ChoicePoint Inc. Ten Million Dollar Fine a Joke?

Seasons Under The Sun is pleased to present a post that was provided in response to the recent Guest Author Invitation.

David Anderson who publishes the fine web site "Italian's Insight to Travel Italy" submitted this compelling article about the recent ten million U.S. dollar fine of ChoicePoint Inc. The fine was levied by the FTC for a data security breach that compromised the financial records of more than 163,000 consumers, over 800 of whom became the victims of identity theft. While some have praised the efforts of the FTC to extract "significant" penalties in this case, David doesn't believe that the fine, and other imposed penalties on ChoicePoint go nearly far enough. Those who are concerned about the privacy of their personal information and individual civil rights should take heed... Full Story

Choice Point fined 10 million USD
by David Anderson

Recently, ChoicePoint Inc., a publicly traded Credit Rating company, was fined 10 million USD. Touted by the FTC as something important I propose this fine is a joke, simply a move engineered to avoid taking on the very serious problem of rampant corporate greed sacrificing the right to privacy of individuals and politician’s compliance with corporate America for personal gain.

Some time ago I would have suggested that a credit report has nothing to do with the qualifications of an individual for a job. I have come to understand that, while the practice is abused, most jobs have nothing to do with credit worthiness, there are some instances where credit history can signal future problems. Additionally, as our society becomes more and more superficial credit reports are an important part of our lending industry and therefore, necessary to the current economic structure.

The indiscriminate amassment of information regarding individuals is inappropriate. No corporation should be allowed to maintain or gather information that is not strictly pertinent to a financial operation requested by an individual. Our politicians allow corporations to gather information and data mine in order to market goods and services.

Corporations sell this information to others who perform the same operation. Then, when this information is used inappropriately and the individual concerned has no idea that this information even exists, it is the individual’s responsibility to fix the problem. Again, the individual did nothing to create this problem and most likely did not even know that the information had been gathered by some corporation.

To further exasperate the problem, corporations do not employ sufficient security measures to guarantee the confidentiality of the information. The corporations claim that it would be too costly to continually stay ahead of the technology used to crack their systems. This argument is absurd, it is a cost of doing business and should the business model not support proper security they should not be involved with this product.

In most European countries, where we consider them to be socialist and less of a free society, strict privacy laws exist. If information is stolen because of negligence or the company sells the information it is a criminal offense. They go to jail. Needless to say they are very conscious regarding the type of information they acquire and hold on their systems.

We consider ourselves the bearers of freedom. We say that we protect individual rights. We want the world to have our freedom. A 10 million dollar fine for negligence where the company made 100s of millions of dollars with this information and where the cost to the individuals damaged will be significantly higher, is this a joke?

Politicians, make yourselves useful, stop yelling at each other and do your job. Protect our individual freedoms! The free market is a marvelous thing but I grew up with the notion that “my right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.

Tags:
ChoicePoint Inc., FTC, Privacy, Data Security, Credit Rating

Post your Anonymous Rant or Flame

" A closed mind is a good thing to lose "
- Anonymous

Everybody online has their own opinions about being anonymous, or leaving anonymous comments. At Seasons Under The Sun the anonymous commenting option is always left on - and while that policy could encourage trolls or flamers there have been surprisingly few negative or nasty comments posted in the seven month life of this site. In fact some interesting, and down right inspiring anonymous comments have been left on some of the posts here. So far, no anonymous comments have been deleted with the exception of comment spam before word verification was instituted.

This post is an open invitation for readers to voice a strong opinion, vent some anger, or otherwise fire off a pointed rant about current news or a pet peeve by leaving an anonymous comment here.

Please fire off a shot or critique at Seasons Under The Sun as well if something about this site ticks you off. My only request is that your opinion is sincere, and not just a vindictive blast. Please do not leave comments that are racially motivated, or otherwise hateful of any particular group. Other than those provisos, let the barbs fly! Of course, you may prefer not to be anonymous and that's fine. The comments (remarks below post) could generate more subject interest, and lead to some interesting links or cross chat at other sites too. It's your forum Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous!

Tags:
Anonymous, Flame, Rant

Is Vioxx still a Tempest for Merck?

Is Merck the sinister, mega- pharmaceutical company as portrayed in the media, or is the Vioxx story just business as usual in the complex world of the drug research and approval process?

There are still storm clouds gathering for the company, since there may be thousands more pending and potential lawsuits out there relating to Vioxx, and in recent news a former FDA official testified that Merck had plenty of time to warn about Vioxx. On the other hand, they are a giant in the pharmaceutical industry with deep pockets, and probably have new potential block buster drugs in the research pipeline. In all likelihood Merck will remain a power house in the pharmaceutical industry once the near term turmoil has subsided, and it could be that their present, somewhat depressed share price is a value buy assuming it discounts the Vioxx bad news... Full Story

Do we know for sure that Vioxx is linked to the serious cardiovascular health risks it is accused of exacerbating such as heart attack and stroke? The answer to that question may be a statistical research nightmare. Surely there must be other drugs out there in the market that may have potentially devastating side effects, or might be linked to adverse events? There are billions of dollars at stake plus significant health implications, and so the answers to such questions have huge implications to the consumer, and the companies involved. Even with impeccable research protocols and data significant drug side effects may not show up in study results. As well, there have been accusations that pharmaceutical companies will play down or ignore valid study results that suggest adverse drug effects to sanitize their marketing and advertising campaigns because of the huge revenue implications. There is an understanding that the FDA follows fairly stringent guidelines in the drug approval process. In fact, it has been accused of being too stringent in the past (i.e. approving experimental AIDS cocktails). When Merck voluntarily withdrew Vioxx from the market in September, 2004 the FDA issued a detailed question and answer discussion about it to address concerns.

Perhaps our society is simply over medicated, and Physicians need to scrutinize their drug prescribing habits.

"Studies show that many simply don't heed even the sternest warnings issued by the FDA. When patients taking the diabetes drug Rezulin from the former Warner-Lambert Co. (now Pfizer (PFE )) started dying from liver failure in the late 1990s, the FDA repeatedly warned doctors to carefully test patients' liver enzyme levels to spot early signs of trouble. Yet fewer than 5% of patients got the tests, and more people died." - Lessons From The Vioxx Fiasco

It may well be impossible to screen out every possible potential adverse event that a drug might be implicated in no matter how many expensive research studies are funded. In the real world as opposed to the laboratory other variables come into play including interactions with other medications taken, and unfortunately those variables might play around with the next pill you take. So consumers beware, and do your homework when it comes to medications prescribed or otherwise - and be just as wary and diligent when it comes to alternative, or herbal treatments as well.




Tags:
Vioxx, Merck, FDA, Pharmaceuticals, Medication, Heart Attack, Stroke

Get Gretzky's Gold?

Are American judicial authorities so desperate to restore Olympic hockey gold medal pride that they would resort to smearing the name of Canada's greatest sports hero Wayne Gretzky
on the eve of the Winter Olympics? Isn't it a cynical and transparent ploy to release wire tap documents, and other innuendo for the media feeding frenzy in a vague effort to link the Great One to an organized crime gambling ring? Could it be an attempt to create enough distraction and emotional turmoil in Gretzky's life such that his upcoming Olympic efforts as Executive director for team Canada are undermined? In that event, player morale could be sabotaged to the point of losing the gold medal or not even reaching the podium. Why couldn't the authorities have waited until soon after the Olympics to release these damaging allegations, especially those that might concern Gretzky or his wife if he likely had no direct involvement or liability as compared to his associate coach Tocchet? Perhaps there is another sinister side to the timing of these news releases that the general public will never know...

News commentary by your paranoid Canuck hack reporter on the spot in Hockeyville Canada,
Beau

Tags:
Hockey News, Gretzky, Olympics, Illegal Gambling

Free Memory Improvement and Mnemonic Fun

The following describes a humorous misadventure that was caused by being absent minded. We can probably all relate to similar events in our own lives.

"In August 1967, David Margetts played second violin in the Roth String Quartet at UCLA. He had been entrusted with the care of a valuable, vintage Stradivarius that was owned by the department of music. One day Margetts put the violin on his car's roof and drove off without removing it. UCLA made massive efforts to recover the instrument, but nonetheless it went missing for 27 years before resurfacing in 1994 when the Stradivarius was brought in for repair and a dealer recognized the instrument. After a lengthy court battle, the violin was returned to UCLA in 1998."

-Daniel L. Schacter Ph.D.
The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers

Everyone wishes they could improve their memory. You can be the sharpest tool in the shed, and yet be completely befuddled by forgetting an important fact, or action at the wrong time. Youth gives you some protection against the vagaries of a poor memory assuming you are generally healthy, but absent minded deeds afflict all ages. Unfortunately, lapses in memory have also resulted in injury or death. Businesses have been ransacked because someone forgot to "lock up". Nuclear reactors have failed because someone forgot to close a valve (Three Mile Island). Examinations have been failed because because someone didn't remember the right test date. Marriages have been threatened because someone forgot an anniversary, or birthday. Sound familiar?... Full Story

This concern with our memory has created quite a market for people in the memory aid business, but you can help your memory a lot without signing up for an expensive program or gimmick. There are good books out there on the subject, and I would recommend one by Kenneth L. Higbee, Ph.D. called YOUR MEMORY, How It Works & How To Improve it. He has an academic background, but discusses many practical exercises, and techniques to improve memory. I was blown away when I used the Loci Mnemonic system described in the book to memorize any long list of items. It dates back to 500 B.C., and was used by famous Roman orators to remember long speeches. There are two steps: First memorize a series of familiar locations in a logical order (rooms in a building etc.) You will use this set of locations each time you need to remember a series or list. Secondly, associate a visual image that identifies each list item with a location in the series as you take an imaginary walk past the locations. Use fanciful images for each item. I tried this once with a very long grocery list, and easily remembered twenty items after taking a few minutes to mentally place each item at a memorized house location (bread in the oven, cherries in a basket etc.) Try this and I guarantee you will amaze yourself with how many objects you can remember! The book discusses this in greater detail along with many other excellent methods.

Jessica Rowlands recently reported in Medical News Today a PET imaging study that indicated improved brain efficiency after subjects under went a memory improvement plan.

"New research released at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's
Annual Meeting found that older Americans may improve their memory by making
simple lifestyle changes - including memory exercises, physical fitness, healthy
eating and stress reduction. The study was conducted at the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and funded by the Fran and Ray Stark Foundation
Fund for Alzheimer's Disease Research, the Judith Olenick Elgart Fund for
Research on Brain Aging, and the Parlow-Solomon Professorship on Aging."

Here is the memory improvement plan that could help improve memory function at any age:

* Memory Training - Brainteasers, crossword puzzles and memory exercises, which emphasized verbal skills, were conducted throughout the day to stimulate the brain.

* Healthy Diet - Participants ate five meals daily, which included a balanced diet rich in omega-3 fats, low-glycemic index carbohydrates (e.g., whole grains) and antioxidants. Eating five small meals throughout the day prevents dips in blood glucose levels and glucose is the primary energy source for the brain.

* Physical Fitness - Brisk daily walks and stretching were done daily to promote physical fitness, which has been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

* Stress Reduction - Participants used stretching and relaxation exercises to manage stress. Stress causes the body to release cortisol, which plays an important role in memory preservation. Cortisol can impair memory and has been found to shrink the memory centers in the brain.

Now where did I leave those damn car keys?


Tags:
Memory, Mnemonics, Memory Improvement

Journalism and Publishing Ethics

I realize that blogging doesn't necessarily equate to Journalism, and that the debate will rage on. However, online journalists and bloggers should at least consider the standards set out in the Society of Professional Journalists' Ethics Code. I quote from an article by J.D. Lasica in the Online Journalism Review site:

"Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money."

You could make an argument that Journalists should be well paid, so they might be less susceptible to bribes, but for those who would be corrupted there is usually never enough of the green stuff to deter them from taking more. If an organization, or commercial entity said they would be willing to pay for the privilege of posting content to your web site or blog on the condition that they had complete editorial control how would you respond? Would you sign the contract whether or not you agreed with their view point or philosophy? How do you protect a journalist or blogger from threats and extortion, as these actions may be more effective and more widely used than the use of favors or bribes? How many publishers would be willing to admit that they were intimidated into retracting or altering a story? For these reasons we shouldn't pass negative judgement on sites simply because they function under some degree of anonymity unless they are publishing obscene or illegal material. Anonymity can serve the important purpose of whistle blowing when the consequences of exposing an injustice within a corporation or government can be severe. Of course if you prefer anonymity, then you shouldn't abuse the right by posting silly rants and flames simply because you have no fear of repercussion. This raises the question whether anyone is truly anonymous on the web? Judging by the information collected by various search engines, and government attempts to obtain it, the answer would seem to be no unless you use one of the many services that will enable anonymous surfing through proxy servers. Web site publishers would not have similar anonymity, especially if they use registered domains, so they should be willing to stand by their content.

Technorati Tags:
Journalism, Ethics, Anonymous Sites, Publishing, Blogging

Socks in the City

For this woolly story you need to "Pull your socks up", "Put a sock in it", and then let me "Knock your socks off" with some useful facts about our foot friends, and then cozy up for some ideas about what we can do with old socks. I assume pretty well everyone in North America has socks, but my apologies to anyone out there who actually does need a pair especially if you live in more Northern climes as I do... Full Story

Now, I could recite a whole lot of factoids and amazing information about the wonderful world of socks, but Dr. Joyce Smith Ph.D. and Norma Pitts have already put together an amazing fact sheet called Selecting Socks that is very professional, thorough, and chock-full of information. They discuss fiber content, construction, finishes, new technology and performance fabrics, types, and sock care. You would be hard pressed to improve upon the information provided in that article, and it would seem that the simple sock is yet another marvel of modern technology. You can even buy socks with anti-static and anti-bacterial finishes. Apparently the durable anti-bacterial agents in the fiber reduce bacterial growth and resulting odor, while withstanding repeated launderings (might be handy for sports enthusiasts). Next time we'll talk about some creative uses for old socks including the good old "Sock Puppet".


By the way, the origin for the expression "Put a sock in it" is said to come from the early Gramophones that had no volume control, and to play them more quietly you would put a sock into the trumpet. Who knows?

Technorati Tags:
Socks

Has the Poker Craze gone too far?

There are probably thousands if not millions of sites, and blogs devoted to poker in all its forms. God forbid we need any more discussions, web sites or spam related to poker, but in terms of the consumer we are witnessing a revolutionary change in the gaming market place. Internet gambling is now generating revenues in the billions, and yet the owners operate in geographical anonymity and limbo since their operations are deemed illegal in the United States... Full Story

I doubt that there has ever been such a dynamic shift in the history of gambling enterprises. The impact of this is being felt now at every level of society. Why does your co-worker want to skip lunch and sit at his PC? Could he or she be betting a full house, or bluffing for the pot at their favorite poker site? The implications for gambling addiction, and treatment are staggering as well. Stay tuned folks. The World Trade Organization has already sided with Antigua against the U.S. on fair trade policies as they pertain to the legality of Internet gaming. See how many different TV programs you can find relating to poker as you surf through your cable listings. The biggest names in Poker are having a field day while most other poker players will be sheared and fleeced. It's a national obsession at the moment, and the celebrity factor is huge as well with prominent movie stars like Ben Affleck and Toby Maguire playing high stakes games. It may be just a matter of time before we have legalized Virtual Vegas accessible at any computer station. Will the games be honest then, and are they honest now? Of greater concern will be the money, and time wasted by those who might spend too many hours gambling online thereby creating heart break for themselves and their families. What do you think of this tremendous, and growing appetite for online gambling? Are criminal elements involved in these enterprises? Will gambling addiction spread like wildfire especially among internet savvy youth? No matter what the answers are to these questions it is very likely that within a few years there will be legal online gaming for both the operators and the players. See the Congressional testimony on Internet gambling by Tom W. Bell. Let Seasons Under The Sun hear your opinions on this subject.


Technorati Tags:
Poker, Internet Gambling, gambling, texas holdem

Confession Time

This post is part of a Meme with tags to other sites in case you would like to visit them, and see what others have "confessed" to. I was tagged by Jeffrey who was tagged by Luka, and so on. Not everyone is a fan of memes, so if you dislike them then please read the rest of my posts on this blog for a "meme free" experience :-). After this I will no longer be a meme virgin, although it might take another fifty posts or so before I get on another meme train!

• I confess... that I don't like confessing too much.
  
• I confess... that I have never confessed to a priest.
  
• I confess... that I am an espresso addict.
  
• I confess... that I am not a fan of Paris Hilton, but Angelina Jolie is OK.
  
• I confess... that my wife is the most beautiful woman on earth... Really!
  
• I confess... that I like to kiss my cat.
  
• I confess... that I love a good bottle of red wine.
  
• I confess... that I am envious of those who own a domain name.
  
• I confess... that once you start confessing it's hard to stop!

I am now asking for volunteers who read this blog to keep the meme alive, otherwise I will have to start tagging, although I may be breaking meme protocol by not tagging anyone in this post. Tags: confession, meme, Angelina Jolie, confessing

A New Novella

The first three chapters of my Novella in progress are finished, and are available to read here as the most recent posts prior to this one. The Novella itself will be published in book form on a separate site, and new chapters will only be published there in the future. There is a link to the Novella site on the side bar. Seasons Under The Sun will now return to business as usual, and that is to publish provocative material of varied nature with a little humor thrown in along the way.

The Novella story is a true life account of my days as a gambler, and high roller in Vegas. Those days subsequently led to high risk bets in financial markets, and a nasty turn of fortune. They were exciting, and fun times too, as I rubbed elbows with some interesting characters to say the least. Although in the end it is a cautionary tale, I hope you find the story compelling. It may have some resonance in your own life as well, and I welcome any feedback. What is your opinion of the gambling life, or the boom, and rapid growth of gaming across the country? I have come to my own conclusions, but gambling is a personal decision, and its impact on people is quite variable. You will now see a few ads on this site about gambling, although I have filtered some. You will also see ads related to gambling problems, or addictions. For better or worse these ads reflect the story content, and as always it is entirely up to the reader to decide in a reasoned fashion whether the ads are of any interest, or value to them.

Disclaimer: The author is not presently involved in any gambling activities, and this site is not intended to promote such activities. The author has no direct financial interest in gaming sites or casinos, either as a participant, employee, or owner.

Farewell Las Vegas III

"Gambling makes the mind burn. Can this be turned into the fire of purification and understanding?"
- Miron Stabinsky with Jeremy Silman
Zen and the Art of Casino Gambling (1995)

The following piece is a continuation of Farewell Las Vegas II.

What circumstances create a dedicated gambler, and why do some gamblers fall off the precipice into the abyss of degenerate, addicted gambling? I don't pretend to have all the answers to those questions. I was an avid gambler myself, and did suffer significant losses (not in casinos though). However, I never crossed over that magical line into the realm of severely, addicted gambling where one is financially, and spiritually bankrupt. Such individuals can resort to immoral, and even illegal acts in order to obtain cash for gambling... Full Story

I've had at least a passing acquaintance with such people, and you can't help but feel that in addition to their own shortcomings society has let them down as well. Science is beginning to shed some light on factors that contribute to gambling problems. Studies would indicate that there is a relationship to the serotonin deficiency disorders such as depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder (repetitive betting could certainly be seen as a compulsion). Co-morbid addiction problems are more frequent in hard core gamblers as well. Of course, there are many who would argue, and with some rationale that it is a problem of the spirit, that the addicted gambler becomes bereft of spiritual influence, or discipline. I would subscribe to all of these theories to some degree. If you know someone who may be in the throes of gambling addiction, or if you are heading down that lonely road yourself please know that there are many community resources in most North American municipalities that can provide help. On the internet there are standardized tests or questionnaires available to answer, that can indicate if someone has a significant gambling problem. There are numerous chapters of Gamblers Anonymous in almost every major city, and newer Gambling Decisions programs are in some jurisdictions as well. It is important to intervene for many reasons, but attempted suicide is a significant risk in advanced gambling addiction.

With that in mind, I return to the story. It was one of those fateful, life events that my coming of age (Eighteen) coincided with the legalization of Casino gaming in Alberta. I don't think that one can under estimate the influence of legalized gaming when it comes to influencing youthful minds, and society at large to participate in gambling. This in turn has tremendously widened the net of potential problem gamblers. What game became my recreational passion? Blackjack...

To be continued...