Scams

          Scam -  a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation.

          I guess by now we are all familiar, possibly too familiar, with scams.  We now face them almost daily through the internet and through our phones.  Scammers have bothered us, taken up our time and been a source of frustration.

          I often wonder how folks fall for them and lose so much in doing so.  I guess many, especially seniors, are looking to get rich quick or are just afraid to say no.  Some phishing scams - a scam by which an Internet user is duped (as by a deceptive e-mail message) into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly - are so well done today that you can get taken in before you realize it.

          About a year ago I received an e-mail, supposedly from a friend of ours, telling me that they needed my help.  They asked me to reply if I could help them.  And, of course I did.

          The message in return was that their niece has cancer and it was her birthday.  They wanted to send her some electronic games but their Amazon account wasn't working.  They gave me the information and asked i I would place the order for them using my account.  They would give me cash to cover the order.

          Now they were good friends and had often helped us out.  I quickly agreed not thinking that it could be a scam.  A few minutes later I received another e-mail wondering why the order wasn't yet processed.  I then became suspicious and found that their computer had been hacked.  Fortunately I was able to contact Amazon and was still able to cancel the order ... nothing lost but my pride. 

          I had almost forgotten about it until a few weeks ago when I received two separate e-mails asking for my help.  One came from a high school friend in Texas who I hadn't seen in several years.  The other was from a lady who goes to our church.  Both were the same scam which is once again circulating.  This time I recognized it and contacted both to warn them that they had been hacked.

         A second scam that is tried on us regularly is the "Hi grandma" telephone call.  Each time it is somebody pretending to be our grandson who is in need of money.  Usually they are in jail or in a hospital and can't reach their parents.   I wonder how many grandparents fall for this.

          Recently my wife replied that she will pray for them since she knew that they were lying.  The caller was upset and replied that he didn't need prayer, he needed money.

          The last two calls were a little more concerning and aggressive.  In the first when my wife denied knowing the caller he called her by name.  Now I know that all that personal information can be found on the internet.  Nothing is private anymore.

          Then a few days ago I answered the call and was welcomed with "Hi Grandpa".  I knew it was a scam call but I asked who he was.  He insisted that he was my oldest grandchild.  When I asked for his name he replied "Kauffman".  I told him that my oldest grandson had been here to cut our grass the day before, wasn't in New Jersey, and wasn't him.  He then got more aggressive and said he knew where I lived, stated my address, and said he'd be here to visit me about noon.  I guess that he thought that this threat might scare me into cooperating.  But it didn't and this time I shared the call with the local police.  I knew that they couldn't do anything about it but they did give me some advice such as have a whistle ready to blow into the phone when such a call comes again.  So I guess I need to do some shopping.

          But then on Monday we did get another call that started with "Hi grandma".  I thought, not again.  But the caller went on to say "this is Josh".  We recognized him and he was our grandson.  He went on to tell us that he had just defended his work at Penn State and had earned his Ph.D. in chemistry.  Now that was not a scam - it was exciting news.

          This was a second in a week's time since a few days earlier we received the news that our granddaughter's husband, Daniel, had just defended his work and earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at PSU.

            So congratulations Dr. Daniel Cetnar and Dr. Josh Kauffman.  We are very proud of you and we than the Lord for your success.          

           And that folks was a good week and not a scam!

Interesting But Not Important

         It's time for some very unimportant, useless facts to fill your brains.  Maybe one day this information will help you win some big bucks on a quiz show.

          *  "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

          *   Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

          *   No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

          *   "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."

          *   Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

          *   The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

          *   The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

          *   There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

          *   There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

          *   TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

          *   All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

          *   A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

          *   A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

          *   A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

          *   A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

          *   A snail can sleep for three years

          *   Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

      I hope that all this useless information has made your day.  Do you have more of these facts to share?  If you do, please add them as comments.

Winter In All Of Our Lives

          I belong to a group called "Legacy Coalition" which promotes ways for grandparents to minister to their grandchildren.  Their e-mails are always filled with constructive ideas including many specifically for grandparents themselves.

          Recently they sent a poem "Winter In All Of Our Lives" which describes the various seasons of life that we all encounter.  But the season that most of us older folks have reached is winter.  It is a season that is inevitable and one which we can't skip.  I have shared this topic in previous blogs so the notion is not new.

          But as I thought about it I began to realize that winter isn't just for seniors.  It can hit everyone, often suddenly, when you may least expect it.  Life change can happen to anyone.

          I have been praying for many who are presently in their winter season despite their age.  A friend who is a mother has just been introduced to hospice care.  A 60 year old friend is suffering with Alzheimer's.  A 42 year old mother is suffering from the results of covid. Some friends of ours are dealing with children who are rejecting the Lord.  A 50 year old close friend of my son is dying with pancreatic cancer.  Another friend has been diagnosed with colon cancer and needs surgery.  Four folks from our church have died in the past week leaving spouses all alone.  Several others are living with pain.  The winter season can come so quickly, at any age.

          Now we can prepare for the actual winter.  We can get our shovels and ice melt ready.  We can get our snow blowers ready.  We can check our batteries and antifreeze and car tires.  Then we just wait to have it happen.

         But it is much harder to prepare for a mental winter.  Possibly the best thing one can do is to draw closer to the Lord. through prayer, Bible reading and Bible memorization.  That does take real discipline, but is the best preparation for winter.

Winter in All of Our Lives

There is a winter in all of our lives,

a chill and darkness that makes us yearn

for days that have gone

or put our hope in days yet to be.

Father God, you created seasons for a purpose.

Spring is full of expectation

buds breaking

frosts abating and an awakening

of creation before the first days of summer.

Now the sun gives warmth

and comfort to our lives

reviving aching joints

bringing colour, new life

and crops to fruiting.

Autumn gives nature space

to lean back, relax and enjoy the fruits of its labour

mellow colours in sky and landscape

as the earth prepares to rest.

Then winter, cold and bare as nature takes stock

rests, unwinds, sleeps until the time is right.

An endless cycle

and yet a perfect model.

We need a winter in our lives

a time of rest, a time to stand still

a time to reacquaint ourselves

with the faith in which we live.

It is only then that we can draw strength

from The One in whom we are rooted

take time to grow and rise through the darkness

into the warm glow of your springtime

to blossom and flourish

bring colour and vitality into this world

your garden.

Thank you Father

for the seasons of our lives.

– Author Unknown

Fourth of July

          Fourth of July celebrations in the United States feature patriotic music, parades, picnics, concerts and of course, fireworks.  Most of those were canceled in 2020 because of covid, but many of them made a comeback with some limitations in 2021.

          One of the most famous celebrations happens annually in my hometown of Lititz.  Most of the events happen in the Lititz Springs Park with the candlelighting and crowning of the Queen of Candles.  The fireworks went on this year but in a different location.  People come from all over the country to attend this celebration.

          But would you believe that I have never been to the park to view these traditional ceremonies.  For many years we were at our camp meeting over the Fourth.  Then several times I had to work that day for the newspaper.  When we were married I no longer lived in Lititz and we didn't feel like fighting the crowds and the terrible traffic to get there.

          But my favorite part of the celebration was the great parade always held the day before, on the third of July.  It was an amazing small town America celebration with numerous bands, floats, scouts, majorettes, members of the past and present military, fire engines, military equipment, etc.  Thousands came to view it.  We always got there early to save places for our family along the route.  It was one of the highlights of our year.  But, alas, it was a victim of covid prevention this year. But maybe it will be back again next year.

           Then there also were the many gigantic celebrations in cities around the country.  Many of these are televised.  Some included "famous" musicians and today's popular music which I generally don't care for.  But some did include patriotic music which was stirring.  And, of course, they included fireworks - in many cases, too many.  New York was the most guilty of this.  They could have cut their production in half and saved many thousands of dollars which could have been spent on needy projects and people.  And after many years of watching fireworks, I feel that there really isn't anything new to see.  But then, I am old.

           Over the years my favorite televised event is the Boston Pops celebration in Boston.  I've often wished that we could go to see it live.  Now that my niece and her husband are moving to Boston that could be a possibility.  But physically we could no longer handle it.  So we will continue to watch on television in the future.

          The Boston Pops have always been one of my very favorite groups.  A few years ago when we attended a math convention in Boston they came to present a special concert for those attending the convention.  We scouted the area in advance and found the best entrance and location to see them.  We ended up just a few rows from the front - a perfect location.  The concert was excellent but they didn't play my favorite march, "Stars and Stripes".  Now I don't know what got into me but when they ended I called out "Stars and Stripes".  Many joined me and chanted the same message.  They heard us and struck up the march for us.  It was amazing and memorable!

          The 2021 Spectacular was a little different than in the past.  Because of covid the music and program were televised from a location called Tanglewood.  The program included a salute to our armed forces medley, a patriotic sing along, and "Stars and Stripes".  And, as is the tradition, it included a performance of Tchaikovsky's "1812" Overture, with the many cannons being fired.

           Special guests included Six-String Soldiers of the U.S. Army Field Band - said to be the most followed military music group in the world - and members of the United States Air Force Band's Singing Sergeants, the official chorus of the USAF and the first premier military chorus to enlist women.  For the most part they were great.

          But there were some things I did not enjoy this year.  Other special guests  were Jon Batiste, bandleader of The Late Show, and so called legendary singer Mavis Staples.  Now again I am showing my age but I thought their presentations were poor and way too long.  Is that really talent?  But I guess the audience enjoyed them as they stood and swayed and danced along.

          And as is happening too often today, in my opinion there was too much emphasis on equality and diversity.  But that is where entertainment has gone.

          Now there was one more song that stirred my heart and troubled me.   The audience joined in singing "God Bless America".  As I listened to the words I could agree that God has blessed this country for decades. For that I am thankful.   But I was haunted with the question could God still bless America today?  Could He bless a country that kills babies, that is troubled with killings and violence, that mocks marriage and Biblical values, that has leadership that has no time for Him, that lies and steals?  I don't think so.  And that is so very sad.

          Maybe we need to fall on our knees and make this song our prayer.   

God bless America, land that I love 

Stand beside her and guide her 

Through the night with the light from above 

From the mountains, 

To the prairies, 

To the ocean white with foam 

God bless America, 

My home sweet home.

Hot or Cold?

my first classroom
before demolition

            So which would you prefer, the record heat waves we have been experiencing or the frozen record cold days of the winter?  Both can produce serious challenges and health risks.

           That can be a tough question and it depends upon other issues.  Do you have electricity to run your furnace or ac?  Are both pieces of equipment working?  Must you travel or even be outside?  Must the sidewalks be shoveled or the grass mowed?

          Now I imagine everyone has a preference, but assuming my furnace and ac are operating and my pipes aren't freezing, I prefer the cold.  When it is cold you can put on heavier clothing ot blankets.  But when it is hot you must take things off ... if that is even possible.  And I do hate the humidity which can accommodate the high temperatures and be horrendous in Lancaster County.

          I am one of those who grew up without air conditioning.  My parents never had central air.  Later in life - after we three kids left - they did purchase two window units, one for their bedroom and one for the dining room/kitchen.  I'm not sure when they finally bought their first car with ac but I know it wasn't until later in life.  Central air and air conditioning in your car were seen as luxuries to them.  They were only for the "rich".  We "poor" folks just learned to adjust to the heat the best that we could.  And adjust we did, or at least we tried to.

          I can still remember those horrendously hot and humid nights when I was growing up.  Often I would take my pillow and a cover down from my second floor bedroom to the living room.  I would open our side door to the porch and lay in front of the door just trying to catch a small breeze.  Sometimes I did, but it was always small and never too refreshing.

          When we rode in our car we always rode with all the windows open and you tried to get a seat next to the window and enjoy the resulting breeze.  A neighbor boy owned a convertible and if you were fortunate you could go for a ride with him once un awhile.  We endured sitting in school and in church and living in tents at camp meeting in the hot summer days.  And we didn't complain - we had no other alternative.

          When I was in college I attended church in Sunbury, without ac of course.  But outside the right side of the building were row homes whose porches adjoined the side of the church.  On hot summer days the church windows were opened exposing the porches.  The residents had no privacy from the church services on Sundays and the congregation had to endure the actions of the neighbors.

          Incidentally, early in June we were married in that sanctuary.  I wore my black wool suit, the only suit that I owned.   The heat, humidity, my suit and my nervousness were a great combination that day.

          In our early days of marriage our only relief from the heat came from a large window fan which we purchased.  It would blow the hot air out and pull the cooler air in from other open windows.  It was the best that we could afford in those days.  Years later we were able to add some window air conditioners that served us until 1991 when we finally could afford central air.  That was 29 years after we were married.

          In 1967 we spent eight weeks in Tallahassee, Florida, while I was attending Florida State University.  It was really hot there but not nearly as humid as we were used to back home.  And at that time, every place there, including our apartment had central air.  That was a summer that we enjoyed.

          But probably my worst experience with the heat came during my teaching career at Penn Manor.   For almost two thirds of my 39 years my office and classrooms were on the third floor, east side of a brick building with no ac or even cross ventilation.  The sun would hit those windows and it was often over 90 degrees when the day began.  And while we had a fan for each room it did little to make it comfortable all day.  After an hour of teaching I was often "soaked" with perspiration and often had to change my shirt.  I pitied my students who had to suffer through those conditions as well as through my teaching.  For years I begged the school to at least install some exhaust fans to move the air.  But as they sat in their air conditioned offices the administrators could never decide to support my requests.  So we suffered.

          Thankfully, during the last third of my years of teaching I took on K-12 duties and then was first given an office in the ninth grade building and then in an elementary school.  Both had central ac.  Then, in 1997, a major renovation also gave me a classroom with ac.  That helped make teaching fun once again.

          As I've watched the news of the recent heat waves I can't help but wonder how folks survive, especially vulnerable seniors.  Many of the folks in the northwest region didn't even have ac, something you just assume everyone has today.

          I also often think of my parents and how they survived all their lives without central air.  But they were hardy folks who lived through many difficult times.  And they trusted the Lord and He provided - ALL their needs.  May I  exercise the same faith.

          Keep cool - the summer isn't over yet!