Nice headline, eh? J.C. Romero blew a 1 run lead, en-route to aloss to the Rangers. The Twins are now tied for second place with the Royals, who lost 7-4 to Anaheim, at 1.5 games behind the ChiSox. The Twins led 1-0, trailed 6-1, led 7-6, trailed 10-7, (thanks to Romero), tied it up in the ninth, and then watched Everyday Eddie lose it. The Twins cause wasn't helped by their giving up 5 homers. Whatever. The Saints open up the playoffs at home for two with teh Winnipeg Goldeyes on Tuesday. Hopefully they can win. Well, Duh. Otherwise, not too much here. bye bye
Well, Elvis will be happy that the Twins game was rain-delayed, so I don't know what the final score is, since it's only in the 4th inning. Meanwhile, everyone should wish Glenn Bushee luck on yet another bike race, this time in the holyland. No, not Israel, Wisconsin. Well then, bye bye
Here is an article that I thought you might find interesting. It is from www.macobserver.com, and is about viruses and you. Well, since its a slow news day, I had nothing else to write. But It is actually a very good article.
So, another week, another Windows virus. Ho-hum.
Computer viruses--Windows-based computer viruses, for the most part--have been around for a long time now, but it's really only since the explosion of the Internet (the modern, commercialized Internet, that is) that they've caught the public eye, and it's only within the past 2-3 years (since the first "rock star" viruses, Melissa, AnnaKournikova and ILOVEYOU) that the media has made a fuss over it.
My, how times have changed. Today, nary a week goes by without headlines screaming about the latest Critical Security Flaw or Yet Another Doomsday Virus swarming the planet. Though Linux and even OS X have been known to have their own occasional security bugaboos, the vast majority of these warnings/threats have come straight out of Redmond (or, more to the point, straight out of sources that Big Redmond would prefer keep their mouths shut).
The past couple of weeks has brought the whole Virus Scare to a near-boiling point: the one-two punches of Blaster and SoBig seem to have FINALLY forced a few IT types to start questioning the whole Microsoft Is God And There Is No God Before Microsoft mantra. Some of the über geek types have started to look into alternate platforms and possibilities (this is particularly impressive since many of them didn't seem to be aware that there WERE any alternatives). Over at the Baltimore Sun, David Zeiler has written two columns exploring the long-standing debate over exactly why Macs are so seemingly immune to the numerous cyber-nasties flying around...is the operating system inherently harder to crack, or is it simply due to there being so many more Windows users out there than Mac users, or "Security Through Obscurity," as the saying goes?
Every time a new Windows virus hits the news (and the PCs), Mac users smugly go about their business and crow about how there's "hardly any" viruses for the Mac as opposed to the "thousands" of Windows-based viruses...but are often at a loss to pinpoint the exact evidence to support their claims. Supposedly, "everyone knows" that Macs have fewer viruses, but just how few has always been a bit of a mystery. In light of this, I decided to run a quick check on the exact numbers involved.
My source? Network Associates (NA), sellers of the McAfee and Virex antivirus products, and one of the leading names in computer virus/anti-virus/security software alongside Symantec and the oft-quoted Sophos PLC.
I kept my search fairly simple--this is just idle curiosity, not a paid research project, after all--but as logical as I could:
1. I went to NA's Virus Information Library
2. According to this site, "More than 71,000 virus threats exist today. The McAfee AVERT Virus Information Library has detailed information on where viruses come from, how they infect your system, and how to remove them."
OK, fair enough. I'm not going to look up all 71,000, but that's pretty specific...I'll take their word for it.
3. Next, I ran an advanced search using simply "Macintosh" as my criteria.
This kicked back a total of 612 virus listings.
4. Next, I subtracted out a couple dozen "Hoaxes"...hoaxes are not viruses, these are exactly what the name implies--phantom "chain-mail" style myths which perpetually circle the globe like the Flying Dutchman or the Wandering Jew, never settling down due to shmoes who keep forwarding them to their family & friends (with the best of intentions and the most annoying of results). Hoaxes are basically unintentional spam mail--annoying but not really dangerous, and there's so much actual spam out there nowadays that they've pretty much been buried by it. This brings the total down to 580.
5. I also deleted one which got listed only because the description stated that the virus does NOT affect Macintosh systems...the Boolean search threw it into the mix. Total: 579.
Before we go any further, note that we're already down to less than 1% of the total...even though Macs make up about 5% of the total INSTALLED BASE of computers worldwide (this is how many are IN USE, NOT how many are being sold each quarter/year, which is what "market share" means), depending on your source.
6. This is where things start to get very interesting. You see, out of those 579 total viruses which affect some versions of the Mac operating system, you'll notice that the vast majority of their names start with a WM/ or XM/. I checked these out, and sure enough, this means that they're a Macro virus which runs exclusively on some versions of--you guessed it--Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel (there are a few Word/Excel Macro viruses which don't have WM/ or XM/ in their names as well). In fact, over 95% of these so-called "Mac" viruses are actually directly made possible by Microsoft software. If you take these out of the equation, which seems reasonable to me since there are solid alternatives on the Mac to Word and Excel, just as there are alternatives to Windows itself, you're left with the following number of viruses that affect the Mac and can't be blamed on Microsoft in any way, shape or form: 26.
Yes, that’s right: 26 out of a total of over 71,000.
However, I've left out one of the most important factors here: All 26 of these, along with the other 553 Word/Excel Macro viruses, were designed for the OLDER versions of the Mac OS (and the older versions of Word/Excel, to be fair). None of this has anything to do with Mac OS X, which is the relevant system to look at.
If you remove the viruses which don't affect OS X, you know what you're left with--at least, as of this writing, and to the best of my knowledge?
Zero. None. Zip. Zilch.
A few final notes:
--Yes, Apple has had the occasional security issue update for OS X, but a security issue isn't the same thing as a virus--it's a potential, theoretical threat. Besides, any time Apple has released a security update, it's been a quick, quiet, simple install with no muss, no fuss, and no worsening of the original problem (again, to my knowledge).
--Yes, it can also be argued that just as the majority of Mac viruses can't be counted against OS X, so too the majority of Windows viruses may very well not affect Windows XP. To this I have two responses: 1) if you feel like digging into each and every one of those 70,974 virus descriptions to see which versions of Windows they do or don't affect, be my guest, because I don't have THAT much free time; and 2) even assuming that 90% of them don't affect XP, that would still leave a ratio of 7,100 to 0...and 7,100 is still infinitely more than none.
--Getting back to the original question of why there are so few viruses for the Mac, my response is simple: Does it really matter? Let's assume that the naysayers are correct, that the only reason is because "no one bothers" to crack into the Mac OS. Even if this is the case (which I doubt)...SO WHAT? If I live in a neighborhood with an extremely low crime rate, I really don't care WHY the burglars stay away. Maybe I have good locks on my doors. Maybe they don't like the stuff in my house. Bottom line, Ill still sleep better at night.
--Finally, yes, there's always the possibility of a nasty OS X virus someday--that's why Apple includes Virex with their .Mac accounts, and that's why the company issues the occasional security update. OS X is not 100% immune to nasty problems (as anyone who lost their hard drive during the iTunes 2 debacle can tell you). No operating system is.
Also, the argument keeps being made by some anti-Mac partizans that "if Macs had 90% of the market, they'd have just as many virus problems as Windows does," as if this justifies Microsoft's sloppy coding. Well, you know what? Maybe that's true; I doubt it, but perhaps it is. The day that Apple has a 90% market share and is plagued with viruses, I'll be more than happy to admit that I was wrong.
Somehow, I don't see either of those things happening anytime soon, but I can wait if you can.
No, I really meant it. I am just testing something out. If someone is reading this, please email me at greenmantle@morningspin.com, or my real email address. That one works, but the other might be easier.
No, I really meant it. I am just testing something out. If someone is reading this, please email me at greenmantle@morningspin.com, or my real email address. That one works, but the other might be easier.
Brilliant comment, that. No wonder he called himself psycho. Hey, at least he signed it. What I was trying to say was that the wine is not made in Italy. I was sarcastically opining that it is made in Romania, which is not exactly known for its vinerys. I hope that I spelled that right. Then I said that at least the grapes should come from Italy. Who knows? Maybe they do? But I highly doubt it. AOL quit on me 9 times tonight. I am guessing that it is because of that virus thingamagiggie. Man, would I like to string whoever created that babys neck up. Preferably on a tree. Of course, a flag pole would do just as well.
Saving the best for last, the Twins moved to within 1.5 games of the ChiSox with a 6-1 victory over the hated Anaheim Angels. I don't know what happened with the Royals, but you could find out by visiting their website. Have a good day tommorow, and remember, that the sun always shines, even when you can't see it. Actually, when the sun burns out, people won't realise it for 8 minutes. That's how long it takes for the suns light to reach this great planet earth. Of course, if you are on the side which is in darkness when this happens, then you will never have light again. The other side won't either, but at least they will have a vivid memory. Unless they were in a cubicle. ByeBye
So, more news from Bellacera wine, the stuff that claims to be the greatest thing since George, George, George of the Jungle. Now it turns out that they are an Italian "style" Chardonnay. Where is it made? Romania? I mean please, it is pathetic that they can't even afford to buy grapes from Italy. At least you could get them from some cheap export place. It might not be good, but it sure sounds alot better then "style."
I will write more eventually. Try about 8 hours.
Well, in reality, (that sorry part of existence) the Twins did not in fact "win big". They beat the hated Anaheim Angels 3-0 behind a complete game shutout from Brad Radke. It was, as can be imagined, a brilliant pitching performance. The Twins racked up 12 hits, 9 of which were singles. Two were solo homeruns, and one was a 2B. It took the Twins 4 hits to score one run in the second. They manged to keep up theat percentage for the rest of the game. This amazing figure is a testament to the defense and scrappiness of the Anaheim angels, who managed to bring the tying run to the plate despite getting 7 less hits then the victorious Minnesota team.
In unrelated news, Krakatoa has not erupted. There are no herds of Wildebeest sweeping across the plains. Well, actually, there might be, but they most probably have died of AIDS, much like the rest of Africa. The southern part that is. It is unfortunate that Egypt, despite being part of the continent claiming to be the cradle of life is mostly free of this epidemic. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the occupiers of the Sinai were to suddenly require only the attention of burial parties? I know that this is a hopeless fancy, much like the one I have of living in Longbourne, with the hygienic aid of showers. All those people might have looked spiffy in their various vestments, but that places must have stunk to high heaven.
Have any of you, my wondeful readers, heard a commercial for Bellacera? It is an Italian dinner wine which has the most horrible radio advertisements. The beginning is corny but all right, but the last part says, and I quote, "It's going to be a beautiful evening, or as they say in Italian, a Bellacera." Ooph, such horrible prose.
Well, have a good night, Greenmantle.
In Case you were wondering, the Krakatoa bit was from Fawlty Towers.
You people are not writiing your names, so I don't know what is happening with you? Did you notice when Hammas stopped their "Ceasefire?" It was after Israelis bombed them, not after they murdered more than 20 innocents. That is just ridiculous. The "ceasefire" was obviously over after that attach. Whatever. There's a reason why I don't write much about politics and other geographic things, simply because I don't know too much about it. I write what I know, which is sports and other weird things. Well, have a good night, necause I probably will.
You know, when Juliet says, "Romeo oh romeo, where art thou oh Romeo?" she is in fact referring to the fact that they can not marry, not inquiring as to where he is. He is sitting beneath her window.
That was just a little bit of classical trivia that may be remembered by people in the years to come, chiefly because it once formed the subject of a Peanuts cartoon. I believe that the punchline was "Now that I know that, what do I do?" Of course, I might be wrong.
Well, have a good Sunday night, I know I will, seeing as the Twins managed to actually win a game, 8-1. It always seems that the games I planned on going to but didn't end up being wins. Such is my fate in life I gues. Thankfully, I have twice planned on going to Packers games, and both times the Packers lost. In my Cheesehead, I probably would not have escaped the victory celebration.
Well, it ain't like I want to write about sports anyway, what with the Twins living and dying by the one run creed, and giving up 3 run leads like they only cost $2.59 at the local supermarket. Well, the fact is, they don't. So, what should I write about? Well, there is the prospect of politics. How about we focus on the Alabama thing? well, the way I see it, this is just a continuation of the civil war. The Juge is claiming states rights, why the federal moron says that it's all unconstitutional. Who knows; maybe there will be another war of Northern aggression. The thing is, I just don;t see this one being viable, simply because the combatants are so mixed up. There are atheists in Arkansas, and religiousers in Rhode Island. Sorry, I couldn't think of a better word. Anywho, that is the gist of it. My opinion is that it really doesn't matter, and in the end, those commandments are not going to be there. Well, byebye.
Hey, who is maing these anonomous threats? Are you trying to threaten the integrity of this blog. Well then, I say to you sir, good day. Well, you could email me at greenmantle@morningspin.com. It wouldn't hurt. Anyway, no news is good news, so come back tommorow
Hey, who is maing these anonomous threats? Are you trying to threaten the integrity of this blog. Well then, I say to you sir, good day. Well, you could email me at greenmantle@morningspin.com. It wouldn't hurt. Anyway, no news is good news, so come back tommorow
Hey, who wrote that scathing comment yesterday? It hurt me to the very depths of my electronic soul, bubba.
Anyway, I promised to one of my many regular viewers that I would write about ploitics, so I will. But first, an update on www.georgewbush.com. Have you gone yet? Remember, he needs your money. And I, by the way, am a registered charity. MCI. No, not the phone company, .......Charities International. Thought you'd find out my name, huh? Now that I am in the big light, I've got to be careful.
Back to .com. SO I downloaded a bunch of pictures off the bush page, thinking to put 'em on as background for my iBook. Unfortunately, they are a couple of pixels too big. Nu, I'll live.
To sports, where the Twins fell behind 3-0 again, but Shannon Stewart hit a 3 run bomb to tie up the game in the sixth, and then he hit the go ahead single in the seventh, as the Twins moved into second place over KC with a 4-3 win over the aforementioned Kansas City. They are now just .5 game behind 1st place Chicago, who beat Texas 7-3.
Wowee folks! As Grand Casinl in Mille Lacs says, "Life is grand!" The Twins just a half game out of first? Ahhhhnold ready to run roughshod over the proletariat? Could it be? Is it true? And this blog has been mentioned on Yahoo!. And that folks, is the gospel truth. Which ain't true, but I am sure that you can appreciate the point.
Well, I will start with the Twins. SInce I have been on vacation in the Big Apple, (yes, yes, I was there for the big blackout,) the Twins have won 5 out 9 to move to within .5 of first place KC and Chicago. KC has lost 5 of 6, while the White Sox haven't helped themselves with a recent 5 game slide. Tonight, the Twins won 4-3 over the Indiand. None of the runs should have scored. The Twins got three unearned runs in the third frame, and with the score tied at 3 in the seventh, Christian Guzman came up to bat with one out and two men in scoring position. He popped out to the second baseman who was playing in the shortstops position, and Torri Hunter ran home. Normally, he would be out, but this guy held onto the ball for two seconds, and the catcher missed the tag. He, (the catcher) was ejected for arguing, and then he showed his true mettle by throwing a bat, his catchers helmet, the ball, and a stool at the umpire.
Meanwhile, www.georgewbush.com has just come out, and there are some great screensavers and backgrounds on it, under "W Stuff". Go there, and send him some money.
This blog is officially endorsing Arnold, because he is going to win, though a conservative he ain't.
Finally, this blog has been sited on www.google.com, in connection with www.yudelkrinsky.com. Hey, go there. I am telling you, he will enjoy it.
Gilbert Brown is possibly out for the season, as is Bryant Westbrook, two players that the Packers thought would help them tremendously. Brown was a 390 pound run stuffer, and Westbrook a speedt linebacker. Hopefully they will be all right. The Twins, meanwhile, swept a three game series in Detroit, to move to three games over .500. The win also assures them that they will not be any lower then 2.5 games behind coming into Mondays matchup versus the Cleveland Indians, who have been a tough win for the Twins all year.
The Twisn are now just 2.5 games ou of first with their 8-4 win over the Tigers. After giving up an early 4 spot to the Detroit club, rad Radke shut them down and Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones came up big in the tenth as the Twins moved two games above .500. The Packers meanwhile had two touchdown runs from sophomore Najeh Davenport and a fumble recovery in the endzone as they beat the Falcons, sort of avenging a loss last post-season. Of course it really means absolutely nothing. Vikings owner Red McCombs called the NFL pre-season the greatest drama in sports, because men are fighting for their jobs. That is just BS. It means absolutely nothing, he is just trying to sell seats. Which he does, admittedly. Well, after the victory celebrations die down in Wisconsin, you can prepare for the Browns on the 15th, seen on CBS. Well, the 1st quarter should be interesting.
#1 Reagan got his start in California politics, and everyone thought that he was nuts. ANd look where he ended up. In a book called Dutch.
#2 Who wouldn't want a governor who can't speak English properly? Jesse did it. (Dems say Bush did it too)
#3 Whos is he running against? Some porn owner and a Lieutenant Governor? Puuuleeeease.
Anyway, the Twins had a 3-0 lead over the dismal Tigers as of press time.
Well, its asto la vista Gray Davis, seeing as Diane Fienstein is to chicken to run. Hey, the smut king of California is also running, but does he realy have a chance? His proposal is to leagalize slot machines everywhere, and then tax 'em by 30 percent. Hey, if that solves your budget crisis, then you go girl. Which is, of course, excactly what the smut king of California wants. Think of the golden state turning into a sort of Los Vegas with severe issues. Sorry that I just repeated myself there. Hey, the desert of Nevada was a terrible place, Bugsy. Besides, Atlantic City is making a big comeback. When Donald Trump spends, he spends right on the money. Your' money. So anyway, Arnold is going to win, and that means something very special: our first Austrian governor. So who cares if he is married to a Kennedy, eternal enemy of all things sacred in this forsaken land that we call America, he has a good chance of becoming President. At least if Madeline Albright has her way. She wants to change the law so that foreigners can become chief executives. It's like the old saying: "Some of my best friends are foreigners, just these foreigners aren't from the village!"
In sports news, the Twins and Royals both lost, meaning we are still 3.5 back. My goal is to gain a game every series, and we are doing a pretty good job if you ask me. Have a good night.
The Twins and Orioles had a very strange game last Thursday. (Look at that blog to find out about it). There was an even stranger play today at Camden Yards. With men on the corners and one out, some Orioles lackey hit a ball that was caught for the second out. The Oriole's Jose Morban was running as soon as the ball was it, and had to run back to third base to avoid getting picked off. The official then told the Twins pitcher to put the ball in play, and then throw it, not pitch it, to the catcher, who could then step on home plate. The rule is that the runner must go back in the order that he came, meaning that if he stepped on home when he ran, he has to step on it coming back. This runner didn't. Unfortunately, our pitcher pitched the ball, turning a double play into an eventual bases loaded situation. The pitch that he threw was more like a lob, and the batter could have easily teed off for a three run blast wjich would have given Baltimore a lead. Fortunately, he did not. Anyway, the Twins won 7-3, which is, as they say at ATAT, a good thing. Happy fasting, Christian Guzman
Though the team would like to, it isn't realistic to expect them to win every game. Unfortunately, they should have won this one. Corey Coskie made two bad errors, negating a brilliant pitching performance by Kenny Rogers, and the Twins lost 3-2. Fortunately, the Royals were beaten by the ChiSox, so the Twins are only 4.5 games behind first-place Kansas City. Meanwhile, the Saints won again, which is always nice. Well, have a good night, and may the farce go with you.
Well, another day has passed, and though the Packers failed to live up to the pre-preseason hype, they did still mange to survive without major injuries. I can't say the same for the Chiefs, though, who lost one of their defensive ends to a head injury. He was down on the field for ten minutes, and he didn't move for most of the time. That is not good. Speaking of Monday Night Football, their new sideline reporter, Lisa Guerroro, (or something like that) really stinks. I mean that she is not a good football reporter. The woman who did it for the past couple of years was good. Lisa is not. Meanwhile, Andre Agassi, the #1 seed in the Toronto event on the ATP won, so now he gets to face someone else. Wow.
Anyway, the Twins won, meaning that the team is now 1.5 behind Chicago, and 4.5 behind KC. Have faith, my brothers! Praise the great dodger in the sky!
The Twins beat the Tigres on Sunday 7-2 to creep to within 2.5 games of 2nd place Chicago, but remained steady at 4.5 contests behind the Royals. The Twins have been led in the second half by Shannon Stewart, who is a free-agent after this season. Hopefully he will stay, but I doubt that Carl Pohlad, the Twins tight-fisted owner, will offer him anything. The White Sox play the Royals three times in the coming week, and hopefully the two teams will be so involved in killing each other that they won't notice the Twins coming up behind them with a wooden mallet. The National League wild card race is also heating up, and I am going for the Florida Marlins, simply because they are a feel good team. There is a wierd site that you might want to go to, operated by a friend of mine. The address is www.yudelkrinsky.com or something like that. It will make his day if you visit it. Well then, Au Revoir
The Minnesota Twins had won 16 straight games versus the Detroit Tigers, but it all ended as the Twins were destroyed by the motor-city team 9-2. They made several base-running gaffes, and the umpire made a horrible call that allowed the game to get away from the Twins, who are now 4.5 games behind Kansas City. The White Sox were lsoing last time I checked, which is a good thing. The Saints won, but they won't have a winning record in the second half. The NFL also started, with the American Bowl being played in Tokyo. The defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 20-7 over the New York Jets. Don't worry though, most teams who do well in the pre-season end up stinking in the regular one. The Packers start their 2003 odyssey in Kansas City on Monday night in the hall of fame game versus the Chiefs, on ABC at 9:00 ET.
The Twins played a 4.25 hour game Thursday, in front of 20,000 fans. There were also 2 Orioles fans, but they were seen slinking off as the winning run came in. The game went to 10 innings, with the teams combining to have 37 players come onto the field. To put that into perspective, there were only 50 players in the dome this evening, and at least 11 of them couldn't play. The Twins had early leads of one and two runs, but fell behind 9-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. They had 19 hits, but they also left 20 men on base, which explained why they weren't winning. The Twins scored twice in that inning, and then had the bases jammed in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Shannon Stewart hit a long flyball that was caught in foul ground, only missing the foul pole, (an automatic homer) by about ten feet. It is a funny thing, but regular readers will know that this is the third Twins game that I have been to this season. They have yet to hit a round-tripper. Anyway, its the bottom of the ninth, first and second, no sweat. Well, Jacque Jones and Torii Hunter both struckout, so that gives us two outs, and still men on first and second. AJ Pierzynski hit a single, which scored one run. Then Michael Restovich struck out, but the ball got away from the catcher so he still had a chance. Unfortunately, he didn't know it. Finally, he started running to first. He is a big guy. Like 250 pound two bowls of Wheeties a day for breakfast kind of big guy. Anyway, he lumbered into first, but the catcher easily threw him out. Unfortunately for the Baltimore squad, the 1st baseman dropped the ball , and the Twins had a tie game. The top of the tenth was smooth enough, going 1-2-3, and the Twins loaded the bases with one down in the bottom of the inning. It didn't help that the Orioles committed their third error in the inning. Then they brought an outfielder in. This means that a ball on the ground is almost certainly one destined for a double-play. If it gets past the infielders though, the game is over. Jacque Jones hit a bouncer over the head of the first basemen, winning the game. There have been many complaints about the metrodome, but on a natural surface, that ball is easily caught. Also, the first baseman was playing in front of the bag, so he never had a chance.
Whew, now that you know about the game, I can go to sleep at it is nearing 1:00 AM.