Small Things Count

Do you use a credit-check app, like Credit Karma, Credit Sesame? They aren’t really free. They cost us in terms of being targeted for marketing, hidden fees, and giving up our private information. Consumer reports is offering a Zoom workshop going into detail about what they found in their investigation of those apps. Hurry. It’s today, Oct. 13, at 3:00 ET/noon PT. Go to https://action.consumerreports.org/webinar_20211013_credit_apps?utm_campaign=20211012_finance&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cr to sign up NOW and get your Zom link.

Today, Nov. 11, is International Day of the Girl Child. Let’s remember that our girls lives are in grave danger in our country.  When we think of gangs, we picture rough-looking, foul-mouthed, violent boys.  Yet, the U.S. has experienced a 15% rise in girls in gangs over the past ten years.  Why? They say the gang gives them a group to belong to, people who listen to them and care about them. They don’t feel that their families and non-gang friends do any of that.I find that frightening and heartbreaking. Maybe some parents need to focus more on family and less on work–at least allow more time to spend with their daughters (hard in this economy but doable, necessary, and rewarding). Maybe schools need to engage girls more, providing instruction that draws them into areas where they can experience success and see a bright future. Maybe our churches should involve girls in more activities that show them they’re valued. Maybe there should be more opportunities for them to learn from a mentor or be part of volunteer activities or jobs that make them feel worthwhile.  Maybe some of them simply need more smiles and hugs.

I don’t know the answer. But we MUST save our girls!

The FCC could be about to help robo-callers invade our privacy even more by giving them easier access to us through “ringless voicemails.” What would happen is that, say, a political campaign would call our phone and, without its even ringing, would go directly to voicemail so they can give us their pitch. That would bypass our apps that screen for spam, warnings on our phone’s screen of potential junk calls, and caller ID (which is useless anyway in identifying spammers).

They tried this same thing four years ago but were stopped. We must stop them again.

Learn more about this and sign a petition to the FCC to NOT ALLOW this. Go to Consumer Reports’ Robocallers have a nasty new trick up their sleeves.

The old adage “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” is not only cruel and untrue but also dismisses the real reasons people go into teaching. Actually, those who can teach do, and have fulfilling lives. Those who can’t teach but use it as a side or fill-in job are not happy and spread that unhappiness to kids in their classrooms.

The old adage “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” is not only cruel and untrue but also dismisses the real reasons people go into teaching. Actually, those who can teach do, and have fulfilling lives. Those who can’t teach but use it as a side or fill-in job are not happy and spread that unhappiness to kids in their classrooms.

Today’s Thursday Thought quote/picture is thanks to Rumi. The beautiful flower is an extra to brighten your day.

Time for some levity. Travel with me back into the 1800s, when a variety of people were inventing different versions of the telephone. Focus on one of those people, Alexander Graham Bell, who is most often credited with the invention. Picture his success–then his premonition.

Upset with laws that are being passed or how your elected officials are representing you?  Many people are angry at new laws that will hurt specific economic, ethnic, or age groups, or that further endanger people who are already at-risk.  Oddly enough, many who complain don’t exercise a basic American right that empowers the average person.  They forget that one tiny individual voice added to all the other tiny voices equals a shout heard in the halls of all the legislatures.  Not only do some people not vote, they don’t even register to vote. 

You can celebrate our most powerful American right by registering to vote.  It’s easy.  Simply pick up a postage-paid Voter Registration form at the post office or go to https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote to register online. You don’t have to choose a political party if you don’t want to. Just fill in the form and submit it.

Do it today or tomorrow, because tomorrow, Sept. 28, 2021, is National Voter Registration Day.

Than, next (and every) election, be sure to vote. Your vote strengthens our democracy and, therefore, our country.

But it’s SOOOOOO valuable!

At least every 9 seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten.  Abused men seldom report it, due to our culture’s image of a “real man.”   Overall, most domestic violence incidents are never reported, allowing abuse to continue in our society.  To stop it, we must bring it to light. We must report incidents if we are a victim or a friend of a victim. It isn’t interfering in something that’s none of our business. Assault/abuse is a national black eye that we need to treat. Yes, there’s the off chance that you’re misinterpreting what’s happening, that it isn’t really abuse. But, come on, it’s usually pretty obvious. So that’s no excuse.

Have you checked out www.freerice.com yet? You should go there often. It’s a site that helps build your vocabulary skills while helping fight world hunger.  It gives you a word and possible definitions for you to choose from. Each correct answer adds 10 grains of rice to the total donated by site sponsors to the U.N. World Food Program.  It’s a fun, no-obligation way to feed hungry people! Ten grains isn’t much–until you and others keep going back to the site even for a few minutes.