Remembering - Memorial Day

When I was a kid I saw photos of my dad in uniform. He was in the Navy during Vietnam. But his service and his military career was never spoken about in our house. Heck, I don't even think I understood that there was a war, and that my dad had been there. I was 25 before I ever heard my dad talk about serving. And he was talking to a boyfriend of mine who'd been in the Army.

That was just before Desert Storm in the early 90s. I was in college and sharing a house with 2 other girls. We lit candles and put them in the front window so all who drove by on our busy street could see we supported our troops.

Then in 2001 when we invaded Afganistan. I had trained all year to run a marathon in Ireland. It was for a cancer benefit. And on the last day of my major training (before tapering down my miles) I came back from a 20 mile run to find out about the war, and that our trip was cancelled. That was when I gave up running and started making beads.

In March of 2002, one of our former employees left the US for the first time in his life, to invade Iraq. At that time we tied huge yellow ribbons around our trees and made red, white and blue beads to send in packages to our troops. We wanted them to know they were loved, and that we remembered them. Thousands of beads were donated by 100s of beadmakers. It was awesome.

Back then, we never imagined our troops would still be in those foreign lands, fighting and dying for their country (or what their country asked of them).

I can't imagine anyone is pro-war, and if they are then shame on them. But as I write, I hope that all the soldiers who work for our country, and fight for what we so often take for granted, understand that we only hope the best for them, and want them back safe and sound. We also want there to be no more war, so they can come home to their families knowing they will never have to go back.

Freedom comes at a very high cost when there are those who resent our way of life. But you can guarantee that when they are in trouble and need help, they will turn to the US and our soldiers to help them.

God bless our military past and present, passed away and alive. And don't forget the military of other countries who sacrifice for freedom too, as they all work together to preserve what we call freedom.

The Official Start of Summer

Traditionally, this is the time when our business at the restaurant is hopping. But the jewelry business slows a little. Instead of helping out at the restaurant, I'll be working on getting ready for the trade shows coming up, and getting in line with a bunch of great new jewelry. I'm excited to have the time to actually to make real jewelry out of the sketches that I make all year. I always keep a notebook handy in case and idea comes my way.
The funny thing? So far business hasn't slowed for the jewelry, but that just means I'll need to find more time to design.

Credit Card Scam

New Credit Card Scam - Not Writing Related

This wasn't me, but I'm passing it along:
NEW SLICK CREDIT CARD SCAM
This really happens. I got the call on my work credit card after making a purchase online with Amazon.

Fortunately, I didn't give them the number. Instead, I called the Visa number and they cancelled my credit card on the spot and re-issued another one for me. Man they are getting slick!!! New Credit Card Scam Snopes.Com says this is true.To verify see this site: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp <http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp>

This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information,except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it...This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & Master Card Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.*

One of our employees was called on Wednesday from 'VISA', and I was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'.. The scam works like this: Caller: 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497..99 from a Marketing company based in ?'

When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?' You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800 -VISA) and ask for Security.' You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession ofyour card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for somenumbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do, and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account.

VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jason Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.

Please pass this on to all your family, friends and neighbors.

By informing each other, we protect each other. Neighbors helping neighbors; always the best policy!

Another late night of revamping my web site and social networking sites. Crazy trying to give them all the same look and feel. I hope you like what you see, because this is the last time I'm doing this for awhile.
I've added new jewelry to the shopping area of my web site, and completely changed the look of both the retail and wholesale areas.
And I'm calling it a night.

It's all new!

We love new things. And here at Jamie's Studio we have a new Twitter page at www.twitter.com/jamiesstudio and of course a whole new blog look.
We are getting ready for a fun summer party with Twitter, the blog and Facebook. I can't wait to reveal the details.
Also we will be featuring a retail store that carries our jewelry. Each month we will introduce you to a new store. And give you a sneak peek at how they got started and what our jewelry looks like in their store. So stay tuned.