Veritate et Virtute

When evil strikes - The murders of Braden and Charlie Powell

2012-02-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

Seattle PI

This past week we have all been reeling from the shock of the murder of Charlie and Braden Powell, who were murdered by their father. The same father whose wife, Susan Powell, has been missing (presumed murdered by her spouse) for the past two years. Given the years of tread I've worn off my life's passage, rarely does one encounter an act of cowardice and evil as was witness in Puyallup, WA last week; these boy's died a horrific death at the hands of their father. While I and many others believe they have joined their mother; one can only hope their father who selfishly decided when their young lives would end, as he did their mother, burns for eternity.

Here are a few pieces on the disappearance of Susan Powell, the murder of Charlie and Braden Powell:

King5's coverage of the boy's funeral: Video memorial for Charlie and Braden Powell

Datline NBC's coverage: A family's story - Keith Morrison - parts 1 through 6.
Part 1:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part 2:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part 3:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part 4:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part 5

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part 6 - Final

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher

When fraud causes slack-jaw syndrome

2011-12-08T05:15:00.001-08:00

Over the course of the last few days, my family and I have been screaming at the TV as the despicable case of alleged welfare fraud conducted by David Silverstein and his spouse, Lyudmila Shiminova. In this time of economic uncertain, high unemployment and nation-wide foreclosures. This well to do couple, decided they needed to go above and beyond their upper-class life-style, by perpetrating a fraud against the welfare system within the State of Washington.

While we all would have liked the fraud to have been detected prior to six figures worth of funds had found their way into the hands, I am heartened that the couple was detected and their efforts thwarted as a result of a normal checks & balances exercise.

The house these ***needy*** individuals resided was valued at >$1 million.

In case you haven't heard about this case, here are a few of the 20,000 plus links to articles. As you read these, I think you too will come to the conclusion, that if these two individuals conducted the fraud alleged, they should be put away for one year for every dollar they obtained via fraudulent means.

Daily Mail

CBS News - 18 hours ago

Chiropractor David Silverstein and his wife Lyudmila Shimonova are accused of filing false claims for more than $135000 in federal housing assistance since ...

359 related articles

Gaming the system

‎ - Anderson Independent Mail

Fraud: A Seattle chiropractor David Silverstein lives with his ...

‎ - Daily Mail

More news for David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova, »

David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova, Seattle 1 Percenters ...

blogs.seattleweekly.com/.../12/david_silverstein_and_lyudmila.php
2 days ago – Living in a big house on the shores of Lake Washington is expensive. But it helps if one has...
Photo: Federal prosecutors say David Silverstein and Lyudmila ...

www.commercialappeal.com/photos/2011/dec/06/256056/
1 day ago – Federal prosecutors say David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonovalived in this $1.2 million Seattle home while also seeking more than ...
Wealthy couple who live in $1.2m home and drive a Jag have been ...

www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Wealthy-couple-live-1-2m-home-drive-Jag-...
1 day ago – David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova, from Seattle, are accused of filing false claims which included more than $1200 in public housing ...
Couple in Seattle lake home sued in welfare fraud

www.post-gazette.com/pg/11341/1195051-84-0.stm?cmpid...xml
7 hours ago – ... a criminal search warrant at the home of David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova, who the lawsuit says "are believed to be man and wife." ...
Couple on Welfare Scam $135000 Despite Living in Million Dollar ...

global.christianpost.com/.../couple-on-welfare-scam-135000-despite-...
15 hours ago – The couple, David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova, has been slapped with a lawsuit for cheating the federal government out of funds. ...
Feds: Pair claimed welfare, but lived in $1.2M home, traveled world ...

www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id...
1 day ago – 2, 2011, accusing David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova of filing false claims. Prosecutors are demanding they pay back more than ...
Feds: Couple claimed welfare, lived in $1.2M home - The Denver Post

www.denverpost.com › News › Breaking News
1 day ago – 2, 2011, accusing David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova of filing false claims. Prosecutors are demanding they pay back more than ...
Successful chiropractic David Silverstein and wife, Lyudmila ...

theoriginalgreenwichdiva.com/...david-silverstein...lyudmila-shimon...
1 day ago – Successful chiropractic David Silverstein and wife, Lyudmila Shimonova, collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits while living in

Seattle Geek Roast - a Benefit for Nick Magnotti

2011-11-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I learned of the Seattle Geek Roast (#SeattleGeekRoast) being organized to raise funds for Nick Magnotti who has been diagnosed with Stage-IV Mucinous Adenocarinoma of the appendix, or in a word “cancer.”

The cost for Nick's treatment is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $200,000 to $300,000. Given the rarity of this type of cancer, Nick will have to travel to obtain the unique treatment to either North Carolina or Nebraska.

I don’t know Nick nor do I know his wife Alyssa, but I know of her work and contribution to the success of many via Thinkspace. I also know that if it were me facing Nick’s situation and choices at age 25, I’d be thriving on the strength provided in the knowledge that the community of which I am a part has come to together on my behalf. And we are all a community, and we can all help. This young couple needs help.

Take a moment and visit the website “Seattle Geek Roast.” Read Nick’s story, sign up to attend the event on 11 November 2011 at the Redmond Marriott at Redmond Town Center (7401 164th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052). If you can’t make it, skip your coffee fix for the afternoon and donate that amount. You see, when we all give a little, it becomes a lot.

Let’s all do our best to help Nick Roast his Cancer.

Thank you for your time,

Christopher

--------------------------------------------------

Additional reading:

Alyssamag’s Blog

Roast Nick’s Cancer - Facebook

Discussing Bullying

2011-10-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Pirillo pre-Gnomedex about a variety of subjects, some light, some humorous and one very serious - the topic of bullying and the attendant suicides. During this discussion, I also shared my thoughts on how we as a collective society need to step up and effect change in the immediate future. I do hope you will come and listen to my talk on the Gnomedex stage at Seattle Interactive conference on 2 November 2011 at 1400 hours (2:00pm).

The presentation is titled: "Unintended Consequences"

Abstract: Our social interaction has morphed to an always-on, always-available existence. Technology now allows us to reach out and touch one and other at will on a global basis. While most of this interaction is cordial, not all, some become overwhelmed and this leads to unintended consequences - Bullycide.

While time may be limited, we can and should step up and make a difference - I hope to see you at Gnomedex.

Here is my piece on,

"The 34 we lost in 2010 to bullycide"

Thank you for your time.

Christopher

Christopher Burgess talking about his presentation for Gnomedex and other topics

Encrypt - Family data? Business Data?

2011-10-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

17 October 2011 (#NCSAM – National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

Encryption:
To encrypt or not encrypt, that is the question (a hat tip to the Bard of Avon).

In this day and age of digital data thefts, careless loss of hardware and infusion of crimeware / malware, in my opinion it pays to encrypt. When and what should be encrypted?

For the family – if you aren’t encrypting your entire hard drive (and your back up drives) and opting for selective data encryption, then you should focus on your personal health information, your financial information and anything that could be used in a manner detrimental to you and your family interests. If your device has an SSD (solid state drive) you should also consider full disk encryption, as it serves two purposes – one it protects your data today and two, when you destroy the key file off the drive, it protects your drive upon unit disposal, as overwrite methodologies used with standard magnetic drives is not applicable to SSD.

For the business – you should encrypt period. An encrypted drive, lost or misplaced becomes a paperweight to the individual who finds (stole) the device. Safe harbors exist with respect to breach notifications for encrypted devices. Now it is equally important to use the encryption. I have seen in my professional career, far too many instances of encryption being provided to an employee and the employee opting NOT to turn on the encryption due to degradation in throughput. So don’t let the convenience factor trump your data security.

Stay safe and secure,
Christopher

For additional reading:
SSD’s and the Importance of Encryption by Emmitt Jorgensen

Three steps to Wi-Fi safety

2011-10-16T02:01:00.000-07:00

16 October 2011 (#NCSAM – National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

Wi-Fi:

Those who have followed my writing on the subject of Wi-Fi security know my passion for taking seemingly basic steps to keep one’s wireless activity safe and secure. In a recent survey conducted by the Wi-Fi Alliance 86% of all respondents had taken the appropriate steps to secure their routers, but only 56% had taken the step to create a “hard” password, thus making themselves vulnerable to dictionary attacks or the like.

So take three basic steps to keep yourself Wi-Fi secure:

WPA2 encryption
Use strong passwords {example: (B$@iJH91$(~(K } and don’t reuse the password for another purpose. If you share the password with a visitor, change the password.
When using public networks, only use networks you know and if using open networks, only use HTTPS connections.

Stay safe and secure,
Christopher

Additional reading:
Online Safety: Neighborhood Watch Programs – WiFi
Passwords – Creation & Usage
Three Good Reasons to Lock Down Your Wireless Network

SMISH - SMS/PHISH scamming you in 160 characters or less

2011-10-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

14 October 2011 (#NCSAM – National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

SMISH - SMS/PHISH scamming you in 160 characters or less

What’s SMISH? SMISH is Short Message Service (SMS) Phish or in the lexicon of the day, Text Message Phishing. What’s phishing? Phishing is a criminal action where you are engaged by a third-party with the specific goal of you providing private and sensitive information for nefarious purposes. The difference between SMISH (SMS Phish) and Email Phish (Phish) is only the avenue by which you are engaged by the criminal.

How does it work? A text message is sent to your mobile device which contains an “urgent” request for you to either click on a link, or call a number because your bank account, credit card account, email account, online retailer account due to any number of artificial crisis. The crisis nearly always projects to you the recipient disastrous (account closure, card termination) results should you not take immediate action.

Here is an example of an active and ongoing SMISH attempt received by many between October 2 and 8, allegedly originating from Wells Fargo Bank with this simple text:

WELLS FARGO NOTICE: Your CARD 4868* has been DEACTIVATED. Please contact us at: 206-497-7885.

The above is being widely transmitted throughout the Seattle area (206 area code is Seattle) and is not limited to Wells Fargo Customers. According to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office tens of thousands of consumers in Washington State have been targeted. Sadly, should you provide your information to these criminals, and your money is transferred or goods are obtained the odds of your funds being recovered are between slim and none.

In the event you are compelled to contact your institution to make doubly sure that your account isn’t in jeopardy. For credit cards, call the number on the back of the card (not the number provided in the SMISH); for bank accounts, call the local number associated with your bank, for retailers/vendors call them at the number provided by them on their invoice, taken from the white pages. In all instances, make your search for the contact number a completely separate event.

The reality is your financial institution, service provider or retailer doesn’t need you to provide to them your account information – they already know it.

Stay safe and secure,
Christopher

Additional reading:
Crimeware – a book review

Mobile Device? Use one? Protect yourself.

2011-10-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

12 October 2011 (#NCSAM – National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

Mobile provides daily risks, some tips for you and your family to reduce those risks

The world’s leading technology companies predict within the next few years there will be more than five devices per person connecting to the internet. When I read that stat, I took a look around my own abode saw I far exceeded the predicted five devices per person and anticipate being well beyond five in the next few years. The PEW Research Center notes that 28% of all American adults use mobile and location-based services (September 6, 2011 – Pew Research Center). The mobile devices, be it the iPhone, iPad, iPod, laptop, smart-phone or what have you, are engaged and active both from within my own closed network where I am individually responsible for the security settings, updating the software behind my selected security software suites on a regular (as recommended by the vendor basis) basis closing any and all known threats. But (yes that negating but), my mobile devices are susceptible to a different set of circumstances than my stationary devices. They access the internet from networks which may or may not be secured (at all) or via networks which have had their security compromised.
Like the flu, malware can be passed from one to another via contact made. And as much as I like to think my personal health is such that the flu will pass me by, I still get my flu shots, wash my hands and sneeze into my elbow as recommended by those in charge of disease control. I do from time to time fall have to take a sick day when my body becomes infected. Our personal health is absolutely analogous to the health of our mobile devices. If you don’t maintain the health of your device then you should expect that your device will at some point in the future become compromised in some way, shape or form.

What type of compromises may occur? How often? What can you do?

Let’s answer these in order.

Types of compromise: An application uploaded from the “App-Store” has an unidentified vulnerability? Or, an application has a built-in back-door with the expectation that your data will be harvested in the background of your application usage. You accept a file from another which contains malware? You use your QR code reader and read a QR code which directs you to an infected website designed, upon opening to compromise your device. We can go ad nausea, I see no need, and you get the idea.

How often? Every time you connect to a wireless network, especially a network which is “open” you risk having your login credentials hi-jacked by someone scanning and sniffing the connections nearby. Take the time to know how your applications connect to the internet via your mobile device – if it via the browser and wireless network, make sure HTTPS (S is for secure) connections are used. Only connect to networks known to you, and don’t fall for the age-old “free internet router” scam which may in fact be a free internet connection controlled by a criminal. Also be mindful of the threat of “spoofing” of otherwise reputable “open” connections.

What can you do to keep yourself safe?

Protect your personal mobile phone number, especially those associated with your children – i.e., don’t put it in your Facebook profile or hand it out to every person you meet.
If you receive a text (SMS) message from a number you don’t recognize, delete it. If you receive a link from someone you do recognize, don’t open it, verify with the sender they sent the link to you independently (they could have had their mobile compromised and their contact list is receiving text messages to visit a site which was prepared by the criminal elements hoping that you will recognize the number and click away.
Strangers who obtain your number – say by compromising the contact list of one of your acquaintances may call you – don’t take the call, and if you do and make sure you take no action without separate verification that the desired action to be taken is in your best interests. Far too often individuals have received a call, been asked to call a number back and find themselves stuck with a sizable charge to their mobile bill, as they number called is a “pay to call” number.
Take the necessary time to learn how your device(s) work so that you can engage in protective measures if required. Protective measures may include blocking a phone number, using caller-id to screen calls, etc.
If your phone is lost or stolen, report it to your local law enforcement, your network operator immediately.
Lock down your phone and enable the phone wipe after ten attempts to clear the phone-lock. In this manner, should your phone fall into the hands of another, your data will not be compromised, but wiped.
Enable the emergency location function, and disable the ability for any application to obtain and/or submit your location in a retained manner. The aforementioned PEW report indicates the most prevalent use of location data is for obtaining directions or recommendations on facilities, vendors, or retailers in proximity.
Text messages use 160 characters – even when we use abbreviated “text” spelling, it is difficult to provide a complete and cogent thought in 160 characters, and easy to be misunderstood. Keep this in mind before you hit the send key.
Many (almost all) mobile devices have a camera or video (or both) capability. Couple of rules to live by – don’t take pictures of videos of others without their knowledge and permission. Never take pictures of yourself to engage in “sexting” ( Is your teen exposed? Sexting is a crime ) the perceived exhilaration of such behavior will result in no good coming out of the activity in the long run (regardless of age or gender).
As easy as it is to take photos, remember when posting photos online that these photos will be archived and cached, viewable by any and all in accordance with your security settings. The adage is, “once posted, forever toasted.” Don’t become toast, post with discretion (no pictures with your automobile license plates, pictures of your house, street name or address) as the data can be compiled with other data and pretty soon a mosaic forms which can identify your location to those whom may not have your best interests at heart.

Use your mobile devices, but do so wisely.
Stay safe and secure,
Christopher

Online Gaming? Eight tips to keep you and your family safe

2011-10-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

10 October 2011 - #NCSAM (National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

Game On! – Eight tips to stay safe while playing online games
Do you or your children participate in online gaming, using your PC, smart phone or game box? Then you need to make sure you understand what’s going on, especially behind the curtain, when you configure your “game” settings.

Game-Name: Choose your game-name in such a manner as not to divulge your age, gender or location – SeattleSeaGal1998 – may indicate to other gamers that you are a female, in or near Seattle and were born in 1994, thus 13 years of age. A more appropriate userid maybe Astr0id or Treetop.
Passwords: Let’s start with making sure that the password you choose for your game is first and foremost unique to that game, is a strong password which has at ten or more characters, is not a word (in any language) and utilizes symbols, numbers and letters in both upper and lower case.
Profile setup: Never include your personal identifying information which would allow another online gamer to physically locate you. While 99.44% of all online gamers are on the up and up, there is a small minority that are not there for the game, but to identify and target individuals for their own nefarious purposes. You don’t get to decide if you are being targeted; the miscreant does, so keep your personal information to yourself (ALWAYS). Read the small print on privacy and breach notification (if the gaming company loses your data how will they notify you?)
Computer: Ensure your security software is up-to-date each and every time before you hit the play button. You can do this by activating the software and checking the “recent updates.” Also, if possible don’t use a device containing the family banking, accounts, email, or ancestral tree as the gaming device. Realizing it isn’t possible for all to have such a dedicated device, ensure that your personal family financial and identifying data is locked down on the shared hard drive.
Players: As noted above, not all players are on the up and up and some competitive players may use techniques and interaction which make you uncomfortable. Know how to disengage, block and report such individuals before you ever encounter one so that you know what to do should it occur.
Camera: Turn-off the webcam. If you don’t know how, either unplug the webcam or put a piece of paper over the lens. There is no need for anyone to see who you are, what your environment is like and whether or not you are with others or alone.
Downloads: Never accept a download from another game participants and be especially cautious when thinking about accepting a “cheat” program as more often than not, these are the vehicles by which malware (viruses, keyloggers, data destruction, data collection) can find its way into your otherwise secured device.
In-Real-Life: Don’t meet your online gaming contacts in real-life without parental permission and presence. There is little way to verify the intent of a stranger met online.

So enjoy your gaming, but do so wisely and with due caution.

Stay safe and secure,
Christopher

Location - 10 tips to consider before you share yours

2011-10-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

08 October 2011 - #NCSAM (National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

Location, Location, Location

The meshing of online with physical environments is best exemplified by the seemingly ubiquitous influx of location-based services. Such services may, in exchange for your announcing your presence (checking in) offer you, their customer a discount, fame as a frequent visitor, or other inducements to announce to your following (and beyond) that you not only use the merchant’s services, but you also are proudly telling others that you are present at their establishment. Clearly makes sense. Merchant builds an identifiable clientele, will to announce on a regular basis their presence within.

From my optic, as long as you know the answers to the following questions, then you have the necessary information required to measure the risk versus gain of announcing your physical location to the virtual/online world.

Announcing where you are is also announcing where you aren’t, is that a problem? For you or your family?
How does the location-based service provider store your personal information (profile)?
What security and privacy surrounds your profile data?
How is your location data shared with your “friends?”
Can an individual not known to you access your location without your knowledge?
If you look at your check-in’s can you discern a pattern of when and where you will be at a given time? Can others?
How can your data be collated by someone, other than yourself?
Can your data be collated without your explicit permission?
If your data is collated or archived by others would you know?
Are you able to review your check-in’s and remove or edit these?

Location based services are here to stay, have great viability and absolutely increase the interaction between individuals and merchants, as well as serve to identify individuals with similar interest. Know that well-intentioned services have a positive side, but also may also be used to your detriment. If you are satisfied with the answers to the aforementioned questions, then make your decision to share or not to share.

Be safe, be secure,

Christopher

NCSAM 2011 - Are you aware and secure?

2011-10-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

October 2011 - #NSCAM (National Cyber Security Awareness Month)

Cyber Security Awareness: Are you?
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the United States. If you’re reading this piece you are on a social network and have a modicum of interest in your online security. Throughout the month (as I have for the past few years) I will be publishing snack size tips that you may wish to share (family, friends, colleagues, or whomever) so that all have a leg-up on keeping their online activities enjoyable, but also safe and secure.

FACEBOOK:
Do you use Facebook? With over 500 million subscribers perhaps the right question to ask is how many of your friends or companies aren’t using Facebook? Do you have your privacy settings locked down? Do you review what Facebook’s constant changing of your privacy capabilities (not all of which are detrimental, but many certainly expose your information to more persons than perhaps is wise or desired. Take for example the newest change, that of “subscriber,” according to Facebook’s explanation, subscribers aren’t individuals you friend, but rather individuals who subscribe to view and read items you post. And those individuals may have your best interests at heart or they may be acting from a purely malevolent perspective. To put it in the bluntest of terms, if you have the “subscriber” option open in your Facebook settings, know that you do, because anyone with a Facebook account can then view, retain and compile your information. If you do choose to open up subscribers to your Facebook account, and I do understand why many may wish to do so, ensure the information you are sharing is information you are comfortable being used in any manner imaginable from the negative extreme of stalking you, your family or your employees to the positive extreme of new business or connecting with long-lost friends and family.
In sum – keep an eye on the Facebook’s changes and how they can affect your privacy, safety and security.

Be safe, be secure,
Christopher

Sex Trafficking in Vegas - Off the Street - a book review

2011-07-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Detective Christopher Baughman of the Las Vegas Police Department in person and chatting with him about his book, "Off the Street." (to be released September 2011). You see Detective Baughman is the lead for the Las Vegas PD's Pandering Investigation Team, part of Las Vegas Vice, and his book details the team's first case. His mild manner belays his internal fire to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. Our discussion ranged from technologies described in his book, to human trafficking situation in Las Vegas where literally hundreds of vulnerable children and adults are manipulated into the sex trade. I also asked his permission to share the review pre-publication, to which he agreed.

Book Review

(the author provided to me a an advance copy of this book at no charge, I have received no compensation from the author and the review is provided voluntarily):

The slogan is “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” suggesting that a bit of naughtiness is acceptable when visiting or living in today’s Las Vegas. Perhaps the slogan should be “What happens in Vegas has a seedy underbelly, can you see it?” In Detective Christopher Baughman’s “Off the Street” the reader does just that, you see it. In this first-person account, the reader is taken into Baughman’s background, you meet his mentors, you experience his passion for keeping the city safe and you are walked through a criminal case which exemplifies the difficulty facing law enforcement in Las Vegas (and no doubt replicated across the nation) as they address the human flesh market. As those who are familiar with my writing, Human Trafficking: Children in Nevada (Sex Trafficking) the likelihood is high of a homeless teen or adult finding their way into Las Vegas without means will be scooped up by the organized criminal element and the network of pimps which exist within the city. This book details how the criminal manipulates and ultimately controls – some would say enslave – women as they are forced into the sex trade. Unlike drugs or stolen goods which can be sold only one time, the enslaved woman or child can be sold multiple times every day. These miscreants know that once they have the psychological control of their victim – be it fear of family being injured or the victim experiencing direct physical harm, the probabilities of the victim coming forward and raising their voice detailing their situation is somewhere between slim and none.
In “Off the Street”, Baughman successfully demonstrates how trust and respect are the ultimate weapons which can pierce through the criminal’s control over their victims, their families and their friends. The criminal’s methods of safeguarding their assets/monies and the tools available to law enforcement to take those assets out of the criminal’s hands are excellent reads and should serve to provide a template for every reader to recognize when an activity isn’t quite up-to-snuff. In sum, Las Vegas can be and is an enjoyable city, largely due to the good works of Detective Chris Baughman and his many colleagues within the Las Vegas Police Department. Visit Las Vegas, avoid the criminal elements and do report to law enforcement any suspicions of the exploitation of individuals, male or female, minor children or adults.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the man behind the book, and made sure to thank him on behalf of the many victims which his good work ultimately protects. Las Vegas is fortunate to have Detective Baughman cleaning the crime off the streets, as he is the pimp's worst nightmare and his book details how prostitution is not a victimless crime.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,

Christopher

Accountability - You own your actions

2011-07-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

One of the side shows of the recent Casey Anthony trial was the behavior of one of the spectators: Matthew Bartlett, read the admonishment on the court room door and ignored it. The admonishment in very large print said: Any gesture, facial expression or audible comment showing approval or disapproval during a court proceeding is absolutely prohibited. Bartlett most have forgotten he had read this when he decided to give the one-finger salute to the prosecutor. What Bartlett hadn't counted on was that the court television feed was being monitored for both safety and security purposes, but also to ensure that the jurors faces were never revealed. That gesture earned Bartlett a short discussion with Judge Belvin Perry, a man who in the course of a few short minutes demonstrated to young Bartlett that one is responsible for one's actions and one will be held accountable. That one finger wave now has placed yet another misdemeanor onto the already soiled portfolio of Bartlett's and will be carried with him life.

Here's the entire sequence as provided by ABC News on YouTube: Judge Perry vs Matthew Bartlett

So let's all remember, if you do it, you own it and you will be held accountable for your actions. Matthew Bartlett received six days in Orange County, Florida's jail to ponder his actions.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,
Christopher

Online Safety: When "Phish" is really fishy!

2011-06-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

We all receive spam and phish. Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. By and large, our filters sort out the array of incoming missives and allow those we want into the inbox and those we don't into the junk folder. Yesterday, one slipped through. I opened the email and read the contents. I literally burst out laughing as I worked my way through the text -- it was just too good not to share, as it was replete with clues that this wasn't a legitimate summons. I've taken the liberty to identify each item within this phish, which seems fishy:

From: Dcp Douglas H. King (IPA@region2.com)

Reply-to: darangodan5@gmail.com {1 - replying to a Gmail account for official business correspondence}

To: {2 - there was no name in the To field}

Date Tue, June 14, 2011 at 1:00pm Subject:

RE: International Police Authority United States Section (IPA)

Mailed-by: email.fearrington.com {3 - an individualized email, sent by a bulk mailer}

INTERNATIONAL POLICE AUTHORITY UNITED STATES SECTION (IPA) Region No. 2 New York City P.O. Box 804 Knickerbocker Station New York City, New York 10002-0804 USA

We, office of the international police authority (IPA) hereby write to inform you that we caught a diplomatic lady called Mrs. Patricia Willies at (John F Kennedy International Airport) here in New York with a consignment box filed with United State Dollars. {4 - word choice peculiar}
Meanwhile, base on our interview to the diplomat she said that the consignment box belongs to you, that she was sent by one Mr. David West to deliver the consignment box to your doorstep not knowing that the content of the box is money. The diplomat also said that her first transit in the state was at Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport Ohio. {5 - the state in this instance means United States - the Ohio reference adds another geographical twist}
Now, the diplomat is under detention in the office of (IPA) security, and we cannot release her until we carry out our proper investigation on how this huge amount of money managed to be yours before we will release her with the box. So, in this regards you are to reassure and prove to us that the money you are about to receive is legal by sending us the Award Ownership Certificate showing that the money is not illegal.
Note, that the Award Ownership Certificate must to be secured from the office of Her Majesty Revenue and Customs Unit, because that is the only office that will issue you the original Award Ownership Certificate of this funds, this is because the fund originated from United Kingdom, England. {6 - redirect to a third yet another location - adding the international intrigue}
You are advised to forward immediately the Award Ownership Certificate if you have it with you, but if you did not have it we will urge you to contact back the sender of the diplomat to help you secure the Award Ownership Certificate if at all you did not have it. {7 - word choice}
Below is the contact information of the person that sent the diplomat:

Name: MR. DAVID WEST
Email: darangodan5@gmail.com
Furthermore, we are giving you only but 8 working business days to forward the requested Award Ownership Certificate. Please note that we shall get back to you after the 8 working business days, that if you didn't come up with the certificate we shall confiscate the funds into World Bank account then charge you for money laundering, but if you forward the Award Ownership Certificate then we will release diplomat with your consignment box also gives you every back up on the money. {8 - urgency, consequences and poor word choices}

NOTE THAT THIS BUSINESS DEAL HAVE TO BE KEPT HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL AS REPORTS HAVE REACHED MY OFFICE THAT SOME TOP CORRUPT OFFICIAL OF THE F.B.I ARE TRYING TO STEAL YOUR FUNDS,SO LET NO ONE KNOW ABOUT THIS UNTIL YOUR CONSIGNMENT GETS DELIVERED TO YOUR DESIGNATED ADDRESS. {9 - Secrecy and trust no one, not even the FBI}
Thanks for your understanding and co-operation.
Yours Truly,
I.P.A REGION NO:2
DCP. DOUGLAS H. KING
216.539.5904 {10 - Cleveland area number for a notice being sent from NY}
Cc: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI USA).
Cc: CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA).
CC: Canadian Police Association
CC: GENERAL INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT (GID)
CC: Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
CC: Egmont Group
CC: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
CC: Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
CC: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
CC: International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
CC: International Banking Security Association (IBSA)
CC: International Air Transport Association (IATA)
CC: Institut de Formation Interbancaire (INSIG)
CC: World Customs Organization (WCO)
CC: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
CC: Offshore Group of Banking Supervisors (OGBS)
CC: WORLD CENTRAL BANK (WCB)
CC: NIGERIA POLICE FORCE (NPF)
CC: NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE (UK)
CC: ECONOMIC FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION (EFCC)
{11 - included every conceivable organization, including the one the author admonished you not to tell, the FBI}

As noted, this piece had so many tells that it wasn't difficult to deduce that it is a hoax, designed to get you to email or call the scofflaw behind this piece of stinky phish. So be careful opening your emails, remember if you didn't drop your bag of money, you probably haven't lost a bag of money; that if you didn't buy a lottery ticket you probably didn't win a lottery, and never give out your personal identifying information via email.

NB: I did report the sender/reply-to addresses to their ISP for abuse.

Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher

Note: I originally wrote and posted the foregoing blog for and within Huffington Post.

LINKS:
Book Review Crimeware
Huffington Post: When "PHISH" is Really Fishy!

Parents selling their children for sex

2011-05-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

{EAV_BLOG_VER:5a7a840d5b3b1797}
There are days when you read a piece in the news and shake your head in disbelief. That was the case yesterday when I read of a couple (Anthony Wayne Hart, 47 and his wife Kathy Lee Hart, 43) indicted in Madison County, Virginia on charges of “human trafficking” of their daughters. The grand jury indictment read, “arranging for their 13 and 14-year-old daughters to provide companionship and affection to male individuals in exchange for money and goods …” The incidents took place between 10 October 2009 and 24 February 2011.

While the fact that any parent would do this to their minor children is and of itself disgusting, the true disappointment was in the realization that this was totally avoidable and the children could have been protected from their parents who had demonstrated their lack of ability to parent some nine years prior.

You see, in 2002, that same couple had been arrested and indicted for attempting to sell a three-month old daughter for adoption. Anthony Wayne Hart entered into a plea agreement and was sentenced to two-years in prison. The charges against Kathy Lee Hart were dismissed, she had been found incompetent to stand trial.

This begs the question. How is it possible that these two individuals still had custody of their children, some nine years following their arrest and conviction for attempting to sell one of their children?

The charges facing the Hart’s carry up to 20 years in prison. The children are in foster care and will not be returned to their parents.

Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher

Links:
Richmond Star Register – Parents indicted for human trafficking – May 20, 2011
Lexington Herald-Leader – Berea couple accused of selling teenage relatives for sex – March 25, 2011

Embark: USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) March 2011

2011-04-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

This past week I was fortunate enough to have been invited to embark on the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) at sea as part of the Navy's "Distinguished Visitor" program (30-31 March 2011.) The visit was exhilarating and filled my heart with pride to have had the opportunity to meet the crew of this aircraft carrier. Exhilarating? Absolutely, to see the young men and women of the United States (average age on the Stennis is less than 25) bring the Stennis to life is to understand the power of "We" over "Me." Pride? Proud to have been amongst those invited to witness first hand the daily routine of the Stennis, to have had the opportunity to sit with both the officers and enlisted personnel and talk about their way of life. To have had the opportunity to listen to the 18-year-old who had been on the ship for 3 months and was having the time of his/her life had to say or to the thoughts of the officer who may have had been in the Navy for 20+ years. My lament, the visit was limited to one over-night, there was so much more to learn about the aircraft carrier and the crew. So let me describe this all too short visit.

On the morning of 30 March, we assembled at the Navy Air Station, located on North Coronado Island across the harbor from San Diego. We received a command brief, tour of the Navy Aviation headquarters, a visit to the repair and refurbish hangers where helicopters and planes were being serviced. We then were taken to the air terminal to board our transport to the aircraft carrier which was located some 75-100 miles off the coast. Our group of 11 DV's (our moniker for the next 24-hours) were bumped from our scheduled flight and put on the following. The "flight" was via the C2A Greyhound aka (COD - Carrier On-board Delivery) designed specifically to ferry supplies and personnel to the carriers. The twin turbo-prop is handled by a crew of five - two in the cockpit and three in the rear. You sit facing the rear of the plane, harnessed into your seats both with lap and should belts, wear a flotation device and head-gear (called the cranium) w/goggles designed to protect your head from knocks and keep the flying dust out of your eyes and protect your hearing. The flight to the Stennis took about 45 minutes, with the crew signalling to us during the last 15 seconds "here we go" as the plane touched down on the deck and the tail hook grabbed (Trap) one of the four arresting cables - we went from 160 knots to zero in seconds - your body is literally thrown back into your seat, and it is clear why you are facing backwards. The ramp was lowered and we filed off the plane, to the ready room for our welcome brief and introduction to our hosts from the Public Affairs Office.

As our schedule was a little off-skew, we proceeded immediately to the medic station which doubled as the prep room to suit up for our walk out to the flight deck to watch the air operations. We were suited up in vests (with handles in the back designed to allow crew to assist you around should you inadvertently stumble or step out-of-bounds), briefed on the importance not to cross the boundary lines and foul the deck. To say we were excited would be an understatement. We were led to toward the bow and as the door to the catwalk opened to take us out, there was an explosion, alarms and we heard the call, "fire on the flight deck" and the command "fight the fire." Needless to say, we stayed put in the hallway - an injured crewman was brought past us from the flight deck and personnel passed in the opposite direction heading up to the flight deck to fight the fire. As the situation evolved, we were told to move behind "frame 100" and were escorted towards the stern. We were to learn that an F/A 18 had had a catastrophic engine failure, an explosion occurred causing shrapnel to fly severing a fuel line and creating a fire on the deck. Ten personnel on the flight deck were injured, four seriously, none life threatening (Sailors Injured in USS John C Stennis Flight Deck Mishap). From the visitor's perspective watching the smoothness in which emergency operations plans were enacted was a testament to the importance of practice and training for the emergency.

Once the fire was out and the situation normalized, which was less than an hour, our tour of the Stennis continued. We learned that passage ways are called "P-ways" that stairs don't exist - ladders do, some with gradual inclines and others steep. My joints were exercised as we went up and down the ladders multiple times throughout the visit - you see, elevators are for airplanes, munitions and equipment - people walk. And the walking brought us into contact with more and more of the crew, an opportunity to engage, and briefly chat with each. As we traversed the ship, we learned a bit more about the daily life of the crew. For example, each team owns a piece of the ship which they are responsible for keeping clean. The enlisted personnel sleep in an array of triple deck bunks with 79 of their colleagues (80 to a bay - in contrast, we were spoiled - as we were in a stateroom with double bunks), the heads (bathrooms) are located outside the sleeping areas. You will see personnel (including ourselves) walking to and from the showers in their robes and shower shoes.

During our visit, we were taken to the Flight Deck Control, the Captain's lounge, the Bridge, Weapons, crew mess, ward rooms, introduced to the Navy Cash Card, Air Ops/CATCC, Flag Bridge and our favorite locale - Vultures Row, Arresting Gear Engine Room, the Ship's Store, Kitchen/Bakery, the Foc'sle, Medical/Dental and the Hanger Deck.

Three areas I would like to highlight are:

Ordnance on load - we were treated to an at sea on loading of material from dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10) to the carrier by zip-lines and helicopter. It was a rapid and elegant dance coordinating the activity between two ships with zip-lines humming and helicopter's moving back and forth dropping very large containers (Stennis Successfully Completes Ammunition Onload, Offload)
Chapel/LRC - the briefing provided at the Chapel and the Learning Resource Center was impressive. Not only are religious services conducted in these spaces, the spaces are always open and double as a quite place on an otherwise busy environment for a sailor to come and read, reflect or meditate. Contiguous with the chapel is the ship's library, some books are purchased and others are donated by Navy support organizations. Also attached to the library is the computer cafe where personnel can get online to check email, post to social network sites and otherwise engage as they may when on shore. Given the proliferation of electronic reading devices, I commended to their attention to the Gutenberg Project where 33,000+ ebooks are available for free and electronic download - a great resource at a great price. Interestingly, at each port of call, the religious program team organizes on-shore excursions to interact and give back to the communities being visited - sometimes it is painting a local school,others it may be to visit a hospital, or teach english for a day - what a great way to learn of other cultures, while projecting what is good about the United States - its people.
Flight operations - as can be expected the flight operations were interrupted due to the need to thoroughly review the incident which had occurred on the 30th and then ensure the flight deck was clear of debris. Once this was accomplished, the flight operations commenced about 30 minutes prior to our departure from the Stennis. There is truly nothing like standing on bow side of Vultures Row in the direct jet-wash of an F/A 18 - the heat is tremendous, the power shakes you and pushes you backwards and the roar of the engines at the moment of catapult is thunder amplified. On the other side of the tower the landings were occurring. The planes come down and catch the arresting cable laid and jolt (big time) to a stop.

Our visit ended with our boarding the C2A Greyhound for our trip back to the Naval Air Station. We boarded, strapped in and taxi'd over to the launch catapult. The crew gave us the signal and then "voooom" we were launched from zero to 170 knots within mere seconds - the ultimate thrill ride - the feeling was what I had imagined being shot out of a cannon would feel like. Definitely a high-point of the visit.

In sum, the Navy requires our collective support, be we civilian or government. Without our support they are going to be resource depleted not only with respect to personnel and equipment but also with respect to the morale and welfare of the men and women who voluntarily put themselves in harms way. If you are young man or woman looking to make a difference and are interested in joining the NAVY - here's the link - Go Navy! If you are interested in supporting the Navy from your hometown, look into the Navy League.

I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to Captain Reis for allowing us to visit the USS John C. Stennis a most remarkable vessel. I would also like to call out the team within the Stennis' Public Affairs Office for the many kindnesses afforded to our group of DV's. To the men and women of the Stennis, thank you for making our visit such a success - well done! Most importantly to all who serve in our armed forces be it the Navy or any other branch, thank you for your service,

PS: I thoroughly enjoyed hearing John Fogerty's "Centerfield" being piped throughout the Stennis as the ship separated from the Drew - rock and roll at sea - it makes perfect sense to me.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,

Christopher

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Stennis Links:

Online Safety: Cyberbullying those who are different - Trust the Movie

2011-03-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

In David Schwimmer’s TRUST, the teenage character Annie finds herself the subject of great deal of unwanted and undeserved attention by her high school classmates in a manner in which constituted to all would be unacceptable and falls within the realm of cyberbullying (as the bullying occurred using online media). We all have encountered instances where those who did not conform or who had experienced something not of the ordinary come under undo scrutiny and are isolated for the experience by their peers. The scrutiny often times manifests itself into ridicule, sarcasm or insults as those who are observing from afar attempt to differentiate and exclude themselves from the experience.

She was surrounded by those who cared deeply about her, but their caring did not equate to their protection. Though her experience was horrific, her friends and family did not abandon, indeed one would say they circled the wagons, after the fact. In doing so some of their actions caused additional scrutiny of Annie by those viewing from afar. These individuals (students) lacked the benefit of familiar ties, depth of friendship or consideration for Annie’s inner psyche. They instead opted to enter into group-think, a lemming like reaction which becomes further magnified in this online world where information/photos/videos can circulate with unequaled rapidity. The bad experience can be distorted and characterized inappropriately and incorrectly. This is exactly what happens to Annie.

In Annie’s example, the parents could and should have been monitoring activities at school and online for any and all reference to their daughter in all contexts. Photos and videos from student’s smart-phones can and do go viral in seconds, with or without appropriate context attached, and often times without any concern as to how it may have a deleterious effect on the victim. There is a lack of accountability and responsibility of one’s actions when one thinks they are doing it anonymously, or within the accepted norms of their peers, even when those norms are wrong.

Having in place appropriate monitoring and listening infrastructure is key. With such infrastructure it may be easier, when necessary, to obtain public and private capabilities to protect the reputation of the child, Annie. Immediate knowledge of an online event permits the parent to intercede both with their child who is being bullied or besmirched and to use the tools and resources necessary to prevent or reduce the continued distribution of content. They can use the power of the immediate takedown notices and other legal remedies. For the more complex there exist a number of paid (for hire) entities which conduct reputation monitoring as a full-time endeavor and have in place varying degrees of infrastructure to monitor and protect one’s online reputation. These are reactive, after the fact actions.

In Annie’s instance, she had an experience that her peers wished to disassociate them self from and to ridicule in the extreme. This should never happen, but it does – both in person and online. Perhaps if we as a society invested in the education of our children during their formative and early education years about the need for compassion, understanding and empathy, then being different won’t be a reason to be bullied, in person or via online technology and we can render moot the term: cyberbullying.

Thank you for your time, I welcome your comments.

All the best,
Christopher

NB: The distributors of this film, Millennium Entertainment, provided an advance copy to this author for review and to enable this piece to be written prior to the film opening. The author provides his thoughts pro bono.

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Trust (2011)

Trust_ - Bad things can happen to good kids

2011-03-27T03:09:00.000-07:00

In David Schwimmer’s TRUST, bad things happen to Annie, a good child. She is by all appearances a typical teenager – totally wired, online and available, 24/7/365. As the typical teen, the online interaction includes those with whom she has a personal relationship with a physical quotient: her best friends, family members, and school acquaintances. She also has availed to her an increased circle of acquaintances about whom her knowledge is limited to their projected online personas.

In the physical world, parents see with whom their child interacts. As the parents witness this interaction they are able to help guide and influence their child’s choices. Overtime, the maturation of the child’s decision making skills demonstrates absorption of the lessons, principals and ethics of the parent. The child displays good decision making skills and the level of trust bestowed upon the child and their range of movement may be increased.

Clip from the film Trust:

Within the online world, it isn’t that different. The parents continue to have the responsibility to see with whom their child interacts both within their own community and beyond. Though alien for so many parents of today’s teens and tweens, the totally wired child is interacting at a pace which far outstrips the physical world interaction, while not being as easily observable by the parent.

Trust_

Parents must assist their child online as they do offline. Parents must be able to note whom their child is engaging and perform the necessary due diligence on the individual. The parent must also be able to note the frequency and modes of this communication with the “online friends.” The most important rule to follow when navigating between the online and physical world is when the online friend suggests moving the relationship from virtual to physical. The number one rule for every family: “The child must not engage in any personal meetings with an individual whom they have only met online without explicit parental permission.”

It is not espionage to know who is reaching out and engaging your child. When you have a friend pick up your child at school, there is a high likelihood that challenge-words are used between the child and the friend to provide assurance to the child that they can safely get into the vehicle with the parent’s designee. If an individual approached your child without the challenge-words, your child would react in the manner in which you instructed: “shout and run to the largest number of persons in proximity.” In the online environment the opportunity for private engagement with your child by an unknown individual is increased by an immeasurable capacity. The individual child can be engaged by anyone in the world, with an internet connection.

So many attribute their lack of desire to look into what their child is doing online to their desire to trust their child. One should trust their child, but that level of trust shouldn’t extend to an individual about who so little is known – the online acquaintance and their online persona. Parents can and should do their own due diligence on those at the other end of the online connection. Parents can observe and monitor frequency and modes of contact. In addition to the “no meeting” rule, the next most important rule is all online interaction will occur from a centralized (observable) locale (the laptop in the bedroom should never occur).

The parent can also advantage themselves to any of the numerous software offerings which will provide the internet protocol (IP) addresses with who their devices are engaged. In this manner, the parent can note all interactions and highlight those worthy of further investigation. If your child’s interlocutor is coming into contact with your child from a variety of geographically diverse locales, that should be considered anomalous and worthy of deeper inspection. If the child has their own device (laptop or desktop), then you may desire to put a time limit on when the device is allowed to access the internet (in the physical world, when the child leaves the home the parent knows where they are going, who they will be with and when they are expected to return) via regulating the router access.

Mobile telephony is often overlooked. This is a means by which a child may circumvent the safety net provided by their parents within their home. Text (SMS) messages, video messages, photos, emails, and chat are all a part of the normal offering from today’s smart phones and warrant the same level of observation provided to the devices within the home. With respect to mobile devices one can review the device itself and also review the billing and call records in the same manner one would for the IP addresses. Again, there is available a plethora of applications designed to lock-down and regulate the areas of the accessible internet writ-large for mobile devices.

The protection of your children is important. You can honor their privacy and enhance their protection by guiding your child in the online world just as you would in the physical world. In doing so, you will greatly reduce the opportunity for a malevolent person from making the adage “bad things to happen to good children” a reality.

Trust_ opens at theaters in the United States on 1 April.

Thank you for your time,
All the best,
Christopher

NB: The distributors of this film, Millennium Entertainment, provided an advance copy to this author for review and to enable this piece to be written prior to the film opening. The author provides his thoughts pro bono.

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Trust (2011)

The film's trailer:

Safe and sound in their suburban home, Will and Lynn Cameron used to sleep well at night, trusting their children were protected. Will, in particular, was comforted by the fact that he and Lynn raised three bright children, and that once the doors were locked and the alarm was set, nothing -- absolutely nothing -- was going to harm his family.

When his fourteen-year-old daughter, Annie, made a new friend online -- a sixteen-year-old boy named Charlie that she met in a volleyball chat room -- Will and Lynn didn't think much of it. They discussed his friendship with her, assuming that this is normal with teenagers who connect through the internet.

After weeks of communicating online, Annie becomes enraptured by Charlie and finds herself drawn to him more and more. Slowly she learns he is not who he claims to be, yet Annie remains intrigued by Charlie even as the truth about him is uncovered. The devastating revelation reverberates through her entire family, setting in motion a chain of events that forever change their lives in ways that no one could have ever predicted.

Genre(s): Drama
Runtime: 104 min.
MPAA Rating: R (for disturbing material involving the rape of a teen, language, sexual content and some violence.)
Theatrical Release Date: 04/01/2011
DVD Release Date: 07/26/2011
Status: Coming Soon
Distributor(s): Millennium Entertainment
Director(s): David Schwimmer
Starring: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, Liana Liberato
Country of Origin: USA - Limited (04-01-2011)
Language: English

Thailand - When you step into your past, you may step into a cow-patty (Sextrafficking)

2011-03-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

I recently took my bride of 12 years to Thailand to step back into my past, celebrate our 12 years of marriage and show her the various locales where I had spent my youth (1965-73). Our time in Bangkok was spectacular, we visited and photographed two of the three locales where I lived, the campus of the school I attended and the church at which I was confirmed. We also visited the city’s sights and history (to include temples, palaces and sectors of the city), we traveled by river and visited the canals and the life along the way. As one can imagine, the Thai food we encountered was a gourmand’s delight. A highlight was when we visited with a high school friend (of 40+ years) and his family at their home.

We then traveled to a beach resort some 90 miles south of Bangkok, which I had visited with my family as a youth, that of Pattaya. What a disappointment on so many levels. The beach resort had no beach and the water was black/brown and heavily polluted. The greatest disappointment was how the town of Pattaya had evolved into a city-wide den of iniquity. The sex trade, catering to what the local pundits characterized as “the fat European farang men in their speedos” (Farang is Thai for foreigner), was omnipresent throughout the tourist sectors and very much in your face. Upon closer inspection you begin to notice the age of those engaging in the oldest profession range from what appeared to be the very young to the not-so-young. Another commonality was the number of these individuals who hailed from the north of Thailand and not from the province of Chonburi in which the city is located. The city had evolved, poorly, and was no longer the locale of my youth. After the first night, we worked with our hotel to cancel our pre-paid package, refund our unused portion and we then relocated to the rural island of Koh Ch ang (Elephant Island) some four hours further southwest.

We found Koh Chang to be what my memories recalled of Pattaya of some 40 years past, rural, with limited infrastructure, pristine water and idyllic beaches with excellent snorkeling and diving. The pace was slow, the food heavenly, the people pleasant and accepting. Koh Chang is Thailand’s second largest island surrounded by an additional 50+ islands which make up the Koh Chang Marine National Park was much more to our liking, and clearly a locale where families flocked from cities throughout Thailand and abroad. At our hotel, couples and families were the norm. We spoke with our fellow guests, Thais who were visiting from their homes from within Thailand about what we had encountered in Pattaya. They, the Thai guests, uniformly lamented how in the past 20 years, the city, in their opinion had lost its way and was less a typical city within Thailand and more a destination for sex by those farangs. While prostitution is illegal in Thailand, they noted how it was rarely enforced and that there was a pipeline which brought the young woman, some over the age of 18 some younger down to the city. They concluded how they come to Koh Chang where it is less built up, caters to a different foreign visitor and not subject to the influences of both local and foreign organized crime which is present in Pattaya. We concluded that indeed we had chosen well and our relocation to Koh Chang was the right move. But then on the penultimate night, we learned that no locale was immune. One of those farang’s showed up at our hotel with a female companion who appeared to be no more than 15 years-of-age. Most of the patrons looked through the couple. It was at this time I truly learned my bride was cut from the same bolt of cloth as I, but her reaction was much more visceral than my own.

Following her making eye-contact with the young-lady and noting that her face was one of sadness, her body language one of nervousness and discomfort, my wife’s temperament went into her maternal protection mode. As I tried to temper my wife’s anger and take the more diplomatic approach of engaging the hotel staff directly and having them invoke their protocols in determining age and identity of the child, my bride was to be much more hands-on-hips in her orientation and action. We called over the food & beverage manager of the hotel to investigate, he demurred noting that the couple were from outside and not guests – we challenged – he checked with the hotel management and determined that they were indeed guests. We asked what he was going to do, he didn’t have a solution. We asked the restaurant’s chef for his opinion, he said Thai women often look younger than their years, but would check. My bride said she’d do something; after all, “What are they going to do, arrest me? I’m okay with being thrown out of the hotel for trying to save a young girl from the farang only interested in exploiting her for sex.”

My wife then left her seat and though she wanted to simply clock the farang with a swift right hook, she demurred and repositioned herself with both a video and still cameras in direct line of sight of the farang and began filming him, but not the girl. The farang became visibly uncomfortable, but what really was striking was how the remainder of the European clientele in the restaurant was now more interested in what this “American” woman was doing. They all noted the filming of farang, but seemed to view the farang’s activities as less disruptive and offensive compared to those of my wife’s. We wondered how many would have that opinion if that was their daughter sitting there with this man of some 50 years of age.

In the end we spoke directly with hotel management and they advised that they had a copy of the young-lady’s identity card and it shows her to be 25-years-of-age. We expressed disbelief and opined the id may be bogus. They insisted the id was authentic. Realizing at this point in time we had exhausted our options,short of physical confrontation (which the hotel personnel repeatedly asked the missus to avoid), we returned to the restaurant to find the farang and his companion, as well as the majority of the “assenting” crowd had departed.

The next day, hotel management sought us out and explained to us how seriously they take the sexual exploitation of children, how they had had a team meeting that very morning on the subject and how appreciative they were of our concern. They made no comment on their stand re prostitution, nor did they explain to us why they didn’t bring in the police to check the identity papers for authenticity (they may have, but we had no way to know), so we remained convinced in our gut that this was a child, not a consenting adult engaged as an escort with a farang tourist.

Throughout the next day, our last at the hotel, the hotel and restaurant staff treated us as honored guests – the female staff all went out of their way to approach my wife separately and express their kind regards. The ladies were clearly demonstrating, in their own quiet way, their appreciation for her visible actions in her attempt to protect the interests of a young girl the night before.

The following day we departed for Bangkok and upon arriving at the transit hotel located at Bangkok’s airport, we noted the prominent display of the hotel’s endorsement and membership in ECPAT. In our room, there was a handout expressing the hotel’s zero tolerance for the sexual exploitation of children. We knew we were right the day before, and felt vindicated and expressed our appreciation to hotel personnel for their participation in ECPAT, all hoteliers should participate and provide their patrons a means to inform and report. What is ECPAT? An international organization to “end child prostitution, child pornography, and trafficking of children for sexual purposes” The organization’s vision and mission are provided:

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Vision: Realisation of the right of all children to live free of child prostitution, child pornography and child trafficking for sexual purposes.

Mission: ECPAT International is a global network of organisations and individuals working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.

Video: Jess' Story: Working To Protect Children - Jess Allen tells her story of working with ECPAT in Thailand and Child Wise in Australia to stop child sexual exploitation and abuse.

World Vision invests in the protection of children as well, and working with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE a part of the Department of Homeland Security) have evolved a campaign which highlights the illegality of sex tourism and the fact that children are not a tourist destination. Video: Preventing Child Sex Tourism

According to the US Department of State 2010 Trafficking in Persons report, Thailand is a Tier 2 Watch Listed country for their laxness in addressing the issue (I’ve included the excerpt from the 2010 TIP report re Thailand below). It is worthy of approbation to note that Thailand has declined to participate in the UN’s 2000 TIP protocol. The government just isn’t interested.

The Thai people remain amongst the friendliest and engaging in the world. My childhood memories will remain, I am glad I was able to show my bride the land of my youth. I did feel as if I had stepped into a cow-patty and it is most lamentable Thailand has allowed the denigration and exploitation of women and children to evolve to the current levels, and in the process acquiring the moniker of “Sex tourism destination of choice.”

I thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher

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LINKS:

ECPAT - http://www.ecpat.net/ei/Programmes_CST.asp
DOJ: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/sextour.html
World Vision: http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/globalissues-stp
Sex tourism and sex trafficking in Thailand: An exploration of sexual neo-colonialism

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US Department of State 2010 TIP – Thailand:

THAILAND (Tier 2 Watch List)

Thailand is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution. Individuals from neighboring countries and from as far away as Russia and Fiji migrate to Thailand fleeing conditions of poverty. Migrants from Burma, who make up the bulk of migrants in Thailand, seek economic opportunity and escape from military repression. The majority of trafficking victims identified within Thailand are migrants who have been forced, coerced, or defrauded into forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Trafficking victims within Thailand were found employed in maritime fishing, seafood processing, low-end garment production, and domestic work. In particular, Burmese, Cambodian, and Thai men were found trafficked onto Thai fishing boats that traveled throughout Southeast Asia, and who remained at sea for up to several years, did not receive pay, and were threatened and physically beaten. Observers noted that traffickers (including labor brokers) who bring foreign victims into Thailand generally work as individuals or in unorganized groups, while those who enslave Thai victims abroad tend to be more organized. Migrants, ethnic minorities, and stateless people in Thailand are at a greater risk of being trafficked than Thai nationals. Undocumented migrants remain particularly vulnerable to trafficking, due to their economic status, education level, language barriers, and lack of understanding of their rights under Thai law. Some children from neighboring countries have been forced to sell flowers, beg, or work in domestic service in urban areas. Most Thai trafficking victims abroad who were repatriated back to Thailand with assistance from the Thai government had been exploited in Bahrain, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Singapore. Some Thai men who migrate for low-skilled contract work in Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, Israel, the United States, and Gulf States are subjected to conditions of forced labor and debt bondage. During the year, Thai workers were subjected to conditions of forced labor in Sweden, Poland, and the United States for work in slaughterhouses, on construction sites, and on farms. Men are generally trafficked within Thailand for the purpose of labor, although women and children are also trafficked in labor cases. Commercial sexual exploitation and forced prostitution generally involve victims who are women and girls. Sex tourism has historically been a significant problem in Thailand, and likely is a factor in trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.

The Government of Thailand does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government continued implementation of its comprehensive anti-human trafficking law that came into force in 2008, continued training on the law, and conducted awareness-raising activities on human trafficking. Despite these significant efforts, the government’s overall effort to address forced labor and forced prostitution of foreign migrants and Thai citizens did not make adequate progress; therefore Thailand is placed on Tier 2 Watch List. The Thai government made limited efforts to identify trafficking victims, but reports and confirmed cases of large numbers of trafficking victims exploited within the country and Thai citizens exploited in other countries persisted. While corruption is believed to be widespread within the Thai law enforcement community, the government did not report investigations into any trafficking-related cases. Given the significant scope and magnitude of trafficking in Thailand, there were a low number of convictions for both sex and labor trafficking, and of victims identified among vulnerable populations.

Recommendations for Thailand: Improve efforts to identify victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, in particular undocumented migrants; increase efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict both sex and labor trafficking offenders; improve efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict officials engaged in trafficking-related corruption; ensure that offenders of fraudulent labor recruitment and exploitation of forced labor receive stringent criminal penalties; improve labor inspection standards and procedures to better detect workplace violations, including instances of trafficking; allow all adult trafficking victims to travel, work, and reside outside of shelters; provide legal alternatives to the removal of trafficking victims to countries in which they would face retribution or hardship; develop and implement mechanisms to allow adult foreign trafficking victims to reside in Thailand, as well as to seek and find employment outside shelters; ensure complaint mechanisms such as hotlines are staffed by personnel conversant in migrants’ languages; make greater efforts to educate migrant workers on their rights, their employers’ obligations to them, legal recourse available to victims of trafficking, and how to seek remedies against traffickers; and increase anti-trafficking awareness efforts directed at employers and clients of the sex trade.

Prosecution

The Thai government made limited progress in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts during the reporting period. The Royal Thai Police reported investigating 134 trafficking cases from June 2008 to November 2009, but was unable to provide any details regarding cases it reported to involve trafficking during the year. The Office of the Attorney General reported that prosecutors initiated 17 trafficking-related prosecutions in 2009 and eight in the first two months of 2010. Thailand’s 2008 anti-trafficking law criminally prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes penalties from four to ten years’ imprisonment – penalties that are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious offenses, such as rape. At least eight trafficking-related convictions were handed down in 2009, including five in labor-trafficking related cases. Sentences for offenders convicted in 2009 in trafficking-related cases ranged from two years to death, though some convicted offenders were released pending appeal. Frequent personnel changes hampered the government’s ability to make greater progress on anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. The government did not report investigating or prosecuting any registered Thai labor brokers involved in the trafficking of Thai workers abroad during the year. The justice system remained slow in its handling of criminal cases, including trafficking cases. The government has not yet tried a 2006 case involving forced labor of Burmese workers in a shrimp processing factory. In November 2009, Thai courts convicted two Thai citizens for subjecting Burmese migrants to forced labor in their Samut Sakhon shrimp processing factory and sentenced them to five and eight years’ imprisonment, the first human trafficking conviction involving Thailand’s problematic fisheries-related industries. In November 2009, authorities, in partnership with NGOs, rescued 51 Burmese workers from a locked room near a fishing port, where it is believed they would have been sent as laborers on fishing vessels. A court convicted one individual in this case and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment; the case reportedly remains under investigation. Authorities have not arrested any offenders involved in the July 2006 case of 39 deaths on a fleet of six fishing vessels from conditions of malnutrition due to the captains’ failure to provide food and freedom to the seafarers. Corruption remained widespread among Thai law enforcement personnel, and there were reports that local police, including some who have taken anti-trafficking training, protected brothels, other commercial sex venues, and seafood and sweatshop facilities from raids or inspections. There was no information indicating that there was any tolerance for trafficking at an institutional level. Nonetheless, the government did not report investigations or prosecutions of Thai officials for trafficking-related corruption.

Protection

The Thai government demonstrated mixed efforts to protect foreign and Thai victims of trafficking. Thai immigration authorities reported identifying at least 60 victims of trafficking in 2009, although observers asserted improved efforts are needed to identify victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, including among thousands of foreigners deported for immigration violations each month. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) reported 530 foreign trafficking victims identified and assisted in 2009, most of whom were victims of forced labor, as well as 79 Thai citizens who were repatriated after being trafficked abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported assisting and repatriating 309 Thai nationals classified as trafficking victims. Thai law protects identified victims from being prosecuted for acts committed as a result of being trafficked. However, adult trafficking victims identified by authorities were sometimes detained in government shelters for up to several years. Foreign victims could not opt to reside outside of shelters or leave before Thai authorities were prepared to repatriate them. The Thai government opened three additional trafficking shelters for men, who were recognized under Thai law in 2008 as potential victims. The government refers victims of trafficking to one of nine long-stay regional shelters run by the MSDHS, where they receive psychological counseling, food, board, medical care, and legal assistance. Foreign trafficking victims are not offered legal alternatives to their removal to countries where the victims may face hardship or retribution. Though Thailand’s 2008 trafficking law contains a provision for granting foreign victims the right to seek employment while awaiting conclusion of legal processes, the Thai government does not appear to have provided victims with this right. As such, foreign victims of trafficking are not provided the same opportunities as other foreign nationals who seek and receive permission to work in Thailand. During the year, the government revised and redistributed systematic trafficking victim screening procedures to guide law enforcement and other front line responders in the process of victim identification.

The formal repatriation process between Thai and foreign authorities was often lengthy, sometimes causing victims to remain in government shelters for up to several years. This resulted in attempts by some victims to escape from government shelters. The government provided limited incentives for victims to participate in the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers, including reported efforts to help victims receive compensatory damages from employers in forced labor cases, but reports indicate that the government did not systematically make victims aware of this option. Long stays in shelters in some cases acted as disincentives to doing so. Language barriers, fear of traffickers, distrust of government officials, slow legal processes, and the inability to earn income during trial proceedings all played a role in the decision of some victims to not participate in the Thai legal process, including criminal prosecutions. During the year, the Thai government implemented the Nationality Verification and Granting an Amnesty to Remain in the Kingdom of Thailand to Alien Workers program to register and protect undocumented migrants (who are more vulnerable to trafficking) by bringing them into the formal labor market and providing them with related benefits. However, observers reported concerns that Burmese migrants are vulnerable to exploitation, including trafficking, due to unique provisions of the program.

Prevention

The Thai government made limited efforts to prevent human trafficking, including awareness raising activities by the Prime Minister and other senior officials. At times partnering with international organizations and NGOs, the government conducted various activities that targeted potential victims in high-risk groups and/or aimed to prevent and eliminate child labor and forced labor. The government did not sufficiently address some structural vulnerabilities to trafficking created by its migrant policies, namely the travel requirements and fees associated with its “nationality verification” process that increase vulnerability to debt bondage and trafficking. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported spending $185,000 on trafficking protection and prevention activities throughout the year. The government implemented a trafficking awareness campaign targeted at youth in Thailand. It also partnered with NGOs to host awareness raising events, and worked with an international organization on efforts to prevent child and forced labor. The MSDHS organized several anti-trafficking awareness sessions for government officials and civil society representatives. The Thai government cooperated in the extradition of several foreign child sex tourists, but made limited efforts to reduce the domestic demand for commercial sex acts. Thai authorities worked with NGOs in occasional police raids to shut down brothels and conducted awareness-raising campaigns targeting tourists’ demand for child sex tourism. In 2009, Thai and Burmese authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in human trafficking. The Thai government also developed plans of actions under other existing agreements with Laos and Vietnam. Thailand is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.

Hunger: US and Brazil together can make a dent in global food security

2011-03-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Obama and Rousseff
2009

Kudos to President Obama of the United States and President Dilma Vana Rousseff of Brazil for their discussion of jointly addressing global food security issues during President Obama's recent visit to Brazil. As my readers know, I am a strong advocate of eradicating hunger in a world where abundance of food is a reality and the issues lay within the ability to distribute.

According to the White House briefing paper on the visit: "The United States and Brazil are cooperating on a number of projects ranging from technical assistance to other Latin American countries and Africa in areas such as food security, sustainable biofuels and clean energy development."

President Rousseff was quoted in the press, "I believe that Obama’s visit to Brazil shines a conscious light on the relationship between the countries, showing that Brazil has stepped up to it's international role,”

While lacking visibiilty into the discussions in Brazil which occurred, I am hopeful that President Rousseff highlighted the initiative of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, (her hometown) where the municipality has outlawed hunger, rendering it illegal - successfully (see my piece, Hunger Should be Illegal). This model needs to be replicated and replicated widely.

For a well thought out perspective, Jake Caldwell the Director of Policy for Agriculture, Trade & Energy at American Progress has written an excellent piece, A US-Brazil Alliance to Strengthen Global Food Security which calls out the opportunity available to Brazil and the United States and is a worthy read. Especially worthy of approbation are these two paragraphs:
Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher

For starters, they will need to rethink the sustainability of exporting industrial-level, energy-intensive agriculture productivity to developing countries. This approach is unlikely to meet global food security needs over the long term in a resource-constrained world. A more diverse strategy is needed.

Instead, the United States and Brazil should provide technical assistance, training, and financial incentives to developing countries to enhance food security and adapt to the destructive impacts of climate change. The two nations should focus on agricultural production that preserves the soil and water supply, promotes crop diversification, encourages local agricultural knowledge and the role of women farmers, and reduces dependence on fossil fuels and other high-cost inputs. It will be vital for the private and public sector in the United States and Brazil to fund agricultural research to increase food production yields, conserve biodiversity, and combat pests and disease in a safe and transparent manner.

Bullying: The 34 we lost in 2010 to suicide or murder

2011-03-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

Bully, Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Bullycide - These four words continue to appear with ever greater frequency in the lexicon of the modern American family. We hear these words on the evening news, we read these words in our newspapers, and online in all forums. We live in 2011, but to see how we treat one and other from afar, you'd think perhaps the calendar had rolled back a few centuries. You see - individuals be they young or not-so-young are bullied both at school and at work. The tragedy is, our youth of today, by and large are not prepared for today's always-on world, even though they live it 24/7. The fact that in 2010 we lost 34 children where bullying was a principal issue in their decision to end their lives speaks volumes. There were 33 who committed suicide. Then there was one young man who was killed while trying to extricate his sibling from two bullies who were pummeling his sibling, he was shot and killed. Each of them has a story, I share these below. But before we get to the individual stories, I'd like to share a bit about how we can, collectively take a step (or two) to address bullying.

In my recent pieces, “Bullycide: How many are too many?” and “Every day is worth living” I included my call to action for parents, educators, and communities as a whole to address the ever-increasing instances of bullying in our society. My sincere hope is that we may collectively reduce to zero the number of children who meet their demise due to bullying, by changing the way we address bullying. This requires far more than just laws and rules - this requires our collective action. There are three sides of the equation: Those who bully; Those who are bullied; and Those who stand by and watch the event.

My call to action:

Encourage your children to accept who they are, and be all they can be with the capabilities given to them.
Direct your young on appropriate use of the Internet as a tool of collaboration, knowledge sharing and commerce, and not as a tool of hate.
Make it your business to know and understand the many ways in which your child is engaging online and communicating – Smartphone, laptop, Xbox or wii and where: your house, your neighbors, the library, etc. Then monitor this activity. I’ve often said, it is not espionage to know who and what your child is being exposed to online or via any other communications medium.
Teach your young how to cope when overwhelmed and how to discuss this with you.
Ensure your child understands mistakes are universal, and unless it stops the sun from rising in the morn, you and they can work through the perceived error.
Show your child how to report and confront bullying and call it out as wrong. Show them how to do this in a non-confrontational, but direct manner. To be a silent witness is to endorse the action.

Negative behavior impacts all of our children, the children identified below are not of one religion, nor are they uniform in their sexual orientation, nor will you find them to be of the same age, nor geographically centralized, or of the same economic strata. Bullies exist everywhere in today's society and thus bullying knows no boundaries. Bullying can however be addressed and in fact obviated. As I said above in my call to action, if we can nip the "drive" to bully, then we stand a chance in creating not only better members of our communities, we will no doubt save lives while we are at it.

Though I am but a lay person when it comes to behavioral studies, I early on called out the connection between bullying and suicide. I recently came across an article in a recent psychiatric Times, "Bullying and Suicide" (see link below in resource section) the authors concluded:

Whether by traditional means or via cyberspace, bullying and peer victimization puts adolescents at increased risk for suicide, especially when comorbid psychopathology is present. Longitudinal studies have just started to be published, and this research field needs to be further developed. In the meantime, findings from cross-sectional studies suggest differential risk profiles by sex as well as by the frequency and severity of the bullying. Female bullies are at increased risk for suicide, even when their bullying is infrequent. Males appear to be at increased risk for suicidal ideation, but only when they are bullied frequently. Bullying and peer victimization lead to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, but this association varies by sex and may be mediated by depression or conduct problems.

I then came across another piece in Child Development, "The Impact of Enhancing Student's Social and Emotional Learning" (see link below in resource section) which found value in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs in our schools and the improvement in both social interaction as well as in academics.

In addition to person-centered explanations of behavior change, researchers have highlighted how interpersonal, instructional, and environmental supports produce better school performance through the following means: (a) peer and adult norms that convey high expectations and support for academic success, (b) caring teacher–student relationships that foster commitment and bonding to school, (c) engaging teaching approaches such as proactive classroom management and cooperative learning, and (d) safe and orderly environments that encourage and reinforce positive classroom behavior

We need to invest in our children. I firmly believe programs such as those offered by SocialSmarts™which address the need for improved social skills with our children is a good proactive step, coupled with social media/network awareness, meshed with online safety and security tools, will go a long way toward reducing the instances of bullying. In 2010, we failed 34 children. How many will we lose in 2011? (As of 21 February 2011 - we have lost seven children whose suicide is directly related to their being bullied - i.e. they are victims of bullycide - they too have names and will be remembered in a futrue post).

Please take a moment and visit with each of the 34.
Justin Aaberg - 15, Cassidy Andel - 16, Cody Barker -17, Jamarcus Bell -14, Jordan Binion -17, Brandon Bitner -14, Asher Brown -13, Harrison Brown -15, Jesse Buchsbaum -17, Jon Carmichael -13, Raymond Chase -19, Brendan Clarke - 14, Tyler Clementi - 18, Edward Collier - 16, Richard Ty Field-Smalley - 11, Ernest Fuller - 12, Zach Harrington - 19, Brittany Helton -19, Corey Jackson - 19, Samantha Kelly - 14, Montana Lance - 9, Kimberly Linczeski - 12, Billy Lucas - 15, Alexandria Moore - 15, Caleb Nolt - 14, Celina Okwuone - 11, Alexis Pilkington - 17, Phoebe Prince - 15, Ashley Rogers - 15, Felix Sacco - 17, Christian Taylor - 16, Seth Walsh - 13, Jeremy Wise - 14, Scott David Walz - 18

I welcome you comments and thoughts. Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher

LINKS:
Bullying: The 34 we lost in 2010 to bullycide
American Bar Association resolution addressing Bullying and Cyberbullying
Every day is worth living (originally a guest blog at Social Smarts)
Bullycide: How many are too many?
Bullycide: My time has come and so I'm gone

Social Smarts: SocialSmarts™ is a series of courses that addresses the need for improved social skills in our young people. Created by The PoliteChild, the SocialSmarts program offers age-specific curriculum for students from toddlers to teens that teaches not only appropriate and successful behaviors, but also works to build and reinforce the underlying motivations and foundations for those behaviors. SocialSmarts is designed to have students understand how they should behave, but even more importantly, why it’s important to behave that way, grounding students in such important virtues as respect, compassion, trustworthiness, integrity and more. Skills and abilities they need not only now, to succeed in the school system, but also beyond school, as they transition to the workplace.

Psychiatric Times: Bullying and Suicide, Detection and Intervention

Child Development, "The Impact of Enhancing Student's Social and Emotional Learning

American Bar Association - Resolution 107A on Bullying and Cyberbullying

2011-02-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the American Bar Association (ABA) for amending and adopting their resolution 107A which urges ”… federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local officials, to prevent and remediate the existence and dangers of bullying, including cyberbullying and youth-to-youth sexual and physical harassment.” In my view this is very much a step in the right direction, and am heartened at the inclusion and emphasis on the preventative measures. As I have previously stated, if we can get ahead of the curve in educating our youth with respect to civil and respectful interaction and behaviors, we will not only be improving the student’s scholastic capabilities, we will be improving our society in general. A recent article in Education Week noted how the investment in social skills boosted academics in students who were availed such training, ( “Study Finds Social-Skills Teaching Boosts Academics”), "Compared with their peers, participating students also significantly improved on five key nonacademic measures: They demonstrated greater social skills, less emotional distress and better attitudes, fewer conduct problems such as bullying and suspensions, and more-frequent positive behaviors, such as cooperation and help for other students. Also, the effects continued at least six months after the programs ended.“ The article goes on to specifically calling out the program offered by Social Smarts as an effective program which improves “those soft skills likely caused the rise in academic achievement, in part because educators could teach more efficiently with calmer, more cooperative students.”

The resolution has received high marks from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the organization’s Civil Rights Director, Deborah M. Lauter noted in an ADL press release: “We are delighted that the American Bar Association approved a broad and inclusive resolution in support of federal and state initiatives to address bullying and cyberbullying.” Lauter continued, “We appreciate the fact that the ABA resolution and accompanying report appropriately recognized that there is a special risk for those who are bullied because of their personal characteristics such as race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.” said Ms. Lauter. ”

The text of the resolution:

Urges Prevention and Remediation of Bullying and Cyberbullying

RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local officials, to prevent and remediate the existence and dangers of bullying, including cyberbullying and youth-to-youth sexual and physical harassment, by

(1) defining these acts and developing education programs to assist teachers, parents, and children in identifying victims and enhancing appropriate interventions,
(2) analyzing existing laws and policies designed to prevent and respond to these acts and adopting and/or revising them as appropriate,
(3) monitoring the effectiveness of measures to prevent these acts and fostering interventions successfully implemented to reduce and respond to them,
(SIC) (1) developing education programs to assist teachers, parents, and children in identifying victims of these acts and enhancing appropriate interventions,
(SIC) (2) adopting, revising, and monitoring laws and policies designed to prevent these acts and foster interventions successfully implemented to reduce and respond to them,
(4) providing training,
(5) reporting on collected data,
(6) providing appropriate notice of bullying incidents to the families of involved youth, and having those families participate, when appropriate, in bullying prevention and intervention efforts; and
(7) affording institutional protections particularly for those children at risk of these acts resulting from actual or perceived characteristics such as race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges federal, state, territorial and local, officials and school administrators to adopt policies that discourage (1) inappropriate referral of youth to the juvenile justice system for acts of bullying and student-on-student harassment, and (2) inappropriate use of expulsion and out-of-school suspension for such acts.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges government, private, and academic institutions to fund programs, research and evaluation that addresses prevention of and responses to these acts, including efforts to study and enhance evidence-based, and culturally and linguistically competent approaches.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges all law enforcement agencies to cooperate with the FBI’s data collection program related to hate crimes committed by and against juveniles under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges Internet Service Providers and social networking platforms to adopt Terms of Service that define and prohibit cyberbullying and cyberhate,

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the application of bullying, cyberbullying, and related laws and policies should not be used to compromise the protected First Amendment free speech rights of students.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges school districts to follow the October 2010 U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights “Dear Colleague” letter on bullying and harassment, and the Department to monitor compliance with the letter’s guidelines and more aggressively utilize federal and state civil rights protection authority under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,

Christopher

Links:

Every day is worth living: “Do you ever delve into a stack of statistics and just find yourself mesmerized by the data, data that shocks your inner core? I had that happen to me recently as I was doing some fact checking surrounding instances of children committing suicide, specifically children who were bullied into suicide by others (both adults and children). I concluded, we lose too many precious children to ‘bullycide.’”

Bullycide: How many are too many? “You see in 2010, by my count, 30 children ranging in age from 9-19 took their own lives as they were unable to cope with the bullying which they were being subjected. These families who lost their child will remember 2010 in a much different light than the rest of us.”

Social Smarts : SocialSmarts™ is a series of courses that addresses the need for improved social skills in our young people. Created by The PoliteChild, the SocialSmarts program offers age-specific curriculum for students from toddlers to teens that teaches not only appropriate and successful behaviors, but also works to build and reinforce the underlying motivations and foundations for those behaviors.

Child Development: January/February 2011, Volume 82, Number 1 (Pages 405-432) – The impact of enhancing students social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions.

American Bar Association (ABA) “Urges Prevention and Remediation of Bullying and Cyberbullying”

Anti Defamation League (ADL) ”The ADL takes a broad, holistic approach to addressing bullying and cyberbullying, tracking the nature and magnitude of the problem, developing education and training programs on bullying and cyberbullying, and advocating – at the state and federal level – for policies and programs that can make a difference.”

(NB: Christopher Burgess has recently agreed to serve a an Advisory Board member to Social Smarts)

Is your teen EXPOSED? Sexting is a crime.

2011-02-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

Exposed is a 10 minute drama about a 15-year-old girl called Dee, who makes a very common mistake of sending via (SMS - text messaging) five photos of herself to her boyfriend, nude photos. This is called "Sexting" - sending sexually suggestive images via mobile phone. In Exposed the boyfriend shares Dee's photos with a friend, who shares them with another and then before you know it the photos are shared widely. Sexting is illegal in Washington State - it's a felony.

Seattle Public Schools "Code of Prohibitive Conduct" portion of the Student's Rights and Responsibilities handbook, explicitly calls out "sexting" (section D-315, page 22) as a form of sexual harassment, "...sharing electronic photos of a nude student or a student's exposed intimate body parts with others at school regardless of where the photos were created or uploaded, including but not limited to, 'sexting'"

According to an MTV/AP study on "digital abuse," three in ten youths have been involved in some form of nude sexting. MTV went on to create the "A Thin Line" which provides excellent advice and content for both parents and youth to engage in discussions surrounding "Sexting." It's important that we educate our youth, as sexting is a crime. In Washington State, for example, the law designed to protect our youth, can actually be applied to the very same child when they are involved in sexting. The law states that a minor involved in consensual sexting with a person his or her age faces felony charges, up to five years in prison and mandatory sex offender registration.

So take a moment and watch this film, which was released on February 8, 2011 as part of the Safer Internet Day 2011. The film was produced by the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and targets children age 14-18. And though prepared for a UK audience, it is absolutely suitable for use by parents to share with their teens, high schools with their students and churches with their youth.

The film hits on the following educational points:

the reasons why young people are taking and forwarding these images
the issue of trust in relationships
how photos can end up out of the hands of the intended recipient and be circulated much more widely
the speed at which images can be spread on the internet
the online and offline bullying which may occur as a result
the idea of digital footprint and online reputation
the legal implications of self-generated indent images
the process of removing content online, and where to seek further help and advice
why they should not take and send these images.

The CEOP's Thinkuknow (TUK) Teachers and Trainers area contains resources for teachers and youth trainers to download from the Thinkuknow website.
Let's learn from the UK example and use their content and create our own to keep our youth safe, both off-line and online.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,
Christopher

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Here are some prior pieces on harassment, cyber stalking, cyber bullying and bullying:

Every day is worth living

Bullycide: How many are too many?

Bullycide: My time has come and so I am gone.

Online Safety: Cyber bullying
Electronic Harassment: The insidious ills of our online society

Safer Internet Day 2011

2011-02-08T03:29:00.000-08:00

Today, February 8, 2011 is Safer Internet Day. It's more than a game, its your life. One can't over emphasize how important it is to pay attention when you and your family are online. The internet is integral to our daily lives. Online is where we live and we need to stay safe online.

Here are a eleven tips to achieve that goal:

Know who is on the other side of the conversation: Know with whom you are engaged online (the true identity with whom you are exchanging data)
PII/PCI: Never give out personal or financial data without knowing with whom you are providing the information (the true identity)
Security Software: Keep your security software updated
Be alert to Phishing email (suspicious email): Guide your family to not reply or click on links within emails asking for personal or financial information
Passwords: Practice good cyber-hygiene – Passwords are like toothbrushes – you should not share them with others and you should change them often (every 90-120 days or when they are exposed).
Guidance & Direction: Guide your young. The internet is to receive information only and not to be used to share information. Only Mom & Dad share information over the internet.
Browser Settings: If available configure your browser log-in to HTTPS (S=secure) and avoid having your password sniffed and grabbed when connecting via an open (not secure) network connection. Always look for this option when configuring Facebook, Google Mail, etc. -- Where are you the most vulnerable - those open wireless connections your local shopping center or coffee shop.
Computer Settings: Disable Auto-Run – just like putting your safety-belt on when you take your seat in the car, take a primary safety step and anti-virus scan all media being introduced to your PC, even if you received it from a trusted source, their USB/CD/DVD may be ill and contain malware/crimeware and why allow it to infect yours? \
E-mail: If a retailer or vendor asks you to “email your credit or debit card data” – Say “Absolutely Not” and don’t do it.
Public Computers: Use an internet connection at the library, airport, etc? Clear the browser’s history and cache’s when you are finished to remove “easy” accessibility to the websites you visited (and your personal data).
Children & Profiles: Do your children wear their Name, Address and Age on the back of their jacket when playing in the neighborhood? Then why post it on a website’s profile.

Online safety is important to me, please make it both important and a priority for you and your family.

LINKS:
Safer Internet Day: Insafe

Human Trafficking - Diplomatic Immunity?

2011-02-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

Kudos to NBC's Today Show for their piece on February 4 around the issue of slavery and human trafficking in the United States. In this piece, host Natalie Morales discussed a case of an Indonesian woman, brought to the United States by a foreign diplomat to work as household staff and the subsequent enslavement of this woman.

In the NBC piece we learn the diplomat was assigned to his country's consulate in San Francisco, CA, representing his country in the United States. He also enslaved a young woman whom he brought to the United States as part of his household staff. The NBC piece is provided below and it speaks to how the diplomat had diplomatic immunity and thus couldn't be prosecuted for the crimes committed. While diplomatic immunity is availed to accredited diplomats in the United States as it is to United States diplomats in foreign countries, it can and has been waived when the individual who has committed a crime in the host country so as to allow the host country to prosecute the alleged criminal. It doesn't happen often, but it does. (See US Department of State guidance on diplomatic immunity provided to US Foreign Service officers - 7 Page PDF. The guidance explicitly states: "Complete immunity from criminal jurisdiction means that a person may not be detained or arrested or subject to a body search and may not be prosecuted or required to give evidence as a witness. This immunity may be waived, and it may be waived in a limited fashion, but it is the U.S. Government’s immunity and must be waived by the Government; it cannot be waived by the individual or the post.)

To make this NBC piece whole, I would have liked to have had Natalie Morales have asked the US Department of State to share the response to the United States' request for the diplomat in question to have his immunity waived. The answer to that question would have told us much about the moral norms of the country with respect to the basic rights and specifically around slavery. So let's look at the NBC piece and the review what the US Government Accounting Office had to say about US Government's efforts.

Here's the NBC Today Show piece: (URL for Today Show)

The abuse of household workers by diplomatic personnel accredited to the United States is not a new phenomena. In fact, in July 2008, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report titled: " US Government's Efforts to Address Alleged Abuse of Household Workers by Foreign Diplomats with Immunity Could be Strengthened." The GAO report (50 page PDF) contains the following conclusion:

The people who come to the United States on A-3 and G-5 visas are among the most vulnerable who enter our borders legally. They are often poor, uneducated, and unfamiliar with their rights under U.S. law. If they find themselves in an abusive situation, their ability to hold their employers accountable can be limited, particularly if their employers hold full diplomatic immunity and inviolability. Although State has expressed concerns that some foreign diplomats may be abusing their household workers, it has not systematically collected and maintained information on cases of alleged abuse that have come to its attention. In addition, State has not always ensured that the visa policies and procedures in place to provide protections for these most vulnerable individuals have been correctly and consistently implemented, such as the policy requiring certain elements within these workers’ employment contracts. Furthermore, if officials at State headquarters have information linking a particular diplomat to a pattern of employee disappearance, abuse allegations, or other irregularities, they do not routinely alert consular officers to seek guidance. Finally, the U.S. government’s process for investigating trafficking of household workers by foreign diplomats has, in some instances, been hampered by delays in coordination between State and Justice on the use of investigative techniques. In addressing these problems, the U.S. government can strengthen its commitment to combating human trafficking within the United States.

The GAO report goes on to make the following recommendations:

1. To ensure that the Office of Protocol and the Office of the Legal Adviser are aware of all cases involving alleged abuse of household workers by foreign diplomats that have come to the attention of the department, we recommend that the Secretary of State (1) emphasize to the relevant bureaus and offices the importance of the Foreign Affairs Manual requirement to report all cases that come to their attention and (2) direct the Office of Protocol and the Office of the Legal Adviser to create a system for collecting and maintaining records on these cases.

2. To assist in timely handling of future investigations, we recommend that the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security establish an interagency process outlining agreed-upon policies and time frames for determining which investigative techniques can be used in trafficking investigations involving foreign diplomats.

3. We recommend that the Secretary of State direct the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Office of Protocol and the Office of the Legal Adviser, to establish a system alerting consular officers to seek guidance from State headquarters before issuing A-3 or G-5 visas to applicants whose prospective employers may have abused their household workers in the past. For example, if State headquarters is aware that a foreign diplomat is under investigation for alleged human trafficking, it could place an alert in the system advising consular officers to request guidance should an individual apply for an A-3 or G-5 visa to work for that diplomat.

4. To better ensure correct and consistent implementation of A-3 and G-5 visa policies and procedures, particularly those that outline requirements for employment contracts, we recommend that the Secretary of State enhance oversight by establishing a system to spot-check compliance with these policies and procedures. This spot-check system would allow headquarters to assess compliance without dedicating the resources needed to review all A-3 and G-5 visas issued in a given year and could be targeted at posts that issue high numbers of A-3 or G-5 visas or that have identified difficulties interpreting guidance on these visas classes.

Appendix three of the GAO report is most educational, as it outlines the Diplomatic and Consular privileges and immunities from criminal and civil jurisdiction.

NBC's series Trafficked: Slavery in America starts on February 6, I'll be watching and I hope they ask the hard questions.

Thank you for your time,
All the best,
Christopher

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