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Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Watch Out for ATM Skimming. Peter Bruce Photo
The next time you pull up to an ATM, take a closer look at the machine. Does it look a little clunkier than usual?
Look too at what's around you: Are there mirrors? Is there a brochure holder over your shoulder? Does it look like there might be a false panel or an extra light bar attached to the machine?
If something looks or feels amiss, walk away. You might save yourself from perpetuating a consumer fraud called ATM skimming. That's when thieves attach devices onto ATM machines in order to copy a credit- or debit-card number, the information on the magnetic strip and even your personal identification number.
"Many consumers may not be aware that an ATM has been tampered with because they're not educated about this," says Robert Vamosi, a security, risk and fraud research analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research.
Consider this your lesson.
Sophisticated skimming devices placed right over a card-reader slot allow scammers to capture the information embedded on the magnetic strip of a debit or credit card.
Within seconds, they have all they need to duplicate your card.They might also have what's called a pinhole camera mounted over your shoulder -- say, in a plastic holder for brochures or a false panel -- that records your fingers tapping in your PIN. Or there could be an overlay on the keypad that does so.
"They're not just stealing your credit-card number and information like the expiration date, but also the information encoded on the back of the magnetic strip," says Brian Krebs, who has written extensively about ATM skimmers on his blog, KrebsOnSecurity.com. "All they need to do is encode the information on another magnetic strip and they've re-created your card. ...It's a wholesale re-creation of your card and you still have it in your wallet."
And it's a lucrative business. Theft from ATM skimming is approaching $1 billion annually, according to Bankrate.com. Javelin estimates that one in five people have been hit by an ATM skimmer.
While a traditional bank heist will net the thief an average of $5,000, ATM pinching yields an average of $50,000, according to Doug Johnson, vice president of risk-management policy for the American Bankers Association.
"We have seen a higher level of sophistication associated with devices," Mr. Johnson says, "which can tend to make losses larger than in the past when more easily detectable skimming devices were used."
The attacks tend to be in high-traffic areas, such as big cities or popular malls. But stand-alone machines anywhere also are targets.
Here are some tips to keep in mind next time you go to withdraw cash:
Trust your GUT instincts. If something doesn't look right or feel right, move on to the next ATM. "Victims have said that they had a feeling when they were using the machines that something wasn't right," says Javelin's Mr. Vamosi.
As you key in your PIN, cover the keyboard with the other hand to block anyone or a camera from seeing.
Don't use ATMs with unusual signage or instructions, such as a command to enter your PIN twice to complete a transaction.
Be picky about what ATMs you use. "Don't go up to an ATM in a dark place," Mr. Krebs says. "Find one that's in a well-lit area, publicly visible and not tucked away somewhere."
Use ATMs that you're familiar with. If you travel, stick to ATMs at a bank branch. "Using a stand-alone ATM is like playing Russian roulette, especially in major metropolitan cities," says Robert Siciliano, a McAfee consultant and founder of IDTheftSecurity.com.
So how can you tell if an ATM has been altered with a skimming device or camera?
A lot of skimming devices are "stuck onto the machine or nearby with Velcro or two-sided tape," Mr. Siciliano says.
Keypads that aren't concave, for example, could have overlays that flatten or pull the surface of the keys out. A card-reader slot might have a perfectly molded attachment over it that pops off. Some skimmers are custom-made with matching molding and a color that corresponds to a targeted ATM.
"Consumers should stay away from ATMs that appear to have been altered," says Malcolm Wiley, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service. "If anything on the front of the machine looks crooked, loose or damaged, it could be a sign that someone has attached a skimming device or a camera."
Be careful, too, of bank-card skimmers attached to the pumps at gasoline stations.
Last summer, law-enforcement officials in Denver, Los Angeles, Dallas and Florida arrested suspects who allegedly stole debit- and credit-card information by placing small Bluetooth-enabled electronic devices inside the pump handles, which are locked.
Thieves then didn't have to return to the scene of the crime to unload the information. It was all available to them on their laptops or through text messages -- at least until the batteries on the devices wore out.
"These new skimming devices are better and getting harder and harder to detect," Mr. Siciliano says
Cheers Peter Bruce Photo
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Meg Whitman. Who does not want waste by Peter Bruce
Whitman's $119 million donation breaks record
Don't get me wrong there are good and bad out there in the political world,but someone who does not want waste. WOW how could $119 million help Cal dig it's way out of this hole we are in. Just run on who you are not how much money you can spend. This is so wrong...(09-15) 19:46 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Hours after putting $15 million more into her bid for California governor, Republican Meg Whitman on Wednesday defended her donation of a record-breaking $119 million of her own money, saying "my job is to spend money to get this message out."
The former eBay CEO, whose donations to her campaign now top New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's $110 million contribution to his re-election bid last year, made the comment after an appearance before a crowd of nearly 300 employees at the San Francisco headquarters of Yelp, the social-networking and rating website.
In a departure from her tightly scripted campaign events, Whitman took some tough questions from the mostly under-30 audience, who grilled her on her campaign spending, negative ads and stance on Proposition 8, the state's ban on same-sex marriage, which she supported.
Whitman, standing in front of a pair of California flags and a banner pushing her "New California" theme, talked up her plan to create what she has promised will be 2 million new jobs in California in her first term, and to offer solutions to what she called gridlock politics in Sacramento.
Slam against governor
She slammed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for taking a trade mission to Asia during the state's budget crisis.
"We're 90 days past the state budget (being due), and the Legislature has gone home and the governor has gone to China," she said, telling the Yelp workforce: "If you had a massive outage, I don't think Jeremy (Stoppelman, CEO and founder of Yelp) would have decamped to China."
Whitman's appearance in San Francisco came a day after she made the record books by bringing her total donations to her campaign to $119 million.
She has vastly outspent Democrat Jerry Brown, who has dropped about $1 million on the race to date - although he has benefited from advertisements for his campaign that independent expenditure groups paid for.
"My job is to spend money to get out this message," Whitman said Wednesday, "and to make sure every Californian has all the information they need to make an informed decision. It takes a lot of money to be competitive in California."
Yelp employee Susan McKay, 24, asked Whitman to justify her decision to continue running ads in which then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton, speaking during a 1992 debate against Brown, accuses the former two-term governor of raising taxes.
State and independent analysts have said in recent days that the claim was based on an erroneous analysis. Clinton, who endorsed Brown this week, agreed with that assessment.
"Why are you refusing to remove an ad that has been proven to be false and therefore misleading?" McKay asked. "Why would you knowingly and purposely run a campaign that is based on lies?"
Whitman defended the spots as "essentially" true, saying "politics is a tough business. And you have got to tell people why to vote for you."
'Smear tactics'
McKay also asked: "Why have you made smear tactics and an overall negative focus such hallmarks of your campaign? It doesn't seem to me that defaming your opponent will help California in any way."
Whitman said she has run a "series of very positive ads" over the past 20 months "about my vision for California."
She added: "You also have to set the record straight on your opponent. So, I stand by that ad. It was the right thing to do."
Another Yelp employee, who declined to be identified, asked Whitman whether it was "a cynical and disingenuous approach to democracy" for her to spend more than $100 million on TV commercials but avoid debates.
Whitman said she was looking forward to three debates with Brown, the state attorney general, in the coming weeks - in Fresno, Davis and San Rafael. Brown is pressing for another debate, in Los Angeles or elsewhere in Southern California. Whitman has not decided whether to participate in that event.
"I feel that I've been out and about with voters in California for nearly two years," she said.
Defense of civil unions
In her 40-minute appearance before employees of what she called "one of the hottest Internet companies" in the nation, Whitman defended her support of civil unions for gay couples - and took a jab at Brown.
"Regardless of where you are on this issue, the attorney general and the governor of the state of California actually have a legal obligation to give that ruling standing to go through the court process," Whitman said.
Meeting later with reporters, Whitman denied sidestepping a position on Proposition 23, a November ballot measure endorsed by the California Republican Party, that would suspend California's landmark climate change bill until the state's unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters.
Whitman said she would make her view on the measure known in the next 10 days.
Stoppelman invited Whitman and Brown to appear before Yelp employees. Brown is considering a visit, spokesman Sterling Clifford said.
Sad
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Guns,how the hell does a parolee for bank robbery get them. Peter Bruce Photo
Please read below and tell me how the hell does some on parole for bank robbery get guns.Man this could have been so bad.
felon Byron Williams loaded up his mother's Toyota Tundra with guns, strapped on his body armor and headed to San Francisco late Saturday night with one thing in mind: to kill workers at the American Civil Liberties Union and an environmental foundation, prosecutors say.
Williams, an anti-government zealot on parole for bank robbery, had hoped to "start a revolution" with the bloodshed at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation in San Francisco, authorities said.
But before he made it to the city, Williams was stopped at early Sunday by California Highway Patrol officers for speeding and driving erratically on westbound Interstate 580 west of Grand Avenue in Oakland.
Police say he then initiated a chaotic, 12-minute gunbattle with officers, firing a 9mm handgun, a .308-caliber rifle and a shotgun. He reloaded his weapons when he ran out of ammunition and stopped only after officers shot him in areas of his body not covered by his bullet-resistant vest, authorities said.
On Tuesday, Williams, 45, of Groveland (Tuolumne County) appeared in an Oakland courtroom on charges that he tried to murder four CHP officers. Authorities described him as a heavily armed man determined not to return to prison. Bullets from the suspect's rifle could penetrate ballistic body armor and vehicles, police said.
'Start a revolution'
After he was wounded and taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland, Williams told investigators "his intention was to start a revolution by traveling to San Francisco and killing people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU," Oakland police Sgt. Michael Weisenberg wrote in a court affidavit.
The foundation has funded environmental and social justice projects since 1976 and also provides philanthropic advice, according to its website. The ACLU of Northern California is based in San Francisco.
"Obviously, we're dismayed that this has happened, and we're not really going to speculate about the investigation while it's ongoing," said Tod Hill, a Tides spokesman. "We're taking appropriate safety measures."
ACLU officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Today.
Sheriff's deputies brought Williams into Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland in a wheelchair Tuesday. His right hand was bandaged. He showed no emotion and kept his head down as he read his copy of the criminal complaint. Asked by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers if he wanted to be represented by the public defender, Williams said yes.
Litany of charges
The complaint accuses Williams of trying to kill CHP officers Vincent Herrick, Richard Coward, Ty Franklin and Todd Owen. In addition to the four charges of attempted murder of a peace officer, Williams was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing ammunition. He also faces enhancements for firing a gun and wearing body armor.
The unemployed carpenter has two strikes - one for a 2001 bank robbery in Madera County and the other for a 1995 bank robbery in Washington state. That means he faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of a third strike in connection with the shootout. He is being held without bail.
The FBI joined Oakland police in investigating the incident because a notebook, titled "California," was found in Williams' car and removed by a bomb squad robot, investigators said. Authorities did not reveal its contents.
Cheers to s safer place
Monday, July 19, 2010
Mel Gibson not dead,really by Peter Bruce Photo
Mel Gibson not dead REALLY suicide rumors spread through 'RIP Mel Gibson' Twitter tweet and YouTube.com
"Mel Gibson dead" is such a popular search term right now, with folks Googling "Mel Gibson dead" so often that the phrase shows up both on Google Trends and on Alexa.com -- all because of seemingly confusing information being spread around the web via Twitter.com and other websites.
A Guy on twitter with over 15k followers Tweeted "RIP Mel Gibson" about 8 hours ago, and obviously felt the need to clarify by posting "I said Rip Mel Gibson , well his career that is. Twitter is 'smart'," three hours after his first tweet.
While no valid news organization like CNN.com or other outlet has reported anything about Gibson's fake death or suicide.
It's all an effort to get "RIP Mel Gibson" a trending topic on Twitter, say some.
"Mel Gibson died on July 19, 2010," a YouTube user named Ryukumori2799 claimed incorrectly, going on to say: "Cause of death is suicide. Not enough information to make a clear statement on why he did it. RIP
Peter Bruce photo
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Train crash in India ,61 killed by Peter Bruce Photo
CALCUTTA, India .A speeding express train plowed into a stationary passenger train in eastern India on Monday, killing 61 people in a crash so powerful it sent the roof of one car flying onto an overpass. Officials said they could not rule out sabotage.
Residents crawled over the twisted wreckage trying desperately to free survivors before rescue workers arrived with heavy equipment to cut through the metal.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who rushed to the site, raised the possibility the crash could have been another case of sabotage, two months after Maoist rebels were blamed for a derailment that killed 145 people.
"We have some doubts in our mind," she said.
The crash happened about 2 a.m. when the Uttarbanga Express slammed into the Vananchal Express as it left the platform at Sainthia station, about 125 miles north of Calcutta.
The accident destroyed two passenger cars and a luggage car, turning them into a tangle of twisted metal. The passenger cars were reserved for those on the cheapest tickets and such carriages are usually packed to capacity.
The force of the crash was so intense the roof of one car flew into the air and landed on an overpass above the tracks. Local residents climbing through the debris searching for survivors were later joined by rescue workers using heavy equipment to cut through the metal.
"I was sleeping when I felt a huge jolt and heard a loud noise and then the train stopped," passenger Lakshman Bhaumik told local television. Bhaumik survived with minor injuries.
Second crash in two months
Rescuers recovered 61 bodies from the crash site and 125 other people were injured, said Surajit Kar Purkayastha, a top police official. The two drivers of the Uttarbanga Express were among the dead, Banerjee said.
Rescue teams arrived about three hours after the accident, a local resident said. Before that locals scrambled to help survivors out of the trains and to pull out bodies.
"For many hours it was just the local residents helping and it was very difficult to help without any equipment," the unidentified man told NDTV television channel.
Police official Humayun Kabir told NDTV, however, rescue workers reached the site within an hour of the crash.
By late Monday afternoon, rescue operations were nearly complete, said Samir Goswami, a railway spokesman. Cranes and laborers were working to remove the mangled coaches so the tracks could be cleared and train services resumed.
The disaster was the second major train crash in the state of West Bengal in the past two months. On May 28, a passenger train derailed and was hit by an oncoming cargo train in a crash that killed 145 people. Authorities blamed sabotage by Maoist rebels for that crash.
Accidents are common on India's sprawling rail network, one of the world's largest, with most blamed on poor maintenance.
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Sunday, July 18, 2010
Steinbrenner's final salute to an old friend forwarded by Peter Bruce Photo
Couldn't have been more wrong people
Alex ,he insisted that we call him that; "Mr. Clowson," he said, was too formal for me was the one man in our central Ohio town of 12,000 who had been a professional ballplayer. He had been captain of the baseball team at Ohio State, and had led the Big Ten in hitting in 1932 and 1933. The people who knew him back then thought he would have a shining career in the majors. And in fact, the Cleveland Indians organization signed him to a contract.
But he injured his knee, and in the big leagues being just half a step slow means you're probably not going to make it. So from 1935 to 1941, he played in the low minor leagues, for Class C and Class D teams like the Zanesville, Ohio, Greys, and the Oswego, New York, Netherlands, and the Monessen, Pennsylvania, Indians.
Which was all right with him. Baseball was the love of his life, and he was very good at it, and he was being paid, although not much, to play it. Then World War II arrived, and he was called to military service and his days on the diamond were over. Those of us who knew him in the 1950s and 1960s were friends of his children, with whom we were growing up. Alex and his wife, Betty, raised their young family, and Alex ran a succession of taverns and restaurants, some more successful than others.
His love of baseball never died. He was an assistant coach at Ohio State for 10 years, and after that he seemed to be a volunteer coach for just about every league in town. "Dad's been gone for more than 10 years," his daughter Wendy told me the other day. "And I still run into people who tell me, 'Your dad was my Little League coach.' Or, 'Your father give me my first baseball glove.' "
If you were a kid in a summer league around town, you probably saw Alex Clowson in the stands. He was always so encouraging; his opinion meant more than anyone else's, because he was the man who had been a pro ballplayer. If you weren't especially good -- I can vouch for this -- it meant the world to you to hear Alex's voice shouting "Nice throw," or "Good hustle."
Why am I telling you this here today?
Because in the 1950s, before any of us were old enough to know him, he ran a tavern called the Musical Bar. He was the owner and the bartender.
One of his steady customers was a young Air Force second lieutenant assigned to nearby Lockbourne Air Force Base. His name, George Steinbrenner.
"Daddy told me that Mr. Steinbrenner never ordered an alcoholic beverage," Wendy Clowson said. "He would come in and order a Coke with a cherry in it. And he would sit there and he and my father would talk about baseball for hours on end."
This was many years before Steinbrenner, who left us last week at 80 bought the New York Yankees; George Steinbrenner with his Coca-Cola and Alex Clowson behind the bar were just two guys who loved to talk baseball.
Clowson never struck it rich in business, but Steinbrenner, of course, did, and despite the difference in their worlds they remained friends over the years. "Every time we would see Mr. Steinbrenner, he would say to us children, 'Your father taught me everything I know about baseball,' " Wendy said. It may not have been literally true, but it was a lovely thing to tell the Clowson children, and they always were grateful for how Steinbrenner treated their dad.
When Alex Clowson was dying in 1999, Wendy said, "the thing that he hated the most was that he had macular degeneration, which meant that his eyesight had badly failed. He couldn't read the baseball box scores in the newspapers any more. That made him really sad."
Three weeks before he died in a nursing home, he received a telephone call from Steinbrenner. "They talked for a very long time," Wendy said. "We didn't hear the conversation, but we knew what it was about. Dad and Mr. Steinbrenner talked about baseball. Just like they always did."
Clowson died on a July Thursday in 1999. Before the funeral, Betty Clowson's telephone rang. It was Steinbrenner. He said he planned to do something to honor her husband.
And so it was, on the day Clowson was buried in Ohio, that Steinbrenner issued an order to his staff at Yankee Stadium in New York.
The Yankees weren't playing at home that day. But Steinbrenner ordered that the big American flag in center field be raised, and then lowered to half-staff.
For Alex.
Several weeks later, a package arrived at Betty Clowson's home. Inside it was the flag, along with a photo of it at half-staff overlooking the most famous baseball palace in the world.
"I know that Mr. Steinbrenner was a controversial guy, and that there were a lot of people who didn't like him," Wendy Clowson said. "But I hope you can understand why our family loved him."Those who knew Alex Clowson thought his dreams of baseball glory had drifted away.
But what did we know?
In the end, against all odds and expectations, this impossible thing came true:
He made it all the way to Yankee Stadium.
Hope you enjoyed
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Thursday, July 15, 2010
George Steinbrenner NY yankees/Peter Bruce Photo/rare photos
Enjoy Peter Bruce Photo
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
WORRIED ABOUT BREAST CANCER
WORRIED ABOUT BREAST CANCER KNOW SOMEONE THAT HAS IT....We are trying to start a BUZZ around out new project for breast cancer awareness. Can you post this pass it to others and ask them to pass it on to other. Here is the link Thanks
www.bforacure.com