WHAT HE SAID ABOUT PEACE AND LOVE SO LONG AGO

What follows are quotes from the Bible with selected sayings of Jesus of Nazareth highlighted in red.  These are some of his sayings on peacefulness, love, forgiveness, and non-resistance.  To spice things up, I have added some of his pointed remarks on hypocrisy and superficial, self-serving piety near the end of this post.

Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Luke 6: 31

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Matthew 5:43 - 45

“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Luke 6:27 - 28

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Luke 6:35 - 36

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Luke 17:4

“If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him.”

Matthew 5:38-40

“You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”

Luke 6:29 - 30

“If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”

Matthew 5:41

“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

 Matthew 19:18 - 19

Jesus replied, “ 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'”

Matthew 22:38-40

“This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Mark 12:28 - 33

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no commandment greater than these.”  “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.  To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Luke 10:27 - 28

He answered: “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Matthew 6:11 - 12

“Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Matthew 6:14 - 15

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Mark 11:25

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Luke 6:36 - 38

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Matthew 5:21 - 22

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Matthew 5:23 - 24

 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Luke 10:29 – 37

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'   Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”   Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Matthew 16:24 - 26

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.  What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 19:13 - 15

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Luke 6:46 - 49

“Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?  I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.  He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Matthew 7:21 - 23

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

John 10:27 - 28

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Matthew 7:15 - 20

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

Luke 6:43 - 44

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.”

Matthew 23:27 - 28

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Matthew 6:5 - 6

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”

Matthew 7:13 - 14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

To give credit where due: 

Quotes are from a search on:  Bible Gateway  

END OF POST

September 2006

HOW TO RECORD AND PLAY SOUND WITH WINDOWS 2000

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED SO FAR and NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT

(1)   PLUG IN YOUR MICROPHONE AND TURN IT ON

Plug your microphone or other sound making device (music keyboard, cassette tape player) into the microphone jack on your computer.  On an IBM laptop, this is the pink-rimmed jack.  This is the nearest of three colored jacks on the left side of your laptop as you face the keyboard as you normally would while working.  The middle jack is blue and is audio-in also, but does not work for me.  The furthest jack is lime and is audio-out and this is where you can put headphones or download audio.

Your microphone plug must be one-eighth inch wide.  If it is a quarter inch plug, you will need to use an adaptor.  The adaptor has a one-eight inch plug at one end and accepts a quarter inch plug at the other end.  The adaptor can be a couple inches long or may be a chord.

Make sure the switch on the microphone is turned on.

You can record on a music keyboard or cassette tape player and download to the laptop (look for an audio-out jack on the keyboard or tape player) if you have a connecting chord with the correct size plugs at each end.

(2)   OPEN SOUND RECORDER

Click START/ PROGRAMS/ ACCESSORIES/ ENTERTAINMENT/ SOUND RECORDER.  The sequence may be different on your WINDOWS XP, but the program should be there somewhere.  It may take a minute to open the first time.  You will see a small menu only a few inches wide.  It is designed to look like a cassette tape recorder across the bottom.  The buttons from left to right are 1- double arrow left means return to beginning (time is 0.0); 2 – double arrow right means go to end; 3 – right arrow means play; 4 – square means stop; 5 – circle means record.

This software will get you started recording.  More sophisticated software can be purchased.

(3)   OPEN A NEW FILE

Click FILE/ NEW.

(4)   START RECORDING

Click the button with the circle, far right.  You will notice that you are limited to 60 seconds.  To go longer than 60 seconds, see below. 

If you are achieving sound input, you will see little blips going across the tiny center window of SOUND RECORDER.  The goal is to have the volume of your audio input loud enough to make the blips fill about one-half to three-fourths of the height of the tiny window – I’m guessing here, but it seems to work.

To increase volume, move the microphone closer to your lips and/or speak or sing louder.  I found I needed to have my mouth almost touching the microphone to get even minimal volume.   It probably makes a difference whether you speak/sing to the top or the side of the microphone.  (For input from a cassette tape recorder, adjust its volume control.)

If you use the EFFECTS button (top row) to decrease or increase volume after recording, you risk distortion in your recording; better to get the input volume at the right level during recording.

You can re-record a recording, just as you can with a cassette tape recorder.

(5)   STOP RECORDING

Click the button with the square, fourth from left.

(6)   FILE THE RECORDING

Click FILE/ SAVE AS.  

Caution:  If you do not plan to save using the default, you must save your “new” file (setting saving format and attributes) before you record, and then save again with the same settings after you record. 

Changing the default:   On the SAVE AS MENU I click on CHANGE beneath SAVE AS TYPE.  This brings up the SOUND SELECTION MENU.  Click the down arrow at NAME.  Then click  CD QUALITY – this level of quality is the only (?) kind of music that will be recognized by your IBM RECORD (music-CD making program).  You will notice that selecting CD QUALITY brings up the ATTRIBUTE “44,100 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo, 172 kb/sec.”  This level of quality uses up your PC space at a huge rate, approximately 10 MB per minute.   For smaller files for emailing I have opted for 8,000 kHz, 8 Bit, Mono, 7kb/sec (approximately 1 MB per minute).   All these are PCM FORMAT.  One can also just use whatever default appears, I suppose.  Don’t save on the SOUND SELECTION MENU (unless you want to save a setting), just click OK.  This returns you to the SAVE AS MENU where you can save your file.

(7)   PLAY THE RECORDING.

Click FILE/ OPEN if the file is not already open.  Select the file to be played.

Click the double arrow left button to return to 0.0, the beginning, if the position is not already there. 

Click the single right arrow button to play. 

There is no way to adjust the volume while playing as there is with WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER; however, playing the recording in SOUND RECORDER allows you to determine if the volume is going to be OK when played on other machines.

To stop click the square button.

To start at a particular point, move the slider which is below the tiny window to where you want to start.

(8)   TO LENGTHEN YOUR AVAILABLE RECORDING SECONDS

The best way I have found to deal with this problem is to create and save a blank recording of 60 seconds (run the record process with no audio input and save a blank file).  Then have that file open and insert the very same file into the open file using the INSERT function.   To insert, have your file open, move the slider which is below the tiny window to where you want to insert the insertion.  Click EDIT/ INSERT FILE/ then select the file to be inserted. Inserting a 60 second blank into a 60 second blank gives you 120 seconds of time.  Save the 120 second file and repeat the process to get 240 seconds, and so on.  

If you get an error message that you do not have enough memory, try inserting a smaller file instead.

An insertion replaces any original sound from that point forward.

An alternative method for creating a blank that is longer than 60 seconds is to run the record process with no audio input until the slider reaches the end.  Then click the record button again and the program will automatically add 60 seconds for a total of 120 seconds.  Repeat as necessary.

Create and save your blank file with the same format and attribute as what you want in the finished product.  If you open a low quality blank and record, the computer may appear to save it as CD quality, but you may in fact not get that because there was not enough room for that much detail in the level of quality in the blank (?)  If you want CD quality, record using a blank that was first opened as “new,” given inserts that were only CD quality, and saved only as CD quality.  Likewise, if you record using a CD quality type blank, and then save as email quality, the program may do some compressing, possibly introducing distortion(?)   I’m not sure if such precautions are necessary, but it’s my best guess. 

Remember, first save (setting file format and attribute), then record, then save again (using the very same file format and attribute).

Always insert a blank 6 second stretch at the end of each recording.  This is the way to get a pause between tracks when you make a CD.  Make sure your 6 second stretch was created and saved with the same format and attribute as what you want in the finished product.

(9)   USE THE HELP BUTTON FOR SOUND RECORDER

It is easy to read because it is brief.  Also, check out commands EDIT/ DELETE BEFORE CURRENT POSITION and EDIT/ DELETE AFTER CURRENT POSITION – useful.

(10)  TO MAKE A CD ON AN IBM LAPTOP

Click START/ PROGRAMS/ IBM RECORD NOW/ IBM RECORD

There are three choices including “MAKE A MUSIC DISK” and “MAKE A DATA DISK.”

A music disk, if you use CD-R, can be played in a CD player.  A data disk made using CD-R/W, is not meant to be played, rather the purpose would be to back up files.  If you select “MAKE A MUSIC DISK” the program will only let you select CD quality files.  If you want to preserve other quality music, make a data disk.

End of Post

September 2005

There is no guarantee these instructions are correct or will work with your computer.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SCREEN MORE READABLE

………………………

Close all applications before you use the following instructions.  Keep track of what you are doing so you can reverse any changes you don’t like. 

………………………

(1)  TO GET A LARGER FONT IN YOUR WINDOWS XP DISPLAY

Start / Control Panel / Display / Appearance tab (top) / Font Size down arrow (near bottom) / click Large or Extra Large / Apply / OK

Larger lettering will be mainly in the menus.  Some menus might become unreadable because some larger letters won’t fit.

(2)  WINDOWS XP HIGH CONTRAST OPTION – EVEN LARGER FONTS

The High Contrast option should give you larger fonts and more widespread use of larger fonts.  This option could be a prerequisite to getting larger fonts in a given application.

CAUTION:  This option will change your Windows and Buttons setting and your Color Scheme setting under Control Panel / Display / Appearance tab.  Write these settings down so you can reverse changes if you wish.  This option will wipe out your desktop wallpaper (background image behind the icons) under Control Panel / Display / Desktop tab.  Write down the Background, Position, and Color settings so you can reverse changes if you wish.  See below to re-set the wallpaper.

Start / Control Panel / Accessibility Options / Display (different from “Display” above) / High Contrast (check the box for Use High Contrast) / click Settings button / Use Shortcut is already checked / under High Contrast Appearance Scheme, the default scheme is High Contrast Black Large; click High Contrast White Large if you prefer a white background with black letters / Apply / OK

When you are finished the “C” in Control Panel should be about 3/16 inch high.

(3)  SET OR RESTORE YOUR WALLPAPER

Start / Control Panel / Display / Desktop tab (top) / select a Background / select a Color and Position (if applicable) / Apply / OK

If you select None for a Background, and then select a color, you should get a solid color with no pattern behind your desktop icons.  A dark color will give less glare.

(4)  TURN DOWN THE BRIGHTNESS

Selecting the High Contrast option above will likely make your screen appear brighter.  To turn down the brightness on your IBM laptop, press the End key while holding down the Fn key (function key).  A small menu will appear showing a changing pattern as you continue to click the End key.  The Fn key is in the lower left corner of your keyboard, and says “Fn” in very pale blue lettering.  You will notice that the End key has an extremely tiny very pale blue image of a sun, denoting brightness, and a downward pointing arrow.  To increase brightness, press the Home key while holding down the Fn key.  The laptop should remember the brightness setting.  Check the brightness menu next time you turn on the machine.

Buying a glare screen (to cover your computer screen and to filter out glare) is an option.

(5)  TO MAKE A LARGER, MORE VISIBLE CURSOR

Start / Control Panel / Accessibility Options / Display / Cursor options / (move bead from narrow end to wider where you want it – watch the indicator near the bead to see how wide the cursor will be) / Apply / OK.

(6)  ADJUSTING FONT SIZE IN MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER

Open Internet Explorer / click View / click Text Size to adjust font size larger or smaller depending on how it changed as a result of your selecting the High Contrast option above.  Without High Contrast, click to make text larger.

(7)  ADJUSTING FONT SIZE IN MSN EXPLORER

Open MSN Explorer / click View / click Text Size to adjust font size larger or smaller depending on how it changed as a result of your selecting the High Contrast option above.  Without High Contrast, click to make text larger.

(8)  ENLARGING YOUR VIEW OF A MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT

Open Word.  On the top toolbar look for a button that says “100%.”  To enlarge, type in a percentage greater than 100.  For example, “200” should make the lettering twice as large.  Then press Enter.

Alternatively, click the down arrow next to the 100% button.  Click 150% or 200% or whatever you wish.

Alternatively:  Click “View” at the top of your screen.  Click “Zoom.”  Use up and down arrows next to “Percent,” or use other features on that menu.  Click OK.

(9)  READING YOUR MAIL IN LOTUS NOTES 6

The following steps will likely change your in-box so that unread mail is bolded, but still the same color as mail that has been read – not ideal.  However, the content of opened e-mails should appear larger.

Step one:  selecting Windows XP High Contrast (above) is a prerequisite in LN6 for the next two steps. 

Step two:  Open LN.  File / Preferences / User Preferences / under Additional Options, check Use System Colors (second to last item) / OK.  You might have to close LN for this change to take effect.  Close and re-open.

Step three:  In LN click View / Text Size / Larger or Largest (this menu appears as a result of doing the previous two steps?).  You will have to repeat step three each time you open LN.

END OF POST

March 2006

THE SECRET TO MAKING MUSIC ON A KEYBOARD

This is the secret to playing a music keyboard “by ear,” that is, without a music book.  This is the secret to making up your own music on a keyboard.

This is what I have learned so far, and it is not necessarily correct:

(1)   START WITH A FEW CHORDS

You can make good music with just a few chords.  Very common chords are: 

C Major (C)

G Major-Seventh (G7)

F Major (F)

For moody songs use:

D Minor (Dm)

A Minor (Am)

(2)   PLAY CHORDS WITH YOUR LEFT HAND

On a keyboard you play the accompaniment with your left hand.  Press the “single finger” mode button.  Use only one or two fingers.  Use the left end of the keyboard to play chords. 

To play a Major chord, press the key with the same name as the chord root.  For example, to play C Major, press a C.

To play a Major-Seventh chord, press the key with the same name as the chord root and at the same time press any white key to the left of that key.  For example, to play G Major-Seventh, press a G and a white key to the left of that G.

To play a Minor chord, press the key with the same name as the chord root and at the same time press any black key to the left of that key.  For example, to play A Minor, press an A and a black key to the left of that A.

(3)   PLAY A MELODY WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND

Which notes in a melody can go with which chord?  To start, you can safely play any of the notes that make up a particular chord when you are using that same chord:

With chord C, play notes C, E, or G.

With chord G7, play notes G, B, D, or F.

With chord F, play notes F, A, or C.

With chord Dm, play notes D, F, or A.

With chord Am, play notes A, C, or E.

In the beginning, you may find it easier to try to match notes to a chord, rather than trying to match chords to a melody.

(4)   PUT YOUR CHORDS IN ORDER

Put your chords in order.  Try this progression:

C to G7 to C to F to C

(5)   LEARN MORE CHORDS

All chords in the same category follow the same pattern.  You can find the notes that make up any chord by counting like this (make sure you count both the white and black keys):

Major

Play a note, skip a note, skip, skip, play, skip, skip, play.

Major-Seventh

Play a note, skip a note, skip, skip, play, skip, skip, play, skip, skip, play.

Minor

Play a note, skip a note, skip, play, skip, skip, skip, play.

The chord is named after the “first” or “root” note in the chord using this or similar methods.  However, the notes of a chord can be played in any order and no note is really “first.”

Try to learn to play with chords C7, A7, D7 next.

(6)   READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Find the section about chords.  Also find the instructions for how to record and play back your songs.  These will be the most useful sections.

(7)   SING YOUR OWN SONG

Sing your own song, follow your heart, follow your star, be true to yourself and do not be deterred by potholes in the road, or a rainy day.  Make your music for yourself and anyone who cares to listen carefully.

End of post

September 2005

Ms. Edna E-mailer is not a computer expert but she has been paying attention.  This is her list:

POSSIBLY USEFUL E-MAIL AND WEB TIPS part I

Do you agree or disagree with these tips?  Did you already know about these tips?

1

E-mail is not private

If you send your innermost thoughts and feelings to your friend she can forward that e-mail to everyone she knows.  E-mails can circumnavigate the Earth.  Always assume your e-mails will be forwarded.  (Don’t write anything you would not want Ms. E. to read.) 

Also, in-boxes are located on servers and can be read by anyone who knows how to access in-boxes on a server.  Always assume you are writing publicly. 

2

E-mail can be permanent

While so many e-mails are deleted, e-mails can be saved and can last forever, or at least as long as there are computers.  What you write when you are 18 years old can come back to haunt you at 45 or 75 (as in scandal, blackmail, or lost opportunities).  Always assume your e-mails will be saved and not just by your friends and their friends.  Internet service providers (ISPs), big companies, and other large organizations backup their servers and save e-mails, at least for a while.

3

Empty your e-mail address book

If you keep e-mail addresses in your e-mail address book, a simple virus can use your address book to replicate itself and send virus laden e-mails to everyone in your address book.  These e-mails will appear to have come from you.  Instead, keep e-mail addresses inside a Microsoft Word document or other word processing document on a floppy, and copy them as needed to your outgoing e-mails.  To avoid misspellings, highlight, copy, and paste addresses, instead of re-typing them (ctrl-C to copy; ctrl-V to paste).  Index cards are good for quick reference and backups, but carry the risk of misspellings.

4

Use the “bcc” blank for broadcasts

If you load up your e-mails with e-mail addresses, anyone who gets your e-mail can copy the e-mail addresses, unless you use “bcc.”

>>  Ms. E. can go through these and add your e-mail addresses to her list of addresses.

>>  Spammers can send spam to your e-mail addresses.

>>  Junk mailers can send junk mail to your e-mail addresses.

>>  Virus writers can send viruses to your e-mail addresses. 

>>  Identity thieves can research the names in or associated with your e-mail addresses. 

>>  Data gatherers can gather your e-mail addresses (perhaps even the linkages – data on who sends to whom). 

Instead of putting your e-mail addresses in the “to” or “cc” blanks, put the e-mail addresses in the “bcc” blank instead.  That way the addresses of the recipients are shielded; that is, most people will not be able to view the addresses.  Nevertheless, bcc’s can be read by those who know how.  Think about it – the servers read the bcc addresses when they deliver e-mails.  

One possible alternative to broadcasting; it’s more tedious, but maybe worthwhile to protect the privacy of your close family and friends:  Send e-mails to them only one or two people at a time – why make it easy for snoopers? 

It’s better to not mix your family’s e-mail addresses with friends’ e-mail addresses.  Of course, keep business e-mail addresses separate.

5

Use your delete key

To protect privacy when forwarding an e-mail message, use your delete key to remove the e-mail address of the person who sent you the incoming e-mail.  Delete all the from/to/cc/sent/subject information.  If you forward e-mail addresses, these can be harvested by future recipients as the e-mail is forwarded over and over.

Anyway, who wants to page down through a bunch of forward-headers to get to the message at the very bottom?

6

This guy wants your e-mail addresses and more

If you visit one of the many Web sites that say things like, “Send this newspaper article to a friend,” or “Send this e-mail greeting card to a friend,” or “Send your slide show to your family – put your photos here;” ask yourself:  Do I really want to hand over the e-mail addresses of family members and my friends to the stranger who owns this Web site?  He would not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out some names from the e-mail addresses.  What could he do with the names, the e-mail addresses, and the linkages (data on who sends to whom)?  What is his motive for offering a “free” service to you?    Unless you have permission of family and friends, don’t give their e-mail addresses to such a Web site.  That is just common courtesy.

You don’t get something for nothing.  Be wary of free offers or discounts to certain groups or categories of people, such as “free to anyone over 50,” or “discount for anyone employed at this kind of job.”  While such offers will create a feeding frenzy among the unwary, ask yourself:  “What sort of data are they collecting and for what purpose?”

7

Put your family photos here???

Before you post your photos on one of those Put-Your-Photos-Here Web sites; ask yourself:  Do I really want to hand over my personal family photos and the e-mail addresses of my entire family to the stranger who owns this Web site?  She would not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out some family names from the e-mail addresses.  What could she do with the names, the e-mail addresses, and the linkages (data on who sends to whom)?  What is her motive for offering this “free” photo service to you?    Unless you have permission of family and friends, don’t give their e-mail addresses to such a Web site.  That is just common courtesy.

Be aware that the friends and family members you designate to receive the “invitation” link in an e-mail generated by the Web site can forward that e-mailed invitation link.  The invitation link will work for whoever receives the forwarded e-mail and any number of people can receive and use the forwarded invitation link to view your supposedly “private” photos, including people who are complete strangers to you.

Every digital photo has a file name even if it is only a number.  If you have photos online, and if you can type your file names into Google/Images/Advanced and bring up your posted photos, then anyone with access to Google can bring up your posted photos if their search criteria happen to match the file names of your photos.  Your personal family photos might be viewed and copied by some voyeuristic and predatory Web surfer you might not care to be acquainted with.  (Eeeee-ew !!!)  Are there big identity clues in your photos like car license plates or distinctive house numbers?

8

Where did this come from?

When you are forwarding an e-mail and you delete the sender’s e-mail address to protect the sender’s privacy, add a few words that will let your recipient know you did not write the content.  If you are silent, your recipients might assume you wrote it. 

Say, “I got this yesterday,” or “Victoria sent this to me,” without her last name, unless a last name is needed for some reason. 

9

I don’t necessarily like it

If you don’t want to take the credit or you don’t necessarily agree with what you are about to forward, write “for your information” or “FYI,” or make it clearer:  Write “The sender does not necessarily agree with the contents of what is being forwarded.”  If you are silent, your recipients might assume you forwarded the e-mail because you liked it or because you agreed with it.

10

Watch out for suspicious links

A link in an e-mail or in a pop-up can be set up to launch a download of malicious code (virus, spyware) to your computer when you click on the link.  Likewise, don’t visit Web sites just because someone says they are “fun” or “really cool.”  There could be infecting links on the Web site.  Click only on links to reputable Web sites or you could get a virus or spyware.

11

Open an e-card and catch a virus 

If you receive an e-mail that says, “Click on this link to view your e-greeting card sent to you by your friend, Regina.” or “Click here to view her slide show,”  … don’t, unless you know the link is to a reputable Web site.  In some cases, the e-mail could appear to be from your friend, but it isn’t really.  She visited the Web site, left her e-mail address there, and yours, then the Web site generated an e-mail that appeared to be from her.  With any complex transmission to your computer (such as an e-greeting card with audio and animation, a radio show, a video, or a slide show) there is the possibility that the transmission can hide a download of malicious code (virus, spyware) to your computer.

12

Protect your minor children

Use filters on the children’s computers to automatically screen out harmful Web sites and make it impossible for the children to correspond except with those people you approve in advance. 

Is it safe to put photos of your minor children on your Web site if it is password protected?  Are there people out there who will know how to get around your password and who can use captions or other information on your Web site to find family names, Google the location of your home and your children – and then come to your home?  Can they copy the photos of your children and alter the photos for pornography?  Who knows?  Let’s not find out.

13

Things to not put on your Web site 

Don’t put photos of your family and friends up on your Web site without their permission.  That is just common courtesy.  Maybe Ms. E. won’t like that photo of herself or maybe she won’t like that cute caption you plan to write about her.  Don’t put your street address or any other family street address on your Web site.  Get a PO Box if you need an address for regular mail.

14

Why take a chance 

With every little step you take you might think the risk is small.  But that thought will hardly be a consolation to you if there are dire consequences.  Should you be creating risk for your family even a little bit in a world where there is so much malice?

Think twice before sending e-mail photos or posting Web photos with identity or location clues –  your car with the license plate clearly visible, your home showing the house number;  or photos of your possessions – your new wide screen TV, your heirloom diamond jewelry, cozy living room, adorable children, with the witty captions all pointing to you and your family.  It’s not likely you’d get an unwelcome visitor (thief, kidnapper, lunatic, etc.) but why take a chance?

If you can’t resist distributing photos, put them in e-mails instead of posting on a Web site and send only to people who “need to know.”  Examine your photos carefully, especially the background.  Are any identifying features shown that could be potentially useful to a nefarious stranger, features like the street signs on the corner outside your home, or like a T-shirt with the name of your minor child’s school?  Is there anything in a photo that could cause some viewer to become concerned or angry enough to want to reach you?

15

Somebody might actually read your blog

Your family and friends would have to be unusually tolerant people to not mind having reports about them going up on the Internet on a daily basis.  If you write unkind things about your family or friends in your blog, they might read it and be hurt.  Their last names should not be used.  (A “blog” is an online personal diary or opinion page posted for the whole world to read). 

16

Hey, download your spyware protection 

Do not download spyware protection from just any Web site that shouts, “Hey, download your spyware protection here.”  That link could install spyware on your computer, not protection.  Buy from a reputable dealer.  (“Spyware” is malicious code that can infect your computer and is designed to send specific types of information that reside on your computer to a remote computer.  Spyware can be designed to transmit keystrokes, credit card numbers, passwords, even whole e-mails to that remote computer.)

17

Private information on your computer

If you keep private information on your online computer, such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, names of family members, names of your minor children, your address, addresses of family or friends, birthdates, and social security numbers; then you could be making this information available to online data gatherers.  Better not assume you can eliminate every last bit of spyware or that your firewall will stop everything.

18

When you are tired 

If you go online when you are tired, or worse than tired; later on you could be wondering why you sent a love letter to the Pope.  It’s not worth it to stay up all night writing e-mails.

19

Watch out for weird 

If you forward an incoming e-mail (or click “reply” to an e-mail), when the e-mail is weird, profane, obscene, or otherwise nasty, you could be accused of originating it.  How could you prove you didn’t?  It would be difficult to prove.  After all, any sender can modify or even completely re-write the contents of the e-mail he is forwarding.  Also, any sender can click “reply” and then edit the incoming message that attaches to the reply he is sending.

20

Take these people off

Don’t you just hate it when someone modifies the content of your e-mail unfairly and leaves your name on it, when they forward it or reply to it?  Who knows what changes they will make next to your e-mails?  Better take them off your distribution list.  As long as you are being fair, you can choose to forward only a part of an incoming e-mail.  Of course you should snip off the incoming e-mail address to protect the privacy of the sender.

21

Bogus e-mails

You’ve seen those bogus virus warnings that say, “Forward this virus warning to everyone you know.”  Unless the warning comes from someone you trust like your office IT coordinator or you have checked it out on your virus protection vender’s Web site, ignore it.  No one will appreciate it if you “cry wolf.”   Also disregard e-mails that say, “Send this to at least ten people and you will receive good luck and blessings as a result.” 

These chain-mail type messages clog and slow servers.  Some chain e-mails are originated expressly for the purpose of harvesting e-mail addresses.  The originator can track the progress of the e-mail as it is forwarded over and over.  When it goes to a new in-box he collects the address.  Such e-mails can have frivolous or even false content but have broad appeal and generate big bucks for any originator harvesting and selling huge quantities of e-mail addresses.

To break a chain:  If you want to distribute the message, don’t click forward; instead, highlight and copy the e-mail’s content, and paste it into an entirely new e-mail (ctrl-C to copy; ctrl-V to paste).  You might have to take extra steps to transfer images and attachments.  Only handle images and attachments you know are free of malicious code.

Also, wisely disregard “urban legends” that circulate.  “Urban legends” are strange and untrue tales in e-mails that often end with, “phone this number,” “click this link,” or “send this to everyone you know.”  Watch out for hoaxes. 

Don’t believe everything you read online.  Be wary.  Question everything you read.

END OF PART I

part II

February 2006

22

Your work e-mail address 

If you give out your work e-mail address to friends and family your work e-mail in-box will be cluttered with their e-mails. 

Also, if your friends and your children use your work e-mail address, then that address will be what they put on the e-mails they broadcast.  Assume these e-mails will be forwarded.  If your name and your employer’s name are in the e-mail address, the employer’s name and your employment can be very visible and obvious to anyone who receives the broadcast e-mail.  Does everyone need to know where you work? 

That wildly indiscrete e-mail your child broadcasts to the whole world goes out with your employer’s name on it.  Any recipient down the line can get it back to your employer with comments.  

Any personal e-mails you send from your work out-box (maybe despite office policy to the contrary), can eventually end up in the bosses’ in-box.  It’s far better to have your own separate commercial Internet service provider for your political activities, family discussions, Internet surfing, etc.

However, if you access your commercial ISP from within your office’s network, that access, including your personal password and your incoming and outgoing e-mails, can be subject to whatever monitoring the office has for its network.  Consider also that your recipients may be opening their mail from within their office network(s).

23

Watch out for suspicious attachments 

If there is malicious code in a file attached to an e-mail, opening the attachment can activate the malicious code.  Don’t open an attachment to an e-mail, unless you scan it first, and unless you know the sender and you know if you are expecting some attachment from that sender.  Remember a virus can send an e-mail from your friend’s computer and make it appear that the e-mail is coming from your friend.

If you save an infected file attachment, you could infect your computer.

24

Explain your attachments

When you send an attachment, it is helpful to write an explanation that could only have been written by you and tell how you made the attachment or tell where it came from; for example, “This attachment is from Ms. E.  I made this myself on my scanner, so it is OK to open it.  It is similar to the file I sent you yesterday that you said you liked.”  This way your recipient knows it is safe to open the attachment.

25

Write clever subject lines 

It’s good to put some word or phrase in the subject line that could only have been written by you so the recipient knows it is really from you and not from a virus that took over your computer and is now sending e-mails with your name on them.  For example:   “Thanks for Ms. E.’s wonderful list,” is better than “Thanks.”  Don’t open e-mails that come with a blank subject line.

26

Your bank won’t do this 

Your bank won’t send you an e-mail asking you to go to their Web site and reveal your personal information (password and account number).  There is an e-mail scam where you receive an e-mail that pretends to be from a bank – maybe the e-mail happens to have your bank’s name on it.  The e-mail has a link to a Web site that looks just like the bank’s Web site but of course is a fake.  If you receive such an e-mail and if you click the link and enter your account number and password as requested, these can be stolen by the operators of the fake Web site.

27

Give credit where due 

If you are sending copyrighted material like a book excerpt, news article, or Web site clip, say where you got it; for example, “I got this from the National Geographic.”  Observe “Fair Use” copyright laws. 

28

Get virus protection

Make sure you have virus protection, spyware protection, and a firewall on your computer.  Do scans.  Update protection regularly.  Get Windows patches.  Backup important files to a floppy or CD.  Backup your important e-mail addresses.  Backup the addresses (URLs) for your favorite Web sites.  Empty the trash-box and recycle bin.  Don’t give your password to anyone, not even your best friend.  Be on guard against e-mails or pop-ups that pretend to be from virus protection companies or pretend to be from Microsoft.

29

How many people can get your e-mail? 

Question:  If an e-mail is forwarded 25 times and each time it is forwarded, each person sends it to two (2) other people, how many people will receive the e-mail?  (Those of you who remember high school will be able to do this math.  Ms. E.’s calculator couldn’t handle it.)

Have you noticed how you get some of the same e-mails in your in-box over and over again?  Can the total number of potential forwards for one e-mail exceed the population of the planet and approach infinity?  Theoretically your e-mail can be circulated for as long as the Internet exists.

Sometimes people click “reply to all” by mistake instead of “reply;” and it’s clear they meant to send to only one person, not 800.  (“I’ll meet you for lunch at noon.”)  This seems to happen fairly often.

30

Did you subscribe to it?

What happens if you send a reply e-mail in order to “unsubscribe” to a list you never subscribed to?  By sending the reply e-mail, you are confirming that your e-mail address is still a valid e-mail address and you might receive more junk mail.  The same principle applies for any junk mail – if you reply, you might get more.

31

Keep your credit card number to yourself 

Avoid typing in your full credit card number when buying online.  If given the choice of typing in only four digits and phoning in the rest, take it.  Buy only at secure Web sites and from reputable dealers that you know.  There are many opportunities for credit card numbers to be stolen.

It’s probably best to not use your debit card or your checking account number online unless you can afford to have all the money in your checking account stolen.

32

Spelling counts

Be careful to type in the Web address (URL) exactly or you might end up at a site that is a fake, yet seems to look like the real thing.  Be especially careful spelling if you plan to enter personal information like a credit card number, bank account number, password, social security number, etc.  Type the correct tail for the address:  .com, .org, or .gov.  Schemers bet that people will misspell and lie in wait for you.  Your personal information can be stolen if you type it into a fake Web site.  

If you misspell an e-mail address, your e-mail could end up in a stranger’s in-box, or go nowhere.

33

Your name and the time on your e-mail

If you don’t want your name to show in an e-mail, set up your computer and pick your e-mail address so your name does not show.  Without precautions, your name might show in the recipient’s in-box, might show in the e-mail header, or might show when someone moves their cursor over your e-mail address in an e-mail that you originated, or moves their cursor over your e-mail address that was clipped, not just typed, from an e-mail you originated.  (These things happen only with some ISPs, not others?)   Of course many people want their name to show so their recipients know who the e-mail is from and that could be your preference.

If the correct date and time of sending is important for you to have on your e-mails, make sure your computer’s clock is set right.

34

Long-winded e-mails

If you compose a particularly long e-mail with complex ideas, you run the risk that few people will make time to read through it.  Put all the most important ideas in the first paragraph.  (Ms. E. has not quite mastered everything on this list.)

35

Be health-wise

Take time off at least once a week when you do not touch a computer or look at a screen (not even a TV screen) for at least 24 hours.  Are you able to do this?  Clicking a mouse or staring at fast moving TV images for hours is not a natural activity for a human brain.  Give yourself this little vacation.

You’ve probably seen people sitting hunched up and contorted in front of their computers instead of sitting up straight.  They could get bent and old-looking before their time.

36

Did I just make a binding agreement?

Can you make a binding legal agreement just by clicking a button that says, “Yes, I agree” or “I accept”?  If you have just typed in personal data such as a password, social security number, or credit card number; the Web site owners can make a pretty good argument that you really did click the button and it couldn’t have been anyone else.  Read and know if you agree with all of it before you click.

37

Before you send

Before you click the send button ALWAYS get up and do something else or work at something else for at least a few minutes.  You will be amazed at how many changes you think of making in just a short time.  Better to wait a minute or two before sending, than to think of changes right after sending.

If you are angry or upset, wait until you are calm before sending.  Refuse to carry on an argument via e-mail; and don’t broadcast disagreements.

38

Disconnect completely

Make your computer completely inaccessible to online saboteurs when you are finished online.  Simply shutting down the computer and/or turning it off with the switch on the computer is not sufficient because your computer can be turned on remotely by a hacker, if it is still connected to its phone or DSL line and still connected to a power source (the electric grid or laptop battery), and if he can get past your firewall.  If you have Broadband over Power Lines (BPL), then the electric grid is your Internet connection and disconnecting from the electric wall socket is sufficient.  (Wireless is beyond the scope of this discussion.)

39

Promoting your own name

Does the name of your Web site point to you or your family?  Unless you are promoting your name, think twice before making your name part of your Web site’s name as in MyFirstNameLastName.com especially if your Web site has controversial or personal material.  (“Hey, here’s my name; come and get me.”  ……  Yes, it is possible your home address can be found online.)  Also, it is better to not have your name be part of, or associated with, the “contact us” e-mail address on your Web site.

40

E-mail can be monitored

Be mindful that your computer use at your office, at a public library, or at your school or college could possibly be monitored by the employer, the library, or school/college, if you are using their computer or their network.  There can also be government surveillance of e-mail for various purposes.

41

A warning from the phone company

The following warning on clicking “yes” came with Ms. E.’s phone bill:  “…. Consumers should carefully scrutinize what they agree to when they click on Web site pop-up ads and are asked to respond to a series of questions.  In some cases, dial-up consumers who clicked ‘yes’ to several pop-up ad questions have found their computer modems re-programmed to make expensive long distance calls.  Pop-up ads are a legitimate way of advertising on Web sites – but consumers should read the fine print and make sure they know what they’re agreeing to when they click the ‘yes’ button in response to questions in such an ad.  It could be a costly mistake.”

42

A warning from the IRS

The following warning is in instructions for tax year 2005:  “The IRS does not request personal tax-payer information through e-mail.  If you receive this type of request, it may be an attempt by identity thieves to get your private tax information.”

43

Take me off your list

Do not send e-mail to someone who wrote to you, “Take me off your distribution list.”  Send only to people who might reasonably be expected to not object to receiving an e-mail from you.  There is a law that covers sending unwelcome e-mail.

44

Chat rooms and IM

Your conversations in a chat room or in instant messaging can be saved and are not any more secure than any other kind of e-mail.

45

The surprise mentioned at the beginning

SURPRISE !!!  There is no surprise.  Don’t believe everything you read online.  Be wary.  Question everything you read.

THE END

part I   

February 2006