The Race To, And Now From, The White House

Last month--and for about a two year period before that--we had "the race to the White House" in full tilt while we now seem to be experiencing "the race from the White House," similarly hectic. (Don't know about you, but I am getting winded from all these races!) While President-elect Donald Trump is busily engaged in a "victory lap" of sorts in celebration of the "Miracle Of November 8 That Salvaged The United States From Certain Ruin"--or, according to CNN's own "Last Angry (black) Man," Van Jones, that day was, as he referred to it, "Whitelash!--President Obama is desperately making an attempt to salvage what remains of his so-called "legacy." And doing a rather poor job of it, too.

The most recent example, on Tuesday, December 6, at MacDill Air Force Base, of this President's "Chicken Little" approach to publicly advising, mentoring, scolding, and sometimes tutoring President-elect Donald Trump, is the shallow and patently inaccurate assessment of the current state of the war on terrorism Obama put forth rather presumptuously as testament to his own effectiveness as Commander-in-Chief in fighting it. The facts do not bear out his soapbox preaching on how we must "... embrace Muslims to defeat terrorism," or "The United States of America is not a country that imposes religious tests as a price for freedom," and his way-off-the-mark claim that "we are breaking the back of ISIL." (He is the only American I have heard refer to ISIS as ISIL.) Most significantly--and most wrongly--perhaps the most off-course of all his unsound observations was, "If we stigmatize good, patriotic Muslims, that just feeds the terrorist narrative."

Of course, all of this diatribe, all of this malarkey, all of this blarney is directed at President-elect Donald Trump in response to Trump's hardline approach to terrorism, terrorists, and Syrian refugees--as well as other of what Obama considers unwarranted belligerence on Trump's part. While Obama is nonconfrontational, reserved, sheepish, and tentative, Trump is ballsy, bold, and brash.

The irony in this comparison is that I think Obama wishes he could be more like Trump whereas Trump wishes he were as genteel and laid back as Obama.

Despite the president's admonition against doing so, no one has ever mentioned any attempt to stigmatize anyone. What is of concern to most Americans as potential victims of terror attacks are these Middle East refugees flocking to our country as a perilous and unfettered result of our failed immigration policies--and the president's own careless and ill-thought-out policy to admit hundreds of thousands of Syrians to our country--and the threat some may pose to Americans wherever they live. Limiting the numbers and even the ethnicity of immigrants is the right of any nation. It is part and parcel--indeed, the very basis--of the concept of sovereignty. The main consideration against allowing countless refugees to flood our shores--from anywhere, but especially from the Muslim countries of the Middle East region that is a hotbed of radical Islamic ideology--is first and foremost, and must always be, the safety of our own citizens.

Our national security is at stake. Indeed, your life, my life, our families' lives, our friends' lives--everyone is a potential target now. Accept it! Unless we recognize the threat and act accordingly, the front lines of the war on terror will be drawn at our doorsteps in the very near future, if not already there! Despite even the most stringent selection and vetting precautions, the potential exists--no, is imminent--for terrorists to slip by our immigration screening, not to mention illegal entry through our porous borders, and enter our country intent on bringing a "Paris" to New York City. Or Los Angeles. Or a city near you.

No one has said that every Muslim is a terrorist.That is surely not the case, but all the terrorists we read or hear about in the world today, certainly all those who have done and intend to continue to do us harm, are Muslims. It wasn't Irish Catholics who flew those three deadly "missiles" into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania on 9/11, killing more than 3000 innocents; it wasn't Protestants who set off pressure cooker bombs in Boston, Massachusetts, during the marathon on April 15, 2013, killing 3 and injuring 140 others; it wasn't Baptists who murdered 5 members of our military in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July, 2015; it wasn't a Lutheran couple who destroyed Christmas for most all of us--and killed 14 innocent attendees of an office meeting and Christmas party on December 2, 2015, in San Bernardino, California; it wasn't a Jewish man who slaughtered all those young revelers in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, leaving 49 people dead and 53 wounded. No, in each case--and numerous other instances of mayhem here in the United States--it was radical Islamic terrorists, most of whom immigrated to this country. Need I continue?

As Mark Krikorian, Executive Director, Center for Immigration Studies, testified at the hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, on November 19, 2015:

A wise man once said "The supreme function of statesmanship is to provide against preventable evils." Halting refugee resettlement from the Middle East would be just such an act of statesmanship... The president and members of Congress must necessarily put the interests of the American people before the interests of foreigners... If, nonetheless, we decide as a matter of policy to devote resources to humanitarian refugee protection... then we should base our decision-making on two principles: 1) Such policies must not pose a threat to the American people, and 2) the funds taken from the people through taxes for this purpose must be used to the maximum humanitarian effect.

In discussing the costs to taxpayers of bringing in the refugees, something politicians avoid addressing to us, Krikorian points out that the better solution is to provide for them there in their own environment, close to where they came from, especially since it costs twelve times as much to resettle a refugee in the United States as it does to care for the same refugee in the neighboring countries of first asylum. Mr. Krikorian sums his argument up thusly: "Given these limitations on resources, I submit that it is wrong-morally wrong-to use those resources to resettle one refugee here when we could help twelve closer to their home."

Speaking at the Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, December 6, to an audience of mostly special operations troops-the most tasked component of our military conducting the fight against terrorists worldwide and responsible for "knowing our enemy" intimately--Mr. Obama delivered what is thought to be his final speech on the war on terrorism in a manner that was perceived as an oblique prompt for Mr. Trump about "what we're fighting for."

Listening to his address, I could only sit in a state of disbelief and in a state of utter frustration at his stubbornness, a haughty trait that he has refined over his time in Washington, D. C., and his failure--even after eight years in the White House--to fully comprehend the most basic tenets of Islamic terrorism, jihad, and the Muslim religion's stated intent on world domination. My disparity with, and disgust for, President Obama's inconsistent assessment of his having been a highly effective Commander-in-Chief, a respected world leader, and president of what should be the most active, most effective nation in the world in the battle against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism--whether they live in your hometown, anywhere, USA, or the bowels of their "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria--is becoming increasingly obvious, as is the case with many others.

I would suggest Mr. Obama look in the mirror to see what the true picture really is: That he has been a feeble and weak-willed President/Commander-in-Chief, has provided insufficient and incompetent leadership to our military, has paid scant attention to the threat to our nation preferring his own liberal agenda at home, and refuses even to utter the phrases "Islamic terrorism" or "Islamic terrorists." His intransigence is becoming more apparent the closer he gets to the end of his term. As he says himself, he is not running for election again so "Full speed ahead! Damned the torpedoes!" He now, either knowingly or as a result of his increasingly immoderate self-image and his inflated sense of self-importance at having been a President of the United States for two terms, reveals more and more of his true nature, gives us a clearer insight of his inner soul and ethos, every time he speaks in public. It is an in-your-face arrogance that bugs the hell out of me. How About you?

Most damaging of all has been his protracted "war" on our nation's military services--and the men and women in uniform--as witnessed by his tampering with established traditions, imposing morale damaging change for change sake, and denigrating war fighting capabilities by social engineering policies such as doing away with "don't ask, don't tell" as a rule against openly gay activity in uniform, opening up all combat positions to women as if the military is a civilian corporation where the government can regulate "equal opportunity" and the like. The final--and most obtuse, least logical--social engineering boondoggle (blunder may be a better term)--was the allowing of transgender individuals to join and openly serve in all branches at all ranks in our military. To add insult to injury, the military will even assist their change of sex medical needs at no cost--at the expense of other military personnel needing those scarce medical services!

Secretary of Defense Carter pulled a political slight-of-hand by announcing this new and drastic policy change on late Thursday afternoon before the July 4th weekend. It was barely covered in the news on Friday, and next to lost in the shuffle by Monday and Tuesday. The vast majority of active duty military are appalled at his, and Obama's, absurdity. Count the retired military as well. They are even more aghast. But all know that he did not come up with this "brilliance" or the other catastrophic and radical changes to our military on his own. President Obama, with his ill-begotten ideology on equal rights and justice, imposed these destructive ideas and, being the despot that he is, would accept no dissent on any of them though advised by the admirals and generals against most all of them. But still, he somehow considers himself a courageous, dashing, and superb Commander-in-Chief. That is the biggest joke in the entire military!

In the light of day, it is robustly clear that President Obama is on a "victory tour" of his own---a veiled attempt to leave office with a positive popularity rating among Americans, and to preserve the waning remnants of what he hoped would be a sterling, unimpeachable claim to a legacy for the ages, a solid foundation for historians to positively evaluate his presidency and not be too harsh on him--if that is now at all possible. Quite accurately and appropriately, the speech at MacDill on how to fight terrorism "the right (Obama) way" was characterized by Jack Hellner on the distinguished website American Thinker. Jack wrote a bog entitled, "Obama praises Obama's policies for 'breaking the back' of terrorism."

I cannot improve on the observations of Senator John McCain on Barack Obama's race to the finish of his eight year term of office by publicly patting himself on the back at every opportunity, and by misleadingly insinuating a victory he neither has earned the right to appropriate for himself, fails to truly understand the requirements of, nor has come even close to winning anything against--yes, those words he loathes, banned from being uttered in the White House corridors since the day he moved in--radical Islamic terrorists. His stubborn stance is compounded as evidenced by his "come hell or high water" insistence that he, and only he, knows how to wage battles of this nature--the rest of us are dumb-struck "infidels" of sorts.

The feisty McCain said it best when he categorized Obama's bloviating speech--and to members of our military no less who know better--as:

President Obama's speech was nothing more than a feeble attempt to evade the harsh judgment of history... But to the American people, our emboldened enemies, and our dispirited allies, his legacy on counter-terrorism is unmistakably clear: a disastrous withdrawal from Iraq, the terrorist rampage of ISIL, an indecisive approach to the war in Afghanistan that has empowered the Taliban, and an indifferent approach to the carnage in Syria on which our terrorist enemies have thrived. No rhetorical conceit will alter history's verdict.

Major Dennis Copson is a retired United States Marine, veteran of the Vietnam War, and is a resident of Oceanside, California. He is a freelance writer and editor.
By Major Dennis Copson

Hello Technology, Goodbye Jobs

As the Internet of Things takes over, it will do more than provide convenience. It promises to steal nearly all existing jobs. Without change, this is bad news all around for pretty much all of us.

And now we can finally pay attention to more important matters...

Top of mind: the future unemployment rate.

It's gonna be high.

Very high.

Painfully high.

So high that it sparks riots among people with no hope for employment - the young and agitated Americans for whom cheap accelerants such as alcohol and drugs are easily available while the American dream is not. They're going to take to the streets to raise hell and destroy property and demand some sort of government intervention to lift them out of the misery to come.

That's certainly not going to help the economy, regardless of this new president or the next one.

It will, however, have sharp and painful impacts on you and me and our collective wallets.

In the not-too-distant future, this is what will happen:

• Your refrigerator will monitor the bar codes on the products inside, and it will know when your inventory falls below preset par levels.
• When you're low on, say, malt liquor or mayonnaise, the fridge will automatically order refills from the local Grub-o-rama.
• Grub-o-rama's automated systems will dispatch a drone to grab the items in a warehouse and pack them into a driverless delivery vehicle.
• That vehicle will arrive at your door ferrying a delivery bot with (quite literally) more technical aptitude than the entire Apollo space program that landed a man on the moon. It will communicate directly with the smart lock on your door that keeps thugs and scallywags out of your house, but which is intelligent enough to unlock itself for the delivery that your refrigerator told the lock to expect. The fridge will have established a one-time, unhackable security code that it shared with both the smart lock and the delivery bot.
• The delivery bot will enter your house, open the fridge, deposit the products and retreat. The door will secure itself afterward.

Best I can tell, that takes every single human job function out of the transaction.

There's no bored order-taker, no warehouse runner tasked with retrieving and packaging your malt liquor or mayo, no cashier to take your payment and no driver to deliver the goods to your home.

Even you're out of the equation.

As the Internet of Things takes over the planet, it promises to do way more than make our lives simpler and more convenient. It promises to pretty much steal most of the jobs that exist today. And I'm not talking about menial jobs such as warehousing and delivering.

I'm talking about skilled jobs in law and medicine, policing and architecture, writing and financing, and, well, pick any job really, and there's a very good chance technology will replace the human component.

This is bad news all around for pretty much all of us.

Growth Without Humans

In eras past, new technology regularly spawned new types of jobs that replaced those automated out of existence. This time, though, something really is different. Technology is putting us on a path much different than the past.

Consider Facebook.

It has created vast wealth for a severely limited number of people associated with the company as either founders, managers or investors. The company has roughly 1.8 billion users who generate $25 billion in profits for those founders, managers and investors. Yet the company employs about 13,000 workers. Facebook could easily double or triple its business without adding many more workers because the technology that runs the show can easily replicate itself for the next billion or so customers.

Home Depot can't add exponentially more customers without a commensurate investment in new stores. General Motors and Maytag cannot build and sell exponentially more cars and refrigerators without paying the costs of adding more production facilities. That creates real jobs and generates an investment in the economy.

But technology is just bits and bytes and pieces of code, replicating itself over and over and over an infinite number of times without the added cost of a single penny.

Indeed, technology is reaching the point where it doesn't even need workers for maintenance and repair. Worker bots and other pieces of coding can monitor other pieces of technology and address problems before they even happen. Technology is smart enough that it can now create its own technology, as Google recently demonstrated when it allowed a security program to figure out its own security algorithm without input from a human - and it succeeded.

It's all very cool and Star Treky and futuristic, and it promises a radically different world of convenience for us humans - at least on the Jetsonian cartoon side of this rapidly accelerating tomorrow.

On the other side is a very dark and dystopian Blade Runner world in which wealth aggregates among a select few and meaningful jobs are rare, if they exist at all.

Change or Face the Consequences

At some point in the very near future, nearly six of every 10 jobs in the developed-world economies will require no human activity, or so says a study from Citi and Oxford University.

The World Economic Forum posits that in less than four years, at least 5 million developed-world jobs will vanish forever because technology automated it out of existence.

Forrester Research estimates 12 million American cubicle-dwellers across a host of white-collar sectors - 13% of today's total U.S. workforce - will be jobless by 2025.

This represents a fundamental crisis for modern capitalism and for Western politicians, regardless of their party's platform.

Idle hands are the weapons of revolution.

People need a way to pay for their lives, and not just for some lifeless, utilitarian existence. Robotics and artificial intelligence do not square with that need. They kill jobs and care not about the human consequences.

Politicians will have to care, or they will face bloodshed in the streets and violent overthrow.

There are a few potential solutions:

• Limit the number of jobs technology can replace by forbidding companies from implementing certain types of technology. (That's probably not going to work.)
• Pay every American a "universal income," a basic monthly stipend to live on. That might work for a while - but it raises much bigger challenges: How does government pay for this when there are limited employment taxes and sharply reduced consumer/business taxes? And how will people living on a universal income and without access to a job afford expenses like property taxes or vacations or the niceties of life? The concept could be as malevolent as it is beneficial.
• Tax the hell out of technology to pay the cost of a universal income. Probably likely, but this is a catch-22: If the only income people have is a universal income, they can't afford much in the way of new consumer-tech items, which limits the income the tech company earn, which limits the taxes it pays to fund the basic income.
• Get rid of money and replace it with some other means of commerce. Also possible, though socially, politically and structurally disruptive on an immeasurable scale.
• Your Protection Against the Upheaval

So, what are we to do?

We can't change what's coming at us at warp speed. (And science is even working on warp speed, in case you care.)

Taxation is going to go much, much higher. I expect politicians will look to double the highest income-tax rates on individuals and businesses. They will double or triple capital-gains rates and eliminate numerous, if not all, deductions.

We could get to the simplified point where there's no longer a tax form to fill out and no IRS. All money will be electronic, and the government will simply deduct its pound of flesh from every bit of income that flows into your life.

That's a world for gold and other items with which you might barter for a haircut or those Fourth of July fireworks to celebrate all the wonderful freedoms we (used to) have.

As a lifelong world traveler, Jeff Opdyke has been investing directly in the international markets since 1995, making him one of the true pioneers of foreign trading. He is Investment Director for The Sovereign Society and a weekly contributor to The Sovereign Investor Daily.

How Prepared Are We?

The Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared! How often have we heard this phrase. Yet there are those lingering questions about the preparedness of this country in the event that some calamity will strike this country. Is the United States prepared for any natural disaster, energy grid collapse, worsening economic conditions, a pandemic, terrorist attack, or famine? These are just some of the contingencies that can unfold onto the United States in just a matter of days that will make America look like the aftermath of what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans. All it would take is just one of these disasters to occur. The fragile economy and infrastructure of the United States would slide into an Abyss that this country might not ever climb back out of. Remember the aftermath of 9-11? Just a few days after that terrorist attack massive layoffs began triggering an economic crisis that many feel was the initial start of the current financial and economic catastrophe the United States is faced with today.

There is renewed data from the Journal of Scientific American indicates that coronal mass ejection pulses are being emitted form the Sun more frequently and the likely hood of one blast would send the United States back into the stone age. This along with the increased threat of a rouge nation or organization detonating a nuclear warhead in the atmosphere will produce electromagnetic pulses that would destroy all electrical components rendering not only the United States helpless but other countries would fall victim to their hideous plan. This is one of the biggest reasons to reinforce our energy grid. Our energy grid is so fragile, hasn't been updated or reinforced since it was put in place, and our lack of a concise energy policy have all contributed to the vulnerability of the United States.

The US strategic grain reserves necessary for the population to remain free from starvation is at the lowest level in over 50 years. Instead of focusing on the future likely hood of starvation the policies of our own government put the lives and safety of Americans at grave risk by exporting our grain reserves instead of shoring up our own supplies. There is only enough grain in reserve to make just a half a loaf of bread for each person in the entire United States; about 300 million people. If this isn't bad enough today even without a natural disaster happening 16 million children continue to face hunger and starvation right now in the United States. This figure will only increase as long as the current economic picture remains.

There are many areas that need to be addressed today if the United States expects to be fully prepared for any eventual disaster. It is not a question of if any disaster occurring it is the 100% probability a disaster will occur and is the United States actually prepared in all matters ready to act to secure the safety, stability, and the economy? Right now, the United States is not even remotely ready nationally to respond effectively in the event that a major catastrophe happens. In fact since 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina the United States is actually worse off than we were before.

The first element in getting this nation ready is to recognize the facts. In denying the severity of any eventuality is putting millions of Americans at risk and jeopardizes the future to this country. This is so apparent in the States along the Gulf Coast where Hurricane shelters are so inadequate that only a hand full have back up generators, alternate water sources and proper sanitation. There is no excuse to jeopardize the lives and safety of United States Citizens where monetary constraints are the prime criteria. A national priority must prevail to equip every state with the necessary funds necessary for explicit purpose of ensuring the safety of all it's citizens.

One of the first steps to actually have this nation be able to follow through with the necessary preparations for any catastrophic event the economy of the United States has to drastically improve and that starts with reducing the unemployment figures to a national level of under 4%. This can only be accomplished with governmental intervention with corporate America. Their again use history as a guide in what worked under FDR in the 1930's. A New-New Deal, a National Economic Reform Agenda is now warranted to spring board the jobless rate toward that 4% unemployment rate. Putting people back to work through governmental programs like the WPA of the 1930's is necessary to jump start our sluggish economy. Once we start reducing the unemployment figures through government sponsored programs with living wages consumer spending will increase pushing demand for more goods and services. This will encourage more of our businesses to hire more people just to keep up with the now increased demand. We have to remember two very sound economic principles. " Give the people what they need and want at a price they can afford business will continue to grow." The other basic principle " The more people with more disposable income to spend and pay down debt is the greatest economic stimulus that any society can have."

Utilizing these basic economic concepts along with implementing statutes that would require financial institutions who complied with the United States Government in repayment of their initial bailout funding easing of the credit scores criteria when it comes to granting any type of loan. Financial institutions currently have raised the criteria for granting, say a loan for re modification of their mortgage to stave off foreclosure so high that the homeowner can't qualify by the banks standards for any of the government sponsored programs to lower their monthly payment. They are consequently stuck trying to make mortgage payments they can no longer afford. This in turn leads to banks foreclosing on the property and every one looses. The easing of credit scores for home owners as well as business owners is paramount to economic recovery.

One of the biggest hurdles in improving the overall economic outlook is for Institutional Investors like financial institutions have to realize that providing more capital is essential for business expansion. Whether it is for small business startups of major business expansion the criteria for granting any type of financial assistance is now predicated on the credit score if you are a small business owner. Lager companies criteria are based not only on their credit standing with their current creditors but are contingent on other factors such as company assets, accounts receivable and accounts payable. Their again credit scores have to be lowered so that these business and individuals can be granted the financial capital needed to carry out the long term economic expansion that is so crucial for continued long term economic growth.

When the United States implements National Economic Reform with following through on these initiatives the future, economic outlook and the security of this nation will finally become a reality. The preparedness of the United States to react and provide for the safety, economic stability, and our national security in the event that a catastrophic disaster occurs will be assured.
By Dr. Tim G Williams

How to Build the Best HTPC Media Centre at the Right Price

With DVDs phasing out and the rapid growth in online media more and more people are looking to build a HTPC media centre for their living rooms. Good systems are difficult to build and there are many considerations to make when choosing your components.There are three main considerations to make when designing your system.

Price vs Performance

To many it makes sense to buy top of the range computer components to build their media centre. They want a system that is going to last and rarely need an upgrade. Unfortunately this is not a cost efficient way to build a system and you will be paying far more than you need to. The home computing market is ever changing and as new technologies come out prices fall on the older kit. Buy the top of the range processor today and in 12 months it will be half the price. To get the cost efficient build you must first decide what it is you want your media centre to do. Is it to simply watch movies and video content or do you want high end gaming? When you have decided this, source the minimum specification hardware that will carry out the task. If your system is for gaming is an Intel I7 processor required or will the I5 suffice? With all this said you do not want to degrade performance taking the cheaper option. Yes the Intel I5 processor may run the games you want to play but can it achieve the resolutions that you want and will the gameplay be jumpy? People worry too much about future proofing their systems but prices fall so dramatically it is more often than not better to upgrade every 18 months or so and save on hardware costs.

Aesthetics & Size

When it comes to aesthetics you need to remember that your HTPC media centre will be placed in the prime spot of your living room in full view so you don't want a case that looks like a PC. With the recent boom in home media there is now a whole range of HTPC cases available that look more like games consoles or home entertainment systems and at quite reasonable prices. The important thing to remember when choosing a case is to ensure that your components will fit! It sounds simple but getting the right case is one of the toughest tasks with most HTPC builds. The more compact cases are often the most attractive but if your system is for high end gaming you will struggle to find a compact case that can house the high end graphics cards. Decide on your components first and then select a case to accommodate them.

Heat and Energy Efficiency

High end processors and gaming graphics cards more often than not produce a lot of heat. Heat is more of an issue when you select a tight compact case. When choosing your case ensure that it has the ventilation required to accommodate the heat production of all of your components. If it will not then check that you have space to install additional cooling devices. (Word of warning: cooling devices are generally noisy and may interfere with your movie enjoyment). You can also combat heat by using energy efficient components. As a rule of thumb smaller components tend to be more energy efficient. Even if your case supports ATX form factor motherboards go for mini-ITX or mini-ATX as these motherboards are far more energy efficient. The added benefit of building with energy efficiency in mind is that your system will have a lower running cost.

Getting your HTPC media centre right is a tough task and one that requires careful consideration. Following the above will get your design right and produce the entertainment system you need at the right price. These are the golden rules for building the optimum HTPC media centre.

For hints, tips and expert guides for building HTPC media centres visit us at Home Media Portal.

http://www.homemediaportal.com

We provide full reviews of the latest products and components for your media centres and show you where too find the very best prices. We also review some of the latest software out there including Kodi and Hyperspin and help you get the most out of each package.

Network Security Begins With an Acceptable Use Policy!

Most folks seem to understand what a firewall is and why it is so very important. They intuitively understand that they need something between the "trusted" internal computer network and the wild west we call the Internet! The installation of a firewall is generally something all business do, from the wireless network at the local coffee shop, to the medium size law firm and the giant multinational distributed enterprise. The barbarians are at the door, but with a firewall we all feel protected! The largest percentage of cyber security risks, however, do not come through the front door and your firewall will never see them enter. The largest risk to the security of your network comes from the employees and guests allowed, either connected by wire or wireless, to attach to your corporate network.

As a CISCO Certified Security Professional, we do a great deal of work in the area of computer network security. When called on to do a "Security audit", "voice readiness" or "network assessment", the first question we ask executive management is where is your AUP? After all we can tell you what protocols are running around on your network and even which user is consuming the most bandwidth. We can not, however, tell you if they are allowed to use that bandwidth! The creation of an "acceptable use" policy (i.e. AUP) is an essential first step in network security. The AUP communicates to all network users what is supported and what applications are allowed on the network. It describes what is acceptable regarding personal email, blogging, file sharing, web hosting, instant messaging, music and video streaming. It defines what is activity is strictly prohibited on the network and clearly outlines what constitutes "excessive use". The computer network is a valuable corporate asset and as such it needs to be valued, protected and secured.

Does your company have a network access and authentication policy? What is the "password" policy? Do you even need a "password" to use the company network? Can anyone just come in and plug whatever phone, pad or computer device they happen to have into the company network? What is the data storage and retention policy? Do you allow VPN tunnels that extend your company network to a home office or coffee shop? Do you allow your users to connect third party provided equipment to your network? Is it acceptable that Bob just added a hub to his office network connection so he can plug in his own printer? How do we feel if Bob plugs in his own wireless access point? Do we have a "guest" network and do we let those folks know what is acceptable on your network?

What are the legal ramifications and liabilities you are exposed to if you are providing a computer network as part of a lease agreement? Are you liable for damages if your computer network is unavailable or "down for any reason? If Home Land Security shows up because your company's public IP address was traced as originating a terrorist treat, do you have the user agreements in place to mitigate the costs you are about to incur defending your good name and reputation?

Computer network security is more than a firewall. A computer with an Ebola virus, Adware or nefarious RAT (remote access terminal) will infect all computers on your network, threaten your corporate data and render your firewall as useless as a screen door on a submarine. If your company has taken the prudent step of providing a Human Resource or employee manual that spells out the company's position on work force violence, sexual harassment, vacation day accrual and drugs in the workplace, why don't you have a manual that defines the acceptable use of your most vital corporate assess, the computer network?

Change Management for You VoIP Telephone System!

For the end user company, the single most challenging aspect of managing a VoIP deployment is the issue of "change management" and technical support. The average VoIP deployment today is going to challenge both the system administrator and the technical service and support team. Today, not only is the technology moving faster than your staff can digest, it touches so many other aspects of your enterprise that is difficult to employ one person that can do it all. From computer networking, to virtualization, Microsoft server and desktop software, data center practices, to disaster and business continuity strategies, technical support has become a challenge for every company big or small.

Remember shopping for that new VoIP system? Did you seek out a partner that had the required technical depth, or where you shopping for the low cost equipment provider? It is post sale support where you find out just how much that system really costs! Consider your next ShoreTel upgrade from Version X to Version Y. Do you have a change management process in place? Does your partner? Change and Configuration Management are as essential to the maintenance and ongoing technical support of your VoIP solution as project management was in the initial installation. What tools are in place to manage configuration interdependencies in your voip deployment, as it can get very complex very quickly.

For example, what version of Microsoft Server are you running? Is it 32 or 64 Bit? Is it running on hardware with sufficient memory, NIC cards, processors and storage capacity? Has it been virtualized? What version of hypervisor are you running and will your new ShoreTel version require you to upgrade your virtual operating system in addition to your ShoreTel server software? How many servers are there to upgrade besides the HQ server and any DVM's? Are they all the same OS version or are some 32 bit and other 64? What about the application servers, like the recording server? What happens when the recording server cant be upgraded to the required new OS bit size to support the new ShoreTel version? How about that VPN server?

We haven't even discussed desktop systems yet? Vista, XP, Windows 7/8? Do we have 32 bit or 64 bit or a combination? Any Mac computers in the mix? Browser compatibility alone will drive a grown man to drink! Microsoft Office 2003, 2010, 2012? Outlook? Exchange Integration? Active Directory? Sales Force Connectors? Will the new version obsolete any hardware? Require new hardware? Do we have custom integrations to worry about? Is TAPI a requirement for any of these applications? How will the latest version of SIP impact the deployment? Apple, Android, Wireless, Mobility?

The list of interdependencies is exhaustive and planning an upgrade requires careful consideration and planning. Not only do you need a clear statement of work, a detailed task list, but also a "fall back" plan. Is the maintenance window wide enough? Has the User Group been informed? Configuration Management is a precursor to Change Management and both disciplines requires a great deal of planning and tracking.

Protect Your Computer From Being Hacked!

The thought of people being concerned that NSA is listing and monitoring their activities is a hysterically funny concept to me. Whatever you think of Edward Snowden, know that he is a day late and a dollar short. Most of these very same people that worry about the NSA, have a "Tracebook", Twitter, Instagram or a half a dozen other social media accounts that should be significantly reducing the NSA operating budget. In fact, let's just disband the NSA and hire Google! It seems that most of us have no issue publicly posting our most intimate details on Facebook including everything short of our Social Security numbers. Posting our current location and "checking in" so that the entire planet knows not only where we are, but what we are doing seems to be an absolutely essential public service and should also include pictures of the meal I am about to eat. How many of these same individuals are aware that every picture posted contains Meta Data that also memorializes the GPS co-ordinates and the camera type used to take the picture? I know you want to share picture of the family, but do you really want ISIS to know exactly where they live?

As everyone is so willing to publicly disclose these personal details, it explains why so many remain ignorant of the data mining that goes on that you do not knowingly consent to. I assume we all know that Google is in the business of selling digital user profiles to advertisers? Every type an email to a friend about planning a trip to the Italy only to find your inbox now populated with travel agency "hot deals"? If your email does not fill up with travel deals to the Italy, you can bet your internet browser will now display a travel agency advertisements, "learn to speak Italian" and top Italian Restaurants on every page you view fin! Now ask me what we think about using Google Docs! We suggest that you consider DoNotTrackme extensions to your Chrome and Firefox browsers. We also recommend that you install "self-destructing cookies" and watch how many cookies are exchanged with your browser each use. Remember, we really don't need your username and password, we need your cookies all of which are transmitted in clear text over that Starbucks wireless you have been using! All available using FireSheep!

Now if this is a vulnerability that effects individuals, what vulnerability effects enterprise level environments? Forget the notoriously leaking Windows Operating system and your hopelessly porous laptop, in the wake of the 55 Million credit card numbers stolen from Home Depot and the 45 million stolen from Target, we now have to worry about the credit card machines at the checkout counter. Actually the TJ Maxx heist was in many ways much larger! You might be considering how did the hackers get through the Firewall? As we have pointed out before, most computer network security exploitations are not executed through the firewall, they are executed by "social engineering" with the assistance of an ignorant employee or paid hit man. It is suspect that at least one of the above break ins was assisted by a third party trusted partner like the heating and air conditioning service company. Nothing like a starving janitorial night service crew to earn a few extra bucks plugging a USB device into any desktop computer releasing a new and improved malware version of BlackPOS! Most of these stolen credit card numbers can be purchase here or on the Darknet using a Tor browser to reach silk road type websites.

It seems you can't turn on an electronic device today without it alerting you that a software update is available for download. From the TV set, to the mobile phone, tablet and now even your car, all are subject to software updates. Do you even question what is being downloaded to your device when you do a software update? You just assume you are connecting with Apple, Amazon or Samsung? What if some evil doer was really just spoofing a software update and you just willingly downloaded a super basket of spy goodies that turn on your phone camera, activate your microphone and email snapshots to back to the mother ship. NSA, are you kidding? You would never know if it was your spouse, or employer would you? Yet millions of people do this without care, day after day and think nothing more about it. If you want to be tracked everywhere you go, risk having your most intimate communications published (just ask Jenifer Lawrence and the other celebrity Nude hack victims) just carry your Smartphone with you at all times!

Cyber-crime, next to the Ebola virus and violent terrorism is the single most economically destructive phenomenon to threaten the American way of life since the Cuban missile crisis. Yet the average business owner winces at the cost of engaging a computer network security audit and thinks that penetration testing is lovemaking foreplay. When the IT team asks for a Firewall upgrade or an increase in budget to cover a subscription to virus, spam and bot net filtering they somehow can't justify the added expense. Educating your employees on the safe use of the Internet over WiFi should be part of the healthcare preventive medicine program, but most business will ignore "social engineering" vulnerabilities until a major data thief publicly embarrasses them.

Are Laptop Cooling Pads Necessary?

IMPORTANCE OF LAPTOP COOLING PADS

Every laptop user has felt it at one point. The scorching hot waves of the heat of your laptop slowly cooking your legs as you try to finish up a project or check your emails. You might have also noticed, the performance of your computer seems to slow down in this case, too. You are right. This isn't just your imagination. This is due to throttling that takes place in the device. Having processing power in a compact space like the body of a laptop often puts a strain on the hardware. Intensive activities like gaming or even binge watching Netflix might be causing the throttling and making your computer over heat. This problem might eventually lead to permanent damage.

However, cooling pads come to the rescue in elongating your laptops life span and helping it deliver its top performance without the hassle of overheating. The most common complaints from laptop and notebook users are that their laptops systems almost crash due to heat exhaustion and the uncomfortable feeling of using a laptop that feels too hot while in use. Laptop cooling pads increase airflow to your laptop's mechanism. Majority of these pads have fan systems that allow the laptop's system to have access to a cool stream of air. This stream of cool air helps the device stay at a stable, cool temperature, eliminating the possibility of overheating. The stabilization of temperature in the device allows the mechanism to breathe which helps the computer to function better and makes it easier for the user.

The excessive heat that the laptop produces is not comfortable or healthy for the user. Recent studies have been showing that Wi-Fi using products, such as laptops, may be harmful to the user. It is possible that the laptop-cooling pad, while cooling the device can also block off some of the harmful radiation too.

While purchasing cooling pads it is important to pay attention to things like performance, the CFM and sometimes even the fan noise factor. Amongst that, it is also important to focus on the design and pick a cooling pad suited most to your working and life style. Fortunately many laptop and notebook cooling pads are very stylish and come with cool features like different lighting features and colors.

Even the best laptops might come down due to overheating permanently. The straining of throttling can unfortunately damage your laptops and notebook devices. Sanoxy Cooling pads will however eliminate this issue and provide you with a healthier and "cooler" laptop.

http://www.amazon.com/sanoxy

How To Manage Stretch Marks

1. External applications: Topical creams and moisturizers, skin firming agents and skin hydrators are available in different trade names but they give fewer results in long standing cases; however the following topical agents are widely used with varying results.

Topical agents are supposed to promote collagen synthesis when applied on the affected skin.

• Topical retinoid therapy (retin A treatment)

Examples: - Retinaldehyde, tretinoin, Isotretinoin, adapalene etc are used. Tretinoin should not be used during pregnancy and lactation.

• Glycolic acid creams are used to remove the outer layers of the skin.
• Silicon dioxide is used with some benefits.
• Elastin cream can promote formation of elastin.
• Hydroxyproline containing creams are useful.
• Alpha hydroxyl acids (8 to 10%) are used with good results.
• Glycerol is used as a moisturizer.
• Topical vitamins (E, A & K).
• Vitamin E oil is commonly used.
• Creams containing marine tissue extract are useful externally.
• Antioxidants (they act as scavengers of free radicals).
• Vaseline is routinely applied on the skin.
• Biopeptide CL containing creams are useful.
• Topical sunless tanning products are also useful.

Some naturally available substances are also used with good results, which are mentioned under a separate heading.

2. Masking methods: Here the stretch marks are not removed, but kept covered by appropriate dressing and other methods like tattoo or ornaments etc.

3. Dermabrasion: Here the superficial layer of the skin is removed by a procedure called micro dermabrasion, which will increase collagen production resulting in the formation of normal healthy skin. This method is recommended for those who do not prefer painful and expensive surgical techniques. This is the cheapest and harmless method among all types of skin resurfacing techniques. Here no chemicals or medicines are required. Micro dermabrasion involves the use of a pen like instrument that sandblasts the skin with tiny crystals to remove the cells in the superficial layer of the skin. On an average 10 to 12 sittings are needed for a better result.

4. Skin remodeling: Here needles or lasers are used. Needle pricks can induce collagen production in the affected area.

5. Chemical peeling: Here some chemicals in cream base are applied on the affected area. These creams can remove the epidermis of the skin. The dermis can produce more collagen and gradually normal skin is formed.

However this method is painful and may even cause skin injury due to some reactions.

Glycolic acid and Jessner's peels are commonly used. For medium depth peeling Trichloracetic acid is used. Here the skin becomes red & swollen for a few days and gradually becomes normal.

6. Laser treatment: This is the most commonly used method, which gives better result than any other method. Statistics show that about 70% of cases treated with a laser have given good results. However, laser cant give good results in all cases as it works on certain skin types.

Different types of lasers are used on the basis of the color of skin. Here a narrow beam of laser is transmitted through the affected skin that can stimulate the production of collagen. Laser can stimulate the division of fibroblasts of the skin, thereby promotes tissue repair. It is true that laser cant remove stretch marks, but improves their appearance. Dual laser treatment is effective after a few sittings. Pulse dye laser therapy is also used with sizeable results and is a better choice among different laser treatments. However laser therapy is expensive and also causes pain during the procedure. More over five to six sittings are needed to make some noticeable improvement. Laser therapy gives better results in red raised scars and pinkish stretch marks. However, modern laser therapy is very expensive.

7. Cosmetic Surgery: Here surgical methods like skin grafting, skin reduction, liposuction etc are done. In case of horrible abdominal stretch marks with folded skin due to fat deposition that does not respond to normal methods can be managed by abdominoplasty. However this method is very expensive and may cause scars on the operated site.

8. Endermologie: This mode of treatment was invented in France. Here, a special machine is used to massage the affected site with the help of rollers and a suctioning action of the machine. This method is supposed to improve the blood circulation and removal of toxic substances from the skin. It can also strengthen the connective tissues of the skin. Series of endermologie procedures have given marked improvement in the appearance of stretch marks.

10. Anti depressive medicines: Those who are over anxious about stretch marks need mild doses of antidepressants and psychotherapy.

Dr Olusola coker and Debola cole are experts in skin care. They both have treated and cured women with stretchmarks across the globe. visit their website for details http://www.fadeyourstretchmarks.com

Choosing the Right Technology for Kids

Today, we live in a digital world that's supported majorly with technology and while technology has changed our world, it also plays an important role in our child's developmental milestones. Thanks to the latest trends in the field of educational based technology, kids are now getting up close and personal with technology daily, at homes and at school.

But is there really a need to of making technology available only at a particular age? Not really, as technology also plays a very positive and vital role while a child is growing. Today with an introduction of smartphones and other mobile devices like tablet PCs and tablets, we have quicker and comfortable access to the internet at any time and any place. This makes it a must have for kids too, as they help promote and share knowledge and information that's related to child's day to day activities along with school based education.

What to buy?

There's a whole wide range of electronic toys and devices available in the market, that are great portable devices to teach your little ones. But deciding what to buy is difficult at times. But we as parents have a fair idea on what might suit our child and what products may excite him to learn. Remember, each child develops differently and would have their own learning milestones. So don't push too hard and do keep in mind the following guidelines while buying these products:

Pre-Nursery: 0-3 Years

It's an ideal age to introduce them to a variety of sounds and lots of colorful stuff. Look for products that feature sounds, are good to touch and feel and most importantly are 'play friendly' in terms of safety measures.

You can buy a stuffed toy that makes a sound, music rattles to make him giggle, something that lights up like a room monitor that glows and pick up books that have bright pictures and sounds too. All these would help a child learn the 'cause and effect' and learn via touch and feel. These will keep the child occupied for a little longer and will open a world of possibilities too.

Prep 2-5 years

At this age, a child needs to hear interesting sounds, see lots of movement around and touch and feel the stuff. This is indeed the most inquisitive age for our little explorers, so be very cautious on what you are gifting them. Encourage them to play with action figures that make sounds and are movable, interactive story books, electronic playsets and talking animals make creative buys.

To increase their learning, gradually introduce them to your smartphone that has a wide range of easily downloadable kid's applications for listening to rhymes or learning numbers, learning shapes & colors. Read them stories that are interesting and show them the moving images to keep them enthralled and entertained. Try creating learning with a theme, so that kids learn faster. Visit a Zoo and ask them to identify the animals!

+5 and above:

Once the kids are 5, it's different to keep a track on what technology they are getting exposed to. At this age, they'll no longer be interested to play with electronic toys or e-readers and would in time, reach out to the internet and play video games or other handheld games that have enhanced features like 3-dimensional effects.

So try to introduce them to a leap frog or similar educational electronics and let them choose what they need to explore. Make sure they are involved in physical activities too.

Screen time too needs to be fixed, as the bright images of the computer screen can affect their sensitive eyes. Don't let them get into a habit of only sitting on the computer. Change your passwords regularly. Offer kids other interesting things to indulge in. Reward or surprise them with gifts.

Please make sure to be around the child whenever they are on the laptop and keep a track what they are watching or reading. Let them keep experimenting independently with new things. Help them search for educational websites and other interactive games. Kids can also read and learn about science experiments and increase their knowledge bank.

While the technology is a boon, remember it is crucial for a kid to keep active in an environment where he is physically active. So opt for outdoor activities and let them explore the natural space. Do praise them in all that they do and inculcate their interest in technology and keep them exploring this amazing world.

Each child is different and with a whole wide range of electronic toys and devices available in the market, there are times when we as parents can't figure out what to buy and when is the ideal time to introduce them to new technology. These guidelines would help you make a better decision. By Ashima Mukherjee

What Is Blood Pressure, And Why Is It Important?

In simplistic terms, blood pressure is a measurement of the force with which your blood is pumped round your body. It is the pressure that your pumping blood places on the walls of your arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood away from your heart. The easiest way of understanding the concept of BP is to think of water pumping through a garden hose. When it does so, the water places pressure on the walls of the hose as it tries to 'escape' in any possible direction.

And in the same way that you increase the pressure on the walls of your garden hose if you increase the water flow by turning the water tap or faucet on a little more, your increases if your heart starts pumping more blood around your body for some reason in exactly the same way.

Your exact hypertension is measured by reference to two different factors. The first of these factors is the strength of each heartbeat, whilst the second is the resistance put up by the 'tubes' through which you blood passes, primarily your capillaries and arteries.

It is the arterioles, the tiny blood vessels that feed into the capillary network that regulate hypertension more than any other part of your body. These arterioles expand and contract in rhythm with the beating of your heart as result of the muscular tissue in their walls. Hence, measuring hypertension is in effect checking the strength or weakness of your heart.

Your blood pressure is measured by reference to two different numbers which represent the systolic and diastolic pressures.

The first of these, the systolic is a measurement of the highest pressure point which is recorded when the heart beats or contracts. The lower figure, the diastolic is a measurement of what is happening when your heart is at rest, effectively representing the low point of your blood pressure.

As a general rule, it is the diastolic pressure measurement which medical professionals pay most attention to, because if your diastolic pressure is too high, it suggests that your arteries and capillaries are under too much pressure even when your heart is at rest.

In an average non stressed adult, normal hypertension would be in the region of 120/80 mmHg. In fact, the better your physical condition, the lower your diastolic pressure measurement is likely to be, with well conditioned athletes regularly recording a diastolic pressure of between 50 and 60 mmHg.

However, according to the American Heart Association, nearly 1 in three adults in the USA suffers from high blood pressure.

Much more terrifyingly, it is believed that anything from one third to one half of high blood pressure sufferers are completely unaware of their condition, which is one reason why your doctor always measures your blood pressure when you visit them irrespective of the condition that has brought you to their office or surgery in the first place.

High blood pressure is known by the medical profession as hypertension, but it is also possible to suffer from a slightly less serious form of the condition known as pre-hypertension as well.

Although exact definitions of what represents high blood pressure varies to a certain degree from country to country, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests that in the USA, systolic pressure of between 120 and 139 or a diastolic pressure of between 80 and 89 mmHg represents pre-hypertension.

Stage one hypertension is represented by systolic pressure of between 140 and 159 or diastolic pressure in the range of 90 to 99 mmHg, whilst stage two hypertension is demonstrated by a reading in excess of 160/100 mmHg.

Why does it matter?

As suggested earlier, there are huge numbers of people in the USA (and in most industrialized Western countries) who suffer from high blood pressure that are not even aware of their condition.

This is the primary reason why high blood pressure is often known as 'the silent killer' as many of the conditions to which high blood pressure contributes are often fatal. In effect, if you have high blood pressure condition that you are not aware of, you are considerably more at risk of suffering a wide variety of potentially lethal medical conditions without being in a position to take steps or measures to reduce the risk, hence, the 'silent killer' soubriquet.

Dr Olusola Coker is well know as a speaker on Hypertension and Diabetes. His ebook has helped so many people across the globe solved their hypertension problems.

Avoid Sleeping With Your Smartphone

Smartphones can be useful at night to send a text, check the time, set an alarm, look at the calendar, use as a flashlight, read a book, and so much more. However, does the small radiation that the phone emits warrant concern? Here's some compelling evidence as to why sleeping with a smartphone may keep you from being your best the next day.

Why You Should Not Sleep Near Your Smartphone

Mobile phones use electronic magnetic radiation in the microwave range. Sleeping with a phone nearby boosts your radiation exposure just a bit, which can prevent an optimal sleep cycle.

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, 32GB, (Verizon), Gold Platinum

Smartphones affect deep non-REM sleep, which leaves less time for blood flow to be directed to your muscles. Therefore in the morning, you may experience lack of concentration, soreness, and focused performance.

"Anything that disrupts the integrity of your sleep will potentially have adverse consequences in functioning during the day, such as grouchiness, difficulty concentrating, and in children hyperactivity and behaviour problems,"says Dr. William Kohler of the Florida Sleep Institute.

Five ninth-grade girls from Denmark observed these very consequences and noticed they couldn't concentrate the morning after sleeping with their phones. So they perform scientific experiment: Take 400 cress seeds (edible herb related to watercress) and split them into 12 trays, placing the trays in two rooms at the same temperature, six in each room. Give the trays the same amount of water and sunlight for 12 days, but expose six of the trays to mobile phone radiation. The girls had WiFi routers emit the same level of electromagnetic energy as a cell phone.

As you can see, the results are dramatic. The plants in the non-electromagnified room grew, while those situated next to the routers didn't grow at all or died.

"None of us sleep with our mobile phones at our bedside any more. Either we keep them at a distance or in another room," said one of the students.

Taking Precautions with Cell Phone Radiation

Two years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer rated smartphones as "group 2B", which means they may cause cancer in humans. Mobile phones are still a relatively new technology, so it will still take years to fully understand what, if any, adverse side effects cell phone radiation will have. Let's take the "better safe than sorry" approach and take a few precautions:

If you must keep your phone nearby for a morning alarm or clock, put the phone on "airplane mode", which will shut down the transceiver.

If you need to be on call and can't put the phone in airplane mode, at least put the phone a couple feet away from your bed.

Text instead of talking whenever possible. Use speaker phone, or a Bluetooth headphone device, instead of holding the phone to your ear whenever possible.

Try an experiment if you sleep with your smartphone. Put it in another room for a week, and don't look at it immediately before bed. See if you notice any significant change in your mornings and please report back your findings.