I exposed a new Apache 2.2 server to the web last Monday. Within 40mins. it was found. By noon the next day a couple of attacks from the same IP were mounted.

But this log entry has puzzled me.
127.0.0.1 - - [08/Oct/2006:22:37:05 -0700] "GET /das_stinkt.gif HTTP/1.1" 404 212

I suspect, I browsed some web page that had a link referencing it's own loopback device, and my server responded, not found, as it was listening to that address, as well as the public one. Suddenly this strikes me as "not so wise".

I don't know anything about your issue, but 'das stinkt' means 'that stinks' in German.
Good luck!

I kind of had that figured, after seeing what google images produced for the "das stinkt" search.