The 1-800 numbers you must have!

us automotive back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
AAA	F	800‑222‑4357	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Alamo	D	800‑462‑5266	Direct to human.
Allstate Motor Club	B	800‑869‑7997	Direct to human.
Auto Zone	F	800‑288‑6966	Press 1; at prompt press 2; at prompt press 0.
Avis	F	800‑230‑4898	Press 2.
BMW	F	800‑831‑1117	Say "customer relations" and then press 1 for "vehicle" or 2 for "motorcycle."
Budget Rent a Car	B	800‑527‑0700	Press 0.
Buick	F	800‑521‑7300 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Cadillac	F	800‑333‑4223 @	Press 0.
Chevrolet	F	800‑222‑1020 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Chrysler Financial	F	800‑700‑0738	Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Chrysler Group	F	800‑992‑1997	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Dodge	F	800‑992‑1997	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Dollar Rent‑A‑Car	F	800‑800‑4000	Press 0.
Ford	F	800‑392‑3673	Press 0; at prompt press 0; at prompt press 0; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 0.
Ford Interest Advantage	F	800‑462‑2614	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Ford Motor Credit	F	800‑727‑7000	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
GMC	F	800‑462‑8782 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Harley‑Davidson	F	414‑343‑4056	Press 0.
Hertz	A	800‑654‑3131	Direct to human.
Honda	F	800‑999‑1009	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Honda Financial Svcs.	F	800‑445‑1358	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Jeep	F	800‑992‑1997	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Lincoln Mercury	F	800‑521‑4140	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Mazda	F	800‑222‑5500	Press 0.
National Car Rental	B	800‑227‑7368	Direct to human.
Nissan Credit (NMAC)	F	800‑888‑2799	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Nissan USA	F	800‑647‑7261	Press #.
Pep Boys	F	800‑737‑2697	Press 33; at prompt press 1; hold through prompts for representative.
Pontiac	F	800‑762‑2737 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Ryder Customer Service	F	305‑500‑3726	Direct to human.
Ryder Rentals	C	800‑297‑9337	Don't press or say anything.
Saturn	F	800 553‑6000 @	Press 3.
Thrifty Car Rental	D	800‑331‑9111	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Toyota	F	800‑331‑4331	Press 6.
Toyota Financial Svcs.	F	800‑874‑8822	Select Language option; press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
UHAUL	C	800‑789‑3638	Direct to human.
Volkswagen	F	800‑822‑8987	At prompt, press 32; if offered, press 1 to take survey or 2 to decline.
Volvo	F	800‑458‑1552 @	Press 0, ignoring messages.
us credit back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
Amazon Visa	F	888‑247‑4080	Press 00 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
American Express	F	800‑528‑4800	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
AT&T Universal Card	F	800‑423‑4343	Don't press or say anything.
Bank Card Svcs.	F	800‑655‑1491	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Bank of America Credit	F	800‑732‑9194	Press 1 for English, Enter yout account number
Barclays	F	877‑523‑0478	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Best Buy Card	F	800‑365‑0292	Press 6 at each prompt, ingnoring recording.
Bloomingdales Credit	F	800‑295‑4057	Direct to human.
Capital One	F	800‑548‑4593	Press 0.
Card Services	F	888‑363‑8001	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Chase Credit Cards	B	800‑625‑5161	Direct to human.
ChevronTexaco Credit	F	800‑243‑8766 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Citi Cards	F	800‑633‑7367	Don't press or say anything, ignoring messages.
Citi Simplicity	D	866‑696‑5673	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Dell Financial Services	F	800‑283‑2210	Press 0; at prompt press 0; at prompt press #; at prompt press #.
Diner's Club	D	800‑729‑5309	Press 2.
Discover	F	800‑347‑2683	Please enter your 16 digital account number
Exxon Mobil Card	F	800‑344‑4355	Press 000, ignoring message.
Gap Credit Card	F	800‑887‑1198	Press 000 at each prompt; ignore request for account number.
GM MasterCard	F	800‑947‑1000	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Home Depot Credit	D	800‑677‑0232	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Household Bank Credit	F	800‑771‑7339	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
JC Penny Credit	F	800‑542‑0800	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Kohls Credit	F	800‑564‑5740	Press # at each prompt, ignorning messages.
Lord & Taylor Credit	F	800‑223‑7440	Press 2002.
Marshall Fields Credit	F	800‑280‑4356	Press 9; press 0 at each prompt thereafter, ignoring messages.
MasterCard	F	800‑622‑7747 @	Press 000 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
MBNA	F	800‑421‑2110	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
PayPal Buyer Credit	F	866‑571‑3012	Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Providian Card Svcs.	F	800‑356‑0011	Press 0# at each prompt, ignoring messages.
RBS Credit Card	F	800‑747‑8155	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Sam's Club Credit	F	800‑203‑5764	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Sears Credit Card	F	800‑917‑7700	Press 0000000; press 0 at subsequent prompts.
Shell Gasoline Card	F	800‑490‑9119	Press 0 when prompted for an account number.
SUNOCO	F	800‑278‑6626 @	Press 00000; mumble when prompted for an account number.
Telecheck	F	800‑710‑9898 @	Press 1, 3, * at prompts.
US Bank Visa	D	800‑285‑8585	Say "operator" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Visa	F	800‑847‑2911	Press 0 at each prompt; ignoring messages.
Wal‑Mart Credit Card	F	866‑888‑3868	Don't press or say anything.
Wells Fargo Credit	F	800‑642‑4720	Press 0# at each prompt, ignoring messages.
us finance back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
ABN AMRO Mortgage	F	800‑783‑8900	Press #; at prompt press #; at prompt press 0.
Allmerica Financial	F	800‑533‑7881 @	Press 00 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Ameriquest Mortage	F	888‑436‑7571	Don't press or say anything.
Bank of America		877‑231‑9372	Direct to human.
Bank of New York	F	800‑225‑5269	Press ###.
Bear Stearns	B	888‑807‑6898	Direct to human.
Charles Schwab	C	800‑435‑9050	Press 3, followed by eight digit account number
Chase Home Finance	F	800‑848‑9136	Press #0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Citibank	F	800‑756‑7047	Press 0# at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Citizens Bank	F	800‑922‑9999	Press 000.
Columbia Mutual Funds	D	800‑345‑6611	Say "representative."
Commerce Bank	A	888‑751‑9000	Direct to human.
Compass Bank	F	800‑239‑5175	Press 00 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Countrywide Loans	F	800‑669‑5864	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Dodge and Cox	F	800‑621‑3979	Press 0.
e*Trade	F	800‑786‑2575	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Equifax	F	866‑640‑2273	Press 30 at each prompt, ignoring message.
Experian	F	800‑493‑1058	Say "yes"; enter report #; enter social security #; say "yes"; say "agent" then "yes" to confirm at prompts thereafter.
Fidelity	D	800‑544‑6666	Ignore prompt for social security number; press ###.
First Nat'l Bank of Omaha	F	888‑530‑3626	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
FreeCreditReport.com	F	877‑481‑6825 @	Press 51 at prompt.
GE Finance CareCredit	F	866‑893‑7864	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
GE MONEY BANK	F	877‑317‑5544	Press 1, then don't press or say anything.
GMAC	F	800‑200‑4622	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Goldman Sachs Mutual Funds	C	800‑762‑5035	Direct to human.
H&R Block Advisors	F	866‑295‑7912	Press 3; at prompt press 2.
HSBC	F	800‑477‑6000	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
ING Direct	B	800‑464‑3473	Direct to human.
John Hancock	F	800‑732‑5543	Press 2; at prompt press 0.
JP Morgan Chase	F	800‑392‑5749	Press 131.
Mellon Investor	F	800‑522‑6645	Press #.
Merrill Lynch	D	800‑637‑7455	Say "Advisor".
MetLife Bank	F	866‑226‑5638	Press 000 rapidly and repeatedly, ignoring messages.
Moneygram	F	800‑926‑9400	Press 0.
Morgan Stanley	F	800‑869‑3326	Press 00.
NY Life Retirement Svcs.	F	800‑586‑1413	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
PNC Bank	F	888‑762‑2265	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Primerica	F	800‑544‑5445	Press 0.
Principal Financial	F	800‑547‑7754	Enter social security #, then press 0.
Prudential Annuity	F	888‑778‑2888	Press ** at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Prudential Financial	F	800‑778‑3932	Direct to human.
Sallie Mae	F	888‑272‑5543	Press 00 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Smith Barney Benefitaccess	F	888‑822‑6067	Press 0.
Sovereign Bank	D	877‑768‑2265	Don't press or say anything.
State Farm Bank	F	877‑734‑2265	Say "operator" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Student Loan Corp.	F	800‑967‑2400	Press 5.
Student Loan People	F	888‑250‑6401	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
SunTrust	F	800‑786‑8787	Press # rapidly and repeatedly.
T. Rowe Price	F	800‑922‑9945	Say "operator" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
TD Ameritrade	F	800‑934‑4448	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Textron Financial	D	800‑388‑1826 @	Direct to human.
TIAA‑CREF	F	800‑842‑2733	Don't press or say anything.
TransUnion	F	800‑916‑8800	Press 2 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Upromise	F	888‑434‑9111	Press 0.
US Bank	F	800‑872‑2657	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
USAA Investment Mgmt	F	800‑531‑8448	Press 0# at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Vanguard Funds	D	800‑662‑2739	Press 0.
Wachovia	F	800‑922‑4684	Press 00 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Washington Mutual	F	800‑788‑7000	When prompted, press 1 to take survey or 2 to opt out; press # at each prompt thereafter, ignoring messages.
Wells Fargo	F	800‑869‑3557	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Western Union	F	800‑634‑1311	Press *##.
us government back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
Centers for Disease Control	F	800‑232‑4636	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
US Citizenship & Immigration	F	800‑375‑5283	Select language; press 2; press 4; at prompt press 0.
US Dept. of Edu ‑ Financial Aid	F	800‑433‑3243	Select language then press *0.
US Dept. of Edu ‑ Loans	F	800‑848‑0979	Don't press or say anything.
US Dept. of State ‑ Passports	F	877‑487‑2778	Select language and then press 10.
US Dept. of Transportation	F	800‑832‑5660 @	Press 000.
US Dept. of Veterans Affairs	F	800‑827‑1000	Press 10.
US FBI	B	202‑324‑3000	Direct to human.
US Federal Trade Commission	F	877‑382‑4357	Press 450 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
US Fish & Wildlife	F	800‑344‑9453	Press 0.
US Food & Drug Admin	F	301‑827‑4573	Press 1.
US Geological Survey	F	888‑275‑8747	Press 0#.
US Homeland Security ‑ FEMA	F	800‑621‑3362 @	At first prompt, select language; press 00.
US IRS	F	800‑829‑1040	Don't press or say anything.
US Mint	F	800‑872‑6468	Press 0.
US Social Security Admin	F	800‑772‑1213	Press 1; press 0 at each prompt, until SS# is requested; enter SS#.
White House	B	202‑456‑1414 @	Direct to human.
us hardware back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
Apple	F	800‑275‑2273	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Belkin Tech Support	F	800‑223‑5546 @	At prompt press 2263; press 1 at each prompt thereafter.
Brother International	F	800‑284‑4329	Press 7.
Compaq	F	800‑652‑6672	Say "operator" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Dell Sales	F	800‑624‑9897	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Dell Tech Support	F	800‑624‑9896	Press 3; say "agent" at each additional prompt, ignoring messages.
Epson	D	800‑533‑3731	Direct to human.
Fujitsu PC Support	F	800‑385‑4878	Press 00.
Gateway Computers	F	800‑846‑2000	Press 4; say "no" at each additional prompt.
Hewlett‑Packard	F	800‑474‑6836	Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
IBM	F	800‑426‑4968	Direct to human.
Linksys	F	800‑326‑7114	Press 1; at prompt press ###.
Logitech	F	702‑269‑3457	Press 2000.
Palm	F	800‑881‑7256	Press 1; at prompt press 2; at prompt press 2.
Toshiba	F	800‑457‑7777	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Xerox	F	800‑822‑2979	Press 0.
us insurance back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
AARP Healthcare	F	800‑523‑5800	Press 1; at prompt press 4.
Aetna	F	800‑738‑7674	Say "member"; press *0.
AFLAC	F	800‑992‑3522	Press #; at prompt press #; at prompt press #; at prompt press 3.
AIG	F	877‑638‑4244	Direct to human.
Allstate	F	800‑255‑7828	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield	D	877‑526‑3425	Say "get associate" at prompt.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid	F	800‑999‑1118	Press 1000.
Ceridian Benefit Svcs.	F	800‑877‑7994	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
CIGNA	F	800‑849‑9000	Press ##.
Delta Dental	F	888‑335‑8227	After language option, press 2 for existing or 3 for new account.
Farmer's Insurance	F	800‑435‑7764	Do not press or say anything, ignoring messages.
GEICO	F	800‑841‑3000	At prompt press 6; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 5; at prompt press #.
Great West Health	F	800‑663‑8081	Press 1; at prompt press 1; press 4 at each prompt thereafter, ignoring messages.
Humana Medicare Claims	F	800‑457‑4708	Press *; at prompt press *; at prompt press 0; at prompt press 0; at prompt press *.
Liberty Mutual (Claims)	F	800‑225‑2467 @	Press 10.
Medco Insurance	F	800‑251‑7690 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Medicare	F	800‑633‑4227	Say "agent."
MetLife	F	800‑560‑5001	Press ####.
Nationwide Insurance Claims	F	800‑421‑3535	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Northwestern Mutual	F	800‑388‑8123	Press 0; press 1 to participate or 2 to decline survey.
NY Life Benefit Services	D	800‑294‑3575	Press 0.
Principal Life	F	800‑247‑4695	Press 1; at prompt press 2; at prompt press 0; at prompt press 0.
Progressive Insurance	F	800‑776‑4737	Press 000.
Secure Horizons	F	800‑228‑2144	Say "prospective member".
State Farm Auto Insurance	F	877‑734‑2265	At prompt, say "insurance."
Travelers Insurance	F	800‑252‑4633	Don't press or say anything.
UnitedHealth	F	800‑585‑6586	Select type. Say "Representative" three times.
USAA	F	800‑531‑6095	Press 000#; at prompt press #.
us internet back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
1‑800‑FLOWERS.COM	B	800‑716‑4851	Direct to human.
Amazon.com	F	800‑201‑7575	Don't press or say anything. See also.
America Online	F	800‑827‑6364	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
AT&T Worldnet	F	800‑400‑1447	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Barnes & Noble.com	F	800‑843‑2665 @	Press 16.
Bellsouth FastAccess DSL	F	888‑321‑2375	Press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 2, ignoring messages.
Blockbuster Online	F	866‑692‑2789	Press 11.
Buy.com	F	877‑780‑2464	Direct to human.
CompuServe	F	800‑848‑8990	Press 1211.
Costco.com	F	800‑955‑2292	Press 55.
Earthlink	F	888‑327‑8454	Press 1; press 0 at each prompt thereafter, ignoring messages.
eBay	F	800‑322‑9266	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages. See also.
GoDaddy.com	F	480‑505‑8899	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Google	F	650‑623‑4000	Press 0.
Google AdWords	C	866‑246‑6453	Press 22.
Hughesnet	F	866‑347‑3292	Press 2.
Juno	F	888‑839‑5866	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
MSN	F	800‑386‑5550	Say "agent" at each prompt, until offered a representative; say "yes."
Napster	F	800‑839‑4210	Press 33; at prompt press 2; at prompt press 2.
NetFlix	F	888‑638‑3549	Press 0 at each prompt.
Netscape	F	866‑541‑8233	Press 000.
NetZero	F	866‑841‑1442	Press #### at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Overstock.com	F	800‑843‑2446	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
PayPal	F	888‑221‑1161	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages. See also.
People PC	F	800‑736‑7537 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
SBC DSL support	F	877‑722‑3755	Say "sales".
Sprint Broadband Direct	F	888‑996‑0001	Press 00.
Target Online	F	800 591‑3869	Press 1; don't press or say anything, ignoring messages.
Time Warner Road Runner		877‑318‑8333	Direct to human.
Ubid.com	F	800‑317‑7995	Hold for representative.
Verizon DSL	F	800‑567‑6789	Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Verizon FiOS	F	888‑553‑1555	At prompt say "operator"; at prompt say "yes"; at prompt say "operator"; at prompt say "yes."
Wal‑Mart.com	F	800‑966‑6546	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messges.
Yahoo Personal Email	F	866‑492‑4664	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages. FYI, cost is $24.99 per issue.
Yahoo Small Business	F	866‑562‑7219	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
us mobile back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
Alltel Wireless	F	800‑255‑8351	Press 00 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Boost Mobile	F	888‑266‑7848	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Cellular One	F	888‑910‑9191	Press 4.
Cingular Wireless (AT&T)	F	800‑331‑0500	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Cingular Wireless Warranty Dept.	F	800‑801‑1101	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Metro PCS	F	888‑863‑8768	Press #43.
Motorola	C	800‑331‑6456	Press 00.
Simple Freedom	F	800‑335‑6401	Press #0#0.
Sony Ericsson Mobile	F	866‑766‑9374	Select language.
Sprint ‑ Nextel	F	800‑639‑6111	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Sprint Mobile	F	877‑349‑4413	Direct to human.
SunCom	F	800‑786‑7378	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
T‑Mobile	D	877‑537‑7389	Direct to human.
T‑Mobile Smart Access	C	877‑217‑7247	Direct to human.
Tech SupportT‑Mobile	C	877‑369‑4588	Direct to human.
Tracfone	F	800‑323‑2366	Direct to human.
U.S. Cellular	F	888‑944‑9400	Press 0.
Verizon Wireless	F	800‑922‑0204	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Virgin Mobile	F	888 292 8223 @	Direct to human.
Wirefly	F	888‑843‑2485	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
us pharmacy back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
AARP MedicareRxPlan	F	888‑867‑5575	Press 1; hold through message.
AARP Pharmacy Services	F	800‑289‑8849	Press 1; hold through message.
Aetna Rx Home Delivery	D	800‑227‑5720	Press 0.
Caremark	F	800‑262‑7890	Press 0.
CVS.com	F	888‑607‑4287	Press 0.
Drugstore.com	D	800‑378‑4786	Press 2; at prompt press 5.
Express Scripts	F	800‑206‑4005	Press 0.
Humana	F	800‑448‑6262 @	At prompts say "member," "pharmacy," "prescription benefits"; give invalid ID.
Medco Pharmacy	F	800‑987‑5269 @	Say "representative" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Omron Healthcare	F	877‑216‑1333	Don't press or say anything.
Rite Aid	F	800‑748‑3243	Don't press or say anything.
Walgreens	D	877‑250‑5823	Direct to human.
us products back to top	grade	contact	get human customer service
AARP	F	888‑687‑2277	Press 0.
AT&T Business		800‑750‑2355	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Baby Bjorn	F	866‑424‑0200 @	Press 2.
Black & Decker	F	800‑544‑6986	Direct to human.
BMG Music	F	317‑692‑9200	Press #.
Bosch Power Tools	F	877‑267‑2499	Press 100.
Bose	B	800‑444‑2673	Direct to human.
Briggs & Stratton	F	414‑259‑5262	Press 0 at prompt.
Canon USA	F	800‑828‑4040	At prompt press *; at prompt press 0.
Casio	F	800‑706‑2534	Press 3.
Coca‑Cola	C	800‑438‑2653	Direct to human.
Columbia House DVD	F	888‑467‑7404 @	Press 1 for English; then don't press or say anything, ignoring messages.
Dirt Devil	F	800‑321‑1134	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Eddie Bauer	B	800‑426‑8020	Press 1.
Entertainment Weekly	F	866‑228‑1183	Say "agent." Say "yes."
Eureka Vacuum	F	800‑438‑7352	Press 17.
Evenflo	F	800‑233‑5921 @	Press 4.
Fischer‑Price	F	800‑432‑5437	Do not press or say anything, ignoring messages.
Frigidaire Parts	F	800‑599‑7569	Press 3.
FTD	F	800‑736‑3383	Press 2.
GE Appliances	F	800‑626‑2005	Press 000.
Geek Squad	F	800‑433‑5778	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Goodyear Tire	F	800‑321‑2136	Press 1; at prompt press 5.
Graco	F	800‑345‑4109 @	Press 0.
Hitachi	F	800‑448‑2244 @	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Holmes	F	800‑284‑3267	Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Honeywell	F	800‑468‑1502	Press 11900.
Hoover	F	800‑944‑9202	Press 52.
John Deere	D	800‑537‑8233	Press 1; at prompt press 4.
Johnson & Johnson	F	800‑526‑3967	Press 0.
JVC America	F	800‑252‑5722	Press 3.
Kensington Tech Support	F	800‑535‑4242	Press 11.
KitchenAid	F	800‑422‑1230	Press 3420.
Kodak	D	800‑235‑6325	Press #.
Kodak Gallery (Ofoto)	F	800‑360‑9098	Say "agent."
Kolcraft	F	800‑453‑7673 @	Direct to human.
Lexmark	F	800‑539‑6275	Press 1.
Little Tikes	F	800‑321‑0183	Press 11.
Magnavox	F	800‑705‑2000	Select language. Say "agent."
Mattel	F	800‑524‑8697	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Maytag	F	800‑462‑9824	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
McAfee	F	888‑847‑8766	Press #40.
Memorex Electronics	F	800‑919‑3647	Press 333.
Money Magazine	F	800‑633‑9970	Don't press or say anything.
Nautilus (Bowflex)	F	800‑628‑8458	Press 3; at prompt press 2; at prompt press 4.
Netgear	F	888‑638‑4327 @	At prompt press 41.
New York Times	F	800‑698‑4637 @	Press 500.
Newsweek	F	800‑631‑1040	Press 0.
Nikon Service	F	800‑645‑6687	Press 4 at prompt.
Nintendo	F	800‑255‑3700	Press 0.
Nokia	F	888‑665‑4228	Press 1.
Number Serves all 50 states 'YES'	F	800‑726‑7864	Press 2; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 3; at prompt press 3.
Olympus ‑ Digital	F	888‑553‑4448	Press 5; at prompt press 0.
Panasonic	F	800‑211‑7262	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
PC World	F	800‑234‑3498	Press *; at prompt press 2.
People Magazine	F	866‑365‑1620	Press 0.
PepsiCo	F	800‑433‑2652	Press 0.
PETCO	D	888‑824‑7257	Don't press or say anything.
Philips Electronics	F	888‑744‑5477	Say "agent."
Pitney Bowes Equipment	F	800‑522‑0020	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Poland Spring	F	800‑950‑9396	Say "representative" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Polaroid	F	800‑343‑5000	Press 0.
Procter & Gamble	F	800‑331‑3774	Press 1.
RCA / Thompson Electronics	F	877‑794‑7977	Press 2.
Reader's Digest	F	800‑304‑2807	Press 0.
Sharp	F	800‑237‑4277	Press 1132.
Sony / Playstation	F	800‑222‑7669	Say "agent"; at prompt say "agent"; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 1.
Sports Illustrated	F	800‑284‑8800 @	Press ###, ignoring messages.
Teleflora	F	800‑835‑3356 @	Press 2.
Texas Instruments	F	800‑842‑2737	Press 0 # and hold.
Ticketmaster	F	Local	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Time Magazine	F	800‑843‑8463	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
TomTom	F	866‑486‑6866	Press 1.
TV Guide	F	800‑866‑1400	Say "customer service" twice.
USA Today	F	800‑872‑0001	Press 0.
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Victoria's Secret	F	800‑411‑5116	Press 0 at each prompt.
Wal‑Mart	F	800‑925‑6278	Press 1433.
Williams‑Sonoma	B	877‑812‑6235	Don't press or say anything.
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AT&T	F	800‑288‑2747	Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
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Verizon (land line)	F	800‑483‑3000	Don't press or say anything.
Verizon Billing	F	888‑780‑3964	When prompted for phone number, say "Operator." Repeat if necessary.
Verizon Business	F	888‑649‑9500	Say "representative" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
Verizon Fraud	C	888‑483‑7200	Direct to human.
Verizon Repair	F	800‑275‑2355	Direct to human at times, otherwise press 00.
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Disneyland Resort	F	714‑781‑4000	Direct to human.
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Hampton Inn	C	800‑426‑7866	Direct to human.
Hilton HHonors	F	800‑548‑8690 @	Press 5 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
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Hyatt Corporation	A	888‑591‑1234	Direct to human.
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Luxury Collection Hotels	F	888‑625‑5144	Press 15.
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Priceline	F	800‑774‑2354	At prompt press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt enter phone number #; at prompt enter phone number #; at prompt enter phone number #.
Princess Cruise Line	F	800‑774‑6237 @	Press 0.
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Radisson	B	888‑201‑1718	Direct to human.
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Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines	F	866‑562‑7625 @	Press 0.
Sheraton Hotels	F	888‑625‑5144	Press 12.
Southwest	B	800‑435‑9792	Direct to human.
Spirit Air	C	800‑772‑7117	Press 00.
St. Regis Hotels	F	888‑625‑5144	Press 0.
Super 8	B	800‑800‑8000	Direct to human.
Travelocity	F	888‑872‑8356	Press ### at prompt.
United	F	800‑864‑8331	Press 0; say "agent," say "yes"; say "domestic" or "international" as appropriate.
Universal Studios Hollywood	F	800‑864‑8377	Press 4.
US Airways	F	800‑428‑4322	Press 41.
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Westin Hotels	F	888‑625‑5144	Press 11.
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Adelphia	F	888‑683‑1000	Press * at each prompt, ignoring messages.
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Virginia Electric & Power		888‑667‑3000	Don't press or say anything.

How to convert just about any media file to mp3 format?

There is a caveat:- It has to be playable with Winamp!


I have posted in my previous post about the trick to convert FLAC to mp3. However, what I have found that any file I can play in Winamp can be converted to mp3. Now the direct route may be little easy, but in my experience quality is very sketchy. For example when I convert a FLAC stream directly to mp3, the output is pretty choppy. However, FLAC to PCM stream is very nice and pure sounding.

Anyway, trick is, Winamp's Nulsoft Disk Writer Plugin. So whenever you play anything the Nulsoft plugin will convert the stream into PCM/mp3 format. Just go to Preference of Winamp.



















Click configure,
















You can select the output folder or leave it as the source directory. Under conversion tab, you can select none or play with the output encoder. Hit OK.
Now play any file of folder containing your media files in Winamp. There will be no sound output. In case of video file, there will be a video output which will move real fast (well, that depends on horsepower of your PC). Once the playback is done, go back to preference again and select Direct Sound output as preferred mode, else every time you play a file there will be no sound and there will be a copy of the file in your hard drive.
Enjoy!

How Police Interrogation Works

How Police Interrogation Works
by Julia Layton
Introduction to How Police Interrogation Works
There are "Law & Order" addicts everywhere who think they could get a perp to confess. A little glaring, some getting in the guy's face, a revelation that his fingerprints are all over the murder weapon and voilà! He's recounting his crime. In real life, police interrogation requires more than confidence and creativity (although those qualities do help) -- interrogators are highly trained in the psychological tactics of social influence.
Getting someone to confess to a crime is not a simple task, and the fact that detectives sometimes end up with confessions from the innocent testifies to their expertise in psychological manipulation. No two interrogations are alike, but most exploit certain weaknesses in human nature. These weaknesses typically rely on the stress that results when people experience contrasting extremes, like dominance and submission, control and dependence, and the maximization and minimization of consequences. Even the most hardened criminal can end up confessing if the interrogator can find the right combination of circumstances and techniques based on the suspect's personality and experiences. In the United States, scholars estimate that somewhere between 42 percent and 55 percent of suspects confess to a crime during interrogation.
Police interrogations weren't always so complex. Until the early 1900s in the United States, physical abuse was an acceptable (if not legal) method of getting a confession. Confessions obtained by "third degree" techniques -- deprivation of food and water, bright lights, physical discomfort and long isolation, beating with rubber hoses and other instruments that don't leave marks -- were usually admissible in court as long as the suspect signed a waiver stating the confession was voluntary. Between the 1930s and 1960s, though, a crackdown on police tactics gradually changed the practice of interrogation.
While the Supreme Court had ruled as early as 1897 against involuntary confessions, it was in 1937 that things really started to change. In the case Brown v. Mississippi, the Supreme Court threw out a "voluntary" confession that was obtained after police officers repeatedly strung a suspect up in a tree and whipped him. The Court's decision was clear: Confessions obtained by force cannot be used as evidence at trial. By the 1950s, confessions were considered involuntary not only if police beat the suspect, but also if they held a suspect for an unnecessarily extended period of time, deprived him of sleep, food, water or bathroom facilities, promised some benefit if the suspect confessed or threatened some harm if he didn't.
When the case Miranda v. Arizona reached the Supreme Court in 1966, coercive police interrogation took another blow. Ernesto Miranda had confessed to rape and kidnapping after two hours of interrogation, and the appeal to the Supreme Court alleged that Miranda was not aware of his rights to remain silent (the Fifth Amendment) and to counsel (the Sixth Amendment). The Court ruled in favor of Miranda, and the decision instituted what we've come to know as the "Miranda Rights." To safeguard against a suspect falling into an involuntary confession because he thinks he has no choice but to speak, the police must expressly, clearly and completely advise any suspect of his rights to silence and counsel before beginning an interrogation or any other attempt to get a statement from a suspect. The Miranda decision attempts to eliminate suspect ignorance as a contributing factor to involuntary confessions.
In looking for a replacement for illegal forms of coercion, police turned to fairly basic psychological techniques like the time-honored "good cop bad cop" routine, in which one detective browbeats the suspect and the other pretends to be looking out for him. People tend to trust and talk to someone they perceive as their protector. Another basic technique is maximization, in which the police try to scare the suspect into talking by telling him all of the horrible things he'll face if he's convicted of the crime. Fear tends to make people talk. For a while, police tried such things as polygraphs to determine if the suspect was being deceptive, but polygraphs and polygraph training are expensive, and the results are almost never admissible in court. But some polygraph analysts, including a man named John Reid, began noticing that subjects exhibited certain outward, consistent physical signs that coincided with the polygraph's determination of untruthfulness. Reid went on to develop a non-machine-based system of interrogation based on specific types of questions and answers that uncover weaknesses the interrogator can use against a suspect to obtain a confession. Reid's "Nine Steps" of psychological manipulation is one of the most popular interrogation systems in the United States today. In the next section, we'll find out about this system.
Confessions and the ConstitutionThe primary Constitutional Amendments referred to in Supreme Court decisions regarding the admissibility of confessions are the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees a person's right to not incriminate himself, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees the right to due process, including a speedy trial. When the police hold and interrogate a suspect for three days without charging him with a crime, they've violated that suspect's right to due process. When the police string someone up in a tree and whip him until he confesses, they've violated that person's right not to incriminate himself (among other rights).
Common Interrogation Techniques
Bad MoveIn the United States, as many as 80 percent of suspects waive their rights to silence and counsel, allowing police to conduct a full-scale interrogation.Modern interrogation is a study in human nature. Most of us are more likely to talk to people who appear to be like us. Once we start talking, it's hard for us to stop. Once we start telling the truth, it's harder to start lying. When a police officer tells us our fingerprints were found on the inside doorknob of a home that was robbed two days ago, we get nervous, even if we wore gloves the whole time we were inside.
With a few exceptions, the police are allowed to lie to a suspect to get him to confess. The belief is that an innocent person would never confess to a crime she didn't commit, even if she were confronted with false physical evidence of her involvement. Unfortunately, that's not always the case (more on false confessions in the next section), but it's a big part of the reason why the police are allowed to employ deceptive tactics in interrogation.
The psychological manipulation begins before the interrogator even opens his mouth. The physical layout of an interrogation room is designed to maximize a suspect's discomfort and sense of powerlessness from the moment he steps inside. The classic interrogation manual "Criminal Interrogation and Confessions" recommends a small, soundproof room with only three chairs (two for detectives, one for the suspect) and a desk, with nothing on the walls. This creates a sense of exposure, unfamiliarity and isolation, heightening the suspect's "get me out of here" sensation throughout the interrogation.
The manual also suggests that the suspect should be seated in an uncomfortable chair, out of reach of any controls like light switches or thermostats, furthering his discomfort and setting up a feeling of dependence. A one-way mirror is an ideal addition to the room, because it increases the suspect's anxiety and allows other detectives to watch the process and help the interrogator figure out which techniques are working and which aren't.
Before the nine steps of the Reid interrogation begin, there's an initial interview to determine guilt or innocence. During this time, the interrogator attempts to develop a rapport with the suspect, using casual conversation to create a non-threatening atmosphere. People tend to like and trust people who are like them, so the detective may claim to share some of the suspect's interests or beliefs. If the suspect starts talking to the interrogator about harmless things, it becomes harder to stop talking (or start lying) later when the discussion turns to the crime.
During this initial conversation, the detective observes the suspect's reactions -- both verbal and non-verbal -- to establish a baseline reaction before the real stress begins. The detective will use this baseline later as a comparison point.
One method of creating a baseline involves asking questions that cause the suspect to access different parts of his brain. The detective asks non-threatening questions that require memory (simple recall) and questions that require thinking (creativity). When the suspect is remembering something, his eyes will often move to the right. This is just an outward manifestation of his brain activating the memory center. When he's thinking about something, his eyes might move upward or to the left, reflecting activation of the cognitive center. The detective makes a mental note of the suspect's eye activity.
The next step is to turn the questioning to the task at hand. The detective will ask basic questions about the crime and compare the suspect's reactions to the baseline to determine if the suspect is being truthful or deceptive. If the interrogator asks the suspect where he was the night of the crime and he answers truthfully, he'll be remembering, so his eyes may move to the right; if he's making up an alibi, he's thinking, so his eyes might move to the left. If the interrogator determines that the suspect's reactions indicate deception, and all other evidence points to guilt, the interrogation of a guilty suspect begins.
The Reid technique is the basis of the widely used "Criminal Interrogation and Confessions" manual we already mentioned. It lays out nine steps or issues guiding interrogation. Many of these steps overlap, and there is no such thing as a "typical" interrogation; but the Reid technique provides a blueprint of how a successful interrogation might unfold.
ConfrontationThe detective presents the facts of the case and informs the suspect of the evidence against him. This evidence might be real, or it might be made up. The detective typically states in a confident manner that the suspect is involved in the crime. The suspect's stress level starts increasing, and the interrogator may move around the room and invade the suspect's personal space to increase the discomfort.
If the suspect starts fidgeting, licking his lips and or grooming himself (running his hand through his hair, for instance), the detective takes these as indicators of deception and knows he's on the right track.
Theme developmentThe interrogator creates a story about why the suspect committed the crime. Theme development is about looking through the eyes of the suspect to figure out why he did it, why he'd like to think he did it and what type of excuse might make him admit he did it. Does the suspect use any particular mode of reasoning more often than others? For example, does he seem willing to blame the victim? The detective lays out a theme, a story, that the suspect can latch on to in order to either excuse or justify his part in the crime, and the detective then observes the suspect to see if he likes the theme. Is he paying closer attention than before? Nodding his head? If so, the detective will continue to develop that theme; if not, he'll pick a new theme and start over. Theme development is in the background throughout the interrogation. When developing themes, the interrogator speaks in a soft, soothing voice to appear non-threatening and to lull the suspect into a false sense of security.
Stopping denialsLetting the suspect deny his guilt will increase his confidence, so the detective tries to interrupt all denials, sometimes telling the suspect it'll be his turn to talk in a moment, but right now, he needs to listen. From the start of the interrogation, the detective watches for denials and stops the suspect before he can voice them. In addition to keeping the suspect's confidence low, stopping denials also helps quiet the suspect so he doesn't have a chance to ask for a lawyer. If there are no denials during theme development, the detective takes this as a positive indicator of guilt. If initial attempts at denial slow down or stop during theme development, the interrogator knows he has found a good theme and that the suspect is getting closer to confessing.
Overcoming objectionsOnce the interrogator has fully developed a theme that the suspect can relate to, the suspect may offer logic-based objections as opposed to simple denials, like "I could never rape somebody -- my sister was raped and I saw how much pain it caused. I would never do that to someone." The detective handles these differently than he does denials, because these objections can give him information to turn around and use against the suspect. The interrogator might say something like, "See, that's good, you're telling me you would never plan this, that it was out of your control. You care about women like your sister -- it was just a one-time mistake, not a recurring thing." If the detective does his job right, an objection ends up looking more like an admission of guilt.
Getting the suspect's attentionAt this point, the suspect should be frustrated and unsure of himself. He may be looking for someone to help him escape the situation. The interrogator tries to capitalize on that insecurity by pretending to be the suspect's ally. He'll try to appear even more sincere in his continued theme development, and he may get physically closer to the suspect to make it harder for the suspect to detach from the situation. The interrogator may offer physical gestures of camaraderie and concern, such as touching the suspect's shoulder or patting his back.
The suspect loses resolveIf the suspect's body language indicates surrender -- his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees, his shoulders hunched -- the interrogator seizes the opportunity to start leading the suspect into confession. He'll start transitioning from theme development to motive alternatives (see the next step) that force the suspect to choose a reason why he committed the crime. At this stage, the interrogator makes every effort to establish eye contact with the suspect to increase the suspect's stress level and desire to escape. If, at this point, the suspect cries, the detective takes this as a positive indicator of guilt.
AlternativesThe interrogator offers two contrasting motives for some aspect of the crime, sometimes beginning with a minor aspect so it's less threatening to the suspect. One alternative is socially acceptable ("It was a crime of passion"), and the other is morally repugnant ("You killed her for the money"). The detective builds up the contrast between the two alternatives until the suspect gives an indicator of choosing one, like a nod of the head or increased signs of surrender. Then, the detective speeds things up.
Bringing the suspect into the conversationOnce the suspect chooses an alternative, the confession has begun. The interrogator encourages the suspect to talk about the crime and arranges for at least two people to witness the confession. One may be the second detective in room, and another may be brought in for the purpose of forcing the suspect to confess to a new detective -- having to confess to a new person increases the suspect's stress level and his desire to just sign a statement and get out of there. Bringing a new person into the room also forces the suspect to reassert his socially acceptable reason for the crime, reinforcing the idea that the confession is a done deal.
The confessionThe final stage of an interrogation is all about getting the confession admitted at trial. The interrogator will have the suspect write out his confession or state it on videotape. The suspect is usually willing to do anything at this point to escape the interrogation. The suspect confirms that his confession is voluntary, not coerced, and signs the statement in front of witnesses.
It should be noted here that if, at any point during the interrogation, the suspect does somehow manage to ask for a lawyer or invoke his right to silence, the interrogation has to stop immediately. That's why it's so important to interrupt the suspect's attempts to speak in the initial stages -- if he invokes his rights, the interrogation is over.
The steps we've laid out here represent some of the psychological techniques that detectives use to get confessions from suspects. But a real interrogation doesn't always follow the textbook. Next, let's take a look at an actual police interrogation that ended with an admissible confession.
When You've Got CompanyThe Just Cause Law Collective warns that if you're arrested with friends, you've got to keep a cool head. Decide beforehand that no one's going to say a word until everyone has a lawyer, and remind yourself that police will try to play on the natural paranoia that arises when people are separated. The Collective offers a further warning regarding a group arrest: When you have your strategy discussion, don't do it in the back seat of a police car. If the officers stuffed you all into one car and walked away, they're recording you.
A Real InterrogationOn September 1, 2003, Detective Victor Lauria of the Novi Police Department in Detroit, Michigan, used his training in the Reid technique to interrogate Nikole Michelle Frederick. Frederick's two-year-old step daughter, Ann Marie, was brought to the emergency room near death, with obvious signs of extensive child abuse. Frederick was her primary caretaker and was watching Ann Marie in the time before the trip to the hospital. The interrogation took place over two days, with Frederick being charged with the crime immediately following the first sit-down.
Lauria began with a simple interview, just talking in a non-threatening way to establish Frederick's baseline reactions:
Lauria: How would you rate yourself as a mother?Frederick: Um, I think I'm, I'm pretty good. I mean I, I am a little bad with being stern and stricter you know, letting them get away with things.Lauria: How would you describe Ann Marie?Frederick: She was a very hard baby. She would, uh, cry all the time. Always wanted to be held ... I mean Annie just, I mean she always looks like she's beaten. She's always climbing or you know. I always can see a little bit of bruising and scrapes or whatever on her back. Her shins are always bruised. Since Frederick appeared to be making excuses for Ann Marie's injuries and setting up a justification -- "She was a very hard baby" -- and since she was taking care of Ann Marie when the injuries occurred, Lauria predicted guilt and began interrogating her. He proceeded to subtle confrontation, letting Frederick know how she would be caught:
Lauria: There's a whole line of study in police work that can determine how injuries occur and how old the injuries are.Frederick: ... I don't even think we'll find out exactly what happened because the only one that really knows is her and it's gonna be awfully hard trying to get her to say if anything happened, you know. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I was just wondering how long this is going to take.Lauria: Well, like I said, one of the things we're able to do with those [bruises] is we can date bruises based upon you know whether they're new bruises just coming in, or whether they're bruises that are already starting to heal because, you know, doctors and forensic scientists and pathologists study those type of things...Frederick: Okay.Lauria: Can you think of any reason why they would determine that those bruises were caused in the last 24 hours and that somebody would suspect that you did this?Frederick: Um, other than that I was there, no.
...
Lauria: Do you suspect anybody of doing this?Frederick: No, I don't. And that's what I'm saying, and I, I'm having a hard time believing that it was inflicted on her because, like I said, we would have heard something too, you know...Lauria: Out of all the people in the house that were there or came in last night, list all the people that you would vouch for that you would say absolutely would not do something to hurt Ann Marie.Frederick: ... I know John wouldn't do it. I honestly don't think Brian would do it.Lauria: Who'd vouch for you?Frederick: Um, probably John. But see like I don't, I don't necessarily, uh, believe what the doctor's saying and how they were inflicted, whatever.
Detective Lauria began developing a theme about an out-of-control situation -- Frederick had not premeditated the abuse, she just hadn't been thinking clearly. But Frederick didn't like that theme. She asked the detective why he wasn't believing her story. Lauria then switched to an out-of-control "split second" in which Frederick had hurt Ann Marie. He explained that Ann Marie's injuries were definitely not from a fall. Someone else had inflicted them, possibly in a "split second" of irrationality. Frederick was listening now, apparently clinging to the "split second" qualification. Lauria further developed the theme by bringing up Ann Marie's difficult nature and how hard she was to care for -- blaming the victim, which Frederick had already shown a tendency toward. Frederick began nodding her head, and Lauria set up an alternative. He told Frederick that "without an explanation of what happened people would assume the worst." The implied contrast had already been set up: a cold-blooded, vicious attack on a toddler versus a momentary loss of self-control when dealing with a difficult child. The approach worked. According to Lauria's account:
Over two days of questioning Frederick never asked how Ann Marie was doing. Near the end of the interview I pointed this out to her. She tried to convince me that she had asked several times about Ann Marie's injuries. She then asked me for an update in her condition. I told her that Ann Marie was brain dead and that she was probably not going to survive. Frederick stated "Oh my God. I'm gonna go for murder." I then spent another 45 minutes with various themes in an attempt to get further information. After several attempts at denying any further knowledge or involvement in causing the injuries to Ann Marie she admitted to shaking her. After admitting to shaking her, Frederick broke down and cried. She then said "I killed that little girl. I killed that little girl."
Ann Marie died of her injuries, and Nikole Michelle Frederick stood trial for First Degree Felony Murder. She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Getting a guilty suspect to confess is the best way to ensure she'll be found guilty at trial and serve time for the crime she committed. The problem is that while a confession looks really good in court, it's not an infallible indicator of guilt. That's a big part of the controversy surrounding police interrogation tactics.
Five Techniques of Surviving a Police Interrogation (Without Confessing)Taken from freeBEAGLES' recommendations for animal rights' activists (and others) on how to make it through a police interrogation without incriminating themselves or their peers:
Remain silent.
Remain silent.
Imagine the words "I invoke my right to remain silent" painted on the wall, and stare at them throughout the interrogation.
Momentarily break your silence to ask for counsel.
Cultivate hatred for your interrogator so you don't fall into his traps and start talking.
Controversy
Photo courtesy Amazon.comEarl Washington, Jr., a mentally retarded man, was almost put to death for a crime he confessed to but didn't commit. He was released from prison in 2000, nine days before his scheduled execution.Interrogation has always been a controversial subject. Any time a law-enforcement officer goes into a room with a civilian and shuts the door, people are going to question what happens inside. And any time that officer leaves the room with a confession, the questions are going to escalate. Was the confession coerced? Did the police violate the suspect's rights?
The real question is probably a much larger one: Can police interrogation ever be a fair process? How can a system designed to manipulate a suspect into confessing be non-coercive? The debate about the fairness and morality of police interrogation techniques is an ongoing one, with several issues at the forefront.
First, interrogation is guilt-presumptive process. The goal is to get the suspect to confess. Once the interrogation begins, a detective can unconsciously ignore any evidence of innocence in pursuit of a confession. This is a common psychological phenomenon -- people often "filter out" any evidence that does not fit with their already-formed viewpoint. Interrogation is designed to make a suspect extremely nervous, and signs of stress like grooming and fidgeting, which are taken as positive indicators of guilt, might just as easily indicate the stress of an innocent person being accused of a crime he didn't commit. There's also the issue of latent coercion. While police may not explicitly offer leniency for a confession or threaten punishment if someone won't confess, they may imply promises or threats in their language and tone. For instance, when detective Lauria told Nikole Frederick that "without an explanation of what happened people would assume the worst," Frederick may have understood that to mean that if she confessed to the crime but explained why she did it, the consequences would be less severe than if she kept her mouth shut.
In a more general way, a lot of the human rights concerns surrounding police interrogation have to do with the fact that psychological interrogation techniques bear an uncanny resemblance to "brainwashing" techniques. The interrogator is attempting to influence the suspect without the suspect's consent, which is considered an unethical use of psychological tactics. A lot of the techniques used to cause discomfort, confusion and insecurity in the brainwashing process are similar to those used in interrogation:
Invading a suspect's personal space
Not allowing the suspect to speak
Using contrasting alternatives
Positioning confession as a means of escape The more stress a suspect experiences, the less likely he is to think critically and independently, making him far more susceptible to suggestion. This is even more true when the suspect is a minor or is mentally ill, because he may be poorly equipped to recognize or fight off manipulative tactics. A process designed to cause someone so much stress that he'll confess just to escape the situation is a process that leaves itself open to false confessions. Researchers estimate between 65 and 300 false confessions per year in the United States. Here are just a few false confessions that investigators have uncovered:
Peter Reilly, 1973Peter Reilly was 18 years old when his mother was found murdered in their home. After eight hours of interrogation by Connecticut police, he confessed to brutally murdering her. A jury convicted him of first-degree manslaughter based on his confession, and he served three years in prison before a judge set him free in the face of new evidence indicating someone else committed the crime.
Earl Washington, Jr., 1982Earl Washington, Jr., a man described by psychologists as "mildly retarded" with an IQ of 69, confessed to raping and murdering a 19-year-old woman after undergoing interrogation. He was convicted on the confession alone and spent 18 years in prison, half of that time on death row. Nine days before his scheduled execution, the governor of Virginia pardoned him because DNA evidence had revealed that the actual perpetrator was another man. (Watch this video clip of an interview with Earl Washington, Jr., after his release.)
The "Central Park Five," 1989After more than 20 hours of interrogation, five teenagers -- Raymond Santana, 14, Kharey Wise, 16, Antron McCray, 16, Kevin Richardson, 14, and Yusef Salaam, 15 -- confessed to raping and beating a woman jogging in Central Park in New York City. They spent between six and 12 years in prison (four out of the five were tried as minors) before another man confessed to the crime in 2001. DNA evidence confirmed that this other man was in fact the Central Park rapist.
Michael Crowe, 1998Michael Crowe was 14 years old when police interrogated him without a parent or other adult in the room. He eventually confessed to stabbing his 12-year-old sister to death after the interrogator told Michael of false physical evidence against him. He was charged with the crime, but at pre-trial hearings, a judge deemed his confession to be involuntary. DNA evidence later led police to the man who actually murdered the girl.
Michael Crowe's entire interrogation was videotaped, and that tape assisted the judge in determining that the confession was involuntary. Just videotaping the confession itself can do little to ensure the legality of the process that led up to it, and critics of police interrogation techniques point to mandatory taping of all interrogations from start to finish as a step in the right direction. Another possible solution to the problem of false confessions is to train police to recognize subtle signs of mental illness that make a false confession more likely. Many within the law-enforcement community cite prohibitive costs as a reason not to mandate solutions like these and maintain that the problem of false confessions is not as big as critics suggest. Still, most of us see one false confession that leads to conviction as one too many.
For more information on police interrogation and related topics, check out the links on the next page.
Lots More Information
Related HowStuffWorks Articles
How Brainwashing Works
How Crime-scene Clean-up Works
How Crime Scene Investigation Works
How DNA Evidence Works
How Hypnosis Works
More Great Links
CourtTV: Fear Factor: How far can police go to get a confession?
Dominance and Submission: How the Police Use Psychological Manipulation to Interrogate Citizens
FindLaw: Confessions: Police Interrogation, Due Process, and Self-Incrimination
Frontline: The case for innocence
The Reid Technique: Case studies
Scientific American Mind: True Crimes, False Confessions - PDF
Sources
“Case Study: Success With the Reid Technique.”http://www.policeone.com/writers/columnists/JohnReid/articles/97420/
"Central Park Justice." Online NewsHour, Dec. 24, 2002.http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec02/centralpark_12-24.html
“Confessions: Police Interrogation, Due Process, and Self-Incrimination.” FindLaw.http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment05/09.html
“General Interrogation Techniques.” Just Cause Law Collective.http://www.lawcollective.org/article.php?id=54
Irsay, Steve. “Fear Factor: How far can police go to get a confession?” CourtTV.com.http://www.courttv.com/archive/movie/crowe/fear.html
"Jury: Investigator must pay ex-death row inmate." CNN.com, May 5, 2006.http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/05/05/inmate.award.ap/index.html
Kassin, Saul M. and Gisli H. Gudjonsson. "True Crimes, False Confessions." Scientific American Mind.http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi5_2_11-14.pdf
Kurz, Dylan. “Dominance and Submission: How the Police Use Psychological Manipulation to Interrogate Citizens.”http://www.grayarea.com/police8.htm
“Police Interrogation.” freeBEAGLES.http://www.freebeagles.org/articles/interrog.html
Redlich, Allison D. , Ph.D. "Law & Psychiatry: Mental Illness, Police Interrogations, and the Potential for False Confession." Psychiatric Services.http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/55/1/19#SEC2
“The Reid 9 Steps of Interrogation, In Brief.” Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation.http://www.law.wayne.edu/Faculty/Fac_web/moran/The%20REID%209%20STEPS%20OF%20INTERROGATION.htm
“The Reid Technique of interviewing and interrogation: Case studies.” Reid.com.http://www.reid.com/success_reid/r_cstudies.html

How to convert .Flac to .mp3 or .wav file

You need to have Winamp and Flac support plugin installed in your PC. Open Winamp, go to preference, find out output section in the left.
Select Nullsoft Disk Writer. Click Configure, and select the source folder as destination (u can set it whatever you like). Next check the conversion menu in the right side of the screen, select whatever output type you wish to generate. For most of my work, I use CD quality output. Close the preference screen.
From Winamp file menu, open the file/directory of the music in .flac format and hit play. Winamp will output the result in preassigned directory (no sound output in your speaker during the conversion). Once finished, make sure to go back to preference menu and select Directsound as your preferred output method.
On a side note, I believe you can convert any sound file to .wave/.mp3 by this method.

RIAA striked again, this time UNL

Just in a typical style, RIAA send mass mailing to 36 UNL students for alleged P2P sharing of music. This is insane to say the least. I just hope all these students get united and fight back to RIAA in legal ways.

Stupid guy at Macy's

It was pretty crowded Monday afternoon at Macys at QB mall. I was looking for the best burgains in discounted shirts and that was the time an idiotic face suddenly popped out in front of me. Dude in khaki coat asked me what size of shirt I wear usually. Helloo!
Anyway, I told him, L. Dude did not stop at that point and ask me random questions, and I kept spitting random replies. Finally we said bye to each other and I kinda felt taht soemthing is fishy. And it is. He asked for my contcat number. I said sure I do have a phone number to spare (thanks to Stanaphone, all my junk call comes in my email, as voice mail). I bet he works for Quickstar or some other scummy companies (heck, he works in e-commerce).

Sliperry road

Winter Jokes, check out the link,

Yet another reason I hate traffic cops

In a nutshell, here is the news, "The Sipples allegedly caught Kennesaw police officer Richard Perrone speeding up to 17 mph over the speed limit. Perrone alerted Bartow authorities, who in turn visited the Sipples' home to tell them Perrone intended to press charges against them for stalking."
I always wonder since when cops are above the law. Here in central jersey, cops often abuse their power to zip thru red lights, showing an extra urge of chasing an emergency situation, I mean with with flashing lights. And if you ever follow cops on turnpike, you will be amazed how many times a day they break stated speed limits.

The Worst Ride you can get on air

Ever been thru a belly jercking turbulance on your way to home or work in a flight? I bet you call that your worst experience ever in a flight. Take this, just seat in a flight for 10 hours, and never fly. I think that JetBlue just set teh GOLD standard of the worst airlines ever by allowing their 250+ passenger stranded in flights at JFK last Wednesday. According to JFK, they were expecting the weather to clear up and they will be up and running in moments (heck thats 10 hrs).
Now, how hard it is to believe that Jetblue operators do not look at the weather map? Not me at least, believe whatever their CEO said yesterday. To calm down hungry tired disgusted passengers Jetblue announced full refund of their ticket and a free roundtrip ticket. BUT, do they care for the wasted time and frustration of passengers?
I know, no one from JetBlue will ever answer this question.