The Anti-eBay movement

As the international auction giant eBay stumbles and falls, some of the sellers who have carried it on their backs are moving on to simpler, cheaper venues. Virginia's Dream is one of those sellers.

Check out the booths available on Bonanzle!

Check out one which is open for business! Virginia's Dream has a new booth!

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Teach Your Teen Wise Money Management Habits

Learning about earning and paying is a lesson that cannot come too soon for a teenager. I have found the best way to teach money discipline was to open an account in "Bank Mom".

When my teens got their first jobs, they brought their checks to me. I "deposited" the money into their computer checking account. They wrote their withdrawals into a blank check register I had given them. I had explained how to balance a checkbook.

Every time they spent (had money from my wallet), I debited their accounts. Soon, they began to see the correlation between "movie money" and the hours that had to be worked to earn the money.

This was the most important part of the lesson. It opened their eyes to the money we spent on their behalf.

Their first NSF fees taught them that overdrawing is not only bad for the budget, but bad for their credit. "Bank Mom" does not pay interest (allowance) for 30 days after having an overdrawn accounts. "Bank Mom" also does not lend money to persons with overdrawn accounts.

One or two loans from their loan shark uncle (who is the same age and charges 100% interest, per week) taught them how expensive borrowing money could be.

By seventeen, it was time to try it for real. I gave them the option of checks with or without a debit card. The oldest wanted that debit card. After her first NSF fees, she cut the card into pieces that would slip through a strainer. She has sworn off credit cards of all types. Now she is content to write a check for her insurance and purchase postage stamps from change in her wallet to mail it on time.

Our next learned from her sister. She meticulously balanced her checkbook every time she wrote a check, and at the end of each page, ciphered with a calculator to be certain she had not made a mistake.

She now has her first credit card, but keeps a check register in her purse to balance her card after each purchase. She has already learned to keep 10% of her balance available for such things as annual fees, interest, insurance and finance charges.

Both have been bombarded with credit card offers and loan offers from various banks and finance companies. Fortunately for us, they have politely shredded such junk mail. Both have learned to manage money.

Like every lesson your child will learn, some will have to be learned the hard way. At the end of the day, knowing that they are keeping their credit safe helps us sleep better.

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Punishment for cyber crime

Cyber crime never entered the minds of the founding fathers, yet its prevalence has far outpaced the laws that govern it. Virtual crime is not provable under most criminal statutes. So what should be done?

Crimes of theft are punishable according to the value of the items stolen and the violence of the manner in which they were stolen. Theft of information presents the cyber criminal with the perfect loophole. The defense argues that words have no value and sitting in front of a keyboard typing is not violent. The veracity of those statements can be disproved easily.

If the information had no value, why did the hacker take money for the information? If the act was not violent, why are the ramifications of the action devastating to the victims?

Intellectual property laws protect only work product such as research and creative endeavors. An address is not considered work product, and is not protected. So what of the hacker who steals addresses from jewelry stores and sells them to jewel thieves? They are guilty of the facilitation of a crime, should one be committed, yet their actions are not criminal in and of themselves.

To sew this loophole closed would not require the drafting of years' worth of new legislation, but instead the adaptation of existing laws in minute ways. Consider the addition of the verbiage "or any personal, medical, corporate or financial information" to the standard property theft laws. This would encompass nearly all current cyber theft crime.

Take away the water that the phisherman bait with enticing emails. Phishing is the same crime as attempted robbery, larceny or burglary. Dropping a few phisherman behind bars, with payment of restitution and fines required, would reduce the number of retirees and barely-computer-literates parting with pensions and savings. Current mail fraud statutes should be expanded with the inclusion of "or electronic means". Another seam in place.

Defense will argue then that the crime was not committed in the jurisdiction of the Court prosecuting the defendant. With the simple addition of the verbiage "against any person, persons or corporate entity within the jurisdiction" to the standard theft laws. Another hole disappears.

Extradition will be the last stumbling block left to the global community. Should not the contract of all whose access the Internet include a clause whereby the user agrees that such access will not be against the laws of the jurisdiction of the sites to which the user visits? These laws are beginning to look less like a net.

With the addition of cyber crime to the existing laws, hackers who would never dream of robbing a store will not dream of robbing a database. Punishments would be equal for cyber crime as they are for flesh and blood crime.

What of the victims? The United States has laws governing the dissemination of pornography to minors and laws that protect the victims that are lured off of the Internet into flesh and blood crime. What about the victims whose credit has been thrashed? Restoration of their credit is the least that can be done for these victims, but the restoration of their reputation cannot be accomplished. What of their hardship while they had not the credit to conduct their lives?

Interpol's adoption of these laws would enable jurisdictions to successfully prosecute the civil actions under these laws. NATO's endorsement of these laws would add more venom to the punishments. As a global community, it is high time that we act as one to protect our citizenry, regardless of location.

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Credit Scores: Fair or Unfair?

To weigh the system of credit ratings, the simplest path is pros vs. cons. Let's look at some factors that do figure into the credit rating, and then the ironic ones that do not.

Pro (Expensive)
1. Those that carry credit balances with timely payments have a high score.

Con
1. Those who pay cash and never incur debt have a low score or no score.
2. Those who have credit, but choose not to use it have lower scores.

Pro (Myth)
2. High credit scores are indicative of credit worthiness.

Con
3. High credit score can be maintained while living paycheck to paycheck.
4. Annual earnings are not calculated into a credit score.

Pro (Myth)
3. Inquiries do not hurt your credit rating.

Con
5. More than 3 credit inquiries in six months, including comparison shopping for a loan, detracts from the credit score.
6. More than 6 inquiries within one year, including insurance and employment inquiries, detract from the credit score.

So far, the cons are outweighing the pros two-to-one. The fact is bared that the current calculation of credit scores hurts more innocent people than it helps. Here are some examples:

Cash and Carry
After spending the first 25 years of his life paying for everything he owned by saving and paying in full, John Creditseeker finds out that he does not qualify for a mortgage when he marries his college sweetheart. Despite his showing a substantial income and no debt, credit for the home will not be issued because the bank does not see his credit worthiness.

Catch 22
John's wife, Jill, applies for a credit card after the wedding to have in the event of an emergency. Jill is denied. Why? Like her love, she has always bought with her checkbook. Living within her means effectively does not make her a candidate for credit. How should she get credit, if she does not have any in the first place?

Mistakes happen...
Except at the credit bureau. To have negative information put onto a credit report requires a bill and a "debtor's" social security number. Removal of erroneous negative information requires an act of God. If a creditor misreports your address, it remains on your credit report permanently. Removing inaccurate personal information requires many affidavits. Ironically, the creditor did not have to jump through rings of fire to get the negativity there.

So what are the rewards of the credit system? Staying in debt, but timely paying interest will win you a great credit score. Are you scratching your head? Here's why.

Banks issue you credit. Banks pay the credit bureau for your credit report (profit). You pay interest to the bank (profit). If you pay off your credit before the bank makes back the money they spent on paperwork and your credit rating, your credit suffers...you are hurting their bottom line by protecting your own.

Although the credit report will list the last employer that someone else (not you) reported to them, no where in any of their equations is a variable to be filled with your salary.

By all measures, the only entities that benefit from the current credit rating systems are those who profit from it and those who pay to keep a high credit score (interest).

How fair can a credit rating calculation system be that never once considers your ability to pay? In a word: Not.

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Why Employers Check Credit Reports

Most people find the idea of a potential employer checking their credit to determine job eligibility morally repugnant. Let's take a walk in the employer's shoes to understand.

An average corporation that screens potential employees shells out more than $1,000 before the applicant punches the clock the first time. Depending on the position, it can take as long as a year of productive service from the employee before this money is recouped. Just like every business, they want a return on the investment.

It should be obvious why drug screens are a determining factor in getting a job. Substances that alter the motor skills and judgment of an applicant can put that person, other people and property in danger. History bares that substance users were to blame for the majority of workman's compensation and corporate injury claims prior to pre-employment drug screening.

What is the harm in a credit report? Look at the history. Those with a disparate amount of debt to the potential income of the job will be in financial straits. This makes the employee more susceptible to opportunities to supplement his income. Do you see a red flag yet? Look more closely.

Employees with more than one job are more likely to be absent and tardy given their scheduling. This lost time represents lost productivity for the employer and insufficient return on their investment.

Potential employees may only have no criminal history because prior employers chose not to prosecute. People who are in debt or poor, even with a job, are more likely to steal than those that are comfortably living within their means. Even theft of company supplies represents a loss to the employer.

What about those with poor payments histories? That does not affect their professional skills, but it does testify to their ability to complete assignments. Debts are resultant of contracts where a service or product is provided with the promise of later payment. Potential employees who default on promises have a higher probability to fail to meet deadlines and expectations.

What about inquiries? If a potential employee has had multiple inquiries into her credit within six months of her application, the reasons for the inquiries are another red flag to a human resource director.

When applicants have attempted to obtain additional credit, many times it is indicative of a failure to steward their finances properly. This is more negatively punctuated when the credit is refused.

Applicants with many potential employer inquiries are a different risk. This person either does not stay on the job very long or has been such a poor candidate that he has not been chosen for other positions. Both instances are a warning to potential employers.

As an employer, would you trust someone who cannot manage her own finances to be in a position of responsibility that could negatively impact your finances?

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Identity Theft: Protect yourself at Home

Much of what is thrown in the trash can point an identity thief's telescope into our lives. But you have the power to blacken the lens.

Junk mail, prescription bottles, receipts and packaging to products allow identity thieves a chance to pretend to be us. These are the primary steps to protecting your personal identity from thieves.

1. Shred or tear up junk mail. Credit card offers are the number one way that identity thieves pick their victims. Before tossing that offer into the trash, make it unusable to a thief. Dispose of half in the main trash can and half in the bathroom trash. This way it cannot be reassembled easily to use the telephone options.

2. Follow the Federal law when disposing of prescription bottles. Remove all labels from the bottles, destroy the labels and dispose of labels and bottles in different receptacles. This keeps the thieves from being able to access your medical records and commit fraud.

3. If not keeping receipts from the stores or the bank, shred them. The best practice to keeping thieves from gaining access to your identity is to keep receipts and file them. If throwing them away, shred them first.

4. Voided checks must have portions removed to prevent identity theft. Remove the name plate and shred. Remove bank name, security identifier (located above the date line), amount box, a portion of both the routing number and the account number, signature line and payee. Dispose of the pieces in separate locations so that the check may not be reassembled.

5. Expired credit cards should be cut into no less than four pieces. As with checks, dispose of the pieces separately.

6. If receiving narcotics or insulin from a mail order service, destroy the packing slip completely. Dispose of the shipping carton separately from the inner packing after removing and destroying the labels from both.

7. Detailed usage of telephone bills should be kept at least three years. When disposing of them before then, shred the bills into small enough pieces that they cannot be reassembled.

8. All receipts and bills from loans should be kept for at least three years and destroyed before disposal.

9. All explanations of benefits (EOB) should not be disposed in trash intact. Separate identifying information from the body of the EOB prior to placing in trash.

10. Credit reports should be shredded when no longer of use.

If you feel you have not been able to sufficiently destroy or shred papers before their disposal, pour ammonia into the trash. Ammonia will react with most all vegetable inks and make them unreadable and unusable.

Don't let your trash can be a treasure chest for identity thieves.

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Identity Theft: Protect your Children

Protecting your child from identity theft is even simpler than protecting yourself. With a few basic precautions, your child can be assured that at 18, a clean credit slate will await.

1. Do not have the child's full name printed in the birth announcement. Make sure that the hospital announcement also does not include the middle names of the parents or the birthplace of either parent.

Identity thieves will often trawl newspapers for names of infants. Within three months of getting the name, they will apply for a replacement social security card for the child. Once they receive it, thieves are off to the proverbial races racking up debt in the child's name. Although this method proves more often than not difficult for the thieves, one success in fifty tries makes it worthwhile.

2. Do not copy your child's social security card or birth certificate. Never scan either of these documents and store them on your computer's hard drive. Worm thieves can get these documents while you surf the Internet.

If someone needs to see the card or the certificate, bring it in person. Do not allow them to copy the documents either. Most states have laws prohibiting the unauthorized copying of birth records. If an agency needs a copy, procure and present a certified copy from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in your state.

Federal law prohibits the copying of a Social Security card under any circumstance. Inform whomever believes that they need a copy that they may not have one.

3. Do not carry your child's identification in your wallet. Purse snatchers and pick pockets sell the identification to identity thieves. If you are going to a place where you will need your child's identification, transport it in the glove compartment and walk it inside in an envelope.

4. Store all of your child's identification in a fireproof box in your home. Home invasion theft of fireboxes is on a decline in the United States. To lower your risk, place the box in a kitchen or utility room cabinet where a thief is unlike to look for anything of value to steal.

5. Do not give out your child's Social Security number without knowing in advance: A. Why you must supply the number. B. How will the number be protected. C. When will the record of the number be destroyed. D. How many people will have access to the number. E. How will you be notified in the event of an information breach. If you feel that this is a legitimate need, and that they have answered your questions sufficiently, you may transmit the information verbally.

Be aware that health insurance companies prefer to have the social security number of the patient. Doctor's offices will ask for the information as well. Doctors collect this information to report non-payment only. You do not have to give your child's number to either. As the responsible party for the transaction, they may use yours to record any payment issues.

Most medical non-payment reporting is done on a patient basis. If the doctor's office has your child's Social Security number, the likelihood that your child's credit may suffer for any late payment you may make is more than tripled.

You have the ability to help secure your child from identity theft. Don't be afraid to exercise your rights.

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Prevent Online Identity Theft: The Basics

From phishing to pharming, the Internet is a hotbed rife with cyber-crime that nets more than drug trafficking: US$105,000,000,000. Try these easy steps to protect yourself from identity theft.

Personal Information
Never give your personal identity information online except to actual (flesh and blood, not virtual) friends.

If you trust your vendor, you may choose to share. Always opt out of optional mailings when you do, though. This information could pass to a third party without the vendor's knowledge or your consent.

Separate Email
Use separate email addresses for personal exchanges (like correspondence with actual friends) and shopping. Always use your non-personal email to sign up for services.

Public Sites
Avoid posting on news groups, social networks or other public sites. A public site is one with 100% free access and generally has no moderation.

Email Attachments
Do not open or run email attachments you did not expect to get or were not sent by a person you actually know.

Password Strength
Increase password security by using more than six characters, never using real words or common abbreviations and incorporating capital letters, numbers and allowable punctuation. A good password example is "R5jm2&Wq67g".

Never give your password to anyone or write it down.

Financial Information
Never give financial information in pop-up windows, instant messages or emails. Never click links inside them. Instead, go directly to the site with your browser to sign in or call the customer service telephone number provided by the legitimate site, not the missives, to verify any requests for information.

Payment Services
Use a third party payment service. The most popular and trusted are PayPal, Google Checkout and Amazon Payments. These companies hide financial information from vendors.

Secure Websites
Use secure websites with "https:" at the beginning of the URL. They will display a padlock icon in your web browser's frame. Be warned: The lock can be counterfeited.

Receiving Email
Know your sender's email address. Be very suspicious of generically addressed email and dubious addresses. Legitimate emails will contain your user name and the appropriate website identification. They will come from only one email address, which will be supplied to you by the website.

Save It
Back up all important files. Never store copies of identifying documents or personal identification on your hard drive.

Security Software
Install an anti-virus, anti-spyware program and network firewall for added protection, especially for all computers with operating systems prior to Microsoft Windows XP service pack 2. Update these programs regularly. This means every 25 times you access the Internet.

The best defense is a good offense. Keep your guard up. With cyber-crime, there is no such thing as "too careful". Parents may be the "anti-drug", but you are your own "anti-electronic identity theft device".

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Homeowner's Insurance and Identity Theft

Homeowner's insurance does not cover identity theft until you add coverage, an endorsement or rider to your policy.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), nearly nine million Americans fall prey to identity theft each year. The average victim must spend $1,200 and 175 hours to undo the damage. The FTC promotes a program called "Deter. Detect. Defend." You must deter and detect, but you can use your homeowner's insurance to defend.

Identify theft homeowner's insurance can help if your identity is stolen by reimbursing you for costs you incur repairing the damage. Costs can include long distance telephone bills, mailing costs, pre-approved legal fees and lost wages. Most policies, however, do not cover against financial loss and only reimburse you for money you have already spent.

At $25 to $99, identity theft homeowner's insurance is not particularly expensive. Each policy varies by company. Read the exclusions to understand precisely what the policy will cover.

What do identity theft homeowner's insurance policies usually cover?

Reimbursable expenses: Policies will routinely cover expenses to repair the damage to your credit if your identity is stolen. It will reimburse for reapplication fees for denied loans, credit report fees, notary fees, document replacement costs, mailing costs and long distance telephone calls to credit bureaus, financial institutions and credit bureaus.

Attorneys fees: When it becomes necessary to hire an attorney, most policies require the legal fees to be pre-approved and provided by a contracted attorney. Know in advance if your policy covers attorney's fees. Some policies will not cover an attorney.

Lost wages: To recover from identity theft takes time. The agencies and companies you will contact will likely need to speak to you when you would normally be at work. Employers do not pay for you to take care of personal business. When possible, get a identity theft homeowner's insurance policy which will reimburse you for lost wages.

What does identity theft homeowner's insurance not cover?

Financial loss: Insurance companies expect the financial institutions and credit card companies to recover the financial losses when identity thieves incur fraudulent charges.

Late and over limit fees: Credit card companies are expected to remove these fees when presented with evidence of identity theft.

NSF charges: Banks are expected to remove non-sufficient funds charges from accounts which have been fraudulently opened or emptied.

Upfront expenses: You have to pay and provide receipts for your expenses without reimbursement until after your deductible is met. Insurance will not pay upfront for expenses.

What do I need to know?

Deductible: Choose a low deductible. The FTC reports in the majority of cases individuals spend less than $500 in covered expenses. Make sure the deductible is low.

Coverage: Find out what you will need to restore your credit. Make sure you have enough coverage for your expenses.

Overlap: Find out what losses are not covered. Your credit card provider and bank have coverages for certain thefts. You will not be reimbursed for your expenses if their insurance overs the loss.

Do I need identity theft homeowner's insurance?

While everyone is a potential identity theft victim, some are at higher risk. Those who make more than $150,000 per year, who make less than $15,000 and between 18 and 29 suffer the greatest losses from identity theft and are at the greatest risk.

High income earners have and use more credit, giving more opportunities to identity thieves. Low income earners are not able to afford to repair their credit, which prolongs the financial suffering. College students and young adults are least likely to take appropriate measures to protect their identities, such as shredding personal information and maintaining adequate online safeguards to protect their identities.

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What do I need to know about homeowners insurance?

Homeowner's insurance is a necessity and mandatory for most homeowners. It will automatically cover the home against fire, theft and most natural disasters, but there are important exceptions. Choose the correct coverage for homeowner's insurance to protect your largest investment.

Dwelling: Covering your actual home is the basic protection of homeowner's insurance. To adequately cover your dwelling, experts suggest a minimum of 125% of the cost of your home. Although your home may be worth $100,000, to rebuild it in the event of a fire is likely to cost more. This disparity is called "replacement cost".

Outbuildings: Do you have a detached garage or workshop? Unless specifically covered, homeowner's insurance does not consider outbuildings part of your dwelling. Without an outbuilding rider, an exception or addition to your policy, these buildings and their contents will not be covered even if the dwelling is.

Personal Property: The rider for personal property is also called "content" insurance because it covers your personal belongings inside the insured home. While this covers furniture, clothing, sundries and household goods (like cookware), limitations apply which require additional riders. Computers, electronics, art, jewelry and home office equipment will have a coverage limit.

Liability and Family Liability: If someone else is hurt or their property lost or damaged because of a covered event, this homeowner's insurance feature covers the expenses you would legally be obligated to pay. You have a house fire, and the neighbor's car is damaged by the fire. This coverage will replace your neighbor's car, if you have sufficient coverage. It will not cover auto accidents.

Personal Medical: When someone has an accident on your property, you are liable for their medical expenses. Homeowner's insurance covers a portion of those expenses. Be certain to have enough personal medical coverage to pay for common accidents, like trips and falls. It does not cover medical expenses arising from an auto accident.

While the coverages above are standards choices when choosing homeowner's insurance, the following are not. These coverages are in addition to your policy.

Extended personal property: These riders will cover your belongings when you own more than the standard coverage amount. Consider buying additional coverage if you have an extended art collection, expensive jewelry, home theater system, designer kitchen, several computer systems or memorabilia collections, which cannot be replaced with the standard personal property coverage.

Business riders: Do you have a home office? Homeowner's insurance does not cover home offices without a rider. Protect your computer, fax machine and office equipment and supplies.

Portable electronics: This homeowner's insurance rider is offered by some insurers to cover items like cell phones, portable fax machines and laptop computers which you will take away from your home.

Identity theft: Identity theft threatens your ability to pay for your home. Homeowner's insurance companies recognize this. Identity theft protection covers losses through credit card fraud, unauthorized loans and other forms of identity theft.

Flood insurance: Floods are not covered by homeowner's insurance. Homes in flood plains often are not eligible for this rider. Homes off a flood plain are normally eligible against flash floods, water damage from broken public water sources and other floods. Check with your local zoning office and insurer to see if you qualify for flood insurance.

Once you've chosen coverage, get the correct deductible for your policy. You will have to spend the deductible amount if you have a claim. Choose a deductible you will be able to pay out of pocket.

Do shop around for rates. Companies vary on reputation, coverages, rates and exlusions. Read the policy before you sign to know exactly what is covered by your homeowner's insurance and what is not.

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Rural America copes with food prices

Kershaw, October 3 (One World) Rural America is making tough decisions in the face of rising food costs. Choices include where to buy, what and when to eat and whether to eat at all.

Known for homegrown vegetables and farmer's markets, rural towns like Kershaw, South Carolina, are returning to their farming roots. Independent Grocer's Association (IGA) Foodliner is changing the way it buys produce for it customers.

Rather than relying on regional corporate suppliers, the grocery store is buying produce locally to offer affordable foods. Foodliner's manager says, "We have to offer local produce to lower costs to keep from throwing away the food we cannot sell."

Luxury food items, like higher priced cuts of meat and seafood, are not selling as well as they did last year. On the other hand, less expensive alternatives are selling out. Canned tuna, potted meats and beans are selling faster than ever before. Residents are looking for cost effective alternatives to fresh meats.

He could not state how much the change in his sales can be credited to gas prices. "I know I am seeing some people who used to shop out of town. Now, they can't afford the gas to drive that far."

In the local newspaper, The Kershaw News-Era, ads for farm animals have doubled in the last three months. Breeders are advertising goats, chickens, pigs and cattle as a food source rather than as pets.

Turkey and poultry farm owners are answering local demand for immediate access to products. To cut shipping costs, farms are selling packaged poultry and eggs at the processing plants directly to the public.

Handmade signs line the residential roads advertising fresh fruits and vegetables for sale. Local residents allow anyone to stop and buy their home-grown wares. In the past, these foods would have been canned and given to friends and family.

Today, families are selling these foods to make ends meet. They cannot afford to give any away. Some gardeners gather on vacant corners of crossroads with ice chests filled with vegetables for sale. One lifelong seller says, "This used to be a hobby. Now, I need the money to put food on my own table."

Family Feed & Seed is seeing more sales this summer in seeds and nursery plants. The owner, Mark Rosengrant says, "When the plant is a dollar and one tomato is a dollar, no wonder everyone wants plants." Rosengrant says that he sees more new faces every week looking for a way to save money at the grocery store.

Kershaw Area Resource Exchange (KARE) has begun opening its doors three times per week to meet the community needs. The KARE food bank distributes three times more food stores than its previous high since opening its doors.

KARE director, Mike Hilton says, "With the rising costs of gas, energy and food, more families need our help to feed their children." Hilton says that families need monetary help because they are making choices to pay bills or buy food since they cannot afford to do both.

One KARE recipient says, "I need food for my kids. I paid the electric bill so they wouldn't turn it off. If I go hungry, that's one thing, but I have to feed my kids."

Another came on behalf of her 86 year old mother. "Mama can't keep the lights on, go to the doctor and buy food. At least [KARE] will give her some food."

The change in food spending is evident in the health changes of the community. At-risk senior citizens are being treated more often at Sentinel Health Partners for ailments like shingles, anemia and malnutrition. Influenza is expected to be a larger concern this year based on nutrition-related immune deficiencies.

Adult residents are losing weight. One of the clinic doctors says, "It is not a conscious decision for most of these folks. They simply don't have as much to eat."

Children are not growing at the same rate. The doctor attributes this to smaller portions at the dinner table. "It is hard to get parents to admit that their children are not getting enough to eat."

School cafeteria worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, says, "The children eat all their lunch no matter what we serve. Even the picky eaters are cleaning their plates." This could be considered a benefit: Children are receiving and eating a balanced meal at least once per day.

The elementary schools report that more children are eating breakfast at school. Parents have weighed the cost of school breakfast versus buying and preparing the food themselves. School breakfast is cheaper.

Area restaurants do not win the same battle. Fewer people are dining out. The average cost for a family of four to eat at a restaurant is $38.00. A well-budgeted, balanced meal for four at the grocery store is $13.00. In combination with homegrown foods, the same meal is as low as $7.00.

Rural America is choosing to shop smarter, grow its own food or do without it.

Author's note: Many people interviewed for this piece were unwilling to allow their names or quotes in print. Each described the strife over food prices and hunger as demoralizing, inhumane and shameful. Revealing publicly the inability to feed oneself is too great for most.

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Rural America copes with oil prices

Rising oil prices are isolating rural America. Small town way of life is in the throes of death.

Rural America is known for long-time residents who rely on slow rising gasoline prices to reach the supplies they need to sustain itself from month to month. The rising cost of oil is crippling these towns.

Kershaw, South Carolina is a prime example of a rural town of 2,500 residents. They travel once or twice per month to neighboring cities to buy the items not available in the small town. Many commute to the city to work.

Workers are moving closer to the jobs. Sheila Hinson, local Realtor, said, "My business is booming in the city, but hurting in Kershaw." She cannot sell the homes left behind.

"I have to go to town once a month now because I cannot afford the gas. I had to buy a bigger freezer," said Mary Johnson, of Johnson & Johnson. This local merchant has to open her store more hours despite doctor's orders in treatment her Parkinson's disease.

A Rite-Aid Pharmacy employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, "We are filling less prescriptions. The senior citizens cannot afford to come get their medicine."

Daycare centers have waiting lists for the first time. Families that have always been one-income, now demand two incomes to make ends meet.

Children are suffering the cost of gasoline as well. School buses are prohibited from running air conditioning units. School boards are to vote by summer's end on the temperature in the classrooms this fall.

School commutes are hurting residents. Katherine Long, University of South Carolina (USC) student said, "I had to cut my class schedule because I cannot afford to drive to Columbia more than twice per week." USC is 50 miles from Kershaw.

Lancaster County Library has cut routes the Book Mobile has traveled for the last twelve years. Chief librarian said, "With the cost of gas, we are looking for ways to cut the budget."

Meals-on-Wheels has operated in Kershaw from the Lancaster office since it was founded. Meals have not been delivered to Kershaw since oil was $103.00 per barrel in February, 2008.

Other charities are struggling to meet the community's needs. When asked for a charity donation, H&H Chevrolet dealership owner Annette Hinson replied, "People cannot buy cars, and business has been so off that I cannot afford to give."

Many residents are buying golf carts to drive around town. Town drivers are more frequently sharing the road with motor scooters from local motor sports shops.

Life-long resident Kenny Roberts said, "Gas is too high. I can't go see everyone I help." He hauls garbage for the elderly and delivers food from Buffalo Baptist Church to its shut-in members.

Businesses are closing that have been supporting Kershaw for the last 25 years. "I cannot afford to drive here anymore," said business owner Marcus Bailey of Bailey's Pottery and Antiques. He is a resident of the smaller town Heath Springs, seven miles from Kershaw.

Kershaw owned and operated swimming pool is seeing fewer students and members. Residents are investing in above ground pools, splitting the cost with neighbors.

With the continued loss of tax base, Town Council member Rose Marie Baker said, "If something does not change, the only choice we will have is to raise taxes." The first reading of the 2008-2009 budget revealed the largest increase in Kershaw history with no significant increase in services.

Kershaw Mayor Tommy Baker is open to suggestions and solicits them before each Town Council meeting. "Kershaw needs more support from the county," he said.

Main Street business owners that remain have banded together to produce a business-oriented festival to draw more potential residents and business to Kershaw. Owners are not willing to let their small town die under the weight of rising gasoline prices.

The trickle-down effect of rising oil prices on rural America is the isolation of small town residents. They cannot afford to live the way they always have.

Elderly residents are suffering for lack of service which has sustained them in the past and the inability to get the medicine they need. Families have changed home life to support the cost of gasoline to make ends meet. Children are exposed to heat unnecessarily. Young workers are moving away.

The cost of oil is too great when it kills small towns.

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Blog on the move....

Check out the new publications stemming from this blog....

Kids & Cars: Child Driveway Safety Tips

Vehicle Fires: Why They Happen & What to Do

Seat Belts on School Buses: Why the Law Should Change

Read more content by Ann Marie Dwyer by visiting any of these links. Comment on what you read! Add a tweet to your twitter about VA's Dream!

Just a look ahead...........

More money saving tips
More environmental tips
More consequences to rising prices

After that, I will be beginning an in depth look into the plight of rural America. Stay Tuned!

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Recycling for lower gas prices

The production of recyclable materials consumes more fossil fuel than all of the cars in the United Sates. Plastic production consumes more than 8% of all fossil fuels worldwide.

By reducing the amount of virgin polythene for plastic containers, glass from sand & feldspar, fresh paper from trees, and aluminum, tin and steel cans from ore, everyone can control fuel consumption by recycling. By exercising the law of supply and demand, consumers have direct control over the cost of their own energy consumption, both electric and gasoline.

~ Recycling aluminum cans consumes 96% less energy than producing from ore, produces 95% less air pollution and produces 97% less water pollution.

~ Recycling one glass bottle will light a 100 watt light bulb for 4 hours. Producing glass from recycled glass reduces solid waste by 75% and air pollution by up to 20%.

~ Recycling one ton of plastic bottles reduces oil consumption by 1.8 tons. Recycling one pound of PET plastic (soda & water bottles) saves 12,000 BTU of energy. Recycling one plastic bottle conserves enough energy to fuel a 60 watt light bulb for almost six hours.

~ Recycling one ton of paper saves 380 gallons of oil- enough to drive a car 1,260 miles- and conserves 4,077 kilowatt hours of energy or enough to heat and cool an average American home for 6 months.

~ Recycling the 39,000,000 appliances last year produced enough steel to build 160 football stadiums. Of the 100,000,000 steel and tin cans used in America everyday, enough cans are thrown away to build all of the cars in America.

Plastic production is the single largest consumer of oil at 8% of the world's total oil consumption. Recycling of one-tenth of American HDPE bottles (detergent, milk and shampoo bottles) would keep 200,000,000 pounds of solid waste out of land fills and all of the gasoline necessary to transport it.

Aluminum recycling of one ton of cans will conserve 12,725 kilowatt hours, equal to the amount of the electricity used in the average American home in 10 years. This energy is the equivalent to 2,350 gallons of gasoline, or enough to drive a new car 82,250 miles.

Producing glass from only 50% post consumer recycled glass saves 1,330 pounds of sand, 151 pounds of feldspar, 433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone and 288 pounds of mining waste, as well as all of the fuel necessary to transport and process these materials.

Of the 62,000,000 newspapers printed today, 44,000,000 will be thrown away- the equivalent of 30,000,000 trees. Recycling one ton of paper reduces the use of processed energy by a minimum of 64% in addition to the savings of the fuel consumed by transporting and processing the trees.

Steel and tin recycling currently saves enough electrical energy each year to light Los Angeles (18,000,000 homes) for eight years. Recycling one car saves 1,400 pounds of coal, 120 pounds of limestone, 2,500 pounds of iron ore and all of the fuel to mine and transport the raw materials.

Take on oil companies by reducing the need for oil. One recycled aluminum can will save enough gasoline to fill the can half full, and recycling one six pack of aluminum cans would save enough gasoline to drive 5 miles. Producing plastic grocery bags from recycled plastic reduces energy consumption by 67%.

Recycling is more than just conserving the air, trees, coal, natural resources and oil on Earth. It is keeping money in your pocket.

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Why School Bus Seat Belt Laws Need to Change

School buses manufactured in the United States after 1985 are equipped with seat belts. Each state has the responsibility for passing and enforcing seat belt laws.

Bluebird is the largest school bus manufacturer. Although its safety belts began appearing in smaller, van-type buses as early as 1978, it did not begin installing seat belts in all vehicles until the mid '80s.

Since the mid-1990s, seat belts in new school buses have changed from being one belt per seat to one belt per occupant. This was a measure adopted to keep schools from over crowding buses. Single seat belts reinforced the concept that the bus is safest at or below the recommended number of occupants.

State seat belt laws are not changed often. The proceeds from violations of the laws are normally earmarked for road repair, which is subsidized by the Federal government, enforcing the laws on school buses has not been priority. Considering the US driving record of school bus drivers, there has been no public outcry for a change in the law in nearly two decades.

In the 80s, staunch advocates against seat belts for school buses mounted a successful campaign to block a Federal incentive for states which passed school bus seat belt laws. Citing reasons like belt-slippage decapitation, individual weight differences and (faulty) free fall information, these advocates believed that seat belts posed more danger than safety.

States which were proposing the legislation lost their incentive to pass the measure, as there was no longer any profit. The official press release from the spin doctors was that school bus seat belts were not proven to decrease the injury to the riders in the crash investigations. What was removed from the press release was the investigation findings were biased toward fatality: No test dummy survived any of the crashes, with or without a seat belt.

Further supporting the abandonment of the legislation, this statement also issued: Constitutionality of regulating parochial schools is a question as yet unanswered by the Supreme Court. This was, in totality, because no such case existed. Parochial schools have never filed suit to avoid adherence to any state education or safety regulation to date.

Yet, schools, both public and parochial, and parents continued to advocate for their students' safety directly to the school bus manufacturers. This lead to the installation of seat belts.

Parochial schools, individually, may require their students to wear seat belts. In the absence of state legislation, public schools may not.

Until the parents demand that the law be changed regardless of the profit margin, child safety will take the proverbial backseat in state legislatures.

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When to replace your tires

Tires are the first line of defense for a driver and greatly affect fuel economy. Each of these indicators will let you know when to replace your tires.

1. Less than 7/32 of an inch of tread is left on the tire. Place a penny in the tread. The tread should reach past Lincoln's eyebrow.

2. You have exceeded the number of miles on the tire rating. Tires are rated to travel a finite number of miles as a maximum. Replace tires within 1,000 miles of the maximum rated mileage.

3. You can hear a rhythmic thump as you drive. This is often produced by a tire that is out of round, simply, has a hernia. The steel belting has been severed inside the tire, and the inner layer of rubber is placing pressure on the tread from the inside.

4. You develop a slow leak. If your tire pressure is low within a week of filling it to the correct pressure, you should have the tire checked. Punctures within 1 inch (25 mm) of the edge or in the side wall should never be repaired, as they can cause tire exposion during a blowout.

5. You develop a leak after placing a fixative tire inflater into your tire. If you tire is not at the correct pressure within one week of using a product, such as Fix-a-Flat or Re-Air, replace the tire because it is unable to be patched. The chemicals in the fixative keep the patch material from bonding properly to fix the tire.

Note: Americans will pay a fine for this tire, as after the fixative, it cannot be recycled by traditional methods.

5. You notice a wobbling in your steering. This is another sign that you may have a tire that is out of round.

6. You hear a whining, near whistling, sound when you drive. The whistling is produced by too much of the tire surface improperly touching the pavement. The exterior of the side wall is touching the pavement. Unusually worn side walls can blow out at high speeds (over 40 mph).

7. Your tire has become flat, and you have driven on it for more than one half mile. The inside wall of the tire will be damaged, as well as the exterior of the side wall. The tire will be unsafe to operate the vehicle.

8. You notice wear, nicks or cuts on the side wall of your tire. There is no reinforcement in or for the side wall. If it is damaged in any way, the tire should be replaced.

9. You notice uneven tread wear. If the inside or outside tread of your tire is worn more than the rest, it is best to replace it, but consult a professional. If the worn tread is less than 7/32 of an inch deep, definitely replace it.

Remember, tires are the only thing keeping you on the road. Take care of them.

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Water in your gas

Since saving money on gas is important to everyone, with or without a car, fuel economy affects all of us. Water in gasoline is the number one fuel economy reducer. So how does it get there?

Water gets into your gas in stages. Depending on the handling of your gasoline, the time of your purchase and your own maintenance of it, in some cases the amount of water will be greater than the actual gasoline content of your tank.

How is that?
Gasoline is refined from crude oil. As it breaks down, the flammable portion of the gas separates from the remaining chemicals. One of the resultant chemicals is water. The only way for gas to break down is to be in contact with air. The oxygen in the air interacts with the gasoline causing it to fume. This effect is noticeable when you pump gas into a gas can. You will be able to see the flammable portion of the gasoline swirling in the air above the opening.

Gasoline evaporates at a remarkable rate. The more air in your tank, the faster the gasoline evaporates and breaks down into poorly burning fuel.

What does that do to fuel economy?
Water is a natural fire extinguisher. A mixture of gas and water will not burn as hot as gasoline alone. This is why the gas burns from the tank faster when the gauge is lower. It takes more volume to get the same amount of gasoline when it is mixed with water. As the fuel pump churns the liquid from the tank, the heavier water mixes with the gas.

Lower temperature burning gasoline reduces fuel economy considerably. By design, your tank backfills with air as you burn out the gasoline. When your gauge reaches half, get to a pump.

Does it only happen to my car?
Oil refineries' gasoline storage tanks have a floating ceiling to keep zero atmosphere from touching the gasoline. With minimal evaporation, the gasoline neither evaporates or degrades before it is trucked to gas stations.

The gas station does not have this measure in place. Their tanks are lined metal and backfill with air the same way your gas tank does. The longer the gasoline is in their tank, the more the gas will degrade, increasing the water content.

How do I stop it?
Keeping your tank full and buying gasoline the day after it is delivered are two ways to keep the least amount of water in your gas tank. The third way is to treat your gasoline once per month or every two thousand miles.

When you treat your gas, the water that is at the bottom of the tank goes through the engine at a faster rate. The qualities of the gas treatment will raise the octane level of your gas, causing it to burn hotter.

This increase in temperature ensures that the water is burned away completely. An added bonus to this is that it reduces the amount of rust and debris that can clog fuel injection systems.

The last step to keeping water out of your gas is to purchase and maintain a locking sealant gas cap. By preventing the gas fumes from escaping, the gas cap also keeps ambient air from condensing in the top of the gas tank. This condensation increases the water content.

Buy appropriate grade gasoline for your vehicle, maintain your gasoline, cap your tank and treat your tank regularly. These are the most efficient ways to keep water out of your gas.

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Rural America copes with oil prices

Rising oil prices are isolating rural America. Small town way of life is in the throes of death.

Rural America is known for long-time residents who rely on slow rising gasoline prices to reach the supplies they need to sustain itself from month to month. The rising cost of oil is crippling these towns.

Kershaw, South Carolina is a prime example of a rural town of 2,500 residents. They travel once or twice per month to neighboring cities to buy the items not available in the small town. Many commute to the city to work.

Workers are moving closer to the jobs. Sheila Hinson, local Realtor, said, "My business is booming in the city, but hurting in Kershaw." She cannot sell the homes left behind.

"I have to go to town once a month now because I cannot afford the gas. I had to buy a bigger freezer," said Mary Johnson, of Johnson & Johnson. This local merchant has to open her store more hours despite doctor's orders in treatment her Parkinson's disease.

A Rite-Aid Pharmacy employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, "We are filling less prescriptions. The senior citizens cannot afford to come get their medicine."

Daycare centers have waiting lists for the first time. Families that have always been one-income, now demand two incomes to make ends meet.

Children are suffering the cost of gasoline as well. School buses are prohibited from running air conditioning units. School boards are to vote by summer's end on the temperature in the classrooms this fall.

School commutes are hurting residents. Katherine Long, University of South Carolina (USC) student said, "I had to cut my class schedule because I cannot afford to drive to Columbia more than twice per week." USC is 50 miles from Kershaw.

Lancaster County Library has cut routes the Book Mobile has traveled for the last twelve years. Chief librarian said, "With the cost of gas, we are looking for ways to cut the budget."

Meals-on-Wheels has operated in Kershaw from the Lancaster office since it was founded. Meals have not been delivered to Kershaw since oil was $103.00 per barrel in February, 2008.

Other charities are struggling to meet the community's needs. When asked for a charity donation, H&H Chevrolet dealership owner Annette Hinson replied, "People cannot buy cars, and business has been so off that I cannot afford to give."

Many residents are buying golf carts to drive around town. Town drivers are more frequently sharing the road with motor scooters from local motor sports shops.

Life-long resident Kenny Roberts said, "Gas is too high. I can't go see everyone I help." He hauls garbage for the elderly and delivers food from Buffalo Baptist Church to its shut-in members.

Businesses are closing that have been supporting Kershaw for the last 25 years. "I cannot afford to drive here anymore," said business owner Marcus Bailey of Bailey's Pottery and Antiques. He is a resident of the smaller town Heath Springs, seven miles from Kershaw.

Kershaw owned and operated swimming pool is seeing fewer students and members. Residents are investing in above ground pools, splitting the cost with neighbors.

With the continued loss of tax base, Town Council member Rose Marie Baker said, "If something does not change, the only choice we will have is to raise taxes." The first reading of the 2008-2009 budget revealed the largest increase in Kershaw history with no significant increase in services.

Kershaw Mayor Tommy Baker is open to suggestions and solicits them before each Town Council meeting. "Kershaw needs more support from the county," he said.

Main Street business owners that remain have banded together to produce a business-oriented festival to draw more potential residents and business to Kershaw. Owners are not willing to let their small town die under the weight of rising gasoline prices.

The trickle-down effect of rising oil prices on rural America is the isolation of small town residents. They cannot afford to live the way they always have.

Elderly residents are suffering for lack of service which has sustained them in the past and the inability to get the medicine they need. Families have changed home life to support the cost of gasoline to make ends meet. Children are exposed to heat unnecessarily. Young workers are moving away.

The cost of oil is too great when it kills small towns.

**This article can be seen on Yahoo! News, OneWorld.net and GlobalExchange.

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Save money on gas...

Thought about saving money on your driving expenses lately? Most everyone else has. Here is the compilation of the best practical tips from around the industry on how to save money on gasoline. Luckily, not one of them is "buy a hybrid".

Driving across town to get gasoline at a cheaper price defeats the purpose of saving money! You can get more gasoline for every dollar.

~ Only buy gasoline in the early morning while the ground is still cold.

As gasoline heats, it expands. Since all gas stations have their tanks underground, the colder the ground, the denser the gasoline is. While oil companies weigh gasoline for specific gravity, gas stations do not. Denser gasoline means that your gallon will actually be a full gallon.

~ Pump at the slowest flow rate.

Slowly pumping gas reduces the amount of fumes produced. EPA mandate requires all gas pumps have a vapor return which stops fumes from escaping. When you pump fast, the vapors (still gasoline) are vacuumed back into the gas station's tank and sold again to someone else. You are charged for what goes out the nozzle without getting credit for the gasoline that returns to the storage tank.

~ Keep your tank full.

Gasoline evaporates. The more air in your tank, the faster the gasoline evaporates and breaks down into poorly burning fuel. Lower temperature burning gasoline reduces fuel economy. By design, your tank backfills with air as you burn gasoline. When your gauge reaches half, get to a pump.

Gasoline storage tanks have a floating ceiling to keep zero atmosphere from touching the gasoline. With minimal exposure, the gasoline neither evaporates or degrades before it is trucked to gas stations. Oil companies take this measure to preserve their gasoline, so should you.

~ If the truck is filling the station's tank, pump somewhere else.

As the truck sprays the gasoline into the tank, it disturbs the debris settled on the bottom of the tank from evaporation degradation and decay of the tank. This dirt, rust and incombustible material reduces fuel economy and can cause serious damage to your fuel pump and fuel injectors.

~ Change that fuel filter.

It is impossible to avoid evaporation degradation. Before you change your oil, clean your fuel with a product approved by your vehicle's manufacturer. When the oil is changed, change the fuel filter. Preserve your fuel economy by removing the most material reducing your gas mileage.

~ Driving courteously.

Quick starts and hard braking burn more gasoline than letting off one pedal and touching your foot to the floor before applying pressure to another pedal. The speed limit, or just a bit below, will produce better gas mileage.

~ Empty your trunk and backseat.

Reduce weight to reduce gasoline consumption.

~ Use cruise control every time possible.

Cruise control saves more than 7% of the gas used driving manually on flat terrain.

~ Use the correct grade of gasoline for your vehicle.

~ Plan excursions to include at least three stops. By combining trips for errands, you will burn less gasoline and time.

Make your gasoline dollar drive you farther. Save enough to drive to your Senator's office to demand equity with oil companies when it comes to preserving your fuel investment.

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Buy a New Car without Credit Hassles

To avoid the credit hassles when buying a new car, there are some easy steps you can take.

1. Get your credit report.
Verify your credit score. Get a current copy of your credit report from Experian, TransUnion and/or Equifax.

2. Get over 680.
If your credit score over 680? You are in great shape to buy a new car. Skip down to #6. Yours isn't? Keep reading.

3. 550 is the basement.
Is your score under 550? You are not in a position to buy a car. Learn how to repair your credit before you consider buying a new car.

4. Put on some makeup...
On your credit score. If you are above 600, but not up to 680, dress up your credit report. Correct incorrect information and resolve old debt. Make certain you do not have any late payments in the 90 days before you shop for your car.

5. Pay it off.
Never trade in a car if you still owe. Dealers are not diligent about paying off your old car, and their late payments go on your credit report. Plus, paying it off raises your credit score.

6. Shop for the perfect car.
No, this don't pick out a color to match your eyes. Find the car for your credit power. How? Put documents in a folder which answer these questions:

* What is the credit approval price for my car?
Your bank will tell you exactly what they will loan you for a particular car. This price is what you want to pay and need to demand from the car dealer. It is what you car is really worth.

* Does someone sell it cheaper?
Bring three quotes for the car you want from web sites like Cars.com, Edmunds.com or InvoiceDealers.

* Where's my rebate?
Find out how much car options (MP3 player/power windows) cost, rebates and incentives available to you. Find these at FinghtingChance.com.

* What will I pay?
Use an auto loan calculator to know exactly what you will be paying each month. Remember, you will also be paying for gasoline and insurance.

* How much is insurance?
Get a quote from your auto insurer for your new car.

* Does it come with a warranty?
Probably, but better ones are less expensive. Check out extended warranties online for a real idea of what a warranty covers and for how much.

* Can I get a loan?
Apply for an online or bank auto loan. Know that you can get the loan before you shop so the dealer cannot tell you no.

* Can I get 0% financing?
If you can, do. But, refinance the car. The 0% is for a short time, not the length of the loan. Pay as much as you can during 0% time, and get refinance loan for a reasonable APR for the balance of the loan.

* The dealer says my credit is bad.
Dealers have a secret: FICO Auto Industry Option Score. This is not the FICO Beacon score you bought from credit bureaus and have with you. You cannot see or buy a copy either. It is almost always be lower because it factors in your auto loan buying history. If the dealer insists on his score, shop somewhere else.

You can drive away in a new car with no credit hassles.

Avoid Car Theft: Protect your Car

A car is stolen every 26.4 seconds in America.(1) Avoid car theft using anti-theft devices and some basic common sense practices.

Devices
When choosing a new car, consider some anti-theft features. With older cars, try some upgrades or mechanical devices.

~ Window tint
Where laws allow, window tint protects a car from theft by preventing a thief from seeing how to get into the car without being noticed.

~ Alarms
Siren car alarms, or silent alarms which signal law enforcement, are the most standard of anti theft devices. When a thief tampers with the car, especially door locks and steering column or trying to "hot wire" the car, the alarm sounds.

~ Keyless (Remote) locks
The car locks are activated by a remote control: not a key in the door. Without the key chain remote, the windows must be broken to get into the car.

~ Vehicle immobilizers
These sophisticated companions to car alarms disable portions of the electrical or fuel systems, making it nearly impossible for a would-be thief to steal the car.

~ Keyless ignition
Buttons on key chain remotes control these ignitions. More expensive versions of the keyless ignition are voice-controlled or push-button inside the car with driver identity recognition.

~ Mechanical devices
Steering wheel and tire locks prevent car thieves from moving cars. The Club offers anti-theft products including its original steering wheel lock and Wheel Club.

Other choices include: Wolo Krook Lock, Lawman Unbreakable Car Bar, UNBREAKABLE AutoLock, The Wrap and SuperHooks

~ GPS locater
The two leading companies in locating stolen cars: OnStar and LoJack.

OnStar is a subscription service that is offered on all new General Motors (GM) cars sold in the US and Canada after 2007. Drivers receive remote activated door unlock, lights and horn and stolen vehicle location.(2)

LoJack is a theft recovery system. If the car is stolen and reported to the police, LoJack police tracking units can follow the signal of the radio transmitter to the location of the car.

All LoJack transmitters are registered in a global police database. 90% of all LoJack equipped stolen cars are recovered. (3)

Common sense

It does not take a lot of smarts to outsmart a car thief. A little thinking takes away most opportunities for a thief to steal your vehicle.

~ Park safely
Park in a well-lit area. Park close to walkways to prevent the thief from having uninterrupted time to steal the car.

~ Turn it off
Never leave a running car unattended. It only takes a moment to drive away.

~ Hide assets
Place valuables, like laptops and shopping bags, in the trunk or glove compartment. Cars with visible valuables are more enticing.

~ Lock doors and close windows
Thieves will try handles to find the easiest car to steal. If a thief can reach in the window and open the door, he will.

~ Keys in your pocket
Thieves know where keys are hidden on a car. Better (and cheaper) to be locked out of your car than have your car stolen.

~ Disable the ignition
If the car will be parked for more than 24 hours or in a theft area, don't let it drive away.

Beginner: Disconnect one battery cable.
Intermediate: Unplug the distributor cap.
Advanced: Remove the distributor rotor.

Keep your car from becoming a statistic by choosing anti-theft devices and exercising common sense.

(1) Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Report: 2006

(2) OnStar by GM

(3) LoJack Global Licensee Network

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Driveway Safety for Children and Drivers

Driveways can be dangerous places for children and drivers. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports children under age four are the most likely to be killed in a back-up accident off-road. All of these accidents can be avoided.

While these children are only 6% of the American population, they represent more than 30% of this type fatality. The elderly, school-aged children and teens make up almost all of the statistics. Very few adults are killed in back-up, off road accidents.

The NHTSA calls these fatalities “non-occupant” since the child is not an occupant of the car. These “accidents” are off-road because they happen while drivers are backing out of driveways instead of on the street or highway.

Why are the statistics so high?
Since young children do not have physical stature (height), they cannot be seen easily from inside the car. This means drivers must exercise more caution when driving when children are present around the vehicle.

The child’s lack of comprehension places them in greater risk than older children and adults. Simply put, they do not understand the danger of a moving vehicle or the finality of death.

How to avoid these accidents
Watch the children.
Always know where the child is. Know each child’s location, especially when around motor vehicles: cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUV), off-road vehicles, motorcycles and recreational vehicles (RV), as well as lawn equipment (like mowers), tractors and agricultural equipment (like threshers).

It’s not a play toy.
Do not allow children to play in, on, under or around vehicles of any type. Children can become trapped under a vehicle. They can unknowingly put the vehicle into gear and hurt another child while playing inside. Falls from the top of a vehicle can be fatal for a child.

It's not a playground.
Avoid letting the driveway be a "playground". If children are allowed to play in the driveway, let them do it when no cars are present. Place a barricade at the end of the driveway. Separate the driveway from the street so the children will know that the street is not an acceptable place to play.

Get out and look.
Before backing out of the driveway, physically look around and under the car. Be sure to know the location of each child before starting the vehicle.

Look, listen and stop if needed.
Look behind the vehicle as you back slowly out of the driveway. Put the window down so that you can listen for children. Be prepared to stop immediately.

Turn it off and lock the door.
Children will want to emulate parents and adults. Turn the ignition off to keep children from moving the vehicle. Even when in the garage or driveway, keep the doors locked. This will keep the children from playing inside the vehicle.

Keeping children safe in the driveway is the number one way to avoid non-occupant, off-road fatalities. Take these simple steps to keep more children from being killed by cars. Teach the children in your life to take care around all vehicles.

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Blog on the move....

Check out the new publications sprouting from this blog:

Cost Saving Customer Service: The Human Touch

Marriage: Don't Settle for Less

Tips for Controlling Your Child's Tantrums in Public

Weigh in with your comments today!

Pedestrian Fatalities: When, Who & Why

Let's look at more facts about pedestrian crash fatalities in the United States.

When does it happen?
Every 107 minutes a pedestrian dies from a crash. On average, a pedestrian is struck every 12 minutes, every day.

New Year’s Day and Halloween account for the highest number of pedestrian fatalities, consistently 20%. The third day has changed from December 23 to December 1. October, November and December account for 32% of all pedestrian crashes.

Weekends are deadliest for pedestrians. More than 45% of all pedestrian crashes occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with nearly 18% occurring on Saturday.

Three hours pedestrians should stay off the road are 6-9 p.m., when 25% of the deaths occur. Another 21% happen between 9 p.m. and midnight. Only 6% happen between 9 a.m. and noon. Darkness is considered the number one factor.

Who gets killed?
More than 33,000 men were killed. Even though men represent 49% of the American population, they are killed in pedestrian crashes 69% of the time.

60% of pedestrians killed are white and 15% black. American Indian, Pacific Islanders and Asian represent another 5%. 19% of the deaths were determined to be of unknown race, based on corresponding death certificates.

Contrary to public perception, children under 16 only account for 10% of pedestrian deaths each year, even though children make up 21% of the American population.

People over 65 represent 13% of the population, yet represent 21% of the pedestrian fatalities. Different factors cited in this anomaly are frailty, poorer mobility and poorer eyesight.

Why does it happen?
In most cases, the pedestrian has to bear some of the blame for the crash. Their actions are represented by the following statistics:

Percentage/Action
27.3 Improperly crossed the street
25.4 Walked against the traffic flow
13.9 Failed to yield the right of way
12.1 Darted into the flow of traffic
9.8 Not visible to the driver
2.6 Were inattentive to traffic
1.5 Failed to obey traffic control

More than one-fourth of the deaths occurred because the pedestrian crossed the street improperly. Another fourth of all pedestrian deaths were attributed to walking, working or playing near the road. Nearly 14% of the crashes were caused by the pedestrian failing to yield to the vehicle.



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Pedestrian Fatalities: On the decrease & Where

What do New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix and Houston have in common? More pedestrian deaths than all other cities in the United States.

Pedestrian deaths are on the decline. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration commissioned a ten year study to examine the trends in crashes resulting in pedestrian deaths.

Twelve percent of all vehicle crash deaths are pedestrians. This means they are not occupants of a vehicle, motorcycle riders or bicycle riders: they are on foot.

The study, authored by Dow Chang, Ph.D. and P.E., revealed trends in those killed and the conditions under which they were killed.

• Men are more likely to be killed as pedestrians than women.
• January 1 and October 31 were the deadliest days of the year.
• People over the age of 64 are more likely to be killed as pedestrians.
• Blood alcohol content (BAC) increase the probability of dying as a pedestrian.
• 58% of pedestrian deaths are not in a crosswalk.
• Most pedestrian fatality crashes occur between 6 and 9 p.m., on Friday or Saturday, under sleet conditions and/or in the dark.

A look at the numbers
Between 1997 and 2007, the number of pedestrian deaths decreased from 5,321 to 4,784, representing a decrease of nearly 10%. Pedestrians are the only group of people whose fatality statistics have declined. They represent 12% of all fatalities in vehicle crashes.

While this sounds like good news, the chances of being killed has increased. In 1997, the chances a pedestrian would be killed in a crash was 5.3%. By 2006, that chance increased to 7.1%.

What did not change over the decade was the number of pedestrians killed in single vehicle crashes. Ten times more pedestrians are killed each year by single vehicles than those killed by multiple car crashes.

Where does it happen?
You already read about the top five cities, but there is more. Cities do account for 67% of the fatalities, but 87% of the cities in the United States do not report any fatalities. More than 90% of the cities which did have fatalities had nine or fewer. Less than 1% of cities had over 100 pedestrian fatalities.

Pedestrians are not being killed on the Interstate highway system, which forbids pedestrian travel. Nor are they on interstate highway roads (10%) or expressways (only 4%), instead 51% of pedestrians are killed on major traffic arteries around and inside cities. Local roads and streets accounted for another 30%.

The top five states are New Mexico, Florida and Arizona, with Washington D.C. and Nevada tied. Per capita, these states average more than 2.5 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population.

Tomorrow we will look into when these crashes happen, to whom and why.


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Car Facts & Safety

Driving safety is important to everyone, even those who do not drive. This week's blog will investigate some interesting statistics on vehicles, driving safety and the combination of children and cars.

A view of the future

Driveway accidents
Children under four are the most likely to be killed in accidents in driveways while adults (or teens) are backing up.

Be on the lookout for safety tips and advice on how to protect your child from this type of accident.

Vehicle Fires
Vehicle fires on the highway took the lives of 365 people in the United States in 2007.

Do you know what to do in the case of a car fire? Do you know how to prevent one? I will be answering both of these questions in this week's blog.

Teen Drivers
35% of teens who die do it in a vehicle crash.

What causes teen crashes? Do you know the best ways to help teen drivers (and passengers) survive to age 20? Both of these questions will be highlighted and answered this week.

Pedestrian crashes
January 1 and October 31 are the most dangerous days for pedestrians. More pedestrians die on these two days than any others.

This week we will look at which pedestrians are at the highest risk (and it may not be who you think), what conditions are the most dangerous and how to avoid becoming a pedestrian fatality.

Stay tuned or subscribe to get a full palette of driving safety tips.


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Road Rage: Tips for a safer drive

Every driver has been there. Minding your own business, driving to an appointment, following the traffic rules courtesily...when someone cuts you off.

What is your first instinct? Speed up and cut the inconsiderate driver off? Hurl obscenities and hand gestures? Are you filled with road rage?

While you are sitting in your comfortable chair, take a minute to think about it. Your thought process is the key to raveling road rage into a pile of fluff. What you do next could make your drive safer.

It's not about you.
Yes, an insolent driver cut you off. No, it is not personal. Could it have been one of these?

1. A medical professional on the way to an emergency.
2. A volunteer firefighter whose light is not visible from behind.
3. A parent en route to a child who needs help.
4. An impaired driver who may not have seen you.
5. A driver who forgot that pesky blind spot before changing lanes.

It's not forever.
That driver did not take you away from the world. When you allow yourself to get angry, you place yourself in a dangerous position that could take you away. What are you gaining by being angry? Be honest: Anger is a waste of Vitamin C.

What did you really lose? You may not catch the next green light, but statistics for 40 years show he won't catch the one after that. You are the smart driver who left on time with a cushion for unexpected delay. Today, the delay is not mechanical; it's organic.

You are in control.
The road is filled with unpredictable obstacles: Unannounced road closures, wrecks where others lost their lives and wildlife irritated at the highway intrusion on its rightful habitat. Shift your focus to things you can control, like the distance between you and the problem driver.

Walk in other shoes.
No, don't put yourself in his place (even though it might not hurt your thinking). What would you do in shoe leather? Picture you and Mr. Impolite on a sidewalk. He is carrying baggage which is impairing his ability to navigate. He steps in front of you.

Are you going to scream and curse at him? Are you going to roll your eyes and give him a wider berth? Or are you going to help him realign his packages, so he does not trip anyone when he drops them?

What if it was you?
Have you ever been abominably late? Maybe you were worried about where you were going and not about how to get there safely? Been preparing to arrive (practicing what you are going to tell your chronically late secretary) and oblivious to everyone else on the road?

1. Be forgiving. No one ran you off the road when you were not being so considerate.
   
2. Be a little understanding. One day it could be you on the way to the emergency.
   
3. Be grateful. Your stress-o-meter is not so full you are putting yourself and others in danger. You have heard it: "Smile. It could be worse."

Avoiding road rage is 100% about being safe in your own driving (defensive driving, that is). Give Mr. Impolite a little extra room. It could be the difference between his one-car-crash and your joining in his statistics.