mind is clouded by that, and makes it hard sometimes to see how I am really treated now.  Doesn’t justify trying to kill myself over.  Just takes logic and effort to see through it.

    Anyway, not sure where I was going with all this… I suppose I just wanted to vent, and didn’t want to annoy or bother Tami with stupid things.  I know that this is probably the most insensitive thing any of you have ever seen me type or say, but sometimes stupid acts don’t need to be buried or sugar-coated to make the person seem a victim of their own choices in life.  To my 2 or 3 readers, take a minute to tell someone that you care.  It won’t kill you, and I doubt it would kill them… unless they’re mentally unbalanced and try to pop some pills or something, in which case, well… whatever.  I hear they make those jackets in all sizes, and yes, the sleeves are SUPPOSED to be too long.  Otherwise, where would the challenge have been for Houdini?

Then 9/11 happened. I had been out of school for some time by this point, but living in the States at that time, it hit close to home. Schools were locked down (including the small-town school my then-step-son was attending), all planes were forced to land, and military was mobilized. People had died. Lots of people. Every News channel, every website, every conversation centered aorund this act, and the idea that we were going to War. Canada, my home Country, was one of the first to reach out to the States with an offer of aide (something a lot of Americans have since forgotten). Soldiers from my home Country were now at War, fighting for a Country that was not even their own. And more, Soldiers from my home Country were dying for that War. Selfless acts of sacrifice in the name of Freedom and again, the way of life we had taken for granted.

Between September 11 2001 and September 25 2007, 72 Canadians have lost their lives (LINK). These were not simply unnamed faces… these were someone’s son, or daughter, or neice or nephew, or grandson or granddaughter, or mother or father. All people who stood up and stepped forward to defend freedom, and ultimately gave their lives for it. How do we honour them? How do we now, today, stand here and say thank you to those people who can no longer be here with us? We take a day, and dedicate it to their lives and their sacrifice. We think of them, we carry their courage and their memory and their sacrifice with us, and we make sure that what they gave was not in vain. And we make sure that every generation knows what November 11th really means. It’s not a day from school, nor a day from work. It’s a day to say “Thank You”.

If that same teacher were to now ask me the same question I was asked then, my answer would likely be much different. I only wish it did not take the deaths of all those men and women for me to stop viewing the day through selfish eyes, and to understand what it really meant.

Rememberance.

To everyone who is in the Military, or has been, or knows someone who is and stands by them even in the darkest of moments. Thank you.

Tribute to Canadian Soldiers

Canadian Forces Tribute
Played at Military Night
Produced: Steve Godkin, Manitoba Moose
March 10, 2007
Winnipeg,Manitoba,Canada
MTS Centre
Moose vs. Iowa Stars
AHL Hockey
Parent Club; Vancouver Canucks

For our King and our country and the promise of glory
We came from Kingston and Brighton to fight on the front line
Just lads from the farms and boys from the cities
Not meant to be soldiers we lay in the trenches

We’d face the fighting with a smile - or so we said
If only we had known what danger lay ahead

The sky turned to grey as we went into battle
On the fields of Europe young men were falling
I’ll be back for you someday - it won’t be long
If I can just hold on ’til this bloody war is over

The guns will be silent
On Remembrance Day
There’ll be no more fighting
On Remembrance Day

By October* of ‘18 Cambrai had fallen
Soon the war would be over and we’d be returnin’
Don’t forget me while I’m gone far away
Well it won’t be long ’til I’m back there in your arms again

The guns will be silent
On Remembrance Day
There’ll be no more fighting
On Remembrance Day

One day soon - I don’t know when
You know we’ll all be free and the bells of peace will ring again
The time will come for you and me
We’ll be goin’ home when this bloody war is ended

The guns will be silent
On Remembrance Day
We’ll all say a prayer
On Remembrance Day

On Remembrance Day - say a little prayer
On Remembrance Day

Well the guns will be silent
There’ll be no more fighting
Oh we’ll lay down our weapons
On Remembrance Day

Known as “Remembrance Day” in Canada, and “Veterans Day” in the United States, the meaning is the same. To remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to assure our freedoms and, in essence, our very way of life that many now take for granted.

Do I support the war? No. There is nothing I would want to see more than our Nations sons and daughters brought home before they too loose their lives. But will I stand and honour them for their choices and their actions? Yes. An amazing artist (who has already made appearances here) wrote an astounding piece called “Soldier” as a tribute to these people, and has made it available for free to anyone who wishes to listen, watch, or use it.

I urge all readers (all what… two or three of you, counting the google bawts) to please take a few minutes to visit This Site and show your support for our armed forces all over the World, both active and retired. You can download the song and video at This Webpage… or you could just watch it down below.

Please do me a favour.  On November 11th, at 11 AM, please take a moment to think of the sacrifices that were made so that you could even take that moment. It won’t kill you.

Take care, everyone.

Some people say, I’m a fighter
Some people hate what I do
I stand for my country
I stand for you

I got a family that loves me
They respect what I do
Try telling your child you’re leaving
Believe me it’s a hard thing to do

So, If I die don’t judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I will die for you

We have our reasons
Rules, morals and beliefs
I won’t slander your opinion
I’m just searching for peace

So, If I die don’t judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I will die for you

I could… but I’m sure most of that will be released slowly in the coming months as the trial progresses and information reaches the WWW.  Besides, why read here when you can read it in any of the thousands of other sites that are focusing on the arrest (even though they are focusing on a site that was attacked for a week, more than one that was attacked for years, but whatever… an arrest is an arrest).  Instead, I think I’ll focus on a lighter note.

Morale.  What’s that, you say?  Well, when Greg was running free, we were under a constant threat of having our sites attacked again (and again, and again), causing yet more damage to the systems and loss of data and coding.  It makes it hard for anyone to want to actually do anything, when you don’t even know how long it will be there for.  With Greg’s arrest, it’s like a weight has been lifted.  People are more willing to talk openly, and to participate in conversations on the forums again.  The threat has been, shall we say, neutralized… at least for the time being.  I mean, there’s still thousands of botnet kiddies out there… packet monkeys riding on the coat tails of the original gods of the hacking world (read: Mitnick).  Taking one kiddie down hardly puts a dent in the global cause.  But it’s one less threat, and that’s good enough for me.

I guess in a way, I could be thanking Greg.  Not that I will, seeing as fate would have played out one way or another anyway, but just the same, his idiocy and stupid choice of actions did speed things up some.  What would I be referring to?  Well, while I had spoken to Tami some beforehand (one of the groups on my IRC was harassing her and her team on another network, so we had to chat to each other on a few occasions to bring peace to the groups), it was the actions of Greg that caused us to begin speaking to each other regularly.  IM, email, IRC, and the occasional 3 AM wake-up call on the phone (”Greg is on IRC, and the server load is going up..” “Okay, I’ll be there in a minute *yawn*”).  As I said, fate would have eventually played it’s part anyway seeing as I already knew Tami, but the fact that we were sort of thrown into a situation where near-constant communication was necessary was a bit of a silver lining to the dark cloud that was sitting over our community for 4 years.  That silver lining, I suppose, has turned into more of a gold ring. 

Anyway, just wanted to point out that even in the shadows of idiocy, there can always be a good side.  I also want to point out that while he was, in all examples given to the public so far, a few KB short of a MB (heh… computer reference), he was actually a very intelligent kid who held great promise if only he would have focused on something more productive instead of destructive.  On several occasions, he was invited to join Killanet as a productive member of the group, and to use his knowledge to help others instead of causing problems.  He, apparently, decided to choose the latter anyway.

On a side-note, I wanted to make a public display of thanks to the officers who worked on this case (who I am not sure if I can name or not, although one in particular always made me laugh while we were discussing the case on the phone, and I’m sure he knows I mean him), as well as Assistant U.S Attorney Matthew Segal and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the time and effort they have put into this.  You all are, for the record, life savers.  Not to mention sanity savers (is that even a real term?).  Anyway, thanks everyone.  And thanks to those who actually cared enough to read this.

Anyone looking for updates on the case, please visit our home site, http://www.killanet.net, as that is where the updates will be posted.  That’s also where you can get hold of myself, or the other admins and staff, in regards to this whole mess.

Anyhow, take care everyone, and talk to you soon. 

- Me

Source
McGREGOR W. SCOTT
United States Attorney
Eastern District of California
Sacramento
501 I Street, Suite 10-100
Sacramento, CA 95814

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDICTMENT AND ARREST FOR COMPUTER HACKING

SACRAMENTO — United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today the arrest of GREG KING, 21, of Fairfield, California, and the unsealing of an Indictment returned on September 27, 2007, charging KING with four counts of electronic transmission of codes to cause damage to protected computers.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, a prosecutor with the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office who is handling the case, the Indictment alleges that KING used a “botnet” to attack computer servers. A botnet is a network of infected computers that, unbeknownst to their owners, are compromised by a hacker and programmed to respond to a hacker’s commands. The infected computers are referred to as “bots,” “zombies,” or “drones.” According to documents filed with the court, KING allegedly controlled over seven thousand such “bots” and used them to conduct multiple distributed denial of service attacks against websites of two businesses. In a distributed denial of service attack, a hacker directs a large number of infected computers (“bots”) to flood a victim computer with information and thereby disable the target computer. On the Internet, KING was also known as “Silenz, Silenz420, sZ, GregK, and Gregk707.”

When agents went to arrest KING at his residence this morning, KING went out the back door of the residence carrying a laptop computer, depositing it in the bushes in the backyard. Agents obtained a warrant to search KING’s backyard and seized the computer. KING was arrested and is expected to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Sacramento at 2:00 p.m. today.

The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of transmission of damaging code to a protected computer is ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. However, the actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables, and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

You can also read about it Here and Here (You can also download and read a full copy of the Unsealed Indictment at this link).

 Or, if you would prefer to just listen…

The singer is Shawn Hlookoff, and I’m sure the person I’m thinking of as I listen to this song knows that it’s them I am actually thinking of (Assuming they even are aware that this place exists, and have gone through the trouble of actually checking it) , so I’ll just say… I love you Tami (you know, in case there was that small shadow of doubt or something ).

And hey look, there’s lyrics too.  Just for those who are too lazy t