Internet Shopping Safety Tips



Santa's Big Night Item#929



Hi Puzzlers,

Whether you are gearing up to shop on-line for  Black Friday or Cyber Monday it is important to remember what to look for and what to avoid to make your on-line shopping experience safe. Below is our annual list of internet shopping safety tips. We added an asterisk to our newest tips so you can identify them quickly.

Trust your instincts - If you have a funny feeling about the site check it out before placing the order. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam. Several sites like Epinions.com or BizRate have customer evaluations which can help you determine a company's legitimacy.

Protect your PC - Make sure your personal computer has recent updates installed for Spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spy software, and a secure firewall.

Trusted Websites - Shoppers should know whom they are dealing with. Confirm the online seller’s physical address and phone number.  Anyone can set up an online store under any name. Check for security seals, such as the tiny padlock icon and the http (URL) has an “s” in it. The https:// stands for secure.

*Personal Information – Do not give any personal information ever!  On-line stores do not need your social security number or birthdate. So never give it to them and be suspicious if you are asked for it directly or indirectly in a pop-up (phising). Real companies would not ask for this type of information.  Always remember to give the least amount of information about yourself as possible.

Keep your Web browser updated - “Internet Explorer 9” provides another layer of protection with Web sites that use Extended Validation (EV) Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates. The address bar turns green and has both https and the closed padlock. An EV SSL certificate not only helps ensure that communication with a Web site is secure, but it also includes information about the legitimacy of the Web site, which has been confirmed by the Certification Authority (CA) issuing the SSL Certificate.”

Don’t shop using Wi-Fi - When using Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, hotel, airport, or restaurant, you are making yourself vulnerable to identity theft. Your iPhone, Blackberry, Smartphone and laptop can easily be hacked on a free or paid public Wi-Fi spot. 

Pay by credit or charge card - By using a credit or charge card you are protected by the

Fair Credit Billing Act. This law gives you the right to dispute charges and temporarily withhold payment while the credit card company investigates your claims. Never use your debit card, as you have no rights protecting you from fraud or theft. Try to use just one credit card for all your purchases; this will make it easier to spot fraudulent charges.

Insure the safe delivery of your item - If you’re concerned about the safety of your package if there’s no one home to receive it, request it be sent with a signature required. Or, it may be safer to have the package delivered to your office.

Refund Policies and Delivery Dates -Make sure you know if you can return the item for a full refund and who pays the shipping for the return. Is the refund for a store credit or cash refund? Know when you should expect delivery of your item.

Print & Save - Keep documentation of your order. If confirmation was sent by email, keep the email and save any and all correspondence with the retailer.

Be Comfortable - Wear comfortable slippers, get a comfortable chair and pour a nice cup of tea, you could be at your computer for hours!

*Check Statements – Go online to monitor your account(s) and check it for fraudulent charges. Do not wait for the statement!  Check your account(s) every few days to make sure all is well.  If you see something wrong, address the issue immediately by PHONE! This will serve as a formal complaint/claim and the credit card company can begin looking into the fraudulent charge(s).  Finally do not pay the bill until the charges are accurate.

*Relieve Stress – If all this shopping has got you stressed, quickly make your way to your favorite puzzling spot and start puzzling.  As you know, puzzling is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety.

Happy Puzzling!

Cleaning the Car Jigsaw Puzzle



Cleaning the Car Item #952



Hi Puzzlers,

Do you have a nighttime-family-routine?  Many families across the country do and my family is no exception.  Honestly, I like the routine.   Our nightly routine begins with dinner at 7:00 PM.  We sit in the same spot every night, just like I did in my family when I was young.  After dinner everyone helps with the clean up, than it is off to the living room for some puzzling and family television.  One of our favorite television channels is the History Channel; its programs are entertaining and educational. 

This week we found ourselves engrossed with two shows, Pawn Stars and American Restoration; coincidently, both shows were featuring segments on pedal cars.  Instantly, I remembered my younger brother in his red, Austin J40, and the pains of jealousy I felt. Being five years older than him made me too old and too big to have one of my own.  But I didn’t care, I still wanted one.  Luckily I grew out of this faze and moved on to wanting a jet pack!  Just for the record, I didn’t get one of those either. Oh, Poor Me!!! Seeing those old metal pedal cars brought back all the emotions from my childhood.  Talk about emotional attachment, I guess that’s why so many people collect them.

Pedal cars started rolling of the production lines in the 1890’s right after Henry Ford manufactured the first Model T.  Each car was made from molded steel to form a pint size replica of a real car.  These little buggers, like the real ones, were extremely expensive and only the very wealthy could afford them.  Pedal cars popularity peaked in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s.  Pedal cars of this time came in a variety of models, colors and features. Many were even molded into different vehicles including trains, planes, tractors and trucks.  During World War II no pedal cars were produced because all available metals were being used to help the war effort.

The post war era of the 1950’s saw resurgence in pedal cars popularity.  As prosperity spread through the country more and more families could afford real cars and the little replicas for the kids.  Pedal cars built towards the end of the1950’s were different from the earlier models, the newer version were now chain-driven.

The demise of the pedal cars began in the late 1960’s with the introduction of new safety standards and the increasing popularity of plastic.  By 1970 the pedal car had been replaced by plastic cars that were fashioned after cartoons.

I actually bought my nephew one of these plastic versions, it certainly did not compare to my brother’s beautifully metal car.  Some things can’t be replaced, like the feelings so many people got from those little cars.  And Santa, I’m still waiting on my jet-pack.

Happy Puzzling!

Playing Cards the Jigsaw Puzzle Way

 

Playing Cards Item # 931



Hi Puzzlers,

Last night our country elected to keep our 44^th President in office.  The final election brings with it an end to all the political campaigning.  Hurray!  But, I have to admit some of the campaigning was entertaining.  It really reminded me of the card game poker.  Like a poker player, each politician must know when to take a hit, to hold, to bluff or when to fold.  Politics and politicians, like cards and the games played with them, have been around for centuries.

No one knows exactly when or where playing cards originated but many speculate they came from China. This speculation is based in the fact that China was the first to develop paper and because of ancient documentation dating back to the 12th century which describes paper money cards. This deck was comprised of four suits of coins and numbered 1-9. It is believed that the cards not only served as instruments to play the game but as the bet/wager itself.

Cards of this type, dating back to the 8th century, have reportedly been found in Persia and everywhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Scholars believe the cards traveled to Europe with merchants and gypsies during the mid 14th century. The decks consisted of 52-cards, four suits (Swords, Cups, Sticks and Coins) and were numbered 1-10. The royal cards included a King, Deputy King and an Under Deputy. All cards including the royals were decorated with geometric patterns.

European cards were made by craftsmen and ornately designed by hand by trained artists.  

Cards of this time were a luxury only the wealthy could afford. But, by the end on the 14th century advancements in printing techniques made cards more affordable to the general public. The Europeans were the first to put human faces on the royal cards and in doing so the cards characters began to take on more familiar titles such as kings and queens.

During the 15^th century a deck of cards could have as many as 56 cards or as little as 48.  Players from around the country debated for decades about the best number of cards for optimum play.  Finally at the end of the century the 52 card deck was deemed the best number to play with.

The French were the first to begin producing cards with suits that included Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades.  A typical card deck had three royal cards with a King, Queen and Knave along with the lower numbers from 1-10.  The back of the cards were left plain.  Unfortunately, this made the cards easy to mark and cheat with.  To prevent cheating and to extend the life of the cards many manufactures started to print repeating patterns on the back of the cards.

The reversible royal cards made their debut in Agen, France in 1745. These reversible cards replaced the full length images of Kings, Queens and Knaves with a double headed waist version that did not need to be turned upright. 

In the 1800’s American printers began gearing up to print playing cards on the first mechanized printing press and a new dilemma made itself apparent.  The abbreviated “K” for King would be easily confused with the “Kn” for Knave.  To remedy this The Knave, who played the “Jack of Trumps” in an old English card game called “All Fours”, was renamed “Jack”.

By the 1860’s card playing was making its way to the four corners of the globe.  New games were emerging every day and a number of popular games required an extra trump card.  In 1865 Samuel Hart names this trump card the “Joker”.  The Joker is the all powerful royal that fixes any and all problems.

Let’s hope that the politician have a Joker up their sleeve that can fix any and all problems too!

Happy Puzzling!