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Wednesday, May 24, 2023
TINA TURNER IS GONE
CHINESESE HACKERS AFTER MILITARY SYSTEMS
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES, COPYRIGHT 2023
Chinese Malware Hits Systems on Guam. Is Taiwan the Real Target?
The code, which Microsoft said was installed by a Chinese government hacking group, set off alarms because Guam would be a centerpiece of any U.S. military response to a move against Taiwan.
Reporting from Washington
Around the time that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was examining the equipment recovered from the wreckage of the Chinese spy balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast in February, American intelligence agencies and Microsoft detected what they feared was a more worrisome intruder: mysterious computer code that has been popping up in telecommunications systems in Guam and elsewhere in the United States.
The code, which Microsoft said was installed by a Chinese government hacking group, raised alarms because Guam, with its Pacific ports and vast American air base, would be a centerpiece of any American military response to an invasion or blockade of Taiwan. It was installed with great stealth, sometimes flowing through routers and other common internet-connected consumer devices, to make the intrusion harder to track.
But unlike the balloon that fascinated Americans as it performed pirouettes over sensitive nuclear sites, the computer code could not be shot down on live television. So instead, Microsoft and the National Security Agency were set on Wednesday to publish details of the code that would make it possible for corporate users, manufacturers and others to detect and remove it.
The code is called a “web shell,” in this case a malicious script that enables remote access to a server. Home routers are particularly vulnerable, especially older models that have not had updated software and protections.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
PHOENIX has risen-back in print
PHOENIX, Brian A. Hopkins, Terradan Press, $15, 228 pages, ISBN: 9781492101260, reviewed by Barry Hunter.
First of all, I’ve known Brian from chats on Cybling, his writing, and
being one of the Coon Hunter (a Martin Zolotow story) and Waders
(unpublished at this time) first readers that provided feedback on his
work. So I’ve got a sort of vested interest in his writing.
This is his first book in around ten years and it was worth waiting
for. It features some stories reprinted from anthology’s he has
contributed to, his collaboration with Gene Wolfe (who provides the
introduction), and some stories published here for the first time.
Brian is one of those writers that can draw you into the story and
immerse you into it with powerful description. Here’s an example from
“Black Rider”-“its appearance strikes me as a symbolic scream from Hell,
the visual manifestation of an auditory overload, all those billions of
souls crying out at once until the landscape becomes the gaping
mouthpiece to their torment-but it’s as wide and barren as an ocean,
rippling in heat waves to the far horizon where I imagine the clouds
sizzle as they touch the red earth.” You can picture this in your mind’s
eye and you are drawn in.
“Diving the Coolidge” is dedicated to Dietmar Trommeshauser, who died
in 1998 (and another internet friend of mine) and is the story of two
divers who find and photograph shipwrecks and the secret of how one of
them finds the wrecks. “Black Rider” tells of a motorcycle chase across
the desert and what the narrator is actually trying to escape. This is a
moving and thoughtful story. “Communion with the Worm” is a
Lovecraftian tale of a priest and the Mafioso in Sicily. “The Land of
the Awful Shadow’ is a tale of youth that doesn’t turn a blind eye to
friendship. “Roadkill” is not what you expect from the title.
“El Dia De Los Muertos”, the Stoker winning story, was previously
available in a limited edition is presented here along with “Pieces”.
“Eleven Minutes in September”, “Rattler”-with Gene Wolfe, and others
fill out this outstanding collection that is for all fans of horror and
those who like great writing.
Hopefully, this will not be the last we see from this extremely
talented four time Stoker Award winner. It’s available from
TerradanPress.com, Amazon and other booksellers.
This is reprinted from 2013.
Seven Shades of Evil by Robert McCammon Trade Hardcover Coming This October!
Seven Shades of Evil by Robert McCammon
Trade Hardcover Coming This October!
Preorder Today, Pay When the Books Are Ready to Ship!
For those who missed the news, Lividian Publications is proud to be publishing a deluxe trade hardcover edition of Seven Shades of Evil by Robert McCammon, the ninth volume in his acclaimed Matthew Corbett series. This beautiful hardcover edition features exclusive Vincent Chong full-color artwork for the dust jacket and will be published this October in a very limited First Edition/First Printing run!
About the Book:Seven Shades of Evil is the ninth volume in bestselling author Robert McCammon’s acclaimed series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, and this fascinating installment features a wide range of adventures undertaken by both Matthew and his friends over the years.
From murder plots that aren’t what they seem, to creepy forests with possible supernatural evils, to a remote manor whose occupants are in the clutches of a ruthless master, these stories are an intriguing blend of everything wonderful that has drawn readers to the Matthew Corbett series for more than twenty years.
Seven Shades of Evil is the penultimate volume in the Matthew Corbett series, and the perfect table setter for the final adventure of the multifaceted character USA Network has called “the Early American James Bond.” This is another masterful volume from one of America’s most skilled authors, featuring some of his most memorable, compelling, and chilling characters.
Read more or place your preorder (no payment required yet) on our website!
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Gordon Lightfoot, 1938-2023
Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian folk/pop singer has died at 84. Another one of the singers that got me through the interesting times of my life.
Monday, May 1, 2023
Janna Oliver's latest news
Some health news in my world, not the kind I’d like, but life loves plot twists. So here goes . . .
In late November 2022 I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Follicular Lymphoma (NHFL), a cancer of my lymphatic system. The lymph node in my left armpit had been swollen and cranky for some time and during a routine mammography/ultrasound it was cited as needing follow-up. A biopsy revealed this to be an “indolent” kind of lymphoma, ***very slow growing***, unlike some of the other varieties out there. (Follicular Lymphoma is the most common slow-growing lymphoma and the second most common Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.) It is considered a "chronic" cancer, of all things. Who knew?
The disease is currently at Grade 1 / 2 (my doc says he thinks it's more a 2 plus), and not in the bone marrow or organs, which is great news. Staging for FL is different than for solid tumor cancers and is based on its location above and below the diaphragm and whether it is in the bone marrow or organs. So a Stage 3 in FL is considerably different than Stage 3 in many of the other solid tumor cancers.
However, due to the multiple spots seen on my PET scan, and their locations, I’m having immuno-chemotheraphy because it’s impossible to determine if all those are the slow type without add’l biopsies. In this case, it’s better to nail those mothers right up front. Since FL can sometimes transform into a far more aggressive variety (U.S. Rep. Jaime Raskin, for instance, was recently treated for Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)), we’re being extra cautious here.
Unlike some Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, the indolent kind is not curable, it’s just an ongoing thing that will need treatment every now and then. Remission can be for months, *or for decades.* Everyone’s mileage varies with this disease, so there is watching, waiting, and then acting as needed. There are many treatment options available at this point.
I have currently finished # 2 of 6 “spa” treatments as I call them. one every three weeks if my bloodwork says I'm up for them. The medication regimine is R-CHOP, a blend of three chemo drugs, prednisone and an immunotherapy drug. It is definitely serious stuff so, no surprise, my hair has fallen out and I now have a chilly bald head. I wear a turban and I now know why hairless cats look so grumpy. The hair will grow back. The key thing is to put these nasties into remission (or destroy the more aggressive ones if they’re present) and get on with my life.
Fortunately, I’ve been vigilant (yes, a bit obsessive) about wearing a mask in public spaces since the pandemic began, which in retrospect seems to have been a wise precaution. I’ve improved my diet dramatically, taking a bunch of meds, and keeping my head and heart in the game. I continue to write on those days I have a working brain. The oncology staff at Hospital da Luz (Hospital of Light) in Coimbra (Portugal) are wonderful. Our friends in the U.S. and Portugal are supporting us, and my spouse has been a godsend.
So this has definitely been a PLOT TWIST, though it’s a lot more fun when those happen in my books. Any prayers, good vibes, and healing Light sent our way would be appreciated.
I’ll keep you updated, but not inundated with news. Onward to remission.
A PSA — if you have a lymph node that is enlarged and isn’t settling back down after a few weeks, get it checked, even if you are a young person. Or if you have any of these other symptoms.
Don’t let your doctor ignore these. Most Follicular Lymphomas aren’t diagnosed until the disease is advanced because it’s just so stealthy. Like in my case, at least 2+ years of stealth since I first noticed the lymph node change in mid 2021 during the middle of the pandemic. This is definitely a ninja disease.
Stay well!
Copyright Jana Oliver on Facebook 2023.
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