Thu 8 Jun 2006

The Numbers of the Beast

Posted by anaglyph under Spam Observations, Spooky, Technology
[5] Comments

Something very weird’s going on in cyberspace. I’ve been receiving a number of spams of the format:

Subject: 1545453
Date: 6 June 2006 6:33:59 PM
To: reverend@tetherdcow.com

969

That’s it. No spiel, no links, no products, no attachments. I know other people have been receiving these too.

What’s going on?

Well, let’s Google ‘1545453’ (I’m doing this as I write). The first hit that turns up, after hits referring to the spam itself, is a link to the NCBI database – a Center for Disease Control abstract for an influenza vaccine demonstration.

Hmmm.

Let’s try ‘969’:

The first hit, strangely enough, is a Sydney radio station, Nova 969. Then some links from Wikipedia for the year 969 then… ooooo… what’s this…? Another scientific abstract from the NCBI database. This time, a profile of gene CD69 (Homo Sapiens). It appears to be a gene active in the immune system.

Did the hairs just go up on your arms…

Searching for ‘1545453′ and ‘conspiracy’ returns its first hit to a blog that has gone dead.

But the Google cache is still active.

Keith Graham traces the origination of the email to a server in Australia.

More news as it comes to hand.

If The Cow goes AWOL, start worrying.

 

Mon 5 Jun 2006

The Letters of the Beast

Posted by anaglyph under Cats, Scary, Words
[10] Comments

Letter of the Beast

Ah yes. Well some of my more astute readers (thank you m) have jumped one step ahead (almost reading my mind in fact… hmmm… interesting to speculate about that) to remind me that today’s date begs for some kind of appropriate post.

As if that kind of thing would escape my attention.

The above photo was taken a couple of weeks back and I’ve been saving it for a… special… occasion. I draw your attention to the two key words.

I didn’t notice this until I uploaded the pic into iPhoto. Anybody require further proof?

(Click on the image for a more detailed version)

 

Sun 4 Jun 2006

Don’t Take ’em for Granite

Posted by anaglyph under Art, Religion, Science, Spooky
[3] Comments

Gargoyl #2

Another gargoyle from Sydney University (they’re made from sandstone, if you were wondering).

A few years back, two of the gargoyles from the university appeared for sale on eBay. The seller claimed that they had been legally removed due to superficial damage. I was skeptical but I bid on them anyway.

The reserve was not met and he removed the auction.

I like to think that not long after, the gargoyles came to life and devoured him.

 

Fri 2 Jun 2006

What 25c Buys You

Posted by anaglyph under Spam Observations, Stupidity
[5] Comments

Luxury Item

Spam Observations #25

My pal Bert wrote to me this morning opining that:

Life Should be Full of Luxuries….

And then:

Yes, only a handful of people can afford the finest products, the luxuries of the elite. But, here at “Luxury Replica” we are committed to bringing you the finest products, at prices incomparably lower.

Now Bert, you’ve come all unstuck in yer logic there, fella. The Oxford Dictionary defines a luxury as ‘an inessential, desirable item that is expensive or difficult to obtain’.

But you are saying that I must have these products and are promising to provide lots of them for cheap.

See where that all falls in a heap?

 

Tue 30 May 2006

Manflesh

Posted by anaglyph under Cats, Scary
[7] Comments

Glitch Attack

Oh my God! Don’t put your hand in there!

 

Mon 29 May 2006

Signage

Posted by anaglyph under Books, Signs
[6] Comments

Terminal Sweets

A couple o’ weeks back I was visiting Radioactive Jam as I am wont to do, and through some freakish collision of cosmic particles I happened to make the 2000th comment on RaJ’s blog.

Of course, I doubt I would have ever noticed this unless there had been a big flashing red light, sirens, dancing girls and a prize associated with the event.

Anyway, the prize arrived in the post the other day and I saw with delight that it was a little 1992 book called ‘Sign Language’ by Ann Sanfedele. It’s a collection of photos of odd signs and strange confluences of signage and reality. Right up my alley.

Thanks Jam, I love it.

I notice you can still buy the book on Amazon, and that Ann herself runs a Cafe Press shop where you can buy her pictures on calendars, mugs and shirts and so forth. You folks mosey on over and buy something from her. Tell her The Cow sent you.

 

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