Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Don't be hooked by the Internet's biggest fraud
They call it 'phishing.' Crooks use official-looking e-mails and fake Web sites to get your personal data, then steal from you.
Some facts about the scam:
· In this scam, crooks use official-looking but fake e-mails and Web sites that will ask you to reveal your personal financial information. Then they can drain your bank accounts, charge up your credit cards or steal your identity.
· According to some industry experts, it's the biggest fraud on the Internet.
· The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) says the number of reported incidents of the scam climbed 800% in the first six months of 2004, and 4000% in the six months between November 2003 and May 2004. With mass e-mailings, each of those unique attacks can potentially hit thousands, if not millions, of people.
· The fake "phishing" e-mails look so official, so real. They appear to be from trusted banks, retailers or other companies. Citibank is targeted more than any other business; its name was used in almost 500 of the 1,422 unique attacks reported to APWG in June. PayPal, US Bank, and eBay names are also used as fronts.
· The e-mail often says the company needs to verify your information, such as account numbers or passwords, for supposed security purposes.
Tips on how to protect yourself from the scam
· DON'T provide any personal financial information via e-mail. (Banks and other companies frequently remind customers that they don't ever ask for sensitive financial data via e-mail.)
· Be extremely suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information.
· Don't use the links in an e-mail to get to any Web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic. Instead, call the company or log onto the Web site directly by typing its Web address in your browser.
· Don't give your credit card numbers or account information unless you're using a secure Web. Check the beginning of the Web address in your browser's address bar. A secure site should show as "https://" rather than just "http://."
· Beware of e-mail attachments. Don't open them or download any files, regardless of who sent them.
· Check your bank and credit card statements online on a regular basis. Make sure the transactions are legitimate. Don't wait for a mailed paper statement, which can take up to a month. If you see something suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers using a phone number you know to be legitimate or by typing in a secure Web site URL into the Internet browser address bar.
· Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from accepting unwanted key-logger files. Look also for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones.
· Keep your computer's operating system up to date and download security patches. These free software patches for your operating system close holes that hackers or phishers could exploit. (You can check for Microsoft patches here: http://www.microsoft.com/security/.)
· Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help protect you from known phishing fraud Web sites. EarthLink ScamBlocker alerts you before you visit a page that's on Earthlink's list of known phisher Web sites. Ebay offers a free toolbar that warns you when you might be on a spoofed eBay site.
· Report the attacks by forwarding the phishing e-mail to the following addresses: spam@uce.gov, reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
Source: Jennifer Mulrean, MSN Money
Spicy chicken wings
http://www.balitangmarino.com/012808.html#012808This chicken recipe is flavored with just enough spice to make it a party favorite.
Ingredients:
4 k. chicken wings
3 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
flour for dredging
oil
Sauce:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
4 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt
Procedure:
1. Season chicken wings with salt, pepper and cayenne. Marinate for at least six hours in the refrigerator.
2. After wings have been well marinated, dredge with flour then shake off the excess.
3. Heat oil in a stockpot. Deep-fry wings until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
4. For the sauce, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add chicken stock, Tabasco and lemon juice.
*Serves 4 persons
source: Shipishape: A seafarere's guide to sensible cooking. Glenda Rosales-Barretto.
Sleep: A Necessity, Not a Luxury
Sleep: A Necessity, Not a Luxury
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay Reporter
SUNDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- The pace of life gets faster and faster, and people try to cram more and more into every minute of the day.
As things get more hectic, sleep tends to get short shrift. It's seen as wasted time, lost forever.
"For healthy people, there's a big temptation to voluntarily restrict sleep, to stay up an hour or two or get up an hour or two earlier," said Dr. Greg Belenky, director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University Spokane.
"But you're really reducing your productivity and exposing yourself to risk," Belenky added.
That's a message doctors are trying to spread to Americans, including the estimated 40 million people who struggle with some type of sleep disorder each year.
Before Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1880, people slept an average of 10 hours a night. These days, Americans average 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours a night on weekends, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
"The group of people getting optimal sleep is getting smaller and smaller," said Dr. Chris Drake, senior scientist at the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit. "When a person's sleep drops to six hours or less, that's when a lot of things become very problematic."
While experts recommend seven to eight hours of sleep each night, the amount needed for an individual can vary.
But lack of sleep affects a person in one of two ways, Belenky said. First, sleeplessness influences the day-to-day performance of tasks.
"The performance effects are seen immediately," he said. "You short-change yourself of sleep, and you see the effects immediately. You can make a bad decision. You can miss something. Have a moment's inattention, and you're off the road."
The longer-term effects of sleep deprivation involve a person's health. Doctors have linked lack of sleep to weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, depression and substance abuse.
"Hormones that process appetite begin to get disorganized," said Drake, who's also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. There's a decrease in the amount of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone, when a person gets too little sleep. At the same time, ghrelin -- a hormone that stimulates appetite -- increases with a lack of sleep.
Too little sleep also interferes with the body's ability to regulate glucose and can cause inflammation leading to heart problems and a rise in blood pressure. "There's a stress response to being in a sleep loss," Belenky said.
The types of people not getting enough sleep also break down into two groups. First, there are those who make the conscious choice to go without enough sleep.
"It's sort of part of the culture," Belenky said. "People pride themselves on getting little sleep. You'll hear people bragging, 'I only need six hours a night.' So there's a macho element here."
On the other hand, there are people who are suffering from sleep disorders. These disorders include:
Insomnia, an inability to go to sleep or stay asleep.
Sleep apnea, or breathing interruptions during sleep that cause people to wake up repeatedly.
Restless legs syndrome, a tingling or prickly sensation in the legs that causes a person to need to move them, interrupting sleep.
Someone suffering from any of these problems should visit their doctor or see a sleep specialist, Belenky said.
Sleep apnea, the most prevalent sleep disorder, can have particularly serious long-term effects if left untreated. "You're waking up out of sleep to breathe. You can't sleep and breathe at the same time," Drake said. "It's a risk factor for developing major cardiovascular health effects."
Some people who have trouble sleeping will resort to mild sedatives like Ambien and Lunesta.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently asked the makers of these sedative-hypnotic drugs to strengthen their warning labels. This action followed reports of dangerous allergic reactions, as well as a host of bizarre behavioral side effects that include sleep-driving, making phone calls, and preparing and eating food or having sex while asleep.
Drake and Belenky both consider sleeping pills to be fine for the short term if taken properly.
"Sleeping pills are a temporary solution," Belenky said. "If you're upset about something or have situational insomnia, or you're trying to sleep at the wrong time of day because you've traveled across time zones, they are effective."
But, both doctors noted the pills will do nothing to help a chronic sleep problem. "They don't address the pathology of their sleeplessness," Drake said.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health offers these tips for getting a good night's sleep:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
Avoid exercising closer than five or six hours before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed.
Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
Don't take naps after 3 p.m.
Relax before bed, taking time to unwind with a hot bath, a good book or soothing music.
If you're still awake after more than 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Anxiety over not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
More information
To learn more, visit the National Sleep Foundation.
http://www.balitangmarino.com/021739.html#021739%3Cfont%20color=
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay Reporter
SUNDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- The pace of life gets faster and faster, and people try to cram more and more into every minute of the day.
As things get more hectic, sleep tends to get short shrift. It's seen as wasted time, lost forever.
"For healthy people, there's a big temptation to voluntarily restrict sleep, to stay up an hour or two or get up an hour or two earlier," said Dr. Greg Belenky, director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University Spokane.
"But you're really reducing your productivity and exposing yourself to risk," Belenky added.
That's a message doctors are trying to spread to Americans, including the estimated 40 million people who struggle with some type of sleep disorder each year.
Before Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1880, people slept an average of 10 hours a night. These days, Americans average 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours a night on weekends, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
"The group of people getting optimal sleep is getting smaller and smaller," said Dr. Chris Drake, senior scientist at the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit. "When a person's sleep drops to six hours or less, that's when a lot of things become very problematic."
While experts recommend seven to eight hours of sleep each night, the amount needed for an individual can vary.
But lack of sleep affects a person in one of two ways, Belenky said. First, sleeplessness influences the day-to-day performance of tasks.
"The performance effects are seen immediately," he said. "You short-change yourself of sleep, and you see the effects immediately. You can make a bad decision. You can miss something. Have a moment's inattention, and you're off the road."
The longer-term effects of sleep deprivation involve a person's health. Doctors have linked lack of sleep to weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, depression and substance abuse.
"Hormones that process appetite begin to get disorganized," said Drake, who's also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. There's a decrease in the amount of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone, when a person gets too little sleep. At the same time, ghrelin -- a hormone that stimulates appetite -- increases with a lack of sleep.
Too little sleep also interferes with the body's ability to regulate glucose and can cause inflammation leading to heart problems and a rise in blood pressure. "There's a stress response to being in a sleep loss," Belenky said.
The types of people not getting enough sleep also break down into two groups. First, there are those who make the conscious choice to go without enough sleep.
"It's sort of part of the culture," Belenky said. "People pride themselves on getting little sleep. You'll hear people bragging, 'I only need six hours a night.' So there's a macho element here."
On the other hand, there are people who are suffering from sleep disorders. These disorders include:
Insomnia, an inability to go to sleep or stay asleep.
Sleep apnea, or breathing interruptions during sleep that cause people to wake up repeatedly.
Restless legs syndrome, a tingling or prickly sensation in the legs that causes a person to need to move them, interrupting sleep.
Someone suffering from any of these problems should visit their doctor or see a sleep specialist, Belenky said.
Sleep apnea, the most prevalent sleep disorder, can have particularly serious long-term effects if left untreated. "You're waking up out of sleep to breathe. You can't sleep and breathe at the same time," Drake said. "It's a risk factor for developing major cardiovascular health effects."
Some people who have trouble sleeping will resort to mild sedatives like Ambien and Lunesta.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently asked the makers of these sedative-hypnotic drugs to strengthen their warning labels. This action followed reports of dangerous allergic reactions, as well as a host of bizarre behavioral side effects that include sleep-driving, making phone calls, and preparing and eating food or having sex while asleep.
Drake and Belenky both consider sleeping pills to be fine for the short term if taken properly.
"Sleeping pills are a temporary solution," Belenky said. "If you're upset about something or have situational insomnia, or you're trying to sleep at the wrong time of day because you've traveled across time zones, they are effective."
But, both doctors noted the pills will do nothing to help a chronic sleep problem. "They don't address the pathology of their sleeplessness," Drake said.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health offers these tips for getting a good night's sleep:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
Avoid exercising closer than five or six hours before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed.
Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
Don't take naps after 3 p.m.
Relax before bed, taking time to unwind with a hot bath, a good book or soothing music.
If you're still awake after more than 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Anxiety over not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
More information
To learn more, visit the National Sleep Foundation.
http://www.balitangmarino.com/021739.html#021739%3Cfont%20color=
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Yikes!
These were man's body parts found inside the crocodile below.
http://www.ultimatesportsmen.com/weird/maneatcroc.htm
http://www.ultimatesportsmen.com/weird/maneatcroc.htm
Jen Rosendahl bida sa Hollywood movie
Jen Rosendahl bida sa Hollywood movie
By: Dinno Erece
SI Jen Rosendahl pala ang bida sa Hollywood movie daw nina Riza Santos and Will Devaughn.
Naikuwento last Sunday nina Riza and Will that they are starring in a Hollywood movie being shot here and starring Michael Madsen of Sin City and Kill Bill and Kevin Stapleton of US TV Law and Order.
Kaya lang, ang bida pala talaga sa movie ay ang former Viva Hot Babe now GMA Artist Center na si Jen. Siya ang lumalabas na prinsesa ng Amazons na pinagnanakawan ng tubig.
Futuristic and movie set during the time na wala nang tubig sa U.S. so the bad guys led by Michael and the good guys led by Kevin kung saan members sina Riza and Will, ang kaharian nina Jen and two Playboy Playmates girls as her sisters ang pupuntahan ng mga ito.
This is being directed by Cirio Santiago and set to open in the US late this year.
The movie is titled Road Raiders.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-06-15&sec=3&aid=63182
Simple living
"My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can." -- Cary Gran
Friday, June 13, 2008
Obama combats darker side of Internet politics
Obama combats darker side of Internet politics
WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama has shown the stunning power of the Internet for political fundraising.
Now he is fighting its darker side as a vehicle for “smears” against his bid for the White House. Pausing from a war of words with Republican John McCain over taxes, the African-American senator Thursday unveiled an interactive website to debunk false rumors peddled by email and right-wing media outlets.
The site at www.fightthesmears.com was created after one recent, and thus far unfounded, assertion that Obama’s wife Michelle had been caught on tape slurring white people.
“We created an interactive tool to allow our supporters to fight back against these smears in the same way that they received them -- on the Internet,” campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said.“People can upload their address books and easily send fact-based emails to their friends and family,” he said. “Just knowing the truth isn’t enough -- you have to proactively tell people the truth to fight back.” Obama’s main campaign website already has a fact-check section to refute rumors such as that the Christian candidate is a secret Muslim.
But aides said the new site went further in inviting supporters to spread the word. Political candidates have traditionally refused to acknowledge slanderous rumors for fear of giving them respectability. But given the slew of attacks being spread by email against Obama, his campaign said it had to respond in kind by harnessing the “viral” power of the Internet to add to his impressive record of online fundraising.
By going back repeatedly to online donors who give little and often, the Illinois senator has set new records with a total take so far of more than $265 million -- three times the amount raised by McCain. Another online political fund-raising phenomenon, Republican Congressman Ron Paul, announced Thursday he was bowing out of the presidential race.
AFP
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-06-14&sec=16&aid=63146
WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama has shown the stunning power of the Internet for political fundraising.
Now he is fighting its darker side as a vehicle for “smears” against his bid for the White House. Pausing from a war of words with Republican John McCain over taxes, the African-American senator Thursday unveiled an interactive website to debunk false rumors peddled by email and right-wing media outlets.
The site at www.fightthesmears.com was created after one recent, and thus far unfounded, assertion that Obama’s wife Michelle had been caught on tape slurring white people.
“We created an interactive tool to allow our supporters to fight back against these smears in the same way that they received them -- on the Internet,” campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said.“People can upload their address books and easily send fact-based emails to their friends and family,” he said. “Just knowing the truth isn’t enough -- you have to proactively tell people the truth to fight back.” Obama’s main campaign website already has a fact-check section to refute rumors such as that the Christian candidate is a secret Muslim.
But aides said the new site went further in inviting supporters to spread the word. Political candidates have traditionally refused to acknowledge slanderous rumors for fear of giving them respectability. But given the slew of attacks being spread by email against Obama, his campaign said it had to respond in kind by harnessing the “viral” power of the Internet to add to his impressive record of online fundraising.
By going back repeatedly to online donors who give little and often, the Illinois senator has set new records with a total take so far of more than $265 million -- three times the amount raised by McCain. Another online political fund-raising phenomenon, Republican Congressman Ron Paul, announced Thursday he was bowing out of the presidential race.
AFP
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-06-14&sec=16&aid=63146
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