The New Consumerism: Freecycle Registering 50,000 More Each Week Since Wall Street Crashed.
October 29, 2008 by Guru
Filed under eco & sustainability
I’m an avid Freecycler. Not only am I saving money and helping the planet all in one fell swoop, I get to meet awesome and imaginative Freecyclers. A while back I posted an offer for the eleven (yes, 11) remote controls I somehow managed to accumulate. Sure enough, a guy wanted to take them all. I had to know — why on earth do you want all 11? Seems he is a night photographer who needs the tiny infrared chips.
Another Freecycler couldn’t use my beat-up bamboo chairs but gave me a carton of speckled eggs from her own chickens. Another loaded up my leftover lumber; she brought me wild blueberries, a great smile and a dose of neighborliness I sorely need.
Freecycling is all about serendipity. You never know who is going to turn up to pick up your treasures or offer up a treasure of their own. Recently we received a grand player piano — an unwieldly ancient bulwark of a thing that required three men to lift. The beauty came with a set of equally ancient piano rolls; the kind of thing only an early jazz lover would adore. It just so happens that my ex-husband is one of those jazz fanatics with a lust for 1920′s tunes. And it just so happens that my ex-husband is recovering from cancer and needs to pump those weak legs of his — which is how those piano rolls work. It takes powerful pumping to get them going.
The scoop on Freecycle:
Welcome! The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,617 groups with 6,030,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box above or by clicking on “Browse Groups” above the search box. Have fun!
Business Week has a great article on this growing trend. Send it to your favorite AIG agent. Maybe he can Freecycle a few of those souvenirs he picked up at the St. Regis Resort the week we after we bailed them out.
Scammers and Spammers Phishing in the Rubble of Our Financial Institutions.
October 11, 2008 by Guru
Filed under financial services
From the As If Things Can’t Get Worse Department . . .
From a clip on Slashdot: “You could probably see this one coming. With all of the confusion and money involved you knew there would be cyber-vultures out there looking to cash in. Well the Federal Trade Commission today issued a warning that indeed such increased phishing activities are taking place. Specifically the FTC said it was urging user caution regarding e-mails that look as if they come from a financial institution that recently acquired a consumer’s bank, savings and loan, or mortgage. In many case such emails are only looking to obtain personal information — account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers — to run up bills or commit other crimes in a consumer’s name, the FTC stated.”
Guru’s Note: If you’re a Bank of America customer, please read on: ScanSafe and other Web security watchers are reporting a big uptick in the number of hackers using the Bank of America brand in a phishing attack that uses the bad economy as a lure.
Leading email and web security company Barracuda Networks saw a big jump in pump-and-dump stock spam messages that claim entertainment companies are benefiting from the falling economy. The messages claim the companies being touted are “recession proof.” Don’t we all wish we knew exactly who is going to coast through this mess?
Help on the way? Identity Theft Red Flag Rules go into affect November 1. A report on NetworkWorld says that Banks and other financial institutions typically account for about half of the identity theft complaints filed with the FTC and a recent survey showed Bank of America, JP Morgan, Capital One and Citibank topping the FTC list. That’s one of the reasons why under the Red Flags Rules, financial institutions and creditors must develop a written program that identifies and detects the relevant warning signs – or “red flags” – of identity theft. These may include, for example, unusual account activity, fraud alerts on a consumer report, or attempted use of suspicious account application documents. The program must also describe appropriate responses that would prevent and mitigate the crime and detail a plan to update the program.
Welcome to the St. Regis Spa for Stressed Out AIG Executives.
October 8, 2008 by Guru
Filed under government
This then is the so-called resort where a valiant team of our nation’s finest business visionaries — the brave men and women of AIG — went to fight the good fight. For days, they raged against stress and burn-out. They rose up against carpal tunnel. They strenuously resisted not only seriously clogged pores but also jet lag and beard irritation.
Less than one week after the stress-inducing bailout perpetrated by our anti-Pilates government, these courageous executives had the sheer moxie to jump on a jet and face the cold, unforgiving waters of the Pacific, armed only with 9 irons.
Read on for the excruciating tale of what they endured during that fateful $443,344 business trip. While some of the details may be gutwrenching, (send the children to play Spore) know this: ultimately, when the Chardonnay Sugar Scrubs and the deep hydrating masks were but a painful memory, triumph (and tighter pores) was theirs.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?
Filled with natural light and adorned with water fountains, Spa Gaucin is located in the center of the resort and caters to couples. In addition to 18 treatment rooms, it has five couple’s suites and a variety of couple’s packages. Continuing the resort’s Tuscan theme, the Wine Escape package includes a wine bath, and the Mediterranean Meltaway includes an espresso bath; both are complemented by glasses of wine and a cheese plate. Other packages offer private yoga instruction and guided meditation.
While each detail has not yet been revealed, we do know that some of the potential ‘treatments’ may have included:
Mediterranean Massage Light to medium pressure strokes are executed with a hydrating Chardonnay grape seed massage oil. This signature service concludes with an aromatic fig and cassis body butter applied after a warm, tension releasing back compress.
60 min – $175
90 min – $260
Just For Men The Just for Men Facial is specifically designed to address the unique concerns of men, targeting irritation caused by shaving, as well as congestion. This treatment begins with a deep cleansing, gentle exfoliation and extractions. Skin will then be revitalized with a customized treatment mask followed by a relaxing shoulder massage. The result is clearer, balanced and hydrated skin.
60 min – $175
90 min – $260
Tomato Basil Nourishing Wrap Nourish tired skin with this active ingredient wrap. Packed full of antioxidants and moisture imbedding properties, your body will devour the extracts of orange fruit, olive leaf, rosemary leaf, and lavender flowers.
60 min – $175
75 min – $215
Mediterranean Harmony Two therapists perform a choreographed massage in harmony. The service is complete with our signature warm back compress and fig and cassis body butter back massage. The result of this four-handed massage is total mind/body relaxation.
60 min – $350
Intuitive Massage A customized massage experience that begins with a consultation with your therapist to determine your body and energy needs. The massage technique and desired outcome are developed by you and your therapist creating a symbiotic experience for both.
Dermal Quench This is the ultimate hydration treatment! Oxygen, vitamins, and hyaluronic serum combine under hyperbaric pressure to deliver unparalleled hydration and age-defying results. This delightfully relaxing and nurturing treatment results in instantly healthier, younger, and plumper skin. An ideal treatment right before a special event, while recovering from jet lag, or for an amazing glow.
60 min – $225
90 min – $335
At the end of AIG’s brave journey back to wellbeing (if not wealth) we are left with these poignant words from the ‘Spa’ itself:
We invite you to begin your celebration of life, love, and wellness with the tradition of our coin toss into the Spa Gaucin Well of Desires.
“Every moment of life is worth a celebration.”
(Especially on someone else’s nickel)
Guru’s Note: AIG received an $85 billion taxpayer bailout from the federal government on September 16. Less than a week after being rescued, AIG executives blew through almost $500,000 of taxpayer bailout funds at a week-long retreat at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Orange County, California.
Here’s how they spent our money:
$147,302 for banquets
$139,375 on rooms
$23,380 for spa services
$6,939 for golf
$5,016 at the Stonehill Tavern
$3,065 for in-room dining and the lobby lounge
$2,949 for gratuities
$1,901 at the Monarch Bayclub
and $1,488 at the resort’s Vogue Salon
Source: OC Watchdog
