KateThoughts

A couple of links having to do with aging...

...nice to see some research and development going on...

Two NPR stories:

What Does it FEEL like ...   and    Aging at Home...

The first one, obviously, is about a suit that helps researchers actually FEEL some of the effects, and the second one is about changing technology.

AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHH! follow/notfollow/whichfollow

I LOVE to find comments on my blog posts. I am TRULY delighted when conversations begin, and when commenting leads to virtual relationships and shared things: ideas, laughs, dreams, troubles, and trials.

My current angst (if I may give it such a grand name) is with the widgets and links that cause/allow following. First, I find that there are many ways: Google Reader, Blogger widgets, and all of those things with 'feed' in their titles like Feedburner and Feedblitz, etc.

the rest of this may be more than you care to know, but it clarifies things for me...

I've recently learned that where you sign up determines what gets linked; not necessarily the info you insert into available fields.

Here's what I think I now know:
If the URL of a blog or photo-stream or 'whatever' that you want to read on a regular basis has a little orange square w/two white curves and a white dot in it, you can follow it. But HOW you choose to do so determines what stuff of yours gets linked to the blogs you would then be following.

I blog on TypePad. I've been following several blogs. I use Google Reader, and I found THAT (if memory serves) on a Mozilla homepage. Doesn't matter, it's easy to find: just Google it.   : )
(I would make this link 'hot' for you, but, since I am signed in to Google, I only get my own version of the reader.)
Near the top of the GR, just under the heading is an 'Add' field marked by a blue rectangle with  white cross or plus sign. I just click there, then copy & paste the URL of the blog or feed or photo-stream I want to 'follow'. It works like a little charm. And is how I have been following my favorite bloggers, including you.

If you use Blogger.com and follow your friends thru the Blogger site, you will find yourself on the Blogger dashboard in a place called Reading List. In the bottom right of that field is a hot link that says, "view in Google Reader". Yes, the very SAME Google Reader.

That is the place to go, I think, to 'follow' those folks who won't load a Follow Button or who, like me, have very old defunct blogs (0n Blogger), but now post on other services. Like me.

So, very briefly, I put up a follow widget on my TypePad blog. Google 'sneaked' in somehow, and linked that widget to my old - no longer active Blogger blog of the same name: Katethoughts. and a few of you have tried to use it. You've ended up in 2008, hearing a voice that once was mine and still bears a strong resemblance to my current voice. I'm just a couple of years down the road from there. One of you even ended up on Omnicrone Speaks. How surprised you must have been. That sort of stuff is a category on this blog, but I don't post specifically to it very often.

And those of you (four) who can now see my avatar among their newest followers are being shunted to a blog that will never have a new post. Feel free to read there if you wish. I left it there because you can never really delete anything on the 'www', and because my big E ego thinks all that rambling might have value - if only to me. 

I'm going to copy this post over there on Blogger if I can figure out how to do so, and I will post the link to my current blog - THIS one. I guess that means there will be ONE new post.  : >)

I hope I haven't made you too crazy; I hope you find me; I hope you keep reading and commenting. There just won't be a widget or a little place to see your Avatar on this blog. When/if I figure out something else, I'll let you know. 

ttfn

no more button just now...

No following just now. I haven't found a way to get around the fact that the 'follow' widget links to an old blog, not to this one. It will go back up, perhaps, when I figure that out.

Meanwhile, for those with an opinion:

During the brief time that I had the widget up, I used it to "follow" four others. Once done, I saw those blogs in my Google Reader feed, in the same place where I was these blogs before the widget. They just had a little sub-heading.
If a 'reader' is how you see those you follow, look in that place for a box that says something like 'add a subscription'. There is one in the GR and it allows me to copy & paste a URL into the box and begin a different version of following.

Until resolution or abandonment of that issue, I'll be reading you there.

Off to Tai Chi and then a walk with a friend. Adios.

Following~Followers .... OH NO!

Those two words are funny looking to me right now.

OK, I have given up and given in. Hence the new 'Follow' button up there in the sidebar. After doing that, I promptly went to my Google Reader and clicked on a few of the blogs I read regularly, and clicked to "Follow" about 4 of them.

And one who wanted the button in the first place has already tried to 'Follow', and it didn't work, AND none of the ones I signed up to follow show up in the stats. Joel tried to - I was sitting right beside her - and it looked as though it worked on her computer...but, no...not on mine.

It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out tomorrow. Perhaps the blogging services just need to 'sleep on it'.

LOL  

I went investigating: All of this follow stuff is linking to a VERY OLD blog that I began on Blogger.com.

That never occurred to me. Sheesh. Groan. Sigh. ...exhale.

well...I've been thinking about going back to blogger since I can be there for free. But what a PIA!!!
So you four I'm trying to follow...if you end up on a Blogger blog called KateThoughts, it's still me, just WAY out of date.

stay tuned for new developments.

My New Computer is on the way!!!

I am getting very revved up to see this thing. Joel found it for me, and then had to talk me into it. Do you suppose she's a bit tired of hearing my grumblings over these last two?  

Anyway, any day now and I can hardly wait. She found it on QVC, of all places! An HP (had one in the past and liked it) laptop, 17" monitor, and tons of bells and whistles, including a remote control if I want to give Slide shows or something!!!

Hoping for delivery today, but more likely Friday!  YEA!

Tools for internet safety.

I’m not writing to warn you about anything.
Besides, everyone I know is pretty savvy. (not that we can’t all learn
something)

We all have friends or family who are NOT savvy, though, and this info could be
really helpful.

I came across this article from a site I use daily(refdesk). The site that posted the article is Lifehacker, one of my two favorite sources for checking all those ‘warnings’ that do come around to me.
There is also a link in the article to a different article with info on choosing and remembering strong passwords.
My other favorite is Snopes. Snopes is great for email scams, etc.

I also use an anti-virus program called AVG that has proven to be excellent. We’ve used it for several years, now. There is a free version with a link you’ll find on the homepage under ‘Popular Links’. 

We pay for a more powerful one that costs about $40/yr.

But either is good. We used the free one for about 4 years.

Key thought on virus protection:
Use whatever program you’re comfortable with, but keep it up to date.

That’s all, folks. Jut passing on a little info. Have a great
day, unless you have other
plans. 

Smiles & Blessings,
Kate

Testing post-by-email

I'm at windstream emailing a post to see how this feature of Typepad works Also attaching a photo.

Wow!
That was almost instantaneous!!! The photo was handled automatically, too.
I call this one 'shadow shot'; from left to right: folding camp chair, me, Schatz.

More on Scams & Internet Security

Oprah ran a show this week on Internet Scams and other security issues and posted links on her website.

The bottom line is this:

• Treat all email as coming from STRANGERS. Email is public – not protected and not safe.
• Your bank, PayPal, EBay, etc. will NOT email you for info, no matter what. If they do happen to need info from you, they will ask for it the next time YOU LOG In to their secure site.

 The scam story on Oprah: http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20070413

FBI info on email scams: http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm

email fraud & phishing:
http://antivirus.about.com/od/emailscams/Email_Scams_Phishing_and_Fraud.htm

FaceBook back in my face...

Well, I'm considering Facebook again. At the moment, I've just spent a sizable amount of time searching for 'the other side of the story', so my perceptions are not objective.

I first heard of Facebook from Ronni Bennett of Time Goes By. Here's her post about it.
Needless to say, I did not go running over to sign up.

But now, a good friend and blogging buddy has jumped the fence. Laura's very savvy and I trust her immensely.

But, gee...I don't know...
so as usual, I've gone surfing. Here's just a bit of what I found. (To be fair, I went searching in order to find the negatives - the reasons not...)

Article called "With Friends Like These"

Article on Facebook and academia

Article: does FaceBook lie about privacy issues?

Article on possible military security breach

Article of Facebook 'using' users to translate site - for free - rather than professionals.

I repeat: I trust Laura, and she's really smart, and she's pretty much out there on the web anyway since much of her business grows there - and she's promised me a catch-up phone call that will include conversation about Facebook.  I'll wait for that.

But at the moment, I'll skip it. And partly because it's so hard to read any information about it until AFTER you sign up. What's up with that?

OK - enough, already!

I just wrote this and now I am much cooler... The few of you who read this blog now & then have never done this (below); I just wanted a forum for blowing off some steam.  You can skip this, or send it to the last idiot friend emailer who sent you those 42 virus warnings.

Really, folks, I know you mean well. But I'm not stupid or naive, and I don't open email indiscriminately.
Do You?
Do you automatically assume that everyone on your email list is stupid or naive?
Then why must you warn us over & over & over & over & over & over & over.

First - Stop forwarding all these warnings. Please.

In virtually 99% of all warning emails I have received; the warning has proven to be a hoax.
I use Snopes to check, and find it to be the most-frequently updated, and also have bookmarked Truth or Fiction, and HoaxKill.

Hoaxsters get off - big time - on tracking the volume of traffic they inspire, and making us computer users crazy and scared. You don't really want to pump them up, do you?

For the (very) few warnings that prove to be about actual real viruses - only one, actually - I say again, I am not stupid.

And if you simply MUST forward something, PLEASE check it out with Snopes first. YOURSELF. Many of the hoaxsters now start with a line that says, "Snopes says this is real". Check it yourself or do not send it.

Second - if you are stupid, or know someone who is, this is what you need to know:

• Pay Attention. Then you won't miss any of the important details such as the name of the sender...
• Own excellent virus protection software. We use AVG (have done so for years), and love it. We no longer use the 'free' version, but it worked well for us.
• NEVER open an email, or an attachment to an email if you DO NOT PERSONALLY KNOW the person who sent it to you. Period. End of story.
• NEVER respond (or click on ANYTHING) in an email that claims to be from your bank or your credit card company, or PayPal, or such - claiming you need to DO anything or telling you to "click here" to update something. Those companies do NOT contact you in that way. Just to be sure, leave your email program, go online, sign in to that company and check!
• NEVER FORGET that all email is Public. Really. PUBLIC. If you would really publish your Social Security number on the side of a large truck, then you might be comfortable putting it into an email. Otherwise, better not to do so....

To read more on this subject go here, or here, or here, or Google some phrase about identifying email hoaxes.
Whew!

Fun - a graphic image of your Blog

Go to this link and drop in your blog address - the complete URL - and enjoy the dance of the dots.
Thanks to Janinsanfran for the link; I found her in the comments at TGB in a post of browser toys. 
While learning how to save the image or post it somewhere, I've also found out that the image will be different each time you drop in your address.

I'd love to show you mine, but I haven't figured it out, yet.

Security - Social/Internet/Other

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." -Helen Keller

Helen Keller had it right, I think; and no less so for our time than for hers.

I've been reading hither & yon about Internet security, password control, and such, and I find that she is right about computers, too.    (and just so you know - I'm not a geek. I know quite a bit about computers because I'm on one a LOT, and because I'm not afraid to poke around, and because I like search engines, and because I rarely take just one person's word for anything.)
(If you're a techno-weenie, I'm obviously not talking to you. If I'm totally wrong, I count on the geeks among my readers to point it out to me....THANKS)

Someone else (?) said that Internet security is a balance between risk and convenience. I avsolutely believe that. The trick is in learning how to weight the scales.

For today, I'm just going to offer a few tips & trivia about passwords.
I've wondered about the 'remember me' feature of browsers and many web sites. Is it really safe to have a sign in so convenient.  One is always warned about using that feature on a public computer - say the one at the library or the WiFi coffee house.

Well, for me - I'm using it at HOME. I've avoided it for years even on my home computer. The truth is, most computers are saving that info anyway. You have to go look hard to find out where some of that info is stored, and you can set your computer to 'not remember' anything.
I find information about passwords in Firefox in the 'Tools' menu under 'Options'. Things are pretty clear; you can even see exactly who has left cookies in you system. (You'll be surprised at the number.) Firefox can actually SHOW me my password list! Shock & amazement.

Internet Explorer (I have version 6) has similar info in the same place, but I find it harder to understand and interpret.

Both of these browsers have 'Page Info' in the tools menu. You can find out if pages are encrypted or certified. I checked the pages on my banks' sites, and then some random pages to see what the info contains and what's different. Interesting.

We've all seen enough on TV, or read enough to know that a real computer wizard can find out almost anything s/he wants to know if they have access to your hard drive.
Well shoot! Does that mean I have to unplug the damn thing and take the CPU with me to the grocery store to make sure some one doesn't hack me?     ...yes...
and no.
There are a few tips that can help you; I'll give you a few about passwords in a minute.

Basically, if someone really wants to know about you, they probably already do.
If you're online a LOT, you can get hacked. But usually -

...but usually what happens to us out here is some email virus or worm. They can do a ton of damage, but aren't 'personal' in the way that a peeping tom is personal.
Another trick that happens through email is that a bad guy can give you a link to click that 'looks' like something you're used to seeing: a notice from your bank, for example. The link might appear to be going to www.mycorrect&honestbank when in truth the link is sending you to a totally different scammer's site where they will ask you to type in passwords or account numbers.
I know that none of you will ever fall for that! It's been written about a lot. Email is not safe - never was - never will be. You can find tons of info on this subject with a quick google search.

I think there is no better virus protection than AVG from Grisoft.  For now, I'll just say you need to download something from the net that has frequent updates. Buying software from WalMart once a year won't do the job. The link I've given it to the Free Edition (all I've ever used). If you want more bells and whistles, there is one for home offices for about $39 US.

Now, back to passwords.
If you're like me, you have millions - or only one. Both are nasty options. If you have millions, then you have to list them somewhere either hard copy or on your computer.  That certainly won't increase security. And if you have only one - then the bad guys only have to figure out ONE.
Among the articles I've read, this approach seems to make the most sense. Some call it password zoning. It means to divide your list of passwords into 3 or 4 categories based on the degree of risk you can tolerate. Your bank accounts, of course, need your best and most secure passwords. Did you know that your main blog passwords should be in this same category? I didn't either, but we do put a lot on info into these sites.

I have 4 zones I broke down like this:

• H - highest - banks, credit accounts, e-trade, Blog, PayPal, etc.
• M- medium - shopping: Amazon, EBay, Napster, greeting card sites, etc.
• L - low - memberships that require little or very limited personal info
• J - junk - for newspapers, other people's blogs (that require sign in), data sources, etc.

With this arrangement I need only 4 passwords. Pretty neat, much easier to remember than keeping a list.

The other trick is to CHANGE THEM REGULARLY. Quarterly, for example.

Here are some articles on how to choose the best passwords:
http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/generalsecurity/a/aa112103b.htm
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1537
http://tinyurl.com/8qfkt

You can find tons more info with a google search.
I'm pooped; you can figure it out from here.
If you have questions or corrections or additions, leave a comment. Thanks. :)

A Favored Homepage

Refdesk
I keep it as homepage on both my browsers. Check it out.

The right sidebar is full of links to the latest headlines and news sources. A few inches down you'll find Weather Resources where you can type in a zip code and get all the latest weather details for that area.

The left sidebar has links to 3 major search engines, plus my personal favorite aid - a dictionary! Then there is people search, business search, links to all kinds of maps for driving directions, and more.

The center section starts with a Site of the Day and continues to include a Thought, a Quote, an Article, a Birthday, a Word (complete with pronunciation), and on and on.

One of my favorites for fun are Today's Pictures. They are linked from NASA, National Geographic, AOL, TIME mag., Kodak, and many more. Check out the Google Satellite Maps: you can enter a city & state then zoom in to see...anything. If you click on the 'satellite' option, the map changes to show you the actual streets and houses and who's car is parked in the drive! The 'Hybrid' version is one that puts street names on top of the satellite image.
The Weather Photo Gallery is fun, too. Just truly beautiful images.

You'll find currency converters, facts-at-a-glance, links to your favorite columnists, jokes, translators, and links to tons of major newspapers both US and international.

Today's Site of the Day features Financial Calculators of all kinds, a tool generously posted by Padgett Business Services. It's in MY left sidebar now.

Refdesk - a Very cool site.

The GuestMap

I'm really enjoying this feature; check it out in the top left sidebar. I found it thru Bravenet.com after seeing it on a couple of other blogs. It's easy to download and use... One is required to signup (free) and the map is free...
There are five pins now, covering 3 countries!

and please, go add your pin!

PS: Thanks for the latest pin, Kristi; glad you found the new site.

Forget your own memory, what about your CAMERA?!

Another thanks is due to Judy at justaskjudy for this post about memory card maintenance.
I would NEVER have thought of it on my own.

The Bottom Line is REFORMAT YOUR MEMORY CARD OFTEN.

Being the sceptic that I am I searched for more than one source for this info and it was EASY to find. Here are a couple of links to related articles from different people.

TTFN; I'm off to reformat!

Cool Computer Stuff & Info

A Pet Peeve - BIG TIME
Forwarding emails. Learn how! And you don't know how if you just hit 'forward' and drop 50 names in the 'To:' field.
Please see this article on some ins and outs. Or this one. Or this one. Don't jeopardize your friends' email addresses.
Point 2: You got an email with a little 'envelope' down at the bottom...and then another, and then another...and on & on & on...... Please do NOT go back to the original email you got and forward from there. If it's just so cute (or apropo) that you must send it on, then go to the last place the item opened and forward from there. Use the 'BCC' Field, of course, and delete any email addresses that show in the (new) body of the message. If you have questions, email me or put them in the comments; I'm happy to help. :)

Very Most Wonderful Helper = TinyURl.com
When you want to link something in a blog or an email (or whatever) and you find that the link address is a gazillion lines long, just pop over to tinyurl.com and drop it into the box '...to make tiny'. You'll get back an ity-bitty little thing that works like a dream. AND there's no sign-up, no ads to read first. Couldn't be simpler. I've also put it in the sidebar if you need it later and forget.

Tabbed Browsers:
I got mine from Firefox. I understand that Internet Explorer's latest version has it to. I'll be downloading that soon. The coolest part is being able to look up stuff (while blogging, for example) without having to leave my working location. Very cool. There are many other cool features, too; go learn something.

Streaming Radio of YOUR OWN DESIGN - Pandora.com
This is a sign-up (but free) service that lets you decide what you'll hear. Choose an artist or a genre, etc. and Pandora will build a playlist for you. You get to say yea or nay, you can build up to 100 different ones. I'm a newby to it, but I think it's fun. There's a pay version too, without ads, but I haven't been bothered by ads yet.

Password Security - Good article here. Or 'google' 'password security' for more tips.
A quick tip is site zoning. That means breaking down the places you go into categories based on how secure you need to be and assigning passwords to groups instead of individual sites. Lets you use fewer passwords and lets you save the complex ones for things like bank accounts, etc.

The Blog section of the Internet Public Library
You can list yours here... I haven't spent time (or linked) here, it just looks interesting.

Bankrate.com - a site recommended by Consumer Reports for various financial info.

Legal info for Bloggers - Electronic Freedom Foundation
Lots of interesting info and many links. I have not researched the 'about us' part yet.

PLEASE NOTE:
I report on things I've noticed and often tried, but you are the one to make decisions about what works for you, especially in Internet/computer matters. I make it a point to relate my experience, but even then - what works for me may not be good for you. You're smart and savvy or you wouldn't be here...make up your own mind.

A quick Note AFTER the commercial...

You ALL know that a site ending in .com is a commercial site, right?! Even .orgs have sales pages.

I know my readers are smart and savvy. I've just become really tired of commercials that try to sound like public service messages, especially those pushing drugs, etc.
Today I explored a site advertising knowledge about menopause. It is NOT a bad site.
I just wonder who's going there and if those people are clear that this .com is owned by a drug company whose purpose it is to sell drugs and pay profits to stockholders. This site does NOT hide its identity; it doesn't scream it out in banner ads, either. And, it is fairly dismissive of natural treatments for menopausal symptoms. The site I looked at is better than its commercial for it, I think. AND it is slanted to sell drugs, not to leave you fully informed.

You can go to a site called Network Solutions and click on 'whois' to find out who owns or registered almost any site. That's a small button in a horizontal list just below the blue bordered box.

In our culture - the American Culture of Sell/Spend/Buy/MoneyistheMeasure - it is wise to look for the real name of the 'person' talking to you. Look for the "About Us" page. Pay attention. Gather information from more than one source.

Caveat emptor -  The axiom or principle in commerce that the buyer alone is responsible for assessing the quality of a purchase before buying.

Well, so much for importing from Blogger

I just spent a good bit of time (in my new 'tabbed' browser folling all the little steps to import from Blogger...
all to no avail.

So I'll go back to the cut and paste method...what a drag...but I do like Typepad much better.
later :)

New Browser

(Originally posted to www.katethoughts.blogspot.com on 8.22.06)

Virtually all of my (current) Blogger problems were fixed instantly when I installed the Firefox Browser (now linked in sidebar). Seems that Blogger and Google and Foxfire/Mozilla all share common owners, etc. They are made to work well together.

I'm not totally sure that  I'm happy about that...feels a little incestuous.

Through most of the reading I did I found that multiple browsers are often recommended. It makes some sense. If something doesn't work well in one, it will be fine in another. For example, this blog still has a dropped sidebar in IE (Internet Explorer). And, yes, that still bothers me.
(It's NOT that I have OCD issues, it's just that I expect perfection EVERYWHERE!)
Ah, well...
further spiritual development will certainly take care of THAT issue!

Also, if you keep multiple email addresses as many do, you can have a different browser open for each and not have to be continually logging in & out.

There are 3 things that I just LOVE about the new Foxfire browser:

1. TABBED BROWSING: That means I can have multiple web pages open at the same time without opening multiple browsers; I can 'tab' between open pages and not loose my place. Right now, I have Refdesk, this blogger post editor, and Weather all open at once.
2. FIREFOX SEARCH BAR: That's a neat little feature that lets me hold multiple (many) search engines at the ready up in my toolbar area. I can click on a drop-down menu, choose the one I want (like FoodTV Recipes), then type the search criteria (like 'paella') and BOOM here it comes. TOO too easy!
3. SPELL-CHECKER: There is a great one in the toolbar that works just about everywhere you might be typing! Obviously, my experience with it is still limited, but I love it so far.

I'm still learning, but I think this was a good choice. And it may eliminate the need to pay Typepad for a better blog space. We'll see. Meanwhile, you lose nothing by trying it out.

TTFN