Tag Archives: security

Relief For Airline Passengers With Prosthetics

Anyone who has flown since 9/11 has experienced the lengthy security lines at airports throughout the country. I’m guilty of having done my share of complaining about having to stand in line with a toddler and having to strip down to a single layer of clothes in order to pass through the X-ray machine without setting off the alarms. I often have to remind myself that my inconvenience is nothing compared to what passengers with casts, braces or prosthetic limbs are made to endure just so they can make it to their flights on time. I can’t imagine how relieved … Continue reading →

True Friends

How important are the friends we make? Friends can shape our lives to a certain extent. During formative years friends are particularly important as children can so easily be led astray by peer pressure and the wrong kind of friends. When we were houseparents to a group of boys, we had one boy in our family who tended to be heavily influenced by the company he kept. To a certain extent I suspect it can be true of all of us. You can tell a lot about a person by his or her friends. As the Spanish novelist Miguel de … Continue reading →

Why is Firefox More Secure Than Internet Explorer?

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In my last blog, I talked about five reasons to love Firefox. Number one was “Security” but I didn’t explain why Firefox was more secure than Internet Explorer. The answer will surprise you. To understand how this all works, first you have to understand open source code vs closed code. (When I say code, I mean the programming code used to build the program.) There are two schools of thought in the computer world: a) You can build a program and hide the code used to build that program, thus forcing hackers to run all sorts of incredibly difficult equations … Continue reading →

What’s So Great About Firefox Anyway?

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Why do I love Firefox? Let me count the ways… Okay, so maybe this isn’t worthy of a Shakespearean sonnet, but if I could write haiku, I’m sure it would be worthy of one of those. Firefox is an excellent browser that surpasses Internet Explorer in many aspects. Here is my top five list of reason why I love Firefox: 1) Security. Firefox was built to be more secure than Internet Explorer from the ground floor up. Add that to the fact that when a hacker decides he wants to write a worm or trojan horse for a browser to … Continue reading →

What Does “Successful” Mean?

“Successful” is a very popular qualifier–whether we’re talking about families, individuals, or businesses–just by adding the word “successful” it seems to raise things up a few notches in everyone’s eyes. But, when running your own home businesses, I think it is important to decide for ourselves what “successful” means, instead of inheriting someone else’s definition… So, what does successful mean to you when you think about your home-based micro business (or businesses)? Does it mean making a lot of money? enough money? Or does it have anything to do with money at all? There’s no law that says money has … Continue reading →

Adopted Children Need New Social Security Numbers

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If you are about to adopt or have recently adopted, you may need to add one more thing to your “to do” list. After a child is adopted, his name is changed according to your wishes. Obviously, parents want their adopted child to have the family name. But you should not stop there. If it was a closed adoption, you need to also change the child’s social security number. If the number is not changed, the birth parent can find your child by tracing the number. We do not want our birth mother to find us at some future date … Continue reading →

Home Monitoring Systems—Good or Bad Christmas Gift?

Home monitoring systems are often touted as being one of the best investments a homeowner can make. Think about it: the devices let you keep track of your home and family while you are away, and with the latest technology integrated in the systems you now have the option of keeping tabs on your home and your children (when you leave them alone or with a babysitter) via your cellphone. Advances in technology allow you view what’s going on at home when you’re gone by providing live streaming video 24/7. Can you imagine… leaving your teens home for a night … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits—News You Can Use Regarding Jet Lag, Long Security Lines and Frequent Flier Miles

Can Chronic Jet Lag Kill? If the answer to that question is “yes” then I know a few people who are close to kicking the bucket. In all seriousness, recent tests on mice suggest that chronic jet lag and other behavior involving sharp light-cycle changes, like rotating shift work, could shorten a person’s lifetime. The study done by University of Virginia scientists found that disrupting the circadian rhythms (the 24-hour physiological cycle of humans and many animals) for test mice increased the mortality of especially older mice. During the course of the study the scientists adjusted the light-cycle of the … Continue reading →

Celebrity Body Guards—Which Is More Effective Brains Or Brawn?

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were in the news again this week—well, at least their bodyguards were. According to news reprots, Brangelina’s guards allegedly scuffled with photographers in India twice in the past week, which raised the question by security experts about whether “thuggish bodyguards who rely on football-player physiques and tough-guy attitudes” might cause more problems than they solve. “The only time physical involvement becomes necessary is when we or the client is in fear for their lives,” said Aaron Cohen of IMS Security in Los Angeles, which provides protection for celebrities and their homes. “That’s the only time … Continue reading →

The New and “Improved” Carry On Rules

Finally, some good news for travelers: today the government announced it plans to partially lift its ban against carrying liquids and gels onto airplanes. (Even if you aren’t a frequent flier you probably know that a total ban on liquids and gels was instituted last month after a plot to bomb jets flying into the United States was foiled.) When I heard the news the first thing that came to mind was “baby steps.” (Regular readers of my Travel blogs know that I have been following this carry-on issue closely.) Officials elaborated by saying that passengers can bring liquids and … Continue reading →