A Warning on Tax Scammers From USA.GOV

Please note this warning from USA.GOV as tax season is before us!!

You're not the only one waiting for your tax refund. Scammers are looking for it too.  In fact, every year there are more and more scams designed to steal tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says these kinds of thefts have increased substantially  in the last few years. Between 2010 and 2012, the number of investigations opened by the IRS grew from 224 to 898, according to the latest figures. Find out more about tax refund scams, how to protect yourself  from identity theft and what to do if you are a victim.

Just Another Ordinary Face in the Crowd™: View of the Week: A Beautiful Scene on Easter Sund...

Just Another Ordinary Face in the Crowd™: View of the Week: A Beautiful Scene on Easter Sund...: I had a chance to stop by the local Easter Sunday Servce at St. Timothy's Parish This morning.    It was one of the most moving of scen...

A reminder about poisoning

This is courtesy of USA.GOV:

Every day, 87 people in the U.S. die as a result of unintentional poisoning and more than 2,200 are treated in emergency rooms. Most of these poisonings occur in people's homes.

Get tips to prevent poisonings, including:

• Never take larger or more frequent doses of your medications to try to get faster or more powerful effects.
• Turn on a light when you give or take medicines at night so that you know you have the right medicine and the correct amount.
• Keep medicines and chemicals in their original bottles or containers.
• To keep young children safe, store all medicines and household products up and out of sight and reach. 
• Secure the child safety cap every time you use a medicine.
• Do not refer to medicine as "candy."
• Get more tips...

Call 911 if a poison victim has collapsed or isn't breathing. If the victim is awake and alert, call thePoison Help line a 1-800-222-1222.

Thought 4 the Week

Thinking about "sinkholes"

I just received this from USA.Gov.   Although our Community is subject to such calamities, we still need to be aware and be vigilant--the first and foremost rule in Staying safe:

If you heard recent news reports about a devastating sinkhole in Florida, you may be wondering how this type of event occurs.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), sinkholes are most common in karst terrain, or regions where the rock below the land surface is soluble. When water from rainfall moves down through the soil, the rock begins to dissolve, creating spaces and caverns underground. If the underground spaces get too big, a sudden collapse occurs. About 20% of the United States is susceptible to sinkhole events, but the most damage tends to occur in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. Detailed geologic mapping, which defines areas of soluble rock at the surface and subsurface, can help educate land planners and policy makers about sinkhole risk. If you know that you live in an area underlain by soluble rock, check your property for holes in the ground or cracks in your structure's foundation. Learn more about the science of sinkholes from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Safety in Our Schools

On Friday, I attended the Monthly Legislative Committee Meeting for the PTSA whereby discussion ensued on Safety in the Capistrano Unified School District.   The District Serves 11 Cities and has over 53,000 Students spread over almost 85 facilities.    During the overview, they also discussed a close collaborative effort with the Orange Count Sheriff's Department.

How to Be Safe in a Virtual World: Brief Reflections

Evernote, a leading productivity online platform, became the latest target of attack by hackers.   Millions  of users were affected.     The need to be safe constantly (including changing passwords/checking & managing aggressively the online Virtual Presence) is a fact of life.    I tweeted about this earlier..and hope that the Community takes stock:

Mike Pouraryan ‏@mikepouraryan

Everyone has probably heard of the latest victim of hacking, Evernote..I changed my password..good idea for all 2 do:http://tinyurl.com/bvpoyay 

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A "Virtual Gift" For the Community

As we continue onward with our deliberations on Safety, I wanted to share this "Virtual Gift" courtesy of the team @ Wired Magazine which I hope folks enjoy:

Most Shared on Wired

David Bowie's New Album is Already Online, For Free (Legally)

You don't have to wait until March 12 to hear whether David Bowie's new album is any good; the long-awaited "T...