Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

I swear, it's never going to stop snowing this winter, LOL! Chris has been snow blowing and shoveling like a madman. He's also been doing a lot of work on the Jeep - removing the old white paint to prime it and paint it red (not a bright red, a darker red - it's a nice color). The top and trim will be black. He's taking photos of the work he's doing to keep track of it, which I'll post soon. We're staying home tonight after visiting a bartending friend at the local VFW this afternoon. A fire in the fireplace, watch a movie, scratch Bandit and Guin's bellies and ears and just relax and be together. It's nice. Like I wrote before, my engagement ring is hard to describe - the two photos at the end of this don't do it complete justice, but you'll get the drift. The center stone is a dark green emerald; the top band is nine emeralds going from a dark green to a very light green; the bottom band is five diamonds. I plan on getting a plain gold ban...

(read the previous post to see what's going on) Not as nasty as I thought he would be, but refusing to reread the article I was interviewed for and realizing that the quotes he attributed to me were indeed wrong means he's still a dumbass. And the cutesy name for WHOA? Duh, buddy, look it up - it's Working to Halt Online Abuse = WHOA. Plus lumping me in with what the Fox reporter wrote claiming I was blaming the gaming industry, which I did not. . .oh WTF. What an idiot. Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:14:56 -0800 From: Neal Feldman To: JAH Subject: Re: Incorrect quote used in your recent commentary Where did I not 'use the right quotes'? I quoted what the article said. If you have an issue there I suggest you talk to Fox Newstainment. As for the 'so-called' Fox Newstainment has a track record regarding who they call 'experts' that is even lower than abysmal... and since all they did was call you an 'expert' I used the 'consider the source...

Grr. It happened again. A stupid reporter from a small paper in Oregon decided to take a quote out of his ass and attribute it to me. Good lord. Here's the "commentary" this idiot wrote: Logic Fleeting in Online Gaming Safety Debate This is what he wrote about me: One of their so-called 'experts', alleged cyber-stalking victim Jayne Hitchcock, president of Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHOA), makes the claim that games are at fault because they "can foster more vulnerability than there might be on other virtual meeting spaces such as dating and social networking sites". Hogwash! The games always warn you to be aware of unscrupulous folks and to protect yourself accordingly... especially they warn you to NEVER give out account information, credit card information or any other personal information unless you are sure about who you are dealing with, and even then to do so warily. But they can only hold your hand and protect you from your own stupidity so mu...

The segment I videotaped for America's Most Wanted finally aired last night. I was on for a split second on screen, although my voice was in the rest of the segment. I went to the AMW web site to see if they added the tips I'd talked about and instead of me as the expert, they listed another online safety organization, then mine as an afterthought at the very end. This other organization is run by a person who has not liked me from day one when I refused to merge my group into theirs. So they refuse to appear in any media interviews with me (I have emails from reporters stating this, so it IS a fact) and insist on being the only cyber crime expert. I'm surprised they let AMW even mention my group on the web site. Grr. I just hope people who do online dating will take the info and tips I talked about to heart. The tips I talked about are on my blog at Fox Maine . There is also a chapter about online dating in my latest book, the second edition of Net Crimes & Misdemeanor...

I was interviewed by many media outlets for the Myspace suicide story mentioned in an earlier post here. Fox News, Associated Press, local radio and newspaper, even the Dr. Phil Show called about possibly doing a show about it, but postponed it. What gets me is just about every major media outlet misquoted or quoted me out of context. The AP Story quoted me as stating that the law passed in Dardenne Prairie outlawing cyberstalking was meaningless (this is the city where the girl lived). It is. But the reporter didn't add just WHY I stated it was meaningless, so I looked like a mean person who didn't give a damn about the girl who died. Oy. The reason the law is meaningless is because the law can only be used if BOTH the victim and harasser are located in Dardenne Prairie, or just the harasser (a victim, if they have to pursue charges or sue their harasser, must do so where the harasser lives, not where they live. . .unless the police want to extradite the harasser, which rarel...

The segment I was interviewed for on America's Most Wanted was pushed back to either December 22 or the 29th. I can't get a better answer than that. Since it is a filler and not time-sensitive, I have to expect delays like this. So just tune in to Fox on Saturday those dates to see if the online dating segment is in the previews of what's going to be on the show. They don't list on their web site what is going to be on their upcoming shows. Let's hope it airs before the end of the year! Also, Video Professor's launch has been delayed until the first week of January.

I moderate a YahooGroup for my organization, WHOA, and this is the reply I sent yesterday: Re: Kudos to Dardenne Prairie Mo for a new law making online harassment a crime there. It's not a kudo. It's a band aid. And it wouldn't have helped in this case at all. Cyberstalking and online harassment are not "cruel messages", as was sent to this girl, number one. Number two, the law only applies for that one town, so that means a case can only occur if the victim and harasser live in Dardenne Prairie. The town did this to appease the girl's parents. What happened to her was horrible, don't get me wrong, but what needs to change is the accountability of sites such as Myspace, not creating laws that will do nothing like this one. Myspace, Yahoo, Hotmail, Facebook, etc need to have some sort of safeguard so that fake profiles can NOT be opened up and used to demean, harass, or be forged in someone else's names. That is the answer. I was on a radio show this ...

I just wanted to let you know that I was interviewed as an expert for a segment about online dating for America's Most Wanted. It was supposed to air tomorrow night, but has been moved to December 8th on Fox TV at 9 pm (after "COPS"). This is because it is not a time-sensitive story and is more of a "filler" for AMW. There isn't anything on their site yet that I can see, but keep an eye out on there for info about the show just prior and after my segment airs. They are going to add more video of me on the web site later on, as the camera guy spent close to two hours interviewing me and I know they'll use less than five minutes of it on the show.

I'm a member of Sisters In Crime (both national and New England) and have gotten to meet a lot of my favorite mystery authors. When I read in the local paper that Tess Gerritsen was going to be giving a talk at our local library this past Saturday night, I figured I'd see if she could join Chris and I for drinks afterward. Chris is a HUGE fan of hers (and this is no lie - he's read just about every book of hers), so he was excited. I emailed Tess and got a prompt reply that she and her husband, Jacob, would love to come to our house afterwards for drinks. Chris couldn't contain himself - he was actually nervous. We went to the library for her lecture at 7 pm. She talked about her latest book, The Bone Garden , which is a bit of a departure from her Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles series. It goes back and forth between the late 1800s and present day, but of course there is a murder to be solved. She talked about the research she conducted for writing the late 1800s par...

ARE YOU A UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO HAS BEEN STALKED ONLINE? Complete a brief, anonymous survey and you could win $50! Click Here to take survey This is being conducted by Nancy Hensler-McGinnis, M.A. Doctoral Candidate, Counseling Psychology University of Maryland, College Park

. . .will be ignored. My blog info clearly states that I post about my professional and personal life. I do not disclose information I don't feel comfortable letting the world read. As a cyber crime expert, I know what I am doing and I am more than comfortable with what I post. If you are not, that is your problem.

I knew I couldn't be here when the anniversary of dad and my husband's deaths came up, so I made plans to fly to Sarasota, Florida to be with Jean, a dear friend I haven't seen in almost 10 years. I met her on a flight back from Tampa - we were seatmates. I usually don't talk to anyone on planes, but we struck up a conversation and became great friends. She's almost 20 years older than me, but very young at heart and we got along famously. Then it turned out she lived in Annapolis, only about 10 minutes from where we lived in Crofton, Maryland, so we ended up becoming good friends. I call her my fairy godmother, LOL. So I asked Jean if I could come see her - she and her husband, David, moved to Sarasota full time last year. She was ecstatic. I made my reservations and flew down there on US Airways on November 3rd, a Saturday. No problems with my connection and I almost cried when I saw Jean. It had been too long! We drove to her place to say hello to her neighbors a...

Who was it that said that everything happens for a reason? When my husband died a year ago today, I was devastated. I didn't know how I could go on, but I did. I didn't know how I'd be able to live in the same house where he died, but I am. I never thought I would ever find someone to love again, but I have. This doesn't mean I love my late husband any less - so not true. He will always be in my heart. How could he not? After all, we were together for almost 20 years. But I know he would have wanted me to be happy again. I think he approves of my newfound happiness in the little signs I see every day. Pennies from heaven. A 1989 nickel (that was the year we were married). A heart-shaped rock. Monarch butterflies following me everywhere. . . So on this day that was so sad a year ago, I rejoice in my love for my late husband and my love for Chris - yes, the new man in my life is also named Chris. Another sign, I truly believe. Everything happens for a reason and though no...

I miss you, Dad. In memory of William E. Hitchcock 1928-2006

Now I can make the announcement I have been waiting to make for over a year. Back in late 2006, soon after the 2nd edition of Net Crimes & Misdemeanors came out, a representative from Video Professor contacted me about possibly basing a tutorial on the book. I was very excited at the time and put them in contact with my publisher, Information Today, Inc. (the parent company of the imprint Cyberage Books). Time passed. Emails went back and forth many times. I persisted. Sent them candy (actually salt water taffy from Maine) to sweeten them up - pun intended. More time passed. Then I was on Good Morning, America and several other news articles/shows and suddenly things were on again. A contract was sent out. It took forever (it seemed) for both sides to agree on the terms. Finally, it got signed. Then I had to wait for the advance check to arrive. More toe-tapping while I waited. Video Professor did send the first script for me to go over, so I worked on that. Waited some more. Fi...

Net Crimes Newsletter October 22, 2007 I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .this sucks, er, I mean sux After fight, airport embraces SUX code http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071022/ap_on_fe_st/odd_airport_identifier;_ylt=AiefDfvy9zjKvdjM5tvDzaTtiBIF City leaders have scrapped plans to do away with the Sioux Gateway Airport's unflattering three-letter identifier ­ SUX ­ and instead have made it the centerpiece of the airport's new marketing campaign. The code, used by pilots and airports worldwide and printed on tickets and luggage tags, will be used on T-shirts and caps sporting the airport's new slogan, "FLY SUX." It also forms the address of the airport's redesigned Web site ­ http://www.flysux.com. Sioux City officials petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to change the code in 1988 and 2002. At one point, the FAA offered the city five alternatives ­ GWU, GYO, GYT, SGV and GAY ­ but airport trustees turned them down. Airport board member Dave Be...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Hamburger, hamburger, no Coke, Pepsi! Pepsi, Coke rivalry becomes physical http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071013/ap_on_fe_st/odd_coke_pepsi_fight;_ylt=AuAtQ3ZcgYiqjPs_zNxTPFLtiBIF The long-standing rivalry between Coke and Pepsi took a physical turn Friday when a Pepsi deliveryman allegedly punched his Coke counterpart in the face at a western Pennsylvania Wal-Mart, state police said. The two deliverymen were "apparently bickering back and forth" while unloading their wares at the Indiana County store, police said. When the Coke deliveryman left the store, his counterpart allegedly punched him in the face three times, breaking his nose and giving him a black eye, police said. No charges have been filed, but police characterized the incident as a misdemeanor simple assault. Visit Net Crimes on the web at http://www.netcrimes.net * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS TO USE AND PASS ALONG! (DISC...

From a friend: "Hi Jayne, Did you see this - http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071003/ts_nm/target_blind_dc. Target is being sued because the website is not blind friendly. I need some duct tape, my head's about to explode. It's like the candy machines with the dots on the numbers for the blind. Ok, they know which number to press, but who tells them which candy bar is in the slot, the F**king seeing eye dog?" He has a point.

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .A real "your grandpa is your pa" story Man, 72, to donate sperm for "grandchild" A 72-year-old man is to donate his sperm to his daughter-in-law, allowing her to become a mother and produce a "grandchild", fertility authorities said on Friday. The unnamed man is donating his sperm because his son and daughter-in-law's attempts at IVF treatment failed due to the poor quality of the husband's sperm, according to the Evening Standard newspaper. "It's not uncommon for someone in the family to donate, although normally the age limit for sperm donors is 45," said a spokeswoman for Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which has advised the clinic overseeing the 72-year-old's donation. "What's uncommon in this case is the donor's age." (read the rest at the link) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS TO USE AND PA...

Saturday morning I had to drive north to Kents Hill to a private academy there. I was presenting with a Maine State Trooper, Roderick Charette (he was cute). Before this, though, I do my homework and searched on Myspace and Facebook to see how many students had too much info in their profiles. I also sent friend requests on Facebook to see how many students would add me as a friend without asking who I was. I had 22 add me, no questions asked. One student, a 16-year-old boy I'll call BT, decided to email me. This is the exchange over the course of three days before my presentation: BT: hey who this just wondering i will add u if u tell me about ur self not beign a bitch just asking who u are thats all ans how old are u ur pretty hottt lol Me: Thank you for the compliment, LOL. I work for the University of Maryland but live in southern Maine was looking for some folks in Maine to add as friends. BT: ohh kool how old are u maybe we could meeet up some time and we could idk w.e u want...

From the writer: Writer for national women's magazine is looking to speak with female victims cyberstalking or cyberbullying--preferably those in their late twenties and early thirties. Especially interested in online cases that eventually went offline into real life. If you're available to chat on the phone with this writer sometime before 9/27/08, please email Cara at cara_birnbaum@yahoo.com.

I get some weird emails at WHOA (my organization). I just had to post this: I'm going to tell him to return his keyboard for a new one. Sigh. Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by Benjamin T. Wadkins on September 15th, 2007 at 11:15AM (EDT). realname: Benjamin T. Wadkins comments: In explaining how to send a Header t Yahoo.om Your Instructions First line say to veiw E-Mail & hit Foreward button----I Don't have a foreward button on my keyboard?

You can respond directly to her (just let me know if you do): I am working on an article which looks at online crimes people may be committing without realising it. Online bullying/harassment where people post nasty things about co-workers/ex-partners and bosses has come up as one these examples. Can I speak to someone who has had nasty comments, nude pictures or embarrassing videos posted online about him or her by co-workers or an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend? I would really appreciate speaking to this person anytime tomorrow or early on Friday. I can change his or her name if he or she wants me to. Thanks for your help Trudy Simpson Journalist The Voice Newspaper Northern and Shell Tower Selsdon Way, Docklands London E14 9GL Tel: 0 (44) 2075100383 Email:trudy.simpson@gvmedia.co.uk

I was checking my Myspace profile and today I have 911 friends on my list. Like I could ever forget what happened today in 2001. God Bless America.

Saturday was busy. Rob, my construction guy, arrived at 1130 am to do more work downstairs. He's been away for a couple of weeks. He broke up with his girlfriend and she's giving him a lot of grief. Plus he's working three jobs with his regular construction job. So he's stressed out big time and feels guilty he hasn't been able to work here. I told him to take his time. I'm not in a hurry to get it finished and besides, I like having him over. He's not hard on the eyes (ha ha). Seriously, he's a nice guy, a Marine like my husband was, he lived on Okinawa the same time we did, so we get along well and enjoy a beer or two when he's done working and just talk. I think he needs someone to talk to anyway. He did get a lot done - the walls of the bathroom downstairs are up, he stained some more of the doors and trim for the doorways and cleaned up a bit. He does very good work. I keep telling him he should just go off on his own and have his own business. ...

Yesterday would have been Chris' 41st birthday. A friend from Massachusetts spent the morning with me, then I drove to the cemetary alone. The sun had just broken through the clouds. I had a small Marine Corps flag that I put in the ground at the head of the veterans plaque on Chris' grave, told him, "Happy Birthday, Chris," then burst into tears. I sat in the car for a while. It was funny, in a weird way. Rob sent me a text message that he had picked up the door for the bathroom going in downstairs and asked when he could come by to finish up some things. He was a Marine, too. But he had no clue it was Chris' birthday. Weird timing. It made me cry more. I called V2. She was working and was worried about me being alone. My other friend, Robin, was home, so I called her and she said she'd be at my house by the time I got there. I got home, she arrived with some Smirnoff Ice and we talked for a while. V2 arrived an hour later and we all talked some more. I have ...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .And someone actually paid $114,00 for a pair of these Austrian designs luxury lederhosen line http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070824/ap_on_fe_st/odd_luxury_lederhosen;_ylt=At7LQzEhBi8mRHunM9SXNLgsQE4F An Austrian designer is taking orders for personalized luxury lederhosen and recently sold a diamond-studded pair for $114,000. Christian Wohlmuther, who owns a clothing business that sells traditional Austrian attire based in Bad Mitterndorf, Styria, said Friday the cost of his creations varies depending on the decoration. Those interested can choose from an array of stones, including garnets, rubies, emeralds and diamonds, that are then mounted on buttons made either of sterling silver, gold or platinum. "We generally focus on the client's budget and then show him what's possible," Wohlmuther said. Wohlmuther, who works with a local jeweler in the Styrian town of Liezen, said his first pair of luxury lederhosen ­ decorated with 1...

School starts soon for students and they need to be aware of the dangers of cyberbullies and what to do about it. I am available to speak at middle, high schools, colleges and universities to students, school personnel and parents about cyberbullying, online social networking sites and much more. Just email me at netcrimes@netcrimes.net for more information about this. WHAT TO DO ABOUT CYBERBULLIES There are several avenues for action, depending upon who the cyberbully is and what the cyberbully has done. Victims do have recourse, and cyberbullies can be stopped, and sometimes even prosecuted for criminal or civil offenses. ACT IMMEDIATELY! The longer you wait, the harder it is to successfully identify the cyberbully. IF YOU ARE RECEIVING DEATH THREATS or believe yourself or your family to be in immediate physical danger, dial 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. RESPOND ONCE to the cyberbully with a simple "Please stop contacting me." You do not have to explain yourself. After that, DO NOT...

Got this in my email - please pass the word on: It was just brought to my attention that the following link that was on our "Favorite Links" page no longer belongs to Survivors of Stalking...and now has porn links on it. Please forward this information to everyone on your mailing list...so they can remove the link asap. http://www.soshelp.org/ Take care, Cheryl Darisse Founder and President "Be Strong, Be Safe and Be Heard!"SM www.FeelSafeAgain.org

So. Something very unexpected happened on Wednesday night. I can't go into details just yet, but a big change has been made in my life - for the better. I am one happy puppy. On Thursday, I had a private reading with the radio show psychic, Michael Gogger . He knew from the start that something big had happened the night before and nailed it. He is as spooky accurate as the tarot card reader I'd seen the week before. And he said pretty much all the same things she predicted/said. It was very eerie. He said he saw me going overseas, traveling a lot through the USA for work and probably relocating. He said he saw me as a broadcaster or hosting my own show (which would be way cool), that I needed to pay attention to my dreams, my health would be good, and that my mom was very happy with what happened the night before. And she was. She told me, "It's about time." He also said that something completely out of the blue, a surprise project, would be coming to me soon and...