Originally written by Dodo Kaipdodo on June 29, 2009 1:44 PM  What I absolutely fail to understand is people complaining about being awakened in the middle of the night by silly and even criminal calls but still refusing to turn their phones off. Some seem afraid to do that, I don`t know why. Could anybody explain that to the dumb me?

Yes:

Once on a leash, always on a leash.

Originally written by Jacek K. on June 29, 2009 7:55 AM Once on a leash, always on a leash.

Congratulations, Jacek, you have got the gist of the poll!

Originally written by Maxi Schwarz-Bastami on June 27, 2009 8:49 AM  a miserable view of life

What can I say...

www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/MegaBBS/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp

www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/MegaBBS/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp

Are they fun, balloons? I always wanted to take a trip. I hate commercial airplains, but balloons are magnificent.

Originally written by Liliana Boladz-Nekipelov on June 29, 2009 4:07 PM Are they fun, balloons?

Not bad. But if you want to really feel the flight, try an ultra-light or a hang-glider.

What is a hang-glider?

No, that would be too freaky for me, I like baloons, big and slow, just moving slowly above the ground.

Originally written by Liliana Boladz-Nekipelov on June 30, 2009 1:49 PM What is a hang-glider?

Google > Images > hang-glider = voila!

Originally written by Dodo Kaipdodo on June 27, 2009 1:01 PM People saying they enjoy privacy are optimists. Blind to reality, too, I`m sorry to note.

None of the options offered applies to me. The question was whether I need privacy and my answer would be simply "yes" but a simple "yes" option has not been provided.

I believe that a reasonable amount of privacy is possible if I don't attract anybody's attention. If somebody or some organization actively targets me then I don't stand a chance.

Some time back I watched a German police demonstration of a computer program used for analyzing the contents of trash cans. They just tipped a demo trash can out onto a table and entered each item into the program which slowly built up a really amazing profile of the person or persons whose trash it was (the program was able to tell before the trash was even half processed that two persons were living in the house). They even mentioned the practice of delivering test mail to the house a day or two before to see what gets thrown out and what has interested the people in the house and been kept back. Simple things like the presence of dog food cans in the trash says that there is a dog in the house which would have to be taken care of if the intention is to break in and plant a bug. A scribbled note on the back of an envelope like "6295" might be a PIN and g78jj?*5t might well be that cunning password that nobody could possibly guess.

Since I saw that demo, I have run all our personalized paper, old envelopes, documents, leaflets, copies of translations, bank statements, and similar stuff through a shredder. You really have to shred everything, not just the sensitive stuff, and mix it thoroughly before dumping it in a place where it cannot be identified as yours. You need a steady output of about the same quantity of shredded stuff at regular intervals, a sudden increase in the amount you shred says that you are now doing something sensitive.

The policeman giving the demo said that carelessly throwing out information useful to criminals into the trash can was just as risky as leaving your handbag or your wallet unattended on your car seat.

To paraphrase the old saying: The price of privacy is eternal vigilance!

Derek

Originally written by Derek Thornton on July 13, 2009 7:13 AM Since I saw that demo, I have run all our personalized paper, old envelopes, documents, leaflets, copies of translations, bank statements, and similar stuff through a shredder. You really have to shred everything, not just the sensitive stuff, and mix it thoroughly before dumping it in a place where it cannot be identified as yours. You need a steady output of about the same quantity of shredded stuff at regular intervals, a sudden increase in the amount you shred says that you are now doing something sensitive.

They had the "ribbon" shredder, and then the "confetti" shredder. Next, I would suggest a masher wherein the "confetti" would be mixed with water and pressed into a brick-like pulp. In the meantime, you may want to cut out the passwords and burn it or mash it and dump into the toilet bowl.