Korea's unprovoked shelling of South Korea has put the entire peninsula on high alert. Add the March 2010 incident when North Korea sank a South Korean naval ship killing 43 Korean sailors and you have the makings of a war, which could include both the U.S. and China.
China is a North Korean ally, but is quietly angry with North Korea's military action. China has been trying to improve U.S.-China relations and a war between North and South Korea could mean China will leave North Korea to itself.
That action could be a fatal one for North Korea. If China withholds its food and supply lines to North Korea, the North Korean government could collapse, sending thousands of refugees into China and the old government replaced by a Pro-U.S. government.
Recently, the U.S. sent the aircraft carrier George Washington into the Yellow Sea as a sign of U.S. support for South Korea, but the presence of the carrier makes China nervous. China requested the U.S. four months ago to refrain from sending any carriers into the Yellow Sea, which the U.S. agreed to do, but the military action North Korea took against South Korea changes things dramatically. Although the Yellow Sea is in international waters, China does not want a U.S. carrier roaming so close to China's shores.
It is believed that North Korea's actions is nothing more than some huffing and puffing to ensure the government is not ignored, but taken seriously, however, its actions are driving a wedge between North Korean and Chinese relations.
The U.S. and South Korea are holding military exercises in the Yellow Sea during the next few weeks, knowing North Korea will be taking notice.
If a war starts in the area, there will be no clear winners. And with North Korea's nuclear capability, strategists believe North Korea won't hesitate to use their missiles if they see they are losing the war.
Editorials, photos, interesting facts, links, comments.
Listen Up, America
Kids Today Are Our Leaders Tomorrow
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Taking Surveys
Okay, like everyone else, I have been searching for a way to make some money online. I recently came across an honest-to-goodness way to make a lot of money online, but that will be in a later post.
About taking surveys, well--you can make some money and you can just waste a lot of time and money. It's your choice, but I am posting this to help you avoid wasting time and spending money.
Many so-called surveys are just tricks to get you to buy some stuff; sometimes a lot of stuff. You see an ad where you can get a free Dell computer. Oh, yeah. Did you see the little font phrase that says, "Participation required"? Uh, huh. That is the catch. In order to get the free Dell, you have to spend a bunch of money on stuff you really don't need or want. SO, watch out for that little tricky phrase.
Other surveys will only offer you points that either get you nothing more than an entry into a drawing (which is nothing more than a raffle ticket) or you have to collect until you get like 25,000 points before they send you a wad of bubble gum.
Now, think about this: so you get 1500 points that are deposited into "this month's drawing" for, say, $1000.00--wow. A lot of money, right? BUT--how many OTHER people are in that drawing? Thousands? Millions?
Your chance of winning depends on how many entries there are. If one million people in the world, or even if only in the U.S., have their 1500 points added into the pot, just what do you think your chances are of winning?
I got disgusted with spending 30 minutes taking a survey just to get some points added into a drawing that I may never win. I could take surveys for years and never win. Excuse me, but my time is worth a lot more than a few points.
I finally terminated my membership/subscriptions to a lot of survey promoters because I want money for my time, not a raffle ticket.
There are some legitimate survey promoters on the web, but you have to be very careful when reading what it is they will give you for your time. Do not spend your time with folks that require you to "participate." they just want you to buy something. The only people making money there are the people you buy from and the survey promoters who get a commission at your expense.
In a new post I will actually give you links to honest-to-goodness survey promoters that will pay you money for your time. Oh, and...I am not going to make you pay for the info. Isn't that a revolutionary idea?
About taking surveys, well--you can make some money and you can just waste a lot of time and money. It's your choice, but I am posting this to help you avoid wasting time and spending money.
Many so-called surveys are just tricks to get you to buy some stuff; sometimes a lot of stuff. You see an ad where you can get a free Dell computer. Oh, yeah. Did you see the little font phrase that says, "Participation required"? Uh, huh. That is the catch. In order to get the free Dell, you have to spend a bunch of money on stuff you really don't need or want. SO, watch out for that little tricky phrase.
Other surveys will only offer you points that either get you nothing more than an entry into a drawing (which is nothing more than a raffle ticket) or you have to collect until you get like 25,000 points before they send you a wad of bubble gum.
Now, think about this: so you get 1500 points that are deposited into "this month's drawing" for, say, $1000.00--wow. A lot of money, right? BUT--how many OTHER people are in that drawing? Thousands? Millions?
Your chance of winning depends on how many entries there are. If one million people in the world, or even if only in the U.S., have their 1500 points added into the pot, just what do you think your chances are of winning?
I got disgusted with spending 30 minutes taking a survey just to get some points added into a drawing that I may never win. I could take surveys for years and never win. Excuse me, but my time is worth a lot more than a few points.
I finally terminated my membership/subscriptions to a lot of survey promoters because I want money for my time, not a raffle ticket.
There are some legitimate survey promoters on the web, but you have to be very careful when reading what it is they will give you for your time. Do not spend your time with folks that require you to "participate." they just want you to buy something. The only people making money there are the people you buy from and the survey promoters who get a commission at your expense.
In a new post I will actually give you links to honest-to-goodness survey promoters that will pay you money for your time. Oh, and...I am not going to make you pay for the info. Isn't that a revolutionary idea?
Monday, November 1, 2010
Bogus $200 Walmart Gift Card
During the first week in October, I received a telemarketing call from some telemarketing scammers who got my number from information I submitted when applying for membership to take surveys for money.
[On a side note, be very, very careful about signing up for "surveys for cash" ads. Most of them just want you to buy something and will only give you what they say they will give you after you sign up for a dozen things you don't really want. In a later note (soon after this one) I will give you the names and links to legitimate survey takers and mystery shopper companies who are also legitimate.]
Anyway, I was speaking to some young man who had an Indian or Pakistani accent. A lot of what he told me I had trouble understanding the first time, and when I tried to get him to stop and repeat it, he just kept talking. I had to actually yell/scream into the phone: "HEY HEY HEY! STOP A MINUTE!" before he finally shut up. Then I got him to speak a little slower.
He told me about a membership in the United Benefit Advantage program, which is a discount shopper program. It sounded like a good deal, with a two week trial period costing only $4.95, so I said okay. He then told me if I agreed to sign up for four magazine subscriptions, I would receive a $200 Walmart gift card! I found that hard to believe, so I asked him several times, "You mean I am going to receive a $200 Walmart card--I mean an actual $200--just for signing up for some magazine subscriptions?" He said yes, it is true.
He took my address and CC number. He actually took my address THREE times, before he got it right. I made him read it back to me to make sure he had it right. He told me I would receive a packet in the mail within 4-7 days. My bank account was charged $4.95 for the buying program. I did not know my bank acct was also going to be charged $49.95 for the magazines! I didn't know that until after ten days when I still had not received anything in the mail.
After ten days, I called this guy back. Of course, I couldn't get transferred to the guy with the difficult accent, so I spoke to a nice woman (I took note of her name, but won't put it here) and she was surprised that I had not received anything. She concurred, though, that I would be receiving a $200 Walmart card. She took my address down again and said she would be sure shipping has my address and find out why I had not yet received the package.
A few days later, I get a text message from this shipping department stating they needed my shipping address to mail the pack out to me! OMG! I was beginning to sense a scam here. Being that I was beginning to fear a scam, I checked my bank account. Fifty dollars had been taken out, but I had received nothing. I called back one more time. This time I was getting pretty hot. I spoke to another person who took my address again and passed it onto shipping. Being that I was a little skeptical, I immediately demanded a refund of my fifty dollars for the magazine subscriptions, but did not demand a refund of the $4.95--yet. The man said a refund was in progress and gave me a confirmation number, which I wrote down. He said it would take 5-7 working days for the money to get back into my account. It's a crime that it takes a business only seconds to TAKE your money, but it takes DAYS to get it refunded.
On Saturday, Oct. 30, I receive a package in the mail from United Benefits advantage and a magazine. The magazine was not the one I asked for. I asked to receive People Magazine, but instead I received a copy of US magazine.
So, on Monday morning I called this damn telemarketing business again and ask to speak with a supervisor. The guy that answered the phone REFUSED to give me a supervisor until I told him why I wanted to speak with one. I told him I had a problem with this entire business transaction and I wanted to speak with a supervisor. He kept refusing to put a supervisor on the line until I told him what it was that I had a problem with. Now I was getting really damn angry!
I told him I did not get what I was told I would get, although money had been taken out of my account and I wanted to speak with a supervisor. He said he would see if a supervisor was available. He put me on hold. About ten seconds later he said there was no supervisor available. I told him that was BULLSHIT! I told him it's just that no supervisor wanted to talk to me, so I was going to contact the Consumer Protection Agency, the FBI, any other regulatory agency, law enforcement agency that might have any jurisdiction in this matter and make a full report.
I told him I was also going to post this entire incident on Facebook, My Space, my blogs, and anywhere else I can, so I can spread it throughout the Internet and maybe save other people from being scammed like I was.
If you speak to someone on the phone and they mention you will receive a $200 Walmart gift card--HANG UP! If you fall for this and give them your account information, you are gonna get screwed like I was.
On Monday, I also called United Benefit Advantage and cancelled my membership there. I told the nice young lady that I had no problems with UBA. I had problems with the telemarketing company and told her what happened. She said she was going to pass on to management what happened, because it cost them business. I cancelled my membership not because of UBA, but because of the bad experience with the telemarketing company, so the telemarketing company cost UBA business. The young lady agreed to refund my $4.95, too.
So, I should get my $49.95 refunded and my $4.95 refunded within a few days. I WON'T be getting a Walmart gift card. I don't know if the magazine subscription(s) will be automatically cancelled or if they will continue. I will just have to wait and find out.
My advice to you, is don't fall for these damn telemarketing scams. Most are probably SHADY at BEST! Everyone wants your money! Don't let them have it.
In my next note, I will tell you about some honest, legitimate mystery shopping companies and survey companies. Many are scammers, but I have been through them and know who they are.
Be careful, my friends.
[On a side note, be very, very careful about signing up for "surveys for cash" ads. Most of them just want you to buy something and will only give you what they say they will give you after you sign up for a dozen things you don't really want. In a later note (soon after this one) I will give you the names and links to legitimate survey takers and mystery shopper companies who are also legitimate.]
Anyway, I was speaking to some young man who had an Indian or Pakistani accent. A lot of what he told me I had trouble understanding the first time, and when I tried to get him to stop and repeat it, he just kept talking. I had to actually yell/scream into the phone: "HEY HEY HEY! STOP A MINUTE!" before he finally shut up. Then I got him to speak a little slower.
He told me about a membership in the United Benefit Advantage program, which is a discount shopper program. It sounded like a good deal, with a two week trial period costing only $4.95, so I said okay. He then told me if I agreed to sign up for four magazine subscriptions, I would receive a $200 Walmart gift card! I found that hard to believe, so I asked him several times, "You mean I am going to receive a $200 Walmart card--I mean an actual $200--just for signing up for some magazine subscriptions?" He said yes, it is true.
He took my address and CC number. He actually took my address THREE times, before he got it right. I made him read it back to me to make sure he had it right. He told me I would receive a packet in the mail within 4-7 days. My bank account was charged $4.95 for the buying program. I did not know my bank acct was also going to be charged $49.95 for the magazines! I didn't know that until after ten days when I still had not received anything in the mail.
After ten days, I called this guy back. Of course, I couldn't get transferred to the guy with the difficult accent, so I spoke to a nice woman (I took note of her name, but won't put it here) and she was surprised that I had not received anything. She concurred, though, that I would be receiving a $200 Walmart card. She took my address down again and said she would be sure shipping has my address and find out why I had not yet received the package.
A few days later, I get a text message from this shipping department stating they needed my shipping address to mail the pack out to me! OMG! I was beginning to sense a scam here. Being that I was beginning to fear a scam, I checked my bank account. Fifty dollars had been taken out, but I had received nothing. I called back one more time. This time I was getting pretty hot. I spoke to another person who took my address again and passed it onto shipping. Being that I was a little skeptical, I immediately demanded a refund of my fifty dollars for the magazine subscriptions, but did not demand a refund of the $4.95--yet. The man said a refund was in progress and gave me a confirmation number, which I wrote down. He said it would take 5-7 working days for the money to get back into my account. It's a crime that it takes a business only seconds to TAKE your money, but it takes DAYS to get it refunded.
On Saturday, Oct. 30, I receive a package in the mail from United Benefits advantage and a magazine. The magazine was not the one I asked for. I asked to receive People Magazine, but instead I received a copy of US magazine.
So, on Monday morning I called this damn telemarketing business again and ask to speak with a supervisor. The guy that answered the phone REFUSED to give me a supervisor until I told him why I wanted to speak with one. I told him I had a problem with this entire business transaction and I wanted to speak with a supervisor. He kept refusing to put a supervisor on the line until I told him what it was that I had a problem with. Now I was getting really damn angry!
I told him I did not get what I was told I would get, although money had been taken out of my account and I wanted to speak with a supervisor. He said he would see if a supervisor was available. He put me on hold. About ten seconds later he said there was no supervisor available. I told him that was BULLSHIT! I told him it's just that no supervisor wanted to talk to me, so I was going to contact the Consumer Protection Agency, the FBI, any other regulatory agency, law enforcement agency that might have any jurisdiction in this matter and make a full report.
I told him I was also going to post this entire incident on Facebook, My Space, my blogs, and anywhere else I can, so I can spread it throughout the Internet and maybe save other people from being scammed like I was.
If you speak to someone on the phone and they mention you will receive a $200 Walmart gift card--HANG UP! If you fall for this and give them your account information, you are gonna get screwed like I was.
On Monday, I also called United Benefit Advantage and cancelled my membership there. I told the nice young lady that I had no problems with UBA. I had problems with the telemarketing company and told her what happened. She said she was going to pass on to management what happened, because it cost them business. I cancelled my membership not because of UBA, but because of the bad experience with the telemarketing company, so the telemarketing company cost UBA business. The young lady agreed to refund my $4.95, too.
So, I should get my $49.95 refunded and my $4.95 refunded within a few days. I WON'T be getting a Walmart gift card. I don't know if the magazine subscription(s) will be automatically cancelled or if they will continue. I will just have to wait and find out.
My advice to you, is don't fall for these damn telemarketing scams. Most are probably SHADY at BEST! Everyone wants your money! Don't let them have it.
In my next note, I will tell you about some honest, legitimate mystery shopping companies and survey companies. Many are scammers, but I have been through them and know who they are.
Be careful, my friends.
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