10 Steps To A Safe, Smooth Running PC
By Michael A Silva

These ten steps will help you increase your computer's
security. From discovering viruses to learning how to avoid
them, this article is a must read!

Windows password This is the easiest way to make sure you
know who is using your pc. Choose a lengthy password that
contains capital and lower case letters. Including a number
or two will greatly increase your security. Having a
Windows password means that the only people that can log
onto a Windows session are people that you have granted
access to.

Password manager You should never write your passwords
down. Using the same password all the time will also make
it very easy for hackers to reach your personal
information. So if you can’t write it down and you’re not
supposed to use the same one – how are you supposed to keep
track of all of your passwords? The easiest way to do this
is to use a password manager. We prefer to use Roboform.
Roboform is an easy to use password and profile manager
that docks neatly into your Internet Explorer toolbar and
keeps track of all of your passwords for you. Roboform also
uses a master password system. You will have one password
that accesses all of the passwords in the program. This way
you can keep all of your information safe and secure. You
can download Roboform for free by http://www.roboform.com.

Spyware Remover Next to spam, spyware is the internet’s
biggest annoyance. By definition, spyware is “any software
that covertly gathers user information through the user's
Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually
for advertising purposes. Once installed, the spyware
monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that
information in the background to someone else. Spyware can
also gather information about e-mail addresses and even
passwords and credit card numbers.” The amount of spyware
that exists on your pc is dependent on the amount of
internet surfing you do. A good rule of thumb here is to
scan for spyware once per week or whenever poor system
performance surfaces. If you don’t have a spyware scanner,
we recommend http://www.webroot.com.

Antivirus This should go without saying, but if your
computer is connected to the internet you need antivirus
software. With weekly scans and program updates you should
be protected from most threats. For added protection, we
recommend using more than one anvtivirus scanner.

Firewall A firewall will keep unwanted visitors out of your
computer. You can obtain a firewall either by using
software application like ZoneAlarm or Black Ice Defender,
or by using a router with your internet connection. For
more information on routers plese visit http://www.Linksys.com.

File sharing Basically, file sharing programs are the
single biggest security risk you will come across. This is
because the only facts you have about the files you are
downloading are the file name and the file size. It is
quite simple to change a filename to dupe someone into
downloading a virus or other malware like keystroke
recorders. Our advice – stay away from file sharing at all
costs. If you need to use it, make sure you have updated
antivirus software installed and running.

Research In a sentence – know what’s out there.
http://www.Symantec.com has a section on their website
that will serve you well. Knowing what types of viruses exist
and how to avoid them will make you a much smarter
internet user.

Email protection Most of the antivirus applications
available offer email scanning. If yours does not, you will
want to get one that does. Email scanning will make sure
all of your incoming and outgoing emails are safe for both
you and the recipient. Email viruses spread very quickly by
using your address book to propagate. Never read email from
people you don’t know and always make sure your email
scanner is active.

Network security Another way that viruses spread is through
computer networks. We have a few quick tips to keep your
network safe. Always scan any files that come in from other
computers. Even if it’s a file you have brought from home.
Never allow a file to be placed on your network until it
has been scanned. The main server should be the only
computer with file sharing enabled. By not allowing
computer users to transmit files, you can quickly
neutralize a threat.

Maintenance Performing weekly virus and spyware scans will
go a long way to keeping your computer safe. Defragmenting
weekly will also greatly improve performance. If you put in
the effort, you will be rewarded with a safe and smooth
running pc. Not to mention less headaches!

By following these ten guide lines, you will greatly
improve the performance of your computer. You will also
generate peace of mind as you gain a new sense of security.
by Michael A Silva ipowereurope.com
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Protecting your children from Internet predators
In 2002 thirteen-year-old Christina Long, a Connecticut suburbanite, became the first confirmed murder in the U.S. by an Internet predator. Unfortunately she has not been the last. Fortunately, recent media attention is finally making parents aware of dangers linked to Internet use.

A study performed by National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children concluded that in the past year one in five minors were subjected to sexual solicitation through chat rooms and instant messengers. 5% received aggressive sexual solicitation in the form of phone calls, mail, money, or gifts, as well as being asked to meet. Almost 70% of all solicitations occurred in the home, yet less then one-quarter of minors told a parent. Shockingly, by an average age of just eleven years most minors have been exposed to Internet pornography.

Internet predation is an issue that cannot be ignored. The Long family did not realize their children were in peril until it was too late. We must learn from their loss and take action before more children suffer a similar fate. Amazingly, many responsible parents who wouldn’t dream of letting their children cross the street without teaching them to look both ways, or under the supervision of a crossing guard, will let their kids play on the Information Super-Highway without any safeguards!

There are several excellent resources designed to provide education to both parents and children. One of the best is the National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children (http://www.missingkids.com). Here you will learn how to identify dangers and how to effectively address them. As an example, one of the easiest changes that can be made is moving the family PC to a highly visible area, making it easier to watch for risky behavior. There are other valuable tips, such as how to pick chat room and instant messenger user names that draw less attention from predators and what type of chat rooms to avoid.

The most important thing you must teach your children is that the Internet is not always a safe playground where they can let their guard down. Children often have a false sense of security on the Internet because they believe its anonymous nature will protect them, even from behavior that would make them run in real life. Children must be taught that behavior that would make them uncomfortable in person must not be tolerated online either. Most minors would be afraid of a stranger who starting talking to them with sexual innuendo or talking about their sexual fantasies, but fail to be afraid when they are approached online. In fact many children will even engage in conversations when approached, perhaps because the Internet gives the illusion of personal safety.

Children must be taught that giving out personal information is extremely dangerous. Teach your children that even the smallest piece of information, such as what softball team they are on, is enough for a predator to find them. Also teach them that a stranger online is not always who they say they are. Predators will often masquerade as children themselves to obtain information they can use to identify and find victims. Your child may think they are talking to someone their own age, when in fact they may be talking to someone intent on doing them harm.

In addition to education you must put in place parental controls and monitoring tools to add a second layer of defense. Even the best child will break the rules on occasion, and even the smartest child will fail to identify every dangerous situation. Quality parental control software should allow filtering of web sites and permit monitoring of which sites your children are visiting, allowing you to identify risky behavior before it is too late. Instant messenger controls that permit conversation monitoring, as well as permitting limits on which contacts your kids can have conversations with, are invaluable since predators often use these messengers to meet and entice their victims. Another option that is vital, although often overlooked, is a means of block peer-to-peer file sharing programs. These programs are typically used to download music, but can also serve as a portal for pornography, including the most insidious forms of child pornography. Finally, a quality monitoring tool to that allows you to watch everything your kids do will help identify and address risky behavior. The most typical tool for this is a keystroke logger, which logs every keystroke your child makes. Perhaps the greatest value of installing good parental controls and monitor tools is the positive effect it will have on your children’s behavior. They are less likely to break the rules if they know you are watching.

Educate yourself, educate your children, and invest in the tools to make sure they’re safe. Don’t let your family be the next saying they never thought it could happen to them.

Visit http://www.css-software.com for more resources and tools to help protect your children before it’s too late.
As an authority on managing Internet dangers Kevin Whynot is an integral part of the CSS Software team (http://www.css-software.com) providers of Chaperone, the leading Parental Control software

Article Source: http://www.bigarticles.com
by CSSKevin

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Illegal and Legal Drug Usage in the United States

How bad is the illegal drug problem here in the US? Very bad and it alters the brain’s thought process and causes a problem with human interaction and our natural socializing tendencies. The drugs are so diverse and so plentiful that it touches the lives of nearly every American in some way and certainly nearly every family in this country. We must be honest with ourselves. We have legal drugs, prescription drugs and illegal drugs. Caffeine is a drug that is wide spread in America. The verdict is out now, but what will we learn in the future after twenty years? After all there is a Starbucks on nearly every corner in many of America’s largest metropolitan areas. We already know that spiders cannot spin a web while under influence of caffeine.
What is Caffeine content in your life? Ask for yourself, look in that mirror and then take a look at the world around you. No wonder people cut you off in traffic, they are in a mad tear to where? In front of you so they can hurry up and wait. Now it appears that kids are using caffeine to get high? In combination with other drugs; think about this. The "pick me up" that most Americans use to get through the day, wake up in the mourning is penetrating other parts of society. Why? Why would this happen? Well here are some interesting stories of kids using caffeine to get a rush.
http://www.twilightbridge.com/deaddictions/coffee.htm
http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/natural/n_caffeine.asp .
There is much more on Blogs across the Internet, "google" it sometime and see what you come up with. We have kids taking crystal meth and killing their bodies and becoming very horrible workers as far a responsibility and work ethic go, and when they cannot keep a job and have no money to buy drugs they are trying to duplicate some sort of experience using caffeine. Wow, this is a problem really. Think of all the mood altering drugs being used Prozac one-way, caffeine the other, and all the illegal stuff in between. How is the human brain suppose to operate efficiently and develop normally with all this foreign content and the extreme ratios? Maybe some people ought to figure out a way to reduce this desire for mood enhancement?
There is much information on the Internet about this and perhaps we, as a society should be doing something to help people think about what they are doing to themselves? And to find a reason to live life to it’s fullest without a mood enhancements.
http://healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/htcaffeine.html
So if we are to have caffeine as a way of life we ought to let people know that the caffeine buzz that kids are trying to get from using it is not all that great.
http://www.ceida.net.au/tools_for_workers/...s/caffeine.html
Now this maybe a better stimulate over all to other drugs, but no drugs is the better solution. It would be better for the productivity of America, better for kids and better for long-term health. Think about it.
By Lance Winslow

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Maybe It's Not Autism?

Most would agree that public awareness and access to medical information is critical to public health. Destigmatizing mental illness and focusing attention on under-diagnosed problems has been a particularly important stride of the past 30 years. Yet sometimes, publicity leads to anxiety. As an acquaintance said, “if the disease-of-the-week doesn’t kill me, the worry will.”

Recently, a parent contacted me with concerns about his 7 year-old son, who was quiet, introverted, and highly focused on a few hobbies. "Could he be autistic?," he asked. While the boy did not meet the diagnostic criteria for autism, or an autism- spectrum disorder, his father was voicing a concern psychologists and pediatricians are hearing more commonly these days. News of the nation's autism epidemic is everywhere. On a recent drive, I noted almost as many “Autism-Awareness” auto decals as those saying, “Support Our Troops.”

Don’t get me wrong—I’m glad that there is increased public awareness about autism and there is indeed cause for concern. In some states, there are several times more children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders than just a decade ago. Asperger's Syndrome (sometimes known as high-functioning autism) seems to be particularly prevalent, with estimates of its occurrence ranging from 1 in every 166 to 500 births. Although there are several theories as to why we are seeing such an epidemic, as of yet, no single theory has achieved scientific consensus among researchers.

Lack of social communication skills is a core trait of all types of autism. However, I wonder if we are too quick to assign communication problems such serious diagnostic labels. A brief checklist of the communication problems common to boys included on my website and in my recent book Boys of Few Words: Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect may help you decide if your son is simply struggling with the kinds of expressive challenges found among many different types of boys.

By all means have your child professionally evaluated if you have serious concerns. But make sure the professional you visit understands the psychology of boys, and can tell the difference between a syndrome like high-functioning autism and something more manageable, like a nonverbal learning disability. More than once, I have encountered a child who seemed locked in his own thoughts, unwilling or unable to join the social world around him. But not every case was an autism-spectrum disorder--a thorough evaluation can reveal a wide range of potential causes for lack of social interest and communication skills.

The good news is that with time, relationship, and strategic encouragement, the great majority of kids can learn to connect with others, and even enjoy it! Finding the key that unlocks a child's mind and heart requires patience and a steadfast belief in the power of your own love and concern. And of course, one practical expression of that concern is to strive to get an accurate assessment of the challenges your child faces, so your interventions will help.

I believe the autism epidemic is real and deserves the analysis of the country's best medical minds. Children who have autism or a related problem benefit from early professional diagnosis and intensive intervention. Yet I also believe that the constant buzz about autism has led to many of us being hypersensitized about whether our child "has it." Just as an energetic 5 year-old may be misconstrued as hyperactive, a stoic 7 year-old may be thought of as having some variant of autism. Yet stoic boys are no more a new phenomenon than energetic pre-schoolers.

As our world changes, so do our expectations of children. The problem is people take longer to change and evolve than society. That difference in tempo should not be the reason for a neurological diagnosis. It's a little like getting mad at a computer that doesn't run fast enough to operate new software. The computer is running as fast as it can – as fast as it was made to do – yet software is evolving too quickly for the computer's capabilities.

For more information about autism and Asperger's syndrome, you might want to contact The Autism Society of America, The National Institute of Mental Health, or check my website's Resources section for links to these and other organizations that can provide more information about Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and other child development concerns. If you have questions about a child, please seek qualified professional advice. Help begins with accurate diagnosis and early intervention. Adam J. Cox, PhD, ABPP is a Board-certified licensed psychologist and author of Boys of Few Words: Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect http://www.dradamcox.com

by Adam Cox

NOTE from The Weekly News:
At first I had some hesitation in publishing this story, due tot he fact that it was based on religion and I try to keep the news site neutral. But after giving it a little thought, I feel that the same point of view can be applied to many things in today’s society, and decided to let it be published. Please read it with an open mind to it's subject as well as how it's theory can be applied to other areas.

America – You’ve had it Made Too Long

There is little doubt that America is riding the wave. She is at the peak of her power and at the top of her game. Trying to get her attention would be a lot like trying to stop a train with a handkerchief. Every similarity to previous world powers notwithstanding our collective national behavior is so close to ancient Rome that all that is missing is the togas. The land of the mighty Caesars made a noise heard round the world for a season then died alone in a protracted whimpering that went largely unnoticed as the world entered the modern era. What can we learn from this? Leaving this question unanswered might normally imply that the answer is understood, however, it is apparent that for Americans nothing at all is understood.

The dangers are ignored, the warnings go unheeded, and the party goes on. Contrasts of our lifestyle and that of other nations make us all the more pompous and less willing to question our own indulgence. We have been all to willing to conclude that there must be something wrong with those guys over there. The prophet, bard and poet must now curb their urgency and put out a more entertaining message in keeping with the tone of the party spirit. We are only one step away from jailing, hurting or killing the messengers who provide us with a call to conscience. Or have we already taken our first few baby steps in that direction.

Like a mangy little dog scampering behind us and nipping at our heals comes the ACLU standing up for the rights of Gays and Lesbians while beating down manger scenes at Christmas and Ten Commandment plaques in public buildings. It makes me wonder if even common heroism has fallen victim to perversion. Are these acts heroic, are they really protecting our freedoms?

In Pennsylvania a law was recently rammed through the legislature that makes it illegal for a minister of the gospel to quote passages of the Bible from the pulpit that cite homosexual behavior as a sin. That law has been challenged by people with a bit of common sense still left to them in that state.

In Iraq and Afghanistan we are kept from entering and searching mosques that are known centers for Islamic jihad groups or where weapons are stockpiled and cached. They are considered cultural centers and thus are placed off limits. Contrast this to the latest effort to keep military chaplains from praying in the name of Jesus Christ with those who they are sheparding. Chaplains are guarding the spiritual welfare of our own soldier citizens, is that any less important than the cultural traditions of foreigners?

On a recent ride through a rural district of Arkansas I noticed that there was a church building about every one and a half miles on the road I was on. There were Pentecostal, Full Gospel, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Nazarene, Catholic and some unheard of varieties of churches stretched out in profusion for well over two hundred miles. As I drove I was thinking of an old adage spoken by one of our most well known missionary pioneers who said…”why should anyone hear the gospel twice when there are so many people in the world who have not even heard it once” I wondered if this profusion of churches laid out to us like a grand spiritual buffet is just taken for granted. No, I’m sure that it is.

After retuning home I saw a picture on the Internet that I couldn’t help but contrast to the highway of churches I had just encountered. On a news site online was a picture of three Indonesian policemen standing behind three seated women they were guarding. The policemen were in full dress complete with strapped gun holsters, uniforms with arrays of badges and medals and a stern look of duty etched across each sullen face. In front of them were seated three average looking Indonesian women garbed in light blue prison jumpers. Three middle aged elementary school teachers who had just been sentenced to three years each for teaching their young students about Jesus Christ in their predominantly Muslim school sat stunned as sentence was pronounced. Save that Mosque but waste the lives of three harmless but dedicated educators, now that’s good thinking.

So over here it may not seem so bad…yet. Hollywood would have to make stumbling wimpy idiots of most gospel ministers; it goes with the territory and may seem even a bit tolerable after all. If you’re going to pump out a secular world view full of profanity and degenerate living you don’t want gospel preaching ministers to be taken too seriously. It would be too hard to sell a product if the naysayer’s were allowed a soap box from which to stand and proclaim that the product was trash within the very medium the product was sold through.

Should a dedicated Christian happen to slip through the cracks with the gospel on their lips and a life to back it up, they too would be relegated to the class of the disdained. It seems acceptable to make fun of the born againers and bible thumpers in media and in society in general. No one cares if you strip half naked, paint your face and act like a frenzied baboon on a psychedelic drug at a football game…those are fans are they not? But those who get even nominally excited about God are always labeled…fanatics. It is unlikely that Americans notice such double standards, since we are so bent on disregarding any standards at all.

We have gone from a state of utter dependence on God as we did during our pioneer days and then on to seeking the presence of God in our formative years as a nation. But now we are entering that place where we don’t even like to retain the knowledge of God at all in our thinking or living. What will be the result of all this and what can we expect next? I will let the Bible answer that.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Romans 1:28
Rev Bresciani is the author of two Christian books and has hundreds of articles published both online and in print. Please visit www.americanprophet.org

by Rev Michael Bresciani

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