Arghhh!
TECH: TECHNORATTI still thinks my content is ‘old”
Friday, October 6, 2006Arghhh!
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Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: Attention KMart shoppers, the Drug Was has failed!
Friday, October 6, 2006http://www.lewrockwell.com/gregory/gregory121.html
The Drug War’s Immorality and Abject Failure
by Anthony Gregory
***Begin Quote***
If the idea is to create a drug-free America, then we can safely say that after hundreds of billions of dollars spent, millions of arrests, and decades of escalating police and military efforts, the war on drugs is a complete failure.
***End Quote***
When you consider all the costs of the drug war, imho one can’t possibly come to any conclusion that the actual direct and indirect costs far exceed the the benefits of that war.
If we could predict that drug abuse kills X people and the drug war kills Y people, then we could make a case that if Y is greater than X, should end the drug war?
The interesting part is that if you get a drug warrior on the record, they won’t admit that. “If saves just one person, it’s worth it.”
My gripe is that the whole drug paradigm, (i.e., that I have to go to a modern day medicine man / witch doctor, bribe them to give me a piece of state approved paper, then take that receipt has to be taken to a state approved building, where a bureaucrat checks with an state regulated insurance company to see how much I’ll pay, and then if I am lucky I’ll get what I need.
How about everyone buzzes off?
I’ll figure out what I need. And, I’ll go to Walmart and buy what I need. The State can just butt out. If I harm myself, then it’s my problem.
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Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: Economics in five points clumped into one sentence
Friday, October 6, 2006http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/peterson7.html
Economics In One Lesson: With Apologies To Henry Hazlitt
by William H. Peterson
***Begin Quote***
I close listing those five scarcity-coping tickers in my one lesson in economics as: 1. the law of self-interest, 2. the law of scarcity, 3. the law of opportunity cost, 4. the law of trade mutuality, and that miscoping 5. Gresham’s law on inflation.
***End Quote***
You have to love it. But what about the “broken window”? maybe that was number 6. And, it just didn’t fit.
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Posted by reinkefj
MONEY: My car purchase plan
Friday, October 6, 2006A relative recently bought a car. I reprise my method for getting the down payment for the next one.
(1) Recognize that a car has a certain life in time and mileage. I like to figure 80k miles and six years. After that point, and sometimes even before, big repair bills can creep in. Note the numbers used in this example are all predicated on these two assumptions.
(2) Ensure that you are not using the car faster than the 80k miles suggests. If that’s true (i.e., that you are using more miles that will not make the car last), then you need to refigure.
(3) Take 3 year financing. Note if you can’t afford the three year payments, then you can’t afford the deal. Revisit the whole decision.
(4) Now envision that you are going to make those payments for six years. The first three years you’ll be paying the financer; the second three years you’ll be paying yourself into a designated savings account. At the end of the six years, you will then have three year’s payments in the bank for your next car.
(5) Specifically, if you are paying 350$ per month, then you’ll pay off your loan in three years. And, if you stay with the program, then at the end of six years you will have 3 times 12 times 350$ or 12600$ for your next car. The theory is that with your six year old car and ~12k$, you’ll be in good shape to get a new car. If you run this program religiously after the second or third time, then you won’t need financing.
(6) After six years, you go into what I call the “bonus period”. Keep paying into the bank. Every month you can make that old car last is another month towards your next car free and clear.
(7) Clearly care and maintenance is critical for getting the most out of what is probably your second most expensive purchase. (House being number 1)
(8) Cars are a necessity. Some argue that buying used cars is a cheaper alternative. I think that buy and run until the wheels fall off is the better strategy. Leasing is advanced as an alternative for those who keep cars three years or less and have low mileage. I think that cars can be the way to the poor house or an intelligent strategy to get to wealth. Cars are NOT an investment, but they don’t have to be a drain.
IMHO
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Posted by reinkefj
GUNS: One legislator gets it right.
Friday, October 6, 2006http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-05-arming-teachers_x.htm?csp=34
Wisconsin lawmaker urges arming teachers
Updated 10/5/2006 9:36 PM ET
***Begin Quote***
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state lawmaker, worried about a recent string of deadly school shootings, suggested arming teachers, principals and other school personnel as a safety measure and a deterrent.
***End Quote***
Seems that one fellow understands that it’s a dangerous world out there. And, we don’t live in FantasyLand, where passing a law changes the laws of physics, or even influences human behavior. I trust that good human beings can be trusted to go armed and know when to fight and when to run.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: GOTMYPC developed a “brain freeze”
Friday, October 6, 2006Recently my GOTOMYPC installation at home developed dementia. It refused to acknowledge me remotely or in person. It kept sending me to time out asserting that I got the password wrong.
(I use ROBOFORM so I never forget passwords! And, every password is unique and complex and long. There are only a few online baking passwords that are true passwords. That is a shared secret. Not even ROBOFORM knows them. I’m a programmer. I know what can be done. I trust NO ONE that completely. Note to Pete: The online baking passwords, the ROBOFORM password, and other key passwords are in my safe. And, I told you where I have hidden the combination to that. See I trust NOBODY. Not even Pete, completely. Hope he can clean up my mess when I die. I’ll just have to be extra nice to him while I’m alive. Maybe he won’t say those special Irish prayers [aka bad words] after I’m dead.)
Any way, I asked for supprt and after a half a day I got a canned answer. I sent them a snotty gram in reply. (It was late and I was tired.) And, they responded saying “call them”. (Yeah, right. Like I am up for a good session of “please listen carefully because our menus have recently changed”. Running a restaurant? call ’em what?) So I “pressed 1” and went to bed.
This morning it magically works.
Hmmm, I am sure that the support folks did something. This doesn’t inspire confidence in its security, its availability, or its usefulness.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH: AOLDIGITS a free local phone number that can go to voice mail?
Friday, October 6, 2006http://www.aimphoneline.com/index.adp?promo=778972&page=welcomeAIM PHONELINE
A personal, local free phone number you can give out to anyone — complete with always-on voicemail!
**Begin Quote***
Why Do I Need Another Phone Number?
Everyone worries about giving out their home or mobile number. Now you can give out your AIM Digits instead.
How Does It Work?
AIM Digits are part of the FREE AIM® Phoneline service. AIM Phoneline gives you a free, local telephone number that comes with always-on voicemail, delivered right to your e-mail box. On top of that, when you’re online, it lets you screen and answer calls, using your PC microphone and speakers.* It’s a completely free Internet Phone Service.
How Do I Get My AIM Digits?
It’s easy. Just register for the free AIM Phoneline service.
**End Quote***
Huh. Free! Local! Hmmm?
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Posted by reinkefj
Reinke Faces Life 