a picture of Tom

Tom’s Tips, Links and Tidbits Newsletter


Wednesday 7th April 2010
G'day,

Hope this finds you fit and well and that you enjoy this week’s selection.
Have a great week!

Tom Grimshaw

Index




Basic Computer User



Oracle warns of critical flaws in Java

Company issues patch for SE and Business editions. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/171215,oracle-warns-of-critical-flaws-in-java.aspx

Back to Top




Advanced Computer User



Keyword Research Anomaly

Two different Google tools yield vastly different results for a keyword search. Google Insights versus Google Adwords anomalies exposed and explained. http://www.freetrafficsystem.com/google-keyword-tools/

Back to Top




Health



The Optimal Condition for a Body

In my opinion, the optimal condition for a body would include the following:

Starting each day feeling well rested and fully re-energised

Going through the day without peaks and troughs in your mental capacity or physical energy, capable of being fully productive for 16 hours

Mentally alert with good recall on persons, data and events, with high capacity to quick absorb, remember and apply new data in any field of interest

Able to competently execute all physical and mental tasks relevant to your age, gender, build and lifestyle

Maintaining a fully functioning body that delivers a healthy life without degenerative disease for 4-6 times the growth period

To live a healthy life for 4-6 times the growth period puts our lifespan somewhere between 100 and 150 years of age.

That being the case, how are we being short changed?


Methods of Cooking

According to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine when you cook food in certain ways you are generating toxic chemicals.

Food that is fried, grilled, dried, smoked or pasteurised produces Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). These have been linked to increased levels of oxidation and inflammation in the body, well established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other age-related health problems.

“Even though the AGEs pose a more immediate health threat to older adults, they are a similar danger for younger people, including pregnant women and children, and this needs to be addressed,” researcher Helen Vlassara said. “AGEs are ubiquitous and addictive, since they provide flavor to foods. But they can be controlled through simple methods of cooking, such as keeping the heat down and the water content up in food and by avoiding pre-packaged and fast foods when possible. Doing so reduces AGE levels in the blood and helps the body restore its own defenses.”

The study compared the normal control group with one that poached, stewed or steamed food. This change of cooking method resulted in up to 60% lower levels of AGEs, lipid peroxides and markers of inflammation and blood vessel damage.

TARGET: Prepare more of your meals via steaming, stewing or poaching.


Heart Attack Symptoms for Women

Interestingly, numbness and chest pain are typical male symptoms of heart attack that women may not experience. Here are the typical symptoms women experience just before or during a heart attack:
  • Fatigue
  • Sleeplessness or insomnia
  • Anxiety and stress, sometimes described as a feeling of “impending doom”
  • Indigestion, nausea or heartburn
  • Shortness of breath
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Jaw, ear, neck, or shoulder pain



This isn’t an April Fools joke: The FAA has deecided that pilot psychiatric patients can now fly commercial airlines while medicated on psych drugs!

Read my full story on this worrisome development that could threaten the safety of air travelers: http://www.naturalnews.com/028514_antidepressant_drugs_pilots.html


Breastfed is Better

Would save 900 lives and billions http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/05/health/main6364292.shtml?tag=stack

Back to Top




Other



Credit Card Merchant Tips

Did you know that the liability for fraud shifts from the card issuer to the merchant for ’Card Not Present’ sales (ie mail order, telephone/fax order and internet sales)?

Things to look out for:

Large or unusual orders; especially if it is a large quantity of one item

Orders from high risk countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Benin, Nigeria, Pakistan, Israel, Egypt and Eastern European nations

Requests to send the funds for shipping separately or arrange the shipping themselves

Multiple cards used for the one transaction

For telephone orders, customers who hesitate or seem uncertain when asked to give personal information

Urgent requests for quick or overnight delivery can also be a warning sign

Multiple orders on the one card in a short period of time

Ways to minimise credit card fraud:

Always ask for the CVC (last 3 digits on the back of the card) from unknown customers. Please note, while this helps reduce credit card fraud, it does not take liability away from the merchant

For large and unusual orders do the following: The first 6 digits of the credit card are called the Bank Identification Number (BIN). You can determine if the credit card holder and the issuing bank for the credit card are located in the same country. However, legitimate users can sometimes use a credit card from another country. You can enter the BIN of a credit card number at http://www.bindatabase.net. The site provides the bank name, card type, and a 3 character code for the country.

CALL THE CARD-ISSUING BANK with your merchant number, your phone number, the customer's full name, address, and phone number ready. You can ask the card-issuing bank to make a courtesy call to your customer to verify the charge.

Calling customers is not only an excellent way to detect fraud, but it can also be a valuable part of your customer service. The telephone call also gives the merchant the opportunity to welcome the customer, answer their questions, and build a solid relationship.

CROSS - CHECKING TELEPHONE NUMBERS & CONTACT DETAILS. Any telephone book is out of date as soon as it is sent to the printer. The web site at http://www.freeality.com/finde.htm and http://www.theultimates.com/ provides plenty of tools to match the telephone area code to a postal code, reverse telephone directories, search for email addresses, maps, directions, etc. The web site at http://www.anywho.com integrates telephone numbers, maps, and email addresses. The web site http://nt.jcsm.com/ziproundacx.asp also provides post code and telephone area code matching.

Processing the payment but NOT despatching the product until you have confirmed your customer's details (using a combination of the above methods).


Amazon caves on book pricing

Amazon has reportedly agreed to allow publishers to set higher prices on its e-book titles. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/171217,amazon-caves-on-book-pricing.aspx


5 Proven Tactics to Uplevel Your Client Base

If you are beset by prospects who can’t afford you, read this! http://www.site-reference.com/articles/General/5-Proven-Tactics-to-Uplevel-Your-Client-Base.html

Back to Top




Video Links



Men’s Brain Women’s Brains Explained

This comedian delivers a good laugh on an age old subject http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuMZ73mT5zM

Back to Top




Copyright© 2010 by Tom Grimshaw
PO Box 470 Glebe NSW 2037