With many colleges in the middle of or getting ready to go on spring break, it is a good time to remind our college age kids that they do not yet know it all. After all, that is why they are still in college, isn’t it?
 
We all learn something new every day. We all learn from mistakes – but the goal is to make as few mistakes as possible. There is an old expression that good judgment comes from experience, but experience is all too often the result of bad judgment!
 
Have fun on spring break – but use your head as more than a funnel for alcohol! Pay attention to your surroundings. Ladies, especially, if a situation does not feel right, trust your instincts and leave. Don’t go to parties by yourself! Use the buddy system – the more buddies the better. Don’t tell strangers where you are staying! Always make sure someone knows where you are going! Do not drink so much that you lose control of your faculties!
 
Make the right decision and the worst that can happen is you lose a night of partying that you can easily make up. Make the wrong decision and the worst that can happen is simply indescribable!
 
As I used to tell my son: learn from the mistakes of others – because you simply will not live long enough to make them all yourself.
 
Do not let your ego get in your own way. All young people have this sense of immortality – trust me, you will grow out of that.
 
Too many of us, though, still go through life with this “it won’t happen to me” outlook. Too few of us realize that virtually every person that has ever been victimized or assaulted has that same outlook.
 
What you really need to do is ask yourself: What makes you so different from them?
 
The short answer is: Nothing!
 
The truth is, if you don’t look out for yourself, it CAN happen to you. Keep your head about you and pay attention to what you are doing and what is going on around you.
 
Staying safe really does not take that much effort – but it does take SOME effort!
 
Be Informed! Get Trained! Stay Safe!
 

Just because our area was not directly hit by Hurricane Joaquin does not mean we will not be impacted.

You should remember that once the storm passes, the trouble does not. The bad guys will be out in full force in the aftermath attempting to pray upon the helpless and compassionate amongst us.

There will be scammers impersonating charities. They will do their very best (and their very best is very good indeed) to con you out of your hard earned dollars. They will play upon your sympathy, compassion and good nature. They will attempt to make you feel guilty.

There will also be scammers posing as contractors and contractors attempting to pull scams. They will try to pressure you into great deals, try to get your money up front, promise all kinds of services and disappear once they get paid anything. They will give the legitimate contractors a bad name and make it harder for the good guys.

Seniors will be prime targets for the bad guys.

Pass the word around to everyone you know to watch out for any type of predatory behavior.

Follow these tips and you will have a much better chance of helping the charity of your choice and not be taken advantage of by the bad guys:

1. Do NOT trust your Caller ID. Technology these days allows people to “spoof” phone numbers and names. Just because your caller ID says it is the Salvation Army or CHKD, does not mean it really is them.

2. Do NOT be pressured into making donations over the phone. Any actual charity will have more than one way to donate and will not be offended if you decide to mail your donation or make it through the charity’s website.

3. Do NOT use any website address given to you over the phone. Do an internet search to find the charity’s website for yourself. That is the only way you can be sure you are going to the correct website.

4. Do NOT allow yourself to be guilted into making a donation. Scam artists know how giving and helpful most people want to be by nature. They will prey on your concern and compassion. Any charity attempting the “hard sell” to obtain donations is more concerned about your money than actually helping anyone!

5. Do NOT allow yourself to be pressured by a “one day only” deal, or any other hard sell tactic, offered by a contractor. Remember what we all told our children growing up: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

6. Do NOT be afraid to ask for references before signing any contract for repair work. No reputable contractor will be afraid to give them – and, once you have references, actually check them!

7. DO check the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been lodged about that company.

8. Do NOT do a deal “on a handshake”. If something goes wrong you will have very little recourse. Get it in writing!

9. Do NOT pay cash – especially for a deposit. If you do, you can probably kiss that money goodbye!

The short version for all of the above is that you should never feel pressured to give to a charity or cut a deal with a contractor. If you are being pressured that should be a major red flag to doing business with that charity/company.

Be Informed! Get Trained! Stay Safe!

Never allow yourself to be pressured to pay for products or services in advance - especially over the phone by someone whom you've never met.

Do not draw unwanted attention to yourself.

It is best to go unnoticed. Do not act brash, loud or obnoxious. Be polite. Be unmemorable.

Good people who go unnoticed are far less likely to get in trouble - or to attract trouble.

Do your best to avoid “hot spots", i.e. bars late at night and political rallies or types of confrontations - places where people tend to become jackwagons (idiots, butt-heads, take your pick).

The best way to stay out of trouble, is to not go near it in the first place.

 Virginia officially became a state on this date in 1788.

It was the 10th state to join the Union.

Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of state in the U.S.

(Fun Fact #2: Most of you just tried figure out if that fact was true!)

By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.

(I don't know about you, but I'm going to let someone else test that theory.)

Finishing up shopping in Hampton and while walking back into the parking garage, my wife and I came across a poster child for the the unaware. This woman was so engrossed in her phone that she almost walked right into my wife - after she finally realized what she was doing, she then proceeded to walk into the big metal post in front of her.

The saddest part? She was active duty USAF, in uniform!

As my wife said: "Pick your head up people, it's a dangerous world out there!"

Could not have said it better myself.

Did you know?

In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry ice-cream in your back pocket.

(what I want to know is what prompted something like this to become a law!)

 Each year, more than 50,000 people are injured by jewelry in the U.S.

(and yet they worry about guns!)