Posted by Scott on July 31st, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Ralph Winn
Home security is an issue to which we all need to give considerable thought. The combined amount of money lost in the 2.1 million burglaries in 2003 was 3.5 billion dollars. According to the FBI, 65.8% of these burglaries occurred at personal residences. You need to understand how to formulate proper home security. This understanding includes recognizing how to deter a break-in, knowing what is included in a home security system, having an emergency plan in place–just in case, and being informed on how to prepare your home when you are on vacation.
Intruders’ Worst Enemies
A number of things can be done to help to ensure home security. First and foremost, you need to understand how a burglar thinks. Light, time, and noise are an intruder’s worst enemies. Your home won’t be considered an easy target if a burglar has no option but to work in a well lit area, if the break-in will take a lot of time, and if he can’t work in peace and quiet. Darkness and shade offer protection for an intruder and an excellent breach in your home security. Sure, privacy fences and ornate shrubbery look good and offer privacy for your home, but they also offer privacy for criminals. Consider trading a little extra privacy for a bit of added home security. Force any would-be burglar to confront a real enemy–light. Making robbing your home a noisy job can also up your home security. Installing a home security system with an alarm, mounted exterior lights, and door and window detectors will help dissuade an intruder.
Home Security Systems
A residence without a home security system is approximately three times more likely to be broken into than one without. Homeowners who have home security systems loose an average of $400 less in valuables in the event of a robbery. These facts prove that the installation of a home security system dissuades intruders and protects your home. Home security systems can include everything you could possibly need. Perimeter sensors on outside doors and windows, Timers for interior and exterior lights, Sirens, strobe lights and other alert mechanisms, Home security cameras for inside or outside use, Motion detectors in key inside areas, A control unit to interpret and respond to signals from the above and A connection to a central monitoring station which notifies the police of a breach in your home security. Solidify your overall sense of safety with a home security system. There aren’t any good reasons for you to be fearful in your own home.
Consider the Basics
Reducing the risk of a break-in is merely making your home less inviting to burglars than the other homes in your neighborhood. Home security systems aren’t the only way to guarantee home security; some basic steps can be taken to safeguard your home. If a burglar is delayed just a few minutes, he is apt to give up and try another less problematical home. Basic, ordinary home security equipment, such as padlocks and deadbolts, can discourage an intruder and stop him from entering your home. Forty percent of home invasions occur because a door or window was left unlocked. All exterior doors need to be made of either metal or solid hardwood and be a minimum of 1 3/4 inches thick.
Remember, even the best and most efficient lock, if it is placed in a weak door, will not stop a determined burglar. Key locks are the best type of home security for your windows, and they are available for and easily installed on all types of windows. These almost-effortless precautions can greatly increase your home security.
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Posted by Scott on July 30th, 2006 — Posted in Identity Theft
by Kurt Howard
Identity theft can be one of the most stressful experiences you can ever have and falling victim to ID theft is becoming more and more common today. Although there are certain situations that are out of your control which can lead to identity theft, there are numerous steps you can take that will lower your risk of becoming an identity theft victim.
One of the easiest steps you can take to prevent identity theft is to obtain a copy of your free credit report every year. Due to the changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act each major national consumer reporting bureau is required to provide you a free credit report once a year.
When you request your free credit report choose to have your credit report printout contain only the last four digits of your social security number. This will help prevent anyone from obtaining your whole social security number should they get a hold of your report.
Another step to preventing identity theft is to keep all of your personal documents safely stored in your home. All personal documents should be stored within a locked container such as a safe or file cabinet. This is especially important if you employ anyone at your home such as a babysitter or maid.
Password protecting your credit card and bank accounts with a password that is not easily linked to you is also important for preventing identity theft. One password that you should refrain from using is your mother’s maiden name. Other poor choices are your telephone number, anniversary or birthday. Many credit card and bank account will use your mother’s maiden name as a default password, however you should ask to choose a different password that is more secure.
One of the most common causes of identity theft is from your trash. Make sure to use a shredder when you are disposing of old paperwork, confidential documents or mail. Paper shredders have become very inexpensive and are one of the best devices for preventing identity theft. They are the easiest way that you can help prevent someone from digging through your trash and finding personal information.
Finally, when mailing anything that contains personal information take the mail directly to the post office or a postal mail box or to the post office. This is extremely important if your outgoing mail box is not in a locked or secure.
Following these simple steps can greatly decrease your odds of becoming an identity theft victim. Identity theft become a very large problem and should not be taken lightly. Start protecting yourself today.
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Posted by Scott on July 29th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
To protect yourself from getting victimized on the road depends on you being attentive to your surroundings. Carjackers and assailants prefer the element of surprise. Most victims say they never saw it coming, until the assailant appeared at their car door. To reduce your risk, follow these top ten tips…
1. Always keep these helpful items in your vehicle at all times especially for those last minute road trips: maps, jumper cables, charged cell phone, flares, flash-light, first aid kit, blankets, an auto club card if you break down, and some spare cash hidden in your vehicle.
2. Be sure to plan your route carefully. Use websites like mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/ )and google earth (http://earth.google.com/ ) to plan your route. Also note the places you want to stop for breaks and gasoline fill-ups. This allows you to know which are safer than others.
3. Always park in well-lighted areas, if you plan to arrive or leave after dark.
4. Don’t park in an isolated or visually obstructed area near walls or heavy foliage.
5. Use valet parking or an attended garage, not a vacant one, especially if you’re driving alone.
6. As you walk to your car be alert to suspicious persons sitting in cars near yours.
7. Ask for a security escort if you are alone at a shopping center. Don’t worry, it’s not an inconvenience on their part, it’s their job.
8. Watch out for young males loitering in the area (handing out flyers, trying to start a conversation, selling something etc.) Be sure to make eye contact with them.
9. If someone tries to approach, turn back into the establishment you just came from, (store, restaurant etc.) and ask to be escorted out or call someone from the store’s phone or your cell phone to meet you there.
10. Always tell friends or loved ones where you are going and check in with them when you have arrived.
By following these car and road trip safety tips, you can effectively protect yourself and keep safe.
About the Author: Michelle Annese, “The Diva of Defense™” is a self defense instructor, consultant, speaker, author, and copywriter. With a third degree black belt and inductee into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Ms. Annese is a safety advocate teaching thousands each year in school talks, special events and assemblies in elementary, high schools, and colleges nationwide. She is also the author of the book: “101 Self Defense Strategies” and creator of the programs “Diva Defense Training” and “The SafeGuard System for Kids”. Complete information on Michelle Annese’s books and other services offered is available from her web site http://www.michelleannese.com/ . And while there, don’t forget to subscribe to her FREE weekly Ezine!
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Posted by Scott on July 28th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Michelle Annese
Still looking for a special someone? Just be sure to keep yourself safe. Here are ten ways to find love for your heart but keep your personal protection on your mind.
1. Watch out for someone who seems too good to be true. Begin by communicating solely by email, then look for odd behavior or inconsistencies. The person at the other end may not be who or what he says he is. Trust your instincts. If anything makes you uncomfortable, walk away for your safety and protection.
2. Make sure all contact on a member site takes place through a double-blind system, ensuring your true identity is protected until you decide to reveal it. Never include your last name, home address, phone number, place of employment, email address or any other identifying information in your profile or initial messages. When corresponding with someone, turn off your email signature file. Stop communicating with anyone who puts pressure on you for personal information or attempts in any way to trick you into revealing it.
3. Cautious decisions will result in a better dating experience. Be sure to protect yourself against trusting the untrustworthy potential boyfriends must earn your trust gradually over time, through consistently honorable, straightforward behavior. Take all the time you need to investigate for a straightforward person and pay careful attention along the way. If you suspect someone is lying, he probably is, so act accordingly. Be responsible about romance, your heart will thank you. Don’t become prematurely intimate with someone, even if that intimacy only occurs online. If you mutually decide to cross the point of no return, be smart and protect yourself. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/ ) provide some of the most current information available about sexually transmitted diseases and preserving your health.
4. Most online dating services do not require members to submit to background checks. So make sure you get as much info as possible by asking questions, utilizing internet search engines and most importantly, using common sense. Nothing is 100% reliable, just remember to use your head…not just your heart.
5. A photo will give you a good idea of the person’s appearance, which may prove helpful in achieving a gut feeling. In fact, it’s best to view several images of someone in various settings: casual, formal, indoor and outdoors. If all you hear are excuses about why you can’t see a photo, consider that he has something to hide.
6. A phone call can reveal much about a person’s communication and social skills. Consider your security and do not reveal your phone number to a stranger. Try a cell phone number instead or use local telephone blocking techniques to prevent your phone number from appearing on a Caller ID. Give out your phone number ONLY when you feel completely comfortable.
7. The beauty of meeting someone online is that you can collect information gradually, later choosing whether to pursue the relationship in the offline world. You never are obligated to meet anyone, regardless of your level on online intimacy. And even if you decide to arrange a meeting, you always have the right to change your mind. It’s possible that your decision to keep the relationship anonymous is based on a hunch that you can’t logically explain. Trust yourself. Go with your instincts
8. Pay attention to displays of anger, intense frustration or attempts to pressure or control you. Acting in a passive-aggressive manner, making demeaning or disrespectful comments or any physically inappropriate behavior are all red flags. You should be concerned if your date exhibits any of the following behavior without providing an acceptable explanation: Provides inconsistent information about age, interests, appearance, marital status, profession, employment, etc. Refuses to speak to you on the phone after establishing ongoing, online intimacy. Fails to provide direct answers to direct questions. Appears significantly different in person from his or her online persona. Never introduces you to friends, professional associates or family members.
9. When you choose to meet offline, always tell friends where you are going and when you will return. Leave your date’s name and telephone number with a friend. Never arrange for your date to pick you up at home. Provide your own transportation, meet in a public place at a time with many people around (a familiar restaurant or coffee house is often a good choice), and when the date is over, leave on your own as well. Refrain from drinking excessively, as it could weaken your ability to make good decisions. If at some point you and your date decide to move to another location, take your own car. When the timing is right thank your date for getting together and say goodbye
10. If you plan to fly in from another city, arrange for your own car and hotel room. Do not make known the name of your hotel and never allow your date to make arrangements for you. Get a rental car at the airport and drive directly to your hotel. Always call your date from the hotel. You can also check out the location you both agreed to meet at ahead of time to see exactly where it is and to get more familiar with an area . If the location seems inappropriate or unsafe, go back to your hotel. Try to contact your date at that location or leave a message on an answering machine. Always make sure a friend or family member knows your plans and has your contact information. And carry a cell phone at all times.
Never do anything you feel unsure about. If you are in any way afraid of your date, use your best judgment to diffuse the situation and get out of there. Excuse yourself long enough to call a friend for advice, ask someone else on the scene for help or slip out the back door and drive away. If you feel you are in danger, call the police it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Never worry or feel embarrassed about your behavior your safety is much more important than one person’s opinion of you.
While cheaters, liars and frauds certainly can be very convincing on the Web, you’ll also find them in nightclubs and offline dating services, parties or even sitting across from you at your local coffee house. Despite where you meet someone, dating is never risk-free, but a little caution will reduce your risk to your safety when trying to find that certain someone for your heart.
About The Author: Michelle Annese, “The Diva of Defense™” is a self defense instructor, consultant, speaker, author, and copywriter. With a third degree black belt and inductee into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Ms. Annese is a safety advocate teaching thousands each year in school talks, special events and assemblies in elementary, high schools, and colleges nationwide. She is also the author of the book: “101 Self Defense Strategies” and creator of the programs “Diva Defense Training” and “The SafeGuard System for Kids”. Complete information on Michelle Annese’s books and other services offered is available from her web site http://www.michelleannese.com/ . And while there, don’t forget to subscribe to her FREE weekly Ezine!
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Posted by Scott on July 27th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Jack Jones
One of the things that scares parents the world over is the idea of leaving their precious children alone with a stranger. Or even someone who is not a stranger. There have been stories in the news of parents going out for an evening, leaving their children in the hands of a babysitter, just like millions of other parents around the world. Unfortunately, it has happened, and continues to happen, that sometimes the person chosen by parents to entrust their children to has a history of violence, or worse, a history of sexual assault, or pedophilia.
In order to prevent, and ensure the safety of your children, it is important that always perform a babysitter background check. A proper background check has three major steps: The first step is to speak with the potential candidate about his past. The second step is to speak with other adults who know the potential babysitter. The final step, most importantly, is to perform a criminal background check to see if there is anything in the potential babysitter’s past which might make them a bad choice to entrust your precious children to.
Steps of a Babysitter Background Check
1.Interview your potential babysitter. Ask them about their past, about their parents. How they explain their past will give you some type of insight into who they are, and how they will treat others. How they were treated by their parents is often reflects how they will treat your children in turn. Their concept of authority is shaped by their parents’ authority over them. When placed in authority over your children, they will emulate their parents.
2.Speak with references. Talk with other adults who know the person you are checking. Do some cross checking, to ensure that your potential baby sitter’s story is true. Any inconsistencies in the stories may indicate that your potential babysitter is lying. A babysitter who is not truthful may be hiding something from you. Or perhaps not. Either way, this indicates that your candidate is not someone of high standards of character.
3.Perform a Criminal Records check. There are multiple ways of doing this. Criminal records are publicly available from every state and jurisdiction. The problem is, there are so many different records to check, in each and every state. If you were to attempt to perform checks in all these different records by yourself, it may take weeks or months to properly check each and every different source. In addition, there will be a high cost associated with this method of search, since every records source will have associated clerk’s fees. Luckily, there are companies who have collected all the records in one place, and for a very low yearly fee, will allow you to search their database for as many people as you may need. Some companies I would recommend are Webstigate , Investigate123 or CriminalFiles.
In order to ensure the safety of your children when you leave them alone with a babysitter, it is necessary to perform a babysitter background check. By examining the criminal records of a potential babysitter, you may quickly find out whether there is anything in their past which might make them an unsuitable candidate to watch over your children. Finally, their are some respectable companies who will be happy to open their criminal records databases to you, in order that you may perform a comprehensive background check against your potential babysitters. Ensure the safety of your children - perform a babysitter background check today!
Jack Jones writes for CivilRecords.org.
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Posted by Scott on July 26th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Michelle Annese
Verbal self defense, the use of your voice in a threatening situation, is an extremely important tool in protecting yourself. How? Uncommon to popular belief, criminals do not pounce on an individual when the mood strikes them. They attack when they see an opportunity available to them. If it’s easy, they will take it. They will prey on those who are weak, unaware, and an uncomplicated target. Criminals will act on premeditation, or stalk their victims ahead of time before attacking. If you show that you are familiar with your surroundings, walk with confidence, and give off the impression of strength, a criminal will not want to work to fight you.
Keep you eyes on everyone. Just because they might not ‘look’ like an attacker, doesn’t mean that some guy in a business suit can’t be one. If someone is approaching you, look them in the eye, hold out your hands in front of you and yell “Stay Back!” or “Stop!” Most sexual assailants interviewed say that they leave a woman alone if she showed that she wasn’t someone to be messed with or wasn’t afraid to fight back.
It’s called putting up a verbal boundary or verbal self defense. Many who have used this as part of their self defense training say they were amazed when they stepped toward a threatening stranger and yelled “Back Off!” in a strong, assertive, projecting voice. And the would-be assailant did just that.
Using pepper sprays can work in the same manner. Just by aiming at a potential attacker and yelling, “I have pepper spray!” can be a deterrent. That’s if it is in your hand at the time.
Pepper sprays are only effective if properly used. Telling your would-be assailant that you have pepper spray… and it’s at the bottom of your purse is not effectively using it, or any weapon or self-defense product, for that matter. Whether its mace, a stun gun, or even your keys, have it readily available, in your hand.
Knowing how to use these devices also plays a huge role in protection. You must know how the device works and be familiar with it. How? Practice. Practice. Practice.
When using mace, go outside and shoot a tree. See how the pepper spray really works. See the distance it takes to reach a target. If you’re going to use your keys, pre-plan ahead of time just exactly where on an attacker you would jab them. The eyes and throat are terrific targets. Tell yourself,
“I will use this if I feel my life is in danger – No Question.” and without hesitation.
There are places that actually have computer simulated mace practice rooms. They are extremely life-like. These are the same simulation rooms that police and security officials use for their own training. Check with you local law enforcement to see if they are available in your area.
This type of training helps to program the mind during adrenal-stress. Or another form is called Body Alarm Reaction (B.A.R). You must train the mind with a stressful situation or adrenaline response to know just how you will react during an actual confrontation or attack. How you react in a B.A.R. moment will let you know if you’ll hesitate in a life or death situation.
Knowing how verbal self defense works can be a terrific safety tool for you in preventing from falling prey to an approach of a stranger – male or female. Verbal self defense is also another way to build confidence in yourself. It allows you to see the power of your voice, and the protection you have from that voice. You do not have to feel threatened by anyone, ever.
About the Author: Michelle Annese, “The Diva of Defense™” is a self defense instructor, consultant, speaker, author, and copywriter. With a third degree black belt and inductee into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Ms. Annese is a safety advocate teaching thousands each year in school talks, special events and assemblies in elementary, high schools, and colleges nationwide. She is also the author of the book: “101 Self Defense Strategies” and creator of the programs “Diva Defense Training” and “The SafeGuard System for Kids”. Complete information on Michelle Annese’s books and other services offered is available from her web site http://www.michelleannese.com . And while there, don’t forget to subscribe to her FREE weekly Ezine!
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Posted by Scott on July 25th, 2006 — Posted in Identity Theft
by Dave Galahad
It’s hard to get through a week without reading about someone’s identity being stolen and their financial life literally ruined in a short period of time. Identity theft is relatively easy and sometimes the crime isn’t discovered until victims are several thousand dollars in the hole. We make it very easy for identities to be stolen; and sometimes freely give our personal information to would-be identity thieves.
Recently I was in line at the post office and there was a girl on her cell phone just a few spaces in front of me. She was talking rather loud, as most people on cell phones think they have to do. If I wanted to steal her identity, I could have because she made it very easy for me or anyone else within earshot of her conversation. In less than 5 minutes she blurted out her first and last name, home address, cell phone number, talked in detail about a few relatives, school friends, church, and I eventually got her place of employment from a casual glance at her id badge she was proudly displaying. With any two pieces of information, an enterprising identity thief (or debt collector, private investigator) can get the rest of what they need to know to become you and spend your hard earned money.
Keep your voice down
Not only is it beyond rude to impose your cell phone conversation on people nearby, you can go a long way towards protecting your identity by keeping the conversation to yourself. The only people around you who want to listen are those who are out to get some juicy piece of information. Always assume someone else is listening and will use your information to their advantage. Keep your voice down or excuse yourself to a more private location if you must give out some personal information on the phone.
Avoid displaying picture id’s, security badges, name tags
I guess that some people are proud of where they work or maybe feel important if they wear their picture id’s and security badges outside of work. Make it as hard as possible for someone to find out who you are. If someone takes a look at you, with the intent of obtaining information you wouldn’t normally give out to strangers, and sees nothing, they’ll move on to a more vulnerable target.
Shred it all
Shred old receipts, bank statements, and any other personal information to keep from dumpster divers and your friendly neighborhood trash collector. Dumpsters are a gold mine for identity thieves. Old receipts, financial statements, and similar documents contain a lot of personal information which can be used. Shred these documents before you throw them away. I’ve watched my own trash collectors take a few seconds to see what they’ve put in their truck and rummage through it. I’ve never seen them take anything out of the trash and put if up in the cab for safe keeping but you are better off not giving them a reason to be nosy.
Use technology to your advantage
Spyware, adware, computer viruses, and a host of other things are out to get any piece of information about you. Just a simple software program (Norton AntiVirus or McAfee Security Center) can make you a difficult enough target that the majority of identity thieves will leave you alone and search for an easier target.
It really just comes down to common sense. Do what you can to protect yourself and be aware of your surroundings. A little prevention goes a long way to making our busy lives less complicated. Two days ago I was standing in line at the same post office and there was another girl on her cell phone directly in front of me. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t hear what she was saying. She protected herself very well by just keeping her voice down and not drawing anyone’s attention.
Dave Galahad is a freelance writer for ABCMoneySource.com on topics of banking, finance, investing, credit, savings, and debt. At ABCMoneySource.com our mission is to empower YOU with understanding on money matters and quickly find MoneySources to finance your dreams….. All from the comfort and privacy of your computer.
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Posted by Scott on July 24th, 2006 — Posted in Politics & Commentary
by Scott Hughes
Working in the field of crime prevention, self-defense, and victim-assistance brings out both my philanthropist side and my cynical side. On the philanthropic hand, I don’t want to see any person victimized. On the realistically cynical hand, humans will always victimize each other. On the philanthropically cynical side, I wish to see innocent people protected from criminals as much as possible.
Unfortunately, a government-sponsored war on drugs currently increases victimization two-fold. Firstly, drug prohibition funds crime and terrorism amongst the public. Secondly, the government victimizes the populace both by taxing harmless citizens to fund its futile war on drugs AND by arresting and jailing harmless citizens who pursue happiness by taking drugs.
First things first, similar to the historical prohibition of alcohol, drug prohibition only increases crime and corruption, and it does so in a multitude of ways.
Financially speaking, drug prohibition funds criminals. Instead of legal non-violent drug stores making money, criminal factions such as drug lords, gangs, mafias, and terrorists get all the drug business. Instead of a 16-year-old CVS clerk making a few bucks an hour, a felonious dealer finances a new gun.
In addition to funding criminals, drug prohibition decreases the effectiveness of law-enforcement. While the police waste money to fight a futile war on non-violent drug “offenders”, innocent family members, friends and countrymen are victimized by violent criminals. Most Americans would be happy to see anything done to protect innocent people from victimization and violence, but for their “law-enforcing” government to waste over 50 billion dollars a year waging a war on non-violent druggies is just absurd. Rather than used to enforce victimless “crimes”, that 50 billion dollars could be put to protecting citizens from being victimized. Or, the 50 billion dollars could be given back to the taxpayers to spend on personal self-defense & security measures. As if wasting 50 billion dollars a year wasn’t enough, drug prohibition increases law-enforcement corruption, which of course decreases the enforcement of laws and protection of innocent citizens.
As David Boaz put it, “The huge profits generated by prohibition are an irresistible temptation to Mexican drug czars, Colombian judges, American soldiers in Panama, police officers, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and so on. When police officers and border guards arrest people carrying more cash than they’ll make in a decade, it’s hardly surprising that some of them are persuaded to look the other way.”
Some have argued for drug prohibition by saying that a drug habit causes people to commit crime, such as robbery to fund an addictive habit. However, criminalization drives up the price causing more users to turn to crime to fund their habit. Additionally, especially with non-addictive drugs like marijuana, prohibition increases criminal behavior amongst drug-users by associating users with violent criminals, both on the streets and in prison. Instead of going to the local pharmacy or pub for their drugs, users go to gun-bearing street dealers. Instead of living and working peacefully, users are arrested and thrown into a criminal-producing jail with violent criminals, sentenced to a life of crime.
Unfortunately, drug prohibition doesn’t just increase the victimization of citizens by other citizens. In and of itself, drug prohibition entails the victimization of citizens by their government.
One of my main goals in the business of crime-prevention, self-defense, and victim-assistance is to prevent and counteract robbery. Taxpayers are robbed of their hard earned money by their government to arrest, convict, and jail non-violent drug users. At just the federal level, drug enforcement cost about $22 billion in the Reagan years and another $45 billion in the four years of the Bush administration, and costs about $20 billion a year now. Including the states and local governments, drug prohibition cost U.S. taxpayers over $50 billion a year.
The taxpayers aren’t the only direct victim of the war on drugs. The non-violent non-harmful drug users, who are arrested and incarcerated, are also offensively victimized by the government. By their own government, over 1.5 million non-violent non-harmful American citizens are arrested at the expense of American taxpayers every year. The U.S. has over 2.2 million people incarcerated in jails and prisons, about 25 percent are non-violent drug “offenders”.
Some people may say that the drug users are criminals, so the government’s victimization of drug-users doesn’t matter. I believe it is a misnomer to call drug-users criminals. Since the drug-user hasn’t harmed anybody (except arguably himself) and the government has harmed the drug-user, I believe the drug–user is the victim. Similar to the founding fathers, who built America based on the Lockean principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, I believe that everyone including drug-users has every right to pursue happiness, without harming anyone else, in any way they please.
Regardless of one’s ideological feelings toward freedom, drug prohibition increases crime, violence, corruption, and taxes. So, unless one supports crime, violence, corruption, and wasted taxes, then one opposes drug prohibition.
About The Author: Scott Hughes owns this blog on safety, self-defense, and security.
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Posted by Scott on July 23rd, 2006 — Posted in Hate Crimes
America is strong because of our diversity
The United States always proud as a home to a rich diversity of ethnic and cultural groups. America is strong because of its diversity. Known as the great “melting-pot” of the world, American democracy is founded on respect for individual differences. Those differences in culture, religion, ideas, and ethnicity have contributed to the strength and richness of our country.
Problem-Today we have an increasing number of crimes motivated by hatred or bias (Hate Crime Statistics: http://theyaboutus.com/Statistics.htm )
Not since the turn of the century has the United States experienced as much diversity as in the last two decades. While this diversity has given our country its vitality and cultural richness, it has also caused some serious problems including racism, prejudice, discrimination, and lack of respect for one another. Today we have an increasing number of crimes motivated by hatred or bias. Much of the violence that humanity suffers in our times is rooted in misunderstanding as well as in the rejection of the values and identity of different cultures. ( Find Famous Quotes & Famous Sayings about Hate Crime at http://theyaboutus.com/FamousQuotes.htm).
In the current situations, the biggest problem & inappropriate behavior is that some people, by generalizing the actions of a few members of certain ethnic or cultural groups, are judging and hating that group as a whole. Hate crime was and still is one of the biggest issues for our society and for a whole World. The worst manifestations of hate crime and racism are Genocide, Massacres, Fascism & most of the Wars. (From http://theyaboutus.com/HateCrime.htm find out more about Genocide, Massacres & Hate Crime-Studies, Photos, Videos).
Groups of people should not be judged by the actions of a few. It is wrong to condemn an entire group of people by association of religion, race, homeland, or even proximity. No one likes to be blamed or threatened for the actions of others. All people deserve to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity.
Solution-Understanding Other Cultures & Respecting Cultural Differences
Understanding Culture
The first step to becoming a confident, effective inter-cultural communicator is knowing how to communicate your own culture — and yourself — to others. The knowledge of cultural differences, and self-knowledge of how we respond to these differences can help make us aware of hidden prejudices and stereotypes that can be barriers to tolerance, understanding, and good communication. Which of your cultural values do you value most? Which of your cultural beliefs and experiences would you most like to share and celebrate with others? The more you understand your own cultural beliefs, values, and attitudes, the better prepared you will be to recognize, understand, and accept the cultural beliefs and behaviors of others and the world will become a wonderful, peaceful — and fun place to live!
Respecting Cultural Differences
Cultural differences exist among groups of people with different backgrounds, histories and heritages. In order to achieve world peace, we must all desire to acquire a healthy respect for different people and cultures. Respecting cultural differences leads to tolerance of cultural differences, and tolerance leads to peace.
When we start to respect one another’s differences, we can begin to respect our similarities, and the cultural barriers come tumbling down! To help stop stereotypical thinking and/or behaviors before they start, we must follow the Golden Rule. You may know the Golden Rule as treat others as you would like to be treated. But did you know that a version of the Golden Rule exists in just about every culture? The rule is there. We, together, just need to follow it.( http://www.TheyAboutUs.com )
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Posted by Scott on July 22nd, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Michelle Annese
College Safety. Are you frustrated where to start? Here’s how to keep an assailant or thief from making you their next target. These 17 safety tips are on target to protect yourself and your property away at school…while still having college fun.
Not to mention, just think how at ease your parents will feel when you tell them about your safety plan.
1. Find out the best route between your residence hall, classes and activities. Take the safest route, not the fastest.
2. Don’t become distracted when walking alone. Keep the cell, i-pod, or other devices in your bag until you reach your destination. Contrary to popular believe, talking on the cell does not prevent an attacker from picking you. You become a prime target because you’re being distracted and your guard is down.
3. Travel in groups of two or more at night and always walk in well-lit, heavily traveled areas. Walk facing traffic so you’re never pulled-up upon unexpectedly.
4. Stay on sidewalks and away from shrubs, dark alleys, and doorways.
5. Make sure to share your class and activity schedule with friends and family.
6. When you go out, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to come back.
7. Know where the emergency telephones are located. Program your cell phone’s speed dial with emergency numbers that include family and friends and keep it with you.
8. Use shuttle buses after dark. If buses have stopped running, call the Escort Service or a taxi for a ride. Your life is worth the cab fare.
9. Wherever you are, stay alert to your surroundings and the actions of people around you…even at a party. Do not wander off alone with anyone. Keep around groups of friends. Remember, alcohol and/or drugs are involved in 90 percent of campus crimes.
10. Don’t flash large amounts of cash or other items like jewelry or expensive clothing. This makes you a prime target for those willing to mug or rob you at a later time.
11. Room doors should be equipped with peep holes and deadbolts. Always lock them when you are absent. Do not loan out your key. Have locks changed immediately when a key is lost or stolen. It’s bothersome, but very worth the time.
12. Always lock your doors on the 1st AND 2nd floor windows at night. Never leave a door unlocked for your roommate. Value yourself. Your life and safety are more important than their convenience.
13. Do not open your door to anyone unless you’re positive who is on the other side.
14. Do not enter elevators with someone who looks suspicious. If you get a bad feeling about them, TRUST IT. Don’t get on or get off at the next floor and take the next elevator. Report the person to security or the police right away.
15. Make it a rule. Do not use stairways alone.
16. Mark your property personal computers, laptops, audio and video equipment with property tags and locks. Most are available online.
17. Visit your college or university’s security office. Ask questions. Laws require colleges and universities to automatically provide current students and staff with basic campus crime statistics and security policies. Prospective students and staff are to be notified of the availability of this information and to be given it upon request.
Statistics for certain off-campus areas have to be disclosed and schools with a security department must maintain a daily crime log.
Also, colleges and universities must provide the collection and disclosure of information about convicted, registered sex offenders either enrolled in or employed at the institution of higher education.
Michelle Annese, “The Diva of Defense™” is a self defense instructor, consultant, speaker, author, and copywriter. With a third degree black belt and inductee into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Ms. Annese is a safety advocate teaching thousands each year in school talks, special events and assemblies in elementary, high schools, and colleges nationwide. She is also the author of the book: “101 Self Defense Strategies” and creator of the programs “Diva Defense Training” and “The SafeGuard System for Kids”. Complete information on Michelle Annese’s books and other services offered is available from her web site http://www.michelleannese.com . And while there, don’t forget to subscribe to her FREE weekly Ezine!
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Posted by Scott on July 21st, 2006 — Posted in Identity Theft
By Marige OBrien, ©copyright 2006
Unfortunately, identity theft has become the crime of the new millenium. Though credit card companies and various agencies work to prevent it, it is, ultimately, the responsibility of each individual to take their own precautionary measures against this crime.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps that can be taken, even today, to protect ourselves and, better still, prevent a theft from taking place at all. Below are 11 recommended steps that anyone can take, today, to prevent this from happening or to lessen the effects if it has already happened.
At the end of this article is a list of telephone numbers EVERYONE should keep on file.
PREVENTION
1. When ordering checks never put your full name on them, only your first initial and last name. If your checkbook is stolen the thief will not know how you sign your checks. But, because your bank keeps a copy of your signature on file, it will and can stop the payment of checks with forged signatures.
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the whole account number on the “For” line. Your check passes through many hands, both at the credit card company and at the bank, anyone of which has access to all the information on your check, as well as your credit card number. Instead, put only the last four digits of the account number, which is sufficient for the credit card company to identify your account.
3. Put your WORK phone number on your checks instead of your home phone number. And, if you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. In this way, a thief cannot gain access to other accounts you have, some of which use the the name-address-telephone number combination for verification.
4. NEVER pre-print your social security or driver’s license numbers on your checks. You can add it, if necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
5. Do NOT sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO ID REQUIRED” in the signature area or just leave it blank. To be really dilligent, while paying, if the clerk does not ask for a photo ID, make mention of this and insist on showing it. It will teach them to be more dilligent as well.
6. Be dilligent. In rural areas, one way a thief can steal your identity is through your mail delivery. Though it is a Federal crime to go into someone else’s mailbox, even to put something IN it, many mailboxes are left unattended for hours a day after the mail arrives. If you are missing any bills, especially a combination of utility and credit card bills, contact the companies immediately. With this combination thieves have been known to put in a “change of address” as they pay the minimum on a bill, then call and have a new card issued with the new address, even a new name on a secondary card. Within a week, the thief may be using your credit card without ANYTHING APPEARING TO HAVE BEEN STOLEN.
7. While traveling abroad, keep a photocopy of your passport with you. If the original is stolen, you can take the copy to the local consul and prevent it from being used again.
8. Photocopy both sides of the entire contents of your wallet, including driver’s license, social security card, etc. Keep these copies in a safe place so that, if your wallet is lost or stolen, you have a quick inventory of what was in it. Write the contact information for each company/agency with this copy– the sooner you can report the theft, the better. Having the combination of your SSN and Driv Lic, as well as your credit card information and address, thieves can do more than simply make purchases. They can also get MORE credit cards, made out in their own name, make major purchases, such as vehicles, even apply for bank loans– all in your name. Remember, time is of the essence.
9. Even online identities must be protected, especially email addresses related to individual websites. Spammers use robots to comb the internet for email addresses like these, then insert your email address in the “from” section of their Spam, thus avoiding detection or causing the complaints to be reverted to you. Scammers use this information as the contact email for disreputable sales, such as in auction sites like eBay. There are simple, free programs available (such as the scrambler at acme-web-design.info) that will scramble the email addresses on websites.
PROTECTION, POST THREAT
If or when your credit cards or checkbook are lost or stolen there are still several steps you can take to lessen the severity of the theft. Most of all, the faster you act, the less you will suffer. Identity thieves know they are working against the clock and will dump your information as soon as they sense that the theft has been detected. If you’re very dilligent, you may escape with little or no damage.
1. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations (these telephone numbers are listed below) immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit or charges.
2. File a police report immediately within the jurisdiction where your wallet stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
3. Alert the credit card companies and your bank personally.
4. Sign Up with a reputable identity theft prevention service. Don’t assume you are part of one just because your credit card company has some protection available. This only protects your account with THEM. These companies will collect all the necessary information from you and, with one call, most or all of the steps, above, will be handled by them.
Below are the contact numbers you need When your wallet has been stolen. The first three are the major credit agencies, and the fourth is the fraud line at the Social Security Administration. A driver’s license or passport will be reported when the police are notified.
1. Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2. Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3. Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
Though Identity theft is one of the worst crimes of our time, these simple steps and pre-cautions can save the average consumer months, if not years, of grief and very real damage to their financial status. No one is safe.–mo
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About The Author
Marige O’Brien works as a writer, web designer and Internet Marketer. Visit her Website, Tracker Mo’s Den (http://www.trackermo.com). For other solutions to identity theft, visit (http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/marige), which offers Identity Theft Shield.
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Posted by Scott on July 20th, 2006 — Posted in Politics & Commentary
by Web Stailey
I recently accessed the sex offender registry website and, upon typing in my address, I found ten convicted sex offenders living or working within five miles of my house. This was surprising since the nearest town is ten miles away. Sex crimes are bad enough, but nine of the men had been convicted of sex crimes against children, and only one of them had been convicted of one count. The other nine had all been convicted of at least two counts of sexual misconduct, child molestation, child solicitation, or sexual abuse during criminal confinement of a minor.
I decided to check the nearest town, and found that two men convicted of child molestation lived within 1000 feet of a school. It’s a small town of under 2,000 people, and there are three schools: elementary school, middle school, and a high school. The two living within 1000 feet of a school were living near the elementary school. This had me questioning how safe the children attending that school are. But I decided to check a larger town to see if the problem was worse.
I pulled up the list of sex offenders living within five miles of where I work, which is almost perfectly centered in South Bend, IN. I found 251 sex offenders, thirteen of whom had been convicted of at least one rape, sixteen had been convicted of sexual battery, and nearly 200 had been convicted of some sexual offense against a child, with about 30 others committing some other sexual offense.
Nearly half of the over 80 schools within the five mile radius had child molesters living within 1000 feet of the school. One elementary school had two child molesters and a rapist living within 1000 feet of it. South Bend has about 500,000 residents, but to find so many sex offenders living so close to elementary schools was still shocking.
I couldn’t force myself to believe this was common, so I checked Boston, MA’s sex offender registry list, and found 152 offenders, but their crimes weren’t listed and I don’t know who had been convicted of what crime. This, of course, made it impossible for me to decide if any child molesters were living near schools, but there were still sex offenders in close proximity.
I checked West New York, NY’s list and found 380 sex offenders. Most of them did not have specific crimes listed, but almost all of them lived within a half-mile of schools, and over half of them lived within 1000 feet of schools.
Los Angeles, CA, turned up 1742 sex offenders. Over half have been convicted of sex crimes against children, and nearly a quarter of them convicted of rape. Of the over 100 schools, fewer than 20 did not have sex offenders living within 1000 feet.
Denver, CO, turned up 720 sex offenders, nearly all of them located on the city’s north side. Washington, D.C., a city of 500,000, has 914 registered sex offenders, nearly all of them having committed sex crimes against children. The more I looked, the more disgusted I got.
The more research I did on the crimes the more I realized there was a pattern in sentencing. Child molesters often had less severe sentences than those convicted of sexual battery, and they had less severe sentences than rapists. Rape is a violent crime, and should be punished severely, but why do those who sexually abuse children often not spend time in jail? Instead they are given probation, and many end up being convicted of sexual abuse a few years later. The laws protecting sexual offenders have put the safety of children at risk and must be changed immediately.
(Source: http://www12.familywatchdog.us/)
Web Stailey lives in north-central Indiana, near South Bend. He is a 20 years-old college student with a deep compassion for social matters and helping society whenever possible. Web plans to be a lawyer after he gradulates so that he may dedicate his time to serving the victims of crimes and the interest of the public in general.
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