No one likes to lose their valuables, and especially not by way of a burglar raiding their home. Even though property crimes have drastically dropped since 1991, there are still more than 2 million burglaries per annum in the United States.
So how can you outsmart a savvy property thief?
We have all heard by now that hiding money under the mattress is not a good idea, since that is one of the first spots where a burglar would look.
Then again, says a blog called Personal Finance Advice, you might want to do just that: leaving small amounts of money in obvious places--under the mattress, in a cookie jar, in a drawer--to prevent your real stash of cash from being found.
In a February 2007 entry, one pfadvice.com blogger describes a conversation with a former burglar, including interesting tips that might trick an intruder and make him leave (almost) empty-handed.
What you have to know, explains the anonymous ex-felon, is that 99% of burglars are not of the "this is my chosen profession and I take pride in it" kind. "They are part of organized crime, they are part of a gang or [...] they are drug addicts."
Keep in mind, he says, a burglar wants to steal as much as possible in the shortest time possible. On the other hand, finding nothing at all could frustrate the thief so much that he starts turning your house upside down in search of money... hence the tip to leave small amounts in easy-to-find places.
"If I can't find money and valuables in the normal places I usually find them, I would continue to tear the house apart until I found something. Remember, the first rule is to steal money and valuables. We'll keep looking until we find something."
But don't leave too little, he recommends. In a modest home, $100 will suffice. If you live in a wealthy neighborhood, however, and the crook finds only $100 lying around, he will assume that there must be more.
Here's some more good advice from the retired burglar:
Write "Bank Safe Deposit Box" on an envelope and fill it with a list of items. Put the envelope in an easily accessible drawer so it can be found by the burglar. This will tell him that most of your assets are stored at the bank.
Safes are generally not a good idea. If it's a portable one, the burglar will just carry it with him. If it's non-portable and looks impressive enough, he might be tempted to wait for you to come home and force you to open it at gunpoint.
When you choose a hiding place, think like a burglar. The box stashed way back in your closet might be inconvenient for you to get to, but it's one of the places where a thief would look first. In case of an intruder who's also a drug addict, he would likely search your toilet tank, cereal boxes, the refrigerator and freezer, and the medicine cabinet.
If you have children, consider hiding some cash away in their room (here, messiness actually works in your favor), maybe even inside a toy. Burglars usually won't look for valuables there. Other good hiding places are the underside of trash cans, laundry detergent boxes or bottles, empty soup cans, etc. Just make sure, warns the conman, that those "false packages" are in the appropriate spot, that is, in the laundry room or pantry.
If you can get past the "yuk factor," you can purchase a so-called "Brief Safe" that looks like badly stained underwear and can be kept at the bottom of a bedroom closet or in the laundry basket. The skid mark safe contains a small pocket to insert money, and--Mr. Z agrees--it is unlikely that any burglar will touch it.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Pacific Buddhist Academy to graduate first class
Four years after opening, the Pacific Buddhist Academy, the only Shin Buddhist high school in the country, will graduate its first class Friday.
Sheldon Konno, a senior who came from the mission school, said the academy lets him analyze current events by making peace a focus of every subject.
"It helps you look at a situation differently," the 17-year-old said. "Like with the war in Iraq. What's the purpose of war? The U.S. is getting oil ... but you are taking away someone's child."
When studying slavery in American studies, students look at the history of the slave trade and what led to it, but also the "human essence of the topic," school head Pieper Toyama said.
"The central issue is, How can one human being treat another human being that way?" said Toyama, a former headmaster of the private Parker School in Waimea on the Big Island.
"One can say this was a failing of how we were educated as teachers," he added. "Paying attention to peace was not part of our education, and sometimes I think that's why we get into the problems we get into today."
Sheldon Konno, a senior who came from the mission school, said the academy lets him analyze current events by making peace a focus of every subject.
"It helps you look at a situation differently," the 17-year-old said. "Like with the war in Iraq. What's the purpose of war? The U.S. is getting oil ... but you are taking away someone's child."
When studying slavery in American studies, students look at the history of the slave trade and what led to it, but also the "human essence of the topic," school head Pieper Toyama said.
"The central issue is, How can one human being treat another human being that way?" said Toyama, a former headmaster of the private Parker School in Waimea on the Big Island.
"One can say this was a failing of how we were educated as teachers," he added. "Paying attention to peace was not part of our education, and sometimes I think that's why we get into the problems we get into today."
Monday, May 14, 2007
Red-light cameras
PUBLIC outrage about a flawed program to catch speeding cars on camera five years ago has caused state legislators to be camera-shy. Part of that program called for eventual placement of cameras atop traffic lights at intersections to catch cars running red lights, but the entire program came crashing down before it could be implemented. The red-light program should be restored. [starbulletin editorial 4/27/07]
* * *
Advocating ticket cameras in your April 27 editorial, "Use cameras to catch red-light violators," was irresponsible because red-light ticket cameras increase accidents at intersections.
You cited a number of communities that use ticket cameras at intersections. Yet no mention was made of the many communities that have rejected the cameras because of their dismal safety record. You mentioned the District of Columbia as using the cameras but failed to mention a recent and extensive study done by the Washington Post that shows accidents doubled at intersections where the cameras are used in D.C.
Thenewspaper.com has five pages of links to news articles chronicling the devastating effects of these cameras.
You mentioned a few studies to back your claims. The National Motorists Association Web site has 15 studies from the United States, Canada and Australia showing that red-light ticket cameras increase accidents and only serve as a revenue source. [Letter to the editor, 5/2/07]
* * *
Here are some excerpts from the Washington Post article cited above
The city has cameras at 45 intersections. They take photographs of cars running red lights, generating tickets that are processed by a private contractor. Police oversee the issuance of tickets, which carry $75 fines, and the money goes into the city's general fund -- nearly $5 million last year.
The Post obtained a D.C. database generated from accident reports filed by police. The data covered the entire city, including the 37 intersections where cameras were installed in 1999 and 2000.
The analysis shows that the number of crashes at locations with cameras more than doubled, from 365 collisions in 1998 to 755 last year. Injury and fatal crashes climbed 81 percent, from 144 such wrecks to 262. Broadside crashes, also known as right-angle or T-bone collisions, rose 30 percent, from 81 to 106 during that time frame. Traffic specialists say broadside collisions are especially dangerous because the sides are the most vulnerable areas of cars.
...
D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said he remains convinced that the devices are worthwhile. Even if the number of crashes is not going down, he said, citations for red-light running have dropped by about 60 percent at intersections that have cameras.
Ramsey said the number of accidents would be even higher without the cameras, adding that he would like to install them at every traffic light in the city. He pointed to last year's steep decrease in traffic fatalities -- 45 people died compared with 69 in 2003 -- as evidence that the program is working.
"I'd rather have them than not have them," Ramsey said. "They make people slow down. They reduce the number of traffic violations, and that's a good thing."
* * *
Advocating ticket cameras in your April 27 editorial, "Use cameras to catch red-light violators," was irresponsible because red-light ticket cameras increase accidents at intersections.
You cited a number of communities that use ticket cameras at intersections. Yet no mention was made of the many communities that have rejected the cameras because of their dismal safety record. You mentioned the District of Columbia as using the cameras but failed to mention a recent and extensive study done by the Washington Post that shows accidents doubled at intersections where the cameras are used in D.C.
Thenewspaper.com has five pages of links to news articles chronicling the devastating effects of these cameras.
You mentioned a few studies to back your claims. The National Motorists Association Web site has 15 studies from the United States, Canada and Australia showing that red-light ticket cameras increase accidents and only serve as a revenue source. [Letter to the editor, 5/2/07]
* * *
Here are some excerpts from the Washington Post article cited above
The city has cameras at 45 intersections. They take photographs of cars running red lights, generating tickets that are processed by a private contractor. Police oversee the issuance of tickets, which carry $75 fines, and the money goes into the city's general fund -- nearly $5 million last year.
The Post obtained a D.C. database generated from accident reports filed by police. The data covered the entire city, including the 37 intersections where cameras were installed in 1999 and 2000.
The analysis shows that the number of crashes at locations with cameras more than doubled, from 365 collisions in 1998 to 755 last year. Injury and fatal crashes climbed 81 percent, from 144 such wrecks to 262. Broadside crashes, also known as right-angle or T-bone collisions, rose 30 percent, from 81 to 106 during that time frame. Traffic specialists say broadside collisions are especially dangerous because the sides are the most vulnerable areas of cars.
...
D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said he remains convinced that the devices are worthwhile. Even if the number of crashes is not going down, he said, citations for red-light running have dropped by about 60 percent at intersections that have cameras.
Ramsey said the number of accidents would be even higher without the cameras, adding that he would like to install them at every traffic light in the city. He pointed to last year's steep decrease in traffic fatalities -- 45 people died compared with 69 in 2003 -- as evidence that the program is working.
"I'd rather have them than not have them," Ramsey said. "They make people slow down. They reduce the number of traffic violations, and that's a good thing."
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
new rules of the road
Old habit: Set your outside mirrors so you can see the sides of your car.
New rule: Adjust the mirrors outward so the sides of the car are just outside your view, advises John McElroy. This greatly reduces or eliminates blind spots.
[from State Farm 2003] By properly adjusting your side-view mirrors and continuing to use your rear-view mirror you can reduce the 'blind spot.' For the driver-side mirror, place the left side of your face against the inside drivers side window, and set the mirror so you can just see the lst side of your car. For the passenger-side mirror, sit in the center of the front seat (if your car has bucket seats, lean to get your head as close to the center of the front seat (if your car has bucket seats, lean to get your head as close to the center of the windshield as possible) and set the mirror so you can just see the right side of your car. If you have adjusted your mirrors properly, you won't be able to see either side of your car in the mirrors while driving.
[1/11/09 starbulletin] Adjust the driver’s seat to the correct position. Lean your head and torso over to the left until your head contacts the window glass. I know, that seems too far. But trust me. Now, adjust the left-side mirror outward until you can barely see your own fender in it. Next, lean over to the right a similar distance, and adjust the right-side mirror so you can just see your own rear fender. Sit up straight. Your mirrors are now set to allow you to see other cars in your blind spot. You won’t need to swivel your neck around to be aware of traffic hiding at 60 mph right beside you. And the interior mirror will still let you see the traffic directly behind.
New rule: Adjust the mirrors outward so the sides of the car are just outside your view, advises John McElroy. This greatly reduces or eliminates blind spots.
[from State Farm 2003] By properly adjusting your side-view mirrors and continuing to use your rear-view mirror you can reduce the 'blind spot.' For the driver-side mirror, place the left side of your face against the inside drivers side window, and set the mirror so you can just see the lst side of your car. For the passenger-side mirror, sit in the center of the front seat (if your car has bucket seats, lean to get your head as close to the center of the front seat (if your car has bucket seats, lean to get your head as close to the center of the windshield as possible) and set the mirror so you can just see the right side of your car. If you have adjusted your mirrors properly, you won't be able to see either side of your car in the mirrors while driving.
[1/11/09 starbulletin] Adjust the driver’s seat to the correct position. Lean your head and torso over to the left until your head contacts the window glass. I know, that seems too far. But trust me. Now, adjust the left-side mirror outward until you can barely see your own fender in it. Next, lean over to the right a similar distance, and adjust the right-side mirror so you can just see your own rear fender. Sit up straight. Your mirrors are now set to allow you to see other cars in your blind spot. You won’t need to swivel your neck around to be aware of traffic hiding at 60 mph right beside you. And the interior mirror will still let you see the traffic directly behind.
1-800-GOT JUNK?
Oahu's definitely got junk.
One needs to look no further than the instant success of the first Hawaii-based 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise.
Operated by Sandi McDowell, who left her job as head of a travel agency, Hawaii's first junk-removal franchise has seen business more than double the first year.
One needs to look no further than the instant success of the first Hawaii-based 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise.
Operated by Sandi McDowell, who left her job as head of a travel agency, Hawaii's first junk-removal franchise has seen business more than double the first year.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The Loved Dog
Is Oprah abandoning Cesar? In a recent show, Tamar Geller was a guest, demonstrating a kinder and gentler way to having dogs behave.
* * *
Tamar Geller, a former Israeli intelligence officer who became a dog trainer to the stars, says the most important thing animal lovers can do for their dogs is to "empower them."
Geller, who calls herself a "life coach for dogs," offers her philosophy and specific tips for pet owners in her just-published book, The Loved Dog: The Playful, Non-aggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $24.95).
"I'm completely against the notion of having your dog be submissive to you," she says. "There's a difference between submissive and well mannered. I want them to be empowered and well mannered."
* * *
More dog books while browsing
The Power of Positive Dog Training
[5/2 - see also tamikat's list of Positive Dog Training Books]
and then from a review of above
Playtraining Your Dog
Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behan
In fact, the reviewer is a guy named Lee Charles Kelley who is an author that also trains dogs. His method is based on Behan. Naturally enough, he thinks highly of Behan's book calling it "the best book every written about dogs". On his site, he calls into question the alpha theory and instead favors emergence theory. (He admittedly stands alone in applying it to dog behaviour.)
* * *
Tamar Geller, a former Israeli intelligence officer who became a dog trainer to the stars, says the most important thing animal lovers can do for their dogs is to "empower them."
Geller, who calls herself a "life coach for dogs," offers her philosophy and specific tips for pet owners in her just-published book, The Loved Dog: The Playful, Non-aggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $24.95).
"I'm completely against the notion of having your dog be submissive to you," she says. "There's a difference between submissive and well mannered. I want them to be empowered and well mannered."
* * *
More dog books while browsing
The Power of Positive Dog Training
[5/2 - see also tamikat's list of Positive Dog Training Books]
and then from a review of above
Playtraining Your Dog
Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behan
In fact, the reviewer is a guy named Lee Charles Kelley who is an author that also trains dogs. His method is based on Behan. Naturally enough, he thinks highly of Behan's book calling it "the best book every written about dogs". On his site, he calls into question the alpha theory and instead favors emergence theory. (He admittedly stands alone in applying it to dog behaviour.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)