Category Archives: News and Serious Stuff

Frauds, Scams, and Phishing, Oh My!

Posted on by
8

Recently, this happened to me, but before I took the bait and responded, I found this article by the BBB.

Stay vigilant, alert, aware, and most importantly, NEVER respond or call them back or divulge any personal information!

The Better Business Bureau posted this warning on June 25, 2024 so it’s a fresh and current scam. Please read and share. There’s some really great info here:

BBB Scam Alert: This phishing scam claims a process server is looking for you.

Many scams start with an intimidating phone call. A “debt collector” needs you to pay immediately. Or a “police officer” claims to have a warrant for your arrest.

The latest variation involves a phony “process server” and a non-existent court case against you. BBB Scam Tracker continues to receive reports of this phishing scam. Here’s how to spot it. 

How the scam works

You receive a call, or several calls, from an unknown or blocked number from a person claiming to be a process server. They might say there is a lien on your home or someone is taking you to court over unpaid medical bills or another matter. The caller may also claim you or a family member are a “person of interest in an important matter that requires immediate attention,” and federal law prohibits the caller from sharing any additional information. Similarly, in other cases, the scammer may be secretive, saying they can’t reveal details until your papers are served. 

Next, they’ll ask you to “confirm” sensitive personal information about yourself, such as your date of birth, address, or Social Security number. When you’re hesitant to give out this information, they stress the urgency of the matter – after all, this is a court matter! If you ask too many questions about who is making a complaint or what company the process server works for, the scammer will get angry and sometimes threaten more action against you. The caller may also try to scare you further by asking if you will be home or at work within the next hour since they will be arriving soon to serve you papers, get your signature on legal documents, and demand to see your forms of identification.

Sometimes, the “process server” may be phishing for information about your family members. According to a report on BBB Scam Tracker, one consumer shared, “Previously left me a voicemail about a lawsuit against my grandmother using her full government name a few weeks ago. Today they called again and asked if I knew the person, to which I said no, and then asked if I was (my full government name), to which I also said no. The person continued to be very pushy until they finally decided to end the call.”

The people behind this scam don’t have any legal papers to deliver, they want to get their hands on your personal information to commit identity theft.

BBB Scam Tracker sees many reports about process server phishing scams. One consumer recently shared their experience, “I received a call from a private number, claiming to be a “process server” stating they had papers regarding a lein on my home…I checked with my police department, and town, i have no leins on my home.” Another person shared, “A fake process server called my mom and she called them back. They used my maiden name which I have not had in over 20 years about a county matter from a county not local to me saying they had papers to serve [and] they wanted to validate my information. My mom hung up but it scared her.”

How to avoid phishing scams

  • Be wary of scare tactics and unsolicited phone calls. Scammers love to threaten people with legal action or hefty fines, scaring them into giving up their personal information and money. They hope fear will make you act without thinking. Always remember that representatives of a reputable business or legal office will be polite and civil, even in a serious situation. They won’t pressure you to act immediately “or else.”
  • Search your local court website. If you think there’s a chance someone has filed a lawsuit against you, check your local court’s website. Search your name to see if any lawsuit has been filed. If nothing comes up, you’re in the clear.
  • The scammer may have some personal information. Don’t give them more. Scammers may have some of your personal information already from a previous phishing scam, a data breach, or some other source. If you’re speaking with the scammer, you may even notice that the information is out of date. For example, they may use your maiden name or a previous address or workplace. Even if the information is out of date, they may use these stolen details to get even more information from you. For example, they might read your Social Security number and then ask you to “confirm” your date of birth. If they read off out-of-date information, they may trick you into providing current information. Even if someone already has a few details, don’t give them any further information unless you are sure you’re dealing with someone you trust. Be careful when responding to questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” response, since the “Can you hear me?” scam is still around, too.
  • Don’t give out personal information about family members, either. BBB Scam Tracker reports also share that these scammers are calling people to inquire about family members. If someone is asking you to validate information about another individual, hang up the phone. Afterwards, it’s a good idea to notify the family member about the call you received. That way, they can be on the lookout for other scams and take action to protect their personal and financial information if it’s at risk or has been stolen.

For more information

Reading up on phishing and impostor scams can help you spot a con before it’s too late. Watch out for jury duty scams, too, which also use imposter tactics and threatening phone calls to scam people into paying up.

You may also visit BBB’s Spot a Scam page for tips on recognizing scam tactics.

If a scammer contacts you, report your experience to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help us boost consumer awareness and make scammers’ tactics less effective.

Summer Solstice AND a Full Strawberry Moon

Posted on by
Reply

“Stay wild, moon child.” – Riitta Klint

Today we celebrate the summer solstice and tomorrow is June’s full “strawberry moon”, the lowest full moon of the year, staying close to the horizon as the sun soars to its highest point in the sky.

How often does a full moon and a solstice appear at pretty much the exact same time? Not very…however, some reports said the last time the solstice full moon happened was in 2016, and some said it last occurred in 1986 or even in 1967. It’s weird that no one seems SURE, don’t you agree?

WOW! The energies are crazy today. I was in a store and a man was causing an issue, swearing and yelling at the employees, and had to be escorted out. I watched the entire scene and stepped aside as his out-of-control anger ramped up so that I wouldn’t become an innocent target or collateral damage. Down the street from THAT insanity, a woman, definitely homeless, was lying across the sidewalk in the hot summer sun with her personal shopping cart tipped over blocking a lane in the the very busy street. I drove by and planned to pull over and call 911 because I didn’t know if she was dead or alive, when the fire and paramedics showed up.

After that, I thought the best course of action was to go home to my safe space and BREATHE.

To make best use of this intense energy, a full moon is a great time to manifest our dreams, honor the light within, and express gratitude.

And don’t forget to charge your crystals, especially with the super intensity of this solstice. I plan to take a walk around the lagoon at sunset and hope to see the moon rise at 7p.m.

Happy Summer!

“

A Shasta Daisy and The Fibonacci Sequence

Posted on by
2

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul.” – Luther Burbank

With no rain in sight, my plants are becoming thirsty and I have to water them so they don’t dry out. I stopped for a minute to contemplate the droplets on a perfectly perfect Shasta daisy.

Nature is amazing. Everything is related to everything. Nothing is simply what it seems.

Many flowers exhibit a petal count that corresponds to Fibonacci numbers. Shasta daisies have twenty-one. This is something I didn’t even know about until recently. If they taught it in school, it’s another one of those days when I wasn’t paying attention.

In the 13th century an Italian mathematician, Leonardo de Pisa, better known today as Fibonacci, published a book called Liber Abaci. He introduced a number sequence that became known as the Fibonacci sequence. Starting with 0 and 1, each new number in the sequence is the sum of the two before it.  0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377.

The golden mean or the golden ratio is a special number found by dividing a line into two parts.

The golden mean and the Fibonacci spiral are connected to life, even spiritual life. They can be found in nature in the number of petals of flowers, the way the tiniest stem
unfurls, in spirals in seashells, and more. 

The golden proportion of 1.618 is found in key proportions of the body in humans, animals, insects, and in DNA. Our perceptions of beauty support that phi is a factor in what we find attractive.https://energeticgeometry.com/

That’s a pretty weighty concept for my brain to absorb or even understand. The possibilities seem endless, one more mystery of the universe.

I’m an uncomplicated person. All I know for sure is that I love the way Shasta daisies spread to fill in the empty spaces like they fill my heart and make me happy.

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” – Theodore Roethke.

Lady Justice Prevailed With a GUILTY Verdict On All Counts

Posted on by
20

I don’t often write about political issues, but this is big news.

Have you heard?

On May 30th 2024, a jury of citizens in the state of New York convicted a former President of thirty-four felony counts.

There has been a full scale political assault on Lady Justice these past few years, but she’s still standing, proud and resolute.

In my opinion, the true crime is whatever the orange turd did to steal the election from Hilllary Clinton in 2016. He should have never been elected President.

I was a bit worried that the jury wouldn’t understand their task, but they did.

From the New York Times:

Donald J. Trump was convicted on Thursday of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign, capping an extraordinary trial that tested the resilience of the American justice system and will reverberate into November’s election.

From BBC News, here’s exactly how it happened when the jury returned to the courtroom with a verdict:

The judge walked into the courtroom shortly after 4:00 pm, and said he planned to dismiss the jury for the day in a half hour. Then he left to talk to them.

Passing the time, Mr Trump and his lead attorney, Todd Blanche, huddled together at the defence table laughing. They looked like old friends sharing a good joke – and Mr Trump’s shoulders even shook in a rare display of mirth.

But then, as time passed, the judge still had not returned.

A few minutes later, Justice Merchan arrived in a swoop of black robes, his face inscrutable.

The jury, he said, had a note. And a verdict. They had taken extra time to fill out required paperwork, but they were ready.

The atmosphere shifted. The only noise was the sound of reporters frantically typing.

“All rise,” a court officer said suddenly. “Jury entering”.

One by one, the twelve walked past Trump who rose along with the rest of the courtroom for their entrance.

Justice Merchan, in the same even tone he used throughout the trial, asked the jury to confirm they had a verdict.

They had, the foreperson said.

The first guilty verdict landed – the next 33 added a crushing weight.

Silent and still at the defence table, Trump kept his lips pursed as his lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove on either side of him, glanced sternly toward the judge.

As each juror verbally confirmed the decision to convict him, Trump turned his head in their direction and followed their faces one by one as they answered.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Trump with 34 counts of falsification of business records. He was guilty on all counts.

Prosecutors said that with Trump’s approval, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to stay silent just before his 2016 presidential run about an alleged sexual encounter. Trump then was accused of approving a fraudulent scheme to disguise the reimbursement to Cohen as legal expenses.

He pleaded not guilty and has denied having sex with Ms. Daniels.

On Thursday, Trump’s pursed expression remained unchanged after the verdict was read and his attorneys pleaded with the judge for acquittal, claiming Mr Trump’s former fixer had committed perjury with his damning testimony on the stand.

Denied, Justice Merchan said.

Can he still run for president?

Yes. The US Constitution sets out relatively few eligibility requirements for presidential candidates: they must be at least 35, be a “natural born” US citizen and have lived in the US for at least fourteen years. There are no rules blocking candidates with criminal records.

What could Trump’s sentence be?

Trump has been free on bail throughout the trial and this did not change after the verdict was read on Thursday.

The judge will have several factors to consider in sentencing, including Trump’s age. The sentence could involve a fine, probation or supervision, or possibly prison time.

The more pressing matter to discuss is how messed up this country is, how his cult of hatred attracted so many disturbed followers — and how we can make sure this never happens again.

It’s really scary to consider that millions of Americans were being brainwashed by a reality-TV host.

Do they need to be deprogrammed? Can they be deprogrammed?

From Vanity Fair, Steven Hassan, a former Moonie turned cult expert and author of The Cult of Trump, says the process will require not only empathy and individual family involvement but a wholesale change in how social media and information systems separate fact from dangerous fictions. “I would put undue influence or mind control as the number-two most important thing that we address for the planet,” he says. “Because otherwise authoritarianism, using social media, is a threat.”

At the end of the day, Lady Justice might be slightly tattered, but this time she was able to rally and stand for truth. We need more of this.

May’s Full Flower Moon

Posted on by
Reply

The Flower Moon reminds us that the most beautiful blossoms have deep roots — as this lunation is receiving a motivating push from subterranean planet Pluto, which could catalyze some deep emotional excavation. 

To honor this beautiful full moon, which the Lakota call “Moon Of The Green Leaves”, here are some of my favorite flower photos…

All photos by Enchanted Seashells

(Some content curated from Bustle)

Is “Of Course” The New “You’re Welcome”?

Posted on by
7

Of course!

I’ve become obsessed with observing how often people say “of course” in response to “thank you” or any other expression of appreciation. Have you noticed it, too?

For example, I was at the market and said thank you to the person who bagged my groceries. He said, “Of course.”

Later, a neighbor gave me a cool puzzle for the grandkids. I texted “thank you.” She responded, “of course”.

Someone else helped me find a particular section of rugs in TJ Maxx and when I told her I appreciated the help, she responded, “of course.”

This all happened in the same day because it seems as if no one says “you’re welcome” EVER –just “of course.”

Is it rude? Is it polite?

OF COURSE I did a little research…

Here’s the query: Is it rude to reply “of course”?

‘Of course’ by itself means obvious, expected. So when someone says ‘of course’ instead of ‘you’re welcome’, the feeling is “it’s obvious that I would do that because I want to do that’. It seems to be a friendly communication, BUT IS IT?

In fact, it’s a big search on Quora…

Why do millennials often say “of course” instead of saying “you’re welcome” when you thank them?

You can respond to someone who says “of course!” after you thank them by expressing your gratitude again or by acknowledging their kindness. For example, you could say “Thank you again, I really appreciate it” or “You’re so kind, thank you.” This shows that you value their response and appreciate their willingness to help.

What about people who respond “no problem” in response to “thank you”?

I like this following points of view:

“You’re welcome,” is the correct short answer. “Of course” implies entitlement. Even the currently popular, “No problem,” implies imposition.

Both of those answers imply “It’s all about me, not you.” I think it’s another sign, indicative of more and more egregious narcissistic behavior creeping into our society on a daily basis.

Regardless of the following ways to respond to “thank you” and you can call me old-fashioned, but I’m going to stick with “you’re welcome.” That’s the only one that feels right to me.

Do you say “no problem” or “of course” or are you like me and reply with a simple “you’re welcome”?

rachelsenglish.comhttps://rachelsenglish.com › youre-welcome

Today is World Naked Gardening Day!

Posted on by
4

The first Saturday in May is World Naked Gardening Day.

We’re encouraged to wear NOTHING but a sunhat and sunscreen, to pick up a trowel or a rake, and seed and weed au naturale.

Why garden naked? Our culture needs to move toward a healthy sense of both body acceptance and our relation to the natural environment. Gardening naked is not only a simple joy, it reminds us–even if only for those few sunkissed minutes–that we can be honest with who we are as humans and as part of this planet. and that’s also a definitely NOT ME, whether it’s “world wide” or “worldwide”! Curated from https://naturisteducation.org/wngd/

Today, you’ll find me in the garden, fully clothed, planting peas and beans and mixed leafy greens.

However, if YOU choose to celebrate in your birthday suit, DO NOT send pics!

Enjoy!

Interesting Facts About Germany: University of Göttingen (In English and German)

Posted on by
2

My son spent his junior year abroad at the University of Göttingen but never knew about some of its important historical connections.

Randomly, I found out about an interesting educator, Emmy Noether, from the early 1900s.

“What will our soldiers think when they return to the university and find that they are required to learn at the feet of a woman?”

That was the response of more than one (male) faculty member at the idea of Emmy Noether joining the University of Göttingen to teach mathematics in 1915.

Instead of receiving the title she deserved, Emmy spent years teaching courses, often under the name of a male faculty member.

The official hierarchy dictated that it was HIS course and she was an assistant. More egregiously, she wasn’t paid for her work; she relied on the support of her family to survive.

In 1919 she was permitted to officially teach and began receiving a small salary in 1922.

As a teacher, Emmy was known to speak loud and fast, for being generous and thoughtful, and genuinely cared about her students.

In addition to being an excellent teacher, she also made numerous significant contributions to research in mathematics and physics.

The other interesting fact about Göttingen is something I wasn’t aware of until I watched the Academy Award winning film Oppenheimer.

In 1926, the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer left Cambridge for the University of Göttingen to study under Max Born. Göttingen was one of the world’s leading centers for theoretical physics. (I didn’t know that fact, either!)

World War II interrupted the work and lives of most American physicists. In 1942, Oppenheimer was appointed to the Manhattan Project, code name for the project formed to develop an atomic bomb.

My son attended UofG to further his advanced degrees in Germanic languages and literatures, not the world of science.

Because I am THAT KIND OF MOM, I visited him while he was in Germany and spent a week there. I actually stayed in a visitors room in his dorm. This structure was built sometime during the cold war era, at least I think it was, because it was DISMAL and gray and cold and unwelcoming and the bathrooms were hardly luxurious – but it was fun to see the original Angel Boy in action and meet his classmates and friends.

Best of all, I got to be the obnoxiously proud mom as we did a lot of sight seeing and he was able to use his fluent German language skills all over the country.

Except for (and because of) the snowy blizzard debacle, it was a memorable Germany adventure.

A big thank you to Herr Professor Angel Boy for helping me properly translate my words.

Ein großes Dankeschön an Herrn Professor Angel Boy, der mir geholfen hat, meine Worte richtig zu übersetzen.
________________________________________________________________

Interessante Fakten über Deutschland auf Deutsch: Universität Göttingen

Mein Sohn verbrachte sein erstes Studienjahr im Ausland an der Universität Göttingen, wusste aber nichts über einige der wichtigen historischen Zusammenhänge.

Zufällig erfuhr ich von einer interessanten Pädagogin, Emmy Noether, aus dem frühen 20. Jahrhundert.

„Was werden unsere Soldaten denken, wenn sie an die Universität zurückkehren und feststellen, dass sie zu Füßen einer Frau lernen müssen?“

Das war die Reaktion mehrerer (männlicher) Fakultätsmitglieder auf die Idee, dass Emmy Noether 1915 an die Universität Göttingen kam, um dort Mathematik zu lehren.

Anstatt den Titel zu erhalten, den sie verdiente, unterrichtete Emmy jahrelang Kurse, oft unter dem Namen eines männlichen Fakultätsmitglieds.

Die offizielle Hierarchie schrieb vor, dass es SEIN Kurs war und sie eine Assistentin war. Noch schlimmer war, dass sie für ihre Arbeit nicht bezahlt wurde; Sie war auf die Unterstützung ihrer Familie angewiesen, um zu überleben.

1919 erhielt sie offiziell die Erlaubnis zu unterrichten und ab 1922 erhielt sie ein kleines Gehalt.

Als Lehrerin war Emmy dafür bekannt, laut und schnell zu sprechen, großzügig und rücksichtsvoll zu sein und sich aufrichtig um ihre Schüler zu kümmern.

Sie war nicht nur eine hervorragende Lehrerin, sondern leistete auch zahlreiche bedeutende Beiträge zur Forschung in Mathematik und Physik.

Die andere interessante Tatsache über Göttingen war mir erst bewusst, als ich den Oscar-prämierten Film Oppenheimer sah.

1926 verließ der Physiker J. Robert Oppenheimer Cambridge und ging an die Universität Göttingen, um bei Max Born zu studieren. Göttingen war eines der weltweit führenden Zentren für theoretische Physik. (Das wusste ich auch nicht!)

Der Zweite Weltkrieg unterbrach die Arbeit und das Leben der meisten amerikanischen Physiker. Im Jahr 1942 wurde Oppenheimer in das Manhattan-Projekt berufen, Codename für das Projekt zur Entwicklung einer Atombombe.

Mein Sohn besuchte die UofG, um seine weiterführenden Abschlüsse in Germanistik zu machen, nicht in der Welt der Naturwissenschaften.

Weil ich so eine Art Mutter bin, habe ich ihn besucht, als er in Deutschland war, und eine Woche dort verbracht. Ich wohnte tatsächlich in einem Besucherzimmer in seinem Wohnheim. Dieses Gebäude wurde irgendwann in der Zeit des Kalten Krieges erbaut, zumindest glaube ich, dass es so war, weil es trostlos und grau und kalt und abweisend war und die Badezimmer kaum luxuriös waren – aber es hat Spaß gemacht, seine Freunde zu treffen und den ursprünglichen Angel Boy in Aktion zu sehen.

Das Beste von allem war, dass ich die unglaublich stolze Mutter sein durfte, da wir viel Sightseeing machten und er seine fließenden Deutschkenntnisse im ganzen Land anwenden konnte.

Abgesehen (und wegen) des Schneesturm-Debakels war es ein unvergessliches Deutschland-Abenteuer.

Earth Day 2024 – Sustainable Living

Posted on by
2

I almost forgot that today is also the first night of Passover, so here’s a couple of suggestions to create a vegan Seder plate. Substitute a roasted beet for the roasted lamb bone (no one should be eating babies, anyway) and for the egg, try seeds or flowers, because they’re symbolic of spring and hold the potential for new life like an egg does.

Back to Earth Day, the theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics”.

Sustainable lifestyles are considered to be ways of living, social behaviors, and choices — that minimize environmental degradation (use of natural resources, CO2 emissions, waste and pollution) while supporting equitable socio-economic development and better quality of life, not only for us, but for future generations and Mother Earth.

That’s what I like to think I’m doing when I visit my favorite consignment shop (haha).

I attended the very first Earth Day celebration in 1970 at Balboa Park in San Diego with a crowd of about 70,000 people. The weather was beautiful, about 68 degrees, and I must have skipped school that Wednesday.

After all this time, I can’t remember who I went with or how I got there but I do recall walking from booth to booth looking for free stuff and having an unpleasant encounter with a San Diego cop, probably about being truant.

There is a vague recollection that I swore at him and he got all puffed up and intimidating, threatening to call my dad until I told him to go ahead, my dad was a lawyer…and then he walked away. Miss you, Daddy, and thank you!

Gaia, known as the mother goddess, was the personification of Earth. She’s described as a caring and nurturing mother figure to all of her children, plants, and other living creatures on this planet.

If we take care of Mother Earth, she’ll take care of us!

Here are some way to live a more sustainable lifestyle from the Center for Biological Diversity.

🌎  Think twice before shopping.
🌎  Ditch plastic and switch to reuse.
🌎  Take extinction off your plate.
🌎  Simplify the holidays.
🌎  Choose organic.
🌎  Ditch fast fashion and animal-based textiles.
🌎  Be water wise.
🌎  Drive less, drive green.
🌎  Green your home.
🌎  Boycott products that endanger wildlife.
🌎  Fight for the right to choose when and if to start a family.
🌎  Take action.
🌎  Use your voice.

Day of Reckoning | Doomsday

Posted on by
5

I’ve had a really tough last few days. My WiFi broke on Thursday– I mean really broke. and there was nothing that the telephone tech could do to fix it so I had to schedule an appointment for a real, live human to appear in person.

The even worse news is that no one can come until Tuesday. TUESDAY.

That’s a lifetime, right? Nowadays, to be without internet access grinds our lives to a complete stop. I’m not sure that it’s a great idea to be so reliant on this technology.

I thought I was really smart and tethered my computer to my phone’s cellular data until I got the message that I was using too much data, so I had to untether…unplug completely.

In some ways, this really feels like the end; doomsday, my own personal day of reckoning. I guess I didn’t realize how totally dependent I’ve become on the internet — in every aspect of my life. I confess that I felt a level of anxiety, stressed out because it was as if I was marooned on a desert island, cut off from the rest of the world.

I was lucky enough to still have a radio because I couldn’t listen to music any other way. It was like turning the clock back more than thirty years.

No computer, no social media.

I had disconnected from cable TV a while ago but no WiFi meant that I didn’t have Prime or Netflix or Roku and I was stuck with only a handful of local stations. Crazy.

I found a couple books to read but it didn’t take me very long to finish both of them. I polished all the furniture, I washed windows, I cleaned out the refrigerator. I worked in the garden. I actually got a lot done, much more than if I had wasted time on the internet.

Psychology Today says excessive use of the internet is known to negatively impact a person’s mental health. It has been associated with mental health issues, such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Cybersex and pornography hurts our minds, souls, and relationships in so many ways — it’s incredibly sad.

While the internet has completely revolutionized the way we live and work in the modern world and opened up opportunities, it’s also closed the world. I believe that, too.

The internet transformed communication, information dissemination, commerce, education, and social interactions in unprecedented ways, reimagining the way we live, work, and interact with one another.

In the old days, we used typewriters to write papers or letters — or we hand wrote them. If we wanted to read a book, we went to library — or the bookstore. There were no e-readers or digital downloads.

If we wanted to hear a song, we listened to it on the radio or we bought a vinyl record, tape, or disk.

If we wanted to watch a movie, we either went to the movie theater or watched whatever came on television, and later we had Blockbuster to rent movies, remember that?

Upon reflection (since I’ve had a lot of time to THINK) I think life was better because there was more one-on-one interaction. Being alive didn’t feel as disposable as it does now. We didn’t expect everything to happen instantaneously. We didn’t give up as easily on things. We didn’t discard things as quickly. We learned how to take care of them and mend them if they broke. We didn’t feel the need to rush out and buy the latest new thing that was being sold, and then obsessively track its every delivery movement. (That’s me.)

It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure. I only lasted three days before I packed up my laptop and drove to the (empty) city parking lot to access their free internet.

This is where I am right now, sitting in my car, typing away on their signal. After this, I think I might hit up Amazon and look for a new table runner to accent my now beautifully polished and shiny dining room table.

The pain is real. How long could YOU last unplugged?