U.S. Internet users should be embarrass they are Not as -Savvy as They Think

By Agence France-Presse

 If you have a security issue, you can take advantage of when I post about security. You can ask any questions you might have. If it’s beyond I could ask whomever we are highlighting, But in any case if you have a serious problems you can’t solve, I will try to help. This without you identifying yourself if you don’t want. It will help if you tell me how long ho have been a reader..lol…I think Im kidding about that one. :)  adamfoxie*

SAN FRANCISCO — US Internet users are continuing to fall for online scams, especially if the promised prize is a chance at a hip new gadget such as a tablet computer, according to a new study.

More than half of those surveyed in a Ponemon study backed by Internet security firm PC Tools indicated they would reveal mobile phone numbers, email addresses or other information when told they might get something for nothing.

“Even in scenarios where people realize it is too good to be true, they are falling for it,” said PC Tools senior manager of online strategy Eric Klein.

Cyber crooks have long exploited human nature with scams relying on “social engineering” to get people to reveal secrets such as passwords or unwittingly install computer viruses.

Manipulations can range from telling people they will be entered in prize drawings after filling out detailed surveys or getting them to open booby-trapped files said to contain sexy or pornographic imagery.

“The results found a clear difference between how aware consumers think they are of scams and how likely they are to be taken in by the given scenarios,” Ponemon Institute researchers concluded.

“It is clear from the findings that the threat posed by scams is still being underestimated.”

Scenarios people fell for included offers of supposed free anti-virus computer software and get-rich-quick opportunities, according to Ponemon.

People were particularly susceptible when ploys were baited with promises of chances to win tech prizes such as mobile phone ringtones or tablet computers.

People in the United States were, frankly, more cheap and looking for something to get out of it,” Klein said.

“The idea of getting rich made them more likely to put security aside,” he continued.

Versions of the study were also done in Australia and Britain; with Australians being unlikely to fall for ploys while British Internet users were more susceptible but far more wary than those in the United States.

Tablet computers made particularly strong lures in all three countries, according to surveys.

“Whenever those gadgets are being hyped they are trendy things to have,” Klein said. “People interpret it as status, so they will go to great lengths to get one.”

The holiday season brings with it increased chances for online scams as people hunt for gift bargains and cyber crooks expand arsenals to include false offers of tremendous deals on hot items.

“It is really about tricking people into giving up information,” Klein said. “Some of the data is pretty alarming.”

People were advised to check for secure “https” website addresses for transactions and to watch for misspellings that could signal a ruse.

Klein recommended avoiding websites with addresses in Eastern Europe, particularly Russia, due to the number of scams originating there.

“Take your time, double check what site you are on and look for hints they are not legit,” he said.

“Before you give out any personal details make sure it is a real offer.”

CNN } Anchor Don Lemon Wonders About his Next Prof. Decision

 The openly gay newsman is uncertain of his professional future: 'I don't know what will happen when my contract comes up'

 

   BY GREG HERNANDEZ

CNN anchor Don Lemon's profile rose higher in 2011 - a year in which he came out publicly and published his memoirs.

But he makes clear in a profile published today [22 December] in Creative Loafing Magazine, that he is his own man and wants to make the most of his future - with or without CNN.

'I don't know what will happen when my contract comes up,' he says in the profile. 'People want to have a box to put you in and I don't fit in anyone's box.'

He gets most of his airtime during the weekend as anchor of CNN Newsroom. The 45-year-old newsman is asked what he thinks the ratings-challenged cable news network wants from him.

'I think they want me to be the good-looking black guy,' he says. 'That's what I think. I don't know.'

Lemon is sometimes put off by the network's fast-paced production which he complains can be too gimmicky.

'In general, when I watch cable news during the day, it's frustrating because it reminds me of a game show,' he says. 'If I want to watch The Price is Right, I'll watch The Price is Right. I'm not consciously thinking that when I'm on the air, but that's just my personality. To be like, 'Are we really doing this?''

Because Lemon has so often not attempted to hide his feelings about some stories he has to read, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart ran a segment earlier this year titled "CNN's Don Lemon appears to not care for CNN which compiled some of his unscripted comments about content.

'I just want to be me,' Lemon explains in the profile. 'I want to be the person who goes, 'What the hell?' or 'That's really funny,' or 'Sorry, I screwed that up.' I don't want to be perfect. I want to be real.’

Gaystarnews.com

What if Hillary was President? How Would it Impact LGTB?

By Chris Johnson 

Would a President Hillary Clinton have made more progress on LGBT issues over the course of her first term as opposed to what we’ve seen under President Obama?

The secretary of state certainly stole the spotlight on LGBT issues when she gave a high-profile speech in Geneva earlier this month calling for an end to anti-gay abuses overseas and emphasizing her previously stated belief that gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.

“In our lifetimes, attitudes toward gay people in many places have been transformed,” Clinton said. “Many people, including myself, have experienced a deepening of our own convictions on this topic over the years, as we have devoted more thought to it, engaged in dialogues and debates, and established personal and professional relationships with people who are gay.”

Clinton had a strong LGBT following in 2008 when she was competing against Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. There were many high-profile LGBT Clintonistas, although many of them became Obama supporters after he won the Democratic mantle.

Former members of Clinton’s 2008 LGBT steering committee praised her speech in Geneva, but noted that it took place as part of a coordinated effort under the Obama administration.

Elizabeth Birch, former executive director of the Human Rights Campaign and a Clinton backer in 2008, said the Clinton speech was “bold and historic,” but wouldn’t have taken place if President Obama didn’t want it to happen.

“It was as deeply thoughtful and intelligent as Secretary Clinton herself,” Birch said. “But we all know that the secretary of state serves the president and our nation. This speech took place because this administration — including Secretary Clinton — wanted it to take place.”

Peter Rosenstein, a gay D.C. Democratic activist and 2008 Clinton delegate, noted Clinton’s speech followed Obama’s speech at the United Nations in which he became the first sitting president to mention gay rights in a speech before the full U.N. General Assembly.

“I think Hillary made a brilliant, heartfelt speech on LGBT rights but let us not forget that President Obama spoke out first at the United Nations on the need to protect gay and lesbian people around the world,” Rosenstein said.

But questions linger among some Clinton supporters over what progress the LGBT community would have seen if she had won the presidency.

Clinton’s LGBT advocacy in her role as secretary of state has been aggressive. Early on during the administration, Clinton instituted a change to offer equal benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service officers.

The change allowed same-sex partners to have access to diplomatic passports, use of medical facilities at posts overseas, medical and other emergency evacuation privileges, compensation for transportation between posts and training in security and languages.

The Obama administration has no seen no shortage of major advancements for the LGBT community. Notable among them is passage of hate crimes protection legislation, repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the discontinuation of the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

Clo Ewing, an Obama campaign spokesperson, touted the president’s record in response to an inquiry on whether a President Clinton would have accomplished more than President Obama.

“President Obama’s administration has done more to advance LGBT equality than any other, accomplishing the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act into law and ending discrimination based on gender identity in the federal government,” Ewing said. “And if he’s reelected, that progress will continue.”

Still, many LGBT advocates are frustrated that Obama has yet to come out in support of same-sex marriage. Obama has said he could “evolve” to support marriage rights, but more than a year has passed since he made that statement and he has yet to do so.

Moreover, one major piece of legislation that Obama backed during his 2008 campaign continues to languish in Congress: the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Passage would be difficult given the current makeup of Congress, but Obama in the interim could issue an executive order preventing federal dollars from going to contractors that don’t have their own non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in place for workers.

Lane Hudson, a gay D.C.-based Democratic activist and 2008 Clinton supporter, thinks she would have made more progress on ENDA and marriage if she were president.

“My gut tells me that Hillary would have evolved to a position supporting full marriage equality,” Hudson said. “While her speech in Geneva didn’t mention it specifically, I feel that it is implied in her statement that ‘gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.”

Hudson went to 10 states — including New Hampshire where Clinton won the primary — to campaign for the then-Democratic presidential candidate. He also served as host for LGBT-focused fundraisers in D.C.

Clinton, in her role as secretary of state, has continued to support civil unions as opposed to same-sex marriage. But, during a speech at the State Department this year commemorating June as Pride month, she praised the marriage law in New York, saying it, “gives such visibility and credibility to everything that so many of you have done over so many years.”

Still, she hasn’t endorsed marriage rights even as at least one other member of Obama’s cabinet has declared his personal support. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Shaun Donovan expressed his support for same-sex marriage last month.

It’s difficult to say whether ENDA would be further along under a Clinton administration because employment protections haven’t been under her purview as secretary of state.

Still, Hudson said he believes Clinton would “have been more aggressive in helping to get ENDA passed into law.”

“Without question, Hillary would have been more successful at legislating,” Hudson said. “Not only does she have a solid record as a senator, but she would have been far more engaged with the Congress. ENDA didn’t even leave the House committee in the last Congress.”

But many prominent LGBT Clinton backers say they’re pleased with the Obama administration and she and the president have been working closely to advance LGBT issues.

Other former Clinton supporters were dubious that the secretary of state would have come out for marriage equality or guided ENDA to passage had she been elected president instead of Obama.

Hilary Rosen, a D.C.-based Democratic activist, called herself “Hillary Clinton’s greatest fan,” but expressed skepticism that Clinton would have succeeded on ENDA or evolved on marriage.

“ENDA is stuck in the Congress not the White House and I just don’t know if she would have changed her view publicly by now about marriage if she were president,” Rosen said. “And anyone who tells you they know is making it up.”

Birch said Obama achieved tremendous legislative success for the LGBT community — counting passage of hate crimes legislation and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal as two signature accomplishments — and said people should “work harder than ever in their lives to re-elect a president that invested in real change.”

“President Obama has achieved what no other president has ever achieved — a breakthrough of majority votes in the United States Congress to actually change the federal law of our country,” Birch said. ”He has done it twice. He prioritized us and that is how it happened.”

Steve Elmendorf, a gay Democratic lobbyist, said he doesn’t think “we’d see any difference” if Clinton were president instead of Obama.

“I was an enthusiastic Hillary backer; I am an enthusiastic Obama backer now,” Elmendorf said. “In terms of passing of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ [repeal] and hate crimes, I think Obama has done a terrific job and, I think, the community should be enthusiastic about him — particularly if they watch the Republican primary process play out and see what the alternative is.”

Elmendorf, also a member of Clinton’s 2008 LGBT steering committee, said the only thing Obama hasn’t done is come out publicly for marriage equality, but noted Clinton also has yet to make such an endorsement.

“The opposition is so horrible, and marriage is just one issue and he’s got such a good record on just everything else that it doesn’t in any way diminish my enthusiasm for him,” Elmendorf said.

Washington Blade

Five People that are Getting Zilch* For Xmas } Santa Hates Their Guts!

Santa loves the kids, like Trick Daddy, but some people seem to hate children and want to make sure children are unhappy. Some of these people are racist or just don’t care about poor children. Here are five people Santa hates this Christmas.

 

1. Jerry Sandusky

Santa loves the kids, so subsequently he must hate child molesters. While Jerry Sandusky has yet to be convicted of child molestation, the charges against him are very disturbing. Using a charity that was supposed to help children as a way to molest them is despicable.

2. Newt Gingrich

If it were up to Newt Gingrich, poor kids would be given mops and gloves so they could mop up the bathrooms in their schools. Newt would change the child labor laws so poor kids could be given demeaning jobs and be exploited. Gingrich also believes that poor children have “no work ethic” that doesn’t involve something illegal.

3. Kim Kardashian

Despite what Tyler Perry says, Kim Kardashian is not an excellent role model for young girls. Kim has been accused of using Chinese child labor for her K-Dash line of clothing.

4. Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell has voted for tax cuts for the rich consistently, but when it came to voting for working-class Americans to get tax cuts and unemployment at Christmas time, he voted no. It was the American public that forced him to finally cave into President Barack Obama.

5. Ron Paul

In his newsletter, Ron Paul wrote:

If you have ever been robbed by a black teenaged male, you know how unbelievably fleet of foot they can be.

When asked about the statement, he responded:

If you try to catch someone that has stolen a purse from you, there is no chance to catch them.

Paul believes Black children should be tried as adults in court.

* Nothing
Newsone.com
Written by Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger

Kris Humphries Booed at MSG

  

Kris Humprhies, 26, is having a difficult holiday season. As if getting dumped by superstar exKim Kardashian, 31, after 72 days of marriage isn't bad enough, he now has to deal with fans booing him on the basketball court while playing for his team, the New Jersey Nets.

"He's now become the most hated man in the NBA," said Kelly Tripucka, a commentator at New York's Madison Square Garden, where Humphries was heckled during a basketball game between the Nets and the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. "That was not a smattering of boos," announcer Al Tautwig remarked about the fans' behavior. "That's 'villain in the Garden' kind of booing."

At one point during the game, Humphries was benched, causing the crowd to demand him back with chants of "We want Humphries," only so they could deliver more punishment, reports Us Weekly.

Humphries reaction to the abuse? "I don't know ... I felt like Rudy out there," he later told ESPN. But he's not going to let it get him down. "I'm not too focused on it. I'm just here to win games," he assured.

Teammate Deron Williams didn't seem too concerned about his friend. "It's probably tough, but he's thick-skinned .... We're here to give him some man hugs if he needs them, but he should be fine." The final score of the game was 88-82, going to the Knicks.

Chicago’s Cardinal Gets Flack for Comparing Marriage Equality to KKK

By Cynthia Dizikes, Chicago Tribune reporter

Chicago's Cardinal Francis George has never been shy about expressing his views on divisive issues like abortion rights and civil unions for same-sex couples.

But gay rights groups said the Chicago archbishop crossed the line when he compared the gay rights movement to the Ku Klux Klan.

George's comments aired Wednesday during a Fox Chicago newscast. The entire interview is slated to run Sunday evening.

In the televised clip, the cardinal was asked his view of a local pastor who had expressed concern that next year's annual gay pride parade could force the church to cancel its morning Mass. George said he supported the pastor.

"He's telling us that they won't be able to have church services on Sunday if that's the case. You know, you don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism." George said. "So I think if that's what's happening, and I don't know that it is, but I would respect the local pastor's, you know, position on that."

Pressed by Fox Chicago's Mike Flannery and Dane Placko, George acknowledged that it was a strong analogy, but reiterated his sentiment.

"The rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan; the rhetoric of some of the gay liberation people — who is the enemy? Who is the enemy? The Catholic Church," George said.

In October, city officials and parade organizers agreed to change the route and time of the gay pride parade in order to safely accommodate larger crowds, moving it from noon to 10 a.m.

But leaders with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, which would be on the new parade route, later objected, arguing that it would interrupt morning services. On Wednesday, an agreement was reached to move the start time back to noon.

Given the accommodations that had been made the same day, parade coordinator Richard Pfeiffer called the cardinal's comments unfortunate.

Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda, a Chicago-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group, said he was so shocked when he watched a clip of the interview online that he had to stop and replay it.

"I literally had no words," Martinez said. "To equate a movement that is about acceptance, diversity and joy to a group of men in white hoods standing on a lawn and burning a cross is very hurtful and it's just not truthful."

Martinez suggested that tension between the LGBT community and Catholic leadership has heightened in Illinois in recent months following this year's approval of civil unions. Feeling besieged by similar legislation in other states, the nation's Catholic bishops recently made religious liberty a No. 1 priority.

"I think that he in some way feels attacked by the LGBT community because of their strong stance," Martinez said. "But in the end, the way that we discuss these issues and the way we express ourselves is not directed at the Catholic Church, it is directed toward people who oppose our civil rights."

The Rev. Thomas Srenn, senior pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, declined to comment Thursday about the cardinal's comments, saying he had not contacted George about the parade changes because it was a local issue.

A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said people should view the entire interview, which will air on Christmas Day.

Tribune reporter Manya A. Brachear contributed.

Michelle Bachman and a Gay robot (video)

Enlarge

(Photo: RoboProf Video Still)
The gay robot who confronted Michele Bachmann in Iowa City is the same man who heckled Bill Clinton back in 2007.

GOP primary candidate Michele Bachmann had to get police to calm a rally in met Iowa City on Thursday when a “gay robot” with a megaphone appeared and accused her of being both "a homophobe and a robophobe."

• 

  The Republican presidential hopeful was at a dinner at Hamburg Inn No. 2, a popular stopping point on the campaign trail, when the demonstrator who called himself “RoboProf” first showed up

. 

Bachmann was traveling through the popular diner shaking hands and taking pictures, and the restaurant was packed with over 100 people, both supporters and protesters.

The candidate dealt with the situation when Occupy Iowa City demonstrators showed up, but when a gay robot appeared, somebody called the cops.

Occupy Iowa City Launches Attack

A group of demonstrators representing the Occupy Iowa City branch of the OWS movement showed began the backlash against Michele Bachmann. 

Shouting to combat the noise in the Hamburg Inn diner and to combat the music campaign staffers blared through stereos, the demonstrators fought against supporters yelling words of encouragement to the conservative.

"Michele Bachmann will fix the economy by laying off workers and cutting their pay,” the protestors shouted. “Michele Bachmann fights proudly for marriage unless the couple happens to be gay.”

About 15 people scattered throughout the restaurant were part of the initial protest.

“You're not wanted here,” they screamed. “You're not wanted here so go, just go."

“RoboProf” Arrives

Occupy demonstrators were not an unexpected site at the Bachmann rally. Iowa City is a liberal bastion, and many of Michele Bachmann’s goals are acknowledged on both sides to be antithetical to the OWS movement.

In fact, only Rick Santorum and Rick Perry have visited Hamburg Inn this caucus season, despite the diner reaching out to all candidates, precisely because the Democratic demographic makes demonstrations against the candidate almost a certainty.

But there was one protestor whose presence wasn’t expected, and whose appearance in the raucous atmosphere helped prompt a call to the local police to intervene.

As Bachmann got off her campaign bus to head into Hamburg Inn No. 2, a man in a robot suit suddenly appeared, brandishing a microphone and demanding answers. Calling himself “RoboProf,” he accused the candidate of both human and robot discrimination.

"Not only are you a homophobe, you are a robophobe!" the self-professed gay robot chanted.

The demonstrator was booed by Bachmann supporters and asked to leave Hamburg Inn No. 2 almost immediately, “Roboprof” declined.

“I am a gay robot,” the demonstrator pressed on. “I oppose Bachmann’s position on gays, whether they are human or robot.”

Police Called to Iowa City Diner

Eventually, police were called to the restaurant after Bachmann supporters tried to drown OWS demonstrators out with Christmas music and the gay robot made his final statement to the candidate.

Four officers arrived toward the end of Bachmann’s visit to help keep the peace, though no arrests were reported.

Who is Gay Robot “RoboProf”?

The man dressed in the silver robot costume declined to give his name at the Bachmann rally. "I was programmed to do this," he said.

He did, however, admit to being the same robot who heckled former president Bill Clinton at the University of Iowa in 2007.

According to Patch, the “RoboProf” of 2007 was eventually revealed to be Prof. Kembrew McLeod, a communications professor at the University of Iowa.

Presuming that there’s not an army of gay robots operating under one collective identity (though that scenario would certainly be Bachmann’s nightmare), it’s likely that Professor McLeof was the man behind the robot mask.

Watch Gay Robot Hassle Michele Bachmann

When it comes to embarrassing Michele Bachmann at a campaign rally, there’s probably no one who can top Elijah, the little boy in South Carolina who told her, “My mommy’s gay and she doesn’t need fixing.”

But as Bachmann’s campaign continues to flounder in the days before the Iowa caucuses, gay robot “RoboProf” is sure trying to make his mark.

Below, watch videos of the encounter at Hamburg Inn No. 2:

Gay Robot Confronts Bachmann Outside Inn: "I was programmed to do this!"

"RoboProf" Booed Out of Bachmann Event:

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