Blogger BirdABroad has been inundated from nearly every major news source in the known western world. She’s an American living in Kunming, China. To her surprise, she walked into an Apple store only to later discover that it was an unauthorized Apple store.
BirdABroad walked into this fake Apple store, and filmed on July 22, 2011 with the help of her MacBook. Hey, I think they should hire her to be a news reporter. Don’t you think so?
Are you listening, Steve Jobs?
There’s an old adage about the mosquito in the state of Florida. Many jokingly call the mosquito the Florida state bird. However, this year the state bird is trying to take over. The reports indicate that the mosquito problem is the worst in ten years. It’s a problem that cities can hardly keep up with, especially in the southern part of Florida. And this is leaving some citizens frustrated.
There is always great concern that heavy mosquito infestations could increase the likeliness of disease. Awareness of mosquito-borne disease can be very useful.
Mosquitoes and Disease [Source: University of Florida]
There are three very important mosquito-borne diseases that occur in Florida: Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and West Nile fever/encephalitis; all of these diseases are caused by viruses that are transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Adult female mosquitoes feed on blood for the nutrients it provides for developing the eggs that they will deposit. When mosquitoes feed on blood, they salivate prior to and during feeding. If the mosquito feeds on a bird that is infected with one of the viruses, there is a chance that she will pick up the virus from the bird’s blood. After a couple of weeks, if the virus has survived in the mosquito and increased to high numbers, she is able to infect a new blood host, such as another bird, a human, or a horse. The virus is released through the saliva when she is feeding. If the virus infects a human or horse, for example, there is a possibility that the new host will develop symptoms of encephalitis and become ill; more often, however, these hosts are only slightly ill or experience no symptoms at all and develop antibodies to the virus. Some birds can harbor the viruses with no ill effects. However, West Nile virus has been fatal to many raptors and corvids (blue jays, crows, hawks).
West Nile Virus
West Nile (WN) virus is carried by mosquitoes and if transmitted to humans, it can cause severe encephalitis. It is closely related to St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus which is sometimes a problem in Florida. West Nile virus was first isolated in 1937, from a woman in the West Nile province of Uganda in Central Africa. Epidemics of WN have occurred in Israel, France, South Africa, and Romania. West Nile virus was first documented in the United States in New York City (NYC) during an epidemic in August 1999.
St. Louis Encephalitis
St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus is a flavivirus that is transmitted to humans and other vertebrates primarily by mosquitoes of the genus Culex . Infection with SLE results in inapparent infection in a variety of birds and mammals with a resultant period of viremia that lasts a matter of days. Humans represent an incidental, deadend host. The clinical spectrum of human SLE infection includes inapparent infection, mild illness (febrile with headache), aseptic meningitis, and encephalitis which can progress to coma and death. Inapparent infection is most common in the young, whereas encephalitis, especially that progressing to coma and death, is more common in the elderly.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a virus disease transmitted to horses and humans by mosquitoes. Birds are the source of infection for mosquitoes. The virus is found along the east coast from New England to Florida, the Gulf Coast, and some midwestern areas. The principal vector in avian populations is the mosquito Culiseta melanura. This mosquito does not feed on humans or horses, but in rare cases the virus can escape from its marsh habitat in other mosquitoes that feed on both birds and mammals (including horses and humans) and then transmit the virus to mammals, including people. Horses and humans are “dead end” hosts, meaning that they do not develop enough virus in their blood to transmit the virus (therefore sick horses or humans can’t transmit the disease to mosquitoes, only birds can).
Mosquitoes mostly come out after the heat of the day is over. Which means dusk through dawn. Be aware of this and take all precautions necessary. The best ways to avoid mosquito bites are to avoid infested areas, wear protective clothing, and wear insect repellent.
Experts say it is very important to use an insect repellent with the ingredient called DEET. This product is one of the most recommended for outdoor campers: Off! Deep Woods Insect Repellent V, 25% DEET 6 oz
Here is more great advice on mosquito repellents.
Photo Credit:
[Press Release — June 17, 2011]
Plantation, FL – In April of 2011, more than 20 executives from leading organizations and discount dental plan companies gathered in South Florida for a first-of-its-kind open forum to share their insights to help the industry come together to further educate consumers, dentists, and regulators.
The First Annual Discount Dental Plan Summit, hosted by DentalPlans.com, featured attendees from the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) and Consumer Health Alliance (CHA), executives from CIGNA, Careington
, Coverdell and New Benefits, and legal analysts such as Brady Cobb from Tripp Scott.
While the event provided a platform for industry influencers to discuss ways to boost awareness about discount dental plans, it also gave attendees a chance to collectively exchange views on the major changes health care reform might bring to the dental care arena and what opportunities exist to further benefit and educate key dental care audiences.
“No matter what happens with health care reform, consumers can continue to access discount dental plans to make dental care more affordable,” said attendee and CHA member Allen Erenbaum of Erenbaum Legal Strategies. “Unfortunately, some consumers are not aware of the ways they can save money at the dentist, which studies have shown to impact long-term health and well-being.”
For adults, the Affordable Care Act will not require the purchase of specific coverage, such as dental and vision. Currently, health insurance plans offered through employers typically do not offer coverage for dental work. However, more children are expected to be covered for dental services through provisions designed to increase access to oral health.
Even with a dental insurance plan in place, many consumers are unable to keep up with routine checkups and appointments due to out-of-pocket costs and monetary constraints. In 2009, a Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll found that more than 30 percent of insured Americans, as well as 50 percent of uninsured, skipped necessary dental care visits due to financial burdens.
Industry discussions and presentations at the First Annual Discount Dental Plan Summit included:
“It was a great opportunity for us to bring together industry influencers and open the discussion,” said Scott Szwiec, VP of Network Relations for DentalPlans.com. “At the end of the day, we all have the same goals and want to help the discount dental industry move forward in the mind of consumers looking to maintain their dental care.”
The event also featured a keynote presentation from Vistage guest speaker and partner in California-based strategic marketing firm SalesBrain, Dean Minuto, sharing his insights on the application of Neuromarketing and how to better understand and leverage the “buy button” in a consumers’ brain.
About DentalPlans.com
A one-stop online shop to save on dental care, DentalPlans.com connects individuals. DentalPlans.com does offer family plans
and also offers significant savings for groups
on procedures such as cleanings, braces and root canals. Visitors of DentalPlans.com can compare discount dental plans by ZIP code, view sample savings and find a nearby dentist. The company offers people a choice of affordable alternatives to dental insurance through more than 30 of the leading discount dental plans in the country.
Learn how to align text on your images using Adobe Photoshop. The video gives you the details. This tutorial is brought to you by Techno Zach.
If you’re an aspiring entertainer these days, YouTube might just be the platform of choice for you. You can achieve fame in the blink of an eye, or at least the time it takes to play a single video. Rebecca Black has taken it to the internet — with her latest smash hit called “My Moment”. Here’s the official music video.
It definitely looks like Rebecca’s moment has arrived. She is the hottest trend on the internet at this moment. Black’s “My Moment” video has received 5,473,449+ views in a matter of days. This is a phenomenal achievement in every way.
Rebecca Black is an American pop singer who gained attention from her video entitled “Friday”. Ironically, after launching the Friday video on March 11, 2011, Black found immediate popularity while at the same time taking intense criticism. The video received 3,190,000 “dislikes” and just a short time later the song was selling like mad as a digital single.
Katy Perry’s tribute to Rebecca Black came in the form of “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” The music video has received 52,390,993+ hits up to this moment. This was another successful venture. The song reached to the top of the Billboard charts and has sold over 1,000,000 units in the United States alone.
Rebecca Black has moved beyond last Friday night for sure. Uncle Kenny told me that.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (TF101-A1) OUT OF THE BOX GUIDE
Tablet NVIDIA Tegra 2 10.1″ Wide SVGA 1GB DDR2 Memory 16GB Flash HDD NVIDIA ULP GeForce
The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Android Tablet PC has some great features. It is light, slim, and stylish. Buyers have given great reviews on this tablet. The reviews were many and were very positive indeed.
One accessory that goes along great with the Eee Pad is the ASUS TF101 Docking Station. This is a must for first time buyers. You will have the capability to add a keyboard, which is really nice. Another added bonus is you get extra battery life, along with a few other extra features. The docking station is sold separately.
When you buy the ASUS Eee Pad you’ll get a manual and an AC adapter.
The Eee Pad is loaded with the latest touch screen technology, which make it handy when browsing through YouTube videos. This is very chic. You”ll be playing Angry Birds in style. Here are the features:
Ultra-Thin and Light Design in a Unique, Stylish Pattern
With a super slim profile of only 12.98mm thick in a frame that weighs only 680g, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is comfortable to hold from any position.
Powerful Mini-Cinema Entertainment On-The-Go
Powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, the Transformer browses the web at blazing speeds, providing a snappier response time and better performance when multi-tasking. The transformer also features a mini-HDMI port, an IPS Panel made from durable and scratch-resistant glass, and a 5MP rear- and 1.2MP front-facing camera. Meanwhile, built-in SRS Sound technology provides a dynamic 3D stereo audio experience, with maximum bass response and a wide sound field from the discrete speakers housed within the Transformer.
Optional Keyboard Docking Station and 16 Hours of Battery Life
The Transformer sets itself apart from other tablets on the market by featuring an optional docking station. This provides access to a full QWERTY keyboard along with unique Android Function keys, turning the tablet Transformer into a full-fledged notebook. A touchpad, 3.5mm audio jack, two USB ports as well as a built-in SD Card reader for easy file sharing and storage expandability makes the Transformer a versatile media hub. The docking station also extends the Transformer’s 9.5 hours of battery life up to 16 hours, so users can use it all day for work and play.
Android OS with ASUS Waveshare UI
Google’s Android Honeycomb is a revolutionary operating system specially designed and optimized for tablets, and enables users a full web experience for on-the-go web browsing, communicating and casual computing. Supporting Adobe Flash 10.2 and the ever growing Android Market, entertainment is a finger swipe away. And, ASUS’ Waveshare Interface hosts a variety of unique applications such as MyNet, MyLibrary, MyCloud and more so you can get even better experience from the Transformer
Here’s a virus that infects your computer in a sophisticated manner, more so than normal. TDL3, or TDSS if you will, is invisible to Windows and some anti-malware programs. Rootkit infects your computer by replacing normal hard drivers with malicious versions of drivers.
The Main Symptons
1. The “tdsskiller rootkit” will randomly force advertisements or pop-up ads on your computer.
2. Upon doing a Google search, after you click on a search results link, you are redirected to advertisements or pop-up ads. Also, you are unable to open some programs due to this infection.
3. After getting infected, you will have a very hard time getting the internet browser to open. Even if it does, it will be very slow. Not characteristically normal.
4. Note that some sites will be blocked by the virus. You will not be able to access them.
The Fix
1. Download tdsskiller link / http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/solutions?qid=208280684. Save to desktop or My Documents folder, whatever your preference is.
2. In case the infection will not let you access the Kaspersky site, download this file to another computer that is not infected, and tranfser the file to the infected computer that you are trying to heal. This can be done with the use of a USB Flashdrive if necessary.
3. Go to bleepingcomputer.com to finish the process. You will extract the files from the zip file. You can do this by right-clicking on the tdsskiller.zip file and then selecting the Extract All.
Here’s another helpful link to assist you. It’s a forum.
This virus will attack Windows 7 or Windows XP. Beware, this is a nasty one but is curable. The Kaspersky link should do the job nicely. Reformatting should not be necessary. Even if you reformat, it may not get rid of the virus without Kaspersky. It is best to use the Kaspersky link as suggested. Has worked great so far, but I will update if the situation changes.
Update: Beware this is the worst virus that I’ve ever seen. I did get it and it is a monster because reinstalling Windows may not kill this beast! The steps I used above did the job. Hopefully security keeps up with this one.
Let’s hope that your computer doesn’t catch this awful bug. If it does, no need to panic.
Want to make free phone calls on your iPod Touch
Talkatone has free unlimited text messaging also. You can send and receive text if you have a Google Voice account.
Talkatone gives you free calls, text messages and real-time location sharing on your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad via 3G or WiFi connection. Talkatone uses Google Talk and Google Voice services and bridges the gap between instant messaging on your computer and regular cellular calls on your mobile device.
Want more details? Click here if you want to learn more about their wonderful free service.
You’ll probably want the option of keeping updated with this service. Here is a link to the Talkatone Blog to catch the updates.
Top Ten Aussie Polls July
1. Do you support Gilliard’s carbon tax?
2. Are you worried the carbon tax will drive up living costs?
3. Should there be an inquiry into media ethics in Australia?
4. Have you been spending less this year?
5. Should restaurants be allowed to ban children?
6.Should Spain’s Running Of The Bulls festival be banned?
7. Would you let your child attend shooting clases?
8. Should the government have lifted the ban on live exports?
9. Has the Tiger debacle put you off flying budget airlines?
10. Should Facebook be taught in schools?
To get the answers click below.
Read More: 9News Vote Archive
Howcast — How To Use Twitter
Get Started:
1. Go to Twitter and create an account.
2. Go to the search box (where it asks “What’s Happening?”) and tell the world what you want to say with 140 characters or less.
3. After you’re through editing your “tweet” hit the Tweet button baby. It’s over now.
4. Go up and hit the “Who To Follow” button. They’ve even got a “Browse Interests” category. Or “Find Friends” using your existing email account.
5. Uhh. When you find the one you want to follow click the follow button. Easy.
6. Tell a little about yourself in the bio section. If you don’t everyone will think you are a spam bot and you will get unpopular fast. Add your blog to the bio to gain more traffic and become wildy successful.
7. You can text via your mobile as well. You don’t necessarily have to be on the computer.
8. Go to settings then go to profile. Upload a picture to Twitter to get your face plastered all over the internet. You can just use an art piece if you like.
9. Twitter has changed the layout since it was started. Look for the “Trends” section to find out what topics are currently being discussed. Join in.
10. There are apps galore pertaining to Twitter and all kinds of pages on the internet that provide tools. Get started and hopefully your list will grow and grow. Look Mom I’m on Twitter!
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