BD-024 - Halloweenie
October 31, 2007
[Audio file republished 11/2/2007. Sorry, I didn’t realize how bad the original audio quality was until I played it back on my iPod. As a bonus, I added special sound effects at 38:30. Enjoy!]
Halloween recap and lessons learned. Hope you had fun.
[00:50] Entitled to candy?
[08:00] How I make my kids’ lives miserable.
[12:30] Why did Tigger go to the bathroom? (Listen to find out.)
[12:50] More costume changes than Madonna live.
[20:00] When I was a kid…
[32:00] Post-mortem — Monster Mash; punishment; ungrateful little monsters.
[38:50] Video recording tip
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Happy Halloween
October 31, 2007
I carved these! My first time.
Use Caution with Cosmetic Contact Lenses
October 29, 2007
Cosmetic contact lenses can be make your teens’ Halloween costume extra special. However, both the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Optometric Association advise consulting an eye care professional first.
Over-the-counter sales of non-prescription “plano” cosmetic lenses have been illegal in the United States since 2005. Yet decorative contacts are still widely available in retail stores, flea markets and online.
It’s not uncommon for teenage girls to even swap lenses with friends. Because they’re not educated on proper use and care of decorative contacts, they do not realize the harm that can result from improper use.
Contact lenses are classified as a medical device. Therefore it’s best to consult a professional so your teen can have fun and stay healthy.
What Companies Do With Your Credit Card Information
October 25, 2007
Last March, TJX, which operates more than 2,400 stores under names including TJ Maxx, Marshalls and A.J. Wright, acknowledged that account data for nearly 46 million consumers was stolen.
My wife shopped there once in 2005. Our bank notified me quickly after the story broke and issued us new cards. I was annoyed because that was the third time in roughly as many years that we had to get issued new cards.
The saga of bad data practices, assigning blame and denial just gets worse and worse. For example:
“Despite TJX having reported some 46 million consumers impacted by the massive data breach into its computer systems, new documents indicate that as many as 96 million consumers may have been affected, including about 29 million MasterCard victims and 65 million Visa victims, according to documents filed with the federal court in Boston Oct. 23.”
But the testimony of Visa’s Joseph Majka describes some 96 million impacted account numbers, with fraud occurring in 13 different countries.
Visa alone had calculated fraud losses at between $68 million and $83 million.
I love the convenience of carrying plastic. I use it for virtually every transaction over $10.
Reality is, every time you and I swipe a credit card at the checkout or at the pump, we have no idea where our data is being stored.
The card issuer (i.e. American Express, Visa, MasterCard) is likely to have massive data protection schemes in place. But what about the small retailer? Who has access to that data? What are they doing to protect your information?
Conversely, if you are a business owner/manager, what are you doing to protect your customer’s data? Are you collecting more than you should? How long are you keeping it? Is the data vulnerable to theft?
Take it from my experience. I’ve worked with data collection for major brands and routinely see sloppy behavior that puts personally identifiable information at risk. That behavior comes in all forms from the very top down to the bottom rung of the ladder, mainly due to ignorance. It can be as careless as emailing a spreadsheet with consumer contact info to putting files on a public file transfer Web server that many parties have unrestricted access to. So I tend to be conscientious about the overall issue of data security.
So what can you do about it?
Well, convenience comes with risk and trade offs. Simple decisions might keep you secure a bit longer.
- If the gas station seems seedy, pay with cash.
- Find out if your card company lets you create one-time use virtual card numbers for online purchases. You can limit the maximum amount that can be charged to the virtual number and set an expiration date.
- Teach your spouse, parents and children to use caution as well.
Be smart and stay safe.
-BD
Related Links:
TJX Breach More Than Twice As Bad As Reported
Data breach at TJX affected 94 mln accounts-suit
Who should store data, stores or credit card co’s?
Seven More Product Recalls
October 25, 2007
1. Children’s Metal Jewelry Recalled By WeGlow International Due to Risk of Lead Exposure
2. Dollar Tree Stores Inc. Recalls Children’s Jewelry Due to Risk of Lead Exposure
3. Serious Head Injuries Prompt Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats - New Warnings and Instructions to Be Provided To Consumers
4. Fisher Price Recalls Go Diego Go Boat Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
5. Jo-Ann Stores Expands Recall of Children’s Toy Garden Tools Due to Violation of Lead in Paint Standard
6. DecoPac Inc. Recalls Football Bobble Head Cake Decorations Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
7. Family Dollar Stores Recalls Halloween Pails Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
Details on all the above can be found at CPSC.gov
Save Time, Save Money While Christmas/Holiday Shopping
October 23, 2007
My wife and I no longer desire to visit brick and mortar retail stores, especially during the holiday buying season. In fact, Awesome Mom prides herself on completing nearly 100% of her Christmas shopping entirely online, without visits to the local mall.
With the breadth of eclectic products that can be purchased online, I’ve come to agree that online shopping truly can replace the tactile experience of in-store shopping. No more jammed parking lots, packed aisles and fuss. I can truly withdraw from society except for the occasional trips to the Post Office.
In the past, it crossed my mind that this might seem a bit impersonal. After all, gift giving should not be about obligation. Each gift should be thoughtfully paired to it’s recipient. While I struggle, my wife excels at that.
With that in mind I offer these shopping tips:
- Order now so you can get the size/color/style you want and take advantage of free shipping.
- When filling out online order forms, be sure to do a quick Google search on “promo codes” for the retailer. You’d be surprised how often you’ll find something (i.e. 5% off, $5 off, free shipping, etc.) to use at the online checkout.
- Signup and use Upromise.com. Login and click through to the online merchant to gain additional credits (i.e. 1-3%, etc.) towards your account.
- Check if the retailer is part of a family of brands that might offer a discount. For example, ThePopcornFactory.com is part of 1800flowers.com.
- Upromise users who also have a Citi Upromise MasterCard get 1% credit to their account on purchases made with participating merchants.
- Consider paying a few bucks extra to have the retailer ship the present to the recipient, especially if you are concerned you might not get it in time. That also saves you from having to wrap it. Your time is valuable, no sense adding more pressure on you the day before Christmas.
Point is, be a savvy shopper. Keep breathing. Try to relax. Stay sane…So you can enjoy the upcoming holidays.
Build an Awesome Scarecrow
October 22, 2007
If you’re up for a last minute project, do this one with the kids for Halloween.
