Some time ago, I deactivated fpcraig at this domain, after entering it into a "remove me" page. The spam bots are still hitting it—my mail host bounced ten messages in the last month—but even more troubling than that is that my gmail account with that alias is getting spammed. I can only infer that eventually every alias that has ever been identified at any domain will be tried at gmail.
As an experiment, I think I’ll set up an fpcraig alias in another domain I have access to, and which I know gets dictionary-spammed, to see if fpcraig is now just part of the spammers’ alias dictionary.
Update: five years on, I believe the gmail spam was due to some invitations I sent: I have not seen spam to fpcraig at any other domains I have access to.

If you live in a western state, you may, as of today, go to www.annualcreditreport.com to try to examine your credit report at any of the three major credit reporting agencies. So far, Experian’s server failed (the NSAPI plugin says "No backend server available for connection"), and both Transunion and Equifax have been "unable" to show me my report on the web. Less than wholly satisfying. I’d be interested in hearing other folks’ experiences.

Earlier, I was all sarcastic about some advice on protecting your child from syphilis by making sure that no visiting relatives have it. But in the 1920 book The care and feeding of children: a catechism for the use of mothers and children’s nurses, page 195:

“Are there any valid objections to kissing infants?
There are many serious objections. Tuberculosis, diphtheria, syphilis, and many other grave diseases may be communicated in this way. The kissing of infants upon the mouth by other children, by nurses, or by people generally, should under no circumstances be permitted. Infants should be kissed, if at all, upon the cheek or forehead, but the less even of this the better.”

Jeez! How long did this myth persist? “No, really, honey, I got it from kissing a baby!”

Later note: OK, turns out I wasn’t paying enough attention in health class. Syphilis can be passed by kissing if the sores are on the mouth. Never again will I mock old medical or child-rearing advice.

Would you like to discover the wonders of the Kamchatka peninsula? Why not visit by dogsled?

Earlier, I recommended Robert Sullivan’s book, Rats. One of the (many) cool things he mentioned was Audubon’s engravings of rats, which the modern observer can find (where else?) in New York, at the library!

If this blog had categories, this would be in the "shut up and think what I tell you" category.

But some things are universal, or maybe it’s just that our brains are pattern-seeky.
Y’know, when you’re in love, you think every boil-on-the-ass story is about you.

A rare ailment, yes, but serious: a bad case of the falsetto jackass.

Two moments in time from this afternoon:
a. a guy I have warned at least 5 times not to leave his stuff lying around because it’ll just get stolen, comes to the desk to complain that something he left lying around has been stolen.
b. small boy who wants books about LIONS! and is thrilled when I find him one that he can read.

Another piece of spam caught my eye today, and a brief examination of its target link confirms that eMarketResearchGroup (or maybe eMarket Research Group) is indistinguishable from the Consumer Research Corporation. It’s unlikely you’ll get your free tv, and it most assuredly won’t be free by the time you get it.