You Have The Right...

A deep voice on the radio, warm, friendly, "The credit card companies don't want you to know that you have the right to cut your bills in half..."

Or something like that, I'm writing from memory.

Yeah, that warm and fuzzy voice is telling you to use their services to cut your bill in half.

Can't you smell the BULL DROPPINGS just oozing out of the speakers?

I can.

These guys will take your money, claim to negotiate a settlement with the credit card companies, you'll send a check to them every month and maybe they really will pay the bills. Maybe. Late if at all.

It's all a huge scam that will ruin your credit.

And they may not pay any of your bills. Some of these outfits take your money and run, leaving you with huge problems with your creditors. Trust me, collection agencies DO NOT CARE that you were scammed, they just want the money.

If you really are in trouble, call Consumer Credit Counselors. They're a "for real" non-profit that can help you make a payment plan to pay your bills within a set period of time. And if they can't help you, they'll be honest about it and tell you.

Unlike that friendly voice on the radio...

The Property Tax Assessment Scam

Did you get a really official looking letter in the mail, telling you that you MUST send in $$ ASAP to have your property taxes lowered?

I sure hope you didn't send in a check, because the whole thing is BULL DROPPINGS.

Yes, it's been on the news and all over the Internet, but my co-worker's mom actually sent in a check. Luckily, she heard on the news that it was all a scam, so she was able to stop payment on the check before it reached the scammers. (Whew!!)

I'm telling you, people can't stay ahead of the scams -- mail, phone, e-mail, Internet, it's just too much. Even knowledgeable people are getting scammed.

Listen, if you want your property to be reassessed, then you should contact your local assessor's office, over at the county building. They'll do it for free.

Got A Text Message From Your Bank?

Oh dear, did you get a text message from your bank, telling you to call an 800 number right away?

Hon, it's just another scam.

My credit union actually has fliers posted, warning customers to NOT respond to these text messages. It's just another variation on the phishing schemes that too many people fall for.

If you get an urgent text message from your bank, do yourself a huge favor. DON'T call that phone number that's so conveniently provided in the body of the text. Don't hit reply either. Instead, call your bank on the regular number and let them know what's happening. They may actually ask you to come in, or may tell you to ignore and delete the message.

In any case, don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS! Never, ever give your personal bank information to anyone. If it really was the bank, they'd have all your info!!

Be smart in the New Year!

Are We Out Of Tin Foil Yet?

Are we out of tin foil yet?

You know, the stuff people use for those silly tin foil hats?

I am so tired of the conspiracy theorists that I actually wrote about them in my other blog, the one I use for my political rantings, www.wobbling-down-the-middle.blogspot.com.

Did you know that no matter what you tell a conspiracy theorist, no matter how many hard facts you provide, you can't convince them that the rantings of their conspiracy of the month are a bunch of BULL DROPPINGS?

In fact, you'll just be considered a part of the great conspiracy?

Amazing...

Look, when someone you know starts ranting and raving about Obama, about the upcoming riots, about the dissolving of the Second Amendment of the Constitution, just roll your eyes and send them to www.snopes.com.

Yeah, I know, they won't read it. And if they do, they won't believe it.

But at least you tried...

I don't think we'll ever run out of tin foil for those silly hats. Darn it all.

Happy New Year!

Yes, 2008 has come and gone.

I have many resolutions for the upcoming year. One is to write more in my blogs, especially pointing out the BULL DROPPINGS that get plopped into my e-mail, mail, voicemail, blogs, forums, etc, etc, etc.

I'll do my best to provide facts to void out those paranoid fantasies that prevail all too often in our media driven society.

I hope you'll be along for the ride, 2009 is going to be an interesting year.

Happy New Year!

Political Ad Campaigns

Look, I don't have much time today, I'm rushing.

The people who smother us with negative ad campaigns count on it, that you and I are too busy to look up the LIES and BULL DROPPINGS they're trying to put over as the truth.

Take a minute. Don't let your emotions or prejudices get in the way. Take a minute and look at what the ads say, and then use your dang head!!

Anytime an ad tries to wack you over the head with overblown and dramatic tactics, it's pretty much guaranteed to be 75% lies. Minimum.

In fact, the closer the election comes, the more likely the ad campaign is going to be:
1) Negative
and
2) Filled with lies

So slow down, take a deep breath, clear your head.

Don't buy into the BS.

The BULL DROPPINGS will drown you if you do.

The day after the election, the world won't end if gay marriage exists (the current state of marriage is a contract with the gov't, if you want to be "MARRIED" go to your church!!), if a Black man or the McSame is President, if we vote the bastards in or out, trust me, life will go on.

Don't believe the hype.

It's just more bull droppings...

The *72 Scam

Oh-my-gosh!

This is a new low in scams.

Someone calls you and says they're from the CHP, there's been an accident and you need to hit star 72 (*72) and a phone number for more information.

People panic and do it.

Then they get hit with a HUGE phone bill, because they activated the call-forwarding function of their phone. So the scammer makes calls on their nickel.

Don't believe it!

The CHP won't call you, inmates can make more than one call (and they're COLLECT calls anyway -- not collect, not from the jail -- trust me!), and the phone company isn't testing their equipment.

No, no, no!

Check it out: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/20/BARE131A06.DTL

Don't be a victim! Fight back and when in doubt, hang up that phone, turn off that computer, close that door. Don't let scammers Bogart you!

The BULL DROPPINGS get deeper every day! Don't let them smell up your life!

The Faces of Meth

Be warned, this slide show is horrifying.

Don't be sucked into the cesspool of meth addiction.

Yes, I know, some people claim that they use it and haven't changed a bit.

I think their view of reality is distorted by the substance abuse.

Don't believe the lies about how meth will help you lose weight, give you more energy, etc, etc.

The problem is that the end result isn't worth the meth...

Check this out:
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/MethResources/faces/index.html

Meth is poison that eats people from the inside out.

You don't have to believe me, the link shows it all...

Garbage In My Spam Box

Well, here's more trash from my spam box.

Look, don't be fooled. These are a dime a dozen phishing schemes. Never, ever, ever get sucked into responding to an e-mail like this one!

Just hit the forward button and send it straight to spoof@paypal.com. Then delete the message. No further action is needed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account Locked !

Dear PayPal Member, Due to the number of incorrect login attempts, your PayPal Account has been locked for your security. This has been done to secure your accounts and to protect your private information in case the login attempts were not done by you.. At PayPal we care about your security so, for your protection we are proactively notifying you of this activity. If you did not trigger this lockout, follow this link to Log on to your PayPal Online Account :
Click here to unlock your account !

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience.Thank you for using PayPal!

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.

Beware Of Messages From The IRS

While the IRS may send out informational messages, there are scammers out there trying to get your personal information.

I know I've said this before, and I'll say it again:
Whether it's via an e-mail, a phone call or a letter, the IRS, Social Security, your bank, PayPal, eBay or some other agency or business, they ARE NOT going to ask you for your personal information. They already have it!

NEVER, ever click on a link that takes you to the website to "update" your information. Open a new window and directly type in the web address to the agency or business. If there's a message for you, it will be in your message box.

Don't give personal information over the Internet, over the phone, or in response to a demand by mail.

People are out there looking to RIP YOU OFF!

Don't be a fool, be a smart consumer! Don't fall for BULL DROPPINGS!

Still Waiting

My friend sent me this e-mail and I thought it was SO FUNNY!

I did what you told me. I sent the email to 10 people like you said.I'm still waiting for that miracle to happen.

So, my friends, does this make it clear enough?

Yes, I believe that miracles happen and God answers all prayers. But forwarding on some silly thing that tells me to "send it to everyone I know" so I receive a miracle in an hour, a day, a month, a year, is ridiculous.

Please don't believe everything you read, half of it isn't true and the other half, well, it's probably BULL DROPPINGS!

(Apologies to the photographer, if I knew who you were, I'd certainly ask your permission and credit your work properly.)

Snopes, A Resource You Should Use!

My friends think I'm really smart.

OK, I am smart, but not like they think I am.

I do research on many topics, so I've had to learn to look it up!

Snopes is a resource you should use. I can't count the number of times I've looked up that story, that e-mail, that article, and discovered that yes, it was just more bull-droppings.

There's no need to reinvent the wheel my friends. Just look it up on www.snopes.com. Google works pretty well too.

And remember, if it sounds too good to be true....

The IRS Really Does Have A Refund For You

And you don't have to do a darn thing -- except file your 2007 taxes!

Even if you only made a little bit of money, or received Social Security or Veterans benefits, you may still get a refund IF you file your 2007 taxes.

Do your taxes this year and even if you're NOT getting a refund, put that direct deposit information on the forms. I'm not positive about those of you who don't normally get refunds, but I do know that if you're getting a refund this year for your regular taxes, and you qualify for that new money from the Feds, the IRS will directly deposit it into your bank account.

(How do I know these things? I get the newsletters and press releases directly from the IRS and Social Security Administration!)

HOWEVER, remember, as always, the IRS will NOT send you any e-mails asking for your personal information.

If you get any e-mails or phone calls demanding your bank information or social security number, hang up on them. Don't give the scammers any information. And if they call you back, hang up on them again!

Or, if you really want to be mean, tell them "Just a minute, I have to go look it up" and set the phone down and go watch TV, or go to the store, or wash dishes, or play with your computer. Eventually they'll hang up. And with any luck at all, they'll never call you back.

Please QUIT Sending This To Me

All right, I got another one.

Will my friends please QUIT sending this to me? Please?

--------------------------------------------------------
If the immigrant is over 65 they can apply for SSI and Medicaid and get more than my mom gets for Social Security, and she worked from 1944 till 2004, only getting $791 per month because she was born before 1924 and there is a "catch 22".

It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00 and each can also obtain an additional $580.00 in social assistance for a total of $2,470.00/month. This compares very well to a single pensioner who after contributing to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Maybe our pensioners should apply as refugees! Consider sending this to all your American friends, so we can all be ticked off and maybe get the refugees cut back to $1,012.00 and the pensioners up to $2,470.00 and enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the Government over the last 40 or 50 or 60 years.

Please forward to every American to expose what our elected politicians (Nancy P. Included) have been doing over the past 11 years - to the over-taxed American.

SEND THIS TO EVERY AMERICAN TAXPAYER YOU KNOW
----------------------------------------------------

I call BULL DROPPINGS on this one.

I'm amazed that anyone would even fall for this and if you doubt me, check out http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/refugees.asp.

Don't believe everything you get in your e-mail, and for heaven's sake, before you send it to everyone, check it out! (Or e-mail it to me and I'll be happy to check it out for you.)

I Have To Admit

Yes, I have to admit, I'm in a bit of a money crunch right now.

LOL, nothing new there! Being a single parent is never easy.

Anyway, I got one of those "you can borrow" letters in the mail. The offer was about what I need to cover some very pressing bills. So I called, they said I could borrow this money, BUT I'd have to use my paid off truck as collateral.

You know, I just wasn't comfortable with this.

It smelled like BULL DROPPINGS to me!

But then, as I was thinking about this, it suddenly came to me. I called my credit union. Yes, I still have to use my truck as collateral, but since I have direct deposit, they take the money off the top (IE, I never see it) so I can never get behind or have any crazy issues about my vehicle.

On top of that, I got a little MORE money, at a lower interest rate, with a shorter term loan for a little bit lower payments. Plus, when it's auto-pay, you get a discount of 1/4 % off your interest rate!

A much better deal. Plus they're direct paying the bills, so I don't even have to worry about mailing out the checks. The credit union is taking care of everything.

So, my friends, be warned that when you get an offer in the mail, rather than go for the first and supposedly easy loan, check it out. You can probably get a better deal by checking with your own bank or credit union!

Orange Oil, Yes Or No?

Actually, I started hearing about ads for termite treatments using orange oil a while ago.

I was feeling pretty darn doubtful about this, but dang, I read on www.sfgate.com, that orange oil actually works as well or better than conventional pesticide treatments for drywood termites (the kind that usually requires the house to be tented, not to be confused with the ones that live in the ground and only come into your house to eat).

I am truly amazed, I thought it was another scam.

LOL, not everything is bull droppings! Now and then there really is a better way...

Links:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/05/HORHU4DO8.DTL&hw=orange+oil+termite&sn=002&sc=371

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/12/HO7VU075R.DTL&hw=orange+oil+termite&sn=001&sc=1000

Same Scams, Different Year

Yes, we're starting a new year today.

The scammers are going to keep trying to separate you from your money. You're going to see many of the same scams with a different faces.

I can promise you, if you have e-mail, you'll get warnings from banks that you don't have accounts with, PayPal confirmation e-mails for products you didn't order (and they won't have your name on the e-mail), threats, cons, begging letters and of course, the all-popular "you have won" scams.

If you have a phone, you may get calls from bill collectors about paid off accounts from 20 years ago. Or about "bounced" checks that you never wrote. Or accounts you've never heard of (hey, follow up on those by checking your credit reports, some are ID theft!).

And don't forget, NEVER give out your personal information over the phone, Internet or by mail to someone who contacts you, especially if it's "out of the blue". Even if you know you owe a bill, don't give your information over the phone. Make them send you a letter, or go directly to the appropriate website to pay the bill. NEVER pay bills over the phone to a "bill collector".

It's too hard to tell the real from the fake, so my personal response is always the same. "Send me a letter about it." With a letter, an address, a phone number, I can figure out if it's really something I owe or if it's just another scammer working at getting my money!

Be careful out there in cyberspace and the real world in the new year. I'll be careful too.

The Bank Has Suspended My Account!

Oh my goodness, the bank has suspended my account! AGAIN!

Well, it might be true, if I actually had an account with this bank. But I sure wouldn't use their link, I'd go to my bank's website and check it out from there.

The BULL DROPPINGS get deeper by the day. It must be the holiday season, because the fake e-mails are coming in faster than I can delete them!

I got this one just the other day, it was over in my spam box, where it belongs, but I thought you'd find it amusing.

Dear Customer,
Back of Lancaster County temporarily suspended your account. [Please note, they misspelled Bank!]
Reason: Billing failure.
We require you to complete on account update so we unlock your account. To log in and start the update process click here .Once you have completed the update, you can access your accoung at any time. The information provided will be treated in confidence and stored in our secure database. Your account will be deleted if you fail to complete the update process.

Besides the misspellings, their English grammar is terrible! A second grader can write better than most of the scammers sending out these e-mails.

As always, be careful out there in cyberspace. NEVER click on a link provided in an e-mail. Open a new window and type in your bank, credit card company or other website.

And if you don't have an account with that company, just hit the old "SPAM" button on your e-mail so next time their message won't even make it to your inbox.

I WON!

Yes, yes, yes, I WON!

I got the e-mail today!

I'm so excited! [NOT]

BULL DROPPINGS! I didn't win Jack****!

Check this scammer's e-mail out:

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Fondazion Di Rome,ITALY
http://www.fondazionedivittorio.it

The Foundazion di Rome, would like to notify you that you have been chosen by the board of trustees as one of the final recipients of a cash Grant/Donation for your own personal, educational, and business development. The Fondazione Di Rome, established 1977 by the Multi-Million groups and now supported by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU) was conceived with the objective of human growth, educational, and community development.

To celebrate the 28th anniversary program, The Rome Foundation in conjunction with the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Union (EU) is giving out a yearly donation of US$100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million United States Dollars) to 100 lucky recipients. These specific Donations/Grants will be awarded to 100 lucky international recipients worldwide; in different categories for their personal business development and enhancement of their educational plans. At least 15% of the awarded funds should be used by you to develop a part of your environment. This is a yearly program, which is a measure of universal development strategy.

Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you were selected among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of US$1,000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the Rome Foundation, ECOWAS, EU and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament. (Note that all beneficiaries email addresses were selected randomly from over 100,000 internet websites or a shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have purchased something from).

You are required to fill the form below and email it to our Executive Secretary below for qualification documentation and processing of your claims. After contacting our office with the requested data, you will be given your donation pin number, which you will use in collecting the funds. Please endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (N-444-7858, E-800-67) in all discussions.
FULL NAMES:_________ADDRESS: __________CITY:_____
STATE:_____________ ZIP:____________COUNTRY_________
SEX:_______________AGE:__________________
MARITAL STATUS:_________________OCCUPATION:________
E-MAIL ADDRESS:____________TELEPHONE NUMBER:__________
===========================================

Executive Secretary- Adrianno Fabio
Email: fdvadrianofabio@yahoo.it

All information is strictly confidential and will only be used for the purpose to which it is been requested.

Please note that these donations/Grants are strictly administered by Economic community for West African States (ECOWAS), European Union (EU), under delegated powers from the United Nations Organization (UNO). This means that your qualification number will be reffled to know the organisation (ECOWAS or EU) that will handle your payment. You are to keep this whole information confidential until you have been able to collect your donation, as there have been many cases of double and unqualified claim, due to beneficiaries informing third parties about his/her donation.

Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective beneficiaries, no later than 15 days after notification. Failure to do so will mean cancellation of that beneficiary and its donation will then be reserved for next year?s recipients. On behalf of the Board kindly, accept our warmest congratulations.

Regards.
Mr. Alessandra Ceasar
(Foundation officer)

Let me tell you, I get this garbage all the time. Why would someone pick ME over some other person out there on the Internet? Why? Because they think I'm a sucker!

Bad news for them, I'm not. And don't you be a sucker either!! If you get some crazy ass e-mail saying you won, listen my friend, the best thing you can do for yourself is hit the "DELETE" button!

I Want To Buy Your Stuff!

OK, look, Mom has her little hustle thing going on. I buy stuff cheap from gov't sources and then sell them on craigslist and/or eBay. I buy super cheap, I sell cheap enough that it's still a great deal for the buyers.

Now, there are some hassles involved when you sell on craigslist. There's the hit and run e-mailers, they e-mail you all hot and bothered, they MUST have this item. Then you never hear from them again. Next level of CL flakiness is the "I'm on my way right now with the money." OK... Two weeks later, you're still waiting [NOT]. Today I even got an e-mail from someone wanting to know if I'd deliver the item to him--without even offering to reimburse me for gas. [Think NOT!]

And then, there's another whole level of scam going on. Despite all warnings, this is a common response to online classified ads:

Hello,

I am interested in the immediate purchase of your item placed on Craigslist and I will like to ask few questions before I proceed on the purchase.

1 :- Is the item available for sale ?

2 :- What is the condition of the item ?

3 :- Do you accept a cashiers check as mode of payment?

4 :- Where is the item located ?

5 :- What is the final price of the item ?

6 :- Will you be able to send more pictures to see how it look likes ?

7 :-Will you allow my Shipper come to your house for the pick up of the item cos I don't want you to worry yourself about the shipping of the item.?

8 :- Will you be able to wire the Shipping fess via western union money transfer to my shipper cos the total payment which include the shipping charges and some other commissions needed to get the item to its destination would be issued altogether on the check?

9 :- If accepted kindly get back to me with your full name and contact address including your phone number so that my client can mail out the check right away?

Thanks
Regards

Edwin James

I'd laugh, but this is too sad. I call BULL DROPPINGS on this "buyer"!

Now, FYI, I have no fear in posting this name, because I'm quite sure that this is not a real name. This "buyer" is getting ready to try to rip me off!

Anytime someone e-mails you and wants to send you money via check, money order or cashiers check and then you're supposed to give someone else part of the $$, it's a guaranteed ripoff. Yes, I know you waited a week and your bank said the check had cleared.

Sadly, in another couple of weeks or a month, your bank will pull ALL of the money back out of your account and you'll be the one being investigated for bank fraud and forgery.

Yes, the check is no good. On top of that, you sent off part of the money via wire transfer or Western Union to someone else.

No, the bank won't protect you. No, the Feds won't protect you. No, the Post Office won't protect you.

So, don't be a sucker! If you get an e-mail offering to buy your stuff and you give part of the money to a "shipper" or some other crazy variation of this scam, DON'T DO IT!!

And if someone does seen credible and you do decide to ship an item, accept USPS money orders ONLY and then take them straight to the Post Office to cash them. There's tracking numbers on them and the computer will know if they're good and how much they were originally made out for. Don't put them in your bank! Take them to the Post Office ONLY!!

Remember, the scammers will keep doing this until people get smart and stop falling for it. Don't be a sucker, be a smart consumer!

"Forced To Suspend Your Account"

It must be the holiday season.

I got not one, but TWO e-mails yesterday, one from eBay and one from PayPal, telling me that there was fraudulent activity on my accounts and thus I needed to log in and verify my information or they'd be "forced to suspend your account" (IE my account). Conveniently, each e-mail provided a link to take me to the respective "website".

LOL! Yeah, right!

I call: BULL DROPPINGS!

By merely waving my cursor over the link, it was obvious that it was going somewhere other than eBay and PayPal.

Obviously, these jerks must have some successes, because they keep sending this garbage to me, and I keep forwarding them to spoof@paypal.com and/or spoof@ebay.com. The return e-mail always says the same thing, that the message did NOT come from PayPal or eBay.

Look, to protect yourself, NEVER use a link provided in an e-mail. It's easy enough to open a new window and go directly to the website, log in, and check your messages. There is ALWAYS a message if it's a real e-mail.

There's no need to panic, any e-mail that threatens some horrible event, whether it's suspending your privileges, freezing a bank account, or bad luck for the next seven years, is a FAKE!

As always, you don't have to believe me.

In fact, don't believe everything you read or hear, it's just too, too easy to be fooled. Even my own mom got sucked in on a phishing (fake) e-mail. Luckily, just after she finished putting her info in, she realized what she'd done and called me. I was able to jump into her account and change the passwords before the thieves did, so all was well...

Sigh. Thank God Mom is a smart woman!

eBay Protection Tutorial: http://pages.ebay.com/help/tutorial/accountprotection/js_tutorial.html
PayPal Security Center: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside

The IRS Has A Refund For You!!

Yup, came right in my e-mail yesterday.

The IRS has found some extra money for me, and all I had to do was send an e-mail with my personal information (the link was conveniently provided to me) and I'd get my refund ASAP.

DANG, do these clowns think I fell off the turnip truck?

First off, the IRS will NEVER admit they owe you money. Come on, people, think!! Since when do the Feds give up a nickel without a mass of extra paperwork, at least an hour of your time, and an argument?

PULEEZE, I call BULL DROPPINGS on this e-mail.

It's just some cousin of the poor Christian woman who's dying of cancer and wants to send you all of her money, if you'll just give her your bank account information. Or the guy that wants to buy your car/furniture/electronics and he'll be happy to send you a money order plus shipping -- all you have to do is send the shipper's fee over to his thief-in-law...

In EVERY case, I can promise you that you'll end up owing the bank a bunch of money, whether it's having your account stripped clean with ACH withdrawals, or when they back that fake money order out of your account.

Don't be a fool out on the Internet! Just because someone says it's true, doesn't mean it is!

In fact, doubt me too.

But be warned, if you ignore me, you will be sorry....

IRS Website: www.irs.gov

I Can See Clearly Now*

"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way ..."

I'm driving to work and once again, there's a radio ad telling me all about how I can do a few minutes of exercises every day, and I'll be able to throw away my eyeglasses. Wow! Being super, super near-sighted, that would be awesome! But the question is, does the method work?

My answer: BULL DROPPINGS!

There is no such thing as eye exercises to fix your nearsightedness. You basically have three options: Get contact lenses, get new glasses, or have laser surgery. If you send away for this "method", you'll just throw away $350!

You don't have to take my word for it, there's a lot of info out there on the web:
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/eyequack.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2006/11/hold_onto_those_eyeglasses.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/02/ia_vision_improvement.html

So the next time you hear a convincing commercial, or your coworker tries to convince you that they really did get rid of all their debts (without paying or going BK), or some other bullhockey idea, just remember to take a minute and do some research!

(Or ask your computer geek coworker -- like me!)

*Song: "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash, hit Billboard Hot 100 on November 4, 1972

Good Grief!

I can't believe the garbage I hear advertised every day on my way to work. Do companies REALLY think that people will believe that they can have their debt eliminated, use some special secret to fix their vision, take a pill to lose weight? Well, obviously they must because the onslaught of crazy ads haven't stopped!

I turn on the TV, oh my gosh, I can buy land for pennies for an acre! I turn on the radio and if I just use this special stuff, I can see clearly! I pick up a magazine and see that I can take a pill to lose 30 - 50 - 100 pounds!

BULL DROPPINGS!

That stuff is just a pack of plain old lies to separate you from your money!

Don't be a sucker, spend a minute and CHECK IT OUT!