Fraud Scheme: Who's the Victim?

The following article reviewed can be found at:
http://www.kenoshanews.com/scripts/edoris/edoris.dll?tem=lsearchart&search_iddoc=6616247

Two brokers came to Gregory Oldham and offered a new investment opportunity in real estate. Oldham Harris Inc. took the opportunity and 90 of their investors contributed almost $12 Million in the investment. It turned out the investment was a fraud. The two brokers did not investigate the investment fully up to the standards. The man who owned the real estate took the money and used it for his own use. Money was lost and caused the SEC to investigate the case. The SEC pressed charges, ruining Oldham Harris Inc.

I later discovered further information from many reliable sources: When the brokers came to Gregory Oldham they offered the opportunity. In this business you need to trust the brokers, and that they did their job correctly. There is no way to run the business without taking opportunities like these ones. He did not have any idea what was in his future. We later found out that the Brokers did not investigate the investment opportunity properly and therefore not discovering that it was fraudulent. Therefore there was no possible way Gregory Oldham knew what was coming. When the Investment went through, there was a lot of money lost. The SEC investigated the case and came with an agreement with Gregory Oldham that no charges were going to be pressed. Oldham Harris Inc. volunteered to donate %10 of their income to a charity that helps people who are victims of fraudulent investments. So the SEC left. And then they were back. The SEC had to report on cases that they have accomplished, so they came to Gregory Oldham and informed him that they were going to press charges, but would lift them after their report is done. So the charges were pressed, and his company was in the paper, and the fraud was publicized in a way that targeted Oldham Harris Inc. The incorporation was destroyed. Everything they have built up was lost. Because SEC needed to look good. It is ridiculous that a good man has to have all of his hard earned accomplishments crushed. He has lost everything. Because of the publicity he can not start in the business again, and has to start from scratch in another profession. Gregory Oldham is a honest and truthful man. I have known him for many years and I love him as I would a family member. This is a huge disaster for him, and it's hard to see him have to go through this. I wanted to let him know that even through hard times there's a light at the end of tunnel. Maybe this opportunity is going to open up more horizons. You have inspired me and have been a great example. I don't know where I would be right now without you. The unconditional love you show for everyone is something that everyone should follow. Stay happy, remember to smile, laugh every once in a while. Stay strong, many people look up to you, and hold you dear to them. Hopefully the darkness will end soon, and the sun will come over the horizon. Just wait until morning, it will come.

H1N1: The flu that we are still hearing about.

H1N1 vaccinations were available for the first time this weekend. Over a thousand people lined up outside of the Kenosha County Center waiting for their vaccinations. People have been there since 5:30 am. Shots were given out to the high risk groups. These groups being pregnant women, around infants, Health care personnel, between 6 months and 24 years old, and the group with medical conditions. Looking at these groups, it makes sense. Pregnant women have to share their immune system with two people, weakening it considerably and infants have a weak immune system period. The most important is the medical personnel. If the flu hits the world, vaccines will be demanded more and more as time goes on. I don't know about you, but i would like the people who make the vaccine to be alive. Medical personnel, in my opinion, are top priority. The last group, 6 months of age to 24 years of age, also makes sense. Again scientists are comparing this possible pandemic to the 1918 Flu pandemic. The 1918 Flu pandemic hit the healthy, the active, the people in their 20's and early 30's. The age when your immune system is the strongest. It really doesn't make sense why the flu would hit that age group. Maybe they got out more? Making it easier for the virus to enter their system? There really isn't an official theory. This fact alone is really why the flu is so deadly. It's nice to know that officials are getting a head start on this pandemic, and hopefully their preparations will save us a lot of loss. But as of right now, all we can do is wait it out.

H1N1: The flu that we all have heard about.

Statistics show that there have been more seasonal flu shots this year than ever before. Officials say that the H1N1 virus has raised awareness of the flu, and its dangers. Flu shots are being given out in numerous places, there is a huge demand for this vaccine. A lot of the public seem to think the pandemic idea is ridiculous, and its never going to happen. There have already been 1,000 U.S. Deaths. Compared to the population of the country, this is a relatively small number. When scientists are trying to prepare for the outbreak, they look in the past for occurences that they could compare it to. They immediately think of the 1918 Flu pandemic. The 1918 Flu Pandemic hit the world hard, nobody was ready. The first wave came through and did relatively small damage. Then the second wave hit, causing traumatic damage. 20 to 40 million people died. It spread like a wildfire because of the war and all the immigration that was happening. Many countries, and even cities, closed their borders. A good book that is an example of this is called THE LAST TOWN ON EARTH. The story captures what effects that the flu had on the world, I would encourage reading the novel. If we look at the immigration rate today, it has raised dramatically. The H1N1 virus started in Mexico and has already begun to spread. Obama has now officially called the pandemic a National Emergency. Every day on the news we hear stories of schools closing because 1/3 of their student population is home sick. KUSD has yet to close a school due to illness. Recently the Kenosha Health Department has teamed up with Harborside Academy and has created ways to raise awareness of ways to prevent catching the Flu, such as short clips played before movies at Tinseltown, and postcards with tips being sent out to hospitals. This Pandemic is really coming, there's no denying it. The only question is how prepared are we going to be. Scientists compare the difference in travel from the 1918 Pandemic and today, and they found damming evidence. Airplanes, one of the most popular travel ways make it that much easier for the pandemic to spread. Traveling is so much more common now, that they believe that it will spread quicker. Then again on the other side, with all the technology we have, we can prepare for it. Nobody knows what will happen. Could this be worse than the 1918 Pandemic? Or will it just blow past unnoticed. Whatever happens, we should be aware and prepared. So search for ways to prevent spreading the illness. Cough in your sleeve, wash your hands a couple more times a day, and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk. Anything will help, so do everything you can do, to slow down this deadly illness.

Animal Abuse

A case was brought to court about a dog that was stolen. The accuser, Barbara Godlewski, got $5,434.50 out of the court case. She then returned home and refused to take the dog, the dog that she was hysterical over. She claimed that the dog wasn't the same dog she stole from her, the dog is "disturbed." Obviously her intent wasn't to get the dog back, it was the cash. Then here comes the best part, she then forms a petwalk/protest to get the dog back. It was now when they found the accused (Shultz) running a breeding shelter in her backyard. Abusing animals and breeding them over the proper breeding age. This is where the big cash came into the view for Godlewski.
The main idea Godlewski claimed to have was to get her dog back. She had no idea about the money, yeah right. People are becoming ridiculously desperate to get money. We hear these stories on the news all the time. One of my personal favorites is the coffee law suit. You seriously can't claim that you had no idea the coffee was hot. Do you make your coffee cold? But they won, now everywhere you look there's a sign telling you the coffee is hot. My next favorite is the finger in the chili at Wendy's. They later found out that the finger was one of her friends!!! People get too greedy for money. Get a life people, stop playing stupid, and just work for the money. Earn your money the "Old Fashioned" way.

Candles lit to remember Murder Victim

As some of you recall there was a post earlier in October about a murder victim. There was a follow up story that was premiered in Kenosha News and I found it rather touching. On this last Sunday afternoon, just as the sun was setting a group of 30 people stood in front of the victims house and lit candles. They sung songs and mourned together, remembering how good of a man the victim was. As the sun set the candles provided light throughout the crowd and created an impressive sight for onlookers. Cars slowed on the road behind them, taking in the sight and many joining the crowd. One man said: “We realize that the Earth goes on, cars go by, the world goes on and yet we have taken a few moments to mark this time and to mark ourselves and say a life was taken, and that was wrong, and we need to do what we can to build peace.” This statement shows a lot about the world. Some of the people in this world have their lives in such high gear they don't have time to enjoy the little things. Such as being a part of their families lives. Work means so much to people that they focus on that one thing, and don't step aside to smell the roses. The people in this article, who participated in the mourning, are a real example to us. This goes for all age groups. Don't look forward to tomorrow, focus on today every once in a while. Go push your child on a swing. Play that board game with your little boy. Take that time to call up a friend that you have lost contact with. Take that time to make your life something that you will be proud of. Because in ten years, your not going to remember the preparation you took for your job interview. You won't remember how many people you sold that product to. What you will remember are the little things in your life that you've done to make others happy. Smile and wave at somebody, it really changes you, and take that time with your child. Be a better person, take that step in the right direction. Show the love these people show to everyone you know, and follow their example. "Take a few moments to mark this time." Mark this time, mark today, to be an important change in how you will live. And you will forever be grateful.

Shoplifting

A recent article was released in the Kenosha News talking about shoplifting. There has been a rise of shoplifters, and now they have brought in the officials. Two men named love and Martin walk to isles of stores watching for signs of shoplifting. Shoplifters are getting smart, different strategies have been surfacing. The newspaper and cell phone trick. The newspaper trick is when a customer hides the product under the newspaper ads and then will eventually unwrap the product, discard of the cover, and walk out of the store with their pockets full of stolen goods. The cell phone trick pertains of answering texts/calls frequently, while slipping products into your pockets with your cell phone each time. Martin and Love tell us that this is not the only give away for shoplifters, its the way they carry themselves, their expressions, and body language. So no matter how hard they try, they will give themselves away.
Shoplifting is on the news all the time. One part that is humorous is the fact that they post these strategies on the internet. You don't think the officials will have read them by the time they have tried? You might as well go to a cop and tell him all the ways you have shoplifted. Not smart at all. Towards the end of the article it states about a woman who got caught stealing $15 dollars worth of goods. And guess how much she was fined. $303 Dollars. Those treats that she stole cost a lot more than if she just payed for them. Seriously people need to think. Three hundred dollars for a candy bar, or .95. You tell me which one sounds better. A reason they gave for the rise of shoplifting is the economy. People are becoming desperate, they will do anything. There is a lot more than you can do rather than stealing from other people, ruining their lives. Look for those opportunities for help, instead of just digging yourself into a deeper whole by paying the fine. Again, you tell me which sounds better. Then there are those idiots who just go and steal things because they don't want to spend two dollars out of their thousands and thousands of dollars that they have. The best feeling has to be to catch these people and charge them that much money. It's like a big reversed game of Deal or No Deal. Are you going to buy the case for .95. or 300 Dollars. Again, you tell me which sounds better. Common sense would tell people which sounds better. So listen to your brain for once. Think of people besides yourself, and just pay the .95 for the candy bar. Do yourself and someone else a favor. And two thumbs up for Martin and Love. Go get 'em guys!!

Damage in Babylon.

Today we are looking outside of Kenosha, because i really couldn't find anything to post that happened today.

When the United States took a base in Iraq they caused major damage to an ancient city, Babylon. The U.S. has said that they are going to commit to restoring the ancient city. It was reported that many key structures, like the Ishtar gate and Processional way. The U.S. claims they stationed there just to protect the city. Babylon was occupied as a base from September 2003 to December 2004, they have agreed to pay $800,000 for repairs. The repair happened August of 2009.
I think turning the city into a base was a ridiculous move on America’s side. The city is an ancient artifact, is delicate, and holds a lot of historical information. Not only did they ruin artifacts, the created the are to be inaccessible for the public. As reported, many areas were damaged because of their choice, the history was damaged, and is now gone. The funny part is the US comes out and says they’ll pay for the repairs, are they going to go back to ancient Babylon and get them to build it again? It is impossible to repair what they ruined.
The direct connection between the event and Hammurabi is the Babylon was his city. His history there was disturbed because of warfare. Looking back at his code of laws, the punishment for the US’s actions were for them to be killed in front of the damage they made and then buried. In fact all of their violations will result in death. Hammurabi was a very strict leader, only if he were alive now, maybe the city would still be in it’s original condition, if only.