I must preface my remarks by saying that I only read the first few paragraphs, but I think I see where it is going.

I usually shop at a local convenience store, but when I do go to the supermarket (Walbaums), I do use a shopper's card. I like Smucker's natural peanut butter (because it doesn't have hydrogenated fat), reduced fat milk, unbreaded chicken breasts, frozen pizza, and mexican grill taquitos (the greatest food in the world). I like green beans (cut not french cut), peas, and corn; but, I don't like spinach and cauliflower. The store manager know it and now all of you know it. Like the store manager, I am sure none of you really give a damn.

My criminal record (or rather lack of criminal record) is available to anyone and my real estate records are available to anyone. I pay about $750.00 in real estate taxes every quarter. Do you really care? Probably not.

If I ever get divorced (would have to get married first) and when I die, you will be able to get a copy of the divorce papers and the will. Is your life that bankrupt that you would actually expend the effort (even if that effort were minimal) to read those documents? I would have no interest in reading yours.

My point is that we are all SO concerned about people getting knowledge about us, but, in most cases, we live lives that are so boring, who could care?

The only real concern is that databases of records could, in the wrong hands, be a danger to us (through identity theft, etc.) but if you expend even a small amount of effort, identity theft will become less and less a concern.

- always use a firewall on your computer (hardware firewalls are best, but even a software firewall will protect you against MOST hackers). And never listen to people who say "I could get past ZoneAlarm (for example) in 30 seconds. They are lying. REAL hackers don't advertise their skills.
- always check your credit card for unauthorized charges. All credit cards have fraud protection and you will not be responsible for unauthorize purchases if you discover such charges quickly and report them.
- always check your monthly bank charges, statements, and register. If something is wrong, notify the bank immediately. The ban has a non-waivable duty to protect your account against other people. If the bank fails to do that, you will be able to recoup your losses.
- always shred ANYTHING you receive in the mail that can be filled out to get a credit card, or offer, etc. Shredders are cheap and they are economic life savers. Make sure you get a shredder that has cross-cut capability. NO credit agency will accept a credit card app that has been taped together. I bought my shredder from Staples on sale for $49.00. It is perfect for the job.
- routinely check your credit rating (trw). If someone has managed to steal your identity (almost impossible if you follow my suggestions), the sooner you find the problem, the easier it is to fix it. Checking your credit is relatively inexpensive and very important.
[url]http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20010223c.asp[/urll]
- if you find or even suspect a problem, contact an attorney IMMEDIATELY. Most attorneys who do this kind of work have investigators working for them and if the theft of your identity was accomplished through no fault of your own, it is likely that the problem can be solved.

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