Mar 13,2012

Facebook and privacy

If You’re Worried, Stay Offline


Jim Harper is the director of information policy studies at the Cato Institute, the webmaster of WashingtonWatch.com and the author of “Identity Crisis: How Identification is Overused and Misunderstood.”

If consumers have privacy worries, they can simply decline to use social networks like Facebook, and many do. Facebook takes it in the wallet when a user signs off, or when a potential user fails to sign on.

Government officials lack the information needed to resolve the tensions among privacy, convenience, security and all the other interests people pursue online.
This gives it the incentives it needs to tune its privacy settings consistent with public demand. Politicians and regulators should keep out of the negotiations between Facebook and the public, and focus on getting their own house in order first.

In fact, it’s ironic that Senator Schumer is taking aim at Facebook. He’s the chief sponsor of a proposal to create a national I.D. system that would be required for all workers — and eventually, no doubt, for all Americans.

Close

A national I.D. goes far beyond embarrassing party photos online. It would place digital copies of basic documents like birth certificates, fingerprints or other biometrics in a national identity database available to government officials — and hackers. Under Schumer’s plan, consumers would not be able to refuse to show the national I.D. card simply because of privacy worries.

It’s not just hypocrisy that should warn government officials from tackling online privacy. They simply lack the information needed to resolve the tensions among privacy, publicity, convenience, security, entertainment, interaction, and all the other interests people pursue online.

Until there’s an all-seeing Ministry of Culture and Values in the federal government, we need the push and pull of the market to figure out these problems.

Control of personal information starts with control of oneself. If you don’t want people to know something, shut your mouth. And if you don’t want information about you on social networks, not using social networks is a good start. (Yes, it is possible to live an entirely fulfilling life without them.) Privacy is a product of personal responsibility. It won’t be a gift from government.

My buddy never leaves my side.

Money Fame and Power

"The devil made me do it.....Ya Right

in reference to: The Greatest Home Run Of All Time (view on Google Sidewiki)

I hate that FW: button

Here is something everyone should read and act accordingly. If you don't, you're hurting yourself and your email buddies. Please read right to the bottom.

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with www.snopes.com and/or www.truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email is just
that: true/false or fact/fiction. Both are excellent sites.

Advice from Snopes.com Very important!

1) Any time you see an E-Mail that says forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck, you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it, or whatever, it almost always has an E-Mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and E-Mails of
those folks you forward to.

The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' E-Mail addresses to use in SPAM E-Mails, or sell to other spammers. Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus ....that's E-mail tracking and they're playing on our conscience. These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them. Also, emails that talk about a missing child or
a child with an incurable disease - "how would you feel if that was your child"....E-mail Tracking!!!

Ignore them and don't participate!

2) Almost all E-Mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of E-Mail is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers - - to validate active E-Mail accounts for their own profitable
purposes.

You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam E-Mails in
the future!

If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of E-Mail, now you know why you get so much SPAM!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless how inviting they might sound!...or make you feel guilty if you don't!...it's all about getting email addresses - nothing more!

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT! Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached! Plus, you are helping the spammers get rich! Let's not make it easy for
them!

Also: E-Mail petitions are NOT acceptable to White House, Congress or any other organization - i.e. social security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you're just helping the Email trackers.

AND MOST IMPORTANT:... don't forget... delete other people’s e-mail addresses on your e-mails and when forwarding/sending useBCC:


Thanks Anne M.

Back ups

What's your backup plan?
Protect your precious memories and important files

You've taken the time to store it on your desktop or laptop computer. Everything that matters to you, from financial to sentimental. But you're just one system error, one spilled latte, one stolen backpack away from losing it all. Yet this unthinkable scenario is so easy to prevent. You must know by now that computers can and do fail and you usually get no warning before it's too late. Backing up your data is no longer the chore that it once was. Here are some tips to help make it easier.

Get organized.

Put all the documents you create, the pictures you take, and the music you buy in a single master folder. Divide that master folder into sub folders to keep your files organized. Backing up your data becomes much easier if you only have one folder to back up. When all your personal files are in one place, you are less likely to forget a file when you back up. Organization is the secret.

Back up regularly.

Get in the habit of backing up your files regularly. If you work on your computer daily, you should back up important files daily. Then, back up everything at least once a week. Better still, look for backup software that backs up your data automatically and instantly without manual or scheduled backups. Western Digital offers several models of external hard drives that include continuous back up software.

Be selective.

You don't have to back up your entire system. That's a time consuming task that only duplicates all the issues you've built up over time on your hard drive. Save original copies of your software programs and reinstall your operating system and a clean copy of your software if your system crashes.

Back up what's important to you.

The most important things to protect are files you create yourself. Whether they are text documents, e-mail messages, pictures, music, videos, or game saves, if you made them, you want to save them and keep them nearby. It's also helpful to back up the configuration settings for any programs you use, along with critical Windows data such as the registry. And don't forget to make a duplicate copy of anything you have stored on external storage.

Use backup software.

Use backup software to automate your backup. You can make mistakes or omit something important if you back up manually. An easy-to-use backup program creates a backup of your data reliably and automatically, keeps logs, and notifies you in case of any problem. Most WD external hard drives come with backup software. Find the drive that's right for you.

Where to backup.

You can back up to CDs or DVDs, but this is a slow, manual process. And contrary to popular belief, most CDs and DVDs are not permanent. Low-priced CDRs may not be readable at all in as little as two years.

The best backup medium is an external hard drive. High capacity external drives are very fast and allow you to keep all your backed up data in one place. For extra safety, get a two-drive external storage system and dedicate half the capacity for mirroring to automatically and instantaneously back up your backup every time. WD's extensive line of external hard drives are sleek, stylish, made for your grab-and-go lifestyle and most come with our easy-to-use backup software so...

My roses

Another Microsoft Problem

Vulnerability in Microsoft Video ActiveX control

Fix link below:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972890#FixItForMe

That time of year

Today being 4th of July is NOT a good day around our house! It started briefly last night and will continue ALL day today and tonight.

Bear has a problem with fireworks!!! It started about 2 years ago.Up until then,no problems.He hears the fireworks and goes "hoopie" (good word,threw my spell checker into over drive) he'll shake all over,and try to get anywhere where it is small, too big to get under my bed but he tries :-(

Anyway my buddy and I have a long day ahead of us.


Update on Mourning Dove Family...they are still sitting the eggs.I read somewhere it takes 18 days! And you ladies thought you had long labor :-)

Morning coffee with Ms Paws and Mr Bear

Morning all,

What a task this was.Getting Bear to stay.Holding Paws while setting up camera.Setting timer on camera being sure,all of us were in picture with 45x200mm lens.Getting back in composition,stepping over Bear.Holding Paws during this,which she had never been beyond my lap in chair.And doing it in 10 seconds.

New piece of equipment and one of my roses

I'm having a tough time with "black spot" and "rust" on roses this year.I've up the spraying times to every 7 days till I get it under control.




Received new "Ball head" for my Gorillapod (what a amazing piece of equipment) yesterday.The ball head gives me the ability to pan or tilt the camera in multitudes of directions.Works great with the tilting LCD screen.

Morning all,

Mourning Dove still sitting on eggs ( that probably is not the right phrase).I feel sorry for them (yes them, both male and female take turns),with the rain we have had last 3 days.

However much better nest area then my carport a few years ago. At the time I thought it amazing to watch chicks (probably wrong word again) being born,but cleaning up after them,was not amazing.

Later

Morning coffee

Late morning coffee.I'll let Bear out first thing at about 4:30 and if I don't follow him out to sit,he'll bang at door.

Peaceful time of the day for both of us.

Somebody actually reads this thing

Well my sister in law told me today at lunch that she actually reads this thing..WOW

So I better start putting something in here to read.
What I think I'll do is,write something and include a picture from my surroundings for that day.

So as I type my buddy is joining me in his bed.




Till tomorrow

From the PAST

Last Friday June 19th,I went back 51 years,in this short stay on earth.

That makes the year 1958.So what makes that year so special? A young man just out of high school enlisted in the Air Force.Never to be heard from again until 2009,at least not heard from by myself.

I ask you all...Can you catch up on 51 years and reminisce the 15 years before that....in 3 hours???? NOT

Questions,questions,questions. And in between all the questions..."you remember when we stole my father's jeep" or "remember this neighbor or that neighbor"

This gentleman's mother raised me as a child.

Because of time committals the short 3 hours went by very fast.We had lunch together,and I can't remember what I had to eat,between questions.

That gentleman was Carl Lehtonen from my home town..Lunenburg Mass.

Thanks for the visit Carl....and the family pictures you brought along.

Bird Feeders

Up date on the Bird Feeder situation :-(

Well the thought was good...Feed birds,attract them in closer to get better photos.It didn't work out quite like I wanted.

Got some great shots of birds








THEN CAME THE SQUIRRELS....to the Squirrel proof feeder.


Then came the little creatures that only come out at night.This one picture was taking at about 4am,my first cup of coffee,out in back.Had my normal company of Mr. Bear and Ms.Paws

Needless to say the bird feeders are now down !!!

Seemed like a good idea.

Dinner out for my birthday

 

Never thought I'd reach 66.Looking back over the years,makes one realize how really short this life is.Would I have done things differently......some yes.But we can't go back...can we.


On with my entry here.It had been awhile since we had been to the Longhorn Steakhouse.We had the 7oz. Steak and lobster tail...excellent just excellent.

Squirrel vs Birdfeeder

 

Day light coffee in back yard

Morning all,
Just came back in house after enjoying another late cup of coffee out back.

Out back under 9" umbrella at table is enjoyable for me anytime.Early morning 4 or 5ish,is "Bears" first time out.Now it has become a time for "Ms Paws" also.She has been curious about what goes on out there......so with harness and lead,she now asks to sit in my lap OUTSIDE.Understand she is a house cat only.She learns the rules (in our lap only,no lunging for geckos,low flying birds etc)very well and is doing great.

Where was I....oh ya...just came in after watching the squirrels (about 8 or 9 )playing and running in my large tree along border fence.Very entertaining to say the least.They drive "Bear" up the wall,with their antics.

I hung 2 bird feeders out to catch some photos of birds,which I'll post here next time.The bird feeders have been quite a challenge for the squirrel population.They are both advertised as "Squirrel" proof,and have so far lived up to the labeling.

Pictures to follow.


Bob

PS: Finally getting some much needed rain.

Dog's Eating Mechanics

The Dog’s Mechanics of Eating
Oct.05, 2006 in Dog Nutrition
Many dog owners think that every different breed of dog must be fed different, according to some sort of specification. However, the eating behavior of a dog is characteristic of the whole species, not of any individual breed, since all dogs eat the same way. As a result, there are certain general considerations that can be made when feeding any dog.

A dog is not required to eat its food the same way a man does. A dog has no hands. It's jaws are suited for biting and cutting rather than chewing. There are few "gag" reflex nerves at the back of a dog's mouth, but many in a person's throat. A dog has fewer taste buds on its tongue, but a much greater sense of smell than a man has. There are many other differences as well.

How A Dog Eats

While the eating behavior of a dog may seem strange or awkward to some dog owners, to the dog it is the most comfortable and satisfactory way of getting its food from its bowl into its stomach. The normal pattern of swallowing in a dog is often described as "bolting." The dog picks up a piece of food with its front teeth and with a short, quick thrust of its head, tosses the piece of food back onto the top of its tongue. The piece of food is then rolled (without being chewed) to the back of the mouth. As the piece reaches the base of the tongue, a reflex causes the back of the tongue to push the food upward and backward into the esophagus. From there it is carried directly into the stomach.

When a piece of food is too large to be swallowed, the dog holds the food with its paws and uses its front teeth to tear off smaller pieces that can be swallowed. If the food is too tough to be torn, the dog will cut it into pieces small enough to be swallowed, using two specialized jaw teeth.

These teeth are called carnassial teeth and have large shearing surfaces that act like scissor blades which can cut through such tough substances as muscle, hide, gristle, and even bone. While the powerful jaw muscles of a dog are useful for cutting chunks of food into swallowing size, these muscles are used very little for actually chewing those pieces. A dog's teeth are few in number and poorly equipped for mastication.