Beware of Phishing E-mails

Image from cyberesq.wordpress.com

This week, I received two e-mails that appeared like phishing. What is Phishing?

Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. This is similar to Fishing, where the fisherman puts a bait at the hook, thus, pretending to be a genuine food for fish. But the hook inside it takes the complete fish out of the lake. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public.

Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail spoofing or instant messaging, and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to deceive users, and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies. Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures.

1. First Letter:

Dear User,

Your UnionBank online account security is inactive,

but first you have to confirm your registration.
Click here to confirm your registration!

Privacy Department.
UnionBank of the Philippines

*******************************************************************************
2. Second Letter

Dear Email Bearer;

We are upgrading our Email system to enable us reduce the occurrence of spam . You are to click on the Link below to Upgrade your Email.

http://mawstravel.co.uk/quoteform/use/form/form1.html

Louis J Kern
Web Administrator

Note: Once you click on the link above, they will have information on your e-mail account. Last month I also received notification that my e-mail account is full and needed to be upgraded. When I looked at my e-mail usage, It shows only about 5% of the space allotted to me by my server. I know it was a phishing letter. I deleted it so I can not print it for your information verbatim. Anyway beware of phishers.
*******************************************************************************

An email from Union Bank warning me about Phishing.

Dear Union Bank Client,

As an Internet user, you should know about phishing emails. They can appear to be from a well-known company but may put you at risk.

A phishing email generally asks you to click a link in the email and provide, update or confirm sensitive personal information. It may refer to a supposedly urgent or threatening condition concerning your account.

Please note that UnionBank will never send you an email asking for your personal information. You should NOT respond to such email or reveal your PIN or PASSWORD to anyone. Also, Do NOT visit the phishing site, as it is likely to contain a virus or otherwise compromise your confidential information.

First Filipino-American Highway in Southern California

I found this press release last week from www.benzinga.com It interesting to note that there is now a highway honoring Filipino-Americans. It is a 7 mile stretch along Highway 54. State Route 54 (SR 54) is a California State Highway in San Diego that connects Interstate 5 to the city of El Cajon. The first section was built circa 1961and the final section of freeway (which was upgraded from an expressway) opened in 2007.

This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System. Route 54 has the three different names given by various state laws. These names include Jamacha Road (from Campo Road to East Main Street in El Cajon), South Bay Freeway (from I-805 to Route 94) and Filipino-American Highway (from its western terminus to Route 125). The freeway portion of Route 54 is commonly referred to as the South Bay Freeway, and the roadway segments are commonly referred to by their respective names (Jamacha Boulevard, Campo Road, and Jamacha Road).

Here's the Press Release:

State Senator Juan Vargas from the 40th District had a 'Grand Opening' located on 333H Street on Suite 2030 - by SCCPress.com San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 31, 2011

"Many walks of life went to see Senator Juan Vargas on the afternoon of 4 p.m. up to 7 p.m., July 27, 2011 on Wednesday. He stood at his office door and greeted individuals with a smile and full of enthusiasm to all that attended. Each guests and constituents had an opportunity to speak and connect with him about what mattered most regarding their concern within the boundaries where the 40th District covers. The staff's who are his liaisons were available at the open house as well. They tried to connect with the constituents too.

Senator Vargas now has a total of three offices which is located in Sacramento, El Centro and Chula Vista. He recently relocated his San Diego County district office to Downtown-Chula Vista. A SCCPress.com Reporter spoke to Hector Rivera a District Liaison aide and said, "This office was made available due to the affordability of the office space versus the other office which cost more. It is more favorable and reaches out to other constituents who may need the Senator to be more accessible." State Senator Juan Vargas encourages his constituents to drop by whenever they are in need of assistance.

SCCPress.com Reporter spoke to former aide George Balgos, the only mestizo Filipino American and Latino descent who served under Honorable Vargas said, "After working for Juan for the San Diego City Council, District 8, and the State Assemblyman, for the 79th District...the political assistance of being with him was over."

State Senator Juan Vargas served as a two terms San Diego City Council member for 8 years. He then served as a three terms State Assemblyman for 6 years. During his tenure in leadership as a former Assemblyman, he had the opportunity to change the name of a portion of the California State Route 54 Freeway to the first Filipino American Highway in United States which stretches for 7 miles. It is the only one in the United States that honors the Filipino Americans in that vast of a magnitude.

Last year in 2010, he was selected for one of the 5 "Outstanding Leaderships Awardees in San Diego County" at the Los Angeles Convention Center from one of the largest Phil-Am Expo in California and a Project of First Tri-Media Group of Companies: Philippine Media Los Angeles; Radio Manila Worldwide; Philippine Media San Diego; Nevada Examiner; Philippine American Expo: Philippine Village.

Others who were awarded were Oscar Sa. Garcia, President, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Branch 84 and the co-founder Oscar Sa. Garcia Foundation; Co-founder of PTE-HOPE, Inc. (Pagasa-Tumainisha-Esperanza-Hope Inc.), FACE (Filipino American Community Empowerment) and CFAC (Concerned Filipino American Club) Eddie Enriquez; and Maxine Sherard, Ph.D., co-founder and Vice President of PTE-HOPE, Inc. and co-founder and former President of the San Diego Dr. Martin Luther King Club of San Diego County.

Several Who's Who in San Diego County were in attendance such as Chula Vista City Council member Steve Castaneda; George Balgos; Dr. Maxine Sherard; Regina Ong-Garcia, Rolling Hills/Eastlake resident; E. Enriquez and many others.

The State Senate for the 40th District encompasses: San Ysidro, Imperial Beach, Coronado, National City, Chula Vista, Paradise Hills, City of SD (Golden Hills, South Park, City Heights, Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Southcrest)-South of San Diego, Imperial County and Riverside.

Source: http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/11/07/p1819730/state-senator-juan-vargas-first-meet-and-greet-2011-in-the-chula-vista-

Top Ten Traits of A True-Blooded Filipino

Mano Po^-a unique Filipino Trait showing respect to the Old!( Probably no longer practice by the New Generation of Filipinos), but very popular in my Generation.

I found the following list of unique Filipino traits from a blog of a Filipina-American just recently (www.filipinainamerica.com). I found it amusing and interesting and appears I can identify to most of them, in spite of the long number of years that my wife and I have resided in US( since 1960). Here's the top ten:

You are a true Filipino if:( My comments are in parenthesis)

1.You have an accent even if you speak fluent English. Your accent reflects the intonation of your local dialect in Philippines.( I still have an Ilonggo accent).

2.You are religious and a Roman Catholic and go to mass every Sunday. (My wife and I have been practicing this in US since 1960).

3.You love rice and eat it for lunch and dinner.( My sister-in-law did this during her first 6 months in US. We only eat rice on dinner time).

4.You oftentimes interchange the pronouns “he” and “she”, as well as “her” and “his” in sentences.( I am still guilty of this).

5.You use the umbrella in the summer to ward off the sun. ( My wife do this in Marinduque, but not here in Northern California).

6.You eat your food with spoon and fork, but mostly eat with your fingers.(Not anymore, except during picnic times).

7.You try not to get fat because your relatives in Philippines will criticize you
( my sister follow this strictly).

8.You tend to grocery shop more in Filipino or Asian stores than in American supermarkets.( We used to do this during our first year in US).

9.You ask someone to “open” or “close” the light instead of asking to turn it “on” or “off”. The same thing goes for computer or the faucet. (I still do this today).

10.You eat pancit with rice or bread with spaghetti. When asked why you eat two sets of carbs in one meal, you just shrug your shoulders and act like it’s no big deal.
( We do not do this anymore).

If you find yourself agreeing to most of the statements above, you are a true-blooded Filipino indeed! If none of the above applies to you, even if you have Filipino roots or ancestry, you must probably have not lived in the Philippines.

Do you know of other unique Filipino characteristics? Please share by commenting in this blog. Thank You!

Biomass as Solution to Marinduque's Power Crises

Image from planetoverhaul.com

In my posting yesterday, I discussed the possible alternate energy sources to solve the long term Power Crises in Marinduque. On the top of the list is biomass. I personally believe that is the most feasible solution compared to other alternate energy sources( Geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, solar etc..)because Marinduque has an abundance of agricultural waste. This includes both terrestrial as well as aquatic matter such as wood, herbaceous plants, algae, aquatic plants and residues, like straw, husks, corncobs, cow dung, saw-dust, wood shavings and other wastes like disposable garbage, night soil, sewage solids, industrial refuse etc..So what is biomass? Please continue reading..

The term biomass refers to all organic matter generated through photosynthesis and other biological processes. In order to utilise these resources properly, biomass should be converted to energy. Three main approaches can be adopted for generation and proper utilization.

1. Collection of agricultural and forest residues to produce fuels, organic manures and chemical feed stock.

2. Collection of urban and industrial wastes as fuel in boilers and as a feedstock for producing methane and some liquid fuels.

3. Growth of some specific energy plants for use as energy feed stock and cultivation of commercial forestry, aquatic and marine plants for different products.

By a number of processes, the collected wastes can be converted into solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. The technologies include thermal, thermo-chemical and bio-chemical conversions. The actual processes in these technologies are combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, alcoholic fermentation, liquefaction etc.

The main products of conversion technologies are energy (thermal, steam, electricity), solid fuels (charcoal, combustibles) and synthetic fuels (methanol, methane, hydrogen gas etc.). These can be used for different purposes like cooking, lighting, heating, water pumping, electricity generation and as industrial and transport fuels.

Types of Biomass
Depending on the nature and availability of these wastes and organic residues they can be utilized in different manners as described here.

1. Fuel biomass

By some processes and procedures, biomass products like fuel gas, liquid fuels, gaseous fuels etc. are obtained, which are given here

a. Biomass from plants or animal origin are directly burnt for cooking and other purposes. Municipal and sewage wastes, industrial wastes and agricultural wastes are converted to energy which can meet the demand for energy in rural sector.

b. Paddy straw and rice husk can be profitably converted to fuel gas by thermal decomposition (Combustion)

c. Ethanol, which is used as a liquid fuel can be produced from carbohydrates by alcoholic fermentation.

d. When wood and agricultural residues are heated in the absence of air (pyrolysis), charcoal is the resultant product which can be used as a fuel more advantageously than wood.

e. By the process of gasification, gas is evolved which can be used as a fuel for engines.

f. Biogas, which is popular in rural areas is produced by anaerobic fermentation from farm wastes.

2. Feed biomass

Conventionally, crop residues are used as cattle-feed. However, some of them with high percentage of lignin or non-digestible constituents need certain treatments such as soaking in water, alkali/alcohol to make their use as a fuel. The oil-cakes of various crop seed like cotton, rubber, tobacco etc. can also be used as a feed after extraction of toxic materials.

3. Organic fertilizer biomass

Dry fermented slurry can be used as a direct organic fertilizer for crop land.

4. Fibre biomass

The fibrous agricultural wastes and residues are being profitably utilised for making pulp for cheap grade paper.

5. Chemical biomass

Highly siliconous agricultural residues like rice husk and rice straw can be converted into useful chemicals like morphous silicon, silicate products and solar grade silicon. Furfural an another chemical can be produced from biogases, cotton seed hulls, corn-cobs, flax fibres, oat hulls etc., which is used as a solvent for some petroleum products.

Source: www.world-agriculture.com

Alternate Energy Sources for the Philippines

Image from www.ngdir.ir

In my recent posting about the power crises in Marinduque, I indicated that for the present a short term solution is needed and for the future generation, a long term solution has to be implemented not only in Marinduque, but the whole Philippines.

This would require energy sources that will decrease the release of carbon dioxide to the environment. Carbon Dioxide increases the warmth of our planet and is the main cause of the so called “Global Warming Effect”. One answer to global warming is to replace and retrofit current technologies with alternatives that have comparable or better performance, but do not emit carbon dioxide. This is often referred to as Alternate energy sources.

By 2050, one-third of the world's energy will need to come from solar, wind, and other renewable resources. Who says? British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell, two of the world's largest oil companies. Climate change, population growth, and fossil fuel depletion mean that renewables will need to play a bigger role in the future than they do today.

Alternative energy refers to energy sources that have no undesired consequences such for example fossil fuels or nuclear energy. Alternative energy sources are renewable and are thought to be "free" energy sources. They all have lower carbon emissions, compared to conventional energy sources. These include Biomass Energy, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy, Hydroelectric Energy sources. Combined with the use of recycling, the use of clean alternative energies such as the home use of solar power systems will help ensure man's survival into the 21st century and beyond.

So which one of the alternative sources of energy is suited for the Philippines?

This was answered by Dr. Henry Ramos from a posting of Brain Ong blog as follows:

"The director of the National Institute of Physics, Dr. Henry Ramos discussed with the class “Alternative Sources of Energy” during his lecture on July, 2009. He presented and mapped out energy resources, the World’s and the Philippines energy consumption, and presented sources of energy we can harness.

At the end of his lecture, a questioned was posed by me on “What’s the best source of energy the Philippines to focus on?” He said that our country should continue to invest in different alternative sources of energy depending on the location and the capacity of the region. Although this was the case, he pointed out that Biomass and Geothermal and Wind are the best sources for the Philippines.

He added that solar power is not a solution as of the moment because even though with the popular notion that our country is in the tropics, thus having warmer temperatures, it doesn’t mean it’s conducive to producing solar power.

With the amount of pollution we have, and that the solar waves are diffused when it reaches the earth’s surface, it’s hard for us to harness as much solar energy that would sustain our consumption".

So for Marinduque, it would appear to me that Biomass, Geothermal and Wind Power
are the more probable sources of clean energy for the future.

References: Brianong.blogspot.com and www.altenergy.org

My Favorite Fourteen One-Liners

Let me start the month of August with a smile on your Face. Here are my 14 favorite one-liners? I hope this will make your day!

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. Sex is not the answer. Sex is the question. "Yes" is the answer.

3. We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police.

4. Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship.

5. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

6. If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.

7. Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.

8. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

9. Children: You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut-up.

10. Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason.

11. My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch.

12. Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand. (Bridge players, this one is for you).

13. The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

14. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't

Do you have a one-liner to share?

Source: www.onelinerz.net