Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Top 10 Girl Code Rules

Gentlemen, feel free to ignore this one unless of course you want to take a sneak peek into “girl world,” and while I can promise that you may find some of it interesting, I cannot promise that you won’t leave scarred. Ladies, we need to have a chat about girl code. Of course, girl code comes with a long set of both written and unwritten rules, but I think some rules are more important than others, so I insist that we go over the top 10 girl code rules just to make sure we’re all keeping in line, and having each others’ backs because Lord knows, we could use it.

1. No hating on other women that you don’t know.

Ladies, why do we do this? There is no reason to talk badly about a girl that you saw across the room, no reason at all. She is not trying to steal your friends, or your man, or your job, she’s doing her own thing, now walk over, introduce yourself and the two of you could be BFFs in no time. Or just mind your business and leave her alone.

2. No hating on other women’s success.

That’s another thing ladies, we need to stop treating success — whether it’s at work or in relationships — as if it is a zero-sum game. There is plenty of room for all of us on this earth and even when we compete against each other for the same thing, let’s keep it classy, and should we lose, endure it gracefully.

3. Figure out your group’s “man rules” before something happens.

Some things have to be taken for granted, such as you need permission to date a friend’s ex or former interest — I know I don’t need to remind any of you of this. Other than that, I have seen too many friendships fall apart because of a guy so you and your circle of friends need to figure out the rules. Is it a free for all if you like the same guy? Does whoever yells “dibs” first get to be the one who gets the first approach? Figure it out before shit happens.

4. Presence is required if a friend has been dumped.

Unless you are deathly sick or are about to win the $1 million on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?,  if your friend has been dumped, you have to be there. If you’re a really good friend, you’ll be there with pizza and wine.

5. If your friend is recently dumped, rejected, or deemed legitimately miserable for any reason, they get a weekend of doing whatever they want with you as the babysitter.

I’m not saying you should let your friend commit any crimes but you have to understand that they’re going through a hard time and just need to release. So suck it up, and let them do just that.

6. Honesty is the best policy for, “How do I look?”

Sometimes when I see some outfits, I wonder whose friends let them walk out like that. This is where I have to give cheers to my girls — they would never let me leave the house looking like a fashion victim. Tell the truth ladies, tell the truth.

7. Girls shall ALWAYS help other girls escape unwanted attention from guys.

This can be as simple as dancing with another girl at a club or as difficult as pretending to be her friend in a public place (totally done that, by the way), in order for her to escape. Most of the time, it won’t cost you anything but a minute so please let’s help each other out because some guys unfortunately can’t get a clue.

8. If a girl looks intoxicated and looks like she needs a friend, be her friend.

While the easy route is to point, be judgmental, and tell yourself that it’s not your problem, I am asking at the very least that you go up to her and ask, “Are you okay?” People in this state of mind can easily be taken advantage of in the worst way and that one question can change that possibility. This is the one situation where you are your sister’s keeper.

9. When required, be a wingwoman.

I know it sucks sometimes because you might not be remotely interested in talking to any of the friends of your girlfriend’s crush, love interest, or whatever, but come on, take one for the team. If they hit it off, your wingwoman services will probably not even be needed for a long time, and if they don’t, well, you and your friend can retreat from that crowd soon.

10. “That Time Of The Month” Sympathies.

Whether it’s offering a stranger a tampon or being sensitive to a friend during her time of the month if she needs it, the golden rule shall be exercised to the fullest extent in this area.
To wrap this up, let’s listen to some Beyonce.



Friday, November 22, 2013

Don't be fooled: The 6 Biggest Facebook Scams


Facebook now has a billion users, with more than half of those people signing on every month. Unfortunately, crooks and scammers are also part of the social network’s population—they figure at least a certain percentage of users will fall for their shenanigans.
According to Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at the security firm Sophos, the number of Facebook scams in play seems to be holding steady. And while Facebook is trying to tackle the problem, the scammers don't give up easily when they can profit off unsuspecting people.
How do you spot a Facebook scam? Be wary of unlikely promises, Wisniewski says.
“No one is giving away an iPad to every person who fills out a survey and you aren't likely the specially chosen winner of the Nokia, Microsoft or Coca-Cola lottery, because there isn't one,” he says. “The best practice is to avoid clicking links on Facebook at all. It is generally safe to click links from trusted pages of companies, bands and groups you like, but avoid clicking links from your friends' walls and chat messages.”
Here are popular Facebook scams you should watch out for.

Change Your Facebook Profile Color

This “color changer v1.3” is actually a survey scam application, and you definitely don’t want to give it access to your Facebook account. It promises to let you change your Facebook profile color to something other than blue. If you click on the link, it asks you to “like” the app before it even does anything for you, and if you click on “continue” you’ll land at an app permission page. If you authorize the app to access your Facebook account it will send spam messages to all your friends. Not only that, if you actually click to install the app, it won’t give it to you until you fill out a survey.

Free Gift Card or Voucher

If somebody on Facebook tells you Costco, McDonald's, Starbucks or any other company is giving away vouchers or gift cards if only you invite your friends to the offer or click on a link—don’t believe it. If you do, you’ll end up spamming all your contacts with bogus messages about the fake offer, be asked to participate in surveys or prodded to complete “reward offers” in which you may be asked for personal information. If you supply your name, address, phone number or other things to these dishonest marketers, they can sell your data to others as well as harass you via non-Facebook media.

Support a Wounded Soldier

Sophos recently reported that a popular post making its way through Facebook that purports to support wounded soldiers is, in fact, a hoax. The text of the post is a variation of the following:
When filling out your Christmas cards this year, take ONE CARD and SEND it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these soldiers could get to bring up their spirits! Feel free to repost. This is a wonderful thing to do !!
While idea seems like a good one, any cards sent in this manner will never reach an American soldier. According to hoax-busting site Snopes.com, the U.S. Mail will not deliver any letters or packages addressed to "Any soldier" or "Any wounded soldier" at Walter Reed, especially since Walter Reed closed its doors in 2011.
If you really want to send holiday mail to an unnamed service member, use the legitimate address found here.

Enticing Videos or Photos

This one can come through a Facebook post or email message. Either way, if someone invites you to check out a photo or video of something you just won’t believe—know that there’s most likely something nefarious waiting for you on the other side the link.
For instance, people who click on a link titled “Look what this girl wore at the beach in front of thousands of people!” will actually end up at what looks like a video feed, but if you click on it you’ll get a message saying you need to update your YouTube player. People who choose to install it actually are downloading malware to their computers. At the same time, hidden code will cause a Facebook “like” to appear on your Timeline, which will only encourage your friends who see it to also click on the bad video or photo lure.
A variation on this scam sends what looks like a Facebook notification to your email account, telling you that one of your friends tagged you in a new photo. If you’re curious and click on the attached ZIP file you will effectively unleash malware that will give hackers the keys to your Windows computer.

See Who’s Viewing Your Profile

This one claims to be able to tell you who is looking at your Facebook information, or as the scammers put it, “spying at your profile.” If you click on the link, you first have to “like” the app, which, again, only encourages your friends to click on the same bad link. From there, you’ll be asked to give the app permission to access your Facebook account. If you do so, not only will everyone on your friend list get a spam message from you, you’ll also be prompted to take various surveys—all without ever receiving information about who’s been spying on you.
Here’s what Facebook itself says about this popular scam:
Facebook does not provide a functionality that enables you to track who is viewing your timeline, or parts of your timeline, such as your photos. Third party applications also cannot provide this functionality. Applications that claim to give you this ability will be removed from Facebook for violating policy. You canreport applications that provide untrustworthy experiences.

Copyright and Privacy Rights Protection Hoax

Recently there’s been a meme floating around Facebook that tells users that posting a particular legal notice to their Facebook wall allows them to retain the copyright of any content they post on the site as well as protect their rights to privacy. About this hoax Facebook says:
"There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users' information or the content they post to the site. This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been."

What to do if You Get Suckered

If, for some reason, you fall for one if these scams, make sure to remove any references to it from your profile and delete any bad app that has attached itself to your Facebook account. Do that by going to the small arrow on the top right of your screen, then Account Settings>>>Apps. Also, check whether you may have unknowingly "Liked" bogus sites or pages by going to your Timeline and clicking your "Likes" icon at the top of the page. Any Likes you don't recognize? Unlike them.
For more information about the various ways you can get scammed on Facebook, visit the social network’sscam page.

Thursday, November 21, 2013





Girls can do anything....

We're GoldieBlox, a toy company out to show the world that girls deserve more choices than dolls and princesses. We believe that femininity is strong and girls will build the future — literally. 

Our founder, Debbie Sterling, is a Stanford engineer who decided last year that girls need more choices than the pink aisle has to offer. She developed GoldieBlox, an interactive book series + construction set starring Goldie, the kid inventor who loves to build.

This year, we wondered what we could do to showcase the amazing inventive power that girls have. So...we might have recruited three young girls and that guy who made OK Go's famous Rube Goldberg machine to turn an average home into a massive, magical contraption. 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Teen Post:  What's cool and what's not cool... This is NOT COOL.....

Authorities say a brutal “knock out game” perpetrated by roaming gangs of youths is responsible for 6 deaths across the country.

In one notorious incident in 2012, a 15-year-old boy was arrested for sucker punching a well-liked teacher in Philadelphia. Since that incident there have been other cases of similar violence against men and women in New York and New Jersey.

In the latest incident in Midwood, a woman was attacked in broad daylight by a young man who walked up behind her, balled up his fist and hit her with all his might on the top of her head then ran off.

The woman, who was loaded down with shopping bags, was not robbed by her assailant.“ She had her purse, she had bags from department stores. There was not even an attempt to take anything from her. It was just a wanton act to hurt another human being,” the victim’s daughter told CBS 2’s Dave Carlin.

“How would you feel if this was happening to you or a member of your family?” she said, “If you don’t like it to happen to you or a member of your family, don’t do it to someone else.” Psychologists say teens and young men who sucker punch their victims with enough force to knock them out are emotionally troubled people who were probably bullied in school or beaten by their parents as children.




Tuesday, November 19, 2013

When your Child Suffers from SAD




If your child slows down or appears to be in a funk during the late fall or winter season, he may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). A form of depression, SAD can be mild, moderate, or severe and may require medical intervention.

As the days grow shorter, and we are exposed to less sunlight, some people react negatively to the change in sleep cycle and circadian rhythms. The lack of sunlight can also alter serotonin levels in the brain, causing a drop in mood. This disorder is most common in people between the ages of 15-55 and affects more women than men. Those who live in northern climates or those with relatives who suffer from SAD or depression are most likely to experience the syndrome.

Symptoms of SAD
  • change in appetite
  • lowered mood
  • loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
  • change in sleep patterns
  • increased or decreased appetite
  • difficulty concentrating
  • lack of interest in socializing
  • sudden drop in grades

If your child or anyone in your family is exhibiting symptoms of SAD, contact your doctor for information on treatments, which could include:

Treatments
  • phototherapy
  • antidepressants
  • talk therapy
  • behavior therapy
  • vitamins
  • melatonin

You can help your SAD afflicted family member by being patient, spending quality time with her, and encouraging her to:
  • eat a balanced diet
  • keep a regular bedtime routine
  • talk about her feelings
  • avoid sugar and empty carbohydrates
  • spend time outdoors whenever possible during daylight hours
  • get at least an hour of exercise each day

Don't assume that just because the condition is seasonal, it is benign. Depression at any time of the year can be dangerous and may lead to eating disorders, self-harming, or, in rare cases, suicide. Take your child's SAD seriously, and seek the advice of a qualified medical professional if her symptoms do not improve or if they worsen.



Urgent Pet Safety Message

Jerky treats are killing dogs and cats!

The FDA has issued a dire warning to pet owners that jerky-style chicken, duck, sweet potato or dried fruit treats made in China have been responsible for over 3,600 dog and cat illnesses and 580 deaths in the past six years. Hours after eating the treats, the pets have suffered from gastrointestinal upset, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding or organ failure, symptoms that have frequently turned fatal.

Because the treats were made in China, where there is no requirement to list every ingredient in a product, the FDA has been unable to locate the source of contamination and has been unable to issue a specific product recall. But they are continuing to investigate the problem and would like your help. They've created an online Fact Sheet with a link to a Safety Reporting Portal where you can notify them of any unusual symptoms your pet may have experienced after eating a jerky treat.

If your pet should become sick after eating any pet treat manufactured in China, do not discard the remainder of the product. Instead, contact the FDA, and keep it in its original container for up to 60 days, as the FDA may wish to sample the product. Many of these products are sold under popular American brand names, including Nestle Purina Pet Care Co. Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats, Del Monte Corp's Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats, and Publix Stores' Chicken Tenders Dog Chew Treats, among others.

Until the source of contamination can be identified and cured, Macaroni Kid National Family Safety recommends avoiding China manufactured jerky-style treats for your pets.



21 Ways Rich People Think Differently

We found an interesting article about the thought process behind wealthy people, read it and let us know what you think.

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World’s richest woman Gina Rinehart is enduring a media firestorm over an article in which she takes the “jealous” middle class to task for ‘drinking or smoking and socializing’ rather than working to earn their own fortune. 

What if she has a point? 

Steve Siebold, author of ‘How Rich People Think’ spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else. 

It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality.

“[The middle class] tells people to be happy with what they have,” he said. “And on the whole, most people are steeped in fear when it comes to money.”

Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.
“The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest,” Siebold writes.  That’s why there’s a certain shame that comes along with “getting rich” in lower-income communities.  “The world class knows that while having money doesn't guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable.” 

Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.
“The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don’t try to pretend to save the world,” Siebold told Business Insider. 
The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative––and it’s keeping them poor, he writes. “If you’re not taking care of you, you’re not in a position to help anyone else. You can’t give what you don’t have.”

Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.
“While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems,” Siebold writes.  “The hero [middle class people] are waiting for may be God, government, their boss or their spouse. It’s the average person’s level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away.” 

Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.
“Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge,” he writes. 
“Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master’s degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness…The wealthy aren’t interested in the means, only the end.”

Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.
“Self-made millionaires get rich because they’re willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future,” Siebold writes.  “People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression.”

Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.
“An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably,” he writes.  “The world class sees money for what it is and what it’s not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities.” 

Average people earn money doing things they don’t love. Rich people follow their passion.
“To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time,” Siebold says. “But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it.”  On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don’t enjoy “because they need the money and they’ve been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort.” 

Average people set low expectations so they’re never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.
“Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed,” Siebold writes. “No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations.” 

Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.
“That’s why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever,” he writes.  “While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it’s a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results.”
Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people’s money.
Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren’t afraid to fund their future from other people’s pockets. “Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, ‘Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?’” he writes. 

Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they’re driven by emotion and greed.
Investing successfully in the stock market isn’t just about a fancy math formula.
“The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe,” Siebold writes. “This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage.”

Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.
“Here’s how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to,” he writes.   “The rich live below their means, not because they’re so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king’s ransom socked away for the future.” 

Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.
Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of “haves” and “have-nots,” Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he’s supporting the idea of elitism. He disagrees. “[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they’re poor. This isn’t true,” he writes. “What they’re teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality––the way society really is.” 
If children understand wealth early on, they’ll be more likely to strive for it later in life.

Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.
The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they’re not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says.  “[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind.”

Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.
While the rich don’t put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says.  “Walk into a wealthy person’s home and one of the first things you’ll see is an extensive library of books they’ve used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,” he writes. “The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines.” 

Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.
The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says. “[Rich people] can’t afford the messages of doom and gloom,” he writes. “This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery. Labeling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better about themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity.”

Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.
Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they’ll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have.  “The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities,” he writes.  “Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money.” 

Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.
“Leverage is the watchword of the rich,” Siebold writes. “Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will aways be able to earn more.” 

Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.
For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire––a challenge most middle class thinkers aren’t comfortable living with.
“Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mindset,” Siebold writes.  World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn’t easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of ongoing uncertainty.”

Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.
While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obamacare and their company’s health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite “boutique medical care” association, Siebold says.“They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members,” he writes.
“Some wealthy neighborhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighborhood.”

Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.
The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a “cop-out”, Siebold says.  “The masses have been brainwashed to believe it’s an either/or equation,” he writes. “The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance.” 

From Steve Siebold, author of “How Rich People Think”