FWIW, it usually is snappy. Today it feels like it is timing out. Sigh!
TECH SERVICE: YAHOO is responding very poorly today now
Friday, April 27, 2007
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Posted by reinkefj
RANT: employers who refused to cover medical costs
Friday, April 27, 2007http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/arti
cles/2007/04/26/standing_up_for_fairness_on_business_tax_ref
orm/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+–+Op-ed+columns
Standing up for fairness on business tax reform
By Joan Vennochi, Globe Columnist | April 26, 2007
HOUSE SPEAKER Salvatore DiMasi is at his best when he stands up for fairness.
title
*** begin quote ***
When Beacon Hill took up healthcare reform, DiMasi insisted business must share the cost of expanding coverage to the uninsured. He did it, he said, because it wasn’t fair to force taxpayers to cover for employers who refused to cover medical costs for their employees.
*** end quote ***
Argh!
Doesn’t the author realize who is using force here? It’s the gooferment. Maybe it’s the writer’s gooferment education kicking in, but first the gooferment causes a problem and then they rush in to “fix” it. And, in the process cause more problems.
:-)
“Benefits” came about as a result of the WW2 Wage and Price controls.
Business don’t “give” benefits, they pay for them. Pay dearly.
Business never “pay for” anything. They are really artificial constructs to pass stuff along. The business passes a cost along to a buyer, a supplier, or an employee. EITHER they earn a profit based on doing this or they go out of business.
So let’s examine “benefits”.
Having had my own business, and probably will again in the future, (after all no one hire OLD people anymore), what an employee earns is only a part of their total compensation. If a business “gives” the employee “benefits”, they could pay them less in salary. Don’t forget the “employer’s share of social security”! That comes out of the employees total comp too. If I’m an employer with something that needs doing, I include the cost of the labor. That cost is loaded with what it costs me; not what they employee’s check says.
Also, since the Taxachusetts mandatory health benefit will be a tax on business, who will pay it? Not who writes the check, but who going to get less? Think of it like a balloon. Hold it tight and push on one side. It expands on the other side. Like conservation of momentum! The business just passes stuff along. So, if the business has to pay more, who is going to pay more or get less? It’s truly a zero sum game.
When business have no way to pass along a cost (i.e., the market won’t pay more for their product, suppliers won’t charge less, or employees won’t work for less), they close up shop. No margin; no mission.
I wonder how the politicians will NEXT fix the “economy” or the “unemployment problem”?
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Posted by reinkefj
RANT: Gambling is ok as long as the Gooferment gets its cut
Thursday, April 26, 2007Today I was listening to the radio and I heard a NYC radio station advertising OTB. It was touting its bet by phone service with “internet betting coming soon”!
Then I see this!
*** begin quote ***
Subject: A bill to repeal the online gambling ban
Pressure on Congress works. People all over the Internet, including DC Downsizers, have been pressuring Congress to repeal the ban on transferring money to online gambling sites.
We’re starting to see a response.
Representative Barney Frank, the new chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has pledged to introduce legislation in the next couple of weeks to repeal the ban.
*** end quote ***
Argh!
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Posted by reinkefj
JOBSEARCH: Develop your IM Network
Thursday, April 26, 2007http://www.dailyblogtips.com/develop-your-im-network/
Develop your IM Network
By Daniel on Web Tools
***Begin Quote***
Having a network of contacts and friends over Instant Messaging software is essential. Sometimes you might need someone to check a feature on your website, other times you might need a tip to solve a technical problem. In those situations it is always a good idea to have someone that you can chat in real time.
***End Quote***
While he’s referring to techies to look for tech tips, it would seem to me that your virtual search team, psuedo Board of Directors, and key networking contacts might be useful to have racked up ready to go.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH HARDWARE: My USR wireless access point settings
Thursday, April 26, 2007LUGGABLE’s Windows Networking errors out on permissions. I plugged in the @HOME in the simple network setup. Doesn’t show anything.
Could the problem be that the router has a blank for a domain name?
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Posted by reinkefj
RANT: Laws for you, not them
Thursday, April 26, 2007http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55383
Laws for you, not them
Posted: April 26, 2007
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and CEO of WND
*** begin quote ***
They pass laws with no intention of obeying them themselves. It happens every day in America – in city council chambers, in state legislatures and in the nation’s Capitol.
It’s too bad Corzine got hurt.
But it’s a good illustration of the way arrogant elected officials put themselves above the law.
*** end quote ***
I think that the seat belt law should be repealed immediately. As well as speed limit, cell phone, and all the other “laws” (I object to calling what men do a “law”. Gravity, now there’s a law!) that are aimed at “us” and not “them”.
I’d allow in my court as an absolute defense that a diktat from some capitol or another was null and void if (1) the “leaders” didn’t have to obey it; (2) if it wasn’t uniformly enforced and universally enforced; and (3) there has to be a “victim” (i.e., a real flesh and blood person that gets hurt).
Now you know why I won’t be a judge!
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Posted by reinkefj
TECH HARDWARE: next generation of USB flash drives: the U3 smart drive
Thursday, April 26, 2007http://www.u3.com/smart/default.aspx
Next generation of USB flash drives: the U3 smart drive
***Begin Quote***
Meet the next generation of USB flash drives: the U3 smart drive. It’s what’s inside that makes them smart.
* Carry and access your files easily
* Keep your data safe and secure
* Comes with pre-loaded software
* Hundreds of software titles available!
Storage+Software=Smart
Imagine carrying your software on the same flash drive that carries your files. That’s what you can do with a U3 smart drive. You can plug it into any PC and work, play a game, message friends, send email, edit photos and more. A U3 smart drive makes any PC your own PC. And when you unplug it, it leaves no personal data behind.
***End Quote***
Neat idea. No wonder the stores are dumping the old usb drives at fire sale prices. Before this paradigm shift gets out and they are stuck with the unsold and unsellable inventory.
Already inside the U3 paradigm there’s a Vista incompatibility. If you want to “Vista”, then you need version 1.4 or higher. And, yes, there’s no guarantee that you can move from your version to that version. And, you have to get it from your drive manufacturer.
Nice idea BUT doesn’t wow me.
(1) Locks you into the windows genre.
(2) Limited hardware competition (less than 10 vendors)
(3) Limited software selection. Applications developers need to do a rewrite.
No, not for me. Maybe you, but not me.
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Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: The “Pay Farmers Not To Grow Stuff” Tax
Wednesday, April 25, 2007http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/magazine/22wwlnlede.t.html
?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=3b8480bb7549490b&ex=117
7992000&emc=eta1
You Grow
by Michael Pollan, a contributing writer, is the Knight professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent book is “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”
Published: April 22, 2007
***Begin Quote***
Such changes are radical only by the standards of past farm bills, which have faithfully reflected the priorities of the agribusiness interests that wrote them. One of these years, the eaters of America are going to demand a place at the table, and we will have the political debate over food policy we need and deserve.
***End Quote***
I never did understand why we pay non-farmers to not grow stuff. It just seems counter intuitive. And, like most “price supports”, it’s yet another hidden tax on the poor. Sigh!
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Posted by reinkefj
INTERESTING: Resisting the Stanford Prison Experiment!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007http://www.lucifereffect.com/guide_tenstep.htm
A Ten-Step Program to Build Resistance and Resilience
Prepared by Philip Zimbardo and Cindy X. Wang
(Borrowed from The Lucifer Effect, Chapter 16)
***Begin Quote***
“I made a mistake!”
“I am mindful.”
“I am responsible.”
“I am Me, the best I can be.”
“I respect Just Authority, but Rebel against Unjust Authority.”
“I want group acceptance, but value my independence.”
“I will be more Frame Vigilant.”
“I will balance my Time Perspective.”
“I will not sacrifice personal or civic freedoms for the illusion of security.”
“I can oppose unjust Systems.”
***End Quote***
Like Luke Skywalker, how do we resist being turned to the Dark Side?
The Stanford Prison Experiment that ordinary people can be induced to do that which they believe is evil and wrong when directed by an authority figure.
Here’s ten steps to ensure that you don’t slip over the edge.
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Posted by reinkefj
LIBERTY: Separation of School and State
Wednesday, April 25, 2007http://freekeene.com/2007/04/05/
incramental-steps-to-privatize-education/
Separation of School and State
Filed under: Essay, Issues, Personal Freedom — toby
at 8:38 pm on Thursday, April 5, 2007
***Begin Quote***
There are a myriad of quotes like this one, and if one is to look at what public schools have done to this country they would see the blueprint was effectively put into place, and is still in effect today. There is a reason that public schools are the final plank in the Communist Manifesto. When governments take the responsibility of education away from parents they are able to indoctrinate children with whatever propaganda and misinformation they want to. Since the government took control of education, the Constitution has been all but decimated, but the public schools still teach children that the government operates under the Constitution, after all ~ the government can do no wrong.
***End Quote***
Well, like most things that Gooferment does, it’s impossible to unravel. A Gordian knot of interlocking and overlapping interests. It’s hard to cut to the heart of the matter.
There is here in Nu Jerzee a deadly embrace that prevents change. And, the politicians benefit most from it.
The biggest problem to change the status quo is the Teacher’s Union. They are big, well-funded, and energized to “protect” their turf. They make no bones about proving on any issue that they are the 800# gorilla. (And, just as ugly!)
So we have large and vocal Teacher’s Union protecting turf, contributing to politicians, and working for their friends and against their enemies. The Union interests may be different from those of individual teachers. By being in the mob, the individual teachers must be held to account for the Union’s positions.
So we have Politicians, Unions, and Teachers.
Also in our mindmap of “public education”, schools have the principals, bureaucrats, custodians, contractors, consultants, lawyers also “interested” in continuing the current paradigm.
Also in our mindmap, we have to recognize that there are suppliers, construction companies, lawyers, architects, and others that “feed” off the current paradigm.
On the “paying side”, taxpayers are property owners and income tax payers. Lottery players to some extent pay an extra tax for “education”.
When I was in the Hands Across New Jersey tax revolt against Governor Florio’s “toilet paper” tax (It covered more than that, but that was the icon of the tax highlighted by the protestors!), we knew that the schools were the key to tax reduction. It took decades to get into this mess and people don’t know any other way to educate children than have the gooferment do it.
In order to change from “public education” to a “private education” paradigm, we need to shift paradigms. this is a horrendous task. But I think we can by several techniques.
(1) We have to convince the people that (a) gooferment skoolz are an establishment of religion. [First Amendment] (b) property taxes are discriminatory against those who have no children. [Fourteenth Amendment] (c) there is a conflict of interest between unions and their support of politicians.
(2) We have to offer a way out. I’d suggest that we separate “Government Runs Skoolz” from “Government Pays for Education”.
(3) We have to prevent any expansion of the Government’s intrusion into every day life. [Small Government every time no excuses!]
imho
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Posted by reinkefj
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