http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071119/D8T114E00.html
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The Kindle device is shown in this photograph released by Amazon.com on Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. The $399 electronic book device will allow downloads of more than 90,000 book titles, blogs, magazines and newspapers.
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All I know is what I have read in the press.
$400!
Are you kidding me?
It should read the book to me, serve coffee, and do tricks.
Nahhh, I don’t think so.
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HARDWARE | 
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Posted by reinkefj
Leave a Comment » | FUN | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
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One of the most common items of misinformation about Ron Paul’s positions is that he wants to go “back on the gold standard” or “return to the gold standard.” And, this is often used as criticism against him by misinformed and careless reporters and bloggers.
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For those who follow Ron Paul closely, this is absolutely correct. Not being crazy, he realizes that we need time to adapt. His statements that I have heard indicate to me that he wants to merely remove the restrictions on “commodity money”. A “commodity money” is a store of value that backed by something like copper, silver, gold, platinum. A “fiat currency” is also a store of value backed by the full faith and credit of the printer. Gooferments use “legal tender” laws to ensure that their fiat currency MUST be accepted. In America’s early days, prior to 1913, the American dollar greenback was redeemable in gold. During that time, many currencies circulate simultaneously. If he begins to closely supervise the Fed with an eye to its demise and begins to unwind the “legal tender” laws, then he will have initiated the Third American Revolution. Just doing what he has said are his priorities will set us on the track to peace and prosperity.
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Posted by reinkefj
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hobbies
List of hobbies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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* 1 Amateur science related
* 2 Animal-related
* 3 Arts and crafts
* 4 Collecting
* 5 Computer-related
* 6 Cooking
* 7 DIY (Do It Yourself)
* 8 Electronics
* 9 Film-making
* 10 Games
* 11 Gardening
* 12 Historical reenactment
* 13 Interactive fiction
* 14 Internet-based hobbies
* 15 Literature
* 16 Model (scale model) building
* 17 Music
* 18 Observation
* 19 Outdoor/nature activities
* 20 Performing arts
* 21 Photography
* 22 Sports or other physical activities
* 23 Toys of some sophistication
* 24 Transportation
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For those who follow my model for future success:
{Extraneous Deleted}
(6) a free time hobby that generates income;
{Extraneous Deleted}
So what’s your “hobby”?
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Posted by reinkefj
My maiden aunt, who’s in her mid-70s and in a nursing home, had some medical problems. Throwing up blood was reported. The home sent her to the hospital. Initially, the ER didn’t believe, but her problem was made obvious, when she did it for them. So a “stomach scope” test was scheduled. As her proxy, I consented under the gun.
So, here’s my rant. None of these caring professionals gives a damn outside of their little specialty.
We arrive to “check up” on her and we found her back in her room. Getting a nurse to talk to me was a chore. Nurse seemed like it was a bother. I asked about getting her something to eat now that there was “no trouble found”. No doc orders. Dig up doc for orders. Order food; no one in the food prep to deliver food. Food arrives (and it was nice), but no silverware. Find silverware, but the aide had time to take a personal cell phone call in her room while we all waited. I feed the aunt by cutting up the food and cajoling her.
There is a silent disrespect to the patient and the family.
It’s hard to put your finger on. Maybe they are overworked. Maybe they feel they are underpaid. Maybe it’s because we don’t pay the bill directly and they don’t see us as the consumer. Maybe, maybe, maybe. As I said it’s hard to put your finger on it. But it’s there. It palpable.
If this is an example of medicine of the future, then we are in big trouble.
Sigh!
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2 Comments | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Are the new countdown “don’t walk” signs for pedestrians the new yellow light?
I’ve been noticing that one intersections where you can see them from the road, drivers are using them. Traffic speeds up as the count down triggers. It’ll cause a nice accident some day if someone tries to stop.
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Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
November 15, 2007
Foreclosures Hit a Snag for Lenders
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON
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A federal judge in Ohio has ruled against a longstanding foreclosure practice, potentially creating an obstacle for lenders trying to reclaim properties from troubled borrowers and raising questions about the legal standing of investors in mortgage securities pools.
Judge Christopher A. Boyko of Federal District Court in Cleveland dismissed 14 foreclosure cases brought on behalf of mortgage investors, ruling that they had failed to prove that they owned the properties they were trying to seize.
The pooling of home loans into securities has been practiced for decades and helped propel real estate prices in recent years as investors sought the higher yields that such mortgage trusts could provide. Some $6.5 trillion of securitized mortgage debt was outstanding at the end of 2006.
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Interesting?
The concept of “standing” is something that everyone learns to deal with when even contemplating legal action. Prove to me by evidence that you are the injured or the injuring party.
I have no doubt that with some effort the “bank” can meet their burden sooner or later. But, there’s always the possibility of a misfile, blunder, or error.
Just goes to show, never assume anything when you’re in trouble.
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Leave a Comment » | MONEY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
FROM A RESPONSE ON LINKEDIN BLOGGERS
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If we build networks on trust, what do we do with those companies and/or those employees who place little value in honoring their words, their commitments? If they demonstrate a pattern of not honoring their word, how do we introduce them to others in our networks?
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I think, and I advise my “beloved” turkeys — those poor souls who didn’t memo about the roe (rules of employment) changing, that they have to play “offense / defense” continually. They must be on the offense to always be looking out for Number One and that ain’t their employer. They must be on the defense at all times because they are really only assured of the last paycheck that cleared the bank.
No, the rules have changed.
Companies don’t realize the employees, that they fire – discourage – denigrate, are their intellectual capital. They get to “rebuy” their skills at a greatly inflated rate from a consulting shop, but they don’t get the benefit of the genius that they lost. Their “bench” of people, who once aligned themselves with the company long term, is gone. With it, the in depth understanding of what was done, why, and when. So companies get to make the same mistakes over again and pay for them again in even great amounts.
In my career, I have watched the centralized – decentralized, fat – thin – zero client, rapid / traditional paradigms done over, and over and over again. Wait five years and you are dealing with a completely “new” company. I call it “Organizational Alzheimer’s”. The sad part is it’s self-inflicted. And, no one seems to recognize just how expensive it is.
To the question, one introduces candidates and companies very carefully. One ensures that both know the “facts of life” of the new “employment” meme. One carefully weighs each against the standard, “what does it do to advance the needs of each side”. How does the value extracted get divided? And where’s my share!
Just as the ERISA laws of the 1970’s led to the era of five year employees (i.e., the time needed for a pension to vest);
just as the dotcom bubble made everyone an “owner” in some fashion or other (i.e., you only went to work for a “hope ‘n’ prayer” company if you got shares;
just as today’s “what’s in it for me culture” has led to mutually disloyal companies and employees;
the new corporate organization will be a small core of “employees” with lucrative employment contracts that mange the services of other small corporations.
So, everything will be spun out to autonomous little corporations and there will be no “long term” thinking. Forget Bell Labs, forget GE “bringing good things to life”, forget 3M with a slew of new products. It’ll be the march of little enterprises — the nano-izing of business (i.e., like penguins). That’s what we will have to deal with. You’ll be “in”, “out”, or “owning”.
And the costs will be driven out of all processes. (Margins will be razor thin!) But the overall cost to the economy will be higher. (Adding up all those margins will make the end to end cost a lot more!) It’s going to get a lot tougher to “make a living” unless you are smart enough, lucky enough, or practical enough to find a “killer” idea. (Opportunities have to pay off bigger. More risk must be taken. More spectacular failures!)
Makes me glad that I am coming to the end of my career. I don’t envy you youngsters!
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Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
tiny
http://www.naymz.com/faqs.action?section=3
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How does Naymz work?
Naymz has built a proprietary technology which “speaks” to the advertising platforms of the search engines. Naymz relies on paid search advertising to post your personal listing. Paid search advertising is also know as “Sponsored Links” in Google, “Sponsor Results” on Yahoo, and “Sponsored Sites” on MSN Search. Naymz pays all variable fees charged by the engines directly, and subscribers pay Naymz a flat fee. Naymz automatically links your listing to the profile portal page which you create.
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Playing with it. Let’s see if it brings me that bix bux cxo job in 08824. ;-)
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Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
My aunt had to go to the ER. Since her symptoms reported by the nursing home were not believed, (surprising since they have a doc and nurses), they were just watching. I got to watch the workings of a part of the ER and found it to be organized chaos. Luckily, she threw up for them and then they were convinced! Good thing. So, they had no idea what was causing it, and they were going to keep her. At that point she had been in the ER from 11PM to 5AM, the doc said she was “fast pathed” to a room and that it would take a few hours. So we went home to get some sleep and returned about 10AM. Surprise, she was still in the ER. Argh! She got to the room about 5PM. Wall clock time in the ER was 17 hours. How is that efficient? It certainly was exhausting.
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Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
You are currently browsing the Reinke Faces Life blog archives for November, 2007.
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FJohn Reinke
Consultant at Technology Legacies LLC
Advisor, Computer Governance Committee at Manhattan College
Editor / Publisher at Jasper Jottings
Greater New York City Area
JJ Positraction JJ Endnotes Downsize DC
Philosophy of Liberty
I have NOT received any gagged governmental information requests
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