Please pass along.  Be careful and secure.

WARNING: 2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson   With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U..S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.   The big question is – how do you tell the difference between a U..S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:   ** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice.. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions.  However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.
** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information.   Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.   While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau..
Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.   Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

I have not been able to post it on my site because it had to air on telivision first to be eligible for Emmys and Annies and all that stuff that only animators care about. Anyway, I can finally show it. Please check it out and as always I love to here your thoughts!
You can see a production blog about the making of Flavio at Frederator.com and learn more about Flavio here.

If you remember the old Tarzan movies, the vine slinger had a side kick named Cheeta who is amazingly enough still alive ( and the oldest living primate in the world) and his handlers are trying to get a Star on the Walk of Fame for him!

Do him a favor and sign the petition to give him a star alongside other animal celebrities Rin Tin Tin, Lassie and even fictitious ones like Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny!

Now that I am traveling to work daily I find myself spending $60 a week on gas. That’s $240 a month!

For those of you who have to deal with the same issue, I got this from a friend… maybe it’ll help someone save on gas.

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

I don’t know what you guys are paying for gasoline…. but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money’s worth for every gallon..

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose , CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the
afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up–most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some f the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON

Gas rationing in the 80’s worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor.

An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.

Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don’t import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from
and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell……………………… 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco……… 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil…………… 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway… 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco……………………….62,231,000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 – $100 a barrel

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco………………0 barrels

Conoco………………0 barrels

Sinclair……………..0 barrels

B P/Phillips…………0 barrels

Hess…………………..0 barrels

ARC0………………..0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.

Perhaps you can save the one you know after learning this?

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters…. S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) …..she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 PM Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die…. they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this…

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke… totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the “3″ steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another ’sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ’stick’ out his tongue.. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

There are those who remember and those who have been told about it.
None should ever forget.
Pearl Harbor Day – December 7, 1941

This was our grandparent’s 9/11; it was the driving force that brought us into WWII and ultimately stop Adolph Hitler from his murderous frenzy. After the war, the middle class appeared and there was big boom times in industry. Baby Boomers were born and many say they have been this country’s downfall especially now that they are older and are putting a strain on Social Security. Israel became a state as a result of WWII in 1948. Imagine what the world would be like without the trouble in the Middle East? Many things were invented out of technology from WWII.

Jets, cell phones, jeeps (SUV), bug spray, tires that are partially synthetic, juice concentrate, energy/protein bars (started out as “D” rations given to troops), canned foods (made to last longer without spoiling so they could be sent to troops over seas), atomic energy, the space program that led to the moon landing, radar (used by air traffic controllers everyday), radios became smaller and more common, motorcycles were improved (sold off as surplus after the war which led to motorcycle gangs), and the list goes on……

WW2 changed US foreign policy from one of isolationism to one of involvement.

For years after the war a person could purchase military surplus such as motorcycles, jeeps, canteens & mess kits (these were often used by the Boy Scouts of America, and I can remember buying a lot of stuff from the war as a kid in Army Surplus stores), sewing & clothing repair kits (also used by the BSA), and even work uniforms. Sears Roebuck made uniforms during the war, but not all of them were issued to the troops. As a result, up into the 1960’s, Sears sold khaki pants and shirts there were military surplus. Even today, they sell a tan & long sleeved Roebuck Workwear shirt that is an identical pattern to the one made during WW2 – the material and buttons have changed, though.

After the war, thousands of soldiers took advantage of the GI Bill which paid for a college education. This meant better jobs for them, but also meant more people getting involved in research and the development of more products that we use everyday………

Yes, WWII changed our world in many ways and yet today? It’s pretty much a forgotten day. How long will it be before “We Will Never Forget” will be a fading memory just like “The Day That Will Live in Infamy” is today?

You can read more about Pearl Harbor here.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including California, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

During a BBQ a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured
everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just
tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and
got her a new plate of food – while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid
went about enjoying herself the
rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that
his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ – had they known how to identify the
signs of a stroke perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

It only takes a minute to read this-

Recognizing a Stroke

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3
hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said
the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed an getting to the
patient
within 3 hours which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the “3″ steps. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim
may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms
of a
stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:

1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.
2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It
is sunny out today) If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call
9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify
facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the
general public to learn the three questions. They presented their
conclusions at the American Stroke Association’s annual meeting last
February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis
and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.