At 11:49AM Thursday, March 15th 2018 someone walked into a branch of our bank, presented the teller with a withdrawal slip that contained my wife's forged signature, a temporary ID and withdrew $1,200 from our bank account.
At 12:15 PM the same day I logged into our account online to pay some bills and noticed the transaction. I immediately checked with my wife, who was at work, and called the bank to freeze my account to try and limit the damage. I also put a fraud claim in.
Sometime later that afternoon the fraudster attempted to withdraw $1,500 using the same method but was denied.
By 6PM that afternoon we had a new bank account, all of the money transferred out of our old one, and the real work of getting our lives back together started. That night we placed fraud alerts on our credit accounts, signed my wife up for LifeLock, and the next day and weekend I spent almost the entire time unwinding our auto-payments and other various and assorted accounts in order to ensure that no payments were missed. It's Thursday evening, March 22nd, one week later, and I'm still in the process of getting everything switched over.
So, how did this happen?
Were we hacked? Some kind of online chicanery? Russian or North Koreans?
Nope.
The vermin who did this got us low tech, they went through our mailbox and stole a few checks the old fashioned way.
We're now looking at a PO Box as an option going forward for all important mail, just another monthly expense that we're going to have to absorb because someone out there is presenting themselves as my wife.
Sure, we filed a police report. But the (very nice) Sheriff's Deputy that came by admitted that nothing was going to be done. While Ed Emmett and the Harris County Commissioners continue to spend Millions on the Astrodome key government functions like crime prevention have taken a back seat.
The Feds? (this was mail fraud most likely) They won't even look at it unless more than $5,000 was taken. In other words, when you or your family are financially violated the law enforcement and justice department at all levels of the United States, State and local governments are unwilling (and unable) to help.
And this in an area where we're told we have "the right party" (i.e. the GOP) largely in charge. (I live in unincorporated Harris County, and have Republicans representing me at all levels of government)
Yes, it is a helpless feeling. Every day now I wonder if something 'snuck by me' and if the vermin got more mail that I'm not aware of. Our debit cards are supposed to arrive soon. Do I know if these vermin have grabbed them? What about when our new checks arrive? Am I going to have to get ANOTHER bank account because I cannot shut these people down?
I'm currently looking at the USPS to see if there's any temporary options I have to make my mail more secure while I work on a PO Box etc. Until then am I just prey to the whims of vermin who could care less about laws and my personal property?
And that's the biggest thing. My wife and I are very fortunate, we both have good jobs and have enough money socked away to ride this out. Losing $1,200 temporarily (the bank has already processed the refund on a fraud claim) didn't break us.
But it COULD have.
What if we were living paycheck to paycheck, or had just lost our jobs, or one of us had a medical condition and funds were tight? The vermin that did this did not care about that, and that makes them sub-human in my estimation.
And they're almost certainly not going to get caught.
I don't care what you think about the United States of America, what your political leanings are if you don't understand why the system is broken then I cannot help you. We live in a dysfunctional Republic. When something like this happens to you (and I hope it doesn't) you will understand just how dysfunctional it really is.
People ask me all the time why I don't vote. How could I have been so politically active just a few years back but I'm so disinclined to care now? It's because of things like this. Our political system in America is corrupt, worthless and a wheezing husk and it doesn't matter who you put in office this is never going to change.
I would never do it but I understand now why some people are starting to take the law into their own hands. I'm just sad it's gotten to this point.
These vermin stole more than money, they stole our identity. They stole us. That's hard to forgive.
Friday, March 23, 2018
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Houston Rockets: This team is REALLY good. (How good remains to be seen)
First all of the caveats:
- It's regular season NBA, which means next to nothing except for actually making the playoffs.
- Many in Houston aren't paying attention, at all, to the team in the NBA that currently has the best record.
- Even IF they win they'll still be 3rd fiddle to the Astros and a mediocre Texans franchise.
Given all of that, the Rockets just won their 17th straight game which left them with the best record in the NBA and a narrow 1/2 game lead over the Golden State Warriors for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Chris Paul has been amazing, James Harden has been even better. Unanimous MVP better. In fact, if Harden doesn't win the MVP this year the award is a farce. And I say that as someone who's not traditionally been a fan of "the Beard" in the past.
For all of the concern surrounding his hiring head coach Mike D'Antoni has done a masterful job crafting this deep roster, built by GM Daryl Morey, into a currently unstoppable force.
The only question remaining now is whether or not they can continue this charge when the games really matter, in the playoffs against quality teams when something is actually on the line.
James Harden doesn't have that bullet point on his resume yet, none of these players do.
It has to be frustrating though to realize that, no matter how good you're doing, the bulk of sports interest in Houston is going to be focused on the worst team in the city. A brief listen to Houston sports talk radio this morning revealed the bozos at 610 talking about JJ Watt's trade value, and 790 (The Rockets flagship station) airing Josh Innes who only talks about himself while making borderline racist comments to try and drive controversy, and listeners.
As good of a time as it is to be an Astros or Rockets fan it's equally as frustrating because of the 800 lb gorilla in the room.
In even a mediocre sports town coverage of the Astros in Spring Training and the Rockets beating all comers would dominate the sports news landscape. In Houston we get talk about whether or not the Texans will pursue free agents who might have knelt during the National Anthem or not.
Blech.
To the credit of the Houston Chronicle and the TV stations, at least they're covering Houston's two best teams. Although there's precious little coverage of the Houston Cougars men's basketball team, who is a shoo-in to make the NCAA dance and my dark horse team to win the AAC tournament.
But, I digress.....
As the regular season winds down the playoffs in Houston have the potential to be really, really fun. IF the Rockets and Warriors take care of business (and they should) their match-up in the Western Conference Finals might be looked back on as the REAL NBA Finals. The Raptors and Celtics might have something to say about that bur, for right now, it appears that the Rockets and Warriors are the class of the league.
It's just too bad that few in Houston realize this.
- It's regular season NBA, which means next to nothing except for actually making the playoffs.
- Many in Houston aren't paying attention, at all, to the team in the NBA that currently has the best record.
- Even IF they win they'll still be 3rd fiddle to the Astros and a mediocre Texans franchise.
Given all of that, the Rockets just won their 17th straight game which left them with the best record in the NBA and a narrow 1/2 game lead over the Golden State Warriors for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Chris Paul has been amazing, James Harden has been even better. Unanimous MVP better. In fact, if Harden doesn't win the MVP this year the award is a farce. And I say that as someone who's not traditionally been a fan of "the Beard" in the past.
For all of the concern surrounding his hiring head coach Mike D'Antoni has done a masterful job crafting this deep roster, built by GM Daryl Morey, into a currently unstoppable force.
The only question remaining now is whether or not they can continue this charge when the games really matter, in the playoffs against quality teams when something is actually on the line.
James Harden doesn't have that bullet point on his resume yet, none of these players do.
It has to be frustrating though to realize that, no matter how good you're doing, the bulk of sports interest in Houston is going to be focused on the worst team in the city. A brief listen to Houston sports talk radio this morning revealed the bozos at 610 talking about JJ Watt's trade value, and 790 (The Rockets flagship station) airing Josh Innes who only talks about himself while making borderline racist comments to try and drive controversy, and listeners.
As good of a time as it is to be an Astros or Rockets fan it's equally as frustrating because of the 800 lb gorilla in the room.
In even a mediocre sports town coverage of the Astros in Spring Training and the Rockets beating all comers would dominate the sports news landscape. In Houston we get talk about whether or not the Texans will pursue free agents who might have knelt during the National Anthem or not.
Blech.
To the credit of the Houston Chronicle and the TV stations, at least they're covering Houston's two best teams. Although there's precious little coverage of the Houston Cougars men's basketball team, who is a shoo-in to make the NCAA dance and my dark horse team to win the AAC tournament.
But, I digress.....
As the regular season winds down the playoffs in Houston have the potential to be really, really fun. IF the Rockets and Warriors take care of business (and they should) their match-up in the Western Conference Finals might be looked back on as the REAL NBA Finals. The Raptors and Celtics might have something to say about that bur, for right now, it appears that the Rockets and Warriors are the class of the league.
It's just too bad that few in Houston realize this.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
March Madness: The good thing is, there's no clear favorite.
Outside of Villanova and (possibly) Virginia I'm having a hard time finding a team that I like to go deep into the tournament and win the championship. That doesn't mean there aren't good teams, only that there is not one great team in this year's crop where you look at them and say "wow, they could win this thing".
That said, let's take a preview look at some of the key players....
Villanova. Consistently, over the last few years, one of the best teams in the nation. Yes, I know that Xavier won the "regular season" Big East title and they're plenty good, but 'Nova has shown under Jay Wright that they understand how to peak at the "right time" and they have talent to spare. They're also early betting line favorites to win so if you're filling out a bracket I don't think you can go wrong there. One thing to look at with the Wildcats is back court play. The Wildcats are lead by all-world PG Jalen Brunson and have SIX players who average double digits for the season. In short, they're deep, and talented. They also have a points differential of +16.0 for the year. They did have some injury concerns with Phil Booth and Eric Paschall both struggling and because of this they have zero depth once you get past that front six. Earlier in the year they lost rising Freshman Jermaine Samuels and have yet to replace his production in the rotation. Still, their first-six is among the best in basketball. But that lack of depth might hurt in the quick-turnaround environment of tournament play. (Early Odds: 9/2)
Virginia. The Hoos nearly lapped the field in the ACC regular season and are currently a unanimous number one selection. Head coach Tony Bennett has them firing on all cylinders right now although they did receive a scare against a discombobulated Louisville team in Kentucky. For Virginia, it's all about defense. They only have three players averaging double-digits for the season and there's a legitimate question of how they are going to score enough points to beat a team that eventually will get hot and score on them. Still, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome shoot better than 40% from behind the arc and Kyle Guy makes the offense go. Because they are so long and athletic in the interior they cause opponents fits on the defensive end and even with sub-par offensive numbers are outscoring their opponents by almost 15 points per game this year. My biggest concern with the Cavaliers however is their youth, and the fact that they're not used to the crucible that is the NCAA tournament. If they can win the ACC tournament I might be more inclined to view them better, but that's not a given. (Early Odds: 6-1)
Duke. The Blue Devils will always be somewhat of a threat because they are coached by perhaps the best in the business in one Coach K. They have a star in Grayson Allen, who is also one of the biggest villains in college basketball for good reason. While Allen is their best player, he can also be their biggest liability when he loses his cool. For all of the attention given to Allen by the media however, it's Freshman Forward Marvin Bagley III that provides Duke with the bulk of their offensive talent. Bagley, at 6'11" is a force, both inside and out. He's long, athletic, and is a danger on both ends of the court. Duke might have the best six-man rotation in the league this year, but after that things get REALLY dodgy. To me their inside play, outside of Bagley is a huge concern, as is finding someone coming off the bench to provide meaningful minutes which will be needed in the round of 32 games for sure. Duke is another team who MIGHT convince me otherwise should they win the ACC Tournament, but right now I'm hard pressed to put them past the Sweet 16 depending on their draw of course. (Early Odds: 5-1)
Michigan State. It looked, for a while, like Michigan State and Purdue were going to be the two best teams in the B1G and it wasn't going to be all that close. This was before all of the scandal hit college basketball and Miles Bridges' name dominated the headlines which obviously caused somewhat of a distraction. Fast forward to the oddly-timed B1G tournament and Bridges was still on the floor, but Sparty's mind was not when they lost to Michigan in the semis. Michigan State has so much length on the inside it's ridiculous, and, like many other top teams they have five players who average double digits in points. They also play tough defense and are well coached by Larry Izzo. Continuing a theme is lack of depth. Sparty has almost none. I also think they have concentration issues at key points in games. My thought is Bridges is a "one and done" player so how much will that factor into their tournament play? I think this team is overrated and it's best basketball of the season is firmly in it's rearview mirror. (Early Odds: 8-1)
North Carolina. There seems to be some debate whether Duke or North Carolina will receive the one seed that inevitably seems to go to the 2nd ACC team every year despite evidence to the contrary. Given that Duke beat UNC 74-64 just a few days ago unless the Blue Devils falter badly in the ACC tournament I think UNC is looking solidly at a 2. Even then I think that the Blue Devils are looking at a 2 because I think Kansas gets the 1 should they win the Big XII tournament. Joel Barry II and Luke May drive this car and are possibly the best 2-man combination in college basketball this year. After that NC have 3 other players that average as close to double digits as not to matter, and a couple of guys on the bench that can provide minutes with only minimal fall-off. My biggest concern for the Tarheels is on the interior. They have some athletes inside, but they haven't been playing especially great basketball of late and I don't really think they have the manpower defensively to stop several other teams. (Early Odds: 12-1)
Kansas. Here's what you need to know about Kansas. By beating Texas Tech two weekends ago they salted away their 14th consecutive Big XII regular season championship. This year's version of the team is led by Big XII Player of the Year Devonte Graham. Graham, a Senior Point Guard is the swizzle-stick in KU's cocktail. Graham averages over 17 points per game, is a defensive stopper at PG and also has over 200 assists for the year. He's a Senior who had his best season ever right when the Jayhawks needed him. Offensively, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has been a huge contributor for the Jayhawks, as has 7 foot center Udoka Azubuike. Kansas is tall and long, although not especially athletic at certain positions which I think might ding them in the tournament long run. They also, insert broken record here, have depth issues. The fall-off after the top five scorers for Bill Self's team is ridiculously large. That said, I think Kansas is the prohibitive favorite to win the Big XII tournament and snag the last top seed. (Early Odds: 10-1)
In my mind the one seeds, currently, stand as follows:
#1 Overall: Virginia
Other #1 Seeds: Duke, Villanova, Kansas
2-Seeds: North Carolina, Michigan, Purdue, Xavier
3-Seeds: Michigan State, Wichita State, Auburn
4-Seeds: Cincinnati, West Virginia, Tennessee, Texas Tech
Teams no one wants to play in the first 2 rounds:
Michigan. I have a sneaking suspicion that Wolverine basketball head coach John Beilein could take your rec-league team and make them league champions after a month of coaching them. That's how improved this Wolverine team is playing right now from where they appeared at the beginning of the year. If the curious timing of the B1G tournament this year doesn't trip them up, this hot-shooting Michigan team will spell trouble for anyone who draws them in their group. If you're one of the number ones and see Michigan in your bracket, look out. (Early Odds: 9-1)
Houston. Houston should be the favorite to win the AAC tournament based on the way they've been playing of late. Head Coach Kelvin Sampson has them playing hard, shooting well and causing teams such as Cincinnati and Wichita State fits. Minus a win in the conference tourney, I think Houston gets one of those low at-large bids and pulls off an upset or three in a possible Sweet 16 run. (Early Odds: 100-1)
Creighton. Pretty simple, they just beat Villanova which is no small task. This is a team that I think might be the "Butler" of 2018 if the draw falls right. They finished tied for 3rd with Seton Hall in a very competitive Big East trailing only Xavier and Villanova. (Early Odds: 80-1)
Rhode Island. The knock against the class of the Atlantic 10 is that they've lost their last two. But they really had nothing to play for as they locked away the conference and are gearing up for the tournament. I expect Dan Hurley's Rams to be an-handful as the tournament gears up. (Early Odds: 50-1)
I'll have some thoughts on the other conference tournaments and some insights on possible upsets as the bracket gets filled.
For now, enjoy the agony and ecstasy of Championship time.
That said, let's take a preview look at some of the key players....
Villanova. Consistently, over the last few years, one of the best teams in the nation. Yes, I know that Xavier won the "regular season" Big East title and they're plenty good, but 'Nova has shown under Jay Wright that they understand how to peak at the "right time" and they have talent to spare. They're also early betting line favorites to win so if you're filling out a bracket I don't think you can go wrong there. One thing to look at with the Wildcats is back court play. The Wildcats are lead by all-world PG Jalen Brunson and have SIX players who average double digits for the season. In short, they're deep, and talented. They also have a points differential of +16.0 for the year. They did have some injury concerns with Phil Booth and Eric Paschall both struggling and because of this they have zero depth once you get past that front six. Earlier in the year they lost rising Freshman Jermaine Samuels and have yet to replace his production in the rotation. Still, their first-six is among the best in basketball. But that lack of depth might hurt in the quick-turnaround environment of tournament play. (Early Odds: 9/2)
Virginia. The Hoos nearly lapped the field in the ACC regular season and are currently a unanimous number one selection. Head coach Tony Bennett has them firing on all cylinders right now although they did receive a scare against a discombobulated Louisville team in Kentucky. For Virginia, it's all about defense. They only have three players averaging double-digits for the season and there's a legitimate question of how they are going to score enough points to beat a team that eventually will get hot and score on them. Still, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome shoot better than 40% from behind the arc and Kyle Guy makes the offense go. Because they are so long and athletic in the interior they cause opponents fits on the defensive end and even with sub-par offensive numbers are outscoring their opponents by almost 15 points per game this year. My biggest concern with the Cavaliers however is their youth, and the fact that they're not used to the crucible that is the NCAA tournament. If they can win the ACC tournament I might be more inclined to view them better, but that's not a given. (Early Odds: 6-1)
Duke. The Blue Devils will always be somewhat of a threat because they are coached by perhaps the best in the business in one Coach K. They have a star in Grayson Allen, who is also one of the biggest villains in college basketball for good reason. While Allen is their best player, he can also be their biggest liability when he loses his cool. For all of the attention given to Allen by the media however, it's Freshman Forward Marvin Bagley III that provides Duke with the bulk of their offensive talent. Bagley, at 6'11" is a force, both inside and out. He's long, athletic, and is a danger on both ends of the court. Duke might have the best six-man rotation in the league this year, but after that things get REALLY dodgy. To me their inside play, outside of Bagley is a huge concern, as is finding someone coming off the bench to provide meaningful minutes which will be needed in the round of 32 games for sure. Duke is another team who MIGHT convince me otherwise should they win the ACC Tournament, but right now I'm hard pressed to put them past the Sweet 16 depending on their draw of course. (Early Odds: 5-1)
Michigan State. It looked, for a while, like Michigan State and Purdue were going to be the two best teams in the B1G and it wasn't going to be all that close. This was before all of the scandal hit college basketball and Miles Bridges' name dominated the headlines which obviously caused somewhat of a distraction. Fast forward to the oddly-timed B1G tournament and Bridges was still on the floor, but Sparty's mind was not when they lost to Michigan in the semis. Michigan State has so much length on the inside it's ridiculous, and, like many other top teams they have five players who average double digits in points. They also play tough defense and are well coached by Larry Izzo. Continuing a theme is lack of depth. Sparty has almost none. I also think they have concentration issues at key points in games. My thought is Bridges is a "one and done" player so how much will that factor into their tournament play? I think this team is overrated and it's best basketball of the season is firmly in it's rearview mirror. (Early Odds: 8-1)
North Carolina. There seems to be some debate whether Duke or North Carolina will receive the one seed that inevitably seems to go to the 2nd ACC team every year despite evidence to the contrary. Given that Duke beat UNC 74-64 just a few days ago unless the Blue Devils falter badly in the ACC tournament I think UNC is looking solidly at a 2. Even then I think that the Blue Devils are looking at a 2 because I think Kansas gets the 1 should they win the Big XII tournament. Joel Barry II and Luke May drive this car and are possibly the best 2-man combination in college basketball this year. After that NC have 3 other players that average as close to double digits as not to matter, and a couple of guys on the bench that can provide minutes with only minimal fall-off. My biggest concern for the Tarheels is on the interior. They have some athletes inside, but they haven't been playing especially great basketball of late and I don't really think they have the manpower defensively to stop several other teams. (Early Odds: 12-1)
Kansas. Here's what you need to know about Kansas. By beating Texas Tech two weekends ago they salted away their 14th consecutive Big XII regular season championship. This year's version of the team is led by Big XII Player of the Year Devonte Graham. Graham, a Senior Point Guard is the swizzle-stick in KU's cocktail. Graham averages over 17 points per game, is a defensive stopper at PG and also has over 200 assists for the year. He's a Senior who had his best season ever right when the Jayhawks needed him. Offensively, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has been a huge contributor for the Jayhawks, as has 7 foot center Udoka Azubuike. Kansas is tall and long, although not especially athletic at certain positions which I think might ding them in the tournament long run. They also, insert broken record here, have depth issues. The fall-off after the top five scorers for Bill Self's team is ridiculously large. That said, I think Kansas is the prohibitive favorite to win the Big XII tournament and snag the last top seed. (Early Odds: 10-1)
In my mind the one seeds, currently, stand as follows:
#1 Overall: Virginia
Other #1 Seeds: Duke, Villanova, Kansas
2-Seeds: North Carolina, Michigan, Purdue, Xavier
3-Seeds: Michigan State, Wichita State, Auburn
4-Seeds: Cincinnati, West Virginia, Tennessee, Texas Tech
Teams no one wants to play in the first 2 rounds:
Michigan. I have a sneaking suspicion that Wolverine basketball head coach John Beilein could take your rec-league team and make them league champions after a month of coaching them. That's how improved this Wolverine team is playing right now from where they appeared at the beginning of the year. If the curious timing of the B1G tournament this year doesn't trip them up, this hot-shooting Michigan team will spell trouble for anyone who draws them in their group. If you're one of the number ones and see Michigan in your bracket, look out. (Early Odds: 9-1)
Houston. Houston should be the favorite to win the AAC tournament based on the way they've been playing of late. Head Coach Kelvin Sampson has them playing hard, shooting well and causing teams such as Cincinnati and Wichita State fits. Minus a win in the conference tourney, I think Houston gets one of those low at-large bids and pulls off an upset or three in a possible Sweet 16 run. (Early Odds: 100-1)
Creighton. Pretty simple, they just beat Villanova which is no small task. This is a team that I think might be the "Butler" of 2018 if the draw falls right. They finished tied for 3rd with Seton Hall in a very competitive Big East trailing only Xavier and Villanova. (Early Odds: 80-1)
Rhode Island. The knock against the class of the Atlantic 10 is that they've lost their last two. But they really had nothing to play for as they locked away the conference and are gearing up for the tournament. I expect Dan Hurley's Rams to be an-handful as the tournament gears up. (Early Odds: 50-1)
I'll have some thoughts on the other conference tournaments and some insights on possible upsets as the bracket gets filled.
For now, enjoy the agony and ecstasy of Championship time.
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