Our nephew, Loyd III, arrived home this week from his tour of duty with the Marines. He is going to work in his Dad’s business and also will be attending college. We are grateful to have him back in our lives.

Our neice, Carolyne, has been selected to appear in a made for TV movie and will be returning to San Franscisco next week for filming. We will let you know the date of the showing. A movie star in the family!

Thank you for agreeing to receive our ezine. Please feel free to forward this issue to your friends. Comments and article submissions are always welcome. Our email address is solidgoldhome@charter.net. If you wish to subscribe or view past issues please visit our website at http://www.solidgoldhomebusiness.com. If you have not already downloaded your free ebooks the email addresses are below.

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Contents

Commentary –- Home Business Scams

Thought for the Month –- Who To Let In

Article –- The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

Computer Tip – Use Your Active Desktop

Travel Agent Secrets Revealed!

Interesting Links

Fr*e Ebooks

In Memoriam – The Talltexian

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Home Business Scams

A major portion of our site is devoted to assisting you in avoiding scams. One of the newest ones we have received is the FedEx & UPS Refund Processors Needed email that reads like this:

If you're still looking for a real home-based business, I'm pretty sure you'll like what we've got. How would you like to process overnight shipping refunds for companies that use FedEX and UPS? If you're anything like most people I talk to, you'd love to work fr*m home if the business was REAL. Well, this is the REAL DEAL ... CLICK BELOW to access the FR*E REPORT, PLUS get FR*E Airfare for 2 Adults for 1 year.

The real deal is that they get your money and you get a worthless program. If you are thinking of spending your money please do your research. If you have questions about a particular program we will be glad to help, just send us an email. The number of online frauds is growing daily so don’t be a victim. The following is a press release from the Department of Justice.

On May 16, 2003, the United States Department of Justice announced the successful results of nationwide Cyber Crime investigation called Operation E-Con. The investigation was coordinated at the federal level between the Department of Justice, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Trade Commission. A number of state and local law enforcement agencies, along with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), also contributed greatly towards the success of the operation.

Operation E-Con focuses on significant Cyber Crime activity not only in the United States, but in a number of countries around the world. Some of the types of crime investigated include Investment Fraud, Identity Theft, Intellectual Property Rights, Auction Fraud and Internet Pharmaceuticals. The successful resolution of Operation E-Con demonstrates that crime on the Internet remains a high priority for law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

The investigations highlighted today are substantial in number, with more than 90 investigations, involving 89,000 victims and estimated losses of more than $176 million dollars. While these numbers are staggering, they only represent a fraction of ongoing Cyber Crime investigations. Additional significant activities in Operation E-Con include the execution of 73 Search and Seizure warrants, and the formal charging or conviction of more than 130 individuals.

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Who To Invite In

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat. "Is the man of the house home," they asked.

"No," she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in," they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"

The woman went out and invited the men in.

"We do not go into a house together," they replied.

"Why is that?" she asked.

One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends. And pointing to another one he said, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice," he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"

His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"

"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife.

"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love. Why are you coming in?"

The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!"

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The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

By Wayne Patterson http://www.speedingticketcentral.com

Have you noticed more autos on the side of the road with an officer issuing the driver a speeding ticket? Have you seen more trucks surrounded by DOT transport police? I sure have. There are several reasons for this increased activity.

One is that after 9/11 many departments have increased patrols. The additional police presence is to assure the public that efforts are being taken to prevent terrorist attacks like the recent sniper killings. The other reason is that cities and states are faced with budget deficits in these tough economic times. Since traffic tickets are a politically correct form of taxation, many jurisdictions are increasing fines as a means of balancing the books.

A traffic officer will cost his department the average of $75,000 per year while he can be expected to issue between $150,000 to $200,000 in speeding ticket citations. There are few businesses that can equal that rate of return. Some towns like New Rome, Ohio and Waldo, Florida take in over 70% of their entire town budget through speeding tickets.

What does this mean to you, the safe driver who has not received a traffic citation in years? It means that you are now more likely than ever to see those dreaded blue lights flashing in your rear view. If that does happen you need to know that the true cost of a speeding ticket has changed drastically in the last few years.

Consider Mary, a successful sales representative who enjoys the perk of a company car. She travels extensively and has received four speeding tickets in the last three years. She considers herself a safe driver and in each instance was traveling with the flow of traffic on the interstate. She has 9 out of the 12 points on her driver’s license. Imagine her surprise when her company’s insurance carrier refused to allow Mary to drive a company car. The company obtained supplemental insurance but Mary had to pay the extra $1600.

Then there is Jeffrey, a CDL truck driver from Ohio who is an independent operator and owns his own truck. He drives 150,000 miles per year and has five tickets on his record, none a serious violation. He is unable to obtain insurance that he can afford. He is in the process of losing his truck to the finance company and does not know how he will support his family.

Families with teenagers may face an economic disaster if the teen driver receives a citation. One traffic ticket for rolling through a stop sign could cost as much as $3000 in increased premiums over the three years it remains on their driving record. One of our son’s friends was recently quoted $8000 by a major national insurer. Of course he was able to obtain a policy for much less but this is an indication of the industry trend. In addition insurance companies consider young adults as teenagers until the age of 23.

The purpose of relating Mary’s and Jeffrey’s stories is not for you to feel sorry for them. It is to impress upon you the severe consequences that may result from a traffic ticket. It is important to obey all traffic laws, not just for your physical protection but also for the health of your pocketbook. I have found that many people are more concerned about their pocketbook than their personal safety.

What should you do if you receive a citation? Never just pay a speeding ticket. Check with the clerk of court to see if you are eligible for traffic school, even if it is an out-of-state citation. Many states now accept online traffic school. Check to see if this is available in your state at

http://www.trafficschoolonline.com/?lcode=4013

If traffic school is not available then you or your attorney need to appear in court to contest the speeding ticket. Hiring an attorney may be your cheapest option when you consider the additional cost of you insurance. Check with your insurance agent to find out the consequences of the original charge being entered on your driving record. The American Bar Association says: "The best way for the majority of Americans to be able to assure themselves of legal assistance when they need it... is through a prepaid legal plan." For nationwide legal services contact

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/info/aoates

Drive safe and stay out of the "No Zone." Remember if you got it a truck brought it.

The author is not an attorney and this is not legal advice. If you need legal assistance consult an attorney.

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Computer Tip – Thanks to Shelia at Lone Star Marketing

The Windows ME desktop can look and work like a Web page when you use the Active Desktop feature.

You can add live content, such as a weather map, sports scores, or a news ticker that will update automatically to provide you with up-to-the-minute information in virtually any area you choose.

To begin, right-click on your desktop and choose Active Desktop | Customize My Desktop

Verify that Show Web Content On My Active Desktop is selected on the Web tab of the Display Properties dialog box, and then click New.

If you have a specific Web page or image you'd like to add to your desktop and you know its URL, you can type the Web address in the Location text box and click OK.

Windows ME will then display a Message box informing you that you have designated that Web page or image to be added to your Active Desktop.

Click OK to add the Web page or image to your Active Desktop. You can also click the Customize button to password-protect the Web page.

If you don't have a specific Web page you'd like to add to your desktop, click Visit Gallery to browse the Microsoft Active Desktop Gallery on the Internet. The gallery provides several examples of content you can add to your Active Desktop.

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Travel Agent Secrets Revealed!

We want to introduce you to TraveLogia. Now you can download a fr*e program that has only previously been available to Travel Agents. Included is the unique ability to instantly contact a travel representative via online chat.

We used to go to all the sites, Travelocity, Orbitz, Cheap Seats, etc. searching for the best deals. TraveLogia utilizes a $100 million plus, technology infrastructure that provides FR*E access to millions of discounted travel specials and savings. The BoardingPass program searches over forty travel sites to deliver the best flights at the cheapest fare.

Visit today to receive your FR*E travel awards and download your FR*E BoadingPass.

http://solidgold.travelogia.com

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Interesting Links

Lone Star MarketGram Newsletter. Where integrity, honesty and common sense come together. Find out what the buzz is about. Send a blank email to subscribe.

mailto:lsmg@aweber.com

The Truth About Weight Loss- Click on Special Reports.

http://kazoo.xtend-life.com/default.asp?id=423429

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FR*E EBOOKS

For The Bluelight Special send a blank email to bluelightspecial@sendfree.com

For Ebay Marketing Secrets send a blank email to solidgoldebay@sendfree.com

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In Memoriam – The Talltexian

Some of you may have seen some of the Talltexian sites I only knew Michael through his writing. He used the power of the internet to make a difference. He just passed away on June 4th 2003 ... He will be greatly missed.

I want to end this issue with Michael's five rules to be happy.

We spend so much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give. When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for mistakes. Instead you fight the mistakes, accept the faults and you overlook excuses.

Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his or her place. Friendship is like wine. It gets better as it grows older.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart of hatred.

Free your mind from worries.

Live simply.

Give more.

Expect less.

http://www.talltexian.com

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Thank you for sharing your time with us. We know that you receive a lot of email and that your time is valuable. We hope that you will find the information in Solidgoldmonthly worth reading and that you will continue to allow us into your lives.

Please visit our site often as new features are added on a regular basis. Wayne and Carolyn

http://www.solidgoldhomebusiness.com