Leinninger.com

It looks as though somebody is trying to comprimise my server. Dozens of attempts from 59.120.66.41 to login as root via ssh on several ports were captured in my server logs. The netblock owner (hinet.net) appears to be a Chinese site. I promptly banned the ip address and will continue to monitor my logs. George noticed that a network security consultancy was trying to get into his site… I don’t see any relationship here, but vow to take further action if the attempts continue.

Update: Ben tipped me off that this is most likely a worm that’s been floating around.

- Duane

Gina got me GT4 last week. Though the time I’ve been able to dedicate to the game has been limited, it’s pretty freakin’ awesome. Better graphics, better a.i., and more gameplay features make this one of the must-have titles for the PS2… duh. One of the new features is the ability to play B-spec mode… where you are the racing team manger and direct your driver when to pit, overtake, etc. If you’re a racing geek like me, this will add a whole new dimension to the game. Playing GT4 made me long for warmer days… and inspired me to write a new article. This one goes out to my homey… Brad.

- Duane

Gina and I had our first date after she tried out for a band that I play guitar in: Rogerbox. The band has been a pretty significant part of our lives over the past few years. In December of 2003 we lost our drummer, Eric, to job prospects in Ohio. We auditioned a few drummers, and a few months after Eric left, we brought Andy on board. He too left the band to pursue his career and we were left without a percussion section once again. After Andy left, we posted some signs and updated our website to find a new drummer. We had a few bites from musicians with a lot of experience. However, they wanted to make money playing shows. We’re not really in it for the money, and as soon as we shared this morsel with our prospects, they faded away.

A few weeks ago, Eric called and expressed his desire to get together and practice. We did just that. After a couple of practices, it feels like old times again. We’re a little rusty, but things are coming together well.

We haven’t talked about where this might lead, but I think we could pull things together and play a show relatively soon. We’ve had a few calls during our hiatus, and it wouldn’t be difficult to book a show or two.

When we stopped playing, something was missing. I wasn’t sure if it was the social aspect or the extra “free time…” In any event, it feels good to be playing out with other musicians again.

I recently purchased an inexpensive “sonic maximizer” that has made a world of difference in my guitar tone. It clarifies my sound without much effort, it’s compact, and easy to use. I highly recommend this piece of equipment to anyone looking to clean up their sound without a large investment (new guitar). Even more, I’m hoping to use this new tool in an upcoming show… whenever that me be. I hope to see you there. Keep an eye on our website for upcoming performances.

- Duane

I’ve given up on airblogging.com. It’s not being maintained in a way that I can rely on. In the past, I’ve kept away from 3rd party solutions since they’re all too often well outside of my control. Many of them start charging for their service, others just disappear. I switched to flickr.com. They offer simple photo storage and blog updating in addition to a number of advanced features. I use the automated email update system to post to flickr, which then sends the update to blogger.com. This is especially handy when using my new Sony Ericsson K700 to send moblog photo updates. More on that phone later…

- Duane

Although I’ve just completed my XP-based media center, I would sell it in a heartbeat to switch to a Mac-based media center. Every day, Microsoft Anti-spyware Beta detects 3-6 new spyware threats on my media center box alone. Engadget gives a few pointers as well as links to this project site focusing on building a complete mac mini media center solution.

- Duane