TECH: Enterprises need a centralized IT so there will be someone else to blame!

Monday, June 26, 2006

Are the Users taking over from the IT Department?

***Begin Quote***

I heard a new term this week from an experienced CIO running a good operation, well matched to the enterprises business aims, etc. He reckoned that ‘Shadow IT’ is fast becoming the order of the day as the Users, individually or in groups, enact something locally. His problem was he didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing from the perspective of the business, though he certainly wasn’t too comfortable about it from a personal or professional CIO view.

***End Quote***

Bad thing! If you care about results.

Shadow IT, User computing, or the skunk works is all well and good. But, the chickens come home to roost, and the IT folks get blamed, when security, recovery, and blunders put a "below the waterline" hole in the enterprise ship.

Don't come running to me when your competitor buys a laptop with every customers' ssn on it.

Don't come running to me when the power surge corrupts your pc database that does the enterprise p&l in excel.

Don't come running to me when the alpha, beta, gamma, or bootleg software that you are running the mission critical app on goes "postal", "up in smoke", or develops the pc equivalent of an "OC7 or OC4" and you can't even find vendor, let alone get some support.

Just call India where you sent all the expertise.

Arghh. OK, beloved user, let's start putting the pieces back together. Now what is the business objective you are trying to accomplish?

There is a reason why the centralized IT is expensive. We had to pay tuition for all those lessons that you're now learning.

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Posted by reinkefj

MUNY: You can NOT regard the US$ (FRBie) as a store of value!

Monday, June 26, 2006

http://www.mises.org/story/2221 

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Over the past ninety-three years, since the founding of the Federal Reserve, the dollar has depreciated by over 95%. With money no longer being a stable repository of value – thanks to inflation –  a predictable shift in the American character has occurred. Gone are the low-time-preference days where hard work and savings paved the road to a better life for parents and children.

***End Quote***

This means that you MUST seek to put your "money" into things that appreciate in value. Or, at least, don't depreciate. Or, depreciate too quickly. Real estate (i.e., they ain't printing no more land!). Gold (i.e., mining is hard work and it has a long track record!) Stocks (i.e., they float, but buy low sell hi, and put the dif in gold). Tools that allow you to earn and save more.

Become wise in the ways of beating inflation. Spend wisely and quickly. Take value "off the gambling table" buy buying things that will retain their value. Bullion coins are my personal favorite right now! 

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: “MSFTWORD” … you can’t make it point to a specific html file?

Monday, June 26, 2006

Entertaining little "feature".

I have an html file. Actual lots of them. Representing alumni pages. I wanted to create a word doc html that would display their name and be clickable to their underlying page on my hd.

No problem.

Take the properties of the file, c:\yadayady\alum1.htm, and paste it to the html doc, hit the space bar, and WORD makes it a link.

Hole CNTL and tap the link.

(Should be "no prob" right? Buzz Wrong. Not in Microsoft land where all rules of common sense do NOT apply!)

You can't, or at least I couldn't make a link to anything but "C:\".

Now that's really useful! Sigh!

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Posted by reinkefj

ALUM: Just inventoried my alum roldex … …

Sunday, June 25, 2006

… … and have twelve Jaspers in Strange Places.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: WALLNOTE … a todo list on your homepage … jury’s still out!

Saturday, June 24, 2006

http://www.wallnote.com/

Simple free hosted app. Valuable? Can't tell yet.

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Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: Reese cites Jefferson and an elemental truth about victim disarmament

Saturday, June 24, 2006

http://www.lewrockwell.com/reese/reese289.html

Owning a Gun by Charley Reese

***Begin Quote***

As one might expect of a man so brilliant, Thomas Jefferson had the perfect answer to modern politicians itchy to disarm the ordinary citizen.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms … disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. … Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
This is an entry in his Commonplace Book, dated sometime between 1774 and 1776.

Can anyone argue against his logic? Criminals are by definition lawbreakers and don't obey gun-control laws. It will be no consolation to you that police may later charge the man who murdered you with the additional crime of possession of a firearm by a felon. That won't buy you a ticket out of the cemetery. You're history. 
***End Quote***

The right to keep and bear arms was enshrined in the Constitution by the dead old white guys. They knew that the only true check on bad government was the armed citizen. They were also keenly aware of human nature and that there were, are, and will always be two legged and four legged threats to human life. I love the quip "God made men and women; Sam Colt made them equal".

Those that urge "gun control" are really advocating "victim disarmament". When they rail against cheap guns, they are merely denying the poor the right to defend themselves. When you hear "Saturday Night Special", recognize it for the racist epithet of the Klan. When you read the Gun Control Act of 1968, compare it to the Nazi gun control act. It's almost identical. Gun control is stupid idealism. As Heinlein wrote "An armed society is a polite society". Very polite! Any time some one says "gun control", I want you to visualize the poor minority cleaning woman traveling home on the NYC subway at 4am after working all night. Would you deny her safe conduct? Not me. And, I really don't think she make a mistake between a threat and the other passengers MYOBing along home or work as well. It would behoove the miscreants to be careful around women traveling alone late at night. And, that woman wouldn't necessarily have to be packing to get the benefit of concealed carry. Her fellow travelers would be more likely to come to her aid if they were armed. And even if they didn't, you have created substantial doubt in the criminal's mind. Think Dirty Harry. Are you feeling lucky? Pick wrong and you may get introduced to Paxton Quigley, Massod Ayoad, or a member of the Pink Pistols.

Those that urge "gun control" want us to put our physical safety in the gubamint. The Post Office will protect you. Right! Ever notice that the police are more like the clean up squad. They come and take reports. Lots of them come long after the threat is gone, the evil deed is done, and the bodies are cold. How many crimes actually get "solved"? Like the popular bumper sticker quip "Dial 911 and die!", we'd rather survive. And we rather our fellow citizens have the same chance.

Those that urge "gun control" are telling us we are too stupid, too weak, or too feeble to protect ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our country. Who do they think built this country? The government? Don't make me laugh. Ask the Native American Indians about the benevolence of the gubamint. Ask the Japanese American citizens "interned" in WWII. Ask the children at Waco. 

Think it can't happen here and now? Then look at the Halburton prison camps being built now. Look at the various checkpoints. Look at the abuses of the War on Drugs, War on Terrors, and the War on Whatever (Fill in what is hot this week). 

An armed citizen or disarmed slave?

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: It’s a great country America. Poor boy, many hurdles, makes it big in Hollywood!

Saturday, June 24, 2006

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/06/23/spelling.obit.ap/

Television producer Aaron Spelling dies
Saturday, June 24, 2006 Posted: 0308 GMT (1108 HKT)

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LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Aaron Spelling, a onetime movie bit player who created a massive number of hit series, from the vintage "Charlie's Angels" and "Dynasty" to "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place," died Friday, his publicist said. He was 83.
***End Quote***

I think that the dead old white guys had this vision for the American Experiment. You can be what you want to be. In the pressure cooker of true poverty, diamonds emerge. It's a shame that the Republican and Democrat Socialists don't see the beauty of dreams fulfilled. Of obstacles over come. Of doing it yourself. No Nanny Government will make it all ok as long as you eat the gruel being served. And Father State will be you daddy telling you what you can and can't do. It's for the children. Like the human race wouldn't have survived without the Government. Remember governments kill their citizens should they dare to be free. AND, the government "kindness" just kills you a little slower. I wasn't a big fan of 90210 and its ilk. Didn't believe in the "beautiful" and "rich" people! Everyone I know has flaws. Even me. (Shocked?) But in reading about what he had to overcome to be Tori's Dad, I am impressed. Perhaps to have the drive to succeed greatly one needs the poverty, the discrimination, and the angst? Don't know that but do know that the man accomplished things.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: Microsoft’s insecure. Now selling security. That’s insincerity!

Saturday, June 24, 2006

WServerNews[tm] Electronic Newsletter
Vol. 11, #26 – June 26, 2006 – Issue #582
Published by sunbelt-software.com since 1996 – ISSN: 1527-3407
~ The secret of those "who always seem to know" ~
Read the web-version here: http://www.wservernews.com/index.cfm?id=582
***Begin Quote***

* Forefront: Am I Missing It?

At Tech.Ed several Forefront security team leaders attended and
spoke to journalists and analysts. Some of these reported that
enterprise customers like Microsoft jumping into the security
market. Others were doubtful. A quick SunPoll among system admins
shows that almost 50% do not trust Microsoft at all with their
security!
***End Quote***

I think it's ironic that Microsoft can make an insecure Operating System and then sell people things to make it secure. What are techies stupid? Add on the fact that you want checks and balances. You don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. Does anyone remember Microsoft's security server?

Nope, not for this fellow. I'm moving to Linux and Open Source. Where possible, I recommend it to Enterprise types. Nealy had it right "the network is the computer". Every computing platform has to protect itself. We've turned the world model inside out in that there is no hard shell around a soft core. You want security in Microsoft systems then you have to air gap them.

imho

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH: Blogger gives the world a bumm steer on a Nuance product!

Friday, June 23, 2006

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001280.php

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The Preferred edition is the best choice for general use – it comes with a good headset/microphone and is available from Amazon for $120, with rebate.

Amazing!
***End Quote***

{So naturally, I let him know about my problems!} 

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/02/25/windoze-installs-software-support-and-my-gripe/

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/04/12/ed-foster-ibms-brand-takes-on-a-different-nuance-that-me/

I personally would not buy anything tainted by Nuance’s support.

Since you recommended it, I would suggest that you put a caveat on “IBM’s” ViaVoice, Dragon, and Paperport that if it works for you “vundabar” but if it doesn’t don’t expect ANY help from the vendor.

Dealing with these products, I would suggest save your receipts and document every interaction. You are going to need it. You are about to enter “support hell” that will make Dell’s India operation look like nice guys with Phds.

If you even get a response from Nucance at all.

I’d suggest that you steer people AWAY from them. Unfortunately they have a corner on the marketplace for “voice transcription”. That being said, I’d suggest that it all depends if you are feeling lucky.
 

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: The “minimum wage” … … bad economics, poor policy, racist, and stupid!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2006/06/random-thoughts-on-senate-race.html

***Begin Quote***

Sen. Menendez voted in favor of increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour this week, announcing on the Senate floor that "nine years is far too long" for low-wage workers to wait for the federal government to boost the wage, which currently stands at $5.15 an hour.
*** *** Quoting Menedez *** *** 

Nine years is too long for those who work round the clock, hoping to save a little extra for groceries, for those working so they can buy schools supplies or clothes for their children, or for those saving so one day they can live in a place they are proud to call home. I ask members of Congress who receive a cost-of-living adjustment, how can they vote to not give those hard working Americans earning minimum wage the first increase in nine years?

***End Quote***

Can we talk? Minimum wage!
The minimum wage isn't for the poor hard working Joe six pack. Minimum wage laws really benefit a very interesting group.

First, the highly paid government "workers" get raises. A rise in the minimum wage jacks up the bottom of the pay table. So all the higher and highly paid "workers" all get a raise.

Second, all the union workers who have a pay table in their contracts gets a bump up.

Third, the politicians get the "moral high ground" as champions of the "little people" while rewarding the government and union workers.

Basat's Law tells us to look for the silent hidden losers in any "economic problem". SO who loses here?

Everyone loses because now they have to pay higher prices. Taxpayers lose because government workers now have to be paid more and, of course, pensions are keyed to that higher rate. People on fixed incomes get a double whammy in higher taxes and higher prices.

So, ANY politician, regardless of flavor, who advocates a higher minimum wage, shouldn't be elected. You shouldn't EVEN consider voting for them. Either that politician is: too stupid to understand the minimum wage is a bad idea OR too dishonest to admit what the truth of the minimum wage.

Is he dishonest or just dumb as a stump?

By the way, minimum wage jobs are the bottom rung on the economic ladder. People don't work at minimum wage jobs for life. They don't support households on them. But they are the training ground for the future great jobs.

The little businesses, the typical employer of minimum wage employees, are hurt by the raise and either have to fore go hiring, layoffs, or downsizing.

So raising the minimum wage is like pulling up the economic ladder to a better life.

And, just a little side effect, an unintended consequence, it impacts the young and the minorities disproportionately.

Oh, and by the way, this law, like all law, is the use of force on a peaceful market transaction. The worker doesn't have to work at that lower rate. With this law, the government puts its guns at the head of the workers and the employers.

Sigh. It seems so obvious!

1 Comment | LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

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