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White House Move to Collect ‘Fishy’ Info May Be Illegal, Critics Say

FOXNews.com

Friday, August 07, 2009

President Barack Obama pauses President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about the economy, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, in the Rose Garden of The White House in Washington. (AP) 27006560

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The White House strategy of turning supporters into snitches when they see “fishy” information about the health care debate may run afoul of the law, legal experts say.

“The White House is in bit of a conundrum because of this privacy statute that prohibits the White House from collecting data and storing it on people who disagree with it,” Judge Andrew Napolitano, a FOX News analyst, said Friday.

“There’s also a statute that requires the White House to retain all communications that it receives. It can’t try to rewrite history by pretending it didn’t receive anything,” he said.

“If the White House deletes anything, it violates one statute. If the White House collects data on the free speech, it violates another statute.”

Napolitano was referring to the Privacy Act of 1974, which was passed after the Nixon administration used federal agencies to illegally investigate individuals for political purposes. Enacted after Richard Nixon’s resignation in the Watergate scandal, the statute generally prohibits any federal agency from maintaining records on individuals exercising their right to free speech.

The White House has been under fire since it posted a blog on Tuesday that asked supporters to e-mail any “fishy” information seen on the Web or received electronically to flag@whitehouse.gov.

“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there,” the blog said, adding that “since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help.”

The blog was posted partly in response to a video posted on the Web that claimed to show Obama explaining how his health care reform plans eventually will eliminate private insurance.

The video, featured on the Drudge Report, strung together selected Obama statements that the White House said were taken out of context.

The White House said it wanted to be made aware of “fishy” comments about its health care plan because it wants to set the record straight. But critics called White House move an Orwellian tactic designed to control the health care debate.

“This is a very troubling attempt to stifle the free speech of Americans who have the constitutional right to express their opinion and concerns about health care,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. He called on Obama to repudiate his blog.

“This move is an attempt to intimidate those who have legitimate concerns about the health care plan,” Sekulow said. “And, worse, it turns the White House into some sort of self-appointed ’speech police.’ This new White House reporting program strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and has no place in this important debate about health care.”

Sekulow said he imagines that opponents of mandatory abortion coverage are engaging in what the White House considers “fishy” speech and should be reported.

“What the White House is touting is absurd,” he said.

But Napolitano said the White House probably cannot be sued because of sovereign immunity, unless someone was harmed by what the government did with the records. But that’s unlikely, he said, because the person would probably be unaware of the harm.

“That’s a silent violation of your right to privacy,” he said.

The ACLU said in a statement to FOXNews.com that the White House blog is a “bad idea that could send a troublesome message.”

But the organization added, “While it is unclear at this point what the government is doing with the information it is collecting, critics of the administration’s health care proposal should not fear that their names will end up in some government database that could be used to chill their right to free speech.”

The White House Thursday denied that it was playing “Big Brother.”

“Nobody is collecting names,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “We have seen, and as I’ve discussed from this podium, a lot of misinformation around health care reform, a lot of it spread, I think, purposefully.”

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who has called on Obama to end the program, rejected the White House explanation.

“Of course the White House is collecting names,” he said, arguing that anyone with access to the e-mail account has access to private information.

“The question is not what the White House is doing, but how and why,” he said. “How are they purging names and e-mail addresses from this account to protect privacy? Why do they need the forwarded e-mails, names, and ‘casual conversations’ sent to them instead of just the arguments that they want to rebut?

Asked by FOX News whether the White House was using the blog post as a way to expand the e-mail list for the administration and Obama’s political arm, Organizing for America, Gibbs said the two are “not in any way connected” and repeated that the White House is not collecting names.

Pressed about the program’s goal, Gibbs said it was to clarify for everybody what the misinformation is, adding that’s not a new tactic.

“When you make a mistake in your report, sometimes I e-mail you,” Gibbs said to FOX News’ Major Garrett. “Occasionally, I call. Sometimes I just throw something against the wall. Occasionally, it’s all three.”

Garrett asked why it’s necessary to ask so many people to e-mail the White House.

“All we’re asking people to do is, if they’re confused about what health care reform is going to mean to them, we’re happy to help clear that up for them. Nobody’s keeping anybody’s names. I do have your e-mail. …Maybe that’s because I assume future mistakes. But I’m not going to say that,” Gibbs said, drawing laughter.

“But nobody’s collecting information,” he added. “Everybody is trying to give people only the facts around what we all understand is a very complicated issue.”

Soldiers it may be time to Refinance your Home

Refinancing is the best way to pay your home loans and debts. Loans are not of same kind you can have different types of loans for different purchases and different home equity loans. Refinancing means paying off your current mortgage or reverse mortgage by obtaining a new one. Your home is used as collateral to secure this loan. Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. Even if you have less-than-perfect credit, mortgage consultants understand.

Refinancing is the best way to pay your home loans and debts. Mortgages are available worldwide to pay your loans and you have to lend your property to them and they pay your loans with easy refinancing. You can also purchase your home if you your loan back there rates are affordable as compare finance companies. Home equity is the value of a homeowner's unencumbered interest in their property, i.e. the difference between the home's fair market value and the unpaid balance of the mortgage and any outstanding debt over the home. But you don't need to be afraid you can use tools like loan tool kits to get complete information and define your terms and conditions. Loans are not of same kind you can have different types of loans for different purchases and different home equity loans.

Refinancing means paying off your current mortgage or reverse mortgage by obtaining a new one. People refinance for many reasons, some include to lower monthly payments, to remove a prepayment penalty, or to get a different loan type or length. Customers may also wish to get cash out of their home. They do this by borrowing against the equity in their home and receive cash in exchange. People can use this cash to pay off credit cards, to pay for college tuition, to pay medical expenses, other debt consolidation or even purchase another home. If you own your own home, and if your home is worth more than you owe on it, then you have some equity. If, in addition, your monthly payments on your debt obligations (e.g. mortgage payment, credit card payments, car payments, etc.) are hard to make each month, (or they can handle, but would prefer your monthly output to be lowered) then refinancing may help. Also, if you need money for a specific purpose (e.g. college tuition, wedding, medical expenses, etc.), your home equity may be able to help you out.
To find out if you are eligible for refinancing, call and speak with a Mortgage Consultant. You can explain your current situation and tell us what you wish to accomplish. We'll let you know if we can unlock some of the equity in your home to help attain your financial goals. Most importantly, we'll cut through the loan clutter and eliminate unnecessary confusion.
Second mortgages are essentially the same as your primary mortgage. Your home is used as collateral to secure this loan. While most borrowers are better served by Cash Out Refinancing, the advantage of a second mortgage is that in some cases, you can get payment terms and rates that may not be available in other types of loans.
A home equity line of credit works similar to a credit card or revolving line of credit. Your bank provides you with a checkbook that is used to draw against your line of credit. You can write checks for major purchases, such as a car or medical expenses, or just draw out some cash and go on vacation. Advantages of obtaining a home equity loan in this manner include: (1) the flexibility to borrow only as much money as you need at the time and (2) the potential to receive a lower interest rate versus a second mortgage loan. Please consult your Mortgage Consultant for more detailed information.
Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. The variable rate is based on publicly available index (such as the prime rate or a U.S. Treasury bill rate). Thus, as the index changes, the interest rate you pay may increase or decrease. The effective rate of interest you pay over the course of this loan may be higher or lower if you had obtained a fixed rate second mortgage. Thus, you should carefully consider the risks and rewards of this type of loan.
At Home123®, we've done a lot of work to make the entire process easier for you, by creating a simplified approach to the loan process. Every homeowner has a story and that is why our mortgage consultants take the time to know your situation personally. It helps us paint a clearer picture so we can better understand the loan you need. Even if you have less-than-perfect credit, mortgage consultants understand. They will do everything they can to offer you the best loan available.
Our mortgage consultants know that obtaining a loan is not an easy process, but our goal is to make it easier. We provide personalized service and resources like the Home123 Loan Tool Kitsm, to make your experience as smooth as possible and give you the confidence you need to better understand the process. The network of expert mortgage consultants will help guide you through the process and decrease the chances of any surprises. You will be clear on what is going on at each step along the way. Approved by http://ping.fm/qUi26

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Sometimes we all need help!
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HELP OUR SOLDIERS
Here at http://ping.fm/vjBKd we need your input to help other heroes. Many times soldiers come home and fall in between the cracks, and don't get the help they need. Please talk about 1 of the top 10 subjects below.

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Ironman Triathlon--Ten Common Mistakes
There''s lots of trial and error involved when athletes attempt there first Ironman. These days there''s lots of advice about athletes floating around out there and it can get confusing at times. After over 20 years on the Ironman scene, I''ve seen some of the same mistakes made over and over again by first time Ironman triathletes.

Here are the top ten mistakes that I feel you should really try and avoid. Just possibly it will give you a better shot at achieving your Ironman goal.

(1) OVERTRAINING

Almost without fail, the first time Ironman will go into the race overtrained. The hardest thing to learn about your training, is when to rest. Its really difficult to convince some athletes that rest is an essential component of their Ironman preparation. Some will insist on training no matter how tired they are or how sore they are. They will completely forget to factor in the physical and mental effort they expend at work every day. Worse yet, as the big day approaches, they will start their taper far too late. They continue to pound out the mileage for fear they''ll lose the conditioning they worked so hard to achieve.

Here are a few tips: If you begin a workout, and just know its going to be a struggle--you just have no energy--stop the work-out and go home. You obviously need more rest. When it gets really bad, take an entire week-end and do "nothing" associated with Ironman training. Go away for a few days. You won''t lose a thing and will resume your training rested and refreshed. As far as tapering, your longest workout day should be "4 weeks" before race day. Begin your taper there.

(2) POOR DIET

ITs almost sad to see the effort some people put into their ironman training only to stall their strength and endurance growth with an improper diet.

Avoid the junk food, eat a proper balance of complex carbs, protein and fat. Enhance a proper diet with vitamin supplements.

(3) IMPROPER FINAL WEEK PREPARATION

Its so easy to get caught up in the hype on ironman week. Too much time is spent in restaurants eating food you don''t normally eat.
Far too many athletes will do the swim course several times or hammer out long bike rides or pound through ten mile runs in the blazing heat. None of this helps you. You must stay relaxed and get lots of rest that final week. Before you arrive at the venue, make sure you have a plan set out for the entire week, right up to race morning.

(4) IMPROPER PRE-RACE HYDRATION

Either athletes will drink too much or not enough leading up to the race. You should start hydrating several days before the race. The rule of thumb is, when urine is clear and copious, you are properly hydrated. Too much drinking will flush too many nutrients out of your system and could lead to hyponatremia. More is not better. "Don''t" drink too much on race morning. You don''t want fluid sloshing around in your stomach during the swim.

(5) IMPROPER RACE-EVE PREPARATION

The day before the race is crucial! You shouldn''t be doing much of anything. Rest is the order of the day. Stay out of the sun. Eat your final large meal early in the day.(I never ate after 4 p.m. on that last day). This gives your digestive system time to work. Do what you must do. For instance--bike check-in, pre-race meeting and then go back to your room and relax.

(6) POOR SWIM STRATEGY

It''s an Ironman tradition to have mass swim starts and I can''t see that changing anytime in the near future. Most races have upwards of 2000 starters in a congested swim area. To convince yourself that the best strategy is to follow the course markers is a recipe for disaster. To decide to wait a minute or so, and then follow the markers is still a disaster. When you look around, their will be hundreds of others waiting as well. Go in with a workable strategy. Avoid the crush. I have an excellent swim strategy on my website.

(7) MISTAKES IN TRANSITION

The last place you should be running, is in the transition area. If this is your first Ironman, there is absoulutely nothing to be gained by it. It will drive your heart rate up. It will cause you to make mistakes. Take your time. In the chaos that surrounds you, keep in your own relaxed space.

(8) GOING OUT WAAAAY TOO FAST ON THE BIKE

Relax!! Don''t eat or drink for twenty minutes or so. Let your body adjust to the new demands you''re placing on it. Then begin to fuel up for the bike ahead and keep nutrition and fluid on an even keel for the entire bike ride. Spin at a nice relaxed pace for the first 40 km or so and then pick it up a little to the pace you feel you can maintain for the bulk of the ride.

(9) ABSOLUTELY NO RUN PLAN

Don''t just go out and wing it. Have a well-conceived run plan. Train months ahead for how you plan to handle the marathon. Its likely that not even 1% of first time ironman hopefuls will run the entire marathon. So train for this. Do long run-walks in training. In other words, try a three hour training run like this.

Run for the first 30-45 minutes and then begin walking for two minutes and running for 12-15 minutes and a steady workable pace. Keep repeating this for the entire run. In effect, what you''re doing, is practicing walking the aid stations and running in between as much as possible. When you leave the bike-run transition try and get in as much mileage as you can before you begin walking.

(10) ABSOLUTELY NO EATING-DRINKING PLAN FOR THE RUN

As the marathon progress and your energy and endurance are being challenged to the max, the normal reaction is to try eating a bit of everything available at the aid staions. This is another disaster in the making. The last thing you need is cookies, fruit, coke, etc., etc. trashing your stomach. If you trained all year with gels and a certain type of replacement drink, then that''s what you should stick with. Don''t make the mistake of searching everywhere for a miracle cure. Is isn''t there. The Ironman hurts. That is the nature of the beast. Don''t let it get the best of you. Fight through it with an eating and drinking plan that you''ve thought out long before race day.

Everything I''ve mentioned here is covered and discussed on my "Ironstruck" website. I would be particulary concerned with having a proper diet and overall-race plan. Take the guess-work out of race-day. Know exacly what your swim plan will be. Proper diet and vitamin supplements are a must. Make sure your Ironman plans cover everything up to and including the race.

My name is Ray and I have competed in endurance events for over a quarter of a century, including 14 Ironman Triathlons, and over 35 marathons. I created a website..."Ironstruck" full of racing and training tips for the novice triathlete. http://triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com or Click " http://www.askthedrillsergeant.com "

Veteran Services, DAV & Harley-Davidson rally for a disabled veteran.

Machine gun at the ready, U.S. Army Pfc. David A. Straza moved along the path that snaked through a flooded area known as "pineapple grove." It was late morning on Oct. 30,1968, and quiet, as his squad patrolled alongside a brush line. Suddenly, gunfire erupted. Straza was about to become a casualty of the Vietnam War.

"The point man went down, and my sergeant got hit and killed in front of me," Straza said. "I started firing and my machine gun jammed. I knelt thinking the M60 may have been hit. When I opened the breach, my leg was knocked from under me, and I went down. I pulled my .45 and fired from the prone position."

According to Straza, the firelight lasted about five minutes. Within a half hour, he was on a helicopter on his way back to a field hospital. He had suffered a gunshot wound through his lower left leg, just above the ankle. The wound was treated, and he spent two days in the field hospital before he was transferred to an Army hospital in Japan for a week. Then he was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Illinois. He spent approximately four and a half months in treatment at Great Lakes before returning to duty at Ft. Benning, Ga., where he remained until his honorable discharge at the rank of sergeant on Oct. 7, 1970. He left the military with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent and an injury that became worse over time.

In 2001, Straza contacted the DAV, and a National Service Officer reviewed his file and submitted a claim for reconsideration of a clear and unmistakable error to establish a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent retroactive to Oct. 8, 1970. However, a VA rating decision of March 27, 2002, assigned a 20 percent evaluation for a moderately severe muscle disability, not 30 percent for a severe injury based on the information furnished by the DAV.
Straza's wife, Colleen, died in 2003, and the claim went uncontested as he worked through grief and put his life back together.

In 2008, Straza attended a reunion of the 82nd Airborne Division in Texas. During the reunion he got into a conversation with a DAV member from Maryland. When he recounted the story about his disability claim, the DAV member strongly advised him to have an NSO look into the matter. Straza decided to take the advice, after he and his new bride, Lana, returned from their honeymoon.

"We had just returned from our honeymoon, when I read a notice that a DAV Mobile Service Office (MSO) would be visiting at a local Harley-Davidson dealership," Straza said. "So, I went and talked with NSO John Rodriguez. I told him I was having difficulty walking, had lost feeling in my foot and leg and was experiencing pain in the area. I also told him it was getting progressively worse."

"We were on site at the Zylstra Harley-Davidson/Buell, when Mr. Straza came by to discuss his claim," NSO Rodriguez said. "He wanted to discuss his claim which had previously sought to establish a clear and unmistakable error for failure to establish service-connected compensation at 30 percent for the gunshot wound he had suffered in the Vietnam War. Mr. Straza felt the VA did not properly address his injuries and requested a review of his file."

In reviewing the claim, Rodriguez, a Senior NSO at the DAV National Service office in Chicago, discovered that the VA had, in fact, granted service-connected disability compensation for the gunshot wound to the lower left leg retroactive to Oct. 8, 1970, but only for 20 percent.

NSO Rodriguez was convinced a further error had been made.

"Based on my review, on July 25, 2008, I submitted a request for corrective action based on the clear and unmistakable error made by the Rating Board Decision on April 2, 2002," Rodriguez said. "Our memorandum dated Aug. 16, 2001, argued that Mr. Straza warranted a higher rating based on the severity of his injury. The rating board did not comply with the request, which was correct. Since the error was still in effect, we wanted it corrected."

In a letter dated Oct. 9, 2008, Straza received the VA decision stating that a clear and unmistakable error was found in the evaluation and a retroactive increased evaluation to 30 percent disabling was established from Oct. 8, 1970. His claim had been corrected.

NSO Rodriguez views the success of Straza's claim as an example of the effectiveness of the MSO outreach program and the partnership between the DAV and Harley-Davidson.

"The Mobile Service Office program is a great way to bring service to veterans nearly anywhere," Rodriguez said. "The combined partnership of the DAV and Harley-Davidson is cemented in service to our disabled veterans through the MSO program. Reaching out to veterans at Harley-Davidson dealerships provides an opportunity to expand our contact with veterans beyond a typical MSO stop. Many of the veterans who visit us at Harley-Davidson dealerships don't know they are eligible for membership or services from the DAV."

"NSOs are litigators, mediators, technicians and detectives all in one," National Service Director Randy Reese said. "The goal of an NSO is to provide superior, quality representation to disabled veterans and their families to ensure they receive all of their benefits. Whether the disability compensation is rated at 10 percent or 100 percent, every veteran is important."

David Straza couldn't agree more.

"The service the DAV provided was exemplary," Straza said. "NSO Rodriguez paid attention to what I was saying and was genuinely concerned. He followed up on the claim in a timely fashion and accurate manner. And he got results."

"From their own experience as disabled veterans, they know the rules and regulations and can help without you having to go it on your own," he said.

"I was talking to one of the guys I served with recently, when he brought up an issue he was having difficulty with. Like the DAV member at my reunion in Texas, I recommended that he contact the DAV--I strongly recommended it," Straza added.

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Chicago Bear receives probation for fraud

Former Chicago Bear Roland Harper. Roland Harper (born February 28, 1953 in Seguin, Texas) is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Chicago Bears. was sentenced to a year of house arrest Tuesday for acting as a front man in a $1.5 million fraud involving a landscaping contract for Chicago public schools Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians, is a school district that controls over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois. .

U.S. District Judge John W. Darrah also required the 56-year-old former fullback to perform 200 hours of community service and pay $25,000 in restitution and forfeit To lose to another person or to the state some privilege, right, or property due to the commission of an error, an offense, or a crime, a breach of contract, or a neglect of duty; to subject property to confiscation; or to become liable for the payment of a penalty, as the result of a $50,000. He'll also serve two years of probation, including the year he is confined .


Harper, who was in the same backfield with Walter Payton. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football player, who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. , pleaded guilty last year to mail fraud. Defense attorney Patrick J. Cotter

[Origin unknown. said Harper is now broke and faces an array of civil lawsuits stemming from the failure of a trucking business he had owned.

"Roland Harper may have been a great football player but he is a terrible businessman," Cotter said.

Harper, who is black, was hoping to learn the landscaping business but soon found himself the front man in a plot by a white landscaper to get a contract set aside for a minority firm, Cotter said. Harper went into the contract with honest intentions, his attorney said.

Landscaper Aiden Monahan was sentenced in April to three years and five months in prison after pleading guilty as the mastermind of the fraud.

Prosecutors said Monahan owned the equipment and the workers used on the contract and that Harper would go to the office about twice a week, say hello to employees, meet briefly with Monahan and leave. He received only about $80,000 of the $1.5 million in contract money.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Miller.said Harper immediately cooperated with prosecutors after they confronted him, but that contract fraud is a serious problem in Chicago and he needed to be punished.

Prosecutors asked Darrah to sentence Harper to 16 months — below the federal guideline range and as such a reward for helping prosecutors convict Monahan.

"This city is fraught with corruption," Darrah said, adding that Harper's cooperation could be an example to others who know about federal crimes.

Harper apologized to the court and the city.

"I'm sorry that so many people who look up to me I've let down," he said.

As he left the courthouse, Harper told reporters that he had been caught up in "unfortunate circumstances."

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10 ways to Earn Money Through Blogs at http://ping.fm/hGIEc


Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.
Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.

The blogosphere is indeed increasing its scope of coverage from being just a personal electronic journal to being an online marketing tool for most online marketers. With its enormous functions, no wonder marketers on the net have seen its potential to forward their business. Blogosphere's popularity is simply unstoppable.

Running a blog, is one of the easiest websites to own for any individual. Also, blogs are very popular and are very user friendly to all people. There are many blog promoting sites that will promote your blog if it contains awesome information. The Internet is full of valuable information nowadays about so many topics, so writing about anything will do.

Creating a blog can be easy but creating a popular blog which has the potential to be visited by hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult. Success will not come so easily without any effort put in. If you really want to work online from home using blogs, you have to be prepared to make it your business to create good blogs.

Traffic is important when earning money through blogs. The higher your traffic is, the higher your income may get. While working your traffic way up, take some time to also study and analyze certain blogging tools. Be familiar with these, such as RSS, feeds, search engine optimization, and others.

The postings on business blog should be open and should portray personality of the writer and the company. The postings on business blogs should be very informal, and should be written in first person voice. Posts should be informative and relevant with an expert touch to it.

Setting up a blog is pretty simple. You can choose to design your own blog format on your existing site or you can use a free blog from free blog hosting services like Wordpress or Blogger. You can publish your own articles on any topics related to your business and provide information about your products or services to people.

While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks

Another way that you might choose to make money with your blog is to use it as a space to launch an affiliate business. Have you considered having an affiliate business? An affiliate business is basically where you get paid every time you recommend a customer to a product and that customer makes their purchase through your personal affiliate link.

Tips to Earn Money through Blogs

Automated blogging is clearly something which is only of interest in terms of making money or creating an online business. Anyone who blogs for the fun of it would wonder what on earth the point of automating it could be, as this would take all the fun out of it.

The blogosphere is indeed increasing its scope of coverage from being just a personal electronic journal to being an online marketing tool for most online marketers. With its enormous functions, no wonder marketers on the net have seen its potential to forward their business. Blogosphere's popularity is simply unstoppable.

Running a blog, is one of the easiest websites to own for any individual. Also, blogs are very popular and are very user friendly to all people. There are many blog promoting sites that will promote your blog if it contains awesome information. The Internet is full of valuable information nowadays about so many topics, so writing about anything will do.

Creating a blog can be easy but creating a popular blog which has the potential to be visited by hundreds or even thousands of people can be difficult. Success will not come so easily without any effort put in. If you really want to work online from home using blogs, you have to be prepared to make it your business to create good blogs.

Traffic is important when earning money through blogs. The higher your traffic is, the higher your income may get. While working your traffic way up, take some time to also study and analyze certain blogging tools. Be familiar with these, such as RSS, feeds, search engine optimization, and others.

The postings on business blog should be open and should portray personality of the writer and the company. The postings on business blogs should be very informal, and should be written in first person voice. Posts should be informative and relevant with an expert touch to it.

Setting up a blog is pretty simple. You can choose to design your own blog format on your existing site or you can use a free blog from free blog hosting services like Wordpress or Blogger. You can publish your own articles on any topics related to your business and provide information about your products or services to people.

While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks

Another way that you might choose to make money with your blog is to use it as a space to launch an affiliate business. Have you considered having an affiliate business? An affiliate business is basically where you get paid every time you recommend a customer to a product and that customer makes their purchase through your personal affiliate link.

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A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety

Dear Parent:

Our children are our Nation's most valuable asset. They represent the bright future of our country and hold our hopes for a better Nation. Our children are also the most vulnerable members of society. Protecting our children against the fear of crime and from becoming victims of crime must be a national priority.

Unfortunately the same advances in computer and telecommunication technology that allow our children to reach out to new sources of knowledge and cultural experiences are also leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm by computer-sex offenders.

I hope that this pamphlet helps you to begin to understand the complexities of on-line child exploitation. For further information, please contact your local FBI office or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

Louis J. Freeh, Former Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Introduction

While on-line computer exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, expanding their horizons and exposing them to different cultures and ways of life, they can be exposed to dangers as they hit the road exploring the information highway. There are individuals who attempt to sexually exploit children through the use of on-line services and the Internet. Some of these individuals gradually seduce their targets through the use of attention, affection, kindness, and even gifts. These individuals are often willing to devote considerable amounts of time, money, and energy in this process. They listen to and empathize with the problems of children. They will be aware of the latest music, hobbies, and interests of children. These individuals attempt to gradually lower children's inhibitions by slowly introducing sexual context and content into their conversations.

There are other individuals, however, who immediately engage in sexually explicit conversation with children. Some offenders primarily collect and trade child-pornographic images, while others seek face-to-face meetings with children via on-line contacts. It is important for parents to understand that children can be indirectly victimized through conversation, i.e. "chat," as well as the transfer of sexually explicit information and material. Computer-sex offenders may also be evaluating children they come in contact with on-line for future face-to-face contact and direct victimization. Parents and children should remember that a computer-sex offender can be any age or sex the person does not have to fit the caricature of a dirty, unkempt, older man wearing a raincoat to be someone who could harm a child.

Children, especially adolescents, are sometimes interested in and curious about sexuality and sexually explicit material. They may be moving away from the total control of parents and seeking to establish new relationships outside their family. Because they may be curious, children/adolescents sometimes use their on-line access to actively seek out such materials and individuals. Sex offenders targeting children will use and exploit these characteristics and needs. Some adolescent children may also be attracted to and lured by on-line offenders closer to their age who, although not technically child molesters, may be dangerous. Nevertheless, they have been seduced and manipulated by a clever offender and do not fully understand or recognize the potential danger of these contacts.

This guide was prepared from actual investigations involving child victims, as well as investigations where law enforcement officers posed as children. Further information on protecting your child on-line may be found in the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Child Safety on the Information Highway and Teen Safety on the Information Highway pamphlets.

What Are Signs That Your Child Might Be At Risk On-line?

Your child spends large amounts of time on-line, especially at night.

Most children that fall victim to computer-sex offenders spend large amounts of time on-line, particularly in chat rooms. They may go on-line after dinner and on the weekends. They may be latchkey kids whose parents have told them to stay at home after school. They go on-line to chat with friends, make new friends, pass time, and sometimes look for sexually explicit information. While much of the knowledge and experience gained may be valuable, parents should consider monitoring the amount of time spent on-line.

Children on-line are at the greatest risk during the evening hours. While offenders are on-line around the clock, most work during the day and spend their evenings on-line trying to locate and lure children or seeking pornography.

You find pornography on your child's computer.

Pornography is often used in the sexual victimization of children. Sex offenders often supply their potential victims with pornography as a means of opening sexual discussions and for seduction. Child pornography may be used to show the child victim that sex between children and adults is "normal." Parents should be conscious of the fact that a child may hide the pornographic files on diskettes from them. This may be especially true if the computer is used by other family members.

Your child receives phone calls from men you don't know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don't recognize.

While talking to a child victim on-line is a thrill for a computer-sex offender, it can be very cumbersome. Most want to talk to the children on the telephone. They often engage in "phone sex" with the children and often seek to set up an actual meeting for real sex.

While a child may be hesitant to give out his/her home phone number, the computer-sex offenders will give out theirs. With Caller ID, they can readily find out the child's phone number. Some computer-sex offenders have even obtained toll-free 800 numbers, so that their potential victims can call them without their parents finding out. Others will tell the child to call collect. Both of these methods result in the computer-sex offender being able to find out the child's phone number.

Your child receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don't know.

As part of the seduction process, it is common for offenders to send letters, photographs, and all manner of gifts to their potential victims. Computer-sex offenders have even sent plane tickets in order for the child to travel across the country to meet them.

Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room.

A child looking at pornographic images or having sexually explicit conversations does not want you to see it on the screen.

Your child becomes withdrawn from the family.

Computer-sex offenders will work very hard at driving a wedge between a child and their family or at exploiting their relationship. They will accentuate any minor problems at home that the child might have. Children may also become withdrawn after sexual victimization.

Your child is using an on-line account belonging to someone else.

Even if you don't subscribe to an on-line service or Internet service, your child may meet an offender while on-line at a friend's house or the library. Most computers come preloaded with on-line and/or Internet software. Computer-sex offenders will sometimes provide potential victims with a computer account for communications with them.

What Should You Do If You Suspect Your Child Is Communicating With A Sexual Predator On-line?

• Consider talking openly with your child about your suspicions. Tell them about the dangers of computer-sex offenders.
• Review what is on your child's computer. If you don't know how, ask a friend, coworker, relative, or other knowledgeable person. Pornography or any kind of sexual communication can be a warning sign.
• Use the Caller ID service to determine who is calling your child. Most telephone companies that offer Caller ID also offer a service that allows you to block your number from appearing on someone else's Caller ID. Telephone companies also offer an additional service feature that rejects incoming calls that you block. This rejection feature prevents computer-sex offenders or anyone else from calling your home anonymously.
• Devices can be purchased that show telephone numbers that have been dialed from your home phone. Additionally, the last number called from your home phone can be retrieved provided that the telephone is equipped with a redial feature. You will also need a telephone pager to complete this retrieval.
• This is done using a numeric-display pager and another phone that is on the same line as the first phone with the redial feature. Using the two phones and the pager, a call is placed from the second phone to the pager. When the paging terminal beeps for you to enter a telephone number, you press the redial button on the first (or suspect) phone. The last number called from that phone will then be displayed on the pager.
• Monitor your child's access to all types of live electronic communications (i.e., chat rooms, instant messages, Internet Relay Chat, etc.), and monitor your child's e-mail. Computer-sex offenders almost always meet potential victims via chat rooms. After meeting a child on-line, they will continue to communicate electronically often via e-mail.

Should any of the following situations arise in your household, via the Internet or on-line service, you should immediately contact your local or state law enforcement agency, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:

1. Your child or anyone in the household has received child pornography;
2. Your child has been sexually solicited by someone who knows that your child is under 18 years of age;
3. Your child has received sexually explicit images from someone that knows your child is under the age of 18.

If one of these scenarios occurs, keep the computer turned off in order to preserve any evidence for future law enforcement use. Unless directed to do so by the law enforcement agency, you should not attempt to copy any of the images and/or text found on the computer.

What Can You Do To Minimize The Chances Of An On-line Exploiter Victimizing Your Child?

• Communicate, and talk to your child about sexual victimization and potential on-line danger.
• Spend time with your children on-line. Have them teach you about their favorite on-line destinations.
• Keep the computer in a common room in the house, not in your child's bedroom. It is much more difficult for a computer-sex offender to communicate with a child when the computer screen is visible to a parent or another member of the household.
• Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider and/or blocking software. While electronic chat can be a great place for children to make new friends and discuss various topics of interest, it is also prowled by computer-sex offenders. Use of chat rooms, in particular, should be heavily monitored. While parents should utilize these mechanisms, they should not totally rely on them.
• Always maintain access to your child's on-line account and randomly check his/her e-mail. Be aware that your child could be contacted through the U.S. Mail. Be up front with your child about your access and reasons why.
• Teach your child the responsible use of the resources on-line. There is much more to the on-line experience than chat rooms.
• Find out what computer safeguards are utilized by your child's school, the public library, and at the homes of your child's friends. These are all places, outside your normal supervision, where your child could encounter an on-line predator.
• Understand, even if your child was a willing participant in any form of sexual exploitation, that he/she is not at fault and is the victim. The offender always bears the complete responsibility for his or her actions.
• Instruct your children:
  
  • to never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met on- line;
  • to never upload (post) pictures of themselves onto the Internet or on-line service to people they do not personally know;
  • to never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, or telephone number;
  • to never download pictures from an unknown source, as there is a good chance there could be sexually explicit images;
  • to never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing;
  • that whatever they are told on-line may or may not be true.

Frequently Asked Questions:

My child has received an e-mail advertising for a pornographic website, what should I do?

Generally, advertising for an adult, pornographic website that is sent to an e-mail address does not violate federal law or the current laws of most states. In some states it may be a violation of law if the sender knows the recipient is under the age of 18. Such advertising can be reported to your service provider and, if known, the service provider of the originator. It can also be reported to your state and federal legislators, so they can be made aware of the extent of the problem.

Is any service safer than the others?

Sex offenders have contacted children via most of the major on-line services and the Internet. The most important factors in keeping your child safe on-line are the utilization of appropriate blocking software and/or parental controls, along with open, honest discussions with your child, monitoring his/her on-line activity, and following the tips in this pamphlet.

Should I just forbid my child from going on-line?

There are dangers in every part of our society. By educating your children to these dangers and taking appropriate steps to protect them, they can benefit from the wealth of information now available on-line.

Helpful Definitions:

Internet - An immense, global network that connects computers via telephone lines and/or fiber networks to storehouses of electronic information. With only a computer, a modem, a telephone line and a service provider, people from all over the world can communicate and share information with little more than a few keystrokes.

Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) - Electronic networks of computers that are connected by a central computer setup and operated by a system administrator or operator and are distinguishable from the Internet by their "dial-up" accessibility. BBS users link their individual computers to the central BBS computer by a modem which allows them to post messages, read messages left by others, trade information, or hold direct conversations. Access to a BBS can, and often is, privileged and limited to those users who have access privileges granted by the systems operator.

Commercial On-line Service (COS) - Examples of COSs are America Online, Prodigy, CompuServe and Microsoft Network, which provide access to their service for a fee. COSs generally offer limited access to the Internet as part of their total service package.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) - Examples of ISPs are Erols, Concentric and Netcom. These services offer direct, full access to the Internet at a flat, monthly rate and often provide electronic-mail service for their customers. ISPs often provide space on their servers for their customers to maintain World Wide Web (WWW) sites. Not all ISPs are commercial enterprises. Educational, governmental and nonprofit organizations also provide Internet access to their members.

Public Chat Rooms - Created, maintained, listed and monitored by the COS and other public domain systems such as Internet Relay Chat. A number of customers can be in the public chat rooms at any given time, which are monitored for illegal activity and even appropriate language by systems operators (SYSOP). Some public chat rooms are monitored more frequently than others, depending on the COS and the type of chat room. Violators can be reported to the administrators of the system (at America On-line they are referred to as terms of service [TOS]) which can revoke user privileges. The public chat rooms usually cover a broad range of topics such as entertainment, sports, game rooms, children only, etc.

Electronic Mail (E-Mail) - A function of BBSs, COSs and ISPs which provides for the transmission of messages and files between computers over a communications network similar to mailing a letter via the postal service. E-mail is stored on a server, where it will remain until the addressee retrieves it. Anonymity can be maintained by the sender by predetermining what the receiver will see as the "from" address. Another way to conceal one's identity is to use an "anonymous remailer," which is a service that allows the user to send an e-mail message repackaged under the remailer's own header, stripping off the originator's name completely.

Chat - Real-time text conversation between users in a chat room with no expectation of privacy. All chat conversation is accessible by all individuals in the chat room while the conversation is taking place.

Instant Messages - Private, real-time text conversation between two users in a chat room.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - Real-time text conversation similar to public and/or private chat rooms on COS.

Usenet (Newsgroups) - Like a giant, cork bulletin board where users post messages and information. Each posting is like an open letter and is capable of having attachments, such as graphic image files (GIFs). Anyone accessing the newsgroup can read the postings, take copies of posted items, or post responses. Each newsgroup can hold thousands of postings. Currently, there are over 29,000 public newsgroups and that number is growing daily. Newsgroups are both public and/or private. There is no listing of private newsgroups. A user of private newsgroups has to be invited into the newsgroup and be provided with the newsgroup's address.

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cyber Division
Innocent Images National Initiative
11700 Beltsville Drive
Calverton, MD 20705

Contact your local FBI office for further information

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