Today’s newspapers are flooded with day light robbery cases, theft, murders etc. which are rampant everywhere. Nobody is sure about his safety as the criminals are always ready to snatch our lives just for a little amount of money. There are many cases where the hardcore criminals commit heinous crimes and put lives of common people in danger. Apparently there is a great decline in social order in today’s life. Newspapers, media reports and TV channels are full of crime reports these days as there has become a great increase in crime as compared to the past. Fear of horror shakes us deep down into our nerves and this leads us to have a serious thought over the uncontrollable series of crimes taking place in all directions around us.

Acts of crime are detrimental to the society as there is a section of depressed souls who turn into criminals and tread on the wrong path never to return. They take it as a short route to prosperity and merry-making by amassing adequate money to fulfil their desires. Unlimited forms of crimes are prevalent in the society such as extortion, kidnapping, murder, abduction,property crimes, cyber crimes, human trafficking etc. However money is the sole motive behind majority of all these crimes. There is another form of crime which is directly related to women such as sexual assault against women, rapes, eve teasing etc at public places.

It is a fact that people with criminal intentions don’t hesitate in committing crimes like stealing bikes, mobiles etc. as they have no aim in their lives and want to fulfil their desires through illegal means. Mismanagement in the field of education gives rise to unemployment and indecisive state of mind of today’s youth. In lack of proper guidance for better vocational education, a young mind is totally frustrated and continue getting higher education aimlessly. Surprisingly, in most of the cases, the educated youngsters get involved in criminal acts as they need extra pocket-money and they are bound to pursue undesirable aspirations resulting in the inclination towards making money through unfair means. Habit of taking drugs can also result in diverting the people towards criminal acts as they fail to identify between right or wrong. Moreover, poor financial conditions, over-population and inadequate moral values can also lead an individual to commit petty and heinous crimes.

Punitive measures such as imprisonment and financial penalties should be enforced strictly by the concerned agencies. People in general should come forward to support the new order and make sure to obey the new legal order so that society may be a place to live with dignity. The police should have to be more vigilant in enforcing the law effectively. Plus, surveillance cameras should be installed at crowded public places, restaurants, railway stations, airports, shopping Malls etc. So,it should be an accountability of people/authorities/concerned agencies to curb crime and improve the social conditions to make a crime-free environment to live in.

Not long ago, I was talking to a wannabe private investigator and she was dead set on going after corporate criminals. Of course private investigators try to use all the tools at their disposal, and some of them who are less than scrupulous do not always follow the code of conduct known to private eyes. Nevertheless, these days there is a ton of information online, and big data can take care of the rest. We shouldn’t be so surprising that corporate executives don’t much like being tracked, but let’s go ahead and discusses we might.

Obviously, many citizens and Internet users of social networking websites are quite concerned with all of the data tracking these days. They are worried that wherever they go with their cell phones they are being GPS’ed and tracked perhaps for reasons of marketing and advertising, but that doesn’t make it any more ethical. Many of these corporate executives, and the wealthy 1% don’t much appreciate having their corporate jet flights tracked either. Oh, you didn’t hear about that?

Well, there was an interesting article in this long debate and saga which was published in the Wall Street Journal way back on April 19, 2013 titled; “Why Jet Owners Don’t Want to Be Tracked,” by Mark Maremont and Tom McGinty. The article noted that many activists were tracking oil company executives, and we’ve also read in the past where investors were tracking corporate executives to see which cities they went to. Perhaps they might have flown to a city where there are many corporate headquarters, and this might give the investors or stock market players an idea of which companies they might be investing in.

This of course gives the stock investors an unfair advantage because whatever the target merger and acquisition might be, their stock might rise drastically. There’s money to be made there. Then there are also challenges with terrorism, and kidnappings. If a corporate jet from General Motors, General Electric, Boeing, Dow chemicals, or any of the oil companies is going to a specific airport in a specific country, those arrival times would be known because they would file a flight plan with the Federal Aviation Administration. If all of that was made public record, the terrorists or kidnappers could be waiting to kidnap the corporate executives and hold them for ransom.

Interestingly enough, you and I are more worried about someone tracking us to sell us advertising or doing a little marketing, or perhaps the future of the Gestapo where government becomes more like the visions portrayed in the movie 1984. Everyone has different reasons for not wishing to be tracked. Many movie stars, sports athletes, and even racecar drivers (as the article pointed out) are quite worried about the overzealous paparazzi and fans trying to get autographs or impede their travels.

It’s serious business, especially when it comes to corporate jet and private jet itineraries. No wonder the aviation sector is up in arms about allowing all of this information to become public. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

We can see a short distance ahead, but personal GPS trackers allow us to monitor a person, wherever he/she goes. It is the device that gives all information about him/her. Usually, it is utilized to track the vehicles, like- taxi, car, bikes, yacht, etc. But, within the few years, the technology has emerged with numerous innovations and the upgradations. Now, the GPS tracker is also applicable to the humans and the animals. Therefore, today, you are capable of tracing the children, the elderly persons, an individual, mentally-disables, and the pets to ensure their safety.

It is good to see that several transformations have occurred. But, at the same jiffy, the unethical acts are also increased. You just can’t take the responsibility of anything anytime. Theft, kidnapping, rape, murders, blackmailing, etc. are growing exponentially. Under such tragic circumstances, the GPS tracker is a boon. Whether your child leaves the house to play on the playing field or your aged relatives go for a walk, you can easily keep an eye on them through this useful gear.

Wear and Locate

It is a simple gadget that can be worn without any effort. Let the person wears it and then you are able to watch on his/her every movement. Actually, this apparatus makes a wall for the wearer. It will immediately alert the locator if the person, who is wearing, exceeds the specific limit. Yes, the global positioning tracking system has the predefined limit, up to which it will work.

The market has a wide range of the tracking instruments that you can use for your loved ones. But, shop after a proper inspection. After all, it is for the sake of your relatives’ security. Attach it to your beloved pet or give it to the child or the elder persons to wear, and keep the record of their footsteps.

Everywhere Safety

The GPS tracking device works on different global GSM bands, like- 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, etc. They are best suitable to have the information about the child, or any other person. The wearer goes at any place, he/she will be easily located by the tracker. Either, the child goes for the hiking with the friends or in the public library, you are already acquainted with his each movement.

Moreover, if an individual having the Alzheimer’s problem steps out of the house or walks away at any secluded place, then you can simply get his right location and reach him at the appropriate time.

In short, this equipment will provide the complete security of all your loved ones.

Personal GPS Tracking Unit and Business

How are they co-related? Employing the global positioning system in the business sphere will be also beneficial. You can look out on your suspicious employees, drivers, and the other subordinate entities. Doing this will give you the exact route your driver will pursue, and the activities of the other staff.

Of course, the GPS monitoring device is a gift to the humanity, if it is used ethically.

What made Director Jenny Shepard so special of a leader, was her experience, courage, and the ability to read a situation. When someone did something that Jenny didn’t like, she would let them know immediately. Jenny is probably the most similar to Gibbs out of all the characters that have been on NCIS. This is due to their history together as partners in the field. As the new director, she began to look at cases in a different light than an agent. Jenny Shepard was the right woman to be the director, with her leadership, communication skills, and bravery.

When Jenny first became the director of NCIS, she had a tough transition to a ‘desk’ job. Her ability to adapt to a change in situation helped her out greatly. When she was kidnapped, Jenny remained completely calm, even taunting her kidnappers. This was because her confidence in her team was tremendous. She knew that they would find her, no matter the circumstances. Jenny eventually slipped into her role of director, and became quite good at it. She had her own style, that no one could replicate. I would call it a competent confidence.

Director Jenny Shepard did have some bad qualities, which led her to completely lose focus towards the end of her stint as director. She was not as good of an agent as Gibbs, but she had the same ‘take it personal’ mentality. When she became obsessed with the ‘La Grenouille’ case, that was when she began to lose her focus. Her past consumed her, and all she could focus on was catching and/or killing the arms dealer. Eventually, she got what she wanted, but it came at a dear cost to Jenny.

Despite her flaws, Jenny Shepard did a great job as the director of NCIS. She was always confident in her abilities, her team, and would put her life on the line to save them. In fact, this is what she did for Gibbs. Director Shepard’s heroism will never be forgotten.

Now that we know who she is, let’s answer a basic questionnaire about what Director Shepard would do in certain situations:

Q1. Your best friend has just lost a loved one, how do you handle it?

A. Like mentioned before, Jenny is close to a female version of Gibbs. She would not cry, but she would be a strong shoulder to lean on. She has the ability to absorb the emotions of others, and to smooth out their sorrow.

Q2. You just won $1,000,000 from a lottery ticket that you bought. How do you react?

A. Jenny Shepard is not the most excited person you will meet, because she is always focused on business. She doesn’t seem like a person who really needs the money, judging by her family home. Jenny would probably give most of the money away, and spend some of it on personal clothes/accessories.

Q3. Your best friend has just achieved his or her dream goal. How do you show your support?

A. Jenny would want to be there for her best friend. She would have a nice, inspiring chat with her friend, and encourage her to keep climbing the ladder. This is because Director Shepard did climb the ladder herself, and she knows what it feels like at the top.

Q4. Did Jenny Shepard have any regrets about the way she lived? Would she do anything differently, if given a second chance?

A. Jenny probably would have regretted taking the La Grenouille case so personally, and having it consume nearly all of her time and energy. If she were not so focused on her personal matters, she might have enjoyed her life as director a little better. But with Jenny, she would have a difficult time trying to forgive La Grenouille for what he did.

Criminal Minds revolves around the Behavioral Analysis Unit of FBI which has been brought in to help FBI solve crimes that are otherwise difficult to straighten out. There are plenty of kidnapping and rape cases and many serial killings where the team’s help is taken. The team has been specially trained to understand the specific details of such cases with the help of which they deliver a profile of the criminals which help FBI.

The lead characters of the series are Agent Gideon, played by Mandy Patinkin, Agent Hotchner, played with Thomas Gibson along with other team members played by actors like Matthew Gray Gubler, Shemar Moore, Lola Glaudini, and Kirsten Vangsness. All the team members have unique skills which they make use of to deliver results.

The first season of Criminal Minds seasons 1-4 starts off quite strongly which had been specially made in hopes of hooking the viewers with the help of the introduction to the team and the team members. During the start of the first season Gideon is on leave and is trying to make a difficult decision which later on is revealed in the show had resulted in the death of a few agents under his command. Gideon had been teaching at the FBI academy before he is enlisted back in the team.

Elle working as an FBI agent also appears for an interview for the team and joins in the first season itself.

The show is known for using quotes from everyday men, philosophers and historical figures at the beginning and closing of every episode. Another interesting detail about the show is the way the team members come up with the profile of the criminals and deliver it to the FBI.

Though Criminal Minds is episodic in nature it is quite interesting because it manages to deliver a little more than what might be expected from a regular TV show. The DVD boxed sets of Criminal Minds seasons 1-4 is an interesting investment to make since the series offers not just the day to day functioning of the unit but also a little personal information and background of the central characters in every episode.

Over the seasons, the personas and the characteristics of each character is slowly revealed which enables viewers to form a bond with these characters. Reid and Gideon are the two main characters. Gideon being the veteran member of the team while Reid being a genius but still quite innocent. Reid is quite an interesting character because though he is quite a strong member of the team, he is still very much prone to manipulation from the outside sources. These different characters make the series a little more realistic and interesting.

A trauma bond is characterized by betrayal that is so purposeful and self-serving it moves to the realm of trauma. Trauma bonds create chains of trust that link a person to someone who is exploitive, dangerous, abusive and or toxic. A person in a trauma bond feels very confused about their relationship, yet they are unable to break free from it.

Here are some characteristics of a Relationship that fits this description of toxic components:

1) Relationship is manipulative and exploitive

2) Agreements are ill-defined, unclear and tentative

3) Feelings are anxious and intense

4) Agreements are short term and difficult to navigate

5) Trust depends often on exaggerated or unreal promises

6) Rewards are in the future and often conditional

7) Risk is often one-sided

8) Feelings are absent and rewards are minimal

Some examples of trauma bond relationships are situations of sexual abuse or sexually exploited persons. Additionally, many relationships that start out as intimate and life-long can move into a trauma bond. Other instances where trauma bonds may occur are abortion or kidnapping.

There are multiple components to a traumatic relationship like this. If you think you might be in a relationship described above, it is very important that you start seeing the truth of your situation. Being in a trauma bond robs your identity and keeps you locked in a prison that is only survivable by shutting down your emotions and indeed your very internal soul.

See the Truth of Your Situation

There is help and hope available. The first step is to begin to see the truth of your situation. The only antidote to the confusion you might feel is to begin to live in truth. It is hard and frightful at first; however continually asking yourself the “truth of your situation” is the initial question you must begin to explore. You were not created to be in the bondage described above.

O.K. This one follows rayon, Harry, and the girlfriend about one year after Pronto left off. Basic back story is that in Pronto, Raylon took it upon himself to save Harry and girlfriends asses, saw someone who he befriended get killed in front of his eyes, then went back to Miami, and offed him (The Zip ‘Tommy Bucks.)

This book has more characters than the first which makes it a little hard to follow if you aren’t used to Elmore Leonard’s writing style where he tends to stop whatever is going on, to tell some back story. It’s like reading Snatch, or Once Upon A Time In Mexico, writing traits that I do not share with Elmore.

Riding the rap turned out to be a great read as I am used to this type of writing. The story follows Raylon Givens as he investigates the kidnapping of his friend Harry Arno, all the while dealing with the anguish of having killed a man almost out of cold blood, his girlfriend Joyce’s opinion of that, and dealing with the fact that Joyce used to be intimate with Harry and now there is some tension in her and Raylon’s relationship.

It seems quite comical some of the scenes involving the bad guys, Chip Ganz, Louis Lewis, and Bobby Deo, all of whom will be recognized from the show, but however, many things are different than the show and play out in different ways, this makes it quite enjoyable even though I watch Justified religiously, The story is still quite different and the surprising twists and turns still have Elmore Leonard’s desired effect.

I really liked the whole bit in this book involving an attractive tarot card reader blatently hitting on Raylon. Elmore Leanord has an uncanny ability to make conversation interesting, then he throws good ole’ western type action in there and we got a great novel.

I like his attention to detail, everything has been thought of, what each character likes to eat, smoke drink etc…

The character Raylon is a man I could admire, Elmore has created a modern cowboy who has style, is rugged, seems like a smart guy, all the things us men hope we are, that is Raylon without a doubt

All in all, Riding The Rap is a great book, and I am now officially hooked on Elmore’s writing. Four and a half stars baby!!!!!

Although we have this idea of people buying racy novels in plain brown wrapping, there needs to be more to it than just sex. Any novel needs plots and subplots as well as a range of characters. Okay, quite a number of the characters will be obsessed with sex. This should be played sensitively though, otherwise it can be monotonous.

These books tend to revolve around the female protagonist or heroine, but almost anything can happen to her. Well, she can’t get kidnapped by aliens, or win a Nobel Prize (okay, maybe she can, who can say?)

It does help to follow the plots of romantic fiction, usually there is an eternal triangle; which one of two lovers will the girl chose? There should be a range of friends or colleagues offering unhelpful advice (and maybe talking about their unsuccessful or bizarre romantic experiences).

There does seem a formula to follow and so it helps if you read a number of romantic and sexual novels. It is better not to just read the obvious, but diversify. Any book can teach you something about writing, not just these types of books, but as said above you kind of need to follow the same pattern.

Like all novels, characters need their flaws, not just the evil scapegoats-which obviously a novel needs to have-but also the main heroine. Is she a bad cook? Does she make strange faces? Do men find it hard to tell her what she is thinking? Whatever she is like, women have to identify with her.

Characters need to differentiate from each other, there needs to be different turns of phrases. Maybe clothes, tattoos, hair, and so on should be described in great detail. The character can also be described by the house or flat itself and maybe the pets they own.

Children don’t tend to feature in such novels, maybe because it’s too much like real life. There tends also not to be not much about work as such, it probably should be described in general terms.

A foreign location may help, perhaps a bit of research on tropical locales may help. Try choosing somewhere where people would want to be and stylish, the Azores rather than Ibiza. If you went on holiday and you found the hotel wasn’t built and the lavatories were just a hole in the ground, well I’m sorry but these things tend not to happen in racy reads.

Good luck in writing your racy read and may you live life as good as your heroines, or possibly better.

Move to Colombia?

If you watch commercials on any of the local TV stations, listen to sports radio, see the Travel & Living channel spots on cable TV, you can easily get primed to move to Colombia despite its well-deserved reputation for violence, kidnapping, and drug trafficking. This is not to mention the on-going civil war raging between Colombia’s government, Para-military forces like the AUC and Guerilla military forces like the FARC. Let’s not forget the ghastly murder and crime rates.

Nonetheless, after considering the post “20 Reasons Not to Move to Dubai” in an ELT forum online, I thought I’d take a shot at a similarly-themed post dealing with diverse aspects of Colombia. Now don’t get me wrong, I have lived in Colombia for the past 12 years teaching English as a foreign language with my Colombian wife. I pay taxes, health insurance and retirement through the Colombian systems. I still live here and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, but it is exactly this familiarity bred from many years living and working here that empower me to write about this country.

Here’s the first five of my 20-item list and brief commentary:

1. In many areas there are NO or very few government services.

Streets are pot-hole-riddled and what there are of highways are often a mess, but drivable.

During peak periods of travel, multiple delays, massive traffic jams and over-burdened transportation systems and facilities are common place.

2. The climate, while tropical in most areas, can vary to extremes.

Summer months from June through August can be brutally hot in some areas and unseasonably cool in others. You’ll need a sweater or jacket in Bogotá and air-conditioning in Cali, Cartagena and other cities.

3. There is the constant threat of earthquakes.

Most of Colombia from the Pacific coast to the central highlands and beyond has experienced devastating earthquakes which can occur during any time of the day or night. I have lived through serious early morning tremors that cracked walls and tumbled ceilings to night time quakes the rendered buildings uninhabitable and caused the seemingly super-natural glow of earthquake lights to appear around the city of Cali.

4. There is the constant threat of volcanic eruptions.

Several of Colombia’s many volcanoes are in active or semi-active status. The most news-worthy of these being Galeras Volcano, located beside the city of Pasto populated by more than 400,000 people, in the southern part of the country. Warnings and evacuation “threats” have become so common that residents hardly pay them any attention until ash and gas spew forth from the blackened summit. Colombia’s worst catastrophe was the destruction of Armero, an entire town of more than 23,000 inhabitants virtually all killed in one night – buried under a volcanic eruption-caused mudslide more than forty feet deep. Other Colombian volcanoes include snow-capped Nevada Ruiz, also with recent eruptions, and Purace.

5. There are sometimes frequent outages of water or power services.

We’ve gone to collecting and storing rain water. That way, when the water supply “fails” or goes out for any reason, we still have some water available for washing, bathing, cleaning and cooking. Sometimes the outages are announced. Sometimes they’re not – catching the unwary unprepared. These “waterless” periods can last for hours or days – sometimes you just never know.

In part two of this multiple-part series, we’ll continue to examine what I feel are the 20 most critical problems with Colombia that keep it a “third world” country. Your comments, opinions and feedback are welcomed. See you next installment.

Many people believe that it is more difficult to expunge or seal a felony arrest, versus a misdemeanor arrest. Well, this belief both is and isn’t correct! Let me explain why.

People are correct in their assumption that it can be more challenging to remove a felony from a criminal history record than to remove a misdemeanor charge. This is the case for two reasons:

1. In Florida, the decision whether to grant or deny a petition to seal or expunge is within the discretion of the court, based on a “consideration of all the facts and circumstances” standard. More serious charges may be more seriously considered by a court, plus, may increase the likelihood the state would object to your petition. If the state objects, a hearing must be held, and you would be faced with trying to prevent the prosecutor from convincing the judge that your history should not be sealed.

2. The Florida statutes contain a list of offenses that cannot be sealed – pretty much all felonies. These prohibited offenses include sex crimes, homicide, and kidnapping, to name a few…

Most people are incorrect, however, in assuming that the sealing or expunction of a felony is procedurally more difficult than sealing or expunging a misdemeanor. The Florida legal procedures to seal or expunge a felony and a misdemeanor are exactly the same. There are statutory requirements that a person must meet in order to be eligible to seal or expunge a record generally, but no distinction is drawn between felonies and misdemeanors specifically.

One thing to keep in mind though, if you are reading this article before your criminal case has been resolved, is that sometimes it is better under Florida law (from a sealing/expunging perspective only) to plead guilty or no contest to a lesser offense if arrested for one of the prohibited offenses, then risk a conviction. Remember, it is the final charge that counts.