Here's a screenshot of some recent comment spam.  I added the domain names for my own reference, before I banned and deleted these comments.  The reason I am displaying a screenshot, instead of making a simple text list, is because the comment spammer wants the domain names on web pages to try to boost the search engine placement of the domains.  Checking these online stores reveals that there are shopping carts for all manner of goods, but no webmaster or business contact information.  They may be legit businesses or affiliate landing pages for real businesses, but it all looks really phishy to me.

Reading the comments, I think the Latvian-to-English translator needs some serious grammatical tweaking for this spam.  Checking a WHOIS site told me that ceylat.com is admin'ed by Ivar Tenter, from Riga, Latvia.  You can spam Ivar Tenter at these email addresses: ivarix@ivarix.ee and Ivar@neonet.lv.  I put these on this entry hoping that every spider will digest them into their viagra and penis enlargement email address databases.

The Russian Mafia gambling spammers are so much nicer, IMHO.  They make me feel important and talented.  WHOISing these .ru sites, I found that I should thank Vladmir A. Bolotin for this flattery.  Feel free to spam alexander@artpromcompany.ru or even ilya@oslix.com and let them know how much I appreciate comment spam from their domains.

Even though the comment spam (or cspam) was pleasant, I don't have any need for a floorcare-store or its vacuum belts.  Even more useless is gambling cspam with a russian top level domain (tld).  These flattering idiots cspammed one of my conspiracy theory entries, for frack's sake.

I don't trust my own government, here in the United States, so, WTF makes them think I am going to start gambling my credit card away on some Russian Mob Frackin' Bingo?

Vanna White! Please shimmy your middle-aged flat ass across the stage, turn those letters, and give these losers a frackin' clue.  Buzzzzzzz!  So sorry.

[Headphones] :: El Cahon - The Wreck

[Headphones] :: Allah's Helicopter (beta) - JfZ

Anyone paying attention to the U.S. Women's Hockey team would have thought they would be playing against the Canadians for the Gold Medal game.  Today, Sweden pulled out a total upset game and beat Team USA in a tie-breaking shoot out match.

According to Harry Thompson, Managing Editor of USA Hockey magazine, in an article on the Team USA website:

It was, after all, a safe assumption that the two hockey superpowers would play for the gold in Torino, just as they have at two previous Olympics and every other international tournament since 1990.

The players consistently talked about the gap closing in women's hockey. The questioner would politely nod and ask the next question about playing Canada.

Maybe now, people who think women's hockey is only played once every four years will realize that the cards are shuffling in the new world order of women's hockey, and that the road to Canada can also go through Sweden and Finland.

I have to say, I've been watching as many hockey games as my bloodshot eyes can soak up.  I miss the near daily dose of Detroit Red Wings games that I used to watch.  Apparently, even though Florida has professional hockey, no one bothers to broadcast it on television for me.  I was very impressed with the women's hockey games.

If I only have one opportunity to complain, it wouldn't be that Team USA lost today.  Team USA played their game -- and it's up to them to criticize themselves.  Perhaps, Team USA had their 'off' game at the same time that Team Sweden had their truly 'on' game.  These things happen in sports when competition is acutely focussed on just one game.

My only complaint about women's olympic hockey is the no-check rule.  Women aren't allowed to check each other.  The game referees end up trying to call penalties in a gray area between incidental contact and purposeful checking.  The Olympic rules committee may have good reasons for this no-check rule, but it slows the games down considerably with penalties.  Special teams spent more time on the ice and all the teams barely kept their normal lines on the ice.

Other than that one issue, women's hockey is an exciting and truly competitive sport with some amazing athletes playing the game.  While I'm relishing the opportunity to watch my favorite male NHL players on the ice, I'm also looking forward to seeing the women's Team USA go for a medal on Monday.

[Headphones] :: Cruise Control - The Wreck

Photo - Thanksgiving Dinner: (L-R) friend Jean, R. "Jeanne-Bug" Holderman, daughter Rhonda

From the The Villages Sun (links added)

R. Holderman

WEIRSDALE - R. Jeanne-Bug Holderman, 56, died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006.

Mrs. Holderman was born in Indiana.  She was retired in 2001 from Johnson Controls in Indiana after 27 years of service; was employed at the Daily Sun, The Villages, for 1 1/2 years; and was a long-standing member of the DAV, Moose Lodge, and American Legion in Indiana and Florida.

Survivors include her brother, James (Goats) Amsden, Milford, Ind.; daughters Rhonda Burnett, Warsaw, Ind., Shelly Pease, South Carolina, Tracy Lynn Holderman, Granger, Ind.; sons T.J., Orlando; and five grandchildren.

Memorial services for Mrs. Holderman will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the American Legion Post 347, Lady Lake, with a Wake immediately following.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Marion County or the American Legion Post 347, Lady Lake.

[Headphones] :: Gods Must Cry - The Wreck

When I blogged about the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, I commented, "I have to be honest with you.  I much prefer to see images of young Americans overseas competing in the 2004 Olympic Games on MSNBC, Bravo, and NBC than seeing them with camo and kevlar on Fox news in Bush's Iraq."

Now another games is about to begin at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, and sadly my 2004 comment has to be repeated.  It's a very sad statement on the condition of peace in the world and U.S. foreign policy when the first lady travels to Italy as part of the U.S. Olympic delegation and ends up talking about terrorism with the press after a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

However, rather than again counting car bombs, suicide bombers, and body bags -- I prefer to count bronze, silver, and gold medals -- at least during the next few weeks.  I hope for the day when angry Muslims someday thrive on the speed rush of bobsledding or the nationalistic joy of bringing home a gold medal rather than the hopelessness of violence and destruction, chronic unemployment, and futile unchecked rage against the rest of the planet.

How about you?  Do you even pay attention to the Olympic Games?  Do you have a favorite winter game sport?  I love hockey!

Here are some handy-dandy links to the Olympic action:

Torino 2006 Games
Alpine Skiing - NBC	Figure Skating - NBC	Short Track - NBC
Biathalon - NBC	Freestyle Skiing - NBC	Skeleton - NBC
Bobsled - NBC	Ice Hockey - NBC	Ski Jumping - NBC
Cross Country - NBC	Luge - NBC	Snowboarding - NBC
Curling - NBC	Nordic Combined - NBC	Speed Skating - NBC

Here are some other links I thought were very cool.

U.S. Olympic team web sites
Paralympics	Curling	Luge
Biathalon	Figure Skating	Speed Skating
Bobsled / Skeleton	Ice Hockey	Skiing
International web sites
Paralympics	Olympic Museum	Official olympic site
Bejing 2008	Vancouver 2010	London 2012

[Headphones] :: Safe To Land - The Wreck