Favorite Live Shows

U2 Zoo TV Tour. 2 shows, arena tour with Pixies opening (loud!), Outside tour with Sugarcubes and Public Enemy opening.

Depeche 101 Pasadena Rosebowl, World Violation Tour (2 shows), Devotional Tour (4 shows). Also saw first leg of Music For Masses tour, Singles Tour and Ultra tour.

Duran Duran Strange Behaviour, 87. First concert, Erasure opened the show. Saw them in 89, Big Thing tour, and 2008, Red Carpet Massacre tour.

Midnight Oil SDSU, didn't know much about them, liked "Beds Are Burning." They were awesome live. saw them again years later at 4th and B San Diego, still great.

James Brown, Camp Pendleton, mid 90s. AMAZING show, shooks his hand after!

Ramones, saw them twice, Lollapalooza and opening for Pearl Jam as a surprise guest.

AC/DC - Play what the people want to hear, the hits!

Iron Maiden/DIo/Moterhead. Great bill, great show, all access passes, got to wacth Maiden from behind the soundboard.

Morrissey - Saw his first solo US show, SD Sports Arena. Crowd was so crazy they had to sto the show and turn the lights on. Loved the rockabilly backing band. Seen him 2 other times.

Rocket From the Crypt and Lucy's Fur Coat - My two favorite San Diego bands. Always put on great shows, brings me back to a fun time going to a lot of local shows.

The Cult, always kick out the jams. Seen them at SDSU twice, Casbah reunion show, Coors Ampitheatre.

Iggy Pop, amazing show from a guy who is 50 and ROCKs! The guy is insane, explosive.

The Cramps - Seen the Cramps several times, some good, some bad. Best shows were HOB Sunset Strip, Hootenanny and at on Flamejob tour.

Oingo Boingo - Many shows at SDSU. Still miss the Halloween shows, got to see their last show at Universal Amp. Played more than 3 hours! They were still playing as Universal crew started to break down the stage!

Nine Inch Nails, saw them in Tijuana after first album came out in a small legendary club called Iguana's. LOUDEST show ever. Amazing. Universal Amp with Jim Rose Circus and Marilyn Manson for Downward Spiral tour, amazing! Also saw them on Fragile tour.

INXS on the Kick tour, really impressive.

Tom Petty - Ex GF got cheap tix, I didn't want to go but was really surprised.

Steel Dan - Another show with an ex I didn't want to go to, but they were really good. SUPER TIGHT band.

Metallica at Hootenanny were much better than I expected.

Violent Femmes - Saw several INSANE VF shows in the early 90s.

Social D- I've prob seen them 20 something times. Good and bad shows. Favs include shows at Casbah, Vegas, SOMA and Mike Ness first solo shows.

Rev Heat - Also prob seen them nearly 20 times. Good memories of upfront Belly Up shows. The same shtick got boring after a while though.

Supersuckers - Another bunch of great Belly Up shows, also somewhere near 20 times on them. At their peak during the Sacrilicious shows.

Eric Clapton - Played Dodger Stadium and managed to make it fell like he wasn't playing Dodger Stadium. Giant video screens help.

Bowie - Sound and Vision tour. Not the best venue, Dodger Stadium, not the best show, but great visuals and stage show, and awesome to see Bowie.

Biggest show regrets - Not seeing Johhny Cash one of the two times I had the chance, not seeing Nirvana one of the two times I had the chance, never seeing Duran Duran with the full original line-up, early years or 00 reunion years, not seeing Joe Strummer play the Hootenanny the year or two before he died, not talking to Johnny Ramone as we literally bumped into each other coming out of the bathroom at HOB Sunset Strip.

DNA Basics For Pathway

THE BASICS

WHAT IS DNA?

Have you ever wondered why your eyes and hair are a certain color, why a friend is exceptionally tall or short, why someone has a certain health issue or disease, or maybe even why people from certain parts of the world share some of the same traits?

The answers lie in DNA…[Graphic of a crowd of people on a street, could zoom in to different looking people, then fade out to the letters DNA, or simply an animated gif that fades from a crowd picture to the letters DNA]

DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule containing the biological and hereditary information that makes each of us similar and unique at the same time. DNA determines brown hair, blue eyes, short, tall, as well as other inheritable traits, diseases, or likelihood for diseases. DNA is passed from parents to children, regardless of species, and is almost like a recipe for creating cells. [Show crowd picture, highlight people, hair, faces, short, tall, random people]

We all know that the basic building blocks of every living thing are cells. DNA is contained in the nucleus (nuclear DNA) and mitochondria (mitochondrial DNA) of cells. DNA molecules are tightly contained in packages called chromosomes. Your body’s complete set of DNA, also known as a genome, is divided into 23 chromosomes. [Show cell, highlight nucleus and mitochondria. Then show DNA moving within cell.]

We inherit half of our nuclear DNA from our father, and half from our mother. All mitochondrial DNA comes from our mother. Most genetic code is similar from person to person, but every one of us carries unique differences in our DNA instructions or sequencing. [Show mother and father animated characters, split out to show DNA coming from each, going to children]

What is DNA made of?

The building blocks that make up DNA are nucleotides. Nucleotides link into chains to form stands of DNA. [Animation of nucleotides coming together to form a spinning DNA strand] Nucleotides in turn are comprised of phosphate groups, sugar groups, and one of four different types of nitrogen bases.

The nitrogen bases found in nucleotides are: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). The order of these bases (A, C, G, T) [Show letters ACGT moving, coming together, changing order, etc] determines precisely which biological instructions are contained in a strand of DNA. Single letter differences in genetic codes make us different from other people, and even more likely to develop health conditions that others with different sequences may not develop.

DNA sequences of instructions are referred to as genes, the units of heredity. Genes contain instructions on how to make proteins. Proteins are complex molecules made up of amino acids. Cells structures are made up largely of proteins, and these proteins do most of the work in our cells, and our bodies as a whole. [Block diagram, showing DNA sequence break down to proteins, and amino acids]

The human genome, the entire amount of DNA sequences in a human contains about 20,000 plus genes on 23 pairs of chromosomes. [Show DNA helix with “20,000 plus genes on 23 pairs of chromosomes” text overlay]

What are Genetic Markers?

Genetic code differs from one person to another. These differences can include one different letters sequences, like a G instead of an A, or a T for a C. [Show letters ACGT moving, coming together, changing order, etc] Sequences can also an extra letter like two T's instead of one G, referred to as an insertion. Sequences can also have one letter fewer, known as a deletion.

Genetic code differences can be used as flags or markers for DNA that could affect your health. They are called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (often pronounced "snips"). [ Show TTACGT with the TT highlighted]

Over the years of DNA research, science has identified many important genetic code sequences. Looking at a person’s genetic code, we can see whether you have the genetic sequences associated with an increased risk of a disease or condition. [Generic graphics of workers in a lab]

DNA sequencing reads the letters in your genome in the order that they appear. [Graphics of workers in Pathway lab] Taking this concept a step further, Genotyping is a means of using scientific methods to determine the genotype of an individual. We look for letter patterns that can be traced to traits.

GENETICS

Genetics is the study of how humans and animals inherit traits and features ancestors, passed down from generation to generation. [Graphic of parents and children, or grandparents and children]

The features geneticists work to identify and classify are known as traits. Your most obvious traits are physical traits like your hair color, skin color, eye color, or height and weight. Other traits can include resistance to or likelihood of disease, or behavioral traits. Traits can be inherited, or influenced by environment or lifestyle. For example, a tall mother and tall father are likely to have a tall child. A person that smokes is more likely to get lung cancer than someone who does not smoke. [Block diagram “Behavior” vs “Environment”]

Parents’ genes are divided to their offspring in pairs. Humans have two copies of each gene. When a sperm fertilizes an egg, the resulting child will have a new set of genes, contributed from each parent. Types of genes are called alleles. There are two types of alleles, dominant and recessive. Dominant alleles override weaker recessive alleles.

Genes are divided from parents to their offspring, and inherited as units. Humans have two copies of each of their genes. When an egg and a sperm join together, the union gives the child its genes, a whole new set of unique genes, from each of the parents’ genes.

WHAT ARE CHROMOSOMES

Chromosomes are organized DNA structures found in our cells, and vary widely from organism to organism. Chromosomes within cell structures vary as well. Some cells have larger linear chromosomes. These are eukarytotic cells, basically cells with a nucleus. Prokaryotic cells do not have defined nuclei and have smaller circular chromosomes. Cells can also contain more than one type of chromosome. For example, mitichondria within plants can have their own tiny chromosomes in addition to other cellular chromosomes.

Cellular division allows chromosomes to replicate, divide, and pass to daughter cells. Chromosomes can be duplicated or unduplicated. Unduplicated chromosomes have single linear strands, while duplicated chromosomes contain two copies joined together. [Illustration of cells dividing]
Your body’s complete set of DNA, also known as a genome, is divided into 23 chromosomes. The human genome, the entire amount of DNA sequences in a human, contains about 20,000 plus genes on 23 pairs of chromosomes.

WHAT ARE GENES

Genes are the basic units of heredity, and contain instructions on how to make proteins, the building blocks of cells. The human body is made up of many varieties of cells, and nearly 50 trillion cells in all. Most cells have a nucleus, which contains 99.9% of genes.

Your genes have been passed down generation-to-generation, parent-to-parent. Genes tell cells how to work, and what genetic traits to display. A gene is a portion of DNA containing "coding" sequences that determine what the gene does, and "non-coding" sequences that determine when the gene is active, also referred to as “expressed.” An active gene copies coding and non-coding sequences during a process called transcription, producing an RNA copy of the gene's information.

FROM GENES TO PROTEINS

Genes contain the information to make proteins, the essential element to cell creation. The creation of protein takes place within the cell itself. The two major components of protein creation are transcription and translation.

During transcription, gene DNA is transferred to a molecule in the nucleus of the cell called RNA, or ribonucleic acid. The RNA that contains the information for making a protein is called messenger RNA (mRNA) because it carries the information from the DNA out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm area of the cell.

Once the mRNA is in the cytoplasm, translation occurs. The mRNA interacts with a complex called a ribosome, which translates the sequence of mRNA bases. A second type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) assembles the protein, which is made up of amino acids. Protein creation continues until the tRNA encounters a stop message. [Graphic or animation showing mRNA moving into cytoplasm, meeting up with tRNA]

MAKING SENSE OF SNPs

Genetic code differences can be used as flags or markers for DNA that could affect your health. These are called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs.

When cells duplicate, sometimes mistakes are made. These mistakes show as variations in DNA sequencing, or SNPs. SNPs vary the protein instructions of cells, and cause variations which can influence genetic traits related to everything from appearance to drug response, to disease propensity. [Show DNA strand or letter sequence with SNP highlighted]

Since you get your DNA from your parents, you also get their SNPs. Analyzing the number of SNPs where you match another person can indicate how closely related you are to that person. You will match many SNPs with parents and other close relatives.

Identifying and tracking genetic variations aids the development of more effective medicines and medical treatments. Scientists use two approaches in identifying SNPs: genomic and functional approaches.

Genomic approaches strive to catalog every SNP in the human genome. Using powerful computers, the genomes of hundreds of individuals are compared to identify differences. Results are cataloged and added to databases that are widely available on the Internet for research purposes. [Show graphic of scientist researching]

The functional approach is geared towards particular diseases and drug responses. The genes of people with certain diseases are compared to the genes of people without the diseases. By comparing these DNA sequences, scientists hope to isolate the SNPs corresponding with those diseases.

There are two categories of SNPs: linked and causative.

Linked SNPs are not housed within genes and have no affect on protein function. They correspond to drug responses or to risks for certain diseases.

Causative SNPs do affect protein function, and correlate with a disease a person's response to medication. There are two types Causative SNPs. Coding SNPs within the coding region of a gene change amino acid sequences of gene protein. Non-coding SNPs housed with a gene's regulatory sequences change gene expression and how much RNA and protein is produced.

GENOTYPING VS. SEQUENCING

DNA sequencing reads the string of nucleotide bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, or the A's, T's, G's and C's in your genome in the order that they appear. Determining the sequence of bases tells us the kind of genetic information that is carried in a particular segment of DNA. DNA sequencing advances since the 1970's have given science a blueprint of how humans are constructed. [Show A's, T's, G's and C's, or animate]

The genetic sequence of DNA contains the A's, T's, G's and C's. Most of the sequence is the same from individual to individual, but there are instances where single letters in the sequence differ in individuals. These singles letter differences are known as SNPs, or single nucleotide polymorphisms.

SNPs form the basis for genotyping. Genotyping is a means of using scientific methods to determine the genotype of an individual. We look for letter patterns that can be traced to traits.

GENETICS AND YOU  

We use genetic code differences as markers for DNA that could affect your health. Identifying and tracking genetic variations (SNPs) aids the development of more effective medicines and medical treatments. [Show Pathway research imagery]

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to determine risk for disease. If a disease runs in your family, you are more likely to have the disease than someone who does not have that same history of disease in their family. The likelihood of disease does not mean you will get the disease, it just means you are at risk for the disease. You can learn how to protect yourself.

Illnesses or diseases caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes are referred to as genetic disorders. Genetic disorders can be dominant, recessive, or complex. [Show Pathway research imagery]

A recessive genetic disorder appears only in patients who have received two copies of a mutant gene, one from each parent.

A dominant genetic disorder almost always results in a specific physical characteristic, for example, a disease, even though the patient's genome possesses only one copy.

Complex genetic disorders involve more than one gene, and the genes interact with each other and/or with one or more aspects of the outside world - for example a virus or some component of diet - to produce disease.

FRED COUPLES

From Ashworth Collections 2002 Catalog

By Doug Smith

There is a quality about Fred Couples that is difficult to define:  a quiet confidence and charisma, contrasted by modest perplexity with the reverence his fans have for him.  Couples is truly surprised and amazed at this popularity.

Fred consistently ranks in the top 5 of popularity polls, with the likes of Nicklaus and Palmer, and he often beats out a modestly popular golfer named Woods.  He has topped prominent polls as the one pro who weekend golfers would like to play a round of golf with.  Other players try to play like Couples and dress like Couples, on and off the course.

Affectionately referred to by fans as “Freddie” or “Boom Boom” (for his famous explosive swing), he has also been called “Mr. Cool.”  His smooth powerful swing, charisma, and down to earth attitude are the keys to his endearment with his fans.

Although he has numerous endorsements including Cadillac, Southern Company, and Maxfli, the one company most of Freddie’s fans identify him with is Ashworth.  The Couples/Ashworth partnership is a two way street.  Jim Nantz says, “People look at Ashworth, and they think of one person:  Fred Couples.”

“I’m an Ashworth guy.  Always have been,” says Couples.  “They have the best clothing.” Fred Couples and Jim Nantz don’t wear Ashworth because they have to; they wear it because they want to, and they are always looking for opportunities to spread the word on one of the most popular brands in golf.  Nantz points out, “It’s not just a golfwear line.  It’s a lifestyle decision.”

Couples cites the Ashworth trademark Golfman logo as a crucial tenet of the brand’s mystique.  “It’s the greatest golf logo there is by far.”

Fred started golfing at the age of 10.  “I was a hacker, but I picked up the game pretty quickly.”  Introduced to the game by his father, who worked for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, he cut his teeth on public courses, playing with older golfers.  There is little doubt that this exposure helped instill a professionalism and respect for the etiquette inherent to golf.  Stories abound of the 14 year old Couples being a sure bet on the course.  Other golfers encouraged newcomers to play the teenage prodigy and place bets.  Freddie was always a sure bet to win, probably earning a little money on the side himself.

At the University of Houston, Fred was a member of the golf team, along with roommates Nantz and McCallister.  Nantz, remembering the first time he witnessed Fred’s swing in college, said, “I thought he was swinging in slow motion, and the ball flew off his club face like it had been shot out of a cannon!”

Before leaving Houston, Couples earned All American honors in 1978 and 1979.  He quickly went through Q school in 1980, turning pro later that same year.  In 1981, Couples joined the PGA Tour, his first victory occurring at the Kemper Open in 1983.

Fred soldiered on to take 14 PGA victories, topped off with a Masters win in '92, which he

came close to repeating in '95 and '98. He was also a member of the '89, '91, 93, and '95 Ryder Cup teams. In 2001 Fred ranked 131st on the official money list, and he played in 19 events with four, top 25 finishes.

Jim Nantz continues to figure in Couples’ career in both an official and unofficial capacity. At a tournament where Fred was in contention, Nantz decided to play a little joke. Nantz was covering the event for CBS, and got his crew as well as Fred's caddie Joey Lacava in on the scam. A “club mix-up” occurred, thanks to Nantz. Fred went to warm up, and pulled his driver out, except it wasn't his driver. When Fred's club couldn’t be found, Nantz’s presence was requested as the prime suspect. He coyly returned Fred’s driver, innocently taunting, “is this your club?”

Fred continues to play, but seems to be ready to slow down. He’s added course design to his resume, and has become a family man in a big way. Consensus is that his wife of two years, Thais, has helped to ground Fred. He relishes the role of father figure to Thais’ children Oliver and GiGi. He is quick to talk family in interviews, and he speaks proudly of the children’s schoolwork and interests.

Thais is a former model and accomplished equestrian who is the foundation of Fred’s

support system. In 2000, the couple began to model together for Ashworth. “I know Fred and I have something very special and I believe something like this comes around once in a

lifetime, finding that someone who allows you to be totally who you are,” says Thais.

Fred is often reluctant to discuss his popularity. Despite this, stories abound of him going out of his way to spend time with fans, meeting, greeting, talking, and signing.

It is this modesty, paired with the intense admiration of his fans that makes Fred Couples an extraordinary golf legend in his own time.

Callaway Personalities

From Callaway Golf Apparel Sport and Collections 2002 Catalogs

By: Doug Smith

MIKE YAGLEY
Straight Shooter

Mike Yagley has always been interested in things that fly, from missiles to airplanes to golf balls. Flying is all about aerodynamics, and the indisputable key to golf ball design. Mike is the Vice President of Product Management for Callaway golf balls and as Mike puts it, "We have golf balls for every player in the game."

Mike's career has been all about making objects fly and move more efficiently. He worked on the Patriot warhead, the High Speed Civil Transport, planned flight routes for Boeing, and has been involved in design, development and testing of golf balls at Callaway since April of 1997. He has overseen development of Callaway's CTU 30, CB1, Rule 35, and HX balls.

Tasked by Ely Callaway to make it fun for everyone to play golf, Mike makes no distinction between pros or amateurs. He helps make golf balls that fly far, fly straight, and spin, for everyone.

RICHARD HELMSTETTER

Innovator

Richard Helmstetter doesn't use a briefcase; he prefers his "Where the Wild Things Are" bag. He is the Senior Executive Vice President, Chief of New Products at Callaway Golf. Rules and precedents have never stood in the way of his ability to conquer the “impossible,” and he is constantly striving to improve on his own best innovations. He has mastered excellence in the worlds of billiards and golf, and is an avid wine collector. Not concerned about his future or becoming bored, he knows that there will be many "nexts" for him in the years to come.

Helmstetter pool cues are considered among the best in the business. In college, he played pool in the student union, and decided he wanted his own cue. Instead of waiting to have a custom cue created, he decided to make his own and enrolled in a vocational woodworking class. After three tries, he made a pool cue he was happy with and soon after was awarded the first grant in history to study the pool cue.

In the late 1960's Helmstetter and his wife moved to Japan, where he continued to fine-tune his pool cues, as the sole owner and CEO of Adam, Ltd. While in Japan, he started making driver heads and graphite shafts, and became a consultant for Bridgestone.

In February 1985, he met Ely Callaway on a golf course in Palm Springs. Ely was developing Hickory Sticks and was constantly looking for ways to improve his clubs. Who better to bring aboard than Helmstetter. In 1986, Richard and his family moved to California, and he began designing Callaway golf clubs. Helmstetter most notably designed the Big Bertha, changing golf, and making the golf world more accessible to everyone. Helmstetter explains, "Big Bertha turned the driver from being the most feared club in your bag to being the most loved."

Richard Helmstetter sees no obstacles in life. He finds a way to work around them. He has known many pool hustlers, including the biggest of them all, Minnesota Fats. "A good hustler never loses, ever. He just makes it look like an accident [that he won]," Richard explains. He may be no hustler, but Helmstetter has never lost, ever.

JEFF COLTON

Father Figure

Jeff Colton's co-workers know he is a family man. Ask about his interests outside of work, they'll smile, nod knowingly and say "family." He is also quite accomplished in his field, with a degree in applied physics from Harvey Mudd. Jeff started at Callaway running the newly opened Richard C. Helmstetter Test center, and currently is the Program Director for Woods Research and Development.

Jeff started golfing in high school, using his father's country club membership. He would go to the driving range to hit balls, and eventually fell in love with the game. In high school, his handicap was 12-14, and dropped into the single digits in college. When he came to Callaway, his handicap was one or two, and he's now a scratch golfer. "It's definitely the clubs, not me," he jokes.

The family atmosphere of Callaway appeals to Jeff. It was there that he met his wife of four years, Debbi. He saw her one day, gave her a phone call, and "the rest is history," he says. They have a new home together, a 21-month-old daughter Ellie, and two dogs. Jeff says that becoming a Dad was the "biggest, most significant event in my life...the best thing is walking in the door every night, and seeing her smile."

MARSHALL MYRMAN

Synergy

Marshall Myrman grew up on the beach in Southern California, riding longboards before he was 10 years old. The adrenaline rush of surfing appealed to him, and he would hang out on the sand in Pacific Beach all day, every day as a teenager. You wouldn't expect a life long surfer to become Vice President of Manufacturing for the largest golf company in the world, managing resources, operations, and people.

Marshall is an accomplished photographer as well. He started out shooting the waves and their riders for Surfing and Surfer magazines. His photographic hobby soon meshed with his love of rock music, and he would spend just as much time sneaking his camera into shows in the 60's and 70's, shooting his rock idols. He never had time to learn guitar himself, but remembers sitting at the Sports Arena doors for hours, waiting to get into shows, and snaking his way to the front with his friends. He fondly recalls shows from Elvis to Led Zeppelin, to David Bowie, to the Climax Blues Band and the Winter Brothers. He doesn't sell his rock photos, but is considering putting together a coffee table book of his rock memories. "I would look at album covers and think, that's nothing compared to what I've got," he says.

Marshall started playing golf when he was about 8 years old, quit playing as a teenager, and returned to the game in his mid-twenties. "There was nothing more torturous than playing competitive golf when the surf was pumping," he explains. "The surf bug was much stronger than the golf bug." It’s still the bug that bites him most, and Marshall currently owns 15 boards. He surfs four or five times a week, whenever he can at his favorite spot, Big Rock, in La Jolla. The four women in his life, his wife and daughters of 14, 11, and 3, have all started surfing as well, following in his wake.

Marshall says that his job is about creating synergy, which is the combined action of two or more forces to achieve an effect greater than a single force alone could achieve. "Above all it's about creating a fun and challenging environment that encourages people to be productive and creative." The same synergy experienced when shooting the hollow barrel of a fast short wave, and paddling back out to do it all over again.

BRITA SCHWERM

Without A Net

Brita Schwerm has packed a lot into her life, from travel to sports to career, to education. She appreciates the opportunities she's had, but is modest about what she's done - more modest than most would be with her resume.

Brita is a former, top ranked professional volleyball player, playing on both the 4 person pro beach tour, and with a professional indoor team in Italy. When she returned home from Italy there was a letter waiting for her from the Olympic Committee, but she declined the offer. She'd been playing for 10 years and decided it was time for something else.

She decided to apply her MBA from Long Beach State, and the golf industry appealed to her interests and experience. She is currently a Market Research Analyst at Callaway, tracking pro tour usage, field research, and market reports.  She sees many similarities between golf and volleyball; the keys to both sports are timing, technique, practice, and skill. "It's good to see another sport where women are respected and paid well," she says.

Brita has accomplished a great deal in her life thus far: earned her Masters, traveled, played professional sports, and even done some modeling. "I tend to take on a lot at a quick pace," she explains. Currently, she is learning how to play tennis, working on her golf game, playing volleyball in a league with friends, and considering running in a 1/2 marathon this January. Many more opportunities await...

ALLISON ANTHONY

Balancing Act

Allison Anthony is best known at Callaway as “Putter Girl”. She oversees every aspect of putter production at Callaway, from market research to design, development, sales, advertising, and marketing. Though Callaway produces the number one putter in golf, Putter Girl herself is much more than astronomics, proprietary polyurethane and other such putter lingo.

Allison strives to enjoy every day of her life, as attested by her constant smile and upbeat personality. In addition to golf, her real loves are exercise and travel. She’s lived in London, France, and Austria, and has traveled throughout Europe. Friends she made there told her she was “more European than American.” After a back injury resulting from a car accident in college, Allison took up yoga to stretch and strengthen her back muscles.

Allison practices Ashtanga Yoga, also known as power yoga, a very physical means of working and stretching the muscles, breathing and relaxing. Yoga helps balance work and personal life, and, “helps tone and stretch every part of the body more than any exercise I’ve ever done.” The success of the Callaway putter is a repositioning of weight for better stability. Balance and control in life are just as important, if not more so, to Allison Anthony.

JIM NANTZ

From Ashworth Collections 2002 Catalog

By Doug Smith

 

Jim Nantz once said, “Never, ever, underestimate the importance of a dream.”  A little time spent with Nantz makes it clear that this is the guiding principle for his life.  Blessed with innate skill and insight, Nantz has dominated his field in broadcasting, accomplishing precisely what he aspired to from an early age.

As a young boy, “Jimmy” would spend hours “listening to any game on the AM dial.”  However, he kept his radio hidden (under the covers at night) from his parents, who worried about his apparent obsession with sports.  Craving sports information, Jimmy even devised a clever plan to gain access to the daily sports page in the local paper.  Colts Neck, New Jersey was a very rural area, and there was no paper route-therefore, no sports page in the Nantz home.  Always industrious, young Jim signed up his neighbors for the paper, contacted the Asbury Park Press, and started a paper route.  Problem solved - he could now devour the Press’ sports coverage on a daily basis.

To get his son interested in more than just sports, Jim’s father encouraged him to invest some money and track the investment using the business section of the paper.  Nantz placed his money with Chrysler, and he followed the company’s progress through the financials.  He has kept his commitment to his father and to the Chrysler stock, checking the financial pages every day, always reminded of his dad.

Jim’s particular obsession with sports as a boy was not his love for the events, as much as a fascination for the voices behind the games: the announcers and broadcasters who told the stories of the games.  He spent hours listening to tapes he made from broadcasts in the early 60’s, studying style, technique, and nuances of his early idols:  Pat Summerall, Chris Shemmel, Jack Whitaker and Jim McCay.  McCay was a favorite, who would eventually be directly involved with Jim’s life and career:  “I always wanted to be Jim McCay…to do what Jim McCay did.  He did golf, he did the Olympics!”

Golf was always an important pastime for the Nantz family, and Jim remembers walking the course with his parents when he was four.  He started playing at a young age, and his mother would drop him off at the Bamm Hollow Country Club for the day, with some money for food.  Jim worked at his game, spending time with older members of the club who taught him golf and important social skills he would use throughout life.

Jim continued to golf throughout high school.  After graduation, his parents moved to Houston, Texas, and one day while golfing, he met Ron Webber, All American at University of Houston and former PGA Tour player.  After seeing Nantz play, Webber felt strongly that he should play golf in college.  He introduced Nantz to Dave Williams, coach of the U. of H. golf team, and after playing a round, Williams announced that there would be a spot on the team if Nantz decided to attend Houston.  Although Jim had plans to attend University of Texas, this was all the encouragement he needed to change his agenda.

Williams’ devotion to coaching and helping his athletes improve was invaluable to Jim and his teammates.  He placed Jim in the dorm with two fellow freshman golf team members, Fred Couples and Blaine McAllister.  The three bonded quickly, working on their game anytime, anywhere, even in the hallway of their dorm.  However, slicing golf balls inside became pretty expensive at $25 per broken window, so they eventually learned to put a pretty mean spin on ping-pong balls for dorm practice.  Nantz, Couples and McAllister still get together every year for their “Three Amigos Charity Golf Tournament.”

By his junior year, Nantz was spending as much time in the broadcast booth as on the course, if not more.  He started in campus radio at KUHF and quickly moved on to KTRH, the local CBS radio affiliate.  By the end of the same year, he was working as the fill-in weekend sports anchor at the local CBS Television affiliate.  This early experience proved invaluable to Nantz, and he soon perfected and mastered the conversational tone and ad lib qualities that are the hallmarks of one of broadcasting’s most distinguished voices.

Nantz was often up by 3:45 AM in order to do his radio show and to get to his morning classes on time, also working as a stringer for CBS radio.  Irwin “Winn” Elliot ran a show out of New York called “Sports Central USA,” to which Jim submitted taped interviews and clips.  These taped segments helped pay his way through college.  A late night interview at a coffee shop with the infamous Muhammad Ali stands out as most memorable to Jim.  Appreciative of Winn’s support to his career, Jim taps Winn’s studio door four times for luck every time he passes by it in the CBS studios.

Following graduation from Houston, Jim was enlisted by the CBS affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City to be their weekend sports anchor, covering BYU basketball, football and Utah Jazz games.  He had set a goal of becoming a full time network sportscaster by the age of 30; however, Nantz met his goal four years early.  The big network break came with a call for an audition in New York as one of four finalists to host the Prudential College Football Report.  The audition consisted of hosting three unscripted, half-time segments, which Nantz managed with characteristic comfort and confidence.  After a follow-up interview, Jim became the youngest broadcaster hired full-time in CBS history.

Jim Nantz achieved his goal four years and one day after meeting his idol, Jim McKay.  “He made me believe I could get there,” remembers Nantz.  “Little did I know as a young boy when I wrote him fan mail, that one day I would have the good fortune of getting to know him.”  In the early 90’s Jim had the honor of presenting McKay with the “Lifetime Achievement in Sports” Emmy.  Ironically, years later McKay’s son, Sean McManus presented Jim Nantz with the “National Sportscaster of the Year” award.  At that time, McManus read a 3-page letter from McKay, remembering “the kid who used to write him” – a touching acknowledgement from the man little Jimmy emulated while hidden under the covers listening to AM radio.

Jim Nantz is currently the top voice in the CBS sports enclave.  Those who don’t know his name will recognize his face or perfect baritone voice.  His reverence and thankfulness towards those who inspired and helped him achieve his dreams is one of his most endearing qualities.  From McKay to Elliot, to Ron Webber, to Dave Williams, to golf peers Paul Marchand and Ken Venturi, to his father, Nantz remembers them all.

Nantz has surpassed his own expectations.  He has called more Final Four and championship basketball games than any other announcer.  He has covered the Masters since ’89 with Venturi, as well as the PGA Championships.  He hosted primetime coverage of the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics.  He provided play-by-play coverage of U.S. Open tennis championships, NCAA track and field, skiing, speed skating, baseball, swimming, diving, gymnastics and college and NFL football.  Jim hosted College Football Today, and is the current host of The NFL Today.  After their Super bowl victory in January 2001, he awarded the Lombardi Trophy to the Baltimore Ravens.  In addition, he hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades in 1994, 1995, and 2000, and will do so again in 2001.

Of all Nantz’s broadcasting accomplishments, he thinks of himself “first and foremost as a golf announcer,” and refers to his coverage of the Masters as “the most important thing I do professionally.”  Nantz remembers Fred Couples’ 1992 Masters victory as his most rewarding experience. It seems that while the two were in college, Nantz informed Couples that he was sure Fred would one day win the Masters.  At Nantz’s insistence, the two role-played the Master’s victory interview so that they would both be prepared.  It must have been overwhelming years later when Couples won the Masters and Nantz interviewed him.

Jim has expanded his role in the world of sports.  He has written the forwards to three books:  Fred Couples, Golf’s Reluctant Superstar, Ken Venturi’s Stroke Savers, and Stories from the Final Four.  He played a prominent role in the golf film, “Tin Cup,” with Kevin Costner, and at the family’s request, he provided narration to “Son, Hero, Companion,” a documentary on the life of Tiger woods.

Nantz is a member of the Ashworth Board of Directors and a corporate spokesman for the Brand.  Seen weekly by millions of television viewers, Jim’s appearance is crucial to him, and he has insisted on wearing Ashworth at such events as The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Awards.  He says that he treasures his relationship with Ashworth, “ …because it exudes class.”

“The core Ashworth philosophy, the knowledge that every day is a brand new game, a new chance to be your best – that feels right to a growing audience,” says Jim.  “The message seems to have transcended golf – Ashworth is now a lifestyle decision.”

Getting to know Jim Nantz away from the microphones, cameras, and lights, you realize he is a man of impeccable class and professionalism.  He gives the best and demands the best from his performance to his appearance.  He treats everyone he encounters with consideration and respect, like the mentors throughout his life.  Jim Nantz lives his dream, and he is a true champion of ideals and aspiration.

The Y2K Bug, What IS it?

by Doug Smith

http://web.archive.org/web/20000617224425/www.ed2go.com/news/y2k.html

If you need to find me January 1, 2000, you’ll have to look pretty hard. I’ll be up on the roof with my shotgun protecting my property from them mutants. You can’t trust a mutant to not mess with your ammo, water, or dehydrated food. After I’ve cleared my neighborhood of marauding mutant hordes, I’m hoppin’ on my Harley. After all, I’ve gotta comb the wastelands for gas, water, and fellow surviving humans.

That’s how some individuals and organizations are trying to portray the arrival of the year 2000. Most experts will tell you that life isn’t going to be like "Road Warrior" when the millenium comes, though there may be some inconveniences having to do with what has become known as the "Y2K Bug." 

So what is this "Y2K Bug"? It’s not some giant Mothra-esque insect that will come flying out of your computer screen. The Y2K Bug is a simple programming problem that has been building for years. In the Dark Ages of programming (the early to mid-1970s), computer memory was much more of a precious commodity than it is today. It was much more expensive and scarce, so programmers were forced to take shortcuts to conserve memory.

The problem is that one of those ‘shortcuts’ had to do with using two-digit numeric codes for the year. Instead of forcing the computer to remember a four digit number like 1973, early programmers wrote applications that could retain only the last two digits of the year. This practice continued through the years and eventually became a standard programming practice.

Unfortunately, none of these programmers stopped to think that it might someday be necessary to use more than two digits to represent the year. Many of the programs written over the last quarter-century won't accept the first two digits of the year. This means that these programs cannot distinguish between the year 1899, the year 1999, or the year 2099. Today, these poorly-coded programs control many important systems that have become integral parts of our everyday lives. Many of these flawed programs are used to help provide us with such essential services as banking, utilities, security, fire and police, telecommunications, transportation, and health care.

Many computers that have been programmed using the two-digit system will not properly recognize the year 2000. Next New Year's day, some computers will operate under the incorrect assumption that the year is 1900 and not 2000. This will wreak havoc on accounting and other systems that are dependent on time and date calculations to function properly.

Many companies and/or organizations did not at first realize the potential of the Y2K bug, and got a late start dealing with the problem. Still, others have chosen to ignore the problem altogether. Some believe the government will solve all the Y2K problems. 

Fixing the problem is not as easy as it may sound. Some older computer systems are filled with bad programs, and the sheer number of these machines still in operation is daunting. Many businesses, corporations, and public services claim to be Y2K compliant, but few really understand what the term even means. 

Furthermore, many of these early systems were programmed using outdated computer languages such as COBOL. Most of the programmers who developed these systems have moved, retired, or vanished. Nowadays, COBOL programmers are as hard to find as four-leaf clovers. To make matters worse, some of these older programs don’t even have any available source code or documentation, making modifications almost impossible.

Fortunately, the brunt of the Y2K bug will be borne by older systems. Companies that use outmoded hardware controlled by an obsolete program coded in an obscure language may find that the most economical solution for them will be to replace their equipment with a modern network of high-speed PC's. Others may find it more affordable to hire programmers who can rewrite or replace obsolete programs with more modern applications that can handle four-digit years.

The best preparation for Y2K is knowledge. Be prepared and aware. There’s no need to be terrified. The world isn’t going to end. After all, the vast majority of programs you use today don't really care what year it is. Of those that do (such as Access, Quicken, or QuickBooks), the only action you may need to take is to contact the manufacturer to obtain and install a free or inexpensive software upgrade. 

Because most of us use machines and applications that are either already Y2K compliant, or can easily be made so, the Y2K bug is not expected to be any more serious than a case of the sniffles. The hurricanes, snowstorms, and transportation worker strikes we endured in 1998 and 1999 created far more havoc than the Y2K bug is ever expected to cause. 

Many organizations and facilities within the United States are already Y2K compliant, or nearly so. Most computer scientists agree that if there are problems, they will be localized and short-lived--posing no more of a threat to our way of life than did last month's much-hyped, but largely ineffective, Melissa and Chernobyl viruses.

The Virtual Gridiron

by Doug Smith

http://web.archive.org/web/20000613073113/www.ed2go.com/news/football.html

As the 1999 NFL season winds down, I find myself pensive. I will no longer set my alarm for 9AM Sunday morning and get up to watch the pre-game shows and then the morning and afternoon games. I will no longer have to scream at the TV  when the receiver drops the pass, the running back fumbles the hand-off, or the quarterback loses ten yards after being sacked. I no longer have to wash my football jersey to have it ready for the Sunday battles royal. My Sundays will be free...maybe that's a good thing! You should venture out of your Lazy Boy and away from the TV and look into the world of the NFL online. You'd be surprised at the number of resources for football fans out there, as well as the advances in technology and interactivity. 

For football on the Web, it all starts at NFL.com, the king of the football sites. NFL.com features up to the minute NFL news on all the players, teams, coaches, and happenings throughout the league. Every team has its own area on the site. In addition to the news value of the site, it's a virtual encyclopedia of the NFL filled with standings, stats, films, and images. You can also get up-to-the-minute game updates while an actual game is being played

The interactivity of the site is also a lure. There are weekly polls for users to participate in, and trivia quizzes, as well as live chats, and Q&A sessions with players and coaches throughout the season. During games, you can play along by trying to predict the play called by the team possessing the ball. Wives and girlfriends aren't left out here either. There's also an NFL For Her section.     

ESPN also has an excellent football site. This site is setup similarly to NFL.com, with many of the same features and information. 

Then there's Profootballweekly.com. One feature I really like here are the "Way We Hear It" rumors. You can get an inside scoop on some of the rumors making the rounds related to your favorite teams and players.  

CNNSI also features comprehensive news, coverage, features, stats, and information. 

For all you ever wanted to know about the ultimate football game, the Super Bowl, go to Superbowl.com. Here you'll find information on the upcoming bowl game in Atlanta, Georgia; Super Bowl history; a message board; and an online football game that uses Shockwave.

Don't forget the Bud Bowl, the beer world's equivalent of the Super Bowl.  This annual battle between Bud and Bud light beer runs during commercial breaks from the Super Bowl every January. 

The NFL Hall of Fame even has its own site. Here, you can find out more about the NFL Hall of Fame, its inductees and candidates, and the overall selection process itself. There are also sections on the History of Pro Football and the yearly Hall of Fame game. 

For those of us who suffer through the off-season and those other "lesser" sports, there's NFL Europe, which is growing in popularity as a diversion and proving ground for some of the NFL's players. 

I haven't even mentioned the fantasy football sites out there, where you are the coach and you coach your own NFL team using the current season's team and player stats.  Fantasy-football.net even has a $100,000 challenge! CNNSI has its own fantasy football league as well. 

How can you talk about football without talking about office pools and betting in Vegas? Marathon Handicapping can help you with picks, predictions, and Vegas betting lines. To manage your own office football pool, go to The Football Pool Manager.

If you're an armchair quarterback like myself, you can pass the time between seasons with Gameday for the Playstation and NFL Fever (whose slogan is "If you're not already single, you will be") for the PC. Playing these video games is almost like being on the field yourself--minus the blood, broken bones, and concussions, that is! 

You'd be surprised at the realism of these games, with actual team rosters, playbooks, player moves, instant replays, great sound effects, and hard hits. NFL Fever even gives you the option of updating your game rosters as the actual team rosters change. Every season it's like having a whole new game!

All in all, football fans, I guess we don't have to despair now that January is upon us. We've got the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Though we do have to wait several months to pre-season, there's plenty out there to keep us busy and satiate our love of the only sport that matters!

The Pocket Computer

by Doug Smith

http://web.archive.org/web/20000123195710/www.ed2go.com/news/wireless.html

The cell phone of the future will not only make calls and check voice-mail, but allow you to check and send e-mail, browse the Web, shop, and make secure bank transactions. 

According to Nokia, these advances are planned for the very near future, though some current cell phones do feature limited PC and Internet capabilities. 

Major cell phone companies are making promises that within the next two years, data transfer speeds on wireless networks will be super fast. This newfound data speed will pave the way for a slew of new cellular devices and technologies, some of which are currently in the infancy of their planning. These new products would include hand-held videoconferencers and mobile wireless Web browsers at the forefront. 

Sales of cell phones around the world began to outpace the sales of personal computers in 1997, with consumers purchasing 100 million cell phones around the world as opposed to 80 million PCs. This trend promises to continue as developing Third World Countries, such as China, sign-up one million new cell phone users a month. Nokia and Motorola predict that by 2003, there will be one billion cell phone users worldwide, owning at least one cellular phone.

The cell phone of the future promises to be a hand-held pocket PC. You'll be able to communicate via the Internet, send and receive e-mail and video images, and browse the Web. Nokia is predicting that cellular phone Internet connections will outnumber PC Internet connections by 2004.

The International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency based in Geneva, is working to develop and ensure standards that will allow the world's wireless networks to communicate. The ITU is pushing a standard known as CDMA (code division multiple access). Standards such as CDMA will assure data speeds up to 40 times the current standard, allowing simultaneous video, e-mail, and phone conversations.

Nokia is hoping to spearhead the development of a "mobile information society," which will be in constant communication using cell phones to send messages, data, and video back and forth. Finland is Nokia's test market where Nokia cell phone users can currently send other users short message service (SMS) e-mail. This system allows a user to send e-mails of up to 160 characters. 

Another precursor of the future cellular phones are the RadioMobil phones currently at use in Prague. These phones allow their users, of which there are currently 630,000 subscribers, to send e-mail to a PC, get Czechoslovakian news, and make secure bank transfers. 

Microsoft, in association with Qualcomm, has plans to make software available to help cell phones work more like hand-held personal computers. 

Nokia seems to be the current leader in this arena, with its Nokia 7110 poised for release on the market worldwide by the end of 1999. This phone was first seen in the popular motion picture "The Matrix." 

The Nokia 7110 comes with wireless application protocol (WAP), and is equipped with its very own microbrowser, which allows users to view text version of websites. The 7110 will also have a modified mouse to aid in Web browsing. The Nokia 7110 Matrix phone will pave the way for future phone with larger screens to handle complex graphics and video images.

Though these new phones of the future are not promising you help travelling between alternate realities, the future of seamless communications is upon us. Soon someone may come up to you and ask: "is that a wireless PC in your pocket?"

The Phoenix Rising

by Doug Smith

 http://web.archive.org/web/20000412040824/www.ed2go.com/news/rtrip.html

So what would you do if your home, business, and all your possessions (excluding your spouse and dog) were engulfed in a wild fire? Cry like a baby and try desperately to pull whatever pieces of your shattered life you could from the ashes? Megan Edwards, Mark Sedenquist and Marvin the Dog invoked the myth of the Phoenix, literally and figuratively, hitting the road and documenting their odyssey on the Web.

Their Altadena California home and business were destroyed in 1993 by a devastating fire. Instead of rebuilding with money from an insurance policy, Edwards and Sedenquist decided to invest the $75,000 policy money into a custom built motor home. They christened their new mobile headquarters the "Phoenix" in homage to their new life.

Revcon of Irvine California built the Phoenix. It is 32 feet long and provides 200 square feet of living and working space for its denizens. The motor home houses the tools with which the Road Trip odyssey is documented, including cell phones and laptops that are part of a wireless communications system connected to the Internet. Though they remain connected, the technology is not without its problems. Sometimes the connections disconnect or drop out during uploads, and the connection is usually about 1/16 the speed of the fastest home Internet connection. 

The communications system primarily allows Edwards and Sedenquist to keep in touch with friends and fans by e-mail, send out their e-mailed newsletter, and update their website Road Trip America once a week. This website is where some 30,000 to 50,000 visitors a month log-on to learn about, or keep up with, what's going on during the Road Trip.

The journey was originally planned as a six month trip, which has progressively mutated into a five-year-long,  48-state, 130,000-mile trek. The Road rulers have visited nearly every state (except North Dakota and Hawaii), and five of the Canadian Provinces. 

The high-tech Charles Kuralts hit the road with little income, investing their insurance monies into the new motor home. They get by on profits from promotional tours and speaking engagements across the country, set up through the website and through their marketing company, RTA Marketing. Trilogy Books has recently published Edwards' written document of the travels, entitled "Roads From the Ashes", which will bring in further revenue for the trio (don't forget Marvin the Dog).

The website is an interesting and entertaining resource for those who love or are interested in "the road." The Road Trip America site contains anecdotes, pictures of objects, people and funny signs across the country,   food, recreation, and sight-seeing recommendations. It's kept up to date for return visitors as well. 

So, if you can't leave your home or job to travel across the country gettin' into adventures, you can log on and live virtually and vicariously through the Road Trip America adventurers, and Marvin the dog.

The Lord of the Rings

 by Doug Smith

 http://web.archive.org/web/20000411021033/www.ed2go.com/news/ibutton.html

The Guardians of the Universe possess the powers of the Green Lantern ring. Years ago, a Guardian crash landed his spaceship on Earth and tasked test pilot Hal Jordan with the powers and responsibilities of the ring and he became the Green Lantern. Of course, Hal would eventually hand the secrets over to Kyle Rayner, who became the new Green Lantern.

Well, kids, you too can now be the Green Lantern. All you need is a green mask, some green tights, and your very own Java Powered Ring.

Ok, so your ring won't be the most powerful weapon in the universe with the ability to create solid light images that can be shaped to take the form of anything you imagine, but it can still do some cool stuff. Green Lantern couldn't use HIS ring for instant easy access to the Hall of Justice, his e-mail or bank account. You'll be able to use YOUR ring for all of this and more. Green Lantern, Green Schlantern!

Primarily the Java ring is your key to completely reliable identification for access to computers, networks, e-mail and so on. The Java Ring can give secure access to Internet accounts and e-mail, Automatic Teller Machines, restricted areas, and can also contain information on inventory, processes, maintenance, and delivery. 

The heart and soul of the Java powered ring is the Cryptographic iButton developed by Dallas Semiconductor. The ibutton is a small chip contained in a protective case such as the Java Ring, a keychain, bracelet, watch, wallet, or badge. 

The identification is based on two important elements: possession of the ibutton and the entering of a Personal Identification Number (PIN). You press your ring to the reader and the ring provides its own PIN, which even you don't know. The ring's key number is a 1024 bit piece of mathematical data that includes 308 decimal digits, too hard for even Einstein to crack on a good day. 

If the compartment containing the iButton is tampered with, data is subsequently erased. The validation system currently works like ATM validation in that no entry, access, or transactions are permissible until the PIN number is validated. 

Besides personal computer access, many companies currently utilize the iButton technology to control physical access to restricted areas within their facilities. These companies include hospitals, laboratories, offices and banks. Transit fare carriers in Turkey use iButtons, Ryder keeps track of truck maintenance with iButtons, the U.S. Postal Service uses iButtons for mailbox identification, and cows in Canada wear them to keep track of vaccination records. 

To use this technology yourself, you primarily need an iButton, which can be contained in a number of aforementioned devices (the Java Rings are available in many custom sizes for about $65, which you can order). Next, you need the Connectivity Pack, which consists of a Blue Dot Receptor which can be connected via a serial or parallel port on your computer. These Blue Dot Receptors are available for less than $20. Finally, you need the software, which you can download free of charge.

Not a high price to pay for your very own ring of power!

Sold to the Lady in the Back With the Internet Access!

by Doug Smith

http://web.archive.org/web/20000409144443/www.ed2go.com/news/auction.html

So, your husband and his buddies like to get drunk and play "Viking Attack" in the backyard. What could be more fun than a bunch of drunken overweight guys in helmets with horns swinging swords and axes around and pillaging your neighbors’ houses? You want to surprise "Hubbie the Horrible" with his very own Viking ship. The odds are good that you'll locate just such an item, and a good deal more, at one of the many auction sites flourishing online.

The online auction business is literally exploding. The keys to the success of online auctions are convenience and affordability. You can find nearly anything to bid on in an online auction, from Beanie Babies to computers  to rare music memorabilia. The most common auctions are person to person, but there are a growing number of business to business auctions occurring as well. 

The initial step in the process involves registration of a seller and an item. The seller provides detailed personal information which will be made available to buyers upon request. Buyers must register as well, and provide similar information. 

In addition, many of the top online auction sites maintain a ranking system for sellers. Buyers are encouraged to provide positive and negative feedback for future prospective buyers to peruse. Data is also kept on buyers, so sellers can see if a buyer has a good purchasing reputation or not. 

Online auctions are convenient and affordable for both the buyer and the seller. Online auctions are generally free for the buyer and seller, though the hosting site will usually assess a small fee for each item sold through their service. The global scope of the World Wide Web provides a huge audience for sellers, as well as a vast array of merchandise for buyers.

The process generally works like this: the seller provides the auction house with a description, purchase terms, and sometimes a photo of the item(s) to be sold. The auction will run for an allotted amount of time during which registered buyers can place bids. When the auction ends, the seller usually contacts the "winner" of the auction by e-mail to arrange for payment and delivery. Most sellers and auction services allow credit card payment, which is the preferred payment option, as the buyer can challenge the charge with the credit card company if there are any problems. 

Like everything, there are downsides to Internet auctions. Most reports say that the majority of  auctions are legitimate. When there is a problem with a seller, it usually has to do with undelivered or misrepresented merchandise. Some shady sellers have been known to try to drive up the prices of their own items with false bids as well. 

Sellers have also experienced problems with buyers as well. The number one complaint sellers have has to do with "deadbeat buyers, " those buyers who win an auction and then fail to provide payment for the auctioned item. 

If you are interested in buying merchandise through an online auction, you should first make an effort to understand the rules and regulations of the auction house you plan to use. There should be detailed instructions and even an interactive auction tutorial at the site. 

Next, when you find something you are interested in, make sure you know exactly what you are bidding on before you bid so you don’t get stuck paying for an unwanted item. It is to the seller’s advantage to provide as much information as possible about the item, but if you do have any questions, you should be able to contact the seller by e-mail. You can also ask the seller about guarantees and returns if you are not satisfied or have a problem.

You should also check the seller’s profile and the comments of past buyers in regards to auctions offered by the seller. Try to get as much information about the seller as you can, and look at as many comments as possible to get an idea of the seller’s reputation.

If you do have a problem, notify the auction house. Most houses will investigate complaints, and may take action against repeat offenders. You can also file complaints online with the Federal Trade Commission. 

The foremost auction site is currently E-Bay, with more than 2 million registered users. Bidfind will search other auctions for you. 

Other popular auction sites include: Amazon.com, Yahoo! Auctions, WebAuction.com, and Auction Universe.

Sit a Little Personality in Your Lap

by Doug Smith

 http://web.archive.org/web/20000410231949/www.ed2go.com/news/ibook.html

Last year Apple introduced computers with personality in the iMac, the colorful hip cool Mac companion. Apple will continue down the same path this fall with the iBook, the virtual offspring of the iMac and the Powerbook.

Early reviews are very favorable and the feature filled iBook is expected to take the market by storm. The iBook will initially be available in two "flavors": blueberry and tangerine, and will be completely portable with its handy retractable handle. Walk around with one and you'll look like your carrying the hippest new purse, or a large colored clam. 

The iBook will initially retail for $1599. Primary features include an 800 x 600 pixel 12.1 inch screen with the ability to handle millions of colors. A 300MHz G3 processor will run the show. Also included are a 56k internal modem, and a 24x CD-ROM. 

Apple boasts a 6-hour battery life for the iBook, but this remains to be seen. The battery will automatically recharge itself when the unit is plugged into a power outlet. 

Other features include a PC card slot and microphone, a retractable power cord with its own take-up reel, and a spring-loaded hinge for opening and closing. The keyboard contains full sized keys that are well placed. 

The iBook will be full of software as well. The unit runs on a Mac OS 8.6 operating system, and includes Appleworks, a programming package with word processing, database and spreadsheet capabilities. IBM's World Book Encyclopedia will be included as well. The iBook will also feature integration with palm-based technology and organizers.

Your Internet woes will be solved with the iBook as well. Each iBook will contain Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL 4.0 and Microsoft Outlook. ISP access will even be included from Earthlink, starting with a 30-day free trial. 

Perhaps the most interesting feature will be iBook's wireless networking capabilities. The wireless AirPort networking system will allow users to have wireless Internet connections up to 150 feet away from the Airport hardware access point. All you need for wireless access is an iBook, the AirPort card and the AirPort hardware. 

So, get rid of that PC or Mac, that Powerbook, Laptop or Notepad and get on the iBook bandwagon!