Be vewy vewy careful......

Just today I sent out an e-mail to my "technology" distribution list and they wrote me back that according to their Anti Virus vendor that they were safe. This was my response back to them in e-mail and I thought it would be good to post here as well.

Anti Virus protection is not "set it and forget it" anymore. Hackers and script kiddies are writing viruses faster than Mcafee and Symantec can write patches for them. Almost every computer that I get that comes into the pc repair shop that is infected with viruses are either running Norton Anti Virus or McAfee. Granted, most of the time the end user who got infected got lazy and did not do live update or schedule it to be done for them on a regular basis. A regular basis today is atleast twice per week. I remember a time when once every 30 days was good enough. Not anymore.

I use both Norton Anti Virus and AVG at the shop. I NEVER run one virus scan with one product and believe it. I always double check. So, with that fact in mind dont get too comfy with the idea that your Anti Virus vendor is covering all the basis. The time period between the time a virus is released into the wild and the time it takes your Anti Virus Vendor to cover its bases and send out an update to cover you could mean the difference between a virus infection and data loss not to mention lost time in putting your system back together after the damage is done.

Be vewy vewy careful....

NEW Virus to be aware of folks.....

Please be aware of this threat and take appropriate actions to protect your computer, your data and your friends. :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Symantec Store [mailto:symantec@reply.digitalriver.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 11:34 AM
To: James
Subject: Alert! Virus W32.Beagle.AG@mm Moderate



Keep your computer safe from W32.Beagle.AG@mm

Threat level: Category 3 - Moderate
Outbreak Type: Worm
Protection Update

As of (July 19, 2004), protection updates are available via LiveUpdate™ or the Security Response Website. For more information on Symantec Products containing the LiveUpdate feature, click here.

Next Steps?

With the newly found mass-mailing worm, W32.Beagle.AG@mm, Symantec advises customers to protect the network by updating the definition file of all the Symantec AntiVirus solutions, via LiveUpdate or Intelligent Updater, and to detect and block from propagation by using multiple security solutions. Customers who have run LiveUpdate any time after July 19 were protected by this threat by default.
Home/home office customers who use Norton AntiVirus™ automatically detect this threat as it attempts to spread due to our advanced worm blocking technology.

Variant

W32.Beagle.AG@mm, a new variant of the W32.Beagle family of worms, is functionally similar to W32.Beagle.X@mm.

How does it affect me?

W32.Beagle.AG@mm is a mass-mailing worm that opens a backdoor on TCP port 1042 and uses its own SMTP engine to spread through email. The worm’s potential impact includes clogged mail servers or degraded network performance. W32.Beagle.AG@mm also spreads via file sharing / peer-to-peer. W32.Beagle.AG@mm, a new variant of the W32.Beagle family of worms, is functionally similar to W32.Beagle.X@mm.
The email message from address will be spoofed. The subject, body and file attachment of the message vary. Please see the W32.Beagle.AG@mm write-up for additional details.

This is where I would like to be going today. Across the wooden bridge to the Island on the other side. I would hope that no one else is there and that I could make the bridge disappear so I could enjoy a few moments of solitude and relaxation. Shhh, its my dream, dont awaken me... 

James & Katy, picture taken in Bluffton SC 

Tanya on the left and Jimmy (me) on the right. Sitting on the couch in the living room in Quinlan Texas.  

Here I am again at age 9 (I think) holding our family dog Geronimo on the back patio to our home in Quinlan Texas 

How about a trip down memory lane. This picture is of me , James standing on the left next to my sister Tanya in her blue dress on right. I believe I was around 9 years old in this picture. This is the suit that I wore when I got my naturalization papers to become an American Citizen.  

more water fall pictures 

more water fall pictures 

Picture of water running down a brook on the side of the mountain north of Greenville SC 

Lake Logan  

Different angle of boat house on Lake Logan  

Another shot of Lake Logan 

On trip up into the mountains North of Greenville SC we ran across Lake Logan Episcopal Center. Here are some very nice shots. 

Moffitt family on mountain top north of Greenville SC. I am holding a snow ball in my right hand for some reason...  

Danger Will Robinson Danger

Oops , wrong movie... That was lost in space. The "Will" I am thinking about is Will Smith who plays in iRobot which is showing in theatres EVERYWHERE..... No, I wont spoil it for you by telling you all about the robot called NS5. I will say that Will Smith does a bang up job acting in this movie and you will find some surprises you will not expect. The plot is fast moving, lots of mystery and intrigue and the special affects were pretty cool too. In the year 2035 is when this movie is staged. I wonder if technology will be that far advanced in 2035 and if so will I be alive to see it AND appreciate it. If I live that long I will be 74 years old. Justin, if you happen to be reading this do me a favor and get one of the cool cars that Will Smith was driving and give me a ride in it, will ya? LOL...

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this movie a 9.5

:)

In loving memory of Glenna Hickson

I found out that "Aunt Mickey" passed away at 5pm yesterday at the Methodist Hospital in Dallas Texas due to the complications of a massive stroke. I am not sure how my aunt got named Aunt Mickey but it stuck and that is what most people called her. Aunt Mickey was 71 years old and her death comes as a sudden suprise and blow to all that knew her.
Apparently my aunt had a smaller stroke about a week ago and was put on blood thinners. For some reason she missed a doctors appointment and then a day or two ago she started having some problems with falling etc. My first cousin Larry found her on the floor of her home on Saturday and my first cousin Debbie found her yesterday. An ambulance was called and she was transported to a hospital in Terrell Texas. Doctors there had her life flighted by air ambulance to the Methodist Hospital where they discovered that she was hemorraghing in the brain. Life support measures had to be implemented to keep Aunt Mickey alive and I guess around 5pm yesterday her husband "Uncle Carl" gave permission to remove life support.

Aunt Mickey, Uncle Carl and Aunt Beth were three of my favorite relatives. I remember several summers as I was growing up where I would stay with my Aunt Mickey and Uncle Carl in Terrel Texas. My aunts and uncles were always very gracious, kind and loving towards me and my sister Tanya. I have many fond memories of my aunts and uncle.
Aunt Mickey loved to laugh and when she did you could hear her through the entire house.
Aunt Mickey had a huge heart with tons of love to give everyone. I remember how I used to get up at 4:30 am with my Uncle Carl during the summer and would have coffee and biscuits with butter and honey. Then we would pile into his Chevy Silverado pick up truck and go off to one of the job sites. Uncle Carl was a home builder in Terrell Texas. Uncle Carl liked to go play golf too. One of my fond memories of Uncle Carl was that he taught me how to drive. My dad just did not have the patience to teach me how to drive so Uncle Carl would take me to the school parking lot and put me behind the wheel of his truck and let me drive. Uncle Carl had the patience of Job and tirelessly taught me this and that when he had the time to do so.

I will never forget the day that my grandmother died. Aunt Mickey could be heard crying through the entire house that day. My grandmother passed away back in 1980 when I graduated from High School. I remember helping Aunt Mickey take care of my grandmother when I was staying there during the summer vacations from school in Quinlan Texas. I can remember how my grandmother loved the Lord and how she saved my sister and I from many a whuppin from my dad. My grandmother would stand between my sister and I and my dad and tell him to back off. If it had not been for her I would have gotten more whuppins than I did. LOL...

Glenna Hickson is survived by her husband (my uncle) Carl Hickson and her daughter Debbie English and son Larry Hickson. Debbie English lives in Kaufman Texas and Larry Hickson lives in Terrell Texas. Glenna Hickson is also survived by my Aunt Beth aka Beth Aldridge who lives in Quinlan Texas. Beth Aldridge is 81 years old and I have many fond memories of visiting her during my childhood. Beth Aldridge is the last remaining sibling on my dads side of the family. I know that I know that I know that I have forgotten lots of neices and nephews and other relatives that I have long since forgotten about. When I get a copy of the obituary I will post it here so that you can read it.

I am hopeful that I can find a way to go to the funeral this week. Arrangements are being made as I write this and I am thinking that they are planning to have it on Wed which means I have a LONG drive ahead of me. I figured out it is 1100 miles or 17 hours one way. Whew, that is a LOT of driving folks.

My Aunt Mickey was a believer in Jesus Christ so that means that she is in a much better place now than she was a week ago. That also means that she will have an opportunity to see other family members who have gone on before her. I love you Aunt Mickey, you will always be in my mind and heart. Give our Jessica and your Doug and Randy a hug for me.

Love always, your nephew Jimmy Moffitt.....