Roughly… the Truth

Framing this issue as “more federal regulation” is a clever tactic…

This week, Senator-R Jim DeMint gave his take on Network Neutrality – I was especially amused at the assertion he has made below:

Perspective: Why Net neutrality means more federal regulation
By Jim DeMint
Published: June 27, 2006
“It would be commercial suicide for any network provider to limit the ability of their customers to access any site or receive any service: Their customers would simply go elsewhere! Consumers have a growing number of choices of networks, and this competition will force networks to continuously upgrade their services. Federal regulation, on the other hand, would only reduce the quality and access of Internet services for all Americans.”

Telco’s & industry advocates have poured hoards of money into lobbying this issue. Translation: many well compensated senators & consultants working overtime on their behalf. Information – necessary for efficient free markets – is fortunately still available on congressional members; although with such freedoms being handed over to profit driven companies, this may not long be the case.

What Motivates a Senator
Monetary incentives tend to influence many of the views which individuals hold (economics 101). Contributions by the telco’s & other various industry advocates to Senator DeMint have clearly taken their toll on his ability to be objective – this is a toll to the tune of $132,849!

Various contributors to DeMint’s coffer…you be the judge:

Exerpt from: Wyche Burgess Freeman & Parham, P.A. website – Political Contributor ($23,300)

“We have played an important role in the creation and expansion of a number of major corporations located in Greenville, among them are a large diversified media organization”

Excerpt from: Babcock & Brown offers $2.36 billion for Irish telco Eircom – Political Contributor ($28,125)

“The bid for Eircom has been made four months after a failed takeover attempt for it by Swisscom AG, Switzerland’s largest telco.”

Excerpt from: Nelson Mullins Cyberwatch Newsletter – Political Contributor ($41,424)

Internet Bandwidth Neutrality
“A growing concern among large Internet-based companies is the dilemma being faced with large bandwidth charges. Those companies that provide the wires and fiber optics that connect the Internet believe that large “bandwidth hogs” should pay additional amounts to guarantee fast and efficient connections. To prevent such a move, companies such as Google and eBay are lobbying Congress to pass a law that would maintain “Net-neutrality”. In general, they are seeking a law that would prohibit telecommunications and cable companies from blocking or slowing down access to Web sites or for charging big bandwidth users a fee for priority access. The House of Representatives recently passed telecommunications legislation that did not include such neutrality provisions. However, the law did empower the Federal Communications Commission to investigate discrimination in online bandwidth access. Opponents of the Net-neutrality law argue that somebody must pay for the huge amount of bandwidth consumed by some large Internet sites. They state that if Internet service providers are not allowed to charge for greater-than-average bandwidth use, then the cost will end up being borne by the average consumer.”

Not to mention, the all-too-obvious:
AT&T – Political Contributor ($19,000)

Verizon Communications – Political Contributor ($21,000)

Nota Bena:
You can learn more about the other side of Net Neutrality by reading the founder of the internet’s thoughts and if you choose to do so, you can help protect Network Neutrality by going here: It’s Our Net.

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An article today on Reuters | US officials seeing new home-grown terror cells, gives me hope that we may seriously begin to address the root causes of terrorism.

This quote by Scott Redd, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, really caught my attention:

“We are grappling with a whole new set of questions: what forces give rise to this violent ideology in immigrant communities that may appear otherwise to be quite well assimilated? … What signs should we be looking for to try to draw early warning of potential problems?” the statement said.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out…

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All signs point to rising interest rates for the foreseeable future…

National Debt at all-time highs, a deep and growing current account deficit – the U.S. may find itself in an extremely sticky situation in a very short time. Just today we saw producer prices up more than expected. The Fed loathes inflation and the pressure is mounting on them to continue with their interest rate hikes.

The stock market has gone into a tailspin due to this realization and a global equity meltdown has cost investors $2 trillion of wealth.

As political instability, vulnerable emerging markets and a worldwide push toward socialism all grow, the economy seems to be in for a long and rough ride. At the same time, congress is pushing for further tax cuts and increased spending.

In a rising rate environment, cash is always king
Companies with ample supplies of reserves will fair far better than those without. Debt is becoming ever more expensive and those who have over-leveraged themselves will have to eventually pay the piper. These effects will also be seen in the housing market, and even more worrisome, in the U.S. government. As our national debt becomes more expensive to pay back to foreign lenders, the government will have no choice but to finally tighten those purse strings..

Bush to public: “You’re gonna have to fend for yourselves”
This was never actually said…well, at least in so many words – In fact, the same message was heard after FEMA’s botched response to hurricane Katrina. I suspect (regretfully) we’ll be hearing more of this in the not too distant future. Although this time, it will be reflected in the loss of many cherished public services that we have become so familiar with and now take for granted. It’s the middle and lower classes of America who will truly suffer for the failure of the current administration and congress to act with more frugality and to reign in spending.

Elected Officials Are the CEO & Board Members of a Giant Corporation, We Like to Call it: The United States of America
This is a thought I hope we keep in mind the next time we are faced with national elections. Any company’s leaders with a performance like the one we now see in the government would be out the door in a second – the shareholders (public citizens) would never stand for it. We, the shareholders, need competent managers in charge of this company…We must demand it!

Always remember: You reap what you sow.

NOTE: I’m not advocating a particular party here; only a responsible leadership.

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Google Browser Sync is a new extension, released today, for use with the Firefox web browser.

Here’s what it does:

“continuously synchronizes your browser settings – including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords – across your computers. It also allows you to restore open tabs and windows across different machines and browser sessions”

This strikes me as some hefty competition for a number of existing extensions and online services that have been spawned as a result of Firefox’s extensible open source software platform. Ex the social networking aspect, this little app looks like a god-send for those of us who can do without sharing all of our ‘private’ information with online world…or does it?

Rather than leaving your online footprint with one of the many popular sharing sites (Delicious; furl; et. al.), now you can leave it with Google. Although, after the recent subpoenas from the US Justice Department, all of you gay-marriage enthusiasts may want to think twice. Here’s what Google has to say in their privacy notice:

• Google will store the Firefox browser settings that you select in association with your Google account and use them to synchronize settings for Firefox browsers on other computers. You can choose to encrypt Google’s stored copies of your settings. When you update or delete your browser settings, the copy stored with your Google Account will be updated or deleted as well.

• Any user of your browser can see its history and other settings. Google Browser Sync synchronizes these settings among every browser on which you install Browser Sync. This means that anyone who uses one of those browsers can see browser settings created on the others. In addition, by using the browser anyone can create new settings, such as browsing history, that will be synchronized.

I’ve just installed it, so I can’t comment on the specifics, but it looks like it could be quite useful…

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After a brief absence on the old blog, I’ve been inspired to comment on this article published today by the BBC: Anger syndrome ‘under-diagnosed’

WARNING: The first signs of this truly serious disorder appear in adolescence. The study claims that it’s not just “bad behavior,” but actually a serious biomedical problem. I agree – at least partially.

Here are some of the tell-tale signs:

To be diagnosed with IED, an individual must have had three episodes of impulsive aggressiveness which are grossly out of proportion to the situation, such as that seen in cases of road rage or domestic violence.

This not-so-unique disorder is also commonly known as: “Immaturity & Lack of Self-Control.” I’m curious to find out who actually funded this study – no doubt we will see numerous high priced prescription remedies.

But please, give me a break. When people lash out, as the study describes, there is obviously some sort of chemical imbalance occuring internally. If these people possessed some level of internal balance, they wouldn’t engage in such activities.

As a youth, I too had of bouts of ‘aggressive’ behavior – albeit there was no road rage or domestic violence involved; but I certainly had my fair share childish sparring matches. Although, by blaming this on a “disorder,” it seems to me that we are relieving individuals of any responsibility for their actions…and this is where I firmly disagree. Bad behavior is, in fact, a condition which is the result of a lack of internal discipline. Everyone goes through periods of imbalance in life; although not everyone lashes out in such ways. The difference is in how we react, and luckily we have been endowded with an ability to choose our reaction to any given set of circumstances.

Oops, I think I just lashed out

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If you don’t use MS Office applications, here’s your opportunity. If you do already, you can probably make use of this too – I’m just a little too nervous of screwing up my Office 2003 installation…

The heads-up on this interesting offer: Microsoft has generously decided to give away the beta version of their Office 2007 suite for free. I was able to download the installation packages and get the product keys after a brief online registration (hotmail, passport, .net account, etc. required).

Here is their expected pricing for the final version of the 2007 Microsoft Office System (Full Price/Upgrade Price):

$499/$329 Microsoft Office Professional 2007
$449/$279 Microsoft Office Small Business 2007
$399/$239 Microsoft Office Standard 2007
$149/None Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007

A few things Microsoft points out:

Registration is required for participation.

2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 is for evaluation and planning purposes only.

Beta software does not necessarily display the same high level of stability of shipped Microsoft products.

Beta testers may experience problems with 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 products that could potentially result in loss, corruption, or destruction of existing data.

This beta testing release is not appropriate for production use.

It is strongly recommended that you back up your existing data before you install and run this software.

Beta code is offered “as is,” and does not include technical support.

Expiration Date
All 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 software has an expiration date of February 1, 2007. After expiration, 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 will continue to work in a reduced functionality mode that limits your options and operations.

Should I become bold enough to actually install this software, I’ll post again here; but in the mean time, let me know what kind of success you’ve had…Good luck!

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Energy independence took a backseat this week as the immigration debate stole the spotlight – I’d like to know why…

Our short-term memories seem to be plaguing us once again. I may just be very out of touch with the rest of the country, but I must ask, why all of the immigration talk now!?! 9/11 was almost 5 years ago, if this was such an important issue to the American people, why haven’t Lou Dobbs’ ratings gone through the roof?

Granted, immigration is a very real issue, although it’s certainly not clear whether the result has actually been negative. Here are some fairly undeniable facts:

Positive Results:

- Low prices

- Diversity

- Tax Revenues

Negative Results:

- Drug Trafficing

- Security

- Job Loss

While the main stream media and poll-hawking politicians focus in on the immigration debate, American’s are being affected by some very real issues – namely our national energy policy. Energy dependence affects vastly more people than immigration possibly does. It stretches far beyond our own borders and weighs heavily on our economy. Fortunately for us, there are still some voices of reason out there. Here are two recent articles by Senator Barack Obama and Newsweek Editor Fareed Zakaria:

Time’s wasting: 4 ways to cut oil consumption now | U.S. Senator Barack Obama

The Real Story of Pricey Oil | Fareed Zakaria

I’m honestly confounded; why this apparent lack of touch with reality? Is it simply politicians trying to rally their own base? It actually feels like the government is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. With hope, I do believe that some ‘renegades’ will emerge from this political non-sense and truly rally the spirit of the American people around a real issue. I just don’t know how much longer I can wait…

Related Articles:
High on Fumes | Iran Gives Perspective To The West
Sour Crude or Sweet Ethanol?
Americans at “tipping point” about energy | Reuters.com
Oil Independence :: Growing Support For A New Reality…But Is ‘Sacrifice’ In Our Vocabulary?

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…the central principal: Be Trust-Worthy

Why
Trust is not achieved through mental exercise alone; you’re much too smart for that. Becoming trust-worthy is the fruit of keeping commitments that you make, regardless of whether those commitments are to yourself or to others. Out of this trust grows the holy grail of self-confidence – no wonder there is such a thriving community of GTD enthusiasts on the web.

David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” (GTD) system creates an environment where every single one of those commitments that we make is recorded and tracked. As you manage your commitments more effectively, your foundational trust strengthens in tandem. Greater and greater feelings of confidence arise as you follow down the path to GTD. This all stems from an internal knowing that you will make the best choice and that you will ‘get done’ what you say you will ‘get done’.

Allen’s techniques teach you to to be keenly aware of everything that you allow into the spectrum of your life; to scrutinize each idea, email, and friendly request with a sharp eye – all with the understanding that this is really your well-being that we’re talking about.
As he states in the book,

“You’ve probably made many more agreements with yourself than you realize, and every single one of them -big or little- is being tracked by a less-than-conscious part of you.”

Commitments and Our Shrinking Bank Accounts
Stephen Covey refers to the existance of an emotional bank account that each of us have; and this is precisely what David Allen addresses with his system – How to keep it full of deposits. It works like so:

The balance determines your state of mind

Either you make deposits; by keeping commitments you make to yourself and others

or

You make withdrawls; by breaking those commitments

Here’s are some common examples:
The gym, errands, appointments, etc.

How
The powerful practice of capturing every bit of information that you deem important is the foundation for building this trust. To be like David Allen, one must live (and work) with a high level of discipline. This is not something that can be so easily taught, but it is something that can be learned – let me explain. The trick is being mentally prepared to accept the fact that good things never come easy. It is the journey, the experiences we have, as we strive towards a goal that make it worthwhile. If such things were effortless, living a fullfilling life would be the norm, not the exception. Likewise, we would never know the joy and satisfaction that comes from conquering obstacles and achieving those goals. Life would be pretty dull.

Lucky for us, life is not dull. It’s full of challenges – and with each new challenges comes an opportunity to grow and know what it means to truly and fully experience all that life has to offer.

In closing, A Favorite Quote:

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all
- Helen Keller

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Get fit fast with the Bowflex Conquest – This thing is no joke…

I had been planning on writing this for a while now, but felt compelled to after I saw the price come all the way down to $500 with free shipping (less than half what I paid).

Have you ever seen that cheesy late night infomercial for the Bowflex? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. For the past 20 years Nautilus has led the home gym market with their ground-breaking Bowflex machine. I too was a bit skeptical, but curiosity got the better of me after figuring out how much cheaper it would be than a gym membership – even at over $1,000.

Having played football into college, being pushed in the gym is nothing new. A home gym capable of replicating an experience at one of these decked out health clubs always seemed like a dream. Fortunately, the Bowflex has permanently altered this perception. When a number of friends and family tried it out, they had to get one too. It’s sort of a strange little cult thing we have going now.

Here’s a funny video illustrating just how challenging the Bowflex can be. I can vouch; reminiscent of a Shakira performance (although evoking laughter rather than falling in love), a visiting friend who is also a former college football player once attempted this same bench press movement with identical results. Check it out:

This machine is full of great benefits; see more Bowflex user reviews on Amazon (a different model, but with identical features & functionality).

[Note: The Bowflex Conquest model on Amazon looks like it sold out already - hopefully it'll be back soon; but in the meantime, the Bowflex Motivator 2 is on sale as well and is still a really great deal.]

UPDATE [03.23.08]
Sears has the Bowflex Xtreme Home Gym on sale for $500 (original price is $1,199) through 03/29/08. Store pickup is limited and shipping begins at $65.

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You can finally become that walking database you’ve always aspired to be with Google Short Message Service (SMS) in your pocket…

This slick little service has gotten me out of a pinch on numerous occasions. Just last night I was able to send a text message to GOOGL (46645) – leave off the ‘E’ – to get the address for a local bar. The response time was less than 30 seconds (this has been a typical wait time in my experience). Then, all I had to do was forward it on to my friends who were all meeting there, that’s it! And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some other things Google says you can do with this very cool service:

“get phone listings, weather conditions, question answering, movie showtimes, sports scores, and more.

Requirements: A text messaging plan from your mobile service provider; any old mobile phone should work.

Here’s the comprehensive list of cool things you can do:

Yellow book style local listings

Phonebook Reverse Lookup

Driving directions

Movie Times & Info

Weather Forecasts

Stock quotes

Answers to questions

Dictionary

Language Translation

Froogle Price Comparisons

Zip & Area code Lookup

Calculations

Currency conversions

Sports Scores

There’s also a useful ‘help’/'tips’ message you can receive from Google that includes brief instructions on the various ways to use the service. Due to inbox limits on most phones, this instruction message may get deleted. You can prevent this by using the lock feature on your phone…if not, you can always send a text with the word ‘help’ or ‘tips’ to get another copy.

Some Final Thoughts:
As far as I can tell, there are no restrictions on your service carrier, type of phone or location within the lower 48 states. If there’s more data than will fit in a single message, you’ll recieve multiple text messages that are numbered accordingly.

One of the nicest things about this service is the minimal demand it puts on the hardware (cell phone) you’re carrying around. Take the Google SMS service for a spin at their website to get a feel for how it works with their very real demo. So shelve that expensive data plan and ramp up your monthly text message limit.

NOTE: This service has been available for awhile now, but it’s so useful that I felt it deserved this entry.

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