St Patricks Day Hacker Nearly Put Me Out Of Business
Doing a bit of a scan of my systems for something on St Patrick’s day, I came across this from March 22, 1999. I thought it would be fun to put it up, thirteen years later.
St Patrick’s Day Hacker Nearly Put Me Out Of Business
On St Patrick’s day 1999, we were completely trashed by a hacker and then found out our backup tapes haven’t been working since the 5th Feb 1999 – so we had lost the records of the last 6 weeks work, in an office that was totally digital.
Basically someone put a ‘backdoor’ virus into our Linux operating system, to open on St Patrick’s Day – 17th March. We found out about 14 other sites had the same thing happen. We lost our logs, had our O/S chewed up and data trashed. Apparently, it has been resident on our ‘slave’ backup computer since installation as part of the original programme.
????? What!!! (Yes, it turned out later that our IT guy was installing from a master disc that had the bug in it, supplying the discs licensed to us, BUT not using them for the installations He also was failing to check the back up tape system was working correctly).
Our IT guy tracked down at least one of the computers attacked as having been sourced from site 206.239.27.81, by a user who logged in under the name “moof” We were still waiting to hear from Red Hat Dist 5.0 in the US, to see if they know about this and whether they have a patch to block the hole.
???? What!!!! (Yes, there was a patch but our IT guy was either too lazy or too dumb to install it!)
We had a good recovery programme in place and were back on track by the end of the month.
At the time, we were running Linux Kernel versions 2.0.32 – some of the programmes were broken into and some were not. None of the Linux Kernel version 2.0.35were accessed.
We upgraded to a Pentium III with 128mg RAM and installed a CD writer. With a 10 gb hard drive, we started to save to the C drive, as well as the slave. (this C drive is turned off every night)
???What!!! Yes, no more Linux for this little black duck – give me good old Microsoft with some accountability.
We did a tape backup every day and started saving our data to a CD disc once a week. Additional cost $4700 for new equipment – four days down time for me.
Lost staff working time for recovery – about two weeks full time for two staff. Total cost – about $10,000.
Hopefully, after this, we will be safe from attack, both within and without.
???What!! You didn’t sue the IT guy for total incompentence? Nah – we just got some new ones (still have them, actually) who know what they are doing and who give great service.)
It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken.
Lesley Dewar
Certified Financial Planner
Australia
22nd March 1999.
Forestry Minister, Redman, Confronted By FPC Pictures
The Honourable Terry Redman MLA
Minister for Agriculture and Food; Forestry; Corrective Services
11th Floor, Dumas House
2 Havelock Street,
WEST PERTH WA 6005
Dear Minister Redman,
From correspondence with your office (both electronic and written), you will
be aware that there are deep and well founded concerns in the community about
the current practices of the Forests Products Commission and the Department of
Environment and Conservation, with respect to logging in areas in our forests
selected for “rotational” logging.
This is because the community wants you, as The Minister for Forestry, to
take action to ensure the protection the habitat of endangered and unique native
animal species by addressing the matter with the appropriate members of your
various Forestry services (including the Forest Products Commission) and getting
their absolute commitment to see good practices are enforced.
As you well know, See what confronts the Forestry Minister
Brendon Grylls Alerted Over SW Regional Challenge
Honourable Brendon Grylls MLA
Minister for Regional Development; Lands; Minister Assisting the Minister for State
Development
14th Floor, Dumas House
2 Havelock Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005
Dear Minister Grylls,
From correspondence with your office (both electronic and written), you will
be aware that there are deep and well founded concerns in the community about
the current practices of the Forests Products Commission and the Department of
Environment and Conservation, with respect to logging in areas in our forests
selected for “rotational” logging.
This is because the community wants you, as The Minister for Regional
Development, to take action to ensure the protection the habitat of endangered and
unique native animal species by addressing the matter with your fellow Ministers
about their various Forestry and Environment services (including the Forest
Products Commission) and getting their absolute commitment to see good practices
are enforced.
As you well know, a new Department of Environment and Conservation
(DEC) report prepared by BirdLife Australia revealed Perth’s Carnaby’s Black
Cockatoo population declined by a staggering 37 per cent in just one year (2010 to
2011)
In spite of this, logging in high conservation value forests has recommenced,
causing the destruction of the Marri trees, which are crucial for food and nesting
areas for black cockatoos, in particular. Not just any Marri trees, though! Read the whole story here
Environment Minister Challenged Over Photographs
Honourable Bill Marmion BE MBA MLA
Minister for Environment; Water
29th Floor, Allendale Square,
77 St George’s Terrace,
PERTH WA 6000
Dear Minister Marmion,
From correspondence with your office (both electronic and written), you will be
aware that there are deep and well founded concerns in the community about the
current practices of the Forests Products Commission and the Department of
Environment and Conservation, with respect to logging in areas in our forests selected for “rotational” logging.
This is because the community wants you, as The Minister for the Environment, to take immediate action to protect … read the whole story here
Premier Called To Take Swift Action
The Honourable Colin Barnett MEc MLA
Premier; Minister for State Development
24th Floor, Governor Stirling Tower
197 St Georges Terrace,
PERTH WA 6000
Dear Premier,
From correspondence with your office (both electronic and written), you will be aware that there are deep and well founded concerns in the community about the current practices of the Forests Products Commission and the Department of Environment and Conservation, with respect to logging in areas in our forests selected for “rotational” logging.
This is because the community wants you, as The Premier, to take action to ensure the protection the habitat of endangered and unique native animal species by addressing the matter with the appropriate Ministers and getting their absolute commitment to see good practices are enforced.
As you well know, a new Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) report prepared by BirdLife Australia revealed Perth’s Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo population declined by a staggering 37 per cent in just one year (2010 to 2011)
In spite of this, logging in high conservation value forests has recommenced, causing the destruction of the Marri trees, which are crucial for food and nesting areas for black cockatoos, in particular.
Read the full letter to The Premier of Western Australia here: The Hon Colin Barnett MEc MLA
What Kind Of Grandparents Do You Have In Your Family?
Nana and Pop Beaton - Grandparents on my mother's side.
Family life is a bit different now to what it was when I was growing up. People are living longer; families are often “blended” families – having been through changes due to death, divorce or separation of the children’s parents, and families are often spread across the country or even the world. This can make it harder for Grandparents to provide the traditional role of days past.
If both parents are working, often Grandparents are needed to help with primary childcare or the support of a child who has special needs. With the rise of the Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) workforce, Grandparents can be invaluable in supporting the individual parent at home.
The African proverb is that “it takes a village to raise a child.” So, the question is “Do you need Grandparents to successfully raise children?”
Grandparents can play a key role in helping to successfully raise children – even though they might not always be present in the physical sense. Grandparents can have enormous degree of influence on their grandchildren, partly because the child recognises their early parental role and because, being one step removed from Mum or Dad, Grandparents can be fun!
Grandparents can be present in a child’s life by “being there” – physically, as a direct presence and emotionally, by being supportive when grandchildren reach out to them.
Being there physically means a telephone call, a visit, sharing an event together or making time to be with that child one on one. A note in the mail, an email, a birthday card from a Grandparent to an individual child has great value and is never forgotten. One of my step-granddaughters recently married, yet tells me she still treasures a book about flowers and fairies I gave to her nearly twenty years ago. She remembers everything, she says, about the day it was given to her.
Other grandchildren still remember our Easter egg hunts in the bush at Stoneville; being allowed to eat Tiny Teddy biscuits or doing colouring in on butcher’s paper while we tried to draw pictures from fairy tales.
Lesley's Grandmother on her 90th birthday, with Lesley's Grandchildren, Jade and Baby Robert
You also convey your personal values, ideals, concepts and expectations by “being there” in the child’s life. It is the way the child learns to trust you, for the day they may need to reach out and ask for emotional support. To feel safe enough to ask questions about life issues confronting them.
One national survey of grandparents reported that a variety of activities were engaged in with grandchildren such as:
- * Joking and kidding
- * Giving money
- * Talking about growing up
- * Giving advice
- * Discussing problems
- * Going to church/synagogue
- * Providing discipline
- * Taking a day trip
- * Teaching a skill or game
- * Watching TV together
- * Talking about parent/child disagreements
Having families which encourage intergenerational contact (grandparents; aunts, uncles, cousins) helps children to be less fearful of old age, the elderly and to be more connected to other people. It helps build respect for older people, by letting children learn patience and understanding with the frailties of the human body as it breaks down. It also helps them learn to deal with death as a natural part of the life cycle and helps especially when accidental death occurs with younger people.
When children are very young, the old can be a little frightening. My elder son was too scared to get out of the car and come inside to see my Grandmother when he was about five and she was about 80. He said to me “No one can be that old and still be alive.” At the same time, a young cousin stroked his Grandmother’s arm and asked her “Is that really skin, Nana, or is it leather?”
Warren with his grandmother, Lesley's Mum at a family dinner.
Now, his Grandparents are in their 90’s, he supports them in many ways and loves them dearly. I have to say he doesn’t always agree with my “tough love” approach with my own Dad who will shortly be 94.
Step-grandparents have more challenging roles than natural grandparents, because their place in the family is less clear and often clouded by emotional disputes between the children’s parents and natural grandparents.
It is always a great tragedy when children are denied the opportunity to develop good and long lasting relationships with either grandparents or step-grandparents, because of the bitter acrimony which often arises during divorces and separation.
Often, today’s Grandparents are a world away from their own earlier generations of the parents of their own mother and fathers. They may still be working; travelling as “grey nomads” or retired to a different part of the country or the world. Sadly, some of them will already have passed away and their grandchildren will be the poorer for not knowing them. Not all Grandparents are soft and cuddly, either. Sometimes, it is their own choice to not develop deep relationships with grandchildren and, whatever the reasons, we should respect their right to make a choice.
Of course, you can always adopt a Grandparent if you are short of one or two – there are great community programmes for Adopting Grandparents Adopt A Grandparent You might like to check it out.
We would love to hear from you, about your family. Tell us what kind of Grandparents you have and why they are special.
Written by Lesley Dewar, Grandmother and Author at http://storiesmynanatells.com
If you enjoyed the story of What Kind Of Grandparents Do You Have In Your Family? why not subscribe for our premium stories? For more information about our membership subscription, visit Become a Stories My Nana Tells member today .
Kaarakin – More Than A Wing And A Prayer
Kaarakin Fundraising Project – With DVDs of the movie
“On A Wing And A Prayer”
“On a Wing and a Prayer” follows the incredible life cycle of the Carnaby’s cockatoo through the engaging story of one small cockatoo family. Capturing a remarkable “never filmed before” journey of life and hope for one of Australia’s most loved, but critically, endangered birds.
Recently screened Australia-wide on the ABC , this inspiring and educational film received rave reviews and will shortly be available on DVD as a fundraising project for Kaarakin.
This project will raise funds to support the ongoing work of Kaarakin, in its mission to protect, rehabilitate and release endangered species of Australian wildlife – including our Black Cockatoos
What are we asking you to do? Place your order NOW!
Please buy and gift a copy of the DVD to your local school.
Every school in Australia deserves to have this wonderful film in their own libraries. To make a gift of a copy to your local school: use this link to email your request>> support@storiesmynanatells.com
As a parent or grandparent, buy a copy for your own family, to view and enjoy at home.
Every family in Australia can have this wonderful film in their own home. Every parent will love sharing this inspiring film with their children. To buy your personal copy: email your request>>. support@storiesmynanatells.com
The DVD is $23.00, including P&H and will be mailed directly to the school you nominate or your home address. While purchases do not attract a tax deduction as a donation to Kaarakin, all funds received (apart from the costs of P&H) will be used by Karrakin in their work of rescue and rehabilition of our endangered Black Cockatoos. Pre-sales orders are now being taken, with delivery scheduled in about four weeks time.
Project Overview
Objective:
• To raise $25,000+ in funds in support of Kaarakin – Black Cockatoo Rescue and Recovery Centre (Karrakin) – part of which will be paid to support a red tail cockatoo rescue facility at Nannup, which operates under the umbrella of Kaarakin.
Methodology:
• The sale of DVD’s of the ABC TV’s movie “On A Wing And A Prayer” to sponsors (parents and citizens) who will gift the DVD to their local school as an educational resource, knowing the proceeds of the sale will be donated to Kaarakin.
Project Manager:
Lesley Dewar is passionate about the environment and has been writing about Australian wildlife for many years. The first story members of Stories My Nana Tells receive when they subscribe is about a family of red tailed back cockatoos – called “He Looks Just Like Elvis” Read about Stories My Nana Tells here: Join Stories My Nana Tells
She will manage this project through Stories My Nana Tells. She has personally committed up to $4000 to underwrite the launch of this project. Lesley Dewar is a highly experienced businesswoman with over 40 years experience in sales and marketing. After 26 years as one of Australia’s leading financial planners, she sold her practice in May 2009 to develop a growing career as a writer of stories for children. She is highly experienced in Social Media and Networking and will bring her skills to bear on this project to see it through to a successful conclusion.
Contact details: Tel: 0417 915502
Website: Stories My Nana Tells
Facebook: Facebook: Stories My Nana Tells
Twitter: Nana Stories on Twitter
Contact us:Talk To Us
Facebook Fireworks Fizzle Out!
There were a number of conversations being held on Facebook early in January 2011, about whether any fireworks events planned for Australia Day should be cancelled and the money donated to the various flood relief appeals. There is little conversation at all on Twitter or Facebook, in 2012, about the recurring flooding and some poor people on the east coast who have already endured five months of flooding with little respite in view.
Facebook pages were quickly set up to engage the discussion and the overwhelming view was that it was too late to cancel in 2011 and in the light of the flood tragedies on the East Coast and the terrible fires south of Perth, the fireworks shows should go ahead. Mostly for reasons of community support and social well being.
Conversations wandered off topic some times, there was lively
interaction and it is very clear that being able to communicate openly through Social Media is a good thing.
Two of my favourite friends on Facebook, Bob Litchfield and Bronwyn Clee had excellent comments in their Facebook streams.
My personal view was this: Let the fireworks go ahead – they help bring people together and celebrate life. Have fundraising buckets at the events. Charge a gold coin for entry. You will raise a lot of money and let people have some enjoyment.It’s too easy to cancel good things, thinking it’s the right thing to do, often out of a subliminal sense of guilt that we shouldn’t be enjoying anything, while others suffer.
Cancelling the fireworks would be counter-productive when the country needs something cheerful and bright to bring it together.
On the Stories My Nana Tells Facebook page, I wrote
Thinking I should write a Nana story about Guy Fawkes night in the country, when we were kids. Spent weeks building bonfires; were allowed to stay up really late; catherine wheels; sparklers; penny bombs and tom thumbs; sky rockets and in the morning we kids would be up at the crack of dawn to trawl all the bonfire sit es for crackers and fireworks missed in the dark. Heaps of fun. Too late to cancel them now.
There were other excellent streams, too, speaking about the need to restore normality; the need for children to have the sense of security of being able to attend an event long planned and anticipated; that most of the money had already been spent and Governments and organisers would have to meet their contractural obligations for the events, whether they took place or not.
Think Mellen Events, A Day On The Green and the concerts - We Play, Rain Or Shine.
Kerry Beake had a great stream too:
So many people are suggesting we skip Australia Day fireworks and give the money to flood victims. It’s normal to want to help and do whatever we can. Perspective can make all the difference in the way we help and helping the best way we can. Sometimes the best way to help is to maintain normality. Children especially need this as a way to cope.
There is no doubt that being connected with Social Media played a most important role in minimising stress and needless worry during the floods in Queensland and those rising in Victoria and Tasmania. During the terrible fires south of Perth, at the beginning of 2011 and again in 2012, Social Media was invaluable.
Being able to use Twitter and Facebook, in particular, provided many families with relief and helped emergency services in ways never previously possible. Official Police and Emergency Facebook Pages communicated critical information that undoubtedly saved many lives. Twitter, in particular, came of age in Australia as a serious and respected source of news, photos, videos and support.
It’s a great thing – to be able to talk, laugh, cry and reach out a comforting hand in an instant.
But we have to ask the question: How long lasting is the empathy, the support and the help that is generated so quickly on Social Media?
There were some fireworks in the discussion streams, in January 2011. By January, 2012, they seem to have fizzled out to less than a splutter – as social media moves on to the next “big thing”. Mostly about not being able to drink while at the Australia Day SkyWorks in Perths – or cancelling them in the future because they are not a good ROI for the City of Perth which mostly foots the bill.
Has the genuine goodwill of January 2011 been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the ongoing floods on the East Coast? Are the bush fires of Western Australia of such magnitude we cannot bear to think of 200,000 hectares of forest burned beyond recognition, with its catastrophic loss of wildlife?
What do you think?
Help Us Save The Numbats, Pygmy Possum and The Black Cockatoos’ Habitat.
Back to Warrup – and we need your support.
White tailed Cockatoos and their cousins, the Red Tails, are being forced from their breeding hollows in the tree tops of our South West forests, while on the ground huge yellow bulldozers are crushing every living thing in their path. Why? Because the current Liberal Government continues to allow clear felling of high value conservation forest and so called “selective” logging in areas long regarded as sanctuaries for our iconic native wildlife like numbats, mainland quokkas and Western pigmy possum. There are many other unique little creatures, too.
Hello, I am a baby western Pygmy Possum. My home in the south west of Australia is now being pushed down by yellow machines. I do not know where I will live when I grow up. Warrup, Arcadia, and other forests where my brothers and sisters live are being lost each day. Will you help save my home?
Please can you help me share my voice and contact all your representatives about protecting my home. Like me, you are important, so please have your say. Nationals WA The Premier of Western Australia or email to the Environment Minister Minister.Marmion@dpc.wa.gov.au
How Can You Help Support The Warrup Camp?
Lesley Dewar is planning on another trip down to Warrup and to see the new Numbat Rescue Centre down there – she will be leaving around mid day on Thursday. The guys and girls at the camp need some non-perishable food for support. So:
1. Can you help, by supplying some non perishable food? What can we take down there:
- Baked beans;
- hearty soups;
- tinned meals like Irish Stew, Beef and Vegetables etc;
- Dolphin friendly canned Tuna in brine;
- long life UHT milk cartons;
- good coffee (granulated);
- tea bags – breakfast tea and Earl Grey;
- muesli bars;
- dried fruit;
- nuts;
- tinned vegetables and tinned fruit;
- sardines;
- tinned salmon;
- Ryvita or similar biscuits;
- raw sugar;
- cooking oil;
- dry pasta and pasta sauce;
2. Is anyone available to act as a collection point for their family and friends and she will arrange for pick up on Thursday morning (please be within cooee of East Victoria Park or can a couple of you get together and do a delivery to my house? We can also arrange to have someone else collect foodstuffs and bring it down.
3. She is taking down a cutlery set and a couple of frying pans and a big saucepan (a pressure cooker that has lost its lid). In the meantime, she has to buy a decent sleeping bag!!!
This is my Adoption Certificate for My Numbat at the Perth Zoo
What Do You Know About Numbats?
The Numbat is a medium sized marsupial that many people confuse with a meerkat or a squirrel (neither of which are native to Australia). It has a pointy nose, runs on four legs, has black and white stripes on its back and has a bushy tale. The Numbat is a specialised feeder which means it only one eats thing and in the Numbat’s case it’s termites. About 20,000 of them. Every day. Learn more about Numbats here:
Perth Walkabout – Project Numbat
Torching Our Forests or Managing The Fire Risks?
As regular readers of this blog will know, Lesley Dewar is helping to campaign for conservation and protection of both our high value conservation forests and their unique native inhabitants. She is passionate about helping to raise awareness of conservation issues.
This post has on purpose: to provide links to a variety of points of view and people whose opinions are highly divergent. It is easy:
- to shout down those whose views do not agree with yours;
- to deride academics or activists as ” armchair critics” when they may not have had intense physical interaction with bushfires;
- to ignore the right of everyone to express their point of view;
- to fail to support the views of others who have a credible story to tell
- to deny evidence because you do not approve or like or accept by whom it is presented;
Readers are invited to read, review and comment. The notes in italics have been added by the author or sourced as a quote from the link. The links to the You Tube videos have not been edited for the sake of appearance.
Don’t Torch The Tingles.
Uploaded to You Tube by WAforests on May 17, 2011
The last of our pre European Tingle Forest is to be firebombed next summer 2011/2012. This is the last large example of long unburnt OPEN FLOOR Tingle Forest left in the world, solely due to it being without fire for 80 years, allowing the understory to collapse and decompose creating this Park Land Forest with declining litter or fuel levels.
At the date of uploading, we had not been able to confirm whether the proposed burning had been carried out. The video offers suggestions on alternative areas to be selected for the proposed burning which may be more effective than the initially selected site.
Wildfire WA part 1 (Waterbush)
Uploaded to You Tube by WAforests on May 25, 2011
Controlled forest burning in Western Australia is making the forest more flammable and therefore more dangerous.
A very interesting video on the proliferation of vegetation which seeds well after burning.
Wildfire WA part 2 (Waterbush)
Uploaded to You Tube by WAforests on Jun 5, 2011
The WA government, under Colin Barnett, is encouraging the destruction of native forest animals by destroying their habitat.
The second video in the series, it offers alternative ideas on proposed burning actions.
Water Flower (Florabase Dept Environment and Conservation)
South West Western Australia on a budget
Uploaded to You Tube by RadioLynxContent on Dec 2, 2011
One of the worries about taking a holiday of a lifetime is that it is going to cost you the earth, but in south west Western Australia that needn’t be the case.
With strong calls by the author for more attention to eco-tourism, videos like this help promote the South West as a good tourism destination.
Bush Fire Front: The Alliance Against Bushfire Damage in WA
The Bush Fire Front is a Western Australian voluntary organisation dedicated to protecting householders, farmers and forests from the ravages of bushfires. Our focus is the southwest corner of WA, where hundreds of thousands of people, valuable property, public assets and priceless forests are threatened by wildfire.
We are practical bushfire specialists, with hundreds of years’ accumulated experience in preventing bushfire damage to people, property and forests. We are a group of West Australians deeply concerned to prevent bushfire damage to people, lives and forests. Each of us has worked in bushfire prevention, bushfire science, fire planning, administration or operations for over 35 years
http://bushfirefront.com.au/opinion/general-fire-management-issues
Quote: We need a return to the sort of fire management regime used by aboriginal people in ages past. The beautiful forests and landscapes that the first European settlers found were the product of frequent mild burning, not of massive high intensity fires which blackened the landscape over millions of hectares, which is what the current approach is doing.
South West Fire Services
South West Fire Services is a Busselton based Fire Management Consultancy. Established in 2001, we specialise in management of fire in the natural environment, with emphasis on protection of the biodiversity values, property, and life. With a combined total of over 100 years in practical fire management, we can offer practical advice based on extensive fire and land management experience
John Evans is the director of SWFS, with nearly 40 years experience with DEC in District and Regional Fire Management roles throughout the SW. Primary responsibilities included planning and managing fire management programmes, wildfire suppression operations (Level 3 Incident Controller), fire training, preparation of technical and reference material, liaising with state and local government agencies, and forest management companies etc. Specialising in Karri, Tingle and Jarrah forest fire management, but with a wide range of experience across WA, he is based in Busselton.
http://www.bushfireservices.com.au/about-us/john-evans/
DEC: Science Division Research Project:
The impact of wildfire in old growth forest of the Walpole-Nornalup National Park on short-range endemic invertebrates and their forest floor communities
This study, established in December 2001, was designed to involve and educate the local volunteers in the establishment of a long-term invertebrate collection
Profile link for Paul Van Heurck http://science.dec.wa.gov.au/people/?sid=117#profile
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Arthropods, beetle fire ecology, beta richness, Bushfire CRC, Coleoptera biodiversity, fire mosaics, ForestCheck beetles, rarefaction, structural diversity, trophic guilds, Walpole beetles, Walpole protocol, wildfire impacts
http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/5898/1808/
At the date of posting, the author had not been able to contact Paul Van Heurck and has not yet accessed any information on the results of the study.
