Marijuana a safe drug? Tell that to accident victims.

Is Marijuana A Safe Drug?
In 2001, I once had a colleague that kept arguing with me that smoking pot was absolutely safe. He even argued that it made him learn faster. He was probably in his mid-50's and he kept telling others around him that it was fine.

A few years later, I caught up with him again and I visited his house to see how he was doing. He was unemployed in an area with 3% unemployment, depressed, and he threatened to kill people that "did him wrong". It seems like his heavy use on marijuana, coupled with whatever issues that was troubling him, has brought on severe paranoia, laziness, and depression. Thankfully, he did seek professional help.

The most intelligent civilizations on earth has smoked weed, from the Assyrians to the Chou Dynasty. They were all essentially wiped out of course (probably by non-users - lol). While this practice is ancient, its only within the last few years that people started learning its harmful effects not only on mental behavior but its effects physically.

While tobacco use in the United States is becoming less and less an acceptable vice, marijuana use is increasing especially in junior high and high school.

Where Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than Tobacco

Read a compiled list of recent studies showing where marijuana is more dangerous than tobacco, not only in terms of mental ailments but physical effects.

Philippines RCBC bank massacre ignites outrage

"For the love of money is the root of all evil..." 1 Tim 6:10 (KJV)





An Entire Country Grieves
Since I have been preparing to move, I haven't seen any local news as of late. When I went to an RCBC bank, my teller friend asked me with a sad expression if I heard the news. I wished I didn't ask, but I was too curious. "What news?", I said. "They killed everyone at our branch location in Laguna."

I was extremely saddened to hear this. And to hear it from a member of the RCBC family and seeing the hurt, that was even more distressing.

While bank robberies are common throughout the world, it is very uncommon for bank robbers to kill unarmed people. A thief isn't usually a murderer, unless he is already a murderer and he turned into a thief. When a Fifth Third bank I frequented often in Florida was robbed, nobody got hurt.

So I'm puzzled about this bank robbery. Such madness, why would you seek to kill if your only motivation was to steal? Take the money and go, don't hurt civilians and innocents who are only trying to earn a living.

Judging from the other photos (I didn't post the pictures inside the bank for the respect of the victims and their family), this robbery was well planned. They broke in, they lined up the employees, and executed them at their post. This fiasco wasn't a crime of passion, it was a cold, calculated murder.

Root of All Evil
One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is found 1 Tim 6:10. Some people tend to pass over this and say that "money is the root of all evil" when the exact verse states the "love of money" is the root of all evil (or to be exact, the Greek context says all kinds of evil).

For sure, the love of money was the prime motivator of this massacre and it is an example of how such lust for greed no matter what the cost can sow the seeds of strife in our hearts.

I'm saddened to hear news reports that this could possibly involve law enforcement or military personnel. To those that are highly esteemed in public office, to those that we trust to keep our safety -- take the full, stern warning of this biblical advice. The way to this dark road is a subtle one. You compromise one decision at a time and in the end, you find yourself in a situation where your public office, your position of trust is nullified to a position of corruption.

May the victims rest in peace, may God comfort those families that are hurting, and I pray for those troubled souls that committed this crime, it is better to give up now or face justice in the end.

"Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person." Deuteronomy 27:25

References:

1. 2 of 6 bank robbers were 'allegedly' men in uniform
   
2. RCBC's Official Statement
   

Help needed in Burma!

Luke 12:48, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required..."

ADRA is already responding. Help us.

Interview
May 16, 2008

As told by TEDDY DINH (Associate Country Director for ADRA Myanmar)


"Everything is lost. Everything," said Teddy Dinh, associate country director for ADRA Myanmar, in a telephone interview in which he recounted his near death experience in the Irrawady Delta when Cyclone Nargis came ashore.
What is left of the hospital in Piyansalu. ADRA is providing food to the survivors in this area.

When the cyclone hit, Teddy and his staff were busy constructing a jetty as part of a tsunami rehabilitation project in Amageley village in Pyinsalu Sub-Township, a distant patchwork of islands and rivers in the extreme south of the delta region. Although the storm grew near on Friday, May 2, Dinh and his staff continued their work despite hearing radio reports of 50-60 mph winds. Even as news of strengthening winds continued, they remained certain that the storm would pass south of their location, and that the impact of the cyclone would not amount to much.

Around 3 p.m., and with winds starting to blow stronger, it became apparent to them that the storm would in fact be serious, if not deadly.

"We have to run," his staff insisted.

Teddy grabbed a sleeping bag and a blanket, and together with his son and his staff began looking for a hiding place to ride out the storm. By now, it was obvious that they would not be able to escape the approaching storm. The boat they planned to use was gone. Trying to run was not possible either, as the winds were too strong, and they could not even open their eyes. They managed to run to a rice storage facility, packed with seven or eight feet of rice, where they took shelter with 150 other people.

Through the evening the water level around them continued to climb. When the water reached the building, it rose to three or four feet above the rice.

"It was like a tsunami," he said.

Outside, the winds had reached cyclonic speeds. He and others inside the warehouse held onto posts to avoid being blown away. They remained hiding from 5 p.m. until midnight, when the storm began to subside, and the water level started to recede. At that point, they decided to look for a new place to hide, and went to a Baptist church in the village where they could spend the rest of the night.
People in the Labutta camps using the cooking equipment distributed by ADRA to cook the rice that is also being distributed by ADRA

"It is normally a 10 minute trip," he said. "But this time it took hours, because of all of the debris on the road."

When they arrived at the church, they found nothing but devastation, as the building had been completely flattened by the cyclone, with the bodies of 25 people, mostly women and children, still inside. They walked on, finally finding shelter in a partially collapsed building, where they huddled together with other survivors, waiting for dawn to arrive.


When Saturday morning came, they returned to the church where they found the dead. They dug a mass grave and buried all the bodies in it.
Streets in Labutta are crowded with people who have lost everything ADRA prepares to distribute medical aid

Dinh, his son, and staff were very hungry and thirsty, since they had not eaten any food since Friday. They drank coconut water and ate the meat from the top of the coconut. Some of the other survivors ate the meat of the livestock carcasses lying in the streets.

By 6 p.m., Dinh had arrived on foot at another village. Here, he borrowed a boat and returned to Piensalu to look for the rest of his staff. When he arrived, there was complete devastation. Nearly everything was destroyed and many bodies were floating in the water. The staff, however, had only suffered minor cuts.

Despite the tragedy, Dinh remains undaunted.

"The staff really feels the need to help the people there," he said, "and every day they travel back to Piensalu helping to clean, distribute food, and transport people back to Labutta, and Myaungmya."

ADRA is already responding. Help us.

Kudos to sisters - Stacey wins film award; Trish wins election

Going to get some bragging points out regarding my sisters.

Congratulations to my sister, Stacey, for winning the Audience Choice Award in the SONscreen Film Festival on April 10-12! Only in her starting years as a film student, she's already winning awards in California. Woo hoo!

Please include me in all your film credits as "Dohboy" please.



And my youngest sister Trish gets re-elected again to the student council! This time, she gets the majority vote and is the new president. She's now in Washington, D.C. in student leadership seminars.

First, school elections. Second, run for governor. Next, U.S. presidency. Then world domination.

Kudos to Stacey and Trish!

Happy Mothers Day - May 11, 2008

I don't know about you but my year's been busy and grueling, but despite our busy lives, let's take a moment to remember the one who gave birth to us, that nurtured us until we learned how to walk on our own two feet.

Happy Mothers Day to my mother, to my wife, and to all others.

A reflection on Colossians 2:14 - Law nailed to the cross?

Col 2:14 (KJV)
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross... (KJV)

I heard a sermon today aganist the idea of antinomianism (there is no more Law for Christians). One of the main verses in contention is Col 2:14. It was a classic one I have heard before and it was delivered well. But I feel strongly about this particular verse and how it has not been critically analyzed by a good portion of Christian denominations.

Let me breakdown the two arguments:

ANTINOMIANISM: According to Col 2:14, the Laws of Moses such as the Ten Commandments no longer apply to a Christian. They are merely 'suggestions'.

SERMON COUNTERARGUMENT: According to Col 2:14, it's the Ceremonial Laws (ie: sacrificing lambs) that no longer apply to a Christian.

ANTINOMIANISM states that the Ten Commandments (found in Exo 20), the laws handwritten by God, was cancelled out by Christ dying on the Cross. In short, there is no need to be concerned of the commandments of God. The laws, from forbidding against adultery, to not murdering people, to keeping the Sabbath day holy -- working six days and keeping the seventh holy, all of this would no longer be required by God.

Most Adventist Christians, contend that Col 2:14 is specifically about ceremonial laws, about "ordinances" that's nailed to the Cross. This is supposedly why we no longer celebrate certain festivals, or why Christianity no longer needs to slay lambs on an altar like in the Old Testament.

My view: Both positions are incorrect.

The debate partly is dependent on the original Greek phrase in Colossians. The KJV phrase "handwriting of ordinances" is "cheirographon tois dogmasin". A modern translation has the phrase placed in this manner:

Col 2:14 (ESV)
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (ESV)

While the KJV and ESV are translating the verse correctly, the ESV has it in the correct context. Cheirographon usually is applied to handwritten bonds, contracts, or debts. Dogmasin refers to legal requirements or demands.

Nothing in the verse says the law was nailed to the Cross, but rather the bonds of the laws itself. This is good news for Christians in both sides of the antinomianism argument -- because it basically means death was defeated when Christ died for your sins.

Conclusion
Paul, the author of this verse, wrote an earlier letter to the Romans that reflect very similar sentiments that I'm sure everyone can appreciate:

Rom 6:14 (KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

Aren't you happy that through your faith, the wages of sin was nailed to the Cross?


REFERENCES:

1. Meyer, Elizabeth (2004). Legitimacy and Law in the Roman World.
   Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
   
2. http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/29509/eVerseID/29509
   
3. http://www.apu.edu/infocus/2002/03/crucifixion/
   

The strength of a public company? Case study: Convergys, PLDT

Quote of the Day: Why is the grass greener on the other side? Because sometimes there's more manure.

So recently someone asked me how to measure the strength of a public company. Is it when they have assets like large buildings? Is it by the number of people?

The short answer: none of the above. It's the stock the price.

The long answer: The health of a public company isn't based on how large something is (ie: Enron), but rather its stock price and shareholder wealth. Case and point, as we have seen with Bear Stearns, one of the largest brokerage firms in the world, it lost most of its value within a couple of weeks once investors started doubting them.

At the end of the day, no matter what scandal, no matter whatever bad news occurs, if the shareholders are fine with your company and are loyal -- your company will always stay afloat. However, if shareholders are starting to doubt your company's ability to have sustainable growth, your stock price will take a toll.

CASE STUDY 1: Convergys (NYSE: CVG)
Here's a U.S. based firm I looked at for investment purposes a number of years ago. After running the numbers, I ultimately didn't invest. Today I ran and looked at their margins -- I still wouldn't invest.

I have strong interest in multi-national BPO firms. These are the ones that are usually able to weather economic recessions, they bring much needed jobs overseas, they bring savings and they lower cost of living for U.S. consumers.

Convergys hit the headlines this year -- spent sums on marketing, promos, etc. But at the end of the day (or to be more precise, at the end of a decade), shareholder wealth has been flat and costs continue to go up. Their net income is roughly 5.9% of their gross revenue (169 mil / 2844 mil).

At the last annual shareholder meeting -- the conversations were less than friendly. As one prominent newspaper in the area bluntly put it, "Convergys faces investors' doubts".

In my mind if a company does not continue to have good solid performance over a 10 year period and does not capitalize on shareholder wealth, it will not survive.



"Stock price plunged 42 percent in 6 months..."

"But despite the positive moves, the company's stock price plunged 42 percent in a six-month period, dropping from $24 per share in July 2007 to $13.66 in March 2008. It now sits just 7 percent higher than its price at the company's initial public offering in 1998. Convergys stock price dropped more than 3 percent in afternoon trading Tuesday, to $15.76 per share."

Source: BizJournals

"We would have done better in Treasury bonds"

"I think the issue here is, it's been 10 years," since Convergys was taken public, he said. In that time, the company's share price has climbed 7.5 percent. "We would have done better in Treasury bonds," Taxin said. Convergys shares closed down nearly 3 percent on Tuesday, at $15.84. The stock is down 3.77 percent year-to-date.

Source: Cincinnati.com

CASE STUDY 2: PLDT (NYSE: PHI)
The Philippines Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) company is one of my favorite companies in Asia. Traded as "PHI" in the New York Stock Exchange, it has performed well in the past 10 years. They pay dividends to their shareholders and because of their continued revenue growth and consistent net returns -- they have solidified themselves as the market leader in Southeast Asia. Their net income is roughly 27.2% of their gross revenue (34 bil / 125 bil).



The bottom line with PLDT: they have higher margins and better shareholder wealth. That means they can outlast market volatility and if you are working for these guys, you can feel safe that your job is secure because the investors have confidence in their ability to perform.

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, when you look for a company to invest in (or work in), look for the company that is managed well. Some companies act like young adults with new credit cards -- they spend money that they do not have and at the end of the day, they go bust. While other companies spend moderately and invest over long term goals versus short term.

Invited to Iloilo

I'm having a sermon at Iloilo this coming April 19th. You are invited to come if you are able to. If you need directions, email me.

Venue: Iloilo Central Church
Date: 4/19/2008, Saturday, 10AM MNL
Location: Iloilo City

Reflection - Who are you?

I recently listened to one of my favorite bands Barlow Girl. One of their songs, Mirror, made me reflect on a few questions about how we all seem to be defined by the standards and judgments of others. See the lyrics below:

"Mirror"

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Have I got it?
'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am
I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect
So sorry you won't define me
Sorry you don't own me

Who are you to tell me
That I'm less than what I should be?
Who are you? Who are you?
I don't need to listen
To the list of things I should do
I won't try, I won't try

Mirror I am seeing a new reflection
I'm looking into the eyes of He who made me
And to Him I have beauty beyond compare
I know He defines me

You don't define me, you don't define me

Who are you?
The answer to this question seems to fluctuate over time in your life. When you grew up, you were known mainly by your parents reputation, and as you grew into adulthood, you were identified by your career, your intelligence, your position, your ethics, your morality, your hobbies, or whatever perception others had on you.

But does the judgment of others, or the position that we hold in life really answer the question of who we are? When you pass the layers of our work identity, of our day to day activities -- deep down in the core of our soul -- who are we?

Can He have a say?
I know that I'm affected by the world around me. And so are you. We are affected by what people say, how they criticize us or how they compliment us. Sometimes it plays over and over again in our heads. But no matter how smart you are, or no matter how stupid you think your life has been -- no one has the right to tell you who you are.

It doesn't matter if you have killed people (like Moses and David), or have lied and cheated (like the thief on the Cross) -- we still do not have the right to define who you are. My opinions about people are swayed like the waves of the ocean by the winds, but there is one opinion that matters the most and that comes from the God that made you and the God that makes your every breath possible.

So stop being depressed about the things that have brought you down in the past because none of my opinions or anyone else's for that matter actually means anything when it comes to who you are. The betrayals, the hurts, the sense of loneliness that we all have come to experience, our God has gone through them as well.

He has a clear idea of who you are and it is written in these passages:

1 John 3:1-10 (New Living Translation)

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

---

Psalm 139:13-16 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

Summary
You are a child of God and there is nothing that anyone can say or do to take that away from you. Imagine the original feeling that you had when you were a child and you were embraced by your parents, and you knew deep inside no matter what they loved you unconditionally.

This is the very life, the very type of fulfillment that God has been longing to bring to your life. So stop living to the standards of your surroundings and to the restrictions that the world places on you, move on to a life that God has wanted you to set out in the first place: a place of fulfillment, a sense of belonging, and contentment that you are a unique and special person.

So I'm looking through the news...

So I was looking through the news, looking for updates about the economy, the current Asian rice crisis, Sadr's ceasefire in Iraq, etc. Instead, Reuters, one of the main news wire services in the world, gives us this...

Apple's newest MacBook Air hacked in 2 minutes

Interesting article on InformationWeek. Using a zero-day vulnerability exploit (lingo for no one knew about the problem), the default Safari browser on MacBook Air was remotely exploited and researchers were able to gain access within 2 minutes.

On the flip side, they also used the newest models of PC laptops, one with Vista and the other with Linux's Ubunta OS. Ubuntu and Windows Vista were not hacked but Apple's MacBook Air was.

Ouch, so much for those Apple TV commercials on how they are soooooo much more secure than Windows.

The team of researchers from Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) won $10,000 for finding the exploit.

Number 1 Killer In The World: Crime? Bird Flu? Nope - YOU

The Hidden Killer
Throughout the world, from the richest spots in the United States to the poorest areas in Haiti, there is a killer that causes more deaths than any other individual or conflict.

It's you...or to be more precise, its your health.

We worry so much about poverty, crime, and other social issues, that we often forget the number one killer in the world -- our health. Heart disease, cancer, and other ailments are the leading killers of mankind. This CNN article entitled, "Heart disease still the most likely reason you'll die", reminds us that the worst enemy of man is man itself and the choices he makes.

Evaluate Your Thoughts On Health
I consider my relationship with God and my family as my number one concern. But a close third is my health. Here's are some honest questions that I ask myself and it helps me define my choices. Perhaps you could use it as well to do a self evaluation.

1. What's the financial impact of bad habits and to my family's finances?
   
2. How can I provide for my family if I'm sick or can't work?
   
3. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm overweight?
   
4. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm smoking?
   
5. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm drunk all the time?
   
6. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm doing drugs?
   
7. How would people remember me if I passed away? Would they say nice things in the funeral but in their minds, "Yeah he died because he was dumb about his diet."
   
8. Am I influencing my friends to copy my bad habits?
   
9. At the end of the day, did I make my world a better place?
   

Many Diseases Are Preventable (ie: stop smoking)
Heart disease is deadly but also preventable. Cancer is deadly but also preventable. For instance, smoking affects both your heart, your brain, and it increases your cancer risk. To avoid the potential diseases, get rid of the habit. I know its harder said than done -- but you have to stop letting tobacco companies control you. You are killing yourself and feeding their bottom line.



Exercise Isn't Hard -- Just Walk
Physical therapists, sports medicine doctors, and alike are stating that the best exercise is brisk walking (speed walking).

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, "Walking, among the easiest and lowest impact activities a person can do, was proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 40 percent, even in very moderate and achievable amounts."

Most Corrupt Officials Award 2008

PRESS RELEASE

February 24, 2008

Manila, Philippines Customs Office Receives, “The Most Corrupt Officials Award”

The first ever The Most Corrupt Officials Award (MCOA), stems to spotlight the best corrupted officials in the world. Its aim is to recognize the hard working officials who to the best of their ability, have gone above and beyond their normal duties to ensure maximum corruption.

The first winner this year is the Manila Customs office. On February 16, 2008, books worth P9786.00 was charged customs tax of over P7000.00+, a tax rate of 71%. The DHL shipping numbers were: 8417858514, 8417858525.

We would like to thank the Manila Customs office for showing the world how NOT to run a customs/clearance office. Their clear dedication in making sure that the country continues to suffer from bad rankings high above other countries is a testament to Manila Customs' integrity, character, and family values.

TSA wants to restrict batteries on planes (satire)

The TSA, in response to statistically insignificant mishaps, has concluded that lithium batteries is the cause of all evil and will now be restricting their existence in your checked or carry-on luggage by 8 grams or 25 grams in special cases. How do we measure how many grams in each battery? We really have no clue and neither does the TSA, but we will just guess.

Nice...

While I understand the inherent problems these devices might cause if they explode, there are riskier issues out there that can cause more damage, like humans. Yes, humans...they are a danger to airplanes. It seems like the majority of plane mishaps are due to humans. If you ban humans from planes, it would probably reduce plane crashes.

That's going to be the next TSA rule. (Joking.)

Huckabee and McCain, leading in SC polls, avoid negative politics

Tale of Two Gentlemen

This is about the strangest thing anyone has ever seen in South Carolina politics. The two leading contenders in the state for the Republican presidential nomination are not fighting. While the two leaders contend they have differences between them, they do not even attempt to highlight them in public.

This type of 'gentle' politics is historical -- dirty, vulgar politics date back to the founding of our nation (you should see what they said about Lincoln back in the day). What I find here is encouraging, something very different. Two people respecting each other, with different points of views, and debating where it counts: at a debate forum.

I applaud these two for being brave and showing true observance of the Christian. They are brave enough to back off from attacking each other and brave enough to form a friendship despite being competitors.

McCain and Huckabee ticket?

Who knows, perhaps if one wins the nomination, the other becomes vice president? Now that would be a very viable ticket in the general election. The ticket pleases all sides of the Republican spectrum and enough will power to bring in independent voters in a general election.

Gov. Huckabee on the Daily Show

What happens when a Christian man wants to make a difference in the world of politics? Something might actually get done.

In this video, Gov. Huckabee is warmly welcomed at the very liberal Daily Show. Clearly explaining his biblical faith of being prolife, he gets applause rather than scorn. God teaches us to take care of the weak and the poor in the Bible and Gov. Huckabee clearly believes in this, making him a true social conservative.

This is not the 'political' conservative where someone steps in a room and divisions are made.

My Letter to My Health Insurance Company: Celtic

Every year, health insurance companies raise their premiums. On the first year, they have these "teaser" rates -- very affordable and very attractive. But on the second year, they raise the prices. Mine went up close to 15% in premiums.

So they sent me a letter, either I go with the new insurance rates or go with a cheaper option but carry a $2,500 deductible or $5,000 deductible -- which is crazy. So I wrote them a letter.

Dear Celtic Management:

You sent me a letter that you were raising my insurance premiums starting 02/01/2008. Please do NOT renew my health insurance with your company. Your other options are NOT acceptable. I regret that you are doing this as you made money on last year’s premiums.

Secondly, aside from doctor checkups, we have had no claims against our insurance. In short, we feel like we are paying more because we are healthy: we do not smoke, we do not drink alcohol, and we have healthy diets. We feel as if we are paying more each year because people are choosing lifestyles that hurt their health. This is simply unfair.

If in the future, you create an affordable health plan for people that are not overweight, do not smoke, and do not drink alcohol so that the premiums do not go up every year, please give me a call.

Thank you,

Don Sausa

Our health system in America is broken because people choose to be unhealthy.
Politicians like Clinton, Obama, Edwards, and others want to overhaul the health care system. But what many fail to realize or fail to emphasize is that America's health system is broken because the health of Americans is broken. Around 25% of Americans smoke, 60% are overweight, and 80% drink alcohol.

It's a no brainer that smoking kills you, being overweight kills you, and drinking alcohol kills you (healthy heart good news: wine helps your heart, kills your liver and causes cancer -- that's a bad trade off).

How to fix America's health care system? Teach people to eat good food (avoid pork and other red meats), avoid smoking, avoid drinking alcohol, rest on a weekend once a week with no work in mind (ie: Saturday), and get sleep everyday.

Two Iraqi soldiers tackle suicide bomber to protect others

A heart breaking story was posted today on cnn.com. For years Iraqi troops have been criticized for lacking in courage. I think the actions of these two Iraqi soldiers is a sign that things are changing in Iraq. The Iraqi people are willing to fight against foreign invaders (mainly other Arabs trying to blow themselves up).

In the end, my hope for Iraq is for their people to be able to stand on their own and we have no more troops there. If we get more courageous
Iraqi troops like this, my hope could turn into reality soon.

MagicJack Product Review - Is Dan Borislow trying to kill telecom?

On the wee hours of the morning I saw a commercial about MagicJack, a softphone / USB device that 'allegedly' allows you to make unlimited calls to the U.S. from any Internet connected computer in the world for $19.95/year. I was intrigued.

A few Google searches later, many people have reported that it does work overseas. Since I tend to travel often, I'm now officially going to try this out. I would have loved to test this while I was on Holland America's cruise ships (which blocks Skype). But I didn't know about it! Definitely a case study for infomercial marketing.

OUTLINE:

01/06/2008: I just ordered it off their web site at www.magicjack.com. Shipping for priority mail costs $13.90. They are already making a profit off me on shipping alone! Mr. Borislow, work on this -- this does not make a first good impression. Build it into the price rather than jacking the shipping.

More updates later...

01/03/2009: First I appreciate everyone's opinion on MagicJack. I seem to have attracted a lot of lovers and haters of this product.

After almost a full year's worth of use from Tokyo to Manila to all parts of the world, here are my final comments:

1. It has saved me a lot of money. I have attended conference calls and calls to friends and family through MagicJack and having the capability to do that without much cost has been great. At one point I was in one of Tokyo's airport lounge using a cheap old telephone hooked up to my computer...and everyone just gave that strange look. I could imagine them asking, "Is he really talking on the phone or is he nuts?"

2. From a rating standpoint, from 1 to 10, I would give it a passing 8. The extension cable broke the first month, plus there were some annoying upgrades and outages that seemed to span hours and I had to use Skype. About 1 out of 10 calls seem choppy while my Internet connection/CPU usage is fine. But overall, I am relatively happy with my MagicJack because I use it a lot and will be definitely renewing it for another year.

What's surprised me though is that the popularity of MagicJack seemed to have boomed, with more and more people talking about it as the year passed. I heard it from a guy traveling with me to Manila. In the past, when I mentioned it in passing, they would simply say..MAGIC WHA? This is good news for me, I hope that means the company is healthy and they will continue to save me money.

P.S. Thanks for fixing your shipping charge. I now see it dropped to $6.95.

-Don

Two outsiders win Iowa

Huckabee (R) and Obama (D) won the Iowa caucus today for their respective parties. Both candidates have trumped their competitors and changed the political landscape in the 2008 presidential run.

Huckabee, outmanned and outgunned by Romney, was suppose to lose. Huckabee, spent roughly $300,000-$400,000 in Iowa while Romney spent $20 million. Obama was a nobody in Iowa compared to the well known Clinton machine. He is also the first African American to win an Iowa nomination, a miracle in itself since only 2% of Iowans are black.

While there's still many more races to go, this win for the Huckabee and Obama camp is significant. Romney and Clinton no longer look invinsible as they did before.

[On a side note, I personally think Huckabee and Clinton should fight in 2008. They are still the best representatives of liberalism and social conservatism in America.]