Mickeys

Cape Town – Bathers and anglers should exercise extreme caution during the spring tide which peaks at Thursday’s full moon, the National Sea Rescue Institute said on Wednesday.

“Extremely strong rip currents will prevail over the next five to seven days particularly during the high tides’ return to low tide twice a day,” said spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

Spring tides occurred twice a month, at full moon and again at new moon, and lasted a few days before and after the event, he said.

Spring tide rip currents had been known to sweep people off their feet while standing in ankle-deep water at beaches.

“We are concerned that this spring tide peak arrives smack in the middle of the New Year festivities, a time when more people will be at our beaches than normal,” Lambinon said.

taken from News24

Valencia – Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites are inceasingly being targeted by cyber-criminals drawn to the wealth of personal information supplied by users, experts warn.

Data posted on the sites – name, date of birth, address, job details, email and phone numbers – is a windfall for hackers, participants at Campus Party, one of the world’s biggest gatherings of internet enthusiasts, said.

A vicious virus Koobface – “koob” being “book” in reverse – has affected thousands of Facebook and Twitter users since August 2008, said Asier Martinez, a security specialist at global IT solutions provider Panda Security.

“Its spread has been very significant and it has been detected in 4 000 different variants,” he told AFP at the week-long event which wraps up on Sunday in Valencia in eastern Spain.

The virus hijacks the accounts of social networking site users and sends messages steering friends to hostile sites coontaining malware, a malicious software often designed to infiltrate a computer system for illicit purposes.

In one of its variants, Koobface sends the victim a warning that its Flash player is outdated along with an invitation to download a new version, which is is in fact the virus.

Malware can be used to steal bank account data or credit card information once installed on a personal computer.

Facebook has sought to resist attacks by Koobface and similar viruses by blocking links to hostile sites and shutting down accounts from users that show signs of infection, such as sending too many messages.

“You also must be very careful with people who ask to join your friends list,” said Laura Garcia, who writes a popular blog about internet security, adding that hackers often sent requests.

Another danger of social networking sites are the popular quizzes, horoscopes and games made available for free to users which can sometimes be used to hide links to hostile sites, she added.

Birthday greetings and well as messages sent at Christmas and other holidays may also appear to come from friends when in fact they are linked directly to sites that try to convince would-be victims to reveal personal information like passwords or bank numbers, said Martinez.

The vulnerability of social networking sites was underscored in a study by security company Sophos made public earlier this month.

It found that about half of all companies un the United States block some or all access to them due to concerns about cyber incursions via the sites.

Facebook says that less than 1% of its users have been affected by a security issue, such as a virus, since the site opened in 2004.

Garcia said the number of viruses detected in recent years has exploded while the profile of cyber-criminals has changed.

“Before it was very savvy teenagers who wanted to show off their computer skills. Now you don’t really need to know much about information technology to be a hacker, all the tools have already been created,” she said.

Real cybercrime mafias have now taken over, especially in Russia, China Brazil and the Ukraine whose goals are purely economic gain, she said, underscoring that hacking could be highly lucrative.

For an initial investment of $1 500 for Mpack, a programme created to infect web pages, hackers can obtain a profit of between 21 000 and $847 000 in just one month, Martinez said.

Around 6 000 people are expected to attend the Campus Party, which unites participants from all over the world to share ideas, experiences and all types of activities related to computers, communications and new technology.

The annual event began in Spain in 1997. Editions of the event have since been held in Brazil and Colombia.

story from News24

Police are calling on female drivers to remain alert at all times after at least two smash and grab incidents near the Stellenbosch Arterial were reported this week.

The first incident occurred on Tuesday on the Bellville R300 while another took place on Wednesday at the Stellenbosch Arterial.

Both victims were females.

Police said they had not established whether the perpetrators of the crime committed it in groups or as individuals.

“Problem areas are around Hindel Road, N2, R300 off ramps and on ramps. Basically they are targeting females, and it will be in the early part of the evening. What they are doing is they are breaking the passenger windows, taking the items that is [are] on the passenger seat and then running off,” said the police’s Deon Jaftha.

taken from EWN

San Jose – Minutes after any big celebrity dies, internet swindlers get to work. They pump out specially created spam e-mails and throw up malicious websites to infect victims’ computers, hoping to capitalise on the sudden high demand for information.

Michael Jackson’s death was no different, and security experts say the fraud artists are just getting started.

The scams started cropping up almost instantaneously as Jackson’s death was still hitting the news. As days have gone by, they’ve gotten more sophisticated – and dangerous.

Jackson’s death “took a lot of people by surprise – the spammers, too”, said Dermot Harnett, principal analyst for anti-spam engineering at Symantec Corp, a security software maker.

“It might take them some time to really pounce on this issue. They are catching up pretty quickly, though.”

Internet attacks

Any major world event, such as the recent protests in Iran, triggers a barrage of internet attacks.

Security experts say the malicious traffic associated with Jackson’s death will likely match and perhaps exceed those of other big spamming campaigns, such as those connected with the swine flu outbreak and Saddam Hussein’s execution.

Spam is the most common way for fraudsters to find victims after these types of events.

They can use a shotgun approach with a boilerplate message about Jackson, taking advantage of people’s interests in the topic to improve their batting average over their usual spam campaigns.

By enticing users with such messages and tricking them into clicking on e-mail attachments, scammers can easily infect victims’ computers and take command of them for more nefarious activities.

Stealing passwords

The spam about Jackson’s death gets more convincing every day.

One message promises a YouTube video showing the exclusive “last work of Michael Jackson”. Instead, victims get a malicious program that steals their passwords.

Another promises to show the “latest unpublished photos” of Jackson if you click on a link – one that also tries to install a password-stealing program on your machine.

Others purport to be from legitimate news outlets and may contain accurate enough information to convince viewers they’re real enough to click on. Others promise access to secret songs.

The effects of specific spam campaigns, like the one surrounding Jackson’s death, are hard to quantify, though. Spam levels are already so high that there might not be a noticeable increase in overall spam levels, Harnett said.

By some estimates spam accounts for more than 90% of all e-mail sent around the world, though the bulk of the messages get filtered out before ever reaching the user.

Gold mine for criminals

Celebrity deaths are a gold mine for criminals because lots of people go online looking for news. Google Inc says the spike in searches for news stories about Jackson’s death was so sharp the company initially mistook it for an automated attack.

Many of the information-seekers can be tricked, via e-mail, into visiting malicious websites.

That opens the door to all kinds of nastiness, like spying on what someone’s typing or using the hijacked machine to send spam.

There are also so many more websites about celebrities after their deaths that it’s hard to figure out which ones are legitimate fan sites, and which ones were created by criminals.

Registrations of domain names related to Jackson have spiked since the pop icon died on Thursday afternoon.

A leading registration company, GoDaddy.com, said it registered about 7 500 such names since then.

Actress Farrah Fawcett, who died the same day, got about 100 domains in the same period.

GoDaddy said, however, that it had yet to get any complaints that any of those addresses were used for scams.

Malicious software

Within minutes of Jackson’s death hitting the news, scammers started sending out spam e-mails with links purportedly to provocative news stories or videos about Jackson.

The news stories, of course, never appear. Instead, people who click on those links are often directed to sites that try to install viruses.

Another thing to remember: It’s not wise even to just “check out” a link you’re interested in if you suspect the site might be bogus.

Sometimes just visiting a malicious website is enough to get you infected, and you don’t need to actively download anything at all.

Many scams do ask people to download a video player or other piece of software – supposedly so they can see the video or hear the audio – that winds up being a piece of malicious software.

The lesson for users is, as always, avoid unsolicited links from senders you don’t know, and don’t install any programs that an unknown site is telling you need.

taken from News24

Stellenbosch – Three men appeared in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with an incident in which a cyclist was shot with an air rifle.

The shooting took place shortly after 08:00 on Saturday morning, as Francois Raath, 51, from Bellville, was cycling along Bottelary Road with a group of nine cyclists. He sustained a flesh wound to his right side.

Stellenbosch police spokesperson Aubrey Marais said Randal Vosloo, 20, and Ivan Jones, 38, were arrested that day while Laurentios van Niekerk, 23, was arrested on Sunday. All three men are from Kraaifontein.

The suspects had reportedly been visiting friends on the farm Bellevue, about 200m from where the shooting took place.

The men are facing charges of assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. They were released on bail of R300 each on Monday. The case has been postponed until July 1.

Raath is part of a group of cyclists who ride on Bottelary Road to Stellenbosch every Saturday, where they have coffee before returning home.

On Saturday morning, Raath was cycling alongside another cyclist – on the side of the road, but inside the yellow line – when a Mazda 323 narrowly scraped past them. The passenger door was merely an arm’s length away from Raath when he heard the shot.

The next thing he knew, there was a burning pain in his side.

“I’ve been shot! I’ve been shot!” he screamed.

When he lifted up his clothes, he could see blood around a wound in his side. He couldn’t feel a bullet, but there was a hole straight through his three layers of clothing.

In the midst of the confusion, Raath looked up and noticed the Mazda turning into Bellevue Road.

The group of cyclists rode to the farm gate where they waited for the police to arrive. Stellenbosch police were on the scene within 15 minutes, where they took the cyclists’ statements, said Raath.

Raath is one of two cyclists in the group who have been knocked off their bicycles by cars on the same road in the past.

“All of us are stunned and concerned. It almost makes you too scared to go for a ride,” he said.

“This is not the spirit of the sport. We ride inside the yellow line. We wear high-visibility clothing. We have lights on the front and back of our bicycles. What more can we do?”

story from News24

You’ve seen the naughty posters sprinkled all over the Mother City and wonder what it’s about? Now in its second successful tour of the country, Sexpo – a health, sexuality and lifestyle exposition – is on at the Cape Town ICC until May 17. Not sure if you should go? Health24’s Wilma Stassen and Heather Parker have the insider’s story about working at Sexpo…

From leather to lace, to things that go “brrrr-rrrr” in the night; past latex, lubricants and lingerie…. We’ve sauntered casually past things that would ordinarily make anyone stop dead in their tracks.

The ticket office is a scrum all day, every day, as people come for a peek at the exhibits at this naughty lifestyle exhibition for over 18s. Some… er… come more than once. “South Africans are becoming more comfortable with their sensuality,” said a spokesperson for the expo. “The focus is on fun as well as sexual health.”

That may be so, but when Health24 was there (at Sexpo in Gauteng), it was astonishing how many visitors even to our tame stand felt they needed to tell us they were there for business only. Of course. Because they were in the import business and were checking out merchandising opportunities. Or because they were working backstage, in charge of sports massage for the dancers. Not a soul admitted to the sheer titillation of a hall focused primarily on everyone’s favourite after-hours activity: recreational sex. (continue reading…)

London – A British man successfully brought his son into the world by following instructions for child delivery on a YouTube video, it was reported on Friday.

Marc Stephens, a Royal Navy engineer from Redruth, in Cornwall, said he watched the video as a precaution when his wife Jo started to feel some discomfort.

He jumped into action several hours later as an ambulance failed to arrive at the house on time and the regular midwife was busy on another birth.

“I googled how to deliver a baby, watched a few videos and basically swotted up,” Stephens told the BBC.

“The videos gave me peace of mind. I think I would have coped, but watching videos made things much easier.”

“I was still on the phone to the midwife and told her that ‘this is it’,” added Stephens.

The happy mother had planned a home birth, “but not quite in this manner,” she said after giving birth to Gabriel, the couple’s fourth child. – Sapa-dpa

taken from News24

Stellenbosch – “You’ve won! And I will double any amount you give me right now.”

A conman used these words to rob an elderly woman of R50 000 in a shop in the Somerset Mall in Somerset West.

Police are now searching for the man and an accomplice who apparently helped to swindle the woman (and possibly others) out of thousands of rands.

Suzan Jantjies, spokesperson for the police in Somerset West, said on Wednesday that the latest incident involved a 76-year-old woman being approached by a man who identified himself as Chris Visser, a well-known sports presenter on TV. He was supposedly conducting a soccer competition.

“A second suspect came closer and asked whether the man was the famous sports presenter. The first suspect reportedly laughed and admitted that it was indeed him,” Jantjies said.

Visser told the woman and the second suspect that they had each won R1 500. He said that more money could be won if the woman were to choose a specific device in the shop’s tool section.

When the woman chose a tool, Visser yelled: “You’ve won!” He then explained to her that he would double any amount of money she gave him.

According to Jantjies the woman gave Visser her banking details and a transaction of R50 000 was made, after which both men disappeared.

story from News24

Cape Town – Fires continued to burn on the mountains around Cape Town as temperatures across the Western Cape soared to above 40°C.

A spokesperson from the SA Weather Service said temperatures would remain in the upper thirties and lower forties until Saturday afternoon.

She said the hot weather was being caused by hot offshore north easterly winds.

“When this happens the Western Cape usually experiences hot weather,” she said. “We expect the heatwave to continue until Saturday afternoon. From then on the severity of the temperature will drop slightly.”

She said no rain was expected by the weekend and that the risk of fires spreading was high due to the dryness of the terrain in the Western Cape.

“It is becoming drier, so if a wind comes up there is a strong risk of a fire.”

The heatwave has worried organisers of and entrants to Argus cycle race to be held on Sunday. Some 35 000 people are expected to take part in the race.

When it gets to hot in The Argus, take it all off!

An organiser for the race said preparations had been made to deal with any problems arising from the heat.

The organisers had received forecasts that the maximum temperature on Sunday would be 29°C.

Info taken from News24

Drakenstein fire services were battling a fire raging in the mountains above Paarl on Thursday morning.

The fire broke out in the Voortrekkerskamp area late on Wednesday night.

Drakenstein fire chief, Dereck Damos said firefighters worked throughout the night to contain the blaze, but that strong winds were hampering their efforts.

Western Cape authorities had warned that the province would experience heat wave conditions until Friday.

Temperatures on Thursday were set to reach 38 degrees in Cape Town, 40 in the Boland and 42 on the West Coast.

The conditions favoured runaway fires, and authorities warned open fires were prohibited.

Please Note

Capetonians Urged To Be Extra Careful With Fires

Cape Town’s Fire Department has appealed to the public to be vigilant because conditions are favorable for runaway fires.

With windy, heat wave-like conditions expected over the next few days, authorities fear runaway fires could flare up again.

Clive Schmidt from Cape Town Fire Services has appealed to all Capetonians to be careful.

The South African Weather Service issued extreme weather warnings over the coming days as summer temperature soar.

for more info and up to date news visit EWN

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to ‘christianize’ celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.

This day helps to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. It is led by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), a global consortium of more than 280 cancer-fighting organizations in over 90 countries. World Cancer Day targets the public through global communications marking, and encourages policy makers and UICC member organizations to make cancer a political priority.

The campaign emphasizes that 43% of cancers can be prevented through these healthy behaviors:
* Provide a smoke-free environment for children
* Be physically active, eat a balanced, healthy diet, and avoid obesity
* Learn about vaccines for virus-related liver and cervical cancers
* Avoid over-exposure to the sun

Visit CANSA for more information on treating and coping with this fears desease!

1. I will have a cup of coffee in the morning and read my PAPER newspaper like I used to, before the Web.
2. I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand typing.
3. I will get dressed before noon.
4. I will make an attempt to clean the house, wash clothes, and plan dinner before even thinking of the Web.
5. I will sit down and write a letter to those unfortunate few friends and family that are Web-deprived.
6. I will call someone on the phone who I cannot contact via the Web.
7. I will read a book… if I still remember how.
8. I will listen to those around me about their needs and stop telling them to turn the TV down so I can hear the music on the Web.
9. I will not be tempted during TV commercials to check for email.
10. I will try and get out of the house at least once a week, if it is necessary or not.
11. I will remember that my bank is not forgiving if I forget to balance my checkbook because I was too busy on the Web.
12. Last, but not least, I will remember that I must go to bed sometime… and the Web will always be there tomorrow!

And there you thought The Upside Down House was weird, well let’s try The Green Roof!

The green movement is in full swing and it has become very popular in home decor. Many home owners find that they can enjoy the luxury of functional fashion while still remaining eco-friendly in their furniture, flooring and everything in between. Among the many items that are going green, roofs have become a great place to start your eco-friendly renovations.

For some Green Roof Pictures use the jump.

(continue reading…)