I thought this book would be around fifty pages and concentrated on the eclipses that were visible in the United States. Was I ever wrong! Once I got started I found this trail of cosmic breadcrumbs that took me down the rabbit hole of over 300 pages worth! Have a peek at the back cover:
You’ve Been Warned. . .
Our ancestors didn’t understand why eclipses happened, but their meaning was clear: The gods were not happy. Ancient Greeks figured out the mechanics sufficiently to predict their occurrence.
Why bother if they were meaningless?
The “Enlightenment” threw anything unproven in a laboratory based on 18th Century science out the window as “myth and superstition,” such as astrology. If so, why did certain elite groups such as the Rosicrucians and Catholic Church continue to practice it? A devious move, perhaps, to keep this powerful tool out of the hands of the common man? Why else do they claim, “Millionaires don’t use astrology but billionaires do?”
Ignoring the truth doesn’t change the truth. The heavens still speak. The Holy Bible states the stars and planets were given “for times and for seasons.” God hasn’t changed and neither has His promise. Sadly, even churches no longer pay attention, but condemn astrology as “of the devil.”
How can God’s creations be from the devil? Who would say that other than the devil himself?
Biblical prophecies are corroborated by similar predictions from other religions and indigenous peoples. They’re coming to pass at an astounding rate, though the dumbed-down masses remain oblivious to their importance.
The Great American Eclipse in 2017 was visible from coast to coast. Its symbolism indicates a country divided. In October 2023 another solar eclipse path crossed the country with another coming in April 2024 that will cross them both.
What did the October 2023 eclipse tell us? Its path paralleled the U.S. Southern Border. Did it implicate the immigration crisis?
What will the total eclipse on April 8, 2024 deliver? The paths of all three form two ominous “Xs” on the United States. Do these figurative crosshairs indicate God has had enough?
Discover how these “signs in the heavens” predict the downfall of the United States as physicist and professional astrologer, Marcha “Whobeda” Fox, interprets their symbolism alongside subsequent events.
Buckle up, America. You ain’t see nothin’ yet.
Obviously, I took a sabbatical from writing fiction to go back to my training and experience as an astrologer to investigate what eclipses have to say. I found witnessing the 2017 total eclipse deeply troubling. I could understand why such events terrified our ancient ancestors. Later, I read that when an eclipse path crosses a country, it divides it.
And that’s exactly what happened.
Now, seven years later, we’re about to have the third eclipse path slash the U.S.A., which has never been in more precarious shape than it is right now. How can you look at this picture illustrating them without feeling in your gut that this can’t be good?
What seemed most ominous are those intersections, as if God and the Universe as X’ing out the U.S. Particularly, what’s going on in those locations?
The one in Southern Illinois is right on top of the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The one in Southwest Texas is not far from Eagle Pass, where the immigration crisis is hotter than ever.
The number of rare, celestial events between March – April 2024 is unprecedented. What are they telling us?
Find out what eclipses have been telling us all along.
Get your copy in hardback, paperback, or ebook format on Amazon.com at the affiliate links below.
After a whole lot of hype, personal and otherwise, the April 8th Total Eclipse was a total eclipse of morale for myself as well as hundreds of others hoping to watch it from Canandaigua, New York. The cloud cover never broke, so all we witnessed was 3 minutes of darkness other than the cool effect of a 360 degree “sunset” effect around the horizon, showing where the Sun was still shining outside the path of totality. Whoopity-do.
Bummed out was hardly the word.
At least I saw the one in 2017. I felt especially sorry for those who traveled a significant distance to the area only to be disappointed.
But c’est la vie.
So now, we wait.
For what, you ask?
The next eclipse?
No.
To see how much this cosmic sign in the heavens lives up to expectations astrologically.
Yes, I’m serious. Now the fun begins. It can take hours, days, weeks, or even months for the effects to show up, but they surely will. Think back to 2017. That total eclipse’s path of visibility from coast to coast prognosticated a country divided. I doubt anyone would argue that came about.
The heavens don’t lie. So what will this one bring?
Time will tell.
So far the lunar eclipse on March 25th has come through already. Less than 24 hours after it occurred, on March 26th at 1:29 a.m. the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore collapsed upon being struck by container ship, Dali, flagged out of Singapore.
Find out the specifics by tuning into Fresh Ink Group’s “Voice of Indie” podcast on April 17, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Join us here.
I’ll explain what factors indicate why Baltimore was targeted, why predictions are so difficult, plus what astrology tells us that news media doesn’t. Comments and questions are always welcome during the live podcast with a recording available after the fact.
This book needs to go viral. The survival of the United States depends on it. The ugly truth is revealed masterfully through Schweizer’s gold standard of investigative journalism. He has put together an amazing expose of corruption that involves not only how China is trying to undermine our country, culture, and democracy, but the public figures who are not only allowing, but facilitating it,then denying it entirely as they profit financially.
I hope he has a good security team.
The book is divided into four sections based on four principles found in the Chinese book of war. To western minds, these may not make sense until the author points out how these are being executed to our detriment.
1. Murder with a Borrowed Knife (Blame someone else for your crimes.)
The example presented involves the flood of fentanyl coming across the U.S. Mexican Border. While it appears Mexico is the perpetrator, in reality it’s China in cahoots with drug cartels. Not only do they supply all raw materials, manufacturing facilities are staffed by Chinese with pill counterfeiting machines imported as well. Fentanyl is not sold with a warning label. In most cases, it’s included in fake pharmaceuticals labeled as oxycodone or some other opiate. Many victims of fentanyl had no idea they were not ingesting what the pill was supposed to contain.
In rare cases where China has been confronted, their response points the finger back at the victims. In other words, they’re running a business for profit. As long as there are customers they’ll provide a supply. They also state that the users are the product of a country with crumbling values. Of course there’s some truth to that statement, but China is doing everything possible to contribute to moral decay as well.
But what is being done about the drug crisis? Especially when the powers that be don’t acknowledge there’s a problem? The open border is allowing criminal elements such as drug and human traffickers an heyday of opportunity.
2. Watch a Fire from Across the River (Set your enemy’s business on fire, then sit back to watch the chaos.)
The Chinese government is arming criminals by providing their version of assault rifles. In addition, they sell devices that can convert a pistol into a machine gun. These are typically only available for law enforcement or others who go through a qualification process and licensing. The Chinese, however, sell these lethal devices openly online.
This in turn foments crime and social chaos. When mass shootings occur and the crime rate spikes, they laugh as they watch the U.S. deteriorate. This is an undeclared war where they are overtly subverting and sabotaging our country and way of life. The entire point is to weaken us to the point the country collapses, making us an easy mark.
Guess who helped finance those violent protests a few years ago. Yup, China involved there as well. Did you realize those protesters were paid?
3. Hide a Dagger in a Smile (Your victim won’t suspect you’re out to kill him if you’re friendly or make him laugh.)
This is particularly insidious since it’s aimed at America’s youth. The app TikTok is not only a surveillance device which is banned on government issued cell phones, but is designed to dumb down our youth. The feeds are individualized and outside the control of users. They cannot choose whom to follow, etc., it’s decided for them by a treacherous secret algorithm. It’s designed to be addictive and to influence kids’ minds so their attention span is limited. It’s also constant entertainment, making more serious subjects not only less fun and uninteresting, but painful.
The Chinese government does not allow their children to use TikTok. Let that sink in. They have a different app that is educational and encourages interest in higher education. They also are not allowed to be on the app for as long as they want since it has automatic timers built in.
While Chinese school children are learning calculus, social graces, and history, ours are being dumbed down to say nothing of imbued with propaganda with subtle slams that mock our culture and way of life. They paint a pretty picture of the CCP’s version of socialism and take every opportunity to demean a democratic government. The U.S. is definitely a target rich environment, thanks to years of ongoing corruption and corporatism.
There’s also the matter of video games. These, too are designed to be addictive and keep our youth from more worthy pursuits. The plots and characters are often geared to make these same points regarding Western Culture and government weaknesses.
China has invested heavily in Hollywood and thus has a say in movie scripts. And this say hails directly from CCP operatives. The author provides detailed examples of all these insidious practices as well as pointing out those benefiting financially.
4. Loot a Burning House (Set a house on fire, then steal what you can before it burns down.)
This example relates to COVID. Details are provided regarding the “lab leak” cover-up versus the bogus “naturally evolving” theory. The deep involvement of U.S. researchers with those in Wuhan had other Americans covering for them because they were profiting directly. Within the ranks, there was some fear of losing funding.
As if it’s not bad enough that millions died from the corona virus genetically engineered to be more lethal, they further contributed by promoting ineffective as best/deadly at worst protocols. They were well aware that ventilators exacerbated the symptoms, yet sold us as many as we’d take.
When COVID was raging in China, many countries donated masks and other medical supplies to help them through the crisis. When the tables turned, they were selling the supplies to their victims, many of which were of such low quality that they were never used.
During the “plandemic” I definitely thought it incredulous we were buying supplies from a country that was not only a known enemy who started the pandemic plus were clearly out to kill us.
Their presence online included hostile bots and trolls operated by the CCP military to debunk any truth posted on apps like Twitter and Facebook. Thousands of fake accounts were identified and closed, but how much damage did they do suppressing the truth?
Years ago I was appalled we were borrowing trillions of dollars from China. Countries like that are patient with their conquests. They have an ultimate goal and timeline, but their strategic plans cover decades, even centuries. In the U.S. projects run from election to election, based on the preferences of the ruling party, their supporters, and who will profit. The good of the people is seldom a consideration, which is one of China’s greatest criticisms of capitalism.
China has never stopped being our enemy or abandoned their objective to take possession of American land and resources. When Congress tried to pass a bipartisan bill to forbid China from buying farmland in the U.S., Biden vetoed it.
Sadly, our leaders refuse to acknowledge there’s a threat, much less put up any resistance that might jeopardize their financial interests.
What’s wrong with this picture? And why do Americans as a whole put up with it?
One of the most impressive parts of this book is the fact that a full third of its content (about 100 pages) comprises notes of the sources for the information therein. The content is not simply the author’s opinion, but documented fact. The index is also useful for zeroing in on specific issues or individuals.
I highly recommend you get a copy of this book, read it, and share it far and wide. If nothing is done to change this (and it may already be too late) our children and grandchildren are likely to be speaking Chinese.
You can get a copy from this affiliate link to Amazon here.
While this book works as a stand alone, I highly recommend reading the award-winning first book, “The Last Dog,” to gain the full context of this wonderful story. It’s a lot more meaningful when you understand what the characters have been through as well as the details related to its 2087 setting. You can find my review of “The Last Dog” here. Consider that was written in 2018 and how much has transpired since.
Texmexzona is a geographical area that comprises, as the name implies, Texas, Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona. This is supposedly a “no man’s land” as far as what’s left of the U.S. is concerned, but in reality where people fled from the compromised United States since it was taken over by the World Guild.
Sound eerily familiar?
There are so many elements of this story that parallel what the U.S. is experiencing today it’s actually kind of creepy. There’s a strong prophetic ring of possibility to it, though the story’s focus in on the characters, which include numerous humans as well as their “dog children.” Due to the fact that fertility has been seriously compromised, families cherish their pets at the same level as if they were biological children.
The plot is further enhanced by the fact that the main character, Bill Maxwell, invented “the dot” that gives animals the cognizance of humans as well as the ability to speak. In addition, there are robotic dogs with similar intelligence traits as well as enhanced abilities bordering on superpowers.
However, the Dot, originally for people to manage their finances and keep track of things like medical records, has been hijacked by the government that uses it in nefarious ways. In other words, privacy, freedom of speech, and thought are gone and enforced by the Tranquility Force.
Hmmmm. Where have we heard that before?
Anyway, if you’re an animal lover, especially a dog person, you’ll love the dogs, who are fully integrated into the story with a multitude of diverse personalities.
This book is the perfect sequel to an amazing story that began in the first book. It answers various questions left unanswered and brings “the rest of the story” forward to a satisfying conclusion.
Dawn Greenfield Ireland is a gifted storyteller with an incredible imagination that she shares with her readers through strong writing skills. You truly feel as if you know the characters and miss them when you finish the story. Highly recommended along with her other books/series. You can find more about her and her multitude of books on her website. If you’re a writer looking for services like editing or formatting, she does that, too.
You can pick up a copy of Texmexzona on Amazon here.
Dawn Greenfield Ireland takes the term “prolific writer” to an entirely new level. No matter what genre you prefer, it’s highly likely she has it in her massive literary portfolio!
Most of what I’ve been reading the past few years has been research material. Sadly, I can’t remember the last time I read a novel. (I suppose I could look at my archives on this site to refresh my memory LOL)
However, I needed some light reading so decided to give some of Dawn’s work a try. I just finished reading her Katz Cozy Mystery Series. It was perfect! Suspenseful enough to keep me engaged, but not so much so that it messed with my blood pressure.
Her fictitious town, Twinkle, Texas, is loaded with great characters and clever mysteries. Each book keeps you guessing until the very end, plus the ongoing story with her basic characters pulls you in as well. Pretty soon you feel as if you live there yourself. Having finished the series in a few days, now I miss the characters and look forward to when she gets the next book out. As you can guess from the covers, the cat and parrot are regulars involved in each mystery in a unique and charming way.
If you like science fiction/fantasy, you’ll love her Thol series. Suitable for young adults, but complex and imaginative enough for adults. Again, clever plots, great imagery, world building, and a fascinating variety of alien creatures. The previous link takes you to a review I did of the first book a few years ago.
If your preference is steamy romance, then her “Bonded” series is for you. Shapeshifters populate this stories with numerous sexy plot twists and clever situations. Nail-biting suspense and hot characters.
I loved her book, “The Last Dog,”and just ordered the sequel, “Texmexzona.” Apocalyptic science fiction at its best. So much of what it portrays is coming at us today, making much of it prophetic, which is kind of scary! If you love pets, suspense, and sci-fi, this one’s for you! Again the link takes you to my review posted previously. Here’s an affiliate link to Texmexzona on Amazon.
She’s written numerous award winning screenplays, some of which are available in book form as well as some instructional books and an online class for dealing with the frustrating quirks of Microsoft Word. She has a “Puppy Baby Book” and another fun series, The Alcott Family Mysteries.
She also has an entire line of notebooks and journals on a variety of subjects. Her imagination and creativity is off the charts and sure to please. Check out her website at https://www.degreenfield.com/ to see all of her work with full descriptions and sign up for her newsletter for updates and new releases. All her books are available on Amazon.
There’s nothing more energizing than being a part of something that qualifies as a miracle. Back in October, my son-in-law, Jason Franciamore, took the first steps toward a dream he’d had for nine years. His story is worthy of a movie. Maybe some day we’ll work together on writing his biography, which could inspire so many.
Jason is someone who’s been through a crucible of consequences for foolish actions, yet ultimately came out of it refined. Nothing explains what a miracle this is better than his Facebook post on November 24, 2023, which was a repost of one from 2021:
“Wow now 7 years 7 months and 1 day! Living my dream with this company for sure!“
[post from April 2021]
“5 Years! Thank you to the arresting officer 5 years ago today, that didn’t “let me make it”. I’ll never forget the look on his face after he read me my rights. He said “sir do you understand?” With big ol’ watery eyes I looked into his and said “thank you.” I knew I needed to get clean and knew I needed help. Sure there are other avenues besides multiple felonies to get help, but not for me. I was so broken that I thought everyone would be disappointed in me if I asked for help. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t, I’d much rather play the victim one more time and not fully take responsibility again.
“As I was sitting in the back of the police car I just closed my eyes and told myself “today is the day, today I die so I can live again.”
“So from the outside looking in we have Jason that once again got into some trouble, but he wasn’t busted with a bunch of drugs, or needles, or really anything to do with drugs at all. I received a paraphernalia charge only for the drugs. I was always so careful to not get caught with drugs, but everything else had finally caught up to me.
“So back to not taking full responsibility. You see if I’m arrested I can go get clean locked up that’s what I so needed. I couldn’t do it out here, believe me I tried. I didn’t say that to anyone though, I just acted surprised when I didn’t have a bond and was facing 70 years in prison.
“Needless to say it got “real” real quick for me. I was so relieved to put an end to that life, but I didn’t realize that just not doing drugs doesn’t magically fix your life. In fact I felt probably the worst ever shortly afterwards. I mean I had no bond, meaning no matter how much money you had, there was no getting me out of jail. They were tired of messing with me. I’d already had x2 $10,000 cash bonds that had to be paid all in cash upfront and well that wasn’t a problem previously.
“You see, I was a “successful” addict; I mean in the eyes of “society’s success”. I think I made $312,000 at my job the 14 months I worked there. Yes the best I’d ever done, and they even paid my cash bond to get me out previously and didn’t ask any questions. They didn’t care what I did, they just wanted me at work. I ended up losing that job, I didn’t care I had money and I thought that’s all that mattered.
“So Jason was jammed up on some old charges and couldn’t get out. That was my story, it worked for the most part. However, my wife had some time to think, too. She was obviously tired of the “poor Jason” card being played and finally left me. Once again I placed blame everywhere else and played victim. Bottom line I knew 5 years ago today, I needed help. I asked the lord to show me the way. My prayers and I’m sure lots of others were being answered.
“I could have never imagined that my prayers being answered would first take me through hell.
“There is so much more to this story I could share for hours. Today, however, is about 5 years of not living under strain of addiction. Thank you, Lord for this, and thank you to all my family and friends for loving me through this journey.
“So for people that don’t know me personally. I lost everything 5 years ago because of everything I did during my 13 year run of active addiction. My testimony is powerful, I have graciously been blessed with the restoration of everything I had lost. It hasn’t been easy and my life is far from perfect; but I couldn’t ask for a better life than the one I’m living now.”
As a recovering addict, his passion is to help others walking that rough road to being clean. He has a tattoo that helped him, a clock face with the numbers replaced with the 12 letters of the Narcotics Anonymous (NA) motto, “Just For Today.”
His dream was to make a watch like that to help others as it did him–a watch that every time you looked at it, it reminded you to stay clean and on the road to recovery.
Thus, two months ago he applied for a registered trade mark for “Just for Today” in the timepiece category. That process, as most that involve the government, takes months, but its in progress and shows up in the U.S. Patent Office’s database.
He hired a local artist to design a logo and trademark. From that point on, he was off and running to catch his dream.
Since that time his company has grown to include an increasing number of inspirational clocks, “Wartime Hero” dog tags designed for those “fighting a battle that no one else can see,” and a plethora of coffee mugs with original quotes and inspirational phrases.
Jason preparing an acrylic print to be converted to a clock.
[UPDATE: Originally, Jason had a shop on Etsy, but for some literally unknown reason they suspended it and kept the money from his sales! This disreputable sales site has done this to at least 164 other vendors per the Etsy community forum. They won’t even tell you why, just arbitrarily shut you down. They’re just another scam like so many others on the web, victimizing their vendors at will, so beware. It was somewhat reassuring to find out he wasn’t alone in being attacked, yet disheartening to see more corruption disguised as a legitimate business.]
The Just for Today Timepieces official website is now online! There are lots of new products yet to be added that you’re sure to like. Clocks in various sizes and designs, many with “Just For Today” on the clock face. Other clocks have different sayings, such as “Time To Change.” Be sure to visit the website as well as the Just For Today Facebook page, where you’ll also find daily posts and updates. Follows and shares much appreciated!
Here are a few of the mugs currently available along with numerous others you can see soon on the official website.
While the company’s focus is on helping to support and inspire those in recovery, there are several items suitable for anyone. For example, other products include a collage frame that features an inspirational clock in one space with four others vacant for the customer to add his or own 4×6 photos. These have several different themes and sayings on the clock bezel to focus on subjects such as pets, genealogy, family vacations, wedding, your BFF, and missing someone special, to name just a few.
Custom work is welcome, but expect a delay while it’s produced.
Stop by Facebook today to say hello and become part of this amazing journey. His store on eBay will likewise be updated soon.
In case you’re not familiar with the song, “Kitten on the Keys,” given it dates back to 1921 and the period’s ragtime craze, here’s a link so you can enjoy it.
I sure wish I could play the piano like that! Amazing what trained fingers can do!
My keyboarding skills are directed toward the one attached to my computer. And I must say, I’m good at it. I learned to touch type when I was around 12 years old on an old manual typewriter. I always wanted to be a writer, so it made sense.
Later, after graduating high school and looking for a job, I did a timed writing on an IBM Selectric typewriter at an employment agency where I clocked 94 words per minutes for ten minutes with only two errors. I can even type while carrying on a conversation, which even amazes me. How can fingers operate independently from the conscious mind? Seriously, I could copy a document while talking to someone.
Maybe it’s my super power, who knows?
But that’s not what this blog is about. As always, I tend to digress.
After I moved from Texas to New York and was getting my computer set up again, I decided my keyboard looked a little grungy, so I should probably clean it. It looked as if there was some debris underneath, so I got out the toothpicks to see what I could dig out. It didn’t take long to discover there was a whole lot more lurking in there than expected.
At a certain point, the toothpicks were inadequate, so I got out a metal shish kabob skewer. I’m not sure how long it took me, but it was well over an hour, maybe two. By the time I was done, here’s what I had.
Okay, I’d had that keyboard for a long time, possibly a decade. My little furbaby, Ophelia, never actually slept on it like some cats do, since my computer hutch has a keyboard tray that tucked it away when I wasn’t using it. However, when I was at work typing away at lightning speed, Ophie would often sit on my lap or walk (or sleep) in front of the monitor, as any cat owner will find familiar.
I had no idea there was that much space under there.
Needless to say, the keyboard functions much better now for some reason.
I don’t know if this is a cautionary tale (cat tail, perhaps?) or a heads-up that you might want to see what’s hidden in yours. Somewhere to direct your next cleaning frenzy, if you’re prone to such things.
No telling what you’ll find.
Maybe the keyboard is that proverbial “safe place” where all those things you’ve secured over the years have disappeared? Unfortunately, all I found in mine was cat hair, though a few things in that “safe place” did show up after the move.
It’s hard to believe that over a year has passed since I’ve posted anything out here. It’s been quite a year, to say the least. To cut to the chase, I moved from Texas to New York earlier this year to be closer to family as well as get away from the Texas heat. Triple digit temperatures for most of the summer were just too much. I was born in New York state, so in many respects it was like going home.
Moving is never fun. And this was truly the move from Hell. I’d never hired a moving company before since my previous relocations had been achieved with a U-Haul with the help of family and friends. Moving over 1600 miles, however, was another story. And the people I hired to accomplish that were a complete scam operation that cost me thousands of dollars in items left behind that wouldn’t fit on the truck as well as goods lost somewhere in transit, also to the tune of thousands of dollars.
Being completely naive, I thought I was hiring a mover when in reality I was dealing with a moving broker. While they might provide the transportation, in most cases they’ll consign your move to another carrier. In my case, the ones who arrived to pick up my possessions were what they call Rogue Movers. Unprofessional is hardly adequate to describe them. They are scammers, pure and simple. Other words that come to mind are best left to your imagination.
My first mistake was not reading the booklet provided by the U.S. Government regarding what to expect with a legitimate move until after the fact. If you’re considering moving and doing so with a moving company, be smarter that I was and read it! Here’s a copy so you don’t have to hunt one down.
Of course the broker promised a litany of services. These included:
Professional Door to Door service.
Expert advice and guidance throughout the course of your move.
Disassembly of all standard furniture required for safe transportation.
Reassembly for all items disassembled by the movers on the day of pick-up.
Wrapping of all furniture with quilted moving blankets.
Itemized inventory indicating condition at the origin.
Loading & unloading of all goods.
All transportation, taxes, tolls, mileage, and fuel surcharges.
Standard cargo protection up to $10,000 based on 0.60 cents per lb per article; if selected at the time the estimate is prepared, the estimated cost of the full value protection option at varying deductible levels (these are only estimates and the actual cost is determined by your selection on the carriers bill of lading according to carriers tariff).
No charge for packing tape and moving pads.
No date change penalties if your request is made more than 7 business days before your originally scheduled pick-up date.
Sounds all well and good, right?
Yeah. Not exactly how it played out.
Until this trio of yahoos arrived on a Saturday at 4:30 pm, some 36 hours late, in an unmarked truck with no evidence of representing a legitimate moving company. They didn’t even have on T-shirts with the name of a company.
I was already a day late vacating my house to its new owner and everything was packed up. As sketchy as they were, I was between the proverbial rock and hard place. Furthermore, it was Saturday and by the time things started to fall apart the broker’s office in Ohio was closed.
There were no quilted blankets. They used a huge roll of plastic to cover most my furniture, until it ran out. That meant that many items, including my piano, were not protected at all.
An inventory of every piece, noting its condition, was supposed to be conducted. This didn’t happen. This was no doubt the most grievous of omissions. They said they’d do one when they got to the warehouse and I was stupid enough to believe them!
The cubic feet estimate from the broker was way off. If I’d read that booklet from the Feds I would have known right then something was wrong. They’re supposed to conduct a physical walk-through of your house to assess how much you have! A “virtual” survey is acceptable, which I assume would be going through every room, closet, garage, and shed with a video camera. That, of course, didn’t happen, either.
I don’t know what I was thinking, but at a certain point before the move I was certain the original estimate was too low, so I called. They increased it by some and assured me it would be fine.
It wasn’t.
Numerous items, such as everything in the garage including a wheelbarrow, lawnmower, fencing, and a plethora of other items wouldn’t fit in the 26-foot truck along with several furniture items such as my kitchen table and chairs, flat screen TV, framed artwork, a rollaway bed, small appliances galore, a metal firewood rack, ladders, furniture and piano dollies, and numerous other items too numerous to mention.
Artwork left behind for lack of room in the truck.
Some items were irreplaceable, such as genealogy research material and memorabilia from my 21 years working for NASA, which was removed from the shed, then abandoned on the garage floor, as well as a 36 x 48 hand-carved wooden sign from a business I had in Utah back in the 70s, to name a few.
Looking back, my only choice would have been to refuse to let these idiots touch my stuff and hunker down in a packed up house that I no longer owned until Monday, at which time I would contact the broker and rip him a new one for sending such a seedy, unprofessional bunch. Obviously, I didn’t. I was too stressed out by that point, and just wanted to get going.
Note that delays in arrival and placing you in this very situation is exactly what Rogue Mover/scammers do.
They finished loading around midnight and drove off with the majority of my earthly possessions. My daughter and I spent the night at a neighbors, then loaded up my two cats in the car and headed for New York. (The cross-country trip with the cats is worthy of a blog as well, which I’ll get to later.)
The drama I’d been through finding a house in New York was another debacle. I’d never bought a house sight-unseen before, but trusted my daughter and son-in-laws judgement. The sellers were more pieces of work who kept delaying closing since they were in the middle of divorce and one of them was living out of state. We heard that these sellers had backed out of a deal before, so you can bet that caused plenty of anxiety as well. We got to move in early, but what if they changed their mind? Fortunately, that all resolved, but this contributed substantially to my stress level. Another facet of many related to this move from hell.
As I had time to think about those insidious movers and read about cases of just such scams where people lost everything they owned, I was again in a panic. The broker deferred me to the pick up carrier, who didn’t answer their phone and eventually blocked us from even attempting to reach them.
Just under two weeks later I heard from the delivery driver who was due to arrive the next day with my goods. To explain, the idiots in Texas dumped my stuff in a warehouse where someone else (or maybe them, who knows?) loaded it up and drove it to a warehouse in Chicago where the delivery driver picked it up.
This is how using a moving broker works. You possessions are moved in stages by a variety of drivers/moving companies. You can imagine what a debacle this is when the items are not inventoried or identified with you in a proper manner. The only thing I found that had my name on it with my shipment was a hand-scribbled, barely legible note with my misspelled name and new address which was taped to the back of a chair.
The delivery driver was a decent guy, albeit Russian who spoke little English. Thank heaven for Google translate. He picked up my items in Chicago, worked alone, and was amazing how he wrestled things like my piano and numerous huge items off another 26-foot truck alone. (Even more interesting, on a personal note, he was actually a former Russian rocket scientist.)
Not only did he have a 26 foot truck just like the one that picked up my things, there were other items on it besides my own. It was obvious that if those idiots in Texas knew what they were doing that all my stuff should have fit!
My shipment is behind the driver, the items on the right not mine along with a bunch of things he offloaded shown below. So why didn’t all my stuff fit on the same size truck in Texas? Or was that much missing?Yes, the Russian driver unloaded all that stuff by himself!
It didn’t take long to notice some major items were missing. Like a solar generator worth approximately $3000. The side rails to my queen-size bed, which cost well over $300 to replace since they had to be custom made. Upon unpacking, more and more things that I know got loaded in Texas were missing. My 27″ computer monitor, my antique typewriter on which I wrote my first novel, an antique chair identical to the one the note was taped to, many awards I received during my 21 years working for NASA, and all sorts of other items.
Between what was left behind and lost in transit, losses amount to around $16,000. When I tried to file a claim with the Texas carrier’s insurance company, it was obvious beyond a doubt I’d been scammed when the insurance company said they never heard of them.
I have filed complaints with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA), attorneys general for both Texas and Ohio (where the broker is located), the Texas Department of Transportation, trucking organizations, and have yet to leave more reviews to warn people what is going on out there in the moving world. If you’ve had a similar experience, go to the FMCSA website, which has reporting information for them as well as various other agencies.
Fortunately, we love the house. For those of you who know I am single, you probably wonder what constitutes “we.” In another major change, I decided it was time due to my age and some mobility issues I’ve been having with a bad knee, that it was time to become a three-generation family with my youngest daughter, her husband, and three teenagers. Our house is an 1898 farmhouse on 2.7 acres in the Finger Lakes region of Western New York State.
Rural is an understatement. Our little town is adorable and tourist oriented with a few wineries. It doesn’t even have a traffic light anywhere, it’s so small. How cool is that? It does have a small grocery store, hardware store, and lots of restaurants with big stores about 25 miles away.
The house was empty for two years and required quite a bit of work to get it good to go. I’m still in the process of trying to get a garage built that the local building inspector will approve and various other projects, which will take us years to complete. But we love it, especially our wrap-around porch on which we spend a lot of time relaxing. I look forward to seeing fall colors again for the first time in years.
Our front yard facing a winding, mountain road.
I’m loving the cooler temperatures, so much green, regular rain, and the laid-back lifestyle. I don’t know if anything further will happen as far as compensation for my losses in the move, but I plan to pursue it as far as I can. I plan to hold the broker accountable for not vetting the rogue carrier he sent to orchestrate my move, which is likely to involve arbitration, so wish me luck.
This winter I plan to get back to writing and work with my coauthor, Pete Risingsun, to complete the Dead Horse Canyon trilogy, which was obviously delayed by this crazy year I’ve had.
So, if you’ve wondered where I’ve been, that’s at least part of my story and I’m sticking to it. If you plan to move anytime soon, please learn from my huge mistake. A legitimate moving company is definitely recommended. I think that the Pod concept is a good one, where you load up your stuff in one of them, lock it up, and it’s transported to your new digs.
Whatever you do, avoid brokers. The one I had, U.S. Interstate and Rail, somehow garnered lots of positive reviews. I suspect they’re fake, like all those jerks who want to be your friend on Facebook who reside in a cell phone in a bot farm. The one I’ll be leaving will certainly not be good.
EPILOGUE
As noted, I reported the broker and carrier to a plethora of places including FMCSA, Attorneys General, DMVs, and various professional trucking organizations. I received a report from the Texas DMV today which was satisfying, at least. Here’s what it said:
“I am an investigator with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), Enforcement Division. We are charged with administrative regulatory enforcement of rules and regulations for household goods carriers, motor carriers and size/weight laws in Texas. We received your complaint, 100237573, filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) concerning your move from Burnet, Texas to Naples, New York, which saw your belongings loaded on April 29, 2023 and delivered on May 23, 2023 with numerous items missing, damaged items, left in Burnet, no inventory, and no moving documentation provided to you. Based on numerous complaints received prior to your complaint I went to the carrier’s location in Waco, Texas on August 24, 2023 and found it for lease. I witnessed a dumpster at the Waco location full of bags, carts, etc. I did confirm, through an obituary, that the owner, Tyler Thomas Ross, passed away on July 11, 2023, see attached PDF (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/mcgregor-tx/tyler-ross-11367322).
“At this point, the TxDMV is unable to contact any individuals associated with the carrier that can assist with your complaint and appears the carrier is no longer in operation after the death of the owner. Unfortunately, there is nothing more the TxDMV can do to assist with the complaint. We will update your complaint with FMCSA letting them know of our findings.”
I must be a bad person because I have to admit that I laughed, especially since I literally prayed that the perpetrators would burn in hell. Karma is, indeed, a bitch. Apparently I wasn’t the only person that was scammed since the investigation took place before I even filed my report. I found out from the TX DMV investigator that there were 16 complaints against the company, which had only been in business since October 2022. No telling how many people didn’t bother to report them.
The owner was in his early 20s so this begs the question of how he died? I wonder if there is someone out there that I should thank. I guess I’m more vindictive than I care to admit, but it’s satisfying to know they won’t be scamming anyone else anytime soon. My curiosity got the better of me and a subsequent internet search indicated that Tyler Thomas Ross hanged himself in jail after being arrested on July 3, 2023, then died July 11 as a result of his injuries. His family apparently attempted to make it look as if he died from a motorcycle accident since someone with the same name did so a year before. My next task is to find out why he was in the slammer. It’s pretty likely it was for theft and multiple moving scams.
Meanwhile, I still have the broker, U.S. Interstate and Rail, in my sights for not properly vetting those crooks. The more evidence I find showing Ross’s criminal activity, the better my chances at winning something through arbitration. Wish me luck.
Welcome to guest blogger Robert G. Williscroft, submariner and author of multiple series including The MacMcDowell Missions, The Oort Chronicles, and The Daedalus Files. Robert compiled and edited the true-life adventures of retired US Navy Lt. Commander Jerry Pait in his new book, Sŭbmarine-Ër.
Jerry Pait enlisted on September 15, 1964, was assigned to Fleet Sonar School, volunteered for subs, and ended up on USS Entemedor (SS-340). After Advanced Sonar School, he was transferred as an STS-2 to USS Von Steuben (SSBN 632B) in the Philly yards right after her collision off Cadiz, Spain. I was a newly minted Lt. j.g., fresh out of Poseidon Missile School, having come through the NESEP program and Univ. of Washington in marine and atmosphere physics. I guess the skipper made me Sonar Officer because I was a former sonar tech. Jerry and I served together until I left for the Man-in-the-Sea Program and ultimately Operation Ivy Bells, tapping into Soviet underwater communications cables in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Jerry went on to become COB on Von Steuben, served in a senior position in Sonar/Torpedoman School, and then was commissioned as an LDO Ensign. He returned briefly to Von Steuben and then served as a division officer on several sub tenders. After that, he was assigned to NOTU, supervising underwater ballistic missile launchings for several years, working closely with NASA. He rose to Lt. Cmdr., was selected for Cmdr. But was mustered out on retirement as part of Clinton’s force reduction efforts.
Jerry took a senior field position with the major defense contractor Brown & Root, but during his first year, he fell from 20 feet in a way that fractured his back and cracked his skull. He survived, received a significant settlement, and has struggled ever since to regain as much function as possible.
I was on Jerry’s emailing list. He began to send out periodic stories from his past. They were fascinating, and the response from his list was remarkable. I saw their potential and contacted Jerry—we hadn’t communicated directly with each other in decades. I suggested that I work with him to compile his stories into a coherent whole, and that we put out a book. He agreed, so we found a publisher who was willing to work with us on this strange project, and we completed the book last month.
Jerry’s book, Sŭbmarine-Ër: 30 Years of Hijinks & Keeping the Fleet Afloat, will be released on September 15, exactly 58 years after he enlisted. The book is on pre-publication sale right now as an ebook for only 99¢. The ebook price will rise to $3.99 on September 15. Each chapter has a color photo that illustrates the contents of that chapter. The trade paperback printed version has half-tone photos and will sell for $19.95 The hardbound, jacketed edition is in full color throughout and will sell for $36.95. Both will be available for pre-order within two or three days.
Why am I doing this? Jerry is our brother—and he’s a genuine American hero. His story deserves to be told far and wide. I’m not here selling books. I’m here asking you to help me preserve the memory of one of the best among us. By purchasing the ebook on pre-order (only 99¢), you will help boost his sales ranking, so that on September 15, the release date, his ranking will shoot up. If you want the trade paperback, or the really cool hardbound, jacketed, full color version, you can pre-order those as well from Amazon or any other online bookseller, or you can order it from your favorite brick and mortar store as well. Should you want an autographed copy, please use the Contact form at FreshInkGroup.com, and I will put you into direct contact with Jerry.
Book Trailer!
The Book Blurb!
Lieutenant Commander Jerry Pait’s semi-autobiographical collection of sixty stories recounts his thirty years in and around the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet. Ranging from light-hearted to wrenching, all are poignant inside looks at naval operations rarely seen by outsiders. Topics include the real story behind the shuttle Challenger tragedy, risking his own life underwater, discovering a Soviet spy living across the street, surviving when a DELTA Rocket engine ignites, critical missions, and the everyday lives of men and women of the fleet. Dive into Sŭbmarine-Ërfor hijinks and breathtaking adventure with this poignant memoir by a true American hero.
Live Interactive Podcast with Pait and Williscroft!
Digital editions at 99 cents during pre-sale are available in all major ebook formats—Kindle, Nook, Kobo, GPlay, iBooks, and 200+ more—worldwide. Full-color jacketed hardcovers and softcovers are appearing at retailer sites over the next week.
Robin Wall Kemmerer is uniquely qualified to pen this tome. Not only is she a member of the Potawatomi tribe, she also earned a PhD in botany. Her insights from both perspectives are priceless. These pages are filled with thoughts and wisdom entirely different from the white man’s view of life. Rather than being the superior being, Indigenous people see themselves as part of a greater whole.
Everything is alive in some way, whether vegetable, animal, or mineral. When Indigenous people speak of “all my relations” they are not just referring to other humans. The concept of land ownership was incomprehensible to them, making it easy to fall prey to it being virtually stolen. The Creator had given it to the people millennia before. It belonged to everyone.
She recounted the tragic story often told of Indigenous peoples being driven from their land to desolate places no one else wanted…
Marcha's Two-Cents Worth 