by Rupe | Aug 19, 2011 | Mad Musings
Everything you wanted to know about bug sex (but didn’t bother to ask) is explained in a new book by insect expert Marlene Zuk. Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language from the Insect World, describes a world of small — but surprisingly sophisticated — insect behavior.
Insects are not mindless robots; they can learn just like other animals, says Zuk, a biologist at University of California, Riverside. “An ant who finds a food source will come back to recruit others to go to the same food source,” she tells Fresh Air‘s Dave Davies. The ant that knows where to go will show the others what to do. “It looks like a parent teaching a child how to ride a bicycle. … They steer the other individual and will actually wait for them to catch up and make sure they’re going in the right direction.”
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My Comments:
No, it is not a slow news day, nor do I think this is weird.  I ran across this article from National Public Radio (NPR) that I thought was quite thoughtful. It had me thinking how much time we spend in academia studying things like “bugs buggin’ out”. Any way, I found it quite interesting, don’t think I care that much to buy the book, but would read it if I ran across it at the library.Â
Source: NPR
by Rupe | Aug 17, 2011 | Computing
25,000 complaints. That’s the number the FBI-affiliated Internet Crime Complaint Center registers each month. Whether it’s identity theft, financial fraud or outright scams, we are all potential victims. So what can you do? Gary McAlum, USAA’s chief security officer, offers five tips.
Build a Wall
The holy trinity of computer security is a firewall, anti-malware software and automatic updates. Chances are you have all of these installed on your machine. Modern computers and routers have firewalls built in, and you can download an anti-malware program online, but whichever one you choose, be sure to keep it up-to-date. (USAA offers a discount for the McAfee® security suite, and numerous free options are available, but beware of “look-alike” programs that can actually harm your computer.) Finally, keep all your applications and your operating system secure by installing updates.
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My Comments:
Pretty good computing advice from USAA. Â They just upped their cyber guard program…pretty good.
Source: USAAÂ
by Rupe | Aug 17, 2011 | Mad Musings
More than 8 million Americans were the victims of identity theft last year, according to a recent study by Javelin Strategy & Research. But protecting yourself doesn’t have to be complicated. “Common sense combined with a high-quality cross-cut paper shredder goes a long way,” says Lt. Col. Gregory Conti, director of West Point’s Cyber Security Research Center. Here are seven practical tips to help you guard your information and stop identity theft.
1. Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
If you are tricked into clicking on a phishing email or otherwise leave an unprotected computer open to attack, criminals will try to download malicious software, or malware, that will track your keystrokes and use your computer as an identity-theft tool. “If your hard drive is running all the time, you probably have malware on your PC,” says Tom Shaw, vice president of fraud and anti-money laundering at USAA.
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My Comments:
Pretty good advice  on ID Theft from USAA.  Â
Source: USAAÂ
by Rupe | Aug 13, 2011 | Not So Recent Reads
Crime and Punishment focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her money. Raskolnikov argues that with the pawnbroker’s money he can perform good deeds to counterbalance the crime, while ridding the world of a worthless parasite. He also commits this murder to test his own hypothesis that some people are naturally capable of, and even have the right to, do such things. Several times throughout the novel, Raskolnikov justifies his actions by connecting himself mentally with Napoleon Bonaparte, believing that murder is permissible in pursuit of a higher purpose.
My comments:
This is a pretty extensive read…still reading.
Grab it here
by Rupe | Aug 13, 2011 | philosophy-religion
Let’s go back to the beginning — all the way to Adam and Eve, and to the question: Did they exist, and did all of humanity descend from that single pair? According to the Bible (Genesis 2:7), this is how humanity began: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” God then called the man Adam, and later created Eve from Adam’s rib. Polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center find that four out of 10 Americans believe this account. It’s a central tenet for much of conservative Christianity, from evangelicals to confessional churches such as the Christian Reformed Church.
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My Comments:
I suppose questioning the existence of Adam and his female unit – Eve, can be tantamount to questioning the existence of God, but not really. Â This is a pretty important reading regarding the modern Christian view of faith. Â I think it is very insincere for some to hide behind dark ignorance and not lob questions at their belief system. Â I for one am amaze at the resolute stubborness of some who profess to have answers to the divine…to know what will happen in the hereafter…to them I say…go away from me at once and in thine own ignorance wallow. Â Pretty cool biblical speak huh…?
Source: NPR
Everything you wanted to know about bug sex (but didn’t bother to ask) is explained in a new book by insect expert Marlene Zuk. Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language from the Insect World, describes a world of small — but surprisingly sophisticated — insect behavior.