Raw Apple Cider Vinegar-Mother Nature's Remedy

Okay all of you “health nuts” out there… you’re eating your share of fruits and vegetables and drinking your milk (all organic of course). Are you taking your daily dose of raw apple cider vinegar with the mother? Whose mother? What? You’re probably questioning why you would take 2 tbsp. of something as bizarre as apple cider vinegar every morning. When most of us think of vinegar we associate it with salad dressing or marinades, maybe even something you’d use to wash the floors in your house! You’ll be amazed when you learn about just how handy this is to have at home and how beneficial it can be to your over all health.

First let’s talk about the many uses of apple cider vinegar. Did you know that you can use it to wash your hair and the smell goes away in five minutes? That’s right. All the ladies out there are probably gagging thinking about pouring stinky vinegar in their lovely locks as I did when I first heard of it. Believe it or not this is better for your hair than the most expensive shampoos. The trick is to scrub your scalp and work your way down your hair with baking soda! Rinse the baking soda out of your hair then pour on the vinegar and massage it through and rinse again. This will clean your hair better than any shampoo out there and it is so much cheaper! Shampoos and conditioners contain alcohol that can dry out your hair and other ingredients that can leave a film behind. Unless they’re organic they most likely contain propylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze and poisonous if consumed in large quantities. This is just one of the uses for apple cider vinegar.

My bathroom tub is constantly getting clogged with hair even though I have the slotted drain that is meant to catch most of it. My hair is just past my shoulders and my daughter’s goes all the way to the bottom of her back so, of course, there is always hair left over from bath time and showers. I use this vinegar to wash my hair twice a week and the rest of the week I use organic shampoo and conditioner. My tub drains perfectly now that the vinegar is working its way down the drain every once in a while. Pouring just a little down the kitchen and bathroom sink and tub once a week will get rid of excess build-up in your pipes and they will be less likely to get clogged. This is basically the way apple cider vinegar works in our bodies when we consume it.

Apple cider vinegar with the mother helps to clean the inside of our bodies as well as the outside. It helps to break down fat and aids in digestion, making it easier for our bodies to rid of waste. It helps to clear your colon walls of many years worth of built-up toxins when you take just 2 tbsp. a day. Folks trying to lose a few pounds will be amazed by how easy it will be to shed some weight when you get rid of toxins that have made themselves at home in your body. People who do not need to lose weight don’t need to worry because the only weight that will be lost will be the trash that your body doesn’t need. If your body is not toxic and in need of some waste management, you won’t lose weight and you will have an easier time maintaining your figure.

Here are some of the many things that can be helped with apple cider vinegar with the mother:

* High cholesterol
* High blood pressure (I kid you not when I state that my husband’s high blood pressure
is gone and we attribute it to this vinegar)
* Chronic fatigue
* Acid Reflux
* Gout
* Arthritis
* Acne (It also gives pale people like me some color on their cheeks!)
* Colds
* Allergies (Taken at the first sign of a cold or allergy, this vinegar may stop it dead in its
tracks!)
* Flu
* Sinus infections (This vinegar thins mucus immediately helping you to fight the
infection!)

You will reap the most benefits by consuming Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with "The Mother". This type of vinegar is the purest in the market as it is derived from crushed apples that have been aged in oak barrels. “The mother” is the sediment floating at the bottom of the bottle from the fermentation process it has undergone in the barrels. Raw ACV with the mother is not pasteurized, distilled or refined. These processes destroy the cider’s benefits. Not everything that is great for you looks and tastes as good as it works. The vinegar is strong but certainly worth it, so take a deep breath and a quick swig and your body will thank you for it!

Check out RFD-TV on Dish Network Satellite TV for more information on healthy eating habits!

Satellite Internet – Your Health May Rely On It

Internet service has become essential to have greater access to health information, products and services. Though this may seem ordinary to us, rural communities have long faced challenges in getting adequate local health care, let alone the benefits of acquiring information we take for granted. The ability to acquire high-speed broadband Internet access would almost assuredly transform small rural communities in terms of economic benefits by reducing transportation time and expenses, reducing missed time at work, increasing the effectiveness of lab and pharmacy work and provide savings to health facilities.
The funds set aside by the Government in the Broadband Stimulus plan to provide rural Internet users with options better than dial-up services, is not the first interest the Government has taken here. The USDA has administered many programs aimed at improving medical technology through the use of Broadband Internet access and the 2008 Farm Act also helped to expand these programs to rural America.
Studies have shown that Telemdicine, which can only be practiced through a high-speed Internet connection, had an immediate and dramatic cost-benefit to facilities that practiced it. Because rural hospitals are almost always at least partially funded by local sales taxes, the community in which they serve found greater economic savings due to the advancement of broadband technology and the efficiency of Telemecidine.
Telemedicine mainly benefits hospital savings by reducing the outsourcing of specific procedures, transportation costs associated with outsourcing of patients, income savings from reducing the time missed from work, and the increased abilities and proficiencies of laboratory and pharmaceutical work. All of these factors improved patient turnaround and was the greatest benefit noted by hospital staff members.
Broadband Internet’s value in rural areas was estimated to be nearly $400,000 annually when considering the cost savings of patients and their employers. The savings due to increased efficiencies and the increase of business the hospitals realized due to Telemedicine.

H1N1 and Fever Reducers- A Deadly Combination

Every time I hear something about H1N1 on the TV or the radio it is always revolved around support for the vaccination. This is the same type of vaccination that caused Guillan-Barre syndrome in some of the people who took it back in the 70’s. This new version of the vaccine was hardly tested before it was handed out to mass quantities of scared citizens. Somehow they didn’t tell us that you should not take Tylenol when you have the flu because a little boy has now died from doing so. How many times have we given our children Tylenol or Motrin to reduce a fever when they have the flu or after they’ve had their vaccinations? How many times have our pediatricians recommended this?

Many people who die with complications related to H1N1 are young people. If you do your homework, you’ll find that children and teenagers who take aspirin while they have the flu are at risk for Reye’s Syndrome. This disease is horrific and destroys the internal organs very rapidly with the liver and the brain getting the worst of it and eventually causing death. The weird thing is, I’ve heard about this syndrome but wasn’t really sure what it was until I did a little research of my own. My child’s pediatrician certainly never pointed it out. Good thing I never gave my daughter aspirin when she had the flu last year. Phew, that was close. The doctor will tell you what to give your child, but doesn’t always tell you why not to give them something else. Tylenol and Motrin were supposedly okay to give to our children and now they’re not. Doctors are now recommending cool baths and more old-fashioned techniques for fever reduction when your child has the flu. We probably should have stuck with those in the first place.

There have been many deaths in Mexico linked to a combination of the flu and fever reducers because patients have not been informed of the deadly effects. Japan put a stop to the use of NSAID’s (ex. Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, etc.) for reducing fever for children with the flu in 2000 and the fatality rates for children with the flu declined. Many people with flu related deaths between 1918 and 1919 in the U.S. were found to have complications beyond pneumonia at the time of death that were attributed to taking aspirin. Just before the high rates of death occurred, the Surgeon General and other health organizations recommended aspirin to the public. According to The British Medical Journal, antipyretics (pain relievers and fever reducers) are the cause for many flu related deaths and people should not take any of these should they get H1N1.

The H1N1 pandemic has been haunting us since last year and you would think that I would not have to dig for this type of information to find it. The deadly combination of flu and fever reducers should have been public knowledge well before this pandemic even began. The government is so obsessed with pumping out this ridiculous flu vaccine that they are not paying attention to the fact that people are dying from something as simple as Tylenol and aspirin.

Keep yourself informed as this story changes daily, Fox News, CNN and Discovery Health Channel on Dish Network have all dedicated coverage to H1N1.

Strangest MLB Merchandise

Last week the New York Times ran a really weird article about Yankees Sod, a new product that’s pretty much just what it sounds like. It is grass that’s been licensed by the New York Yankees for sale to fans. The turf actually comes from the same 80-acre plot as the grass that was recently installed in the new Yankee Stadium. If you go to a New York-area Home Depot you can pick up a a five-square-foot patch of this grass for around $7.50.

To most fans, this idea seems kind of crazy. By some kind of strange logic of MLB product licensing, there’s nothing odd about it. In fact, there are a lot of unnecessary things a MLB team has licensed. Here are a few other “currently available” products that give Yankees Sod a run for its money in the ridiculousness department.

A Wincraft Chicago Cubs 5 Quart Galvanized Pail
At some point in his career, a dairy cow runs into the same problem. He doesn’t know what MLB team to moo for. This galvanized milk bucket can help out any confused cow pick a team to graze the pasture for. Well worth the $15.99 asking price.

Still not convinced? Well maybe this sales pitch from MLB.com will help you out: “They have a waterproof sealed bottom and are great for holding ice, water, dirt, or anything else you would like to carry or hold in these great decorative pail.”

Really? That’s your selling point for a bucket? That it won’t leak and you can put stuff in it? This is a bucket. It’s just like every other bucket you’ve ever seen, but with a Cubs logo on the side and more expensive. Shouldn’t the Cubs logo make it less expensive?

Fleer New York Mets B2 Stealth Bomber
You want your kid to play with sports toys, but he loves military ones. What to do? For just $25, you can buy a die-cast stealth bomber replica covered with New York Mets “stickers” logos. There’s no underlying logic that ties the team and the plane together, so this novelty is just a bit of licensing absurdity. If the Mets fans want to talk about something quiet, fast, and awesomely destructive, they can talk about the team’s bullpen.

Caskets and Crematory Urns
Has a lifetime of being a Pirates fan not been quite enough for you? Now you can take your frustration into the afterlife with MLB-licensed funerary products from Eternal Image, Inc. In early 2007, the company started selling MLB-themed urns, and towards the end of 2008, it introduced its MLB caskets. They sold out within a week. The urns, which will run you $799, come with a baseball as part of the display. The product’s website notes that the family can replace the ball with one from their collection. Just don’t take the ball start playing with it; that’s a one-way ticket to a haunting.

Garden Gnomes
Ever think your garden should start to show a little more team spirit? Forever Collectibles has a line of lawn gnomes where the hats feature MLB logos. I don’t know really what to say about this one. Just, why? A garden Gnome? It’s just going to get stolen.

ProMark Arizona Diamondbacks Level and Hammer
When Brandon Webb does home improvement projects, do you think he uses just any old hamer? Of course not! If he’s got any team loyalty!! He picks up his special 10-inch Diamondbacks level and matching hammer when he starts to work on his house. For around $40 you can hammer in style. “The comfortable molded rubber grip is designed to fit the sport.” What sport, baseball or competitive hammering?

You can find cool auction items like these on online auction sites. If you are hampered by a slow dial up connection, switch to WildBlue Satellite Internet and give yourself the speed you need to land some of these unusual items.

DIRECTV Customers Get Slashed During Hockey Season

I live in Boston, where we take pride in our sports teams and it’s a good time to be a sports fan in Boston. The Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins all have had some great success. Boston has had six world championships since 2001. The Patriots with Super Bowl wins in 2001, 2003, and 2004. The Red Sox were champs in 2004 and 2007, and the Boston Celtics coming from last place to win the championship in 2008. This leaves us with the Bruins to be the only team not to bring home a championship thus far. After seeing how well they bet up the Montreal Canadiens in last year’s playoffs. I have a feeling that this is the year that Zdeno Chara is drinking beer out of that Stanley Cup. There is just one little problem… I WON’T BE ABLE TO WATCH IT!!!


Here is my story. Earlier this year DirecTV came to me and said… “We have the most sports programming then any of our competitors.” Being from Boston I said “Gotta have my sports! Where do I sign up?” So when I first got it I was like, this is Great! I got the NFL Sunday Ticket, and it gave me every football game that played on Sunday. I was able to switch back and forth from the Pats game to check out what else was going on around the NFL. Then I got to thinking, did I just blow $300 to check out scores? I could of done that on ESPN. Unless you are John Madden and have 12 TVs set up in your living room, you can’t watch every game. Guess I won’t be doing that again next year! So I sucked it up and dished out $300 for nothing.


Now don’t get me wrong, I love The Patriots but I bleed Bruins black and gold! Hockey season is my favorite season of the year. Granted they haven’t won a championship in a while but I still love them! Here in Boston we are not like those little smelly, greasy, stupid New York weirdoes, were when their team does bad they fire the coach! Anyways… I love hockey, and when you take away my hockey, that when I draw the line!!

Last night was the season opener for the Bruins. I was so excited. I threw on my Patrice Bergeron jersey, ordered a pizza, grabbed some snacks, sat down with my buddies, I turned on the Versus Network and … NOTHING!!!! All I saw was a big DirecTV logo that said “ Sorry for the inconvenience but DirecTV no longer carries the Versus Network. WHAT!! Inconvenience? This just wasn’t an inconvenience it was an abomination.

So after I stopped crying, I gave my good friends at DirecTV a call. They told me that Comcast owns the Versus Network and they were charging DirecTV too much money to air the network. You mean to tell me, that DirecTV can pay $750 million dollars for that dumb NFL Sunday Ticket but you won’t spend the money for Versus? The lady on the phone then tried selling me NHL Center Ice. It’s just like the NFL Sunday Ticket but with hockey, but because the Bruins are a local team those games would be “Blacked Out.” Some how DirecTV made it so that I couldn’t even pay to watch the Bruins.

Plane and simple DirecTV just didn’t deliver on their promise for more sports. Not only did I waste $300 on the Sunday Ticket, I would have to pay a cancellation fee if I want to get rid of DirecTV. If I would of known they would have ruined my hockey season I would have gone with Dish Network Where by the way…they have the Versus Network. Thanks DirecTV!

Tears of Blood - A Medical Condition Or a Miracle?

Are tears of blood a miracle or a medical condition? There have been many interesting accounts of such tears with people from all over the world, but it is obviously more difficult to prove a miracle than it is to rule out possible causes for this. There is more of a focus on the scientific explanations for such occurrences and a sense of doubt pertaining to religious explanations. We want an immediate answer for things like this but we don’t always get one. Anyone who brings up the religious angle is destined for ridicule and bound to be called a “religious nut”.

I was listening to The Early Show on CBS the other morning while I was getting ready for work and something I heard grabbed my attention. “Stay tuned for our next story with a 15 year old boy who cries tears of blood.” What? This has to be a unique story to say the least. I dropped my makeup and dashed to the living room to see the interview with the boy and his mother. Calvino Inman of Tennessee and his mother Tammy Mynatt brought the video of him crying tears of blood hoping to reach out to someone who can help them with this situation. His tears did not appear to be diluted in any way, they were pure blood! Calvino said that he thought he was going to die when he began crying the bloody tears. It happens randomly about 3 times a day and lasts for up to 15 minutes. The crying is not provoked by emotion as Calvino is not feeling sad when this happens or doing anything that would induce normal tear production.

There is a condition called Haemolacria that causes people to shed bloody tears, but the doctors cannot yet say for sure if he has this condition. Calvino went to five doctors with his mother and his condition has each of them baffled. He had an ultrasound, CAT scan and an MRI which were all normal. Haemolacria is usually a result of a larger underlying medical condition but he seems to be in good overall health. Calvino and his mom are continuing their search to find a diagnosis for his condition. He claims that the tears burn and are annoying. His peers at school teased him at first by calling him names and saying he was possessed but they have since apologized realizing that Calvino cannot control his situation and has visited many doctors in a quest to find its diagnosis.

According to information provided by CNN, a doctor from the University of Tennessee’s Hamilton Eye Institute has studied this condition extensively and said that there were only four cases of this mysterious occurrence between 1992 and 2003. He is amazed that it is happening to a healthy young boy. He claims that Haemolacria can be caused by deep emotional trauma or a head injury, but agrees that Calvino doesn’t even fit the bill for this disorder. Another doctor at the same institute said that the condition that Calvino has can be something very miniscule in size which can be difficult to pinpoint with any of the tests he has undergone thus far. He claims that they may have to wait for more symptoms to surface to get the full picture of what the cause might be. Evidently, the condition can be the result of anything from a tumor to a simple infection. It may be a repeat occurrence of the four cases from ‘92-’03 when the bleeding mysteriously stopped on its own.

This is claimed to have no religious significance. It is spelled out that religion is not a factor on most of the websites that I visited to gain more information. Could it be better for each of these unexplained cases to be a religious phenomenon rather than a medical condition? I understand that people want closure, especially the children and their parents. I also realize that it has to be extremely difficult to deal with this in your everyday life but history has shown that it doesn’t last forever as the tears of blood will most likely stop as spontaneously as they began. Why is it such a taboo to consider this to be a miracle? There might not be a medical explanation for this simply because it hasn’t been researched enough since it alone doesn’t seem to be life-threatening. Perhaps it is something that is beyond our grasp of true understanding.

Some believers may say that this is a result of “vicarious suffering” which is believed to be the act of involuntary suffering for other people’s sins so they can be forgiven. There is a 13 year old girl named Twinkle Dwivedi in India who is currently experiencing such tears and is displaying what is believed to be stigmata. Her palms, head and feet all emit blood yet she has no wounds. National Geographic will air her story on September 13th with Dish Network.

There are two religious statues of The Virgin Mary that cry tears of blood and are deemed to be genuine miracles according to the Vatican (others turned out to be staged). The two documented statues are the weeping statue of The Virgin Mary in 1949 in Syracuse, Italy and Our Lady of Akita in 1988 in Japan. Religious believers who feel that this phenomenon is a miracle are not sure why it’s happening. Some believe an occurrence like this is a sign from God and are unsure as to whether it is good or bad. Some believe that the weeping statues are reflecting sadness for these difficult times of war, poverty and violence.

Calvino’s story and the occurrence of weeping statues remind me of the young girl Audrey Marie Santo in my home town of Worcester, MA who was in a coma for 19 years before she passed away. Audrey was found in her pool at home when she was three and never regained consciousness. Doctors informed her mom that Audrey would only live a few years and suggested she place her in a nursing home. Her mom is a believer and decided that if the doctors can’t help, perhaps a miracle can. She took Audrey to the shrine of Medjugorje. Audrey had a moment where she began to move and attempt to speak, which did not last very long before she returned to her previous state.
According to her parents, many religious experiences occurred in her room such as religious statues that wept oil and blood. One might think that the parents saw things they needed to see at a very sorrowful time, but this story reached neighbors and eventually the newspaper and news. Soon enough, people from all over the world came to visit her and to pray for her recovery and for miracles. Many visitors also gave testimony that they were present when such miracles had occurred. Audrey was said to have responded to one man’s prayers for a loved one with a tear. Perhaps there was a miracle at the shrine of Medjugorje, not only for obvious reasons, but for the fact that Audrey lived to be 23 years old. She never had a bed sore, even with the fact that she was bed-ridden for 19 years.

Calvino Inman is from Tennessee which is a state well known for the amount of churches housed there in the Bible belt. Could there be a miraculous connection with Calvino and the religious beliefs of the people in his community? Could it be something even larger than that? I’m not stating that I believe this is a miracle, but I would rather hear that than find out this young teenager has a serious medical problem.

There is no scientific explanation for why this boy cries blood and there was none for Audrey Marie Santo who survived until the age of twenty three. There were no tangible explanations for what occurred with the religious statues in Japan and Italy. Will we ever know the reason behind these phenomena or will they forever remain a secret?
Some believers may say that this is a result of “vicarious suffering” which is believed to be the act of involuntary suffering for other people’s sins so they can be forgiven. There is a 13 year old girl named Twinkle Dwivedi in India who is currently experiencing such tears and is displaying what is believed to be stigmata. Her palms, head and feet all emit blood yet she has no wounds. National Geographic will air her story on September 13th with Dish Network.

A Fenway Park Survival Guide

For those of you that do not have the privilege of living in New England or have never had the opportunity of making a trip to Fenway Park. I wanted to give you a little insight into how to survive a day on Yawkey Way.

The first decision is transportation. Boston has a great Public Transportation System known as " The T " whether that stands for Train or transportation I am unaware. It is the quickest and easiest way to get to the game. Boston being one of the bigger cities in the U.S. has a traffic problem and an even larger Parking problem that compliments the 40-dollar fee to do so. On the T you can take the Green Line and enjoy a 10-15 minute walk to the Shrine of Baseball known as Fenway. Just follow the crowd wearing Red Sox Apparel or if lost look for the large Citgo Sign Of course all this is assuming you have tickets. On your way to the game you will pass by offers and shouts of " tickets " by those who make mass purchases of tickets and sell them in the secondary market at an increased profit (Scalpers). Unlike New York these resellers have provided legitimate tickets when in the time of need. As you continue your walk you will pass by Street Performers and establishments known in Boston for their before the game festivities. Make your way to the park do not get distracted and do not stop at a street vendor unless it is the "Sausage Guy" He's actually opened a real restaurant due to how well he did outside of Fenway. Upon arrival at the Gate you will be frisked, water is allowed and bags and purses will be tagged with a wristband to show they have been searched. If you are wearing an opposing teams logo now would be a good time to cover it up as you will be subject to heckling.

Now you are in. Your walk throughout Fenway's halls is similar to walking under a Deck at home with occasion food and beverage lines. Do not apply for Credit Card offers in pursuit of a free towel. Seems fun the first time but this info is an actual credit check, social, etc... I'm sure there are easier ways. Do try to arrive early, as you will be feet away from your favorite player as he takes batting practice. Then find your seat. There's a few options here depending on your social network: Boxes are ideally used for Business Persons...Grandstands for families, couples, and social drinkers...The Bleachers for college crowds and the rowdy (tends to get a little crazy)...And the standing room only gets you in to the park.

You are now in Fenway Park!!! The same park the christened Babe Ruth and the 1918 World Series still remains and you are in it! The same park where men that were once grandsons now bring their children!!! Pesky's Pole! Jim Rice! You standing in a piece of History, it is truly awe-inspiring and never really goes away no matter how many times you go. The field is also a close distance from anywhere. The bleachers you will find have a certain fondness of the right fielder (for years it was Trot Nixon) and also provide a birds eye view of the bullpen. Boxes allow you to root your player or root against the opposing team and they can actually hear you.

Once seated there are vendors everywhere. They wear bright yellow. Do buy a Fenway Frank or two and peanuts and do accept an offer for a Fenway Photo to be later viewed and purchased online. Your beverage choice will decide how the rest of the game is spent. I prefer a Dunkin Donuts coffee for the night games. There are plenty of pricey adult beverages. If this is your preference I would recommend a warm up at one of the Establishments passed by on the way and a late 1st inning arrival (normal Circumstances) It will save you money once inside. Once the game is in progress you will enjoy it more than any other you have witnessed.

During the game do get drinks and food outside at Yawkey Way a new outside addition. A longer walk but there are smaller lines, a better experience, and the ability to smoke if needed. Don't get intoxicated, as you will be asked to leave. But do participate in the wave, the chants of "Lets go Red Sox!" and you must participate in the seventh inning stretch. This consists off Take me out to the Ballgame but the real Fenway Tradition is Neil Diamonds "Sweet Caroline"

Don't leave early, regardless of where seated originally, you will always find a seat feet away from the dugouts or home plate. If losing the Red Sox always make a late rally. You may witness the entrance of Bullpen Ace Jonathan Papelbon to the Dropkick Muphy's " I'm Shippin' off to Boston" and be able to cheer him on from a front row seat! The game will ends and "Dirty Water" will commence. If you want to witness your favorite player exit the park a crowd always gathers outside to do so. I have done this a few times recently and would recommend if time permits you do so.

I guess to sum all of this up you will have a "Wicked fun time at Fenway Pahk".

Understanding Satellite Internet Access

Satellite Internet services are used in every location in the United States were DSL and Cable Internet is not available and customers need an always on, fast Internet service that dial-up ISP’s can’t provide.

Although there are some technical issues for end users to be aware of, such as latency, this only affects customers seeking to play real-time interactive games online. Signal loss due to precipitation is extremely minimal and the service is up to 30-times faster than dialup Internet providers and considerably more reliable.

Latency is caused when the request for data is transmitted from your satellite modem to the satellite orbiting the earth and then returned. The delay is approximately half a second, not noticeable if you are browsing the Internet, reading email or even downloading. It can however cause significant headaches to customers trying to use applications like VOIP, VPN and video conferencing.

Another way satellite Internet differs from cable, DSL or dialup is the use of a Fair Access Policy, a device put in place to guarantee that every end user can download a pre-determined amount of files, using an allotment of bandwidth, without affecting other users. Ever been on a DSL connection that for whatever reason begins to crawl or attempted to connect to a dialup server but couldn’t because of capacity issues, satellite providers afford their customers this protection policy. It is also important to note that only 4% of all WildBlue Satellite Internet customers are ever affected by FAP. HughesNet considerable higher by comparison, however HughesNet offers a daily allotment of bandwidth to it users, while WildBlue uses a revolving 30-day period, in other words whatever you use today you will receive back in your account in 30-days. This rolling 30-day period makes going over your bandwidth threshold less likely.

Satellite Internet is not as scary as it seems, for the timid, the hardware involved is as follows:

 Satellite Modem – connected to your computer through a USB port, this allows the ISP’s routers to connect to proxy servers, which enforce bandwidth limits and guarantees fair use by all end users.
 Satellite Dish – The satellite modem connects to a cable that is run to the satellite dish, either mounted to the physical property or a pole.

That’s it!

For dialup and DSL users, no need for a phone line. The service is always on.

For customers seeking to use Satellite Internet’s speed over that of a dialup ISP, for the purposes of working from home or distance learning or e-learning, a word of caution about the use of VPN’s. VPN or Virtual Private Network software doesn’t handle the delay or latency of packets sent to VPN servers. Because the VPN acts as a tunnel from one network to another it requires authentication and once accepted needs to keep that handshake throughout the process of working on that network. The latency will break that authentication handshake and cause the end user to constantly have to validate to access the VPN. Not recommended with satellite Internet, but consult the IT guru for the VPN for their input. Special IP stacks and possibly proxies can lessen the effects of latency, so check into it.

Satellite Internet is one of the fastest growing consumer electronic products out there and its target demographic continues to be rural America, where dialup is the only option. However the pending merger between ViaSat, a satellite equipment maker and WildBlue, the leading satellite Internet provider, will merge their technologies and provide customers with speeds comparable to cable Internet speeds within the next year.

Satellite Internet - an Investment in Education

You wouldn't paint a house with a toothbrush, or cut a tree down with a steak knife, so why would you ever attempt to educate yourself online with a dialup Internet service. In all three instances, way too slow and, more importantly, not the right tool for the job.

Anyone who has, or is attempting to earn a degree or certification will tell you, education is an investment toward a brighter future. The costs of housing, books, tuition, student loans and supplies have driven more and more students to the Internet. School is hard enough without the constant fight to get connected, stay connected, only to endure the painfully long waits to access information on the Internet though a dialup connection. Satellite Internet can provide students with an always on, reliable and more importantly fast Internet service. With Satellite Internet you can access the information you need and even download up to 30-times faster than dialup connections, for a cost that rivals most DSL services. Better yet, Satellite Internet doesn't use a phone line, so you won't be cut off from the world while you learn.

Having a fast Internet connection can open you up to a world of educational possibilities. Everything from Certifications to full-blown Doctorate Degrees are out there. The costs of learning online in some cases can be less than one-tenth the cost of a traditional education.

More and more traditional schools are offering distance learning now. Schools such as; Boston University, Bowling Green, George Washington, Gonzaga, Indiana State, NYU, and Cincinnati to name a few. There are also the online giants of the industry, DeVry, Kaplan and the University of Phoenix. Students are able to take their entire course load online and work at their own pace or take traditional classes and supplement the course work online, the options are limitless.

The need for a high speed Internet connection is not just limited to college courses, the computer age has come to grammar schools, middle schools and high schools. Though the Internet is not a substitute for a library, it does allow students to access information quickly and efficiently in the comfort and security of their own home. Students are able to accomplish homework assignments, term papers and projects. Some schools even upload homework assignments online and students are required to download them from home and upload them back to the schools site. If your child is on a dialup connection expect homework to take the better part of the evening.

Many educators feel that children who access information over the internet are more likely to get ahead in class in the areas of history, science, mathematics, reading and writing. Students and parents should explore the plethora of help sites out their for grade schoolers. Sites including online math homework help, homework help for middle school science, researching with the web, homework and study groups for children, building good homework habits, homework helper for grade 2 math and so many more.

The need for a fast, always on Satellite Internet connection is never more evident than when you are attempting to learn while you earn. Many full-time career people, moms and dads and even students who must support themselves, need the reliability and speed satellite provides. The precious little time a working individual spends to improve themselves through certifications, job developmental requirements or even a degree, shouldn't be wasted trying to connect to information.

Learning online or e learning allows you to choose when, where and how often you participate in classes. Courses are usually conducted through a schedule, but with no live classes to attend, lectures and assignments take place when you want them to. Even if you have not been a student for years - or - weren't a very good student back in the day, the control and pace has proven in studies to make individuals better performers the second time around.

Don't let the "trailing edge" technology of dialup Internet services stop you from being all you could and should be. The sky is the limit and WildBlue Satellite Internet can get you there.

Teaching Your Child Spanish As a Second Language

It is common knowledge that in today's world it is very beneficial to learn a second language. In addition to being able to meet more people, and getting to experience more of the world's diverse cultures, being bilingual opens the door wider to opportunity when it knocks, more so than it would for someone who is monolingual. In the United States, Spanish is the second most spoken language after English. Being able to speak and understand Spanish in the USA welcomes more job opportunities and higher earnings.

There are many ways to go about learning Spanish. I myself learned Spanish in high school and supplemented my education by listening to Spanish language music and using Spanish language chat sites. Other adults have learned by programs such as Rosetta Stone, taking night classes, or by hiring tutors.

Being an adult who has learned Spanish, I know how difficult it can be. Studies have proven that is much easier for children to learn not only a second language, but also numerous languages at once. For that reason, I am now in the process of teaching my 1-year old son Spanish.

There are many tools available for children including toys, books, and educational games. In my home we use all of the above. My son has maracas that count and name the colors of the rainbow and a drum that sings the alphabet in both Spanish and English. We also have a collection of Disney board books that tell entertaining and educational stories in both languages that we read to him every day.

Another tool that we use which is a very beneficial resource for parents trying to help their children learn Spanish is television. There are many bilingual television shows available on public, cable, and satellite television. Some popular examples of such shows include Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go, PBS's Dragon Tales and Maya and Miguel, and Disney's Handy Manny.

There is no doubt that the aforementioned shows are all positive educational programs. They are English Language children's programs that introduce Hispanic cultures and Spanish vocabulary. However, instead of just teaching my son vocabulary words, I would like that he also learn conversational skills. In order to do so, I also expose him to 100% Spanish language programming.

I highly recommend having English speaking children learning Spanish to actually watch the Spanish Language versions of Dora the Explorer or Go Diego, Go on Univision rather than or along with the English versions. It opens their minds to more vocabulary and allows them to take on a higher level of conversation.

Univision has a block of 100% Spanish language programming for children on Saturday mornings called Planeta U. Planeta U shows include both Dora and Diego as well as Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks or as they call it Jakers! Las Aventuras de Piggley Winks, and an Inspector Gadget show about traveling called Los Viajes del de Inspector Gadget.

Although it's the most popular, Univision is not the only Spanish Language Network in the United Sates. There are many other networks, which show Spanish language children's programming. The two favorites in my house are V-me and Cbeebies. V-me has over twenty quality program options available in Spanish for children. It is the home of the Mexican version of Sesame Street Plaza Sesamo, and host to other shows dubbed from English to Spanish such as Lazy Town, Pororo, and 7 pets. There is a new show coming out on V-me that I am looking forward too called Thalia and Eebee Adventures. The host of the show Thalia is a very famous Mexican pop singer.


The network Cbeebies is a Spanish Language channel dedicated to Children broadcast by BBC. In the USA it is only available to Dish Network subscribers. We have only had Dish for a couple weeks so we don't have any favorite Cbeebies shows yet but I can already tell that this channel will be a big competitor to V-me in my home.

Tips For Better Barbecue and Cookouts

The following tips will help you step up your barbecue game. Turn you hamburgers and hot dogs into something memorable.

Hamburgers...Frozen Patties are easy and they taste that way too. I am in the process of Building the "Worlds Best Burger" If you buy fresh ground beef you can basically mix anything into it (tenderizer, bacon, etc) and cook them.

Think of better Cheeses, toppings, and Buns...These also affect the quality of your burger. Ban ketchup if you make a good enough burger there is no need for ketchup I think of it as insult recommend people trying without

Hot Dogs.... All Beef and again get creative with your toppings

Chicken.... There is a key ingredient that I tampered with last year.... A Dry rub.... Dry Rub, Dry Rub, Dry Rub....I cannot stress this enough Then BBQ Sauce last 10 or so minutes Sweet Baby Rays is my preferred

Steak...I Started off as a big fan of tenderloin tips.... That was until I seen Bobby Flay's Food Network's Throwdown where It was Bobby Flay's Filet Mignon vs. Chuck Steak...The Chuck won! The reason it was marinated for a few hours...This works, its cheaper, and it tastes a lot better! Rule of meat do not over cook I Let People try a Medium Rare Steak if not cooked enough and they don't feel safe I heat it up a little more, usually this is not the case

Salads.... no store bought Macaroni or Potatoes as a main side ...Look up "red potato salad" find one that looks interesting to you and own it, stop being so traditional it's boring ...Store bought can be a filler if you don't have the time for extras

Entertainment.... Play some good Music, Bob Marley always a no fail for any summer day

Desert leave that up to your Friends ask them to bring some

Have fun.... Nobody likes to see a stressed out host.
In conclusion, all entertainment channels, learn the facts on Food Network and see them both in crystal clear high-definition on Dish Network.

Internet Providers in My Area Comparison

Consumers sometimes forget how much aggravation and time they goes through to find a High Speed Internet Provider. I would like to provide a few comparison's and what to look for that may shorten consumers calls to Internet Providers.

Cable providers usually have Internet speeds around 5 Megabytes (5,000 Kilobytes)

Some Common Providers are Cox Communications, Charter Communications, and Comcast Communications. They will always try to get you to bundle Tv phone and Internet I would advise against this.

Hi Speed DSL Providers usually require a Phone Line with Internet Speeds up to 3 Megabytes (3,000 megabytes)
Hi Speed DSL Providers speed and prices vary as to whether or not bundled services would be required (Phone and Internet Bundle) which some do require. You will need a phone line regardless so factor that into your budget along with the up sells, taxes, and FCC Charges.

Verizon Fios Internet and ATT Uverse Bundles.... No

Air Card Internet Providers / Wireless DSL Providers (speed Unknown) Very tricky... Many people have paid 60 dollars and lost that money to find out the area they live is too far away from a cell tower to receive a solid signal. Good Idea yes...reliable no.

Satellite Internet Providers....

The two most popular are Wild Blue and Hughesnet .... Wild blue Satellite Internet offers speeds of 512 kilobytes to 1.5 Megs (10's -30 x's Faster than Dial Up). Hughesnet Satellite offers Speeds of 1 Megabyte ( 1000 Kiloytes) to 5 Megabytes (5000 Kilobytes) and is priced accordingly.

Mom and Pop satellite Internet Providers.... No

Alternative Internet Providers.... The Internet is comprised of a lot more than a mom n pop shop can provide you and their going to be really expensive and or service is going to lack.... Satellite Internet Providers have actual Satellites in Space. They are not random 3-5 person operations advertising in local yellow pages and driving pickup trucks.... When it comes to reliability you need to really think about whom you want to rely and depend on as your internet provider.

To sum it up place these calls in order when looking for Hi Speed Internet providers

There is a quite a comparison of speeds

Cable, DSL, then Satellite as an option to any cable provider not faster than 3 Megs.

Your option if no Cable Internet provider or DSL Internet Provider is available should be a Satellite Internet Provider. We all know no matter how well you dress up a pig ( DialUp Internet Providers ) it is still a pig. The hispeed alternatives for dial up users do little to no improvement.

Your day is going to consist of 2-3 hours of hold times and answering questions re. usage. I just figured I'd help you find a High-speed Internet provider.

Better Business Bureau Gives DIRECTV A Failing Grade

We have all heard the horror stories on the Internet and on our local news about DirecTV’s shady business practices.

Over 20,000 DirecTV customers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau in the past three years. Those complaints are just regarding cancellation fees that customers were never informed of and don’t include everything else that could go wrong with their service. The result of all these complaints is that the Better Business Bureau has changed DirecTV’s rating from a grade of C-minus to NR for “No Rating.” This means that the company has received so many complaints that the company's grade is now below failing.

I know when I signed up for DirecTV they did tell me about the two-year contract, but informed me of cancellation charges. So being a DirecTV customer I couldn’t help but feel somewhat concerned. So I did a little digging, actually a little is an understatement; a lot of digging sounds more like it. Sure people are complaining about cancellation fees but there must be a reason why they cancelled in the first place, right?

The first thing I tried doing was to find their contract. This was a mission in its self. After several hours, about 50 different websites, and a couple of Hot Pockets later, I finally found the “Terms and Conditions.” They read more like stereo instructions then a contract, but from what I could understand the fee for canceling their service is $20 x Months Remaining. This I was unaware of. I have had DirecTV for six months now and I have never seen this contract, nor did anyone tell me when ordering. Now I understand why this fee came to be a surprise to most people. They don’t tell the subscribers about it and the fees are hidden so well with in that contract, it’s like they were hiding buried treasure from a boat full of angry pirates.

Still they will only charge you these fees if you cancel your service. So I decided to look into some of the reasons why people have cancelled their service. Some of the things I found were normal everyday stuff you would expect when running a business. On the other hand there were some things I found that concerned me.

Local channels are huge for a lot of people when it comes to TV, even if you don’t watch them regularly. ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX are local channels. Now if you were a customer coming from cable, you wouldn’t think twice about the availability of these channels. They have always just, been there. Well, what DirecTV fails to tell you is that your local channels are not always available. So if you don’t ask they won’t tell, which seems like a reoccurring theme with them. So you might be signing up for two years of television service without your locals. That means no local news, no local sports, and no Simpsons! I lucked out on this one. I live in a major city so my local channels were available. If you live too far away from a major city you may not be so lucky.


The major reason I found for people canceling their service is somewhat ridiculous. I couldn’t believe it at first, but it starts with DirecTV’s prize possession the NFL Sunday Ticket. Now try to follow this because it’s a crazy scheme DirecTV has come up with!

DirecTV has a football package called NFL Sunday Ticket. What they do is rope you in by offering their best programming package “Premier” free for five months, if you order the NFL Sunday Ticket. Here is the price break down:

NFL Sunday Ticket = 5 Payment of $59.99 Premier Package = $109.99 (first 5 month’s free)

So there is some savings there but that’s how they get you. When you sign up for DirecTV and the installer comes to your house he will hook up a DirecTV receiver to each TV. What they fail to tell you is, that you will get whatever model receiver the installer has to best fit your package. You couldn’t request the newest models even if you wanted to. So if you are getting an HD programming package and the installer has an older model HD receiver lying around that’s what you’re getting.

Most people wouldn’t even notice the difference when it comes to the receiver and that’s what DirecTV counts on. When you sign up for the NFL Sunday Ticket they don’t tell you the terms and conditions. Why? Because you didn’t ask! It states, “**A D10 (or later model) interactive DIRECTV Receiver is required.” So you’re probably thinking what happens if the installer doesn’t give me the right receiver for your Sunday Ticket? No problem DirecTV’s got you covered. If you want a new receiver whether it’s because you want a newer model or even if the receiver broke DirecTV will gladly replace it and here is how.

On most occasions they will make you pay upward to $199 to upgrade your receiver. If it’s broken they will replace it for free with the same model. What they didn’t tell you “because you didn’t ask” is that, every time you upgrade or replace a receiver it renews your contract with them for another 2-years. This is the main reason why 20,000 people are surprised when they receive a cancellation fee of $480. I would be surprised too!

They offer you this great deal to save money. They sell you the NFL Sunday Ticket, and then give you the wrong receivers forcing you to buy new ones, putting you into a longer contract. So in the long run you end up spending more money then you were going to save! ONE BIG SCHEME!!!

I have read a lot of stories about how customers confront DirecTV about this. Some people get hung up on, some get calls from collections, and a lot of them are forced to pay the cancellation fee, but all of them just hit dead ends with no way out.

If DirecTV is going to treat its customers this way, how will they treat me if I ever have a problem? I don’t know, but I don’t want to stick around to find out. I have no intention of staying with DirecTV, and you should be extremely cautious if you are considering it.

What Some Of Your Favorite Movies Could Have Been Called

Naming a movie is not an easy task, especially when millions of production dollars are involved. Here are what some of your favorite films were almost called, and ask yourself if you would have gone to go see these movies with their alternate titles.

Pretty Woman - “3000”
Pretty Woman was based on a script written by J.F. Lawton called “3000” witch is the amount of money paid for a week’s worth of the hooker’s “company. In the original story, Julia Roberts’ character was not only a prostitute, she was also a drug addict. When Disney bought the script, they hired new writers to lighten it up, so a new title was chosen, one that luckily allowed the producers to use Roy Orbison’s signature tune to “Pretty Woman” in the film.

Back To The Future - “Spaceman from Pluto”
During the filming of Back to the Future, Universal Studios head honcho Sid Sheinberg sent out a memo to everybody involved in the production saying, that no movie with the word “future” in the title had ever been successful at the box office. He suggested that the name of the movie be changed to Spaceman from Pluto. According to writer/producer Bob Gale, Steven Spielberg “earned his executive producer credit” by stepping in and sending back a note that thanked the studio head for his “joke memo.”

Tootsie - “Would I Lie to You?”
Would I Lie to You? Was the title before it went through at least a half-dozen re-writes by as many writers before it finally hit the big screen in 1982 as Tootsie. The new title was suggested by star Dustin Hoffman (it was the name of his mother’s dog).

Boys Don’t Cry - “Take It Like a Man”
Boys Don’t Cry gave Hilary Swank an Academy Award, but the film was originally called Take It Like a Man. The producers decided that The Cure’s song “Boys Don’t Cry”, along with its inclusion on the soundtrack, gave the project more of the “dark” atmosphere they were seeking.

Dish Networkoffers more HD Premium Movies channels, than any other Satellite TV provider.

Facebook Friends

Whenever my friend is having a party I always show up late. I just don’t want to be the first one there. I like to wait and let the party settle in before I show up. At every party you have different kind of party friends. You have the “Lightweight” who is passed out by the time you show up. “The Klutz”, this person can spill your beer from across the room. There is the “Couch Potato”, “Mr. I have to Drive Tonight”, “The Meathead”, the list goes on. Me, well I’m the “Late Guy”.

So I was thinking Facebook…No difference. You have a group of friends all in the one place, doing a bunch of annoying things, but you are having a great time! I know what your thinking, “at a party there is alcohol”. Well with Facebook, there is the Internet. The Internet is the “alcohol” at this Facebook party, and at this Facebook party you have different kind of friends. So here is a list of different types of Facebook friends.

The Overzealous Updater - This is the friend who can’t go a half an hour without sharing what’s on his mind. Honestly I really want to know about how you burnt your Hot Pocket, I don’t need to know that you’ve just had your second shower of the day. For that matter, I didn’t need to hear about the first one either.

The Linker - This is the friend who does nothing but share links all day. Links to articles he’s read that he thinks the whole world should be reading, links to movie reviews, links to new games coming on the market, links to his Twitter page where he’s gone and posted 10 more links. Links to his links to links!! There needs to be a limit. Some links are good; especially when it’s some funny you tube video of a guy getting hit in the crouch with a football.

The Groupie - This is the friend who jumps on more band wagons then a New York Yankees fan when they start winning again. They join every group that comes their way. “The I like to cut my crust of my sandwich group” REALLY?!

I Am My Kids - This friend only uses Facebook to post photos of their kids, or updates that read: “Tommy didn’t feel well today, so he stayed home from school.” Hey don’t care so shut up! Might as well not even have your own profile; just create one for the kid.

Spies - This is the Ex-girlfriend or boyfriend who only friends you so” he or she” can spy on you and make sure you have fewer friends then “he or she” has, and that your new significant other is less attractive than “he or she” was. I know it’s complicated.

The Wanna-Be - This is the person who friends someone with the great hope of becoming friends with that person in real life. Just because Ryan Seacrest is you friend on Facebook dose not mean he will call you later to get some drinks.

The Two-facer - This friend will accept your friend request just to be polite, but then hides your updates immediately. Unfortunately, you have no idea who the two-facers are.

The Networker - This is the friend whose sole purpose on Facebook is to build a list he can tap when he needs a job. You know these friends because they only message you with e-mails that read “So you still over at Stop and Shop?”

The OverPoker - No need to explain this one. You know who you are!!

The Attention Seeker - This is the friend who posts status updates that are purposely vague, and therefore beg for a comment. Their status is all about getting you to respond, getting attention, getting sympathy, leaving you wanting more. “Lori is scared, but hopes everything works out…” What? What happen? Son of a…!

The Lyricist - Will not post anything except song lyrics. This does not make you cool. In fact you are now less cool.

The Good Friend - This is the friend who doesn’t fit in any of the above categories and is, hopefully, just one of many normal, average facebookers you’ve friended. Let’s hear it for the Good Friend!

Having trouble getting connected or staying connected with dial up service? Switch to WildBlue Satellite Internet and keep in touch with all of your online friends.

Satellite Internet - A Review of Satellite Internet Service

Satellite Internet is one of the fastest growing Broadband Internet solutions in the United States.There are two main Satellite Internet Service Providers for residential customers, HughesNet and WildBlue. When compared side by side, Wild Blue, with its lower upfront and monthly costs and aggressive promotions, is hands down the elite choice for Satellite Internet Access.


Satellite Internet Connections offer the same quality of Internet as DSL and cable companies, but are available to customers in rural areas, where cable and DSL do not venture and dialup ISP's are the only option. With Satellite Internet Companies competing for customers that cable and DSL don't want, the promotions have been getting more and more aggressive, which is good news for consumers.


For rural Internet users who have been forced to endure slow dialup ISP's and as a result have been deprived of all the Internet can offer, such as, fast access to information, quick downloads and instant email deliveries, Satellite Internet could be just the thing to get you back in the game. The benefits for farmers, ranchers or any other rural resident just looking to bank, shop, keep in touch with family and friends, or even go to school online can be extremly valuable and a great time saver.


Satellite Internet companies like WildBlue and HughesNet, offer a service that is always on, fast and best of all doesn't require a phone line. The installation is minimal, just a satellite dish mounted to your physical property or placed on a pole in your yard, a coaxial cable run from the satellite dish to your satellite internet modem, which connects to your computer through a USB port and an Ethernet cable - That's it. Satellite Internet providers like Wild Blue will actually send out an installer to get you hooked up and in most cases it's free.


Chances are if you are saddled with a dialup ISP, because the cable company won't come out, you are probably a little television challenged as well. If your Broadband Internet connection is going to be provided via satellite, your television may as well be to. Like Satellite Internet, Satellite TV promotions are more aggressive than ever as companies like DIRECTV and Dish Network attempt to provide service to customers ignored by the cable companies. Dish Network is the better overall value in my opinion, providing lower monthly costs, larger programming options, award winning satellite tv receivers and the most high-definition channels of all the satellite tv providers.


Imagine Satellite Internet and TV from dialup and off air antenna. Living in rural areas provides families with enviable quality of living, not to mention peacful settings. That shouldn't mean that you are isolated from the technology that makes everyone elses lives easier and more enjoyable. Now, thanks to companies like Wild Blue and Dish Network you can have the best of both worlds.

DirecTV Rebates--Problems

If you are a DirecTV customer and have had a problem with the rebate process you are not alone. The problem with the rebate process at DirecTV is that they have one goal in mind and that is breakage. This is dooming new customers on their first bill and first experience with the Satellite TV Provider.

Customers have to select a package that fits both a family's budget and viewing preferences. They are informed in depth the disclosures and guidelines DirecTV sets forth, including Landlord Permissions, install procedure, pricing and promotions, contract terms and conditions and the dreaded rebate process.


The outline of the rebate is fairly simple as the rebates are heavily advertised (normally a 21 dollar monthly savings). The promotional price is always reflected after the full price is crossed out. This is so tempting that current customers of the Satellite TV provider have called to take advantage although these are strictly available to new activations.

This rebate is a proactive rebate. It is solely on the customer to make sure the correct procedures have been followed. At one time there was an actual 800 number a customer could call. This was often busy, long hold times, or if successful need to be called within a specific time for the rebate to be activated. On the phone you generally receive no confirmation number or no proof your rebate has been activated.


The time for this rebate to take affect was an ongoing problem. The average 21 dollars in savings would not appear on the first month or sometimes the second month either. A new DirecTV Customer's first few payments would be at the full price before promotions and often higher than what they were paying with Dish Network or a cable provider. Then one day the toll free number stopped accepting calls. A rush of calls from confused DirecTV customers began . They are advised to call a DirecTV customer service 800 number, which is a Five-dollar per call charge. I cannot imagine the amount of consumers within that period that had difficulty with the process. It had to be hundreds to thousands. Which when you consider a 21 dollar per person increase in payments I assume this adds up to quite a bit.

So to ease call volume and increase website driven customer service, It then became mandatory for a rebate to be activated on line. These were the steps...Register for a DirecTV online account, verify that your email address works, and submit your rebate.

Sounds simple enough.

A lot of problems arise before the process even starts. Many customers have dial-up internet (a majority of rural America). If someone used your email address before (ex boyfriends, girlfriends, or immediate family members) DirecTV detected these as active accounts and ineligible for new customer promotions. Customers with old accounts who activated an online account 3-4 years ago are also detected as existing. Some people just don't have the ability to access the Internet or email addresses. There is an alternative mail in rebate process that takes 3-4 months to activate.

Once registered there are a series of sent confirmations, customers had to consent to receive emails from DirecTV; if they did not consent they would not receive an email. Emails from DirecTV were sent to a spam or junk folder. There are two emails sent to customers, one to thank them for registering and one to confirm the email address. The correct email then has to be confirmed. This leads customers to believe the process was complete. The thank you email is a congratulatory format even though there are still a few steps left.

The process is usually 15 minutes on a good day...if a customers type fast and have a vast knowledge of the internet. Finding the actual rebate tab is difficult (as it is buried on their home page).

If you made it past step two and are brought to the actual rebate activation DirecTV now attempts to halt halting the process by blaming it on Technical Difficulties (The main reason I decided to write this article).

You are presented with a 16 or a 21-dollar rebate and by clicking submit your rebate is activated. However, clicking submit would result in an error message. This occurrs 100% of the time and too often to be an actual error. The website would say they were experiencing difficulty please try again later! My belief is this is not an actual error, but another stepping-stone DirecTV implemented to make the process more difficult. A quick click of the back button or the refresh screen would immediately fix the DirecTV rebate website issues. This, in my belief, led to a lot of less experienced users halting their activation, resulting in additional breakage.

It normally takes two statements / billing periods for the rebate to take affect. Even if all these steps were taken a customer was still at risk of paying full price for their first few statements.

You also have 60-90 days to activate these rebates or they will be unavailable

In addition new customers receive 3 free months of Starz, HBO, and Showtime. They are promotional and complimentary however, there is no way to remove these free trial periods. The correct timeframe to remove those before the billing cycle starts charging a customer is still a timeframe I unaware of.

Any changes in programming will result in the loss a rebate. The rebate you worked a minimum of twenty minutes to activate can be taken away in a five-dollar phone call to DirecTV customer service because you are paying too much for your free Showtime. DirecTV's promotions will always rely on breakage and an assumption that a customer will have too much difficulty completing the process to actually appreciate the level of quality the TV programming does provide you. New Customers should enjoy their first few months of service too often this is not the case. The moral of the story here is if it appears too good to be true it probably is.

Is Brett Favre Ruining His Legacy?

When Future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre first retired in 2007 after 16 years of playing for the Green Bay Packers many thought he was doing the right thing. He was 37 years old and over his career he did more for his team and the Green Bay organization then most players could ever dream of. He was a player who had always seem to put his team first, despite his many individual achievements.

During his career with Green Bay, Favre helped lead the Packers to 7-Division Titles, 2-NFC Championships and won a Super Bowl. He also won the Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive seasons. Statistically, Favre has set so many milestones that most quarterbacks coming into the league will be doing well to accomplish half of his success. Favre has thrown 464 career touchdown passes, passed for 65,127 yards, completed 5,720 passes, has 9,280 career pass attempts, made 291 consecutive starts, and lead his team to 169 victories all NFL records by a quarterback. .

Favre always seemed to be a kid in the candy store while on the football field. He would turn negative plays in positive ones all the time. He made so many game winning comebacks that little kids watching at home knew their dreams of leading their favorite team to a Super Bowl victory with 20 seconds left could happen with hard work and determination. He gave so many people hope whether through football or one of his various charities. .

When he retired for the first time is was the end of another great legacy. Toward the end of his stint in Green Bay he realized he was no longer the franchise player, when the Packers selected Aaron Rodgers with the 24th pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Knowing his time there seemed limited, Favre remained himself even with the fact that at anytime he could be pulled out for Rodgers to take over. Through it all he kept his head up and finished out two more seasons before announcing his retirement. .

At the end of the 2007 season in front of the media and his Green Bay teammates Favre bid his farewell to the game that he loved and cherished. From his emotional good bye it seemed that he was all done, and many fans looked forward to seeing him in the booth as a broadcaster for Sunday or Monday Night football games. However with his never ending give it all or nothing attitude he decided that maybe he still had some gas in the tank and took up the NY Jets offer to come out of retirement and take over as the starting quarterback. When he arrived at Jets camp it was reminiscent of the good old days when Broadway Joe Namath ran the Jets offense, except the Favre led Jets did not do so well, missing the playoffs and finishing the season 9-7. After a grueling season in which he injured his shoulder, Favre announced his "official" retirement for the second time in two years. And though it was sad to see him go it was time, the game seemed to be moving at a faster pace then he could. .

After months of denying speculation that he might be coming back again, he did the unimaginable right as the 2009 season was about to start announcing that he would once again come out of retirement to take over as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Now it seemed like Favre was no longer looking out for the best interest in his team but himself. He was an aging quarterback with a torn up shoulder that did not know when to just shut it down. It seems Favre became victim to the same thing that many others like him have "The Limelight". Its hard enough being the average Joe walking away from sports, as you get older. Now imagine being the face of an NFL franchise constantly in the media always being asked to do commercials and making public appearances. To doing nothing but just sitting at home fishing and maybe doing a couple of appearances here and there, must not have seemed to be fulfilling enough. .

For most of us to be able to retire at the age of 39 with more money than you could imagine would be fantastic, but for a superstar it's not so easy. While there have only been a few legendary players who have walked away in their prime like the Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown, and Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions. Most professional players just don't know when to say enough even though there is nothing left for them to prove. For instance Jerry Rice probably the best wide receiver to ever play the game played well beyond his prime trying to prove he could still do it. Even in other sports players have a hard time leaving the limelight like Michael Jordan the greatest to ever play on an NBA court. .

While we as fans say they should just know when to give it up. It is we that make true legends want to give it their all no matter how old or what condition their body is in. It seems that when they retire they feel they are letting us fans down, recognizing we have supported them through the ups and downs in their careers. So while we can sit here and try to justify why Favre should stay retired, you have to think about all the game winning plays he has made how much he has contributed to the sport, and not solely focus on the Viking 2-year $25-million dollar contract, after all, who would say no to that. .

The only question that remains is will Favre's decision to keep playing taint his status as one of the all time greats. There will always be a debate as to who the greatest quarterback of all time is. The generation you grew up in usually dictates your belief. Despite the fact that present day NFL quarterbacks seem to be breaking all the old records. My grandfather still insists to this day that Johnny Unitas, and Bart Starr are the two greatest to ever play the game. My father's choices are Joe Namath, Warren Moon and Dan Marino. I would have to say my top quarterbacks of all time would have to be Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, and Favre. But my favorite quarterback is Donovan McNabb and that's because I'm an Eagles fan.

You can still see Manning and McNabb performing their magic on Sunday's, but to see the other greats of the game, see them immortalized on NFL Network and catch in crystal clear high-definition on an Dish Network.

Lords of Dogtown – The Pioneers of Skateboarding

What do Tony Hawk, Bam Margera, Rob Dyrdek, and Ryan Sheckler have in common? They are all skateboarders with their own shows on MTV. Now I will give credit where credit is due. Thanks to them, skateboarding has sky rocketed in popularity. The Olympics of extreme sports, the X-Games air every year on ESPN just like the World Series or Super Bowl would. Contrary to what the “MTV Generation” believes, skateboarding wasn’t invented every Thursday night at 9 on Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.


Sure on MTV you can see Bam throw himself from a moving car or Rob run around town with his bodyguards, does that have to do with skateboarding? I’m not sure. See my point yet? If MTV is going to exploit something for money and ratings, please at least respect its roots, and not just through a couple clowns on TV with a board and four wheels.


Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams. Ever hear of them? Of course you haven’t! That’s because you watch MTV too much. You want to learn the real history of skateboarding you need to watch Lords of Dogtown. I came across this movie playing on Starz the other night and really enjoyed it.


Lords of Dogtown is a biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke. The film brings to life the story of three Venice Beach, surfers Tony Alva, (played by Victor Rasuk), Stacy Peralta (played by John Robinson), and Jay Adams (played by Emile Hirsch) in the 1970’s, “before MTV”, as they unknowingly become the pioneers of skateboarding.


Skip Engblom (played by the late Heath Ledger) owns Zephyr Skate Shop in Venice Beach where he sells his own signature surfboards and skateboards. Skip gets a tip about some new polyurethane wheels that came out that he might be able to put on his boards. Intrigued, Skip decides to order a couple sets. Shop regular and local surfer, Sid (played by Michael Angarano) is asked to go round up some local kids to try out the new wheels.
Tony, Jay, and Stacy are among the twenty or so kids that Sid gathered for Skip to test the wheels. Amazed at what the kids can do with the new wheels, Skip comes up with the idea to put together a skate team. He called the team Z-Boys. The team proves to be a huge success, with Stacy, Jay, and Tony winning a majority of the local contest.

Even though the Z-Boys were having fun skating, surfing was still their first love. With Venice Beach in a drought and no rain for the pier to produce waves, Stacy, Jay, and Tony had to find another way to keep themselves entertained. No rain also means swimming pools couldn’t be filled for the summer. Remember when Rob Dyrdek skateboarded in his pool? Well this is where he got the idea. Using this opportunity, the boys started sneaking into peoples' swimming pools to skate in. Because of how much skating in the pool felt like surfing, they called it a concrete wave.

After winning many major contests across the country, Stacy, Jay, and Tony start getting attention from major skating companies, The Z-Boys become famous. They started appearing in various skateboard magazines and getting a lot of TV offers. Skip threw a party at his skate shop to celebrate all the success the Z-boys were having. A skateboard company owner named Topper Burks (played by Johnny Knoxville) shows up at the party. Topper only comes to the party with intentions of taking the boys away from Skip.

Topper manages to convince Tony that Skip is only in it for himself, and that he his holding him back. Topper promises Tony that he will make him famous worldwide. Tony takes him up on his offer and leaves Skip and his team behind. Seeing how much money Tony is making, Jay leaves the team too looking to cash in and help his mom pay rent on their apartment. Stacy is the last to leave the team, getting offers to skate full time and appear on the original Charlie’s Angels show.

The three boys become richer and more famous by the minute. Their lives have changed and now they are skating for money and not the love of it. Hey MTV sound familiar? The one time best friends have become enemies of some sort competing against each other in different event across the country. Before long everything starts to get out of control. In the most major skateboard championship of the year, Tony starts a fight with another skater in the middle of the show and gets knocked out almost ending his career. Jay leaves the skate team he was endorsing because they started selling cheap materials. Stacy won the whole competition leaving Tony and Jay jealous and upset at him.

With all that was going on in their lives they forgot where they came from. Back in Venice, the pier where the Z-boy first started, burned down and their friend Sid is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Skip shut down the shop and went back to what he loved, sanding and creating surfboards. Even though Stacy, Tony, and Jay have all gone their separate ways, they get together and decide to return home and visit Sid while they still have time. Sid’s farther after all these years still keeps the pool empty for the boys to skate in. Stacy, Tony, and Jay skate the pool and decide to bring Sid in the pool on his wheel chair, bringing back all the memories they had before they started the Z-boys.

Tony Alva went on to be a very successful pro skater and still to this day is known to sneak into people’s back yards to skate their pools. Stacy Peralta started his own skateboard company called Powell Peralta. His skate team debuted a 14-year-old named Tony Hawk. That name sounds familiar, I’m sure. As for Jay Adams, he skated for Stacy’s team for a couple years then decided to lay low after he realized that he had accomplished the only thing he set out to do from the beginning. That was to just have fun. Sid later died of his brain tumor. To this day his father’s pool is kept empty. Every year the three return to skate the pool. It is known as the Dog Bowl. Some call it the birthplace of skateboarding.


You can follow the sport and other extreme sports on ESPN, ESPN2, and watch the Lords of Dogtown on Starz, all in stunning high-definition of Dish Newtork. Dish Network offers the most HD programming and the most extreme offers in the Satellite TV industry. Check out You Tube for some really great skateboarding videos, if you’re stuck with dialup check out what WildBlue Satellite Internet can do to get you flying on the web.

Can Rural Businesses compete

The U.S. Federal Government has committed to provide high speed internet for rural areas through the Federal Broadband Stimulus program. This might have a positive effect on consumers living in rural areas, but the results might not be as positive for rural businesses.

It is not an unfamiliar fact that customers of rural businesses usually pay more for the same products and services that mainstream Americans do. The reasons are numerous, and in many cases justified. Smaller customer bases and higher costs to receive goods or deliver services are a big contributor to higher costs for rural consumers.

Imagine for a moment that instead of dial up Internet access, rural citizens had access to a high-speed Broadband Satellite Internet connection. Faster and easier access to information, would assuredly empower customers to seek lower costs through on-line shopping. The need for many farmers, ranchers or just ordinary rural dwellers, to trudge off to the local emporium for food, feed, tools, etc., would be greatly diminished and small rural business may eventually suffer irreversible consequences.

You won't find many arguments against technological advancement here and the prospect of rural high-speed Internet access is both exciting and necessary for that long ignored customer base. Still, one can't help but feel a little worried about yet another staple of small town rural American life going by the wayside. Another Saturday Evening Post ideal lost forever.

The hope is for rural users to have the technological advantages available to them, but without the adverse effect on small businesses. It seems to be a risk worth taking, when you weigh in the benefits of high-speed Internet, which would also include, but would not be limited to; social benefits (email), economic benefits (e-commerce), educational benefits (e-learning or distance learning), entertainment benefits (movies, music etc,) and information benefits (news, politics, weather, and sports) for its citizens.

Laying fears to rest was a study performed on rural communities, which produced some surprising and positive results.Between 2002 and 2006 the study was performed on 228 selected rural counties that had relatively high broadband availability in 2000, and rural "twin" counties that mirrored their economic structure in terms of farming, manufacturing, retail trade, Federal, State and Local Government income as a percent of total income. Population sizes and densities were also closely matched and the presence of interstate highways and per capita income levels were factored.

The results were interesting and reassuring to say the least. Counties that had access to Broadband services, had lower unemployment levels, due largely to businesses being attracted to areas were they could operate through high-speed Internet accesses. Average wages for those employed were significantly higher in broadband available areas as well.The farm sector seemed to be largely unaffected by broadband Internet access, with productivity changing very little. Somewhat surprising was how unaffected local merchants were. Many took advantage of the Internet advancements to be more cost efficient and smartly passed those savings to their customers. Education and other factors proved to difficult to measure, but what wasn't hard to measure was the overwhelming amount of rural customers who jumped at that chance to upgrade their Internet service from dial-up.

The conclusions we can draw from this study are that rural Americans need and can benefit greatly from the availability of high-speed Internet services. Satellite Internet is the logical vehicle to supply these areas with access, because of how it is delivered. If the cable and DSL providers thought it was cost-effective to service these areas, I am assuming they would have done so years ago.

Netflix vs. Blockbuster

With the economy the way it is, consumers are looking to save money wherever they can. Families are not going out as much and staying home in an effort to save a few bucks here and there. So it’s not a surprise when we see the rising popularity of in-home entertainment. With DVR, On-Demand, and Pay-Per-View it is now easier then ever to enjoy a nice night at home. You would think that video rental stores like Blockbuster would be thriving in this bad economy. Unfortunately that’s not the case.


When Netflix launched in 1999 it changed the way people rented and watched movies. For a flat monthly rate you would have access to the Netflix web site where you can pick movies to be mailed to your house in pre-paid envelopes. Eliminating any need or reason to make a trip to your local video store. Due to this new hassle free and inexpensive method of movie renting Blockbuster has been feeling the heat.


When you would go to the video store and rent a movie, if you didn’t return it on-time you would be charged a late fee. With Netflix pricing strategy and no time restriction on how long you can keep a rental, it provided customers with another reason not to use Blockbuster.


Blockbuster was not going down with out a fight however. Blockbuster adopted a “no late fee” policy in there retail stores. Well…kind of. If you kept a rented DVD for more then 5-days after its due date, Blockbuster would automatically deduct the retail cost for the DVD directly from your bank account. By this time it was obvious that was not enough to compete with the fast growing Netflix. So Blockbuster decided to then take them head on.


In August 2004 Blockbuster launched a similar online DVD rental service. It worked the exacted same way as Netflix, but with Blockbuster having retail stores it gave them an edge on Netflix. Instead of mailing back the DVD and waiting a day or two for a new one, Blockbuster gave you the option of returning the movie to their retail store for a new DVD right then and there at no charge. Using the advantage of their retail stores, Blockbuster has made their presence known as one of the top two online DVD rental services in the country.


Netflix had a response. In 2007 Netflix offered their customers the option to watch movies directly on their computer. They already use their computers to pickout what DVDs they wanted to be mailed to their homes, so it made sense to offer select titles to watch for free on your computer without having to wait for the DVD in the mail.
Netflx delivered another blow to Blockbuster early this year when they signed a deal with video game giant Microsoft. Allowing any XBOX 360 owner to sync their XBOX live account with their Netflix account. Now you can put any movie from your Netflix queue directly on your XBOX 360 to watch on your TV.


With Netflix offering thousands of titles at their customer’s fingertips daily, it has made it almost impossible for Blockbuster to compete. Not to mention the new RedBox kiosks that seem to be popping up everywhere. RedBox are little kiosks that are placed at local supermarkets and pharmacies, (usually across form a blockbuster) which offers newly released DVD's for a dollar a night. Blockbuster new releases are $4.99 for 2-nights.


Due to the overwhelming pressure of Netflix, and RedBox, Blockbuster was forced to close 960 of their 3,700 retail stores this year. No one knows how much longer Blockbuster can hold out. I imagine it can’t be too much longer.


No matter how you prefer to get your movies, Dish Network is always available with more HD Premium Movie channels and Video On-Demand selctions than any other provider in the Satellite TV industry.

NFL Red Zone and NFL Sunday Ticket – A Comparison

I am proud to call myself a sports fan. I like to watch my favorite teams play each week in their respective sports, and especially come playoff time. But I do however have one concern. It seems over the past few years more and more sports packages have become available like NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, Etc.

Don’t get me wrong the idea of having the ability to choose to watch all 16 NFL football games being played each week is great. But, is it worth the $300.00 you pay? Lets face it, these Sports packages are perfect for a Sports Bar who has more then 4 televisions where they can get their money’s worth by watching most of the games being played. For those of us who do not own a Sports Bar, and live in an average house with at the most 3 televisions in separate rooms, we can only watch 3 of the games being played at one time. So let’s break that down 3 games at a time, so 6 well 7 with Monday night out of 16 games a week for the bargain price of $300.00.

The $300.00 does not include your regular programming package price, so it is additional to your normal bill. Now with out the sports package you would still be able to see the 7 games being played without paying the extra money. Of course your particular team may not be one of the televised games, but you also did not pay an extra $300.00. Not to mention that out of the goodness of it’s heart DIRECTV will automatically add the NFL Sunday ticket the following year of course at the new years pricing (which is always higher the next year). So when you receive that bill that automatically shows the NFL Sunday Ticket price you have to call in to let them know you do not want it this year, now it is prorated because the season has started so there will be some sort of charge.

Now let’s see, if I got the Sunday Ticket am I a bigger sports fan? NO! Dish Network may not offer the NFL Sunday Ticket, but they do offer the NFL RED ZONE. This is a channel, which is part of their multi sports package at a cost of $5.99 per month. NFL RED ZONE shows you all of the Touchdowns scored as they happen for each team each week. So let’s see, I can see every touchdown scored plus watch the normal televised games, for $5.99 a month. That works out to be what $71.88 per year, and a $228.12 dollar savings. Hmm, I may not be the smartest man but that sounds like one hell of a bargain compared to the Sunday Ticket, and who can use the extra $228.12 in their pocket. Think about it this way, that is just about the price of a ticket to the actual game.

Think about it, we as sports fans are being prayed upon by our cable providers. They know our dedication to our teams and the sports that they play. They use this to make so much money off of us each year that we cannot go to the games. Which in turn adds to the blackout of local sporting events. It is a vicious circle that is not going to end until we standup and stop needlessly spending money on these sports packages just to say we have them, when their value is not really justified unless you own a Sports Bar.

Quite honestly, Dish Network has the most reasonable option right now. NFL Red Zone shows you all the touchdowns as they happen, and saves you $228.12 a year. Count me in that is until one of these providers smartens up and gives us the option of following a specific team throughout the season. One team every game they play all season including their playoff run and championship games.

That I would pay for, tell me for $100.00 a season I can see every game the Yankees play including playoffs and World Series I am in. Tell me I can follow the Dallas Cowboys all season every game again I am in. Lets even get crazy and extend it to college teams. All home and away games for one team at a set price in any sport I choose, hands down I would sign up.

Not going to sign up for 16 games most of which I don’t care about for $300.00 a season you are kidding yourself DIRECTV nobody has the extra money to throwaway on what you think is worth it.

Until someone offers the opportunity to follow only your favorite team through their season, playoff run, and championship game, or games. I will switch to Dish Network, save over two hundred dollars a year, and still see every touchdown as it happens with the NFL Red Zone. The whole time I can still watch all the normally broadcast games.

Expand Your DVR's Recording and Storage Capabilities

Dish Network DVR's have the most recording and storage space available in the industry. Still, with all of the great programming available these days, the need for more storage space may at some point become an issue. Consider a DVR External Hard Disk Drive as a solution. Dish Network's ViP-Series DVR's are compatible with USB 2.0 hard disk drives. These drives can increase your DVR's storage capacity by more than 400 hours of standard digital recording and nearly 100 hours of high-definition recording.

An external hard disk drive (HDD) makes it possible to save all of your favorites and not be forced to delete a program to make room for more. Dish Network has announced that any future DVR's manufactured will be compatible with this technology, but for now Dish has three models that will work; the ViP612 DVR, ViP622 DVR and the ViP722 DVR.

To get started simply connect a compatible USB 2.0 hard disk drive to a compatible Dish Network receiver. You will be able to view content from the HDD, or transfer content back to the DVR. All major brand name external HDD's sold in stores are compatible. Although USB is the most popular choice for hard disk drives, it is preferable to use one with an external power supply. Which ever you choose, be sure to dedicate that drive for DVR purposes only. Using the HDD for computer files may cause corruption of your programming content.

When the HDD is connected for the first time, you will be prompted to reformat the drive - If you choose to, anything previously stored on that drive will be lost. If you choose not to reformat you will not be able to transfer content from your DVR. Be sure to remove anything of importance before reformatting.

The supported Dish Network DVR receivers have two USB 2.0 ports on the back panel. At this time only one device such as an HDD or a Pocket Dish device can be connected to the receiver at a time. If you connect two devices simultaneously the DVR will simply ignore the last device connected. The trick here is to fully install and format the first device to the DVR, then install and format a second if you wish. This will allow you to dedicate one drive for let's say movies and the other for sports. If you choose to remove the HDD you can watch or transfer the content to other compatible DVR receivers, however the receiver must be registered on the same customer account.

Transferring content is easy with Dish Networks' user-friendly interface. From the Dish Multimedia Menu simply select USB Storage. From here you will be given two choices; Manage Device - this will allow you to see a list of programs already stored on the HDD and Send to Device - this is the option to transfer DVR programming from the My Recordings list on your DVR receiver to the HDD. If a program on your DVR contains copy protection it may impact your ability to transfer to the HDD. If it does, a pop-up message with more information will appear. For more information on copy protection restrictions visit www.dishnetwork.com and search for "copy protection."

Within Manage Device you will find options to Restore - transfer programming from the HDD back to the DVR receiver, Play - watch programming directly from the HDD and Delete - remove programming from the HDD.

External Hard Disk Drive compatibility is just another example of Dish Networks continuing technology advantage in the industry and one more reason you need Dish Network.