Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2000 1:40 PM Subject: [Encina Update] Encina Update (be cool/65/70/75/80/85/90/95/alumni reunion/siblings/found/kojima/iopener/internet/whats new) ENCINA ALUMNI, BE COOL PART 2 I received quite a few emails in response to my "editorial" last week. I hope the authors do not mind me sharing a few with you. I appreciate those of you who took the time to write and share your thoughts! Scott Plotkin 71 wrote: Harlan, thanks, as always, for your insightful comments and announcements. I really look forward to them. I wanted to particularly congratulate you on the rather mean e-mail a recent contributor got from an old classmate. You are 100% correct. We are all different peole after all these years - some of us are very different. I appreciated your comments. David Knepprath 74 wrote: I wanted to say how eloquent your message was about how we have all changed since high school and reminding people of the purpose of the Encina site. Too bad it had to be said, but you did a great job saying it! Nikki Champlin 66 wrote: Just a quick note to let you know how much I appreciate your valiant efforts of offering a communication vehicle, some sense, and some nonsense to all of us alumni who are scattered throughout the planet. Through this medium, I have connected with a long time friend, though we havn't seen each other since we were sophmores at Encina. Linda Weatherford 62 wrote: I just wanted to thank you for bringing to our attention the "Be Cool" issue. Isn't it amazing that some people can become adults and grow into nice human beings after high school, but, some people stay lost in the past. The only thing they have to fill their lives with are old grudges and bad feelings. I agree with you, life can be so much more enjoyable if we can all just "Be Cool". Dan Mayes 78 wrote: Greg Albright's bio came up on our class page last week allowing us to get back in touch with each other. Great to be corresponding with him again. Greg and I did a lot of camping, backpacking, urban hiking, and so forth after high school when I was living in Berkeley and he was over in SF attending the Art Institute. Anyway, one more example of how the website has really helped re-establish contact among many of us. Jeff Jessee 73 wrote: I recently received a message from a former classmate with whom I didn't always get along. He took the time to write, acknowledge our conflicts, express his regrets and remind me of the shared experiences we had that were good. It was such a heartwarming and generous thing to do. Now I really hope to see him at a reunion some day. I couldn't agree with Harlan more. I guess we all probably have some reaching out we could do. John Ward 73 wrote: I felt for the person who caught hell from a classmate. I was visiting San Luis Obispo with my wife and children back in the early 90's when I ran into two old friends from Encina. At least I thought they were friends. The husband was nice, but the wife kept saying, "I find it very hard to believe you are a pastor." Needless to say she was not willing to let bygones be bygones. Maybe some of us have more to be sorry for than others, but I would think that each of us has at least one classmate who needs to forgive us for something (including the person who was angry with the classmate to whom you referred). Yep, I was a jerk in high school to a fair amount of people, including, obviously, the person mentioned above. My lifestyle then was certainly not what it's like today. I certainly am sorry, and am thankful for the changes I made in my life. And if I can "come to my senses," anyone can! Sorry I'm rambling on to you, but your note touched a nerve. If either of the people who remained anonymous in your e-mail could be helped by this note, feel free to share it with them. Otherwise, let this be a note of confirmation regarding the subject of BE COOL. People do change. Thanks for the important message, Harlan! Although most folks agreed with my editorial, one alumni begged to differ. He pointed out that people must be held accountable for their actions, even those back in high school, regardless of the mitigating circumstances. That in America we have this tendency to excuse actions because the person was abused, poor or an outcast. That we must not forget those who are the victims, who have suffered as well and may have to live with emotional and physical scars. There's a lot of truth to this point of view too. I have to admit, I had relatively minor offenses like verbal harassment and the typical high school snubs and slights in mind when I wrote my "editorial". Actual physical abuse and brutality are another kettle of fish which I do not condone. Being a jerk is like anything else. At some point you have to draw a line between those offenses which are merely mean, and those which are misdemeanors and felonies... REUNIONS It's starting to look like a couple of classes will not be having reunions this year. I remember last year, 74's prospects were looking bleak until Bob Goosmann 74 took charge. He ended up with lots of volunteers and I think the 74 reunion committee had a lot, maybe too much, fun organizing the reunion last year. No question, it's a lot of work, but once the ball is rolling you can generally find classmates who are willing to help. Another alternative is to sign up with a reunion organizing service, but this can get expensive and may require some money up front. And finally, for those classes which don't have the critical mass to organize a reunion this year, keep in mind there will be a Homecoming 2000 party, probably on Friday, September 29, 2000. This will be a good opportunity to have little mini class reunions, especially for those classes for whom this is not a reunion year. 1965 REUNION Lynn Brown Peters 65, the former reunion chair, has passed on the responsibility to George Hullin 65 and Joyce Rogers Brand 65. George and Joyce have mixed emotions about whether to organize a 35 year reunion. However, George is willing to organize a reunion this year if there is sufficient interest from the class. If you are interested in having a reunion this year please contact George at george.hullin@hrh.com or 916-488-1400 (work). You can also send mail to encina1965@egroups.com as I've added George to the Encina Update and class mailing list. 1970 REUNION No one from the class has stepped up to fill the void left by Tom Henley 70, who passed away last fall. Write encina1970@egroups.com if you are interesting in attending and/or helping to organize the 30 year reunion. 1975 REUNION Where: Sutter Club When: Saturday, July 15, 2000 Contact Jenny Bender Bittner at jedb@pacbell.net 1980 REUNION Where: The Firehouse When: Saturday, October 14, 2000 Contact: encina1980@egroups.com 1985 REUNION No news regarding the elusive Melinda Cope 85. Do we have any other reunion committee members present? Send email to encina1985@egroups.com if you are interesting in attending and/or helping organize the 15 year reunion. 1990 REUNION The current reunion committee is Denyce Bellinger, Hayley Fojut and Jinne Webb. You can contact them at the following addresses. Denyce: tiniegrrl@Aol.com Hayley: mskitty_13@hotmail.com Jinne: jphorger@pacbell.net 1995 REUNION Do we have anyone from the reunion committee on the mailing list? Please write encina1995@egroups.com if you're interesting in attending and/or helping to organize the 5 year reunion. ALUMNI REUNION Date: March 18, 2000 Time: 5:00 pm Place: TBD Contacts: Lucia Churches 73 Lorna Cline Gragg 72/73 We are currently working on a new location at one of Sacramento's "finest" watering holes. Please mark your calendars with the date ... location information will follow. We will ask for an RSVP later in the month. Hope everyone can come! The Homecoming Party was a great opportunity to see old pals and make new ones. We'll be in touch. Lucia Churches Class of '73 loosha@pacbell.net (916) 369-2505 work number (916) 395-6696 home number The RSVP list for the alumni party to date: 1961 Lee Pratt 1971 Jerry Burks 1973 Lorna Cline Gragg Lucia Churches Stephanie Dugas Pat Dunn Scott Harris Dona Lyn Jones Heather Kendall Bob Nannini Debbie Skalisky 1974 John Nunez 1975 Donald Bright 1976 Janice Patton SIBLINGS Pamela Tillson 72 wrote: Pamela Tillson 72 Ron Tillson 75 Val Robichaud 75 wrote: Nicole Robichaud 72 Val Robichaud 75 Shannon Blackman 92 wrote: Shawn Blackman 89 Shannon Blackman 92 John Miller 95 is in contact with: Seth Morgan 95 Scott Anisleigh 95 Steven Church Belant 76 wrote: Val Church 71 Andrea Church 73 Jennifer Church 74 Steven Church 76 Michele Church 80 Steven Church 76 is in contact with: Greg Glavinovich 75 Lew Ingram 76 Karen Edwards 76 wrote: Norma Edwards 68 Paul Edwards 70 Loretta Edwards 74 Karen Edwards 76 Daniel Edwards 78 Michael Edwards 95 is the son of Paul Edwards 70 Dana Milner 89 is in contact with: Nathan Taylor 89 Frankie Bueno 89 Lisa Ott 81 is in contact with: Lisa Perata 81? Lisa Hookano 81? FOUND Kathy Godfrey 87 knows how to contact Nina Allen 85 CHRIS KOJIMA Teacher Chris Kojima saw former students Terri Howell 79 and Jenny Peterson 78 at Del Campo back to school night this week. Both have children who are students at Del Campo. Also Jenny is married to Scott Joyce 78. i-OPENER There are some really cool internet appliances coming out which are great for those who want email and internet access but don't need the complication of maintaining a PC. Check out the i-opener by Netpliance: http://www.netpliance.com/ Red Herring wrote: Sitting on my kitchen table is a harbinger of future Web devices: a Netpliance I-opener. It's an Internet appliance, a browser in a box. Installing it is as easy as setting up a toaster oven; plug it in and you're done. (Your email settings and the Internet access numbers are programmed in when you order it.) It's a curious machine. In some ways, it's the ultimate "mother in law machine"; it is instant-on and impossible to crash. There are hard-coded buttons for news, weather, sports, email, and so forth, and even a dedicated pizza key oddly placed next to the space bar (it connects you to papajohns.com). The i-opener costs $299 plus $22/month for internet access. This is a great solution for those friends and relatives who don't need to run PC applications but want internet access and email. Buy one for someone you love . INTERNET SECURITY For those of you who have cable or DSL modems, you need to be especially aware of hackers. I currently have only normal 56k modem access although I'm in the process of having DSL installed. But since I installed a software firewall, it has warned me that I have been attacked about once a week just during the times I have been online checking email or updating the Encina website. If you are accessing the net without a firewall, you are living dangerously. If you are interested in this subject, the following website will not only test your system for vulnerability, but explains in great detail how hackers can access your system and what you can do about it. Go to www.grc.com and click on "ShieldsUp!". Highly recommended. Here's an interesting article which ran in the San Jose Mercury this week. Invaders target home PCs for attack BY DAVID L. WILSON AND JON HEALEY Mercury News Staff Writers An Internet connection isn't just an on-ramp for the Web. It also can be a pathway into your home computer for hackers. And if your connection is always on, your home is a likely target. The target usually isn't you or your data; it's the computer. Malevolent hackers are constantly searching for new computers from which to launch attacks on others while hiding their identities. ``They want to make you look like the bad guy, and they want to make it harder to find the real bad guy,'' said computer security expert William J. Orvis. That risk is rising as consumers sign up in droves for home-oriented, high-speed service from telephone and cable companies, then build home networks linking a family's computers or launch amateur Web sites from the living room. And if consumers aren't careful, they could unwittingly open the door and lay out a welcome mat for hackers. There is a relatively simple way to protect yourself: by installing an electronic ``firewall'' between your data and the Internet, as businesses routinely do. A number of business-oriented Internet providers are starting to offer firewall services, but the companies selling high-speed phone lines to consumers haven't followed suit. Nobody knows how many home computers have been invaded by hackers, and their owners wouldn't necessarily know it if they were. But people who install hardware or software firewalls can see signs quickly of hackers on the prowl. Jerry Asher of Berkeley, who has a high-speed digital subscriber line from Pacific Bell, said his firewall recently documented attacks from hackers with Internet addresses in North Korea, Germany and Serbia. The German hackers, for example, checked to see if Asher's computer had three different types of software that could be used to communicate with other computer networks, such as a corporate system. ``When DSL service is sold by Pac Bell, consumers are not made aware of possible security problems, including attacks or intrusions, and most consumers are not running firewalls,'' Asher said. Darren Newell, a data security director for SBC Communications, Pacific Bell's parent company, said the firm soon plans to use its Web site to caution consumers about online security issues. But it doesn't tell customers who sign up for $49-a-month home DSL lines about the risks and how to avoid them. Alan Jackson, whose company in England provides information electronically to businesses, put up a firewall after hearing customers talk about hacker attacks. In three days, he said, the firewall stopped seven electronic break-in attempts. Orvis, a physicist on loan to the Energy Department's Computer Incident Advisory Capability at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where the computers are under daily assault from would-be intruders, said he's seen plenty of evidence that hackers break into home computers and use them to mount attacks on others. The consequences for an innocent user whose hacked machine is being used to probe sensitive systems can be catastrophic. ``If we see an attack coming from somebody's home machine, we're going to ask your ISP to disconnect you,'' Orvis said. Those who get caught up in a serious security breach may find law enforcement authorities seizing their equipment and examining it to try to track down the hacker and develop evidence for a criminal prosecution. The increased availability of technologies that encourage home users to leave their connections on all the time -- such as cable modems and DSL connections -- makes it even easier for black-hat hackers to break into a system. A self-described hacker who identified himself as ``alkali'' in an electronic interview said he is always searching for unsecured home systems with a high-speed connection, which he values because he can move data much more rapidly. ``Cable modems changed my life,'' he wrote. But Orvis argues that it's not the speed of the connection that makes home users vulnerable but the length of time a user is connected. ``Hackers will beat on your machine when you're not there,'' he said. ``I've actually seen them do it to a machine with just a regular modem connection that was running for hours at a time.'' Jim Southworth, chief technical officer for the San Jose-based Internet service provider Concentric Network Corp., said a consumer's basic Microsoft Windows machine isn't as attractive to hackers as a PC running Unix or Linux software because it doesn't have as many tools to mount further attacks on the Internet. If properly configured, those machines are also relatively secure, Southworth and other security experts agreed. But hackers can get access to even a basic PC or Mac through a variety of methods, such as e-mailing a program that inserts a hidden back door or exploiting openings designed for file or printer sharing. Computer users can minimize their risk by turning the machine off when they aren't using it, turning off file- and print-sharing functions or using firewall software. Redwood City-based Excite@Home, which provides high-speed Internet service over cable TV networks, already tells its installers to turn off the sharing functions, said Jay Rolls, vice president of network engineering. But in response to consumer worries, the company plans to announce today a suite of consumer-oriented Internet security products with Network Associates Inc. subsidiary McAfee.com. Internet security consultant John Navas of Dublin says the ``hysteria'' over security is ``way overdone.'' The only really vulnerable users, he said, are ones whose computers run some kind of service, such as hosting a Web site, or are set to share files across the Internet. Still, ``I do recommend that the average person obtain a low-cost software firewall, install it and run it,'' Navas said. ``Not that I think it's essential, absolutely necessary . . . but hey, you wear seat belts.'' Contact David Wilson at dwilson@sjmercury.com or (202) 383-6020. Contact Jon Healey at jhealey@sjmercury.com or (877) 727-5005. WHAT'S NEW Another good week! 2/2/00: Nicole Smith 91 update, Geoffrey Shumway 89/bio, Pam Brand 90, Jon Dahlberg 71, Chantel Beck 90/bio, Larry Averitt 95, Kim Larson 87, Kathy Godfrey 87, Dana Milner 89 bio, Lisa Sewell 80, Nathan Taylor 89, Frankie Bueno 89, John Joseph 65, Michael Ward 85, Robyn Gentle 89 update, Kristy Bassett 89/bio, John Toth 90 bio, Terri Howell 79, Scott Joyce 78, Jenny Peterson 78, Nina Allen 85 1/30/00: Loren Willeford 81, Val Church 71, Andrea Church 73, Jennifer Church 74, Steven Church 76/bio, Michele Church 80, Lew Ingram 76, Greg Glavinovich 75 1/29/00: Charlotte Holloran 83, John Miller 95/bio, Seth Morgan 95, Scott Anisleigh 95, Toni Craver 91, Heather James 84 update, Shannon Blackman 92, Shawn Blackman 89 1/27/00: Alisa Grubb Pierce 87, Richard Stoffel 80 update, Pamela Tillson 72, Ron Tillson 75, Peter Larson 77 update, Jo Tierney 81 update, George Hullin 65 Have a good weekend! Harlan Lau '73 Encina webmaster www.encinahighschool.com harlan@rambus.com