The pavement's Picasso

credit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Beever

If you’re among the lucky ones, you might have been the recipient of the 3D chalk drawings below that have been making the rounds of the e-mail universe.  When I received these photos, no information was included concerning the brains behind these magnificent works of art.

Soooo… what’s the curious to do?  I Googled and found the vital statistics so that a face could be attached to these incredible pieces.  Below is what I gathered about the very talented chalk artist from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Beever:

Julian Beever is an English chalk artist^[1] who has been creating trompe-l'œil chalk drawings on pavement surfaces since the mid-1990s. He uses a projection technique called anamorphosis to create the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from the correct angle. It is often possible to position a person within the image as if they were interacting with the scene.

Beever first designs his work on paper. Once finalised, a camera is placed at a distance from the art on the pavement which he returns to in order to observe the image through the lens a number of times, as the camera's wide angled lens can create an optical illusion which distorts the actual size of objects, which aids in maintaining perspective.

Beever works internationally as a freelance artist and creates murals for companies.

Besides this pavement art, Beever also paints murals with acrylic paints and replicas of the works of masters and oil paintings, and creates collages. Among his other work are drawings, usually themed around music.

I’ve seen how  this “Pavement Picasso” wave his magic on YouTube and it was thoroughly amazing!  What can I say….When the Good Lord distributed creative juices to humanity, Mr. Beever obviously grabbed more than a bucketful! 

Julian Beever, your interesting and unique pavement accomplishments have inspired joy and awe and the world thanks you!

 

Reaping the harvest

One cyber blessing I frequently enjoy is receiving lovely stories via e-mail.  Below is an example…

A BEAUTIFUL STORY

             

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $100. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging. He was frustrated as he could find no job, nobody was ready to help him.

He bought food and as he sat down to eat, an old man and two little children came along and asked him to help them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week. He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out.

Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed for him that will bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin. The young graduate said to them "you need the prayer more than I do".

With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the floor. He picked it up, and suddenly he saw an advertisement for people with old coins to come to a certain address.  He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him.

On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin. Alas, the proprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed the young graduate a photograph. This same old coin was worth $3M.

The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for $3M within an hour. He collected the bank draft, went in search of the old man and little children. By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone. He inquired from the owner of the canteen who told him that they even left a note for him.

He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them. But alas, the words in the note reads thus:  "You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin."  Signed God the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. 1 Kings 17:10-16;Matthew 11:28-30 

Have you given your all to Jesus Christ?

If you haven't, do so today and He will surprise you.

PRAYER:

Here is your financial blessing! It's a simple prayer, you got 30 seconds?

If you need a financial blessing, continue reading this email.

Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God, I pray to You that You abundantly bless my family and me. I know that You recognize, that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister, brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You.  Father, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for not only the person who sent this to me, but for me and all whom I have forwarded this message on to.  And that the power of joined prayer by those who believe and trust in You is more powerful than anything.  I thank You in advance for Your blessings.  Father God, deliver the person reading this right now and those who will read it in the near future from debt and debt burdens.  Release your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me Father, for I know how wonderful and mighty you are and how if we just obey You and walk in Your word and have the faith of a Mustard seed that You will pour out blessings.

I thank You now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come because I know You are not done with me yet.  In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

The best policy

photo credit:  The Daily Herald, Joe Lewnard / AP

Yesterday a delightfully heartwarming news was all over the Internet.  A 54-year old man in the Chicago, IL area returned a bag containing $17,021 cash.  He could have taken the bag home and spent the money like it were his (finders, keepers... remember?).  But because his deceased parents raised him not to spend someone else’s hard-earned money, he did the right and honorable thing.

Wow.  This kind of positive "chicken soup for the soul" news never fails to get everyone excited!  Amidst so much terrorism and catastrophic events in our world, something comes along that brings a happy song to the heart.

The man, Robert Adams was craving for a large horchata (a refreshing rice or coconut milk drink).  He wanted a chorizo burrito to go with the drink, but he didn’t have the money.  He went to a Chase ATM and found a clear plastic bag sitting nearby.  It obviously contained checks, receipts and cash.  Because it was a clear plastic bag, Adams could clearly see the $20 and $100 bills inside.  That could have paid for more than a year’s worth of chorizo burritos and horchata!  The thought that it might have been a set-up did cross his mind because it seemed just too good to be true.

In the end, his parents’ upbringing about honesty ruled over his action.  Since “Chase” was printed on the plastic bag, Adams assumed that’s the bank it belonged to so he took the bag to the nearest Chase branch.  The teller informed him that the bag didn’t belong there as the ATM was replenished from inside so there wasn’t any reason why a bag would be left outside.

When the police was notified, it was discovered that the bag was left behind by a Loomis courier that was supposed to have taken the bag to another ATM location.

The news didn’t indicate whether or not Adams could expect a reward for his honesty.

The comments posted on the Internet following the article were hilarious, to quote:

“Elect this man to Congress.  At least we would have one honest man there.”

“Honest guy! Esp. in this economy!”

“What an honest man; people like him are hard to find.”

“They definitely should do something for the guy – even though we all know there are a few cameras in and around that cash machine, he might have been able to walk away with it – hook him up with his favorite burrito stand.”

“Hats off to you, Robert Adams.  Yo have proven that honesty is the best policy.  You are a good man and I hope that you are justly rewarded for your actions.”

“Honesty pays in the end and is its own reward, but dang, they could have at least bought this man’s burrito and cold drink.”

Yes, I agree with all the comments.  Such honest behavior should be rewarded.  It takes a great deal of integrity to do what this man had done.  Even if he doesn’t get compensated, I’m sure that the good feeling he felt doing what he thought was right was rewarding enough.  But, seriously, I wish that Loomis would give this man at least a year’s worth of his favorite burrito.

Whether or not Adams gets rewarded, I'm sure that his parents are now smiling from ear to ear.

A dog comes to work day

The company I work for has an open door policy.  Too open that even dogs are allowed to come to work.

In fact on my first day in the office while my Vice President took me around, introducing me to everyone, I met a huge black Standard Poodle named Kramer.  He was our Chief Financial Officer’s pet who got in the habit of coming to work with his master.  Kramer always came to pay us a visit and on such occasions, he always did his thing, wandering down the hallways in his quiet, house-broken manner.  He didn’t bother anyone, but everyone didn’t leave him alone.  Someone always comes near him to give him a neck rub or a body pet.  On a few occasions, someone dropped whatever he was doing to play catch ball with the dog.

I grew very fond of Kramer although on our first encounter, I can’t lie that the dog gave me a scare.  You see, Kramer is about six feet tall when he’s standing up which makes me look like a midget beside him,  But he is the gentlest, most refined dog I’ve ever met!  A few years later, he was put to sleep due to some kind of stomach ailment.  He was like my CFO’s family member and Kramer’s passing I’m sure made the old guy sad.  My colleagues and I wrote sympathy notes on a Hallmark card where I confessed to shedding a few tears over the dog's demise.

A few months later, a Kramer look-alike, much younger and more energetic, came to visit the office.  The dog’s name is Newman (you can tell that the CFO is a “Seinfeld” fan) and, obviously, the CFO’s new member of his family.  Newman picked up where Kramer left off, coming to visit the office whenever his busy doggie schedule would allow.  Usually, he came to visit after his doggie salon appointment and everyone just loved to fondle his shiny fur!  One time he even sat with his master in a meeting.  Just like Kramer, this dog loves his freedom and enjoys navigating the hallways.  Everytime I hear metal clicking, I know that Newman isn’t far away!

In the beginning, Newman would arrive at the office and leave through the company elevator.  One day the CFO's wife came to pick him up.  Mrs. CFO never rides the elevator when she's in our premises, always opting to walk up and down our 28-step staircase.  She urged Newman to walk down the stairs with her, but her encouragement was met with a loud and grumpy bark.  Many visits later, the dog was able to overcome his fear of those stairs.  He showed off by walking down the staircase to accompany me when I went down to pick up something.  The dog was such a gentleman, trying to match my pace.  I couldn't help but be impressed!  

I can't forget one incident during Newman's visit.  It must have been his third time in the office.  Newman paused for the longest time at the corner of the wall facing my work station and stared at me at an angle.  I felt like the dog was sizing me up!  After that incident, our bonding became effortless.  He would sit when I told him to… and shake my hand when I said “Shake.”

One day Newman came to our office wearing a white T-shirt and at another time, a lamp shade around his neck.  He wasn’t making a dog fashion statement, but due to an injury he had to wear something to keep him from scratching a stitched wound on his side.  That cramped Newman’s style, but he had to to put up with it for a while.

Yesterday he came to say hello.  At some point during the visit, we heard him barking in one of the vacant offices.  There was an electrician working at that time and because Newman wasn’t familiar with the guy in blue, the dog decided to put the man in his place.  You see, Newman knows everyone in the office by their scent and anything that smells alien sends this dog into panic mode. 

There have been other dogs, big and small and of other breeds, that have come to work with their masters, but Newman remains my best dog friend.  With him and his predecessor, Kramer, it’s always been love at first sniff.  I have a sneaky feeling that Newman and Kramer and I might have been soul canines in another lifetime.

What you say… what God says

A friend of almost 40 years passed this on.  Thank you, Carol!

 

YOU SAY

GOD SAYS

BIBLE VERSES

You say: "It's impossible"

God says: All things are possible

(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"

God says: I will give you rest

(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you

(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"

God says: My grace is sufficient

(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"

God says: I will direct your steps

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"

God says: You can do all things

(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"

God says: I am able

(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"

God says: It will be worth it

(Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"

God says: I forgive you

(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"

God says: I will supply all your needs

(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear

(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"

God says: Cast all your cares on ME

(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"

God says: I give you wisdom

(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you

(Hebrews 13:5)

PASS THIS ON.

Believe God is there just for you...

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MAY BE IN NEED.

If the Lord has you on hold... hold on!
If the Lord has said "NO" to you... thank Him!
If the Lord is molding your heart and mind... go with His change!
If the Lord opens doors that you have been asking Him to open... Praise Him!
Be blessed wherever you are in your life today!  God has His hands on the situation!

Auspicious Arowana

The Arowana fish, also called Dragon Fish, is the most powerful fish symbol used in feng shui for attracting wealth and abundance.  The Chinese call it Kam Lung Yue, meaning “Golden Dragon” or “living dragon.”  Due to its similarity to an actual dragon with its beautiful, rainbow-colored metallic scales, it is reportedly the world’s most expensive aquarium fish. 

“Yu” is the Chinese word for fish, meaning wealth and superfluity, which makes it a significant symbol of prosperity.  Arowana is known as the “wealth fish,” or the fish of the rich and famous.

Used as a feng shui wealth enhancer, the Arowana symbol is depicted wearing coin-designed scales with a coin in its mouth and sitting on a bed of Chinese coins.  It is said that having a symbol of this creature in the home, business or office brings all kinds of blessings.  Examples:  increased income, safety from accidents and harm, protection and guardianship, and the enhanced flow of chi (Chinese word for energy).

To quote a description from:  http://www.fengshuimall.com:

The Arowana fish is an amazing creature. It has adapted to humankind, as it is able to interpret the language, stay focused on tasks, and display a high level of intelligence. One of the most prominent abilities that the Arowana has is being able to see bad events in the future, detecting the aura of negative energy to come. If it suddenly begins to hit itself against the walls of its glass aquarium, it is a sign of terrible events. The Arowana, in the worst cases, will spring out of the water and commit suicide, sacrificing its own life to repress negative energy for its owner.

The Arowana is a very influential icon among all other water-dwelling creatures. It will bring all kinds of blessings to your home and your family, some of these being increased income (the reason for its title of the “wealth fish” by affluent businessmen and tycoons), prevention of accidents and harm, protection and guardianship, as well as an enhancement of surrounding chi flow.

 

According to http://fengshui-import.com:

It is also a faithful creature that will foresee the mishaps for its owner and deflect negative chi from one's surrounding. For those who desire to accumulate their wealth and expand their enterprise, this golden arowana fish is specifically designed to tap the chi of Star Six white and one white, which can attain great benefactor in the work and smoothing one's career path.

Believed as Dragon fish, arowana fish is recognized as a symbol of perseverance and literary and educational success. If parents wish their children to excel at the study and become a smart learner, they can place this arowana fish with crystal pagoda to enlighten the kid's intelligence. This fish and pagoda combination is one of the most famous Feng shui combos that are authentic to stimulate one's inspiration for creative work.

 

The Arowana symbol can be displayed everywhere in the home, office or place of business, preferably in the north, east, southeast and southwest.  Auspicious placements:

• For shop owners who would like to generate more sales revenue, place the symbol near the store entrance or outside the shop to attract more chi. 
• To enhance wealth, place it near the water fountain.  The Arowana can be displayed beside or inside water elements in the home such as ponds, waterfalls or aquariums.
• To attract blessings and wealth luck for all members of the family, place the Arowana symbol in the East and prominent locations in the home, e.g. living room, main hall or bedroom.
• Display diagonally from the main entrance of the home or office, or the Southeast corner of the reception desk of an office or cash counter of a shop to increase income luck.
• For career luck, place the symbol in the North sector of the office, living room or dining room to boost windfall luck, multiply income sources and career opportunities.

Make an Arowana a precious member of your family, if you desire an abundant life.

credit:  http://www.fengshui-import.com

Summer celebration

After what seemed like a very long winter, T-shirt and shorts season in my neck of the woods has finally arrived.  It’s not officially Summer, but temperatures indicate that it might be here to stay for a while.  People are out and about wearing flip-flops and half naked outfits.  I can’t blame their uninhibited excitement after what seemed like an endless time of enduring the cold and brutal temperatures.

What I love most about this time of the year, besides the landscape visual delight, is the hope that comes alive in the air.  Green leaves sprout out of everywhere.  Colorful flowers of interesting shapes and shades make their appearance.  Scents give the outdoors an interesting appeal.  Waters from the sprinklers are screaming JOY!

My neighborhood kids are out in full force… playing ball, swimming in the club pool or simply messing around.  Childish screams and giggles, a rarity during the cold months, have become a permanent sound of the outdoors. 

Even the gardening crew is loving the weather-friendly atmosphere.  The mowers are working overtime and pruning exercises go nonstop.  

The other morning, I took a walk just after 8:00 in the morning and I heard incessant pounding from one of my neighbors’ backyard.  Patio repair time!  Folks are in the mood for outdoor activities… sprucing up their gardens, fixing things, planting new beginnings.  It is a great sign of hope, motivation and inspiration.

People walking their dogs in the park have a bounce in their steps, taking their time to inhale the fresh air.  In wintertime they’re usually rushing to get back to their comfort zones.  Back then even the furred creatures didn’t look too glad to be shivering in the white-blanketed grounds.

I went out to work in my garden the other weekend and found the fur of a baby squirrel.  It obviously died during the past arctic chill.  Many of my rose bushes didn’t make the recent winter’s brutal cold.  But it’s oh-so-true that when a door closes, a window opens!  I found a tree peony finally making an appearance in my garden, and what looks like another peony variety next to it.  I planted the roots two autumns ago and when the peonies didn’t come out last year, I felt greatly disappointed.  Well, obviously, they just took their own sweet time!  I might not get to enjoy the other seven peony varieties I planted, but I'm grateful for what I can have.  Thank You, Jesus!

The solar lights on my patio have brought sparkle after dark.  The good news is that they don’t cost me a dime in power consumption!  What a concept!

The birds chirping on my patio means that they’ve come to visit the chokeberries on my tree that they love to feast on.  The bird sounds are music to my ears because I feel blessed when my feathered friends come calling.   Birds are harbingers of good fortune and when they visit, it’s a cause for celebration.    

Let’s be joyful for the Summer fever.  Enjoy every moment of lovely fair weather that graces our surroundings.  Soak in the vibrance of the outdoors and the beauty of Mother Nature.  I’m sure you’ll agree that nothing beats living in the gorgeousness of this landscape.         

Have a blessed Summer!

Our best friends

My BFF Josie (thanks, my friend!) shared this touching piece about friendships.  It was e-mailed to her by someone in 2006.  It’s now 2011 and I’m still hanging on to it!  Since I can’t seem to get detached from it, I decided to immortalize it in cyber space.  Special thanks to whoever took the time to put this lovely piece together.  I wish that the creative minds of forwarded e-mails would leave their signature on the piece so that credit could be given to them.

Cheers to amazing friends!

One Best Friend

When I was little, I used to believe in the concept of one best friend, and then I started to become a woman.
 
Then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up, God would show you the best in many friends.
 
One friend is needed when you are going through things with your man.
 
Another friend is needed when you are going through things with your mom.
 
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
 
One friend will say, "Let's cry together," another, "Let's fight together," another, "Let 's walk away together."
 
One friend will meet your spiritual need, another your shoe fetish, another your love for movies, another will be with you in your season of confusion, another will be your clarifier, another the wind beneath your wings.
 
However, whatever their assignment in your life, on whatever the occasion, on whatever the day, or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back, or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself... those are your best friends.
 
It may all be wrapped up in one woman,
but for many,
it's wrapped up in several...
one from 7th grade,
one from high school,
several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
on some days your mother,
on some days your neighbor,
on others, your sisters,
and on some days, your daughters.
 
So whether they have been your friend for 20 minutes or 20 years, pass this on to the women that God has placed in your life and heart to make a difference.

Home remedies

My BFF Josie received these tips via e-mail and passed along.  Thanks, sistah!

 Home Remedies:
 
 1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic.
     Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat

     and presto! The blockage will be almost instantly

     removed.
 
 2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing

     vegetables by getting someone else to hold them

     while you chop away.
 
 3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the

     toilet seat by simply using the sink.
  
 4. High blood pressure sufferers: simply cut

     yourself and bleed for a while, thus reducing the

     pressure in your veins..
 
 5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm

     clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going

     back to sleep when you hit the snooze button.
  
 6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of

     laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
 
 7. Have a bad tooth ache? Hit your thumb with a

     hammer, then you will forget about the tooth ache.

AND...  Sometimes we just need to remember what The Rules of Life really are:  You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the duct tape.
 
And finally... Be really good to your family and friends. You never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan.

Needle treatment for stroke victims

Truth to tell, I’m not sure about the credibility of this bloodletting method (forwarded to me in an e-mail) that can allegedly help a stroke victim.  Neverthless, if it can save a life, I better pass it on. 

A NEEDLE CAN SAVE THE LIFE OF A STROKE PATIENT

(from a Chinese professor)

Keep a syringe or needle in your home to do this.  It's amazing and an unconventional way of recovering from stroke, read it through it can help somebody one day.
  
This is amazing.

Please keep this very handy.

Excellent tips.

Do take a minute to read this. 

You'll never know, one's life may depend on you.
 
My father was paralyzed and later died from the result of a stroke. I wish I knew about this first aid before. When stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst." (Irene Liu)
  
When a stroke occurs, stay calm. No matter where the victim is, do not move him/her. Because if moved, the capillaries will burst. Help the victim to sit up where he/she is to prevent him/her from falling over again and then the bloodletting can begin. If you have in your home an injection syringe that would be the best.  Otherwise, a sewing needle or a straight pin will do.
  
   1. Place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it and then use it to prick the tip of all
      10 fingers.
  
   2. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick about an mm from the fingernail.
  
   3. Prick till blood comes out.
  
   4. If blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers.
  
   5. When all 10 digits are bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain
       consciousness.
  
   6. If the victim's mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red.
  
   7. Then prick each earlobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each earlobe.
       After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness.
  
Wait till the victim regain his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital. Otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.
  
"I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor, Ha Bu Ting, who lives in Sun Juke. Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore, I can say this method is 100% effective. In 1979, I was teaching in Fung Gaap College in Tai Chung. One afternoon, I was teaching a class when another teacher came running to my classroom and said in panting, "Ms Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!"
  
I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr. Chen Fu Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked – all the symptoms of a stroke. I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its color and his eyes' spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out two drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei . He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach.
  
Everything worked normally. There were no ill after effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover." (Irene Liu)
  
Therefore, stroke is the second cause of death.  The lucky ones will stay alive but can remain paralyzed for life. It is such a horrible thing to happen in one's life. If we can all remember this bloodletting method and start the life saving process immediately, in a short time, the victim will be revived and regain 100% normality.
  
If possible, PLEASE forward this after reading. You never know if it may help save a life from stroke. May you be happy and well.Wah Hospital

Watch those thoughts!

The following reached my cyber mailbox in 2005.  It's been so long that I don't remember which nice friend had passed it on.  Thank you... you know who you are!

MIND POWER

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.

What you speak about, you can bring about.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your job,
you might lose your job.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your body,
your body can become sick.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your car,
your car could be stolen or just stop operating.
If you keep saying you're always broke, guess what?
you’ll always be broke.
If you keep saying you can’t trust a man or trust a woman,
you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
If you keep saying you can’t find a job,
you will remain unemployed.
If you keep saying you can’t find someone to love or believe in you,
your very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.

Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and
power packed with faith, hope, love and action.
Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

Watch your “Thoughts”, they become words;
Watch your “Words”, they become actions;
Watch you “Actions”, they become habits;
Watch your “Habits”, they become character;
Watch your “Character”, for it becomes your “Destiny”.

Divorcing the ATM

Today I want to talk about something that’s starting to bother me:  getting cash from an ATM.  Now that I have temporarily given up driving, taking the bus to my bank 15 miles away does not make me want to go there just to withdraw some cash.  Therefore, ATM’s became a new best friend.

Back in March, I needed to withdraw a big sum of money for an emergency.  It wasn’t a life-and-death situation, but just the same, I had to have the cash at that time for a very important transaction.  When I hit the ATM, I kept getting the message that I had “exceeded my daily limit.”  Please note that I wasn’t even near an ATM for months because most of my transactions were done through my checking account.  How in the world could I have exceeded my daily limit?  Because it was a weekend I couldn’t contact my financial institution for an explanation.

The following Monday, my first deed of the morning was to shoot an e-mail to my bank.  The response I received was that the bank was switching to a new card provider and the process didn’t go smoothly as expected.  I was told that the switchover was completed and that I should try again.  I was assured that my ATM transaction would go through successfully.   No, it didn’t! 

I notified the bank rep about the ATM’s continued denial of my cash advance transaction, but I got no response.  It was so quiet at her end that I imagined that she might have had a heart attack from all the client complaints.  I should have made a telephone contact, but I happen to be one of those strange folks who prefer to tackle issues in writing.  That way, I have documented evidence of how the matter was handled.  Blame it on my corporate, legal and journalism background where a paper trail is a mandatory form of exercise.

I figured that the bank might be getting a lot of complaints so I decided to leave the bank rep alone.  What I did was to visit the ATM and cross my fingers that the money would miraculously spit out.  Well, on the second day of increasing frustration, my bank finally got their act together.  The cash I needed fell into my hand.  Hallelujah!

Then last Memorial Day during my casino gambling talisman “experiment,” the same thing happened.  The ATM gave me the message that I “exceeded my daily limit.”  I had not used the ATM since March, therefore the message prompted me to think that there was again a card provider problem.  I repeated my March episode of e-mailing my bank.  Twenty-four hours later, still no response.  My bank rep got back to me only after I asked “Why isn’t anybody responding to my inquiry?  Don’t I have a right to access my own money?”

That got somebody’s attention.  Nevertheless, the explanation I received was confusing to me.  Below is our exchange of e-mails:

Bank Rep (BR):  You have a 3 transactions or $_____ – whichever comes first – limit PER DAY on your debit card.

Disgruntled Me (DM):  What I don't understand is that the $_____ I attempted to withdraw was the FIRST withdrawal I tried to do last month.  I didn't max out my daily limit yet the machine won't let me cash out.  This worries me because in a time of emergency, I can't even count on my debit card to bail me out.

BR:  The problem was that the fee on top of your daily limit caused it to be declined.  We have bumped the limit up to $_____ and it should work just fine now.

DM:   I had always cashed out $_____ (my daily limit plus fee) before and always got the cash.

BR:  Because the $_____ was tried too many times, it over run the number of tries.  Generally the machine isn’t set up to let you know.  It has limited response statements.

Although the bank rep's responses didn't fully enlighten me, I let the matter rest, thanked her and wished her a good day.  Truthfully, the explanation didn’t sit well with me.  I was trying to access my own hard-earned money and their system wouldn't let me.  It just magnified the possibility that ATM’s can’t be completely depended on for financial emergencies.

Because people are expected to solve their own problems, starting soon I’ll add an additional (cash advance) amount on the checks I write to my supermarket for grocery purchases and stash that money somewhere. That way, if and when I need a big chunk of cash, it will be ready for the spending.  Such a proactive approach needs to happen because ATM’s and I don’t get along very well anymore.

A horse for protection and luck in gambling

Not too long ago, I found myself splurging on a Wind Horse Victory Amulet, supposedly a gambling talisman.  Call it part of my “research work” on the effectiveness of such a thing.  My feng shui connection in Malaysia described it as an amulet that “brings speculative luck and competitive victory ideal for people who often try their luck in lotteries, horse racing, stock market, 4-digits, football bets and casinos.”  It’s actually a keychain with a beautiful gold-plated medallion design.  It looks really awesome because it has the image of the Wind Horse on one side and the Jupiter Yantra Grid on the other.  The “protective Victory Wind Horse mantra” is encircled on both sides of the medallion which is supposed to enhance the potency of the amulet.

In Tibetan culture, the Wind Horse is a revered mythical creature.  According to my feng shui supplier, this animal “combines the speed of the wind and the strength of the horse to carry prayers from earth to the heavens.”  The Wind Horse “usually appears as the center image of the auspicious prayer flags known as ‘Lung Ta’, bearing wish fulfilling jewels on its back to radiate positive energy, stimulate good fortune and opportunities that make things go well.”

The Planet Jupiter’s characteristics relate to “growth, expansion, prosperity, and good fortune… also associated with the urge for freedom and exploration, humanitarian and protecting roles, and with gambling and merrymaking.”  The Jupiter Mantra Grid design on the medallion “comprises of the numerical grid for Jupiter and has been energized by performing the consecration ceremony for this planet.”

To increase prosperity luck and prevent financial losses, the instruction is to keep the amulet in my bag at all times or dangle on the rear view mirror of the car so that the “personal ‘guardian angel’ is always there,” to bring good luck and protection from harm, thereby working as both a feng shui luck charm and protector.  The amulet was supposed to magnify “windfall luck” and bring “surprising yield in speculative affairs.” 

I kept the amulet in my bag for two weeks before I actually commenced my “research study” and took a risk with my money.  I was at the supermarket when the idea of buying scratch tickets was too tempting to pass up.  Bad decision!  One scratch ticket won me $5, but I lost more than I gained.  The positive side of my brain assured me that the amulet might work only on the big-risk investments.

This past Memorial Day, I made a trip to the casino to do a gambling experiment, again as part of my “research study.”  Although I had vowed never to waste money on slot machine play, I wanted to find out if the Victory Wind Horse gambling amulet would really work.  You see, if the amulet could make me a winner, my plan was to get my BFF Josie an amulet of her own so that she can win the mega million lottery.

Excitement overcame me as I sat on the bus that took me up to the mountain casino resort, my left palm itching throughout the ride.  I wanted to believe that the itchy left palm was a sure indication of profitable play and, therefore, the effectiveness of the amulet.

I need not bore you with the depressing details.  To make a long story short, the only fun part of that casino trip was the mountain view scenery my eyes feasted on.  I came home with my wallet wearing a long face, but I returned richer in the wisdom gained from my gutsy “research experiment.”  My firm belief now is that we can get lucky, with or without a talisman or amulet.  This recent experiment further proved my suspicion that casinos stay in business because they don’t need a talisman to bring them luck. 

In order words, the gambling talisman description was nothing but empty words.  Whoever wrote the piece certainly succeeded in selling the winning idea.  Hopefully, mine is an isolated case and that other buyers of this amulet have better luck than me.  If my feng shui supplier isn't thousands of miles away in Malaysia, I will not think twice about demanding a refund.