Anybody Want To Go Phishing?

Okay, I mentioned about those "please forward..." e-mails the other day.  And, lo & behold, I get this one (below)  Now the version I received was done up so pretty and professionally that it just enticed everyone who read  it to instantly fill in their answers to the questions and send it along.  Of course, the spammer/phishers received a copy of it and all the e-mails that it was sent to.  Think of what a crook could do with all that personal information.  I responded back to my friend, message included below, and gave the spammer/phishers some answers that they probably won't know how to process.

Subject: 2010 quiz

Becky. I am just returning this to you with a warning that these type of e-mails are used by large companies for spam & phishing purposes. READ THIS ARTICLE. Everything that someone answers is collected as data. You might get a kick out of my answers though.

Wil

Welcome to the 2010 edition of getting to know your Friends. ' press FORWARD ' then change all the answers so they apply to you, and then send this to your friends including the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!

1.What time did you get up this morning?

18:00

2. Diamonds or pearls

Well, diamonds are a girl's best friend, so that can't apply to me and you cast pearls before swine. Now I was called "pig" often when I was a cop but that probably doesn't apply

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

What the heck is a cinema? This is America, we don't go to cinemas, we go to the movies.

4. What is your favorite TV show?

Don't own a TV

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

I usually eat a light breakfast. You know, a half dozen eggs, a side of bacon, a half dozen potatoes (fried in grease with onions), some toasted sourdough bread (about a loaf or so), A gallon of coffee, a quart of milk and a quart of OJ. More than that just makes me feel groggy the rest of the day

6. What is your middle name

Now this one is definitely a spammer's phishing trick. Isn't it?

7. What food do you dislike?

I've never met a food I wouldn't eat.

8. What is your favorite CD at moment?

I don't have a CD player, an mp3 player, a radio nor any other sound playback system. I like peace & quiet

9. What kind of car do you drive?

Since I am basically blind, I consider it my responsibility to neither own nor operate a motor vehicle. Unless, of course, you want to give me yours.

10. Favorite sandwich?

Subway

11. What characteristic do you despise?

Companies that send out e-mails like this so they can use the embedded tracker to garner valid e-mail addresses to spam me with. And this one collects a lot of personal info that identity thieves can use also

12..Favorite item of clothing?

String bikinis on young nubile lasses

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

Been there, done that

14. Favorite brand of clothing?

Goodwill

15. Where would you retire to?

I am already retired, so what difference does it make?

16.What was your most memorable birthday?

The last one. With my health conditions, each one, especially the next, is important

17. Favorite sport to watch?

Olympic curling. It is so peaceful and quiet and doesn't disturb my sleep

18. Furthest place you are sending this?

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

19. Person you expect to send it back first?

That information is available on "need to know" basis

20.When is your birthday?

On the same day every year

21. Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am retired. I am an "awake" and "asleep" person. Check your local listings for time and channel

22. What is your shoe size?

Why in heavens name would anyone, except spammers/phishers, be interested in that? They're bigger than a ballerina's and smaller than Shaq's

23. Pets?

Only if she is drunk enough to let me

24. Any new and exciting news you 'd like to share with us

I may have won the Publisher's Clearing House Grand Prize. Oh, yeah. Some guy in Nigeria wants to give me a Gazzillion Dollars to help him

25. What did you want to be when you were little?

Bigger

26.How are you today?

Everybody asks this question but does anyone really care?

27.What is your favorite candy?

Candy Clark

28.What is your favorite flower?

I am allergic to flowers

29.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

Tomorrow

30.What's your full name?

What are you? Homeland Security?

31.What are you listening to now?

My farts

32. What was the last thing you ate?

Whatever wasn't moving in the refrigerator

33. Do you wish on stars?

Yeah. I pray that Claire Bennett would spend the night with me.

34.If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

I am colorblind

35.How is the weather right now?

Dark. Followed by increasing light towards dawn

36.The first person you spoke to on the phone today

No one.

37. Favorite soft drink?

Beer

38. Favorite restaurant?

Those with an "Early Bird" special

39. Real hair color?

Yeah, whats left of it is real

40. What was your favorite toy as a child?

Whatever my sibling was playing with.

41. Summer or winter?

If you can't tell the difference, does it really matter?

42.Hugs or kisses

I love it when a girl hugs my scrotum and kisses my penis

43. Chocolate or Vanilla?

What is this, a racist thing? Why can't we all just get along

44. Coffee or tea?

Both of these are products produced in foreign countries. Buying them wastes and depletes our international trade balance.

BUY AMERICAN!!

45. Do you want your friends to email you back

Sure but not using this blatant spam/phishing piece of crap

46. When was the last time you cried?

The day my wife left me. Tears of joy for hours.

47. What is under your bed?

You mean besides my money? Can't really trust banks, can you?

48. What did you do last night?

Probably the same thing as everybody else.

49. What are you afraid of ?

Lets see. I've been married, been a cop, been in battle and raised children. I don't think there is really anything that makes me afraid.

50. Salty or sweet?

Salty or sweet what?

51. How many keys on your key ring?

more than one and less than a google

52. How many years at your current job?

0

53. Favorite day of the week?

The next one

54. How many towns have you lived in?

Would you be a little more specific, please. I grew up "military" and have lived in towns, on bases, in cities, in villages, in townships, out in the country and on islands. Never made it into space though

55. Do you make friends easily?

Are you questioning my ability to "play well" with others?

56. How many people will you send this to?

For that information I'll need to see a warrant

57. How many will send this back?

I Hope None

"Let's all be careful out there!"

A TRIP TO COSTCO

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina
dog chow for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog and was in the
checkout line when woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant?

So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me.

I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's ass and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Good Information and Advice

Thought this interesting enough to share with all of you......FYI.......

The man that first sent this information is a computer tech. He spends a lot of time clearing the junk off computers for people and listens to complaints about speed. All forwards are not bad, just some. Be sure you read the very last paragraph.

He wrote:

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with snopes.com and/or truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email is just that: true/false or fact/fiction. Both are excellent sites.



Advice from snopes.com VERY IMPORTANT!!

1) Any time you see an email that says "forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends", "sign this petition", or "you'll get bad luck" or "you'll get good luck" or "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it" or whatever --- it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks you forward to. The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails or sell to other spammers. Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus --- that is email tracking, and they are playing on our conscience. These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them. Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease "how would you feel if that was your child" --- email tracking. Ignore them and don't participate!


2) Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of email is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers -- to validate active email accounts for their own profitable purposes.

You can do your Friends and Family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them. You will be providing a service to your friends. And you will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam emails in the future!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listing regardless how inviting they might sound! Or make you feel guilty if you don't! It’s all about getting email addresses and nothing more.

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!

Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached! Plus, we are helping the spammers get rich! Let's not make it easy for them!


ALSO: Email petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress of any other organization - i.e. social security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a "signed signature" and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you are just helping the email trackers.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Having Some Fun...

And I Learned Something New

Like a lot of you I get many PowerPoint presentations sent to me. Most are fantastic, The only problem is that there isn't a way to put them on your blog and there is no URL that you can hyper-link to. Yesterday I discovered that I can convert a .pps file to a Google Document, publish it and embed the results here. There is one small drawback in that Google Docs doesn't import the audio portion of the .pps file. This does degrade the impact of the presentation but I can live with that.

The 10 posts below this one are the conversions that I've done. Treat it like any embedded video file. Press PLAY and then expand to FULL SCREEN.

Some are absolutely stunning and others are humorous. WARNING: SOME CONTAIN NUDITY! Those will have a notification alert at the top of the post.

I hope you enjoy them.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Mirror in the Water

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Close Your Eyes....

And go back...

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Your Health: Part 1

WARNING: NUDITY ALERT

"Let's all be careful out there!"

45 Lessons in Life

"Let's all be careful out there!"

God's Pharmacy

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Wonderful Photos

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Magic Goggles

WARNING: NUDITY ALERT

"Let's all be careful out there!"

A Little Astronomy

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Trains and Incredible Scenery

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Goodbye

WARNING: NUDITY ALERT

"Let's all be careful out there!"

THE WORLD'S 18 STRANGEST AIRPORTS

By Chris Sweeney

Popular Mechanics

Engineers tasked with building an airport are faced with countless challenges: The ideal location needs ample space, endless flat ground, favorable winds and great visibility. But spots in the real world are rarely ideal, and engineers are forced to work with what they have, making sure that the end product is the safest possible structure for pilots. A survey of airports around the world turns up a mixed bag, ranging from dangerous and rugged landing strips to mega-size facilities that operate like small cities. Here, PM explores the world's most remarkable airports and why they stand out.

1: Kansai International Airport Osaka, Japan
(Photograph by Tdk)
Background:
Land is a scarce resource in Japan , so engineers headed roughly 3 miles offshore into Osaka Bay to build this colossal structure. Work on the manmade island started in 1987, and by 1994 jumbo jets were touching down. Travelers can get from the airport to the main island of Honshu via car, railroad or even a high-speed ferry.
Why It's Unique:
Kansai's artificial island is 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide—so large that it's visible from space. Earthquakes, dangerous cyclones, an unstable seabed, and sabotage attempts from protestors are just some of the variables engineers were forced to account for. As impressive as the airport is, Stewart Schreckengast, a professor of aviation technology at Purdue University and a former aviation consultant with MITRE, cautions that climate change and rising sea levels pose a very real threat to the airport's existence. "When this was built, [engineers] probably didn't account for global warming," he says. "In 50 years or so, this might be underwater."
2: Gibraltar Airport Gibraltar
Background:
Between Morocco and Spain sits the tiny British territory of Gibraltar . Construction of the airport dates back to World War II, and it continues to serve as a base for the United Kingdom 's Royal Air Force, though commercial flights land on a daily basis.
Why It's Unique:
Winston Churchill Avenue, Gibraltar 's busiest road, cuts directly across the runway. Railroad-style crossing gates hold cars back every time a plane lands or departs. "There's essentially a mountain on one side of the island and a town on the other," Schreckengast says. "The runway goes from side to side on the island because it's the only flat space there, so it's the best they can do. It's a fairly safe operation as far as keeping people away," he says, "It just happens to be the best place to land, so sometimes it's a road and sometimes it's a runway."
3: Madeira International Airport Maderia, Portugal
Background:
Madeira is a small island far off the coast of Portugal , which makes an airport that is capable of landing commercial-size aircraft vital to its development. This airport's original runway was only about 5000 feet long, posing a huge risk to even the most experienced pilots and limiting imports and tourism.
Why It's Unique:
Engineers extended the runway to more than 9000 feet by building a massive girder bridge atop about 200 pillars. The bridge, which itself is over 3000 feet long and 590 feet wide, is strong enough to handle the weight of 747s and similar jets. In 2004, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering selected the expansion project for its Outstanding Structure Award, noting that the design and construction was both "sensitive to environmental and aesthetic considerations."
4: Don Mueang International Airport Bangkok, Thailand
Background:
From a distance Don Mueang International looks like any other midsize airport. However, smack-dab in the middle of the two runways is an 18-hole golf course.
Why It's Unique:
Schreckengast, who has worked on consulting projects at this airport, says one of the major problems is that the only taxiways were located at the end of the runways. "We recommended that they build an additional taxiway in the middle, from side to side, and they said ‘absolutely not, that will take out a green and one fairway.'" The airport and the course were originally an all-military operation, but have since opened up to commercial traffic. Security threats, however, have limited the public's access to the greens.
5: Ice Runway Antarctica
Background:
The Ice Runway is one of three major airstrips used to haul supplies and researchers to Antarctica 's McMurdo Station. As its name implies, there are no paved runways here—just long stretches of ice and snow that are meticulously groomed.
Why It's Unique:
There is no shortage of space on the Ice Runway, so super-size aircraft like the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III can land with relative ease. The real challenge is making sure that the weight of the aircraft and cargo doesn't bust the ice or get the plane stuck in soft snow. As the ice of the runway begins to break up, planes are redirected to Pegasus Field or Williams Field, the two other airstrips servicing the continent.
6: Congonhas Airport  Sao Paulo, Brazil
Background:
Most major cities have an airport, but rarely are they built just 5 miles from the city center, especially in metropolises like Sao Paulo . Congonhas' close proximity to downtown can be attributed in part to the fact that it was completed in 1936, with the city experiencing rapid development in the following decades.
Why It's Unique:
While having an airport only 5 miles from the city center may be a convenience for commuters, it places a strain on both pilots and air traffic control crews. "It becomes a challenge in terms of safety to just get the plane in there," Schreckengast says. "Then you throw on noise restrictions and these terribly awkward arrival and departure routes that are needed to minimize your noise-print and it becomes quite challenging for pilots." Fortunately, Sao Paulo 's many high-rise buildings are far enough away from the airport that they aren't an immediate obstacle for pilots landing or taking off.
7: Courchevel International Airport  Courchevel, France
Background:
Getting to the iconic ski resort of Courchevel requires navigating the formidable French Alps before making a hair-raising landing at Courchevel International Airport . The runway is about 1700 feet long, but the real surprise is the large hill toward the middle of the strip.
Why It's Unique:
"You take off downhill and you land going uphill," Schreckengast says. He adds that the hill, which has an 18.5 percent grade, is so steep that small planes could probably gain enough momentum rolling down it with no engines to safely glide off the edge. Landing at Courchevel is obviously no easy task, so pilots are required to obtain certification before attempting to conquer the dangerous runway.
8: Princess Juliana International Airport Simpson Bay , Saint Maarten
(Photograph by Lawrence Lansing)
Background:
Nothing says fun in the sun like roaring engines and the smell of jet exhaust. Landing on this Caribbean island forces pilots to fly over a small strip of beach, clear a decent-size fence and pass over a road just before hitting the runway.
Why It's Unique:
Not many airports are flanked by oceanfront property filled with tourists standing under incoming aircraft. While the tourists are not really in harm's way—with the exception of their hearing—Schreckengast says that trucks driving on the small road between the beach and the runway could be at risk. "The challenge is to make sure there's not a big semi truck coming through when the plane is landing. It becomes a vertical obstacle, and, if the truck is light, the jet blast could blow it over."
9: Svalbard Airport Svalbard, Norway
Background:
Svalbard is a cluster of Norwegian islands sitting in the Arctic Ocean . While there are three airports within the archipelago, two of which are used mainly to transport miners, Svalbard Airport is open to commercial travel, making it the world's northernmost airport that tourists can book tickets to.
Why It's Unique:
Engineers used the region's brutally cold climate to their favor during construction and built the runway on a layer of permafrost. The airport was completed in 1975, but slight seasonal changes caused sections of the runway to become uneven, forcing the need to repave the runway on several occasions. A project was launched in 1989 aimed at insulating troublesome sections of the runway from the ground, which proved relatively successful. However, a 2002 study indicates that rising temperatures in the area may increase the need and frequency of maintenance efforts and repaving.
10: Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport Saba, Netherlands Antilles
Background:
Getting to this paradise-like island can be a bit distressing thanks to a 1300-foot-long runway, slightly longer than most aircraft carrier runways.
Why It's Unique:
Large planes aren't landing here, but the small runway is difficult even for Cessnas and similar aircraft. "The little X means don't land there," says Schreckengast, a former Navy pilot who is no stranger to landing on less than lengthy runways. "It's challenging, but if you don't have something like that, the people here don't get things they routinely need, like mail." Given the limited amount of land and rolling topography of the island, not many other options exist.
11: Barra Airport Barra, Scotland
(Photograph by Sue Johnson)
Background:
Planes bound for the island of Barra , located off Scotland 's west coast, have used the beach as a makeshift runway since the 1930s. Despite the lack of paved runways on the island, the airport still boasts a modern control tower that's responsible for handling more than 1000 incoming and departing flights per year.
Why It's Unique:
When the tide comes in at Barra, the runway disappears, forcing flights to be scheduled around the movement of the ocean. Landing on the beach, while novel, has drawbacks. "The little pieces of sand and salt really eat up the bearings and can jam moving parts of the airplane," Schreckengast says. "In a lot of places where they have unsurfaced runways like this, special maintenance procedures are required."
12: Hong Kong International Airport Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong
Background:
Hong Kong's original airport, Kai Tak, was surrounded by high-rise buildings and residential areas, with a runway that jutted into the water. Officials knew they needed a replacement, especially to facilitate the enormous amount of cargo passing through the region, so they built this 3.2-sqaure-mile island. Construction started in 1991, and involved merging two smaller islands together with reclaimed land.
Why It's Unique:
What makes Hong Kong International Airport stand out from other island-based airports is the fact that there is a luxury golf course and massive expo center within walking distance from the runway. The airport consistently ranks as one of the busiest cargo hubs in the world—3.35 million metric tons of cargo passed through it in 2009—so amenities like the Sky City Nine Eagles Golf Course cater to the constant stream of professionals passing through. A quick round of nine holes at night costs about $60.
13: Toncontin International Airport Tegucigalpa, Honduras
(Photograph by Enrique Galeano Morales)
Background:
Near the center of Honduras ' capital city, Tegucigalpa , is the notorious Toncontin International Airport , which has been the subject of scrutiny following several accidents, including a 2008 crash that killed five. The airport opened in 1934, an era when planes were less powerful and didn't require such lengthy runways.
Why It's Unique:
Toncontin's runway is just over 7000 feet long and situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. Despite the stubby runway, planes as large as Boeing's 757 routinely land at the airport. Schreckengast tells PM that "Seven thousand feet is awfully short for 747s," let alone anything larger, and says that planes are forced to land and take off in the same direction because they won't be able to clear the mountains otherwise. "There's one way in and one way out," he says. Honduran officials have launched an initiative to reroute commercial traffic to the safer Soto Cano Air Base.
14: Qamdo Bangda Airport  Qamdo, Tibet
Background: This is the world's highest airport, perched more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Even more impressive than the airport's altitude, perhaps, is the nearly 3.5-mile-long runway. However, as reported by The Guardian in January, 2010, China is slated to start construction next year on a new airport in Tibet , which will be a measly 2 meters higher than Bangda. Why It's Unique: Having a runway that's the length of 61 football fields may seem a tad excessive, but Schreckengast says that long runways are crucial to making safe landings at higher altitudes. "When you go up to these higher-elevation airports, then your approach speed, landing speed and takeoff speeds will need a higher ground speed," he says. "At sea level, where your approach speed is 150 mph, it may take 5000 feet of runway to stop. At 14,000 feet your approach speed is still 150, but maybe it takes 10,000 feet to stop." 15: Dammam King Fahd International Airport Dammam, Saudi Arabia Background: King Fahd International is the largest airport in the world in terms of landmass, sprawling over 300 square miles of desert. The airport is so enormous that it is actually about 11 square miles larger than Saudi Arabia 's neighbor, Bahrain . Why It's Unique: Among the many features that make this airport stand out is a mosque large enough to take in thousands of people. Also notable, though not entirely uncommon in Saudi Arabia , is the Royal Terminal, which is designed to service the Royal Family and is outfitted with an elegant reception hall and a pressroom. One of the major obstacles during the construction of the airport, Schreckengast says, was the lack of fresh water to mix concrete. 16: Denver International Airport Denver, Colorado Background: Denver International's 53 square miles of land makes it the largest airport in North America . Opened in 1995, the facility is loaded with modern features, including a 16,000-foot-long runway capable of handling Airbus A380s. Why It's Unique: "There's not many ways to make money off the excess land," Schreckengast says, "unless you can become self-sufficient." The designers of this airport were hoping to do just that, launching major green initiatives such as a 9200-panel solar farm. The airport says the solar farm produces 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, or about half the energy required to power the terminal for a year. Additionally, at the end of 2009, the airport built another photovoltaic system that is responsible for powering the fuel-storage and distribution facility. 17: Macau International Airport Macau Background: Macau, a former colony of Portugal off the coast of China , lacked accommodations for large aircraft until this airport opened in 1995. The strip of reclaimed land is large enough for 747s to land safely on. Why It's Unique: Like Kansai and Hong Kong , engineers had to rely on reclaimed land to build an airport in this densely populated area. "In the Asia Pacific region you have a lot of mountains and then shoreline where the people live. There are not many options of where you can build an airport, so in a lot of cases you're either building an island or extending an existing one," Schreckengast says. A set of highways links the runway with the small island of Taipa , where the air traffic control tower and main terminal are located. 18: Copalis State Airport  Grays Harbor County, Washington Background: One way to get to Washington 's Griffiths-Priday Ocean State Park is to land on this 4500-foot-long strip of beach. The runway is located between the mouth of the Copalis River and a barrier of rocks, with orange reflective markers at both ends to help guide pilots to a safe landing. Why It's Unique: The Washington State Department of Transportation urges incoming pilots to do a fly-over before landing to make sure the runway is free of debris. The Department of Transportation also notes that pilots should aim for dark, wet sand, which is more stable to land on than light-colored, soft sand. As with other beach-based landing areas, Copalis State Airport is submerged every time the tide rolls in. Pilots considering spending some time on the beach should make sure to park their aircraft above the high tide mark in order to ensure that their planes aren't taken out to sea.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

REMINISCING

Pulled up some old youTube videos, that I created 4 years ago. Transferred them over to MegaVideo. Many of you may not have seen them and I hope the rest enjoy the flashback.

The first one, "wanna take a ride?", takes you from the lower end of Kihei into Wailea, along the "low road", terminating at the Grand Wailea Resort/Hotel/Spa.

The second one, "Roll On Down The Highway", starts at the south end of Kihei on the "high road" and terminates at The Shops At Wailea.

Oh, gawd. I miss Maui soooo much.

"Let's all be careful out there!"