How Scammers use YAHOO July 29, 2009

My good friend and sister’s [in faith] email was hacked or let say used by scammers/defrauders/slickers/embezzlers [whatever name you got]. This person indeed was successful and able to take home 1200 euro… this was the content of his email to me…

Hello,

I am in a hurry writting this mail to you,Sorry i didnt infomed you about my urgent trip to London,Unfortunately for me all my money was stolen at the hotel where i lodged, I am so confused right now, I dont know what to do or where to go,I didnt bring my phone here and the hotel telephone lines was disconnected during the robbery incident,so i have access to only emails, Please can you send me 1000 pounds today so i can return home, As soon as i get home i would refund it immediately.Write me so i can give you my address and name where to send me the money via Western Union Money Transfer,i will be waiting for your reponse

xxx name of my friend xxx

I knew right then and there that this was a scam. My friend would not write this kind of email. It doesnt sound like her…despite the fact that i knew she is well-traveled. So I emailed her using her FB account. I had the feeling that her email account’s password would be altered. However, one relative of my friend responded and indeed sent the person money. They chatted through YM. So the 1200 euro was wired in Western Union. The rest was history… leaving us all the lessons and feeling sorry for my friend’s relative.

So how would these scammers start… they will send you this so called yahoo alert. Read on. So how did i know this was fake? This alert has a different email… the email came from Yahoo Alert! <fricksallz@verizon.net>. When you tried to reply on the email, this is what will come out, mailalertservice621@yahoo.com.

Hmmm… tricky. You really have to read everything in your email. The sender’s name, the email address, these are details that sometimes we pay attention less. I’ve nothing against yahoo. I have yahoo email account. I am using their services…and scammers too. This is just an eye-opener to the unknown emails that we are receiving in our inboxes. Be alert and be critical on the content and the sender. If it doesnt make sense, be on guard. You can always call yahoo. You can inquire and send feedback to Yahoo. We can always double check the information we received.

Dear Valued Member, Due to the congestion in all Yahoo users and removal of all unused Yahoo Accounts,Yahoo would be shutting down all unused accounts,You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Info below after clicking the reply botton, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons. UserName: Password: Date Of Birth: Country Or Territory: After Following the instructions in the sheet,your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.Thanks for your attention to this request.We apologize for any inconvinience.

Yahoo! Customer Care

Case number: 8941624
Property: Account Security
Contact date: 2009-07-29

DON LaFONTAINE King Of Voiceover July 18, 2009

I just loved Don LaFontaine’s voice… Every time i listened to his voice in movie trailers… he brought life and made the movie enticing… I read his biography and I am impressed by his accomplishments as a voiceover artist… “5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisement, network promotions and video game trailers”… This guy made lots of money out of his voice whom he thought was really a bad news when it cracked at the age of 13 which gave him the base tone.

Despite his awesome talent and successes as the most sought-after voiceover artist… he remained grounded and humble… He passed away last year, September 1, 2008 due to complications from pneumothorax.

Two, Terrible Two? July 16, 2009

I have a 2-year old toddler by tomorrow. I can’t wait to see him blow his candle. My sister and I planned what kind of cake to pick up at red ribbon tomorrow afternoon. We will have a special dinner for my son’s birthday.  I kept hearing years back about how a two year old toddler is described, the “Terrible Two”… but I wonder if my older son and daughter were once a terrible two.

I tried to recall how my two eldest kids were when they were but two years old. I hardly remember. Memories are so vague. I had three major operations. And I believe anesthesia really damages brain cell and debases memory. But I am pretty sure their growing years were fun for all of us.

So i browse the internet and review the developmental stages… Here’s what I found.

Two years old kid loves to explore, examine, test, and try to figure out what is happening around them. Day by day, you can watch your child make connections and discover relationships. He will start to demonstrate new abilities — to communicate, to perform, and to exert his independence — all on his own. It is unfortunate (although understandable) that this age is typically referred to as the terrible twos. The reality of being two means standing up for oneself as an individual in no uncertain terms, and is an entirely normal part of development. True, it can be frustrating at times, but try not to let your child’s temporary phase of defiance and tantrums overshadow his new achievements and abilities.

MILESTONES
By the age of two, children’s different personalities and skills definitely shine through. The following milestones are meant to give you an idea of the average age that children master various milestones, but be aware that most children will not be completely average. They often excel in certain areas while paying little attention to others at any given time. If, however, you are concerned about your child’s development, be sure to address your concerns with your child’s doctor.

Between the ages of 2 and 3 years, you’re likely to see your child:

1. Talk in sentences.
2. Start to understand rules.
3. Run, jump, and climb.
4. Name and categorize.
5. Dress himself.
6. Show an interest in toilet training.

-  source is from http://wondertime.go.com/learning/

Quest on Potty Training July 15, 2009

I have a 1 yr old, 11 months, 3 weeks and 5 days old baby boy… and having a toddler at home is more than a handful. It is demanding and rewarding at the same time.Right now, we are on the quest of potty training. It had been two weeks that he goes to the bath to pee. But pooing is definitely hard for him to do on his potty. But last night, he made it. It was just 3 nights of really bringing him to the bath… and those trips in the bath is simply to make him sit on his potty. Last night was the night. He made it.

So how do you potty train a child?

There is no specific age for it. I saw some parents started early. But I saw some also started late, their child was already three years old. My two older kids were a bit earlier than Zoe.

Readiness is the key to start the potty training. Parents know when the child isready. We bought the potty last year, when Zoe was barely 1 year and 3 months. We let him get familiar with it but it really didn’t work that time. We knew, he wasn’t ready yet. So we kept the potty away because he hates it. Then 2 weeks ago, we took it out again and placed it in the bathroom.

Modeling is also important. Zoe has an older borther Jason. Jason is so patient and cooperative during the training. He routinely brings Zoe with him every time he needs to take a leak. Zoe imitated his older brother. And like I said, Zoe has been going to the bath whenever he needs to urinate. Zoe and i also browsed pictures in the internet of baby’s pooing in their potty. I believe that actually works because Zoe seemed to comprehend the idea that babies should defecate in the potty.

Praising should wrap every success in the toilet. Kids love praises. When they are being praised, they will habitually do the things that are praiseworthy.

These are just simple steps in potty training the child. These tips work for me. I hope it will to other parents. Things apply differently to every child. But be glad to share these things in my blog.

Bumping with N1H1 Virus? July 13, 2009

N1H1 virus aka swine flu also called hog or pig flu is still a threat globally. In our locality, few private schools bought the testing device in order to monitor kids daily. This is one preventive measure that private school administration is imposing to secure the children’s health.

This pandemic has shaken the world. Fear is a normal reaction if you were told that there is no specific medication to treat N1H1. The anxiety increases when people heard about some actors or known personalities were infected by N1H1. Just recently updates about N1H1 have been released in the US regarding the N1H1 vaccine.

DARE TO DREAM July 12, 2009

My Daughter, YANNI, really likes to listen to Yanni “the pianist”. So we have been surfing to find his discography. My Yanni loves the music album of Yanni DARE TO DREAM. Her favorite so far in this album is Yanni’s A Night To Remember.

The tracks in Dare To Dream are:

1. Once Upon A Time
2. A Love For Life
3. Nice To Meet You
4. So Long My Friend
5. You Only Live Once
6. To The One Who Knows
7. Face In The Photograph
8. Felitsa
9. Desire
10. Aria
11. A Night To Remember
12. In The Mirror

Here the available DVDs of Yanni.

• • • • Live: The Concert Event(2006)
      • The Collection(2006)
      • Live at the Acropolis (CD & DVD)(2005)
      • Ethnicity(2003)
      • Ultimate Yanni(2003)
      • If I Could Tell You(2000)
      • Snowfall(2000)
      • Winter Light(1999)
      • Tribute(1997)
      • In the Mirror(1997)
      • Live at the Acropolis(1994)
      • In My Time(1993)
      • Dare to Dream(1992)
      • In Celebration of Life(1991)
      • Out of Silence(1990)
      • Chameleon Days(1990)
      • Keys to Imagination(1990)
      • Reflections of Passion(1990)

The biography of YANNI as a contemporary musician, keybordist and pianist is linked here.

NM July 9, 2009

I just love Stephenie Meyer’s Saga. I have the complete books. I love how it was written and how the story was told. I might be too old for this genre but I would still raise the banner that Love is universal and it knows no boundary.

I am a very romantic and passionate type of person. Stories like these appeal to me much like other genres that i go gaga with. Though I have loved novels written by J. Grisham or R. Ludlom or Nelson Demille, Tom Clancy or Sidney Sheldon… even Johanna Lindsay and Daniele Steele… but S. Meyer has captured me effortlessly…and how I wish her novels can be translated to movies in Toto. I would not mind watching it for hours… I would watch it like how I patiently watch all the Seasons of Prison Break in less than two weeks. Whoah!

Well… it might not be able to retell the entire novel…but I am very much excited for New Moon. I need time machine to speed up the time.

Pillows July 9, 2009

I fancy with pillows… I have at least 2 extra pillows that i put on my sides when i go to bed. I used a pillow to cushion my back when I am working in my computer.

I like my pillows to be extra fluffy and huge. I used to have a body pillow but I had to dispose it because it is occupying so much space already along with my two other pillows. My bedmate complains that our bed gets crowded with pillows. We are just opposite when it comes to pillows. He likes flat pillow, the one that doesnt bury his head.

I also love throw pillows. Aside from the decorative purpose, throw pillows are good sit-upon when there is no more room in the couch. I love to sit on throw pillows when squatting on the floor while playing board game. But if your throw pillow case is made of silk and decorated with beads and sequins, you better not sit on it.

I used to make and sell floor pillows. These are the types of pillows you place on movie den. I sold floor pillow in set. A set has 3 varying sizes of floor pillows. The biggest one is really huge enough to hold an adult body. The middle size pillow can cushion the body of an 8 year old kid at least. The smallest one is like the size of a throw pillow, just enough to hold the size of an adult butt.

Odd Pair? July 8, 2009

When someone dies, all good things are said. Yet at the time the person was still living, all the mockery and curses and bad mouthing were said. I am not only talking about MJ’s. Anywhere you attend memorial, eulogy is an expected piece. And sometimes, forgive me for this confession, I could not help but be skeptical about eulogy. In my point of view, good things and good  deeds and good word must be extended when the person was rather breathing. It is good to know the dead man during memorial, but it is rather more fitting and right to show those acts of kindness when the person can still respond.

Anyway, when Brooke Shield honored Michael Jackson, I was moved and emotional. I sensed genuine friendship. And it was admirable.

Coffee July 5, 2009

I am a coffee person. I can’t sleep without having my last cup at night… My mom had a vacation in my hometown for 2 long months. She came home a few days back and she brought me my favorite Monk’s Blend. It’s a homegrown coffee made by Monks. The coffee beans are harvested in their coffee plantation and are processed by themselves. This is a prime commodity not just in my hometown but in my country. The monks in the transfiguration indeed earn decently from it. The Monk’s blend and some peanut products are saleable not only among the locals but also the tourists who visit our place.

I heard so many therapeutic benefits from coffee. Some essential oils have scents of coffee as well…But regardless of what it brings, I just love coffee. This beverage does give me a feeling of cloud nine. It is really a beverage I can’t live without in a day. My meal will not be complete without serving coffee… my mousepad will be lonely without its mate beside it too- and that is my favorite moss-green mug filled with a freshly brewed coffee.

Yup… imbibing coffee has been a meronymy to things I do.