What is it with the Crane Accidents? The media reports accident after accident involving falling construction cranes. Perhaps these kind of accidents happen all the time and I'm only noticing them because I noticed One. Then Two. Is there a name for the phenomenon where once you buy a brand-new bright-red sportster you suddenly see them everywhere? I'm seeing these headlines everywhere! Click on the items below to see the news articles.
Crane Falls - May 30, 2008 New York
Crane Falls - May 27, 2008 Melbourne, Australia
Crane Falls - May 27, 2008 Lubbock, TX
Crane Falls - May 20, Adair, Iowa
Crane Falls - May 9, 2008 Volos, Greece
Crane Falls - May 8, 2008, Sydney, Australia
Crane Falls - March 16, 2008 New York
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Friday, May 30, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Fearful of Conspiracy Theories?
Are you tired of the conspiracy theories that abound on the internet and on that supposed "History Channel" and on youtube? Theories by crazy idiots who love to feed the fantasies of other crazy people.
Read Isaiah 8:11-13
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Read Isaiah 8:11-13
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Monday, May 26, 2008
Where is Edward Scissorhands When You Need Him?
I'm not much of a movie person. In fact I watched the 1990 Edward Scissorhands for the first time this year. I guess I was too busy in 1990 to watch a weird movie about a weird Edward. Should have taken the time...it's a cool movie.
I thought of Edward today while I was setting two stepping stones into the corner of the lawn. Once I had them low enough that the lawn mower won't clip them I needed to trim the grass around them...just to see how it looked.
Do you think I could play the part of Scissorhands in a remake? Perhaps eclipse the performance of Johnny Depp?
Snip Snip Snip.
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Saturday, May 24, 2008
ID Theft, Debit Cards and Credit Cards
Twice recently we have been the victim of ID theft through our debit and credit cards. Be Aware that there are Crooks and Thieves out there! (If you've arrived here using a search engine and this is the only post you see, you can read the rest of my blog posts by clicking on the blog title Wanna Walk Along. But first read this post.)
We first noticed an unauthorized electronic withdrawal from our checking account.
The second was an unauthorized charge to our credit card.
Both times the amounts were a mere $9.87
I suppose they thought we wouldn't notice!
And I'm betting that once they verified our account as being "good", the next amount would have been in the hundreds or thousands!
Fortunately we check our statements online and found the thefts almost immediately and so we were able to call the bank and the credit card company and ask for new accounts (new account numbers).
My advice for today? Check your statements often. In particular look for small dollar amounts to StockPhotoPortal, ThePhotosCentral, Photos Paradise, P&P Services, Images Paradise, ProPhotoLand, PolishPhotosOnline, PhotosGeyser, PhotosMix, PicturesJungle, and countless others. Google these names and you will find many online complaints.
If you see ANY of these companies charging small amounts $3 to $15 to your credit card or to your bank account, DO NOT CALL the Crook Himself! He will only squeeze more information out of you.
Instead Call your Bank/Credit Card Company and CLOSE THE ACCOUNT and GET A NEW ONE. The Crooks have your number and they will KEEP STEALING from you as long as they can. If your bank is not helpful ask to speak to someone in their Consumer Fraud department.
Banks will normally refund any theft you report within 60 days but sometimes you have to be persistent. Credit cards are a little more ready to remove unauthorized charges.
Be a Wise Consumer! And one word of advise...as if this entire post isn't one long "advice" ... Never use a debit card any place your card is taken out of sight, like a restaurant. It's an easy matter for an employee to quickly swipe the info from your card with a small portable skimming device. Watch your card like a hawk and never let it out of your sight. Better yet, learn to live without your debit card.
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We first noticed an unauthorized electronic withdrawal from our checking account.
The second was an unauthorized charge to our credit card.
Both times the amounts were a mere $9.87
I suppose they thought we wouldn't notice!
And I'm betting that once they verified our account as being "good", the next amount would have been in the hundreds or thousands!
Fortunately we check our statements online and found the thefts almost immediately and so we were able to call the bank and the credit card company and ask for new accounts (new account numbers).
My advice for today? Check your statements often. In particular look for small dollar amounts to StockPhotoPortal, ThePhotosCentral, Photos Paradise, P&P Services, Images Paradise, ProPhotoLand, PolishPhotosOnline, PhotosGeyser, PhotosMix, PicturesJungle, and countless others. Google these names and you will find many online complaints.
If you see ANY of these companies charging small amounts $3 to $15 to your credit card or to your bank account, DO NOT CALL the Crook Himself! He will only squeeze more information out of you.
Instead Call your Bank/Credit Card Company and CLOSE THE ACCOUNT and GET A NEW ONE. The Crooks have your number and they will KEEP STEALING from you as long as they can. If your bank is not helpful ask to speak to someone in their Consumer Fraud department.
Banks will normally refund any theft you report within 60 days but sometimes you have to be persistent. Credit cards are a little more ready to remove unauthorized charges.
Be a Wise Consumer! And one word of advise...as if this entire post isn't one long "advice" ... Never use a debit card any place your card is taken out of sight, like a restaurant. It's an easy matter for an employee to quickly swipe the info from your card with a small portable skimming device. Watch your card like a hawk and never let it out of your sight. Better yet, learn to live without your debit card.
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Friday, May 23, 2008
Once Upon A Time We Had Our Own Island
My siblings and I grew up on a small farm in the Midwest. That was when you could support a family of eight on 160 acres. The farm lay adjacent to the Little Sioux River. The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers had straightened the river channel allowing the water to escape more quickly during spring flood times. They left the old curvy channel in place but since the new channel was cut deeper, the old channel was dry except during spring snow melts and heavy spring rains when it served as an overflow area.
The dry channel lay next to our farm and between the dry and the new lay a several acre "island" of pasture land consisting of grass and tree areas. It was our personal playground. Grapevines grew plentifully in the tree areas. Along the dry bed and old banks we found all kinds of mysterious wonders ... teeth from some long-dead horse, dried skeletons of prairie mice, bits of glass and pottery, and small ponds of water left after spring floods that held minnows and tadpoles and other interesting creatures. I remember dragonflies and waterbugs and cardinals and goldfinches and the smell of summer air.
We fished in the river with primitive gear...a long pole cut from a tree with fish line attached to the end and a bobbin just above the hook. For bait we used earthworms dug from the damp dirt near the cow tank or chicken guts from a freshly butchered chicken. We seldom caught any fish but sitting on the bank, remaining silent so as not to "scare the fish", we soaked in the sounds of finches in the trees across the river and absorbed the peace of the afternoon air.
We learned to swim in that river. A long shallow area provided plenty of wading. And the new channel, which cut deep, provided a swim area. I said we learned to swim but the only stroke we knew was the dog paddle. Parents today would surely be accused of neglect, allowing us to play around dangerous water.
Later, in the 1960s, the Corps straightened a long length of the river, putting in new, high banks and filling the old channel with dirt. Our Island, no longer an island, is now cropland. But the memory of that place still brings pleasure to my mind.
The dry channel lay next to our farm and between the dry and the new lay a several acre "island" of pasture land consisting of grass and tree areas. It was our personal playground. Grapevines grew plentifully in the tree areas. Along the dry bed and old banks we found all kinds of mysterious wonders ... teeth from some long-dead horse, dried skeletons of prairie mice, bits of glass and pottery, and small ponds of water left after spring floods that held minnows and tadpoles and other interesting creatures. I remember dragonflies and waterbugs and cardinals and goldfinches and the smell of summer air.
We fished in the river with primitive gear...a long pole cut from a tree with fish line attached to the end and a bobbin just above the hook. For bait we used earthworms dug from the damp dirt near the cow tank or chicken guts from a freshly butchered chicken. We seldom caught any fish but sitting on the bank, remaining silent so as not to "scare the fish", we soaked in the sounds of finches in the trees across the river and absorbed the peace of the afternoon air.
We learned to swim in that river. A long shallow area provided plenty of wading. And the new channel, which cut deep, provided a swim area. I said we learned to swim but the only stroke we knew was the dog paddle. Parents today would surely be accused of neglect, allowing us to play around dangerous water.
Later, in the 1960s, the Corps straightened a long length of the river, putting in new, high banks and filling the old channel with dirt. Our Island, no longer an island, is now cropland. But the memory of that place still brings pleasure to my mind.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Subtle Sibling Rivalry
My brother, younger by one year, forwarded me a copy of an email he sent to one of the long-lost nephews. In the email he mentioned that his sister (that's me) "probably has the most inert intelligence of any of our siblings".
The key word here is "inert" and I'm sure (I'm hoping!) that he meant "innate". Mind you, my brother is an excellent speller. And he's always sincere in his compliments. And there is no sibling rivalry between the two of us...we did away with that forty years ago. And so I'll give him grace and assume this was a slip of the pen (er, the keyboard).
See! My intelligence isn't so inert after all. (said with a guffaw)
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I Want a BICYCLE!!!
My email buddy in Ohio has purchased a bicycle. I have a bicycle in the basement (with flat tires from winter storage). Mine is a $20 yard sale find. Even after we bought a new comfy seat it still feels awkward to ride. I'm an old(er) woman and I don't need to be riding a racing bike in a horizontal position. I just want a standard bicycle to cruise up to the grocery store and back. We live on flat ground. No hills. No mountains. No mudholes. I figure this bike would be perfect for me. I think I will ditch that cheapo bike for a comfy ride. Watch me Cruise!
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