Identity Theft
It will likely happen to you. Identity Theft. It’s not fun. It’s weird scary and you should be prepared before it happens.
I’ll skip to the facts – I’ll let you know what you should do first to help prevent and/or stop it from becoming a HUGE problem. This list is compiled from my experience and research – if someone has other suggestions, please let me know!
- Change your passwords often – maybe as much as four times a year
- Don’t keep receipts, private information in your email – delete, and empty the trash
- Get credit protection, regular updates to your credit account or additional insurance for ID theft
- Be aware – most likely the criminals who do this don’t think like you
I completely admit it. I was stupid. I opened an email and out of curiosity kept scanning through this click and that click until a blank page came up. I knew something had happened, I knew it was a phishing scheme, but I ignored it.
A week or so later – conveniently on a Friday – someone hacked into my email account and sent the same phishing email to everyone in my address book. As I opened up the email I saw the activity going on – return receipts from email addresses that no longer existed. Then they were deleted. Someone was on my computer while I was too.
A bold banner on my account header popped up stating that there was a possible breach on the email and I should change the password immediately. I did. I sent out another email saying please don’t open the email that came from my account. Then I called back my financial advisor.
Beyond using my address list to continue the phishing scheme, the criminal impersonated me by sending an email to my financial institution, requesting to see how much was in the account. She sent the information back. Then this person signing my name on my email address asked to have the money wired to another account, that “I” was at a funeral for my nephew out of state and needed the funds right away. After a few more emails, my advisor thought all of this very suspicious.
Luckily I deal with my advisors on a personal level. They know me. They know my family.
She called my parents first. Asked what was going on and they quickly called me to tell me to call her. I did. I could also tell she wasn’t quite sure it was me on the phone. Strange to be unidentifiable, compromised, a number.
The money was not wired! I changed all my passwords, put my credit on freeze, signed up for ID theft insurance, filed an FTC report after being redirected there by the local police department and tele fraud division, canceled credit cards, downloaded Norton Security software on my Mac, and threw my back out.
I will always be suspicious now. Maybe this fear will fade, but it is a fact of living in this modern world with modern conveniences that there are predators out there and you should be prepared.
the Catbird Seat: a Fabulous Dining Experience in Nashville
My parents and another couple had made reservations weeks in advance to dine at the Catbird Seat, and ever since I knew they were going I started to stew. I really wanted to go too.
The day of, I let my mother know through multiple phone conversations – texts – telepathy that I was very jealous about her dining plans. I am not a jealous person, but when it comes to fine food, experimental food at one of the ten best new restaurants in the US, my sensitivity reaches new heights and I become terribly envious. I wished them well, asked mom to call me when she got home to tell me all the details, and began to watch the clock minutes pass.
I was about to put on my running gear, and my cell phone rang. My mother talked to the hostess and got me in. I had to be there in 20 minutes. I was there in 15.
It was fabulous. The conversation was great, the food was interesting, the drinks were superior. I was on cloud nine.
I scanned the room to see who else was fortunate enough to be eating there that night. There was a table full of girls out on the town; several dates, and those girls I hope, desperately hope, understand the gesture their date was making; another set of parents with an adult child – I’m not the only one!; a group of musician types and a group of business men. The dress was casually elegant.
There are two booth tables in the far corners of the room. Otherwise, all guests dine at the u-shaped hightop facing the chef’s workspace, which consists of a flat top range and commercial grade gigantic exhaust hood. The room was white, no windows to tell you what time it was or distract you, above our table a unique chandelier mimicking cellular bonding. It was very pleasant, comfortable in our booth, the lights just dim enough to give ambiance but you could still clearly see your companions.
The feast consisted of 10 courses with a savory and sweet amuse bouche commencing the meal and completing it respectively. Following is a picture of the menu handwritten by the chefs and staff.
The highlights of the dining experience were the Chatham Oyster on the half shell elevated with cucumber and yuzu, Ramp Vichyssoise delicately balanced with violet foam, pickled heirloom carrots, salty sweet pork belly and a pansy for decor, and the Egg Custard baked in the egg topped with maple syrup, fresh thyme and cut with a razor-thin slice of bacon.
Three Hors d’Oeuvres including the Chatham Oyster
Ramp Vichyssoise
The things about food that make me come alive are the vast possibilities, the temporary art form, the pleasure of taste, the refinement of a vegetable, the art of cooking. The list can go on and on. It makes me want to explore the world and taste.
Nashville is lucky to have a restaurant as explorative and creative and whimsical as the Catbird Seat. The proprietors of the restaurant are Josh Habiger, Erik Anderson and Jane Lopes. They have created a sophisticated, elegant and thoughtful establishment. I look forward to returning.
The final offering, a play on the classic oreo
Inspiration Project: Reworking a Classic
For my non-linear narrative class (which in essence is a class exploring the parameters of story telling within the realm of digital media), we were asked to come up with variations on a popular short story or rhyme and include a picture.
I explained this project to my friend, and we came up with this variation on the classic Beastie Boy’s Fight for Your Right (to Party). I can only take maybe 5% of the claim on this. I wrote down what he said, and made a suggestion or two here and there. Songwriting is a really fun process and he showed me the art, skill and dedication it takes to write a song.
This is completely silly and part brilliant, an ode to the Beastie Boys and Parsley.
—-note: insert picture of parsley—-
Fight for Your Right (for Parsley)
You order some spaghetti and on top there’s some herb.
You ask the waiter what’s that? and he’s perturbed.
You’re shaking on your Parmesan and crushed red pepper.
You clear your plate and had a good dinner.
What’s up with these yard clippings on the side of my plate?
A smart man asks questions, and doesn’t hate.
You’ve got to find out the use of parsley.
Some people make a tea to calm their soul.
It’s an after dinner mint for many folks.
It can freshen your breath; it can add some color,
when youre making a chutney for your mother.
You’ve got to find out the use of parsley.
Curled has a coiffe big & poofy.
You’ve got to fight for your right to use parsley.
Now that you know of parsley’s many faces,
When you’re finished with your dinner
Don’t leave it on your plate, yeah.
The Bucket List vs. Carpe Diem
Since my teens I have written lists of things I want to complete in my life time. It is really fun to see how those things that I want to do or see or accomplish have changed over the years. A lot of those list items were completed organically, just by living life, while others – like becoming fluent in another language – will take some dedication and possibly a move to the foreign country of choice.
The other day I was presented with a chance to do something unique and somewhat outrageous. I didn’t balk at the concept; I took the chance and ran with it.
So, I met up with some friends I hadn’t seen in quite some time. Over smoked chicken salad and a hard cider, I committed myself to a day of wearing a blow-up pink whale suit and running about town promoting my friend’s clothing and lifestyle store.
How often does this chance come up? I figured very rarely, so I didn’t miss a beat. I met my friend at the store, tried the suit on for size, walked around the retail area and waved at little children who were either excited or scared to see a giant pink whale with a blue smile wrapping its face. I found it fascinating how many people wanted to get their picture with a giant pink whale.
Then the real fun began. We hit the local sites for a picture extravaganza. First to the Parthenon. I got my picture next to the Athena. I filled the elevator cab and ignored my looming claustrophobic tendencies. Tourists got their picture with me and some even gave me a kiss.
Next we ended up at the Ryman and down honky-tonk row. Now, I have danced on many stages in the past, but never in a pink whale suit. The entertainment for the afternoon at Robert’s let me jump on stage while he sang amusing lyrics of swimming in the sea. This was a really great workout and I would soon have to replenish my water levels as I lost about ten pounds in water weight during that three minute song.
It was a great day. I laughed, a lot. The suit made so many people happy and curious and amused. I had never added this to my bucket list of life’s activities – or even thought of the possibility – but I can definitely cross it off! Bucket list or carpe diem? Either way, you’ve got one life and take advantage of everything that is offered no matter how absurd it can be.
The Inspiration Project: Gardening, the beginning
I once had a dog that would scare away most garden scavenging critters in the urban landscape of my backyard. Now that I don’t have a dog, I have a multitude of bunny rabbits.
One of the many bunnies that roams freely in my backyard.
They eat everything – even the flowers that they are not supposed to like. Needless to say, I have a problem. One solution – cayenne pepper. I have and will continue to sprinkle this in my beds to fend them off. Hopefully, they are not of Mexican descent.
For the garden vegetables – I now have raised beds in the form of horse feeding troughs. A good way to repurpose the troughs, they are waist level and involve no bending over! Maybe the bunnies have started something positive.
Now I wait for the plants to sprout. I just have to remember to water. If the bunnies manage to jump this high, I have bigger problems to deal with. A great dane may be in order.
The Inspiration Project: On Yellow Creek
We all need to get away from time to time. Some like to take baths, read a book, run, watch a movie. While I like to do most of these things, the ultimate getaway for me is to get on the water. Luckily, I have a destination within an hour to retreat and find balance away from the computer world I choose to live in. Here I have spotty cell phone reception and the wireless internet is slower than I have patience for on most days.
There is an unbelievable sigh of relief when I get in the kayak or the paddle board or a canoe and slow down, let the water’s flow take me casually through it’s crooks and crannies.
Today as I paddled downstream, I upset a crane. He squawked and squawked high above as I floated down. After my second offense with the crane, it did give me some concern so I was ready to use the paddle for defense should he decide to swoop down and attack.
Then I saw a snake. Typically this would cause me to scream and run, but I was in a boat and it was far enough away. It had the most beautiful markings that glimmered in the water – reminiscent of San Marco’s marble when the canals flood. No matter how beautiful this snake, I was really hoping I didn’t see more. I looked down at the paddle fins and made sure I wouldn’t accidentally scoop a slithering water snake into my transportation.
Along with a few little rapids I traversed with some agility, these moments allowed me complete respite from my day-to-day activities with school, work and searching for a full-time occupation. A moment away from it all really does soothe the soul and lets inspiration flow in.
Digital Storytelling Project
Below is the link to my digital story about my grandfather and one afternoon at the White House.
The Inspiration Project: Positivity
Maintaining a positive attitude and open perspective can be inspiring, or rather, lead to personal inspiration.
Everyday I try my best to pattern my life around positivity. Maybe I watched one too many Oprah’s or read The Secret with full aplomb, but there truly is something to be said about positivity.
I love, adore, can’t live without my nature walks. This is the primary way I maintain balance, perspective and positivity.
View from a bridge, Richland Creek Greenway
As I walk, run, and sometimes skip though the greenway paths near my house, I noticed the graffiti blossoming under the railroad bridge and other creek bed areas. At first, I wasn’t terribly appreciative. It seemed to be a mockery of the natural surroundings. Gradually I wanted to see it everyday, see if there was a new tag. Now I look forward to seeing the bright colors reflected in the water creating a dichotomy with the harmonious natural surroundings.
Positivity and balance rests in the mind and for me it gets a kick-start with a little time outdoors.
The Inspiration Project, continued
Something that inspires me, humbles me, or simply makes me reconsider my last step is when I see a person who is in a wheel chair or a child starving in a third world country or an army cadet with a missing leg – and they are all smiling. Because of grace and kindness or a good joke, these people with extreme circumstances are able to find joy, even if just for a moment.
What would happen if they could latch on to that joy for more than a moment? Would they be able to walk again or find the strength to mobilize their community to sustain a better life?
That smile or laugh reinstates my belief that there is an exceptional good in the world. The difficult circumstances in which some find themselves can fade in one instance by a genuine smile and positive attitude.
So what does this inspire me to do? To constantly strive to maintain that same instance of joy in my own life. It takes great fortitude to make a change in one’s life, to make a better life and to not take the easy way out. Strength of mind and character and a belief in one’s self can turn a negative situation into a fruitful and prosperous outcome. And never take anything for granted.
When Inspiration Hits
Week 1 of the Inspiration Blog: When asked to get inspired, I first think of the farmer’s market. It encompasses most everything inspiring to me. Local artisans marketing their wares; fresh produce to create a meal or snack, flowers, trees, plants, and herbs to cultivate; throngs of people from families with small children to couples on a date – all of these aspects plus many others in the details create a canvas which inspires me in many directions.
But why do I need to be inspired? Inspiration helps me take the next step of my day, it brings happiness and productivity, it fosters a rich and curious life.
Inspirational List: broad aspects which inspire me
1. Produce – from tomatoes to peas to honey, things to create a meal
2. Folk Art – fantasy, fun, whimsy
3. Positivity – as opposed to negativity, it can foster beautiful things
4. History – learn from the past
5. Architecture – from the beginning of civilizations to modern day chairs
6. Nature – its balance and beauty and destruction
7. Memories – a sense of humor about everything
8. Music – it makes me want to dance and sing (in private!)
9. Love – how could this not be inspiring?
10. People – listening to stories, experience, and view points
To focus on the project at hand and find the appropriate inspiration will create a foundation which helps lead the project to a full and balanced completion.
Flying pigs folk art. You could use these as a great backdrop for a whimsical party. Hang them from rafters or trees and instantly you give your guests something to talk about other than the weather.
