Internet Explorer Not Safe from Hackers - Beware!

It's gotta be serious when the citizens of both France and Germany are being advised by their governments NOT to use the Internet Explorer web browser.

Microsoft is responding by saying that it's only version 6 that's vulnerable, and that Internet Explorer 8 remains safe.    Microsoft is claiming that IE8 is the safest web browser out there, but is it really? 

This is really, really serious situation and it's impacting folk worldwide.  Especially now that the code used by the hackers has been placed upon the web for anyone to access and use.  Scary, right? 

The Scandal of China Hacking into Accounts Via Security Holes in Microsoft's Internet Explorer

It's all very fishy.  Apparently, there was a weakness within the Internet Explorer browser that allowed someone to exploit it and access Google's proprietary information as well as many other companies.  Technology and intellectual property have been stolen.  Gmail accounts have been invaded (although press reports are that these are a select few), and curiously a lot of these email account holders are human rights activists.  Yesterday, there were news reports that journalists' email accounts at Beijing foreign bureaus were hacked.

And all fingers are pointing to China. 

China could run but not hide from Google techies, who successfully thwarted  the Chinese geeks' web of email and web addresses, as well as their fake names, to find that the source of the hacking against Google and others via this IE hole was originating in China.  If you want to know all the gory details, track The Dark Visitor.  The Dark Visitor is an American blog that reports on Chinese hackers.  (They're sophisticated, and they've been at this for awhile.) 


What About Finding a Solution?

What's the latest?  According to the BBC today, Microsoft is fixing the problem and that a patch will be issued as soon as they can get it ready.  Until then, better safe that sorry right?  Firefox is a great, and fast, alternative -- and it even copies your bookmarks so you don't have to remember all those links.  Nice. Unless you trust Microsoft so much that you're willing to ride the storm out with an upgrade to IE8.  It's your call. 

Note:  You can keep up with Microsoft's work on fixing this problem by reading their latest Advisory. 

Pot of Beans on a Wintery Day - Reba's Tex-Mex Pinto Bean Recipe

I remember going to visit my uncle when I was very little, the one who was named for an Indian Chief and therefore, very mysterious and all-knowing.  My parents, uncle, and aunt would all set in the kitchen while we kids played out back, with the big dog, Monster, and the little runt, Pretty.  They'd drink coffee or iced tea, and periodically we kids would hear all of them laughing together - the sounds of my dad's big guffaw bouncing out of the screen door and into the back yard, under the pecan trees where we huddled in the low-lying branches.  And all the while, setting on the back burner of the stove in my uncle's special clay Bean Pot were his special pinto beans. 

I can never remember a visit where those pinto beans weren't bubbling in the background, rain or shine, summer or winter.  Perhaps it was because my uncle (the oldest of many brothers, my dad being somewhere in the middle) had lived through the Great Depression (you know, the first one) and it was a good thing to always have something tasty cooking on the stove. 

Over the years, I've monkeyed with his basic bean brew.  Basically, I've added some "Mex" to the "Tex" and I think my uncle would approve -- and I know that lotsa folks ask me how I make these beans, so I'm thinking they're worth you giving them a try.  Maybe my fond childhood memories do sway me, but there is something very nice about having a pot of beans simmering on the stove when its a grey, chilly afternoon that makes everything cozy and nice.  Peaceful, even. 

Reba's Tex Mex Pinto Beans

2 pounds pinto beans, dried (soaked overnight after being culled through for rocks or bits of dirt)
1 package bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped and stems discarded
3 big tomatoes (homegrown is best, use 4 if you go with Roma or a smaller fruit)
1 Texas Sweet onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 serrano chilis (seed them even if you like fire, otherwise they'll take over the pot), chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 T comino
1 T chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

It's really important to get the dried beans right.  Soak them overnight means a good 12 hours, and making sure that you've checked for the rocks and things.  Drain off the water that they soaked in.  Don't use it.

Put the beans in your big pot, cover with water.  Add enough so there's a good couple of inches of water above the beans, give them room to move.  Bring the water to a boil, then lower your heat so that it's a very low simmer. 

Now, add all the ingredients listed above, except for the cilantro.  And yes, you'll want to use fresh cilantro.  Some may tell you that dried coriander and fresh cilantro are the same thing, but I don't believe it.  They taste different.  Go with the fresh cilantro here.  And no, you don't cook the bacon before you put it in the pot.  That bacon swimming thru there flavors the beans and no, there isn't a fat layer on the top when the beans are done.  I never said these were low-cal beans. 

Add more water to the boil as needed so they don't boil dry.  If you're losing water too fast, your flame is too high.  You want these to cook slowly, let all the flavors meld. 

These are great with homemade cornbread, just by themselves in a bowl, or you can serve them as a side with things like barbequed brisket (the Tex part) or cheese enchiladas (the Mex part).  Yum, yum. 

5 Baby Steps in Simplifying Your Life

There may be those who make sudden and drastic lifestyle changes, quiting jobs and selling houses, moving forward rapidly in their pursuit of a dream.  For most folk, simplifying life isn't that speedy or smooth.  It really is taking a step at a time, one day at a time. 

Here are five baby steps toward simple living:

1.  Cut the splurge buys.  Yes, this means eating breakfast at home and not buying fancy coffee.  No Starbucks except as a special treat. 

• Check out Fake Out Recipe No. 1: Bottled Starbucks Fraps.

2.  Organize your weekly errands. Make a list of your errands (bank, post office, etc.) and do them all at once, planning your route to maximize your time and minimize your fuel expense. 

• Check out Six Ways to Maximize Your Car's Gas Mileage.

3.  Investigate free events in your community.  These can be rewarding for members of the whole family, and lotsa fun.  Check out the local paper and the public library website.

• Check out Freebies: Finding Fun, Free Things to Do.

4. Respect your Sundays.  For Christians, Sunday means church and usually, a nice lunch afterwards.  For everyone, there is wisdom in taking this one day of the week as a day of rest.  The big family meal on Sunday is a wonderful thing, everyone gets a chance to catch up with the others.  Especially when everyone works together in cooking the food. 

• Check out Five Good, Cheap Recipe Collections.

5. Rethink fashion.  Scrutinize your wardrobe and ask yourself how much you really need designer togs and to the extent that you do, why?  Simplifying life means stepping aside from the Fast Track, the Rat Race, the Keeping Up with the Jones approach to things.  This doesn't mean sacrificing quality, it means taking your fashion sense to a whole new level. 

• Check out Designer Fashion at Very Low Prices.