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Have You Seen This? The only reason to own a rocket launcher
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If you never thought you'd need a rocket launcher in your life you were wrong, because you do. Your socks need one, your feet need one. - photo by John Clyde


THANK YOU ISLAND It's the toughest part of everyone's day. That moment when you get home from a hard day's work and you plop down on your couch and want to let the dogs bark. You slip off your shoes, but then the socks ... what a pain. Am I right?

You've got to bend over, risking serious back injury and then reach your arm over to get to your feet. I mean, it's not like you're a world-class gymnast and can contort your body to any shape. Then you have to extend even farther to actually get the sock off the foot. Now that you're done with that, repeat the process for the next sock. At this point it'd be easier to get socks tattooed on your feet and call it a day. But that would require you to get in your car, drive to the tattoo parlor, wait your turn, get hungry and then just have to drive home when it was all over. No, thanks.

Once you get your socks off, however, the trouble has just begun because now what? You want to just leave them on the floor, but society has deemed that gross. Instead we have to put them in a hamper or, even worse, directly into the laundry room. What kind of time does society think I have on my hands? This is getting ridiculous.

Well, fortunately we have all found a sock savior, YouTube madman Colin Furze. This man has revolutionized the worst part of your day into the best part. He solved the sock dilemma by hooking them up to a rocket launcher and sending those stinky feet gloves into another county. You're welcome, Madison County, my socks are now your problem. Enjoy your bridges.

Furze's method is both convenient and fun; just look at the joy on his face when his socks are sent into orbit.

Thank you, Colin Furze, we owe you one. What will science think of next?
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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