Archive for September, 2005

30
Sep

How To Handle Someone Being Emo

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

I used to be uncomfortable around people who were EMO. If I even suspected someone was one I’d avoid conversation and eye contact with them at all cost. I guess I just couldn’t understand why anyone would do that to themselves. All I really knew is that they were different than me and for some reason that wasn’t cool. [fofl]

Eight months ago though everything changed.

While typing a paper on a friend’s computer, I found EMO videos and images in his hard drive. I was shocked. I confronted him and he broke down. “I was born this way guy, I can’t help it,” he cried. I told him I never wanted to see him again and I left.

I didn’t speak to him for months after he came out to me. I was angry at him. How could he do this to me? To our family? To himself? One night as I sat in my apartment and mourned what I considered to be the loss of a brother and friend, it dawned upon me that it was my behavior that was shameful, not his. I had to reevaluate my attitude towards EMO’s. I needed to learn to accept my friend for who he was, not who I wanted him to be.

I’d always used my [non]religion to justify my fear and hatred of EMO’s, but when I finally challenged my own belief system, I realized that I was hiding behind my [non]religion and it was my own insecurities that had fueled my hate. I also realized that being EMO hadn’t been a choice for my friend, but he had been born that way. I couldn’t expect him to repress his EMO urges anymore than he could expect me to repress my own. Two weeks ago I called him and we had dinner together.

What I now understand is that EMO’s are here to stay and the rest of us need to learn to live with that and accept them into our communities. Regardless of how we feel about their lifestyle, we need to stop the mindless bigotry and hate that’s directed towards them. They are much more than just socially awkward weirdo’s, they are our brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and often time…our friends.

As far as I go, I’m coming along slowly with the whole idea…..concept. I know there are some aspects of my friend’s lifestyle that will take a while for me to get used to, but more importantly, I also know that I love my friend unconditionally.

And besides…….

At least he’s not gay……..

“this story brought to you by the ‘this story is not true’ dept.”

29
Sep

DRM, DMCA, RIAA, MPAA = POO

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

How exactly does preventing someone from backing up their own data [DVDs/CDs/Flash Memory] ‘give us more options’…..as is suggested in this article. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/12753567.htm
[remind me to buy a large MB sandisk card and reader before they mass execute this nonsense Lipan!]

We should all be suffering from a deeply negative feeling as it relates to this whole digital rights management [DRM] mess, particularly because so much money and infinite resources are going into developing technology that no one who is actually purchasing that technology actually wants. The chip designer firm is working with the chip manufacturer who is negotiating with the global entertainment corporation who is linking with the agent who interfaces with the artist who toots up with the liaison of the technology company……it’s madness!

So who’s missing here? How about the people who are actually forking out the $money$ to actually pay for this stuff. One person buys an entertainment product and a little while later discovers that they can’t do the simple and obvious things that they had come to expect that they could do with it; like backing it up or moving it to another medium like the car stereo. Suddenly the perceived value of this entertainment item drops to half or less of its previous value. So the consumer is only willing to pay $8 for the same CD that they were willing to previously buy at $16 when the CD or CD player has copy prevention technology built into it.

Now the entertainment corporation is raising the price to pay for the development of this new technology and also raising the price because the competition (from easy copies) is now restrained. So the perceived value (and price) will begin going down at the same time that the price for the entertainment product is shooting up. SO HOW EXACTLY is this supposed to be good for the entertainment company or the artist? It must be that they fundamentally assume that because they are so cool and beautiful that the vast dork masses will buy the product regardless of how much it costs, how difficult it is to use or how much restriction is enforced upon the product. This is precisely what happens when entertainment people start talking business with computer people. The greed goes recursive and you end up with the worst mentalities of both industries in one package.

In the long run (10 years plus or minus) this mentality will only act to reduce the importance and viability of the entertainment corporations, which is exactly what they’re afraid of. [Think DMCA = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMCA ]. Their board[s] of directors will look to spin off the entertainment divisions in the way that everyone is now trying to dump their record companies. Maybe DRM is nothing more than a long term plan on the part of the technology companies to seriously depress the value of the entertainment companies so that ten years from now (when all the ultra-fast download-entertainment-directly-to-the-home technology is in place) they will be able to buy the entertainment companies for a tiny fraction of what they are worth now. Or maybe it’s just the fantasy of immature greed-headed yuppies with too much access to other people’s money.

This is pure Corporate Dictatorship[ness] rearing its ugly head……or better >>> its far reaching tentacles?

They begin with saying that you don’t own the any of the media files [DVDs/CDs/etc] even if you purchase the copy [Fair Use anyone?], but in time they’ll move on to say that they [the RIAA/MPAA/M$ dictators] also own all your files, so as to be sure that you aren’t pirating or in some way ruining their archaic business models.

Not for the life of me, can I comprehend how it can be legal for ‘them’ to say what I can or cannot do with my hardware. If I decide that it’s more efficient to have those ‘bits’ stored on one of the drives or in one of my servers, what’s wrong with that? Now they’re saying I can only copy a specific pattern of ‘bits’ a limited number of times? What happens when one of my important documents matches that ‘bit pattern’?

That’s the New Freedom (c) for Amerika, I guess. Get used to it. Flash drives that can’t copy, cameras everywhere (London/NYC/Washington DC), not been able to own your own house (eminent domain), being held without charges indefinitely (patriot act). It’s all part of the New Freedom (c). See how everything is turned upside down. It’s easy.

Wait a minute…….technically we’ve never owned our own property……THINK PROPERTY TAXES………

………….

What to do……What to do????

……..WE all get to vote with our cash. (Unlike with property taxes, cameras, the patriot act, etc, where we get no say).

I used to have a Sony handheld, and after I discovered that I had to use THEIR unbelievably crappy software to put music onto it and that it would only convert it into their whack ass format that couldn’t be transferred (all done to protect their music division), I scrapped that piece of shit.

I can guarantee you I won’t be suckered like that again……..as there’s a good reason Sony went from market leader in handheld music players to being so far back in the race that you can’t even see ‘em any more.

There will be plenty of savvy people who want into the OPEN market who don’t have an agenda (except making cash of course) and who will happily promote ‘copy anything you want’ right on their packaging.

Some other thoughts I am still mulling over:

a) Any device encumbered by DRM will fail if there are alternatives available on the market. If there are no alternatives the product might enjoy a limited success until the product becomes so successful that alternatives/clones/rip-offs become inevitable.

b) All forms of DRM can be corrupted/broken/negated, and most will be broken within a matter of days or even hours.

c) Most new technology will be used in ways the inventors never imagined. Trying to restrict this behavior with DRM will surely kill your product.

………..

Maybe we all should stop using the ‘backup argument’ altogether and instead understand that…….

Most people don’t make backups. It’s a fact of life and it’s well known. That means every time you break out the “backups argument” it will probably be automatically parsed into the piracy argument by practically everybody. From the point you mention backups on, you’ve lost all credibility with everyone except for the people who already agree with you.

When you’re talking about music, talk about using it in your car. Talk about mix CDs. Talk about the iPod… just don’t talk about backups!

When you’re talking about images or video, talk about watching them in the car. Talk about watching them on your computer. Talk about getting a print made at the local photo shop. Talk about sharing home video made on your camcorder with the family. Don’t use the word backups!


RIAA: So it makes us, I mean our artists, richer?

Microsoft: Sure.. why not?

RIAA: Let me get this straight. You line all these ones and zeros up and it makes music.

Microsoft: Yep, on a little disk……we like to call a MicroDisk TM.

RIAA: And this can be done for 100th of the price of pressing a vinyl record.
Microsoft: Sure can. And it’s easy too. The whole point of digital technology is that you can make zillions of 1s and 0s line up for no money what’s so ever. Anyone can do it!

RIAA: Anyone?

Microsoft: Err…. I mean anyone who can remember these magic words (which are a big secret) whilst waving this MicroWand TM can do it.

RIAA: Ah! There’s the catch!… How much is the wand?

http://cryptome.org/ms-drm-os.htm

http://www.epic.org/privacy/drm/default.html

http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/stream/output_protect.mspx

http://www.riaa.com/about/members/default.asp

http://www.mpaa.org/about/

thanks slashdotters!!!

28
Sep

Nuclear Weapons Are LOVE

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

OH!!!THE JOYS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
http://www.zvis.com/nuclear/nukimgs.shtml
Can you hear me now?

28
Sep

SpeakaLatin?

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

in hoc spatio arbor noster floruit, fecundus pomis Elysii ignoti, quo in loco ludent electi, ab Originis angelis circumdati

28
Sep

Technorati Profile

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

Technorati Profile

27
Sep

Copied From a Pervert’s Page

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

FOFL…..

——————-

Hey Miss Manners!!! LICK ME!!!
Okay, pervs and pervettes. It’s time for Chow Yun Smut to step up and testify on the importance of manners. I don’t care which fork you use at the dinner table, I don’t care if you hold the door open for the ladies, I don’t care about the ongoing debate on who pays for a date. This is all about giving head.

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a primer for technique. For that, I will humbly refer you to The Vice Guide To Sex, Drugs, & Rock And Roll where they handle the topic quite well. I am also not discussing BDSM, professionals, or anything other than the garden variety oral sex that goes on between two people, be they vanilla or Night Train & Crack Swirl. Manners, folks. Etiquette. Because I was recently confronted with a person who has apparently been allowed to be sexually active with more than one person, and yet nobody has taken the time to inform this person of some very basic rules of engagement. I will be covering both fellatio and cunnilingus, giving tips for both boys and girls. This here is an euqal opportunity journal. I invite questions, as well as anecdotes and tips of your own. Also? I’m basing this on heterosexual head-giving. Smart people say, “Write what you know”, and besides, you homos can damn well take care of yourselves. YOU’RE the ones with the special enzyme that means the more you give head, the better your cheekbones get. Get your own primer.

Now, with that out of the way,

FELLATIO

Ah, sucking dick. For the penis owner, it’s a wonderful thing. For the mouth owner, it can also be a wonderful thing. Getting off and hearing/making somebody get off are both awesome, and when it’s done conscientiously, it will be remembered and cherished for many many masturbatory sessions to come. Heh. Come. I just made a pun there.

There are quite a few women, however, that have gone on a bit of a strike against the kind of gleeful and free head-giving days of yore. Often, I am confronted with angry males regarding this, and I always wind up giving the same advice. Here, you get it for free, and it’s all anonymous and stuff. Put it into practice, and you’ll be GOLDEN.

Boys:

1) Landscape, please. You see, while there are loads of women who depilate their crotchal regions by razor, epilady (*shudder*), hot wax, and Nair, not so many guys do the same thing unless their genitals are on display for the whole wide world to see. This must be stopped. I’m not saying that it should ALL go away, and I understand that shaving one’s scrotum is an endeavour NOT to be taken lightly, but a little pruning of the hedges is a really good idea. You see, hair comes out of its follicles at some very inopportune times. Having one of those mile-long pubes stuck to the roof of the mouth waaay in the back of the throat can cause a bit of consternation and there’s no beverage in the world that can dislodge that little fucker. Since the lovely noise of “HAAAAUUUUULK!!!! CHHHHHHHHHHHUUUULLLLLLAAAAAK!” tends to be less than sexy (and sometimes shatters the mood), do your part to prevent this type of hairball-horking. You’ll find that if you prune the hedges a tad, your Area will get much more attention.

2) Unless requested, do NOT put your hands on the back of your partner’s head and push. Ditto that for entwining the fingers in the hair and doing same. We like it when you touch us, and usually our heads are the only thing within reach. Touch our face, grab our hair, whatever you like. The second that you push our heads onto your cock, however, some of us may have flashbacks to Unpleasant Experiences, and it may even be bad enough to cause us to put a stop to that fabulous suckjob you were just enjoying. Granted, if she says she wants you to throatfuck her, you go right ahead. But again, this is a *specific request*. If it is not made, just play nice and enjoy the ride.

3) A little warning, please! When you are going to shoot your load, it is The Law Of The Land that you inform us. If you do not, you risk being fired, being snowballed, or having other unspeakable things done to you. (Also, it is especially important that you do NOT shove the back of our head when you make this announcement. REALLY fucking important. Got it, Chief?) Talk to god or the FSM, say your partner’s name in that sexy “oh-holy-shit” voice, but Let. Us. Know. It gives us time to decide if we’re going to want it in our mouth, on our tits, in our hair, or shooting across the room to see if you can hit the wall this time. And it’s polite.

4) It’s NOT a Fine White Wine. A lot of boys talk to me about the fact that nobody ever wants to let the ejaculate in their mouth. “Why not???”, they whinge. I’ll tell you. The diet of the average penis-owner is fucking wretched, especially should you happen to be American as well. High sodium, loads of red meat and coffee, and just not nearly enough potassium. Your partner won’t let you come in their mouth? Do yourself a favour, killer. Next time you’re throwing the Spam Javelin and you get some shpoo on your hand, have a nice lick. (This only makes you gay if you lick somebody *else’s* blooge, not your own. You’re performing a scientific experiment. If it makes you feel better, say out loud in your best Dexter voice, “It’s a BEEYOOTEEful day for science!”) As a matter of fact, I double DOG dare you to do it. Now, would you want to give a mouthful of THAT to somebody who’s being nice enough to you that they’re going to suck your dick? Really. So…cut down on the salt intake, go for the chicken for a while, and no coffee. Have some nice pineapple juice, a ham steak, bananas. Potassium is the friend of the semen. If you’re lacking, so will your taste be. Instead of the usual Bleach & Oyster Stew, serve up something a little less vile. Your partner will thank you for it.

5) No matter where you came, kiss us afterwards. Unless your partner says, “omg no way lemme rinse first where’s the goddamn Listerine???” and starts singing Tarzan Boy as they run to the bathroom, you should be polite enough to give us a hearty Thank You kiss for a job well done. I mean, after YOU get done with US, the first thing you do is come up to the surface and shove your tongue down our throat. Let us do the same to you. Fair’s fair.

Girls:

1) How many times do we have to tell you NO FUCKING TEETH ALREADY!!!??? I don’t even think I should have to elaborate, but I keep hearing about egregious ignorance of this rule. You don’t want somebody to chew on YOUR special bits, do you??? Stop it. It’s not nice. You learned in preschool that biting is bad. Now that you’re an adult, you should know that not ALL biting is bad, but that biting peepees is still totally against the rules. You don’t wish to get a reputation as The Shredder, do you? Then sheathe those fucking things already. Jebus!

2) Testicles. They want your attention. It’s RUDE that you don’t give it to them. There they are, innocently hangin’ there, conveniently placed, and you ignore them??? Now come on. They won’t hurt you! They’re hearing all sorts of good things about you from their friend the penis. Why are you going to leave them out of your reindeer games??? Give them a little fondle with your hand (y’know, the one that’s NOT wrapped around the penis or gripping your partner’s incredibly fabulous ass), show them around the inside of your mouth, batter them a little bit with your tongue! See? It’s fun! And oh, the noises you’ll get out of your partner! Woohoo!

3) Know your limits. If you can’t deep throat and you KNOW this, then don’t even try to show off. Especially not in a first encounter. It will go very badly. If it’s a skill that you wish to learn, and you have a willing study partner, then by all means coat the bed in plastic and go to town! However, it’s only polite to NOT attempt those tricks at home that you’ve seen performed by hardly trained professionals. Gagging is only hot when both people are going for that, and not too many folks are into being puked on. Remember, I’m not talking about pros, here. I’m talking about civillians, people who DON’T give blowjobs for a living. Don’t choke on the cock. Stomach acid can sting, and vomiting on an unsuspecting partner is definitely giving more than anyone bargained for.

4) Oh, stop making that face. If you don’t want to be giving head in the first place, then you should say so and find another way to get him off. If you encouraged him to come in your mouth, then you are only allowed a slight grimace at the taste as you swallow (and point your face down, please, so he doesn’t get a complex about it). After that, of course, you may begin singing Tarzan Boy and run for the Listerine, but until that point, play nice. You wouldn’t want him to make a face like that after he’d just eaten YOU, would you? You’d probably go right home and cry, wouldn’t you?

5) It’s not indestructible. It’s a penis. A part of the anatomy. Sometimes it’ll have some foreskin, in which case, you need to be REALLY GODDAMN CAREFUL because the head is going to be about a million times more sensitive than the crew-neck brigade, because it’s not been rubbed by boxer shorts, jeans, and every other damn thing under the sun. Feel how soft the skin is? It wants to be treated somewhat gently. There’s all that blood in there making it swollen, and the nerve endings are on Orange Alert. If he wants something a bit rougher, he’ll let you know. Also, you can gradually get more enthusiastic with your ministrations as the BJ goes on, but you should be listening carefully for ANY clue that what you’re doing might be painful. If you’re not sure what else to do, hum or moan with his cock inside your mouth. It’s sometimes called “a hummer” for a reason, and the vibrations are soothing in a lovely sort of way.

BOTH OF YOU: Communication is key. Talk. Tell your partner what you want, or how much you really like what they’re doing, or something else you’d love for them to do if you need to distract them from an action that isn’t working for you. Look each other in the eye (well, as much as you can from that angle without giving yourself an eyeball cramp). It’s hot. Totally.

CUNNILINGUS

Oh man. The Box Lunch. Assuming The Queen’s Position. Eating At The Y. Most women love it, others aren’t so sure. No matter what, it’s a really nice, intimate way to say Hello! as well as gauge the reaction and increase the local temperature.

Girls:

1) *singin’* Some girrrls, some girls they never…WASH OUT that thing, that thing, that thiiiing */singin’* Seriously. You are the owner/operator of a vagina. You are responsible for keeping it well clean, especially if it’s going to be making an appearance at a very exclusive party. FDS is not acceptable, because it simply masks whatever mankiness you couldn’t be bothered to shower off. I’m not saying that you need to take a bottle brush to the thing, but keep it clean enough that your patrner isn’t wondering if perhaps instead of taking you home he should’ve taken you to a good doctor.

2) Landscape, please. Now, I’ve heard that there is a bit of a cry for the return of pubic hair on women. That guys don’t like their partner’s crotches to look like that of a 10 year-old. I can understand that. I personally choose to get rid of the hair because I don’t like it. However, should you want a manicured lawn, a racing stripe, a Clitler, or a full coverage patch, don’t let it get all gross and long. There are certain guys who dig hairy girls, but if that’s the case, he’ll let you know. If you can braid it, or it gets a bit Rastafarian looking, it’s too long. Trim that shit down. You don’t wanna hack up something on his balls, and it’s only polite that you not cause him to go through the trauma of choking on your jungle either. “Do unto others” and all that.

3) Make some noooooise! Guys tend to feel a bit detached down there, and can’t always gauge whether or not they’re doing Something Right. Talk to them. Pet their heads. Pull their hair a little. Moaning and groaning is fine if you can’t form actual words, but if you CAN form words, tell him how much you like what’s going on, or give some suggestions for something he might want to do next. He’ll thank ya for it.

4) Lay off the beans for 48 hours beforehand. Farting in his face may occasionally happen, but shamelessly firing off tear gas when he’s being so nice to you is really incredibly rude. However, should one manage to slip out, say “oh god excuse me” or whatever, and then GET OVER IT. If you dwell on it, so will he, and is THAT how you wanna remember or BE remembered?

5) Give him a great big Thank You kiss when he’s done. Tongue and all. He’s performed a service. Show him how much you appreciate his efforts.

Boys:

1) Teeth. NO! Unless we specifically ask for it, don’t you DARE put your teeth on our bits. Remember how we didn’t gnaw your sac to shreds? Kindly do us the same favour.

2) Make a little noise of your own. Women can get pretty freaked out by their own vaginas, and some of them are REALLY insecure about having anyone’s face be that close. Let us know that you’re enjoying what you’re doing. Hum. Make little noises. (Zerberting, however, is only for the Advanced class.) Talk to us. Maybe even hold our hands or something. It’s pretty hot, and we’ll feel a whole lot better about having our crotch in your face.

3) Introduce fingers ONLY if those fingers have trimmed, clean nails on them. The vagina is a delicate balance of chemicals, and if your mitts are filthy and your nails are ragged, you’re just attempting to give us some kind of infection and we really don’t appreciate that at all. Keep ‘em clean, and introduce fingers carefully. Some women get off on them, others don’t, and for some, it all depends on the time of day, phase of the moon, and what colour bra they put on that morning. As always, listen for reactions and cues. Just in case, take ‘em out after you’ve put ‘em in there. She’ll likely let you know if she wants them back. If you’re looking for something to stimulate us along with your tongue, have you ever considered the point of your chin? Yeah it might make you look *totally* like a glazed donut when you’re done, but if you get creative, you’ll reap some mighty fine rewards. And speaking of cleanliness, would you mind shaving your face? Stubble fucking HURTS.

4) Don’t freak out if we happen to be one of those Female Ejaculation types. No, we didn’t just piss the bed. We just came. Which is awesome. However, right after we do it, the realization that we’re a FREAK OF NATURE will hit us, and we’ll be totally wigged out wondering if you now hate us and want us to leave directly after washing your sheets. Settle down. It dries quickly, has virtually no smell, and it means that you totally pwn3d that pussy.

5) When we give you The Hand (or sometimes in my case, The Heel), STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND RETURN TO BASE. Vaginas are strange creatures, and they can get really really sensitive to the point of pain. If you keep stimulating us and we jump high enough to land on the ceiling, it’s time to stop. Really. Don’t touch the area. Maybe the thigh, maybe the tummy, maybe the arm. Some girls don’t want to be touched AT ALL after they’ve gotten off, until the nerve endings chill the fuck out. In any case, the crotch is OFF LIMITS. I will seriously snap your neck with my heel if you don’t clue in to the fact that I’m scooting my ass up the matress to GET AWAY FROM YOUR GAPING MAW. Come up here and snuggle with me instead. Gimme a kiss. Make sure you have a condom at the ready. Because we’re prolly gonna Do It really soon.

And there you have it. Any questions, class?

—————————–

27
Sep

Sound Advice

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.”

22
Sep

Annual Credit Reports

   Posted by: AUDIOMIND   in Random

Not sure who may be aware of this or not, but this service [below] is something that I’ve been screaming the public has deserved for many years, especially since the beginning of the digital age.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm

You see, the three HUGE credit reporting agencies…..Experian, Equifax & TransUnion [< << the last one featured in the movie Fight Club.....or should i say demolished.......fofl] buy and sell your personal information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. [along w/ CHOICEPOINT = http://www.choicepoint.com/site.html , which deals more along the lines of collecting and selling ALL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION....jobs you've worked, health care, personal habits, arrests, criminal records, credit info, rental history, addresses, schools attended, background, etc...etc...., not just the financial side of your history]

Congress, in their infinite wisdom [dur-hur], finally decided that instead of these jack-asses charging everyone for their OWN INFORMATION [$8.50 a pop], that we, the consumer, could finally receive a free ‘credit report’ from each of the 3 agencies at LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
[Sometimes different info appears on different reports.]

Basically, up to now, I’ve used [more like abused the hell out of] their phone system by consistently claiming that I may have received a ‘negative rating’ on some recent request/application, which automatically awarded me [or anyone for that matter] the opportunity to receive a free credit report. [There is nothing inherently illegal about this, but it is a nice 'slap in the face' to those EVOL data peddlers.] Whenever I’ve received any of these reports, I have just repeatedly disputed anything negative for as long as possible, as many times as possible, until the negative item was removed. You see, if any of the credit agencies do not receive a WRITTEN RESPONSE from a creditor/bank/collector you have a delinquent account with, within 30 days, they automatically remove that item……and it NEVER RETURNS, regardless if they receive a response AFTER THE 30 DAYS. [!hooray for loopholes!]

Negative items [judgments/collections/past due bills] on your report stick for 7 YEARS, while bankruptcies [and the like] stick for 10 YEARS. Furthermore, every little negative item hurts you whether you’ve paid it off or not, for it doesn’t remove the negative entry…..only the amount you still owe. [which makes it practically meaningless to payoff something that has already been reported to a collection agency/bureau!]

Check it:


AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AnnualCreditReport.com processes requests for free credit file disclosures (commonly called credit reports). Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) consumers can request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to do so.

The three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies have always encouraged consumers to regularly review their credit reports. AnnualCreditReport.com offers consumers a fast and convenient way to request, view and print their credit reports in a secure Internet environment. We also provide options to request reports by telephone and by mail.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only service authorized by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for this purpose. Please note that, as a security precaution, consumers should never provide their personal information to any other company or person in connection with requesting free annual credit reports under the FACT Act. AnnualCreditReport.com will not approach consumers via email, telemarketing or direct mail solicitations.

Equifax

Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) is a global leader in turning information into intelligence. For businesses, Equifax provides faster and easier ways to find, approve and market to the right customers. For consumers, Equifax offers easier instantaneous ways to buy products or services, and better insight into and management of their personal credit. Headquartered in Atlanta, Equifax reported annual revenue of over $1.2 billion in 2003, and employs over 4,500 employees in 12 countries in North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax. Information That Empowers.

For more information, please visit http://www.equifax.com.

Experian

Experian is a global leader in providing information solutions to organizations and consumers. It helps organizations find, develop and manage profitable customer relationships by providing information, decision-making solutions and processing services. It empowers consumers to understand, manage and protect their personal information and assets. Experian works with more than 50,000 clients across diverse industries, including financial services, telecommunications, health care, insurance, retail and catalog, automotive, manufacturing, leisure, utilities, e-commerce, property and government. Experian is a subsidiary of GUS plc and has headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and Costa Mesa, California. Its 12,000 people in 26 countries support clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales exceed $2.5 billion.

For more information, please visit http://www.experian.com.

TransUnion

TransUnion is a leading global information solutions company that customers trust as a business intelligence partner and commerce facilitator. TransUnion offers a broad range of financial products and services that enable customers to manage risk and capitalize on market opportunities. The company uses leading-edge technology coupled with extensive analytical capabilities to combat fraud and facilitate credit transactions between businesses and consumers across multiple markets. Founded in 1968, Chicago-based TransUnion employs 4,100 associates that support clients in 29 countries.

For more information, please visit http://www.transunion.com.



Currently, if you reside within any of the southeastern states, you can request a free credit report from all three agencies. It only takes a few moments, so I suggest you take advantage of this free service each and every year. [Beware, as their website applets do not seem to like WINDOWS 98!]

You can begin your FREE journey here:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

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