Hey Passengers welcome aboard. As you you know each Tuesday (well almost) I try to drop a tech tip or two on you that I come across. And I know at least one of you (Helen of Troy, lawyer extraordinaire) finds them useful.
Today I’d like to visit the topic of email. I frequently receive forwarded e-mails with links to interesting sites. The messages are from people I know. But there are no headings or signatures, just the link. This makes me hesitant to click on it. Can a hacker use someone’s e-mail address to send a malicious link?
And no I am not being paranoid, here’s why. You need to be extremely careful with links in e-mail messages. People are wising up to the dangers of e-mail attachments. Many companies filter out specific types of file attachments. And security software will often catch malicious attachments.
So, scammers are increasingly using Web sites to infect victims’ machines. They send out spam messages with links. The links may or may not have an accompanying message. When you click one, you’re taken to a malicious site. It will check your machine for security weaknesses. If it finds one, it will attempt to download malware to you. If not, it could try to trick you into downloading a file.
For example, many such sites purport to show videos. But they’ll tell you to download a codec to view the videos. The codec is a Trojan, of course.
Now, I doubt your friends and family are sending you malicious messages. But you should still exercise caution. Don’t click a link unless you’re expecting it. Contact the sender to verify that it is legitimate. You can’t be sure an e-mail is really from a friend. Spoofing a return address is easy.
Criminals also target e-mail accounts. They steal passwords and hijack the accounts. Contacts in the address book are then scammed. Tools like SiteAdvisor will help you avoid malicious sites. These are most useful when you’re browsing the Web. For example, you’ll see a rating next to sites in search results. Unfortunately, these tools don’t work as well with links in e-mail. And they won’t help if a legitimate site has been compromised. But should you click on a malicious link, you’ll get a warning. A site’s rating is displayed at the bottom of the browser.
New browsers won’t send you directly to some malicious sites. They display a warning that the site may harm your computer. You must click a link to continue to the site. But new malicious sites pop up every day. A browser can’t keep up with them all.
So, I recommend a spam filter. It will help you filter out malicious messages. I have several great spam filters on my site. Try SpamBayes, MailWasher or Spamato.
So my fellow passengers there you have it another Tuesday Tech tip. Hope you find them useful.
Here’s wishing you Computer Love…
AllAboard, The LiFeTrain!!!
…I need a special gurl…to share in my computer world
B 4 u pick up today’s edition of the LiFeTrain Daily news remember, at the bottom of each page is the click-a-ble word next> . This takes you back days, weeks, months of daily LiFeTrain stuff…
How appropriate for us Washingtonians…Snowbound. A good friend of mine and a frequent rider on the train text’d me this morning to ask if I felt like I was back home (Ohio). I told her I was no-longer homesick!
I was ok till I ran out of Milk for the only dish I know how to cook…The Captain’s Delicacy (see below)!
Hey passenger’s make it a great Monday and a great week!
Hey Passengers as we head into the weekend, here’s a question I’d like to ask….If your plane crashed in the water and everybody died. Would you drown on purpose, or try to survive?
To all my fellow passengers here on the Train…The LiFeTrain…Choose life, swim…Tread water even. Fake it till you make it…but
TO PROVE MY POINT SUFFER THROUGH THIS SONG…AND PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY TO THE WORDS OF THIS SONG (THE MIDDLE PORTION)!!!
NEVER GIVE UP!
I’d like to leave you with something for the weekend. A story I received from a very special friend of mine.
The Story:
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, ‘God! How could you do this to me?’
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him!
‘How did you know I was here?’ asked the weary man of his rescuers.
‘We saw your smoke signal,’ they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It’s easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground…it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
Have a great weekend fellow passengers and please consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.
Hey passengers, welcome aboard the train this fine Thursday. As you know each week we visit Dr. Diedra Hayman back in the medical car where she holds office hours once a week. This week I sat down with the good doc to discuss anxiety disorders. With all the stresses of today’s world I though it might be helpful to look at how we could manage this type of condition or perhaps offer help to a friend or family member who might be…a tad worried over things. So without further a due, lets knock on the good doc’s door and see what we can find out.
Chuckie: Hey Doc Doc! Before we get started with today’s topic, tell us, whats going on in your world…how are you? Dr.Dee: Well, life is moving quickly. I am just about to send the puppy I’m fostering to her forever home, so hopefully my life will get back to normal soon. I am SO glad my kids are past the diapers and 2am feedings, stage. Nursing puppies takes you right back to those days!
Chuckie: Doc, today let’s talk about Anxiety. Just what is Anxiety disorder? Dr.Dee: Well, an anxiety disorder is really when we take worrying, and raise it to the level of art! lol! Everyone experiences anxiety. Its that feeling of nervousness, or worrying a bit about something that is new, something that is old and bothersome, something that is out of the ordinary for our lives. But when we worry and stress to the point where it interferes with our daily lives…we cant sleep, we cant eat normally, we are having bad dreams or nightmares, we are worrying about any and everything, we dont want to go outside our homes, we panic…then it becomes disorder.
Chuckie: Is this your area of expertise? Dr.Dee: As a generalist, I do have some experience working with anxiety. After major depression, it is probably one of the most common mental disorders.
Chuckie: As I understand it there are types of anxiety disorder, correct? Dr.Dee: Yes, there is an anxiety disorder for every day of the week! Not really, but there are several anxiety-based disorders. Interested readers can do a google search for the details, but briefly, there is Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia, Phobias, Social Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Tic Disorder, and DIssociative Disorders, Somatoform Disorders, Anxiety Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified. I may have missed a couple others, but those are the most common.
Chuckie: How do you treat anxiety disorders? Dr.Dee: There are a variety of techniques for treating anxiety disorder. Systematic Desensitization is where a person is taught relaxation techniques, and then gradually exposed to the thing that causes them stress, while being asked to practice the relaxation. This can be done either through images created in the mind, or else, “in vitro”, or live, with an actual example of the anxiety provoking situation. Many cognitive-behavioral approaches are effective as well, and they tend to vary according to the type of anxiety. But essentially they teach the client to become aware of their thoughts, and then rather than accepting their thinking about an issue face value, they learn to question the validity of their thinking, and to replace faulty thoughts with more reasonable and helpful ones. I mentioned relaxation techniques as part of Systematic Desensitization, but those techniques alone can be taught as an effective means of coping with anxiety. Biofeedback is another means of treating anxiety. Here, the person is taught, through the use of a machine that monitors heart rate and blood pressure, to reduce the physical response to anxiety by slowing the heart rate and lowering the blood pressure. Lifestyle changes are very important. Often we are living in such a way, and at such a pace, that we may be unwittingly contributing to our own anxiety. And of course, there is medication management. There are a variety of medications available for the treatment of various anxiety disorders.
Chuckie: How do I know if the medication is working? Dr.Dee: If there is significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, and the side effects are not intolerable, then you can assume the medication is having some impact. Its important to be alert to the medications, though. In the case of anxiety, some of the medications are actually addictive, such as the benzodiazepines (Klonipin, Xanax). If you dont want to risk addiction and withdrawal, request something other than a benzo, if at all possible. Some antidepressants are effective against anxiety symptoms, at different doses.
Chuckie: Any parting thoughts to leave us with on this subject? Dr.Dee: Yes, anxiety can be a crippling disorder. It can make it difficult to impossible to get a job, keep a job, or even leave the house, for some people. Often, people become anxious because they attribute all kinds of faulty meanings to events that occur in their lives. One of the most effective treatments I knwo of for anxiety is trust in God. Knowing that ultimately, God is in control, makes it possible to manage even the most distressing anxiety, and even reducing it to zero. I encourage all who desire, to seek a knowledge of God, and to rely on Him for the solution to our deepest worries. God says “casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.”
Chuckie: Do you think we’ll ever get our own syndicated show? Dr. Dee: Uhhh…no, Chuckie, I work on the “brief therapy” model. You are almost out of sessions for this treatment episode!
Hey Passengers please pass the following site along to those who may need it, and remember there’s free help available at:
Hey passengers, thinking of buying a new computer? If so timing, in my humble opinion is everything. And all my indicators tend to lean towards “now” as in now is the time to buy. Here’s why I think so.
Getting the best price on any purchase is always important. Computers are not cheap tools. Getting a new one is a big decision. I’m sure many people are asking the same questions.
The quick answer is, yes. Buying now is probably the best idea. I doubt computer prices will go down. In fact, they are most likely to increase. Chances are, you’ll get the best bang for your buck now.
Computers are boxes of electronic components. In many cases, component prices don’t vary much. Processors stay in the same area, for instance, but grow in power. Hard drives just get bigger and bigger. And Windows gets more and more exciting, at least according to Microsoft(?).
But one component fluctuates a lot. That would be random access memory. More and more RAM is being packed into computers. That incredible growth magnifies price changes, up and down. Right now, prices are trending up.
Why? In 2009, computer sales did poorly. Part of that was the recession; part was a dislike for Windows Vista. But people can’t put computer purchases off forever. Things wear out. With the arrival of Windows 7, buyers are coming out of their caves. Sales are jumping, diminishing supplies of RAM.
Computers today often contain several gigabytes of RAM. Strong sales don’t take long to reduce supplies.
Other components aren’t as affected. But strong sales will at least discourage manufacturers from cutting prices. And retailers will be putting away their “sale” banners. Don’t expect to be met by a brass band at the store.
The economic recession hit the RAM industry pretty hard. RAM prices fell through the floor. It was a good time for buyers.
You can still find full desktop packages for around $500. There are plenty of laptops selling under $500. And many netbooks go for under $300.
It’s hard to remember prices ever being this low. And most of these computers are running decent hardware.
But, as I said, sales are taking off. In addition, manufacturers are producing more DDR3 RAM. DDR3 has been around for a few years. It’s faster than the now-standard DDR2. And it consumes less power. But it also is more expensive.
So, component prices are pushing up PC makers’ costs. They could slow the rise by reducing PC performance. More likely, they’ll pass the cost on to customers.
Now, this doesn’t mean PC price are going to skyrocket. I’m not trying to scare anyone. But if you plan to buy, your best deals are probably now.
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his toolsand ran to the bog.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death..
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
‘I want to repay you,’ said the nobleman. ‘You saved my son’s life.’
‘No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,’ the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.
‘Is that your son?’ the nobleman asked.
‘Yes,’ the farmer replied proudly.
‘I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.’ And that he did.
Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son’s name?
Sir Winston Churchill.
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
Sing like nobody’s listening.
Live like it’s Heaven on Earth.
It’s National Friendship Week. Send this to everyone you consider A FRIEND.
Pass this on, and brighten some one’s day.
I hope it works…
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
and may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
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almost) I try to drop a tech tip or two on you that I come across. And I know at least one of you (Helen of Troy, lawyer extraordinaire) finds them useful.
For example, many such sites purport to show videos. But they’ll tell you to download a codec to view the videos. The codec is a Trojan, of course.
Chuckie: How do you treat anxiety disorders?
humble opinion is everything. And all my indicators tend to lean towards “now” as in now is the time to buy. Here’s why I think so.