Email Virus Alert- Greeting Card from a Classmate actually the W32/Zhelatin.gen!eml virus

Was checking out the bulk folders for several email addresses I have, today, for any legit emails that might have inadvertently been pegged as spam (which does happen), when I noticed 2 different greeting card emails. No names I recognized, so I deleted them, though I did hesitate momentarily. You know, curiosity.... blah blah blah. I receive E-Cards quite often, and usually just click on the link, although I usually delete anything with attachments unless I know the sender, and have confirmed that they actually sent it. But the fact that it wound up in the bulk folder made it suspect.

Coincidentally, I received an email from a friend, within seconds of having deleted the E-Card emails, warning of a relatively new virus, with a link to a snopes.com verifying the validity. Actually it was first reported early July, but this is the first time I have received any.

According to Mcafee Anti-Virus, the virus is W32/Zhelatin.gen!eml:

Overview -

This is a generic detection of spammed email messages used to entice users into visiting sites hosting exploits that would result in a drive-by download. A user receives an email titled “You’re received a postcard” [greeting card etc] in his inbox and is requested to open the link contained in the message body in order to view the virtual postcard. On visiting the link, a cocktail of browser and application exploits that attempts a drive-by install of malware on the users machine is performed.

A copy of the spammed message is as follows:

Symptoms -

Presence of the W32/Zhelatin.gen!eml detection is not an indication that a system has become actively infected. The from address is spoofed when sending infectious email messages and therefore, it can not be assumed that the from user address is any indication of which user may actually be infected. The following list of subject lines have been observed in the wild:

You’ve received a greeting card from a admirer!

You’ve received a greeting card from a class mate!

You’ve received a greeting card from a class-mate!

You’ve received a greeting card from a colleague!

You’ve received a greeting card from a family member!

You’ve received a greeting card from a friend!

You’ve received a greeting card from a mate!

There are many more.

Considered low risk, but it's always a pain to remove them, so better safe then sorry. Delete, delete, delete.

In my humble opinion, spammers and virus creators etc. should be drawn and quartered!

Welcoming Home the troops at DFW Airport

This is a heartwarming video. Kleenex optional.

I seem to have missed this story, but Bert Brady was named ABC's Person of the Week, in February 2007, for his dedication to Dallas/Fort Worth's 'Welcome Home a Hero' programme. Brady, a 69 year old Vet, spent 300 days last year welcoming home the troops arriving at DFW Airport, because he believes it is important that our soldiers feel appreciated and proud of their service, unlike the hostile reception the Vietnam Vets received upon their return Stateside.

He's joined by many other people including other vets, business men and women, housewives and children, all there to make our troops feel loved and supported by handing out cookies, along with warm smiles, handshakes and hugs.

What a great idea! Too bad there aren't more programmes like this at every airport in the U.S.

Hugo Chavez: Me, Tyrant? You, go home!

Tyrant-child Chavez is throwing a tantrum once again, and declaring that anyone who calls him a "tyrant" or anything else derogatory, will be thrown out of his country. I guess that's his prerogative considering, after all, it's his dang sandbox, and he can do whatever he darn well pleases. He calls it a "question of national dignity', I call it a question of undignified stupidity.

Looks like Chavezito took great offense when Mexican politician Manuel Espino (president of Mexico's conservative National Action Party)

accused Mr Chavez of seeking to extend his rule indefinitely through his proposed constitutional reforms at a recent conference on democracy and freedom of expression [in Caracas].

Not that he called him a tyrant, per se. But, it obviously touched a nerve.

Without actually naming names, Chavez lashed out, in a 6 hour televised speech [zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz], ordering

cabinet ministers to monitor statements by visitors and deport them if they "denigrated" his leadership. He then asked:"How long are we going to allow a person - from any country in the world - to come to our own house to say there's a dictatorship here, that the president is a tyrant, and nobody does anything about it?......No foreigner, whoever he may be, can come here and attack us. Whoever comes, we must remove him from the country. Here is your bag, sir, go."

Chavez has a serious problem with criticism! Maybe a little therapy would help, though I doubt it. Men like Chavez, Kim Jong-Il, Ahmadinejad and pretty much any dictator (past and present) all seem to have several things in common:

1. Major personality disorders, from narcissism to delusions of grandeur, sprinkled in with a little paranoia.

And,

2. The love of power.

No amount of therapy would help.

And this isn't the first time Chavez has threatened to give foreigners the boot. Back in April 2006, Chavez warned U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield, that he faced expulsion if he continued with his charity work in poor neighborhoods. His offense: handing out baseballs, gloves and other gear to poor kids. Yes, believe it or not, that incident prompted Information Minister Willian Lara to call Brownfield a

"bully" and trying to influence public opinion. [Lara then stated that] “William Brownfield is more active than any Venezuelan opposition leader. You don’t see the ambassadors of Norway, China, or any other country ... in an activity that has such a clear proselytizing nature.”

Hmmm. Handing out sports equipment is proselytizing? Okay. Little does he know of diplomacy. U.S. diplomats, and their families, are always encouraged to participate in charitable activities in their host countries.

And ironically, hypocrite Chavez, critical of our charitable efforts in Venezuela,

has supplied millions of gallons of discounted heating oil to poor Americans! [has the audacity to call] the ambassador’s visit “demagoguery” and an attempt by Washington to extend its influence.

Ah yes, the inability of fools to look within.

Others blogging about Chavez's recent tantrum:

Captains Quarters,
D.C. Thornton



Photo H/T Citizen Feathers

The U.S. Navy's new "Terrorist Catch and Release" program

"The US Navy today announced that it has released a senior Al Qaeda terrorist after questioning him extensively for 27 days while being held prisoner aboard a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. In a humanitarian gesture, the terrorist was given $50 and a white 1962 Ford Fairlane automobile and sent on his way."

A little humour for a change.

The Compassion of Islam: Taliban kill sick S. Korean hostage

One of the South Koreans held hostage by the Taliban was found dead, in central Afghanistan, with 10 bullet wounds to his head, stomach and chest.

Per A.P. News :

The Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said earlier that the hostage was killed because Afghan authorities hadn't met their demands to release other militants from prison. A police official who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation said militants told him the hostage was sick and couldn't walk and was therefore shot.

So, like a wounded animal, an innocent civilian, there to help the people of Afghanistan, was "put down"- killed, without dignity or respect for the sanctity of human life, as if he was some rabid, mangy dog. Islamic apologists claim that Islam does not advocate violence against innocents, and yet it happens all the time.

They released a few of the other South Korean hostages, but there is some indication that it might have been as a result of a large ransom paid. An Afghani official

"involved in the negotiations said earlier a large ransom would be paid to free eight of the hostages. The official spoke on condition he not be identified citing the sensitivity of the matter, and no other officials would confirm the account. Foreign governments are suspected to have paid for the release of hostages in Afghanistan in the past but have either kept it quiet or denied it outright."

So, not only are they fanatical, religious zealots, they are also common, criminal thugs. If it's true they are collecting hefty ransoms, (which is more than likely true) the kidnappings continue to finance their militant activities. Kidnapping seems to have become a cottage industry, in that region. Apparently, 26 foreigners have been abducted in Afghanistan in the past week. A Danish journalist, of Afghani origin, was almost kidnapped recently, but managed to escape.

If these people had any honour, they would leave civilians alone, but it's their way of trying to force foreign governments (through the outcries of their people) to withdraw troops from that region. Do they realize what would happen if we removed all foreign personnel from Afghanistan and Iraq? And if we remove our troops, we should remove all AID workers, etc.! Who would build their dams? Who would help rebuild their country? Their infrastructure would crumble.

Maybe we should do that, and see what happens. Perhaps they would quickly change their tune. Though, I doubt it.

Oppodepot- politics gets down and dirty

Hey folks, now you can get all the scuttlebutt on the Republican candidates on a faaaabulous website called Oppodepot.com , courtesy of the Libs! It's a website clearinghouse for all the 'dirt' on the 2008 Republican presidential candidates. It even includes Gingrich and Thompson, who have yet to announce their candidacy.

OppoDepot touts itself as "the Internet's only collaborative Web 2.0 source for negative information about the Republican presidential candidates for 2008."

claiming:

We're positive
There's negative!
The dirt on all the Republicans collaborative, easy and free.

If you click on each candidate's pic, you get what they consider to be the latest negative poop scoop, AND, if you have some dirt of your own, you can email it to oppodepot! Hey, you can even get updates on your mobile device with MyOppo!

This is gonna get down and dirty, friends! How sad that elections, inevitably, degenerate to this kind of activity, rather than focusing on the positive. But being positive in politics is virtually impossible.

So, in that case, where's the Republican version of oppodepot? Anyone know of one?

Islam: The great "Religion of Peace" and its call to Jihad against all non-believers

Jihad Will Enlighten The World With The Light of Islam

[with sword and gun, of course]

Some people call it a religion of peace, but day after bloody day, it continues to prove itself to be anything but! Not one single wretched day goes by without news of multiple suicide bombings with, more often than not, civilians as the hapless victims. The perpetrators could care less if women and children are killed in the process, and the more the merrier, it seems. And what about the kidnappings of innocent civilians? In Afghanistan, the Taliban have killed one (and possibly two) of the German civil engineers (who were there to build a dam), and are threatening to kill all 23 South Koreans currently being held hostage (including many females), if their demands are not met. Ironically, South Korea has no combat troops there, only engineers and medical personnel, and yet they, too, are the latest victims of Jihadi barbarism. People who are there to help better those countries, pawns in a game of twisted religious fanaticism.

And not only are 'non-Muslims' targets of violence, but Muslims are being massacred by fellow Muslims for being the wrong kind of Muslim. You don't hear of Baptists blowing up Catholics. They might be critical of each other, the Pope might claim the Catholic Church is the only true Church, but you don't see Baptists or other Christians retaliating against them for, forgive me, the Pope's truly stupid and un-enlightened remark. You don't see Buddhists killing Hindus, or each other because they happen to practice a different form of Buddhism. It seems that Muslims (at least the non-secular ones) are the only religious group of adherents that take issue with any religion other than their own. They have absolutely no room for religious tolerance, because what is written in the Qu'ran does not allow for that. Although there are many Christian denominations that also believe theirs is the only way, they don't feel the need to resort to violence to bring people to their fold.

So what makes Muslims (though not all) more prone to violence, as compared to people of other religions? Strict adherence to their Holy Book, the Qu'ran, and the Hadith, both of which heavily promote the concept of Jihad. Although some claim that the term "Jihad" does not mean "Holy War", but rather the "inner struggle or striving in the cause of God", others beg to differ, stressing the importance and obligation of fighting the "disbelievers" (that's you and me, folks) in the name of Allah.

It's quite an eye-opening experience to peek into the dark hearts and minds of fundamentalist Muslim bloggers, who believe the only path to peace is through violent Jihad and world domination. There are, as I mentioned in a past post, dozens of like-minded websites, all calling for Jihad against non-Muslims. And not just Jews, Christians, Buddhists or Hindus, but anyone who refuses to follow the teachings of Mohammed and Islam. These aren't the insurgents, fighting in the streets of Baghdad or from the mountain caves in the Pakistan/Afghanistan borders, blogging for Jihad. These are ordinary people living all over the world in modern, civilized countries, and yes, right here in the good old U S of A and Canada, as well. Some of the female bloggers make Housewife4Palestine look like June Cleaver. In her profile, pretty Shaheen (at least the little you can see of her) pictured in Niqab and holding a Kalashnikov, turns ugly posting the following poem on her blog:

If Only I was a Mujahid…

Since childhood, in my heart, I have had this wish, this desire, this longing,

oh! If only I was a Mujahid I would keep my trousers above my ankles

My face would be decorated with the Sunnah of Rasul Allah (SAW)

A middle parting I would have in my hair
Upon my shoulder I would carry a rocket launcher and in my hand there would be a Kalashnikov

A bomb would adorn my chest and the band of Laa Ilaaha Il Allah would be across my forehead

Then, crossing the blood-stained valley I would launch myself into the thick of battle
Shouting Allahu Akbar I would attack His enemies

Each of them I would eliminate, one by one, avenging the blood of my Shaheed brothers

I would free the weak from tyranny and oppression

Yes! This is the Mujahid I would be!
A Mujahid who would pile up the bodies of the enemy, like Khalid Bin Walid (ra)

Who would shatter the idols, like Mahmood Ghazanwi

Who would burn the ships on the seashore, like Tariq Bin Zayad

Who would battle against the crusaders like, Salaahuddin Ayyubi
And then… fighting Jihad, I would become Shaheed…
But, Alas! This cannot be! For, a lion-hearted, Mujahid warrior I am not

in fact…I am a fragile woman.
By the sister of Abu Talha Yaameen

In Jihad Fields are Calling, Mujahid calls Jihad a "divine duty" and posts the following Qu'ranic verses, Ahadith and other Islamic writings that support the call for Jihad:

1. كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَى أَن تَكْرَهُواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَى أَن تُحِبُّواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ وَاللّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ” البقرة
“Fighting is prescribed for you, and you dislike it. But it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows, and you know not”
Soorah Al-BaqraAyah 216

2. قَاتِلُواْ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَلاَ بِالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَلاَ يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلاَ يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حَتَّى يُعْطُواْ الْجِزْيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ
“Fight against those people of the book (Christians & Jews) who don’t believe in Allah and the day of Judgment, and don’t forbit what is forbidden by Allah & His Prophet (SAW) and don’t accept the True Relegion (Islam) as their relegion. Fight Against them until they give capitation tax and surrender before you.”
Soorah Al-TobahVerse 29 .

2. وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلّه
“Fight against them until their remains no mischief and Deen will truly be for Allah”
Soorah AnfalVerse 39

3. ومالکم لا تقاتلون فی سبیل اللہ والمستضعفین من الرجال والنساء والوالدان الزین یقولون ربنا اخرنا من ہزہ القریۃ الظالم اہلہا واجعل لنا من ہزہ القریۃ الظالم اہلہا واجعل لنا من الدنک ولیا و واجعل لنا من الدنک نصیرا۔
“What is wrong with you that you don’t fight for those weak men, women and children? Who is calling that Allah bring us out from this village, whose people are oppressors and send us helper and friend from your side.”

4. يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِؤُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَهُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ
“Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light however much the disbelievers are averse. He it is who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it conqueror of all religion however much idolaters may be averse.”
Soorah SaffAyah 8-9

5. امرت ان اقاتل الناس حتی یشہد لا الہ الا اللہ، ان محمد رسول اللہ و یقیمو الصلواۃ و یوتو الزکواۃ فازافعلوا زالک عصموامنی دماہم واموالہم الابحق الاسلام و حوسباہم علی اللہ
“Allah ordered me to fight with people until they depose that their is no Lord except Allah and Muhammad (SAW) is his prophet, maintian Salat and give Zakat. Then when they will save their blood and property from me except the right of Islam and the responsibility of this matter is towards Allah.”
Rawi = Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umer Bin KHataab (RA)Muttafiq AlaihBook = Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim

6. بعث بالسیف بین یدی الساعۃ حتی یعبر اللہ و حدہ لاشریک لہ وجعل رزقی تحت ظل رمحی۔ صجعل الزلۃ ولصغار علی من خالف امری ومن تشبہ بقوم فہو منہم
“I have been commissioned with sword till the day of Judgment until that every one will worship Allah who is “La Shareek” and my subsistence is under the shade of my arrows and he who disobey my orders, digrace and humality has made their fate and he who follow and copy other nations, his end will be with them.”
Book: Masand Ahmad

7.الجہاد ماض الی یوم القیمۃ
“Jihad will continue until the Judgment Day”
Book: Bukhari - Muslim.

8. وزروۃ سنامہ الجہاد
“The top of the Islamic building is Jihad”
Book: Sahih Bukhari

He goes on to say:

"you see how much Allah and his messenger insist for Jihad. do you think Allah don’t want peace for his creations??? do you think Prophet Muhammad (SAW) didn’t want peace for his Ummah?? yes they love peace and yet they insist to continue Fighting with Kuffar until Islam will dominate all over the world do you ever wonder why??? because Jihad is the only way to bring peace to the world. you should read my this Blog entry to get your complete answer:

Purpose, Aim & Need of Jihad

May Allah show us all the most righteous"

Another blogger discusses something Muslims call performing "Takfeer", or ruling someone to be a Kaafir (a disbeliever). There are 2 types of disbelievers: the Apostates and then the rest of us worthless Kaafirs. He calls us the:

Original disbelievers who did not enter Islam which the Prophet Muhammad came with from the beginning like the Jews, Chrisitans, Pagans, Idol worshippers…etc. From those whom Allah says about them,"Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyahwith willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” [9:29] {a slightly different version of the above}

Those are original disbelievers. We do not differentiate when we declare them as disbelievers between the individule or the group, between the living or the dead as it was indicated by the Quran and Sunnah. This type of disbelievers should be fought against until they enter Islam or pay the Jizyah.

So much for the so-called "Religion of Peace". Even some of their own claim it isn't. There's a Muslim blog site , called Moderate Islam Refuted (which does just that), that actually states, quite emphatically, that Islam is not a religion of peace. If there was any iota of doubt in anyone's mind, this should set them straight.

Please note: All of the above quotes etc, (spelling mistakes and all) come straight from the Muslim blogosphere.

Call to Anti-Jihadists- "Muslims Speak Out" event at On Faith

This should be very, very interesting!


At Bob McCarty Writes:

Bloggers, clear your calendars Sunday, July 22, through Friday, July 27. Some real propaganda bombshells are bound to be dropped, and you’ll want to be there when “several leading Muslim clerics and thinkers from around the globe will participate in an unprecedented online dialogue about their religion, terrorism and human rights. The “dialogue,” sponsored by The Washington Post and Newsweek Interactive and presented in conjunction with Georgetown University, has been dubbed “Muslims Speak Out” and will take place at On Faith, a blog operated as a joint effort of the Post and Newsweek.

From the news release:

Participants in the online discussion include representatives from all points in the political spectrum, discussing provocative issues of importance to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The questions each will address in “Muslims Speak Out” include:

– What would you tell suicide bombers who invoke Islam to justify their actions?
— What are the rights of women is Islam?
— Is it permissible for a Muslim to convert to another faith?
— Does Islam’s view of male-female equality differ from the Western view?
— Under what conditions does Islam sanction the use of violence?
— How can laws against apostasy be reconciled with the Koranic injunction of “no compulsion in religion”?

All of the panel’s participants will also be able to respond to comments and questions left by readers, creating a dialogue and a bridge to mutual understanding. On Faith’s “Muslims Speak Out” will include additional original content that further explores Muslim religion and culture for the six-day event. These companion pieces will not only offer other perspectives on Muslims and Islam in our world today, but bring other voices and experiences to this multi-faceted interactive discussion. Scheduled to contribute pieces are President Jimmy
Carter; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; former South African leader Nelson Mandela; Congressman Keith Ellison (the only Muslim member of Congress); University of Chicago professor Martin Marty; Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia; and John L. Esposito, Dr. Akbar Ahmed, Judea Pearl, and Bishop John Chane who will discuss together the relationship between Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

For a list of all 17 participants click here.



H/T: Vigilant Freedom via Conservative Beach Girl