Regional scam artists have put a new twist on the old Nigerian check deposit swindle. At least one county in Wisconsin has come up against a check deposit fraud which is aimed at unsuspecting resort owners there. A blurb from WJFW television in Northern Wisconsin indicates that the Sheriff of Oneida Country is telling resort owners there to be wary about taking reservation payments made by check.

The scam begins when an apparent customer reserves several rooms at a regional resort. The scam artist then pays for those reservations with a bogus check. Next, after allowing enough time for the resort owner to deposit the fake check, but not enough time for the bank to clear it, the scammer then calls to cancel the reservations and requests a refund.

The story doesn't indicate if anyone has actually suffered a monetary loss due to this scam. However, let us use this incident to remind us of a couple basic financial lessons: First, we should never take a check from anyone without current and complete identification. Second, we should never forward funds based on a check which has been deposited but which has not yet been fully cleared by the bank.

Reductions in retail foot traffic may signal continued tough times ahead for restaurant chains, which are mainly dependent upon shopping mall exposure for gaining customer volume. Many large restaurant chains, including Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, and Ruby Tuesday, have significant presence in retail shopping malls. These dining establishments are certain to experience continued weak sales figures as consumers restrain their discretionary spending.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, ShopperTrak RCT Corp. indicates that sales figures for restaurants declined over 12% for the month of October, in comparison to last year.

Although restaurant sales projections appear fairly grim, the food service sector is not nearly ready to give up the fight.

Are you concerned about how the coming changes in Washington might affect your tax burden? Considering how little I earn on an annual basis, I'm not too worried about it myself. In fact, I'll probably be scheduled to receive a modest handout. However, an Associated Press report, provided by ESPN, indicates that the personal agents who serve baseball players are already looking for ways to side step the coming income tax increases.

Under a potential Obama tax plan, income earners who receive more than $250,000 in annual compensation will see their top tax rate raise from 35 percent, up to 39.6 percent. That can take away a whole lot of your hot dog money if you're one of "the boys of summer." A player earning a contract salary similar to Jose Canseco, who earned $3 million in the 2000 season, now has good reason to look for some more tax loopholes.

Big salary baseball players won't be the only ones affected by these tax changes however. There are a whole lot of Joe the Plumber types who will feel this potential new tax grab. For instance, when I operated my feed store, I had gross sales of $249,000 for the last year I operated that shop. Because I operated as a sole proprietorship, that money was taxed as adjusted gross personal income. An increase, such as the one we're now looking at, would probably have hit me right between the eyes eventually. Never mind the fact that on a good week I only took home about $600 in actual, pre-tax, personal income.

So, as you quietly accept the coming tax increases, which you believe are simply taking from the rich, and giving to guys like me, say a little prayer for Joe the Plumber, Frank the Electrician, and Harriet the Beauty Shop Owner. They have their money taxed before they get to put it back into their businesses. That's where our "change" is coming from.

Based on increasing reports that our elders are committing more crimes, it seems that Grandma can't be trusted anymore. The Buffalo News reports that a 61 year old, former church business officer is scheduled to be sentenced for bilking her church out of over a quarter million dollars. What's worse yet, is the fact that the judge in the case placed sentencing conditions on the granny, which would base sentencing upon the amount of money the lady repaid before the sentencing hearing. To date, it appears that granny could only scare up $100,000 of the estimated $280,000 which she had taken. The judge has ordered the lady to sell her Canadian cottage and to dip into her retirement funds, in order to pay back more of the money.

It's a sign of the times, which is global in scope. Japanese officials have reported that crime by elders is increasing at an alarming rate in their own country. The Associated press reports: "Elderly crimes (in Japan) rose 4.2 percent in 2007 from a year earlier, though the total number of people arrested fell 4.8 percent..."

Could it be that our senior populations are growing more desperate in tough times? Is it simply a matter of the criminal element growing older? I'm not entirely sure of the causes, but I know one thing for certain. I find it a bit unnerving to think that people who should be rocking on the porch while telling stories of the good old days, are now taking to the streets, robbing our neighbors and causing general mayhem.

Well, perhaps it's not quite that bad...

Cooking from scratch, which can also be called homemade cooking, is making a comeback these days. People are realizing that scratch cooking provides multiple benefits. Food cooked using real ingredients is more digestable than prepackaged meals. Food cooked from scratch contains fewer of the chemicals foreign to our bodies. Scratch cooking lowers grocery bills. Lastly, and most importantly, food prepared from scratch just plain tastes better than those plastic- encapsulated, reconstituted, freezer-to-microwave meals. At least it tastes better in my house.

Just to be clear here --for easy daily cooking, I do believe in such things as premixed spice blends, frozen vegetables, and prepared sauces. I also believe that homemade cooking strategies are wide- open for adaptation.

Don't miss the rest of our series on Underrated In America!

Not everything has to be produced on our own stove tops. Scratch cooking can be as easy as placing a nice little chuck roast into a slow cooker with some carrots, peas, and diced potatoes. Adding a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning to the blend will provide exceptional flavor. Leave the mixture on low heat all day and you'll come home to an aroma reminiscent of grandma's loving kitchen.

You just have to admire the British. In a classic display of; "Chin up old man," a huge new mall has opened in London's inner city. CNN.com reports that the Westfield center, now Europe's largest metro shopping complex, boasts 1.6 million square feet of retail floor space. The complex houses a whopping 265 individual retail units.

The huge new mall houses such top-end product names as Louis Vuitton, and Prada. The project construction began about five years ago, long before the specter of tight money swept across the globe.

Owners of the mammoth shopping facility state that the available retail space is already 99% leased out. The CNN report also indicates that approximately 21 million visitors shall attend the mall each year, and that the project cost $2.6 billion (US dollars) to build. Additionally, more than $272 million (US dollars) were spent on upgrading London's mass transit system. Her majesty the Queen must be very proud.

It shall only take a scant 60 days to find out if this bold move by the Brits will pay off. Perhaps our friends across the pond are still a bit looser with their wallets than we here in America have been forced to become. I hope the mall is a smashing hit, and that the shoppers arrive in droves. Anything which helps get the wheels of world commerce turning again would be considered a big plus right about now.

Perhaps you've already heard. One of our beloved mall-based jewelry chains is closing it's doors for good. A quick trip to the Whitehall Jewelers Website makes it all too plain. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June, the company is liquidating it's inventory and is calling it quits.

A report from azcentral.com, a popular Arizona news source, indicates that Chicago-based Whitehall is closing 373 stores nationwide. Some of those stores carry the Whitehall name, some have done business under the name Lundstrom Jewelers. Indications are that the company will terminate business by Christmas, or when all items have been sold.

"Be man enough to admit that you are a selfish jacka** with a massive sense of self-entitlement who doesn't give a s**t about anybody but yourself. At least I'd have to say you had some courage of conviction, even if that conviction is way off the mark. Right now, all y'are is a selfish, boorish jerk."

The above is part of a comment I received on a recent blog post in which I stated that I like my full sized pick-up truck. I'd like to reply to the above comment:

Why I might be considered selfish for owning my truck is a mystery to me. My 1997 Chevrolet pick-up truck put food on the tables of American workers, and dollars in American pension funds. Trucks like mine have provided jobs all across North America. Gosh, we who own domestically made trucks are very sorry about that.

It seems that a fellow in Georgia had the desire to raise some quick cash, so he came up with a bright idea. He allegedly decided to auction six parcels of land. The auctions apparently went well, with the industrious man raking in $138,328. The problem is that the parcels he auctioned weren't his to sell. At least that's what is reported by The Buffalo News Police Blotter.

The man has been charged with one felony count of wire and mail fraud. The report says he used an unnamed website and fooled his would-be clients into believing the property was his to sell. The victims believed that they had made valid purchases, but deeds to the parcels never materialized. The good news is that between the FBI, the United States Postal Service and the City of Buffalo, this alleged crook has been nabbed.

When money gets tight, does our population fail to take care good of itself? When people lose jobs and homes, does it drive them to more actively entertain their personal vices? Do people in dire straits seek psychological satisfaction through increased usage of questionable means, or does a lack of ready funds make people more careful about their health? A recent article by health columnist Tara Parker-Pope, of The New York Times, points at these questions in the light of current economic realities.

Ms. Parker-Pope's article reveals the surprising conclusion that tough economic times can tend to improve health and well being. The truth, which might seem contrary to conventional wisdom, points to increased time with family and closer attention to personal needs, as the reasons that economic downturns might actually improve national health. The article explains how people in economic boom times place more focus on exploiting the booms, and less time on taking care of themselves. On the other hand, people in tough circumstances have more time to take a closer look at their communities, families and selves.