Monday, November 23. 2009
Gringo made an important point in the comments the other day that deserves to be both repeated and elaborated upon.
Here's the quote:
"Check the net for your stolen ID"
While this purports to be a site that will inform you if your ID has been stolen, it could also be a site constructed with the goal of stealing your ID.
Exactly. I'd even go so far as to change his "also" to "often or "usually". This is becoming a huge problem on the 'Net and is one of the driving forces behind both personal identity theft and 'botnet' attacks.
Most malevolent programs running around these days aren't "viruses" — meaning some program that does something nasty like suddenly delete your C Drive — because viruses don't ultimately do the instigator any good. Outside of the satisfaction of being mean, of course. The worst programs are the 'keyloggers', which send a record of your keystrokes to the bad guy. All he has to do is look for 19 numbers in a row (your credit card number plus the 3-digit number off the back that you just entered in some online order form) and bingo. Now all he has to do is try a few expiration dates and your bank account is toast.
Second-worst is the 'botnet' program that lies dormant in your computer until the bad guys launch an attack on some corporation, usually in the form of blackmail. They'll tell the company to either cough up the dough or the 20,000 computers on their botnet (of which you're one) will 'ping' their web site 10 times a second from now until Doomsday, thereby overloading the server and keeping legitimate customers from getting to the site. Obviously, for an online company, this is serious business.
And you, yourself, will never even know you were part of the attack.
That's why everyone from God on down recommends installing a quality anti-virus/spyware program, and don't forget a good firewall program. You cannot rely on the stock Windows programs, such as Windows Firewall and Windows Defender. I have a post on the subject here.
Back to Gringo's warning, it isn't just web sites and email where the damage is being done. There's an area of the Internet called 'Usenet' which has a large section of programs, pirated and otherwise. I got curious and did a study on this a few months ago and I'd estimate that three-fourths of the anti-virus/spyware programs available for downloading have some spyware buried deep in the install files. That is, it'll actually install the anti-virus program, but it'll have been tweaked so it overlooks the keylogger. While you're thinking your computer is finally safe, your bank account is being drained.
The same is true with P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing sites (eDonkey, BitTorrent, etc), and sophisticated chat lines, like the IRC, that allow for file transfers. Some chat buddy says, "Hey, I just downloaded the latest Norton Anti-Virus from Usenet! I installed it and it's working perfectly! Want a copy?" You reply "Sure!", and now both of you are unknowing partners in a gang of Internet blackmailers. Or simultaneously having your bank accounts drained.
So be safe, be cautious, use common sense, don't trust renegade downloads, and please spend the money on quality protection. Some program suggestions are in the above link.
General security rules-of-thumb:
1. Never open a file-attachment in an email unless you're 101% sure of the sender. Remember, one of the ploys of the clever virus or spyware is using the names in a person's address book to send itself on.
2. Never click on a link in (what appears to be) a commercial email, like from a bank or loan agency, much less input anything personal like a password. The reason phishing emails look so real is because they are real. Everything you see is probably coming directly from the bank's actual site. It's when you click on something that the trouble begins.
3. Never click 'OK' in any box that pops up while you're on a web site unless it's something you've initiated, like installing a program. Plus, you know the little click-box in the upper-right corner that closes the intrusive box? Well, if you wanted the person to click the 'OK' button to install your keylogger or netbot file, wouldn't you make the little 'close box' do the same thing? And, for that matter, the 'Cancel' button? When I see one of those things pop up, I open Task Manager and shut it down that way.
4. Always right-click on a download from a possibly suspicious source and have your anti-virus/spyware program scan the file directly. It'll give the file a quick scan when it's downloaded, but often only a deep scan will detect the really nasty stuff.
This doesn't apply to songs, pics and videos, but it definitely applies to compressed files such as Zip and Rar, and you should never, ever, download an EXE file unless you're positive of the source.
The real danger today is spyware, and it's on your shoulders to use a quality program to fend it off. Not only could an easy argument be made that it's the most important money you can spend on your computer, but it could even be argued that it's the only money that you actually need to spend on your computer. One can get by with a lot of great freebie programs in the computer world, but not in this area.
Any specific questions, as always, just ask in the comments.
Should you financially support my mother-in-law or sister-in-law, if they legally immigrated to the US? Both are of very limited financial means. Government benefits here in the US are actually better than in Germany. Is it up to you to pay to offer them a better life? My wife and I don’t have any family to share events with or nearby for our sons to share life’s love-lessons with. And, isn’t that our problem, not yours?
Under pressure of both common-sense, elevated unemployment in the US that is likely to last, and increased opposition to amnesty schemes, the Obama administration speaks a good game about improving enforcement of illegal immigration laws, and with due credit has actually taken some positive steps. But, one of its other goals is to increase what is called “family unification,” or letting in near and extended family members of those legally here and those millions to be made legal if the Obamites have their way. At the same time, laws to require those who bring them in to be responsible for supporting them are eliminated or opposed.
Today’s editorial in my local newspaper speaks of “The New Normal,” where increasing numbers of Americans are looking for jobs abroad, “[A]nd those who are willing to move to a new city – or even a new country – for their next opportunity are the ones who will be the most likely to succeed. It has always been thus. And in a global economy, this is how it will remain for many years to come. It’s the new normal. The sooner Americans accept that, the better off they’ll be.”
It’s not just increased numbers of American citizens looking for jobs abroad. Increased numbers of Indian and Chinese scientists who gained their advanced education in the US and have been major contributors to our entrepreneurial economy are, instead of staying here, returning to India and China for better opportunities. It is these and other educated immigrants who are not a drain upon the US, actually adding more than the average American. It is the uneducated and their uneconomic relatives that are the major drain upon our government budgets. Some in latter generations may rise, but in the meantime our own poorest are most harmed by their wage lowering competition, and our richest helped by their enthusiastic hard work for low wages.
A regular fairly liberal columnist in my local newspaper rightfully bemoans, "One of the sorrows of contemporary life is the broad failure to create paying jobs for preteens and teenagers. We scold children (and childish adults) for being financially illiterate, oblivious to the virtues of thrift. But what do we expect of those forced to live exclusively off the parental dole?... But the idle rate for children — 80 percent? 90 percent? — also signals a sort of cultural distress. Imagine children by the millions, holed up with video games on a sunny day. Or trooping off to soccer practice in the minivan, oblivious that the uniform costs real money. In high school, the closest many come to real labor is community service, light work for the college application. One of the most important jobs of a parent is to be a child’s employment counselor, starting with essential chores around the house. Help them find honest work that hurts so good.”
The new normal needs to be emphasis on raising our children to honor and do honest labor and jobs. Before that, our emphasis – our own new normal -- needs to be on us growing up ourselves and facing up to the impossibility of fewer taxpayers paying more to support the lazy and irresponsible. Enterprise-stifling government expansion and more meddling bureaucrats is not the answer. It’s the problem.
 Add to the climate list: Climate change causes Filipinos to become prostitutes. Of course it does. Everybody knows that.
Older fellow eats hottest pepper in the world
Burn the witch! Martha Stewart agrees. But who cares what she thinks?
How much oil do we have? Almost endless, it seems.
Utterly incoherent on Jihadist trials. Dino
Simon: Congress: Gov’t healthcare for thee but not for me
Phi Beta Cons: Why I'll Never Be A University President. Related: Whiny Spoiled Brats
NeW women on campus: Anchoress
"Lost your job, dear? I'll bring home the bacon... just don't expect our marriage to survive"
Sunday, November 22. 2009
How it works. Speeding protons. Very cool video.
Dr. Bob: It's all the Christians' fault. Darn those pesky Christians.
Get ready for the Turkey Flu! We're all gonna die!
Two Teens. h/t, Lucianne
How the Dem minimum wage bill killed jobs for teens and college kids
John at P'line: Alarmists do "science"
Yes, neoneo: Beginning Saturday, at a Senate far from you: health care disaster in the making?
Am Thinker: Let's all overwhelm the prisons with insurance-refusers
Related: Religious Leaders Call for Civil Disobedience if Laws Don’t Respect Faith
Married Couples Face Extra Tax in Healthcare Bill. Related: Dems refused to inflation-index the medical care rich tax.The joke is on us.
Related: Aromatherapy too? Reid Health Bill Has Hidden Perks for Chiropractors. I was always told they were quacks, but I hear they can do a good massage.
Goldberg: Palinophobes Hate First, Ask Questions Later
Canadian Lefties coming to the US for medical care.
Bolton via Q&O:
Negotiation is not a policy. It is a technique. It is a way of achieving our objectives. It doesn’t tell us what the objectives are. The emphasis on negotiation as an end in itself reflects a shallowness in this administration’s approach to international affairs, and gives us little confidence that our interests will be well served.
NYS is broke.
Are poor New Yorkers healthier than the poor in other states? Do New York children have top scores? As far as I know, no and no.
What New York does have, like almost every other state that is in deep budget trouble, is powerful public employee unions.
A believable threat: Breitbart to AG Holder: Investigate ACORN or We’ll Release More Tapes Just Before 2010 Election
Hot Air: Shock poll - Rubio within 10 points of Crist in Florida
Imagine the uproar if Bush had done this
The pheenom has twice the O's TV viewership.
Inhofe to Boxer: Get a life (video)
This is an annual re-post:
You go around the table or car until someone gets stuck. Then they are "out," just like the great game of dodge-ball. You will be surprised by how long it can continue. It goes like this:
My first job was in an orange juice factory, but I couldn't concentrate.
I worked as a lumberjack but I couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax. (a 3 pointer)
After that, I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it.
Next I tried working in a muffler factory, but this was exhausting.
Then I tried to be a chef, but didn't have the thyme.
I attempted to be a deli worker but any way I sliced it, I just couldn't cut the mustard.
My best job was as a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.
I studied a long time to be a doctor, but I didn't have any patience.
I became a fisherman, but couldn't live on my net income.
I managed to find work with a pool company, but the work was too draining.
So then I got a job with a health club, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.
My last job was at Starbucks, but it was the same old grind.
Eventually, I got a job as a historian, but there was no future in it.
I tried being a house painter, but it didn't stick.
So I tried to be a urologist, but I couldn't get the hang of it.
Then I tried being a cosmologist, but it was all too much for me.
Too heavy for the field (as I am reminded on the rare occasions on which I use it in the field), but it's the only shotgun of the too-many I own that shoots straight. Wonderful for skeet, trap, and clays. I think the weight has something to do with its effectiveness, plus o/u and the single trigger. Nice engraving with gold ducks on one side and pheasants on the other. I have it set for a hair trigger.
A pity I prefer my antique 20 ga double-triggered s/s for comfort and feel, but the dang thing don't shoot straight at wacky birds!
Can you name my gun? It has beautiful oiled walnut to which my snap does not do justice:
 Among numerous problems, I think the biggest problem with the Dem medical care bill is that there is no national consensus for this.
It is unwise to do things this large without a national consensus, but the Left is intoxicated with their (temporary, cocaine-like) power. With Medicare - for better or worse - there was a consensus. With Medicaid for the very poor, there was too. As it stands now, the Dems are proposing a solution without a problem. Or, a government solution seeking a problem...
It's a manufactured "crisis." There are easy, simple, cheap, non-governmental solutions to medical insurance unfairnesses which do not increase Federal power. (Yes, we have already noted that Federal employees are the only ones exempt from the bill.)
Cui bono?
Well, the Dems think they will benefit with their names on an historic take-over of 1/6th of the American economy by being rewarded with the gratitude and eternal dependency of the voters. Secondarily, the government will benefit by accruing more money and bureaucracies (111 of them by the last count I read, for our enjoyment) - which means jobs to distribute and more power over our lives. Third, unions will benefit - or so they believe. (Just wait until your doc is a de facto government employee treating you the cost-benefit-analyzed-by-experts government way - and his or her nurse is a member of SEIU.)
The 81% of Americans who are satisfied with their medical care will not. Nor will those increasingly-few who actually pay the Federal income and capital gains taxes to pay the bills.
I did get a kick out of Harry Reid's statement yesterday:
Today we vote whether to even discuss one of the greatest issues of our generation - indeed, one of the greatest issues this body has ever faced: whether this nation will finally guarantee its people the right to live free from the fear of illness and death, which can be prevented by decent health care for all.
Yes, we already knew that Government is the Church for the Left. It ain't my religion. And I don't want to work on Maggie's Farm No More.
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Saturday, November 21. 2009
Dylan Radio. You can request, too. We like it.
Just push "Tune in" and let it play. You do not need to log in.
The Great American Songbook. Guy has great taste in folk/pop music, whether his own stuff or that of his betters (?).
Jeanne-Claude died - Christo's remarkable wife.
One of the first posts on this site, back when we had around 20 visits per day and had no idea what we were doing (not that we do now), was our visit to Christo's Gates on a frigid day in Central Park:
You can have these sent to you daily via email. Here's today's:
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5 (New International Version)
This is the season for gratitude.
 Eighty One percent say the quality of their own, personal health care is Good or Excellent. No wonder there is no popular support for the Dems' plans to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Who wants their doc working for the government? I want them working for me.
Princeton and Columbia cancel free speech
What makes nations rich or poor? With world poverty map.
McCain gets sane on climate bill. Meanwhile, EU president wants Copenhagen to give us “global management”. What a great idea!
Related, Aussie skeptics run TV ad
Related, from Powerline: The global warming bombshell
Related via Vanderleun: The truth about global warming will not stop the fraud of global warming. Too much money and power at stake. Same thing with government medical care.
San Franciscan likes Palin's book, but calls Alaska "weird." Enuf said.
Related: SF bookstores refuse to carry Palin's "gross" book. OK, I'll say it: They are weird in SF, but don't know it. It is the Alaskans who are normal.
Bad news for the O: Polls dropping like a rock. All Presidents fall below 50%, he notes. People are fickle, and invest too much in Presidents. It's because they do not trust themselves to be the President of their own lives.
The good news: Booze is good for men's hearts.
Employment looking worse for 2010
Ponnuru:
In the primaries, Obama distinguished himself from Clinton on health care by opposing an individual mandate. In the general election, he distinguished himself from McCain by opposing taxes on health benefits. So now he is trying to pass bills with both an individual mandate and taxes on health benefits—and his supporters are saying that Congress should go along because he won the election.
Photo: That is my Christmas Mincemeat, ready now for the brandy and aging. The venison in it provided by my bow-hunting buddy. Too bad our smellovision isn't working today. Allspice, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, vinegar, molasses, apples, raisins, currants, cranberry, meat.
Friday, November 20. 2009
Via FOX News:
More than 150 Christian leaders, most of them conservative evangelicals and
traditionalist Roman Catholics, issued a joint declaration reaffirming their
opposition to abortion and gay marriage and pledging to protect religious
freedoms.
The 4,700-word document, called "The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of
Christian Conscience," was unveiled one day before the Senate is expected to
consider it's sweeping health care bill that includes a measure permitting
abortion funding.
Re the earlier post, see Tim Blair for the actual emails. h/t, reader. Quote:
...the 1079 emails and 72 documents seem indeed evidence of a scandal involving most of the most prominent scientists pushing the man-made warming theory - a scandal that is one of the greatest in modern science.
Piltdown Man, move over. Sample:
From: Phil Jones
To: ray bradley ,mann@XXXX, mhughes@XXXX
Subject: Diagram for WMO Statement
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 13:31:15 +0000
Cc: k.briffa@XXX.osborn@XXXX
Dear Ray, Mike and Malcolm,
Once Tim’s got a diagram here we’ll send that either later today or first thing tomorrow.
I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from 1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline. Mike’s series got the annual land and marine values while the other two got April-Sept for NH land N of 20N. The latter two are real for 1999, while the estimate for 1999 for NH combined is +0.44C wrt 61-90. The Global estimate for 1999 with data through Oct is +0.35C cf. 0.57 for 1998.
Thanks for the comments, Ray.
Cheers
Phil
Prof. Phil Jones
Climatic Research Unit Telephone XXXX
School of Environmental Sciences Fax XXXX
University of East Anglia
Norwich
Is this what they call "research"? These science frauds need to be fired - and/or indicted. They are government employees.
Somebody let us know about The Sniper. Good stuff, plus eye candy for both boys and girls:
At Wizbang and Moonbattery.
It is worse than I thought - and I thought it was bad.
I always celebrate my birthday on Thanksgiving. Selfishly, at least I’m guaranteed a turkey and good bottle of Beaujolais. When fortunate, I’m able to share it with family and friends, which is the ultimate of what Thanksgiving is: time to give thanks for others sharing theirs and our ability to share our bounty in America.
Aside from the 4th of July, there is no other holiday in America that is in every respect for all Americans. Indeed, I’ve been with recent immigrants from many countries who eagerly look forward to joining in our Thanksgiving rituals and meals, because it is for them an important rite of passage to becoming Americans and showing their feelings of gratitude for being here in our land of opportunities.
Thanksgiving, also, says much about the American character, that we early on officially enshrined a national holiday for giving thanks.
In 1789, George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation with these words: “Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be….” (Read the whole proclamation.)
As you make your plans for Thanksgiving, this early post is to remind you of why we celebrate and dedicate ourselves, in gratitude for all we’re given, achieve, and share, thanks to G-d and each other in America.
Part Whatever of The Hitchhiker's Guide is out, this one written by Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl. If you live in a cave and missed Douglas Adams' series, it's an amusing science fiction spoof.
It's called And Another Thing...
|
