RANT: Don’t listen to celebs

Saturday, January 3, 2009

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5401129.ece

From The Times
December 27, 2008
Don’t take health tips from celebs if you know what’s good for you
David Rose

*** begin quote ***

From Madonna’s quest to “neutralise radiation” to Tom Cruise’s dismissals of psychiatry, celebrities are seldom shy about expressing their views on health and science – even when they appear not to know what they are talking about.

A roll call of public figures such as Cruise and Delia Smith have offered bogus advice or “quackery” this year, according to scientists and doctors. The charity Sense About Science is concerned that celebrities mislead the public when they endorse theories, diets or health products while misrepresenting the science involved.

Some – such as Oprah Winfrey and Kate Moss – espouse “detox” regimes, while others, such as Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, believe (mistakenly) that the Pill can cause cancer.

Nor are politicians exempt from lending credence to health myths. The US President-elect is among several American public figures who continue to suggest that the MMR vaccination is a potential cause of autism, despite an overwhelming weight of scientific evidence to the contrary.

*** end quote ***

Why do people take anything from a celebrity?

Health advice, scientific advice, or political advice. Anything!

At least when Ted Turner gets up and pontificates his liberal agenda, he has made a contribution to the world. While I don’t agree with him, he has earned a listen. Madonna, Tom Cruise, and Kate Moss — please give me a break. They have the right to free speech; I have a right to ignore them.

Oprah is a special case of “speak with forked toungue”. Her Obama endorsement was plainly racist. She fell a bunch of notches in my opinion. Like Rosie O’D who was the “Queen of Nice” until she let fame get to her, there was a double cross.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

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JOBSEARCH: What rights do employers have over laid off workers?

Friday, January 2, 2009

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/12/26/142227&from=rss

RIM Accuses Motorola of Blocking Job Offers
Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday December 26, @11:48AM
from the if-i-can-have-you-nobody-will dept.
Businesses Technology

*** begin quote ***

theodp writes “Taking a page from the insanely-jealous-husband-playbook, Motorola management has adopted an if-I-can’t-have-you-nobody-can stance on its fired employees, reportedly blocking RIM from offering jobs to laid-off workers. In a complaint filed in state court, Motorola is charged with improperly trying to expand a previous agreement ‘to prevent the RIM entities from hiring any Motorola employees, including the thousands of employees Motorola has already fired or will fire.’ Through its Compete America membership, Motorola has repeatedly warned Congress that failing to accommodate the lobbying group members’ ‘principled’ demand for timely access to talent would not be in the United States’ economic interest and would make the U.S. second-rate in education and basic research.”  

*** end quote ***

A new wrinkle to make seeker’s lives miserable. Motorola want to own their future too.

Argh!

We need to change the playing field!

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POLITICIAL: Health Care is NOT a right

Friday, January 2, 2009

http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=1761

The health care mess: Functioning in the belly of the beast
Liberty For All
by Roderick T. Beaman

*** begin quote ***

“With Barack Obama’s presidency, the clamor for some type of universal medical coverage system is on a crescendo. The cry today is for a ‘single payer system.’ That type of system is a monopsony, where there is but one buyer for a good or a service, as opposed to a monopoly where there is but one seller. It was Pres. Harry Truman who first proposed government-funded health care service for Social Security recipients. It was a corner piece of John F. Kennedy’s presidential platform in 1960.” (12/23/08)

*** end quote ***

In college, I was forced to take courses unrelated to injineering. In Economics, we were taught surprisingly that there were “viewpoints”. I remember one lesson, the prof was teach about “elastic and inelastic” demand curves. (Simple versus “Field Theory” curves and equations) He had many examples of elastic demands (cars, food, money) and only one of inelastic.

Medical care.

No matter what the supply, what the price, demand was infinite.

The only cure was some type of rationing.

In the “old days” of my Mom’s generation, I remember my appendix operation. There were bills. Doc, Hospital, Surgeon, Gas passer, and Surgical Operating Room. My Mom had insurance but it was different then. She paid all the bills, assembled a big folder, and submitted it to the insurance company. They paid 80% of the total. It was very complicated.

She had limited choice since it was an emergency. But, whenever there was a choice, she was a price conscious shopper.

Today, no one shops. They just demand.

That’s what’s wrong!

Health care isn’t a right. Rights are negatives. If it’s a positive, then someone else is OBLIGATED to provide it.

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FUN: COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN

Friday, January 2, 2009

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01022009/news/regionalnews/happy______new_146872.htm  

HAPPY #*%! NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO!
COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN
By JEREMY OLSHAN

Last updated: 9:04 am
January 2, 2009
Posted: 1:32 am

*** begin quote ***

Comedienne Kathy Griffin may be doomed to life on CNN’s S-list after answering a heckler with a shrieking, vulgar tirade during the network’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast.

*** end quote ***

I’m shock and appalled at the reference and language on TV.

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” Captain Renault in Casablanca

Actually, I thought she was pretty funny and handled the heckler with what he deserved.

Mess with a comic at you own risk.

AND, if we heard what the politicians say when we’re not listening, that would be an education.

The old media is propaganda. Thinking that they are so “above the fray”.

Nice to see some honesty on TV.

Not everyone is perky Kattie C!

More honesty; less phoneysism.

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WRITING: Book is done!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

UPDATE 1/11 later 1/12 early: According to the Lulu site, my order should ship as early as 1/12 (tomorrow/today) or as late as 1/16 (Friday). Coming by FedEx Ground Delivery. (Lingering question, are Lulu books printed offshore and that’s why it takes so long?)

# – # – #

1/1/2009

Well, it’s finished. Cooked. Booked. I’ve Lulu-ed it.

Now I’m waiting for my proof copy.

It’s sad. Four decades late, I’m done.

Luddite helped with the proofing. CJ gave me a better punch. Frau gave me good input to the cover design.

But, it’s done.

All that I have to do is wait for Lulu to send me my proof.

710 pages.

Just under a half a million words.

A little less than a year.

So many lessons learned.

(1) You have to be organized.

(2) Keep one copy as the master. All changes get made there.

(3) Need versioning.

(4) There’s no good software for a big wp project.

Note: Office corrupted the doc after about 6 months. Despite creating new files. Master and sub-docs was a horror show.

Note: Apple’s PAGES sucked at big docs.

Note: Google docs choked at the size.

Note: Luggable’s WINDOZE Office locked up one night and lost three hours of my best prose.

Argh!

(5) It’s always takes longer and is harder than you expect.

(6) A GANTT chart with realistic estimates would have helped.

(7) Schedules weren’t met.

(8) Illness, job loss, laziness, and stupidity all caused delays.

(9) When blogging fan fiction, have the project DONE before posting the first segment.

(10) Was it fun?

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ConspiracyTheories: I have a “thermometer” for measuring these

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Checking the Conspiracy Theorist “thermometer” (i.e., Conspiracy Theory Taxonomy and Ruler Type and Veracity) says: it is:

CATEGORIZED as … … 

Governmental
Political
Historical
Commercial
Miscellaneous
Health

AND I RATE IT AS … … 

Generally Accepted As True
Likely
More likely than not
Plausible
Possible
Less likely than not
Unlikely
Generally Accepted As False

For example:

The JFK assassination was a Governmental conspiracy theory that I’d rate as More likely than not.

The Moon Landing Hoax was a Historical conspiracy theory that I’d rate as Generally Accepted As False.

Hope this helps you know that my personaltin foil hat is not on too tight.  There are degrees of certainty in everything.

“My first rule: I don’t believe anything the government tells me.” — George Carlin

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