There is a new variant of the "Cool Web Search", "About:Blank" adware bug going around and it's called the "Home Search Assistant."

A long list of curses does not even come close to describing how tricky and frustrating the "Home Search Assistant" Adware is to get rid of... and if you haven't had to deal with it yet, you probably soon will. Your first plan of attack is not to download any "uninstall" programs, but rather do a quick Google search and consult one of the many detailed removal guides hosted on reputable websites for steps on what to do next.

On the bright side, this just goes to show you that even your humble PCSTATS Editor-in-Chief is not immune to junk like this. The really amusing bit is that Norton 2005, MS Antispyware, WinXP-SP2 and an up-to-date set of service patches, heightened browser security settings, and couple firewalls did diddly-squat to keep the adware from infecting my system.