The FBI is investigating a $10 million ransom demand by a hacker or hackers who say they have stolen nearly 8.3 million patient records from a Virginia government Web site that tracks prescription drug abuse, an FBI official confirmed Wednesday.

The state police in Virginia are also investigating the possible breach of confidential records.

“This is a crime and it is being treated that way,” Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Wednesday. The FBI official said the Virginia Information Technologies Agency VITA referred the case to the FBI last week, asking for help.

Asked whether people’s personal information is secure, the official said he couldn’t say. “I really can’t make a declarative statement as to whether anyone’s information is in jeopardy at this point,” the official said.

The rogue government-transparency Web site WikiLeaks on Sunday put up a message that it said was posted Thursday on the front page of the Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program’s Web site.

“ATTENTION VIRGINIA,” the message read in part. “I have your [expletive] In my possession, right now, are 8,257,378 patient records and a total of 35,548,087 prescriptions. Also, I made an encrypted backup and deleted the original. Unfortunately for Virginia, their backups seem to have gone missing, too. Uhoh.

“For $10 million, I will gladly send along the password. You have 7 days to decide. If by the end of 7 days, you decide not to pony up, I’ll go ahead and put this baby out on the market and accept the highest bid.”

“Me want Food!”

Baby Agatha Holloway who was born prematurely and underweight is eating food containing 20,000 calories every week to help her reach a healthy weight.

Agatha must plough through at least 3,000 calories a day – 500 more than the NHS recommends for men – after she was born three months prematurely weighing just 3lb 11oz.

At the age of 16 months, she still weighs only 17lb and has been advised by a paediatric dietician to eat the three full meals a day as well as fatty snacks. Her diet typically includes porridge with clotted cream for breakfast and toast laden with chocolate spread, followed by midmorning snacks such as avocado and hummus.

Lunch usually consists of high fat roasted meats such as duck, lamb or pork, mashed potatoes with added cream, roasted vegetables in olive oil, and chocolate desserts and bananas.

The toddler has bagels spread in full fat cheese and chocolate fingers to keep her going through the afternoon.

She then eats tuna, mash with butter and baked beans followed by rice pudding and clotted cream in the evening, followed by a bed time snack of porridge with clotted cream and custard.

Her mother Samantha, who longs to feed her fruit and vegetables, said: “It’s hard, and against your natural instincts as a mother, which is to give your child healthy food.”

The 35-year-old management consultant from Cobham, Surrey, added: “But I know it’s better than having her fed by tube. Agatha weighed 3lb 11oz when she was born on New Year’s Eve 2007 at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London.

Ugh! I hope they have a good diaper service.

“The minute I done smelt her, I knew she was for me!”

“The alleles of my Major Histocompatibility Complex are completely opposite from yours,” might not sound like pillow talk, but it is the literal basis for the “chemistry” many couples have.

Two companies, Basisnote and Scientific Match, are developing technology to match couples based on the genetic components of the human immune system — and their odor.

Studies have linked odor to immune systems and shown that people are most likely to be attracted to the smells of those who have different histocompatibility genes than their own. While those who have similar immune systems tend to not be attracted to each others’ odors.

“The MHC helps signal whether I find someone attractive or not,” said August Hammerli of the Switzerland based Basisnote. “What we have developed is a saliva assay that measures a person’s MHC and how they might react to another individual’s MHC profile.”

“Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms is shutting down, according to Shacknews. They cite ‘a reliable source close to the company,’ who said the developer is finished and employees have already been let go. It looks like all of the Duke Nukem Forever jokes are turning into reality; DNF might turn out to be the ultimate vaporware after all.”

3D Realms’ webmaster, Joe Siegler, confirmed the closing, saying that he didn’t know about it even a day beforehand. Apogee and Deep Silver, who are working on a different set of Duke Nukem games (referred to as the Duke Nukem Trilogy) say they are .

Click image to see Cranky Geeks.

Today’s Guests:

• Sebastian Rupley, Co-Crank, PCMagCast.com
• Tim Bajarin, President, Creative Strategies
• Rob Enderle, President, Enderle Group

The Topics:

• Will the New Kindle Save Newspapers?
• Is Apple Buying Twitter?
• Will Netbooks Have Any Longevity?
• Windows 7 and its Likely Arrival Date
• The EU Wants the U.S. to Share Internet Governance

It wasn’t as though Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference with Cheech and Chong in the back of a van and said, “Whoa, I have this awesome idea, man…” The governor was asked if he would support the legalization and taxation of marijuana to help the state of California get out of its budgetary mess.

No, he doesn’t support that — at least right now. He said specifically, “No, I think it’s not time for that.”

It was the rest of his statement, however, that’s caused a stir around the pro-legalization world. The governor said it should be talked about.

“I think it’s time for a debate,” he said. “I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I’m always for an open debate on it.”

Father uses dog collar to shock kids | StatesmanJournal.com

A Salem man was arrested Tuesday for putting an electric dog collar on each of his four children and shocking them.

Dipshit of the Year

Todd Marcum, 41, said he did it “because he thought it was funny,” Salem Police Lt. Dave Okada said.

The four children, ages 3, 6, 8 and 9, had been shocked while wearing the collar at least once, according to a statement from their father, Okada said.

Marcum told police that he would chase the 3-year-old boy around with the collar, making him cry at the thought of being shocked. Okada said that because of the boys behavior, it is likely that the children were shocked more than once.

Found by John Ligums.