I guess the first thing that should be asked is, does everyone know what a netbook is?  Just in case you don’t, this is what Wikipedia says:

The term netbook was re-introduced by Intel in February 2008 to describe a category of small-sized, low-cost, light weight, lean function subnotebooks optimized for Internet access and core computing functions (e.g., word processing) — either directly from applications installed on the netbook itself or indirectly, via cloud computing. More than 50 million Netbooks are expected to be in widespread circulation by 2011. Netbooks (or sub-notebooks as they may be known) typically come with a 7-inch to 10-inch screen.

When I think netbook I think about a device somewhere between my laptop, a Macbook Pro, and my iPhone.  Basically something I can take anywhere without weighing me down too much.  This is not a desktop replacement or something I would use as a primary machine.  I would use this as a change-of-pace laptop or something I would take on the road.

Of course something else has to be attractive about these small laptops and that something is price.  Two examples of this category is the MSI Wind and Asus Eee PC.  Both these systems can be had for $500.  That isn’t chump change, but it isn’t much more than a gaming console.  Be quiet and don’t tell my wife, but I’m eyeing the Eee PC and I have a birthday and Christmas coming up.

These machines may not hold all of your music, movies and other files – some actually do have a lot of space – but it will allow you to surf the internet, write a document and check email, all in a small easy to transport package.

Is this a fad or are is there value in this category?

Starting today, we’re beginning a new segment on 7DayBuzz.  It will be a simple question.  The question may be perceived as relevant, silly, stupid, irrelevant, biased, racial, etc.  However, the ultimate goal of the question is to be thought-provoking.  We at 7DayBuzz love to hear your comments, so please do not hold back your thoughts on the questions presented to you.  Okay, so here’s our very first question:

DOES MOLESTATION/SEXUAL ABUSE OCCUR MORE IN THE CHURCH?

NOTE:  This question is brought about due to the numerous cases brought against the Catholic church.  In addition, there are numerous gospel male artists/musicians who say they were molested when they were younger by someone within the church (i.e. Donnie McClurkin, Tonex, Darwin Hobbs, etc.)

The polls are in and both presidential candidates seem fit to run the country.  If whatever data was used to come to this conclusion proves to be accurate, thank goodness!  Both candidates seemed to do a pretty good job overall, but the news is so slanted and there are some things to note.

• There is an article on CNN titled “Round 1 In Debate Goes To Obama, Poll Says.”  This is all well and good until the article mentions the fact that most of the people polled were Democrats and even then Obama only have 51% of the vote.  I would actually think someone at CNN would look at this and not even bother to report it.
• At this point I think both candidates are coming at us from two different angles.  One is harsh, somewhat aggressive and I think bitter at times.  These actions, during the debate, follow how his campaign has been ran up to this point.  Basically, politics that lean towards the ugly side.  The other candidate seems to be smooth, even if some of his answers may be light.  He is the one who draws people in with his delivery and charisma.  The only question is, how is this going to play for the next four years?  Some may debate it, but we’ve had nearly 8 years of someone looking directly at the camera and blowing smoke.  Do we really want and/or need that anymore?
• I think it should be noted that Obama didn’t really want to mix it up directly with McCain.  I’m not sure of the gentleman’s name or title who ran the debate, but he sure was egging them on wasn’t he?  He wanted them to talk directly to each other and it just wasn’t happening like that.  Maybe things will heat up later, but last night seemed to be pretty civil.
• Are the vice-presidential debates going to be more information or entertainment?  I think plenty of people will be in front of the TV with popcorn ready.  Someone sure does have their work cut out for them preparing one of the vice-presidential candidates.  I’m not naming names, but you know exactly who I’m talking about here.

I think we have two candidates with different approaches and for this reason I don’t think there was a clear-cut winner.  Somebody tell me, does winning these debates really have that much of an impact on who is ultimately elected?

Let’s say someone is kidnapped and eventually killed. Multiply that and make that two people. This being the case, how long should the murderer be accountable for these crimes? Should a statute of limitation apply to someone who committed crimes like these? I say as long as that person is taking a breath they should have to pay for committing such crimes.

Well, James Seale did those things and it is possible that he may go free. This happened many, many years ago but his guilt doesn’t seem to be the issue here. The basic issue is he did these things a long time ago and should get a pass. His failing health is also being considered as if that makes it OK to let him be free. There has to be more to this right? Of course there is.

Seales was, or still is, a member of the Klu Klux Klan. Of course the two victims were black – they may have possibly been weighted down and thrown in the river alive. He wasn’t convicted when it happened, back in the 60s, because the police were believed to be Klan members. Is justice always just?

Not only should he do hard time, he should be sat down in a chair that is connected to some serious juice! I’m not saying this based on color, I’m saying this based on the crimes. He may have not been convicted – or even brought to trial – because of color and now the verdict was changed because of time and old age.

Does that seem right to you?

So, I just had a baby 6 weeks ago and of course, I want to get back to my pre-baby weight.  It’s a given that I have to exercise to lose weight, but the type of foods I eat and what I drink can also aid my weight loss venture.  So, I did a little research on the internet on the types of foods I think are healthy and boy, was I surprised.  I love turkey burgers and dried fruit and fruit smoothies because they taste good and I thought, for the health benefits.  I came across this website that had an article titled 14 Health Foods That Aren’t!  I was dismayed to see that turkey burgers and fruit smoothies and dried fruit was on the list of 14.  Below, I’ve listed why this article considers turkey burgers, fruit smoothies and dried fruit unhealthy.  In addition, I’ve listed two more thought-to-be healthy foods and their alternatives.

1.  Turkey Burger

850 calories
50 g fat

Eat this instead!

7-oz sirloin steak

350 calories
20 g fat

People hear turkey and automatically think lean and healthy, but depending on the type of ground turkey and toppings used, one of these poultry patties can be every bit as fatty and caloric as a beef burger. Sirloin, on the other hand, is one of the leanest cuts of meat available, which makes for an incredibly satisfying, protein-enriched meal that will keep you feeling fuller, longer.

2.  Fruit Smoothies

600 calories
120 g sugars

Drink this instead!

100% fruit smoothie

350 calories
75 g sugars

Many fruit smoothies contain added sugars and high-fructose corn syrup, which means they’re more milkshake than smoothie. The key here really is in the name: A 100% fruit smoothie made with plain yogurt instead of ice cream or sherbert will contain nearly half the calories and significantly less sugar, plus it will provide all of the vitamin and antioxidant capacity that a smoothie is supposed to have.

3.  Dried Fruit

175 calories
45 g sugars

Eat this instead!
Fresh fruit, like an apple or a peach

70 calories
15 g sugars

Okay, so dried fruit won’t totally derail a day of good eating (unless you put down an entire bag of banana chips), but it’s far from being a harmless snack. First, because the dehydrating process sucks most of the volume from the fruit, you can eat cups of the stuff, and 600 calories later, still not feel any fuller. More troubling, though, is the fact that companies like Sun-Maid and Ocean Spray almost invariably add a ton of sugar to the fruit, making Craisins closer to candy than Mother Nature’s original intention. In this case, the choice is clear: Stick to the real stuff.

4.  Granola Bar

200 calories
15 g sugars

Eat this instead!

1 oz cheddar cheese with Triscuits

150 calories
5 g sugars

Ever wonder what keeps a granola bar together? The makers of one of America’s favorite (and most misunderstood) snacks use mostly high-fructose corn syrup as their glue, which in turns quickly raises blood sugar and cancels out any of the potential benefits you might otherwise get from the oats. By switching over to good old-fashioned cheese and crackers, you swap out sugar and calories for protein and fiber.

5.  Bran Muffin

420 calories
20 g fat

Eat this instead!

Ham, egg and cheese on an English muffin

300 calories
12 g fat

Bran muffins are comprised of two things your body doesn’t want in the morning: sugar and refined flour. Both will work to spike your blood sugar, which signals your body to start storing fat and sets you up for a mid-morning crash. And with only trace amounts of fiber, there’s nothing healthy about this misunderstood muffin. The breakfast sandwich, on the other hand, is a surprisingly great way to start your day. Besides having fewer calories, fat, and carbs, it also offers about 20 grams of protein, which we really need in the morning to jumpstart our metabolism.

How convenient that it’s up to McCain to decide if “The Bailout” is passed.  According to the news reports, if McCain votes against the bill, he and fellow Republicans hope to be seen as as reformers against President Bush, which helps him counteract Obama’s assertion that it’ll mean another four years of Bush if McCain is elected.  If McCain votes for the bail out, he is seen as a champion for the little guy (i.e. average American). Looks like a win-win situation for McCain to me.  What do you think McCain will do?  Mark my words, this may be McCain’s first major decision as a president – even though he hasn’t been formally elected.  If I’m totally off base with my assessment here, follow up with this post after the election and let’s continue to this discussion…….

By us I mean the consumers who have to endure countless ads that often have no direct connection with the product being advertised.  Sure, during the Super Bowl companies come out with some pretty entertaining commercials, but other than that we just seem to be going through the same thing over and over again.

The latest commercials I wish would go away are presented to us by dear old Microsoft.  Now I have to admit to being slightly amused when Bill Gates does that little shimmy during the first commercial with Jerry Seinfeld, but since then I think the commercials are just too boring.  When you think about it, do those commercials provide any information whatsoever that would prompt someone or keep someone from buying the next operating system from Microsoft?  Computers and computer software isn’t really even mentioned so what’s the use anyway?

I started this mini-rant so I will tell you what the use is.  Microsoft had to come out with something that popped to compete with Apple’s ads.  I don’t know how Jerry Seinfeld does that and I don’t know what their latest commercials, where people claim to be a PC, actually do to further their cause either.  Speaking of furthering their cause.

Microsoft, in my humble opinion, has the most powerful marketing ever known to man.  They shouldn’t care that another company has whole 10% or whatever share of the market.  They are the giants of the computer industry and Apple has only made a small dent in their share of the market.  What other company can churn out so many flawed products and still have such a large share of the market.  What if Nike had the marketing of Microsoft?  Could you imagine a more powerful Nike with more of the athletic apparel market?  Well as popular as Nike is, having the marketing success of Microsoft would make them even more popular – that is pretty hard to imagine.

Commercials, on TV, are just played out to me.  God bless whomever has to feed their families by coming up with some of this stuff.  I guess they don’t realize how smart many consumers are today.  We have the Internet and we have so much product information at our fingertips, we would be crazy to just go out and buy something based on a dumb commercial.  Or would we?

Here is something to think about.  I would be willing to bet that many people in the TV business and advertising have a Tivo/DVR at home.  Think about that for a second.  Does that really make sense?  Hmmm.

• The United States is 11th or 12th on the list of countries with the largest oil reserves.  The top 5, from lowest to highest, are United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia – some lists have Canada in the top five.  For comparisons sake, the United States has around 21 billion barrels while Saudi Arabia has 265 billion barrels.
• The United States uses more oil than any other country.  In fact, the Unites States uses more than twice the oil, per day, than the next higher consumer of oil.
• The United States is the fattest nation in the world.  Walking and/or riding a bicycle to commute would help, but this isn’t always feasible when many people cannot afford to live anywhere near where they work.  With the current housing situation, this is getting worst.  It seems like we are stuck in a vicious cycle.
• Earlier this year we reached the 4,000 milestone.  In that 4th thousand, 53.6% were from IEDs, and 30% were from 18-21 years old.  Approximately 4, 168 men and women have been killed in Iraq.  Again, four thousand, one hundred and sixty eight men and women have lost their lives in Iraq.

Where can you find the following:

• One Asian guy
• One Old guy
• One black woman
• One, two, or three women who some would consider “hot”
• Possibly and probably one homosexual person
• One black guy
• At least one set of fake breasts
• One old woman

You can find all of that in Gabon.  You may be wondering where Gabon is right? I looked it up on Wikipedia and got the following:

Gabon (pronounced /g??b?n/ or /ga?bõ/ in French) is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea. The capital and largest city is Libreville. Since its independence from France on August 17, 1960, the Republic has been ruled by two presidents. In the early 1990s, Gabon introduced a multi party system and a new democratic constitutionnatural resources, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in the region, with the highest HDI in Sub-Saharan Africa. that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and reformed many governmental institutions. A small population (less than two million), abundant natural resources, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in the region, with the highest HDI in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Besides all that, Gabon is where you will find the latest cast of Survivor.  Yes, it has lost some of its luster over the years due, in my opinion, to how predictable it is.  Go to any town/city in the US and randomly pick 18 people.  Are they really going to fit that list above?  We understand reality TV (RTV so I don’t have to keep typing it) wants to hit several demographics, but how about just randomly picking some people who will make for an interesting show?

Survivor is probably the third big RTV show, assuming you think Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Qualifies after the Real World.  What is the state of RTV?  Are we ready to move away from this genre?  If we did, what would be left on TV?

More Survivor stuff to come.

It took six years for R. Kelly to “clear” his name.  On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, he chose to sit down with BET and discuss his trial and his acquittal.  Kelly said he is relieved that the trial is over and that his upcoming album would feature less of the sexually charged material that has come to define his multi-platinum career.  Kelly states, “I’m really trying to make this album a little bit different.” he said. “Take a little bit of the edge off, you know? And you know, clean up a few lyrics if I can, you know?

The 40-year-old performer was acquitted in Chicago in June of multiple child pornography charges. The verdict ended a six-year saga that began when a videotape surfaced of a man looking like Kelly having sex with a girl believed to be as young as 13. Kelly denied he was the man in the videotape, and the girl in the video never testified.  When asked if he likes teenage girls, Kelly replied, “When you say teenage, how -how old are we talkin’ …19?” “I have some 19-year-old friends,” he added. “But I don’t like anybody illegal, if that’s what we’re talking about …underage.”

Kelly said he was worried that he might be convicted.  “But at the same time I was very prayerful,” he said. “Verdict day …I couldn’t describe it and I wouldn’t wish it on …if I had a worst enemy, which I don’t.” When the innocent verdicts were announced, Kelly said he felt relieved that he would be able to see his three children -two daughters and a son- once again.

Despite the charges Kelly faced, he still managed to maintain one of the most successful careers of any artist, notching several platinum albums and hits during that period. His album, 12 Play 4th Quarter is scheduled for the fall.