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Now that I have your attention, here is an article that may just have an impact on you! Ok, maybe not you, but if not you, then who? The way I see it, I'm just offering a free public service. Enjoy, but not too much!!!

By JORDAN ROBERTSON

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Online pornography hunters' Internet adventures are already fraught with danger from malicious code many porn sites use to commandeer visitors' machines or steal personal data.

Now comes a scheme some researchers say amounts to extortion: One site's threat to disable visitors' computers with relentless pop-up ads if they don't pay for a subscription they were automatically signed up for after a free trial.

The threats, reported this week by researchers at security vendor McAfee Inc.'s Avert Labs, affect people who visit the Web site and download software to access a free three-day trial membership.

Visitors do get free access for three days, but the download includes code that then generates a stream of pop-up windows, when the user is online and offline, demanding payment of roughly $80 for 90 days' worth of additional access.

The windows stay open up to 10 minutes and appear once a day. They appear on top of any open windows and restore to their original size if shrunk or moved, making them impossible to ignore. They also reappear if the computer is rebooted.

The site actually warns visitors they will be billed as full members — and lose full use of their computers if they don't — unless they cancel the subscription within the trial period. But the warning appears in the full terms and conditions statement, which downloaders aren't required to read.

Once the fees are paid, the software can be removed with a special file.

"What it appears they are doing is, in my humble opinion, a form of extortion based on the (usually correct) assumption that a person's computer will be key to many other activities in their daily life," McAfee researcher Seth Purdy wrote on the Avert Labs blog.

Truly a scary thought

Click on the image and read the article under the picture.

Where have all the U-Blogger's gone?

It's been pretty quiet here at the U-Blog Press. I know there are still visitors because I see the counter growing... ever so slightly.

If you are already a contributor, how about adding a post every now and then?

If you are not a contributor, how about becoming one?

You can use this site to promote posts on your site with links.

You can be a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian or none of the above.

As long as you follow the the rules you too can be a contributor!

If you choose not to contibute, please keep checking back, as I do like to add posts on occasion.

Thanks for visiting!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a "Holiday".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith;
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebra te "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

This was received as an email, and I thought it should be shared.
I told my wife to only shop at stores that recognize Christmas, but it's too early to tell who will and who will not.

Wal-Mart has finally admitted that censoring Christmas is not a good idea. After experiencing a backlash last Christmas season from unhappy customers and facing frustrated employees, Wal-Mart retreated from its use of "Happy Holidays" and will let employees greet shoppers with "Merry Christmas." Let's hope other retailers follow suit. It's a bit premature to say, but I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year!!!

Here's your lump of coal kid - Merry Christmas!

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

Thanks to Robert Rouse at http://www.leftofcentrist.com/ I, Stan Matuska, have been tagged to write ten random things about myself.

1. I was born at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne Indiana on November 13th, 1959; but back then the hospital was on Fairfield Avenue. The interesting thing about that is that it was on a Friday....the 13th!!!!

2. I had four sets of parents growing. My birth parents, step parents and two sets of foster parents. Why you ask? See #1 above. No, I really can't tell you why. I was too young to understand, but I think it had to do with parents out of control.

3. I was a single parent to my one year old son when I was just 21.

4. I used to get crazy with John Good from http://leftinaboite.blogspot.com/ when I was much younger. We would do crazy stuff like dress up as anything stupid and then go to Azars by Southtown Mall for coffee. We had many a party at his "love shack", but I usually got the owl while he got the catch of the day. He took me and my son in during my difficult times, and my son potty trained in his living room. Looking back, it was a lot like the show Two and a half Men!

5. Most of my blood siblings live in Southern California, with the exception of one brother who lives in Fort Wayne. He is a couple of years older than me and is more into auto mechanics than politics. I have 4 brothers and 1 sister in my birth family plus myself. We are still all very close, with the exception of my oldest brother who served in Viet Nam, came home, opened an Army/Navy store on Wells street, moved his business to California and was beaten to death in the desert several years ago. How does one survive Viet Nam but not the states???

7. I have been married three times, but divorced only twice! My wife and I have been married for 9 years in December. I have two step sons ages 21 and 25, and I have a son 27, and a daughter 22. As of today we are DINKS (double income no kids), but who knows what next week will bring!

8. I became a Grandpa a few weeks ago for the first time!!! My step-son and his wife gave us this beautiful gift!!! His name is Noah Daniel Hahn; and I am proud to tell people that I am a Grandpa - even though today at the nursing home I volunteer at, a 96 year old woman called me a GLM! I thought she was talking gibberish, but she said it meant Good Looking Man! I still got it! Ok - so she's 96 and I'm a Grandpa, but it still made me feel good =)

9. I love to give to charities, but I like to do it on my terms. I know that sounds weird, but I hate the cold contact phone calls, and the begging in the mail from charities that I never even heard of. It's like helping our kids. I love to help them, but I want do it because I want to, not because they want my help. BTW, kids, if you are reading this - you wouldn't believe how much a simple "thank you" from time to time can mean.

10. I had four years of Spanish in school. I would get C's and D's in English, but straight A's in Spanish. I took it the first year because a cute girl ahead of me signed up for it in 9th grade, then stayed with it because my High School Spanish teacher was a hot tamali! My Spanish name was Francisco. Que pasa? Donde esta el quarto de bano?

11. I know I was only supposed to do 10, but if you didn't catch it, I purposely omited #6, so technically I owe you this one!

U.S. internet control hangs in the balance

Next week there will be a meeting in Brazil that is supposed to cover topics like spam, free speech and cheaper access. It is starting to look like it will be more of a debate over U.S. control over the internet!

The four day forum is comprised of over 2,000 representatives from government, business and "civil society", with the key theme being how to bring the internet to the next billion people.

The Internet Governance Forum is the result of a compromise world leaders reached at a U.N. summit in Tunisia two years ago. They agreed to let the United States remain in charge.

But they established an annual forum to discuss emerging issues, including whether control of how Internet addresses are assigned—and thus how people use the Internet—should remain with the U.S. government and an American nonprofit.

Many countries complained U.S. dominance wasn't discussed enough during the first forum last year, in Athens. In meetings leading to the second round opening in Rio de Janeiro, China, Iran, Russia and Brazil, among others, won an opening-day panel devoted to "critical Internet resources." Iran!???

Some governments are seeking more concrete results, such as a chairman's statement or negotiated agreement on next steps, though U.S. and U.N. leaders cautioned that specific decisions are unlikely and even inappropriate.

"If last year was viewed as a trial run, this year is in a sense a bit more important," said a law professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada. "If little comes out of this, I think there will be growing concern that the IGF is little more than a talk shop and a place to meet."

Some governments, particularly in developing countries, sought to strip the United States of its oversight so they could have more say over such policies as domain names in languages other than English.

It will be interesting to see what, if anything comes as a result of the Internet Governance Forum.

Let's go Krogering . . . Not . . .

Anyone else have issue with the Scott's Stores being taken over by the Kroger's in town? I miss my Scotts. While I didn't do my full monthly shopping there, I loved to drop in there for necessities on a daily basis. I hate them now that they have gone to Kroger. The two stores I frequent most are the N. Anthony store and the Clinton Store. Both stores are beginning to resemble the Kroger store on Spy Run that closed. They are dirty, disorganized and constantly out of certain products. The parking lots are disgusting and there are never in carts in the store, they are all out in the lot rolling around.

It burns my buttons when I go into a store and can't buy a gallon of chocolate milk or better yet a gallon of white that doesn't expire in 3 days. Robert actually had issue a few weeks ago when the store was completely out of white bread. Bread. Ridiculous. I always loved the Scotts stores for the family atmosphere, the high quality, and the helpful staff. Good luck getting help in the store now, and the check-out lines are atrocious because they are now staffed like a Kroger. I miss my Scotts!

Argh!

Cooler heads prevailed. . .

I read a quote from Dan Carmody, the outgoing Downtown Improvement District director. Jeff Pruitt asked him how he felt about Tom Henry being elected Mayor and he said, "It looks like cooler heads are prevailing".

After seeing, and being on the receiving end, of the Kelty Krazies shenanigans these past 2 days before the election, I am pleased that their apparent desperation was warranted.

Congrats to Mayor Henry!