Shaun Hoggan

This thanksgiving weekend the family and I had a great time visiting with Dave and Sterling’s family in Antioch.  Getting together with them reminds me of the great family I source from.  On Friday we went to the railroad museum in Sacramento.  Amazement crept into my soul admiring the huge engines and the fantastic work the museum had done in restoring the historical significance of these engineering feats.  Getting such a huge machine to push down the tracks at speeds in excess of 50 miles / hour is nothing less than a miracle.  The inefficiencies of those engines which ran on steam is incredible compared to the diesel engines of today. 

Doran lent me his treadmill from the eminent death most exercise equipment suffers in many garages around the world.  After loading the beast into the truck and hauling the monster to the our home in Pleasant Hill, I spent a couple hours cleaning off the cob webs and dust on the under used machine.  Taking the Edith chest and sitting chairs out of the office the treadmill fit nicely in the corner.  I was even able to put the Edith chest and two out of three sitting chairs back into the space with the pivoting tread in the up position so I only lost one sitting chair which never was used anyway.  To put the tread down I only need to move the remaining two sitting chairs with is not a big deal.

I have learned a sad truth which typifies my pitiful life.  Running seemingly was a chore before having the treadmill.   Deep concern set in knowing it was possible that an important communication might come across my email or a phone call would be missed.  Now that the treadmill is in my office the stress level has gone down because my computer and phone is within my sight. 

Ran 3 miles yesterday and 3 miles today, I am starting to think that I would like to run a marathon in the next year.

There was a time in my life where I could eat just about anything and it would either be converted into energy or just come out the other end.  After several months of eating ice-cream floats I have learned a great truth about the human body.  When a human enters this world their stomach is lined with a special non stick Teflon coating which lets the good stuff through and kicks out all the bad stuff.  Over time, the special non stick Teflon coating wears off and is not as effective as it was during ages 1-30. 

If you have ever go to your moms house and see the Teflon coated pan she received as a gift for mother’s day 10 years ago, which is still being used to cook eggs a couple times a week, you will know what I mean about the Teflon coating wearing off over time. 

It would seem that the older I get my body seems to retain more of the bad stuff which previously slid right past my Teflon coated stomach lining.  The only logical conclusion to my weight gain is that the Teflon coating in my stomach is wearing out.  I have heard of this condition in other “thirty something year old” friends of mine.  I see many ads in my junk inbox for weight loss programs and pills I could take to lower my weight.  These are obviously supplements to replenish the Teflon coating on the stomach.  It is not my style to take pills to solve my problems so I went running tonight. 

Ran 2.5 miles tonight, temperature was 53 degrees.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – (Nov. 15, 2007) – New Edge Networks today announced it has earned the Cisco Powered Network designation for its private wide area network services based on Multi-Protocol Label Switching, or MPLS, technology.

New Edge Networks, the business communications unit of EarthLink Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK), sought the Cisco Systems Inc. recognition to help demonstrate its expertise in building networks based on Cisco equipment.

In addition to using carrier-grade Cisco GSR 12000 series routers within its nationwide private network, New Edge Networks also uses Cisco 2811 and 1841 routers at the customers’ premises with its MPLS network designs. Designation is good for one year before New Edge Networks must resubmit proprietary network information for revalidation.

“The Cisco Powered brand is the ‘gold standard’ that business customers know and trust,” said Greg Griffiths, vice president of marketing for New Edge Networks. “It reassures current and prospective customers that the private MPLS services that New Edge offers are based on quality design and Cisco technologies for optimal compatibility and reliability.”

Communications providers with Cisco Powered Program designations also get access to specialized training, latest marketing intelligence on customer requirements, and forums for technical and marketing collaboration.

“The Cisco Powered Network Program is our premier partnering program for service providers,” said Al Safarikas, director of market management for Cisco Systems. “The goal of our recent program evolution is to help service providers like New Edge quickly and easily develop new services and revenue streams for a rapidly changing marketplace.”

Though New Edge Networks has used MPLS technology in its core national backbone for years, the company last fall began marketing private MPLS networks with up to five classes of service. This allows businesses to prioritize application data traffic over their private network from customer location to customer location.

MPLS technology allows businesses to manage diverse traffic types, support different network traffic patterns cost-effectively, and ensure business applications get the network performance they require. High-speed networks help businesses increase revenue, reduce operating costs, and improve overall customer experience through better service.

About New Edge Networks
New Edge Networks builds and manages private IP-based wide area networks that do not use the public Internet. Connecting business sites at virtually any address in the United States, New Edge allows businesses to choose any blend of available access technologies – from DSL and T1 lines to fiberoptic connections – for building private and secure MPLS networks with performance guarantees. A wholly owned subsidiary of EarthLink Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK), New Edge is based in Vancouver, Wash. For more information visit www.newedgenetworks.com or call 1-360-693-9009.

Contact:
Sal Cinquegrani
1-360-906-9723
1-847-420-1750 (cell)
scinquegrani@newedgenetworks.com