Hunk-ering Down

A Consumer's How To #43: P.T. Barnum Was Right

I can't remember how much this "Jesus-on-a-Grilled-Cheese" sold for on Ebay but I'm sure it was a ridiculous amount. Some people definitely have more money than brains. Still, it's the sheer scope of what's available out there to buy online that makes Ebay such a success. I've been an Ebayer for about ten years now. Mostly, I buy (antique teddy bears, clothing, books, etc.) but I've sold a few things now and then. I wish I had been the person who thought up the idea of marketing to anyone with access to the internet. Bringing the mall TO the consumer is nothing but pure genius! Ebaying is simple, fun and non-intimidating once you get the hang of it. There's nothing like the rush of the final three minutes of an auction, hitting the "refresh" button over and over to make sure that yours is the final bid and then savoring the victory! Most of the time, Ebaying is pretty straightforward and the sellers are reputable and honest. In all my transactions, I've only had a few go bad. Coupla tips: Beware the "swooper," the veteran bidder who waits until the final 30 seconds to top your offer and send you to Loser Hell. Always bid the maximum amount you're willing to spend. Low-balling is never a good idea. You'll just end up slamming your forehead against your keyboard when you lose by $1.23. Aaarrrghhhh! Also, beware the "shill," (not to be confused with certain similarly named persons working at our branch) a person usually affiliated with the seller who poses as a counterbidder in order to get you to raise your bid. If discovered using a shill, the seller can be reprimanded and possibly banned from Ebay. Fortunately, the Feedback feature of Ebay lets you see how many positive, negative and neutral reports a buyer or a seller has accumulated. This is helpful so you can gage the reliability of the transaction. Paypal is the quickest, safest and most accepted form of payment if you win your auction. Once you set up your account, it's just a click away to finalize your sale. Finally, I would advise a new Ebayer to keep in mind that, although it doesn't always feel like it, you're dealing with a real live human being, so good communication is the key. I always let the other person know when I receive my item and I leave prompt and honest feedback. I think they appreciate it and they tend to reciprocate in kind. Browsing the auctions is half the fun so remember that one person's treasure is another's grilled cheese. Off to check the status of that "Jar of Hurricane Ike Wind" auction!!

Wellness #42: Staying Well

Up until I turned 40, staying well was a fairly simple process. Gradually, you start to notice that the ol' factory installed parts are not working as well as they used to. The first thing I noticed was that I don't heal as fast as I used to. Colds last longer, cuts take more time to mend, I tire easier. *groan* Getting old is a pain in the ass....which is another part of the body that hurts more too. Thanks to this assignment, however, now I can be at least better organized about my aches and pains. I went to Drugs.com and looked up my daily hypertension meds. Not much new but I did find out that Atenolol can make me short of breath. I thought that was just a symptom of age. I also visited the drug interaction checker and saw that some cold medicines can interfere with some Atenolol's efficacy. Didn't know that. Medline Plus is an in-depth resource for finding facilities in a particular area that provide specialized help for various conditions. I found that there are 187 facilities in my area that address hypertension-related illnesses. Good to know! Making a family medical history tree is a great idea. Unfortunately for me, I can only trace any medical history back two generations. Beyond that, my relatives were in China or Japan where I'm certain no medical records exist for that era and under less than modern conditions. For my son's sake, I wish a medical geneological study could be discovered but since his dad was adopted from Korea it seems we are both playing the same game of health roulette.

We DON'T Like Ike

Well, definitely not fun, this hurricane business. After so many close calls, I'm not sure how many people took Ike seriously especially if you're not old enough or been around enough to have experienced one before. Not gonna lie to you -- this one was scary. After 2½ days without electricity, one without water, life was beginning to resemble camping, which I loathe. Still, I am grateful for the power company's quick response and even more thankful that we barely lost water. At least we had hot showers most of the time and grilled everything in the freezer. Weird eating in the dark but at least it was steak and shrimp! Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone out there who are still waiting for utilities and are in worse shape than we are. Food is still scarce -- gas price gouging rampant. Today we tossed out the entire contents of our warm fridge and chopped up branches. Saw my first transformer explosion. Who knew a tree could burst into flames like that? Tonight, feeling grateful and thinking about those who are less fortunate.

September is Literacy Month: Delete Censorship

Think for yourself.

Read a Banned Book today.

Top Ten Most Racist Toys Ever Made

It's a good thing I have a healthy self-image because when I saw these "Chop Suey Specs" I might have reacted differently than how I actually reacted, which was almost shooting water from my nose when I laughed. And this is not, by any stretch, the worst toy on the list of Top Ten Most Racist Toys Ever Made. Clearly, the intent of the genius who created these gems was humor. Unfortunately, this type of parody is based largely on ignorance (and hate) and the desire to point out physical differences, usually for personal gain. Racism is never funny. Cemeteries are filled with people who are not laughing. When I laughed, it came from many years of exposure to this crap and at the realization of how purely stupid some people can be. And don't forget...these are TOYS. They're meant for children. It's no wonder kids come in to the library and say, "Chinese...Japanese...what's the difference?" Um, let's see...two whole different countries???!!! Geez. Take a look at the list and if the toys themselves are not sobering enough for you note that while some of these toys are pre-Civil War era, these glasses...and the Obama sock monkey were on the shelves not that long ago.