Local News Shows Commercial for Adult store during 5 pm News

Today, started out like any other normal day. I was watching the news at 5 pm on RTV6, cause that is the same channel Judge Judy is on. I noticed a commercial, I think it was the music or something but I was watching it and I was appalled at what I saw. It was a commercial with a man and a woman wearing lingerie, I am not talking some little nightie, like a baby doll, but trashy lingerie, almost see through. It was disgusting. The man and woman were all over each other too. At first I as thought it was like a cable glitch or something, til I saw that it was really a commercial!

It was like Sugar and Spice and Everything nice. It was an ad for an adult sex store. Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. That’s really what it is. Really? Really? It’s just after 5 pm. This is a local station, not cable, during the news none the less. How many times have you watched the news with your children in the room? Maybe while you were cooking dinner? Yeah probably all the time, like me, I like to know what’s going on in the world besides where Dora is going to that day or what kind of math Team Umi Zoomi is going to use to help the kids in Umi City.

I am very protective of what my four year watches. I keep the filth of the world away from my son’s eyes. You know there is a ton of it on TV. I really am upset that RTV6 would accept advertising for the adult store and show it when 99% of kids are awake when their parents watch the news at 5 pm. Ok maybe 11 pm news would be ok….not that I want to see that, but seriously. It would be more likely that a ton of kids wouldn’t see it. Think about it, We all watch the news, we don’t put our kids in another room to do so. It is really disgusting that they have to be exposed to that trash. Seriously it was bordering on soft core porn. Isn’t there some kind of law against this? Something to do with the FCC I believe. I think RTV6 should be ashamed of themselves for exposing our children to lewd and sexual commercials.

Thankfully, my son wasn’t in the room at the time. If he would have been I would be on the phone with the station, giving them a piece of my mind. I am sure thousands of kids saw that commercial. There are only 3 news stations. They have things like Call 6 for Help. Who am I gonna call when they show SMUT? Their slogan is On your side…. More like on your side to morally corrupt your children.

Craigslist Scams

I decided to make a scam series, this time I wanted to talk to you about Craigslist scams. I have never used Craigslist for buying or selling. Heck I won’t even use Freecycle even though I get emails for FOUR different locations. Call me cautious. I don’t really like the idea of contacting strangers and going to their home to pick up something. I know many people who have used craigslist for different things, but I have heard too many horror stories, including the craigslist rapist. I like to read craigslist when I am bored. It is kind of like how I used to read the Bargain ads in the paper. I just like to see what’s out there. I would probably never contact someone to actually buy something but I like to look. It’s just not for me and my family.
There are a lot of scams on craigslist especially with cars and even rental homes. If you do end up being a victim you can use  streamline refinance rates to refinance your home to find the lowest prices in your area .

Rule of thumb: If you have to ship a car from somewhere else rather or not you have to pay for shipping it is a scam.

Second Rule of thumb: If you can’t meet with the person in person and get the item or car or keys when you exchange money, it is a scam.

Third rule of thumb: Beware of Western Union, Money Orders, Moneygrams l etc. Heck if I were selling I wouldn’t take a check. I am a cash only type of gal.

I am sure craigslist is a great tool for those who use it, but please be careful in all transactions. If it sounds too good to be true, than it probably is.
Here are some more tips from Craigslist that is a must read if you want to use it. Protect yourself

Craigslist Scams

Email Scams

Lately I have noticed an increase in scams on the internet. There are a lot of scammers that contact you through email. Some of the time it is really obvious it is a scam like when they say you won some ridiculous amount from some kind of lottery. Sometimes I wish that it was real because I would be a multi-trillionaire because “I win” many times a day, every day. Then you have scams that you get through email that make you wonder if it is real. Before I had Noah I signed up for those babysitting and nanny websites. I have had a lot of experience with kids and worked in quite a few daycares and preschools. I went to meet some families and they were all too far away from where I was living and not worth the amount of money I made by the time you took out time and gas for travel there and back.

Of course I got the emails from people wanting me to relocate to like England or New York. I knew those were scams but, when I was pregnant with Noah I got an email. It was from a lady who was relocating to my city and was looking for a nanny. She named a website that I was a member of. I was really excited, it was after all really personalized and everything. I thought that I had a job. I started emailing her back and forth and she said some stuff that started not making sense, like she wanted to send me a check and I would buy her child some toys. I thought that was weird. I have always been taught if it sounds too good to be true than it probably was. I decided to google babysitting scams, the woman’s name etc. I mean her name wasn’t like an obvious scammers name. I finally figured out that my suspicions where true and it was a scam. I was lucky that I hadn’t given her any information accepted a check from her that would have been fake and some horrible tragedy happened and I would have to send money via western union. Some people are not as lucky as me and lose their savings or even end up on Judge Judy.

Scammers are getting more creative and smart. I mean I was reached out through a legitimate website that I was a member of. It wasn’t the first time I was contacted from that site that was looking for a babysitter. I urge you to use precaution when you respond to emails that sound too good be true. You might say you’d never fall for it, and I almost did.

Nursing Home Safety Precautions

I was thinking about different ways to keep people that are in nursing homes safe. There was a tragedy that happened shortly after my grandma left an assisted living home to live with us for a while. This happened a couple weeks after my grandma left, in winter a woman went outside and froze to death. It was a terrible thing to happen. I still feel really bad for the family even now, many years later. I was thinking what if nursing homes bought an id badge printer and made ID cards for the patients? There are many benefits for doing this. It would help with the high amount of turnaround with employees knowing the patient by name. It would also help when it is time for meds for the patients and making sure the right person gets the right medications.

As a granddaughter of a woman who had Alzheimer’s I think it would also help those patients remember their names as well. I think for privacy reasons it should be the first name initial on the badge. You could even go as far as putting the patients and residents names in a certain color if they didn’t have permission to leave alone for safety reasons which would be great if it is a big building. It would also help knowing who belongs there and who is just visiting.

I think it is important to have some kind of protection for the residents that a stranger couldn’t be able to walk off the streets and victimize the patients. I don’t know how many times I went to visit my grandma and I was able to walk right in the facility and wasn’t asked who I was or who I was coming to see. Sure they have a sign in book but I think there should be an extra precaution in place. Of course there should always be a person at the front desk to protect our loved ones from strangers that have no business walking in.

Another idea would be that they have HID proximity cards for family members that visit. The family members could just swipe their card and gain access to the building or better yet, for families that have a loved one in a more secured location. I forgot the code to gain access to where my Grandma Rose was living because she was in a secure area. I wrote the number down many times and even tried to remember it with a mnemonic device and I never remembered it. There would be times we couldn’t leave because we forgot the code to the elevator and we had to hunt down an employee. I know that safety for our loved ones is very important especially those that are already fragile.

Do you have ID cards for your children?

As I mentioned before, I love going to the county fair, one year we went they had a booth for children to get ID cards made. I thought that was a great idea so, baby Noah and I got in a long line and waited for our turn. They handed me a free ID card with Noah’s fingerprint on the back. They say to update it every year so he needs a new one but I still carry it in my wallet. ID cards have become a very popular thing, just think about how many different places have ID cards beyond the scope of the state you live in. Schools have started having the students wear ID cards and teachers too. Employers have their employees wear them for security reasons. I am sure if there are many other places that require ID cards.

There seems to be a large turnover rate in employees so it would be smart for them to invest in id card software so it is easy to input new information makes a new one every time someone decides it is time to move on from a workplace. It might be a good idea for daycares to have ID cards for both the parents and the kids so the right child goes home with the right parent or caregiver. Some daycares are so big that it could be hard to keep track if someone was new or was filling in another class. I think it would be cool to have a picture of the child and the parent on both of the cards. You never can be too careful. If a business had a printer that would definitely be possible, I think. Do you have to carry an non state issued ID card? Do you have ID cards for your children?

The Truth about Magazine Salespeople

I promised in an earlier blog post about soliciting I would write a post about “magazine salespeople”. Now I am sure there are legit people selling them for schools. When I was a freshman we sold them for our trip to Kings Island. When I was younger I was fearless. I was one of those kids that thought nothing could happen to me. Luckily it didn’t really. I mean I had my normal teenager drama but I am telling you I had guts! When I was 17 I met some people who were selling magazines. I thought it sounded like fun. Yeah I was naïve and probably even a little stupid. I decided to go around with them. Yes I got in a van with complete strangers and they could have kidnapped and murdered me and no one would be the wiser. Thankfully I survived and I was ready to jump out of a moving van, like I said I was fearless. They went to a neighborhood and they were telling me about their pitches. I thought it was pretty weird and deceitful. They asked me a few questions and told me they all travel the US and sell magazines. I don’t know if they really fulfill the orders or not. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t. This is how it works: Forgive me this was 11 years ago if I don’t remember exactly.

Good looking guys are trying to win a contest where they get a modeling contract for being the most handsome guy or something. I don’t know what that has to do with magazines but people fell for it. Not me though. Then there is what they call power houses. Power houses are in nice neighborhoods. They are big houses and presumably have a lot of money. The salesperson pretends to be in college and is trying to raise money for various reasons. It is usually is something academic. Their pitch starts out like this. Hi my name is Lisa and I live in your neighborhood. You have seen my mom around. She drives a Volvo and walks with our Dalmatian. I go to *insert local college* and I am trying to raise money for my *insert some kind of once in a lifetime learning experience* and I am selling these magazines. They would also try and squeeze information out of people like names and kid’s names and then turn around and say your neighbor told me to stop by so it would be more convicting. Quite a few people signed up for subscriptions. In reality these people are from God knows where and they roam the US peddling magazines to trusting unsuspecting people.

I think it would be good ideas if you don’t think they are who they say they are don’t give them a check with your account number or credit card number. That is just common sense. I guess if you really wanted to do it and wanted to be careful you could ask for a school id before proceeding. Even then they could be forged. That is why I totally trust my gut and if it doesn’t make sense then it probably isn’t true as the brilliant Judge Judy would say.

The Importance of Self Defense!

When I was in high school, we had to take a couple weeks of self defense in gym. I remember that a woman from our county’s women’s shelter and rape counseling center came to talk about the dangers we face as women. Since it was high school the gym classes were segregated by gender. I still remember what she said. Now that I am an adult, I am reminded of how important taking self defense classes are. There are a lot of unsavory characters in this world that are looking to prey on women. These days it is dire to be able to defend yourself if you end up in one of those situations. Remember that you don’t have to worry about just strangers, but also people that you know. The most common type of rape is date rape by someone you know.

As someone who was in an abusive marriage, I wish I would have had the skills to defend myself and to walk away. It took me a long time to just leave. I suffered through a lot of emotional, psychological abuse and even some physical when my ex husband was really mad. There were days I feared for my life honestly. Of course he is not in the picture and I am extremely thankful for that. I think that all women should have the tools to protect themselves when they need to. I don’t think protecting yourself has to do with your size if you know what you are doing. Sadly we live in a violent society and we as women need to know that it is not OK to be attacked and how to stop it and prevent it if necessary. I think I will look into some kind of class that will help me protect myself and my child.

Cyber Safety Tips

Everything we do these days is on computers; we get a great deal of our information from the internet. Growing up we were one of the few families that had the internet I knew of. I remember being in the basement when I was in 5th grade sitting on the internet message boards, back before chat rooms, talking to strangers about different things. Not everything I came across was appropriate for my age but I was naïve and I didn’t even know what they were talking about. It wasn’t really crude but it was like what is your bra size. I was definitely not sure how to answer it. The internet was newer back then, there wasn’t as many things going on as there is now.

I think that it is important to teach your children about cybersafety. I think it is as important as teaching them not to talk to strangers in real life. I think that the internet is a very valuable tool if it is used properly. I thought I would share with you some tips I have learned throughout the years of being on the internet and keeping our kids safe. As you all know I am big on safety and protecting kids from the dangers in the world.

Tip #1 Place your computer in a common area so you can know what is going on at all times with your child. That is really important to know who your child is talking to.

Tip #2 Teach your children to not talk to strangers online no matter how nice they sound. Kids are extremely trusting and it is important that you limit their buddy lists, friends lists etc, and NEVER meet someone they talk to on the internet.

Tip #3 Use Parental Controls and monitor what your kids do online. Some people would think that is invading their child’s privacy but I feel that the internet is a privilege that needs to be earned.

Tip #4 Be open with your child about the internet. If they seem to become upset or withdrawn after spending time on the computer, make it a point to find out what happen. They could be the victim of cyber bullying or have some other problem going on.

I think with these 4 tips you can make the internet a safer place for your children. There are many wonderful websites out there where you can learn anything at your fingertips. Just think of all the libraries you would have to visit to have the access to all the knowledge of the internet. I hope you all share these tips with your family and if you have any to add please comment.

I went to Wal-mart

Tonight, I went to Wal-mart. I thought it would be like any other of my many Wal-mart trips I had been on before. I was wrong. Nothing terrible happened but, it could have been really scary. I was shopping with Noah and we were getting ready to head to the check out. I observed a little girl who was no more than 5 if that, running around the store yelling Mommy? Mommy? I started to carefully watch her and see what she was doing. After a few minutes of waiting to see if she was claimed by a grownup I started following her. I was so scared that something would happen to her. I noticed no one was stopping her and asking any questions. After pretty much chasing her with my shopping cart and Noah in the cart. I asked her where is your mommy honey? She responded Chicago. I asked her where is the grown up that was with her? I didn’t understand what she said so I told her to show me.

Well after about 10 or so minutes she found the grown up she was with, who by the way was shopping like it was no big deal that she had no idea where the child was. She wasn’t even looking for her. I kept thinking what if I didn’t follow her? What if I didn’t ask her? Someone could of taken that little girl and been long gone by the time “grandma” would of known the child was gone. I couldn’t find any employees around either. I was half tempted to call 911. It all thankfully worked out, and she found her grandma and hopefully she will keep an eye on her during the rest of their shopping trip and every other trip they take.

Keep an eye on your kids; especially your young kids at the store. If you see a young child without an adult or looking for their parent, please stop whatever you are doing and help the child get back to them safely. I know it might be a nuisance but it is worth it. You could even save that child’s life.

Unknown Dangers of YouTube

Almost everybody has heard of YouTube. Even kids have gone to YouTube and looked at videos. I know this first hand because I have observed them doing it. Not my son of course he is way too young to figure out what it is. There are a lot of disturbing things on there. I started thinking about the Gummy Bear video I was forced to watch 50 times in a row this summer and since I am bored I went to YouTube like I had done a million times before and proceeded to watch it. The video is kind of silly with a Gummy Bear singing with its little booty hanging out a little at the top. OK no big deal I guess. I made it half way through the song and I got annoyed really quickly. Then I remembered about the Hampster Dance phase and listening to Crazy Frog with an old friend and her kids. I thought I hadn’t heard The Hampster Dance in a coon’s age so I was like what the heck. So I searched it on You Tube and I was disgusted by what I saw.

Parents, please be sure you are 100% aware of what your children are watching and doing on the internet. Parental controls are great but there will be stuff that slips through the cracks. You could be like oh Junior looked at The Hampster Dance on YouTube, no big deal.

I typed in the words Hampster Dance in YouTube’s search and the THIRD video on the first page is a video of a man in his 20’s or 30’s wearing a fanny pack dancing to Techno Music. He gets naked. You can’t see any actual parts but you can see it wiggling through his underwear. They do close ups on this too. Then he gets completely naked, well he is wearing just a fanny pack and watches a real hamster dance. I repeat this is the third video listed from the top on the first page for hamster dance.

So, please be fully aware of what your children, grandchildren etc, are looking at by supervising them at all times. If you think that they will get on the computer while you sleep, password protect it and hide the cords and the keyboards. The internet can be a very scary place for children and teens.

Davidsons Safest Choice Eggs Review

I really enjoy eating eggs. I also like to eat raw cookie dough. Growing up my grandmother used to make me a special breakfast when I would come and stay with her. She would call this special egg dish, chicky eggs. A chicky egg is a soft boiled egg with buttered bread that you use to dip in to the egg. You eat them right from the shell. Someday I will share with you all the proper way of eating a chicky egg. They are delicious. I always preferred my chicky eggs on the runny side. I know now that it wasn’t probably the safest idea. They were cooked but not as much as they should have been. I never got sick from eating chicky eggs. I still occasionally delight in that dish from my childhood. I knew that I wanted to share this dish with my son but I was really leery of doing so, because of the risk of salmonella.

My favorite thing about making cookies, well baking in general, is sampling the dough or batter. I have remembered a specific time when I made cookies with my childhood friend when she and her family were visiting from North Carolina. Jennifer and I had a great time baking together. While we were rolling the balls of cookie dough, we would eat some of the dough. Her dad came into the kitchen and started to yell and lecture us about THE DANGERS of consuming raw cookie dough. At the time I was wondering why Uncle Barry was making such a big deal about it. I honestly still eat raw cookie dough and I probably always will. I also like to lick the spoon when I make cupcakes or brownies.

Every year during December, my family and I make all kinds of cookies and sweets. There is a certain secret recipe that we make every year, which was created by a family friend of ours. It has a raw egg in it and every year we shrugged it off as oh well I hope we don’t get sick. It is too good to just not make. This year we were able to make that recipe without worrying about getting sick. My son had not had the pleasure of tasting raw cookie dough until recently when I had the opportunity to learn about Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs. Davidson’s makes pasteurized eggs in the shell.


From the Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs website:
Davidson's Safest Choice is the leader in pasteurized shell eggs! Using a revolutionary patented technology, National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc. produces Davidson's Safest Choice Pasteurized Shell Eggs and distributes them across the nation. This process kills Salmonella bacteria and viruses like Avian influenza. Yet our eggs look, cook and taste just like other shell eggs.

This is how they do it from the website:
• The National Pasteurized Eggs process starts with the arrival of clean, farm-fresh eggs on sanitized plastic flats from our pre-approved, USDA certified and inspected farms.
• All eggs arrive from USDA inspected, family owned and operated farms and are delivered within 48 hours of being laid.
• Hens are fed diets that contain no hormones, no antibiotics and no animal by-products are used.
• The eggs enter our patented pasteurization system where the carriers transport the eggs to our clean, warm water bath pasteurizer.
• The eggs continue through the water bath where this mixture of exact time and temperature assures accurate pasteurization. The eggs are pasteurized to exceed a 5 log reduction of harmful bacteria or viruses without cooking the eggs. The 5 log reduction of Salmonella is the regulated standard set by the FDA required for a product to be labeled pasteurized. The NPE patented process ensures that eggs meet and exceed this 5 log FDA requirement without cooking the eggs.
• The eggs move on automated carriers where they receive an optical check that identifies and removes all damaged or cracked eggs.
• The eggs then are conveyed out of the pasteurization bath and through an automatic waxing unit which applies a food grade wax protection over the egg shell. This wax acts as an additional seal to protect the eggs from absorption of any cross-contaminants that otherwise could pass through the shell's thousands of open pores.
• Next, the eggs receive a red Circle P stamp identifying them as pasteurized.
• This finished product is then packed, moved to coolers and brought to below 45°F., and palletized for shipment.
• The pasteurization facility and production are managed under controlled HACCP procedures adhering to defined SOP’s and GMP’s and Circle U Kosher approval standards. The facility and process are inspected and certified by USDA and Silliker Labs and approved by the FDA.
• The total pasteurization process above results in destruction of bacteria and viruses inside and outside the shell, preserving freshness and taste as well as significantly extending the shelf life of the eggs.
• That's how we pasteurize our eggs!

The eggs are delicious. They taste exactly like normal eggs. I made chicky eggs a few times and I like them runny because they are delicious and easier to dip. I didn’t have to worry about them making me sick and I was able to have them runny once again like my grandma Diana once made them.

You can find some free recipes that incorporate raw eggs HERE

So, now you can enjoy raw cookie dough, cake batter, brownie batter, and ice cream without a worry of any risk of salmonella. That also means that Noah can also share in my favorite childhood breakfast. I am really excited for that. I think that Safe eggs changed eggs as we once knew them. Next time you are at the store look for Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs and pick up a carton or two and now you can safely pig out on cookie dough without any risk of Salmonella. The eggs are safe to eat 4 to 6 weeks after the Best by date too. The best by date is when the eggs are their freshest.

To find Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs near you please check out the Store Locator

If you can’t find them in your area please sign this petition to please bring Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs in new areas for those of you that do not have the product in your area.

You can find a money saving coupon HERE

Thank you to Davidson’s Eggs for sending me a couple coupons for a couple dozen eggs for my reviewing purposes.

Halloween SAFETY TIPS and REMINDERS!!

It’s almost Halloween. I love Halloween it is such a fun holiday. I am so excited to take my son out Trick or Treating on Saturday. I love candy so I am hoping he will share his goodies with me. I just want to take some time to remind everyone of some important safety tips.

1. Please go with your children when they go Trick or Treating.

2. Go in groups especially if your child is old enough to go alone.

3. Bring a flash light with you for when it gets dark.

4. Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you, stay away from people that are acting strange or look like they want to cause trouble.

5. Bring a whistle with you. It sounds weird but it will get peoples attention in an emergency

6. Wear reflectors on your costumes and on your treat bag

7. Encourage your children to wait till you get home before they dig in to their goodies so you have a chance to look over the goodies in a well lit area. Pack a snack so if they get hungry they will have something.

8. Bring hand sanitizer with all the door bells your children will be touching to help cut down on germs.

9. Only go to those houses with a porch light on.

10. NEVER go in to a strangers home

11. Stay away from homemade treats and loose candy or loose candy in a Ziploc bag.

12. Make sure your children can see clearly and speak clearly through their costumes.

13. Watch out for cars and use sidewalks

14. If you are driving remember that kid’s dart and watch out for kids and don’t assume they see you.

15. Never get in a strangers car even if they seem nice.

16. Parents check out your state's sex offender registry and stay clear of those homes in your area. It is a great idea to know exactly where they live and work anyway.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!