Videos

Code Red

I got an automated call at 10:30 pm last night. Code Red was the caller ID name. The call was from a local police department with information about a girl who was missing just a few blocks from my home. The call had all the pertinent information . . .

Maya Fleckenstein

Maya Fleckenstein
Black hair
brown eyes
Wearing a blue tee shirt, blue jeans and orange shoes
Last seen at 10:00 pm ET
Corner of West 130 St and Sprague Rd in Cleveland, Ohio
If seen, call Parma, Ohio Police at 440-885-1234

The message asked me to check my yard. We have no streetlights, so it was very dark. I turned on the outside lights and looked around. I noticed there were other lights on down the street. I wondered how many of them were checking for Maya, too.

I watched the 11:00 pm local news hoping to hear that Maya had been found safe, but there was nothing. And no report this morning, either. So I did a little research this morning. I went to the Parma, Ohio Police Department website. There was no news about Maya, even though there was a section with News Releases and another with Alerts.

So, I tried WOIO‘s website, a local TV channel. I didn’t see a news story, but a search of the site found an article from January 21, 2010. There it was … Maya’s picture, a video and the story of how she walked away from her school. If this happened in January, why did I get the call in April?

Next, I called the Parma Ohio Police Department. The phone number in the message I got was the non-emergency number at the police station. The dispatcher explained to me that Maya is a problem child and has run away in the past. Last night, she was with her mother, driving to the hospital and Maya suddenly jumped out of the car. How frightening! She was found safe a short time later.

I didn’t mind that the phone rang at 10:30 pm. In fact, I feel even safer knowing that this automated system is in place. I wonder what other emergencies and disasters would be reported this way. I love technology and think this is a great use of computerized phone calls. Parma is a neighboring suburb. I hope my city has Code Red, too.

Marilyn Kvasnok

I’ve Been Elfed – 2009

Dec 16th, 2009

by Marilyn.

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Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Now that you’ve watched mine – Thank you very much! – Click here to make your own. And be sure to come back and post a comment with a link, so I can watch yours.

ElfYourself is compliments of OfficeMax and JibJab.

Marilyn Kvasnok

How Much is One Trillion Dollars?

Jul 21st, 2009

by Marilyn.

2 comments

A really long time ago, I remember when $20 in my wallet seemed like a lot of money. By the time my family was growing and the economy was booming, I needed $100 when I was shopping. Today, I need a credit card.

There’s a lot on the news lately about the federal budget and the national debt. I remember when a million dollars sounded like a lot of money. Then, it was a billion. Now, I often hear a trillion dollars on the news. How much money is that? Watch the video to learn more . . .

Video compliments of www.mint.com, a free site where you can track your finances and create a budget. You need to add your bank, credit card, home loan and investment account information – Not something I recommend. Then, Mint pulls in your balances, purchases, stock trades, etc. to give you a complete picture of your finances.

Slow Food ~ The Healthy Alternative to Fast Food

May 7th, 2009

by Marilyn.

3 comments

Alice Waters is a pioneer. She’s been preaching the virtues of cultivating fresh food for decades. Lesley Stahl interviews this world-renowned chef and restaurateur. Alice Waters hopes a slower approach to the food we eat will keeps us healthier and greener.

From the Chez Panisse Restaurant website:
“Alice and Chez Panisse have become convinced that the best-tasting food is organically grown and harvested in ways that are ecologically sound, by people who are taking care of the land for future generations. The quest for such ingredients has largely determined the restaurant’s cuisine. Chez Panisse has tried for years to make diners here partake of the immediacy and excitement of vegetables just out of the garden, fruit right off the branch, and fish straight out of the sea. In doing so, Chez Panisse has stitched together a patchwork of over sixty nearby suppliers, whose concerns, like the restaurant’s, are environmental harmony and optimal flavor.”

Chez Panisse is located in Berkeley, California, but Alice Water’s influence extends far beyond.

Did You Know?

Nov 17th, 2008

by Marilyn.

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The world’s population is growing exponentially.
So is the Internet.
Technology has made us a global community.
Things we take for granted today weren’t around a generation ago.
What’s next on the horizon?

Click here to watch a video with some interesting, eye-opening statistics.

Marilyn Kvasnok