The World's Coolest 'FranchIce'

Samuel Johnson said it almost 300 years ago, and I still believe it today ...

"If you're tired of London, you're tired of life."

I enjoy many locations around the world, but none so much as London. It's the center of civilization, as far as I'm concerned. If something is 'happening' there, then it's worth taking note.

That's why I was quite impressed to see the IceBar had set up shop on Heddon Street.

You don't need to have a taste for vodka in all its forms, but it helps. That's not only because Absolut is the financial power behind this motif, but because there is a historically-established reason why cultures from cold climates got this creative with a potato. Not only does it 'warm' a soul from the inside, but in the realm of Absolut, it comes in more guises than you've got time to try in a 30-minute session. That happens to be a customer's time limit in the IceBar, which also limits the number of icebarfights on record.

This is a spinoff of the famous IceHotel in the Swedish arctic zone. If you like to travel, then this is a required destination. It's only a 90-minute flight from Stockholm to Kiruna, where you've got a choice of snowmobile or dogsled (hint: take the sled) to complete your journey to the icy climes of Jukkasjaervi in Sweden's portion of Lappland. It's situated along the banks of the Torne River, widely acclaimed as being the source of the purest water in Europe, if not the world.

I think this is one of the most spectacular scenes in existence. Everything is constructed of pure ice, from the chambers to the furniture to the decor (world-class sculptures from global artists are commissioned to create them each season) to the glassware. The all-ice wedding chapel is booked far in advance and the theater stages world-class productions.

The beds do make the concession of thermal sleeping bags, which are amazingly comfortable, but even if you do get a bit chilled here, I guarantee you'll be convinced it was worth it. I cannot think of a more majestic locale to view the Northern Lights flashing across the cold, crisp sky, bathing the ice in a blue-green glow that melds Nature's wonder with that of man's. The IceHotel is breathtaking in every sense of the word. It's an experience which will be etched into your memory forever.

Thus, it wasn't a surprise to me when, during a trip to Stockholm a couple of years ago, I checked into the Nordic Sea hotel and noticed a scaled-down replica of the IceBar adjacent to the lobby. I loathe queues, so fortunately, I was there on a quiet night and there was no 30-minute limit in effect. I donned the thermal cloak and gloves they provide, ordered an Absolut citron and proceeded to mingle in search of someone to share a toast of 'Skol!'. Trust me, it wasn't hard to do!

Its presence was such a 'natural' in Stockholm that I've thought more than once since then that the IceBar meets the criteria for being a fixture in that center of chic that is London. And now it's happened.

The £12 cover is reasonable, the drinks are Absolut, the sculptures and decor are changed periodically --- the cumulative body heat does cause melting over time, so re-building is a necessity --- and the atmosphere is the only thing that is always warm. After all, who's going to pay for a 30-minute stay, garbed in silver thermals, and not be in a festive mood? It's a perfect addition to any festive itinerary.

In chatting with the lovely blonde svensk flicka tending bar that evening, I discovered that Absolut is so pleased with the IceBar concept that they're deploying them elsewhere. Besides Stockholm, they opened a franchice (I couldn't resist the pun) in Milan before venturing into London. That makes sense. Stockholm's ambience is quiet-stylish and Milan's is lively-stylish. If the IceBar succeeds in those cities, then it's ready to move up to a London setting.

It succeeds spectacularly. After one visit, and 30 minutes of Absolut, you may just reach for the cellphone and book reservations for the IceHotel, then and there.

If so, you'll join a growing list of those who have found that drinks in your ice can be more fun than ice in your drinks.

Avian Flu Prevention Advice

The Longer Life management gets newsletters from many of their sponsors, and due to the topicality of Avian flu, they shared the following submission with me ...

The author is Robert Redfern of Good Health USA. I'm sure you'll find their products on the appopriate pages of the Longer Life website; they're definitely wellness-oriented.

Anyway, here's the newsletter:

Dear Friend of Good Health,

I have held off sending a newsletter about the Avian flu, as I am still not sure it is a real threat to the US population. If you've been keeping up with the headlines, you probably know how sensational and confusing the press has been on the subject.

Read on to get the truth as I see it.

Just in case you are wondering what is going on, there are a few questions and answers that you will not discover through the media. I've listed a couple of the most important below.

What caused this disease?

The Avian flu was caused by birds, ducks, and other poultry, such as chickens, being kept in unsanitary conditions and fed grains and cereals, which are an unnatural food for them.

Throughout history, science has shown that doing unnatural things to animals leads to disease. Allowing diseased meat to be imported into various countries only serves to compound the problem.

Will we be able to obtain the Tamiflu vaccine reported in the media?

Even if you are able to get the Tamiflu vaccine, I don't believe it will make much difference. The only trials that were conducted on the drug showed that it was not effective. Drug companies, such as Roche, will make millions of dollars making Tamiflu for the Avian flu threat, only for people to discover it doesn't work.

How do I know it doesn't work?

As I said before, the only studies conducted for the effectiveness of Tamiflu on the Avian flu were a complete failure. Professor Hugh Pennington, a top government advisor, said: "Tamiflu is not a wonder drug. It was given to some people in Asia, and it did not stop them from dying."

Is there anything we can do if the diseases do turn out to be a real killer?

Yes, there is. Get healthy as quickly as you can, and then stay healthy. See the 10-Step Plan below.

What can I do if I am in very poor health right now?

You can follow the 10-Step Good Health Plan as closely as possible to ensure you are helping your body to protect itself as much as possible.

10-Step Good Health Plan

1. Take the following nutrients, which are listed in order of importance:

a. Curcumin.

b. Vitamin C.

c. Olive Leaf.

d. Beta 1,3 D Glucan.

2. Stop eating all starchy carbs and processed foods. This means all breads, pastry, biscuits, cookies, breakfast cereals, rice, potatoes and pasta (even organic whole foods). These are made from the very foods that have made the birds and poultry sick and diseased. It also makes you sick and diseased. Click to read the following article: Why Can Starchy Carbohydrates Be So Bad?

3. Eat 14 portions of vegetables (all the colors of the rainbow) daily, and four portions of low sugar fruits with dark skins, such as: cherries, berries, etc. Eighty percent must be raw or juiced for better absorption.

4. Walk 2-3 miles, or exercise (rebounding or similar) daily to get better oxygen circulation around your body. Consider taking OxySorb if you cannot exercise or are generally oxygen deficient from lung problems.

5. Drink at least 8 glasses of distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water daily.

6. Take a good Probiotic of at least nine strains (this has been shown in studies to protect from infections).

7. Make sure you have plenty of nutritious whole foods and distilled or filtered water on hand.

8. Get a facial mask now to wear to protect yourself when you come into contact with others who may be infected, even family members.

9. If you get the flu, promptly get someone to drive you to a doctor that provides ozone therapy directly into the bloodstream. This will stop the flu from any getting worse, and within a few more treatments, it will be cleared up entirely.

10. If you get the flu and are unable to get ozone therapy, stay home, avoid infecting others, and get plenty of rest. Keep taking the nutrients listed above to help your body help itself in fighting off the flu.

List of Media articles

Click on the headlines to view the full article:

Vaccines are useless against this virus

Transcript from Prime Time on ABC:3

Echoes of the 'Spanish Flu' Epidemic

"Birdflu could kill 50,000 Britons" - Government Adviser

"Bird flu epidemic could kill millions worldwide" - experts

Feds Prepare for Super-Flu Disaster

With Healthiest and Kindest Regard

Robert Redfern

Robert@GoodHealthUSA.com

www.GoodHealthUSA.com

Hollow Site

If ever there was a 'stealth' sales site, I think I've found it ...

I'd like to tell you its name, but I'm still not even sure of that. They do have a money-back guarantee, though, as if you could find someone in their operation from which to claim it.

The working title is DailyCashSites.com and it purports to be a turnkey site manufacturer. The parties who run the site say that they've got a long and illustrious history of selling websites on eBay and even invite you to check their references there. However, unless I missed something, I didn't see any details as to how to check their references; for now, this seems as much of a myth as the 'As Seen on Oprah' claim we've mentioned previously.

I guess the assumption is that their target market consists of those people who are too lazy or disingenuous to even bother trying to confirm such claims.

DailyCashSites.com says all the right things, but seems to be woefully short on substance. I was particularly amused by their '10x' refund offer:

"DailyCashSites.com websites have a one year money back guarantee. If after one year you are not making at least the guaranteed minimum profits per month you will receive a cash-back payment of 10x your initial purchase price. The guaranteed monthly profits are different for each website but are normally between $3000 and $11000 per month. For example, if you purchase a website for $500 you would receive a $5000 refund, if you purchase a website for $1000 you would receive a $10000 refund, etc. Our websites have all been specifically created to make money, they are proven profitable before they are sold, and they always generate a very large amount of profits for the new owners. If you do not generate the stated level of profits you simply need to take advantage of the 10x money back guarantee. We are absolutely positive you will be extremely happy with how much money you make each month. We guarantee it."

OK, so where do we go to get this guarantee confirmed? They've got a 'Live Support' link, but if you try it, you'll hang there until you receive a notice that they're too busy and you'll have to send an e-mail instead. You will discover soon thereafter that the e-mail goes unanswered.

Still, DailyCashSites.com offers you a two-day free trial. Just pick a site, register a subscription with PayPal, for instance, and watch it operate. The deal is that if you like what you see, you keep the subscription active and pay $50 per week for the 'privilege' of owning the site. You even get a 'back room' to survey your sales totals and an invitation to e-mail their Support people with any question you might have.

Well, we checked their sample statistics on the Sales page (where they list the sites that can be purchased). All that's displayed are numbers, representing 'profits' for products sold. There's no mention of the products or the sales prices. On top of that, if you check a few of the sites in the same category, they all have the same sales figures. Now, there's a sign that the end of the world must be near!

By this time, I was navigating more closely, making sure that I would get every iota of amusement this site had to offer. For example, the fine print states that your first payday is 90 days after you've registered. So, you're roughly $600 out-of-pocket before you even know if these people are indeed going to honor their part of the bargain! They say you can pay $650 up front to expedite the payment process, but they don't give any details other than that. Are they really finding customers stupid enough to do this?

The Company page was priceless, especially it's opening lines:

"We are an international internet based company with offices and staff members in many countries including USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Mexico, Brasil, Peru, and Thailand. We have been creating, operating, promoting, and selling websites for over 7 years and we always do everything possible to make our customers very happy."

Did they ever stop to think how happy they could make their customers by actually identifying themselves? And then, God bless the people of Peru --- wonderful folks, beautiful country --- but when's the last time you saw their nation mentioned in the same breath as the others on that list (with the possible exception of football matches against Mexico)? Just think, they have all those offices and not one physical address is given!

Then there's the Testimonial page. If you've got low self-esteem, be careful here. You'll see gushing comments about how prompt and wonderful their Support staff has been. However, you'll soon see that your questions will be infinitely ignored. It could be enough to cause an outbreak of inadequacy if your psyche is so afflicted.

So, in summary, DailyCashSites.com has all the markings of a bottom-feeder. They're anonymous, their products and details are shadowy (at best), they've got the brassiest unenforceable money-back guarantee I've seen in years, and they're apparently still in business.

Come to think of it, that would explain Peru's presence on their list. It's the site of Machu Picchu, better known as The Lost City of the Incas.

I don't think DailyCashSites.com could have a more fitting locale.

Hollow Words

Speaking of being cautious about money-back guarantees in cyberspace, we're going to list an example ...

We've commented previously that any such offer is inconsequential if it's not accompanied by a physical address or telephone number. That's common sense advice, but as we've also commented previously, there are a number of sales techniques employed in cyberspace that are designed to cloud your natural instincts by appealing directly to your tendency to hope that the product or service in question will improve your life.

More often than not, though, hope is what improves someone else's life, using your money to do it.

Consider an eBook entitled The Money Inventor. It's offered by a gentleman who uses the name of James Cochran. His sales pitch clearly states that if, for any reason, you're unsatisfied with his product, he'll refund your money with no questions asked. So, on top of the fact that he has listed no physical address and no telephone number, he also is making a refund offer with no conditions. Let's call that the Shallow Trifecta of Marketing.

From what I've been able to research, Mr Cochrane has simply re-wrapped old news. He states the obvious facts that you need a product, you need a pitch and you need a marketing plan and then he sells it for $99. The details provided in The Money Inventor are nothing more than common sense that could easily be found for free with a half-hearted search-engine session. If you did want to pay for such services, there's an abundance of free or lower-cost eBooks out there, such as the Internet Cash Machine, which sells for $15 and contains a much more responsible presentation of facts and resources for anyone who wants to learn more about becoming a cyber-marketer. (Just realize, though, that it's going to take you much more than any eBook to actually be successful in cyber-commerce.)

Mr Cochrane's marketing campaign goes by the numbers. His pitch to the public includes a two-part target page that attracts your attention with the 'sizzle' of the product's potential to improve your life. The first page includes an element that asks for your name and e-mail address that you need to complete in order to learn more. Like any good marketer, he'll use that to send you a series of e-mails which continually pitch his product to you; the industry's tenet is to transmit seven messages over a 2-3 week span in order to generate a 1%-2% response rate. This is a very effective technique, whether or not the party who deploys it is scrupulous.

The point to be made about The Money Inventor is that it uses a money-back guarantee to seal the deal in its effort to separate you from your cash. As far as references are concerned, though, all I can see is that, contained in one of the follow-up e-mail texts, a vague allusion is made to an office at the Clarence House somewhere in north London. I'm still in the process of determining if this is an actual building and, if it is, if Mr Cochrane actually does have an office there. If I find it, I'll let you know. Other than that, the only other contact detail is his e-mail address. Attempts to contact him by that route do not elicit a response.

Thus, be aware that The Money Inventor is a below-standard product that utilizes a false promise to tug at your sense of hope. The real tug, though, is at your wallet.

That makes Mr Cochrane a cyber-pickpocket. Avoid him. Avoid his product.

Something for Nothing

There's nothing like a sweepstakes to get noticed ...

I see a couple of survey sites are offering drawings for free cars in order to increase their membership. Those are quality prizes, so if you don't mind participating and understand the odds, here are the details:

Eversave is offering your choice of a Chrysler Crossfire or $50,000 in cash. All they want you to do is register to join their e-mail list and view the various promotions they have on offer. From what I've seen, they concentrate on quality products. In the current North American economy, 'clipping' cyber-coupons has been gaining in popularity. There is no cost to join and they let you opt-out whenever you desire. So, as far as this genre of offers is concerned, I would consider it to be a decent deal.

Survey Networks has gone the 'international' route for its American clientele by putting up a BMW 530i as the attraction. As their name implies, they're looking to swell their ranks of opinionmeisters who are willing to dedicate a portion of their cyber-time to completing questionnaires regarding businesses and their services. Survey Networks is a subsidiary of Experian, the same company who monitors your creditworthiness for the banks and card companies, so if you'll pardon the pun, they're a very credible outfit.

Both of these companies are adamant that they won't market your e-mail address. Both also state that they've got other incentives for you besides the grand prizes listed here. If you're interested, I'll leave those exploration chores to you.

DXFiles

I've become quite intrigued by the information on Longer Life's Opportunity page ...

It's not just the article I find interesting. Some of the ads that it attracts and the research I've subsequently done indicate that the cyberworld of e-currency exchange will prove to be a rather fertile topic for review.

I agree with the Bonanza article's conclusion, that some form of unified system for e-currency exchange is inevitable and, if DXinOne can actually deploy theirs to the cyberpublic, then they're going to become a household name within the decade.

They do seem to have chosen an unusual way to go about it, though. Mention is made of their being in a beta mode for their membership, but I have yet to find anything that officially states this. Their home page is announcing that a public rollout of their cyberservices is forthcoming anon, but I cannot find a launch date.

All this could explain the claims in some of the DX ads that populate the Opportunity page. All are quite emphatic about their ability to teach you how to navigate the DXWaters. In fact, they're competitive to the point that some ads are not above taking swipes at their competitors. Who knows? DX ads could be the 21st century's version of the Cola Wars!

With their turf war comprising a blend of excitement and ferocity, I view this as yet another indication that DXinOne is indeed on to something big. These ads are evidence that public demand for this business is truly present and expanding.

I would strongly advise, though, that if you're thinking about becoming a member of DXinOne, you thoroughly explore your options before doing so.

A key point in the Bonanza article is that when you commit funds to the DXiO system, you're making a deal with DXinOne that you're establishing a form of credit line to enable you to operate as an e-currency exchange merchant. You are not making pure cash profits. To me, this makes sense. In fact, I think it's an ingenious device by DXinOne to entice and train a work force of independent contractors!

The caveat in some of the ads, then, is in how they are attempting to attract you to their teaching services. I'm seeing the word 'profits' espoused quite liberally, and from my perspective, not in the correct context.

I do not see DXinOne making these claims. In fact, they seem to distance themselves from any hype about the money that can be made. If they're taking that stance, then you should take note of it.

I've found a few quality forums that appear to have a firm anchor of experienced DXinOne members. They appear quite willing to provide considerable information about this business at no cost to you. They are quite clear that they have no affiliation with DXinOne and they appear to be more interested in enlightenment than in promotion of the system. I would recommend DX-Truth and DX4Dummies as the best of these resources. They seem to be genuinely interested in helping others. As with most forums, it's a good idea to lurk for a while before corresponding. In fact, that may be all you need to do to gain a better understanding of how DXinOne operates. You could save the message posting until after you've chosen to become a member.

As to the teaching systems being advertised, I think they have a place, too. I find value in having a step-by-step tutorial available to me when making an investment is involved. Because of this, my criteria for purchase is not the product's cost, but its content. I'd look for the most straightforward sales pitch; money-back guarantees are fine, but unless there's a physical address and phone number to accompany them, I consider them to be inconsequential.

With all this information available --- both free and for sale --- I'm amazed that there still appears to be a multitude of people who have entered the DXinOne system without really understanding it. From what I've seen so far, many of these people are truly hard-of-thinking. Make sure you're not one of them.

DXinOne looks like it could be an e-gold mine. Just remember that in history's other gold rushes, only a few emerged successfully. Do your homework before you spend your money.

The truth is out there. Make use of it.

Here's the Pitch, and There's the Catch

So there I was, cyber-cruising on eBay, checking websites for sale to see what's hot in the market these days ...

To no real surprise, one of the sites up for bid was a chain letter origination point. It was entitled 'The Five Dollar System.'

The site was well-designed and actually quite captivating in its simplicity. There was a short list on center-stage of the home page, containing three e-mail addresses. The background was green and the graphic was a handshake, providing a subtle setting for what you'd want to believe was a straight pitch.

However, what you ultimately got was a curve ball, and a back-door curve at that.

Here's how the vendor described the site's operating instructions:

"When a user visits your website, he or she sees 'the list' on the main page. You, the admin, will always be number 1 on the list. The user pays $5 to the number 1 spot (you), and then place themselves in the 3 spot, bumping the 3 to the 2, and the 2 to the 1. They then copy the list and send it to as many people as they can. It creates a chain effect and within a week or so, they will start to receive numerous payments themselves. I have arranged the website to have a promotion page. This is a page where you offer promotion at reasonable prices. This makes it so the user will not need to manually send the list to people."

Well, at least the vendor didn't resort to the 'teenager on Oprah' story.

He was advertising this deal as a site that was already making money. Here's what he quoted as his statistics:

"This site has an estimated conversion ratio of 43! That means, for every 43 visitors one will use this service. So this is just a numbers game if you buy 20,000 targeted visitors to your site and pay $36. How many visitors will actually buy the use the service? (20,000 / 43 = 465.12. Over 460 visitors! You can generate 460+ $5 payments in one week or less!"

Now, wait a minute. If the site is already making money, why is the conversion rate estimated? The vendor provided a screenshot of his alleged revenues, but does he really expect us to trust records that are blurred for any reason?

Doing the math, the vendor is stating that his site can produce $465.12 per day, or $3255.84 per week. If so, why would he be so willing to sell that revenue, settling instead for the $36 he could possibly realize in selling the buyer 20,000 targeted visitors?

Perhaps he figured to be compensated by a bid that is 20 times earnings, or something like that. I scrolled back to the auction action to see if this was the case. No, it wasn't. What was his opening askance?

$9.99!

For an estimated (by his own figures) monthly revenue lode of $97,675.20? Even if he was mass-producing these sites, that didn't make financial sense! (Incidentally, a check of eBay and other auction sites didn't show any other Five Dollar System on the block.)

When the bidding closed, 19 offers were recorded and the winner walked away with the site for $79.99.

What a deal! Now, he only has to find 16 suckers to cover the purchase price, probably around 60 more to cover the website hosting fees, and around 8-10 more to buy that targeted-visitor package.

He also has to sleep at night, but given the type of person who would even bid on this site, that may be too deep a thought for him.

Given that this site would join a kajillion others in cyberspace trying to lure the same suckers and given that the vendor has inferred the true value of the site by his sales and servicing prices, it should have dawned on anyone making a bid that no one in their right mind would sell such a system if it actually worked!

Turning to baseball for a simile, one of my pet peeves in that game is when there are runners on first and third base, and the pitcher fakes a pickoff throw to third and then wheels to see if he can catch the runner at first, napping away from the base, under the assumption he'd be leaning to second after seeing that he was being 'ignored.' Everyone who follows baseball knows that move is coming, and I'd like to say that it never works. However, once every five years or so, it does. That means we've got to put up with another five years' worth of pitchers who think it's going to work again. It's annoying!

I think the same thing must happen with these chain-letter sites. There must be enough of a trickle of suckers out there to keep these people clinging to the hope that they can attract enough of them to buy their dream house, $5 at a time. The key word is 'hope,' the most dangerous word in finance, along with greed. That's why a fabrication like 'As Seen on Oprah' doesn't need to be based on a fact (and if you read my previous missive, you know that it isn't). Hope can obscure common sense, just as it surely obfuscates the simple math we cited above.

Downlines of $5 losers just isn't practical as a money-making venture. It would take too many of them for the process to become even marginally viable, so unless the endeavor is going to be a conscience-free hobby, it bears only one real fact:

The only way to make any money at this game is to sell the website that touts it. And if you do, don't spend it all in one place. Try the 'cereal' aisle instead of the meat counter.

Chain of Fools

It seems the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval has been replaced by Oprah Winfrey when it comes to a validation of credibility ...

Having said that, if I'm not mistaken, all the former ever meant was that the product or service paid to advertise in Good Housekeeping magazine.

Still, in the vast anonymity of the cybermarket, a claim of credibility is vital to those who wish to convince us to send them money. Via her wildly successful syndicated television show, Ms Winfrey's excellence at accurately portraying causes, incidents and situations has earned her a lofty mantle as the Anointess of Authenticity.

We can even see this phenomenon at work on the Longer Life site, as there are products advertised which espouse her name. That's fine, of course, as it's easy for us to discern that the claims of these products are real in that respect (ie- Bob Greene really is her personal trainer). They are, no doubt, good products. If I ever feel the need to lose ten pounds in thirty days, I'll give them a try.

However, in the wild world of cyber-commerce, it seems that some salesmen decided to take a shortcut in this process. They figured it was good enough to merely claim their product was featured on Oprah.

As you've maneuvered through the spam and detritus of cyberspace, it's odds-on you've seen this headline:

'As Seen On Oprah! Teenager Makes $71,000 by Mailing a Simple Letter!'

The sales pitch relates the tale of a kid who diligently sent God-knows-how-many chain letters and wound up with a closetful of $10 bills, or something like that. The pitch goes on to state that this story was also featured on an American newsmagazine, 20/20, and featured in the Wall Street Journal. However, those outlets are merely there for support. It's Oprah that gives this story 'legs,' as they say in the movie business.

The object of the exercise is to induce you to buy into the chain by sending money to one or more of the names on a five-deep list, then removing the top name and adding your name to the bottom, so you can take your turn at collecting all that cash. You're surely aware of the drill.

In theory, this works to an exponential level. Then again, in theory, so does communism in mass society.

Need I say more?

Actually, I will during my next installment. Right now, I want to focus upon the credibility of this headline.

From my research, it's false. Untrue. Never happened.

We posed the question to the staff of Oprah, asking if any teenager ever appeared on the show and told how his chain letter made him $71,000 or more. Here's the e-mail we received:

"Date: 10 Oct 09:04

"Dear Viewer,

"We don't find any Oprah Show that talked about anyone making a fortune on a chain letter. References to chain letters include the cabbage soup diet, Mrs. Fields cookies and the Angel Network."

"Thank you,

"Oprah Tapes and Transcripts"

While I do admit a temptation to start a chain letter in hopes of receiving sackfuls of Mrs Fields' cookies by associating it with a real e-mail from Oprah's staff --- after which I would click on that ad featuring Bob Greene so I could buy his weight-loss program --- my common sense tells me that it just wouldn't work.

Still, the purpose of making such claims is to attempt to override your common sense, to get you to think that if Oprah gave credence to the story, then perhaps there is something to it. So, when the 'target' amount they want you to pay is set at the price of a couple of beers or a handful of lottery tickets, the hook is well and truly baited.

What a logical way for you to lose a few bucks! And you will. Whether you send out letters or e-mail, you will lose your money and look silly to your recipients while doing it. Again, we'll discuss that next time.

For now, suffice it to say that as far as this story goes, I'm convinced that Oprah never aired it. The only reference we'll confirm is that Aretha Franklin sang it.

'Chain of Fools.'

Fuel for Thought

I see the following call to arms over high gas prices in the USA is making the rounds again ...

Here's a message I received recently from someone I know, who felt the need to transmit it to their entire e-mail address book:

GAS WAR-- An Idea

"This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It 's worth your consideration.

"Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $ 5.00 a gallon by next summer. Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action.

"Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the 'don't buy gas on a certain day' campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to 'hurt' ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can work. Please read on and join us!

"By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50-$1.75 and the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! We can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How?

"Force a price war:

"For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which are now one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. To have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. However, it's simple to do! Now don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

"I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us sends it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.

"If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it: THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

"Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!

"How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days! Acting together we can make a difference.

"If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN WORK.

"Xxxxx Xxxx, Research Coordinator"

This has been attempted before, and it's never been successful. The basic reason is that the USA is a country with a very diverse populace. Any attempt to get an effective number of them to abide by the discipline such a plan would require is simply impractical.

However, that's not the point I want to make. I contend that these people are missing the real point:

Why can't the American public accept that the issue isn't high gas prices, but their stubborn subservience to gasoline?

The obvious answer is that gasoline is the established and easiest facilitator for personal transportation. And, as long as those facts remain, the Americans' habits will remain, as well.

Placed in a global perspective, $5.00 for a gallon of gas is not unusual. The difference is that the rest of the globe has accepted lifestyle adjustments and moved on to other issues.

One of the simplest of those adjustments to make is changing the location of the workplace. Move it from an office to home!

Cyberspace can make decentralization much more efficient. Some Fortune 500 companies began to embrace the concept over a decade ago. Bank of America, for instance, allows many of their executives to utilize a home-office relationship. Clearly, not every job allows its worker to perform at home, but there are enough that do. The effects would be subtle, but significant. For example, if even 20% of the vehicles in a commute were removed from the road, traffic congestion would be eased. That, in turn, would allow for better mileage in the vehicles that wouldn't be stuck in idling or stop-and-go sequences. That saves gas and reduces demand.

As e-commerce continues its relentless drive toward mainstream acceptance, numerous shopping trips can also be reduced. Cyber-meetings also are very possible now, and they can accommodate the sharing of documents. Even cyber-schooling could be expanded; Sweden has been operating a cyber-curriculum for the youth of its citizens abroad for years, which is a great way for its culture and high academic standards to be provided to those who work elsewhere.

So, any attempt to target Exxon --- or British Petroleum or Elf or Shell --- is Quixotic. Target yourself instead. You'll surely get much better mileage out of your time. You'll also probably notice an improvement in your monthly gasoline budget. In the bigger picture, as well, it's a simple plan which relies on simple market forces, ie- less demand lowers prices.

Small strategies are what win the wars. In this one, open your battlefront in cyberspace.

The "O'Really?" Factor

I always try to put any information I receive into individual terms ...

For example, one of the most 'human' histories I've ever read was a warmly irreverent book about the founders of Seattle, Washington by William Speidel, entitled Sons of the Profits. It contains one of my all-time favorite profound passages, which is used to describe a particularly irascible celebrity of the time. Allow me to paraphrase it:

"Henry Yesler was a bastard, not only due to the circumstances of his birth, but because he worked at it, every day."

There are times when I've thought of others in regard to that comment, sometimes so much so that I've nearly been tempted to check the public records on their behalf.

Today, Bill O'Reilly comes to mind.

I was checking the Update section on the Longer Life page that hosts my column, and noticed an article from David Kline, the author of Blog Revolt. I invite you to read his entry on 7 Oct 05, where he relates, from personal experience, not only the depths of O'Reilly's vindictiveness, but the selfishness O'Reilly displays in the process.

In short, Kline became the unwitting foil in an O'Reilly whine over others who have the audacity to criticize him and/or his views. That Kline was misled into a remote studio and needed to take time from his day in order to do it clearly didn't bother O'Reilly or his staff one bit.

I know neither Kline nor I nor anyone else should expect less from a talk-show host who specializes in slanted bluster on a network like Fox. After all, it's part of a media empire which has made a fortune by using that approach. My objection arises in both the blatant callousness and the increasing regularity of these incidents. The offenders almost always come from a list of the usual suspects, and it's no different here.

I want to be clear that it's not O'Reilly's political persuasion that bothers me --- I enjoy the craft displayed in writings by George Will and PJ O'Rourke, for example --- it's O'Reilly's abuse of the very medium that gives him the celebrity he enjoys. He treats it like a bully's toy, his guests like pawns and, by extension, his audience like sheep. In another era, he would have been a model employee at Pravda.

Given O'Reilly's political persuasion, the irony here is beyond rich.

Aren't conservatives supposed to espouse the rights of the individual over the power of the collective? Wouldn't diversity of opinion be a condition they would defend? Well, intelligent conservatives have the skill and confidence to do just that. Lesser conservatives obviously don't.

O'Reilly and his ilk --- who inhabit all sides of the political spectrum --- are the worst of hypocrites. They abuse the power of the media spotlight they've been afforded for their own personal gain or agenda. Their tactics are those of ambush and intimidation.

To me, though, their paramount abuse is that they've reduced their perception of the audience to that of 'the faceless masses' rather than a collection of individuals who are more than capable of arriving at their own independent conclusions.

Am I being naive here? No, just idealistic. Electronic technology has placed us in the midst of the greatest information revolution that mankind has ever experienced. This makes it possible for us to be idealistic again. It also enables more and more of us to call charlatans like O'Reilly into account.

I can't say O'Reilly is a true bastard because I haven't checked the birth records. For now, I'll have to settle for a more basic determination.

He's a jerk.

Real Reality TV

Showing that I indeed have an amazing grasp of the obvious, I believe that the only reality entertainment that exists on television is sporting events ...

Where else do you have real people in a real setting that sees them conduct their profession with a real and quantifiable result?

That is one of many reasons why I truly love sports as programing content.

We all have our preferences. For my tastes, there is no better team competition than England's FA Cup, where even the local pub's eleven has a chance to dream the dream. My second choice would be the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup. That's two months of compressed intensity that, frankly, more sports fans would be refreshed by experiencing. Rounding out my top three would be the World Series, even though Major League Baseball --- like the NFL and NBA --- conveniently ignores that the rest of the world either doesn't field teams or their teams have no chance to compete.

The World Cup of soccer --- a true global competition --- and the Olympics are in a different category. They happen every four years. When it's their time, though, there's no better combination of pagentry and excellence in true competition.

The most intense rivalry in the sporting world has got to be the Ashes, when England and Australia meet on the cricketing pitch for a series of five-day matches that, every two years, spans the entire summer. No other sport exists where two nations' creme-de-la-creme capture and convey the pride of their populace and sustain it for such an extended period of time.

I'll surely write more about sports in the future, because it's a perfect stage for all that exists within the human spirit.

Contrast that with what the television industry calls 'reality' shows.

They're degrading. They're contrived. They're dumb.

These shows basically derive their popularity by demeaning their participants in one manner or another. Sure, they wrap their formats in exotic settings or cynical challenges of endurance and then season them with filthy lucre and say they're giving an opportunity for normal people to realize an otherwise unachievable reward.

What they're really doing is peddling low-cost, low-brow programing at the expense of everyone else. Why do I say that? Because those programing budgets could be doing much more good somewhere else. I'm not suggesting that we be forced to watch opera, ballet and round-table forums every other day. I am suggesting, though, that there are certainly enough creative programing ideas being rejected because they don't pander to the knee-jerk gratification that these 'reality' shows generate.

I'm definitely not part of the politically correct crowd. I think South Park is the best satirical comedy available right now. I look for some sort of distinction between the wickedly clever (even if it might miss the mark sometime) and the hard-of-thinking. Right now, there are precious few of the former --- including The Office in the UK and, of course, The Simpsons everywhere --- and 'way too many of the latter.

I guess we can only hope that the trend will run its course and, like disco, have those who got caught up in it look back and wonder, 'what were we thinking?'

The answer is, they weren't. And yet again, the snake oil salesmen were there to reap the profits and hightail it out of town. They did nothing illegal, so they would call their profits fair game.

Perhaps, but I say it's the wrong game. I'll stick with sports.

Same As It Ever Was

The electronic media had its genesis in the early days of the last century, and it seems that every time its technology moves forward, the same thing happens ...

The first two groups that make their mark in it are evangelical radicals and snake oil salesmen.

I'll let someone else debate whether or not those two bedfellows are actually one and the same. My point is that, if there's a quick buck to be made before the regulators can find a way to 'protect' the public, these guys are making it.

Back in 1920, when KDKA in Pittsburgh became the world's first radio station, programing was a clean slate. It would be another decade before 'prime time' network shows became the norm. Until then, the airwaves were full of fire and brimstone and miracle elixirs. American legislators seemed to have a hard time understanding that radio made state laws and state lines obsolete, so while they struggled to comprehend what modern technology hath wrought, fools and their money were parted on a mass scale.

Ultimately, the legislators caught up with radio and television. However, to use a broadcast term, we may be in a new turn of the century, but we're watching a 'rerun' with the Internet providing the stage.

Spam is only the tip of the iceberg. You surely have noticed how many 'get rich now' sites are trolling for dollars from unsuspecting hopefuls and how many chain letters are encouraging free souls to 'pass the Lord's message' along in viral quantities.

I mean, I'm as individualist as the next cyberbeing, but even I think there's got to be a way to put the brakes on this stuff!

How shameless can harvesters of our souls become? How predatory can amorphous netrepeneurs become? Those questions may actually have no sufficient answers, other than 'as much as possible.' One group seeks power in some form or another, while the other group seeks piles of cash. Both are hugely successful.

It's disingenuous to say that we can each stem the assault by using 'broadcast' remedies like changing channels or hitting the 'off' switch. The Internet messages are different. They wait for you. Use all the filters you want. They still get to you, via friends who happen to forward an 'inspirational' mailing or via so-called 'safelists' to which you may have been unaware that you joined.

The net result is that, sooner or later, almost everyone will get cauterized by the messages and many will part with cash. As usual, the people most likely to do so are those who are vulnerable emotionally and/or financially and most likely not in a position to pursue the matter after they realize they've been had.

I truly believe that governments are well-intentioned, but their modus operandi is --- more often than not --- to arrive in time to plug the bottle well after the genie has left it.

So, I truly believe that the best Internet regulation for the moment is what Margaret Thatcher once noted as 'the oxygen of publicity.' We need a growing army of cyberites dedicated to publicizing the credible, analyzing the incredible and debunking the discredible. We don't need vigilantes who are dedicated to pressing an agenda. We also don't need muck-mongers who don't substantiate their claims.

Will this army arise? Probably not.

However, those who concur can be their own Army of One. That's my plan. It's not original and it definitely won't be the only thing I do here, but I am going to stick to it.

It beats slipping on snake oil.