Once I found out Lady Gaga’s sequin beaded bra top was being sold on the internet, I started searching for more Lady Gaga collectables. There are several Lady Gaga items to be purchased, if you don’t mind spending the crazy amounts of money being asked for them. And if you are a true Lady Gaga fan (a.k.a. Little Monster), then you probably don’t.

Take for instance the sequined bikini top worn by Lady Gaga during one of her first big shows with the Semi Precious Weapons. It is for sale on a website called CONSUME by Lady Starlight. They are asking a whopping $600.00 for this sequin beaded fringe bikini top. I have no idea how long it has been for sale, but apparently there have been no takers as of yet. You still have time!

For you penny-pinching Lady Gaga fans, how about an 8″ x 10″ unframed, autographed photo of Lady Gaga. It even comes with a certificate of authenticity and a 30-day money back guarantee. I can see how fans might want to purchase this photo, as it only costs $22.50. This is an auction website, so you know that amount of money will most likely increase as fans bid on the photo.

The following Lady Gaga clothes were a little different. For a limited time, Lady Gaga is selling some items that she wore for various events and photo shoots, with the proceeds going to charity. Lady Gaga teamed up with Not Just A Label to make it happen. Many of the clothes are already sold out, but there are still a few on the website ready to be purchased.

One of the Lady Gaga items for sale is a crystal encrusted Vambrace. This uunusual items sports Swarovski Crystals. Lady Gaga wore this Vambrace in a Maxim Magazine photo shoot. Expect to pay about $600.00 for this tubular, extended arm bracelet.

Another crazy outfit up for sale from Lady Gaga is the box trouser ensemble she wore on the German television show Wetten Dass. The box trouser outfit is selling for $1600.00. Or if you find that your pocket book is too slim for these high dollar items, take a look at the metal eye patch Lady Gaga wore in her Paparazzi music video. It is priced to move at only $102.00.

I admire Lady Gaga for selling off some of her clothes for charity. Something celebrities often do to not only clean out their congested closets, but to also try and make the world a better place for the less fortunate. So if you are a Lady Gaga fan, go check out these collectables. Any one of them would make a nice gift or a sexy addition to a closet full of collectables.

At five years old, Michael Jackson had natural talent like we had never seen before. I grew up watching Michael Jackson sing and dance. But I didn’t consider myself a huge Michael Jackson fan. After seeing Michael Jackson’s This Is It, I am certain his last concert tour would have been the biggest, most successful, and the most cutting edge high tech performance of his life. And yes, in case you didn’t figure it out by now, I am a born again Michael Jackson fan.

Kenny Ortega was obviously giving fans the best of the best when he put together the song list for Michael Jackson’s This Is It concert tour. As you watch the movie, you quickly discover that the couch is no longer a comfortable place to be. Up on your feet is where this DVD will put you, making it much easier to sing out loud, and dance along with Michael while he prepares for what was to be his last concert tour.

One thing you will notice right off the bat is that Michael Jackson is a perfectionist. Fans will get to see many of his personal moments spent preparing for the concert tour of his life. Some of the scenes show Michael easily dictating, to everyone on stage with him, what the song should sound like, how the crowd should feel, what notes need to be held longer, and where the song should end. He doesn’t say these things in a diva-esque, demanding way, but more like a perfectionist asking others to join him in his quest for perfection. And yes, they smile and do as he says – - because he’s Michael Jackson.

The DVD of Michael Jackson’s This Is It will take you through much of the concert tour preparation process. We even get to see the huge world-wide audition call for dancers. Boy, was that something to see! The best dancers from all over the world were called in by invitation only to perform for Michael Jackson in hopes of winning a place in the dance cast. You’ll also get to see brand new high tech clothing and costumes being made expressly for the concert production. Not to mention the advanced use of pyrotechnics being ignited on the stage during many of the songs.

The money taken in for the theatrical release of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, immediately dubbed it a huge success. With a total of $252.4 million taken in worldwide, Michael Jackson’s This Is It is the highest grossing documentary or concert movie of all time. You can order a copy of Michael Jackson’s This Is It on DVD at Amazon.com or you can buy it at your local music or video store. Even if you are not a big fan, and you want to be completely entertained, rent Michael Jackson’s This Is It on DVD as soon as you can. You won’t be sorry.

If you don’t take anything else away from watching Michael Jackson’s This Is It, you will be impressed at how a 50 year old man can maintain the grueling physical pace Michael does during his intense rehearsals. He’s a limber, talented, perpetual motion machine who puts all he has into preparing a show that he believes will thrill his fans.

In 1965, the hit NBC series I Dream of Jeannie made its debut. Censors allowed female star Barbara Eden to sleep in the same house as her bachelor astronaut master only because she clearly slept inside of that ornate little bottle – thus precluding the possibility of any hanky-panky. More notably, Eden’s costume had to be designed so that her bellybutton could not be seen. Imagine the scandal of Barbara Eden’s bellybutton being visible to viewers – the very idea!

Everything has changed a lot since 1965, including censorship laws and cultural mores. Many of today’s sexy music videos may well have been considered pornography in 1965, and they would surely have been considered pornography in 1950. Whether or not you consider the music videos on my Sexiest Music Videos list sexy or pornographic is up to you. One thing is certain, however. All of my entries are brazen and risqué, and some even require adult login to view on YouTube. Sexy or porn – you decide.

Sexiest Music Videos, #1) I am going to have to declare a tie for the #1 sexiest music video. Sitting here watching these two super sexy, quasi-porn music videos in an attempt to decide which is more explicit is starting to make me feel dirty. So, a shared #1 spot it is. The winners are both from Benny Benassi. There’s Satisfaction and also Who’s Your Daddy? In Satisfaction, scantily-clad, sweaty models show us all how to properly operate tools and equipment. From the potent falic connotations of the super long drill bits to the violent bosom-shaking jackhammer, this music video oozes sexy. Not to be outdone (by himself), in Who’s Your Daddy?, Benny Benassi presents a stream of buxom beauties wearing clothing only available at XXX stores. The parade of school girls, nurses and upstairs French maids perform all manner of seductive acts for the camera, and the few men in the video. Watch it if you dare at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeTWBgBylrs.

Sexiest Music Videos, #2) Eric Prydz, Call on Me is done to the remixed music of Phil Collins. This sexy music video is set in an aerobics studio and features perhaps a dozen lovely and super flexible women performing sexy gyrations – I mean aerobics moves – to Phil Collins’ Call on Me. Some of the moves and camera angles are sexy, some are naughty, and some are downright nasty. Teenaged boys no doubt account for many of the millions of views this sexy music video gets on YouTube. To confirm my assessment, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_fCqg92qks

Sexiest Music Videos, #3) Christina Aguilera, Dirrty. I think the name says it all – and yes, it is spelled correctly. This sexy music video has tons of girl-on-girl action, as well as guys-on-girl scenes that leave little to the imagination. Perhaps the most suggestive scenes are early on in this music video when the star sits on a bench in the corner of the boxing ring. After that it is less suggestive and more in-your-face. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaej4Wjkj1Q

Sexiest Music Videos, #4) Shakira, Shewolf. Shikira in a sparkling cave and a cage. This sexy music video allows the diva to show us exactly how flexible, and uninhibited she really is. Forget the Kama Sutra. Shakira easily morphs her body into positions heretofore unheard of, and fans clearly love the sexy sights and sounds. One recording of this sexy music video on YouTube has over 38 million views – doubtless, many are repeat viewers. If you’d like to see just how sexy Shakira can be in a music video, watch Shewolf at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=booKP974B0k

Sexiest Music Videos, #5) Britney Spears, I’m A Slave 4 U. Britney Spears proves that you can be a mother and still make a sexy music video. This sexy music video starts out slow with sexy costumes and subtle moves and gestures. But that’s not at all the way the second half plays out. Britney is still hot, and can still crank out a hot music video – as the over 16 million views of this one YouTube recording proves. It’s been viewed more times on other YouTube channels. Watching this sexy music video might just show Kevin the error of his decision to walk away from this pop diva. Watch mommy Britney at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzybwwf2HoQ

Speaking of Britney Spears, Britney’s sexy music video ‘Toxic’ has recently been dubbed The Sexiest Music Video of All Time by the Telegraph newspaper in the UK. I’m not at all sure that I agree, but then maybe they are drawing the line between sexy music videos and soft pornography.

Famous for being famous, Paris Hilton released her sixth fragrance, Siren, a few months ago. Siren perfume was developed for her by perfumer, Honorine Blanc. It is available in perfume or spray and costs about $55 a bottle. There is a matching body product line for Siren, too. Paris Hilton says Siren is all about being sexy and playful. Two things the 28 year old Paris Hilton is internationally famous for. You can buy Siren perfume by Paris Hilton at Macy’s or online at many of the discount perfume retailers.

Paris also has a new curling iron, of sorts. It’s called The Celebrity Styler. Basically it’s a flat iron with a round, rotating ceramic barrel. From what I’ve read about it, it seems to be the answer to controlling and styling frizzy hair. The Celebrity Styler is a little pricey in my opinion, selling for $64.99 plus S&H. You can buy it at beauty supply shops as well as online. I found a behind the scenes video on YouTube for The Celebrity Styler commercial, which Paris shot this year for the promotion of her new hair product. You can watch it at this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWJ3T76-VY

The last time Paris Hilton was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show was in December 2008. That was right around the time that Paris’ home in Beverly Hills was robbed. Paris reported to police that over $2 million in jewelry was stolen from her unlocked and unoccupied (at the time) mansion. Now, just last week the home of Paris Hilton’s younger sister, Nicky Hilton was broken into. Of course big sister Paris was there to support Nicky. On her Twitter page the day of the break-in at Nicky’s home, Paris wrote “It’s unbelievable how my sister called the cops over an hour ago and they still haven’t shown up. Her house just got robbed, so messed up.” Dec 8th 3:16 PM.

Unlike the years before, this year Paris Hilton has not been photographed a million times at premiers or while out partying. Instead it would seem she has settled down a bit, taking time and putting thought into properly furthering her career at being a famous name. Plus she has had a pretty solid (regular) relationship with her new boyfriend, Doug Reinhardt for the past six months. Paris Hilton not only launched her new perfume, Siren, and The Celebrity Styler curling iron this year, but she filmed a few segments for the new CBS show, I Get That A Lot. I watched a couple of the shows Paris appears in and they are very funny. For a good chuckle watch one at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIZJSNfkcQQ

Catch Paris Hilton, in her first network interview in a year, when she sits down with Ellen DeGeneres on Wednesday, December 16, 2009. She and Ellen are actually friends in real life, which makes it easier for Paris to open up and let it out. I genuinely enjoy watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show this time of year, as host Ellen DeGeneres gives away tons of great gifts during her ’12 Days of Giveaways’ during the month of December. If you don’t catch the show when it airs on Wednesday, try searching for it on YouTube.

You’ll find the New York diva, Mariah Carey, performing live at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve 2010. Details, like what time the concert starts, are still to come. But if you want to see the very best pair of lungs belting out pop songs all night, then get your tickets for Mariah Carey now. Or better yet, plan to stay in and watch it on TV. New York City will no doubt be very cold, and perhaps have snow or rain. Who wants to mess around in that on New Year’s Eve, when you don’t have to?

You can win a pair of tickets to see Mariah Carey performing live at Madison Square Garden in New York City on New Year’s Eve 2010 by entering into a drawing for them. That’s right, free tickets! The Ellen DeGeneres Show is giving away a pair of tickets to the Mariah Carey concert. To read more about this giveaway, go to this link: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/giveaways/index-mariah-carey.php#ixzz0Z3dj58JL

Dick Clark’s annual show, New Year’s Rockin Eve 2010 will be on ABC as usual. You can always invite a group of friends over, turn on this show and make it your own New Year’s Eve concert. Dick Clark always has a star-studded lineup for his New Year’s Eve show. It will begin at 10 PM EST, and continue until 2 AM. So far the list of musical guests includes Justin Bieber, Robin Thicke, The Black Eyed Peas, Colbie Caillat, Keri Hilson, Selena Gomez, and several others. The Dutchess, Fergie, from The Black Eyed Peas, will be the master of ceremonies of the live performances at the Las Vegas, Nevada portion of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

On the NBC network you can tune into The Carson Daly Show. Carson will be hosting his annual live performance New Year’s Eve show for the sixth year. The live two hour show is unique in that it features the first performances of 2010. The show starts right after the countdown into 2010. Carson’s first musical performance of 2010 will be the punk rock trio, Green Day. Coming off of their new Grammy award winning album, Green Day will undoubtedly rock the house! More musical guests and live performances on the Carson Daly New Year’s Eve show are yet to be announced.

Finally, although you won’t find this live performance on television this New Years Eve, Lady Gaga is booked to perform live on New Year’s Eve 2010. Lady Gaga will be singing her Grammy nominated hit Bad Romance from the pool deck of the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. Lady Gaga is expected to take the stage several times throughout the evening. She will be sharing the show with DJ’s David Berrie & Jus Ske. Lady Gaga’s very first live performance of 2010 will take place after she leads the crowd in the traditional countdown that will end 2009.

No matter what you decide to do on New Year’s Eve 2010, watching one of the many live performances on TV should be on your list. As the end of this year draws closer, more live performances will be announced. New Year’s Eve 2010 will be here soon, so get your plans made now. Go out, stay in, or better yet plan a party for your friends and family. But make sure you turn on the TV an hour before 2009 ends. That is when you’ll find most of the live performances taking place on the television. Happy New Year everyone!

To my surprise, Lady Gaga will be sharing the January issue of Elle Magazine with another sexy babe, Britney Spears. The 28 year old divorced mother of two posed for Elle for the second time in her career. This time, the photo shoot took a page out of her tour book. If any one has been to a Britney Spears concert this year, you’ll know how crazy Britney is about feathers and cages. Britney is photographed sitting inside a cage wearing a blue Valentino goatskin coat with fox fur and marabou-feather trim. Sadly, the two sexy divas do not appear together on the cover.

The issues of Elle Magazine with Lady Gaga on the cover will be sold on newsstands only. The issues of Elle with Britney on the cover will be mailed to all Elle Magazine subscribers. I am very disappointed that these two sexy singers did not pose together for Elle magazine. What a wild photo shoot that would have been! And I’m also confident had Elle Magazine combined these vixens, they would have sold many more issues of their 2010 January magazine.

The Elle Magazine photo of Lady Gaga was taken by Tom Munro. The high fashion look was styled by The City star, Joe Zee. Joe is also the creative director for Elle Magazine. Both of the stars did an interview for Elle Magazine. Lady Gaga opened up for the interview, sharing many new tidbits of information about herself. I’m sure her fans appreciated her candidness. Lady Gaga is not afraid to say exactly what she thinks.

When asked about how her body reacts to stress, Lady Gaga had this to say; “I get all the symptoms of a pregnant woman. I get headaches, I get tired, I get blurred vision sometimes during a really intense session with [her creative team] the Haus.”

Lady Gaga is touring at the moment. Her Monster Ball concerts are sold out. The show has gotten fantastic reviews. The straightforward Lady Gaga had this to say about the recurring theme in her work: “I feel that if I can show my demise artistically to the public, I can somehow cure my own legend. I can show you so you’re not looking for it. I’m dying for you on domestic television—here’s what it looks like, so no one has to wonder.”

Most of her fans already know that the self proclaimed freak, Lady Gaga, worked in the service industry as a waitress before she got her big break in music. When Elle Magazine asked her about that she replied, “I was really good at it. I always got big tips. I always wore heels to work! I told everybody stories, and for customers on dates, I kept it romantic. It’s kind of like performing.” Now Lady Gaga is slipping into high heels before she steps onto the stage to perform for her little monster fans.

Lady Gaga opened up about her recording label putting pressure on her to produce a sexy cover shot for her first album cover. “My album covers are not sexual at all, which was an issue at my record label. I fought for months, and I cried at meetings. They didn’t think the photos were commercial enough…The last thing a young woman needs is another picture of a sexy pop star writhing in sand, covered in grease, touching herself.”

Although Lady Gaga’s music career is just beginning, she already has her heart set on a future family of her own. “In eight to ten years, I want to have babies for my Dad to hold, grandkids. And I want to have a husband who loves and supports me, just the way anyone else does. I would never leave my career for a man right now, and I would never follow a man around.”

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Elle Magazine’s January 2010 issue featuring Lady Gaga on the cover. If you can’t wait for it, watch the Elle Magazine photo shoot video. Here is a link to that video: http://www.elle.com/Pop-Culture/Cover-Shoots/Lady-Gaga2

It is not surprising to see Lady Gaga on Barbara’s short list of the Most Fascinating People of 2009. Lady Gaga has only been on the music scene for less than two years, and already she’s breaking records.  Her freshman album, The Fame, is the first album in history to have four #1 hits. Lady Gaga broke the old record, which was held by a famous group of brothers you might recall, The Jackson Five. And just this week, Lady Gaga was handed five Grammy Nominations.

Lady Gaga has been publically admired by the likes of Madonna and Smokey Robinson, to name just a couple of her high profile fans. MTV news recently reported that Smokey Robinson has a real soft spot for Lady Gaga. “I think that Lady Gaga is so different, and she has taken the world by storm. I enjoy her music. So I think that she’s unique. Unique always has a chance” said the legendary Smokey Robinson. In October Lady Gaga and Madonna teamed up for a comedic skit on the late night show, Saturday Night Live. It was very funny! See that Lady Gaga  performance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut4rueoq12Y

It is being reported that for her interview with Barbara Walters, Lady Gaga gave up her extravagant rubber, feather and metal costumes for a sleek classic black Chanel pants suit. The bizarre Lady Gaga must have realized that she would be wise to demonstrate some reverence to the woman with the golden microphone, Barbara Walters. The impending interview on ABC will naturally put Lady Gaga in front of millions of households who have never seen her. Toning down her dress code to a more acceptable, classy look for worldwide television is a very smart move by Lady Gaga.

I was able to find some leaked reports of the already recorded Lady Gaga interview. The best one is when Barbara asks Lady Gaga about how she got her name. “My friends started to call me Gaga. They said I was very theatrical and that although I’m into pop music, there was a performance-art element to my shows like Freddie Mercury. So they said, You’re Gaga.” Lady Gaga confirmed to Barbara Walters that Gaga is actually what everyone calls her.

Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 airs on Wednesday, December 9^th at 10PM on ABC. Although Barbara Walters has not disclosed her list for this year’s show, a few nominees have been leaked. Other celebrities appearing on the show with Lady Gaga will be; Adam Lambert, Kate Gosselin, Brett Favre, Tyler Perry, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. What an eclectic lineup!

Barbara Walters turned 80 years old this year, but you wouldn’t know it by the broad catalog of political and celebrity interviews she continues to supply us with. Barbara has the unique ability to talk to young starlets and old seasoned greats, pulling out new bits of gritty information that no one else in the media is capable of. I can’t wait to hear what sort of secrets she draws out of Lady Gaga. The entire show should be very interesting. I wonder who Barbara will bring to tears. If you can’t watch the interview on ABC when it airs, look for interview clips on YouTube. I’m sure Lady Gaga fans will be putting them up later this week after the interview airs.

The latest woman to announce that she was having an affair with Tiger Woods is Holly Sampson, a leggy blonde porn star of some repute. I’m not really sure if Holly Sampson’s alleged involvement with Tiger Woods was ‘leaked,’ or if she just decided during some altruistic moment to let the public know. Either way, it does not bode well for Tiger Woods and his current plight.

I have noticed some consistencies in the women Tiger Woods has allegedly been having affairs with. Tiger Woods seems to prefer blondes who are working in the service trades. I am not really sure that classifying porn star Holly Sampson as being in the ‘service trades’ is accurate, but I can’t bring myself to call her an actress. And she does provide a service.

Something else I’ve noticed about Tiger Woods’ selection of women is that they seem to have difficulty keeping a secret. Since Tiger Woods had his one car accident at his Florida home, it seems that every day at least one of his alleged mistresses decides to talk about her involvement with him. I really don’t get that. One woman says she has been having an affair with Tiger Woods for almost three years – and yet she only went public with that information after Tiger Woods’ accident. Why now? Could it have been on the advice of a press agent?

Do you want lots and lots of free publicity? Are you a blonde? Are you female? Are you attractive? Do you know how to spell Tiger Woods? If you answered yes to these questions, maybe you too should consider spilling the beans about your torrid affair with Tiger Woods. What a great way to get your name all over the press. And just as importantly, this is one of the few times a female can admit to having an extramarital affair and NOT be the target of abuse and negative inquiry! Tiger Woods is taking all the heat.

I don’t think that it’s over for Tiger Woods. I think we’re going to see more women claiming to have had sexual relations with the golfer before the end of this sex scandal comes about. He’s up to seven women now, and by week’s end he could easily make it a baker’s dozen – - or so. Makes you wonder when the man had time (and energy) for golf – or anything else for that matter.

Two things about this whole Tiger Woods sex scandal thing: 1) I don’t buy that all of these women were actually having sexual affairs with Tiger Woods and 2) if they were – so what? If the married president of the United States can have oral sex performed on him by his mistress in the Oval Office, I think that pretty much raises the bar on what is a sex scandal and what is wrong. Yes, Tiger Woods is a high profile figure, but he’s nothing compared to Bill Clinton. No matter what, Monica Lewinsky was vaulted to places she’d otherwise have never been.

In closing, no matter who Tiger Woods was having an affair with – if anyone – the possible damage that could do to his relationship with his wife is nothing compared to the damage being done in the media every day. Tiger Woods and his lovely wife may have been able to sort through whatever really happened and come out of it unscathed. But even the very strongest and most devoted of women would have difficulty coping with what the media is doing to Tiger Woods’ wife’s public image. I don’t have any sympathy for Tiger Woods and I certainly don’t have any for his alleged mistresses. I do, however, feel sorry for Tiger Woods’ wife.

The last time I saw Cyndi Lauper in concert, she was opening up for super diva, Cher. The truth is, Cyndi Lauper performed for the crowd in a way I’ve never seen. She walked through the audience on the ground floor, interacting on a very personal level. This up close exposure to Cyndi Lauper, while she performed her catchy tunes, sent the entire audience into a frenzy. By the time Cher came out, we were emotionally and physically exhausted from being entertained by the energetic Cyndi. She was fantastic!

I have yet to see Lady Gaga in concert, but I have seen many video clips from her concert tour performances. Lady Gaga is in great shape and shows it by singing her songs while staying in sync with the gang of backup dancers gyrating all around her. She does a spectacular job on stage for her fans, which is clearly shown by the sold out ticket status for most of her Monster Ball Tour shows.

The photos I found on the internet, of Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper at their M.A.C. Viva Glam Spring photo shoot, are nothing short of eye popping. Both diva’s are decked out in leather, lace, feathers and heavy stage makeup. I can tell already that this megawatt team-up of unique performance talent would make tantalizing concert posters, no doubt selling out tickets for all their scheduled shows together. Seriously, if Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper haven’t already discussed doing an on-stage collaboration, someone should twitter them immediately and give them a push.

The sexy, bedroom styled photo shoot for the M.A.C. Viva Glam Spring campaign will hit major department stores in mid-March. Everyone should try to postpone replenishing their lipstick stock until then. That way we’ll all help by contributing to the AIDS fund, which has raised over $150 million since it began in 1994. Other sexy spokesmodels from past M.A.C. Viva Glam campaigns have been Fergie, Pamela Anderson, Christina Aquilera, Missy Elliot and Chole Sevigny.

Google owns YouTube, which it purchased for a hefty $1.7 billion. YouTube is the number one video sharing facility in the world. That puts Google at the top of that heap, also.

Google Maps, most specifically their satellite views, are regularly used on cable and network TV news shows. Chalk up one more arena in which Google leads the pack.

Google has dozens of free, useful programs for computer users; its own browser, Chrome; free Gmail that includes more storage than anyone could possibly ever use; and popular programs allowing website owners to share in Google’s advertising profits.

Even those who don’t much care for Google will admit that the search engine giant has managed to stay slightly ahead of the curve in all things internet, and most things computer related. Even Google’s approach to employee treatment and relations is bordering on legendary, and is the envy of tech workers everywhere.

The point is that Google is gigantic, and absolutely leading edge when it comes to technology – especially technology online. Their army of high tech specialists includes divisions of engineers, designers, programmers, code writers and more. Their intellectual property secrets are better guarded than the formula for Coke. Despite all of these things, Google is not able to defend itself against cyber-attacks. Whether or not you use Google, this should be a matter of some concern to you.

The recent, sophisticated cyber-attack on Google, which allegedly was initiated in Taiwan, has had a great deal of fallout. The most talked about is Google’s announcement that it might stop doing business in China. Getting less mention is that Google may have had some of its intellectual properties stolen. And getting almost no mention at all is the most obvious reason for concern: if Google can get hacked, what other businesses and companies can be attacked?

If someone hacked my Gmail account, well, I might suffer a few moments of embarrassment regarding personal correspondence, but no harm done, really. Hackers may have even gotten into the documents I’ve written on and stored in Google’s free word processor. Again, no harm done – not really. But what if these same “sophisticated” cyber-attacks are directed at my bank, or my credit card companies?

It’s hard for me to believe that my bank has the technological wherewithal that Google possesses. Of course I use a small, local bank with rather antiquated and cumbersome online banking facilities. Hardly a prime target for high level hackers. But my credit cards are with larger banks. Banks that might well appeal to hackers with the proper skills and resources at their disposal. Again, I refuse to believe that these mammoth banks have anywhere near the tech support of Google. That said – I am increasingly concerned for the safety of my banking information.

There’s not really very much I can do to allay my concerns. I did go around and change all my passwords, ensuring to use very strong new passwords. Thanks to Roboform Password Manager, that was pretty easy. But other than that, all I can do is wait and watch – and hope that my financial institutions are not targeted. That’s about all any of us mere mortals can do about such things. It’s the downside of technology: we’ve put ourselves at the effect of a whole lot of things we cannot control, and that we do not understand – at all.