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Newsletter 05/31/2009
Internet crime, computer fraud, identity theft, its all around us or so says the news media. My question to you is have you experienced any of these? You may have or have not. If you have it is not a fun thing to have happen. To help you combat the above the following sites should be on your list of sites to visit.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). IC3′s mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international level, IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes.
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx”
This website is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help you deter, detect, and defend against identity theft. On this site, consumers can learn how to avoid identity theft – and learn what to do if their identity is stolen. Businesses can learn how to help their customers deal with identity theft, as well as how to prevent problems in the first place. Law enforcement can get resources and learn how to help victims of identity theft.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
Phishing is a scam where Internet fraudsters send spam or pop-up messages to lure personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims.
http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/phishing.aspx
Fight identity theft by monitoring and reviewing your credit report. You may request your free credit report online, request your report by phone or request your report through the mail. Free credit reports requested online are viewable immediately upon authentication of identity. Free credit reports requested by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receiving your request.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
To continue on this them, I believe we need a Digital Bill of Rights. On August 25, 2008 Erick Schonfeld posted a very good article containing his thoughts on a Digital Bill of Rights. I agree with him completely and we should write our senators and congressmen to have them pass this or a similar bill of rights.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/25/what-we-need-is-a-digital-bill-of-rights/
One last thing, that maybe helpful or just needs to be buried.
The Social Security Administration Death Master File contains information on millions of deceased individuals with United States social security numbers whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Birth years for the individuals listed range from 1875 to last year. Information in these records includes name, birth date, death date, and last known residence.
ttp://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693
In the 1400′s a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have ‘the rule of
thumb’.
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Our Current Political Debacle
The following is a quote from a very wise journalist.
“Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does.
You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of representatives does.
You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red…
If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ, it’s because they want them in IRAQ
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems…
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!”
(quoted from Charlie Reese)
Endorsed my me and many others. Now what will you do?
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Newsletter 05/25/2009
Memorial Day and the 3day holiday for most of us is over and the beginning of summer is unofficially here. I hope you took time to day to remember the fallen soldiers that helped make and keep the USA a great place to live and honor. At 3:00PM today NASCAR stopped the race and shut all the cars off for 1 minute to pay tribute to our fallen heroes. What a great sport NASCAR. What did the professional ball sports do? Nothing. One more thing, NASCAR is the only professional sport that starts all events with a prayer and the National anthem.
“Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).”
I was watching a cardinal fly around while on my morning walk. Such a vibrant red color and very beautiful bird. So, what does a computer geek do but search for info on birds. The following site has just about all you need to know about birds plus links to other sites if you care to pursue further.
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/introduction
Let expand the thought of birds to include all species of life. The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species—that provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. OK, I didn’t check out all the species nor do I want to, but if you have a lot of time on your hands go right ahead.
http://www.eol.org
NASA last trip to space was to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble has brought us many fascinating photographs of space and we owe it to ourselves to take a look at the Hubble project. The Hubble information Center takes you on a voyage from the beginning to the present with many stops along the way to admire what it has accomplished.
http://heritage.stsci.edu/index.htm
There is so much serious things going on in your and my life that we sometimes forget to take time to smile and enjoy a simple thing as a comic in the newspaper or on the Internet. Why not take the time to subscribe to the comic of your choice and have it sent to you via email every day. It may not solve your problems but at least you will get to smile for a minute or two.
http://comics.com
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Newsletter 05/17/2009
I suppose you have noticed that in most places gas is now back over $2.10 a gallon or even $2.35 in the high dollar areas. So it is time to take a look at some web sites that might help with this situation.
AAA is the United States of America’s largest motoring and leisure travel membership organization and it has an daily updated daily oil price service with average national, state and local prices for gasoline, diesel and E-85. Every day up to 100,000 stations are surveyed. This give AAA a good consensus of gas prices. You can read more or just get the price at the following web site.
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com
Now that you know what to expect when you go the local gas station to refuel your vehicle. Next you need to know where is the best and or cheapest place to get that needed petro to keep you transportation vehicle of choice motoring along. In my case it is 2 wheels whenever possible. Gasbuddy.com has a couple of nice features to use in your quest for that lowest and closest place to purchase gas. They offer maps with gas prices show, gas price averages, prices stat by state in case you are doing some long distance traveling, and Canadian prices too. A good resource to bookmark.
http://www.gasbuddy.com
While on the subject to gas prices, Mapquest.com also has a good tool for showing gas prices anywhere in the US and Canada.
http://gasprices.mapquest.com/index.jsp
I recently got a phone call from the credit card company asking me if I made a certain charge on my card because it did not fit my buying habits or locations. I thanks them for calling and appreciate the fact that they are watching to make sure my card has not been stolen based on what and where it was used. This brought to my attention that identify theft is a growing concern and we should be very diligent in watching our cards, checkbooks, etc.
Did you know that the FTC estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year, so chances are high that you or someone you know has fallen victim to what has become one of America’s fastest-growing crimes. While there are no guarantees as far as prevention, there are certain steps every consumer can and should be taking – before and after the fact – to greatly reduce your potential risk. Find out what you should an can be doing here.
http://www.krollfraudsolutions.com/understanding-id-theft/consumer-tips.aspx
By now most all of you have looked at a webcam from somewhere or at something. How many web cams are on the Internet at this time? Where are the most interesting webcams? Where is the strangest webcam? OK, you know I am about to tell you the answers or point you in the right direction to find the answers and you are right. The is this web site called earthcam.com that has all these answers and much more. Spend some idle time watching webcams from???
http://www.earthcam.com
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400
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Newsletter 5/10/2009
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY for all you moms reading this on Sunday evening. For the rest of the mom’s that read this on Monday, happy belated Mothers Day.
I hope you had a great day and your guys treated you well.
Many of you reading this newsletter have high school students graduating this year and pay for college is a major concern right now. The following web site is one step in helping with the financial burden. You may not need these links now but you may in the future and I am sure you know someone who this can benefit.
“FastWeb, the Internet’s leading scholarship search service, helps students make the decisions that shape their lives: choosing a college, paying for college, and finding jobs and internships. And it’s all free. Recommended by more than 15,000 high schools and 3,500 colleges, FastWeb is the most trusted online college resource. Last year, one out of three college-bound high school seniors used the site, and more than 28 million students have created FastWeb accounts since launching in 1995.”
http://www.fastweb.com/
Continuing with government help with college …
FedMoney.org is the most comprehensive FREE full-text online resource on all U.S. government grants and student financial aid programs. Here you will find detailed and up-to-date information about (1) who can apply, (2) how to apply, (3) full contact info, and much more… for over 130 government grants and loans (scholarships, fellowships, traineeships) related to education.
http://www.fedmoney.org/
More government help (get some of your tax dollars back)
“Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting postsecondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families. We partner with postsecondary schools, financial institutions and other participants in the Title IV student financial assistance programs to deliver services that help students and families who are paying for college.”
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
BEIJING (UPI) — A study funded by a German health food company suggests Chinese white tea may fight obesity by reducing fat cells.
The study by Beiersdorf AG, published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, said extracts of white tea reduced fat levels on laboratory-grown human fat cells, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
Nutritionist Marc Winnefeld said the white tea extract induced a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the growth of new fat cells and prompted existing adipocytes to break down the fat they contain, the British newspaper reported.
White tea is named for the white downy fur that covers the unopened bud of the tea leaf. During manufacturing, the buds are lightly steamed instead of being rolled and fermented, the report said.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
Right now is allergy season and my wife and many others are suffering with all the spring pollens and blossoming plants.
The National Institute of Health has a web site dedicated to help with your allergy problems.
Allergies can cause a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling or asthma. Symptoms vary. Although allergies can make you feel bad, they usually won’t kill you. However, a severe reaction called anaphylaxis is life-threatening.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/allergy.html
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Newsletter 05/03/2009
After a few week’s vacation from publishing the newsletter, I am back and ready to give you guys the most interesting info I can find. Actually I have not had a day off since March 5th (work Mon – Fri, umpire Sat and Sun) and now I finally can relax a bit.
Here is some fun to do when it is raining outside and you are bored. Just go online an create your own Garfield comic strip. Since it rained here most of the day, it would have been a great day to create my version of Garfield. Of course I was busy looking up great sited for this newsletter.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/missionz/comic.swf
In my last newsletter I asked for help in deciding what car to purchase from the short list I included. Many of you emailed me your choice and a few posted their choice on my blog. I have made my selection and take delivery of my new car on Monday. But first, there were a number of webs sites that I consulted before I made my decision. The following is a recap of some of the sites I visited and you may want to save these sites to use when you are in need of a new vehicle.
The first thing that shows up when shopping for a new car is this thing called ‘sticker shock’. Since it had been about 7 years since I purchased new car, the window sticker which has all the important information on the car your are looking at, also shows you the MSRP. WOW those four letters have really changed in 7 years. OK, since no one pays the MSRP, what is an acceptable price for the vehicle? The answer is in the following link. Truecar has done its research and has compiled the average price that is being paid for each type of vehicle based on recent car sales data.
http://truecar.com/release/index.html
Next checkout Edmonds. This site has just about everything you need to research your next purchase. They rate cars by value, cost, performance, reliability and many other criteria. Select what need and let Edmonds find the best vehicle, or just read reviews, look at car prices, or just join the automotive related social site.
http://www.edmunds.com/index.html
The old standbys for new and used car prices are NADA and Kelly Blue Book. They have been in existence for as long as I can remember and are considered the authoritative on the subject. Both have web sites for you to research both new and used car prices and are both worth a visit before you next purchase.
ttp://kellybluebook.com
http://nada.com
Remember Henry Ford, who said “you can have any color as long it is black” as he referred to the production of the Model T. It seems like things are going back in that direction as most all the options are either on the car or are not available as an option. This was very evident as I was shopping and trying to compare makes and models especially with the Japanese manufactures.
Ok, drum roll please ….. I purchased a left over 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 Grand Touring. One more thing it is blue and not black. Henry is not around now.
A note from Mark Twain.
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member
of Congress. But then I repeat myself.“
