CONSUMER ADVICE-TIPS-PRECAUTIONS

This article is written in the spirit of helping the consumer in many different areas but is slanted toward the satellite/cable service industry. It can apply to any type of service oriented or consumer purchase. These are things which are basically from a common sense point of view. They are things which one should always do but most take for granted and ASSUME that everything is as they were told.

Remember the old saying: "When you ASSUME something…you make an ASS out of U and ME." That is a saying I have never forgotten but not always applied in my life…being of a trusting nature…whether through being naive or simply gullible…I don't really know…a bit of both I suspect. Needless to say, it has cost me monetarily several times but working at a call center in 'customer service' brought it home so much that I have been compelled to compile this list of precautions, tips and advice to share with others. These are nothing which most people don't already know but can stand to be repeated as a reminder.

AUGUST GEMSTONES

Sardonyx

Peridot

Moonstone

Garnet

Amethyst

Onyx

Carnelian

Beryl

Ahhh…August…can you believe the summer is nearly over and we are over halfway through the year? Time sure does seem to be rushing right along.

This month's list of stones is above and the properties are below. As I have mentioned before, you may find an overlapping of stones and crystals between different months…it all depends upon the list you are checking. That is why I urge people to choose their stones by what they feel drawn to and not just because the jewelers or 'authorities' say certain stones are for certain months or birthdays. The lists are only for general purposes and do not take into account the current need of the individual…which may change throughout one's lifetime.

On old friend of mine, Tom Williams, just sent me a copy of the United Church of Christ's Pastoral Letter for July. While I rarely advocate for any particular church I was
impressed by this letter and wanted to share it with you. My favorite part:

"We confess that too often the church has been little more than a silent witness to evil deeds. We have prayed without protest. We have recoiled from the horror this war has unleashed without resisting the arrogance and folly at its heart. We have been more afraid of conflict in our churches than outraged over the deceptions that have killed thousands. We have confused patriotism with self-interest. As citizens of this land we have been made complicit in the bloodshed and the cries. Lord, have mercy upon us."

You can read the rest of the letter at The UCC Website

Greetings All :

Thanks for dropping by my blog pages here at American Metaphysics.

In another blog listing I have my active link for my auction listings at New Age Auction. Those auction listings are strictly for the metaphysically themed items along with my crystal and gemstone jewelry. I will be posting more on that site shortly...(am in the process of releasing a storage shed I have been renting for nearly 6 years now so am a bit busy...not to mention my on-going job search!)...but there are 19 listings right now, some with bids!!! Yea!!!!

The link for the New Age Auctions is:

www.newageauction.com/sites/lunardancer/

I have also listed items on another free auction site called GarageSaleForever. On that site, I will also have jewelry but will be including other useful or collectable items. It's free to join the site to bid and you may also decide you would like to sell something. (It's a good way to put things out there without having to spend a fortune like with the more popular auction site and using the PayPal is one of the most secure methods of payment available on-line)

If you do join, they gift you with $10.00 credit to be used toward additional features in auction listings such as gallery, icons, etc. The basic listings without the additional features is free. It can also be used toward your own store page, which is what I have done. Please use my user ID when signing up...(I get a $5.00 credit into my account for everyone who signs up with using me as a reference...and you can, too, once you get started!)

Be sure to read my intro on my Store Page to receive instructions on how you can save on S&H of BuyItNow items!

The link for my store on GarageSaleForever is:

www.garagesaleforever.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl

I realize that this may be a bit out of the norm with this site but it is a way of getting my handcrafted jewelry and other items out to the public in the most convenient and secure way possible at this time.

If there is any particular type of jewelry you would like to see or even have custom made for you, please feel free to contact me through my e-mail at:

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Make sure you put Custom Order Questions in the subject line so it does not get directed into the spam folder and I can get back with you as soon as possible. I can let you know if I have what you are looking for and what the price range would be.

How do you ask a man to be the last to die for a mistake?

It's a question that's been bandied about a lot recently. Politicians and pundits sit in comfortable chairs and, with dour faces and great gravity, ask, "How do you ask a man to be the last to die for a mistake?"

They ask it as if it was a reason to continue ahead - to put off the admission of a mistake. As is it is better to surge forward and keep digging rather than admit there was a mistake and one person will be the last to die because of it.

Is it easier to be the first to die for a mistake, or the second, or the fourth, or the four hundredth?

I would imagine being the second would be easiest. The second person to die from a mistake, most likely, would not know he was dying for a mistake. He would believe in the cause, without the added pressure of being the first. Those first brave soldiers, marching off to war, believing they die for a just cause. It would seem easier to die knowing you are defending those you love, your family and friends back home. You die so that they can live.

It would get harder as doubt starts to leak into your mind. Years may have passed and now you are fighting less for the people back home and more for the people around you. You fight for your buddies, your fellow soldiers, men and women you have spent more time with than with your wife or husband. "Home" isn't even real anymore. Home is where your head is and your head is at war.

How do you ask this man to die for a mistake - the man who knows he is dying for a mistake, even if that knowledge is just a faint glimmer of doubt? Will he die knowing not that he dies to protect those he loves, but that someone he loves will be next. The soldier standing next to him, someone he has spent nearly every minute with for weeks and months on end, may die minutes after he does. Does he fall knowing he will not be the last to die for a mistake?

How do you ask a man to be the hundredth to the last to die for a mistake? How do you ask him to be the second to last to die for a mistake? Would he resist? Would he rather be the last to die?

How would I feel to be the last man to die for a mistake?

Relief. I would feel relief that no one else would die. Relief that my buddies were safe. Relief that I was able to keep the man next to me from dying.

If I were asked to be the last man to die for a mistake I would accept the charge and feel relief.