One company keeping its promises, Riot Watch! returns to Bangkok and reality in reality television

- Don’t you love it when companies make lofty promises to the public and actually follow through on them? It’s freaking rare, but when that happens it’s a great day. Verizon Wireless made just such a promise when it vowed to bring 4G wireless broadband to rural America. At the time, it seemed like a reach. Now, it seems realistic because the nation's largest wireless provider is now in talks with rural wireless operators to expand its 4G network to consumers in distant, isolated areas of the country. At the heart of the expansion is $4.7 billion worth of spectrum Verizon acquired in the Federal Communication Commission's 700MHz auction in 2008. The company will build its next-generation wireless network using that purchase combined with a new technology called Long Term Evolution, or LTE. With that tandem, Verizon hopes to be in 25 to 30 rural markets by the end of this year. The only concern at this point is that the service hasn’t been declared field-ready, although the carrier has tested the system. One recent test in Boston recorded download speeds of 8.5Mbps and uplink speeds of about 2.8Mpbs, living up to Verizon's promise of speeds between 5 and 12 Mbps downstream. The initial promise of 4G wireless broadband service to rural America came a year ago, so Verizon is actually making good time on it. Tony Melone, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Verizon Wireless, made that promise at an industry trade show last year and was adamant about what it would entail. "The licenses we bought in the 700MHz auction cover the whole U.S.," Melone said. "And we plan to roll out LTE throughout the entire country, including places where we don't offer our CDMA cell phone service today." At the time, observers questioned how Verizon would reach the goal. Striking agreements with rural carriers to serve as a sort of proxy would obviously work, although negotiations are far from final at this point. The likely arrangement is for Verizon to license spectrum to local carriers for a small fee, with those carriers then reselling the 4G service to their customers. A side benefit for customers of those local carriers would be the ability to roam onto the rest of Verizon's 4G network. Setting up the hardware necessary for the 4G system could also be a small sticking point, but Verizon would likely work those issues out in individual contracts with carriers. No less than the FCC itself has touted the importance of 4G wireless broadband services in its National Broadband Plan presented to Congress in March. The plan, which spans the next decade, is aimed at providing broadband access to all Americans as a way of helping the U.S. catch up with other nations in terms of Internet access. "Bringing the benefits of mobile broadband to rural America is one the commission's top priorities," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Meredith Baker said in a joint statement Wednesday afternoon.
" The news of Verizon Wireless plan to partner with rural providers to accelerate investment in 4G networks is very encouraging.” Should you be one of those Americas who lives in an isolated area or know someone who fits that bill, this should be music to your ears, even if it’s not going to come cheap……….

- Normally I hate people who do things to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Usually, it’s either a) one no-life-having tool with nothing better to do than perform jumping jacks for 36 hours straight or b) a ginormous group of tools with nothing better to do than get together at the nearest public park and all perform the “Chicken Dance” at the same time. For that reason, the GBWR is one of the worst things to happen to society in the past century and yet, I’ve found at least one story that makes me think it’s not a total waste of time, energy and effort. The man responsible for that effort is Darwin Eaton of Tulsa, Okla. Eaton, like many older people, often goes to local Red Cross blood drives to donate. It gives them a place to congregate, get free cookies and get out of the house while also helping people in need. The difference when it comes to Darwin Eaton is that he hasn’t just been giving blood for a few years. No, dude has been stepping up and taking the needle for 60 - 60! - years. During that time, he has donated a whopping 41 gallons of blood. He’s actually on his way to 42 gallons, an amount that literally makes me a little queasy (I don’t do well with blood). For his efforts, the Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross will honor him as one of its "Everyday Heroes" at an event tonight. "I didn't start 'til I was 27 years old," Darwin Eaton said. "I worked for Warren Petroleum. Mr. Warren was a backer of the Blood Center." Even more amazing than the amount he’s donated is the fact that the Red Cross gives donors a card to record donations and Eaton has all of his, dating back to his first pint in February of 1949. His wife Georgia made him a sweet velvet sash to display all his donor awards. During his time as a donor, Eaton hasn’t missed a single year and that is another part of his story that the people at Guinness are focused on. In addition to his 41 gallons donated, 60 straight years of donating is also believed to be a record. Yet ask Eaton if he’s a hero for his efforts and he is quick to say no. "You get to lie down on the job, and you get rewarded for lying down," said Eaton. If the Red Cross’ figures are accurate, that a pint of blood can save three lives, then multiply Eaton’s 328-plus pints and that’s nearly 1,000 lives saved. Whether that makes him a record-setter or not, the world needs more people like Darwin Eaton and no one is more deserving of an award for helping others than him………..

- Riot Watch! Riot Watch! I keep going back to Thailand for riot stories and there’s a very simple explanation for it: The Red Shirts keep churning out ass-kicking riots and clashes with police that merit covering. Just when things seem to be simmering down and potential agreements appear imminent to quell the violence, things flare up in the most spectacular way. Today, the tense standoff between government troops and Red Shirt protesters in downtown Bangkok flared up again and the Red Shirts kicked it up a notch one day after the wounding of a key protest leader. Just like you don’t poke a sleeping bear with a stick, you don’t piss off the Red Shirts by shooting one of their leaders in the head and The Man forgot that valuable lesson Thursday. The result was violent confrontations that left five people dead amidst gunfire, tear gas, and stone-throwing. As the violence raged on, authorites feebly attempted to set a new deadline to seal off the Bangkok intersection where protesters have gathered by the thousands for the past month. Lots of success with that one, guys. The government continues to tell anyone who will listen that Thai forces are slowly getting control of the downtown area, which is more than a slight exaggeration. Sure, they are now firing off live rounds toward protestors and that’s scary, but you didn’t really expect the freaking Red Shirts to respect the ultimatum you threw down, did you Thai government? These great dissidents still believe that ousted Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should be in power and they’re not going quietly into this good night. Insisting that you are being attacked and mist engage the rioters sounds fine….until you realize how heinous and indefensible the government’s actions have been since taking power. They refuse to heed the will of the people and simply hold new elections, which is all the United Front for Democracy wants. Just look at the sweet, Spartan and rugged camp the Red shirts have forged near downtown Bangkok, a structure formed with bamboo pikes and rubber tire barricades. If that doesn’t scream angry, disenfranchised and ready to riot, I don’t know what does. Riot on, Red Shirts, because I’ve got your back as long as you want to keep this fight going…………

- It sure doesn’t sound like Notre Dame is eager to take the Big Ten up on a potential offer to join the conference and bring its football program along for the ride, does it? Not that anyone expected the Fighting Irish to give up their independent status and great shot at a BCS bowl game (without the pains of having to share that money with the rest of a conference) every year, but new head coach Brian Kelly looked to shovel more dirt on the idea when he spoke at a scholar-athlete dinner Thursday. He addressed the possibility of Big Ten, emphasizing how much he embraces the Fighting Irish's college football independence. “From my standpoint, being the head football coach at Notre Dame, there's nothing better than being an independent football school," the coach told the crowd . "I know you're hearing all these rumors about the Big Ten and all these other things, but let me tell you one thing, the history ... the tradition of Notre Dame football is steeped in that independence." Talk that Notre Dame was one of the four teams being targeted by the Big Ten (11) for expansion heated up after a Kansas City radio station reported Monday that the conference extended invitations to Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers to join its ranks. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany then went into full damage-control mode, making a point of contacting all four schools mentioned in the report to inform them that the report was inaccurate. Never mind that he was obviously lying when he made those calls and never mind that the Big Ten (11) desperately wants to expand from its current 11 members so that it can extend the reach of its cable network and add a league championship game ($$$$$$$$$$) in football. When Big Ten athletic directors and coaches meet for three days beginning Monday in downtown Chicago, you know they are going to be talking expansion and they are going to want to know where the process stands. As for Kelly…..my man, why don’t you focus on keeping your backup tight ends from getting busted for driving 83 mph in a 70 mph zone with pot in their car and less on the rumors that the Big Ten (11) wants you to join? Your challenge on the field will be large enough this coming season without adding any other burdens to your load………….

- When you see a person on a television show, one of the thoughts that typically comes to mind is, “I wonder if that person is the same in real life as they are on TV.” That is especially true when it is a reality show because nothing is less realistic, less authentic and true to life than reality television. Its scripted, fabricated nature is contradictory, hypocritical and bogus to the core, so any sign that there is, in fact, reality in reality television should be welcomed with open arms, right? Perhaps not so much if that show of authenticity is reality TV skank Heidi Montag doing……well, whatever it is that she does. From what I can tell, that conssits of getting plastic surgery, launching the most ridiculous and disastrous attempt at a pop music career in the past century, fighthing with her tool of a husband, fighting with her family, going on reality shows and generally contributing nothing of worth to the world. As such, the scene that unfolded at Montag’s Los Angeles home Thursday was pretty much the norm for this walking freak show. In short, she called police after her mother, Darlene Egelhoff, arrived at her Los Angeles home. "My mom showed up unannounced to my house when she knows I have no interest in seeing or talking with her," Montag, whined. "She tore my heart out on national television. She is just trying to create drama in my life." For those who don’t waste time or rot their soul watching "The Hills," Montag returned home to Colorado earlier in this, the final season of the show, to show off her new body after undergoing 10 plastic surgeries in one day. Her mother was predictably horrified by her daughter trying to become a real-life Barbie doll and said as much, leading to Montag’s aforementioned tool of a husband, Spencer Pratt, to declare on Tuesday's episode, that Egelhoff "decided to rape my wife emotionally." On Thursdayn Egelhoff showed up in L.A., possibly looking to make amends or at least speak to the carved-up skank that used to resemble her daughter. Police confirmed that she was turned away and that they were called to the scene. "Officers arrived on the scene and advised the mother that since her daughter is an adult, she doesn't have to speak to [the mom] if she doesn't want to," Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Leffew explained. "The mother said 'fine, no problem' and left. There were no citations or arrests." To cap off a true gem of a day, Montag fumed about the visit and went to a place I think none of us ever wants to go: threatening to slap her mother - with a restraining order. "I made it very clear that I want nothing to do with her in my life right now," she snapped. "I'm sick to my stomach she would even do something like this. She needs to stay away from me. I'm planning on getting a restraining order against her." For once, at least there is reality in what we see on a reality television show and that reality is frightening, soul-crushing and nauseating……….