Fred Thompson for President

The older I get the more I like talk radio. Specifically, conservative AM talk radio. I tolerate NPR in the mornings, and then listen to AM 980 KMBZ on my way to work and when I can throughout the day with shows like Darla Jay, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilley. But just about every day I listen to KMBZ’s afternoon show on my way home. It is a local Kansas City talk show. First it was Russ Johnson then Jerry Agar and now Mike Shanin and Scott Parks are the hosts that fill the timeslot. They do a great job. I have also called in several times to give my opinions on different issues. I enjoy being on the radio, it is my personal claim to fame!

So I was disappointed when I tried to call in last week to comment on Fred Thompson. Although he hasn’t thrown his hat into the political ring for a Republican candidate he has said that he is seriously considering it. So I called in and was placed on hold while I practiced what I planned to say. But then they went on to a new topic and I got cut off.

Thankfully yesterday the topic came up again and I called in and was placed on hold but then got to speak my mind and I even won movie tickets-4 tickets to A Perfect Stranger! SWEET!

Fred Thompson (the links throughout relate to him) is the first potential Republican candidate that I am actually excited about! Not only in this race, but EVER! I love this guy! I had seen him before he became a regular on one of my favorite shows, Emmy Award-winning drama series Law & Order. Here is their bio. He plays a DA on TV. But I had seen him on C-SPAN or something as the politician that he is. This guy really is the next Ronald Reagan. He is smart, extremely articulate and straight forward in his answers and comments. And he is smooth in a genuine manner and he is calm as he speaks but you can still see the emotion on his face and in his voice.

He was actually on KMBZ just this morning and he answered every question, evaded nothing and was intelligent and articulate. Yeah, I like the guy.

Who is Fred Thompson? Many of you will know him from his political career or from the movies or from NBC’s popular Law & Order. He is over 60, and in his latest marriage he has a newborn baby boy and a 3-year old girl.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

Fred Dalton Thompson (born August 19, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, character actor and former Republican Senator from Tennessee (now a resident of McLean, Virginia)[1], who is considering a bid in the 2008 Presidential Election.
In addition to acting, Thompson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. China Economic & Security Review Commission and a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, researching national security and intelligence (Communist China, North Korea, and Russia.) Thompson is also signed as a public speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau.[2]
Thompson is also a special program host and senior analyst for ABC News Radio and fills in for Paul Harvey.

So let’s talk about his qualifications. He knows the law. He was a lawyer. He was co-chief counsel for the Senate Watergate committee, that’s right. Richard Nixon-30 years ago. He was actually responsible for one of the questions that ultimately led to the downfall of Nixon. So even though he is a conservative Republican he ultimately respects the law. I don't think he'll jump on the Presidential bandwagon to break or skirt the law.

He knows Washington. He was a lobbyist in Washington DC for 18 years. He been part of campaigns to get others elected. He has been a senator.

He knows how to present himself. His acting career just kinda took off as he acted in a movie that was based on a real case where he was the lawyer-he played himself. Then of course other movies and TV followed. He has been an ABC political analyst.

So he has the experience. He has the knowledge. He has the charisma. And some say he has the looks. I think he looks like a father figure. He is so calm and expressive when he speaks. He even has a bit of a southern drawl when he talks! Basically he has the substance and he has the superficial qualities to make him a leader and winner!

One of the things that I find fairly unique and very refreshing is Thompson’s straight forward style. When asked his stand on abortion he immediately responds that he is against it. When asked about his opinion about gay marriage he firmly responds that he is against it. There is no “I am researching what to think about what my position should be” or changing the subject. So unlike Hillary Clinton you know where he stands on issues.

He has lost a child to drug abuse. That saddens me. I don’t know the details.

Although there are no known skeletons in his closet, he’s not entirely perfect. He has some flaws. He’s been divorced, but so have most of the other candidates. Dr. James Dobson says that Thompson needs to express what his faith is. Although that would be nice, I am more concerned with the issues of the office. There is a concern that he may not have the name recognition that is needed to win national elections. But who had heard of Clinton before he was President? Who had heard of Gore or even Bush (dad or son) before Reagan? Maybe I am paying attention more as I get older, I don’t know, but I have actually liked Fred Thompson for many years now. I watch him on L & O, but I really pay attention when I can catch him on C-SPAN or as an analyst on the radio.

A March poll even showed him ahead of Hillary Clinton for the 2008 presidential run! He hasn’t even said he is running!

The Republican Party needs a front runner. Romney was in the news today saying that he was a life-long hunter and then one of his aids clarified that he had been on 2 hunting trips in his lifetime. He became a NRA member just last year to get their vote. I do think his Mormon faith will be a definite show stopper for many Christians.

Giuliani-YAWN. Don’t get me wrong, he is a 9/11 hero and he’s done great things for NYC. But he is not conservative enough on the issues.

Then there’s who? Oh yeah, McCain…he too is moderate on many issues as well. He is a war hero. And he likes to buddy up with Democrats against Bush.

My fear is that the 2008 Presidential race will come down to an extreme liberal on the Democrat side with Hillary and Gore and a moderate on the Republican side…How boring! Many of the liberal Democrats I know claim that they won’t vote for Hillary saying that she is too liberal. Many Christians won’t vote for Romney. Nor will they vote for Giuliani being pro abortion and pro gay. And McCain is not conservative enough. The Republican Party needs Fred Thompson to throw his hat in the race. I hope he decides to run soon. This morning on the radio he said he was still considering it.

Fred Thompson is a traditional Republican-he’s Reaganesque. He has the experience and knowledge. I think he has the name recognition. I think he has the money. And I actually am looking forward to this guy running and being president. America needs Fred Thompson.

FRED THOMPSON FOR PRESIDENT!

-Durk-

If You Never Had To Worry About Money EVER Again

It is really fun to dream about winning the lottery-to win 100s of millions of dollars.

My email and lunch buddy, Kevin, and I were talking on this subject. He asked me what the very first thing I'd do after I won that kind of money. OK, after you tell your wife and a few friends. We happened to be at lunch and so I told him that I'd go back to work to tell everyone and then politely get my stuff and quit-walk out to never work another day in my life. Kevin said he'd pack up his stuff and not tell anyone! In the past he's said he'd just not go back, forget his stuff-hire someone else to collect it for him!

For some people it is hard to grasp what that much money can really do for them and others. Our other email buddy, Chris sent me this quote from a CNN article:

Daisy Buck of Bluff, Utah
I would quit my job and retire. Then, I would give some money to my children/grandchildren and to my family. Most of it would probably go to fixing my house, paying the bills, and just kicking back and enjoying life.

My friend then pointed out, "Just in case you didn’t get it, I’ll repeat it for you, 'Most of it would probably go to fixing my house.'" Well Daisy Buck, your house must be one heck of a fixer upper. I replied to his email and joked that I could pay up my rent for years. But folks don't really understand how to think with that much money.

I was thinking along a different line...I'd build a house and furnish it with all new EVERYTHING. With the exception of some personal photos or some really meaningful personal stuff I would walk into my new house naked and empty handed ready to embrace the whole new life inside. I apologize for the mental picture.

Kevin and I continued talking about a woman that had won that had kept her job. I remarked that that was just plain irresponsible! I then went on to say that it would be cool to sit back and invest in people's dreams, finance thier business endeavors or the like. But Kevin was quick with a chastise, you don't need to invest with the purpose of making money...YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER NEED! The question isn't what would you do with all of that money, how would you spend it. No, the question is what would you do with your life! What would you do to impact the lives around you? What would you do for mankind? If you never had to worry about money EVER again what would you do? Where would you go?

It is kinda like an episode of the A-Team I saw on Tuesday January 14, 1986. Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock was the crazy character-the BEST character I might add. Well he was on Wheel of Fortune. Remember when you could go shopping as a winner on Wheel of Fortune? You'd buy 2-3 big things for thousands of dollars then go for the $150 lamp or $75 dog statue. But not Murdock! He bought 5-10 of the little things and then had enough to get one big thing! Pretty funny. I love the A-Team. (Sigh).

So for Kevin he'd just go fishin'! He'd go volunteer at a fly-fishing shop to learn the trade and go somewhere to be alone fishing! I am more extroverted so I would do things to include my friends. I said I'd buy a really nice suit to wear to some really nice restaurants. Kevin said he'd never wear a suit again! I said I'd hire a chef to make meals where I could lose weight.

And that is how it is for most of us. We'd pay off our bills. Or buy a house. Or buy a car. Or set up some trust funds. Or fix something up or restore something. But that is all piddly stuff! I mean a $1M dollar house plus extravagant $500,000 in bills plus a REALLY nice over-priced sports car...well that is still just under 1% of a $200M payout! PEANUTS! A drop in the bucket! I'll be 35 this year. Let's say I live to be 85, that's 50 more years...200M divided by 50 years...that's $4,000,000 a year...about $75,000 a week...that's over $10,000 a day! And that is without any kind of investment whatsoever. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY!

Some folks would fly to different places. I'd buy a plane and learn how to fly it when my pilot wasn't taking me to a show in New York or to a national park in California for a birthday bash with 1000 of my closest personal friends! Or for a snowball fight in Alaska! Some folks would buy a really nice house or fix up the one that they have, I'd build a housing complex where my family could live in an over-sized cul-de-sac of 4-5 houses that were connected by underground game rooms and pools and a really large banquet hall and maybe a theater or bowling alley...With a 5-story hotel off to the side where people could stay for free while visiting me! Yeah, now we're talking. Some folks would buy a sports car; I'd go to a car dealership and get one of each with cash in hand, or cash in boxes.

I'd also do some cool stuff for my friends and family. I'd be creative in giving money away. I'd buy my kids a toy store. Maybe a video game store too. Heck maybe a train for the Thomas the Tank lover in my house complete with an engine, cars and a caboose on a 20-mile long track. I have a friend who really likes beer. I'd buy him a bar. Tell him that if he doesn't want it he can sell it and do whatever with the money. My other co-worker is a pilot; I'd buy him a jet. I'd buy pocket PCs and laptops and maybe an Escalade for all of my friends!

I'd take Rush Limbaugh out for dinner. I'd play a video game against Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. I'd hire author Orson Scott Card for a one-on-one lecture/Q & A about his books. I'd pay to eat at a fund-raiser to meet President Bush. I'd build a house with President Jimmy Carter. I'd donate money and time to that "Extreme Makover: Home Edition." That darn show makes me cry every time!

I'd build a church for the church plant that I attend that currently meets in an elementary school's cafeteria. I'd give $100 bills away for no reason at all. I'd spy on folks just to learn what extravagant gift they want for Christmas and leave it on their front porch.

I'd help the poor as much as I could. But that kinda goes back to the idea of financing dreams and investing in businesses. I'd do that, start new businesses or invest in companies. Not with the purpose of making more money, but to create jobs and to build a legacy for generations to come. Maybe create departments at those jobs to recruit the homeless, clean them up and give them a place to live to transition into the workplace. Give them hope.

What Sam Walton did for his family and for the rest of the world is pretty cool. He created jobs; his Wal-Mart brand is world-recognized. Look how Wal-Mart is driving down the prices of prescription drugs. Not to mention the community involvement and the money that they are able to give to charity. I know some folks hate Wal-Mart.

Then you read story after story of those that have spent all of their winnings and get sued or file for bankruptcy. How can that be? The first thing you should spend money on is a financial advisor!

Some folks go back to work to be around their friends and maybe work at what they love. Some people might go off and be alone never to be heard from again. Others would stay right where they are and fix things up. Others may invest to make more money. And still others will buy a whole lot of little things and maybe waste all of their money.

But a few will do something worth while. They'll leave their mark on the world-and not merly for the sake of being remembered. They'll be a good person. They'll have enough money to be a human being and give back to mankind. Maybe that'd be me. Then again maybe I'd end up filing bankruptcy in a few years.

I'd learn how to ride a Harley. I'd buy minivans for all the moms at the local Mothers of Mulitples organization. I'd build a really freakin' huge tree house that spanned a forrest! OK, maybe not.

What would you do? I'd love to hear from you.

-Durk-

Planes, Pains and Automobiles

Planes Right before Christmas my co-worker Anthony asked me if I wanted to eat BBQ for lunch. I love BBQ. I love lunch! I love BBQ for lunch! So of course I said yes! Then he said, "I ain't driving." Immediately I thought ok, he wants me to drive. Then he added, "So I hope you don't get air sick!" Then I remembered he's a pilot. SWEET! So I replied, "SWEET!" So he flew me out of the tiny airport on the other side of Gardner (not New Century) and we landed just outside of Paola and ate BBQ at their BBQ joint at the airport! It was really cool. It took about 20 mins to fly there and about 15 mins to fly back. Anthony borrows his friend's Drummond Traveler. It has seating for 4 but only has a capacity of 600 pounds or about 2 people. It was truly amazing. Thank you very much Anthony!

Pains I had surgery for the first time a couple of weeks ago...double hernia surgery. I almost died that weekend. OK, that's not true, but I sure felt like it. And I was tempted to end it all a few times. The surgery was on a Friday morning and I was in and out and fairly lucid and pain-free and in bed by 11:00. I say fairly lucid...I distinctly remember my wife and my 2 youngest boys coming in to see me, I was happy to see them and I greeted them and I got dressed and we left. I was really scared about saying something stupid after surgery and embarrassing myself, but nope, I remember Minnie and the boys coming in the room and everything afterwards and everything mostly clearly, I guess I told Minnie 3 or 4 times that my watch was in my shoe, she had taken it out of my shoe and had placed it on the table...but whatever right, I mean there may be some silliness, IT WAS SURGERY FOR GOODNESS SAKE! HA. Whew. Life is great. Until Minnie explained to me that that wasn't the first time she had come into the room, that she just stepped out for whatever reason (whatever reason included taking the young ones with her...SHE WOULDN'T LEAVE THEM ALONE WITH ME? What?). And that I had said something stupid to embarrass myself when she was in the room earlier. Earlier? But you just came into the room...no earlier...great. Good times. So I can't show my face around post op for a few years and my next surgery may have to be at a different hospital-so I can traumatize another group of innocent medical care personnel. I still can't figure out why she let me believe that she was coming in to see me for the first time. Or why she told me at all! I mean I was pretty happy to see her and the boys...I guess for a second time.

OK, so I was home on bed rest and sleeping and still waking up from the surgery...Sometime shortly after that my body rebelled against me. And at some point I actually had to get up to go to the bathroom, yeah, well, that was a mistake, because I just had to do it again later! It took me about 10 mins to slide to the bathroom and then go and then crawl back to bed. But that really doesn't even explain it, because first you have to sit up...and I just don't know how I did that, then STAND up, and "stand up" may be overstating it a bit, I was on my feet and fighting the urge to pass out, but if you do that you just have to stand up again. "Sloped over" is a better term, grabbing the nightstand, dresser, walls, sink, tub...and then crying when you have to sink back into bed, but relieved until you remember that you actually have to LAY DOWN again...Yeah it was painful. Then my wife reminds me at every chance she gets that SHE had a c-section that she gave birth 3 times...yadda, yadda, blah, blah...We are not talking about HER! It was my first surgery and I have a whole new outlook when it comes to surgery and pain!

Well, it is amazing what a few days can do, I was feeling pretty good Sunday night with soreness, I was still moving slowly, but I actually walked downstairs! And I began to eat more. But the drugs were running out, the good drugs! The reality-altering drugs! So I cut back and ended up running a fever most of Sunday night. Monday was pretty good once I got up and moving, just a little sore, I got the chills again in the evening, why is it always the evening when you get the sickest? But I did get to play the best video game ever: Lego Star Wars. I mean you have Legos, and everything is made out of Legos and you have Star Wars! Legos AND Star Wars! Amazing. One can pass out just from thinking about it. I must have gnawed on my tongue during surgery because I have a very painful canker sore, that actually kept me awake! You know when you put your shoe on and the tongue slips down so you pull it out? Yeah I guess they could have done that when they intubated me.

Keegan discovered a mysterious lump in his armpit before Christmas. We took him to our family doctor right after Christmas and she was concerned but not worried. They did blood tests and CAT scans, but found nothing. They scheduled a surgical consultation for a few weeks later. Then he started to have blood in his urine. More blood work and another CAT scan. The diagnosis was constipation and no connection to lump. That seemed to get resolved. We finally had the surgical consultation last Thursday and the doctor agreed that it needed to come out and scheduled the surgery for the NEXT DAY! That was awesome timing. The surgery went just fine; it was Keegan's first surgery. They biopsied the hard lump this past weekend and preliminary results are that the lump "doesn't look like lymphoma" and its "most likely benign". So it sounds like Keegan is going to be just fine. Praise God!

Automobiles I own two minivans, a white one and a purple one. First the white van broke down, it lost power and would not start. Then while that was in the shop I smacked into a deer with the purple van and damaged the front passenger corner. After 3 separate stays at the shop we spent $3000 on the white van, I think it is all fixed. We have not fixed the purple van yet.

Derin

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I'm Not Cool (Anymore)-The Minivan Controversy

I have had many friends over the years vehemently refuse to buy a minivan. Folks with 3 plus kids. Folks that are intelligent. Folks that can't fit their whole family in a car-so they drive 2 cars to the same place! Folks that scream minivan. Why? Because they think that minivans will make them turn from being cool to not being cool. And I also have had several friends with kids give up in defeat and buy a minivan and resolve to be not cool anymore.

OK, listen closely, here comes the truth: If you have kids you aren't cool anymore. No you're not! NO YOU'RE NOT!

If you are married you are not cool, well, OK, you are somewhat cool because you can pretend you are not married, and because you don't have kids yet, but this is just a transition stage. And if you are married WITH children, well, no, you are not cool. Single parent? You are not cool. There's also an age where you move from cool to not cool even if you are not married and don't have kids, but that is just creepy and not the point of this entry.

I am not cool. I have a minivan; in fact I have two mini vans, a purple one and a white one. I drive the white one. I may not be cool, but I am still a guy. But let's be clear on this. It is NOT the minivan that makes me not cool! It is the 4 children and a wife! It is my twins laughing at me and not with me. It is my 2-yr old son asking me if I have a penis too, in public. It is my 9-month old spitting up on my shirt! Minivans have nothing to do with it.

I had this conversation with a co-worker a few years ago and she went on and on about rollin' up in her SUV with the bling, bling rims and blah, blah, blah. If you park your pimped out SUV then strut to the back door, open it and pull out a kid. Well, guess what? You might think that you are cool, but you aren't!

If you roll up in a Lamborghini heads will turn. You can be in the scene from Mission Impossible III, with the Asian chick with the hair and the red dress and the Italian sports car. You drive up, heads turn. You park and eyes are glued to you and your car. You open the door and your long, naked leg hits the pavement while sticking out of your skimpy, sexy red dress-heads will turn and mouths will open. You walk sexily to the other side of the car and open the door and bend over-there will be gasps-maybe even applause! You come up holding your 9-month old baby boy...Heads will turn alright, THE OTHER WAY! The applause will halt and people will smile with embarrassment and many will laugh and shake their heads! Why? Yep, not cool.

You can be a cool mom or a cool dad and even a cool wife and cool husband. And guess what? I am a very cool dad and a somewhat cool husband! And you know what? There is nothing in the world cooler than having your kids, and sometimes your wife, think you are cool!

Like my friend Jeff said today on this topic: "I guess you can't be cool and responsible at the same time." EXACTLY. You can be young and single and cool-you have the whole world before you. Or you can be married with children-not cool anymore.

But here is the thing: Being married with children, well, that is the world in your hands. Holding your 9-month old after you have all the spit cleaned up and having him recognize you as Dad and then he smiles real big and laughs…that is cool.

That's cool.

-Durk-

2 Parts Malcolm, 1 Part Sweet Life, 1 Part 7th Heaven

That is pretty much the recipe make up of my family. Let me explain and then there will be a plea for help.

2 Parts Malcolm - My sister in law, Tammie, gave me the first season of Malcolm in the Middle on DVD for my birthday present. It is truly a creative and funny show. Thank you very much Tammie! It is my family without the genius kid and without the authoritative mom (and no authoritative dad either). And it gets the most parts of the make up of our family. It is dysfunctional and has devious children always getting into mischief. My life is similar, we are messy, I had to pry the crisper drawer open in the fridge and I had to wade through toys, mail and clothes just to get to the kitchen. The light is broke (not merely burned out) in the kitchen, so we use the light above the oven and the light above the sink. Thank goodness the fridge has a light.

1 Part Sweet Life - I am throwing in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody pretty much only because the show focuses on twin boys that get into trouble. And so does my family. We have identical twin boys and they get into everything. They fight something fierce with each other. And they have different personalities. No, we don't live in a hotel and there is no laugh track. Sometimes we are very entertaining, just ask the neighbors next to us-on the other side of the wall.

1 Part 7th Heaven - The last part of my family make up comes from 7th Heaven-but when everyone was young and there was no relationship, girl/boy drama! We are the big family (4 boys) and our faith in God is extremely important to us. Beyond that I guess we are nothing like the show. But I really couldn't think of a TV show that was boring and uneventful. Maybe we are more like the weather channel-you check in with us from time to time, but there isn't too much exciting happening, pretty much the same thing, different day, with a storm here and there-we get through it OK though. There's no prime time weather channel dramas. The weather channel without the drama…HA, that is funny.

OK, where in the world am I going with this? And isn’t my life one big giant plea for help? No, keep reading.

Keegan was invited to participate in the People to People Student Ambassador Program. A program designed to invite local students and send them to Australia for 19 days to be exchange students. Sounds cool right? Well, Kaleb wants to go too. If you don't have twins this will just seem like a sibling thing (life isn't fair, get over it), but they act in many ways like one person. So it is an issue. But you know what; they said that Kaleb could apply right along with Keegan! Cool right? Well the cost will be about $6000 PER KID. And $400 has to be paid with the initial application-that has to be submitted within a couple of weeks. There is this elaborate application process where you would think that they would "weed" out applicants and only choose applicants based on certain criteria such as grades, extra-curricular activities or how much the kid is going to add to the goodwill relations between the USA and Australia and thus aiding in providing peace to the rest of the world.

This is what makes me ponder the make up of my family. No geniuses. No athletes. No silver spoons. And even while medicated the twins still manage to put thought and planning into making a working hinged door in the middle of the fence-y'know, so they can get out through the side of the fence; the fence that surrounds the back yard of our rented duplex.

We got diapers, drooly kids (and a drooly baby). We eat in front of the TV instead of the table that is stacked with mail (we have a lot of mail), leftovers still on plates and food that never quite made it to the cupboards yet. (“We are just gonna eat it later.”) We have a puppy and the remnants-of-a-puppy carpet. The basement has a layer of clothes trying to make their way to the washer and dryer...on their own. Our garage is a storage area for all the stuff we don't want, but can’t even give away.

Well, glory day, it turns out that the application process pretty much consists of confirmation of initial payment and verification that your kid won't do anything to destroy the existing goodwill that exists between the two allies. And that the applicant won't cry to come home five minutes after he steps foot onto the 15-hour flight. They called this “mature enough to go”. Since there are no fences between our two countries I don’t think that goodwill will be destroyed (no planks to hinge). And as long as Kaleb and Keegan remain a duo they won’t be home sick for each other and cry to come home.

(Big sigh) That only leaves one obstacle…or how I look at it, 12,000 obstacles.

I don't have $12,000-twelve thousand dollars... And it just so happens that neither do Kaleb or Keegan. After seeing a video and a PowerPoint presentation THEY REALLY WANT TO GO! They keep asking, “Can we go? We really want to go.” And how can I tell them no? I mean the People to People folks gave us the address to a fundraising website! A FUNDRAISING WEBSITE!

So we are gonna give it a try. I mean it really is an opportunity of a lifetime if they go.

If they go.

There is still a cry for help, and that is where you come in. You will be hearing from us. We will be telling you how we are doing and what the latest news is! We will be knocking on your door, calling you on the phone, emailing you, sending you snail mail and trying to sell you anything and everything that we can get you to buy from us.

Maybe my family will find just the right recipe for success.

-Durk-

Here is the new blog for Kaleb and Kegan's venture: http://twinfundraising.blogspot.com/

Accessories and Goodies for PPC6700

I wanted to provide an update or a review of sorts on how I have been using my super cool, I-can't-live-without-it Sprint UTStarcomm PPC6700 Pocket PC phone. I want to share some goodies that I have found that enhance my pocket PC (ppc) phone experience.

First I am going to talk about accessories. I have had two issues with my phone from day one: The phone case and the ppc stylus. The case that the phone came with sucks rocks. It is flimsy, it is not very protective and it is just plain terrible. But for the longest time there were no alternatives. There were no leather cases specifically for the PPC6700 and there were no hard cases available. That has changed! There are leather cases, they are big and bulky and you might just find one you like. But what I am falling in love with is BoxWave's Armor Case™. FINALLY an armor case SPECIFICALLY for the PPC6700! Check it out; it comes in 2 colors, silver and black and 2 styles, one for extended batteries and one for normal batteries. The armor hard case sells for about $25-$30.

My biggest gripe about the stylus is that it keeps falling out of the darn phone! It just slides right out and I lose it! I have lost about a half dozen. So I needed to (a) find them cheap and (b) find something that may be better. The Styra - Ballpoint Pen™ is the answer! It is a stylus and a writing pen all in one! I LOVE IT! You can find the pen stylus at boxWave or SUPER CHEAP from eBay. I bought a pack of 3 pen styli off eBay and the total price with shipping was under $8.00! ROCK ON!

Next I am gonna talk about services. These services are free and I use them quite a bit.

Freecycle.org & Phone email- I mentioned MSN email (msn.com's email or hotmail.com) in my PPC6700 Review. The PPC67oo is capable of receiving email from hotmail or MSN. And that is very cool and handy in and of itself. However, I have found a great organization called freecycle.org. They are a nation-wide organization that is made up of community organizations that recycle stuff for free (free recycle or freecycle). If you wish to get rid of clothes, furniture, junk, etc and you don't want to throw it away but want to give it to someone who can really use it (and you aren't looking to make a buck) then this service allows you to do that. And if you are looking to score free stuff to use (not to sell!) then this is the service for you! Usually the local community is ran by a team of folks that use Yahoo Groups (Kansas City metro: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kcfreecycle/). After you sign up you will receive emails from folks who are giving stuff away or from folks who are looking for stuff. You respond and then go get your free stuff! My neighbor picked up a riding lawnmower, A FREE RIDING LAWNMOWER. The owner thought that the engine was toast and gave it away. With just some slight tinkering with the starter my neighbor got it running! My neighbor also has picked up a stove, a rocking glider, a refrigerator and some power tools. There are some slight catches, one: you might get as many as 100 emails a day and two: you have to be fast! So here is where my ppc phone comes in. I check my emails on my phone and respond quickly! I am number 4 on a list to get a free side-by-side refrigerator with an ice and water maker FOR FREE!! I received a chair and matching ottoman today. They were in great shape. My miniature weiner dog loves the ottoman!

Business Connection- The PPC6700 is capable of supporting a business connection email account. You will need to check with your employer's email services. My company granted access and created a connection between my employer's email server and my phone. I can receive work email directly to the PPC6700! I don't use this during the day, but after hours or when I am not logged in to my PC I get emails pushed to my phone! I don't have to click send/receive, my phone automatically goes out every so often and downloads new work emails!

Audible Player & Checking out Audio library e-books- The PPC6700 comes with several programs specifically designed to get you to spend your money on their services. One of those programs is Audible Player. It is an audio book player that can connect you to a whole library full of e-books that you can download for a fee (NOT FREE) and listen until you have mastered a dummies book or listened to the latest mystery novel. Sounds decent enough and my co-worker and fellow PPC6700 owner, Clyde, gave me a demonstration and a mini review-HE LIKES IT (THANKS CLYDE!)! But my friend Jacquie told me about a better way! Checking out e-books from your local library! That's right folks! You can login and download e-books from the online library and save them on your PC, your pocket PC or an iPod or .MP3 player. FOR FREE. I would encourage you to check it out: Durk's Local Library

I still totally love my PPC6700! I am constantly finding new ways to use it: Finding maps to navigate to my destination on the fly and in the car! Getting online to verify if an older XBOX game is backward compatible on the XBOX360...WHILE IN THE STORE! Finding new backgrounds while watching a sunset. Installing a TV remote control-that's right I can change the channel with my phone! I was at a garage sale the other day and used my phone to see what the item was selling for on eBay. And the list goes on and on. And now I can better protect it with a case and find a cheap replacement stylus/pen.

-Durk-