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Identity Theft – is

it stealing? According to so much articles the stigma of Identity

theft is classified as stealing from someone, though it

can’t be classified under a certain crime, as you are not

really stealing something touchable , though the theft is

of something so valuable that the theft of your identity is

one of the most “petty” crimes to commit. According to

authorities, this type of crime is not easy to handle,

because the assumption and thief can only be caught in

the act or there should be some sort of solid proof that

sustains the victims claim to have been robbed of their

identity. Therefore in almost all states and countries this

crime is a mere “Serious petty crime” class.

Personally I feel this type of crime is just as well in the

class of murder, as the victim of identity theft is stuck in

an emotionally destroying situation. Your only real value

in life is your name, as employers, credit providers,

insurance, ect have to take time to check your record

and qualify you for their certain product or work. These

victims are placed in such a difficult situation, which will

most probably last for years after the culprit was

caught, just to clear their own name of the offenses this

thief did under the victim’s respectful name.

My research on this subject opened my eyes to the

dangerous individuals out there, and their personal

capabilities, I also found that in the interim of the

situation there is more than one type of culprit we as

society is not even aware of.

Identity cloning and concealment

In this situation, the identity thief impersonates

someone else in order to conceal their own true

identity. Examples might be illegal immigrants, people

hiding from creditors or other individuals, or those who

simply want to become "anonymous" for personal

reasons. Another example are posers, a label given to

people who use somebody else’s photos and

information through social networking sites. Mostly,

posers create believable stories involving friends of the

real person they are imitating. Unlike identity theft used

to obtain credit which usually comes to light when the

debts mount, concealment may continue indefinitely

without being detected, particularly if the identity thief is

able to obtain false credentials in order to pass various

authentication tests in everyday life.

Criminal identity theft

When a criminal fraudulently identifies himself to police

as another individual at the point of arrest, it is

sometimes referred to as "Criminal Identity Theft." In

some cases criminals have previously obtained state -

issued identity documents using credentials stolen from

others, or have simply presented fake ID. Provided the

subterfuge works, charges may be placed under the

victim's name, letting the criminal off the hook. Victims

might only learn of such incidents by chance, for

example by receiving court summons, discovering their

drivers licenses are suspended when stopped for minor

traffic violations, or through background checks

performed for employment purposes.

It can be difficult for the victim of a criminal identity theft

to clear their record. The steps required to clear the

victim's incorrect criminal record depend on what

jurisdiction the crime occurred in and whether the true

identity of the criminal can be determined. The victim

might need to locate the original arresting officers and

prove their own identity by some reliable means such

as fingerprinting or DNA fingerprinting, and may need to

go to a court hearing to be cleared of the charges.

Obtaining an expungement of court records may also

be required. Authorities might permanently maintain the

victim's name as an alias for the criminal's true identity

in their criminal records databases. One problem that

victims of criminal identity theft may encounter is that

various data aggregators might still have the incorrect

criminal records in their databases even after court and

police records are corrected. Thus it is possible that a

future background check will return the incorrect

criminal records. This is just one example of the kinds

of impact that may continue to affect the victims of

identity theft for some months or even years after the

crime, aside from the psychological trauma that being

'cloned' typically engenders.

Synthetic identity theft

A variation of identity theft which has recently become

more common is synthetic identity theft, in which

identities are completely or partially fabricated. The

most common technique involves combining a real

social security number with a name and birth date other

than the ones associated with the number. Synthetic

identity theft is more difficult to track as it doesn't show

on either person's credit report directly, but may appear

as an entirely new file in the credit bureau or as a

subfile on one of the victim's credit reports. Synthetic

identity theft primarily harms the creditors who

unwittingly grant the fraudsters credit. Individual victims

can be affected if their names become confused with

the synthetic identities, or if negative information in their

sub files impacts their credit ratings.

Medical identity theft

Medical identity theft occurs when someone seeks

medical care under the identity of another person. In

addition to risks of financial harm common to all forms

of identity theft, the thief's medical history may be

added to the victim's medical records. Inaccurate

information in the victim's records is difficult to correct

and may affect future insurability or cause doctors

relying on the misinformation to deliver inappropriate

medical care.

Child identity theft

Child identity theft occurs when a minor’s Social

Security number is used by another person for the

imposter’s personal gain. The imposter can be a family

member, a friend, or even a stranger who targets

children. The Social Security numbers of children are

valued because they do not have any information

associated with them. Thieves can establish lines of

credit, obtain driver’s licenses, or even buy a house

using a child’s identity. This fraud can go undetected for

years, as most children don’t discover the problem until

years later. Child identity theft is fairly common, and

studies have shown that the problem is growing. The

largest study on child identity theft, as reported by

Richard Power of the Carnegie Mellon Cylab with data

supplied by All Clear ID, found that of 40,000 children

10.2% were victims of identity theft.

We gathered some statistics to show you how these

people operate and the how high the risk still applies in

the country.

18 – 24 8.5 %

25 – 34 7.6 %

35 – 49 7.9 %

50 – 64 7.3 %

65 + 4.3 %

Race

White 7.3 %

Black / African American 5.2 %

Hispanic 5.8 %

American Indian / Alaska Native 6.1 %

Asian / Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 8.5 %

Two or More Races 11.6 %

Identity Fraud Rate

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

Juggling

Two

Jobs The average person has one job to pertain, relate and fulfil a

need. Some individuals have a sense of working effort to not

only juggle two jobs but fulfil both roles to their best possible

effort. There are so many reasons why these individuals

decide to fulfil these two roles, some are busy building an

empire outside of their day jobs, either running their own

business on the sideline, whilst fulfilling the role of employee

under someone else’s structures, procedures and rules.

Then there is the person whom walks the line to such an

extent that an extra income is absolutely vital, these people

are usually either single mommies or individuals whom find

their selves in a situation or stage in life where the little

income they receive from both jobs are just enough to pull

them through a month. I came in contact with a few people

during this month that world be the perfect example of

individuals who has it in them to juggle two roles daily. A

single mother and workaholic. Even though these individuals

already have roles that subdue all their time, they still find

time to fill other role. You may be sitting there and thinking

that how can a single mother be two roles, where in actual

fact a single mother already have two roles when doing a full

day job, as being a mother is also a role in society that

needs to be filled, the same with being a father, whether you

are a stay home parent or working parent, when your day

ends at work , you have to switch roles from being

professional to being a parent.

It is sometimes so healthy to be able to switch between

these roles, as in today’s lifestyle the neccecity is so big to

be able to juggle two jobs, as most employers are either

looking for cheap labour or a mere flexible individual to fulfil

two roles in their working environment, whether you are

appointed as admin lady , but you need to be able to do the

books of the company as well. There are a few ways to see

this in a good way, if you teach yourself a few tricks of the

trade, juggling two jobs wont become easier but it will

become bearable.

Here are a few points which I found very useful juggling two

jobs, do not expect this to work for you immediately as it

takes practice and it differs from person to person.

Focus

There is always a reason why you find yourself in this

situation, whether you are starting a business on the

sideline, maybe in deyer need of the extra financing, or its

merely to keep your job as your employer expects this from

you. You need to be able to focus on the task at hand, and

focus on the reason behind this situation you find yourself in,

this reason you need to focus on while applying these roles,

as this may be the only thing keeping you going each day.

Try not to redirect your focus during the day, as the average

mind thrives on only one focus, therefore it is vitally

important to remember that you are there for a reason, and

you need to stand up and face it , to be able to get through

this and see this through.

Another part to focus on is the fact that you cannot be two

roles at once, you need to have a time for each role, its no

use to try and be both roles at once. You need to enable

yourself to switch your focus from one role to another when

needed, and this means you need to shut down one role

while completing another role.

Prioritise

Two jobs have more tasks to be completed that having only

one role to attain, therefore it is vital for you to be able to

prioritise, if you are fulfilling two roles at work, you need to be

able to tell which of the functions within these roles are most

important and diarise it for yourself, this might feel ridiculous

to diarise a list of tasks each day, but in due time your mind

will master the ability to automatically prioritise this for you

daily. If in the interim you are trying to start your business on

the sideline or have a second job after hours whichever the

case may be, always keep in mind that your employer or

employers pay you for the hours you commit to them,

therefore you need to prioritise the tasks in such a way that

you do not overstep the boundaries of one or the other

employer. This means , you need to able to go to work in the

mornings, and know that from this time to that time i need to

fully devote myself to this employer, and not think or do

anything during these hours to fulfil your second or third

employers need, as time is essentially money for each

business.

Manage

This may sound absolutely berserk, but you need to manage

yourself and your personal lifestyle, if you are well focused

and mastered that skill , managing yourself is an absolute

bliss. This means you need to know what you have space

and time for in your life, sounds selfish , and yes it absolutely

is , but take to mind that you only have one life, and allowing

unnecessary drama or people into your life , will make you

loose focus and completely through you off track. If I say

letting people into your life, i do not only mean physically, I’m

actually refereeing to work politics or complicated

friendships, that subdue time for you to think about nonsense

or devote time to sort out things that is absolutely useless.

Always keep in mind , you are running a race, if you run the

race smart for the first few years, the last few years will be

the best you will ever remember. Some individuals spend

time fussing over things, and playing mind games to

entertain themselves, you do not have time or space for that

when you are already juggling two roles, this immediately

tells me , there is some drive behind you that got you where

you are today.

Those three points are the most vital points you need to

get through each day, in due time you will master them ,

and the rest will come automatically. Always remember

there will be individual that will try and through you off

your game, but you need to remain steady in what you

are aiming to achieve.

Something

wicked this

way comes The end is nigh. End of the world? No, the end of Facebook.

This article will only be published 3 weeks after it has been

written, but by now you all would have seen, if not

participated, in the latest social phenomenon ‘Confession

Pages’ on Facebook.

For those who have just come out of a coma, a confession

page is a site that people go on to anonymously and confess

some type of behaviour they would never do openly. It

started out innocently enough, but grew into a terrible

monster. To my knowledge these sites started up on

different campuses for the students to confess their worst

behaviour, all part of a laugh, it soon turned into a

competition between hostels and residences, followed by

intervarsity proportions. And the bigger the audience, the

worse the people confessing tried to make the shock value.

Safety measures were put in place to safeguard the users

from potential harm but that could only last so long as people

found loopholes in the system to acquire more info. I mean a

campus is only that big and social circles eventually cross.

The biggest problem these pages had was that although the

original posts were anonymous, the users commenting on

the posts weren’t, so if these users don’t have the correct

security settings on their profile they were at risk of getting

tracked down. Surely nobody can be that stupid? Well, you

don’t need to be a computing guru to figure out how to get

information through social media, especially in smaller

communities.

Basically this was a recipe for disaster… think of all the

people you know who owned a power bracelet or a pair of

crocs and multiply them by a thousand. Every person who

got hooked on these pages due to their fear of missing out

suddenly wanted to jump on the bandwagon. The only thing

people who ‘liked’ these pages ever wanted to talk about

was what this guy or that girl confessed and who commented

on it. Something that could be very distracting especially with

looming tests and exams.

If there is one thing any person on earth loves to do it is

judge people, and has an opinion about every type of

behaviour. Small things amuse small minds one can argue,

but when it happens on such a grand scale surely there must

be something wrong within our societies. Lucky for you, you

have me to investigate.

First and foremost we need to look at the type of posts that

get confessed and why they get so much feedback. They are

mostly about sexual exploitations or rebellious behaviour,

going against the norms of society or relationship related

deeds. The people commenting then generally approve or

disapprove and so a debate gets waged until the next post

comes along. As mentioned earlier these posts started to

compete with each other to see which can get more

attention. Sure there were some innocent enough, but how

long can you stay innocent in Sodom & Gomorra.

Humans learn though example, and I’m sure there are

countless of minds that came across these pages that saw

what the moral norms are of students, who think if they don’t

act or do the same they won’t be seen as normal. We should

all take care in remembering that as much as you want to

stand out as an individual now, back in your pubescent years

you just wanted to fit in and belong. And if you think it’s not

your job to monitor what generations after you get exploited

by, then you are even more disillusioned than you think.

Trust me, I am the last person to preach about a moral code,

as the debaucheries I’ve committed is basically summed by

the first few confessions of every page. The problem I have

with these vile sources of trivial information is how it

stereotypes so many people. Something they’ve been trying

to forget and break away from all of a sudden gets publicized

just because it is ‘safe’ to, because it is anonymous.

It becomes apparent why South Africa is so swamped with

rape, adultery, violence, ludeness, drug and alcohol abuse,

fraud, and corruption. If the top universities have people

contributing to these factors, what chance does the rest of

the country have without the knowledge, education and

means to combat these atrocities? They reckon once they

graduate the shameful, secret behaviour of their varsity days

end when they put on a toga? That they magically forget all

the bad habits they picked up during these formative years?

Even worse are those who participate in these events are

aware of it, and yet you decide to turn the blind eye and say:

‘Not my problem’.

If student confessions weren’t bad enough, the posts of post

grad social media was worse. Trying to bate all the addicts in

some feeble attempt to go back to their ‘glory days’, and

when I say an addict I mean the people who read and

comment on the posts, feeding the monster that was still

growing. The same people who comment on every matter,

who feel that they have somehow earned some celebrity

status because people interacted with them, who liked what

they had to say. They get this enormous boost of egotistical

self believe. I can only think how it engulfed their personal

lives, going from obscurity to internet rock stardom even

though in a small online community. Sad really, pathetic

actually.

All the people who frequent these sites trying to be a part of

something different, I am sorry to tell you that your parents

failed you, your teachers failed you, the people who were

supposed to take care of your mental and social upbringing

failed you. Life Orientation teachers across the country will

have their hands full with the general insolence and

ignorance that these sites portray. How long I will have to

suffer through it remains to be seen, I’m pretty sure that I’m

not the only. From a personal viewpoint I’m disappointed in

all the acquaintances I have that frequent the sites and see

how they interact with the same people I find so morally

corrupt and damaged, but hey who am I to judge…

Star Trek

Wars: The

Next

Generation The movie empires strike again!

The Star Trek and Star Wars franchises have gained cult

status over the past few decades as their following has

waged an ongoing war between each other in support their

of favourite. With Disney Studios obtaining the rights to

Lucas Arts, the company founded by the creator of Star

Wars George Lucas, for an estimated amount of $700 million

and the Star Trek series continuing with its franchise reboot,

it is just a matter of time for these two science-fiction classics

to clash again. Luckily for our readers you have me to

prepare you for the war that will soon wage.

In what will undoubtedly be labelled as ‘the clash of titans’

these two industry giants will compete to gain a next

generation of followers to ensure the longevity of the two

respective brands continues. Sure there are other sci-fi

movies which deserve a mention, but the influence these two

have had on pop culture is immeasurable. If you are able to

read, write or speak the English language you would have

had dealings surrounding these movies.

I say movies knowing that some ‘Trekkies’ (Star Trek fans)

would correct me by saying that Star Trek built its following

through the tv series where Star Wars was originally only a

trilogy of movies. For the purpose of this article I’ll stick to the

term ‘movies’, as it is construes any type of motion picture.

My logic is flawed I know, but I’m human, not Vulcan.

For those who lost me during the introduction, let me give

you a quick debriefing regarding the two franchises. Let’s

start of with Star Wars, the original trilogy was created in

1977 and started with Episode IV: A New Hope, followed by

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and finally Episode VI:

The Return of the Jedi. Star Wars focusses on political

agenda and the abuse of power to obtain it. The rhetoric of

sacrifice and loyalty is deeply interwoven within the plots of

the characters. I could write a synopsis surrounding the

characters and main themes but I’d rather you watch it for

yourself to draw your own conclusions or do what any other

person would, ‘google it’.

Star Trek plots, whether that of the films or tv series, always

ask the viewer whether they would follow a logical safe

approach in a scenario or trust their gut, which although

reckless is usually intended for a greater purpose. Through

its plethora of characters it finds different ways to identify

itself with the viewer.

With the technological advances in the film making industry

the next generation of movies will be able to take its plots

and characters to a whole new level. To encapture the

imaginations of anyone who watches it, opening a whole

new dimension to their thought processes. With fans being

able to be more engaged than previous generations it will be

an epic war on the fields of social media.Whether you sit on

the fence or choose a side, the battle itself will entertain the

world perhaps even more than the movies itself, it reminds

me of a comedy adventure movie ‘Fanboys’. Without copying

and pasting more details of characters from Wikipedia, I’ll

rather you discover and rediscover them for yourselves, may

the force be with you, live long and prosper.

YOGA AND YOUR MIND

Yoga has always proved beneficial in curing various diseases. It has also proved extremely helpful in other problems like obesity, anxiety and depression. Depression is the worst effect of a busy lifestyle these days. With the rapid increase in the run for betterment, there are always failures which are not very welcomed by people. Hence, depression becomes our worst evil. It can, however, be very effectively controlled with the help of yoga. Meditation and yoga when practiced with the right postures and the right state can cure depression without any medication.

Discussed below are certain postures by which you can curb depression:

Viparita Karani

This is the simplest posture. In this, you need to lie on your back and rest your legs against a wall. Inhale and exhale slowly. While both inhaling and exhaling, try and keep a count of 5. Your eyes should be closed.

This posture does not involve any kind of strain on your body. Hence, anyone can perform it.

Apart from curing depression, people suffering from lack of sleep can also be benefited by this exercise. It helps you in your concentration, brings you back in the present and re-routes circulation.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

You start by lying down firmly on the mat. You should keep your hands towards the side with palms down. Now you bend your knees. Next, you have to lift yourself up using your abs. Hold this position for a while.

This posture brings in positive energy. You can feel the sudden rush on energy through your body once you complete it. It also calms the mind and hence, frees you of depression.

You can use a pillow or any other support to hold that position for a while. People with back ache can avoid this position.

Marjariaasana

This asana can be performed in two ways. The first is the cow. You remain on all fours. Keep your backbone in one line, your knees below your hips and your hands below your shoulders. The next step is to pull your stomach towards the

floor and pull your face up, towards the sky. Hold this position for a while.

The next position is the cat. You again have to remain on all fours. This time, push your stomach upwards and bring your face down. Hold this position for a while.

People with back ache problems should especially do this exercise as it cures backache problems. It promotes an ideal spine alignment and also strengthens back muscles. It thus builds up concentration and helps cure depression.

Mastyasana

This is also called the fish position. You start by down on your back with arms on the side and palms down. The next step is to pull yourself up. Keep your legs firmly on the ground and make your chest protrude.

This causes your lungs to expand making more room for the air. This improves breathing. Your heart gets opened in this position. This unclogs all the tension in the core tissue. It thus helps in curing tension and depression.

This position is very basic and anyone can do it.

Salabhasana

This is called the locust position. You start by lying down on your stomach. Keep your hands on the sides with palms facing upwards. Next you lift up your legs as well as the upper torso including your arms. You should lift up your chest as high as it is comfortable.

This posture again opens up your heart. It not only cures depression but also helps in curing indigestion, gall bladder problems, low energy levels and fatigue.

People with backaches could also do this exercise. But people with serious stomach ailments or back problem should abstain from practicing this yoga exercise.

Essential pose – Savasana

This is the most essential pose in yoga practice. This step must always be done while winding up your yoga session. All you need to do is lie straight on your back with your arms on the side and feet apart, in a neutral position. It is also known as corpse pose.

When in the right posture, relax yourself and start stretching your body. It should be stretched as if someone is trying to pull our head and body in two different directions. You need to ease your breathing while practicing Savasana. You should practice to hold your breath when in the stretching position. You should focus on your breathing when doing the mental yoga exercise. This increases concentration and improves blood circulation. It improves concentration and majorly helps in relieving tension thus curing depression.