Thursday, October 05, 2006

Service Taps Community to ID Mail Scams

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - A new service for fighting e-mail fraud seeks to tap the wisdom of the Internet community: Anyone will be able to submit suspected scams for others to vote up or down.

Freedom Networks LLC's OpenDNS, which provides free directory services necessary to translate a Web site's domain name into its actual numeric Internet address, developed the system to help block its users from so-called phishing sites. Such sites look real, but are actually scams to collect banking passwords and other personal information.

David Ulevitch, the company's chief executive, said the lists of phishing sites he had weren't all that good. He launched PhishTank this week under the belief the community could collectively do better - at no charge.

Users simply submit to PhishTank.com the messages they believe are scams.

Others then examine the message and the site to which it links and decide whether it is or isn't a scam. When an item gets enough votes and the margin is wide enough, it is either dropped or classified as a phishing message. To prevent scammers from trying to game the system, votes are weighed based on how long, how often and how accurate one has rated other messages.

More than 300 messages have been verified as scams as of Wednesday afternoon.

PhishTank isn't the first to seek the community's input to fight scams, but Ulevitch said that unlike the others, the company is offering access to the database for rivals to use for free.

- Anick Jesdanun, AP Internet Writer.


THE PHISH TANK NEWS FEED CAN BE FOUND ON THIS PAGE! FIND IT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT COLUMN.

Monday, October 02, 2006

BudgetTravelOnline.com: "A Softy for Milwaukee"

The city has always been a nice place. Recent improvements, however, have also made it a nice place to visit

Ted Loos

At 17, I was never too pooped to polka. I grew up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, and on Friday nights, a group of friends from high school and I would go to a restaurant outside town called Etzel's. It was a classic wood-paneled German-American joint, the kind of place where Friday night's fish fry was the biggest event around. We would drink beer, and once the polka band started up, we'd swing into action. Part of the fun was asking folks to join us in kicking up our heels to "Roll Out the Barrel."

It was a blast, but it was also proof of something I feared: Milwaukee was irredeemably dorky. In the mid-1980s, the city was most famous for Laverne & Shirley, a reference still maddeningly brought up by everyone not from there. A friendly, safe place to grow up? Definitely. But cool it was not.

At the time, I didn't understand a fundamental principle by which Milwaukeeans live. They feel their hometown is a wonderful place that, with a little effort, could get even better.

I went to Milwaukee recently, accompanied by Sam and Stephanie, two high school friends who were my polka partners at Etzel's, and we were pleasantly surprised by the results of that can-do spirit. Take the Milwaukee Art Museum. I had always been put off by the severe modernism of the 1957 Eero Saarinen building. But I loved what was inside, especially a groovy walk-in conceptual art piece that simulated deep space. Putting a treasure like that in such a building seemed like storing a bouquet of roses in a filing cabinet.

I later came to love modernism. Even as I changed, however, the museum changed, too. In 2001, Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava installed a 90-foot-high reception hall topped by movable louvers--in essence, a huge sunroof. And it gave the city a skyline icon--a mast-like spire with two wings that soar out over Lake Michigan. Constructing the enormously expensive building got the museum into financial troubles. To me, it felt like Milwaukee was finally reaching for the stars, which can mean overreaching a bit.

Back in the day, overreaching mainly applied to portions of food. Quantity, not quality, was the culinary rule. My friend Diane and I used to joke about wearing out the treads in our shoes because we made so many trips to a favorite buffet.

Certainly there were exceptions. My parents introduced me and my sister to morels and other fancy foods at Sanford's, back when restaurants like that were rare. Today Sanford's is in good company. In 1999, the chef/owner at Sanford's, Sandy D'Amato, opened Coquette Cafe, a wonderful bistro. Eating coq au vin with smoked bacon, I could just as easily have been in New York or Paris. Roots, which styles itself after the artisanal restaurants of California, is a terrific addition to the scene. One of the restaurant's partners grows organic produce on a 67-acre farm outside of town. The unusual dishes--grilled pigeon peas with a green chili and tomato confit--are a far cry from a fish fry. And now home chefs have all the artisanal ingredients they need, thanks to the new Milwaukee Public Market, with food from local farmers and purveyors.

The food scene isn't the only thing being updated. A neighborhood called Avenues West is in the midst of a long-necessary revival. It has a glorious architectural past; the westernmost stretch of Wisconsin Avenue was a late-19th- century Milwaukee version of Millionaire's Row. Many of the mansions had been torn down, however, and for the past few decades, Avenues West didn't have much tourist appeal. One grand building that was spared is the Ambassador Hotel, an art deco beauty built in 1928. (In the 1950s, a relative of mine was married there.) As a bellboy cheerfully told me, the hotel had become downright "nasty," and last year, it emerged from a spiffy transformation. Stephanie and Sam, raised in the suburbs like I was, were skeptical when I told them about the Ambassador's location. But once they saw the restored marble floors and etched-glass sconces in the lobby, they were impressed.

On our last day, we had a whole lot of plans. Unfortunately, Etzel's wasn't in the cards, because it has closed. But we were able to revisit another old favorite: Kopp's, a 1950s-style hamburger joint with top-notch frozen custards. The staff is earnest in that Milwaukee way ("I'm sorry, we sure don't have any more Butter Brickle"). Then we went to a Brewers game. I was ready to hate Miller Park, the new baseball stadium. I thought the domed glass-and-steel building would be a little too shiny.

The concrete floors of the stadium positively gleamed, and there was corporate sponsorship everywhere. But Bob Uecker, famous for being jokingly clueless in Miller Lite commercials, was still doing the radio broadcast, and a mascot went down a long slide when the Brew Crew got a hit--just as we remembered.

The Brewers won, and the organist even played a strain of "Roll Out the Barrel" to celebrate a hit. To three veteran polka fans, it sure felt like home.

Lodging

# Ambassador Hotel 2308 W. Wisconsin Ave., 414/342-8400, ambasshotel.com, from $99

Food

# Coquette Cafe 316 N. Milwaukee St., 414/291-2655, coq au vin $17

# Roots 1818 N. Hubbard St., 414/374-8480, pigeon pea appetizer $8

# Kopp's 5373 N. Port Washington Rd., 414/961-3288, scoop $1.80

Activities

# Milwaukee Art Museum 700 N. Art Museum Dr., 414/224-3220, $8

# Miller Park 1 Brewers Way, 414/902-4400

# Public Market 400 N. Water St., 414/336-1111

U.S. SENATOR BARACK OBAMA to Visit Milwaukee


In association with Harry W. Schwartz booksellers, Obama will make an appearance in Milwaukee. The Illinois Senator and rising star in the Democratic party delivers an eloquent and hard-hitting book that proclaims his vision for American politics.

Tuesday, October 31, Pitman Theatre - 12:00 pm
Noon event - boxed lunches will be available for $9.50 (request when ordering tickets)
- $32 ticket includes a copy of The Audacity of Hope

Visit www.alverno.edu for ticket information.

In late March 2005, Obama announced his first proposed Senate bill, the Higher Education Opportunity through Pell Grant Expansion Act of 2005 (HOPE Act), which aims to raise the maximum amount of Pell Grant awards to help assist American college students with paying for their tuition. Obama announced the bill at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and said, "Everywhere I go, I hear the same story: 'We work hard, we pay our bills, we put away savings, but we just don't know if it's going to be enough when that tuition bill comes.'"

In May 2006, Obama campaigned to maintain a $0.54 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol. Obama justified the tariff by joining Senator Durbin in stating that "ethanol imports are neither necessary nor a practical response to current gasoline prices," arguing instead that domestic ethanol production is sufficient and expanding.

Also in May of 2006, Obama campaigned to reform immigration law to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented workers currently in the United States through a system of fines and back taxes, learning English, satisfying a work requirement, and passing a background check. Obama also called for greater security on the border with Mexico.

In June 2006, Obama campaigned against making recent, temporary estate tax cuts permanent, calling the cuts a "Paris Hilton" tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses". He was one of forty-one Democratic and Republican Senators who voted to prevent a bill to eliminate or shrink taxes on inherited estates from advancing in the Senate.

In July of 2006 Obama teamed with Senators Coburn (R-OK), Carper (D-DE), and McCain (R-AZ) to introduce S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, the purpose of which is to provide citizens with a website, managed by the Office of Management and Budget, which would list all organizations receiving Federal funds from 2007 onward, providing breakdowns based on the agency allocating the funds, the dollar amount given and the purpose of the grant or contract.

Presidential ambitions

Obama's keynote speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention brought his speaking skill, unique personal story, and inclusive message before a national audience, fueling expectations that the energetic politician would some day run for U.S. President. Speculation on a 2008 presidential run intensified after his decisive U.S. Senate election win in November 2004, prompting Obama to tell reporters: "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years". Asked again in a January 2006 television appearance on Meet the Press, Obama repeated his intention to finish his Senate term.

Nonetheless, Illinois senior U.S. Senator Dick Durbin has consistently urged Obama to consider running. A December 2005 article published in the The New Republic, reasoned that, with no incumbent president or vice president in the race, 2008 offers Obama his best chance at winning the presidency.

In September 2006, Obama's Senate primary opponent Daniel Hynes, in an open letter published in the Chicago Sun-Times, urged Democrats to draft Obama for the 2008 Presidential race. Also in September, Obama was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, a political event favored by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucus. "What a wonderful reception; I’m going to have to come to Iowa again", the New York Times quoted Obama as saying before he began his speech.

AIR AMERICA RADIO for Milwaukee update

Hey Progressive Radio Supporters!

We’ve been quiet for awhile, but that doesn't mean we've been idle. There’s been a lot going on
behind the scenes, both here in Milwaukee and – as you may have heard – at the AAR network.

First of all there was the foolish firing of everyone's favorite Truthteller, Mike Malloy, and
the resulting cryptic statement from the network that it was for "financial reasons." Then there
was a rumor started on ThinkProgress.org that AAR was going bankrupt. It was unfounded;
nevertheless AAR does seem to be struggling financially.

Now we hear tell that there is something in the works that may end up resolving both of those
predicaments for the best – the network’s financial trouble and the status of the "Mike Malloy
Show." Unfortunately, we can’t share the details with you, Truthseekers – at least not quite
yet. Our friends at Nova M Radio have sworn us to secrecy on a stack of "The Truth (with jokes)"
by Al Franken. But trust us, the winds of positive change are in the air.

So what can we tell you? For one, we have a brand shiny new web site, courtesy of our friends at
3rd Coast Multimedia (http://www.3cm.net). Our address is still http://AirAmericaMilwaukee.com,
but now our site has lots of fun bells and whistles that will let those who haven’t heard Air
America Radio to discover it for themselves. Plus we'll be featuring guest blogs by some of the
your favorite local and national bloggers! Check it out.

In addition, we continue to look at purchasing that great station with a powerful signal that we
mentioned awhile back. But our Nova M friends have limited resources – they're looking at you
and me, Mr. & Ms. Milwaukee, to pick up the slack. In other words, we need your financial help.
Please become a Founding Sponsor of Air America Milwaukee at:



http://www.logyourblog.com/WI/

As a progressive, you know that Milwaukee badly needs a progressive media outlet to balance the
political dialogue, which has tilted severely right. Becoming a Founding Sponsor of AAR-MKE is
an investment in Milwaukee’s political future. So take two minutes and go to:



http://www.logyourblog.com/WI/

And urge your progressive friends to become Founding Sponsors too! It’s time to stop griping
about Charlie, Mark and Jessica. It’s time to make a difference.

Thank you for supporting a progressive voice in Southeastern Wisconsin!

Peace,
The Milwaukee Air Force
http://AirAmericaMilwaukee.com

About Jim Doyle


Since taking office in 2003, Governor Jim Doyle has worked hard to move Wisconsin forward, fighting to make Wisconsin more affordable for middle class and working families.

Personal History – the Peace Corps, a Prosecutor, and Governor

Governor Jim DoyleBorn on November 23, 1945, to James E. Doyle Sr. and Ruth Bachhuber Doyle, Governor Doyle and his three sisters grew up in Madison.

Governor Doyle’s parents were founding members of the modern Democratic Party in Wisconsin and he credits them for instilling him with a strong commitment to public service, and an unwavering desire to improve the lives of working families.

Governor Doyle and the First Lady, Jessica Laird Doyle, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Inspired by John F. Kennedy’s call to public service, after college Jim and Jessica joined the Peace Corps, working for two years as teachers in Tunisia, Africa.

The Peace Corps showed Jim and Jessica just how big a difference a committed person can make in the lives of others – and taught them lessons about service that they would carry with them for a lifetime.

After Jim graduated in 1972 from Harvard Law School, their commitment to service brought Jim and Jessica to the Navajo Indian Reservation in Chinle, Arizona. Jim provided legal services for families who couldn’t afford it, while Jessica taught children to read.

After adopting their first son, Gus, the couple moved back to Wisconsin, where they always knew they wanted to raise their family. Three years later, they adopted a second son, Gabe. The Doyle family now includes a grandson, Asiah.

In 1976, Jim was elected Dane County District Attorney, and spent three terms putting hardened criminals behind bars – sometimes for life. When he left that office, he spent eight years building his own private law practice. He was elected Wisconsin’s Attorney General in 1990.

Jim was reelected as Attorney General in 1994 and 1998, gaining a reputation as a fighter for working people and the middle class, taking on big money special interests like big tobacco, and standing up for Wisconsin consumers

In 2002, Jim Doyle won a hard fought three way Democratic primary, and then went on to defeat Republican Governor Scott McCallum. He was the only Democrat in the country to defeat an incumbent Republican governor, and became the first Democratic governor of Wisconsin in 16 years.

Governor of Wisconsin

Governor Jim DoyleWhen he took office, Governor Doyle inherited some of the most substantial challenges that the state has ever faced – a $3.2 billion budget deficit, a lagging economy, and a decline in good paying manufacturing jobs. Governor Doyle took bold action, balancing the budget without raising taxes, cutting wasteful government spending while protecting our schools, and creating more than 140,000 new jobs.

Governor Doyle is continuing to lead.

He has a plan to make Wisconsin more affordable for middle class and working families who are feeling squeezed. His Affordability Agenda will make sure that Wisconsin families can afford the health care they need, pay their heating bills and fill up at the gas pump, secure a good paying job and send their kids to college.

In other words, Governor Doyle is committed to making sure that we can all afford to live where we love to live – Wisconsin.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Proposal for Park East wins county board support

The Business Journal of Milwaukee - 2:51 PM CDT Thursday

Ruvin Development of Mequon and its co-developer Gatehouse Capital of Dallas won approval from the Milwaukee County Board Thursday to build a hotel, condos, offices, shops and a parking structure on a key parcel in Milwaukee's downtown Park East corridor.

Milwaukee County supervisors chose the Ruvin proposal over a competing plan from Rana Enterprises of Milwaukee for a hotel, offices, retail, parking and a gas station. Rana is a convenience store owner and developer.

The county board approved a resolution to sell the 73,000-square-foot property along West Juneau Ave. between North Third and Fourth streets to Ruvin and Gatehouse Capital for slightly more than $2.9 million.

Ruvin also owns the Sidney Hih complex on the corner of Juneau and Third and the former Gipfel Union Brewery building at 423 W. Juneau, which will be moved to a spot just west of Sidney Hih.

Sidney Hih will be incorporated into the new construction, which Ruvin principal Rob Ruvin estimates at $104 million. It will include 70 condos, a 175-room hotel, 55,000 square feet of offices, 31,000 square feet of retail, and a 330-car parking garage.

The county board resolution gives Ruvin nine months to exercise its option on the property, Ruvin said. He said the next step is to arrange financing -- a combination of debt and equity -- and he anticipates construction starting within one year. The project will be complete 18 to 24 months after construction starts, he said.

"We're very excited," Ruvin said of the county board vote.

He said his group had begun marketing the property to real estate brokers, who are expressing interest in the retail and residential elements of the project. He said the downtown hotel market is strong, and he and Gatehouse expect to disclose the hotel's flag in the near future.

Gatehouse has developed similar projects in Los Angeles, Dallas and San Diego.

COUNTY SUPERVISOR DIMITRIJEVIC upcoming listening sessions