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Homeland Security tells computer users to disable Java
January 12,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advising people to temporarily disable the Java software on their computers to avoid potential hacking attacks.
A vulnerability in the Java Security Manager allows a Java applet to grant itself permission to execute arbitrary code. An hacker could use social engineering techniques to entice a user to visit a link to a website hosting a malicious Java applet. An attacker could also compromise a legitimate web site and upload a malicious Java applet (a “drive-by download” attack).Any web browser using the Java 7 plug-in is affected. The Java Deployment Toolkit plug-in and Java Web Start can also be used as attack vectors.
Homeland Security believes hackers have found this flaw in Java’s coding creating an opening for criminal activity and other high-tech mischief. Reports indicate this vulnerability is being currently being actively exploited. .
Java is a widely used technical language developed by Sun Microsystems,that allows computer programmers to write a wide variety of Internet applications and other software programs that can run on just about any computer’s operating system. Oracle Corp. bought Java as part of a $7.3 billion acquisition of Sun in 2010.
We should pay our educational staff commensurate with the job they do
January 12,2012
They probably realized that soon, our principals will be in the same earnings arena as the superintendent. If that’s the case, why be responsible for the entire district? If this were the private sector, how many CEOs would be paid 175k plus a possible 15% bump to manage a $95 million business with 500+ employees ?
Years ago, we had a great super and several competent successors in the pipeline. Then, the BOE lost their collective mind and hired John ‘I never met a consultant I didn’t hire’ Porter and it’s been downhill ever since.
We should pay our educational staff commensurate with the job they do, for the service they provide to our families and must be held accountable. And, if they are not worthy of the job, they should be let go regardless if they have tenure or not.
Board of Education Contact the Board
Ms. Sheila Brogan, Board President sbrogan@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
Mr. B. Vincent Loncto, Vice President viloncto@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
WONDERING : Dr Fishbein makes considerably more the Dr. Gabbert. More then our Governor.
We have heard so much this last year about the Village Manager salary and the call from Mayor Aronsohn for 0% pay raise for all management which gain widespread support from the residents. Yet there is not even a whisper from these same resident when the BOED trustees lead by Michele Lenhart will be pushing for high pay for Dr. Fishbein.
The current base salary for our Superintendent as reported in The Ridgewood News is more than $220,000. ” A maximum additional 15% is possible said Lenhart”. The BOED is going to asking the state to reconsider the rigidity of its superintendent cap. Dr Fishbein makes considerably more the Dr. Gabbert. More then our Governor. More then any U S Cabinet Member.Dr. Fishbein salary is more then half of what the President of The United Sates makes. So I’m just wondering why no one is upset.
Do it for the Children: Ridgewood BOE to push for higher pay for superintendent
Friday January 11, 2013, 3:42 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
In coming weeks, the Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) will likely support a resolution, to be drafted by trustee Michele Lenhard, asking the state to reconsider the rigidity of its superintendent salary cap.
Citing the unintended consequences of the cap, including the greater difficulty to replace superintendents who have resigned, Lenhard proposed the resolution at last Monday’s BOE meeting.
After the meeting, Lenhard told The Ridgewood News that the BOE would likely be advocating for a “waiver application” with the resolution.
“It’s a resolution that would go before the New Jersey School Board [Association’s] Delegate Assembly,” said Lenhard, who will present a resolution draft to the board in a public meeting next week. “It would give them a position … We would be requesting them to oppose it, but I don’t know what would happen at the end of the day.”
According to Lenhard, it is possible that legislators might consider a waiver application for school districts that want to offer their superintendents higher pay – a possibility she said would be “a real positive step to increase flexibility.”
Banker Associates PC Joins Flackman, Goodman & Potter, P.A., CPA’s
January 11,2012
Ridgewood NJ, The accounting firm Flackman, Goodman & Potter, P.A., CPAs (FGP) is proud tp announce that Banker Assoicates PC, a Tenafly based accounting firm, has joined their team effective January 1, 2013 and Michael Banker, CPA has been admitted as Partner.
“The addition of Michael Banker and his staff will add significant talent into our dedicated team of professionals. Talent has driven the success of FGP and the addition of Banker allows a deeper pool of expertise and resources in the issues which confront our clients” said Jim Madormo, CPA, the firm’s managing partner.
The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood presents Catskill Puppet Theater’s “The Town that Fought Hate”
Monday, January 21, 2013 there will be two shows available 11 am and 1 pm. Perfect for Kids K-6th – All Seats $10.00
“The Town That Fought Hate” is based upon Janice Cohn’s award-winning children’s book. “The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate.” While The Town that Fought Hate is first and foremost great entertainment for young and old, it also gently imparts some timeless life lessons including the importance of standing up to bullies and haters, the power of community and the power of each of us – including children – to make a difference.
Up To 3.5% Of US 2013 GDP Could Evaporate Due To Enacted Tax Hikes
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/11/2013 15:16 -0500
When it comes to the impact of the just enacted 2013 tax hikes (payroll tax cut expiration affecting everyone together with the tax hike on those making over $400K), economists are in broad agreement on one thing: the first half of 2013 will be impacted by roughly a 1.0%-1.5% drop in GDP. However, a big question emerges when attempting to quantify the adverse impact on US growth as the year progresses past June 30. Most strategists and economists ignore this issue, and instead chose to believe that all shall be well as by July, the US population will be habituated to getting a smaller paycheck and general consuming behavior will no longer be impacted relative to a previous baseline.
Sadly, as we all know, there are three certain things in life: death, taxes, and the majority of economists being dead wrong, which is why it is prudent to consider an alternative, one which assumes that Americans don’t “habituate” to being poorer, and do not revert to a baseline spending model, regardless how much economists “will” a given outcome (especially since no estimates take into account spending cuts, which may happen, and which will serve as a double whammy to consumption in addition to already enacted tax hikes).
Which is why we were surprised to learn that according to at least one model created by Goldman, the total consumption hit for all of 2013 (not just H1), may well be higher than what most people assume. In fact, as Goldman shows, based on a model conceived by Christina and David Romer, it is possible that US GDP growth in the second half is slashed by an additional 2-2.5%, something which very likely will tip the country into recession as the combined impact over the entire year could be as high as 3.5%, eliminating even the most optimistic forecasts for organic growth in the US for the new year.
But it gets worse. As Goldman observes, “based on our reading of the debate in Washington, we have become more
concerned about our assumption that the automatic spending cuts (or
“sequester”) will be delayed into 2014. If the sequester takes effect as
scheduled from March 1, this would present an additional downside risk
to our growth forecast in the later part of the year.”
So the worst case scenario for GDP growth from tax hikes alone is already 3.5%, and one may have to add to that another several percent in GDP reduction from an spending cuts, which might well lead to a 4-5% GDP drop in 2013 in the worst case, a case determined solely by the dysfunction in Washington.
Should this happen, the implications for monetary policy and even further easing at that point (on top of the already enacted, indefinite $85 billion per month), not to mention risk and hard assets, are self-explanatory.
Millions noticing paychecks lighter today, due to payroll tax hike
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Gabriella Hoffman’s paycheck is a little lighter today, thanks to a payroll tax increase that is forcing millions of Americans to make the kind of tough budget cuts their representatives in Washington lawmakers seem unwilling to tackle.
Hoffman, a 21-year-old Virginian who works at a nonprofit, estimates her paycheck will be roughly $30 less this biweekly pay period, or about $780 annually, thanks to the end of a two-year cut on payroll taxes, which fund Social Security. The tax has risen back up to 6.2 percent from 4.2 percent, costing someone making $50,000 annually about $1,000 per year and a household with two high-paid workers up to $4,500.
“As a newly-graduated person, someone coming straight out of college, I don’t like the idea of having less money coming to me due to the selfish interests of people in Congress who don’t have any interest in reducing our financial problems,” Hoffman told FoxNews.com. “This is an impediment for future economic growth. It’s going to make it harder for young people like myself to get married, find a better job, you name it.”
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Volvo Sedan Slams Into UPS Truck on Lincoln Avenue In Ridgewood – One Injured
January 11,2012
Boyd A. Loving
6:23 PM
Ridgewood NJ, A Volvo sedan traveling southbound on Lincoln Avenue in Ridgewood slammed into a parked UPS truck on Friday evening, resulting in minor injuries to a passenger of the Volvo. The victim, an elderly resident of Fair Lawn, was transported to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood by members of the Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps. No other injuries were reported. Glen Rock PD and Ridgewood FD assisted at the scene. The damaged Volvo was removed from the scene by a flat bed tow truck. The mishap occurred in front of 252 Lincoln Avenue, between Orchard Place and West End Avenue.
An Offensive post on Facebook can get you Jail time …are we in trouble
January 11,2012
ths staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As a Village Ridgewood has had its up and downs with Facebook . We have learned that “The gratification given by a person’s brain when their Facebook post is viewed, liked and commented on has proven to be comparable in pleasure to the response from food and sex, according to a recent Harvard University study.( https://theridgewoodblog.net/posting-views-on-facebook-as-gratifying-as-sex-and-food/)
Our BOE even went from looking to ban Facebook or at lest ,Anthony Orsini Principle of Benjamin Franklin Middle School did to setting up its own Facebook page within weeks .( https://theridgewoodblog.net/now-the-ridgewood-school-district-wants-a-facebook-page/ )
Now a growing number of jurisdictions in clear violation of the First Amendment including Vernon County, Wisconsin,are implementing so-called cyber-bullying laws. A Vernon County ordinance makes it a crime to “send information to another person by electronic means with the intent to annoy, offend, demean, ridicule, degrade, belittle, disparage, or humiliate any person.” There is an exception if the information serves a “legitimate purpose.” (https://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/05/jail-time-for-offensive-facebook-postings/)
Wow does this open a can of worms ,experience has taught me that unless you do nothing what so ever , virtually everything you do can “offend ” someone .And to make things even better anyone who forwards an email that winds up in the mailbox of someone offended by it ie …If you’re a Vikings fan, be careful what you say about the Packers—particularly this weekend—lest your email wind up in Vernon County and you wind up in jail.( https://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/05/jail-time-for-offensive-facebook-postings/ )
Whats next first Facebook ,then …blogs?
By the way don’t get any ideas ,if it were to come to jail time , this blog would gladly release all the posts and all comments and perhaps even the names of the commentators that have until know remained for what ever reason unpublished ….ouch !
Seniors: Top Row (left to right) Chris Solis, Justin Ok, Chris Turnbull, Nick Simon
Bottom Row (left to right) Jay Kerwin, Mike Cunningham, Tyler Chatfield (https://www.ridgewoodbasketball.net/)
RHS Basketball looks to put together a hot streak
Friday, January 11, 2013
BY ELI NACHMANY
CORRESPONDENT
The Ridgewood News
RIDGEWOOD — An attacking, offensive-minded team is rare in today’s day of conservative high school basketball schemes.
The Ridgewood High School boys team has put together quite an impressive group of scorers and can truly light up the board.
For most offensively gifted squads, the mindset is that it’s fine to be below average defensively as long as the shots are falling. In Ridgewood, no such concept exists.
While the team has shot the ball at an efficient clip for the entire season, it’s been their defensive efforts that have impressed head coach Mike Troy.
“Defensively, we’re a far better team than I thought we would be at this point,” he said. “Our ability to play man-to-man is ahead of where I thought it’d be.”
Reserved parking spots at Ridgewood HS headed for vote
Friday January 11, 2013, 1:57 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The Ridgewood Council will consider designating the 23 parking spaces on Heermance Place as permit-only spots, specifically reserved for Ridgewood High School faculty and staff during school hours.
A majority of the Village Council agreed on Wednesday to move forward and draft an ordinance that would turn the currently public roadway over to the Board of Education. The school district also plans to convert five spots in the main RHS lot into visitor and guest parking only.
Ridgewood Schools Superintendent Dan Fishbein informed the council that BOE members overwhelmingly supported the proposal after an original plan was scaled down. School officials initially requested permit parking for Heermance and Beverly Road.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli offered their preliminary approval of the plan, with both saying that faculty parking on Heermance, which is currently available to students and staff on a first-come, first-served basis, is a “modest accommodation.”
How Dry We Are: Current Drought Reminiscent of Dust Bowl Days
By Patrick Burke
January 10, 2013
(CNSNews.com) – Almost 62 percent (61.8%) of the continental United States experienced drought in July 2012, making it the largest drought-affected area since the end of the “Dust Bowl” era in December 1939, when 62.1 percent of the U.S. was drought-stricken, the USDA said.
According to the Palmer Drought Index – which covers 113 years and is used for historical comparison purposes — the worst drought ever recorded was in July 1934, when 79.9 percent of the continental U.S. was affected.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, since 1999, has used a new Drought Monitor to determine the extent of agricultural drought.
As of Jan. 1, the Drought Monitor showed that 61.09 percent of the continental U.S. was experiencing drought – down from the September 2012 peak of 65.45 percent.
Despite the slight decline in overall U.S. drought coverage, the central portion of the nation experiencing the worst drought category – D4, or exceptional drought – has been slowly rising. Exceptional drought covered 6.75 percent of the nation on January 1, the greatest coverage since November 2011.
Saurabh Agarwal, M.D., of The Valley Hospital, Using Robotic Surgical Techniques to Perform Minimally Invasive Nephrectomies
January 8, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, Surgeons at The Valley Hospital are at the forefront of using minimally invasive robotic techniques to treat such conditions as pancreatic, thoracic and gynecologic cancers, and have pioneered the use of the da Vinci System in complex abdominal, liver, and prostate surgical procedures.
Saurabh Agarwal, M.D., Director of Robotic Urology at Valley’s Institute for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery, has performed more than 175 surgeries using the da Vinci System. Recently his success with robotic prostate surgery inspired him to utilize the da Vinci System in the treatment of kidney cancer, as well. Today he is one of the only surgeons to use robotics in a highly advanced procedure called a partial nephrectomy.
“The da Vinci System utilizes the latest in surgical and robotics technologies and enables us to take a minimally invasive approach, making it ideal for delicate urologic surgery,” explains Dr. Agarwal. “Robotic surgery allows the surgeon to remove tumors of the kidney in such a way as to preserve significant kidney function and avert the need for complete removal of the diseased kidney. Patients who undergo this procedure can expect a shorter recovery time with fewer complications, and a better long-term outcome.”
For more information about partial nephrectomies, please contact Valley’s Institute for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery at 201-447-8012.
Photo Caption: Saurabh Agarwal, M.D., Director of Robotic Urology at The Valley Hospital’s Institute for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery, is now performing nephrectomy procedures in a minimally invasive manner using the da Vinci Surgical System.
