Ok, all you banking executives can put your hands down.

And I bet if I asked what is the government doing wrong, the overwhelming majority of people would respond with, “Everything.”

I saw someone make mention, in a very, “I’m Republican and I hate everything that is not Republican,” way that President Obama has increased he debt as much in three years as Bush did in eight. Well, almost as much.

But this is almost like saying Captain Obama has let as much water into the sinking ship as Captain Bush did when he ran it into the rocks, so it is Obama’s fault he isn’t bailing the water fast enough.

No, the real problem is he is handing the buckets to the people pouring the water right back into the broken hull.

Looking for economic relief? Look to yourself first.

And I shouldn’t state this as if it were all the fault of the two Presidents. It takes a hundred people to make a Presidency, not to mention he may or may not have the cooperation of the 535 members of Congress. In the end, this becomes a governmental problem and the government has proved repeatedly that they do not have the solution. See the sinking ship metaphor above.

So if they can’t fix it, who can?

It starts at home folks. This is our country and ultimately WE are responsible for it.

Economic growth and recovery has always started at home. We elect politicians to represent us in office, but who do they invariably serve first? The special interest groups and big businesses. Why? Money. They have it.

Odds are if you’re reading this article, you don’t.

Am I calling for a revolution against the upper class? No! Well, not really. Maybe a little. But throughout history that has always been necessary at times to sort out the ills of society and make things better for the people again. It is cyclical and in today’s world where information flows at the speed of fiber-optic around the globe and travel between continents can happen in a few hours instead of months, the cycles come around faster than ever before.

Like the title says, economic ills spread like a cold: from hand to hand throughout a community. The good news is, the cure to this cold can be spread the same way.

So, what can each person do to make a difference?

First, go get a job. I don’t care what it is – if you don’t have one, get one. Unemployment is at 9.7% nationwide but there are jobs out there to be had. Get one or even, get two. Granted a lot of these jobs are going to be in national franchises, or big national retail stores and it might suck compared to the job you used to have, but these jobs are necessary to fill for the sake of the economy – and if you, the American citizens turn your noses up at these jobs, please for the sake of all that is good stop complaining about illegals taking jobs from Americans. We can deal with that in a future article.

Get a job and be a good, diligent, hard working and responsible employee. After all, a good work ethic also spreads from hand to hand.

Second, stop patronizing the big corporations as much as possible. Yeah, you’ve got it. I’m going to rail on about how small businesses are the life-blood of the economy. If you know me, you know this is my crusade! Small businesses need to grow up and become mid-sized businesses and then become competition for those larger businesses. Anytime the economy has flourished, small businesses have led the way through innovation and development. How many times have you heard a story about a big business buying a small business just to shelve the small business’s ideas and innovations? Big business is about keeping things they way they are – and the way things are isn’t working. That is advice the government should heed as well – give the small businesses what they need and you WILL feed your people.

Third, a lot of this mess was started and exacerbated by the larger banking institutions. Stop patronizing them, too. Move your money to the smaller community banks.

It might not be a huge difference, but any organization that prioritizes profits before people deserves to have some of their resources stripped from them.

Fourth, conserve our resources. Stop buying into the consumer based economy that has been built around us. Shop at your local thrift stores when possible. Plant a garden. Better yet, start a community garden in your neighborhood. Take a look at what you have and make better decision regarding what you need vs. what you want.

Fifth, make a real difference in government and get involved. Tired of the career politicians? Start at the local level where it is easier to meet and collaborate and work as a community to put someone in a government position that you believe can make a difference. A community effort can change the way government works and who is representing you and that is a difference that can pay dividends for years and years.

Hey, if Jesse Ventura can get elected as a state Governor, anyone can get elected.

Finally, buy American. In Elma, NY there is a store named “Made in America.” This store has grown in popularity nationwide. They have tripled their staff in under a year. They have been featured on national news programs. They have had hundreds of inquiries about possible franchising. They are forcing the hand of American companies to re-evaluate how and where their products are being made. “Made in America” won’t carry any products not fully made in America – American companies are seeing the success of this model and getting on board.

Look – a small business making a REAL impact on the economy and the community.

Bottom line is, we can all fret about the national debt, but there is little we can do about it directly. Too many people are content to sit back and wait to see if someone else fixes the problem; meanwhile those that claim they can fix it have only succeeded in making it worse. Revolution doesn’t have to be about guns and violence – making changes and demonstrating a willingness to put in the effort or make some sacrifices intelligently can be the most powerful weapon we have in changing our world today. Money makes the world go around – decide how you want to make the world go around and remember the old saying: insanity is the process of doing something the same way over and over again, but expecting a different result. It is time to make some changes!

Take a look at your community and see what you can do to make it better. After all, communities and the people in them are what REALLY matters.

Economic Ills Spread Like a Cold is a post from: @ Blog

Trend Micro Internet Security will provide you real-time security information on your search engine results. Click for a larger image.

One thing that never fails to impress me about the human spirit is the out-pouring of support, assistance and over-all sympathy when tragedy strikes.  World wide, people come together and do or give whatever they can to help those in a time of crisis.  In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that has stuck Haiti, humanity has once again come together to show how generous and supportive we can be.  And as the internet makes the world smaller, this assistance can be delivered faster than ever before.

Of course the opposite side of humanity often comes to light as well.  There are those who plan, scheme and seek to take full advantage of the outpouring of generosity for their own gains.  With internet technology at their disposal these schemes can be rolled out quicker and take more from unsuspecting victims; people looking to help those in need.

So what are these schemes?  What should we look for, be wary of and most importantly, how do people keep themselves and ultimately those who need help from becoming the victims of these scams?

1. Fake charity or malware sites.

Scammers know those who want to help but might not know where to go are likely to go to Internet search engines for advice.  Fake charitable organizations are springing up online faster than dandelions in a spring meadow.  These scammers use a technique known as Search Engine Poisoning to get their sites to the top of the search engines quickly.  Although they may not stay there, the majority of search engine users tend to trust the top search results as being the most relevant and therefore legitimate organizations.  This gives the scammers precious time at the top of the ranks to dupe as many users as possible.

Our suggestion – always go the extra step to verify the organization you’re looking to donate to is legitimate.  Nothing saves time, money and aggravation better than doing your homework and gathering all of the information before taking action.  Stick to charitable organizations you know such as the Red Cross (www.redcross.org) or contact your local government for information on any grass-root efforts in your area.

Also, a quality security application such as Trend Micro Internet Security will actually provide you with information as to which search engine results have been verified as legitimate, scams or those that have not been verified yet.  Please see the graphic in the article for a demonstration of this feature.  This will give you a good first indication if the site is for real or just out to make a buck.

Or something worse.

2. Twitter tweets and traps.

Many see Twitter as a reliable source for breaking news and information, but just as many legitimate companies use Twitter for marketing purposes, scammers use it to market their fake charities as well.  Using Twitter accounts, target links are spread in an effort to make them look like official charities or news sites related to the Haiti crisis.  This is exacerbated with the use of TinyURL’s that can easily hide a shady link.

Again, be sure to verify the source and destinations of these links.  If in doubt, don’t send the money.  Seek out a reputable organization that you know and trust.

3. Spam and Phishing galore.

Spammers know due to the outpouring of concern over the happenings in Haiti, e-mail users are more likely to open messages with “Haiti” in the subject line.  Many of these are messages designed to appear as though they are sent by not-for-profit or charitable outreach programs. Others use “Haiti” subject lines as a disguise for the usual online pharmaceutical sales, dating-sites or links to other malware infested websites.

As you know, malware sites containing rogue anti-virus programs, Trojans and key loggers are set up to steal user information and potentially damage computer data.  These nefarious attempts at identity and financial theft can be even more dangerous and damaging than fake charities.

It is important to remember that unless you have supplied your email address and signed up to receive newsletters from charity organizations online, they will not send you solicitations for donations.

And as always, keep a reliable and updated security application on your PC and use common sense.  Do not open emails or click links on emails without verifying the source first.

4. Haitian money scam.

Like the infamous Nigerian Money Scam or 419 scam, e-mails from supposed Haiti Earthquake victims that paint a grim picture of life and suffering in Haiti, begging for assistance are becoming more prevalent.  These e-mails generally include a very convenient link to send donations as well.  In most cases the link directs the user to a malware site that will infect the user’s computer with Trojans or key loggers.

As in all cases, common sense and a good mail filtering security program is still your best defense.

5. So-“phish”-tication.

Phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated.  We’re all pretty used to seeing the horribly written phishing and spam emails, wrought with misspellings and grammatical errors.  New phishing attempts detected are sophisticated emails impersonating reputable charities such as the Red Cross.  These lengthy emails include data and statistics that compel the reader to donate immediately to help the victims of Haiti and other disasters.  However, the spoofed links in the email lead back to fake donation sites of profiteers or malware sites aiming to steal identity and personal information.

All the same suggestions apply here – charities such as the Red Cross will not send e-mails asking for donations unless you’re already on an e-mail list with them.  Keep your security software updated and avoid clicking links in unsolicited e-mails.

When in doubt Aspire Technology Solutions has security experts on staff that can answer your questions and even check on the legitimacy of e-mails and websites.  We also carry a wide range of security products for businesses and home PC’s that can be purchased on-line and downloaded for immediate use.

We are all concerned for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, but our assistance needs to be directed to the organizations that can provide help to those that need it.

Top 5 Haiti Scams is a post from: @ Blog