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.

Quote of the Day

I found this to be so appropriate for issues that are being seen today in the US and Peru.

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey"

- John Ruskin, 1819-1900.

Factoid of the day

Mark your calendars for the collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies! It is our closest neighboring galaxy at only 2.5 million light years away. It is the farthest away light that you can see with a naked eye from Earth (binoculars or home telescope).

Image of Andromeda Galaxy (M31) taken by Spitzer in infrared

The Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way are approaching one another at a speed of 100 to 140 kilometers per second (223,200–313,200mph). The collision is predicted to occur in about 2.5 billion years. In that case the two galaxies will likely merge to form a giant elliptical galaxy. Such events are frequent among the galaxies in galaxy groups. At least one scientist believes the collision could destroy the earth or hurl the Solar System out into inter galactic space.

For a general sense of the time involved, it is believed that Earth and the sun are around 4 billion years old and that the measurable universe is around 13 billion years old.

Factoid of the day

In Saudi Arabia, they found the fossil of a giant mushroom that was 20 feet tall. It lived 350 million years ago. Scientists believe it was the largest living thing on the planet at that time.

Tuk Tuk USA!

If you've ever traveled internationally, you have no doubt seen a Tuk Tuk before. You perhaps even dreamed about owning one and driving it down your hometown streets. Well now that dream can become a reality!

Tuk Tuks have come to the USA!

Just don't let the police or taxi cab drivers see you cruising around for fares.