ONLINE 'PRIVACY'

Privacy online is a myth. Take Facebook for example - everyone’s' favourite Social media site.

Facebook’s Open Door Policy

Facebook have changed their Terms Of Service. They state that they reserve the right to show your photos to everyone publicly. It is up to each user to enable or disable the available privacy settings. All privacy settings for over 18 year old accounts are by default public, you have to “opt out” or “enable settings” to protect your privacy.

Facebook’s photo recognition is “on” by default on Facebook unless you disable it, it means if a photo looks like you when it’s being tagged by the uploader, your identity may be suggested as being the person in the picture, and you can be either incorrectly tagged or tagged on a potentially embarrassing picture you never intended to end up on Facebook, you have no say in this unless you disable auto tagging. You can Facial Recognition and Auto Tagging on Facebook but this must be done manually.

Go into your settings (often signified by a cog symbol in the top right hand corner of any page you have logged in to) and adjust ALL off your privacy settings to the minimum audience.

But even if you if you adjust your privacy settings so your Facebook photos can only be seen by ‘friends’ they are not safe, and remember, those settings change quite often and without warning.


Of course Facebook has policies expressly forbidding use of the platform for anything that is “unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory" but that does not stop it from happening.

Just as an experiment, log out of all of your Social Media sites and then Google your name. You will likely be surprised at what you can find out about yourself and how many images you will have access to.



WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Not a lot really. Your best bet is to be mindful. THINK before you post any image online on any site. 
Does it really need to go online? 
Who will it affect? 
Is it worth it?
Is it kind?


Tricycle.com has a great article on posting with Mindfulness and suggests that; “If you’re mindful when you’re disconnected from technology, you have all the tools you need to be mindful when you go online.”


Facebook has posted some very helpful information and tutorials about how to use their privacy settings online. Wouldn’t it be a better world if they did not have to do that? Wouldn’t they be a better company if they set everyone’s DEFAULT privacy settings at the highest level? Fat chance.


* NB: This information changes regularly. Social Media sites constantly update their privacy settings to keep you on your toes. So keep checking it and take note when you get a message saying the Privacy Policy has been updated. It is never updated to YOUR advantage!

https://www.facebook.com/help/325807937506242/

 
Worried about your children's safety online? You should be.

As nobullying.com suggests (2014); 
“…parents and young people alike should note that the default settings on nearly every social media account type allow for public viewing of all pictures. It should also be noted that trusted friends can and often do copy and re-upload images that may not have been meant for public viewing. Once again, young people should realize that photos posted online are never fully protected.”

So, be sure to teach your children well.

 

How do internet and social media sites use my information?
Even after you delete photos, chat logs and other information from your account, sites like Facebook can store this information for long periods of time and may choose to share it with other organisations. 

If you’re dealing with an Australian company, you do have the right to ask for access to your personal information (like any email and chat messages), or that any information identifying you be corrected or deleted/de-identified if it is no longer required.   But, most popular social media companies are not Australian, and this law will not apply to a website that is owned by an overseas company.    This means that it is best to check each sites privacy policies to see how they collect, store and use your information.

Here are the privacy policies of some popular social media websites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/privacy?lang=en#update 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/static?template=privacy_guidelines 
Google: http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/

 


Sources:

http://www.business2community.com/trends-news/with-indias-prism-central-monitoring-system-online-privacy-is-a-myth-0530321

http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/facebook-photos-revenge-porn-escort/

https://www.facebook.com/help/325807937506242/

http://www.lawstuff.org.au/wa_law/topics/privacy#hdi

http://nobullying.com/photos-safety/

http://thecybersafetylady.com.au/2012/03/are-your-childrens-photos-safe-on-facebook/

What to buy for baby?

• Socks
  
• Singlets
  
• Shoes - because those things cost s fortune!
  
• Bigger clothes
  
• If a girl: THINGS THAT ARE NOT PINK
  
• If a boy: Yes, you guessed it!
  

For the Parents:

• Time off!! Even just half an hour to have a looooong hot shower or a coffee...or a nap!
  
• Time off together - Mum and Dad can have a conversation
  
• Meals cooked - any time!
  
• Wine!
  
• Chocolates!
  

Thank you 
:)

Of course not!

Please don't ask Photographers, Performers or other Artists to work for free! I have personally spent more than TEN YEARS honing my skills and there is nothing more insulting you can say to any artist than; "There's no budget but the exposure will be great for you!"

This video may help explain:

"People who would consider it a bizarre breach of conduct to expect anyone to give them a haircut or a can of soda at no cost will ask you, with a straight face and a clear conscience, whether you wouldn’t be willing to write an essay or draw an illustration for them for nothing. They often start by telling you how much they admire your work, although not enough, evidently, to pay one cent for it." (Krieder, 2013)

Author Tim Kreider provides a template for a polite response to those who ask you to work for free:

Thanks very much for your compliments on my [writing/illustration/whatever thing you do]. I’m flattered by your invitation to [do whatever it is they want you to do for nothing]. But [thing you do] is work, it takes time, it’s how I make my living, and in this economy I can’t afford to do it for free. Thanks again for your kind words about my work.

I would like to add something along the lines of; "Please feel free to contact me when your budget allows for paying the artist". Or something less nice ;)

One last thing you may want to consider if you have a friend/relative who is a professional photographer - please do not casually ask; "Oh, and can you bring your camera to my party/event/wedding". If they want to bring it and take photos as a gift to you, lovely. But you wouldn't say to your friend who is a tax accountant; "Oh, and can you bring along your calculator?"
It just isn't good etiquette.

A French Photographer, Sculptor and Installation Artist with no formal art training who has achieved international recognition for his works. Since the 1960s, he has worked with the ephemera of the human experience, from obituary photographs to rusted biscuit tins. His artworks seem as monuments to the dead. More...
"Christian Boltanski's work over the past four decades has focused in different ways on the notion of individual identity, on the ways in which we strive to create and maintain it, and the degree to which it is lost in the midst of collective experience." ref

Below is a description of Boltanski's latest project which you can subscribe to here:


STORAGE MEMORY SUBSCRIPTION

Receive 10 ten films by Christian Boltanski, each month.

Fee : 10 euros monthly.

Minimal subscription: a year, 120 euros.

At the end of my subscription, I will receive , by e-mail, a certificate of electronic property for the complete set of received films.

I don’t know about you, but I find technology addictive. If I leave the house without my mobile phone, I feel naked. If I haven’t checked my email in two days – let alone my Facebook page! – Who knows what I may have missed?? Absolutely nothing, truth be told, but that does not alleviate the feeling that I MUST check it!!!

The added stress, the lingering feeling that something has been left undone… the pathetic need to keep up to date with everything all the time. It’s pathetic. I’ll be the first to admit it.

But the shackles of technology has its uses. Recently my mum went overseas for eight months and we were able to keep up with the goings on of our daily lives and the exciting things we had to look forward to via the handy format of faithful ole Facebook. Though I had not met the friends my mum had made, I felt that I knew them on some level. I had seen photos of them at work, having tea in the garden, on the bus on the way to a show; it was as if we were all there together.

Is the Internet making us dumber?
I very much doubt that the Internet is making us devoid of that insatiable human quality; curiosity. I am constantly searching topics of genuine interest to me on the Internet and learning more every single day. The Internet makes information readily available to all, just as it was originally designed to do!

Admittedly I do flit from task to task – even when I use the Internet I generally have nine pages or so open at once. I am like the Lawnmower Man grabbing ideas and pasting them here and there into various documents, acculating massive amounts of information daily and furthering my many research projects.

I think we are yet to see whether constant access to technology is going to be detrimental to our ability to focus on one task at a time – Squirrel! – will we all become ADHD sufferers? Or will we discover that ADHD is merely a choice to focus on the things relevant to us in that moment of time?

Perhaps the Internet is leading us on to enlightenment. I sure hope so, otherwise I have wasted a LOT of time!

The term Matsya Kridasana can be translated as 'Flapping fish pose'. This static asana (Yogic body position) serves as an excellent relaxation pose, while also having other benefits to the body and mind. Aim to practice for the same length of time on each side, if comfortable.

   

Instructions:

•     Lie on the stomach
•     Bend the elbows and have the fingers interlocked under the head.
•     Bend the left knee to bring it close to the ribs.
•     Let the left knee come close to the left elbow, right leg remains straight.
•     Close the eyes and relax.
•     Breathe in through the nose and out through the nose, as normal.
•     When ready, change to the other side and stay for same length of time.

Benefits
- Stimulates digestive peristalsis. "In humans, peristalsis is found in the contraction of smooth muscles to propel contents through the digestive tract stimulates digetive peristalsis - In humans, peristalsis is found in the contraction of smooth muscles to propel contents through the digestive tract." (wikipedia)
- releaves sciatic pain & relaxes nerves in the legs
- relaxes tenion in the perineum
- a good alternative counterpose after backward bends if forward bending isn't recommended

Restless Leg Syndrome
If you suffer from 'restless leg syndrome' this asana may provide relief. Also increase your intake of vegetables high in zinc, magnesium and calcium. These minerals reduce muscle spasm and nerve tension. Also ensure you do not have any sugary foods in the hours before bed.
Also increase the amount of water you drink during the day. This will help keep your kidneys and liver healthy.
If the condition persists do see a Doctor as this condition can point to something more serious if prolonged.

A trick for restless legs (I wouldn't bother with the soap trick!)
Foods high in magnesium and zinc - pepitas, seeds, nuts, tahini



REFERENCES

Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, 4th edn, Yoga Publications Trust, Bihar, India, 2002.

Wikipedia

It is SO EASY for people to just RETROSAVE Word docs so we can ALL READ THEM! Even people who don't have the new version of office!

When you are saving a file just do this:

In the 'Save files in this format' section, click the drop-down arrow and choose Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc).

Please everyone, don't discriminate!

More info


Save Word 2007 Documents as Older Version by DefaultFollow these steps to change Word 2007's default saving process. By changing the default setting, all of your Word 2007 documents will automatically save in the old Word version format.

1. Click on the Microsoft Office Button.

2. Click the Word Options button on the bottom of the window.

 

3. When the Word Options window opens, click Save in the left pane.

4. In the 'Save files in this format' section, click the drop-down arrow and choose Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc).

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I have finally found the way to make use of all those recipe books. You know what I'm talking about, that collection of beautiful recipe books that you were given at Christmas time. The ones that sit on your shelf in a state of disuse...
Sure, you read them when they were given to you, your intentions were good...but you have never really used them have you?

The Solution!
It's so easy! Go through them methodically putting a piece of scrap paper to mark the recipes you would actually make. Then go through them again - are there any special ingredients you need to buy? Realisitically, will you buy them?
Now that your initial bunch of intentions is reduced to a managable number, write the necessary items on your shopping list.
The next step is to commit to this simple task:
I WILL make one new recipe every week.
After a few weeks, review your choices. Will they become part of your recipe repertoire? Or were they just too hard. Cull again until you have a recipe book marked with practical, delicious, healthy meals.
Congratulations! You get to keep them! Otherwise, practice non-attachment and pass them on to friends or donate them to your local charity.