more shaligram spam!

a couple days ago i posted about some unusual spam i have been receiving, which advertises shaligram shilas.

today, i received a comment by an anonymous poster (which was screened, so that you guys can’t see it), the subject line of which was “hello sir“, and contained… you guessed it – spam advertising shaligram shilas.

from shaligram.com

u can see our site and tell us or call us to

kismat 09323505262 or rajiv 09322646421

that was one of the reasons why i posted a “guest map” yesterday. and, sure enough, there’s a “guest” from india on that map:

Location Time
Bethpage, NY, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:24:40 -0600
Wharton, NJ, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:44:45 -0600
Seattle, WA, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:41:46 -0600
, United Kingdom Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:19:05 -0600
Seattle, WA, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:13:08 -0600
Walla Walla, WA, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:41:36 -0600
Auberry, CA, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:52:07 -0600
Downsview, ON, Canada Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:27:20 -0600
Studley, United Kingdom Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:57:34 -0600
Bombay, India Wed, 31 Jan 2007 02:03:38 -0600
San Leandro, CA, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:36:12 -0600
Ann Arbor, MI, United States Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:46:15 -0600
Silver Spring, MD, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:42:45 -0600
Seattle, WA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:36:17 -0600
Redwood City, CA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:08:59 -0600
Concord, Australia Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:42:28 -0600
, United Kingdom Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:30:44 -0600
Houston, TX, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:54:46 -0600
Bellingham, WA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:32:53 -0600
Universal City, TX, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:31:00 -0600
, , Canada Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:27:20 -0600
Marlborough, MA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:02:15 -0600
Easthampton, MA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:47:55 -0600
Redwood City, CA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:41:11 -0600
San Diego, CA, United States Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:13:44 -0600

this post is specifically directed to that “visitor” from bombay, india:

I HATE SPAM!

the way to get people to advertise for the DESTRUCTION OF YOUR BUSINESS is to send them unsolicited email. and for me, personally, the only thing worse than an unsolicited email is an “anonymous” comment advertising your sleaze in my blog! fortunately, i was too smart for that, this time. if you don’t want me to wreak as terrible a vengance as i can think of (giving me your phone numbers and your IP address was a good idea), you’ll take your spam, and your business elsewhere, because I DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH SPAMMERS!

819

US answer to global warming: smoke and giant space mirrors
January 27, 2007
By David Adam

The US government wants the world’s scientists to develop technology to block sunlight as a last-ditch way to halt global warming, the Guardian has learned. It says research into techniques such as giant mirrors in space or reflective dust pumped into the atmosphere would be “important insurance” against rising emissions, and has lobbied for such a strategy to be recommended by a major UN report on climate change, the first part of which will be published on Friday.

The US has also attempted to steer the UN report, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), away from conclusions that would support a new worldwide climate treaty based on binding targets to reduce emissions – as sought by Tony Blair. It has demanded a draft of the report be changed to emphasise the benefits of voluntary agreements and to include criticisms of the Kyoto Protocol, the existing treaty which the US administration opposes.

The final IPCC report, written by experts from across the world, will underpin international negotiations to devise a new emissions treaty to succeed Kyoto, the first phase of which expires in 2012. World governments were given a draft of the report last year and invited to comment.

The US response, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, says the idea of interfering with sunlight should be included in the summary for policymakers, the prominent chapter at the front of each IPCC report. It says: “Modifying solar radiance may be an important strategy if mitigation of emissions fails. Doing the R&D to estimate the consequences of applying such a strategy is important insurance that should be taken out. This is a very important possibility that should be considered.”

Scientists have previously estimated that reflecting less than 1% of sunlight back into space could compensate for the warming generated by all greenhouse gases emitted since the industrial revolution. Possible techniques include putting a giant screen into orbit, thousands of tiny, shiny balloons, or microscopic sulphate droplets pumped into the high atmosphere to mimic the cooling effects of a volcanic eruption. The IPCC draft said such ideas were “speculative, uncosted and with potential unknown side-effects”.

The US submission is based on the views of dozens of government officials and is accompanied by a letter signed by Harlan Watson, senior climate negotiator at the US state department. It complains the IPCC draft report is “Kyoto-centric” and it wants to include the work of economists who have reported “the degree to which the Kyoto framework is found wanting”. It takes issue with a statement that “one weakness of the [Kyoto] protocol, however, is its non-ratificiation by some significant greenhouse gas emitters” and asks: “Is this the only weakness worth mentioning? Are there others?”

It also insists the wording on the ineffectiveness of voluntary agreements be altered to include “a number of them have had significant impacts” and complains that overall “the report tends to overstate or focus on the negative effects of climate change.” It also wants more emphasis on responsibilities of the developing world.

The IPCC report is made up of three sections. The first, on the science of climate change, will be launched on Friday. Sections on the impact and mitigation of climate change – in which the US wants to include references to the sun-blocking technology – will follow later this year.

The likely contents of the report have been an open secret since the Bush administration posted its draft copy on the internet in April. Next week’s science report will say there is a 90% chance that human activity is warming the planet, and that global average temperatures will rise another 1.5C to 5.8C this century depending on emissions. The US response shows it accepts these statements, but it disagrees with a more tentative conclusion that rising temperatures have made hurricanes more powerful.