Email Newsletter from March 15, 2007

FAQ’s on Blocked Site

As you probably know, yesterday the Natural Solutions Foundation website, www.HealthFreedomUSA.org was blocked by its hosting service provider www.1and1.com* .

So many people have written to express support, ask questions and suggest options and solutions that I thought I would send out an update and give you the full details of what has happened so far. We are taking this very seriously, indeed. We feel that this represents a violation of our rights to speak our truth as we see fit and share that truth with you. Please make sure you read the FAQ about putting up another site. Those of you who asked if the problem could just be a technical problem will find that section rather interesting. (Hint: no, it was not just a technical problem.)

The number of emails you sent to the Natural Solutions Foundation was truly staggering. Your expressions of support, suggestions on how to fix the the problem and make sure it could not happen again were wonderful. Sharing your own experiences of similar events was strengthening and extremely helpful. Every email will be answered personally but it will take a little time because of the volume of those emails.

I have read every one of those emails and thought it would be useful to send out an FAQ sheet to address the questions and issues raised by so many of you in the meantime, though.

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE SITE NOW?

The Natural Solutions Foundation site, www.HealthFreedomUSA.org is operational again. You can go there now.

IS THE SITE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AT THIS POINT?

The Natural Solutions Foundation site, www.HealthFreedomUSA.org is working fine (except that all the pictures of items on the Organics4U store are missing). We have no idea why they are missing but the rest of the store is working fine.

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED?

Two days ago we got an email from a supporter saying that the site was not on line. Within a short time I had received many similar emails. I went on line, confirmed that the site was unavailable and contacted our hosting site, www.1and1.com. When I attempted to log in, I found that the site was listed as "locked".

Two months ago 1and1.com had said the credit card we use to pay for the hosting service ($99 per month) would not accept the charge. The card was fine. Rather than hassle further with the people in their billing department, we gave them permission to use another card so I thought that perhaps they had gotten the billing wrong again.

Their billing department was closed so I called their technical support department. I waited in a stack up for 19 minutes and 45 seconds (typical of all my calls to 1and1.com, by the way) and since I was calling from overseas the charges were escalating and I was getting more displeased by the billing unit.

Mahat Answers the Phone

Finally Mahat, a technician, answered the call. I explained the problem to him and he looked at their computer and said, yes, the site is locked. When I asked why, Mahat said that it had been locked with no information and that was unusual. I asked him to look into it and he could/would not. When I wanted to talk to a supervisor, Mahat said his supervisor was on leave. I asked to speak to his supervisor’s supervisor and he said that he was not there. I asked the higher up to call me when he came in. Mahat said he would not.

Figuring that if a site could be locked it could be unlocked, I got Mahat to ask the supervisor of another team to authorized the site being unlocked. Mahat reported that the other person said, "If it were on the weekend we would do it but it is a weekday so we won’t unlock the site."

Billing was open only from 9-5 PM on the next business day (yesterday). However, since I am on the other side of the world, that was a long time away.

A call to billing resulted in a similar wait and then a person got on line and told me that the site was blocked because of a credit card payment problem. This is not possible. I asked why this information was not on their computer. I got no answer. A struggle ensued and I was finally told that the site would be reopened "within the hour" and that another credit card payment would be charged to my account.

Site Does Not Get Un-Blocked

The site did not go back on line. I spent the next 6 hours repeatedly calling headquarters (which turns out to be a call center, not a headquarters according to the person on the other end who did not know the name of the President of the company or any officers of the company to whom I could speak) and calling the billing department, technical service and anyone else who might have been able to help. 1and1.com lists their technical support as a 24 hour service.

The recorded message which stayed on for hours was "We are sorry. All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later." I did. For over 6 hours. It was not "later" enough.

DID NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION PUT UP ANOTHER SITE?

One of the first things I did was contact my webmaster who said he would put up an informational site alerting people to what had happened if they went to our site. He did so very quickly. His server and all of the sites he hosts immediately crashed. When he took our temporary site down, the servers and sites were fine.

COULDN’T THE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN JUST A TECHNICAL ISSUE?

The problems we experienced and the ones our webmaster experienced are characteristic of a DDOS or Dedicated Disruption of Service attack in which a bank of computers is set up to fire off so many repeating and competing requests for access to a site that the system crashes. That is not a simple technical event. It requires planning and sophisticated capacity to damage of destroy site capacity.

1and1.com have still not disclosed whether they had locked our site because it had been the target of a DDOS but the chances are good since our URL immediately was hit with DDOS activity when our webmaster redirected it to his temporary page.

HOW DO I MAKE A DONATION TO THE NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION?

Your donations are critically important. The fact that we have been attacked by such sophisticated means says that we are right on target and we need your help to stay there.

1. You can go to www.PayPal.com and use either of the two following email addresses to make a tax deductible donation using either of these two emails:

dr.laibow@gmail.com
releyes@gmail.com

PayPal donations to either of those emails go directly into the Natural Solutions Foundation bank account.

2. You can go to our website which is up now and donate either on a one time or recurring basis. Both are appreciated. Recurring donations mean that we can count on support each month and are very helpful. All donations are tax exempt for US residents and citizens.

3. You can send a check or money order marked "Donation" to our headquarters. Send your donation to

Natural Solutions Foundation
P.O. Box 722
Maryville, MO 64468
U.S.A.

WHAT ABOUT THE NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION STORE, ORGANICS4U?

Organics4U (http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/store/cart.php) is up and running but there are no pictures of the products. We don’t know why yet.

When you shop at Organics4U all profit goes to the Natural Solutions Foundation to support our work. You will receive a letter thanking you for your support an telling you how much your donation was for that purchase!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN?

Many people sent excellent suggestions about mirroring sites and other strategies to prevent a repeat of this episode. We are vigorously investigating them and will certainly take action to make sure we are not prone to this kind of attack again.

I CALLED 1AND1.COM AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.

Me too! But many of you wrote to say that you had called 1and1 which said that they were getting lots of calls about the Natural Solutions Foundation being offline. To all of you who called or wrote to Congress about this, THANKS!

NOW THAT THE SITE IS UP AGAIN, IS THE EVENT OVER?

Not by a long shot! Our freedom of speech has been interfered with and we want to know why and by whom. We will keep you posted.

We will also be making changes (which many of you suggested) to make sure that this does not happen again. If it does, we’ll get past it because of your community of support!

OK. NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION SURVIVED THIS ATTACK. WHAT’S NEXT?

We have been very busy planning for the next stages of our fight. Now we have a new piece in the puzzle: freedom of speech. You can be sure that we will be focusing on that in our blogs and emails and asking you to help support uncensored sharing of information and ideas. Without freedom, what does health freedom mean?

The General’s View of Attempts to Silence the Natural Solutions Foundation

General Stubblebine will be writing an email to you so you get his take on this situation, too. As a career military officer sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, he has quite a lot to say about the meaning of this event.

Organics4U is Getting Even Better

Organics4U is in preparation for a brand new look and a brand new launch. New products are being added to make the selection even better.

We are creating a library of down-loadable information for your use because you asked us to. This free information service will have sections focusing on nutrients, herbs and disease conditions to help you with the best, most up-to-date information. Health choices will be easier to make. Our products are already the cleanest, healthiest and most effective available anywhere. Everything on the Organics4U store is clean, unadulterated and good for bodies and the earth! And we are upgrading our media section, too.

There will be a new Newsletter once a month filled with tips, topics of health interest, book reviews and health news. We’ll take your questions and give you meaningful answers. Watch for it.

ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS NEXT IN THE FOUNDATION SITES ?

The Natural Solutions Foundation attended a Codex meeting in Oslo last month on the labeling of GM foods. We were invited to speak in Africa in June on the topic and we are now working on a White Paper on Genetically Modified Foods and their serious flaws and dangers. Right now you can buy the Codex eBook (http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/index.php?page_id=220) detailing the solution to the Codex press forcing countries do down regulate all effective vitamins and minerals (the other nutrient substances are under the hammer, too) which we give to heads of state, ministers of health, etc. It is beautiful book which clearly sets forth the problem of low potency nutrients and gives both clinical and legal solutions which people and countries can follow to become World Trade Organization sanction-proof. Research volunteers needed. Write to me at dr.laibow@gmail.com.

We are working on the next in that series, a GMO book. Stay tuned!

ARE YOU STILL TRAVELING A LOT?

This year, with your help we will attend the following Codex meetings:

• May: Codex Committee on Food Labeling, Canada
• July: Codex Commission, Italy
• September, Codex Biotech Committee, Japan
• November, Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Germany
• We will be lecturing and meeting with decision makers in India, Tanzania, Ghana, Us, Nigeria and about 10 other countries during 2007.
• We are working hard on initiating programs under the International Decade of Nutrition in several countries. These programs make the impact of nutrition clear through beautifully designed, high potency nutrient programs and other simple, natural techniques for ensuring health and health freedom.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Hundreds of people wrote to say that they were grateful for the work that we are doing because this is their fight, too. They are absolutely right! Get involved.

1. Sign the Citizens Petition (http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/index.php?page_id=184)! Print out copies and take them to public gatherings, health food stores, your food market, your play group. Ask people to sign them. Email the link and get people talking. Take them wherever you go and help people to see that it is their battle as well.

2. Email the Nutricide (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5266884912495233634) to every one you know. Tell them why they need to be involved in this issue. Arrange showings of the Nutricide Video in your home town, club or church. Take lots of Citizens Petitions with you so people can sign it when they have seen the video.

3. Use your creativity to find ways that you can help to win this battle. If you paint, or you sing or you do data entry or you do bake sales or dance recitals, or play jazz or sew or have your businessman’s club that would like to sponsor a cause take up health freedom, etc. Think about what you can bring to the health freedom battle and then do it! Let us know what you are interested in doing so we can support you! Contact me at dr.laibow@gmail.com and we’ll figure out how to help!

4. What happens if the unique voice of the Natural Solutions Foundation is not here defending your health and your health freedom? Don’t let that happen. Practice the 3 G’s of health freedom: Get involved, Give and Germinate new interest!

I think that answers most of the questions which your hundreds and hundreds of emails asked and the comments which you addressed. If I left something out, let me know at dr.laibow@gmail.com.

Yours in health and freedom,

Dr. Rima

Rima E. Laibow, MD
Medical Director
Natural Solutions Foundation

*http://www.1and1.com