Blocked from your own blog

Many blogs, including this little blog, used a plugin called Bad Behavior.

What it does is keep known spammers away.

Well, for a while this week, it was keeping several people from their own blogs. Including this little blog.

There are many different ways of preventing spam on blogs. And that's because there are many different ways of spamming blogs.

Comment spam is comments that are for the purpose, not of commenting on a post, but to use your Web space to advertise the junk they're selling.

There's another kind of comment spam that, while not selling anything, is still unrelated to your post. Those are usually attempts to find out how successful their attempts to spam are.

Sort of like the Verizon guy that says "Can you hear me now?" He's got nothing to say, just making sure he can get a message through, when he's ready to send his message.

Those spammers with the "innocent" comments, like "Really like your post. Cool!" and such, are trying out spam methods. And, if they get through, will bombard you with spam.

There's also TrackBack spam. That's when people post links to their Web sites in the TrackBack section of your blog. Similar to comment spam, just stored different.

Sometimes TrackBack spammers will link to your blog. Sometimes not. Either way, they are spamming you.

A variation of that is the aggregate spammers. It's a form of TrackBack spam where they set up a site just for advertising. They don't post anything. Instead, they take excerpts from blogs, put them on their blog or Web site, link to the various sites, and send TrackBack spam.

Those aggregate spammers are trying to use your blog to drive traffic to their site that's not a real blog.

I don't like any of them.

And that's why I use different methods of blocking spam.

I'm a paid user of Akismet. Yes, Akismet is free. But I'm a supporter of their product.

I'm also a paid user of Spam Karma 2. Yes, it's free, too. But I use ... and support ... Dr. Dave's product.

And, I'm a paid user of Bad Behavior. Yes, it's free. But, like the others, I use ... and support ... Michael Hampton's product.

They all use different methods of blocking, removing, or preventing spam.

And, this week, Bad Behavior broke.

It locked many, many folks from their blogs.

Including me.

And Michale Hampton.

In brief, yesterday I moved all of my sites to a new dedicated server. In the process, I decommissioned an old blacklist I was running which I thought wasn't being used, not realizing that Bad Behavior was still set to use it. Shortly afterward, I found myself locked out of my own blog, just as you all did.

So, if it happened to you, you know know why.

I had to log on to my server through a back-end interface, then physically remove the Bad Behavior plugin. Then I could log on to my blog.

The problem has been identified ... and fixed. And, if you use Bad Behavior, you should do what I'm doing: updating Bad Behavior.

My car sent me an email

I got an email from my car yesterday.

I've never received an email from a car before. So, it was my first time.

I was sort of expecting it. But when it came, I guess I still wasn't prepared for it.

What did the car want?

It wanted to tell me to put air in a tire.

No, really.

You see, I got a new car recently. And it came with OnStar.

Now, OnStar was not a selling factor for me. I didn't expect to get a car with OnStar. Didn't know for sure I was getting a GM car. Ford would've been fine. But, I found what I wanted ... and in the right price range ... in an Impala.

So, we got a car. And it came with OnStar. I thought it only came on a Cadillac or something. But, no, it comes with the Impala.
Well, the OnStar thing is all set up and all. And one of their features is they'll send a monthly maintenance report on the car.

Well, the first monthly maintenance report came yesterday, Tuesday, 2-1/2 days after we got the car.

And, it told me the tire pressure in the left front tire was a little low.

It's supposed to be 30 PSI. It was 26.

So, the car emailed me and told me about it.

I stopped by a BP station last night after supper, and put air in the tire.

Air used to be free. But hasn't been for a while.

The BP on Macon Road wanted 75 cents.

So, I got out, took the caps off the valves, put three quarters in the machine, then ran around, putting air in the tires, trying to read the gauge when there's no good lighting.

So, I wasn't sure what the air pressure was when I was done, just that, according to the gauge at the BP ... which only works when you're burning seconds off your 75-cent allotment ... the tires are now pretty much even.

And, it seems that 75 cents is too high a price for some people.

No one was near the air pump when we pulled in.

After I put my money in, cars started lining up to try to get my leftover seconds.

Yes, I took my own sweet time about putting the caps back on the tire valves. And adjusting my seat belt. And mirror. And looking both ways. Twice.

Anyway, now I get emails from my car.

Oh, and this means that now the Wife and the car both give me tasks to do.

Ain't technocracy great!

New car vs new truck

I mentioned the other day that we got a new car. It's a Chevy Impala.

It replaced the Chevy Lumina.

Yes, I'm a Chevy guy.

The Wife? She's a Ford girl.

She has a truck. A Ford F-150. Four door. Got it 4 years ago.

She likes her truck.

A lot.

Of course, I like the Impala.

A lot.

It's the car I been looking for. Not that we've been looking for a while. But, when we went looking, we found what we were looking for. And in the price range we were looking.

So, we got the car.

Anyway, I like the car.

But she likes her truck.

For instance, we got a Sears riding mower. An LT 3000. Not a huge lawn mower, but a decent size one.

And, first spring after we got it, we were going to take it in for servicing.

I told the Wife that I was going to put the mower on the truck and go to Sears.

She hit the ceiling.

"You're not putting that on my truck!" she insisted.

"What?" I asked.

"That's my brand-new truck and I'm not having you scratch it up by putting the lawn mower on the back," she declared.

So, we borrowed a trailer, bought a ball, and hooked it up, drove the lawn mower on the back, and took it to Sears.

Because she didn't want to use her truck as ... a truck.

But the good news, now, is the Impala has a big trunk. A real big trunk. It could hold two, maybe three, bodies. With concrete blocks and chains.

Anyway, she still doesn't want to put the lawn mower on the bed of the truck.

Maybe, when spring comes, I'll put the mower in the trunk and take it to Sears for servicing.

At least the truck won't get scratched.

College football playoff pairings

I've been promoting the best plan for a college football playoffs.

Simply put, it's the winners of the 11 major conferences taking the top 11 seeds, then 5 at-large or wild-card teams thrown into the mix, making a field of 16. Their seedings are by BCS standards. Non-BCS rated teams (the non-BCS-locked conference champs, usually) are seeded by winning percentage, then by head-to-head, then coin flip or drawing.

Keep in mind that conference champions are seeded first, then the wild-card/at-large teams. Some odd seedings, unless you consider that winning the conference is important. Just like in every other sport, at every other level.

Here are the seeds, with their conference, their record, and final BCS standings:

1. Ohio State (Big 10; 11-1; #1)
2. LSU (Southeastern; 11-2; #2)
3. Virginia Tech (Atlantic Coast; 11-2; #3)
4. Oklahoma (Big 12; 11-2; #4)
5. Southern California (Pacific 10; 10-2; #7)
6. West Virginia (Big East; 10-2; #9)
7. Hawaii (Western Athletic; 12-0; #10)
8. Brigham Young (Mountain West; 10-2; #17)
9. Central Florida (Conference USA; 10-3; NR)
10. Central Michigan (Mid American; 7-5; NR)
11. Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt; 7-5; NR)
12. Georgia (wild card, Southeastern; 10-2; #5)
13. Missouri (wild card, Big 12; 11-2; #6)
14. Kansas (wild card, Big 12; 11-1; #8)
15. Arizona State (wild card, Pacific 10; 10-2; #11)
16. Florida (wild card, Southeastern; 9-3; #12)

Notice that the top 12 teams in the final BCS standings all make the cut, with the number 17 team, and 3 unranked teams (but conference champions) filling it out.

However, does it seem right that Florida Atlantic or Central Michigan are seeded above Georgia, Missouri, et al?

Of course not.

Except that they won their conference. And winning the conference means something. And you get rewarded. Just like in every other sport. At every other level.

So, with those seedings, here are the pairings.

• Florida at Ohio State
• Arizona State at LSU
• Kansas at Virginia Tech
• Missouri at Oklahoma
• Georgia at Southern California
• Florida Atlantic at West Virginia
• Central Michigan at Hawaii
• Central Florida at Brigham Young

Of those 8 games, 5 should be good games. 3 should be blow-outs. However, in this crazy year with this crazy game called college football, you never know what would happen.

Anyhow, the 8 winners would play the following week. The top 4 remaining seeds would host the bottom 4 remaining seeds. Oh, and the 8 losers would get bowl invitations. Pretty good bowl invitations, in all likelihood.

The "final four" would play in conjunction with a bowl, in my plan. And the championship game could be a bowl, or a separate game. Don't matter.

I like my plan much better than what they got going on today.

Any team -- even Central Florida, Central Michigan, or Florida Atlantic -- that makes it through that tournament, deserves to be called national champions.

You can't spell BCS without 'B-S'

So, they've concluded the regular season ... and the conference championships ... and they have picked the two teams to play for the college football championship.

And, again, they got it wrong.

Why?

Because the system is fundamentally flawed.

For example, Ohio State got into the game because the teams above them lost. Georgia, right behind Ohio State, didn't.

Georgia was left out because they didn't win their conference. Never mind that Nebraska (in 2001) and Okalahoa (in 2003) also played for the national championship after not winning their conference.

LSU, who the pollsters said was 3 spots worse than Georgia before Saturday, jumped over Georgia to make it to the title game.

Against Ohio State. Who will get creamed by an SEC team ... again ... this year.

So, Georgia, who was assured of playing in any BCS bowl game other than the Sugar Bowl ... plays in the Sugar Bowl. Against Hawaii. Who the Dawgs will beat by a couple of touchdowns. If not more.

LSU, the second-best team in the SEC plays for the national championship.

Why do I call them the second-best team in the SEC? Because if they played Georgia this Saturday, Georgia would win. You know it. I know it. Mark Richt knows it. And Les Miles knows it.

Ohio State? They'd lose to UGA. And Tennessee. And Florida. And Arkansas. And ... will lose to LSU. You know it. I know it. Les Miles knows it. And Jim Tressel knows it. Or will find out soon enough.

But, the pollsters screwing over a quality program for another program? It's happened before.

In 1978 (after the 1977 regular season), Notre Dame, ranked number five, beat number one Texas in the Cotton Bowl, 38-10.

Alabama, ranked number two, beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, 35-6.

So, who ended up number one? Notre Dame.

Why?

Because they were Notre Dame.

Why didn't Alabama move up from number two to number one? Because they weren't Notre Dame.

Same reason Ohio State made the jump from number three to number one. Because they are Ohio State.

Same reason Georgia didn't make the jump from number four to number two. Because they aren't Ohio State.

Oh, well.

Maybe when everything's all said and done, the Dawgs will end up number two.

If West Virginia beats Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

And if Kansas beats Virginia Tech Orange Bowl.

Unless Missouri beats Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Or Southern California beats Illinois in the Rose Bowl.

Of course, if they had a playoff...

More Christmas music

I mentioned earlier that I wasn't a huge fan of Christmas music.

Oh, sure, it's fine. Just that I don't get all school-girl giddy over it, like some folks do.

But there's another aspect of Christmas music that I didn't touch on.

That's music given as a Christmas gift.

For instance, I gave the Wife a couple of CDs for Christmas a while back. She really enjoys her Christmas music. She also loves a music box. And I found a couple of CDs that fit the bill, including a CD of Christmas music on a music box.

She loved them.

And, music is a common gift for Christmas.

Though I won't go into the details, Snuffie (if you've followed along, you know she's a member of the family) likes her music. And among the things she's getting for Christmas is some music.

Others, too, are getting music, or related items. Not just that, but that's part of what many are getting.

Me, too.

The Wife has picked out some music for me.

I used to have all the Beatles albums.

Yes, albums.

You know, the large, 12" pieces of vinyl that you put on the record player and listened to.

Yeah, I know. Some of you have no idea what I'm talking about.

But it's how music used to come.

And I had all the Beatles albums.

Okay, not all.

I didn't have Beatles Story a make-a-buck-quick LP put out by Capitol Records. Or Introducing... the Beatles, a collection of Beatles stuff that made it to America before the Beatles hit it big. My Big Sister (who's 5'4'') had them, though.

But, all the other albums? Yep, I owned them.

Meet the Beatles, Beatles Second Album, A Hard Day's Night, Something New, Beatles '65, Beatles VI, Help!, Rubber Soul ... okay you get the picture. I had all their U.S. releases.

And, their hits collections. Like 1962-1966 (also called the Red Album) and 1967-1970 (also called the Blue Album). I even had second copies of the Red, White (The Beatles), and Blue albums that were pressed on respective colored vinyl.

Even had the late re-issues like Reel Music, Rock and Roll Music, and such.

But that was a while back. As far as I know, the Ex- still has them. Probably over at her mother's old house. Or her other mother's house.

Now, I don't have a lot of Beatles music. I do have the Hard Day's Night CD. The British version, not the U.S. version with 4 instrumental tracks.

And 1, the 27 number one hits of the Fab Four.

But that's pretty much it.

However, I do know that I'm getting music for Christmas.

I'm getting the Red and Blue albums. Or CD, I should say. And, I think, another. Rubber Soul. Or maybe Revolver.

And I will enjoy them.

Plus, this year, I'll be able to play them in the car.

You see, my Christmas presents include a CD player in the car.

It came with the new 2008 Impala that's in the front yard.

Christmas music

The Wife loves Christmas music.

She's gathered her Christmas CDs together, and is waiting on me to get off her computer (my MacBook's not back from the shop) so she can put together a Christmas music playlist for her iPod.

Me? Not so much.

That is, I doubt I'll be adding a bunch of Christmas songs to my iPod. Sure, there's "Happy Xmas" by John Lennon on there, but that's because I've put my John Lennon CDs on my iPod. No other reason.

I hear plenty on the radio. When I listen to the radio.

I hear plenty in the stores. When I'm in the stores.

I don't know. I've just never been much on listening to Christmas music.

Sure, I'll sing Christmas carols with the children ... or the grandchildren, now. And I'll go watch the Nutcracker ballet or other holiday productions. So, it's not like I don't like Christmas music. I just don't go out of my way to listen to Christmas music.

But, Christmas music was something that I encountered yesterday.

We went shopping yesterday. The Wife and me.

And that meant hearing a bunch of Christmas music. Which was fine.

Only problem was the drivers of the other cars. Most of them, anyway.

I'm not saying Christmas music makes them drive crazy. Because a lot of them drive crazy in July, March, and all the other months far away from Christmas.

I now it's just the fact that so many people are out on the roads, that increases the number of idiots on the roads.

And in the parking lots.

And in the stores.

No, it's not the fault of Christmas music. And I'm not trying to suggest it is.

It's just all the crazies that are out when Christmas music is playing.

The Wife is ready for me to get off her computer so that she can finish her Christmas music playlist. So she can get her CDs back and playing in her CD player that she has blaring through the house.

And even money says one or two crazies show up at the front door today.