MONEY: END THE INCOME TAX heads for the ballot in Taxachusetts! Who would have believed it?

Friday, November 30, 2007

Proud to say, I chipped in a couple of bucks for this effort! If they can do it Taxachusetts, then it can be done anywhere!

*** begin quote ***

From: Small Government News [www.SmallGovernmentNews.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 1:25 AM
Subject: END the Income Tax Initiative Headed For Ballot

Small Government News*
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Publisher: Carla Howell
Editor: Michael Cloud

===========================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
===========================================================

— END the Income Tax Initiative Headed For Ballot
— Boston Globe Article
— “Congratulations,” Writes Citizens for Limited Taxation

===========================================================
END THE INCOME TAX BALLOT INITIATIVE HEADED FOR BALLOT
===========================================================

Dear Friend,

We’re frazzled, fried, and fatigued.

Last week, we delivered 100,000 petition signatures for our END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative to 351 town clerks for validation and certification.

This week, we have to arrange pickups and shipping of these legally validated signatures to us.

Next week – by Wednesday, December 5th – we must file our validated petition signatures with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

Then the fun begins. We get to show Massachusetts taxpayers and voters the huge, immediate, direct benefits of ENDing the Income Tax in Massachusetts.

We get to tell them why they can make themselves dramatically better off by ENDing the state income tax – and giving 3,000,000 Massachusetts workers and taxpayers $3,600 each, every year.

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

If they can start the ball rolling repealing the income tax around the country, we’ll have a booming economy and I can afford to quit blogging for fame and fortune. (Huh?)

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LINKEDIN: What does LinkedIn do with “ghosts”?

Friday, November 30, 2007

FROM AN EMAIL EXCHANGE ABOUT LINKEDIN AND A DEATH

> Re: Interesting what does LinkedIn do … …
>Posted by: “WashingtonDCLobbyist”
>Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:57 am (PST)
>LI has clearly thought this through – and they have a well-used
>policy in place. Sadly, with the numbers were talking about on LI,

Well they clearly have something in place. It just doesn’t meet my needs. Not that it has too. Not that they have ever been overly concerned with my suggestions.

I’d call it the “your call is very important to us (Yeah, right!)” thinking. Like the resume writer who foolishly thinks that the objective section on a resume refers to HIS objective and not that of the reader. Or, the “post office – dmv – take a number move along” service attitude.

Instead of LinkedIn using it as an opportunity to make LinkedIn less like a recruiter’s phone book and more like a true community, they have “a well-used policy in place”.

It’s far too easy to just say that “LI has clearly thought this through”, when fmpov it’s not “thought through” the eyes of this end user.

That’s why I say that LinkedIn is at risk to competition. (If I was the rumored buyer of LinkedIn, I’d take off a few points or a few grazillion bucks because it’s very vulnerable.) And, it’s not MySpace / Facebook / Plaxo / Ryze or such. It’s the new disruptive upstart who figures out that what the Universe needs is a true business social network community site. And, then delivers it flawlessly. :-)

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TECH SOFTWARE: Copy protection is doomed imho

Friday, November 30, 2007

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20071125/D8T4S5FG0.html

Anti-Copying Programs May Slow Piracy
Nov 25, 1:43 PM (ET)
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN

***Begin Quote***

If the experience of the world’s largest software vendor is any guide, the industry’s best hope for reducing piracy rests with anti-copying technologies rather than in policing the legalistic user agreements that restrict how software can be used.

While a copyright crackdown by the Business Software Alliance and other industry players has been in force for years, piracy rates – as measured by BSA-commissioned studies – have stopped falling. So a few years ago, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) began concentrating harder on locking software down through a program it calls its Genuine Software Initiative.

The technology has provoked some hostility, because it enables Microsoft to remotely examine user computers. After analyzing such information as the computer’s manufacturer, hard drive serial number and Windows product identification, Microsoft can block access to certain software functions if it suspects the product was illegally copied.

***End Quote***

Well, I would disagree.

MSFT excludes big businesses from their copyright checking. And, as yet, their self-help has NOT been challenged in court. In the marketplace, I’d suggest you see and out and out revolt.

Do you think the non adoption of Vista except on new hardware is surprising. Or the trend of people to retreat to XP on new hardware when faced with one of Vista’s “features”. Of the cutting edge folks moving to Linux or Mac.

No, I think this is gasps and flings of a dying behemoth.

We haven’t even begun to strike the surface of the WebOS and Google Apps.

Look at the new appliance tops that run Linux and cost under 300$!

No, I’d say that MSFT, and it’s buddy INTEL, have finally let the rodents escape the wheel of hardware / software upgrades. Instead of focusing on making the user experience flawlessly transparent, MSFT treats its Customers as criminals.

It, like the RIAA, will find itself voted off the island.

imho

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PRODUCTIVITY: Don’t be too concerned about making “above the waterline” mistakes; can’t die of embarrassment!

Friday, November 30, 2007

FROM AN EMAIL ABOUT A NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING BLOGGER DOING A BLOG IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

>(hopefully, it’ll help me on the other hand to polish my English based financial vocabulary),

I’m sure your English is far better than my rudimentary Spanish.

Speaking of “polishing”, my best “practicing” story was when the USAF decided it would be simple a wonderful idea if I learned Thai, …

… (This of course overlooks the fact that -at the time- 95% of the Thais spoke fluent English thanks to the British Crown schools. And 85% could write in English better than we could. It was rumored that there were Thai bumpkins out in the countryside who couldn’t speak the Queen’s English. But I never met anyone who did not speak it perfectly. Humorous to see an Oriental face and hear english with just a hint of Brit accent.) …

… and we would go to our Teacher’s restaurant (Thais are stereotypical hard working folks who likely have a full time job, part time job, a business on the side, and gamble / horsetrade / barter in their spare time. You could get tired watching them.) and she would have us entertain the patrons with our language skills.

Imagine two students standing in front of a room full on natives speaking their language in a simulated conversation about something from a lesson book.

The restaurant patrons would laugh, hoot, and howl. The women would cover their eyes (i.e., how Thai women feign embarrassment). It was “soda thru the nose” time! (Most of them didn’t drink. Smoke like chimneys, yes; drink, no?)

When we graduating, the teacher shared with us that our mispronunciations of the tonal Thai language hit most of the bad words, or made absolutely no sense. Who knew that when we were discussing going to “fly our kites” referred to … … and “drinking bootleg gin” referred to … … Well you get the idea.

BTW business at the restaurant went up 50% when she would announce that her students were “coming for dinner”. She got us there to practice our Thai and learn the local culture. We didn’t know we were the stand up comic act. We were just polishing our language skills.

Having made a complete fool out of myself in front of that audience, you’ll hear no laughing from this end of the wire.

Sa Wah Dee there, partner, polish away. BTW, haven’t spoken any Thai since I left the Air Force decades ago. When I do run across a Thai these days, they still speak perfect English and laugh when I greet them in their native tongue. Maybe I’m offering to fly a kite for them? Any way, nobody dies of embarrassment which is all in one’s own mind. People will probably just think it’s new internet lingo. Or, typos.

:-)

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MONEY: “Phantom loads” cost you money in power bills

Thursday, November 29, 2007

http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2007/11/26/we-made-another-giant-step-yesterday

***Begin Quote***

We’re still kind of working the bugs out of the system; we’d gotten lazy about things like turning off the lights (with the generator on, what the heck?), phantom loads (unpluging the TV when you’re finished, not just pushing the off button, cause it’s still ON!), etc.

***End Quote***

Maybe I’m anal, but I hate to pay for nothing. And, that’s what “instant on” translates to.

Also, don’t forget those “warts”, you know the various and sundry “wall warts”, power “adapters”, the things that convert AC to DC. Running all the time.

I put them on a power strip with a switch and click off the entire strip when I’m not charging something.

A penny here and a penny there, and before you know it you have two whole cents.

;-)

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PRODUCTIVITY: What’s the usefulness of PLAXO? the jury’s still out imho.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

FROM AN EMAIL BY A FELLOW LINKEDIN-ITE

>Do you use any of the other online networking forums/tools such as Plaxo?

I’m very active on LinkedIn, Facebook, and have accounts on many other sites that I don’t use a lot. New one comes out I try it just to see if it’s the LinkedIn replacement.

I am a blogger here, so I spend a lot of time on that. I frequent a slew of LinkedIn related forums. As well as many Yahoo Groups

Plaxo is a strange duck. As an email address sync tool it was: lame in V1, good in V2, and broken in the new V3, what they call “beta”. I use that and Corex Card Scan, which was flawless, but is now just average and has intermittent problems.

Plaxo is now trying to morph into LinkedIn. LinkedIn is trying to morph into Facebook, Facebook is trying to morph into LinkedIn.

Nobody wants to focus on their own niche and focus on doing that well.

>I’d like to know which is most useful or if they all are useful in their own right.

The problem is no one is satisfied to just do something well. Every one wants to be a “swiss army knife”. SO your “useful” question can NOT be a static answer.

With the new limits of Plaxo and now ISPs becoming involved with Plaxo, it’s all muddled.

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LIBERTY: Wave bye bye to the First Amendment!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

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Judge Napolitano hits Congress.

Sigh!

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LINKEDIN: Updated taxonomy of LinkedIn “identities”

Thursday, November 29, 2007

My taxonomy of things you might see on LinkedIn

===beginning of list===

ABILLGATES – high value contact, who may or may not have authorized it, guarded by a troll, who doesn’t permit access to the contact except by preapproval.

ALTEREGO – a second profile of an individual to feature a different persona; seen by a doctor musician or was that a musician doctor.

BEAUTY – recruiter creates an identity, with all the characteristic of someone they wished they represented. When people connect, they then try to form up a solid opportunity with the person so they can represent to the real person.

CLONES – recruiting troll takes a profile that is liked and “replicates” it into his geographic hunting zone for the purpose of finding “buyers” and like minded “sellers”.

DUPLICATE – a second profile to segregate their “open” and “regular” networking. Or, created in order to “start over” with LinkedIn from a clear slate. Or, a just blunder.

EMPTYSUIT – just abandoned

GHOSTS – really deceased, like my high school chum

PRANKS – people set up profiles of people for hahas responding or not as the spirit moves them.

PSUEDOS – I’ve seen no degree candidates create a virtual “clone” of themselves and add a degree. Then, control access to the “psuedo” and, when approached, they will try to sell into the opportunity.

RECRUITER – executive search, retained, contingency

SCARECROW – recruiting troll creates a mythical person as “bait” with the characteristics they see in “their” candidate. They do this to encourage connections from inside or outside recruiters where they can then “switch” in their candidate.

STRAWMAN – owned by a recruiting troll, advertising a real someone, and who will “toll booth” you to make contact)

ZOMBIE – an identity of potentially a real person setup by someone else for other purposes like expanding their contact list, looking more popular, or writing their own recommendations)

===end of list===

One characteristic to look for is a single, or sparse, contact list.

Another is there are several “stubs” found “close by” a single recruiter:

I only tumbled to this “barbara streisand” when I tried to reach an old College friend and hit a toll boother.

Another time I found my “credentials” on LinkedIn copied to someone in Kansas City. Exactly; my babblings are pretty distinctive, so they do show on searches. So my curiosity was piqued, I pinged, and never heard anything again. I deemed that was a “clone”, designed to flush out a buyer in that area?

This is posted not to give you ideas, but to give you an insight as to what you might find.

Remember, on the net, no one knows your a dog!

I’m just an injineer; not a hunter, nor a seeker, and I haven’t stayed in a Holiday Inn Express lately.

# – # – #

20071215 Found a new type of troll — POLITICIAN — like a “doll”?

There’s a “Hillary Clinton” and a “Ron Paul”!

Those have to be a violation of the LinkedIn TOS, contrary to the spirit of LinkedIn, and injecting your politics into an inappropriate venue.  IMHO.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: FACEBOOK has HONESTYBOX

Thursday, November 29, 2007

http://manhattan.facebook.com/profile.php?id=32104185

***Begin Quote***

I don’t get it. What is Honesty Box?

People who choose to have an Honesty Box on their profile can get messages from anyone that has access to their profile. These messages are anonymous. That means you will never find out who wrote on your Honesty Box. It’s fun because you can find out things people think about you that you wouldn’t otherwise.

***End Quote***

So the person has to be a registered Facebook user. If your comments get “ignored” to many times, you get locked out as a spammer. (Not sure that really follows.)

So being a glutton for punishment, I put it up. :-)

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PRODUCTIVITY: nice mindmapping site

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

http://www.bubbl.us

***Begin Quote***

“…a free website to help you brainstorm and organize ideas online.” “In traditional brainstorming, or “mind mapping”, one writes a central idea on a piece of paper, draws a circle around it and starts branching off with new ideas, creating a free form diagram.”

***End Quote***

Playing with it and it seem to be intuitive.

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: faux patriotism of the NFL

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8T5RPP01&show_article=1

Anthem Skipped Before Monday Night Game
Nov 27 02:42 AM US/Eastern

*** begin quote ***

Roethlisberger Relieved to Get Win in Mud Bowl

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sports in America start with the national anthem. The Dolphins- Steelers game was an exception.

*** end quote ***

Except if it conflicts with the needs of television.

Now I’m not a fan of the faux patriotism of the NFL, MBA, and all the other sports. They are no more “patriotic” than the vending machine. If the rubes want to be fooled, then they are more than happy to put it in the “show”. It has nothing to do with “sports” or anything other than turning a buck.

Let’s not kid ourselves.

The Mouse’s only interest is in the “cheese”.

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LINKEDIN: “Joe Blow dropped you like a dead fish”

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Does anyone else not like how the number of your LinkedIn contacts can change silently?

I come form a “production mentality”. If my database has a 1,000 records, then tomorrow it should have 999. This “silent disconnect” feature makes me wonder if LinkedIn didn’t just drop one by accident.

Argh!

What’s the big deal of sending me a message that “Joe Blow dropped you like a dead fish”? They send messages for everything else!

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Employee Retirement Income Security Act regulates private-sector retirement plans

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2007-11-25_D8T4MV7G1&show_article=1&cat=breaking

Court to Consider Investor’s 401(k) Suit
Nov 25 08:48 AM US/Eastern
By PETE YOST
Associated Press Writer

***Begin Quote***

WASHINGTON (AP) – James LaRue says he lost $150,000 when his instructions to his employer on where to invest money in his retirement plan were ignored. Now the Supreme Court will decide whether a federal pension-protection law gives LaRue the right to sue to recover his losses. Arguments in the case were scheduled for Monday.

***End Quote***

This is a interesting development.

Ignoring for the moment that the gooferment court will decide just how much trouble a corporation, another gooferment created entity, can get into. Of course, there are lawyers abundant as far as the eye can see.

More to the point:

(1) Why are there such things as 401ks?

(2) Why would you expect a business to be involved in YOUR retirement?

(3) Why is the gooferment “protecting” both sides? (Allowing the corporation off the hook if it’s not “criminal” while pretending to regulate the “industry”.)

Now clearly, the roles and motivations of the individual, the employer, a slew of other corporations, the gooferment, and bunch of lawyers are all muddled together. Time to cut the Gordian Know and simplify!

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TECHNOLOGY: How does your “technology” end?

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The recent demise of a fellow Prepster shocked me. I found that his domain had not been renewed two months before his death. As a techie, that brings up an interesting question.

What happens to all my “stuff” when I’m not here to maintain it?

My domain names, web pages, email accounts …, you know, stuff!

Interesting that there is no failure mode, pre-programmed.

Have to think more about that depressing thought.

Like the GMail and Yahoo acounts of the recently killed soldiers in Iraq. All my passwords would NOT die with me since I have them in ROBOFORM.

But who knows the ROBOFORM master password? No one.

My fob has my “keys to the kingdom”. But someone would need that and the master password.

Have to think more about that!

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TECH SERVICE: Check Out My Tumblelog

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

http://www.legalandrew.com/2007/11/23/check-out-my-tumblelog

Check Out My Tumblelog

***Begin Quote***

Do you have a tumblelog? Check out mine!

There are cool things that I run across and want to share with you. But many of them are short or wouldn’t fit my themes at Legal Andrew.

***End Quote***

http://reinkefj.tumblr.com/

which is tied to http://www.reinkefaceslife.com/

We’ll see if I can make any better use out of it when I first tried it.

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MONEY: “sauf qui peut”

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2007/tle445-20071125-01.html

***Begin Quote***

Question: So, what can the regular guy do to help create a more stable financial economy?

Answer: First, “sauf qui peut.” Save yourselves. If you have a savings account, and no other wealth, then take that savings account and buy some gold and some silver, and do it right now. Second, diversify. Again, for the sake of your own financial survival. Put some of your money into … …

{Extraneous Deleted}

***End Quote***

Never hurts to “bury” a few coins in your yard!

And, where is your “victory garden”?

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INTERESTING: private Social Security accounts

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2007-11-25_D8T4MUPO0&show_article=1&cat=breaking

Social Security to Become Key Issue
Nov 25 08:47 AM US/Eastern
By DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent

***Begin Quote***

WASHINGTON (AP) – Three years after the collapse of President Bush’s plan for private Social Security accounts, Republican presidential contenders are eager to try again. Not so the Democrats, who gravitate toward increasing payroll taxes on upper-income earners to fix the program’s finances.

With the notable exception of former Sen. Fred Thompson, a Republican, presidential hopefuls in both parties shy away from suggestions that might offend their own primary voters. As a result, bipartisan commissions to resolve the program’s long-term financial problems are in. And longer waits for retirement are most definitely out.

Thompson’s proposal, by contrast, includes lower-than-promised benefits for future retirees, as well as new private accounts to make Social Security solvent for 75 years. “If somebody’s got a better idea let them put it on the table,” he said recently, daring his rivals.

***End Quote***

How about the gooferment just get out of the Social Security “business” now?

It’s Ponzi scheme. The scheme is unraveling. And, with most such schemes, the last ones in are the losers.

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TECHNOLOGY: Don’t have a url domain watcher!

Monday, November 26, 2007

What we don’t have!

My high school chum’s recent obit was a shock. What was even more a shock was that his domain expired in September.

So here’s a “what we don’t have”!

There’s no way to to detect the expiration of a domain that would indicate trouble. Like a bouncing email address.

We need from the old western movies the logical equivalent of those concealed indians that watch the cavalry fort for activity.

I need a whole bunch of them their “indians”, just sitting and watch a slew of email addresses, web sites, and domain names.

Know of any such?

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FUN: Seasonal wishing

Monday, November 26, 2007

FROM MY FACEBOOK WALL

Personally you can call me “ebeneezer” before the three visitors. It just seems that bad things come at the end of the year. Wall Street layoffs (got me once)! Holiday party gaffes (some are funny since they didn’t happen to me and have led me to the “No drinking around Colleague, Coworkers, or Bosses” rule), and DWIs (hasn’t happened to me; not bloody likely either; see item two)! Divorces, Separations, Abuse, and all amount of familial and marital discord! Just seems to be more frequent at this time of year. So, I’ll just be the grinch over the corner. And, I hope the Intelligent Designer, the Universe, or whatever star you follow allows you to come through unscathed and happy. Now if we could just do something about that other plague of Biblical proportions which sucks the life out — politicians, then maybe I COULD celebrate.

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TECH SERVICE: organizes goals into 16 categories

Monday, November 26, 2007

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/11/this-sunday-a-1.html

***Begin Quote***

If you like making lists and setting out your resolutions, take a look at Your 100 Things. This site organizes goals into 16 categories — you can also see other people’s goals. I have my own resolution charts that keep me plenty busy (email me at grubin [at] gretchenrubin [dot] [com] if you’d like to take a look, for inspiration) but this looks like another great way to think through and commit to goals.

***End Quote***

Sort of like Joes Goals in multiple dimensions.

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RANT: Hey Governor Corzine — still wanna hear about state cars? … (continued) …

Monday, November 26, 2007

You don’t? TOO BAD!

This morning 26 November 07 @ 0730 est …

… on Route 295 Southbound Mile Post 42 ….

… a white East Brunswick police SUV MG69758…

… in excess of 75 (Your serf’s speed limit is 65) …

… in lots of traffic …

… tailgating the poor peon in his way …

… never left the left lane!

Did I mention it was raining and, despite the popular notion to the contrary, even in NJ, bodies in motion tend to remain in motion.

Any way I am sure that he was hurrying to get somewhere to protect and serve me. (Isn’t that the “party” line?)

Arghhh!

For some reason, I just didn’t feel very safe with him on MY road. Yes, mine! You’ve stolen enough from me in gas, property, registration, and income tax. What section of road is MINE?

Arghhhhhhh!

P.S.: Dear reader, I don’t write these every day. Just when I ARRIVE early for work, particularly agitated aggravated and have to wait for my employer workstation to get online.

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INTERESTING: 44 Years After JFK’s Death, New … information

Sunday, November 25, 2007

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=3902495&page=1

44 Years After JFK’s Death, New Assassination Plot Revealed
Just Three Weeks Before Dallas, Feds Uncovered Plot to Kill JFK in Chicago, Says Ex-Secret Service Agent
By CHUCK GOUDIE, WLS-TV
Nov. 22, 2007

***Begin Quote***

A former Secret Service agent has told WLS-TV there was a plot to kill President Kennedy in Chicago three weeks before he was assassinated in Dallas.

***End Quote***

Wow!

There’s a block buster. I’m not conspiracy theorist, but you have to wonder.

What else don’t we know?

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INTERESTING: Another Prepster left unexpectedly

Sunday, November 25, 2007

I was doing my daily work. (I’m anal. I have a little routine.) And, wow, was I shocked to find an obit for one of my fellow Prepsters, Prep64sters, Prep-64-er-ista, … fellow high school alums.

Reflecting back, I knew so little about him. I call that my “oblivious phase” — covering most of my life. Argh! He was an “old” guy. In high school, it was our first real exposure to “different people”. In Catholic grammar school, everyone was from the same parish other than the Jewish kid and some odd folks from outside the parish whose parishes didn’t have schools. In the age band, he was one of the “old” guys and I was one of the “young” ones. Silly the distinctions that were made. Our school divided up into “smart” and “dumb”. Even within the class, we were seated by alphabet and he was close to me. It is just shocking to me.

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TECHNOLOGY: Windoze a lock, until the competition gets their act together

Sunday, November 25, 2007

COMMENTED ON A WEBSITE

http://www.pcmech.com/article/the-cost-of-switching-operating-systems/

***Begin Quote***

His point is a very good one – one often forgotten by those of us who are end users who personally control our own computers. While Windows is, no doubt, the most popular operating system in the world when it comes to home users, it is also, by far, the most popular operating system in the corporate world.

As any person who works for a company can probably attest to, corporations are like huge cruise ships when it comes to IT – they do not turn on a dime. They choose Windows because it is tried and true, everybody uses it, and they get official support from Microsoft.

*** and ***

Don’t forget the likes of American Telephone & Telegraph Company, I don’t know about you guys but I haven’t whipped out the telegraph anytime recently. It’s just hard to get rid of legacy names, equipment, etc. It’s startup companies that have a real chance to break the mold. If there are really discernible savings or productivity gains in using another platform, these companies will get ahead, right?

***End Quote***

As an old bell head who spent about two decades at AT&T, I’d note that it was a creature of the government (i.e., FCC’s “universal service” mandate) and was destroyed by the government (i.e., Judge Green’s monopoly breakup). In the process a lot of things were destroyed. The careers of good people were sacrificed on the whims of the government. The investors went for a similar ride. Those people, their families, and their friends had their money (including retirements) robbed by a market transformation from government fiat. The government creates the problem and then “rescues” us from the problem they created with all sorts of unintended consequences.

So in the Windoze – Mac – Linux debate, look for the fine hand of the gooferment causing trouble. Look how the gooferment for all intents and purposes makes these companies lobby for their survival; that cost comes out of something somewhere. Look at the FCC — the agency that singly handedly delayed the cell phone for decades and the fax for merely a decade — currently screwing up “spectrum” and then “auctioning” it off; those costs have to come from somewhere. Look how the gooferment uses “standard setting” to anoint winners and losers (e.g., Open Document Format); that all comes from somewhere.

I’d suspect that if the Mac and Linux folks, as well as the WebOS folks and Google Web Apps, can make their offerings invisible to the end user, then they can dislodge Microsoft from the Desktop. We have had these platform debates for eons, and probably will continue to have them.

I’d also point out that the monolithic large companies that are frozen in the Microsoft footprint by their TCO are organizations of the past. Dino the dinosaur. The small – quick – nimble out compete the big – slow – plodding all the time.

Of course, the big fat gooferment likes big – slow – plodding companies who are fat. It leeches off of them and makes dance to their tune. Fortunately for the consumer, and not fortunate for the American worker / economy / country, there are two trends that are stopping that. Offshoring stuff to “better” places (Note the latest example: California farm owners, who need Mexican migrant labor, are moving their farms to Mexico! Moving a farm? Now if they can move, what’s stopping others? Inertia.) and Downsizing orgs into small fry (Look at the activity in technology start ups: start small – stay small – sell out – move on.)

Sorry, but those are the hard cruel facts. The free market will always be open and adapting despite laws, rules, regs, diktats, or wishes. The gooferment is the root of all our problems. And, where there is a will (become invisible) there is a way (displace Microsoft from the desktop).

imho, but what do I know, I’m just an old bell head who thinks Bell Labs was a national treasure.

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Posted by reinkefj

PRODUCTIVITY: What do you delegate.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

FROM A FELLOW ALUM’S EMAIL

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See that’s why the citizens must take great care what they ask government to do. It can’t do it. There are always unintended consequences. And, if it does get anything done, it probably cost an order of magnitude more than it should have!

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So, don’t ask anyone to do anything for you, unless you absolutely have to.

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Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: “career plan” – 4

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Answer #4

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I’ve always had a career plan but sometimes it doesn’t follow the plan! :) It does, however, generally flow in the right direction. The key part is knowing oneself and where one wants to go. In any regard, I have found this article helpful, even though it is geared for students. It is something I have been doing for the past two years now and I’ll never give it up. Hope this helps!

http://www.quintcareers.com/career_development_journal.html

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Posted by reinkefj

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