No, “nut” comments needed! ;-)
TECH: Here’s my value proposition in a “nut” shell.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
No, “nut” comments needed! ;-)
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Technology | 
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: JAJAH … conference calls … free
Thursday, September 14, 2006http://www.jajah.com/info/rates/
Free in the USA.
I was thinking that you’d be interested for setting up your various familial activities.
Seems like a neat idea and you can’t beat the price.
Free!
Now if just had someone to call. Sigh!
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: ROBOFORM gets a big thumbs up from me. Even if it ain’t free!
Thursday, September 14, 2006http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/002703.html
***Begin Quote***
And what’s your favorite utility?
***End Quote***
Roboform is a top-rated Password Manager and Web Form Filler that completely automates password entering and form filling:
* Memorizes your passwords and Logs You In automatically.
* Generates random passwords that hackers cannot guess.
* Backs up your passwords, Copies them between computers.
Where does anyone think I dig up all these long random unique character strings for email ids, passwords, and userids? Yup, roboform’s generate!
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: LookOut aka Outlook has an annoying behavior as it works. Does PLAXO inherit that?
Thursday, September 14, 2006I think it is interesting that, unlike any other application that shares my platform, LookOut seizes the focus. It doesn’t minimize while it doing certain stuff, but literally ‘takes over”. When LookOut is doing its work, I like to play a game of Solitaire. (It makes me less crazed while I am waiting. Argh!) Lookout, and to some extent Plaxo, won’t let me. It insists that I watch it “work”. Sometimes it twirls an hourglass for my amusement. But, many times it just sits there “promising” me it’s working. how do I know? Argh! I notice it when PLAXO is running, but the culprit may be LookOut. I can’t wait to get to Linux and dump all this trash. Wonder how much time I’ll save?
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Posted by reinkefj
JOBSEARCH: BUILDYOURNETWORKS … another LinkedIn augmentation site?
Thursday, September 14, 2006http://www.buildyournetworks.com/
Value as yet unknown. TBI (To be investigated) WTP (When Time Permits)
Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
TECH: ZIKI … has some promise in social networking. Now will it get enough participation?
Wednesday, September 13, 2006http://ziki.com/people/reinkefj
***Begin Quote***
Ziki.com helps you control your online identity and offers everyone a new way to share, promote and monetize their content through social networking.
Welcome to Ziki.com, the new social network
* Be Found. Tag yourself with your own keywords
* Gather all your digital life in one place: blog entries, Del.icio.us links, Flickr photos, YouTube videos and more
* Share all the content you create and publish on the web
* Promote yourself, your content, your favorites, your network and your groups
* Build your own social web including your network, your favorite content, your groups, your audience – your whole digital life
* Discover people based on the tags they use to describe themselves
* Find what you are looking for in your personal content or the content of the community (coming soon)
* Connect with people, companies and groups based on what you’re looking for (e.g. jobs, selling ad space on your blog) (coming soon)
***End Quote***
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: GOOGLE’s PAGE CREATOR is a neat place to “throw stuff” quickly
Wednesday, September 13, 2006http://jxymxu7sn5ho9d.googlepages.com/home
Is a throw away area that doesn’t consume my webspace? It’s from the Google Lab’s so it’s a beta beta. But it works for me. And, might for you.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: “FEEDBLITZ” … will email you a daily summary of my blog … free for both of us!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=98446
Ain’t the internet great! Don’t you love free stuff?
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
JOBSEARCH: Recruiters, LinkedIn, Other Users, Expectations, and “Rules”
Wednesday, September 13, 2006FROM: The LinkedIn Innovators Yahoo Group
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/LinkedInnovators/
Recruiter Networking Pushing the Limits…….
Posted by: “tamara719”
Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:52 pm (PST)
***Begin Quote***
Hello All
My name is Tamara. I am a recruiter based out of the Dallas/Ft.Worth
area.
I am enjoying my membership on Linked-in. I have found old friends,
business associates and made many new friends and contacts. I am
thankful for this resource.
However, I am becoming perturbed about Recruiters contacting
Recruiters for “referrals.” I am more then willing to aid a fellow
recruiter in a search for financial compensation. I do not work for
free (none of us do), and I will not fill positions without
consideration. I have been contacted with lures such as “if you help
me I’ll give you access to my vast network?”
Others have answered me in shock as if I had asked for something out
of this realm of existence. I have posted on my profile that I do
this for a living, having done so for over thirteen years now, and
that I am paid only if I place the candidate; or work on a retained
basis. And, I might add that in-house recruiters should not seek aid
from recruiters without compensation. If you want to utilize my
firm’s services please do so, with a signed agreement.
I am not striving to sound harsh or difficult to get along with.
However, I am being overwhelmed with requests for “who you know” or
“Can you recommend somebody for this role?” Yes, I probably can
however unless I know that you, the recruiter, will compensate me then
I will continue to work on my own openings for my own clients.
This is the nature of business. This is why all of us on Linked-in
are in business in one facet or another. To make a living; to pay our
bills, and to enjoy a certain quality of life.
Thus, I would like to be removed from the blasts asking for referrals.
Unless you intend to compensate me for my effort, which means to me:
a) Searching for a passive candidate
b) Qualifying them
c) Verifying their degree(s)
d) Checking previous employment
f) Checking three professional references
I will have to be compensated.
I have been meaning to write this a long time, and after opening
Linked-in today, I said that’s it, it is long over due for me to get
my message out to all concerned.
I love what I do. How many people in recruiting can say that? How
many people can say that about their current positions? Thus, nothing
would make me prouder or happier then to truly Link-in with other
recruiters as business partners. We can partner together to achieve
an ends to a means. I see everything right about this suggestion.
Tamara
President/Founder
Endeavor Group
Ft. Worth, TX
***End Quote***
HERE’S MY RESPONSE
>My name is Tamara. I am a recruiter based out of the Dallas/Ft.Worth
Hello, Tamara. Let me see if I can “react” to what you are saying.
>However, I am becoming perturbed about Recruiters contacting
I don’t think that LinkedIn was created for recruiters to earn money. I could be mistaken, but I thought it was about “networking”. It’s an evolving understanding, but it was to form voluntary connections between people for their mutual benefit.
>I will not fill positions without consideration
I understand that everyone has to make a buck. AND, I have run into some “interesting” tactics by recruiters to do that. But, if you don’t want to “help” then just say so.
>If you want to utilize my firm’s services please do so, with a signed agreement.
And, if you want to use the services of the average joe who’s just here to help out, please feel free to do so with a signed agreement with for example ME! You don’t get to have it both ways. Either it’s help freely offered and freely given or it’s a glorified meat market. And how do I get my “cut”?
>I am not striving to sound harsh or difficult to get along with.
Ahh, but you are. You are trying to form a business model in basically what is “supposedly” a free exchange of contact information.
Some of the more “sleezy” things I have found recruiters doing are:
(1) “taking hostages” — basically creating a profile for some one they are representing and not permitting any contact except for a fee. I found a fellow I knew in College, wanted to reconnect, and the recruiter refused unless I paid him. A plague on his house.
(2) “creating strawmen” — creating a profile for a candidate they were representing and attempting to leverage an agreement out of another recruiter to source him.
I think that both these are “immoral tactics”.
Bottom line: IMHO LinkedIn grew because of average shmoes like me wanted to bypass recruiters of all types — the corporate hr types and the retained / contingency search — and just connect on their own.
An invasion of recruiters, sensing a good thing, and “joined”. Now they are kludging up the works trying to retain value for themselves without concern to its impact on the resource. It’s akin to the tragedy of the commons argument.
>I will have to be compensated.
Me too. Don’t ask for what you are not prepared to give. It’s like the Creative Commons discussion. Share and share alike OR else.
>nothing would make me prouder or happier then to truly Link-in with other
>recruiters as business partners. We can partner together to achieve
Sure, because you are making money.
I think it is disingenuous to say on the one hand “share your information with me” under a certain set of engagement rules and then not to follow thru with your obligation.
>I see everything right about this suggestion.
I see it differently. LinkedIn asks me to join, share, and urge others to do the same. You want to join, take, but not share unless you get a cut.
Sorry, but I think that’s wrong.
Fjohn
Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
RANT: my second favorite rant is out of state cars commuting in NJ
Wednesday, September 13, 2006Now, I’m not talking about PA, DE, or NY. I couldn’t “prove” that they were NJ residents just trying to save a few bucks. But today 98pj90 from massachusetts and the 7signals from georgia sure looked funny. Now maybe they were consultants just in for the day, week, or month. But, I think one reason our car insurance is such a problem is “foreigners”. We already KNOW lots of people drive without insurance. I think, believe without hard evidence, that we have NJ residents use out of state plates to avoid the cost of NJ insurance. imho! arghhh!
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
ALUM: I like Plaxo for keeping in touch.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006Dear Fellow Alumni,
I’m updating my address book using Plaxo. May I have your update?
Plaxo is a great free tool for keeping in sync. If you find it useful and sign up, then we will always be in sync without annoying update messages. Two Plaxo-ites don’t have to do anything to stay in sync. That’s perfect for lazy people like me! Don’t worry about strangers; to get connected in Plaxo, you must have the other person’s email address to start with.
If you don’t want to use Plaxo, I understand. But, please take a moment to share with me with your latest contact info. I try NOT to annoy people with this tool to often. Once or twice a year seems modest. When Plaxo “ages” your record or reports the email address is bouncing, then I have been known to pick up the phone and check up on people.
I hate “losing” people especially “anyone”. But I especially hate “losing” my fellow alums.
I don’t really mind if you decline, you have your good reasons, and that’s what works for you. Even if you decline, here’s my info for your use. If I can be of any help anytime, just yell. I’ve got a big rolodex that you can tap, I have contact information on about 6k of our fellow Jaspers of whom over a 1k read my weekly alumni ezine, about 500 headhunters, 800 LinkedIn contacts, and a slew of others.
I run a “turkey farm” for the unemployed, blog several notes each day, and put almost all all my stuff out on my web site for you to “steal”. My writing projects are just to bad to share. Maybe when I’m dead! Someone will publish my poetry!
Did I mention I’m a notary? Who’s a Type A.
Thanks for your patience and your time reading this. Best wishes.
A fellow alum
Leave a Comment » | ALUMNI | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
RANT: Creating an unhijackable plane … Is this like jumbo shrimp?
Tuesday, September 12, 2006News news from The Evening Standard
London, Tuesday 12.09.06
Scientists test hijack-proof plane
***Begin Quote***
Tests have begun on a hijack-proof airliner that will steer clear of tall buildings if taken over by terrorists, according to defence giant BAE Systems.
Scientists are creating a computer system which spots suspicious passenger behaviour and can identify if an intruder is trying to take control.
***AND***
There may also be a computer which, through a sophisticated biometric system, can defy a mid-flight takeover by spotting an intruder and guiding the aircraft to the nearest airport.
***End Quote***
I agree with the prior comment (e.g., arm the pilots).
In the US, back before we went collectively nuts, pilots were REQUIRED to be armed when the plane carried the US Mail. Guess that rule was a hang over from the reaction to Jesse James robbing the mail car on a train.
The joke is that rule, like this story of the computer system to “protect” the plane, is locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen. We need to focus on future vulnerabilities; not past failures.
And it has to be simple, idiot-proof measures. Because we know the Universe just produces smarter idiots.
My vision of this system is that the pilot will be over the pond in a jugundo passenger jet with a thousand souls aboard, he gets a paper cut from his sandwich wrap, the system “detects” a stranger at the controls, and “lands” the plane immediately right next to the Titanic. Remember it was pronounced “unsinkable” by the experts; this detection software will be “foolproof” too!
Please I are an injineer of IT system and stuff happens. Let’s not kid ourselves about how things fail. they fail — when we least expect it, at the most inopportune time, and with the most impact. Or at least is seems that way.
KISS and solve future problems; not past ones. imho
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Posted by reinkefj
RANT: How stupid is prejudice in general and racial discrimination in particular?
Tuesday, September 12, 2006http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens
Jesse Owens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
***Begin Quote***
Owens was cheered enthusiastically by 110,000 people in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and later ordinary Germans sought his autograph when they saw him in the streets. However back in New York, after the ticker-tape parade in his honor, Owens had to ride the freight elevator to attend a reception for him at the Waldorf-Astoria. He later recounted:
“When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn’t ride in the front of the bus. I had to go to the back door. I couldn’t live where I wanted. I wasn’t invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn’t invited to the White House to shake hands with the President, either.”
***End Quote***
I R an injineer. That means I can’t spell, and hate inefficient processes with a passion. When I read this wikipedia story, it just seemed such a shame. We have wasted the capabilities of so many good men and women that it just astounds me.
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Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: “DNA DRAGNET” … … no probable cause and you get smeared!
Monday, September 11, 2006http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_13.18.html
E P I C A l e r t — Volume 13.18 — September 6, 2006
Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C.
***Begin Quote***
[4] EPIC Argues in Appeal of DNA Dragnet Case ========================================================================
On September 7, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana will hear arguments in an appeal challenging the use of DNA dragnets in finding suspects. EPIC has filed a “friend of the court” brief in the case, and Executive Director Marc Rotenberg will argue EPIC’s position before the court. In 2002, police investigating a series of rapes and murders near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, conducted a DNA dragnet, collecting DNA samples from more than 1,200 men in an attempt to match someone’s DNA with that found at the crime scenes. Shannon Kohler was one of the men approached by police. When he refused to provide one, he was served with a seizure warrant, forcing him to provide a sample. Kohler was later identified by police and news media as a suspect in the search for the serial killer. After Kohler was cleared of wrongdoing in the investigation, he filed a suit against the Baton Rouge police, claiming that they lacked probable cause to obtain the warrant and that his DNA sample should be destroyed. In February 2005, a federal district court ruled against him, saying that police had probable cause based on two anonymous tips and the fact that Mr. Kohler met “certain elements of an FBI profile,” which the court itself characterized as “so broad and vague that it cast a net of suspicion over thousands of citizens.”
***End Quote***
Our rights are consistently under attack. And, when you stand up for them you get smeared. Do you really trust the gubamint with your DNA? They are lazy, sloppy, and not above suspicion. The right to be secure in one’s effect certainly includes your DNA.
If you’ve never read the EPIC newsletter, the I recommend you sign up for their free email. It’ll give you a real education in Liberty.
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Posted by reinkefj
RANT: Thinking further about 9-11-01
Monday, September 11, 2006The Kid From Brooklyn – Videos – This one is WorkSafe (Not all his stuff is!) —
http://www.thekidfrombrooklyn.com/video_disp.asp?videoid=1366
IMHO, wtc should be rebuilt bigger and taller and paint a big finger on the side of it. We shouldn’t permit ourselves to be bullied. And, then get all our boys and girls home. And, return to the Constitutional vision of America. Trade with everyone; no entangling alliances. Our politicians are failing us!
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
RANT: Dealing with the Federal Reserve, not all forms are online.
Monday, September 11, 2006As executor of an estate, I wanted to stop rollovers of tbills. Seems easy enough. I couldn’t find it on the website so I had to break down and call. Arghh. So I did. And, they have to MAIL me the forms I have to submit. Arghh! Arghh! I asked if I couldn’t just download them from the web? Nope. Arghh! Arghh! Arghh! So I’ll just have to wait for the snail mail. Unbelievable. Can do lots of other thinkgs there. Why not that?
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: “9-11-01” … … another gubamint failure!
Monday, September 11, 2006You can’t listen to the roll call of the dead and not feel the pain of the people reading names. If I was the King, then I’d make the politicians listen to this often. Politically, this was a failure of epic proportions. And, what’s worse, I don’t think we’ve learned a thing from it. (a) They are spending us into poverty. (b) They’ve been failing to innovate new methods to protect the country. Does anyone think that shaking down air travelers for nail clippers is doing squat? (c) They have failed to make us energy independent. France gets between a third and half of its electricity from nuclear reactors, why don’t we? (d) Are we more free than we were before? So we are not safer (i.e., ship cargo screening) and we’re not free-er (i.e., warrent-less wire tapping), what are they doing?
Leave a Comment » | LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
TECH: CNet Blogger says stay away from Amazon Unbox. I will!
Monday, September 11, 2006http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-6636289.html?subj=blog&part=rss&tag=6636289
September 08, 2006, 10:04 AM PDT
My fight with Amazon Unbox
Posted by: Tom Merritt
***Begin Quote***
I do not recommend you try Amazon Unbox, and here’s why.
***End Quote***
In a scorching indictment for “bad behavior”, Tom scared me away. As a general rule, I don’t like anything that soes strange things. The Windoze platform has enough trouble doing “easy” things. Copy Protection schemes usually shoot me in the foot. So, it my policy to stay away. Far away. Thanks, Tom, for the heads up.
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: “MEDICARE” … … another gubamint crime!
Sunday, September 10, 2006A friend of ine sent me this:
***Begin Quote***
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 1:02 PM
To: John Reinke
Subject: Keeping NY Medicaid Fraud under control
http://www.nypost.com/business/when_nerds_attack_business_richard_wilner.htm
***End Quote***
To which I said:
Nice … BUT …
As we know, I have a “cheaper solution”. User pays.
Why am I paying taxes (I’m being robbed) to pay other people’s medical bills. After several layers of government take a swipe at the pile? If everyone had to pay for their own medical bills, (a) taxes lower; (b) medical costs lower; and (c) everyone would be a lot freer.
So for example, if you were paying for your Dad’s Rxes for him, how likely would it be that a doc or pharmacy would get money from you after his passing?
Or even better example, the psych who visited FKW in the hospital for 7 months every day 3 questions and billed 220$ per DAY! Got 201 from Medicare, 18.50 from hbcbsnj, and had the {expletive deleted} to bill him (me) for the other 50 cents. (.5 * 7 * 30) or 105$. My answer was “sue me”!
Arghhhhh.
Great that they are trying.
Lousy that we have such a crapy system to start with.
Argh!
Leave a Comment » | LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
RANT: Greedy NJ government forges new tax policy … be afraid … be very afraid!
Sunday, September 10, 2006http://www.lewrockwell.com/fischer/fischer18.html
New Jersey’s New Taxes by Andrew S. Fischer
***Begin Quote***
Sometimes Fate dumps a dropping in your lap and you just can’t ignore it. As it happened, this week I received a missive in the mail from the great state of New Jersey. Two missives, actually. One is a notice to all retail sellers and purchasers of fur clothing. The other outlined changes to NJ’s sales and use tax act. Why did I receive these? Apparently because my Pennsylvania financial services company employs a NJ resident. That’s the only connection. We don’t buy or sell fur – or perform any services in NJ. So NJ must have sent these out in “shotgun” fashion, to everyone in its database. An inefficient waste of postage, if nothing else.
However, there is a bit more to Fate’s little love-notes. As I wrote in a previous article, NJ has so many tax and other revenue streams that it could make your eyes glaze over. Now, it seems, the Garden State has legislated a few new ways to steal its residents’ money.
***AND***
These changes, decreed by the government of New Jersey, for the good of all New Jersey residents (whether they like it or not), go into effect on October 1st. It almost feels good to be in Pennsylvania.
***End Quote***
Just don’t get to complacent. The “good ideas” that you see in Jerzee and Taxachusetts are often exported to other states. Tax Policy is one of our most important exports. You see they try it here and when the sheep don’t object to being shorn. When the Joe Sixpacks don’t go to Trenton with pitchfork, torches, tar, and ample supply of feathers, then the politicians think they are safe. They really think they have pulled the wool over our eyes. But as the tyrant Lincoln said that you can’t fool all the people all the time.
When the parade begins, I’ll join it.
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: A democrat “discovers” the national debt … … another gubamint crime!
Sunday, September 10, 2006http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/105
Submitted by BuzzFlash on Thu, 09/07/2006 – 5:15am. Alerts
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
***Begin Quote***
Though the Bush Administration’s official budget lists the national debt and deficit as being incredibly high, they are actually far worse than reported, according to Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN). But don’t just take his word for it, even if Cooper is a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Law graduate. The following figures appear in the official U.S. Financial Report, released by the Treasury Department:
* The true national debt is $49 trillion, not the $8.3 trillion Bush reported
o That’s $156,000 for every citizen, or $375,000 for every working American
o This figure has more than doubled in the past five years
o We paid $327 billion last year on interest alone
* The true 2005 deficit was $760 billion, not the $318.5 billion Bush reported
o This is 6.2% of the GDP, not 2.6%
* It’s all getting worse
What accounts for the huge discrepancy? Unlike businesses, the government uses “cash” instead of “accrual” accounting. This means that the government does not report future spending promises like Medicare and Social Security, or even future spending guarantees like veterans’ benefits and federal employee pensions.
“Cash accounting tells you what’s in your bank account. Accrual accounting tells you what’s in your bank account and what’s on your credit card statement,” Cooper told BuzzFlash in an interview. “Whether you’re promising to buy a road or something at Target, you need to know what you promised to buy. That should be a binding obligation of the government. We’ve made a world of promises to folks that we need to keep.”
But wait, there’s more! The U.S. Financial Report does not mention that if Medicare and Social Security are factored into the equation (which the Treasury Department did not), the true deficit was actually a whopping $3.3 trillion last year, over ten times more than Bush claims. And when Social Security projections are adjusted to reflect current life expectancies instead of the old 75-year mark, Cooper said the true national debt is “probably closer to $65 trillion.”
***End Quote***
All I can see is Claude Reins in Casablanca being “shocked” to find gambling going on at Rick’s!
Here’s a Democrat “shocked” to find that the Republicans are using cash accounting as opposed to accrual accounting.
Err, Representative Jim, what did Bill, or any of the other Democratic Presidents, use?
While I think its a valid criticism, it’s a criticism of big gubamint in general.
And our posterity will get stuck with the bill.
Leave a Comment » | LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
TECH: Data on paper. Lots of it. But it’s not a new idea.
Sunday, September 10, 2006http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep62006/cyberspace163748200695.asp
Deccan Herald » Cyber Space » Detailed Story
Paper-based storage device
Are the days for CDs, DVDs, Zip drives over? A computer whizkid is revolutionizing the computer data storage through his Rainbow Technology, reports M A Siraj.
***Begin Quote***
A student has developed a technique for portable data whereby the data can now be stored on ordinary paper. And to boot, larger amount of data can be had on lesser space. The immediate question that pops up in the mind is how to retrieve the data. Will it be as facile as feeding a floppy disc or CD into the drive and having it on the monitor? Perhaps it will be much easier than all that. The piece of paper or even plastic sheet storing the data has just to be scanned in the scanner and read over the monitor.
***End Quote***
Nah, I don’t think so. I remember a similar development a while ago. It stored data in a printable format and would scan it back to life. If never panned out. I spent a LOT of time playing with it. I could see tremendous benefit in it. But, never got it to work. And scanners were no where as popular as today.
We’ll see. But it definitely not a revolutionary discovery imho.
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
TECH: Entertainment … tried to open an estate account at Wachovia today
Saturday, September 9, 2006Ahh, it was great fun to waste an hour of my life I would never get back.
Quick background. I was poa on an account for an elderly relative who died. His choice as to when; his quality of life was getting yucky so he just declined further treatment. I am the executor of his will. And general gopher as he got more feeble in his later life. (It’s provided me a lot to rant about here in my pblog!)
So, I go a probate the will. Which considering that I was dealing with the gubamint was relatively painless. It cost me 200$ to get a clerk to print some paper. This is much better than the way it used to be where you actually had to see a judge. I was in and out in 45 minutes.
So, back to wachovia and technology.
Now I take my newly minted executor form, called a testamentary letter, to the bank and say “Convert this account to an estate account”. I had the death certificate, my gubamint irs estate tin, and my new nj digital dl. So I’m set.
Oppps. They can’t close the old account until Monday because, since I do web banking, that has to be done by the “back office” in North Carolina. OK who cares. Let’s open the estate account. Then I can begin the process of “marshaling the assets” and “discharging the liabilities”. (Seriously who makes up the jargon?). When that’s done, I present a final account to someone (me?), pay off the legatees. And, I’m done!
SO, let’s open the estate account. (It’s just like opening any account. Right?) Wrong! The nice lady taps on keys for the better part of an hour and announces the system isn’t working right. She calls HQ and they can’t make it work either. She’s advised to try again in 30 minutes.
Bye! I said to call me whenshe gets it done.
Then, I’m sure I’ll have to go back and select a pin.
(Can’t use the id and authentication I set up on the other account. Too easy!)
Never heard from her today. So I assume that they are still rolling back code. See, having worked at several financial institutions, you make changes on Friday night because it gives you a modest live test on Saturday, and all day Sunday to fix it, and all Sunday night to roll it back if you can’t make it work.
It was humorous to see a front end user, frustrated in her inability to complete a relatively basic function.
Wonder how much it cost them in opportunity cost. To bad there not based in Jerzey, I could go to work for them to fix their problem. That’s how I wound up at our favorite ISP!
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
MONEY: It’s a little more complicated. You forgot everyone’s favorite uncle! Samuel.
Friday, September 8, 2006***Begin Quote***
Q. I have a checking account that earns 5 percent and is used solely for mortgage payments. How much must I have in the account so that I’d need to make no further deposits to pay off a mortgage with a $58,497 balance and $905.14 monthly payment?
*** AND ***
But if he has that much, why not just pay off the $58,497 balance and get free of the mortgage right now? After all, by making 75 more monthly payments, he’d end up paying nearly $68,000, including interest.
***End Quote***
It’s a little more complicated. You forgot everyone’s favorite uncle! Samuel.
TAXES!!!! :-(
So the correct solution depends on facts not yet in evidence, judge.
Project the taxable income over the problem time domain. Figure that the checking account’s 5% is reduced by as much as a third and as little as zero depending upon the marginal tax rate. The home mortgage interest deduction and property taxes MAY be available depending if there is enough deductions and the AMT isn’t triggered.
Now I’m an ingineer by training and an IT geek by vocation, I am neither an economist, accountant, nor lawyer. Nor do I play one on TV! So I have nothing but some math skills, a few advanced tax courses from my mba, and some common sense. In the absence of some overpowering rationale, I’m a Dave Ramsey fan, and say pay the thing off under almost any circumstance. IMHO.
Get a HELOC for an emergency fund, if you really need that cash for a emergency fund. Get it from a credit union for the best deal.
imho, fwiw, faiwwypfi!
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Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: FREETALKLIVE is my favorite podcvast
Friday, September 8, 2006Free Talk Live
http://www.freetalklive.com
They are energetic and smart. I download the podcast each week and listen to it while I drive. They challenge my thinking and at the same time are entertaining. I’ve listened to some really deadly podcasts and they were snoozers. The fact that ftl gives away their podcast and takes on all callers SHOULD set the standard for all the talk radio genre. RushL charges for his podcast and carefully filters his calls. FTL is brave enough to talk to anyone, and even encourages people who disagree with them to call. Their challenge to name a government program that works has NEVER been met. I think they are great.
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Posted by reinkefj
JOBSEARCH: Here’s some free eddykaytion from Office Depot
Friday, September 8, 2006Here’s some free eddykaytion from Office Depot
No credit, but no cost.
And, you might even learn something, make a contact, or at the very least be able to make a “legend” (aka somehting you can use in your jobsearch) out of it.
***
http://email.officedepot.com/P/v3/Microsite.asp?E=401;214201;188344728;13;02&R=T1_ONL&A=1007
***Begin Quote***
Building Your Sales by Closing More Sales
Featuring Mark Hunter
September 12, 2006 4-5 PM EDT
Mark Hunter
“The Sales Hunter”
Topics Include:
• Learn the missing elements in what it takes to dramatically increase your closing skills
• How do you deal with the prospect who is hesitant to make a decision?
• How do you know when it’s right to stop calling on what you thought was a perfect prospect?
***
Easy to Understand Financial Concepts for Small Business
Featuring Stan Herman
September 19, 2006 4-5 PM EDT
Stan Herman
Certified Business Coach
Topics Include:
• Understand the natural growth rate of your business
• Learn who are really your best customers
• See what impact discounts have on your business
***
Search Engine Secrets – How To Be In The Top 10!
Featuring Kevin Dean
September 26, 2006 4-5 PM EDT
Kevin Dean
Certified Internet Marketing Consultant
Topics Include:
• Discover all of the places you can be found
• What are the best keywords to use?
• Learn what search engines consider most important about your site
***
Negotiate Your Way to Success
Featuring Greg Williams
October 3, 2006 4-5 PM EDT
Greg Williams
“The Master Negotiator”
Topics Include:
• Participants will become knowledgeable of negotiation tactics and learn how to present counter offers that strengthen their position
• Participants will be able to negotiate better deals in their personal and business lives
• Participants will make, save and earn more money, in their lifetime
***End Quote***
Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Reinke Faces Life 
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