EDITOR'S NOTE

_Dear Friends,_

I am still shaking off the effects of the long night of election returns and the emotional high of the historic moment we have been privileged to witness. As I watched Barack & Michelle Obama and their daughters walk onto the stage in Grant Park in my home town of Chicago, I was overcome with strong emotions and memories. My thoughts immediately went to my three grandchildren who, as African Americans, are the newest generation and our future. I know that as I talk to them about the future, my words to them carry so much more meaning. I have the ultimate example when I tell them that they can be anything that they want to be, even the President of the United States. I can point to Barack and say, “see, look at that family–it is just like your family.”

To think about the struggle that led to this pinnacle is mind-boggling to me; I remember working in the Civil Rights movement in the ’60s, hanging out with my friend Ken Boozer, and talking about what could/should be–and just trying to understand what it was like to be a young black man. I remember going to Martin Luther King Jr. speeches, meeting him and shaking his hand and then watching him change the consciousness of a nation. What a momentous time for all of us and for the world. I was chatting with some of our suppliers in the far east and they were thrilled with the election. My wife watched the returns in Australia while she was on vacation, and the Aussies were excited, too. Hope is a heady thing.

In addition to the Apple financial report for the quarter that came out a couple weeks back, Apple also released their 10-K filing to the SEC for their Annual Report. (Remember that Apple’s fiscal year ended at the end of September.) One of the highlights of that report was a significant increase (42%) in research and development expenditures. While some of this may be one-time charges, it is an indication that Apple will continue to innovate to grow, even in a down economy. You can see the whole report at:

http://tinyurl.com/5np8gm

There is also an interesting section that talks about the risks of a down economy and how the strengthening of the US dollar might impact Apple’s rapidly expanding international market. The report gives you a great insight both into Apple’s plans and the depth of analysis that Apple uses to assess its operational future.

Undoubtedly, November 4 was the most important day nationwide in 2008. I wanted to be a part of that somehow, so I decided to volunteer at the local City Clerk’s Office on Tuesday.

When I arrived at 9AM, the energy was already high. Outside, there were picketers, TV crews and various political hopefuls to greet the voters who came in to cast their votes. Volunteers were ready with their “I Voted” stickers, and people were milling around everywhere.

Once inside, there was a lot to do: over 2,000 absentee ballots needed to be opened, counted (many times double- and triple-counted) and recorded, the ballot-feed machine needed to be emptied, voters needed to be checked in, ballots needed to be handed out and we needed to just be generally available to assist with the process. The day went amazingly smoothly–by about 2PM, more than 3/4 of Washington County’s registered voters in the Montpelier Disctrict had already had their ballots counted.

Since I spent a great amount of time working with the absentee ballots–including hand-transferring the emailed ballots onto the official ballot paper–I got to see how many people voted. Every ballot was anonymous by this point–someone elase had already recorded the absentee voter’s name onto the master list of registered voters, and yet someone else had opened the envelope and put the ballot in a pile (we were an assembly line of about 7 people–a well-oiled machine after a handful of ballots!). It was fascinating to see the voting trends (or seemingly lackthereof); it reminded me of the multiple-choice standardized tests I took in high school after a while!

I was able to do this as part of Small Dog’s Volunteerism Initiative, wherein each employee is mandated to take a (paid) day to volunteer in the community each year. It means a lot to Don to give back to the community, and this is a way that people can do their part without what may be the largest deterrent–sacrificing their pay. I have done a fair amount of unpaid volunteer work in the past, and the bottom line is that it just feels good, and it’s the right thing to do. I’m encouraged to go beyond this one day a year–no matter how busy I may feel–and be more active in community endeavors and volunteerism in the future. With that said, I’m already planning on 2010…

Check out our Flickr page to see some photos from my day at the polls: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smalldog/

Find out more about Small Dog’s programs: http://www.smalldog.com/about

In later versions of iTunes, little arrows appear next to songs when they’re highlighted. Normally, when you click on these arrows, you’re directed to the iTunes store where you can browse related albums and songs. I recently discovered that these arrows can actually help you browse your own iTunes library. Simply hold down the Option key while clicking the arrow next to a song, and iTunes will show the albums with that song. Option-click next to a performer’s name, and iTunes will show all songs by that artist.

By using the Option key, the iTunes arrows are actually somewhat useful!

View specials while on-hand supplies last. Please note that some specials may not be available in our retail stores; check for availability. Also,…

*Start Soapbox*

California, Arizona and Florida all passed laws outlawing same-sex marriage on Tuesday. Small Dog Electronics had joined Apple in opposing this proposition that legalizes discrimination against one group of people. It is a slippery slope and a workplace issue that deserves our attention. I have been active in similar efforts here in Vermont and helped to pass a policy resolution for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility that states unequivocally:

__”The people of Vermont have long aspired to live together under fair laws that recognize our equality and common humanity. As business leaders, we support the freedom to marry in Vermont. We understand that strong businesses thrive in strong communities. We know that our ability to recruit the most talented employees depends on our ability to attract them to a state with fair and inclusive laws. And we understand that Vermont’s national leadership in civil rights is an important part of who we are as a state. Because marriage is a basic human right and an individual choice, we support full civil marriage for same-sex couples.”__

This issue is one of basic human rights. Couples, whether straight or gay should enjoy the same rights regardless of their sexual orientation. It is a matter of civil rights and equal protection under the law. Perhaps all marriages should become civil unions in the secular society and marriage itself should be a strictly optional label that could be governed by religious or other organizations. The key element, however, is that the rights granted under law should should be identical.

I know that this issue will come up again and hopefully, soon will be resolved intelligently and one more excuse for bigotry and prejudice will be put on the scrap heap of discrimination.

*End Soapbox*

The previous-generation MacBook Pros are going fast. These are brand new, offer nice matte displays, and have a time-tested, reliable design. We’ve upgraded…