Stuff to Blog About and More: In the News, July 3rd 2008

Vermont Girl Found- Not Alive

Investigators say that they have found the body of the 12-year-old missing Vermont girl.

Her uncle, was arrested on a charge of sexually assaulting another child. Information gathered in a search of his home led police to the gravesite.
The girl he is accused of assaulting told detectives that he had been having sex with her since she was 9. She also told investigators she had a sexual encounter with the missing girl's former stepfather.

According to the affidavit, the girl recounted how when she was 9 she found a note under her pillow that said she had been chosen to be in a program for sex called "Breckenridge." She was told that her "trainer" was Jacques. She told authorities that to graduate she had to attain a 75 percent on "how you perform."

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Watermelon is as good s Viagra

Scientists in Texas say that watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra.
Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.
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Firefox Holds a New Record
Mozilla, developer of open-source Web browser Firefox, said on Wednesday it set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of software downloads in 24 hours. Firefox's set a world download record with the release of Firefox 3 with 8.3 million downloads, despite hitting a bump in the road because of the heavy demand on servers, slowing downloads.

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Hostages Freed!

Lance Cheung / US Air Force via AP

3 U.S. hostages were reunited with their families in Texas after being held for 5 years by Colombian guerrillas.

Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell were U.S. government contractors who had been captured and held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC, since their plane crashed in a remote region of the South American country in February 2003.

They were among 15 hostages, including ex-Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, rescued Wednesday in a Colombian military operation, according to the country's defense minister. The rebel group still is believed to hold about 750 hostages in jungle camps.

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.