The next to last post was satire/parody of course…something I’m always fond of. And that makes me think of MAD magazine. There was a brief mention of that magazine in today’s paper and the date of its founding, 1952. I would have been 12 years old at the time and I remember seeing those first issues while viewing the great selection of comics at Stuarts Pharmacy in Manhattan Beach. When the magazine debuted, it was published/edited by William Gaines and my favorite cartoonist from those pages was Will Elder. Great stuff!
“In October 1952, William M. Gaines and E.C. Publishing brought out a new comic book, priced at 10 cents ("Cheap!"), titled "Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad," and sub-titled “Humor in a jugular vein” which at first just made fun of other comic books.”
But, by 1958, it was all over for me; as the artwork degenerated (I think Elder left) and the humor became sophomoric. (Was it always?) I really think it’s the artwork that draws me to Bizarro…there’s a lot more in the drawings than first meets the eye. And with Elders work, I remember staring at one panel for a very long time to be certain that I hadn’t missed a single item.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Funny Stuff
OK, I understand that Bizzaro is not for everyone...but I still want to share yesterday's comic.
The Bee
I guess it’s time for me to go and look for the newspaper, before the poorly wrapped paper is a soggy mess. Of course there is no rain on the internet news and I never have to deal with weather related issues when reading it. I should (logic tells me) end my subscription to the newspaper and go electronic for all that I need to know. But there’s something comforting about holding that piece of cheap paper in my hands. Why is that? It seems to make the news more believable, as if the combined labor of the hundreds of people employed by the Sacramento Bee has given it validity. They wouldn’t put that much effort into delivering it to my driveway if it wasn’t valuable…would they?
The Library is Open
Wednesday morning is here again. And the forecast is for more rain; the usual. This is becoming tiresome. So it was exciting to read that tomorrow we can expect sunshine for the entire day. In fact, the forecast doesn’t mention precipitation for al least 3 days. Yippee!
OK, back to the reality of the moment…it will rain today and that’s the best we can expect. What to do? I have a couple of boxes filled with books destined for the on-line sales. I should try and reduce that number to just one box. And I have a box filled with books that needs to be placed in the racks now that they are in the database. One of those, a weighty volume on physical medicine and rehabilitation priced out at $120; that’s the most expensive one I have ever dealt with.
When we first joined the Orland Friends of the Library, we were surprised at the size and scope of the organization. They gather up used books from a wide area, sort them, and then sell them at two, week long, book sales each year; Spring and Fall. Whenever the sorters find books that might be valuable, they set them aside and I research those to price them for on-line sales. They bring in close to $700 a quarter this way, and adding that to the other book sales gives the organization many thousands of dollars each year to buy more books and equipment for the Orland Free Library.
It’s always sad to hear about the many public libraries that are on the “endangered” list and closing. It isn’t going to happen in Orland. Not this year or the next. But, what is disturbing is the fact that almost all of the volunteers are over the age of 65. What will happen when these people are gone?
OK, back to the reality of the moment…it will rain today and that’s the best we can expect. What to do? I have a couple of boxes filled with books destined for the on-line sales. I should try and reduce that number to just one box. And I have a box filled with books that needs to be placed in the racks now that they are in the database. One of those, a weighty volume on physical medicine and rehabilitation priced out at $120; that’s the most expensive one I have ever dealt with.
When we first joined the Orland Friends of the Library, we were surprised at the size and scope of the organization. They gather up used books from a wide area, sort them, and then sell them at two, week long, book sales each year; Spring and Fall. Whenever the sorters find books that might be valuable, they set them aside and I research those to price them for on-line sales. They bring in close to $700 a quarter this way, and adding that to the other book sales gives the organization many thousands of dollars each year to buy more books and equipment for the Orland Free Library.
It’s always sad to hear about the many public libraries that are on the “endangered” list and closing. It isn’t going to happen in Orland. Not this year or the next. But, what is disturbing is the fact that almost all of the volunteers are over the age of 65. What will happen when these people are gone?
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Bad News!
Sewage Spill
What a mess! I read that the worst of it was at 20th Street. That's where raw sewage forced manhole covers open and flooded garages before flowing onto the sand...
What a mess! I read that the worst of it was at 20th Street. That's where raw sewage forced manhole covers open and flooded garages before flowing onto the sand...
Traveling
I just read an article about travel and blogs and apparently there is an upsurge in the number of travel blogs after a long dry spell. I read some of them and they don’t resemble the kind of blogs I would have expected. Most of them seem to be shills for hotels and airlines. Now I really wish I could have been blogging during those years of travel! What a great way to relieve the frustration that accompanies most travel experiences…and here is a link to one of the best of the blogs.
Mashup
NPR Member Station Coverage Details
Here is a sample of what a Google Map mashup can do...and if you look at the Google Map Mania blog, you can get a bunch of good ideas on how to use Google maps.
Here is a sample of what a Google Map mashup can do...and if you look at the Google Map Mania blog, you can get a bunch of good ideas on how to use Google maps.
Copper
Tuesday it is and the holidays are over. It’s time to get back into a normal pattern of work/sleep/play as the next holiday is a long way off; President’s day, near the end of February.
The news is interesting this morning. “With ballot-counting from Sunday's presidential runoff election all but complete, Chileans consolidated the leftward shift in South American politics, giving Socialist Michelle Bachelet a victory over billionaire Sebastian Pinera. Leftists also head the governments of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, and leftist President-elect Evo Morales of Bolivia is to be inaugurated Sunday. Bachelet will be Chile's first female head of state. Unlike some other leftist presidents, however, she is not expected to change her nation's relationship with the US, analysts said.”
Bachelet should be uncomfortable with her win, as the last time a leftward leaning candidate held that office, (Dr. Salvador Isabelino Allende Gossens) a coup was directed and supported by the US and he was killed. Will the CIA be looking for an opportunity to do it again? Since the recent news that copper (A strategic material) was becoming in short supply, Chile will assume an even more important role in the supply of that metal.
The news this morning also shows that China will be quite interested in the amount of copper in Chile. I’m sure that President Bachelet can expect to see a lot of international interest in her pronouncements concerning the copper industry.
Odd. Apparently no one has a good estimate of just how much copper is left in the world. I’ve read half a dozen reports this morning and each one has a different number for the amount known to be in reserve. The reports go from rosy to bleak.
The news is interesting this morning. “With ballot-counting from Sunday's presidential runoff election all but complete, Chileans consolidated the leftward shift in South American politics, giving Socialist Michelle Bachelet a victory over billionaire Sebastian Pinera. Leftists also head the governments of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, and leftist President-elect Evo Morales of Bolivia is to be inaugurated Sunday. Bachelet will be Chile's first female head of state. Unlike some other leftist presidents, however, she is not expected to change her nation's relationship with the US, analysts said.”
Bachelet should be uncomfortable with her win, as the last time a leftward leaning candidate held that office, (Dr. Salvador Isabelino Allende Gossens) a coup was directed and supported by the US and he was killed. Will the CIA be looking for an opportunity to do it again? Since the recent news that copper (A strategic material) was becoming in short supply, Chile will assume an even more important role in the supply of that metal.
The news this morning also shows that China will be quite interested in the amount of copper in Chile. I’m sure that President Bachelet can expect to see a lot of international interest in her pronouncements concerning the copper industry.
Odd. Apparently no one has a good estimate of just how much copper is left in the world. I’ve read half a dozen reports this morning and each one has a different number for the amount known to be in reserve. The reports go from rosy to bleak.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Yahoo!
I found it! I thought I had lost my copy of Young Einstein, starring Yahoo Serious. My mistake, kids! Don’t go looking for it anymore…but if you ever want to borrow it, just let me know and I’ll bring it over for you.
Where's History When We Need It?
A link to this anti-Muslim website was sent to me recently. The writer that created the site was clever enough to include a statement that he would remove the site if he could be proven wrong…and then he goes on to write his messages of hatred without using any facts that might be debated…or proven wrong. For some odd reason, it reminded me of the times of the Chinese Exclusion Act in America (1882), where anything could be said, or written, and rarely questioned…as long as it was anti-Chinese. History is filled with similar examples of this kind of thought. Funny, how we do our best to avoid learning anything from history.
Gotcha!
Monday morning and all is well. One pesky mouse is dead. We spotted signs of a mouse yesterday and then I saw it for just a moment last night as it scooted under the washing machine. Our cat had been very attentive to the area where the mouse had been active but she hadn’t caught it. I rearranged all of the traps last night in the hopes of catching it and when I looked at the traps this morning, they were all empty. Darn! Then I spotted the mouse, dead…right in the middle of the floor. Luckily, I hadn’t stepped on it. I’m sure it was the poison bait that did it in. I better get some more, just in case this mouse has some relatives. They seem to come from large families…
Bugmenot
bypass compulsory registration with these free passwords
What a great idea. Anything to help rid the web of compulsory log-ins is welcome. The New York Times is one of the worst for this...
What a great idea. Anything to help rid the web of compulsory log-ins is welcome. The New York Times is one of the worst for this...
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Iran says not scared of Security Council,
warns on oil prices -
Sounds very much like a dare, doesn't it?
Sounds very much like a dare, doesn't it?
Excuse Me?
Did I forget something? I could have sworn that the voters in California got rid of the governor that used the "Pay to Play" method of governance...
Gov.'s Top Aides' Pay Bolstered by Donors
Schwarzenegger has paid at least four of his advisors substantially for their work on his campaigns. Critics fear conflicts of interest." Oh, really?
"...Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has supplemented the salaries of at least four of his top government aides with private campaign money, a practice that means a piece of their overall pay has come from donations by corporations and others that do business in the Capitol. Schwarzenegger set up a standing agreement in which three present and former aides received a monthly $5,000 check from his political accounts to moonlight as campaign aides, on top of what they earned in salary as government employees, the governor's office said..." Sweet deal!
Gov.'s Top Aides' Pay Bolstered by Donors
Schwarzenegger has paid at least four of his advisors substantially for their work on his campaigns. Critics fear conflicts of interest." Oh, really?
"...Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has supplemented the salaries of at least four of his top government aides with private campaign money, a practice that means a piece of their overall pay has come from donations by corporations and others that do business in the Capitol. Schwarzenegger set up a standing agreement in which three present and former aides received a monthly $5,000 check from his political accounts to moonlight as campaign aides, on top of what they earned in salary as government employees, the governor's office said..." Sweet deal!
Homeless Men Attacked
in Fla. on Yahoo! News Photos
Who raises children like this? And why aren't their parents arrested as well?
Who raises children like this? And why aren't their parents arrested as well?
Heresy?
Another one of those odd quizzes...I'm a sucker for them! And "Officially Approved" as well...What on earth does that mean? That I won't be burned at the stake? That's a relief!
You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant. Congratulations, you're not a heretic. You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451.
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Sunday
Sunday morning once more; the last day of the week. A day of rest here in Orland. And I am awake at the usual hour and not resting at all. Oh well, At least it’s normal…for me. And I can see that the moonlight is illuminating the orchard and that means that the clouds are gone for the day.
What else is new? Not a lot. I’m almost caught up on my reading. I have begun Anne Rice’s new book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, and I’m about halfway through it. I really enjoy her writing style. Sparse sentences that seem to speak volumes. The Economist had a very large New Year’s special edition that had me reading overtime and I have just begun last week’s regular edition. I hope to have it finished before I receive the current edition on Tuesday. And I found a new book to read while I was pricing books for the Friends of the Orland Library. It’s the story of Maggie Greeno; A Historical Narrative on the Unusual Life, Adventures, and Achievements of a California Pioneer Woman. It was published by Lahontan Images in Susanville. Greeno is not a name that I remember from my studies of Northeastern California history and so I’m looking forward to reading it.
The Economist had a very interesting special article on the spread of gang violence by the two gangs that infest Central and North America; Mara 18 and Mara Salvatrucha. (I’m not sure if the Economist link will work if you’re not a subscriber.)
One of the more disturbing things I read was all about the efforts of Frank Flores, head of the Hollywood sector of the anti-gang task-force of the Los Angeles Police Department. “Mr. Flores is proud of Calgangs, a database which uses digital photographs and other information to track gang members; but national law-enforcement officers have no access to it. Calgangs stores the details of 928 Salvatruchas, a tiny fraction of the estimated size of the gang; and more information sits, unread, on file-cards in cabinets in Mr. Flores's office. He lacks the staff to sort through it. Moreover, of the four detectives in the anti-gang task-force, only two speak Spanish. Of the 12 uniformed officers, only one does. What are they thinking? It’s as if they held a contest to see how best to fail and the LAPD won. “This is in Los Angeles—a city where the maras arguably originated, and which has a large Latino population.” And they can’t find more than one uniformed officer that speaks Spanish? No more than two detectives? “Local police elsewhere in the United States are even less prepared to deal with the maras, says Mr. Flores, who has been teaching police in other jurisdictions about the gangs. The Washington, DC area, which has the second-largest concentration of maras in the country, is approximately where Los Angeles was ten years ago, says Mr. Flores. Everywhere, the statistics on gang-related crime are not remotely reliable. The same fear that makes it difficult to recruit informants means that most gang crime goes unreported.”
What else is new? Not a lot. I’m almost caught up on my reading. I have begun Anne Rice’s new book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, and I’m about halfway through it. I really enjoy her writing style. Sparse sentences that seem to speak volumes. The Economist had a very large New Year’s special edition that had me reading overtime and I have just begun last week’s regular edition. I hope to have it finished before I receive the current edition on Tuesday. And I found a new book to read while I was pricing books for the Friends of the Orland Library. It’s the story of Maggie Greeno; A Historical Narrative on the Unusual Life, Adventures, and Achievements of a California Pioneer Woman. It was published by Lahontan Images in Susanville. Greeno is not a name that I remember from my studies of Northeastern California history and so I’m looking forward to reading it.
The Economist had a very interesting special article on the spread of gang violence by the two gangs that infest Central and North America; Mara 18 and Mara Salvatrucha. (I’m not sure if the Economist link will work if you’re not a subscriber.)
One of the more disturbing things I read was all about the efforts of Frank Flores, head of the Hollywood sector of the anti-gang task-force of the Los Angeles Police Department. “Mr. Flores is proud of Calgangs, a database which uses digital photographs and other information to track gang members; but national law-enforcement officers have no access to it. Calgangs stores the details of 928 Salvatruchas, a tiny fraction of the estimated size of the gang; and more information sits, unread, on file-cards in cabinets in Mr. Flores's office. He lacks the staff to sort through it. Moreover, of the four detectives in the anti-gang task-force, only two speak Spanish. Of the 12 uniformed officers, only one does. What are they thinking? It’s as if they held a contest to see how best to fail and the LAPD won. “This is in Los Angeles—a city where the maras arguably originated, and which has a large Latino population.” And they can’t find more than one uniformed officer that speaks Spanish? No more than two detectives? “Local police elsewhere in the United States are even less prepared to deal with the maras, says Mr. Flores, who has been teaching police in other jurisdictions about the gangs. The Washington, DC area, which has the second-largest concentration of maras in the country, is approximately where Los Angeles was ten years ago, says Mr. Flores. Everywhere, the statistics on gang-related crime are not remotely reliable. The same fear that makes it difficult to recruit informants means that most gang crime goes unreported.”
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire -
The Bancroft Library
As a fan of old images, I had to stop by here and see these...
As a fan of old images, I had to stop by here and see these...
Saturday, January 14, 2006
The Minimum
I was reading about the minimum wage yesterday and the columnist came up with some interesting data. In 1938, when the Minimum Wage law was enacted, despite attempts by conservatives to defeat it, an hours worth of minimum wage (.25) would buy 2-1/2 loaves of bread. In 1968, the same hour of labor ($1.60) would buy nearly 5 loaves of bread. In 1998, and today…the hour ($5.15) would buy the same old 2-1/2 loaves once more. (Plain white bread only!) Bad news for bakeries…and those who must try and live on minimum wage. And people wonder why welfare is preferred over working for a living? Ask a “Compassionate Conservative”.
The Morning Read
I have been reading the Daily Reckoning once again and doing some cut and paste quotes for my blog. I enjoy the writing style of these guys but I’m always disappointed by the typo’s I find in their material. There really is no excuse for typos anymore. Not with spell checking available for just about every application. Whenever I find a typo in a commercial publication I automatically think less of the sender. How professional can they be when mistakes like that are published? Why would I want to do business with them? You don’t have to tell me…I know it’s slightly neurotic on my part. Slightly? OK, very neurotic!
Here is what I read this morning, “When Alan Greenspan started his policy of easy money, Americans got poorer - not richer. Since he became head of the Federal Reserve, personal debt levels rose from $28,892 for the average family in 1987 to $101,386 in 2005 - a jump of 250.9%.”
That’s scary! Why? Because it’s not just one unique indebted idiot that we can safely ignore, it’s the average! And that effects us all. (Affect or effect? Has to be effect…stupid Spell Check!)
“In a desperate move to slow it down, the Federal Reserve has raised short-term interest rates 12 times since June 2004.”
“Unfortunately, many people have no safety net. In September 2004, the personal savings rate among Americans was just 0.2%. In China, it's 25%. And for every $19 an American earns, he spends $20.” Hello? Anyone home?
And speaking of homes…“Americans even buy homes they cannot afford. By mid-2005, nearly 50% of homes were purchased with interest-only mortgages - compared to 5% in 2001. And personal bankruptcies have doubled in the last decade. Roughly 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year - meaning that the average household carries some $8,000 in credit card debt that is nearly impossible to pay off.”
Here is what I read this morning, “When Alan Greenspan started his policy of easy money, Americans got poorer - not richer. Since he became head of the Federal Reserve, personal debt levels rose from $28,892 for the average family in 1987 to $101,386 in 2005 - a jump of 250.9%.”
That’s scary! Why? Because it’s not just one unique indebted idiot that we can safely ignore, it’s the average! And that effects us all. (Affect or effect? Has to be effect…stupid Spell Check!)
“In a desperate move to slow it down, the Federal Reserve has raised short-term interest rates 12 times since June 2004.”
“Unfortunately, many people have no safety net. In September 2004, the personal savings rate among Americans was just 0.2%. In China, it's 25%. And for every $19 an American earns, he spends $20.” Hello? Anyone home?
And speaking of homes…“Americans even buy homes they cannot afford. By mid-2005, nearly 50% of homes were purchased with interest-only mortgages - compared to 5% in 2001. And personal bankruptcies have doubled in the last decade. Roughly 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year - meaning that the average household carries some $8,000 in credit card debt that is nearly impossible to pay off.”
Wet
Saturday has arrived and so has the rain. It doesn’t seem to be a downpour, just a light rain that I can barely hear. The Yahoo forecast tells me that the rain will continue through the morning and then become showery. Tomorrows forecast is for sun; I like it!
And what will we do today? I’m sure that there must be many chores awaiting me in the garage and so that is where I will be for most of the day. I can be productive and dry at the same time. I’m thinking of starting (again) on one of my older stained glass projects. It would be nice to get it out of the way; to say it’s complete.
A quick look at the various news links tells me that not a lot has happened overnight. Well, of course things happened…but reporters take the weekends off, and so Saturday and Sunday mornings are always light on news. Wouldn’t it be nice if news didn’t happen on weekends? If disasters could only occur on weekdays? It would give a whole new meaning to that old Friday afternoon phrase, “Well, we made it through another week!”
Here’s something I found yesterday and sent the link on to Bill and Jill. It’s a lighted dog collar and it’s only $11 at Amazon. I looked all over the usual sites for a lighted cat collar, but without success. I guess that not many cats wear collars. I would love to have one though; Boo, my cat, has the ability to blend right in with her surroundings and I’m always being surprised when I find her right next to me while I’m searching for her. A collar like that would give me the upper hand. Yeah, right.
And what will we do today? I’m sure that there must be many chores awaiting me in the garage and so that is where I will be for most of the day. I can be productive and dry at the same time. I’m thinking of starting (again) on one of my older stained glass projects. It would be nice to get it out of the way; to say it’s complete.
A quick look at the various news links tells me that not a lot has happened overnight. Well, of course things happened…but reporters take the weekends off, and so Saturday and Sunday mornings are always light on news. Wouldn’t it be nice if news didn’t happen on weekends? If disasters could only occur on weekdays? It would give a whole new meaning to that old Friday afternoon phrase, “Well, we made it through another week!”
Here’s something I found yesterday and sent the link on to Bill and Jill. It’s a lighted dog collar and it’s only $11 at Amazon. I looked all over the usual sites for a lighted cat collar, but without success. I guess that not many cats wear collars. I would love to have one though; Boo, my cat, has the ability to blend right in with her surroundings and I’m always being surprised when I find her right next to me while I’m searching for her. A collar like that would give me the upper hand. Yeah, right.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Merry Christmas!
Let’s revisit the “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays” controversy. I was thinking about this the other day, for no apparent reason…and it struck me! Holidays are derived from Holy Days. I checked and sure enough, “Based on the English words holy and day, holidays originally represented special days of the Christian Church calendar”
So what’s the problem now?
So what’s the problem now?
Study Shows
Increasing Nursing Staff Improves Safety And Quality In Hospitals
No kidding! This is why it's criminal for bean counters to determine how much healthcare you need...
No kidding! This is why it's criminal for bean counters to determine how much healthcare you need...
USDA Using Satellites
to Monitor Farmers
Gosh, they're taking all of the fun out of farming. This could have a serious impact on the local economy!
Gosh, they're taking all of the fun out of farming. This could have a serious impact on the local economy!
New Rules
My old friend, Dan sent me an email containing some humorous comments made by George Carlin. It’s about the new rules for the New Year, 2006, as imagined by Carlin.
New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's areason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them!
New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a
seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl
of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to
contain? Trout?
New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keepsakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.
New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.
And the most important one…New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing "Enter," verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want cash back, and pressing "Enter" again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.
This leads me to comment on the trend towards self serve “everything”. When I go to the market or the hardware store, I want someone to wait on me. I don’t want to scan and bag my own “stuff’. Now I could be persuaded to change my mind if I were to be rewarded in some way. After all, the store is profiting by not having to pay a human. So where’s my cut? A 5% discount? How about 3%? Something! C’mon…I need an incentive here.
And one more thing; as I was using my credit card the other day, the clerk took it from me to verify the valid date on it, gave it back and then asked for it once again to look at the signature, gave it back and then told me to slide it. What? She was suddenly crippled?
New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's areason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them!
New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a
seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl
of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to
contain? Trout?
New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keepsakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.
New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.
And the most important one…New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing "Enter," verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want cash back, and pressing "Enter" again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.
This leads me to comment on the trend towards self serve “everything”. When I go to the market or the hardware store, I want someone to wait on me. I don’t want to scan and bag my own “stuff’. Now I could be persuaded to change my mind if I were to be rewarded in some way. After all, the store is profiting by not having to pay a human. So where’s my cut? A 5% discount? How about 3%? Something! C’mon…I need an incentive here.
And one more thing; as I was using my credit card the other day, the clerk took it from me to verify the valid date on it, gave it back and then asked for it once again to look at the signature, gave it back and then told me to slide it. What? She was suddenly crippled?
Thursday, January 12, 2006
British officer
slams US military tactics, attitudes in Iraq
And it's printed in the Army's own magazine, Military Review.
For reasons I don't understand, some officers called him naughty names.
And it's printed in the Army's own magazine, Military Review.
For reasons I don't understand, some officers called him naughty names.
Utilikilts
Saw one of these yesterday...while shopping at Trader Joe's. No, I don't need one, thanks anyway.
Democrat says
Alito hearings may be pointless -
No kidding! An honest voice. The hearings only allow the media hungry Senators to get some TV time to impress their constituents...who don't care at all.
No kidding! An honest voice. The hearings only allow the media hungry Senators to get some TV time to impress their constituents...who don't care at all.
You've Been Fooled...
Again
Somewhere, down below the ads...you will find the article. "YOU’VE BEEN FOOLED by Richard Miniter." Lengthy, but it's quite good.
Somewhere, down below the ads...you will find the article. "YOU’VE BEEN FOOLED by Richard Miniter." Lengthy, but it's quite good.
The Truth...
According to George W. Bush, The only possibilities are victory or defeat,
"And we will settle for nothing less than complete victory," he said. Perhaps he should have explained how we were supposed to know when that happens. Who surrenders? Who is the enemy? Does he realize that he has lost a war? Or will he continue to fight?
“…the president has a tendency to over-simplify. What will probably happen is neither defeat nor victory, but a long, expensive, suppurating campaign...like a wound that never heals.”
Do you remember another of the president's simplifications, “You are either with us or against us;”?
I think it’s time we asked, who is “us”? Somehow, I have a feeling that it’s not you and me.
And speaking of expensive…During the two terms (only 5 years) of George W. Bush, the federal government has borrowed more money from foreign governments and banks than was borrowed by all American administrations put together. That’s from 1776 to the year 2000. And W is not through adding to that debt. He still has 3 years to go. More debt will be added to the national burden in the eight Bush years than in the previous 224.
It's All About Timing
From the Daily Reckoning
Scroll down past the advertising and you will see a pretty good article…which includes these snippets.
“Last year, China sold about $200 billion more to the United States than the United States sold to them, an increase of 25% over the year before. The Chinese-made goods appeared on retail shelves all over the nation - notably those of Wal-Mart, where "Everyday Low Prices" have helped the lower and middle classes make ends meet…
…They pay more for energy. They pay more for healthcare. Their house-as-ATM financing strategy is breaking down. And they earn less money than they did two years ago. About the only thing they have left are those Everyday Low Prices on manufactured goods from China. And now, along comes a U.S. senator with a plan to force prices up.”
Scroll down past the advertising and you will see a pretty good article…which includes these snippets.
“Last year, China sold about $200 billion more to the United States than the United States sold to them, an increase of 25% over the year before. The Chinese-made goods appeared on retail shelves all over the nation - notably those of Wal-Mart, where "Everyday Low Prices" have helped the lower and middle classes make ends meet…
…They pay more for energy. They pay more for healthcare. Their house-as-ATM financing strategy is breaking down. And they earn less money than they did two years ago. About the only thing they have left are those Everyday Low Prices on manufactured goods from China. And now, along comes a U.S. senator with a plan to force prices up.”
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Tired of Waiting in Lines?
BoardFirst.com - why didn't I think of this?
My sister sent me this one. It's not a growth industry, as there are only so many seats on a Boeing 737, but the only way they could lose money would be for all of the non-paying customers to beat them to the punch by staying up late and logging on at midnight. Let's see...about 35 "A" passes available per flight at $5 = $175 multiplied by the number of Southwest flights per day (1 gazillion) = a bunch of money!
My sister sent me this one. It's not a growth industry, as there are only so many seats on a Boeing 737, but the only way they could lose money would be for all of the non-paying customers to beat them to the punch by staying up late and logging on at midnight. Let's see...about 35 "A" passes available per flight at $5 = $175 multiplied by the number of Southwest flights per day (1 gazillion) = a bunch of money!
Critics
Bush speaks…
“…declaring that Americans know the difference between "honest critics" and those "who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil, or because of Israel, or because we misled the American people.”
And an “honest critic” would be one who agrees with him? What kind of criticism is that? How dare he call any fair criticism dishonest by implication!
“…declaring that Americans know the difference between "honest critics" and those "who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil, or because of Israel, or because we misled the American people.”
And an “honest critic” would be one who agrees with him? What kind of criticism is that? How dare he call any fair criticism dishonest by implication!
The Million Dollar Homepage
Own a piece of internet history!
Why am I doing this? Linking to a page filled with advertising...999,000 ads at $1 a pixel? And yes, he is now a millionaire. Story here
Brilliant! Just run your cursor across that page...
Why am I doing this? Linking to a page filled with advertising...999,000 ads at $1 a pixel? And yes, he is now a millionaire. Story here
Brilliant! Just run your cursor across that page...
Shhh! I may be sleeping...
Wednesday is here and I’m pretty sure it’s windy…I can hear the wind chimes ringing outside. It’s too dark to see if it’s raining. The forecast now calls for intermittent rain throughout the rest of the week with the temperatures lowering into the 30’s, not exactly cheery weather.
And what is new this morning? Not much to mention. I have my coffee in front of me and I’m scanning all of the news reports while trying to get my brain engaged. And sure enough, there’s a report on “Sleep Inertia”, the term used to describe the effects felt during the first three minutes of waking, "For a short period, at least, the effects of sleep inertia may be as bad as or worse than being legally drunk," said researcher Kenneth Wright of the University of Colorado at Boulder” But here’s the scary part… “That befuddled feeling usually lasts for at least a few minutes but may be detectable for up to two hours, Wright wrote in a report published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.” Does that mean I should refrain from “driving” this computer for the first few hours of the day?
And, just in case I’m befuddled, here’s a link to an article on nanotechnology safety. For safety’s sake, I won’t comment on it for another hour and a half.
And what is new this morning? Not much to mention. I have my coffee in front of me and I’m scanning all of the news reports while trying to get my brain engaged. And sure enough, there’s a report on “Sleep Inertia”, the term used to describe the effects felt during the first three minutes of waking, "For a short period, at least, the effects of sleep inertia may be as bad as or worse than being legally drunk," said researcher Kenneth Wright of the University of Colorado at Boulder” But here’s the scary part… “That befuddled feeling usually lasts for at least a few minutes but may be detectable for up to two hours, Wright wrote in a report published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.” Does that mean I should refrain from “driving” this computer for the first few hours of the day?
And, just in case I’m befuddled, here’s a link to an article on nanotechnology safety. For safety’s sake, I won’t comment on it for another hour and a half.
Predators?
“Washington - Rep. Roy Blunt and the man he wants to succeed as House majority leader, Tom DeLay shared similar connections to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and to corporate lobbyists.
Blunt, R-Mo., wrote at least three letters helpful to Abramoff clients while collecting money from them. He swapped donations between his and DeLay's political groups, ultimately enriching the Missouri political campaign of his son Matt.
And Blunt's wife and another son, Andrew, lobby for many of the same companies that donate to the lawmaker's political efforts.”
Obviously a family that preys together…
Blunt, R-Mo., wrote at least three letters helpful to Abramoff clients while collecting money from them. He swapped donations between his and DeLay's political groups, ultimately enriching the Missouri political campaign of his son Matt.
And Blunt's wife and another son, Andrew, lobby for many of the same companies that donate to the lawmaker's political efforts.”
Obviously a family that preys together…
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Cat 1 Mice 0
Our cat, ...correction, "My Cat" has gained some favor around here by catching a mouse yesterday. A good sized one at that. Was it just a passing fancy? Or is this a sign of real talent?
Skype News
BIOS: The Quality Tech Guide has an interesting article on a speakerphone for use with Skype...can this replace SBC? Oh, be still my heart!
Build Your Own
Build Your Own PC
Sounds like it might be the way to go...I spotted an ad for a program on the DIY network that showed how to build a computer. And I could take my time doing it. Perhaps finishing it just in time for my Dell to fail...
Sounds like it might be the way to go...I spotted an ad for a program on the DIY network that showed how to build a computer. And I could take my time doing it. Perhaps finishing it just in time for my Dell to fail...
Jobs, Banks and Saving
More from the Daily Reckoning...“As recently as the first Reagan administration, America's personal savings rate was nearly 10%. By the first Bush administration it had fallen closer to 5%.In the second Bush administration, the rate has gone negative...to minus 0.20% in November. Over the last five years, debt levels in America grew twice as fast as incomes. Now, "savings have practically disappeared," says Paul Volcker. We have, "an economy on thin ice," says the former Fed chairman.”
And how about job creation? The administration and the Republicans have been tooting their horns lately about that…and the facts are these, “The forecast was for 200,000, and the actual was 108,000…does it really matter how many jobs are created when we don't know what types of jobs they are?" And what kinds of jobs do you think they are? With net incomes decreasing each year, I would guess that they aren’t the highest paying jobs around.
And how about job creation? The administration and the Republicans have been tooting their horns lately about that…and the facts are these, “The forecast was for 200,000, and the actual was 108,000…does it really matter how many jobs are created when we don't know what types of jobs they are?" And what kinds of jobs do you think they are? With net incomes decreasing each year, I would guess that they aren’t the highest paying jobs around.
Debt
Paraphrased from The Daily Reckoning
“The banking industry has done a great thing, says an economist from the American Banking Association. By encouraging people to borrow against their houses it has helped people "free up non-liquid assets." In 2005, they helped people "free up" $200 billion worth of non-liquid assets.
Surely, they should get a Nobel Peace Prize for that! Imagine all those poor people who have been liberated from their own houses. Last year, they owned a roof over their heads, or a "non-liquid asset." Now, they own last year's hit CDs and have fond memories of last year's vacations in Las Vegas. Of course, they now have a deeper, more meaningful relationship with a lending institution, too.”
A long time ago, banks depended on your savings to operate their business. Not any more, now they depend on your indebtedness. And they are eager to help you have as much as you want.
“The banking industry has done a great thing, says an economist from the American Banking Association. By encouraging people to borrow against their houses it has helped people "free up non-liquid assets." In 2005, they helped people "free up" $200 billion worth of non-liquid assets.
Surely, they should get a Nobel Peace Prize for that! Imagine all those poor people who have been liberated from their own houses. Last year, they owned a roof over their heads, or a "non-liquid asset." Now, they own last year's hit CDs and have fond memories of last year's vacations in Las Vegas. Of course, they now have a deeper, more meaningful relationship with a lending institution, too.”
A long time ago, banks depended on your savings to operate their business. Not any more, now they depend on your indebtedness. And they are eager to help you have as much as you want.
Morning News
The headlines are in and in most cases they are simply the usual. But this one caught my attention.
Cost of Iraq war could top $2 trillion: StudyMalayala Manorama - IndiaBoston: The cost of the Iraq war could top $2 trillion, far above the White House's pre-war projections, when long-term costs such as lifetime health care for ...
Then, when I began to look for additional information on that news, I found this…”According to a "conservative" assessment, the war would cost Americans at least $1.026.(trillion) Under a "moderate" assessment, the expenses would top $1.854.(trillion)”
“According to congressional officials, the US had already spent $251bn in cash on combat operations in Iraq since the invasion was launched, and continued to fund operations there at about six billion dollars a month.
However, argue the economists, these figures failed to take into consideration disability payments to veterans over the course of their lifetime, the cost of replacing military equipment and munitions.”
Perhaps you remember the story of how Iraqi oil would pay for the war?
Cost of Iraq war could top $2 trillion: StudyMalayala Manorama - IndiaBoston: The cost of the Iraq war could top $2 trillion, far above the White House's pre-war projections, when long-term costs such as lifetime health care for ...
Then, when I began to look for additional information on that news, I found this…”According to a "conservative" assessment, the war would cost Americans at least $1.026.(trillion) Under a "moderate" assessment, the expenses would top $1.854.(trillion)”
“According to congressional officials, the US had already spent $251bn in cash on combat operations in Iraq since the invasion was launched, and continued to fund operations there at about six billion dollars a month.
However, argue the economists, these figures failed to take into consideration disability payments to veterans over the course of their lifetime, the cost of replacing military equipment and munitions.”
Perhaps you remember the story of how Iraqi oil would pay for the war?
Monday, January 9, 2006
Cost of War
An interesting article on the health hazards associated with the use of Depleted Uranium munitions. Some excerpts…
Just 467 U.S. personnel were wounded in the three-week Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991. Out of 580,400 soldiers who served in Gulf War I, 11,000 are dead, and by 2000 there were 325,000 on permanent medical disability. This astounding number of disabled vets means that a decade later, 56 percent of those soldiers who served now have medical problems.
The number of disabled vets reported up to 2000 has been increasing by 43,000 every year. Brad Flohr of the Department of Veterans Affairs told American Free Press that he believes there are more disabled vets now than even after World War II.
Scientists studying the biological effects of uranium in the 1960s reported that it targets the DNA. Marion Fulk, a nuclear physical chemist retired from the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab and formerly involved with the Manhattan Project, interprets the new and rapid malignancies in soldiers from the 2003 war as “spectacular … and a matter of concern.”
This evidence shows that of the three effects which DU has on biological systems - radiation, chemical and particulate – the particulate effect from nano-size particles is the most dominant one immediately after exposure and targets the Master Code in the DNA. This is bad news, but it explains why DU causes a myriad of diseases which are difficult to define.
In a group of 251 soldiers from a study group in Mississippi who had all had normal babies before the Gulf War, 67 percent of their post-war babies were born with severe birth defects. They were born with missing legs, arms, organs or eyes or had immune system and blood diseases. In some veterans’ families now, the only normal or healthy members of the family are the children born before the war.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has stated that they do not keep records of birth defects occurring in families of veterans.
And why isn’t this on the front page of more newspapers?
Ps. the use of DU also effects the civilian population. Probably even more so, because they are generally unaware of its existence in their environment.
Just 467 U.S. personnel were wounded in the three-week Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991. Out of 580,400 soldiers who served in Gulf War I, 11,000 are dead, and by 2000 there were 325,000 on permanent medical disability. This astounding number of disabled vets means that a decade later, 56 percent of those soldiers who served now have medical problems.
The number of disabled vets reported up to 2000 has been increasing by 43,000 every year. Brad Flohr of the Department of Veterans Affairs told American Free Press that he believes there are more disabled vets now than even after World War II.
Scientists studying the biological effects of uranium in the 1960s reported that it targets the DNA. Marion Fulk, a nuclear physical chemist retired from the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab and formerly involved with the Manhattan Project, interprets the new and rapid malignancies in soldiers from the 2003 war as “spectacular … and a matter of concern.”
This evidence shows that of the three effects which DU has on biological systems - radiation, chemical and particulate – the particulate effect from nano-size particles is the most dominant one immediately after exposure and targets the Master Code in the DNA. This is bad news, but it explains why DU causes a myriad of diseases which are difficult to define.
In a group of 251 soldiers from a study group in Mississippi who had all had normal babies before the Gulf War, 67 percent of their post-war babies were born with severe birth defects. They were born with missing legs, arms, organs or eyes or had immune system and blood diseases. In some veterans’ families now, the only normal or healthy members of the family are the children born before the war.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has stated that they do not keep records of birth defects occurring in families of veterans.
And why isn’t this on the front page of more newspapers?
Ps. the use of DU also effects the civilian population. Probably even more so, because they are generally unaware of its existence in their environment.
Did you know?
It's illegal to annoy…
A new federal law states that when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity. Here's the relevant language that was hidden in a non relevant bill that W signed last week. (Remember, this is a man who has never vetoed a bill.)
"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."
(Why stop at the internet? I think everyone who annoys me should identify themselves! That rude clerk at the store…what’s his name? And the person delivering the newspaper that throws the paper into the bushes…that annoys me and I have no idea as to who that person is. That’s just plain wrong!)
Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and the section's other sponsors slipped it into an unrelated, must-pass bill to fund the Department of Justice. The plan was to make it politically infeasible for politicians to oppose the measure and it worked. So what’s Specter’s problem?
Time to Diet
Monday has arrived in its usual fashion, and for us, this is a work week. Not for me; of course not…I am retired. But Laurae returns to work at Plaza school after a two week vacation.
The house seems quite large now that the twins have gone back to Susanville. And I don’t have to worry about making any noise at this hour; there are no children to wake. And later, I can have a cookie if I want to…without having to hide it from the prying eyes of a 3-year old to make me feel guilty. Hmm? Maybe that’s not such a good thing? A little guilt might help to reduce cookie consumption.
Speaking of cookies, I just read that New York City is in the midst of a diabetes epidemic.
“An estimated 800,000 adult New Yorkers - more than one in every eight - now have diabetes, and city health officials describe the problem as a bona fide epidemic.”
Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City health commissioner, had this to say…"I will go out on a limb and say 20 years from now people will look back and say: 'What were they thinking? They're in the middle of an epidemic and kids are watching 20,000 hours of commercials for junk food.'"
The percentage of diabetics in the city is nearly a third higher than in the nation.
New cases have been cropping up close to twice as fast as cases nationally. And of adults believed to have the illness, health officials’ estimate, nearly one-third do not know it.
One in three children born in the United States five years ago are expected to become diabetic in their lifetimes, according to a projection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The forecast is even bleaker for Latinos: one in every two.
All of this is scary! And although New York is unique because of its large numbers of poor and obese in the general population; what is happening in New York is happening everywhere else in our junk food nation, though on a smaller scale. And we all pay for it.
The house seems quite large now that the twins have gone back to Susanville. And I don’t have to worry about making any noise at this hour; there are no children to wake. And later, I can have a cookie if I want to…without having to hide it from the prying eyes of a 3-year old to make me feel guilty. Hmm? Maybe that’s not such a good thing? A little guilt might help to reduce cookie consumption.
Speaking of cookies, I just read that New York City is in the midst of a diabetes epidemic.
“An estimated 800,000 adult New Yorkers - more than one in every eight - now have diabetes, and city health officials describe the problem as a bona fide epidemic.”
Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City health commissioner, had this to say…"I will go out on a limb and say 20 years from now people will look back and say: 'What were they thinking? They're in the middle of an epidemic and kids are watching 20,000 hours of commercials for junk food.'"
The percentage of diabetics in the city is nearly a third higher than in the nation.
New cases have been cropping up close to twice as fast as cases nationally. And of adults believed to have the illness, health officials’ estimate, nearly one-third do not know it.
One in three children born in the United States five years ago are expected to become diabetic in their lifetimes, according to a projection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The forecast is even bleaker for Latinos: one in every two.
All of this is scary! And although New York is unique because of its large numbers of poor and obese in the general population; what is happening in New York is happening everywhere else in our junk food nation, though on a smaller scale. And we all pay for it.
Sunday, January 8, 2006
Electronics
I just spent a few minutes surfing for information on the Palm Tungsten E2 hand held computer/PDA. As with most electronics, the reviews are more confusing than helpful. I really wish I could find a review site that had more reviews from actual users of the products. And do I need all that the Tungsten has to offer? I looked at the Sony CLIÉ and it was impressive, but so was the price. I suppose I should wait until after the excitement of the Consumer Electronic Show has died down before I go looking for a PDA. And perhaps I should stick with shopping at Overstock.com where the Tungsten E2 can be had for about $40 less than the price at Palm.
Hot and Cold
What’s up with the weather? I ran across these news headlines a few minutes ago…
“Temperatures in Delhi are the lowest in 70 years in a cold snap that has claimed more than 100 lives in north India.”
“Disaster teams are deployed across Japan, after dozens die in record snowfall, Japanese media says.”
And a little research (Google “Weird weather”) will find more links than you can possibly read.
“Temperatures in Delhi are the lowest in 70 years in a cold snap that has claimed more than 100 lives in north India.”
“Disaster teams are deployed across Japan, after dozens die in record snowfall, Japanese media says.”
And a little research (Google “Weird weather”) will find more links than you can possibly read.
CES
Sunday has arrived. And it’s quiet here at this early morning hour. A time that I enjoy. The house is full of family and that’s also very enjoyable. The parents of the twins have come to reclaim them and that means that Grandma and Grandpa will no longer be the villains, always saying “No!, Don’t do that…” It also means that we will no longer have to sneak a cookie for ourselves to enjoy. “Grandpa…what you have in your hand?”
What’s in the news? Surprising, but it seems to be a quiet news day so far. Just the usual disasters, war, pestilence and famine. And locally, all is quiet. The weather is cooperating and so we will have a boring mid winter day with an occasional cloud in the sky. No rains are forecast this week, just a slight chance of showers later in the week.
The most excitement during the past week has come from Las Vegas and reports from the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Today is the last day of the show and I can only imagine what the airport looks like this morning as convention goers head home. I just read that McCarran International Airport had over 40 million passengers last year! That’s in an airport built to handle about half that number.
The geek blogs have been busy all week, displaying and commenting on all of the weird and wonderful electronics that were on display at the show. I wonder what the success rate is for most of that stuff? I do know that they spend an awful lot of money trying to come up with that one item that the public just can’t live without. The last couple of years it has been the iPod and Apple is a wealthy company once again because of it. I just saw (and touched) my first iPod the other day and I have to admit that it’s pretty classy. I even tried to justify buying one…without success. But what I would really like to see at the CES show would be a cell phone that works as well as its advertised to work. That’s all I want. Is that too much to ask?
What’s in the news? Surprising, but it seems to be a quiet news day so far. Just the usual disasters, war, pestilence and famine. And locally, all is quiet. The weather is cooperating and so we will have a boring mid winter day with an occasional cloud in the sky. No rains are forecast this week, just a slight chance of showers later in the week.
The most excitement during the past week has come from Las Vegas and reports from the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Today is the last day of the show and I can only imagine what the airport looks like this morning as convention goers head home. I just read that McCarran International Airport had over 40 million passengers last year! That’s in an airport built to handle about half that number.
The geek blogs have been busy all week, displaying and commenting on all of the weird and wonderful electronics that were on display at the show. I wonder what the success rate is for most of that stuff? I do know that they spend an awful lot of money trying to come up with that one item that the public just can’t live without. The last couple of years it has been the iPod and Apple is a wealthy company once again because of it. I just saw (and touched) my first iPod the other day and I have to admit that it’s pretty classy. I even tried to justify buying one…without success. But what I would really like to see at the CES show would be a cell phone that works as well as its advertised to work. That’s all I want. Is that too much to ask?
Saturday, January 7, 2006
Australia
Pictures of Australia
I'm always looking for old images and this site has some unique ones.
I'm always looking for old images and this site has some unique ones.
Elmo is what?
Saturday has arrived right on time. And we’re still in the same place, doing the same thing. Babysitting. The babies are sound asleep at this hour, or so I believe. Their parents will be here this afternoon to take over and then to take them back home tomorrow. I’m sure that the twins are going to be glad to be rid of their stern grandparents for awhile. And we will be happy to be able to go back to being grandparents, and not so stern. Everyone has their role to play in life and being a disciplining grandparent is not a normal one for us. We don’t mind giving out the occasional, “No, don’t do that…” but a whole week of it is hard on the psyche; theirs and ours. Although I like to think it’s harder on us than it is on them. Even after a scolding that had me, the scolder, reduced to tears…the scoldee was quick to put their arms around my neck and tell me that they loved me. Anyway.
What else is new? The phones are still a problem…or maybe not, depending on your view. Last night the dial tone disappeared, so now we don’t have to worry about the fact that a bunch of phones in the neighborhood were crosswired. No one can call anyone. And when calling SBC to find out the status of the problem, the automated system still tells us that January 24th is the date that someone will appear to repair it.
Locally, according to what I have read, the jury is still out on the Schwarzenegger case. He has proposed spending so much money for infrastructure and education that greed has paralyzed his critics for the moment. The legislature, with an approval rating even lower than Arnold’s, needs to bring home some bacon to their constituents and the governor has spread the table with lots of tempting pork. Greed and power; it’s an amazing thing to watch.
Other news: “Most torso wounds that killed Marines in Iraq might have been prevented or minimized by improved body armor, a Pentagon study shows…” No kidding! It took a study to find that out? And I would guess that most Marines knew about the deficiencies of their body armor a long time ago. But have any Generals or Pentagon officials had to wear that same armor on a daily basis? To save their lives? Somehow I doubt it. And the kicker? “Extra body armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops.”
“California's education chief reaffirmed his support for the state's new high school exit exam Friday, rejecting calls from civil rights groups to create alternative graduation measures for students...” Of course he rejected them. He’s an administrator and a bureaucrat. That’s what they do. They are trained to have a narrow focus on life. Follow the rules and never question those rules. Ever.
What else is new? The phones are still a problem…or maybe not, depending on your view. Last night the dial tone disappeared, so now we don’t have to worry about the fact that a bunch of phones in the neighborhood were crosswired. No one can call anyone. And when calling SBC to find out the status of the problem, the automated system still tells us that January 24th is the date that someone will appear to repair it.
Locally, according to what I have read, the jury is still out on the Schwarzenegger case. He has proposed spending so much money for infrastructure and education that greed has paralyzed his critics for the moment. The legislature, with an approval rating even lower than Arnold’s, needs to bring home some bacon to their constituents and the governor has spread the table with lots of tempting pork. Greed and power; it’s an amazing thing to watch.
Other news: “Most torso wounds that killed Marines in Iraq might have been prevented or minimized by improved body armor, a Pentagon study shows…” No kidding! It took a study to find that out? And I would guess that most Marines knew about the deficiencies of their body armor a long time ago. But have any Generals or Pentagon officials had to wear that same armor on a daily basis? To save their lives? Somehow I doubt it. And the kicker? “Extra body armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops.”
“California's education chief reaffirmed his support for the state's new high school exit exam Friday, rejecting calls from civil rights groups to create alternative graduation measures for students...” Of course he rejected them. He’s an administrator and a bureaucrat. That’s what they do. They are trained to have a narrow focus on life. Follow the rules and never question those rules. Ever.
"I have concluded that there is no practical alternative available that would ensure that all students awarded a high school diploma have mastered the subject areas tested by the exam and needed to compete in today's global economy," O'Connell said. Those words alone tell me that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“The schools chief said his unyielding stance is in the students' best interest.” Of course it is.
And now the worst of all of the current news…Elmo is evil. What’s going on in this world when you can’t even trust a talking doll? I think it’s the end of civilization as we know it.
Friday, January 6, 2006
International News
Ida, our heroine!
Let's face it...We need to be able to do what Ida did. Lawyers could be productive members of society once more as they sue the pants off of the politicians. But wait...aren't most politicians also lawyers? Darn!
Let's face it...We need to be able to do what Ida did. Lawyers could be productive members of society once more as they sue the pants off of the politicians. But wait...aren't most politicians also lawyers? Darn!
More amazing
I read a story in the Bee this morning all about the worries of sophomores as they prepare for the high school exit exam. Sophomore? Exit? Apparently they can pass the exam in their sophomore year and that's that! I guess they don't learn anything worth recording in their Junior and Senior years.
Amazing
I used the internet to report the SBC phone problems. Much easier than using the automated phone service, but not as easy as it could be. Their webpages are slightly better than useless, but I did get a date for someone to look at the problem...January 24th.
SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC
SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC SBC
Senator Feingold's
Letter
Those darn "Tax and Spend" Democrats...but wait, Feingold is a Democrat? How can he possibly be for fiscal responsibility?
ps. I have received a few letters from various Senators and Congressmen; it's odd that they are all structured (grammatically) the same way. Do their aides go to the same Constituent Letter Writing 101 class?
Those darn "Tax and Spend" Democrats...but wait, Feingold is a Democrat? How can he possibly be for fiscal responsibility?
ps. I have received a few letters from various Senators and Congressmen; it's odd that they are all structured (grammatically) the same way. Do their aides go to the same Constituent Letter Writing 101 class?
Congress' hands caught in the cookie jar
Beware
What does this mean?...Of the 23 senators who pledged not to employ cookies but do anyway, 18 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats. (All House members who use cookies either acknowledge it or have privacy policies that are silent on the topic.)
Either Republicans are so bold that they think they can do whatever they want...or so dumb that they think they can do whatever they want. Wait a second...that's the same answer? Hmmm? Could be.
What does this mean?...Of the 23 senators who pledged not to employ cookies but do anyway, 18 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats. (All House members who use cookies either acknowledge it or have privacy policies that are silent on the topic.)
Either Republicans are so bold that they think they can do whatever they want...or so dumb that they think they can do whatever they want. Wait a second...that's the same answer? Hmmm? Could be.
News
I spotted a news item last night that didn’t seem to get much attention. Apparently, Bush and Company decided to invite a bunch (13) of former secretaries of state and defense to the White House for a question and answer time; a bipartisan consultation on the situation in Iraq. According to some of those in attendance, the questions were rhetorical and answers were not welcomed. "It would be a stretch to say he was really interested in many thoughts from around the table," said one former official, who asked not to be identified so that he could speak frankly about a private meeting with the president.”
It was all a plan to appear to be bi-partisan by making certain that there was a photo-op time for the press to see the president reaching out… “Mr. Bush allowed 5 to 10 minutes for interchange with the group - which included three veterans of the Vietnam era: Robert S. McNamara, Melvin R. Laird and James R. Schlesinger - before herding the whole group into the Oval Office for what he called a "family picture."” 10 minutes?
The best and most revealing part of the story was this, “Colin L. Powell said nothing - a silence that spoke volumes to many in the White House on Thursday morning.”
It was all a plan to appear to be bi-partisan by making certain that there was a photo-op time for the press to see the president reaching out… “Mr. Bush allowed 5 to 10 minutes for interchange with the group - which included three veterans of the Vietnam era: Robert S. McNamara, Melvin R. Laird and James R. Schlesinger - before herding the whole group into the Oval Office for what he called a "family picture."” 10 minutes?
The best and most revealing part of the story was this, “Colin L. Powell said nothing - a silence that spoke volumes to many in the White House on Thursday morning.”
Critics
Friday, once again. The week rolls on and the news pours in. What would life be like without all of this fascinating news? I can’t imagine it; and apparently I won’t ever have to experience it. The internet and news sources seem to be growing exponentially.
This morning, the only reliable form of communication is the internet, via satellite. Our phone line was being worked on most of the day yesterday and once we had a dial tone again, I thought that was the end of the matter. Then we called Jill and she reported that the caller ID displayed on their phone was for someone they had never heard of? So Laurae tried calling our phone from the cell phone and couldn’t get a ring. A little while later, Bill called us, but he had dialed the other person’s number, the one displayed with the caller ID. I have a feeling that this may take a while to get sorted out. Perhaps it’s time to consider doing without a phone line (POTS) and go to cell phone only. Pro: One phone bill. Con: Sound quality is terrible. Pro: Voice messaging built in. Con: Service is inconsistent and expensive. Maybe it’s a sign of old age, but I really liked phone service before deregulation. Whose idea was that?
And in the news, our acting governor has delivered his custom made speech and the critics are poring over it now. Those critics are from both sides of the aisle so in that respect, Arnold is uniting what was once a very partisan legislature. From what I have read, Arnold has tossed a large amount of money into the pool and now the small time politicians are circling it like sharks, each wanting a big bite of it. Perhaps that’s Arnold’s plan? To get the politicians so focused on obtaining a big chunk of money, that they forget to attack him for awhile, giving him some room to maneuver for the upcoming elections.
This morning, the only reliable form of communication is the internet, via satellite. Our phone line was being worked on most of the day yesterday and once we had a dial tone again, I thought that was the end of the matter. Then we called Jill and she reported that the caller ID displayed on their phone was for someone they had never heard of? So Laurae tried calling our phone from the cell phone and couldn’t get a ring. A little while later, Bill called us, but he had dialed the other person’s number, the one displayed with the caller ID. I have a feeling that this may take a while to get sorted out. Perhaps it’s time to consider doing without a phone line (POTS) and go to cell phone only. Pro: One phone bill. Con: Sound quality is terrible. Pro: Voice messaging built in. Con: Service is inconsistent and expensive. Maybe it’s a sign of old age, but I really liked phone service before deregulation. Whose idea was that?
And in the news, our acting governor has delivered his custom made speech and the critics are poring over it now. Those critics are from both sides of the aisle so in that respect, Arnold is uniting what was once a very partisan legislature. From what I have read, Arnold has tossed a large amount of money into the pool and now the small time politicians are circling it like sharks, each wanting a big bite of it. Perhaps that’s Arnold’s plan? To get the politicians so focused on obtaining a big chunk of money, that they forget to attack him for awhile, giving him some room to maneuver for the upcoming elections.
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Howard Stern
to Get $220M in Sirius Stock
I must admit that I don't get it...but that's nothing new. I simply do not understand how a man with a potty mouth and the intellect/social skills of a 14 year old boy can do so well. (My apologies to 14 year old boys everywhere) I guess he must appeal to the 14 year old that resides in the body of many so-called "mature" men.
I must admit that I don't get it...but that's nothing new. I simply do not understand how a man with a potty mouth and the intellect/social skills of a 14 year old boy can do so well. (My apologies to 14 year old boys everywhere) I guess he must appeal to the 14 year old that resides in the body of many so-called "mature" men.
Flickr Toys
Oh, no! Picture this...
Do you use Flickr?
I'm an on-again/off-again viewer of the Flickr website, but this might make it more interesting.
Do you use Flickr?
I'm an on-again/off-again viewer of the Flickr website, but this might make it more interesting.
Wired
Wired 14.01: Don't Even Think About Lying
Now, should I be excited about this, or scared? I try not to think about it...
Now, should I be excited about this, or scared? I try not to think about it...
Boing Boing
Deaf hacker rewrites implant-firmware so he can enjoy music again
How strange is that? I just finished posting about the digital hearing aids and went back to reading from my news aggregator and the first article I came across was this one...
How strange is that? I just finished posting about the digital hearing aids and went back to reading from my news aggregator and the first article I came across was this one...
Excellent!
careers for 2006
Can you hear me now? I just read that hearing aids can be digital and controlled by your home computer! How very cool!
Can you hear me now? I just read that hearing aids can be digital and controlled by your home computer! How very cool!
To Be or Not To Be
Another thought: perhaps it’s time for the draft once more. If we’re all so excited about changing regimes and building nations, then we should be willing to share in the task. All of us. And that means serving in the armed forces if necessary. The all volunteer force is fine for peace time, but the president says we are at war. Perhaps we should act like it.
Bush defies Congress
defiant? Or just politics as usual?
"circumventing the requisite approval process in the Senate." says it all about his ethics.
"circumventing the requisite approval process in the Senate." says it all about his ethics.
Greening
Thursday morning and I’m hoping for a repeat of yesterday’s weather. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with no clouds and loads of sunshine. It was time to take off the coats and soak it in. That will really help to dry things out…and make the weeds grow! I’ve already seen the thin green blades popping up in the fields, right after the first rains. Another week of sunshine and the hills will be covered in green as well.
All is quiet here. Of course it’s 4:30 in the morning and quiet is to be expected. I have just begun to look at the news and some of it’s scary. With Israel’s leader, Sharon, on the verge of dying, Middle East politics are on everyone’s mind. Everyone with any kind of a stake in that region, I should say; and that definitely includes the U.S.
I read that the power in Israel has transferred to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert; and who is he? Suddenly, he is a very important person and I can’t remember reading anything about him. I really doubt that Sharon would have allowed anyone with political strength to occupy that office. And when (or if) Sharon dies, the power struggle will occupy the headlines for weeks.
Now imagine the same scenario in America. That’s really scary! It would definitely be orderly…no power struggles allowed. In fact, I doubt that dissent of any kind would be allowed.
And here’s part of a local headline…”Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff or Indian tribes he once represented, donated tens of thousands of dollars to members of Congress from California, and some returned the money or will donate it to charity…” Excuse me!? Does returning the money absolve the taker of the money? Why would they think that? Is this a variation of ethics, something we can call “New Ethics”?
And from our acting governor, the story is that he will propose adding more toll lanes to existing freeways and that would include freeways for trucks only. I like it, even though we would all have to pay for the trucking industries portion. He is due to give a major speech tonight and tomorrow’s news will have it all dissected and critiqued. For myself, I never watch politicians give speeches. The speeches are always written by someone (usually a group) other than the speaker and I would rather read it later.
A thought: if you wanted to clean up politics just a little bit, propose a rule that all politicians would have to give extemporaneous presentations…no notes allowed. And make them wash their hands before the presentation.
All is quiet here. Of course it’s 4:30 in the morning and quiet is to be expected. I have just begun to look at the news and some of it’s scary. With Israel’s leader, Sharon, on the verge of dying, Middle East politics are on everyone’s mind. Everyone with any kind of a stake in that region, I should say; and that definitely includes the U.S.
I read that the power in Israel has transferred to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert; and who is he? Suddenly, he is a very important person and I can’t remember reading anything about him. I really doubt that Sharon would have allowed anyone with political strength to occupy that office. And when (or if) Sharon dies, the power struggle will occupy the headlines for weeks.
Now imagine the same scenario in America. That’s really scary! It would definitely be orderly…no power struggles allowed. In fact, I doubt that dissent of any kind would be allowed.
And here’s part of a local headline…”Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff or Indian tribes he once represented, donated tens of thousands of dollars to members of Congress from California, and some returned the money or will donate it to charity…” Excuse me!? Does returning the money absolve the taker of the money? Why would they think that? Is this a variation of ethics, something we can call “New Ethics”?
And from our acting governor, the story is that he will propose adding more toll lanes to existing freeways and that would include freeways for trucks only. I like it, even though we would all have to pay for the trucking industries portion. He is due to give a major speech tonight and tomorrow’s news will have it all dissected and critiqued. For myself, I never watch politicians give speeches. The speeches are always written by someone (usually a group) other than the speaker and I would rather read it later.
A thought: if you wanted to clean up politics just a little bit, propose a rule that all politicians would have to give extemporaneous presentations…no notes allowed. And make them wash their hands before the presentation.
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Lynn Swann
says he is running for Pa. governor
Sure, why not? A pro football player is just another variant of "actor", and there have been more than a few of those that decided to become governors. Ventura, Reagan, and Schwarzenegger.
Sure, why not? A pro football player is just another variant of "actor", and there have been more than a few of those that decided to become governors. Ventura, Reagan, and Schwarzenegger.
Hog Heaven -
Don't be fooled, the homeland security budget is still packed with pork
Let's see, the Chico Mall got some concrete bollards to stop terrorists at the mall entrance last year. What kind of pork will Wally bring us this year? The bollards are OK, but kind of chintzy, so I hope he has better plans.
Let's see, the Chico Mall got some concrete bollards to stop terrorists at the mall entrance last year. What kind of pork will Wally bring us this year? The bollards are OK, but kind of chintzy, so I hope he has better plans.
True to Type
How odd…but I’m sure it’s nothing new. Since we are babysitting this week, we have seen a lot more cartoons from the Disney people and PBS than we normally see. And I hadn’t realized how much stereotyping goes on in the stories and the images. The snooty little cartoon girl wears her sweater on her shoulders with the arms tied neatly across her chest. The nerdy little boy wears glasses. These are stereotypes from 50 years ago! And they still exist today. Try watching a cartoon or two for yourself and see if you don’t see the same kind of things.
Promises?
Taipei Times - archives
And how will this be perceived?
"The cut-off to reconstruction programs adds to increasing speculation that the administration is planning at least a partial withdrawal of troops from Iraq before November's US mid-term election. Of course...it is all about politics. Always has been.
It marks a retreat from a promise by Bush in 2003 to provide Iraq with the best infrastructure in the region. On Monday, however, a Pentagon official disavowed that ambition.
"The US never intended to completely rebuild Iraq," Brigadier General William McCoy, the Army Corps of Engineers commander overseeing the work, was quoted in the Post as saying. "
Liar, liar, pants on fire...
And how will this be perceived?
"The cut-off to reconstruction programs adds to increasing speculation that the administration is planning at least a partial withdrawal of troops from Iraq before November's US mid-term election. Of course...it is all about politics. Always has been.
It marks a retreat from a promise by Bush in 2003 to provide Iraq with the best infrastructure in the region. On Monday, however, a Pentagon official disavowed that ambition.
"The US never intended to completely rebuild Iraq," Brigadier General William McCoy, the Army Corps of Engineers commander overseeing the work, was quoted in the Post as saying. "
Liar, liar, pants on fire...
US military dollars at work
love not war?
And you thought that the Pentagon was such a "serious" place...obviously they have a sense of humor and spend your money with a smile on their faces. I really liked the idea of the "who, me?" bomb and just think, they have been working on it since 1945.
And you thought that the Pentagon was such a "serious" place...obviously they have a sense of humor and spend your money with a smile on their faces. I really liked the idea of the "who, me?" bomb and just think, they have been working on it since 1945.
Intelligence report
Iran seeks nuclear bomb
No kidding? And the report also says, " Syria, Pakistan and North Korea are part of a global black market in illicit weapons parts."
Pakistan? But I thought that they were our friends...didn't I see Bush and Musharaff shaking hands somewhere?
And Iran. Let's see; that's where Reagan sent weapons secretly and then had a sudden memory loss when questioned about it.
No kidding? And the report also says, " Syria, Pakistan and North Korea are part of a global black market in illicit weapons parts."
Pakistan? But I thought that they were our friends...didn't I see Bush and Musharaff shaking hands somewhere?
And Iran. Let's see; that's where Reagan sent weapons secretly and then had a sudden memory loss when questioned about it.
No Rain?
Wednesday morning is upon us once again. The winds have died down and it doesn’t seem to be raining anymore. The forecast calls for cloudy weather during the next few days, allowing us a chance to dry out a little bit.
Yesterday, we took a little break from the gloom of rain and wind and drove into Chico to get some groceries. A good idea and it went well, but we had forgotten about the “minefields” in grocery stores. Yes, we had the twins in our shopping carts and every aisle seemed to have some attractive item in it, something that one or the other wanted very much. We only had one crying incident and that is when I wouldn’t let either one hold the yoghurt. Bad grandpa!
All is quiet this morning (and grandpa is forgiven) with the twins asleep for at least another two hours. So I’m looking at the news as is my usual habit for this hour…the sad news is that only one miner survived the explosion at a West Virginia coal mine and 12 died. And this “accident” happened at a mine that had over 200 safety violations last year.
One can only hope that this tragedy will put that particular coal mining company out of business…forever.
The other big headline is all about Jack Abramoff. This is going to be like watching a train derailment in slow motion. Lots of fun ahead! And maybe Randy (Duke) Cunningham will see a familiar face or two in the adjoining cells.
The state news has our acting governor trying to give the schools as much money as he can in a sudden reversal of his former policies. I can hardly wait to hear his speech tomorrow where he will explain the logic of all this. (Obvious…he wants to be re-elected) Don’t misunderstand me; I think that the schools/education should get the majority of our tax dollars. Even more than they do now. But I also know that most taxpayers are quite stingy when it comes to funding education. They will spend $80 for a ticket to a Kings game, but will balk at any increase of spending at their local school. And since the governor is not going to propose new taxes, but just move the existing dollars around, the public will go for it. And then promptly forget it. Until the next education crisis.
Ah! Actors and politicians…they go together so well! And so predictably.
Yesterday, we took a little break from the gloom of rain and wind and drove into Chico to get some groceries. A good idea and it went well, but we had forgotten about the “minefields” in grocery stores. Yes, we had the twins in our shopping carts and every aisle seemed to have some attractive item in it, something that one or the other wanted very much. We only had one crying incident and that is when I wouldn’t let either one hold the yoghurt. Bad grandpa!
All is quiet this morning (and grandpa is forgiven) with the twins asleep for at least another two hours. So I’m looking at the news as is my usual habit for this hour…the sad news is that only one miner survived the explosion at a West Virginia coal mine and 12 died. And this “accident” happened at a mine that had over 200 safety violations last year.
One can only hope that this tragedy will put that particular coal mining company out of business…forever.
The other big headline is all about Jack Abramoff. This is going to be like watching a train derailment in slow motion. Lots of fun ahead! And maybe Randy (Duke) Cunningham will see a familiar face or two in the adjoining cells.
The state news has our acting governor trying to give the schools as much money as he can in a sudden reversal of his former policies. I can hardly wait to hear his speech tomorrow where he will explain the logic of all this. (Obvious…he wants to be re-elected) Don’t misunderstand me; I think that the schools/education should get the majority of our tax dollars. Even more than they do now. But I also know that most taxpayers are quite stingy when it comes to funding education. They will spend $80 for a ticket to a Kings game, but will balk at any increase of spending at their local school. And since the governor is not going to propose new taxes, but just move the existing dollars around, the public will go for it. And then promptly forget it. Until the next education crisis.
Ah! Actors and politicians…they go together so well! And so predictably.
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Abramoff Makes Plea Deal,
Will Cooperate
Weather report for DC...A great deal of "high anxiety" followed by very brief periods of "remorse". Temperature? Hot!
Weather report for DC...A great deal of "high anxiety" followed by very brief periods of "remorse". Temperature? Hot!
Say what?
quantum bogodynamics
The "Word of the Day" squared x 3.895 divided by .0945 multiplied by the speed of light.
The "Word of the Day" squared x 3.895 divided by .0945 multiplied by the speed of light.
Do the Poor Deserve Life Support?
- A woman who couldn't pay her bills is unplugged from her ventilator and dies.
Shades of Terri Schiavo!
The author of this odd piece writes, "Here, for the edification of bloggers everywhere, is an example of an economic consideration: " I can't help but wonder why he thinks his "edification" is worthy of anyones's consideration?
Shades of Terri Schiavo!
The author of this odd piece writes, "Here, for the edification of bloggers everywhere, is an example of an economic consideration: " I can't help but wonder why he thinks his "edification" is worthy of anyones's consideration?
Asbestos ship on
its way to India
It seems that both France and India should be ashamed.
Here is a link to a slideshow of 8 photos showing how a ship is broken in this part of the world.
It seems that both France and India should be ashamed.
Here is a link to a slideshow of 8 photos showing how a ship is broken in this part of the world.
The Bill is Due
I noticed that once again, the government has put a price tag on the latest series of storms to hit California. ($57 million) These dollar figures make the morning headlines a little more interesting, but do they represent reality? Why isn’t it $56,789,034? It seems as if we enjoy putting those dollar figures on everything; we even know how much it costs per minute to be stuck in traffic. We can quantify the cost of disaster or inefficiencies for just about everything. Except for some interesting possibilities…what does it cost us per minute for the legislators (State and federal) to grandstand and not do our business? A president?
I was watching the PBS special on Reagan last night and I found the story to be fair, though not as balanced as I thought it should be. Not enough time was given over to the story of how he wrecked a nation’s economy with his strange fiscal ideas. And not enough time was spent on his illegal dealings with the Contras and the giving of weapons to Iran. Those items alone should have brought his presidency down, but he was one of our Teflon presidents and all he had to do was to claim that he didn’t remember…and the public believed it. And what did his presidency cost us?
I was watching the PBS special on Reagan last night and I found the story to be fair, though not as balanced as I thought it should be. Not enough time was given over to the story of how he wrecked a nation’s economy with his strange fiscal ideas. And not enough time was spent on his illegal dealings with the Contras and the giving of weapons to Iran. Those items alone should have brought his presidency down, but he was one of our Teflon presidents and all he had to do was to claim that he didn’t remember…and the public believed it. And what did his presidency cost us?
Monday, January 2, 2006
Death Row, DNA Collide -
Scary!
This caught my attention...All eight judges who voted to affirm the conviction were Republican appointees. The seven dissenters were Democratic appointees. Does this mean that justice has become "political"? Will your voter registration decide your fate?
You would think that the truth would be the most important element in a trial.
This caught my attention...All eight judges who voted to affirm the conviction were Republican appointees. The seven dissenters were Democratic appointees. Does this mean that justice has become "political"? Will your voter registration decide your fate?
You would think that the truth would be the most important element in a trial.
Judges
Judge Halts CA Violent Video Games Law
“State by state, violent games legislation is being shot down for being unconstitutional. Late yesterday, California's violent games law was halted by Judge Whyte, representing another victory for the video game industry and retailers.”
Of course that makes lots of people mad…why doesn’t the judge do what the people want him to do? Because it truly was unconstitutional. Remember? It’s not his job to legislate. Sad, but we depend on lawmakers to do what we seem to be unable to do for ourselves. Stop buying violent video games and they will no longer be sold. And of course it would help if legislators would spend some time reviewing “real law” before writing the legislation.
And a little history would help…you cannot legislate morality, or any other human behavior. The change has to come from within society. We need to concentrate on changing ourselves and not depending on hundreds of new laws to do it for us.
One More
Monday morning and the rains have stopped for awhile. From what I have read, the storm is now moving south and we will no longer have to deal with it. It was a good wakeup storm for many, as it exposed the dangerous condition of our levee system. But will anyone do more than offer thanks that a disaster was averted? After the rain stops would be a good time for our acting governor to propose a bold plan to unify all levee maintenance and construction under one authority. Let me add #11 to my list of forecasts…The state will ignore the warnings and in the summer of 2006, when least expected, major levees will fail and vast areas of the flood plain around Sacramento will be under water. Arnold will get a chance to use the “Deep Water Snorkel” option on his Hummer.
The Phaeton
A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden
I've never seen a factory quite like this one...
I've never seen a factory quite like this one...
Sunday, January 1, 2006
Forecast
Perhaps I should include a comment or two on what I think will happen in the year ahead of us. Then, next year at this time, I can see how inaccurate I was. Most newspapers include a feature like this every year and there’s no reason why I shouldn’t do the same.
- Gasoline will rise to close to $4 a gallon.
- Tom DeLay will be convicted but will receive probation instead of prison time.
- Cheney will have a mild heart attack and resign. It will turn out that he only had indigestion, but Bush will tell him, “A deal’s a deal.”
- Indonesia will become the new hiding place for Osama bin Laden.
- Gold will increase in price to over $700 an ounce.
- Kenneth Lay will be acquitted. “Terminal stupidity” will be his defense.
- Jack Abramoff will testify in open court and 14 congressman and 6 Senators will have mild heart attacks and resign.
- The stock market (DJIA) will drop below the 10,000 mark.
- Daimler Chrysler will go into bankruptcy.
- Southwest Airlines will buy Delta, United and US Air.
Wide Awake
Here I am; wide awake in a new year. Another year has gone and it doesn’t feel a whole lot different than it did yesterday morning when only a day had passed.
We were asleep by 10 and in bed by 11, and so we missed any midnight festivities in Orland, if there were any. Earlier in the evening we spent the hours between 6 and 9 at our local church, where we celebrated the dawning of the New Year in Charleston, South Carolina by having fried chicken, black-eyed peas and pecan pie. As 9 PM approached, we counted down the seconds and then celebrated the New Year with those on the east coast.
All of that made me think of the few times that I had been in South Carolina and the fact that I had never been to Charleston. I had driven down I-85 from Charlotte on my way to Atlanta, cutting through the upper left hand corner of the state. That was just a little over a 100 miles of South Carolina for me to experience and here is what I remember; there must be more Waffle Houses per capita in South Carolina than in any other state, with two at every freeway overpass and off-ramp. Billboards are bigger and more numerous in South Carolina and they all advertise, “Fireworks – Next Exit”. Gasoline was really cheap…that’s it, I don’t remember much more about the state. Oh yes, there is a BMW factory, somewhere between Greenville and Spartanburg.
I do want to return to the South one day and spend some time being a tourist and not a harried traveler, racing from one airport to another. I think I have spent more time in southern hotels and airports than I have in seeing what the South has to offer the genuine tourist.
We were asleep by 10 and in bed by 11, and so we missed any midnight festivities in Orland, if there were any. Earlier in the evening we spent the hours between 6 and 9 at our local church, where we celebrated the dawning of the New Year in Charleston, South Carolina by having fried chicken, black-eyed peas and pecan pie. As 9 PM approached, we counted down the seconds and then celebrated the New Year with those on the east coast.
All of that made me think of the few times that I had been in South Carolina and the fact that I had never been to Charleston. I had driven down I-85 from Charlotte on my way to Atlanta, cutting through the upper left hand corner of the state. That was just a little over a 100 miles of South Carolina for me to experience and here is what I remember; there must be more Waffle Houses per capita in South Carolina than in any other state, with two at every freeway overpass and off-ramp. Billboards are bigger and more numerous in South Carolina and they all advertise, “Fireworks – Next Exit”. Gasoline was really cheap…that’s it, I don’t remember much more about the state. Oh yes, there is a BMW factory, somewhere between Greenville and Spartanburg.
I do want to return to the South one day and spend some time being a tourist and not a harried traveler, racing from one airport to another. I think I have spent more time in southern hotels and airports than I have in seeing what the South has to offer the genuine tourist.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Tapped
Good Stuff
Nice to read...without a lot of the yelling and other rude noises that seems to be present on most "conservative" blogs.
Question: Why do conservatives think they have to yell?
Nice to read...without a lot of the yelling and other rude noises that seems to be present on most "conservative" blogs.
Question: Why do conservatives think they have to yell?
Hatred Returns to the Political Arena
- With a Vengeance - The War on Immigrants
Wrong. Hatred has always been there. It's the politicians tool of choice because it requires no thought.
Wrong. Hatred has always been there. It's the politicians tool of choice because it requires no thought.
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