Do something creative with it!

Ontario’s Photo Card Act, 2008 received Royal Assent in November and it allows the Ministry of Transportation to issue three new types of photo cards in an attempt to provide more effective security measures post 911 :

1.  A basic photo card-Includes the holders name, photograph and other info issued to any  resident of Ontario who does not have a valid driver’s licence;

2.  An enhanced photo card-Same as above with other features including an implanted RFID (which stands for Radio Frequency Identification for those confused by yet another acronym), that will allow it to be used for travel;

3.  A combined photo card that includes everything in #2 as well as replaces your drivers licence.

Use of any of these cards is optional, however those possessing any of the above cards will be subject to duties of carrying it, presenting it or surrending it (similar to your drivers licence now).  The Act permits the Ministry to share your card information with other provincial and federal agencies in Canada.

When crossing the border, those who would have one of the travel cards listed above, would hold the card up and the RFID-enabled card would be read by border officials using a reader from a distance of 10 metres or more.

Sound good?

According to some critics such as Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s information and Privacy Commissioner, this process is open to potential risks such as skimming, eavesdropping and cloning since unauthorized and low cost RFID readers in the vicinity can receive information emited by the card. Dr.  Cavoukian stresses that even a Faraday sleeve (a holder for the card) that would protect the card during non-use is not sufficient protection.  She also feels that although the information stored on the RFID would only consist of a unique chip that would allow access to a database where personal information would be stored, these are insufficient measures to protect the owner of the card from possible criminal intent.  

How do you feel about this?  Will you be taking advantage of this latest technology?

Source: www.privacyscan.ca

Are you held captive by your fears?  You many not be alone. While the exact rankings may change over time, here are the top ten now and just as a comparison, the top ten from 2007.

Currently: 

1.  Speaking in public

2.  Snakes

3.  Confined Spaces

4.  Heights

5.  Spiders

6.  Tunnels and Bridges 

7.  Crowds

8.  Public Transporation (Especially Planes)

9.  Storms

10. Water (as in swimming and drowning not drinking)

By comparison in 2007, our fears were:

1. Spiders (Arachnophobia)

2. Social Phobia (Characterized by being criticized or humiliated in social situations)

3.  Flying (Aerophobia)

4.  Agoraphobia (Fear of open spaces)

5.  Enclosed or confined spaces (Claustrophobia)

6.  Heights (Acrophobia)

7.  Vomit (Emetophobia)

8.  Cancer (Carcinophobia)

9.  Thunder (Brontophobia)

10. Death or dead things (Necrophobia)

and as an added bonus

11.  Public Speaking

Thanks Mandy!

Click on the link, shuffle the pieces and see how you do!

Look for opportunity.

You can’t wait for it to knock on the door. . . .

you might not be home.
 

         -Jinger Heath

Thanks Nefer!

Note: In some languages the accents are important, for example in Spanish you really do need the tilde over the ‘n’ in Año.  Ano without a tilde, has the most unfortunate meaning happy new anus!!

Thanks Amy!

What’s hot, what’s not in home decor and lifestyles for 2009-Posted by InsideOut staff, The Times-Picayune 

On the threshold of a new year, we pause to take stock of things out and things in for 2009.

Here, culled from national trend reports, hours of Googling, a flood of year-end press releases, the expertise that stems from covering home appliances and lawn maintenance, and one long pizza lunch, is our list of what’s hot and what’s not, at home and abroad.

So read on to reset your fashion odometers, with a resolution to dive into au-courant 21st-century living.

IN | OUT

Celebrities who do rebuilding | Celebrities who do rehab

Wall murals | Photo galleries

Purple, purple, purple | Shades of beige

Solar panels | Coal-burning power plants

Vertical gardens | Horizontal gardens

Fiber cement siding | Vinyl siding

Green building | Carbon-guzzling building

Renewable resources | Disposable products

Home and community gardening | Imported produce

Edible gardens | English gardens

On-demand water heaters | Whole-house water heaters
Personal and eclectic decor | Matchy decor

Platinum, dark silver, rose golds and copper | Oil-rubbed bronze

Fixed-rate mortgages | Adjustable-rate mortgages

Stabilized home prices | Inflated home prices

Bare surfaces | Clutter

Imports from Turkey or Russia | Imports from China

“Yes, we can!” | “I’m the decider”

Rain gardens | Irrigation systems

Infill construction | Suburban sprawl

Plumbers who come the next day | Plumbers who put you on a three-month wait list

Native plants | Exotic hybrids

Handmade | Machine made

Steam appliances | Electric appliances

Cultured stone | Granite

Digital cameras | Crime cameras

Organic cleaners | Chemical cleansers

Fabric walls | Papered walls

Cold, hard cash | Refrigerated cash

Multi-functional rooms | Single-use rooms

Outdoor showers | Hot tubs

Smaller building footprints | McMansions

Kitchen islands | Kitchen pass-throughs

Appliance cupboards | Countertop appliances

Dark stains for cabinets | Light stains for cabinets

Casual comfort | Formal elegance

Hollywood glamour decor | Manhattan loft decor

Vintage furnishings | Furnishings you assemble with an Allen wrench

Natural-fiber upholstery and sisal floor coverings | Satin upholstery and Flokati rugs

Low- or no-VOC paints | Paints that make your head spin

Simple pleasures | Extravagant living

Walkable neighborhoods | Long car commutes

Contemporary patchwork quilts | Floral bedspreads

Outdoor furniture with an indoor look | Indoor furniture with an outdoor look

GIY (grow it yourself) | DIY (do it yourself)

Katrina cottages in Mississippi | Katrina cottages in Louisiana

Main Street | Wall Street

Shopping local bargains | Expensive overnight shipping

Low gas prices | High gas prices

Source:  The Times-Picayune (www.nola.com)