Public Service

I got this in an email the other day. Presumably these helpful hints were gleaned from conversations from some 105 burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. There are actually 21 of them – a list of 13 and another list of 8 that seems to have joined later:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning
   your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in
   your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to
   make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste… and taste
   means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out
   always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway.
   And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes
   you to remove it..
5. If it snows while you\’re out of town, get a neighbor to create
   car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a
   dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don\’t let
   your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it\’s set. That
   makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the
   windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom – and
   your jewelry. It\’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It\’s raining, you\’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget
   to lock your door – understandable. But understand this: I don\’t take a day
   off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I\’ll ask for directions
   somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don\’t take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won\’t look in your sock drawer? I always
    check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here\’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids\’ rooms.
12. You\’re right: I won\’t have enough time to break into that safe
    where you keep your valuables. But if it\’s not bolted down, I\’ll take it
    with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm
    system. If you\’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you\’re out of town,
    you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering
    glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv.com/)
14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn
    guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
16. I\’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he\’ll stop what he\’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn\’t hear it again, he\’ll just go back to what he was doing. It\’s human nature.
17. I\’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I\’m looking for signs that you\’re
    home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I\’d like. I\’ll drive or walk
    through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to
    pick my targets.
19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It\’s easier
    than you think to look up your address.
20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a
    way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it\’s an invitation.
21. If you don\’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I
    hit the jackpot and walk right in.

If you see yourself in any of these scenarios, pay heed.

Tip o\’ the hat to Kathy!

I got this in an email the other day. Presumably these helpful hints were gleaned from conversations from some 105 burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. There are actually 21 of them – a list of 13 and another list of 8 that seems to have joined later:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning
   your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in
   your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to
   make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste… and taste
   means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out
   always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway.
   And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes
   you to remove it..
5. If it snows while you\’re out of town, get a neighbor to create
   car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a
   dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don\’t let
   your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it\’s set. That
   makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the
   windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom – and
   your jewelry. It\’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It\’s raining, you\’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget
   to lock your door – understandable. But understand this: I don\’t take a day
   off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I\’ll ask for directions
   somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don\’t take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won\’t look in your sock drawer? I always
    check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here\’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids\’ rooms.
12. You\’re right: I won\’t have enough time to break into that safe
    where you keep your valuables. But if it\’s not bolted down, I\’ll take it
    with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm
    system. If you\’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you\’re out of town,
    you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering
    glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv.com/)
14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn
    guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
16. I\’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he\’ll stop what he\’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn\’t hear it again, he\’ll just go back to what he was doing. It\’s human nature.
17. I\’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I\’m looking for signs that you\’re
    home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I\’d like. I\’ll drive or walk
    through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to
    pick my targets.
19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It\’s easier
    than you think to look up your address.
20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a
    way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it\’s an invitation.
21. If you don\’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I
    hit the jackpot and walk right in.

If you see yourself in any of these scenarios, pay heed.

Tip o\’ the hat to Kathy!

I got a letter (not just an email – a real letter) from Patty at The Caitlin Raymond International Registry to say that \”no further testing\” was requested by the physician on the case. I\’m disappointed that I wasn\’t able to help, but even moreso, I was disappointed that they have to continue searching for a suitable donor. On the up side, I mailed in Peggy\’s DNA samples the other day. Maybe she\’ll get to help someone.

I got another email on May 25 from Patty at The Caitlin Raymond International Registry saying that I was a serious candidate for donating bone marrow. I went the following week to a lab in Nashua, New Hampshire (it was a relatively convenient location) and had five vials of blood drawn for testing. Geez, even when I go to the physician for cholesterol work I don\’t give up that much blood!

But this is pretty exciting, getting one step closer to helping someone.

You can help, too, by registering to be a bone marrow donor. Or, you may be interested in just reading the FAQ.

Last time I was donating blood in Burlington (Massachusetts) I was approached by a woman representing The Caitlin Raymond International Registry , an organization that tries to match prospective donors (in this case me) with potential bone marrow recipients. I got an email the other day saying I was a potential DNA match for someone. I filled out a couple of forms, faxed them back (with a mailing to back it up), and that authorizes them to share my DNA profile with the requesting medical team. They\’ll decide if I qualify.

This could be very cool…

Today I watched as approximately 6500 people walked past me, headed toward Boston, some from as far away as Hopkinton, about 22 miles or so from where I was. They had another four miles to go. Every one of them was walking to fight cancer in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk.Some were walking to remember someone lost, some were walking to prevent cancer for children, grandchildren, and loved ones to come. They were walking for a cure. Me? I communicated with a crew of other hams to make sure buses came to pick up those unable to continue, schedule water and supply deliveries, and trash pickups. And I carried 5 gallon water bottles, carried off bags of trash, and I kept a continuous stream of Gatorade juice boxes going into the cooler full of ice. Gatorade was wildly popular today (well, maybe not the grape Gatorade…) and we went through stacks of the stuff.

Last Sunday (August 13, 2006) I helped provide radio communications for the Mass Red Ribbon Ride, sponsored by the AIDS Action Comittee in Boston. There are other Red Ribbon Rides around the country, too. It was a pleasure helping out, despite the bit of sunburn I got. (I thought \”mobile\” meant I\’d be in my truck all day. Instead, I followed the Ride Director, Andi, from Petersham to Hubbardston to Princeton to Bolton to Sudbury to Weston, stopping at each place for about an hour or so.) It was an outstandingly beautiful day for the event. I\’d estimate that 100 riders took part in the event, which spanned two days and followed a 182 mile path from Pittsfield Massachusetts in to Weston. One thing that surprised me was that I\’d never been on a lot of the roads, though I\’ve lived within the area for over 20 years. The other thing that made an impression was that I would not want to ride my bicycle up some of those hills! Brutal.

Anyway, the people helping out, cheering, feeding, and caring for the riders did a wonderful job, and the cyclists! Wow! They did all the hard work and made my job look easy.

Last night I donated blood to the American Red Cross. It took me a long time (50 years?!?) to get into the swing of things, but once I finally started, I\’m going at it with gusto. Mom and Dad used to donate regularly, and Griz and Jackie were pheresis donors for a very long time. I wanted to donate \’double red cells\’ but apparently I\’ve been donating too often, and that has to be deferred for another 8 weeks. But I donated whole blood. Type O-, too, which is the good stuff.

You should donate blood too, if you can. Be a mensch: Find a blood drive

The American Red Cross makes it pretty easy to donate. There\’s the website where you can find a blood drive, and they email you and send postcards to remind you. They even send email and leave messages on your answering machine to remind you of an appointment to donate. And they set up appointments! How blasted convenient is that?!?

Thank you for your support.