Tag Archives: feeling vulnerable

SCAM ALERT: Domain Name emails

21 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message

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“Fraud is the daughter of greed.”
― Jonathan Gash, The Great California Game

Yesterday, I got the following email:

I didn’t know what to think, but I immediately grew concerned.  What if I lose my blog’s name?  A name that I have been using for over 10 years, and that means a lot to me.

How can a simple email have the power to make me feel so vulnerable?  Well, I know the answer to that: because I allow it.

“To feel helpless is to acknowledge our limitations, but it does not have to be an acceptance of them.”  ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

Moving on:

I contacted the IT support for my company.  He said that the email and company was legit, and they would probably come back and try to get me to sign up for the other extensions. 

I replied to the email saying I was not affiliated with that company and I would give no permission to anyone to use that name.

I haven’t heard anything yet.  This was just last night, so I assume I will hear something today.

In the meantime, I was talking to M and mentioned the email (without mentioning my blog’s name, since I don’t really share it with anyone I know – now, if you are a stranger, please come on over lol).  This morning he sent me an article, that eventually led me to: https://squelchdesign.com/featured/chinese-domain-name-registration-scams/

So, it is a scam! And it has been going around for years.  So, folks, be aware!  I am not sure how the scam unfolds, but I will not be going along to find out.  For me it stops here.

How do I make sure my blog’s name protected?  Or is there nothing to worry about?

It is such a scary world, online and otherwise.  The more I read, watch, see what is going on around me, the more I want to run and hide.  I am becoming afraid of my own shadow. 

Instead of hiding, I will be boarding a plane to Brazil tonight.  I am returning in a few days.  You all have the most blessed weekend!

“IN THE HANDS OF MAN

He who creates a poison, also has the cure.
He who creates a virus, also has the antidote.
He who creates chaos, also has the ability to create peace.
He who sparks hate, also has the ability to transform it to love.
He who creates misery, also has the ability to destroy it with kindness.
He who creates sadness, also has the ability to to covert it to happiness.
He who creates darkness, can also be awakened to produce illumination.
He who spreads fear, can also be shaken to spread comfort.
Any problems created by the left hand of man,
Can also be solved with the right,
For he who manifests anything,
Also has the ability to
Destroy it.”
― Suzy Kassem

 

 

 

 

 

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Dating, mom, mechanic and gratitude, just a couple of weeks in my life!

06 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me

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As usual I started many posts and never finished/published them. By now they have lost their freshness and significance. They are pretty much old news.  But still I want to record it here and make sure you don’t miss anything 🙂

“You must be able to say “I understand,” before you can say “I agree,” or “I disagree,” or “I suspend judgment.” – Mortimer J. Adler

Dating: The classical musician I was dating was insistent on meeting my mother. I explained to him the reasons why he would not meet her.  I mentioned that we barely know each other.  But chief among my reasons was my fear that he would think that the relationship was more serious then what it was.

Guess what? By now we are no longer speaking. We had a misunderstanding over texts and things are pretty much over. I didn’t like his negativity when I shared some bad news and I let him know. I wouldn’t mind have him as a friend but if I reach out now he may think I am interested in more so I am leaving things alone. I was already unsure of my feelings so why insist on something that my heart is not in it in the first place? I was terrified of hurting him so it is better this way.  He is an awesome guy so I pray he finds someone nice out there.

On Sunday I went to dinner with a 46 year old school counselor and we got along great.  We are going out again this week.  He considered Sunday a meet and greet and not a first date.  To me, if there is plenty of food and drinks, and you spend hours together it is a date. We are talking about taking dance lessons together even if we don’t make it romantically. We shall see.

“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” – George Washington

Mom’s visit: I started writing about the joys and hardships of having mom visiting for a month. We get to spend quality time together. Each time I get to discover something new about her childhood and younger days.  We have fun going shopping and going to the casino. She enjoys making my favorite meals and coming up with new desserts.

But our relationship can be trying sometimes as I cannot really say all I am thinking because she cannot handle it.  She is 82, from a different time and culture. If I haven’t challenged her by now, now that she is older I am not about to start.

By now I am writing about the bitter sweetness (she left on Saturday) of her leaving. Sad to see her go but happy to return to my routine. When she is here I make her a priority and everything else takes a back seat. Also she loves to cook and bake and now I have an extra 10 pounds to get rid of now.

Now I am thinking about taking mom to Israel again as she can’t stop talking about returning there. And there is nothing that pleases me more than making my mom happy.

“That’s the thing about being a victim; you start to think it’ll happen to you on a regular basis. It’s living with the reality of your own vulnerability, and it sucks.” – Dennis Lehane

Car troubles: My car was at the mechanics for the third straight time. Any time something breaks, especially my car, I feel vulnerable. I feel powerless and at someone’s else mercy.  This is a feeling I hate. I don’t have the tools to know if what a worker is telling me is correct.

By now I have my car back, but because it has been in the mechanics for the same problem a couple of times I now struggle with trusting that the problem has been corrected 100%. Every time I put the key in the ignition I am afraid it will not start.

Now I am deciding which car to buy and what to do with this one. I don’t want to sell it as I already invested too much money in it. It is a classic and I hope that the longer I keep I can eventually recover the money I put in it. I also need to find an extra parking or storage space.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”  – Epicurus

Thanksgiving:  And of course Thanksgiving has come and gone, but gratitude should stay forever.  I am grateful for the for family, friends, job, health, opportunities, for this blog and for you!

I decided to try to be even more grateful than what I already am.  I am being vigilant about it.  I am paying attention to every breath, every little thing, good and even the bad ones.

It is easy to be grateful for the good and fun. To be grateful for the bad things it takes effort.  It takes the ability to believe that nothing is bad.  Everything is for the better and for the greater good.

It takes blind faith.

Being grateful goes hand in hand with being positive and faithful.  Being grateful is not a function of how much one has, being grateful is realizing that whatever you have is in itself a blessing.

Problems are lessons and opportunities.  Even tragedies have a way of uncovering miracles and revealing the best in people.

I plan on uncovering and revealing every little morsel of blessing I see.

I won! wait, is this really a win?

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me

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“How would your life be different if…You stopped validating your victim mentality? Let today be the day…You shake off your self-defeating drama and embrace your innate ability to recover and achieve.” – Steve Maraboli

I am sitting in court waiting for my Small Claims case to be heard.

I am shaking, trembling; I can barely keep my hand steady enough to write. My heart is beating out of my chest. I feel vulnerable and powerless. This is not the way it is supposed to be! I should feel empowered; after all I am on the right side of the law. Instead I want to run away and hide in the safety of my bed.

This is not my first time in a court of law, but it is my first time suing someone. See here why I decided to take that step.  http://atomic-temporary-33385295.wpcomstaging.com/2015/05/29/i-have-been-scammed-and-it-sucks/

I have been in court many times. At one point in my life I was a Portuguese interpreter. I would go to courts mostly representing defendants on criminal cases. Later on I worked at the collections department of a bank. I would go to court and represent the bank on bankrupt accounts. I have been to Labor court representing my current company. I have been a juror.

Still I don’t think I will ever get used to being in a courtroom. There is something about being in a courtroom that makes me feel extremely vulnerable. Yet I love TV shows regarding courtroom dramas and I think of being an attorney in my next life.

It is 2 o’clock and names are being called. If both the plaintiff and the defendant are present then they get sent to a conference room with a mediator. The judge will hear only cases where a settle cannot be reached.

The person I am suing is not here, so I have to sit and wait another hour. At 3 pm they make the last call.

This time if the plaintiff (the person complaining and initiating the lawsuit) is not here the case gets dismissed right away. A case where the defendant doesn’t show up goes to inquest.

My case went to inquest as Mr. Repairman Scam Artist never showed up. If a case goes to inquest one no longer needs to prove liability, only damages. So I proved my $360.00 damage and have been awarded the judgment.

What happens next? Nothing! I will never see a dime. What really happens next is that the courts will send me the judgment letter in the mail. Then it is up to find out if he has any assets and then go after them. Perhaps if it was a larger amount and if he had any real assets I would go to the trouble, but not in this case.

I knew this would be the end result. Still I went through with it. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, to stand up for my rights and to stop feeling victimized.  I normally let things go and just end up feeling victimized by unscrupulous service people that take advantage of the unsuspecting and the too trusting (in this case this very naive female).

I will report him to the Better Business Bureau and update some online review sites. I am not intent on revenge, as I hate that word, but if I can warn at least one person I will be happy.

Will he ever learn and change his ways? who knows? I feel I did my part, and I know that karma will eventually catch up to him.

I would have liked better if he had showed up and were made to answer for his actions, but at the end of the day I am glad I stood up for what I believed was right. I feel empowered by it.

I had people tell me that I was being vengeful.  I had people tell me not to waste my time.  Everyone had an opinion.  I am glad I did what felt right to me.  No regrets!

“Do what you think is right. Don’t let people make the decision of right or wrong for you.” – Steve Maraboli

People’s Court? no, thanks!

12 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in Daily Life

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“That’s the thing about being a victim; you start to think it’ll happen to you on a regular basis. It’s living with the reality of your own vulnerability, and it sucks.” – Dennis Lehane, A Drink Before the War

You may remember the issues I had with my fridge and the repairman.  http://atomic-temporary-33385295.wpcomstaging.com/2015/05/29/i-have-been-scammed-and-it-sucks/

After much thought I filed a small claims case against him.  It is scheduled to be heard on November 19.  I am still conflicted about filing the claim.

I want him to be accountable and tell him he cannot walk into someone’s home and take their money and not do the service that he was paid for, but someone mentioned to me that it was vengeful.

I respectfully disagreed. I am not vengeful.  I am tired of feeling vulnerable every time I deal with any kind of repair people.  I am not after the money, I have already decided that I am donating to charity should I win.

Is it vengeance?

“Part of me wants justice for this. Part of me wants to never cause harm to another.” Ken Scholes, Lamentation  (my thoughts exactly)

But here is the funny part.  The other day among my correspondence there was this letter from The People’s Court.

Click here to see the letter: Peoples Court

I have absolute zero interest in appearing on TV, much less fighting in court for laughs.  It is just funny and a bit curious that they would think my case is that interesting for TV.  What are their criteria?

What about you, would you want to appear on TV on a court case?

Stay tuned for the outcome, not on TV, but here 🙂

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” – Groucho Marx