What Lessons Can We Learn From "Social Network"

With all the debate about the movie "The Social Network" largely resolving around the principal character, a fictional Mark Zuckerberg, I think many forget it's also about a company called FaceBook. And it's from this story of how FaceBook came into existence and rose to the top in social media that we can lean what it takes to build a business and make it succeed.

For while FaceBook is a new business in a field of business that didn't exist only a few short year ago it still was built and operates by same the basic principles that have always been there.

It is these underlying principals we can learn and apply to ourselves and our businesses. For as this movie shows a business to succeed must, in the end, find ways to solve problems as old as mankind its self.

So to take that "amazing idea" from just an idea to a successful business requires certain steps and as we saw those who fail to follow those steps may end up on the sidelines. For while Mark saw his dream come true many of those who also saw the same dream fell by the wayside.

And as this article from smartblogs.com so artfully details we need to remember business requires both a dream and a plan. Things just don't go from dream to plan to successes without a lot of work. And if we expect to be there in the end we need to remember to do business as a business. For all the success Mark achieves many failed to share in that success just because they forgot that.

So what I took from this movie as the main points to keep and mind were:

1. If it’s not in writing it doesn’t exist. All of Marks friends and early colleges failed to remember that. They didn’t keep records and thus they didn’t protect themselves. I tell clients all the time, “Write everything down and find a way to validate it.”

2. Don’t trust that agreements are understood nor respected by everyone involved. It takes constant vigilance and attention to what’s going on to be sure that things don’t change or that someone involved doesn’t stage a mutiny and leave you behind.

3. Not everyone is someone you can work with for the long term. Many of the people involved with Mark should have seen that they and Mark just weren’t going to be able to stay on the same project. They would have been better to have worked out an agreement and left rather than stay until they were forced out with little or nothing.

4. Don’t take business decisions personally. When you start to take business decisions and differences of opinion personally you lost the ability to deal effectively with them. Once things become a personal battle then there have to be winners and losers. That’s not business that’s war.

5. Understand your real role and position in a project. Early on everyone involved with the startup that became FaceBook felt they were the leader. That just can’t be. There can only be one leader and if that leader isn’t clearly defined then everyone will fight until a leader is established. That kind of fight leaves bodies all along the way.

So I hope you both enjoyed the movie and keep in mind the lessons that can be learned from it.

Amplify’d from smartblogs.com

While you might not want to “friend” Mark Zuckerberg’s character after seeing the “The Social Network,” there is no denying that the film gives you a window into the zeal of the entrepreneur and teaches lessons about business practices and entrepreneurship, particularly “what not to do.”

Much of the film centers on the controversy over the ownership of the idea of “The Facebook,” Zuckerberg’s supposed treatment of friends and colleagues, and his general demeanor on his path to becoming a billionaire. Yet, there is something to be said for the fact that Facebook is a tremendous success story. Facebook’s high valuation is the result of a brilliant idea that was driven to succeed by a hardworking crew of passionate believers willing to invest the time, energy, and money to make a concept a reality.

After seeing a sneak preview of the movie, I came away with these takeaways for entrepreneurs:

A brilliant idea is just that … until you put it into action. The movie features an intellectual property lawsuit in which fellow Harvard students claim Zuckerberg stole their idea. Lesson learned? The world waits for no man. If you are smart enough to come up with a winning concept or idea, keep it to yourself or enlist partners you trust with confidentiality agreements in writing — or better yet, get a patent.

Go for the 3,000-lb. marlin. Your picture won’t be in the paper if you net 14 trout in one fishing trip — but it will be if you catch a 3,000-lb. marlin. Push your entrepreneurial vision to its limit and go after it. Don’t settle for what is easily accomplished and miss out on realizing the idea of a lifetime.

Be forthright with your business partners. A second lawsuit that shaped the movie’s plot featured Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin suing Zuckerberg for essentially pushing him out of the company. Zuckerberg’s character never plainly tells Saverin that his business-development ideas don’t fit with his grand vision for Facebook (fed by Naptster’s Sean Parker), and he then proceeds to dilute Saverin’s shares in the company. The lesson — communicate with your partners, listen to their advice, work to gain their buy-in and know when to cut business ties.

Your business is only as good as its latest review. At one point in the film, Zuckerberg’s character goes into meltdown mode when he fears that Facebook’s site may crash. His point? It only takes the site crashing on one person to create frustration and negative word of mouth. Consistency builds customer trust, and once lost, it is difficult to regain.

Businesses should be like fashion, ever changing with the times. Zuckerberg’s character makes the key point early in the film that “Facebook” is never “done.” The site is constantly evolving to be a better and more comprehensive product. Read more at smartblogs.com

 

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Twitter Ready to Unvail New Look Tomorrow

Tomorrow at their big event Twitter will be showing off their new look and it's sure to cause some buzz. From what TechCrunch.com wrote it sounds like most of the changes will be well received. Everything from moving the chat box to the left margin area to dropping the tabs at the top of the page to give the page more space make it sound like the "lockdown" team has been busy. This is the first "lockdown" that FB has had since the last big revamp a few years back. I can only imagine what it's like to have been "locked down" working 24/7 with somebody like Zuckerberg if he's anything like they say but that's how these types of things get done. Anyway here some of the detail from TechCrunch.com

Amplify’d from techcrunch.com

As you’re probably aware by now, Facebook is holding an event at their headquarters in Palo Alto, CA. The invite we received didn’t seem to give any real clues about what would be announced, but that didn’t stop everyone from guessing anyway. But now we know a part of what they’re rolling out — because they’ve actually already sort of started rolling it out. At least a part of what will be unveiled tomorrow is a redesign, we hear.

Yes, just like Twitter did a few weeks ago, Facebook will be giving their service a new coat of paint tomorrow. Some users are already reporting that they’re seeing a new version of chat appear on the site — that’s because it’s a part of this redesign, we’ve confirmed with a source. More specifically, chat will be moved to the left side of the screen and big profile pictures are being added into the chat itself. But the real key of the redesign is that all Profile pages and much of the rest of the site will be revamped to look more like Places pages, we’re told. If you look at the image below of our TechCrunch Disrupt Places page, you’ll get a taste of what’s to come.

Aside from the movement of chat, apps will be moved below profile pictures as icons. The profile navigation will also now reside in that area, we believe. That means the top tabs you see now on Profile pages will likely be no more. There will also likely be a lot of subtle tweaks to the UI in order to unify the entire service. All the major Facebook areas should be getting this new coat of paint, we hear. That means Profiles, Pages, Events, Groups, Photos, and Videos.

From what we’re told, Facebook has been in a state of lockdown for the past two months or so working on this new design. This lockdown is actually called “Lockdown” — there’s even a Facebook Group for it. Apparently, it’s something that CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses to get the troops worked up and ready to work basically 24/7. “Whatever it takes,” we’re told. If you believe the Wall postings there, the last Lockdown was four years ago before this current one. Read more at techcrunch.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bu41

Does Zuckerberg plan on Email for FaceBook Too

This article adds an extra thought to some discussion already here on Amplify. For it's already been announced that FaceBook will be adding Skype to their arsenal. But is FaceBook also planning on adding a true email as well. There are some compelling arguments for them doing that.

For one thing it would be the last thing that Google has that they don't. With Skype now on board doing voice/phone/SMS in answer to Google's Google Voice that leaves only gmail as a tool Google has that FaceBook doesn't. I would bet that Zuckerberg sees email as the last piece of the puzzle to provide all of Googles services in FaceBook. He's not one to let someone else offer something he doesn't!

So I think it will happen.

What do any of you think of the idea of FaceBook email and if it will happen?

Amplify’d from www.marketingvox.com

What If Facebook Is Rolling Out an Email System?

Facebook is making an announcement on Wednesday that is widely assumed to be about its mobile strategy: either it will roll out a mobile phone or announce a deep integration with a service provider such as Skype. So says conventional wisdom. There are also a number of other theories about what it may unveil, ranging from more donations to charity to a Places platform to - yes - a Facebook email system.

Earlier this year, news broke about an email system, codenamed Project Titan, that Facebook was developing. According to various accounts, it was described as an actual mail system compliant with POP3/IMAP and SMTP. Users would receive a @facebook.com address.

Given Facebook's size - at 500 million and counting - an @facebook.com has the potential to devastate email marketing campaigns, Blue Sky Factory wrote when details about Project Titan first came to light.  "Deliverability will go out the window. Open rates will drop to near zero. Your email won't even get to users, much less get read." In short, it will be the first mass-user email platform that is whitelist-based, Blue Sky Factory said. Read more at www.marketingvox.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/btlv

Interesting to note that this month has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays so looks like we get some extra time off this month http://amplify.com/u/bq7q

The little things in life and what Googles new compression program really means

In an interesting development Google announced a new image compression standard. That on first blush seems to be well outside of what they do in web development, search, and advertising. And almost immediately several tekkies, writers, and general computer 'experts' were heard to question what if anything this development means.

A good example is the attached article from Zdnet by Garett Rogers in which he basically says "Hey what's the big deal". Well what Garett and the other others fail to take into account is just how much a lot of "little" things add up too.

For while it doesn't seem that reducing the size of images would make more than a small impact on the performance of the web that is far from the truth. With only a moment spent looking at the larger picture we can see just how important even little things can be.

For by compressing an image size by only 3% more than the other standards used today you will see that a file now in the range of 100k will suddenly be in the range of 97k. No big deal by it's self. But multiply that savings in file size by the millions of images beings downloaded and it starts to add up. If 1 thousand people download that same file you now save 30k, a million 300k, and so on.

Then you have all the work that a Google, Yahoo, FaceBook, Twitter, Flicker, and of course Amplify have to go through to SAVE these pictures. That work and the resulting space it takes up doesn't come cheap. You're looking at computers and computing cycles to process it, data base programs to manage it, and finally hard drives to store it.

A change like this while small for each transaction makes for savings all along the spectrum of online computing. From how fast your little website loads to how many trillion terabytes of pictures may be stored in the millions of data warehouses out there on line are all effected.

So as in many things it's important to look at the broader picture. For today many of the most important changes and developments we are going to need to take to heart and practice will be like this one. Often we have micro analyzed things in this country thus seeing only a part of the much larger picture.

What effect could one light left on, one aluminum can or plastic bottle recycled, or one slightly smaller image file have on the whole of the world?

Well as this example shows the law of geometric progressions does make little things like this add up. Whole empires have been brought down for, as the poem said, "the want of a nail" and the horse it cost the battle.

So while image compression is a geeky problem that on the surface doesn't seem to have much meaning for anyone but the nerdiest of the nerds it goes to show the importance of little things in life. For not only in computers but in most things in life it's those over looked "little things" that can mean all the difference.

So one bottle or can recycled, one kind word or smile exchanged with a stranger, or a loving word with a kiss and a flower for someone special, are all part of the "little things" in life that taken together make a tremendous difference.

Amplify’d from www.zdnet.com

In their latest attempt to make the web even faster, Google has devised their own image format to rival JPEG. Since forever, JPEG has been doing a great job of compressing photographic images — it doesn’t support transparency, like other formats, but it does what it was meant to do very well. Google has determined that JPEG isn’t the best format for that anymore. WebP is a new compression that achieves an impressive average 30% reduction in file size for images. Google will be proposing an update for WebKit that will make viewing those images in a browser actually possible. Now, I’m not complaining here — anything to make the web faster is good in my books — but I have a question. Why are we worried about fractionally speeding up the web when we live in a broadband world that’s just getting faster and faster anyway? The web is speeding up far more quickly from just network speeds improving than tweaking compression on files that are usually only used to show photographs online. Sure, Sites like Flickr might see notable speedups — with each page showing several jpeg images typically — but most webpages largely use png or gif images (when you can’t do something in CSS). I’ll stop whining now. WebP is still cool, and like I said before, anything to make the web faster is good in my books.

WebP: Google's new attempt at speeding up the web Read more at www.zdnet.com

 

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This Year IRS Audits Will be on the Rise

With all the tax changes and a federal budget deficit estimated at $1.6 trillion the Internal Revenue Service is pushing and gearing up to audit more returns. The focus will be especially strong on Schedule C fillers but will also affect Corporations and Partnerships.

Taken with the fact that the IRS is also training agents to work with QuickBooks and expects to begin to request QuickBook files as part of the audit process this could be a very tough year for the self employed or small business owner.

So a word to the wise! Be sure that your QuickBooks files and your receipts are in order. This has always been something that should be happening but for now and the foreseeable future it's of even greater importance than in the past.

Taking all of this into account this just may be the year that you want to get someone experienced in accounting and using QuickBooks to look over your books. The last thing you need is to have problems with the IRS and with their increased scrutiny that is a definite possibility. And sadly I find that most of the clients I have that use QuickBooks and are not having them reviewed are making mistakes that would put them in violation of several general accounting rules.

Remember having good books isn't just about ending up with the right total expenses and income for the year. It's also about records that meet the required rules and structured such that they are a business planning tool. Any good accountant, skilled tax preparer, or CPA trained in QuickBooks will save you far more than such a review would cost and just the peace of mind is worth a lot.

And with the advent of the internet, conference calls, and all the rest of the tools out there it's easier than ever to have your files checked, your questions answered, and your general procedures improved to increase your productivity. I know that I now manage books and file returns in over 11 states so it’s not even required that you’re located near your accountant or tax adviser. What’s important is that you find someone you feel you can truly communicate with and who will communicate with you.

So give some thought to making this the year that you’re sure what you are doing with your books is correct and that you would feel ready for an audit if one were to occur.

Congress Needs to Address Tax Issues Now not Later

At a time when we face unprecedented problems with the economy and it's management in this country Congress must, if they are to face up to their obligations, address the issue of taxes and tax reductions. It's time now, not after the elections, for legislators to decide if tax reductions will be extended and to finish up the numerous bills that are lying in limbo due to the gridlock that has prevailed during this legislative session.

As a tax professional it always disturbs me every year to watch the circus that tax legislation has become in the Senate and Congress. The far reaching effects and the cost of uncertainty that takes place each year are a hidden drag on our economy and they rise to the level of a national threat to our economic survival in these perilous times.

And while this problem has been ongoing for several years this year provides the "perfect storm" those of us in the accounting industry have feared for some time.

We face the convergence of what is still, in real terms, a depression in most sectors of the economy and a growth in regulation of unimagined proportions. With reams of new regulations and hundreds if not thousands of new regulators added to a system already out of control it will be impossible to escape the damage done to businesses both big and small.

When you take away the ability for businesses and individuals to plan in an orderly way for investments and equipment purchases as well as confuse the important issues of business succession and estate planning you produce a business climate that is hamstrung by indecision and over run with a mountain of costly paperwork.

Just addressing the new requirements for businesses to issue 1099's to their local Wal-Mart, Office Depot, BestBuy, and most of the other businesses they deal with, will increase costs and produce a definite drag on productivity while providing no real benefits to anyone.

Now throw in the big issues, like health care reform, and a banking industry that is failing to provide business funding and you quickly see a system that will be pushed to the limit to handle everything and survive.

So it's time we tell our legislators that we want something done and done now not later.

In a land founded by brave men and women who placed their honor, their fortunes, and even their lives at risk it is a national disgrace to be run by the cowards now taking up space in Washington.

A Sign by the Side of the Road

In 1925 Allan Odell convinced his father Clinton Odell that by using small signs along the roadways of America they could promote their shaving cream company, Burma-Shave.

Thus from that simple beginning was born, what could conceivably be called, the first social media advertising campaign. And while there was no internet, no TV, nor even cell phones used to promote this campaign it will forever be remembered as one of the most unique, original, advertising campaigns ever seen.

For amazingly as the world watched this simple idea, started for $200 dollars, turned Burma-Shave into one of the largest shaving cream companies in the United States at that time.

And with over 7,000 Burma-Shave signs at its height no American could travel for any distance without seeing the fruits of Allan and his brother Leonard’s work. Thus throughout the depression and into the early 1960’s Burma-Shave continued to bring joy and anticipation to a whole generation of travelers on the byways and highway of this country. And, of course, along the way they made Burma-Shave a house hold word.

What does this teach us today about advertising? Are there lessons can we gather from this simple yet powerful idea that still apply?

I think so!

The first of which is that advertising is at its best when it’s simple. For just as Burma-Shave could with 5 little signs (containing nowhere near twitters 140 character limit) catch the imagination and attention of Americas traveling public we can do the same today.

And second, an advertising campaign to grow and achieve success, must bring some measure of worth to those involved. It can be anything from the simple entertainment of a Burma-Shave sign to the joy we experienced with the old Kodak picture ads. But somehow it must touch the people watching in a way that moves them and holds their attention long enough to deliver its message.

We just have to choose our words wisely, keep our message simple, and bring value to the people who we present our message too. If we remember to do that the wonder of the Burma-Shave signs, and what they taught us, will live on.

You can see many of the old Burma-Shave sign ads here at: Burma-Shave Slogans

Dear IRS

I received this letter and just had to share it with you all. I'm not sure but I may have a few of these things laying around lose to use to pay my taxes.

Frank

Dear IRS,
Enclosed is my 2009 tax return showing that I owe $3,407.00 in taxes.Please note the attached article from USA Today, wherein you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat.

I am enclosing four toilet seats (value $2400) and six hammers (value $1029),bringing my total remitted to $3429.00. Please apply the overpayment of $22.00 to the "Presidential Election Fund," as noted on my return. You can do this inexpensively by sending them one 1.5" Phillips Head screw (article from USA Today detailing how HUD pays $22.00 each for 1.5" Phillips Head Screws is enclosed for your convenience.)

It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward to paying it again next year.

Sincerely,
A Satisfied Taxpayer

A Little Humor for the Day

Humor always makes the day seem to go a little better and a laugh will bring sunshine to an other wise dreary day. So enjoy!

During a recent visit to my doctor, I asked him, "How do you determine whether or not an older person should be put in an old age home?"

"Well," he said, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the person and ask them to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No" he said. "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

SO DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE OR THE ONE DOWN THE HALL BY THE WINDOW?

My Thoughts on America Today

At a time when we face so many decisive issues in this country I feel I must say that I think it's time for those of us traditional, patriotic, God fearing Christians to step forward and take a stand.

For soon it seems we Christian patriots will be in short supply if some have their way. As we now live in a time when the president doesn't solute or ware the flag. A time when we are asked to cease our prayers to the God of our forefathers. And we are being told we should apologize for who we are and what we've done.

Well I as a Christian and a patriot feel I must step forward and say, "Enough!".

I love my country, respect it's flag, pray to a Christian God, and make no apologies for it. To those who respect my right to do so I respect them and I'm willing to be tolerant of their beliefs.

However to those who don't, stand aside, as I do not intend to be anything but a patriotic Christian American. And when your beliefs, thoughts, and actions attempt to prevent me from this freedom of expression that is my right as an American you will find that I will fight you for that right with all the might my God will grant me.

So for those of you who understand please join me,

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. (I grew up saying this every morning in school - it's a shame we no longer do that for fear of offending someone).

So God bless us all as we need his strength and understanding to make America once again a country that honers it's Christian heritage and practices the patriotism that built America.

And take a moment to listen to these classic Americans tell you why they love America and what it means to them and let their words bring a tear to your eyes and a longing in your heart for the Christian America so many fought and died to provide us.

Red Skelton's The Pledge of Allegiance

John Wayne The Pledge of Allegiance

John Wayne America Why I Love Her

Johnny Cash Ragged Old Flag

Bankrate.com A Great Online Resource

One of the handiest sites on the web is found here at Bankrate.com.

This site provides a world of consumer information as well as allowing you to search for bank, mortgage, loan, & investment products and services.

What rate is highest on money markets?
Who offers the best mortgage rate?
Where can I get the best auto loan?

All of this and more can be researched and found right at your finger tips in only minutes not hours or days. So if you’ve never checked out this site you really should as it can make a huge difference in your financial future to be fully informed before making any important financial decisions.

A great place to start is here http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/checking-account/ where you can do a search for information on what bank offers the best checking or savings account in your area based on several criteria. You might be surprised at what other banks are offering. And while changing banks is a major decision knowing just what choices you have might just make it worthwhile.

It is just such information that can make your important financial decisions both easier and better.

So check out Bankrate.com and you’ll be surprised by what you can find in the way of good free financial information. And as always treat this information as a part of what you need to base your decisions on but never rely on only one site or source for financial information.

As a point of information I have neither an interest in nor do I receive any commissions, fees, or other remuneration from Bankrate.com. And as always this information is offered only as advice in general and not as an endorsement of Bankrate.com, it’s information as provided, nor the advisability of making any major financial decision without the proper guidance of a professional adviser knowledgeable in your particular needs and situation.

Saving On Air Conditioning During this Heat Wave

With the record heat covering the country right now it's important for people to think about how to efficiently and effectively use their air conditioning. By simply using your air conditioning properly you reduce what is, for many of us, one of our largest house hold summer expenses.

Even better is that it's good for the environment and it takes some of the burden off of our overloaded electrical grid. For it is these peak times of electrical usage in the summer, as we all seek some relief from the sweltering heat, that the electric companies and their aging power grids face a crisis in delivery. This it no better shown than in the many areas that have constant black out or brown out problems during these seasonal heat waves every year.

So keeping that in mind I ask you all to do two things.

First check with your electric provider and see if they have any programs such as we have here in Kansas to help. In Wichita and many other parts of the state serviced by Westar Energy they will come in and install FREE electronic thermostats that greatly reduce cost since these state of the art units allow them to control the cycling of a home owners unit. Just being able to not have every unit in an area come on at the same time prevents spikes in electrical usage that benefit us all.

Better still they will promise to reduce your electric bills by 20%. Which from my own personal experience has happened. That's a win-win situation if there ever was one. (Kansas residents you can read about the WattSaver program here on Westar's website.)

And Second take some time to really study up on just what are good air conditioning practices. So may false ideas and misconceptions are out there that no one article can address them all. But by simply doing some on line research you can find lots of information that will help you to be a better more aware electrical consumer and stay cool in the process.

A good article to start with is one that is on Yahoo right now about air conditioning myths. You might be surprised at some of the things you believe that simply aren't true.

So start with this article Five air-conditioning Myths.

And PLEASE remember to be careful in this heat and be sure to check up on those neighbors, family, and friends you know that might be at risk due to age, health, or economic hardship. No one should die from the summer heat but every year many do.

In fact this article came about after I learned of a friend who just this last Thursday lost their mother due to the heat. She had apparently been trying to save money and not running her air conditioning during the day. That mistake cost her life. And it will forever haunt her children who by not checking on her feel they allowed it to happen. Go with Gods' grace Edna Brown you will be missed by many!

What Plastic Bottles are Safe from Leaching Chemicals

With all the rumors and confusing information you hear about plastic bottles today (especially plastic water bottles) what are the facts and are any of them safe.

Well fortunately a great article on the subject can be found at Trusted MD a site that is respected and contains information that is known to be from reliable sources.

And while I think you should really read the whole article the basics of what was conveyed were as follows;

....Excerpt....

To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.

........

It then goes on to discusses those bright Lexan plastic water bottles with the following information and warnings;

....Excerpt....

Unfortunately, those fabulous colourful hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by the #7 recycling symbol, may leach BPA. Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children.

........

And then discusses plastic baby bottles with the following information and warnings;

....Excerpt....

Unfortunately, most plastic baby bottles and drinking cups are made with plastics containing Bisphenol A. In 2006 Europe banned all products made for children under age 3 containing BPA, and as of Dec. 2006 the city of San Franscisco followed suit. In March 2007 a billion-dollar class action suit was commenced against Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Avent, and Dr. Brown's in Los Angeles superior court for harm done to babies caused by drinking out of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. So, to be certain that your baby is not exposed, use glass bottles.

........

So there you have it on this whole plastic bottle issue. I do think that it's terribly wrong that this danger isn't being resolved nor addressed by our Food and Drug Administration. We should be protected from such plastics and they should not be allowed to be used in food containers nor be allowed to come into contact with foods.

But the current FDA is more interested in allowing the plastics industries to continue unabated while Europe has taken strong measures outlawing all of the plastics in question.

The full article can be found here: Which plastic water bottles don't leach chemicals? | Trusted.MD Network

To Those Living and Suffering On the Gulf Coast

To those who are now going through the horror of the Oil in the Gulf and all it means to a way of life that may be lost forever I would like to reprint a poem I wrote after Hurricane Katrina as it also applies to the suffering and pain being experienced again in the Gulf.

So while no words can take away your pain or bring back either your your property or your way of life may God help you to continue to rebuild both.

One Man's Prayers and Tears

If one man's prayers could heal your lives,
You would be healed. As I pray for you now.

If one man's tears could wash away your pain,
Your pain would be gone. As I cry for you now.

If one man's hope could lift you up.
You would be lifted above the devastation. As I hope for you now.

But only God and faith can see you through this time of trouble.
He is with you now through all our prayer and He will heal you.

His tears he sheds for you will wash away your pain.

He will lift you up and carry you and all will be made whole again.

Dedicated originally to victims of Katrina (and now to victims of the Gulf Oil crises)
By Frank Woodman Jr (9/2/2005)

941 Pitfalls Await Employers This Year

Well here it is again time for the 2nd quarter 941 to be completed and filed for 2010. And while 941’s are notorious for being hard to file even for those who have filed them in the past this year’s 941’s are especially tricky.

This is due to the added new problems and possible errors created by the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE) passed as part of the stimulus package earlier this year.

Under the provisions contained in HIRE employers hiring new employees after February 3rd of this year no longer have to pay the employers portion of Social Security due on the wages of these new employees.

Employers figure the total Social Security and Medicare due on all employees’ wages and then claim “forgiveness” for their portion of the Social Security due on new employees qualifying under HIRE. And while that sounds simple enough the IRS reports that they are seeing a large increase in the number of mistakes being made. These mistakes range from putting the forgiveness amount on the wrong line to claiming the credit for non qualified employees.

Due to these problems the IRS is increasing audits of 941’s and more closely examining all 941’s received. They will also be doing compliance audits to insure that employers haven’t fired employees just to replace them with new workers to claim the HIRE credit.

So a word to the wise take great care with your 941’s this year and expect possible fees or fines for mistakes that would have been waived in the past to be enforced.

Also be very sure that you claim only one credit for each new hire. Often the IRS is finding that employers are also claiming the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) as well as the HIRE credit on the same employees. You can only claim one or the other not both.

Usually the HIRE credit will be the one to take since it has simpler qualifying rules, is much easier to figure, and usually results in the largest credit. But in some cases the WOTC will result in a larger credit and will therefore be the one to use.

Just be sure you understand the qualifications for the WOTC credit are more restrictive than for the HIRE payroll forgiveness credit. The WOTC rewards keeping a qualified new hire employed for 52 weeks. The max credit is the lesser of $1000 per employee or 6.2% of the wages they earned during those 52 weeks. You can take the HIRE payroll forgiveness or the WOTC but not both for the same employee.

If you have taken the HIRE payroll forgiveness and then realize that the WOTC would have been a better credit for any employee, you can amend your 941’s with the new 941X to make the adjustment.

You can get more information and details about these credits and the qualifying rules here on the IRS web sites HIRE information page.

Todays Food for Thought

"Evangelism is selling a dream." - Guy Kawasaki

"No wild enthusiast could rest, till half the world like him was possessed." - William Cowper

"Opposition always inflames the enthusiast, never converts him." - Friedrich Schiller

Microsoft Offers BizSpark Program for Start-Ups

Have a new business and need software development tools. Well consider taking advantage of Microsoft’s BizSpark program for new start-up companies. They will give you full featured Microsoft development tools, licenses for server products, and other useful tools and software to use for three years at no cost. Yes free! All you need is to have is a new and innovative business idea you are bring to market.

Microsoft describes the qualifications as follows:

"Most privately held software development start-ups in business for less than three years who generate annual revenue under USD $1 million can join. Enrollment carries no up-front costs. Just pay a USD $100 fee at program exit."

You can find out the full details and what you need to do to sign up for BizSpark here: BizSpark

So check it out you don’t have anything to lose and it may be your ticket to making that dream come true.

Wi-Fi Hot Spots and Security Risks Go Hand in Hand

Recently I had a client contact me wanting my help in resolving some identity theft problems and the resulting losses his business had incurred. It seems that two of his bank accounts had been accessed and over $30,000 was taken through fraudulent transfers.

Of course he was surprised when he contacted his bank and found that the bank would make good on none of the losses. It seemed that my constant reminding him that commercial accounts don't receive the same protection that private accounts do had fallen on deaf ears. (That will be the topic of another article.)

But as expected he was really mad and was just certain that he knew the person responsible for the theft and wanted me to help him prove it.

It seems that he had recently fired a young man that had been with his company for about two years and this young man had be involved in both handling tech and maintenance on his computers. So this young man would have had the knowledge and the ability to access the bank accounts in question and he felt he must be the one who had done the crime.

As in most cases of forensic accounting and security investigation a good rule is to never jump to conclusions. Far to often it's not the one we suspect that is the guilty party.

So the first thing that I did was to look at the records and then begin to study the security and protection in place for the companies computers. Of course what I found was both a surprise and an embarrassment to my client.

For the truth of the matter was that in the end I discovered that both he and his office manager often met at a local club for breakfast and to go over issues that they wished to discuss out side of the office. They just loved this place because, you guessed it, they had Wi-Fi and free Wi-Fi at that.

Well after some careful investigation it seems that one of the young people that worked at the restaurant in question had left his job. He had left to go back to college in another state. The police are still investigating but it seems almost certain that this young man was the thief. I'm not certain that he will ever be charged (Computer crimes are very often never solved or if solved no one is charged due to their complex nature.) but with everything we know he's the guilty party.

So what's to be learned from this?

1. Wi-Fi isn't secure. Everything that you do, send, or have on your computer is at risk while you are on a Wi-Fi network. And that risk extends to paid Wi-Fi as well. The only part of paid Wi-Fi that is encrypted all the way to the ISP is the sign on screen. So while paid Wi-Fi is more available it's not safer. There are a couple of easy answers to this problem. First is to use a VPN secured gateway to access a Wi-Fi network any time you use one. And Second is to go with a wireless ISP, which is much different, over using Wi-Fi. Providers like AT&T, Version, Sprint, T-Mobil, and the other big wireless providers protect your connection and make sure it's private from your computer to their computer.

2. That not having important data encrypted on your computer means that this data can be accessed by others even when you aren't using it. It seems that up on checking credit cards and other company assets were compromised as well and all were items of information contained on the owners laptop in clearly visible files. So the owners computer had been accessed not just the data that was transmitted over the Wi-Fi network.

3. That everyone in a company needs to be aware and trained in security issues. Bosses and others at the top are often the worst offenders since they don't usually answer to anyone. That's part of the $30,000 lesson my client learned in this case. He can be a security risk just like everyone else.

4. That not paying for and implementing security and the proper training of your personal may well be much more expensive in the end. Security is a constantly changing and increasingly important part of your companies operations. It's not something to be left to chance or circumstance.

So a word to the wise DON'T USE PUBLIC WI-FI WITHOUT VPN PROTECTION and use encryption on files that contain important data or risk losing that data.

As a point of information the client involved in this issue knows of this article and approved it's content. He allowed it's publication with the hope that it could prevent others from leaning these lessons the hard way as he did.

The 10 Commandents and The Work Place

After careful though I've come to the conclusion that the real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a government building is this --you cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of politicians .... it creates a hostile work environment.

Mad Cow's and Illegial Aliens

Think about this:

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington?

And, they tracked her calves to their stalls and were able to follow them and their offspring.

But this same government claims they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country.

Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

THESE REALLY WORK!!


1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS.( REMEMBER IT RECOMMENCED TO USE A TIMER.)

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE, WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT EITHER A PLUMBING OR AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

Hope you all enjoy these "tips" and had a laugh or two.

Facebook Malware Attack on Line and Active

A Facebook malware attack is on the loose this weekend, enticing users to click a “Distracting Beach Babes” video on their Facebook Walls. The Wall message reads:

“this is hilarious! lol :-) :-) Distracting Beach Babes [HQ] Length: 5:32″.

If you see this video on Facebook today, do not click the link: Doing so, and downloading a linked file, will result in malware being installed on your computer.

If you see the video on your wall, remove it. If you’ve clicked the video, meanwhile, run a virus and adware scan on your computer. And of course, be more careful about clicking suspicious-looking links in future.

Remember it's such social engineering efforts that are the most common way security is breached. No software or preventative action can possibly work if you don't resist falling for such simple rouges.

So How can You Tell if Your Facebook Profile is Safe?

Well with all the talk and all the discussion about Facebook in the end it comes down to one thing. Are your profile security settings really providing a safe and secure Facebook listing or not. As you've already realized that's not something that is easy to figure out.

With all the complexity and various levels of junk you must go through just to try to set everything it's almost impossible for most people to do. And when your done have your really dotted all of your i's and crossed all of your t's.

Luckily someone has come to your rescue and set up a site just to help you get it right.

Now all you have to do is go to Profile Watch and in about three steps and in only a few minutes you can have your profile rated. I'm not sure who is behind profile watch but they have done both a great job and a great service by making it easy to truly know what your security settings leave open to the public.

Even nicer is that they have several article links there to help you fix what you find wrong.

So check it out and lean the facts and stay safe.

Need a Usage Disclaimer or Privacy Statement for Your Site or Blog?

As you all know having a web site or blog leaves us open to legal questions and sadly requires that we consider having both a site usage disclaimer and a site privacy statement.

Well if you have only a simple or basic site and need a privacy statement or a usage disclaimer checkout these sites and see if they won't meet your needs and do it for free.

For a free privacy statement Privacy Policy Generator

For a free site usage disclaimer Site Usage Disclaimer

Just remember that as in all cases when you attempt to do your own legal work you take some risks and I can can of course in no way know if these sites will provide documents that meet your needs so you do use these sites at your own risk.

Also let me know if you are aware of other sites that provide such services and what you think of these sites.

American Academy of Pediatrics Advocating FGM

Mark down the date April 26, 2010 on your calendar as it’s a date that should be remembered. For sadly it marks the day that American medicine took a giant step back into the dark ages. A day when we saw our medical establishment make a statement you would never expect from any reasonable person much less a medical academy.

For amazingly on that otherwise uneventful day in April of this year came a shocking change in the AAP’s stand on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This isn’t a term that we hear or talk about much in America. But beyond the shadows of what is, in this country, a seldom practiced form of ritualistic discrimination lies the sad and disturbing practice of FGM. It’s all too common an occurrence in many third world countries where every year girls, often no more than babies, are victims of this barbaric custom. And they quietly and secretly carry the physical and mental scars of this abuse for a life time. They live never being able to face their attacker but carrying in their heart the shame, humiliation, and pain caused by this treacherous act as a constant reminder of their second class citizenship as women.

But while worldwide and estimated 120 million women undergo this practice involving the partial or total removal of the female genitalia it seldom occurs here and currently is illegal. In 1998 AAP stated in their policy review and stand on the issue that it saw the practice as medically unnecessary, a human rights violation, and it opposed all forms of FGM, and cautioned pediatricians about their role in "perpetuating a social practice with cultural implications for the status of women."

However it now seems that the AAP is taking the side of allowing pediatricians to lawfully engage in this barbaric ritual practice here in America. In their April 26th statement they refer to the practice as "female genital cutting (FGC) or ritual genital cutting,” dropping the term "female genital mutilation" and they make no reference to the discriminatory aspect of FGM, and further state they selectively oppose only those forms of FGM that in their view "pose the risk of physical or psychological harm." (As if any form of genital mutilation could be said to cause neither physical nor psychological harm.)

So at a time when the rest of the world and its medical establishment has turned the corner and taken a stand against FGM we in America could see our laws and medical practices changed to allow physicians to lawfully perform such horrible acts on young women. And this comes at the same time that Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) announced the introduction of new bipartisan legislation, The Girls Protection Act (H.R. 5137), to close the loophole in the federal law prohibiting FGM by making it illegal to transport a minor girl living in the U.S. out of the country for the purpose of FGM. That bill if signed into law could protect 1,000’s of girls annually.

But if the laws and medical standards are changed to reflect AAP’s new policy all of this will be meaningless as FGM could be legally practiced here and there would be no need to send young women out of the country to have this done.

This is something that is simply unacceptable and must be stopped. Currently the fight against this new view of FGM by the AAP is being lead by Equality Now . We simply must not let our young women, or young women anywhere for that matter, be mutilated out of some antiquated standard that has no purpose but to degrade and subjugate women as chattel.

Equity Now home page
PRNewswire press release by Equity Now
HOW TO CONTACT THE AAP

Emerson Quotes to Ponder

Some great thoughts by a man who deserves a little credit for seeing much of what was both right and wrong with the world. If you've never really taken the time to read a little Emerson you should do so.


Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A chief event of life is the day in which we have encountered a mind that startled us. Ralph Waldo Emerson

A man is usually more careful of his money than he is of his principles. Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can read many of his greatest quotes here Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes

Assisted Living

A community of elders is a gift from above,
So full of life, knowledge, enlightenment, and love.
Stored away memories and dreams to come true,
It's more than a blessing to share them with you.
Surprising it's not, when you live like you do,
That so many are eager to spend time with you.
Every life that you touch because of how special you are,
Definitely explains how we have made it this far.
Loved ones are proud that you live on your own,
It's a comfort to them that you are never alone.
Very grateful we are for the opportunity you give,
Inspired by example from the life that you live.
No wonder that we love you as much as we do,
God answered our prayers when he blessed us with you!

Written September 1st 2005 by Nicole Packard to celebrate assisted living week and dedicated to Lawrence Hull.

It's Time that Facebook Answer to Security Concerns!

For a long time now I've had a Facebook page and even engaged in some of those silly games they have that we all have came to love. I've found it an easy and enjoyable way to check on friends and family. Pictures of the kids, what's happening at work, who bought that new car or motorcycle, and yes even who's died or getting a divorce are all there and easy to find. No need to check many places or expect everyone to remember to email me everything going on as they can just post it once and it's taken care.

But as time has passed and I've came to understand how Facebook functions and how they treat my personal information I've dropped the games and made every attempt to better restrict the information that's shared. Currently I've got everything that can be restricted to just friends and I've quite mob wars and farmland as well as all the other apps and services they make available.

Some of my friends have called me crazy or paranoid to take these actions. It seems that many on Facebook fail to understand nor do they seem to care about the risks to their privacy. And until the recent expansion of Facebook into a common portal that will be everywhere I didn't really concern myself with trying to discuss this subject. It has always resulted in glassy looks and statements of "why is that a problem" from far to many any time I brought it up so I've just changed my security settings, bit my tong, and kept quiet.

But now that Facebook has decided to turn itself in to something closer to a portal than a true social network site it's time to step forward with my concerns. As Facebook is spread far and wide (Yahoo has already offered to add my Facebook connections to Yahoo mail so I can see my Facebook messages right in Yahoo mail or chat directly with anyone on Facebook through Yahoo chat.) it's going to make available far to much information to anyone who wants it. Both snoops prying and businesses wanting to turn our likes, dislikes, and interests into sales through targeted marketing will have an almost unlimited ability to access everything from our birthday and address, to our phone number and email address. Who's to say what that information is used for.

And while that' a constant problem on the web that's only a small part of what concerns me. For Facebook is by far the scariest and most secretive site that we turn our info over too. And while Google, Microsoft, and other large sites have been held somewhat accountable Facebook has somehow escaped from any real control or censure for what is outright the worst record on security of any major site.

So lets look at what scares me most and what I feel are the worst issues to be worried about:

1. Facebook has no requirement that any of these companies or individual providing apps, games, or services through Facebook give them any information as to who has access to that information, where it's stored, or even where they are located. For example the popular game Farmland is provided by a company that hasn't even given Facebook the address where they are located nor just who is behind the company. That to me is pretty scary and not acceptable. I don't care to share my data with shadow companies or people who won't come out into the light of day.

2. Facebook (like some other sites) doesn't apparently ever really remove your data or pictures from Facebook. They just make it appear to be deleted when you chose to remove it. There is an interesting article on Zidnet that discusses this issue in depth and provides proof. You can read it here (Facebook doesn't erase user data.) and see for yourself just how out of control data storage is on Facebook.

3. Facebook and it's owner seem bent on spreading far outside of a controlled network. This recent movement to allow any site, blog, service, or page on the internet to simply download a little code and insert it into their site to connect to Facebooks network is just too easy. Even worse Facebook hasn't made it clear just what controls, if any, they require of anyone using this service. With their poor record for the services, apps, and games they have now it would seem they aren't going to do better with this looser structure and open network business model.

So a word to the wise. Change your settings to be as restrictive as you can on Facebook and think long and hard just how much you will use Facebook as your portal for sharing information outside of Facebooks network. I sure won't be trusting Facebook to be a proper manager of my information.

Mark Twain on patriotism.

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. Mark Twain

In that one quote Mark Twain shows his real understanding of the very complex issue of patriotism. For while we should always support our government our government should always deserve our support. Far to often today our government deserves only our forgiveness.

Just pray that soon a patriot can again support our government without regret and as Americans we that once again we can hold our head high.

Will Rogers a Man for all Seasons.

Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock.
Will Rogers

Don't gamble; take all your savings and buy some good stock and hold it till it goes up, then sell it. If it don't go up, don't buy it.
Will Rogers

I bet after seeing us, George Washington would sue us for calling him "father."
Will Rogers

Summer Jobs Mean Hidden Opportunities!!!

Well its summer time and your high school (or college) aged kids are getting jobs to earn a little spending money or help with college expenses. It probably doesn’t seem that long ago that the most important thing in their lives was getting their drivers license and that all important first date.

These are events that they (and you) will always remember (Fondly I hope.) as defining the beginning of their change from a child to an adult. These and other such events foreshadow the things to come in their life. College, marriage, that first good job, and of course kids are right around the corner most likely and it’s a busy and hopefully thoughtful time in a young person’s life.

What both you and that new worker are probably missing however is just how big an event that first job and the earned income it provides are to the total picture of your child’s future.

With that job comes a unique opportunity!!!

Silently, quietly, and never to come again has arrived the most opportune time in their life to start saving and planning for their future. It may have more potential for financial security later in life than a college degree or climbing the corporate ladder to a high paying job or profession.

What is this magic moment?

What has changed in their life that you and they may be missing?

What opportunity has occurred that will never happen again?

Well it’s the chance to start a ROTH IRA while they are young.

PLEASE, PLEASE….. DON’T LET THEM MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Get them to set up a Roth IRA as soon as possible.

It’s never too early to start saving and starting a Roth IRA at young age is a guaranteed winner if it’s left alone to grow. Start a Roth by 20 and it has a chance to grow for 40 to 45 years tax free rather than the current average of 25 or 30 years that most retirement plans do.

Time not investing savvy or how much you save is the greatest asset that any investor has in their arsenal. It is the one asset that can’t be made up for as compounding interest requires TIME to work it’s miracle of tremendous growth. While bad returns on investments can be over come and savings amounts can be increased when opportunity allows only time allows compound interest to work it miracle and grow our savings to astronomical levels.

Believe me this is the stuff that investing dreams are made of. The difference those extra 10 to 15 years of growth makes is impossible to realize unless you play with the numbers. But it’s safe to say that on average it will probably DOUBLE and maybe TRIPLE the amount they have at retirement if allowed too.

Remember no less than Albert Einstein when referring to compound interest is quoted as saying:

"It is the greatest mathematical discovery of all time"

If Albert Einstein felt that compound interest was a greater discovery than his other findings like E=MC2 it shows just how powerful it can be for your child’s future financial security. Just think Einstein was saying that compound interest was more powerful than atomic energy and I can’t argue with him when you’re talking about investments.

This article is a reprint from 6/27/2005 but it's still as true today as then. And with all of the economic uncertainty and questions about what the future holds for America and it's citizens regarding our financial future now is the time to teach our youth about the value of saving and the need to provide for their future. It is a give that will serve them well.

First comes Antivirus and Malware Protection.

Recently I've had several people ask me what products I use and recommend they run on their Windows based PC computers for security, protection, and to optimize performance. And while that sounds like a simple and direct question it isn't. That is because the amount of protection and what it takes to make your system perform well while providing adequate security depends on many factors.

So to answer that question I've came up with what I believe is the only good way to provide that information and that is to offer different recommendations of software to run based on the users experience level and the level of protection needed. A novice user, the average user, and a more experienced user all obviously have much different requirements and abilities when it comes to security so no one answer is going to fit all of their demands.

Also I know that you can find hundreds of programs out there and get many different recommendations from lots of sources as regards security software. With that in mind remember that I offer this advice only as my personal choices based upon my own use and observation and make no other claims or arguments as to the suitability of any of this advice. So please keep comments limited to any other software you may use without arguing that my choices are somehow inferior or risk having them removed. I don't intend to turn this series of articles into an endless argument just my recommendations, suggestions and thoughts on this matter.

So let’s first take a look at Anti-virus, malware, ad-ware, and general protection software that is available as standalone programs with later articles to discuss other aspects of security ending with a rap up that discusses security suites. I take that approach since I feel that the best overall security solution often comes from picking and choosing the best of the programs in individual areas and combining them to produce good, solid protection without expecting any one “suite” to be best in all areas.

This approach also allows for users to find that combination of programs that they best understand and can use to their full potential. No program, no matter how good it is in theory, is a good program for someone to use if they just don’t understand it.

With all of that in mind for a Novice user the Anti-virus threat protection program I recommend is;

Microsoft Security Essentials (It's free to all users and does an adequate job without being too complicated and while it's a Microsoft product it's gotten good ratings and seems to perform adequately.)

Its available for download here: Security Essentials


And for malware and other threats I recommend to the Novice user:

Microsoft Security Essentials. (Yes this program is also my choice to provide this protection too as it's a complete security program for providing basic protection from ad-ware, Trojans, viruses, and most other threats. That makes it nice for the Novice to use as you only have one program to keep updated and working. It comes set to auto update and has live time monitoring to help prevent most dangerous downloads from installing. All that and it’s in a simple to use package that seldom confuses or causes problems. )

As for the general and advanced user I recommend for Anti-Virus, Trojan, root kit, and other such protection:

Avast Anti-Virus (It seems the best overall answer as it's free for general use and is cost effective for business use with an excellent rating and record. It has automatic updating even in the free version and is easy to setup and use.)

It's available for download here: Avast Anti-Virus

As for ad-ware, malware, and other such treats I recommended Ad-Aware. (It's free for general use and cost effective for business use. And with an excellent record and rating it comes with live time monitoring in both the free venison and paid versions. Be aware however that it only offers automatic updating in the paid version so you need to remember to be sure it's kept updated especially BEFORE scanning when you're using the free version.)

It's available for download here : Ad-Aware

So there you have it for anti-virus, malware, ad-ware, Trojans and such threats. My next article will deal with firewall software so watch for it about Wednesday or Thursday.

What does McAfee's Failure Show Us!

As most of you know and many of you may have experienced McAfee made a major mistake a few days ago. Somehow they managed to release an updated virus file that identified a major systems file in XP as a virus and then removed or quarantined it. That resulted in a computer that constantly rebooted itself endlessly without success.

So what are we to learn from this experience. Just the simple fact that most companies today only give lip service to quality control. There just isn't any other way to describe this error but as unforgivable. When one of the biggest "Security" companies fails to check out an update on what is the largest user based OS in America it's not something that can be overlooked. To think that a company that's specialty is security could be responsible for causing more trouble than any virus, malware, or Trojan has caused so far this year just defies belief.

But the real story goes beyond McAfee and strikes at the hart of a much bigger problem. Currently we have far to many companies both big and small in every sector of our economy that are constantly failing to provide or produce products that are anything but junk. It's a sad statement on our pride, competence, and workmanship that so may of our products fail and do so at such an alarming rate.

We see this trend every day in everything from our cars and our baby furniture to our medical equipment. This trend needs to stop and the only way it can happen is for everyone to take a stand and refuse to allow those who fail to produce quality products to get away with it.

So I've taken a new hard stand against such sorry performance. I return products and write the companies involved when I get something substandard. That includes dropping McAfee as one of the companies I deal with. And I won't be using their products again until they can convince me that I'll not be spending the better part of a day trying to resolve computer problems caused by their incompetence. I have no idea how much it cost me in time and trouble to clean up the mess they made of several of my clients computer systems but it was substantial. Systems that they needed to perform their businesses and provide the services and merchandise their customers require were reduced to uselessness. And of course like all software companies McAfee gets off scott free of liability due to their software licensing agreement.

But if we all take them to task and drop their software from our systems we can still see that they get the message. A message that hopefully will tell companies that "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore."

So join me in striking out against poor products and substandard workmanship. Drop McAfee and replace their "Security" suite and products with others that can do the job.

To help you do just this I will be doing a series of articles starting tomorrow that will discuss some of the security products that are available (many free for personal use) that have show that they can perform and perform correctly. Remember we can succeed if we stick together or hang separately if we don't.

Facebook and it's New "Open" Interface.

With Facebook's open interface we all should now have even more privacy concerns than in the past. For while it sounds great to just click a button and list all our favorite sites and share that information with everyone on Facebook it's important to remember that without care we share that information with everyone one on the web.
Facebook is becoming the dominate player in what is now a movement to make everything "social" on the web. The problem with that is that by doing so we may soon be unable to protect our privacy and on line identity from leaking out to everyone.
I'm sure that many people have sites and places that they visit that they don't want made public. Those kinds of sites include those dealing with religious, political, and personal areas of our life that we prefer to keep to ourselves. But with the way Facebook is opening up their currently private network to any site that want's to join in that privacy is in jeopardy.
So a word to the wise. Check out your privacy settings on Facebook and consider doing just what I've done and block all of this information being used or made available.
For a great article that deals with this issue and gives some real in depth advice check out;
How to Restore Your Privacy On Facebook - http://ow.ly/1Cm2O
It will help you to know just what settings and changes you may want to make to allow for these new Facebook changes.

Is Your Computer Leaving Finger Prints for All to See?

The one constant in security is that we find the bad guys keep creating ever new ways to get at our computers and the data they contain while tracking our every move on line.

For example in my last post I pointed out how LSO's have replaced the standard cookie as the new threat to tracking our activities. And while they are certainly a major new threat they are hardly the worst new tactic to come from the minds of those who seek to destroy our online safety and privacy.

For example, recent work confirms what was only hinted at some years ago in a paper by a Ph.D. student Tadayoshi Kohno. It was first discussed in an article by PC magazine back in 2005 shortly after his paper was published.

And what did he see coming and fear would be an almost perfect method of tracking our movements on the web? It's what could best be called "finger printing". It seems that just as Microsoft does when you install Windows on your computer it's possible to remotely develop a description of your computer that's almost impossible to hide or change.

And being based on all the hardware and software that is installed on your computer as well as it electronic signature it is such a combination of devices and software that it is for all purposes unique to one and only one computer, yours.

Put simply that means that all the software and hardware on your computer contains identifiers that are designed to be read by your system. With that information it's possible to create a profile without your knowledge or consent based on the way your computer is designed to work. For just as Plug and Play devices (basically all computer devices today) respond with their manufacturer, model number, serial number, and version numbers when polled so does your software report what it's called, when it was made, and even when it was copied to and installed on your computer. And with the right equipment it's even possible to detect those random electronic actions and minor skips or glitches in the electronic workings of the various sub systems within your computer.

As you can readily see that means that the basic design and content of your computer works against you and your privacy. Not much you can do about that. And even worse is that it may be possible to use this "finger print" to identify individual devices even when they connect over other access points or even hidden behind NAT firewall's.

If that's true it means that even when you connect your laptop or cell phone at a remote Wi-Fi spot you could be readily spotted and tracked. So now even when you're out of your office or home your entire web profile becomes one seamless whole.

And when will this threat be not just a threat but a fact. Sadly it appears that it's already started. By all accounts some sites and providers are even now using "finger printing". Just imagine how much better the FBI likes this idea over their much maligned project called Condor. No special equipment needed! No easy way to know you're being followed! And no place to hide or disguise who you are!

Now the question is can the security establishment find an answer to this new danger? Only time will tell but I for one will sure be looking over my shoulder and wondering just who is using this dangerous tool to watch us all as we access the web.

And until someone shows me a way to avoid this method I will consider that all I do and all I see is being tracked by someone somewhere.

Tracking PCs anywhere on the Net -PC Magazine 2005

Remote Physical device fingerprinting

Fingerprinting Computer Chips

Do You Know What an LSO is?

Well don't feel bad if you don't know what an LSO is or what it does. The long and short of it is that it's a special cookie that's stored in Flash not your browser. They've been around for a while now but they haven't gotten much attention from the press or even security companies. I find that interesting since they pose a far greater risk than regular cookies.

Worse still, not one of the browsers I'm aware of can be set to delete or block them. And to the best of my knowledge only one add-on for Firefox (BetterPrivacy found at http://ow.ly/1xbGn) exists to help control them.

Stranger yet is that not any of the security suites or programs out there makes any mention of them. Not Norton, not McAfee, not ZoneAlarm, not anybody in the security suit arena even so much as talks about them!!

Why is that such a big issue?

Well LSO's offer many, many, times the risk of regular cookies since they have several features that makes them special.

They can be up to 100Kbs in size for each site.
They aren't removed by your browser and have no expiration date.
They work and are stored even when a browser is in privacy mode (remember they work under Flash not your browser)
They're basically unknown by the public so sites feel free to use them as they choose and none mention them in their privacy statements.

So what we have is an open way for sites to track a person in great detail and without any control in place to stop it. Anytime we have something like LSO's it's an open invitation for abuse.

So what are your options?

First you could disable Flash but that would mean sites like YouTube wouldn't work. That's not an acceptable answer for most of us.

Second you can change Flash's settings to help control them. To do that you need to get under the hood in Flash but it's not really a hard thing to do. The complete instructions are located here on Adobe's site http://ow.ly/1xbZ3

And third you can use Firefox and the BetterPrivacy ad-on found here http://ow.ly/1xbGn

It is issues like LSO's that have made me a Firefox user. Not a single one of the other browsers has anywhere near the number or depth of add-ons that Firefox has.

So now the issue is will you allow sites to track you and monitor everything you do or will you take charge and get rid of the LSO's on your computer? Just remember big brother is watching, listening, and tracking everything you do on line as long as these LSO's remain in place.

For additional information Adobe's complete definition of what a Locally Shared Object (LSO) is can be found here http://ow.ly/1xccj

From a long time fan!

Sometime late in the summer of 1986 my life changed in a subtle but perceivable way. As on that long forgotten summer day I discovered the real meaning of Country Music. I didn't know it at the time but Country Music and my life had changed and would be forever enriched. For while I had always listened to and enjoyed Country Music I had never truly lived it and understood it through the heart and mind of a master.

But on that magical day I first heard Johnny Western on the radio.

Like most of life's changing moments it took a while to realize what it meant and how it would change me. And while I had always been a devoted KFDI fan and loved all of their on air personalities I soon knew that Johnny would be the one that meant the most.

It wasn't any one big thing but all the little things that made him so unique and special.

No one could tell the stories and relate the world of Country Music like Johnny. Partly because he had lived, breathed, and loved the profession long before he became a DJ. But mostly because he truly embodied what it is to be Country. Music was and is just his way of expressing it to the rest of us.

So for those many years of working away with the radio playing as Johnny and his music and stories filled my mind with what it is to be Country I want to thank him.

Johnny you've been special and may God forever hold you in the hollow of his hand.

A special tribute to Johnny Western on this the 10th day of April 2010 from a forever devoted fan Frank Woodman Jr.

A Last Gift of Love

Just recently I read an article in the Detroit Free Press written by one of their columnist Kristen Jordan Shamus ( http://ow.ly/1vRHy ). In it she discussed dealing with those end of life health issues we all face. And she went on to explain how much it meant to her and her family when the time came that her grandmother had made her wishes known and had in place a do-not-resuscitate order.

It reminded me just how often people forget that some day we all leave those we love to make decisions for us. Sometimes these decisions come after we are gone and are the usual things like funeral arraignments, or who gets moms stamp collection. Other times they come while we are still here but not able to make them ourselves. The worst of course are those dealing with health and resuscitation matters.

But regardless of when that time comes we shouldn't leave our loved ones to try to do what they think is the right thing just when it's hardest on them without our help and guidance. If you think it's hard to decide what you might want in a living will imagine how hard it is on someone else to guess your wishes and make that decision for you under all the emotional stress of a medical emergency.

So while it's not easy to think about such things and we all love to put them off as long as we can that's not the fair and loving thing to do. Every one of us should take the time and provide the guidance, both legal and emotional, that getting our affairs in order provides for our family and loved ones.

Once you make up your mind it's not really that hard. It's more a matter of getting started.

And the best place to start is with a living will. That one instrument will give more peace of mind than any single document you can provide if it's ever needed. No one wants to make the decision of denying medical procedures or treatments to someone who’s dying. The forms are available at most doctors’ offices, hospitals, and of course can be found on line or through an attorney. Surprisingly living wills aren't that hard to understand and they are something that most people can do on their own.

Next, and many ways more important, is a will and that's going to take more time and effort as it deals with financial and legal issues and it isn't something that you will want to rush. Sadly most people will find the need to consult with an attorney to help them. That's not the most pleasant thought but it may be the best way. Of course today they have many computer software packages that can help a person do it themselves but that's not necessarily a good idea with something this important. So unless you are really comfortable working with complex issues see an attorney. Remember leaving no will is better than leaving one that has legal problems and ends up in costly court time to resolve those problems.

And last is a good set of records and a note or letter to explain those things that will need to be known right after your death. This isn't something you keep locked up or in your safety box at the bank because people will need it immediately available. Where all your bank accounts are, what insurance policies you have, and even the songs you want used in your funeral services aren't things most people (including a spouse) have total knowledge of. So start writing things down and thinking about everything you can think of someone might need to know right after your death.

Once you start writing it will surprise you how it comes together. Just take the time to be as complete as possible. And remember this information changes all the time and so it needs to be reviewed at least once a year. I've found that setting some definite date every year helps me get it done. It can be any time that is easy to remember from your birthday to when they change to daylight savings time. One of the best things is that most of us have computers to create and store such records. Even if you aren’t computer literate you can find someone to help you. Just be sure that others know about this information and how to retrieve it. And remember such a list is not something you want to fall into the wrong hands so take care to keep it safe yet available.

In closing I just want to say I wish you all the best with this project and here are some places you can get information about living wills, wills, and other documents. And a special thanks to Kristen for reminding me that we need to spread the word about this issue.

Living wills, wills, and medical directives links

http://www.doyourownwill.com/lwindex.asp

http://www.free-legal-document.com/

http://www.hov.org/health_care_decisions.aspx

http://www.lectlaw.com/formb.htm

Care Connections at http://www.caringinfo.org

AARP's Web site, http://www.aarp.org/families/end_life.

An Interesting Way to Save on Printing Costs

It's interesting to note that you can save quite a bit on ink or toner cost if you chose the right font. So give some though to the fonts you use and set your default font to something printer friendly.

When Printer.com tested popular fonts for their ink-friendly ways, Century Gothic and Times New Roman topped the list. Calibri, Verdana, Arial and Sans Serif were next, followed by Trebuchet, Tahoma and Franklin Gothic Medium. Century Gothic uses about 30 percent less ink than Arial.
 
A very good article going into much greater detail can be found here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_money_saving_fonts

So check it out for some simple changes that will put some money back in your pocket.

FCC loses first round in Net Neutrality

We all lost some ground today with the court ruling that the FCC under current laws can't enforce Net Neutrality rules on the phone and cable companies. At issue was Comcast and their war against Bit Torrent. That means that the FCC will have to go back to the drawing board to find a way around this decision or the phone and cable companies will be able to slow, block, or other wise keep certain services and programs from their systems.

You can bet that Google and Skype have their eyes on that scary thought. What will Google's Youtube service do if  the cable and phone companies start limiting bandwidth for their videos. And you know that neither the phone companies nor the cable companies want Skype cutting in on their lucrative phone businesses.  It could make it very hard for Google to expand or improve videos since they don't control the fiber. And of course Skype could become a memory if they lost the right to reach less than all the country. Worse still is what it means for net TV broadcast services. You just know that the cable companies aren't going to pass up the chance to kill that as quickly as they can. Hula and other services are just starting to become a threat that could be stopped dead in it's tracks.

But the FCC says that they will find away to keep these networks open. The question is how will they do it and how long will it take? It would take forever to get a bill through Congress right now and an appeal wouldn't be much faster and has an uncertain outcome. Plus the FCC has a lot on its agenda with  all the bandwidth issues to handle arising from the frequency auctions that will shape the future of wireless networks  across this country.

So what's the best guess? Most figure that the FCC will just try to make cable and phone companies data services come under the more strict rules that govern voice phone services. They have been open for a very long time now. In some ways that would be worse for the cable and phone companies than what they have currently. The one thing we know for sure is that only time will tell how it comes out. All parties have much to gain or lose in this fight and we as consumers will be in the middle.

I just hope that all parties see that it's in everyone's best interest not to turn this into a war that drags on and on. Anyway next time your trying to download that video file, or sharing a large Bit Torrent file and it seems that it's just not happening you maybe right.

Additional stories you may want to check out:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20001886-266.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_internet_rules

Just a thought on motivation.

  

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing that's why we recommend it daily. Zig Ziglar

Share a Hug Today

The world would be a much better place if we all remembered to share a little vitamin H(ug) every day. Hugs make us all feel better while making us drop our barriers and become closer to those around us. So share a hug and watch the world become a better place one hug at a time. And remember vitamin H is totally safe in any amount and has no know side affect besides making you feel better.