JFSI - J. Fair Systems, Inc.

New malware hides in the PC's Master Boot Record, fools cleaning attempts

2011-06-28T06:50:00.000-05:00

Reposted article by Gregg Keizer / June 27, 2011 01:25 PM ET

Computerworld - Microsoft is telling Windows users that they'll have to reinstall the operating system if they get infected with a new rootkit that hides in the machine's boot sector.

A new variant of a Trojan Microsoft calls "Popureb" digs so deeply into the system that the only way to eradicate it is to return Windows to its out-of-the-box configuration, Chun Feng, an engineer with the Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC), said last week on the group's blog.

"If your system does get infected with Trojan:Win32/Popureb.E, we advise you to fix the MBR and then use a recovery CD to restore your system to a pre-infected state," said Feng.

A recovery disc returns Windows to its factory settings.

Malware like Popureb overwrites the hard drive's master boot record (MBR), the first sector -- sector 0 -- where code is stored to bootstrap the operating system after the computer's BIOS does its start-up checks. Because it hides on the MBR, the rootkit is effectively invisible to both the operating system and security software.

According to Feng, Popureb detects write operations aimed at the MBR -- operations designed to scrub the MBR or other disk sectors containing attack code -- and then swaps out the write operation with a read operation.

Although the operation will seem to succeed, the new data is not actually written to the disk. In other words, the cleaning process will have failed.
Feng provided links to MBR-fixing instructions for XP, Vista and Windows 7
Rootkits are often planted by attackers to hide follow-on malware, such as banking password-stealing Trojans. They're not a new phenomenon on Windows.

In early 2010, for example, Microsoft contended with a rootkit dubbed "Alureon" that infected Windows XP systems and crippled machines after a Microsoft security update.

At the time, Microsoft's advice was similar to what Feng is now offering for Popureb.

"If customers cannot confirm removal of the Alureon rootkit using their chosen anti-virus/anti-malware software, the most secure recommendation is for the owner of the system to back up important files and completely restore the system from a cleanly formatted disk," said Mike Reavey, director of the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), in February 2010.

Since then, Microsoft has added a check for the Aluereon rootkit to all security updates so that when the malware is detected, the updates are not installed.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

Our National Oil Crisis In A Nutshell

2011-03-04T08:04:00.000-05:00

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortagehere in our country.

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Well, there's a very simple answer.

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Nobody bothered to check the oil.

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We just didn't know we were getting low.

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The reason for that is purely geographical.

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Our OIL is located in:

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ALASKA

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California

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Coastal Florida

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Coastal Louisiana

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North Dakota

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Wyoming

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Colorado

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Kansas

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Oklahoma

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Pennsylvania

And

Texas

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Our dipsticks are located in DC

Ways to Guarantee Network Damage

2011-02-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

Do you ever see "techies" walking around your office with a lanyard around their neck and a USB dongle hanging from the end of the string? Do you allow employees to insert USB devices, CDROMs or DVDs brought from home into their computers at work?

If you do, it's likely that files from your network will will eventually be copied / moved to one of the external USB drives. Or you'll discover that you computers are infected with viruses, worms or infamous rootkits.

I downloaded an article today that everyone needs to read. Click here to download and read it for yourself.

You can call or email us (johnfair@jfsi.com) or 336-293-7757 if you have questions after reading this material.

You've Been Hacked - What Do You Do?

2011-01-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

Do you have a plan if youdiscover that your network has been breached by a hacker with malicious intent? I ran into the following article this morning and thought it was worth sharing with you.
----------------------------------------------------

You've Been Hacked!

by Tom Henderson

January 24, 2011 —

A co-worker and I watched a few weeks ago at around 11pm, as our primary server was jacked. Yes, we were smart, backed up, and had done many of the details required to secure a server against attacks. Nevertheless, we watched as the server was breached, the passwords were changed in a heartbeat, and then it became some sort of media server. A software service/daemon in the box had been pounded by a blinding attack until it simply died, leaving root access in its wake. We tried as we could to shut down the service and the access, but we were too slow, and the injected script took over the server. Normally we wouldn’t be watching this server at all, and it was by a fluke of circumstances that it was being worked on at 11pm.
[ See also: Beyond malware removal: How to respond to a compromised system alert and Survival tips for the hack: Recovery plans]
Gone were email, and our WWW server. There were no archives stored on these public-facing servers, although it was fully backed up. And we were now dead in the water. In another cabinet at our ISP, the other servers were untouched. No one was hurt. Within an hour, by remote control, we’d taken down the hijacked server, and reestablished ourselves online. But we’re small, and our needs are small. We don’t live on web transactions, and we know that others do.
The experience, however, reminded us of how we’ve watched organizations succeed, flounder, or fail when a hack attempt becomes successful. We’ve put together a list of survival tips to help ensure more successful outcomes.
To make assets productive, they must be secured and made productive again. There must be a plan available, but the plan is often based on an initial assessment.
If you’ve been hacked, here are your next steps:
Assess damage and remove services
Discover what’s not working. Each service that’s not working likely has dependencies or is dependent on other resources. Those resources may or may not be compromised. Having a list of application and service process interdependencies handy allows the individual making the assessment to determine subsequent steps.
Having an important service go down is a symptom. The components might be compromised, but they might have died a ‘natural’ death. Hardware failures, while not as common as in the past, still dog production systems. Software can also blow up of its own accord. Or, as in our case, they can be taken down by malevolent action.
The assessment phase determines whether assets have been damaged or compromised. Damaged assets must be restarted elsewhere, while compromised assets may still be infected or vulnerable to a subsequent attack.
Compromised assets may need to be powered off, routed around, or otherwise removed from accessibility, so as not to spread damage. Hijacked machines may immediately try to jack other machines or probe -- sometimes silently -- for other hardware to infect after probing network resources.
You may need to power down the equipment prior to a forensic assessment. If remote power-off isn’t available, one can contact a DNS administrator having authority over the specific DNS functional entry for the server(s) that need to be routed around. DNS entry change doesn’t take all of the hits away from a server, as users and processes will have a cache (or even hosts table entry) that still go to the IP address rather than the canonical name of the compromised server(s). You’ll need to alter DNS once again once services are ready to be restored.
You can turn off mail almost immediately by removing the DNS MX record. Servers will provide bounce messages to mail senders. The record can be re-established once mail services are tested and ready for business.
In our case, we were unable to power down the server remotely, so we asked our ISP through their DNS trouble ticketing system to move our WWW and mail records to another address. Part of our rational was that our mail server was still accepting mail, even though we couldn’t access the IMAP or POP3 services to get the mail as the password table was altered.
The nature of an attack also gives clues as to the integrity of the backups. Injection attacks, where data is crammed into an application until the application is overloaded and ‘explodes’ is a real-time attack, generally taken on when applications are poorly written or application infrastructure isn’t updated/patched. A subsequent restoral of this type of unpatched application makes the site vulnerable again if it’s restored. Sometimes a site will be immediately attacked on restoration with the same successful attack, until the base files are patched or the applications modified to withstand data injection.
Rapid assessment and potential forensic analysis are therefore critical to determining what happens next in terms of revelation, and bringing assets back online.
Alert your legal department
Depending on your state laws, regulatory compliance needs, or business partner needs, there may be a need to assess privacy and consumer information breaches for reporting purposes. Data and components may need to be isolated for further determination of what, if anything, the breach has exposed, and for how long.
A typical procedure is to power down and freeze the state of compromised devices so that they can be examined by forensic professionals. In turn, the examiners usually work with legal departments to achieve the goal of complying with legal and regulatory directives.
You may need to take forensic steps to establish the size of the breach, how long privacy or data was compromised or visible, and depending on the jurisdiction involved, make available information to regulatory or other authorities as legal compliance mandates. Your legal department will know the steps to take, and what must be done in terms of compliance regarding the possible breach of information.
The amount of time that IT has to perform this reporting varies, but sooner is usually better. We also advise that internal and external PR departments must be in on the reporting process, as an onslaught of questions often follows privacy breaches, and the inquiries will need to be handled both through normal email, but possibly social networks as well.
Restore assets to production
Each organization restores damaged services differently, if methodically. Once the state of processes, communications infrastructure, and assets have been determined, with or without the need for freezing of those assets for subsequent forensic analysis, what’s left over is to bring online, and get processes working again.
Production - especially money-making processes - are brought online first, after testing checks where required. Often, services from the web have been established in terms of priority. If you don’t make money or provide customer services through the web, email is usually the top service required.
In our case, our production WWW was based on Apache and a rudimentary CMS called GeekLog. Mail was provided by sendmail and postfix, with an IMAP application used to access mail via web. We didn’t do financial transactions over our web server, and the pages served were essentially static, with comparatively low hit rates for the pages.
We replaced their functionality with web appliances from TurnkeyLinux.org, which consist of an Ubuntu Linux-based Linux distribution, and an appliance payload. The payloads in our case were Zimbra, the email system, and Apache with WordPress on top (that allowed importation of our old GeekLog files).
Others may be restored from backups. The backups may need to be examined for evidence of malware or unauthorized access. Backups indeed may be compromised in the same way as the state of the servers when they were taken down. Sometimes services are interrupted via injection attacks, clobbering services, or other instant take-downs. Some servers were killed because they’d been infected for a long time before someone got around to attacking them and destroying their integrity.
Document what you did
Maybe you had a plan, maybe not. In either case, documenting what you did to go through the processes of analysis, compliance, and restoration will be needed again. We hope not, but we know better. Are high availability services, such as mirrored or fail-over servers worth the cost? Are there better ways to protect production services from disaster? What are the lessons learned, and what can be done better next time to shorten outages, or improve services?
It happens fast, and most often by surprise. Some are prepared and have the ability to restore production systems quickly, while others are in scramble mode. Planning takes most of the burn from a system take-down, along with practiced methodical restoral drills.
What keeps many IT engineers up at night is thinking about what new inventive ways will be found to crack open servers. Many patch and fix applications do their best to keep services in constant current revision, so that zero-day cracks won’t take them down. They’ll hack themselves, looking for ways to clobber services before the bad guys do. Then it happens: your work becomes cut out for you.
Survival tips for the hack: Recovery plans

Have a printed list, and a distributed text file that can be stored on notebooks, phones, and administratively accessed areas that have key contact email addresses, mobile phone numbers, their roles in recovery, their availability or vacation times, and an alternate contact for each. The contact names and email addresses of everyone in the data delivery chain must be on the list. For those who are nervous: encrypt the list with a password you'll remember in a 3m3rg3nCy.
Someone must have the designated cell/mobile phone that can be tethered as a datalink to the Internet when Internet connectivity is interrupted. That person must be known, available, has the right cable for tethering their phone along with the right software that does the job - and be accessible. An uninterruptable power supply must be running key workstations, and those supplies must have charged batteries with spares nearby.
Have a location map of where physical servers, routers, and other equipment actually live or perhaps lay dead. Network cabling maps are handy, as are cross-connect diagrams for servers, SAN components, IOS or other 'back-channel' cabling.
Know who to contact to reboot equipment physically by power cycling or by punching the reset button which is located where on a server or peripheral/router's front panel, in the dark, hanging upside down, feeling your way through a maze. This is especially important if your servers are located off-premises at an ISP or MSP site; rebooting at 4am is often contingent on having an available finger to press the button.
Have a list of public safety contacts in case Halon or other fire control mechanisms have discharged. This list must cover all sites, including contractor/MSP and ISP sites.
Know your applications, versions, and dependencies. Your apps depend on other apps, as well as configuration settings (registry and 'conf' files) that vary uniquely with each instance. Configuration management tools know that your servers and/or website must have certain patch/fix levels, and various packages installed and ready to go. Keep a list printed someplace where it can easily be found. Update this list every Wednesday -- following "Patch Tuesday". Keep it in secure storage.
Have a public relations and legal process in place to deal with post-breach issues. PR professionals must work together with legal departments to determine the best posture that an organization must undertake to both legally comply, and tell stockholders, stakeholders, customers, and the general public about a breach and its ramifications.
If you use a hot-site or availability site, be prepared to test that side with random fail-overs to the backup site -- your version of the data fire drill. Never spend a dime on hot-sites, availability, or mirror sites unless you're fully prepared to test fail in this way.
Prepare for the worst. Standard emergency equipment includes a working radio with batteries, a shovel, two non-flammable blankets, a dozen 'power bars', distilled or drinking water in gallon containers (keep water away from critical equipment), several charged UPSs for phone and other device charging, separate set of access keys, charged LED-type flashlights, indelible ink pens and paper, thick-mil trash bags, toolkit, floor-puller, crowbar, above-mentioned printed lists,

Personalizing The AZ Tragedy

2011-01-14T08:25:00.000-05:00

Recent events in Arizona have indeed been an American tragedy. A crazy man looked for his day in the sun and created a situatoin that has effectively brought government business to a halt. It's diverted the news media away from everything except those events. It's created a situation where vilification of everyone who is politically right of center is responsible for the crazy man's actions.

I saw an image in our local newspaper last night. I was intrigued enough by the image to write this little post this morning just so I could pass the image on to those of you who visit this site.

The image typifies my feelings with respect to the Arizona actions. Here it is.

My heart is heavy for those who lost lives or loved ones. It's also heavy for Rev. Gifford who's life was forever changed by the horrible events.

The actions of the crazy man were NOT the result of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Fort Hood was a tragedy; but nobody pushed to shut down talk radio or blame people who were politically different.

It's time to put sanity back in government!

Don't Let Snow And Ice Stop You From Working

2011-01-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

I don't know know how it is where you live and work; but winter 2011 has been about as rough as any I've seen lately in North Carolina. We've had a couple of pretty big snow storms. Roads, parking lots and driveways are especially slick right now.

My wife INSISTED on going to work this morning -- probably because she could not tolerate me for another day. She just called and told me that roads are passable (excepting some patches of black ice). She tacked on information about sidewalks and parking lots, saying that they were trecherous sheets of ice. She DARED me to leave my office today because of risk of falling.

That being the case, I'm especially glad that I have tools that allow me to continue to be effective and to work with clients who have problems with their computers. Let me tell you what I recommend.

Remote Desktop. If you're ever away from your office and need access to your home or office desktop -- not an issue. Two products come to mind -- and every laptop needs one of these installed. GoToMyPC.COM is the perfect place to go to see Citrix's offering to allow you to remotely control your desktop computer(s). It's not free; but it's a lot less expensive than productivity losses as a result of weather related issues. Another product of this type is from LogMeIn.com. While their full-function product is about the same price as GoToMyPC, they actually have a free, limited function, version that may be good enough for casual (and occasional) users.

Remote Assistance. Rarely does a day go by without a telephone call from a user who thinks he or she is "in trouble" -- their computer isn't working or something similar. Citrix has MY answer to this -- it's GoToAssist -- a program that allows me to remotely run a user's computer. It's also a great training tool for me, because I can walk a client through an issue or demonstrate how do solve a client's problem.

Call me at 336-293-7757 if you have questions about this group of programs or need information on any of your immediate IT issues.

Correcting an error

2011-01-06T12:20:00.002-05:00

I was just chatting with a good friend who started the conversation with "...I understand that you have retired."

I reminded her that I know I'm old, fat, dumb and ugly -- but the word "retire" is not yet part of my vocabulary.Though I have a lot more aches and pains than I had even a year or two ago, my definition of "retire" is to be able to take an occasional afternoon off without feeling guilty.

I'm still very much active with JFSI and intend to continue active as long as I possibly can -- hopefully until the day I die.My friend could not remember who told her; so I thought I'd just correct the records for those of you who read this blog.

Let's all of us have a 'SHAY DAY'!!!

2011-01-05T08:39:00.000-05:00

I rarely get moved near to tears; but when I do, I feel that I need to share the story. This came to me from someone I went to High School (in Westminster, SC) with a half century ago; and it moved to share it with everyone who is moved to visit our blog. Read it and see if it moves you the same way it did me.

Two Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father Ialso understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said,

'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run tothird! Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

You now have two choices:

1. Delete
2. Forward

May your day, be a Shay Day.

Thirty Five States File Lawsuit

2010-12-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

I received this as an email a few minutes ago. I have heard rumors of such a thing; but I have not had time to verify the accuracy of several of the points contained in it.

I have long been upset that our congress has established itself as an elite group that is largely above the laws that apply to us. I'm also upset that we have this elected group of individuals that can determine their own salaries and give themselves raises as their constituents fall farther and farther behind.

Read the following. If you validate that this material is correct and feel compelled (as I am likely to do) to pursue it further, please do so.

Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, then please pass it on.

This is an idea that we should address.

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that passed... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We should not have an elite group that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.

If each person that receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .."

It's Hard To Believe

2010-12-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was hectically trying to get things done so that I could focus not only web development and client computers gone awry but on the real meaning of this time of year. On this day last year, our entire workforce (and a couple more thrown in for good measure) were trying to clean a client's computers of a rootkit that had managed to install itself and wreck absolute havoc.

This is the time of year when our focus should be on the birth of one who in his short 33 years changed the world more than any man before or since.

Regardless of how busy you THINK you should be take time during this season to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Don't greet clients and friends with Happy Holiday. Whether you've chosen to be Christian or one of the many other religions available today, remember the following:
Jesus was a real man -- history has recorded his life

Whether you believe him to be God or not, Jesus' influence on the world was significant
Jesus' presence and influence is recognized by many organized religions including 97 times in the Koran
His birth was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah -- read by Christians and Jews alike

That being the case, greet friends, clients and strangers alike the next few days with "Merry Christmas"! It will make you feel good.

RARE CHRISTMAS PRESENT

2010-12-20T08:33:00.001-05:00

We'll get a gift not seen since the 1600s early Tuesday morning -- a lunar eclipse at Winster Solstice!

The three hour show will begin Tuesday morning at 1:33, with totality at 2:41. During the hour required for the shadow to cover the complete moon, you'll see the moon revealed in regal splendor not often seen.

Now let's just hope that the weather cooperates!

In the picture at left, the moon appears totally covered by shadow as the earth passes between the moon and the sun, during the lunar eclipse in this Jan. 9, 2001 file photo taken in Kiel, Germany. On Tuesday Dec. 21, 2010 the first day of northern winter, the full Moon passes almost dead-center through Earth's shadow. The eclipse begins at 1:33 am EST. At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the "bite" to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 2:41 am EST and lasts for 72 minutes. According to NASA the last total lunar eclipse that happened on the winter solstice was Dec. 21, 1638. The next one will Dec. 21, 2094. (AP Photo/Heribert Proepper, File)

I don't normally stay up that late; but tonight will likely be the exception. It's been a long time since December 21, 1638 and it's very unlikely that I'll be around for the next one on December 21, 2094.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/20/2531791/lunar-eclipse-at-solstice-a-rare.html#ixzz18esozR8c

Thanksgiving - What Has It Become?

2010-11-29T16:34:00.001-05:00

We went through the routine last week. The wife decided who would bring what and got agreement from the kids. We welcomed the out-of-town contingent (our former daughter in law, her husband, THEIR daughter and OUR grandkids). Some of our guests (mainly our kids and their families) came early. Others got here barely in time to eat.

Some ate and then helped clean up. Others ate and then dropped into comfortable seating in the family room to watch football. Others ate and left!

But it was still fun -- and one of those rare occasions when the entire family sits at table for a meal and when the entire family eats a meal over a single grace being prayed.

The kitchen table was cleared after the meal and all the girls gathered round -- advertisements in one hand and lists in the other. It was now time to decide about "Black Friday".

But things changed this year -- it was no longer "Black Friday" but "Black Thanksgiving". Store doors did not open at 5AM as in past years. Some store doors were open even as they pined about who was going to buy what.

The mass of female flesh piled into the van at 10:45 Thanksgiving evening just to wait in line at their first target -- yes, Target was their first stop. And they were gung ho until they approached collapse for lack of sleep at a little before noon on Friday.

I went to bed shortly after they left, adding a few sentences to my nightly prayer -- praying that the insane would regain a little sense and that they would have fun during their foolish frivolity.

Those of us -- especially Bobby, Ben and me -- who stayed at home arose the next more to the wafting aroma of fresh brewed coffee. After a couple of cups each, we dressed and went to a local eatery for Western Omelettes, hash browns (with onions), sliced tomatos, biscuits and buttered toast. Then we went home and awaited the return of the girls -- sore feet, tired eyes, frayed tempers et al.

They will never admit the reality of the situation. During all this, I kept thinking that Thanksgiving has lost its real meaning. It has morphed into Black Friday Eve. What a shame!

Christmas Is Coming

2010-11-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

Are you like me -- salivating over some of the new "necessities" that didn't exist last year. Are you leaving hints around the house? Does every other sentence end with "...you know I could do that with a ..."?

The iPad is the one that's piqued my imagination this year. My mind says "...you can't live another day without one of those"; and the logical side of my brain says "...if you had one what would you do with it".

The left and right sides of my brain wage war for a while, with the arguement ending with "...I sure would love to have one of those...".

What's my assessment of the iPad? One side of my brain argues it's the best thing since sliced bread -- something you'll continuously use. The other side responds that I'll get it, use it for a week and then relegate it to the stack of devices I've gotten every year for the last "n" years.

My granddaughter got an iPod Touch for her birthday earlier this month. She spent the weekend with us this past weekend and I spent more than a little bit of time with the iPod in my hands. My reaction to the device was that it's a great device that can almost replace a computer. It's great for sending and receiving email, accessing the Internet and playing games. It's powerful and fast.

Another reality -- it's too darned small or my eyes are too darned bad! The other thing that bothered me was that it has WiFi but can't send and receive notes or access the Internet unless you're in a hotspot. Kudos to my Blackberry.

The iPad solves the major size problem -- it's big enough to read and can be used as a book reader. But which makes more sense for a lightweight device -- the iPad or a Netbook? That's a full function computer, excepting the excellent book reader component, that's been shrunk in size to the point where the keyboard can be cumbersome. It's also considerably less expensive than the iPad.

This is only one of the "toys". I heard this morning that there are going to be some really good prices on devices this year -- like WalMart having a 32" flat screen TV for $200.00. And it's not a Black Friday special where each store has exactly .6 devices on sale.

I'm learning to keep my wishlist realistic and then to analyze whether my "want" is a kneejerk reaction or for a device that I'll really find useful for more than a week!

Happy Birthday To US Marines

2010-11-10T08:05:00.000-05:00

November 10th is the 235th birthday of the US Marines. Join me on this special day in wishing these brave men and women a happy birthday. Be sure to thank them for their service and their willingness to put themselves in harm's way in order that we may be free.

I extend a "special birthday wish" to Taylor, our grandson and all of the men and women in the current class. He's about half way through basic training at Paris Island -- preparing himself to continue the brave tradition of the Marines. He'll make himself (and all of us) proud because of his career choice at this point in his life.

Happy Birthday Marines!

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Special / Important Day

2010-11-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

Today is the eve of what I truly believe will likely be the most important day of 2010 -- the eve of our nation's mid-term election.

I remind you of something my father repeatedly told me -- "Son, if you don't vote you have no right to bitch about the results." Nothing he ever told me was more truthful than that simple statement.

My dad contended that voting is neither a right nor a priviledge. He saw it as a responsibility -- and I agree with him.

Years ago, I went to vote in a presidential election and found the line to be over 1 mile long -- that's right one mile, 5,280 feet long. I was tempted; but I did it. And after the fact I was proud.

I also remember two other things. I was reminded of this only in one of last night's newscasts -- the margin of Jimmy Carter's victory was less than ONE VOTE PER PRECINCT. Another from an acquaintance a good many years ago. He felt terrible afterwards because of what happened. He decided to drop out of line figuring that he represented only ONE VOTE. He really felt bad after election results were in and he found that his candidate lost by ONE VOTE!

Times Never Change -- Watch This

2010-10-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

Times never change -- as demonstrated by Johnny Carson.

An Historic Moment

2010-10-29T06:47:00.000-05:00

My policy is to reserve religious and political discussions for the dinner table and, even then, to limit the discussions to a very small audience.

If you know me, it's likely that you know my religious and political affiliation and alliance(s). Whether you know me or not, I am via this post violating my own position -- I'm taking a moment to say how important I think the mid-term election is to the future of this country.

From my perspective, selection for this mid-term are easy! We have had two years of radical agenda and "constitution trampling," and it's time for changes in Washington.

My dad had a priceless philosophy -- vote or you have no rigth to bitch about the outcome of the election. I'm leaving that quote with you -- go to the polls on Tuesday and vote.

A Moment To Ponder

2010-10-19T07:31:00.002-05:00

A friend passed the following link to me in an email earlier today. My first reaction was to delete the message; but I clicked the link and viewed the resulting video. And I was so glad that I decided to take a minute to see what my friend apparently thought was important enough to pass on to me.

I was deeply moved by what I saw; and I hope that you will be too.

I'd like you to do 2 things for me. I'd like you to click the link and view the video and then send me an email to let me know if it moved you as much as it did me.

Click Here To View Video

Click Here to Send an Email To Let Me Know What You Think

Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! !

2010-10-04T06:41:00.003-05:00

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees... I don't feel threatened.. I don't feel discriminated against.. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu ... If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about.. And we said okay..

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben S

JFSI Welcomes New Client

2010-06-24T11:17:00.004-05:00

JFSI is proud to welcome Auto Choice Select, LLC as a recent client. Auto Choice specializes in providing high quality used vehicles to people living in the Triad of North Carolina.

Their web site AutoChoiceSelectLLC.com is in development and will be available soon.

Mark Stafford, the dealership's General Manager will be proud to show you any of the cars on the lot. He'll also show you a high quality -- manufactured by Holiday Rambler -- motor home. If you're in the market for a motor home, this is a "must see"

HP Image Zone Software

2010-01-13T08:53:00.001-05:00

We have found that HP's Image Zone software neither installs nor works under Windows 7. Users of this program that intend to migrate to Windows 7 should find an alternative before upgrading or purchasing a new machine with the new O/S.

2010 Census Warning

2010-01-13T08:43:00.002-05:00

WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau
(BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.
Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information.

Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the
Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Language Issue?

2009-11-09T08:48:00.002-05:00

Are you viewing a web site in a language you do not read? Microsoft comes to the rescue with Internet Explorer Version 8. And it's simple as pie to solve these complex problems.

Let's walk through a scenario where you are viewing a web site in English and would like to see it in Chinese.

First, open the web site (e.g., http://jfairsystems.com)
Second, navigate to the page you want to translate
Right click and select Translate With Live Search
Choose the target language

That's all there is to it!

MS To Drop MS Office Accounting Product Offerings

2009-11-04T13:41:00.002-05:00

Come November 16th, Microsoft will discontinue sales of all items on the Office Accounting product lineup. The Redmond company is giving customers little advance notice on its plans to shut down Microsoft Office Accounting, but the fact is that the move involves the distribution of the product. Existing customers will continue to enjoy support from Microsoft for their products.

"Microsoft Office Accounting will no longer be distributed after November 16, 2009," reads the message welcoming visitors on the online area reserved for Accounting on the Office Online website. "We would like to thank the many dedicated users and partners who have been enthusiastic supporters of Office Accounting over the years."

The software giant started sending out notifications to customers informing of the imminent discontinuation of sales and distribution of the Microsoft Office Accounting product. The company revealed that Microsoft Office Accounting customers both in the UK and North America would be impacted. Starting with mid-November, Office Accounting Express, Office Accounting Standard, Office Accounting Professional, Office Accounting Professional Plus, Office Accounting 3-user and Small Business Accounting will no longer be available for purchase on either side of the Atlantic.

"After evaluating the product over the past few years we have determined that other Microsoft offerings such as free templates in the Office system used with Excel and the Dynamics product are able to meet our customers' needs. The Office Small Business web site has links to free templates for small businesses, such as invoices, expenses, time sheets, budgets and more and Microsoft's Small Business Center is also a great resource for small businesses," a Microsoft spokesperson told Mary Jo Foley.

Microsoft revealed that it would continue to offer support for Office Accounting customers, even though new purchases would no longer be possible. According to the Redmond company, Office Accounting products will benefit from five years of mainstream support followed by another five years of extended support.

Tip for visutally impaired or doc with small fonts

2009-09-30T07:10:00.001-05:00

As I get older I occasionally run into something that's displayed in a font too small for me to read and with no easy way to enlarge the font. Windows has an answer for my situation and one that may significantly extend the time that visually impaired people can use their PC. That answer is the magnifier utility.Magnifier has been around for a long time -- but it's rarely discussed and most people don't even know it's there. It's available from the Accessories menu under XP. Under Vista, I start it by typing magnifier on the Start Search box and under Windows 7 it's displayed on the start menu.Magnifier is a great little tool. It opens a sizeable "frame" at the top of your screen and allows you to control the magnification from 2x to 16x.Try it if you're even in this situation or ever have one of those "senior moments" when you simply need a little help seeing something.

An Unbelievable But True Weekend

2009-09-23T14:15:00.002-05:00

The story I'm about to tell is 100% true. It sounds absolutely unbelievable -- so unbelievable that though I say it's 100%, I'm sure you'll have doubts. With everything I'm discussing in this story, I've considered changing my name from John to Job.

Here goes....

I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday before Labor Day. I assumed beforehand that it would be 15 minutes -- go in and get weighed, have vitals taken, have the doctor listen to my heart and then to McDonalds for breakfast. I didn't consider the fact that I would leave 2 hours later with an appointment to be admitted to the hospital the next day for another cardiac cath.

The cath was about as uneventful as it could be; though the doctor decided I needed to stay at least overnight for some "additional tests".

My wife picked me up on Friday. We were on our way home when I received the first call that put a negative imprint on the holiday weekend. It seems that a friend of ours was spending the holiday weekend riding horses near the Virginia - Tennessee line. His horse was spooked by dogs; he was thrown off; he was transported to the local hospital and was in a coma.

That was bad enough; but at 12:15 on Labor Day morning, I received a call from my sister's middle daughter. All three of my sister's girls were visiting for the long weekend because their dad had quadruple bypass surgery less than 2 weeks before. My sister had fed the oldest daughter's three month old son and was rocking him to sleep when the baby cried out and died in her arms. As paramedics worked on the baby, my sister had a near fatal heart attack.

That obviously put a real damper on the holiday -- and that was certainly more than enough to make this story completely surreal; but it's not over.

At 11 o'clock that morning I received yet another telephone call. The senior minister of the church I served during the near decade we spent in Washington had suddenly died of a heart attack. Jerry was the brother I did not have during the years in DC; so his death was traumatic.

But the story is still not over. A follow-up doctor's visit indicated that the etiology of the pains I have been having in my legs and extremities is in my lower back; so surgery is likely to correct that near term.

See what I meant. We're stretching the belief that God never gives one more than can be tolerated.

Company Identity

2009-08-27T13:47:00.002-05:00

I often see nice business cards that include email addresses that read:

username@msn.com or username@yahoo.com or username@bellsouth.net ....

The list of options goes on and on; but you get my drift. To make things worse, I SOMETIMES see cards that contain the address of a legitimate web site with one of the email addresses I mentioned above.

I'm convinced that an established and consistent company image is one of the most important (and, incidentally least expensive) things a company can do. Keeping your company name in front of the public is an essential element of doing business.

Of course, we recommend that almost all companies have a domain name that represents that company's name and, if possible, some representation of what the company does. In most instances, we recommend that a web site be incorporated into the overall marketing strategy.

Whether or not there's a web site, we recommend that companies have name centric email addresses (e.g., username@companydomainname.com) and NEVER -- absolutely NEVER have business email hosted at AOL with email addresses of username@AOL.com.

Talk to us at JFSI for more information about how we can help you with these efforts.

A disturbing reality

2009-08-26T15:11:00.004-05:00

I've been following with great interest news reports that project that for the next two years recipients of Social Security Benefits will see no Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA).

The same articles articulate in great detail the fact that medical expenses, typically the largest expense imposed on seniors, and Medicare and Medigap premiums are likely to rise sharply. Since these premium amounts are typically deducted from the recipient's monthly check, the net effect is that for the first time in over three decades, the amount received montly will GO DOWN.

Let's see if the birds on the hill who sit on chambers of our legislature take a commensurate cut.

Windows 7 Test Results

2009-08-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

We have been doing some pretty extensive testing of Windows 7 since Microsoft released the "production" version to the partners web portal.

We have several test scenarios that I'll describe here.

Scenario 1. Microsoft has said that hardware minimums required for W7 are a 1+ gigahertz processor and 1 gig of memory. We tried to "stretch" that envelope; so we installed W7 Professional on a DELL 4300 with a 1.5 gigahertz processor and 512 MB of memory. We were, quite frankly, suprised that it would even install; but it did and it's running at least as well as XP on the same machine. Of course, we'd NEVER have tried to load Vista on that platform.

We expected to run into problems with the network adapter and the video card. Then we realized that we had long ago replaced the NIC that shipped with the machine with a Netgear adapter that W7 recognized right away and had no problems with.

We had to go to the NVIDIA web site and download video drivers in order to get an acceptable video presentation.

We've run a fair number of programs, including the Office 7 suite and GoToMeeting on the box and so far so good.

Scenario 2. Install W7 Professional on an XP based HP Notebook. The drill was essentailly the same as with the DELL except that the laptop had plenty of memory and is performing better. The install did NOT recognize the Intel Wireless; and getting it installed and configured was a reasonably difficult chore; but once we got over that hump things look OK.

Scenario 3. Install on a new clean machine with an AMD Dual Core processor and 4MB memory. Everything went swimmingly.

Problems...... We had to DOWNLOAD the two versions of W7. It took two tries to get a successful download of W7 Professional and the copy of Ultra downlaoded with errors and will not install. This is a MAJOR problem because of the size of the product and the time it takes to download even on our Time Warner Road Runner Turbo connection.

Email Alternative We Give An A+

2009-08-05T09:47:00.002-05:00

Had someone suggested even a few months ago that I would be writing this post, I would have said they were crazy and recommended a thorough mental evaluation. That was back during the days when a product not produced by Microsoft was unheard of in our repetoire of products.

JFSI has from day one run Microsoft Small Business Server and Microsoft Exchange. We liked it so much that we never even considered alternatives; and many of our clients are prety much in the same boat.

Don't get me wrong -- Exchange is a great product. For medium to large sized companies it still has no equal.

A few months ago, a friend and I were talking about the concepts of "Software as a Service (SaaS)". You've undoubtedly heard about it and the whole idea behind "cloud computing".

During this conversation, my friend mentioned that they were evaluating Google's suite of applications called "Google Apps".

The conversation intrigued me to the point where I started doing some research; and that research led me to beta test the product in our environment. To make this long story endless, we liked what we saw so much that we dumped Exchange for Google Apps.

You ask -- WHY?

We were initally concerned that Google Apps' email was nothing more than GMail. While it has a lot of the characteristics of GMail, it's different; it's secure; it's reliable; it's fast; it's avaialble from any computer with an Internect connection and I like it better than Outlook Web Access (OWA).
JFSI is in business to support small to medium sized companies -- not medium to large to mega sized ones. An Exchange environment can be very expensive.
We were initally concerned that we'd lose the ability to access our mail through our much loved, tried and true Outlook client; but that concern was short lived because Outlook works fine with the applications
We LOVE the fact that multiple users can simultaneously work on the same document, see changes each user makes and know that the application is doing document versioning and keeping track of who does what
We LOVE the fact that the applications seamlessly synch with our Blackberrys through the air, eliminating the need to tether them to a PC in the office or spend the money to install Blackberry Enterprise Server software
We LOVE the price -- $50.00 per user per year for a 25GB storage space
During the last month, we've caught one message in our spam folder that should have been in our Inbox
While we have not done a lot with it yet, the Intranet services included in the applications seems to rival those provided by SharePoint Services.

Send me an email or give me a call if you'd like more information about our experiences.

BING - The New Search Engine on the Block

2009-06-24T06:36:00.002-05:00

Live search is evolving -- and there is FINALLY an alternative to Google's search engine.

Microsoft recently introduced their "next generation" search engine. We were one of the early adopters and beta testers and we became very fond of Bing's capabilities and features.

What we call a "sidebar" is one feature we really like. Hovering over a vertical line to the right of a search result will cause a "snip" of the text of the page in question to be displayed. What's more significant is that this works with both HTML and scripted pages.

We also like the fact that the left side of your search results page contains yet another sidebar -- this time with a history of previous searches.

We strongly suggest that you give Bing a try. It's available at http://bing.com. It's FREE, it's evolving. We believe that though it's got a long way to go from a marketshare point of view that it's got a lot of potential.

An Important But Unfortunate Part Of Our Business

2009-06-22T10:43:00.002-05:00

One component of our business is often overlooked; but it's an important part of what we do. It's also unfortunate that this part of the business is necessary -- but when it's needed it is a valuable and important part of our range of services.

That service happens to be our "computer forensic" service -- a service initially deployed at the request of one of our attorney clients. What was initially intended to be little more than a quick check of a computer to see if there was any obviously incriminating information has grown into a full-fledged service offering.

The intent of this service is simple...

We review the contents of a computer that may contain incriminating information, pornography, illicit or illegal information, inappropriate e-mails, pictures or instant messages.
We provide this service in a manner that will ensure that information found during the analysis will be allowable in court or significant in mediation
We provide our client(s) with information we find during our analysis of the computer
We appear as an expert witness if needed for our client

This service is currently available ONLY to attorneys and ONLY when domestic disputes or divorces are being litigated. We do not plan to extend this service to the "general population" because of legal, technical and ethical issues.

Multiple Time Zones in MS Outlook

2009-06-18T06:49:00.002-05:00

I had the situation yesterday where I was working with an individual in a far-away time zone; and I was having trouble calculating the time difference between them and me. Then I found a quick and easy solution to the problem -- to let Microsoft Outlook do the thinking for me.

It's easy as pie to display two time zones in your Outlook calendar. Here's how.

Click the TOOLS menu
Click OPTIONS
Click the CALENDAR OPTIONS button
Click the TIME ZONES button
Click SHOW AN ADDITIONAL TIME ZONE
Enter the desired time zone
Click OK

That's all there is to it.

June Tips For Using Outlook

2009-06-09T10:25:00.002-05:00

I received this from HP earlier today. I have personally been using these tips for quite some time. If you're not, you might want to consider them.

Top tips to keep emails out of your spam bin

Spam surveys state what many of us already know: that the amount of junk email is on the rise. However, exact statistics vary: Internet security vendor McAfee claims 62 trillion spam emails were sent last year, while rival security company Norton says 350 billion went out in 2008.
One thing you can be certain of is that your spam filters are doing a lot of work these days. The trouble is, separating the junk from the genuine isn’t easy. As a result, you have probably experienced the inconvenience of important emails from clients being redirected to your spam bin.

To avoid losing valuable customer orders, or instructions from your boss, you can quickly and easily add your Microsoft® Office Outlook® contacts to a Safe Senders list. This will make sure that messages from these contacts arrive in your inbox.

5 super-speedy steps

To add your Outlook contacts to the Safe Senders list, perform the following steps:

On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options.
On the Preferences tab, under Email, click Junk Email.
Click the Safe Senders or Safe Recipients tab.
Click Add.
In the Enter an email address or Internet domain name to be added to the list box, enter the name or address you want added, and then click OK.

1-2-3: Rescue email from your spam bin

If you have your Outlook Junk Email Filter set on a high level of protection, some of your genuine messages may go to your Junk Email folder – for example, emails from friends or customers that your filter has not seen before. To be safe, you should check your junk folder daily if you are expecting a crucial email. But to make sure your filter knows not to move mails from certain people to your spam folder, follow these three steps:

In Mail, click the Junk Email folder in the Navigation Pane.
Right-click any message that you want to mark as not junk.
On the shortcut menu, point to Junk Email, and then click Mark as Not Junk.

Blue from your boss, red from your friends: color-coding

To help you identify emails from management or certain contacts, Outlook lets you color code emails. This means you won’t miss critical messages from the head office or your loved ones.

To color-code your emails (Outlook 2007):

Select an email from someone you want to color code.
Press Tools then click Organize. A pane will scroll down.
On the left side of that pane choose Using Colors. The name of the sender will now be visible in the above box.
Choose the option From. You’ll see the name field automatically adjusting when you select a message from someone else.
Choose a color from the dropdown list and press Apply Color.

In Outlook 2003, you can do the following to color code your emails:

Select and email from someone you want to color code
Right click on it, select Create Rule Select Advanced Options
Check the box indicating you want to assign a rule to the person who sent you the email (probably the first box),
hit next
Choose Flag message with a colored flag in the center of the list; to specify the color you wish to use, click on “a colored flag,”select color
Click through to finish.

Now each email from this particular person will come into your inbox pre-flagged with the color you specified.

Google Mail and Yahoo! can help too

Outlook has a lot of handy tricks for beating spam. But if you don’t use Outlook, other email clients like Yahoo! and Google Mail also allow you to tag certain emails as junk, while they usually recognize senders loaded in your contacts as non-junk. It is worth investigating the features they offer to help you against spam.

In the battle against the spammers, it pays to be proactive. By using these Outlook features, you can make your inbox more efficient, and improve your chances of receiving the emails that matter most to you.

Microsoft and Outlook are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

2009 Relay For Life

2009-06-01T07:03:00.003-05:00

It felt strange viewing Relay For Life vintage 2009 from the sidelines last Friday night. But what a wonderfully good experience watching faces of survivors, caregivers and just people who care.

I want to say "Thank You" to Debrah and Leigh for spearheading another Relay For Life. But they could not do it alone; so I say "Thank You" to the hundreds of team captains and team members and corporate sponsors who have worked so hard to make this year's event the success it obviously was.

You missed a great evening if you were not there. A year from now there will be another -- likely bigger and better than this year's event; so can we count on you to commit TODAY to making next year's Relay successful?

I've made a little clip of a few of the pictures I made. Hope you enjoy.

45 Lessons Life Taught Me

2009-05-28T15:03:00.002-05:00

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 last August, so here is the column once more:

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
Pay off your credit cards every month.
You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
It's OK to let your children see you cry.
Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
Over prepare, then go with the flow.
Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
The most important sex organ is the brain.
No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
Always choose life.
Forgive everyone everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
Believe in miracles.
God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
Your children get only one childhood.
All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
Yield.
Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Golfers (and fans) Unite

2009-05-21T13:21:00.003-05:00

I think I'm likely the only avid golfer that everybody who's ever played the game can beat! My game redefines the definition of awful! But as bad as it is, I still love to try and especially love the fact that a game of golf gets me outside and away from the frenzy of a "normal" day for four or five hours.

I'm sure that you have heard the news that disturbs me today -- the news that Amy Mickelson, the lovely wife of Phil Mickelson, has been diagnosed with cancer.

My wife and I were in Pinehurst in 1999, watching Phil compete for the title of US Open Champion when Amy was due to give birth to the first of their children. Even though he played to a tie and was committed a playoff round, Phil had told officials and fans alike that he would forego his chances at a major and leave should Amy go into labor.

As a cancer survivor myself, my heart aches at Amy's news and at the uncertainty that's bound to overwhelm Phil and the family. We just hope that they have found her cancer early when chances of a full recovery are best.

Join me in wishing the best for the Mickelson family -- to Amy, to Phil, the kids and their extended family. Join my in praying daily that they will find peace during the difficult days ahead.

JFSI Supports Kernersville Relay For Life

2009-05-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

As a two time cancer survivor, I realize that a cancer diagnosis -- even a diagnosis of TERMINAL CANCER -- is a guaranteed death sentence. Doctors are well trained and more often than not can and do predict that actual outcome. But they are not and should never pretend to be GOD.

As someone who has twice been subjected to the pain and uncertainty imposed by the dreaded "C" diagnosis, I encourage you to join with me to support Kernersville's upcoming Relay For Life.

Relay does much more than raise money for research, as important as that is. In my opinion, the most important thing Relay does is emphasize that there is HOPE and to CELEBRATE victories of those of us who now categorize ourselves as "survivors".

East High School is once again the venue; and the event date is Friday evening May 29 through Saturday morning, May 30th. The event kicks off with a survivor lap around the track, with the rest of the evening event filled and fun for the entire family.

Can I count on you being there?

Life can be much too serious

2009-05-01T06:40:00.002-05:00

I thought you would like to see something other than the economy or the flu. So, I laughed at a few of these .

If you have a kid (or are a kid) you will like them

1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
Unique up On It.

2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?
Tame Way, Unique Up On It.

3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest?
They Take The Psycho Path.

4. How Do You Get Holy Water?
You Boil The Hell Out Of It.

5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?
Dam!

6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?
Polaroids.

7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?
A Stick.

8. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?
Nacho Cheese.

9. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?
Subordinate Clauses.

10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
Quattro Sinko.

11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?
Spoiled Milk.

12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire?
Frostbite.

13. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?
A Nervous Wreck.

14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup?
Anyone can Roast Beef.

15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?
Right Where You Left Him.

16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?
Because They Have Big Fingers.

17. Why Don 't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?
Because It Scares The Dog.

18. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?
Sanka.

19. What Is The Difference Between a Harley And a Hoover?
The Location Of The Dirt Bag.

20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?
Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.

21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver?
A Bad Golfer Goes Whack, Dang! A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack.

22. How Is a Texas Tornado And an Alabama Divorce The same?
Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer!

Now, admit it. At least one of these made you smile.

Time Warner's Decision Sucks

2009-04-08T10:38:00.001-05:00

JFSI has since 1998 been dedicated to providing high quality web, network and data services to professional clients throughout the Southeast.

The choice of Internet access technology and Internet vendor was one of the first major decisions we had to make. After a bad experience with a failed DSL vendor which came into the area, JFSI chose Time Warner Cable’s Business Class Road Runner service as our preferred way to access the web. Road Runner has never been the “cheapest” solution; but I’ve always considered it to be a cost effective solution when considering BOTH service/bandwidth and price. Many of you followed my recommendation and installed Road Runner at your businesses and homes.

Time Warner Cable is considering making some changes that deeply distress me – changes that will potentially reduce the service we’re now getting and markedly increase the costs.

TWC has always based its monthly rates on unlimited traffic at tiered bandwidth. For instance, a home or business user who elected TWC’s “turbo” service had unlimited amounts of service at whatever bandwidth was guaranteed for the “turbo” service (e.g., 10 mbs). Both bandwidth and traffic will be metered under the new plan.

I recently had a long chat with TWC – a chat driven by my displeasure with the service they were providing and the price point for that service. The meeting centered around:

Me being upset because of several protracted outages. These outages were planned by TWC; but users were not notified ahead of time, leaving us potentially unable to deal with customer problems until TWC completed their work. My argument was simple – had I KNOWN, I could have PLANNED and told my clients that there would be times when I would potentially be limited in terms of ability to provide remote service.
Me being upset because of the TWC pricing model and the fact that my TWC bill is the second largest I pay every month – second only to mortgage. I was also upset because of steep discounts being offered to new customers at the same time they were raising rates on the “faithful”.
Me being upset at their customer service / support. We had recently gone through a period where I had spent unproductive hours on the phone with TWC support working on problems that various clients had experienced.
I reminded TWC that they had lost sight of the fact that they were no longer the “only kid on the block” in terms of quality Internet service.

BusinessWeek has an article that describes the TWC plan for tiered pricing. It’s at http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc20090331_726397.htm. With JFSI providing extensive remote support and MANY large file downloads, etc. it’s a given that our already large monthly invoice will certainly increase. I will keep you posted on what we do; but I hope that you will join me in voicing opposition to Time Warner implementing this policy.

EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50

2009-03-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.

Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level.)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

Summary of Tax Relief Plan

2009-02-27T14:53:00.002-05:00

I'm sure that many of you are, like me, Turbo Tax users. If so, you likely have been advised of the information I'm including in this post.

The current TurboTax Newsletter had the following explanation of the government's tax relief program. I hope you'll find it helpful.

Most taxpayers will get more money in their pockets in 2009

The new recovery act, according to the White House, will give a direct tax break to 95 percent of workers and their families, through the Making Work Pay Credit.

The law contains many other tax breaks that should provide a financial boost to everyone from the unemployed and low income, to families with children and children in college, to first-time homebuyers and taxpayers buying new cars.

The $787 billion legislation, which Congress approved Feb. 13, is designed to get both individuals and businesses to open their wallets and to lift the economy out of its slump. Most of the cuts are good for only a year or two.

As more details about the tax changes become available, TurboTax will post them here.

Tax breaks for individuals, families:

Workers

Making Work Pay Credit: Workers and the self-employed would get a payroll tax credit for 2009 and 2010 of up to $400 a year for single taxpayers, and up to $800 for couples filing jointly.

The IRS will get the money to taxpayers by adjusting the withholding tables, thereby boosting paychecks. The increase could be as much as $40 per month per worker, depending on when the withholding tables are changed. Self-employed workers will claim the credit on their tax returns. In the meantime, they can reduce their estimated tax payments for 2009.
For single tax filers, the credit will begin phasing out at an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $75,000. For couples filing jointly, the phaseout zone will start at $150,000 of AGI. (Adjusted Gross Income is your total income from wages and other income minus certain adjustments, such as deductible IRA contributions and alimony paid.)

Unemployed

Reduced taxes on unemployment income: Normally, people receiving unemployment benefits must report them as income and can be taxed on them. The new bill makes the first $2,400 of unemployment income nontaxable.

First-time homebuyers

First-time Homebuyer's Credit: The tax package increases the $7,500 first-time homebuyer credit to $8,000 for primary residences purchased between Jan. 1, 2009 and Nov. 30, 2009, and eliminates the requirement that the credit be repaid, as long as the house isn’t sold within three years.

College students

Expanded Hope Credit: The Hope Credit for college costs is increased to $2,500 for 2009 and 2010, covering 100 percent of the first $2,000 of tuition and related expenses per year and 25 percent of the next $2,000.

The credit is available for all four years of college, up from only two years, and covers the cost of books. It is 40 percent refundable, and begins to phase out at $80,000 of Adjusted Gross Income for singles and $160,000 of Adjusted Gross Income for married couples.

The bill also allows tax-free distributions from Section 529 College Savings Plans to cover computer purchases.

New car buyers

New car sales tax deduction: Buyers of new cars, light trucks, SUVs, motorcycles or motor homes during 2009, can deduct the state sales or excise tax they pay, even if they don’t itemize their deductions.

This break starts phasing out for single taxpayers with Adjusted Gross Income over $125,000 and couples with AGI over $250,000.

Tax Breaks for Families

Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): More couples who file jointly and have children will qualify for the Earned Income Credit.

The tax package starts the phaseout range at $21,420, an increase of $1,880. Also in 2009, the credit increases for families with three or more children to 45 percent of the first $12,570 of earned income, up from 40 percent.

Enhanced Child Tax Credit: Plus, the Child Tax Credit will cover more low-income earners: For 2008, the credit is refundable to the extent of 15 percent of an individual’s earned income in excess of $8,500; for 2009 and 2010, that floor drops to $3,000.

Retirees, veterans and the disabled

One-time payment of $250: Because the payroll tax credit only goes to employees and the self-employed, the bill adds something for others as well: a one-time payment of $250 to recipients of Social Security benefits, Railroad Retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income payments, and pension and disability benefits from the Veterans Administration.

Government retirees who don’t get Social Security will also get a one-time refundable tax credit of $250 in 2009.

Homeowners

Extended energy-saving credits: The 10 percent tax credit for energy-saving home improvements climbs to 30 percent and is extended through 2010. Improvements that qualify for the credit include energy-efficient skylights, windows and outer doors, along with energy-saving water heaters, central air conditioners and biomass stoves.

The bill also eliminates individual credit caps for the different types of property, and instead imposes a $1,500 cap on all qualifying property.

Middle-income taxpayers

One-year "patch" on the Alternative Minimum Tax: To keep millions of middle-income taxpayers from being forced to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for 2009, the measure increases the minimum tax exemptions to $70,950 for couples filing jointly and $46,700 for single filers. Otherwise, the exemptions would top out at just $45,000 for couples and $33,750
for singles.

Businesses will get a big share of the tax breaks

Small businesses would most likely be affected by the following changes:

Bonus depreciation

Special 50 percent, first-year bonus depreciation is revived for assets bought and placed in service during 2009.

Loss carrybacks

Businesses that averaged $15 million or less in gross receipts over the past three years will be allowed to carry back losses for five years instead of two. The easing applies only to 2008 losses.

A Password Horror Story

2009-02-25T14:41:00.002-05:00

Our clients often get aggrevated or downright mad when we suggest using strong passwords because they're hard to remember and sometimes even harder to type.

We invaiably suggest that passwords have the following characteristics:

At least seven (7) characters long
At least one upper case character, more than one is better
At least one number
At least one special character
A life of not more than 42 days (that's 6 weeks for those who are numerically challenged)
Mandatory password change every 42 days
Passwords cannot contain any part of the username
Passwords cannot be reused for at least 13 months.

One of our clients insisted on keeping passwords SIMPLE. The administrative password was a subset of the company name and all users shared the same short password. They held firm and nothing we said could make them change their mind -- that is UNTIL

There was a requirement to reboot their server
The system immediately rejected the administrator username and pasword when entered
No amount of guessing resulted in a username/password combo that worked
The perpetrator also hijacked disk space and turned off all administrative reporting so that network administrators would have no idea what was happening
They took a two day outage while the server was reloaded.

Was it worth what happened to keep things simple? I argue NO.

How To Reduce System Vulnerability

2009-02-04T12:47:00.003-05:00

Never does a day go by without at least one client calling to report a security related problem. More often than not, it's a problem with a computer they have at home rather than one at work.

We universally ask the same question -- at the time of the problem (or system infestation), were you signed on as a user with administrator rights on the system. The answer is almost universally "YES".

The byline of an article I read earlier today says "Removing admin rights stymies 92% of Microsoft's bugs." Believe me, folks, 92% is a BIG NUMBER when you consider the number of bugs reported to Microsoft.

Having less than administrator rights makes operating a computer a little cumbersome -- it means that you may not be able to install software or add printers to your machine. There are also a few programs (e.g., some versions of QuickBooks) that expect you to be signed on as a user with administrator rights; but there are usually ways around that.

So what do I suggest. Have two (2) user accounts on your PC and ALWAYS use the user account unless you absolutely need to do something that requires administrator priviledges. That's not nearly as big a problem now as it used to be anyway; because in most instances you can "Run As Administrator" when installing software even if your user account has less than administrator priviledge so long as you know the right passcode.

Try this, you'll like it and find your system stability to improve.

Today - A Moment in History

2009-01-20T09:48:00.002-05:00

Without discussing my political bent or party persuasion, I cannot help but be moved by the significance of today's events.

Today is a day I never dreamed of seeing -- the day a black man is elevated to the highest job in our contry. The fact that the event follows by only one day the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King is especially significant.

As I've watched events transpire this morning, I can't help but be moved by the excitement coming from Washington, so exciting that it's been described as electric.

Mr. Obama, I truly wish you well. Mr. Bush, I truly wish you Godspeed! May you not just vanish into oblivion and may your legacy justify many of your actions.

It's That Time Of Year Again

2008-12-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

Am I the only person on the planet who feels like Christmas 2007 occurred YESTERDAY? Where has this year gone?

I've often been told that age causes more than grey hair and short term memory loss. Every year tends to compress time -- to the point where years just fly by.

As I think back on 2008, I certainly can't ignore the economic downturn. It's pretty hard to ignore -- especially when I look at earning statements on the 401K.

Enough for the personal stuff. Now for the intent of this post.

Even though it's been a tough year, many small businesses have either made money or are in a position where they MUST REPLACE some of their hardware. That being the case, there are a few things you know but may not remember....

I have long been a supporter of DELL desktops; but I'm now tending to recommend HP. I've installed about an equal number of both this year year; and the HPs have so far been far more reliable than the DELLs. I am still recommending DELL in instances where the client is only replacing one or two machines to avoid having a mixed bag of hardware.
There are some great server deals out there right now; and of the server manufacturers, IBM is probably the very best. Their servers are not pretty; but they sure are reliable.
Microsoft has released server 2008 in all versions now, including Small Business Server 2008.
Remember, hardware bought now and PUT INTO SERVICE before the end-of-2008 can be expensed this year (subject to guidelines). Don't wait until 12/31 to decide; because that will force your expenditure into 2009.

Microsoft Security Bulletin

2008-11-26T13:14:00.001-05:00

Recognize and avoid fraudulent e-mail to Microsoft customers:
=============================================================
If you receive an e-mail message that claims to be distributing a Microsoft security update, it is a hoax that may contain malware or pointers to malicious Web sites. Microsoft does not distribute security updates via e-mail.

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) uses PGP to digitally sign all security notifications. However, it is not required to read security notifications, security bulletins, security advisories, or install security updates. You can obtain the MSRC public PGP key at https://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/pgp.mspx.

To receive automatic notifications whenever Microsoft Security Bulletins and Microsoft Security Advisories are issued or revised, subscribe to Microsoft Technical Security Notifications on http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/notify.mspx.

Ever Wonder About Pirates and Cannon Balls?

2008-11-26T12:57:00.000-05:00

CANNON BALLS!!It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as a square based pyramid, with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen.

Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under the others.

The solution was a metal plate with 16 round indentations, called, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make them of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys.Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faste r than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey.

Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. And all this time, you thought that was just a vulgar expression, didn't you?

A Serious System Threat

2008-11-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

We have recently had calls from several clients who have fallen victim to a sofware rogue that seriously impacts your abilty to do productive work on your computers. The rogue is named with Anti-Virus 2008 or Anti-Virus 2009.

On first blush, the product looks very "official". Victims most often think their system (or the Windows Security features) is telling them they have an infestation that needs to be addressed. So the computer gives permission, opens the door and waits for whatever happens. And what's likely to happen is NOT good.

Once in your system, manually getting rid of the thing is almost an impossible task. It's a multi-step process that requires manually deleting files, editing the registry and other nasties that casual users should not consider.

We've found one product that does a very good job unless Windows has really been damaged; and that product is SpyHunter. We recommend it highly. You can download it free and run it to determine if your machine is infected; but you must pay the $29.99 and register it before you can use it clean your PC.

The best solution though is to not put your machine at risk in the first place.

Some Very Interesting Stuff -- A Must See

2008-10-22T11:47:00.001-05:00

Those of you who really know me know that I'm a junky for numbers. Though I could never stretch my imagination enough to even roughly consider myself to be a statistician, I have all my life been fascinated by numbers and by statistics. And for some reason, the more trivial the statistic, the better.

I was just sent an email that contained a link to a video that deals with a lot of those things. More importantly, it deals with the explosive growth of Internet based technologies world wide.

I think it's a "keeper" and one that should be viewed by a larger number of people. Click here to watch the video.

10 Ways to Survive and Thrive in a Downturn

2008-10-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

Offer free assessments and other road-mapping tools to your customers. You’ll ensure a quicker sales cycle when they’re ready to buy.
Introduce new technologies often. Your customers should always know what’s there in the market and that you can get it to them as soon as they need it.
Keep relationships strong by conducting regular webinars on the solutions you offer
Show customers that productivity gains from solutions such as virtualization can offset the costs of implementing the technology.
Focus on recession-proof technologies such as security and storage, where customers’ needs tend to grow regardless of the economy.
If you haven’t already, think about developing a managed services practice. A small investment on your part can help your customers plan for the future.
Develop case studies to show customers your solutions and successes, and what you can do for them.
Expand your customer base. Serving more vertical markets means less cyclical exposure to any one customer segment’s spending patterns.
Get the timing right. New technology adoption, compliance issues and policy changes can open the door to new opportunities.
Go Green. Help customers save money and look smart doing it by implementing solutions that reduce their data center footprint and power consumption costs.

Not Sure Whether To Be Disappointed or Mad As Hell

2008-09-04T16:06:00.000-05:00

Those of you who already know me know that I have all my life been a die-hard Republican as was my father before me and likely his father before him. Dad would spin in his grave if he knew that I had ever even considered pulling more than a single lever when in the voting booth.

Enough said for that! That's not the reason I'm writing this entry.

During John McCain's search for a running mate, I repeatedly and in many forums said that I'd like to think that he would at least consider the honorable governor of the great state of Alaska. You can imagine how delighted I was when he announced that Sarah Palin was, in fact, his choice. I had about 30 seconds in which to revel before the reality began to set in -- the liberal media was not about to let this happen without a fight and a smear campaign to end all smear campaigns

Then the started on Sarah Palin's young, beautiful and vivacious 17 year old daughter -- how low can you stoop.

What brought this to a head was the morning after Gustav tormented the Gulf Coast. The most biased network of the majors -- ABC -- and their most Obama devotee, Dianne Sawyer, spent almost 20 minutes railing over the sins of the Palin daughter before they ever even mentioned the damage done to the Gulf Coast only the day before. DISGRACEFUL!

I had a meeting last night and rushed home to hear Palin's speech. She blew the opposition away. I told my wife that it was likely the second best political speech I had ever heard -- second only to one from Ronald Regan himself.

Go Sarah -- Go. And may God Bless You and may God Bless America in spite of what the liberal media wants.

We’ve Lost a True Friend

2008-07-30T06:59:00.002-05:00

Some of you who read this post realize that I have fought and, I hope, beaten a diagnosis of terminal cancer.

I have survived nearly two decades since the doctors told me I had one chance in a million of living a month after being diagnosed with bone cancer in my hip, pelvis and right femur.

A man I never met but grew to respect and love for his courage, openness and willingness to share every element of his fight lost his battle with pancreatic cancer last week.

Randy Pausch, computer science professor extraordinaire at Carnegie Mellon University, put up a valiant fight. It was a fight he knew from the outset that he was not likely to win – but that never deterred his lust for life. I never ceased to be amazed every time I heard him say "…I'm dying but I'm still having fun."

Randy left behind a wife and beautiful children. He also left behind an unmatched legacy for which I will always be grateful.

I sat last night and watched through tear stained eyes Dianne Sawyer's beautiful Primetime Live television show dedicated to the life of Dr. Randy Pausch. His death left a void for me. Even though I never personally met this man, I developed a respect and a love for him that's familial and real.

God Bless You Randy Pausch. You truly changed my life.

UNBELIEVABLE MATH PROBLEM

2008-07-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you.

I would like to know who came up with this and why that person is not running the country.

Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your Head)

Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the Area code...)
Multiply by 80
Add 1
Multiply by 250
Add to this the last 4 digits of your phone number
Add to this the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
Subtract 250
Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer ??

Five Tips For Maintaining a Slow Growth Business

2008-07-16T08:23:00.002-05:00

You know the expression "good things come in small packages." The same sentiment can apply to small businesses too. Entrepreneurs don't have to set their sights on building a mega-million-dollar business to enjoy a highly satisfying and lucrative entrepreneurial career.

Financially speaking, research has shown that small-business owners enjoy an average net worth that is three times that of their salaried counterparts. Business owners also tend to out-perform salaried employees in terms of higher annual incomes, savings, and stock portfolios.

Parents, college career counselors, and students should also take note that women are more likely to achieve $100,000-plus annual incomes faster through business ownership than average professional careers in law or medicine.

Even though business ownership offers considerable potential for financial reward, entrepreneurs still talk to me about their overriding desire to control their work destiny. They don't want to work 18-hour days or feel chained to inflexible schedules that conflict with family and leisure interests. Their attraction to business ownership is more about creative pursuits and career flexibility than monetary gain.

Of course, just because an organization is small doesn't mean that it will be stress-free or less vulnerable to business problems.

Countering the risk of falling behind

"Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities" is one of my favorite mindset development books. The book's author, Paul Stoltz, refers to individuals who are always taking energetic steps forward as "climbers." Individuals who are content to hang out in places of comfort are called "campers."

Stoltz warns that whenever individuals and businesses become complacent, they don't just stay in the same competitive position. They actually fall behind. It makes sense too. Because small-business climbers are almost always moving onward and upward in their quest for profitable customers, eventually they will surpass the campers.

But it is possible to run a "no-growth" or "slow-growth" enterprise and not be considered an unproductive camper in the small-business community. A slow-growing business doesn't have to be a weak business, provided the owner takes proactive steps to minimize risk and maximize every minute of every workday.

Here are five tips for keeping a slow-growing business efficient and healthy.

1. Define success in quantitative terms. The problem with starting a business is that sometimes, in the quest for new work-life objectives, owners don't always set measurable goals. After your business is profitable, however, you need to think about the next operating milestone: standard benefits and compensation for company founders and staff members.

This means the business is able to consistently generate enough income to pay fair market salaries, and cover payroll taxes, health-insurance premiums, business liability insurance, and annual contributions to a Simple IRA or other small-business retirement savings programs. Entrepreneurs who are single or don't have any other sources of income should add disability insurance to this list.

Simply stated, a business should be big enough to take care of the founder and support staff. Keep climbing until you reach this target!

2. Reduce dependence on any single customer or partner. Even the best-performing companies are vulnerable to fast failure if their revenues or profits are tied to one customer, one distributor, or one business partnership. With each passing year in business, dependencies should shrink to the point where no single relationship loss can put your company out of business.

3. Improve largest-customer profitability. Ideally, a small company's largest customers should be its most profitable customers. It is surprising how many business owners accept the reverse situation. Entrepreneurs who want to stay small and productive must favor customers who value their work and are willing to pay top dollar for it.

4. Identify backup support staff. Wouldn't it be nice if all customers presented new orders in an orderly, manageable way? As there aren't many foolproof ways to prevent sudden surges in customer demand, small-business owners have to take steps to protect their 9-to-5 work day.

One strategy is to identify project consultants or part-time support help for every key function in your business. For example, a company that provides research and grant writing services for nonprofit organizations can develop sub-contractor relationships with part-time researchers, writers, or editors. The trick is to test contractors out long before crunch time.

5. Reduce time allocated to administrative tasks. If you want to get more revenues and profits out of each workday, an easy fix is to reduce the amount of time spent on administration. If you think about it, you don't pay your bills, your customers do. However, small-business owners put aside money-making activities for less important administrative tasks. How often do they do this? Every single day!

My solution is to push all billing, mail opening, office supply store trips, and miscellaneous correspondence to just one day a week, preferably Friday afternoon. By eliminating time-consuming interruptions, you'll get more out of the rest of the week.

What is the secret to owning a slow-growing business to preserve time for family, friends, vacations, and fun? I think it all comes down to focusing your energy on this small list of business-enhancing initiatives and doing them really well.

About the author Susan Schreter is a Seattle-area investment banker and venture-funding expert serving startup entrepreneurs and fast-growth company executives. She also teaches business financing and entrepreneurship at business schools, angel forums, and microfinance organizations in the United States and internationally. Write to Susan at susan@takecommand.org.

Happy Independence Day

2008-07-04T06:15:00.000-05:00

Management and staff at JFSI-J. Fair Systems, Inc. want to wish you and yours a great 4th of July Holiday this year. We hope that you will join us today, taking a few minutes during fesitivities to remember those who put themselves in harms way to protect us.

Keep God first and everything else will follow.

2008-05-30T07:03:00.002-05:00

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old shotgun and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out and kill something for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit and he shot at the rabbit and missed it. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. As he went further, he saw a wild turkey in the tree and he had only one bullet, but a voice came to him and said "pray first, aim high and stay focused."

However, at the same time, he saw deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattle snake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattle snake.

Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'pray, aim high and stay focused." So, the man decided to listen to the voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it.

And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat.

The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.

The Bottom line:

Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that - " the past." Live every day one day at a time. And remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear. Do not look to man for your blessings but look to the Lord. He can open doors for you that only He is able to do. Doors that you will not slip through but doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor.

Wait, and be still, patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-05-29T20:45:00.002-05:00

BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it
experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never .......... reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

Ever Try to Quantify A Billion?

2008-05-08T06:48:00.002-05:00

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the'politicians' spending your tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number, what does it mean?

A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.

B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C .

HELLO!

Are all your calculators broken?

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Perm it Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),
Liquor Tax,
Luxury Tax,
Marriage License Tax,
Medicare Tax,
Property Tax,
Rain Tax
Real Estate Tax,
Service charge taxes,
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
Sales Taxes,
Recreational Vehicle Tax,
School Tax,
State Income Tax,
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fe e Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Minimum Usage
Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Recurring and
Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Ut ility Tax,
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
Vehicle Sales Tax,
Watercraft Registration Tax,
Well Permit Tax,
Workers Compensation Tax.

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in t he world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened? Can you spell 'politicians!'? And to think that I have to 'press 1' for English.

What the heck happened?

Answer: Voters have been dumbed-down and become dependent on our tax dollars!

Vista Service Pack 1

2008-05-02T14:17:00.003-05:00

I have for years been a systems integrator, web developer, network and database specialist. I certainly have more expertise in some areas than in others; but my clients like the work I do for them in all the areas mentioned.

For years, I was a MAJOR proponent of not letting a fix or service pack get cold before it was applied. If it became available in the morning, it was supposed to be on by close-of-business that day. That was, I took that approach until I either got a lot smarter, got severely burned or both. Then for years, I took the approach that you should always run one maintenance level behind unless there was an absolutely overriding reason for doing otherwise. That was until I ran into situations where I needed software that required an uninstalled pre-requisite fix.

I have for the last few years been a proponent of the "wait and see" approach. Wait until the fix has a chance to be proven solid and then apply it. That is until Vista Service Pack 1 came out.

My experience with Vista was abysmal at best. I hated the OS, found it buggy, slow and a general over plumped OS. So when SP1 came out, I more or less jumped at the chance to apply it; and I have not been disappointed.

The HP dual core machines on which the OS has been installed now FLIES instead of crawling. We're seeing performance improvements in the 45-55% range and seeing a marked decrease in number of abnormal program terminations and long debugging sessions.

The net of this is clear. If you're running Vista and have been afraid to install it – DO IT. There's no better time than this weekend.

ABC News

2008-04-23T06:43:00.002-05:00

I was earlier this morning watching the first segment of Good Morning America and was absolutely appalled at and disturbed by what I saw.

First let me say that this blog post does not represent my political bent. While it may be obvious where I stand politically by the time you finish reading this, my political position is not the issue. The issue is whether a company that's charged with reporting the news should be as open in displaying its bias as is ABC News.

What led me to this post?

Hilary Clinton won yesterdays Pennsylvania primary – winning it quite handily. A double digit win is impressive
The opening segment started with Obama. Unless you knew the outcome, you'd have thought he won
When ABC News finally got around to acknowledging Clinton's win, they did it by going on the attack and criticizing her for her methods

At one time, I referred to ABC as the Anti-American Broadcasting Company – now I think they're changing their position to the Anybody But Clinton network. I don't know what they see in Obama. My take on this dude is that if he were white with exactly the same credentials he has he would likely not even be a senator. If he was lucky enough to have the job, he would certainly NOT be where he is, because it's the black block of votes that's propelled him to where he is.

Life Changing Moments to Remember

2008-04-10T07:47:00.002-05:00

Many people who know me well know that I sometimes wrestle with the question "…why was I chosen to remain on this planet when my friends are dying…?".

It goes back to my early 20s when I was first admitted into coronary care. Then there was the Friday before my 40^th birthday -- when a tractor trailer crested the hill, hitting my stopped car on the driver's door. The impact tore the car beyond recognition, ripped to tongue of the boat's trailer from the back of the car and hurled the boat almost a quarter mile down the highway. Without any idea of what was about to happen, why would I do something I'd never done before or since – I disconnected my seatbelt less than 10 seconds before impact and allowed gravity to throw me through the passenger door ripped open by the impact.

I survived that wreck with little more than terribly stretched muscles and a lot of pain. It's likely that settling up with the insurance companies was more painful than the wreck.

Then about 20 years ago I had been having some back pain and difficulty walking. My wife Pat, the kids and I were living in the great little city of Centreville, VA (a suburb of Washington, DC) at the time and I was being treated for a narrowing of a couple aberrations of my lumbar spine. He had completely missed the tumor(s) growing in my pelvis, right hip and right femur.

The day they found those tumors was the highest and lowest day or my life up until then. It started a roller coaster ride that has left me with more questions than answers. Having a gaggle of doctors, ministers, friends and family came into my hospital room to share with me news that I had one chance in a million to live 30 more days was not a day I'd want to reschedule! Planning your funeral is no fun, especially when you're a church organist and you want to hear every piece you truly love played at least one more time – as if you'll actually hear the service.

Almost a year and a half later – 15-20 months since I was supposed to have died – we found the masses growing once again and had a repeat performance. But this time, it was much lower key and without a lot of the plans I had made a year and a half earlier. The second time, I had come to grips with several things.

John is not in control. The ultimate decision is somewhere else and once we've done all we can do, place your hands under the control of the Almighty and you'll feel a lot better
I was by then – as I still am – wrestling with the why am I here question. It may be as simple as to tell people like you, people who read stuff like this, that there is a power stronger than any of us and the power comes from above, from payers of your family and friends and through your faith and belief that you're never fighting a battle alone.

Well that's not the end of my story, since then I've also had two heart attacks, I'm the proud owner of several cardiac stents and take more pills a day than many people can count. I have just had some abdominal surgery – but I'm still kicking.

You know, it's absolutely amazing that when things start looking blue and when I get to a point where I start to feel a little sorry for myself or start questioning things, something always comes along to make me realize just how good things are! I've had two life changing things happen just this week.

I feel like a met a long-lost friend. I first read Parade Magazine's My Last Lecture article last weekend. This story is, of course, a story about somebody I consider a true hero – Professor Randy Pausch. I also watched his story on ABC last night, wiping my tear stained eyes several times; but thanking God that there are still people making a difference. Randy agrees with what I've long held as a basic premise, don't question the hand dealt, just figure out how to play it! The only way to get rid of the hand may be to throw in the cards; but at least it's after careful evaluation of all the options.

I went to visit a long time friend I had not seen in a while just to find that he had gone blind – as a result of diabetes out of control. Quite an adjustment; but seen as a bump in the road, not a mountain that can't be climbed.

Randy's story is online. If you haven't seen it, don't let today pass without viewing it. It's truly life changing and can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&eurl=http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

Colonel Riley Letter to Congress

2008-04-08T20:41:00.002-05:00

TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND READ THIS LETTER. THESE ARE STRONG, POWERFUL AND COURAGEOUS WORDS COMING FROM A RETIRED COLONEL.AND READ WHAT LINCOLN HAD TO SAY AT THE END. WOW!

33 Senators voted against English as America's official language on June 6, 2007. Of the 33, only one is a Republican and two are Independents; the rest are Democrats! On Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at 23:35:23, Colonel Harry Riley, USA-Ret. wrote:

Senators:

Your vote against an amendment to Immigration Bill 1348 to make English America's official language is astounding. On D-Day, no less, when we honor those who sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock, character and principles of America, I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens.

I don't much care where you come from, what your religion is, whether you're black, white, or some other color, male or female, Democrat, Republican or Independent, but I do care when you're a United States Senator representing citizens of America and you vote against English as the official language of the United States.

Your vote reflects betrayal and political surrender. It violates your Pledge of Allegiance, dishonors historical principle, rejects patriotism, borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator. Impeachment, recall or other appropriate action is warranted or possibly even worse.

Four of you voting against English as America's official language are current or former presidential candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd and Senator Obama. You are and were four Senators vying to lead America, but you won't or don't have the courage to cast a vote in favor of English as America's official language when 91% of American citizens want English officially designated as our language.

This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as 'political hacks' unworthy of being Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as the President of the United States.

If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a backlash so stunning it will literally 'rock you out of your pants' and, preferably, totally out of the United States Senate. The entire immigration bill is a farce. Your action only confirms this really isn't about America, it's about self-serving politics and it's despicable at best. It has been said, 'Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level!'

The following Senators voted against making English the official language of America:

Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY) (Wants to be President)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Domenici (R-NM) (Coward. Protecting his Senate seat.)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI) (Not unusual for him!)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Kerry (D-MA) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Kohl (D-WI))
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (I-CT) (Disappointment here.)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL) (Wants to be President)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) (Senate Majority Leader)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)

President Abraham Lincoln stated, 'Congressmen who wilfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged!'

We Asked For It – Whatever “IT” is

2008-04-08T20:35:00.002-05:00

In just a little over one year

A little over one year ago:

Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
the unemployment rate was 4.5%

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we're seen:

Consumer confidence plummet;
the cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3 a gallon;
Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
1% of American homes are in foreclosure.

America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!

The “Tax Rebate” Explained

2008-04-08T20:30:00.002-05:00

As you may have heard the Bush Administration said each and every one
of us would now get a nice rebate.

If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.

If we spend it on gasoline it will all go to the Arabs

If we purchase a computer it will all go to India.

If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will all go to Mexico, Honduras, and
Guatemala.

If we purchase a good car it will all go to Japan.

If we purchase useless crap it will all go to Taiwan.

None of the rebate will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America, so the only way to keep
that money here at home, is to buy sex and booze. Those are the
only businesses still in the US.

Parents Stop Video Game Porn and Violence

2008-02-29T13:31:00.002-05:00

The video game Grand Theft Auto has been controversial since it came on the scene in 1997. The series has capitalized on the extreme graphic violence that can be perpetrated by players as they commit robberies, "pimp" women and participate in organized crime assassinations.

Parents must stop the destruction caused by video game pornography and violence. By educating our children, you make an impact on how they view the violence that is thrust upon them every day. We can help them make healthy choices when it comes to how they want to spend their money and thereby have an impact on this violent video game machine.

Issue
As parents, how can we stand by and let something that is so violent become a part of our daily lives while it make millions of dollars by exploiting the minds of our children? Conservative media expert Ted Baehr cites that children will consume "63,000 hours of music, movies, television, iPods, and all of that by the time they're seventeen." (watch video)

The Problem
This is not the old make believe "Cops and Robbers" or "Cowboys and Indians". It is a buy in to a level of violence that was never imagined before. Grand Theft Auto is pure, unadulterated criminal indoctrination. Violent games affect children in different ways, depending on what stage they are in developmentally. As parents, we are responsible for seeing that we help our children make the right choices. "Children don't want to be manipulated. They want to be responsible. Help them to do that," says Baehr.

Educate Yourself, Set Your Children up to Succeed
Baehr has created a five-step process parents can follow to help educate their children on the ways of the media, which all parents should watch prior to letting their children select their own media. It can be seen at along with several of Baehr's other videos at iQuestions.com, a new online video based website.

Companies Without Domain Names

2008-02-25T13:56:00.001-05:00

I am always seeing owners of small-to-medium sized companies with email addresses such as johndoe@AOL.com, johndoe@triad.rr.com, johndoe@gmail.com or johndoe@yahoo.com.

These work – they allow you to send and receive email! But do they express the company identity that you've worked so hard to build. Some of the people I'm talking about have multi-colored business cards, logos printed on the face of their buildings and signage on their vehicles. But they use a generic email address that in no way identifies who you are to the receiver until the email is actually opened.

My clients have often heard me say that "having an email address like username@AOL.com is worse than having no business email at all". I truly believe that and believe that any business seriously interested in doing business electronically should invest the very small number of dollars required to have a corporate identity.

You note that I am NOT saying that everybody needs a web site – because I don't think that a web site is necessary for every business. In fact, I think a web site may actually be a liability for some businesses and/or types of business. It's a rare instance, however when I would not recommend that a company invest in a domain name and email services that use that domain name.

Managing Server Based Email

2008-02-11T17:10:00.001-05:00

I'm seeing more and more instances where email boxes are near, at or beyond quotas set in Microsoft Exchange. This is a serious problem because

Users quit sending and receiving email when their size limits are reached
Excessively large mailboxes cause a real performance issue for the Exchange server
It's just not a good practice to keep them there.

With MS Exchange mail servers, almost all users choose MS Outlook as their default mail client. With Outlook, users have a number of alternatives to keeping all their email in their server-side INBOX

God forbid – read the email, process it and delete the thing
Set archive limits to something reasonable – maybe no more than a week on the server before being archived to a folder on the local machine
Copy read emails to a personal folder on the local machine
Create a local .PST file on the local machine into which read emails are copied
Move them to a private folder somewhere on the local machine or on the network.

There are options – options that are often overlooked; but overlooking these options can create real problems for your email system and your network.

Is Newer Necessarily Better?

2008-02-08T16:56:00.001-05:00

Until a few years ago, I believed that people should surpass being leading edge – opting instead to be bleeding edge. It was almost comic around the office. Within 15 minutes after a vendor released a product version or fix, all you'd see of John was rear end and elbows until the version or fix was installed.

It's common knowledge that age changes a lot of things. More often than not, it causes us to slow down. It should make us wiser because we've benefitted from a lot of observations and mistakes over years of work. Age should make us more cautious because we neither have the energy nor can we afford – you know all you young bumpkins are watching us and waiting for us to make a fatal mistake – to make mistakes we took in stride twenty years ago.

Several good friends and a few very good clients have recently asked me about my philosophy when it comes to applying vendor supplied maintenance; and when they should migrate to newer and better product versions and desktops. In that regard, I have a few guidelines – a started to say rules but I think guideline is better because it leaves room for exceptions.

I have Automatic Update activated on all my personal Windows desktops; but on none of my JFSI business desktops. I used to have it active across the board, and doing it the way I'm now doing it introduces a risk that I'll miss automatically installing a critical security patch. But I'll cover that in a second.
I set things this way because I've twice or thrice been burned by bad fixes that cost time and/or money to back off. Plus, activating automatic update eliminates you having the option of applying fixes or not. Thank God for System Restore points. A bad fix applied to one of the systems at home is a nuisance, but it's rarely a crisis.
What about new product versions? I considered myself to be on Office 2003 Power User. In fact, several people asked me to rate myself and I gave myself an 85% score when I came to using products in the Office 2003 Suite. After a year on Office 2007 I'd rate myself maybe at 60-65%, and that's pretty darned generous. I find it cumbersome, clumsy, non-intuitive and a real impediment to performance. Why? Only because I was so darned comfortable with the previous versions and change of the magnitude introduced by Office's ribbons is hard to cope with.

Vista is yet another story. I have a couple of Vista based machines; and I'm getting used to it. You'll note I did not say I LIKE it; but I'm finding it more tolerable, just as I'm finding Office 2007 more tolerable. I rue the day, however, when Bill and company decide that XP will no longer be available on PCs being installed in small to medium sized businesses along side other XP machines. I predict something only slightly short of a major revolution when that occurs.

So to net things out….

I now TEST updates before just taking the vendor's word that they're necessary UNLESS the vendor can show real reason. If it is truly a MAJOR security breach and the vendor can prove the fix damages nothing else, great; but I've adopted a more "guilty until proven innocent" attitude with respect to updates.
I generally run one level behind or at least wait a few weeks after a major update so that others can find the bugs. It just allows me to sleep better at night.

Why people hate Vista

2008-02-07T08:38:00.001-05:00

A confluence of sensible concerns and emotional reactions help explain why Microsoft's newest OS has riled customers

posted here with permission of Galen Gruman

February 05, 2008

You rarely hear about a new OS causing people to panic. But IT consultant Scott Pam says that's exactly what his small-business clients are doing when they install Windows Vista on new PCs and run smack into compatibility or usability roadblocks.

Pam's clients are not alone: Since InfoWorld launched its petition drive on Jan. 14 to ask Microsoft to continue selling new XP licenses indefinitely alongside its Vista licenses, more than 75,000 people have signed on. And hundreds of people have commented — many with ferocious, sometimes unprintable passion. "Right now I have a laptop with crap Vista and I'm going to downgrade to XP because Vista sucks," reads one such comment.

Where does all the vitriol come from?

[
Get the big picture on Windows XP's impending demise, from user reactions to licensing implications — and sign InfoWorld's "Save XP" petition ]

IT managers and analysts suggest a range of reasons, some based on irrational fears and others based on rational reactions to disruptive changes.

Emotional effects
"When we first deployed Vista, people told us it sucks, that it's not as good as XP," recalled Sumeeth Evans, IT director at Collegiate Housing Services, an 80-person college facilities management firm. A month later, he surveyed the staff to see if their views had changed, and they had: "They said it was very good, that they were getting used to it. We asked what was different, and they said they originally didn't like Vista because it was a change. That's human nature."

Microsoft's overzealous schedule in replacing XP with Vista has exacerbated resistance to change, said Michael Silver, a research vice president at Gartner. The company had originally planned to discontinue XP sales on Dec. 31, 2007, just 11 months after Vista was made available to consumers and 14 months after it was made available to enterprises. The date for new license sales to end is now June 30.

In practice, XP's consumer availability ended for many users even sooner — just six months after Vista's release — since storefront retailers Best Buy and Circuit City and most computer manufacturers' Web sites stopped selling XP-equipped computers in July 2007. Typically, Microsoft has given customers two years to make such a transition, Silver noted.

Burton Group executive strategist Ken Anderson suggested that the strong emotional identification with XP represented a fundamental shift in how people, including IT staff, now think of operating systems. They have become a familiar extension of what we do and how we work, thus not something want to change often. "When technology becomes part of you, you don't want people to mess with it," he said.

Anderson likened the reaction to XP's impending demise to what happened in the 1980s when Coca-Cola replaced its classic Coke formula with New Coke, causing massive protests by customers who had no reason to change what they drank. The protests forced the company to bring back what we now call Coke Classic. "XP has come to the point of being Coke Classic," he said, with Vista playing the role of New Coke.

The further the better
The Englewood (N.J.) Hospital Medical Center switched to Vista shortly after its enterprise release, since it had been in Microsoft's early adopter program. Most users — mainly nurses and other medical staff — didn't really notice the upgrade and had few complaints, noted Gary Wilhelm, the business and systems financial manager (a combination of CTO and CFO) at the 2,500-employee facility. That's because they don't really use the OS, but instead work directly in familiar applications that load when they sign in using their ID.

Capacitor manufacturer Kemet saw a similar ho-hum reaction from most of its staff, says Jeff Padgett, the global infrastructure manager. And for the same reason: Users have little direct interaction with the OS. But the staff did push back on Office 2007, whose ribbon interface is a departure from the previous versions. They rebelled to the degree that Padgett has delayed Office 2007 deployment and may not install it at all.

Back at the Englewood hospital, Wilhelm did hear anti-Vista grumbling from people in the administration department, who work more closely with the OS itself for file management and so on. And at Kemet, another group of hands-on users complained about the switch to Vista, noted Padgett: "The people who suffered the most were engineers and IT people."

The phenomenon of hands-on users being the most resistant explains why so many small-business users and consultants have reacted so strongly against Vista, noted Gartner's Silver.

Conversely, those enamored of the latest technology tend to be Vista enthusiasts, said David Fritzke, IT director at the YMCA Milwaukee, which has been adding Vista to its workforce as it buys new computers. "Some users bought Vista for home and then wanted it more quickly at work than we had initially planned to deploy it," he said. Fritzke also found that younger users adapted to Vista more easily.

In search of ROI
Users' personal reactions, positive or negative, ultimately impact the bottom line and help drive the business decision of whether to roll out Vista across an organization.

It's all about basic cost-benefit analysis, says Gartner's Silver. In most businesses, Vista offers few compelling advantages for users while introducing challenges. The cost of change is too high for the perceived benefit. For example, users often complain about Vista's constant nagging about possible system threats, about applications that no longer run, or about files that appear to be "lost" because they've been moved to new places by the OS, Silver said.

"It's really hard to convince someone to go to a product that's not quite as stable or as capable as what they're already using," Silver noted — and so they get frustrated and angry. While IT managers and analysts appreciate some under-the-hood changes in Vista, these improvements don't have an immediate, obvious benefit for users. "Vista's benefits are not about the users," concurred Collegiate Housing Services' Evans.

Upgrades from Microsoft's past have also colored expectations, Silver said. Users tend to remember the straightforward transition from Windows 2000 to XP, even though technically it was a "minor" upgrade, he said. (Silver also noted that until XP Service Pack 2, XP had its own share of compatibility and security flaws that annoyed users, something that most forgot with SP2's release.)

And while the path from Windows 95 and 98 to Windows XP was rockier, the benefits were clear enough at each stage for most customers to make the upgrade investment gladly, Silver said.

Some users have decided to skip Vista altogether and instead wait for Windows 7 , whose release date has been reported as anywhere between 2009 and 2011 "Why shoot yourself in the foot twice? Windows 7 will be out next year; I'll wait till then," said one InfoWorld reader. If Windows 7 arrives sooner rather than later — or if a miraculous Vista service pack addresses all the major objections in one swoop — then the uproar over upgrading to Vista will quickly fade into the hazy past of other Windows upgrade snafus.

Notes From A Political Junkie

2008-02-06T07:58:00.001-05:00

Those of you who know me likely know that I am a self-avowed political junkie. While I have long resisted the temptation to run for office myself, I during every election select a candidate or two to work for, donate whatever computer resources and time I have available and put in some serious effort to get him or her elected. I'm not sure why I'm this way; but I suspect it's largely because I grew up in a household with a father who was like me – sleepless on election night(s) watching returns trickle in and glued to the TV during political party conventions.

By now I'm sure you've said what many have long known – this guy's a real nut! But for me, I don't know whether it's in the genes, the bones or just stuck back in the back corner of a brain that's short circuited in its political core.

Well – Super Tuesday is over! Thank goodness! It happened that Super Tuesday coincided with another important day – FAT TUESDAY – the day when Christians and heathens alike gorge themselves on pancakes and all things they should not eat supposedly before the beginning of Lent. I heard absolutely no mention of Fat Tuesday yesterday – in fact, I heard very little about Mardi Gras. It took back seat to the election.

What did I think about yesterday? I thought it was GREAT! Having what was essentially a national referendum / primary is a great idea. Why not make it a true one next time and have all 50 primaries on the same day?

What did I think of the results? My guy is ahead so it's goodness from my perspective. I'm not sure about what's going to happen in the opposition party; but they can fight it out amongst themselves. One thing is for sure, this election cycle will not be dull; it's going to be hard fought and interesting till the end.

The most important step to thrive in any economy

2008-02-06T07:47:00.001-05:00

Posted with permission of Terry Brock

Unless you've been living on Neptune, you know that many are talking about a slow-down in the economy, "tough times ahead" and some even using the R-word -- recession. We have seen these come and go for centuries. How do we deal with this one and what can you do in your business to thrive -- no matter what happens?

It is not a mystery. You'll be able to survive and thrive if you apply basic principles of success. The laws of success don't change based on what the Federal Reserve does to the money supply. The laws of success don't change because of tax laws. And, as much as politicians this year would like us to believe they can control it all, the laws of success don't change based on what political actions.

The key to thriving anywhere at anytime is really quite simple. It is not easy, but it is something that those less successful will shrug off saying "Oh, that is no big deal." However, those that are successful hear it, pay attention and take appropriate actions.

The most important step to thrive in any economy is to make yourself indispensable to people who can help you. In business, this means that you become the "must-have" provider of solutions, products and services that simply can't be eliminated by those wonderful people who pay your bills. Whether you call them customers, clients, member or some other term, you can survive if you strengthen that umbilical chord between you and your buyers.

But how do we do that in today's world? I've talked about these steps before but with the current economic situation it makes even more sense to accentuate these and share these principles with others.

Here are some tactics your and your people can implement to make yourself indispensable:

Study What They Need

Too many businesses run into problems with "We think..." marketing. Those unsuccessful people are often well-meaning. They sit in a conference room, come up with brilliant (at least they think they are brilliant) ideas on how to market and sell to buyers. Successful people ask the right questions of real buyers. They listen to the answers buyers give them. Successful people also develop a sort of "sixth sense" to "listen between the lines" and hear what buyers are saying---even when they are not saying it.

Study The Macro Environment

Learn what is going on that is affecting not only your business but also the business of your customers. What challenges are they facing in the economy? What trends are likely to affect them? Successful people understand how economic trends affect their own buyers and businesses.

Work Harder In Hard Times

It takes hard work to get ahead. That means going the extra mile and helping clients who are also going through harder times. This will help you become a better person. Friedrich Nietzsche said, "That which does not kill me makes me stronger." Kick yourself in the butt! Get moving and don't tolerate anything less than excellence in your own personal behavior. By "work harder" I mean study more, learn valuable skills the market wants, provide value for clients where they consider it value.

Look For New Markets

Sometimes, the difficult times provide a wonderful opportunity to see new options that we wouldn't consider otherwise. Think globally. With technologies today you can deal with customers in other countries much easier than ever. Find those areas and industries that aren't going through the hard times you might be experiencing.

Challenging times open lots of opportunities for other ventures and options. Unsuccessful people complain and blame. Successful people see what is happening, prepare to take advantage of the situation and thrive on it by becoming indispensable to others. Become the "go to" person for those wonderful buyers.

In doing this, you'll be successful no matter what the economy does.

OLDER THAN DIRT

2008-01-31T08:07:00.001-05:00

LightningBugs / Older 'n Dirt!!

"Hey Dad," one of my kids asked the other day, "What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?"

"We didn't have fast food when I was growing up," I informed him. "All the food was slow." "C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?"

"It was a place called 'at home,'" I explained. "Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if you didn't like what she put on your plate you were allowed to sit there until you did like it." By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore jeans, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country (traveled at all) or had a credit card. In their later years they had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good only at Sears Roebuck. Or maybe it was Sears AND Roebuck. Either way, there is no Roebuck anymore. Maybe he died.
My parents never drove me to soccer practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer and most of my friends never had a car. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow). We didn't have a television in our house until I was 11, but my grandparents had one before that. It was, of course, black and white, but they bought a piece of colored plastic to cover the screen. The top third was blue, like the sky, and the bottom third was green, like grass. The middle third was red. It was perfect for programs that had scenes of fire trucks riding across someone's lawn on a sunny day Some people had a lens taped to the front of the TV to make the picture look larger.
I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza, it was called "pizza pie." A pie was 75 cents (Large $l.00) When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had.
We didn't have a car a car in our immediate family. Before that, the only car in our family was my aunt & uncles Ford. They called it their "mean green machine."
We never had a telephone. The only phone in the house was in a neighbor's apartment and it was on a party line. In an emergency you would ask if you could please use their phone and before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.
Pizzas were not delivered to our home. But milk was.
All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers. I delivered a newspaper, six days a week. It cost 7 cents a paper, of which I got to keep 2 cents. I had to get up at
4 AM every morning. On Saturday, I had to collect the 42 cents from my customers. My favorite customers were the ones who gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change. My least favorite customers were the ones who seemed to never be home on collection day.
Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies. Touching someone else's tongue with yours was called French kissing and they didn't do that in movies. I don't know what they did in French movies. French movies were dirty and we weren't allowed to see them.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIE S from a friend:

My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to "sprinkle" clothes with because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.

How many do you remember?

Head lights dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall.
Real ice boxes.
Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn signals.

Older Than Dirt Quiz:

Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about. Ratings at the bottom.

Blackjack chewing gum
Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
Candy cigarettes
Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes
Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
Party lines
Newsreels before the movie
P.F. Flyers
Butch wax
Telephone numbers with a word prefix (CAstle 2-6933) and if you had a party line you would add a letter at the end. CAstle 2-6933J.
Peashooters
Howdy Doody
45 RPM records
78 RPM recorders with a little plastic disc to accommodate 45 RPM records
Hi-fi's
Metal ice trays with lever
Mimeograph paper
Blue cube flashbulbs
Packards
Roller skate keys
Cork popguns
Drive-ins
Studebakers
Wash tub wringers

If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young
If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older
If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!

I might be older than dirt but those memories are the best part of my life.

Microsoft Takes No Prisoners When It Comes To Pirated Software

2008-01-30T10:39:00.001-05:00

Just in case you're considering installing illegal software on your PC or building a PC with pirated software, I suggest that you read the following article that I took the liberty of reprinting for this media.

Microsoft Gets Tough On Software Pirates

By Kevin McLaughlin, CMP Channel
12:00 AM EST Mon. Nov. 12, 2007
From the November 12, 2007 issue of VARBusiness

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) continued to smoke out what it considers to be shadowy denizens of its channel, filing lawsuits early this month against 20 software resellers in 13 states for distributing counterfeit or improperly licensed products.

The latest legal salvo is part of Microsoft's ongoing Genuine Software Initiative, which aims to educate consumers and businesses of the many different ways in which they can end up with illegitimate software running on their networks.

Steve Schulte, a partner at Capital Network Solutions, Sacramento, Calif., says Microsoft's antipiracy efforts help stamp out the spread of unscrupulous licensing behavior that makes life difficult for other channel partners.

"We've run into a couple of scenarios in virtual environments where resellers have taken licenses and pushed them onto other servers. Not only is that unethical, it also hurts us when we're going into competitive bids," said Schulte.

Schulte noted that Microsoft is in the process of adopting the antipiracy tactics of Citrix, another Capital Network Solutions partner, which requires its software to be activated on the back end using licensing keys.

Microsoft is aware of the problem with counterfeit licenses, and last month launched the Get Genuine Windows Agreement (GGWA), which allows organizations that have been duped into buying illegitimate versions of Windows XP Professional to obtain volume licensing agreements and avoid liability issues that stem from running illegal software.

GGWAs for small and medium businesses have a five-license minimum and are sold by partners, while GGWA for large businesses are sold through large account resellers or direct from Microsoft, said Cori Hartje, director of Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative. The GGWA provides broader coverage than the Get Genuine Kit for Windows XP that Microsoft launched in July 2006, Hartje said.

"Many of our volume-type customers are interested in having one 'get right' type of agreement, a single purchase that takes care of everything all at once," said Hartje.

Microsoft has recently stepped up efforts to prosecute software pirates and unscrupulous system builders, some of whom use counterfeit certificate of authenticity labels, or COAs, to deceive customers into believing that the illegal software they're buying is genuine.

"There are some system builders that are shipping bogus copies of Windows, and customers are getting caught with bad copies that they can't register, and they get stuck," said Scott Braden, senior Microsoft analyst at Miro Consulting, a Fords, N.J.-based firm that specializes in Microsoft licensing.

Kevin Baylor, principal at Aequus IT, a solution provider in Bradenton, Fla., sees the GGWA as a step in the right direction, but not necessarily one that will make much of an impact on the software piracy situation.

"I definitely think the program will be helpful, especially for small businesses, which are generally happy to comply with licensing. But while Microsoft is on the right track in fighting software piracy, I don't feel it will completely negate its effects," Baylor said.

As with Microsoft's other volume licensing programs, pricing is set by the channel. One Microsoft partner who asked not to be named estimated the cost of legalizing a single copy of Windows XP Professional at $200, with the cost of fixing 10 machines running around $1,200.

"From a customer perspective, they're going to be upset because they'll have to spend a significant amount of money. But this does give them a way out," Braden said.

Some of Microsoft's antipiracy efforts have angered users. In August, Microsoft fixed a glitch with the validation scheme for Windows XP and Vista that was flagging legitimate versions of the OS as pirated ones. Microsoft subsequently said the problem was due to human error.

It Happens to the Most Expert and the Most Careful

2008-01-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

I have been in the computer business for more years than most of you readers have been alive. In fact, I started JFSI more years ago than most of my readers have even thought of using computers. But on Saturday, the nightmare of nightmares hit and hit hard.

We got our first (of many) client notification about 7AM on Saturday. The calls and emails were simple -- ''Out web site is not available. Any idea why?"

Our web servers are located in a building across town from our primary office; so we jumped in the SUV and drove over and immediately KNEW exactly what happened. When we walked into the server room we heard a terrible whining sound coming from our primary web server. At that time we knew that we had a hard disk crash.

That would not have been a major problem in most instances because we did a full backup at midnight. For most web developers, this would have been a non-event. A matter of simply

Removing the failed hard drive and replacing it with an in-house spare
Reformatting the new hard drive
Reloading the system image from the backup last night.

We did all that; but then we entered the beautiful "real world". Remember, our database back ends are the major differentiator between our sites and those of the competition. Once we got the server back up, we had to locate and reapply all all updates to all the databases affected since the backup. That sounds easy; but the major issue is to ensure that updates don't get affected by transactions that may be occurring in real time.

That being the case, a few web sites were down -- at least for updates -- for several hours. We're looking at ways to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. It was too traumatic an event to have it happen every weekend.

We're now in a more secure and more redundant environment for those sites hosted in house. We've also moved a few sites previously hosted in house to a server at a major ISP -- with guaranteed redundancy, RAID and large staffs.

Microsoft Plans To Discontinue Support for XP

2008-01-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

It's fairly common knowledge that Microsoft is currently planning to discontinue supporting Windows XP in June of 2008 even though displeasure with Vista is currently at an all-time high. I don't have a lot of specifics at this point; but stay tuned here and to the NEWS page on the company web site. I will try to keep you informed via those two sources.

JFSI Announces Two Web Site Revisions

2008-01-16T08:33:00.000-05:00

We are extremely proud to announce the completed revisions of web sites for two of our clients -- John C. Pegg Auction and Appraisal Services and The Shepherds Center of Kernersville.

Pegg Auction and Appraisal Serviceis the Triad's premier provider of auctions services. Over the years, scores of people and companies have placed confidence in John Pegg's ability to transform goods and property into cash as an alternative to traditional sales techniques.

The Shepherds Center of Kernersville is an organization dedicated to providing much needed services and companionship to elderly and disabled citizens of the Triad. Whether a patron of The Shepherds Center needs a ride to the doctor or someone to come by and chat, the organization is there to held.

We encourage visitors to this site to visit either or both of these sites often.

In Case Your System Rebooted Overnight

2008-01-09T13:10:00.001-05:00

It's likely that when you first faced your computer early this morning that you noticed that it had rebooted overnight. In case you were wondering, the reboot was due to Microsoft fixing a password vulnerability. The following article describes this vulnerability in more detail.

Researchers: Microsoft to patch Windows password flaw

IDG News Service 1/8/08

Robert McMillan, IDG News Service, San Francisco Bureau

Microsoft will patch a flaw in the Windows operating system Tuesday that could give attackers access to passwords on a victim's system, according to security vendor SkyRecon Systems.

"During our ongoing research into the Windows LPC (Local Procedure Call) interface, we found an important vulnerability which could be used to gain elevated privilege and then execute code in the LSASS process," SkyRecon said in a statement e-mailed to IDG News.

The flaw will be patched in Microsoft's upcoming set of security patches, set to be released around 11 a.m. Pacific time Tuesday, the company said.

The LSASS (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service) process is used by Windows to manage account credentials in Windows. A LSASS bug was famously exploited by the Sasser worm in 2004, but this latest flaw appears to be far less serious.

That's because, unlike the Sasser vulnerability, this bug does not allow a remote attacker to run unauthorized software on a victim's computer. "If the vulnerability is exploited, there is a potential for saved passwords to be accessed by users that did not originally posses the proper credentials to access this sensitive information," SkyRecon said.

The flaw affects Windows 2000, XP and 2003 Server operating systems, and was reported to Microsoft in the last few months, according to SkyRecon, a security software vendor based in Paris.

Microsoft's public relations agency declined to comment on SkyRecon's alert, but last Thursday the software giant said that it planned to patch an important "local elevation of privilege" flaw that affected these three versions of Windows.

Because an attacker would first need to have a way of running software on the victim's system, the vulnerability is "semi-serious," said Eric Schultze, chief technology officer with Shavlik Technologies. "Let's say you are hosting your Web site at an ISP and that ISP keeps many Web sites on that same server," he said via instant message. "If you can do that, you can upload the exploit, then run it via your Web server... and then access passwords that you shouldn't be allowed to access."

Microsoft hasn't said much about the other security update it expects to release tomorrow, except to say that it is a critical bug-fix for Windows Vista and XP users because the vulnerability it fixes could be used by attackers to install unauthorized software on a victim's computer. This update is rated important for Windows Server 2003 users and considered moderate for Windows 2000.

In December, SkyRecon was credited with discovering another elevation of privilege flaw, this one in Windows Vista, that was fixed in Microsoft's last set of security updates.

Bob McMillan is Senior writer for the IDG News Service.

All You Wanted To Know About Your PC But Were Afraid To Ask

2008-01-09T08:59:00.001-05:00

D o you ever wonder about what's installed on your PC? Which Windows Hotfixes are installed? What your network looks like?

There's a little known command in Windows that should be named "all you wanted to know about your PC but were afraid to ask?" It's the SYSTEMINFO command – a tool that's easy to use, very informative, requires little advanced knowledge and is FREE.

If you've ever wondered about how your machine is configured, what you IP address is, which components are installed and when they were built, this command is for you.

Using SYSTEMINFO is a piece of cake.
Click START
Click RUN
Type CMD
Type Systeminfo at the cursor's location in the DOS window
Wait a few seconds for the results.

Try it! You'll find it very informative.

Advice to employees on the proper use of the System Administrator's valuable time

2008-01-01T10:51:00.001-05:00

(In following examples, we will substitute the name "Ted" as the System Administrator)

Make sure to save all your MP3 files on your network drive. No sense in wasting valuable space on your local drive! Plus, Ted loves browsing through 100+ GB of music files while he backs up the servers.

Play with all the wires you can find. If you can't find enough, open something up to expose them. After you have finished, and nothing works anymore, put it all back together and call Ted. Deny that you touched anything and that it was working perfectly only five minutes ago. Ted just loves a good mystery. For added effect you can keep looking over his shoulder and ask what each wire is for.

Never write down error messages. Just click OK, or restart your computer. Ted likes to guess what the error message was.

When talking about your computer, use terms like "Thingy" and "Big Connector."

If you get an EXE file in an email attachment, open it immediately. Ted likes to make sure the anti-virus software is working properly.

When Ted says he coming right over, log out and go for coffee. It's no problem for him to remember your password.

When you call Ted to have your computer moved, be sure to leave it buried under a year-old pile of postcards, baby pictures, stuffed animals, dried flowers, unpaid bills, bowling trophies and Popsicle sticks. Ted doesn't have a life, and he finds it deeply moving to catch a glimpse of yours.

When Ted sends you an email marked as "Highly Important" or "Action Required", delete it at once. He's probably just testing some new-fangled email software.

When Ted's eating lunch at his desk or in the lunchroom, walk right in, grab a few of his fries, then spill your guts and expect him to respond immediately. Ted lives to serve, and he's always ready to think about fixing computers, especially yours.

When Ted's at the water cooler or outside taking a breath of fresh air, find him and ask him a computer question. The only reason he takes breaks at all is to ferret out all those employees who don't have email or a telephone.

Send urgent email ALL IN UPPERCASE. The mail server picks it up and flags it as a rush delivery.

When the photocopier doesn't work, call Ted. There's electronics in it, so it should be right up his alley.

When you're getting a NO DIAL TONE message at your home computer, call Ted. He enjoys fixing telephone problems from remote locations. Especially on weekends.

When something goes wrong with your home PC, dump it on Ted's chair the next morning with no name, no phone number, and no description of the problem. Ted just loves a good mystery.

When you have Ted on the phone walking you through changing a setting on your PC, read the newspaper. Ted doesn't actually mean for you to DO anything. He just loves to hear himself talk.

When your company offers training on an upcoming OS upgrade, don't bother to sign up. Ted will be there to hold your hand when the time comes.

When the printer won't print, re-send the job 20 times in rapid succession. That should do the trick.

When the printer still won't print after 20 tries, send the job to all the printers in the office. One of them is bound to work.

Don't use online help. Online help is for wimps.

Don't read the operator's manual. Manuals are for wussies.

If you're taking night classes in computer science, feel free to demonstrate your fledgling expertise by updating the network drivers for you and all your co-workers. Ted will be grateful for the overtime when he has to stay until 2:30am fixing all of them.

When Ted's fixing your computer at a quarter past one, eat your Whopper with cheese in his face. He functions better when he's slightly dizzy from hunger.

When Ted asks you whether you've installed any new software on your computer, LIE. It's no one else's business what you've got on your computer.

If the mouse cable keeps knocking down the framed picture of your dog, lift the monitor and stuff the cable under it. Those skinny Mouse cables were designed to have 55 lbs. of computer monitor crushing them.

If the space bar on your keyboard doesn't work, blame Ted for not upgrading it sooner. Hell, it's not your fault there's a half pound of pizza crust crumbs, nail clippings, and big sticky drops of Mountain Dew under the keys.

When you get the message saying "Are you sure?", click the "Yes" button as fast as you can. Hell, if you weren't sure, you wouldn't be doing it, would you?

Feel perfectly free to say things like "I don't know nothing about that boneheaded computer crap." It never bothers Ted to hear his area of professional expertise referred to as boneheaded crap.

Don't even think of breaking large print jobs down into smaller chunks. God forbid somebody else should sneak a one-page job in between your 500-page Word document.

When you send that 500-page document to the printer, don't bother to check if the printer has enough paper. That's Ted's job.

When Ted calls you 30 minutes later and tells you that the printer printed 24 pages of your 500-page document before it ran out of paper, and there are now nine other jobs in the queue behind yours, ask him why he didn't bother to add more paper.

When you receive a 130 MB movie file, send it to everyone as a high-priority mail attachment. Ted's provided plenty of disk space and processor capacity on the new mail server for just those kinds of important things.

When you bump into Ted in the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon, ask him computer questions. He works 24/7, and is always thinking about computers, even when he's at super-market buying toilet paper and doggie treats.

If your son is a student in computer science, have him come in on the weekends and do his projects on your office computer. Ted will be there for you when your son's illegal copy of Visual Basic 6.0 makes the Access database keel over and die.

When you bring Ted your own "no-name" brand PC to repair for free at the office, tell him how urgently he needs to fix it so you can get back to playing EverQuest. He'll get on it right away, because everyone knows he doesn't do anything all day except surf the Internet.

Don't ever thank Ted. He loves fixing everything AND getting paid for it!

(send additional suggestions)

Happy New Year 2008

2007-12-31T18:40:00.001-05:00

The management and staff of JFSI – J. Fair Systems, Inc. hope that as 2007 winds down that it turns out to be your best year ever and that 2008 will be even better.

Phishers, Hackers and Thieves

2006-06-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

The following article was written by Karyn Murphy.
E-commerce threats abound, but you can apply these practical security tactics and solutions to ward off the Internet goblins.

Rarely a month goes by without some form of e-commerce breach making the news:

A hack at CardSystems, a credit card processor, exposes 40 million credit card numbers.
A Fidelity Investments laptop—containing information about 196,000 Hewlett-Packard employees—is stolen from a rental car.
Counterfeit "phishing" messages purporting to be from PayPal and other financial institutions try to trick recipients into divulging sensitive information.

The databases behind your business are virtual goldmines that need to be protected.
Often it's the large businesses with innumerable spoils that draw the most attention, but midsize companies have to assume that they, too, are at risk. CardSystems, a 100-person credit card processing company, learned that the hard way, after it was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy and ultimately was bought out by another company.

Which security threats you should be most concerned about? The 2005 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, which polled 700 computer security practitioners in U.S. corporations, government agencies, financial institutions, medical institutions and universities, reports that viruses continue to be the source of greatest total loss, with unauthorized access and the theft of proprietary information coming close behind. Not surprisingly, Web site incidents, such as Web site defacement, have increased dramatically, and the volume of unwanted e-mail suggests that spam and phishing are on the rise. Laptop theft, while down compared to previous years, was reported by about half of all respondents.

As scary as those threats are, it's the after-effects that should strike fear in every midsize company. "The true threat to e-commerce is collapse of consumer confidence," says Bill Ashley, CEO of Allied National Inc., a 100-employee insurance administrator that uses an online storefront for sales and plan enrollment. "If the consumer believes that e-commerce transactions are not secure—even if this is from a false impression—business will be significantly impacted."

Bob Hayes, executive director for the CSO Executive Council, an organization of security executives dedicated to furthering strategic security solutions, observes that midsize companies have the same security issues as large companies, "but they don't have the same resources." He advises developing security standards, identifying metrics and implementing tactics to mitigate risks, focusing on the most vulnerable, costly areas.

You also need to look at what data is being collected, used, transmitted and stored, asserts Johannes Ullrich, chief research officer at The SANS Institute, the largest source for information security training and certification in the world. "Data is a liability," he says. "If you don't need it, don't keep it." Does your sales rep really need the entire customer database on his laptop, or can he get his job done with just one file?

Of course, your Web site is a point of vulnerability, and every feature you offer is a potential hole, so keep it simple. You need to assume that every application in your infrastructure—from enterprise resource planning (ERP) to customer relationship management (CRM)—will be exposed to the Internet, warns Bob LaGarde, founder and CEO of LaGarde–StoreFront. Those systems were likely developed outside the Internet scope, thus are less secure than you might expect, he says.

Strategy aside, you still need to protect your company against specific attacks, and there is a wide variety of tools to choose from.

Viruses, Spam and Phishing
It's no wonder that e-mail has become a prime target of misuse. Fortunately, the CSI/FBI study shows that 96 percent of the respondents use antivirus software. Iperia, a midsize provider of Internet Protocol-based messaging technology, has installed antivirus and antispam products configured to automatically update software, taking the onus off users, says Art Leondires, COO and executive vice president. You can also use Intel Corp.'s Execute Disable Bit to prevent malicious worms from inserting code in the buffer. And to protect against corporate phishing, MessageGate Inc.'s Email Filtering provides content analysis to weed out attacks. As for services, Microsoft® Exchange Hosted Services provide hosted e-mail security, compliance and availability, while Verisign offers anti-phishing services.

Network Defense
The databases behind your business are virtual goldmines. Direct access to databases where millions of records can be stolen is a much bigger concern than phishing, which only captures one ID at a time, says Allied National's Ashley. With this in mind, the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard requires merchant members to use firewalls, data encryption and access control, among other things, to help prevent the theft of credit card information.

According to the CSI/FBI survey, 97 percent of respondents use firewalls. But don't stop with the corporate network. You can get personal firewalls from the likes of Symantec and McAfee, among others, for telecommuters and small remote offices. You might also consider Microsoft's security gateway, ISA (Internet Security and Acceleration) Server, which provides a unified firewall and virtual private network (VPN).

Many companies use some form of access control. Server-based access control restricts which users get access to what data. Identity management takes it to a higher level, controlling the access privileges for all your users, from employees and partners to customers.

Authentication is another ballgame. Observers recommend that companies look to strengthen password requirements. Iperia, for example, mandates eight-character passwords that change every 120 days, combined with complexity requirements (a mixture of uppercase, lowercase and alphanumeric characters). For secure remote access, Iperia uses secure HTTPS via the Web (limiting access to only certain IP addresses) and a password-protected VPN. For stronger authentication, companies like RSA Security offer one-time-use passwords generated by handheld security devices.

Laptop Protection
The theft of the Fidelity Investments laptop caused a new ripple of concern over the security of data stored on mobile devices—laptops, PDAs, Blackberries, phones, etc. File encryption—used by 46 percent of CSI/FBI respondents—is particularly important, and easier to do than one might think. IBM has unveiled chip-based encryption technology to lock PCs and mobile devices. Other defenses include Absolute Software's Computrace and CyberAngel Security Solutions Inc.'s CyberAngel Security Software, programs that track stolen laptops, and Everdream Corp.'s services that delete or encrypt files on stolen laptops.

Wireless Threats
Wireless LANs represent another access point for the mal-intentioned. You should develop strict policies around their use, prohibiting employees from installing their own equipment. To enforce these policies, Microsoft provides software asset management solutions to detect rogue appliances. For authorized equipment, be sure to enable WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) encryption to scramble network traffic. You can also control access, as Iperia does, with domain passwords and MAC addresses (unique identifiers), denying requests from unwanted clients. Senforce Technologies Inc. offers a suite of wireless security solutions, ranging from Wi-Fi connectivity control to enpoint integrity.

For any such security need, you can get as sophisticated as you like. But remember, the newest "killer app" isn't always the right answer. The CSO Executive Council's Hayes recalls a company that was eager to implement biometrics technology to secure facilities, only to find that employees had not bought into the concept and bypassed the system. "I'd take a diligent employee or lesser technology that is utilized 100 percent over that anytime," he says.