Most Creative 417 Spam ever? Thursday, Oct 29 2009

In my Gmail account today.

*****SPAM***** UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION UNIT
SpamX

 Reply |UNITED NATIONS OFFICE
show details Oct 27 (2 days ago)
UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION UNIT,
IN AFFILIATION WITH WORLD BANK.
Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations
351 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

 
Our Ref: UN/TH/069011
Date: 27/10/2009

 RE: COMPENSATION OF US$1,000.000.00

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and family? You may not understand why this mail came to you. We have been having a meeting for the passed 3 months which ended yesterday with the secretary to the UNITED NATION. This email is to all the people that have been scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$1,000.000.00 each and you have to indicate how much you lost in the hand of scammers.
This includes every foreign contractors, Inheritance and Lottery payment that have not received their Lottery/Inheritance payment, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international Lottery payment that failed due to Government problems etc. We found your name in our list and that is why we are contacting you, this have been agreed upon and have been signed.
You are advised to contact Mr James Phillips for the delivery of your ATM CARD through our paying center in Asia as he is our representative in Thailand, contact him immediately for your ATM CARD PAYMENT of US$1,000.000.00. This funds are in ATM CARD PAYMENT SYSTEM for security purpose, so he will send it to you and you can withdraw the fund in any bank of your choice.
Therefore, you should send him your full Name and telephone number your correct mailing address where you want him to send the ATM CARD to you. Contact Mr James Phillips immediately for the Delivery of your ATM CARD to your home address:

Person to Contact: Mr James Phillips
Email: mrjamesphillipss@yahoo.com.hk
Tel: Tel: (66)823221492
Thanks and God bless you and your family. Hoping to hear from you as soon as you cash your ATM CARD.
United Nations, Making the world a better place.

Regards,

 
Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary-General

Well, if it’s from the Secretary General of he UN it must be okay!  Obviously the UN uses a Yahoo email address, what else would they use.

I never get spam in my AOL account, just my Gmail.

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Wargame Counters WW2 Companies Sunday, Oct 11 2009

Sets of counters suitable for ‘Poor Bloody Infantry” (PBI) by Peter Pig and “I ain’t been shot mum” (IABSM) by the Too Fat Lardies

British

Germans 1

Germans 2

Casulaty markers

I stick mine on the back of cheap floor tiles (the self adhesive kind) before cutting to give extra weight.

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Yet another reason to hate Facebook. Sunday, Oct 11 2009

I really can not see the point of Facebook- posting inane little messages, vomiting whatever though flits through your mind.  However I do use it to play ‘flash’ games on, so I can try and outdo my stepson (aka Wookie, or Chewie).

Facebook, obviously feeling unloved has started making up quotes for me.  I posted one high score, and it added the comment

oh my, this is going to become a huge distraction..

where my comments would normally be typed.

I DIDN’T TYPE THAT.

Are there anti-social networking sites I can join?

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Dana stitches me up like a kipper. Thursday, Oct 1 2009

The lovely Ms Hunter at En Tequila es Verdad has bestowed an award on me:

It’s one of those meme thingies: I now have to name 7 favourite blogs, and then 7 favourite authors.  If they pick this up they are supposed to do the same.  Now apparently others have been doing it in alphabetical order so as to show no favouritism.  That’s too much like work at 11pm, so you get it in the order I pull them off in! Or at least in subsets.

First up is one of my personal favourites: Stupid Evil Bastard (aka SEB). Les’ site has the distinction of being the one that my wife objects to me looking at  on her laptop because it leaves ‘Stupid Evil Bastard’ in her address bar history.  His tag line “What the fuck is wrong with you people?” sums up his attitude to ‘Teh stoopid’ he sees all around him.  He says ‘Stupid evil bastard’ are three words sometimes used about him because he hates America is a liberal atheist, who doesn’t mind telling people when they are wrong.  Good place to see right wingers and creationists get the spanking they deserve.

Playing Yang to Les’ Yin is ***Dave, a SEB regular, on ***Dave does the blog. The *** isn’t anything rude- just a hangover from when you actually had to type into computers, rather than click.  Many posts are composites of links to other stories- why write the same as someone else, makes sense.  He has a little family of blogs, including his RPG and ‘WIST’- “I wish I’d said that”.

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Kiss Me Hardy, by the Too Fat Lardies- review Monday, Sep 28 2009

Review of ‘Kiss Me, Hardy’ – Too Fat Lardies.

£7 pdf download, approx 50 pages.

I had been browsing for a set of Napoleonic Naval wargame rules for some time, and following a trip to Portsmouth, and HMS Victory I started to seriously look out a set. Many sets free on the ‘net appeared to by highly complex, with a large amount of book-keeping necessary.  I knew of KMH, and in answer to a question on TMP I was told they were a easy playing set, something a friend confirmed, so I took the plunge and ‘pay-pal’ed the ‘Too Fat Lardies’, having heard good things in general about their systems.

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“The Greatest Show on Earth” Review of Dawkins’ latest book. Wednesday, Sep 23 2009

Prof. Richard Dawkins, one of the worlds most famous atheists, has published a new book- “The Greatest Show on Earth” subtitled “The evidence for evolution”. (UK 1st edition Bantam Press, £20, 467 pages plus 32 pages full colour photos, as well as line drawn illustrations, bibiography and full index)

“Another Dawkins book? What can he add?” you may ask.  He has his sights set firmly on the evidence, and delivers broadside after broadside into forces of what he calls “history deniers”- in a way a title more satisfying than calling them ’science deniers’ or ‘Creationists’.  That gives an indication of his target.  He isn’t ‘going after God’ as such, though he makes it clear where his thoughts on the subject lie, but rather those who deny evolution to be true.

He starts this assault with the first chapter title- ‘Only a theory’, one of the Creationist mantras.  Similarly Chapter 6 is “Missing Link? What do you mean missing.

The text as a whole is written in an easy to read style, suitable for the layman, and he assumes no prior knowledge.  Indeed at a couple of points he warns that the following explanation is complicated, and if the reader is tired they may wish to stop at that point until they are more awake.  Although this is a book of biology, he takes time for a ‘beginners guide to carbon dating’ as well as dendrochronology (using trees to date events), to show how we are able to sort fossils into ages.

He explains a number of different experiments showing how we can see evolution happening- from man forced evolution in dogs, to how certain dog like traits emerge in foxes when selected for breeding only on the basis of freindliness- you get dog ears and tail, even though the researchers never selected for this.  He also shows how labatory experimentation has been confirmed and repeated in the wild.  Plus he describes an expriment where E.coli have evolved an ‘irreducably complex’ trait, thus nailing that particular lie from the ‘Designers’.

On the way through he is not afraid to take a swipe at scientists, and how they can add to the confusion, giving hostages to fortune for those who wish to mislead the public. Taxonomy is one of his favoured targets, pointing out if we did have a complete fossil record at what point would we be able to say Austrolopithicus became Homo? Each child must have been close enough to the parent to be the same, but at some point the difference between long dead  ancestor and newly born baby must be big enough to warrant a new name!

The photos, like the text is full of ‘WOW!” factor, and many are beautiful in their own right as pictures.

The whole book is an easy read, Dawkins moving it along with a pace that a number of best selling fiction writers could learn from.  It assumes no prior knowledge, but for those already familiar with evolution is not basic.  Indeed, I found it was clarifying things that I ‘knew’, and may even have been ‘obvious’  but could not have articulated as well.  He also pays credit to other books, such as Coyne’s “Why Evolution is True”, not covering subjects too deeply where it has already been done well, and letting you know what to read.

This is very much an ‘everyone’ book- not just for those who already know evolution to be true.  It will cover those gaps left by the time pressured teaching of biology in schools, and any literate teen could read it.  In addition it would be a great book to lend to freinds who are open-minded enough to explore evolution, even if they never understood it beyond the soundbite culture of how it is presented in the modern media.

Go on, give your money to RD, not Dan Brown!

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Bloody Knackered. Monday, Sep 21 2009

Actually not too bad, considering I’v just played competetive sport for the first time in years. A game of 4 a side footie in the gym at lunchtime for about 45 minutes.  The problem isn’t so much aches and pains, but my lungs had no capacity, and I got short of breath early on. That, and I was crap.

If any one knows a way to improve lung capacity then let me know!

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UK Government apologises for its treatment of Alan Turing Friday, Sep 11 2009

For those who don’t know, and frankly you should, Alan Turing was one of mankinds greatest brains, jointly responsible for the first electronic computers, using it to break the Wehrmacht’s Enigma ‘unbreakable’ codes. Station X was one of the most important parts of the Allied war machine in World War 2. The Battle of the Atlantic was won because of ‘Station X’ at Bletchley. German troop movements throughout the campaign in North West Europe following D-Day were known in advance, sometimes Churchill was reading Hitler’s messages before Hitler was.

Not just that, but the fact that you are reading this is due in no small part to Turing. He was a also a major factor in how we see AI today.

He was also criminalised because he was gay, eventually commiting suicide.

However Her Majesty’s Government have now made an official apology, in the wake of a petition signed by many thousands of us, gay and straight.
Full text below the fold

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teddy bear hail to the dictator Friday, Sep 11 2009

This was a search engine term that brought someone to the Barracks. I have to know, can the person tell me what they were looking for, and what they actually found here?

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Kiss Me Hardy Game cards Wednesday, Sep 9 2009

For you to make that all important deck for the “Kiss Me Hardy” wargame by the “Too Fat Lardies”. (Review) Each card is 6cm x 9cm (at least it was before the PDF process!), clip art from Word2002.

KMH General Cards

KMH British Cards

KMH French cards

KMH Spanish Cards

Please feel free to leave a comment below.
See also record sheets for all Ships of the Line at Trafalgar.

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Kiss Me Hardy- Trafalgar data sheets Friday, Sep 4 2009

Ship sheets for all ships of the line at Trafalgar, for use with ‘Kiss Me Hardy’ naval rules by ‘Too Fat Lardies’. (review)

KMH Trafalgar Ships

They should be mostly self explanatory if you have the rules. All possible national characteristics are shown, those in brackets are ones that may not occur depending on crew quality- e.g all JJT’s are ‘Determined’ but not all are (Fervent)- cross out any that don’t apply to your die roll for that ship

On the DP track numbers in red italic are the 5DP point for losing a gunnery factor, and the box with the double/heavy outline is the 50% mark- when you cross this off it is the strike test.  The % down the side are the basic strike percentage while any boxes in that row are not crossed out.

The track down the side of the rigging boxes is for putting a counter in if you alter sail setting.

I trim mine to a 2-3mm outside the border, laminate, then trim these to a few mm all around- enough for the laminate to stick away from the paper.  I use OHP/whiteboard type pens to mark off.  This means I can just put the whole lot in a basin of water (or once, under the shower) to quickly clean them.

See also cards for “Kiss Me Hardy”.

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Star Trekking (across the Universe): Intech Planetarium Tuesday, Aug 25 2009

Holiday: Day 1, Monday.
Last week we spent a few days in Hampshire. As is our usual practice we started the visiting on the day of travel before arriving at the place we stay (in this case a cheap family room in a Travel-lodge). This time it was the Intech Science Centre just outside Winchester.

http://www.intech-uk.com/ 
Lady Hussar had got money off vouchers from the ‘web, and I think it cost about £20 for a family ticket, plus another £2 per person ( four people) for the addition of the planetarium. (fold put in, as it is a long post- but my experience was amazing)

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More 10mm Sunday, Jul 26 2009

More photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7995576@N07/sets/72157621671630377/

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Moon Landing Conspiracy idiot sees stars Tuesday, Jul 21 2009

40 years ago two men walked on the moon, the culmination of a feat embodying all that is best about the human spirit.

However in the modern fucked up world there are those who see Government conspiracy, who must undermine others.  This is what happened two years ago when one – 37 year old Bart Sibrel- calls Buzz Aldrin- at the time of this video 72 years old- a liar  to his face.

 

Hero of the Human Race – WIN

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Dear Ireland Monday, Jul 13 2009

From Ireland’s new ‘blasphemy law’

Section 36

(1) A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €100,000. [Amended to €25,000]

(2) For the purposes of this section, a person publishes or utters blasphemous matter if (a) he or she publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion, and (b) he or she intends, by the publication or utterance of the matter concerned, to cause such outrage.

As Les notes at StupidEvilBastard.com, this part of the bill makes it illegal to criticize any religion either verbally or in writing.

SO. Here goes.

There is no evidence of any god, Abrahmic or otherwise.

There is no evidence that anything in Genesis is true.

There is no evidence, indeed no reference outside of the Bible, of Jesus Son of god.  There may have well been a wandering rabbi/heretic called Jesus, but the Romans never mention him.  Don’t quote Pliny and Josephus, they talk about ChristIANS- it’s like says seeing Tom Cruise in a movie proves Scientology is correct.

You may be interested to know I have seen it argued that ‘Jesus’ was a name of a number of Jews, and had no special connotation- this is why Pilate is so careful with asking the crowd who to release, maybe Barabbas’ name was also Jesus (Bar Abbas=son of Abbas).

Whatever the truth of 2000 years ago, that cracker and wine certainly doesn’t turn into his flesh and blood.

Denying contraception on the basis of religious texts from thousands of years ago is evil,  using them isn’t.

Ditto “Teh gays”.

While I’m about it.

There almost certainly is no god (see above re lack of evidence), not even Allah.  Ergo Muhammed was not his prophet. (Cos there is no prophet Atheism; boom-boom. I’m here all week).

And Wiccans- No, you are not a Witch of any sort, black, white or spangly (A “Do what?” possibly, but not a witch). There is no Earth spirit.

MOST IMPORTANTLY.

It is wrong to hate someone because of a belief in something that isn’t your belief. 

Now as an atheist I don’t care what you do in the privacy of your own home or place of worship.  However

1. Don’t expect me to fund it through taxation.
2. Don’t expect me to agree with you, and if I spot a flaw in your religeous arguement dont expect me to gloss over it if you rely on that flaw.
3. Don’t assume that you get extra rights because of your belief. (well ok- in Ireland you do, but don’t expect me to agree with that).
4. Don’t expect me to be quiet if you want it taught as ‘Scientific Fact’ in schools.
5. or indeed want your private beliefs to be considered more protected than my private beliefs

See, depite what you may think there is no such thing as a Militant Atheist- Not even Richard Dawkins.  We don’t go around pushing newspapers through doors asking “Have you heard the Good News about Science?”.  We don’t stand in town squares reading bits out of ‘Origin of Species’, or complaining when science shows that something we believe in isn’t true.

I’ll admit I was put out when Pluto was declared ‘not a planet’, but that is emotional attachment to a world view that proved to be wrong.  Einstein felt the same way when Nils Bohr showed some of Einstein’s theories to be wrong. But it is just that- emotional attachment to a childhood. I’m never going to go there, and classification is an artificial Human construct. I am certainly not going to support a crusade or jihad demanding it be re-instated as a planet.

Now Ireland; I’ll admit the fact the Irish Sea is between you and me has made me a bit braver in posting this: I’m assuming you won’t go for the whole extradited thing via the EU (though I must say that is actually worrying me a little).  But what are you going to do if the University of Dublin comes up with a bit of research that proves something that offends your Catholic mindset?  Declare Science blasphemous and demand your fine?

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