One of my favorite topics is Global Warming, I found a web site with a number of good articles on the subject. I do wonder why you need to travel to a Newspaper in another country or the Internet to find this kind of information. Seems to me that US Newspapers missed this point of view or did they?
Global warming? It's natural, say experts
by BARRY WIGMORE
Last updated at 22:36pm on 13th September 2007
Some scientists have suggested global warming is due to a natural 1,500-year cycleGlobal warming is a natural event and the effects are not all bad, two respected researchers claimed yesterday.
Authors Dennis Avery and Fred Singer looked at the work of more than 500 scientists and argue that these experts are doubtful the phenomenon is caused by man-made greenhouse gases.
Climate change is much more likely to be part of a cycle of warming and cooling that has happened regularly every 1,500 years for the last million years, they say.
And the doom and gloom merchants, who point to the threat to the polar bear from the melting North Pole, are wrong, the authors say.
Even if our climate is changing, it is not all bad, they suggest, because past cold periods have killed twice as many people as warm periods. Mr Avery said: "Not all of these researchers who doubt man-made climate change would describe themselves as global warming sceptics but the evidence in their studies is there for all to see.
"Two thousand years of published human histories say that the warm periods were good for people.
"It was the harsh, unstable Dark Ages and the Little Ice Age that brought bigger storms, untimely frost, widespread famine, plagues and disease."
Recent flooding in the UK has fuelled fears about global warming, but scientists are debating what has caused it
Mr Singer said: "We have a greenhouse theory with no evidence to support it, except a moderate warming turned into a scare by computer models whose results have never been verified with real-world events.
"The models only reflect the warming, not its cause."
The most recent global warming was between 1850 and 1940, the authors say, and was therefore probably not caused by man-made greenhouse gases.
Historical evidence of the natural cycle includes a record of floods on the Nile going back 5,000 years; Roman wine production in Britain in the first century AD; and thousands of museum paintings that portray sunnier skies during what is called the Medieval Warming, and more clouds during the Little Ice Age.
The authors looked at a raft of studies which, they claim, undermine the "scare-mongering" by those blaming man for destroying the planet.
In the current warming cycle, they say there is evidence that storms and droughts have been fewer and milder; corals, trees, birds, mammals and butterflies have adapted well; and sea levels are not rising significantly.
Polar bears are threatened by global warming
Mr Avery is a fellow of the Hudson Institute, an independent U.S. thinktank that tends to side with big business.
He was a senior agricultural analyst at the State Department when Ronald Reagan was president. Mr Singer is a climate physicist.
The pair spent months analysing scientific reports for their book, Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years, to counter claims made by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore in his film An Inconvenient Truth.
They argue that variations in the Sun's radiation have far more influence on our climate than humans.
Mr Singer said: "This can all be explained by the Sun's activity."
He added: "The number of the Sun's cosmic rays hitting the Earth affect the number of low, cooling clouds that reflect solar heat back into space, amplifying small variations in the intensity of the Sun."
Here is a link to more information on Global Warming.
http://www.savage-productions.com/debunking_global_warming.html
Fire
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Halo 3 Isn't for Little Angels
I was listening to an interview on Dennis Prager with Diana West. I was so impressed I wanted to share her with you.
October 8, 2007, 11:49 am
Halo 3 Isn't for Little Angels
October 8, 2007, 11:49 am
By Diana West
http://www.dianawest.net/
Running through my book, The Death of the Grown-Up, is an examination of what happens to us, to our society, as the boundaries on human behavior shift or disappear altogether. This effects us on a personal level in terms of our own identity--sexual, national, married name or not. It continues in our homes, which are increasingly permeable to the toxic seepage of television and the Internet. It extends to our national borders, which are increasingly porous to aliens and terrorists. And it goes to church, where the world's Catholics, for example, have had to confront secret, line-crossing sexual crimes. Here is another sign of our no-boundary times. The New York Times reports that "hundreds" of Protestant and evangelical ministers and pastors are enticing youngsters into church by offering them the opportunity to play the extremely violent (its sale prohibited to kids under 17) video game, Halo 3. It is very, um, successful.
The Times reports:
"Witness the basement on a recent Sunday at the Colorado Community Church in the Englewood area of Denver, where Tim Foster, 12, and Chris Graham, 14, sat in front of three TVs, locked in violent virtual combat as they navigated on-screen characters through lethal gun bursts. Tim explained the game’s allure: `It’s just fun blowing people up.'
"Once they come for the games, Gregg Barbour, the youth minister of the church said, they will stay for his Christian message.
What message is that: Thou Shalt Not Kill?
The story continues. "But the question arises: What price to appear relevant? Some parents, religious ethicists and pastors say that Halo may succeed at attracting youths, but that it could have a corroding influence. In providing Halo, churches are permitting access to adult-themed material that young people cannot buy on their own." Boy, do I object to that adjective "adult-themed," which, of course, means dirty or nasty or uncivilized--not "adult." The 6th commandment aside, bringing boys into church by appealing to their baser tendencies toward voyeuristic and participatory violence is a clear, sad sign of decline of judgment in the chrnonlogical adults in charge. What next--drugs? Strippers? “ `If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it,' said James Tonkowich, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a nonprofit group that assesses denominational policies. `My own take is you can do better than that.' "
GOD BLESS YOU DIANA WEST FOR PUTTING IN WRITTING THE ANSWER TO THE WHY SO MANY OF US WERE ASKING
The Death of the Grown-Up
A great book by a great American
Fire
October 8, 2007, 11:49 am
Halo 3 Isn't for Little Angels
October 8, 2007, 11:49 am
By Diana West
http://www.dianawest.net/
Running through my book, The Death of the Grown-Up, is an examination of what happens to us, to our society, as the boundaries on human behavior shift or disappear altogether. This effects us on a personal level in terms of our own identity--sexual, national, married name or not. It continues in our homes, which are increasingly permeable to the toxic seepage of television and the Internet. It extends to our national borders, which are increasingly porous to aliens and terrorists. And it goes to church, where the world's Catholics, for example, have had to confront secret, line-crossing sexual crimes. Here is another sign of our no-boundary times. The New York Times reports that "hundreds" of Protestant and evangelical ministers and pastors are enticing youngsters into church by offering them the opportunity to play the extremely violent (its sale prohibited to kids under 17) video game, Halo 3. It is very, um, successful.
The Times reports:
"Witness the basement on a recent Sunday at the Colorado Community Church in the Englewood area of Denver, where Tim Foster, 12, and Chris Graham, 14, sat in front of three TVs, locked in violent virtual combat as they navigated on-screen characters through lethal gun bursts. Tim explained the game’s allure: `It’s just fun blowing people up.'
"Once they come for the games, Gregg Barbour, the youth minister of the church said, they will stay for his Christian message.
What message is that: Thou Shalt Not Kill?
The story continues. "But the question arises: What price to appear relevant? Some parents, religious ethicists and pastors say that Halo may succeed at attracting youths, but that it could have a corroding influence. In providing Halo, churches are permitting access to adult-themed material that young people cannot buy on their own." Boy, do I object to that adjective "adult-themed," which, of course, means dirty or nasty or uncivilized--not "adult." The 6th commandment aside, bringing boys into church by appealing to their baser tendencies toward voyeuristic and participatory violence is a clear, sad sign of decline of judgment in the chrnonlogical adults in charge. What next--drugs? Strippers? “ `If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it,' said James Tonkowich, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a nonprofit group that assesses denominational policies. `My own take is you can do better than that.' "
GOD BLESS YOU DIANA WEST FOR PUTTING IN WRITTING THE ANSWER TO THE WHY SO MANY OF US WERE ASKING
The Death of the Grown-Up
A great book by a great American
Fire
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Child Safety Is More Than A Slogan
“Stranger-Danger” Warnings Not Effective at Keeping Kids Safer
By Nancy McBride, National Safety DirectorNational Center for Missing & Exploited Children
“Stranger danger” - the phrase is so pervasive in our culture that it has become part of the lexicon. Well-intentioned adults perpetuate this misguided message, and the media often uses it as a slogan. A recent case illustrates how literal children may be when given a specific message. The child in this case may have evaded his rescuers, because he had been taught “not to talk to strangers.”
This case and many others clearly illustrate how literal children may be when given a specific message. That’s why the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has never supported the “stranger-danger” message, especially because experience has shown us that most children are actually taken by someone they know or are familiar with.
By Nancy McBride, National Safety DirectorNational Center for Missing & Exploited Children
“Stranger danger” - the phrase is so pervasive in our culture that it has become part of the lexicon. Well-intentioned adults perpetuate this misguided message, and the media often uses it as a slogan. A recent case illustrates how literal children may be when given a specific message. The child in this case may have evaded his rescuers, because he had been taught “not to talk to strangers.”
This case and many others clearly illustrate how literal children may be when given a specific message. That’s why the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has never supported the “stranger-danger” message, especially because experience has shown us that most children are actually taken by someone they know or are familiar with.
- So what does “stranger danger” really mean, and do children benefit from an outdated and incomplete message? Here’s what we have learned about the “stranger-danger” concept
Children don’t get it. - Adults don’t practice it.
- It doesn’t go far enough in protecting children from potential danger.
When questioned, children will often describe a “stranger” as someone who is “ugly or mean.” They don’t perceive nice -looking or friendly people as “strangers.” And if someone talks to a child or is even around a child more than once, that person loses his or her “stranger” status. The child then thinks he or she “knows” the person. Children also want to be helpful, thrive on adult approval, and respond to adult authority. So, if someone with ill intent asks them to perform a task or tells them something has happened to a loved one, chances are good the child can be tricked.
The “stranger-danger” message becomes even more confusing for children since they can’t tell by looking at someone whether or not the person is “good” or “bad.” Wouldn’t it be great if we could point out the “bad” people to our children and be done with it? Whether it’s in a grocery store or at a baseball game, adults break the rule of “don’t talk to strangers” all the time. But adults have the benefit of experience, judgment, and decision-making skills; children do not. And sometimes adults are wrong. So, if we can’t identify “bad” people, we certainly can’t expect our children to.
Today, kids need to be empowered with positive messages and safety skills that will build their self esteem and self confidence while helping to keep them safer. Kids don’t need to be told the world is a scary place. They watch the news, hear adults talking, and may even experience violence firsthand. Rather, they need to know their parent, guardian, or another trusted adult is there for them if they are in trouble; and most adults they encounter in their lives are basically good people.
When we tell children to “never talk to strangers,” we have effect ively eliminated a key source of help for them if they are in trouble. If they’re lost they may be surrounded by many “strangers” who could conceivably help them if they would only ask for it. Since we know parents and guardians can’t be with their children every second of the day, we need to give children “safety nets” of people they can go to if they need help. Those individuals may include uniformed law-enforcement or security officers; a store salesperson with a nametag; the person in an information booth at a mall or other public venue; or a mother with children.
In specific situations such as being lost outside, the safety messages need to be tailored to those circumstances.
- A child should never wander away from where they first became lost. If they stay put, chances are better that they will be found more quickly.
- If the child gets lost in conditions like a thunderstorm or near an overflowing riverbank, then the child needs to go to the nearest safe spot and wait for rescuers.
- Children should make noise either by yelling, blowing a whistle, or just attracting attention. This will help in bringing someone to their rescue.
Parents and guardians can make child safety part of a child’s everyday life in a nonthreatening way by practicing some of these skills. Whether it’s checking first with a trusted adult, taking a friend, or avoiding and getting out of dangerous situations, there are easy “what if” scenarios to practice with your children to make sure they “get it.” Make outings to a mall or park an opportunity to reinforce these skills. That way they won’t have to wonder what to do if lost or in danger. Do this on a regular basis to make sure it becomes second nature. At the same time reassure them you are there for them, and remind them there are other people who can help.
NCMEC believes the time is now for our society to retire the “stranger-danger” message; realize child safety is much more important than a slogan; and make sure we are arming our children with relevant, age-appropriate messages that w ill empower them. Remember, there is nothing on earth that beats our parental, guardian, and caregiver supervision and attention in helping to keep our children safer.
Note from Fire
Before retiring from Law Enforcement I taught Stranger Danger and completely agree with the comments made by Nancy McBride and the NCMEC.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Firemountain Network, a new concept
Several years ago my daughter and her husband came for a visit. They are both auction-aholics and convinced us to give on-line auctions a try. We started on eBay selling knives and over the years have tried many different lines of product looking for the right fit. We still sell knives, which we have a basement full of LOL, but more than that we like knives, and hunting for good, low cost collectable knives for the beginning collector. We have had the pleasure of helping start many young people out with their knife collections.
A couple of months ago, we saw the need for a place where buyers could go and find what they are looking for at a reasonable price, and not get ripped off. We were working on a concept called The Firemountain Network for the past year. The basic concept of the Network was to develope a string of stores where people could shop and not have nightmares until their purchase arrived. With the help of our good friends Darrell and Mo from M & D Creative Concepts we put the finishing touches on the network and launched.
The real problem now is showing customers they are safe and secure when shopping at a Firemountain Network Store or Site. To that end we have invested a lot of time and money to have independent agencies check us out. To date we have passed back grounds checks through The Internet Trade Bureau, Scam X, BuySafe, and Square Trade. We are also Paypal Verified, and have Merchant Accounts with Google Checkout and Xcoin.We know how to do it right, that is a bold statement but we can back it up.
Our eBay Facts
Firemountain Auctions has been selling on eBay since Aug-06-04 and has a Feedback score of 358 with 100% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
Lizzard Stuff has been selling on eBay since Jun-27-05 and has a Feedback score of 128 with 100% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
We are a Verified Registered User on Overstock Auctions.Firemountain Auctions has been selling on Overstock Auctions since Sept-27-04 and has a Feedback score of 343.2 with 99% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
Lizzard Stuff has been selling on Overstock Auctions since Feb-19-05 and has a Feedback score of 128 with 99% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
We also just opened a new store on eCrater.com, The Store at Firemountain II. eCrater is new but has become our favorite auction venue and where we like to be involved, when we have time, is in the community.
Our Pride and Joy is The Store at Firemountain our online store, it's newly redone with a new shopping cart by Zen Carts. In this store we have all the products listed in the other stores and auctions plus some items sold only through the main store.
The Firemountain Network aStores
If you have spent any time shopping on line you have spent countless hours on a site that is confusing to move around in and hard to locate the items you are looking for. The new concept is to have a group of online stores which specialize in one type of product firemountainnetwork.com is the main page for the network with links to all Firemountain Stores and services.
A partnership with Amazon.com
Several mounts ago The Firemountain Network joined Amazon’s aStore program. The program allows affiliates to create online stores using Amazon’s large selection of products. This allowed The Firemountain Network to develope several specialty stores where the focus is one type of product line. Shoppers find a huge selection of the item they are looking for. Following is a brief description of each store.
Some information on the aStores.
All stores are set up in the same fashion. The Home Pages have links to all the product available through that store. The category pages have hand picked items for shoppers who do not want to spend a lot of time going through the many pages of product.
There are three ways to search for the item you want First you can take some time and browse through many pages of name brand product and accessories You can use the search box located next to the store banner and enter the item name you want orYou can also use the search box and enter a general term like digital camera or soap
Firemountain Cameras and Optics
A store stocked with a wide variety of digital cameras binoculars and accessories. You will find brand names like Fuji film Pentax DXG Olympus and much more
Fires Party Time Web Store
This new store is full of items just for the fun times. Stocked with Popcorn Poppers of every size and shape, Chocolate Fondue Fountains, Barware Sets, Cotton Candy Makers they even included a Large Rotating Disco Ball Lamp for the person who can't let go of the past. In the Over the Hill category you will find a large selection of gifts to drive home those dreaded birthdays that come later in life. The Hanging out with Nature section has items for camping, fishing and hiking. Finally the Kicking Back on the Weekend section has the items you will need when being close to home is all you want to do.
Firemountain Sports and Recreation
Stocked with thousands of items this store specializes in sporting and recreational items. If you can’t find what you are looking for it probably doesn’t exist
Lizzard Stuff Watches
The store is totally devoted to watches. Categories include Woman’s Watches under 50 dollars, Woman’s Watches 50 dollars to 500 dollars, Woman’s Watches over 500 dollars, Men’s Watches under 50 dollars, Men’s Watches 50 dollars to 500 dollars, Men’s Watches over 500 dollars, Kids Watches and Collectable Watches.
Lizzard Stuff Grocery Store
A store stocked with more than 22000 non perishable grocery items. You will find longtime staples from Kellogg’s to Jiffy Pop and new entries such as Kashi cereals and Kraft Easy Mac microwavable snack packs. And when they carry a brand they do their ultimate best to carry every flavor available. They are also making regional favorites like El Sabroso available nationwide and making hard to find specialties like Zico Pure Coconut Water a standard part of the mix
We also have store fronts for our auction items on ChannelMax. Firemountain Auctions Store and Lizzard Stuff Store only have items that are being auctioned on eBay or Overstock.You can also find our items on Google under Store at Firemountain; these are links back to the main store.This is our selling experience we hope the statement we made earlier has been proven.The Firemountain Network also offers several services to our customers and other merchants.
The Firemountain Network main site. This site was designed to be resources for our customers, friends and online merchants. You will find links to all the Firemountain Network sites, consumer protection and reporting sites, our auction, blogs and much more. The Free Stuff for your Website Page has links to Online Stores and a collection of Internet Websites that offer free services. We also provided links to our Favorite Merchant's and Favorite Seller's all are online merchants we trust. Our hope is you take some time to explore the different pages and links, we believe you will be happy with what you find.
The Firemountain Blogs. This new blog will serve as the main site for the other Firemountain Network Blogs. We provided links to our favorite blogs, stores, consumer protection sites and Firemountain Network Stores. You will also find my thoughts from time to time.
Access to all network stores can be found on several Firemountain sites click on any banner on www.firemountainnetwork.com, www.storeatfiremountain.com or www.firemountainnetwork.net. You will also find a wide variety Internet pages with links to consumer protection sites, free services found on the web and recommended stores and sites.
I hope this brief history will give you some insight about us, and when you run across our items feel a little more comfortable. If you have any suggestions on items you would like to see on sale send me an email I will try and find it for you.
A couple of months ago, we saw the need for a place where buyers could go and find what they are looking for at a reasonable price, and not get ripped off. We were working on a concept called The Firemountain Network for the past year. The basic concept of the Network was to develope a string of stores where people could shop and not have nightmares until their purchase arrived. With the help of our good friends Darrell and Mo from M & D Creative Concepts we put the finishing touches on the network and launched.
The real problem now is showing customers they are safe and secure when shopping at a Firemountain Network Store or Site. To that end we have invested a lot of time and money to have independent agencies check us out. To date we have passed back grounds checks through The Internet Trade Bureau, Scam X, BuySafe, and Square Trade. We are also Paypal Verified, and have Merchant Accounts with Google Checkout and Xcoin.We know how to do it right, that is a bold statement but we can back it up.
Our eBay Facts
Firemountain Auctions has been selling on eBay since Aug-06-04 and has a Feedback score of 358 with 100% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
Lizzard Stuff has been selling on eBay since Jun-27-05 and has a Feedback score of 128 with 100% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
We are a Verified Registered User on Overstock Auctions.Firemountain Auctions has been selling on Overstock Auctions since Sept-27-04 and has a Feedback score of 343.2 with 99% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
Lizzard Stuff has been selling on Overstock Auctions since Feb-19-05 and has a Feedback score of 128 with 99% positive feedback from customers. Read Feedback
We also just opened a new store on eCrater.com, The Store at Firemountain II. eCrater is new but has become our favorite auction venue and where we like to be involved, when we have time, is in the community.
Our Pride and Joy is The Store at Firemountain our online store, it's newly redone with a new shopping cart by Zen Carts. In this store we have all the products listed in the other stores and auctions plus some items sold only through the main store.
The Firemountain Network aStores
If you have spent any time shopping on line you have spent countless hours on a site that is confusing to move around in and hard to locate the items you are looking for. The new concept is to have a group of online stores which specialize in one type of product firemountainnetwork.com is the main page for the network with links to all Firemountain Stores and services.
A partnership with Amazon.com
Several mounts ago The Firemountain Network joined Amazon’s aStore program. The program allows affiliates to create online stores using Amazon’s large selection of products. This allowed The Firemountain Network to develope several specialty stores where the focus is one type of product line. Shoppers find a huge selection of the item they are looking for. Following is a brief description of each store.
Some information on the aStores.
All stores are set up in the same fashion. The Home Pages have links to all the product available through that store. The category pages have hand picked items for shoppers who do not want to spend a lot of time going through the many pages of product.
There are three ways to search for the item you want First you can take some time and browse through many pages of name brand product and accessories You can use the search box located next to the store banner and enter the item name you want orYou can also use the search box and enter a general term like digital camera or soap
Firemountain Cameras and Optics
A store stocked with a wide variety of digital cameras binoculars and accessories. You will find brand names like Fuji film Pentax DXG Olympus and much more
Fires Party Time Web Store
This new store is full of items just for the fun times. Stocked with Popcorn Poppers of every size and shape, Chocolate Fondue Fountains, Barware Sets, Cotton Candy Makers they even included a Large Rotating Disco Ball Lamp for the person who can't let go of the past. In the Over the Hill category you will find a large selection of gifts to drive home those dreaded birthdays that come later in life. The Hanging out with Nature section has items for camping, fishing and hiking. Finally the Kicking Back on the Weekend section has the items you will need when being close to home is all you want to do.
Firemountain Sports and Recreation
Stocked with thousands of items this store specializes in sporting and recreational items. If you can’t find what you are looking for it probably doesn’t exist
Lizzard Stuff Watches
The store is totally devoted to watches. Categories include Woman’s Watches under 50 dollars, Woman’s Watches 50 dollars to 500 dollars, Woman’s Watches over 500 dollars, Men’s Watches under 50 dollars, Men’s Watches 50 dollars to 500 dollars, Men’s Watches over 500 dollars, Kids Watches and Collectable Watches.
Lizzard Stuff Grocery Store
A store stocked with more than 22000 non perishable grocery items. You will find longtime staples from Kellogg’s to Jiffy Pop and new entries such as Kashi cereals and Kraft Easy Mac microwavable snack packs. And when they carry a brand they do their ultimate best to carry every flavor available. They are also making regional favorites like El Sabroso available nationwide and making hard to find specialties like Zico Pure Coconut Water a standard part of the mix
We also have store fronts for our auction items on ChannelMax. Firemountain Auctions Store and Lizzard Stuff Store only have items that are being auctioned on eBay or Overstock.You can also find our items on Google under Store at Firemountain; these are links back to the main store.This is our selling experience we hope the statement we made earlier has been proven.The Firemountain Network also offers several services to our customers and other merchants.
The Firemountain Network main site. This site was designed to be resources for our customers, friends and online merchants. You will find links to all the Firemountain Network sites, consumer protection and reporting sites, our auction, blogs and much more. The Free Stuff for your Website Page has links to Online Stores and a collection of Internet Websites that offer free services. We also provided links to our Favorite Merchant's and Favorite Seller's all are online merchants we trust. Our hope is you take some time to explore the different pages and links, we believe you will be happy with what you find.
The Firemountain Blogs. This new blog will serve as the main site for the other Firemountain Network Blogs. We provided links to our favorite blogs, stores, consumer protection sites and Firemountain Network Stores. You will also find my thoughts from time to time.
Access to all network stores can be found on several Firemountain sites click on any banner on www.firemountainnetwork.com, www.storeatfiremountain.com or www.firemountainnetwork.net. You will also find a wide variety Internet pages with links to consumer protection sites, free services found on the web and recommended stores and sites.
I hope this brief history will give you some insight about us, and when you run across our items feel a little more comfortable. If you have any suggestions on items you would like to see on sale send me an email I will try and find it for you.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mails
Tip
Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information.
Con artists might send millions of fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from Web sites you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information.
What does a phishing scam look like?
As scam artists become more sophisticated, so do their phishing e-mail messages and pop-up windows.
They often include official-looking logos from real organizations and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate Web sites.
The following is an example of what a phishing scam e-mail message might look like.
Example of a phishing e-mail message, including a deceptive URL address linking to a scam Web site
To make these phishing e-mail messages look even more legitimate, the scam artists may place a link in them that appears to go to the legitimate Web site
(1), but it actually takes you to a phony scam site
(2) or possibly a pop-up window that looks exactly like the official site.
These copycat sites are also called "spoofed" Web sites. Once you're at one of these spoofed sites, you might unwittingly send personal information to the con artists.
How to tell if an e-mail message is fraudulent
Here are a few phrases to look for if you think an e-mail message is a phishing scam.
"Verify your account."
Businesses should not ask you to send passwords, login names, Social Security numbers, or other personal information through e-mail.
If you receive an e-mail from Microsoft asking you to update your credit card information, do not respond: this phishing scam. To learn more, read Fraudulent e-mail that requests credit card information sent to Microsoft customers.
"If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed."
These messages convey a sense of urgency so that you'll respond immediately without thinking. Phishing e-mail might even claim that your response is required because your account might have been compromised.
"Dear Valued Customer."
Phishing e-mail messages are usually sent out in bulk and often do not contain your first or last name.
"Click the link below to gain access to your account."
HTML-formatted messages can contain links or forms that you can fill out just as you'd fill out a form on a Web site.
The links that you are urged to click may contain all or part of a real company's name and are usually "masked," meaning that the link you see does not take you to that address but somewhere different, usually a phony Web site.
Notice in the following example that resting the mouse pointer on the link reveals the real Web address, as shown in the box with the yellow background. The string of cryptic numbers looks nothing like the company's Web address, which is a suspicious sign.
Example of masked URL address
Con artists also use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that resemble the name of a well-known company but are slightly altered by adding, omitting, or transposing letters. For example, the URL
"www.microsoft.com" could appear instead as:
www.micosoft.com
www.mircosoft.com
www.verify-microsoft.com
Published by Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/email/phishing.mspx
Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information.
Con artists might send millions of fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from Web sites you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information.
What does a phishing scam look like?
As scam artists become more sophisticated, so do their phishing e-mail messages and pop-up windows.
They often include official-looking logos from real organizations and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate Web sites.
The following is an example of what a phishing scam e-mail message might look like.
Example of a phishing e-mail message, including a deceptive URL address linking to a scam Web site
To make these phishing e-mail messages look even more legitimate, the scam artists may place a link in them that appears to go to the legitimate Web site
(1), but it actually takes you to a phony scam site
(2) or possibly a pop-up window that looks exactly like the official site.
These copycat sites are also called "spoofed" Web sites. Once you're at one of these spoofed sites, you might unwittingly send personal information to the con artists.
How to tell if an e-mail message is fraudulent
Here are a few phrases to look for if you think an e-mail message is a phishing scam.
"Verify your account."
Businesses should not ask you to send passwords, login names, Social Security numbers, or other personal information through e-mail.
If you receive an e-mail from Microsoft asking you to update your credit card information, do not respond: this phishing scam. To learn more, read Fraudulent e-mail that requests credit card information sent to Microsoft customers.
"If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed."
These messages convey a sense of urgency so that you'll respond immediately without thinking. Phishing e-mail might even claim that your response is required because your account might have been compromised.
"Dear Valued Customer."
Phishing e-mail messages are usually sent out in bulk and often do not contain your first or last name.
"Click the link below to gain access to your account."
HTML-formatted messages can contain links or forms that you can fill out just as you'd fill out a form on a Web site.
The links that you are urged to click may contain all or part of a real company's name and are usually "masked," meaning that the link you see does not take you to that address but somewhere different, usually a phony Web site.
Notice in the following example that resting the mouse pointer on the link reveals the real Web address, as shown in the box with the yellow background. The string of cryptic numbers looks nothing like the company's Web address, which is a suspicious sign.
Example of masked URL address
Con artists also use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that resemble the name of a well-known company but are slightly altered by adding, omitting, or transposing letters. For example, the URL
"www.microsoft.com" could appear instead as:
www.micosoft.com
www.mircosoft.com
www.verify-microsoft.com
Published by Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/email/phishing.mspx
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The boss is only as good as the people advising him/her
I recently retired from my job after 24 years, the last 7 years of which I spent in management.
If I learned anything it was to listen to the people advising you, then confirm what you were told by other sources. I know that sounds paranoid but sometimes your advisers just don’t get it right. There could be many different reasons for the bad advice but a few just jump out at you.
If I learned anything it was to listen to the people advising you, then confirm what you were told by other sources. I know that sounds paranoid but sometimes your advisers just don’t get it right. There could be many different reasons for the bad advice but a few just jump out at you.
- Your advisers may be yes people and only tell you what you want to hear (good for the ego, bad for business).
- Your advisers may think they know what is right and really don’t.
- Your advisers were given bad information and did not confirm it before giving it to you.
- Then there is my personal favorite, the adviser with a hidden agenda.The sad thing is not one of these type of people are worth your time or your company's money.
But I know you will try and save them so go ahead and give it a shot. Then you can do like I did and kick yourself when they screw you over.You need to separate yourself from them as soon as you identify who they are. Think of it this way, they will not lose a minutes sleep when you are sent packing or your company goes belly up.
Now I have been looking for an excuse to use a cliché I love.
Ready.....In God we trust, everything else we verify.
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