Possible Linkedin security issue
Posted By RichC on June 6, 2012
Don’t know how serious … but changing your password might not be a bad idea.
Nearly 6.5 million passwords belonging to users of the professional social networking site LinkedIn have been leaked online, according to reports.
Users are being urged to change their login details over fears that, if confirmed, the leak would compromise vast amounts of personal data, including contact information. The information was reportedly posted as encrypted on a Russian hackers’ website and 300,000 are said to have been decrypted, with work ongoing …
Thinking about my mom’s declining health
Posted By RichC on June 6, 2012
Many families face the inevitable fact that our parents will not be around forever. Unfortunately knowing the end is closer doesn’t make managing a parent’s declining health any easier. I now understand why my daughter’s medical training and rotations in “end of life care” were not attractive to her – pediatrics does sound as if there are a few more positives.
As for my mother, she is back out of the hospital and has returned to a nursing/rehab facility. We will have a meeting this week with key staff and her doctor to determine “a plan” in order to move forward or at 
least have a goal. Thankfully her pain is somewhat managed at the moment, but without repairs the fractures in her back, the prognosis for a strong recovery is grim. Optimistically we can hope that the pain meds will enable her to work to regain strength and some degree of health so that another surgery is possible. She will have to wait at least to when the infection is gone, but at this point we’re a long way from that or being in good enough health for another surgery. The positives are that she is being treated for the infected bone and tissue with the correct antibiotics and that other medical conditions are being addressed … and are being managed.
Mood wise, my mom isn’t, or can’t, give the kind of effort that is needed. Her appetite is non-existent and she won’t even eat much even knowing that she needs nutrition to get stronger. The physical therapy isn’t too ambitious yet … and as soon as she feels pain that’s pretty much it for the session. We’re trying motivation like getting home or being able to go to her granddaughter’s wedding next spring, but at this point that doesn’t seem to be working.
My mother’s sisters’ family, Diane (Bert) and Bob (daughter Laney), who have always been close to my mom, drove down to Sidney from Toledo this past Sunday to visit with her. For the most part my mom “listened” but didn’t have the energy to talk much … something she has always be able to do — mom’s a “talker.” Still it was nice to have family visiting her and I know my dad was very appreciative. I took my dad out to Bob Evans after the visit and we sat a long time and had coffee – he really didn’t want me to leave. At this point I’m feeling sorry for him having to handle everything by himself (sort of has for the last year really???) and visits three times a day. I think his energy is running low … and know he is frustrated that mom isn’t motivated to get stronger.
I guess we’ll see how the meeting goes this week … I may have to push a little harder to give SRIIs a try … if for nothing else then for appetite.
References
- Celexa Prescribing Information Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Lexapro Prescribing Information Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Paxil Prescribing Information GlaxoSmithKline
- Prozac Prescribing Information Eli Lilly and Company
- Zoloft Prescribing Information Pfizer Inc.
President Clinton had an interesting interview on CNBC
Posted By RichC on June 5, 2012
Although I’m not a big advocate for President Clinton, I do respect his intellect and ability to navigate the politics and the economy more than the current POTUS. Maria Bartiromo on CNBC had an interview which was both political (stumping for the Dems) and reasonably accurate when it comes to the dealing with the stalled economy. President Clinton was able to simplify a strategy in a way that neither President Obama or Governor Romney has been able to communicate. His three points are easy to sell to the average voter, make logical sense to a wide swath and fit the attention span of those who 99% of the time really don’t care about politics.
1) Economic growth, 2) Spending Restraint and then 3) Additional revenue.
He also indicated that they these three things need to come in the right order to “avoid anything that contracts the economy.” The commonsense talking points of “bringing the deficit down after the economy rebounds” and that we need to “take advantage of low interest rates now” because when the economy rebounds we’ll be sure to see much higher rates most likely sell better to Democrats, but they probably make sense to all but the far right conservative.
Part 1: Maria Bartiromo CNBC with President Clinton – 11:15- June 5, 2012
When addressing the issue of unions I thought he also had a sellable and almost Republican position: “Shared prosperity in good times and shared sacrifice in the bad times.” Of course these are all just “talking points” and a bit more challenging to put into action … but I think he could get the America people behinds his position better than Obama … I’m not so sure about Romney’s clarity just yet? An interesting quote that doesn’t bode well for President Obama was …"the most important thing in this election is what will President Obama do and what will Gov. Romney do with the economy and how will they deal with people who disagree with them, will they be divide and conquer, or would they be, ‘let’s bring everyone together’?" (link) I think we know how well Obama has been “leading” in this regard after his 3-1/2 years.
Part 2: Maria Bartiromo CNBC with President Clinton – 10:58 – June 5, 2012
Happy 30th Anniversary Brenda – Great Memories
Posted By RichC on June 5, 2012
I’m “archiving” a few old photos and want to thank my wife Brenda for 30 wonderful years (our 30th anniversary is today June 5); I’m looking forward to another 30 
years with her and watching our children build their lives and memories.
As many family and friends will agree, 30 years goes by pretty fast … at least until we look back at all that has happened. From our wonderful year of engagement (photo left from 1981) and spending way too much time trying to figure out how we could see each other a few more hours … to planning our wedding, honeymoon and buy first house together. I was teaching and going to graduate school at Miami University (SW Ohio) and she was starting her first year of work in Cleveland (NE Ohio). I remember high long distance phone bills and many long drives in my little 1977 Honda Civic … this was before they grew up (it has a 1200 cc engine and 12” wheels but thankfully was thrifty on fuel!)
Writing down everything I could say regarding our wonderful 30 years would take forever … so I think I’ll just say Happy Anniversary and retire a couple of the photos I’ve carried in my wallet for the last 30 years. They are getting pretty ragged and will last longer scanned and saved (below). Happy 30th Anniversary Brenda.
Brenda and Rich in 1981, in the mid-80s and with Katelyn and Taylor in the mid-90s. (hmm … I’m feeling old.)
The Transit of Venus on the evening of June 5th 2012
Posted By RichC on June 4, 2012
A rare astronomical event takes place tomorrow and should be viewable (weather permitting) for those with the correct “sun gazing” equipment or reflective techniques. (I recall the old pinhole in foil and shoebox as a kid) This will be the last time our generation will see Venus pass between the earth and the sun — The Transit of Venus — unless you’re still around in December 2117. Unfortunately even if the sky is perfect in the evening in North America, the size of Venus compared to the sun is tiny. A better view will be with some magnification … maybe tune into the NASA webcast fro Mauna Kea Hawaii.
http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/nasaedge/
A rock: Lazy weekend cross-post
Posted By RichC on June 3, 2012
Shared as a “keep alive” social networking accounts post this weekend and figured that I would add my “tombstone” photo (joke) … well at least the hunk of granite was priced like a gravestone.
> Really, how many dollars did I just spend on this rock in order to cover a stump?
Midwest cattle farmers complain of government ‘spying’
Posted By RichC on June 2, 2012
Have we really expanded government to the size that the EPA is flying airplane (and probably drones) to monitor farms? If they have that many resources how about using them on our southern border rather than looking at “manure.”
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – Cattle farmers complained on Wednesday that a federal agency is “spying” on their operations by flying airplanes over Midwest cattle feedlots to see if they are complying with clean water regulations.
The livestock producers and some members of Congress from rural areas want to know why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is using airplanes to monitor whether feedlots are obeying the Clean Water Act.“The federal government has literally resorted to spying on producers,” said Kristen Hassebrook, natural resources and environmental affairs director for the Nebraska Cattlemen.
Her association advised two U.S. senators and three members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska in drafting a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on the matter. They said the aerial surveillance raises privacy concerns and they question the statutory authority for the flights.
Hassebrook said inspections and photographs from high in the air may result in faulty assumptions about whether a feedlot is operating properly, which could expose the owner to unfounded allegations.
Feedlots are where cattle are kept in confinement and fed intensively until they are ready for slaughter. Because there are usually large numbers in a limited space, the accumulation of manure needs to be disposed. The waste can pollute ground water.
The EPA defended the flights on Wednesday as part of its effort to enforce the law, which sets standards for how cattle feedlots are to dispose of manure to avoid pollution.
“EPA uses over-flights, state records and other publicly available sources of information to identify discharges of pollution,” said a statement issued by the EPA’s Kansas City regional office. “In no case has EPA taken an enforcement action solely on the basis of these over-flights.”
EPA has for 10 years used flyovers to verify compliance with environmental laws on watersheds as a “cost-effective” tool to minimize inspection costs, according to the statement.
The EPA did not say how long the feedlots have been under aerial inspection, but Hassebrook said her group believes it began in 2010.
The EPA held a meeting in West Point, Nebraska, in March to discuss the flyovers in Nebraska and Iowa, Hassebrook said. About 125 cattle producers attended the meeting, she said.
The letter from the Nebraska members of Congress raises questions about the frequency of the flights, who gets inspected, what becomes of pictures or video and whether the EPA is also looking for violations unrelated to the Clean Water Act.
“Nebraskans are rightly skeptical of an agency which continues to unilaterally insert itself into the affairs of rural America,” congressman Adrian Smith of Nebraska said in a statement on Tuesday.
Farmers have been at loggerheads for years with the EPA over everything from water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, to dust in the air from crops and fields. The nation’s largest farm organization, the American Farm Bureau Federation, last year sued the EPA, and several states have complained about what they call excessive regulation.
The EPA defends the regulation as necessary to protect the environment.
(Editing by Greg McCune and Eric Beech)
Investors sour on downbeat of negative economic news
Posted By RichC on June 1, 2012
The Dow’s gains for the year have been officially wiped away.
After thinking 2012 might be the year we work our way out of the long recession, the job numbers tell otherwise. After all the debt-financed stimulus, continued wasteful spending and inefficient use of tax receipts coming from Washington DC … confidence is slipping and so are the economic numbers. 
Today’s stock market decline is making it the worst day of the year.
Companies have little reason to hire long term employees as the disincentives and risk to hire outweigh the incentives. The current administration continues to target job creators as the enemy and looks to them as a target to increase taxes. If anything, leadership in the Obama administration is either missing or adversarial when it comes to stimulating private business. I’m not sure America can survive another downturn … or even has time to wait until next year with the hope there might be a president who understands the economy, how to inspire businesses to risk capital and create jobs.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.