Twelve Years Later

As promised in my post “Of Cyberbullies and Blackmail” this post addresses the recent decision by the General Medical Council under its Preliminary Proceedings Committee and Professional Conduct Committee (Procedure) Rules Order of Council 1988.

There are two stories intertwined in the story of Andrew Wakefield.  One is the study itself; the other is the ethical conduct, or lack thereof, of Andrew Wakefield.

Generation Rescue and Jenny McCarthy would have us believe that the GMC and pharmaceutical companies are hiding the truth about what is being done to children when they are vaccinated, and that Andrew Wakefield is being wrongfully persecuted for his 1998 study and its findings.  However, even at a cursory level, it is evident that the 1998 study was very poorly conducted with protocols overlooked and questionable ethics added to the mix.

The World Health Organization debunked the seriously flawed Wakefield study long ago.  However, it would appear that Mother Warrior and Oprah’s Latest Talk Show Host, Jenny McCarthy continues to clamour loudly that Wakefield’s research is correct, and the WHO and the GMC and all the scientists who tried to replicate – and were unsuccessful in replicating — Wakefield’s study are part of a larger Big Pharma-Government conspiracy to keep the ‘truth’ from getting out there. 

(NOTE:  Please read the 5-part blog entry entitled “The Big Pharma Conspiracy” from December 2009.)

According to the figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, Wakefield was paid £435,643 in fees, plus £3,910 expenses by a team of lawyers wanting a specific testimony to fit their lawsuit. One might say that it is quite profitable to start vaccine litigation when one can fleece the British taxpayer to the tune of nearly half a million pounds.

The lawyers invested a considerable amount of money into the ‘research’ and the children in the study who were used as evidence against the vaccine, were also claimants in the lawsuit.

It has been proven that Wakefield’s work for the lawyers began two years before he published his now notorious report in The Lancet medical journal in February 1998, proposing a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. That being said, even though Wakefield never proved there was a link, he led a campaign in the UK that caused immunisation rates to slump from 92% to 77%. For the first time in 20 years, children in G8 countries are actually dying from measles because their parents have not had them innoculated against measles.

Wakefield did not disclose when he published his ‘results’ that he had applied for a patent for a single jab vaccine for measles that would have been highly profitable if the MMR jab was abandoned. Again, this appears to be yet another case of professional misconduct for unreported conflicts of interest and highly unethical and unprofessional behavior.

What’s even more interesting is that an investigation by the Sunday Times  revealed that in most of the 12 cases, the children’s ailments described in The Lancet were different from their medical records. Only one child developed problems within days of receiving the MMR vaccine, with many of the other children having previous medical problems.

So while the study has been discredited in its entirety, what remains is proof that Andrew Wakefield was deliberately dishonest, unethical, misleading, in breach of his duty to account for certain funds, and that he acted with callous disregard for the children involved in the study, among other things.  The GMC found that the study’s improper practices involved subjecting some of the children to unnecessary invasive tests.

In the end, the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, retracted the flawed study on Autism and its findings on links between the MMR vaccine and autism and bowel disease. 

Countless studies have disproven Wakefield’s claim that there is a link between Autism and increased bowel disease also known as “leaky gut” or “autistic enterocolitis” in Mother Warrior circles.  Even as Jenny McCarthy and her followers continue to claim that autistic children have digestive problems at a far higher rate than non-autistic children, a study conducted at Harvard Medical School has proven that digestive problems are no more common in autistic children than they are in non-autistic children.

Unfortunately, what anti-vaccine supporters overlook is the fact that Autism usually reveals itself in the second year of life, when the MMR vaccine is routinely given.

Elyse Bruce
Founder and Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO
A tourism and culture initiative raising awareness of
Autism Spectrum Disorders and related illnesses,
Myasthenia Gravis and Invisible Disabilities

Halfway Around The World

A lie gets halfway around the world
before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
- Winston Churchill

Screenshots have been legally copied under
Section 41 of the Copyright Act of 1969.

In posting my previous blog entry, the issue of Zakh Price was clearly separated from the issue of discrepancies and contradictions found in posts made by his grandmother, Carole Reynolds.

Carole posted publicly:  Hello, supporters of Zakh and I.  A person named Elyse Bruce is following me around the net and spewing half truths and lies. She attacks me, I’m a big girl and can ignore her.  I feel somehow the district is behind this, but of course can’t prove it. She rarely mentions Zakh, and never mentions the wrongs been done to him. Please pass around the attorney response (in the discussions section) so the truth can get out there.”

I clearly posted at the beginning of the previous blog entry that “[quote] There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this child was not receiving the appropriate supports and programs to succeed in life [end quote].”

The post was not about Zakh Price; the post was in response to badgering from a handful of Carole Reynold’s online friends who demanded to see if I had proof to warrant any of the questions I asked in the early part of January with regards to the situation.  One of the many comments posted by Carole was that she claimed that Zakh had three (sometimes she claimed it was four)  forms of Autism.

This sort of comment presented a number of scenarios of which two stood out from the crowd.  Either the grandmother did not have an understanding of what autism is or there was something else at work here.   I doubt that any autism advocate will confirm that an individual can have two or more forms of Autism at the same time. 

Reasonable people know that if a new diagnosis is rendered, it vacates the previous diagnosis.  From there, the discrepancies and contradictions posted by Carole Reynolds became more and more prevalent.

On February 3, 2010 Carole Reynolds posted to my blog:  “What Elyse said about me was false and has been proven so. I repeatedly answered her frivolous [sic] questions and she just kept spreading lies.”

Questions are not lies. What’s more, posts written by Carole Reynolds that contradict each other and clearly reveal discrepancies are cause for concern as they impact on whether Zakh will then receive appropriate supports and programs he needs to succeed in the school system, in society and in the home environment.

There is nothing unlawful about reposting anything Carole Reynolds posted publicly online or in other print media. 

Amy Caraballo, also known as sebastians_mom,  wrote:  “Carol – so sorry you are being attacked like this. Elyse is a sick sick woman. Even “IF” there were truth (which I know there’s not), she posted some seriously personal information that is just uncalled for.”

The links provided in the previous blog entry prove that the contradictions and discrepancies exist and have been posted by Carole Reynolds in public forums open to viewing.  There is no “IF” involved. 

Due to the harassment, intimidation, threats and blackmail from a handful of Carole Reynolds’ supporters and with her consent, not posting at least some of the information provided many of them a platform to libel and slander MIC and me.

First off, let’s deal with the ongoing false claim by AWN’s Amy Caraballo, Dave Wilde and their associates that I am defrauding the public via MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO   It would appear that Ms. Caraballo has created a new blog entitled “Disability Fraud Alert.”  Ms. Caraballo announced and linked to this new blog from the Zakh Price Facebook group page.

In this blog’s first entry, the author states:

1. If the group claims to support a cause with donations, to be a legal Not for Profit group in the United States or Canada, they must have an Identification number that is publicly available. If the charity in question does not supply this information to you, chances are its a scam.
2. If the group only accepts donations by pre-screening individuals, you can bet it’s a scam.
   Below is an actual excerpt from a supposed advocacy organization in which they admit to not divulging information about where donations go.
3. If it is an individual asking for donations, check with trustworthy advocacy resources before donating. When in doubt, offer to volunteer your time before your money. Often, that will set the scams apart from the real people in need.
4. NEVER ever give bank information, credit card information or any other personal financial information over the internet unless you are 100% certain the site in question is legitimate. NEVER email this information.

The tags for this blog entry are:  charity, Due Diligence, Elyse Bruce, Fraud, Midnight in Chicago, Scams.

While the information is accurate with regards to scams, the screen shot with MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO clearly displayed with the “MIC scam” label beneath it is a deliberate and intentional misrepresentation intended to cause as much damage as possible.  The fact of the matter is, Dave Wilde messaged me via Facebook on January 14 where he incorrectly alleged MIC was a “qualified non-profit organization.”

Mr. Wilde was duly informed that his assertion that the initiative was a “qualified non-profit organization” was incorrect.   As Mr. Wilde has considerable contact with the rest of Carole Reynold’s core group of supporters as well as the extended group of supporters, it was reasonable to believe that he would inform his associates of this correct information.

However this was not the case.  I had clearly indicated to Dave Wilde that he was misinformed that MIC was a not-for-profit.  Mr. Wilde, however, chose to maliciously claim that he had not received a response to his question as evidenced on February 3, 2010 in the “When Advocates Smear” discussion, when Mr. Wilde wrote :  “I asked her to identify her organization and I assumed she meant “non profit’ because that’s the kind of organization you usually find yourself dealing with.  She REFUSED to answer and then blocked me from her Facebook page.”

Niki Kircher responded in part with:  ” … If she is a non-profit it may be worth making a call to someone to have an investigation of where her funds are actually going … “

Dave Wilde responded:  “Already done, but who knows more reports to tax groups or what not may ger her fully investigated.”

Carole Reynolds wrote:  ” … BUT, it is effecting the donations for Zakh.  I feel somehow [Elyse Bruce] is related to someone in the schools.  If she discredits me, no one donates, no one donates and the district wins.  That is the only conclusion.  I hope you still support us, if you have a question ask me.  I’m an open book.”

Zoey Roberts wrote:  “that is why she is dangerous and has to be stopped others are in danger of this woman …”

Amy Caraballo wrote: “Hey guys … I tried to look her up on the Canadian NFP list.  She doesn’t exist.”

Zoey Roberts responded to Amy with:  “maybe she is a liar also …”

Amy Caraballo wrote back:  “I think that liar is probably the nice way of putting it.  She may even be a pathological liar.  But I’m really thinking she’s a scam artist.  I mean, think about it.  She’s got the perfect scam.  Writing to tell parents how to avoid scams.  Just donate $5 and she’ll send you the complete idiots guide to not getting scammed.”

And then on February 4, 2010, AWN’s Amy Caraballo linked to – and actively promoted — the aforementioned blog.

It would seem that Dave Wilde, for reasons known only to him, had chosen to neglect informing his associates in the discussion group that he was already well aware of the fact that MIC was not a not-for-profit.  And it would appear that those who visited the MIC website conveniently forgot to mention that the front page clearly states that MIC is an initiative. 

Or perhaps he did inform them as it would seem that some of them were aware that MIC was not a not-for-profit as Dave Wilde posted in the “Who’s Raven? Anyone know?” discussion on February 2, 2010:  “Oh there’s a lot on her.  She claimed to be an organization to Carole and her MIC site asks for donations.  I asked for her information in even lesser terms than she was attacking Carole with and I got blocked for it.  Right after she denied claiming to be a “non profit” organization.  Still, if you ask, you won’t get told where the money goes for those donation or in what amounts … “ 

He then went on to purposely, and with malice of forethought,  misrepresent MIC as he had done previously in a piece he published online on January 24 entitled, “Midnight In Chicago, an exercise in dissention.”

Now all of this may not seem like too much except that these are but a small sampling of the ongoing claims by Mr. Wilde and his associates that MIC is a not-for-profit.  AWN’s Amy Caraballo trumpted loudly in the group that she had contacted officials and neither the BBB nor the government had any record of MIC.  That’s because it has always been an initiative, not a not-for-profit as was being claimed by Dave Wilde, AWN’s Amy Caraballo and their associates and followers. 

For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, I am providing the following screenshot:

And it is correct — as well as legal — to refer to MIC as an organization because it is an organization by the very definition of the word.

Now you may claim that there’s nothing to worry about if MIC is truly an initiative and if I have not misrepresented MIC.  However, there is a lot to worry about because Carole Reynold’s associates appear to feel justified with other actions that may or may not be known to the rest of you.

On January 31, 2010 I received this email from Harry “Socrates” Williams that was time stamped 8:40 a.m.

Because I neither own nor author the third party blog mentioned, I did not respond.  It was clear that with reckless disregard for the facts, Harry “Socrates” Williams was intent on his course of action.

Of course, this false accusation was no different than the accusations that were flying fast and furious at the primary Facebook group page where Carole’s associates were claiming that I was eddiebair1; lovbis; Shannon; Daren Bobb; Korey Rood-Behlmer; a number of different people from the Fort Smith School District; a number of different people from what they referred to as the “good ole boy network”’; and many others.  If it was posted on the wall or in a discussion at any of the four Facebook groups set up to discuss Zakh Price’s plight, it was accepted as fact regardless of speciousness which was most often just speculation.

By noon that day, a number of blogs were published along with a spoof blog site that misidentified me as the owner and author of the third party blog but published correct information along with incorrect information that was intended to cause as much damage and harm as possible in a unified attack by a number of Carole Reynold’s associates.

ASAN Activist Marc Rosen wrote :  “Ladies, I really do think we should just out Elyse in a more humiliating fashion.  We tried respect, and she isn’t being respectful.  Let’s try knocking her down a couple dozen pegs, and emphasize her ties to Midnight In Chicago, and see if THAT doesn’t shame her into being a lady for once.”

Harry “Socrates” Williams wrote:  “Does someone want to ring the Escort Agency and ask them if they know anything interesting about her?  Phone number is [phone number].  (Don’t know how you dial it from the US)”

Harry “Socrates” Williams wrote:  “I don’t think the escort agency has anything to do with her — they’re just in the same apartment block — although I’m pretty sure the Landlord won’t be too pleased with the publicity.”

 It didn’t bother Carole or any of Carole’s associates that information they knew to be false had been posted about me.  It didn’t bother Carole or any of Carole’s associates that my contact information had been posted along with information they knew to be false.  What seemed to matter was to make sure as much damage as possible was inflicted in their misguided quest.

Without apprising themselves of the facts, it would appear that none of them considered that others may be negatively affected or endangered by their behaviour.  It would appear that none of them considered the possibility that there may be a home based business at the address posted.  It would appear that none of them considered the possibility that there may be roommates at the address posted.  It would appear that none of them considered the possibility that individuals who assist with the MIC initiative spend time at the address working on various projects within the initiative.  It would appear that none of them considered the possibility that by implying there was a connection between my address and Ace Escort that minor children would be endangered.

Not at all.  In fact, Harry “Socrates” Williams tied Ace Escort to my address by writing :  “Quite handy for a girl so clearly bereft of “Diceation” – and also late breaking news — as if this wasn’t enough dirt for one post, the Troll has dug herself even deeper into her pit of filth with her latest claim on Autism Politico.”

I wrote a blog entry the following day, as all of you know.  Many of you have posted so many interesting comments to that particular entry.  A handful of you kept ‘daring’ me to post your comments.  I posted them all and exactly as you had written them so none of you would accuse me of having altered your posts.  As none of you lodged any complaints either here or on any of the Facebook group pages about posts being altered at this blog after authors had posted them, it is reasonable to say that all of you agree that the posts were unaltered.  They were published exactly as they were written by the authors of each of those posts.

And true to his ways, Dave Wilde sent me an email the following day and he continued to post relentlessly to my blog.  In his email, he wrote:

 

His comments to my blog included, but are not limited to, such things as: 

“How many of these messages from everyone, even your own readers, do you need before you stop? You need to do some major backpeddling [sic] here and take down all three blogs. Or are you committing social suicide?  Everyone sure knows who you are now, but you are losing any possibility of respect by the minute. Word is spreading, what will you do now?”

“So what’s with going all quiet now, Elyse? What is it that you think you’re doing? Do you think you’re maybe collecting “evidence” of YOU being bullied? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“So go ahead, funny how I don’t see all your readers flooding in here to defend you know. Or maybe you’d like to just call all of them “silent” bullies for that?  You need to take down these three blogs and work on getting yourself some facts straightened out.”

“Fact, you don’t accuse people of things like BLACKMAIL which is a crime and then fail utterly to show any evidence. The only facts about her known directly in this case is her accusations that are apparently from another reality.  I would love to hear from more people in this “special initiative” group because I’m starting to think you’re a pack of zealots. In that case it’s NO WONDER the people I called don’t even want to DISCUSS the existence of MIC or Elyse.”

“Please list all the “real life” persons you claim I work with so they can sue you too.”

“I already sent reports on you to law enforcement and I just printed out this page to send right along.   Since you want a fight, YOU GOT ONE.  Bet you don’t post this.”

AWN’s Amy Caraballo posted comments as well including:  “The BBB of Canada has no idea who you are. The Canadian Government has no charity listings for Midnight in Chicago or Elyse Bruce. You are not a registered NFP in the US. So please do tell. Under what government is your Not for Profit advocacy listed”

It would seem that while Amy could follow links to MySpace and to the Marketing Tab on my website, she was unable to Google the MIC website where it has always stated clearly that we are an initiative.  Or perhaps, in her journalistic efficacy, she had been to the MIC website, read that it was an initiative and chose to go with “reckless disregard of the facts” for reasons known only to Amy Caraballo.

Dave Wilde’s behaviour boasted in one of his comments:  “And blackmail is a term for an illegal activity, I reacted to your behavior 110% within my legal rights. Go research that before shove your foot down your throat any further.” 

It gave me pause for thought since one cannot ever be more than 100% within one’s legal rights.  Then again, Dave Wilde had written a private message previously that stated: “If you continue to present yourself as a threat, and I believe you are, you will be dealt with in the fullest capacity of the law.  I am 100% fully trained in that capacity.” 

I know a number of law enforcement people and none of them have ever claimed to be 100% fully trained in the ‘fullest capacity of the law.’  I know a few security guards who have completed police training at colleges and none of them have ever claimed to be 100% fully trained in the ‘fullest capacity of the law.’  I know a couple animal control officers and neither of them has ever claimed to be 100% fully trained in the ‘fullest capacity of the law.’

I phoned a friend of mine who is an attorney in Toronto and asked him if he knew of any lawyers or judges who are 100% fully trained in the ‘fullest capacity of the law’ and after a hearty laugh, he said that no one can ever be 100% fully trained in the ‘fullest capacity of the law’ although there are some magnificent barristers and solicitors who, because they have photographic memories, know a large portion of the law as it pertains to their area of interest.

One point I would like to backtrack to is Dave Wilde’s claim that he did not threaten me which he knows to be a misrepresentation of his electronic communications.  In fact, he knows very well that on January 23, 2010 – before the blackmail of a week later – he had warned me in big, bold red letters:   “THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ….. PLEASE STAND BY.”

Considering his behaviour since that email, it is not unrealistic to believe that he had prior knowledge of most, if not all, of the coordinated back up plans if threats did not result in what they hoped to achieve.

Not to be outdone by Mr. Wilde, Zoey Roberts has engaged in an all out one-woman crusade over the past few days to eradicate me from the lists of any Facebook friends she has that also include my name.  When reprimanded her posts look similar to this one:  “Elyse has slandered ppl who never even heard of her Inc a friend named amy & scott Jackson she is trying to call the zakh situation a scam which isn’t true…I am sorry you pulled into this mess but I have a right to defend myself and speak out to what is happening…”

Has she even bothered to ask Scott Jackson about the email he wrote me very early on about Zakh Price?  And according to Zoey, my initiative is an “Inc.”  She claims that I am stating the Zakh situation is a scam.    I have always stated clearly that I do believe that Zakh is not receiving the proper supports and programs he needs in the school setting, in the community and in the home environment.  What I have asked about are the discrepancies and contradictions posted by Carole Reynolds.  Those are two very different things entirely.

 So when people like Ann Zachry ask on the group wall:  “Where does somebody in Canada get off trying to participate in a dialogues about whether or not United states special education laws were followed or not?” she’s missing the point. 

The question for some people in the northern states and Canada is:  “Why is somebody in Arkansas, along with her Facebook friends around the world, begging us for money when she won’t address the discrepancies and contradictions in her story?”

MIC and those affiliated with MIC have never implied that Zakh’s story is untrue.  We know it is.  We have never said it is akin to the story of Hannah  Garman or Matt Dawson or Nathan Elfrink.  For Carole’s supporters to insist that anyone affiliated with MIC is discounting that Zakh is falling between the cracks is untrue.

The question has always been about the gaps in Carole’s stories.

As to whether I, on behalf of my initiative, am bound to accept someone’s gift of money, the law clearly states that no one is bound to accept anything from another party if they do not wish to do so.  They are also not obligated to disclose personal information to another party if they do not wish to do so. 

The awareness events and fundraisers have proper protocols in place to account for expenditures and revenues, and the only people who are entitled to the information regarding specific awareness events and fundraisers are the organizations that are involved in each specific awareness event and fundraiser.

To the readers of this blog, I ask you to think about the following.  Hypothetically speaking, if this was you and your grandson …

1) If YOU knew your fundraisers were writing e-mails and private messages to people which the recipients considered to be threatening, wouldn’t you tell your fundraisers to stop it instead of defending their behaviour?

2) Would YOU want your fundraisers to be posting comments known to be untrue (and possibly legally actionable) all over the net, including setting up a website which suggests that MIC is a scam and Elyse Bruce is running an escort service? Wouldn’t that reflect poorly on your moral character  and call into question your ability to provide a safe home environment for your grandson?

3) Would YOU continue any kind of business relationship or friendship with people who would behave in a manner that places yourself in possible legal incertitude when you are supposed to be a guardian for your grandson?

4) And can you see why MIC is concerned for Zakh now?

Now the cyberbullying and the blackmailing will come to an end!

It Started With A Question

Screenshots have been legally copied under Section 41 of the Copyright Act of 1969.

Almost one month ago, a number of people contacted me about the Zakh Price story.  The plight of the child was definitely one that most parents and guardians of children on the spectrum have encountered to varying degrees throughout the course of attending primary, middle and secondary school.  There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this child was not receiving the appropriate supports and programs to succeed in life.  As the parent of a child with multiple disabilities including Asperger Syndrome, I was familiar with the problems that can arise from year to year and school to school (when proceeding through elementary, middle and secondary schools) and the value of appropriate advocacy for children with Autism.

However, there was another story beneath the tragic story of Zakh Price and this is why people began to contact me.  One by one, the concerns voiced were eerily similar from person to person.  Contradictions began to show in various posts by Carole Reynolds and people were wondering what the facts were regarding this underlying story.

It began with the people mentioning that Carole Reynolds was desperate to find a lawyer.  On December 27, 2009 she wrote on Facebook:

“Marc, I can NOT find an atty. I checked in Ar, Mo, Tn, Ok and Tx. None of them practice out of state.  We have no money for one as we spent over $16,000 trying to get him out of those illegal mental hospitals.  There is ONE who I need to talk to who is a parent/atty with a child with autism.  Perhaps she will do it pro bono or small payments.  I wish there was a way to bill the school district!”

Two days later, Carole posted:

“Do you think I should talk to the prosecuting atty?  I don’t know how to create a website …I’ve tried and give up half way thru. How would I let people know about it?  Wish someone around here could help….but they are to scared of the courts and district.”

The post was upsetting to some as one should never speak with the prosecuting attorney unless there is appropriate representation for the accused.

On December 31, 2009 she posted on Facebook:

“Because of the article in the paper, and other people calling people and giving me suggestions it looks like Zakh will have a free atty from DRC…but she doesn’t return til Monday.  The head of the DRC is very upset about this and that she didn’t know about it.  And an advocate/parent from Little Rock (4 hours away) will come and assist us!”

However, some people were confused because on December 27, 2009 she had posted in response to a question about Zakh’s defence:

“Hi Lynda,  Yes, he has a public defender. Here in Ft. Smith, Ar it is a wasteland for special ed attorneys…they will not touch it. The pd has no clue as to how to present a case like this…she is treating it like a normal kid … “

While it was understandable that Carole would be upset with having a public defender who supposedly did not understand how to present the case to Carole’s satisfaction, there were no details as to why the public defender was no longer representing Zakh.  What’s more, where was this public defender on December 29 when Carole was considering talking directly to the prosecuting attorney.  Perhaps the public defender didn’t meet Carole’s standards for defending Zakh but he was still knowledgeable in other areas of the law.  Surely he would have discouraged her from speaking with the prosecuting attorney without proper representation for Zakh.

On December 31, 2009 she wrote:

“I have contacted local media , when it happened. They weren’t interested.  I contacted the local paper and was warned that going public could cause a backlash on Zakh’s case because the judge doesn’t like publicity…so they wouldn’t print it.  GOOD NEWS: It looks like we have a great advocate, and the DRC is going to take it over and we will get a free experienced atty for Zakh.  I need a good behavior analyst…and am working on that!  I emailed it to Glenn Beck, but he probably won’t ever see it.  Thanks for your support everyone,  Keep spreading the news. I hope the Ft. Smith School District in Arkansas is inundated with calls and letters.  Carole and Zakh”

On January 1, 2010, she wrote:

“GOOD NEWS: It looks like we have a great advocate, and the DRC is going to take it over and we will get a free experienced atty for Zakh.  I need a good behavior analyst…and am working on that!  I emailed it to Glenn Beck, but he probably won’t ever see it.  Thanks for your support everyone,  Keep spreading the news. I hope the Ft. Smith School District in Arkansas is inundated with calls and letters.  Carole and Zakh”

The Arkansas Disability Rights Center was going to provide Carole with a free lawyer.  That obviously was great news. 

Then at the Autism Support Network page on FB, there was a small discussion folder with only one post in it from Carole Reynolds and dated January 1, 2010.  In it she had written:

“http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=lf#/group.php?gid=228604481972&ref=mf  I’m not very good at it. Does anyone know how to put a paypal link for donations?  Go to the site and read the great news to start the New Year!”

Because Carole had been trumpeting the fact that she had a free attorney to represent Zakh, it struck some people as odd that she would be asking for donations.  Where was this money going to be spent? Was this money to be spent on Zakh and his defence?  If it was, then what had happened to the free attorney she had posted about earlier in the day?

Government offices and most businesses are closed on New Year’s Day.  The earliest that the DRC would be able to set things in motion for a free attorney would be on the next business day which was January 4, 2010.  Had Carole decided not to go with the free attorney from DRC? 

It would appear based on Carole’s posts at the beginning of the next week that there was no free attorney from DRC forthcoming.  It was a good thing that Carole had had the presence of mind to set up a site asking for donations then on January 1, 2010.

A lawyer was found by the end of that week and according to an update from sebastians_mom (Amy Caraballo) on the Autism Women’s Network :

“Hi, Just wanted you to know an attorney in Little Rock has agreed to take on Zakh’s case. She is charging $5000, but that includes taking care of his felony, due process, and federally! Now I need to find the money by Sunday as we will meet her to go over all my documents. Zakh’s new hearing date is 13 April at 10…”

Now some were wondering what had happened to the FREE attorney from DRC as well as the FREE public defender?  What had happened between December 30, 2009 when she had a new attorney for Zakh  and January 9, 2010 that warranted giving up a FREE attorney for one that required $5,000 to mount his defence?

The rush to collect $5,000 was on with Vince Steele setting up the ChipIn widget and posting to the group:

“It’s currently 8:50 am Saturday for Carole and Zakh.  So we have less than 24 hours to have something substantial moneywise to show her Atty.”

Carole was the first group member to respond on January 9, 2009 at 3:41 pm to Vince’s plea for money, writing:

“I’m really uncomfortable asking for help like this.  If you want to help with your heart please do so, but not because you feel pressured.  It is embarrassing to not be able to take care of our own responsibilities … and broadcasting all over we don’t have the money.  We are not destitute … we live in a very nice house, with no equity because prices went down.  We were forced to move 15 miles in Oklahoma to Arkansas in order to have DHS not put them in a group home.  3 years later and they still will not allow us to move back to our house of 11 yrs.  My son rolled a big rig and sustained permanent injuries and got nothing from the company for it (don’t get me started on that!) so we help support him and his family.  My other daughter has been disabled all her life and we pay her house payment.  Before we got in this mess, starting with a false complaint of suspicious bruising, we had no bills and money in the bank.  Now we are almost at retirement age, and broke.  My husband is a disabled vet who continues employment to help our kids and grandkids.  If you saw us you would never suspect  how close we are to going over financially … and that is stressful to.  So all you who can’t donate … I honest understand.  ((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))”

Wait a minute!  She was uncomfortable on January 9, 2010 with asking people to donate money to her but she was fine with asking people to donate money to her on January 1, 2010  when she was asking how to put a PayPal button in the site to accept donations?

Vince Steele kept the pressure up for people to donate on January 9, 2010 with Carole right there behind him all the way.

“If you all go over and take a look at the chip-in meter, you’ll see that it has been sitting stagnant at 13 for the number of people who have actually made a contribution. Surely more people can spare a lousy $5 to get this $5000 target up before Sunday. YES SUNDAY! Carole needs the money up front for her Atty. She’s not going to get so much as a handshake with only $160 to pay her fee.  You all happily joined this group to support Zakh, but you won’t part with a tiny amount of spare change to build the legal fund up to where we need it.  We are not asking for you all to donate $5,000.  We are only asking for $5, or whatever you can spare!!!  Don’t let this boy get thrown into an institution simply because you needed an extra coffee at the mall today.  Get your asses over to the donation site, and lets see that target become a reality today!!!!  Tomorrow is too late!!!!!!“

Additionally, some were wondering how a lawyer could charge Carole only a $5,000 fee to represent Zakh on his criminal charge.  Those of us who have any understanding of the legal system know that lawyer’s fees can add up quickly even and that legal work done pro bono requires that the client pay filing fees, photocopying and more.  Some people began to wonder if the $5,000 was just the retainer fee since the $5,000 amount would seem reasonable.  

Kim Wombles added her voice on January 9, 2010 at 8:30 am with this post:

“Silence from half the autism community on this matter boggles the mind. If you are a fan of the Age of Autism page, please post the link to Zakh’s donation page! Inundate that page with questions of where autism’s only daily newspaper is on this story!”

People asked if the $5,000 was the full fee because the amount seemed far too small for the sort of defence Carole Reynolds was claiming would have to be mounted to “save” Zakh.

In fact, Jackie asked her that very question in this very thread on January 9^th at 9:27 am:  “Is this $5000 a retainer for her services or is this her fee to handle the entire case?”

Carole’s response to Jackie that same day at 12:34 pm was “Unless the goes extremely long, it is her full fee [sic].”

You’re going to want to remember Carole’s response to Jackie as you read on.

But aside from the money issue and the attorney issue, there were other discrepancies and contradictions coming up with regards to what Carole Reynolds was posting.  Some comments posted by Carole Reynolds here and there on Facebook as well as on other websites were so incongruous and inconsistent that there was no way everything that was being posted by Carole could be correct. 

Carole posted on January 9, 2010 that she and her husband “were forced to move 15 miles in Oklahoma to Arkansas in order to have DHS not put them in a group home” and that “3 years later and they still will not allow us to move back to our house of 11 yrs.”  The” them” to whom she was referring were Zakh and his siblings.

So what had happened 3 years prior that Carole and her husband were forced to move 15 miles in Oklahoma to Arkansas in order to have DHS not put her grandchildren in a group home?  According to Carole, there was no good reason for DHS to apprehend the children.  However, it would appear that there most assuredly was good reason for DHS to apprehend the children.  We know this to be true because Carole wrote about it  on February 22, 2009 at Hot Coupon World.  She wrote: 

“First off, let me tell you all that I was molested at 12 by my brother and my brother in law. That was in the 50’s, before much was done.  Now I have the opposite problem! My Grandson was 10 at the time, and taking a shower, as was common (we’d warned his Mom he was to old to do this) his little 3 yr old sister got in the shower with him (he had the door closed, but not locked). Well, he touched her and then asked if she wanted to touch him., she said No. Then Mom heard it and over reacted by calling DHS and the police on her son. (This was the only time such a thing had happened!).  DHS took him out of the home immediately and placed him with us … ”

Zakh’s older brother had touched their then 3-year old sister inappropriately.  The mother contacted DHS as well as the police.  That was the reason for DHS’ involvement in the family’s home life.

“We hired a lawyer, and $10,000 later we were given temp. custody of him. Fast forward 2 yrs…he is now 12 1/2 yrs old and no other incidents happened … however he is now about the equivalent of a 3rd grader in a hormonal teenage body. Since he has inappropriate social skills, not understanding blurting out what he is thinking is wrong …. well … “

If the child was 12 ½ in February 2009, then it is reasonable to assume that he is 13 years old now.  Zakh’s mom put up a family composition jpg on her MySpace page with details on the ages and names of the children if people require additional information.

According to Carole:

“ … He was on the school bus and asked a little girl if she wanted to see his penis. He never approached her, touched her, etc … just in front of the entire bus asked her!  The principal reported it to DHS as required by law. They came out an interviewed him and set a court date for end of March.  He admitted he said it, but wasn’t embarrassed etc like a normal child would be.  THEN not 2 weeks later he is sitting in class and tells a girl ‘If I had a camera I’d take a pic of your butt”. Again, everyone could hear him, he didn’t say naked, he didn’t attempt to touch her.  So now all hell is breaking loose and they are wanting to commit him to that sexual offenders place for TWO YEARS! This boy still doesn’t understand the details of sex (yes, he’s been told, but he doesn’t comprehend it).  If he is taken away, he will LEARN vile, filthy sex acts that will ruin him for life, and at 12 1/2 he’ll for the rest of his life have to register as a SEX OFFENDER! … “

Because the inappropriate behaviour is ongoing, the DHS will continue to be involved in the family’s life.

Now remember that Carole posted that she and her husband had spent $10,000 to be awarded custody of this particular grandson who we know is not  Zakh?  Zakh would have been 10 when Carole posted this on Hot Coupon World and he would have been approximately 7 years old at the time of the incident his mother called in to DHS and the police.

If $10,000 was spent on being awarded custody of the older grandson, then what does Carole mean in this post she made in Reply #12 on Jan 2, 2010 at 4:25am at “Learning Disabilities (LDs), ADHD and Education Support, The*SAFE*Site”?

“Hi, I’m Carole, Zakh’s Grandma. If you search facebook you should be able to find the site I created for him.  Regards to the parents: Dad- is not in picture … he did enough damage to Zakh while he was. Mom- has 7 children and was in special ed all her life. She is afraid to be the one to make waves as other children go to the district. She has given me written permission to speak for her and Zakh any way I see fit. Step Dad does not like Zakh and has said in front of him he would like me to take him. (I have his oldest brother Tyler, aged 13 autistic). So tomorrow he is coming for a long visit with Grandma/Grandpa and Tyler. We are over extended in defending Zakh and his brothers to the tune of over $12,000. Plus we had to move 15 miles from Oklahoma to Arkansas in order for them to consider placing any kids with me. The district is Ft. Smith School District in Ft. Smith, Ar. If you google it you will find their number…impossible to find an email for them. There are a lot of people looking to help, thanks to all of you. But until Monday I won’t know if we have an atty. We still need a Behavior Analyst…. The teacher involved was sore where Zakh pushed her out of the way as he tried to leave his ’safe area’ because they cornered him in it and escalated him. She states he pushed her and she fell into the bookcase. It does not say he pushed her into the bookcase. The principal got kicked in the leg. Neither missed a minute of work, no doctor, no hospital, no ambulance etc. Please check out his facebook page! Someone has mentioned a phone blitz on Monday…hope a lot of people do it. Email me for the names of the people involved at the district if you’d like to call them. Carole_ar@cox.net”

So in Carole’s own words, she had spent $10,000 to be awarded custody of her grandson, Tyler, who is the child mentioned in Carole’s Hot Coupon World post above and also spent $12,000 to defend Zakh, Tyler and the two other brothers. 

In the same post at this site, Carole claims that Zakh’s mother is “afraid to be the one to make waves as other children go to the district.”  Considering that it was Zakh’s mother who reported her then 10 year old son to DHS and the police – with which, you will remember, Carole disagreed – why would Zakh’s mother be afraid of the school board since DHS’ involvement in the children’s lives is ongoing?

But wait a minute.  Didn’t Carole Reynolds also post on Facebook that she spent $16,000 on Zakh’s legal problems in her comment to ASAN Activist Marc Rosen on December 27, 2009? Yes, she did.  And didn’t Carole Reynolds post on Korey Rood-Behlmer’s page that the $16,000 spent on attorney’s fees was for Tyler and not Zakh?  So if $16,000 – not $10,000 and not $12,000 – was spent on attorney’s fees, were they spent on Zakh’s behalf or on Tyler’s behalf?

If the $16,000 was spent on Zakh’s behalf, it gave rise to another question.  Why would Carole Reynolds hire an attorney who was unfamiliar with Zakh and his disabilities when the previous lawyer who had represented Zakh was already familiar with Zakh and his disabilities.  Surely a lawyer like that would not need to spend 7 hours in the lawyer’s office on a Sunday afternoon with Carole getting up to speed on Zakh and his disabilities.

For those of you who will argue that Carole did not spend 7 hours in the attorney’s office, remember that she posted at 1:37 pm on January 11, 2010:

“BIG NEWS BIG NEWS! Zakh’s attorney is preparing a statement with more info. I will post it when I get it.THERE WAS NO MEETING TODAY….yehaw! That is the reason you couldn’t show up.LOL. We are going for DUE PROCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!We were at the atty office for SEVEN long productive hours. Please spread this great news everywhere.”

More people began to question the initial $5,000 donation plea as any reasonable person could see the $5,000 would soon be exhausted at this rate.  And then the other shoe dropped on January 16, 2010.

Now you do remember that Carole had posted to Jackie that “Unless the goes extremely long, it is her full fee.”  Without going to court, on January 16, 2010 at 10:17 am, Carole announced  that the attorney fees had increased substantially.

FROM OUR ATTORNEY“

“Caldwell estimates that Attorney Fees could likely run between $25,000.00 -35,000.00 depending upon what is needed to resolve the IDEA issues administratively and the criminal case depending on various factors. She has agreed to accept a small retainer fee ($5,000) to pursue Zakh’s case, but more funds are needed to offset costs for consultants and expert witnesses. Several people have contributed on line, and some are simply sending small checks ($10, $12, etc.) to Caldwell’s Law Office (#5 Innwood Circle, Suite 110, Little Rock, AR 72211 payable to Zakh Price Legal Trust Fund., which amounts are truly appreciated!”

While all of that was probably very upsetting for a number of people, over the same period of time, others were beginning to question not only Carole’s claimed attorney fees spent in 2009 as well as her claim of being poor.

“Because the School District does not want to educate Zakh we have run up some legal bills and see future costs in getting him his FAPE.  We are his Grandparents, and we have no money left for his defense and any treatment /program he needs. Likely we will have to go out of state for these as Arkansas is not a friendly place for the disabled.”

Wait a minute.  Hadn’t Carole posted that leaving the state was not allowed by DHS?  Hadn’t Carole also posted on January 9, 2010 that she and her husband “were forced to move 15 miles in Oklahoma to Arkansas in order to have DHS not put them in a group home” and that “3 years later and they still will not allow us to move back to our house of 11 yrs?”  How is it that shortly after posting that DHS legally prevented, and continues to prevent, Carole and her husband from leaving the state that the Zakh’s website states that they “will have to go out of state?”

With the DHS involved in the family’s lives, the expenses involved with dealing with the grandchildren’s needs over the past 3 years were to be expected.  I applaud Carole for her largesse in helping out their son when their “son rolled a big rig and sustained permanent injuries and got nothing from the company for it (don’t get me started on that!) so we help support him and his family.  My other daughter has been disabled all her life and we pay her house payment. ”

There are government supports available to adults in financial need but Carole chose to support one of her sons as well as her son’s family and one of her daughters.  No one but Carole knows if this is an accurate representation of the situation and her finances.

But then, there were other examples of Carole’s financial status posted by Carole on her Facebook profile page.

Carole Reynolds wrote on July 3, 2009 at 9:45am   “Is anyone missing us???? Does anyone know we are gone? LOL! I sit here in VAIL, COLORADO where the weather is in the 60’s and it is slightly raining. I feel clautrophobic here…everything is so close together and so tall you can’t find what you are lo

Parley Hubler Jr. knew because on July 4, 2009 at 12:19am he wrote back:  “I am very jealous of your vacation location right now. I’m roasting back here. I took off a couple if days for the 4th of July holiday but spent almost two whole days working in the yard. I think I lost around 3-5 pounds of fluids each day. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. It’s not just a buzzword. Have fun and we will see you when you get back.”

And yet, when asked about this, Carole has repeatedly posted that she has never been to Vail, Colorado.  On the group page on January 13, 2010 at 10:45 pm Carole posted:  “I told you BEFORE I’ve never been to Vail…but you don’t want to spread the truth.“

So Carol has both been to Vail and not been to Vail.  It’s a scientific impossibility to have both been and not been to Vail but Carole maintains that she has both been and not been to Vail. 

On July 5 Carole Reynolds posted at 1:34am:  “STADIUM OF FIRE! WOW! The stadium holds over 64,000 people and it was full. Carole Jr was right next to the stage walk, so all the performers went right by her! Truly patriotic and spectacular….great reminder that America is OUR COUNTRY! Not our elec”

I have not edited the posts.  Some of Carole’s posts end like that.  For those who aren’t familiar with the “Stadium of Fire” it’s one of the main events at the Provo Freedom Festival and is held in the Brigham Young University’s LaVell Edwards Stadium on the 4th of July every year.  The Stadium performers in 2009 were the Jonas Brothers, SHeDAISY, and Glenn Beck.  Again, not an inexpensive event to attend.  Every year, the Stadium show has attendance of 50,000 according to the website.  In other words, it’s a major event.  From Arkansas, to get to Utah, you have to go through Oklahoma and Colorado so it’s not a day trip. 

On July 7, 2009  at 11:38am Carole posted more about her family holiday:  “Woohoo! I spent 2 hours shopping in the local LDS book store…and plan to go to another one in boise today. Went to a movie with the 7 kids and had a great time…they are so well behaved. Today we are going bowling and to another movie, and tomorrow.”

Carole mentioned going with the 7 kids.  Perhaps she was talking about Zakh, Tyler and their siblings; perhaps she was talking about other children.  Regardless, she and 7 kids continued to have a great holiday.  They even took a day trip to Boise, Idaho (Idaho being the state just above Utah) which isn’t exactly an inexpensive day trip.

Then on July 29, Carole announced on her profile page:  “Whooohooo ….. got a great surprise today! A NEW CHEVY COLT! Great credit score of 780! We traded a junky 94 Dodge caravan and got 6500 ! $2000 trade in and $4500 stimulus pkg. It had been loaned out to Becky. So we loaned Becky Cooters old Malibu as “

Later, Carole posted elsewhere on Facebook that she had purchased a Chevy Cobalt and not a Chevy Colt.  Even with the Stimulus package and the trade in, the car — which comes with “standard with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The SS Turbocharged comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission” – comes with a sizeable price tag.  Who knows if Carole bought the car outright with cash or if she applied and received a bank loan?  What we do know is that Carole boasted having what is considered to be an “A” credit rating no matter how you look at it.  Again, kudos to Carole for having an “A” credit rating.

On August 16, 2009, Carole posted:   ”WHOOHOOO!!! David doesn’t know this yet (shhh….don’t tell!) but I just booked us a room at the Marriott in Washington DC to attend the 9/12 Tax protest rally! There are going to be thousands of people there! This will be so fun…..Now….I need a sign…anybody good at signs???“

While it’s good to see that Carole felt compelled to attend the 9/12 Tax Protest Rally in Washington, DC with her husband, David, rooms at the Marriott Hotel – according to the Marriott Hotel website — start at $200 per night.  When you factor in flying into Reagan Airport, taxis and meals, a sizeable amount of money was spent. 

On September 18, 2009 Carole wrote:   “Well….I am in a pickle here. I purchased a NON REFUNDABLE room for Time Out For Women, and 2 extra tickets…and now the people who were suppose to go can’t. The room has 2 double beds and is $153. and the tickets are $57. The date is 23-24 Oct in Kansas City, Mo.”

On September 19, 2009 she posted:  “Hi everyone! Time Out For Women this year is in Kansas City, Mo on 23-24 Oct. I have 2 extra tickets ($57 ea) and a motel room with 2 double beds ($159). It is for only one night. Carole Jr and I are going, but we don’t need two rooms or 4 tickets! LOL”

Only Carole knows if she was able to find two more people to attend the event in Kansas City.

The spending spree continued as Carole posted publicly on September 22, 2009:  “Well….my SWEET DEAR KIND AND LOVING hubby let me get a macbook laptop today. I feel loved. Now to learn how to turn it on and play with it..I have no clue!”

It’s always nice to hear that after so many years of marriage that high school sweethearts still feel that way about each other.

Then on October 8, 2009 Carole announced she was headed off on another trip:  “Off for 4 days to Ohio! Learning a ‘healing’ technique called “Emotion Code”. Google it….the author is LDS and it is a proven natural method of healing.”

For a woman who claims to be poor, so far a lot of money was spent on luxuries.

She was lucky enough to be able to secure at least one ticket for the David Archeluto concert for one of her daughters. 

David Archeluto was still a pretty hot property on October 22, 2009 when Carole wrote:  “I just ordered some tickets for a concert for Acheuleto??? Don’t know how to spell it. It is that LDS guy from American Idol? Carole JR loves him…so SURPRISE!”

We know that based on what Carole wrote, she allegedly purchased more than one ticket.  Tickets to see any of the American Idol finalists are always expensive when they first start touring.  She got them in Row 9 … the more expensive seats.

On November 1, 2009 Carole posted:  “December 3rd going to OKC for the Wrightslaw Conference. It is all the laws and regulations the schools are SUPPOSE to go by for the kids with special needs. SURPRISE! If you don’t know the law, they won’t tell you. And if you tell the school the law….more than half the time they deny or ignore it! You have to fight for those special kids!”

Anyone who has ever attended a conference can tell you that they are definitely an expense.  Attending the Wrightslaw Conference in Oklahoma City was undoubtedly an excellent experience with a lot of worthwhile information but it doesn’t negate the fact that attending such a conference costs money. 

A quick perusal of Carole’s Facebook page revealed all of the above and more.  In fact, Carole’s profile was open to the public to view without restrictions up until the morning of January 13, 2009.  There was no supersleuthing involved.  There was no illegal credit check conducted.  No one had stolen Carole’s social security number as one group member had fretted.  Her posts were made available — by Carole Reynolds herself — to the public to view.

While it’s not a crime to enjoy so many luxuries and more over a 6 month period, and while it’s no crime to help a son who “rolled a big rig and sustained permanent injuries and got nothing from the company for i” and it’s no crime to “help support him and his family,” and while it’s no crime to help the “other daughter [who] has been disabled all her life” and to pay her house payment, it does lead people to feel that perhaps Carole’s financial situation is not as impoverished as she portrays it to be.

Then again, perhaps Carole’s financial situation is one of neediness.  Who knows?  With so many conflicting stories, it’s hard to separate the facts from the fabrications.

After all, on January 9, 2009 at 3:41 pm, Carole did post in response to Vince’s discussion on the group’s Wall:  “If you saw us you would never suspect  how close we are to going over financially … and that is stressful to.”

Still it’s hard to believe that Carole’s financial situation is so bad after spending so much money on luxuries during the second half of 2009.  According to Carole, her husband is a federal employee, working as a Ward Clerk.

They do have a house in Fort Smith, AR  – a beautiful 4 bedroom home — that’s listed for sale with a real estate agent for $219,000 USD.  And they do own a home in Muldrow, OK where comparable homes on the same block sell for $143,000 USD on average according to real estate appraisers.  Remember that they’re also paying one daughter’s house payments which isn’t the same as letting her live in their home in Muldrow, OK and not charging her rent.  And they are also helping to support their injured son and his family.  If they can afford all of that, it’s no surprise that Carole has an “A” credit rating.  Good for Carole and her husband that they should have accumulated so much over the years.

It’s these discrepancies and contradictions that caused people to ask questions about Carole’s need for financial support from the Autism community where many of its members are living well below the poverty level themselves.  On behalf of those who contacted me and who voiced their concerns, I did some research to see if I could set their minds at ease.

The more I read Carole’s own posts, the more discrepancies and contradictions arose.

That others have continued to ask questions is not my problem nor is it being done at my behest.  I am not the many people a small group of individuals have accused me of being. 

And now, laying this subject to rest once and for all, I would like to point out that according to the police report, Zakh was charged with second degree battery, not felony assault.

Any future cyberbullying will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

Of Cyberbullies and Blackmail

I had intended on writing about Andrew Wakefield who claimed links between vaccines and autism in the mid-90s.  I was going to comment on the disciplinary panel that determined that Andrew Wakefield had “acted dishonestly and was misleading in the way he described the study.”

Instead, I am writing this blog entry and will discuss Andrew Wakefield in another blog entry later this week.

Early yesterday morning, I received yet another email, this time from an individual identifying himself as Socrates aka Harry Williams.   Along with his online friends, he behaves as if he believes that intimidation, threats and blackmail are the way to sideline those who dare to ask important questions that might affect them or any of their associates. 

The email was short and to the point: 

Dear Elyse,

I would like to offer you the opportunity of public declaring your ownership and authorship of  [name of third party blog].

If you have not done so by 00:00 GMT 1 Feb – ie Midnight tonight, I will do so for you.

A scientist will tell you that one cannot disprove a negative.   It’s similar to the question: “Do you still beat your wife — yes or no?”  If you answer no, then it implies that you have beaten your wife in the past.  If you answer yes, it means that you have always beaten your wife.  And there is no way to answer this question so that the truth of the matter is revealed, even if there was place left to provide additional details.  If you say  you have never beaten her in the past and do not beat her now, this raises the question as to when you have felt like beating her but have not acted on it.  In the end, the question causes irreparable damage because it cannot be answered in such a way as to completely disprove the negative.

It seems that this is how Harry Williams and his friends Kim Wombles, Vince Steele, Dave Wilde, Amy Caraballo, ASAN Activist Marc Rosen, Scott Jackson, Zoey Roberts et al operate.  Even Corina Becker, the Director of Networking for the Autism Women’s Network, who is one of their valued associates. 

Much of the upset is over the blog entries made regarding the importance of due diligence and undoubtedly, there was a fair bit of upset over the fact that on January 27, 2010, I clarified certain inaccurate comments made by one of their associates, Dave Wilde, as it pertains to MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO in a blog post entitled “The Price of Due Diligence.”

Examples of threatening messages were posted in the MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO blog entry entitled “The High Price of Social Network Scam” on January 25, 2010.

Cyberbullies can and do use e-mail and social network private messages to send harassing and threatening messages to the targets of their hatred.  Cyberbullies can and do create Web sites that mock, torment and harass others just because they think they can get away with it.

According to urban75.com  ”the anger of a serial bully is especially apparent when they come across someone who can see through them to espy the weak, inadequate, immature, dysfunctional aggressive individual behind the mask.”

I became the target for a group of serial bullies when I began to ask questions about a woman pleading for money to pay for an attorney to defend her pre-teen grandson against a charge that had been laid against him.  A number of individuals contacted me about the situation and asked me to look into it which I did.  What I uncovered were a series of discrepancies and contradictions in posts made by the grandmother. This discovery was in keeping with the discrepancies and contradictions already identified by others. I agreed that these discrepancies and contradictions were confusing enough that some questions ought to be asked of the grandmother for purposes of clarification, and to clear the matter up. 

When asked to clarify her comments and provide clear cut answers regarding the situation, at first she provided answers that added to the confusion for most people.  Then she defaulted to claims of being too ill to respond to questions while posting up a storm elsewhere on social networks, and finally, she directed others to respond privately in social network messages.

Blackmail means to ”compel someone to act against their will or to gain or to attempt to gain something of value.” Courts agree that “something of value”  is not necessarily a monetary payment.  In fact, it can be securing another person’s silence if this is the focus of the attack.
 
In this case, shortly after noon on the day of the email, Harry Williams, as he indicated he would, carried through on his threat and published libelous comments about me on his blog site.  Some of his associates acted in a similar fashion using their own blog sites.

All of this just because straight forward questions were asked … questions that were never answered by the person who has the answers.  But that’s all right.   What she and her associates have been doing to me as well as to others who dare to ask questions says far more about them as individuals than they could ever imagine.

Elyse Bruce
Founder and Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO

The Price of Due Diligence

Screenshots have been legally copied under Section 41 of the Copyright Act of 1969.

First off, I would like to thank all the bloggers and website owners who have been mentioning me as well as MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO in their entries and on their websites.   The increased awareness of what MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO does for the Autism Community as well as for the MG community and the Invisible Disabilities Community is greatly appreciated.

Recently, over at Blogspot, an inconsistent blogger who claims to have 30 blogs to his name, posted some interesting information about scams and donations.  He provided incorrect information in his commentary and felt quite justified with his indignation that MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO was not interested in his offer of a possible monetary donation.

When considering donating money, services or products to a cause, organization or individual it is imperative that one exercise Due Diligence.  The past three blog entries have addressed this need and why it exists as well as how to go about researching the cause, organization or individual.

Likewise, a cause, organization or individual who may potentially receive a donation of money, services or products needs to exercise Due Diligence with regards to the potential donor.

In the case of Dave Wilde of the Wildeman Words blog, the reason he did not receive a response to his query to donate to MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO is because he is an individual with whom MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO does not want to be associated.  He has shown in the past (see below) that he believes intimidation and threats are an appropriate response when people do not agree with his point of view.

It’s well known in the Autism world that, among other things we do, MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO researches, writes, produces and publishes audio podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorders and provides these podcasts to the public at no charge to the public. The podcasts were never created to generate revenues hence there is no revenue generated by these FREE podcasts.  The expense of creating and publishing these podcasts rests with MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO.  If people wish to donate money to assist in defraying these costs, we then conduct Due Diligence to ensure that the donor is someone with whom we wish to be affiliated.

I read Dave Wilde’s misrepresentation of one of our fundraisers with great interest.  He wrote:

It’s a known fact in the communities where our well-received fundraiser “Art From The Heart” has run, that a monetary donation of $5 entitles the donor to vote for the piece of art being produced right before their eyes that wins their approval. 

While it’s true that only half of the money collected goes to the state or provincial Autism organization, what Wilde got wrong is that the other half of the money collected goes to a non-profit organization within the community where the event is being held.  The non-profit organization is declared at the event by the artist and his/her business partner co-painter who raise the largest amount of money during the course of the event (which is conducted over the course of a 4-hour afternoon). 

The artist retains ownership of the artwork co-created with his/her business partner unless the artist decides to gift it to his/her business partner.  What comes of the event each time is as follows:

* MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO is pleased knowing that the event creates a win-win-win situation for all active and passive participants;
* a greater awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders is brought to the public’s attention;
* visual artists from the community generously donate their time and talent to the event;
* businesses from the community generously donate their time and talent to the event;
* visual artists from the community have a greater appreciation for how business is conducted;
* business leaders from the community have a greater appreciation for how art is created;
* an Autism organization in the state or province in which the event is held benefits financially as well as PR-wise from the event;
* a non-profit organization within the community in which the event is held benefits financially as well as PR-wise from the event;
* the public at large increases their awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders, the visual artists who participate in the event and the businesses who have involved themselves in the event; and more.

It’s unfortunate that Dave Wilde of the Wildeman Words blog wasn’t able to understand the concept of this fundraiser that so many others have participated in and enjoyed since 2007.

Now, Dave Wilde posted that he’s contacted some organizations with regards to whether he should donate to MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO.

It’s good to see that Dave Wilde is exercising Due Diligence in this matter.  Unfortunately, Dave Wilde is not the sort of individual with whom we wish to be affiliated and there is good reason why.

Through the course of our own Due Diligence, we found that Mr. Wilde’s other affiliations and associations in real life as well as online are contrary in far too many respects to the vision and mission of MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO.   It would be unethical for us to accept funds from such an individual.

Someone who believes in the vision and mission of the pro-life movement would never, in all good conscience, donate money to an abortion clinic.

Likewise, MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO would never, in all good conscience, accept money from someone who – through private messages on Facebook – feels compelled to use threats and intimidation to achieve any of his objectives.  What’s more, we would not feel inclined to take an individual seriously who writes about MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO in his blog thusly:

At no time has MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO claimed to provide “deluxe” services.  We have, however, always maintained that, among other services and products, we offer FREE fact based audio podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorders.  To claim otherwise is to purposely and maliciously mislead others into believing things that Dave Wilde knows to be false. 

There is a legal term for this sort of false publication – be it in writing, print, signs, or pictures — that damages a person’s reputation; it’s called libel.  In fact, the law allows the injured party or parties to collect damages for libel if falsehoods were made by the author with “reckless disregard” for the truth.  

One last thing before closing, and this has to do with one of the earlier messages received from Dave Wilde – before he started writing threatening emails directly to my email address.  Dave Wilde wrote:

Since Dave Wilde already knows about MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO, he obviously was phishing for other information although it is unclear to anyone associated with MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO what his motives might have been at the time.  We do know that his understanding of the word “organization” is lacking and we are therefore providing a recognized definition here for him, as provided by a business dictionary.
 

Just because one may choose to exercise Due Diligence with regards to Autism Speaks or the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) or the Asperger Women’s Network (AWN) does not mean the individual or individuals are against individuals and families dealing with Autism.  To insist that because those of us who are part of MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO are against individuals and families dealing with Autism because we urge our readers to exercise Due Diligence when dealing with a cause, organization or individual is nonsensical.

The High Price of Social Network Scams

Screenshots have been legally copied under Section 41 of the Copyright Act of 1969.

Social Networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are great hunting grounds for scam artists.  With so many people to choose from all in one central location, success is simply a numbers game to them.

As with all scams, they begin with something that tears at the heartstrings of compassionate people … a disaster in a third world country, a child with a life threatening disease, an individual seeking justice in an unjust situation.  Once the stage has been set, the scam is set into motion.

Once the groundwork has been established, a post with a subtle call for help soon follows.  For example, it may read something like this:

The situation looks terrible based on what little is posted followed by the desperate comment that implies that there is little or no money for a lawyer for a proper defence for the poor, unfortunate individual.   Any compassionate person would want to help if he or she could. 

In short order, a solution is presented but a second problem is created.  That problem is how to bridge the gap between the new-found solution and the original problem.  The solution and new problem may be presented as follows:

Without a doubt, those who feel for the people involved will start to ask themselves how they can help the affected individual.  Sometimes offers of services, products, assistance and money are made by concerned individuals and organizations as none of us is so heartless as to turn our backs on those in desperate need.

In some cases, additional people who are part of the scam involve themselves — by way of misrepresenting themselves as concerned citizens — and sometimes it’s concerned citizens themselves who have been duped who solicit funds for the scam.  The call for funds from third parties may look like this:

In order to give people hope, encouraging messages updating people on the situation are sent along from the coordinator of the scam or colleagues involved in the scam. They may look something like this:

Again, sometimes well meaning citizens post of their good deeds in the hopes others will be spurred on to help out.  Sometimes, it’s people masquerading as concerned citizens make posts in the hopes they can draw still more people into the scam.  Those posts may look something like this:

Just as seems that the goal is about to be reached, a sudden and unexpected problem will present itself.  At this point, even more money is needed to help out.  That problem may be framed thusly:

If someone decides to investigate the situation in depth, they are discouraged first in easy approaches and escalating from there if the person continues to conduct Due Diligence on the matter.  If a number of discrepancies are uncovered and the individual asks questions with the intention of having those discrepancies explained, the good will of the person or persons asking for money sours quickly.

At that point, one can expect to receive emails or messages intended to intimidate the contributor and/or potential contributor through threats, coercion and/or blackmail. 

You may receive comments such as:  “I still have all of your posts and messages to back myself up. I do not wish to do this to you. Leave me alone and I will not be forced to publicly shame you to defend myself” and “If you continue to present yourself as a threat, and I believe you are, you will be dealt with in the fullest capacity of the law. I am 100% fully trained in that capacity.”

Remember that it is a criminal offence in any country for an individual or organization to use threats, intimidation, coercion and/or blackmail against another person for the purpose of guaranteeing their silence.

It is your right to ask probing questions when you are being actively solicited for donations to a cause, organization or an individual.  The less you know about the cause, organization or individual, the more important it is to exercise Due Diligence in order to better acquaint yourself with the cause, organization or individual.

Secrets can only grow and fester in the dark.  And as Justice Brandeis famously, and correctly, said – sunlight is the best disinfectant.

The Ongoing Price of Internet Scams

The response to our first blog post on Internet Scams was overwhelmingly positive. The post is popping up all over the net and is being forwarded like crazy! What this means is that people are protecting others who may be vulnerable to a scammer’s finely polished con game.

With all the contact MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO has with Federal, Provincial and municipal government employees, representatives, and policy makers in both the US and Canada, as well as ties to autism and disability organizations worldwide, one of our main objectives it to continue to provide useful and factually correct information to those who follow us online be it on our blog, via social networks or elsewhere on the Internet.

As we said in our previous blog entry, we have quite a bit to say about internet scams and the high price people pay when they do not perform the DUE DILLIGENCE necessary regarding the causes to which they donate. This post will provide supplementary information on a very important subject, the basics of which were covered in our first post.

Again we remind you that people on the Autism spectrum are particularly vulnerable to internet scams, internet bullying, threats, and intimidation.  We’ve even heard of cases where people on the spectrum were threatened with blackmail by individuals involved in fundraising if the Spectrumite continued to ask questions and investigate the cause and the persons and/or organizations in charge of the fundraising.

In such circumstances, we recommend contacting your own legal representative to see if it warrants discussing the matter further with law enforcement officials with the intent of filing charges.

Now getting back to the main topic …

We believe it was important to tell our readers a little bit more about what the Federal Trade Commission says about Charitable Scams, and we will continue to use the Haiti disaster as an example since so many Internet scams have sprung up since the horrible tragedy occured earlier this month.

We’ll begin by saying that the people in Haiti are hurting very badly and they absolutely need as much assistance as can be provided to them. In our last blog post, we listed out three of the many ways that people can donate safely to the cause, knowing that, in all good conscience, the money is definitely going to help the Haitians in their time of great need. There are certainly other safe ways to donate than the ones we listed and we encourage people to conduct Due Diligence once they have found an organization that fits with your beliefs.

The following information comes directly from the United States Federal Trade Commission website. The FTC is the American consumer protection agency for those who are unfamiliar with the organization. Unless otherwise noted by MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO, all of the information excerpted herein is strictly that of the FTC.

When you are considering donating your money, services or products to a charity or a cause, the most obvious warning signs include, but are not limited to, the following:

1)  the organization or individual refuses to provide written information about its identity, its mission, its costs, and how the donation will be used;

2)  the organization or individual will not provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible;

3)  the organization or individual uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization;

4)  the organization or individual thanks a potential donor for a pledge the person doesn’t remember making;

5)  the organization or individual asks a potential contributor for bank account or credit card information before the person has reviewed the organization’s information and agreed to contribute;

6)  the organization or individual uses high-pressure tactics to secure a donation before the potential donor has had a chance to make an informed decision about giving;

7)  the organization or individual asks for donations in cash;

8)  the organization or individual offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately; and/or

9)  the organization or individual guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution.

MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO adds that if you observe people representing a cause or a charitable organization try to obscure, obliterate, or spam off the net, etc., any questions or complaints about the cause or the organizers’ tactics, the charity itself or the cause ought to be regarded with suspicion. For instance, in reviewing blogs, message boards, et al associated with a cause, look for deleted posts about the charity or cause while glowing comments from the people working towards the success of the fundraiser still stand.

To continue with what the FTC says on the subject:

All reputable charitable organizations and organizers of fundraisers are known for what is termed ”good practices.” Whether you are contacted by telephone, mail, online, via social networks, or in person, the employees — be they volunteers or professional fundraisers — will answer any and all of your questions to your satisfaction or they will put you in contact with someone within the organization or cause who can provide you with the correct and factual information.

While current events and disasters make a compelling case for soliciting your money, be wary of organizers that seem to come up out of nowhere. While some may be reputable, it’s doubtful that they have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people. Still others are defintely disreputable, and they will disappear as quickly with your money as they appeared on the scene when the current event or disaster occurred.

Always ask for physical contact information including the name of the contact person, physical address, and telephone number where any and all questions can be answered to your satisfaction.

Check to see if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your area by contacting the office that regulates charitable organizations and charitable solicitations. If so, check to see if the company you’re talking to is registered. For a list of state offices, visit the National Association of State Charity Officials at www.nasconet.org/agencies.

Your state office also can verify how much of your donation goes to the charity, and how much goes to fund raising and management expenses. You also can check out charities with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance  and GuideStar.

Don’t be shy about asking who wants your money. Some charities hire professional fundraisers for large-scale mailings, telephone drives, and other solicitations, rather than their own staff or volunteers. They use a portion of the donations to pay the fundraiser’s fees.

If you’re solicited for a donation, ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and the percentage of your donation that will go to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer -— or if you don’t like the answer you get -— strongly consider donating to a different organization.

Contact the organization or research — via reputable newspaper articles – any individual who is to benefit from your donation. Confirm that the recipient is aware of the solicitation and, in the case of an organization, that it has authorized the use of its name when soliciting funds. If not, you may be dealing with a scam artist.

Watch out for similar sounding names. Some phony charities use names that sound a lot like those of legitimate, reputable organizations. For example, if you are contacted by someone claiming to be raising funds for the “Red Crosses” rather than the “Red Cross” there is intent to mislead on the part of the fundraiser. If you notice a small difference from the name of the charity you intend to deal with, call the organization and alert them to this problem. They have legal representatives who can, and will, take on the phony charity.

Make a note on your desk or wall calendar when you donate. That way, if and when a fundraiser contacts you again, you have easy access to the date of your last donation. If you recently donated to an organization, and you are being asked to donate again, use common sense to determine if this is merely a mix up in contact lists or if you are being scammed by a con artist alleging to work on behalf of the organization.

Additionally, sometimes callers may try to trick you by thanking you for a pledge you didn’t make. If you don’t remember making the donation or don’t have a record of your pledge, resist the pressure to give.

Be cautious of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution or payment of a “fee” to cover legal expenses, taxes, or any other associated costs. According to U.S. and Canadian law, you never have to give a donation nor do you have to pay a “fee” in order to be eligible to collect your sweepstakes winnings.

Be wary of charities offering to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect your donation immediately.

For those who tend to be naive, discuss the donation being considered with a trusted family member or friend before committing the funds. The time to talk about it is BEFORE you donate. If, however, you have been duped, talking with a trusted family member or friend means you may be able to recoup your money by involving the local authorities.

Know the difference between “tax exempt” and “tax deductible.” Tax exempt means the organization doesn’t have to pay taxes. Tax deductible means you can deduct your contribution on your federal income tax return.

Do not send or give cash donations. Cash can be lost or stolen. If you are being scammed, a cash donation cannot be accounted for or traced. If it cannot be accounted for or traced, it also cannot be recovered. For security and tax record purposes, it’s always best to pay by check and for the check to be made payable to the charity ONLY.

Unless you have a long standing business relationship with the organization, it is best to keep your credit card in your wallet. Once you have given out your credit card number to a scammer, you may find a number of unexpected purchases and cash advances charged to your account.

Take your time. Resist the urge to “act now.” Most any offer that is good today will be good tomorrow. If you miss out on an offer because it truly is only good today, accept that this offer — as with all offers — will be offered again at a later date.

Rate the risks. Every potentially high-profit investment is a high-risk investment. That means you could lose your investment — all of it.

Read the small print. Get all promises in writing and read all paperwork before making any payments or signing any contracts. Pay special attention to the small print.

“Free” means free. Throw out any offer that says you have to pay to get a gift or a “free” gift. If something is free or a gift, you don’t have to pay for it. Period.

Report fraud. If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it. It’s one way to get even with a scam artist who cheated you. By reporting your complaint to 1-877-FTC-HELP or ftc.gov, you are providing important information to help law enforcement officials track down scam artists and stop them!

And finally, we would like to thank the many people who have supported us by forwarding “The Price of Internet Scams” via Twitter, Blogger, WordPress, MySpace, Facebook, and other reputable social networks as well as via websites such as The Netted Web, Tap Canada Blog, Alimustikasari, and the U.S. Major League Soccer website.

If you believe an organization may not be operating for charitable purposes, or is making misleading solicitations, contact your state Attorney General or your local consumer protection agency. You can get the phone numbers for these organizations in your phone book, through directory assistance, or through Web directories.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.

To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

We have been told by many that it is indeed in the interest of people on the spectrum to pass this information along in order to put as many people as possible in the know about Internet Scams. Many people on the autism spectrum fall prey to these scams because of a natural inability to successfully navigate the social maze; their own naivete and honesty creates a mindset where it is virtually impossible for these spectrumites to ferret out duplicity when it presents itself.

MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO therefore invites bloggers and website owners to re-post any of our blog entries provided that MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO, Thomas Taylor, and Elyse Bruce are credited with the authorship along with a link back to the original blog entry. If you read a blog written by someone on the spectrum, be sure to ask them to copy and paste this blog entry as well as “The Price of Internet Scams.”

We would like to thank WrongPlanet.net for spearheading the way in this endeavor. MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO was pleased when we discovered that WrongPlanet.net twittered The Price of Internet Scams. When we last checked, WrongPlanet.net had over 30,000 subscribers.

MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO adds that if people try to compel you to share with them your password to e-mail accounts, bank accounts, or other personal accounts, these people are not acting in your best interest and may be involved in unscrupulous practices. Some of them will do so under the guise of being your ‘friend’ in order to gain your trust so they can achieve their goal of securing your private and confidential personal information. Refuse to co-operatie and be sure to report them to the authorities.

There is a significant amount of crime on the internet. Be wary, and surf safely. The price of unscrupulous internet solicitations is high.

Pass it on!

The Price of Internet Scams

Most people have charitable and compassionate hearts. When something untowards happens to others who are less fortunate than ourselves, the majority of people want to reach out and give those unfortunate individuals and families a hand up.

Scammers know this, and they adeptly prey on those who are naive and compassionate. It works this way:

1. Something terrible happens.

2. The scammer sees an opportunity to make easy money.

3. A fundraiser is put together.

4. People start asking for money.

5. We give.

6. They pressure us to spread the word to our friends, family and colleagues.

7. Some of our friends, family and colleagues give as well because they take us at our word.

7. We give again because additional information states that more money is desperately needed.

8. The scammers make off with most, if not all, of the money they have collected.

And the people who were supposed to be helped are lost along the way.

There has been a campaign circulating around the internet in recent days that is just disgusting. With connections to over 700 autism and health organizations around the world including respected and recognized experts in Autism Spectrum Disorders, MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO is making the effort to tell everyone we know about what this scam is and how it works. We are doing this so that we might better protect the autism community.

We know that some people will be upset about this blog entry, however, we trust that most people who read this will take it to heart.

We are doing this as a service to the autism community because the autism community is particularly charitable, particularly trusting, and particularly susceptible to manipulation and duplicity.

We are talking, of course, about internet and cellphone scams that have cropped up since the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

On January 12, 2010 Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake. There is heavy damage. Estimates say as many as 500,000 people may have been killed. More are injured. Clean water is hard to find, as is food, shelter, and medical and rescue equipment.

Because the airports are damaged, few flights can get into the country with the goods needed to help the survivors. This is why organizations such as the Red Cross are asking for money rather than food, clothes, or medical supplies.

And here is where the scammers come in.

In one case, the Red Cross is being targeted. It’s a fact that the U.S. Department of State has posted on their official blog that people can help by immediately by texting “HAITI” to “90999″ and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. The $10 is charged to your cell phone bill.

Wyclef Jean’s non-profit organization has also asked people to donate however his organization has been under investigation since before the earthquake. When it comes to filing tax returns, the IRS saw the evidence of the foundation’s poor accounting practices when “three years of returns were filed on the same day” last year.

In 2007 alone — the third year of the non-profit’s existence — that foundation spent $411,000 USD more than they generated. The amount they generated that year, according to their returns, was $79,000 USD. What’s worse, the foundation business is closely intertwined with Wyclef Jean’s personal and professional business.

With more than $2 million pouring into The Wyclef Jean Foundation Inc. via text message after just two days, experts such as the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance in Arlington, VA questioned how much of the money would help those in need.

While Wyclef Jean is busy defending himself and his foundation, one can hardly call Art Taylor, the president and chief executive of BBBWGA a troll for asking these important questions and alerting others to questionable practices within Wyclef’s organization!

There are cybercriminals out there and they are constantly on the look out for stories that will tug on compassionate people’s heartstrings so they can shake money out of your bank accounts and into their own accounts through texting fees, long distance fees, bank transfers, PayPal donations, et al.

Scammers purporting to be working for charitable organizations are soliciting for funds. And they are doing it using the good heartedness, empathy and compassion found in charitable contributors.

Reputable organizations and individuals have no problem whatsoever answering any and all of your questions with regards to where your donations are going, how much of your donation will make it to the cause and more.

These organizations include such businesses as Rogers Communications.   When you text “HELP” to shortcode 1291, $5.00 CDN is donated to the Haitian relief efforts. Rogers is working with The ONEXONE Foundation and 100 per cent of all donations received in this way are going to support Partners In Health: Haiti and other Haitian relief organizations.

T-Mobile USA has waived all call charges to and from Haiti and has pledged wireless equipment to help the restoration efforts in Haiti.  Additionally, T-Mobile customers can text “HAITI” to “90999″ and $10 USD is automatically donated to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. As with Rogers Communications in Canada, one hundred percent of all donations goes directly to the Red Cross.

MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO strongly encourages everyone to practice DUE DILLIGENCE before contributing to any cause, even if everything at first glance appears to be on the up and up. 

Find out who it is that is asking for the money and why.

Find out about how the people and organizations asking for the money are regarded by their peers.

Find out if they try to suppress any information that might lead to exposing the fact that they are scammers.

Be aware that if the news media isn’t covering their particular fundraiser or cause, there is a reason.  That reason may be something as simple as lack of airtime or space in their publication to information that the organization or individuals are not credible or are withholding information that is pertinent to the story overall.

If a news source  publishes an article or video and it is subsequently spammed off the net, write the news source to learn more about the subject the article or video covered.

Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the charity exists and whether or not there have been any concerns or complaints.

Check with law enforcement authorities to find out if there are any complaints against the organization or individuals.

See if the revenue services in your country of origin have issued statements about the organization or individuals.

If someone purports to be acting on behalf of a charity, contact the actual charity directly before making a contribution.

If you ask the hard questions and rather than receive straight forward answers, you are threatened, intimidated or otherwise blackmailed, do not allow the scammer to continue to implicate himself or herself in your life.

If they post comments publicly and you quote their posts back to them verbatim in an effort to get straight forward answers to your questions, quoting them verbatim is not against the law nor is it a form of harrassment.

Check with Snopes to see if there is anything listed about the case to which you are thinking of contributing.

The US federal Trade Commission the nation’s consumer protection agency, has great tips to help consumers give wisely.  It costs nothing to read or print out those tips.

If something doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts.

For legal advice on this matter and others like them, always contact a qualified legal representative in your country of origin.

What Comes of A Major Breach of Etiquette

MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO has been so busy these past months that recently I wound up committing a major breach of etiquette and the results were staggering. More on that after the EXCUSE.

EXCUSE: Elyse and I have been extremely busy — busier than usual — these past few weeks.

At home, I have been working on my paintings. At her place, we have been in the studio together working on podcasts and videos.

The current video that was just produced in conjunction with MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO is entitled, “Tell Me What Time It Is; Doctors and Surgeons and Nurses, Oh My!” (The video appears at the end of this blog entry). Once the audio was recorded, it took Elyse and her son two weeks to edit and master this 8 minute education and awareness video on Myasthenia Gravis. While she was doing that, I was drafting the script and creating the graphics for an upcoming PSA on autism.

We just posted the most recent video very late last night and within the first hour it got 51 views. Considering the lateness of the hour when it was posted, the number of views was pleasing, to say the least. We are constantly working to provide truly worthwhile services and products to the global community and to address the topic of invisible, and not so invisible, disabilities.

We also had a lot of random stuff going on: An autism conference, a couple of newspaper interviews, assisting parents and answering questions to which parents were desperate for the factual information, interacting positively with autism organizations, and dealing with reporters and broadcast media asking our opinions on specific invisible disabilities. Elyse had a string of public speaking engagements and wholeheartedly gave her support to the local United Way campaign. I sold prints of my art and was happy to learn that one of these prints was now hanging in the home of an Art Collector in Hungary. Lewis sold a few prints of his own artwork. To be expected, Elyse’s music CDs also enjoyed sales activities in November and December. Then, of course, there are the nine online forums I run plus all the ones I administrate and consult on. And finally, I also invested considerable time writing entries for this blog.

All told, that’s a lot of great activity over the past few weeks!

Then there is Facebook. Here is where the major breach of etiquette happened.

I must admit that I have been neglecting my Facebook account because social networks aren’t my forte, but folks have been surfing the net and seeing what we’ve been up to and all of this translates into more social networking for me. People have been seeking me out on Facebook (in the last three or four days in particular, for some odd reason) and recommending friends to me as well as groups to join along with fan suggestions to worthwhile causes in which they believe. There have been so many of them it’s been mind-boggling.

I’ve accepted some friends, joined some groups, and become a fan of yet other pages. And instead of thanking people for these recommenders one by one, instead I sent out a mass “thank you” note to my Facebook friends.

I think Miss Manners would certainly be appalled if she knew I had done this. My grandmother certainly would be if she was alive, bless her soul.

But what do you suppose happened?

The people I thanked recommended even more people, even more groups, and even more pages. And then those new people, did likewise and so on and so on. Well, you get the picture!

In the space of three days the number of people requesting to be added to my Facebook Friends list has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, with the increase, I also had to screen out and block some of the familiar online trolls that keep trying to get in under various user names in order to satisfy their peculiar agendas.

At any rate, I thought I would thank everyone again, en masse, despite the fact that my grandmother and Miss Manners would object if they were both still alive.

So THANK YOU to everyone, fair or foul, that recommends checking out MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO and what we are doing to help individuals and families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Myasthenia Gravis, Related Illnesses and Invisible Disabilities. I will keep a warm place for all of you in my heart!

Thomas D. Taylor
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO

Where Art And Medicine Meet … Occasionally

As many of you know, my 14 year old loves to create awareness and education videos to help others better understand the challenges and obstacles that are part and parcel of his every day life.  After all, who better to explain Asperger Syndrome (and the many co-morbidities therein) and Myasthenia Gravis than someone who lives with them every minute of every day?

Sometimes, when he’s working on a project, he finds that he hasn’t got the skill or talent required to do what he needs to have done.  At those times, he goes searching for just the right person who can understand what he means when he describes what he needs and who can, hopefully, provide what he needs.

Recently, in the midst of creating his upcoming video “Tell Me What Time It Is: Doctors And Surgeons And Nurses, Oh My!” he came to the realization that he needed some medical text quality illustrations to go along with the script and 6 loveable cartoon-style characters to represent T-cells.  And so, he popped into my office and finessed me into becoming his de facto art director.

He didn’t butter me up with fancy words and he didn’t promise to do more chores if I would help him out.   As is his way, he told me straight up what the 4-1-1 was on his upcoming video.

“I’m an artist but I’m not much of an illustrator, mom,” he told me in dead earnest. “I’m going to need some illustrations to go with the MG video. Think you can help me out?” I thought for a moment before answering. As a teen, I had purchased a Grey’s Anatomy textbook so I could better understand how the human body was put together in order to continue to grow as a visual artist. However, I had never been an illustrator of the human body which is a completely different kind of art.

Still, there he was with so much hope in his amber brown eyes and so I said softly, “I’ll do my best.”

“Great!” he replied enthusiastically. “And could you maybe create some comic book style characters to represent the T-cells, mom? I’m going to need them to be representational and not scary looking for kids.” And with that, he bounded out of my office.

It took me more than a couple of days to visualize how I was going to do these comic book style T-cells, mostly because I really wasn’t sure IF it was possible to make T-cells cute and lovable in the first place.  I mean, cells are cells, right? And he was asking me to create out of thin air renderings that would represent the Helper T-Cell, the Cytotoxic T-Cell, the Memory T-Cell, the Regulatory T-Cell, the Natural Killer T-Cell and the Gamma Delta T-Cell.

Once I started to see things from a child’s perspective, however,  those characters weren’t that difficult to create after all.  And once they were completed, they were actually quite adorable according to a handful of people who were privvy to seeing them for the first time ever.

So now I’m thinking that perhaps Lewis is right when he says that I should start thinking about creating a comic book.  He mentioned it to me last June while he was in the Intensive Care Unit a couple of days after his thymectomy.  At the time I thought it was the morphine he had been given for pain mangement talking.  Now I’m not so sure.

Over the years, I’ve learned that Lewis oftentimes says things that, at the time, make little to no sense to others.  It’s only later on — sometimes months later — that everything falls into place and comes together like a well oiled engine.

And so, art and medicine have met in this strange place called Lewis’ video and I’m looking forward to seeing the first segment uploaded to YouTube within a few days.  I’m not interested so much in the comments about my artistic flair with felt markers as much as I’m interested in reading what others have to say about the impact of Lewis’ video.

And so, until next week, my friends, I wish you a fantastic start to 2010 and look forward to seeing you here often throughout the year.

Elyse Bruce
Founder and Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO