INTERESTING: Winthrop 27, Georgia Tech 65

Friday, December 19, 2008

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/womens-basketball/recap?gid=200812180232&prov=ap

What do you think when you see a big powerhouse team “beating up on little kids”?

I’m a mix of conflicting emotions. Having graduated from a small Catholic college with a proud basketball tradition, I’ve seen “the team” get thrashed. It has convinced me that NCAA basketball isn’t about basketball, school pride, student athletes, or even achievement.

It’s about the money honey!

And, the self-delusion that that there is any affinity between a bunch of ringers and the student body.

We over-look the damage done when big time basketball or football schools “graduate” functional illiterates. Basket weaving 101? And, all the tutoring, accommodations, and sometimes fraud that goes into the “game”.

Nope, it’s time to learn some very hard lessons:

(1) It’s all about semi-government organizations (i.e., schools that are fund largely by involuntary taxation) that have “feathered their own nests” by fooling students and alumni.

(2) It’s the football and basketball version of Major League Baseball’s minor league. WIthout the honesty of paying the players, and without puncturing the illusion that the “team” is anything more than it is.

(3) It does NOTHING to improve ourselves, our families, or our societies. People some how feel that if the “home town” team wins it reflects well upon them. This nonsense distracts us from other performance issues that do reflect upon us.

(4) I often refer to “millionaires playing for billionaires” in my posts on taxpayer funded stadiums. Nothing seems more ABSURD than when someone refers to a PRO team as “theirs”. I fall back to the old joke: “if it’s mine, can I sell it?”. (This also applies to “my government”, “my schools”, “my town”, “my state”, “my country”, or “my world”. In life, there is very very little that is truly “mine”. (See rants on full and partial slavery by “your government”!)

(5) We need a shift in memes and paradigms. One thing that blogging on the internet does is to cause those shifts.

IMHO!

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: “TRIBUTES” emerges from beta with search still broken!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Begin forwarded message:

From: “Tributes.com” <info@tributes-mail.com>
Date: December 18, 2008 5:20:49 PM EST
Subject: Tributes.com – Member Update

Dear Tributes Member,

The end of September marked the formal launch of Tributes.com as our site exited its testing phase and went into full production to serve families and funeral homes across the U.S. by providing the national resource on the Internet for obituary news and lasting personal tributes.

As we work to consolidate obituary news from across the country onto a single national platform, more and more people are looking to Tributes.com as a reliable place to locate service and condolence information so that they never miss the opportunity to grieve with family and friends. Obituary Alerts also ensure that you receive notification by email of any obituaries that are posted to our site for people from a particular city or town, family, school, or military unit.

Lasting Tributes to Remember Loved Ones

For those of you that have recently lost a special person or would like to remember someone that passed away months, or even years ago, we now offer a robust suite of interactive tools to help create lasting online tributes that appropriately tell the rich stories of our loved ones’ lives. You can now choose from multiple tribute offerings to create a lasting tribute, capturing and preserving special memories for generations to come. Tributes include:

Unlimited copy

Photo slideshows

Interactive memory books

Music & Video support

Custom templates

Create a tribute for your loved ones who have passed away

We take great pride at Tributes in being an important resource for our users and always are interested in your comments and feedback.

Best Regards,

Elaine Haney

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Search for “manhattan college” still doesn’t work! Argh!!

# # # # #

President, Tributes.com

Tributes.com • 1 First Avenue, First Floor • Charlestown, MA • 02129

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: 401Ks have an a few drawbacks imho

Thursday, December 18, 2008

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/12/16/how-much-does-the-stock-market-actually-return

Yes, You Can Achieve Financial Independence
How Much Does the Stock Market Actually Return?
Tuesday, 16th December 2008 (by J.D.)   
This article is about Investing

*** begin quote ***

The recent market turmoil has the naybirds out in force, and they’re decrying the long-term viability of stocks. I think this is nonsense. Though I try not to be dogmatic around here, today is an exception. Today I am going to sing the praises of the stock market.

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

[TO WHICH I REPLIED!]

I too recognize that the stock market is the pnly casino in town. I too would point out Japan and inflation. Both cause by the government. Like the laws of thermodynamics about entropy, you can’t win and you can’t leave the game! Only solution is work, diversify, and yell at your congress critter every chance you get! imho.

[and later]

# Ellie Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

*** begin quote ***

I’m about to enter the workforce for the first time, and you bet your behind that I’m taking all the 401K match my employeer is going to throw at me (100% of the 1st one percent, 50% of the next 5%). At my age (22), the stock market isn’t even a gamble. Its a discount store with huge store-wide sales. I’m putting every extra penny in the stock market, and I know I’m going to get huge returns for this!

*** end quote ***

# reinkefj Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

@Ellie: While IN PRINCIPLE, I agree with a 22 year old going whole hog on the 401k up to the match. It’s like “free money”.

HOWEVER, I would caution some exceptions that might temper that “advice”:

(1) an Enron-like 401k where you have to take 100% company stock and your locked in for eons. There were many horror stories out of that debacle that you should study.

(2) Investment options that are horrendous. High fees. Limited choices. Private label funds. Incestuous relationship between the company and the 401k provider. I have heard many sad tales of woe where the employee lost their money and suffered from terrible ROIs.

(3) Any “fishiness” with respect to all the hands involved in the transactions. I’d be looking for SPIC or such insurance and what the LIMITS are. SIPC of 300k on a million dollar 401K ain’t good enough.

(4) Labels on choices that may or may not reflect the underlying investments. I’ve seen “fixed income” that was leveraged; small caps that had options in the portfolio; a bond fund that was leveraged and optioned.

(5) Unit trusts, annuities, insurance “products” in the “401K”. No joke, I’ve seen an annuity with its cruddy load 2% mutual funds advanced as “required” for a 401k. (I called a friend at the SEC on that one.)

In summary, there is a POLITICAL risk in 401Ks now. The congresscritters are talking about “taking” them in exchange for an “enhanced” Social Security benefit. I think this would cause blood in the streets, but never underestimate the perfidy of a politicain who thinks there is money to be “stolen”!

So, proceed, but remember the old psuedo-Russian movie proverb, “trust but verify”. So I say to you: “Trust but verify”!

The market is a crooked casino. But it’s the only game around for you.

May I also plug my formula: “Success for your generation is: (1) ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt; (2) a life long interest in learning — education — a degree — they can’t take it away from you; (3) a white collar job in order to save big bux; (4) a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber; (5) one or more internet based businesses — your store is always open; (6) a free time hobby that generates income; and (7) a large will-maintained network of people who can “help” you.”

Hope this helps … … everyone.

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PRODUCTIVITY: Leaders empower their people

Thursday, December 18, 2008

http://execunet.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-email-of-day-award.html  

Tuesday, December 09, 2008
The Best Email of the Day Award

*** begin quote ***

…Goes to Peter Clayton, producer/host of Total Picture Radio. It needs no further commentary from me as it eloquently speaks for itself. Good on ‘ya Peter.

“Capital goes where it’s welcome and stays where it’s well treated.” Walter B. Wriston

Dear Dave,

When “The Citi Never Sleeps” ad campaign was first launched in 1978, Walter Wriston was running the place, and the motto had real meaning. Wriston was highly regarded, as was the institution he lead. Citibank / Citicorp was a cherished brand by its employees and a respected competitor in the financial services industry. Citibank had a unique, authentic, brand identity

*** and ***

According to David, “82% of shareholder value is intangible.” According to John, one-third of all shareholder value is attributed to “brand.
“So here’s an idea I’d like your help with: If we could find 24,000 Citibank employees willing to donate $10 each into a fund to “keep the trains running,” it might give the employees of this beleaguered institution something to be proud of, and smile about. I bet through Twitter, LinkedIn, Xing, and Facebook we could mobilize enough Citibankers to take up the cause. Next year, the Holiday Trains at Citigroup Center exhibit could be “In memory of Walter B. Wriston.” The fund could be set-up as an old-fashioned “Christmas Savings Account.”
*** end quote ***

Dave always finds the great challenging ideas. Worth every nickel of my free RSS subscription.
It is clear that the current crop of “leaders” isn’t worth the power to blow them over. Poof! They’re gone. Gone; absconding with the salary, bonus, options, perks, and benefits. (I laffed at the Ford guy taking a $1/year! If the Congress MYOBed and Ford had to do Chapter 11, he could wave “bye” to his stock and options.)
It’s sad that “leaders” are so dishonest.
The time of large corporations is so OVER!
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RANT: Amish “fight” for rights; why not us?

Thursday, December 18, 2008

WI: Amish homeowners: Religion trumps building codes

Yahoo! News

“Daniel Borntreger’s home looks like hundreds of other Wisconsin

farmhouses: two-story A-frame, porch, clothes on the line. But his

home could cost him thousands of dollars in fines. Borntreger, an

Amish farmer, built the house himself according to Amish tradition —

but without a building permit. His case is among at least 18 legal

actions brought against Amish residents in Wisconsin and New York in

the past year and a half for building without proper permits,

according to court records, attorneys and advocates for the Amish. The

cases have sparked local debates about where religion ends and

government begins. Amish advocates — the Amish religion precludes

them from defending themselves physically or legally — argue the

Amish belief that they must live apart from the world trumps local

regulations.” (12/13/08)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081213/ap_on_re_us/amish_building_codes

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Seems like only the Amish fight for their rights!
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POLITICAL: NJ Menedez supports UAW bailout!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Dear Mr. Reinke:

Thank you for contacting me to express your views on the auto industry rescue plan. Your opinion is very important to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you on this vital issue.

Without a doubt, the American automotive industry has been a major pillar of our nation’s manufacturing success. Unfortunately, decades of poor business practices have been exacerbated by the recent credit market freeze pushing our nation’s auto industry to the brink of collapse. Such a massive failure would have dire consequences for a struggling economy that saw more than half a million jobs disappear in November alone. With one in ten American workers relying on the automobile industry, failure of this industry could result in the loss of more than 3 million jobs as the ripple effects reverberate throughout the entire economy. New Jersey alone would lose over 65,000 jobs.

There can be no denying that short-sighted management decisions have played a major role in the decline of the Big Three. However, simply letting these companies go bankrupt would cost millions of American workers their jobs – workers who were not part of that decision-making process.   As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I have paid close attention to the proposals of the automotive industry. Initially, the heads of the Big Three testified before Congress and essentially asked for a blank check. Their plan included little transparency or oversight and provided few details on restructuring or financial solvency. This was simply unacceptable, so Congress demanded that they return with a comprehensive plan.

The plan they later presented on their second visit was much improved and contained a number of important concessions and safeguards. My primary concern with any taxpayer assistance for the Big Three is that there is proper oversight, and that we include safeguards to make sure these taxpayer loans are repaid. This is why we included provisions clamping down on executive compensation, requiring the automakers to issue stock warrants to the government, and prohibiting the companies from issuing dividends until they repaid their taxpayer loans. This legislation also included efforts to address the long-term competiveness of the auto industry. The Big Three have spent the last 20 years fighting fuel economy standards for their products, much to their own detriment. In the long-term, we will require automakers to adhere to strict standards in building cleaner, more energy efficient vehicles, which will benefit America’s national interest as well as the Big Three’s bottom line.

As you may know, the Senate failed, by a vote of 52 to 35, to even bring this issue to the floor for consideration. I voted in support of cloture because I believe this is a vitally important economic issue that, at the very least, warrants debate and consideration in the Senate.

Regardless of your views on this particular piece of legislation, I believe we can all agree that our economy is in a serious recession and more must be done to assist American families. Please rest assured that as your United States Senator, I will do everything in my power to protect jobs and restore our economy so the American Dream is attainable once again.

Thank you again for contacting me with your concerns. For additional information on this issue and my other legislative priorities, please visit my website: http://menendez.senate.gov. It is an honor to represent you in the United States Senate.

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Posted by reinkefj

Jobsearch: Maybe “repair” is important in jobsearch opportunities?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

http://www.pennyjobs.com/pp/public/Articles.aspx?aid=244

Repair Business On the Rise
Curtis Ophoven
12/1/2008

*** begin quote ***

Over the thanksgiving holiday, I got the chance to talk with many of my aunts and uncles about the economy.

*** and ***

If your business is looking for growth, consider adding a department to repair or fix older products – even your competitor’s products. In many cases products can be fixes cheaper then they can be replaced.

*** end quote ***

Perhaps, we need to “aim” differently.

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Posted by reinkefj

GUN: Use a tool; need support?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

MA: Gun-rights advocates stand by Worcester worker – Boston Herald

“Antiviolence and gun-rights backers banded together yesterday in support of a Worcester liquor store clerk who shot and killed a masked man who allegedly pulled a gun on him during an attempted robbery. … ‘It sounds like a cfear-cut case of self-defense, which is what the Second Amendment is really all about,’ said Jim Wallace, director of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts. ‘The (clerk) was properly lawfully in possession of a firearm. It sounds like a win-win situation.’ Forty-year-old Evan Louis Rivera, who entered the store with another masked man, pointed a gun at one of the clerks and one of the clerks fired back, striking Rivera multiple times, police said. Rivera died 45 minutes later. John Rosenthal, co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence and a rifle owner, said he supports responsible gun ownership and the use of firearms in self-defense.” (12/12/08)

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1138553

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Which begs the question, why in the world would some one who defends themself or their property need support. He should get a parade!
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INTERESTING: Why are certain topics appealing?

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

“Especially in the wake of Twilight, Harry Potter, or even the His Dark Materials series, I was wondering if you could tell me why concepts, like being an orphan or the existence of vampires or monsters, which should be frightening to children actually prove to be so appealing?”

With all the real problems in the world, why do folks have to go out and “invent” new ones?

Vampires and magic seem to be popular with the “yutes” of America. Are they brain dead? Have they been under served by what purports to be the “education system” here? Are they just mindless consumers of the “one eyed vast wasteland” (i.e., TV) in every room of our homes?

I really don’t understand.

When I was young, I dreamed of doing great things. Epic books were my “vast waste land”. With heros that overcome adversity and their own flaws.

Now, the kids adore what doesn’t exist.

Strange to my way of thinging.

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Rush points out that Powell is an “inside the beltway” person

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_121508/content/01125106.guest.html

Rush Responds to General Powell

December 15, 2008

*** begin quote ***

The Democrats and the liberals always have, and I guess McCain and Colin Powell are showing their true colors. Here is Colin Powell telling the Republican Party what to do after he voted for Obama! I know what really has Colin Powell upset, it’s because I said his endorsement of Obama was about race, and I’m not supposed to say those things. These things are supposed to go unsaid. The Republican Party nominated Powell’s perfect candidate. The guy’s going after moderates, independents, Democrats, a guy who is not conservative at all, McCain, didn’t stand up for much conservative, and he’s out there now saying he won’t support Palin if she seeks the presidency again, or he might not.

*** and ***

What’s going on here with this Colin Powell thing is that the Washington establishment — Powell’s not a Republican. McCain’s not a Republican. These guys are not even mavericks. They are Washingtonians. Washingtonians have their own culture and their own desires, and it is to matter. They don’t care who’s in power, they just want to be closely associated with whoever is. That’s the name of the game and they want press adulation. They want to be loved and adored by the media, they want fawning treatment, they want to be thought of as something special, unique, dignified and so forth, and that’s the Washington establishment. These guys are Washingtonians. And what is a Washingtonian? Who are these people? Ladies and gentlemen, they have driven this economy into the toilet. Washingtonians are tone deaf in terms of how you and I actually live and the things that matter and are important to us. Washingtonians are grabbing as much power for themselves right now as possible. Washington does not live in the rest of the country, does not live in the same world we do. What they’re doing now is looking for ways to silence opposition. They don’t care about the timid ineffective opposition. They like Republicans and conservatives who are ashamed of their views and their fellow citizens. What they want to do is silence people like me because they can’t abide debate or opposition or challenges to their status and their authority.

*** end quote ***

I only listen to Rush from time to time. I’ve heard him urge Bush to stand tall and be the fiscal conservative. Bush spent like there was no tomorrow.

Bush’s legacy is the TSA. An army of gooferment employees and voter for the Democratic party. When does the TSA go away? NEVER! We should be taking a lesson from El Al. The airlines should be COMPLETELY responsible for security. As they should have been all along.

Arm the pilots. A cheap and easy solution. Arm the people. The policy of “victim disarmament” kills us.

Simple direct “solutions”.

Drug gangs fighting over turf like during Prohibition? End the drug war.

Prison overcrowding? Pardon all non-violent drug offenders.

Drug addiction? It’s a medical problem, treat it that way.

Bailouts? Chapter 11! Or, 7!!

Immigration? End welfare. (We want to take the plastic bag off the Statue of Liberty. Bring us all the refuse of the world willing to work hard in America. The land of OPPORTUNITY; not welfare. We have fat poor people to quote one bright observant fellow.

Runaway federal spending? Cut the federal budget 10% every year.

Lifetime politicians? Stop paying them. Stop pensions for them. Stop free healthcare for them.

On and on, there are simple solutions that increase our liberty.

The Washington politicians haven’t been listening to ANYONE. Let alone Rush.

A plague on all their houses!

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: Fix it before it kills us!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Monday, December 8, 2008
The End of the World…Maybe

*** begin quote ***

“Commandments” is an incorrect translation; “Utterances” or “Words” is much more accurate. I prefer “Laws,” as in “Natural Laws.” If you break them, bad things automatically happen. No cops are needed. The 20th century was a time of worshipping the false idols of Man and State, in violation of the First Law (“have no other gods but the one true God”). It doesn’t matter to me if people believe in any sort of God or not; these Ten Laws still exist, and violation of their practical wisdom brings unhappiness, destruction and death. You can say, “As you sow, you reap,” or “What goes around, comes around,” or karma (“the moral law of cause and effect”) or kismet, or the Tao, or whatever name you want to give it. Those laws are part of human nature.

*** and ***

And if people can’t do it, it’s doubly forbidden for governments (which in a sense don’t really exist, since they are composed of people). The big difference is that governments try to claim a monopoly on force, which makes them unimaginably destructive. I’ve read estimates that up to 200 million people died in the 20th century at the hands of various governments. And all because of the violation of “You shall not murder.”

*** and ***

If I was King, I would take all the Christians and Jews who support Israel (and send money there) and deport them all over there. I would do the same with Muslims here who support the Islamic countries. As it stands right now, the US government is involved in 4,000-year-old tribal warfare, and is in fact supporting both sides in the conflict.

*** end quote ***

Interesting.

First, the author points out timeless principles. Then, he proceeds to break them by using force on people.

I think one of those timeless principles is the “Zero Aggression Principle”. In my mind, I am moral, as admonished by most major religions or philosophies, to not initiate force on others. ZAP as the Libertarians call it.

Government — be it Kings, Presidents, or Tyrants all the same — seeks to force youto conform to its wishes. It robs Peter to enrich Paul while deducting a huge chuck for its “services”.

Sorry, sovereign individuals need no tyrants to tell them what to do. Government’s only legitimate role is to preserve the peace and ensure rights. The jury is still out if it can do that. Not very successful so far.

Maybe it’s time for a new meme to replace “government”. Examine your paradigms and memes for a replacement? I don’t have one but I’m looking.

Fix it before it kills us!

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TECHNOLOGY: Skype knows where I am and …

Monday, December 15, 2008

… won’t give my the USA options for Skype. I’ll have to renew when I get home. Argh! Talk about to smart for its own good. Argh!

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GUNS: “victim disarmament” story?

Monday, December 15, 2008

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081213/christmasparty_shooting_081213/20081213?hub=TopStories

Police allege sacked employee killed his former boss

Updated Sat. Dec. 13 2008 10:38 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A man has been charged with first-degree murder after a shooting at an office Christmas party in Vancouver Friday.

# – # – #

Interesting. Did, do, CEOs think employees are “human resources”. And, in “victim disarmament” Canada?

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Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: Remember Tony Martin!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

http://transsylvaniaphoenix.blogspot.com/2008/05/british-called-they-want-their-guns.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGVAQOUi6ec&eurl=http://transsylvaniaphoenix.blogspot.com/2008/05/british-called-they-want-their-guns.html&feature=player_embedded

*** begin quote ***

This should serve as a warning to all freedom loving Americans. Before pulling the lever this coming November, remember: both Hillary and Obama support draconian gun laws aimed not at criminals (because criminals don’t obey the laws anyway), but at law abiding citizens.

*** end quote ***

Luddite sent me the link.

Could it be that I am finally turning him to the side of liberty?

England is a precursor of the USA.

Our politicians are charging down the same path.

“Judged by 12 rather than carried by 6” obviously failed in this case! The English have chosen “victim disarmament”!

Argh.

“From my cold dead hands …”

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INTERESTING: What DID TD do with all the old Commerce Bank pens?

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Just curious. One day they were there; the next day NOT!

Pen heaven? A third world country? Landfill?

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Make “health insurance” personal!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122852525037084565.html

DECEMBER 6, 2008, 11:16 A.M. ET

For Workers, Medical Bills Add to Pain as Firms Fail

*** begin quote ***

In May, Jevic Transportation, a New Jersey trucking company owned by buyout firm Sun Capital Partners Inc., told employees in a letter that it was shutting down and terminating insurance. “Continuation of these plans via Cobra is not an option since Jevic no longer provides any group health plan to any employee,” a human resources official wrote.

*** and ***

Until the company shut down, Archway had deducted health contributions from employees’ paychecks. The contributions, along with the employers’ share, go into a pool that funded Archway’s insurance plan. Blue Cross and Blue Shield was the administrator of the plan, so employees and doctors would file claims with the insurance firm, which would determine if they were valid and then pay them. Archway would then repay the insurer. Typically, this process could take a couple months to complete.

*** end quote ***

Another argument for the gooferment to make health insurance deductible to the ordinary taxpayer as it is for employers.

Time to stop the fraudsters.

The Archway example sure was “deceptive”. imho

Time to have a paradigm shift.

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POLITICAL: Is this the end of “public financing”?

Friday, December 12, 2008

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=abPrh.QKY5Tk

Obama Spent Four Times as Much as McCain at Race End
By Jonathan D. Salant and Kristin Jensen

*** begin quote ***

Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) — Barack Obama’s record-breaking fundraising gave him four times as much cash to spend as rival John McCain in the final months of the presidential campaign.

*** end quote ***

So much for his “public financing” pledge. Now can we finally bury the McCain – Feingold Unconstitutional attack on Free Speech?

Funny that McCain was knifed by his own law.

And, maybe he would not have made a good President since he was deceived by Obama’s renege.

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TECH SERVICE: Example of the danger of depending upon the cloud for computing service

Friday, December 12, 2008

Hello,

Values of n [http://valuesofn.com], the company behind Stikkit [http://stikkit.com], is closing its doors.

Stikkit will going offline at close of business (5pm Pacific Time) on Friday, December 19th, 2008.

Until then, the Stikkit service will be working as usual to allow you time to make the transition, find alternative services, and download any data you wish to take with you.

Here’s the full announcement: http://bit.ly/KoIT

It goes without saying that you _can_ take it with you: export your Stikkit content and import it into an alternate calendar, to-do list, contact management application — or just open it in your favorite text editor (Notepad, Word, et al) or web browser.

Export your stuff: http://stikkit.com/export

** Please be sure to export anything you’d like to keep _before_ Friday, December 19th. After that, the Stikkit web site will be offline and all user data will be permanently deleted. **

Thank you to everyone who has made Values of n and Stikkit possible. It has been an honor to work with you all.

Rael

Rael Dornfest

CEO, Values of n, Inc.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: Example of the danger of depending upon the cloud for computing service

Friday, December 12, 2008

Hello,

Values of n [http://valuesofn.com], the company behind Stikkit [http://stikkit.com], is closing its doors.

Stikkit will going offline at close of business (5pm Pacific Time) on Friday, December 19th, 2008.

Until then, the Stikkit service will be working as usual to allow you time to make the transition, find alternative services, and download any data you wish to take with you.

Here’s the full announcement: http://bit.ly/KoIT

It goes without saying that you _can_ take it with you: export your Stikkit content and import it into an alternate calendar, to-do list, contact management application — or just open it in your favorite text editor (Notepad, Word, et al) or web browser.

Export your stuff: http://stikkit.com/export

** Please be sure to export anything you’d like to keep _before_ Friday, December 19th. After that, the Stikkit web site will be offline and all user data will be permanently deleted. **

Thank you to everyone who has made Values of n and Stikkit possible. It has been an honor to work with you all.

Rael

Rael Dornfest

CEO, Values of n, Inc.

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: OJ was punished for the last crime

Thursday, December 11, 2008

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=9461992

O.J. Simpson and C.J. Stewart Sentenced
Updated: Dec 5, 2008 06:59 PM

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Former football great O.J. Simpson will spend anywhere from nine to 33 years in prison and his co-defendant, Clarence C.J. Stewart will spend 7.5 to 27 years for their roles in a Las Vegas armed robbery case.

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Sorry! This is a terrible result.

I’m no OJ fan.

I believe that the LA keystone kops muddied the DNA evidence and the jury righty said so.

In this case, I’m of the opinion that he didn’t get a fair trial. The Goldman’s in the court room “invited” the jury to punish him for what he “got away with”.

Sorry! I think he was railroaded.

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2 Comments | Ranting | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Rat’s nest of Chicago

Thursday, December 11, 2008

http://www.spectator.org/archives/2008/12/10/the-tainting-of-the-president

The Tainting of the President-Elect

By Jeffrey Lord on 12.10.08 @ 1:05PM

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Wait a minute.

“I had no contact with the governor what….”

That’s the money quote from President-elect Obama in his first comment on the arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat. What was that “what” about to become before Obama stopped himself in mid-sentence in front of the cameras as Al Gore and Joe Biden sat by, stonefaced? The word “whatsoever” perhaps? In which case, did the new president stop himself because he knew that to say “no contact whatsoever” was something that would be provably untrue? According to a now hastily retracted statement by aide David Axelrod, the president-elect had indeed “talked to the governor” about the vacancy.

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I found this hard to believe also.

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2 Comments | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

PRODUCTIVITY: Doing differently

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/what-would-you-differently-if-you-were-in-college-again/

What Would You Differently if You Were in College Again?

December 5, 2008 at 12:24 pm | In Career Development, Personal Branding, Success Strategies, gen-y |

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From time to time, I get asked certain questions that I think could benefit a larger audience. Many of my blog readers are still in college right now, so I figured today would be the perfect day to go through two questions, so you can think about them this weekend. If you, like me, are a college graduate, you might want to take this time to reminisce, laugh or give suggestions in this posts comment section that can benefit us.

Question: “Thinking back when you were in college what would you have done differently with the knowledge that you now have?”

The context of this question relates to career development, branding and getting a job upon college graduation. It has nothing to do with partying really hard, hooking up with girls/guys and alcohol abuse (not that we have done any of that ;) ). This is a tricky question because social media wasn’t important or heavily used back then. I didn’t know about it and I bet you didn’t as well (I graduated Bentley University in 2006). I learned about social media in late 2006.

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That’s easy!

I’d have started collecting McKay66’s on everybody I ever met. I’ve lost so many potential contacts that I can’t even envision them all.

Argh!

But I did manage to hang onto a vunderbar woman who tolerates my stupidity!

Maybe less drinking and more saving, but it was SOOOO long ago. Who remembers! LOL, like it was yesterday.

Rage at the dying of the light!

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: We cause out own problems

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20692

Miss Cellania
Messing with Mother Nature: 5 Cautionary Tales
by Miss Cellania – December 4, 2008 – 10:09 AM

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A case in Borneo illustrates the delicate balance of nature and the unintended consequences of human intervention. An early 50s outbreak of malaria led the World Health Organization (WHO) to bring in massive amounts of DDT to kill mosquitoes. They killed the mosquitoes, but also virtually wiped out a particular species of parasitic wasp. The wasp fed on thatch-eating caterpillars. With the wasps gone, the caterpillars ate the villager’s roofs! An even worse consequence was that geckos ate the poisoned insects and were in turn eaten by native cats. The native cats died from DDT poisoning, and therefore the rat population flourished. This lead to an outbreak of typhus and plague among humans. To assuage the damage, WHO arranged for a supply drop that included a couple dozen healthy cats! This supply drop (which included other supplies) was dubbed Operation Cat Drop. The cats were able to reduce the rodent population to controllable levels, and DDT was eventually outlawed.

As we continue to “improve” the environment and serve a growing human population, there will be more such stories to come.

*** end quote ***

Humans really can screw stuff up!

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Posted by reinkefj

FUN: Blagojevich Indictment Threatens Nation With Asterisk Shortage

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Blagojevich Indictment Threatens Nation With Asterisk Shortage

By gillespie @ reason.com (Nick Gillespie)

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ROFL!

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Leave a Comment » | FUN | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Policies need to make sense. Common sense.

Monday, December 8, 2008

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/130326.html

New at Reason: Steve Chapman on the Case for Gay Adoption
December 1, 2008, 7:00am

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Laws against gay adoption say, in effect, that a child may not be adopted by gays even when the adoption is in the best interest of the child. But as Steve Chapman writes, the real meaning of family values is that the best interest of the child always comes first.

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Regardless of how you feel about “gays”, I personally PREFER “gay adoption” to “gooferment foster care”. Many of the horror stories come from the gooferment trying to insert itself into every facet of our lives.

First priority, should be two parent heterosexual parents. But clearly, we don’t have enough of those to go around.

“Best interest of the child” would get them permanently placed ASAP!

Once that’s done, we can tackle the other thorny issues. Like abortion, marriage, infidelity, teen sex, and all the other “moral issues”.

BUT first things first.

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Caroline Kennedy for the U.S. Senate? Your kidding!

Monday, December 8, 2008

>Vincent Wright joined the group Caroline Kennedy for the U.S. Senate.

John Reinke at 9:00am December 8

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VW: Love you. BUT, (there is always a big butt), Caroline K? We need a liberal Hollywood celebrity with more hard left theories. Let’s repeal the direct election of senators. The dead old white guys were right; democracy is a terrible idea. imho :-) fjohn

*** end quote ***

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Vincent Wright at 9:19am December 8

JR: Love you,too, BUT, – don’t cha just LOVE reciprocal “buts”? – I think that the one thing most political analysts – both amateur and pro – miss is that sometimes – just sometimes – voters and political supporters prefer candidates who make them FEEL good. As sacrilegious as that might sound, it happens and it’s a legitimate factor in selecting … Read Morewhom we choose to support. I LIKE the idea of Caroline Kennedy because the way she’s conducted herself MAKES ME FEEL GOOD, JR! I trust her. I respect her. An unjaundiced eye can see her as one of the most atypical Senators we could have. And, what’s more, if selected, I believe she’ll do MORE than a commendable job – indeed – no ifs, ands, nor buts about it, I’ll go on record as saying Caroline Kennedy will be an OUTSTANDING US Senator…Let’s rendezvous in 10-12 years to discuss, ok? So, Keep STRONG until then, JR! :-)

As for democracy being a terrible idea – it becomes less terrible when you don’t have it… Vincent Wright

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John Reinke at 12:28pm December 8

OK, I put it down for a follow up discussion in a decade or so. You be sure to be here for it! :-) Just seems like the old system, (selection by the state legislatures), gave us “better” senators. It certainly stopped “unfunded federal mandates”. Argh! “Feel Good” politicians are not the strong medice that we need imho; we need some one to give us … Read Morethe bad news that there is “no free lunch”. No bailouts. No politican can “give” us what we don’t earn without taking it from someone else first! Argh!

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3 Comments | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

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