HOW TO USE A CREDIT CARD

What kind of title is that you say. Everybody knows how to use a credit card.

Or do they?

Have you ever thought of your credit card as a weapon? Probably not. It is not something that would occur to the average sane person, which is probably why I think of these things. I never claimed to be normal.

A credit card can be a very handy little weapon if you know how to use it. It is probably not a bad idea to carry a credit card, loosely, in your pocket instead of your wallet or purse. I would reccomend an expired credit card if you have one or one of those hotel access cards they give you when you check in and always forget to turn back in.

Now you are wondering, how can I use a credit card as a weapon? This guy is nuts. Not really, I'm just trying to make you AWARE of the options you have available.

Now, let's walk you through this. We can all agree that a credit card is thin. We can all agree that a credit card can probably break easily but at the same time it is made of hard plastic.

So, take one of your credit cards out of your wallet and put it in your hand with the end of it sticking out. Then I want you to scrap that same card across your forehead, gently, not hard, gently. Can you feel it? Now imagine what it would feel like if you did it real hard.

Chances are you would be bleeding from your forehead if you were stupid enough to scrap at against your own forehead real hard.

Now imagine what it would feel like if it was broken and it had sharp edges.

You can use a credit card to charge more than just stuff. You can charge the guy trying to rob you in the parking lot or mall garage and you won't even get a bill at the end of the month.

The only way to effectively charge a guy in the parking lot is to scrap that puppy across his forehead. Do not try to use it anywhere else on his body as it will have no effect.

Now, why the forehead. The reason is you want to cut him and cut him as deep as possible on the forehead and the forehead only. Why? Simply because if you can cut open his forehead he will bleed. If you cut deep enough he will bleed profusely. If he is bleeding profusely from his forehead the blood will flow down into his eyes and block his vision which may give you the opportunity to run like hell in the other direction.

Now you know how to "effectively" use a credit card.

Have a fun shopping season.

WHO STOLE HALLOWEEN?

What happened to Halloween?

Where did it go? Who stole it?

This year we had a grand total of about twenty kids show up and we have candy left over. Either you guys aren't making enough kids anymore or you are afraid to let your kids outside.

Remember when you were a kid? You gotta be at least 50 or 60 years old to even understand this.

Back then, in the days of yesteryear, Halloween was one of the greatest nights of the year because you could get away with just about anything and even if you got caught you usually got a pass on your own stupidity.

People expected you to do stupid and insane stuff and run amok. Hell they even prepared for it ahead of time and sometimes tried to get you first.

People would decorate their homes with spooky stuff and try to scare the kids coming for the candy. Evereybody got in on the act. Oftentimes the person answering the door had a better and scarier costume than you.

Then the weirdos starting showing up. They started putting razor blades in apples, poisoning candy and assaulting the kids. Suddenly no kid was safe anymore. Suddenly you could no longer let your kid run wild a little bit and have a good time without having to worry if they would make it home at the end of the night.

Suddenly Hallowen is no longer fun for the kids anymore. How much fun can you have when mom and dad are following you from house to house. What fun is that for a kid?

Doesn't it just frost your cookies that your kids can't have as much fun as you did when you were a kid?

Now they want to destroy Christmas. Your birthday is probably next.

STAYING ALIVE

Sit down, clear your mind for a few minutes and listen up.

Walk with me through a scenario that may well occur in your lifetime.

Close your eyes and picture this in your mind.

You are sitting at home relaxing with your family and doing the normal stuff you and your family do on any given weekday.

You are watching your favorite program and suddenly the network breaks in with an emetrgency bulletin. There has been a natural disaster in your area. There has been a terrorist attack in your area. There has been an incident in your area that will have long term lasting effects and your average day, as you knew it, no longer exists.

Everything has been turned upside down. There is no social order anymore. There are riots in the streets. There are maurading gangs roaming your area. All civil order is gone and it's every man for himself.

There are no Police or Emeregncy Services available as they are all tied up with whatever the emergency is. You can not depend on anyone coming to your aid.

You are on your own.

Now what?

If you have never considered this scenario it is time you did because it can happen in the blink of an eye and you had better be prepared.

You have to understand that in this type of a scenario, normal life is suspended. You can not go the gas station to get gas. There is none, or the electricity is off and the pumps won't work.

There is limited food at the grocery store. What they have is all they got because there will be no more deliveries anytime soon.

You will not be able to refill your subscriptions for life saving drugs.

There will be no medical help available and no Police response avaiable. You are on your own and so is your family and they are dependent on you to protect them, no one else will.

So what do you do?

All you can do is prepare for just such a scenario as best you can. Stockpile food and water if you can. Stockpile emergency equipment like first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, water treatment tablets and weapons and ammo.

Be prepared to use deadly force if necessary and get trained on the weapons of your choice. Pray you never need them but be prepared in case you do. If possible train all members of your family in the proper use of the weapons of your choice.

Stockpile food and water but don't tell anyone about it. You don't want anyone else knowing of your stash. Camoflauge it from normal visitors to your home. You don't want anyone outside your family knowing what you have. Caution family members about telling others about it.

Develop an action plan for your family. What will they do? Who will be responsible for what? What will their duties be? What will they do if you are not home at the time or can't get home. Set up a rally point for everyone if your home becomes unsafe to stay in. Have a secondary place to meet. If you control the secondary rally point, stock it too.

If society, as you know it, completely breaks down than people will revert to their survival instincts which means they will intend to survive even if it means they have to take your supplies and/or your life to do so.

Everything I speak of goes back to AWARENESS. Be aware of what is going on around you and the potential of could occur and be prepared ahead of time. Only you can prepare you, no one else will do it for you and if it hits the fan there is no one available to assist you and show you what to do. All those that teach this stuff for a living will be doing exactly what they teach, for their families, they will have no time for you, you are on your own. You are responsible for you and you are responsible for YOUR family. YOU are the only help available. PREPARE OR PERISH.

MEMORIES

Take a trip with me back in time. Ready?

I was talking with my younger brother the other night and he was telling me of an experience he had not too long ago when he was in a small town in Nebraska.

Seems he was driving through the town when suddenly he smelled an odor he hadn't smelled in years. At first he couldn't figure it out. He knew the smell was familiar but just couldn't put his finger on it. He kept driving up one street and down another trying to identify its source. Then he turned a corner and suddenly it dawned on him what that smell was.

As he turned the corner he observed several individuals spaced out up and down the street and guess what they were doing? They were burning leaves in the street at their curbs.

Do any of you remember that smell? Are any of you lucky enough to be able to burn your leaves out front at the curb without getting fined these days?

This brought back a flood of memories to me as he related the story, heck I could even smell the leaves burning as he spoke.

It reminded me of my childhood. I grew up in the Mid-West and we always used to rake the leaves out into the street and burn them and so did all the other neighbors.

It was like an impromtu street festival or block party. All the neighbors and their kids were outside doing the same thing at the same time. You'd end up talking with neighbors you hadn't seen or spoken to in months. It was a real feeling of "neighborhood", of closeness and friendship.

Everyone would be drinking apple cider and roasting marshmallows in the fire. It was great. Everybody was smiling and having a good time even though they had worked hard to rake those leaves, kids included. Kids didn't get a pass, they had to earn the right to smell the fire too.

God, I love the smell of burning leaves. Somehow it is peaceful. It's a feeling of "all is right with the world at the moment". It is a feeling of security and I can't explain why. Maybe it's because Dad was out there in charge of everything including keeping you from falling into the fire. Maybe it's the roasting of marshmallows. I don't know for sure but it takes me back to a time in my life when all was good and life was fair and people seemed to actually care about each other.

Maybe its that small town feeling a lot of us lost when we went out into the world to make our marks. Maybe its just a time in our lives where we weren't in a hurry all the time. Maybe it's just one of those things that spurs a memory that tells you to stop and smell the world once in a while. We don't stop and assess what we have often enough, and be thankful for it.

Maybe it's just a reminder not to be so full of ourselves.

I feel sorry for those who have never had the opportunity to have smelled burning leaves. Instead of burning a scented candle, go outside grab some leaves and burn them in an ashtray or old coffee can and enjoy your youth one more time.

Me thinks we may have to take a few more of these trips again. You are all welcome to come along anytime.

Tell us about an experience in your life that brought back memories of times past.

"NO TOLERANCE POLICIES"

I recently read about the kid that got expelled from school because he brought his boy scout knife, fork, spoon combo tool to school.

Have we all lost our minds? Does no one have discretion anymore? Is there no common sense left? Are we a bunch of drones that must follow every order without question or discussion? Who are the people that come up with these policies and did they ever ask your opinion?

I can see a no weapons allowed policy for regular knives or other weapons but don't you think before everyone has a heart attack and starts running around in circles that maybe, just maybe, somebody should first look at the circumstances under which the violation occurred? Maybe it was unintentional?

Like anything else, the punishment should fit the crime. Intent does and should matter. Simple common sense tells you that occasionally people will make mistakes that violate policy. It's called the human factor.

Don't you think it is about time the "authorities" started using some simple common sense instead of hitting the panic button everytime somebody screws up.

Just my thoughts. What about yours?

BEWARE THE PARKING LOT

Pay attention folks the Holiday season is creeping up on us. Pretty soon you will all be out there hitting the malls and looking to get a step ahead of the Christmas rush. BE CAREFUL.

The bad boys will be out there doing their Christmas shopping too. Only problem is they seldom shop in the stores. They like to shop at the mall too but usually they do their shopping in the parking lot.

They also like to shop in other parking lots, like at the Metro Stations, Sports Complexes and any place where there are large parking lots, medium parking lots and even small parking lots like at strip malls. They have their shopping list too.

AWARENESS, it is your best defense. Be AWARE of who and what is around you. Look around before you get out of your car. Look around before you approach your car. Don't even think of going to your car if someone is hanging around near it. Doesn't matter if they look harmless, don't trust them. Better safe than sorry. Wait a few minutes and see if they leave the area. If they don't go back in the mall and ask one of the security guys to escort you to your car.

Don't park in unlighted areas or near bushes or large stanchions (poles), people hide behind them. Carry mace if the law allows it or have your keys in between your fingers pointing out so you can use them as a weapon if necessary. The bad boys may want more than just your money, packages or your car. Assume the worst and be prepared to react against it.

Keep in mind that everybody is hurting this season and there may well be more folks out looking for a quick buck than in normal times. People are getting desperate and there is no telling what they may do these days, especially at a time of year where they are expected to bring the kids home some presents.

Don't dress real fancy. Dress down. Don't give people the impression that you have money. Don't drive the Mercedes to the mall take a different vehicle if you have one. Don't do or act in any way that draws attention to yourself as one of means, you will invite an attack. People are frustrated, scared, broke, and unemployed; and those are the nice people.

Be prepared when you go on your shopping spree and go in groups if possible. Rent a van if you have to. It's the lone shopper that gets targeted more than anyone else.

Don't take your normal purse when you go shopping. Leave it at home. Buy a cheap purse for your make up or whatever but keep your cash and credit cards in your pockets. Put a few dollars in the purse just to make Mr. Bad Guy happy. If they grab for your purse, let them have it. If your cash, credit cards and identification are in your pocket than you lose nothing. Its called a bait purse, give it to them if they want it. You could even put some nasty stuff inside for their enjoyment; what you put in it I'll leave up to you. Just use your imagination, have a little fun with it.

Enjoy shopping, just be careful out there.

Now go read the other safety and securuty tips on this blog to see what to do when you get home with all the goodies.