Sunday Beauty #190

Folks, here’s yet another pretty picture for your Sunday.

Click on image to see more by this artist (reco’d)

“Desert Miracle” by Rennett Stowe, courtesy of Flickr Commons

Today’s reader survey: Are you eager for the new Windows 10 to hurry up and get here?

Today’s quote: “I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you’ll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.” ~ Neil Gaiman

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Facebook in the News

Here’s yet another thing I want no part of:

* Facebook talks plans for drones, virtual reality at F8 2015

“Facebook’s multi-billion acquisition of Oculus VR still has some followers puzzled, but the social network offered some extra foresight into its vision for the subsidiary on Thursday.” Read more..

And another: Zuckerberg at F8: Messenger Business will change customer service and how we interact with businesses

“At Facebook’s F8 event in San Francisco, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said calling businesses “doesn’t feel like the future.” So he unveiled Messenger Business.” Read more..

[Sure. Who wants to talk to a real person anyway? (well… when that person’s in India.. maybe I don’t, after all..)]

F8.. isn’t that the key you press when there’s a super-serious problem?
;-)

Today’s reader survey: Are you eager for the new Windows 10 to hurry up and get here?

Today’s quote: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”  ~ Desmond Tutu

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

It’s Tuesday? Already?

Today I had to go into my local Petco, and I made a mistake.

I heard a sad “meeoow”, and went in the sound’s direction.

The sound came from one of the six cats in the ‘adoption house’. And boy, were they happy to see me (I suspect they were hoping I’d bring food).

These were ‘passed over’ cats.. as they were full-grown (puppies and kittens find homes more frequently/easier than adult animals).

Beautiful creatures. Charming. Disarming. And simply full of love.
(Hard to believe I used to not be a “cat person”..)
I really wanted to adopt them all. Genuine sweethearts. (Even the boys.)(In fact one male was the ‘lovin’-est’ of the lot.)

I know you’ve heard me say it before, but Imma’ gonna say it again: if you cannot adopt (excuse me, rescue) a furry friend today, please, please, please – do whatever you can to support your local shelters and/or the animal welfare folks.

Thank you.

Today’s quote: “For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others.” ~ Sam Levenson

(And, yes, pets are people too. [Except they’re more like young kids than grownups. Give ’em attention. Give ’em affection. And they’ll reward you untold ways.])

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Zoomin’ in the fast lane

Folks, there’s no doubt 21st Century Life is frenetic and fast-paced, and there’s never enuff hours in the day. You snooze you lose.

But to honor it being Saturday, and the fact that Spring has arrived, Imma gonna humbly suggest that you slow down, get outside, and take some time to do nothin’ but look for signs of springtime. Unwind. Destress. Breathe.

Because, ya’ know, something like 95% of all doctor’s visits have stress at the root of the cause. So power down that Xbox. Take your eyes off the screens. And take a walk (if it’s at all possible).

Today’s quote: “The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.” ~ Carlos Castaneda

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Android Games and Apps Giveaway

For a limited time, Amazon is giving away some paid apps for free.

click on image

which may be worth a look-see. Click on the image to see today’s batch of freebies. (There’ll be a different assortment each day of the giveaway.)

* Someone told me today is the first day of Spring.
Which, if it’s true, is good news to me.
And I always vote For good news.

This Just In: China reveals existence of cyber warfare hacking teams

“The country has finally admitted to the existence of units dedicated to cyber warfare.” Read more..

[May as well admit it. There’s no one who didn’t already know …] [Still, an important read.] [And in this case, “cyber warfare” includes espionage.]

Today’s quote: “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” ~ Dave Ramsey

Paul’s Tip: Don’t be like that. Be smart.

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

and there’s more

Just in today, another headline that expresses what I said in yesterday’s article pretty well:
* Most Companies Expect To Be Hacked In The Next 12 Months

“Security spending increases, while confidence in stopping cyber attacks decreases, new report shows.” Read more..

A recommended read but; ’nuff dat. How about something with a great bass line?

and the trumpets aren’t bad either (trumpets? in a rock song???)

Today’s quote: “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” ~ Martha Washington

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

And so it goes.

Loyal readers won’t be surprised by this latest “breach” headline..

* Premera Blue Cross hit by “sophisticated” hack, 11M affected

“The multi-state health insurance company was attacked in January and is working with the FBI to determine the cause of the breach.” Read more..

and I think it’s time to conclude that if your “personally identifying information” is in anyone’s database (and you should know, it is in several [at a minimum]) it will fall into a badguy’s hands, and your identity will be stolen, if it hasn’t been already. (Seems it’s no longer a question of “if”..) Because it sure looks to me like databases and/or their networks cannot be secured.

So I urge all my readers to sign up for a credit monitoring service; to make it part of your routine to keep a careful eye on your bank, and credit card statements, and look for any signs of unauthorized activity.

And no. Don’t turn on your smartphone’s payment feature. Ever. Regardless how ‘convenient’ it might seem on that asinine TV commercial. (You may want to join me in wrapping your credit cards in tinfoil too. See Digital pickpockets using smartphones to steal credit cards)

Just my two cents.

(Better, pay off, and then cut up every credit card but a single FEO one [for emergency use only].)

Today’s quote: “A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations.There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations.” ~ Jodi Picoult

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

---

>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.