I just found Soul Lessons and Soul Purpose by Sonia Choquette A Channeled Guide to Why You Are Here, online at the Google books page.  Does everyone know you can read entire books online at http://books.google.com?

My friend Domino just wrote me “I just spent the last three hours in my backyard pruning, weeding and watering plants. I’ve been told that, according to feng shui, my deck area is the love and relationship area of my home. I noticed there was a lot of growth there but it was all just whatever popped up. Some plants were weeds, some were shrubs that no doubt were seeded by birds and squirrels, but none by me. I saw the correlation between my love life and the deck area. So I weeded out everything I didn’t plant or want. I hoping this symbolism will spill over into my life and “weed” out all the what-evers and leave room for what I really want.”  I thought that was a brilliant correlation on her part. Continue reading →

I own several domain names and they come up for renewal at different times. This week I got several renewal notices from Domain Registry of America to renew my domains for just $30 each.  The Domain Registry of America is an Internet domain registrar best known for sending solicitations for business that resemble legitimate invoices.  In 2003, the FTC reached a settlement with the company for practices such as transferring domain registrations to their service under the guise of domain renewal, a practice known as domain slamming, and having hidden fees. Despite this action, the company still sends mass direct mail to consumers resembling invoices with “domain name expiration notice” in bold print. Recipients are targeted for mass mailings with info obtained in violation of their ICANN registrar agreement.

I went online to my account at www.godaddy.com and renewed each one for just $11.62.  You can, too.

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After I posted this, my friend Carmen Barkett wrote: I had an Art gallery for 16 years; built a website for Artsiphartsi and when I went to renew it learned the day after my domain name expired that a Korean person or company bought the name! I could buy it back for $3-5k if I wanted …. …  At which point I told them to enjoy. I refused. I can re-register in one year if I choose, but it is a big scam to get corporate America’s $$’s. I had a dozen other variations of domains, so no love lost. Careful though if you have a domain name. Renew by the day it expires. 24 hours can make a difference.

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Also after I posted this, Facebook friend Jeffrey Smith posted ” My friend got a “Domain Name Expiration Notice” from Domain Registry of America and paid for two years at $50 to continue his domain name. But that’s not what happened. This Domain Renewal Scam is Alive and Kicking is called “domain slamming” and it’s cost him his Web site and his domain name. He must now spend more money to try to get his name back. Use. GoDaddy.com, they’re great.”

At the Domain Renewal Scam is Alive and Kicking link,it reads:

A friend of mine forwarded a suspicious email message recently. I’ve replaced the domain, order number, etc. below:
—————————-
From: Customer Support <support@droa.com>
Subject: Order Confirmation for <domain>, Order ######
To <registered domain holder>,
Thank you for registering/renewing the following domains with the Domain Registry of America, America’s fastest growing Domain Registrar.
We take pride in offering you superior customer service and competitive pricing.
*******************************************************
Order Information
*******************************************************
<domain> renewal/transfering
The order number for <domain> is #####.
*******************************************************
Payment Information
*******************************************************
Your check ##### for $30.00 has been received.
Domain Registry of America
support@droa.com
—————————-

I validated for my friend that the email was bogus. The domain was not held by Domain Registry of America (DROA), and never had been. The domain was not expiring in the next 90 days.
Later he received a follow-up email:
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From: “Transfer Department” <transfers@namejuice.com>
Subject: RE: <domain>; Order #####
Reply-To: <support@namejuice.com>

To <domain holder>,
Thank you for choosing to transfer and renew <domain> with the Domain Registry of America.
Your transfer and renewal of <domain> is not yet complete.
Due to the changes in the .org renewal process, you will need to obtain an EPP key code from your current registrar.

This authorization key removes the need for the user to send in a fax or reply to an email to verify their transfer request. This is because these names are assigned a unique authorization key at the time of their registration. The key is created and held with your current registrar. You should be able to obtain your authorization key by contacting your current registrar.

Please contact your current registrar using the information below and request your EPP Key code.
Domain: <domain>
Current Registrar: <registrar>
Registrar Phone Number: Please visit their site to contact them

When you call provide them with your domain name (<domain>), and ask for your EPP key.
Once obtained, please click the link below to input your EPP key code and confirm your email address.
http://confirm.droa.com/getepp.asp?e=1&o=####&p=####
You must click on the link above in order to continue the transfer and renewal process.

Yours truly
Domain Registry of America
Toll free 1-866-434-0212 or for International Callers, dial +1(905)479-2533

—————————-

The scam attempts to get domain holders to transfer service and pay accordingly. It seems this scam has been around for at least eight years, though it has morphed over time. Apparently the DROA has chosen to test the 2003 judgment by the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/12/domainreg.shtm).

One thing of interest here is the two-staged approach: The first message requires no action by the recipient, but the second message tells the user to obtain and hand over the keys to the castle.

One Response to “Persistent Domain-Renewal Scam Alive and Kicking”
Huh, I have actually received this as snail mail from the same company. Sure it’s a scam, but it feels like 50% of everything is. I even get mail from a very well known auto insurance company, with PAYMENT NOTICE ENCLOSED printed on the envelope, even though I’m not insured by them. It’s the company with the gecko mascot

If I am who I say I am, then I take responsibility for bringing harmony to all my relationships. Yep, just me. No matter what someone else is doing to me or saying about me.

I was surprised to discover, years ago, that the people I’d had the hardest times with through the years and sometimes even cut off years ago ended up being my closest real friends now.  Don’t burn bridges. There’s less to regret later.  If I am who I say I am, I will remember that.

I bought my original Magic Bullet Model MB1001 mini blender online in 2005.  Friends had one and paid about $50 for it, so I price shopped and found one on eBay that I got for $22 including shipping.  It’s lasted me – this will be the 5th year.  I mostly use it to make hummus and tahina sauce, so it’s cutting parsley and garlic too, not exactly light duty.  Yesterday, right after I made some fresh babaganoush, the motor died.  Drat.  Now I had an entire 21 piece set of something that I no longer had a working base for.  Well, I only ever used the base and one container anyway.  I went online and Googled Magic Bullet Model MB1001 to see what other people have said when theirs died on them. Continue reading →

A week ago I wrote that My Sleep Habits Are Morphing Again and yesterday was no different.  I’d gotten the August Horizons Magazine off the the printer at 6:00am and it was a day I could rest and relax and snooze all day if I wanted to.  However, each time I fell asleep the phone rang.  Finally about 6:00pm I just went into bed and darkened my room and slept until 3:00am.  It was one of those good sleeps, where you wake up for a few moments every few hours and just bask in the feeling of the sheets and the breeze from the fan and know you don’t have to be up for hours and hours.

Continue reading →

The last couple of months, fresh watermelon has been my snack of choice. It’s the only thing I let myself eat when I’m watching tv.  The problem is I’ve been cutting up so many watermelon rinds to compost that I thought ” I need to try pickling some”.  I did and they turned out surprisingly awesome.  I am not one for complicated recipes or something that has lots of steps and keeps me in the kitchen for hours.  I went online and began looking at recipes for pickles and saw everything had to be soaked overnight and boiled and fermented for weeks.  Forget that.  I remembered an episode of Chopped where someone made a  pickled relish during one of the challenges, so I Googled “quick pickles” and began reading at the links that came up. Continue reading →

I wrote on Facebook last week: Psychic friends: I am looking for a file for husband No. 5 and it’s not in the file cabinet – please use your spidey sense to tell me where it might be.  I got some good responses and Brenda Elizabeth wrote to me: “Hi Andrea! I saw your post and the first thing was I smelled mold, it could be a moldy box, moist damp room in your house, like a patio with plants, I see green in the room too. Then I heard the words “3rd bedroom”.  Hope this helps a little, finding lost stuff is not my strongest talent but I got clear information on this one so I thought I would pass it on.” Continue reading →

I remember the first time I did heart breaths. It was back in the 1970’s in a group encounter session. We all sat in a circle and paired with the person next to us. We faced each other, chairs a little offset, my right hand over her heart, her right hand over mine. Left hands over right hands. Then we gazed into each other’s eyes silently for four minutes, breathing together. It was very powerful. I’ve also done this alone, hand over my own heart, gazing into my eyes in the mirror.

I’m glad that encounter groups, no matter what you call them – sensitivity training, team building training, leadership training – are becoming more mainstream and popular, especially with kids and young adults.  MTV has a new reality show called If You Really Knew Me.  The pitch reads: In high school, there are the students who rule the school — like jocks, cheerleaders, and the popular kids — and the ones who get picked on — like nerds, emos, and outcasts. That’s just high school, right? But what if you could change that? Continue reading →