“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”
John Lennon

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
Peter F. Drucker

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
Bertrand Russell

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

Mark Twain (1835 – 1910)

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

-The Wizard of Westwood

Your bank offers secure online banking, so why should you worry, right?

Despite banks’ efforts to protect accounts from the online crooks, hacker attacks remain a serious threat that cost Americans millions of dollars each year. The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that Americans lost about $559 million to Internet thieves in 2009. That is more than twice the 2008 figure, when $268 million was stolen on the Internet, according to the center.

“Last year there were more online bank robberies than there were actual on-site bank robberies,” says Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at F-Secure, an Internet security firm. “Banks have become very proactive in protecting accounts from hackers, but it’s still quite a large problem. We see all types of new attempts every day.”

Biggest Threat

Banking Trojans — malicious code specifically designed for banking fraud — are one of the biggest threats to consumers who bank online, Sullivan says. They are invisible and can steal multiple types of data, including passwords. Some more advanced types of Trojans can make fraudulent transfers and drain your account while you are logged on to the account online, he says.

Is Your Bank Safe?

The more questions and passwords you are asked to enter in order to log in to your account, the safer is your bank’s website.

If your bank only asks you to enter a username and password to log in its website is not as secure as it should be, Sullivan says.

Some banks require customers to create a username, a site key name and use personalized pictures or symbols that appear during the login process. In addition, banks should ask customers to answer a security question before gaining access to their account.

“The more layers you have before you get to your account, the safer you are,” Sullivan says.

Who’s Liable?

In the event you become a victim of online theft, act quickly and know your rights. The general rule for consumer checking and savings accounts is the bank is liable for most of the damage, as long as you report the illicit transfer in a timely manner. But if you have a line of credit account or a business account, you need to be extra careful, because the bank will not always be obligated to pay for your loss.

“It is based on whether the customer’s conduct with respect to security was reasonable,” he says. In that case the court will ultimately determine who was more at fault for the breach — the bank or the consumer.

Business Accounts

Business accounts are the most vulnerable to hacker attacks and the least protected by the law. Hackers are much more inclined to break into a six-figure business account than a consumer account with a few thousand dollars, Sullivan says.

“There are hundreds of cases of thefts of money from small business deposit accounts each year,” Johnson says.

Business accounts are regulated by the Uniform Commercial Code, or UCC, which requires banks to maintain “commercial reasonable authentication security procedures,” in any kind of wire transfer, he says.

“If the bank can show the breach was caused by something the customer did the bank is not liable,” Johnson says.

California attorney Nada Alnajafi says most small businesses don’t understand the risk they are taking when they use wire-transfer accounts.

“I don’t think a lot of them understand they are taking almost full risk for any potential issues,” she says.

She is representing a small Los Angeles business owner who lost $50,000 after a hacker committed a fraudulent transfer from his Bank of America account to a Croatian Bank. She filed a lawsuit on behalf of her client against Bank of America in February because the bank refused to take responsibility for the theft, she says.

Bank of America claims it is not liable for the illicit transfer. The lawsuit is pending.

How to Help Protect Your Account

• Don’t access your account from a shared computer.

• Be certain your computer has anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware programs, including security software with automatic updates.

• If you are using wireless service, check the settings on your computer to make sure the connection is encrypted. Don’t connect to your account using a public network, like the ones you find at a coffee shop or at the airport.

• Review your statements regularly and carefully, and report any suspicious activity to your bank immediately.

• Use a strong password with letters and numbers combined. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts.

• Log out after every session.

Yahoo!

Just one pan? No problem! You’ll need only a single skillet, or a roasting pan, or a Dutch oven to make any of the 100 knockout recipes that have made this team the hottest culinary duo west of the Rockies.

Today their catering business and restaurant are the toast of Los Angeles, but Jon and Vinny still remember what it was like to cook with a minimum of space, time, and equipment. And they know that it is the feel-good, homestyle favorites that win raves from their clients and will make any home cook’s reputation. In Two Dudes, One Pan they show you how to prepare a surprising array of dishes—from finger foods to sweets and everything in between—using a few simple pieces of equipment and never more than one at a time.

Just as Jon and Vinny depend on fewer kitchen tools and gadgets than most cooks, they also believe it’s possible to eat well without spending a fortune, and their varied, deeply flavored food won’t send you running to the gourmet shop in search of an obscure ingredient. For them, it’s all about what you can do with food from the local grocery store. Pick up your favorite pan and try your hand at dishes like:

Curried Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard and Red Onion Slaw * Sake-Soy Sea Bass with Baby Bok Choy * Spicy Roasted Cauliflower, Capers, and Parm * Sherried Salmon and Cipollini Onions * Five-Spice Cornish Hens * Pistachio Tiramisù with Sweet Cherry Sauce * Pumpkin Pie Bars

With full-color photographs, ingredient alternatives, helpful tips and shortcuts, and dozens of straightforward, down-and-dirty recipes that pack a wallop of flavor, Two Dudes, One Pan will inspire you to use less—and cook more.

Amazon

Hey,

So I’ve recently been into things that are grilled. Not like rappers’ teeth or anything. My new Grilled Sandwiches. There’s the Grilled Turkey, Bacon & Cheddar with roasted turkey, cheddar cheese and bacon, and the Grilled Deli Trio, with salami, sliced ham, roasted turkey, provolone cheese and pickles. Both served on grilled artisan bread.

I can’t decide which one I like better. I’d imagine that’d be like having to choose which of your fraternal twins you like better. Except in that case, one is usually evil.

But back to the sandwiches.

I’ve decided to give them away for FREE on Tuesday, February 23rd with the purchase of a large drink. One sandwich per person though. So choose wisely.

-Jack

Aerosmith and Billy Idol, White Wedding in the making? (Blog)

If Bruce Willis was a boy scout, he would have this (Sears)

Everyone over does it every once in a while, and when you do, Hangover Cures ($10) will be there to help. Weighing in at a short but sweet 62 pages, written by veteran bartender Ben Reed, this guide to the morning after is filled with reviving recipes — including the always helpful bloody mary — expert advice, and cures from around the world.

By Uncrate

#1 Rule: Plan ahead!

If you’re a “manified” man then you know that February 14th isn’t just a Hallmark holiday. Sure greeting card companies and jewelery stores exploit the holiday with Valentine’s Day marketing to drive more business, but that doesn’t mean your wife/girlfriend doesn’t want to feel special. Keeping passion alive in relationships requires consistent and regular reminders to your mate that she is special and that you love her. Don’t be “that guy” that waits last minute to buy a gift or plan a special day to show her you care. And “She knows I love her” is not a valid excuse/explanation for not doing something for the one you love.

Don’t know where to start? Here are 5 ideas that will show her that you really care.

1. Keep it simple – Dinner at a fancy restaurant and flowers. Call for reservations early!!!
2. Keep it inexpensive – Make a nice candle lit dinner of her favorite dish paired with wine and chocolate covered strawberries. Grocery stores sell chocolate specifically for chocolate covered strawberries. You just pop the chocolate in the microwave, dip the strawberries and place on wax paper and wait a few minutes to harden. It will look like you spent a lot of time on them, but prep time is about 10 minutes. Decorative rose pedals and a lot of tea candles is always a nice touch.
3. Listen – Wives/Girlfriends often complain that men don’t listen. Show her you do listen by buying/planning something that she has been wanting. If you haven’t been listening this could be hard, but you have 11 days to start. She will love the gift, but you get extra credit for listening.
4. Get creative – Write a poem, a love letter or make her something. The time spent expressing your love will have her falling in love with you all over again. This is most effective if this is out of character for you to do something like this because it will be unexpected.
5. Go all out – Plan a mini vacation. Self explanatory.

If you have ideas to share, please leave a comment.

For more ideas lovingyou.com has a wealth of information to help you tell her you love her!

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