My 8 year old was wondering why a city would be named "Hell" which is a bad word? I did not have an answer for him, but I did mention there is a Snowball http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowball,_Ontario in Ontario, Canada.
My Life Insurance Agent is going on a charity bike ride to Hell Michigan
http://jnonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=2234
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Michigan.
According to Yahoo Maps it will take 5 hours and 24 minutes to travel by car from Snowball to Hell.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
Paper on the Porch
It took eight years to get the local newspaper (Detroit News detnews.com/Free Press freep.com) delivered to our front porch. This calls for a celebration!
Having a few papers go missing, lots of soggy papers and complaints over the years, we finally were listened to, lets see how long it lasts.
The standard in Toronto was to have papers delivered in between the storm door and the front door, or directly in front of the front door.
Having a few papers go missing, lots of soggy papers and complaints over the years, we finally were listened to, lets see how long it lasts.
The standard in Toronto was to have papers delivered in between the storm door and the front door, or directly in front of the front door.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Catch 22 with Identity Theft guard products
I signed up for an Identity Theft Guard/Credit Monitoring services through Costco, and subsequently put Fraud Alerts on my Credit Reports for all three Credit Reporting agencies.
Putting Fraud Alerts on my credit reports was the most painless transaction I have completed with the Credit Report Agencies. I submitted the fraud alert with Equifax, and Equifax informed the other agencies.
Once the fraud alerts are in place the "Identity Theft" services can not pull a Credit Report without your (the customer's) explicit permission. The fraud alert also alerts you when new credit is being added to your credit report, which is effectively the service the "Identity Theft Guard" companies are offering.
Putting Fraud Alerts on my credit reports was the most painless transaction I have completed with the Credit Report Agencies. I submitted the fraud alert with Equifax, and Equifax informed the other agencies.
Once the fraud alerts are in place the "Identity Theft" services can not pull a Credit Report without your (the customer's) explicit permission. The fraud alert also alerts you when new credit is being added to your credit report, which is effectively the service the "Identity Theft Guard" companies are offering.
Cancelled Sam's Club membership and shopped at Costco
I cancelled our Sam's Club membership yesterday. I did not know that we were upgraded to the Advantage level, until I got the refund.
I got some digital pictures printed at Costco for 15 cents each for 1 hour service (Sam's club was 14 cents for 2-3 day delivery over the Internet), Costco offers Glossy and Lustre, we prefer Lustre, Sam's Club only offers Glossy. The Costco Kiosk did not offer editing, I would have liked the opportunity to reduce Red Eye and Crop the some of the pictures. Costco does offer Internet to store printing, which will allow me to edit the pictures prior to uploading them to Costco.
I got some digital pictures printed at Costco for 15 cents each for 1 hour service (Sam's club was 14 cents for 2-3 day delivery over the Internet), Costco offers Glossy and Lustre, we prefer Lustre, Sam's Club only offers Glossy. The Costco Kiosk did not offer editing, I would have liked the opportunity to reduce Red Eye and Crop the some of the pictures. Costco does offer Internet to store printing, which will allow me to edit the pictures prior to uploading them to Costco.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Costco or Sams Club?
Sams Club
- Prices are different in different "clubs"/stores
- Online Photo's printed in store 2-3 day service are .14 each
- Online Photo's have been "lost" in the past
- Employee's have a bad attitude in the closest club to my house
- tire store closes early
- closest to home
- Flowers are fresh
- Hard to reach 2% rebate (Discover sleight of hand)
- Yesterday had a Nascar Show Car at a local club (my boys enjoyed it)
Costco
- Online Photo's printed in store 2-3 day service are .17 each
- closest Costco has better customer service
- strange/bad tire center experiences
- Flowers always have a smell to them (they might not change the water)
- Fruits and Veggies tend to be close to date of expiry, have found moldy fruit
and veggies - 2% rebate for executive members + 1% Amex rebate on card
I think I am going to cancel the Sams Club membership
Costco, LendingTree and customer service
I signed up for the LendingTree Realty services through Costco, to sell a house in one city and buy a house in another city.
The Agent in the new city has been hounding me, the agent in the current city has still not contacted me. When my wife asked the agent in the new city specific questions about her qualifications she got very curt on the verge of being abusive. The agent in the new city decided to cancel the whole request. I called Costco customer service and haven't heard back from them yet.
When I tried calling the agent in the current city, her Voice mail said she was on vacation, I left a voice mail for the Agent's associate who did not return my call.
I find this very frustrating.
The Agent in the new city has been hounding me, the agent in the current city has still not contacted me. When my wife asked the agent in the new city specific questions about her qualifications she got very curt on the verge of being abusive. The agent in the new city decided to cancel the whole request. I called Costco customer service and haven't heard back from them yet.
When I tried calling the agent in the current city, her Voice mail said she was on vacation, I left a voice mail for the Agent's associate who did not return my call.
I find this very frustrating.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Gerald Ford's Presidential Library
A few weeks ago I drove to Grand Rapids and saw Gerald Ford's Presidential Library. What I found striking was a poster of a soldier at war, with the saying "Don't go to war for oil" I realized the poster was from the 73-74 timeframe and not from today's political cartoons, the message still applies today.
There was a lot of material at the museum, some hands-on, some re-enactment (Nixon's pardon), some life size models (cabinet room, oval office), and some period popular stuff (Disco). I missed the Chevy Chase Saturday Night Live skits.
On way back it felt like I was on my way to OZ, with a huge thunderstorm great winds and hail, eventually I drove out of the storm and it did not follow me home.
There was a lot of material at the museum, some hands-on, some re-enactment (Nixon's pardon), some life size models (cabinet room, oval office), and some period popular stuff (Disco). I missed the Chevy Chase Saturday Night Live skits.
On way back it felt like I was on my way to OZ, with a huge thunderstorm great winds and hail, eventually I drove out of the storm and it did not follow me home.
Atlanta Trip - MLK Jr.
I just got back from a trip to Atlanta, business and pleasure, I saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birth home, exhibit http://www.nps.gov/malu/BirthHomeTour/ and http://www.nps.gov/malu/.
I saw MLK Jr's tomb in the reflecting pond and his wife's tomb in a garden across from the pond. They are planning on moving Coretta Scott King's tomb to be adjacent to MLK Jr's tomb.
I saw MLK Jr's tomb in the reflecting pond and his wife's tomb in a garden across from the pond. They are planning on moving Coretta Scott King's tomb to be adjacent to MLK Jr's tomb.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Kangaroos at the Zoo
The Docent mentioned that the Kangaroos were born and bred "here" was she referring to the Detroit Zoo or North America? Prior to the Kangaroo exhibit opening did the Zoo have another Kangaroo exhibit?
The Docent also mentioned that Australia no longer sends Kangaroos to North American zoos, as they are needed for their meat and fur.
The Docent also mentioned that Australia no longer sends Kangaroos to North American zoos, as they are needed for their meat and fur.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Detroit Zoo Trip
We went to the Detroit Zoo http://www.detroitzoo.org/ yesterday afternoon, one hour prior to closing, (it's good to have a year long membership). Every visit we try to see some part of the zoo that we haven't seen in a while, this time we took the train ($2.00 one way) to the end of the zoo and saw the new Kangaroo exhibit.
Their was one couple with a young child who came to see the elephants, we told them they were moved last year due to lack of sufficient space.
I was impressed with the exhibit, considering the current financial difficulties the Zoo and city are in.
The docent/volunteer that introduced us to the Kangaroo exhibit, told us there was a new baby in a pouch that we might get to see. She also mentioned we might see some randy Kangaroo's with more babies to come, even though they were supposed to be "fixed". Surprisingly and luckily our kids did not ask about it, and when they saw the action they assumed the Kangaroos were playing/fighting.
Their was one couple with a young child who came to see the elephants, we told them they were moved last year due to lack of sufficient space.
I was impressed with the exhibit, considering the current financial difficulties the Zoo and city are in.
The docent/volunteer that introduced us to the Kangaroo exhibit, told us there was a new baby in a pouch that we might get to see. She also mentioned we might see some randy Kangaroo's with more babies to come, even though they were supposed to be "fixed". Surprisingly and luckily our kids did not ask about it, and when they saw the action they assumed the Kangaroos were playing/fighting.
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