Tokesan Blogs Too

Why is Bristol Paling Getting a Reality Show?

2011-05-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

What has Bristol Palin done to deserve her own reality show? Nothing, absolutely nothing! It seems that the only thing the Palin women know how to do is to sell themselves and they are doing a damn good job of it, and bravo to us, America for buying their bullshit. As of 8:45 PM on Monday May 09, 2011, Google News showed there were 353 news stories regarding Bristol Palin getting her own reality show. I hope and really, really hope that those articles are as critical as this one. Else the writers would be rounded up with the idiotic group of TV studio executives that think her life and her dirty laundry is worth airing on television. And I would not stop at blasting the TV executives; I would extend my criticism to the corporate brand name marketers that would place their 30, 60 seconds commercials on that reality show. When and where have we lost our standards? Oh, by the way, a few weeks ago it was reported that she made over 250K on her teenage pregnancy work last year. For what? What would she tell teenagers, "Don't have sex,” and in whispers she would add “But seriously you should because you can become like me, I am a celebrity.”

What has she experienced other than getting impregnated by another teenager? (Readers, trust me, what I was going to write was far vulgar, but I respect my friends.) Does she have a one of a kind of voice and have pressed a superb album? Was she a child prodigy in science or mathematics that has earned a PhD at by age 20? Was she a spelling champion or a violinist that was unwillingly thrust into fame? Even beauty pageant participants are far, far superior in intellect and more talented.

The irony of the matter is that these are the kind of entertainment that we are demanding these days, but Jerry Springer has already given us more of that than we care to admit. Hell, she has a good role model; her sponge-brained mother became a governor, then by stroke of luck, (and thanks a lot Senator McCain) was launched to national spotlight to play her stupidity to America, to the tune of 25 million dollars in annual intake. You know, again the irony. That is what average America wants, and the Palins are playing us and ROTFL all the way to the bank. So who is stupid? We are, the media for giving them an audience, tea party members (sorry, you’re not worth capitalization) for paying Palin the senior $100k per appearance to listen to her hate rousing speeches. Hey, but average is what we want, and that’s exactly what we’ll get.

3D Express Coach (PICTURES): China Plans Huge Buses That Can DRIVE OVER Cars

2010-08-03T15:19:00.001-07:00

I think this is a fantastic idea and China may just pull it off. If you ever been to China or followed some news other than the jives we hear in our media, you will no doubt be impressed by developments in China. Yes, they don't have "freedom" and US still refer to them as Commies. Every political setup has its negative side. That aside:

- They are planning on sending humans to the moon

- The Chinese pulled of the 2008 Olympic flawlessly

- The constructed train to the edge of the Himalayas, elevation closes to 12,000 foot above sea level

- They are building high-speed rail to connect remote parts of the country (We cannot even connect LA to San Francisco)

- They build the largest dam in the world. Ok, I am inviting snide comments from the environmentalist on this one. Even when I saw PBS special on the villages, livestock and vegetation that would be submerged by the Three Gorges Dam, I squirmed.

- This one is sad; China would have constructed structures that are 10 times better than World Trade Center since 911. We instead (although not a government property but it should have been a chance for it to take over such a project!) wallow in self pity and show our indecisiveness to the world! Ha, some world power!

Some posters are correct in saying that we have crippled developments and innovations and I have no solution because our society doesn't seem to want
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

A writing career becomes harder to scale - latimes.com

2010-02-16T21:15:00.001-08:00

A few days ago, weeks really, I wrote on how hard it is to write and become known these days. This article from LA Times couldn't have elaborated my point much better. Still some of us who caught the writing bug cannot easily let go. One can only wonder what the "paper" publishing industry would look like in the next decade.

A writing career becomes harder to scale - latimes.com

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7 Ways to Be Bestseller Writer

2010-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

It seems that to write a bestseller these days one has to be one of the staple writers already earned their stripes on the New York Times. LA Times or USA bestseller's list. Else one has to be a politician of some reputation or spouse of such a politician to make a dent in the publishing industry. The news that Amazon eBooks outsold paper books during Christmas 2009 isn't encouraging! Getting one's name in hardbound will keep getting tougher and tougher. People like us that values holding a good book to lull us to sleep, at end of tough days, with eyes glued to the typeset pages would, in soon enough time, look nostalgically at these days.
That brings the question: are there any hopes for up and coming writers, aspirants and dreamers? I am though, especially partial to the latter group, of which I am one.
If you have procrastinated penning your story (rather, typing your story), the story that will make you heard, time may be running out for you. Fact is that there are so many like you that are trying to get their stories out.
Not only does one have to compete with the sheer number of written content, one also has to contend with dwindling readership, lower attention span of readers, as well as emergence of new reading technologies.
So, is one's dream dead? Does one have chance of being heard? Amongst the obligations that life throws out at the onset of the middle-life, can one devote enough time to the noble art of writing? There’s no easy consolation other than to keep plugging ahead. It is always said that practice makes perfect. Writing is no exception and until one commits to the effort and amass those 10,000 hours of toiling to acquire enough experience to be called "talented" success as a writer shall remain elusive. Commitment, focus and and persistence shall make one prevail. But let’s not forget The Luck Factor: The Four Essential Principles.

But if one cannot endure the hard work to be a renowned writer, there are always shortcuts and here are 7 sure ways that requires a little courage:

1 - Come up with a scandal eclipsing recent political or celebrity scandals and write your side of the story.

2 - Be extremely creative, more than Google and Apple and write about it.

3 - Get 15 minutes of fame or one full season on a reality show, then lock yourself up, forgo everything else and write with your blood, literally (pun intended) like Monsieur de Sade did in French prison.

4 - Be inventive and write about it. Look at The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope ,the teenager from a rural Malawi village who built windmill from metal scraps!

5 - Come up with some economic or scientific theory and write about it like Thomas Friedman who wrote Hot, Flat, and Crowded 2.0: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America.

6 - Be a notorious, loudmouth radio personality, never stop talking and later write about it.

7 - Heck, take another noble way by enrolling in an open university course in journalism or writing to find out what publicity techniques are the younger generation are using, use them and write about it.

Happy writing in 2010.
~Tokesan

Resolutions 2010

2010-01-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, here is my own resolution. I resolve not to make any resolution at all. That is not entirely true though. Before the end of the year, while lying up in bed counting the ceiling tiles (really more effective than counting sheep) I must have come up with some 20 items that could go on my resolution. Then I fell asleep and didn’t remember when I woke up. My 13 year old asked me what my resolution was and I escaped and told him that it was to help him with his resolution. He totally bought it, he replied, “So, your resolution is to help me successful in school?” “Yep,” was my response.
I can’t remember ever keeping a resolution, lucky that I am one of those peoples that never have to worry about weight – keeping certain weight or living healthy is peoples most common resolution. Most of what I will resolve to do this year is private, other than the obvious – keeping up with the bills!
Resolutions are like goals, one has to keep running tab, write them down and actively commit to them. It is even said that it is best to make them known to people close to one. And for those that want to make them public there is a website created couple of years ago, or longer that help people publicize their goals. Other users of the website then sympathize with you, cheer you on, encourage you or bash you by leaving comments on your posted goals. It is called 43 things. 43Things.Com.
Happy New Year, Rustyque, I like your January resolution. When you determine which charity in Nigeria you want to join, ping me, I think I should start being altruistic.

The Fight Is Far From Over

2008-11-10T19:23:00.001-08:00

Ummm, "Hip-hop is the culture of transformation" That's the first of this I am hearing. I guess it is because I am not hip. However, I agree with the article, the election may be over but the real work begins, and like Barack mentioned he will demand more of everyone of us, perhaps in little ways like the country demanded citizens participation during the world war. But I doubt the hip-hop community have the stomach for anything that altruistic.

I really hope that the hip-hop community that is claiming to contribute to Obama's success will take cue from the future president - he is ever impeccable in his appearance, whether in suit or rolled up sleeves.

Enough of this hip-hop fashion - saggy baggy pants, long white/black t-shirts flowing to the ankles! When I see the pictures and films from the 70s, other than skin, one can hardly tell whites and blacks apart in what the wore. And then came hip-hop and everything and people went out of their ways to look different, separate from the establishment. Granted not all can look the way Obama looks but let's clean up our acts along with other stuff that Mr. Simmons mentioned above.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

South African Music Legend Miriam Makeba Collapses Onstage, Dies

2008-11-10T16:08:00.001-08:00

It is quiet sad to learn of the death of Miriam Makeba, however sad, I am glad it happened while she was doing what she loved most - singing. She will surely be missed.

Those of us that grew up in Africa in the 70s wil especially remember her as our first glance of her talent was at the FESTAC, Festival of African Arts and Cluture that was hosted in Lagos, Nigiera in 1977. Then only the elits and most of them resided in Lagos, were able to see her on televison, and of course that period in Nigeria Lagos had the best TV reception. Those of us that lived in the hinterland we re able to see her perform through the grainy B7W tubes.

As a 15 year old or so back then, it was amazing to see her then, her fantastically beautiful back-up singers, agile dancers and her supremely soulful voice evoking the South Africa yearning for freedom in the throes of apartheid.

I am glad Miriam Makeba had a wonderful, accomplished life and may she rest in peace.

If anyone has the chance to see her on VHS, or DVD, it will be well worth it.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Why I support Barack Obama

2008-10-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Part of the process of donating for a candidate is to become a member of the candidate's website. So I became a member of the Obama's campaign and receive regular email updates, (numerous, I might add). On October 7th I was asked and I believe hundreds of thousands of people were asked to write to editors of local news saying why they support Barack. Here is what I wrote:

I was an ardent Hilary Clinton supporter and the reason I supported her was because I knew that if she won we will be getting two presidents for one. To me the Clintons are very hard-working and focused and that is the kind of leadership we need. I reserved my support for Obama until he took the lead in the Democratic race back in April. I contributed to Clinton's campaign and didn't think about it much before switching my support to Barack Obama.
In Barack, I believe we are going to have a truly, honest, hard working President. We need to throw our supports fully behind him through the election period and during the presidency if he became the president, which I hope he would. Washington is far, far broken and we need someone like Obama with unmatched ability to bring people together. The selfishness of the politicians in Washington needs to be curtailed. There is too much wistfulness in the country; we spend funds on too many projects that do nothing for the people of this country. The current financial melt-down is a good example of how the government lost sight of what is really going on within the country by focusing on a wasteful war.
The country as a whole needs to be refocused like it was done during the time of JFK. Obama is the only one that would be able to do that, let's elect Obama and bring dignity to all in the country. Let's elect Obama and return the government to its obligation to care for its citizens.

Water Pipeline, Midwest to California

2008-06-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here is an idea for you but I know it will nver fly...

Every year we have these destructive floods in the Midwest of the country. And evidence has shown that because of the effects of global warming, there will be more disasters of this nature in the coming years.
Why not device a way to harvest the water run-off from the floods and transport them to other parts of the country that is prone to drought? If that is too complex, why not store the excess water in underground tanks or lakes for subsequent transportation to drought areas?
The idea is not actually far fetched. We can transport oil though pipelines across the country and even from Alaska. Therefore transporting water across thousand of miles should not be that difficult. Since the construction of the Alaskan pipeline, there have been better technology and developments that will add to the feasibility of this project. The only stumbling block I see is the lack of will, precisely, lack of political will. The government seems not to want to do anything that is constructive, but only favor destructive projects. If this project cost 200 billion to complete, it would be money well spent. After all statistics indicate that the average cost of the Iraq ware is estimated to be about $12 billion per month which works out to be $100 per month per household. By the time we leave (if we leave in a timely manner) it would have cost is 3 trillion dollars!

Obama for President

2008-01-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

I have heard that certain email is going around by about Barack Obama’s background. This email is obviously being circulated by through the grass root, and the way grass root movements spread information, soon the content will take up a life of its own and derail the promising presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. A friend of my wife’s sent this email to her a couple of weeks ago, and I was disappointed but neglected to take it seriously and dismissed it with a wave of my hand that only ignorant people will believe the content of the email. It certainly did not start then; it has been going around since about middle of 2007 as Obama’s candidacy took more serious tone. But it dawned on me that it was these same ignorant people that elected President Bush to a second term in office!

The email focused on Obama’s allegedly Muslim background and upbringing and how we cannot allow a Moslem to lead the great country. This email that I got was from someone that I know, and am certain it was sent not only to me but to a lot of people on the person’s contact list using “BCC” without regard views or respect for their time. However, that is not the point here, it will make another blog entry when I get to around to blog about unsolicited spam from people you know.

I ask people spreading news like this what have they done with their lives? Obama is 46, in the same age group as many of us and his accomplishments are numerous and how courageous is that to be vying for the presidency of the United States?

Another point is that the reasons that such email attacking a public person's upbringing in order to tilt or sways peoples view of them is ignorant and shows lack of capacity for independent or original thought. This is an attempt to innocently sabotage Obama’s credibility and it just might work in this age of the Internet with spreading “word of mouth” or properly termed “viral campaign.” Why don’t people do their own research and make up their minds? And guess what, the same Internet, used to spread this damaging information, is there with wealth of information about public personalities. Therefore it is no coincidence that within the an hour of reading this email about Obama that I saw a full article, on Yahoo’s news front page, comparing Barack Obama's life in serving the public with that of Hillary Clinton. Take a moment to browse the article on Yahoo, Obama's thin, but varied record by CHRISTOPHER WILLS of Associated Press Writer, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080116/ap_on_el_pr/obama_s_record;_ylt=AkrL6CePlLxmSIthwoyXjnCs0NUE .

Where do I stand in all this? I am an Obama watcher, meaning I support him in principle, and I believe that he is really an agent of change in Washington – neglecting that he does not fully represent my views. I have contributed financially to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, not once but twice for reasons that are irrelevant at this time. But should Barack Obama win the Democratic candidacy I’d seriously consider fully supporting him as well. “Consider” because I may lean towards the likes of Republican’s candidate, John McCain, should he win the party’s primaries. He was afterall a better choice to George W. Bush in 2000 but his time may have passed. There is also Mike Bloomberg (Mayor of New York) to consider if he runs as an Independent candidate.

Popcorn Hour, Multimedia Player

2007-12-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

I finally got a device that could be used as a media plaher and believe it or not it is called the Popcorn Hour or Network Media Tank, Model A-100. It took about 2 and half months to get the device because the company, although not well know, has developed sort of a cult following that the Media Tank is often sold out as soon as the batches are manufactured and released. To get the product you will have to register on the company’s website and you will be informed, by email, when your allotment of the media tank is available. You will then you have two to three days to accept and make a purchase. After that, it takes additional two weeks or so to receive the product.
I have used my Vista Ultimate PC as a HTPC (home theater PC) since I got in June 2007. To do this the PC would be moved from the office to the living room near the flat screen TV for the night. It was too much of a headache. At $179 plus shipping, the media tank quickly eliminated the need to do this.

The device is no bigger than two 3.5 inch hard drives placed side but with much less weight. It is very discrete and can fit anywhere near a stereo or a home theater system. It can be networked but for now the media files are fed from an external USB hard drive. A parallel ATA drive can also be placed inside the media tank but comments on the community forum for the product says that will make the device noisy. There is so much this little device can do and the information is found at the website: http://www.popcornhour.com/. There is also a community discussion forum site at http://www.networkedmediatank.com/ for the owners and owner wannabes. For this writer, the ideal setup will be to fully used the network capabilities and connect it to a NAS (networked attached storage) like the Linksys NA200 or the 320GB Buffalo LinkStation Live. Had the Linksys Media Center Extender, DMA 2200, been ready by Christmas 07, it would have been a preferred option despite the $300 price tag. But the Linksys DMA 2200 is still under consideration though; that will be another blog.
~ Tokesan ~

In Praise of Benazir Bhutto

2007-12-27T18:05:00.000-08:00

Not often do deaths famous people affect me. The death John Kennedy Jr. was one of such and so is the recent death of Benazir Bhutto, who was also twice prime minister of Pakistan and role model for a lot of people around the world. As for JFK Jr., because he was just about two year older than me and he was a role model, in spite of the fact that we had nothing in common. Well, he was a magazine publisher, a role that I had aspire to be in my younger days.
The parallel I draw from both deaths is that of a waste. JFK Jr, I wanted to see his magazine “George” become a powerful voice in the media landscape and Bhutto, I wanted to see her lead the Pakistanis out of the grips of Musharraf.

Politics aside, but one cannot discard the notions that our President Bush’s blind support for the fake presidency of Musharraf (much like that of Bush’s presidency) a murderer, contributed in large extent to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Again, Bush’s politics in Pakistan is another discussion entirely that would have tainted the praise of Benazir Bhutto here.

I am not privy to the accomplishments of Benazir Bhutto nor did I follow her life other than the fact that she was one of the most courageous person ever lived. In 1988, at the age of 35 she became a Prim Minister to her country and led the turbulent Pakistan for some years. Though one cannot rule out the fact that it was the popularity of her father, also assassinated in 1979, that sprung her to power, but she had the strength, and the will to be a leader and she did it. It is this sole accomplishment that causes me to salute her. What a legacy to leave behind.

How many of us can say we’ve done such? True, not all can be Presidents and CEO’s but I often compare myself to people in upper hierarchy accomplishments. Barack Obama is in his 40’s and a candidate for the US Presidency; and lots of musicians and actors have reached their peak by age 40. I for one don’t believe in pedigree, which helps to some extent, I believe that we have about same opportunities and I believe that I should have tried harder. As year 2007 comes to close, as I have done in the previous years, I solemnly make promise to myself to again try harder and do things right. At the same time I know my lack of focus plagues my progress even as I write this piece.

So, here’s to the life of Benazir Bhutto, though I don’t believe there is an afterlife, whatever happens to the “soul” after death I hope it is beneficial to hers and for hers and JFK's I wish there is an afterlife.

~ Tokesan ~

What will Bush do after he leaves the Whitehouse?

2007-10-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

I was just wondering about this, I don’t know why, but what will President Bush do after he leaves the Whitehouse? I mean a man in his capacity should be able to do some good in the world to reverse all the mistakes he made in the last 8 years, right.
We know that President Jimmy Carter has been an advocate against poverty and he demonstrated this by building houses habitatforhumanity.org.
President Clinton has been all over the place campaigning against AIDS and poverty all over the world.
The much admired President Reagan died, plus he was too old to do much anyway. What about Herbert W. Bush? Well, he sort of helped upon being called by his son to oversee raising money for Katrina. One does not expect George W. Bush to do anything either, laughingly a colleague suggests that G.W. might be working for Halliburton after he left office in 20089. There is just not any ounce of altruistic and philanthropic mentality in the Buses.

7 Year Hitch

2007-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Frankly I think it is a good idea that there should be clauses in marriage that actually expire the marital relationship in seven years. Yes, that’s what a German politician, Ms. Gabriele Pauli of the Christian Social Union, proposed. She should know, she has been married three times. Sadly she lost to an old fuddy-duddy, Erwin Huber. As intriguing her notions are I don’t see how to make it work amicably between married couples, especially when the issues of children are in the picture. However, it is worth noting since there are many marriages that fail within the first few years. Maybe the jet set will start the trend, but they already have higher divorce rate than ordinary people anyway. The Telegraph's articles on the subject is quoted below for your reading pleasure.

German politician argues for 7-year marriagesBy Harry de Quetteville in Berlin
Last Updated: 3:55am BST 21/09/2007

A latex-wearing, twice-divorced German politician has stunned her staunchly conservative party by suggesting marriages make way for the seven-year itch.

Gabriele Pauli is desperate to shake up CSU politics
Gabriele Pauli is everything that most politicians in the CSU — the Bavarian sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU — are not. For a start, she is a woman. But she is also a flame-haired motorcyclist, who in one photo shoot eschewed the traditional dress that southern Germans love for latex.
Her latest outburst came as she campaigned for the leadership of the CSU, one of Germany's top political jobs.
"The basic approach is wrong… many marriages last just because people believe they are safe," she said. "My suggestion is that marriages expire after seven years."
For many in the CSU, including her chief rivals for the leadership, her words are an affront to the sacrament of marriage and the Catholic values which are deeply engrained in the party.
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But Miss Pauli, 50, has said she is desperate to shake up the staid ways of CSU politics.
"This is about bringing ideas into the CSU and starting a discussion," she said yesterday.
Whatever the success of her attempts to stir up controversy, it seems highly unlikely that Miss Pauli will succeed at the CSU polls next week. There, the principal contenders are Erwin Huber, the local economy minister, and Horst Seehofer, the federal food and agriculture minister.
Mr Seehofer described Miss Pauli's seven-year itch idea as "absurd and totally contrary to the program of the CSU".
"We are not in a circus," he said. "With ideas like that, she should give up her candidacy."
However, Mr Seehofer, a 58 year-old married father of three, has come under pressure to give up his own candidacy after it was revealed that he had been having an affair with a younger woman who recently had his baby.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/21/wmarry121.xml

Racism is Still Alive

2007-09-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

I read somewhere that 6 high school students face charges in Jena Louisiana because one of them defies the unstated rule at the school. He sat under a tree on the school campus that's reserved only for his fellow white students. I can't do justice to the story here I am hoping that you will take the initiative to read about it in the full story I pasted below. The source of the story is website called The Color of Change. Better yet, since most of us are visual, I have also posted a youtube link to a video about the on-going this particular injustice done to Jena 6.

Cheers...

Message Source:
http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/message.html
Youtube.com Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY

Last fall in Jena, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the "white tree" on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a "prank," more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town's police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy... I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen."

A series of white-on-black incidents of violence followed, and the DA did nothing. But when a white student was beaten up in a schoolyard fight, the DA responded by charging six black students with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

It's a story that reads like one from the Jim Crow era, when judges, lawyers and all-white juries used the justice system to keep blacks in "their place." But it's happening today. The families of these young men are fighting back, but the story has gotten minimal press. Together, we can make sure their story is told and that the Governor of Louisiana intervenes and provides justice for the Jena 6. It starts now. Please join me:

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=2115-414831

The noose-hanging incident and the DA's visit to the school set the stage for everything that followed. Racial tension escalated over the next couple of months, and on November 30, the main academic building of Jena High School was burned down in an unsolved fire. Later the same weekend, a black student was beaten up by white students at a party. The next day, black students at a convenience store were threatened by a young white man with a shotgun. They wrestled the gun from him and ran away. While no charges were filed against the white man, the students were later arrested for the theft of the gun.

That Monday at school, a white student, who had been a vocal supporter of the students who hung the nooses, taunted the black student who was beaten up at the off-campus party and allegedly called several black students "nigger." After lunch, he was knocked down, punched and kicked by black students. He was taken to the hospital, but was released and was well enough to go to a social event that evening.

Six Black Jena High students, Robert Bailey (17), Theo Shaw (17), Carwin Jones (18), Bryant Purvis (17), Mychal Bell (16) and an unidentified minor, were expelled from school, arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder. The first trial ended last month, and Mychal Bell, who has been in prison since December, was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery (both felonies) by an all-white jury in a trial where his public defender called no witnesses. During his trial, Mychal's parents were ordered not to speak to the media and the court prohibited protests from taking place near the courtroom or where the judge could see them.

Mychal is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31st, and could go to jail for 22 years. Theo Shaw's trial is next. He will finally make bail this week.

The Jena Six are lucky to have parents and loved ones who are fighting tooth and nail to free them. They have been threatened but they are standing strong. We know that if the families have to go it alone, their sons will be a long time coming home. But if we act now, we can make a difference.

Join me in demanding that Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco get involved to make sure that justice is served for Mychal Bell, and that DA Reed Walters drop the charges against the 5 boys who have not yet gone to trial.

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=2115-414831

New Job

2007-07-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

That is just what it is - a job. I admitted it to my wife as soon as she asked how my first day was, "I hate it." I started a new job today and I immediately regretted my decision to join this big company in a transaction processing business as a contractor. I was not desperate for another job, I had a job that compared to this new one was somehow better. How did I come to the point of making this stupid mistake?
About two and half months ago I moved from California to start a position at a start-up company in Lennox Square area of Buckhead, that's one of the millionaire's row of Atlanta. The product or service of the start-up is a "sexy" application that make for a worthwhile contribution and I warmed up easily to my peers in my immediate department and the small 60 person company. However, my department happened to be led by someone that is management challenged and needless to say I felt that my first few weeks with the start-up was wasted and I left work daily unaccomplished. I am forty-something years in age and for me it matters to be able to reflect on my daily activities. Exactly after about two months into my tenure at the start-up, I finally got projects, in my role, that I was happy about, but alas it was too late. In the interim, I had interviewed and had accepted another offer with a much more, stable and bigger company.
Part of the reason I ditched the start-up was that in addition to being a start-up, they hadn't acquired a client, the application that is web based had not mature, rumors abound in the company about the survivability of the company and from well meaning employees and a peer in my department was surprised when his 90 day contract was not turned into a permanent offer. I, with a family, newly relocated to Atlanta took the most logical action and accepted the offer of the bigger, payment-processing company.
What I regret, and there are lots, despite the fact that the start-up is unstable financially, I actually enjoyed the projects after I finally started them. The drive of one and a quarter hour each way has become bearable as I get to know the traffic and there are lots of shops on the drive one can easily stop and pick a few items on the way home. The office itself is located near the Lennox Mall and people watching alone provided needed distractions.
My new job is in the middle of suburb where there's is hardly anything to do. The office, I think they are trying to be energy efficient, was so dark and people were hunkered down in their six by six cubicles that they seemed to be working for just for their pays! That may seem strange, we all work for a paycheck but I turned down another job three months ago because I didn't like the environment nor the business practice. Now I am in the same situation. Maybe I should relax a bit, after all it was my first day but I didn't see a deliberately smiling face today!
What would I tell my children who are now very aware of what people do for a living. With the start-up, if the company became successful, it would have been easy to explain, that I was part of some revolutionary business. But with this one, in five years I would say I am a Sr. Manager of Analysis in charge of Transaction Processing. What the hell is that?
The manager of my department at my old job, the start-up company, did say I should call him if I happen not to like the new gig, but I know people say that because they know you are not really going to take them up on their offer. Another VP asked me why I was leaving a place where I was respected and people like my work; he even gave me a couple of examples about his past experiences that he regretted. If only they will call me because I am too embarrassed to call and beg for my job back. I will certainly miss it.

Airlines , Their Policies and Gouging of a Common Person

2007-07-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

My ordeal (a slightly harsh word) started after I booked a return flight from Atlanta to LAX for a personal business. I had to mention that because this is not a business trip that some corporate entity will pay for nor am I a small business owner that could write off air fares while I claim I conducted 50% business on a weekend trip so as to claim the expenses on my taxes. By the way, I owed Uncle Sam and the Governator for the 2006 tax year.
Happy that I would be able to make the trip to reconnect with friends and relatives after 3 months absence from Los Angeles, I went out to throw a half-size football with the kids. Just before I sat down for dinner, I though I check the itinerary and to my shock and annoyance, because I know there would be no favorable solution, I noticed I have booked the return flight on the same day! That will leave me only two hours to spend in Los Angeles, on that same Friday. Unless you were a drug dealer completing a deal or that other "t" word person planning to cause some havoc, a two hour trip is not what a lot of people do and it should raise eyebrows. This is going to be a weekend trip to attend an event that Saturday and to return to Atlanta on Sunday.
I called Expedia immediately patiently explaining my plight (no pun) and the attend on the other end (India, I think) of the line listened carefully and explained the policies of Expedia as the agent and AirTran, the airlines. I was place on hold, but the attendant came back at about 10 minutes intervals to let me know she was sill on hold for a helpdesk support. After about 90 minutes, during which I surprised myself with my patience, I decided to take my case to the airlines directly at the suggestion of my polite Expedia attendant.
As expected, AirTran, citing contract with the agent, Expedia, claimed there is nothing they could do to assist.
I knew I would have to pay for my stupid mistake, which I admitted to all the customer service people to whom I spoke. I did not blame my skinny fingers for mistyping, or my keyboard for missing keys. What get me is that all these businesses are so hard and fast with their policies and rules and the service people quite politely advices you of the polices, a way of telling you before hand that, you screwed up, you are poor and there is nothing I can do for you. Not only the airlines, every businesses that cater to the public, banks naturally comes to mind, have these policies that they cannot waive even in exceptional cases. One is just a number on their SQL database.
I resolved to take th trip anyway and in the end I had to pay the difference in flight of $85, which wasn't there when the whole thing started barely two hours earlier. I paid AirTran change fee of $60 but Expedia was so kind to waive their change processing fee of $30.
Strangely enough, earlier this year I had developed flight phobia and now every possible thought is running through my phobic mind. I hope the whole trip is worth it.

Import Email Back to Yahoo Mail Plus

2007-07-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

For the past several days I have been plagued by a mistake I made. I finally got a new Dell PC (yes, I'll stick with Dell) and installed my Windows Ultimate Vista and Office 20007 Standard I won at a conference I attended back in February 07. Yes, even I get lucky sometimes. The installation was a breeze for both the OS and Office but that's another blog entry.
Needless to say Outlook 2007 setting for Yahoo pop mail was completed within a couple of minutes or less and I think that was the root of my issues. clicking the "more settings" button on the Internet E-Mail Settings window gives you four other tabs the last one of which is the "advanced" tab. I was so excited to download all my 1,900 email messages in my new Outlook 2007 that I neglected to get to the last task of at this point of the setup - a task I have done diligently for about 3 years now. The e-mail "Delivery" options allows one to (a) leave copies of email on the pop server. In this case, pop.mail.yahoo.com. It also allows one to (b) remove copies of email after certain number of days and lastly to (c) remove email from server when it is deleted from the "deleted items" on your Outlook. Like I said, I was too giddy to try my new Outlook 2007 and didn't do or forgot to get to these options. Outlook, naturally downloaded all my email and I really didn't realize it until I got to work the following morning while accessing my Yahoo mail plus on IE 7 browser. I am not the only one with this mistake, there are instances on Yahoo "answers" like this one at this link.
I was livid. I like my Yahoo mail plus and I have paid for it for about two or three years now, so what if it cost $19.95 per year but it is so devoid of those animated banners asking me to re-finance my mortgage, and it is so easy to use that I gladly renew my yearly cost. Some might argue why not just keep your email on your desktop as Outlook archive or as .pst file. With a lot going on in life and more than 40 hours work and family obligations, it takes an organize freak to keep email for year s and know where every thin is. Wait, I am one of those people that changes hard drive periodically whether they fail or they become cheaper so I have relied on Yahoo mail plus to keep my email on Yahoo's server, after all I have been using Yahoo since it was born. I do the same with Gmail but with Outlook Express (Windows Email on Vista) for business emails and because of my mistake with Yahoo mail plus I have not even attempted to download the messages from Gmail, therefore those are safe.
To resolove this mistake I searched Yahoo and /or Google for a way to upload mail back to the pop server and unfortunately only found a freeware for Gmail developed by a Gmail enthusiast, Mark Lyon, GMail Loader (GML). All results for Yahoo email plus are those where you can import your calendar and contacts into Yahoo mail plus. I am no programmer but I think Yahoo (and Gmail) should officially add this feature(s) because it will give both competitive advantage. With the new Web 2.0 technology like AJAX etc I am sure this should be possible. If anyone reading knows of a solution to this (I do not want to forward the emails to myself) please add comments to this post ... thanks.

A Mokery of Justice - Paris Hilton

2007-06-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Talk about making a mockery of justice! Hilton is out after barely 5 days? Whoever says there are no double standards in the justice system of the US is ignorant. No ordinary person who has "records" minor crime, altercation with the law in the famed third-strike state like California will be allowed to go scott-free. That's pretty much what has happened; Paris Hilton she went unpunished for breaking the law just the way the "some" elites of this country escape the rule of the law. She was given house arrest for only 40 days! If you've been to Beverly Hills area you'll know this is a joke and the Hilton family being one of the early settlers of the city has a very huge pad. So she will pretty much be on vacation with party and spa treatment continuing.
Abuse of the law is a common occurrence in Washington, so why not in Hollywood? But I salute the jury of I Scooter Libby courtroom for rendering him guilty. In his case however, I believe he knew something and was a scapegoat at the same time (anything more than the 30-month sentence would have been excessive). However, the big guys that the law should have gotten are still walking around – our Vee Pee and Carl Rove, the president's Chief of Staff! Readers, if you know anyone that the justice system has treated unfairly, please make noise about it, blog it, send email to friends, and call local TV stations and newspapers. We should not allow the injustice to the working class to continue, but I know, sadly, that the working class tends to be apathetic in cases like this because of years and years of being trampled upon by the politicians and the elites that the status quo will always win.

What? Tony Blair to be named Mideast Envoy

2007-06-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

More and more the state of world politics just gets ridiculous. Tony Blair of all people? Are there no other qualified people in the world? He was the key spokesman for George Bush on the Iraq fiasco and now he would be appointed as an envoy to the same region. This is like letting a cat guard a mouse. True, he is eloquent, perhaps good negotiator and supposedly bright - everyone attested to this because of his Oxford education but that doesn't make him fit, politically, for the proposed position of middle ease envoy.
To make the situation worse, the Yahoo article indicated that it is very likely he gets it. Maybe he is good for the post but not right after his premiership. There should be at least a cooling down period of about three years - he needs to reflect on his part in the atrocities of Iraq.