The Huntington Blue Eclipse is gone. Danyelle got a good deal to get out of her Eclipse and get into something a little more practical, a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. While it’s not an Evo, it’s got a lot of pep, better suspension and brakes, and looks pretty nice indeed.

 have been an Alton fan for quite a while, and recently purchased his first book. All I have to say is what Alton preaches is sound simple science. I used to be a fill-in chef at a Cybercafe in Georgetown DC, and always cooked food pretty good, but it was sometimes unpredictable.

My last two dishes where I applied Alton’s science behind cooking was simply remarkable. I did a salmon broil with Safflower oil, old bay, and salt, and it was one of the flakiest and tasiest salmon dinners I have ever created.

My latest dinner creation comprimised of a nice 13oz Top Sirlion I obtained on sale at my local mega-mart. Seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning and salt, I performed quick 1 minute searing to obtain a beautiful crust, and then into the 500deg oven. Where Alton’s steak on his show took about 4 minutes to cook, mine took about 10, which the thickness of the steak, and the fact instead of a cast iron pan I had a Calphalon skillet. The steak was nearly perfect, flavorful, juicy, and tender. I used to let my steak sit for about 3 minutes, and as predicted, it would sometimes not be so great because the juices did not redistribute. So I patiently waited 10 minutes, and, voila, perfection.

Thank you Alton. I loved to cook in the past, but you have armed me with sound science behind cooking, and I am cooking with a whole new joy.

 technique using plasma has created diamonds that are identical to earth-created diamonds. See the Wired article.

A long time coming
The DC Metro system has been planning for years an addition to the system, the Purple Line, the problem is, everyone’s vision has clashed. Inner lines, outer lines, loops, oh my. It seems as many people that ride the Metro system there are ideas.

Georgetown Branch Light Rail Project
Well it looks like after many years, there seems to be somewhat of a consensus, well at least a “first stage” of the project. If finances come through, there will be a light-rail connector from Bethesda to Silver Spring. There are still certain aspects on if it will be above ground, below ground, and there is a possibility it will be a Trolley Car system instead of the current light rail system WMATA uses.

This route would run on an abandoned part of the CSX rail system in the area known as the Capital Crescent Trail, a popular bike route. Naturally there are some opponents who are afraid to loose precious land. Other people that use this popular route feel that there can be positive sharing of the area. Only time will tell and plans drawn up will we see the full effects of this connection route.

The Trolley Car Debate
The trolley angle is a revitalization of an old idea that DC had until the 60’s. A light rail option that runs along side traffic. This might be an OK idea within the city proper, but I think running a trolley outside the city would not attract the rider ship necessary to operate. Combine that with the idea that people don’t want to have to switch services from light rail to trolley. I think even if owned and operated by Metro, they probably cannot merge the two different systems seamlessly. For starters the Bethesda Metro stop is underground. Do they propose having this same trolley underground? If not, how far away from the current Metro stop will it be? Questions like that puts serious doubt in my mind that a trolley link would be best in this situation. Others think different (Washington Post article).

Expanding the Purple Line
The Purple Line is supposed to be more than a single connector of two areas of the Red Line. Some original proposals called for the Purple Line to run adjacent to the Beltway, but this first connector of Bethesda and Silver Spring ensures that there will be serious deviation from that plan. Others hoped that the Purple Line would go well beyond the Beltway, encircling the area and touching the furthest stations. That vision is not what the Metro systems needs to thrive. The system must connect important areas of commerce, residential, and government so people have valid choices to get to work.

Conclusion
Serious debates and decisions must be made soon to get the Purple Line on course and completed to help increase rider ship and give real solutions to traffic congestion. The Purple Line is only one element to make this happen. Other big projects like the Orange Line extension to the Dulles Corridor, expanded rail service in DC proper, expansion of the Red Line to at least Germantown, and increased parking are some items from a long laundry list that must be implemented to make the most out of the system.

Addendum: The Shady Grove Metro (Red Line Stop)
The Shady Grove Metro stop is a highly used stop that is accessable from I-270, I-370, Shady Grove Rd, and Rt. 355. This stop takes the majority of riders who take very long drives just to get to that station.

I have a huge gripe on how Metro does not address the needs of the Red Line beyond the Grosvenor stop. For starters, they run every other train to Grosvenor and Shady Grove as their terminus, but more trains are needed to accommodate the volume of passengers all the way up to the Shady Grove stop. A large amount of passengers that ride the Grosvenor train get off at Grosvenor or Medical Center to catch the train to Shady Grove, but space is very limited. In the morning, the train is standing room only by the Bethesda stop till at least Metro Center (where I get off). On the way back you are almost guaranteed it’s standing room only for the entire 45 minute ride to Shady Grove. Why not run more frequent trains to the Shady Grove stop? Why not stop using Grosvenor as a terminus during rush hour? Why not run every three minutes instead of the six minute wait?

Another gripe is how the Shady Grove station is designed poorly. Whether it’s due to the miscalculation of riders using that station, or if they really plan to continue the line north to Gaithersburg, Germantown, or even farther, I am unaware of any of those efforts. During the evening rush hour, I would classify the off-loading of passengers as dangerous. There is only one area to go down a level to go through the gates. This area has two escalators separated by stairs in the middle. Problem is the volume is so heavy, this exit area is dangerously overfilled. Passengers traveling up the escalators has the virtually impossible task of weeding through the off-loading passengers to board their train. The solution is to create a second point of exit from the platform to dissipate the crowd. This must be addressed immediately to address safety concerns and the quality of service.

The world suffered a tragic loss today. The Space Shuttle Columbia has disintegrated while on approach to land.

Just for those who don’t know, FOX owns Speedvision and wants to turn it into the NASCAR channel. I for one would be very unhappy if this happens…

from the Business Journal:

Sports network needs home for new NASCAR effort, by Erik Spanberg Senior Staff Writer

Fox Sports has quietly begun scouting Charlotte-area sites for its proposed NASCAR cable network headquarters, eyeing a February launch coinciding with the Daytona 500. Area real estate sources say Fox wants as much as 50,000 square feet to house the network. Target sites include Huntersville Business Park, home to Joe Gibbs Racing and other teams, and Twin Lakes Business Park.

“It certainly would make sense (to have a Charlotte headquarters) from a lot of perspectives,” says Paul Brooks, NASCAR vice president of broadcasting. “Because so many drivers and teams are in that area, it would make producing and creating the shows much easier.” Brooks says the presence of Charlotte-based NASCAR Images, an archival video source, also works in the area’s favor. NASCAR Images is jointly owned by NASCAR and Fox.

The idea for a NASCAR network began two years ago, when the stock-car sanctioning body completed a $2.8 billion broadcast contract with Fox and NBC/Turner. That deal began this year. With viewership at an all-
time high, Fox and NASCAR executives have again turned their attention to starting a cable channel.

The plan is to convert Speedvision, an existing cable network reaching 41 million households, to the NASCAR Channel. By comparison, The Golf Channel, launched in 1995, reaches 37 million homes. A name hasn’t been selected, but it is expected to include NASCAR. NASCAR has already licensed its name to Fox for a motorsports cable channel.

Fox parent News Corp. owns a third of Speedvision and is negotiating for an 80% stake with other shareholders. David Hill, Fox Sports chairman, says the deal should be finished by August. “We haven’t finished the acquisition yet,” Hill says. “I don’t think the ink’s dry on the paper until August so we can’t do anything yet. We’re doing a heck of a lot of planning.”

Industry experts say the revamped Speedvision will emphasize NASCAR while incorporating other forms of racing and automotive collectors’ shows. Speedvision generates $75 million per year in revenue, with annual advertising gains of 40% to 50% the past five years. It became profitable last year.

So let’s do what we can to keep it from becoming the Nascar Network!

I had great initial experiences with WingspanBank. I had problems with my Chex Systems report so I could not open an account anywhere else. As soon as I signed up I was very pleased with the service. No fees, ATM rebates, quick Website access.

But over the past few months, I have been disappointed. They started a $10/mo fee for checking accounts having a balance under $1000. They started charging $6.95 for Bill Pay. Their Website began taking major performance hits. But the straw that broke the camels back was the letter I got from them on 6/29/2001:

I am writing to inform you that our parent company and nation’s fifth-largest bank holding company, Bank One, will be integrating WingspanBank.com into its other Internet initiatives to provide a better and broader banking experience for all of its customers.

As a part of the integration process, we will be transitioning WingspanBank customers to bankone.com this fall. During the next several weeks, you will receive detailed information both by e-mail and regular mail about the transition.

The Internet will continue to play an increasingly important role for all of us, and we will do
everything possible to provide you with a superior online banking experience. We appreciate your loyalty and are committed to keeping you in the Bank One family…

Well if you check epinion’s rating on BankOne (one whole whopping star) you can see I am not excited to be part of BankOne. And with Chex Systems problems still lingering, I might not have a option to bank elsewhere. I just hope I don’t get fee’d-to-death.

Overall, I can no longer reccomend WingspanBank.

Preface
Who needs credit? Unless you make over $1,000,000 a year and afford everything in cash, you do. There is no way to escape it, you need credit. It’s inevitable. You need a house someday, you are bound and determined to buy a new car, unless you have tons of money in your checking account, you need a credit card.

I am defiantly not the poster child for good credit. Over the past 7 or so years, I made horrible mistakes; Some intentional, some not. The following article will dwell on the vast experiences I had with various businesses and services. Hopefully this information will better inform people what to stay away from and what is critically needed for your financial future.

Student Loans. Don’t slip on them, especially now
I obtained a Stafford Loan from a well known bank in 1993 to help with my expenses to go back to college. Little did I know that the amount that I got wouldn’t even be close to all what I needed. So after a semester of college, I ended up having to quit. The loan that was meant for one full year ended up to be for one semester, and I still owed about $500.

After six months you are expected to start making payments on these loans. Did I, nope. Why? Because of stupid arrogance. Needless to say I defaulted on the loan and was submitted to New York State Higher Education. Not being in work didn’t help in negotiation but they decided that I could afford to pay $25/mo. Did I pay? Nope? Why, again foolish arrogance. I had the mentally that I would be paying forever on a small loan. Little did I know that I could send $5/mo and it would have paid down on the loan.

So finally in 1998 I got a Federal Guaranteed Loan and by a stroke of good luck (which at the time I thought it to be bad luck) my NY State Income Taxes got seized and was fully applied to the loan. This did help me in a big way because I no longer would be paying interest on the loan, and the amount I owed on the loan got cut by 75%. So now I am making $25 payments on a loan that technically I don’t have to make a payment on for another two years. This helped me to put a crucial positive mark on my credit.

I got lucky out of this whole situation. New federal laws passed allow student loans in default to be on consumer’s credit indefinitely. Moral of the story here is don’t default on your loans. Make as much of a payment as you can, even if it is $5. Most important is communication. Contact your bank, college, state, whomever gave you the money and let them know if you can’t make the normal payments. You would be surprised what a little communication will take you.

Car Notes. The higher the amount the better
Some people will think that I am crazy on this one, but there is a method to my madness. When applying for a car, whether a lease or loan, the MSRP on the vehicle plays a crucial role for your credit.

Allot of people don’t know that one determining factor in apply for credit is what is deemed your “high credit”. And since for most people, next to a house, your car is you most expensive possession. The higher your “high credit” the higher your FICO score and the greater likelihood you will get the credit you deserve.

Bad marks are not necessarily against you
Just because you have missed a payment, doesn’t mean you won’t get credit. Some (not all, some) creditors not only look at you good v. bad marks, but they also look at your past six, twelve and twenty four months of credit history specifically. So if you have bad marks from 3-5 years ago, it will count against you, but not nearly as bad as bad marks from 3-5 months.

Credit reports seem to be a total “information docket”
Like it or not, not only is credit reported in these databases, some agencies also track your criminal history, legal history, job history, residential history and so on. There really should be a law against this but as of 2001 there is not.

Remember that some services like insurance companies and even your job can request a credit application (with your signature of course) to score your worthiness. It’s not right, but again, it’s not illegal.

Order your reports often
With the above paragraph in mind, it should make you run out and order all three credit reports. Misinformation, stolen identity and stuff you thought would never come up can and in allot of cases will. I was in the process of paying off my last debt considered a bad mark and along came two new marks (one not of my doing).

You should make it a habit to order your reports at least every six months. These reports should always be free, but unless you live in Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey or Vermont, where you are eligible for a free copy of your credit report ordered by phone or mail every year, you have to fess up $1.00 - $8.50 to see your standard credit report. You can view your report online for $8.50 with Equifax and even get your FICO score for a little additional cost. A small cost for such an important piece of personal information.

Repair your bad credit. Can we say scam?
There are some shady individuals and some companies that claim that they can instantly erase all bad items of credit. Unfortunately this is illegal big time. The practice it called Credit File Segregation and how it works is they obtain a “Employer Identification Number (EIN)” that are set aside for businesses. Problem is most creditors will recognize this and flat out deny your application.

My ID has been compromised
There are several types of credit fraud, many of which involve the illegal use of your credit card numbers, or setting up new accounts in your name. If you suspect ANY improper or illegal activity is taking place, immediately contact each of the credit grantors with whom you have credit.

If they determine that you are indeed a victim of credit fraud, they will give you the phone number to the credit agencies fraud department.

Bankruptcy, they shelter no more
Bankruptcy used to be a last resort for many individuals who were tempted by greedy credit card companies and 2nd and 3rd mortgages on heir homes. Many of these people that get in trouble like that used to be able to seek shelter from the tremendous burden of overwhelming credit. Now don’t give me wrong, they are still responsible, if only on a mental level. But the tactics of some creditors didn’t help the situation, and they too should be held accountable.

Now with Mr. Bush sitting in the big chair, the Bankruptcy laws are about to change in a big way. Thanks to the pandering and contributions of the big creditors like MBNA, he’s about to sign into law a revamped plan that will hurt most low-middle income people in need of this shelter, while not doing much against corporate welfare (read a good CNN article about this).

So it looks like the hay-days of bankruptcy for the common individual person is no more.

Conclusion
Credit in America is easy for many to get, and far to easy to overspend living the American dream. Some credit agencies will go to great lengths to extend you credit that will more likely harm you then help you. With some resolve, you can massage the system and make it work for you rather than against you.

Useful Links and Contact Info

Equifax (https://www.econsumer.equifax.com/)
Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc.
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
By phone, call 1-800-685-1111

Experian (http://www.experian.com/product/consumer)
Experian National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
By phone, call 1-888-397- 3742

Trans Union (http://www.transunion.com/)
Trans Union
Post Office Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
By phone, call 1-800-888-4213

After many wonderful years driving her 1994 Audi 90S, my girlfriend and I decided to part with the car and get into something sportier. My girlfriend set her sights on a Eclipse GT with the Sun and Sound package. Built one on the Internet and decided this is what we wanted, Great choice, but we chose the wrong dealer to do business with.Wednesday, April 4, 2001. The test drive.
We travel on Rt. 15/501 to Triangle Mitsubishi. A “on the surface” nice little dealership on Durham. We hunt around and see a Silver Eclipse GT with the Sun & Sound package. Our salesperson comes up, Steve, and introduces us to the car. She test drives and know this is the car to get.

So we head back to the dealer and start working the numbers. We didn’t have the Audi on hand because this trip was spur-of-the-moment. After about 30 minutes or so he comes up with $308/mo with ‘A Tier’ credit. We are like cool, cheaper that what we are paying on the Audi. So we head home, wax the car and in a couple days head back to the dealer.

Saturday, April 7, 2001. The Audi gets appraised.
We come back Saturday with the Audi all waxed up, looking all nice. We knew that the Kelly Blue Book high-value of the car is $4600. We also know that the dealers “Black Book” value is somewhere in the range of $3000. The salesperson comes back after the test drive and plunks new numbers down on us. $425/mo with $1000 down and $1500 on the trade in. Um, these weren’t the numbers we were quoted originally. And why so low on the trade in? Well they claimed that the car stalled on them in the test drive (a mystery to us because the only time that car ever stalled was when it ran out of gas once) and it would need $2000+ in repairs. Furiously we began to walk out when they started to convince us on a lease. They rework the numbers and come out with $389.99/mo (12k miles/yr) + $1000 pending on ‘A Tier’ credit. Not too terrible. So we come home, and call back Triangle Mitsubishi to go ahead with the deal.

Monday, April 9, 2001. We get the Silver Eclipse.
Monday at around 5:30pm, we head over to pick up the Eclipse. We get there, wait around about 1½ hours and finally get to the paperwork. During that time I ask at least a dozen times that all the numbers were final, which I was assured they were. We signed what seemed to be n unimpressive amount of paperwork (the lease, odometer reading and the $1000 check down payment. We drive off in a new Sterling Silver Eclipse GT.

Tuesday, April 10, 2001. Bait and Switch APR begins.
We get a call from Steve the salesperson that we were not approved for ‘A Tier’ credit and that the payments would go up. We get very distraught about this because we thought that the paperwork was all finalized. We would have never left the dealership with the Eclipse if the numbers wern’t final. Our salesguy says call him tomorrow when the other financial person comes in, and “he’ll see what he can do”. Needless to say we don’t even sleep Tuesday night, contemplainting what we can do.

Wednesday, April 11, 2001. It’s final. Or is it???
Both me and my girlfriend take the day off, due to stress and lack of sleep and worrying about the car. We get a call from Steve reassuring us that it is taken care of.

Thrusday, April 12, 2001. Salespeople quit, numbers change.
I call Steve in the afternoon asking if the paperwork is all final and he says not quite yet, that the FedEx truck hasn’t made it to the dealership yet and that he will call later that night. At 7:30pm I call back only to find out Steve quit!

We end up talking to the owner and he says again that we were not approved for ‘A Tier’ credit and that the payments will rise. We start contemplainting again what we can do. It felt like a wicked rollercoaster that we couldn’t get off. We decide we will head to Leith Mitsubishi in Raleigh and see if we can get a better deal. Reguardless we will be taking the Silver Eclipse back to Triangle Mitsubishi and reclaim the Audi.

“Good” Friday, April 13, 2001. Finally, a deal!!!
We head to Leith Mitsubishi in the morning and tell them the whole situation. They say that we probably wont get ‘A Tier’ credit, but they can come up with better numbers. And they sure did. $413/mo (15k miles/yr) with ‘B Tier’ credit. We say cool, head over to Triangle Mitsubishi and give them back the Silver Eclipse, and bring the Audi to Leith. They give us $4000 for the trade in and end up giving us a fully equiped Huntington Blue Eclipse GT, worth $2000 more.

When we sign the paperwork, it’s a whole different situation. The typical cornocopia of paper expected in a car deal is in front of us. Much different than Triangle.

Beware shady dealers.
Well we have certinaly become the wiser when it comes to car deals. Turns out that Triangle Mitsubishi used to be Durham Mitsubishi with a slew of BBB complaints, so do extensive research!!! Make sure before you head out the door that you have fully signed documents from the dealer and that they are not taking you on a trip like we did.

The bad guys:
Triangle Mitsubishi
3601 Chapel Hill Rd.
Durham, NC 27707
919.489.2408
(go ahead, call and complain to them)

The good guys:
Leith Mitsubishi
5401 Capital Boulevard
Raleigh, North Carolina
919.872.1011
800.635.3433

Well let me start this column with my main argument. Back in early 200 I noticed on one of my credit reports reporting two items of bad credit stating that I owe Perimeter Credit a combined $2154.96. This came as a total shock because I had never heard of Perimeter before and there was little information about the debt.Later on I had discovered that Perimeter was a collection agency acting on the behalf of Bally Total Fitness. I never used the service, and was led to believe when I originally canceled the service that it would be no problem. I am fighting them to get both of these credit marks off my report. Further relief would be nice, like closing down their facilities because of the tactics that they use to lure people into signing into their “membership” (which is actually a loan, but they love to leave that part out).

The Dispute

A friend and I joined the Rockville MD branch of Bally Total Fitness (BTF) in March or so of 1999 in Rockville MD. Within a month, and never once using the facilities, we both decided to cancel the service because we were moving to Upstate NY and the nearest Bally was well over 100 miles away. So I contacted BTF stating what was going on and they said just write a letter that you are moving to that area, including the new addresses and that’s it. I though this was acceptable and never thought about it again.

It’s really a loan

One thing that needs to be made perfectly clear about Bally Total Fitness is not only are you signing a contract to use their facilities, but you are literally signing documents that are in essence a credit application for a loan, a loan in the case where you are committing to a number of years for their services in exchange for guaranteeing them payments.

Be aware I was never informed that the document I signed was a credit application for a loan. The salesperson stated it was an application for membership, that is it.

The Surprise

Fast forward to June 2000. I order all 3 of my credit reports just to keep track of my credit history, and I see 2 items for “Perimeter”. I never even heard of Perimeter until I did research and found out they were Bally credit collectors. About a day or two after I get my credit reports, I get 2 statements from Perimeter saying I owed them $1077.48 x 2. Apparently the credit report order triggered their response. They included my friend’s account on my credit because I paid the initiation fee! Mind you I never signed any document on my friends application.

So I call Perimeter and get the run around. Then I call BTF and finally get a hold of someone who says to dig up 1999 info about my relocation. They state that I need a utility bill, a bank statement or a rent agreement for proof.

Problem 1: When I moved I moved to my family’s house, I never received a utility bill and did not have to pay rent. Oh yeah, I didn’t open up a new bank account in the area because I was planning to leave soon.

Problem 2: It was 7/2000, and I have virtually no info from 1999 in my records.

So I dig through all my records and can’t find much at all. But one thing I notice, PERIMETER SENT ME THE BILL TO MY NY ADDRESS. It must be proof! I also found an old student loan bill and my federal tax forms with my old NY address, and the original letter in 1999 I sent to BTF explaining my relocation, and mail it out in early November.

The Run-A-Round

Got a letter from Bally on 11/29/2000 stating the information I sent was not proof enough of my relocation. They reiterated that the only acceptable items are a Utility Bill or a Bank Statement. Who in the hell makes these rules??? I sent the 2 federal documents, my 1999 1040 tax form and my federal student loan. And what about the Perimeter Credit bill? They concluded that “that is what they are there for, to hunt you down to pay a debt”. So I responded “so if they found me there, then I must have lived there”. Again they stated their only acceptable proof is the Utility Bill and a Bank Statement.

They were so rude to me on the phone that I must have yelled at least twice. The “manager” that I was speaking to (Miss Smith) would not budge on the proofs of id. She simply stated it was no longer in her hands and that I must seek relief with Perimeter Credit. When I told her that Perimeter would not budge until BTF would give the go ahead to take it off my report, she said “oh well, looks like you are going to have to pay them.

Maryland Attorney General Intervention

I have decided to stop fooling around and become sick over this dispute. I contacted the Maryland AG’s office on 12/1/2000 to state my case and send them all the information I have on the matter. Since I opened the “account” in MD, and their East Coast HQ is in Baltimore, they saw no problem trying to seek relief.

Resolution! (update 12/20/2000).

Thanks to a posting I did to “The Complaint Station”, I received a e-mail from a Jerry Hoff in the California office. I told him the whole situation and he agreed that they and Perimeter should no longer be pursing the claim. They, effective immediately, canceled the accounts and are in the process of contacting Perimeter Credit to remove this claim off my credit report. I also received a fax about a hour after talking to Jerry showing that the accounts have finally been canceled. Woo Hoo! Thank you Jerry Hoff!

Useful Links and Contact Info

Scores of people are having the same difficulties with BTF and Perimeter. It’s gotten bad enough that there a couple of good websites with information and complaints about BTF and Perimeter:

• Fed Up with Bally Total Fitness (great postings of complaints!!!)
• Consumer Complaints
• US v. Peremiter Credit (wayback archive)
• About Bally Total Fintess

Bally’s address for the Baltimore HQ:

Bally’s Total Fitness
PO Box 42013
Baltimore MD 21284

Bally’s “manager” Miss Smith’s phone number:
800.303.9487 x.4326

The Maryland Attorney General’s address:
The Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore MD 21202
(410) 576-6300 / (888) 743-0023 / TDD: (410) 576-6372
E-mail: OAG@oag.state
website: http://www.oag.state.md.us/