Caution! Beware of Dingbat!

I just watched this video (audio actually), and it was hilarious!  So, today instead of writing a press release/blog, I'm going to share this video with all of you.  I hope you too will start the weekend with a huge smile on your face! If you enjoy it, pass it around so others can feel really smart. Hilarious! This is a REAL phone call to a radio show. Hmm.  This PR isn't the minimum of 250 words long, so I guess I'll have to write a little more.  Let me think.  What shall I write?   I've got it!  Continuing on with the humor theme, I will tell you about some of the interesting, bazaar and fun - or funny holidays that occur during November, this week and even today! The following rather odd holidays are observed during the month of November: Banana Pudding Lovers Month Epilepsy Awareness Month  Family Stories Month  Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month Greens and Plantains Month  Historic Bridge Awareness Month National Impotency Month National Peanut Butter Lovers Month Spinach and Squash Month Sweet Potato Awareness Month  NoSHAVEmber World Sponge Month This week includes a few more interesting holidays:   National Global Entrepreneurship Week World Kindness Week: National Young Reader's Week National Donor Sabath Today's (November 15, 2013) bizarre holidays are:  America Recycles Day I Love to Write Day National Bundt (Pan) Day National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day National Philanthropy Day  ======================== For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle  For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.

No, She Did Not!

I belong to a non-profit organization.  We are planning our annual holiday party, so one of the members went to a local restaurant to see if they could accommodate the group and to determine the price and menu available.  She spoke with the owner and got all the details.  The owner advised her that if we guaranteed 50 people would attend, the price would be $9.95 per person for the buffet, but she would need confirmation of the number within a week. 

Five days later, our representative returned to the restaurant to finalize our reservation and to advise the owner that there would be 53 in attendance.  Upon arrival, she was told that her price had increased to $10.95 per person.  Upset and disappointed, our rep confirmed the reservation for 53 people at the increased rate.

On the following day, a few of our members saw an ad in the local newspaper advertising party reservations at that same restaurant for $9.95 per person.  Our group leader returned to the restaurant – ad in hand – and spoke with the owner about the increased price she had quoted our group.  Unbelievably, the owner refused to honor her original quote.  Our group leader canceled our reservation and is now seeking another place to have our holiday party.

This situation is an example of extremely poor business practice.  As I thought about it, however, I realized how ignorant the owner was.  Because she increased the price, she lost a party of 53 people who would have each paid $9.95.  Worse than that though is the fact that each of the 53 people who planned to attend, and even those in our group who did not plan to attend but learned about the situation are unlikely to ever dine at that restaurant again. 

Most people eat at restaurants with at least one companion, so beyond the members of our group, those with whom they may have dined are now lost patrons as well.  Continuing this loss of business a step further, many of our group members will tell others about what the business owner did.  I already have told a couple friends who are very unlikely to return to that restaurant.  (And I’ve told all of you, but you are not local.)

There is no way to determine the exact number of customers this restaurant lost, but clearly it will lose some.  More importantly, this restaurant’s reputation has been damaged.

For those of us who have internet businesses, poor business practices and customer service can destroy our reputation much more quickly than that of a brick and mortar business.   If we do not provide excellent service to just one customer, that customer could post their complaint on any high ranking website, and within hours, hundreds if not thousands of people will be aware of whatever it is that we did or not do to upset our customer. 

Something as simple as telling a prospect that they will earn a six-figure income in a month can come back to destroy your standing in the online community.  Every day I see people who post that they GUARANTEE success to those who join their company.  No matter how great your business may be, some people will simply not work their business.  It happens all the time with internet businesses.  How will that guarantee hold up?  Unless I am missing something very basic, if someone does not work, I see no way they can earn money.

The whole point of this blog is to stress the importance of our reputation, both on and offline.  Our business practices must always be fair and honest.   It seems to me that I heard somewhere, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  That says it all, does it not?

========================

For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Help! Thief!

I believe most people realize that identity theft is a huge problem today.  How safe are you?  Are you taking measures to protect yourself from identity theft?  (Correct answers appear at the bottom.  No cheating now!)

Take the quiz below to see how much you know about ID theft.

1.    How frequently is someone victimized by identity theft? Enter your response as a comment below.

A.    Every 3 seconds

B.    Every 30 seconds

C.    Every two minutes

D.    Every 10 minutes

2.    Which three US states have the highest per capita ID theft ranking? Leave your answer in comments below.

A.  CA, GA, FL
B.  NY, TX, DC 

C.  TX, FL, NV

D.  DC, CA, LA

3.    In which age range was the victim of the single highest (dollar amount) case of ID theft?

 A. Elderly
 B. Young Adult
 C. Teenager
 D. Young Child

4.    How many people reported that they were victims of ID Theft in the United States during 2012? Leave your guess as a comment below.

 A. 5 million
 B. 10 million
 C. 12 million
 D. 20 million

5.    What is the percentage of increased likelihood of fraud for smartphone owners? Enter your answer as a comment below.

 A. 10%
 B. 25%
 C. 35%
 D. 50%

6.    Which age group is the most likely to become a victim of identity theft? Leave your response in comments below.

 A. Elderly
 B. Young Adults
 C. Teenagers
 D. Young Children

Correct quiz answers:  1=A     2=A     3=D (In one case, over $700,000 was stolen.  Children are often victimized, because no one usually checks their credit until they are 18 years old, too late to do anything about it.)     4=C (Actually 12.6 million)     5=C     6=B (Young adults are more digitalized. They often provide their personal information in a variety of places online, an invitation to identity thieves.)

===============================

 

To protect your identity, join Lifelock™ through Xpress Healthcare for only $20/month/family.  Plan also includes discounts on Roadside Assistance, Legal services, Pet care and more. Details?  Visit:  http:ibourl.net/LifestyleSelectSavings  

Put on Your Yamakah, Here Comes Chanukah.

This year, Chanukah, the Jewish Holiday – “Festival of Lights,” begins on November 27^th, the night before Thanksgiving.  For those who don’t recognize the line in the title of this post, it is the first line of a funny Adam Sandler Chanukah song. 

All Jewish holidays begin at sundown the night before they appear on Gregorian calendars.   (In case you don’t know, this is the calendar we use today.)  In actuality, on the Hebrew calendar, Chanukah is on the same date every year, but it appears to be different each year because the calendar months are not the same length on the two calendars.

According to the Gregorian calendar, Chanukah falling on Thanksgiving is extremely rare.  Since Thanksgiving was declared a Federal holiday, the last time Chanukah began (first full day) on Thanksgiving was in 1888.  Some mathematicians say that it won’t happen again for 79,000 years!  I haven’t verified that fact.  I will accept the fact that Chanukah is really early this year, and it is very rare for it to occur on Thanksgiving.

I find it amusing that, because of the proximity of the two holidays, a new term has been coined, “Thanksgivukah!”  There are even websites and a Facebook page devoted to Thanksgivukah. Some companies are taking advantage of this by producing merchandise for Thanksgivukah.  A nine-year-old child created the “Menurkey,” a trademarked turkey-shaped menorah (candelabra).  Zazzle.com is selling Thanksgivukah gift wrap for $15.99! I have also seen T-shirts saying Thanksgivukah.  Since it is so rare, do you think those items will become collectors’ items?

For those who don’t know, Chanukah is a Jewish festival that lasts eight days.  It commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple in 165 BC by the Maccabees after its desecration by the Syrians. It is marked by the successive kindling of eight lights (candles), and prayers are included in the lighting ceremony. 

In modern times, particularly in the United States, Chanukah has become a “more important” holiday than it actually is.  Because it falls in the winter holiday season, many Jewish people exchange gifts (particularly for the children) on each of the eight days.  They decorate their homes and have parties.  In other words, it has become commercialized, much like Christmas.

An interesting analogy I have heard said is that there are amazing similarities between the Pilgrims’ quest for religious freedom and the ancient Hebrews’ fight for freedom from the Greeks in the Hanukkah story.

It is still a bit early, but I will still wish all my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving.  And for Jews throughout the world, may you enjoy a blessed Chanukah.

========================

For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance).  

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle  

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Fat, Fat, Everywhere Fat!

I recently attended a meeting that discussed weight loss and nutrition.  I found some of the things the speaker presented very interesting.  Since we all know that obesity is a huge problem, I’d like to share some of what I heard at the meeting.  I make no claim that this information is scientifically proven, because I have not researched the material myself.  It is, however, thought provoking.

·        Is overeating carbohydrates worse than overeating on a low carbohydrate, high fat diet?  A very small study was conducted on this question.  Much more research is necessary to verify the results.  In this small study over a three week period, half the participants “pigged out” on low-carb, high fat foods eating 5800 calories a day.  (That is pretty disgusting to me.)  At the end of the study, the participants averaged a gain of about three pounds. The other half of the participants ate the same number of calories, but they ate carb-rich junk foods.  The average weight gain at the end of three weeks for this group was 16 pounds. 

Although this study cannot be relied upon without further research, it demonstrated that – as we have known all along – all calories are not created equal.  WHAT we eat makes a difference.

The speaker also shared information on body fat about which I was unaware.

·        There are different types of body fat:  Brown, White, Subcutaneous, Visceral, and “Belly” Fat.

·        Brown fat is a good fat, but we don’t have a lot of it. If the brown fat in our body could be maximally stimulated, we would burn off 300 to 500 calories a day (enough to lose about a pound a week).

·        We have a lot more White fat in our bodies, and its job is to store energy and produce hormones that are then secreted into the bloodstream. Small fat cells produce a good hormone called Adiponectin.  This hormone makes the liver and muscles sensitive to insulin, and in the process makes us less susceptible to diabetes and heart disease.  If we are overweight, the Adiponectin production slows down or stops completely, making us more prone to these conditions.

·        Subcutaneous fat is directly under our skin.  This is the fat is what is measured to estimate our total body fat.  Subcutaneous fat generally does not cause as many health issues as other types of fat.  If these fat cells are on our abdomens, however, they are more dangerous.

·        Visceral fat is the deep fat that can surround our inner organs and cause serious health problems. Those who have a large waist or abdomen have visceral fat.  Visceral fat is a severe threat to our health because it increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, increased cholesterol levels, strokes and dementia.

Women with a waist line over 35 inches or men who have a waist line 40 inches or more are especially a higher risk for these conditions.  Abdominal fat is a much bigger health risk than hip or thigh fat.  

·        In general, men accumulate more fat in the abdomen, and women more often store more fat in their thighs and buttocks before menopause.  Consequently pear-shaped women are protected somewhat from metabolic disease until they reach menopause when they too store fat in their abdomen.

When we lose weight, we lose White fat and tend to lose it evenly throughout our bodies.  When we add exercise to reduced calorie intake, we are likely to lose more Visceral from our abdomens.

There are many products on the market that claim to help us lose weight.  Many are scams, but some may actually help.  I personally believe that the way we can truly weight is by reducing the amount and type of foods we eat and by burning calories with exercise.  The missing part of this “formula” for most people trying to lose weight is willpower.

========================

For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, in Russia, in Brazil…

Some of you may know that I have been researching my family history – genealogy – for nearly 40 years.  I am not a professional; it is just a hobby.  It is often frustrating, but it is also very exciting and interesting.

My husband also is researching his family tree.  He is adopted, but he knows his biological family well.  So he has been researching both is adopted and bio family. 

Because of the internet, genealogy is much easier today than it was when I first began.  My husband has found records for his bio family back to before Christ!  He didn’t conduct the original research.  Others did, but they shared it online.  I have not found any records for my own family beyond the 1700’s.

I have been asked by people here on IBO and others how I do my research.  For those who are thinking of starting their own family history or who have just begun, I’d like to share some suggestions.

The very first thing anyone should do when they start genealogy is to speak to your family, particularly older members of the family.  Interview them about everyone they remember, like their grandparents or great-grandparents.  It is great if you can record the interview to return to at any time, but certainly write down everything they tell you.  So much of the information I have acquired came from my parents, aunts and grandparents that I know I wouldn’t have nearly as many records as I do without their help.

There are hundreds of genealogy websites.  Most charge a fee, and some of the fees are very high.  Nearly everyone has heard of http://ancestry.com, which is one of the largest collections of genealogy records you’ll find.  If you subscribe to all their records, it can cost you well over $100.  They offer a seven-day trial for free if you want to just check it out.  However, many public libraries subscribe to ancestry.com and offer it as a free service.

Many of you may know that the Mormon’s (The Church of Jesus Crist of Latter-Day Saints) have a huge genealogy collection as well.  Researching their ancestry is part of their religion.  “We do it to obtain names and other genealogical information so these temple ordinances can be performed for our kindred dead.” (http://mormon.org/values/family-history) Both Mormon’s and non-Mormon’s can visit their Family History Centers throughout the United States (likely worldwide).  Volunteers will help you get started with their records.  They also have a genealogy website, http://familysearch.org where you can conduct research without charge.

Another great free genealogy site is http://rootsweb.ancestry.com.  You need not subscribe or pay here. 

If your more recent ancestry leads you to New York, you may find more free records at http://italiangen.org.  My family is Jewish with no Italian connection, but I have found many records there.

If your family immigrated to the USA through New York, you may find the manifest of the ship’s passengers at http://ellisisland.org.  Ellis Island was in operation from about 1890 to 1921, and millions of records are on the site.  Prior to that time, http://castlegarden.org has some records.  There have been many other points of entry over the years, including Boston, Philadelphia, British Columbia (Canada) and more. 

If you have Jewish ancestry, you’ll want to check out http://jewishgen.org.  They have a fabulous collection of records as well.  If your family was in Europe during WWII, you may want to also visit http://www.yadvashemusa.org/.  Their records cover Holocaust victims and survivors. 

Of course, if you can travel to your ancestors’ homeland, you can find even more.  There are many more genealogy websites, but the ones I have provided here are the ones I use most often and find valuable.

Good luck with your research!

========================

For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.  

Help! I Have Been Scammed!

Identity Theft is a huge and ever-increasing crime.  Although most people associate ID theft with the internet or credit cards, it is actually a much larger problem.  In fact nearly half of all ID theft claims come from people who lost or had their wallet stolen.  ID theft due to lost or stolen wallets is three times more common than either internet scams or data breaches.  So, the number one preventative measure you should take is being certain your wallet and/or purse are secure at all times.

Victims of ID Theft have had their credit ruined and lost enormous amounts of money.  So whether or not you use credit cards EVERYONE is a potential victim.

I frequently see women in grocery stores leave their purses in their cart and then turn their backs to the cart to get something off a shelf.  It only takes a moment to grab a purse out of the basket.  Ladies, always hold onto your purse while shopping.  If you lay it in the “baby seat,” keep your arm through the strap so it cannot be easily grabbed.  In addition, if the basket has a “seat belt,” place it through your purse strap, and put the purse in a position that hides the straps.  Even with these precautions, however, never leave your purse unattended!

Never keep your Social Security Card, list of PIN numbers or bank accounts in your wallet!  Leave them in a secure place at home.  If you’re on Medicare, don’t carry your Medicare ID card with you.  Instead, make a photocopy of the card and cut out the last four characters of the number.  If you are visiting a physician for the first time, you must bring your Medicare card, so guard it carefully.

Keep a photocopy of both the front and back of all cards that you carry in your wallet at home.  That includes your driver’s license, insurance and credit cards, even your library card!

In spite of your best efforts, if your wallet is stolen do the following:

·        Call your credit card issuers immediately.  Do NOT tell them you want to cancel your account.  Instead, request an account number change.  They will issue you a new card with a new number to prevent thieves from using your card and possibly costing you a great deal of time and money and ruining your credit score.

·        Contact your bank immediately as well.  Change your PIN number and cancel your missing ATM card.  If your checkbook too is missing, get a new account number.

·        File a police report in the city where your wallet “disappeared.”  Be sure to request a copy of the report and send a copy to your bank and the three credit-reporting agencies.

·        You will also want to put a “fraud alert” on your record with the credit-reporting agencies.  They are free.  You can also request a “security freeze” which is more secure, but they may charge a fee for that service.

·        Contact your local Motor Vehicle Department to replace your driver’s license or State ID.  Also ask them to put an alert on your record.

·        Contact your medical insurers and ask them to assign a new account number.  Health insurance fraud has become a major problem over the past few years. 

·        Contact your auto insurance company to prevent the thief from making an accident claim on your insurance.

·        Check to see if your homeowner’s insurance includes ID theft protection.

·        As strange as it seems, thieves have been known to take out books using their victims’ library card, and never returning the books.  So, get a new library card as well.

·        A couple weeks after your wallet “went missing,” check your credit report.  You can get an annual credit report at no charge.

One of the most important things you can do is to purchase an Identity Theft Protection plan.  My husband and I both have LifeLock®.  My husband received an alert this past weekend from them advising him that someone was trying to access one of his online accounts.  He immediately went to that account and changed the password.  When I purchased a new smart phone last year, before I even left the store, I received a text message advising me that a large purchase was made on my credit card.  I seldom make large purchases with my card, so that created an alert with LifeLock®.  I was pleased to see how quickly they would have responded if a thief had been using my card.

LifeLock® is among the benefit plans (NOT insurance) that I promote with my Xpress Healthcare® business. There are several other companies that sell ID Theft Protection plans as well.  Whichever you purchase, sign up for one TODAY!  Please do not wait until it is too late.

========================

For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.