The Gator Blog

The Gator Blog: Vigilance, Reason and Appropriate Action; Words to live by

2011-12-05T17:16:00.000-06:00

Just an update on something I beleive in!
The Gator Blog: Vigilance, Reason and Appropriate Action; Words to live by

Something Scary This Way Fits!

2011-12-01T14:28:00.004-06:00

Ever since I was a teenager in high school in1987, I have been reading articles from a large selection of business and financial sources that my father received as an officer in a corporation. Due to that large flow of focused but disjointed information, I was able to predict one month ahead of time the Chinese Tiananmen square massacre while in conversations with my father. That ability is why I write today as another piece of the global power puzzle has fallen into place that lends a possible explanation for how we have come to this global financial crisis.

Read here in part on how we have been spied on in secret.
carrier-iq-may-have-violated-wiretap-law-in-millions-of-cases

Now here comes the surprise! Think its Big Brother, NSA, CIA, FBI who's doing all this spying or any other countries agencies for that matter! Guess again! It is most likely large global advertising agencies! The so called "stupid ad people" and those who they garner info to it turns out really rule the world! These are the people who take large amounts of different data from all over the world and aggregate it down to know what you're going to do in any given situation and why you're going to do it. Look up the board of directors of these company's and see the people that out in the open and right under our noses have been pulling all our strings, financially, politically and personally all along. When I say "all", I mean "all" The Kremlin, the US Congress, the White House, The Swiss banks, The EU, China etc... "ALL".

They do all this string pulling, because they have all of today’s real power. What is that power you ask?

The inexact and imperfect yet incredibly powerful knowledge of how humanity functions from everyone on the globe as a single entity down to the 7 billionth individual as an individual.They achieve this massive manipulative power by collecting staggering amounts of innocuous information from millions if not billions of data mines. These "mines" being everything from tagged local store receipts and VISA transactions to the spy programs on everyone’s phone (the one we just read about above) and little known black box’s on your TV and Vehicle. All of this is gathered in the guise of better customer support! as it happens, we happily supply them with the biggest feedback loop in history, so that after some study, they know how to manipulate things to achieve there aims.

Now here is the real scary aspect of the story, there may be no single Dr. Evil or Cabal of Darkness bringing about the end of the world by controlling all the information. There may be no AIM at all? They may not have a clue as to each individual group’s capabilities or existence. However, history shows us that once a technology or information is known, it is often first used for negative gainful purposes.

Pause a minute and think of some of the groups you have heard about, the bilderburgers, the G 20, The Big Bankers, The Chinese central committee etc… and ask yourself how they might use that type of information.

But don't just let this one nut job tell the tale alone to be so easily dismissed as a glue sniffer.

I have come to these conclusions through over two decades of passive research, yet have no real clue as to who may wield this awesome power or to what end, I am simply putting puzzle pieces together that seem to say that this power exists and can be wielded to great success of any endeavor!

Do some research of your own by following these topics below:

1. Who owns and or controls the massive global ad agencies?

2. How do commercials and advertising work?

3. Where does all the money from these ads go?

4. Look up Womb to Tomb Dossier on Wikipedia

5. Look up Political Action Comities and how they function

6. Look up Web Bot and its ability to foretell the future

7. Read up on just how it did that and draw some conclusions

That last one is another scary topic as other articles say that a certain class of people ( the 3%ers) are starting to get very antsy and are purchasing luxury condo’s not on the French Riviera, but 100 feet below Montana’s skyline in purpose built concrete bunker complex’s. I would not just take my word for it either.

To close do not be scared, be concerned! Educate yourself and let me know if that education led to the purchase of a condo in Montana!There are massive movements of money and people right now, so something is afoot. What that something is, is up to debate, but it is definitely something!

OMG! No more do I post this thinking I must be going nuts and check the news than this plops in my lap!

Wikileaks details surveillance industry

Now personally I think Julian Assange needs to be hung, drawn and quartered for his reckless and dangerous leaking of US cables. However I am now beginning to think one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. So what happens when we as humanity are all both men at once? Thoughts from the gallery!

Hackers do real damage to water plant

2011-11-19T13:52:00.001-06:00

I have posted here about why it is important to keep computer protection up. Now for the first time the United States has real proof of the consequences if we don't. An Illinois water plant has had its infrastructure damaged by a suspected cyber attacker. Not a Hacker looking to steal info, but a Cyber Criminal bent on destruction of our infrastructure that supports us. Please read the other posts that I have in here on Cyber criminals to see what is at stake!
Washingtonpost.com Foreign hackers Target United States

A not so "Anonymous" reason to ensure you have computer protection up to date

2011-03-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

There are many reason why people should take notice of and ensure that they have good protection against malware on there PC's. Amongst these reasons is the very real threat to the United States that Hackivists play and how you willing or nto can have a bitg impact. Read here about how Hackivists use unprotected computers to attack the United States from within and do real damage.
This makes protecting yourself not just a matter of money and time anymore, but a real security issue for you and your neighbors as well!
Read my earlier posts on Fake Anitvirus and the Perils of Limewire earlier on my blog here.

Another warning from the cyber theives!

2011-02-21T12:03:00.000-06:00

Read from the link below from Panda about how a computer crook who swindled eBay customers out of more than £185,000 has been jailed for three-and-a-half years!

Paypal_swindler_jailed!

Vigilance, Reason and Appropriate Action; Words to live by

2011-01-10T10:31:00.000-06:00

IF you study this phrase, its dictionary meaning at Merriam Websters ect... I have a good bet that your life will be better served!

Single trader holds half of world's copper

2010-12-28T17:05:00.001-06:00

Read here how a Single trader holds half of world's copper!
This type of masive spending to corner a market is traditionally how players build a comodities price.
Watch as computer electronics and electronic prices in general will begin to creap up. Another two comodities to watch are gold and silver. Bolth are used heavily in Electronics.

Something to make you laugh for the holidays!

2010-12-22T17:34:00.000-06:00

Wana laugh really hard for the holidays!

Just read Limewires Injunction order plastered on their web site. It works great for a gag gift as well! Belly laugh as Limewires lawyers direct the Board of Directors to state such hilarious lines as "We have very recently become aware of unauthorized applications on the Internet purporting to use the LimeWire name" and the gut buster whopper of them all " We demand that all persons using the LimeWire software, name, or trademark in order to upload or download copyrighted works in any manner cease and desist from doing so." Whooo you better do that Johnny! But wait there's more!

The mother of all whoppers sure to make you snort eggnog this year is "We further remind you that the unauthorized uploading and downloading of copyrighted works is illegal."

Wow! who would have thought it! Downloading 50 thousand songs for nothing from your dorm mates Ipod is illegal! OOOps! We had no idea! REALLY!

Don't just take my word for it, get it straight from the horses a$$ ( oops I mean mouth) here!

More on this on the first of the year. Hopefully reason will rule, but you never know.

Just in time for Christmas! Trend Micros Threats for the holiday season

2010-12-17T09:49:00.000-06:00

Read here about the top threats to your holiday season as compiled by Trend Micro's online security center. It will help to keep you safe while shopping both online and off for the holidays!
Click here for the article and Trends Blog link with even more news and safety tips.

Trend Micro's Safty Tips about Cyberbullying

2010-12-06T11:01:00.000-06:00

Everyone remembers school and the taunts and bullying that went on there. Some even remember being seriously bullied to the point of being a problem. However, most parents today do not have a clue about today's bullying problem. You see, our brains tend to use templates of past experience to predict future events, and technology's fast pace has tended to work against us and parents in this example. We assume that bullying is just a right of passage into the adult world and it will pass. That last idea of "it will pass" is where our parental templates fails our children today. In our collective past, we simply stepped away from the school grounds to get away from the stresses there. Today that is not possible for our children as they communicate on an all encompassing 24/7 cycle instead of the away from home 12 hour/ school week cycle we as parents were used to from our templated school days.

So what to do? All need to read the following tips from Trend Micro on cyber bullying and what to do about it. This will help protect our children from a threat that has turned out to be quite serious and one that parents did not foresee!

Read below or click here from Trend micro

Cyberbullying—sending threatening messages or humiliating images to mobile phones, spreading secrets or misinformation in chat rooms, sending hurtful content in emails, posting false or harassing information on social network sites like Facebook—can turn cool technology tools into a nightmare for victims.

Many schools and states are taking serious action to prevent cyberbullying, such as a Massachusetts law passed earlier this year in response to recent cases ending in suicides, such as that of Phoebe Prince. But parents should take the first steps in helping their children navigate this dark side of communications technology by starting anti-bullying education when they are young. Here are some easy-to-remember safety tips for parents to share with children:

1. Think twice before you post. Be cautious about sharing anything personal online, even with people you know or in a private email or text conversation-the information could be made public by anyone you share it with.
2. Be respectful to others online. It sounds simple, but if you say disrespectful things online you're much more likely to be a victim of cyberbullying than if you treat people the way you want to be treated.
3. Don't participate. Even if you are not the bully, don't stand by and watch a bully harass someone else. Stand up for the victim and report it to your parents, teachers or other adult who may be able to report the bad behavior.
For more information, including a list of contact information for some of the more popular social networking and instant messaging sites that you can use to report cyberbullying, download Trend Micro's Safety Tips on Cyberbullying.Trend Micro collaborates with online safety experts around the world to provide the best advice, information, and tools to families, teachers and schools. For the latest information, visit our new Internet Safety for Kids and Families site.

Hacker world goes to Defcon 1

2010-11-30T14:20:00.002-06:00

Well isn't it interesting that the bad guys have strutted their stuff on the walk but the little guy is getting all the press! See, black hat hackers and Kim Jong Il are well known bad guys and have well known behaviors that most expect. But lo and behold the sleeping giant of cyber space has been awakened and it's not at all predicable as usual!
I'm taking about the white hat, shades of grey, hacker community that didn't bother anyone cause no one bothered them as they sold cell phones at the Kiosk. Well Wiki Leaks had to go imperil their old buddies still in the military! OOoops, can we say the fit hit the shan!

Note to Julian; three decades worth of cyber innovation coupled with a large pool of militarily trained IT Techs don't like having their "still in" friends imperiled to make you look good in the press! A viewing of Restrpo might help you for perspective!

Read here about how a simple jester took on the high and mighty Wiki Leaks and sent the whole cyber community into Defon 1. Bad guys beware! Threaten us or call us names and upset the apple cart again and we will reach out and hurt you!

Exploring the anti-social side of social media

2010-11-22T13:50:00.000-06:00

Here is a great article to jump off from on the topic of the anti-social side of social media.
Read more here!

Why what you see in the news is not always what you get!

2010-11-22T11:46:00.002-06:00

WYSIWYG! has been an acronym in the American technical lexicon for well over two decades now, but as far as news goes, you better watch out! For what you are fed to consume in the news these days is not exactly what you might think it to be. Take for example this important "Analysis" from Fredrik Dahl of Reuters as reprinted by Yahoo news of Ireland Analysis: North Korea likely needed outside help for centrifuge. Here we have an important article that expounds upon the supposed facts that North Korea needed help building its nuclear infrastructure and it is a "Mystery" as to who that help might be. Pardon me, but Duh! Even Homer Simpson knows that! To quote Ripley, "Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?". This in essence is not news in the traditional sense in which one can draw an informed opinion from, but infotainment. Something to tease the mind with but with no real objective value. Nothing is wrong with infotainment, but it needs to be seen for what it is and used accordingly. To use the above article as an example, the article tries to imply that these sources are a total scary mystery and the worlds nuclear watchdogs are completely baffled and confused. This might lead a reader to assume that we are totally unprotected from an immanent North Korean missile attack any day now! This last statement is far fetched, but has been proven scientifically viable in my blog entry about the movie The Fourth Kind. Nothing could be further from the truth and thus my point is made! Check out here who probably gave North Korea that help and specifically when it was given. Only then will you truly see that what you get in the news is not always what you think it is! Dig a little deeper into the facts and see what's truly scarry about nuclear proliferation! Beware what you read and always have a skeptical yet rational and reasoned mind in truly analyzing the world around you! I find it sadly paradoxical that inscribed on the wall of the CIA headquarters is the motto, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" and yet they amongst others like NBC ect. al. do such a good job of making sure "We the people" don't really know it!

Another blog worth investigating

2010-11-20T13:18:00.000-06:00

This is not an endorsement of this blog and The Gator Blog may not subscribe to the blogs overall views.
However that said, many tools for spying on people and controlling their lives are being debated at this time.
This blog can give you a heads up on what is being debated and how it will affect your life.
Click here for the site

Computer virus Stuxnet a 'game changer,' DHS official tells Senate

2010-11-18T10:33:00.000-06:00

The reason we push Microsoft Security Essentials to all customers who do not have anything!
Read below why excuses don't cut it anymore with computer security and responsible computing!
Computer virus Stuxnet a 'game changer,' DHS official tells Senate

The psycology of the tweet! Do tweets change your behavior?

2010-11-16T13:05:00.000-06:00

From CNN's Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler, a quick primer on thoughts about how Tweets might or might not change your behavior. An interesting thought no!
Read more about it here!

The Psychology of the Internet, What does anyone think?

2010-11-15T16:43:00.002-06:00

Off the norm here, Instead of passing along information and tips on the Internet, I have a request!
Please comment on what you think about the Internets impact on Human psychology and sociology is!
That is, I want to know what you think about how the Internet has influenced how humans think about themselves and those around them on the planet. Has it had any effect at all, good or bad?

Digital revolution puts politicians' gaffes on reply

2010-11-06T22:29:00.000-05:00

Well I've been saying this for a while now, but the great experiment has come to kick some in the political arena! Those that are not digitally savvy beware! Read here about how goofs and gaffes now live on for ever!

Beware Fake Microsoft Security Essentials

2010-10-29T13:17:00.001-05:00

Due to the popularity of Microsoft's Security Essentials we wanted to get the word out fast!

Read here about how PC World found out about the new variant of Fake Antivirus and how it takes over PC's.
This is one area where everyone must be vigilant in defending there computer. Being a good product that's free, MSE makes a very good target for Fakers to fake.
Interestingly enough, Symatec and other anti-malware purveyors have really downplayed MSE as a worthless product. However, independent labs like Consumers Reports and a German agency AV-Test.org's results have given MSE high marks in doing it's job! Gee maybe there is some reporting bias there! Read here about AV-Test's results and see for your self.

In short, don't take your anti-virus for granted as their are those in the world who would take advantage of you! Be vigilant in how you deal with your anti-malware programs as there is a large amount of money involved in trying to keep you sedated and paying one way or another!

A reminder that their is more news @ the News You Can Use page!

2010-10-26T13:15:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder here that on the Gator's News You can use page, there are three links to computer related news sites, Symantec and Trend Micro will give you the latest in Anti-viral news and C-Net is general news on computer or electronics issues. So check them if your interested in the latest in computer related news

Netiquette or the Secret Society of the Grammar Nazi's!

2010-10-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

Here is a topic that I am violently torn on, so you will just have to decide for yourself what side you're on!
Netiquette is one of those delicate issues that one talks about in whispers when you're a Dyslexic or have any of the subtypes of learning disabilities like myself.

I am one of those whisperers and I have a distinct psychological bent towards outward Grammar Nazi's! I call them the Grammar SS and consider them uncaring, simplistic and vile creatures, Check out this video illuminating my feelings towards them Grammar Nazi Video.

Still I am torn, for just as the lovely Volkswagen Beetle came from the heart of Nazi Germany, so too does a ring of truth come from the lips of two vile Grammar SS or Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich, from CNN's Netiquette division! Read here if you must and actually most do!

For as I hate myself for mentioning it, netiquette is becoming something of an important subject to ponder. The great experiment as I call the internet is now a full decade old and a whole new generation of collage age students are coming into the work force under its influential gaze.
This is where the issue begins to take on a dark and more sinister tone! With the plethora of pages like Facebook and MySpace out there in which to blab to the world your innermost grammar errors; the chances of those youthful rants coming back to haunt you are increasingly common and severe! In short hiring managers are still working with last decade’s managerial practices with today’s capabilities of digging up the truth! A serious case in point can be seen in the Witch allegations brought to Christine O'Donnell's Senate campaign in Delaware's 2010 U.S. Senate special election. Old video dies hard and blog and other web content can last a lifetime due to Internet databases and services like Google!
So when the Grammar SS speak up, watch out and listen carefully! Remember what you write today, bad grammar and all, will be with you quite possibly for the rest of your life!

Finally, yes Grammar SS, I have my papers and did a grammar and spell check!
;-P

Privacy, Whats That? Facebook warns developers after privacy leak!

2010-10-18T17:55:00.000-05:00

Read here about how Facebook has your back when it comes to privacy! Trust Me! :-)

To the point though we should not be really upset about all this. Unscrupulous ad agencies probablely know more about American citizens that the NSA, CIA and FBI combined and multiplied times three!

What they do with all that information is really scary as well. Just read up on some of John Stossel's old 20/20 reports on ad agencies if you "really" want to be scared. To heck with the old G-men or the men in black, beware the guy in the pin strip with a strangly familiar and warm smile!

Another Tip from Trend "Don't Trust Random Callers Offering 'Computer Assistance'"

2010-10-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

Most computer scammers find their victims the easy way: over the Internet. But a growing number of scams are actually coming over the telephone.

Trend Micro's Rik Ferguson wrote recently about his own experience with a phone scammer. The ruse works like this: you get a call from somebody who claims to represent some credible-sounding technology company that's reaching out to users who may be affected by a security threat. The caller manipulates the victim into allowing them to access the victim's computer using a legitimate remote access service like LogMeIn.
Once the victim surrenders access to their computer, it's game over. The scammer can do whatever they want with the computer and whatever is stored on it. They can install malware to steal information or spread viruses. Or they can "fix" a problem that never really existed and then charge the victim for their service.
Just as you'd be extremely suspicious of anybody who called you up and asked for your car keys in order to investigate some poorly defined "car trouble" they were certain you had, don't be too eager to hand over the "keys" to your computer. Legitimate technology companies issue patches and security fixes from their Web sites. There's no reason for anybody to be calling you—and no reason for you to stay on the line.
The Gator's summation, This scam tactic is very old and well understood by practitioners. Used in conjunction with other tools the scammers will try and get your bank account and/ or credit card number as well.
The thing to remember to thwart these types of scam tools is to remember "Who Initialed the call".
If you receive a call, even from your legitimate bank or us, be very weary about the information you divulge.
Think about it critically for a second . You have no real way of knowing who it is your talking to, especially when you receive a call.
A thought that comes to mind for a mental picture is the first Terminator movie in which Arnold Schwarzenegger's character simulates to the tee Linda Hamilton's charactor's mother on the phone! Thus giving away Linda's position away to the deadly terminator!
They said they where from the bank, but were they? Stay tune for my critical thinking post!

From Trend Micro "3 Halloween Tricks to Avoid"

2010-10-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

3 Halloween Tricks to Avoid

Cybercriminals operate 365 days a year, and they never pass up an opportunity to exploit a big holiday for their own gain. So this Halloween, keep your wits about you and don't get tricked by these scams.

1. Scareware. This is pretty much what it sounds like: software whose purpose is to scare you into doing something, well, dumb. Usually it's a popup window that issues dramatic warnings that your PC has been infected. When you click on the window to download "security software" or visit the advertiser's site, you may end up downloading the very viruses you sought to avoid.

2. "Funny" Halloween videos. If you get an email telling you to watch a video—just don't. Especially if you don' t personally know the sender. And particularly if the video promises something at once vague and topical, like a "funny" "Halloween" video. Click to view that video and the only person laughing might be the hacker who just downloaded a bunch of viruses onto your computer.

3. When somebody else's Halloween costume...is you. Don't fall victim to identity theft. Limit the amount of personal information you put on social networking sites, make sure you're using a secure connection to make purchases online, and don't use password prompts that ask for information that's readily available with a little research.

One of the best ways to protect yourself against these scams—and others—is to use Internet security software that blocks access to malicious sites, filters suspicious emails, and prevents data theft. Find out more about Trend Micro's Internet security products here. And have a fun, safe Halloween!

Facebook Gets Face Time!

2010-10-14T10:22:00.001-05:00

Seems that the new facebook movie tends to confirm the age old adage that any press is good press, even when its bad! By the accounts here at CNN, the over 50 crowd took away a negative impression away from the movie of Facebook, the Under 50 crowd was either ambivalent or liked Facebook even more. The accompanying chart though seems to say that Facebooks overall historic momentum is still upward even if the over 50 crowd got a negative impression from the movie. Looks like we are social creatures after all!

Comments!

2010-10-13T11:42:00.000-05:00

Hey all,

Just want to let all who read my blog that comments are welcome and wanted! Social networking is all about bi-directional communication, so let me know what you think about the information I post on here.
Is the information useful or not, to political or not, stupid or not! let me know!

Wobbly Gator is back!

2010-10-11T18:22:00.000-05:00

Well it took three days, but the gator is back! look forward to new features on our web page as we are able to change on the fly! Do be pacient though, our new configuration may have a few bugs yet!

The gator is getting a make over on the run!

2010-10-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

Our old web server has bitten the big one, so our web page is offline for the weekend! The gator should be back on Monday though and look forward to improved page performance!

Grrrrr! The Gator Snaps Back! More spam splatter from the last post!

2010-10-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well if you read my last posting, you'll notice that the good ole Gator got plastered with a spam mailing wanting money to protect our domain name on the web.

Well the Gator was not just going to lie there and take it! Remember, we only look slow!

So here are some tips in case you as a webpage owner get spammed.

First is that all things official in China are done by one entity alone! The Chinese Government! These are people who don't take to kindly to being misrepresented by anyone either! So that can lead to a cure for this not so nice spam for money!

Here is China's official ICANN equivalent (China Internet Network Information Center). Here you can research true remedies for conflicting domain names and real registers in China. Plus lob complaints that might get a legit register kicked off the official listing as a hack register.

Do remember that you are dealing with China, not everything is quick and in your favor. But bearing that in mind, you should be able to come to a resolution in the shortest possible order.

Here is a listing of CNNIC Accredited Internet Domestic Registrars as of 2007

Well I hope this helps those who have been spammed by this annoying little letter!
Remember;Vigilance, Reason and Appropriate Action! Words to work, live and love by!

Ah yes the games afoot! domain name scams and other headaches!

2010-10-07T12:04:00.001-05:00

Had to put this in as I just received my spam letter causing me to waste a day with our attorney!

Just like the Nigerian letter stating that your now a millionaire if you give us five thousand dollars first! Seems some entrepreneurial folk in China want to scare some money from name holders of websites.

Read here about what all the hubbub is all about!

That link is from Chris's Blog at Firetrust a legitimate New Zealand Anti-Spam software maker! God Bless Chris for his information!

This next confirms from McAfee that the website responsible for sending the spam is a known spam site

McAfee siteadvisor

One thing that raised a red flag in my mind early on is that ICANN the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a public company located in the United States. It alone is responsible for web page names and there correctly corresponding IP addresses. Thus when you type in CNN.com you get CNN.com and not some hack site in Hungary!
However they do not limit who can give out such names, just that they don't conflict. Thus legitimate companies like GoDaddy.com can exist and make a profit selling legit web products. This is where we can run into trouble. Real individuals in China can try and scam you by bending the truth a bit and hoping that your gullible enough to bite and not look back.

So to enable you to be vigilant in action, here are some sites to bring your knowledge base up on the topic so as to prevent this sort of thing from ripping you off.

Wikipedia.org's ICANN page a great place to research the issue and start from.

ICANN's home page. lots of tech information from true source to followup with!

How to protect your child from online cyber bullies!

2010-10-06T15:10:00.000-05:00

This is an important article for parents to absorb. Due to the current state of affairs in the U.S., today's children are subjected to some of the worst things a society can dish out on a mental level. Couple this with just budding mental developement of children and a long term recipe for social disaster is looming

Read the CNN article here for help or jsut information on the topic to talk about.

Personally I think many things related to protecting children need to be addressed. The laws have simply just not kept pace with the technology we use today. Sexting, Cyber Bullying, and Piracy are just three quick topics that come to mind that can be permanently life altering for all involved.

Check out my other posts on these topics for more help.

Beware of encounters of the fourth kind this October and November!

2010-10-04T13:19:00.001-05:00

To all that read this blog, beware of encounters of the fourth kind around the October/November timeframe!

Ok! Now for the very serious disclaimer and clarification of that statement!
I am not a physic or claim to be one, but in the next few weeks, you stand a good chance of having a close encounter of the fourth kind!
No, not with Aliens or long dead Gods, but with something far, far worse! Politicians in need of election!
Don't be scared, worried or freighted by these creatures, but do be vigilant to those who wish to subtly influence you without your knowing!
A case in point is the paned movie of last November "The Fourth Kind". The acting was OK, the plot very weak, but the marketing of the movie was down right dangerous!

Read here why a leading psychologist takes a stand against the movie and how it was marketed!

The reality of the movie is that it was put out as a documentary about abduction cases in Nome Alaska. The problem was the whole thing was a fraud of sorts! The creators of which once confronted stated that for anyone believing the movie had any shred of reality to it; "It's a movie Stupid! Entertainment ya know, D'uh!"

There in lies the rub and the point of my post. The movie's marketers, marketed the movie as a real documentary that would blow the lid off of Alien abductions and the so called government cover-up conspiracy (A serious topic in today’s consciousness). The movie was made with so called archival video footage and several other techniques to convey authority and perpetuate the marketing. All of this is OK so far in my book.
Where I draw the line however is when the marketers created bogus web links, pages and fake file information for those who wanted to know or research more after watching the movie. The fake internet information could and did lead some people to believe that what they had watched was indeed real.
It is this studied intentional manipulation and concealment of facts for profit by marketers that concerns me the most. This intentional blurring of the line between make-believe and reality has several disturbing aspects as Dr. Chris French talked about above. This time it was a simple movie trying to get ratings! What happens when it’s a politician trying to get reelected on a specific point of legislation or a corporation trying to boost its stock price before a merger? All of which leads to distrust and division of the people. These are real topics of discussion!
So in the end, I say be vigilant and reasoned with the information that guides you! Know that there are those out there that wish to subvert and/or control your beliefs to their ends. Let inner faith guide you but make sure to study the important things in detail.

Leave the little green men to the politicians; One campaign speech and they will quickly drive off any invasion force that may be coming!

The D'oh File! Don't bake your buns with a laptop!

2010-10-04T11:08:00.001-05:00

Wow here is a notion!
According to recent studies, it seems that teenagers have started a new health fad!
Instead of putting a bun in the oven like their risqué grandparents are doing via Viagra and hormone therapy, these kids like baking their legs with their notebooks instead!
Public service announcement! Notebooks can be hot, do not wear as apron repetitively or you may get "Toasted Skin Syndrome”!
Sounds like something the Pillsbury Dough Boy needs to worry about more than most of us but you can read the article here just to be safe.

CBS New York: toasted leg syndrome warning for laptop users

BIOS gets the BOOT! Finally

2010-10-04T10:42:00.000-05:00

Check out this article From the Telegraph UK about how "new computers will ‘boot up in seconds’".

New-computers-will-boot-up-in-seconds By Claudine Beaumont, Technology Editor

Seems that your computers Bios will finally be supplanted by UEFI – which stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. This should take care of some of the most vexing repetitive problems that Technicians face with notebook USB especially.

Virus Alert! 'Here You Have' Virus E-Mail Spreads Online, E-Mail Worm Hits Offices Worldwide

2010-09-10T12:20:00.000-05:00

Watch out folks, your, friends work email to you might be a wild worm!
Read here from ABC about it!
Good time to see that your security suite is up to date!
Don't have one! Best time to remove past junkware and install Microsoft Security Essentials for free
by clicking here: Microsoft Security Essentials
Consumer Reports in a 2010 study of all anti-malware suites out there ranked it second in overall performance only behind an Avast Corporate package! MSE blew away such noteables as Norton, McAfee, Panda and Kasperski Internet security. It caught and removed all but one virus which it quarantined instead of remove. The rest failed at getting various virus's completely!
MSE in my view is surprisingly an excellent product considering its free, updates itself without a subscription and get this, actually works without killing your system!

To unfriend or not to unfriend: That is the Facebook question!

2010-09-01T18:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a good tip for facebook fiends! Check out CNN's article By Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich here!

The staggering pace of technology!

2010-09-01T10:08:00.001-05:00

Something to contemplate as your trying to relax from information overload! Seems that artificial intelligence is upon us and how we deal with and use it may determine our destiny! Terminators anyone~!
Read the article here from Fortune

Album Sales Hit Record Lows. Again! Watch out folks!

2010-08-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

Watch out record sales have continued to decline for a tenth straight year and the industry is blaming pirated music. The chart at left shows the decline.

This is disturbing on a few fronts. First are the Artist's themselves getting their due? It's one thing to look at it from the perspective of the Britney Spears, P Diddy's and Pink's of the music world getting pennies taken away from them. but in that light it's then OK to tax everyone a penny per song just for the heck of it! I mean it's just a few penny's right? who cares!

Well we better start for a few good reasons, An argument can be made that record sales are down because the music just plain sucks and is not what the consumer base wants to hear! From my perspective that's pretty lame, but it can be made. The record industry need to ensure that they are putting out a wanted product and that the Artist's are being fairly compensated for their work. Another more ominous reason to care is that the RIAA has demonstrated the ability to ban people from the Internet for life or send them to jail if caught back on it as pirates. So there is no more free lunch for the collage crowd and a disturbing ability for massive multinational conglomorates.

In short we need to pay a decent price for work performed and demand from government and industry it be so! If we don't, dire unintended consequences can now ensue in short order! Many events have come together to put power in the hands of those who would use this information above as an excuse to limit choice of all products, not jsut music and demand conformity of availability, payment and taxation for all!

Be warned folks, we are at a time in our nations history when we will need to defend our liberties and our way of life! No one party or person has the answers, only when we work together in consensus will we prevail! We must care before someone cares for us and turns everyone into "just a statistic on a government chart" to paraphrase Sting! Pun intended!

Cyberattack in 2008 prompted new Pentagon cyberdefense plan

2010-08-25T18:23:00.000-05:00

This is a just released article from CNN about how one of the smallest everyday computer items had a huge and humbling impact on the DoD.
Read here about how a simple thumb drive took out the DoD defences!

This goes to illustrate what I have been saying about the Internet. To point, like parents to a newborn just brought home, the world is just now starting to realize that things have changed forever in the household!

Again just like a newborn, you can't just dump the kid in the dumpster and get back to sleep! We have become entangled with one another for better or worse. Therefore, world is going to have to live with the fact that all of us now have the awesome power of our collective consciousness spanning even beyond our own history! In effect, this means that the Teenager just got the keys to the new Vette in the driveway.

Read earlier in this blog about how Microsoft has taken a bold move in protecting us from ourselves and those who wish us harm. Again Kudos's to Microsoft for their efforts!

Vigilance, Reason, Appropriate action! All else is folly!

How to 'undo' an ill-advised Gmail message

2010-08-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

Just in time for next tax season! I only wish that Microsoft would put this feature into its exchange servers!
Read on here about How to undo that e-mail about your nasty boss you just sent them!

From Empire to Insanity in four years! Phily requires bloggers to pay for biz license + Taxes

2010-08-23T11:33:00.000-05:00

Well many people blamed G. W. for most of the last eight years woes and some even believed he was the Anti-Christ come to earth. But now it seems we've gone from the frying pan to the blow torch!

Beyond doubt, G. W. had some really qualitative problems in his two terms and many saw this as Empire building with the fall of the Soviet Union as a counter balance. However as bad as that was, I do not see anything in the past as bad as what seemingly loom’s around the corner.

Read here how the great bastion of Democracy in America is putting the screws to locals with blog’s. Seems Philly wants to tax everyone for everything no matter how small. Read here about how a whopping $11.00 in profits a year can lead to a $300.00 license fee and more taxes on top of that!

So much for free speech and welcome to taxed speech for those who can afford it! This is a very disturbing trend in America where local authorities in need of serious cash are often finding draconian measures to come up with funds. When does the nanny state turn into 1984?

I remember the days when armed IRS agents pulling stunts with Day Care’s telling worried parents to come get their kids and bring the check book! All because the agents erroneously thought the day care owed taxes!

With a lot of people wanting rescue from this recession and some wanting a socialist state, I wonder how many of those people have ever asked a Russian what utopia was like! Bread lines and Gorky park anyone!

Remember our history folks, Rome was not built in a day by a single person and the empires fall was really messy!

But we survived after all to become what we are today! Vigilance, reason and sensible ( If not common) solutions need to prevail!

How to create a 'super password'

2010-08-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

This is just in from CNN and is well worth the read.
Like your checking account to have money in it, read on about the reasons why and how you need to create a super password! super passwords Article from CNN!

The Gator’s back to school blog for families! (3 of 3)

2010-08-19T10:27:00.001-05:00

This is the third but most important tip for parents. Sticky topic but one that needs attention!

3. Thou Shall Not Put Mommy And Daddy In Jail On Child Pornography Charges!!!

Unfortunately due to the proliferation of smart phones and other digital media devices, Sexting and sexual explicit digital material shared between minor’s has become an important topic for families to discuss with theirg school age children this school year.

Their are the obvious facts of this topic that can be discussed at appropriate times, but some may not be so obvious and can be very disruptive to the family if not totally destructive. Some examples are given to show why this topic’s discussion is not to be avoided.

What makes these childhood developmental issues so pressing and paradoxical is the laws meant to protect them while they are developing are now harming them, their classmates and their families. The main reason in general is that no matter who took the photograph and for whatever reason, any recipient is guilty of “possession” of child pornography if the “media” shows male or female genitalia of someone under the age of 18 in the United States. This is a very serious and pertinent point as anyone who has “possession” of the “media” is guilty of the crime, even if they are not aware of possessing the media at the time. Another related problematic crime is distribution of Child Pornography which can be attributed to the minor.

An important point to know is that the “media” could be many things. Examples are Jpeg picture files on a phones memory chip, or sent e-mails with pictures on a laptops email program to name just two possible sources.

For example, If little Johnny take a quick pick of his privates to show his new girlfriend in class but leaves the photo in the fathers laptop email program, the father can now go to jail if while at work, the company security software picks it up! Suddenly Johnny’s father is called into the manager’s office, instantly fired and quickly handed to the waiting sheriff to transport off to jail as a disgusting pervert. Meanwhile Johnny’s father is totally clueless as to how anything like that got on his PC as he frantically calls his attorney!

Here is another example just as debilitating for all involved. Not so little anymore Suzy wants to show Jake the new hot kid in school what she’s got! Problem is Mom won’t give her a camera phone. No problem, she’ll just barrow mom’s phone and e-mail them from there. Problem is mom’s phone is from work and goes through the company’s mail server. Oops! Next day it’s the same thing for poor Suzy’s mother as she’s terminated and sent off to jail for possession and distribution of child pornography! To bad for Mommy that turning 50 shades of red in front of work friends does nothing to prevent an exit in handcuffs to jail.

These simple examples are by no means all-encompassing, and are not to be taken as legal advice. However, they do show that what might be seen as a topic to avoid, can easily become a topic that can have very serious consequences for all involved.

Please read more at Wikipedia’s Sexting page by clicking here to learn more about the issue and how to prevent it.

Let me know what you think out there! Were these tips helpful?

The Gator’s back to school blog for families! (2 of 3)

2010-08-19T10:20:00.000-05:00

Here is the second of three tips for parents and commandment number 2 for the kids!

2. Thou Shall Not Push The Easy Virus Removal Button That Just Popped Up!

Fake Antiviral malware has skyrocketed to the top tool of scam artists and identity thieves! There’s good reason for this, we gave these malcontents nearly 6 billion of our hard earned dollars this year alone with its use!

For some background on the menace, Wikipedia in short sites social engineering as: the act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information that under normal circumstances they would not. I would expound upon this definition as follows: to manipulate the PC user into believing that their PC has suddenly become infected with dangerous viruses and that if they don’t click on the “Easy Remove” button conveniently provided certain doom will follow. Emphasis on “imminent certain doom”!

Therefore fake antivirus is a new class of malware that is very hard for traditional antiviral products to combat. Not being a traditional virus itself, Fake A/V tricks the user into downloading computer viruses and viral tools for scammers to use on your PC. They use these tools to shut off any real antiviral product you use and then down load real virus’s that steal your identity and bank account with it!

What is worse is that there are few tools that combat fake Antivirus as it changes all the time to suite the scammer’s intentions. Their are a few things that you can do though to help prevent an infection:

• Become AWARE of your security suites capabilities, look n feal and operation!
       Keep the subscription current and software updated.
       Know that "No legitimate A/V program will start a scan automatically without consent!
       Read the help files, they are the owners manual!

• Remember and remind yourself that if you don't recognize the name, Don't Click It!
      Ask yourself, did you run a scan or did this just show up?
      Ask yourself does this look like my A/V Suite?
      Are their gross errors in the presentation, look and feel, are you being force to do something?

• If you have one Pop-up on you
      Type on the keyboard (Control, Alt, Delete) or right click on the task bar to bring up the task manager.
      Click on the applications tab and highlight anything shown as running then click on end task button. If the
      virus is not shown, close out all internet browsers open.

• Clean out your temp files by selecting the contents and deleting them, not the file itself!

• Remember to CREATE A BACKUP of your hard drives data often.
      Use XP’s NT backup program or a program like Norton’s Ghost or Carbonite online backup. Vista and
      Windows 7 have other options as well

You will have to use it to reload the hard drive if the fake A/V gets past you
Do not depend on the “go back” feature of XP, Vista or Win 7, the Fake A/V can hide there and just reinfect you in a day or two.

The Gator’s back to school blog for families! (1 of 3)

2010-08-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

Boy things are not like they used to be, I guess I am getting older! I remember the day when school bullies and bad grades where big things to worry about!

Today is vastly different from then and definitely carries a bigger impact! Thus my back to school blog for families with three very important tips for adults and parental commandments to children of all ages!

1. Thou shall not use Lime Wire, Frost Wire, Bear Share or “ANY” “free music” sharing sight to get free music!! Period!! It’s illegal but very profitable to those who catch you doing it!

From the case files, three main points on the perils of Limewire can be quickly summarized:

• The RIAA goes after people on file sharing sights like Limewire for copyright violation!

    o The RIAA can entrap people with actual Limewire entrapment accounts and servers of their songs designed to tag violators!

    o Information can be swapped in both directions allowing RIAA to obtain your ISP information as well as what is on your hard drive and who you are.

    o The RIAA can now ban individuals from the Internet who violate the law through their Internet Service Provider.

• The RIAA has serious legal precedence to fine those it finds illegally sharing music on the Internet!

   o The Federal Courts ordered Jammie Thomas to pay 1.92 million in fines on retrial guilty verdict!

   o The Jury’s verdict worsened for the defendant on re-trial from 220 Thousand to 1.92 million in fines.

   o Pre-litigation fines to collage students caught in the act are around $24,000

   o Copyright law is harsh and sided for the plaintiffs.

• Social sharing sites like Limewire have been shown to have malware on 30% of their entire content and pipe it through all security to your computer.

   o PC Magazine Survey found that every item downloaded has a 30% chance of delivering a malware package from these sites.

   o File Sharing programs like Limewire are legal but by design create a tunnel through any firewalls installed to the shared folder on your hard drive. This allows malware free control of the PC once delivered.

o Users have little control over the sites they connect to and have no way of knowing if the site is protected, infected, trustworthy, a hacker or not.

o Malware is near to being a 6 billion dollar industry in 2010 and these sites have shown to be a prime proving grounds for malware developers to test in. In 2009 more malware was created than in the past 20 years.

Cleanliness guideline for Geeks or just another viral vector not to sneeze at!

2010-08-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Well chalk this one up to a quick tip for the late night caffeine crowd! Seems a mailing is going out in the U.S. stating that you must clean off your Coke cans or you’ll end up with a dreadfully sounding disease from dried rat urine and die a horrible death or worse end up with a big hospital bill!!! Oooow, high “icky” factor followed by a covert death threat and Obama care scare LOL.

Hmmm Suzzie says this smells really fishy and I say someone has been checking out what makes people tick to spread viruses of the internet kind! We are probably both right according to Hoax-slayer!

Interesting how hoax’s and urban legends evolve. Something we all must pay a little bit of attention to these days with the spread of social malware. Check out the Myth buster’s web site to see even more myths. Better yet, go to the science channels how it made, site and see just how your soda is made! My stepmother worked for a large regional grocery hub and she was well aware of what the product goes through from manufacturer to your refrigerator. You would not believe the amount of effort and technology that goes into keeping things fresh and safe for us.

This is a great time to reflect though that vigilance and sanitary practices along with a dash of common sense are almost always good practices to maintain for general wellbeing!

Microsoft's Security Essentials, A welcome nod to a needed product!

2010-08-14T14:27:00.001-05:00

It is not very often that one thinks of Microsoft as a company that gives out a superior product for the consumer to use, it’s even rarer to think of them as putting it out for free!

Therefore, I have to laud Microsoft here for their security suite package that they have given to the consumer.

Security Essentials (MSE) has become a home run for Microsoft in my view. This marks an impressive sea change for Microsoft as they have greatly improved upon their admittedly feeble past attempts at computer security in general.

See here that they are not just putting out a good product but are now winning awards like the VB100 award from the August 2010 Edition of Virus Bulletin. Click here to check that out. Consumers Reports also tested the product superior to most other consumer suites out there for sale!

The Gator's own experience with this product has been in line with these awards and reports. We have actually taken off other "paid for" competing software to fix the problem by finding and removing the malware infecting PC's. Now that's a really rare statement for a Microsoft product. Read an in-depth explanation of MSE and its value from Wikipedia by clicking here . Wiki does a great job of explaining the product and how well it does it's job.

In summation, Id say if your a consumer looking to protect yourself from all the internet's nasty's out there, click here to review and get MSE. Just remember to remove all your other security software before installing MSE.

To all the industry whiner’s and antitrust zealots out there I'd like to say "get off your @$$ and build a better product!!!" some of the stuff I’ve seen purveyed at unreal prices is beyond the pale with the issues we have to combat. The malware (the bad guys) industry is closing in on 6 billion dollars in profits a year and the web has become awash in a flood of reports and articles about how granny got mugged online! An important fact to remember is that 6 billion dollars a year does not just sit idly around folks! Cocaine submarines, border wars, mob hits and people’s destroyed identities and lives are just a pittance of a sample of things that all that money can go towards. Think about that for a moment, the Defense Department does and for much more than a moment!

I again laud Microsoft’s move to take back the internet from perverted porn purveyors and the world mob association’s who have seen fit to take advantage of a systems openness for their own greedy malevolent intentions!

As I have said often and will repeat it here, Vigilance my friends is key to safe surfing and thanks to Microsoft we now have a tool that finally seems to work well!

Well we dodged another one! Remember the movie Knowing?

2010-08-04T13:22:00.000-05:00

Well Nic Cage, crew and the rest of us are still here! But that might not have been the only result of last nights CME from the sun. WE dodged a bullet at light speed due to the fact that this CME did not produce many X-rays. Had it been the other way around we may have had some real interesting news to talk about. Check out the arora that made it all the way down the Michigan! below

You can find other articles about CME's on our websites News you can use page.

Coming This January 1st! A new look for Treasury employees! Maybe

2010-08-02T23:46:00.000-05:00

Is this a rendering of the the new field gear for IRS and Treasury employees? You tell me. Here is just a few facts that might make you think about it.

1. In the early 90's 20/20 did an expose on how advertisers and the government could manipulate an individual or group by creating a womb to tomb dossier on any person or group. 20/20 picked the then VP Dan Quale as a tough test case and was shocked when without so much as bending a few laws, they created not only the VP's laundry list, but detailed psychological and financial profile. There was enough detail and accuracy in the test that it raised eyebrows at the Secret Service.

2. In Iraq over the past decade, the Government and Military have trained, used and honed how to best use civilian contractors in a military operating zone or setting.

3. Recently due to new law passage for the greater good, the Obama administration in all it glory now has garnered almost complete control of all media outlets including the Internet to fashion their message of change or what ever message they so choose! This has come about due to the immanent need to control media to prevent terrorism of course!

4. Now we find out just yesterday that the Obama Whitehouse has been using private contractors to profile individual IP addresses on the Internet. Again to prevent terrorism and for the public good!

So with these few facts in mind, is this the new winter clothing lineup for the IRS? This seems to be an all to easy scary thought to ponder for sure. A Little Manchurian Canidate mixed in with a dab of The Matrix and a dolope of Doctor Strange Love seems to be the ticket these days.

This raises a side thought that links this commentary to the blog. More and more we are seemingly being scared or manipulated into fear based decisions as a society. Watch out for that virus, control that web page, pay your taxes online with auto control!! Why and to what end this all goes to though I have no clue.
I can only offer that we take history's lessons and not demonize them but rather see the rational whole and use what we find toprevent an intentional or unintentional problem for ourselves in the near future.
Vigilance, reason, compation and appropriate action. Buzz words for today for sure!

Apple getting a little baked?

2010-07-29T09:48:00.003-05:00

Ah yes the good ole Apple debate!

Seems that Apple has fallen for the same trap most do in going after Microsquash!

Rush it to market and make a killing who cares if the code says you have 4 bars all the time and the batteries can't be replaced. Just make a labyrinth of a support queue and at the end tell them to use duck tape. Then watch as the money rolls in!

Problem with that is, what gets over hyped one way, can get over hyped the other in a New York minute! There is where we find Apple computers today. Getting baked by their rush to put out another chart topper to squash the giant.

The question I'd ask is, why all the rush? The entire industry seems to be on this head long rush to pump out the next ipod killer and in the end the consumer gets left in the packing crate dust looking like hosed hamburger.

Everything is made in China with no considerations, rushed to market and mass merchandised in only a few ways. The consumer ends up with the same unit everyone else has with all its problems and ends up killing a few sweat shop workers in the process. Has anyone else said WTF?

We kill Chinese workers and the Chinese environment that's attached to everyone else's environment. We produce some of the worst electronics with a useful life of perhaps a year if your lucky, And we have no choice of electronics except what shows up at Wal Mart! Just think about that for a minute and wonder why we got here and where it's taking us. Talk about half baked!

Internet porn changing the way we see our selves

2010-07-28T10:17:00.002-05:00

Here is an article that is near and dear to my heart in many respects and how you take that statement goes to the heart of the article!

See below a video from CNN about how author and sociologist Gail Dines says that internet porn may be changing the way people think of their own sexuality.

The video from CNN

I personally find this most intriguing as many who read my blog will know that I call the Internet the "Great Experiment". It is the first time in all of human history that man has had unfettered access to all of man's information across the globe.

This can be a good thing, but more and more, I am beginning to think that we need to mature into it as a global society. We seem to draw out the negative in everything as a learning experience first! That raw pornography leading the way in technology is a good example of this. The industry starts out doing everything possible at once and then learns or is regulated to control negative aspects after the fact.

I believe that we must realize that this is how we as a global society and as individual children have grown up throughout the ages. As new things came along we naturally want to try them out from new “fun” drugs to the latest Air Force bomber!

The .xxx domain is in my opinion a great step in the right direction as way of maturing into the information of the internet while not creating an avenue for illegal profits.

In the end, one of my firmest beliefs is that we like to think of ourselves as evolved intellectual beings able to control our world. But I find in National Geographic article’s on the nature of animal intelligence to how we perceive each other that we really have not strayed so far from the tree of life we left in the savanna all so long ago.

Watch Out Folks, The British Are Coming And It's Not All WYSIWYG In The Wonderful World Of Media

2010-07-04T16:57:00.002-05:00

Hey all!
Just a quick reality check here for the 4th!
MSN had on its front page:

Male virginity test? | Infant scalded by Starbucks tea!

Wooooo OUCH! & you girls thought the pee test for pregnancy was disgusting and rough!

Just goes to show and make my point that you can't just auto pilot the news or the web these days!
Between media bias, advertisements and a whole host of misleading efforts from varying sources, you must be vigilant these days while surfing and/or getting your news. Lest you be mislead down the rabbit hole of influenced opinion and downright manipulation and control by those who most likely do not have your best intentions at heart!
So let freedom ring this fourth as the British (Oops I pulled a Britney) I mean BP attacks New Orleans yet again!

Watch out folks here comes the big guns!

2010-07-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

Well if the tax to oblivion tax code changes coming this January aren't enough to scare you, here is another story on a familiar topic that might raise your eyebrow.
Read here about how: New rules bring online piracy fight to US campuses

I also have legacy articles from a few months ago on this topic. The significant changes are that these laws are becoming more and more punative, active and socially corrective in there operation. In otherwords Aunt Pelosi is now going to demand correct behavior rather than just scold ya like before!

So much for spare the rod, save the child. Now its beat the @#*&! out of the teen and make sure they do as they're told!

Oh dear, the sky is falling yet again! Obama Internet kill switch plan approved by US Senate

2010-06-26T16:11:00.004-05:00

Well here is an article that brings up a wide ranging topic. Net neutrality laws have long been on the minds of free speech analysts concerning the Internet for some time now. Now comes big brother, putting his foot down and strangling free thought yet again according to some.
Read here about how Obama has a loaded gun to the head of the Internet!

But a bigger picture emerges from this article when you sit back and analyse it for internal consumption. For all the huff and puff of the article to rouse the rebel in us all, the article also let slip and important fact. Obama and everyone else in between him and FDR had the right already under a 1934 communications law! In that little slip lies an important fact. We like to scare ourselves in the media and make it seem as if the sky is forever falling on us and we will all perish a horrible death tomorrow! Thing is, that tomorrow never seems to quite materialize. Remember the Patriot act and how it would allow Satan Bush and his Nazi thugs to kill at will! Busting in Front doors and then abducting and waterboarding every Grandma in Mayberry in the dark of night for their secret cookie recipe! Oh the horror!Funny thing, it never happened that way, George left the White house as he found it and is now still working on that water pump in Texas. Obama is in and still has the patriot act at his disposal to inflict immeasurable harm to the public at his whim.

There lies another fact that we all need to wake up to. WE ARE THE PEOPLE and we must therefore govern by voting our collective will and making that will known! Look at the Democrats in Congress. Are they a bunch of smug Nazi's who kill off any decenter's and are now sitting pretty having given themselves total power! Insert evil laugh here. Heck no! Their running scared because they dared to pass legislation we did not like. Lets not mention the inconvenient little reality that we needed something along those line. So lets wake ourselves up out of this stupor we're in and quit scaring ourselves with silly parlor tricks of law and a media that has turned into a freak show circus. Let scientific reasoning and the common sense rule! To much to ask?

The impact of unintended consequences! Porn sites finally get .xxx domain

2010-06-26T13:42:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has read my blog can see that I lean just a bit to the left. I guess nature abhors a straight line! To the point of the blog it seems that a bit of uncommon sense has taken over ICANN the Internets domain name controller has finally seen fit to add the .xxx for porn domain suffix. My take on this is that it is long overdue. I have long advocated that the Internet is the largest human experiment in history. Never in our course have we had so much information available to so many. Doing simple research will show that porn is a large percentage of internment traffic. so wake up folks, sex rules and it always has! We've just now via the Internet had the capability of seeing what we really do in the world. No church deacon or social stigma to get in the way, and Surprise! It turns out we like sex in all forms and a lot of it! Wow what a concept, who knew! Oops, the Romans I forgot. So in reality this is all just another titillation of our social norms of today and not much else. I believe that this is a good change though and will bear fruit in the form of better control of the Internet for what we want to see. Not censorship mind you, just a better way of filtering out what we don't want to see while searching for something.We must remember that just saying something is bad has historically been the worst way of regulation.

Check out the article here from CNN.

Car placards to be used for re-entry in case of mandatory evacuation this hurricane season

2010-06-21T18:18:00.000-05:00

Check it out Folks especially local business owners!

">Story Here

Funky Scribbles coming to a website near you!

2010-05-07T13:26:00.003-05:00

Hey all,
The grand experiment is getting a make over. Seems different than English identifiers for web pages will be coming soon. In Arabic even!

Read more here from CNN:

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/07/what-is-com-in-arabic/?hpt=C2

Wow! The Internet killed the Video Star!

2010-04-30T09:43:00.002-05:00

Seems that the video star has gone the way of the radio star of 1980!

Read here from CNN about how one in eight are dumping the dish and cable for Internet only!

http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/30/technology/dropping_cable_tv/index.htm?cnn=yes&hpt=T2

Of course none of this could possibly be because the commercials take up more time now than the actual lousy programming or the fact that the commercials are amplified so you have to mute them or go def! No couldn't be!

To cable providers, here's a novel approach! how about offering a basic 12 channel lineup of what we actually watch! I mean how many households watch all 500 channels?

Beware the Earth Shaking Boobs!

2010-04-27T10:01:00.005-05:00

Hey all!
Yesterday was boobquake day! did ya feel it? Didn't think so, but read more from CNN here:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2010/04/26/moos.boobquake.rocks.web.cnn?hpt=C2

Personally I think the boobs in Iran will cause more earth movement than women's beauty or cleavage, but then again I could be wrong.

The love of a good boob has altered the course of history after all, why not a little earth movement? I mean AC/DC did pen a song called "She shook me all night long"

Whats your take?

Lets get real everyone!

2010-04-24T13:32:00.004-05:00

I guess I am just a balanced guy these days. Either that or the world has become so polarised that the extremes of both ends have fallen off into the abyss! Just take a few of the interesting articles floating around.
Facebook is now invading the web so everything you do on it now has your friends stamp of approval or not (whether you wanted this is irrelevant).
Google caused an international incident simply by turning off its security servers in China. (A quarter of the worlds population now says resistance is futile)
Your car now has a better relationship with your toaster than you do
The porn industry instead of NASA is leading the innovation movement
And last but not least Uncle Sam now knows more about your sex life than you do!
Which all leads me up to the tile of this blog. Lets get real folks!

Spam or fake mail is the fastest rising percentage of overall Internet traffic. constituting most traffic on any given day.
Fake Antivirus is the number one malware on the net and the most profitable at 6 billion a year estimated to date
Fake relationships abound on the net and heck even a fake world is popular to play in
We are spoon fed fake news in the evening followed up by fake people arguing about the fake news and the fake way in which they will fix their fake problems.

Enough already I say! Has reason gone the way of the Dodo bird? When did scientific principles for a sound argument (The point not the heated bloviating) get removed for the PC sound bite?

People are dying and real events go on for all sorts of preventable reasons and no one seems to care as long as some fake reason can be expediently brought to blame and then endlessly hyped about over the airwaves to an all to eager consumer! I hope its not you next!

The facts of the matter are that most of our pressing problems that plague us in the 21st century are seemingly simple fixes when we get rid of the bloviating, fake arguments and phony rationalizations.

The biggest problem I see is that we seem to like to live in a fake world! If it's not my problem, it does not exist for me! To bad for the dead farmer and dead illegal farm hand!

Lets get real folks! Because mother nature has always been real and tomorrow might be a little too real for a great many of us!

Trends Tips for safe networking

2010-04-10T11:06:00.003-05:00

Beware that Friend mail in Facebook! Social Networking sites like Facebook and Myspace are fast becoming prime surf spots for hackers to get choice personal information for their illicite financial gain.

Be watchful of mail coming from friends, especially if it seems unusual for that friend. That "Cool You Tube Video" is probably not what is seems as Hackers use pictures and video site to mask their intrusion attempt. Another point to make is that a great many of these attacks are no longer just money attempts. Actual spying by real spys is on the uptick with these types of tricks. Have a family member in the military or working for a defence contractor, beware! Spy's and hackers will hack your mail as a weak link to get into that family members computer and then spy on there company!

You can read more about tips to stay safe below:

http://cdn.rsys1.net/ig.rsys1.net/responsysimages/tne/__RS_CP__/trendsetter_apr10_cybercriminals.html

With the great experiment in full swing, sitting on the sideline is no longer an option

2010-03-24T13:53:00.004-05:00

Well the health bill has passed into law and for better or worse we are going to have to deal with the fallout. Things are not all doom and gloom though. In simple reality, we as a species can not ride on autopilot anymore. As Americans we are going to have to stand up and participate in our government no matter what the party affiliation as the debt and other factors both local and global in nature will demand it. One such local factor is the new HIPA regulations and how they affect your medical records online.

Just Read here about how your medical records are not secure from the Wall Street Journal.
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580904575132111888664060.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion

Tips that are out of this world

2010-03-23T13:42:00.003-05:00

Ever wonder why you hard drive just suddenly dropped dead or why old tried and true acted up a few days back. Well the explanation may be out of this world. Now this is not an everyday occurrence, so don't worry about getting Nuked while walking the dog. But it is a very real reason for why electronics can act up or die on you.

Take a look at our picture here and read on about how Toyota may have ignored this little gem of a fact at its peril!
http://www.freep.com/article/20100316/BUSINESS0104/3160361/1318/Are-cosmic-rays-really-causing-Toyotas-woes

Tips from the must reads!

2010-03-16T12:34:00.006-05:00

Hey all,

Looked at the blog and with all the wonderful news out there and decided to give some tips on how to deal with it all.

(Fake Antivirus Tips)
Is you hard drive about to explode if you don't click on the delete pest key and get rid of those 35 Killer Viruses the pop up just informed you of?
Well click here instead and save yourself some heartache!

This is Social Engineering malware and most of the messages it displays are false. The malware is trying to get you to click on the malwares cleverly disguised install button. An easy way to prevent this malware from wrecking havoc is to immediately close the browser window and clear the browsers cache files or History. This clears the bogus messages from your computer and allows you to continue surfing.

Microsoft has a tech net article on how to clear I.E. cache right here.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/howto/customizing/clearcache.mspx

It is not specifically targeted to the issue, but will allow you to understand how to do it in IE6 and above.

(Lime Wire)
As stated in previous blog postings, Limewire as a program is great for sharing your grandma's killer cookie receipt and you will not get a virus from just installing it either. Trying to get copyrighted music on the other hand will get you just about everything else but the song you where trying to get for free.

Huge fines, jail time, entrapment by "Really Wonderful" people and malware are just a few of the interesting things that can come from stealing music online with Limewire.

Ask yourself if that old Britney Spears song is really worth risking a full body cavity search by Biff the bailiff. Then afterwards getting real with your new "life" partner Chester the Molester in a cozy 6x9 after the judge smiles, take your life's savings and says "you do"!

To me 90 cents a song on Amazon.com, Wal Mart.com ect. is a much safer and perfered life choice.

Must Reads for the month

2010-03-16T12:33:00.002-05:00

Must reads!

Here are two article links I wrote a while ago and find unfortunately still quite relevant today!

Here is one on the Fake Antivirus plague going around PC's

http://www.getgogator.com/_private/Articles/Malware/Fake%20AV%20and%20Social%20Engineering%20brief.pdf

Here is why my favorite music download site is Amazon.com and not sLimewire.

http://www.getgogator.com/_private/Articles/Malware/LimeWire%20Perils.pdf

Jamie is still soldiering on for the cause I read, and instead of 1.92 million, the judge reduced it to a paltry $54,000.00. Gee that must be a relief :-)

Farmville and other oddities of our social consciousness

2010-02-23T09:45:00.002-06:00

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on Facebook, there's another Farmville notice from one of your friends to drive you crazy and fill up your wall! I must admit I am guilty of that one!

This is an interesting insight into our social consciousness. This insight shows how massively complex systems such as this can seem easy to decipher,but are still massively complex to comprehend in total. Just try weather forecasting as another example.

I bring this up as global warming and web security are two other systems that can be very misleadingly simple to read on the surface but the details can stymie the best minds of Mensa members!

More food for thought here:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/02/23/facebook.games/index.html?hpt=C1

Online Issues and things to think about.

2010-02-19T10:05:00.004-06:00

This year is going to be interesting! Two articles caught my attention this day that will have an interesting impact. The first is that Microsoft has just announced a plan to integrate Outlook with MySpace and Facebook. On the surface this seems like a no brainer in Microsofts attempt to keep up with Google. However roll up the rug and look two articles down at an article titled "Please rob me!" and look at a site purporting to defend against thugs using twitter and the like to rob people. Either tracking them to mug on the street or rob their houses while the owners twitter to each other at the supermarket.

Vigilance and unintended consequences are going to be big this year.

Read on here:
1. http://mashable.com/2010/02/17/outlook-facebook-myspace/

2. http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1964873,00.html

Fact Check on the previous blog entry

2010-02-18T09:18:00.003-06:00

Here is a fact check on the last blog entry on cyber threats.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/02/16/fact.check.cyber.threat/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Seems not all is certain DOOOOM!!

The article states "While many experts agree that the risk of a cyberattack against the United States is real, there is no consensus as to how likely that attack might be." Oh reeeeeeally, Like Duh! Theirs a real informative statement for ya!

It's called reasoning folks and it would seem that many in Washington and those "Think Tanks" have forgotten. I wonder if Sasha's teachers have any room for congress!

US officials rehearse fending off cyberattack and how you can help!

2010-02-17T09:37:00.002-06:00

Well the party is over and the ash is on the foreheads of many this day.

Here is an article from Breitbart that frames the seriousness of the issue of Cyber attacks!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.231a2854e18ee0b63877c9ffdd84d92d.591&show_article=1

One point that was not brought up though is how you may be on the vanguard of the protective spear. It is well known that one of the biggest tools hackers use is the Denial of Service attack and the use of zombie computers to pull off such an attack.

By simply being aware of how your computers Anti-malware suite works and not blowing off that the computer has suddenly become slow for no appear ant reason, you can go a long way to preventing these types of attacks.

Here is another somewhat humorous yet serious article showing why being vigilant with your computers malware can have a real impact.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100216/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_russia_porn

The porn angle is somewhat humorous but if you read between the lines,these types of attacks can be aimed at other points of interest to cause serious problems if timed together. Think about tying up traffic while detonating a dirty bomb and slightly humorous becomes downright deadly!

Simple vigilance and understanding of ones PC, people goes a long way!

A case of civil disobedience? Your call!

2010-02-14T20:15:00.006-06:00

OK, I was watching the supper bowl, My team won thank you, and along comes the Audi ad.
Well Within the span of say three seconds, something in me snapped.
Don't get me wrong, I like Cheap trick, I grew up on and know the real song and that's OK.
It's when Green Government guys go insane for the environment, that's when the primitive, chard flesh of bovine lovin part of my inner child just tripped out over that ad.
Car, what car? their was a car in that add?
Car I don't remember, But those glaring gonzo green government guys having the balls to tell "Our Pigs" where to put the Styrofoam cups! Ooooow there's something that picked a nerve in our collective inner child! Just look up the blogs!
If I were the Cop I'd get out and tell the greeny to bend over, examine the cruisers tail pipe and then I'd rip the greenies panties off and shove that scallding double cafe late` espresso with "foam" where the sun don't shine! All good Pigs know to get rid of the evidence after all!!!

Of course that was part of the cutting room floor deleted scenes the uncultured masses just could not see.

Here is my take on the song as well: Watch out Wells, the truth is often stranger than fiction!

The Green Police!!! or What CT should have sung!

The green police, they take aim at my head
The green police, they come to me in my sted
The green police, they’re coming to arrest me, oh no!

You know that talk is cheap, and those rumors ain’t nice.
And when the faucet leaks, I don’t think I’ll survive the night, the night

'Cause they're waiting for me.
They're looking for me.
Ev'ry single day they're driving me insane.
Those men inside my drain.

The green police, List inside of my sted
(live to raid my sted.)
The green Police, they come to me in my shed
(come to me in my shed)
The green police, they’re coming to arrest me, oh no.

Well, I can't tell lies, 'cause they're gunning for me.
And when the faucet leaks, bet they’re counting the drips tonight, tonight.

'Cause they're waiting for me.
They're looking for me.
Ev'ry single day they're driving me insane.
Those men inside my drain.

I try to conserve, they won’t condone, and they won’t let me alone.
They don't get paid or take vacations, or let me alone.
They spy on me, I hide my pride, they won't let me alone.
They persecute us, they're the judge and jury all in one.

'Cause they're waiting for us.
They're looking for us.
Ev'ry single day they're driving us insane.
Those stinkin men in our drains.

The green police, List inside of our steds
(live to raid our steds.)
The green Police, they come to us in our sheds
(come to us in our sheds)
The green police, they’re coming to arrest us!

The green police
Police, police

The green police
Police, police

The green police
Police, police

I want the free credit report guys to sing this one! They owe me!

Music's lost decade: Sales cut in half and the power of public thought/ Actions

2010-02-04T09:46:00.003-06:00

Here is a prime example of how (The great experiment) the Internet has a very tangible and not necessarily manageable impact on us for good and bad.

On the one hand I think that the music industry as a whole was making way to much money in the 1990's and flaunting it's wealth and control. Along comes the Internet and boom so much for that control.
It is a powerful statement in this article that states the the multi billion dollar music industry was forced, kicking and screaming all the way, into a new model of business. This industry was torn away from purchase to access marketing by the weight of global consensus.

Think about that for a second, that is a powerful message for any argument today. So much for the do anything but something pansies at the UN and all that political correctness. Now we are all interconnected and no matter how much we profess loving the Ayatollah in the streets or kissing up to the queen's dairy air, our linked global actions now have global impact and not necessarily the impact we planned for!

Interesting times to say the least! Life will go on, just not go on as it was!

Read on here about how the music industry got it's walking papers from the global public.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music_industry/index.htm

Here is something we all need about now! How can we cope with information overload?

2010-02-04T09:40:00.004-06:00

Boy with all the bad news to deal with and the networks lobing mortars at one another like a bad video game we need some clarity and relaxation!

Here is an article that can help with the first objective!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/02/03/content.overload/index.html

Beware the backup blues!

2010-02-02T09:20:00.002-06:00

Their is a lot of chatter on the blogs about China, Google and the threats to the Internet that are out there these days. All this makes me want to write a brief on backups and credit security programs.

First I would warn you. Do not get into the habit of thinking that a silver bullet program can solve it all and you can quietly quit paying attention to it once again.

Second I'd say the net is not just for the kids. The Internet has now become a part of the social framework of the globe and needs to be both respected and recognised as such. Issues such as China imposing financial sanctions on the US if Google removes itself from China is just one example of how the net has matured globally into an institution that needs our attention.

Third I'd say beware those who offer quick fixes. Most of the backup and credit security software suites I have reviewed or studied have left several areas to be desired. For backup's Integration with Windows so that you can retain programs has been a problem. Sure the programs are there, but are the fully operational links to Windows? Oops, so much for your copy of office. Also be aware of companies like Life Lock. Their product works, but their has already been several legal cases where what they say and what they do for you often differ in the extreme.

In the end, "Hey it's your life and data", protect it by becoming knowledgeable about the "Real" threats that are out there and what "Real" solutions there are to mitigate them. This is the only path at present that has any realistic chance of giving you some peace of mind. Everything else is a placebo, but that's for another blog.!

In failure Twitter gives We the People something to tweet about!

2010-01-20T10:01:00.001-06:00

With all the machine gun finger pointing going on in Washington after the Massachusetts election, Twitter in a network outage (Failure) gives us something to ponder in a better light.

It would seem that the social site Twitter has given the Democrats a lesson in how to be graceful in defeat and turn negatives into a truly positive experience.

read on here about how Washington needs to adopt Twitters (service failure whale) when things go south rather than finger point and waste our tax dollars.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/20/twitter.outage/index.html?hpt=T2

One may argue about the seriousness of Washington politics versus a social sites network connectivity as being to far apart on the serious scale, but Twitter does give a sociological point. That being that we as a people need to fix our social problems not with divisive rancor for the other side and secret deals in the power halls of Washington, but with open debate and a "Democratic" majority consensus. No one is ever going to be completely satisfied with what comes out in a legislative package, but we can all be better off when all sides say they gave it there best shot and this piece of legislation is the result.

Here comes storm season! Think Generator!

2010-01-19T09:16:00.004-06:00

Here comes spring in the south and now is a perfect time to bring up generator tips.

Not something you think alot about is it! due to digital TV and the like, more and more people will be relying on computers to get the news. This can require a generator when the power goes out. These generators can be a source of problesm though concerning computers.

Look soon for my article on what you need to know about using computers and electronics off of comercial generators.

Here we go! Social Web's true impact on China, Haiti

2010-01-18T10:09:00.002-06:00

Backing up some of what I have been eluding to this past few months.

Read here about how social web's (the Great Experiment) starting to become a force to recon with! One BIG point I concur with in the article is that the Force is created not by the web, but by the people behind it. In the end, we learn that we influence ourselves, not machines or some faceless entity in the dark.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/18/social.media.impact/index.html?hpt=T2

Facebook looking to beef up e-commerce team

2010-01-14T09:49:00.001-06:00

Hey Just what we need, more ways to blow our money on things we don't need!
But it could turn out to be a better way of spending money on the real things you need.
Checkl it out here,

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/12/cnet.facebook.ecommerce/index.html

Apps: They broke out of Apple's orchard and are coming to help you!

2010-01-12T09:36:00.004-06:00

Apps: Those crazy programs you hear on TV. They're not just for your phone anymore!

Read on here!:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/09/ces.apps/index.html

Got a flat, Seems Ford has an App for that! Just another example of powerful social media becoming more integrated into our lives for better and worse!

Audiences experience 'Avatar' blues

2010-01-11T11:18:00.002-06:00

The power of social envelopment! Here is a powerful statement on how technology can have unexpected results. It seems that Avatar so envelopes the audience that now people are getting a type of post partum depression from it.

The serious side of me shows this as how new technology has to be taken seriously cautiously!

The silly side says "take that you pompous, egotistical movie critic's"! "Oh it's gonna be the biggest bomb in history" they whined from the London post!

Avatar is now on track for not only the biggest box office haul in history but its own psychological disorder in the World Health Org. manual!

So much for the Crazy critic's statement of "Who would really believe in ten foot tall blue monkey men"!

Read on here,

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html

but don't be depressed, I am sure that it will be out on blue ray soon!
Then you can live in Pandora all ya want! or better yet, how about helping the rest of us take care of Earth and make it a pandora! Now there is a statement about a movies impact!

Viral Vectors and the Perils of Limewire

2010-01-11T10:41:00.005-06:00

Here are three quick bullet point from the rewrite I did on my perils of Limewire article

1. The RIAA goes after people on file sharing sights like Limewire for copyright violation!
● The RIAA can entrap people with actual Limewire entrapment accounts and servers of their songs designed to tag violators!
● Information can be swapped in both directions allowing RIAA to obtain your ISP information as well as what is on your hard drive and who you are.
● The RIAA can now ban individuals from the Internet who violate the law through their Internet Service Provider.

2. The RIAA has serious legal precedence to fine those it finds illegally sharing music on the Internet!
● The Federal Courts ordered Jammie Thomas to pay 1.92 million in fines once retrial guilty verdict was reached!
● The Jury’s verdict worsened for the defendant on retrial from 220 thousand to 1.92 million in fines.
● Pre-litigation fines to collage students caught in the act are around $24,000 per occurrence
● Copyright law is harsh and sided for the plaintiffs.

3. Social sharing sites like Limewire have been shown to have malware on 30% of their entire content and pipe it through all security to your computer.
● PC Magazine Survey found that every item downloaded has a 30% chance of delivering a malware package from these sites.
● File Sharing programs like Limewire are legal but by design create a tunnel through any firewalls installed to the shared folder on your hard drive. This allows malware free control of the PC once delivered.
● Users have little control over the sites they connect to and have no way of knowing if the site is protected, infected, trustworthy, a hacker or not.
● Malware is a 6 billion dollar industry in 2009 and these sites have shown to be a prime proving grounds for malware developers to test in. In 2009 more malware was created than in the past 20 years.

One Important note I forgot to mention especially for collage students. The RIAA has taken a different tact lately and stopped blanket law suites against violators. This has a two fold effect though. The pro is you pay up a small fine and your good to go, the con if your stupid and stubborn is banishment from Internet use for life and jail time if you're caught back on it plus serious fines. This is important for collage students as they are a targeted group and are particularly suseptible to the con side of the new stratagy.

Local Flavor! Child Pornographers Be Warned! We are going to get you!

2010-01-09T11:15:00.005-06:00

In the continued awakening of the public consciousness to the power of the web, The St. Charles Parish Sheriffs office has nabbed its third child porn owner in the parish! I say to that "good work Sheriff" and " keep it up"!

I would add though that if anyone reading this has Child Porn, you now

have two paths to choose from.

Seek appropriate mental health as you have a destructive addiction that needs to be treated now or the Sheriff will seek you and prove that you have a destructive addiction worth treating in Jail!

From the Collages of Iran to the spirited debate a customer had with Chase bank, I feel 2010 will be a year that the public awakes to and uses the power of the web to control some of these social misfits!

Last but not least, if you know of someone who is committing a crime or have information about a crime, Please see the Sheriff link below to report it anonymously if so desired!

http://www.stcharlessheriff.org/report.php

Stats to keep in mind

2010-01-09T11:04:00.003-06:00

Here are some stats that you need to be aware of from CNN concerning your kids!
Bear in mind though that these are just keyword search stats and kids have been
playing doctor since before doctors were invented. So take with grain of salt.

Cyber Command's not a bunch of fat geeks pushin pencils

2010-01-08T10:28:00.002-06:00

Here is an article that illuminates the need for the Air Forces Cyber command! The airmen that try to keep us safe from hack attacks!

Cybersitter suit accuses China, PC makers of software piracy
Seems that one of California's software manufactures had it's property ripped off. No big news there, but when all the employees were targeted by servers from within China and "all" employees received Trojan viruses at home specifically designed to steel information, you begin to see the bigger picture.

Read on here from Ms. Mills at C-net news

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10425599-245.html?tag=mncol;title

Show them the MONEY! How marketer's mine your Facebook info for money

2010-01-07T10:10:00.005-06:00

To follow up on the Money Changes Everything article. Here is something to be aware of when you use social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. They are a marketing company's dream and the root of the problem! In a tight global economy all company's are looking to squeeze the last penny from their customer base and advertising budgets.

Marketing companies make money by selling lists of potential customers to these company's. The better the list is at achieving actual customers, the more the marketing company can charge for it. So a great deal of energy and thought goes into making sure these lists pay out.
There in lies the real issue, marketers have a vested interest in getting your personal info any way they can. Often, bending the rules on social network sites like Facebook is an easy way to get marketing data gold and a big payday!

The down side to this of course is you're now spammed with all sorts of e-mail for things you like but don't need like a second life insurance policy! Even worse though is you're one step closer to having your identity stolen by less than scrupulous marketers. Think to yourself, two steps below a car salesman!

Read on here:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/12/facebook-ftc-complaint/#ixzz0bwZLJoEe

Cindy Lauper Nails IT with Song titled " Money Changes Everything"

2010-01-06T10:52:00.002-06:00

Ugh, more bad news! 2009 saw an estimated 66% increase in the number of new malware from 2008 according to some estimates. Panda Security came out and stated in its yearly report that more malware was newly created in 2009 than in the previous 20 years! OUCH!
Why the big explotion? Money baby! and lots of it.
Pop-up adds can garner 5 cents a hit x computers on the planet for perveyors and selling credit card information on the black market can get you the accounts credit limit total plus 11 bucks at resale!
A conservative estimate for the overall profits garnered by malware in 2009 can be in a range from 5 to 6 billion dollars!

That's 6 billion stolen dollars going to organized crime and other malicious characters worldwide. That makes a lot of explosive underwear and ruined lives!

Vigilance folks!

Don't eat the phish and other dire warnings!

2010-01-06T10:00:00.003-06:00

Hey all we survived another year and look forward to 2010!
There are some serious things however to contend with this year on the cyber front!

Vigilance with be the key word this year as new credit laws go into effect and hackers manipulate code to manipulate there bottom line! Money talks and there is lots to be
made for the criminal minded.

Look for national security issues to change how we surf the Internet. From Al-Qaeda terrorists to Russian mobsters, look for governments to start to get visibly and noticeably involved in cyber security to prevent massive services disruptions. Power outage while its freezing anyone?

New credit laws passed last year go into effect in February and will have a big effect on how people use the Internet to pay and manage bills. Those changes for the better will also change how cyber criminals will attempt to phish you into divulging your life's history over the net!
Beware of phishing scams by phone and e-mail as well as targeted scams for credit relief and bogus credit services.

Last but hardly least, social engineering malware has had another year to get "New and Improved", so be aware of those dangers as well.

So lets resolve this new year to be more vigilant in our understanding of our computer systems and how others will try and use them against us. Then we can ring in 2011 and say to ourselves wow what a year 2010 was!

Trend Micro 2010 Future Threat Report: Virtualization, Cloud-Computing and a Shifting Internet Infrastructure Will Widen the Scope of Cybercrime - Dec 09, 2009

2009-12-31T10:19:00.000-06:00

Here is Trend Micros Future report 2010! Didn't someone make a movie about this?

Trend Micro 2010 Future Threat Report: Virtualization, Cloud-Computing and a Shifting Internet Infrastructure Will Widen the Scope of Cybercrime - Dec 09, 2009

Ah yes! The obligatory Year in Review!

2009-12-29T08:56:00.002-06:00

Here is CNN's Year in Review! break out the Billy Joel songs!

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/year.in.review/

Here is a better one from our sanity checkers JibJab!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/never_a_year_like_09

Have a happy new Year!

Cool! "Maximum Overdrive" Coming to a freeway near you!

2009-12-28T09:49:00.003-06:00

Ford brings Wi-Fi to the highway

Hears a near term new Years blog for ya!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/26/wired.ford.wi.fi/index.html

Just in Time for Christmas!

2009-12-24T09:50:00.003-06:00

I am kind of partial to this as I served 8 years in the Air Force.

Just in time for Christmas it the NORAD Santa Tracker!
Let a Four Star General tell your kids just where Santa is !

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

Oh Ya! Merry Christmas All!

Al

The danger of a single story!

2009-12-22T16:43:00.003-06:00

Here is an article that has a lot of relevance today!

The Danger of a single story is one from Africa and as that is the cradle of civilization it is fitting!
From the CNN article: Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie believes in the power of stories, and warns that hearing only one about a people or nation leads to ignorance. She says the truth is revealed by many tales
Read more here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/21/ted.talk.adichie.excerpt/index.html

One of the things that piqued my interest in this article is that Chimamanda was spot on in many ways towards modern communications. The America press is an example of where the funnel effect of shrinking news outlets and polarized opinion as news does not serve us.

I for one believe that the polarization of the news as either too liberal or too Conservative is a powerful statement on the shape of our government. How can we know where we truly stand as a people if we do not trust what we see and hear?

What would you say

The yin and yang of cybersecurity

2009-12-22T09:45:00.000-06:00

From CNN: "On the Internet, the good guys and the bad guys are inextricably connected. But what happens when one side gets the upper hand?"
Read on here:
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/12/21/the-yin-and-yang-of-cybersecurity/

SAINTS, I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE!!!

2009-12-19T13:50:00.004-06:00

Well here is one for the record books!

Here in St. Charles Parish we are drying out yet once again!

Roughly 22 inches of rain in 72 hours!

For those of you not from here you may ask yourself what makes them stay there!

Well here's an answer to that, if there can be one!

The SAINTS are 13-0 and we believe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u05qJxWqQw&feature=related

Watch out for the 12 monkeys effect on the Great Experiment!

2009-12-18T10:12:00.004-06:00

Think that twitter and social networking are just for Air Heads called Biff and Buffy! Think again! While B&B can make up a large percentage of these new sites base, the impact these sites can have on every one's security is huge and getting larger by the day.
Here is an article that can illuminate the possibilities for anyone who has read my blog.
"Twitter hacked by 'Iranian Cyber Army'"
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/18/twitter.hacked/index.html
The "Army" may not even be real, but that they shut down a large online corporation is disturbing when you think that similar people have hacked into the U.S. Army Drones video feeds and other vulnerable infrastructure like you local power plant!

Stay vigilant folks!

There's tonage to be glum over, but Faith walks!

2009-12-17T17:54:00.002-06:00

With all that has happened over the past year it's really easy to be cynical and depressed around here. Watching the the barely affordable Christmas presents be swept down the street with the new flooring I think is an especially poignant cherry on top by the Grinch! At least there's a new chance to replace the Chinese Drywall!

Well with all that is glummy and wet, I thought a nice picker up would do! It seems a little dog called faith with no front legs since birth is getting everyone in the military in the mood to celebrate the season. Wounds and all! So just as the house is floating away for Christmas eve, remember that its not the situation but how you live through it that counts!

Read on here for some Christmas cheer from Faith! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091216/ap_on_fe_st/us_fea_pets_two_legged_dog

OH ya the SAINTS are 13-0, it can't be all that bad!

Tips for today

2009-12-16T09:57:00.002-06:00

The tip for today is Dry Out! Soggy PC's are not happy PC's!

More tips for online security and Privacy

2009-12-15T11:03:00.003-06:00

Just look at the Will Smith movie "Enemy of the State" to go paranoid over your privacy and security and what a heavy handed socialist government might do to them. In the mean time here are some more personalized tips from yesterdays CNN article two postings ago on web security.

Have antivirus software, anti-spyware and firewall --
Better still, make sure its updated and working! Most products renew in a year from purchase date, so if you got it for Christmas a year ago, start to look to renew.
Another big point is that Internet Security suites are not fire and forget weapons! Learn what they do and how they update so you don't have to with your wallet or life!

Never respond to spam --
Make sure you know how to delete spam without opening it. In Outlook make sure your preview pane is turned off for that folder so that the mail is not auto opened when you highlight it to delete. Do not delete the Spam folder by accident as well.

Don't open suspicious emails or attachments --
Sorry folks but big attachments for the human body are still a ways away medically speaking. So don't fall for the junk, just trash it. Oh ya and Uncle Nigeria doesn't have any real money for you either!

Never provide passwords or personal information to unsolicited emails or Web sites --
This one is VERY important! Your bank will never ask for any personal information over the phone or Internet when they call or send mail to you. A key question to ask yourself in these situations is "how do I know they are who they say they are?" If you can not immediately answer that; you called a known number, you initiated a conversation or e-mail, DO NOT give out any information. Real people and sites know this as well and would never ask by phone or in an email. Thieves and Fraud's hope you don't ask and try real hard to make it so you don't. Going to a web page link from an unsolicited mailing is also a big No No and one of the ways they try to get you.

When asked to 'allow' or 'deny' an application access to the Internet, choose deny unless you are confident in the safety of the site you are accessing --
This can be tricky and why I implore people constantly to read up on how their software works. Update software can often times trip up security software into saying that an unknown program is trying to gain access. In fact most false hits are important and "well known" programs like JAVA or Acrobat Reader that need security updates to stay safe while you surf. So just don't auto click deny! Look at the issue. False positives as they are know will be relatively self evident. An example is "Java updater needs access to Java.com/update". True problems are "bugger134waa needs access to 3895*W*$.com" these are very suspicious and need to be denied. You then can look up "bugger134waa" in google to see if it is indeed a really program.

When shopping or banking online, make sure website contains an "s" after http (as in https) . Look for the 'lock' icon in lower right corner --
This is very important but again you can get tripped up here so be aware. Some sites do not have this on there order page and that is ok, it the page where you input the actual card information that must have at least the lock on it, that is important. That is the vendors banks page and it needs to be secure. Online banking pages should always be secured after you log in.
be very suspicious of pages that are not after you have logged in and call the bank if you find one. This can be whats known as a man in the middle attack!

You can read the original article below at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/13/cybercrime.2009.review/index.html

The Supreme's to hear your plea for privacy

2009-12-15T10:46:00.003-06:00

Ok, Ok, the Supreme court is to hear if employers have the right to snoop on those racy tweets to your mistress with the company cell phone.

On the surface this would seem ok but a large amount of our national wire taping laws will be affected by this ruling. To what degree can someone expect their, tweets, email and text messages to be private on public networks is a big decision.

Consider that many of these messages do not just go away, they can linger in cyberspace and come back to haunt you. Just look at Tiger Woods and others who have been turned down for employment because the HR department did a cyber review and found those racy pics you took for your then boyfriend when you were 20. So much for the high paying internship after collage. The flip side is terrorist using secure Internet connections to turn out your lights and water without any worry of getting caught in the act. So stay tuned to this one on the web.

Here is the CNN article for more background.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/14/scotus.messaging/index.html

Cyber Security Tips

2009-12-14T09:58:00.003-06:00

Well folks here are some tips to make the new year brighter and a bit safer.

From CNN: "The past year has seen the rise of "scareware" -- malware that parrots a legitimate antivirus software program and then infects the computer with "the very malware it purports to protect against," a Symantec report said. For a 12-month period ending June 30, Symantec received 43 million reports of scareware installation attempts."

So be vigilant of those pop up adds! This is a leading area of cyber crime at the moment due to the revenue it generates. 3 billion worth in 2008 alone.

From the same article, here are some common sense tips on how to prevent these problems:

Have antivirus software, anti-spyware and firewall --
Never respond to spam --
Don't open suspicious emails or attachments --
Never provide passwords or personal information to unsolicited emails or Web sites --
When asked to 'allow' or 'deny' an application access to the Internet, choose deny unless you are confident in the safety of the site you are accessing --
When shopping or banking online, make sure website contains an "s" after http (as in https) . Look for the 'lock' icon in lower right corner --
Sources: Symantec and Trend Micro

Check out the original article at :
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/13/cybercrime.2009.review/index.html

A mugging in cyber space, When your life gets unlocked! Must Read!

2009-12-10T10:32:00.004-06:00

Whoo ee! here is a big must read.

According to a class action lawsuit, seems that Lifelocks locks are a bit flimsier than what you thought they were.

This backs up what I have been saying for some months now. We left easy street a long time ago when it comes to living in a digital age. People must realize we live in a digital age with digital criminals and digital crime just like real life. Now you can be mugged in cyberspace and not even know it!

Vigilance and continual education is the only way to combat some of these evolving crimes.

This is what makes the lawsuit against Lifelock so disappointing. One of the first products to help protect people on the digital frontier and now it seems to be a fraud.

Read here for more information:

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/03/27/20080327biz-lifelock0328.html

Here is one of the main attorney sites concerning the class action.

http://lifelockclassaction.com/