Tuesday, August 25, 2009

SENT BY A COP PLEASE READ!!!!! It May Save Your Life

Thanks Sandy for the good information!

Because of recent abductions

In daylight hours, refresh yourself

of these things to do

in an emergency situation...

This is for you,

and for you to share

with your wife,

your children,

everyone you know.

After reading these 10 crucial tips,

forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful

in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :

The elbow is the strongest point

on your body.

If you are close enough to use it, do!
2.. Learned this from a tourist guide.

If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,

DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you....

Chances are that he is more interested

in your wallet and/or purse than you,

and he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,

kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole

and start waving like crazy..

The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars

after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit

(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.

DON'T DO THIS!)

The predator will be watching you, and this

is the perfect opportunity for him to get in

on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,

and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,

LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone

is in the car

with a gun

to your head

DO NOT DRIVE OFF,

Repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead gun the engine

and speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you.

If the person is in the back seat

they will get the worst of it .

As soon as the car crashes

bail out and run.

It is better than having them find your body

in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting

into your car in a parking lot,

or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:

look around you,

look into your car,

at the passenger side floor ,

and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van,

enter your car from the passenger door.

Most serial killers attack their victims

by pulling them into their vans while the women

are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car

parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,

and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone

in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back

into the mall, or work, and get a

guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator

instead of the stairs.

Stairwells are horrible places to be alone

and the perfect crime spot.

This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun

and you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target)

4 in 100 times; and even then,

it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying

to be sympathetic:

STOP

It may get you raped, or killed.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,

well educated man, who ALWAYS played

on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.

He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often

asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,

which is when he abducted
his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard

a crying baby on her porch the night before last,

and she called the police because it was late

and she thought it was weird.. The police told her

'Whatever you do, DO NOT

open the door...'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby

had crawled near a window, and she was worried

that it would crawl to the street and get run over.

The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,

whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

He told her that they think a serial killer

has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax

women out of their homes thinking that someone

dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it,

but have had several calls by women saying that

they hear baby's cries outside their doors

when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam!

If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a
burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your
outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and
then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!

Please pass this on

This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because

the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on

America 's Most Wanted when they profiled

the serial killer in Louisiana

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.

It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..

I was going to send this to the ladies only,

but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters,daughters, etc.,

you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need

to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it

and it's better to be safe than sorry..

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or love one's life

Check out The Columbus Dispatch : Seeking a retail job? Take a number

Click here: The Columbus Dispatch : Seeking a retail job? Take a number

Seeking a retail job? Take a number

Sunday, August 23, 2009 3:31 AM

By Anne D'Innocenzio

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Darren Gray, 44, a former banking worker, took a job in jewelry sales at a JCPenney in Manhattan with the hope of eventually becoming a manager.

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YANINA MANOLOVA | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Darren Gray, 44, a former banking worker, took a job in jewelry sales at a JCPenney in Manhattan with the hope of eventually becoming a manager.

NEW YORK -- Don't count on a job selling sweaters at your favorite department store. Retail jobs, from sales associates to managers, are harder to find as merchants close stores, lay off thousands of workers or go out of business.

Whenever a retailer does hire, it's usually inundated by people hoping for a job. J.C. Penney Co. Inc. received 15,000 applications, more than double what it expected, for 500 positions at its new Manhattan store. The Webs site SnagAJob.com said 160,596 applicants applied for jobs at one national department store chain in July, more than twice the number of a year ago.

The overflow of resumes, particularly from people laid off in fields such as construction and finance, gives merchants their pick of the best workers, but it also presents a challenge for people who want to get started in or get back into retail. Some do find that with extra effort, it's possible to get a job that, if not ideal, at least gets them in the door.

Darren Gray, 44, who had 13 years of banking experience including management, learned that recently when he applied to the new Penney's.

After the financial crisis erupted last fall, the Jersey City, N.J., resident decided to leave finance and return to retail, where he worked for six years after college. When Gray applied to Penney's, all the management positions were taken, so he accepted a job as a commission-based jewelry-sales associate, which meant up to a 50 percent pay cut. But Gray is upbeat about his career prospects.

"There's definitely opportunity for advancement," said Gray, who hopes to be part of Penney's top management someday. "Sometimes you have to take short-term sacrifices for a long-term gain."

The dearth of retail openings is particularly disheartening because in past recessions, the industry served as a safety net for the unemployed. That net isn't there now, as the most dramatic plunge in consumer spending in decades has led to a rash of liquidations of major chains such as Circuit City and Linens 'n Things. And other companies have been closing stores across the country and laying off managers.

"This recession is all about the consumer, and spending dropped off because consumers are tapped out," said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger Gray & Christmas, a consulting firm.

The retail industry, which employs about 11.2 percent of all U.S. workers, has lost 843,100 positions since the recession began in late 2007, Challenger said. That shrinking landscape means there's one retail job for every four applicants, compared with one job for every two applicants three years ago, he said.

Some tips for landing a job in retail:

• Focus on financially healthy chains. Pursue jobs at supermarkets and discounters that have benefited from shoppers who are buying only the necessities. Another good place to look is a low-price department-store chain.

• Meet the managers. Don't just drop off your resume; try to stand out from other applicants.

• Be flexible. Working in retail can mean grueling schedules, particularly during the holiday season. Be open to working any shift.

Check out Outdoor Games - AOL Home

The gang's over anyway...why not head outside and play like kids again?

Click here: Outdoor Games - AOL Home

Check out Coupons ( You can print them!)

Thebag.com

------ Is a website where you can print coupons based on your zip code and stores near you.

A lot of them look like the ones in the Sunday's newspaper.

Check it out!

Every penny saved adds up to dollars!!!

Click here: Coupons

Anybody Can Fart!

A little boy and a little girl, both about eight years old, were
playing in the sandbox. Unexpectedly, the little boy farts,
causing a little sand between his legs to shift. The little
girl notices, and squeals with laughter.

'How'd you do that?' she asks.
'Easy,' he exclaimed, 'I just farted.'

'Can I try it,' she asks?

'Sure,' he says, 'anybody can do it.'

She concentrates as she strains and grunts.. Suddenly, there's a huge explosion, the sides of the sandbox flew off, all the sand flies out, and the little boy is thrown 20 feet, landing up against a tree.

He groggily gets to his feet, runs back to where the little girl is.

He finds her laying on the ground, out cold, flat on her back,
spread eagle.

Curiously, he lifts up her dress, peeks underneath, and loudly
exclaims, 'Just what I thought, dual exhaust.'

FORREST GUMP GOES TO HEAVEN

The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.

St. Peter said, 'Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven.'

Forrest responds, 'It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was.'

St . Peter continued, 'Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions.

First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?

Second: How many seconds are there in a year?

Third: What is God's first name?'

Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, 'Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers.'

Forrest replied, 'Well, the first one -- which two days in the week begins with the letter 'T'?

Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow..'

The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, 'Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?' asked St. Peter.

'How many seconds in a year?

Now that one is harder,' replied Forrest, 'but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve.'

Astounded, St.. Peter said, 'Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?'

Forrest replied, 'Shucks, there's got to be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd... '

'Hold it,' interrupts St.. Peter. 'I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind.....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God's first name'?

'Sure,' Forrest replied, 'it's Andy.'

'Andy?' exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter.

'Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?'

'Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,' Forrest replied. 'I learnt it from the song,

ANDY WALKS WITH ME,

ANDY TALKS WITH ME,

ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN.'

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: 'Run, Forrest, run.'

Check out The Benefits Of Eating Popcorn - AOL Health

Click here: The Benefits Of Eating Popcorn - AOL Health

popcorn Getty Images

By Sara Abadi

Good news for popcorn lovers: New research shows this snack food is packed with health benefits.

According to the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, foods made from whole grains not only serve as a good source of fiber, but also contain the antioxidant Polyphenol, reports ABC News. This antioxidant, often associated with food and drinks like chocolate or wine, is now linked to whole grain foods, such as breakfast cereals and even snacks like popcorn. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that popcorn outdid the other snack foods tested in terms of fiber and antioxidants.

Antioxidants can help prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and even some cancers. They defend the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals, which can be found in harmful pollutants.

"It's a whole grain, people don't think of it that way but it is," Keith-Thomas Ayoob, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York told ABC. "It's a different form of corn, but it's definitely a whole grain."

Previous research has shown it was the fiber in these whole grains that helped reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. However, it is now emerging that Polyphenols may be more important in fighting off these diseases, according to Medical News Today.

Before you start gobbling the classic movie munchie, remember that popcorn is healthiest when it's plain. Extra salt, butter and other additives don't exactly qualify popcorn as a healthy snack. However, compared to other finger foods, such as chips, it can be a healthier choice -- with fewer calories and full of fiber.

Questions for people who know everything??

Thanks to Jenny for this one!

Quiz for People Who Know Everything

This is a quiz for people who know everything! I found out in a hurry that I didn't.

These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight answers.

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters " dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S.

H Scroll down .......................

Answers To Quiz:

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends. Boxing.

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward. Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. Asparagus and rhubarb.

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside. Strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.

6. Three English words beginning with dw. Dwarf, dwell and dwindle.

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar. Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation mark, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh. Lettuce.

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with "S".
Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

PLEASE DO YOUR PART. Today is assist National Mental Health Day.

You can do your part by remembering to send this e-mail to at least one person.

Well, my job's done!

Just don't send it back to me. I've already flunked it once

Check out 8 major benefits of new credit card law

Click here: 8 major benefits of new credit card law

Print E-mail

credit cards

8 major benefits of new credit card law

By Leslie McFadden • Bankrate.com

Highlights

A rate increase can't be applied to existing balances unless cardholder is delinquent.
Cardholders must be notified of a rate increase 45 days in advance, but there is no cap on rates.
Those under 21 can't apply for a credit card unless they have co-signer, income or pass course.

On May 22, President Barack Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure, or Credit CARD, Act of 2009 into law. The legislation will improve consumer disclosures and end some egregious practices in the credit card industry but stops short of capping interest rates and fees. Most of the provisions go into effect Feb. 22, 2010, unless otherwise stated.

Here's an overview of the major changes the law will enact.

New credit card rules

Retroactive rate increases
More advance notice of rate hikes
Fee restrictions
Restricts marketing and issuance to students
Ends double-cycle billing
Fairer payment allocation
More time to pay
Gift card protections

1. Retroactive rate increases

Issuers can't raise rates on an existing balance unless a promotional rate expired, the variable indexed rate increased or you paid late by 60 days or more. No longer will they be able to punish borrowers for late payments on unrelated accounts under the practice of universal default or due to "anytime, any reason" clauses.

If the cardholder does trigger the default rate because of a 60-day delinquency, the bank must restore the lower rate once the cardholder demonstrates six months of consecutive on-time payments. This provision takes effect in August 2009.

In general, rates can't be raised in the first year after issuance, and promotional rates must last at least six months. Exceptions include expiration of a promotional rate, termination or completion of a workout plan, a change in the index rate or a 60-day delinquency.

Caveat: Issuers can raise rates at any time for any reason on new balances with 45 days' advance notice. Cardholders will still need to read correspondence from their creditors.

2. More advance notice of rate hikes

Consumers get 45 days' notice before key contract changes take effect, including rate increases. Under the current Truth in Lending Act, cardholders only receive a 15-day heads up. This change takes effect Aug. 20, 2009.

Caveat: This provision doesn't apply to credit limit changes. If your issuer slashes your limit, notification isn't necessary unless the reduction would trigger a penalty, such as an overlimit fee.

The new rules also don't cap interest rates. The increased rate can still be triple your existing APR.

3. Fee restrictions

Cardholders will not face overlimit fees unless they elect to allow the creditor to approve overlimit transactions. Issuers can't charge more than one overlimit fee per billing cycle.

In general, banks can't charge consumers a fee to pay their credit card debt, a cost some cardholders encounter for payments made by telephone or Internet. They can impose a fee to expedite a payment.

Payments received by the due date -- or the next business day, if the bank doesn't accept mailed payments on the due date -- won't trigger a late fee. If the cardholder pays at a local branch, the payment must be credited the same day.

The new law limits fees on "fee-harvester" subprime cards as well. In the first year after issuance, nonpenalty fees cannot take up more than 25 percent of the initial credit limit.

4. Restricts card issuance to students

Consumers under age 21 who can't prove an independent means of income or provide the signature of a co-signer aged 21 or older won't get approved for credit cards. The provision protects young people who lack the means or the knowledge to handle credit cards from miring themselves into debt, but could backfire by pushing students to payday lenders and pawnshops, says Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

According to a recent Sallie Mae study, college students carried an average balance of $3,173 on their credit cards last year, a record high since the first analysis in 1998. A whopping 82 percent revolved a balance each month.

5. Ends double-cycle billing

The new law bans double-cycle billing, the practice of basing finance charges on the current and previous balance. Under this method, the issuer could charge interest on debt already paid off the previous month.

6. Fairer payment allocation

A close look at your card agreement will likely reveal a clause that explains that payments will be applied to lower-rate balances first. Not so anymore. The Credit CARD Act requires above-the-minimum payments to be applied first to the credit card balance with the highest interest rate.

7. More time to pay

Card companies must send statements 21 days before a payment is due. Current law requires a mere 14 days' notice. This provision goes into effect Aug. 20, 2009.

8. Gift card protections

The legislation includes protections for gift cardholders. The new law prohibits gift cards from expiring for at least five years. Issuer cannot assess inactivity fees unless the card has gone unused for 12 months.

Related Links:

Related Articles:

Updated: Aug. 20, 2009

Check out The Savings Experiment - Electricity - AOL News

Click here: The Savings Experiment - Electricity - AOL News

How to Measure Vampire Power Use

AOL News editor Claire Robinson explores how much money you can actually save by unplugging electric devices when they are not in use.

WHY PARENTS DRINK!

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. "Hello? "

"Is your daddy home?" he asked.
"Yes," whispered the small voice.
May I talk with him?"
The child whispered, "No."
Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?" "Yes."

"May I talk with her?" Again the small voice whispered, "No."

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, "Is anybody else there?"

"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman ".

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?"

"No, he's busy ", whispered the child.

"Busy doing what?"

"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the ear piece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"

" A helicopter " answered the whispering voice.

"What is going on there?" demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.
Again, whispering, the child answered, "The search team just landed a helicopter."

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, "What are they searching for?"

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle... ME!

Holy Email

Thanks to Milda for this good laugh!

One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on.

So he called one of His angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time......

When he returned, he told God, 'Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not.

God thought for a moment and said,

'Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion..'

So God called another angel and sent him to Earth for a time..

When the angel returned he went to God and said, 'Yes, it's true.

The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good.'

God was not pleased.

So He decided to e-mail the 5% that were good, because he wanted to encourage them,

and give them a little something to help them keep going.

Do you know what the e-mail said?

Okay, I was just wondering. I didn't get one either.

Check out New Credit Card Rules Take Effect Soon - WalletPop

Click here: New Credit Card Rules Take Effect Soon - WalletPop

New Credit Card Rules Take Effect Soon

By Kimberly Lankford, Kiplinger.com

posted: 7 DAYS 21 HOURS AGO

Text SizeAAA

I understand that some of the provisions of the new credit-card law will go into effect this month. Which rules are they, and what changes have credit-card companies been making since the law was signed?

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which President Obama signed on May 22, will limit credit-card issuers' ability to raise rates, require them to provide better disclosure of their rules and fees, and eliminate some misleading practices. Most of the provisions don't take effect until February 22, 2010. A few, however, become effective on August 20: Card issuers must give 45 days' notice before increasing your annual percentage rate or changing any significant terms of the credit agreement (15 days is the current standard), and issuers must mail statements to you at least 21 days before the payment is due.

These new disclosure requirements are timely because card companies are in the midst of making some big changes in anticipation of the new law. So it's particularly important to review any letters your card company sends.

Since the law passed, several card companies have been increasing fees, reducing credit limits, raising rates, boosting minimum payments and dropping customers with high balances, says Adam Levin, chairman and co-founder of Credit.com.

And they've also been altering their balance-transfer offers. One provision that will take effect on February 22 specifies that card companies must apply any payment you make above the minimum to your highest-rate balance first - so people who have a 0% balance transfer and an 11.99% rate on new purchases will no longer be stuck paying off the 0% balance while interest on the balance at 11.99% continues to accrue. See A Better Deal on Balance Transfers for more information about how these rules have changed.

But card companies are taking some of the shine away from balance-transfer offers. Some that had been offering fee-free balance transfers started to charge a 3% fee with a cap of $50 to $75, then they eliminated the cap and charged the fee on the entire transfer - resulting in a $240 charge on an $8,000 transfer, for example, says Bill Hardekopf, chief executive of LowCards.com. Soon after the new credit-card law was passed, Bank of America boosted its balance-transfer fee to 4%, and Chase increased its fee to 5% on some of its cards, he says.

Hardekopf also found that 0% balance-transfer offers are becoming harder to find -- especially if you don't have an excellent credit score -- and the period that rate is available is shrinking from 12 months to six. Meanwhile, some card companies are offering 2.5% to 3.5% rates for transfers, instead of charging 0%.

Because of these changes, it's important to review the rules and fees and calculate your potential savings before making a move. A balance-transfer offer that looked good in the past may not be worthwhile if you have to pay a high fee - even if the new credit-card laws make it easier to take advantage of the lower rate.

2009-08-13 15:25:54

Life After VC 2008

Happy 4th of July 2010 !!

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