Human weakness is a hacker's paradise. Human weakness?! Pride, Overconfidence, Ignorance etc. And, I am not even talking about high-tech hacking. Common sense is good enough to qualify as a hacker. Here is a real-time example of how anyone with a fairly decent common sense can avail human weakness.
You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).
Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following, 'This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.
Without much thought, you might give this person your information, since the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information. Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.
If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then, go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information acting like a front desk employee.
Never underestimate such fraudsters. They specialize in Human Weakness and they will get to you before you know it.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wadis in Oman
A wadi is a dried up riverbed found in the mountain valleys. Wadis come into their own after heavy rains, when the rivers start running again and the vegetation is restored. However, some wadis have year-round running water, with deep, cool pools in which it is quite safe to swim if the currents are slow. On the whole, wadis are only accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle, as the terrain can be extremely bumpy.
Wadis are green, lush oases of palm trees, grasses, and flowering shrubs. It is always safest to visit wadis in a group or with a tour guide. Although they are beautiful places, they are often remote and car breakdowns can happen to anyone. Visitors must also be on the alert for rain clouds, as sudden downpours can lead to flash floods, which are highly dangerous when in the gorges.
A wadi is very dangerous if it is taken lightly, especially during rain. Imagine an empty pathway that gets filled with water in no time, during rainy days. In a region of deserts, one ought to wonder about the might of Mother Nature that pumps millions of gallons of water from nowhere.
People who do not realize the dangers of wadi, especially foreigners, are the most vulnerable victims. One does not have to dumb enough to go for the swim on a rainy day. One could get washed away along with their vehicles (no matter how huge and powerful the four-wheel drive is) if they are not patient enough to wait for the wadi to slow down.
Wadis are not necessary in the forest. Out of nowhere, you might come across a wadi on a drive in a highway. Even some of the local people, sometimes, have been consumed by these wadi just because they ignored the warning and crossed the wadis in their four-wheel drives. The crazy part is that the victim's bodies and their vehicles might be found, if lucky, perhaps, several miles away, after a few days.
But, if you plan your trip carefully, it could be one of the most memorable experiences of your lifetime. I have seen such locations only in movies. I was lucky to go for a picnic to a wadi which is in the picture on the right. Imagine swimming all morning....chicken curry and rice by the banks of the wadi.....a nap......then swimming.....It was wonderful and memorable......
Friday, December 18, 2009
You run out of superlatives…….
The follow-spot focused on the other dignitaries that walked to the stage. The boisterous crowd was getting restless trying to spot the guest of the evening, but for a few seconds there was speculation all over as to where the guest was. Adding fuel to fire, the follow-spot was flashed all over the stage to further scramble and confuse the audience’s attempt to spot this guest on or near the stage. To everyone’s surprise the stage backdrop split open and this person walked on to the stage waving to the screaming crowd. The crowd went berserk as if they had just seen a superstar. If you are an assuming person and if you did not know who was going to appear, you would be in for a big surprise.
“You run out of superlatives”, said one of the Sri Lankan cricketers to portray Tendulkar’s achievements. This phrase crossed my mind when I was one of the thousands of Indians that thronged to watch a great human speak, just a few meters away. This person is not richer than Tendulkar, but an Indian who has achieved great successes beyond fame and wealth. The person had a sheepish smile. If you are not an unassuming person, you might consider this person’s outward appearance as very sub-standard. His unusual hairstyle was intriguing. But, he entered the stage like a rock star amidst boisterously cheerful crowd. Is the suspense killing you? Good. It is no other than our great, humble, simple “Missile Man of India”. The person is also called as the People’s President. You still have not got it. Eh?! No worries. At first, I didn’t either. It was no other than our eleventh President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. A true superstar indeed….
Thousands of school students had the honor of having Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as the Chief Guest of an event in Muscat, Oman. The man is an epitome of simplicity and humility. The man has no mask playing the role of a superstar. He was just him. He spoke very simple English, yet so powerful that the crowd erupted for every word uttered. His word was strikingly clear and connecting with the audience. He made the students and parents say some oaths which were very untypical and powerful.
I am not sure if the students realize the fantastic opportunity given to them to meet the “People’s President”. The credit goes to the committee members that had worked so hard for over six months to make this grand function happen. Kudos to the committee members and many that worked behind the scenes.
It is a shame that such heroes are being sidelined in India’s political world. As humans, it is fair to assume that, most of us have wondered whether honesty, fairness, simplicity and humility will ever make us successful in our materialistic life. But, this man, with all these rare qualities, has made it all the way to the President’s office. That is great way to lead by example.
He spoke of some incidents in his life that were strikingly powerful.
The first incident was when his school teacher took the students to the beach in Rameswaram where he was born and bred. The teacher pointed towards a bird and explained how the birds fly. That incident lit a spark in his innocent mind and triggered a sequence of thoughts determined to become somebody in the field of aeronautics. He ended up making missiles. The rest is history.
The second incident was about his encounter with a group of tribal students during his tour across India, as part of his stupendous “India Vision 2020”. While many students expressed their ambitions to become a doctor or an engineer, there was one student whose response was particularly incredible. This student was visually challenged. The visually challenged student said to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, “I want to be the first visually challenged President of India”.
Well, I could not imagine what would have gone through Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s mind when he heard this. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam encouraged this boy to study well so that he could achieve his goals. The visually challenged boy scored high marks. His hard work, determination and ambition were so intense that he was selected by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Boston. Inspired by this visually challenged boy’s spirit, MIT has waived his fees 100%.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam paused for a few seconds, collected his thoughts, level-headed his emotions and said something very impressive about this boy. One could sense the joy and pride that Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had when he said, “This boy was offered a job by GE once he completed his studies. His response to GE: I will definitely take the job if I will not become the first visually challenged President of India”.
Impressive indeed!!
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has dedicated his life to ignite young minds across India. Imagine the capacity of igniting young minds like the mind of the visually challenged boy. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is doing a marvelous job of igniting millions of young minds. He is a true superstar and to describe a superhuman like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, you run out of superlatives.
http://www.indiavision2020.org/
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s theme of the speech:
AIMING LOW IS A CRIME.
“You run out of superlatives”, said one of the Sri Lankan cricketers to portray Tendulkar’s achievements. This phrase crossed my mind when I was one of the thousands of Indians that thronged to watch a great human speak, just a few meters away. This person is not richer than Tendulkar, but an Indian who has achieved great successes beyond fame and wealth. The person had a sheepish smile. If you are not an unassuming person, you might consider this person’s outward appearance as very sub-standard. His unusual hairstyle was intriguing. But, he entered the stage like a rock star amidst boisterously cheerful crowd. Is the suspense killing you? Good. It is no other than our great, humble, simple “Missile Man of India”. The person is also called as the People’s President. You still have not got it. Eh?! No worries. At first, I didn’t either. It was no other than our eleventh President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. A true superstar indeed….
Thousands of school students had the honor of having Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as the Chief Guest of an event in Muscat, Oman. The man is an epitome of simplicity and humility. The man has no mask playing the role of a superstar. He was just him. He spoke very simple English, yet so powerful that the crowd erupted for every word uttered. His word was strikingly clear and connecting with the audience. He made the students and parents say some oaths which were very untypical and powerful.
I am not sure if the students realize the fantastic opportunity given to them to meet the “People’s President”. The credit goes to the committee members that had worked so hard for over six months to make this grand function happen. Kudos to the committee members and many that worked behind the scenes.
It is a shame that such heroes are being sidelined in India’s political world. As humans, it is fair to assume that, most of us have wondered whether honesty, fairness, simplicity and humility will ever make us successful in our materialistic life. But, this man, with all these rare qualities, has made it all the way to the President’s office. That is great way to lead by example.
He spoke of some incidents in his life that were strikingly powerful.
The first incident was when his school teacher took the students to the beach in Rameswaram where he was born and bred. The teacher pointed towards a bird and explained how the birds fly. That incident lit a spark in his innocent mind and triggered a sequence of thoughts determined to become somebody in the field of aeronautics. He ended up making missiles. The rest is history.
The second incident was about his encounter with a group of tribal students during his tour across India, as part of his stupendous “India Vision 2020”. While many students expressed their ambitions to become a doctor or an engineer, there was one student whose response was particularly incredible. This student was visually challenged. The visually challenged student said to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, “I want to be the first visually challenged President of India”.
Well, I could not imagine what would have gone through Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s mind when he heard this. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam encouraged this boy to study well so that he could achieve his goals. The visually challenged boy scored high marks. His hard work, determination and ambition were so intense that he was selected by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Boston. Inspired by this visually challenged boy’s spirit, MIT has waived his fees 100%.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam paused for a few seconds, collected his thoughts, level-headed his emotions and said something very impressive about this boy. One could sense the joy and pride that Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had when he said, “This boy was offered a job by GE once he completed his studies. His response to GE: I will definitely take the job if I will not become the first visually challenged President of India”.
Impressive indeed!!
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has dedicated his life to ignite young minds across India. Imagine the capacity of igniting young minds like the mind of the visually challenged boy. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is doing a marvelous job of igniting millions of young minds. He is a true superstar and to describe a superhuman like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, you run out of superlatives.
http://www.indiavision2020.org/
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s theme of the speech:
AIMING LOW IS A CRIME.
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