Kidz

Most people, have heard of talented individuals who seem to have otherworldly intelligence and skills, who would put the fictional "Neo" from the Matrix to shame..

The shadowy hackers, the people who can get into anything, anywhere without leaving a trace. Often just for fun or for the mental challenge.

I know a few.

The brightest of which us ex-AOL'ers call "The Kid".

AOL hired him at the age of 17.

He's a God among children.

Ever heard of the term "scary smart"? That describes his effect on people.

I like him. He's a truly nice guy.

For some reason, he looks up to me.. ;-)


JPennant: Yo Kid
Blood Rose: hey joe :-)
JPennant: how are ya man
Blood Rose: good, u?
JPennant: very good :-)
Blood Rose: glad to hear it
JPennant: yup yup
JPennant: dirt poor and living in a shelter :-D
JPennant: and Im doing good. ain that a trip?
Blood Rose: just shows ya money isn't everything
JPennant: Then I know ya feel me :-)
JPennant: out here in Berkeley Cali
JPennant: weird place. definitely a head trip.. but wow.
Blood Rose: glad youre enjoying it :-)
JPennant: well, life is good.
JPennant: what are you up to these days?
Blood Rose: as little as possible :-)
Blood Rose: kinda relaxin in my old age
JPennant: LoL
JPennant: oh yeah? ;-)
JPennant: tell me about it :-)
Blood Rose: not alot to tell, I got a job in retail (The Sports Authority). I stand around and talk to people about fishing, camping, and paintball all day.
JPennant: you enjoy it?
Blood Rose: yup. it's relaxing
JPennant: wow
JPennant: and little do they know how Elite you are.
Blood Rose: oh, they know
JPennant: heheheh. They should be scared of you.

(AOL was. After awhile his supervisors would remotely monitor his keystrokes... little knowing that he knew that... )

Blood Rose: took me 1 day to figure out the algorythyms for the AS/400 Ip scheme to connect to other stores
JPennant: heeheehee
JPennant: you know that all of us still look at you with a touch of awe, right?
Blood Rose: no, why would ya do that?
JPennant: youve always had that touch of genius in you pa
JPennant: what takes me a few days to figure out, youve already done in a few hours
Blood Rose: thats called dumb luck :p

(Editors note: Yeah, right. Dont be fooled. Thats his disarming tactic. Modest humility.Then he'll start playing with your head...)

JPennant: I talk about you all the time
JPennant: still do
Blood Rose: thanks man :-)
JPennant: dude, you earned it
Blood Rose: I still say it was dumb luck :p
JPennant: heheheh

JPennant: When I was in Jax last year
JPennant: I stayed with [Magical Ed] for a few days
JPennant: and he was all excited
JPennant: cuz what I was talking about 2 years ago was now written up in some IT magazine he was waving in front of my face
JPennant: as the wave of the future
JPennant: and he wanted in :-)
JPennant: Hee
Blood Rose: amazing how people finaly get interested once something gets popular
JPennant: yup
Blood Rose: we're a part of that rare breed that enjoys finding the innovations before the rest of the world even "gets it"
JPennant: shhh.. dont tell everybody ;-)
Blood Rose: yeah, they might make it the "hip thing" to be
JPennant: feh
JPennant: but thats O.K :-)
Blood Rose: no it's not, I like being able to shock people
JPennant: heheheh. I know you do :-)
JPennant: I remember your projects ;-)

Blood Rose: I'm trying to talk my way into LP
JPennant: LP?
Blood Rose: Loss Prevention :-)
JPennant: whats the attraction?
Blood Rose: catching people doing things they shouldn't :-)
Blood Rose: to tell ya the truth, it's one hell of an adrenalyne rush
JPennant: *cough* Werent you a touch.. ummm.. lassez faire about that concept? ;-)
Blood Rose: same reason hackers eventualy turn into BOHFs
Blood Rose: err s/BOHFs/BOFHs
Blood Rose: helps if I get my abbreviations right
JPennant: helps if you spell out the acronyms too ;-)
Blood Rose: Bastard Operator From Hell
Blood Rose: a.k.a. a really strict system admin
JPennant: Ahhh .. Network Nazi
JPennant: okie
JPennant: hmm.. innaresting
JPennant: I never understand how your mind and motivation works.. but somehow youre always a coupla steps ahead of everybody
JPennant: so, Loss Prevention. Yeah, that works :-)
Blood Rose: hehehe, theres always a method to my madness
JPennant: yup, ive learned as much :-)

Blood Rose: oh, have you read "the joy of linux" yet?
JPennant: nope
JPennant: you recommend it?
Blood Rose: yeah, it's got some really good info, and it has some funny comics
JPennant: <-- writes it on to-do list
JPennant: Ive gotten in the habit of writing shit down
Blood Rose: good habbit
JPennant: yes indeedy, my brain recall isnt as automatic as it used to be


Blood Rose: you'd love some of the comics
Blood Rose: picture a kid sitting at the dinner table with his family
Blood Rose: they're all in the middle of eating
Blood Rose: and he says
Blood Rose: "mom, dad.... I'm coming out of the closet... it's true, I dual boot windows and linux on the same drive"
JPennant: LOL
JPennant: Thats a true geek joke :-)
Blood Rose: well worth the read, and like I said it has more than just comics, but seriously take the time and read them anyway :-)
JPennant: will do :-)

JPennant: one of the things Im learning is how to let go of people and possessions
JPennant: not to accumulate too much
JPennant: keep it light
Blood Rose: good idea
JPennant: its not easy
Blood Rose: oh, youre tellin me
JPennant: yup yup
Blood Rose: I keep a light enough set that I can move everything I own in my car in 1 trip
JPennant: Im down to 3 bags
JPennant: all that I need
Blood Rose: damn dude, you got me beat on that 1
JPennant: heh. its been a helluva learning process
JPennant: seperating yourself from what you need to what you need to function
JPennant: I have a fucked up laptop here
JPennant: literally hanging together with duct tape
JPennant: but, if it dies its not a tragedy
Blood Rose: linux?
JPennant: nah
JPennant: Win2000
Blood Rose: bastage! traitor!
JPennant: heehee
JPennant: I got my own method to my madness ;-)

JPennant: actually, I'd left a partition to put Redhat on
JPennant: and that partition saved my ass the other day
Blood Rose: :-)
JPennant: I got a virus from the phillipines.. a nasty hybrid
JPennant: Norton didnt know what hit it
Blood Rose: linux has a funny way of saving shit when you least expect it (even if it's indirectly, the partition was meant for linux)
JPennant: aint that the truth


Blood Rose: I'm waiting on a replacement MB for my PC
Blood Rose: on a roommates PC atm
JPennant: hm?
Blood Rose: I killed my motherboard
Blood Rose: percussive maintenance only kept it running for so long
JPennant: LOL
JPennant: fuckin wit virii?
Blood Rose: I dont do virii
JPennant: good man
JPennant: I knew my respect wasnt misplaced
Blood Rose: viriis are stupid, script kiddies use them.
Blood Rose: real hackers take a more hands on approach
Blood Rose: if I wanna permanently fuck your computer, I'll be the guy parked across the street with an EMP gun facing your house
JPennant: LoL
JPennant: and there is no law against that (yet)
Blood Rose: nope
Blood Rose: can even disable the highest tech security systems
JPennant: shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Blood Rose: it amazes me how few thieves actualy use them
JPennant: keep it on the downlow papi
Blood Rose: duh
JPennant: as the old joke goes
JPennant: "There are two things you need to know to be successful in life"
JPennant: "1) Dont tell everything you know"
JPennant: :-)
Blood Rose: oh, the button theory :-)
JPennant: meh?
Blood Rose: ok, lets assume you have a job that pays damn well (6 or 7 figures)
JPennant: mmhm
Blood Rose: now lets also assume that all this job entails is you come in, walk up to a wall full of buttons, and push 1 particular button once every day.
JPennant: k
Blood Rose: what happens when someone else finds out which button you're supposed to push?
JPennant: youre out of a job
Blood Rose: precisely
Blood Rose: never tell anyone "everything" you know about anything
JPennant: I never do
Blood Rose: I loved the button theory the first time I heard it
JPennant: eh, its simplistic
JPennant: do you want to be the button pusher?
JPennant: or the man making the buttons?
Blood Rose: the button pusher? shit, I'm the fucked up guy who designed the wall 'o buttons with only 1 useful one
JPennant: zactly :-D
JPennant: in 5 years
JPennant: Ive only had ONE person .. ONE.. understand precisely the concept behind what Im trying to accomplish in this life.
JPennant: which means I have a fair chance of success
Blood Rose: absolutely

JPennant: its nice talking man
JPennant: you tickle my brain :-)
JPennant: I dont always understand, but Im always impressed :-)
Blood Rose: hehehe, I try :-)
Blood Rose: take care joe, good to hear from ya again :-)
JPennant: cool beans Jon.. be good, be safe :-)
Blood Rose: you too

Blood Rose signed off at 10:04:30 AM.