Be on the lookout for this one: http://informednetworker.com/blog/2008/08/09/danger-facebook-phish/
This just happened to me, someone wrote on my wall with a link, I click on it, and it leads to the Facebook login screen, only it's a phishing site attempting to steal my password. I, luckily, realized what was going on by checking the URL (it goes to http://www.faceilbook.com). I'm not sure if this is new, Google gave me only one search result, and it was from another blog post 53 minutes ago, the one that I linked to above. Keep your eyes open people.
The message looks like:
Somebody wrote something really funny in their blog about you . everybody see it here http://charleneko***.blogspot.com
The URL is different each time, but it redirects to http://www.faceilbook.com.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Some thoughts on transportation
Last weekend I was able to take a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. Here are a few of my thoughts from the trip regarding transportation.
1. SFO - San Francisco International Airport.
My only other experience with this airport was when I flew here from Salt Lake City, Utah, to connect to a flight to Munich, Germany last December. I remember being appalled at how disorganized the airport seemed and how far I had to walk to get to my connecting flight. It turns out there is an electric train in the sky that circles the entire airport and makes it relatively easy to get around. So what was a "wag of my finger" has turned into a "tip of my hat" to SFO, with the caveat that they need to advertise the train a little more clearly to hurried passengers trying to make it to the international terminal in less than 15 minutes.
2. BART and mass transit
Outside the U.S., public transportation is very much a way of life. Growing up in the U.S. though, I very rarely had any encounter with any form of public transportation. The question of public transportation has been a tricky one in Seattle. I would be pleased if we arrived at something similar to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). This electric train system made traveling around the bay area quite simple and cost-effective, especially as gas prices continue to rise.
3. Airports
I've loved airports since I was a kid. Maybe it had to do with the fact that my dad took me flying when I was a kid. Maybe it was because there were escalators and huge indoor spaces to run around and play in. Maybe it was because of my fascination with airplanes. Whatever the reasons, I loved it.
Things have changed in the past 20 years. Security restrictions have closed off most of airports to only those who hold a boarding pass. Gone are the days where you could meet your loved ones as they walked off the jet bridge, or see them off at the gate. The security aspect of airports has made them more and more a genuinely unpleasant experience. This is really unfortunate, as I feel it would be impossible for a kid growing up today to have the same experience in an airport that I had as a kid.
No other place has the same appeal of reuniting loved ones and connecting people all over the globe. Even when you see someone off at an airport, it reassures you that they are really only a flight or two away. They really have made the world smaller. And for me personally, they bring back those exciting memories from my childhood.
Seatac's central terminal is a great place to sit back and watch the planes takeoff and land. This was originally supposed to be open to the public without a boarding pass. Security said otherwise, which is a most unfortunate blow to aviation and the public's opportunity to enjoy it. I still love airports, but it makes me sad that we're forced to give up something special in the name of security. The awe-inspiring world of aviation has been limited, and I can only hope that after another 20 years, we won't be continuing down this same path.
1. SFO - San Francisco International Airport.
My only other experience with this airport was when I flew here from Salt Lake City, Utah, to connect to a flight to Munich, Germany last December. I remember being appalled at how disorganized the airport seemed and how far I had to walk to get to my connecting flight. It turns out there is an electric train in the sky that circles the entire airport and makes it relatively easy to get around. So what was a "wag of my finger" has turned into a "tip of my hat" to SFO, with the caveat that they need to advertise the train a little more clearly to hurried passengers trying to make it to the international terminal in less than 15 minutes.
2. BART and mass transit
Outside the U.S., public transportation is very much a way of life. Growing up in the U.S. though, I very rarely had any encounter with any form of public transportation. The question of public transportation has been a tricky one in Seattle. I would be pleased if we arrived at something similar to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). This electric train system made traveling around the bay area quite simple and cost-effective, especially as gas prices continue to rise.
3. Airports
I've loved airports since I was a kid. Maybe it had to do with the fact that my dad took me flying when I was a kid. Maybe it was because there were escalators and huge indoor spaces to run around and play in. Maybe it was because of my fascination with airplanes. Whatever the reasons, I loved it.
Things have changed in the past 20 years. Security restrictions have closed off most of airports to only those who hold a boarding pass. Gone are the days where you could meet your loved ones as they walked off the jet bridge, or see them off at the gate. The security aspect of airports has made them more and more a genuinely unpleasant experience. This is really unfortunate, as I feel it would be impossible for a kid growing up today to have the same experience in an airport that I had as a kid.
No other place has the same appeal of reuniting loved ones and connecting people all over the globe. Even when you see someone off at an airport, it reassures you that they are really only a flight or two away. They really have made the world smaller. And for me personally, they bring back those exciting memories from my childhood.
Seatac's central terminal is a great place to sit back and watch the planes takeoff and land. This was originally supposed to be open to the public without a boarding pass. Security said otherwise, which is a most unfortunate blow to aviation and the public's opportunity to enjoy it. I still love airports, but it makes me sad that we're forced to give up something special in the name of security. The awe-inspiring world of aviation has been limited, and I can only hope that after another 20 years, we won't be continuing down this same path.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Me so sleepy
I just saw a commercial that was talking about the need for sleep research. That was all fine and good, until they brought up this reason:
"Even Tiger Woods said of his Stanford days that he didn't get enough sleep."
Are you kidding me? A college student not getting enough sleep? It must be something genetic! Or some other sleep disorder! I can't think of any circumstances that would prohibit an otherwise normal college student from getting enough sleep every night!
"Even Tiger Woods said of his Stanford days that he didn't get enough sleep."
Are you kidding me? A college student not getting enough sleep? It must be something genetic! Or some other sleep disorder! I can't think of any circumstances that would prohibit an otherwise normal college student from getting enough sleep every night!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Google, please fix Gmail
Dear Google,
You've made good products in the past. In general, your products have a very polished feel.
Why, then, must I tolerate a change in design and functionality in this latest "version" of Gmail? Now when I click in the empty box below a conversation thread, the default behavior is to reply to all instead of reply. This has caused me to accidentally reply to dozens of people. This has the unfortunate side effect of automatically adding dozens of people I don't know to my contact list.
Google lists this as a "known issue" but I'm not sure how this could be a known issue and not simply be fixed. The workarounds are "click reply" or "use the older version of Gmail". It seems like it would be an easy fix. But then again, it's not happening to everyone that uses Gmail.
It certainly happens to me though. Maybe this is what we get for using a "beta product"...?
Gas prices
With rising gas prices, everyone is concerned with fuel efficiency and finding ways to cut back on gas consumption. In true Stephen Colbert fashion, I'd like to encourage everyone to burn as much gas as possible before it becomes prohibitively expensive! It's our duty as Americans.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The new place
Some people have asked to see pictures of my new apartment. (You know who you are!) For you, I dedicate a small portion of my blog.
I was somewhat surprised at how hard the decision was to find an apartment. I figured I would look at several options, and one would stand out as being "the best". It turned out that it was hard enough to narrow it down to 3 or 4, much less one. Regardless, I made my choice, and here is where I live and why.
One of the main reasons I chose this apartment was because of the size. The living room, dining room, and kitchen areas were much larger (up to 50%) and much more open. The apartment also boasts 11' ceilings. Some may consider that too open for an apartment, but I enjoy it. What I would like to change would be to have one of the walls painted, and to add some throw pillows to the couch. Oh yeah... a coffee table or dining room table wouldn't hurt. See for yourself in the following pictures: (If you don't want to click on all the links, you can see the whole album at http://picasaweb.google.com/smerkerg/Apartment)
Living area from the entrance
Living area from the back
Living area from the kitchen (most apartments had the kitchen very separated, not open like this)
Pantry in the kitchen (no other apartments I saw had as much storage space, especially in vital locations like the kitchen)
Kitchen from dining area
Kitchen - proof that it is my apartment!
"Dining Room" - further proof that it is my apartment!
In-wall bookshelf, more storage space
The bedrooms and bathrooms are nothing amazing compared to other places I looked. If they had some of the amenities here that were to be found in other apartments, it would have made this apartment that much more appealing.
Walk-in closets
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
2nd bathroom
The other downside to the apartment is the location. It was a little farther from work than I was hoping for, but so far the commute really hasn't been too bad. I don't mind driving too much, and I am exploring some other bus options as well. Hopefully I will get to the point where I can be on a work schedule that starts and/or ends during non-peak traffic times.
All in all, I've been pretty happy with my choice, and I'm enjoying the experience of having my own place!
I was somewhat surprised at how hard the decision was to find an apartment. I figured I would look at several options, and one would stand out as being "the best". It turned out that it was hard enough to narrow it down to 3 or 4, much less one. Regardless, I made my choice, and here is where I live and why.
One of the main reasons I chose this apartment was because of the size. The living room, dining room, and kitchen areas were much larger (up to 50%) and much more open. The apartment also boasts 11' ceilings. Some may consider that too open for an apartment, but I enjoy it. What I would like to change would be to have one of the walls painted, and to add some throw pillows to the couch. Oh yeah... a coffee table or dining room table wouldn't hurt. See for yourself in the following pictures: (If you don't want to click on all the links, you can see the whole album at http://picasaweb.google.com/smerkerg/Apartment)
Living area from the entrance
Living area from the back
Living area from the kitchen (most apartments had the kitchen very separated, not open like this)
Pantry in the kitchen (no other apartments I saw had as much storage space, especially in vital locations like the kitchen)
Kitchen from dining area
Kitchen - proof that it is my apartment!
"Dining Room" - further proof that it is my apartment!
In-wall bookshelf, more storage space
The bedrooms and bathrooms are nothing amazing compared to other places I looked. If they had some of the amenities here that were to be found in other apartments, it would have made this apartment that much more appealing.
Walk-in closets
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
2nd bathroom
The other downside to the apartment is the location. It was a little farther from work than I was hoping for, but so far the commute really hasn't been too bad. I don't mind driving too much, and I am exploring some other bus options as well. Hopefully I will get to the point where I can be on a work schedule that starts and/or ends during non-peak traffic times.
All in all, I've been pretty happy with my choice, and I'm enjoying the experience of having my own place!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Hungry? Open that bag of charcoal
This is sad stuff of course, but what's with the picture? The article is about food stamp recipients starving because of rising food costs, but the most prominent item in the picture is a bag of charcoal? I think there may be more wise investments for food stamps if you're worried about starvation...
Read the article here.
Read the article here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)