Marlins at Mets, Port St. Lucie, FL

This was one of if not the last Spring Training game for both teams. The stadium was very nice and larger than most other Spring Training parks. Parking was $5 and tickets were $12-30. It was not sold out but it was about 70% full (about 5,500).

The pictures are here. They include some shots from Ft. Pierce Inlet and Vero Beach.

Marlins ace Josh Johnson started the game and seemed to be mostly just working on locating his fastball. I didn't see any breaking pitches. This is likely because he didn't want to show a divisional rival too much before the season. This resulted in him giving up some homeruns to David Wright and Jason Bay. Closer Leo Nuñez was effective in relief but the Marlins still lost 3-5.

Marlins at Nationals, Viera, FL

I was able to see the Marlins in Viera, FL for a second time this Spring. The pictures are here. There aren't a lot of game pictures and I didn't put any stadium pics because they have been posted before. There are some shots of the Marlins players in street clothes signing autographs after the game. It was another beautiful Spring day in Florida. The Marlins won 5-3.

Redsox at Astros, Kissimmee, FL

I was able to catch the Redsox vs Astros in Kissimmee, FL. Again the game was sold out due to the Redsox being there. I managed to find a ticket behind the Astros dugout for $35. Parking was $5.

Again, David Ortiz did not make the trip. This was a split squad game. Varitek, Youkilis, Ellsbury, and Pedroia were there though.

Ace Roy Oswalt started for the Astros and shut down the Redsox. The final score was 3-0 in favor of the Astros.Dustin Pedroia, 2007 AL Rookie of the Year, 2008 AL MVP, 2009 Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner for 2B.
Very basic scoreboard at Osceola County Stadium. Astros rookie shortstop Tommy Manzella.

Team captain and now backup catcher, Jason Varitek.

Kevin Youkilis' funky batting stance.

Power hitting LF Carlos Lee 'El Caballo' (left) and 2009 NL Gold Glove CF Michael Bourn (right).
Redsox closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Carlos Lee at bat. With Terry Francona (manager) and Dave Magadan (hitting coach) to the right.

Redsox at Marlins, Jupiter, FL

The second Spring Training game that I got to see this year was in Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL. The Marlins and Cardinals share the grounds for Spring Training which are located on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. The Redsox won 9-0 behind a solid pitching performance by Tim Wakefield.

I was looking forward to seeing David Ortiz, but he did not make the trip. Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowell, and Youkilis were there though. I also saw Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida in their new Redsox uniforms.

Anibal Sanchez had a rough outing for the Marlins. Renyel Pinto followed him with a poor performance from the bullpen.

Due to it being a Redsox game, it was sold out and the traffic was a bit crazy. But the stadium was beautiful.The place was packed with Redsox fans.

I got lucky and found a fan selling a ticket for $10 just before the game. Even more lucky, it was right behind home plate! Parking was either $5 or $7.

Hanley Ramirez, 2010 NL Batting Champion. Formerly drafted and developed by the Redsox.

Power hitting 2B Dan Uggla.
Primary Marlins Spring Training building, listing their 1997 and 2003 World Titles.
After the game, I took a drive down to Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Nice rainbow here at Delray Beach.
Beach report, rainbow, and chairs to relax in. There aren't many public beaches this far south in FL, but this is one of them.
Unmanned lifeguard station at Delray Beach.

Spring training is here!

The first Spring Training game that I was able to see was the Marlins vs Nationals at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, FL.

Marlins starting pitcher and #2 in the rotation, Ricky Nolasco. 3 innings, 1 run, 5 Ks.

National League Rookie of the Year: Chris CoghlanMarlins 3rd baseman and clean up hitter, Jorge Cantu.Nationals OF Willy Harris at the plate.

Backup shortstop, Bonifacio, applying the tag to Willy Harris at 2B.

Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman just before his 6th inning HR.

Bonifacio safely into 3B after a 2 run triple.

The Marlins won 11-2. There were homers by Zimmerman, Willingham, and Cantu. Emilio Bonifacio also had a 2 run triple.

BBB Lists Top 10 Scams and Rip-Offs of 2009

I got this and thought that it should be more widely distributed. I got the robocalls (as recent as a week ago) for the credit card interest rates and car warranty stuff. Many of the others are well know, but there are some new ones like the 'secret shopper' customer service review scam. I know that there are real companies out there who will pay you for reviewing restaurants/stores/etc, but they shouldn't require you to send them anything other than your reviews (no money).

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Free trial offers and scams that take advantage of tough economic times dominate the list

Arlington, VA – January 6, 2010 - Better Business Bureau today released a list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs of 2009. Not surprisingly, many scams sought to take advantage of people who were suffering under tough economic circumstances—such as the unemployed. Additionally, the use of free-trial offers to lock consumers into recurring credit and debit card charges was widespread online.

"While many of the scams on the list are perennial problems, some scams were distinct in 2009 because of the economic climate and scammers’ penchant for taking advantage of the top headlines," said Steve Cox, Council of Better Business Bureaus President and CEO. “Some scams plagued different parts of the country more than others. For example, in places particularly hit by the housing crisis, bogus offers for foreclosure rescue or debt assistance ran rampant.”

Following, in no particular order, is BBB’s list of top scams and rip-offs that took advantage of consumers and small business owners across the U.S. in 2009:

1. Acai Supplements and Other “Free” Trial Offers – Ads offering trial offers for teeth whiteners, acai anti-aging pills and other miracle supplements blanket the Internet, including trusted Web sites of national news organizations. The marketing campaigns often falsely claimed an endorsement by Oprah, Rachel Ray and Doctor Oz. Thousands of consumers complained to BBB that the free trial actually cost them as much as hundreds of dollars, month after month.
2. Stimulus/Government Grant Scams – Even before President Obama announced the stimulus plan in February, scammers had already set up schemes for misleading consumers and small business owners into thinking they could get a piece of the pie. Offers for worthless assistance and advice on how to get government grants bombarded consumers online, over the phone and via mail and e-mail.
3. Robocalls – Owning a cell phone or having their phone number on the do-not-call list did not help thousands of people across the US put a stop to harassing automated telemarketing calls in 2009. The robocalls often claimed that their auto warranty was about to expire—which wasn’t true—or offered help in reducing their interest rate on their credit card. The prevalence of robocalls violating federal telemarketing laws prompted the FTC to increase restrictions on the practice in 2009.
4. Lottery/Sweepstakes Scam – The victim receives a letter in the mail pretending to be from Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Clearing House or a phony foreign lottery claiming that he or she has won millions. The letter comes with a check that represents only a portion of the total winnings. In order to get the rest, the victim has to deposit the check and then wire hundreds of dollars back to the scammers supposedly to cover taxes or some other bogus fee. The victim wires the money, but the prize never arrives.
5. Job Hunter Scams –Scams targeting job hunters vary and include attempts to gain access to personal information such as bank account or social security numbers and requirements to pay a fee in order to even be considered for the job. Another common scam was reported to BBB by job hunters who were told by a prospective employer that they had to check their credit report before being considered for a job. The job offer is actually a marketing ploy for online credit monitoring that costs the victim every month until they cancel.
6. Google Work from Home Scam – Countless Web sites cropped up in 2009 that claimed you could learn how to make money from home using Google or Twitter and offered a free trial of learning materials. The Web sites often included the Google or Twitter moniker and logo. As a result, many people who complained to BBB thought they were getting a job with Google or Twitter when in, fact, they were being lured into another misleading free-trial offer and were billed every month for the materials and other mystery charges that added up to hundreds of dollars.
7. Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue/Debt Assistance – Many families are struggling in the current economy and hucksters are offering to help them save their house from foreclosure or help them get out of credit card debt. Unfortunately, victims are paying hundreds of dollars up front for the assistance they desperately need but ultimately never receive.
8. Mystery Shopping – Consumers across the country thought that they could make some extra money by becoming a secret shopper and evaluating the customer service of various stores. The victim is asked to evaluate their shopping experience at a few stores as well as a money wiring service such as Western Union or MoneyGram by wiring money back to the scammers. A seemingly real looking check is supposed to cover the costs, but ends up being a fake. The victim is out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
9. Over-Payment Scams – Over-payment scams typically target small business owners, landlords or individuals with rooms to rent and sellers on classifieds or sites like Craigslist. Typically the scammer pretends to be a customer, possible renter or interested buyer, respectively. The victim receives a check for more than the amount requested. The scammers then ask the victim to deposit the check and wire the extra amount elsewhere, such as to a shipping company. Ultimately though, the check is fake and the victim is really wiring money back to the scammers.
10. Phishing e-mails/H1N1 spam – A perennial problem, phishing e-mails pop up in inboxes and can take various forms such as appearing to be from a business, a government agency or official or even a friend. Whatever the setup, the goal of any phishing e-mail is the same: to trick victims into divulging sensitive financial information or to infect the victim’s computer with viruses and malware. In addition to phishing e-mails, spam e-mail selling wares to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus were particularly rampant in 2009.

Consumers or small business owners victimized by a scam can contact their local BBB or file a complaint at www.bbb.org. Always research a business with BBB before you sign any contracts or hand over any money.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Alison Southwick at 703-247-9376.

Shiloh Labradors

I've been spending some time lately doing some minor website updates for ShilohLabradors.com. I'm planning a complete revamp of the entire site for sometime in 2010. In the meantime, I've created a Facebook page. The primary attraction at the moment is the album of puppy pictures.
More pictures will be coming soon on Facebook. More dog profiles and pedigrees will be added in early 2010. 2010 will also bring lots of new puppies!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

NKF Pro Am Surf Festival, Labor day 2009

The National Kidney Foundation of Florida held their Pro Am Surf Festival this past Labor day weekend.I was able to catch the tail end of the awards ceremony on Labor Day, but the rest of the weekend I was busy doing my own surfing since the waves were so good.

Hurricane Bill hits the Space Coast

Category 4 Hurricane Bill passed just off of the East Coast, past Bermuda, and up towards Eastern Canada. Here are some shots from 2nd Light at Patrick's AFB.

A daunting paddle out into the overhead+ waves.

Good looking non-set waves.

Preparing for take off.

Another wave hits the rip and turns into a torrent of whitewash.

Surfing high on the face of a 12 footer.

Dropping into an 8 footer.

and shredding it!

Lots of empty waves breaking down the line.The part of mother nature you want to avoid: 12 foot closeout!

Pictures taken by myself. Surfers unknown. This was on Saturday morning of Bill after I got rejected from paddling out (at another smaller break). Friday night was even bigger (ahead of forecasts) but I didn't have my camera and the best of it was near Dusk when the lighting was poor.

I didn't get any shots of Danny (mostly because I was surfing it). Waiting on Grace now...

Fantasy Football 2009!

I'm looking for about 4 more players for my Yahoo Fantasy Football league this year. Live scoring is free this year as is the entire league.

You don't need experience and you don't need to be a football expert, just a casual fan. It only takes about 15 minutes a week to set your players. Please message me for an invite.