Microsoft Surface: throw away keyboard and mice

Want to see the next wave of the future? Give it to Microsoft for bringing on a new gadget toy: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/. This new PC requires no keyboards, no mice. It can recognize bar codes, offers new types of games, etc.



Microsoft Surface is a totally new ball game. Can you find the "Apple eat this" in the video?

FSBPT puts all new Philippines physical therapists on hold

JULY 2010 UPDATE: ENOUGH ALREADY FSBPT!  We're sick and tired of your abuse of power.  Visit here to fight back against FSBPT legally!

New physical therapy (PT) candidates across the United States hoping to work as physical therapists in their jurisdictions are receiving a very sad letter. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), which oversees and administers physical therapy exams, is withholding the test scores of all new Filipino applicants (Philippines) due to the actions of a couple of review centers in Manila.

According to FSBPT's own web site, the drama unfolded on January 26, 2007:

On Friday, January 26, 2007, agents of the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation, Intellectual Property Rights Division (“NBI-IPRD”) raided two locations of the St. Louis Review Center (“SLRC”) in Manila. The raids were conducted following a complaint made by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (“FSBPT”) that SLRC was believed to be using copyrighted test items from the National Physical Therapy Exam (“NPTE”) in its NPTE preparation courses.

Prior to the raids, agents of the NBI-IPRD conducted a criminal surveillance operation of the test centers, which confirmed the unlawful use of the test items. Specifically, SLRC was found to be providing its students with copies of actual NPTE test items that candidates who had previously taken the exam recalled by memory..."

From what I gather, certain individuals were purposely memorizing questions on the board exam and returning/selling those questions back to the review centers in Manila.





FSBPT's president, E. Dargan Ervin, Jr., along with other officials from the organization has decided to hold and not report any test scores of any new candidates from the Philippines effective May 16th, 2007.

As a result, effective May 16th, scores of all candidates who graduated from Philippine physical therapy education programs and sat for the National Physical Therapy Examination [NPTE] will be held and not reported to candidates or jurisdictions pending a full investigation of these matters. In its investigation, FSBPT will psychometrically analyze the data, and seek input from the testing community, legal staff, jurisdictions and government authorities of the Philippines."

Thoughts
Firstly, I'm not a physical therapist, but many of my friends and family members are. I'm angry towards those that tried to cheat the system, who selfishly thought they could get away with something like this. Why not concentrate your efforts on studying and learning rather than cheating?

Secondly, I'm angry at FSBPT. The decision they have made here is a knee jerk reaction (no pun intended). This is a massive, discriminatory, countrywide action against a specific race of people. This type of discriminatory action is illegal in almost all business settings. For instance, try saying, all African-Americans (blacks) are now banned from getting the results of their scores for their driver's license test because some blacks cheated. You would have several hundreds of protestors right outside of DMV offices across the United States.

The Philippines's medical/health schools has tried to answer the medical needs of America. The schools have provided quality nurses and physical therapists, and have done so with honor. These Filipino health workers study, apply for visa screens, educate themselves in U.S. laws and practices, and fly over 10,000 miles to take this test legally only to be spit at. Many of those that fly over have spent their life's savings just to take this test, they do so wanting to make sure they come to the United States legally and to work here legally.

To punish an entire country because of a few idiots is tragic, unethical, and to me, illegal. It is my hope that the investigation is completed quickly, and I hope there is a better process in FSBPT to tackle these problems rather than punishing an entire country.

What should I do?
You could sit and wait and hope for the best. But if you do not like discrimination, if you do not like abuse of power, here are some suggestions:

1. You can fax FSBPT at (703) 299-3110, and call them at (703) 299-3100 and write to them at 509 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. You should also e-mail them at: Administrator@fsbpt.org. It is important that you send and communicate your dissatisfaction across all lines of communication, to make sure they receive the message.

2. Even if you are not a candidate, if you disagree with the discriminatory actions taken by the FSBPT that affects the life savings of thousands of candidates and applicants, you should communicate your dissatisfaction to FSBPT. Please be cordial as possible, along the lines of: "While I agree that an investigation needs to be conducted, I disagree with discriminating against an entire country."

3. If you are a U.S. citizen, write to your congressman and senator.

4. Write to your attorney general's office (U.S. citizen or legal resident) and ask for an investigation on the legality of such discriminatory practices.

5. Write to your physical therapy state board body.

6. Contact all Asian and Filipino associations and ask them if they should tolerate FSBPT's discriminatory actions, especially on Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

7. If you are a lawyer or know of a lawyer in your state, ask them if they know of any state statutes that FSBPT may have broken since their ban is across all states.

8. Contact physical therapy associations in your state and lobby for support.

Junk mail annoyance: Internet Marketing Conference

You may have received this letter a few days ago. It offers you a free dinner conference or lunch seminar for two. It has your name printed on it and it usually offers a free MP3 player (an iPod look alike worth ~$4.00).

I received various versions of it over the past couple of years. The first time I received this letter, it advertised eBay. I threw it out in the garbage, much like what I do with credit card offers. Now, I'm getting annoyed. They continue to market my area. So, time to do some digging and research about this company and what I found reinforced my suspicions: it's a company that has many of its customers claiming foul.

THE BAIT

• A guy named Clint Rex Sanderson, Clint Sanderson, or C.R. Sanderson from 16300 Christensen Rd, Suite 217, Seattle, WA 98188 of the Internet Marketing Conference (aka Galaxy Mall, storesonline.com), promises the following:
  
  
  
  • "I personally guarantee a fun, relaxed, and informative conference that could change your life forever."
    
  
  
• It is a dinner for two.
  
• It is usually located in a hotel near the city you live.
  
• The dinner is valued at $120.00 (it was $79.00 before). You get a $4 Chinese MP3 player, potato chips, a soda, a sandwich, and so forth. I estimate it cost them about $9 per person for the MP3 player and food, but the word 'value' is relative.
  
• The seminar will tell you of people's riches by the use of MSN, Google, Yahoo, and eBay.
  
• Their flyer has Michael and Diana Blair stating they've made $280,000 in sales online, or Bryan Castleman with his $50,000/year or Donald Wyatt with $50,000/month.
  
  
  
  • In fine print, "Testimonial results are not earnings claims and are not typical."
  
  

THE CATCH

• Wendy from Creative Work at Home did some digging and found that Internet Marketing Conference is known as Galaxy Mall or storesonline.com or Imergent.
  
• The company(ies) sell online stores. Frank from Florida reported he signed paperwork to take the package home from a seminar and decided it wasn't for him. They got him with a $3,229 bill. What does Frank think of this offer? "This to me is a FRAUD and a SCAM."
  
• Here's one user that spent $1500 on a store and $70/month for web hosting. Bab's thoughts on the whole ordeal? "We have tried to get our money back but they say no refunds. THIS IS A SCAM."
  
• Now, are you thinkin' this is only limited in the United States? Nope, they are going global! Wally from Australia: "storesonline.com are target mailing Australian addresses and holding their BS Seminars in Australia. A friend attended one in Brisbane and the asking price is $5,995 for what they provide, ie nothing."
  
• A law firm is actively looking to sue these guys for a class action lawsuit.
  
• Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit against them. See the article here: IMergent defends service after Illinois files lawsuit. It quotes, "Fifteen Illinois customers, who paid a total of more than $91,000 to StoresOnline and Galaxy Mall, were unable to set up Internet businesses and couldn't get refunds, Madigan said in a press statement announcing the suit." More info about it available here as well.
  
• Apparently, Galaxy Mall had some legal issues in the Alabama Supreme Court as well. In this case, they were known as Galaxy Mall aka MicroFinancial, Inc aka Leasecomm Corporation.
  

CONCLUSION
I think it's great that they are willing to feed people for free. I'm tempted to give my meal tickets away to some wonderful people downtown at the homeless shelter. I'll probably drive them to the seminar for free. j/k. Just a warning to everyone that gets 'free' stuff in the mail: do your research before you waste several hours of your life. Remember, you will NEVER be able to get your wasted hours back. There are no refunds for loss time.

It's best to spend your time reading some books that can teach you how to invest rather than speculate.

Indian couple keeps Indonesian slaves in New York home

"A millionaire couple accused of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves were held in jail on Thursday amid new allegations that the women's relatives were threatened and offered bribes to make the case go away."

You can review the article by USA Today here.

The case is still left open and we'll find out to see if they are truly guilty. I really hope some of the claims that I hear on the media is false or exaggerated. I can't see how people see other human beings as property or animals (I mean, do these guys believe in evolution that we are all animals?). It simply doesn't make sense. This couple made millions by utilizing the freedoms America has given them, and how do they give back? Allegedly by torturing and enslaving their maids.

Michael W. Smith's concert in Fort Myers

Michael W. Smith is an award winning Christian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. I saw his concert last night at McGregor Baptist Church. The church was full and vibrant, every single person there, young and old had a connection to Smith, since his career encompasses a couple of decades. Smith sang songs from his new album and also songs from the past such as Friends Are Friends Forever (his encore).

Smith is also a philanthropist and a spokesman for Compassion International, a charitable organization that he promotes during his concerts. I personally recommend this organization if you are looking to sponsor a child's education and welfare in a developing country.

Michael W. Smith also has a new album out called 'Stand'. Click on the link below to hear some of the songs.



On another note, I had a slight problem before the concert. I had eight tickets; however, my party increased to nine the last minute. Thankfully, Bill Carl from WAY-FM was able to lend a hand and get me a free ticket. Thanks Bill!

Developments for The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In

Just wanted to post a quick note on a project I was working on called The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In. I recently finished an interview with Astraea Magazine. The interviewer was former BBC presenter Guy Leigh.

To hear the online version of the interview, you can click on the link below:
Astrea Magazine Interview

I'm also thankful to archaeologists and scholars who have given me time to assist me in this endeavor. I'm very grateful for those that have endorsed the book.

To see what they said, you can click on the link below:
Endorsements by Scholars

Dr. Craig Evans on The Lost Tomb of Jesus

The Lost Tomb of Jesus is under review again (perhaps for the last time) by Dr. Craig Evans. You can see the article here.

Dan Barry, New York Times, consults Don Sausa on Utah land article

A week or so ago, I posted some real estate problems in Box Elder County, Utah. Little did I know part of my research would go on national news.

Dan Barry, a New York Times columnist, travels nationally to look at the sight and sounds of America. On a restaurant stop, he picked up a local newspaper and found an interesting story about illegal subdividing and land sales in Box Elder County, Utah. He finds out the person doing the original subdividing and hunts down the story. He goes on Google, looks for information regarding the land owner and finds my research on my blog.

He shoots me an email, then we chat on the phone, and I give him some info, and bwam, like a master craftsman, he's got a hot story posted here.

Well, that's one more publication for the resume I guess.

King Herod's resting place found (possibly)

After 30 years of looking for Herod's tomb, Dr. Netzer thinks he finally found it.

On March 2007, we saw one group who supposedly studied the Talpiot tomb for 2-3 years, but keeping to themselves before sharing with academia. What happened? The tunnel vision effect of the research was rejected by secular and Christian scholars. They could have saved time and a bit of their reputations by allowing others to see what they were working on. In short, The Lost Tomb of Jesus was a flap.

On May 2007, after 30 years of searching, Dr. Netzer announces he has found Herod's tomb (possibly). But no documentary or mass media book released -- it's too early for that, he wants everyone to look at what he is working on so they can help him. Dr. Netzer, a true archaeologist and academic scholar, is inviting peer review to make sure his research is sound before they move on and get anything published.

Good move Dr. Netzer.

You can see the press release here.

For more information about Jewish tombs and whether Talpiot was the final resting place of Jesus, take a look at this book:

Box Elder County Land Debacle Cont'd

It seems like people are waking up to letters or notices of noncompliance. They made the notices sound so serious, that they make, at first glance, feel the property owner feel guilty they own the land. The county has since updated their letters to be more friendly, perhaps to save them from the on slaught of phone calls and emails.

Speaking of e-mails, I'm starting to get a steady flow of questions from land owners. I want to reiterate that the county attorney's position (at least when I spoke to them), state they consider the property owners of the illegally subdivided parcels as victims, not criminals. They are reviewing actions on how to deal with the original subdividers.

Another question I'm getting is: what am I going to do with my useless land? Here's a typical email I receive below:

"Back in the day, I also bought 15 acres for around ~$320/acre in Box Elder county.

When I got the property tax statement from the county, it said the all the parcels (60 adjacent 1/4 acre plots) was assessed around ~30k.

I was really happy since I paid a fraction for it. What makes me mad though is that the county is saying that I can't do anything with the land (e.g. sell it) but they want me to continue paying the yearly taxes, which is ~$250 a year.

This brings me to a point: Why is the land worth this much if you can't do anything with it or even access it in some cases? You still think its worth holding on to despite that fact we have no choice as of now.

Best Regards,

...

This is an interesting question. What in the world should I do with it now? The fact that it was incorrectly subdivided does not excuse land owners from taxes. In these cases, your options are limited:

1. You lose your property. Don't pay the taxes and your property will be foreclosed.

2. You sell back your property to the original developer.

3. You keep paying taxes and keep the property for novelty [for the heck of it].

4. You wait for Box Elder officials to come up with a solution [court case injunction, etc.].

If you have invested a significant amount of money into this venture (thankfully, I haven't), #1 and #3 aren't good options.

Zoning Department emails me back

The zoning department has finally emailed me. You should read their response, as it may answer some of your questions. The PDF file is available here.

Have more questions?

Feel free to email me at don [at] donsausa.com.

Want to learn how to conduct due diligence for vacant land? Suggested book below.

A land debacle in Box Elder County, Utah

Back in the day, I looked at some investment properties in Box Elder County, UT. At $300/acre, why not? At the very least it was a paper asset. But according to Box Elder County officials, the people that were subdividing the property without permission was comitting a criminal offense. Youch!

They've sent out "notice of noncompliance" to thousands of people, telling them their property was illegaly subdivided. Most of the property buyers bought the land online from Yahoo Auctions, eBay, Overstock, etc.

One of the people that have allegedly subdivided parcels without permission, according to public records, the county, and my own records, was Larry Madsen of 13871 S. 1950 W, Bluffdale, Utah 84065.

I bought land there from Madsen or other developers, what should I do?
You can send an e-mail to the Box Elder officials at codeviolations@boxeldercounty.org. They are looking at options to alleviate this problem. Do not expect a response, since a few thousand people have already e-mailed them.

Is my deed valid?
If the deed was recorded correctly, your deed is valid and you own the property. It's just that the original owner, Madsen and others, didn't ask permission before they sold it.

What's going to happen now?
I spoke to the county attorney's office and they are still looking at their options. They could technically go after the developers and fine them and leave the properties as is, or they could ask developers to take back the properties (assuming you don't want it anymore).

Are there any other things to know?
Most of the folks I know that bought this property knew it was in the middle of nowhere and it had no electricity. It was flagged as recreational property (Madsen appropriately flagged it when he sold me a parcel). So no one really hid this fact. If another developer tried to tell you this was buildable and it wasn't, they could be held liable.

Why did the developers do this?
Well they sell land to make money, but to answer the question why they didn't ask permissions and fill out the proper zoning permits -- probably because they didn't know. I asked Madsen by email on how they are rectifying this and said, "We have contacted an attorney in Box Elder County to help us determine what needs to be done to rectify this problem. We will let you know what we find out and what we are able to do to resolve this issue with the County."

Stay tune, I'll update this post with more info. I'm expecting a call from the county attorney on Tuesday.

If you are interested in investing in land and how to properly conduct your own research, buy this helpful book below. A lot of it is based on my own mistakes experience in the past.

LAPD beats up innocent reporters, women, children

A peaceful rally was held at a public park. A couple blocks away, there was a group of idiots throwing rocks and bottles at the police. The police department, Los Angeles PD, world renown for its past corruption, and countless beatings against minorities such as blacks (ie: Rodney King) came in full force.

Instead of arresting the individuals that attacked them, they moved towards the public park, where thousands gathered peacefully for hours. The peaceful crowd had no clue there was an incident a few blocks away. Women, children, news anchors, and photographers were hit with rubber bullets and hit with battons/clubs. Broken bones, internal bleeding, and other injuries were reported.

This indiscriminate and shameful action of the Los Angeles PD is inexcusable, especially when LAPD officers were found guilty of breaking civil rights in the past, where they had to pay millions for attacking journalists in 2000.

Beating on innocent people, especially women and children, that are gathering peacefully and legally is not only a violation of the Constitution, but of human decency. This is not how law enforcement officers should act.

For the LAPD officers that were involved in this: you are a shame on your city, a shame on California, a shame on this nation and a shame for every person that carries a badge. On that day, you no longer were police officers but criminals.

That's my 2 cents. For a historical documentary on the LAPD, take a look at this DVD below.

Moderate drinking grows cancer, helps heart, kills liver, hurts brain

We have known in the past that grape juice (unfermented wine) and red wine (fermented wine) has certain health benefits. While I enjoy drinking grape juice (unfermented wine), I do not recommend drinking red wine. One bad thing about alcoholic red wine is that it hurts your brain cells and liver. What we know now is that it can be directly linked to cancer growth as well.

So there you have it, a new case NOT to drink red wine: help your heart but kill your liver, hurt your brain cells, and make cancer grow. No wonder the Bible says not to drink alcoholic wine at all.

Here's a snippet from the BBC:

Source: BBC
It has long-been known alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer but the effect of drinking once cancer is present is less established.

A University of Mississippi team found giving mice the equivalent of two to four drinks a day doubled the normal growth of a tumour after four weeks.

Cancer patients are often just told to moderate drinking.

In the study, researchers gave female mice the human equivalent of two drinks a day for four weeks, while a control group were given no alcohol.


The mice were then injected with breast cancer cells.

Within four weeks, the tumours in the alcohol-fed mice weighed 1.4g on average, almost twice the size of tumours in the control group.

The team, which presented the research to the American Physiology Society, said alcohol caused cancer cells' blood vessels to grow which in turn fuelled the growth of the tumour.

The mouse study builds on an earlier research with chicks that showed alcohol consumption increased the expression of a protein known as VEGF.

VEGF fuels tumour growth by spurring the development of blood vessels in cancer cells that might otherwise die.

Normally, the immune system can kill off small tumours. However, when they grow large enough the body can no longer fight off the tumour cells.

Tumours

Lead researcher Jian-Wei Gu said: "The vast majority of tumours result from over expressed VEGF.

"Every day, we produce a lot of cancer cells, but they don't become bigger.

"But if the cells establish blood vessels, the tumour grows and strengthens, a process known as angiogenesis."

And he added he would advise patients not to drink if they were undergoing cancer treatment.

"I don't think two to four drinks per day is okay.

"The public needs to know of these results."

Ed Yong, Cancer Research UK's science information officer, said: "The link between alcohol and breast cancer, and many other cancers for that matter, is well known.

"But this is the first time I have heard of the impact of alcohol once cancer is there."

He said more research was needed to see if the findings were replicated in adults and whether it also applied to other cancers.