October 22, 2007  The Great Franklin Mint Scam and Other Thoughts
 
I'm sure most of you have seen the ads for the first four gold US Presidential dollars complete with a handsome wooden display case and set of collector cards with info regarding these presidents. The set was offered by the Franklin Mint which placed thousands of ads on the internet, in magazines and on TV.
 
Well, I went for the deal and ordered two sets; one for me and one as a present. That was at the end of August. I received the coins and cards in a two weeks, but there was only a short note that the custom wooden display cases would be slightly delayed due to the "high demand". I waited several weeks and still no word on the cases. Then, about three weeks ago I received a phone call from a Franklin Mint representative who reassured me that the cases would be shipped in five to six days. That was three weeks ago.
 
Since I have all the tenacity of my namesake I decided to go to the lion's den. I called the Franklin Mint customer service number (1-800-843-6468)...I had called the sales number during the weekend and was told to call customer service number during their weekday working hours. So it came as no surprise to me that the automatic message on the customer service line offered me, via recording, "For Sales, press one", then going on to state "For Customer Service, press two". I dutifully pressed 2. Yet another message explained that if I was calling regarding the US Presidential coin orders, I was to press 1 and if I was calling regarding all other customer service I was to hold on the line. I pressed 1 and received an on-going recording telling me there was a delay with the cases (I'd already guessed that) and was lectured that I should be patient because Franklin Mint had the highest of standards and would only approve products of the highest quality and good things were worth waiting for, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! No scheduled dates were mentioned....I then found myself in one of those vicious phone-recording-selection black holes where I had to continue listening to that message for all eternity, or, hang up.
 
I chose the latter option. But, since I didn't really fit the 'be patient' profile, I immediately redialed the number and went thru the hoops, but this time, I chose to wait on the line. After a few minutes I got in touch with a customer service rep who actually spoke English and told her my story. She apologized, and stated they did have monumental problems at their manufacturing facility (it began to sound a bit fishy). Then she lowered the boom.....They were just now delivering cases to people who had placed their orders back in April and that people who had ordered in July and after would begin to receive their cases after the beginning of the New Year! I'd be lucky to receive my cases during February, thus missing several gift-giving occasions.
 
The Franklin mint had to realize it had major case problems in February latest, but kept on taking orders without ever once noting the delay in their ads or order confirmations. Since they must have received many orders by USPS mail, there are strict laws regarding mail fraud, including monthly notification to the buyers confirming a delay, but their people ar instructed to keep making promises they know they won't keep. This is every bit as unethical as the AIG execs going on expensive retreats when they should be solving their problems and earning their money. It is reprehensible behavior that gives the Franklin Mint a huge black eye.
 
They lie and cheat and knowingly commit fraudulent representations of the products and procedures they offer (if only by omission). Their activities should be investigated by the US Attorney General and the US Postmaster General. How would you accept placing an order, receiving part of the goods and having the rest of the order completed a whopping 6 MONTHS LATER? How about ordering a new car, receiving the chassis, transmission and axles, and then having to wait 6 months for the tires and engine to be delivered. Shameful and reprehensible corporate behaviour. And the Franklin Mint at least owes every affected customer a sincere apology and a token of their acknowledgement of the errors they've made. Maybe like two free coins of the next issue. That'll be the day. Greed begets devious actions with no apologies.
 
The only positive part of this debacle is that the wretched cases may become more collectible than the coins!
 
On Other Fronts:
 
I went a little wild on eBay lately, but I can pretty much justify my purchases, One was a very affordable set of RIMM memory sticks for my big Dell Dimension 8200. Yup, this machine is showing it's age, but when I pump this old box to 1.5 Gig of ram, I expect it to perform like a youngster. I recently upgraded both the 8200 and the Inspiron 2650 to Windows XP Pro sp3 which has been working pretty slick. I need to add memory to the Inspiron, but I've had a few problems with the old cd/dvd drive, so I bought a cheap cd burner and dvd reader drive for that critter. Awhile back I got a USB external 20x dvd (everything) drive, which I'll use for backups and large data transfers. I picked up an affordable internal OEM 20x drive for the 8200 to replace one of the antiquated cd recordable drives that came with the system (I'd upgraded the other cd/dvd drive a year ago, but it isn't as fast or as format-capable as the new drive).
 
Then there's the fun stuff....I picked up a Texas State Geocoin to add to my collection. Then I also bought an English/Chochtaw dictionary. I am part Choctaw (one of the Five Civilized Tribes that got screwed by the US government...probably by an ancester of GW Bush). I was surprised that in the Methodist Church, many of the Hymnals have Choctaw translations, or they did back in the days I actually attended church. I never lost my faith, but I lost belief in a few preachers I encountered.
 
I actually bought something else online as an experiment. They're called Miracle Noodles. Noodles that are fat-free, calorie-free, sugar-free, free-free-free everything. However, they come wet and and must be rinsed and towel dried, but will absorb the flavors of whatever sauce at the end of the cooking cycle. I'm hoping to integrate these with my General Tso's chicken. These look weird, can't be frozen, can't be cooked (I'm beginning to wonder just where the 'miracle' is), but, compared with carb and calorie-laden noodles, I'll give them a try. They are made from Glucomannan, or Yam Flour, but not made from the yams we have in the US. They are also known as shirataki noodles, Wait for my reviews.
 
And finally, I'm a proud Great Uncle. Here's EV (Elisa Victoria) in on of her Halloween outfits:

 
Until later.....DKHT

October 18, 2008  Whew!
 
October is proving itself to be one mixed-up month. The first few weeks were unbelievably balmy with unusually warm temperatures for this part of the country. Tree colors were phenomenal, but, before I could get some really good pics, the weather did a 180° end-run, turning cold, rainy, blustery, with late fall promising the winter to come.
 
On the month's downside, I discovered that 20 people lost their jobs at the Barrington Pepsico facility. That used to be the John Stuart Research Center for Quaker Oats before QO was purchased by Pepsico. I used to work there in the old QO days as head of the Instrumentation and Process Control Dept. for seven years, and have a number of friends who still work there. However, the details are not all in, although I know that one friend survived the purge an she believes two other friends were also exempted. This is a portion of Pepsico's permanent layoffs of 3300 people throughout their facilities. Who says were not in a recession? And all this occurs amidst GW's pals at bailed-out AIG whose executives are wining and dining and hunting at executive retreats from California to England.
 
The nation's economy is pretty much down the toilet. I've been closely watching the economy and layoffs, maybe more so since this is an election year and the economy will be heading for a serious recession... The corporate layoffs are dramatically increasing daily while the oil companies are still reaping unheard of profits. Small businesses are closing and many major chains have filed bankruptcy. Trouble is, with 3300 being let go from just one company, the jobs just won't be out there locally for all those folks, and those from other nearby companies, will create a large unemployment problem across the nation. And, when homes can't be sold and loans can't be obtained, the people caught in this turmoil have few options. Meanwhile, big oil corporations are reaping unbelievable profits, while retirees, such as myself, have lost 1/3 or more of our retirement savings in less than 2 months invested in conservative markets.
 
What do we do to get out of this mess? Regardless of who is elected president, that person's job has inherited the foolish, ego-driven, misguided policies of GW Bush and the GOP. So, logic would dictate that the first step would be to oust the GOP from our government. A no-brainer, unless, of course, you are a devout republican, which suggests that you are indeed, a no-brainer! (I am gonna catch SOOO much flak on that statement!)
 
And most recently, our family lost a dear and sweet woman, my Aunt Doris, who died from a long illness followed by a severe stroke. She was a dear and treasured soul.
 
I've waited awhile to announce the very best news in our family.... on October 2, 2008, we added Elisa Victoria (EV for short) to our previously dwindling family core group. EV is the daughter of my nephew Dan and his bride Mayra, making me a Great Uncle (the caps show my pride). EV is a very wonderful addition to our family and we welcome her with all our hearts.
 
I was lucky to grow up with my Great Uncle Ed (known as Bull) living next door. Every Sunday, Bull would stop by and pick up my dad and occasionally me, to head out to one of many gravel or sand pits in the county. Bull whould have to lube the shovels and caterpillars on the site and make certain they were ready for operation on the following Monday.
 
I always loved machinery since I was eight years old. Maybe before. That's so long ago. But I was about eleven or twelve when Uncle Ed, my dad and I went for a Sunday drive to the old Cary, IL gravel pits to service a shovel that was working that area. I was instructed to "do not touch" anything, but I was intrigued by the levers and pedals surrounding the operator's seat.
 
When Uncle Ed had finished his maintenance duties he climbed into the cab with my dad...I was already there.
 
It's hard to explain what this huge machine looked like. The technology of those days had adapted the earlier steam shovels to diesel, altough the shovel looked very much like it's earlier steam counterpart. The control levers had improved to advanced mechanical and hydraulic from the earlier mechanically limited systems. It was formidable and powerful. Part of Uncle Ed's job was to make certain that all controls were responsive, prior to giving his approval for use for the next week.
 
Uncle Ed had fired up this monster's huge diesel engine, and proceeded to put the machine through it's paces. My dad and I hung on to whatever we could find at the back of the cab. Then, my great uncle Ed had me sit in the operator's seat so I could try my hand at controlling this beastly machine. I operated a few levers that raised the boom, opened and closed the bucket and other neat stuff. But then I yanked on a lever that put the cab/shovel into a severe tilt-a-whirl spin, and the centrifugal force made it difficult for me to let go of that evil lever, but I finally did, and everything settled down. It was a wild ride, and, in retrospect, I was so very lucky to have a Great Uncle who could give me the opportunity to experience such things that would be so important in forming my youthful future.
 
Bottom line, I hope I can provide at least a little positive influence on EV as my Great Uncle Ed did for me.
 
On Other Fronts....
 
Do you remember the Circus Animal Crackers with the pink and white frosting? Well, after 94 years in the business of making kids happy, Mother's Cookies of Oakland California announced that it is going out of business. Yet another coup for GW Bush's failed economic policies.
 

 
Until later.....DKHT

October 7, 2008  Digital TV, Feeling Frustrated and Foolish
 
On Digital TV
 
Some months back I was forced to use my government-sponsored discount cards to get $40.00 off each of the two digital converters each household is entitled to. The only drawback was a short-term expiration on the cards. So, I researched the converters, and I figured that Walmart had the best products. But the Super Walmart was under construction and the old Walmart wasn't getting new stock and was out of all converters. My only choice was Radio Shack. I wasn't pleased with brand carried by RS because it had a lower consumer rating than the others, but these Northwoods have limited selection.
 
I paid more for what I figured was reasonable for a lower-rated product and still had to wait several weeks to receive shipment from Radio Shack, who was also out of stock but could guarantee that the discount cards would be honored within the timeframe allowed. I received two Digital Stream digital converters with analog pass-through. They sat in a drawer below my big TV for several months, since I figured nothing would happen with Northwoods digital broadcasting until February 17, 2009.
 
But, if you've been reading my drivel, you'll know that I finally cancelled my over-priced and reduced service satellite TV account, and since cable isn't available in my neck-of-the-woods, I'm back to broadcast channels. And, because the local NBC affiliate is 35 miles to the East, ABC and CBS are 70 miles due South, and the PBS transmitter is 40 miles just a tad North of West, I have to use a deep-fringe antenna with a fancy amplifier to get even cheesy analog signals.
 
I was amazed to discover that the local NBC affiliate was already broadcasting a digital signal! I dug out one of the converters and installed it on my office TV/monitor. I set it up for Channel 3 and let the scanning system run, It found the digital broadcast immediately and added it to its memory. I tuned in to the digital channel... and WOW! I was totally amazed at the difference! The picture was just like watching a home DVD... no more grainy, weather-dependent signal problems. And, for the other analog stations I just have to push an Analog/Digital button on the remote and tune to the the proper analog channel (Analog pass-through is a feature which will have limited use after the mandatory digital conversion on February 17, 2009).
 
On Feeling Frustrated and Foolish
 
I've been a pretty organized fella. It's been a requirement in my engineering profession, particularly since I've had to muti-task on multiple projects simultaneously during my career. And, even though I have four two-drawer file cabinets and several additional file storage crates in my home office (not to mention the half dozen file boxes of archived files kept for tax purposes), things have gone awry with my filing. I managed to create a manilla file folder and label for my recently-purchased Samsung conversion and editing machine that allows me to convert my VHS tapes to DVDs, the instruction manual has gone missing. The above-mentioned DTV converter does have a manual but is so well designed that its use is intuitive. But the Samsung unit, being very powerful and capable of converting at least a dozen formats, really requires a detailed manual! Where on earth did I put that sucker?
 
I suppose this is just the beginning of the dementia I can expect in the future, but won't look forward to. I know that manual is somewhere in this room, and I've looked everywhere! They always say that something you lose will appear in the last place you look. I'm about to disprove that.
 
One Last Note:
 
I dispare about the recent slime/smear campaigns, primarily by John McCain and company. Misinformation, out-of-context smear quotes and downright dirty politics only indicate what we can expect from this candidate and his desperate party. If you've even looked at the state of the US and World economy today, you'll realize the danger we're in. And if you decide not to vote, well, that's your personal decision. But not voting would be a very selfish and foolish position to take in this crisis, and I cannot have any respect for a decision to avoid this responsibility responsibility to our country and it's citizens.
 
Until Next Time....DKHT
 

October 6, 2008  Heathcare, Politics and Northwoods Drivel
 
On Healthcare:
 
I've spent the past two months in daily telephone communication with my mom, her doctors and nurses, and with my sister. My sister and I noticed a rapid decline in my mother's ability to reason and recall even the simplest of things. It was such a rapid degeneration that sis and I began to look for causes that were unrelated to age, particularly since not one of mom's four doctors mentioned Altzeimers. It was only after I finally contacted a nurse who had known mom for several years, who confirmed mom's behavior had rapidly degenerated in a short time span. This nurse agreed to forward our concerns to the neurologist. A few days later, the doctor changed mom's medication, and I'm happy to report that my mother is back to her old self. It's been unbelievably delicate because one doctor totally refused to discuss mom's prognosis unless she signed a consent form, but due to those meds, mom couldn't remember to sign anything!
 
But, in the process, I discovered that none of her four doctors coordinated mom's prescriptions or treatment with any of the other doctors, although they each had all the doctors' names in their records. In fact, mom's doctors appointments typically lasted less than ten minutes, but Medicare was billed for a much longer time. Healthcare in America is out of control, and I believe that it will be the next Wall Street debacle.
 
On Politics:
 
I have, or perhaps had, several dear friends with whom I have parted ways over the present political situation. One such friend is offended because I have chastised him for not voting in the upcoming election. He claims freedom to chose to vote or not to vote, and he has a point. But that freedom was created by so very many Americans who believed that voting was not a priviledge but a responsibility.
 
My other friend chooses to quote that which she believes to be true but is so often a spin created by the folks that are adept at that sort of thing.
 
On Drivel:
 
The days are growing shorter, and very soon we'll have more night-time than day-time. The mallards are still hanging around but they tend to wait till the lake freezes over before heading south. The last of the hummers has passed through, so my feeders will be pulled in soon, sanitized and stored for next year. The newcomer geese left a long time ago. We have huge flocks of a dark-colored bird that I can't find in my bird book. They're passing through but spend a lot of time pecking gizzard gravel from my drive. Our flock of wild turkey hens still visit my yard every so often, and I see them crossing the road over a mile away.
 
There's a guy here in Wisconsin doing a fund raising campaign by paddling a huge hollowed out pumpkin around the lakes and rivers in this state. I have to give him credit for ingenuity and dedication to a cause. Way to go, punkin paddler! My hat's off to you!
 
Until Next Time....DKHT