Postcard Virus is Real

Here it is on Snopes, and below is the email I received about it:

Hi All, I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!!
Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!
You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which
opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer.
This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It is better to receive this message 25 times tha n to receive the virus and open it.
If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer
immediately.
This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.
COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

"In God We Trust" is True

It's true- check it out on Snopes. And I am completely in favor of this one.

The email I received:

LET'S DO IT!!!!!
WRITE IT ON THE BACK OF YOUR ENVELOPES
I THINK THIS A GREAT IDEA. I WILL START WRITING THIS ON THE FRONT OF ALL MY ENVELOPES, TOO!

You may have heard in the news that the Post Office has been forced to take down small posters that say ' IN GOD WE TRUST '

The law, they say, is being violated.

Anyway, I heard proposed on a radio station show, that we should all write ' IN GOD WE TRUST ' on the back of all our mail...after all, that is our national motto and it's on all of the money we use to buy those stamps. I think it's a wonderful idea.

We must take back our nation from all the people who think that anything that offends them should be removed.

If you like this idea, please pass it on. It has been reported that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, I have! a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having ' In God We Trust' on our money and having God in the pledge of Allegiance.

Could it be that WE just need to take a ction and tell the 14% to sit down and shut up?

If you agree, pass this on again, if not delete.

Thank you, Rebeka from GrassyHill, for the lead on this one.

The Truth About Gasoline

A two part rumor! And the truth behind it. Snopes will help clear it up for you. Part one and part two.
TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon..

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON

Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor.

An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.

Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell........................... 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco........ 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon/Mobil.............. 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway.. 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco............................62,231,000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South Americ a, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco................0 barrels

Conoco..................0 barrels

Sinclair.................0 barrels

BP/Phillips.............0 barrels

Hess.....................0 barrels

ARC0.....................0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to do.

Now, don't wimp out at this point.... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I'm sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)...and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) . and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers !!!!!!! If those three million get excited and pass this n to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!

If it goes one level further, you guessed it .... THREE HUND RED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How long would all that take?

"Glade Plug-Ins Cause House Fires"

This one was sent to me recently. Although it was interesting and convincing, it's not completely true. Read about it here

House fires--please read!!!!!
Received from a friend who is in the insurance property business. It is well worth reading
This is one of those e-mails that if you don't send it, rest assured someone on your list will suffer for not reading it. The original message was written by a lady whose brother and wife learned a hard lesson this past week.
Their house burnt down.. nothing left but ashes. They have good insurance so the house will be replaced and most of the contents. That is the good news.
However, they were sick when they found out the cause of the fire. The insurance investigator sifted through the ashes for several hours. He had the cause of the fire traced to the master bathroom. He asked her sister-in-law what she had plugged in the bathroom. She listed the normal things.....curling iron, blow dryer.
He kept saying to her, 'No, this would be something that would disintegrate at high temperatures'. Then her sister-in-law remembered she had a Glade Plug-In, in the bathroom.
The investigator had one of those 'Aha' moments. He said that was the cause of the fire. He said he has seen more house fires started with the plug-in type room fresheners than anything else. He said the plastic they are made from is THIN. He also said that in every case there was nothing left to prove that it even existed. When the investigator looked in the wall plug, the two prongs left from the plug-in were still in there.
Her sister-in-law had one of the plug-ins that had a small night light built in it. She said she had noticed that the light would dim and then finally go out. She would walk in to the bathroom a few hours later, and the light would be back on again. The investigator said that the unit was getting too hot, and would dim and go out rather than just blow the light bulb. Once it cooled down it would come back on. That is a warning sign.
The investigator said he personally wouldn't have any type of plug in fragrance device anywhere in his house. He has seen too many places that have been burned down due to them.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. NOT ONLY COULD IT SAVE SOMEONE'S HOUSE, BUT IT COULD SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.

809 Area Code Scam

Received this email last week. It is a true fraud. Thanks for letting me know about this one, Valerie.

Here it is on Snopes 809 Area Code Scam


ABOUT AREA CODE

We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said 'Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you--get back to us quickly. I Have something important to tell you.' Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809 . 'We didn't respond'.

Then this week, we received the following e-mail:

Subject: DONT DIAL AREA CODE 809 , 284 AND 876

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T DIAL AREA CODE 809

This one is being distributed all over the US . This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call.

Be sure you read this and pass it on.
They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has-been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.
In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since th ere are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls.

If you call from the US , you will apparently be charged $2425 per-minute.

Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24,100.00

WHY IT WORKS:

The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas). the dominican actually
The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong.

Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam

Sandi Van Handel
AT&T Field Service Manager
(920)687-904
Additional information on these area codes can be found from ATT at:
http :// www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html

Lion And Friends

This is a cool story. I'm not sure if it is true or not, and I couldn't find anything on Snopes about it. (I did email them to ask about it just now.) But either way, it's a good story. It's very touching, and speaks volumns about love and friendship.

The first attachment is a still photo. The second attachment is a video. There's no sound, but look at the picture first and then watch the video. These 2 guys reared this lion from a baby in England but the authorities would not allow them to keep it once it reached maturity so they were forced to give it up, they took it back to Africa and placed it in a wildlife sanctuary, a year later they went to see it and were told it would not remember them.
This is Christian The Lion. These guys raise an injured lion from birth and then release him into the wild. After one year they attempt to reunite with the lion and its amazing how happy the lion is to see his old friends.

PS I will let you know what I hear from Snopes.

EDIT: I heard back from Snopes. After I emailed them, they did the research and this story is true! Read about it here.

90# on Your Phone Allows You To Be Billed for Others' Long Distance

This is another forward I received. At first I didn't believe it was true, but according to Snopes, it IS partially true.

90# on your telephone

I dialed '0' and asked the operator who confirmed that this was correct so please pass it on . . . I also checked out Snopes.com..this is true, and also applies to cell phones!)

PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service Technician (could also be Telus) who was conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine(9), zero(0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.

Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance billed to your home phone number.

I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons

DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.

The GTE Security Department requested that I share this information with EVERYONE I KNOW.

After checking with Verizon they also said it was true, so do not dial 9 0# for anyone !!!!!


Here is the information that Snopes has to say about it. So, be warned. And be smart!

Cell Phone Numbers Being Published Tomorrow

Thank you, Valerie, for sending me this one. This email has been circulating the web for some time, and it filling peoples' mail boxes left and right. Well, you can rest at ease- it is FALSE. Your mobile number will not be published in a phone book or directory, and it will not be sold to a telemarketing company- at least, not by the phone companies.

Here is the link that tells about the various emails, and the origins of the rumor. CLICK HERE

PS The telephone number listed IS the correct number for the National Do Not Call Registry. So if you have a landline you would like to list, that is the number to call.

Mobile Alerts to Drama to Medical and Back Again

I signed up for a bunch of mobile text alerts. News, Amber Alerts, Politics, Weather, ect. I signed through a couple of different sites, so that I can decide which ones I like best. It took me forever (!!!) to get the confirmation code from Yahoo, and then I had to do it three times before it accepted the code. But I'm finally signed up. I love text messaging. And now I will stay more up to date, from my phone. lol I sound like a commercial!

Tomorrow is Selo's neurologist appt. I'm a little nervous about it, but it will be nice to have some answers.

Last night, he did the scavenger hunt to find out about the vacation planned for his birthday. We are both looking forward to it, and he was so tickled by it. I love seeing him happy and knowing he is important. (I have the videos of him finding the clues, if anyone wants to see them.)

Someone is out to get me. No, I'm not being paranoid. She was a friend of mine back in high school, and got pretty angry when I decided she wasn't someone I wanted in my life anymore. She has- IMO- freaked out a bit, and has threatened to email my dad (um, really?) and to cause drama with Selo's ex wife. Lizz has been warned- be on the lookout!- and I heard she (Lizz) took it well. I haven't read her blog since the first of the year (go me!), so I don't know what's going on with her, but I hope. . . well, let me change my thought, I just hope the drama with this chick (the "friend") ends soon, so that we can all move on with our lives.

Ohhhhh, what else is going on with us?

Medical stuff. I heard from radiology that the insurance has already sent a check for a small portion of those bills, and we will find out in about a month what the rest of the balance is. With some of the other ones, they are sending some paperwork to see if we can have any of it written off and Selo's mom says she can write us a Hardship letter. I don't know about you, but I don't have a spare $25k laying around somewhere. At this point, we don't even have a spare $1,000.

As for the car, we are going to have it towed to a wrecking yard. The insurance said it would cover the cost of towing it, but we are not getting anything back for the vehicle (or the medical). So we are out of a car, officially, when it has been towed. Not that we have one to drive now- we aren't even supposed to drive it from one end of the driveway to the other. No plans to buy a new one now, with the medical bills hitting us pretty hard. Anybody know if we have to keep auto insurance if we don't have a vehicle to ensure?

I watched The Biggest Loser tonight. When the first season of that show came out, I absolutely loved it. It was about time to have a positive and uplifting reality show. The fourth season is definitely different than the first, but people are still being motivated to lose weight and change their lifestyles. (PS have you seen the walk in tubs they have? I'm so jealous!)

Don't see much of my sisters anymore. They both changed jobs recently, and I don't even get to talk to them on messenger now. I'm pretty sad about that. I look forward to when they are out of their respective trainings and we can text each other again!

We won't be going to the Prophets funeral, like we (okay, I) wanted to. Since it is Saturday, we will be out of town. I bet it is going to be beautiful, and very spiritual. And now that I have come out of shock, I know it is a good thing for him. He is with his wife now, and the rest of Heaven. I can't think of anywhere I would rather be. *sad smile*

Anyway, enough rambling. That is plenty of info for right now. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Free Flash Drive! Thanks Achi!

Achi, the wonderful guy that he is, enlightened me to an offer for a free USB Flash drive. I didn't believe him at first. Selo was considering it, too. So I decided to try it out. And guess what? I'm getting a free flash drive! Want proof? Check this out.


I covered the order number and tracking number, but you can see that it is a real order. The total is $0.00. How cool is that? I should be getting it in the mail in just a few days.
So I thought I would keep Achi's generosity going, and pass it on to all of my friends as well.

PS When you do this, be sure to change the shipping to 7-9 days. That will drop the cost to $0. You may or may not have to pay tax for your area.

Home Address and Directions to Your Home- Now Listed on Google

Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a landline telephone number into the search bar, hit enter, and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit Map you will be taken to Mapquest where you can view a map and directions to the house.


The safety issues here are obvious.

Luckily, you can remove your telephone number from this search. Go to Google, type you landline number into the search bar (555-555-1212), hit enter, click on your telephone number when it comes up, click on "Request to have your name removed from this list", read the info provided (about half a page of disclaimers), fill out the removal info, and click "Submit Form".
*Be advised, this is a permanent and non-reversible submission.

When I received the email about this, I was suspicious. When I did the research (on Google and on Snopes), I was appalled. I certainly do NOT want this information published on the web about my home!

Please keep yourself, your family, and your home safe. If you choose to not have your telephone number removed, please be very safe about who and where your telephone number is given.


UPDATE: The telephone number I requested to have removed was successfully removed within 24 hours.

The Beavers, The Dam, and The Defense Attorney

A hilarious story of brilliance and wit. If I became an attorney, it would be for this reason. Thank you, Mr DeVries.

The Story of the Beavers, The Dam, and The Defense Attorney

Matt Doesn't Exist

I know everybody is posting the message below, but Matt doesn't exist. Don't believe me? Call the telephone number. That's what I just did. It's also on Snopes as being false (click here). I am all for praying, especially for those in need, but please know if something is real or not before pulling at people's heartstrings. Now, Matt, if you are out there, and you do exist, feel free to message me directly, and we'll go from there. For everyone else, Matt doesn't exist, the telephone number doesn't work, so you don't have to post this anymore. Let's all pray for something we know for sure, try praying for world peace, try praying for our American soldiers, try praying for the lack of honesty in politics. And please don't take this personally, because I received the Matt Message about twelve times.
Thanks Everyone!

Here's the message:
PRAY FOR MATT
Body: PRAY FOR MATT!!!!r

Everyone needs to take the time and read this. Just take a break from all your other stupid bulletins about who is gonna die or if your love life will suck for 7 years and be serious and do the right thing. Repost this or you have no soul seriously. A kid needs our help so do the right thing.
"HI my name is Matt Dawson. I am 23 years old, and I have a large tumor on my brain and severe lung cancer. The doctors say I will die soon if this isn't fixed, and my family can't pay the bills. "The Make A Wish Foundation" has agreed to donate 7 cents for every time this message is reposted. For those of you who repost, I thank you so much. But for those who don't repost it, I will still pray for you. Please, if you are a kind person, have a heart. Please, please, PLEASE REPOST THIS MESSAGE!"
Matt Dawson
702-355-6198 Home
Please feel free to call me for anything.
*hey it wont cost you but 10 seconds of your life

Flipflop your way out of Walmart, before you get burned

I want to be confident about the purchases that I make! Why is Walmart taking advantage of this?

Kerry purchased two pair of flipflops from Walmart. The flipflops were just like any other- a think sole, with plastic on top and between the toes. They were on sale and very cute. But the left her feet in a very UN normal manner. They left her feet so bad, she had to visit a doctor and will now be scarred for the rest of her life. Walmart has been uncarring and unhelpful to her. She was not asking for a settlement or anything of the sort, she simply wanted the dangerous shoes to be taken off the shelves- which Walmart has refused to do.

So Kerry made her story public. She feels that if Walmart will not do their part to protect consumers, she will do what she can.

I have gotten a lot of grief for not liking Walmart, and for choosing not to shop there. But Walmart is NOT always a safe place. It is somewhere I choose not to shop, because of my own personal experiences (See: Walmart and their CrackerJack Wedding Rings, and Hubby gets run over by a Fork Lift) and now because of Kerry and so many others. People do not deserve this! We, as consumers, should feel safe and confident about purchases we make. And this is not happening at Walmart.

HERE IS KERRY'S STORY

*77 and #77 are FALSE

Thank you, Kendra, for alerting me of this rumor going around:

I knew about the red light on cars, but not the *77. It was about 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put his lights on. Lauren's parents have always told her never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather to wait until they get to a gas station, etc.

Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called *77 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she would not pull over right away. She proceeded to tell the
dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his rooftop behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there were police cars where she was and there weren't, and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back up already on the way.

Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground. The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.

I never knew about the *77 Cell Phone Feature, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a safe & quiet place. You obviously need to make some signals that you acknowledge them (i.e. put on your hazard lights) or call *77 like Lauren did.

Too bad the cell phone companies don't generally give you this little bit of wonderful information.

*Speaking to a service representative at **Bell** Mobility confirmed that *77 was a direct link to state trooper info. So, now it's your turn to let your friends know about *77.

Send this to every woman (and person) you know; it may save a life. This applies to ALL 50 states.

This information is false. It has been seen on Snopes. *77 nor #77 are universal numbers to the state troopers office. You should NOT count on this to save your life. If you are in an emergency situation call 911.

Gasoline too expensive? Know someone with cancer?

You will want to see this. I think this guy is amazing. Right on John!

Military Families are being scammed

NOBODY should fall for this one. You've heard it a million times. So don't do it.

Plus anyone participating in this is total scum. How dare you take advantage of people like this?

Click Here

Starbucks supports our troops

The rumor that Starbucks has refused to send Marines free product because they don't support the war or anyone in it is FALSE. This rumor has begun circulating again, and HERE's the truth behind it.

Pepsi still believes in God

There has been a rumor going around for quite some time about Pepsi removing "Under God" from it's newly designed label. This rumor is at least a few years old, as I have heard it for a long time. Well I got tired of hearing about it, and I did some research. I don't drink Pepsi (or Coke, or Dr Pepper, or any other soda for that matter), but I do believe in God and America. I am pleased to say, this is purely a rumor. You can still drink Pepsi and be a good American Christian. (lol Don't get on my case about Pepsi being unAmerican. I'm making a positive statement here.)


You can check Snopes or Urban Legends, to see for yourself. And feel free to reply to all those spams you get with these two addresses. I'm sure those drama queen spammers would love to read them!