Concept
Nowheristan is the first step on the way leading to Humanistan, passing through Everywheristan.
Those clichéd names were chosen intentionally to generate excitement around a new vision aimed at solving the contemporary social, economic, and political difficulties that face the world today. This ambitious project came as a solution for “the global impasse of humanity today” and as an answer to Lady Thatcher’s (in)famous TINA (There is no alternative).
It is the brainchild of Michel Elefteriades - artist, and former guerilla leader - the first and last Emperor of Nowheristan -The Constitution does not allow a successor.
“You are looking for a solution in a big bag, while the solution is outside of it” declared Elefteriades in a conference in 2003. He added “we should go back to one of the fundamentals of philosophy that is tabula rasa and dare to rethink the entire long established sociological, nationalistic, economical… bases of the world today, a lot of established truths are nothing but aberrations.”
Thus, the concept of Nowheristan shaped up over the postulations that humanity is living in sad times, where one is forced to choose between the American neo-conservative vision of the world and that of the Iranian Mullahs; that the freedom to tread a different path is proscribed; that in this bifurcated reality, innovative dreamers are marginalized from the corridors of power, and their dreams hidden from the public eye.
For Elefteriades, a radical change is therefore required: “We have a dream.... Our new dream will change the world because we know that the majority of humanity will be enamored with what we propose. In sum: We Have the Solution.”
The theoretical foundations of Nowheristan are under review by scholars from around the world, and will soon be published in a seminal book entitled, “We Have the Solution.” This treatise unveils the complex and comprehensive concept of Nowheristan in a straightforward manner. The following text provides a valuable glimpse into this vision.
Brief Apercu of the Nowheristani Vision
The concept springs from the unorthodox belief that many of our sacred and established truths, are in fact falsehoods that we have imposed on ourselves: borders, identities, nationalisms, economic divisions, and so forth. Nowherstanis hold that the histories and traditions of all races and peoples on this Earth, constitute the common heritage of all. The modern-day Egyptian can be proud that his ancestors built the Great Wall of China; conversely, the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt are a part of China’s past. Similarly, the natural riches of the Earth are resources for humanity as a whole; no single nation should be allowed to hold a monopoly over our common birthright. The oil of Saudi Arabia, the water of the Amazon, the gas of Russia, are all to be appropriated by Nowheristan to be used for the benefit of people everywhere. The Nowheristani project outlines a system of world governance based on a meritocratic Senate of Elders*. Another deep-rooted belief guiding the Nowheristani project, as expressed by Emperor Michel I of Nowheristan in one of his speeches, is: "Politicians, this modern-time ruling caste, are a category of people to be equally rejected by society as are thieves and criminals”.
Identity
When speaking of identities, one talks about nationalisms. National identities change and are remodeled. Most of today's European identities did not exist in medieval times. Governments and ruling elites thrive on creating and manipulating identities, which can be as the most dangerous of weapons. Today, many of us are characterized by a confluence of identities; moreover, identity can be fickle and often changes during one’s lifetime. Someone who was cheering for Tito and insulting the Russians for oppressing the Yugoslav nation can find himself fighting in the ranks of the Serb militia against Croatians, singing hymns that glorify the big Russian Orthodox brother. People will always possess their different identities, but one identity that belongs to the whole planet and on which humanity raises the flag of no race, no ethnicity, no political party, no geographical entity, no frontier should transcend all others: Nowheristan.
Language
The official language of Nowheristan is Poor English or Broken English. This is the most geographically spread language in the world. It was chosen to secure the ongoing diversity of languages around the world. A broken language is a tool of communication and not a rich language used for high social interactivity, poetry, philosophy, etc. and will not threaten existing languages. In this way, a Nowheristani from Argentina will use Broken English to communicate with a Nowheristani from China, but would still use Spanish to communicate with a Nowheristani from Spain or Cuba.
Cultural Diversity
Throughout history, emphasis on difference has been used by governments to create national identities. It is time we worked on what unites us instead of confronting one another. Those using demagoguery and fear as a weapon will be isolated. Cultural differences should be embraced rather than be seen as threats, as they illuminate the diverse tapestry that characterizes the common human spirit. Education is the key to the creation of a new world, and is an essential pillar of Nowheristan.
The Senate of Elders
The first senate will be composed of 1200 senators divided into two chambers. The instigators of Nowheristan will choose them among the most brilliant figures in all professional fields (lawyers, medical doctors, scientists, painters, poets, philosophers...). They shall all be over 60 years old and their past shall be free from scandals. Senators are appointed for life. Upon death or resignation of a Senator, the Senate, using the same criteria, will elect a replacement. Senators shall give all their wealth in a kind of early inheritance to their families before joining the senate. There, they shall have no salaries and they shall live together in two villages (like Olympic villages) with the level of five-star resorts. Everything is provided to them free (suites, restaurants, tailors, cinemas, golf, tennis, swimming pools…). These two villages shall be located at the antipodes of the planet and shall rotate every four years to avoid the trap of centralism. Senators will not be mediatized at all, and all the votes and debates will be totally secret. Only decisions will be made public. In order for a decision to be adopted, it will have to be accepted by both chambers after debating the issue separately, each chamber not knowing what the other is doing. “Democratic voting” will be applied there and only there.
By choosing brilliant persons with high morality who will no longer deal with money and the outside world (i.e. through social obligations), we are trying to reach a high level of objectivity in the decision-making process. Furthermore, before taking a decision, the senators can consult other experts from outside the senate. The important thing is that decisions rest in the hands of experts and not politicians. Another detail not mentioned yet is that in order for any decision to be made, it has to get 75% of the votes of each chamber individually, and both chambers must reach a consensus separately. If after three sessions, an answer is not found, the question is dropped, leaving the issue unlegislated. We believe that whenever such a system cannot find a solution to a problem through quiet deliberation, then the issue must be left to individual freedom and kept out of the law books.
Rebalancing Our World
In today’s world, people living in developing countries must realize that their wealth is a double-edged sword. The rest of the globe wishes to migrate to their cities – when money does not come to people, people will go to the money. They will try to get there with a visa, and if the visa is declined, they will try illegally. If rich countries are completely closed off to the poor people who are watching the disparity of lifestyles between them and the rich, armies of hungry and desperate people will be raised to bring down the empires of wealth. The West has encountered a new revolutionary threat after the downfall of communism: Islam. These poor outsiders – whether in Africa, Asia, or Latin America - will unite in their struggle with their “Islamic” or “Revolutionary” brothers from within the Western countries. Indeed, the suicide bombers in London were born and brought up in the UK.
People of the West should understand they may have sacrifice some wealth (although one should not ignore the fact that they will also benefit in Nowheristan, from the oil of Saudi Arabia, the gas of Russia and the natural resources of Africa and S. America). Yet, through this rebalancing of resources, everybody will be living in a better world where they feel more secure, whether at home or abroad.
Notes and references
Nowheristan is the first step on the way leading to Humanistan, passing through Everywheristan.
Those clichéd names were chosen intentionally to generate excitement around a new vision aimed at solving the contemporary social, economic, and political difficulties that face the world today. This ambitious project came as a solution for “the global impasse of humanity today” and as an answer to Lady Thatcher’s (in)famous TINA (There is no alternative).
It is the brainchild of Michel Elefteriades - artist, and former guerilla leader - the first and last Emperor of Nowheristan -The Constitution does not allow a successor.
“You are looking for a solution in a big bag, while the solution is outside of it” declared Elefteriades in a conference in 2003. He added “we should go back to one of the fundamentals of philosophy that is tabula rasa and dare to rethink the entire long established sociological, nationalistic, economical… bases of the world today, a lot of established truths are nothing but aberrations.”
Thus, the concept of Nowheristan shaped up over the postulations that humanity is living in sad times, where one is forced to choose between the American neo-conservative vision of the world and that of the Iranian Mullahs; that the freedom to tread a different path is proscribed; that in this bifurcated reality, innovative dreamers are marginalized from the corridors of power, and their dreams hidden from the public eye.
For Elefteriades, a radical change is therefore required: “We have a dream.... Our new dream will change the world because we know that the majority of humanity will be enamored with what we propose. In sum: We Have the Solution.”
The theoretical foundations of Nowheristan are under review by scholars from around the world, and will soon be published in a seminal book entitled, “We Have the Solution.” This treatise unveils the complex and comprehensive concept of Nowheristan in a straightforward manner. The following text provides a valuable glimpse into this vision.
Brief Apercu of the Nowheristani Vision
The concept springs from the unorthodox belief that many of our sacred and established truths, are in fact falsehoods that we have imposed on ourselves: borders, identities, nationalisms, economic divisions, and so forth. Nowherstanis hold that the histories and traditions of all races and peoples on this Earth, constitute the common heritage of all. The modern-day Egyptian can be proud that his ancestors built the Great Wall of China; conversely, the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt are a part of China’s past. Similarly, the natural riches of the Earth are resources for humanity as a whole; no single nation should be allowed to hold a monopoly over our common birthright. The oil of Saudi Arabia, the water of the Amazon, the gas of Russia, are all to be appropriated by Nowheristan to be used for the benefit of people everywhere. The Nowheristani project outlines a system of world governance based on a meritocratic Senate of Elders*. Another deep-rooted belief guiding the Nowheristani project, as expressed by Emperor Michel I of Nowheristan in one of his speeches, is: "Politicians, this modern-time ruling caste, are a category of people to be equally rejected by society as are thieves and criminals”.
Identity
When speaking of identities, one talks about nationalisms. National identities change and are remodeled. Most of today's European identities did not exist in medieval times. Governments and ruling elites thrive on creating and manipulating identities, which can be as the most dangerous of weapons. Today, many of us are characterized by a confluence of identities; moreover, identity can be fickle and often changes during one’s lifetime. Someone who was cheering for Tito and insulting the Russians for oppressing the Yugoslav nation can find himself fighting in the ranks of the Serb militia against Croatians, singing hymns that glorify the big Russian Orthodox brother. People will always possess their different identities, but one identity that belongs to the whole planet and on which humanity raises the flag of no race, no ethnicity, no political party, no geographical entity, no frontier should transcend all others: Nowheristan.
Language
The official language of Nowheristan is Poor English or Broken English. This is the most geographically spread language in the world. It was chosen to secure the ongoing diversity of languages around the world. A broken language is a tool of communication and not a rich language used for high social interactivity, poetry, philosophy, etc. and will not threaten existing languages. In this way, a Nowheristani from Argentina will use Broken English to communicate with a Nowheristani from China, but would still use Spanish to communicate with a Nowheristani from Spain or Cuba.
Cultural Diversity
Throughout history, emphasis on difference has been used by governments to create national identities. It is time we worked on what unites us instead of confronting one another. Those using demagoguery and fear as a weapon will be isolated. Cultural differences should be embraced rather than be seen as threats, as they illuminate the diverse tapestry that characterizes the common human spirit. Education is the key to the creation of a new world, and is an essential pillar of Nowheristan.
The Senate of Elders
The first senate will be composed of 1200 senators divided into two chambers. The instigators of Nowheristan will choose them among the most brilliant figures in all professional fields (lawyers, medical doctors, scientists, painters, poets, philosophers...). They shall all be over 60 years old and their past shall be free from scandals. Senators are appointed for life. Upon death or resignation of a Senator, the Senate, using the same criteria, will elect a replacement. Senators shall give all their wealth in a kind of early inheritance to their families before joining the senate. There, they shall have no salaries and they shall live together in two villages (like Olympic villages) with the level of five-star resorts. Everything is provided to them free (suites, restaurants, tailors, cinemas, golf, tennis, swimming pools…). These two villages shall be located at the antipodes of the planet and shall rotate every four years to avoid the trap of centralism. Senators will not be mediatized at all, and all the votes and debates will be totally secret. Only decisions will be made public. In order for a decision to be adopted, it will have to be accepted by both chambers after debating the issue separately, each chamber not knowing what the other is doing. “Democratic voting” will be applied there and only there.
By choosing brilliant persons with high morality who will no longer deal with money and the outside world (i.e. through social obligations), we are trying to reach a high level of objectivity in the decision-making process. Furthermore, before taking a decision, the senators can consult other experts from outside the senate. The important thing is that decisions rest in the hands of experts and not politicians. Another detail not mentioned yet is that in order for any decision to be made, it has to get 75% of the votes of each chamber individually, and both chambers must reach a consensus separately. If after three sessions, an answer is not found, the question is dropped, leaving the issue unlegislated. We believe that whenever such a system cannot find a solution to a problem through quiet deliberation, then the issue must be left to individual freedom and kept out of the law books.
Rebalancing Our World
In today’s world, people living in developing countries must realize that their wealth is a double-edged sword. The rest of the globe wishes to migrate to their cities – when money does not come to people, people will go to the money. They will try to get there with a visa, and if the visa is declined, they will try illegally. If rich countries are completely closed off to the poor people who are watching the disparity of lifestyles between them and the rich, armies of hungry and desperate people will be raised to bring down the empires of wealth. The West has encountered a new revolutionary threat after the downfall of communism: Islam. These poor outsiders – whether in Africa, Asia, or Latin America - will unite in their struggle with their “Islamic” or “Revolutionary” brothers from within the Western countries. Indeed, the suicide bombers in London were born and brought up in the UK.
People of the West should understand they may have sacrifice some wealth (although one should not ignore the fact that they will also benefit in Nowheristan, from the oil of Saudi Arabia, the gas of Russia and the natural resources of Africa and S. America). Yet, through this rebalancing of resources, everybody will be living in a better world where they feel more secure, whether at home or abroad.
Notes and references
Book 1 of the trilogy written by Jeremy Edjan, the thirteen year old author loosely based his future novel on Legends on the Spear of Jesus, a Chirstian with of the Spear that pierced Jesus's side. Some aspects of creatures and the Templar Technology within the book have been borrowed from HellGate: London, a video game on a group of Templars also waging war against demons. Though these aspects are similar, it cannot be called a Fan-created Fiction Novel because most aspects of the Templar in the Novel are drawn from the culture of the Templar in the medieval past. It's release date is unknown, but the publishing company has been confirmed on the website.
Characters
Protagonists
*Joseph, House of Avarke - Main character of the Trilogy. An orphan who's family was killed by Vixzan, the Demon Commander. He is the Captain of Squadron Grail.
*Jann, House of Healers - Healer of Squadron Grail. Close friends with Joseph.
*Temperance, House of Haven - The sworn Brother of Joseph, and the closest person to family he has. Vice Captain of Squadron Grail.
*Serenity, House of Magdanlene - Descendant of Mary Magdalene, she is the navigator and tracker of Squardrom Grail, having fought alongside Joseph for eight years.
*Judas, House of Iscariot - Descendant of an ancestor of Judas Iscariot himself, he was marked as an 'untrustable' until he saved the High lord's life in Operation Demonic Blood.
*Carys, House of Avarke - The deceased older twin of Joseph. Though not many details are known about her, she is meant to play an important role in the quest for the Black Star
Antagonists
*Vixzan - Demon Commander and Lieutenant of the Devil's army.
*Lucifer - The main antagonist of the trilogy. The Devil himself, he declared war on all of God's people in revenge for his exile and and attempt to overpower the Lord and become the God of a new realm.
Preview
The Blogspot webpage created by the author previews the draft copies of the first two chapters of Book 1. An announcement has been made by the author himself as the third post, that no more chapters will be previewed and that a publishing company, Book Surge, will publish the book.
Characters
Protagonists
*Joseph, House of Avarke - Main character of the Trilogy. An orphan who's family was killed by Vixzan, the Demon Commander. He is the Captain of Squadron Grail.
*Jann, House of Healers - Healer of Squadron Grail. Close friends with Joseph.
*Temperance, House of Haven - The sworn Brother of Joseph, and the closest person to family he has. Vice Captain of Squadron Grail.
*Serenity, House of Magdanlene - Descendant of Mary Magdalene, she is the navigator and tracker of Squardrom Grail, having fought alongside Joseph for eight years.
*Judas, House of Iscariot - Descendant of an ancestor of Judas Iscariot himself, he was marked as an 'untrustable' until he saved the High lord's life in Operation Demonic Blood.
*Carys, House of Avarke - The deceased older twin of Joseph. Though not many details are known about her, she is meant to play an important role in the quest for the Black Star
Antagonists
*Vixzan - Demon Commander and Lieutenant of the Devil's army.
*Lucifer - The main antagonist of the trilogy. The Devil himself, he declared war on all of God's people in revenge for his exile and and attempt to overpower the Lord and become the God of a new realm.
Preview
The Blogspot webpage created by the author previews the draft copies of the first two chapters of Book 1. An announcement has been made by the author himself as the third post, that no more chapters will be previewed and that a publishing company, Book Surge, will publish the book.
Chicken Fried Radio (CFR) is a weekly podcast by Tobie Hiddel (also known as T.E.), Christian Huey, and Abbie Wyndham. Ryan Hill co-hosted the program from August 28, 2005 to May 11, 2006. The show is based in Austin, Texas, USA. The shows are comedic in theme and fairly fluid in format, though always featuring humorous takes on various strange or unusual news stories. Their podcast is unique both in its freewheeling, "no topic off limits" concept and in its exceptionally close ties to its fan base.
Show History
Chicken Fried Radio began in August 2005 as an experiment, spearheaded by Hiddel, to find out what kind and size of an audience was available to podcasts with little-to-no financial backing. The first two episodes featured only Hiddel and Hill, in a more conventional (albeit thematically dadaist) fashion, as a conversation between two friends about various topics of interest. Huey joined starting with the third episode, and Wyndham rounded out the cast during the fourth.
Initially, CFR was promoted only through word of mouth, to the friends and family of the four hosts. After half a dozen episodes, it became a featured listing on iTunes until June 2007. This brought it to a wider audience, especially among American university students. However, the audience also extends to the UK, Australia, and American gay communities. The podcast's popularity with the latter group was evidenced most notably at , a podcast review site dedicated to gay and transgender-themed programs. Chicken Fried Radio was featured in February 2006 as a recommended "heterocast."
The show's popularity peaked in September of 2006, achieving over 80,000 total downloads, but began to wane due to an increasingly intermittent release schedule. Finally, the show went on hiatus in April of 2007, due in part to the upcoming wedding of cast members Huey and Wyndham. One episode, produced by fans of the show, was released during the hiatus. The hiatus ended on October 1, 2007, with the release of episode 64.
Show Format
The format is a traditional improvised talk-show format, centered (in theory) around a weekly theme. In practice, conversation often ranges far beyond the theme. Given the freedom of the podcast format, both language and topic are unrestricted.
Shows typically begin with listener submitted voicemails and emails, and their response by the host. Frequent contributors typically adopt nicknames, and have sent in personal stories, reviews, and even original songs. The show is further distinguished by various recurring segments, pre-recorded sketches, and songs.
In May of 2006, Chicken Fried Radio began a Skypecast, which was recorded, edited, and put on the podcast feed. This allowed live feedback, both on the show itself and in an accompanying chatroom. Technical difficulties prevented the idea from becoming successful, and the Skypecast format was abandoned in early 2007.
Since the end of the hiatus, the show's format has changed to include an interview portion and more editing. An additional video project has been announced, but not yet released.
Celebrity Interviews
Following the introduction of the new format, CFR has included a new celebrity interview portion.
* Mary Jo Pehl, who played Pearl Forrester on sci-fi cult favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Interviewed on Episode 64
Reviews and Criticism
The show was mentioned in an article by Sandra Barrera of the LA Daily News, reviewed on the "podcast review podcast" Vox Monitor, reviewed on the British comedy and music podcast Punky! and has been regularly featured on iTunes. More recently, Chicken Fried Radio was lauded in a review at Elastic Radio.
Cast and Crew
The hosts are all amateur actors who specialize to varying degrees in voice acting, including performing with the Austin vintage radio drama troupe, Violet Crown Radio Players (VCRP), which was founded by Hiddel.
In the course of recording CFR, the hosts have been given or have taken on several nicknames. The first and most common is the self-bestowed "Bushleague Jackasses with Microphones," often shortened to simply "Jackasses", in reference to their professed lack of professionalism.
Following Ryan Hill's voluntary departure from the show on May 11, 2006, the three remaining Jackasses decided not to replace Hill, but have occasionally added a guest host, particularly when said host has some expertise on the week's topic. Past guest hosts have included: Violet Crown Radio Players' creative director and Robert E. Howard biographer, Mark Finn; Violet Crown Radio Player and voice actor Craig York; and longtime creative collaborator with Christian Huey, Reuben Barr.
Show History
Chicken Fried Radio began in August 2005 as an experiment, spearheaded by Hiddel, to find out what kind and size of an audience was available to podcasts with little-to-no financial backing. The first two episodes featured only Hiddel and Hill, in a more conventional (albeit thematically dadaist) fashion, as a conversation between two friends about various topics of interest. Huey joined starting with the third episode, and Wyndham rounded out the cast during the fourth.
Initially, CFR was promoted only through word of mouth, to the friends and family of the four hosts. After half a dozen episodes, it became a featured listing on iTunes until June 2007. This brought it to a wider audience, especially among American university students. However, the audience also extends to the UK, Australia, and American gay communities. The podcast's popularity with the latter group was evidenced most notably at , a podcast review site dedicated to gay and transgender-themed programs. Chicken Fried Radio was featured in February 2006 as a recommended "heterocast."
The show's popularity peaked in September of 2006, achieving over 80,000 total downloads, but began to wane due to an increasingly intermittent release schedule. Finally, the show went on hiatus in April of 2007, due in part to the upcoming wedding of cast members Huey and Wyndham. One episode, produced by fans of the show, was released during the hiatus. The hiatus ended on October 1, 2007, with the release of episode 64.
Show Format
The format is a traditional improvised talk-show format, centered (in theory) around a weekly theme. In practice, conversation often ranges far beyond the theme. Given the freedom of the podcast format, both language and topic are unrestricted.
Shows typically begin with listener submitted voicemails and emails, and their response by the host. Frequent contributors typically adopt nicknames, and have sent in personal stories, reviews, and even original songs. The show is further distinguished by various recurring segments, pre-recorded sketches, and songs.
In May of 2006, Chicken Fried Radio began a Skypecast, which was recorded, edited, and put on the podcast feed. This allowed live feedback, both on the show itself and in an accompanying chatroom. Technical difficulties prevented the idea from becoming successful, and the Skypecast format was abandoned in early 2007.
Since the end of the hiatus, the show's format has changed to include an interview portion and more editing. An additional video project has been announced, but not yet released.
Celebrity Interviews
Following the introduction of the new format, CFR has included a new celebrity interview portion.
* Mary Jo Pehl, who played Pearl Forrester on sci-fi cult favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Interviewed on Episode 64
Reviews and Criticism
The show was mentioned in an article by Sandra Barrera of the LA Daily News, reviewed on the "podcast review podcast" Vox Monitor, reviewed on the British comedy and music podcast Punky! and has been regularly featured on iTunes. More recently, Chicken Fried Radio was lauded in a review at Elastic Radio.
Cast and Crew
The hosts are all amateur actors who specialize to varying degrees in voice acting, including performing with the Austin vintage radio drama troupe, Violet Crown Radio Players (VCRP), which was founded by Hiddel.
In the course of recording CFR, the hosts have been given or have taken on several nicknames. The first and most common is the self-bestowed "Bushleague Jackasses with Microphones," often shortened to simply "Jackasses", in reference to their professed lack of professionalism.
Following Ryan Hill's voluntary departure from the show on May 11, 2006, the three remaining Jackasses decided not to replace Hill, but have occasionally added a guest host, particularly when said host has some expertise on the week's topic. Past guest hosts have included: Violet Crown Radio Players' creative director and Robert E. Howard biographer, Mark Finn; Violet Crown Radio Player and voice actor Craig York; and longtime creative collaborator with Christian Huey, Reuben Barr.
Venomcrack is the title of a software project that led to the creation of the YAABL.A virus, which was first distributed at 4:12am on August 7th, 2004. The YAABL.A virus was unique in the fact that it was written purely to single out and attack computer hackers, damaging their data and (in some cases) rendering their computers completely inoperable.
Distribution
Targeting an underground community of malicious hackers, this program was distributed under the guise that it was powerful hacking software that had been leaked. Written in the Python programming language, The Venomcrack project was a collection of open source files in the form of shell scripts that did indeed allow its users to break into America Online's chat-based AOL Instant Messenger network. However, certain packages containing the Venomcrack project also contained a hidden form of the YAABL.A virus (loaded in the compiled installation program) propagated briefly, then remained dormant in wait for remote activation. Since the YAABL.A virus was released in active underground hacking communities, communication was constantly flowing. If a computer virus were discovered, the news would instantly spread. Therefore, in order to affect the maximum number of people, the YAABL.A virus had a unique activation system.
W32/YAABL.A Activation
The YAABL.A virus demonstrated a unique method of activation which allowed it to invisibly infect thousands of computers without being noticed, only to 'detonate' on all of them simultaneously around the world.
After the virus had established itself on a victim's computer, it would periodically download a text file on a remote web server. This text file would contain a number, usually 3600. This number would represent the number of seconds until the virus would download the same file again. The web server allowed the virus writer to keep close watch on exactly how many computers were infected, how often the text file was downloaded, and who was being infected. Running in an endless loop, as more and more computers became infected with the virus, the same file (and the same number) kept being downloaded every hour.
When a sufficient number of computers were infected and running in the endless loop cycle, the virus writer modified the text file on the web server, decreasing the number periodically. Computers began to download the file every 30 minutes, then every 10 minutes, and finally every 1 minute. This synchronized all of the computers all over the world to read the text file simultaneously. Finally, the text file's number was changed to 666, signaling any YAABL.A virus that downloaded it to begin damaging the user's computer. This method utilizing a remote text file and countdown system meant that thousands of peoples' computers were damaged within a 60 second window period, rendering news warnings completely useless. By the time anyone had discovered the YAABL.A virus, it had already completed its damage.
Damage
The YAABL.A virus modified the hard drive of the computer it had infected once it received the activation signal. This virus never deleted a single file. Folder names, drive letters, and directory structures were left intact. Instead, the YAABL.A virus renamed individual files in such a way that made them difficult to work with. When the YAABL.A virus modified a filename, it began by stripping the original filename. It generated a filename beginning with "OWNED_BY_SCOTT_" followed by a 13 character string of random data, and ending with ".hah" as the file extension.
Once completed, the YAABL.A virus would perform this operation to every file on the victim's computer. Initially the user would notice random files had been renamed. As the program ran, it would modify more and more of the victim's hard drive. An example affected folder is displayed to the right. Eventually, the contents of the Start menu would appear scrambled and icons would have odd names. If the user tried to restart the computer, it would fail to boot once a significant portion of the critical Windows directories had been damaged.
Affected Population
The incredibly narrow range of people who were affected by this computer virus seems to be closely tied to the primary reason this virus was created. In other words, the writer of this virus (who is believed to go by the alias "knighthacker" and/or "vonshin" - it is unclear as to who initially wrote the virus) wrote it as a means by which to attack malicious computer hackers. The only people who were affected by the YAABL.A virus were those who tried to use the Venomcrack hacking software in the first place. While this virus was not considered a large threat to the general public, the YAABL.A virus was analyzed by antivirus companies and its virus signature was added to most anti-virus software packages.
The creator of the YAABL.A virus used malicious coding techniques in an attempt to thwart the efforts of malice from other malicious hackers. This particular computer virus only affected the underground hacking community, and seemed to come around full circle to attack the very people who use their computer knowledge to attack others. Apparently the writer of the YAABL.A virus had little esteem for the underground hacking community, for it is believed that YAABL stands for "You Are All Brainless Losers".
Distribution
Targeting an underground community of malicious hackers, this program was distributed under the guise that it was powerful hacking software that had been leaked. Written in the Python programming language, The Venomcrack project was a collection of open source files in the form of shell scripts that did indeed allow its users to break into America Online's chat-based AOL Instant Messenger network. However, certain packages containing the Venomcrack project also contained a hidden form of the YAABL.A virus (loaded in the compiled installation program) propagated briefly, then remained dormant in wait for remote activation. Since the YAABL.A virus was released in active underground hacking communities, communication was constantly flowing. If a computer virus were discovered, the news would instantly spread. Therefore, in order to affect the maximum number of people, the YAABL.A virus had a unique activation system.
W32/YAABL.A Activation
The YAABL.A virus demonstrated a unique method of activation which allowed it to invisibly infect thousands of computers without being noticed, only to 'detonate' on all of them simultaneously around the world.
After the virus had established itself on a victim's computer, it would periodically download a text file on a remote web server. This text file would contain a number, usually 3600. This number would represent the number of seconds until the virus would download the same file again. The web server allowed the virus writer to keep close watch on exactly how many computers were infected, how often the text file was downloaded, and who was being infected. Running in an endless loop, as more and more computers became infected with the virus, the same file (and the same number) kept being downloaded every hour.
When a sufficient number of computers were infected and running in the endless loop cycle, the virus writer modified the text file on the web server, decreasing the number periodically. Computers began to download the file every 30 minutes, then every 10 minutes, and finally every 1 minute. This synchronized all of the computers all over the world to read the text file simultaneously. Finally, the text file's number was changed to 666, signaling any YAABL.A virus that downloaded it to begin damaging the user's computer. This method utilizing a remote text file and countdown system meant that thousands of peoples' computers were damaged within a 60 second window period, rendering news warnings completely useless. By the time anyone had discovered the YAABL.A virus, it had already completed its damage.
Damage
The YAABL.A virus modified the hard drive of the computer it had infected once it received the activation signal. This virus never deleted a single file. Folder names, drive letters, and directory structures were left intact. Instead, the YAABL.A virus renamed individual files in such a way that made them difficult to work with. When the YAABL.A virus modified a filename, it began by stripping the original filename. It generated a filename beginning with "OWNED_BY_SCOTT_" followed by a 13 character string of random data, and ending with ".hah" as the file extension.
Once completed, the YAABL.A virus would perform this operation to every file on the victim's computer. Initially the user would notice random files had been renamed. As the program ran, it would modify more and more of the victim's hard drive. An example affected folder is displayed to the right. Eventually, the contents of the Start menu would appear scrambled and icons would have odd names. If the user tried to restart the computer, it would fail to boot once a significant portion of the critical Windows directories had been damaged.
Affected Population
The incredibly narrow range of people who were affected by this computer virus seems to be closely tied to the primary reason this virus was created. In other words, the writer of this virus (who is believed to go by the alias "knighthacker" and/or "vonshin" - it is unclear as to who initially wrote the virus) wrote it as a means by which to attack malicious computer hackers. The only people who were affected by the YAABL.A virus were those who tried to use the Venomcrack hacking software in the first place. While this virus was not considered a large threat to the general public, the YAABL.A virus was analyzed by antivirus companies and its virus signature was added to most anti-virus software packages.
The creator of the YAABL.A virus used malicious coding techniques in an attempt to thwart the efforts of malice from other malicious hackers. This particular computer virus only affected the underground hacking community, and seemed to come around full circle to attack the very people who use their computer knowledge to attack others. Apparently the writer of the YAABL.A virus had little esteem for the underground hacking community, for it is believed that YAABL stands for "You Are All Brainless Losers".