"Faith is the only known cure for fear." 

- Lena K. Sadler

Since you're (probably) reading this on your computer screen right now, you've got the ability to drop your long distance phone bills to zero. No hype-just Skype. Read more about the newest technology to threaten the profitability of the world's phone companies-as well as foil the wiretapping abilities of law enforcement-in this week's Dose of Dover (below).

(It's worse than Ben and J-Lo...) The Do Not Call list is on again...for now: The national Do Not Call List is on again...at least until November 10^th. That's when an appeals court in Tulsa, OK will hear oral arguments giving the tele-pests another shot at overturning the wishes of 52 million Americans. Here's the latest.....

Looking for a reminder of why the Do Not Call list is not the end all/cure all to tele-cockroaches? Of course Ben was the first to point out the assorted loopholes that could keep those phone calls coming.....

Wanna know how the telemarketers are scheming to work their way around the Do Not Call Lists? They're setting you up by creating sweepstakes, rebates and product giveaways to lure you into signing on and-in the process-waiving your do-not-call rights. Here's how they're doing it and what you need to know to avoid taking their bait.

 

Didja hear the one about the priest, the hooker and the rabbi? Okay then, didja hear the one about the FTC and FCC's intent to enforce the Do Not Call list? You betcha...this should be good: Okay, so I'm a bit skeptical. But maybe it's because I've seen how effective the anti-spam laws have been.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) says they're gonna go after Do Not Call violators, slapping them with $11,000-per-occurrence fines. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) says it received 2,665 complaints during the first nine days the list was "live" and sent out 19 letters to tele-scumbags seeking "more information" as they launched their investigations. FTC and FCC officials say they'll go after companies that generate the most complaints first, and that the two agencies are prepared to share complaint information (sure they will, two federal agencies helping each other-uh-huh...), but do you know where to go and what to do if you've been "violated"? You do now...

It's not your parent's box of crayons: In honor of Crayola's 100^th anniversary, they've blown out teal blue, blizzard blue, magic mint and Mulberry. Check out what they've replaced them with.....

Now's a great time to be in the market for a new set of wheels...but  please don't get taken in by radio-commercial claims from car leasing companies out to get you hooked and then set to wear you down and beat the emotional (and maybe financial) daylights out of you!  Check out Ben's free Smart Car Seminar automotive acquisition tips right here!

 

 

Here's the first and last automobile leasing company you'll ever need to deal with, no matter where you live...Benjamin Dover-endorsed Manufacturers Auto Leasing! They have loyal clients across the entire state of Texas and around the nation.  Why?  Because they'll take care of you better than anyone else out there! 

By the way: If you're facing one of those upside-down scenarios (car business term meaning you're financially buried), or maybe you simply want to bail on your current vehicle and need someone to get creative on your behalf, Manufacturers Auto Leasing is the best in the business.  Period.

DELTA stands for Don't Ever Leave The Airport-hungry and cashless, anyway: Delta Airlines is discontinuing complimentary meals by next Spring, which might be a blessing after all. Please return your seat to the upright position, hit the ATM before you get the hairy-eyeball from the gate agent and read why packing your own food is not only safer for your palate, but your pocketbook, too.

Now that you're looking forward to that scrumptuous airline food, it's time you got off your rear and started making travel plans for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend! (You're on the clock and it's now only 54 days away): Stretch your travel budget and get your Thanksgiving or Christmas-time travel planning handled now. Check out Ben's reliable, no-brainer choice for consistently affordable and competitively priced hotel room or condo deals: www.hotels.com.  

How about being a hero this year for Thanksgiving? Instead of showing up at someone's house with a crappy bottle of wine that either nobody will drink and it'll end up being "re-gifted" somewhere down the road, bring something that's sure to set you apart!  Screw-off tops or canned cranberry sauce can be the quickest way to be de-invited for future events so spend a few bucks and do a little planning today to bring beautiful flowers, direct from Hawaii with you.  Ben's affordable choice?  Tropical Colors.  Order on-line or give 'em a call toll-free (remember to call after 1p ET/12n CT/11a MT and 10a PT because of the time difference): 800 965-9732.

God hates cell phone and pagers: Add crying babies to the list and you've got the most-popular banned behaviors list for places of worship, as well as movie theaters. Knock out a few Hail Marys or Shaloms and read more.....

Speaking of yarmulkes, didja hear about the newest periodical to make waves among Old Testament purists? It's called "Heeb" magazine, and it irreverently likes to refer to itself as "The New Jew Review".  Skip the pork rinds and read all about it.....

 

When is bad news good for you? When fears about our economy's health result in the lowest mortgage rates in decades!  Time to buy your first home...or a bigger home...or just re-finance! Interest rates are STILL at incredibly-low levels...so quit waiting on guessing the winning 6 Lotto numbers. Ben's no-brainer choice for any/all of your mortgage needs? Easy...do it all on-line or on the phone with the official mortgage company of www.benjamindover.com and your first (and only) stop: W.R. Starkey Mortgage.

It's easy to get educated about the process first...and the price is right!  (Free!)  Everything you need to know can be found on-line; get your own copy of Bens' 2003 Home Buyer's Guide by clicking here.

 

Now that you're motivated to buy a house, or trade-up from your current home...how would you like to get some cash back on your next home purchase (or sale)?  (I'll show you how.)  Click here.....

Since we're talking about moving, let's go down your "things to do" checklist: Moved your phone service and utilities? [Check!] Put in your change of address on your mail? [Check!!]  Have all of your belongings held hostage by some rogue movers? [Check...not!!!]  Do your homework (first) and choose the right moving company!  Ben's Moving Tips will save you time, money and lots-o-heartache.....

The list of urban killers is predictable: AIDS. Drugs. Guns. Stress? That's right...stress is apparently taking it's toll on urban kids.  Pop a Xanax and read more about it...

Skype and VoIP. Two new words you'll be adding to your cyber-vocabulary soon, and you heard 'em here first! Skype (rhymes with hype) allows the cleanest (free!) long distance telephone connections via the Internet yet, relying on the VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) technology. Wanna know more?

Free phone calls sound like a "too good to be true" sorta opportunity? Maybe not-one sign of legitimacy is when taxing authorities start making moves to get a piece of the action. Find out how the VoIPs are starting to show up in taxation crosshairs in states like the Socialist Republic of California.

NostraDover strikes again! Only 41 days until you can tell your cell phone company to shove it: Oh boy oh boy oh boy-the time is drawing near when we'll be able to level the cellular playing field; Ben told you to hang on and wait for some terrific deals months ago and now regulators are giving consumers cellular brass-knuckles as talk of quick switching appear to be reality. Quick switching? Quick! Click here and find out more about the leverage 100 million Americans are about to enjoy.....

Plastic utensils on airplane flights. Digital physical exams at airport security checkpoints. And now the hairy-eyeball scrutiny at your local bank: Thank that t**d Osama for the latest inconvenience the next time you try to open a bank account. Here's why.....

Dontcha love the amazing resources I compile every week in the Dose of Dover? Good! Then no whining about having to sign-up for free access: Like anything in life, there's always gonna be a trade-off on some level. I embed dozens of links in every edition of this newsletter, and my frequent sources, The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register and USA Today require varying levels of registration in order to access their websites for free...with one small caveat: If you try to hit an older story, there's a reasonable chance that the news organization has either moved the story to a new URL, or to their archives.  If it's archived, there's a high probability that they'll charge you for access to the story...usually under $3.  Don't whine about it...just pay 'em if you wanna read it--or not.  It's always your choice.

Those snappy dressers in brown polyester are going after FedEx in a big way: Read how Big Brown's re-tooling their infrastructure and delivery systems to get competitive on ground shipments.....

(Could they be targeting KKK members?) Could McDonald's be bringing "segregated food" to a McArches outpost near you? Hmmmmm...read this article and then you decide.

You know the biggest victim of scumbag spammers? Legitimate e-mail! I know it's happened to me-messages inadvertently directed to my "delete" box because of mail rules that I set-up to reduce the amount of garbage in my "inbox." Find out more about how software engineers are trying to beat the spammers by helping you identify the e-mails you want to receive.

Do you know what to do if you happen to miss your weekly Dose of Dover?  Aside from blaming your ISP (taking anti-spam measures) for it, take the path of least resistance: Read the latest edition in the Dose of Dover archive right here!

Still looking for a cool birthday (or other special occasion) gift that'll keep on giving, all year long?  Then give 'em a subscription to the Dose of Dover...the most reliable source of insight and no s*** ideas available on the planet.  (You can afford it...it's free!)  Time to share the wealth!  Sign-up for a subscription to the weekly Dose of Dover Newsletter right here!

Are you a Google fan? I am...but I'm a little concerned about the recent revelation that sounds like they could be engaging in "spyware" type behaviors: How often do you use this free search engine? If you don't know, they just might have the answer. Find out what the Google braintrust has quietly rolled out into the cyber-landscape, and how your on-line activities might not be as anonymous as you might think.

You'd better think twice about the content of your next e-mail! Here's a lesson being learned by Enron employees-the hard way: I've warned you many times over the last few years about the dangers and inherent insecurity of e-mail. Aside from its being non-secure, it can also stay "resident" on dozens of e-mail servers for years-giving nosy investigators an easy avenue with which to impale you on your own words. Maybe you'll start believing me after you read the personal revelations of innocent Enron employees. (And I'll be you'll start being careful what you write about in-laws, spouses or mistresses from now on.....)

Add four more "Dover's Rules" (stolen I mean, acquired from the November '03 issue of Esquire magazine) to your list:

    - Rule 146: There is no product that can't be improved with the addition of Velcro.

    - Rule 153: If you see a really nice car with handicapped plates, you're not as jealous anymore.

    - Rule 611: If your PIN number is your birthday, you're an idiot.

    - Rule 612: If your PIN number is your girlfriend's birthday, you're a sucker.

 

 

It's time to level the playing field with the long-awaited new edition of Back Off! The Definitive Guide To Stopping Collection Agency Harassment:

    Read sample chapters from the new book!

    Get the inside scoop on those "non-profit" credit counseling agencies.

    Read all about the biggest thugs operating under the noses of authorities, rogue collection agencies that terrorize unwitting consumers.

 

And since we're on the subject of credit problems...do you know anyone who's got some of their own? It's time to learn more about the inner-workings of that black hole known as the credit reporting bureaus: You can get a digital copy of Ben's 1993 (#5) bestseller Life After Debt on-line, right now.  Read how right here..... 

If you (or someone you know) is even remotely thinking about paying some non-profit credit counseling service, hiring a debt re-negotiation company or filing for bankruptcy, you might wanna read this first:  Trust me, you'll be more informed and a lot more grateful 10-minutes (or less) from now.....

From the "you just thought they could be nasty" department; some insights on the IRS' new commissioner: According to a tax industry insider: "The new IRS commish is a real hard liner.  In documents that had to be requested under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), the new commish has stated he's going to do his best to eliminate the offer in compromise program.  It's also been documented from internal IRS memos (that also had to be pried out via FOIA),  that the new commissioner has isolated and ostracized the congressionally mandated taxpayer advocate department, and that they're not to be privy to any of the of the IRS' internal information.  It really looks like he's a mad dog off the leash.  In the future we see a huge backlash against him, but it might take a few years for all that to build up.  The IRS has a new focus in collections even if the taxpayer has already completed and sent in their returns...and the IRS is dragging its heels in processing returns right now; 6 month or more is quite standard time for them to process older, multiple-years of returns."

Don't make the mistake of trying to deal with the IRS on your own.  Lousy advice could not only cost you dearly, it could jack up your total taxes owed, late fees, interest and/or fines to levels that'll make you think about learning Spanish and heading south of the border. If you've got some tax-related challenges, now's the time to tie down those loose-ends on your terms and get a deal worked out before it's too late.  Non-filers...innocent spouses...941 (payroll taxes) for the entrepreneurs amongst us: Know all your options and learn why hiring an Enrolled Agent probably makes the most sense.

Irritated by software companies that want to limit your usage of their products that you've legitimately purchased? The TurboTax braintrust is trying to defuse the PR-bomb they created last year by buying full-page ads apologizing for their greedy behavior. Check out their cyber-mea culpa...

While we're on the subject of copying software, here's a little tip on how to override a new security feature on CDs, designed to keep you from making multiple copies of music you've legitimately purchased and have a right to rip: Some of life's cyber-solutions can be so easy if you know where to look.  Of course I'll show you how and where, read on..... 

Sold a car and thought your problems were behind you? Not so fast, Manson. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself from ending up on an episode of "Cops"...Plus: If you're looking for a good deal on drugs (the legal ones, you dope!) but don't wanna join one of those buying clubs for the privilege, you don't have to!  Keeping you outta jail, one prescription painkiller at a time, check out the October 16, 2003 edition of Ask Benjamin Dover from The Dallas Morning News right here!