ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί RANDOM THOUGHTS Ί Ί (C) 1993 AmeriBoard Enterprises Ί ΜΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΉ Ί Issue III - May, 1993 by D.P. McIntire Ί ΜΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΉ Ί SPECIAL, GUILT-INFLICTED, EXTRA BIG ISSUE!!! Ί ΜΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΉ Ί RANDOM THOUGHTS is an electronic publication distributed via the shareware Ί Ί concept of marketing. If you find it worthy, please send a registration Ί Ί of $ 3.00 to: AmeriBoard Enterprises, P.O. Box 445, Penn Run PA 15765. Ί Ί You don't get anything special for registration, but it will insure future Ί Ί publication of RANDOM THOUGHTS. Ί ΜΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΉ Ί RANDOM THOUGHTS may be distributed freely via computerized bulletin board Ί Ί systems. It may be placed on-line as a bulletin, door, or by any other Ί Ί means available. Such distribution will not be considered as a violation Ί Ί of the existing copyright. RANDOM THOUGHTS may also be distributed via CD Ί Ί ROM diskette without copyright violation. Ί ΜΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΉ Ί RANDOM THOUGHTS may not be distributed on 5.25" or 3.5" diskette, nor may Ί Ί it be copied onto 5.25" or 3.5" diskettes. Such copying or distribution Ί Ί will be considered a violation of copyright law, and violators will be Ί Ί prosecuted under United States Copyright Law, or International Copyright Ί Ί Law, whichever is applicable. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί A NEW LOOK DUE TO AN OLD PROBLEM Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ Welcome to the "new" Random Thoughts magazine. Things look different for our fourth issue due to a problem we experienced last month. Due to an unusual computer glitch (four hard drives going down in a 20-hour period), all past issues of RT were wiped from my records. While it's true that these files are still available simply by getting them from my BBS, AmeriBoard, I am just too damned lazy to get them, and therefore, I've opted to change the format a little... but not too much. The problem with hard drive failures is a colossal one for us here. We have no tape backup (believe me though, as soon as we can afford it we'll get one), and if you don't have such "prevention devices," by all means get them if you can afford it. We lost well over 400 megs worth of stuff here (the most painful was all of the commercial software we used to play games when things were slow - the stuff which was copy protected out the eyeballs... like Balance of Power), and although we've replaced about half of it, we still lost half. So, with all this in mind, I've decided to ramble a little bit longer than usual this month, with a special issue. I was so wrought by guilt of putting up a "re-run" last month that this month I've poured my little heart out through my fingers... ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ I may have mentioned it previously, but I have thrown my hat into the political ring, as a candidate for my local municipal government, also known around here as White Township Supervisor. The position of Supervisor in our area could also be termed as Township Trustee (or, at least, I've seen that term used). The position has different job descriptions throughout the country, and in Pennsylvania, the job description is based on the township's coffers... the wealthier townships supervisor's (like ours) have nothing to do other than to appear at meetings, legislate, listen to the problems of their constituents, and go home. The not so wealthy township's supervisors handle road maintenance, sign posting, and many other duties in addition to their legislative duties. They are full-time supervisors but they are poorly paid by comparison. Four years ago, I was a candidate for the tax collector's position here. The position was being vacated by a 12-year incumbent, and I figured I had a good chance to take his place (tax collector, by the way, takes in about $ 45,000 a year here - supervisor, a technically higher position, pays $ 1,200 a year). I ran a clean, honest campaign. I spent what I could (which at the time, having just left college, was somewhere around $ 100.00), and garnered myself 114 votes in the Republican Primary. I finished fifth out of five... had a sixth candidate run, I'dve finished seventh! I got 6% of the overall vote. I told people at the time of my trouncing that I'd learned something. When they asked what I'd learned, I replied, "How to win." Well, now it's four years later. I've got my own businesses, and I've got enough money to run the kind of campaign I should have run four years ago. So, I am again running, this time for the local supervisor's race. I figured it would be reasonably expensive to run a decent campaign (I thought $ 500.00 would cover "decent"). Well, I decided instead that if I was going to win, I had to run a Ross Perot-style, "world class" campaign. That meant a lot more money... a lot more money. My quest began with signs. All political candidates throughout the 20th century have put up signs, and I've yet to figure out why. It doesn't make sense. No one reads them, damned few look at them normally, and they are an extremely expensive, high maintenance item for any candidate. Anyway, I went looking for signs. $ 275.00 later I had decent signs: wooden posts with nice faceboards, and these wild-looking, neon green sign faces with "McINTIRE FOR SUPERVISOR" on them. 11" x 14" in size. Good, this is out of the way, now I can get on to serious items. Then the fun began. One of my opponents, an 18-year incumbent who I have met on several occasions, starts putting up his own signs. That's fine by me, except that he's playing follow the leader with them - wherever I put up one, he puts up one the next day. He didn't put one in an original position for the first week. I put up well over 50 signs in the course of three days, while my opponent put up somewhere in the neighboorhood of 40. I now have started the maintenance portion of the "signing," putting up replacement signs and such. What burns me about signs most of all is the fact that despite the fact that no one actually determines whether or not they'll vote for a candidate due to a lousy road sign, they do think enough of them to go out of their way to ruin them. I've so far lost at least 15% of my signs, and these don't come cheap. Please, if you see a sign coming down in your area for a political candidate, call him or her, and tell them about it. A lot of money goes into them, and anyone who put that much work into them deserves to have their signs left up. Okay. I know. Time to wrap it up. So far, here's a breakdown of what I have spent (or will spend) between now and the May 18th primary election. Granted, I'm running a "world class" campaign, and I'm trying like hell to win. Keep in mind that most races aren't run this way for most small area municipal elections, I just feel like spending the money to scare the living hell out of my opponents... I do have "informants" in one of my opponents camps (I have five opponents this time). He's telling me that the guy (my opponent) is scared to death of what I'm going to do next. I like that. Anyway, here's the breakdown: Signs, complete and ready to post: $ 281.45 Gasoline used in putting up signs: $ 42.00 Printing costs for flyers: $ 118.72 Mailing costs for flyers (2,200 total): $ 638.00 Newspaper advertising (@ $ 10.29 an inch): $ 1,286.25 Telephone bills (@ $.07 per call): $ 154.00 ----------------------------------------------------------- Grand total......................................$ 2,523.42 I'm spending $ 2,523.42 in all, in an attempt to get a job that pays $ 1,200 a year, for either a two or six year term (there are three positions available - one two year term and two six year terms). Even if I win, I have to win one of the six year terms just to break even. Sheesh! Summation: If you are going to run for political office (and I believe it or not recommend it just for the experience), don't skimp. I spent $ 100.00 four years ago and got 114 votes. That has haunted me ever since - seeing my name dead last in the vote total, and one of the main reasons I'm running this time is to see how I would fare if money were not a serious problem. Granted, I'll blow over 25 times what I did four years ago, but even if I lose again this time, I'll know that I did the absolute best I could. I couldn't do this four years ago. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, PART II Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ My quest for political office has taught me a valuable lesson - one which all should know, and definitely one which someone should do something about. That lesson is simple: if you've got the bucks, you can get the office - if you don't have the bucks, you don't get squat. Ross Perot is a perfect example of what I mean. (And before you jump on me, Ross Perot fans, let me preface this by saying I voted for him, even if it was so that regardless who got elected, I couldn't be blamed for voting for Bush or Clinton). Here's a man with literally tons of money, who out of almost nowhere decides he's going to be a candidate for the Presidency. Granted, he only got 20% of the vote, but think about it - had he not quit during the Dems convention, we very well might be calling Ross the Boss. This is a problem. There are literally millions out there who would kill for the opportunity to help make things right, be it in their township as in my case, or on the state or national level. Why don't they run? Some because of skeletons in their closet (not that it stopped President Clinton, but...), others for personal reasons, but the prevailing factor is, well, money. Unless you live in Rhode Island, Wyoming, or some other "less populous" (trying to be politically correct and not say small) state, it has become virtually impossible to campaign for a Gubernatorial race, or a Senatorial race, without bankrolling it with millions (or, as in New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and California), tens of millions of dollars. This is a fundamental wrong that something must be done about. Case in point: Joe Kolter, who served for 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives (before getting knocked off in the Democratic primary by, among others, a TV weatherman - the weatherman is now in D.C.), bankrolled his 1992 campaign coffer with well over $ 1,000,000.00. Now for the fun: during the entire "campaign" season, the period from roughly February to the primaries (which in Pennsylvania are late) in late April, Congressman Kolter didn't run a single radio, newspaper or TV ad in my area. The closest Kolter for Congress sign to my front door was in a town, along a highway, 14 miles away. Now take into account that the county I live in has over 100,000 people, over 1/5th of the total electorate. Now, some more fun: Kolter somehow managed to report a LOSS for the total campaign! Get that one! Among the wonderful statements that Kolter made, in public, was "I'm a political whore," which gives you a general idea where he was headed anyway... Now that we've looked at the problem, let's look at the solution: the premise of equal time, coupled with complete and total spending caps on campaigning. Most are saying, Yeah! Good idea! But wait, I'm not finished here. After I'm finished, then you can cheer or jeer. And, I just thought of another one. My proposition is simple: Two nights before the election (on a Sunday in most states), all stations air a fifteen minute interview with each candidate for every damned office that's up for grabs. You would have a fifteen minute look at your candidates for Governor, Senator, Mayor, State Representative, Garbage Collector, Dog Catcher... the whole gamut. Give them all equal time to say what's on their mind. The Federal Communications Commission, by one simple act, can make this happen. The FCC licenses each and every commercial TV station in America, and public service programming is required (although it sure doesn't seem like it sometimes) for station license renewal. All the FCC would need to do is make this required by all stations, and voila! You've got yourself an open forum to look at all the candidates for every race you'll be a part of, either as a candidate or as a voter. Now, Part II of the "McIntire Master Plan:" Spending caps. This one is not too difficult if Part I is in place. Ban political advertising on TV and Radio, period. They did it with cigarettes, they can do it with politics. Now, you're saying, "But D.P., we won't find out where the candidates stand if we don't see them on TV." Most people also thought that people would stop buying Marlboro's if they didn't see them on TV - here we are, 22 years later, and look what's sitting beside me... a burning butt from Philip Morris! The spending caps should be simple: $ 10 million for Presidential campaigns, and $ 250,000 for congressional campaigns. Also, NO PAC CONTRIBUTIONS of any kind, even if it comes from the local ladies gardening club PAC. Private contributions of $ 200 or less only, PER HOUSEHOLD. Many skirt the current $ 1,000 spending limit by simple means: The XYX Corporation president is in cahoots with the Gordon Jump for President committee (I always thought Gordon should run for President, since Bill Clinton is running America somewhat like Art Carlson runs WKRP), so he contributes $ 1,000. But, he's a really strong supporter. So, each of his 120 employees at XYX makes a contribution (with him of course laying down the cash in their name), along with their family members (and get this, even under-18 contributions count!). Hell, even Scruffy the family poodle could probably slip by. Granted, we wouldn't wipe out the problem I just mentioned by limiting it to $ 250 per household, but we sure can take a large chunk out of it. And with a $ 10 million limit on Presidential campaigns, it wouldn't matter anyway. And now, Part III, which is by far the best of the three, although you may not think so: ease regulations on political parties so that their candidates can get equal access. Third parties may seem fringe, or off the political bubble, but for the most part, they are just as concerned about the way things are as any Republican or Democrat, they merely see a different solution. In Pennsylvania, Ross Perot managed to get "The Patriot Party" listed as an official "third" party. (Libertarians have managed this now for eight years) What did it take? 37,000+ signatures on petitions for Ross Perot, PLUS 2% of the total vote for President. Now, if I had decided to run for White Township Supervisor (the office I'm seeking as a Republican) as an Independent candidate, I would have had to sign up 2% of my fellow citizens, on a petition asking that I be placed on the ballot. In my area, this represents well over 800 people. As a Republican, I needed 10 signatures on a similar petition. Is this neat or what? The point is, the playing field should be leveled out between the political parties, so that everyone has a chance to express their views. Who knows? When David Duke ran for President in 1988 under the banner of the Populist Party (I can prove it - I not only have two of his buttons, but I actually MET him on a couple of occasions), he might have gotten another vote or two... ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί NOW, I'M GETTING SCARED... I'M GETTING FAN MAIL... Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ In a recent issue of RT (they've all been "recent" issues, since I only began putting this out in January), I stated that someone had dubbed me "The Rush Limbaugh of Computers" or some such nonsense. Well, since that issue "hit the stands," AmeriBoard has become to RT what CompuServe has done for Limbaugh. I have begun to receive a steady stream of "fan mail" from RT readers. All kinds of notes from "I like RT and put it on my BBS religiously...", "I want to send you money so I keep receiving Random Thoughts each month...", and my personal favorite, "If you ever want to talk dirty..." I appreciate fan mail. It pumps my ego - I don't deny that. It keeps RT going... this issue is proof positive - it's already the longest on record, and I'm not done rambling yet. I'm not a raving egomaniac (egocentric, yes, that much I don't deny), but I don't claim "talent on loan from God" or any other such catch phrases. Although I do use "assumed room temperature" way too much, "half my brain" is not tied behind my back. I need all the brain cells I can use, which is one reason why I have never done drugs. The fan mail scares me. Not because of its content, because every note I get is a delight to read. It scares me because the power of the BBS is much more awesome that anyone can realize. Most believe that if you operate a BBS, or even use one that isn't CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL, etc., that you're a computer junkie, a flake, a nerd, et al. Fortunately that isn't true, however, I never gave much credence to the idea that the BBS could be a vital communications medium - until now. RT is in its fourth month of actual production (with April's issue being a "Best Of" due to hardware problems), and I've received enough E-Mail over it to keep me reading for hours on end. The thought that my words, as I'm typing them right now on the 21st of April, will, within the next fifteen days, transcend the United States, and hop over to Europe, Asia and Africa in the course of less than sixty days (I have proof that this occurs via distribution of AmeriBoards and RT via CD ROM diskettes), simply astounds me. Just think if I were a bad guy what I could do with that kind of power. Think about this - if you operate a BBS, even a small one as I do, you have the capability to do so much with it. BBS operators have the capability to send their thoughts (even Random ones, eh?), ideas, and witticisms across the globe in a matter of days! That thought alone should scare you... think about it. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί OKAY, HERE'S A REALLY SWEET DEAL IF I CAN SWING IT... Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ I've come up with some truly unusual ideas over the past quarter century or so, but this one may very well take the cake if I ever figure out how to get it done. Lemme back up a little. Today (Saturday, April 24th) was bill paying day. Normally I'll do it on Friday, (and I did) but I found a large collection of money (not typical) just lying around, so I figured I'd whack out some bills. Despite the extra cash, I still couldn't pay off my credit cards entirely. My run for White Township Supervisor has greatly exhausted my funds, and has made my credit card balances resemble the national debt... a breakdown: On my three combined MasterCards, I owe $ 3,200.00 On my three combined Visa Cards, I owe a little under $ 1,000.00 On my Discover Card, I owe $ 200.00 On my Sears Card, I owe nothing (thank you, Lord!) As I'm cutting checks to whack out some of the balances on each one, I got to thinking to myself: "Hmmm. This credit card business is quite a racket here. Maybe I should look into this..." In past issues, I've dealt with the possibility of credit card problems such as dealing with an inaccurate TRW report and so forth. Now, I'm looking for nothing but response on this, because I think it's one hell of an idea. Currently, I hold one of the lowest rate MasterCard/Visa cards in the nation, issued by Wachovia Bank of Wilmington, Delaware (8.9% APR - and not too surprisingly, over 2/3rds of my total goes to them). However, I've come up with what could be the best credit card "setup" yet. My proposal is this: The BBS Card (This isn't a steadfast name - I've also thought of calling it the AmeriBoard Card, but it would be too confusing with the old Bank Americard (now Visa), or the DPM Card, as in the GM Card, but my ego isn't quite THAT big yet. The BBS Card would be a combined MasterCard/Visa account (you would receive one of each card), with no annual fee, and a 7.2% annual interest rate. At 7.2%, you would pay just 60 CENTS on every $ 100.00 you had outstanding each month! Compare this to many bank cards (Discover for one), which charge most customers 18.9% APR, or $ 1.58 per month on that same $ 100.00. However, there would be drawbacks - there would be no frills involved, just a plain Jane credit card. You could potentially get ATM access and maybe even transfer checks, but stuff like "unemployment coverage" and other types of garbage insurances would not be part of the picture. This is an idea that I will be pursuing over the next few weeks following the conclusion of my political campaign (well, hopefully, the hiatus), but I NEED YOUR INPUT ON THIS!!! If you'd be interested in such a thing as the BBS Card, please drop me a note telling me so. If you work for a bank which would be interested in providing such services to a potential clientel of millions, again, drop me a note. I really think that this could be viable, and that everyone in the on-line community could benefit from it as well. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί ONWARD AND OUTWARD... A SHAREWARE REVIEW. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ Normally I don't do shareware reviews here at RT - that's the domain of other, more organized publications. But, I've got to tell you, I found a shareware game that I simply cannot get away from (except to write RT, that is). The game is called "Scorched Earth", and is available to AmeriTalk subscribers. This at first seems like your typical tank-style game, but it gets very, very involved, and simply is the best game of its kind I've ever seen, shareware or otherwise. Check it out. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί THE TRIALS, ERRORS, AND WOES OF RUNNING A SUBSCRIPTION BBS. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ As you may or may not know, I am the operator of my own BBS, AmeriBoard, which is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. AmeriBoard Enterprises owns it along with AmeriTalk, located in nearby Homer City, PA, and run by my "esteemed colleague" Rick Topeka. AmeriBoard and AmeriTalk are subscription bulletin board systems, and they are losing money hand-over-fist. Since opening AmeriTalk in January we've had a recurring problem with cash flow (damned little coming in, tremendous amounts going out). About 60% of my personal credit card balances have been caused by the expansion of AmeriBoard (new computers, modems, etc.) Here's the problem: no one is subscribing. By no one, I mean - no one. Not one, Zero, Nil, Nada, etc. Since starting AmeriBoard back in September 1990, I've not received ONE THIN DIME, in donation or subscription. Granted, I don't have 20 Gigabytes of files, and I don't have 260 nodes to work with (if I did I'd have filed bankruptcy by now), but everyone and their brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, and cousin wants everything in the BBS world for free. Right now, I can hear BBS operators from around America saying "Amen." Folks, if you are using a BBS to read this right now, and you haven't contributed at least SOMETHING to that system - be it files, lots of messages, or God forbid money - then you shouldn't be on it. Period. Bulletin board systems COST MONEY TO OPERATE. Lots of money. A good, well maintained system costs your system operator about $ 1,000 a year to keep going. How do you repay him (or her?) By downloading as much as humanly possible before he (or she) pulls the plug, then going off to some other BBS! Then, you have the gall to whine about losing file transfer privileges! Right now, at the rate things are going, AmeriBoard and AmeriTalk will be able to continue about another six months before we pull the plug. Unless we get some subscriptions (and it doesn't have to be much to keep us happy), we won't have a choice but to cut our losses. This isn't an appeal to get anyone to subscribe to AmeriBoard or AmeriTalk, but I want you to ponder this point, and ponder it heavily: - The BBS you are now using could be in the same situation that we are. - If this is the case, then time is running out. Ever wonder why bulletin boards pop up for a year or so, then suddenly disappear? M O N E Y is the reason. They can't keep up the maintenance to run a quality board, so it shuts down. Meanwhile, systems like Exec-PC (tm) (and this is by no means a slap on them) rake in subscriptions like wildfire because they have the biggest system in the world. How does one get to be a large system, one that can benefit it's users, without getting the funding it needs to keep going? It's like a business in a sense: in order to get better product for your customer to consume, you have to get the resources to buy the product. But in order to GET the product in the first place, you have to have the resources to buy it. If you are able to take some hits in the first couple of years, then you'll probably make a go of it. But if your customers are leeches, you get squat, and you would get better odds playing the ponies with all that money you've wasted. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί MORE TRIALS AND ERRORS - THE FLORIDA MARLINS. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ And now, for something completely different... on April 5th, while vacationing in sunny Florida (I wish I'd never left there, oh well), I attended the first- ever regular season game of the Florida Marlins, the expansion franchise of the National League. They played the Dodgers, and beat the Bums 6-3. I went to Joe Robbie Stadium not knowing exactly what to expect, but I was incredibly surprised by everything... pleasantly surprised, in fact. My previous experiences at Major League Baseball games entailed trips to two stadiums: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, and Cleveland Municipal Stadium (which is to be replaced by Gateway Stadium in 1994). Cleveland I thought was a nice stadium, and I've attended Three Rivers many times, although I've never been impressed by it. Now I'm abhorred by it. As soon as I walked through the front gate at Joe Robbie, I felt like I was the only person there. That is the way I was treated by the staff of the Marlins. At Three Rivers for instance, a guy will take your ticket, and you won't be hassled any further - which normally means you spend 10-15 minutes wandering around trying to find your seat. Not at JRS. I was quickly whisked away by a gentleman who took my ticket (at the gate mind you), and escorted me to my seat. This is where the JRS/Marlins experience begins. As I sat down, I took a look around the stadium... the word "majestic" comes to mind here. Although JRS will probably not go down as one of the great masterpieces of design, the late Joe Robbie knew exactly what he was doing when he made his stadium multi-purpose. The design of the stadium was meant primarily for football (the Dolphins, and sooner or later the Orange Bowl), but it seemed just as well suited for baseball. There honestly isn't a bad seat in the entire stadium, especially if you like the sun. You could see everything in front of you in clear view, and the field was very well groomed. The Marlins organization treated everyone there as if they were the most important person in the stadium, and it showed. The people of Miami, and all of south Florida, have something to go see, even if the Marlins do lose 100 games in 1993. And, with the expansion Florida Panthers of the NHL coming later this year, expect the same treatment at Miami Arena. Wayne Huizenga seems to have put together a world-class organization everywhere he goes in the sports world. I hope the Panthers are the same way. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί MORE SPORTS - HOCKEY AND BASKETBALL. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ Before I go into this, let me say that I am a fan of both basketball and hockey. For the record, my favorite basketball team is the Boston Celtics, and my favorite NHL team is the Pittsburgh Penguins (seeing as how I live in Western Pennsylvania, that should go without saying - and I've attended games before Mario Lemeiux came to the Pens, so I'm a "real" fan I suppose). The sports of hockey and basketball have gone too far. How? The playoffs of the respective leagues. 16 teams in the playoffs? C'mon! In the NBA, that 16 teams represents 59.26% of the league... in the NHL for the 92-93 season, it represents an even two-thirds of the league, and before the San Jose Sharks came to be in 1991 (as the first wave of the expansion process the NHL has in store during the 90's), it was 16 of 21 (over 76%). I can see the arguments for having more teams in the playoffs - increased TV and ticket sale revenues, etc. However, by doing this, they have made most of the regular season, and a good bit of the playoffs I might add - boring. For instance, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL finished with the best regular season record this season. They could have just as easily finished fourth in their division, and still won the Stanley Cup (in fact, they did exactly that a year ago). Meanwhile, over in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets, which entered the league way back in 1988, are headed to the playoffs, while the Orlando Magic (again, a late 80's entry) could be headed there behind Shaquille O'Neal. The NFL has recently got into the act themselves, increasing the total number of teams in their playoffs to 12 (out of 28 - roughly 43%). Baseball still has only its four division champions, but there is rampant talk of three divisions, wild cards, and the like. Among the other things I do is serve as the Commissioner of a Franchise Football League. Franchise football, for those unfamiliar, is similar in many aspects to Rotisserie League Baseball, only using the scoring of NFL players to determine game outcomes. In our league, we had eight teams for the 1992 season (we now have 9, and are looking to expand, so hey, if you're interested, drop me a line - hint, hint). We had 4 make the playoffs (as has been the case the entire history of the league) - one division champ and one wild-card team. However, in our league (the Interstate Franchise Football League), we have one hard-fast rule: no team finishing below .500 makes the playoffs - period. We almost had a problem last season, as our division champ finished 7-6-1 with the wild-card at 7-7-0. If the NBA, NHL, and NFL were to adopt this policy (call it the "no losers" rule if you like), the playoffs would be given much more credibility then they now have. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί EVEN MORE SPORTS - THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ As I have mentioned earlier, I'm a hockey fan, and a Pittsburgh Penguin fan as well. I am very pleased that the Pens are rolling to what may be their third consecutive Stanley Cup. However, I am disturbed by something. I have heard everyone, from announcers to Penguin players themselves, talking as if the Pens had already won the championship. It bothers me because there are no fewer than three more steps (as of this writing) the Pens need to take before they retain Lord Stanley's mug. Doesn't anyone realize that there are 15 other teams in the NHL (well, as I write this, there are still at least 8 - I'm not checking game scores tonight) that can win this thing? The Buffalo Sabres alone look like they could give the Penguins a tumble or two. Not to mention teams in the soon-to-be Western Conference such as Chicago, Detroit, Vancouver, and two or three others. Please, don't talk as if the Penguins have it sewn up. I wish it were true, but there's still at least a month to go before proclaiming the Pens kings of the hill once again. ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί ONE LAST SERIOUS BIT... THE I.F.F.L. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ I participate in a franchise football league. For those who don't know, this is a game very similar to Rotisserie League Baseball - a group of sports nuts get together and try to outduel each other using actual NFL stars scoring as scoring for their games. For instance, I've had Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49'ers each of the past three years. When he scores a touchdown for the Niners, he also scored one for my team, the McIntire Raiders. The game can be a blast, but you can get blasted as well... during our first year, I beat up on some poor fellow by an 84-3 final score. Jerry Rice had five TD receptions, Barry Sanders scored twice, and my kicker hit a ton of field goals... anyway, for the most part, it's quite competitive. Prior to 1993, our league was contained in the friendly confines of Indiana, Pennsylvania, my current hometown. However, what was the Western Pennsylvania Franchise Football League is now the Interstate Franchise Football League (thus, IFFL), and the league is looking to go nationwide. In 1990 we had six teams, and in '91 and '92 we had eight, all located within Pennsylvania. So far for 1993 we sport 10 clubs, one in Florida and one in Ohio to go along with the Keystone squads. However, the league is still looking to expand, preferably west. I've taken the liberty of mentioning this in hopes that a few football fanatics out there who actually read this electronic rag might be interested in signing up. So, if you're interested, just drop me a line telling me so. I'll have our Deputy Commissioner mail you a full packet of stuff so that you can look it over and decide for yourself if you wish to join. Drop your note to me at: Random Thoughts AmeriBoard Enterprises P.O. Box 445 Penn Run PA 15765 ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί FINALLY, THE END. A MERCY KILL IF THERE EVER WAS ONE... Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ Well, this is it. The final segment of RANDOM THOUGHTS for April. Next month you'll know if I continue the campaign trail (the primary is May 18th, and if you're in the neighboorhood of Indiana PA around then, gimme a call - I need all the help I can get), and you'll get an inside look on my views regarding our basic political system - I guarantee you'll at least be amused. This having been the longest issue of RT thus far, let me say that if you've gone this far... congratulations. You are indeed, a dedicated reader. Until next time... - end -