~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE WASH RAG published by Women Against Sexual Harassment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Available on-line ASAP at http://www.washrag.org/ or http://helenforelle.hypermart.net/WASH/ along with earlier issues ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subscribe to e-mail version of this newsletter by sending an e-mail to subscribe(bleep)washrag.org with "subscribe" in the subject. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Issue 13, Number 2 June 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another Case of Gang Stalking A Link Between Gang-stalking of Men and Sexual Harassment? One woman in seven suffers sexual assault in military Sheriff’s Deputy Given a Slap on the Hand How Important an Issue the Abuse of Women is to our Congress LOCAL SPEAKER ADDRESSES VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Love Contracts Colorado Harassment Legislative Success in Illinois Insights How and Why Hackers Do What They Do Local Sexual Harassment Suit Norma Drago Update Interesting New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another Case of Gang Stalking ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transcript of tape for Joyce & Riley, the Power Hour Talk Show aired on national radio on March 3, 2004. Hello. My name is Jesus Mendoza Maldonado. Thank-you for the opportunity to discuss my case on the Power Hour. My case appears so unreal that at times it may seem fantasy or the product of a serious mental problem. I would think the same, if it wasn’t because I have lived this horrifying experience. When someone told me that he could feel the radiation emitted by communication towers, I thought this guy is joking. I could not imagine that a malicious exposure to directed electromagnetic radiation could silently and invisibly maim and kill a person before the eyes of his family. A former federal agent told me once that my pain and swelling were caused by malicious directed radiation. I thought the guy was crazy. He told me that he used to do the same things to people while working for the federal government, that he, himself was the victim of an electronic aggression, that he was bleeding from every whole in his body. He said that they were to kill all my family including myself. I felt a strong urge to distance myself from that person as soon as possible. “I know you don’t believe me, but you will believe it soon” he said many times. I told my wife about the conversation and she said, that we have nothing to fear if we put all of our confidence and trust in God. I blamed the worsening of my health condition on an electrical sensitivity, a painful and debilitating condition. I had lingering suspicions. But my family had a hard time understanding the complexity of electrical sensitivity. I was very careful to voice my concerns, fearing that they could lock me up on a mental house. I noticed that my pain increased before the telephone rang, when we had visitors, before someone entered our home, and at the time I moved around inside our home. Many times, I found bleeding on my stool, on my urine and on my saliva. Many times I have seen some of the lights on the side of the road turning off during the night and turning on during the day as I am driving by. Many times a light across the street turns off when someone exits or approaches our home. Many times a humming sound can be heard on the windows of our home, specially at night. I realized we were victims of an electronic aggression when I saw my two-year-old son and my three-year-old daughter screaming in pain with convulsions while readings on a meter were showing high electromagnetic radiation. At the same time I was having surges of pain. I asked help to the US Attorney, to the US Inspector General and to the federal prosecutor to no avail. I filed a law suit asking the federal court to compel the US Attorney General, John Ashcroft, to cease and desist from using active electronic surveillance, and to show cause for this investigation. I blame this investigation to retaliation for complaining of discrimination and fraud of my federal loans against a law school in the State of Michigan. The government does not deny conducting an investigation of my activities and instead claims that the surveillance is legal. In my attempts to avoid pain and suffering to my children, I moved into a friend’s house after explaining to him my tribulation. After a few days, my friend complained of unexplained pain, while his brother-in-law claimed feeling his eyes about to pop out. Concerned for the safety of his children, my friend asked me to move out. While my wife was absent, my mother, while on a severe depression crisis sought my involuntary commitment to a state hospital, under the misbelief that the hospital was able to treat electrical sensitivity, and thinking that I was neglecting medical care. I was released after a doctor familiar with electrical sensitivities performed an evaluation of my mental condition and found no abnormality. My condition aggravated to the point that I could barely breathe. I asked my wife to take me to her parents in Mexico. I thought that the border, and a remote place could stop all electronic aggression. I was wrong. The same day I arrived there, some elderly persons became sick. A few days after, my father-in-law complained of pain, and of sleeping and breathing problems. Eventually, he became critically ill. I sought help from US Senator John Cornyn, and from US Representative Ruben Hinojosa. Mr. Cornyn has declined intervention in my behalf claiming that the case is going through the courts. Mr. Hinojosa has ignored my request for help. On May 15, of the year 2003, my wife, my brother, and my oldest daughter gave their testimony in support of my claims before a federal magistrate judge. My wife testified to the swelling, pain and suffering caused on me by exposure to electricity, and to the pain and suffering caused on our children by unusual levels of radiation inside our home. My brother testified as to the pain and suffering complained by other people when I moved into their place. My wife, my brother and my daughter testified as to my law-abiding conduct and as to my mental stability. My wife testified how readings on a radiation meter go down as soon as I attempt to videotape the event. The magistrate judge modified my wife’s testimony to dismiss the case. The Report of the court states that my wife had testified that my breathing difficulties seem to subside when I operate a camera. When I felt I had only a few days left to live, I came back home to see my family for the last time. Surprisingly, I started to feel better a few days after. However, the aggression has been intensifying since my case has been docketed on the US court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The same day my case started receiving media attention, my children and I had convulsions almost at the same time. Furtive high densities of directed electromagnetic radiation are a daily occurrence in our home. What makes this aggression possible? Before the tragedy of 9-11, federal agents could use directed electromagnetic surveillance during an investigation only with a court warrant. However, since Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, under any excuse, federal agents can use military techniques and equipment to conduct an investigation on the civil population. Congress failed to provide adequate safeguards to prevent abuses of these technologies. Congress failed to provide the mechanisms for seeking immediate help. My research indicates that active electronic surveillance employs directed electromagnetic radiation including high intensity microwaves, x-rays, ultraviolet and infrared light. A computer system has assigned a number to each person based on the unique characteristics of each face. This is like a fingerprint. A computer is able to track down this “face-print” and all activities of the person even among a crowd of thousands of people and even behind walls or inside a moving vehicle. Satellite, aircraft, communication towers, and a combination of them can be used to direct this radiation into the target. The radiation in turn bounces back to the device retrieving on a video screen sound and image of subjects even behind walls. Abuse of these technologies amounts to micro-waving-inside-out the subject of the investigation and any bystanders. Experts believe that most of us are not prepared to understand how directed electromagnetic radiation is the most serious threat to humanity. What can we do to stop these abuses of power? You may call or write your federal congressmen. Ask them to give you a full explanation to this case. Ask them what they are doing to prevent the same aggression from happening to you and to your family. Congress created the problem and your congressmen are accountable to you. They have the duty to protect you from these invisible and silent aggressions which can kill and maim with impunity. The more that is known about this problem, the better chances we have to survive this tribulation. Your call can save our lives. My case, Maldonado v Ashcroft, is docketed on the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit with case No. 04-40095. If any on the audience has experienced similar aggressions or has expertise to testify in court, please write to Jesus Mendoza Maldonado, 2202 E. 28th St. Mission TX, 78574, or call (956) 519 7140. I, am willing to testify about this matter whenever it may be necessary. Thank you very much for listening. Please pray for us. God bless you, and God bless America. jesusmm7(bleep)hotmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Link Between Gang-stalking of Men and Sexual Harassment? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why, you might ask, am I including this item in a publication which is supposed to address sexual harassment? A person can’t help but get “feelings” about things like this. I’ve communicated with a number of men about their situations, and I just have to say, I don’t think that any of them use techniques of sexual harassment, sexual or emotional abuse on the females in their lives. I have to question whether these men are being targeted not always being because of their politics, or status as a whistle-blower, but may sometimes be because of the way they relate to women. Those involved in stalking and harassment use the most barbaric methods to destroy the support network of victims of sexual harassment, victimizing them a second time.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One woman in seven suffers sexual assault in military ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From SMARTNEWS(bleep)aol.com Defense Dept. Surveys Academy Sex Assaults Daniel de Vise 3/19/05 "One female student in seven attending the nation's military academies last spring said she had been sexually assaulted since becoming a cadet or midshipman, according to a report on the first survey of sexual misconduct on the three campuses released yesterday by the Defense Department. More than half the women studying at the Naval, Air Force and Army academies reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment on campus, according to survey responses." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A48335-2005Mar18\?language=printer Washington (AFP) "Of more than 1,900 women questioned, 262 admitted they had been subjected to sexual assault of some kind. More than 50 percent said they had been the victims of sexual harassment, including jokes, inappropriate gestures, or promises of better treatment in exchange for sexual favors. Very few of those women who said they were sexually assaulted lodged complaints." http://news.yahoo.com/news\?tmpl=story&u=afp/usmilitarywomen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sheriff’s Deputy Given a Slap on the Hand ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From an article in the March 9, 2005 Argus Leader: Bemidji, MN Deputy suspended for role in gang rape A Beltrami County sheriff's deputy was suspended for two weeks without pay and will be reassigned for using a cell phone to record three men having sex with an 18 year old woman at a party. An investigation of the Sept. 19 incident found that Deputy Jeffrey Andersen engaged in "conduct unbecoming an officer," Sheriff Keith Winger said Tuesday in a statement. Andersen was off-duty at the time of the incident. The three men, Bemidji State University seniors at the time, were charged after an 18 year old freshman told police they gang-raped her. She said one of them gave her a drink that impaired her thinking. Andersen, 25, was suspended with pay after he admitted that he watched his friends having sex with the woman and used a cell phone to record the scene. SUSPENDED? REASSIGNED? Give me a break. Isn't it a crime to know that a crime is taking place and do nothing to prevent it? And we wonder why we can't get any law enforcement intervention when we are stalked and harassed. It looks like the cops have more in common with the crooks than they have with the victims. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kofi Annan says empowerment of women best tool for development — Older Feminists Net. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How Important an Issue the Abuse of Women is to our Congress ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During the month of March, the U. S. Congress held hearings about the use of steroids by athletes. These are mostly illegally used, but the people using them are doing it to achieve more athletic ability, and are hardly hurting anyone but themselves. Since the baseball authorities are already addressing the issue, it seems to me likely that the reason for the hearings is so that those holding them can get a bunch of celebrities into the hearing room, which they know will attract the media and get their ugly faces on national TV, and, presumably, get themselves reelected. On the other hand, there have never been congressional hearings on the issue of sexual harassment, and there are not likely to be any. The victim struggle to survive after losing jobs and often careers, they usually continue to experience stalking and harassment, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Some women have been murdered by their harassers, and nobody every does anything about this atrocity. Maxine Trujillo, who worked at the Kirkland air force base in New Mexico, became increasingly ill after experiencing sexual harassment and filing a complaint, remarkably similar to the experiences of many other victims of sexual harassment. I do not doubt for one minute that she was being exposed to some combination of ABC Warfare, an acronym for Atomic, Biological and Chemical Warfare, which the military has in the past had available for use. Gwendy Nordseth, from Watertown, South Dakota, was making sexual harassment complaints when she went to Phoenix to look for work as she could not get a job in South Dakota after she filed complaints. She was driving down a Phoenix street through an industrial area when her car blew up. It was caught on the security camera of a nearby business. The Phoenix police ruled it as a suicide. SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET TOWARDS A SPECIFIC DESTINATION WHEN HER CAR BLEW UP! Ruling it as a suicide would be a joke if it wasn't such a tragedy. Her family, I believe because they are aware of the forces at work, have refused to talk to anyone including the local media, who also found the death suspicious. Understand, I think that baseball players who use steroids to bulk up so they can outperform other athletes give youngsters bad role models, but this issue is an insignificant jot in the fabric of our society. The sexual harassment of women is a pandemic in the US and around the world. It is a travesty that our Congress is more concerned about the behavior of overpaid athletes and overzealous youngsters than about the torture and murder of innocent women who are just trying to earn enough money to take care of themselves and their families. Janet Leih ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOCAL SPEAKER ADDRESSES VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KDLT in Sioux Falls reported that Jackson Katz had spoken about violence against women at a local college on April 15. I went to his web site and got this information. Jackson Katz, Ed.M. (JacksonKatz(bleep)aol.com) is one of America's leading anti-sexist male activists. He is widely recognized for his groundbreaking work in the field of gender violence prevention education with men and boys, particularly in the sports culture and the military. He has lectured on hundreds of college and high school campuses and has conducted hundreds of professional trainings, seminars, and workshops in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. He is the co-founder of the Mentors In Violence Prevention (MVP) program, the leading gender violence prevention initiative in college athletics. He is the director of the first worldwide domestic and sexual violence prevention program in the United States Marine Corps. He is also the creator and co-creator of educational videos for college and high school students, including Tough Guise: Violence, Media, and the Crisis in Masculinity (2000), Wrestling With Manhood (2002) and Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies and Alcohol (2004). Read more about Jackson Katz. The uniqueness of his comments and the inclusiveness of his approach brought my students and faculty, both male and female, to their feet." --Kathleen Brownback, Phillips Exeter Academy. Jackson Katz Director, MVP Strategies 3860 Brayton Ave. Long Beach, CA 90807 Ph: 562-997-3953 Fax: 562-997-7804 www.jacksonkatz.com JacksonKatz(bleep)aol.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Love Contracts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On May 17, 2005, there was an interesting item on the National News coming from CBS KMEG in Sioux City. It regarded a San Francisco lawyer who is recommending “Love Contracts” for companies to avoid sexual harassment suits when employees date. On the surface, this sounds OK, if signing the contract does not involve any intimidation, for example, the female is not required to sign in order to get a job, get a promotion, or get a pay raise. But I suppose that I am a skeptic who expects that is what would happen, and if a woman does sign one for any reason but a heartfelt desire to have a relationship with a fellow employee or supervisor, then she will find herself without recourse in the case that she ends up a victim of sexual harassment. There does not seem to be any option for the signatories to cancel the contract if they change their minds. Sexual harassment almost always involves intimidation of some kind. A love contract may just be a perpetrator “thinking ahead.” Law and Order Criminal Intent on May 1 had a situation where a woman who is a target of sexual harassment commits suicide and the legal firm for which she had worked faced a wrongful death suit. An associate of the lawyer who had been been harassing her broke into her apartment after the suicide to remove incriminating evidence. That shows the writers of Law and Order are paying attention. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “25% of women choose to remain in their [abusive] situation out of fear of their batterer torturing and killing their pets — Dr. Frank Ascione ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colorado Harassment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am an artist and was very popular and successful in my recent years (an achievement most living women never get). Then, after years of sexual harassment by that filth, D. T.., I did file for a restraining order. That just seemed to encourage him more. He and his friend, Mr. R. B. started driving their ATVs by our home, turning around on the corner of our lot and driving back by. (*Menacing, Harassment and a violation of the existing Restraining Order granted by Judge Fox.) . . . The pillars of the community refused to let me ride to church with them. I just won’t go — our last vehicle received $2,000 damage when it was horribly keyed and hit by another car while parked in the church parking lot. On another occasion, I had to drive myself to church — realized I had forgotten my Bible, turned around and was ‘circled’ by Mr. R. B. on his ATV. I waved him forward — he wouldn’t go. Neither would I, he’d make false allegations against me about trying to run him down — so, I picked up a broken rasp I had in the car and planned to hit him with it if he attacked me. He saw it and called Deputies Dryer and Tillie and had me pulled over for “pointing a gun at him”. Brenda Stahl catfishwithlips(bleep)netscape.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Legislative Success in Illinois ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My law made it... I will brief you.... (Hb 701 at www.ilga.gov type in hb701 search and you will see it). Perpetrators in Illinois will now have to pay long term care to victims. this law has taken me a long time. This law will not help me but may help you .... and it will help future victims and survivors of rape. I now need your help. This bill as you can see is now on the Gov. desk in Springfield Ill. awaiting signing! I have asked them to name it after me the Michelle Eppel act so a piece of me is left behind when I do die. This law I testified for at our capitol. It has been a long hard journey. I have a decided heart and became a voice for victims. I now am working nation wide and you can help me get it in your state by letting your senator know this law exists in Illinois. I have been invited to Oklahoma to speak and help get hb701 in that state, I also have heard from Indiana. I am emailing, calling and faxing states outside of Illinois alone. this is hard work and I could use your help... just let your senator know my law exists and give web page out and my name.... Will you help your state. this law is good. I was admitted to the hospital with amnesia, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic depression, anxiety, paranoia and bi-polar, and wear two hearing aides from the crime of rape. Never had anything wrong with me before the rape. I take five meds a day and got off the public aide card hold a full time job but my co payments are between four hundred fifty dollars to seven hundred a month for pschy. care, hearing aides , and medicines, one day in the pharmacy tears filled my eyes as I realized how many other victims are still paying for the crime of rape like me. I want no one to walk the path of hell as I have. It has taken a toll but you know what God has helped me take a terrible negative and turn it into a positive. Will you help me help your state? My email is ladydew4love(bleep)yahoo.com if you need me. I will be back please see www.ilga.gov type in hb701 and see my work is accomplished, do you know one-hundred seventy six women are raped every hour and one in five men are sexually in their lifetime and sadly enough ninety six percent of our children sexually assaulted are under the age of twelve. We are all survivors I fight to for those who have died I am lucky to be alive I almost was killed by the perpetrator..... love you and God bless you! Ladydew, Michelle! 1-815-844-4081, cell 1-815-522-2959 What a great accomplishment! Women Against Sexual Harassment offers Michelle hearty congratulations! This sounds very similar to some of the provisions of the SAFE Act, which offers help to victims of sexual violence, but as far as I know, has never been acted upon by the Congress, although they seem able to worry about athletes who hurt nobody but themselves (page 4). We had tried to get sexual harassment added to the SAFE Act, and we encourage anyone who has the time and inclination to make sure it is included in any bill to compensate the victims of sexual violence. Women often allow their employers to have sex with them just to keep their jobs because of family responsibilities. Although that situation is not as severe as rape, it is every much rape — non-consensual sex— if it is a result of threats to lose a job, a promotion or a pay raise. Think about it, people, it is merely a matter of the degree, not the intention of the perpetrator.. Janet Leih ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Insights How and Why Hackers Do What They Do ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There have been a few new ideas in the area of hackers and malware. I placed an order with a Canadian Pharmacy for my prescriptions a few weeks ago, and after I had placed it, I went to my e-mail to get the order acknowledgement, which I always print off so I can make sure the order is what I had placed. It was not there. There was some spam from a different on-line pharmacy which I had never heard of, though. I called the pharmacy's 800 number and asked about the order acknowledgement, and they said they had sent one, but would send another. Same thing, although this time, I had three items of spam from the other on-line pharmacy. This went on for pretty much a week, until I had 6 or 8 items from the other on-line pharmacy, when it finally dawned on me that was what was happening to my e-mail, and probably where most of my own spam was coming from. I did send information to the pharmacy, the staff of which was aghast at what I was suggesting, as they (like me) assumed that the registrars and other on-line facilities are honest, hard-working professionals. Sorry, guys, it just ain't so. The way it works is probably this: someone goes to some site and either places an order on-line or gets an e-mail address to write to the site. The site sends something like an e-mail order acknowledgement or shipping status, or the person sends you an e-mail, and this is directed to some user who directs this e-mail to someone with a similar site, in the case of my books, someone who is selling a book about natural healing, and your e-mail address (and also probably the e-mail address of the person writing you) are stripped off, and they send you (and them) an e-mail about their site or with a solicitation for sales. Once you are on their list, you can be guaranteed of receiving additional mailings, in one case, I got at least mailing every day for something like three years from one spammer. The only way to stop this, is to hold registrars responsible for any theft of e-mail or web site traffic for the sites for which they are registrar. I advised the on-line pharmacy I had ordered from to open an e-mail account with yahoo or lycos, and not to give it to anyone but to send an order acknowledgement to it. If they got an order acknowledgement in a few hours, then I am wrong. If they got a solicitation from another on-line pharmacy, then their out-going e-mail was being hijacked. Finally, and this so totaly incriminates the registrars, I have to include it. I went to whois to check the status of my accounts. I got an error message which said to go back and try again, but I could not go back, I had to re-enter the whois site through my favorite's list, then I brought up my web site information easily, so I went on and tried one of my other web sites, and the same thing happened. I went through this whole rigamarole for all five of my web sites before it dawned on me what is happening. Previously, I had never gotten any message from whois other than either the status of the domain or a message that whois could not find any record of the domain. I never got any error messages before a couple of months ago. This message, although it looked like it was from whois, was not from whois, it was from the domain registrar. Whois software goes to registrars and looks at the settings for your domain. But if the registrar is selling your traffic and e-mail to some other IP address, they don't want you or me to be able to find that out, so if they get a whois query, they have software that will change your settings to what they are supposed to be. This message says to "go back", but on my system, I could not do so. I had to go back through my favorites and enter whois again. This takes two or three minutes. You try again and get as their response what they are supposed to be. Probably, if you went back in an hour and checked again, you would probably still get the altered information. Go back in a week and check, and you will probably go through the same series of changes. I suppose a person should go in every morning and every evening and check your whois information just to get some of the traffic and e-mail you are supposed to get. I since have found https://manage.opensrs.net/, I’m not sure if this is a service of the registrar or the host of my web sites, but it does give accurate DNS information (yet). You will have to know the password for your web site account, as well as the user name and domain name. You have no idea how much glee I am experiencing from exposing the crap that goes on whenever people get on the internet. Data bases (the internet is just a huge data base) are just as loaded with junk and impossible to control as I thought they were the first time I was exposed to them in 1975 or so. I have always disliked them even though I understand some of the benefits. (I have been programming the computer of the era or working somehow with them since 1954, I should have learned something in 51 years, this is sort of a perverted expression of that much experience.) And here is something I haven't heard anywhere. I kept getting requests from earthlink, my ISP, to download updates to their system. I kept giving them permission, until one day I went to see if there were any downloads available, and there were none. Not only that, but I knew that earthlink was on my white list. I was having so many problems with my system, I uninstalled earthlink and re-installed it, actually four or five times. I had stopped giving earthlink permission to download updates, but one day I was at Microsoft and I downloaded my Windows XP upgrade. That went OK, then I went to download my Microsoft Office updates. Right away, I got a window that said that either earthlink or microsoft wanted to download an update, would I give permission? I knew better, but I did give permission and after that, my earthlink software was totally useless. I tried uninstalling but the operating system refused to reinstall. I tried deleting all of my earthlink software including icons on the desktop, and I still could not install earthlink software on my computer. After a couple of months, HP had me restore my system to before the problem occurred. After that, I was getting requests from Grisoft to download updates. THEY WERE USING GRISOFT'S WINDOW TO MAKE THE REQUEST. After this happened a few times, it dawned on me that Grisoft had previously not asked permission, the window would just come up and start to download upgrades. So I uninstalled it and downloaded AVG again. Since then, I never allow anyone to download anything on my computer, period. If the software on your computer is on your white list, they will never ask for permission to download. I don't think that this information is out on any warnings. Moral: It's like with your social security number. If someone calls you and asks for your social security number, don't give it to them. If you call someone like your bank and they ask you for your social security number, you can give it to them. Never, never, never allow a download to your system unless you have asked for it, and it is much better to put specific sites on your protected list, then if they ask permission, you know it is a hacker trying to download malware of some kind onto your computer. This was a hard lesson for me to learn, I think I have it down pat now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Local Sexual Harassment Suit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the news during June, two Sioux Falls area women have filed sexual harassment complaints against the Sioux Falls Fire Department. Nicole Voth Havel and Madeline Palmer Borah both worked for the Sioux Falls Fire Department after 1997. They claimed that they did not have proper equipment to use, that they were subjected to pornography and not given proper restroom facilities, they were forced to cut their hair like men, that Borah was abandoned in a burning building while working with her captain, Havel said she was subjected to sexually demeaning e-mails that made fun of women, and Havel said she was belittled by male co-workers and when she complained, she was transferred to another station. The South Dakota Division of Human Rights transferred jurisdiction to the US EEOC, and they granted Havel the right to sue. Former Sioux Falls Mayor, Gary Hanson, during whose administration the events took place, did not recall any such complaints, he says he was strict with this kind of policy. The department has 174 firefighters, and only 3 are women. KDLT News Sioux Falls Argus Leader ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ National Domestic Violence Hotline working with “Life without Violence Hotline” in Mexico to help victims of abuse — NDVH Hotlines Newsletter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Norma Drago Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I haven't heard anything yet as far as the trial. It took months to get all the attorneys to schedule the last deposition. I guess this is when the trial will be scheduled. I haven't been back to work or applied for a job in the last 2 years. I am at the point where I need an income & my home business just didn't pan out. The problem I am having is that I need to find a way to explain why I left & feel comfortable working around men again. I really feel emotionally trapped. I hope if & when the time comes for the trial I can get some support. thanks. Norma Anyone who lives in Pennsylvania or New Jersey is encouraged to contact Norma ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Women in Iraq face new miseries and violence since the fall of Saddam — Al-Nisa “Rather than an improvement in the duality of women’s lives, what we have seen [since the US attacked Iraq] is widespread violence and an escalation of violence against women.” Houzan Mahmoud, houzan73(bleep)yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interesting New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A site that has a lot of information about security www.security.tao.ca submitted by Willow Moline Iowa Domestic Abuse hotline 1-800-942-0333 Http://www.cfiowa.org NDVH has a program to donate retired wireless phones to be used by victims of domestic violence in the “Call to Protect” program. Information on how to donate is at www.calltoprotect.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WE’RE ON THE WEB http://www.washrag.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This on-line version of THE WASHRAG is being sent to you free. A print version can be obtained by subscribing. In the US, send $10.00 to Women Against Sexual Harassment, P. O. Box 164, Canton, SD 57013-0164. Outside the US, send $20.00 to join. For a sample issue, send a #10 sized SASE. For a Publisher98 print module, e-mail backissues(bleep)washrag.org with issue number in subject. E-mail comments can be sent to JanetLeih(bleep)washrag.org. To sign up for a free e-mail subscription to the W.A.S.H. Rag send e-mail to subscribe(bleep)washrag.org with "subscribe" in the subject If you do not wish to receive further copies of this newsletter, unsubscribe by sending an e-mail to unsubscribe(bleep)washrag.org with "unsubscribe" in the subject ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ copyright 2005 Women Against Sexual Harassment, P. O. Box 164 Canton, SD 57013-0164 (605) 987-5070. ISSN: 1068-2449