By Jack Thomas

Today’s installment comes to us courtesy of the Des Moines, Iowa Register. Tim Martin, a Prairie Meadows trainer is puzzled by the labor issues surrounding his barn. The industry has become dependent on immigrant help, due largely to the fact that the jobs are so low paying. American workers just do not want the jobs, and the animals must be serviced at an affordable cost. Read more…

New Series- The Nifty Fifty
By Jack Thomas

Welcome to the first in an ongoing series of articles revealing the intriguing and sometimes just bizarre stories surrounding the arena of background check related stories from across the country. Weekly, I will be sharing stories from one or two states. Please check back often to see if you’re state has made the list yet! Read more…

This started out as a humorous thought when I heard of the bridge being stolen in Bosnia. That’s right, a bridge! It seems that on a seldom used roadway, a crew showed up and just started dismantling a bridge. They looked legitimate, so no one paid any attention. The crooks ended up selling it to a salvage yard! So, naturally my curiosity got the better of me and I had to dig a little deeper. Read more…

While facilitating a class for newly appointed managers, we noticed a few participants looked a little overwhelmed. We decided to lighten things up a bit, and started the session on hiring and managing personnel with the following true story. Read more…

A new search engine that helps families find sex offenders is available online, it is called PedoTracker. This is just in time for Halloween. Parents you can check your neighborhoods and keep your kids away from any sex offenders houses. Go there now and check it out www.pedotracker.com .

If you have seen the new USA series, Burn Notice on USA Network, you are probably already a fan. They usually give some pretty good tips on the show about various things like avoiding surveillance, detaining an enemy, etc. Granted, some are better and more practice than others especially for normal everyday people like ourselves. You can now go on to the website and ask your own questions on the “Ask A Spy” section. I found it a fun little distraction and I bet you will too.

I just had a chance to go over to a web site called How To Deal With Creepy People. It is brought to you by the same people as Perverted Justice. It is mainly aimed at teenagers, but can be very useful for anybody that may going through any type of bullying or cyber stalking. Take a look, they even have a blog and a news section on the latest creepy people in the news.

There is a great thread over on BackGroundChatter.com about screening your romantic interests. It has become a big topic of debate amongst those of you that choose to go the route of Internet dating. I would like to know some of your opinions on the matter. Below is an article I have written that deals with some of the pitfalls of online dating.

Online dating services can be tricky. Many people get lulled into a false sense of security when they meet someone “online”. Don’t fall into that trap. Make sure you check out whatever dating service you are going to use. This can be just as important as checking out the person you are going to be dating. Look for services that offer personality profiles as well as background checks on it’s members.

When you find someone make sure that you do not reveal too much about yourself initially. Keep it on a first name or “nickname” basis only until your are satisfied that the person you are conversing with is safe. Don’t tell them what town or what street you live on. Many people provide clues as to where they live without even realizing it. Do not just meet the person on a whim. Make sure you speak to them via the phone first. Also make sure that you have their correct information.

Even if the dating service provides a background check you may want to conduct your own independently. At the very least you want to make sure they have no criminal record. You may also want to conduct a background check of their “online identity”. This consists of going to search engines and typing in their name and nickname they may use online. Many private investigators provide this service and can dig up information where the general consumer can not. It may be worth it just to know for sure. Most importantly, when your are finally going to meet your dream date. Pick a public area that is well lit and where you feel safe. You may want to bring a friend in case things don’t go as planned.

So now you have finally met Mr. or Ms. Perfect and things seem to be going great! I know I may sound like a overprotective mother here but you must remember you really still do not know this person. Initially be wary. The first few dates keep your guard up. Keep an eye on your personal belongings. Many a person has been taken in by Internet con-men to have their identity stolen or worse. If you pay for dinner with a credit card keep an eye on it and the receipts. This goes for your ID, SS Card, as well.

Ok so things aren’t going so well. What happens if for some reason the relationship goes south. Hopefully this will not happen to you but it has been known to occur. If after just a short time you find that you are not compatible with the person let them know right away. Again, this may be a good time for a public area and a friend in tow. Hopefully that will be the end of it, but if things heat up and the person will not leave you alone there are some things you can do. Currently there are laws on the books that protect you from stalking. There is a federal law along with many state and local laws. See the bottom of this article for additional anti-stalking resources. And please this is not meant to scare you off from on-line fun, but please be careful out there.

Additional Resources:
TechTV.Com
iVillage.Com

Stalking:
To obtain a guide for stalking victims, write or call the National Center for Victims of Crime2111 Wilson Blvd.Ste. 300, Arlington, VA 22201Phone: (800) FYI-CALL or (703) 276-2880Web: http://www.ncvc.org/

Websites:
Stalking Behavior, by D. T. Coon http://www.stalkingbehavior.com/
Los Angeles Co. District Attorney http://www.lovemenot.org/
AXIS Intervention & Training Institute http://www.stalkingrescue.org/
Stalking Victims’ Sanctuary, by Linden Gross http://www.stalkingvictims.com/
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse http://www.privacyrights.org/
Anti Stalking website, by Doreen Orion, MD http://www.antistalking.com/
Gavin de Becker, Inc. threat assessment & protection services http://www.gdbinc.com/
“Stalking through the Courts,” by Janet Normalvanbreucher www.gate.net/~liz/liz/FRtactic.html
The Stalking Assistance Site, Kim Kelly & Joann Ugolini http://www.stalkingassistance.com/
Working to Halt Online Abuse http://www.haltabuse.org/
Safety Ed International http://www.safetyed.org/