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TripAdvisor Scam

Friday, July 17th, 2009

TripAdvisor has long been a favorite website haunt of casual and expert travelers alike. The Boston-based website features not only hotel reviews, but also reviews of city attractions, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, the Sears Tower in Chicago, Central Park in New York City, and Fenway Park in Boston, as well as lesser known stops, such as the Santa Monica Promenade and Boston’s Mike’s Pastries.

The website runs entirely off of user reviews. Users rank and rate their favorite and least favorite hotels and tourist attractions, so that others who visit the website can see not only a rating of the hotel (out of five stars), but also the ranking of the hotel among other hotels in the area, and user testimonials. Seems like a great idea, right?

Well it was a great idea, up until recently. TripAdvisor is now warning of scams by posting disclaimers on the review pages for certain hotels. These disclaimers state that the reviews for the hotel may not actually come from former guests of the hotel, but rather from the hotel staff or competitor’s staff. The Associated Press suggests that incredibly positive reviews which mention insignificant details or the only negative review on an otherwise positive page may not be authentic.

TripAdvisor representatives claim that disclaimers should not alarm users, and that they have been in place since 2006, despite the seemingly recent jump in their numbers. One TripAdvisor spokesperson was even quoted as saying that “The 23 million reviews and opinions are authentic and they’re unbiased and they’re from real users.”

So how can you tell if the review you are reading is real? Well the best thing you can do is to get as much information as possible and to use your common sense. Debbra Brouillette, of the Dallas Tropical Travel Examiner, posted some tips for perusing travel websites on Examiner.com. She suggests taking all the posted reviews into account, as every hotel or restaurant can have an off day; making sure to get second opinions on too-good-to-be-true hotels; noting the date of the review, as hotels usually renovate every few years; trying to contact the poster of a very good or very bad review to ask for more details; keeping in mind that your preferences and experiences will not be the same as everyone else’s; and reading between the lines.

Before making any travel plans, make sure you do your research. We here at Five Point Capital still think that TripAdvisor is a great resource for travelers, but it may not be the one-stop-shop it once was. As long as hotels and restaurants want to make money, hotel review scams will live on, so always try to get as much information as possible before making a decision. Happy travels!

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Fireworks Safety

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Happy Fourth of July from your friends at Five Point Capital! We hope that your holiday weekend is spent with family and friends, hot dogs or clam bakes (depending on your location), and lots of ice cream. Also, we know that a major part of everyone’s Independence Day celebrations is viewing fireworks. Fireworks are timeless, fun, and extremely festive, especially for July 4th and summertime.

However, our 5 Point Capital staff members would like to take this opportunity to remind you fireworks can be dangerous and are meant to be lit by professionals and professionals only. This particular Fourth of July has left local fire departments and police stations concerned for two reasons. First, with the economy in its current state, many Americans are opting to stay home this holiday season instead of heading out for an Independence Day vacation. With a make-your-own-fun holiday comes a lot of do-it-yourself fireworks amateurs, trying to entertain their families. This means more people who are not trained to shoot fireworks will be lighting them, and that the fireworks may be lit in places that are not suitable for a fireworks displays, such as in backyards near trees, phone lines, or roads. Second, this Independence Day happens to fall on a Saturday, which firework sales companies claim causes a 50 percent increase in firework sales as compared to those for a weekday holiday.

These two factors mean a potential increase in the already staggering numbers of fires, injuries, and deaths that result from typical Fourth of July fireworks. The Seattle Intelligencer recently reported that last year’s July 4th celebrations resulted in 518 Washington state fires, and the Boston Globe reported National Fire Protection Association statistics which claim that close to 10,000 people each year visit the emergency room due to July 4th fireworks-related injuries. Newsweek is even claiming that sparklers caused up to eleven percent of 2008’s firework injuries.

If you want fireworks on the Fourth of July, your first option should be to check your local newspaper for professional fireworks that might be lit in your area. Lots of big cities, as well as smaller towns, set off town celebrations for Independence Day. If there is nothing in your area, or you are determined to set some fireworks off yourself, first check your state and local laws to make sure it’s legal! If your state does not allow fireworks (Massachusetts, for one, does not allow any non-authorized personnel to bring fireworks over state lines), forget it—you will have to search out the nearest city with a fireworks celebration, or resort to watching the blasts on TV. If your state does allow fireworks, call your local fire station and ask for their fire safety tips. Make sure you follow all guidelines for use and for finding a place to set them off. If at all possible, find an experienced professional to assist you with set-up and the lighting.

We here at Five Point Capital wish you all a happy holiday. Stay safe and have fun!

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Stay-Cation

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

With the economy at a standstill at best, many of us here at Five Point Capital have been hearing the term “stay-cation” floating around. A stay-cation is a vacation at home, and we think it’s a great idea. You can save money, sleep in your own bed, and still have a great time if you follow a few simple ideas.

First, take some time off of work just as you would with a vacation. If you’re going to pamper yourself, do it right! Then spend a day cleaning the house, making sure you have clean laundry, towels, and sheets, and stock up on your favorite foods.

Then, begin your vacation! Fill your home with relaxing scents such as lavender, vanilla, eucalyptus, and cucumber. Oils are a great way to fill a room with a light scent. Read a book in bed or have a glass of wine out on the porch. Don’t worry about doing dishes or making the bed, just let yourself relax.

Spend the days trying out new places. Go out for coffee at a new place each morning until you find a new favorite. Have lunch with old friends to catch up. Explore the tourist attractions of your hometown or nearby towns that you may have never taken advantage of before. Essentially, spend a week in your town as if you’ve never been there before. Try new places, meet new people, and take advantage of everything your town has to offer. Bring a camera and keep a journal in order to keep track of what you do and make some great memories.

Another great way to enjoy a stay-cation is to spend time with an older relative or friend. You may even volunteer at an old-age home! Ask your grandma about her old favorite recipes. Have your grandpa tell you about what your hometown was like when he was kid. Ask your elderly aunt to see pictures from her wedding. Not only will you make his or her day, but you will have a great time learning about a different time and place.

If you can’t afford a luxury vacation, hotel, flight, or cruise, don’t fret. A great, relaxing, fun vacation is right around the corner. You may even be surprised with how much there is to do in your very own town!

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Internet Scams and Censorship

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Lately the news has been filled with reports about internet privacy, internet scams, illegal downloading, internet censorship, and just about anything else as it relates to the internet and how we use it as a people.

Music and videos are downloaded illegally every day and yet no one still seems to be sure about the rules of doing just this. We know stealing a CD from a store would be illegal, and no one would question the suspect’s guilt, nor would the story of someone being charged with CD-stealing be newsworthy. However, when it comes to downloading music and videos online, we still do it. And we still get caught and get in trouble. This Minnesota woman was found guilty of disobeying copyright laws for illegally making music available online. However, a British survey found that at least eight percent of people openly admit to downloading videos illegally over the internet. If we know that it’s wrong, and we know we can get caught, and we know we will have to contend with the consequences, why can’t we seem to stop ourselves from stealing when it comes to internet property?

Maybe it’s this lack of shamelessness when it comes to stealing from the internet that has led to the sudden outpouring of internet censorship that has popped up in recent weeks. It seems The Powers That Be are desperate to get some control over that World Wide Web. A Montana city has even asked all job applicants to relinquish the passwords to all of their social networking sites! And of course at the forefront of everyone’s mind is Iran and Twitter—how a country silenced by censorship managed to break through the barriers using a simple social media site. Iran’s internet usage has grown by 50% every year for the past several years, according to techno-guru Alan Boyle, making it the fastest-growing internet nation in the Middle East. This MSNBC.com article even likens the Iran/Twitter situation to the 2001 Second People Power Revolution, where text messages helped the people of the Philippines to share information and organize protests, which led to the eventual overthrow of President Joseph Estrada.

It seems that the more the government tries to take control, the more outrage the public has against internet censorship, and the more powerful websites like Facebook and Twitter become. So what should we do?

Obviously the internet has amazing power, so we here at Five Point Capital suggest you use its powers for good. In other words, stealing music or accessing illegal pornography, bad; fighting censorship and combating oppression, good. With this approach, you’ll even be joining the winning side—as Red Tape writer Bob Sullivan pointed out, it’s Twitter 1, Censors: 0.

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TiVo – Our New Exercise Scheme

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Everyone knows that exercise is important. In addition to being one-half of the dieting process, exercise keeps your body strong and healthy, builds your immune system, strengths muscles and your heart and lungs, and improves mental health as well.

So why don’t more of us exercise more often?

The answer is usually simple. After a long day at work, the last thing many people want to do is grab the old jogging suit and head right back out the door, to spend an hour working out after nine of hours of working at a desk. More often, we feel that a long day at work should be rewarded with coming home, changing into sweats or pajamas, having a nice dinner, and crashing on the couch for our favorite television show du jour.

Many would argue that technological advancements such as TiVo only contribute to our couch-potato attitude; after all, now we’re not stuck watching just whatever happens to be on at seven o’clock. We can watch whatever we want, no matter when it aired. However, we here at 5 Point Capital have come up with a scheme that just may help you get your butt off the couch and into the gym.

One trend of dieting that seems to be going over fairly well is the idea of having a “cheat day.” You force yourself to stick to healthy, low-calorie foods during the week, making sure to get your daily serving of fruits and vegetables, and laying off of the sweets and fatty things. However, the best way to curb a craving, some say, is to allow yourself to cheat on your own diet one day a week. Having a cookie or piece of pizza one day a week won’t throw off your whole diet, and it is often easier to refuse that milkshake on Thursday if you know you can have it on Saturday instead.

Five Point Capital proposes to treat exercise and TV the same way. Think of exercise as your salad and TV as your Pop Tart. When the urge to plop in front of the television strikes, hit the TiVo button and head to the gym. Then when Saturday (or whenever your cheat day is) hits, you’ll have a week’s worth of your favorite shows recorded for an all-day marathon of couch-potato heaven. That way you didn’t miss any of your shows, and you have a total day of fatty foods, sweat pants, and reality-TV waiting for you each week. If you have other plans for your weekend, keep saving up those shows for a rainy day!

We know this approach might not work for everyone, but it is definitely worth trying it out. After all, who says TV and burning calories doesn’t mix?

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“The Catcher in the Rye” Rip-Off?

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

Copyright laws are confusing; they can be downright impossible to comprehend or follow, and more often than not, copyright infringement laws involve more than one expert pouring over legal books to determine whether or not a new novel or story is indeed a rip-off of an existing novel or story. One thing is for certain though—J.D. Salinger, author of the great The Catcher in the Rye and creator of the legendary Holden Caulfield, has no tolerance when it comes to rip-offs of the book and Holden. The ninety-year old recluse even turned down an offer from Steven Spielberg to turn the book into a movie. According to Salinger, everything anyone needs to know about Holden Caulfield can be found in the morning. There is nothing more to add.

You can imagine Salinger’s surprise and irritation then, upon discovering that an author known as JD California had published a “sequel” to his book, set 60 years after the events in The Catcher in the Rye, entitled 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye. The book finds Holden trying to escape from him retirement home at age 76. Salinger is suing both the author and the publishing company for the rights to his character, and to any future “derivative works,” that is, works of fiction that are derived from the original novel. The only way around this rule is if the new novel were a parody of The Catcher in the Rye, or a commentary on the novel. Salinger claims that this is not so, and that the author and publishing company are benefiting from his personal ideas and creative efforts in a pure rip-off.

There seems to be some speculation on the identity of this would-be rip-off author. Most sources claim that “JD California” is a pseudonym, and that the work is actually published by an anonymous author, while Examiner.com claims the true identity of JD California to be Frederik Colting. Either JD California is extremely naïve about Salinger’s protectiveness about his book, or just enjoys being sued. There has never been a Holden Caulfield-, The Catcher in the Rye-, or JD Salinger-related book, magazine article, or story that has gone un-sued by Salinger. In Salinger’s eyes, Holden is his and his alone—anything creative is a rip-off of Salinger’s idea.

It will be interesting to see how this rip-off lawsuit plays out. While Salinger usually gets his way (after all—Holden Caulfield would not exist without him), it seems that the “rip-off” novel might just be ridiculous enough to count as a parody. Keep an eye out for updates on the rip-off lawsuit to see how this all ends.

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Tourist Rip-Offs

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

In this day and age, traveling it something that many people simply cannot afford. Things like maintaining a steady job, keeping up a house, and saving for retirement or a child’s college tuition has taken precedence in most people’s minds, with luxurious like traveling taking a back seat.

Traveling, however, is a wonderful way to spend money if you are going to spend it at all. Fancy dinners or nights out on the town may be enjoyable, but nothing is more relaxing than getting away completely, and no dinner is fancier than one spent in Italy, France, or on the Greek Isles.

The key to traveling is not saving up for years and sacrificing getting your kids braces. The key is avoiding tourist rip-offs. While we might feel guilty for visiting Florence without ever seeing The David, or for visiting Paris and not climbing the Eiffel Tower, there are so many things to enjoy outside the regular tourist rip-offs. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, for example, is larger and more historic Galleria dell’Accademia, where The David is housed (and there are replicas of The David scattered all over town). It may be tradition to climb the Eiffel Tower, but it is cheaper and more relaxing to pack a picnic and spend the afternoon in the gardens behind the tower.

Italy is especially known for ripping off its tourists, so be careful to research where are you going and what you plan to do when you get there. Guidebooks may not exactly mesh with the free-spirited, wherever-the-wind-may-take-me traveler, but can be a lifesaver when it comes to saving money. While “Europe on Five Dollars a Day” is not exactly still feasible, the suggestions and guidelines in Frommer’s 1957 book are still applicable. The newer versions of Frommer’s Books, known a “Rome Day by Day” or “Venice Day by Day” give you exact suggestions for day trips and places to eat and stay for a visit to any city for one, two, or three days.

As for Germany, Jaunted has taken to traveling the beautiful country and making a detailed list of all its tourist traps. Checkpoint Charlie is just one of them. Europe, however, is not the only place you may fall victim to a tourist rip-off! Even Houston boasts the Congress Avenue Bridge Bats. The key to traveling to any place in this world is research. If the place is packed with Americas and back-packers, stay away. If the place is filled only with two elderly locals, sharing a sandwich, you’ve found your spot.

Get to saving, get to researching, and get excited! A non-rip-off trip just may be in your future.

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Windows 7 - Coming Soon

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Are you a Mac, or are you a PC? We have all heard this question before, and most of us put ourselves firmly into one category or the other, despite the bickering, the finger-pointing, and the name-calling. There is no middle ground; either you are a Mac or a PC. This computer operating system preference falls into a category of phenomena that we here at Five Point Capital like to call “The Jelly Doughnut Paradox:” either you love jelly doughnuts, or you hate them. There is no compromise. No one “sort of” likes a jelly doughnut.

This classification system that has come to define our very beings and personalities in the age of technology was threatened when Microsoft invented the dreaded operating system that made PC-lovers weep and Mac-lovers smirk: Windows Vista. In a futile attempt at establishing peace between the two warring tribes of Mac-lovers and PC-lovers, Microsoft tried to create an operating system that meshed the two together—the system is essentially a PC system, but is designed to look and operate more like a Mac.

This attempt at integration failed. Mac-lovers would never switch to PCs, no matter how familiar the operating system appeared. PC-lovers would never adjust to Windows Vista, no matter how forcefully Microsoft tried to put the system into place. It just wasn’t happening. Mac-lovers did not turn to PCs, and PC-lovers wailed and moped because they could no longer figure out how to print, save, or create new documents.

Microsoft, however, has finally come to terms with the fact that there will be no integration of the PC-lovers and the Mac-lovers. The two camps will remain as they are, just as separate and equal as the jelly-doughnut lovers and the chocolate-glazed doughnut lovers, as dog-lovers and cat-lovers, as men and women. In time for the holidays this coming fall, Microsoft’s brand new operating system, Windows 7, will be on sale. The system promises to more closely resemble the old Windows XP than Windows Vista, and PC-lovers everywhere wait with bated breath for the new system to appear.

It looks as though Mac-lovers and PC-lovers will remain forever separate. Maybe that’s how it was intended.

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Gambling

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Most of us, at one time in our lives, have gambled a little bit of money. Whether you packed up your life savings and headed for the Las Vegas blackjack table, or whether you bet your best friend an dollar that he couldn’t beat you in a footrace, gambling can be a fun and harmless pastime.

However, we all know that gambling can be incredibly addictive and dangerous. An overwhelming number of people (recently estimated at 15 million) show signs of a gambling addiction, and those who are addicted tend to incur debt between $55,000 and $90,000. Gambling addicts experience higher rates of divorce, depression, and suicide.

So why gamble in the first place? There seems to be an oxymoron at work here. As anyone who studies “luck,” will tell you—you can’t be lucky unless you take chances and risks. There is an even an old joke that we here at Five Point Capital have heard many versions of. Many years ago there lived an old man who was having a hard time in life. He owed money on his house and land, had little money for food, and as he aged he found himself needing more and more money for medical expenses for himself and his wife. Every single day he went to his local church to pray. He called out to God each and every single day “God, please help me to win the lottery. I beg you.” Time goes on and his situation grows worse, and yet every day he still goes to church to ask God to help him win the lottery. One day, the old man was in the church, got down on his knees, bowed his head, and prayed in a weeping voice, “God, please, please help me to win the lottery,” and proceeded to weep. Hearing this, God couldn’t stand it any longer, and shouted down to the man from the Heavens, “Do me a favor my son…Buy a ticket!!!!!”

This joke demonstrates what many of us feel; we know that our chances of winning the lottery are slim (indeed, casinos usually profit about $30 billion annually), but we still feel that we should at least put our luck to the test, just in case.

In this economy, gambling can go either way. Those who gambled lightly as a simple pastime are now tabling the hobby to save money. The US Casino Report estimates that 60% of Americans have cut back on their gambling spending, which is about the same as the drop in people spending money on dining out. This has drastically impacted the gambling world, and some racetracks in Kentucky have been forced to close or cancel races now that betting is so low. And while in recent history, the amount of money spent each year on gambling has increased (and actually doubled every year since 1997 for internet gambling), this amount actually dropped dramatically in 2008. Casinos experienced their first-ever annual drop in profits since tracking began in 1999, with a drop of approximately $1.6 billion.

However, those who are worse off might be tempted to push their luck a little further, and this can be dangerous. With lay-offs abound and the economy slumping deeper into a recession, some people may turn to desperate measures to slough off some of their debt. And what’s worse, with this economy, getting out of any gambling debts will be even tougher.

Our suggestion here at 5 Point Capital is to treat gambling as you would any other leisure expense, such as dining out or buying new clothes. Look carefully at your budget and see exactly what you can afford to spend each month on gambling. Once you hit that limit, do not allow yourself to go over. And avoid the cardinal sin of budgeting gambling money—if you win money, this does not increase your pool of gambling money. This is your profit to keep. That way you only spend an affordable amount on gambling each month, and will never delve into debt. The worst case scenario is that you spend your gambling allowance, and the best case scenario is that you make a profit.

If you cannot afford to gamble, don’t start. That is the simple rule. If you cannot afford dining out, buying a new CD, or cable television, gambling should go as well. Consider it just as you would any other leisure activity. Budget a trip to the casino just as you would budget a trip to the beach or a cruise.

If you think you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, you can call the Gamblers Anonymous hotline at 888-GA-HELPS.

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How to Protect Yourself from Craigslist Scams

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

We all know that Craigslist is extremely convenient—you can specify what you want and search for it according to price, city where it is available, description, pictures, and more. You can deal directly with dealers and thus you do not have to worry about customer service and order processing. In the same fashion, you can sell or offer services for just about anything. You can list handyman services, sell your old iPod, or offer up a room in your apartment for rent. The possibilities are endless.

However, recent events have shown that Craigslist can be deadly. Craigslist itself has links on its website with tips to protect yourself and your money. Read them! While Craigslist is extremely useful and convenient, we must treat it for what it is – doing business with strangers.As a result, we must be wary of any and every communication we have through this website.

Here are some tips from Five Point Capital to help keep you safe while perusing and using Craigslist:

First, protect yourself. Never agree to meet up with someone from Craigslist alone. In some cases, meeting face-to-face is inevitable—an interview for a new job, hiring a handyman, meeting up to trade DVDs. However, never agree to meet at ALONE or AT A HOME. Always bring a friend along and meet in public. If you are going on a job interview, make sure the interview takes place during business hours in the office, or someplace very public, like a Starbucks. If you are exchanging items, instead of meeting up, try to suggest shipping them simultaneously via FedEx. FedEx will provide you with a shipping and tracking link, which you can email to each other as proof that you sent the requested item or items. If you must meet up to exchange something, again conduct your exchange in a public place, such as Starbucks or a popular restaurant. If you are hiring someone to do work for your house (or are offering such services), say that you would feel more comfortable meeting the other person first outside of the home, and then meet in public. You can offer to buy the other person a cup of coffee as incentive for meeting up in person beforehand. When the time comes to have someone enter your house, or to enter someone’s house, make sure you are not alone. Invite a friend over for lunch while the person you hired will be there, or bring a “helper” along to carry your equipment or assist you with whatever task you have been hired for.

Second, protect your family and home. Do not give out your home address unless it is absolutely crucial for what you are selling or buying. If you are offering a room for rent, do not give the exact address until the day of the visit. Give the person looking for a room the cross streets on which your apartment or home is located, and then have them call you when they are close by. Again, never enter someone’s home or have someone else enter your home while you are alone. If you hire someone to work in your home, meet the person in a public place first, as suggested before.

Third, protect your money and your identity. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Never send cash through the mail. Never give out your bank information unless it is through a secure site like PayPal. If someone has sent you a check, cash it and make sure it clears before sending the product. Never send money through Western Union or other similar sites, and never send money overseas. If you are looking for an apartment and someone emails you saying they have a place, but they happen to be abroad at the moment, and if you’ll just send the deposit via Western Union they will happily FedEx you the key to the place—it’s a scam. Trust us. Just delete the email and move on.

Finally, protect your integrity. There are warnings all over Craigslist to never post any discriminatory ads, but still people do so without thinking. You have a right to choose whomever you want as a roommate or to live in your home, but you are NOT allowed to say that you are limiting who can look at the room for reasons such as age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or occupation. So posting an ad offering a room that says “we are looking for another female, about our age (20-30), with a steady job,” may seem typical and harmless, but it can actually result in legal penalties and huge fines.

Try to follow these simple rules and always use your common sense in order to avoid becoming a victim of a scam or crime. Remember, no matter what you are trying to buy or sell, it is not worth your life or your security. Here’s to keeping safe, from your friends at Five Point Capital.

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