Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Alcohol Use by All Americans Including Kids
Sunday, August 7, 2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WWW!!!!!
Twenty years ago today, the World Wide Web, also known as “the web”, was born at CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research. This event should not be confused with the Internet’s birth. According to the World Wide Web Consortium’s website, the World Wide Web is “an internet-based hypermedia initiative for global information sharing”. Tim Berners-Lee is credited with the invention of the web, along with scientist Robert Cailliau.
Berners-Lee envisioned the concept of using hypertext to help researchers share information over the internet. According to Wikipedia, he proposed “ to build a hypertext project” called “WorldWideWeb” (one word, also “W3″) as a ‘web’ of ‘hypertext documents’ to be viewed by browsers, using a client–server architecture.” Berners-Lee used a computer called NeXT as the world’s first web server. On August 6, 1991, “the web” made its public debut.
Today, the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C, as it is often called, sets the standards for “web” development. Tim Berners-Lee is still very active in the development of “the web” and is the Director of W3C. He was Knighted in 2004 by Queen Elizabeth. He also directs the Web Science Trust and The World Wide Web Foundation.
“The web” has transformed into a medium for the endless sharing of ideas, entertainment, and commerce. Could the men who set this idea in motion ever have envisioned the powerful influence it has become today? So today, when you check up on friends half-way around the globe on Facebook, or catch the latest gossip on some news website, take a moment to wish “the web” a very happy twentieth birthday!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Tip To Increase Productivity
A little while back I ran into a friend, Susan O’Connell (Zen Master and Vice President of the San Francisco Zen Center), and she did something old fashioned.
When I said we should have tea sometime, she immediately went to her bag and got out her paper calendar, and suggested we make a date right then.
I said, “No, you’re busy, we can set a date later.”
She said she tries to only deal with something once.
It’s an old-fashioned piece of productivity advice, and something that I’ve done in the past, but it works.
Deal with something once. Do it now. Then it’s off your mind, and you can fully focus on the next matter.
Do most of us do this? We might read a bunch of emails, and say, “I’ll reply to those later. I’ll decide later.” We might see a bill or other piece of mail, and put it aside for later.
We put off small decisions and tasks for later, and they pile up, weighing on us at the back of our minds, pulling on us until we collapse under the weight of “later”.
Try dealing with it immediately.
If you open an email, make a decision on it immediately. Schedule the appointment in your calendar, reply, do a small task it requires, or if it takes too long, then you can put it on a to-do list — but avoid this if possible. David Allen suggests a two-minute rule: if the task can be done in less than two minutes, do it now. I suggest five minutes, even up to 10, as that means you have one less thing to worry about.
At any rate, archive the email once you’ve dealt with it, or delete it. You’re done with that. Move to the next, and repeat.
This applies to everything else: mail, paperwork, phone calls, requests from others. Deal with them immediately, or schedule a date to deal with it later if necessary.
When your child asks for attention, give it to her now.
When your wife starts talking to you, put away the laptop, iPad or mobile device, and talk to her now.
What this means is that you deal with each thing in the moment, and then move to the next. Your mind isn’t pulled in a million directions at once.
It’s contrary to advice I’ve given before, because what it sometimes means is that you are often moving at the whim of other people’s requests — what they think is important, not you. And this can be a problem. You don’t want to just be reactive. I prefer to do what I think is important.
But a balance can be struck. When you deal with email or other types of communication, do it now. When you decide to work on something important, clear everything else, shut down communication, and just focus on that one important task. Don’t bounce around.
I’ve been doing this, mostly, ever since Susan reminded me of this little productivity trick, and it works beautifully. I’m not perfect — there are a couple tasks I’ve been putting off, mostly because I don’t have the ability to do them immediately, but for the majority of things I’ve been pretty good at dealing with things now.
Appalachian Trail Record
photo: Jennifer Pharr Davis on the trail. credit: Maureen Robinson
Jennifer Pharr Davis has hiked the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail twice before. She has even written a book about the long slog and its endless rewards and challenges.
NEWS: Appalachian Trail Could Be Extended Across International Borders
This summer, she hit the trail yet again with the goal of going even faster than her 2008 time of 57 days and some hours. (Most through-hikers take six months or more). But that's not all. She also wanted to beat the official record of 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes, set by Andrew Thompson in 2005.
The New York Times caught up with her part-way through the trek with an encouraging report. This week, she succeeded in her record attempt, finishing in 46 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes. That translates to an average of 47 miles a day.
Pharr Davis, a 28-year old writer, hiked up to 16 hours on most days, according to a post on The Adventure Blog. Her average speed was three miles an hour.
That pace is certainly not slow, especially considering the mountainous terrain, but it's not unattainably fast for most fit hikers. What's most impressive, though, is that she could sustain her speed for so many hours a day, day after day for a month and a half.
It's not Pharr Davis's first major hiking accomplishment. She has summited Mount Kilimanjaro, through-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and set a women's record on the Long Trail. She has also completed an Ironman, as well as multiple marathons and ultra-running races of 50 miles or more.
In a blog post after finishing the trek, Pharr Davis reporting sleeping a lot, eating pizza, doing literally nothing, and catching up on the news of the world -- both hard news and gossipy stuff.
"I timed my finish so I could watch the season finale of The Bachelorette," she joked to her husband.
Sounds like a rest well-earned.
AppSumo...Uncommon Sense....Int. with Derek Sivers
| Uncommon Sense Welcome!
Enjoy... Section 1: IntroSection 2: Why are You Doing?What You Will Learn:
Section 3: Nobody Knows the FutureWhat You Will Learn:
Section 4: Revolution?What You Will Learn:
Section 5: If its not a Hit, SwitchWhat You Will Learn:
Section 6: Version 0.1What You Will Learn:
Section 7: Idea vs ExecutionWhat You Will Learn:
Section 8: The Most Successful Things We Did at CD BabyWhat You Will Learn:
Additional Links and ResourcesDownloadsDownload the full video for your desktop here Download the .mp3 version here *right click on the link and "save as" if opens in a new windowSumo InsiderWhat do you want to learn next? Just send an email to nextactionvideo@appsumo.com |
As seen on
- TechCrunch
- Lifehacker
- Wired
- CNET
- Good
Who are you? What is this!?
AppSumo partners with people who make the coolest apps out there to offer you exclusive price deals on their products. Mom would approve.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Free Ways to get Rid of Conficker
What is Conficker's "thing"?
So far conflicker (conficker) hasn't caused any damage. But what it does do, is find your passwords. The worm can figure out almost any password you have. Why and How? Because it knows that most people do not use secure passwords. They use simple things like relatives names, birthdays, special moments, one word names, cars..etc. Another words SIMPLE. Conflicker just starts searching your computer, going through all your files, finding names, repeated words, interests and what not, and then applies it's finding to anything on your computer that's password secured. And it's VERY SUCCESSFUL at it. What's even crazier is that people use the same password over and over again in all areas from secure documents on their computer, to bank accounts, to ATM machines, etc. Once conflicker knows who you are, and can get your passwords out of your computer and send via the internet to the creator, than that creator most likely can start gaining access to most of your accounts. Scary isn't it?
No matter what you do, there will always be people who refuse to update their computer, or even those that have no idea how, so that will always give this worm the ability to grow and seek new instructions, orders, and self update itself. Here's something even more scary.
Conficker, or also sometimes referred to as Downadup, Kido or Conflicker, keeps finding ways to update itself, in doing so, it's finding ways to block Windows from installing the security patch. Even going so far as to make you think you installed it, but you really haven't. By far Conficker is one the most sneakiest worms ever created. So now what? If you have conficker and it's updated than most likely it's going to try and find a way to prevent the security patch from updating or even block certain virus protection programs from being installed, even going as far as blocking you from accessing certain sites on the internet that could effect the life of Conficker. It's going to come down to first taking steps to manually get rid of it, than stopping it's accesses, then prevent it from happening again.
Free Ways to Get Rid of Conflicker
First
Disable AutoRun. Autorun allows your usb to automatically show up, or automatically start programs on any
external hard drive. So first do this.
- Go to your Start Menu and Select Run
- Then type gpedit.msc
- A group policy window will show up
-go to computer configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System. - Under System double click the "Turn Off AutoPlay". It will be in the right hand panel.
- Then, select "Enable" and choose "All Drives" from the drop down menu.
Second
Update your computer. Make Sure that your version of Windows has all the latest security patches. Don't worry about whether or not conficker may make it appear that you've updated when you really haven't. There's a good chance that Microsoft has kept up and is on constant watch for this worm. So update.
Third
After you updated and restarted your computer now it's time to remove the conficker virus or at least make sure you don't have it. Your best bet isn't a virus protection software yet. First you need a standalone free program called Sophos Conficker Cleanup Tool. You can download it by clicking here. Once you've downloaded the program, and run it, it will effectively get rid of the conficker worm.
Fourth
The only real way to make sure this doesn't happen again to you, or to prevent you from being part of the vicious cycle of conflicker (conficker) being able to update itself, is to have REAL TIME VIRUS / SPYWARE BLOCKING PROTECTION. Yes, I wrote that all in capitals to stress my point. It's not enough to have virus protection or spyware blockers on your computer that wait around for updates then do a scheduled search on your computer for spyware or viruses. You need a program that is constantly on guard, ready to attack anything that attempts to overpower or attack your computer, and you need that program to quarantine that item RIGHT NOW. There are lots of spyware blockers and anti virus programs out there. The best usually cost about 30 dollars, but you can get free ones as well. The free ones are basic at best, but can still offer real time protection. I would start with PC TOOLS. They are the most popular for a reason. Next would be Zone Alarm. Incredible real time protection as well as an assortment of other great programs such as Zone Alarm's Force Field will NEVER leave you vulnerable again.
Lastly - PASSWORDS.
I know it's nice and easy to remember your dog fluffy's name and use it for a password, but it's definitely not a smart thing to do especially since that's the first word your next door neighbor is going to try if he/she wants access to your computer or a file. Here are some great tips on Passwords.
We all have them, and sometimes we have literally hundreds of them. How can we remember them all? First use a program to store your passwords that uses the latest encryption methods. Any password protection program worth it's salt will be using state of the art encryption security in the program that would take even the most advanced computers on our planets 100's of years to decrypt. These programs when using them also prevent the use of any spyware from seeing what you are doing like keyboard recording (keyloggers), and computer snap shots. So it's very safe to open them and record your password in them. A simple search in Google or Bing for password managers will give you lots of free and well as paid programs for this.
Now once you have your password manager, now it's time for you to get a password generator. These generators are usually free and do just want they say. They create impenetrable passwords that your neighbor, sneaky employee, or and conflicker worm can figure out. Completely Random, long, multitudes of characters. Hard to remember, and could take 30 years to crack.
Once you start practicing safe password usage you will actually be among the few who actually won't be taken advantage of when something as dangerous as the conficker (conflicker) worm ever resurfaces.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Lemons Many Uses
- For a sore throat or bad breath, gargle with some lemon juice.
- Clean discolored utensils with a cloth dipped in lemon juice. Rinse with warm water.
- Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and smelling fresh.
- Use one part lemon juice and two parts salt to scour chinaware to its original luster.
- A few drops of lemon juice in outdoor house-paint will keep insects away while you are painting and until the paint dries.
- Remove scratches on furniture by mixing equal parts of lemon juice and salad oil and rubbing it on the scratches with a soft cloth.
- To make furniture polish, mix one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil.
- To clean the surface of white marble or ivory (such as piano keys), rub with a half a lemon, or make a lemon juice and salt paste. Wipe with a clean, wet cloth.
- To renew hardened paintbrushes, dip into boiling lemon juice. Lower the heat and leave the brush for 15 minutes, then wash it in soapy water.
- To remove dried paint from glass, apply hot lemon juice with a soft cloth. Leave until nearly dry, and then wipe off.
- Rub kitchen and bathroom faucets with lemon peel. Wash and dry with a soft cloth to shine and remove spots.
- Fresh lemon juice in rinse water removes soap film from interiors of ovens and refrigerators.
- Create your own air freshener: Slice some lemons, cover with water, and let simmer in a pot for about an hour. (This will also clean your aluminum pots!)
- Fish or onion odor on your hands can be removed by rubbing them with fresh lemons.
- To get odors out of wooden rolling pins, bowls, or cutting boards, rub with a piece of lemon. Don’t rinse: The wood will absorb the lemon juice.
- Save lemon and orange rinds to deter squirrels and cats from digging in the garden. Store rinds in the freezer during the winter, and then bury them just under the surface of the garden periodically throughout the spring and summer.
- After a shampoo, rinse your hair with lemon juice to make it shine. Mix the strained juice of a lemon in an eight-ounce glass of warm water.
- Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with two tablespoons of salt to make a rust-removing scrub.
- Before you start to vacuum, put a few drops of lemon juice in the dust bag. It will make the house smell fresh.
- Get grimy white cotton socks white again by boiling them in water with a slice of lemon.
- Clean copper pots by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing the cut side with salt until the salt sticks. Rub the lemon onto the metal, rinse with hot water, and polish dry.
- Suck on a lemon to settle an upset stomach.
HPV Vaccine Updated July 2011
Debate is heating up about whether or not to require girls to be vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. This flurry of state
Featured Links |
activity stems from the June 2006 recommendation by the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that routine vaccination is recommended for girls between ages 11 and 12.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV infects approximately 20 million people in the United States with 6.2 million new cases each year. There is no treatment for HPV, only treatment for related health problems. There are more than 30 strains of HPV that affect at least half of sexually active people in their lifetime. Most strains of HPV do not produce any symptoms and disappear on their own.
Cervical cancer is the second leading cancer killer of women worldwide. In the United States, nearly 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and 3,700 women die. This number is much smaller than in other countries largely because of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test, a screening tool for cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that, with early detection, cervical cancer is usually treatable.
As of 2011, there are two FDA-approved vaccines on the market. Merck's Gardasil, which protects against HPV strains 6, 11, 16 and 18, and GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix, which targets HPV strains 16 and 18. Almost 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital warts cases are linked to these four strains of HPV. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends administering the vaccine to girls between 11 and 12 years of age, before they become sexually active.
Even after recommendations by the ACIP, school vaccination requirements are decided mostly by state legislatures. Some state legislatures have granted regulatory bodies such as the Health Department the power to require vaccines, but they still need the legislature to provide funding.
The debate in states has centered-in part-around school vaccine requirements, which are determined by individual states. Some states grant regulatory bodies, like the Board of Health, the power to require vaccines, but the legislature must still provide funding. Some people who support availability of the vaccine do not support a school mandate, citing concerns about the drug's cost, safety, and parents' rights to refuse. Still others may have moral objections related to a vaccine mandate for a sexually transmitted disease. Financing is another concern: if states make the vaccine mandatory, they must also address funding issues, including for Medicaid and SCHIP coverage and youth who are uninsured, and whether to require coverage by insurance plans. This has caused some to push for further discussion and debate about whether or not to require the vaccine.
The CDC announced that the HPV vaccine is available through the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program in all 50 states, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Washington DC. VFC provides vaccines for children ages nine to 18 who are covered by Medicaid, Alaskan-Native or Native American children, and some underinsured or uninsured children.
State Action
The Michigan Senate was the first to introduce legislation (S.B. 1416) in September of 2006 to require the HPV vaccine for girls entering sixth grade, but the bill was not enacted. Ohio also considered legislation in late 2006 to require the vaccine (H.B. 703), which also failed. Legislators in at least 41 states and D.C. have introduced legislation to require, fund or educate the public about the HPV Vaccine and at least 20 states have enacted this legislation, including Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. The CDC announced that The New Hampshire Health Department announced in 2006 that it will provide the vaccine at no cost to girls under age 18. As of May 2007, the department reports they have distributed over 14,000 doses in the state. South Dakota's governor also announced a similar plan in January 2007 that combines $7.5 million in federal vaccine funds and $1.7 million from the state's general fund. As of May 2007, the department reports distributing over 20,000 doses of the vaccine. The Washington legislature approved spending $10 million to voluntarily vaccinate 94,000 girls in the next two years. On February 2, 2007, Texas became the first state to enact a mandate-by executive order from the governor-that all females entering the sixth grade receive the vaccine, with some exceptions. Legislators in Texas passed H.B. 1098 to override the executive order and the governor withheld his veto.
The Virginia legislature passed a school vaccine requirement in 2007 and considered a bill that would delay that requirement but it was passed by indefinitely by the Senate Committee. In 2007, at least 24 states and D.C. introduced legislation to specifically mandate the HPV vaccine for school (California and Maryland withdrew their bills). DC's bill was enacted and requirement started 30 days after Congressional Review Period expired. See the bills marked under the school mandate column in the table below for more information.
As of October 2010, 19 state have proposed HPV related legislation or resolutions in 2009-2010. See the charts below for more information.
As of April 2011, 3 states have proposed HPV related legislation for the 2011 session. See the chart below for more information.
CDC Report on HPV Vaccination
Reports of Health Concerns Following HPV Vaccination
VAERS Limitations
VAERS data cannot be used to prove a causal association between the vaccine and the adverse event. The only association between the adverse event and vaccination is temporal, meaning that the adverse event occurred sometime after vaccination. Therefore, the adverse event may be coincidental or it may have been caused by vaccination, however we cannot make any conclusions that the events reported to VAERS were caused by the vaccine.
HPV Vaccine Safety
There are two licensed HPV vaccines, Gardasil® and Cervarix®, available to protect against the types of HPV infection that cause most cervical cancers. Gardasil® was licensed for use in females, age 9-26 years in June 2006 and for males age 9-26 years in Oct 2009. Cervarix® was licensed for use in females age 10-25 in October 2009.
The safety of HPV vaccines was studied in clinical trials worldwide before licensure. For Gardasil® , over 29,000 males and females participated in these trials. For Cervarix®, over 30,000 females participated in several clinical trials.
Since licensure, CDC and FDA have been closely monitoring the safety of HPV vaccines. There are 3 systems used to monitor the safety of vaccines after they are licensed and used in the U.S. These systems can monitor adverse events already known to be caused by vaccines, as well as detect rare adverse events that were not identified during pre-licensure clinical trials. The 3 systems are:
- The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)–a useful early warning public health system that helps CDC and FDA detect possible side effects or adverse events following vaccination.
- The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project–a collaboration between CDC and 10 health care organizations which monitors and evaluates adverse events following vaccination.
- The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Network– a collaboration between6 academic centers in the U.S. which conduct research on adverse events that might be caused by vaccines.
Reports to VAERS Following Gardasil®
As of June 22, 2011, approximately 35 million doses of Gardasil® were distributed in the U.S. and VAERS received a total of 18,727 reports of adverse events following Gardasil® vaccination: 17,958 reports among females and 346 reports for males, of which 285 reports were received after the vaccine was licensed for males in October 2009. VAERS has received 423 reports were of unknown gender. Of the total number of VAERS reports following Gardasil®, 92% were considered to be non-serious, and 8% were considered serious.*
Non-serious adverse event reports
VAERS defines non-serious adverse events as those other than hospitalization, death, permanent disability, or life-threatening illness.
The vast majority (92%) of the adverse events reports following Gardasil® vaccination have included fainting, pain, and swelling at the injection site (the arm), headache, nausea, and fever. Syncope (fainting) is common after injections and vaccinations, especially in adolescents. Falls after fainting may sometimes cause serious injuries, such as head injuries, which can be prevented by closely observing the person for 15 minutes after vaccination.
Serious adverse event reports
Any VAERS report that indicated hospitalization, permanent disability, life-threatening illness, congenital anomaly or death is classified as serious. As with all VAERS reports, serious events may or may not have been caused by the vaccine.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been reported after vaccination with Gardasil® . GBS is a rare neurologic disorder that causes muscle weakness. It occurs in 1-2 out of every 100,000 people in their teens. A number of infections have been associated with GBS. There has been no indication that Gardasil® increases the rate of GBS above the rate expected in the general population, whether or not they were vaccinated.
Blood Clots
There have been some reports of blood clots in females after receiving Gardasil®. These clots have occurred in the heart, lungs, and legs. Most of these people had a risk of getting blood clots, such as taking oral contraceptives (the birth control pill), smoking, obesity, and other risk factors.
Deaths
As of June 22, 2011 there have been a total 68 VAERS reports of death among those who have received Gardasil® . There were 54 reports among females, 3 were among males, and 11 were reports of unknown gender. Thirty two of the total death reports have been confirmed and 36 remain unconfirmed due to no identifiable patient information in the report such as a name and contact information to confirm the report. A death report is confirmed (verified) after a medical doctor reviews the report and any associated records. In the 32 reports confirmed, there was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine and some reports indicated a cause of death unrelated to vaccination.
VAERS Reports Following Cervarix®
Since licensed in October 2009, uptake of Cervarix® vaccination in the U.S. has been low. As of June 2011, there have been 39 VAERS reports of adverse events following Cervarix® vaccination in the U.S. The majority of these reports (97%) were considered to be non-serious.
Cervarix® has also been in use in other countries such as England and Europe prior to licensing from the FDA.
Summary
Based on all of the information we have today, CDC recommends HPV vaccination for the prevention of most types of cervical cancer. As with all approved vaccines, CDC and FDA will continue to closely monitor the safety of HPV vaccines. Any problems detected with these vaccines will be reported to health officials, healthcare providers, and the public and needed action will be taken to ensure the public's health and safety.