Cave News

No Escape - clean car needs dirty gas

The Ford Escape Hybrid, unveiled this week here at the New York International Automobile Show, averaged over 38 miles per gallon (61 kilometers per gallon) in a nonstop, 37-hour test drive around New York City. The Escape Hybrid's chief engineer, Mary Ann Wright, dubbed the drive a "commuter's nightmare”.

A mean green machine, the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV is priced at about $7,000 more than the gasoline only version.

Phishing with spoof emails

Internet security experts have warned repeatedly about what they call, “spoof emails”. These emails have become especially prevalent in the last year.

Spoof emails are sent with the sender name, location and email address disguised or spoofed to look like the email was sent by your bank, eBay, PayPal, etc. They look legitimate but are sent by crackers in an attempt to phish for sensitive information such as your social security number, account number or account name, password, etc. This information can then be used to steal your identity so they can steal your cash or your credit -- or both.

Ever get an email asking you to verify your bank account number and PIN number? Typically they will ask you to click on a link in the email which will take you to a crackers web site and NOT the Bank web site. That is a classic spoof email phishing for your sensitive information. Everything looks OK and that’s why the scam works.

Never give Bank information, credit information, account number, Social Security number, etc. in response to an email request no matter how legitimate the email looks or how legitimate the linking web site looks. Instead, call the Bank and ask if they are verifying account information over the Internet. If the Bank needs to verify accounts they will NOT use emails to initiate the process.

Hotel key card hoax

When we were in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last week end we stayed at a hotel near the 41st Street I-29 Interstate exit. As we received our key cards at the registration desk, I couldn’t help but think of a recent email hoax that circulated for several months.

This email hoax alarms the public by stating that hotel key cards contain personal information about the guest. This information is said to include social security numbers with expiration date and home addresses and can be used to make purchases and cash withdrawals.

The hoax email states that these cards are dumped in a drawer after use with the previous hotel guest information on the magnetic strip. A hotel employee can grab a handful of cards, take them home and access this information with a scanning device and a computer.

The email usually ends with a statement that that says, “this information is given to you by courtesy of the Pasadena (or some other city) Police Department”.

This is nothing more than a hoax. Hotel card keys do contain information. However, this information is minimal and is encrypted on the magnetic strip. Even if the hotel did not erase the magnetic strip between each card use, information such as your name, arrival/departure date and room number would be of no use to a thief.

Bullets, wolves or the pill

The elk herds in Rocky Mountain National Park need to be thinned out. The herds in and around the park need to be reduced from 3,000 to 2,000 or less. Congress mandates that the land must be maintained in a natural state so the elk population must be reduced to maintain the trees.

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One option is to have a ranger-led hunting season in the park. Another option is the reintroduction of wolves. The third option being considered is a non-lethal method involving a hormone which will render a female elk sterile for one year. The hormone can be injected into the animal by dart gun.

Residents in the town of Estes Park, Colorado will welcome the herd reduction. Elk have been a nuisance there for a long time.

Looks like it will be bullets, wolves or the pill -- or maybe a combination of two options -- or maybe all of the above.