07 October 2009
06 October 2009
Calm in the Storm
Everybody has their way of handling stress differently. Each person has their own way of handling unexpected catastrophes. Some people handle the unexpected well and others, not so well. Some people handle bad news well and others do not. Some people handle everyday stress well and others allow themselves to get in a panic. Surely you have met that person that always seems to be scattered, running late, missing something, not sure where they are going, frustrated about some kind of details, or just plain flustered. Have you ever met a person that no matter what every little thing is a huge thing? Several people come to my mind. When I think of these people I think about what is missing and what causes their lives to always seem so chaotic. On the other hand, I can think of several people who seem to constantly have a calmness about them. No matter what life throws at them, they remain constant and steady. Wow. What an attribute to have. One of those people that sparks my memory is my favorite, and only sister-n-law, Beth. I cannot hardly remember a time when she has raised her voice, panicked, seemed frightened, out of sorts, off kilter, or chaotic. Beth has always, to me, seemed to be in a constant state of serenity and peacefulness. Another person coming to my mind is my dear grandmother Lena. I have written about her before. This woman is one of the most amazing women I have ever come across in my life. Not only has she endured the passing of her best friend and soul-mate, but she has conquered so many other hurdles. Various cancers, a couple of heart attacks, two hurricanes, one major, Katrina, a very long battle with Shingles that is still going on, and high blood pressure could not knock this amazing woman down! She never panicked, never wavered, never got off kilter. She remained constant and steady. Another person coming to mind is my mother-n-law Mary Susan. She has also overcome some hurdles in life to include a hip replacement and soon to be another. She lost her only sister about five years ago to cancer. There are other various private matters that would have had others feeling sorry for themselves or using them as excuses to not move forward. However, my mother-n-law has chosen to remain steady and calm. My brother Dan, same thing. Not too many times can I recall him losing his cool. He does not jump to conclusions or alarm easily. He takes his time in evaluating the situation and then calculating his move. My pastor's wife, Cynthia, she is the same, steady, calm, quiet, and constant. All of these people have a belief in God and faith in God that encompasses trust and serenity. They all rely on God through prayer and believe in Him to answer. All of these wonderful people are compassionate, loving, patient, calm, thoughtful, and insightful.
When I first found out that my husband had decided he needed to join the war on terror I was not thrilled. We had just married and were beginning our lives. I had been through basic training. I had an idea of what the life would be like. Yet, I had NO idea what our lives were going to be like. I was scared and honestly, a little bit angry. Quite honestly, I was very selfish. I did not want my very new husband going off to war and leaving me and possibly getting killed. My first reaction was, NO! I quickly realized I was being childish and very selfish so I went to the Lord in prayer. I asked God to show me how to accept my husband's decision and wishes. I asked God to show me how to support him and asked for protection over him and my daughter and myself. I also asked for protection over our marriage. I asked God that if it was not what my husband was supposed to do that He would please close every door and make it obvious. If it was the right thing, I asked Him to make it extremely smooth, and to open wide all the doors necessary. Indeed, it was the right path.
Has life been peaches and cream since he entered the military? Of course not. I will tell you this, God has sustained me through the entire way. We have encountered numerous unexpected challenges. We have moved several times, within the same city. We have had several miscarriages. We have experienced the loss of a loved one while he was away at basic training. We have experienced the loss of friends in combat. We have experienced friends getting injured in combat. We have experienced close family members getting ill several states away while we could not be there. We have experienced our children being ill and hospitalized, not knowing what the outcome would be. I have experienced some medical problems lately that we are still unsure of where they will lead us. Having four kids will create uncertainty and unexpected circumstances. We have experienced broken bones and emergency room visits, mostly while my husband was on mission. We have experienced serious car accidents on the road involving friends or church members. We just happened to be passing by. Sometimes, we did not know the people at all. We had somewhere to be, but we stopped. It was not planned, it was not written on our schedule or the to-do list. But it was on God's. I have dealt with three of our children having the flu all at once and totally stopping our lives for eight days. We have dealt with Hero being gone and coming home over and over again. We have accepted just hearing his voice is perfectly good enough. While we would rather put our arms around him, we accept that hearing his voice means that he is still alive and safe. We have accepted that we may not celebrate every holiday together or at the same time the rest of the country does. We have accepted that we may not have a whole lot of money but we are doing what we feel like is the right thing. How? How do we do it? How do I survive everyday without my husband? How do I survive everyday alone with four kids and still maintain my sanity? How can I live so many states away from my family and survive in a strange place alone?
God. My relationship with God is the only answer. The same thing that gave all of those people I mentioned in the beginning a steady ground, is the same thing that gives me strength and peace to carry on. I realize that my husband will definitely come home a changed man. The things he will experience and see will most definitely change him. He may possibly come home physically changed from combat wounds. Or, God forbid, he may come home never to breathe again with an American flag draped over his body. I may answer my door one day to two gentlemen I do not know telling me that my husband was killed in combat. Or, he may come home having injuries that will leave him permanently changed and needing my help. How will I handle that? Will I be steady and calm? Will I be able to be strong for my kids? I trust that I will through the faith that I have in my God. This was once tested through the Jehova's Witnesses that came to my door that I thought were military men coming to announce my husband's death. You'll have read that story. But I actually had mentally processed that my husband had been killed.
We are very open and honest with our kids. We do not lie to them about what daddy does or where he is going or how long he will gone. They understand the risks and the dangers. We pray over him before he leaves. We pray for him every day, several times a day, for his protection, mental clarity, rest, peace, courage, faith, and so much more. The kids' prayers are actually quite graphic that some of you might not be able to handle it. We do not tell our kids myths about what he is doing or where is he as this just creates confusion and doubt. No, we are honest with them and back it up with prayer and God's word. We let them know that there are bad guys out there and that daddy is very brave and wants to make sure they don't come to our house. We let them know that daddy is fighting because he wants to and because it is right. We pray that God will heal the hearts of the bad guys. The kids have painted their own picture frames and put a picture of daddy and them in it. So they each have their own. They talk to daddy in the picture and kiss him good-night. The baby carries around one of his old cell phones and anytime she wants to say something to him she pulls it out and talks to him. They write him letters all the time and I mail them. They know the names of the countries of where the bad guys are and where daddy works. We prepare them way ahead of time that he will be leaving. I do not however, let them know when he will be coming home. I do not even get that privilege!
Having four kids and a husband in the special operations command is an exciting life and I would not trade it for the world. I am so very proud of what my husband does. He is great at his job. He is a great husband and father. This certainly makes it easier. I do face times when I get frustrated or down. Sometimes I lose my cool. More than I'd like to say. I rely heavily on prayer, constant communication with God, and reading God's word. I also write my husband a lot via e-mail, understanding that he will not get to respond nearly as much. Not having time for too many close, personal relationships, I am very particular about who I let in. God has blessed me with a keen sense of discernment. I'll admit I take on way too much. I believe that is probably to help the time pass and keep my mind busy so as not to dwell on all of the "what-if's". I love the thought that when you are feeling down you should do something for someone else. It works. Doing things for others truly blesses you way more than the other person.
I have made a very good friend, her name is Marolyn. She and I recently had a conversation about living a life focused on Christ. I was so excited to see how much she and I agreed on this. It seems that so many other women are not living this. It saddens me to know this, especially for the women who are mothers. We will be held accountable for how we raise our children. Marolyn and I both agreed on this. We also agreed that a self-centered life is one not centered on Christ. How can we possibly reach out to those around us if we are focused on self and not others? We are called to share God's word with those around us. If we are only concerned with what is going on in our lives and with our hurts, then we are not sharing God's word. More importantly, in the military life, the possibility of death is more real. When soldiers are killed in combat, the first thought that crosses my mind and another good friend's mind, Danielle, is did they know God? Will they go to heaven? Are we doing our job? Are we sharing God's love like we should be? Are we praying for others like we should be? What about prayer? When someone shares a need with you, do you ever tell them, I will be praying for you? What if we stopped right there and took a few moments to stand with that person and pray with them? How much more effective would that be? So today, I challenge you to share God's message with at least one person. I also challenge you to respond immediately if someone shares a need with you. Stop right there and pray with them. Let's be steady and constant. Let's be salt to the rest of the world. Let's be a source of strength and calmness in the storm. Let God work through us. May you find this uplifting and encouraging.
May God bless you and may God bless America. May God bless the Soldiers, killed, wounded, and healing.
When I first found out that my husband had decided he needed to join the war on terror I was not thrilled. We had just married and were beginning our lives. I had been through basic training. I had an idea of what the life would be like. Yet, I had NO idea what our lives were going to be like. I was scared and honestly, a little bit angry. Quite honestly, I was very selfish. I did not want my very new husband going off to war and leaving me and possibly getting killed. My first reaction was, NO! I quickly realized I was being childish and very selfish so I went to the Lord in prayer. I asked God to show me how to accept my husband's decision and wishes. I asked God to show me how to support him and asked for protection over him and my daughter and myself. I also asked for protection over our marriage. I asked God that if it was not what my husband was supposed to do that He would please close every door and make it obvious. If it was the right thing, I asked Him to make it extremely smooth, and to open wide all the doors necessary. Indeed, it was the right path.
Has life been peaches and cream since he entered the military? Of course not. I will tell you this, God has sustained me through the entire way. We have encountered numerous unexpected challenges. We have moved several times, within the same city. We have had several miscarriages. We have experienced the loss of a loved one while he was away at basic training. We have experienced the loss of friends in combat. We have experienced friends getting injured in combat. We have experienced close family members getting ill several states away while we could not be there. We have experienced our children being ill and hospitalized, not knowing what the outcome would be. I have experienced some medical problems lately that we are still unsure of where they will lead us. Having four kids will create uncertainty and unexpected circumstances. We have experienced broken bones and emergency room visits, mostly while my husband was on mission. We have experienced serious car accidents on the road involving friends or church members. We just happened to be passing by. Sometimes, we did not know the people at all. We had somewhere to be, but we stopped. It was not planned, it was not written on our schedule or the to-do list. But it was on God's. I have dealt with three of our children having the flu all at once and totally stopping our lives for eight days. We have dealt with Hero being gone and coming home over and over again. We have accepted just hearing his voice is perfectly good enough. While we would rather put our arms around him, we accept that hearing his voice means that he is still alive and safe. We have accepted that we may not celebrate every holiday together or at the same time the rest of the country does. We have accepted that we may not have a whole lot of money but we are doing what we feel like is the right thing. How? How do we do it? How do I survive everyday without my husband? How do I survive everyday alone with four kids and still maintain my sanity? How can I live so many states away from my family and survive in a strange place alone?
God. My relationship with God is the only answer. The same thing that gave all of those people I mentioned in the beginning a steady ground, is the same thing that gives me strength and peace to carry on. I realize that my husband will definitely come home a changed man. The things he will experience and see will most definitely change him. He may possibly come home physically changed from combat wounds. Or, God forbid, he may come home never to breathe again with an American flag draped over his body. I may answer my door one day to two gentlemen I do not know telling me that my husband was killed in combat. Or, he may come home having injuries that will leave him permanently changed and needing my help. How will I handle that? Will I be steady and calm? Will I be able to be strong for my kids? I trust that I will through the faith that I have in my God. This was once tested through the Jehova's Witnesses that came to my door that I thought were military men coming to announce my husband's death. You'll have read that story. But I actually had mentally processed that my husband had been killed.
We are very open and honest with our kids. We do not lie to them about what daddy does or where he is going or how long he will gone. They understand the risks and the dangers. We pray over him before he leaves. We pray for him every day, several times a day, for his protection, mental clarity, rest, peace, courage, faith, and so much more. The kids' prayers are actually quite graphic that some of you might not be able to handle it. We do not tell our kids myths about what he is doing or where is he as this just creates confusion and doubt. No, we are honest with them and back it up with prayer and God's word. We let them know that there are bad guys out there and that daddy is very brave and wants to make sure they don't come to our house. We let them know that daddy is fighting because he wants to and because it is right. We pray that God will heal the hearts of the bad guys. The kids have painted their own picture frames and put a picture of daddy and them in it. So they each have their own. They talk to daddy in the picture and kiss him good-night. The baby carries around one of his old cell phones and anytime she wants to say something to him she pulls it out and talks to him. They write him letters all the time and I mail them. They know the names of the countries of where the bad guys are and where daddy works. We prepare them way ahead of time that he will be leaving. I do not however, let them know when he will be coming home. I do not even get that privilege!
Having four kids and a husband in the special operations command is an exciting life and I would not trade it for the world. I am so very proud of what my husband does. He is great at his job. He is a great husband and father. This certainly makes it easier. I do face times when I get frustrated or down. Sometimes I lose my cool. More than I'd like to say. I rely heavily on prayer, constant communication with God, and reading God's word. I also write my husband a lot via e-mail, understanding that he will not get to respond nearly as much. Not having time for too many close, personal relationships, I am very particular about who I let in. God has blessed me with a keen sense of discernment. I'll admit I take on way too much. I believe that is probably to help the time pass and keep my mind busy so as not to dwell on all of the "what-if's". I love the thought that when you are feeling down you should do something for someone else. It works. Doing things for others truly blesses you way more than the other person.
I have made a very good friend, her name is Marolyn. She and I recently had a conversation about living a life focused on Christ. I was so excited to see how much she and I agreed on this. It seems that so many other women are not living this. It saddens me to know this, especially for the women who are mothers. We will be held accountable for how we raise our children. Marolyn and I both agreed on this. We also agreed that a self-centered life is one not centered on Christ. How can we possibly reach out to those around us if we are focused on self and not others? We are called to share God's word with those around us. If we are only concerned with what is going on in our lives and with our hurts, then we are not sharing God's word. More importantly, in the military life, the possibility of death is more real. When soldiers are killed in combat, the first thought that crosses my mind and another good friend's mind, Danielle, is did they know God? Will they go to heaven? Are we doing our job? Are we sharing God's love like we should be? Are we praying for others like we should be? What about prayer? When someone shares a need with you, do you ever tell them, I will be praying for you? What if we stopped right there and took a few moments to stand with that person and pray with them? How much more effective would that be? So today, I challenge you to share God's message with at least one person. I also challenge you to respond immediately if someone shares a need with you. Stop right there and pray with them. Let's be steady and constant. Let's be salt to the rest of the world. Let's be a source of strength and calmness in the storm. Let God work through us. May you find this uplifting and encouraging.
May God bless you and may God bless America. May God bless the Soldiers, killed, wounded, and healing.
04 October 2009
We Must Stop Outsourcing NOW For National Security!
Friends, it is with great hesitation and reserve that I bring this document to you. I run the risk of being called an alarmist, a nutcase, and a psychopath. I ask you to please just read through this information. Please allow yourselves to take off the hats of personal interests, personal bias, personal relationships, and please think outside of the box. Take time to look at the big picture. To do this, you will have to step outside of your comfort zone and allow yourself to contemplate ideas that are chilling. You may find yourself thinking you are reading a fictional book on terrorism. You may find yourself thinking that this could never happen in America. May I please remind you that 9/11 was very real. The death of over 3,000 Americans is very real. The terrorists were and “are” very real. If you are a Christian and have read the bible, which I cannot see how you have not read the bible if you are a Christian, then you have a responsibility to read this, to pray about it, and to pray about your part in the response to what you have read. This is not a civil war taking place within our own country between black and white people. This is not a war that is about political parties. This is not about left or right. This war is about protecting our land, our family, our freedom, our everything. This war, this war is a spiritual war taking place in America, on our land, in our country, in our backyard, in our homes, and within our hearts. What war am I referring to? The war against radical Islam.
There are several key factors in winning the war, but the utter most important key factor is to remember that this is a spiritual war. This means we must fight with spiritual warfare, that would require a relationship with God. Only then will we have access to the armor and weapons necessary to fight the opponent. As stated in Matthew 28:19a, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations”. God was calling us, Christians, to go and make disciples of those around us and in all the other surrounding nations. Have we been successful? We have to honestly answer that with an embarrassing, “no”. If we had been successful, we would have God present in our schools, work places, government, and in our homes. We do not. In fact, we have voted Him out and allowed Allah in. With Islam on the rise and infiltrating the world, we have our work cut out for us. Look at this information from Foreign Policy: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
“Islam
Growth rate*: 1.84 percent
Adherents: 1.3 billion
Behind the trend: High birthrates in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe
Areas to watch: The world’s largest Muslim populations are in fast-growing countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Egypt, and Iran. Islam also happens to be the fastest growing religion in Europe, where an influx of Muslim immigrants from North Africa, Turkey, and South Asia has sent shock waves into a mostly Christian and secular population whose birthrates have stagnated. The “Muslim question” has empowered anti-immigrant parties in France, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany, while sparking a fierce debate over the place of women in Islam and symbols of faith like the Muslim head scarf. “
There has also been discussion of inmates in America converting to Islam. While that is true, some are trying to take away the significance of this, because of the ratio of Islam converts who continue on in their faith after being released from prison. As Christians know, just as the shepherd was concerned for his one lost sheep, we should also be concerned. So, if only one out of ten Islam converts continue on in their new faith, then we still have a job to do. Read this information from Right Side News:
http://www.rightsidenews.com/homeland-security/islam-in-america-part-two.html
“However, Lawrence Mimiya told the Daily Herald that most Muslims in prison today are Sunni converts. Mamiya, a professor at Vassar College who studies Muslim prison ministries, says that "just one in five who convert to Islam while in prison continue on in that faith once they are released." (Note: the number of Muslims in the U.S. population at large is estimated at one percent, or 8 million individuals.) “
“Some experts question the importance of such "1 in 10" statistics, however. For example, by their own admission, many inmates convert to Islam merely to receive special perks, like prayer rugs, incense and superior halal food. “
“However, that fact should still give readers pause: after all, these endless "religious" demands demonstrates radical Islam's innate sense of superiority, and its demand to be seen as "special." It doesn't help matters that groups like the ACLU file lawsuits to guarantee such special treatment to Muslim inmates. After a 2008 suit, for example: U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer approved an agreement on Wednesday that allows [Wyoming] prisoners receiving religious meals to keep their meals in their cells until the next meal is served. It also requires the prison to install a new microwave for inmates that won't be used for pork, which is forbidden to Muslims and members of some other religions."
“In another lawsuit settled in November 2008, a California jail was ordered to allow female Muslim inmates to wear "county-issued" headscarves - and to pay $45,000 in "damages" to the aggrieved prisoner.”
Robert Spencer of JihadWatch notes the ironic insanity of such lawsuits:
"Once again a Muslim in America demands that non-Muslims accommodate his particular practices and beliefs, rather than considering that he has to adapt his own behavior to American mores -- especially since he is in prison!"
“Indeed, Islam teaches that "infidels" are obliged to pay the "Jizyah" - an onerous tax/ransom - to their Muslim superiors. Many radical Muslims view the booty won in such parasitical lawsuits as a variety of "jizyah" - a "ransom" they are forced to extort surreptitiously until they can establish their worldwide "caliphate."
“However, in some ways, ACLU collaboration with our enemies is a laughable sideshow when compared to more serious implications. A highly regarded 2006 study called "Out of the Shadows" simply states the obvious: that "tight-knit communities of Muslims in prison are ripe for radicalization, and could easily become terrorist cells."
"Radical Muslim chaplains, trained in a foreign ideology, certified in foreign-financed schools and acting in coordination to impose an extremist agenda have gained a monopoly over Islamic religious activities in American state, federal, and city prisons and jails."
Richard Reid, the so-called "shoe bomber" and Jose Padilla, the "dirty bomber", are two of the most famous Muslim convert/prisoners turned would be terrorists. “
“If captured and incarcerated after committing or plotting terrorist acts, Muslim radicals create further problems within the international prison system, according to a 2008 report by the NEFA Foundation.”
"While in prison," according to the report, "jihadists have caused officials fits by radicalizing fellow inmates, planning jailbreaks, distributing propaganda to associates, continuing to exercise operational control over their organizations, and plotting attacks."
“Change has been slow in coming. Only recently has the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) begun conducting more thorough background checks on religious "service providers" such as Muslim chaplains. According to the 2007 research paper "Radicalization: Behind Bars and Beyond Borders," the FBOP has relied on "just ten Muslim chaplains for the entire federal prison system. These ten chaplains were responsible for vetting and endorsing contractors and volunteers who enter prisons to provide religious services, a Herculean task when one considers the thousands of contractors and volunteers who enter prisons each month."
Christians, are you there? Are you out there? Are you listening to what you just read? Are you angry? Are you fed up with our rights being stripped away and trampled on by the enemy? If this country is going to preach tolerance, then where is the so-called tolerance for Christianity? I mean talk about biased. We have allowed ourselves to be blocked out. The ones who constantly complain about us not being tolerant are not being tolerant at all. So to them I say, “Practice what you preach!” To my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I say, “Shame on us!” We have grown so secular, so weak, and so unfaithful that now we are losing our freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom to worship. Because of this, now the enemy has more freedom in our country than we do. Look at the freedoms that Muslims have in the prison system. Not only do they have freedoms, but they also have special treatment. They now are able to reach out and convert others to their religion. What happens to us? We get fired from our job, we get taken to court, we get accused of violating someone's “rights”, and we are silenced. While we are silenced radical Islamist have the freedom to move about our country and others and convert people to their cause. Their cause being Jihad. Their cause being to fly their flag over the White House. Please understand this, Islam is not a threat. Radical Islam is. I do not hate Islamic people in any way. I do not hate any person, period. I do, however, think it is extremely important that we, as Americans, and more important, as Christians, that we recognize the very real threat that radical Islam is presenting. Let us look now at some other details and ways that the enemy can insert itself into our homeland.
Let me ask you, have you had to contact a customer service department lately for any reason? Maybe you needed to pay a credit card bill, check on a balance, make some plan changes to your cell phone account, or maybe you needed help with a technical device, such as a flat screen T.V., or a computer. When you called the customer service department did you by any chance find yourself speaking to someone in another country? Was it possibly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Jamaica? A few companies that outsource are IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Prudential, Hewlett Packard, ATT Wireless, Trans Union, First Consulting Group (FCG), Dell Computer Support, Bell South, EDS, GE Capital, GE, IBM, Schlumberger, Qwest and Rand McNally. Most of the above mentioned companies are fortune 500 and fortune 1000 companies in US and UK. You can add Sprint/Nextel to that list, as they are my provider. They have call centers in India, Pakistan, and Jamaica. GE Money Bank has call centers in Pakistan and India. This in and of itself is not that big of a deal is it? However, here is where I have to ask you to open your mind and think outside of the box. Let us look at some figures and information regarding this subject.
http://socyberty.com/economics/the-dangers-of-outsourcing-to-foreign-countries/
“Most of the outsourced jobs are in these related fields:
Business Applications
Communication Services
Data Operations
Help Desks
IT Infrastructure
IT Security
PC Management
Specialized Manufacturing
Websites
“This is only part of the danger. In 2005, Citibank announced it had been using Indian call centers to outsource some of its workload. The workers in this call center used the access to American accounts to embezzle money from customer accounts. As it turned out, a worker in the United States holds a social security number that can be used for background checks. Outsourcing business to foreign companies eliminates the possibility for completing background checks. This makes it easy for the foreign workers to steal important account information."
"Unfortunately, companies are not going to stop outsourcing work until Americans stand up and fight. Write to your local politicians, your federal government, and make yourself heard. Start boycotting companies who do outsource their business to foreign countries. To fight outsourcing, it is going to be up to those at risk of losing their jobs.”
http://www.bizbrim.com/outsourcing/companies-that-outsource.htm
WSJ Call Center Outsourcing
"Call center outsourcing is on the rise and WSJ call center outsourcing is the latest story to hit the news. Many big companies that include fortune 500 and fortune 1000 are actively shifting their call center and back office operations overseas. The major reason why these companies are doing so with confidence lies in the fact that offshore destinations like India have quality infrastructure, stable government and plenty of available resources in the form of IT companies. The likes of bank of new york outsourcing and other banks and financial institutions have also started outsourcing their financial as well as other bank offer operations overseas."
Pay attention to the fields in which jobs are being outsourced. Every single one of them deals with the internet, communications, and technology. Where am I going with this? Hang on for the ride and let us now look at some other very important information from some other sources. The first bit of information discusses identity theft. Basically, identity theft in large, is happening from within the companies who have access to it. Who is at most risk of having their identity stolen? The 18-29 year-old age group is at most risk. (I have high lighted points of interested in bold)
http://www.identitytheftdaily.com/index.php/20090315520/Prevention/Young-adults-seen-as-prime-identity-theft-targets.html
“While human error and poor data handling policies and procedures certainly played a role in the 2008 data exposures, it appears that theft of data, either by external or internal sources, is the primary way information has been compromised.
"According to various studies, including the FTC's regular fraud complaint study, the 18-29 year-old age bracket continues to account for almost 30 percent of all identity theft complaints.”
Why I am focusing on call centers and American and European businesses outsourcing their call centers to other countries, such as India, Pakistan, etc.? Take a look at this information I found. Following is information from a government web site in regards to terrorists trends. Please pay special attention to the last sentence with regards to occupation. (I high lighted points of interest)
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/193420.pdf
“Several noticeable differences appear in a simple comparison of the two samples. The pre-guidelines era sample includes 183 terrorists from 2 1 different terrorist organizations and three additional terrorists of unknown affiliation. In the post-guideline data, 186 terrorists, had been indicted. Information on an additional ten groups and 32 indictees from 1997 to mid-1999 remain to be collected and coded. Terrorism, once the scourge of Europe, the Middle East and Latin America has finally established a foothold on American soil." pg. 7,8
This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has
not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of
Justice.
Brent L. Smith and Kelly R. Damphousse
Final Report: NIJ Grant # 1999-IJCX-0005
Demographics-Occupation: Mixed, but many worked in sales positions or had government affiliations.” pg. 38
Did you catch that? Sales positions and government affiliations! Sales positions include the customer service call centers because they also are able to sell plans, upgrade plans, sell products, and sell contracts. I have some personal experience with call centers as I worked in that capacity for over five years. I worked for Merck-Medco Pharmaceuticals, New York Life, Aetna, and KPMG. Working in a call center you have access to customers' personal and sensitive information through their accounts on line and on hard copy. In most cases a customer will call in and is required to provide a pass code of some sort, credit card number, and verify addresses and phone numbers. Still, does not seem all that bad. I know. Please continue with me. The following information is taken from Times Online and Sify Business. The article discusses attrition trends within the call center industry in India: (I have high lighted points of interest in bold)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2039865.ece
“The average age of workforce in the contact centre is far below 30 years. This age group takes up a job in call centres for earning quick money. They don't look at it as a serious career ," callcentre.net President Catriona Wallace said. “
“According to an annual report for the Asian contact centre industry released by callcentres.net, the average job tenure of call centre agents in India is the lowest at 11 months, while it is even lower at nine months for those having left their jobs in the past one year.
However, close to 70 per cent of Indian contact centre agents who left their jobs in the last 12 months chose to work in another contact centre, instead of leaving the industry altogether. This compares with 50-76 per cent of agents deciding to leave the industry in countries like Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, China and Malaysia”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2039865.ece
“The average age for making an active commitment to violent jihad was 26, and three quarters of the terrorists were married, most of them with children. Only one in a hundred had shown any form of psychotic disorder. Two thirds became drawn towards a terror group while living in a country that was not their homeland. “
So, what am I getting at here? I am not sure exactly, it may be absolutely nothing. I would like to share a personal experience with you. Recently I made two calls to my cell phone carrier's customer's service department because I need to make some updates to my account. The first time I reached Bangladesh. How do I know? I asked out of curiosity. The second time I reached Pakistan. I had to give both men my name, phone number, address, and my pass code, which is also the same pass code we use to get into our account on line. This is not by choice, this is how it is set up. Approximately four weeks later I received an email notifying me that I had a balance of around $774.00. Obviously I was a little shocked, so, I called customer service. This time I reached an American. He immediately sent me to the Fraud Department without explaining to me what was going on. A lady got on the phone and explained to me that my account had been the subject of fraud. It took place a few days after I made those two calls to customer service, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The person who hacked into my account did so online and apparently had my pass code. They purchased almost 300 Blackberry Cell phones in excess of $30,000.00. I was not responsible for any of the charges. I asked the lady if she could tell where the phones were shipped to, it was a P.O. Box. She suggested if wanted a further investigation to file a police report locally. We did. May I just tell you that the police officer did not seem too concerned. She explained that people do this all time and go and sell them for money. Here is where I would like to put some of this together for you. Let us now look at the recent terrorist who was caught by the F.B.I. In Dallas. Smadi had every intention of detonating the bomb with a “cell phone”. You can read more on the story at the following link:
http://www.bluegartrls.com/forum/82197-catch-terrorist.html
It is obivious that cell phones play a vital roll in terrorism, apparently on many levels. Not only can they use a cell phone to detonate a bomb, but they can also tap into cell phones belonging to soldiers and terrorize their families and obtain their personal information. They can also be used to receive messages and instructions for carrying out attacks. Cell phones purchased in bulk may also be used to fund their terror orgaznization by selling them on the black market. Please take the time to read the following stories. I have placed in order of importance as far as I saw fit. Each article however, is highly interesting and provides much informaton and insight. I strongly encourage you to read them and to visit their web site listed above.
http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/cat_cell_phones_used_by_terrorists.htm
August 17, 2006
In terror war, phone sales raise alarm
"USA today reports on wireless technology in an era of global terrorism, following the false arrest of three Texas men caught with 1,000 cell phones."
"Cellphones have become a tool of choice for those wanting to stay a step ahead of government wiretappers as well as for insurgents triggering bombs. Reselling them on the black market also has become a way of funding illicit activities."
Related:
September 28, 2006
Al Qaeda’s novel death technique: Detonating hundreds of simultaneous explosions through cell phone and Internet
According to Debkafile, counter-terror sources report extreme concern among security services in the United States, Europe, the Far East and Israel, after the source of 350 multiple attacks in Bangladesh on Aug. 17, 2005, was traced to Tripoli, Lebanon.
"French counter-terror experts leading an international inquiry into the attacks discovered that a facility, set up there by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s late Iraq commander, had developed the new design which works through Internet messengers like Skype or MSN.
Network-connected mobile phones can remotely detonate over the Internet simultaneous explosions hundreds of miles apart, anywhere on the world. US forces located and killed Zarqawi on June 7, 2006.
This system, seen only in Bangladesh so far, is more complex than any used by al Qaeda before.
.. The materials found at the al Qaeda lab there were removed to forensic facilities in Paris and produced the following picture: Picture not shown
"For its Bangladesh operation, al Qaeda had prepared 350 cell phones. Communications software was installed in each, together with a simple interface program designed in the Tripoli lab. Loaded onto the master computer in Tripoli linked to global Internet was the readily available Skype or MSN software. The cell phones were given 350 different user names – or rather the same one with a different numeral, e.g. Tom1, Tom2, and so forth up to Tom350. The program was relayed to the mobile phones which then transmitted the operational signal to detonate the explosives."
"The Bangladesh method would be hard to apply in the United States, Europe or Israel. Anti-terror security measures are more stringent there and would make it difficult to plant 350 hidden bombs without some being detected."
Terrorists in Kashmir using mobiles to trigger blasts
"... The modus operandi of the rebels is to plant explosive-laden mobile phones at strategic places and call on the number from a remote phone to trigger it.”
"On 27th December a explosion was done using a mobile phone. It was a mobile phone blast. When further investigation was done, it came to light that the SIM used in the mobile phone was issued on a fraud name of an army man," said, Lieutenant Colonel A. K. Mathur, spokesperson of the Indian army."
"Mobile telephony was not permitted in Kashmir valley, until 2003, as security agencies feared that militants would misuse it. " [via Zee News]
Related: -Cell phones used by terrorists
"Al Qaeda’s novel death technique: Detonating hundreds of simultaneous explosions through cell phone and Internet."
"According to Debkafile, counter-terror sources report extreme concern among security services in the United States, Europe, the Far East and Israel, after the source of 350 multiple attacks in Bangladesh on Aug. 17, 2005, was traced to Tripoli, Lebanon."
"French counter-terror experts leading an international inquiry into the attacks discovered that a facility, set up there by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s late Iraq commander, had developed the new design which works through Internet messengers like Skype or MSN. "
"Network-connected mobile phones can remotely detonate over the Internet simultaneous explosions hundreds of miles apart, anywhere on the world. US forces located and killed Zarqawi on June 7, 2006."
"This system, seen only in Bangladesh so far, is more complex than any used by al Qaeda before."
"The materials found at the al Qaeda lab there were removed to forensic facilities in Paris and produced the following picture:
For its Bangladesh operation, al Qaeda had prepared 350 cell phones. Communications software was installed in each, together with a simple interface program designed in the Tripoli lab. Loaded onto the master computer in Tripoli linked to global Internet was the readily available Skype or MSN software. The cell phones were given 350 different usernames – or rather the same one with a different numeral, e.g. Tom1, Tom2, and so forth up to Tom350. The program was relayed to the mobile phones which then transmitted the operational signal to detonate the explosives."
"The Bangladesh method would be hard to apply in the United States, Europe or Israel. Anti-terror security measures are more stringent there and would make it difficult to plant 350 hidden bombs without some being detected."
Taliban tapping into British cell phones
"According to UPI, British soldiers in Afghanistan have been barred from using cell phones because the Taliban have been tapping into them and making prank calls to their families."
"This follows news last week that Denmark's military intelligence agency is investigating whether Iraqi insurgents have used mobile phone records to track down and threaten relatives of Danish soldiers deployed in Iraq."
"Intelligence officials fear that the Taliban may be picking up more than the information needed to frighten wives and parents, The Sun, a British newspaper, reported."
"In one case, the wife of an air force officer got a middle-of-the-night call that said her husband had been killed, The Sun reported. When she called the Royal Air Force, she learned that was not true."
“You’ll never see your husband alive -- we have just killed him,” she had been told."
"Soldiers must now call home only from secure military lines and are limited to 30 minutes on the phone each week."
"Intelligence agents said that much of the tapping is being done in Pakistan and said that the Taliban may be getting."
Have you made the connections here that I have? The one thing I gather from all of this is we must stop outsourcing our American jobs! For one, we need the jobs here. Two, go back and look at the facts I pointed out. What types of jobs are being outsourced the most? The banks, communications, technology, and IT Security (Internet Technology) jobs. This information in itself should scare you and make you want to stop using companies who outsource. What is the average age groups of the employees in the other countries that are taking our jobs? The twenties. Who is being targeted in America for identity theft? The twenties. What is the average age of Radical Islamic terrorists? Twenties. What is the average age of a suicide bomber? The twenties. How are these terrorists getting into our country? I don't know, is it with your identity? How are these terrorists funding their organizations? Probably with the funds they are stealing from those Americans that they are stealing identities from. The facts showed us that the twenties age group in the middle eastern countries remained in the communications jobs, transferring around from one company to another. Why? Yet, in other countries that don't seem to pose a threat like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, their reasons for leaving were for improving and attaining better jobs. They did not stay in the communications call centers. So, in the middle eastern countries they are making lateral transfers, job hopping. Just how much do the CEO's of these companies know over seas? Are they in on the fraudulent activity? We are making it easier for the enemy to come here and to attack. I am begging you to take all of this in. While you may not understand it all, believe it all, or want to accept it, the fact of the matter remains, we are outsourcing way too many jobs. Especially to rogue nations. Why should we be enabling them and helping them to thrive financially before taking care of our nation? As Americans I am asking you to please tell your companies to bring their jobs back to America. Refuse to talk to any customer service agent who is not in America. If you get someone in another country, hang up and keep calling back until you reach an American citizens. Ask them if they are in America and if they are an American citizen. If they are not, hang up. Tell your credit card companies, banks, cell phone carrier, etc. that you demand they bring their call centers back to American Soil or your taking your business elsewhere. If we all do this, they will have no choice. Only then will they hear us. We don't need a Green Czar creating jobs by spending more of our tax dollars. We can create more jobs by simply bringing them back to us. Not only are our American jobs at stake, but our privacy, our security, safety, and futures are at stake. Bring those jobs back to America!!!! Say NO to outsourcing!!! So NO to anyone who does! American jobs here. American jobs Now!
While we are discussing terrorism I thought I would include this article as well. It may provide some insight as to just who might pose a threat to our nation. We should be considering all of these things and questioning intentions with severe precaution as to not over-assume, or jump to conclusions. I am merely asking you to take into consideration what is at stake here and who could possibly impose the threat. Look at some oft these other possibilities.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2039865.ece
“Three quarters were from middle-class or upper-class families, two thirds went to college and two thirds were professionals or semi-professionals, often engineers, physicians, architects or scientists. The average age for making an active commitment to violent jihad was 26, and three quarters of the terrorists were married, most of them with children. Only one in a hundred had shown any form of psychotic disorder. Two thirds became drawn towards a terror group while living in a country that was not their homeland."
"Dr Sageman’s findings, published in 2004 in Understanding Terrorist Networks, led him to conclude that “most of these men were upwardly and geographically mobile”. He wrote: “Because they were the best and brightest, they were sent abroad to study. They came from moderately religious, caring, middle-class families. They spoke three, four, five, six languages.”
"Unlike the lone serial killer, these men functioned well in groups. Indeed they depended, isolated as they were in a foreign country, on a close circle of friends who reinforced and legitimized their beliefs. “You could almost say that those least likely to cause harm individually are most likely to do so collectively,” Dr Sageman wrote. Yesterday he told The Times that the existence of a terror plot involving foreign doctors should surprise no one."
“When you look at the global Salafi jihad, you have three waves. The first were the companions of bin Laden, the characters in Afghanistan in the 1980s,” he said. “The second, on whom my 2003 research was based, were the best and the brightest from the Middle East. Those are the guys who became radicalized in the West. Many of them are engineers and physicians."
“And the third are what people call the home-grown, these are the guys who are second or third generation in the West, and they are less well-educated. Their average age is about 19 or 20, and there are more criminal elements there.”
"Before the attack on London in 2005, Britain expected Islamist terrorists to be foreigners. Since 7/7, the focus has been on British-born extremists, but the second wave, as Dr Sageman describes them, have never ceased to be a threat. "
“Just because, right now, we’ve got so many home-grown terrorists, that doesn’t mean that what attracted the second wave to this violent ideology is dead.” Ask Dr Sageman to name two likely professions for a second-wave terrorist and he selects “engineers and physicians”.
“What makes people like engineers or physicians try to work for the good of the whole society is also the very same impulse which makes people sacrifice their lives for the sake of a community, albeit [in this case] an imaginary community like the ummah [the global community of Muslims]. "
“You would expect those people to be more active [in terrorism]. “Engineers and physicians are far more active in their everyday lives, trying to do things. They’re far more action-oriented than, say, lawyers. You don’t find many lawyers, but you find a lot of engineers and physicians.” Step forward Osama bin Laden, graduate in civil engineering, or his number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, a brilliant Egyptian surgeon, or Mohamed Atta, the architectural engineering graduate who piloted the American Airlines flight that destroyed the north tower of New York’s World Trade Centre. "
"Dr Sageman’s second wave – for example, the 9/11 hijackers – and the third wave of home-grown terrorists as represented by the boys from Beeston, may seem to have little in common except an impulse to commit mass slaughter in the name of Allah. “
"I applaud the President for reaching out and building a bridge to the Muslim world. It is something the Christian Defense Coalition has engaged in for a number of years, even traveling to Baghdad to pray with Prime Minister Maliki two years ago. Just recently we prayed at the Afghanistan Embassy for their national elections and met with the Afghan Ambassador."
Also, while I am speaking to my Christian brothers and sisters, let me remind you of something of significance that just happened on 2009SEP25 on the White House Front Lawn. Brothers and sisters, some may ask what the harm is in allowing an Islamic prayer meeting on the front lawn of the White House. Well, when you consider his lack of respect and almost blatant contempt for the Christian faith, then I think we have a problem. We are right back at the tolerance issue. Did he not say “equality of all”? Where is the Christian representation in the White House? Still you ask what is the harm in this? Everything. Our nation was founded on Christian beliefs and was made great because of our faith in God. If we want to protect our nation, our future, and our children, then we must restore Christianity. We must restore God in America. It starts with each of us as individuals. We must strengthen our families through Christ. We must strengthen our churches once again. We must disciple new believers and hold seasoned one accountable. We must build each other up and strengthen our resolve and our faith. We must reach out into the communities, reaching far beyond race, color, and any other possible walls that can create division. Right now, more than ever, we must have unity among the people. We must have unity among the believers. It is time for the American Christian to wake up, rise up, answer the call and step out in faith like you have never done before. It is time for a spiritual revival to shake the core of this earth causing the enemy to tremble before God. We must pull together asking God for strength, guidance, wisdom, courage, leadership, favor, blessings, and protection. Our future, our children depend on it. This is not a game and is not to be taken lightly. As it states on the Islamic site for the Capitol, “It Is Our Time.” What do you think they mean by that? Do you think they have begun planning only recently? Friends, they have been planning for generations. They will stop at nothing. They are strong. We must learn about our enemy. We must get prepared.
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=34364
"However when it comes to the Christian faith tradition, President Obama has shown a profound lack of respect and openness. For example, at a Georgetown University speech several months ago the President covered up a cross and a sacred symbol for the name of Jesus. The President never apologized for this."
"One has to ask, would President Obama ever cover up the Koran during one of his speeches?"
"During the National Day of Prayer, the President had no public events at the White House. Even though that day is an official event declared by Congress."
"The Christian faith community has to ask, why would the White House hold an event to celebrate Ramadan and not one to celebrate the National Day of Prayer?"
"It is appropriate for the President of the United States to honor and respect all faith traditions. However, it is deeply troubling that he not show equality and respect to the millions of Americans who share the Christian faith tradition."
http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/
It is time. It is OUR Time. It is GOD'S time. You have a choice to make and hopefully you make it before it is too late. Time is of the essence. We have never witnessed anything like this before in our nation. This administration is radically making decisions that point in a frightening direction. All of the distractions that we allow into our lives, make us weaker and more vulnerable. T.V., reality shows, Hollywood, hobbies, partying, major sporting events, etc. I am not saying those things are awful, I am saying they are a distraction. Look at the differences between the western culture and that of Islam. All of the luxuries we have and partake in, they voluntarily do without. They are so focused on their religion and their cause. Yet, here we are playing around as if there is no threat or no end to life. We go on as if there is no decision to be made about our eternity. It is time. Now is OUR time.
There are several key factors in winning the war, but the utter most important key factor is to remember that this is a spiritual war. This means we must fight with spiritual warfare, that would require a relationship with God. Only then will we have access to the armor and weapons necessary to fight the opponent. As stated in Matthew 28:19a, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations”. God was calling us, Christians, to go and make disciples of those around us and in all the other surrounding nations. Have we been successful? We have to honestly answer that with an embarrassing, “no”. If we had been successful, we would have God present in our schools, work places, government, and in our homes. We do not. In fact, we have voted Him out and allowed Allah in. With Islam on the rise and infiltrating the world, we have our work cut out for us. Look at this information from Foreign Policy: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
“Islam
Growth rate*: 1.84 percent
Adherents: 1.3 billion
Behind the trend: High birthrates in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe
Areas to watch: The world’s largest Muslim populations are in fast-growing countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Egypt, and Iran. Islam also happens to be the fastest growing religion in Europe, where an influx of Muslim immigrants from North Africa, Turkey, and South Asia has sent shock waves into a mostly Christian and secular population whose birthrates have stagnated. The “Muslim question” has empowered anti-immigrant parties in France, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany, while sparking a fierce debate over the place of women in Islam and symbols of faith like the Muslim head scarf. “
There has also been discussion of inmates in America converting to Islam. While that is true, some are trying to take away the significance of this, because of the ratio of Islam converts who continue on in their faith after being released from prison. As Christians know, just as the shepherd was concerned for his one lost sheep, we should also be concerned. So, if only one out of ten Islam converts continue on in their new faith, then we still have a job to do. Read this information from Right Side News:
http://www.rightsidenews.com/homeland-security/islam-in-america-part-two.html
“However, Lawrence Mimiya told the Daily Herald that most Muslims in prison today are Sunni converts. Mamiya, a professor at Vassar College who studies Muslim prison ministries, says that "just one in five who convert to Islam while in prison continue on in that faith once they are released." (Note: the number of Muslims in the U.S. population at large is estimated at one percent, or 8 million individuals.) “
“Some experts question the importance of such "1 in 10" statistics, however. For example, by their own admission, many inmates convert to Islam merely to receive special perks, like prayer rugs, incense and superior halal food. “
“However, that fact should still give readers pause: after all, these endless "religious" demands demonstrates radical Islam's innate sense of superiority, and its demand to be seen as "special." It doesn't help matters that groups like the ACLU file lawsuits to guarantee such special treatment to Muslim inmates. After a 2008 suit, for example: U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer approved an agreement on Wednesday that allows [Wyoming] prisoners receiving religious meals to keep their meals in their cells until the next meal is served. It also requires the prison to install a new microwave for inmates that won't be used for pork, which is forbidden to Muslims and members of some other religions."
“In another lawsuit settled in November 2008, a California jail was ordered to allow female Muslim inmates to wear "county-issued" headscarves - and to pay $45,000 in "damages" to the aggrieved prisoner.”
Robert Spencer of JihadWatch notes the ironic insanity of such lawsuits:
"Once again a Muslim in America demands that non-Muslims accommodate his particular practices and beliefs, rather than considering that he has to adapt his own behavior to American mores -- especially since he is in prison!"
“Indeed, Islam teaches that "infidels" are obliged to pay the "Jizyah" - an onerous tax/ransom - to their Muslim superiors. Many radical Muslims view the booty won in such parasitical lawsuits as a variety of "jizyah" - a "ransom" they are forced to extort surreptitiously until they can establish their worldwide "caliphate."
“However, in some ways, ACLU collaboration with our enemies is a laughable sideshow when compared to more serious implications. A highly regarded 2006 study called "Out of the Shadows" simply states the obvious: that "tight-knit communities of Muslims in prison are ripe for radicalization, and could easily become terrorist cells."
"Radical Muslim chaplains, trained in a foreign ideology, certified in foreign-financed schools and acting in coordination to impose an extremist agenda have gained a monopoly over Islamic religious activities in American state, federal, and city prisons and jails."
Richard Reid, the so-called "shoe bomber" and Jose Padilla, the "dirty bomber", are two of the most famous Muslim convert/prisoners turned would be terrorists. “
“If captured and incarcerated after committing or plotting terrorist acts, Muslim radicals create further problems within the international prison system, according to a 2008 report by the NEFA Foundation.”
"While in prison," according to the report, "jihadists have caused officials fits by radicalizing fellow inmates, planning jailbreaks, distributing propaganda to associates, continuing to exercise operational control over their organizations, and plotting attacks."
“Change has been slow in coming. Only recently has the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) begun conducting more thorough background checks on religious "service providers" such as Muslim chaplains. According to the 2007 research paper "Radicalization: Behind Bars and Beyond Borders," the FBOP has relied on "just ten Muslim chaplains for the entire federal prison system. These ten chaplains were responsible for vetting and endorsing contractors and volunteers who enter prisons to provide religious services, a Herculean task when one considers the thousands of contractors and volunteers who enter prisons each month."
Christians, are you there? Are you out there? Are you listening to what you just read? Are you angry? Are you fed up with our rights being stripped away and trampled on by the enemy? If this country is going to preach tolerance, then where is the so-called tolerance for Christianity? I mean talk about biased. We have allowed ourselves to be blocked out. The ones who constantly complain about us not being tolerant are not being tolerant at all. So to them I say, “Practice what you preach!” To my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I say, “Shame on us!” We have grown so secular, so weak, and so unfaithful that now we are losing our freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom to worship. Because of this, now the enemy has more freedom in our country than we do. Look at the freedoms that Muslims have in the prison system. Not only do they have freedoms, but they also have special treatment. They now are able to reach out and convert others to their religion. What happens to us? We get fired from our job, we get taken to court, we get accused of violating someone's “rights”, and we are silenced. While we are silenced radical Islamist have the freedom to move about our country and others and convert people to their cause. Their cause being Jihad. Their cause being to fly their flag over the White House. Please understand this, Islam is not a threat. Radical Islam is. I do not hate Islamic people in any way. I do not hate any person, period. I do, however, think it is extremely important that we, as Americans, and more important, as Christians, that we recognize the very real threat that radical Islam is presenting. Let us look now at some other details and ways that the enemy can insert itself into our homeland.
Let me ask you, have you had to contact a customer service department lately for any reason? Maybe you needed to pay a credit card bill, check on a balance, make some plan changes to your cell phone account, or maybe you needed help with a technical device, such as a flat screen T.V., or a computer. When you called the customer service department did you by any chance find yourself speaking to someone in another country? Was it possibly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Jamaica? A few companies that outsource are IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Prudential, Hewlett Packard, ATT Wireless, Trans Union, First Consulting Group (FCG), Dell Computer Support, Bell South, EDS, GE Capital, GE, IBM, Schlumberger, Qwest and Rand McNally. Most of the above mentioned companies are fortune 500 and fortune 1000 companies in US and UK. You can add Sprint/Nextel to that list, as they are my provider. They have call centers in India, Pakistan, and Jamaica. GE Money Bank has call centers in Pakistan and India. This in and of itself is not that big of a deal is it? However, here is where I have to ask you to open your mind and think outside of the box. Let us look at some figures and information regarding this subject.
http://socyberty.com/economics/the-dangers-of-outsourcing-to-foreign-countries/
“Most of the outsourced jobs are in these related fields:
Business Applications
Communication Services
Data Operations
Help Desks
IT Infrastructure
IT Security
PC Management
Specialized Manufacturing
Websites
“This is only part of the danger. In 2005, Citibank announced it had been using Indian call centers to outsource some of its workload. The workers in this call center used the access to American accounts to embezzle money from customer accounts. As it turned out, a worker in the United States holds a social security number that can be used for background checks. Outsourcing business to foreign companies eliminates the possibility for completing background checks. This makes it easy for the foreign workers to steal important account information."
"Unfortunately, companies are not going to stop outsourcing work until Americans stand up and fight. Write to your local politicians, your federal government, and make yourself heard. Start boycotting companies who do outsource their business to foreign countries. To fight outsourcing, it is going to be up to those at risk of losing their jobs.”
http://www.bizbrim.com/outsourcing/companies-that-outsource.htm
WSJ Call Center Outsourcing
"Call center outsourcing is on the rise and WSJ call center outsourcing is the latest story to hit the news. Many big companies that include fortune 500 and fortune 1000 are actively shifting their call center and back office operations overseas. The major reason why these companies are doing so with confidence lies in the fact that offshore destinations like India have quality infrastructure, stable government and plenty of available resources in the form of IT companies. The likes of bank of new york outsourcing and other banks and financial institutions have also started outsourcing their financial as well as other bank offer operations overseas."
Pay attention to the fields in which jobs are being outsourced. Every single one of them deals with the internet, communications, and technology. Where am I going with this? Hang on for the ride and let us now look at some other very important information from some other sources. The first bit of information discusses identity theft. Basically, identity theft in large, is happening from within the companies who have access to it. Who is at most risk of having their identity stolen? The 18-29 year-old age group is at most risk. (I have high lighted points of interested in bold)
http://www.identitytheftdaily.com/index.php/20090315520/Prevention/Young-adults-seen-as-prime-identity-theft-targets.html
“While human error and poor data handling policies and procedures certainly played a role in the 2008 data exposures, it appears that theft of data, either by external or internal sources, is the primary way information has been compromised.
"According to various studies, including the FTC's regular fraud complaint study, the 18-29 year-old age bracket continues to account for almost 30 percent of all identity theft complaints.”
Why I am focusing on call centers and American and European businesses outsourcing their call centers to other countries, such as India, Pakistan, etc.? Take a look at this information I found. Following is information from a government web site in regards to terrorists trends. Please pay special attention to the last sentence with regards to occupation. (I high lighted points of interest)
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/193420.pdf
“Several noticeable differences appear in a simple comparison of the two samples. The pre-guidelines era sample includes 183 terrorists from 2 1 different terrorist organizations and three additional terrorists of unknown affiliation. In the post-guideline data, 186 terrorists, had been indicted. Information on an additional ten groups and 32 indictees from 1997 to mid-1999 remain to be collected and coded. Terrorism, once the scourge of Europe, the Middle East and Latin America has finally established a foothold on American soil." pg. 7,8
This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has
not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of
Justice.
Brent L. Smith and Kelly R. Damphousse
Final Report: NIJ Grant # 1999-IJCX-0005
Demographics-Occupation: Mixed, but many worked in sales positions or had government affiliations.” pg. 38
Did you catch that? Sales positions and government affiliations! Sales positions include the customer service call centers because they also are able to sell plans, upgrade plans, sell products, and sell contracts. I have some personal experience with call centers as I worked in that capacity for over five years. I worked for Merck-Medco Pharmaceuticals, New York Life, Aetna, and KPMG. Working in a call center you have access to customers' personal and sensitive information through their accounts on line and on hard copy. In most cases a customer will call in and is required to provide a pass code of some sort, credit card number, and verify addresses and phone numbers. Still, does not seem all that bad. I know. Please continue with me. The following information is taken from Times Online and Sify Business. The article discusses attrition trends within the call center industry in India: (I have high lighted points of interest in bold)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2039865.ece
“The average age of workforce in the contact centre is far below 30 years. This age group takes up a job in call centres for earning quick money. They don't look at it as a serious career ," callcentre.net President Catriona Wallace said. “
“According to an annual report for the Asian contact centre industry released by callcentres.net, the average job tenure of call centre agents in India is the lowest at 11 months, while it is even lower at nine months for those having left their jobs in the past one year.
However, close to 70 per cent of Indian contact centre agents who left their jobs in the last 12 months chose to work in another contact centre, instead of leaving the industry altogether. This compares with 50-76 per cent of agents deciding to leave the industry in countries like Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, China and Malaysia”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2039865.ece
“The average age for making an active commitment to violent jihad was 26, and three quarters of the terrorists were married, most of them with children. Only one in a hundred had shown any form of psychotic disorder. Two thirds became drawn towards a terror group while living in a country that was not their homeland. “
So, what am I getting at here? I am not sure exactly, it may be absolutely nothing. I would like to share a personal experience with you. Recently I made two calls to my cell phone carrier's customer's service department because I need to make some updates to my account. The first time I reached Bangladesh. How do I know? I asked out of curiosity. The second time I reached Pakistan. I had to give both men my name, phone number, address, and my pass code, which is also the same pass code we use to get into our account on line. This is not by choice, this is how it is set up. Approximately four weeks later I received an email notifying me that I had a balance of around $774.00. Obviously I was a little shocked, so, I called customer service. This time I reached an American. He immediately sent me to the Fraud Department without explaining to me what was going on. A lady got on the phone and explained to me that my account had been the subject of fraud. It took place a few days after I made those two calls to customer service, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The person who hacked into my account did so online and apparently had my pass code. They purchased almost 300 Blackberry Cell phones in excess of $30,000.00. I was not responsible for any of the charges. I asked the lady if she could tell where the phones were shipped to, it was a P.O. Box. She suggested if wanted a further investigation to file a police report locally. We did. May I just tell you that the police officer did not seem too concerned. She explained that people do this all time and go and sell them for money. Here is where I would like to put some of this together for you. Let us now look at the recent terrorist who was caught by the F.B.I. In Dallas. Smadi had every intention of detonating the bomb with a “cell phone”. You can read more on the story at the following link:
http://www.bluegartrls.com/forum/82197-catch-terrorist.html
It is obivious that cell phones play a vital roll in terrorism, apparently on many levels. Not only can they use a cell phone to detonate a bomb, but they can also tap into cell phones belonging to soldiers and terrorize their families and obtain their personal information. They can also be used to receive messages and instructions for carrying out attacks. Cell phones purchased in bulk may also be used to fund their terror orgaznization by selling them on the black market. Please take the time to read the following stories. I have placed in order of importance as far as I saw fit. Each article however, is highly interesting and provides much informaton and insight. I strongly encourage you to read them and to visit their web site listed above.
http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/cat_cell_phones_used_by_terrorists.htm
August 17, 2006
In terror war, phone sales raise alarm
"USA today reports on wireless technology in an era of global terrorism, following the false arrest of three Texas men caught with 1,000 cell phones."
"Cellphones have become a tool of choice for those wanting to stay a step ahead of government wiretappers as well as for insurgents triggering bombs. Reselling them on the black market also has become a way of funding illicit activities."
Related:
September 28, 2006
Al Qaeda’s novel death technique: Detonating hundreds of simultaneous explosions through cell phone and Internet
According to Debkafile, counter-terror sources report extreme concern among security services in the United States, Europe, the Far East and Israel, after the source of 350 multiple attacks in Bangladesh on Aug. 17, 2005, was traced to Tripoli, Lebanon.
"French counter-terror experts leading an international inquiry into the attacks discovered that a facility, set up there by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s late Iraq commander, had developed the new design which works through Internet messengers like Skype or MSN.
Network-connected mobile phones can remotely detonate over the Internet simultaneous explosions hundreds of miles apart, anywhere on the world. US forces located and killed Zarqawi on June 7, 2006.
This system, seen only in Bangladesh so far, is more complex than any used by al Qaeda before.
.. The materials found at the al Qaeda lab there were removed to forensic facilities in Paris and produced the following picture: Picture not shown
"For its Bangladesh operation, al Qaeda had prepared 350 cell phones. Communications software was installed in each, together with a simple interface program designed in the Tripoli lab. Loaded onto the master computer in Tripoli linked to global Internet was the readily available Skype or MSN software. The cell phones were given 350 different user names – or rather the same one with a different numeral, e.g. Tom1, Tom2, and so forth up to Tom350. The program was relayed to the mobile phones which then transmitted the operational signal to detonate the explosives."
"The Bangladesh method would be hard to apply in the United States, Europe or Israel. Anti-terror security measures are more stringent there and would make it difficult to plant 350 hidden bombs without some being detected."
Terrorists in Kashmir using mobiles to trigger blasts
"... The modus operandi of the rebels is to plant explosive-laden mobile phones at strategic places and call on the number from a remote phone to trigger it.”
"On 27th December a explosion was done using a mobile phone. It was a mobile phone blast. When further investigation was done, it came to light that the SIM used in the mobile phone was issued on a fraud name of an army man," said, Lieutenant Colonel A. K. Mathur, spokesperson of the Indian army."
"Mobile telephony was not permitted in Kashmir valley, until 2003, as security agencies feared that militants would misuse it. " [via Zee News]
Related: -Cell phones used by terrorists
"Al Qaeda’s novel death technique: Detonating hundreds of simultaneous explosions through cell phone and Internet."
"According to Debkafile, counter-terror sources report extreme concern among security services in the United States, Europe, the Far East and Israel, after the source of 350 multiple attacks in Bangladesh on Aug. 17, 2005, was traced to Tripoli, Lebanon."
"French counter-terror experts leading an international inquiry into the attacks discovered that a facility, set up there by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s late Iraq commander, had developed the new design which works through Internet messengers like Skype or MSN. "
"Network-connected mobile phones can remotely detonate over the Internet simultaneous explosions hundreds of miles apart, anywhere on the world. US forces located and killed Zarqawi on June 7, 2006."
"This system, seen only in Bangladesh so far, is more complex than any used by al Qaeda before."
"The materials found at the al Qaeda lab there were removed to forensic facilities in Paris and produced the following picture:
For its Bangladesh operation, al Qaeda had prepared 350 cell phones. Communications software was installed in each, together with a simple interface program designed in the Tripoli lab. Loaded onto the master computer in Tripoli linked to global Internet was the readily available Skype or MSN software. The cell phones were given 350 different usernames – or rather the same one with a different numeral, e.g. Tom1, Tom2, and so forth up to Tom350. The program was relayed to the mobile phones which then transmitted the operational signal to detonate the explosives."
"The Bangladesh method would be hard to apply in the United States, Europe or Israel. Anti-terror security measures are more stringent there and would make it difficult to plant 350 hidden bombs without some being detected."
Taliban tapping into British cell phones
"According to UPI, British soldiers in Afghanistan have been barred from using cell phones because the Taliban have been tapping into them and making prank calls to their families."
"This follows news last week that Denmark's military intelligence agency is investigating whether Iraqi insurgents have used mobile phone records to track down and threaten relatives of Danish soldiers deployed in Iraq."
"Intelligence officials fear that the Taliban may be picking up more than the information needed to frighten wives and parents, The Sun, a British newspaper, reported."
"In one case, the wife of an air force officer got a middle-of-the-night call that said her husband had been killed, The Sun reported. When she called the Royal Air Force, she learned that was not true."
“You’ll never see your husband alive -- we have just killed him,” she had been told."
"Soldiers must now call home only from secure military lines and are limited to 30 minutes on the phone each week."
"Intelligence agents said that much of the tapping is being done in Pakistan and said that the Taliban may be getting."
Have you made the connections here that I have? The one thing I gather from all of this is we must stop outsourcing our American jobs! For one, we need the jobs here. Two, go back and look at the facts I pointed out. What types of jobs are being outsourced the most? The banks, communications, technology, and IT Security (Internet Technology) jobs. This information in itself should scare you and make you want to stop using companies who outsource. What is the average age groups of the employees in the other countries that are taking our jobs? The twenties. Who is being targeted in America for identity theft? The twenties. What is the average age of Radical Islamic terrorists? Twenties. What is the average age of a suicide bomber? The twenties. How are these terrorists getting into our country? I don't know, is it with your identity? How are these terrorists funding their organizations? Probably with the funds they are stealing from those Americans that they are stealing identities from. The facts showed us that the twenties age group in the middle eastern countries remained in the communications jobs, transferring around from one company to another. Why? Yet, in other countries that don't seem to pose a threat like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, their reasons for leaving were for improving and attaining better jobs. They did not stay in the communications call centers. So, in the middle eastern countries they are making lateral transfers, job hopping. Just how much do the CEO's of these companies know over seas? Are they in on the fraudulent activity? We are making it easier for the enemy to come here and to attack. I am begging you to take all of this in. While you may not understand it all, believe it all, or want to accept it, the fact of the matter remains, we are outsourcing way too many jobs. Especially to rogue nations. Why should we be enabling them and helping them to thrive financially before taking care of our nation? As Americans I am asking you to please tell your companies to bring their jobs back to America. Refuse to talk to any customer service agent who is not in America. If you get someone in another country, hang up and keep calling back until you reach an American citizens. Ask them if they are in America and if they are an American citizen. If they are not, hang up. Tell your credit card companies, banks, cell phone carrier, etc. that you demand they bring their call centers back to American Soil or your taking your business elsewhere. If we all do this, they will have no choice. Only then will they hear us. We don't need a Green Czar creating jobs by spending more of our tax dollars. We can create more jobs by simply bringing them back to us. Not only are our American jobs at stake, but our privacy, our security, safety, and futures are at stake. Bring those jobs back to America!!!! Say NO to outsourcing!!! So NO to anyone who does! American jobs here. American jobs Now!
While we are discussing terrorism I thought I would include this article as well. It may provide some insight as to just who might pose a threat to our nation. We should be considering all of these things and questioning intentions with severe precaution as to not over-assume, or jump to conclusions. I am merely asking you to take into consideration what is at stake here and who could possibly impose the threat. Look at some oft these other possibilities.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2039865.ece
“Three quarters were from middle-class or upper-class families, two thirds went to college and two thirds were professionals or semi-professionals, often engineers, physicians, architects or scientists. The average age for making an active commitment to violent jihad was 26, and three quarters of the terrorists were married, most of them with children. Only one in a hundred had shown any form of psychotic disorder. Two thirds became drawn towards a terror group while living in a country that was not their homeland."
"Dr Sageman’s findings, published in 2004 in Understanding Terrorist Networks, led him to conclude that “most of these men were upwardly and geographically mobile”. He wrote: “Because they were the best and brightest, they were sent abroad to study. They came from moderately religious, caring, middle-class families. They spoke three, four, five, six languages.”
"Unlike the lone serial killer, these men functioned well in groups. Indeed they depended, isolated as they were in a foreign country, on a close circle of friends who reinforced and legitimized their beliefs. “You could almost say that those least likely to cause harm individually are most likely to do so collectively,” Dr Sageman wrote. Yesterday he told The Times that the existence of a terror plot involving foreign doctors should surprise no one."
“When you look at the global Salafi jihad, you have three waves. The first were the companions of bin Laden, the characters in Afghanistan in the 1980s,” he said. “The second, on whom my 2003 research was based, were the best and the brightest from the Middle East. Those are the guys who became radicalized in the West. Many of them are engineers and physicians."
“And the third are what people call the home-grown, these are the guys who are second or third generation in the West, and they are less well-educated. Their average age is about 19 or 20, and there are more criminal elements there.”
"Before the attack on London in 2005, Britain expected Islamist terrorists to be foreigners. Since 7/7, the focus has been on British-born extremists, but the second wave, as Dr Sageman describes them, have never ceased to be a threat. "
“Just because, right now, we’ve got so many home-grown terrorists, that doesn’t mean that what attracted the second wave to this violent ideology is dead.” Ask Dr Sageman to name two likely professions for a second-wave terrorist and he selects “engineers and physicians”.
“What makes people like engineers or physicians try to work for the good of the whole society is also the very same impulse which makes people sacrifice their lives for the sake of a community, albeit [in this case] an imaginary community like the ummah [the global community of Muslims]. "
“You would expect those people to be more active [in terrorism]. “Engineers and physicians are far more active in their everyday lives, trying to do things. They’re far more action-oriented than, say, lawyers. You don’t find many lawyers, but you find a lot of engineers and physicians.” Step forward Osama bin Laden, graduate in civil engineering, or his number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, a brilliant Egyptian surgeon, or Mohamed Atta, the architectural engineering graduate who piloted the American Airlines flight that destroyed the north tower of New York’s World Trade Centre. "
"Dr Sageman’s second wave – for example, the 9/11 hijackers – and the third wave of home-grown terrorists as represented by the boys from Beeston, may seem to have little in common except an impulse to commit mass slaughter in the name of Allah. “
"I applaud the President for reaching out and building a bridge to the Muslim world. It is something the Christian Defense Coalition has engaged in for a number of years, even traveling to Baghdad to pray with Prime Minister Maliki two years ago. Just recently we prayed at the Afghanistan Embassy for their national elections and met with the Afghan Ambassador."
Also, while I am speaking to my Christian brothers and sisters, let me remind you of something of significance that just happened on 2009SEP25 on the White House Front Lawn. Brothers and sisters, some may ask what the harm is in allowing an Islamic prayer meeting on the front lawn of the White House. Well, when you consider his lack of respect and almost blatant contempt for the Christian faith, then I think we have a problem. We are right back at the tolerance issue. Did he not say “equality of all”? Where is the Christian representation in the White House? Still you ask what is the harm in this? Everything. Our nation was founded on Christian beliefs and was made great because of our faith in God. If we want to protect our nation, our future, and our children, then we must restore Christianity. We must restore God in America. It starts with each of us as individuals. We must strengthen our families through Christ. We must strengthen our churches once again. We must disciple new believers and hold seasoned one accountable. We must build each other up and strengthen our resolve and our faith. We must reach out into the communities, reaching far beyond race, color, and any other possible walls that can create division. Right now, more than ever, we must have unity among the people. We must have unity among the believers. It is time for the American Christian to wake up, rise up, answer the call and step out in faith like you have never done before. It is time for a spiritual revival to shake the core of this earth causing the enemy to tremble before God. We must pull together asking God for strength, guidance, wisdom, courage, leadership, favor, blessings, and protection. Our future, our children depend on it. This is not a game and is not to be taken lightly. As it states on the Islamic site for the Capitol, “It Is Our Time.” What do you think they mean by that? Do you think they have begun planning only recently? Friends, they have been planning for generations. They will stop at nothing. They are strong. We must learn about our enemy. We must get prepared.
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=34364
"However when it comes to the Christian faith tradition, President Obama has shown a profound lack of respect and openness. For example, at a Georgetown University speech several months ago the President covered up a cross and a sacred symbol for the name of Jesus. The President never apologized for this."
"One has to ask, would President Obama ever cover up the Koran during one of his speeches?"
"During the National Day of Prayer, the President had no public events at the White House. Even though that day is an official event declared by Congress."
"The Christian faith community has to ask, why would the White House hold an event to celebrate Ramadan and not one to celebrate the National Day of Prayer?"
"It is appropriate for the President of the United States to honor and respect all faith traditions. However, it is deeply troubling that he not show equality and respect to the millions of Americans who share the Christian faith tradition."
http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/
It is time. It is OUR Time. It is GOD'S time. You have a choice to make and hopefully you make it before it is too late. Time is of the essence. We have never witnessed anything like this before in our nation. This administration is radically making decisions that point in a frightening direction. All of the distractions that we allow into our lives, make us weaker and more vulnerable. T.V., reality shows, Hollywood, hobbies, partying, major sporting events, etc. I am not saying those things are awful, I am saying they are a distraction. Look at the differences between the western culture and that of Islam. All of the luxuries we have and partake in, they voluntarily do without. They are so focused on their religion and their cause. Yet, here we are playing around as if there is no threat or no end to life. We go on as if there is no decision to be made about our eternity. It is time. Now is OUR time.
02 October 2009
The War Goes On...
Freedom Friday
John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that one lays down his own life for his brother."
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