Roubo de Senhas..... Stolen Passwords

Prezados Leitores,

Ontem (horário +ou- 12:00hs) um hacker acessou meu computador e conseguiu todas as minhas senhas: e-mail, bancário, sites que visito, etc...  Ele primeiramente alterou todas as senhas para que eu não conseguisse impedi-lo de "bagunçar a minha vida" começou pelo  meu banco (Itaú),  como é necessário digitar numero da agencia, conta e uma senha diferente para a Internet,  ele só conseguiu travar o acesso geral ao banco. Ontem mesmo estive  na agencia e já troquei as senhas (acesso pela Internet e acesso do cartão).

Ele também acessou todos os e-mails que eu tinha cadastrado em minha conta do Yahoo e enviou um e-mail a todos os endereços cadastrados (não cheguei a ler ainda este e-mail - só tomei conhecimento porque começaram a me telefonar...) este e-mail segundo me disseram diz que eu estou na Espanha e parece que estou com algum problema e pede para que enviem dinheiro (gostaria de saber para onde - assim talvez seja possível tomar algum outro tipo de providencias).

Enfim meu e-mail do Yahoo está praticamente perdido não consegui uma resposta da Yahoo, escreveram-me com um link para abrir uma nova conta (ou seja perdi todos os meus contatos de anos....) minha conta no LinkedIn aparentemente esta perdida também pois eles nem me responderam.... caso tenham recebido o referido e-mail por favor desconsiderem, estou bem e peço desculpas  por qualquer transtorno que isto possa ter causado.

Peço ainda que qualquer  comunicação seja feita para este novo e-mail:

macosentino@uol.com.br

Obrigado pela  compreensão,

Marco Antonio Cosentino

Dear Readers,

Yesterday (around 12:00 A.M.) a hacker got into my computer and retrieved all my passwords: e-mail, bank account, sites, etc… He/she changed all my passwords so I would couldn’t even try to prevent from messing my life completely. He/she started with my bank (Itaú), to make a long story short he only blocked completely the access to the bank (that’s have been taken care already).

He/she also accessed all my e-mails and sent a message (although I haven’t read yet) saying that I was in Spain and need money.

Anyway, my Yahoo e-mail is practically lost since the only answer that I got from Yahoo directs me to another link that asks me to create an ID (new address) my LinkedIn account seems to be lost too they haven’t even answer my e-mails…

In case you have received the infamous e-mail asking for money, please disregard I’m in Brazil and fine (healthy wise) , so please forgive me for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.

Please any communication send to:

macosentino@uol.com.br

RULES FOR COMMERCIAL LETTERS

THE START                               THE FINISH


Dear Sir or Madam, (*)                Yours faithfully (*)
Dear Mr Sloan, (**)                     Yours sincerely, (**)
Mrs Sloan, (**)                            Best wishes, (***)
Miss Sloan, (**)                           AMERICAN ENGLISH
Ms Sloan, (**)                             Sincerely yours, (**)
Dear Mary-Linn, (***)                 Yours truly, (***)

NOTES:
(*) suitable if you don´t know the name of the person you are writing to.
(**) suitable if you know their name.
(***) suitable if the person is a close business contact or friend.
in "italic" is possible to change about situation

THE REFERENCE

With reference to your advertisement in the Reporter, ...
(or In reference to your) letter of 25th April, ...
phone call today, ...

THE REASON FOR WRITING
I am wrinting to enquire about ..
apologize for..
confirm ...

REQUESTING AGREEING TO REQUESTS

Could you possibly ...? I would be delighted to ...
I would be grateful if you could..

GIVING BAD NEWS ENCLOSING DOCUMENTS


Unfortunately ... I am enclosing .../attaching ...
I'm afraid that ... Please find enclosed .../attached ...
Close letters with a friendly phrase or reference to future contact.

CLOSING REMARKS

Thank you for your help.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
there are any problems.
you have any questions.

REFERENCE TO FUTURE CONTACT

I look forward to hearing from you soon.
meeting you next Tuesday.
seeing you next week.

Brazilian Leader’s Protégée Likely to Prevail in Election

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Mauricio Lima / Agence France - Presse - Getty Images
Silva Izquierdo/Associated Press
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, right and Workers Party presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff greeted by supporters during a campaign rally.
By Alexei Barrionuevo
Published October 2nd, 2010 - The New York Times - Sunday (online) issue
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São Paulo, Brazil - Though Dilma Rousseff is a political novice and lacks the charisma of her former boss, President Luiz Inácio da Silva, voters appear likely to make her the first woman to be president of Brazil in Sunday's election.
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Opinion surveys her leading by a wide margin and suggest that she could get more than 50 percent plus one vote of the valid vote, enough to squeak by and avoid a runoff.
Ms. Rousseff, 62, was able to ride Mr. da Silva's popularity and make the election essentially a referendum on his eight years in the office, a period of widespread prosperity that cemented the country as a rising global player.
"This turned out to be a predictable plebiscite, a thumbs-up for the Lula years," said Timothy J. Power, director of the Latin American Center at the University of Oxford.
Mr. Silva spent the better part of a year trying to introduce his chosen successor to Brazilians. She was initially unknown to the masses and not very dynamic in public. Mr. Silva joined himself to her hip, crisscrossing the country to campaign on her behalf.
He trumpeted his government's accomplishments and passed some the credit to Ms. Rousseff, who also formerly served as his minister of energy and mines and as a chairwoman of Petrobras, the Brazilian Oil Company.
Last year there was some concern that he would stick with Ms. Rousseff as the Worker's Party Candidate after she was given a diagnosis of lymphatic cancer. After chemoterapy treatment, which led her to wear a wig for several weeks, doctors said her cancer had been driven into remission.
Still, not even a scandal involving Ms. Rousseff's successor as chief of staff has been able to diminish her lead much in the polls.
Two weeks ago, media reports here accused Erenice Guerra, who took over for Ms. Rousseff in April so she could campaign, of participating in an influence-peddling scheme with her son, involving kickbacks for public work contracts. Mr. da Silva swiftly asked for Ms. Guerra's resignation and managed to contain the scandal. Ms. Rousseff was never linked to directly to any wrongdoing.
Ms. Rousseff appeared to have taken a slight dip in the polls at that time, but she has recovered. In the latest poll, conducted Sept. 28 and 29 by Datafolha, a Brazilian polling company, Ms. Rousseff was backed by 52 percent of voters, among her rivals, José Serra the former Governor of São Paulo, had 31 percent and Marina Silva, Mr. da Silva's popular former environment minister, had 15 percent. But with a marging of sampling error of plus or minus two percentage points, it is impossible for the poll to suggest that a runoff would be necessary.
Polling data showed that the scandal only seemed to resonate with upper-income voters, while her support from the poor, which benefited greatly under Mr. da Silva, held strong.
Barring any major surprises, even if Ms. Rousseff does not prevail Sunday she would be all but assured a victory in an Oct. 31 runoff, analysts said.
The campaign was devoid of big issues that divided the candidates, Mr. Serra, who ran for president in 2002, tried to campaign on his deep political experience as a governor, senator and health minister under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. He tried to bill himself as a better continuation candidate than Ms. Rousseff. An early campaign slogan was "Brazil can do more," and he used images in his television time of him working side-by-side with Mr. da Silva.
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Analysts said that Mr. Serra's strategy was confusing, but that he never really had a change once Ms. Rousseff became better known as the president's pick.
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Mr. da Silva, whose approval ratings hover around 80 percent, deepened the economic policies begun under Mr. Cardoso, policies that have won him wide support, especially among the poor in the northeast and among a rapidly growing lower-middle class.
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Ms. Rousseff, has vowed to create millions more jobs and housing units for Brazilians, and to deepen the infrastructure development of the country.
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Whether Ms. Rousseff of Mr. Serra wins will matter little for Brazilian's economic policy direction, analysts say. While some predict that Ms. Rousseff, who was a guerrilla fighter in the 1960s battling the military ditactorship, will steer Brazi left, favoring a larger role for the state in the economy, most see her as a pragmatist in the mold of Mr. da Silva, who initially drew similar concerns.
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But few see the next president, whether it is Ms. Rosseff or Mr. Serra as having the same swagger on the international stage that Mr. Silva had.
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Despite having only a fourth-grade education, Mr. da Silva, a former union leader, used his emotional charismatic personality to win over leaders in the region and abroad.
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During his time in office, Brazil secured the 2014 Soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He engaged Brazil in Middle East politics, forging warm ties with Iran, to the chagrin of the United States.
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"Lula is a hard act to follow in terms of the public face of Brazil, "Mr. Power said. "The foreign policy goals will be the same, but the presidentially led diplomacy, the summitry, will be dialed back"
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VOCABULARY:
Protégeé: noun, feminine, a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person (from French: Protéger - to protect)
Likely: adj., possessing or displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable.
Privail: verb intransitive, to be greater in strength or influence, triumph: prevail against the enemy.
Lacks: noun, a particular deficiency or absence: Owing to a lack of supporters, the reform did not succeed.
Surveys: noun, a gathering of a sample of data or opinions, considered to be representative of a whole (can also be used as a transitive or intransitive verb).
Squeak by: idioms, manage one's existence barely: I guess I can squeeze by on this louzy salary.
Runoff: noun, an extra competition held to break a tie.
Widespread: adjective, occurring or accepted widely.
Thumbs-up: noun, an act, instance, or sign of approval.
Crisscrossing: Verb transitive, to move back and forth through or over: Crisscrossed the country on a speaking tour (it can be used as transitive verb, noun, adjective and adverb)
On her behalf: idioms, as the agent of, on the part of.
Trumpeted: Verb transitive, to sound or proclaim loudly (it can be used as a noun or intransitive verb).
Accomplishments: noun, something completed succefully, an achievement.
Chairwoman: noun, the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization.
Wig: noun, an artificial covering of human or synthetic hair worn on the head for personal adornment, as part of a costume, or to conceal baldness.
Remission: noun, the period during which the symptoms of a disease abate or subside.
Peddling: noun, the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money.
Kickbacks: noun, part of an income paid to a person having influence over the size or payment of the income, esp. by some illegal arrangement.
Swiftly: adverb - derivative from the adjective swift - quick to act or react, prompt.
Devoid: adjective, completely lacking, destitute or empty.
Hover: verb intransitive, to remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in ther air: Gulls hoverign over the waves.
Has vowed: verb transitive, verb tense: Present Perfect of vow - to promise solemnly, to pledge.
Swagger: verb intransitive, to walk or behave in an arrogant manner.
Chagrin: verb transitive, to cause to feel chagrin, mortify or discomfit.
Summitry: noun, the practice of conducting international negotiations by summit conferences.

Fine owed by George Washington for overdue library books now $300,000

Photograph: Getty Images

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Published by: www.guardian.co.uk - Sunday April 18th, 2010

By: Ed Pilkington in New York

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First President of the U.S. failed to return two volumes borrowed in 1789 from the New York Society Library.

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The first president of the US failed to return a volume of Commons debates and a law book he had borrowed in 1789 in New York.

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Founder of a nation, trouncer of the English, God-fearing family man: all in all, George Washington has enjoyed a pretty decent reputation. Until now, that is.

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The hero who crossed the Delaware River may not have been quite so squeaky clean when it came to borrowing library books.

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The New York Society Library, the city's only lender of books at the time of Washington's Presidency, has revealed that the First American President took out two volumes and pointedly failed to return them.

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At today's prices, adjusted for inflation, he would face a late fine of $ 300,000.

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The library's leadgers show that Washington took out the books on October 5th, 1789, some five months into his presidency at a time when New York was still the Capital. They were an essay on international affairs called Law of Nations and the twelfth volume of a 14-volume collection of debates from the English House of Commons.

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The ledger simply referred to the borrower as "President" in quill pen, and had no return date.

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Sure enough, when the librarians checked their holdings they found all 14 volumes of the Commons debates bar volume 12.

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Under the rules of the library, the books should have been handed back by November 2nd, that same year, and their borrower and presumably his descendants have been liable to fines of a few cents a day ever since.

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Other prominent borrowers who used the collection did not appear to have the same problems with returning titles.

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The first treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, the first chief justice, John Jay, and Thomas Jefferson's vice-president, Aaron Burr, are all listed on the Ledger under both borrowing and return dates.

"We're not actively pursuing the overdue fines," the head librarian Mark Bartlett said. "But we would be very happy if we were able to get the books back."

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VOCABULARY

Fine: noun - an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a rule or a law.

Overdue: adjective - not done or happening when expected or when needed; late.

Trouncer: noun - derivative from the verb to trounce which means: to defeat a competitor by a large amount.

All in all: Idiomatic expression - considering all the different parts of a situation together

Has enjoyed: Present Perfect of the verb "to enjoy" - to get pleasure from something.

Squeaky: Adjective -completely clean / Someone who is squeakly clean is completely good and honest and never does anythig bad.

took out: Past Simple of the verb "to take out" - withdraw: remove (a commodity) from (a supply source)

Pointedly: Adverb - in a very obvious way

Late Fine: Overdue fine (for fine see definition above)

Ledgers: noun - a book in which things are regularly recorded, especially business activities and money received or paid

Essay: noun - a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by student as a part of the work for a course.

quill pen: noun - a pen made from a bird's feather, used in the past

have been liable: Present Perfect Tense of "be liable" - be responsible

Prominent: Adjective - very well known and important

Treasury Secretary: Secretário do Tesouro (easily explained in Portuguese)

Pursuing: Gerund of the Verb "to Pursue" - If you pursue a plan, activity or situation, you try to do it or achieve it, usually over a long period of time.

Sorry about no new posts....

I've been doing an intensive Japanese course but I promisse to be back soon with my posts

Marco

Obama Meets With Brazilian Leader

President Obama met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on Saturday at the White House
Published on the New York Times March 14, 2009
By Jonathan Ernst/Reuters from The Associated Press

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed the economy, energy and the environment Saturday during their first White House meeting.
Both leaders said the Oval Office sit-down was productive and they looked forward to seeing each other at the Group of 20 nations meeting in London early next month, followed by the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad in mid-April.
''I have been a great admirer of Brazil and a great admirer of the progressive, forward-looking leadership that President Lula has shown throughout Latin America and throughout the world,'' Obama said after the meeting.
''We have a very strong friendship between the two countries but we can always make it stronger,'' he said.
Silva said one of the points he raised was ''the importance of President Obama’s election and what it represents to the world and especially to Latin America.''
He said he and Obama ''are truly convinced'' that decisions coming out of the G-20 can resolve the economic crisis.
In a lighter moment, Silva said he tells people at rallies in his country that he prays more for Obama than he does for himself. With so many problems facing Obama in his short time in office, ''I don't want to be in his position,'' Silva said.
To which Obama added: ''I'll tell you what. You sound like you've been talking to my wife.''
Brazil has become a major U.S. trading partner, and its cautious economic policies have helped it weather the global financial crisis better than almost all other major economic powers. Brazil also has huge new sources of offshore oil and is the world's largest exporter of ethanol, which could give it an important role in helping the U.S. wean itself from Venezuelan crude and shift to cleaner sources of energy.
Brazil, however, has seen little progress on its demand that the U.S. lift a 53-cent-per-gallon import tariff on ethanol, a gasoline alternative. Its discoveries in the past two years of some 80 billion barrels of oil could help turn the country into a major crude exporter and put it in better position to bargain with the U.S.
Obama said he has admired Silva's efforts to develop biofuels and wants to follow a similar path developing cleaner sources of energy for the U.S. He acknowledged tensions between the two countries over ethanol, and suggested they can be resolved over time.
''It's not going to change overnight, but I do think that as we continue to build exchanges of ideas, commerce (and) trade around the issue of biodiesel that, over time, this source of tension can get resolved,'' Obama said.,
Silva said biofuel is an ''extraordinary alternative'' and that other countries eventually will jump on the bandwagon. He said that when Obama visits Brazil, ''I'm going to ask him to get inside a car that is run by a flex-fuel engine and he will feel very comfortable.''
Obama said he had such a vehicle but that there aren't enough gas stations in the U.S. that sell gas alternatives. ''So that's one of the areas we need to change, our distribution networks here in the United States,'' he said.
After the meeting and media availability, Obama escorted Silva to his waiting limousine just outside the Oval Office. ''I'll see you in London,'' Obama said.
Silva was the first Latin American leader to sit down with Obama.
Obama also privately raised the custody case of David Goldman, a Tinton Falls, N.J., man who is trying to bring his 8-year-old son back from Brazil. The boy was taken there in 2004 by his mother, who died years later while giving birth. She had divorced Goldman and married a lawyer from Rio de Janeiro. Both children are being raised by the lawyer's family.
This past week, the House unanimously urged Brazil to ''act with extreme urgency'' to return the boy to Goldman. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she has discussed the case with high-ranking Brazilian officials.
More than 100 people on Saturday afternoon stood in drizzling rain in front of the White House to rally for Goldman's case, many holding signs and chanting loudly about bringing the child back to America. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who has rallied to help reunite the father and son, read an open letter to Silva at the event, telling the crowd ''justice delayed is justice denied ... the time for action is now.''
On a lighter note, Obama said that when he does visit Brazil, he thinks he should see the nice beaches of Rio de Janeiro and make a trip to the Amazon, joking that Republicans would like to see him get lost there for a while.

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VOCABULARY:

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Looked forward: Past of look forward – phrasal verb to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen
Forward-looking: adjective - Someone who is forward-looking always plans for the future.
Leadership: Noun (U) - the position or fact of being the leader
In a lighter moment: expression - in a less tense moment
Rallies: Noun (C) - a public meeting of a large group of people, especially supporters of a particular opinion
Trading partner: Closely involved in buying and selling, or exchanging, goods and/or services between people or countries
Huge: Adjective – Very big
Offshore: adjective, adverb - away from or at a distance from the coast
Wean: phrasal verb (wean somebody off something) - to make someone gradually stop using something that is bad for them
Crude: Noun (U) - oil in a natural state that has not yet been treated
Path: Noun (C) - a route or track between one place and another, or the direction in which something is moving
Acknowledged: Verb (T) to accept, admit or recognize something, or the truth or existence of something
Overnight: adjective, adverb - suddenly and unexpectedly
Jump on the bandwagon: expression - to become involved in an activity which is successful so that you can get the advantages of it yourself
Networks: Noun (C) - a large system consisting of many similar parts that are connected together to allow movement or communication between or along the parts or between the parts and a control centre
Custody case: Legal dispute over the legal right or duty to care for someone or something, especially a child after its parents have separated or died
High-ranking: adjective - having an important position in an organization
Drizzling: Verb (I) – Present Continuous of Drizzle - rain in very small light drops
Chanting: Present Continuous of to Chant - verb [I or T] to repeat or sing a word or phrase continuously, or to sing a religious prayer or song to a simple tune
Crowd: group noun [C] a large group of people who have gathered together

Adjective Order

In English, it is common to use more than one adjective before a noun -- for example, "He's a silly young fool," or "she's a smart, energetic woman." When you use more than one adjective, you have to put them in the right order, according to type. This page will explain the different types of adjectives and the correct order for them.
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The basic types of adjectives
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Opinion
An opinion adjective explains what you think about something (other people may not agree with you). Examples:silly, beautiful, horrible, difficult, polite, fun, hard-working, cute
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Size
A size adjective, of course, tells you how big or small something is.
Size, including adjectives, comparatives and superlatives
·height; e.g. tall, short, high, low; taller, tallest
·width; e.g. wide, narrow, thin, slim; wider, widest
·length; e.g. long, short; longer, longest
·volume; e.g. fat, huge; fatter, fattest
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Age
An age adjective tells you how young or old something or someone is. Examples:ancient, new, young, old, adolescent, teenage, middle-aged
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Shape
A shape adjective describes the shape of something. Examples:square, round, flat, rectangular, circular, oval,5-sided, hexagonal, irregular
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Color
A color adjective, of course, describes the color of something. Examples:blue, pink, reddish, grey, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, black and white, pale blue, reddish brown, bright green
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Origin
An origin adjective describes where something comes from. Examples:French, lunar, American, eastern, Greek
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Material
A material adjective describes what something is made from. Examples:wooden, metal, cotton, paper, ceramic, silver
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Purpose
A purpose adjective describes what something is used for. These adjectives often end with "-ing". Examples:sleeping (as in "sleeping bag"), roasting (as in "roasting tin")
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Note: Some Grammar Books give the following order for the Adjectives:
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1. Determiner or article
·........Determiners e.g. this, that, these, those, my, mine, your, yours, him, his, her, hers, they,
.........their, Sam's ; or
·....... Articles - a, an, the
2. Opinion adjective e.g. polite, fun, cute, difficult, hard-working
3. Size, including adjectives, comparatives and superlatives
....height; e.g. tall, short, high, low; taller, tallest
....width; e.g. wide, narrow, thin, slim; wider, widest
....length; e.g. long, short; longer, longest
....volume; e.g. fat, huge; fatter, fattest
4. Shape e.g. circular, oval, triangular, square, 5-sided, hexagonal, irregular
5. Age e.g. new, young, adolescent, teenage, middle-aged, old, ancient
6. Color e.g. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, grey, black, black and white, light
.....blue, dark red, pale blue, reddish brown, off-white, bright green, warm yellow
7. Nationality e.g. Hong Kong, Chinese, English, American, Canadian, Japanese
8. Religion e.g. Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Moslem, pagan, atheist
9. Material e.g. wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, paper, silk
10. Noun used as an adjectivee.g. campus (as in 'campus activities')
11. The noun that the adjectives are describing.
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Sentence structure:
Together the article or determiner, adjective(s) and noun(s) make a 'noun phrase'. Noun phrases can also have adverbs describing the adjectives; e.g. nearly circular; and can also have relative clauses, although these are not discussed on this page.
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Style:
Although it is possible to write a sentence that uses all the categories; e.g. 'my beautiful, long, curving, new, pink, western, Christian, silk wedding dress', it is bad style as it is too long. Try to use less than five adjectives in a single list. Therefore you could say "Have you seen my beautiful new cream silk wedding dress? It's long and curving, and is in western Christian style."
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EXERCISES
1. Which is the correct order?
a small Canadian thin lady
a Canadian small thin lady
a small thin Canadian lady
a thin small Canadian lady
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2. Which is the correct order?
a carving steel new knife
a new steel carving knife
a steel new carving knife
a new carving steel knife
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3. Which is the correct order?
a beautiful blue sailing boat
a blue beautiful sailing boat
a sailing beautiful blue boat
a blue sailing beautiful boat
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4. Which is the correct order?
an old wooden square table
a square wooden old table
an old square wooden table
a wooden old square table
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5. Which is the correct order?
an new French exciting band
a French new exciting band
an exciting French new band
an exciting new French band
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6. Which is the correct order?
a red big plastic hat
a big red plastic hat
a plastic big red hat
a bit plastic red hat
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7. Which is the correct order?
a small Japanese serving bowl
a Japanese small serving bowl
a small serving Japanese bowl
a serving small Japanese bowl
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8. Which is the correct order?
a cotton dirty old tie
a dirty cotton old tie
an old cotton dirty tie
a dirty old cotton tie
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Answers:
1 C
2 B
3 A
4 C
5 D
6 B
7 A
8 D