My Re-Election

I haven't had much time to write lately due to other responsibilities. I will be back soon I hope. I did want to let all know that I have been re-elected to another term as 3rd Vice Chair of the Guilford County Democratic Party today.

I have a lot to catch up on. Soon I promise.

Play Ball or Not

MLB announced an exclusive agreement with DirecTV last week for their MLB extra innings package, cutting out cable and Dish Network. It is a 7 year, $700 million deal.

Not only is this bad for baseball, but this is bad for (once again) baseball fans. If cable and Dish Network do not get cut into this deal, as MLB says they will before seasons start, this is the equivalent of Bud Selig taking out the fans to the woods and doing his best impression of Dick Cheney.

I'm not switching to DirecTV, I had it way back when, and it sucked. I do want to switch from Time Warner to Dish Network, but either way the only baseball I get to see is ESPN broadcasts, FOX when it picks up baseball late in the season, and as much Braves, Cubs and White Sox as my heart desires. This would be fine, if I were a Braves, Cubs or White Sox fan, but I'm not. I am also not a Washington Nationals fan, which is available on FXSS as North Carolina's home region team.

I am a Yankees fan. I watch almost every game and have for the better part of 27+ years. I have spent about $170 a season for this luxury since I moved down here from NJ in the early 90's.

Here's a solution for you Bud. Let the fans choose what they want to watch. In my case have a NY Yankees package for $170 a year. I'd buy that to see my team play every game. I don't care about the rest of the teams. Boston fans could just watch the Red Sox, etc... Then everyone's happy. But you won't do that, that would be good for baseball. And you don't do anything good for baseball.

Here's the clear message Bud Selig, you've been bad for baseball since you became commissioner. It seems that you have done everything in your power to make the fans angry, the very fans that support financially MLB. The same fans that pay your salary, pay the players salaries. The deal with DirecTV is a clear message to the fans, we don't care if you watch MLB. Well Mr Selig, message received. The only way for you to make this right is to make the games available to all. Otherwise, you'll never see another dime of my money. I believe a lot of the fans would stand behind me on that. Oh and thanks, you just freed up 162 nights a year for me to spend my money elsewhere.

Let's not just boycott MLB though. Let's boycott their sponsors as well.

The Family Values Crowd

From Bill Maher last night, a discussion about marriage.

Newt Gingrich on his third, McCain on his second and Giuliani on his third, and the only guy who practices monogamy, Mormon Mitt Romney. Now that's irony from the family values crowd.

Newt admits this week to an extramarital affair while trying to fry Bill Clinton for the same thing, now Falwell rewards him with commencement speaker at his uber conservative Liberty University.

I also remember the affair Giuliani had that was the front page of the paper every day while he was Mayor of NYC. Forbes remembers more: "Judith Nathan was the other woman back then and subsequently became Giuliani's third wife and stepmother to the two Giuliani-Hanover children, Andrew and Christine. Giuliani's first marriage to his second cousin, Regina Peruggi, ended after 14 years in divorce and later an annulment."

Now the Democrats. Hilary married once, still married. Edwards married once, still married. Barak Obama married once, still married.

So I ask again, who has the family values? Who defends the sanctity of marriage?

Dan The Insurance Man

Over at Dan's Message, he tells a story that will make you need to use your health insurance for an upset belly, it also might make you call to see if anger management is covered on your policy, assuming that you can afford any of this stuff in the first place. Head of Blue Cross Blue Shield makes 5.6 million in salary at the non-profit in 2 years for salary! At $4800 a year for an average person to buy health insurance, 1166 people could be covered for a year with what he makes. I don't know, if you pay a director $5.6 million over two years are you really a non-profit?

After reading about Sean's gem of a find, Dan, I met with him yesterday to discuss some insurance problems my family is having and figure out some options. I can assure you Dan is the man, and you all should talk to him about your needs as well. He is actually an insurance industry guy that cares. I know, that doesn't exist. It does, check out the rest of Dan's Message and read for yourselves.

Edwards Coming To Greensboro

Flyer from the campaign:





How many times do we get to see a Presidential candidate in Greensboro? I urge all to attend.

Heels Beat Duke

Tyler Hansbrough has 26 points and 17 rebounds, in the UNC smack down on Duke 86-72. Dukes worst loss of the year.

Things get ugly with 14.5 seconds to go. Gerald Henderson punches Hansbrough, trail of blood. Henderson will be suspended for 1 game.

This begs me to offer this quip: "If the aliens come to make contact, send Tyler Hansbrough because he isn't afraid of contact!"

Another Greensboro Blogger

Another Greensboro neighbor starts a blog here. I'm in no way supporting the sale of a SUV aka Global Warming Machine, but I am supporting the use of a blog to promote ones wares.

Update on RFID

I just got off the phone with Wayne Herder, Director of Driver License's under Commissioner Tatum and he assures me that it is in fact not an RFID chip on my license. It is a common security element, basically a hologram, with no chip embedded. They have no plans as of now to implement the RFID technology. He said that the DMV officer at the Coliseum Dr location was mistaken and he is going to personally contact them to inform them of their misunderstanding. He apologized for the uproar they have caused me by what they said and told me to feel free to call him with any further questions.

I still plan to get my hands on a RFID reader to make sure I wasn't being run around on the phone, but Mr Herder sounded pretty honest and knowledgeable about the technology. He also stated that he's not sure that the RFID technology is even secure enough to have as a security feature in our license's. He said he's on the same page as I am with that argument.

Now we wait and see how our state will adapt to the Real Id Act that must be implemented no later then May 2008 creating a National standard for driver's license's in the US. I am learning more on the act and other even scarier acts as the days go on.

Apparently, this is my new Vernon Robinson.

Update: Wane Herder's correct title is state Director of Driver's License Certification. Just so I have it correct.

NCDL and RFID

I went and got my new NC drivers license today at the local DMV. I had to get my address changed. Come to find out the new issue NCDL has a RFID chip in it. Not only can RFID technology be used to track a location of what it is in, but it can store information as well. It is easily hackable, if you can even call something so easy a hack, with a RFID scanner which for a price is available to the general public. So I had some questions. I asked the DMV officer if they had any literature for what is going to be stored on the RFID chip, you know like my social security #. I was told, "What is being stored on the RFID chip's is not going to be public information." I raised a little hell and then left before I got myself arrested by the Gestapo like officials. There will definitely be more to come on this issue as I wrote about here.

RFID has been being used more by retailers to track their products through supply chains and by large farms to track their herds. Now they are in our drivers licenses, which only confirms that the state does see us as their sheep.

Consider me officially pissed off!!!