Take a guess. Go ahead, take a guess. What percentage of all e-mail received is the dreaded "S" word? According to a report by Barracuda Networks, folks that actually do this for a living, 90 to 95% of all e-mail sent this year, up from just 5% in 2001 is spam. Last year it was 85 to 90%. Stephen Pao from Barracuda says, "Today only one in 20 e-mails you receive is a welcome one." The biggest issue discussed in the presidential campaign shouldn't be the economy, it should be ridding the nation of spam. We get rid of spam, the economy grows. C'mon Rudy, Mitt, Hillary, Barrack/Oprah, get on the anti-spam bandwagon...
Here's why spam has become the cockroach of computers - junk e-mail senders use Web tools which actually help online consumers fill up mailboxes with the stuff. Free Web-based e-mail services, blogs and cheap Internet domain registration services allow spammers to set up shop and cripple Internet sites and e-mail addresses way too easily. But there is a way you can reduce at least a portion of your spam...
The biggest multiplier of spam is opening spam messages, that and linking to other spam-filled sites. The first part of that sentence is easy, don't open anything that you don't believe is worth reading. There's a reason you have a delete button. Use it. The Pew Internet & American Life Project (who came up with that name?) reported earlier this year that 55% of users now say they have lost trust in e-mail because of spam. One thing I've purposely not suggested using is a spam blocker, they just don't work. When I opened my e-mail box this morning, 60% was spam, a third of which were fortunes being offered to me for winning a lottery somewhere. Whoever comes up with a way to actually block spam will be a hero in my book. I might even vote for him/her for president...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1843] Scrooge sighting: Charles Dickens publishes the classic "A Christmas Carol". In this clip from the 1951 movie, Alistair Sims is brilliant as Scrooge: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5DAib6LwKAQ ...
- 1956] The shameless trade: The Brooklyn Dodgers do the unthinkable, they trade Jackie Robinson to the cross-town rival Giants for journeyman Dick Littlefield, $30,000 and a bag of scuffed up baseballs. Number 42 retires rather than play for the hated Giants...
- 1975] Hit the delay button: Saturday Night Live uses a time delay for the first time for host Richard Pryor...
- 1978] Pocket change: The Philadelphia Mint begins stamping Susan B. Anthony coins and they go into circulation in July, 1979 ensuring that anyone using a stamp machine will use correct change...
- 1996] The coming and going of Kofi: Ghana's Kofi Annan becomes the 7th secretary-general of the U.N. Ten years later, almost to the day, Annan resigns in 2006 after questionable practices are disclosed...
- 1998] Record boot: The Vikings Gary Anderson kicks 6 field goals against Baltimore and sets an NFL record for 34 straight field goals...
- 2000] Dubya: George W. Bush claims the presidency 36 days after Election Day as Al Gore concedes defeat. Al, look at it this way, had you won the presidency you wouldn't have become the global warming guru and no one would've liked you...
- 2002] "Happy Trails": Former Lovin' Spoonful guitarist Zal Yanovsky dies from a heart attack at 57...
- 2003] Gotcha: Saddam Hussein is found hiding in a hole. Here's a clip of his capture in Iraq: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4ZYF3w_8Tgk&feature=related ...
- 2004] Guilty as charged: A jury in Redwood (CA) recommends the death penalty for Scott Peterson for the murders of his wife and unborn child. Peterson remains on death row at San Quentin...
Music Memories:
- 1961] Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Brian Epstein signs the Beatles to a management contract...
- 1961] Number One on this date: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - Tokens...1973] "The Most Beautiful Girl" - Charlie Rich, a much underrated talent who I met while working at Epic Records. Here's a clip of Charlie singing the song live: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PnUovwA1smM&feature=related ...
- 1966] Recorded on this date: "Foxey Lady" - Jimi Hendrix...
- 1975] Released on this date: "Golden Years" - David Bowie, seen singing live, on stage, in this clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=FcKrr0s2yuY ...
Commentary:
I think Tina Turner's statement on the death of ex-husband Ike, made through an associate, speaks volumes: "Tina is aware that Ike passed away. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made." Years of drug abuse and physical abuse of his ex-wife is unfortunately the legacy Ike leaves behind. He was a good guitarist and had he not decided to use Tina in his act, the world may have never known one of the most dynamic performers of our life time. However, no one would have known the name Ike Turner, if not for Tina. Ike was 76 when he died from unknown causes...
Ex-Black Eyed Pea, Fergie gets my vote for best female artist of the year. Fergie is fresh off an American Music award, an MTV award, has been nominated for 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" at the Grammy's for "Big Girls Don't Cry". Her album "THE DUTCHESS" has sold 5-million copies world-wide and she's the only artist to have 4 songs from one album sell over 1 million ringtones. "Big Girls Don't Cry" has just been named iTunes biggest-selling single of 2007. No one has had a bigger year than Fergie...In case you haven't heard or seen "Big Girls" - here it is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YnbBVWDtYm0 ...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jamie Foxx (40), Steve Buscemi (50), Wendie Malick (57), Ted Nugent (59), when I met Ted and told him I saw him and the Amboy Dukes open for Tiny Tim in Framingham, he literally fell on the floor. Ted played lead guitar for the group, seen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1HRpbvuU1D8&feature=related , Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Doobie Brothers) (59), John Davidson (66), Lou Adler (74), Robert Proskey (77), Christopher Plummer (80) and Dick Van Dyke (82)...
Timeline Dateline: 10 days until winter, 11 days until Festivus, 12 shopping days until Christmas, 13 days until 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' of 2007, 18 nights until New Year's Eve and 23 days until the NFL Wild Card Playoffs...
