• doctorsknow.us - doctor info
• snapstream.com - video recording device

Imagine if you walked into a store, and they refused to serve you. It’s going on in doctor’s offices across the country because they are afraid of getting sued for malpractice. Doctors don’t like being questioned about their actions and are so fearful of getting sued that they have built a Web site showing the names of anyone who has been a party to a malpractice suit. Doctors can subscribe to this site, doctorsknow.us, to check for your name. They have decided whether to treat patients as a result. It’s true that some people have taken advantage of malpractice suits and lawsuits in general, but Clark thinks this is a severe overreaction. Just because some people’s names are on this list does not mean they don’t deserve medical care.

Personal video recorders such as Tivo and Replay TV have reached almost cult-like status these days. These services are expensive, though. Usually, people have to buy the device, pay a licensing fee of about $250 and pay a monthly charge to get the service. But companies are coming up with less costly alternatives that function just like Tivo using your home computer. Basically, you buy software and install it on your home computer, which becomes the brains of the operation. You can then buy adapters to hook up to your TV and you’re good to go. One of the products is called “Beyond TV3” and it costs $80. You can try it for a few weeks for free, and then buy it if you like it. It includes all of the functions of Tivo, plus a “skip commercial” feature. Clark is going to try out one of these services and let you know how it goes.

With all of the online shopping and surfing we do, people become prime candidates for receiving spam. Some people get as much as 1,500 spam mails a week. And spammers do this as their full-time job because people buy their products. On the weekends, even more part time spammers are on the job, annoying us with trash e-mail. Rival companies have gotten together to fight back, though. AOL-Time Warner, Earthlink, Microsoft and Yahoo have gotten together to file suits in California, Virginia, Washington and Georgia, and six lawsuits have been filed so far against the major spammers. At some point the tides will turn, and we will overcome spam. If people are bright enough to invent e-mail and the World Wide Web, we will come up with a way to stop spam. In the meantime, use the anti-spam software out there. And never buy any product you see in a spam e-mail or open mail you don’t recognize.

Criminals are skimming money from you in several ways when you use ATMS these days. First of all, independent ATMS that you see in convenience stores are very dangerous because the banking industry has no pre-cautions set in place on these machines. Criminals install these machines and, over several months, they capture information of the people who get money out of the machines. They also install these card “skimmers” in regular ATM machines. They capture the information using fake card readers and then with the information they steal all of your money. The third way they steal your money is to install cameras in the racks next to the ATM machine. The cameras capture your hand motions and then the criminals can read your secret code and empty your checking account. Even worse, when this happens banks shrug their shoulders and say there is nothing they can do. That’s why it’s so important to keep track of your checking account. Read your statements each month, and if something looks unusual you must bring it up with your bank immediately. Banks have a 10-day window to conduct an investigation and at least give you a temporary credit for your money.

Americans are getting bigger and bigger and soon issues involving weight will be the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Weight-related deaths will surpass smoking-related deaths, which accounts for a huge percentage of the mortality rate today. Part of the reason is the amount of food we’re eating in each sitting. Portion sizes are 200 to 500 percent larger than they were in the Eisenhower era, so people are seriously overeating. One way to reduce the amount you eat is to share entrees. Even if a restaurant has a plate charge, you can split your meal and still save money. It’s been proven that people will eat whatever is in front of them and they will finish it, regardless of the size. The other key is exercise. Walking briskly a few times a week for 30 to 45 minutes will keep the weight off. It’s not that difficult to take 30 minutes out of your day and walk around the block. It could save your life.

There are great opportunities right now to get a lower price or a lot more minutes on your cell phone. The cell phone industry is offering unlimited plans in growing numbers. And AT&T just announced its unlimited minute block will start at 7 p.m. If you work a normal day, that works perfectly. In addition, several companies are allowing unlimited free minutes between people on their same network. The big profit time for companies is weekdays during working hours. So that is the only time you will have to worry about when choosing a plan. Companies are also pitching family plans heavily these days. It might sound like a great idea if you have teenagers and you all want a cell phone. But teens can rack up massive numbers of minutes that can cost parents tons. Clark likes to recommend pre-paid calling cards for teenagers. That way you have some control. A few companies out there are virginmobileusa.com, and boostmobile.com. The local, unlimited plans are also good for teens because you can’t travel with the phone. Two of those companies are cricketcommunications.com and metropcs.com. Check those out. Cingular will soon start offering unlimited nationwide minutes as soon as it acquires soon-to-be-defunct AT&T Wireless. So, you have lots of options out there!