"A Bushel And A Peck"

KCNET NEWSLETTER
06/04/06 & 06/11/06
TECHNICAL PAGE


TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
VIRUS AND OTHER STINKY STUFF
DOWNLOAD FREE ANTI VIRUS, SPYWARE AND ADWARE
INTERESTING SITES
 
 
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING:
This Vulnerability will not be patched until June 13, 2006

Microsoft Word Vulnerability 
Worldstart featured this in a recent Newsletter.  You will want to read about the problem. (Mike)

Back on May 19th, a vulnerability was discovered in Microsoft Word that allowed a specially crafted Word document to arbitrarily install malware. This vulnerability is a Zero-Day Flaw, meaning there are yet to be any patches or fixes to stop it. To make matters worse, this particular vulnerability was released to the public, as well as, Microsoft, so anyone who wishes to exploit the Word vulnerability will surely try.

Thus far, the attacks have used malware to install backdoors that the mothership can use for various reasons. As a matter of fact, once the backdoor is installed on a PC, the PC would then ping the head server to inform it of the successful system breach.

In order for someone to get infected, one would need to open a specially crafted Word document designed to take advantage of the Word vulnerability. These documents can either be downloaded from a Web site or sent to you in an e-mail. Either way, the outcome is the same.

Microsoft has stated that the vulnerability will be patched on June 13, 2006 with the scheduled monthly update, so you may want to mark that down and make sure your PC updates on that day. Also, this vulnerability only applies to the 2002 and 2003 versions of Word. It will crash Word 2000, but otherwise leave it unharmed. Microsoft has come out with some work around and good practices that you may want to consider until the patch is available:
1.  Users whose accounts are configured to use restricted rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
2.  When running Office XP or Office 2003, the vulnerability can not be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.
3.  In Office XP and Office 2003, this vulnerability can not be exploited automatically through a Web based attack scenario. An attacker would have to host a Web site that contains an Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a malicious Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.
4.  Use Word Viewer 2003 to open and view files. Word Viewer 2003 does not contain the vulnerable code and is not susceptible to this attack. It can be downloaded for free here.

Users can follow these steps to disable the Outlook feature to use Word as a mail editor:
1.  Restart the machine.
2.  Open Outlook.
3.  Click Tools, click Options and then click the Mail Format tab.
4.  Clear the "Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages" check box.
5.  Clear the "Use Microsoft Word to read Rich Text e-mail messages" box.
6.  Exit Outlook.
7.  Restart the machine.
8.  For more information on turning Word on or off as your e-mail editor, see the following Web site.

Use Word in Safe Mode for Home Users:

Using Word in Safe Mode helps protect the affected system from attempts to exploit this vulnerability. All versions of Word have an application recovery feature that allows running Word in Safe Mode. Safe Mode disables the functionality and prevents vulnerable code from being exploited.
1.  Word will display SAFE MODE in the title if it is operating in Safe Mode.
2.  Right click on your Desktop
3.  Select New/Shortcut.
4.  Select Browse.
5.  Locate winword.exe.
6.  Append “ /safe” (without quotes) to the end of the file location, after the quotation mark.
7.  Click Next. Name your shortcut as “Word Safe Mode.”
8.  Click Finish.

To open a Word document, follow the steps listed below:
1.  Save your Word document to a disk or onto your desktop.
2.  Start Word using your “Word Safe Mode” Shortcut.
3.  Click File, click Open, then browse to the document you wish to open.

Keep in mind that there are going to be some changes in the way Word behaves while in Safe Mode, but it’s only for a short while. Until this gets patched, here’s exactly what you can expect in Safe Mode.

 
 
Vista Beta 2 Now Available
Get a look at the new Microsoft Operating System scheduled for release in 2007.  Currently there is a Vista Beta 2 version available for public review and report.  There are a number of screen shots and a good overview by reviewer Ed Bott.
You can read the review and look at some visuals of the various interfaces by accessing http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=66&tag=nl.e539.

 
 
Here is an excellent article written by Bob Rankin one of the editors of Tourbus.  Tourbus is an excellent Newsletter (FREE Too) and can be registered for at http://www.internettourbus.com/  

Cyberspace malefactors are enslaving millions of unsecured computers into zombie networks that are responsible for spewing out mountains of spam and attacking legitimate websites that oppose the spammers. Is your PC part of the problem? Find out now...
 
Are You a Spammer?
You might be a spammer, and never know it. Every day, ordinary computers, owned by ordinary people like you, are being used to send spam. Because so many people have failed to take just a few easy steps to secure their computers, they have become zombies, caught up in botnets.
Botnets are groups of PCs on the Internet that can have been compromised by spammers and hackers. Adware, spyware, computer viruses and other rogue programs have allowed these computers to be remotely controlled by a single entity. By using these zombie computer networks, they can send spam that's virtually untraceable, because it originates from YOUR PC, not the spammer's.

Are You a Hacker?
But that's not all... a compromised computer can also be used to attack other users and websites. A distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack uses thousands of zombie computers to flood the intended victim's computer or website with millions of incoming data packets, which can cause it to crash or become inaccessible. And again, the attacker remains anonymous because they can hide behind the zombie network. All they do is press a button which sends the "attack signal" to the zombies, which do the bidding of their master.
DDOS attacks have been used by spammers to attack individuals and the websites of anti-spam organizations. In one recent case, the Blue Frog anti-spam service was forced to shut down due to unrelenting botnet attacks.
If you have failed to secure your computer, and as a result it has been compromised, the consequences could go far beyond unwitting participation in spamming and denial of service attacks. Until you fix this problem, your privacy, the integrity of your files, and the safety of your personal information are all figments of your imagination. Any program, any file, any email on your computer is accessible to the person who controls it. Once the zombie master has tapped into your PC, he or she can install new programs, browse your documents and emails, delete files at random, or use your identity to commit crimes. And of course, you could be oblivious to all of this.

Take Back Your Computer - Take Back the Net
But that doesn't have to be the case. By securing your computer, you take back your personal privacy, and you help to shut down spammers. The good news is that it doesn't take a lot of time, money or computer skills. To make sure your computer is free of rogue software and secured for the future, the first thing you need to do is make sure your PC has the latest Microsoft security fixes. If configure your system to run Windows Update in automatic mode, you'll always be up to date, without another keystroke. Open Internet Explorer, click on Tools, then Windows Update. Follow the instructions to download the required fixes, then choose the Automatic mode.
Next, you absolutely need anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall. The two articles below will show you my recommendations for the best anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and the facts on both hardware & software firewalls. This is the solution I've used myself for several years and I know it works. Best of all, everything you need is free!
    * Best Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Software
    * Do I Need a Firewall? 

More Internet Security Resources
Do you use a wireless connection at home or on the road? If so, you should read these next two articles to make sure your computer is not vulnerable to wireless networking exploits.
    * Wireless Security
    * Is Public Wi-Fi Safe? 

 
 
Important Firefox Update
Mozilla has released an update to its Firefox Web browser that repairs a dozen security vulnerabilities, five of which are deemed "critical."

The most serious of the bugs could be exploited by miscreants to hijack vulnerable systems, Mozilla said Thursday. The company, which oversees Firefox development, has published security advisories for each of the flaws repaired by the Firefox update.
Got views on Vista?

"Firefox 1.5.0.4 is a security update that is part of our ongoing program to provide a safe Internet experience for our customers," Mozilla said on its Web site. "We recommend that all users upgrade to this latest version."

Security monitoring company Secunia deems the Firefox issues "highly critical," one notch below its most severe rating.

The latest Firefox update comes a month after the previous security fix release for the popular open-source browser. Users of Firefox 1.5 or newer, released last November, will receive the patches automatically. 

 
 
Excellent Flash-Drive Software 
This one was in a recent Langalist.  Flashdrives are very popular and this info will be helpful to many 'puter users. (Mike)

Hey Fred, Great news letter.  The Plus edition is worth every penny.
I am writing regarding the discussion on booting a computer with thumb/USB flash drives for use on public computers.  I happened upon an article on Kim Komando's site at http://komando.com/shareware_show.asp?showID=9675 that has a list of 6 free programs you can use from the thumb drive to help in keeping you safe while using public computers.
On that same note, here is another site that has more info on thumb drives and programs for them, etc.
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/thumb-drive/ It is a site called Life Hacker.

Another site for portable apps for thumb drives is http://portableapps.com/ There are a bunch of sites.  I searched using google:
http://tinyurl.com/s2uak Just thought you and your readers might be interested.
Thanks again for a great news letter.  Plus Subscriber, Bill Tone 

Nice, Bill, thanks.  We covered a couple of those before; in case you missed them, see "More OS-On-A-Stick Options" http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-02-09.htm#3  and a step-by-step article on " XP On Your USB Thumb/Flash Drive "  http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177102101 
 

 
 
Hits  
How about this one from Worldstart?  Read it because I'll bet you did not know what a "HIT" really is. 
Have you ever heard the term "hit"? Do you have any idea what it refers to in means of the Internet world? If you have heard of it, are you really sure you know what it means?
There is actually a big misconception with this term. Many people think a hit refers to the number of visits a certain Web site gets. They think every time someone goes to a site, it gets one more hit to add to their count. Well, this is just not true. The term is still connected with Web sites, but it really means something different.
A hit is actually a request made to a Web server. For example, if you go to a Web site that has six images included on the homepage, the browser must make a request to the server for the six images and one for the HTML of the site. So, once all of those requests are made, seven hits are actually recorded, instead of just six.
The other way the term hit is used is within search engine results. When you do a search on Google (or whatever your favorite search engine is) and you get your results, each of those is called a hit. So, if the search engine finds 400 matches to your inquiry, you received back 400 hits.
Now that there is no confusion with this term, you can go impress your buddies and tell them how many hits you got on your search today! 
VIRUS AND OTHER STINKY STUFF:
Bogus Microsoft security warning leads to malware
BeastPWS-C Trojan horse steals passwords from infected users  
Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centers, have warned of a spammed email campaign which claims to be security advice from Microsoft, but actually tries to encourage users to install a keylogger onto their computers.
The spammed emails, which have the subject line "Microsoft WinLogon Service - Vulnerability Issue" and purport to come from patch@microsoft.com, claim that a vulnerability has been found "in the Microsoft WinLogon Service" and could "allow a hacker to gain access to an unpatched computer".
Recipients are advised to click on a link in the email to download the patch. However, the link really points to a non-Microsoft website and initiates the download of the Troj/BeastPWS-C Trojan horse, which is capable of spying on the infected user and stealing passwords.
The spam email claims to come from Microsoft, and includes a malicious link.
When first installed the Trojan horse displays the following bogus message
Microsoft WinLogon Service successfully patched.
but is secretly logging keystrokes and sending them to an email address belonging to the hacker.
"People are slowly learning that Microsoft does not email out security fixes as attachments, but they also need to learn to be careful of blindly clicking on links to download fixes too without checking that the email is legitimate," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "In this case, the hackers made a mistake by referring to 'Microsoft Coorp' rather than 'Microsoft Corp', but its possible that users would miss that typo in their rush to protect themselves."
Sophos recommends that users visit Microsoft's website at www.microsoft.com/security for information about Microsoft security patches.
"The hackers are playing a dangerous game, because if Microsoft finds out who is responsible for besmirching their name in this way they are likely to throw the full force of the law at them," continued Cluley. "Security is becoming a hot topic for the software giant, and they don't want malware and spam to sully the company's public image through this kind of criminal activity." 

 
 
 
Da Vinci Code spam hits email inboxes
Anti-spam experts at SophosLabs™ are calling on consumers to be wary of unsolicited emails trying to sell them goods via spam, as an unsolicited email campaign offers a copy of Dan Brown's best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code".
At its global network of spam traps Sophos has intercepted emails inviting recipients to join a book club, claiming to offer a free copy of "The Da Vinci Code" as an incentive. The email calls on people to "Read the novel everyone's STILL talking about" and to "Get the Da Vinci Code free, plus five more bestsellers for 99 cents."
The spam campaign offers a free copy of 'The Da Vinci Code'.
"People should be careful of unsolicited emails like this and remember the old adage that there's no such thing as a free lunch," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "This Da Vinci Code email directs recipients to a website that was registered less than a month ago - a clue which instantly sets alarm bells ringing in anti-spam circles. The intention of the website is presently unclear, but it certainly fails to supply a free book to surfers."
According to a poll* conducted earlier this year, 9% of computer users have purchased goods sold via spam, which Sophos claims is more than enough to keep spammers in business and encourage them to continue bombarding innocent users with unsolicited emails.
"Some would argue that there's more than enough wall-to-wall coverage about Dan Brown's controversial book on the TV, radio and cinema without having to be subjected to it via email too," continued Cluley. "It's time to boycott the companies who use spam to sell their goods. If you receive an unsolicited commercial email don't try, don't buy, don't reply." 

 
 
This Vulnerability will not be patched until June 13, 2006

Microsoft Word Vulnerability 
Worldstart featured this in a recent Newsletter.  You will want to read about the problem. (Mike)

Back on May 19th, a vulnerability was discovered in Microsoft Word that allowed a specially crafted Word document to arbitrarily install malware. This vulnerability is a Zero-Day Flaw, meaning there are yet to be any patches or fixes to stop it. To make matters worse, this particular vulnerability was released to the public, as well as, Microsoft, so anyone who whishes to exploit the Word vulnerability will surely try.

Thus far, the attacks have used malware to install backdoors that the mothership can use for various reasons. As a matter of fact, once the backdoor is installed on a PC, the PC would then ping the head server to inform it of the successful system breach.

In order for someone to get infected, one would need to open a specially crafted Word document designed to take advantage of the Word vulnerability. These documents can either be downloaded from a Web site or sent to you in an e-mail. Either way, the outcome is the same.

Microsoft has stated that the vulnerability will be patched on June 13, 2006 with the scheduled monthly update, so you may want to mark that down and make sure your PC updates on that day. Also, this vulnerability only applies to the 2002 and 2003 versions of Word. It will crash Word 2000, but otherwise leave it unharmed. Microsoft has come out with some work around and good practices that you may want to consider until the patch is available:
1.  Users whose accounts are configured to use restricted rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
2.  When running Office XP or Office 2003, the vulnerability can not be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.
3.  In Office XP and Office 2003, this vulnerability can not be exploited automatically through a Web based attack scenario. An attacker would have to host a Web site that contains an Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a malicious Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.
4.  Use Word Viewer 2003 to open and view files. Word Viewer 2003 does not contain the vulnerable code and is not susceptible to this attack. It can be downloaded for free here.

Users can follow these steps to disable the Outlook feature to use Word as a mail editor:
1.  Restart the machine.
2.  Open Outlook.
3.  Click Tools, click Options and then click the Mail Format tab.
4.  Clear the "Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages" check box.
5.  Clear the "Use Microsoft Word to read Rich Text e-mail messages" box.
6.  Exit Outlook.
7.  Restart the machine.
8.  For more information on turning Word on or off as your e-mail editor, see the following Web site.

Use Word in Safe Mode for Home Users:

Using Word in Safe Mode helps protect the affected system from attempts to exploit this vulnerability. All versions of Word have an application recovery feature that allows running Word in Safe Mode. Safe Mode disables the functionality and prevents vulnerable code from being exploited.
1.  Word will display SAFE MODE in the title if it is operating in Safe Mode.
2.  Right click on your Desktop
3.  Select New/Shortcut.
4.  Select Browse.
5.  Locate winword.exe.
6.  Append “ /safe” (without quotes) to the end of the file location, after the quotation mark.
7.  Click Next. Name your shortcut as “Word Safe Mode.”
8.  Click Finish.

To open a Word document, follow the steps listed below:
1.  Save your Word document to a disk or onto your desktop.
2.  Start Word using your “Word Safe Mode” Shortcut.
3.  Click File, click Open, then browse to the document you wish to open.

Keep in mind that there are going to be some changes in the way Word behaves while in Safe Mode, but it’s only for a short while. Until this gets patched, here’s exactly what you can expect in Safe Mode.

 
THE TALLY:
Friday, May 26 -- Thursday, June 1
According to Sophos, a leader in Anti Virus Software development, 34 new/improved viruses, which required Anti Virus upgrades, were released into cyberspace via email. 
&
KCnet's anti virus program caught and "defanged" 1,449 email viruses in addition to sending 93,226 non spam and non virus messages and refusing 280,273 spam messages. 

Sophos notes that this is virus season.  Many of these buggers constantly replicate themselves on infected computers, sending themselves to every email address in that computer each time the user reboots.  Each one sent and not blocked by a service provider or personal antivirus program can replicate itself and send to every email address in the new host's computer, and on and on and on.

 
 
Have you updated your anti virus program lately? 
If not, may I recommend that you do it now?

 
**************************************************************************************************
Free Virus Scans
Best done with The Internet Explorer Browser.
Computer Associates, a reputable and reliable anti virus developer introduced a new free program  which allows anyone to do a virus scan without downloading any software or registering for an anti virus program.  You must use Internet Explorer for access to Computer Associates and to perform the scan.  This is a good one and very simple to operate  The address is http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx

Trend Micro, more commonly referred to as Housecall, offers free virus scans and in most cases can fix damage down by a virus or worm that your computer may have contacted.  The program works well.  The first time one uses the free program it is necessary to download a small program. Trend Micro walks you through the process.   Then the virus scans are quite simple for each return.  Go to http://housecall.antivirus.com/  then choose the link   "Scan without registering".  Follow the directions.

You should disable any anti virus program that you have running.  If you do not have a virus program I recommend that you use one of the programs offered above first and then download and install one of the free programs listed below or install any anti virus program you have purchased.

**************************************************************************************************
Free Anti Virus programs for download.   Quite a few KCnet members use these programs and like them.
Be careful if you download a virus program and you already have one installed on your computer.  You need to at least disable the program already installed.

AVG Free
AVG Free Edition is the well-known anti-virus protection tool. AVG Free is available free-of-charge to home users for the life of the product! Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high-level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Free is easy-to-use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements).
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

Avast
Avast has been "anti virusing" for quite awhile.  The following info comes from their download page:   Avast! Home is now free of charge for HOME users for NON-COMMERCIAL use. You can find more info here.
http://www.avast.com/eng/down_home.html
Note: This product is free for home non-commercial use after registration!
HINTS:   Click on the English Version Link and download the installation file.  Then click on the installation file and follow the directions.  You will need to return to the download page and click on the link to get the registration key.   It will be sent to you in an email after you provide some registration information.  This will give you 14 months of coverage including any updates which can be set to auto download.  You can reregister for additional free coverage at the end of the 14 months.
You will want to browse around and choose from the many options available for operation.  This process will take some time and digging.

Another good free program is:
http://www.free-av.com/
This one installs a bit easier than Avast.

**************************************************************************************************
Free Spybot/Adware programs for download
Microsoft has what most think to be the best of the Anti Spyware programs, Microsoft Anti Spyware Beta.  (Free at this time)  It is a Beta version, still in testing, only works with XP though.
Download the beta of our new anti-spyware software today
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4 - product description
Application to scan for spyware, adware, hijackers and other malicious software.
Choose one of the sites to download from.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

Ad-Aware Personal provides advanced protection from known data-mining, aggressive advertising, Trojans, dialers, malware, browser hijackers, and tracking components. This software is downloadable free of charge.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

 
True Viruses and Warning Letters of Impending Doom.
Believe it or not, the amount of harm done by sending false computer virus alarms and letters of impending doom to your thousand closest friends can be just as damaging as the alleged virus (if it even exists!);  if you remember the story of the boy who cried wolf, you understand why.
If you think you've got the scoop on the latest new devastating virus or latest doom warning, check it out at the Web sites below before taking it on yourself to alert the world.  If the virus is as terrible as you think it is, odds are the virus fighters already know about it and -- good news here!  -- your anti virus software provider probably knows about it too and already has an update for it.
Sophos supplies this current information about actual hoaxes.  Look at them. Read about them.  If you are sent one of them, delete it.

Here are a few sites of many that can help you determine if an email is a hoax or real.

http://www.snopes.com/
http://vil.nai.com/VIL/hoaxes.asp
http://kumite.com/myths/
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
http://www.scambusters.org/VirusHoaxes.html
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/
http://www.truthorfiction.com/
http://www.quatloos.com/
INTERESTING SITES:
 
 
Traveling by Highway this summer?  You will get a ton of good info using this handy city traffic reporter.  It stays up to date.
http://www.traffic.com/

 
 
 
World Beard Championships  Amanda sent this one too.
This site used to be in our archive and I can’t wait to tell you all about it again. Welcome to the World Beard Championships site. There is a lot of information on the front page about the upcoming championships, as well as, the past championships.
The twelve photos near the top of the page can be clicked if you’d like to see the image larger. Then if you scroll down past the several paragraphs of text, you’ll find a series of links.
A link I really want to highlight for you is the Beard and Mustache Categories link. If you click this link, you will be taken to a page where you can see all of the competitive styles. You can also learn about what elements have to be there in order for a person to claim their beard or mustache is that style. So, if you wanted to try out one of these styles, this is the page to look at.
Another great link is the Gallery of Contestants and Champions. Here you can see the gentlemen who have entered this competition and even check out the winners.
Or, you can check out the History of the World Beard and Mustache Championship, where you will learn how the competition got started and why. It has a fairly interesting history since its beginning in 1990.
With plenty of photos on such an interesting topic, this site is very fun to visit. Why don’t you check it out?!
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com

 
 
I Make Pots     Another Amanda suggestion.
Well, if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a rather crafty kind of person. I crochet, make soap, paint (badly), cook, scrapbook, etc. One thing I’ve always wanted to learn to do was pottery. After seeing this site, it has just renewed my interest in the craft. I fell in love with the beauty of these pots.
When you get to the site, you’ll find the menu right in the middle of the pot like image. If you mouse over the links on the image, the pot will change colors, showing you an example of what you’ll be looking at.
Pit Fired Pottery – Not only do you get a description of what this kind of pottery entails to create, you also get five images of finished pieces. You can also mouse over the center of the pictures to see larger views of them. These have lovely random colorization and I think they are quite beautiful.
Naked Clay (Terra Sigilatta) – Here you learn all about how this type of pottery is made, as well as, some history behind the process. Again, you get five images, so you get a great idea of what this type of pottery looks like. These pieces are unglazed, because their shine comes from the process.
Raku Pottery – This is a traditional Japanese way of firing pottery. It produces a lovely crackled look. I think these are really pretty. But, the method to make them sounds rather dangerous. I really liked all of the pictures used as examples in this section.
Carved Pottery – I really love this style. These are very amazing to me. To me, they seem antique because of their design. It's almost as if they were something you’d find on an archeological dig in the middle of nowhere. The process is very interesting as well.
About the Artist – This is where you can learn all about the artist! You can also click on the link at the top of the page to view more images of pottery. The link reads “To View Current Work Click Here.”
Raku Fish Gallery - You have to go back to the main page to get here. If you mouse over the fish on this page, it will tell you what each section is. You can see the process of making fish in one section, you can also check out the fish gallery (there are seven pages of fish) or you can use this section to get a look at some current work that isn't fish!
http://www.imakepots.com/

 
 
Stereograms
Stereograms are 3D images hidden within another picture. In order to view the 3-D images, simply stare at the picture until the image starts to take shape.
I like these.  Too much so,  because I spent a ton of time staring.  The images are awesome.  My trick is to stare for few seconds then allow my eyes to begin crossing.  The visuals just pop right out.  Move your head back and the visuals come right with you giving tremendous depth.  Try to grasp them.  (Mike)
You will want to click on the images to fill your monitor screen.  The site has the ability to sense your screen size and fit the image to that size.
http://worksafevideos.com/photos/artwork/stereograms.htm

 
 
Maze Generator  This one can be fun.
Make your own custom maze, just like Daedalus (only this should turn out better for you in the end). Print them out to amuse the kids on a rainy afternoon. It's easier than arts and crafts.
http://www.glassgiant.com/maze/
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