Recently, I received some very bad news about a friend. A year ago, she was diagnosed with lung cancer.  She never smoked and was very physically active, religious, positive personality and never even used a curse word. I called her every day as she went through surgery and chemo. It looked like all was good.  But it wasn't, and it isn't. This cancer is aggressive, and spread even in the soup of strong chemotherapy.  Now they've told her they cannot operate.  She will have radiation every day for seven weeks and then be on chemo daily for the rest of her life. More >>

After almost 30 years of following the popular phrase "be yourself and people will like you", I have finally realized that's a complete lie. What precipitated my complete change of view is that I went to a get together at a park. More >>

I know there are some people listening right now who are tuning into my show for the first time because maybe you've heard some things about me in the past couple of weeks.  I'd like to correct some myths you might have heard.  First of all, I am not now... nor have I ever been... related to the vampires of Transylvania.  I only bite when asked. More >>

My wife and I went through some serious head bashing several years ago regarding finances. We solved the problem by separating our finances and 'keeping our noses out of each others business.' More >>

Its been exactly 8 months and 11 days since I quit my job to be at home with my son! I've emailed you twice in the past. First about "Kissing My Baby's Face Off" and second when I informed you I FINALLY quit that stressful job and yanked my then 9 month old son out of daycare to stay home with him! More >>

Deleting Your FacebookAccount 101
By John Sileo
www.Sileo.com

How do I delete my Facebook account?I get asked this question every day. At my speeches, by my clients, bymy friends and family. It used to be that people no longer wanted themundane information overload that Facebook promotes. But now they are looking at it from aprivacy perspective - they no longer want their thoughts, pictures, andvideos shared indiscriminately with people they don't know.

The defections have been sparked by Facebook's continuing march to sellyour private information (with only your implied consent, i.e., simplyby using Facebook, you agree to their terms) with an ever wideningcircle of people who are NOT YOUR FRIENDS (advertisers, data miners,and unfortunately, identity thieves). Many of the corporations I speakfor have me include a component on safe social networking because theinformation their employees are posting (personally or professionally)are damaging their corporate brand and profits either through dataleakage or as a beach-head for social engineering and other types offraud.

In past posts, I have pointed to the tools at your disposal to tightendown your Facebook security settings. But suddenly, that is nolonger complete enough for people, as Facebook continues to erode whatlittle privacy you can control. Just look at the privacy relatedFacebook news in the past few weeks:

• CNNArticle about Facebook defection because of privacy concerns
• Facebook announces OpenGraph, which shares your data with websites outside of Facebook toallow for more targeted advertising
• Securityhole: Live chat messages and pending friend requests brieflyavailable to ALL contacts forced Facebook to disable chat

So for those who actually want totake themselves off of Facebook (whether they want to delete theirFacebook profile or simply deactivate it), let me give you the basics.

First of all, you need to know the difference between Deactivating and Deleting your Facebook account (Iwill walk you through the steps to do either). When you "deactivate" your account, Facebookmerely suspends your account but retains all of your data in case youwant to restore it at a later date (and in case they still want to sellit even though you are no longer active). When you "delete" your account, yourinformation is permanently removed from Facebook (eventually) and cannot be restored if you changeyour mind. In other words, before you delete your account, make surethat you have original copies of any of the photos, videos, posts andcontact lists in your profile. Once they are gone, they're gone.

How To Deactivate Your Facebook Account:

Here are step-by-step instruction on how you can easily deactivate youraccount. Remember the difference between deactivation and deletion:deactivation is temporary so that you can reactivate your account ifyou wish to return to Facebook.

1. Log into your account and on the top right side click Account and thenAccount Settings.When this screen pops up, click the last option: Deactivate Account.


2. Once you click on Deactivate Account,it will bring you to this page:



Even after your account is "deactivated", you can still be tagged inphotos, invited to events, etc. Once again, you are still an activepart of the social networking site, it's just that you don't get to useany of the tools available to active accounts (thought Facebookcontinues to use your information). For a little additional privacy, besure to "opt out" of emails at the bottom of the page if you don't wantto receive any communications.

3. The site will ask you to confirm your password as well as a"captcha" security word to confirm that you are a living, breathing defector and nota computer.


Remember, you can reactivate at any time by logging in with your emailand password, although you must have access to your current login emailaddress.

4. Following all of these steps, Facebook will send you an emailconfirmation entitled "You have deactivated your Facebook account". Ofcourse, the email gives you a way to reactivate your account Facebookreally wants you to stick around, as your information is what supportstheir bottom line.

If this doesn't go far enough toward protecting your privacy#133;

How To Delete Your Facebook Account:

If you are certain that you won't use Facebook again (at least withyour current settings, posts, photos, videos, groups and pages) andwould like your account deleted, please keep in mindthat you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any ofthe content or information you have added. If you would likeyour account permanently deleted with no option for recovery, followthese steps:

1. Log in to your account and then click here to PermanentlyDelete Your Facebook Account (and regain some sense of privacy).You should see this page:


2. Click submit to continue, enter your password, complete the securitycheck and click OK to make sure that you want to continue withDeletion. It should look something like this:


3. You will then be taken to one final page to confirm permanentdeletion of your Facebook account:

Pay close attention to the second sentence. If you log into youraccount again (even automatically on your iPhone or in your browser orthrough an affiliated site like Twitter or LinkedIn) your profile will be reactivated.


4. After completing this process you should receive an email with asubject similar to: "Account Scheduled for Deletion". At this point,you still have the option to cancel the request. I have heardthat Facebook might guilt you into staying (e.g., they may say that JoeFriend (one of your contacts) will really miss you).

Deleting your Facebook account is a very personal decision, but it isyour right to have these tools for controlling privacy at yourfingertips.

About the author: To furtherbulletproof yourself and your business, visit John's blog at www.Sileo.com. To book John at your next event,visit www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com.John Sileo became America's leading Identity Theft Speaker amp;Expert after he lost his business and more than $300,000 toidentity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department ofDefense, Pfizer and the FDIC.Permissiongranted for use onDrLaura.com.



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Awesome Avocado By Cheryl Tallman www.FreshBaby.com Avocados are the most practical "go anywhere, eat anywhere" food. They do not need to be cooked, require no refrigeration, they come with their own carrying case and even have a built-in serving bowl! So next time you and your baby are on the go, drop an avocado and a spoon in your diaper bag and you are all set! Directions: The handiest method for preparing an avocado is to cut the pear-shaped fruit in half length-wise with a sharp knife so that you cut in to and all around the pit; then rotate and pull the two halves apart. Remove the pit. With the knife, gently make a cross-hatch pattern throughout the halved fruit while the skin is attached, then use a spoon to separate the flesh from the shell by scooping the soft, ripe fruit gently. The skin becomes the serving bowl. Yummy, Quick, Sweet treat: Spread some avocado right on a graham cracker. For an older toddler, add a few raisins and make "Ants on the grass"! Age to introduce: About 9 months Here are few quick tips for adding more avocados into your family meals. 1. Avocado pizza: Top a pizza crust with pizza sauce, avocados, tomatoes, red bell peppers, red onions and feta cheese. Broil it. 2. Homemade salsa: Dice tomatoes, mangos, avocados, red onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Serve with chips for an after school snack or use it as a garnish with any meat, fish or eggs. 3. Spread avocado on sandwiches or hamburgers instead of mayo. 4. Add sliced or diced avocados to any salads or soups (when ready to serve). 5. Start the day with mashed avocado and fresh herbs (cilantro, garlic, or basil) on a bagel instead of cream cheese. 6. New twist on deviled eggs: Fill egg white halves with mashed avocados and spices instead of egg yolks and mayo. 7. Avocado milkshake: 1 avocado, 1/3 quart whole or soy milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt - Blend and Drink! About the author: Cheryl Tallman is the co-founder of Fresh Baby, creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit, and author of the So Easy Baby Food Basics: Homemade Baby Food in Less Than 30 Minutes Per Week and So Easy Toddler Food: Survival Tips and Simple Recipes for the Toddler Years . Visit Cheryl online at  for more delicious tips.  Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>