A Public Service Announcement regarding your credit

In case you hadn't heard, people in the Western United States can now receive a copy of their credit reports from one of the three major credit bureaus--Experian, Equifax, or Trans Union--for free. People in the midwest and Eastern states will have the same privileges by September 1, 2005. You can get a free report from each of the aforementioned credit bureaus once a year, OR if you want to monitor more closely, get one every four months by alternating which bureau you receive the report from. To get your free report, go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com. I retrieved a copy of my report today from Equifax via this site, which is sponsored by all three bureaus. After entering your information, you are re-directed to one of the three bureaus. While there is an offer to purchase your FICO score, the report itself is indeed free--no strings attached, no credit card necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a credit file disclosure?
A credit file disclosure provides you with all of the information in your credit file maintained by a consumer reporting company that could be provided by the consumer reporting company in a consumer report about you to a third party, such as a lender. A credit file disclosure also includes a record of everyone who has received a consumer report about you from the consumer reporting company within a certain period of time ("inquiries"). The credit file disclosure includes certain information that is not included in a consumer report about you to a third party, such as the inquiries of companies for pre-approved offers of credit or insurance and account reviews, and any medical account information which is suppressed for third party users of consumer reports. You are entitled to receive a disclosure copy of your credit file from a consumer reporting company under Federal law and the laws of various states.

How often can I request a free credit file disclosure through this website?
You are entitled to receive one free credit file disclosure every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This free credit file can be requested through this website, by phone or by mail.

How else can I request my free annual credit file disclosure?
If free credit reports are available in your state through the Annual Credit Report Request Service, you can request a free annual credit report by phone or mail and it will be mailed within 15 days. However, you can receive a report immediately by using this secure website. Click on this link to find information on how to request a free annual credit report by phone or mail.

Should I order all my credit file disclosures at one time or space them out over 12 months?
You are entitled to receive one free credit file disclosure every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies through the Central Source. It is entirely your choice whether you order all three credit file disclosures at the same time or order one now and others later. The advantage of ordering all three at the same time is that you can compare them. (However, you will not be eligible for another free credit file disclosure from the Central Source for 12 months.) On the other hand, the advantage of ordering one now and others later (for example, one credit file disclosure every four months) is that you can keep track of any changes or new information that may appear on your credit file disclosure. Remember, you are entitled to receive one free credit file disclosure through the Central Source every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – so if you order from only one company today you can still order from the other two companies at a later date.

What is a credit score?
A credit score is a complex mathematical model that evaluates many types of information in a credit file. A credit score is used by a lender to help determine whether a person qualifies for a particular credit card, loan, or service. Most credit scores estimate the risk a company incurs by lending a person money or providing them with a service –– specifically, the likelihood that the person will make payments on time in the next two to three years. Generally, the higher the score, the less risk the person represents.

How can I get my credit score?
You can purchase a credit score by contacting one of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. Equifax - www.equifax.com Experian - www.experian.com TransUnion - www.transunion.com You can also purchase a credit score when you request your free annual credit report through the AnnualCreditReport.com web site.

What about companies that claim they can improve my credit report for a fee?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions consumers to be wary of companies that make claims regarding credit repair. These companies, commonly called credit clinics, don't do anything for consumers that consumers cannot do for themselves at little or no cost. Beware of any organization that offers to create a new identity and credit file for you. The FTC and state attorneys general have filed actions against those who pursue these fraudulent practices. Here are some warning signs that the FTC and others say consumers should look out for to determine if they might be dealing with a credit clinic:
An organization that guarantees to remove late payments, bankruptcies, or similar information from a credit report
An organization that charges a lot of money to repair credit
A company that asks the consumer to write to the credit reporting company and repeatedly seek verification of the same credit account information in the file, month after month, even though the information has been determined to be correct
An organization that is reluctant to give out their address or one that pushes you to make a decision immediately For a helpful brochure about credit clinics, you can write to the Federal Trade Commission, Sixth and Pennsylvania Avenues, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004 and request a brochure titled "Credit Repair: Self Help May Be Best."

Am I entitled to a free credit report under state law?
In addition to consumers who are eligible for a free credit file disclosure through the Annual Credit Report Request Service; consumers in some states are eligible for a free credit file disclosure under state law. The following states have laws that make free credit reports available to consumers: Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont.

How do I contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
Federal Trade CommissionConsumer Response CenterRoom 130600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20580 www.ftc.gov/credit

How can I provide a suggestion or complaint about the Annual Credit Report Request Service or this website?
Please see Contact Us section on the AnnualCreditReport.com web site for contact information

How secure is my information?
The Annual Credit Report Request Service recognizes the importance of secure online transactions, and takes steps to safeguard the privacy of information you provide through online forms. For your online requests for free credit file disclosures, programs encrypt the information you provide on the request form before transmission to the selected nationwide consumer credit reporting company(ies). This information is decrypted only upon receipt by the selected credit reporting company(ies). Physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to guard your personally identifiable information are maintained.Further, the site’s security protocols and measures are designed to protect the personally identifiable information you provide from unauthorized access or alteration. These measures include physical security, technological security measures and encryption of certain information.

Is it safe to provide my Social Security Number to AnnualCreditReport.com?
You must enter your Social Security Number to receive a free credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com. The site’s security protocols and measures are designed to protect the personally identifiable information you provide from unauthorized access or alteration. As an added security measure, you can choose to have your credit report display no more than the last four digits of your Social Security number.See answer to "How secure is my information?" above for more information.

How does the online authentication process work?
To assure that your credit file is disclosed only to you, the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies will authenticate your identity utilizing the personal identification information you provide on this site, including, but not limited to, your Social Security number, and then require that you answer certain questions. For your protection, if your identity cannot be authenticated for online delivery of your credit report, you will receive further instructions on how to request your report for delivery by the U.S. Postal Service. Failure to authenticate for online delivery of your annual credit file disclosure is not an indicator of fraudulent activity or identity theft.

Why do I need to type characters from a picture to submit my personal information?
Typing the characters from a picture helps ensure that a person–not an automated program–is completing the form. This step helps to protect your personal information from being downloaded by an unauthorized user.
In most cases, an automated program cannot recognize the characters in the picture.

Peace,

+THINKER

The "Puritan" NFL League has double standards...

Unless you've had your head in the sand recently, you've no doubt heard the white noise--no pun intended--regarding the pre-game skit between Terrell Owens and Nicollette Sheridan. Let's re-visit the festivities, shall we? Dateline ABC, November 15th, just before the kick off of Monday Night Football. Ms. Sheridan, dressed in a white towel, tries to entice Mr. Owens into ditching his teammates for other..err..festivities. Terrell initially plays it straight, insisting that he couldn't let down his teammates for the premiere football game of the week. The wiley Ms. Sheridan then drops her towel--revealing her bare back and leaving little to the imagination--and jumps into T.O.'s arms. Fade to black--no pun intended. This was clearly a shameless attempt by ABC to plug it's hugely popular show, "Deperate Ho's"...sorry, "Desperate Housewives." The problem with it was that the irony was lost on those who hadn't already watched the show. That said, the skit was still funny, if but a bit stereotypical--I'll get to this in a moment.

I suppose I shouldn't be suprised by the double standard "No Fun League" making noise about the skit, despite the fact that everyone in the Eagles organization--and thus, the NFL, by relation--knew the skit had been taped beforehand. What I find silly though, is the notion that the NFL's Monday Night Football broadcast has become this Puritan, moral, family program. Let's review the tape, shall we?: Are you ready for some football? You know...the (self proclaimed) Monday night party? Are you ready for Coors beer? ...and...and Twins!? Are you ready for Levitra, Cyalis, and Viagra? And contacting your doctor in the unlikely event you get "stuck" with a four-hour erection? Are you ready for tampon commercials? Are you ready for scantily clad cheerleaders? Are you kidding me? The NFL's Paul Tagliabue and company really need to sweep around their own front door before patronizing a network with whom they have a contract about how it chooses to entertain the public at large. This is the same network that televised the--[Ewww!]--complete bare backside of a male during more episodes of NYPD Blue than I care to recall. Yikes! I had successfully deleted that image out of my brain until just now. Thanks a lot, Mr. Tabiabue!

The other thing I find hysterical is this supposed moral outrage from a select number of viewers and media pundits. Listen closely: Monday Night Football is not--repeat, IS NOT--Little House on the Prairie. Don't like the material? Change the damn channel. This is another attempt at right-wing America attempting to impose their beliefs on what passes for entertainment today. Sorry, there's already a PAX channel. Deal with it.

The last thing that I found laughable was Tony Dungy's diatribe and references to race and Kobe Bryant. So I suppose if Brian Urlacher had played T.O.'s role it would have been "all good", right? Wrong. Sure, there are people who are (still) uptight about interracial relations, but hey, things have evolved since The Jeffersons broke loose with Helen and Tom Willis! I can understand and appreciate the "discomfort" with the less-than-subtle sexual undertone, but putting race into the mix is just ridiculous. And Tony Dungy, a reportedly religious man, is way off base here. I suppose all of those interracial couples are not suppose to publicy display affection now because it offends Tony? Give me a break...

But wait! Hold on just a minute...I just looked in the paper and what's coming up on Monday Night Football? New England vs. Kansas City? Say it isn't so! I can see it now...[Dream harp music plays in the background] Tom Brady has replaced T.O. and Beyonce has replaced Nicole in a spot for McDonalds. The towel drops as before, but the camera pans just a little low...Bootylicious, indeed...Okay, okay, a brotha' can dream, can't he?
Peace,
+THINKER

Election Post mortem...

I've been slacking. A whole month went by without writing. I've been working on my Master's degree and following the propositions, presidential debates, and both campaigns closely this year. Be grateful it's over. Among the positive things to consider now that the election is over is that we will no longer be subjected to election commercials. I can't say I remember an election year where the marketing has been so particularly nasty. It's as if we're no longer supposed to have differences of opinion in this country anymore. Quite the contrary. Express your opinion, and be prepared to be ridiculed. Or worse, ostracized and/or persecuted. I have a message for the various special interests and groups who fancy themselves as the think tank for all Americans: Get over your yourselves--recall earlier article, "It's Not all about you." And here's just a few more tid-bits for select individuals:

• Republicans - I hate to break this to you, but you do not have the market cornered on religion, morality, or family values. I find it interesting that your party is more than willing to intermix politics with religious--read "Anglo Saxon Protestant" beliefs with regularity. Have any of you folks read the Bill of Rights recently?--see Amendment 1.
• Democrats - I know you're still licking emotional wounds from losing the Presidential election, losing seats in the Senate and the House, and losing seats across the country in local districts. That ought to be a red flag shouldn't it? Just a little out of touch with mainstream America, perhaps? Here's a thought: In 2008, it will be open season on the Presidency. Now is the time to begin examining individuals who have consistent, progressive, non-controversial records as legitimate candidates. Someone who is well-spoken and has a good grasp of issues. Someone who does not have baggage. Get off the Hillary bandwagon already and do some deeper searching.
• Conservatives - Why do you think your opinion supersedes everyone else's?--I'll refer you to the 1st Amendment as well. For the record, your religious beliefs are no more legitimate or important than anyone else's. There's a perception that young people vote with their hearts and old people vote with their head. Even if that's partially true, it's that individual's right to do so. While it may be in your character to proselytize, you have to respect another person's right that they might not wish to be bothered with your beliefs. There's a fine line between moral values and what's necessary in terms of legal doctrine. I think George Carlin summarized it best in his description of only needing two commandments instead of ten--see "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops."
• Liberals - What makes you think the government is the solution to everything? I think it's reasonable to expect a "certain" level of governmental assistance to subsidize people in physical and financial need--most of us pay taxes for that purpose (in part). But the notion that all assistance from the government is good and necessary sets bad precedent. It serves to de-motivate. "Why work when I can get (fill in) for free?" Programs should have a fundamental goal of "launching" people into supporting themselves in the community, and not drawing from the system indefinitely.
• Environmentalists - Is there anything we can BBQ without creating smoke? Anything in an aerosol can that doesn't affect the environment? Anything we drive or fly that doesn't affect the ozone layer? For the record, the Earth is a pretty tough ol' gal. She's withstood dinosaurs, an ice age, volcanoes, world wars, atomic bombs, forest fires, strip mining, and drilling for oil. We won't be deep sixing her anytime soon. That said, can we do better? Absolutely. However, do we need to eat, live, and travel in the interim? Yes, we do. Think about that the next time you chain yourself to a tree.
• Animal Activists - Homo Sapiens are on top of the food chain. Get over it! People will continue to eat meat, and wear furs and leather goods. I heard on the radio yesterday that some guy in Pennsylvania jumped in a Lion's den because he was going to "Bring Jesus to the Lion." The lion proceeded to take several chunks out of said "savior" when the gingko biloba kicked into his brain and told him to "Get the Hell out of there!" He's getting mental help, but the moral of the story is: Human's rule, but fences--and Zoo barriers--make good neighbors. 'Nough said.
• Rich Athletes - For cryin' out loud: Stop making references about how you're not making enough money and that you need to "feed your family" when your salary exceeds eight digits! It's insulting to the rest of us who actually work for a living. And to those of you who are putting your money where your mouth is--Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Kevin Johnson, and many others I'm sure--just know that you're receiving much prayer, gratitude and quiet applause from those lives you affect.

There. Aren't you glad we're going to have four more years of the same old thing? Good. Now can't we all just get along?

Peace,

+THINKER

Picking the 2005 NBA Final Four

It's never too early to talk about the NBA. Training camp opens in less than two weeks and I can hardly wait! The NBA has long been a copy cat league, and this past season has seen more NBA stars change hands than Paris Hilton has had sleeping partners. Almost every coach was replaced in the Eastern conference, Chris Webber says he needs to be "more selfish(?)," and the Shaq and Kobe feud is at full boil. Fans will definitely continue to have lots to chat about on talk radio. Perhaps the more intriguing question is, "Who has the best shot of getting to the finals this year?" Allow me, if you will, to make the case for the NBA Final Four .

From the Easter Conference...

• Miami - Let's face it. It's all about Shaq. The best inside presence has shifted from the Western conference to the East, and he's on a mission. Shaq is reportedly in great shape and has a chip on his shoulder. Coupled with upstart Dwayne Wade, and veterans Eddie Jones, Wesley Person, and Damon Jones, they have the components of a devastating inside-outside threat. Expect the offense to start with Dwayne Wade, but expect it to finish with season career highs for Shaq. I feel for the other teams in the Eastern Conference. Up until now, every playoff slot has pretty much been up for grabs. Not anymore. Look for Miami to be a lock for to go deep into the playoffs.
• Detroit - Detroit is the team equivalent of Rodney Dangerfield. They (still) get no respect. Their beating L.A. was viewed by many as an aberration. A result of Shaq and Kobe not having focus. Not true. Detroit proved that defense in the NBA still wins championships. Detroit still has the best players that you've never heard of. Go ahead and try to name their starting five without looking in the paper or online! The only name you really need to know is that of hall of fame coach Larry Brown. He's the best coach in the NBA. No question.

From the Western Conferences...

• Houston - Yao Ming, T-Mac, Bobby Sura, Juwan Howard, and Jim Jackson make Houston this year's white hot talent squad. To back them up, Coach Jeff Van Gundy has stocked Houston with his former New York Knicks team for added toughness: Clarence Weatherspoon, Charlie Ward, Mark Jackson, Dikembe Mutombo, and Patrick Ewing. Okay, Patrick's coaching the big man, but don't tell me he's not lacing them up with his old teammates in practice. There's no question that Houston's front line is locked and loaded with talent. There are also no room for excuses this year, coach. This is your year.
• Denver - With all they hype surrounding LeBron--Nike commercials, Rookie of the year, etc.--it still amazes me how the 'Mello and Dwayne Wade got overlooked. Last I checked, those two were in the playoffs! Denver's line-up is much improved. Start with Carmello, mix in some Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller, and top it off with Marcus Camby and Nene. Simply put, I really like what Denver has done to improve their low-post game. Don't be surprised to see Denver knocking off Minnesota to get to the Western Conference final.

A note about teams in the NBA would not be complete without talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly:

• The Good: Teams ready to explode:...the Utah Jazz...Orlando Magic...Minnesota Timberwolves
• The Bad: Teams ready to implode...Philadelphia 76ers...New Jersey Nets...Sacramento Kings
• The Ugly: Look for a troubling sophmore year for LeBron James. The Cavs management simply haven't put enough talent around the kid. Lucious Harris? Scott Williams? Lineman...err...Center Robert Traylor? Are you kidding me!?

Finally, some parting thoughts on guys I'll always root for:

• Alonzo Mourning - I love and respect this guy's intensity for the game--even when his team played my beloved Knicks. That said, I really hope his health is stable enough to withstand the rigors of an 82-game season. I'd hate to see the powerful 'Zo I remember finish his career looking like a bum because he couldn't come to grips with a game that has passed him physically. Besides, if and when he decides to hang up the shoes, he'll be a much better color commentator than former teammate, Tim Hardaway.
• Grant Hill - Here's a guy that the NBA should be marketing as comeback player of the decade. With the possible exceptions of Alonzo and Sean Elliot, has anyone been on the comeback trail longer than Grant Hill? T-Mac couldn't wait any longer and demanded a trade, but now the Magic have Steve Francis. Grant says the nagging ankle is finally ready to go. I just hope he mentors Steve to play with the class and dignity that Grant always has. Grant deserves to succeed. Good luck!

Peace,

+THINKER

An argument against the death penalty

I was listening to talk radio the other day as I often do on my commute home, and there was a blurb on some guy getting the death penalty. Now before I proceed, I should state that I actually believe, in principle, that the death penalty has its place; however, knowing that the death penalty is not administered consistently or seemingly with any logical rationale, I found myself revising my stance as follows: If we're not going to employ the death penalty with consistency--and to those most deserving of the ultimate penalty--then we ought not bother ourselves as a society with having a death penalty at all.

Liberals often argue that criminal justice is about rehabilitation, when in fact, it's about punishment. Surely, the death penalty is the ultimate punishment. In fact, it should be the Superbowl of penalties, with no question and no doubt as to the reasoning behind the assignment of such a sentence. The reality is our justice system doles the sentence out like so much candy, and there's no coming back from it. No recovery. No mulligan. No undelete. No Sci-Fi, cryogenic restoration to cover ourselves just in case someone screwed up. No consolation prize for DNA proving innocence or a reluctant witness coming forward at a later point in time. No, my friends, death is final. Death is absolute. Which is seemingly why it takes so long with appeals and cost so much in tax dollars to get the deed done. We have an inordinate amount of checks and balances, yet our "system" still finds ways to screw it up. People have already made the argument that it's cheaper to send someone away for life without the possibility of parole, then to give them the death penalty. So one could argue on the economic merits alone that we should do away with the death penalty.

Cost of carrying out the death sentence notwithstanding, let's make the argument that the system gets it right 99% of the time. That's a helluva batting or free throw average, but would you want to be the 1% of the people who gets the electric chair or lethal injection incorrectly?
"[Executioner]: Whoops! Sorry about that, Homey! We goofed. My Bad!" Not to trivialize the matter, but death does (sometimes) bring closure to the victims and/or the victims families...of course, it doesn't undo the deed that predicated the execution in the first place. Admittedly, I know full well how I would react if one of my loved ones fell victim to the unthinkable. Call it my Minority report, call it my pre-crime confession, call it pre-meditated insanity, call it what you will...I'm just telling you now, it wouldn't be pretty. And to keep it real, some people really deserve death, don't they? Case in point: Anyone remember Susan Smith? A decade ago, Susan killed her kids by strapping them in a car and pushing the car into a lake. We were supposed to feel sorry for her...apparently the jury did, although I can't see how...

This is the woman who after sleeping with three guys and getting dumped by one via a "Dear John" letter was sooooooo distraught, because "her man" told her that he couldn't deal with her having two kids. So what does Susan do? Why what any small town, blonde would do in a similar situation: she proceeded to strap her two sons in the back seat of a car and pushed her car into a lake. Then she told police that a "Black Man" carjacked her before she finally confessed that her story was a lie to cover up murdering her kids. This story received national coverage for weeks. It's ten years later and I am still pissed off by the outcome, not because Black men got bad press during that time, not because she destroyed a perfectly good Mustang, but because as a parent I was outraged at how someone could do that to their kids! Sadly, the jury apparently wasn't outraged at all, and tried to make sense out of non-sense--translated: Susan Smith did not get the death penalty, despite being more than deserving in my humble opinion.

So there you have it. Just one example, among many, of a person who deserved the death penalty, but failed to get it. As my father used to say, "If you're going to do something half-assed, then you might as well not do it all." Ladies and gentlemen, our society's doling out of the death penalty is clearly half-assed! Need I say more? Disagree? State your case.
Peace,
+THINKER

I need a music fix...

Some inspirational person once mused, "Music is the key to the soul." And no, it wasn't Sarah Connor, and "NO," the Sarah Connor I'm referring to is not the muscle-bound heroine of Terminator fame. Regardless of who said the aforementioned, magical phrase, I'd like to thank the originator for providing some insight into why music moves us the way it does.

I was introduced to music the way some children are taught to swim: I was thrown into the pool! Mind you, I consider my experience a good one. My uncle Vic--still one of the coolest guys I know--bought me my first L.P.: Parliament's "Chocolate City." George Clinton and William "Bootsy" Collins laid down the rhythms that created Funk (a.k.a. P-Funk), and Hip Hop as we know it today. I wore out most of the grooves in that album--this, after having to replace the album three times because the first three had scratches in them. At least the distributer was consistent! At a young age I quickly discovered that I had a serious problem...I had become a music junkie...and I needed a fix!

I delivered papers and sold cards door-to-door just to appease my music habit. Later, I worked at a record store, The Turntable, to fund my vinyl urges. But I still couldn't get enough. I DJ'd locally at house parties, at weddings, at colleges, and at clubs just so to have an excuse for playing my music how I wanted it, when I wanted it, and as loud as the audience could stand it! Music junkies like me are nostalgic. We never throw anything away. Vinyl L.P.s and 45s, Cassette tapes, DAT, and CDs--I've got it all just as if it were yesterday...or yesteryear. There is a section of my home that is a technological museum of music and the formats on which it has been delivered. I know I'm not alone, so repeat after me:

"Hi, my name is [state your name], and I am a music junkie."

R&B. Funk. Hip-Hop. Soul. Jazz. Blues. I even occasionally listen to classical music when no one is looking! Music clubs like Columbia and BMG hate me. I get my eight CDs for three bucks...buy the minimum to fulfill the contractual obligation...cancel my subscription and start over again. I listen to music in the car, at home, and when traveling. I even put my money where my music is--I bought stock in Sirius when it was just barely over a buck--and made a nice little profit to boot!

Don't feel bad if you're a music junkie. It's okay. And there are certainly worse vices to have...but I won't go there. Yes, music is the key to the soul. It can help you deal with depression, pump you up during exercise, take the stress of your day away, help you recall a special time, or just put smile on your face and a pep in your step. Music is therapy. Take a dose and call me in the morning...
Peace,
+THINKER

Who does Dick Cheney think he's fooling?

Recently, our illustrious Vice President made statements to indicate that by picking Bush-Cheney during the November election, America is less likely to become a victim of a terrorist act again. Does our Vice-President think Americans are so stupid as to submit to the politics of fear mongering? Who does Dick Cheney think he's fooling? To be fair, the specific quote made by Cheney occurred at a town hall appearance in Des Moines on Tuesday, where he stated that it was essential that Americans make the right choice in the Nov. 2 president election "because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again." Is that a guarantee, Mr. Vice-President? Taking his statement at face value, it would make less, not more, sense to vote for the Kerry-Edwards ticket! Or perhaps Americans are stupid enough to forget that the airplanes that totaled the twin towers occurred on his watch?

Sadly, the Bush-Cheney campaign has latched onto the 9/11 tragedy like a toddler sucking on a pacifier. Lo' be unto you if pull Dick Cheney’s binky! This is clearly the ultimate form of desperation. I just don't understand why they don't "get it." No one blames our current (or past) President for what happened on 9/11--okay, so some people do. But the fact of the matter is that pointing fingers gets us no closer to the preventative measures that need to be in place to avoid a repeat incident. I find it disgusting, however, that our current President chooses to continue to use the tragedy like so many companies use ad-placement in movies. The families who lost loved ones that day deserve better. The families who lost loved ones in Iraq deserve better. Our country deserves better. And interest groups are not helping matters.

The on-going discussion of the Swift boat incident and unfulfilled National Guard obligations only detract from the fact that neither the media nor the candidates are focusing on issues. These on-going insults to the intelligence of the American people should piss you off. Don't issues count during election runs anymore? I suppose what we need is good ol' fashioned drive by to wake us up. Remember when Gang violence was only an Urban problem? C'mon. You remember. It wasn't reeeeally a problem for America until it started infiltrating predominantly White suburban communities. Up until that point, authorities treated the symptoms, and not the problem. Make no mistake, "Terrorism" is no different.

As long as bombings and atrocities happened in other people's backyard--translation: somewhere in Europe, Africa, or Asia--it wasn't much for us to be concerned about. What a difference a day makes following the destruction of two sky scrapers. [Fast forward to present day and the mixed mission]: Since the "War on Terror" has begun, the lives of more than one thousand military men and women have been lost, several civilians have literally lost their heads, we have neither found nor eliminated any weapons of mass destruction, we have come no closer to finding Osama Bin Laden, the price of a barrel of sweet crude oil is floating in the $40-range, and by all counts, we have no exit strategy. Graphic? Disgusted? Good. Recall that we're once again removed from the ugliness. It all happens "over there." Sure, we do well to fall back on the humanitarian aspect of improving the lives of the Iraqi people, but somehow the notion of a whole new generation of extremists who are enraged at Americans occupying their country is none too comforting. Regardless of who gets elected in November, the legacy we leave (to our children) will be largely reflective of the legacy we leave to a post-occupation Iraq. Remember that!

Otherwise, you could simply believe our Vice-President's rhetoric--afterall, his is clearly the much simpler view:

• Step One: Don't vote for Kerry, less you increase the risk of another terrorist act. And don't consider that the terrorist act occurred while I was in office--that was Clinton's fault!
• Step Two: Don't recognize terrorism as terrorism--while you were sleeping, some nut blew up a ukranian church in Connecticut.

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Even the best writers couldn't make this stuff up...it's just too easy... So what are you going to do about it?

Peace,
+THINKER

Things I want to know about the next President of the United States

The Democrats have had their day in the sun in Boston, and the Republicans have now had their day in the sun. Both campaigns got a bump in the polls, but what do they have in mind for managing our country for the next four years? As a social liberal and fiscal conservative, I ultimately consider myself moderate by most political gauges. While I have my own thoughts about who you should vote for, I think it's more important that you do the following:

• Get as much information you can. Ask yourself: What issues do I care about? Where do I stand? And more importantly, where do the candidates stand on the issues? Whose plan is better? Do we share most of the same views? Or are we "world's apart"? You won't get this by listening to commercials or sound bites. You need to work at it--that means reading the paper, reading the platforms, watching the conventions, listening to analysis, and political commentary, and yes, reflecting upon the candidates record to date. And there are a couple of other things you need to do as well...
• Register to Vote, and
• VOTE, dang it! It's not sufficient to bitch & moan, or to simply register, and not plan on voting, as Dave Chappelle pointed out on The Tonight Show!

As a public service, I am providing some crib notes for evaluating the candidates. You might consider asking yourself the same questions...the answers might surprise you.

Things I want to know about the next President of the United States

1. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan to re-establish credibility with the United Nations and abroad?
2. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan for The War on Terrorism? When will the troops come home? What is our exit strategy? What is the definition of "mission accomplished"?
3. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan for providing incentives for companies to keep jobs in America?
4. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan for dealing with on-going challenges to Roe v. Wade?
5. What does[President Bush / Sen. Kerry] see as "critical qualifications" for a Supreme Court Justice nominee?
6. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan for ensuring that ALL children are presented with equal opportunities for education in a safe environment?
7. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan for reducing the National debt, safeguarding Social Security, and simplifying the tax laws such that everyone pays their fair share?
8. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] plan for making healthcare more affordable? And revising government policies prohibiting the purchase of generic drugs--at substantially lower cost--in Canada and/or overseas?
9. What are the preventative steps [President Bush /Sen. Kerry] will make in immigration and nationalization, and national security to reduce the risk of another episode of "9/11"?
10. What is [President Bush's / Sen. Kerry's] stance on calls for a constitutional amendment defining marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman?

Jobs for Americans. Healthcare. Education. Immigration. Taxes. Abortion. Gay Rights. Supreme Court appointments. National Security. International credibility. You may not care about some of these issues, but if you're reading this, odds are you care about at least a few. How much do you really know about where the candidates stand on the issues? Probably about as much as you know about where they stand on 527 organizations...and that ain't much! That said, what are you going to do about it? At the time of this writing, there are just 63 days left to election day. There's lots of time left to make an informed decision. Make your vote count...

Peace,

+THINKER

There's something to be said about tradition...

Among the things I respect about other cultures is the amount of attention they pay to heritage, language, customs, and tradition. As a boy, I had the opportunity to attend a Bah Mitzvah of a young friend with whom I attended elementary school. I remember vaguely that the ceremony symbolized the becoming of a man, but I don't recall much more than that. Some thirty years later, I was honored to be invited to another Bah Mitzvah of the son of a close co-worker. Suffice to say, I paid much closer attention this time. [I'm leaving the name of my friend and his family out of this article to honor privacy.]

As I sat in the synagogue with a Yarmulka on my head, I was taken by the deep historical sentiment of the ceremony. A Bah Mitzvah is a Jewish tradition that takes place when a son turns thirteen. Bah Mitzvah means "son of the commandments." In practice, it's a rite of passage where a young man becomes responsible for himself, and his parents are no longer responsible for his sins or good deeds. The young man prepares for this occasion by first completing a prescribed course of study from his congregation's school. He then follows an individualized study program in a specialized subject area selected with the support of his family and the concurrence of his Rabbi. The program is generally individualized and combines independent research and regular tutorial meetings with the Rabbi. In addition to sustaining cultural consiousness, it's an opportunity for the young man to become closer to his family and his religion, and see life in a new light. The young man I watched did his parents proud that day, as he read from sacred scrolls in Hebrew...some of which he memorized.

I can't think of anything comparable to this ceremony in the African-American community, but I sure wish we had one. Perhaps it would help us coalesce. Despite being joined by the many shades of our skin, we are very separated by a disjoint culture, economics, and, in some cases, a "Crabs in a barrel" (a.k.a. "Hater-ism") mentality. To be fair, part of the reasoning can be attributed to history and the media. We're not even clear on how to refer to ourselves as a people. People of German decent are referred to as "Germans." People from Italy are "Italians." People of Hispanic culture are referred to in reference to their native land--Spanish, Argentinian, Puerto Rican, Cuban etc. You get the idea. Unfortunately, history has been none too kind to our labels--Nigger... Nigga'... Coon... Colored... Negro... Black... African American. We've come a loooong way, Baby! Still, we're not consistent in how we refer to ourselves. For example, the N-word has been taken on as a term of endearment, but let someone from another race use the term and we take exception. Double standards in the Black community? Go figure. In retrospect, you can trace disparities in our community back to the time when house Negros thought themselves as "better" than those in the field. Fairness of color resulted in preferential treatment. Sadly, much mars our tradition and heritage. Fortunately, we also have things to feel good about.

Black folk has much to be proud of in terms of contributions to societal culture--soul food, hip hop, jazz, funk, gospel, blues, R&B, and the essence of "cool." We have the historical memoirs of Jim Crow and the knowledge of the perseverence that it took to overcome atrocities not unlike what the Jews endured. We've taken that perserverence and turned into contributions in science, architecture, technology, courts of law, business, sports, and the fashion and entertainment industries. All have had bearing on American culture.

I wonder if 20 years from now we will have a common tradition that we will share with our Great Grand-children that we can hold up high and say, "This is what our fore fathers did, and now you can teach your children to do the same." Perhaps Kwanzaa will take off as our adopted tradition. Ebonics is entertaining, but it's no rite of passage by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, there's certainly something to be said about tradition. I respect what we have as African-Americans and what we have accomplished as a people. We have, indeed, come a long way...But to keep it real: We have a long way to go.
Peace,
+THINKER

Show some love for the USA Basketball team

Wow. The Olympic games in Athens are turning out to be quite "interesting" for the USA Basketball team. But that's nothing compared to the grief these guys are getting on the home front. People are whining about them being arrogant millionaires, complaining about the lack of effort and defense, and critical of the ineptitude of their outside shooting. Most are disgruntled that our guys are not blowing teams out like the '92 Dream Team. "Michael, Magic, and Larry wouldn't have tolerated this!" they say. Some have even made suggested going back to college players to "teach those guys a lesson!" While at least some of the critiquing is valid, let's look at the facts:

1. The average age of the players on the USA basketball team this year is 23. Hello? 23! Six of the twelve players are 22 or younger--the youngest being Emeka Okafor at 19. Two of the players are 24--Richard Jefferson and Lamar Odom, and the remaining elder statesmen--Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury, Tim Duncan, and Allen Iverson--are 26,27, 28, and 29 respectively. Imagine that: Allen Iverson is the senior. Compared to the '92 team, whose average age was 29, we've lost a cumulative 72 year's worth of experience.
2. Of the twelve players on the roster, only three of the players have reached the NBA Championship round--Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson, and Allen Iverson. None of remaining players have even made it out of the second round of playoffs. By comparison, every player on the '92 squad had significant playoff experience--with the lone exception being Christian Laettner.
3. The current team consists of 7 guards, 4 forwards, and only 1 center--again, Tim Duncan. The '92 team had 5 guards, 5 forwards, and 2 centers--Patrick Ewing and David Robinson.
4. Of the '92 Dream Teamers, nine were named as the NBA's Fifty greatest players and (at least ten) will go into the hall of fame. Sorry, Christian and Mully, I don't see you guys in there. On the current team, Duncan and Iverson will probably make it to the hall of fame, but the jury is still out on the rest of the gang.

I say all this to make a point: Despite what you may think about these guys, you should support you USA Basketball team! Why? Well for one thing, these guys volunteered when most of your current superstars--Shaq, T-Mac, K.G., and Jason Kidd, to name a few--decided the opportunity to represent their country wasn't all that important. Give credit where it's due. It's no simple task to play team ball in few weeks after throwing some guys together...even with great talent, and little experience. Go ahead and ask Jerry Buss about having an all-star team and coming up short this year. Finally, if there's someone that ought to be chastised, it would be USA Basketball for not putting together a more balanced team. With all they have working against them, I'm rather impressed to see Team USA overcoming some glaring weaknesses--most notably, the missing outside shot and poor off-ball defense.

None of these guys are asked to do these things with any regularity on their existing teams, so can you really fault them for being dumbfounded initially with what's been delegated to garbage players? All things considered, I believe if this team is able to achieve gold in the Olympics, it would be more impressive than the '92 team's accomplishment. Face it. The level of competition is superior and the other teams are not looking starry eyed at Carlos Boozer in search of an autograph as they were before playing Magic & Michael! Speaking of Boozer, "don't hate...appreciate!" as Vivica A. Fox likes to say.

Bottomline: Support your USA Basketball team! Even if you don't particularly like these players, appreciate that they stepped up to represent the red, white, and blue. No different (and no less) than Michael Phelps has done. Too bad there aren't more fundamental basketball events in the Olympics like during the All-Star weekend--3 point shootout, point guard skills competition, or even the slam dunk contest. Think about it. No disrespect to some of the athletes, but what would you rather watch as an Olympic event? Kayaking? Or a 3-point shootout? [pause] I rest my case.

Peace,

+THINKER

Contrary to popular belief, it's not all about you...

People are often outspoken when things go wrong. Whether its the newspaper boy that misses your doorstep, the contractor who doesn't do quality work, or the waitress who is inattentive, we generally let people know when we're not pleased. But ask yourself: How often do we (or I) acknowledge when things go right? Do you let people know when they've rendered good services? Or paid close attention to quality? I do. Call it "greasing the wheels"...call it stroking...call it whatever you like. My experience has been that when you acknowledge when people do well, they get recogntion, positive reinforcement--[pun completely unintential]--and work that much harder on your behalf.

For instance, I'm a regular at a local barbershop in our town. Now if you've never been to Black barber shop you should rent (or buy) "Barber Shop"--the shop talk is pretty close to what goes on. [By the way: Support your local minority-owned businesses!] Anyway, generally speaking, no one ever wants to sit in a new barber's chair. The new guy is usually very young, inexperienced, has no established clientele, and typically doesn't cut as well as the old pros. Now that's not universally true, of course, but anecdotal evidence bears this out...TRUST ME on this!--crooked lines on your forehead and razor burns on the neck don't lie! Turns out, however, that by patronizing a good (unknown), new barber and "pumpin' him up" when he does well, an interesting thing occurs. That new barber remembers who "pumps" them up, and who tips well. Getting pumped makes him feel good, and has the side effect of generating interest in more customers wanting to sit in his chair. Additionally, you might even get more attention and better service the next time you come in. Don't misunderstand, whether or not you "get" something is inconsequential. That you may have made a difference in someone's life...even slightly...even for just a moment...is priceless...

So if you happen to live in a town where the gas station doesn't gouge you for full service, and a young man (or lady) is hustling to pump your gas, clean your windshield, and check your oil, in the words of Steve Harvey, "Put ya' hands together...and Show ya' 'love... for (that service man)!'" Okay, so maybe you don't applaud at the gas station or in a restaurant. But then again, may you do. "Love" in this context could be something as simple as a little something extra in the tip, or as thorough as a letter of appreciation. You choose. It's the little things you do in life that let people know you appreciate and care about what it is that they do.

Who knows? You just might make someone's day special. As some wise person once told me, " You get more with honey than you get with vinegar!" but let's keep it real: Contrary to popular belief, it's not all about you.

Peace,
+THINKER

TiVO: Still the best after all these years

I'm a HUGE fan of TiVO, the premiere vendor in digital video recording (DVR). There's nothing quite like pausing live TV, recording two other channels while watching a pre-recorded program, and setting a "Season Pass" to get every episode of your favorite program--even if the network changes the timeslot, TiVO will pick it up! TiVO is most handy during football season. Want to replay that spectacular play? Run it in slow-motion? Frame-by-frame? TiVO fills the bill. My TiVO series 1 is a bit dated, but I still think it's the single best electronic convenience I've purchased in five years. The series 1, the first that included the dual tuner with DirecTV receiver, is quite accommodating to hacks--key codes you can enter to enable hidden features, like the infamous "Commercial Skip" feature. Other vendors are now integrating DVR features into their cable boxes, but make no mistake: there's no beating the original. The TiVO interface requires no training and the remote is programmable. The cost of entry is now just $99, not including subscription options.

TiVO provides two subscription methods: Monthly rates are about $10 and Lifetime rate is $300. Do yourself a favor and go for the lifetime rate--you'll thank yourself later! The new TiVO Series 2 has increased recording capacity (60-80 hours), and allows you to exchange programs, pictures, and audio among multiple TiVO receivers. The receivers must be connected to home network--this is very easy to do and requires a broadband connection and LinkSys wireless router switch. With recent precedings confirming the ability of consumers to exchange programming--a la ReplayTV--I expect TiVO to enhance its feature set soon. Notably, you can still purchase the Series 1 on eBay--many include the lifetime subscription as part of the price, since this is locked to the receiver via an encrypted access card. If you're still staring at a blinking clock on your VCR, get with the program and pick up a TiVO!

In the world of Internet radio, new technologies for manipulating media continue to blur the line between copyright infringement and fair use, and one recent development that may threaten the Internet radio community is software dubbed Audio Xtract. Think of it as TiVO for web radio. Supplied by St. Louis-based software marketer Jambalaya Brands, Audio Xtract allows users to record -- and subsequently mix, cut and edit -- music being played via an Internet stream. In other words, software owners can listen to Web radio streams, record the music and then "xtract" it into MP3 or other unrestricted audio files. The product retails for $50, or $70 for the advanced "professional" version. You would think the music industry would be over themselves by now. People have been recording radio onto tape for years. This new technology provides better quality and simply makes it more convenient. Better get your music before they "drop it like it's hot!"
Peace,
+THINKER

Where do you want to surf today?

The Internet continues to grow by leaps and bounds, yet the enormity of said growth goes largely without notice. While there are certainly people who are intrigued by the latest site to hit the information superhighway, most mere mortals--I include myself in this later category--care only to know about sites that make one's personal or professional lives easier. For instance, most of us care a site we use frequently to be updated regularly...and we expect this at little to no cost! We expect producers of said sites to have their minions constantly improving its effectiveness. Personally, the sites I prefer generally allow you to surf anonymously and for free. Anonymous surfing is important to avoid getting spam and solicitations you never requested, and free is well...Free! These are some of my favorite Favorites...

www.dpreview.com - Digital Photography Review dot com is an indispensable site for

• comparing features of digital cameras--if you're looking to buy a new digital camera,
• comprehensive technical and user reviews of products, and
• learning about all of those features that you'll never use on your existing camera

www.pricewatch.com - Even guys can appreciate a good bargain. But if you're looking for the cheapest price and you're still buying "Computer Shopper" magazine--a phone book-style rag that's ~1% articles and 99% advertising--you're doing yourself a disservice. If you're looking for a monitor, Video card, memory, or other computer parts, PriceWatch has the low down on the best Internet vendors carrying computers and parts and results are pre-sorted by price. If you spend time on a PC for any length of time, eventually you discover some component to upgrade. Keep in mind that under current commerce rules, you (generally) don't pay tax if you buy from an out of state vendor--this can add to additional savings on big ticket items. And when the lady of the house chastises you about getting your newest computer part in the mail, ask her about all those shoes in the closet!

www.w3schools.com - Interested in learning about technology at zero cost? Think you might be looking for a career change to some computer-related job? Not sure how to get started? A great place to start is W3 Schools. W3 Schools touts itself as the "Largest Web Developer site on the Net," and the depth of their site adds validity to the claim. This site has tutorials, references, code samples, and interactive quizzes to test yourself--all at no cost to you. Better still, you don't have to enroll or sign up, just jump right in! Of course, if you want to get certified, they'll point you in the right direction. Likewise, once you recognize that Windows' Notepad is a less than adequate editor, there are links to commercial tools that may be of interest. This site had many relevant sponsors.

www.dictionary.com - I still like looking up words the "old-fashioned" way, but when I'm at work and my Microsoft Word dictionary can't find a word, Dictionary.com is the place to go. As its name implies, it's an online dictionary and the site has a sister site, thesaurus.com. Dictionary.com is supported by ads, but if you're using an ad blocker it shouldn't be a problem.

www.Google.com - You know your company has arrived when your its moniker is used as a verb! Xerox, TiVo, and now Google. The Google Search engine has become the Swiss Army Knife of the Internet; however, it has more uses than finding relevant web pages. A friend of mine told to try this: enter your phone number--with hyphens--and see what comes up. Forget CallerID, Google had my number and my address for all to see! Fortunately, Google does provide a form to remove the number for privacy reasons. The bad news is there's no security around number removal--so you could potentially remove someone's number who intended to have it published! Identity mangling issues aside, Google is still the gold standard of search engines. I've dispensed with Ask Jeeves, Lycos, and Yahoo for the most part. And Google's interface makes it an equally good option for searches from wireless devices, such as Blackberry and Palm Treos.

www.CNN.com - Microsoft may know software, but no one does comprehensive news coverage like CNN. Nobody. And their web site is reflective of that. 'Nough said.

www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm - History buffs and art lovers alike will enjoy this web site on the Louvre. I've been lucky enough to go to France, but never made it to this feature attraction--ran out of time and I didn't want to go AWOL in order to visit the museum...call me crazy. The Louvre was established in 1793 by the French Republic and houses some of the most famous artifacts in the world. The Mona Lisa, Michelangelo statues, and paintings by Eugène Delacroix can all be found here. The Louvre has had expansions and renovations over the years, and the changes are also captured on the site. Additionally, the museum has exhibitions of historic art and artifacts from various other countries.

www.time.com - Time magazine is one of the few periodical publications that doesn't skimp or force you to enter your subscription number to view detailed content. No time to hit the newsstand?--no pun intended--then go to Time's web site to find great articles on the upcoming Olympics, Business, and Entertainment.

www.etrade.com - E*Trade has carved a niche in providing great tools with reasonable prices for trades. Yes, you do have to open an account to execute trades. However, if you're just monitoring the market and learning about investing, most all of E*Trades tools are available for free.

movies.guide.real.com - There are lots of movie review sites on the Internet, but few give you comprehensive, instant access to trailers for films currently in theaters and/or on their way to a video store near you. This site is simple to navigate and the designers at Real--famous for the Real media player--are not "in your face" trying to sell you something at every opportunity. While video streaming is adequate at 56k, a broadband connection--cable modem or DSL--is recommended.

These certainly aren't the only sites I frequent, but they are links I utilize regularly. If you know of sites that are useful, free, and allow users to surf anonymously--please share the wealth. Inquiring minds want to know!

Peace,

+THINKER

Being Part of the Solution

My Dad grilled the following phrase into my brain: "You're either part of the problem, or part of the solution." What he left open-ended was how you go about being part of the latter. So periodically, at least once a year, I ask myself: "What are you doing to be part of the solution?" It's tough to be objectively introspective, but I give it my best shot. You see, as a young man, I used to muse, "The one who dies with the most toys 'wins'!" Now that I'm older, I've realized that it isn't about "winning," it's about making a difference. How you choose to make a difference is up to you.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for people who make a difference in their lives on a daily basis. Teachers, police, fire fighters, military men & women, and social workers all deserve more respect--and more pay I might add--in my opinion. Their dedication affects lives in a tangible way. Their reality eclipses most every "reality" television program. For instance, if you can read this article, you have a teacher to thank. If you value the freedoms you have, you have the military to thank. If your neighborhood is a safe one, you have a policeman to thank. Mind you, I don't expect everyone to stop what they're doing to work in the public sector, but you should value what these folks bring to the table. Is it always all good and rosy? No. Are there some bad cops and incompetent teachers? Sure. They exist. But the number of good ones far outweigh the bad, and the former never seem to get enough credit for the multitude of things they do right.

Which brings me to the great American pastime. No. Not baseball, but the facination Americans have to hoist people up on a pedastal and step on them when they're "down." Take Michael Jackson for example. We generally love his music--okay, except "Man in the mirror"--but can't help being equally as entertained in observing his demise. Is voyeurism woven into the American fabric? Are you part of the problem? Or are you part of the solution? Sure, Michael is responsible for his actions, and he will get the justice he deserves...as will Kobe and Robert Blake and Scott Peterson. As I mentioned earlier, it's too bad we don't take equal notice to people who do the opposite: Screw up big time and then redeem themselves. There's no better example of this that I can think of than Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Never heard of Stanley? Read on...

Stanley was one of the founding members of the Crips, and is currently in prison on death row. Admittedly, his early resume left much to be desired, but there's more. Through his own immense efforts, this won't be Stanley's epitaph. Stanley isn't perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but he's done more to redeem himself than most people will do in a lifetime. All from behind bars. Stanley has written a series of children's books that was so well received he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Being incarcerated didn't help him garner many supporters, but when was the last time you did something that warranted consideration for such an honor? The latter part of Stanley's life has been depicted in the movie Redemption, enacted by Jamie Foxx--a movie very worthy of your time. He speaks regularly to troubled youth, planting seeds of peace that will hopefully flourish as the boys and girls he addresses become men and women. He's making a difference, when no one thought he could.
I've neither met nor spoken with Mr. Williams, but if I ever get that opportunity I would tell him, "You're part of the solution."
Peace,
+THINKER

Technology Run a Muck (Part 3 of 3)

So I’m thinking about some of the things that I use today that will probably be obsolete in say, the next 6-12 months. Not the obvious stuff like my car, my stereo, or my MP3 player, but things that seem to have had longevity up until now. Here’s what I’ve come up with…

1. CDs and DVDs—Yes, the media of choice today is getting a bit long in tooth, and it’s only a matter of when the manufacturers will put their collective heads together to create the next medium that has copy protection as a principle feature. SONY has had the mini-disc out there for some time but it hasn’t caught on. And Digital Audio Tape (DAT) has the same sequential access issues regular cassettes had. Don’t look for the return of Betamax tapes, either! Look for the next medium to be smaller, more secure, and capable of playing MPEG4.
   
2. Corded Gadgets of every kind – If you haven’t heard of Bluetooth by now, you should also be that Xerox no longer makes typewriters and bell-bottoms are no longer in vogue. In short, if your gadget has a cord, it’s already passé. Bluetooth is a low cost, short-range wireless technology that allows devices to communicate without the spaghetti of cords that typical of most configurations today. There are already Bluetooth enabled phones, headsets, keyboards, printers, and PDAs. This is the technology that allows buyers of some new cars to skip using their key in an ignition. Walk up to your car with your Bluetooth enabled key in your pocket, and the car unlocks. Get in the vehicle, hit the start button, and you’re off! All without digging in your pocket and fumbling for keys. Very cool. Look for Bluetooth technology to take off in the home entertainment sector as well. In this genre, the manly challenge of wiring surround sound will be reduced to plugging in devices and hitting the “Power” button for THX quality sound.
   
3. POTS – POTS, for those of you work who neither work for the phone company or your company’s I.T. department, stands for Plain Old Telephone Service. POTS has been around since the time of Methuselah, and phone companies are still wringing profits from this infrastructure with the adoption of DSL. As wireless companies like Metro PCS push the envelope for flat rate pricing, the other wireless companies will begin to cave in on measured-rate plans. In doing so, there will be little need to maintain a POTS line unless you have a fax machine, DSL, or a payphone in your family room like the Brady Bunch.
   
4. CRTs – Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions and computer monitors are on their last legs. The next time you see a flat-screen television in Best Buy, ask the salesman, “How much are you going to give me to take that monitor off your hands?” He won't appreciate your sarcasm, but he'll understand where you're coming from. CRTs are big, hot, heavy, and inefficient. Yes, they are getting cheaper, but don’t get sucked in. The picture on LCD and Plasma screens are usually superior and typically support various high-definition formats.
   
5. Social Security Numbers – Don’t even get me started on the identity theft issues with this antiquated system of marking Americans for life and then “recycling” the numbers. Social Security Numbers have become the identity theft poster child. Let’s hope that the future holds something a little more distinctive—for instance, something you have, like your thumbprint or DNA (a la Gattaca) in conjunction with something you know, like a PIN or password. Two-part authentication in all facets of electronic transactions should be the norm, but most of the major players—MasterCard, American Express, and VISA—are waiting for the “other guy” to take the plunge on fears that Americans will reject the technology. Let’s see…show my card…enter a pin…I buy stuff and my money doesn’t get stolen. Simple. What’s not to like?
   

Next on the horizon? Devices I’d like to see built…

Peace,
+THINKER

...with liberty, and justice for all(?)

Recall the pledge of allegiance regularly recited in Kindergarten classes across America:

I pledge allegiance, to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Think about the last part for a minute: "with liberty and justice for all." Now you may be thinking, "here comes the bleeding heart liberal speech," but I'm going in a different direction. For the record, I am a fiscal conservative--which means I like to keep what I earn and I'm happy to pay my fair share of taxes for the services we all receive. I am a social liberal--which means I think everyone has an equal right to pray to whom they wish to worship, marry who they wish to marry, and live where they wish to live. It's the American way. Back to the topic at hand...
As my youngest son embarks on his Kindergarten and grade school years, I contemplated the pledge he would be stating daily, ending in, "with liberty and justice for all." I reflected upon the time when "liberty" was an issue for African Americans. It no longer is, of course, but it took this country decades to realize that the unpopular decision was ultimately the right decision. This realization was embodied in the Emancipation Proclamation and the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution to make it official. Similarly, freedom to vote came later, and later still for women with the fifteenth and nineteenth amendments respectively. So we're all free and we can all vote. Finally. But while we Americans can play equally in the polling booth, what about in the courts? Is there truly justice for all?

I recently read an article in the local paper about Martha Stewart wanting to write a book!-- sacbee.com - Martha Stewart says she'll write book about trial experience Go figure. Now where's the justice here? Isn't the headline, "Woman gets convicted of felony and writes book," just a tad bit strange? "I think I'll write a book because I think it could be helpful to other people, just about what lawyer to choose, how to behave, how to attend an interview, " says she. What's sadder? That some publisher will do it, or that some idiots will actually buy her book? Perhaps it's just me, but does anyone want advice on how to pick a lawyer from someone who lost the case? [I don't see any hands up in the audience.] And what does picking a lawyer have to do with how to attend an interview? Let's see what I can come up with as a Martha ghost writer candidate: To attend an interview, you show up on time. The end. Does any of this make sense? Are you feelin' me? Okay, to be fair, she's only going to "suffer" five months...on her 153-acre New York estate...while she continues to get paid by her conglomerate. But hey, this is "justice for all," right?

Somewhere in a parallel universe, a whino named G.W. commits a felony in California. It's his third strike, and normally in California that means the government gives G.W. a very stern time out...in jail...but I'm talking about a parallel universe here. [Just hang in there for a bit longer.] G.W. has no money for a defense--let alone a good one-- and his court appointed attorney is overbooked with other cases and appeals. G.W. has no family. He was poor and had a lousy upbringing for which he makes lots of excuses about "the Man" keeping him down. During his trial G.W. is not contrite. In fact, he's downright arrogant. "I'm just gonna' go back to livin' on the street when I'm through, so f@#% all ya'll," he says on the stand. In this universe, G.W. is rightly convicted of his crime--afterall, all the evidence was there except for the smoking gun. Surprisingly though, he doesn't get a heavy sentence. Instead, he gets reprimanded to a just few months at the Gold Club. The liquor store where he normally buys his beer donates spirits to him during his stay at the girlie bar. Sound ridiculous? Of course it does. So does Martha's fate. I suppose Martha will have the last laugh, but I firmly believe everyone gets what's coming to them. So if you happen to work for Ms. Stewart and an electrical storm is brewing, just know that you need to get out of Dodge...pronto!

And on a more serious note: maybe...just maybe...we need to take a really hard look at how to fix our (unequal) justice for all.
Peace,
+THINKER

Technology Run A Muck (Part 2 of 3)

Furthering my trip down memory lane, it occurred to me that the technology revolution has made obsolete some of my fond memories…

• Old remote controls & TVs with mechanical channel tuners – Remember these? As a kid, I remember handling my first wireless remote like it was gold bullion. As I recall, it was a weighty beast about the size of a telephone receiver. It had chrome—yes, chrome—and just only three buttons. One for running through the channels sequentially, one for volume, and an on/off button. The action really started when you hit the channel button. The television would come “alive” as the mechanical dial would go through seemingly painful gyrations to get to the next channel. Most of these old sets are gone now, but I can remember the gears wearing out and having to change the channel with a pair of needle nose pliers! Yep, nothing like sticking metal into a device with tubes and 110 volts, but that’s the risk you took to watch seven channels back in the day!
  
• TVs as furniture – My brother-in-law and I were loading an old console set onto his truck a few weekends back when I mentioned that when such sets went bad back in the day, we’d turn the old case into a fish tank! He was stunned like a deer in headlights… he gathered himself to blurt out, “Say what???” Then it hit me. Young folks don’t remember when TVs used to be furniture. When a living room used to a “Living” room—now the family room is the center of attention and the living room is just a museum piece for folk to look at, but not to touch…but I digress. We had a Zenith television that had Mahogany wood all around it. It was twenty-five inches, and had a panel on front with tiny dials to tune the channels you viewed most, and knobs for color, tint, and brightness. I tried to remember the first time I saw a fish tank in a TV, and my only recollection is a Chinese restaurant somewhere in North Jersey, but it was some tank! All the controls had been left in place, but the picture tube had been replaced with, well…a glass tank. It’s the earliest version of HDTV I can remember, but it could only tune in to the Goldfish channel!
  
• Microwave Ovens with dials – While working in Philly back in the eighties, I bought my mother a microwave oven. Most people don’t remember life without these time savers, but there used to be time when warming up dinner meant firing up the oven or the stove! The microwave was a Sharp® Carousel as I recall and it had a dial—no LED—and a rotating tray. It was simple. Step 1: Open door. Step 2: Insert food. Step 3: Close door. Step 4: Turn knob. Simple. Warming up food in a microwave today brings to mind the skills necessary to program a VCR. Manufacturers, in their zeal to add features, have largely lost the simplicity that made microwaves such a hot commodity…err…no pun intended.
  
  

So there you have it. Out with the old, in with the new. Is there anything on your list of archaic items that you’d like to see back? Let me know. In the meantime, I’ve given some thought to those current things that I see going the way of the mercury thermometer…but that will have to wait until next time.
Peace,
+THINKER

Technology Run A Muck! (Part 1 of a 3 part series)

My recent trip down memory recently took on a life of its own. You see, I have the coolest parents. My Dad is only eclipsed by me as agadget nut, and my Mom cruises the Internet like Tony Hawk rides a skateboard. Still, as I reflect upon times when I coded Pascal and executed said programs on punch cards, I sometimes wonder how receptive I will be years from now as technology continues to creep along. Already, I find myself resistant to the winds of change. Me! The Gadget Guy! Surely, I can't be the only one who holds “ancient” technologies in high regard? To test this theory, allow me, if you will, to go down memory lane on some of my favorite technologies that have...err...fallen out of favor—to put it nicely.

• Albums, LPs, & 45s
  - Aaaaah. Analog. When music was pure and Napster was just a disaster waiting to happen to the music industry. I used to work in a place called the "Turntable" in Willingboro, New Jersey. As its name implies, it was a record store—for you Gen-X’ers out there, a record is slab of vinyl that had music embedded on it before there was such a thing as MP3s...but I digress. As a young man, I spent every cent on buying records, taking care of them—storing them vertically, keeping them clean, and keeping them in a cool place. Records are like fine wine. Play a half-speed album on the best equipment through a Carver amplifier and only the best audiophiles could decipher distortion. But alas, records fell victim to CDs, the older, illegitimate cousin of DVD's, and soon only DJs cared to use them anymore. What a shame. Now don't get me wrong, I like CDs, too and I have acquired many more CDs than records if only because the storage is much easier. That said, there's something to be said for getting your friends together and doing karaoke to a nice Earth,Wind, and Fire tune that just doesn't have the nostalgia when you play a
  CD. Sure, the records occasionally have that "Snap, Crackle, Pop" that I love to hear in Musiq's songs, but that's what gives them character. How much character do you get
  from an iPod?
  

• 8-Track tapes -
  Okay...I'm dating myself here, but I did leave reel-to-reel playerss off the list! 8-Tracks
  were among the early random access mediums in audio...and when I say random, I mean RANDOM! Again, for the Gen X-ers, Audio is recorded in two tracks. The tape in an “8-Track tape” could accommodate four pairs of these and the players typically had a button that allowed the user to sequentially shift to the next pair of tracks. Hence
  the name. I used to have an Emerson boom box with an 8-Track player that could record!—a verrry rare find in the 70s. I'd buy blanks from Radio Shack and then make custom tapes for playing in the boom box or the car—yeah , some of you know what I'm talkin' about...you weren’t rolling in style if you didn’t have an 8-Track in your ride. My
  fondest memory of 8-Track tapes is from pressing the polished aluminum "Track" button on my boom box. The playback head would emit this great "Cha-chunk" sound each time the button is pressed and the next thing you know you're listening to Marvin Gaye instead of the O'Jays. “Cha-chunk!” Stylistics song—somewhere in the middle. “Cha-Chunk!”
  Stevie Wonder song, somewhere near the end. Several things worked to the 8-Track's demise: First of all, the problem with the 8-Track was that you never knew for sure what section of a song you would end up in when you heard that "Cha-Chunk" sound. Secondly, while many people with Classic Cadillacs had 8-Track players, very few were able to record an 8-Track tape. I suspect the music moguls liked the idea of controlling the medium, but technology ultimately sank this bad boy. That technology was—surprise—cassette tapes!
  

• Cassette tapes - Whew! Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the 80's! Cassette tapes flew off the shelves and spawned the SONY Walkman because consumers now had better
  quality in a smaller package and you could custom record your own Tom Joyner anthology at a reasonable cost--*Note to record industry: Are you listening? Good. Quit schlepping lousy acts and one-hit wonders, and quit asking $18 for a CD that we know
  costs less than a couple of bucks to mass produce. Back to Cassettes. The problem with cassettes were they were...well...predictable. Allow me to elaborate. Listen to a side, flip
  the tape, listen to the other side. Over and over and over again. Like 8-Tracks, after you listened to the same tape a few times, the monotony drove people crazy. Manufacturers
  countered with the 80s-version of commercial-skip. The better players could fast-forward to the next blank space in the tape—but if you mixed your songs together, there were no blank spaces to fast forward to! Then along came technology that put the cassette in the grave: Compact Discs (or CDs).
  

Whoa! Look at the time!—I blinked an 90 minutes just zoomed by! More to come down memory lane in part 2, and I've got some predictions on things we use today that (I think) are on a short roadto obsolescence....the list may surprise you!
Peace,
+THINKER

Miscellaneous ramblings on the "Global Economy"

Greetings, Sports fans!

In this time during the Democratic convention, I had a chance to reflect on Sen. Edwards' "Hope is on the way" theme. You see, I am among many of the technology workers who were affected by the influx of H1B workers and off-shore labor. I have several college degrees--so it isn't about "getting educated," Mr. President. I have consistently gotten "Excellent/Superior" ratings on my performance reviews—so it isn't about "job performance," Mr. President. In fact, up until last year, I had never been fired—ahem , "laid off"—from a job. The fact of the matter was that while the company—that will remain nameless—treated its workers with dignity, it made no effort to retain individuals based upon merit. Let's see, the workers doing the right thing and working hard are ousted while the people keeping themselves busy by coding themselves a vacation bonus get retained? Yikes! "We're going to supplement, not replace our workers," the CEOs say. What this really means is that regardless of how educated you are or how hard you work, if someone across the pond is willing to work for a pittance of what we're paying you, then your days are numbered. Anyone remember Ross Perot and his talks of that "giant 'sucking' sound?" He was right!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, you can often hear CFOs reporting numbers that never seem to be good enough for Wall St. Gurus managing your portfolio. Something has to give, right?

Thoughts from the journal of a CEO: Let's see...we're losing tons of money, but what the hell, I'll make some waves and then get that sweet severance package and get that loan for my house in the Bahamas forgiven. So what should I do? I guess I could:

a) Lay off more workers and ask the ones who stay to do more with less (ADP)...dang...already did that...but hell, a few more will help cover my bonus this Fall
b) Kick off a marketing blitz that will far exceed our revenues (TIVO)...only way to stay in business while losing money is cover it as a market share acquisition strategy...LOL...works like a charm every time!
c) "Concede" product X to the competition and spin it as our re-focus on legacy products. (Lou) Gerstner did that even while having a better product that he could have marketed better—what the hell was he thinking???!!!
d) Make mo' money by using our insider information...Nah, the SEC is watching too closely these days. Maybe the climate will cool after Martha finishes her appeals and Michael Jackson goes on trial.
e) What the heck, we didn't lose that much this last year. That's gotta be worth something! Time to give myself a FAT raise despite the fact that we're (still) losing money! Yeah, yeah…that’s the ticket!

To come correct, I'm as capitalist as they come, and I have no "Hater-ade" for the "Over-paid." I'm just continually stunned about the lack of conscience or ethics in the anals of corporate America…so much so that I walked away from a job with good money on the table. As good consumers, we regularly must make decisions that minimize risk to our families in order to meet our financial responsibilities. Why don't (most) CEOs do the same? I "get" that executives are beholden to stockholders, but the disparity between those who have and have not has become the ultimate barometer in my never-to-be-humble opinion. Which brings me back to the eloquent speech made by Senator Edwards on Wednesday. Isn't it ironic that our Democratic candidates-in-arms have made the issue of jobs and opportunity a cornerstone of their campaign? I don't think so. Sen. Edwards may not have the fluency of John Kennedy, but I must admit his message rang loud and clear: "Hope is on the way," indeed, but only if those who care step up to participate in our political process.

I periodically remind my sons that voting is a privilege, not a right. For instance, those who are incarcerated and serve their terms don't regain this privilege, and it wasn't that long ago when women and Blacks were not permitted to vote in this country. Al Sharpton said it best: "We never got our (40 acres) & a mule, but we're going to ride this donkey for all its worth!" We have few opportunities to collectively make a difference in this country and in this life. Make yours count.

Peace,
+THINKER