Big Mike's Blog

We found a HUGE toad

bigmike — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:47:38 +0000

Found this toad on the patio yestarday, huge! never seen one so big.

Sonoran Desert toad
(Bufo alvarius)

Order: Salientia
Family: Bufonidae (true toads)
Other common names: Colorado River toad
Spanish name: sapo grande

Distinguishing Features

At 7 inches (18 cm) or more this is one of the largest toads native to North America. Adults have a uniformly green to greenish-gray dorsum (topside of the body) and creamy white venter (underside). Large white turbercles, or “warts,”are found at the angle of the jaw, but aside from the large parotoid glands and a few large lumps on the hind legs, this species has relatively smooth skin. Recently metamorphosed toadlets will be tan to green with orange or red spots on the dorsum. Unlike other male toads in our region, male Sonoran Desert toads do not have dark throats; males develop darkened, thick callosities (calluses) on the inside of the thumbs of the forelimbs during the breeding season

The Mega Millions jackpot has been increased from $476 million to an estimated $500 million for the draw on Friday, March 30

bigmike — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:37:15 +0000

O.K. now I’ll jump in and buy one, if it’s not half a billion it’s not worth it.

Kim Kardashian Gets Flour Bombed, Keeps On Working. WHY is this news?

bigmike — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:40:56 +0000

This was one of the largest hits Friday morning on the web. Why is this news? Maybe if we cared more about getting to work and stop asking for a handout, we may be doing better as a country, I am an American.

Reality star Kim Kardashian was flour bombed on the red carpet in West Hollywood on Thursday night.

Just before 8 PM, after finishing posing for the photographers at an event for her new fragrance, True Reflection, at the London Hotel off of Sunset Blvd., Kim was speaking to the house crew on the red carpet when a young woman strolled up to the reality star and dumped a bag of what appeared to be flour on Kim’s head

Fishing in Louisiana

bigmike — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:57:04 +0000

Red Fish from the bay.

Gators!

BBB email phishing scam

bigmike — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:48:11 +0000

Be careful there are several Scams trying to get your information pretending to be the BBB. Do not goto any of the links.

Here is the latest one.

Better Business Bureau is asking for your help to update basic company information that we provide to inquirers regarding your company.

Please take a moment to review your past business profile and make any corrections that may be necessary. We encourage you to use our ONLINE FORM to update your basic information. The URL (web address) below will take you directly to this form on our Web site:

Your cooperation in providing us with some basic background information on your company would be greatly appreciated. Having an accurate report on file with Better Business Bureau is a benefit to your company and the community that we serve. This is not a an invitation for accreditation with BBB. It is simply a service we are providing your potential customers.

Sincerely,

BBB of Southern Arizona

The History Of The (Fake) ‘Free Public WiFi’ You Always See At Airports

bigmike — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:48:13 +0000

If you travel a fair bit, as I do, you’ve noticed at almost every airport that there’s an “ad hoc” (i.e., computer-to-computer rather than computer-to-WiFi) option called “Free Public WiFi.” It seems to be everywhere. I’ve never connected to it, because I know enough not to connect to an ad hoc offering, but I was always amazed at the fact that I see it in pretty much every airport I’ve been to. I had wondered if it was a honeypot scam for a while, but I couldn’t believe that scammers would be able to set up such honeypots in so many airports worldwide and no one would catch them and take it down. So how could there be such “Free Public WiFi” (which obviously was not what it claimed to be) in so many places?

The answer? Well, it’s all Microsoft’s fault.

Apparently, there was a bit of a bug (one of many…) in Windows XP in terms of how it handles certain situations, and it effectively created a “virus” in that unwitting travelers around the globe are all broadcasting “Free Public WiFi” from their computers without realizing it, after they tried to connect to such a network:

When a computer running an older version of XP can’t find any of its “favorite” wireless networks, it will automatically create an ad hoc network with the same name as the last one it connected to — in this case, “Free Public WiFi.” Other computers within range of that new ad hoc network can see it, luring other users to connect. And who can resist the word “free?”

Not a lot of people, judging from the spread of Free Public WiFi. Computers with the XP bug that try to connect to the Internet will remember the name, create their own ad hoc networks and entice other users wherever they go.

And so it continues to spread. No one’s quite sure where it started, but somewhere way back when, someone set up such an ad hoc network in an airport (perhaps as a joke or a honeypot), and it got picked up by others… and then it just continued spreading. Eventually, it should die out as Windows XP machines finally go extinct, but for now, enjoy (but don’t bother connecting) the “Free Public WiFi” found in so many airports…

Natural Gas Prices hit 10 Year Low

bigmike — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:00:19 +0000

If gas prices have hit a 10 year low then why are we paying more for it?

http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/01/19/natural-gas-prices-drop-to-decade-low/

Death of a Supercar

bigmike — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:53:24 +0000

So we just walked into church on Christmas Eve at 4:00 (yes really) and you get the call that your brother is on his way in an ambulance to the hospital. Since this was not uncommon we were not too concerned until we found out the accident was on Soldier Trail road and they were taking him to UMC, (Trauma one center). He said that he wasn’t screwing around (ya right) and that something blew off the right front end, either tire or broken rim. Looks like he was telling the truth he was on a strait road, something broke spun him around and off the road backwards down a 30 foot embankment and thru some trees. Fortunately the car was all carbon fiber with a racing roll cage. The damage done to the driver was from the tree branches entering the vehicle thru the rear glass. All and all, 4 broken ribs, broken arm, tweaked neck and lacerations galore and sore body. And one dead supercar, ZR1 - 638 Horsepower now none, Merry Christmas!

Look what I got for Christmas

bigmike — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:14:59 +0000

Here is Greg with his christmas gift, a new (not really) chair, of course wrapped in justin bieber wrapping paper!

BBB email virus

bigmike — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:57:19 +0000

I just received an email that looks like it is from the Better Business Bureau stating you have a complaint and to click here to see it. DO NOT CLICK ON IT. It is a virus, not sure how it got to me but it got me to click. Just delete it and let me know if you received it, thanks.

More info here.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/bbbconsumeralert/tag/virus/